Information processing device

Abstract

To make it possible to achieve both ensuring availability and keeping costs down in communication.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes a communication module connectable to both first and second cellular communication networks, and a control unit. The control unit switches a communication network to be used to the second cellular communication network for in-vehicle applications classified into a predetermined category among a plurality of in-vehicle applications using the first cellular communication network when a failure occurs in the first cellular communication network.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to communication technology.

Background Art

[0002] There is a technology for dynamically selecting a communication method used by a mobile body. In this regard, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a terminal device that selects the most reliable one from a plurality of communication means and performs communication when an emergency occurs.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to achieve both ensuring availability and suppressing costs in communication.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure is a communication module connectable to both a first cellular communication network and a second cellular communication network, and a control unit, wherein when a failure occurs in the first cellular communication network, the control unit, among a plurality of in-vehicle applications using the first cellular communication network, for in-vehicle applications classified into a predetermined category, switches the communication network to be used to the second cellular communication network, and is an information processing device.

[0006] Further, as another aspect, there are a method executed by the above device, a program for causing a computer to execute the method, or a computer-readable storage medium that non-temporarily stores the program.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve both ensuring availability and suppressing costs in communication.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] In recent years, the connectedness of automobiles has advanced, and the number of vehicles equipped with in-vehicle devices having wireless communication functions has been increasing. The in-vehicle device can provide various services to the passengers of the vehicle, for example, by communicating with a server device (such as an application server) via a cellular communication network.

[0010] However, in such a system, when a failure occurs in the cellular communication network, there is a possibility that the provision of the service may be interrupted. will be interrupted. On the other hand, among the application software (hereinafter, in-vehicle application) executed in the in-vehicle device, there are those that require high availability, such as those that send notifications when an emergency occurs (for example, those that automatically notify emergency and fire departments when an accident occurs).

[0011] To prepare for communication failures, there is also a method of contracting with multiple communication companies to secure a backup communication path, but there is a problem that it is costly (for example, the maintenance cost for two lines is incurred). The information processing apparatus of the present disclosure solves such a problem.

[0012] The information processing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present disclosure is as follows. It has a communication module connectable to both a first cellular communication network and a second cellular communication network, and a control unit. When a failure occurs in the first cellular communication network, the control unit switches the communication network to be used for in-vehicle applications classified into a predetermined category among a plurality of in-vehicle applications using the first cellular communication network to the second cellular communication network.

[0013] The first cellular communication network and the second cellular communication network can be, for example, communication networks provided by different communication companies respectively. An in-vehicle application is application software executed by an in-vehicle device. The in-vehicle application may be executed in the information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure or may be executed in another in-vehicle device. Also, there may be a plurality of executable in-vehicle applications. The in-vehicle application communicates using the first cellular communication network as a default communication path.

[0014] When a failure occurs in the first cellular communication network, the control unit switches the communication network to be used for in-vehicle applications classified into a predetermined category among a plurality of in-vehicle applications using the first cellular communication network to the second cellular communication network.

[0015] That is, instead of switching the communication paths of all in-vehicle applications to the second cellular communication network, the switching is performed by limiting the target in-vehicle applications. The predetermined category can be, for example, a category related to safety, etc., a category for which availability is required (it is not preferable to fall into a communication failure state). Note that for in-vehicle applications classified outside the predetermined category, the switching from the first cellular communication network is not performed. According to such a configuration, the amount of data transmitted and received via the second cellular communication network can be minimized. That is, it is possible to suppress an increase in communication cost while ensuring communication availability.

[0016] Note that the second cellular communication network may be a communication network with a lower basic usage fee than the first cellular communication network and with a higher communication fee per unit data amount than the first cellular communication network.

[0017] Further, the control unit may determine the category of the in-vehicle application based on the communication message from the in-vehicle application. For example, the communication message transmitted by the in-vehicle application may include an identifier related to the category of the in-vehicle application, and the control unit may use the identifier to identify the category of the target in-vehicle application.

[0018] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The hardware configuration, module configuration, functional configuration, etc. described in each embodiment are not intended to limit the disclosed technical scope only to those, unless otherwise specified. The technical scope shown is not limited only to those.

[0019] (First Embodiment) [Overview of Network] The outline of the vehicle communication network according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The vehicle communication network according to this embodiment includes a DCM 10 mounted on the vehicle 1 and a server device 20. The server device 20 is a device that provides a predetermined service to the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 is configured to be able to communicate with the outside via a cellular communication network (hereinafter also referred to as a carrier network). The carrier network is connected to the Internet. The server device 20 is connected to the Internet, and the vehicle 1 (DCM 10) can communicate with the server device 20 via the carrier network A or the carrier network B. Note that there may be a plurality of vehicles 1 and server devices 20 included in the system. The carrier network A is an example of the "first cellular communication network" of the present disclosure, and the carrier network B is an example of the "second cellular communication network" of the present disclosure.

[0020] The vehicle 1 is a connected vehicle that can communicate with any external device via a cellular communication network. In this embodiment, the vehicle 1 can provide various services to the vehicle occupants by communicating with an external server device (for example, the server device 20) via a wireless communication device, the DCM 10. Examples of various services include, for example, a navigation service, a remote control (for example, remote air conditioning, etc.) service, an in-vehicle Wi-Fi (registered trademark) service, an emergency notification service, and the like. In addition to the illustrated devices, the vehicle 1 may have an in-vehicle terminal that provides these services.

[0021] The DCM10 is a device that performs wireless communication with a predetermined network in order to connect a component (e.g., an in-vehicle terminal) of the vehicle 1 and the server device 20. In the present embodiment, the DCM10 is configured to be connectable to a predetermined cellular communication network. The DCM10 is configured to have an eUICC (Embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card) for identifying a user. The eUICC may be a physical SIM card or an eSIM or the like. In the present embodiment, the DCM10 has a first SIM which is an eUICC for connecting to the carrier network A and a second SIM which is an eUICC for connecting to the carrier network B.

[0022] In the illustrated example, the DCM10 is configured to be communicable with the carrier network A. The carrier network A includes a base station of the cellular communication network, a control device for managing mobile communication terminals, and the like.

[0023] In the present embodiment, the carrier network A is connected to the Internet via a packet gateway (PGW) or the like. The DCM10 receives authentication from the carrier network A using the profile information stored in the first SIM. In the present embodiment, the authentication device of the carrier network A authenticates the DCM10 based on the profile information of the first SIM. The authenticated DCM10 can communicate with a PDN (e.g., the Internet) and can start communicating with the server device 20.

[0024] As shown in the figure, in the form in which the DCM10 is connected to the cellular communication network (carrier network A), if a communication failure occurs in the carrier network A, the communication will be interrupted. On the other hand, in the vehicle 1, there may be a case where an in-vehicle application that detects the occurrence of a traffic accident or the like and automatically makes a report is operating. When a communication failure occurs, these in-vehicle applications will stop operating, which is not preferable in terms of safety.

[0025] To address this, in this embodiment, the DCM10 is configured to be connectable to an alternative cellular communication network (carrier network B) different from the default cellular communication network (carrier network A), so that communication can be continued via an alternative path even when the carrier network A becomes unavailable.

[0026] Specifically, the DCM10 has a second SIM, which is an eUICC for connecting to the carrier network B, and can be used to connect to the carrier network B. The DCM10 has a dual standby function and can be connected to both the carrier network A and the carrier network B simultaneously.

[0027] The DCM10 uses the carrier network A as the main line. That is, normally, the DCM10 uses only the carrier network A as the communication line. On the other hand, when a failure occurs in the carrier network A, the DCM10 limitedly switches the communication path to the path via the carrier network B.

[0028] The DCM10 relays communications from multiple in-vehicle applications, but the switching of the communication path during a failure is performed only for limited in-vehicle applications. Specifically, the communication path is switched only to the path via the carrier network B for in-vehicle applications where the safety of the passengers may be compromised due to interrupted communication. In other words, for in-vehicle applications that do not directly affect safety, the communication path is not switched. This can suppress the communication cost while ensuring safety.

[0029] Note that the carrier network B may be a communication network with a lower basic usage fee than the carrier network A and a relatively higher communication fee per unit of communication volume. Such a communication network can be said to be suitable for backup purposes.

[0030] [Device Configuration] Next, the configuration of each device included in the system will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the DCM10 according to the present embodiment.

[0031] The DCM10 can be configured as a computer having a processor (such as a CPU or GPU), a main storage device (such as a RAM or ROM), and an auxiliary storage device (such as an EPROM, a hard disk drive, or a removable medium). The auxiliary storage device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, various functions (software modules) that meet a predetermined purpose, as described later, can be realized. However, some or all of the functions may be realized as hardware modules by a hardware circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA.

[0032] The DCM10 is configured to include a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, a first communication module 103, a second communication module 104, and a communication unit 105.

[0033] The control unit 101 is an arithmetic unit that realizes various functions of the DCM10 by executing a predetermined program. The control unit 101 can be realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU, for example. Further, the control unit 101 may be configured to include a RAM, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a cache memory, etc.

[0034] In the present embodiment, the control unit 101 included in the DCM10 is configured to include a communication control unit 1011 as a software module. The software module may be realized by executing a program stored in the storage unit 102 by the control unit 101 (such as a CPU). Note that the information processing executed by the software module is synonymous with the information processing executed by the control unit 101 (such as a CPU).

[0035] The communication control unit 1011 establishes a network connection with a predetermined cellular communication network and relays communication in response to requests from vehicle components of the vehicle 1. The communication control unit 1011 has a function of simultaneously connecting to a plurality of carrier networks. For example, when the first SIM is inserted into the DCM10, the communication control unit 1011 establishes a network connection via the carrier network A. Also, when the second SIM is inserted into the DCM10, the communication control unit 1011 establishes a network connection via the carrier network B. The network connection may be maintained at all times while the DCM10 is powered on.

[0036] When the communication control unit 1011 makes a network connection via the carrier network A, it receives authentication using the profile information (first profile) stored in the first SIM. Also, when the communication control unit 1011 makes a network connection via the carrier network B, it receives authentication using the profile information (second profile) stored in the second SIM. The communication control unit 1011 has a dual standby function, maintains connections to both the carrier networks A and B, and can distribute communication generated in the vehicle 1 to an arbitrary network.

[0037] The storage unit 102 is a means for storing information and is composed of a storage medium such as a RAM, a magnetic disk, or a flash memory. The storage unit 102 stores programs executed by the control unit 101, data used by the programs, and the like.

[0038] The first communication module 103 is a communication device that performs wireless communication with a predetermined network. In the present embodiment, the first communication module 103 is configured to be communicable with a predetermined cellular communication network (carrier network A). The first communication module 103 is configured to include a SIM card 103A. The SIM card 103A is the first SIM in FIG. 1. The SIM card 103A is configured as a microcomputer equipped with a CPU and a storage device. The SIM card 103A has information (PLMN information) for connecting to the carrier network A.

[0039] Also, the SIM card 103A (the first SIM) is configured to store a first profile that is SIM profile information. The first profile is a profile issued by a telecommunications carrier that manages the carrier network A. The first profile includes, for example, identification information such as IMSI (International Mobile Subscription Identity) and ICCID (Integrated Circuit Card ID), and authentication information (key information) for receiving SIM authentication including AKA authentication.

[0040] The second communication module 104 is a communication device that performs wireless communication with a predetermined network. In the present embodiment, the second communication module 104 is configured to be communicable with a predetermined cellular communication network (carrier network B). The second communication module 104 is configured to include a SIM card 104A. The SIM card 104A is the second SIM in FIG. 1. The SIM card 104A is configured as a microcomputer equipped with a CPU and a storage device. The SIM card 104A has information (PLMN information) for connecting to the carrier network B.

[0041] Further, the SIM card 104A (second SIM) is configured to store a second profile which is SIM profile information. The second profile is a profile issued by a communications carrier that manages the carrier network B. The second profile includes, for example, identification information such as IMSI (International Mobile Subscription Identity) and ICCID (Integrated Circuit Card ID), and authentication information (key information) for receiving SIM authentication including AKA authentication.

[0042] The communication unit 105 is a communication interface for connecting the DCM10 to the in-vehicle network of the vehicle 1. The communication unit 105 may be configured to include, for example, a network interface that communicates according to the CAN (Controller Area Network ) protocol. The DCM10 can perform data communication with other components (such as in-vehicle terminals) of the vehicle 1 via the communication unit 105.

[0043] Next, the configuration of the server device 20 will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the server device 20 according to the present embodiment. The server device 20 is configured as a computer having a control unit 201, a storage unit 202, an input / output unit 203, and a communication unit 204.

[0044] The server device 20 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main storage device (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary storage device (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.). However, some or all of the functions (software modules) may be realized as hardware modules by hardware circuits such as ASICs and FPGAs.

[0045] The control unit 201 is an arithmetic unit that realizes various functions (software modules) of the server device 20 by executing a predetermined program. The control unit 201 can be realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU, for example.

[0046] In this embodiment, the control unit 201 included in the server device 20 is configured to include a function providing unit 2011 as a software module. The software module may be realized by executing, by the control unit 201 (such as a CPU), a program stored in the storage unit 202. Note that the information processing executed by the software module is synonymous with the information processing executed by the control unit 201 (such as a CPU).

[0047] The function providing unit 2011 provides various functions or services in response to requests transmitted from the vehicle 1. Examples of the functions or services provided by the function providing unit 2011 include the following. (1) Information providing service For example, it is a service that provides traffic information, regional information, and other information. (2) Route navigation service It is a service that performs route navigation based on an online map. (3) Streaming service It is a service that performs streaming of music or moving images. (4) Remote control service It is a service that controls the car air conditioner from outside the vehicle and monitors the surroundings of the vehicle. (5) Emergency notification service It is a service that detects the occurrence of a traffic accident and automatically notifies the operators of relevant institutions (such as fire and emergency). Note that the functions or services provided by the function providing unit 2011 may be other than those exemplified here ones.

[0048] The storage unit 202 is a means for storing information and is composed of a storage medium such as a RAM, a magnetic disk, or a flash memory. The storage unit 202 stores a program executed by the control unit 201, data used by the program, and the like.

[0049] The input / output unit 203 is a unit that receives input operations performed by the operator of the device and presents information to the operator. In this embodiment, it consists of a single touch panel display. That is, it is composed of a liquid crystal display and its control means, and a touch panel and its control means.

[0050] The communication unit 204 is a communication interface for connecting the server device 20 to the Internet. The server device 20 can perform data communication with the Internet via the communication unit 204.

[0051] [Communication distribution processing] Next, the communication distribution processing performed by the DCM10 (communication control unit 1011) will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the communication distribution processing. In this example, as in-vehicle applications, two types are exemplified: one that provides a navigation function (App A) and one that provides an emergency notification function (App B). App A is an in-vehicle application belonging to the category of "navigation", and App B is an in-vehicle application belonging to the category of "emergency notification".

[0052] The communication unit 105 of the DCM10 acquires a communication message from an in-vehicle application operating on an in-vehicle device via an in-vehicle network. The communication message may be, for example, a request message in a specific protocol (e.g., HTTP). Also, the communication message may be transmitted together with an identifier of the in-vehicle application or an identifier indicating the category of the in-vehicle application. Note that these identifiers may be included in the communication message itself.

[0053] The communication message acquired by the DCM10 is input to the communication control unit 1011. The communication control unit 1011 transfers the received communication message to the communication module. In this embodiment, since the DCM 10 uses the carrier network A as the main line, normally, the communication control unit 1011 transfers the communication message to the first communication module 103. The first communication module 103 constructs a packet based on the received communication message and transmits this to the carrier network A. Thereby, the communication from each in-vehicle application reaches the server device 20 via the carrier network A. Also, when there is a response from the server device 20, the communication control unit 1011 transfers this to the DCM 10.

[0054] Next, consider the case where a failure occurs in the carrier network A. When a failure occurs in the carrier network A, communication via the first communication module 103 cannot be performed normally. For example, events such as communication timing out or an abnormal status code being returned occur. When the first communication module 103 detects such an abnormality, it provides information (abnormal status notification) to the communication control unit 1011. Thereby, the communication control unit 1011 can recognize that a failure has occurred in the carrier network A.

[0055] Note that the information provided from the first communication module 103 to the communication control unit 1011 does not necessarily have to be related to an abnormality. For example, it may be information regarding the status that occurs in normal wireless communication. The communication control unit 1011 may determine the occurrence of a failure based on the said information.

[0056] When the communication control unit 1011 recognizes that a failure has occurred in the carrier network A, it switches the relay destination of the communication from the in-vehicle application to a different carrier network. In this embodiment, the communication control unit 1011 switches the network used by the in-vehicle application from the carrier network A to the carrier network B on the condition that the target in-vehicle application belongs to a specific category.

[0057] FIG. 5 is an example of data (setting data) for defining a target category. The setting data is data that defines which in-vehicle applications belonging to which category are to be switched. The setting data may be stored in the storage unit 102. In the example of FIG. 5, three categories of in-vehicle applications, "navigation", "entertainment", and "emergency notification", are defined. These in-vehicle applications use the carrier network A as the default line. Also, for in-vehicle applications having the category of "emergency notification" among the three categories, it is defined that the carrier network B is available as a backup carrier.

[0058] When a failure occurs in the carrier network A, the communication control unit 1011 switches the network used by the in-vehicle application belonging to the category of "emergency notification" from the carrier network A to the carrier network B. The category of the in-vehicle application requesting communication can be determined based on the information included in the communication message or the information attached to the communication message. When the determined category is other than "emergency notification", the communication control unit 1011 does not perform network switching. That is, the communication from application A is relayed to the first communication module 103, and only the communication from application B is relayed to the second communication module 104. As a result, normal operation can be continued for application B. For application A, since the use of the carrier network A is continued, normal operation cannot be performed until the communication failure is recovered.

[0059] [Flowchart] Next, the details of the process executed by DCM10 will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the process executed when DCM10 (communication control unit 1011) receives a communication request from an in-vehicle application.

[0060] First, in step S11, the communication control unit 1011 attempts communication using the default carrier. In this embodiment, the default carrier is carrier network A. The status obtained as a result of the attempt is notified from the first communication module 103 to the communication control unit 1011. For example, when attachment to the carrier network fails, when establishment of a communication path to the Internet fails, or when a communication timeout occurs, an abnormal status notification is transmitted from the first communication module 103 to the communication control unit 1011.

[0061] In step S12, the communication control unit 1011 determines whether or not a communication failure has occurred in carrier network A. For example, when the above-described abnormal status notification is transmitted from the first communication module 103, it can be determined that a communication failure has occurred. Note that the communication control unit 1011 may comprehensively determine the occurrence of a failure based on the reception frequency or the number of receptions of the abnormal status notification. For example, when multiple communication abnormalities are recognized within a predetermined period, it may be determined that a failure has occurred in carrier network A.

[0062] If no communication failure is recognized in step S12, the process proceeds to step S13, and the communication control unit 1011 provides a communication service for the target in-vehicle application. In this case, communication using carrier network A is performed.

[0063] If a communication failure is recognized in step S12, the process proceeds to step S14. In step S14, the communication control unit 1011 determines whether the target in-vehicle application belongs to a category that can use a backup carrier. For example, the communication control unit 1011 determines the category of the in-vehicle application based on the communication message received from the target in-vehicle application. Also, the communication control unit 1011 may obtain the setting data as described with reference to FIG. 5 and determine whether the target in-vehicle application belongs to a category in which the use of a backup carrier is permitted by collating the categories. Here, when it is determined that the backup carrier is available (step S15 - Yes), the process transitions to step S16. When it is determined that the backup carrier is unavailable (step S15 - No), the process ends.

[0064] In step S16, the communication control unit 1011 temporarily switches the communication path from the target in-vehicle application to a path that uses the backup carrier. In the present embodiment, the communication from the in-vehicle application is relayed to the second communication module 104. Thereby, communication using the carrier network B is started.

[0065] Note that the first communication module 103 may continue to provide information to the communication control unit 1011. For example, the first communication module 103 may periodically transmit information regarding the status of the carrier network A to the communication control unit 1011. According to such a configuration, the communication control unit 1011 can recognize in real time that the communication failure that occurred in the carrier network A has been recovered. In this case, the communication control unit 1011 may perform a re-switch from the backup carrier to the default carrier. That is, the network used by Application B may be switched from the carrier network B to the carrier network A.

[0066] Note that the switching from the backup carrier to the default carrier may be attempted at any timing. For example, when the driving system of Vehicle 1 is shut down, the use of the backup carrier may be terminated. In this case, the use of Carrier Network A is resumed at the timing when the driving system of Vehicle 1 is started next. If the communication failure of Carrier Network A continues, a re-switching is performed according to the flow of FIG. 6.

[0067] As described above, the DCM 10 according to the first embodiment is configured to be connectable to a plurality of carrier networks, and can continue communication even when one of the carrier networks is down. Further, the DCM 10 acquires information for categorizing in-vehicle applications, and targets only the in-vehicle applications belonging to a predetermined category for network switching. Thereby, even when the default carrier network is down, it becomes possible to continue communication from the in-vehicle applications that play important roles. Further, for in-vehicle applications belonging to categories other than the predetermined category, the network is not switched. Thereby, it becomes possible to suppress the communication cost.

[0068] Note that in the present embodiment, the category of "emergency notification" is exemplified as the predetermined category, but other categories may be targeted as long as they are related to safety. Examples of such applications include in-vehicle applications for safely driving the vehicle and in-vehicle applications for protecting passengers from danger.

[0069] (Modification example) The above embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the processes and means described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0070] In addition, during the period when the communication control unit 1011 recognizes that a communication failure has occurred in the carrier network A, it may notify the passengers of the host vehicle to that effect. Similarly, when the restoration of the carrier network A is recognized, the passengers of the host vehicle may be notified to that effect.

[0071] Moreover, the processing described as being performed by one device may be executed in a distributed manner by a plurality of devices. Alternatively, the processing described as being performed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, how each function is realized by a hardware configuration (server configuration) can be flexibly changed.

[0072] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and causing one or more processors included in the computer to read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the system bus of the computer, or may be provided to the computer via a network. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes, for example, any type of disk such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk, etc.), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0073] 1 ··· Vehicle 10 ··· DCM 20 ··· Server Device 101, 201 ··· Control Unit 102, 202 ··· Storage Unit 103 ··· First Communication Module 104 ··· Second Communication Module 105,204 ··· Communication section 203 ··· Input / output section

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising: a communication module connectable to both a first cellular communication network and a second cellular communication network; and a control unit. When a failure occurs in the first cellular communication network, the control unit switches the communication network used for in-vehicle applications classified into a predetermined category among a plurality of in-vehicle applications using the first cellular communication network to the second cellular communication network. Information processing apparatus.

2. For in-vehicle applications not classified into the predetermined category, the control unit continues to use the first cellular communication network. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The predetermined category is a category related to safety. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The control unit determines the category of the in-vehicle application based on a communication message from the in-vehicle application. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The second cellular communication network has a lower basic usage fee than the first cellular communication network and a higher communication fee per unit of communication volume than the first cellular communication network. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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