Information processing method

Abstract

In a system having an information processing device and a plurality of vehicles connected in a manner capable of communicating with each other through a mesh network, the information processing device determines a vehicle that is to act as a CDN server that distributes data from among the plurality of vehicles based on a predetermined condition, and sets the determined vehicle to act as the CDN server, and sets any one of the plurality of vehicles to act as a DNS server that manages local IP addresses of each vehicle in the mesh network. The vehicle acting as the DNS server notifies other vehicles of a local IP address of the vehicle acting as the CDN server in accordance with a case where a request to receive predetermined data is received from the other vehicles. The vehicle acting as the CDN server distributes the predetermined data to the other vehicles in accordance with a request from the other vehicles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an information processing method. Background Technology

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-159229 discloses a mesh network that selects a network interface based on the vehicle's operating state. Summary of the Invention

[0003] When a CDN (Contents Delivery Network) is built through a mesh network between vehicles to distribute content such as music and movies, the global IP address of the vehicle that becomes a CDN server will be changed frequently, which will make the management burden of DNS information in the DNS server too heavy.

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to improve the data distribution technology for using mesh networks in workshops.

[0005] According to this disclosure, the information processing method is an information processing method in a system comprising an information processing device and multiple vehicles connected to each other via a mesh network in a manner capable of communicating with each other.

[0006] The information processing method includes: The information processing device determines, based on predetermined conditions, which vehicle will act as the CDN server for distributing data from among the multiple vehicles. The information processing device sets up the vehicle that is acting as the CDN server so that the vehicle that is determined to act as the CDN server will act as the CDN server. The information processing device configures any one of the multiple vehicles by operating as a DNS server that manages the local IP addresses of each vehicle in the mesh network. The vehicle acting as a DNS server, upon receiving a predetermined data request from other vehicles, notifies the other vehicles of its local IP address, which is also acting as a CDN server. The vehicle acting as the CDN server distributes the predetermined data to other vehicles based on requests from those other vehicles.

[0007] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the data distribution technology for using a mesh network in a workshop can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0008] The features, advantages, technical and industrial significance of representative embodiments of the present invention will be depicted in the following drawings for reference, wherein the same symbols denote the same elements.

[0009] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the general structure of a system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 2 A timing diagram illustrating an example of the operation of a system according to one embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0011] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This diagram illustrates an example of the general structure of a system 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. System 1 includes an information processing device 10, multiple vehicles 20, and a server device 30. The information processing device 10, the multiple vehicles 20, and the server device 30 are connected via a network 40 in a manner enabling mutual communication. The multiple vehicles 20 can communicate with each other, for example, via a mesh network such as WiFi (registered trademark).

[0012] The information processing device 10 is, for example, a computer installed in a data center. For example, the information processing device 10 may also be a computing system such as a cloud computing system. The information processing device 10 manages the distribution of data, such as content, among the vehicles 20. For example, the information processing device 10 may also manage information such as the presence or absence of cached predetermined data in each vehicle 20, and the vehicles 20 operating as CDN servers / DNS servers. The information processing device 10 may also communicate with each vehicle 20 to obtain information such as the power resources, location, destination, communication status, communication cost, load, and status of each vehicle 20.

[0013] Multiple vehicles 20 travel in lanes to move people and objects. Vehicles 20 can be, for example, gasoline cars, pure electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHVs), or fuel cell electric vehicles (FCVs). Vehicles 20 can also be any of the Level 1 to Level 5 vehicles capable of autonomous driving as defined by the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers). The number of vehicles 20 in System 1 can also be arbitrarily specified.

[0014] Server device 30 is a computer that distributes data. For example, server device 30 may also be a computing system such as a cloud computing system. The data distributed by server device 30 may be any content such as streaming media such as music or movies. Network 40 is any communication medium capable of communication between devices. For example, network 40 may include the Internet and mobile communication networks. The number of information processing devices 10 and server devices 30 in system 1 is arbitrary.

[0015] System 1 sets up a CDN (Contents Delivery Network) within a mesh network constructed among the vehicles 20 to distribute data containing content. Each of the multiple vehicles 20 is assigned a global IP (Internet Protocol) address for communication within the network 40. Additionally, each of the multiple vehicles 20 is assigned a local IP address for communication within the mesh network. Here, while the global IP address of each vehicle 20 may change frequently due to relocation, its local IP address remains unchanged.

[0016] In this structure, the information processing device 10 determines, based on predetermined conditions, which vehicle 20 will act as a CDN server for distributing data from among a plurality of vehicles 20. The information processing device 10 configures the vehicles 20 such that the determined vehicle acting as a CDN server will operate as such. The information processing device 10 also configures any one of the vehicles 20 to act as a DNS server managing the local IP addresses of each vehicle 20 in the mesh network. The vehicle acting as a DNS server, upon receiving predetermined data from other vehicles 20, notifies the other vehicles of its local IP address as a CDN server. The vehicle acting as a CDN server distributes the predetermined data to the other vehicles 20 according to requests from them.

[0017] like Figure 1As shown, the information processing device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13. The control unit 11 includes at least one processor. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a dedicated processor. The control unit 11 controls each part of the information processing device 10. The storage unit 12 includes at least one semiconductor memory, magnetic memory, or optical memory. The storage unit 12 functions as, for example, a main storage device or an auxiliary storage device. Data used in the operation of the information processing device 10 and data obtained through the operation are stored in the storage unit 12. The communication unit 13 includes at least one external communication interface. The communication interface can be either a wired or wireless communication interface. In the case of wired communication, the communication interface is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network). In the case of wireless communication, the communication interface is, for example, an interface corresponding to mobile communication standards such as 5G, or an interface corresponding to short-range wireless communication. The communication unit 13 receives data for the operation of the information processing device 10 or transmits data obtained through the operation. The information processing device 10 can be implemented by a single computer or by the coordinated operation of multiple computers. The functions of the information processing device 10 are implemented by the processor, which corresponds to the control unit 11, executing the program described in this embodiment. That is, the functions of the information processing device 10 are implemented through software. The program causes the computer to execute the actions of the information processing device 10, thereby enabling the computer to function as the information processing device 10. In other words, the computer functions as the information processing device 10 by executing the actions of the information processing device 10 according to the program. Some or all of the functions of the information processing device 10 can also be implemented through a dedicated circuit, which corresponds to the control unit 11. That is, some or all of the functions of the information processing device 10 can also be implemented through hardware.

[0018] like Figure 1As shown, vehicle 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, an input unit 24, an output unit 25, and a positioning unit 26. Since the functions and structures of the control unit 21 and storage unit 22 of vehicle 20 are the same as those of the control unit 11 and storage unit 12 of information processing device 10, detailed descriptions are omitted. Communication unit 23 may also be the same as the communication unit 13 of information processing device 10. However, communication unit 23 may, for example, include an interface corresponding to a mobile communication standard for connection to network 40, and an interface corresponding to a wireless LAN for connection to a mesh network of other vehicles 20. Communication unit 13 receives data used in the operation of vehicle 20 and transmits data obtained through the operation of vehicle 20. Input unit 24 includes at least one input interface for accepting operations from the user. The input interface may be, for example, a physical button, a touch screen, etc. Output unit 25 includes at least one output interface. The output interface may be, for example, a display that outputs images of information, or a speaker that outputs voice information. Output unit 25 outputs data to the user. The positioning unit 26 includes one or more devices for acquiring the location information of the vehicle 20. The positioning unit 26 may also include, for example, a receiver corresponding to any satellite positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System). Some or all of the functions of the vehicle 20 may also be implemented by software.

[0019] Figure 2 A timing diagram illustrating an example of the operation of system 1 according to one embodiment of this disclosure. (Refer to...) Figure 2 The actions described in System 1 can also be considered as one of the information processing methods of System 1.

[0020] S1: The control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 determines, based on predetermined conditions, which vehicle 20 will act as a CDN server for distributing data containing content such as music and movies from among multiple vehicles 20. The predetermined conditions may be related to at least one of the following: power resources, location, destination, communication status, communication cost, load, and status of each of the multiple vehicles 20. For example, the control unit 11 obtains power resource information based on information such as whether it is an EV / PHV, whether it is charging, or whether it is parked with the engine running. The control unit 11 may also prioritize vehicles 20 with larger power resources as CDN servers for content distribution. The control unit 11 may also determine which vehicle 20 will act as a CDN server based on communication latency, the geographical location of the vehicle 20, and communication costs (e.g., communication costs including the cost per unit of data for each vehicle 20). Regarding the load and status of the vehicle 20, the control unit 11 may also determine which vehicle will act as a CDN server based on, for example, the presence or absence of autonomous driving, the presence or absence of instrument panel operation, or the presence or absence of infotainment. The information processing device 10 can also obtain the current and future location and status of the vehicle 20 from the vehicle 20 moving by autonomous driving or car navigation, and determine the vehicle 20 that acts as a CDN server.

[0021] S2: The control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 sets the vehicle 20, which operates as a CDN server, so that the vehicle 20, which was determined in S1 to operate as a CDN server, operates as a CDN server. Figure 2 In the example, the second vehicle 20b is configured as a CDN server.

[0022] S3: The control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 determines, based on predetermined conditions, a vehicle 20 from among the multiple vehicles 20 that will act as a DNS server to manage the local IP addresses of each vehicle 20 in the mesh network. The vehicle 20 acting as a DNS server can be the same vehicle 20 as the vehicle 20 acting as a CDN server, or it can be another vehicle 20.

[0023] S4: The control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 sets the vehicle 20, which operates as a DNS server, so that the vehicle 20, which was determined in S3 to operate as a DNS server, operates as a DNS server. Figure 2 In the example, the second vehicle 20b is configured not only as a CDN server but also as a DNS server.

[0024] S5: The control unit 21 of the first vehicle 20a requests data from the server device 30. For example, the control unit 21 can request music playback from the music streaming media (pre-defined data) via an HTTP request (e.g., "https: / / {StreamingServer} / music?title=xxx&id=xxx").

[0025] S6: Server device 30 responds to the request from first vehicle 20a, indicating the destination for accessing the file. For example, server device 30 may use an HTTP response (e.g., "https: / / {musicCDN.com} / music?filename=xxx") to prompt first vehicle 20a to connect to the destination for accessing the music streaming file.

[0026] S7: The control unit 21 of the first vehicle 20a delegates DNS resolution to the second vehicle 20b, which is configured as a DNS server. For example, the control unit 21 queries the second vehicle 20b for the local IP address of "musicCDN.com" notified from the server device 30. Based on the query from the first vehicle 20a, the control unit 21 of the second vehicle 20b determines whether to cache the requested predetermined data in its own vehicle. If the data is cached, the control unit 21 of the second vehicle 20b performs the processing from S8 to S10; otherwise, it performs the processing from S11 to S13.

[0027] S8: The control unit 21 of the second vehicle 20b, based on a request to receive predetermined data from another vehicle 20 (the first vehicle 20a), notifies the other vehicle 20 of the local IP address of the vehicle 20 operating as a CDN server. Figure 2 In the example, the second vehicle 20b also acts as a CDN server, so the control unit 21 notifies the first vehicle 20a of the local IP address of the second vehicle 20b (e.g., "192.168.1.1") and performs DNS resolution.

[0028] S9: The control unit 21 of the first vehicle 20a requests a file of predetermined data from the vehicle 20 (second vehicle 20b) with the local IP address (e.g., "192.168.1.1") notified in S8. For example, the control unit 21 can request music playback of music streaming (predetermined data) via an HTTP request (e.g., "https: / / {192.168.1.1} / music?title=xxx&id=xxx").

[0029] S10: The control unit 21 of the second vehicle 20b sends a file of predetermined data cached in the first vehicle 20a to the first vehicle 20a according to the request from the first vehicle 20a.

[0030] S11: On the other hand, if the vehicle does not have the predetermined data cached, the control unit 21 of the second vehicle 20b performs a recursive query on the information processing device 10 and entrusts DNS resolution.

[0031] S12: The control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 determines the distribution status of predetermined data based on requests from other vehicles 20 (first vehicle 20a) via the second vehicle 20b. Specifically, the control unit 11 may also determine vehicles 20 near the first vehicle 20a, which is designated as the CDN server for the predetermined data. The control unit 11 may also determine which vehicle 20 is suitable for distributing the predetermined data to the first vehicle 20a based on information such as the data cached by each vehicle 20, location relationships, communication environment, and resource status. Based on the determination result, the control unit 11 sends the URL of the destination of all or part of the undistributed predetermined data to the second vehicle 20b, performs DNS resolution, and notifies the other requesting vehicles 20 (first vehicle 20a) via the second vehicle 20b. Here, the URL is a URL containing the local IP address used to access the vehicle 20 suitable for distributing the predetermined data. The control unit 11 may also update DNS information based on recursive queries from the second vehicle 20b, which is acting as a DNS server.

[0032] S13: The control unit 21 of the second vehicle 20b notifies the first vehicle 20a of the URL notified from the information processing device 10 and performs DNS resolution. The control unit 21 of the first vehicle 20a requests a file containing predetermined data from the vehicle 20 with the local IP address (e.g., "192.168.1.2") contained in the URL notified in S13 and receives the predetermined data.

[0033] When predetermined data is received via S10 or S13, the first vehicle 20a plays the predetermined data and outputs it from the output unit 25. Alternatively, the first vehicle 20a can cache the received predetermined data in the storage unit 22, thereby enabling it to function as a CDN server for that predetermined data in the future.

[0034] As described above, System 1 includes an information processing device 10 and multiple vehicles 20 connected to each other via a mesh network. The information processing device 10, acting as a traffic management server, constructs a CDN server for any vehicle 20 based on information related to the resources of the vehicle 20. The information processing device 10 also constructs a DNS server for any vehicle 20 to manage local IP addresses within the mesh network. When a vehicle 20 with a DNS server does not cache content files in its own vehicle, it performs a recursive DNS lookup with the information processing device 10. In this way, System 1 enables any vehicle 20 to act as a DNS server to manage the local IP addresses of vehicles 20 within the mesh network, which serves as their local network. Therefore, even if the global IP address changes due to vehicle 20 movement, the vehicle 20 acting as a CDN server can be identified using the same local IP address. Thus, according to the structure of this disclosure, the management burden of DNS information in the DNS server can be reduced, and data distribution technology using a mesh network between vehicles can be improved.

[0035] In addition, the control unit 11 can periodically receive the latest information related to predetermined conditions from each vehicle 20 to update the content of the vehicles 20 operating as CDN servers, the vehicles 20 operating as DNS servers, and the DNS. If there is no vehicle 20 operating as a CDN server holding the entire file of the content near the vehicle 20 requesting the content, the CDN server holding a portion of the content can also begin content distribution. The vehicle 20 requesting the content can also rewrite the URL and download the remaining file midway through content playback. The switching timing of the vehicle 20 operating as a CDN server can also be determined based on the number of retries and time, indicating that the remaining file cannot be downloaded. The switching destination of the vehicle 20 operating as a CDN server can also be determined based on the file information held by each vehicle 20 managed in the information processing device 10. In the case of a summary file, information on where the file has been downloaded can be sent to the information processing device 10, and the information processing device 10 determines the switching destination based on this information. In the case where the content is a split file, the information processing device 10 can also determine the split file corresponding to the remaining file and determine the vehicle 20 holding the remaining file as the destination for switching. This disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be modified within the scope of the spirit.

Claims

1. An information processing method for a system comprising an information processing device and multiple vehicles connected to each other via a mesh network in a manner capable of communicating with each other. The information processing method includes: The information processing device determines which vehicle to act as a CDN server for distributing data from the plurality of vehicles based on at least one of the conditions associated with each of the plurality of vehicles, including power resources, location, destination, communication status, communication cost, load, and status. The information processing device sets up the vehicle that is acting as the CDN server so that the determined vehicle acting as the CDN server acts as the CDN server. The information processing device configures any one of the multiple vehicles to act as a DNS server for managing the local IP addresses of each vehicle in the mesh network. The vehicle acting as a DNS server, upon receiving predetermined data requests from other vehicles, notifies the other vehicles of its local IP address, which is also acting as a CDN server. The vehicle acting as the CDN server distributes the predetermined data to other vehicles based on requests from those other vehicles.

2. An information processing method, comprising an information processing system having an information processing device and multiple vehicles connected to each other via a mesh network in a manner capable of communicating with each other. The information processing method includes: The information processing device determines, based on predetermined conditions, which vehicle will act as the CDN server for distributing data from among the multiple vehicles. The information processing device sets up the vehicle that is acting as the CDN server so that the determined vehicle acting as the CDN server acts as the CDN server. The information processing device configures any one of the multiple vehicles to act as a DNS server for managing the local IP addresses of each vehicle in the mesh network. The vehicle acting as a DNS server, upon receiving predetermined data requests from other vehicles, notifies the other vehicles of its local IP address, which is also acting as a CDN server. The vehicle acting as the CDN server distributes the predetermined data to other vehicles based on requests from those other vehicles.

3. The information processing method as described in claim 2, wherein, The vehicle that acts as the DNS server and the vehicle that acts as the CDN server are the same vehicle.

4. The information processing method as described in claim 2, wherein, The vehicle, acting as the DNS server, performs a recursive query to the information processing device when the predetermined data is not cached in the vehicle.

5. The information processing method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein, The information processing device determines the distribution status of the predetermined data based on requests from the other vehicles. The information processing device will notify the other vehicles that request the URL of the destination of all or part of the undistributed predetermined data.

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