In-vehicle device, program, and information processing method

Abstract

An in-vehicle device, which is mounted on a vehicle and is communicably connected to an in-vehicle ECU via an in-vehicle network, is provided with: a storage unit that stores a plurality of applications; and a control unit that performs a process relating to the application program, the control unit expanding a function that can be executed by the vehicle by adding the application program stored in the storage unit, and outputting an execution result of the application program to an on-board ECU corresponding to the function.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle-mounted device, a program, and an information processing method.

[0002] This application claims the priority based on Japanese application No. 2022-139371 for which it applied on September 1, 2022, and cites all the contents described in the said Japanese application. Background Art

[0003] The vehicle is equipped with an on-board ECU (Electronic Control Unit) for controlling on-board equipment such as powertrain systems such as engine control, and body systems such as air conditioning control. The on-board ECU includes an arithmetic processing unit such as an MPU, a rewritable non-volatile storage unit such as a RAM, and a communication unit for communicating with other on-board ECUs. The on-board equipment is controlled by reading and executing the control program stored in the storage unit. In addition, a relay device with a wireless communication function is installed in the vehicle, and the vehicle communicates with a program provider connected to a network outside the vehicle via the relay device. The control program of the on-board ECU is downloaded (received) from the program provider, and the control program of the on-board ECU can be updated (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-97851 Summary of the invention

[0007] A vehicle-mounted device in one embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a vehicle and is connected to a vehicle-mounted ECU via a vehicle-mounted network in a communicative manner, wherein the vehicle-mounted device comprises: a storage unit that stores a plurality of applications; and a control unit that performs processing related to the applications, wherein the control unit expands the functions that can be executed by the vehicle by adding the applications stored in the storage unit, and outputs the execution results of the applications to the vehicle-mounted ECU corresponding to the functions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an in-vehicle system including the in-vehicle device according to the first embodiment.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an in-vehicle device, etc.

[0010] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the software hierarchy installed in the vehicle-mounted device.

[0011] Figure 4This is an explanatory diagram showing one column of an application table.

[0012] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating a row of application switching.

[0013] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the control unit of the vehicle-mounted device.

[0014] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the control unit of the vehicle-mounted device according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] [Problems to be Solved by the Present Disclosure]

[0016] The relay device of Patent Document 1 does not consider expanding executable functions by adding application programs stored in the storage unit.

[0017] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an in-vehicle device or the like capable of expanding executable functions by adding an application program stored in a storage unit.

[0018] [Effects of the present disclosure]

[0019] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an in-vehicle device or the like in which executable functions are expanded by adding an application program stored in a storage unit.

[0020] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure]

[0021] First, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described by way of examples. In addition, at least a part of the embodiments described below may be arbitrarily combined.

[0022] (1) An in-vehicle device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted on a vehicle and is connected to an in-vehicle ECU via an in-vehicle network in a communicative manner, wherein the in-vehicle device comprises: a storage unit storing a plurality of application programs; and a control unit performing processing related to the application programs, wherein the control unit expands functions executable by the vehicle by adding the application programs stored in the storage unit, and outputs execution results of the application programs to the in-vehicle ECU corresponding to the functions.

[0023] In this embodiment, the vehicle-mounted device communicates with an off-vehicle server such as an OTA server, obtains software programs such as applications corresponding to various services used in the operation of the vehicle, and stores the obtained applications in a storage unit to install them. The vehicle-mounted device is an ECU that can expand the executable functions and increase the types of corresponding services by installing (applying) and adding new applications in this way, and functions as a function expansion ECU. In order to provide the required function (service), the control unit of the vehicle-mounted device executes the application corresponding to the function (service), and outputs (sends) the result data, request signal or control signal generated as a result of the execution to the vehicle-mounted ECU that is responsible for the substantial drive related to the function (service). The actuator driven to perform the required function (service) is directly connected to the vehicle-mounted ECU through a wiring harness or the like. The vehicle-mounted ECU is, for example, a body ECU (BCU) that is responsible for the drive control of the body system actuator, and drives the actuators (vehicle-mounted device) such as lighting devices, wipers or door mirrors connected to the vehicle-mounted ECU (BCU) according to the request signal obtained (received) from the vehicle-mounted device (function expansion ECU). In this way, when a new function (service) is added to a vehicle, by aggregating the application programs that perform information processing for executing the function (service) and installing (applying) them to the vehicle-mounted device (function expansion ECU), it is possible to prevent the program installation environment in the existing vehicle-mounted ECU connected to the vehicle network from being affected. As a result, even when a new function (service) is added to the vehicle, it is no longer necessary to re-verify the program that has already been applied to the vehicle-mounted ECU. In addition, when providing the function (service), distributed processing based on the vehicle-mounted ECU and the vehicle-mounted device (function expansion ECU) can be performed, which can reduce the processing load of the vehicle-mounted ECU.

[0024] (2) The vehicle-mounted device according to one aspect of the present disclosure stores an input / output program in the storage unit. The input / output program is responsible for processing related to input / output when the application program is executed, and the input / output program cooperates with the plurality of application programs via a common interface.

[0025] In this method, an input / output program is stored in the storage unit of the vehicle-mounted device, and the input / output program is used to send and receive data with the vehicle-mounted ECU when executing an application corresponding to the required function (service). The input / output program and multiple applications are coded, for example, using a general communication socket library, and cooperate through a generalized communication interface and are connected through inter-process communication. Therefore, even if the input / output specifications of data differ for each application, the versatility of these applications can be ensured by intervening the input / output program in the communication between each of the multiple applications and the program executed on the vehicle-mounted ECU side.

[0026] (3) In the vehicle-mounted device according to one aspect of the present disclosure, an operating system is stored in the storage unit, and the plurality of application programs are respectively executed on the operating system.

[0027] In this method, an operating system for accessing the hardware resources of the vehicle-mounted device is stored in the storage unit of the vehicle-mounted device, and multiple application programs are respectively executed on the operating system. Therefore, even if new application programs are added to the vehicle-mounted device, these application programs can perform process management and access control to hardware resources through the operating system, thereby avoiding access conflicts to hardware resources.

[0028] (4) In the vehicle-mounted device according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit acquires operator information related to an operator of the vehicle, and selects the application to be executed based on the acquired operator information.

[0029] In this method, the control unit of the vehicle-mounted device obtains operator information related to the operator, for example, transmitted from a portable terminal or a smart key held by the operator of the vehicle. The control unit of the vehicle-mounted device selects an application to be executed based on the obtained operator information and executes the selected application, thereby being able to appropriately apply a function (service) corresponding to the operator of the vehicle.

[0030] (5) In the vehicle-mounted device according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit acquires vehicle state information related to the state of the vehicle, and selects the application to be executed based on the acquired vehicle state information.

[0031] In this embodiment, the control unit of the vehicle-mounted device obtains vehicle status information related to the status of the vehicle by, for example, obtaining an on / off signal from an IG switch, a message from a body ECU (BCU), etc. The control unit of the vehicle-mounted device selects an application to be executed based on the obtained vehicle status information and executes the selected application, thereby being able to appropriately apply a function (service) corresponding to the status of the vehicle.

[0032] (6) In the vehicle-mounted device according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the plurality of application programs stored in the storage unit are positioned at A level, B level, or QM level in ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level) of ISO26262.

[0033] In this method, multiple applications stored in the storage unit of the vehicle-mounted device, that is, applications executed when the vehicle-mounted device provides various functions (services), are applications positioned at A level, B level, or QM in the ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level) of ISO26262. It is assumed that all applications applicable to the vehicle-mounted device are installed (fully installed) in the vehicle-mounted device (function expansion ECU). In this way, even if multiple applications are mixed together, by setting the ASIL level of the application installed in the vehicle-mounted device to A level, B level, or QM, the vehicle-mounted device can be equipped with applications that have a relatively small impact on vehicle safety.

[0034] (7) A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure enables a computer mounted on a vehicle, connected to an on-board ECU via an on-board network in a manner capable of communicating therewith and including a storage unit storing a plurality of application programs, to expand functions executable by the vehicle by adding the application programs stored in the storage unit, and to output execution results of the application programs to the on-board ECU corresponding to the functions.

[0035] In this aspect, it is possible to provide a program that causes a computer to operate as an in-vehicle device with expanded executable functions by adding an application program stored in a storage unit.

[0036] (8) An information processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure enables a computer mounted on a vehicle, connected to an on-board ECU via an on-board network in a communicative manner and including a storage unit storing a plurality of application programs, to expand functions executable by the vehicle by adding the application programs stored in the storage unit, and to output the execution results of the application programs to the on-board ECU corresponding to the functions.

[0037] In this aspect, it is possible to provide an information processing method for causing a computer to operate as an in-vehicle device with expanded executable functions by adding an application program stored in a storage unit.

[0038] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure]

[0039] Hereinafter, specific examples of the vehicle-mounted device 2 and the like according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0040] (Implementation method 1)

[0041] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described based on the drawings. Figure 1This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an in-vehicle system S including the in-vehicle device 2 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 2 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the vehicle-mounted device 2 and the like. The vehicle-mounted system is configured such that the vehicle-mounted device 2 is used as a main device, and the vehicle-mounted device 2 is connected to various vehicle-mounted ECUs 4 including the body ECU 41 and the like via the vehicle-mounted network 5 in a communicative manner. Alternatively, a relay device 3 having a function such as an Ethernet SW or a CAN gateway may be connected to the vehicle-mounted network 5, and the relay device 3 relays communication data sent and received via a plurality of communication lines 51 constituting the vehicle-mounted network 5. The vehicle-mounted device 2 is connected to an off-vehicle server 100 connected to the off-vehicle network N in a communicative manner via an off-vehicle communication device 1.

[0042] The off-vehicle server 100 is, for example, a computer such as a server connected to an off-vehicle network N such as the Internet or a public line network. The off-vehicle server 100 may also be connected to a plurality of vehicles C via the off-vehicle network N in a communicable manner, and function as an OTA server that transmits (distributes) various application programs AP to the vehicle-mounted devices 2 of these vehicles C using, for example, OTA (Over The Air) or the like.

[0043] The vehicle external communication device 1 includes an external communication unit 11 and an in-vehicle communication unit 12. The in-vehicle communication unit 12 is, for example, an Ethernet PHY unit corresponding to a TCP / IP data packet transmitted through a communication line 51 of an Ethernet cable such as 100 BASE-T1 or 1000 BASE-T1. The vehicle external communication device 1 is connected to the vehicle-mounted device 2 in a communicable manner via the in-vehicle communication unit 12 and the communication line 51 such as an Ethernet cable.

[0044] The vehicle external communication unit 11 is a communication device for wireless communication using a mobile communication protocol such as 4G, 5G, WiFi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc., and transmits and receives data with a vehicle external server 100 or a portable terminal 101 such as a smartphone via an antenna 13 connected to the vehicle external communication unit 11. The communication between the vehicle external communication device 1 and the vehicle external server 100 or the portable terminal 101 is performed via a vehicle external network N such as a narrow area communication network, a public line network, or the Internet.

[0045] In this embodiment, the external vehicle communication device 1 is a device different from the vehicle-mounted device 2, and the two devices are connected to each other in a communicative manner via the vehicle-mounted communication unit 12, etc., but the present invention is not limited thereto. The external vehicle communication device 1 may be built into the vehicle-mounted device 2 as a component of the vehicle-mounted device 2.

[0046] Various actuators 411 driven and controlled by the vehicle-mounted ECU 4 are connected to the plurality of vehicle-mounted ECUs 4 mounted on the vehicle C. The actuators 411 include, for example, wipers, door mirrors, door locks, lighting devices, seat drive devices, car air conditioners, and display devices (HMI devices). As an example, the vehicle-mounted ECU 4 may also be a body ECU 41 that drives and controls the actuators 411 of the body system such as wipers, door locks, door mirrors, and lighting devices. Alternatively, the vehicle-mounted ECU 4 may also be an integrated ECU (vehicle computer) that controls the entire vehicle C, or an individual ECU that operates under the integrated ECU.

[0047] The body ECU 41 may be connected to an IG switch 6 for starting and stopping the vehicle C. The engine operation (on or off) can be obtained by a signal indicating the on or off of the IG switch 6 as a start trigger of the application AP corresponding to when the engine is on (when the engine operation starts) or when the engine is off (when the engine stops). The start trigger is not limited to this, and events such as fastening and unfastening of a seat belt and opening and closing of a door may be used as a start trigger.

[0048] The vehicle-mounted device 2 and the body ECU 41 are connected to a power supply device 7 such as a lead battery, a secondary battery, or an AC generator via a power line 71. Other vehicle-mounted ECUs 4 are also connected to the power supply device 7 and are supplied with power from the power supply device 7. The body ECU 41 may also be always powered by the power supply device 7 and enter a startup (wake-up) state, and when an operator having a portable terminal 101 such as a smart phone or a smart key approaches the vehicle C, the body ECU 41 may obtain the operator information by performing short-range communication with the portable terminal 101, etc. When the operator information is obtained, the body ECU 41 may also send a wake-up signal to the vehicle-mounted device 2 in a sleep state, and after the vehicle-mounted device 2 is switched to the startup (wake-up) state, the operator information is sent to the vehicle-mounted device 2.

[0049] The vehicle-mounted device 2 includes a control unit 20, a storage unit 21, an input / output I / F 22, an in-vehicle communication unit 23, etc. The vehicle-mounted device 2 communicates with an external server regularly, obtains various application programs AP using OTA (Over The Air), etc., installs (applies) the obtained application programs AP, and thereby functions as a function expansion ECU that expands the functions that can be executed. As will be described in detail later, the vehicle-mounted device 2 (function expansion ECU) selects an application program AP based on a combination of the state of the vehicle C and the operator, and executes the selected application program AP. The vehicle-mounted device 2 sends the execution result of the application program AP, i.e., the execution result data, to the vehicle-mounted ECU 4 corresponding to the function performed by executing the application program AP. The vehicle-mounted ECU 4 is a vehicle-mounted ECU 4 to which an actuator 411 driven and controlled according to the function performed by the application program AP of the vehicle-mounted device 2 is connected.

[0050] When the function of the vehicle C is expanded, it is necessary to newly add an application program AP for performing the function. However, by integrating the added application program AP into the vehicle-mounted device 2 (function expansion ECU), it is possible to prevent the software structure applied to the existing vehicle-mounted ECU 4 from being affected. Therefore, even when the function is expanded by adding a new application program AP, it is not necessary to verify the software structure installed in the existing vehicle-mounted ECU 4. When the expanded function is performed, the vehicle-mounted device 2 executes the application program AP, so distributed processing based on the vehicle-mounted device 2 and the vehicle-mounted ECU 4 corresponding to the function is performed. As a result, the processing load of the vehicle-mounted ECU 4 can be reduced, and the increase in specifications required for hardware resources such as a memory or CPU installed in the vehicle-mounted ECU 4 can be suppressed.

[0051] The control unit 20 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (MicroProcessing Unit). The control unit 20 performs various control processes and calculation processes by reading and executing the control program P (program product) and data pre-stored in the storage unit 21. The control program P (program product) stored in the storage unit 21 may be stored in the control program P (program product) read from the recording medium M that can be read by the vehicle-mounted device 2. In addition, the control program P (program product) stored in the storage unit 21 may be downloaded from an external computer (not shown) connected to a communication network (not shown) and stored in the storage unit 21.

[0052] The storage unit 21 is composed of a volatile memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), or a non-volatile memory element such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), or a flash memory. The storage unit 21 stores a control program P including a plurality of application programs AP, an input / output program IP, an operating system OP, etc. In addition, the storage unit 21 stores an application table described later.

[0053] The input / output I / F22 is, for example, a communication interface for serial communication. The vehicle-mounted device 2 is communicatively connected to a camera 221, a sensor 222 such as a LiDAR, a RADAR, an ultrasonic sensor, a temperature and humidity sensor, an infrared sensor, and a display device (HMI device) such as a display via the input / output I / F22. It is also possible to add (post-install) various sensors 222 required to the input / output I / F22 according to various additional application programs AP. That is, the input / output I / F22 can correspond to the IF of the camera 221 system, i.e., GMSL, FPD-LINK, and other standards, for example. In this way, for the image captured by the camera 221 via the input / output I / F22, the control unit 20 can perform various processes such as image processing, point group processing, object detection, or biological body detection by executing various application programs AP.

[0054] The in-vehicle communication unit 23 is, for example, an input / output interface (Ethernet PHY unit, CAN transceiver, etc.) using a communication protocol such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or CAN. The control unit 20 communicates with the relay device 3 connected to the in-vehicle network 5, the in-vehicle ECU 4, or the out-of-vehicle communication device 1 via the in-vehicle communication unit 23.

[0055] Figure 3 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the software hierarchy installed in the vehicle-mounted device 2. The control program P stored in the storage unit 21 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 may also include a plurality of application programs AP, input / output programs IP, and an operating system OP. As a software hierarchy (layer structure), the input / output program IP is the highest layer, and the application programs AP and the operating system OP are arranged in the order of the lower layers.

[0056] The plurality of application programs AP are application programs that are selectively executed according to a combination of an operator of the vehicle C (operator information) and a state of the vehicle C (vehicle state information), and are application programs that are switched and executed for each operator. The vehicle-mounted device 2 (function expansion ECU) obtains these application programs AP from the off-vehicle server 100 using OTA (Over the Air) or the like, and stores them in the storage unit 21, thereby installing them. By obtaining the application programs AP from the off-vehicle server 100 in this way, the functions that can be performed (functions that can be executed) of the vehicle-mounted device 2 can be expanded according to the obtained application programs AP.

[0057] When the input / output program IP executes the application program AP according to the type of the extended function, it performs the processing related to the input / output with the vehicle-mounted ECU 4 (input / output processing), and the vehicle-mounted ECU 4 becomes the sending destination of the request signal generated as a result of the execution of the application program AP. When the input / output program IP performs the input / output processing with the vehicle-mounted ECU 4, that is, the front-end processing of the vehicle-mounted ECU 4, the input / output program IP and the plurality of application programs AP cooperate through a universal interface, for example, through inter-process communication or a shared memory method. Alternatively, the input / output program IP and the plurality of application programs AP respectively perform coding using, for example, a universal communication socket library, and each application program AP and the input / output program IP perform inter-process communication specified by the library. In this way, the input / output program IP performs the sending / receiving processing of the data pre-conceived in each application program AP, thereby performing transparent communication processing with any application program AP, and performing the sending / receiving processing of the data corresponding to the vehicle-mounted ECU 4 that becomes the output destination of the request signal.

[0058] In the storage unit 21 of the vehicle-mounted device 2, the application AP may be associated with the vehicle-mounted ECU 4 to which the execution result (request signal) of the application AP is sent, for example, in a list form (application list). In the application list, the name of the application AP (execution file name) and the ECU number (MAC address, IP address, ECUID, etc.) that uniquely identifies the vehicle-mounted ECU 4 corresponding to the function performed by the application AP are defined in association.

[0059] When executing the input / output program IP, the control unit 20 reads the application list as a data file, thereby determining the on-vehicle ECU 4 to which the execution result (request signal) of the executed application AP is to be sent, and sends the execution result (request signal) to the determined on-vehicle ECU 4. The on-vehicle ECU 4 to which the transmission destination is to be is the on-vehicle ECU 4 corresponding to the function performed by the application AP, and is the on-vehicle ECU 4 to which the actuator 411 driven by the function is connected.

[0060] The input / output program IP can also determine the priority order between multiple application programs AP when executing multiple application programs AP at the same time, and perform processing such as eliminating resource conflicts between these application programs AP (application program control processing). The input / output program IP configured in this way functions as a communication system middleware when performing communication processing with the vehicle-mounted ECU 4, and can improve the affinity and transparency between various application programs AP obtained from the off-vehicle server 100 and various vehicle-mounted ECUs 4 installed in the vehicle C, thereby ensuring the versatility of the application programs AP.

[0061] The operating system OP is, for example, basic software such as Linux (registered trademark) or AUTOSAR (registered trademark)-OS. All application programs AP installed (applied) to the vehicle-mounted device 2 run on the operating system OP, thereby controlling the processes or threads generated for the execution of the application programs AP, and the access of the application programs AP to hardware resources. The operating system OP may also include, for example, a security module, device drivers such as a camera 221 and a sensor 222 connected to the input / output I / F 22, and an OTA module used when obtaining or updating the application programs AP from an off-vehicle server 100. The operating system OP is responsible for access control and time slice processing of hardware resources such as the control unit 20, the storage unit 21, the input / output I / F 22, and the in-vehicle communication unit 23.

[0062] Figure 4 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an application table. The storage unit 21 stores an application table defining an application AP determined by a combination of an operator of a vehicle C (operator information) and a state of the vehicle C (vehicle state information). The application table is composed of, for example, a table in a matrix form, and includes a field for an operator and a field for a vehicle state as management items, and can also define an application AP to be executed by a combination of these operators and vehicle states.

[0063] In the present embodiment, for example, when the operator is User-A and the vehicle C is in the state of being on board, an application AP for automatically releasing the doors is executed. In addition, when the operator is User-B and the vehicle C is in the state of being on board, the application AP to be executed is also defined as automatically releasing the doors. When the vehicle C is in the state of engine operation, the application AP to execute the camera DMS (Driver Monitor) is defined in User-A, and the application AP to execute the biosensor DMS is defined in User-B. In this way, even when the state of the vehicle C (vehicle state information) is the same, the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 (function expansion ECU) can switch the application AP to be executed according to the operator (operator information).

[0064] Automatic door release, camera DMS, biometric sensor DMS, etc. are examples of selectively executed application APs, and are of course not limited to this. When the state of vehicle C (vehicle state information) is in the vehicle, the application AP executed may include, for example, door unlocking based on biometric authentication, user authentication of shared cars, user authentication and settlement of taxis or buses, etc., and door setting changes when children are confirmed to be in the vehicle. In addition, when the state of vehicle C (vehicle state information) is that the engine is running, the application AP executed may include, for example, various DMS (Driver Monitor), EDR (data recording), logo recognition, signal recognition, emergency vehicle C detection (sound), driving record function (data storage), etc. In addition, when the state of vehicle C (vehicle state information) is getting off the vehicle, the application AP executed may include, for example, collision warning when the door is opened and closed, user authentication and settlement of taxis or buses, etc., child abandonment detection, smart home collaboration, garage opening, etc.

[0065] These application programs APs stored in the storage unit 21 and defined by the application program table may also be positioned at A level, B level, or QM in the ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level) of ISO26262. The vehicle-mounted device 2 that functions as a function expansion ECU periodically or regularly obtains and updates various application programs APs from the off-vehicle server 100 using OTA or the like, so that all application programs APs applicable to the vehicle-mounted device 2 can be maintained in an executable state.

[0066] The information as the original data of the application table may be information related to the subscribed users centrally managed by the off-vehicle server 100. The subscribed users are users who can become operators of the vehicle C. The off-vehicle server 100 centrally manages information (user master information) of the application AP desired by each user for all subscribed users. The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 may also periodically communicate with the off-vehicle server 100 to update the application table.

[0067] Figure 5This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of switching of application AP. In the diagram of this embodiment, a method (use example) in which the vehicle-mounted device 2 (function expansion ECU) switches the executed application AP according to the operator (operator information) of the vehicle C and the state (vehicle state information) of the vehicle C is explained. When the state (vehicle state information) of the vehicle C is when the vehicle is in the vehicle, the operator (A) and the operator (B) of the vehicle C are both set (defined in the application table) as the application AP for executing the automatic door release, and therefore the application AP for the automatic door release is executed.

[0068] When the state (vehicle state information) of vehicle C is that the engine is running, the operator (A) sets the application AP to execute the camera DMS, and the operator (B) sets the application AP to execute the biosensor DMS. Therefore, when the operator (A) is in the vehicle, the camera DMS is executed while the engine is running. When the operator (B) is in the vehicle, the biosensor DMS is executed while the engine is running.

[0069] When the state (vehicle state information) of vehicle C is when getting off the vehicle, both the operator (A) and the operator (B) of vehicle C set (defined in the application table) the application AP for executing the door opening and closing warning, so the door opening and closing warning is executed. In this way, the application AP can be switched and executed according to the state (vehicle state information) of vehicle C. Furthermore, even if the state (vehicle state information) of vehicle C is the same during engine operation, the application AP executed by the operator (A) and the operator (B) is different, and the application AP can be switched and executed according to the operator.

[0070] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2. The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2, for example, always performs the following processing when the vehicle C is in the startup state (IG switch 6 is on) or the stop state (IG switch 6 is off).

[0071] When performing the following processing, the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 periodically or regularly communicates with the external server 100 such as the OTA server to confirm whether there is a newly added application AP. In the case of an added application AP, the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 obtains (downloads) the application AP to be added from the external server 100 (OTA server) and stores it in the storage unit 21, thereby installing (applying).

[0072] The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 may also obtain all the application APs (full set) applicable to the vehicle-mounted device 2 when obtaining the application AP from the off-vehicle server 100. The vehicle-mounted device 2 selects the application AP to be executed according to the operator of the vehicle C, but it is assumed that the vehicle C is driven by a plurality of different operators. Even in such a case, since all the application APs (full set) are pre-installed (applied) in the vehicle-mounted device 2, it is not necessary to obtain the application AP every time according to which operator operates the vehicle C.

[0073] The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 may also acquire user information related to the subscribed user (the operator of the vehicle C) registered in the off-vehicle server 100 while additionally acquiring the application AP. The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 may also grasp the application AP (the provided service) desired by each subscribed user (the operator of the vehicle C) based on the acquired user information and update the application table.

[0074] The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 obtains the operator information related to the operator of the vehicle C (S101). The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 obtains the operator information transmitted from the portable terminal 101 or the smart key held by the operator of the vehicle C, for example, via the body ECU 41. When the power supply device 7 is always powered and the body ECU 41 is in the startup (wake-up) state, and an operator with the portable terminal 101 or the like approaches the vehicle C, the body ECU 41 obtains the operator information by performing short-range communication with the portable terminal 101. In this case, the body ECU 41 transmits a wake-up signal to the vehicle-mounted device 2 in the sleep state, for example, so that the vehicle-mounted device 2 is switched to the startup (wake-up) state, and further transmits the operator information to the vehicle-mounted device 2. The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 associates the operator information obtained from the body ECU 41 with the acquisition time and stores it in the storage unit 21.

[0075] The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 may also perform authentication processing for the operator based on the acquired operator information, and perform the following processing only when the result of the authentication processing is a positive result. The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 may also send the acquired operator information to the off-vehicle server 100 when performing the authentication processing, and request the off-vehicle server 100 to perform the authentication processing. Alternatively, a biometric authentication device that performs fingerprint authentication or the like may be connected to the vehicle-mounted device 2, and the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 may use the biometric authentication device to authenticate the operator of the vehicle C.

[0076] The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 obtains vehicle status information related to the status of the vehicle C (S102). The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2, for example, receives a message sent from each vehicle-mounted ECU 4 such as the body ECU 41, obtains the vehicle status information contained in the received message, associates the vehicle status information with the acquisition time, and stores it in the storage unit 21. Alternatively, the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 can also obtain the vehicle status information based on the signal sent from the IG switch 6 when the IG switch 6 is turned on or off. The message is, for example, a CAN message or an IP packet, and the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 can obtain the vehicle status information based on the message ID of the CAN message, the TCP port number of the IP packet, or the data stored in the payload of these messages. The vehicle status information includes, for example, information indicating various states such as the operator is riding in the vehicle, the operator is getting off the vehicle, the engine is running, the engine is stopped, the vehicle speed, the operating state of various actuators 411, automatic driving or manual driving.

[0077] The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 selects an application AP based on the operator information and the vehicle state information (S103). The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 selects an application AP corresponding to the acquired operator information and vehicle state information by, for example, referring to an application table stored in the storage unit 21. The application table is stored in the storage unit 21 in a matrix form, for example, and the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 can effectively select an application AP based on a combination of the operator information and the vehicle state information.

[0078] The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 executes the selected application AP (S104). The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 executes the selected application AP, and sends a message including result data, control signals, or request signals generated as a result of the execution to the vehicle-mounted ECU 4 corresponding to the application AP. The application AP is used to perform the function (service) desired by the operator, and the function (service) includes, for example, automatic unlocking of the door, lighting of the lamp, collision tendency when the door is opened and closed, etc. When performing these functions (services), the actuator 411 actually driven is connected to the vehicle-mounted ECU 4 that becomes the destination of the request signal, etc. The vehicle-mounted ECU 4 to which the actuator 411 driven when performing the function (service) is connected controls the drive of the actuator 411 such as the door lock and lighting connected to itself according to the received request signal (message). As a result, it is possible to reduce the processing load of the vehicle-mounted ECU 4, and execute the application AP desired by the operator of the vehicle C according to the state of the vehicle C, and provide the function (service) desired by the operator.

[0079] The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 acquires vehicle state information related to the state of the vehicle C ( S105 ). Similar to the process S102 , the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 acquires vehicle state information related to the state of the vehicle C and stores the vehicle state information in the storage unit 21 in association with the acquisition time.

[0080] The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 determines whether the vehicle state information has changed ( S106 ). The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 determines whether there has been a change between the vehicle state information acquired this time and the vehicle state information acquired last time.

[0081] When the vehicle state information has changed (S106: Yes), the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 performs loop processing to execute the process of S103 again. When the vehicle state information has changed, the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 performs loop processing to execute the process of S103 again, thereby selecting and executing an application AP based on the combination of the state of the vehicle C and the operator at the current time point. In this way, it is possible to select and execute an appropriate application AP according to the change in the state of the vehicle C.

[0082] When the vehicle status information has not changed (S106: No), the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 determines whether the operator has left the vicinity of the vehicle C (S107). When the vehicle status information has not changed, the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 determines whether the operator has left the vicinity of the vehicle C, for example, by communicating with the body ECU 41. For example, the portable terminal 101 or smart key held by the operator communicates with the body ECU 41 in short distance using radio frequency (RF) or low frequency (LF), so that the body ECU 41 periodically determines whether the operator is inside the vehicle C or within a predetermined distance outside the vehicle C. The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 determines whether the operator has left the vicinity of the vehicle C, for example, by obtaining information related to the position of the operator from the body ECU 41.

[0083] When the operator has not left the vicinity of the vehicle C (S107: No), the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 performs loop processing in order to execute the processing from S105 again. When the operator has not left the vicinity of the vehicle C, the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 can continue to obtain the vehicle status information regularly or periodically by executing the processing from S105 again. As a result, when the operator has not left the vicinity of the vehicle C, it is possible to continue to select and execute the appropriate application AP based on the vehicle status information obtained regularly. When the operator has left the vicinity of the vehicle C (S107: Yes), the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 ends the processing in this flowchart.

[0084] (Implementation method 2)

[0085] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 according to Embodiment 2. The vehicle-mounted device 2 according to Embodiment 2 performs the processing of S201 in the same manner as the processing of S101 in Embodiment 1.

[0086] The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 determines whether the acquired operator information is registered in the application table ( S202 ). The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 determines whether the acquired operator information (user ID) is registered in the operator field of the application table stored in the storage unit 21 .

[0087] When the operator information is not registered in the application table (S202: No), the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 obtains the user information corresponding to the operator information from the off-vehicle server 100 (S2021). When the operator information is not registered in the application table, the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 sends the obtained operator information to the off-vehicle server 100, and requests the off-vehicle server 100 for the user information corresponding to the operator information. The operator information includes, for example, a user ID that uniquely represents the operator. In the off-vehicle server 100, data related to the operator of the vehicle C as a subscribed user is centrally managed (master registration), and the services desired by each user (user ID), that is, the executed application AP, are listed and stored. The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 obtains the user information including the application AP executed corresponding to the operator from the off-vehicle server 100 that centrally manages the information of all users by sending the operator information including the user ID, etc. to the off-vehicle server 100.

[0088] The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 updates the application table based on the acquired user information (S2022). The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 adds information related to the operator (user ID) of the operator information acquired this time and the application AP (provided service) that the operator (user ID) desires to execute in each vehicle C state to the application table based on the acquired user information.

[0089] When the number of subscribers registered in the off-vehicle server 100 increases and becomes large, registering (mirroring) information about all users in the application table of each vehicle C may cause a shortage of storage area in the storage unit 21. Therefore, in the application table of each vehicle C, information about a new operator (user ID) is additionally registered as needed, thereby suppressing the shortage of storage area in the storage unit 21.

[0090] The in-vehicle device 2 periodically performs OTA processing by the off-vehicle server 100, so all application APs applied to the in-vehicle device 2 are stored in the storage unit 21 of the in-vehicle device 2 (full installation). Therefore, each application AP defined in the application table has been installed, so even if a new operator (user ID) is registered, it is not necessary to install the application AP together with the user registration. Alternatively, the control unit 20 of the in-vehicle device 2 can also obtain the application AP desired by the operator from the off-vehicle server 100 together with the registration of the new operator (user ID).

[0091] When the operator information is registered in the application table (S202: Yes), the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 obtains vehicle state information related to the state of the vehicle C (S203). The control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 performs S203 in the same manner as the process S102 of the first embodiment. After executing S203, the control unit 20 of the vehicle-mounted device 2 performs the processes of S204 to S208 in the same manner as the processes S103 to S107 of the first embodiment.

[0092] The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the above meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0093] Multiple claims recorded in the claims can be combined with each other regardless of the form of citation. In the claims, multiple dependent claims that are subordinate to multiple claims are recorded. In the claims, multiple dependent claims that are subordinate to multiple dependent claims are not recorded, but multiple dependent claims that are subordinate to multiple dependent claims can also be recorded.

[0094] Description of Reference Numerals

[0095] S Car System

[0096] C. Vehicle

[0097] N External network

[0098] 100 Off-vehicle server (OTA server)

[0099] 101 Portable Terminal

[0100] 1 External vehicle communication device

[0101] 11 External communication unit

[0102] 12 In-car communication unit

[0103] 13 Antenna

[0104] 2 In-vehicle device (function expansion ECU)

[0105] 20 Control Department

[0106] 21 Storage

[0107] M Recording medium

[0108] P Control Program (Program Product)

[0109] AP Application

[0110] IP Input and Output Program

[0111] OP Operating System

[0112] 22 Input and Output I / F

[0113] 221 Camera

[0114] 222 Sensor

[0115] 23 In-car communication unit

[0116] 3 Relay device

[0117] 4 Vehicle ECU

[0118] 41 Body ECU

[0119] 411 Actuator

[0120] 5 In-vehicle network

[0121] 51 Communication line

[0122] 6 IG switch

[0123] 7 Power supply unit

[0124] 71 Power Lines

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted device, mounted on a vehicle, and connected to a vehicle-mounted ECU via a vehicle-mounted network in a communicative manner, wherein: The vehicle-mounted device comprises: a storage unit storing a plurality of application programs; and A control unit performs processing related to the application program. The control unit expands the functions that can be executed by the vehicle by adding the application program stored in the storage unit. The control unit outputs the execution result of the application program to the vehicle-mounted ECU corresponding to the function.

2. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein: The storage unit stores an input / output program, which is responsible for processing related to input / output when the application program is executed. The input / output program cooperates with the plurality of application programs through a common interface.

3. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 2, wherein: An operating system is stored in the storage unit. The plurality of application programs are respectively executed on the operating system.

4. The vehicle-mounted device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The control unit obtains operator information related to the operator of the vehicle, The control unit selects the application program to be executed based on the acquired operator information.

5. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 4, wherein: The control unit obtains vehicle state information related to the state of the vehicle, The control unit selects the application to be executed based on the acquired vehicle state information.

6. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 5, wherein: The plurality of application programs stored in the storage unit are positioned at level A, level B, or QM in ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level) of ISO26262.

7. A program for causing a computer to execute the following processing, wherein the computer is mounted on a vehicle, is connected to an on-vehicle ECU in a communicable manner via an on-vehicle network, and includes a storage unit storing a plurality of application programs: By adding the application program stored in the storage unit, the functions executable by the vehicle are expanded; and The execution result of the application is output to the vehicle-mounted ECU corresponding to the function.

8. An information processing method, causing a computer to execute the following processing, wherein the computer is mounted on a vehicle, is connected to an on-vehicle ECU via an on-vehicle network in a communicable manner, and includes a storage unit storing a plurality of application programs: By adding the application program stored in the storage unit, the functions that can be executed by the vehicle are expanded: and The execution result of the application is output to the vehicle-mounted ECU corresponding to the function.

Images