System and information processing device

Abstract

To provide a technique that suppresses an increase in electric power consumption while notifying a location of a vehicle.SOLUTION: In a system comprising a vehicle and a server, the vehicle comprises a first control unit configured to notify the server of the fact that a beacon has been detected, in response to an engine of the vehicle being stopped when the beacon is detected from a beacon transmitter arranged on a road, and the server comprises a second control unit configured to determine whether or not the vehicle has passed a predetermined point in response to receiving the notification from the vehicle that the beacon has been detected, and configured to notify an administrator of the vehicle of the fact that the vehicle has passed the predetermined point in response to determining that the vehicle has passed the predetermined point.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses that vehicle position information is periodically acquired when the vehicle engine is stopped, and if the vehicle position differs from the previously acquired vehicle position by a predetermined distance or more, a predetermined signal is transmitted to external equipment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-066648 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for notifying a vehicle position while suppressing an increase in power consumption. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a system comprising a vehicle and a server, wherein the vehicle comprises a first control unit configured to, when detecting a beacon from a beacon transmitter placed on a road, notify the server that the beacon has been detected in response to the engine of the vehicle being stopped, and the server comprises a second control unit configured to, in response to receiving notification from the vehicle that the beacon has been detected, determine whether the vehicle has passed a specified point, and in response to determining that the vehicle has passed the specified point, notify an administrator of the vehicle that the vehicle has passed the specified point.

[0006] Alternatively, one aspect of the present invention is an information processing device including a control unit configured to execute the following: when a beacon is detected from a beacon transmitter placed on a road, and in response to the vehicle engine being stopped, transmit information regarding the beacon to an external server.

[0007] Further, other aspects of the present invention are an information processing method for causing a computer to execute the above-described information processing, a program for causing a computer to execute this information processing method, and a computer-readable storage medium on which this program is non-temporarily stored. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for notifying a vehicle position while suppressing an increase in power consumption. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a vehicle and a server that configure the system according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a table configuration of a vehicle information DB according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a process in a vehicle. [Diagram 5] 13 is a flowchart showing a process in a server. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] It is possible to periodically transmit location information when the vehicle engine is stopped. In this way, the location of the vehicle can be tracked, for example, if the vehicle is stolen. However, if the location information is transmitted periodically while the engine is stopped, there is a risk that the remaining charge of the battery will become insufficient.

[0011] In order to solve such a problem, a system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a vehicle and a server. The vehicle includes a first control unit. When the first control unit detects a beacon from a beacon transmitter arranged on a road, the first control unit notifies the server that the beacon has been detected in response to the engine of the vehicle being stopped. The beacon transmitter transmits a beacon, for example, using wireless LAN or short-range wireless communication. The power consumption required for the vehicle to receive the beacon is relatively low. Here, for example, when the position information is acquired by a GPS receiver, the power consumption is larger than when the beacon is received. Therefore, for example, when the position information is acquired by a GPS receiver when the engine is stopped, there is a risk that the battery will run out of charge. On the other hand, if the position information is acquired by receiving a beacon, it is possible to prevent the battery from running out of charge even when the engine is stopped. The vehicle may transmit the position information included in the beacon to the server, or may transmit a beacon ID, which is identification information unique to the beacon included in the beacon, to the server.

[0012] The server also includes a second control unit. The second control unit determines whether the vehicle has passed a predetermined point in response to receiving a notification from the vehicle that the beacon has been detected. The predetermined point is, for example, a point within a predetermined distance from a boundary line of a geofence set by an administrator of the vehicle. The second control unit may, for example, compare information about the geofence stored in the storage unit with position information received from the vehicle to determine whether the vehicle has passed the predetermined point. Then, in response to determining that the vehicle has passed the predetermined point, the second control unit notifies the administrator of the vehicle that the vehicle has passed the predetermined point. The administrator of the vehicle may be the owner of the vehicle. The administrator of the vehicle receives a notification from the server, for example, when the vehicle enters the geofence or leaves the geofence. Thus, the administrator can know the approximate location of the vehicle.

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. In addition, the following embodiments can be combined as much as possible.

[0014] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a system 1 according to an embodiment. In the example of FIG. 1, the system 1 includes a vehicle 10, a beacon transmitter 20, and a server 30. The vehicle 10 is a vehicle equipped with an engine. The vehicle 10 is placed on a bed of a vehicle transporter 40 with the engine stopped. The vehicle transporter 40 is a vehicle that can move with the vehicle 10 placed on it. FIG. 1 shows one vehicle 10 as an example, but there are multiple vehicles 10. The vehicle transporter 40 can also transport multiple vehicles 10. There are also multiple beacon transmitters 20. The vehicle 10 and the server 30 are connected to each other by a network N1. The network N1 is, for example, a global public communication network such as the Internet, and may be a WAN (Wide Area Network) or other communication network. The network N1 may also include a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone, or a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0015] The beacon transmitters 20 are arranged on the road and communicate with each other via wireless communication such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark) or BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Lo The vehicle 10 transmits the position information of the beacon transmitter 20 using short-distance wireless communication such as wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) or wireless energy. When the vehicle 10 receives the position information from the beacon transmitter 20 while the engine is stopped, the vehicle 10 transmits the beacon information including the position information to the server 30 by linking it with the vehicle ID. When the server 30 receives the beacon information from the vehicle 10, the server 30 provides information to the manager of the vehicle 10 according to the beacon information. For example, if the beacon transmitter 20 is placed on each road that passes through the boundary line of a predetermined area, the manager of the vehicle 10 can be notified that the vehicle 10 has entered or left the predetermined area.

[0016] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle 10 and the server 30 constituting the system 1 according to the present embodiment. The server 30 has a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, a communication module 33, and an input / output device 34. The control unit 31 is an example of a second control unit.

[0017] The server 30 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main storage device (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary storage device (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.). The auxiliary storage device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, it is possible to realize various functions (software modules) that meet a predetermined purpose, as described below. However, some or all of the modules may be realized as hardware modules by hardware circuits such as ASICs and FPGAs.

[0018] The control unit 31 is a calculation unit that executes a predetermined program to realize various functions of the server 30. The control unit 31 can be realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 31 may also be configured to include a RAM, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a cache memory, and the like. The control unit 31 will be described in detail later.

[0019] The storage unit 32 is a means for storing information, and is configured with a storage medium such as a RAM, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 32 stores programs executed by the control unit 31, data used by the programs, etc. The storage unit 32 also has databases (vehicle information DB 321 and map information DB 322) built therein, and vehicle information, which is information about each vehicle 10, and map information are stored in the databases.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a table configuration of the vehicle information DB 321 according to the embodiment. The vehicle information DB 321 stores information about the geofence and information about the administrator, linked to the vehicle ID. The vehicle ID is identification information unique to the vehicle 10. The information about the geofence is information about an area to be notified when the vehicle 10 enters or leaves the vehicle 10. The information about the geofence is input, for example, by the administrator of the vehicle 10 via the administrator's terminal. For example, the control unit 31 displays a map on the administrator's terminal, and the administrator specifies the center point and the radius of the circle displayed on the map via the terminal, thereby setting the geofence. This circle becomes a virtual boundary line, and the area surrounded by this circle becomes the geofence area. The information about the administrator is information required to notify the administrator of the vehicle 10 of the location of the vehicle 10. The information about the administrator includes information used by the control unit 31 when notifying the administrator, such as a phone number, an email address, an SNS account, and information about push notifications.

[0021] In addition, the map information DB322 stores map information such as link data relating to roads (links), node data relating to node points, intersection data relating to each intersection, search data for searching routes, section data relating to sections, and information relating to the position of the beacon transmitter 20.

[0022] The communication module 33 is a communication interface for connecting the server 30 to the network N1. The communication module 33 may be configured to include, for example, a network interface board, a wireless communication interface for wireless communication, etc. The server 30 can perform data communication with each vehicle 10 via the communication module 33.

[0023] The input / output device 34 is a means for receiving an input operation performed by an operator and presenting information to the operator. Specifically, the input / output device 34 includes devices for input such as a mouse and a keyboard, and devices for output such as a display and a speaker. The input / output device 34 may be integrally configured with, for example, a touch panel display.

[0024] Note that the specific hardware configuration of the server 30 may be such that components are omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

[0025] Next, the vehicle 10 will be described. The vehicle 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication module 13, a beacon receiver 14, and a power switch 15. The control unit 11 is a calculation unit that realizes various functions of the vehicle 10 by executing a predetermined program. The control unit 11 can be realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 11 may also be configured to include a RAM, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a cache memory, and the like. The control unit 11 is an example of a first control unit.

[0026] The storage unit 12 is a means for storing information, and is configured with storage media such as RAM, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 12 stores programs executed by the control unit 11, data used by the programs, etc.

[0027] The communication module 13 is a communication means for connecting the vehicle 10 to the network N1. In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 can communicate with other devices (e.g., the server 30) via the network N1 by using a mobile communication service such as 3G, LTE, 5G, or 6G.

[0028] The beacon receiver 14 is a device that receives a beacon from the beacon transmitter 20. For example, the beacon receiver 14 can receive a beacon by using wireless communication such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy).

[0029] The power switch 15 is a switch for operating or stopping the engine of the vehicle 10, and is a switch for starting or stopping the engine of the vehicle 10 by the driver pressing the power switch 15. A state in which the driver presses the power switch 15 to operate the engine is referred to as an IG on state, and a state in which the user presses the power switch 15 again to stop the engine is referred to as an IG off state. The power switch 15 may be an IG switch.

[0030] The control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 can receive a beacon via the beacon receiver 14 even in the IG off state. When the control unit 11 is in the IG off state and receives a beacon, it transmits beacon information to the server 30. The beacon information includes the vehicle ID and the location information included in the beacon. In this case, the beacon receiver 14 operates even in the IG off state, but since the power consumption of the beacon receiver 14 is low, the decrease in the remaining charge of the battery is relatively small. Therefore, the remaining charge of the battery is prevented from becoming zero.

[0031] Even if the IG is off, the vehicle 10 is being transported by the vehicle transport vehicle 40, so the vehicle 10 is in the geographical area. The vehicle 10 may leave the fence or enter the geofence. Every time the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 receives a beacon transmitted from a beacon transmitter 20 arranged on the road, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 links the location information contained in the beacon with the vehicle ID and transmits it to the server 30. Furthermore, when the IG is on, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 may or may not transmit the location information contained in the beacon. That is, it is sufficient to transmit the location information contained in the beacon at least when the IG is off.

[0032] Further, the control unit 31 of the server 30 determines whether the vehicle 10 has passed the boundary line of the geofence based on the position information acquired from the vehicle 10. When the control unit 31 receives beacon information from the vehicle 10, it extracts the vehicle ID included in the beacon information. Then, it identifies a record corresponding to the vehicle ID from the vehicle information DB 321. Furthermore, it extracts information about the geofence from the record and compares it with the position information included in the beacon information. For example, if the position of the vehicle 10 identified by the position information is within a predetermined distance from the geofence, it is determined that the vehicle 10 has passed the boundary line of the geofence. That is, the control unit 31 determines that the vehicle 10 has entered or exited the geofence. In response to determining that the vehicle 10 has passed the boundary line of the geofence, the control unit 31 notifies the manager of the vehicle 10 that the vehicle 10 has passed the boundary line of the geofence. Information about the manager of the vehicle 10 is extracted from the corresponding record in the vehicle information DB 321.

[0033] Next, the processing in the vehicle 10 will be described. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing in the vehicle 10. In step S101, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the vehicle 10 is in an IG off state. As another example, it may be determined whether or not the engine of the vehicle 10 is stopped. If a positive determination is made in step S101, the process proceeds to step S102, and if a negative determination is made, this routine is terminated.

[0034] In step S102, the control unit 11 determines whether or not a beacon has been received from the beacon transmitter 20. If the determination in step S102 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S103, and if the determination is negative, the routine is terminated. In step S103, the control unit 11 links the location information included in the beacon with the vehicle ID and transmits the information to the server 30. At this time, the control unit 11 may start a system that is minimally required to transmit the beacon information. Then, after transmitting the beacon information, the control unit 11 may stop the system.

[0035] Next, a process in the server 30 will be described. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the process in the server 30. The flowchart shown in Fig. 5 is executed at predetermined time intervals in the server 30. Note that the following description will be given assuming that the vehicle information DB 321 stores vehicle information corresponding to a plurality of vehicles 10.

[0036] In step S201, the control unit 31 determines whether or not beacon information has been received from the vehicle 10. If the determination in step S201 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S202, and if the determination is negative, the present routine is terminated.

[0037] In step S202, the control unit 31 extracts vehicle information of the target vehicle 10 from the vehicle information DB 321. At this time, the control unit 31 extracts a record corresponding to the vehicle ID included in the beacon information from the vehicle information DB 321. In addition, in step S203, the control unit 31 acquires position information from the beacon information. In step S204, the control unit 31 determines whether the position of the vehicle 10 is within a predetermined distance from the geofence. The predetermined distance is a distance at which the vehicle 10 may be considered to have passed the boundary line of the geofence. As another example, the geofence may be set to connect the positions of the beacon transmitters 20. In other words, the beacon transmitter 20 may be located on the boundary line of the geofence. In this case, the control unit 31 includes in the beacon information the information transmitted from the beacon transmitter 20 located on the boundary line of the geofence. If the determination in step S204 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S205, and if the determination is negative, the present routine is terminated.

[0038] In step S205, the control unit 31 notifies the manager of the vehicle 10 that the vehicle 10 has passed the boundary line of the geofence. This manager is the manager associated with the vehicle ID in the vehicle information DB 321. At this time, the vehicle ID may be notified to the manager.

[0039] As described above, according to this embodiment, even when the vehicle 10 is being transported by the vehicle transporter 40, the vehicle 10 can transmit the location information received from the beacon transmitter 20 arranged on the road to the server 30. Since low-power short-range wireless communication is used to receive the beacon, for example, it is possible to prevent the remaining charge of the battery of the vehicle 10 from decreasing too much. In addition, when the vehicle 10 enters or leaves the geofence, the administrator of the vehicle 10 is notified of this, so that the administrator can know the approximate location of the vehicle 10.

[0040] <Other embodiments> The above embodiment is merely an example, and the present invention may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the gist of the present invention. The processes and means described in this disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs. In addition, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

[0041] The vehicle 10 may transmit a beacon ID, which is identification information unique to the beacon transmitter 20, to the server 30 instead of the location information. In this case, if the relationship between the beacon ID and the location information of the beacon transmitter 20 is stored in the storage unit 32, the location information of the vehicle 10 can be acquired from the beacon ID. In addition, the control unit 31 of the server 30 may notify the manager of the vehicle 10 of the route traveled by the vehicle 10 based on the history of the beacon information received from the vehicle 10.

[0042] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the system bus of the computer, or may be provided to the computer via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (floppy disk, hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD disk, Blu-ray disk, etc.), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1 System 10 Vehicles 11 Control section 12 Storage section 13 Communication Module 14 Beacon Receiver 15 Power Switch 20 Beacon Transmitter 30 Servers 31 Control Unit 32 Storage section 33 Communication Module 34 Input / Output Devices 40 Vehicle transporter

Claims

1. Vehicles and A server; A system comprising: the vehicle includes a first control unit configured to execute, when detecting a beacon from a beacon transmitter arranged on a road, notifying the server of the detection of the beacon in response to an engine of the vehicle being stopped; The server, In response to receiving a notification from the vehicle that the beacon has been detected, determining whether the vehicle has passed a predetermined point; In response to determining that the vehicle has passed the predetermined point, notifying a manager of the vehicle that the vehicle has passed the predetermined point; A second control unit configured to execute system.

2. The predetermined point is a point within a predetermined distance from a boundary line of a geofence set by an administrator of the vehicle. The system of claim 1 .

3. The server includes a storage unit that stores identification information unique to the vehicle, information about a geofence set by an administrator of the vehicle, and information about the administrator of the vehicle. The system of claim 1 .

4. transmitting information about a beacon to an external server when a beacon is detected from a beacon transmitter installed on a road and the engine of the vehicle is stopped; An information processing device comprising a control unit configured to execute the above.

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