Control system for in-vehicle internet of things devices, vehicle, method, and medium

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of vehicle Internet of Things, in particular to a control system of in-vehicle Internet of Things equipment, a vehicle, a method and a medium, wherein the system comprises: one or more in-vehicle Internet of Things equipment; a corresponding controller of the in-vehicle Internet of Things equipment; an expansion part, the expansion part independently supplies power for the one or more in-vehicle Internet of Things equipment, forwards current data of each in-vehicle Internet of Things equipment to a preset terminal, and forwards a control instruction of the preset terminal to a corresponding controller of the in-vehicle Internet of Things equipment to be controlled, wherein the controller controls the in-vehicle Internet of Things equipment to be controlled to perform corresponding actions based on the control instruction. Therefore, the problems that the in-vehicle Internet of Things equipment cannot guarantee independent and continuous operation, the interface function is single, the applicability is low, and the user experience is poor in the prior art are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle Internet of Things (IoT) technology, and in particular to a control system, vehicle, method, and medium for an in-vehicle IoT device. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, most IoT devices connect to the vehicle's USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface through their own interface to control the IoT devices via the vehicle's infotainment system to achieve functions such as power supply, data transmission, video transmission, and audio transmission. However, these functions can only be fulfilled when the vehicle is powered on, and independent continuous operation cannot be guaranteed, which has significant limitations. In addition, if the IoT device's interface is incompatible with the vehicle's USB device, a connection cannot be achieved, resulting in low applicability. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a control system, vehicle, method, and medium for in-vehicle IoT devices to solve problems in related technologies such as the inability of in-vehicle IoT devices to guarantee independent and continuous operation, limited interface functionality leading to low applicability, and poor user experience.

[0004] The first aspect of this application provides a control system for an in-vehicle Internet of Things (IoT) device, comprising: one or more in-vehicle IoT devices; a controller corresponding to the in-vehicle IoT devices; and an extension unit, wherein the extension unit independently supplies power to the one or more in-vehicle IoT devices, forwards current data of each in-vehicle IoT device to a preset terminal, and forwards control instructions from the preset terminal to the controller corresponding to the in-vehicle IoT device to be controlled, wherein the controller controls the in-vehicle IoT device to perform corresponding actions based on the control instructions.

[0005] Optionally, the expansion unit includes: a power supply; a gateway connected to the power supply, which forwards data and instructions; and an expansion dock connected to the power supply and the gateway, which expands one or more types of expansion interfaces.

[0006] Optionally, the expansion dock includes: a motherboard; a processor embedded on the motherboard for processing various data and instructions; and one or more types of expansion interfaces connected to the processing chip for connecting in-vehicle IoT devices corresponding to the expansion interfaces.

[0007] Optionally, the expansion interface includes the first to fourth interfaces and an external interface.

[0008] Optionally, the processor is connected to the external interface via one or more data cables of the first to fourth interfaces.

[0009] Optionally, the external interface has at least one of the following functions: data transmission, power supply, video transmission, and audio transmission.

[0010] Optionally, the preset terminal is a vehicle-mounted terminal and / or a mobile terminal.

[0011] A second aspect of this application provides a vehicle including a control system for an in-vehicle Internet of Things (IoT) device as described in the above embodiments.

[0012] A third aspect of this application provides a control method for an in-vehicle Internet of Things (IoT) device. The method is applied to the control system of the in-vehicle IoT device as described in the above embodiments. The method includes the following steps: obtaining a control command sent by a preset terminal; forwarding the control command to a controller corresponding to the desired in-vehicle IoT device using an extension unit, wherein the controller controls the desired in-vehicle IoT device to perform corresponding actions based on the control command.

[0013] A fourth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which is executed by a processor to implement the control method for an in-vehicle Internet of Things (IoT) device as described in the above embodiments.

[0014] Therefore, this application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0015] This application embodiment includes an expansion unit inside the vehicle, which enables independent power supply to in-vehicle IoT devices with different interfaces under any vehicle operating state. It can also forward the current data of the in-vehicle IoT devices to a preset terminal to control the in-vehicle IoT devices. This satisfies the power supply requirements, operational requirements, and intelligent control of in-vehicle IoT devices, has high applicability, and enhances the user experience.

[0016] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a control system for an in-vehicle Internet of Things (IoT) device provided according to an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the control system for an in-vehicle Internet of Things (IoT) device provided according to an embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 3This is a flowchart of a control method for an in-vehicle Internet of Things (IoT) device provided according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0022] Currently, the industry primarily uses USB interfaces directly connected to the vehicle's infotainment system head unit. However, due to the limited capabilities of the vehicle's chips, the number of externally accessible USB interfaces is relatively limited, typically only two or three, and they lack video functionality. Related technologies involve NBOX expansion modules, supporting up to six DP video outputs, but they do not support communication with other types of IoT (Internet of Things) devices and cannot independently power IoT devices; the entire vehicle needs to be powered on for operation, which cannot meet the functional requirements of some IoT devices that require prolonged operation.

[0023] A docking station, also known as a port replicator, is an external device designed specifically for computers in the current technology. It can replicate or even expand the ports of a laptop computer, enabling a convenient one-stop connection between the laptop and multiple accessories or external devices (such as power adapters, network cables, mice, external keyboards, printers, and external monitors).

[0024] Currently, in-vehicle intelligent accessories suffer from a lack of available interfaces, power supply ports, and video transmission interfaces. Furthermore, IoT devices become unusable when the vehicle is powered off. This application addresses these issues by directly connecting to a gateway and providing separate power, combined with a docking station, to enable independent power supply and intelligent control of in-vehicle IoT devices. This solves the problem of in-vehicle IoT devices continuing to access the network and maintain power supply even when the vehicle is off. It also expands the limited number and types of USB ports in the vehicle and allows for adjustments to the operating status of IoT devices by reading current vehicle status data, thereby enabling intelligent scenarios.

[0025] The control system, vehicle, method, and medium of an in-vehicle Internet of Things (IoT) device according to embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specifically, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a control system for an in-vehicle Internet of Things (IoT) device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, the control system 10 of the in-vehicle IoT device includes: an in-vehicle IoT device 100, a controller 200, and an expansion unit 300.

[0027] The in-vehicle IoT device 100 includes one or more devices; the controller 200 includes one or more controllers corresponding to the in-vehicle IoT devices; the expansion unit 300 independently powers one or more in-vehicle IoT devices, forwards the current data of each in-vehicle IoT device to a preset terminal, and forwards the control instructions of the preset terminal to the controller corresponding to the in-vehicle IoT device to be controlled, wherein the controller controls the in-vehicle IoT device to perform corresponding actions based on the control instructions.

[0028] The preset terminals are vehicle-mounted terminals and / or mobile terminals.

[0029] It is understood that the embodiments of this application provide an extension unit inside the vehicle, which can independently power in-vehicle IoT devices with different interfaces in any vehicle operating state, and can forward the current data of in-vehicle IoT devices to a preset terminal to realize the control of in-vehicle IoT devices. This meets the power supply requirements, operating requirements and intelligent control of in-vehicle IoT devices, has high applicability and improves the user experience.

[0030] It should be noted that in-vehicle IoT devices can include air purifiers, fragrances, and ventilated seat cushions, without any specific limitations.

[0031] In this embodiment of the application, the expansion unit 300 includes: a power supply, a gateway, and an expansion dock.

[0032] The gateway is connected to the power supply and forwards data and commands; the expansion dock is connected to both the power supply and the gateway, and provides one or more types of expansion interfaces.

[0033] It is understood that in this embodiment, the power supply can independently power the IoT device to ensure that the IoT device can still operate when the vehicle is powered off; the gateway mainly acquires and forwards various data and instructions, and the docking station contains various types of expansion interfaces to meet the different needs of IoT devices, such as one or more of data transmission, video transmission and audio transmission, without specific limitations; it meets the power supply requirements, operation requirements and intelligent control of in-vehicle IoT devices, has high applicability and improves the user experience.

[0034] Specifically, the expansion dock communicates with the vehicle gateway via Ethernet, requiring a high-bandwidth Ethernet, at least 1000BaseT1 or higher. The main data types of communication are video data, audio data, vehicle control commands, and vehicle status data. The expansion dock uses Ethernet to directly connect to the gateway and is processed by the SOC, enabling at least four channels of DP (DisplayPort) audio and video signals. It is also compatible with the common USB protocol, UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter) protocol, and USB power supply.

[0035] In this embodiment of the application, the expansion dock includes: a motherboard, a processor, and expansion interfaces.

[0036] The processor is embedded on the motherboard and is used to process various data and instructions; one or more types of expansion interfaces are connected to the processing chip and are used to connect in-vehicle IoT devices with corresponding expansion interfaces.

[0037] The processor is connected to an external interface via one or more data cables from the first to the fourth interface.

[0038] The expansion interface includes the first to fourth interfaces and an external interface; the external interface has at least one function among data transmission, power supply, video transmission and audio transmission.

[0039] It is understood that, in this embodiment of the application, the processor inside the expansion dock is used to process various data and instructions and connect to in-vehicle IoT devices through an expansion interface to achieve intelligent control of in-vehicle IoT devices.

[0040] It should be noted that the first to fourth interfaces can be UART, power, USB, and DP interfaces, and can be adjusted or replaced according to the actual situation; the processor can be a SOC (System on Chip) chip, without specific limitations.

[0041] Specifically, the processor connects to external interfaces via a combination of four data cables: UART, power, USB, and DP. These external interfaces enable functions such as data transmission, power supply, video transmission, and audio transmission. Furthermore, each docking station has at least four expansion ports to support the simultaneous connection of multiple IoT devices.

[0042] The control system for in-vehicle IoT devices proposed in this application embodiment has an extension unit set inside the vehicle, which can independently power in-vehicle IoT devices with different interfaces in any vehicle operating state, and can forward the current data of in-vehicle IoT devices to preset terminals to realize the control of in-vehicle IoT devices. It meets the power supply requirements, operation requirements and intelligent control of in-vehicle IoT devices, has high applicability and improves the user experience.

[0043] The following will combine Figure 2 The control system for in-vehicle IoT devices is described in detail below:

[0044] Firstly, the control system for in-vehicle IoT devices mainly includes one or more in-vehicle IoT devices, corresponding controllers for these devices, and expansion units. The expansion units primarily consist of a power supply, a gateway, and a docking station. The power supply is a TBOX (Telematics Box), and the gateway and docking station are independent power supplies that continue to provide power even after the vehicle is powered off. The gateway is responsible for connecting devices to the vehicle's main network, performing signal conversion between the CAN (Controller Area Network) bus and Ethernet to forward data and commands. The docking station includes a processor, a motherboard, and expansion interfaces. The processor processes various data and commands, while the expansion interfaces enable data transmission, power supply, video transmission, and audio transmission.

[0045] The expansion unit is a key component of this application. It independently powers one or more in-vehicle IoT devices using a power supply. The gateway forwards the current data of each in-vehicle IoT device to a preset terminal and forwards the control commands from the preset terminal to the controller corresponding to the in-vehicle IoT device to be controlled. The controller controls the in-vehicle IoT device to perform corresponding actions based on the control commands. The processor inside the expansion dock is used to process various data and commands, and the expansion interface connects to the in-vehicle IoT devices.

[0046] Specifically, when the vehicle is in normal operation, the expansion unit forwards the current data of each in-vehicle IoT device to the preset terminal. It can send relevant control commands through the vehicle's infotainment system to control various IoT devices. Then, through the expansion dock, it forwards the vehicle signals and commands sent by various vehicle domain controllers on the CAN bus via Ethernet connection and gateway exchange, and forwards the control commands of the preset terminal to the controllers corresponding to the IoT devices to be controlled. In this way, the IoT devices can realize corresponding functional changes according to changes in vehicle status, such as turning on the air purifier when the air conditioner is turned on, and turning off the air purifier when the air conditioner is turned off.

[0047] When the vehicle is powered off, the power supply connects to the TBOX, gateway, and expansion dock, enabling various IoT devices to continue to be powered even after the vehicle is powered off. The TBOX remains connected to the network, allowing IoT devices to communicate with the outside world during operation. The expansion unit first forwards the current data of each in-vehicle IoT device to a preset terminal, and then sends control commands using a mobile terminal. The expansion dock forwards the control commands from the preset terminal to the controller corresponding to the in-vehicle IoT device to be controlled. The controller then controls the in-vehicle IoT device to perform corresponding actions based on the control commands.

[0048] In summary, this application embodiment increases the number and types of interfaces for IoT devices, meeting the needs of various IoT devices; it solves the power supply problem of IoT devices, as each USB port in the expansion dock can provide power, ensuring that multiple IoT devices can be used simultaneously in the vehicle; it solves the problems of unstable communication in the vehicle and inability to communicate after the vehicle is powered off, which are common issues with traditional in-vehicle IoT connection devices; and it solves the problem of traditional non-intelligent in-vehicle devices being unable to be intelligently controlled.

[0049] This application also provides a vehicle including a control system for an in-vehicle Internet of Things (IoT) device as described in the above embodiments.

[0050] Next, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a control method for an in-vehicle Internet of Things (IoT) device according to an embodiment of this application is described.

[0051] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the control method for an in-vehicle Internet of Things (IoT) device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0052] like Figure 3 As shown, the control method 20 for the in-vehicle IoT device utilizes the control system 10 of the in-vehicle IoT device as described in the above embodiment, wherein the method includes the following steps:

[0053] In step S101, control commands sent by a preset terminal are obtained.

[0054] In step S102, the extension unit forwards control commands to the controller corresponding to the in-vehicle IoT device to be controlled, wherein the controller controls the in-vehicle IoT device to perform corresponding actions based on the control commands.

[0055] It should be noted that the foregoing explanation of the control system embodiment for in-vehicle IoT devices also applies to the control method of the in-vehicle IoT devices in this embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0056] According to the control method for in-vehicle IoT devices proposed in the embodiments of this application, control commands sent by a preset terminal are obtained, and the control commands are forwarded to the controller corresponding to the in-vehicle IoT device to be controlled by the extension unit, so as to control the in-vehicle IoT device to perform corresponding actions. This method meets the power supply requirements, operation requirements and intelligent control of in-vehicle IoT devices, has high applicability and improves the user experience.

[0057] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described control method for in-vehicle IoT devices.

[0058] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0059] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "N" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0060] Any process or method described in the flowchart or otherwise herein can be understood as representing a module, segment, or portion of code comprising one or N executable instructions for implementing custom logic functions or processes, and the scope of the preferred embodiments of this application includes additional implementations in which functions may be performed not in the order shown or discussed, including substantially simultaneously or in reverse order depending on the functions involved, as should be understood by those skilled in the art to which embodiments of this application pertain.

[0061] It should be understood that the various parts of this application can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, the N steps or methods can be implemented using software or firmware stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, it can be implemented using any one or more of the following techniques known in the art: discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing logical functions on data signals, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) having suitable combinational logic gates, programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0062] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the methods described in the above embodiments can be implemented by a program instructing related hardware, and the program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When executed, the program includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiments.

[0063] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A control system for an in-vehicle Internet of Things (IoT) device, characterized in that, The application relates to a control system of in-vehicle Internet of Things devices. The control system comprises one or more in-vehicle Internet of Things devices, a controller corresponding to the in-vehicle Internet of Things devices, and an expansion unit which independently supplies power to the one or more in-vehicle Internet of Things devices, forwards current data of each in-vehicle Internet of Things device to a preset terminal, and forwards a control instruction of the preset terminal to a controller corresponding to an in-vehicle Internet of Things device to be controlled, wherein the controller controls the in-vehicle Internet of Things device to be controlled to perform a corresponding action based on the control instruction. The expansion unit comprises a power supply, a gateway connected to the power supply and forwarding data and instructions, and an expansion dock connected to the power supply and the gateway and expanding one or more types of expansion interfaces. The expansion dock comprises a mainboard, a processor embedded on the mainboard and used for processing various data and instructions, and one or more types of expansion interfaces connected to the processor and used for connecting in-vehicle Internet of Things devices corresponding to the expansion interfaces.

2. The control system of an in-vehicle IoT device according to claim 1, characterized by, The expansion interfaces comprise first to fourth interfaces and an external interface. The processor is connected to the external interface through one or more data cables of the first to fourth interfaces. The external interface has at least one function of data transmission, power supply, video transmission and audio transmission. The preset terminal is a car terminal and / or a mobile phone terminal.

3. The control system of an in-vehicle IoT device according to claim 2, characterized by, The application further relates to a control system of in-vehicle Internet of Things devices.

4. The control system of an in-vehicle IoT device according to claim 3, characterized by, The application further relates to a control method of in-vehicle Internet of Things devices.

5. The control system of an in-vehicle IoT device according to claim 3, wherein The application further relates to a program for implementing the control method of in-vehicle Internet of Things devices.

6. The in-vehicle IoT device control system of claim 1, wherein The program is executed by a processor.

7. A vehicle characterized by comprising: ​ 8. A control method of an in-vehicle IoT device, characterized by, ​ ​ ​ 9. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, characterized in that, ​

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