Communication instrument, communication control method, and communication control program

Abstract

To provide a communication instrument capable of avoiding a low speed of a communication module due to a high temperature while satisfying a communication capacitance to be required.SOLUTION: A communication instrument 100 mounted onto a mobile body, comprises: a communication part 10 having a plurality of communication modules that contains at least a first communication module 11 and a second communication module 12; a communication information acquisition part 20 that acquires first communication capacitance information that indicates the communication capacitance of the first communication module, second communication capacitance information indicating the communication capacitance of the second communication module, and request communication capacitance information indicating the communication capacitance required for the mobile body; a temperature information acquisition part 21 that acquires first temperature information indicating the temperature of the first communication module and second temperature information indicating the temperature of the second communication module; and a communication control part 30 that controls the communication so as to be switched to at least one communication module of the communication part 10 on the basis of the requested communication capacitance information, the first communication capacitance information, the second communication capacitance information, the first temperature information, and the second temperature information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device that is primarily attached to a moving object such as a vehicle and that has a plurality of communication modules mounted thereon, a communication control method executed by the communication device, and a communication control program that can be executed by the communication device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, technologies for driving assistance and autonomous driving control using large-capacity cellular communications, vehicle-to-vehicle communications, and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications (V2X) have been attracting attention in automobiles and other vehicles. As a result, vehicles are being equipped with communication functions and are becoming more connected.

[0003] In particular, for fully unmanned autonomous vehicles without a driver, it is expected that the vehicle will be monitored and supported from a remote location in the event of an emergency inside or outside the vehicle. In such an emergency, it is desirable for the vehicle to be equipped with a communication device that uses a mobile phone network, and the communication device must be highly reliable. For this reason, it is being considered to ensure redundancy and increase reliability by using multiple communication modules for the communication device to use multiple communication carriers and multiple communication lines.

[0004] On the other hand, in a communication device equipped with multiple communication modules, if a communication module in a good communication environment is selected based on the actual measured communication speed of the communication module, a specific communication carrier or communication environment, etc., and the selected communication module is continued to be used, the selected communication module is likely to become hot. Generally, a communication module is equipped with a protection function that automatically reduces communication performance or stops the communication function itself when the temperature exceeds the operating range, so there is a problem that if a communication module in a good communication environment is continued to be used, it cannot demonstrate its original performance due to the protection function.

[0005] For example, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the temperature of an internal substrate in a wireless communication terminal exceeds a preset temperature, a handover to a communication method that generates less heat is performed, thereby suppressing the temperature rise of the internal substrate. In addition, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, in an electronic device and a portable communication device equipped with multiple communication modules including a first communication module and a second communication module, the data processing rate and temperature of the first module are monitored, and when the data processing rate reaches or exceeds a reference value and the reference temperature is reached or exceeds a reference temperature, a handover is performed to the second communication module, thereby preventing overheating of the electronic device during high-speed communication. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-244603 A [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2019-97170 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Here, the present inventors have found the following problem as a result of detailed investigation. In the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1, when the communication capacity of the handed-over communication method is small, there are cases where the wireless communication terminal cannot satisfy the communication capacity required. In the conventional technology described in Patent Document 2, after handover to the second communication module, the communication capacity using only the second communication module may be insufficient to satisfy the communication requirements of the electronic device and the portable communication device. Furthermore, in the conventional technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, no measures are considered for dealing with temperature rises when multiple lines are used simultaneously (multi-line case), and the reliability of applying the conventional technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 to vehicle-mounted communication devices that use multiple lines simultaneously is low.

[0008] The present invention provides a communication device that avoids slowing down of a communication module due to high temperatures while satisfying a required communication capacity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A communication device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a communication device (100, 200, 300) mounted on a mobile object, A communication unit (10) including a plurality of communication modules including at least a first communication module (11) and a second communication module (12); a communication information acquisition unit (20) that acquires first communication capacity information indicating a communication capacity of the first communication module, second communication capacity information indicating a communication capacity of the second communication module, and required communication capacity information indicating a communication capacity required by the mobile unit; a temperature information acquisition unit (21) that acquires first temperature information indicating a temperature of the first communication module and second temperature information indicating a temperature of the second communication module; and a communication control unit (30) that selects and controls at least one communication module of the communication unit (10) to perform communication based on the required communication capacity information, the first communication capacity information, the second communication capacity information, the first temperature information, and the second temperature information.

[0010] In addition, the claims and the numbers in parentheses attached to the constituent elements of the invention described in this section indicate the correspondence between the present invention and the embodiments described below, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the above configuration, the communication device of the present invention predicts in advance the slowing down of the communication module due to high temperatures, and controls the selection and use of at least one communication module based on required communication capacity information, temperature information and communication capacity information of each communication module, thereby avoiding the slowing down of the communication module due to high temperatures while satisfying communication requirements. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a mobile object equipped with communication devices 100, 200, and 300 that are the basis of each embodiment. [Diagram 2] A block diagram illustrating the configuration of communication devices 100, 200, and 300 that are the basis of each embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the flow of a communication control method for the communication devices 100, 200, and 300 that is the premise of each embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication device 100 according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the flow of a communication control method of the communication device 100 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a communication control method of the communication device 100 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication device 200 according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the flow of a communication control method of the communication device 200 according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a communication control method of the communication device 200 according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication device 300 according to a third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the flow of a communication control method of the communication device 300 according to the third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a communication control method of the communication device 300 according to the third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a communication control method for the communication devices 200 and 300 according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining correction of temperature gradients in the communication devices 100 and 300 of the fifth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining correction of temperature gradients in the communication devices 100 and 300 of the fifth embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a control method of the communication control unit 30 of the communication devices 200 and 300 of the sixth embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a communication control method for the communication devices 100, 200, and 300 of the seventh embodiment. [Figure 18]FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the communication devices 100 and 300 according to the eighth embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication device 400 according to a ninth embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the flow of a communication control method of the communication device 400 according to the ninth embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a communication control method of the communication device 400 according to the ninth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] The present invention means the invention described in the claims or in the Summary of the Invention section, and is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, at least the words in quotation marks mean the words described in the claims or in the Summary of the Invention section, and are not limited to the following embodiments.

[0015] The configurations and methods described in the dependent claims are optional configurations and methods in the invention described in the independent claims. The configurations and methods of the embodiments corresponding to the configurations and methods described in the dependent claims, and the configurations and methods described only in the embodiments without being described in the claims, are optional configurations and methods in the present invention. The configurations and methods described in the embodiments when the description of the claims is broader than the description of the embodiments are also optional configurations and methods in the present invention in the sense that they are examples of the configurations and methods of the present invention. In either case, by being described in the independent claims, they become essential configurations and methods of the present invention.

[0016] The effects described in the embodiments are effects obtained when the configurations of the embodiments are provided as examples of the present invention, and are not necessarily effects that the present invention possesses.

[0017] When there are multiple embodiments (including modified examples), the configurations disclosed in each embodiment are not limited to each embodiment, but can be combined across the embodiments. For example, a configuration disclosed in one embodiment may be combined with another embodiment. Also, configurations disclosed in each of the multiple embodiments may be collected and combined.

[0018] The problem described in the section on problems that the invention is intended to solve is not a publicly known problem, but was independently discovered by the inventor, and this, together with the configuration and method of the present invention, is a fact that affirms the inventive step of the invention.

[0019] 1. Configuration underlying each embodiment (1) Configuration of a communication device equipped with multiple communication modules and a management system The configuration of a communication device and a management system that are the basis of each embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0020] The present invention targets communication devices 100, 200, 300 equipped with at least two or more communication modules (a first communication module 11 and a second communication module 12). Each communication module is connected to the Internet using a different communication system, and communicates with an external management system 80 via the Internet. The communication device is "mounted" on a "mobile body" such as an autonomous vehicle. The communication module may be any hardware or software that realizes a communication function for communicating with the management system. The communication means may be wired or wireless. The module may be in any form, such as a semiconductor or a substrate. Where: "Mobile object" refers to an object that can move and can move at any speed. It also includes cases where the mobile object is stationary. For example, it includes, but is not limited to, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, ships, aircraft, and objects mounted on these. "Mounted" includes not only the case where the device is directly fixed to the moving body, but also the case where the device is not fixed to the moving body but moves with the moving body, such as the case where the device is carried by a person riding on the moving body, or the case where the device is mounted on cargo placed on the moving body.

[0021] Examples of the communication system include a cellular communication system, a Low Power Wide Area-network (LPWA), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), satellite communication, etc. Examples of the cellular communication system include wireless communication systems such as 3G, 4G, LTE (Long Term Evolution), and 5G. Examples of different communication systems include cases where the communication media, communication carriers, and communication providers are different, as well as cases where the communication fee structure (individual, corporate, large contract, etc.), communication restrictions (monthly communication volume limit, communication speed limit, etc.), and core network (eMBB and URLLC in a 5G system, etc.) are different for the same communication media or communication carrier. For example, if two communication modules connected to the same communication carrier communicate using 4G and the other communicates using 3G or 5G, they use different communication systems even if they use the same communication carrier. In addition, multiple communication modules that use different communication systems each have a unique mobile phone number, IP address, etc. The communication system may be a wired system instead of a wireless system, for example, a fixed telephone line or Ethernet (registered trademark).

[0022] The communication device further includes a CPU 70. The CPU 70 controls communication using the first communication module 11 and / or the second communication module 12 under predetermined conditions, and transmits communication data to the management system 80. Furthermore, the CPU 70 controls a plurality of ECUs (1 to N) mounted on the moving object. The ECUs (1 to N) may be physically independent electronic control devices, or virtualized electronic control devices realized using virtualization technology. The ECUs (1 to N) may be, for example, any of an integrated ECU, an external communication ECU, a zone ECU, and an individual ECU. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the communication devices 100, 200, and 300 are implemented by an integrated ECU and an external communication ECU. In the case of FIG. 1, the ECUs are connected to each other, and the CPU 70 and each ECU are connected to each other via an in-vehicle network or other wired or wireless communication methods. In addition, a connection refers to a state in which data can be exchanged, and includes not only cases in which different hardware is connected via a wired or wireless communication network, but also cases in which virtual machines realized on the same hardware are virtually connected to each other.

[0023] (2) Configuration of a communication device equipped with multiple communication modules A configuration example of the communication devices 100, 200, 300 on which each embodiment is based will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The communication devices 100, 200, 300 each have a communication unit 10 including a plurality of modules, a communication information acquisition unit 20, a temperature information acquisition unit 21, and a communication control unit 30. The plurality of communication modules of the communication unit 10 include at least a first communication module 11 and a second communication module 12. In each embodiment, when three or more communication modules are included, the communication module is referred to as an Nth communication module (N is an integer of 3 or more). Although each embodiment is described as an example having two or three communication modules, four or more communication modules may be included.

[0024] The communication information acquisition unit 20 acquires first communication capacity information indicating the communication capacity of the first communication module 11, second communication capacity information indicating the communication capacity of the second communication module 12, and requested communication capacity information indicating the communication capacity required of the mobile body equipped with the communication device. The communication capacity information is information on the communication bandwidth that the communication module can acquire, and is indicated, for example, by the number of bits per unit time (bit / sec). The requested communication capacity information is information on the communication capacity required of the communication device, and is indicated, for example, by the number of bits per unit time (bit / sec). The requested communication capacity information may be acquired from the management system 80, ECU-1, ECU-2, or ECU-N at regular intervals, or a fixed value previously set during initial setup may be used.

[0025] The temperature information acquisition unit 21 acquires first temperature information indicating the temperature of the first communication module 11 and second temperature information indicating the temperature of the second communication module 12. The temperature information is information indicating the temperature of the communication module itself, and may be acquired from an internal temperature sensor mounted in the module or a temperature sensor attached to the outside of the module.

[0026] The communication control unit 30 controls the communication unit 10 to select at least one of the multiple communication modules to perform communication "based on" the required communication capacity information, the first communication capacity information, the second communication capacity information, the first temperature information, and the second temperature information. In the following embodiment, a case where only one arbitrary communication module is controlled to be used and a case where two or more arbitrary communication modules are controlled to be used simultaneously will be described. Note that the number of communication modules to be used before and after the selection may be different. For example, one communication module may be used before the selection, and two communication modules including the communication module before the selection may be used after the selection. Also, even if the communication module to be used before and after the selection is the same, it is still a selection. Here, "based on" includes not only the direct use of one piece of information, but also the use of information that takes other information into account using one piece of information as a standard, i.e., the indirect use of one piece of information.

[0027] (3) Communication control method for a communication device The flow of the communication control method in the communication devices 100, 200, and 300 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Note that the operations shown in Fig. 3 not only show the communication control method executed in the communication devices 100, 200, and 300, but also show the processing procedure of a communication control program executable in the communication devices 100, 200, and 300. The processing shown here is not limited to the order shown in Fig. 3. In other words, the order may be changed as long as there are no constraints, such as a relationship in which a certain step utilizes the result of the previous step. The same applies to Figs. 5, 8, 11, and 20 described below.

[0028] In the communication devices 100, 200, and 300, the communication information acquisition unit 20 acquires first communication capacity information indicating the communication capacity of the first communication module 11, second communication capacity information indicating the communication capacity of the second communication module 12, and required communication capacity information indicating the communication capacity required of the mobile body (S11).

[0029] The temperature information acquisition unit 21 acquires first temperature information indicating the temperature of the first communication module 11 and second temperature information indicating the temperature of the second communication module 12 (S12).

[0030] The communication control unit 30 controls the communication unit 10 to select at least one communication module to perform communication based on the required communication capacity information, the first communication capacity information, the second communication capacity information, the first temperature information, and the second temperature information (S13). The communication devices 100, 200, and 300 of the respective embodiments will be described below in order.

[0031] 2. Embodiment 1 (1) Configuration of communication device 100 An example of the configuration of the communication device 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The communication device 100 further includes a predicted communication capacity information estimating unit 22 and a predicted temperature information estimating unit 23 in addition to the configuration that is the premise of each embodiment of Fig. 2. In this embodiment, the communication control unit 30 selects either the first communication module 11 or the second communication module 12, and controls the communication unit 10 to perform communication using the selected communication module. In the following description, for example, when one communication module is being used, selecting and starting to use the other communication module may be expressed as switching. During this control, the first communication capacity information, the second communication capacity information, the first temperature information, and the second temperature information are indirectly used. The predicted communication capacity information estimation unit 22, the predicted temperature information estimation unit 23, and the communication control unit 30 will be described in detail below.

[0032] The predicted communication capacity information estimation unit 22 estimates first predicted communication capacity information indicating a predicted communication capacity of the first communication module 11 after a "certain time" based on the first communication capacity information acquired by the communication information acquisition unit 20. Similarly, based on the second communication capacity information, it estimates second predicted communication capacity information indicating a predicted communication capacity of the second communication module 12 after a "certain time". The predicted communication capacity information is information regarding a communication capacity predicted after a certain time, and is calculated, for example, by analyzing temperature information of a communication module or position information of a mobile body to predict a communication capacity after a certain time, or by analyzing communication capacity information measured in the past to predict a communication capacity after a certain time. Note that using the first predicted communication capacity information corresponds to indirectly using the first communication capacity information. Similarly, using the second predicted communication capacity information corresponds to indirectly using the second communication capacity information. Here, the "certain period of time" includes a period that is always constant as well as a period that changes depending on conditions.

[0033] The predicted temperature information estimation unit 23 estimates first predicted temperature information indicating a predicted temperature of the first communication module 11 after a "certain time" based on the first temperature information acquired by the temperature information acquisition unit 21. Similarly, the predicted temperature estimation unit 23 estimates a second predicted temperature indicating a predicted temperature of the second communication module 12 after a "certain time" based on the second temperature information. The predicted temperature information is information about a temperature predicted after a certain time, i.e., at a future point in time, and is calculated by predicting the temperature after the certain time using a temperature gradient coefficient preset for each communication module, predicting the temperature after the certain time by analyzing temperature information measured in the past, or the like. Note that using the first predicted temperature information corresponds to indirectly using the first temperature information, and similarly, using the second predicted temperature information corresponds to indirectly using the second temperature information.

[0034] The operation of the communication control unit 30 in a situation where communication is currently being performed using the first communication module 11 will be described. When the first predicted temperature information exceeds a threshold, the communication control unit 30 determines whether or not it is necessary to switch to the second communication module 12 in order to avoid slowing down of the first communication module 11 due to high heat, but controls the timing of switching based on the second predicted communication capacity information of the second communication module 12 to be switched to. Depending on the value of the second predicted communication capacity information of the second communication module 12, there is a risk that the predicted communication capacity of the second communication module 12 will be insufficient after switching, so it is necessary to consider an appropriate timing of switching to the second communication module 12. Therefore, as a next step, it is determined whether or not the second predicted communication capacity information of the second communication module 12 to be switched to exceeds the required communication capacity information, and if it is determined that it exceeds the required communication capacity information, it controls so that communication is performed using the second communication module 12 after a certain time has elapsed. If the second predicted communication capacity information exceeds the required communication information, there is no risk that the predicted communication capacity of the second communication module 12 will be insufficient, so it is only necessary to switch to the second communication module 12 at a timing after a certain time has elapsed. On the other hand, when it is determined that the second predicted communication capacity information falls below the required communication capacity information, control is performed so that communication is performed using the second communication module 12 before a certain time has elapsed. When the second predicted communication capacity information falls below the required communication capacity information, there is a risk that the predicted communication capacity of the second communication module 12 will be insufficient, so it is desirable to switch to the second communication module 12 as early as possible. Details of this operation will be described later. The threshold value is, for example, the upper limit of the temperature at which the communication module operates normally, and includes cases where the threshold value is always a constant value as well as cases where the constant value changes depending on conditions.

[0035] (2) Communication control method of the communication device 100 The flow of the communication control method in the communication device 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Note that in the operations shown in Fig. 5, the same steps as those shown in Fig. 3 are given the same step numbers and the explanations thereof will be cited.

[0036] The predicted communication capacity information estimation unit 22 estimates first predicted communication capacity information of the first communication module 11 after a certain time based on the first communication capacity information, and estimates second predicted communication capacity information of the second communication module 12 after a certain time based on the second communication capacity information (S14).

[0037] The predicted temperature information estimation unit 23 estimates first predicted temperature information of the first communication module 11 after a certain time based on the first temperature information, and estimates second predicted temperature information of the second communication module 12 after a certain time based on the second temperature information (S15).

[0038] The communication control unit 30 performs control to switch to the first communication module 11 or the second communication module 12 based on the required communication capacity information, the first and second predicted communication capacity information, and the first and second predicted temperature information (S131). The control by the communication control unit 30 (S131) ​​includes the following sub-steps S101 to S105.

[0039] In a situation where communication is being performed using the first communication module 11, the communication control unit 30 compares the first predicted temperature information with a threshold value (S101). If the first predicted temperature information exceeds the threshold value, the communication control unit 30 compares the second predicted communication capacity information of the second communication module 12, which is the switching destination, with the required communication capacity information (S103). If the second predicted communication capacity information exceeds the required communication capacity information, control is performed so that communication is performed using the second communication module 12 after a certain time has elapsed (S104).If the second predicted communication capacity information is below the required communication capacity information, control is performed so that communication is performed using the second communication module 12 before the certain time has elapsed (S105). The first predicted temperature information is compared with a threshold (S101), and if the first predicted temperature information does not exceed the threshold, the first predicted communication capacity information of the first communication module 11 currently in use is compared with the required communication capacity information (S102). If the first predicted communication capacity information is below the required communication capacity information, control is performed so that communication is performed using the second communication module 12 before a certain time has elapsed (S105). If the first predicted communication capacity information exceeds the required communication capacity information, the process returns to the first step.

[0040] An example of the control step (S131) ​​of the communication control unit 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6(a) shows the relationship between time and the required communication capacity Sr of the mobile body equipped with the communication device 100, the first communication capacity information of the first communication module 11, and the second communication capacity information of the second communication module 12. Figs. 6(b) to (g) show the relationship between time and the first temperature information of the first communication module 11 and the second temperature information of the second communication module 12.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 6(a), the required communication capacity Sr exhibits a constant value independent of the passage of time from t0 to t12. Here, times t0 to t12 indicate judgment timings, and whether or not switching of the communication module is necessary is judged at each time t. The time between two adjacent judgment timings is called a section. The judgment timings and the section are the same in all the following embodiments. The first communication capacity information indicating the communication capacity of the first communication module 11 is indicated by a solid line and fluctuates between times t0 and t12, but a communication capacity exceeding the value of the requested communication capacity Sr can be secured at any time. The second communication capacity information indicating the communication capacity of the second communication module 12 is shown by a dotted line, and communication capacity exceeding the value of the required communication capacity Sr can be secured from time t0 to t5 and from t10 to t12, but falling short of the value of the required communication capacity Sr from time t5 to t10.

[0042] In this embodiment, a case will be described in which each period from t0 to t12 is a constant period, but t0 to t12 does not have to be periodic. Similarly, in the other embodiments described below, each period may or may not be a constant period.

[0043] In this embodiment, the range in which the temperature rise can be predicted is up to four intervals ahead of the judgment timing. When the prediction range is narrowed, the prediction accuracy can be improved, but the future range in which the communication module can detect a high temperature abnormality is narrowed, so there is a limit to how to respond when a high temperature abnormality occurs. On the other hand, when the prediction range is widened, the occurrence of a high temperature abnormality can be predicted up to the distant future, but the prediction accuracy decreases, so there is a high possibility of erroneous judgment, and there is a possibility that the originally intended communication control cannot be realized. Therefore, it is desirable to set the extent of the prediction range, whether the prediction range should be fixed or variable, whether the prediction timing should be periodic, etc. according to the situation in which the mobile object is actually used.

[0044] Hereinafter, an example of a specific control operation of the communication control unit 30 in the communication device 100 having the communication capacity and required communication capacity Sr shown in FIG. 6(a) will be described with reference to FIGS. 6(b) to 6(g).

[0045] 6(b) shows the temperatures of the first communication module 11 and the second communication module 12 at time t1. In this example, the second communication module 12 is used until time t0, and since the temperature of the second communication module 12 exceeds the threshold at time t0, use is switched to the first communication module 11 at the timing of time t0. Since only the first communication module 11 is used during the period from time t0 to t1, the temperature of the first communication module 11 rises during this period, and the temperature of the second communication module 12 falls. At time t1, a first predicted temperature (corresponding to "first predicted temperature information") of the first communications module 11 at time t5 (corresponding to "after a certain time"), which is four timings after the judgment timing, is estimated. The temperature indicated by the predicted temperature information is indicated by a dotted line. When the first predicted temperature at time t5 is compared with a threshold value (S101), it is found that the first predicted temperature does not exceed the threshold value and the predicted communication capacity of the first communications module 11 exceeds the required communication capacity Sr (S102), so communication module switching control is not performed at the timing of time t1.

[0046] 6(c) shows the temperatures at time t2 of the first communication module 11 and the second communication module 12. At time t2, the predicted temperatures and predicted communication capacities of each communication module from a certain time later, that is, until time t6, are estimated. When the first predicted temperature is compared with the threshold (S101), the first predicted temperature at time t6 exceeds the threshold, and therefore, if the first communication module 11 is continued to be used at time t6, there is a risk that the communication capacity will be lower than the value of the required communication capacity Sr due to the slowdown caused by the high temperature. Therefore, it is necessary to perform communication module switching control between times t2 and t6. That is, control is performed so that communication is performed using the second communication module 12, rather than using the first communication module 11. The timing of this switching control is determined to be any of the timings between t2 and t6 by comparing the second predicted communication capacity of the second communication module 12 at time t6 with the required communication capacity Sr (S103). In this example, as can be seen from FIG. 6(a), the second predicted communication capacity is lower than the required communication capacity Sr in the section from time t5 to t6, and therefore the second communication module 12 cannot be used after time t5. Therefore, it is necessary to perform communication using the second communication module 12 as early as possible between times t2 and t5, and to perform communication using the first communication module 11 at time t5. In this example, the use of the second communication module 12 is immediately switched to at the determination timing of t2 (S105). By switching at such an early timing, the temperature of the first communication module 11 can be lowered.

[0047] 6(d) shows the temperatures at time t3 of the first communication module 11 and the second communication module 12. At time t3, the predicted temperatures and predicted communication capacities of each communication module from a certain time later, ie, until time t7, are estimated. Here, when the second predicted temperature at time t6 is compared with the threshold (S101), the second predicted temperature does not exceed the threshold at time t7. On the other hand, since the second predicted communication capacity falls below the required communication capacity Sr at time t7 (see FIG. 6(a)), the required communication capacity Sr cannot be satisfied if the second communication module 12 is used after time t7. Therefore, it is desirable to perform communication using the first communication module 11 as late as possible between times t3 and t5. In this example, control is performed to switch to the use of the first communication module 11 at time t5 to perform communication (S105).

[0048] 6(e) shows the temperatures at time t4 of the first communication module 11 and the second communication module 12. At time t4, the predicted temperatures and predicted communication capacities of each communication module from a certain time later, up to time t8, are estimated. As described above, since it has been decided to communicate using the first communication module 11 at time t5 and the temperature of the second communication module 12 does not exceed the threshold, the second communication module 12 continues to be used in this example. In this example, it can be seen that the first predicted communication capacity of the first communication module 11 exceeds the required communication capacity Sr from time t5 to t8, and the first predicted temperature does not exceed the threshold from time t5 to t8.

[0049] 6(f) shows the temperatures at time t5 of the first communication module 11 and the second communication module 12. At time t5, the predicted temperatures and predicted communication capacities of each communication module from a certain time later, ie, until time t9, are estimated. At time t5, the second temperature of the second communication module 12 does not exceed the threshold value, so the second communication module 12 can continue to be used, but as described above, it has been decided to use the first communication module 11 to communicate at time t5, so control is performed to use the first communication module 11 to communicate at time t5. In this example, it can be seen that the first predicted communication capacity exceeds the required communication capacity Sr from time t6 to t9, and the first predicted temperature does not exceed the threshold from time t6 to t9.

[0050] 6(g) shows the temperatures at time t10 of the first communication module 11 and the second communication module 12. It can be seen that by switching the use of the first communication module 11 and the second communication module 12 at an appropriate timing, the required communication capacity Sr is satisfied during the period from t0 to t10, and the communication modules do not slow down due to high heat.

[0051] (3) Summary As described above, according to this embodiment, the communication device 100 compares the predicted temperature with a threshold value, and also compares the predicted communication capacity with the required communication capacity, thereby controlling the first communication module 11 and the second communication module 12 to switch at an appropriate timing, thereby enabling stable communication control that avoids the communication modules slowing down due to high heat while satisfying the required communication capacity.

[0052] 3. Embodiment 2 (1) Configuration of communication device 200 In the first embodiment, the communication control unit 30 controls the communication unit 10 to use only one of the first communication module 11 or the second communication module 12. However, for example, when the communication capacity information of the communication module is often below the required communication capacity Sr, the required communication capacity information cannot be stably satisfied by using only one communication module. In this embodiment, a communication device 200 that can be stably used even in such a situation will be described.

[0053] An example of the configuration of the communication device 200 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The communication device 200 further includes a third communication module 13 in addition to the configuration that is the premise of each embodiment of Fig. 2. In this embodiment, the communication control unit 30 controls the communication unit 10 to perform communication using two of the first to third communication modules simultaneously. Note that, similar to the first embodiment, this does not prevent control to use any one of the first to third communication modules. Hereinafter, blocks having functions common to those of the first embodiment will be given the same numbers as those of the first embodiment, and the description of the first embodiment will be cited.

[0054] The communication information acquisition unit 20 further acquires third communication capacity information indicating the communication capacity of the third communication module 13 .

[0055] The temperature information acquisition unit 21 further acquires third temperature information indicating the temperature of the third communication module. In addition, the temperature information acquisition unit 21 acquires first to third specified temperature information indicating the specified temperatures of the first to third communication modules by reading them from the communication module specified temperature storage unit 25. The specified temperature is the upper limit of the operating temperature at which the communication module can achieve a specified communication speed, and is set for each communication module. For example, if the communication module exceeds the specified temperature, the communication speed of the communication module will fall below the specified communication speed. Therefore, in order to achieve the specified communication speed, it is desirable for the communication module to operate at a temperature lower than the specified temperature. The first to third specified temperature information may be acquired directly from the first to third communications modules, in which case the first to third communications modules store the first to third specified temperature information, respectively.

[0056] Since it is necessary to perform communication using a combination of communication modules that exceeds the communication request capacity, the communication control unit 30 specifies a combination of communication modules that exceeds the requested communication capacity information based on the first communication capacity information, the second communication capacity information, and the third communication capacity information. If there are a plurality of specified combinations, the difference between the first specified temperature information and the first temperature information (corresponding to the "first difference"), the difference between the second specified temperature information and the second temperature information (corresponding to the "second difference"), and the difference between the third specified temperature information and the third temperature information (corresponding to the "third difference"). The difference between the temperature information of each communication module and each specified temperature information corresponds to a temperature margin. The minimum value of the temperature margin is focused on in each specified combination of communication modules, and the combination of communication modules with the largest minimum value of the temperature margin is determined. Since the combination of communication modules with the largest minimum value of the temperature margin has the smallest risk of slowing down due to high temperature, the communication control unit 30 controls to perform communication using at least one communication module, preferably two communication modules included in the determined combination simultaneously.

[0057] (2) Communication control method of the communication device 200 A flow of a communication control method in the communication device 200 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Note that steps in which the same processes as in the first embodiment are performed are given the same step numbers as in Fig. 5, and the description of the first embodiment will be cited.

[0058] The communication information acquisition unit 20 acquires the first to third communication capacity information and the required communication capacity information (S11).

[0059] The temperature information acquisition unit 21 acquires the first to third temperature information, and further acquires first to third specified temperature information indicating the specified temperatures set in the first to third communication modules, respectively (S12).

[0060] The communication control unit 30 performs control to select at least one communication module of the communication unit 10 based on the required communication capacity information, the first to third communication capacity information, the first to third temperature information, and the first to third specified temperature information (S132). The control of the communication control unit 30 (S132) includes the following sub-steps S201 to S205.

[0061] Based on the first to third communication capacity information, a combination of communication modules exceeding the required communication capacity information is identified (S201). The first to third prescribed temperature information is compared with the respective differences between the first to third temperature information, and a temperature margin up to the prescribed temperature of each communication module is calculated (S202). From among the combinations of communication modules identified in S201, a combination of communication modules including a communication module with the largest minimum temperature margin is determined (S203). The combination of communication modules in use is compared with the determined combination of communication modules (S204). If the combination of communication modules in use is different from the determined combination of communication modules, the determined combination is selected, that is, the communication unit 10 is controlled to switch to the determined combination (S205). If the combination of communication modules in use is the same as the determined combination of communication modules, the process returns to the first step.

[0062] An example of sub-steps (S201 to S205) of the control of communication control unit 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0063] Using the example shown in FIG. 9(a), the sub-step (S201) of identifying a combination of communication modules exceeding the required communication capacity information based on the first, second and third communication capacity information will be described. At an arbitrary determination timing, the first communication capacity information is 3 Mbps, the second communication capacity information is 2 Mbps, and the third communication capacity information is 5 Mbps. In this case, combinations of communication modules of patterns 1 to 8 are possible. For example, pattern 1 is a case where the first communication module 11, the second communication module 12, and the third communication module 13 are all used simultaneously, and the total communication capacity is 10 Mbps. Pattern 2 is a case where the first communication module 11 and the second communication module 12 are used simultaneously, and the total communication capacity is 5 Mbps. In this example, when the required communication capacity Sr is 6 Mbps, the combinations of communication modules that exceed the required communication capacity Sr are pattern 1 (total communication capacity 10 Mbps), pattern 3 (total 8 Mbps), and pattern 5 (total 7 Mbps). Of these, the combinations of communication modules that use two communication modules simultaneously are pattern 3 and pattern 5. That is, in this embodiment, the combinations of communication modules identified in sub-step (S201) are pattern 3 (simultaneous use of the first communication module 11 and the third communication module 13) and pattern 5 (simultaneous use of the second communication module 12 and the third communication module 13).

[0064] Next, the sub-step (S202) of calculating the temperature margin and the sub-step (S203) of determining the combination of communication modules with the largest minimum temperature margin will be described using an example shown in FIG. 9(b). At a certain determination timing, the first temperature information is 80° C., the second temperature information is 75° C., and the third temperature information is 70° C. The specified temperature information of each of the first to third communication modules is 100° C. In this example, when the temperature margin (temperature range) of the specified temperature information and the temperature information at the determination timing of each communication module is calculated, the temperature margin of the first communication module 11 is 20° C., the temperature margin of the second communication module 12 is 25° C., and the temperature margin of the third communication module 13 is 30° C. Therefore, the combination of communication modules with the largest minimum value of the temperature margin is pattern 5. Therefore, the communication control unit 30 decides to communicate using the second communication module 12 and the third communication module 13 simultaneously.

[0065] If the minimum temperature margin is the same for a plurality of combinations of communication modules, the combination of communication modules with the next smallest temperature margin is selected. Also, pattern 1 in which three communication modules are used simultaneously may be a selection candidate. When two of the three communication modules are used simultaneously, the remaining communication module can be rested to lower its temperature and prepare for the next communication module switchover. These also apply to the third embodiment.

[0066] (3) Summary As described above, according to this embodiment, the communication device 200 identifies a combination of communication modules that exceeds the required communication capacity information based on the first to third communication capacity information, and determines a combination of communication modules with the largest minimum temperature margin based on the difference between the first to third specified temperature information and the first to third temperature information, thereby controlling communication to be performed using at least one, and preferably two, communication modules simultaneously, thereby enabling stable communication control that avoids slowing down of the communication modules due to high heat while satisfying the required communication capacity information. Furthermore, even if the communication capacity information of at least one of the multiple communication modules often falls below the required communication capacity Sr, the required communication capacity information can be stably satisfied.

[0067] 4. Embodiment 3 (1) Configuration of communication device 300 In the second embodiment, the communication control unit 30 determines the combination of communication modules based on the communication capacity and temperature of each communication module at the time of the determination timing. However, when the communication capacity and temperature of the communication modules fluctuate over a certain period of time, there is a possibility that the required communication capacity information cannot be satisfied. In this embodiment, a communication device 300 that can be used even in such a situation will be described.

[0068] An example of the configuration of the communication device 300 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. The communication device 300 further includes a predicted communication capacity information estimating unit 22 and a predicted temperature information estimating unit 23 in addition to the configuration of the second embodiment. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the communication control unit 30 controls the communication unit 10 to perform communication by switching to use only one of the first to third communication modules, or at least two of the first to third communication modules simultaneously. Hereinafter, blocks having functions common to those of the first and second embodiments will be given the same numbers as those of the first and second embodiments, and the explanations of the first and second embodiments will be cited.

[0069] The predicted communication capacity information estimation unit 22 estimates the first predicted communication capacity information, the second predicted communication capacity information, and the third predicted communication capacity information. In this embodiment, one term is defined as a period from one determination timing to the next determination timing, for example, a period between times t0 and t1 shown in Fig. 6. For example, one term is 10 seconds, but the communication device 300 may select any time.

[0070] The predicted temperature information estimation unit 23 estimates first predicted temperature information, second predicted temperature information, and third predicted temperature information one term later.

[0071] Since it is necessary to perform communication using a combination of communication modules that exceeds the communication request capacity, the communication control unit 30 identifies a combination of communication modules that exceeds the request communication capacity information based on the first predicted communication capacity information, the second predicted communication capacity information, and the third predicted communication capacity information. If there are a plurality of combinations identified, the difference between the first specified temperature information and the first temperature information (corresponding to the "first difference"), the difference between the second specified temperature information and the second temperature information (corresponding to the "second difference"), and the difference between the third specified temperature information and the third temperature information (corresponding to the "third difference"). The difference between the temperature information of each communication module and each specified temperature information corresponds to a temperature margin. The minimum value of the temperature margin is focused on in each identified combination of communication modules, and the combination of communication modules with the largest minimum value of the temperature margin is determined. Since the combination of communication modules with the largest minimum value of the temperature margin has the smallest risk of slowing down due to high temperature, the communication control unit 30 controls to perform communication using at least one communication module, preferably two communication modules included in the determined combination simultaneously. In this embodiment, predicted communication capacity information of each communication module within one term, that is, in the section from one determination timing to the next determination timing, and predicted temperature information of each communication module one term later are used.

[0072] (2) Communication control method of the communication device 300 A flow of a communication control method in the communication device 300 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Note that steps in which the same processes as in the first and second embodiments are performed are given the same step numbers as in Figs. 5 and 8, and the descriptions of the first and second embodiments will be cited.

[0073] The communication control unit 30 performs control to select at least one communication module of the communication unit 10 based on the required communication capacity information, the first to third predicted communication capacity information, the first to third predicted temperature information, and the first to third specified temperature information (S133). The control of the communication control unit 30 (S133) includes the following sub-steps S301 to S305.

[0074] Based on the first to third predicted communication capacity information, a combination of communication modules exceeding the required communication capacity information is identified (S301). The differences between the first to third specified temperature information and the first to third predicted temperature information are compared, and a temperature margin up to the specified temperature of each communication module is calculated (S302). From among the combinations of communication modules identified in S301, the combination of communication modules with the largest minimum temperature margin, that is, the combination with the most room to reach the specified temperature, is determined (S303). The combination of communication modules in use is compared with the determined combination of communication modules (S304). If the combination of communication modules in use is different from the determined combination of communication modules, the determined combination is selected, that is, the communication unit 10 is controlled to switch to the determined combination (S305). If the combination of communication modules in use is the same as the determined combination of communication modules, the process returns to the first step.

[0075] An example of sub-steps (S301 to S305) of the control of communication control unit 30 will be described with reference to FIG. Using an example shown in FIG. 12(a), we will explain the sub-step (S301) of identifying a combination of communication modules that exceeds the required communication capacity information within one term based on the first, second and third predicted communication capacity information. For example, one term ahead from the determination timing, all of the first to third predicted communication capacity information are calculated, and the sum of the predicted communication capacity information for the combinations of patterns 1 to 8 is calculated. The sum of the predicted communication capacity information is compared with the required communication capacity Sr, and it is determined that the combinations of communication modules that exceed the required communication capacity Sr are pattern 1 (simultaneous use of the first communication module 11, the second communication module 12, and the third communication module 13), pattern 3 (simultaneous use of the first communication module 11 and the third communication module 13), and pattern 5 (simultaneous use of the second communication module 12 and the third communication module 13).

[0076] The sub-step (S302) of calculating the temperature margin and the sub-step (S303) of determining the combination of communication modules with the largest minimum temperature margin will be described using an example shown in FIG. 12(b). In this example, similarly to the second embodiment, at a certain determination timing, the first temperature information is 80° C., the second temperature information is 75° C., and the third temperature information is 70° C. Also, the specified temperature information of each of the first to third communication modules is 100° C. In this embodiment, the temperature rise of the communication module when the communication module is used for one term is predetermined, with the first communication module 11 being 10°C, the second communication module 12 being 20°C, and the third communication module 13 being 5°C. When the predicted temperature information after one term is calculated taking into account this temperature rise, the first predicted temperature information is 90°C, the second predicted temperature information is 95°C, and the third predicted temperature information is 75°C.

[0077] In this embodiment, a temperature margin is calculated, which is the difference between the specified temperature information and the predicted temperature information of each communication module. The temperature margin between the first specified temperature and the first predicted temperature information of the first communication module 11 is 10°C. The temperature margin between the second specified temperature and the second predicted temperature of the second communication module 12 is 5°C. The temperature margin between the third specified temperature and the third predicted temperature of the third communication module 13 is 25°C. These temperature margins are compared, and the combination of communication modules with the largest minimum temperature margin is pattern 3. Therefore, the communication control unit 30 decides to perform communication using the first communication module 11 and the third communication module 13 simultaneously.

[0078] (3) Summary As described above, according to this embodiment, the communication device 300 identifies a combination of communication modules that exceeds the required communication capacity information based on the first to third predicted communication capacity information, and determines a combination of communication modules with the largest minimum temperature margin based on the difference between the first to third specified temperature information and the first to third predicted temperature information, thereby enabling stable communication control that avoids slowing down of the communication modules due to high heat while satisfying the required communication capacity information. Even if the communication capacity information of at least one of the multiple communication modules is often below the required communication capacity Sr, the required communication capacity information can be stably satisfied. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the risk of not being able to satisfy the required communication speed in the future due to future changes in communication capacity information and temperature information, and the risk of an abnormality due to the temperature of the communication module in the future. Furthermore, by making the range of the certain time period variable, it is possible to adjust the accuracy of predicting a high temperature abnormality in the communications module depending on the actual situation in which the mobile object is used. Furthermore, by making the temperature rise of the communication module when the communication module is used for one term variable depending on the communication speed of the communication module, it is possible to adjust the accuracy of predicting high temperature abnormalities in the communication module depending on the actual conditions in which the mobile object is used.

[0079] 5. Embodiment 4 This embodiment is an example in which the communication device 200 of the second embodiment or the communication device 300 of the third embodiment is equipped with a cooling device that cools the communication module. Examples of the cooling device include a cooling fan, a heat sink, and cooling water.

[0080] The flow of the communication control method of this embodiment will be described using an example shown in FIG. The communication control method of the communication device 200 of the second embodiment includes a sub-step (S202) of calculating a temperature margin and a sub-step (S203) of determining a combination of communication modules with the largest minimum temperature margin, but in this embodiment, the temperature margins corrected based on cooling performance information indicating the cooling performance of the cooling device are compared, and the combination with the largest minimum corrected temperature margin is determined.

[0081] Fig. 13(a) is the same as Fig. 9(a), so the description of Fig. 9(a) is cited. That is, in this embodiment as well, the combinations of communication modules identified in sub-step (S201) are pattern 3 (simultaneous use of the first communication module 11 and the third communication module 13) and pattern 5 (simultaneous use of the second communication module 12 and the third communication module 13).

[0082] In FIG. 13(b), in addition to the information in FIG. 9(b), the current rotation rate of the cooling fan and the expected cooling effect are shown when a cooling fan is used as an example of a cooling device. Assume that this cooling fan can reduce the temperature by 10° C. at a fan rotation rate of 50%. In this case, the difference between the fan rotation rate of 100% and the current fan rotation rate becomes the cooling performance information indicating the cooling effect. For example, in FIG. 13, the first communication module 11 has a current fan rotation rate of 30%, and the fan rotation rate can be increased by 70%. This 70% increase in rotation rate is expected to provide a cooling effect of 14° C. From this, the current temperature of the first communication module 11 is 80° C., and the specified temperature of the first communication module 11 is 100° C., so the temperature margin is 20° C., while the temperature margin taking into account the surplus cooling effect of the cooling fan, that is, the corrected temperature margin, can be calculated as 20° C. + 14° C. = 34° C. Similarly, the corrected temperature margin of the second communication module 12 is 35° C., and the corrected temperature margin of the third communication module 13 is 46° C. These corrected temperature margins are compared, and the combination of communication modules with the largest minimum corrected temperature margin is pattern 5. Therefore, the communication control unit 30 determines to perform communication using the second communication module 12 and the third communication module 13 simultaneously.

[0083] In the above description, the temperature margin calculated using the communication control method for the communication device 200 of the second embodiment is corrected. However, the temperature margin calculated based on the communication control method for the communication device 300 of the third embodiment may be corrected. The cooling device of this embodiment may be applied to the communication device 100 having the comprehensive configuration shown in the first embodiment or Fig. 2. In this case, the communication control unit 30 may correct a first difference that is a difference between first specified temperature information indicating a specified temperature set in the first communication module 11 and the first temperature information or the first predicted temperature information, and a second difference that is a difference between second specified temperature information indicating a specified temperature set in the second communication module 12 and the second temperature information or the second predicted temperature information, based on cooling performance information indicating the cooling performance of the cooling device.

[0084] As described above, according to this embodiment, the communication devices 200 and 300 are able to switch between communication modules while taking into account the surplus cooling effect of the cooling device.

[0085] 6. Embodiment 5 In the first and third embodiments, the predicted temperature information estimating unit 23 estimates and calculates the temperature after a certain time period using, for example, a temperature gradient coefficient that is preset for each communication module. However, the temperature distribution of a communication module actually mounted on a moving object is affected by the amount of heat generated by peripheral devices arranged around the communication module and the ambient conditions in which the moving object itself is placed. For example, if peripheral devices or cooling devices that generate a large amount of heat are placed in close proximity to the communication module, a slight error will occur in the preset temperature gradient coefficient. Similarly, if the moving object itself is placed in a high-temperature environment, a slight error will occur in the preset temperature gradient coefficient. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which even in such a situation, it is possible to more accurately estimate the predicted temperature after a certain time period, and optimal communication control can be realized according to the actual installation environment.

[0086] The correction of the temperature gradient coefficient of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 14. FIG. 14(a) shows an example of a temperature gradient preset for each communication module, which is a result of a prior measurement. The first communication module 11 is shown by a solid line, the second communication module 12 is shown by a dotted line, and the third communication module 13 is shown by a dashed line. FIG. 14(b) shows a measurement result of the temperature gradient in an environment in which the module is actually mounted on a moving object. FIG. 14(c) shows the correction of the initial setting, that is, the prior measurement result, and the actual environment, that is, the measurement result in the environment in which the module is mounted on a moving object. FIG. 14(d) shows the gradient of the temperature rise in the initial setting and the actual environment of the first communication module 11. Here, for the sake of simplicity, the description will be given assuming that the outside temperature of the prior measurement and the actual environment are the same, but if the outside temperature of the prior measurement and the actual environment are different, it must be taken into consideration when calculating the gradient of the temperature rise.

[0087] According to Fig. 14(a), at the time of initial setting, the order of convergence gradient temperature is the first communication module 11>the second communication module 12>the third communication module 13. According to Fig. 14(b), in the actual environment, the order is the first communication module 11>the third communication module 13>the second communication module 12. In FIG. 14(c), the temperature of each communication module is different at the initial setting because the communication device itself is used in various ways, and the influence of heat generated by the communication module, CPU, and other electronic components mounted on the board assumed at the initial setting differs from the influence of heat generated by other communication modules, CPU, and other electronic components mounted on the board in the actual environment, depending on the arrangement of the communication module on the board. The difference between the measurement result in the mounting environment and the measurement result in advance is due to the environment in which the mobile object is mounted, such as external convection and cooling function, heat from peripheral devices, and the influence of the environment in which the mobile object itself is placed. In this embodiment, the predicted temperature information of each communication module is estimated taking into account the difference value between the measurement result in the initial setting and the measurement result in the actual environment. The estimation of predicted temperature information taking into account the difference value will be described in detail below.

[0088] 14(d), in the case of the first communications module 11, in the case of the initial setting in (a), the temperature rises to a temperature T1_0 per unit time Δt, so the gradient of the temperature rise is T1_0 / Δt. However, the extent of the temperature rise differs depending on the installation environment, and in the case of the actual environment in (b), the temperature rises to T1_1 per unit time Δt, so the gradient is T1_1 / Δt. When the time is X and the module temperature is Y, the temperature rise function in an environment where the temperature rises to T1_0 is: Y=T1_0 / Δt*X+β (Equation 1) Here, β is the reference temperature that corresponds to room temperature. Similarly, the temperature rise function for an environment where the temperature rises to T1_1 is Y=T1_1 / Δt*X+Y0=(T1_1 / T1_0)*T1_0 / Δt*X+Y0=α*T1_0 / Δt*X+Y0 (Formula 2) Here, α is a correction coefficient that depends on the mounting environment.

[0089] When estimating whether or not the target communication module will become hot in the future, it is important to set this correction coefficient α more accurately in order to improve the accuracy of predicting the temperature rise. A method for setting the correction coefficient α will be described in detail below.

[0090] The correction coefficient α corresponding to the difference between the reference temperature rise TX_0 of the communication module X and the measured temperature rise TX_1 depends on TX_0 and TX_1. X (TX_0, TX_1) N Here, N indicates the date and time when TX_0 and TX_1 were measured. In the table shown in FIG. 15(a), the correction coefficient α corresponding to the difference between the reference rise temperature TX_0 of the communication module X and the measured rise temperature TX_1 is shown for each date and time. The date and time may be divided into days or hours (for example, one minute or one hour). The temperature rise correction value used in the section N+1 is the α calculated in the section N. X (TX_0, TX_1) NAlternatively, a statistical value of the correction values ​​calculated in intervals N-1 or N-2 may be used. Here, the statistical value may be an average value, a median value, a least squares mean value, a weighted average value, or the like.

[0091] It is expected that moving objects such as vehicles will move to environments where the outside temperature can change significantly. Therefore, even if the amount of heat generated by the communication module is constant, the temperature of the communication module will change depending on the area through which the vehicle travels. Since the temperature margin is the difference between the temperature (fixed value) specified for each communication module and the current or future measured temperature, when predicting the future temperature margin, it is important to predict the outside temperature as well as the prediction accuracy of the measured temperature. This is because, since the outside temperature of the area through which the moving object passes changes, even if the temperature rise of the communication module is constant, the temperature margin of the communication module will decrease in areas with high outside temperatures. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate the future temperature rise based on the planned travel route and the temperatures at those points. Specifically, the temperature rise of the communication module is predicted based on the driving route, current location information, and temperature information, taking into account future outside temperatures. This corresponds to β in the above (Equation 1). For example, when a travel route of a moving object is planned as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 15(b), the change in the outside air temperature changes with time as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 15(b). This outside temperature can be considered as a function of time using the driving plan and the current position, so it becomes β(X). Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 15(b), the above (Equation 1) is as follows: Y=T1_0 / Δt*X+β(X) (Eq. 3) It can be expressed as: By using (Equation 3), it is possible to make a temperature prediction that takes into account changes in the outside air temperature caused by the movement of a moving object, thereby improving the prediction accuracy of the temperature margin. Of course, the contents shown in Fig. 15(a) and the contents shown in Fig. 15(b) may be realized simultaneously. Specifically, using the first term of (Equation 2) and the second term of (Equation 3), Y=α*T1_0 / Δt*X+β(X) (Eq. 4) It may also be expressed as:

[0092] As described above, according to this embodiment, the predicted temperature information estimation unit 23 of the communication devices 100, 300 estimates the predicted temperatures of the first, second, and third communication modules based on the surrounding environment of the mobile body and / or the position where the communication modules are placed inside the mobile body, thereby making it possible to more accurately predict the temperature after a certain period of time even when it is affected by the heat generation of peripheral devices placed around the communication modules or the ambient conditions in which the mobile body itself is placed, and optimal communication control can be realized according to the actual installation environment.

[0093] 7. Embodiment 6 In the second and third embodiments, the communication devices 200 and 300 have been described that perform control so as to simultaneously use two of the three or more communication modules for communication. However, when two communication modules are used simultaneously after switching, if one of the communication modules is already being used under a high load, there is a risk that the upper limit of the operating temperature will be reached and the speed will slow down. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which, even in such a situation, communication can be performed while satisfying the required communication capacity by simultaneously using multiple communication modules and distributing communication data.

[0094] Assume that the communication control unit 30 controls communication to be performed using, for example, the first communication module 11 and the second communication module 12 from among the combinations of the identified communication modules. As a specific example of the situation, as shown in Fig. 16(a) and (b), assume that the first communication capacity Sa indicated by the first communication capacity information of the first communication module 11 is 10 Mbps, the second communication capacity Sb indicated by the second communication capacity information of the second communication module 12 is 5 Mbps, the required communication capacity Sr indicated by the required communication capacity information is 5 Mbps, the first temperature Ta indicated by the first temperature information of the first communication module 11 is 70°C, the second temperature Tb indicated by the second temperature information of the second communication module 12 is 55°C, and the upper operating temperature Tt of the communication module is 85°C.

[0095] (1) Conventional method for distributing communication data From the viewpoint of communication capacity, it is desirable to use a first communication capacity Sa and a second communication capacity Sb to distribute data to the communication line of the first communication module 11 in a ratio of Sa / (Sa+Sb) and to the communication line of the second communication module 12 in a ratio of Sb / (Sa+Sb). In this way, if data is allocated simply based on communication capacity, Sa (10 Mbps):Sb (5 Mbps) is 2:1, so 2 / 3×5=3.33 Mbps of data is allocated to the communication line of the first communication module 11, and 1 / 3×5=1.66 Mbps of data is allocated to the communication line of the second communication module 12. However, in this case, the first temperature Ta of the first communication module 11 is high at 70° C., and if it continues to be used under this high load, there is a risk that it will reach the upper operating temperature limit Tt of 85° C. in the near future and slow down.

[0096] (2) Communication Data Allocation Method of the Present Embodiment In this embodiment, the communication data is allocated in consideration of the temperature information of each communication module. Specifically, the data is allocated to the communication line of the first communication module 11 at a ratio of Ma / (Ma+Mb) and to the communication line of the second communication module 12 at a ratio of Mb / (Ma+Mb), using the marginal temperature Ma (corresponding to the "first difference") up to the upper operating temperature limit of the first communication module 11 and the marginal temperature Mb (corresponding to the "second difference") up to the upper operating temperature limit of the second communication module 12.

[0097] Furthermore, taking into account the aforementioned communication capacity, The communication line of the first communication module 11 is connected to Sa / (Sa+Sb)*Ma / (Ma+Mb), Sb / (Sa+Sb)*Mb / (Ma+Mb) is input to the communication line of the second communication module 12. It is desirable to distribute the data in the following ratio:

[0098] In the case of FIG. 16, Ma=85-70=15, Mb=85-55=30, The communication line of the first communication module 11 is 2 / 3×1 / 3=2 / 9. The communication line of the second communication module 12 is 1 / 3×2 / 3=2 / 9. Therefore, data should be allocated at a ratio of 1:1. Therefore, data of 1 / 2×5=2.5 Mbps is allocated to the communication line of the first communication module 11, and data of 1 / 2×5=2.5 Mbps is allocated to the communication line of the second communication module 12.

[0099] As described above, according to this embodiment, the communication control unit 30 of the communication devices 200, 300 distributes communication data to each communication module based on the marginal temperature information (Ma, Mb), thereby avoiding the risk of data loss due to insufficient communication capacity while also preventing the temperature of the communication module from reaching the upper operating temperature limit, resulting in a slowdown in communication speed.

[0100] 8.Embodiment 7 In the first to third embodiments, the communication control unit 30 judges whether or not to switch the communication modules at a certain cycle indicated by t0 to t12. Here, since the required communication capacity information, the communication capacity information of each communication module, and the temperature information of each communication module change from moment to moment, depending on the judgment timing of the switching control, there may be cases where there is almost no surplus communication capacity information of each communication module, or where there is almost no temperature margin, which is the difference between the current temperature information of each communication module and the upper operating temperature limit of each communication module. In such a situation, it is necessary to make the judgment timing earlier. Conversely, there may be cases where there is sufficient surplus communication capacity information of each communication module, or where there is sufficient temperature margin. In such a situation, there is no problem with delaying the judgment timing. In this embodiment, communication devices 100, 200, and 300 having a communication control unit 30 that can realize optimal determination timing based on the current state of each communication module will be described.

[0101] In Fig. 17(a), the judgment timings 1 to 5 of the communication control unit 30 are constant, at 10 seconds. On the other hand, in Fig. 17(b), the judgment timings are not constant, with judgment timings 1 to 2 being 7 seconds, judgment timings 2 to 3 being 10 seconds, and judgment timings 3 to 4 being 23 seconds. In all cases, a constant period, for example 10 seconds, is used as the standard, and the period is corrected to be less than the constant period or greater than the constant period depending on certain conditions. The predetermined conditions will be described below.

[0102] The determination timing is determined using, for example, at least one of the following methods (a) to (c).

[0103] (a) The difference between the data capacity of the data allocated to the communication line of the first communication module 11 and the communication capacity of the first communication module 11 acquired by the communication information acquisition unit 20 is compared with the difference between the data capacity of the data allocated to the communication line of the second communication module 12 and the communication capacity of the second communication module acquired by the communication information acquisition unit 20, and the judgment timing is determined based on the smaller difference value. Here, the data capacity is the transmission data size (Mbps) per unit time allocated to the communication module as transmission data from the OS, and the communication capacity is the transmittable data size (Mbps) per unit time that can be communicated on a communication path that is mainly the communication band of the wireless communication section. If the communication capacity is lower than the data capacity, an overflow occurs, which causes transmission waiting or discarding of transmitted data on the transmitting side, or communication delays or data loss on the receiving side. Therefore, for example, if the former difference value is smaller than the latter difference value, the former difference value is compared with a first threshold value, for example, a value of 10% of the allocated communication capacity, and if the former difference value falls below the first threshold value, there is a risk that the requested communication capacity will not be satisfied due to future fluctuations in communication capacity, so the determination timing is shortened.Also, the former difference value is compared with a second threshold value, for example, a value of 50% of the allocated communication capacity, and if the former difference value exceeds the second threshold value, there is a high possibility that the requested communication capacity will be satisfied even if the future communication capacity fluctuates greatly, so the determination timing is lengthened.

[0104] (b) The judgment timing is determined based on the difference between the sum of the communication capacities indicated by the first communication capacity information of the first communication module 11 and the second communication capacity information of the second communication module 12 and the required communication capacity. For example, the difference between the sum and the required communication capacity is compared with a first threshold, for example, a value that is 10% of the required communication capacity. If the difference is below the first threshold, there is a risk that the required communication capacity will not be satisfied due to future fluctuations in communication capacity, so the judgment timing is shortened. In addition, the value of the difference is compared with a second threshold, for example, a value that is 50% of the required communication capacity. If the difference is above the second threshold, there is a high possibility that the required communication capacity will be satisfied even if the future communication capacity fluctuates significantly, so the judgment timing is lengthened.

[0105] (c) A first difference, which is a difference between the first specified temperature of the first communication module 11 and the temperature indicated by the first temperature information, is compared with a second difference, which is a difference between the second specified temperature of the second communication module 12 and the temperature indicated by the second temperature information, and the judgment timing is determined based on the smaller difference value. For example, when the value of the first difference is smaller than the value of the second difference, the value of the first difference is compared with a first threshold, for example, a value of 10% of the temperature indicated by the first specified temperature information, and when the value of the first difference is below the first threshold, there is a risk that the required communication capacity will not be satisfied due to future fluctuations in communication capacity, so the judgment timing is shortened. In addition, the value of the first difference is compared with a second threshold, for example, a value of 50% of the temperature indicated by the first specified temperature information, and when the value of the first difference is above the second threshold, there is a high possibility that the required communication capacity will be satisfied even if the future communication capacity fluctuates greatly, so the judgment timing is lengthened.

[0106] As described above, according to this embodiment, the communication control unit 30 of the communication devices 100, 200, 300 can vary the determination timing based on the communication capacity information and temperature information of each communication module, enabling more efficient communication control.

[0107] 9.Embodiment 8 In the first and third embodiments, the predicted communication capacity information estimation unit 22 estimates predicted communication capacity information after a certain period of time based on the communication capacity information of each communication module, and the predicted temperature information estimation unit 23 estimates predicted temperature information after a certain period of time based on the temperature information of each module. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which predicted communication capacity information and predicted temperature information are estimated using location information.

[0108] As shown in FIG. 18, the communication device 100, 300 of this embodiment further includes a position / movement information acquisition unit 24. The position / movement information acquisition unit 24 acquires position information of the moving object and movement information indicating the movement or stop of the moving object. The position information may be information indicating a position on a stationary coordinate system that directly or indirectly indicates the position of the moving object, such as information obtained by calculating stationary coordinates from a signal transmitted by an artificial satellite, or information obtained by calculating a current position from cellular communication base station information or an access point of a Wi-Fi terminal. The movement information may be information that directly or indirectly indicates that the moving object is moving, such as speed, acceleration, position, steering, etc. The position / movement information acquisition unit 24 acquires position information from a GPS receiver, for example, and acquires movement information such as speed information from a vehicle speed sensor or acceleration information from a gyro sensor. Note that the position / movement information acquisition unit 104 itself may be at least one of a GPS receiver, a vehicle speed sensor, and a gyro sensor.

[0109] Furthermore, the position / movement information acquisition unit 24 acquires a radio wave map from a radio wave map storage unit (not shown) provided inside or outside the mobile body. The radio wave map indicates the relationship between a position on a stationary coordinate system and a predicted communication capacity predicted at that position, and the form of the information does not matter, such as a table or a graph. Indices that can indirectly predict the communication capacity, such as received power strength, connection media, past communication performance, and statistical information thereof, may also be used. The predicted communication capacity and this information are collectively referred to as communication environment information.

[0110] The predicted communication capacity information estimation unit 22 estimates predicted communication capacity information after a certain period of time based on the position information, movement information, and radio wave map acquired by the position / movement information acquisition unit 24. For example, it estimates the future position of a moving object after a certain period of time from the current position information and movement information, acquires communication environment information linked to the future position using the radio wave map, and estimates predicted communication capacity information of each communication module after a certain period of time based on the communication environment information.

[0111] The predicted temperature information estimation unit 23 estimates predicted temperature information after a certain period of time based on the temperature information of each communication module and the weather, temperature, etc. based on the position information and movement information acquired by the position / movement information acquisition unit. For example, it estimates the future position of a moving object after a certain period of time from the current position information and movement information, acquires data on the weather and temperature at the future position, and estimates predicted temperature information of each communication module after a certain period of time based on this data.

[0112] As described above, according to this embodiment, by further including the position / movement information acquisition unit 24, it is possible to improve the prediction accuracy of the predicted communication capacity information estimating unit 22 and the predicted temperature information estimating unit 23.

[0113] 10. Embodiment 9 (1) Configuration of communication device 400 A configuration example of the communication device 400 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 19. The communication device 400 further includes a switching reference value setting unit 26 in addition to the configurations that are the premise of each embodiment, the configurations of the first embodiment, and the configurations of the third embodiment.

[0114] The switching reference value setting unit 26 sets a switching reference value that serves as a criterion when the communication control unit 30 switches between using either the first communication module 11 or the second communication module 12. The switching reference value is a temperature lower than a threshold value that is the upper limit of the temperature at which the communication module operates normally or specified temperature information, and serves as a reference value for controlling switching of the communication module. For example, when the threshold value is 100°C, the switching reference value is set to a value such as 80°C that corresponds to 80% of the threshold or 90°C that corresponds to 90%. Setting the switching reference value ensures a temperature margin up to the threshold.

[0115] Here, when the first temperature information exceeds a switching reference value, the communication control unit 30 of the communication device 400 determines whether the second communication capacity information of the second communication module 12 to be switched to exceeds the required communication capacity information, and if it exceeds the required communication capacity information, controls to switch to the second communication module 12 for communication, and if it falls short of the required communication capacity information, controls to continue using the first communication module 11 beyond the switching reference value by utilizing a temperature margin. Thereafter, controls to switch to the second communication module 12 for communication before the first temperature information reaches a threshold value.

[0116] Furthermore, when the first predicted temperature information exceeds a switching reference value, the communication control unit 30 of the communication device 400 determines whether the second predicted communication capacity information of the second communication module 12 to be switched to exceeds the required communication capacity information, and if it exceeds the required communication capacity information, controls to perform communication using the second communication module 12, and if it falls short of the required communication capacity information, controls to continue using the first communication module 11 beyond the switching reference value by utilizing a temperature margin. Thereafter, controls to switch to the second communication module 12 and perform communication before the first predicted temperature information reaches a threshold value.

[0117] (2) Communication control method of the communication device 400 The flow of the communication control method in the communication device 400 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 20. Note that in the operations shown in Fig. 20, the same steps as those shown in Fig. 3, Fig. 5, and Fig. 11 are denoted with the same step numbers and the descriptions thereof will be cited.

[0118] The switching reference value setting unit 26 sets a switching reference value that is a temperature lower than a threshold value that is the upper limit of the temperature at which each communication module operates normally (S16).

[0119] The communication control unit 30 performs control so as to switch to use at least one communication module of the communication unit 10 based on the required communication capacity information, the first and second communication capacity information, the first and second temperature information, the switching reference value, and the threshold value (S134). The control of the communication control unit 30 (S134) includes the following sub-steps S401 to S405.

[0120] In a situation where communication is being performed using the first communication module 11, the communication control unit 30 compares the first temperature information with a switching reference value (S401). If the first temperature information exceeds the switching reference value, the communication control unit 30 compares the second communication capacity information of the second communication module 12 to be switched to with the required communication capacity information (S402). If the second communication capacity information exceeds the required communication capacity information, the communication control unit 30 controls to perform communication using the second communication module 12 (S403). If the second communication capacity information is below the required communication capacity information, the communication control unit 30 controls to continue using the first communication module 11 currently in use beyond the switching reference value by utilizing a temperature margin (S404). Thereafter, the communication control unit 30 controls to perform communication using the second communication module 12 before the first temperature information reaches a threshold value (S405).

[0121] An example of the control step (S134) of the communication control unit 30 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 21(a) shows the relationship between time and the required communication capacity Sr of a mobile body equipped with a communication device 400, the first communication capacity indicated by the first communication capacity information of the first communication module 11, and the second communication capacity indicated by the second communication capacity information of the second communication module 12. The required communication capacity Sr indicates a constant value independent of the passage of time. The first communication capacity information is shown by a solid line. The first communication capacity exceeds the value of the required communication capacity Sr at all times. The second communication capacity information is shown by a dotted line. The second communication capacity falls below the value of the required communication capacity Sr at some times (from a point between T11 and T12 to T13). FIG. 21(b) shows the relationship between the switching of the communication module and time in this embodiment. Fig. 21(c) shows the relationship between temperature and time indicated by the temperature information of each communication module when the communication module switching in Fig. 21(b) is performed. The first temperature information of the first communication module 11 is indicated by a solid line, and the second temperature information of the second communication module 12 is indicated by a dotted line. Here, at T11, the second temperature of the second communication module 12 is compared with a switching reference value. Because the second temperature exceeds the switching reference value, the first communication capacity of the first communication module 11 at T11 is compared with the required communication capacity Sr. Because the first communication capacity exceeds the required communication capacity Sr, control is performed so that communication is performed using the first communication module 11. Next, at T12, the first temperature of the first communication module 11 is compared with the switching reference value. Since the first temperature exceeds the switching reference value, the second communication capacity of the second communication module 12 at T12 is compared with the required communication capacity Sr. Since the second communication capacity falls below the required communication capacity Sr at T12, the communication is not performed by switching to the second module 12, and the first communication module 11 is controlled to continue to be used for communication even if the first temperature exceeds the switching reference value. Thereafter, at T13, that is, before the first temperature of the first communication module 11 reaches the threshold value, the use of the second communication module 12 is switched to.

[0122] (3) Summary As described above, according to this embodiment, when the communication control unit 30 controls the communication unit 10 to switch to using either the first communication module 11 or the second communication module 12 for communication, the communication device 400 uses a switching reference value to control the first communication module 11 and the second communication module 12 to be switched at an appropriate timing, thereby enabling stable communication control that avoids the slowing down of the communication modules due to high heat while satisfying the required communication capacity. Furthermore, by setting the temperature margin, which is the difference between the threshold value and the switching reference value, within an appropriate range, it is possible to prevent the communication module from slowing down in the future.

[0123] The invention according to embodiment 9 may be described in the following items.

[0124] Item 1: A communication device (400) mounted on a moving object, A communication unit (10) including a plurality of communication modules including at least a first communication module (11) and a second communication module (12); a communication information acquisition unit (20) that acquires first communication capacity information indicating a communication capacity of the first communication module, second communication capacity information indicating a communication capacity of the second communication module, and required communication capacity information indicating a communication capacity required by the mobile unit; a temperature information acquisition unit (21) that acquires first temperature information indicating a temperature of the first communication module and second temperature information indicating a temperature of the second communication module; a switching reference value setting unit (26) that sets a switching reference value that is a temperature lower than a threshold value that is a specified temperature of each communication module; a communication control unit (30) that compares the first temperature information with the switching reference value, and when the first temperature information exceeds the switching reference value, determines whether the second communication capacity information exceeds the required communication capacity information, and when the second communication capacity information exceeds the required communication capacity information, controls to switch to the second communication module for communication. Communication device (400). Item 2: When the second communication capacity information falls below the required communication capacity information, the communication control unit (30) performs control so as to exceed the switching reference value and continue to use the first communication module. Item 1. The communication device (400) according to item 1. Item 3: the communication control unit (30) controls the communication module to switch to the second communication module and perform communication before the first temperature information reaches the threshold value; Item 2. The communication device (400) according to item 2.

[0125] 11. Summary The features of the communication device and the like in each embodiment of the present invention have been described above.

[0126] The terms used in each embodiment are merely examples and may be replaced with synonymous terms or terms having the same functions.

[0127] The block diagrams used to explain the embodiments classify and organize the configuration of the device by function. The blocks showing the respective functions are realized by any combination of hardware or software. In addition, since the block diagrams show the functions, they can also be understood as disclosures of a method invention and a program invention that realizes the method.

[0128] The order of the functional blocks that can be understood as the processes, flows, and methods described in each embodiment may be changed as long as there are no constraints such as a relationship in which one step utilizes the results of another step prior to it.

[0129] The terms first, second, through Nth (N is an integer) used in each embodiment and in the claims are used to distinguish two or more configurations or methods of the same type, and do not limit the order or superiority or inferiority.

[0130] Examples of the form of the device of the present invention are as follows. Examples of the component form include a semiconductor element, an electronic circuit, a module, and a microcomputer. Examples of semi-finished products include electronic control units (ECUs (Electric Control Units)) and system boards. Finished product forms include mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, wearable devices, personal computers (PCs), workstations, and servers. Other examples include devices with communication functions, such as video cameras, still cameras, and car navigation systems.

[0131] Furthermore, necessary functions such as an antenna and a communication interface may be added to each device.

[0132] In addition, the present invention can be realized not only by dedicated hardware having the configuration and functions described in each embodiment, but also as a combination of a program for realizing the present invention recorded on a recording medium such as a memory or a hard disk, and general-purpose hardware having a dedicated or general-purpose CPU and memory capable of executing the program.

[0133] A program stored in a non-transient physical recording medium (for example, an external storage device (hard disk, USB memory, CD / BD, etc.) or an internal storage device (RAM, ROM, etc.)) of dedicated or general-purpose hardware can be provided to the dedicated or general-purpose hardware via a recording medium, or via a communication line from a server without using a recording medium. This makes it possible to always provide the latest functions through program upgrades. [Industrial Applicability]

[0134] While the present disclosure has been described primarily as a communication device attached to a moving object such as a vehicle, the present disclosure can be applied to any moving object, such as a motorcycle, bicycle, ship, train, or aircraft. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 10 communication unit, 11 first communication module, 12 second communication module, 13 third communication module, 20 communication information acquisition unit, 21 temperature information acquisition unit, 22 predicted communication capacity information estimation unit, 23 predicted temperature information estimation unit, 24 position / movement information acquisition unit, 25 communication module specified temperature storage unit, 26 switching reference value setting unit, 30 communication control unit, 70 CPU, 80 management system, 100, 200, 300, 400 communication device

Claims

1. A communication device (100, 200, 300) mounted on a moving object, A communication unit (10) including a plurality of communication modules including at least a first communication module (11) and a second communication module (12); a communication information acquisition unit (20) that acquires first communication capacity information indicating a communication capacity of the first communication module, second communication capacity information indicating a communication capacity of the second communication module, and required communication capacity information indicating a communication capacity required of the mobile body; a temperature information acquisition unit (21) that acquires first temperature information indicating a temperature of the first communication module and second temperature information indicating a temperature of the second communication module; and a communication control unit (30) that selects and controls at least one of the communication modules of the communication unit (10) to perform communication based on the required communication capacity information, the first communication capacity information, the second communication capacity information, the first temperature information, and the second temperature information. A communication device (100, 200, 300).

2. a predicted communication capacity information estimation unit (22) that estimates, based on the first communication capacity information, first predicted communication capacity information indicating a predicted communication capacity of the first communication module after a certain time, and, based on the second communication capacity information, second predicted communication capacity information indicating a predicted communication capacity of the second communication module after the certain time; a predicted temperature information estimation unit (23) that estimates, based on the first temperature information, first predicted temperature information indicating a predicted temperature of the first communication module after the certain time period, and based on the second temperature information, second predicted temperature information indicating a predicted temperature of the second communication module after the certain time period; Further equipped with The communication control unit When the first predicted temperature information exceeds a threshold, the second predicted communication capacity information is compared with the required communication capacity information; When the second predicted communication capacity information exceeds the required communication capacity information, control is performed so that communication is performed using the second communication module after the certain time has elapsed. When the second predicted communication capacity information falls below the required communication capacity information, control is performed so that communication is performed using the second communication module before the certain time period has elapsed. The communication device (100) of claim 1.

3. The communication control unit If the first predicted temperature information does not exceed the threshold, comparing the first predicted communication capacity information with the required communication capacity information; When the first predicted communication capacity information falls below the required communication capacity information, control is performed so that communication is performed using the second communication module before the certain time period has elapsed. The communication device (100) of claim 2.

4. The communication unit further includes a third communication module (13); the communication information acquisition unit further acquires third communication capacity information indicating a communication capacity of the third communication module; the temperature information acquisition unit further acquires third temperature information indicating a temperature of the third communication module; The communication control unit Identifying a combination of the communication modules that exceeds the required communication capacity information based on the first communication capacity information, the second communication capacity information, and the third communication capacity information; determining, from among the identified combinations of communication modules, a combination of the communication modules having the largest minimum value of the first to third differences based on a first difference which is a difference between first specified temperature information indicating a specified temperature set in the first communication module and the first temperature information, a second difference which is a difference between second specified temperature information indicating a specified temperature set in the second communication module and the second temperature information, and a third difference which is a difference between third specified temperature information indicating a specified temperature set in the third communication module and the third temperature information, and controlling so as to perform communication using at least one of the communication modules included in the determined combination; The communication device (200) of claim 1.

5. The communication unit further includes a third communication module (13); the communication information acquisition unit further acquires third communication capacity information indicating a communication capacity of the third communication module; the temperature information acquisition unit further acquires third temperature information indicating a temperature of the third communication module; a predicted communication capacity information estimation unit (22) that estimates first predicted communication capacity information indicating a predicted communication capacity of the first communication module after a certain time based on the first communication capacity information, second predicted communication capacity information indicating a predicted communication capacity of the second communication module after the certain time based on the second communication capacity information, and third predicted communication capacity information indicating a predicted communication capacity of the third communication module after the certain time based on the third communication capacity information; a predicted temperature information estimation unit (23) that estimates first predicted temperature information indicating a predicted temperature of the first communication module after the certain time based on the first temperature information, second predicted temperature information indicating a predicted temperature of the second communication module after the certain time based on the second temperature information, and third predicted temperature information indicating a predicted temperature of the third communication module after the certain time based on the third temperature information, The communication control unit Identifying a combination of the communication modules that exceeds the required communication capacity information based on the first predicted communication capacity information, the second predicted communication capacity information, and the third predicted communication capacity information; determining, from among the identified combinations of communication modules, a combination of communication modules having the largest minimum value of the first to third differences based on a first difference which is a difference between first specified temperature information indicating a specified temperature set in the first communication module and the first predicted temperature information, a second difference which is a difference between second specified temperature information indicating a specified temperature set in the second communication module and the second predicted temperature information, and a third difference which is a difference between third specified temperature information indicating a specified temperature set in the third communication module and the third predicted temperature information, and controlling to perform communication using at least one of the communication modules included in the determined combination; The communication device (300) of claim 1.

6. Further, a cooling device is provided to cool the first, second and third communication modules, The communication control unit further corrects the first to third differences based on cooling performance information indicating the cooling performance of the cooling device. A communication device (200, 300) according to claim 4 or 5.

7. Further, a cooling device is provided to cool the first and second communication modules, the communication control unit further corrects a first difference, which is a difference between first specified temperature information indicating a specified temperature set in the first communication module and the first temperature information or the first predicted temperature information, and a second difference, which is a difference between second specified temperature information indicating a specified temperature set in the second communication module and the second temperature information or the second predicted temperature information, based on cooling performance information indicating the cooling performance of the cooling device. A communication device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. When the communication control unit controls communication to be performed using the first communication module and the second communication module, Calculating first marginal temperature information (Ma) which is the first difference and second marginal temperature information (Mb) which is the second difference; Allocating data to be transmitted based on a ratio of Ma / (Ma+Mb) to the first communication module and Mb / (Ma+Mb) to the second communication module; A communication device (100, 200, 300) according to claim 1, 4 or 5.

9. Furthermore, the first communication capacity information (Sa) and the second communication capacity information (Sb) are calculated, Distributing data to be transmitted based on a ratio of Sa / (Sa+Sb)*Ma / (Ma+Mb) to the first communication module and a ratio of Sb / (Sa+Sb)*Mb / (Ma+Mb) to the second communication module; A communication device (100, 200, 300) according to claim 8.

10. The timing for determining whether to switch the communication module by the communication control unit is determined by any one of the determination methods (a) to (c). A communication device (100, 200, 300) according to any one of the preceding claims. (a) comparing the difference between the data capacity of the data allocated to each of the communication modules and the communication capacity indicated by each of the communication capacity information acquired by the communication information acquisition unit, and determining based on the smallest difference value; (b) determining the communication capacity based on a difference between the total communication capacity indicated by the first communication capacity information and the second communication capacity information and the required communication capacity; (c) comparing the first difference and the second difference and making a decision based on the smaller difference value.

11. The present invention further includes a position / movement information acquisition unit (24) for acquiring position information of the moving body and movement information indicating movement or stoppage of the moving body, the predicted communication capacity information estimation unit estimates predicted communication capacity information of each of the communication modules after the certain period of time based on the location information and the movement information; A communication device (100, 300) according to claim 2 or 5.

12. The present invention further includes a position / movement information acquisition unit (24) for acquiring position information of the moving body and movement information indicating movement or stoppage of the moving body, the predicted temperature information estimation unit estimates predicted temperature information of each of the communication modules after the certain period based on the location information and the movement information; A communication device (100, 300) according to claim 2 or 5.

13. The timing at which the communication control unit controls the communication unit to perform communication using at least one of the communication modules is determined based on a switching reference value that is a temperature lower than a specified temperature set in the communication module. A communication device (100, 300) according to claim 2 or 5.

14. A communication control method executed in a communication device (100, 200, 300) mounted on a moving object and having a plurality of communication modules including at least a first communication module and a second communication module, comprising: Acquire first communication capacity information indicating a communication capacity of a first communication module, second communication capacity information indicating a communication capacity of a second communication module, and required communication capacity information indicating a communication capacity required by the mobile body (S11); Obtaining first temperature information indicating a temperature of the first communication module and second temperature information indicating a temperature of the second communication module (S12); selecting at least one of the communication modules to perform communication based on the required communication capacity information, the first communication capacity information, the second communication capacity information, the first temperature information, and the second temperature information (S13, S131, S132, S133, S134); Communications control method.

15. A communication control program executable by a communication device (100, 200, 300) that is mounted on a moving object and has a plurality of communication modules including at least a first communication module and a second communication module, Acquire first communication capacity information indicating a communication capacity of a first communication module, second communication capacity information indicating a communication capacity of a second communication module, and required communication capacity information indicating a communication capacity required by the mobile body (S11); Obtaining first temperature information indicating a temperature of the first communication module and second temperature information indicating a temperature of the second communication module (S12); selecting at least one of the communication modules to perform communication based on the required communication capacity information, the first communication capacity information, the second communication capacity information, the first temperature information, and the second temperature information (S13, S131, S132, S133, S134); Communications control program.

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