Communication device, vehicle, information processing system, non-transitory computer-readable medium, and server

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a communication device, a vehicle, an information processing system, a non-temporary computer-readable medium, and a server that improve the usefulness of a technology for determining the position of a vehicle located at a distant place. The communication device of the present disclosure is a communication device possessed by a first vehicle, and comprises a communication unit and a control unit. The communication unit communicates with the server. The control unit detects a second vehicle located near the first vehicle. The control unit generates position information of the second vehicle based on the position of the first vehicle when the second vehicle is detected. When the communication unit is able to communicate with the server, the control unit sends the position information of the second vehicle to the server via the communication unit. When the communication unit is unable to communicate with the server, the control unit stores the position information of the second vehicle as unsent information of the first vehicle, and when the communication unit becomes able to communicate with the server, the control unit sends the unsent information of the first vehicle to the server via the communication unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication device, a vehicle, an information processing system, a program, and a server. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a known technique for determining the position of a remotely located vehicle. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for providing vehicle position information, wherein a fixed station communicates with a vehicle, receives vehicle position information from the vehicle, and provides the position information to a communication terminal device.

[0003] Prior Art Literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-086263 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] In recent years, there has been a desire to further improve the usefulness of techniques for determining the position of a vehicle located at a remote location. For example, even when communication with the vehicle cannot be performed due to reasons such as the vehicle being out of communication range or a failure in the communication function of the vehicle, the position of the vehicle can be determined from a remote location.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a communication device, a vehicle, an information processing system, a program, and a server that improve the usefulness of a technology for specifying a position of a vehicle located at a remote location.

[0009] Means for solving problems

[0010] The communication device involved in one embodiment of the present disclosure is a communication device possessed by a first vehicle, and comprises: a communication unit, which communicates with a server; a control unit, which detects a second vehicle located near the first vehicle, and generates position information of the second vehicle based on the position of the first vehicle when the second vehicle is detected, and when the communication unit is able to communicate with the server, the position information of the second vehicle is sent to the server via the communication unit, and when the communication unit cannot communicate with the server, the position information of the second vehicle is stored as unsent information of the first vehicle, and when the communication unit becomes able to communicate with the server, the unsent information of the first vehicle is sent to the server via the communication unit.

[0011] A vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes the communication device.

[0012] An information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes the communication device and the server.

[0013] A program involved in one embodiment of the present disclosure enables a computer to function as a communication device, which is a communication device possessed by a first vehicle and comprises: a communication unit that communicates with a server; a control unit that detects a second vehicle located near the first vehicle and generates position information of the second vehicle based on the position of the first vehicle when the second vehicle is detected, and when the communication unit is able to communicate with the server, the position information of the second vehicle is sent to the server via the communication unit, and when the communication unit is unable to communicate with the server, the position information of the second vehicle is stored as unsent information of the first vehicle, and when the communication unit becomes able to communicate with the server, the unsent information of the first vehicle is sent to the server via the communication unit.

[0014] A server involved in one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a communication unit, which communicates with multiple vehicles; a control unit, which receives position information of a second vehicle stored in a first vehicle among the multiple vehicles that can communicate with the communication unit via the communication unit, and when the communication unit cannot communicate with the second vehicle, determines the position of the second vehicle based on the position information of the second vehicle received from the first vehicle.

[0015] Effects of the Invention

[0016] According to a communication device, a vehicle, an information processing system, a program, and a server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the usefulness of a technology for specifying a position of a vehicle located at a remote location is improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 A diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram showing the position of a vehicle according to one embodiment.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a block diagram showing the structure of a vehicle according to one embodiment.

[0020] Figure 4 A flowchart showing the operation of a communication device according to one embodiment.

[0021] Figure 5 A block diagram showing a schematic structure of a server according to one embodiment.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an overview of the operation of a server according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0024] In each figure, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of the present embodiment, the description of the same or corresponding parts is appropriately omitted or simplified.

[0025] (Structure of information processing system)

[0026] Reference Figure 1 , an overview of the information processing system 1 involved in this embodiment is described. Figure 1 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of an information processing system 1. The information processing system 1 includes a vehicle 10, a server 20, and a terminal device 30. Figure 1 , three vehicles 10, three servers 20, and three terminal devices 30 are shown. However, the information processing system 1 may include any number of vehicles 10, servers 20, and terminal devices 30.

[0027] The vehicle 10 is, for example, a car. However, the vehicle 10 is not limited to a car, and may be any vehicle such as a motorcycle or a bicycle. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 10 includes a first vehicle 10A, a second vehicle 10B, and a third vehicle 10C. Hereinafter, when the first vehicle 10A, the second vehicle 10B, and the third vehicle 10C are not specifically distinguished, they are collectively referred to as the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 may be driven by a driver, or the driving thereof may be automated at any level. The level of automation may be, for example, any one of levels 1 to 5 in the level classification of SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers).

[0028] The server 20 is composed of one or more computers. In the present embodiment, the server 20 is described as being composed of one computer. However, the server 20 may be composed of a plurality of computers such as a cloud computing system.

[0029] The terminal device 30 is, for example, a computer such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, or a personal computer. In this specification, a computer is also referred to as an information processing device. In this embodiment, the terminal device 30 is used by, for example, an owner of any vehicle 10.

[0030] The terminal device 30 is used for the owner of the vehicle 10 to confirm the position of the vehicle 10. The terminal device 30 communicates with the server 20 and receives the position information of the vehicle 10 from the server 20. Based on the instruction to display the position of the vehicle 10 on the map received from the server 20, the terminal device 30 displays the position of the vehicle 10 on the map, for example, using a display.

[0031] The network 40 is any communication network in which the vehicle 10, the server 20, and the terminal device 30 can communicate with each other. The network 40 can be a wireless or wired transmission line, or a communication network such as the Internet. For example, the network 40 in this embodiment can also include an ad hoc network, a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), a cellular network, a WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network), a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network), a terrestrial wireless network, an optical network or other networks, or any combination of these networks.

[0032] Reference Figure 2 , an overview of the operation of the information processing system 1 is described. Figure 2 1 is a schematic diagram showing the position of a vehicle 10 according to one embodiment. The information processing system 1 is used for providing a service of providing position information of the vehicle 10 to a user. The "position information" of the vehicle 10 is information showing the position of the vehicle 10 at a certain point in time.

[0033] In the information processing system 1, the server 20 communicates with the first vehicle 10A, the second vehicle 10B, and the third vehicle 10C, respectively, to obtain the position information of each vehicle 10. However, there are cases where the server 20 cannot communicate with the vehicle 10 because the vehicle 10 is out of the communication range or the communication function of the vehicle 10 fails. Figure 2 In FIG. 1 , places outside the communication range are shown by oblique hatching. A place outside the communication range is, for example, an underground parking lot. Figure 2 In the example, the second vehicle 10B and the third vehicle 10C are located outside the communication range, and the second vehicle 10B and the third vehicle 10C cannot send the position information of their respective vehicles 10 to the server 20 .

[0034] The vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment can generate position information of another vehicle 10 when detecting another vehicle 10 located near the vehicle 10. For example, the vehicle 10 detects another vehicle 10 by acquiring information of an electronic tag of another vehicle 10 using an electronic tag reader of the vehicle 10. Figure 2 In FIG. 1 , the dotted line indicates the range in which the first vehicle 10A can detect other vehicles 10 different from the first vehicle 10A. In the present embodiment, the range in which other vehicles can be detected is indicated by a circle, but it is not limited to a circle and may be any shape such as a sector. Figure 2 As shown by arrows in FIG. 1 , the first vehicle 10A travels in the order of the location P1, the location P2, and the location P3. The first vehicle 10A travels near the second vehicle 10B at the location P2 outside the communication range, and when the second vehicle 10B is detected, the location information of the second vehicle 10B is generated. Since the first vehicle 10A cannot communicate with the server 20 at the location P2, the location information of the second vehicle 10B is stored as unsent information. Thereafter, when the first vehicle 10A moves to the location P3 within the communication range, since the first vehicle 10A can communicate with the server 20 at the location P3, the location information of the second vehicle 10B is sent to the server 20. Thus, in the information processing system 1, the server 20 can determine the location of the second vehicle 10B that cannot communicate with the server 20. For example, when the owner of the second vehicle 10B is looking for the second vehicle 10B, the server 20 can send the determined location of the second vehicle 10B to the terminal device 30 used by the owner of the second vehicle 10B. Therefore, according to the information processing system 1 , the usefulness of the technology for specifying the position of the vehicle 10 located at a distant place is improved.

[0035] Next, the vehicle 10 and the server 20 of the information processing system 1 will be described in detail.

[0036] (Vehicle structure)

[0037] Reference Figure 3 , the structure of the vehicle 10 involved in this embodiment is described. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the structure of the vehicle 10. Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle 10 includes a positioning unit 11, an acquisition unit 12, a holding unit 13, a communication unit 14, a storage unit 15, and a control unit 16. The positioning unit 11, the acquisition unit 12, the holding unit 13, the communication unit 14, the storage unit 15, and the control unit 16 are connected to each other by wire or wirelessly via an in-vehicle network such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or a dedicated line so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0038] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the communication device 17 of the vehicle 10 has all the functions of the positioning unit 11, the acquisition unit 12, the holding unit 13, the communication unit 14, the storage unit 15, and the control unit 16. The communication device 17 is, for example, an on-board device such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), a car navigation device, or an on-board communication device. Alternatively, the communication device 17 may also be a computer such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, or a personal computer provided on the vehicle 10. Part of the above functions may also be provided by other on-board devices of the vehicle 10 connected to the communication device 17 in a manner capable of communicating.

[0039] The positioning unit 11 measures the position of the vehicle 10 and generates the position information of the vehicle 10. As described above, the position information of the vehicle 10 is information indicating the position of the vehicle 10 at a certain point in time. The position information of the vehicle 10 includes information indicating the point in time and information indicating the position of the vehicle 10. The information indicating the point in time is, for example, a date or a time. The information indicating the position is, for example, a coordinate such as a two-dimensional coordinate or a three-dimensional coordinate. For example, a car navigation device provided in the vehicle 10 may also function as the positioning unit 11.

[0040] In the present embodiment, the positioning unit 11 can measure the position of the vehicle 10 by using a combination of navigation using a satellite positioning system and autonomous navigation. The positioning unit 11 includes a receiver corresponding to the satellite positioning system in order to measure the position of the vehicle 10 by using navigation using a satellite positioning system. The satellite positioning system corresponding to the receiver may be, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System). Furthermore, the positioning unit 11 includes sensors such as an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor in order to measure the position of the vehicle 10 by autonomous navigation. According to the structure involved, the positioning unit 11 mainly measures the position of the vehicle 10 by using navigation using a satellite positioning system, and when the vehicle 10 is traveling underground or in a tunnel and cannot receive radio waves from the satellite positioning system, the position of the vehicle 10 can be measured by autonomous navigation. However, the positioning unit 11 may also measure the position of the vehicle 10 by using either navigation using a satellite positioning system or autonomous navigation.

[0041] The acquisition unit 12 acquires information from other vehicles 10 located in the vicinity of the vehicle 10. In the present embodiment, the acquisition unit 12 acquires information held by the holding unit 13 from the holding unit 13 of the other vehicles 10. The information acquired by the acquisition unit 12 from the other vehicles 10 includes, for example, identification information of the other vehicles 10. The identification information of the vehicle 10 is information for uniquely identifying the vehicle 10. The identification information of the vehicle 10 is, for example, information assigned by the server 20. However, the identification information of the vehicle 10 may also be the chassis number and the car registration number of the vehicle 10. Although the details will be described later, the acquisition unit 12 may also acquire information other than the identification information, such as information held by the holding unit 13 of the other vehicles 10 as unsent information, from the other vehicles 10. In the present embodiment, the vicinity of the vehicle 10 is a range in which the acquisition unit 12 of the vehicle 10 can acquire information.

[0042] For example, the acquisition unit 12 includes an electronic tag reader. In this case, the electronic tag reader of the acquisition unit 12 uses wireless communication to acquire information such as identification information of other vehicles 10 stored in electronic tags of other vehicles 10. The wireless communication method corresponding to the electronic tag reader may be, for example, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), NFC (Near Field Communication), or UHF (Ultra-High Frequency).

[0043] The acquisition unit 12 may also include a camera. In this case, the camera of the acquisition unit 12 acquires information such as identification information of other vehicles 10 displayed on a display provided by other vehicles 10. The display may also display information such as identification information through a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark). Alternatively, the camera of the acquisition unit 12 may acquire information such as identification information of other vehicles 10 displayed on a license plate provided by other vehicles 10.

[0044] The acquisition unit 12 may include a communication device that performs inter-vehicle communication. In this case, the communication device of the acquisition unit 12 acquires information such as identification information of other vehicles 10 from a communication device included in the other vehicles 10 through inter-vehicle communication.

[0045] The holding unit 13 holds the information in a manner that can be obtained by other vehicles 10. More specifically, the holding unit 13 holds the information in a manner that can be obtained by the obtaining unit 12 of other vehicles 10. In the present embodiment, it is provided that the holding unit 13 can update the held information under the control of the control unit 16. The holding unit 13 includes, for example, an electronic tag, a display, or a communication device for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. However, the holding unit 13 may also be a license plate, etc., and the held information cannot be updated under the control of the control unit 16.

[0046] The information stored in the storage unit 13 includes identification information of the vehicle 10. In the present embodiment, the information stored in the storage unit 13 also includes unsent information. "Unsent information" is information before it is sent from the vehicle 10 to the server 20. The unsent information includes, for example, information before it is sent in the position information of other vehicles 10 detected by the vehicle 10. Furthermore, the unsent information may also include information indicating the status of the vehicle 10. The information indicating the status of the vehicle 10 may include, for example, information indicating that "the vehicle 10 has run out of fuel", "the vehicle 10 has run out of battery", or "the vehicle 10 has a problem".

[0047] In the present embodiment, the holding unit 13 is non-volatile. The non-volatile holding unit 13 does not require power to continuously hold information. The non-volatile holding unit 13 includes, for example, an electronic tag that can operate using radio waves from an electronic tag reader as an energy source, i.e., a passive tag, or a non-volatile display such as an electrophoretic electronic paper. In such a case, even if power is not supplied from the vehicle 10 to the holding unit 13 due to the vehicle 10 running out of fuel, the holding unit 13 can continue to hold the information and prompt the acquisition unit 12 of other vehicles 10 with the information.

[0048] The holding portion 13 may also be provided at a position that cannot be easily removed from the outside of the vehicle 10. The holding portion 13 may also be provided, for example, in a launch cabin or a vehicle compartment. In such a case, it becomes difficult to remove the holding portion 13 from the vehicle 10 due to theft or mischief.

[0049] The communication unit 14 includes a communication module for connecting to the network 40. The communication module is, for example, a communication module corresponding to a mobile communication standard such as 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation). The communication module may also be, for example, a communication module corresponding to a standard such as a wired LAN (Local Area Network) or a wireless LAN. The communication module may also be a communication module corresponding to a short-range wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark) or infrared communication. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 10 is connected to the network 40 via the communication unit 14. Thus, the vehicle 10 can communicate with the server 20 and the like.

[0050] The storage unit 15 is, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, or an optical memory. The storage unit 15 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 15 stores any information used in the operation of the vehicle 10. For example, the storage unit 15 stores system programs, application programs, or embedded software. The information stored in the storage unit 15 can also be updated using information obtained from the network 40 via the communication unit 14, for example.

[0051] The control unit 16 includes one or more processors. The processor may be, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specifically used for specific processing. The control unit 16 is not limited to including a processor, and may also include one or more dedicated circuits. Dedicated circuits are, for example, FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 16 controls each structural element in order to realize the functions of the communication device 17 including the functions of the structural elements such as the above-mentioned positioning unit 11, acquisition unit 12, holding unit 13, communication unit 14 and storage unit 15.

[0052] The functions of the communication device 17 are realized by executing the communication device program involved in this embodiment by the processor of the computer. That is, the functions of the communication device 17 are realized by software. The communication device program is a program for causing the computer to execute the processing of the steps included in the operation of the communication device 17, thereby causing the computer to realize the function corresponding to the processing of the steps. That is, the communication device program is a program for causing the computer to function as the communication device 17.

[0053] The program can be pre-recorded in a non-temporary recording medium that is readable by a computer. The non-temporary recording medium that is readable by a computer is, for example, a magnetic recording device, an optical disc, an optical magnetic recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. The circulation of the program is implemented, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending a removable recording medium such as a DVD (digital versatile disc) or CD-ROM (compact disc read only memory) that records the program. Alternatively, the program can be circulated by pre-storing the program in a storage device of a predetermined server and transmitting the program from the predetermined server to other computers. The program can also be provided as a program product.

[0054] The computer temporarily stores a program recorded in a removable recording medium or a program transmitted from a predetermined server in a memory, for example. Moreover, the computer reads the program stored in the memory by a processor, and uses the processor to execute processing according to the read program. The computer may also directly read the program from the removable recording medium and execute processing according to the program. The computer may also sequentially execute processing according to the received program each time the program is transmitted from a predetermined server to the computer. It is also possible not to implement the transmission of the program from the predetermined server to the computer, but to execute processing by a so-called ASP (application service provider) type service that implements functions only based on execution instructions and result acquisition. In the program, information for processing implemented by the computer and content treated as a program are included. For example, data that is not a direct instruction to the computer but has the nature of regulating the processing of the computer is equivalent to "content treated as a program."

[0055] Reference Figure 4 , the operation of the communication device 17 is explained. Figure 4 1 is a flowchart showing the operation of the communication device 17. The communication device 17 can repeatedly perform this operation at predetermined time intervals or at a fixed time. In the description of this operation, it is assumed that the communication device 17 is installed in the first vehicle 10A. Therefore, this operation can also be referred to as the operation of the first vehicle 10A equipped with the communication device 17. Moreover, in the description of this operation, it is assumed that the second vehicle 10B holds the identification information of the second vehicle 10B in the holding unit 13, and holds the position information of the third vehicle 10C and the information indicating the state of the second vehicle 10B as unsent information.

[0056] In step S101 , the control unit 16 of the first vehicle 10A detects the second vehicle 10B located near the first vehicle 10A.

[0057] Specifically, the control unit 16 controls the acquisition unit 12 so that the acquisition unit 12 acquires the identification information of the second vehicle 10B from the holding unit 13 of the second vehicle 10B located within the range where the information can be acquired, thereby detecting the second vehicle 10B. When the acquisition unit 12 includes an electronic tag reader, the control unit 16 can acquire the identification information of the second vehicle 10B from the electronic tag of the second vehicle 10B through the electronic tag reader. When the acquisition unit 12 includes a camera, the control unit 16 can acquire the identification information of the second vehicle 10B from the display of the second vehicle 10B through the camera. The control unit 16 stores the acquired identification information of the second vehicle 10B in the storage unit 15.

[0058] exist Figure 2 In FIG. 1 , the range in which the acquisition unit 12 of the first vehicle 10A can acquire information is indicated by a dotted line. While the first vehicle 10A is traveling along the arrow mark, at point P2, the second vehicle 10B is included in the range of the dotted line. In this case, the acquisition unit 12 of the first vehicle 10A acquires the identification information of the second vehicle 10B from the holding unit 13 of the second vehicle 10B. The control unit 16 of the first vehicle 10A detects the second vehicle 10B based on the identification information of the second vehicle 10B acquired by the acquisition unit 12.

[0059] Refer again Figure 4 In step S102, the control unit 16 of the first vehicle 10A generates position information of the second vehicle 10B based on the position of the first vehicle 10A when the second vehicle 10B is detected.

[0060] Specifically, when the second vehicle 10B is detected in step S101, the control unit 16 measures the position of the first vehicle 10A through the positioning unit 11. The control unit 16 can measure the position of the first vehicle 10A through the positioning unit 11 by using a combination of navigation using a satellite positioning system and autonomous navigation. The control unit 16 can generate the position information of the second vehicle 10B based on the position of the first vehicle 10A by any method. For example, the control unit 16 can set the position of the first vehicle 10A as the position of the second vehicle 10B and generate the position information of the second vehicle 10B. Alternatively, the control unit 16 can also correct the position of the first vehicle 10A using the relative distance between the first vehicle 10A and the second vehicle 10B, thereby generating the position information of the second vehicle 10B. The control unit 16 can also calculate the relative distance between the first vehicle 10A and the second vehicle 10B based on the intensity of the radio wave received by the electronic tag reader of the acquisition unit 12 or the size of the display of the second vehicle 10B reflected in the image captured by the camera of the acquisition unit 12. In addition, the relative distance between the first vehicle 10A and the second vehicle 10B is not limited to the above method, and can also be calculated using radar (RADAR, Radio Detecting and Ranging) or laser radar (LIDAR, Light Detection and Ranging (light detection and ranging), or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging (laser imaging detection and ranging)). The control unit 16 uses the time point when the position of the first vehicle 10A is measured as the time point when the position of the second vehicle 10B is measured, and generates the position information of the second vehicle 10B. The control unit 16 stores the generated position information of the second vehicle 10B in the storage unit 15.

[0061] In step S103 , the control unit 16 of the first vehicle 10A acquires the untransmitted information of the second vehicle 10B stored in the second vehicle 10B via the acquisition unit 12 .

[0062] Specifically, the acquisition unit 12 acquires the identification information of the second vehicle 10B and the unsent information of the second vehicle 10B from the holding unit 13 provided in the second vehicle 10B. The control unit 16 causes the unsent information of the second vehicle 10B acquired by the acquisition unit 12 from the second vehicle 10B to be included in the unsent information of the first vehicle 10A and to be stored. For example, when the unsent information of the second vehicle 10B includes the position information of the third vehicle 10C, the control unit 16 stores the position information of the third vehicle 10C as the unsent information of the first vehicle 10A. When the unsent information of the second vehicle 10B includes the information indicating the state of the second vehicle 10B, the control unit 16 also stores the information indicating the state of the second vehicle 10B as the unsent information of the first vehicle 10A.

[0063] exist Figure 2 In the example, the second vehicle 10B is parked at Figure 2 Before the position shown in FIG. 1 , the second vehicle 10B travels near the third vehicle 10C, thereby generating position information of the third vehicle 10C and storing it in the storage unit 13 as unsent information. Figure 2 When the function is stopped due to battery exhaustion during parking at the position shown, information indicating that the second vehicle 10B is in a battery exhaustion state is stored in the storage unit 13 as unsent information. While the first vehicle 10A is traveling along the arrow mark, at the point P2, the acquisition unit 12 of the first vehicle 10A acquires the unsent information of the second vehicle 10B together with the identification information of the second vehicle 10B from the storage unit 13 of the second vehicle 10B. As a result, the control unit 16 of the first vehicle 10A stores the position information of the third vehicle 10C and the information indicating the state of the second vehicle 10B (battery exhaustion) in the storage unit 15 as unsent information.

[0064] Refer again Figure 4 In step S104, the control unit 16 of the first vehicle 10A determines whether the communication unit 14 can communicate with the server 20 in order to send the unsent information stored in the storage unit 15 to the server 20. For example, the control unit 16 may determine that the communication unit 14 can communicate with the server 20 by sending a predetermined signal to the server 20 via the communication unit 14 and receiving a predetermined signal from the server 20.

[0065] When the communication unit 14 cannot communicate with the server 20 (step S104-No), the control unit 16 of the first vehicle 10A stores the position information of the second vehicle 10B as unsent information in the storage unit 15 in step S105. When the communication unit 14 can communicate with the server 20, the unsent information stored in the storage unit 15 is transmitted to the server 20 via the communication unit 14.

[0066] exist Figure 2 In the example, the first vehicle 10A determines whether the communication unit 14 can communicate with the server 20 at the location P2. Since the location P2 is outside the communication range, the communication unit 14 cannot communicate with the server 20, and therefore the control unit 16 stores the information that has not been sent to the server 20 as unsent information in the storage unit 15. The unsent information of the first vehicle 10A includes the position information of the second vehicle 10B generated by the control unit 16, the position information of the third vehicle 10C obtained from the second vehicle 10B, and the information indicating the state of the second vehicle 10B.

[0067] Refer again Figure 4 In step S106, the control unit 16 of the first vehicle 10A stores the unsent information of the first vehicle 10A in a manner that can be obtained by other vehicles 10 different from the first vehicle 10A. Specifically, the control unit 16 stores the unsent information of the first vehicle 10A stored in the storage unit 15 in the storage unit 13 together with the identification information of the first vehicle 10A. The unsent information stored in the storage unit 13 includes the position information of the second vehicle 10B that has not been sent to the server 20, the position information of the third vehicle 10C included in the unsent information obtained from the second vehicle 10B, and the information indicating the state of the second vehicle 10B. Thus, even if the first vehicle 10A itself cannot send the unsent information to the server 20 due to fuel exhaustion, battery exhaustion, or failure, the unsent information of the first vehicle 10A can be obtained by other vehicles 10 different from the first vehicle 10A. Therefore, the unsent information of the first vehicle 10A can be sent to the server 20 via other vehicles 10 different from the first vehicle 10A. After completing the process of this step, the control unit 16 may repeatedly execute the process from step S101 .

[0068] When the communication unit 14 can communicate with the server 20 (step S104-Yes), the control unit 16 of the first vehicle 10A transmits the position information of the second vehicle 10B to the server 20 via the communication unit 14 in step S107. Specifically, the control unit 16 associates the position information of the second vehicle 10B with the identification information of the second vehicle 10B and transmits the same to the server 20 via the communication unit 14. The control unit 16 transmits not only the position information of the second vehicle 10B but also the position information of the first vehicle 10A itself and the information indicating the state of the first vehicle 10A to the server 20.

[0069] In step S108, the control unit 16 of the first vehicle 10A transmits the unsent information of the first vehicle 10A to the server 20 via the communication unit 14. Specifically, the control unit 16 transmits the unsent information stored in the storage unit 15 to the server 20 together with the position information of the second vehicle 10B via the communication unit 14. After transmitting the unsent information to the server 20, the control unit 16 deletes the transmitted information from the unsent information stored in the storage unit 15. After transmitting the unsent information to the server 20, the control unit 16 also deletes the transmitted information from the unsent information stored in the storage unit 13. After the processing of this step is completed, the control unit 16 ends this operation.

[0070] exist Figure 2 In the example, after the first vehicle 10A moves to the location P3, the communication unit 14 determines whether it is possible to communicate with the server 20 at the location P3. Since the location P3 is within the communication range, the communication unit 14 is able to communicate with the server 20. The control unit 16 transmits the position information of the second vehicle 10B, the position information of the third vehicle 10C, and the information indicating the state of the second vehicle 10B stored in the storage unit 15 as unsent information to the server 20 via the communication unit 14. The control unit 16 deletes the information that has been sent from the storage unit 15 and the holding unit 13.

[0071] (Server Structure)

[0072] Reference Figure 5 , the structure of the server 20 involved in this embodiment is described. Figure 5 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of the server 20. Figure 5 As shown in the block diagram, the server 20 includes a communication unit 21, a display unit 22, an input unit 23, a storage unit 24, and a control unit 25. The communication unit 21, the display unit 22, the input unit 23, the storage unit 24, and the control unit 25 are connected to each other via wires or wirelessly so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0073] The communication unit 21 includes a communication module connected to the network 40. The communication module is, for example, a communication module corresponding to a mobile communication standard such as 4G or 5G. The communication module may also be, for example, a communication module corresponding to a standard such as a wired LAN or a wireless LAN. The communication module may also be a communication module corresponding to a short-range wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or infrared communication. In the present embodiment, the server 20 is connected to the network 40 via the communication unit 21. Thus, the server 20 can communicate with the vehicle 10 and the terminal device 30.

[0074] The display unit 22 displays information using images, texts, etc. The display unit 22 includes, for example, a display device such as a monitor.

[0075] The input unit 23 receives input operations and includes, for example, an input device such as a touch panel, a physical key, a camera, a microphone, or an IC card reader.

[0076] The storage unit 24 is, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, or an optical memory. The storage unit 24 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 24 stores any information used in the operation of the server 20. For example, the storage unit 24 stores system programs, application programs, embedded software, or a database. The information stored in the storage unit 24 can also be updated using information obtained from the network 40 via the communication unit 21, for example.

[0077] The control unit 25 includes one or more processors. The processor may be, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or a dedicated processor specifically used for a specific process. The control unit 25 is not limited to including a processor, and may also include one or more dedicated circuits. The dedicated circuit may also be, for example, an FPGA or an ASIC. The control unit 25 controls each function in order to realize the functions of the server 20 including the functions of the structural elements such as the above-mentioned communication unit 21, the display unit 22, the input unit 23, and the storage unit 24.

[0078] The functions of the server 20 are realized by executing the control program involved in this embodiment by the processor of the computer. That is, the functions of the server 20 are realized by software. The control program is a program that causes the computer to execute the processing of the steps included in the operation of the server 20, thereby causing the computer to realize the functions corresponding to the processing of the steps. That is, the control program is a program for causing the computer to function as the server 20.

[0079] Reference Figure 6 , the operation of the server 20 is explained. Figure 6 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the server 20. The server 20 may repeatedly execute this operation at a predetermined time interval or at a fixed time. In the description of this operation, it is assumed that the second vehicle 10B and the third vehicle 10C of the first vehicle 10A, the second vehicle 10B, and the third vehicle 10C, which are configured to be able to communicate with the server 20, are in a state where they cannot communicate with the server 20. Furthermore, it is assumed that the first vehicle 10A stores the position information of the second vehicle 10B and the third vehicle 10C.

[0080] In step S201 , the control unit 25 of the server 20 receives position information of each vehicle 10 from one or more vehicles 10 that can communicate with the server 20 among the plurality of vehicles 10 via the communication unit 21 .

[0081] Specifically, the control unit 25 of the server 20 communicates with the first vehicle 10A via the communication unit 21 and receives the position information of the first vehicle 10A. The control unit 25 attempts to communicate with the second vehicle 10B and the third vehicle 10C via the communication unit 21. However, since the second vehicle 10B and the third vehicle 10C cannot communicate with the server 20, the control unit 25 cannot receive the position information of the second vehicle 10B and the third vehicle 10C. The control unit 25 stores the received position information of the first vehicle 10A in the storage unit 24.

[0082] In step S202 , the control unit 25 of the server 20 receives, via the communication unit 21 , the position information of other vehicles 10 stored in each of the vehicles 10 from one or more vehicles 10 that can communicate with the server 20 among the plurality of vehicles 10 .

[0083] Specifically, the control unit 25 of the server 20 receives the position information of the second vehicle 10B and the third vehicle 10C stored in the first vehicle 10A from the first vehicle 10A that can communicate with the server 20 among the plurality of vehicles 10 via the communication unit 21. Figure 4 As described above, the position information of the second vehicle 10B can be generated by the first vehicle 10A detecting the second vehicle 10B. Figure 4 As described above, the position information of the third vehicle 10C can be obtained by the first vehicle 10A from the second vehicle 10B as unsent information of the second vehicle 10B. The control unit 25 stores the position information of the second vehicle 10B and the position information of the third vehicle 10C received from the first vehicle 10A in the storage unit 24 .

[0084] The control unit 25 of the server 20 may store the position information of the second vehicle 10B received from the first vehicle 10A in the storage unit 24 as time series information in a manner excluding duplication. For example, when there is position information of the second vehicle 10B received from the second vehicle 10B or the like in the past, or when the position information of the second vehicle 10B is received from a vehicle 10 other than the first vehicle 10A, the control unit 25 compares the position information of the plurality of second vehicles 10B. When the plurality of position information of the second vehicles 10B includes a plurality of different position information indicating the position of the second vehicle 10B, the control unit 25 may arrange the respective position information in the order of time series and store them in the storage unit 24. On the other hand, when the plurality of position information of the second vehicles 10B includes position information indicating substantially the same position of the second vehicle 10B obtained at a plurality of different time points, the control unit 25 may store only the latest position information of the second vehicle 10B in the storage unit 24.

[0085] In step S203 , the control unit 25 of the server 20 maps the positions of the plurality of vehicles 10 on a map.

[0086] Specifically, the control unit 25 determines the positions of the first vehicle 10A, the second vehicle 10B, and the third vehicle 10C based on the position information of the first vehicle 10A, the second vehicle 10B, and the third vehicle 10C received from the first vehicle 10A. The control unit 25 starts the map application and maps the positions of the first vehicle 10A, the second vehicle 10B, and the third vehicle 10C on the map. For example, the control unit 25 may also display a map on which the positions of the first vehicle 10A, the second vehicle 10B, and the third vehicle 10C are mapped via the display unit 22. Alternatively, the control unit 25 may also send an instruction to display the position of each vehicle 10 on the map to the terminal device 30 of the owner of each vehicle 10 via the communication unit 21. As a result, the terminal device 30 that receives the instruction can display the position of each vehicle 10 on the map on the display unit 22.

[0087] As described above, the communication device 17 according to the present embodiment is a communication device 17 provided in the first vehicle 10A. The communication device 17 includes a communication unit 14 and a control unit 16. The communication unit 14 communicates with the server 20. The control unit 16 detects the second vehicle 10B located near the first vehicle 10A, generates position information of the second vehicle 10B based on the position of the first vehicle 10A when the second vehicle 10B is detected, transmits the position information of the second vehicle 10B to the server 20 via the communication unit 14 when the communication unit 14 can communicate with the server 20, stores the position information of the second vehicle 10B as unsent information of the first vehicle 10A when the communication unit 14 cannot communicate with the server 20, and transmits the unsent information of the first vehicle 10A to the server 20 via the communication unit 14 when the communication unit 14 can communicate with the server 20. According to the configuration, the communication device 17 can detect other vehicles 10 different from the first vehicle 10A and transmit the position information of the other vehicles 10 to the server 20. Thus, even when the server 20 cannot communicate with the vehicle 10 due to reasons such as the vehicle 10 being out of the communication range or the communication function of the vehicle 10 failing, the position of the vehicle 10 can be determined from a remote location. Therefore, the communication device 17 can improve the usefulness of the technology for determining the position of the vehicle 10 located at a remote location.

[0088] In the communication device 17 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 16 acquires the identification information of the second vehicle 10B from the second vehicle 10B, thereby detecting the second vehicle 10B. With this configuration, the communication device 17 can automatically detect the second vehicle 10B located near the first vehicle 10A.

[0089] The communication device 17 of this embodiment includes an electronic tag reader, and the control unit 16 can obtain the identification information of the second vehicle 10B from the electronic tag of the second vehicle 10B through the electronic tag reader. According to the configuration, the communication device 17 can detect the second vehicle 10B located near the first vehicle 10A with a simple configuration.

[0090] The communication device 17 according to this embodiment includes a camera, and the control unit 16 can obtain identification information of the second vehicle 10B from a display provided in the second vehicle 10B via the camera. With this configuration, the communication device 17 can detect the second vehicle 10B located near the first vehicle 10A with a simple configuration.

[0091] In the communication device 17 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 16 can associate the position information of the second vehicle 10B with the identification information of the second vehicle 10B and transmit the information to the server 20. With the configuration, the communication device 17 can easily implement the identification of the position of the second vehicle 10B by the server 20.

[0092] In the communication device 17 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 16 can obtain the unsent information of the second vehicle 10B stored in the second vehicle 10B from the second vehicle 10B, and store the position information of the third vehicle 10C included in the unsent information of the second vehicle 10B as the unsent information of the first vehicle 10A. According to the configuration, the communication device 17 can transmit the position information of the third vehicle 10C that the second vehicle 10B cannot transmit to the server 20 due to exhaustion of fuel, exhaustion of battery, or failure, etc., to the server 20 instead of the second vehicle 10B.

[0093] In the communication device 17 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 16 holds the unsent information of the first vehicle 10A in a manner that can be obtained by other vehicles 10 different from the first vehicle 10A. According to the configuration, the communication device 17 can allow other vehicles 10 to obtain the unsent information that the first vehicle 10A cannot send to the server 20 due to fuel exhaustion, battery exhaustion, or failure. As a result, the unsent information of the first vehicle 10A can be sent to the server 20 via other vehicles 10.

[0094] In the communication device 17 involved in this embodiment, the communication device 17 includes the positioning unit 11, and the control unit 16 can measure the position of the first vehicle 10A by using a combination of navigation using a satellite positioning system and autonomous navigation through the positioning unit 11. According to the structure involved, the communication device 17 can measure the position of the first vehicle 10A by autonomous navigation even when the first vehicle 10A cannot receive radio waves from the satellite positioning system while traveling underground or in a tunnel.

[0095] The server 20 according to the present embodiment includes a communication unit 21 and a control unit 25. The communication unit 21 communicates with a plurality of vehicles 10. The control unit 25 receives the position information of the second vehicle 10B stored in the first vehicle 10A from the first vehicle 10A among the plurality of vehicles 10 that can communicate with the communication unit 21 through the communication unit 21. When the communication unit 21 cannot communicate with the second vehicle 10B, the control unit 25 specifies the position of the second vehicle 10B based on the position information of the second vehicle 10B received from the first vehicle 10A. According to the configuration, even when the server 20 cannot communicate with the vehicle 10 due to reasons such as the vehicle 10 being out of the communication range or the communication function of the vehicle 10 failing, the position of the vehicle 10 can be specified from a remote location. Therefore, the server 20 can improve the usefulness of the technique for specifying the position of the vehicle 10 at a remote location.

[0096] In the server 20 of this embodiment, the control unit 25 can store the position information of the second vehicle 10B received from the first vehicle 10A as time series information without duplication. With this configuration, the server 20 can reduce the processing capacity such as storage capacity for managing the position information of the plurality of vehicles 10.

[0097] In the server 20 involved in this embodiment, the control unit 25 can map the position of the second vehicle 10B on the map. According to the structure involved, the server 20 can present the position of the vehicle 10 to the user in a more understandable manner. Therefore, the server 20 can improve the usefulness of the technology for determining the position of the vehicle 10 located far away.

[0098] Although the present disclosure is described based on the various drawings and embodiments, please note that those skilled in the art can implement various modifications and corrections based on the present disclosure. Therefore, please note that these modifications and corrections are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each method or each step can be reconfigured in a logically non-contradictory manner, and multiple methods or steps can be combined into one, or they can be divided.

[0099] For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, all or part of the functions or processes described as the functions or processes of the server 20 may also be implemented as the functions or processes of the communication device 17 or the terminal device 30 of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the memory of the communication device 17 or the like can store a program describing the processing contents for implementing the various functions of the server 20 involved in the embodiment, and the program can be read and executed by the processor of the communication device 17 or the like. Similarly, the memory of the server 20 or the like can store a program describing the processing contents for implementing the various functions of the communication device 17 involved in the embodiment, and the program can be read and executed by the processor of the server 20 or the like.

[0100] For example, a general-purpose computer such as a smartphone may be configured to function as the communication device 17 or the server 20 involved in the above-mentioned embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing contents for implementing the various functions of the communication device 17 or the server 20 involved in the embodiment is stored in a computer memory, and the program is read and executed by a processor of the computer. For example, when a general-purpose computer functions as the communication device 17 of the vehicle 10, this can be achieved by installing a computer having the configuration and functions of the communication device 17 of the vehicle 10 in the vehicle 10.

[0101] Explanation of symbols

[0102] 1 Information processing system;

[0103] 10 (10A, 10B, 10C) vehicles;

[0104] 11 positioning unit;

[0105] 12 Acquisition Department;

[0106] 13. Maintaining department;

[0107] 14 Ministry of Communications;

[0108] 15 Storage Department;

[0109] 16 Control Department;

[0110] 17 communication devices;

[0111] 20 servers;

[0112] 21 Ministry of Communications;

[0113] 22 Display unit;

[0114] 23 Input unit;

[0115] 24 Storage Department;

[0116] 25 Control Department;

[0117] 30 terminal devices;

[0118] 40 Network;

[0119] P1, P2, P3 locations.

Claims

1. A communication device, which is a communication device provided in a first vehicle and comprises: A communication unit that communicates with the server; Electronic tag reader; a control unit that acquires identification information of a second vehicle from an electronic tag of a second vehicle located near the first vehicle through the electronic tag reader, thereby detecting the second vehicle, and generates position information of the second vehicle based on the position of the first vehicle when the second vehicle is detected, and When the communication unit is able to communicate with the server, the position information of the second vehicle is sent to the server via the communication unit, and When the communication unit cannot communicate with the server, the position information of the second vehicle is stored as unsent information of the first vehicle, and when the communication unit can communicate with the server, the unsent information of the first vehicle is sent to the server via the communication unit, and acquiring, from the second vehicle, the unsent information of the second vehicle stored in the second vehicle, and storing, as the unsent information of the first vehicle, the position information of the third vehicle and the information indicating the state of the second vehicle contained in the unsent information of the second vehicle, and The unsent information of the first vehicle is retained in a manner that can be acquired by another vehicle different from the first vehicle.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit associates the position information of the second vehicle with the identification information of the second vehicle and transmits the association to the server.

3. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The communication device includes a positioning unit. The control unit measures the position of the first vehicle by using a combination of navigation using a satellite positioning system and autonomous navigation through the positioning unit.

4. A vehicle, wherein: A communication device comprising any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. An information processing system comprising: The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3; The server.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as a communication device, The communication device is a communication device provided in the first vehicle and includes: A communication unit that communicates with the server; Electronic tag reader; a control unit that acquires identification information of a second vehicle located near the first vehicle from an electronic tag of the second vehicle through the electronic tag reader, thereby detecting the second vehicle, and generating position information of the second vehicle based on the position of the first vehicle when the second vehicle is detected, and When the communication unit is able to communicate with the server, the position information of the second vehicle is sent to the server via the communication unit, and When the communication unit cannot communicate with the server, the position information of the second vehicle is stored as unsent information of the first vehicle, and when the communication unit can communicate with the server, the unsent information of the first vehicle is sent to the server via the communication unit, and acquiring, from the second vehicle, the unsent information of the second vehicle stored in the second vehicle, and storing, as the unsent information of the first vehicle, the position information of the third vehicle and the information indicating the state of the second vehicle contained in the unsent information of the second vehicle, and The unsent information of the first vehicle is retained in a manner that can be acquired by another vehicle different from the first vehicle.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein: The communication device associates the position information of the second vehicle with the identification information of the second vehicle and transmits the association to the server.

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