Communication control terminal, communication control method, and communication control program

Abstract

To realize determination of a vehicle brought-in state without depending on signal supply from a vehicle.SOLUTION: A communication control terminal (1) includes a communication unit (3) that performs communication with another device, an acquisition unit (11) that acquires an acceleration value, a determination unit (13) that determines that the communication control terminal (1) is in a state of being brought into a vehicle on the basis of the acceleration value, and a communication control unit (17) that restricts use of communication by the communication unit (3) when the determination unit (13) determines that the communication control terminal is not in the state of being brought into the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication control terminal, a communication control method, and a communication control program. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a known method of detecting driving conditions by connecting to OBD (On-Board Diagnostics)2 or a vehicle speed signal line to obtain vehicle speed signals. In the case of OBD2, a compatibility chart for the vehicle model is required, and in the case of a vehicle speed signal, connection processing to the vehicle body is required. For this reason, installation is not easy, and as a result, processing must be done at a specialist store.

[0003] In addition, there is known a map display device that can automatically change the display mode of a map image depending on whether it is mounted on a vehicle or not (see, for example, Patent Document 1). For example, the map display device described in Patent Document 1 displays a map image suitable for use inside a vehicle when the place of use is inside a vehicle, and displays a map image suitable for use at home when the place of use is inside a home. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4182724 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 still requires a signal supplied from the vehicle, and therefore has a problem in that the determination of the vehicle mounting state depends on the signal supplied from the vehicle.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a communication control terminal, a communication control method, and a communication control program that can determine the vehicle bring-in status without relying on signal supply from the vehicle, for example. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The communication control terminal described in claim 1 is a communication control terminal comprising: a communication means for communicating with other devices; an acquisition means for acquiring acceleration values; a determination means for determining whether the communication control terminal is brought into a vehicle based on the acceleration values; and a communication control means for restricting the use of the communication by the communication means when the determination means determines that the communication control terminal is not brought into the vehicle.

[0008] In addition, the communication control terminal disclosed in the present application includes a communication means for communicating with other devices, an acquisition means for acquiring an acceleration value, and a communication control means for restricting the use of the communication by the communication means based on the acceleration value.

[0009] In addition, the communication control method disclosed in the present application is a communication control method used in a communication control terminal, in which an acceleration value is acquired, and based on the acceleration value, it is determined that the communication control terminal is in a state where it has been brought into a vehicle, and if it is determined that the communication control terminal is not in a state where it has been brought into the vehicle, the communication control terminal executes a process to restrict the use of the communication by a communication means that communicates with other devices.

[0010] In addition, the communication control program disclosed in the present application is a communication control program used in a communication control terminal, which acquires an acceleration value, determines based on the acceleration value whether the communication control terminal is brought into a vehicle, and if it determines that the communication control terminal is not brought into the vehicle, causes the communication control terminal to execute processing to restrict the use of the communication by a communication means that communicates with other devices. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a communication control terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage scene of the communication control terminal. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle coordinate system. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for determining an abnormal rotation state. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for determining an abnormal vibration state. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for determining a traveling state. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for determining a congestion state. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a timer activation condition. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a reset condition for the timer. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of the communication control process according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, a mode for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as an embodiment) will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below. Furthermore, in the description of the drawings, the same parts are given the same reference numerals.

[0013] <An example of an information processing device> Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a communication control terminal according to an embodiment. The communication control terminal 1 shown in Fig. 1 is an example of an information processing device that controls various functions, services, etc. depending on whether it is in a state brought into a vehicle. Hereinafter, the state in which the communication control terminal 1 is brought into a vehicle may be referred to as a "vehicle-carrying state."

[0014] An example of such a communication control terminal 1 is a mobile router that connects wireless communication devices compatible with wireless LAN (Local Area Network) etc. to mobile networks compatible with LTE (Long Term Evolution) and 5G (Generation) etc.

[0015] <Examples of application to services> For example, the communication control terminal 1 can be applied to a network connection service that allows a wireless LAN-compatible device to use data communication using a mobile network while the device is brought into the vehicle.

[0016] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a usage scenario of the communication control terminal 1. Fig. 2 shows the correspondence between availability of data communication and usage scenarios of the communication control terminal 1. As shown in Fig. 2, when the communication control terminal 1 is carried in a vehicle such as a passenger car, truck, or bus, the use of data communication is permitted. On the other hand, the use of data communication is restricted in situations where the communication control terminal 1 is used outside the vehicle, such as when traveling on a train, airplane, ship, bicycle, motorcycle, house, public facility such as a park, or on foot.

[0017] In this way, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment can be applied to a new network connection service that allows the use of data communication when the terminal is brought into the vehicle, while restricting the use of data communication when the terminal is not brought into the vehicle.

[0018] 2 shows, as an example only, an example in which a wireless LAN-compatible device is connected to the communication control terminal 1 via wireless communication, but the target of the network connection service is not necessarily limited to wireless LAN-compatible devices. For example, it does not prevent a device receiving the network connection service from being connected to the communication control terminal 1 via a wired connection. Furthermore, the usage restrictions of data communication executed by the communication control terminal 1 include a case in which data communication is restricted between the communication control terminal 1 and a wireless LAN-compatible device in the vehicle, and a case in which data communication is restricted between the communication control terminal 1 and a communication device on the carrier side that provides the mobile network.

[0019] <Configuration of communication control terminal 1> Next, a functional configuration of the communication control terminal 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 shows a block diagram corresponding to the functions of the communication control terminal 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the communication control terminal 1 includes a power supply connection unit 2, a communication unit 3, a gyro acceleration sensor 4, and a control unit 10.

[0020] The power supply connection unit 2 can be connected to a power supply installed in a vehicle or the like. As just one example, the power supply connection unit 2 is realized as a cable with a connector that is connected to the housing of the communication control terminal 1. For example, the connector is formed so as to be detachable from an accessory socket or a cigarette lighter socket of the vehicle. When such a connector is attached to the accessory socket or the cigarette lighter socket, power starts to be supplied from the accessory socket or the cigarette lighter socket to the main body of the communication control terminal 1 via the cable with connector.

[0021] The communication unit 3 communicates with other devices. For example, the communication unit 3 corresponds to an example of a communication means. In one aspect, the communication unit 3 has a function of a wireless LAN access point as an interface on the LAN side. In another aspect, the communication unit 3 has a function of connecting to a network such as a mobile network as an interface on the WAN (Wide Area Network) side.

[0022] The gyro acceleration sensor 4 corresponds to an example of an acceleration detection unit and an angular velocity detection unit. Another example of an angular velocity detection unit is a geomagnetic sensor. For example, the gyro acceleration sensor 4 can detect accelerations along three axes, such as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, and angular velocities around three axes, such as roll, pitch, and yaw. While an example of detecting accelerations along three axes and angular velocities along three axes has been given here, the number of axes for detecting accelerations and angular velocities is not limited to three. While an example of detecting both accelerations and angular velocities has been given here, it is not prohibited to detect only one of the two.

[0023] The control unit 10 is a processing unit that performs overall control of the communication control terminal 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the control unit 10 includes an acquisition unit 11, an abnormality determination unit 12, a determination unit 13, an abnormality monitoring timer 15A, a travel monitoring timer 15B, a start timer 15C, and a communication control unit 17.

[0024] The acquisition unit 11 is a processing unit that acquires acceleration, angular velocity, and a combination thereof. For example, the acquisition unit 11 corresponds to an example of an acquisition means. As just one example, the acquisition unit 11 can acquire time-series data of triaxial acceleration and triaxial angular velocity from the gyro acceleration sensor 4. For example, if the gyro acceleration sensor 4 is installed inside the housing of the communication control terminal 1, the triaxial acceleration and triaxial angular velocity detected by the gyro acceleration sensor 4 can be acquired as values ​​in a sensor coordinate system based on the communication control terminal 1.

[0025] Below, as an example only, we will take a case where the abnormality judgment unit 12, judgment unit 13, and communication control unit 17 repeat the processing at a predetermined period that is shorter than any of the timer values ​​of the abnormality monitoring timer 15A, the traveling monitoring timer 15B, and the start-up timer 15C, for example, every minute.

[0026] The abnormality determination unit 12 is a processing unit that determines whether an abnormal state is an abnormal rotation state or an abnormal vibration state. For example, the abnormality determination unit 12 corresponds to an example of an abnormality determination means. The "abnormal rotation state" here refers to a state in which rotation that cannot occur under a vehicle-mounted state is detected as abnormal. Furthermore, the "abnormal vibration state" refers to a state in which vibration that cannot occur under a vehicle-mounted state is detected as abnormal. Either the "abnormal rotation state" or the "abnormal vibration state" may be referred to as an "abnormal state." In other words, by detecting an abnormal state, the abnormality determination unit 12 distinguishes between a vehicle-mounted state, a non-vehicle-mounted state, and a state of unauthorized operation that mimics vibrations when mounted on a vehicle.

[0027] In one aspect, the abnormality determination unit 12 determines a rolling abnormality that cannot occur in a vehicle-carried state as an example of the abnormal rotation state. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle coordinate system. In FIG. 3, X θ, which corresponds to the front-rear direction of the vehicle, is used. c axis, Y corresponding to the left and right direction of the vehicle c Z corresponds to the axis and the vertical direction of the vehicle c In the vehicle coordinate system shown in Figure 3, the X axis corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. c Anomalies in the angular velocity around the axis, i.e., the roll rotation rate, are determined.

[0028] As merely one example, the abnormality determination unit 12 determines the direction of travel from the acceleration, and determines whether an abnormal rotation state exists based on the direction of travel and the rotation speed value. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining whether an abnormal rotation state exists. When an abnormal rotation state exists, as shown in FIG. 4, the X-axis acceleration, Y-axis acceleration, Z-axis acceleration, roll angular velocity, pitch angular velocity, and yaw angular velocity may be used as inputs. For example, as in the example described above, when an abnormal rotation state exists every minute, one-minute sensor values, such as time-series data of triaxial acceleration and triaxial angular velocity, are input.

[0029] With this input, the abnormality determination unit 12 performs the following processing on all sensor values ​​corresponding to the sampling frequency of the gyro acceleration sensor 4 among the time-series data of the sensor values ​​or on each sensor value resampled at a predetermined interval, for example, every second.

[0030] That is, the abnormality determination unit 12 analyzes the traveling direction from the three-axis acceleration, i.e., the acceleration on the X axis, the acceleration on the Y axis, and the acceleration on the Z axis. Specifically, the abnormality determination unit 12 removes the gravitational acceleration from the resultant acceleration obtained by combining the three-axis accelerations. Then, the abnormality determination unit 12 projects the vector of the resultant acceleration from which the gravitational acceleration has been removed onto a horizontal plane. For example, the horizontal plane can be calculated in advance by performing calibration using the accelerations on the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis when the communication control terminal 1 is stationary, for example, immediately after startup. Then, the abnormality determination unit 12 can analyze the traveling direction from the vector of the resultant acceleration projected onto the horizontal plane. The traveling direction obtained in this way is calculated based on the rotation axis X of the roll motion in the vehicle coordinate system shown in FIG. 3. c Furthermore, if the relative relationship between the orientations of the axes between the sensor coordinate system and the vehicle coordinate system is fixed, the traveling direction will not change, and the results of the initial analysis can be reused.

[0031] For this reason, the abnormality determination unit 12 converts the angular velocity corresponding to the roll motion in the vehicle coordinate system, among the roll angular velocity, pitch angular velocity, and yaw angular velocity, into a rotational velocity. For example, when the gyro acceleration sensor 4 outputs angular velocities (rad / sec) such as the roll angular velocity, pitch angular velocity, and yaw angular velocity, the angular velocity is converted into a rotational velocity (rpm). The abnormality determination unit 12 then determines whether the rotational velocity corresponding to the roll motion in the vehicle coordinate system is equal to or greater than a threshold value Th1. For example, the threshold value Th1 can be set to a value greater than the upper limit of the roll rotational velocity that can occur when the vehicle turns, such as the upper limit value plus a margin α. In this case, if the rotational velocity corresponding to the roll motion in the vehicle coordinate system is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th1 at any one point in the time-series data of the sensor value, an abnormal rotation state is determined.

[0032] In this way, the abnormality determination unit 12 detects an abnormal rotation state that cannot occur due to the roll motion of the vehicle when turning, and can therefore distinguish between a state where the terminal is brought into the vehicle and a state where the terminal is not brought into the vehicle, such as a state where an unauthorized action is being performed by shaking the housing of the communication control terminal 1 to imitate the vibrations that occur when the terminal is mounted in a vehicle.

[0033] The above analysis of the direction of travel and the above determination of the abnormal rotation state can be realized even if the communication control terminal 1 is placed on the vehicle in any orientation. For example, take a case where the housing of the communication control terminal 1 is box-shaped. In this case, the above analysis of the direction of travel and the above determination of the abnormal rotation state can be realized regardless of which side of the housing of the communication control terminal 1 is placed on the vehicle. Furthermore, the above analysis of the direction of travel and the above determination of the abnormal rotation state can be realized even if the side on the vehicle on which the housing of the communication control terminal 1 is placed is tilted forward / backward or left / right.

[0034] Although the example in which a rolling abnormality is determined has been given here as merely an example, a yawing abnormality or a pitching abnormality may also be determined, or a combination of two or more of these three abnormalities may be determined. Furthermore, although the example in which the analysis of the traveling direction is performed using acceleration has been given, it may also be performed using angular velocity.

[0035] In another aspect, the abnormality determination unit 12 determines an abnormality in vertical vibration, which cannot occur in a vehicle-carrying state, as an example of the abnormal vibration state. For example, in the vehicle coordinate system shown in FIG. 3, Z c Axial amplitude anomalies are determined.

[0036] As merely an example, the abnormality determination unit 12 determines an abnormal vibration state based on the acceleration value. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining an abnormal vibration state. As shown in FIG. 5, when an abnormal vibration state is determined, as merely an example, the acceleration of the X axis, the acceleration of the Y axis, and the acceleration of the Z axis may be used as input. For example, as in the above example, when an abnormal vibration state is determined every minute, time series data of the triaxial acceleration for one minute is input.

[0037] Under such input, the abnormality determination unit 12 determines the vertical direction of the vehicle coordinate system, i.e., the Z cThe time-series data of the amplitude in the axial direction is analyzed. Specifically, the abnormality determination unit 12 removes the gravitational acceleration from the resultant acceleration obtained by removing the three-axial acceleration. Next, the abnormality determination unit 12 extracts the acceleration component corresponding to the normal direction of the horizontal plane, i.e., the vertical direction (up-down direction) of the vehicle coordinate system shown in FIG. 3, from the resultant acceleration from which the gravitational acceleration has been removed. The abnormality determination unit 12 then performs a second-order integration of the time-series data of the acceleration component corresponding to the vertical direction of the vehicle coordinate system. This results in time-series data of the displacement corresponding to the vertical direction of the vehicle coordinate system. Furthermore, the abnormality determination unit 12 extracts extreme values, such as maximum and minimum values, from the time-series data of the displacement corresponding to the vertical direction of the vehicle coordinate system. This results in time-series data of the amplitude corresponding to the vertical direction of the vehicle coordinate system. Then, the abnormality determination unit 12 determines whether the amplitude corresponding to the vertical direction of the vehicle coordinate system is equal to or greater than a threshold value Th2. For example, the threshold value Th2 can be set to a value greater than the upper limit of the amplitude that can be generated as road noise when the vehicle is traveling, for example, the upper limit value plus a margin β. At this time, if the amplitude corresponding to the vertical direction of the vehicle coordinate system at any one point in time of the time series data of the three-axis acceleration is equal to or greater than threshold value Th2, it is determined that an abnormal vibration state exists. Note that the above-mentioned analysis of amplitude and the above-mentioned determination of an abnormal vibration state can also be realized even if the communication control terminal 1 is placed on the vehicle in any orientation.

[0038] In this way, the abnormality determination unit 12 detects abnormal vibration states that cannot occur due to road noise when the vehicle is running, and can therefore distinguish between a state where the terminal is brought into the vehicle and a state where the terminal is not brought into the vehicle, such as a state where an unauthorized action is being performed by shaking the housing of the communication control terminal 1 to imitate the vibrations that occur when the terminal is mounted in a vehicle.

[0039] The determination unit 13 is a processing unit that determines whether the communication control terminal 1 is in a state brought into a vehicle. As just one example, when the abnormality determination unit 12 determines that the communication control terminal 1 is in either an abnormal rotation state or a vibration movement state, the determination unit 13 determines that the communication control terminal 1 is in a non-carried-in-vehicle state. On the other hand, when the abnormality determination unit 12 determines that the communication control terminal 1 is not in either an abnormal rotation state or a vibration movement state, the determination unit 13 determines that the communication control terminal 1 is in a brought-in-vehicle state. One reason for determining that the communication control terminal 1 is in a brought-in-vehicle state when no abnormal state is present is that the communication control terminal 1 is attached to an accessory socket or a cigarette lighter socket of the vehicle when power is supplied to the communication control terminal 1, which increases the possibility that the communication control terminal 1 is in a brought-in-vehicle state.

[0040] For example, the determination unit 13 corresponds to an example of a determination means. As shown in Fig. 1, the determination unit 13 includes a running state determination unit 13A and a traffic jam state determination unit 13B.

[0041] The running state determination unit 13A is a processing unit that determines whether the vehicle is in a running state. As an example, the running state determination unit 13A executes a determination of the running state when the determination unit 13 determines that the vehicle is in a brought-in state.

[0042] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining the running state. As shown in Fig. 6, when the running state is determined, the acceleration of the X axis, the acceleration of the Y axis, and the acceleration of the Z axis can be used as input, by way of example only. For example, as in the example described above, when the running state is determined every minute, time-series data of the triaxial acceleration for one minute is input.

[0043] Based on this input, the running state determination unit 13A analyzes the vibration state, for example, the variation in amplitude corresponding to the vertical direction of the vehicle coordinate system, from the time-series data of the three-axis acceleration. Here, the analysis of the amplitude is the same as when determining an abnormal amplitude state, so a description thereof will be omitted. Note that the time-series data of the amplitude corresponding to the vertical direction of the vehicle coordinate system can be shared with the processing result of one of the processing units, the abnormality determination unit 12 or the running state determination unit 13A, by the other processing unit.

[0044] As described above, once the time-series data of amplitude corresponding to the vertical direction of the vehicle coordinate system is obtained, the driving state determination unit 13A divides the time-series data of amplitude into sections of a predetermined length, for example, 10 seconds. Next, the driving state determination unit 13A calculates the variance σ of the amplitude included in each section into which the time-series data of amplitude is divided. The driving state determination unit 13A then determines whether the calculated variance σ of the amplitude included in each section is within a predetermined range. For example, the upper limit Th3 and lower limit Th4 defining the range can be set to the upper and lower limits of the amplitude that may be generated as road noise while the vehicle is traveling. If the variance of the amplitude corresponding to the vertical direction of the vehicle coordinate system in all sections obtained by dividing the time-series data of amplitude is equal to or less than the upper limit Th3 and equal to or greater than the lower limit Th4, the vehicle is determined to be in a brought-in state and in a driving state. The above-described amplitude analysis and driving state determination can also be performed even if the communication control terminal 1 is mounted on the vehicle in any orientation.

[0045] In this way, the driving state determination unit 13A determines the driving state based on the amplitude that may occur as road noise when the vehicle is driving, and as a result, the driving state can be detected from the vehicle behavior that may occur when driving on a road, thereby improving the accuracy of detecting the driving state.

[0046] The traffic jam state determination unit 13B is a processing unit that determines whether the vehicle is in a traffic jam state. The "traffic jam state" referred to here may include short-term travel, for example, travel of less than one minute, which is the travel state determination cycle. As just one example, the traffic jam state determination unit 13B performs a traffic jam state determination when the travel state determination unit 13A determines that the vehicle is in a non-traveling state. Furthermore, in addition to the non-traveling state, the traffic jam state determination unit 13B can also perform a traffic jam state determination by narrowing down the cases to cases where the travel state determination unit 13A determines that the amplitude variance value in any section is less than a lower limit value Th4.

[0047] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining a traffic congestion state. As shown in Fig. 7, when determining a traffic congestion state, the acceleration on the X axis, the acceleration on the Y axis, and the acceleration on the Z axis may be used as input, by way of example only. For example, as in the example described above, when determining a traffic congestion state at one-minute intervals, time-series data of the three-axis acceleration for one minute is input.

[0048] Based on this input, the traffic jam state determination unit 13B analyzes the direction of travel from the three-axis acceleration, i.e., the X-axis acceleration, the Y-axis acceleration, and the Z-axis acceleration. Here, the analysis of the direction of travel described above is the same as when determining an abnormal rotation state, so a description thereof will be omitted. Note that the processing result of the above-mentioned direction of travel by one of the processing units, the abnormality determination unit 12 or the traffic jam state determination unit 13B, can also be shared with the other processing unit.

[0049] As described above, once the traveling direction is obtained, the traffic congestion state determination unit 13B analyzes the movement state in the traveling direction, such as acceleration and deceleration. Specifically, the traffic congestion state determination unit 13B performs the following process for all three-axis accelerations corresponding to the sampling frequency of the gyro acceleration sensor 4 or for each three-axis acceleration resampled at a predetermined interval, such as every second, among the time-series data of the three-axis accelerations. That is, the traffic congestion state determination unit 13B removes gravitational acceleration from the resultant acceleration obtained by combining the three-axis accelerations. Next, the traffic congestion state determination unit 13B extracts the acceleration component corresponding to the traveling direction from the resultant acceleration after removing the gravitational acceleration. Then, the traffic congestion state determination unit 13B performs a first-order integration of the time-series data of the acceleration component corresponding to the traveling direction. This obtains time-series data of the speed corresponding to the traveling direction. The traffic congestion state determination unit 13B then counts the frequency with which acceleration and deceleration equal to or greater than a threshold Th5 are detected from the time-series data of the speed corresponding to the traveling direction. For example, the frequency of acceleration can be obtained by counting the number of times a speed is detected in which the sign of acceleration is positive and the absolute value of the speed is equal to or greater than the threshold Th5. The frequency of deceleration can be obtained by counting the number of times that a speed is detected in which the sign of acceleration is negative and the absolute value of the speed is equal to or greater than a threshold value Th5. The traffic jam state determination unit 13B then determines whether or not a traffic jam state exists based on whether the frequency of acceleration and the frequency of deceleration are equal to or greater than a threshold value Th6. For example, if the frequency of acceleration and the frequency of deceleration are equal to or greater than the threshold value Th6, it is determined that a traffic jam state exists, whereas if the frequency of acceleration or the frequency of deceleration is less than the threshold value Th6, it is determined that a non-traffic jam state exists.

[0050] In this way, the congestion state determination unit 13B determines the congestion state based on the frequency of acceleration and deceleration, and as a result, the congestion state can be detected from the behavior of vehicles that occurs during congestion, thereby improving the accuracy of detecting the congestion state.

[0051] Although an example has been given here in which it is determined whether or not a traffic jam state exists based on the frequency of acceleration and the frequency of deceleration, it is also possible to determine whether or not a traffic jam state exists based on only one of these.

[0052] The abnormality monitoring timer 15A, the travel monitoring timer 15B, and the start timer 15C all have timer functions. The abnormality monitoring timer 15A corresponds to an example of a first timer. The travel monitoring timer 15B corresponds to an example of a second timer. The start timer 15C corresponds to an example of a third timer.

[0053] The following description is merely an example in which the above three timers are realized by the control unit 10 executing timer software, but they may also be realized by hardware.Furthermore, the following description is merely an example in which the above three timers are count-up timers that count elapsed time, but they may also be count-down timers that count grace periods.

[0054] The three timers, the abnormality monitoring timer 15A, the travel monitoring timer 15B and the start timer 15C, are started or reset depending on the judgment results of the abnormality judgment unit 12 and the judgment unit 13, i.e., the state of the communication control terminal 1.

[0055] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of timer activation conditions. In Fig. 8, the state of the communication control terminal 1 that satisfies the condition for activating the abnormality monitoring timer 15A is indicated by vertical hatching, while the state of the communication control terminal 1 that satisfies the condition for activating the travel monitoring timer 15B is indicated by oblique hatching.

[0056] 8, when an abnormal state occurs, such as an abnormal rotation state or an abnormal vibration state, it is suspected that an unauthorized action is being performed by shaking the housing of the communication control terminal 1 to imitate the vibrations that occur when the terminal is mounted in a vehicle. In this case, the abnormality monitoring timer 15A is started by the abnormality determination unit 12.

[0057] Furthermore, when the vehicle is brought in, not moving, and not in a traffic jam, it is highly likely that the vehicle is stopped. In this case, if data communication is permitted during a long stop, it cannot be said to be a network connection service limited to when the vehicle is brought in and moving or in a traffic jam, and it would be difficult to differentiate it from existing network connection services. For this reason, in order to suppress data communication during a long stop, the travel monitoring timer 15B is activated by the determination unit 13.

[0058] 8, the activation conditions of the activation timer 15C are not shown, but the activation timer 15C can be activated when power supply from a vehicle power source, for example, an accessory socket or a cigarette lighter socket, is detected, i.e., when power ON of the communication control terminal 1 is detected. In this case, by backing up the timer value of the activation timer 15C in a nonvolatile memory or the like when power OFF of the communication control terminal 1 is detected, the timer value can be inherited the next time the communication control terminal 1 is powered ON.

[0059] 9 is a diagram showing an example of the timer reset conditions, in which the states of the communication control terminal 1 that satisfy the conditions for starting the abnormality monitoring timer 15A, the travel monitoring timer 15B, and the start timer 15C are indicated by diagonal hatching.

[0060] 9, when the vehicle is in a brought-in state and either in a moving state or in a traffic jam state, it is determined that the network connection service is in a state that satisfies the purpose of the limited use when the vehicle is brought in. In this case, the timer values ​​of the travel monitoring timer 15B and the start timer 15C are reset to their initial values, for example, "0."

[0061] Here, the timer value of the abnormality monitoring timer 15A is not necessarily reset immediately even when the vehicle is in a brought-in state and either a moving state or a traffic jam state, and there is a further weighting requirement.

[0062] That is, whether or not the timer value of the abnormality monitoring timer 15A is reset is controlled depending on whether the abnormality monitoring timer 15A is started by an abnormal rotation state or an abnormal vibration movement state.

[0063] For example, if the abnormality monitoring timer 15A is activated due to an abnormal rotation state, the timer value of the abnormality monitoring timer 15A is prohibited from being reset until the abnormality monitoring timer 15A times out. On the other hand, if the abnormality monitoring timer 15A is activated due to an abnormal vibration state, the timer value of the abnormality monitoring timer 15A is permitted to be reset.

[0064] In this way, when the abnormality monitoring timer 15A is activated due to an abnormal rotation state, the abnormality monitoring timer 15A times out because the abnormal rotation state is more likely to be an unauthorized operation that imitates vibrations when mounted on a vehicle than the vibration movement state.

[0065] The communication control unit 17 is a processing unit that controls whether or not to restrict the use of communication by the communication unit 3 depending on whether or not the vehicle is in a brought-in state. The communication control unit 17 corresponds to an example of a communication control means.

[0066] As an example, the communication control unit 17 monitors three timers: an abnormality monitoring timer 15A, a travel monitoring timer 15B, and a start timer 15C. The communication control unit 17 then determines whether any of the three timers has timed out.

[0067] For example, when the timer value of each timer is compared with a threshold value Th7, for example, 60 minutes, the timer is determined to have timed out. Furthermore, when the timer value of the travel monitoring timer 15B exceeds a threshold value Th8, for example, 90 minutes, the timer is determined to have timed out. The reason why the timeout of the abnormality monitoring timer 15A is set shorter than the timeout of the travel monitoring timer 15B is to prioritize the timeout when an unauthorized operation is detected over the timeout when a vehicle stop is detected. Furthermore, when the timer value of the start timer 15C exceeds a threshold value Th9, for example, 60 minutes, the timer is determined to have timed out.

[0068] Here, the communication control unit 17 restricts the use of communication when any of the three timers has timed out. As just one example, the communication control unit 17 controls the wireless communication function to be OFF by controlling the function of a wireless LAN access point to be OFF. As another example, the communication control unit 17 controls the wireless communication function to be OFF by cutting off the communication connection between the communication control terminal 1 and a base station of the mobile network.

[0069] Although the example in which the three timers are count-up timers has been given as an example, as mentioned above, the three timers may be count-down timers. In this case, the three timers may be set to the initial values ​​of thresholds Th7 to Th9 set for the timeouts of the three timers, and a timeout may be determined when the timer value of each timer reaches zero.

[0070] <Processing flow> Next, the flow of processing of the communication control terminal 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the communication control processing according to this embodiment. This processing is started, as an example only, when the power supply of the communication control terminal 1 is turned on or when power supply from the vehicle power supply via the accessory socket or cigarette lighter socket is started.

[0071] 10, the communication control unit 17 acquires the timer value of the previous activation timer 15C backed up in a nonvolatile memory or the like (step S101). At this time, if the timer value of the previous activation timer 15C does not exceed the threshold value Th9 (step S102 No), the communication control unit 17 controls the wireless communication function to be ON (step S103) and starts the operation of the activation timer (step S104).

[0072] Furthermore, if the timer value of the previous activation timer 15C exceeds the threshold value Th9 (Yes in step S102), the communication control unit 17 controls the wireless communication function to be OFF (step S105).

[0073] Next, the communication control unit 17 determines whether any one of the three timers, the abnormality monitoring timer 15A, the travel monitoring timer 15B, and the activation timer 15C, has timed out (step S106).

[0074] At this time, if any of the three timers has timed out (Yes in step S106), the communication control unit 17 controls the wireless communication function to be OFF (step S107). If none of the three timers has timed out (No in step S106), the process skips step S107 and proceeds to step S108.

[0075] Thereafter, the abnormality determination unit 12 determines the direction of travel from the acceleration, and determines whether the rotation is abnormal based on the direction of travel and the value of the rotation speed (step S108). If the rotation is not abnormal (No in step S108), the abnormality determination unit 12 determines whether the vibration is abnormal based on the acceleration value (step S109).

[0076] Here, if the abnormal state is either the abnormal rotation state or the vibration movement state (Yes in step S108 or Yes in step S109), the abnormality determination unit 12 starts the abnormality monitoring timer 15A (step S110).

[0077] In this way, if the abnormal state is either the abnormal rotation state or the vibration movement state, the determination unit 13 determines that the vehicle is not brought into the vehicle state, and the subsequent processes are skipped and the process proceeds to step S106.

[0078] On the other hand, if the abnormal state is neither the abnormal rotation state nor the vibration movement state (No in step S108 and No in step S109), the determination unit 13 determines that the vehicle is brought into the vehicle state. In this case, the process skips step S110 and proceeds to step S111.

[0079] Then, the running state determination unit 13A determines whether or not the vehicle is in a running state based on the vibration state determined based on the acceleration (step S111). At this time, if the vehicle is not in a running state (step S111 No), the traffic jam state determination unit 13B determines whether or not the vehicle is in a traffic jam state based on the movement state determined based on the acceleration (step S112). Note that if the vehicle is not in a running state or a traffic jam state (step S111 No and step S112 No), the subsequent processing is skipped and the process proceeds to step S106.

[0080] If the vehicle is in either a traveling state or a traffic jam state (Yes in step S111 or Yes in step S112), the determination unit 13 resets the timer values ​​of the traveling monitoring timer 15B and the start-up timer 15C (step S113). Furthermore, the communication control unit 17 controls the wireless communication function to the ON state (step S114).

[0081] Next, the determination unit 13 determines whether the abnormality monitoring timer 15A is running (step S115). At this time, if the abnormality monitoring timer 15A is running (step S115 Yes), the determination unit 13 determines whether the abnormality monitoring timer 15A has been started due to the detection of an abnormal rotation state (step S116).

[0082] Here, if the abnormality monitoring timer 15A is activated by detecting an abnormal vibration state (No in step S116), the determination unit 13 resets the timer value of the abnormality monitoring timer 15A (step S117), and proceeds to the process of step S106.

[0083] If the abnormality monitoring timer 15A is not running or if the abnormality monitoring timer 15A is started due to the detection of an abnormal vibration state (No in step S115 or Yes in step S116), the process skips step S117 and proceeds to step S106.

[0084] <Effects of the embodiment> As described above, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment restricts the use of communication when it determines, based on the acceleration value, that the communication control terminal 1 is not in a vehicle-brought state. The acceleration used to determine such a vehicle-brought state does not necessarily have to be supplied from the vehicle. Therefore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment can determine the vehicle-brought state without relying on a signal supplied from the vehicle. Furthermore, the terminal can be installed in any orientation.

[0085] Furthermore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment determines the direction of travel from the acceleration, and determines that the communication control terminal 1 is not in a brought-in-vehicle state based on an abnormal rotation state determined based on the direction of travel and the rotation speed value. This reduces the risk of incorrectly determining that the communication control terminal 1 is in a brought-in-vehicle state due to an unauthorized action such as shaking the housing of the communication control terminal 1 to imitate vibrations when mounted in a vehicle. Therefore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment can realize a robust determination of the brought-in-vehicle state.

[0086] Furthermore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment acquires an acceleration value and restricts the use of communication based on the acceleration value. The acceleration used to determine the vehicle-carrying state does not necessarily have to be supplied from the vehicle. Therefore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment can determine the vehicle-carrying state without relying on a signal supplied from the vehicle.

[0087] Furthermore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment determines whether the vehicle is in the brought-in state and whether the vehicle is in a moving state based on the vibration state determined based on the acceleration. In this way, the communication control terminal 1 determines whether the vehicle is in the brought-in state and in a moving state based on the vehicle behavior that may occur as road noise when the vehicle is moving, thereby improving the accuracy of detecting each state. Furthermore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment permits communication when it determines that the vehicle is in the brought-in state and in a moving state, and restricts the use of communication when it determines that the vehicle is not in the brought-in state or is not in a moving state. Therefore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment can prevent communication from being permitted due to a failure to detect each state or restriction on the use of communication due to an erroneous detection of each state.

[0088] Furthermore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment determines whether the vehicle is in a brought-in state and whether the vehicle is traveling in a traffic jam state based on the movement state determined based on the acceleration. In this way, the traffic jam state is determined from the behavior of the vehicle, such as movement, that occurs during traffic congestion, thereby improving the accuracy of detecting each state. Furthermore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment permits communication when it determines that the vehicle is in a brought-in state and that the vehicle is in a traffic jam state, and restricts the use of communication when it determines that the vehicle is not in a brought-in state or that the vehicle is not in a traffic jam state. Therefore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment can prevent communication from being permitted due to a failure to detect each state or restriction on the use of communication due to an erroneous detection of each state.

[0089] Furthermore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment determines whether the vehicle is in a brought-in state and whether the vehicle is in a traffic jam state based on the movement state based on time-series data of acceleration corresponding to the traveling direction of the vehicle. Therefore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment can analyze the behavior of the vehicle, such as the movement of the vehicle, that occurs during traffic congestion to determine the traffic jam state, thereby improving the detection accuracy of each state.

[0090] Furthermore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment detects the traveling direction of the vehicle from the acceleration acquired for each of the multiple axes, and determines whether the vehicle is in a brought-in state and whether it is in a traffic jam state based on the acceleration or deceleration relative to the traveling direction. Therefore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment can analyze the behavior of the vehicle, such as starting and stopping, that occurs during traffic congestion to determine the traffic jam state, thereby improving the detection accuracy of each state.

[0091] Furthermore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment determines whether the vehicle is in a brought-in state and whether the vehicle is in a traffic jam state based on the frequency at which acceleration or deceleration equal to or greater than a threshold is detected. Therefore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment can analyze the behavior of the vehicle repeatedly starting or stopping during traffic congestion to determine whether the vehicle is in a traffic jam state, thereby improving the accuracy of detecting each state.

[0092] Furthermore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment controls the wireless communication function to be turned off as a restriction on the use of communication. Therefore, the communication control terminal 1 of this embodiment can realize a restriction on the use of communication, for example, by restricting the function of a wireless LAN access point or cutting off a connection with a base station of a mobile network.

[0093] <Application example> An application example of this embodiment will be illustrated. For example, in the flowchart shown in Fig. 10, an example was given in which a congestion state determination is made when the vehicle is not traveling (No in step S111), but the conditions for making the congestion state determination may be further narrowed. For example, the conditions may be narrowed down to when the variance value of the amplitude corresponding to the vertical direction of the vehicle coordinate system in any of the sections obtained by dividing the amplitude time-series data is less than a lower limit value Th4, and the congestion state determination unit 13B may then make the congestion state determination. This makes it possible to omit the congestion state determination when there is a high possibility that the vehicle is not in a congestion state.

[0094] <Application example> An example application of the present embodiment will now be described. For example, in the present embodiment, an example has been given in which whether or not to restrict communication use is controlled depending on whether or not the device is in a vehicle-brought state. However, the objects controlled depending on whether or not the device is in a vehicle-brought state are not limited to the restriction on communication use. As merely one example, the route selection mode of the navigation function of a portable terminal device, tablet terminal, or wearable device can be switched depending on whether or not the device is in a vehicle-brought state. For example, when the device is in a vehicle-brought state, a vehicle route is selected as the route to the destination, while when the device is not in a vehicle-brought state, a route for a means of transportation other than a vehicle, such as a walking route or a route using public transport, is selected. As another example, whether or not to restrict use of a television function of a portable terminal device, tablet terminal, or wearable device can be controlled depending on whether or not the device is in a vehicle-brought state. For example, when the device is in a vehicle-brought state, a restriction on use of the television function, such as a restriction on video display, is imposed, while when the device is not in a vehicle-brought state, use of the television function is permitted.

[0095] <System> The information including the processing procedures, control procedures, specific names, various data and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings can be changed arbitrarily unless otherwise specified.

[0096] Furthermore, the components of each device shown in the figure are functional concepts and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown. In other words, all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc.

[0097] Furthermore, each processing function performed by each device can be realized, in whole or in part, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a program analyzed and executed by the CPU, or can be realized as hardware using wired logic.

[0098] <Hardware> Next, an example of the hardware configuration of a computer that executes an information processing program having the same functions as the information processing device described in this embodiment will be described. Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration. As shown in Fig. 11, a computer 100 includes a communication device 100a, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 100b, a memory 100c, and a processor 100d. The components shown in Fig. 11 are connected to each other via a bus or the like.

[0099] The communication device 100a is a network interface card or the like, and communicates with other servers. The HDD 100b stores programs and a DB (DataBase) that operate the functions shown in FIG.

[0100] The processor 100d reads from the HDD 100b or the like a program that executes the same processes as the respective processing units shown in FIG. 1 or the like and loads the program into the memory 100c, thereby operating a process that executes each function described in FIG. 1 or the like. For example, the process executes the same functions as the respective processing units of the computer 100. Specifically, the processor 100d reads from the HDD 100b or the like a program that has the same functions as the acquisition unit 11, the abnormality determination unit 12, the determination unit 13, the abnormality monitoring timer 15A, the running monitoring timer 15B, the startup timer 15C, the communication control unit 17, and the like. Then, the processor 100d executes a process that executes the same processes as the acquisition unit 11, the abnormality determination unit 12, the determination unit 13, the abnormality monitoring timer 15A, the running monitoring timer 15B, the startup timer 15C, the communication control unit 17, and the like.

[0101] In this way, computer 100 operates as an information processing device that executes various processing methods by reading and executing a program. Computer 100 can also realize functions similar to those of the above-described embodiment by reading the program from a recording medium using a medium reading device and executing the read program. Note that the program in these other embodiments is not limited to being executed by computer 100. For example, the functions of the information processing device described in this embodiment can be similarly realized when another computer or server executes the program, or when these execute the program in cooperation with each other.

[0102] This program can be distributed via a network such as the Internet. In addition, this program can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-ROM, a magneto-optical disk (MO), or a digital versatile disk (DVD), and can be executed by being read from the recording medium by a computer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1. Communication control terminal 2 Power connection 3. Communications Department 4 Gyro acceleration sensor 10 Control Unit 11 Acquisition Department 12 Abnormality determination section 13 Judgment section 13A Running state determination unit 13B Traffic jam state determination unit 15A Abnormality monitoring timer 15B Driving monitoring timer 15C Start Timer 17 Communication control section

Claims

[Claim 1] A communication control terminal, a communication means for communicating with other devices; an acquisition means for acquiring an acceleration value; a determination means for determining whether the communication control terminal is brought into a vehicle based on the acceleration value; a communication control means for restricting the use of the communication by the communication means when the determination means determines that the device has not been brought into the vehicle; A communication control terminal comprising:

Images