Onboard device and communication system

Abstract

An on-board device configured to be installed in a vehicle (10) including a battery (13) and a power generator (12) configured to charge the battery (13), the on-board device further being configured to be supplied with electrical power from the battery (13) of the vehicle (10), the on-board device comprising: a storage unit (1041) configured to store a control program for controlling the on-board device, and a communication unit (103) configured to perform data communication with a mobile terminal (200), wherein the communication unit (103) performs data communication of an overwriting program with the mobile terminal (200) when the communication unit (103) has received an overwriting notification signal indicating overwriting of the control program stored in the storage unit (1041) from the mobile terminal (200) and the vehicle (10) is in a chargeable state in which the battery (13) is capable of being charged by the power generator (12), and the communication unit (103) does not perform data communication of the overwriting program with the mobile terminal (200) when the vehicle (10) is not in the chargeable state, characterized in that the on-board device is a key unit (100) configured to lock and unlock the vehicle (10), wherein the key unit (100) includes a transmission unit (102) configured to transmit a locking / unlocking signal to a locking / unlocking device (300) of the vehicle (10), and an authentication unit (1042) configured to perform authentication using authentication information of the mobile terminal (200) obtained through data communication by the communication unit (103), and wherein the key unit (100) transmits the locking / unlocking signal from the transmission unit (102) to the locking / unlocking device (300) when the authentication using the authentication information of the mobile terminal (200) by the authentication unit (1042) is successful.

Description

Background of the invention 1. Field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to an on-board device or vehicle-mounted device supplied with electric power from a battery of a vehicle, and a communication system comprising the on-board device and a mobile terminal that performs data communication with the on-board device. 2. Description of the state of the art

[0002] An on-board device mounted in a vehicle, which implements a predetermined function by executing a control program stored in a memory unit, is known. In such an on-board device, the control program stored in the memory unit can be overwritten or rewritten (such as updated).

[0003] JP 2004-326689 A discloses a technique associated with rewriting a control program (software) in such an on-board device. In the technique disclosed in JP 2004-326689 A, a rewriting program (rewriting software) for the on-board device, wirelessly transmitted from a service center, is received via a mobile communication network and downloaded by a communication terminal of a vehicle.

[0004] JP 2011 - 121 396 A discloses a program renewal device capable of suppressing unnecessary battery charging for program renewal by determining whether or not a power source required for program renewal can be secured at a program renewal position of a control device based on the charging characteristic of a battery mounted on the vehicle and the travel destination information of the vehicle, and performing program renewal at the program renewal position when it is determined that the power source required for program renewal can be secured.

[0005] DE 10 2009 050 649 A1 discloses an electrical system of a motor vehicle and a method for managing an electrical system comprising a battery thereof, wherein a state of charge of the battery is determined and the execution of a function of the electrical system is prevented on the basis of the determined state of charge of the battery. Summary of the invention

[0006] An on-board device is supplied with electric power from a battery mounted in a vehicle. When rewriting a control program in the on-board device is performed, a rewriting program can be acquired through data communication with a mobile terminal. At this time, when a data volume of the rewriting program is large, a relatively long time is required for completion of data communication of the rewriting program between the mobile terminal and the on-board device after the data communication is started. Accordingly, when data communication of the rewriting program is performed,When the transmission of the rewriting program between the mobile terminal and the onboard device is performed in a state where the battery in the vehicle is not being charged, a lot of electric power is consumed for a reception process in the onboard device, and consequently, there is a possibility that an amount of electric power remaining in the battery will be excessively small. If the amount of electric power remaining in the battery becomes excessively small in this way, there is a possibility that the amount of electric power remaining in the battery may become insufficient during execution of data communication of a rewriting program or during execution of a control program that rewrites in the onboard device, and the data communication of the rewriting program or the overwriting may be interrupted.Rewriting the control program can be inadvertently stopped. This is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Further developments are disclosed in the subclaims.

[0007] The invention provides an on-board device and a mobile terminal that prevent an amount of electric power remaining in a battery that supplies electric power to the on-board device from becoming excessively small during execution of data communication of a rewriting program between the on-board device and the mobile terminal when a control program of the on-board device is rewritten (updated).

[0008] An on-board device according to a first aspect of the invention is configured to be mounted in a vehicle including a battery and a power generator configured to charge the battery, and more particularly, configured to generate electric power using driving force from an internal combustion engine included in the vehicle, and the on-board device is configured to be supplied with electric power from the battery of the vehicle. The on-board device includes a storage unit configured to store a control program for controlling the on-board device, and a communication unit configured to perform data communication with a mobile terminal. The communication unit performs data communication of a rewriting program.rewriting program with the mobile terminal when the communication unit has received a rewriting notification signal indicating rewriting of the control program stored in the storage unit from the mobile terminal and the vehicle is in a chargeable state in which the battery is capable of being charged by the power generator, and the communication unit does not perform the data communication of the rewriting program with the mobile terminal when the vehicle is not in the chargeable state.

[0009] In this aspect, when the control program stored in the storage unit of the on-board device is overwritten, the overwriting notification signal is transmitted from the mobile terminal to the on-board device. Data communication of the overwriting program between the communication unit and the mobile terminal is performed only when the communication unit of the on-board device has received the overwriting notification signal transmitted from the mobile terminal and the vehicle is in the chargeable state. Here, the chargeable state is a state in which the battery can be charged by the power generator when electric power of the battery is used up. According to this configuration, when the electric power of the battery is used up due to the data communication of the overwriting program, the vehicle can be charged by the power generator.rewriting program between the mobile terminal and the communication unit has been consumed, the battery is charged by the power generator.

[0010] Therefore, according to this aspect, it is possible to prevent an amount of electric power remaining in the battery from becoming excessively small due to data communication of the rewriting program between the onboard device and the mobile terminal.

[0011] In the aspect, the on-board device may further include a receiving unit configured to receive a drive notification signal from the vehicle when an internal combustion engine in the vehicle is driven. The communication unit may perform data communication of the rewriting program with the mobile terminal when the communication unit has received the rewriting notification signal from the mobile terminal and the drive notification signal has been received by the receiving unit, and the communication unit may not perform data communication of the rewriting program with the mobile terminal when the drive notification signal has not been received by the receiving unit. According to this configuration, data communication of the rewriting program is performed.Rewriting program with the mobile terminal is carried out when the vehicle is in the chargeable state, and data communication of the rewriting program or rewriting program with the mobile terminal is not carried out when the vehicle is not in the chargeable state.

[0012] In the aspect, when the vehicle in the chargeable state deviates from the chargeable state during execution of the data communication of the rewriting program between the communication unit and the mobile terminal or during execution of the rewriting of the control program in the storage unit, the data communication of the rewriting program between the communication unit and the mobile terminal or the rewriting of the control program in the storage unit may be stopped.

[0013] In this case, data communication of the overwriting program or rewriting of the control program is inadvertently stopped. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent data communication or overwriting of the control program from being inadvertently stopped due to insufficient power remaining in the battery during execution of data communication of the overwriting program or during execution of overwriting of the control program in the storage unit.

[0014] In the aspect, the on-board device may be a key unit configured to lock and unlock the vehicle, the key unit may include a transmission unit configured to transmit a lock / unlock signal to a lock / unlock device of the vehicle, and an authentication unit configured to perform authentication using authentication information of the mobile terminal obtained through data communication by the communication unit, and the key unit may transmit the lock / unlock signal from the transmission unit to the lock / unlock device when the authentication using the authentication information of the mobile terminal by the authentication unit is successful.

[0015] In this configuration, the authentication unit can perform authentication using the mobile terminal authentication information obtained through data communication by the communication unit when the communication unit has received the rewrite notification signal from the mobile terminal, and the data communication of the rewrite program can be performed between the communication unit and the mobile terminal when the vehicle is in the chargeable state and the authentication using the mobile terminal authentication information by the authentication unit is successful. According to this configuration, it is possible to improve security at the time of rewriting the control program in the key unit.

[0016] A communication system according to a second aspect of the invention includes an on-board device according to the first aspect and a mobile terminal that performs data communication with the on-board device and transmits the rewrite notification signal to the on-board device in response to a user input operation. The mobile terminal includes a notification unit configured to notify the user of a time required for data communication of the rewrite program between the mobile terminal and the on-board device (that is, a time required for completion of the data communication after the data communication is started).

[0017] According to this configuration, the user can specify a time at which the data communication is performed based on the time required for the data communication of the overwriting program or rewriting program notified by the notification unit.

[0018] According to the above aspects, it is possible to prevent an amount of electric power remaining in a battery that supplies electric power to an onboard device from becoming excessively small during execution of data communication of a rewriting program between the onboard device and a mobile terminal. Short description of the drawings

[0019] Features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like elements, and wherein: Fig. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a locking / unlocking system according to an embodiment, Fig. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating elements included in the locking / unlocking system according to the embodiment, Fig. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating some of functional modules included in a control unit of a key unit according to the embodiment, Fig. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating a system in a vehicle according to the embodiment, Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of data communication and processing when a rewriting program is transmitted from a server to a mobile terminal according to a first embodiment, Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of data communication and processing of a rewriting program between the mobile terminal and the key unit, and a control program that rewrites a process in the key unit according to the first embodiment, Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a rewriting program receiving process in the key unit according to a second embodiment, and Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a control program rewriting process in the key unit according to the second embodiment. Detailed description of embodiments

[0020] Specific embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of elements described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the technical scope of the invention unless otherwise stated. First embodimentOverview of the system

[0021] An embodiment in which the invention is applied to a key unit that locks and unlocks a vehicle will be described below. Fig. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a locking / unlocking system including the key unit according to this embodiment.

[0022] The locking / unlocking system according to this embodiment includes a key unit 100 and a locking / unlocking device 300 mounted in a vehicle 10, a mobile terminal 200, and a server 400. In the locking / unlocking system according to this embodiment, the key unit 100 includes a radio interface such as an electronic key (a portable unit) such as a smart key, and can lock and unlock the vehicle 10 without using a physical key by communicating with the existing locking / unlocking device 300.The key unit 100 performs short-range radio communication with the mobile terminal 200 and determines whether the key unit operates as an electronic key of the vehicle 10 based on a result of authentication of the mobile terminal 200. That is, a user of the system can lock and unlock the vehicle 10 by operating the mobile terminal 200 from outside the vehicle 10. System configuration

[0023] Elements of the system are described in detail below. Fig. Fig. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an example of a configuration of the key unit 100, the mobile terminal 200, the locking / unlocking device 300 and the server 400 shown in Fig. 1. Among them, the key unit 100 and the locking / unlocking device 300 are mounted in the vehicle 10 to be locked / unlocked (locked and unlocked). As described later, the key unit 100 and the locking / unlocking device 300 operate with electric power supplied from a battery mounted in the vehicle 10.

[0024] The lock / unlock device 300 is a device that locks and unlocks a door of the vehicle 10, and is an existing device that forms part of a smart key system. Specifically, the lock / unlock device 300 locks and unlocks a door of the vehicle 10 based on a lock signal and an unlock signal transmitted from an electronic key (hereinafter referred to as a portable unit) carried by a user of the vehicle 10, which uses radio waves of a radio frequency band (hereinafter abbreviated as RF band). The lock / unlock device 300 also has a function of transmitting radio waves of a low frequency band (hereinafter abbreviated as LF band) for searching the portable unit.

[0025] In this embodiment, instead of the portable unit carried by the user, the key unit 100 controls locking and unlocking of the door of the vehicle 10 by transmitting and receiving RF band radio waves and LF band radio waves to and from the locking / unlocking device 300. In the following description, a communication partner of the locking / unlocking device 300 is limited to the key unit 100 unless otherwise mentioned.

[0026] The lock / unlock device 300 includes an LF transmitter 301, an RF receiver 302, a comparison ECU 303, a body ECU 304, and a door lock motor 305. The LF transmitter 301 is a means that transmits radio waves of an LF band (for example, 100 kHz to 300 kHz) for searching for (polling) the key unit 100. The LF transmitter 301 is included or installed near, for example, a center console or a steering wheel inside the vehicle. The RF receiver 302 is a means that receives radio waves of the RF band (for example, 100 MHz to 1 GHz) transmitted from the key unit 100. The RF receiver 302 is included or installed at any position inside the vehicle.

[0027] The comparison ECU 303 is a computer that performs locking and unlocking control of the door of the vehicle 10 based on a signal (a locking signal or an unlocking signal) transmitted from the key unit 100 using RF band radio waves. The comparison ECU 303 is constituted by, for example, a microcomputer. In the following description, the locking signal and the unlocking signal are generally referred to as a locking / unlocking signal. The term "locking / unlocking signal" indicates at least one of the locking signal and the unlocking signal.

[0028] The comparison ECU 303 authenticates the lock / unlock signal transmitted from the key unit 100, determining whether the lock / unlock signal is transmitted from a valid device. Specifically, the comparison ECU 303 determines whether a key ID included in the lock / unlock signal matches a key ID stored in advance in a storage unit of the comparison ECU 303. The comparison ECU 303 transmits an unlock command or a lock command to the body ECU 304 based on the authentication result. The unlock command or the lock command is transmitted via an on-board network, such as a controller area network (CAN).

[0029] The body ECU 304 is a computer that controls the body of the vehicle 10. The body ECU 304 has a function of unlocking or locking the door of the vehicle 10 by controlling the door lock motor 305 based on the unlock command or the lock command received from the comparison ECU 303. The door lock motor 305 is an actuator that locks and unlocks the door of the vehicle 10 (including a trunk door in addition to an entry / exit door and a rear door). The door lock motor 305 operates based on a signal transmitted from the body ECU 304.

[0030] The key unit 100 is described below. The key unit 100 is a device arranged at a predetermined location (for example, in a glove box) inside the vehicle 10. The key unit 100 has a function of authenticating a mobile terminal 200 by performing short-range radio communication with the mobile terminal 200 and a function of transmitting a lock / unlock signal using RF band radio waves based on the authentication result. The key unit 100 includes an LF receiver 101, an RF transmitter 102, a short-range communication unit 103, and a control unit 104.

[0031] The LF receiver 101 is a means that receives a polling signal transmitted from the lock / unlock device 300 using LF band radio waves. The LF receiver 101 includes an antenna for receiving LF band radio waves (hereinafter referred to as an LF antenna). The RF transmitter 102 is a means that transmits a lock / unlock signal to the key unit 100 using RF band radio waves. In this embodiment, the RF transmitter 102 is an example of a "transmitting unit" in the claims.

[0032] The short-range communication unit 103 is a means for communicating with the mobile terminal 200 carried by the user. The short-range communication unit 103 performs communication within a short range (a distance over which communication can be performed between the interior and exterior of the vehicle) using a predetermined radio communication standard. In this embodiment, the short-range communication unit 103 is an example of a "communication unit" in the claims.

[0033] In this embodiment, the short-range communication unit 103 performs data communication based on a Bluetooth (registered trademark) low energy standard (hereinafter referred to as BLE, Bluetooth Low Energy). BLE is a low-energy communication standard using Bluetooth and is characterized in that communication can be started immediately when a communication partner is detected, without requiring pairing between devices. BLE is illustrated in this embodiment, but another radio communication standard may also be used. For example, near-field communication (NFC), ultra-wideband (UWB), or Wi-Fi (registered trademark, Wireless Fidelity) may be used.

[0034] The control unit 104 is a computer that performs short-range communication with the mobile terminal 200 via a short-range communication unit 103, and controls the authentication of the mobile terminal 200 and the transmission of a lock / unlock signal based on the authentication result. The control unit 104 is formed, for example, by a microcomputer.

[0035] Functional modules included in the control unit 104 are in Fig. 3. The control unit 104 includes a storage unit 1041 and an authentication unit 1042. A control program for controlling the key unit 100 is stored in the storage unit 1041. The control unit 104 can embody various functions including the authentication unit 1042 by causing a CPU (not shown) to execute the control program stored in the storage unit 1041. For example, the control unit 104 implements a function of receiving a polling signal.A polling signal transmitted as LF band radio waves from the lock / unlock device 300 via the LF receiver 101; a function of transmitting a lock / unlock signal as RF band radio waves to the lock / unlock device 300 via the RF transmitter 102; a function of processing communication with the mobile terminal 200 via the short-range communication unit 103; a function of generating a lock / unlock signal when authentication of the mobile terminal 200 by the authentication unit 1042 is successful; and the like. In this embodiment, the storage unit 1041 is an example of a "storage unit" in the claims.

[0036] The authentication unit 1042 authenticates the mobile terminal 200 based on authentication information included in a lock request or an unlock request (hereinafter, generally referred to as a lock / unlock request) transmitted from the mobile terminal 200. Specifically, the authentication unit 1042 compares the authentication information transmitted from the mobile terminal 200 with authentication information stored in the storage unit 1041, and determines that authentication is successful if both pieces of authentication information match. If both pieces of authentication information do not match, the authentication unit 1042 determines that authentication fails.

[0037] If the authentication of the mobile terminal 200 by the authentication unit 1042 is successful, a lock / unlock signal generated in response to a request received from the mobile terminal 200 is transmitted to the lock / unlock device 300 via the RF transmitter 102. The method of authentication performed by the authentication unit 1042 may be a method of simply comparing pieces of authentication information and verifying an identity, or may be a method using an asymmetric key.In the following description, it is assumed that the authentication information stored in the key unit 100 refers to device authentication information, and the authentication information transmitted from the mobile terminal 200 refers to terminal authentication information. In this embodiment, the authentication unit 1042 is an example of an "authentication unit" in the claims.

[0038] The key unit 100 transmits an ID of an electronic key (hereinafter referred to as a key ID) along with a lock / unlock signal to the lock / unlock device 300. The key ID may be stored in advance in the key unit 100 in a plaintext state or may be stored in an encrypted state using a code specific to the mobile terminal 200. When the key ID is stored in an encrypted state, the encrypted key ID can be decrypted using authentication information transmitted from the mobile terminal 200 to obtain the original key ID.

[0039] The mobile terminal 200 is described below. The mobile terminal 200 is a small computer, such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a wearable computer (such as a smartwatch). The mobile terminal 200 includes a short-range communication unit 201, a communication unit 202, a control unit 203, and an input / output unit 204.

[0040] The short-range communication unit 201 is a means that performs communication with the key unit 100 based on the same communication standard as the short-range communication unit 103. The communication unit 202 is a communication means that connects the mobile terminal 200 to the network. In this embodiment, the mobile terminal can communicate with another device (e.g., a server 400) via a network using a mobile communication service, such as 3G or LTE.

[0041] The control unit 203 is a computer that manages the control of the mobile terminal 200. The control unit 203 performs, for example, a process of generating a lock / unlock request, a process of acquiring terminal authentication information, and a process of transmitting the lock / unlock request and the terminal authentication information to the key unit 100. The control unit 203 performs a process of rewriting a control program stored in the storage unit 1041 of the key unit 100, which will be described later, in addition to such processes. The control unit 203 is constituted by, for example, a microcomputer.The control unit 203 may embody such functions by causing a CPU (not shown) to execute a program stored in a storage means (such as a ROM, read-only memory) (not shown).

[0042] The control unit 203 interacts with the user via the input / output unit 204. The input / output unit 204 is a means that receives an input from the user and presents the user information. Specifically, the input / output unit 204 includes a touch panel and its control means, and a liquid crystal display and its control means. The touch panel and liquid crystal display are embodied as a single touch panel display in this embodiment.

[0043] The control unit 203 displays an operation screen on the input / output unit 204 and generates an unlock request or a lock request in accordance with an operation performed by the user. For example, the control unit 203 outputs an unlock icon, a lock icon, and the like on a touch panel display and generates an unlock request or a lock request based on the operation performed by the user. The operation performed by the user is not limited to an operation on the touch panel display. For example, a hardware switch may be used.

[0044] The control unit 203 performs a process of acquiring terminal authentication information from the server 400. The terminal authentication information is not information used for the lock / unlock device 300 to authenticate the key unit 100, but is information used for the key unit 100 to authenticate the mobile terminal 200. Specifically, the control unit 203 transmits a signal requesting the output of terminal authentication information along with information for identifying the mobile terminal 200 to the server 400 via the communication unit 202. The server 400, having received the signal, acquires terminal authentication information specific to the mobile terminal 200 and transmits the acquired terminal authentication information to the mobile terminal 200.Accordingly, an operation of unlocking the vehicle 10 can be performed on the mobile terminal 200. If the mobile terminal 200 does not store terminal authentication information, a locking operation and an unlocking operation cannot be performed on one operation screen.

[0045] The terminal authentication information acquired by the mobile terminal 200 may be an immutable key or a one-time key. In either case, device authentication information corresponding to the terminal authentication information is stored in advance in the key unit 100. Operating the system

[0046] An operation of the locking / unlocking system when locking / unlocking the vehicle 10 will be described below. When the user of the mobile terminal 200 performs an operation of locking or unlocking the vehicle 10 via the input / output unit 204, the mobile terminal 200 transmits terminal authentication information along with an unlocking request or a locking request based on the user operation to the key unit 100. The key unit 100 compares the terminal authentication information transmitted from the mobile terminal 200 with device authentication information stored in advance and performs an authentication process.

[0047] If this authentication is successful, the key unit 100 transmits a key ID along with a locking signal or an unlocking signal to the locking / unlocking device 300. The locking / unlocking device 300 performs an authentication process based on the received key ID. If this authentication is successful, the door of the vehicle 10 is locked or unlocked by the locking / unlocking device 300. System configuration in the vehicle

[0048] A schematic configuration of a system in the vehicle 10 including the key unit 100 and the locking / unlocking device 300 will be described below with reference to Fig. 4. The vehicle 10 includes an internal combustion engine 11 serving as a power source. The vehicle 10 also includes a power generator 12, a battery 13, a vehicle ECU 14, and an ignition switch 15.

[0049] The power generator 12 is a power generator that generates electric power using the rotational force of a crankshaft of the engine 11. That is, the power generator 12 generates electric power using the driving force of the engine 11. The battery 13 is charged with the electric power generated by the power generator 12. The battery 13 is an auxiliary machine battery that supplies electric power to the vehicle ECU 14 and various electrical components installed in the vehicle 10. As described above, the battery 13 supplies electric power to the key unit 100 and the lock / unlock device 300.

[0050] The vehicle ECU 14 is a computer that controls the internal combustion engine 11. The vehicle ECU 14 controls the internal combustion engine 11 based on information input from various sensors installed in the vehicle 10. For example, the ignition switch 15 is electrically connected to the vehicle ECU 14. The vehicle ECU 14 starts the internal combustion engine 11 when the ignition switch 15 is switched from an OFF state to an ON state, and stops the internal combustion engine 11 when the ignition switch 15 is switched from the ON state to the OFF state.

[0051] When the ignition switch 15 is in the ON state, the vehicle ECU 14 transmits a drive notification signal, which is a signal indicating that the internal combustion engine 11 is being driven, to the key unit 100. The key unit 100 includes a receiving unit 105 that receives the drive notification signal transmitted from the vehicle ECU 14. The control unit 104 of the key unit 100 can determine whether the internal combustion engine 11 is being driven based on whether the receiving unit 105 has received the drive notification signal. In this embodiment, the receiving unit 105 is an example of a "receiving unit" in the claims.

[0052] In this embodiment, the key unit 100 only performs the operation of locking and unlocking the vehicle 10, but the key unit 100 may perform operations other than the locking / unlocking operation. For example, by communicating with the vehicle ECU 14, the key unit 100 may start the internal combustion engine 11. According to this configuration, a conventional portable unit (an electronic key) carried by the user can be completely replaced by the mobile terminal 200. Overwriting or rewriting the control program

[0053] Rewriting a control program stored in the storage unit 1041 of the control unit 104 of the key unit 100 will be described below. For example, the control program of the key unit 100 may need to be rewritten in a similar manner to when the control program needs to be updated. In this case, first, a rewriting program is delivered from the server 400 to the user's mobile terminal 200. Then, when the user operates the mobile terminal 200, the rewriting program is transmitted from the mobile terminal 200 to the key unit 100. In the key unit 100, rewriting of the control program is performed after receiving the rewriting program from the mobile terminal 200 is completed.

[0054] Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of data communication and processing when a rewriting program is delivered from the server 400 to the mobile terminal 200. First, a rewriting notification signal indicating rewriting of the control program of the key unit 100 is transmitted from the server 400 to the user's mobile terminal 200 (push notification) (S101). The rewriting notification signal is received by the communication unit 202 of the mobile terminal 200. When the user initiates an operation request transmission of rewriting program data via the input / output unit 204 in the mobile terminal 200 in response to the rewriting notification signal,When the mobile terminal 200 executes the rewriting notification signal, the mobile terminal 200 detects the operation (S102). When this operation is detected, the mobile terminal 200 requests the server 400 to transmit data of the rewriting program (S103). The server 400, having received the request, transmits the rewriting program to the mobile terminal 200 (S104). The transmitted rewriting program is temporarily stored in the mobile terminal 200.

[0055] The rewriting program stored in the mobile terminal 200 is transmitted to the key unit 100 through data communication between the mobile terminal 200 and the key unit 100. The data communication at this time is performed through data communication using BLE between the short-range communication unit 201 of the mobile terminal 200 and the short-range communication unit 103 of the key unit 100, similar to the data communication of the lock / unlock request and the terminal authentication information. A radio communication standard other than BLE can also be used for data communication at this time.

[0056] As described above, the key unit 100 is supplied with electric power from the battery 13 of the vehicle 10. Accordingly, when data communication of the rewriting program is performed between the key unit 100 and the mobile terminal 200, the electric power of the battery 13 is consumed. Accordingly, when the data volume of the rewriting program received by the short-distance communication unit 103 of the key unit 100 is large and data communication of the rewriting program is performed,When the rewriting program is performed in a state where the battery 13 of the vehicle 10 is not being charged, a large amount of electric power may be consumed in the receiving process in the key unit 100, and thus there is a concern that the amount of electric power remaining in the battery 13 may be excessively small. Therefore, in this embodiment, only when the engine 11 is being driven, that is, only when the vehicle 10 is in a chargeable state where the battery 13 can be charged by the power generator 12, is data communication of the rewriting program performed between the mobile terminal 200 and the key unit 100.

[0057] Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of data communication and rewriting program processing between the mobile terminal 200 and the key unit 100, and a control program rewriting process in the key unit 100. Here, when a user performs an operation of setting an overwrite of the control program in the key unit 100 through the input / output unit 204 of the mobile terminal 200, the mobile terminal 200 detects the operation (S201). When the operation is detected, the mobile terminal 200 transmits a rewrite notification signal indicating an overwrite of the control program to the key unit 100 (S202). When the key unit 100 performs the overwrite.Upon receiving the rewriting notification signal, the control unit 104 determines whether a drive notification signal has been received by the receiving unit 105 (S203). As described above, the drive notification signal is a signal notifying that the engine 11 is being driven, and is transmitted from the vehicle ECU 14. Accordingly, when the drive notification signal has been received by the receiving unit 105, it can be determined that the engine 11 is being driven. That is, it can be determined that the vehicle 10 is in the chargeable state.

[0058] Therefore, if the determination result of S203 is affirmative, the key unit 100 requests the mobile terminal 200 to transmit data of the rewrite program (S204). The mobile terminal 200 that received the request transmits the rewrite program to the key unit 100 (S205). At this time, when the rewrite program is received by the key unit 100, electric power of the battery 13 is consumed in the receiving process (the rewrite program receiving process), but the battery 13 is charged with electric power corresponding to the consumed electric power by the power generator 12. All of the processes involved in the transmission and reception of the rewrite program are performed.The transmission of the rewriting notification signal in S202, the transmission and reception of the data transmission request in S204, and the transmission and reception of data of the rewriting program in S205 are performed through data communication using BLE between the short-range communication unit 201 of the mobile terminal 200 and the short-range communication unit 103 of the key unit 100. When the data communication of the rewriting program is completed, the control unit 104 performs a process of rewriting the rewriting program recently acquired through the data communication via the control program stored in the storage unit 1041 (a control program rewriting process) (S206).

[0059] On the other hand, when the determination result of S203 is negative, that is, when the drive notification signal has not been received by the receiving unit 105, it can be determined that the internal combustion engine 11 is not being driven. That is, it can be determined that the vehicle 10 is not in the chargeable state. Therefore, when the determination result of S203 is negative, the key unit 100 does not request the mobile terminal 200 to transmit data of the rewriting program. As a result, the data communication of the rewriting program between the mobile terminal 200 and the key unit 100 is not performed. That is, the rewriting program receiving process is not performed in the key unit 100. In addition, the control program rewriting process is not performed.Control program rewriting process not performed in the key unit 100.

[0060] If the determination result of S203 is negative, the key unit 100 may transmit a data communication non-permission notification indicating that data communication of the rewriting program is not permitted because the engine 11 is not being driven (that is, because the vehicle 10 is not in the chargeable state) to the mobile terminal 200. The mobile terminal 200 that has received the data communication non-permission notification may notify the user that the notification has been received by displaying it on a touch panel display or the like.

[0061] In this way, according to the procedure described in Fig. 6, only when the engine 11 is driven, that is, only when the vehicle 10 is in the chargeable state, is the data communication of the rewriting program performed between the mobile terminal 200 and the key unit 100. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the amount of electric power remaining in the battery 13 from becoming excessively small by performing the data communication of the rewriting program between the mobile terminal 200 and the key unit 100. Modified Example 1

[0062] In this example, when the data communication of the rewriting program is performed between the mobile terminal 200 and the key unit 100, the key unit 100 can authenticate the mobile terminal 200 in a similar manner to when locking or unlocking the vehicle 10. In this case, when the mobile terminal 200 transmits the rewriting notification signal to the key unit 100 (S202 in Fig. 6), the terminal authentication information is transmitted along with the overwrite notification signal. The authentication unit 1042 of the key unit 100 compares the terminal authentication information transmitted from the mobile terminal 200 with the device authentication information stored in the storage unit 1041 and performs the authentication process. If the drive notification signal has been received by the receiving unit 105 and authentication of the mobile terminal 200 by the authentication unit 1042 has been successful, the key unit 100 requests the mobile terminal 200 to transmit data of the overwrite program (S204 in Fig. 6).

[0063] According to this configuration, when the vehicle 10 is in the chargeable state and authentication of the mobile terminal 200 has been successful, data communication of the rewriting program is performed between the mobile terminal 200 and the key unit 100. Accordingly, it is possible to improve security upon rewriting the control program in the key unit 100. Modified Example 2

[0064] In this embodiment, the mobile terminal 200, which has acquired the rewriting program from the server 400, can notify the user of the time required for data communication of the rewriting program between the mobile terminal 200 and the key unit 100 (that is, the time required from the start of data communication to the completion of data communication) by displaying the time on a touch panel display or the like. According to this configuration, the user can determine the time at which data communication is performed based on the notified time required for data communication of the rewriting program. In this case, the touch panel display (of the input / output unit 204) of the mobile terminal 200 is an example of a "notification unit" in the claims. Second embodiment

[0065] The configuration of a locking / unlocking system and an on-board system according to this embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment. Points of rewriting a control program in the key unit 100 according to this embodiment, which are different from those in the first embodiment, will be described below.

[0066] In this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, data communication of a rewriting program between the mobile terminal 200 and the key unit 100 is performed only when the engine 11 is driven, that is, only when the vehicle 10 is in the chargeable state. Here, even if the engine 11 is driven at a time when a rewriting notification signal transmitted from the mobile terminal 200 has been received by the key unit 100, driving of the engine 11 can be stopped during execution of the data communication of the rewriting program (during execution of the rewriting program reception process in the key unit 100).Rewriting the control program in the key unit 100 (during execution of the control program rewriting process) after completion of the data communication of the rewriting program, driving of the internal combustion engine 11 may be stopped. In this case, during execution of the data communication of the rewriting program or during rewriting of the control program in the key unit 100, the amount of electric power remaining in the battery 13 may become insufficient, and the processes may be inadvertently stopped. Therefore, in this embodiment, when driving of the internal combustion engine 11 is stopped during execution of the rewriting program receiving process or the control program rewriting process,Control program rewriting process in the key unit 100 is stopped, the processes at that time are inadvertently stopped.

[0067] Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of the rewrite program receiving process performed by the control unit 104 of the key unit 100. This flow is repeatedly performed at predetermined time intervals during execution of the data communication of the rewrite program between the mobile terminal 200 and the key unit 100. In this flow, in S301, the control unit 104 determines whether a drive notification signal has been received by the receiving unit 105. That is, in this embodiment, when the data communication of the rewrite program is performed, as well as when the rewrite notification signal transmitted from the mobile terminal 200 has been received, the determination is repeatedly performed at predetermined time intervals.If the determination result of S301 is positive, the control unit 104 continuously performs the rewriting program reception process (S302). Conversely, if the determination result of S301 is negative, the control unit 104 stops the rewriting program reception process (S303). In this case, transmission of the rewriting program from the mobile terminal 200 is also stopped. Accordingly, the data communication of the rewriting program is intentionally stopped.

[0068] Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the control program rewriting process performed by the control unit 104 of the key unit 100. This process is repeatedly performed at predetermined time intervals while rewriting the control program in the key unit. In this process, in S401, the control unit 104 determines whether the drive notification signal is received by the receiving unit 105. That is, in this embodiment, when rewriting the control program is performed, the determination is repeatedly performed at predetermined time intervals. If the determination result of S401 is affirmative, the control unit 104 continuously performs the control program rewriting process (S402).On the other hand, if the determination result of S401 is negative, the control unit 104 stops the control program rewriting process (S403). Accordingly, overwriting of the control program in the storage unit 1041 of the key unit 100 is intentionally stopped.

[0069] In the processes that take place in Fig. 7 and Fig.8, when driving of the internal combustion engine 11 has been stopped during execution of the data communication of the rewriting program or during rewriting of the control program, that is, when the vehicle 10 in the chargeable state deviates from the chargeable state, the data communication of the rewriting program or rewriting of the control program is intentionally stopped. In other words, only when the state of the vehicle 10 is maintained in the chargeable state, the data communication of the rewriting program and rewriting of the control program are continuously performed. Accordingly, it is possible to continuously perform the data communication or overwriting.To prevent rewriting of the control program from being inadvertently stopped because the amount of electric power remaining in the battery 13 becomes insufficient during execution of the data communication of the rewriting program or during overwriting of the control program.

[0070] When driving of the internal combustion engine 11 has been stopped and the data communication of the rewriting program or rewriting of the control program has been intentionally stopped, the key unit 100 can transmit this fact to the mobile terminal 200 and notify the user of this fact by displaying it on the touch panel display of the mobile terminal 200 or the like. The stopped process can be performed again after driving of the internal combustion engine 11 is restarted. Other embodiments

[0071] In the first and second embodiments, the on-board device according to the invention is set to the key unit. However, the on-board device according to the invention is not limited to the key unit. The invention can be applied to any device as long as it is a device that performs data communication of a rewriting program with a user's mobile terminal when rewriting a control program. For example, the invention can be applied to a telematics device.

[0072] The invention can be applied to an onboard device mounted in a hybrid vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine and a motor as drive sources. In a hybrid vehicle, even when the vehicle is in an EV traveling mode (a traveling mode in which the motor is used as a drive source) and driving of the internal combustion engine is stopped, the internal combustion engine can be automatically started to charge an auxiliary machine battery using a power generator. Accordingly, when the invention is applied to an onboard device mounted in the hybrid vehicle, the vehicle is in the chargeable state as long as the stopped internal combustion engine can be automatically started as well as when the internal combustion engine is driven. The invention can also be applied to an onboard device mounted in an EV vehicle.Electric vehicle that includes an engine or electric motor as a power source.

Claims

[1] An on-board device configured to be installed in a vehicle (10) including a battery (13) and a power generator (12) configured to charge the battery (13), the on-board device further being configured to be supplied with electrical power from the battery (13) of the vehicle (10), the on-board device comprising: a storage unit (1041) configured to store a control program for controlling the on-board device, and a communication unit (103) configured to perform data communication with a mobile terminal (200), wherein the communication unit (103) performs data communication of an overwriting program with the mobile terminal (200) when the communication unit (103) has received an overwriting notification signal indicating overwriting of the control program stored in the storage unit (1041) from the mobile terminal (200) and the vehicle (10) is in a chargeable state in which the battery (13) is capable of being charged by the power generator (12), and the communication unit (103) does not perform data communication of the overwriting program with the mobile terminal (200) when the vehicle (10) is not in the chargeable state, characterized by , that the on-board device is a key unit (100) configured to lock and unlock the vehicle (10), wherein the key unit (100) includes a transmission unit (102) configured to transmit a locking / unlocking signal to a locking / unlocking device (300) of the vehicle (10), and an authentication unit (1042) configured to perform authentication using authentication information of the mobile terminal (200) obtained through data communication by the communication unit (103), and wherein the key unit (100) transmits the locking / unlocking signal from the transmission unit (102) to the locking / unlocking device (300) when the authentication using the authentication information of the mobile terminal (200) by the authentication unit (1042) is successful. [2] The on-board device according to claim 1, further including a receiving unit (105) configured to receive a drive notification signal from the vehicle (10) when an internal combustion engine (11) in the vehicle (10) is driven, and wherein the communication unit (103) performs the data communication of the rewrite program with the mobile terminal (200) when the communication unit (103) has received the overwrite notification signal from the mobile terminal (200) and has received the drive notification signal through the receiving unit (105), and the communication unit (103) does not perform the data communication of the rewrite program with the mobile terminal (200) when the drive notification signal has not been received by the receiving unit (105). [3] The on-board device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, when the vehicle (10) in the chargeable state deviates from the chargeable state during execution of the data communication of the rewriting program between the communication unit (103) and the mobile terminal (200) or during execution of the rewriting of the control program of the control program in the storage unit (1041), the data communication of the rewriting program between the communication unit (103) and the mobile terminal (200) or the rewriting of the control program in the storage unit (1041) is stopped. [4] The on-board device according to claim 1, wherein the authentication unit (1042) performs authentication using the authentication information of the mobile terminal (200) obtained through the data communication by the communication unit (103) when the communication unit (103) has received the rewrite notification signal from the mobile terminal (200), and wherein the data communication of the rewrite program is performed between the communication unit (103) and the mobile terminal (200) when the vehicle (10) is in the chargeable state and the authentication using the authentication information of the mobile terminal (200) by the authentication unit (1042) is successful. [5] A communication system comprising an on-board device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and a mobile terminal (200) that performs data communication with the on-board device and transmits the rewrite notification signal to the on-board device in response to an input operation of a user, wherein the mobile terminal (200) has a notification unit (204) configured to notify the user of a time required for data communication of the rewrite program between the mobile terminal (200) and the on-board device.

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