Information Processing Apparatus, Information Processing Method, and Information Processing System

Abstract

Provided are an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing system. The information processing apparatus includes a control unit that executes: acquiring a first path based on a communication speed; and creating a first plan for a first vehicle, the first plan being a plan for downloading first data during travel on the first path. The control unit acquires a first path between two predetermined locations based on a first map that shows the distribution of the communication speeds of a first communication carrier used in the first vehicle. The first path is a path predicted to have the shortest time taken for downloading the first data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing system. Background Art

[0002] There is disclosed a control device that controls the release of an update program for an ECU and starts downloading the update program when the communication state of a vehicle at a predetermined time point before the start of downloading and the communication state of the vehicle from the predetermined time point until the download is completed are good (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-228103). Summary of the Invention

[0003] One problem of one of the disclosed technical solutions is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing system that can stably perform downloading of update data for a vehicle during the vehicle's travel.

[0004] One technical solution of the present disclosure is an information processing device including a control unit,

[0005] The control unit executes:

[0006] acquiring a first path based on the communication speed; and

[0007] creating a first plan for a first vehicle, the first plan being a plan to download first data during travel on the first path.

[0008] Another technical solution of the present disclosure is an information processing method including:

[0009] acquiring a first path based on the communication speed; and

[0010] creating a first plan for the first vehicle, the first plan being a plan to download first data during travel on the first path.

[0011] Another technical solution of the present disclosure is an information processing system including:

[0012] a first vehicle; and

[0013] an information processing device,

[0014] The information processing device includes a control unit that executes: acquiring a first path based on the communication speed; and creating a first plan for the first vehicle, the first plan being a plan to download first data during travel on the first path.

[0015] According to one technical solution of the present disclosure, it is possible to stably perform downloading of update data for a vehicle during the vehicle's travel. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] The features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, where the same reference numerals denote the same elements, and:

[0017] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the information processing system according to the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 is an example of a RELEASE NOTE.

[0019] Figure 3 is an example of a communication speed map.

[0020] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the computer in the control center.

[0021] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the computer in the control center.

[0022] Figure 6 is an example of information related to the schedule maintained in the schedule information database of the control center.

[0023] Figure 7 is an example of the vehicle information maintained in the vehicle information database of the control center.

[0024] Figure 8 is an example of a flowchart of the process for creating an updated schedule received based on the RELEASE NOTE in the control center.

[0025] Figure 9 is an example of a flowchart of the acquisition process for the first path.

[0026] Figure 10 is an example of a flowchart of the acquisition process for the first path.

[0027] Figure 11 is an example of a diagram obtained by overlapping communication speed maps within the same range of two communication carriers.

[0028] Figure 12 is an example of a flowchart of the acquisition process for the first path according to the second embodiment.

[0029] Figure 13 is an example of a flowchart of the acquisition process for the first path according to the second embodiment. Detailed Embodiments

[0030] One technical solution of the present disclosure is an information processing apparatus having a control unit. The control unit obtains a first path based on the communication speed. The control unit may also obtain a first path between two predetermined locations based on a first map that shows the distribution of the communication speeds of a first communication carrier used in a first vehicle. The control unit makes a first plan for the first vehicle, and the first plan is a plan for downloading first data during the travel on the first path.

[0031] The first vehicle is, for example, an autonomous vehicle or an automatic vehicle. The information processing apparatus is, for example, a computer that manages the travel of the first vehicle, and is a server or a computer mounted on the first vehicle. The control unit is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Control Processing Unit, central processing unit). The first map is, for example, called a communication speed map. The first map is, for example, divided into regions based on the measurement results of the communication speeds at each location. The first map is publicly available on the Internet for each communication carrier. However, it is not limited thereto. For example, the first map may also be a map showing the division of regions on the map based on multiple levels of the theoretically maximum reception speed in a predetermined mobile wireless communication method provided by a communication carrier. The predetermined mobile wireless communication method is, for example, LTE (Long Term Evolution) and 5G, etc. The first map exists for each communication carrier and mobile wireless communication method.

[0032] According to one technical solution of the present disclosure, a first plan for the first vehicle to download first data during the travel of the first vehicle is made based on the communication speed. For example, by obtaining the first path based on the first map, the possibility that the first path becomes a path passing through a region where communication can be stably performed is increased, and the first data can be stably downloaded during the travel of the first vehicle.

[0033] In one technical solution of the present disclosure, the control unit may also obtain, as the first path, a path predicted to have the shortest time required for downloading the first data. Thereby, the possibility of completing the download of the first data during the travel of the first vehicle on the first path between two predetermined locations becomes high.

[0034] An example of a path predicted to have the shortest time required for downloading the first data may also be a path passing through a faster region with a faster communication speed between the two predetermined locations. The region is, for example, a region divided based on the communication speed in the first map.

[0035] The faster the communication speed, the shorter the download time. Therefore, by making a path in such a way that it passes through a region with a faster communication speed, a path predicted to have the shortest time required for downloading the first data can be obtained.

[0036] When there are multiple first communication carriers adopted in the first vehicle, the control unit may also acquire the first route based on the respective first maps corresponding to the first communication carriers. Specifically, the control unit may acquire the first route in such a manner that the area of the second communication carrier, which has a faster communication speed among the multiple first communication carriers and passes through one or more areas of the respective first communication carriers existing between the predetermined two locations, is used. The control unit may also create a first plan including the content that the first communication carrier is used for each of the one or more sections divided by the type of the second communication carrier on the first route. Thus, when the first vehicle travels on the first route, the first communication carrier with the fastest communication speed at the traveling position is used. Therefore, the download of the first data can be stably performed during the travel of the first vehicle.

[0037] An example of the first route predicted to have the shortest time taken for the download of the first data may also be the route with the shortest time length taken for the download of the first data between the predetermined two locations. The time length taken for the download of the first data may also be acquired based on the size of the first data and the communication speed of the one or more areas through which the route passes. Thus, the route predicted to have the shortest time taken for the download of the first data can be acquired with better accuracy.

[0038] When there are multiple first communication carriers adopted in the first vehicle, the control unit may also acquire the first route based on the size of the first data and the first maps corresponding to the first communication carriers. Specifically, the control unit acquires, as the first route, the route with the shortest first time length taken for the download of the first data when the second communication carrier is used in each of the one or more sections among the multiple routes between the predetermined two locations. The second communication carrier is the communication carrier with the fastest communication speed at a certain location among the first communication carriers adopted in the first vehicle. The sections on the route are sections divided by the fastest communication speed obtained for each of the multiple first communication carriers adopted in the first vehicle at each location. The control unit may also create a first plan including the content that the second communication carrier is used for each of the one or more sections on the first route. Thus, the first route with the shortest first time taken for the download of the first data can be acquired between the predetermined two locations in consideration of the view of which communication carrier to use.

[0039] In addition, when there are multiple second paths that are the paths with the shortest first time length, the control unit obtains the second path with the largest total value of the first values among the multiple second paths as the first path. The first value is a value obtained by dividing the communication speed of the second communication operator by the number of subscribed users of the second communication operator for each of one or more intervals. The second communication operator is the communication operator among the multiple first communication operators that has the fastest communication speed in each interval. Thus, even when there are multiple paths with the shortest first time taken for downloading the first data, the first path can be obtained considering the number of subscribed users of each first communication operator.

[0040] In one aspect of the present disclosure, when there are multiple first communication operators adopted in the first vehicle, the control unit may obtain the first path based on the relationship between the communication speed and the number of subscribed users of each first communication operator. For example, it is not guaranteed that the communication speed disclosed by the first map can actually be obtained. For the actually obtained communication speed, empirically, within a predetermined geographical range, the more the number of subscribed users, the lower the communication speed. For example, for two communication operators, even if the same communication speed is obtained in the first map at a predetermined location, the communication operator with fewer subscribed users tends to have a faster actual communication speed.

[0041] That is, there is a predetermined relationship between the number of subscribed users and the communication speed of the first communication operator. Therefore, based on the relationship between the number of subscribed users and the communication speed of the communication operator, the first path predicted to have the shortest time taken for downloading the first data can be obtained. In addition, the number of subscribed users of the communication operator is publicly disclosed by the communication operator, for example, on a local basis, on a prefecture basis, or on a city, town, and village basis.

[0042] The relationship between the number of subscribed users and the communication speed of the communication operator may also be represented, for example, by a first value obtained by dividing the communication speed by the number of subscribed users of the first communication operator in the first range including between the two predetermined locations. The control unit may also obtain, as the first path, a path formed by selecting a region with a larger first value from one or more regions of each first communication operator included between the two predetermined locations. Or, the control unit may obtain, as the first path, the path with the largest total value of the maximum first value for each of one or more intervals among the multiple paths included between the two predetermined locations. The intervals on the path are intervals separated by the first value that becomes the maximum value at each location. The control unit may also create a first plan including using, for each of one or more intervals on the first path, the third communication operator with the largest first value among the first communication operators adopted in the first vehicle for downloading the first data.

[0043] The first value obtained by dividing the communication speed by the number of subscribed users of the communication carrier becomes the communication speed per subscribed user in the communication carrier, and can be an index for comparing the magnitudes of the communication speeds actually obtained by subscribed users among communication carriers. There is a tendency that the larger the first value obtained by dividing the communication speed by the number of subscribed users of the communication carrier, the higher the actual communication speed. Therefore, when traveling on the first path obtained using the first value obtained by dividing the communication speed by the number of subscribed users of the communication carrier, it becomes the third communication carrier for which the actual communication speed in each section is likely to be the fastest.

[0044] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit may also refer to the first maps of the plurality of first communication carriers adopted in the first vehicle, and obtain the first path based on the communication speeds of the respective first communication carriers and the relationship between the communication speeds of the respective first communication carriers and the number of subscribed users. For example, when there are multiple paths with the largest total value of the maximum first values in one or more sections, the control unit may obtain the path with the shortest time taken for downloading the first data as the first path. Thereby, the first path predicted to have the shortest time taken for downloading the first data can be accurately obtained.

[0045] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the first data may also be update data for the first program related to the ECU (Electronical Control Unit) mounted on the first vehicle. In this case, the control unit may also obtain information related to the first data including at least the release start date and time of the update data. When the importance of updating the first program is high, the control unit may create the first plan at the earliest time after the release start date and time of the update data. In addition, the control unit may create the first plan so that the update of the first program based on the update data is executed during a time period when the first vehicle is not traveling. Thereby, the first vehicle can download the update data for the first program with high importance at an earlier time after the release start date and time. In addition, by downloading the update data for the first program during the traveling period of the first vehicle, the update of the first program can be immediately executed after the first vehicle becomes a non-traveling state. For example, even when the time in the non-traveling state of the first vehicle is short, the update of the first program can be completed.

[0046] Other technical solutions of the present disclosure may be determined to include an information processing method including the processing of the above information processing device, a program for causing a computer to execute the processing of the above information processing device, and a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording the program. In addition, other technical solutions of the present disclosure may also be determined to include an information processing system including the first vehicle and the above information processing device.

[0047] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are illustrative, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

[0048] <First Embodiment>

[0049] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is an example of the system configuration of the information processing system 100 according to the first embodiment. The information processing system 100 includes a vehicle 2, a computer of a vehicle center 3, and a computer of a control center 4. Hereinafter, the computer of the vehicle center 3 and the computer of the control center 4 will also be simply referred to as the vehicle center 3 and the control center 4. The vehicle 2, the vehicle center 3, and the control center 4 are connected via a network N1.

[0050] The network N1 includes a wired network and a wireless network. The wired network is also referred to as a core network, a backbone, etc., and is an example of a broadband network such as an optical fiber network. The wireless network includes, for example, mobile phone networks such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), and 6th generation mobile communication system (6G).

[0051] The vehicle 2 is, for example, a vehicle. The vehicle can be four-wheeled, three-wheeled, or two-wheeled. The vehicle can be a vehicle driven by an engine or a vehicle driven by a motor. The vehicle can also be a vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving system or an automatic driving system. The vehicle 2 is an example of the "first vehicle".

[0052] As Figure 1 shown, the vehicle 2 has a Data Communication Module (DCM) 21, a Central Electronic Control Unit (Central ECU) 22, a User Interface (UIF) device 23, a safety prevention device 24, an Advanced Drive System (ADS) 25, and a Sound and Image Navigation (NAVI) device 26.

[0053] The DCM21 accesses the network N1 and communicates with other moving bodies, the vehicle center 3, the control center 4, etc. The DCM21 can perform wireless communication via the mobile communication network.

[0054] The central ECU 22 manages each device in the vehicle 2. The central ECU 22 has, for example, a processor and a memory. The processor executes a computer program on the memory and performs the processing of the central ECU 22. For example, the central ECU 22 updates the computer programs executed by the ECUs of the respective devices mounted in the vehicle 2 and manages the progress of the update. In addition, the central ECU 22 detects an error when the computer program is updated and performs the processing when an error occurs. The combination of the central ECU 22 and the DCM21 is an example of a computer mounted on a vehicle.

[0055] The UIF device 23 provides a user interface, for example, when updating the computer programs executed by the ECUs of the respective devices mounted in the vehicle 2. The user interface is also called a Reprogramming Human Machine Interface (REPRO HMI). The UIF device 23 also has an ECU similar to the central ECU 22. The ECUs in the central ECU 22, the UIF device 23, etc. can be called a general ECU group.

[0056] The safety prevention device 24 has an in-built ECU and performs collision avoidance assistance processing through the processing of a computer program. The safety prevention device 24 performs, for example, support for collision avoidance, notification of lane departure, automatic high beam, radar cruise control, etc., based on signals from sensors such as radar and cameras.

[0057] The ADS 25 is connected to a Spatial Information Service (SIS) 27, an Advanced Drive Extension (ADX) 28, etc. The ADS 25, the SIS 27, and the ADX 28 each have an in-built ECU and perform advanced and sophisticated driving assistance processing through the processing of a computer program. For example, the ADS 25 detects vehicles or three-dimensional objects around the vehicle 2 based on detection signals from a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), estimates the position of the vehicle 2 itself, and performs motion control.

[0058] SIS27 provides the posture of vehicle 2 itself, its position on the map, etc. to ADS25. That is, SIS27 obtains position information from a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) or a global positioning system (GPS), 6-axis acceleration signals from a gyro sensor, path information or map information from a navigation system, etc. SIS27 calculates the posture of vehicle 2 itself, its position on the map, etc. based on the obtained information. ADX28 applies an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system to identify and process information from various sensors and the like as described above, and notifies ADS25 of the processing results.

[0059] A map automatic generation platform (Automated Mapping Platform (AMP)) 29, MET2A, and a Rear Seat Entertainment (RSE) 2B are connected to the audio-visual NAVI device 26. The audio-visual NAVI device 26, AMP 29, MET2A, and RSE 2B are respectively built with an ECU, and through the processing of computer programs, provide various functions based on sound, images, map information, etc. to the users of vehicle 2.

[0060] AMP 29 generates map information based on data such as images collected by sensors such as cameras mounted on vehicle 2. When vehicle 2 is a vehicle with a rear seat, RSE 2B independently provides television broadcasts, Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) images, etc. to the users sitting in the rear seat in the vehicle interior.

[0061] The ECUs of the above safety prevention device 24, ADS25, and audio-visual NAVI device 26 and the ECUs of each device connected to these devices can be called an individual ECU group. The central ECU 22 manages the progress of the update of the computer programs installed in the individual ECU groups and errors during the update.

[0062] The vehicle center 3 is operated by an organization such as a company that sells or maintains vehicle 2 or a company entrusted by such a company. The vehicle center 3 manages components such as ECUs installed in all moving bodies sold or maintained by these companies. In addition, the vehicle center 3 manages the types and versions of computer programs respectively executed by these ECUs. The vehicle center 3 issues update data for updating the computer programs to vehicle 2 and the like. The update data can be simply referred to as an update program.

[0063] The control center 4 manages the driving and maintenance of each vehicle 2. The control center 4 is, for example, a computer of an FMS company that provides a fleet management service (FMS). The control center 4 manages the shared utilization schedule including the driving start date and time, the driving end date and time, and the maintenance date and time in services that the vehicle 2 uses irregularly, such as carpooling services. In addition, the control center 4 manages the lending schedule of the vehicle 2 utilized by lease. The control center 4 updates the schedule in a timely manner and distributes it to the vehicle 2 to manage the operation of the vehicle 2. Hereinafter, when referring to a schedule, it sometimes means the overall schedule for a day, a week, a month, etc., and sometimes represents one matter of one or more events such as the movement between two locations where the schedule is executed and the update of the program. For example, in the case of referring to "making a schedule" or "planning a schedule", one matter of the schedule is mentioned.

[0064] As described above, the vehicle 2 is equipped with various components with built-in ECUs. The computer programs executed by the ECUs in each component are updated in response to improvements or defect countermeasures. The vehicle 2 is required to have safety. Therefore, the update of the computer program for the ECU mounted on the vehicle 2 is executed during the maintenance period when the vehicle 2 has stopped driving.

[0065] The vehicle center 3 notifies the control center 4 of the schedule for the release of the latest update content and update data of the computer program for each ECU in the form of a release note. When receiving the release note, the control center 4 incorporates the update of the computer program for each ECU into the schedule of each vehicle 2. That is, the control center 4 plans the schedule of the vehicle 2 so that the update of the computer program for each ECU is completed during the maintenance period when each vehicle 2 is not driving. The control center 4 notifies the vehicle 2 of the determined schedule ( Figure 1 planned release) so that the update of the computer program for each ECU is executed.

[0066] The DCM21 of the vehicle 2 communicates with the vehicle center 3 and the control center 4 via the network N1. The DCM21 receives from the control center 4 the schedule for the update of the computer program ( Figure 1 planned release). The central ECU22 is connected to the DCM21, for example, via a network in the moving body exemplified by Ethernet (registered trademark).

[0067] The DCM21 accesses the vehicle center 3 according to the received schedule, obtains update data for updating the computer program, and transfers it to the central ECU22. The central ECU22 updates the computer programs of each ECU including the general ECU group and the individual ECU group during the maintenance period when the vehicle 2 is stopped. When the update of each ECU performed by the central ECU22 is completed, the DCM21 notifies the control center 4 of the completion report.

[0068] The UIF device 23 is connected to the central ECU22, for example, through a network in the vehicle exemplified by the Controller Area Network (CAN (registered trademark)). The UIF device 23 can also receive the input of confirmation made by the user's operation via the REPRO HMI. That is, the central ECU22 can also use the UIF device 23 to confirm the start of the update of the computer program requested by the user, and start the update after obtaining the confirmation. In addition, the UIF device 23 itself also obtains the update data from the central ECU22 and updates the computer program of the UIF device 23.

[0069] The safety prevention device 24 is connected to the central ECU22, for example, through a network in the vehicle 2 exemplified by the Controller Area Network with Flexible Data Rate (CAN-FD (CAN is a registered trademark)). The safety prevention device 24 receives the update data of the computer program from the central ECU22 and performs the update. And the safety prevention device 24 reports the status accompanying the update to the central ECU22.

[0070] The ADS25 and the audio-video NAVI device 26 are connected to the central ECU22, for example, through a network in the vehicle exemplified by Ethernet (registered trademark). The ADS25 and the audio-video NAVI device 26 respectively receive the update data of the computer program from the central ECU22. And the ADS25 and the audio-video NAVI device 26 respectively perform the update of the computer programs of themselves and the subordinate ECUs. The ADS25 and the audio-video NAVI device 26 report the status accompanying the update to the central ECU22.

[0071] In the first embodiment, when the update included in the release note from the vehicle center 3 is a high-priority update, the control center 4 creates a schedule for causing the vehicle 2 to perform the update as early as possible after the release start date and time of the update data. High-priority updates are, for example, updates related to the safety prevention devices 24 and ADS 25 involved in driving and safety, and updates related to the repair of malfunctions. Specifically, the control center 4 creates the following schedule: after the release start date and time of the update data, cause the vehicle 2 to download the update data during driving, and perform the update during the subsequent maintenance period when the vehicle is not driving. In addition, the update process of the program includes the download of the update data and the data rewrite process based on the update data. However, in the first embodiment, when it is described as "update schedule", it is assumed to represent the schedule for the data rewrite process based on the update data. In addition, there are cases where the update process of the program is the installation of a new program. In this case, the installation process of the program is performed instead of rewriting the program.

[0072] When causing the vehicle 2 to download the update data during driving, it is preferable that the vehicle 2 drive on a path where communication can be stably performed so that communication does not interrupt during the download. In the first embodiment, the path where communication can be stably performed is set as the path where the update data can be downloaded in a shorter time. The control center 4 obtains the path where the update data can be downloaded in a shorter time, creates a schedule for downloading the update data during the period of driving on this path, and notifies the vehicle 2.

[0073] In the first embodiment, the control center 4 obtains the path where the update data can be downloaded in a shorter time based on the communication speed. The communication speed is obtained, for example, from a communication speed map publicly available on the Internet. The communication speed map can also be, for example, a map obtained by plotting the measurement results of the downlink communication speed at each location obtained in a predetermined mobile communication method provided by a communication carrier on a map. However, it is not limited to this, and the communication speed map can also be a map showing the theoretical downlink communication speed. In addition, the downlink communication speed is the communication speed in the direction from the base station to the terminal, and is also called the reception communication speed.

[0074] Figure 2 This is an example of the release note. The release note is sent from the vehicle center 3 to the control center 4. In Figure 2 the example shown, the release note specifies the value for the keyword in the form of "keyword: value". In addition, in Figure 2 the example shown, the group of "keyword: value" is enclosed by curly braces "{}" and described in a hierarchical manner.

[0075] In Figure 2In the example shown, the release notes include the vehicle type (vehicle type), the version of the released system (System Version), the release start date (release date), the ECU type (ECUtype), the type of program released (Program type), the version of the released program (Version), and the size of the update data (Volume) as keywords.

[0076] Right now, Figure 2 The example shown is a release note for a system of version V07-01 for vehicle 2 of the category E-paletteG0, indicating that the release of update data starts at the date and time ddmmmyyyy. Here, the system version (System Version) is a version assigned to the entire computer program group installed in vehicle 2. In addition, the release note describes the type of program, version, data size (data volume, volume) of the update data, etc. according to the category of ECU (ECU type). For example, it can be seen that the version of the PC1 program as the central ECU is V07-01-1 and the data size is V1MB.

[0077] Additionally, release notes are not limited to Figure 2 For example, the release notes may be described in a prescribed format such as Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) or Extensible Markup Language (XML). In addition, the release notes may be described in a table format in which records including a plurality of elements are arranged.

[0078] Figure 3 is an example of a communication speed map. Figure 3 It is a communication speed map of a certain communication operator's predetermined mobile communication method. The communication speed map is a map that divides the area according to the range of communication speeds obtained by the communication operator. Figure 3 In the example shown, the area is divided into two ranges: a range of X1 Mbps to X2 Mbps (X1 < X2) and a range of Y1 Kbps to Y2 Kbps (Y1 < Y2).

[0079] exist Figure 3 In the example shown, the areas where the communication speed in the range of X1 Mbps to X2 Mbps (X1 < X2) is obtained are area 81, area 82, and area 83. Figure 3In the range shown, the range outside regions 81, 82, and 83 is a region where a communication speed in the range of Y1 Kbps to Y2 Kbps (Y1 < Y2) is obtained.

[0080] As Figure 3 in the example shown, when the communication speed map divides regions by ranges of a plurality of predetermined communication speeds, as the communication speed obtained in each region, any one of, for example, the minimum value, the maximum value, the median value, and the average value in the corresponding range of communication speeds is used as a representative value. Hereinafter, when referring to the communication speed obtained in a region or the communication speed of a region, it is assumed to be the representative value indicating the range of the communication speed of the corresponding region. The representative value of the communication speed of a region is assumed to be common for each communication carrier and each mobile communication method in the information processing system 100. In addition, Figure 3 the communication speed map shown is an example, and the communication speed map is not limited to Figure 3 the map shown. The communication speed map is an example of a "first map".

[0081] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control center 4. The control center 4 is, for example, a server. The control center 4 includes a CPU 401, a memory 402, an auxiliary storage device 403, and a communication unit 404 as its hardware configuration. The computer of the control center 4 is an example of an "information processing device".

[0082] The CPU 401 is connected to external devices through an interface (I / F) and executes a program to perform predetermined processing. The CPU 401 is one of the processors. The CPU 401 is not limited to a single processor and may also be a multi-processor configuration. In addition, the CPU 401 may include a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) and a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), etc. In addition, the CPU 401 may cooperate with a hardware circuit such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). As external devices connected to the CPU 401 through the interface (I / F), there are an auxiliary storage device 403 and a communication unit 404. In addition, an output device such as a display and an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse may be connected to the CPU 401 through the interface (I / F). The CPU 401 is an example of a "control unit".

[0083] The CPU 401 executes a computer program that has been expanded into the memory 402 in an executable manner, providing the functions of the control center 4. The memory 402 stores the computer program executed by the CPU 401, the data processed by the CPU 401, etc. The memory 402 is a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read only memory (ROM), etc. The auxiliary storage device 403 is used, for example, as a storage area that supplements the memory 402. The auxiliary storage device 403 stores the computer program executed by the CPU 401, the data processed by the CPU 401, etc. The auxiliary storage device 403 is a hard disk drive, a solid state disk (SSD), etc. A drive device for a removable storage medium may also be provided in the control center 4. The removable storage medium is, for example, a Blu-ray Disc, a digital versatile disc (DVD), a compact disc (CD), a flash memory card, etc.

[0084] The communication unit 404 exchanges data with other devices on the network. For example, the communication unit 404 communicates with the DCM 21 via the network N1. The communication unit 404 is, for example, a wired network card such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a dedicated line, etc., and is connected to the network N1 through an access network such as the LAN. The hardware structure of the control center 4 is not limited to Figure 4 the structure shown.

[0085] The vehicle center 3 also includes a CPU, a memory, an auxiliary storage device, and a communication unit in the same manner as the control center 4. The DCM 21 includes a CPU, a memory, an auxiliary storage device, and a wireless communication unit. The wireless communication unit included in the DCM 21 is, for example, a wireless communication circuit corresponding to a mobile communication method such as 5G, LTE, LTE - Advanced, and 3G, or a wireless communication method such as WiFi. The wireless communication unit is connected to the access network through wireless communication and is connected to the network N1 through the access network.

[0086] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control center 4. The control center 4 includes a control unit 41, a vehicle information database (DB) 42, and a schedule information DB 43 as its functional configuration. These functional components are realized, for example, by the CPU 404 of the control center 4 executing a predetermined program.

[0087] The control unit 41 manages the running of the vehicle 2. The control unit 41 receives the release instructions from the vehicle center 3 via the communication unit 404. When receiving the release instructions, the control unit 41 extracts the vehicle 2 that is the update object of the program and makes an update schedule for each vehicle. In the first embodiment, for the update with high importance, the control unit 41 makes a schedule for the control unit 41 to implement the update as soon as possible. For the other updates, the control unit 41 incorporates, for example, the download and update of the update data indicated in the release instructions into the schedule of the first maintenance after the release start date and time of the release instructions.

[0088] The control unit 41 determines whether the update indicated in the release instructions is an update with high importance. The control unit 41 determines whether the update indicated in the release instructions is an update with high importance based on, for example, the content of the release instructions. For whether the update indicated in the release instructions is an update with high importance, it can also be determined based on, for example, the category of the ECU to be updated and the category of the program to be updated included in the release instructions. The ECUs determined to have high update importance are, for example, the central ECU 22, the safety prevention device 24, and the ADS 25, etc. However, it is not limited to these. In addition, information indicating the high or low importance of the update can be included in the release instructions itself, and based on this information, the control unit 41 determines whether the update indicated by the release instructions is an update with high importance. The information indicating the high or low importance of the update included in the release instructions is, for example, a flag that becomes ON (activated) in the case of high importance and a code indicating the importance.

[0089] When the update indicated in the release instructions is an update with high importance, the control unit 41 refers to the schedule information DB 43 to obtain the schedule of the vehicle 2 at the release start date and time included in the release instructions. When the schedule of the vehicle 2 at the release start date and time is not a schedule related to running, the control unit 41 makes a schedule to start downloading the update data indicated in the release instructions at the release start date and time and then perform the update. The control unit 41 notifies the vehicle 2 of the made schedule and registers it in the schedule information DB 43.

[0090] When the schedule of the vehicle 2 at the release start date and time is a schedule including running, the control unit 41 incorporates the download of the update data indicated in the release instructions during running into the schedule after the release start date and time and remakes the schedule. In addition, the control unit 41 incorporates, for example, the update indicated in the release instructions using the downloaded update data into the schedule of the first maintenance after the release start date and time of the release instructions. In addition, the control unit 41 notifies the vehicle 2 of the remade schedule and registers it in the schedule information DB 43.

[0091] When the schedule of the vehicle 2 at the release start date and time includes driving, the processing of re-making the schedule after the release start date and time by incorporating the download of the update data indicated by the release description performed during driving is specifically as follows. Hereinafter, when simply referred to as the release start date and time and the update data, it is assumed that they respectively represent the release start date and time included in the received release description and the update data indicated by the received release description.

[0092] The control unit 41 obtains, for example, a first path between the predicted travel position of the vehicle 2 at the published start date and time and the destination of the schedule at the published start date and time. The control unit 41 obtains, as the first path, a path that is predicted to take the shortest time to download the update data. In the first embodiment, the control unit 41 obtains the time to download the update data based on the communication speed obtained by the vehicle 2, and obtains the first path. The following description is based on the premise that the communication carrier used in the vehicle 2 is one.

[0093] First, the control unit 41 obtains the predicted driving position of the vehicle 2 at the release start date and time based on the schedule information of the schedule of the release start date and time of the vehicle 2, for example, with reference to the schedule information DB43. When the content of the schedule is movement, the schedule information includes, for example, the departure point, the destination, the scheduled departure time, the scheduled arrival time, and the path information from the departure point to the destination. The path information includes, for example, information such as the roads and places passed. The control unit 41 estimates the predicted driving position of the vehicle 2 at the release start date and time based on the path information included in the corresponding schedule information of the vehicle 2. The method for estimating the predicted driving position of the vehicle 2 may also be any well-known technology, and is not limited to a specific method.

[0094] Next, the control unit 41 obtains the communication speed map of the communication carrier used in the vehicle 2, and obtains the first path based on the communication speed between the predicted driving position of the vehicle 2 and the destination at the release start date and time. The method of obtaining the first path includes the following two methods, for example. In the following, the area is an area separated by the type of communication speed range in the communication speed map. In addition, the area between the two locations is set to represent the predicted driving position and the destination of the vehicle 2, and the predicted driving position is set as the starting point of the first path.

[0095] (1) A route between two locations that passes through an area with a relatively high communication speed among one or more areas is obtained as a first route. More specifically, for example, the control unit 41 selects an area with a relatively high communication speed that is closest to the current location in the direction from the departure location to the destination location to obtain a route. Figure 3When the communication speed map shown is taken as an example, the following path is created. This path passes through the area 82 that is closest to the departure point on the destination side and has a relatively high communication speed (X1 Mbps - X2 Mbps in Figure 3 ), and further passes through the area 81 that is closest to the area 82 on the destination side and has a relatively high communication speed (X1 Mbps - X2 Mbps in Figure 3 ), and then reaches the destination.

[0096] (2) Obtain multiple paths between two locations. For each path, calculate the time length required for downloading the update data. The path with the shortest download time length is obtained as the first path. The method for obtaining the path between two locations can also be any well-known path search method. For example, obtain multiple paths that make the time or distance from the departure point to the destination shorter. The control unit calculates the time length required for downloading the update data for each path based on the size of the update data and the communication speed. The communication speed is obtained from the communication speed map. The representative value of the communication speed range of the area is used in the calculation of the time length required for downloading the update data.

[0097] First, the control unit 41 obtains the intervals separated by the communication speeds obtained at each location for each path. Then, the control unit 41 calculates the travel time for each interval, and based on the travel time and the obtained communication speed, calculates the data size that can be downloaded. The control unit 41 calculates the time length required for downloading the update data when traveling on this path based on the data size that can be downloaded in each interval and the size of the update data. For example, take the case where there are two intervals on the path: interval #1 passing through area A with a representative communication speed of 10 Mbps and interval #2 passing through area B with a representative communication speed of 5 Mbps. Let the size of the update data be 1 GB.

[0098] When the time length for the vehicle 2 to travel in interval #1 is 10 minutes, the data size downloaded at a communication speed of 10 Mbps in interval #1 is 10 Mbps × 60 seconds × 10 minutes ÷ 8 bits = 750 MB. 750 MB of the 1 GB update data is downloaded in interval #1, and the remaining 274 MB is downloaded in interval #2.

[0099] The time required to download 274 MB at a communication speed of 5 Mbps in interval #2 is 274 MB × 8 bits ÷ 5 Mbps ÷ 60 seconds = approximately 7.3 minutes. When the travel time in interval #2 is more than 7.3 minutes, theoretically, during the travel on this path, the download of 1 GB of update data is completed, and the download time becomes approximately 18 minutes.

[0100] In addition, the time length for the vehicle 2 to travel in each section is obtained by dividing the distance of each section by the speed of the vehicle 2. The speed of the vehicle 2 used in this calculation is set to, for example, 40 km / h. However, it is not limited to this.

[0101] The control unit 41 obtains the first path by any one of the methods in the above (1) and (2). Which method to use depends, for example, on the choice of the designer of the information processing system 100. When the control unit 41 obtains the first path, it creates a schedule for starting the travel of the first path and downloading the update data when it becomes the release start date and time, and registers it in the schedule information DB 43 as the schedule of the vehicle 2. In addition, the control unit 41 sends the created schedule to the vehicle 2. Thereby, when it becomes the release start date and time, the vehicle 2 starts the travel of the first path and the download of the update data.

[0102] In addition, the download of the update data may not be completed during the travel on the first path. For example, in the method of (2), when a path that can complete the download of the update data during the travel cannot be obtained, a path that can download the most data may be selected as the first path. When the download of the update data is not completed during the travel on the first path, for example, the control unit 41 may also create a schedule for continuing the download of the update data by the vehicle 2 even after the travel of the vehicle 2 ends, and send it to the vehicle 2.

[0103] The vehicle information DB 42 and the schedule information DB 43 are created in the storage area in the auxiliary storage device 403 of the control center 4. The vehicle information DB 42 holds information related to the vehicle 2. The schedule information DB 43 holds information related to the schedule of the vehicle 2.

[0104] Figure 6 is an example of information related to the schedule held in the schedule information DB 43 of the control center 4. The schedule is created for each vehicle 2. In Figure 6 the information related to the schedule shown, items such as vehicle ID, year / month / day, time period, and matter are included. The identification information of the vehicle 2 is stored in the item of the vehicle ID. The year / month / day of the corresponding schedule is stored in the item of the year / month / day. That is, in Figure 6 's example, the schedule is created on a daily basis. Information indicating each time period is stored in the item of the time period.

[0105] Information related to the matter is stored in the item of the matter. This information related to the matter is called schedule information. Information indicating the type of the matter is stored in the schedule information, for example. The types of the matter include, for example, travel, download, and update. However, the types of the matter are not limited to these.

[0106] When the type of the matter is travel, the schedule information includes, for example, information indicating whether it is travel for movement or travel for providing a service, the departure location, the destination, and the route information. The schedule information also includes the start time and the end time of the matter. The start time and the end time of the matter are also referred to as the scheduled departure time and the scheduled arrival time, respectively. Services provided for travel include, for example, vehicle dispatching services and carpooling services. In the case of travel for providing a service, information related to the service may also be included in the schedule information. Information related to the service includes, for example, user identification information and reservation information. Reservation information includes, for example, the desired boarding time, the scheduled arrival time, the boarding location, and the alighting location specified by the user. In addition, in Figure 6 In the example shown, matters are arranged to match the period from the start time to the end time.

[0107] When the type of the matter is download, the schedule information includes, for example, the start time and the file name of the download target. The schedule information may also include the scheduled end time of the download. When the type of the matter is update, the schedule information includes, for example, the start time and the identification information of the update data. Sometimes, multiple types are included in one matter. For example, in the case of downloading during travel, the types of the matter become in-travel and download.

[0108] For example, in Figure 6 the schedule of vehicle ID: E-PALETTE EV1 for the date DDMMMYYYY is shown. Vehicle 2 of vehicle ID: E-PALETTE EV1 is in a standby state with no matter set during the period from 0:00 to 9:00. Vehicle 2 of vehicle ID: E-PALETTE EV1 starts traveling at 9:00. The travel starting from 9:00 is movement for the next schedule without a user on board. Vehicle 2 of vehicle ID: E-PALETTE EV1 travels for providing a service from 9:45 to 11:00.

[0109] Vehicle 2 of vehicle ID: E-PALETTE EV1 travels for movement and downloads during travel from 11:00 to 12:00. At 12:00, vehicle 2 of vehicle ID: E-PALETTE EV1 stops traveling and performs an update. After that, vehicle 2 of vehicle ID: E-PALETTE EV1 travels from 13:00 to 23:00 and stops operating after 23:00, becoming in a standby state. In addition, in Figure 6 the details of the schedule for the period from 13:00 to 22:00 are omitted in the example.

[0110] When the schedule changes, for example, the control unit 41 can send the overall schedule on a daily basis to the vehicle 2, or extract and send the schedule information of the changed items. For example, when the items of driving for movement and downloading during driving from 11:00 to 12:00 and the item of update from 12:00 to 13:00 of the vehicle 2 with the vehicle ID: E-PALETTE EV1 shown in Figure 6 are added through receiving the release instructions, the control unit 41 can also send the overall schedule of the year, month, and day DDMMMYYYY including the schedule information of these two items to the vehicle 2. Or, the control unit 41 can also send only the schedule information of the two added items to the vehicle 2. In addition, when other items change due to the two added items, the schedule information of this item is also sent to the vehicle 2.

[0111] In addition, Figure 6 the schedule shown in is an example, and the schedule made by the control center 4 is not limited to Figure 6 . For example, the operation schedule can also be made not on a daily basis, but can be made on a weekly basis, for example. In addition, the operation schedule can be made on a monthly basis. In addition, the schedule can be made according to weekdays (Monday to Friday), weekends, and holidays.

[0112] Figure 7 is an example of the vehicle information stored in the vehicle information DB42 of the control center 4. The vehicle information is information related to the vehicle 2. The vehicle information is stored in the vehicle information DB42 of the control center 4. In Figure 7 the shown example, the vehicle information has a vehicle ID, a final update date, the system version of the entire computer program group, and items of adopted carriers.

[0113] In the item of the vehicle ID, the identification information of the vehicle 2 is stored. In the item of the final update date, the update date when the vehicle 2 last updated the computer program group of each part is stored. In the item of the system version of the computer program group, the version of the updated computer program group in the vehicle 2 is stored.

[0114] In the item of adopted carriers, the information indicating the communication carrier adopted in the vehicle 2 is stored. The information indicating the communication carrier is, for example, a code or the name of the communication carrier. When there are multiple communication carriers adopted in the vehicle 2, the information indicating the multiple communication carriers adopted in the vehicle 2 is stored in the item of adopted carriers. In addition, Figure 7 the vehicle information shown is an example, and the information included in the vehicle information is not limited to Figure 7 the shown information.

[0115] (Process flow)

[0116] Figure 8 is an example of a flowchart of the production process of the update schedule received by the control center 4 based on the release notes. Figure 8 The process shown is performed on each vehicle 2. It starts when the control center 4 receives the release notes belonging to the vehicle 2 from the vehicle center 3 Figure 8 The process shown. Figure 8 The execution subject of the process shown is the CPU 401 of the computer of the control center 4, but for ease of explanation, the functional components are used as the subject for explanation. The same applies to the following other flowcharts.

[0117] In OP101, the control unit 41 determines whether a release note with a high importance level has been received. If a release note with a high importance level has been received (OP101: Yes), the process proceeds to OP102. If a release note with a high importance level has not been received (OP101: No), the process proceeds to OP107.

[0118] In OP102, the control unit 41 refers to the schedule information DB43 and determines whether the vehicle 2 is in motion at the release start date and time, that is, whether the schedule of the vehicle 2 at the release start date and time is a driving schedule. If the vehicle 2 is in motion at the release start date and time (OP102: Yes), the process proceeds to OP103. If the vehicle 2 is not in motion at the release start date and time (OP102: No), the process proceeds to OP107.

[0119] In OP103, the control unit 41 obtains the communication speed map of the communication carrier used in the vehicle 2. In OP104, the control unit 41 performs the acquisition process of the first path in the case of downloading update data during driving. The detailed acquisition process of the first path is as described above (1) or (2), which will be described later.

[0120] In OP105, the control unit 41 determines whether the download of the update data will be completed when driving through the first path obtained in OP104. When the download of the update data will be completed when driving through the first path (OP105: Yes), the process proceeds to OP106. In OP106, the control unit 41 creates a schedule including the driving and downloading in the first path and sends it to the vehicle 2. In addition, the control unit 41 registers the created schedule in the schedule information DB43. Then, Figure 8 The process shown ends.

[0121] When the download of the update data does not complete during travel via the first route (OP105: No), the process proceeds to OP107. In OP107, the control unit 41 creates a schedule for downloading and updating the update data during the period after the release start date and time when the vehicle enters the first standby state, and sends it to the vehicle 2. In addition, the control unit 41 registers the created schedule in the schedule information DB43. Then, Figure 8 the process shown ends.

[0122] In addition, Figure 8 the process shown is an example, and the process of creating the update schedule based on the release instructions is not limited to Figure 8 the process shown. For example, in Figure 8 , when it is determined that the download of the update data will not complete during the travel on the first route obtained, a schedule for traveling on the first route is not created. Instead, regardless of whether the download of the update data is completed, a schedule for downloading the update data during the travel on the first route can also be created.

[0123] Figure 9 is an example of the flowchart of the acquisition process of the first route. The acquisition process of the first route is the process executed in OP104 of Figure 8 . Figure 9 The process shown is related to the method of acquiring the first route in (1) above.

[0124] In OP201, the control unit 41 sets the departure location as the initial value of the first location. In addition, the departure location is the predicted travel location at the release start date and time. In OP202, the control unit 41 determines whether there is a region with a communication speed faster than the surrounding regions between the first location and the destination. When there is a region with a communication speed faster than the surrounding regions between the first location and the destination (OP202: Yes), the process proceeds to OP203. When there is no region with a communication speed faster than the surrounding regions between the first location and the destination (OP202: No), the process proceeds to OP205.

[0125] In OP203, the control unit 41 selects, in the communication speed map, the region that is located at the position closest to the destination on the destination side and has a communication speed faster than the surrounding regions. In OP204, the control unit 41 sets the first location as the location closest to the destination within the region selected in OP203. Then, the process proceeds to OP202.

[0126] In OP205, the control unit 41 obtains, as the first path, the path from the departure point to the destination through the selected area. In addition, in the case where no area is selected (for example, when there is no area with a faster communication speed than the surrounding areas between the departure point and the destination), as usual, the path from the departure point to the destination is obtained and used as the first path. Then, the process proceeds to Figure 8 OP105.

[0127] Figure 10 is an example of the flowchart of the first path acquisition process. The first path acquisition process is a process executed in Figure 8 OP104. Figure 10 The process shown is related to the method of acquiring the first path in (2) above.

[0128] In OP301, the control unit 41 obtains a predetermined number of paths between the two locations of the departure point and the destination. The paths between the two locations are obtained, for example, in such a way that the moving distance or the moving time is shortened. The predetermined number of paths is, for example, the top predetermined number of paths with a short moving time or a short moving distance.

[0129] In OP302, the control unit 41 calculates the download time of the update data for each of the predetermined number of paths obtained in OP301. Specifically, first, the control unit 41 obtains the intervals separated by the communication speeds obtained at each location for each path. For example, when a path passes through two regions A and B with different communication speeds in the order of region A → region B → region A, this path includes three intervals.

[0130] Next, the control unit 41 calculates the travel time for each interval, and based on the travel time and the obtained communication speed, calculates the data size that can be downloaded. The control unit 41 calculates the time length required for downloading the update data when traveling on this path based on the data size that can be downloaded in each interval and the size of the update data.

[0131] In OP303, the control unit 41 obtains, as the first path, the path with the shortest download time of the update data from the predetermined number of paths obtained in OP301. Then, the process proceeds to Figure 8 OP105.

[0132] (In the case where multiple communication carriers are used in vehicle 2)

[0133] For example, when multiple communication carrier SIM cards are inserted into the DCM21 of vehicle 2, vehicle 2 can perform wireless communication using the radio waves of multiple communication carriers. In this case, when acquiring the first path, which communication carrier to use is also considered.

[0134] When there are multiple communication carriers adopted in vehicle 2, there are also multiple communication speed maps referred to when obtaining the first path. Even at the same location, it is highly likely that the communication speed obtained using communication carrier A is different from that obtained using communication carrier B.

[0135] Therefore, in the above-mentioned first path acquisition method (1), when there are multiple communication carriers adopted in vehicle 2, a path that exists between two locations and has a faster communication speed in one or more areas of each communication carrier adopted in vehicle 2 is obtained as the first path. Specifically, for example, according to Figure 9 the flowchart shown, the control unit 41 can obtain a path by selecting the area of the communication carrier that is closest to the current position on the destination side from the departure location and has a faster communication speed.

[0136] Figure 11 is an example of a graph obtained by overlapping the communication speed maps within the same range of two communication carriers. In Figure 11 , the communication speed maps of two communication carriers, communication carrier A and communication carrier B, are overlapped. In the communication speed map of communication carrier A, the area is divided by the communication speed ranges of X1 Mbps - X2 Mbps and Y1 Kbps - Y2 Kbps. In the communication speed map of communication carrier B, the area is divided by the communication speed ranges of Z1 Mbps - Z2 Mbps (X1 < X2 < Z1 < Z2) and Z3 Kbps - Z4 Kbps (Y1 < Y2 < Z3 < Z4).

[0137] Between the departure location and the destination, there are area 81, area 82, and area 83 of communication carrier A and area 91 of communication carrier B as areas with a faster communication speed than the surroundings ( Figure 9 , OP202: Yes). Area 82 of communication carrier A, which is the closest to the departure location and has a faster communication speed, is selected ( Figure 9 , OP203).

[0138] Next, between the location P1, which is the closest to the destination within area 82, and the destination, there are area 81 of communication carrier A and area 91 of communication carrier B ( Figure 9 , OP202: Yes). Area 91 of communication carrier B, which is the closest to location P1 and has a faster communication speed, is selected ( Figure 9 , OP203).

[0139] Next, there is an area 81 of communication carrier A between the location P2 closest to the destination within area 91 and the destination ( Figure 9 、OP202: Yes). The area 81 of communication carrier A that is closest to location P2 and has a relatively fast communication speed is selected ( Figure 9 、OP203). There is no area with a faster communication speed than the surrounding area between the location P3 closest to the destination within area 81 and the destination ( Figure 9 、OP202: No).

[0140] Therefore, between the departure location and the destination, area 81, area 82, and area 91 are selected. The control unit 41 obtains a path between two locations in such a way as to pass through area 81, area 82, and area 91 as the first path. In addition, at this time, each location P1 - P3 can also be used as a passing location to obtain a path.

[0141] The first path obtained in this way becomes a path that passes through the area within the communication range of Z3Kbps - Z4Kbps of communication carrier B, area 82 of communication carrier A, the area within the communication range of Z3Kbps - Z4Kbps of communication carrier B, area 91 of communication carrier B, area 81 of communication carrier A, and the area within the communication range of Z3Kbps - Z4Kbps of communication carrier B in this order.

[0142] When such a path is obtained as the first path, the control unit 41 obtains intervals obtained by dividing the first path by the types of communication carriers that obtain the fastest communication speed. For example, in Figure 11 the example shown, in the first path obtained as described above, there are four intervals: the interval passing through the area within the communication range of Z3Kbps - Z4Kbps of communication carrier B, the interval passing through area 82 of communication carrier A, the interval passing through the area within the communication range of Z3Kbps - Z4Kbps of communication carrier B and area 91 of communication carrier B, the interval passing through area 81 of communication carrier A, and the interval passing through the area within the communication range of Z3Kbps - Z4Kbps of communication carrier B. In addition, regarding the overlapping range of areas between communication carriers, it is classified as an interval passing through the communication carrier with a relatively fast communication speed. The control unit 41 creates schedule information including the content of traveling on the first path, the content of downloading update data, and the content of using the corresponding communication carrier in each interval on the first path ( Figure 8 、OP106).

[0143] Next, in the method (2) for obtaining the first path above, when there are multiple communication carriers adopted in the vehicle 2, for example, according to Figure 10The flowchart shown obtains the first path. For each of the multiple paths between two locations, the time length taken to download the update data is calculated as follows. First, using the communication speed maps of each communication operator adopted in the vehicle 2, for one path, the intervals are obtained separately at the fastest communication speed obtained at each location on the path. That is, the intervals are separated according to the different fastest communication speeds. For example, in the example shown in Figure 11 , in the path passing through area 91 and area 81, five intervals are obtained: the interval of the area with a communication range of Z3 Kbps - Z4 Kbps of communication operator B, the interval of area 91 of communication operator B, the interval of area 81 of communication operator A, and the interval of the area with a communication range of Z3 Kbps - Z4 Kbps of communication operator B. In addition, for the overlapping range of area 81 and area 91, it is classified as the interval of area 91 of communication operator B with a faster communication speed. In addition, in the case where there are multiple communication operators with the same communication speed at the same location, the communication operator with a higher priority assigned in advance is preferentially selected. The representative value of the communication speed range obtained at each location is used for the communication speed.

[0144] The control unit calculates, for each interval on the path, the data size that can be downloaded in the case of using the communication operator with the fastest communication speed obtained by using the travel time length, and calculates, in the same way as in (2) above, the time length taken to download the update data when traveling on this path. The control unit 41 obtains the path with the shortest such time length as the first path. In this case, the control unit 41 creates schedule information ( Figure 8 , OP106) that includes the content of traveling on the first path, the content of downloading the update data, and the content of also using the communication operator with the fastest communication speed in each interval on the first path.

[0145] <Effect of the First Embodiment>

[0146] According to the first embodiment, it is possible to create a schedule so that the vehicle 2 downloads the update data during travel. In the first embodiment, the communication speed map is used to obtain the travel path in such a way that a faster communication speed is obtained. Therefore, the vehicle 2 can communicate stably during travel.

[0147] <Second Embodiment>

[0148] In the first embodiment, based on the communication speeds obtained at each location, the first path is obtained that is predicted to minimize the time taken to download the update data. Instead, in the second embodiment, when multiple communication carriers are used in the vehicle 2, the first path is obtained based on the relationship between the communication speed and the number of subscribers of the communication carrier. In addition, in the second embodiment, the system configuration of the information processing system 100, the hardware configuration and functional composition of the control center 4, etc. are the same as those in the first embodiment. Descriptions common to the first embodiment are omitted in the second embodiment.

[0149] Empirically, it has been found that the relationship between the communication speed and the number of subscribers of the communication carrier is such that the larger the value obtained by dividing the communication speed by the number of subscribers of the communication carrier, the faster the actual communication speed. This is considered to be because the more subscribers a communication carrier has, the more likely the number of simultaneously accessing terminals will increase, and the more simultaneously accessing terminals there are, the higher the processing load on the base station, etc. and the higher the utilization rate of the radio band.

[0150] That is, for example, there are many cases where there is a deviation between the communication speed disclosed in the communication speed map and the actual communication speed obtained, and the number of subscribers of the communication carrier in this area is considered to be one of the main reasons. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the control unit 41 obtains the first path based on the relationship between the communication speed and the number of subscribers of the communication carrier for the first path that is predicted to minimize the time taken to download the update data.

[0151] For the communication speed used in the calculation of the first path, the representative value of the range of the communication speed obtained from the communication speed map is used. For the number of subscribers of the communication carrier, for example, it is publicly disclosed by each communication carrier at the local level, at the prefecture level, or at the city, town, and village level, and is obtained through the Internet. An example of the range in which the number of subscribers of the communication carrier is statistically counted is the "first range". In the second embodiment, for the method of obtaining the first path, for example, the following two can be cited. Hereinafter, the value obtained by dividing the communication speed by the number of subscribers of the communication carrier will be referred to as the first value. The first value is obtained by dividing the communication speed obtained from the communication speed map at a certain location by the number of subscribers of the communication carrier in the range including that location. The range including that location is the range in which the number of subscribers of the communication carrier is statistically counted.

[0152] (3) When there are multiple communication carriers adopted in the vehicle 2, a path in the area with a larger first value among one or more areas of each communication carrier adopted in the vehicle 2 between two locations is obtained as the first path. Specifically, for example, the control unit 41 obtains a path in such a way that it selects the area of the communication carrier that is closest to the current position on the destination side from the departure location and has a larger first value. In this case, the control unit 41 obtains one or more intervals obtained by classifying the first path according to the type of the communication carrier with the largest first value among the communication carriers adopted in the vehicle 2. The control unit 41 creates schedule information including the content of traveling on the first path, the content of downloading update data, and the content of using the corresponding communication carrier in each interval on the first path.

[0153] (4) When there are multiple communication carriers adopted in the vehicle 2, for multiple paths between two locations, a path with the largest total value of the first values of each interval is obtained as the first path. First, the control unit 41 obtains multiple paths between two locations through a predetermined path search method. For example, the top predetermined number of paths with a short moving time or moving distance between two locations are obtained. The control unit 41 obtains, for each of the obtained paths, intervals separated by the largest first value among the first values of the respective communication carriers adopted in the vehicle 2. Since the first value is obtained based on the communication speed and the number of subscribed users of the communication carrier, for an interval, when the combination of the communication speed and the communication carrier is different, it is separated into other intervals.

[0154] The control unit 41 obtains, for each path, the total value of the largest first values in each interval, and obtains the path with the largest total value of the first values as the first path. In this case, the control unit 41 creates schedule information including the content of traveling on the first path, the content of downloading update data, and the content of using the communication carrier with the largest first value in each interval on the first path.

[0155] In the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the process of creating an update schedule based on the received release description by the control center 4 is executed according to Figure 8 the flowchart. In Figure 8 OP104, in the second embodiment, the process of (3) or (4) above is executed to obtain the first path.

[0156] Figure 12 is an example of the flowchart of the process for obtaining the first path according to the second embodiment. The process for obtaining the first path is the process executed in Figure 8 OP104. Figure 12The processing shown is related to the acquisition method of the first path in (3) above.

[0157] In OP401, the control unit 41 obtains, in the communication speed maps of the respective communication carriers adopted in the vehicle 2, the first value obtained by dividing the communication speed obtained in each area by the number of subscribed users. In OP402, the control unit 41 sets the departure point as the initial value of the first point. In addition, the departure point is the predicted driving position at the start date and time of the release.

[0158] In OP403, the control unit 41 determines whether there is an area between the first point and the destination where a first value greater than that of the surrounding areas is obtained. If there is an area between the first point and the destination where a first value greater than that of the surrounding areas is obtained (OP403: Yes), the process proceeds to OP404. If there is no area between the first point and the destination where a first value greater than that of the surrounding areas is obtained (OP403: No), the process proceeds to OP406.

[0159] In OP404, the control unit 41 selects, in the communication speed map, an area that is closest to the first point on the destination side and where a first value greater than that of the surrounding areas is obtained. In OP405, the control unit 41 sets the first point as the point closest to the destination within the area selected in OP404. Then, the process proceeds to OP403.

[0160] In OP406, the control unit 41 obtains the path from the departure point to the destination passing through the selected area as the first path. In addition, in the case where no area is selected (for example, when there is no area between the departure point and the destination where a first value greater than that of the surrounding areas is obtained), the path from the departure point to the destination is obtained as the first path in the normal manner. Then, Figure 12 the processing shown ends, and the process proceeds to Figure 8 OP105. In this case, the control unit 41 creates schedule information including the content of traveling on the first path, the content of downloading update data, and the content of using the corresponding communication carrier in each section on the first path.

[0161] Figure 13 is an example of the flowchart of the acquisition process of the first path according to the second embodiment. The acquisition process of the first path is the process executed in Figure 8 OP104. Figure 10 The processing shown is related to the acquisition method of the first path in (4) above.

[0162] In OP501, the control unit 41 obtains, from the communication speed maps of the respective communication carriers adopted in the vehicle 2, a first value obtained by dividing the communication speed obtained in each area by the number of subscribed users. In OP502, the control unit 41 obtains a predetermined number of routes between two locations, namely the departure location and the destination location. The routes between the two locations are obtained, for example, in such a way that the moving distance or the moving time is shortened. The predetermined number of routes is, for example, the top predetermined number of routes with a short moving time or a short moving distance.

[0163] In OP503, the control unit 41 calculates, for each of the predetermined number of routes obtained in OP502, the total value of the first values for each section. Specifically, first, the control unit 41 obtains, for each route, the sections separated by the maximum first value among the first values obtained for multiple communication carriers at each location. For example, in Figure 11 the example shown, the first value of each area is different. In the route passing through area 91 and area 81, the control unit 41 obtains four sections: the section of the area with a communication range of Z3 Kbps - Z4 Kbps of communication carrier B, the section of area 91 of communication carrier B, the section of area 81 of communication carrier A, and the section of the area with a communication range of Z3 Kbps - Z4 Kbps of communication carrier B. In addition, for the overlapping range of area 81 and area 91, it is classified as the section of the area with the larger first value.

[0164] Next, the control unit 41 obtains, for each section, the maximum first value among the first values obtained for each communication carrier. The control unit 41 calculates the total value of the maximum first values in each section.

[0165] In OP504, the control unit 41 selects, from the predetermined number of routes obtained in OP502, the route with the largest total value of the maximum first values for each section as the first route. Then, Figure 13 the processing shown ends, and the processing proceeds to Figure 8 OP105. In this case, the control unit 41 creates schedule information including the content of traveling on the first route, the content of downloading update data, and the content of using the communication carrier that obtains the maximum first value in each section on the first route.

[0166] In addition, in the second embodiment, the first value obtained by dividing the communication speed by the number of subscribed users of the communication carrier is used. However, the value used as the value representing the relationship between the communication speed and the number of subscribed users of the communication carrier is not limited to the first value. For example, the value obtained by dividing the number of subscribed users of the communication carrier by the communication speed may also be used. In this case, the smaller the second value obtained by dividing the number of subscribed users of the communication carrier by the communication speed, the faster the actual communication speed. In the method for obtaining the first path in the above (3), the first path is obtained as the path that exists between two locations and passes through one or more regions of each communication carrier adopted in the vehicle 2 and has a smaller second value. In the method for obtaining the first path in the above (4), for multiple paths between two locations, the path with the smallest total value of the second value for each interval is obtained as the first path. In addition, the value representing the relationship between the communication speed and the number of subscribed users of the communication carrier is not limited to the first value and the second value.

[0167] According to the second embodiment, it is possible to obtain the first path traveled when downloading update data in consideration of the relationship between the communication speed and the number of subscribed users of the communication carrier. As a result, it is possible to obtain the first path passing through the region with a relatively fast actual communication speed, and it is possible to stably download the update data during the travel on the first path.

[0168] <Third Embodiment>

[0169] In the third embodiment, when multiple communication carriers are adopted in the vehicle 2, the first path is obtained based on the communication speed and the relationship between the communication speed and the number of subscribed users of the communication carrier. In addition, in the third embodiment, the description common to the first embodiment and the second embodiment is omitted.

[0170] For example, in the method for obtaining the first path in the above (2) when multiple communication carriers are adopted in the vehicle 2, there may be a case where there are multiple paths between two locations and the path with the shortest time length for downloading the update data exists. In such a case, the control unit 41 obtains, for example, the path with the largest total value of the first value obtained by dividing the communication speed by the number of subscribed users of the communication carrier in each interval as the first path. In addition, the interval in this case is an interval obtained by dividing with the fastest communication speed obtained at each location on the path.

[0171] In addition, in the method for obtaining the first path of the above (4) in the case where multiple communication carriers are used in the vehicle 2, for example, there may be a case where there are multiple paths between two locations and multiple paths having the largest total value of the first values for each section. In such a case, the control unit 41, for example, for each path, obtains the path for which the time length required for downloading the update data is the shortest as the first path. In addition, the section in this case is a section separated by the largest first value among the first values for each communication carrier used in the vehicle 2.

[0172] According to the third embodiment, it is possible to accurately obtain the first path predicted to take the shortest time for downloading the update data.

[0173] <Other Modification Examples>

[0174] The above embodiments are merely examples, and the present disclosure can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from its gist.

[0175] In the first to third embodiments, the control center 4 receives the release instructions and creates the schedule of the vehicle 2, but is not limited thereto. For example, the DCM 21 of the vehicle 2 may also receive the release instructions to create the update schedule. In this case, it may also be that the control center 4 receives the release instructions from the vehicle center 3 and, when determining that the release instructions are for the vehicle 2, forwards the release instructions to the vehicle 2.

[0176] The processes and units described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as there is no technical contradiction.

[0177] In addition, the processes described as being performed by one device can also be executed by multiple devices in a shared manner. Or, the processes described as being performed by different devices can also be executed by one device. In a computer system, it is possible to flexibly change how each function is implemented by what kind of hardware structure (server structure).

[0178] The present disclosure can also be implemented by providing a computer with a computer program installed with the functions described in the above embodiments, and having one or more processors of the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program can be provided to the computer either through a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the system bus of the computer, or provided to the computer via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk, etc.), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic commands.

Claims

1. An information processing system, The information processing system includes a first vehicle and an information processing device, The first vehicle is equipped with a safety prevention device and an advanced driving system, The safety prevention device has an in-built ECU, i.e., an electronic control unit, and based on signals from a radar and a camera, performs collision avoidance support, lane departure notification, automatic high beam, and radar cruise control, The advanced driving system has an in-built ECU, and based on detection signals from a lidar, detects vehicles or three-dimensional objects around the first vehicle, estimates the position of the first vehicle itself, and performs motion control, The information processing device has a control unit, The control unit performs: Obtaining a first path based on the communication speed; and Making a first plan for the first vehicle, where the first plan is a plan for downloading first data during the period of traveling on the first path, The first data is update data for a first program related to the ECU mounted on the first vehicle, The control unit, Obtains information related to the first data including at least the release start date and time of the update data, When the importance of the update of the first program is high, makes the first plan at the earliest time after the release start date and time of the update data, For updates of the first program other than the high-importance updates, incorporates the download and update of the update data into the schedule of the first maintenance after the release start date and time of the update data, The high-importance updates are updates of the first program related to the safety prevention device and the advanced driving system, The control unit makes the first plan in such a way that the update of the first program based on the update data is executed during a time period when the first vehicle is not traveling, For between two predetermined locations, the control unit obtains the first path based on a first map that shows the distribution of the communication speed of a first communication operator adopted in the first vehicle, The first map is a map divided into regions based on the communication speed, The control unit obtains the first path in such a way that it passes through a region with a relatively high communication speed among one or more regions existing between the two predetermined locations, The control unit, For the case of traveling on each of multiple paths between the two predetermined locations, based on the data size of the first data and the communication speed of one or more regions through which the path passes, obtains the time taken for downloading the first data, Obtains the path with the shortest time as the first path, The control unit, In the case where there are multiple first communication carriers, based on the size of the first data and the first maps corresponding to the respective first communication carriers, obtain the following path among the multiple paths between the predetermined two locations as the first path: the path is the path for which the first time length required for downloading the first data becomes the shortest when using the second communication carrier in each of one or more intervals distinguished by the fastest communication speed among the communication speeds obtained for each location on the path with respect to the multiple first communication carriers; the second communication carrier is the communication carrier that obtains the fastest communication speed in each of the one or more intervals. Create the first plan including the content of using the second communication carrier in each of one or more intervals on the first path. When there are multiple second paths that are the paths for which the first time length becomes the shortest, the control unit obtains, as the first path, the second path among the multiple second paths for which the total value of the first values obtained by dividing the communication speed of the second communication carrier by the number of subscribed users of the second communication carrier in each of one or more intervals is the largest.

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