Information processing device and method

Abstract

To increase opportunities for using networks with lower communication costs.SOLUTION: Provided is an information processing device mounted on a mobile object. The information processing device includes a first communication module that communicates using a first cellular communication network, a second communication module that communicates using a second network, and a control unit that determines whether the mobile object is moving or not, determines to communicate using the first cellular communication network if the mobile object is moving, and determines to communicate using the second network if the mobile object is not moving. The control unit further determines whether communication via the second network is stable or not, and determines to communicate using the second network if communication via the second network is stable even when the mobile object is moving.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates to mobile wireless communications. [Background technology]

[0002] A vehicular wireless communication device has been disclosed that employs either Wi-Fi communication or cellular communication as a communication path for an in-vehicle device based on the vehicle's moving state, allowable delay, and the like (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-062548 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of one aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing device and method that can increase opportunities to use networks with lower communication costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is An information processing device mounted on a moving body, a first communication module that communicates using a first cellular communication network; a second communication module that communicates using a second network; determining whether the moving object is moving; determining to communicate using the first cellular communication network when the mobile unit is moving, and determining to communicate using the second network when the mobile unit is not moving; a control unit that executes the above; Equipped with The control unit determining whether communication via the second network can be performed stably; determining that communication should be performed using the second network if communication via the second network can be performed stably even when the mobile object is moving; It is an information processing device.

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure is An information processing device mounted on a moving body, a first communication module that communicates using a first cellular communication network; a second communication module that communicates using a second network; An information processing device comprising: determining whether the moving object is moving; determining to communicate using the first cellular communication network when the mobile unit is moving, and determining to communicate using the second network when the mobile unit is not moving; A method of performing The information processing device, The method further includes determining whether or not communication via the second network can be performed stably. Go, determining that communication should be performed using the second network if communication via the second network can be performed stably even when the mobile object is moving; It is a method. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to increase opportunities to use networks with lower communication costs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of processing in a vehicle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a vehicle. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the in-vehicle device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an example of a flowchart of a communication network selection process of an in-vehicle device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] For example, in connected cars equipped with communication functions, the use of Over The Air (OTA) and opportunities for streaming music and video are increasing, which is driving up communication costs for cellular communication. To reduce communication costs, it is necessary to prioritize communication using lower-cost networks such as Wi-Fi over communication using cellular communication networks. Hereinafter, communication using a Wi-Fi network will be referred to as Wi-Fi communication. Communication using a cellular communication network will be referred to as cellular communication.

[0010] However, Wi-Fi communication is often unstable when the vehicle is moving due to factors such as smaller cell size compared to cellular communication, so when a vehicle is moving, cellular communication is often selected, as it allows stable communication even while the vehicle is moving.

[0011] In view of the above-mentioned problem, one aspect of the present disclosure increases opportunities for using the second network by preferentially using the second network, even when a mobile object is moving, if communication via a second network, such as Wi-Fi communication, which has lower costs than cellular communication, can be performed stably. More specifically, one aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing device mounted on a mobile object. The information processing device includes a first communication module that performs communication via a cellular communication network, a second communication module that performs second communication via the second network, and a control unit. The control unit executes the following: determining whether the mobile object is moving; determining to perform communication via the first cellular network if the mobile object is moving; and determining to perform communication via the second network if the mobile object is not moving. Furthermore, the control unit further executes the following: determining whether communication via the second network can be performed stably; and determining to perform communication via the second network if communication via the second network can be performed stably even when the mobile object is moving.

[0012] The mobile body is, for example, a vehicle such as an automobile, a motorcycle, a bicycle, or a train. The mobile body is not limited to a vehicle that travels on the ground, but may include, for example, a mobile body that travels on the sea, such as a ship, and a mobile body that travels in the air, such as an aircraft or a drone. The mobile body may also include, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PC, or a portable game console. The information processing device is, for example, a data communication module, a navigation device, a drive recorder, or the like, that is mounted on the mobile body. However, the information The processing device is not limited to these, and may be, for example, a computer mounted on a moving body other than a vehicle, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PC (Personal Computer), and a game The control unit may be a mobile terminal such as a terminal. The control unit is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). However, the control unit is not limited to a processor, and may be, for example, an FP (Fast Processing Unit), GA (Field Programmable Gate Array), semiconductor integrated circuit (IC: Integrated Circuit) , a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), or the like.

[0013] The second network is a network that can be used at a lower cost than a cellular network. The second network is, for example, a Wi-Fi network. However, the second network is not limited to a Wi-Fi network. The second network may be a network formed by device-to-device communication between one or more information processing devices mounted on other mobile objects, or a network formed by road-to-vehicle communication with a roadside device. The device-to-device communication is, for example, a communication method capable of terminal-to-terminal communication, such as vehicle-to-vehicle wireless LAN communication, DSRC (Dedicated Short-Range Communications), 5G sidelink communication, Device-to-Device (D2D) communication, and ad hoc mode. These device-to-device communications may be multi-hop communications. However, the device-to-device communications are not limited to these. The road-to-vehicle communication is, for example, Wi-Fi, DSRC, etc. In the case of Wi-Fi, the roadside device is, for example, an access point installed at a predetermined position. Furthermore, the second network may be a cellular communication network such as 5G (5th Generation), 6G, or 4G, as long as the communication cost is lower than that of the first cellular communication network due to, for example, a contract plan, etc. In this case, the cellular communication network corresponding to the second network may be of the same communication carrier as the first cellular communication network, or may be of a different communication carrier.

[0014] Stable communication via the second network means, for example, when the second network is a Wi-Fi network and the moving body is a vehicle, that an area covered by multiple access points managed by the same administrator continues for a predetermined distance or more on the planned route of the moving body, and that a connection with another vehicle operating as an access point connected via vehicle-to-vehicle wireless LAN communication can be maintained for a predetermined distance or more. However, stable communication via the second network is not limited to these.

[0015] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, when communication via the second network can be performed stably even when the mobile object is moving, it is determined to perform communication using the second network, thereby increasing the opportunities to use the second network. Since the second network has lower communication costs than a cellular communication network, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide stable communication while suppressing communication costs.

[0016] As another aspect, the present disclosure can be identified as a method for a computer to execute the processing performed by the information processing device, a program for causing a computer to execute the method, and a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded.

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

[0018] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of processing of a vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the vehicle 10 is a vehicle equipped with an on-board device 1 having a communication function. In the first embodiment, the on-board device 1 is connectable to both a cellular network N1 and a Wi-Fi network N2. The on-board device 1 selects a network to be used as an access network from the cellular network N1 and the Wi-Fi network N2, and connects to the Internet through the selected network.

[0019] The in-vehicle device 1 communicates using the cellular network N1 when the vehicle 10 is moving, and communicates using the Wi-Fi network N2 when the vehicle 10 is not moving. However, even when the vehicle is moving, if Wi-Fi communication can be performed stably, the in-vehicle device 1 communicates using the Wi-Fi network N2. Stable Wi-Fi communication means, for example, that communication can be performed without interruption and that communication can be performed with a received radio wave strength equal to or greater than a predetermined value. For example, if the in-vehicle device 1 moves and leaves the cell of the access point to which the in-vehicle device 1 is connected, the Wi-Fi communication ends and the connection to the Internet is interrupted until a connection to the cellular network is established, resulting in unstable communication. Furthermore, for example, if the in-vehicle device 1 is located near the edge of the access point cell, the radio wave strength from the access point decreases, causing unstable communication.

[0020] In other words, being able to perform stable Wi-Fi communication means being present in the cell of an access point for a long period of time. Therefore, in the first embodiment, whether the vehicle 10 can perform stable Wi-Fi communication is determined, for example, by whether an area covered by multiple access points managed by the same Wi-Fi communication service provider continues for a predetermined distance or more on the planned driving route of the vehicle 10. An area covered by multiple access points managed by the same Wi-Fi communication service provider is, for example, an area in which the multiple access points share the same SSID and the same security settings and are capable of roaming.

[0021] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the in-vehicle device 1 can use vehicle-to-vehicle wireless LAN communication as the Wi-Fi network N2. Therefore, in the first embodiment, when the vehicle 10 travels alongside another vehicle operating as an access point within a communicable range for a predetermined period of time or longer, the in-vehicle device 1 determines that Wi-Fi communication can be performed stably while the vehicle 10 is traveling. Data may be relayed from the other vehicle operating as an access point to which the in-vehicle device 1 is connected to yet another vehicle, resulting in connection to an external network such as the Internet (multi-hop). Note that the conditions for determining that Wi-Fi communication can be performed stably while the vehicle 10 is traveling are not limited to those described above.

[0022] In the first embodiment, when Wi-Fi communication can be performed stably while the vehicle 10 is traveling, the in-vehicle device 1 performs communication using the Wi-Fi network N2. Wi-Fi communication has a lower usage cost than cellular communication. Therefore, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to increase opportunities to use a network that is lower in cost than a cellular communication network.

[0023] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the vehicle 10. In Fig. 2, hardware components related to the processing of the first embodiment are extracted and shown. The vehicle 10 includes an in-vehicle device 1 and a speedometer 110. The in-vehicle device 1 is, for example, a data communication module, a car navigation system, or a drive recorder.

[0024] The in-vehicle device 1 includes, as its hardware configuration, a processor 101, a memory 102, an auxiliary storage device 103, a wireless communication unit 104, a Wi-Fi communication unit 105, and an interface 106. The memory 102 and the auxiliary storage device 103 are computer-readable recording media. The auxiliary storage device 103 is, for example, an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), a hard disk drive, or a solid state drive (SSD). ). The programs stored in the auxiliary storage device 103 include, for example, an operating system (OS) and a communication network selection control program. The memory 102 includes, for example, semiconductor memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0025] The processor 101 may be, for example, a CPU, a GPU, or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The number of processors 101 is not limited to one, and multiple processors may be provided. The processor 101 is an example of a "control unit."

[0026] The wireless communication unit 104 is a wireless communication circuit that supports a cellular communication method such as 5G, 4G, or 6G. The Wi-Fi communication unit 105 is a wireless communication circuit that supports Wi-Fi. The interface 106 is an interface that connects to an in-vehicle network to which other devices are connected. The in-vehicle network is, for example, an in-vehicle Ethernet or a CAN (Controller Area Network). The hardware configuration of the in-vehicle device 1 is as follows: It is not limited to what is shown in FIG.

[0027] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the in-vehicle device 1. The in-vehicle device 1 includes, as its functional configuration, a control unit 11. The control unit 11 is a functional component that is achieved, for example, by the processor 101 of the in-vehicle device 1 executing a communication method selection control program.

[0028] In the first embodiment, the control unit 11 selects the network to be used from the cellular network N1 and the Wi-Fi network N2. When the vehicle 10 is not moving, the control unit 11 prioritizes cost and performs communication by preferentially using the Wi-Fi network N2. Whether the vehicle 10 is moving is determined based on, for example, the moving speed of the vehicle 10 measured by the speedometer 110. In the first embodiment, the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle 10 is moving when the moving speed of the vehicle 10 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and determines that the vehicle 10 is not moving when the moving speed of the vehicle 10 is less than the predetermined value. However, the method of determining whether the vehicle 10 is moving is not limited to this.

[0029] When the vehicle 10 is traveling, the control unit 11 determines whether Wi-Fi communication can be performed stably. In the first embodiment, whether Wi-Fi communication can be performed stably is determined by whether the vehicle 10 is traveling alongside another vehicle operating as an access point for a predetermined distance or for a predetermined period of time or whether an area covered by multiple access points managed by the same Wi-Fi service provider continues for a predetermined distance or more on the planned traveling route of the vehicle 10.

[0030] For example, vehicle 10 traveling parallel to another vehicle means that the two vehicles are traveling at a distance that allows them to maintain a connection for vehicle-to-vehicle wireless LAN communication. Whether another vehicle is traveling parallel to vehicle 10 can be determined, for example, by acquiring a planned travel route from the other vehicle when a connection for vehicle-to-vehicle wireless LAN communication is established, and comparing the planned travel routes of the two vehicles. However, the method for determining whether another vehicle is traveling parallel to vehicle 10 is not limited to this.

[0031] The area covered by multiple access points managed by the same Wi-Fi service provider can be acquired, for example, from information about the coverage area of ​​the Wi-Fi service that is published by the Wi-Fi service provider, etc. The information about the coverage area of ​​the Wi-Fi service may be acquired in advance by the in-vehicle device 1.

[0032] When the vehicle 10 is traveling and Wi-Fi communication is stable, the control unit 11 performs communication using the Wi-Fi network N2. When the vehicle 10 is traveling and Wi-Fi communication is not stable, the control unit 11 performs communication using the cellular network N1.

[0033] Fig. 4 is an example of a flowchart of a communication network selection process of the in-vehicle device 1. The process shown in Fig. 4 is executed repeatedly at a predetermined interval, for example, while the in-vehicle device 1 is in operation. The process shown in Fig. 4 is executed mainly by the processor 101 of the in-vehicle device 1, but for convenience, the following description will be given focusing on the functional configuration.

[0034] In OP101, the control unit 11 determines whether the vehicle 10 is moving. If the vehicle 10 is moving (OP101: YES), the process proceeds to OP102. If the vehicle 10 is not moving (OP101: NO), the process proceeds to OP105.

[0035] In OP102, the control unit 11 determines whether or not Wi-Fi communication can be performed stably. If Wi-Fi communication can be performed stably (OP102: YES), the process proceeds to OP103, where the control unit 11 starts communication using the Wi-Fi network N2. Thereafter, the process shown in FIG. 4 ends. If Wi-Fi communication cannot be performed stably (OP102: NO), the process proceeds to OP104, where the control unit 11 selects the cellular network N1 and starts communication. Thereafter, the process shown in FIG. 4 ends.

[0036] In OP105, the control unit 11 determines whether Wi-Fi communication is possible. If Wi-Fi communication is possible (OP105: YES), the process proceeds to OP106, where the control unit 11 starts communication using the Wi-Fi network N2. Thereafter, the process shown in FIG. 4 ends. If Wi-Fi communication is not possible (OP105: NO), the process proceeds to OP107, where the control unit 11 starts communication using the cellular network N1. Thereafter, the process shown in FIG. 4 ends. Note that the communication network selection process of the in-vehicle device 1 is not limited to the process shown in FIG. 4, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

[0037] <Effects of the First Embodiment> 4 is repeatedly performed at a predetermined cycle, and, for example, when Wi-Fi communication becomes stable while the vehicle 10 is traveling (FIG. 4, OP102: YES), the cellular communication is switched to Wi-Fi communication (FIG. 4, OP103). Therefore, according to the first embodiment, the Wi-Fi network N2, which has a lower communication cost than the cellular network N1, is used more frequently, thereby reducing the communication cost of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, the Wi-Fi network N2 is selected when stable communication is possible while the vehicle 10 is traveling, and therefore stable Wi-Fi communication can be provided even while the vehicle 10 is traveling.

[0038] 4 is repeated at predetermined intervals. For example, if the vehicle 10 is unable to stably perform Wi-Fi communication while traveling (FIG. 4, OP102: NO), the Wi-Fi communication is switched to cellular communication (FIG. 4, OP104) to continue communication. This ensures stable communication while traveling.

[0039] <Other embodiments> The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure can be modified and implemented as appropriate within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the disclosure.

[0040] In the first embodiment, the process of selecting a communication network to be used from the cellular network N1 and the Wi-Fi network N2 has been described. However, the Wi-Fi network N2 may be replaced with another communication network. For example, instead of the Wi-Fi network N2, a network for road-to-vehicle communication or vehicle-to-vehicle communication, such as Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) or 5G sidelink communication, may be adopted. Whether or not such vehicle-to-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication can be stably performed while the vehicle 10 is traveling may also be determined in the same manner as the method for determining whether or not Wi-Fi communication can be stably performed.

[0041] For example, if the in-vehicle device 1 is equipped with two or more SIM cards and can connect to two or more cellular communication networks, it may preferentially select the cellular communication network with the lower communication cost from among the two or more cellular communication networks.

[0042] The processes and means described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0043] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

[0044] The present disclosure can also be realized by providing a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer via a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the computer's system bus or via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk), a read-only memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1...In-vehicle device 10. Vehicle 11 Control unit 101 Processor 102 Memory 103...Auxiliary storage device 104 Wireless Communication Unit 105...Wi-Fi Communication Department

Claims

1. An information processing device mounted on a moving body, a first communication module that communicates using a first cellular communication network; a second communication module that communicates using a second network; determining whether the moving object is moving; determining to communicate using the first cellular communication network when the mobile unit is moving, and determining to communicate using the second network when the mobile unit is not moving; a control unit that executes the above; Equipped with The control unit determining whether communication via the second network can be performed stably; determining that communication should be performed using the second network if communication via the second network can be performed stably even when the mobile object is moving; Information processing device.

2. the second network is a network formed by device-to-device communication between one or more information processing devices mounted on other mobile objects; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. the second network is a network formed by road-to-vehicle communication with a roadside device; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. the control unit continues communication by using the first cellular communication network when communication via the second network becomes unstable while the mobile object is moving. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. An information processing device mounted on a moving body, a first communication module that communicates using a first cellular communication network; a second communication module that communicates using a second network; An information processing device comprising: determining whether the moving object is moving; determining to communicate using the first cellular communication network when the mobile unit is moving, and determining to communicate using the second network when the mobile unit is not moving; A method of performing The information processing device, determining whether communication via the second network can be performed stably; determining that communication should be performed using the second network if communication via the second network can be performed stably even when the mobile object is moving; method.

Images