On-vehicle smart control device

Abstract

To allow multiple vehicle devices to be operated through a mobile terminal while ensuring that a vehicle remains in a safe operational state.SOLUTION: An on-vehicle smart control device comprises: a request input section 11 capable of receiving input of a request for operating a vehicle device through a desired mobile terminal 40; an environmental data input section 12 capable off acquiring data on a vehicle's travel environment from predetermined sensors 35 to 38 mounted on a vehicle; an equipment control section 13 capable of controlling the desired vehicle device; and an operation determination section 14 determining availability of operating the vehicle device for which the request for operation is input into the request input section. The operation determination section determines the availability of the operation based on the acquired travel environment of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an in-vehicle smart control device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there are more and more opportunities for drivers and other passengers to use smart devices such as smartphones in vehicles, and various technological developments are being made to make smart devices more convenient to use in vehicles.

[0003] For example, the vehicle access restriction device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a vehicle accessory control unit (17) that controls the operation of vehicle accessories (tailgate, door lock mechanism, headlamps, and hazard lamps) based on an operation command from a mobile communication terminal (1), and a vehicle accessory operation prohibition command unit (16) that can issue a prohibition command to the vehicle accessory control unit (17) to prohibit the operation control of the vehicle accessories. With this configuration, the vehicle access restriction device is designed to suppress unauthorized access from malicious hackers and the like, and reduce the impact on the vehicle (2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 188748 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] By utilizing the technology of Patent Document 1, it is possible to restrict the operation of vehicle accessories in response to operation instructions issued by a third party through unauthorized access. However, when an authorized user such as the driver of the vehicle issues an operation instruction from a mobile communication terminal, the operation of the vehicle accessories cannot be restricted.

[0006] Therefore, even when the vehicle driving situation is dangerous to operate certain vehicle equipment such as tailgate, door lock mechanism, headlamp, hazard lamp, etc., or when the mobile communication terminal erroneously detects an input operation that is not intended by a legitimate user such as a driver, the vehicle equipment may be activated. Therefore, when a vehicle occupant uses a mobile communication terminal on or near the vehicle, there is a concern that the safe driving state of the vehicle may be adversely affected. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of the convenience of the occupant, it is desirable to be able to operate various vehicle equipment using a mobile communication terminal such as a smartphone on or near the vehicle.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide an in-vehicle smart control device that enables operation of various vehicle equipment using a mobile terminal while maintaining a safe driving state of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following configuration.

[0009] a request input unit capable of receiving an input of an operation request for vehicle equipment from a mobile terminal; an environmental data input unit capable of acquiring data relating to the vehicle's driving environment from a predetermined sensor on the vehicle side; An equipment control unit capable of controlling desired vehicle equipment; an operation determination unit that determines whether or not a vehicle equipment operation can be performed for the operation request input to the request input unit, the operation determination unit determines whether or not an operation can be performed based on the vehicle traveling environment acquired by the environmental data input unit; In-vehicle smart control device. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the in-vehicle smart control device of the present invention, it is possible to operate various vehicle equipment using a mobile terminal while maintaining a safe driving state of the vehicle.

[0011] The present invention has been briefly described above. Furthermore, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading the following description of the embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as "embodiment") with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle system including an in-vehicle smart control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main functions of the smart control unit. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control condition table. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the smart control unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing another configuration 1 of the smart control unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing another configuration 2 of the smart control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle system 100 including an in-vehicle smart control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. A smart control unit 10 in FIG. 1 corresponds to the in-vehicle smart control device in this embodiment.

[0015] The in-vehicle system 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a smart control unit 10, a control condition table 20, an auxiliary ECU 31, a short-range communication unit 32, a vehicle speed sensor 35, a raindrop sensor 36, an illuminance sensor 37, an air pressure sensor 38, and a number of vehicle equipment 33, and is used while mounted on a vehicle.

[0016] The vehicle equipment 33 includes headlamps 33a, brake lamps 33b, turn signal circuits 33c, wipers 33d, defroster 33e, horn 33f, door locks 33g, etc. These vehicle equipment 33 are devices that are generally provided in various types of vehicles, and each function can be turned on and off by a passenger such as a driver operating a specific switch that is provided as standard in each vehicle.

[0017] On the other hand, the smart control unit 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a smart control function for controlling each vehicle equipment 33 in a safe manner according to operation input by an authorized user using a smart device (mobile terminal) such as a smartphone 40 provided by the driver or other occupants.

[0018] The smart control unit 10 is composed of electronic circuits mainly consisting of control elements such as a microcomputer, and realizes various functions required for the smart control unit 10 by reading and executing predetermined programs prepared in advance.

[0019] The control condition table 20 holds data of predetermined control conditions necessary for the microcomputer of the smart control unit 10 to make a correct decision. The data of the control condition table 20 is held in, for example, a non-volatile memory. A specific example of the control condition table 20 will be described later.

[0020] The auxiliary ECU (electronic control unit) 31 controls the on / off of each vehicle equipment 33 connected downstream according to instructions from the smart control unit 10 or instructions from a specific switch (not shown) on the vehicle. Note that the auxiliary ECU 31 may be omitted and each vehicle equipment 33 may be directly controlled by the smart control unit 10.

[0021] The short-range communication unit 32 is a communication module that enables relatively short-range communication using a communication system compatible with a standard wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), and provides the function of contactless communication between a smartphone 40 placed on or in the vicinity of the vehicle and the smart control unit 10 on the vehicle.

[0022] It should be noted that communication means other than radio waves can also be used as a means of short-distance communication. For example, optical communication can be performed by combining a display that displays a QR code (registered trademark) with a camera that can read the displayed QR code.

[0023] The vehicle speed sensor 35 is a standard speed sensor that is equipped on vehicles and can output one pulse signal every time the output shaft of the transmission rotates a certain amount. Therefore, the running speed (km / h) of the vehicle can be grasped by monitoring the number of pulses of this pulse signal.

[0024] The raindrop sensor 36 can output a signal that indicates the state of raindrops on the vehicle's window glass. For example, by detecting the state of water droplets on the glass surface using a reflective optical sensor or a camera installed on the inside of the windshield, it becomes possible to estimate the rainfall state and the environmental state that adversely affects the driver's visibility.

[0025] The illuminance sensor 37 is arranged, for example, near the windshield and can output a signal that indicates the brightness of the environmental illuminance. By using the signal detected by the illuminance sensor 37, it is possible to grasp the difference between the daytime and nighttime environments and to grasp the change in illuminance caused by entering and exiting a tunnel. The air pressure sensor 38 can output a signal indicating whether the air pressure in each wheel of the vehicle is normal or not.

[0026] When an operation instruction for each vehicle equipment 33 is input from the smartphone 40, the smart control unit 10 grasps the driving environment of the vehicle using the vehicle speed sensor 35, raindrop sensor 36, illuminance sensor 37, and air pressure sensor 38, and determines whether or not the operation is possible according to the control conditions registered in the control condition table 20. This allows for highly convenient operation using the smartphone 40 while ensuring the safety of the vehicle. Details will be described later.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main functions of the smart control unit 10. 2, the smart control unit 10 includes a smart device linking unit 11, a sensor data acquiring unit 12, a vehicle equipment operating unit 13, and a safety determining unit 14. The smartphone 40 includes an operation request generating unit 41 that generates an operation instruction request for each vehicle equipment 33 based on a screen operation of the smartphone 40 or a sensor input.

[0028] The smart device cooperation unit 11 controls communication so that cooperation can be established between a mobile terminal such as a smartphone 40 of an authorized user and the smart control unit 10. For example, an operation such as communication pairing is performed in advance between a specific smartphone 40 owned by a driver or the like and the smart control unit 10 on the vehicle owned by the driver, and data such as a key used for encrypting communication is transferred, thereby limiting smartphones 40 that can be cooperated to only authorized terminals. In addition, the smart device cooperation unit 11 acquires a request for an operation instruction for each vehicle equipment 33 from the operation request generation unit 41 of the smartphone 40.

[0029] The sensor data acquisition unit 12 acquires data representing the latest driving environment from the vehicle speed sensor 35, raindrop sensor 36, illuminance sensor 37, air pressure sensor 38, etc., for example periodically, and passes the data to the safety determination unit 14.

[0030] The vehicle equipment operation unit 13 outputs a signal to the vehicle equipment 33 to operate each of the vehicle equipment 33 to be operated in accordance with an operation instruction from the safety determination unit 14 . When a request for operation instructions for each vehicle equipment 33 is input from the smartphone 40, the safety judgment unit 14 judges whether or not the operation is possible based on the driving environment of the vehicle grasped from the output of the vehicle speed sensor 35, raindrop sensor 36, illuminance sensor 37, air pressure sensor 38, etc., and each control condition in the control condition table 20.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control condition table 20. As shown in FIG. The control condition table 20 shown in FIG. 3 holds data on control target items 21, operation request types 22, controllability items 23, scene determination conditions 24, and risk items 25 in a mutually associated state.

[0032] In the example of FIG. 3, data corresponding to each vehicle equipment, such as headlamps, brake lamps, turn signal circuits, wipers, washers, defroster, horn, door locks, interior lights, meters, brakes, motors, and batteries, as shown in control target items 21, is pre-registered.

[0033] In addition, for each vehicle equipment that can accept a plurality of types of operation requests, a plurality of operation request categories are registered in the item of operation request type 22 as follows. Headlamp turn-off request Headlamp ON operation request Request to turn off wipers Request to turn on wipers Request to turn off the defroster Request to turn on defroster Door lock open operation request Door lock closing request Request to turn off interior lights Request to turn on interior lights The operation request to the motor equipped in the vehicle is a request to instruct switching of the torque characteristics.

[0034] The control possibility item 23 of the control condition table 20 holds predetermined data indicating whether or not an operation from the smartphone 40 is permissible, i.e., "o" or "x." The scene determination conditions 24 of the control condition table 20 hold data classified into four items: driving conditions 24a, rainfall conditions 24b, environmental illuminance conditions 24c, and tire air pressure conditions 24d.

[0035] The data of the driving conditions 24a is data that can be used to judge the situation regarding the driving speed (km / h) and the traveling direction of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor 35, and whether or not there is a risk of operation.

[0036] The rainfall condition 24b data is data that can be used to determine the presence or absence of rain in the driving environment of the host vehicle detected by the raindrop sensor 36, that is, the weather conditions, such as "rain" or "sunny."

[0037] The data of the environmental illuminance state 24c is data that can be used to judge the brightness of the environmental illuminance in the driving environment of the host vehicle detected by the illuminance sensor 37, that is, whether the situation is "bright" or "dark", etc.

[0038] The tire pressure status 24d data can be used to determine whether the air pressure of each wheel of the vehicle detected by the air pressure sensor 38 is appropriate. The risk level item 25 of the control condition table 20 holds predefined data indicating the high or low level of risk of operations from the smartphone 40 in a scene that satisfies one or all of the driving conditions 24a, rainfall conditions 24b, ambient illumination conditions 24c, and tire air pressure conditions 24d of the scene determination conditions 24.

[0039] For example, if the vehicle equipment to be operated by the smartphone 40 is “headlamp”, the operation request type 22 is “OFF”, the current vehicle speed is 5 km / h or more, and the environmental illuminance condition 24c is “dark”, it will be apparent from the data in the risk item 25 of the control condition table 20 that the scene is highly dangerous.

[0040] In addition, for example, when the vehicle equipment to be operated by the smartphone 40 is “wiper”, the operation request type 22 is “OFF”, and the current output of the raindrop sensor 36 satisfies the condition of “rain” in the rainfall condition 24b, it is clear from the data of the risk item 25 in the control condition table 20 that the scene is highly dangerous.

[0041] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the smart control unit 10. The operation shown in Fig. 4 will be described below.

[0042] A regular smartphone 40 capable of operating vehicle equipment connected to the in-vehicle system 100 is previously equipped with dedicated application software (app) prepared for linking with the in-vehicle system 100. In addition, a predetermined pairing is performed in advance so that the smartphone 40 and the in-vehicle system 100 can communicate safely with each other when the app is running on the smartphone 40. Therefore, a passenger operating the smartphone 40 near the in-vehicle system 100 can perform input operations linked with the in-vehicle system 100 while looking at the screen of the app.

[0043] When the occupant operates the smartphone 40 to issue a request to operate a desired vehicle equipment, this request is input to the smart control unit 10 via the short-range communication unit 32 (S11).

[0044] The smart control unit 10 identifies in S12 whether the operation target of the operation request received in S11 corresponds to a controllable device. Specifically, if the controllability item 23 of the control condition table 20 has registered data of "○" indicating that the corresponding operation target device is controllable, the smart control unit 10 regards the corresponding operation target device as a controllable device and proceeds to the next process of S13. If the controllability item 23 of the control condition table 20 has registered data of "×" indicating that the corresponding operation target device is not controllable, the smart control unit 10 regards the corresponding operation target device as an uncontrollable device and proceeds to S20, where the request is rejected.

[0045] The smart control unit 10 obtains the latest information from the vehicle speed sensor 35, the raindrop sensor 36, the illuminance sensor 37, and the air pressure sensor 38 in S13, and correctly grasps the current conditions such as the driving conditions, rainfall conditions, environmental illuminance, and tire air pressure.

[0046] In S14, the smart control unit 10 compares the current state information acquired in S13 with the driving conditions 24a, the rainfall conditions 24b, the environmental illuminance conditions 24c, and the tire pressure conditions 24d of the scene determination conditions 24 on the control condition table 20, and identifies whether the corresponding operation matches a dangerous scene. If a match is detected, the process proceeds to the next S15, and if a match is not detected, the process proceeds to S19.

[0047] For the scene where a match was detected in S14, the smart control unit 10 refers to the data in the risk item 25 of the control condition table 20 in S15 to determine the level of risk. If the risk is "low", the process proceeds to S16. If the risk is "high", the process proceeds to S20 and the corresponding request is rejected.

[0048] The smart control unit 10 transmits a confirmation request regarding the operation intention of the user (passenger) to the requesting smartphone 40 in S16. On the other hand, when the application on the smartphone 40 receives the confirmation request from the smart control unit 10, it notifies the user on the screen that there has been a confirmation request and requests a confirmation input for operating the vehicle equipment. Then, when the application on the smartphone 40 accepts the user's confirmation input by operating a button on the screen or the like, it transmits information indicating the answer to the confirmation to the smart control unit 10.

[0049] When the smart control unit 10 receives a confirmation response from the requesting smartphone 40 in S17, it identifies in the next S18 whether the response is "operation OK". If the smart control unit 10 detects an "operation OK" response, it proceeds to S19 and executes the operation (on / off, etc.) of the specific vehicle equipment instructed to be operated by the user of the smartphone 40. If the smart control unit 10 detects a response other than "operation OK", it proceeds from S18 to S20 and rejects the operation request for the relevant vehicle equipment.

[0050] As described above, by using the smart control unit 10 of this embodiment, the driver of the vehicle and other passengers can use a smart device such as the smartphone 40 to operate vehicle equipment 33 such as the head lamps 33a, brake lamps 33b, turn signal circuit 33c, wipers 33d, defroster 33e, etc. as necessary. Moreover, since the smart control unit 10 permits the operation only when the environment, such as the driving state of the vehicle, is low risk, as shown in FIG. 4, it is easy to ensure safety.

[0051] 4, when the smart control unit 10 receives an operation request from the smartphone 40, it requests confirmation from the operator (S16), receives a response from the operator (S17), and executes the operation of the vehicle equipment 33 only when it is confirmed that the operator intends to operate (S18), thereby realizing highly reliable control. For example, when a false detection occurs on the smartphone 40 side in which an input operation unintended by the user of the smartphone 40 is regarded as an operation request for the vehicle equipment 33, the smart control unit 10 can reject the operation request in S20.

[0052] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately modified, improved, etc. In addition, the material, shape, size, number, arrangement location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary as long as the present invention can be achieved, and are not limited.

[0053] For example, the smart control unit may have the following configuration as shown in Fig. 5 or Fig. 6. Note that a description of the same components as those in the above-mentioned embodiment will be omitted. 5 is a block diagram showing another configuration 1 of the smart control unit. In this configuration, an operation request generating unit 41 that generates a request for an operation instruction to each vehicle equipment 33 is provided in the smart control unit 10 instead of the smartphone 40. The operation request generating unit 41 of the smart control unit 10 acquires data corresponding to a screen operation or a sensor input from the smartphone 40 via the smart device linking unit 11, and generates a request for an operation instruction to each vehicle equipment 33.

[0054] 6 is a block diagram showing another configuration 2 of the smart control unit. In this configuration, the safety determination unit 14 is provided in the smartphone 40 instead of the smart control unit 10. When the safety determination unit 14 acquires a request for an operation instruction for each vehicle equipment 33 from the operation request generation unit 41, if the corresponding operation does not match a dangerous scene or if "operation OK" is selected in S18 shown in FIG. 4, the safety determination unit 14 passes the request for the operation instruction to the smart device cooperation unit 11 of the smart control unit 10.

[0055] Here, the features of the in-vehicle smart control device according to the embodiment of the present invention described above will be briefly summarized and listed in the following [1] to [5]. [1] A request input unit (smart device link unit 11) capable of receiving an operation request for a vehicle device (33) from a desired mobile terminal (smartphone 40); an environmental data input unit (sensor data acquisition unit 12) capable of acquiring data related to the vehicle's driving environment from predetermined sensors on the vehicle side (a vehicle speed sensor 35, a raindrop sensor 36, an illuminance sensor 37, and an air pressure sensor 38); An equipment control unit (vehicle equipment operation unit 13) capable of controlling desired vehicle equipment; An operation determination unit (safety determination unit 14) that determines whether or not a vehicle equipment operation can be performed with respect to the operation request input to the request input unit; the operation determination unit determines whether or not an operation can be performed based on the vehicle running environment acquired by the environmental data input unit. An in-vehicle smart control device (smart control unit 10).

[0056] According to the in-vehicle smart control device having the above configuration [1], operation from a mobile device can be permitted only when the actual driving environment of the vehicle is expected to be low risk. Therefore, it is possible to operate the vehicle conveniently while ensuring the safety of the vehicle.

[0057] [2] The operation determination unit grasps the traveling speed of the host vehicle based on the data of the traveling environment of the vehicle acquired by the environmental data input unit, and performs a determination under conditions including differences in the traveling speed. The in-vehicle smart control device according to [1] above.

[0058] According to the in-vehicle smart control device having the configuration [2] above, the operation judgment unit makes a judgment so as to reflect differences in the traveling speed of the vehicle, making it easier to make an appropriate judgment taking into account the level of danger to the vehicle.

[0059] [3] A judgment table (control condition table 20) is provided to hold predefined data representing a relationship between each of a plurality of types of vehicle equipment, a type of operation request, and a condition for identifying a scene of a vehicle driving environment. An in-vehicle smart control device according to the above [1] or [2].

[0060] According to the in-vehicle smart control device configured as described above in [3], the conditions of dangerous scenes to be detected can be individually determined by taking into account the unique characteristics of various types of vehicle equipment. This makes it easy to realize highly accurate and reliable control.

[0061] [4] The operation determination unit grasps the level of danger for each scene of the vehicle's driving environment based on the data of the vehicle's driving environment acquired by the environmental data input unit, and determines whether or not to execute an operation according to the level of danger (S14, S15). An in-vehicle smart control device according to any one of [1] to [3] above.

[0062] According to the in-vehicle smart control device having the configuration described above in [4], the degree of danger for each of the various driving environment scenes of the vehicle can be grasped individually, making it easy to realize highly accurate and reliable control.

[0063] [5] The environmental data input unit acquires at least two pieces of data among the vehicle's running speed, rainfall conditions, environmental illuminance, and tire pressure (S13); The operation determination unit identifies a scene of the vehicle's driving environment based on the data of the plurality of driving environments acquired by the environmental data input unit, and performs a determination according to the scene (S14). An in-vehicle smart control device according to any one of [1] to [5] above.

[0064] According to the in-vehicle smart control device having the configuration described above in [5], it is possible to grasp the level of danger for each of various driving environment scenes of the vehicle, such as when the vehicle is almost stopped, when it is driving normally, when it is driving in the rain, when it is driving at night, etc., and therefore it is possible to easily realize highly accurate and reliable control. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 10 Smart Control Unit 11 Smart Device Collaboration Department 12 Sensor data acquisition unit 13 Vehicle equipment operation unit 14 Safety Judgment Department 20 Control Condition Table 21 Controlled Items 22 Operation request type 23 Controllable Items 24 Scene Judgment Conditions 24a Riding conditions 24b Rainfall 24c Ambient lighting conditions 24d Tire pressure status 25 Risk items 31 Auxiliary ECU 32 Near Field Communication Unit 33 Vehicle equipment 33a Headlamp 33b Brake lights 33c Turn signal circuit 33d Wiper 33e Defroster 33f Horn 33g Door Lock 35 Vehicle speed sensor 36 Raindrop sensor 37 Illuminance sensor 38 Air Pressure Sensor 40 Smartphone 41 Operation request generation unit 100 In-vehicle systems

Claims

1. a request input unit capable of receiving an input of an operation request for vehicle equipment from a mobile terminal; an environmental data input unit capable of acquiring data relating to the vehicle's driving environment from a predetermined sensor on the vehicle side; An equipment control unit capable of controlling desired vehicle equipment; an operation determination unit that determines whether or not a vehicle equipment operation can be performed for the operation request input to the request input unit, the operation determination unit determines whether or not an operation can be performed based on the vehicle traveling environment acquired by the environmental data input unit; In-vehicle smart control device.

2. The operation determination unit grasps a traveling speed of the vehicle based on data of the traveling environment of the vehicle acquired by the environmental data input unit, and performs a determination under conditions including differences in the traveling speed. The vehicle-mounted smart control device according to claim 1 .

3. a determination table that holds predefined data representing a relationship between each of a plurality of types of vehicle equipment, a type of an operation request, and a condition for identifying a scene of a vehicle driving environment; The vehicle-mounted smart control device according to claim 1 .

4. the operation determination unit grasps a level of danger for each scene of the vehicle's driving environment based on the data of the vehicle's driving environment acquired by the environmental data input unit, and determines whether or not an operation can be executed according to the level of danger; The vehicle-mounted smart control device according to claim 1 .

5. The environmental data input unit acquires at least two pieces of data among a vehicle's running speed, a rainfall condition, an environmental illuminance, and a tire pressure, The operation determination unit identifies a scene of a vehicle's driving environment based on the data of the plurality of driving environments acquired by the environmental data input unit, and performs a determination according to the scene. The vehicle-mounted smart control device according to claim 1 .

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