Multi-signal switching device and method for automatic driving, and storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides a multi-signal switching device and method for automatic driving and a storage medium. The device comprises: a detection module coupled to a plurality of communication devices and configured to respectively obtain a plurality of pieces of state information of the plurality of communication devices; a processor coupled to the detection module and configured to compare the plurality of state information obtained from the detection module to determine signal quality of the plurality of communication devices, and send a control signal based on the signal quality; and a network switching module coupled to the processor and configured to realize switching among the plurality of communication devices according to the control signal from the processor. Therefore, when the current network connected with the communication equipment of the vehicle fluctuates, the communication equipment where the network with good signal quality is located can be accessed to the network of the vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Example embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of remote driving, and particularly to an apparatus and method for multi-signal switching for autonomous driving. Background Art

[0002] In the field of remote driving, since the devices on the vehicle need to communicate with the remote server frequently, a high quality of the network is required. Moreover, there are significant differences in the network coverage areas and qualities of different operators. This may lead to situations where the vehicle networking lags or fails to connect due to the poor quality of the operator network signal currently selected during driving, thereby affecting the stable operation of remote driving. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for multi-signal switching for autonomous driving. The apparatus includes: a detection module coupled to a plurality of communication devices and configured to respectively obtain a plurality of status information of the plurality of communication devices; a processor coupled to the detection module and configured to compare the plurality of status information obtained from the detection module to determine the signal qualities of the plurality of communication devices, and issue a control signal based on the signal qualities; and a network switching module coupled to the processor and configured to implement switching between the plurality of communication devices according to the control signal from the processor.

[0004] In some embodiments, the detection module is further configured to obtain at least a set of the plurality of status information of the plurality of communication devices in each detection period.

[0005] In some embodiments, the status information includes at least one of an operator status, an access network status, a server status, a network signal quality, a network signal strength, and a signal-to-noise ratio.

[0006] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to: in response to not obtaining the status information of one of the plurality of communication devices within a predetermined time, issue a reset instruction to the corresponding communication device to reset the communication device.

[0007] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to: obtain the transmission bandwidth required for network services; in response to the obtained transmission bandwidth exceeding a threshold, issue a grid connection instruction to at least two of the plurality of communication devices to enable at least two communication devices to provide network services simultaneously.

[0008] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to: determine the threshold based on the bandwidth of the communication device connected by the network switching module in the previous detection period.

[0009] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a multi-signal switching method for autonomous driving is provided. The method includes: obtaining multiple status information of multiple communication devices from a detection module; comparing the multiple status information to determine the signal quality of the multiple communication devices; and sending a control signal to a network switching module based on the determined signal quality to achieve switching between the multiple communication devices.

[0010] In some embodiments, obtaining multiple status information includes: obtaining at least one set of multiple status information of multiple communication devices from the detection module in each detection period.

[0011] In some embodiments, the status information includes at least one of operator status, network attachment status, server loading status, network signal quality, network signal strength, and signal-to-noise ratio.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method further includes: in response to not obtaining the status information of one of the multiple communication devices within a predetermined time, sending a reset instruction to the corresponding communication device to reset the communication device.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method further includes: obtaining the transmission bandwidth required for network services; in response to the obtained transmission bandwidth exceeding a threshold, sending a grid connection instruction to the network switching module to enable at least two of the multiple communication devices to provide network services simultaneously.

[0014] In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining the threshold based on the bandwidth of the communication device connected by the network switching module in the previous detection period.

[0015] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes the device provided in the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0016] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. A computer program is stored on the computer-readable storage medium, and the computer program can be executed by a processor to implement the method of the first aspect.

[0017] It should be understood that the content described in this part is not intended to limit the key features or important features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In combination with the accompanying drawings and with reference to the following detailed description, the above and other features, advantages, and aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements, where:

[0019] Figure 1 A simplified schematic diagram showing a part of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing an example of a hybrid operation unit according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a multi-signal switching method for autonomous driving according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0022] Figure 4 A schematic block diagram showing an electronic device 400 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed implementation manners

[0023] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although certain embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to more thoroughly and completely understand the present disclosure. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not used to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0024] It should be noted that the titles of any sections / subsections provided herein are not restrictive. Various embodiments are described throughout this document, and any type of embodiment can be included under any section / subsection. In addition, the embodiments described in any section / subsection can be combined with any other embodiments described in the same section / subsection and / or different sections / subsections in any manner.

[0025] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "comprising" and its like should be understood as an open inclusion, that is, "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "an embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The term "some embodiments" should be understood as "at least some embodiments". There may also be other explicit and implicit definitions hereinafter. The terms "first", "second", etc. may refer to different or the same objects. There may also be other explicit and implicit definitions hereinafter.

[0026] The principles of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to several exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the description of these embodiments is only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and then implement the present disclosure, and not to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

[0027] In addition, the term "responsive to" as used herein represents a state in which a corresponding event occurs or a condition is satisfied. It will be understood that the timing of the subsequent actions performed responsive to the event or condition may not necessarily be strongly correlated with the time when the event occurs or the condition holds. For example, in some cases, the subsequent action may be performed immediately when the event occurs or the condition holds; while in other cases, the subsequent action may be performed after a period of time after the event occurs or the condition holds.

[0028] Embodiments of the present disclosure may involve user data, data acquisition and / or use, etc. These aspects all comply with the corresponding laws, regulations and related provisions. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the collection, acquisition, processing, processing, forwarding, use, etc. of all data are carried out on the premise that the user is aware and confirms. Correspondingly, when implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure, the types, usage scopes, usage scenarios, etc. of the data or information that may be involved should be informed to the user and the user's authorization should be obtained through appropriate means in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations. The specific informing and / or authorization methods may vary according to the actual situation and application scenarios, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0029] The solutions described in this specification and embodiments, if involving personal information processing, will be processed on the premise of having a legal basis (such as obtaining the consent of the personal information subject, or being necessary for performing a contract, etc.), and will only be processed within the specified or agreed scope. The user's refusal to process personal information other than the necessary information required for the basic functions will not affect the user's use of the basic functions.

[0030] As briefly mentioned above, due to the different network coverage of different operators, when the vehicle is driving, it may pass through an area with poor coverage of the current operator's network. This may cause fluctuations in the vehicle network, resulting in problems such as network latency. In the field of autonomous driving, the vehicle needs to frequently communicate with the remote server using the network. When the network fluctuates, it is likely to affect the stability of the operation of related functions in the vehicle.

[0031] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a device and method for multi-signal switching for autonomous driving are proposed to solve or at least partially solve the above problems and other potential problems existing in the traditional solutions. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the detection module respectively obtains multiple status information from multiple communication devices and sends the multiple status information to the processor. After comparing the multiple status information of the multiple communication devices, the processor sends a control signal for switching the network to the network switching module, so as to switch the network to the communication device with better signal quality to ensure the stable communication of related devices of the vehicle.

[0032] Figure 1FIG. 0 shows a simplified schematic diagram of a part of vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 1 shown, during operations such as remote driving of the vehicle, devices such as the in-vehicle computer 101 of the vehicle communicate with the server in the cloud in real time. For example, the communication may include: the in-vehicle computer 101 reporting the road condition information and the vehicle's own information acquired by the vehicle's sensors to the server, and the in-vehicle computer 101 also receiving the road condition information of the road ahead in the server, etc. During these processes, in order to ensure stable communication between the in-vehicle computer 101 and the server in the cloud, multiple communication devices 103 and a multi-signal switching device 102 (hereinafter referred to as device 102) for switching the signals of the multiple communication devices 103 are configured in the in-vehicle computer 101 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The multiple communication devices 103 are respectively connected to the corresponding operator networks. Device 102 is used to connect the communication device 103 with better signal to the in-vehicle computer 101 network, thereby reducing network problems such as communication delay and packet loss between the in-vehicle computer 101 and the server. The following will specifically describe how device 102 selects and switches the network of communication device 103.

[0033] Figure 2 FIG. 6 shows a simplified schematic diagram of a multi-signal switching device 200 for autonomous driving according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 1 shown, the device includes a detection module 201 coupled to multiple communication devices, a processor 202 coupled to the detection module 201, and a network switching module 203 coupled to the processor 202.

[0034] The detection module 201 is configured to respectively obtain multiple status information of the multiple communication devices. The detection module 201 and the multiple communication devices can be connected through a bus. The bus 107 can be a serial port, a serial peripheral interface (SPI), a controller area network bus (CAN), etc. Thus, the detection module 201 can respectively obtain status information from the multiple communication devices at least once in each detection cycle. The detection cycle can be set according to user needs or the refresh speed of the communication device. For example, the detection cycle can be 0.5 s. That is to say, the detection module 201 obtains the multiple status information of the multiple communication devices once every 0.5 seconds and sends these status information to the processor 202. The processor 202 compares the multiple status information according to a preset strategy and sends a control signal to the network switching module 203 to make the network switching module 203 switch to one or more communication devices with better network switching status information.

[0035] The above-mentioned status information includes at least one of operator status, network registration status, server status, network signal quality, network signal strength, and signal-to-noise ratio. Through these status information, the network quality and transmission bandwidth of the communication device can be evaluated more comprehensively.

[0036] For example, the operator status information includes the name of the operator that provides the network to which the communication device is connected. Based on the operator name, the network to which the communication device is connected can be determined. In some embodiments, the processor 202 can send a control signal to the network switching module 203 according to the operator status obtained from multiple communication devices and in combination with the operator priority preset in the processor 202, so that the network switching module 203 switches the network to the corresponding communication device.

[0037] The server status information includes the information returned by the server to the communication device after the communication device sends a request to the server, such as request success, request waiting, request redirection, request error, etc. The processor 202 can judge the communication quality of the servers to which the current communication devices are connected based on these server statuses, so as to select the communication devices with good server connection status.

[0038] Of course, the processor 202 can also select the communication device with better network signal quality and higher transmission bandwidth by combining parameters such as the network signal quality, network signal strength, and signal-to-noise ratio of the communication device. Details are not described here.

[0039] The processor 202 is further configured to determine that a failure (such as crashing, etc.) has occurred to this or these communication devices when the status information of at least one communication device among multiple communication devices is not obtained within a predetermined time. In this case, the processor 202 can send a reset instruction to the communication device. After receiving the reset instruction, the communication device performs a reset (it can also perform a restart operation). After the communication device completes the restart and reconnects to the network, the communication device can send the status information to the detection module 201 again. Thus, the stability of the operation of multiple communication devices in the vehicle can be improved, and the device can switch networks more stably among multiple communication devices.

[0040] The processor 202 is further configured to obtain the transmission bandwidth required for the network service. The transmission bandwidth required for the network service may include the bandwidth required for the vehicle head unit to connect to the server, the bandwidth required for entertainment facilities such as audio and video in the vehicle head unit, and the bandwidth required for the vehicle head unit to use services such as navigation. The processor 202 compares the obtained transmission bandwidth required for the network service with the bandwidth of the communication device currently connected to the vehicle for network connection. When the required transmission bandwidth exceeds the threshold, a grid connection instruction is sent to the network switching module 203. The network switching module 203 gives priority to grid-connecting multiple devices with good network quality according to the grid connection instruction, with the network quality of the communication devices as the priority.

[0041] In some embodiments, the threshold of the network bandwidth can be determined based on the upper limit of the transmission bandwidth of the communication device connected to the network module in the previous detection period. In some other embodiments, the threshold of the network bandwidth can also be determined according to the preset value of the user or the average value of the transmission bandwidth of the communication device.

[0042] For example, when the bandwidth required for the network service exceeds 90% of the bandwidth upper limit of communication device a (the bandwidth upper limit of communication device a in the previous detection period), the processor 202 issues a grid connection instruction to the network allocation module, and after receiving the grid connection instruction, the network allocation module also connects communication device b to the vehicle network.

[0043] Figure 3 The schematic diagram of a multi-signal switching method 300 for autonomous driving is shown. This method can be executed by a device for multi-signal switching in a vehicle. As Figure 3 shown, at block 310, the device obtains multiple status information of multiple communication devices from the detection module. In some embodiments, the status information may include at least one of operator status, network registration status, server loading status, network signal quality, network signal strength, and signal-to-noise ratio. The device can more comprehensively analyze the current signal quality of the communication device based on this status information.

[0044] At block 320, the device compares the multiple status information to determine the signal quality of the multiple communication devices. In some embodiments, the device can consider the signal quality of the communication device as a whole according to a preset policy, and the device can also consider various status information in a weighted manner according to the preset, so as to compare the communication device corresponding to the network with better signal quality, and thus issue a control signal.

[0045] At block 330, the device issues a control signal to the network switching module based on the determined signal quality to achieve switching between multiple communication devices. Specifically, the device can switch the network connection between the in-vehicle unit and multiple communication devices according to the control signal. In some embodiments, the in-vehicle unit can be network-connected to multiple communication devices respectively. In other embodiments, the in-vehicle unit can also be network-connected to multiple communication devices simultaneously.

[0046] Figure 4 The schematic block diagram of an electronic device 400 suitable for implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The electronic device 400 can be the server communicating with the vehicle mentioned above, or the control system of the vehicle itself, or other appropriate devices. As Figure 4As shown, the electronic device 400 includes at least one processing unit and at least one memory. The at least one processing unit may employ a central processing unit (CPU) 401, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to computer program instructions stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 402 or computer program instructions loaded from a storage unit into a random access memory (RAM) 403. In the RAM 403, various programs and data required for device operation can also be stored. The CPU 401, ROM 402, and RAM 403 are connected to each other via a bus 404. An input / output (I / O) interface 405 is also connected to the bus 404.

[0047] Multiple components in the electronic device 400 are connected to the I / O interface 405, including: an input unit 406, such as a touch screen, buttons, etc.; an output unit 407, such as various types of displays, speakers, etc.; a storage unit 408, such as a magnetic disk, optical disc, etc.; and a communication unit 409, such as a network card, modem, wireless communication transceiver, etc. The communication unit 409 allows the electronic device 400 to exchange information / data with other devices via a computer network such as the Internet and / or various telecommunication networks.

[0048] Each of the processes and treatments described above, such as the processes mentioned previously, can be executed by the processing unit 401. For example, in some embodiments, processes 310, 320, and 330 can be implemented as computer software programs that are tangibly contained in a machine-readable medium, such as the storage unit 408. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program can be loaded and / or installed onto the electronic device 400 via the ROM 402 and / or the communication unit 409. When the computer program is loaded into the RAM 403 and executed by the CPU 401, one or more actions of the processes 310, 320, and 330 described above can be performed.

[0049] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods, electronic devices, and / or computer program products. The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium having thereon computer-readable program instructions for performing various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0050] A computer-readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, (but is not limited to) an electrical storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer-readable storage medium include: a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device, such as a punched card or raised structures in grooves storing instructions thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. The computer-readable storage medium used herein is not construed as an instantaneous signal itself, such as a radio wave or other freely propagating electromagnetic wave, an electromagnetic wave propagated through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., an optical pulse through an optical fiber cable), or an electrical signal transmitted through a wire.

[0051] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to various computing / processing devices, or downloaded to an external computer or external storage device through a network, such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network. The network may include a copper transmission cable, an optical fiber transmission, a wireless transmission, a router, a firewall, a switch, a gateway computer, and / or an edge server. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions for storage in a computer-readable storage medium in each computing / processing device.

[0052] The computer program instructions for performing the operations of the present disclosure may be assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine - related instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state - setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object - oriented programming languages such as Smalltalk, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages such as the "C" language or similar programming languages. The computer - readable program instructions may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, executed as a stand - alone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server 130. In the case of a remote computer, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., through the Internet using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, by using the state information of the computer - readable program instructions to customize an electronic circuit, such as a programmable logic circuit, a field - programmable gate array (FPGA), or a programmable logic array (PLA), the electronic circuit can execute the computer - readable program instructions to implement various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0053] Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the disclosure. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer - readable program instructions.

[0054] These computer - readable program instructions can be provided to a processing unit of a general - purpose computer, a special - purpose computer, or other programmable data - processing apparatus to produce a machine such that the instructions, when executed by the processing unit of the computer or other programmable data - processing apparatus, result in an apparatus that implements the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer - readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer - readable storage medium, which causes a computer, a programmable data - processing apparatus, and / or other devices to operate in a particular manner, so that the computer - readable medium storing the instructions includes a manufacture that includes instructions for implementing various aspects of the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0055] Computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices, causing a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to generate a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices implement the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0056] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, a segment of code, or a portion of an instruction, which contains one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two consecutive blocks may in fact be executed substantially in parallel, or they may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified functions or actions, or by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0057] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above. The above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The choice of terms used herein is intended to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application, or the technical improvement of the technology in the market, or to enable other ordinary skilled persons in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A multi-signal switching device for autonomous driving, comprising: a detection module, coupled to a plurality of communication devices and configured to respectively obtain a plurality of status information of the plurality of communication devices; a processor, coupled to the detection module and configured to compare the plurality of status information obtained from the detection module to determine the signal quality of the plurality of communication devices, and issue a control signal based on the signal quality; and a network switching module, coupled to the processor, and configured to implement switching between the plurality of communication devices according to the control signal from the processor.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the detection module is further configured to obtain at least one set of the plurality of status information of the plurality of communication devices within each detection period.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the status information includes at least one of operator status, network attachment status, server status, network signal quality, network signal strength, and signal-to-noise ratio.

4. The device according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the processor is further configured to: in response to not obtaining the status information of one of the plurality of communication devices within a predetermined time, issue a reset instruction to the corresponding communication device to reset the communication device.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the processor is further configured to: obtain the transmission bandwidth required for network services; in response to the obtained transmission bandwidth exceeding a threshold, issue a grid connection instruction to the network switching module to enable at least two of the plurality of communication devices to provide the network service simultaneously.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine the threshold based on the bandwidth of the communication device connected by the network switching module in the previous detection period.

7. A multi-signal switching method for autonomous driving, comprising: obtaining a plurality of status information of a plurality of communication devices from a detection module; comparing the plurality of status information to determine the signal quality of the plurality of communication devices; and issuing a control signal to a network switching module based on the determined signal quality to implement switching between the plurality of communication devices.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein obtaining the plurality of status information includes: obtaining at least one set of the plurality of status information of the plurality of communication devices from the detection module within each detection period.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the status information includes at least one of operator status, network attachment status, server loading status, network signal quality, network signal strength, and signal-to-noise ratio.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: in response to not obtaining the status information of one of the plurality of communication devices within a predetermined time, issuing a reset instruction to the corresponding communication device to reset the communication device.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7-10, further comprising: obtaining the transmission bandwidth required for network services; In response to the obtained transmission bandwidth exceeding a threshold, send a grid connection instruction to at least two of the multiple communication devices, so that the at least two communication devices provide the network service simultaneously.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: Determine the threshold based on the bandwidth of the communication device connected by the network switching module in the previous detection period.

13. A vehicle comprising the device according to any one of claims 1-6.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, and the computer program can be executed by a processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 7-12.

Images