Method for managing a resource of an electronic component, device and associated motor vehicle.

Abstract

Method for managing a resource of an electronic component (110) of a vehicle (100) characterized in that it comprises the following steps, implemented in the vehicle (100): At a first instant, Prediction of a future implementation by the electronic component (110), of a plurality of functions, at a future instant comprising a consumption of a first quantity of the resource during the future implementation, Comparison of the first quantity of the resource with a threshold, If the quantity of the resource is strictly greater than the threshold, then: At a second instant, preceding the future instant, determination of functions to be restricted among the plurality of functions from an impact level of each function of the plurality of functions, thenAt the future instant, effective implementation of the plurality of functions by the electronic component (110), the functions to be restricted being restricted. Figure for the abstract: figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Method for managing a resource of an electronic component, associated device and motor vehicle.

[0001] The invention relates to the management of a resource of an electronic component of a motor vehicle. There is a need to improve the management of such a resource so as to improve and facilitate the operation of the motor vehicle.

[0002] For this purpose, the invention relates to a method of managing (in other words: method of implementing) a resource of an electronic component of a motor vehicle, (for an implementation of a plurality of functions by the electronic component) characterized in that it comprises the following steps, implemented in the motor vehicle: • At a first moment: • Receiving contextual data, • From past implementations of each function of a plurality of functions by the electronic component and contextual data, prediction of a future implementation by the electronic component, of the plurality of functions, (the future implementation being carried out) at a future time following the first time, the prediction of the future implementation comprising a consumption of (in other words: employing or using) a first quantity of the resource, during the future implementation (to implement the plurality of functions), • Comparison of the first quantity of the resource with a threshold, • Then, if the first quantity of the resource is strictly greater than the threshold, then: • At a second instant, following the first instant, and preceding the future instant, determination of functions to be restricted from among the plurality of functions based on a level of impact, on an operation of the motor vehicle, of a restriction of each function of the plurality of functions, • At the future time, effective implementation of the plurality of functions by the electronic component, the functions to be restricted being restricted during the effective implementation of the plurality of functions.

[0003] For example, the threshold is a value beyond which the performance of the electronic component deteriorates (but other values ​​are possible). This may be, for example, the thermal envelope of the electronic component (in the case where the resource is the energy dissipated by the component)

[0004] Determining the functions to be restricted at the second instant allows the functions to be restricted are determined in advance at the future time, which allows the functions to be restricted to be restricted, at the future time, without requiring delay or additional use of the resource.

[0005] The effective implementation of the plurality of functions can be carried out following detections of interactions with the human-machine interface, or alternatively or in combination, automatically.

[0006] The electronic component may be a microprocessor of the motor vehicle, a touch screen of the motor vehicle, or any other electronic component of the motor vehicle.

[0007] For example, the electronic component is a microprocessor of the motor vehicle and each function of the plurality of functions is implemented by an application executed by the microprocessor.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the electronic component is capable of controlling a human-machine interface of the motor vehicle (and for example, the operation of the vehicle is an operation of the human-machine interface of the motor vehicle), and each function of the plurality of functions can comprise an interaction (for example a display and / or an input) with the human-machine interface.

[0009] The human-machine interface may be a display screen, for example a touch screen (located, for example, in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle).

[0010] The contextual data may include, for example, temporal data (such as a current date, a current time), meteorological data (such as the ambient temperature, the weather received, for example, from a radiofrequency communication module with a mobile telecommunications network of the motor vehicle), location data of the motor vehicle (such as a geographical location of the motor vehicle received, for example, from a satellite geolocation module of the motor vehicle, information indicating whether the vehicle is on a motorway, in a rural area or in an urban area, etc.), data from the vehicle's environment (for example, obtained from a road map and the geographical location of the vehicle, or from a camera filming the exterior of the motor vehicle, indicating, for example, the presence of shops, mountains, bodies of water, motorway tolls, hotels, parking lots) and / or data obtained from interactions with a human-machine interface of the motor vehicle (such as launching an application, entering data, actions on a touch screen), and / or from images from a camera filming (the interior of) the passenger compartment.

[0011] The plurality of functions may include route guidance of a driver of the vehicle (from geolocation information received from a satellite geolocation module of the motor vehicle, for example of the so-called “GPS” type and from a map road), air conditioning control for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, playback of audio or video content, internet navigation, video games, electronic diary. Other functions are of course possible.

[0012] It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to predict the future implementation, by the electronic component, of the plurality of functions, and that this step can be carried out in different ways. Such a prediction is in fact known to those skilled in the art. By way of example, the prediction methods described at the link “sentiance.com / predictive-analytics-mobile-sensor-data” and / or in the following articles can be cited: • “Prediction of user app usage behavior from geo-spatial data”, Xiao-Xing ZhaoYuanyuan QiaoZhongwei SiJie YangAnders Lindgren, Computer Science, GeoRich@SIGMOD, 2016. • “Prediction of Application Usage on Smartphones via Deep Learning”, Ab- dulrahman Alruban, IEEE Access 10:1-1, IEEE Access 10:1-1.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the method comprises, during the prediction of a future implementation, a step of determining, from the contextual data, a second quantity of the resource, consumed, during the future implementation, by each function of the plurality of functions, in which, during the prediction of a future implementation, the first quantity of the resource is determined from the second quantity of resource, consumed by each function of the plurality of functions.

[0014] In this embodiment, the above-mentioned prediction methods may be used to predict the second quantity of the resource, during future implementation, by each of the plurality of functions.

[0015] Alternatively, this second quantity of the resource may be a constant for each function of the plurality of functions, regardless of the contextual data. In this case, the method does not predict the second quantity of resources.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the first quantity can be obtained by summing the second quantity of the resource, during the future implementation, by each function of the plurality of functions. Alternatively, it is the maximum or an average of the second quantity of the resource consumed, during the future implementation, by each function of the plurality of functions (for the plurality of functions).

[0017] For example, the resource can be: • A memory of the electronic component, or • Energy consumed by the electronic component, or energy that can be dissipated by the component, also called thermal envelope or “TDP” (by design), for example through the cooling devices that surround it (for example, a fan or a liquid cooler), or • A capacity for the electronic component to execute instructions when the electronic component is a microprocessor.

[0018] The functions to be restricted can be restricted in various ways, for example: • A lower implementation priority can be assigned to the functions to be restricted than to the other functions of the plurality of functions, • A limited share or a maximum value of the resource can be assigned to the functions to be restricted.

[0019] According to one embodiment, during the step of determining the functions to be restricted, the functions to be restricted are determined so as to reduce the first quantity of the resource to a value less than or equal to the threshold.

[0020] Alternatively, the first quantity is reduced beyond the threshold.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the determination of the functions to be restricted comprises a step of determining a level of restriction of each function of the functions to be restricted, the functions to be restricted and the level of restriction of each function of the functions to be restricted being determined, during the step of determining the functions to be restricted, from a level of impact of the level of restriction, of each function of the plurality of functions (in other words: of each function of the functions to be restricted), on the operation of the motor vehicle.

[0022] For example, the functions to be restricted and the level of restriction of each function of the functions to be restricted are determined so as to minimize the result of a summation of the level of impact of the level of restriction, of each function of the functions to be restricted, on the operation of the vehicle.

[0023] Alternatively, the functions to be restricted and the level of restriction of each function of the functions to be restricted are determined so as to minimize a maximum of the level of impact of the level of restriction, of each function of the functions to be restricted, on the operation of the vehicle.

[0024] The impact level may be the impact of the throttling level on the user experience.

[0025] It will be clear to those skilled in the art how to determine the impact level of the clamping level, for example in this case, and that there are several possible methods for this, for example: • During an implementation of the method according to the invention (which may involve an update of the impact level during the implementation of the method, for example depending on the interactions between the user and the human-machine interface): • The use of the tool marketed by the company called “UXReality” (see in particular: www.uxreality.com), or the methods used by this tool such as the analysis of facial expression, • Differences in interactions with the human-machine interface (for example, if the user interacts with the human-machine interface in the same way repeatedly and quickly, this may reflect dissatisfaction, • On user tests: the same methods or by asking test users about their feelings.

[0026] It is also possible to use empirical methods.

[0027] Alternatively, the level of impact may be the apparent latency of the function on a human-machine interface, or the responsiveness of the electronic component for the implementation of said each function.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the first instant (and / or the second instant) is separated from the future instant by a duration of between 10 seconds and 5 minutes, for example by a duration equal to 2 minutes.

[0029] Alternatively, the first instant (and / or the second instant) is separated from the future instant by a duration of less than 10 seconds or greater than 5 minutes.

[0030] For example, the first instant is an instant when the openings of the motor vehicle are unlocked, the ignition of the motor vehicle is switched on or a propulsion engine of the motor vehicle is started, but of course, the first instant can occur at other times and in other situations.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the functions to be restricted comprise functions currently being implemented at the first instant, the method comprising a step of restricting the functions currently being implemented forming part of the functions to be restricted, at an instant strictly between the first instant or the second instant and the future instant.

[0032] Thus, when the plurality of functions is implemented, the functions being implemented which are part of the functions to be restricted are already restricted.

[0033] Alternatively, all functions to be restricted are restricted only when the plurality of functions is (actually) implemented, for example at the future time.

[0034] The invention also relates to a computer program comprising instructions executable by a microprocessor or a microcontroller or a computer, to implement the steps of the method according to the invention, when it is executed by the microprocessor or the microcontroller or the computer.

[0035] The method according to the invention can be implemented by an electronic device (or a motor vehicle) which may or may not be the electronic component. The invention therefore also relates to an electronic device (or a motor vehicle) configured to implement the steps of the method according to the invention, as well as a motor vehicle comprising the electronic device.

[0036] The characteristics and advantages of the computer program, the electronic device, and the vehicle are identical to those of the method according to the invention (without it (it is necessary to repeat them here).

[0037] When the electronic device, the motor vehicle, (or another element) is "configured to" (or "capable of") performing or implementing a step or an operation, this implies, for example, that the element comprises means for performing the step or the operation. The means preferably comprise electronic means, for example a computer program, data in memory, specialized electronic circuits, wired or wireless connections, a microprocessor and / or a microcontroller.

[0038] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the detailed description which follows, comprising embodiments of the invention given as non-limiting examples and illustrated by the appended drawings, in which: • [Fig.l] represents an electronic device and a motor vehicle, according to an embodiment of the invention, in top view, • [Fig.2] represents an implementation of the method according to the invention, according to a example of embodiment, by the electronic device and the motor vehicle of [Fig.l].

[0039] In [Fig.l], certain elements are, of course, seen through transparency.

[0040] Detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention, with reference to figures 1 and 2.

[0041] [Fig.l] represents a motor vehicle 100. The motor vehicle 100 comprises a passenger compartment 120, and a microprocessor 110 to which is connected: • A satellite geolocation module 130, for example of the so-called “GPS” type, • A 160 radio frequency communication module with a mobile telecommunications network, • A 170 combustion engine, and a 150 screen, which is touch-sensitive, located in the 120 passenger compartment. • A 140 camera filming the interior of the passenger compartment.

[0042] The microprocessor 110 comprises: • An electronic diary application 111, • An application 112 for route guidance of a driver of the motor vehicle 110, based on geolocation information received from the satellite geolocation module of the motor vehicle 130, for example of the so-called “GPS” type and a road map (not shown) in the memory of the microprocessor 110, • A 113 application for rendering video content, • A 114 internet browsing application.

[0043] The microprocessor 110 has a thermal envelope of 25 watts, thanks to a fan (not shown) of the microprocessor 110.

[0044] The microprocessor 110 comprises 5 cores cl, c2, c3, c4 and c5.

[0045] The applications 111, 112, 113 and 114 control interactions, i.e. displays and inputs, via the screen 150, during their execution by the microprocessor 110.

[0046] With reference to [Fig.2], in step S00, the ignition of the vehicle 100 is turned on.

[0047] The microprocessor 110 then automatically starts (for example, applications started automatically when the ignition of the vehicle 100 is switched on) the electronic diary application 111 and the digital content restitution application 113.

[0048] In step S10, the microprocessor 110 receives contextual data.

[0049] Contextual data includes for example: • The current date and current time, and / or • The ambient temperature, the weather from the radio frequency communication module 160 with a mobile telecommunications network, and / or • The location of the motor vehicle (such as a geographical location of the motor vehicle 100 received for example from the satellite geolocation module 130 of the motor vehicle 100, information indicating whether the vehicle is on a motorway, in a rural area or in an urban area, etc.), and / or • Data from the vehicle's environment (for example, obtained from a road map and the geographical location of the vehicle, or from a camera filming the exterior of the motor vehicle, indicating, for example, the presence of shops, mountains, bodies of water, motorway tolls, hotels, parking lots) and / or • Data obtained from interactions with the screen 150 of the motor vehicle 100 (such as launching an application, entering data or actions on a touch screen 150), or from images from a camera 140 filming (the interior of) the passenger compartment 120.

[0050] In step S20, the microprocessor 110 predicts, based on past executions of applications 111, 112, 113, 114 and contextual data, that 1 minute after step S20, the driver of the vehicle 100 will launch Route Guidance Implications 112 and application 114 in addition to applications 111 and 113.

[0051] For this, the microprocessor 110 can use the prediction methods described in the link “sentiance.com / predictive-analytics-mobile-sensor-data” and / or in the following articles: • “Prediction of user app usage behavior from geo-spatial data”, Xiao-Xing ZhaoYuanyuan QiaoZhongwei SiJie YangAnders Lindgren, Computer Science, GeoRich@SIGMOD, 2016. • “Prediction of Application Usage on Smartphones via Deep Learning”, Ab- dulrahman Alruban, IEEE Access 10:1-1, IEEE Access 10:1-1.

[0052] The prediction also indicates the following energy dispersion requirements; • 4 watts for the 111 electronic diary application, • 6 watts for the 112 route guidance application, • 14 watts for application 113 for rendering video content, • 6 watts for the 114 internet browsing application.

[0053] In step S30, the microprocessor 110 compares the sum of these energy dispersions, equal to 30 watts, with the thermal envelope of 25 watts of the microprocessor 110.

[0054] The sum, equal to 30 watts, of these dispersions being strictly greater than the thermal envelope of 25 watts of the microprocessor 110, at step S40, the microprocessor 110 determines that: • The electronic diary application 111 will be executed, in step S50 and in step S60, only on the core cl, which amounts to restricting this application, and the microprocessor 110 is configured; in a known manner, so that the electronic diary is executed in this way, • The internet browsing application 114 will run, at step S60 only on the core cl, which amounts to restricting this application, • Other applications will run at step S60 on all cores cl, c2, c3, c4 and c5.

[0055] Table 1 gives, below, the energy dissipation generated (in other words: consumed) by each application 111, 112, 113 and 114, at step S60, as well as the impact of the throttling on the customer experience, and the core on which the application is executed at this step. The sum of these dissipations is equal to 25 watts, which is equal to the thermal envelope of 25 watts of the microprocessor 110.

[0056] [Tables 1] Application Processor (throttling level) Energy dissipation at step S60 in Watts Throttling impact on user experience 111 cl 2 20% 112 cl, c2, c3, c4, c5 6 0% 113 cl, c2, c3, c4, c5 14 0% 114 cl 3 30%

[0057] To make such a determination, several execution throttling hypotheses for each application 111, 112, 113 and 114 are considered and an impact of this throttling is estimated. Table 1 is determined so as to minimize the sum of the impacts of throttling applications 111, 112, 113, 114, while maintaining the sum of the energy dissipations of each application 111, 112, 113 and 114 less than 25 watts.

[0058] The impact of the restriction can for example be estimated from images received from the camera 140, and by an analysis of the driver's facial expression on these images. It can also already be present in the memory of the microprocessor 110 after having been previously loaded into this memory (and determined by tests prior to loading).

[0059] In step S50, the microprocessor 110 executes the electronic diary application 111, on the core cl only, after having configured itself, in a known manner, for this.

[0060] In step S60, approximately 1 minute after step S20, the driver of the vehicle 100 launches the applications 112 and 113 via the screen 150 and the microprocessor 110 executes: • The 111 electronic diary application on the cl heart only, and • Application 112 and 113 on cores cl, c2, c3, c4, c5, • The 114 internet browsing application on the cl core only, after to have configured itself, in a known manner, for this.

[0061] During step S60, from the actions of the driver on the screen 150 and the images obtained by the camera 140, the microprocessor can evaluate and update the impact on the customer experience of the use of a single core cl for the execution of the application 111 and the application 114.

[0062] In Figures S00 to S60, the method according to the invention is implemented by the microprocessor 110. The method can be implemented by other electronic devices of the vehicle 100.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for managing a resource of an electronic component (110) of a motor vehicle (100), characterized in that it comprises the following steps, implemented in the motor vehicle (100): • At a first instant: • Reception (S 10) of contextual data, • From past implementations, by the electronic component (110), of each function of a plurality of functions, and the contextual data, prediction (S20) of a future implementation by the electronic component, of the plurality of functions, at a future instant following the first instant, the prediction (S20) of the future implementation comprising a consumption of a first quantity of the resource during the future implementation, • Comparison (S30) of the first quantity of the resource with a threshold, • If the first quantity of the resource is strictly greater than the threshold, then: • At a second instant, following the first instant,and preceding the future instant, determination (S40) of functions to be restricted, among the plurality of functions, from a level of impact, on an operation of the motor vehicle (100), of a restriction of each function of the plurality of functions, then • At the future instant, effective implementation (S60) of the plurality of functions by the electronic component (110), the functions to be restricted being restricted during the effective implementation of the plurality of functions.,

2. Resource management method according to the preceding claim in which the electronic component (110) controls a human-machine interface (150) of the motor vehicle (100) and each function of the plurality of functions includes interaction with the human-machine interface.

3. A method of managing the resource according to the preceding claim comprising, during the prediction of a future implementation, a step of determining, from the contextual data, a second quantity of the resource consumed, during the future implementation, by each function of the plurality of functions, and in which, during the prediction of a future implementation, the first quantity of the resource is determined from the second quantity of resource consumed by each function of the plurality of functions.

4. A method of managing the resource according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, during the step of determining the functions to be restricted, the functions to be restricted are determined so as to reduce the first quantity of the resource to a value less than or equal to the threshold.

5. A method of managing the resource, according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the determination of the functions to be restricted comprises a step of determining a level of restriction of each function of the functions to be restricted, the functions to be restricted and the level of restriction of each function of the functions to be restricted being determined, during the step of determining the functions to be restricted, from a level of impact of the level of restriction of each function of the plurality of functions on an operation of the motor vehicle.

6. A method of managing the resource, according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first instant is separated from the future instant by a duration of between 10 seconds and 5 minutes.

7. A method of managing the resource, according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the functions to be restricted comprise functions currently being implemented at the first instant, the method comprising a step of restricting (S50) the functions currently being implemented forming part of the functions to be restricted, at an instant strictly between the second instant and the future instant.

8. Computer program comprising instructions, executable by a microprocessor or a microcontroller, for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, when executed by the microprocessor or the microcontroller.

9. Electronic device (110) configured to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. Motor vehicle (100) comprising the electronic device (110) according to the preceding claim.

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