Data collection device, vehicle control device and data collection system

Abstract

To shorten a lead time for modification in changing specifications of time-series data to be recorded.SOLUTION: A data collection device 51A includes an event detection unit 12, a record instruction unit 13 for transmitting a recording instruction to specify a plurality of kinds of time-series data related to an event when the event detection unit 12 detects an occurrence of the event, a data record control unit 14 for transmitting the plurality of kinds of time-series data related to the event according to the recording instruction, and a recording unit 30 for recording the plurality of kinds of time-series data transmitted from the data record control unit 14. The data record control unit 14 transmits the plurality of kinds of time-series data by a plurality of computer programs corresponding to each of the plurality of kinds of time-series data, and each of the plurality of computer programs corresponding to each of the plurality of kinds of time-series data mutually and independently transmits the plurality of kinds of time series-data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a data collection device, a vehicle control device, and a data collection system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, data collection systems have been introduced that collect time-series data related to specific events that occur while a vehicle is running, and use the collected data to resolve software defects and improve the functionality of electronic control units installed in the vehicle. Such systems are required to efficiently collect time-series data according to the purpose by flexibly changing the occurrence conditions of the events for which time-series data is collected (data collection conditions) and the content of the time-series data to be collected. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a means for changing the collection conditions of time-series data in each vehicle via a server. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-140657 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the data collection system described in Patent Document 1, multiple pieces of time-series data obtained by sensors such as a vehicle speed sensor and a camera mounted on a vehicle are recorded together for each event such as sudden deceleration and sudden acceleration. In such a configuration, if the processing of one piece of time-series data is modified due to a change in standards or the like, the modification of the processing of that piece of time-series data will have an impact on the entire processing (or computer program) that is collectively recorded for each event, making the modification process cumbersome.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a data collection device, a vehicle control device, and a data collection system that can be easily modified when the specifications of the individual time-series data to be recorded are changed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A data collection device according to the present invention includes an event detection unit that detects the occurrence of an event, a recording instruction unit that transmits a recording instruction specifying multiple types of time-series data related to the event when the occurrence of the event is detected by the event detection unit, a data recording control unit that transmits the multiple types of time-series data related to the event in accordance with the recording instruction transmitted by the recording instruction unit, and a recording unit that records the multiple types of time-series data related to the event transmitted from the data recording control unit. The data recording control unit transmits the multiple types of time-series data using multiple computer programs corresponding to the multiple types of time-series data. Each of the multiple computer programs corresponding to the multiple types of time-series data transmits the multiple types of time-series data independently of one another. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, when the specifications of each piece of time-series data to be recorded are changed, modifications can be easily made. Further features related to the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings. In addition, the problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a data collection system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a table showing an example of the event setting data group of FIG. 1; [Figure 3] 2 is a table showing an example of a recording instruction and an event metadata log group transmitted by the recording instruction unit in FIG. 1. [Figure 4]2 is a table showing an example of a data element unit data log group of FIG. 1; [Figure 5] 2 is a table showing an example of the event-based data log group of FIG. 1; [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the data collection device and the vehicle control device in FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the server in FIG. 1; [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a specific example of the data collection system of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a data collection system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a table showing an example of an event setting data group according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a data collection device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a data collection system according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, a data collection device, a vehicle control device, and a data collection system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] (First embodiment) As shown in Fig. 1, a data collection system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a vehicle 2 and a server 4. The vehicle 2 is equipped with a vehicle control device 3 having a data collection device 51A. For ease of explanation, Fig. 1 shows only one representative vehicle 2, but the data collection system 1 may include vehicle control devices 3 each having a data collection device 51A in multiple vehicles. The data collection system 1 includes a server 4 that receives a data element-based data log group 31, which is multiple types of time-series data, from the data collection device 51A of the vehicle control device 3 via a network 6.

[0011] First, the data collection device 51A will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, in a vehicle 2, a vehicle control device 3 is connected to other devices 5 via an in-vehicle network 60. The vehicle control device 3 is, for example, an integrated ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of the vehicle 2, and controls the operation of the other devices 5.

[0012] The other device 5 is, for example, any one of the ECUs for the powertrain system, chassis system, body system, multimedia system, and ADAS system whose operation is controlled by the vehicle control device 3. The powertrain system ECU is, for example, an engine ECU, a transmission ECU, and a hybrid ECU. The chassis system ECU is, for example, a power steering ECU and a brake / accelerator ECU.

[0013] Body-related ECUs include, for example, ECUs for wipers, automatic doors, power windows, keyless entry, power door mirrors, interior lighting, headlights, tire pressure monitoring systems, and immobilizers (anti-theft devices).Multimedia-related ECUs include, for example, ECUs for navigation systems, ETC (Electronic Toll Collection Systems), audio systems, and backup monitors.ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems)-related ECUs include, for example, driving assistance ECUs, stereo camera ECUs, perimeter monitoring ECUs, locator ECUs, and autonomous driving ECUs.

[0014] The data collection device 51A is configured as, for example, an SoC (System-on-a-chip) and an ECU. As will be described later, the vehicle control device 3 may include multiple data collection devices 51A. Specifically, the data collection device 51A is a computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory. The memory includes a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The main storage device is used as a working area for the CPU, a storage area for computer programs and data, and a buffer area for communication data. The main storage device is formed, for example, by a combination of RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). Computer programs such as an operating system and firmware are installed in the memory. The auxiliary storage device is, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive) and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0015] The CPU is not limited to a single processor and may have a multi-processor configuration. Furthermore, a single CPU connected via a single socket may have a multi-core configuration. At least some of the processing of each unit described below may be performed by a processor other than the CPU, such as a dedicated processor such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a numerical calculation processor, a vector processor, or an image processing processor. Furthermore, the CPU may be configured with an integrated circuit (IC) and other digital circuits, or may be partially configured with analog circuits.

[0016] The integrated circuit includes an LSI, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and a PLD (Programmable Logic Device). The PLD includes, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The CPU may be a combination of a processor and an integrated circuit. Examples of the combination of a processor and an integrated circuit include an MCU (Micro Controller Unit), an SoC (System-on-a-chip), a system LSI, and a chipset. The CPU loads a computer program stored in memory into a main storage device and executes the processing described in the program, thereby executing the processing of each part of the data collection device 51A described below.

[0017] The data collection device 51A includes a processing unit 10, a recording unit 30, and a communication unit 40. The processing unit 10 includes a vehicle communication control unit 11, an event detection unit 12, a recording instruction unit 13, a data recording control unit 14, and a server communication control unit 15. The recording unit 30 records a data element unit data log group 31, an event metadata log group 32, and an event setting data group 33.

[0018] The vehicle communication control unit 11 of the processing unit 10 controls communication via the in-vehicle network 60 and controls the exchange of data with other devices 5 in the vehicle 2 .

[0019] The event detection unit 12 detects the occurrence of an event in the vehicle 2. An event means a condition that triggers the data collection device 51A to collect the data element unit data log group 31, which is time series data. In this embodiment, when the state of the vehicle 2 satisfies a specific condition (event occurrence condition), the collection of the data element unit data log group 31, which is time series data, is triggered.

[0020] Specifically, an event refers to a change in the state of vehicle 2, such as sudden braking, sudden acceleration, sharp turning, or a large impact on vehicle 2. An event also refers to a change in the state of software in vehicle 2, such as an error occurring in a computer program loaded on vehicle 2. An event also refers to, for example, a situation inside or outside vehicle 2 that satisfies a specific condition required for learning AI (Artificial Intelligence) used inside or outside vehicle 2.

[0021] Time-series data refers to a collection of time-series data recorded for each data element by the data recording control unit 14. Time-series data includes, for example, detection results detected by sensors such as cameras and LIDAR. Time-series data also includes, for example, output values ​​of application programs. A data element refers to a unit of data that allows control of whether to collect, the acquisition period, and the sampling interval according to each collection condition.

[0022] The event detection unit 12 refers to the event setting data in the event setting data group 33 in the recording unit 30 and determines whether an event occurrence condition for recording the data element unit data log group 31, which is multiple types of time series data, is satisfied.

[0023] The event setting data is information configured so that an administrator of the system can set what data to collect under what collection conditions via the screen of an electronic terminal, information in a file, etc. When an event occurrence condition is met, the event detection unit 12 detects the occurrence of an event related to the event occurrence condition. When the event occurrence is detected, the event detection unit 12 notifies the recording instruction unit 13 of the event occurrence according to a predetermined method. Specifically, when the event detection unit 12 detects the occurrence of an event, it refers to the event setting data group 33 and transmits the event setting data to the recording instruction unit 13. The event setting data is information that associates an event with data elements of multiple types of time-series data to be recorded when the occurrence of the event is detected.

[0024] 2, event setting data in which an event time, an event ID, an event occurrence condition, data element IDs of multiple types of time-series data to be recorded, an acquisition period, and a sampling interval are associated with each other is recorded for each event ID in the event setting data group 33 of the recording unit 30. As will be described later, the event setting data is information for setting the event occurrence condition, which is a data collection condition, and the time-series data to be collected from the server 4 side.

[0025] The event time is the time when the occurrence of an event is detected by the event detection unit 12. The event ID is an identifier of an event that is a condition for collecting multiple types of time series data. The event occurrence condition is a criterion for determining the occurrence of an event that is a condition for collecting multiple types of time series data. The condition is interpreted by the event detection unit 12, and when the condition is met, the event ID triggers the recording instruction unit 13. The data element ID, acquisition period, and sampling interval are information on the time series data that should be acquired when an event occurs.

[0026] 2, the event setting data includes an event occurrence condition. However, since the event occurrence condition is a criterion used by the event detection unit 12 to determine whether an event has occurred, the event setting data sent to the recording instruction unit 13 does not necessarily need to include the event occurrence condition.

[0027] The data element ID is an identifier for each data element of multiple types of time-series data to be acquired when an event occurs. The acquisition period is a period based on the event time when the event occurred. For example, an acquisition period of -10 seconds to 20 seconds means that time-series data from 10 seconds before to 20 seconds after the event time is acquired. The sampling interval indicates the interval at which the time-series data values ​​are saved. If N / A is set, the device operates in a mode that saves all new data (message information). As will be described later, the event setting data in the event setting data group 33 in the recording unit 30 is updated by the event setting data group 33 received from the server 4.

[0028] When the occurrence of an event is detected by the event detection unit 12, the recording instruction unit 13 transmits a recording instruction specifying multiple types of time series data related to the event to the data recording control unit 14. Specifically, when the occurrence of an event is notified by the event detection unit 12, the recording instruction unit 13 transmits a recording instruction to the data recording control unit 14 based on the event setting data transmitted from the event detection unit 12. The recording instruction unit 13 causes each of the computer programs of the data recording control unit 14 corresponding to each of the multiple types of time series data to transmit the multiple types of time series data related to the event to the recording unit 30 according to a predetermined method.

[0029] The recording instruction sent by the recording instruction unit 13 to the data recording control unit 14 is, for example, information associating an event time, an event ID, a data element ID, an acquisition period, and a sampling interval, as shown in Fig. 3. The event time, event ID, data element ID, acquisition period, and sampling interval are the same as the event time, event ID, data element ID, acquisition period, and sampling interval of the event setting data group shown in Fig. 2.

[0030] Furthermore, the recording instruction unit 13 generates event metadata that associates an event with the time at which the event was detected by the event detection unit 12 and multiple types of time-series data to be recorded when the occurrence of the event is detected. The event metadata is information about the event that is saved as a log when the event occurs. As will be described later, the event metadata is used when generating time-series data saved in units of data elements into time-series data in units of events.

[0031] The event metadata generated by the recording instruction unit 13 is, for example, information that associates the event time, event ID, data element ID, acquisition period, and sampling interval, similar to the above-mentioned recording instruction, as shown in the event metadata log group in Fig. 3. The event metadata generated by the recording instruction unit 13 is recorded in the recording unit 30 as an event metadata log group 32.

[0032] The data recording control unit 14 transmits multiple types of time series data related to the event detected by the event detection unit 12 to the recording unit 30 in accordance with the recording instruction transmitted by the recording instruction unit 13. The data recording control unit 14 transmits multiple types of time series data using multiple computer programs corresponding to the multiple types of time series data.

[0033] A plurality of computer programs corresponding to the plurality of types of time series data transmit the plurality of types of time series data independently of each other. Transmitting the plurality of types of time series data independently of each other means, for example, that the plurality of computer programs operate independently of each other when transmitting the time series data, and do not depend on or interfere with each other.

[0034] The server communication control unit 15 controls communication with the server 4 via the network 6 and controls the exchange of data with the server 4.

[0035] In addition to the event metadata log group 32 and event setting data group 33 described above, the recording unit 30 records multiple types of time series data related to events transmitted from the data recording control unit 14 as a data element unit data log group 31.

[0036] The recording unit 30 is configured to include not only nonvolatile memory but also volatile memory. The recording unit 30 is configured to include, for example, a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), flash memory, or ROM, and a memory such as RAM. The recording unit 30 stores the program processed by the processing unit 10 and a group of data required for processing the program. The recording unit 30 is also used as a main memory when the processing unit 10 executes a program, temporarily storing data required for the program's calculations.

[0037] The data element unit data log group 31 of time series data recorded in the recording unit 30 is information in which, for example, an event time, an event ID, and time series data are associated for each data element ID, as shown in FIG. 4. The data element unit data log group 31 is log information managed on a data element basis. The data element unit data log group 31 is output by a corresponding computer program on a data element basis. The data element ID, event time, event ID, and data element ID are the same as the data element ID, event time, event ID, and data element ID of the recording instruction and event metadata log group shown in FIG. 3, respectively.

[0038] Events recorded in the data element unit data log group 31 are assumed to be collated by a combination of the event time and event ID. Time series data includes a timestamp and information on the data element at that time. The timestamp may be an absolute time or a relative time from the event time. In the example of Figure 4, it is expressed as a relative time. For example, "-10.000" means that the data is from 10 seconds before the event time.

[0039] The data elements to be acquired, the acquisition period, and the acquisition sampling period differ depending on the event ID. For example, in the example in Figure 4, when event ID = 3, all data is acquired, but when event ID = 1, camera data is not included. Furthermore, even for the same vehicle data log group, the acquisition period and sampling period differ depending on the event ID.

[0040] Here, the state of each data element is recorded at each sampling interval, but it is also possible to record reception information for the corresponding data element. In this case, recording is triggered by message reception rather than periodic data recording.

[0041] The time-series data for one data element may be composed of multiple types of data. For example, information about the vehicle speed and information about the steering angle may be recorded separately in the vehicle data log. This is particularly true in the case of recording received information, where the messages are separated. Conversely, even for the same camera data, data elements may be composed for each camera, such as a front camera, a rear camera, and a side camera.

[0042] The communication unit 40 communicates with the server 4 via the in-vehicle network 60 and the network 6, and exchanges data with the server 4. The communication unit 40 also communicates with other devices 5 via the in-vehicle network 60, and exchanges data with the other devices 5.

[0043] The vehicle control device 3 equipped with the data collection device 51A of the present embodiment described above transmits multiple types of time series data and event metadata separately to the server 4. The server 4 receives the multiple types of time series data and event metadata separately transmitted from the data collection device 51A of the vehicle control device 3.

[0044] The server 4 will be described below. The server 4 is, for example, a computer equipped with a CPU and memory. The CPU and memory in the server 4 have the same configuration as the CPU and memory of the data collection device 51A described above. The CPU of the server 4 loads a program stored in the memory into the main storage device and executes the processing described in the program, thereby executing the processing of each part of the server 4 described below. Note that the server 4 is intended as a processing device that can send and receive information to and from a communication device via a communication line or the like, and does not refer to hardware forms such as so-called personal computers and embedded information devices.

[0045] The server 4 includes a processing unit 110, a recording unit 130, and a communication unit 140. The processing unit 110 includes a vehicle communication control unit 111, an event unit data generation unit 112, and an event setting unit 113. Similar to the recording unit 30 of the data collection device 51A, the recording unit 130 of the server 4 records a data element unit data log group 31, an event metadata log group 32, and an event setting data group 33. Furthermore, the recording unit 130 records an event unit data log group 34.

[0046] The vehicle communication control unit 111 controls communication with the data collection device 51A of the vehicle control device 3 via the communication unit 140, and exchanges data with the data collection device 51A. Multiple types of time-series data and event metadata that are separately transmitted from the data collection device 51A of the vehicle control device 3 and received via the communication unit 140 of the server 4 are recorded in the recording unit 130 as a data element unit data log group 31 and an event metadata log group 32, respectively.

[0047] The event-based data generator 112 generates event-based data that compiles multiple pieces of time-series data for each event based on the time-series data in the data element-based data log group 31 of the recorder 130 and the event metadata in the event metadata log group 32. The event-based data is multiple types of time-series data for each event that associates the event with the time at which the event was detected by the event detector 12 of the data collection device 51A and multiple types of time-series data that were recorded when the occurrence of the event was detected.

[0048] The event unit data is information that associates an event time, an event ID, a data element ID, and time series data, for example, as shown in Fig. 5. The event time, event ID, data element ID, and time series data are the same as those shown in the data element unit data log group in Fig. 4. The event unit data is log information reassembled into event unit log information from data element unit log information.

[0049] The event-based data generation unit 112 compares the event time and event ID in the data element-based data log group 31 with the event time and event ID in the event metadata log group 32. The event-based data generation unit 112 extracts time-series data of the data element ID for each compared event time and event ID from the data element-based data log group 31, and generates event-based data such as that shown in Fig. 5. The event-based data generated by the event-based data generation unit 112 is recorded as the event-based data log group 34 in the recording unit 130.

[0050] The event setting unit 113 is configured to allow an administrator of the system to set what data to collect under what collection conditions via the screen of the electronic terminal, information in a file, etc. The event setting data set by the event setting unit 113 is recorded in the event setting data group 33 of the recording unit 130. The event setting data group 33 recorded in the recording unit 130 of the server 4 is recorded in the recording unit 30 of the data collecting device 51A via the communication unit 140 of the server 4, the network 6, the in-vehicle network 60, and the communication unit 40 of the data collecting device 51A. In other words, the event setting data in the event setting data group 33 of the data collecting device 51A is updated by the server 4.

[0051] The communication unit 140 communicates with the data collection device 51A of the vehicle control device 3 via the network 6 and the in-vehicle network 60, and transmits and receives data to and from the data collection device 51A.

[0052] The operation of the data collection system 1 of this embodiment will be described below. First, the operation of the data collection device 51A of the vehicle control device 3 will be described. As shown in Fig. 6, under the control of the server communication control unit 15, the latest event setting data is acquired from the server 4 via the communication unit 40, and the event setting data in the event setting data group 33 is updated (S11). The event detection unit 12 determines whether an event has occurred based on the event occurrence condition specified in the event setting data group 33 (S12). If the event occurrence condition is met in S12, the event detection unit 12 transmits the event setting data to the recording instruction unit 13 (S13).

[0053] As will be described later, when the vehicle control device 3 is equipped with multiple data collection devices 51A, the recording instruction unit 13 of the data collection device 51A that receives the event occurrence information may transmit the event occurrence information to the recording instruction unit 13 of the other data collection devices 51A.

[0054] The recording instruction unit 13 refers to the event setting data and issues an instruction to record time-series data to a computer program in the data recording control unit 14 that corresponds to the data element corresponding to the event ID of the event that has occurred (S14). Also, in S14, the recording instruction unit 13 generates event metadata. The recording unit 30 records the event metadata as an event metadata log group.

[0055] The data recording control unit 14 that has received the recording instruction transmits the time series data to the recording unit 30, and the recording unit 30 records the time series data as a data element unit data log group 31 (S15). The data element unit data log group 31 and the event metadata log group 32 recorded in the recording unit 30 are uploaded to the server 4 via the communication unit 40, the in-vehicle network 60, and the network 6 as appropriate (S16).

[0056] If the event occurrence condition is not satisfied in S12, the data collecting device 51A ends the processing. Note that, since this processing flow is expressed in a simplified manner, it appears that once one event occurs, the next event cannot be processed until the processing of that event is completed, but it is also possible to process multiple events in parallel.

[0057] Next, the operation of the server 4 of this embodiment will be described. The vehicle communication control unit 111 of the server 4 receives the data element unit data log group 31 including new time-series data and the event metadata log group 32 including new event metadata from the data collection device 51A, and determines whether they have been recorded in the recording unit 130 (S21).

[0058] When it is determined in S21 that a new data element unit data log group 31 and event metadata log group 32 have been received, the event unit data generation unit 112 refers to the event metadata log group 32 in the recording unit 130 to identify the time series data of the related data elements. As described above, the related data elements can be identified by comparing the event time and event ID of the data element unit data log group 31 with the event time and event ID of the event metadata log group 32.

[0059] If the time-series data of related data elements is not available, it is possible that the time-series data is currently being uploaded. Also, if the time-series data of related data elements is not available, it is possible that the time-series data is not available to be uploaded due to a poor network connection. Therefore, the event-based data generation unit 112 determines whether the time-series data of all related data elements is available (S22).

[0060] If all the time series data are available in S22, the event-based data generation unit 112 generates event-based data based on the time series data related to the event (S23). If it is not determined in S21 that new time series data has been received, the server 4 ends the processing. Also, if it is determined in S22 that all the time series data are not available, the server 4 ends the processing. Note that this processing flow is expressed simply, so it appears that the next event data cannot be processed until processing of one new event data is complete, but it is also possible to process multiple event data in parallel.

[0061] FIG. 8 shows a specific example in which the vehicle control device 3 includes multiple data collection devices 51A, 52A. That is, the vehicle control device 3 includes multiple SoCs that respectively configure the multiple data collection devices 51A, 52A. The data recording control unit 14 of the data collection device 51A includes, as functional blocks, a host vehicle data recording control unit 61, a camera data recording control unit 62, and a Fusion data recording control unit 63. The data recording control unit 14 of the data collection device 52A includes a LIDAR data recording control unit 64. As described above, each of the host vehicle data recording control units 61, etc. operates according to a computer program that transmits multiple types of time-series data independently of each other. Note that the vehicle 2 is not shown in FIG. 8.

[0062] Each of the vehicle data recording control units 61 etc. acquires data received by the vehicle communication control unit 11 from other devices 5 via the in-vehicle network 60, and manages time-series data for a predetermined period. Each of the vehicle data recording control units 61 etc. acquires data exchanged from application programs such as the Fusion application 21 and the LIDAR application that run on the SoCs that constitute the data collection devices 51A, 52A, and manages time-series data for a predetermined period.

[0063] The host vehicle data recording control unit 61 causes the recording unit 30 of the data collecting device 51A to record a host vehicle data log group 71. The camera data recording control unit 62 causes the recording unit 30 of the data collecting device 51A to record a camera data log group 72. The Fusion data recording control unit 63 causes the recording unit 30 of the data collecting device 51A to record a Fusion data log group 73. The LIDAR data recording control unit 64 causes the recording unit 30 of the data collecting device 52A to record a LIDAR data log group 74. The host vehicle data log group, camera data log group, and Fusion data log group in FIG. 4 are assumed to be data output by the host vehicle data recording control unit 61, camera data recording control unit 62, and Fusion data recording control unit 63 in FIG. 8, respectively.

[0064] The host vehicle data recording control unit 61 transmits time series data related to the vehicle 2 to the recording unit 30. The time series data related to the vehicle 2 is information related to the state and behavior of the vehicle 2. The information related to the state and behavior of the vehicle 2 is the position, speed, control state, etc. of the vehicle 2. The host vehicle data recording control unit 61 may group these together as data elements, or may divide them into several data groups and treat each as a data element.

[0065] The camera data recording control unit 62 transmits time series data relating to image data obtained from the camera sensor to the recording unit 30. The camera data recording control unit 62 may treat an image from each camera as a data element, or may treat a collection of images from multiple cameras as a data element. The Fusion data recording control unit 63 transmits time series data relating to Fusion data, which is the result of integrating multiple sensor data output by the Fusion application 21, to the recording unit 30. The LIDAR data recording control unit 64 transmits time series data relating to image data obtained from the LIDAR sensor to the recording unit 30.

[0066] The recording unit 30 of each of the data collection devices 51A and 52A is configured to be able to hold a certain number of data records, for example, like a ring buffer, and is configured so that the oldest data is overwritten. When each of the vehicle data recording control unit 61 and the like of the data recording control unit 14 receives a recording instruction from the recording instruction unit 13, it transmits the time-series data of each data element to the recording unit 30 according to parameters such as the acquisition period and sampling interval of the recording instruction.

[0067] Depending on the characteristics of the data elements and the system-specific requirements, specific processing may be required for each data element when generating a data element-based data log. For example, in the case of image data, data compression and measures to protect personal information may be required. Such specific processing is also handled by the camera data recording control unit 62 of the data recording control unit 14.

[0068] When the recording instruction unit 13 receives the event setting data from the event detection unit 12, it identifies the time series data of the data element of the corresponding event ID from the event setting data and issues a recording instruction to the corresponding host vehicle data recording control unit 61, etc. of the data recording control unit 14. The host vehicle data recording control unit 61, etc. of the data recording control unit 14 saves the time series data related to the event that has occurred in the recording unit 30 as a data element unit data log group 31.

[0069] In some cases, data collection is required in multiple SoCs and electronic control units in the vehicle control device 3, and each of the SoCs and electronic control units is provided with a data collection device 51A, 52A. In this case, the recording instruction unit 13 of one data collection device 51A that has received the event setting data transmits the event setting data to the recording instruction unit 13 of the data collection device 52A operating in the other SoC and electronic control unit. This is because the event setting data can be shared by the multiple data collection devices 51A, 52A. Note that, although the recording instruction unit 13 of the data collection device 51A and the recording instruction unit 13 of the data collection device 52A are directly connected in FIG. 8, in reality, notification is made via the vehicle communication control unit 11.

[0070] Furthermore, as described above, when the recording instruction unit 13 of one data collecting device 51A that has received event setting data transmits the event setting data to the recording instruction unit 13 of another data collecting device 52A, the recording instruction unit 13 of one data collecting device 51A only needs to generate event metadata. This is because the event metadata can be shared by multiple data collecting devices 51A and 52A. In this case, the recording instruction unit 13 of the other data collecting device 52A does not generate event metadata. Only the recording instruction unit 13 of one data collecting device 51A records the event metadata log group 32 including the event metadata in the recording unit 30. The event metadata log group 32 including the event metadata is transmitted to the server 4 from only the recording instruction unit 13 of one data collecting device 51A.

[0071] In recent years, the software configuration of electronic control units (ECUs) mounted on vehicles varies depending on the vehicle model and the functional options selected by the user at the time of purchase, and also changes continuously due to function updates and optional services subscribed to by the user, etc. The data collection system 1 is required to be easily modified to accommodate these various software configurations and changes.

[0072] When deploying a data collection system to other products, specific processing may be required for each data element to be collected, depending on the hardware configuration of the installed electronic control unit and the safety and information security policies. For example, from the perspective of functional safety, it may be required to manage data assigned to an Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL), a risk classification system defined by the ISO 26262 standard, in separate memory locations from non-ASIL data. Image data, etc., may require data compression and processing to protect personal information. Furthermore, changes to the software configuration due to feature updates, etc., may result in the addition of data elements to be collected and changes to their specifications. As such, modifications to the processing of the relevant data elements may be required depending on the target software configuration and its changes.

[0073] On the other hand, according to this embodiment, the data collection device 51A includes an event detection unit 12 and a recording instruction unit 13 that transmits a recording instruction specifying multiple types of time series data related to the event when the occurrence of the event is detected by the event detection unit 12. The data collection device 51A also includes a data recording control unit 14 that transmits multiple types of time series data related to the event in accordance with the recording instruction, and a recording unit 30 that records the multiple types of time series data transmitted from the data recording control unit 14.

[0074] The data recording control unit 14 transmits multiple types of time series data using multiple computer programs corresponding to each of the multiple types of time series data, and each of the multiple computer programs corresponding to each of the multiple types of time series data transmits the multiple types of time series data independently of each other.

[0075] Therefore, even if the specifications of each recorded time-series data are changed, the scope affected by the specification change is localized to each computer program that processes the time-series data, making modifications easier and shortening the lead time for modifications. In other words, according to this embodiment, when the specifications of each recorded time-series data are changed, the lead time for modifications to each SoC constituting the data collection devices 51A and 52A can be shortened. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, data transfer associated with data aggregation for each event between the multiple SoCs constituting the data collection devices 51A and 52A is not required. Therefore, resources consumed by each SoC can be reduced.

[0076] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the event detection unit 12 detects the occurrence of an event, it transmits event setting data associating the event with multiple types of time-series data to be recorded when the occurrence of the event is detected to the recording instruction unit 13. The recording instruction unit 13 transmits a recording instruction to the data recording control unit 14 based on the event setting data transmitted from the event detection unit. In other words, simply changing the event setting data makes it possible to change the multiple types of time-series data to be recorded when the occurrence of an event is detected. Therefore, even if the specifications of the individual time-series data to be recorded for each event are changed, the lead time for repairs can be shortened.

[0077] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the recording instruction unit 13 generates event metadata that associates an event with the time at which the event was detected by the event detection unit 12, and multiple types of time-series data to be recorded when the occurrence of the event is detected. Therefore, by referring to the event metadata, it is possible to reassemble the multiple types of time-series data recorded in the recording unit 30 into event-unit data, which is time-series data for each event.

[0078] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the vehicle control device 3 is equipped with the data collection device 51A of this embodiment, and therefore the lead time for modifications can be shortened in data collection in modern vehicles 2 where the specifications of individual time series data to be recorded are frequently changed.

[0079] According to this embodiment, the vehicle control device 3 is equipped with multiple data collection devices 51A, 52A of this embodiment, and only one recording instruction unit 13 of the data collection devices 51A, 52A of this embodiment generates event metadata, thereby reducing the resources required for processing in the vehicle control device 3.

[0080] Moreover, according to this embodiment, the data collection system 1 includes a vehicle control device 3 having a data collection device 51A mounted on a vehicle 2. The data collection system 1 includes a server 4 that receives multiple types of time series data from the vehicle control device 3 of the data collection device 51A via a network 6. The data collection device 51A of the vehicle control device 3 transmits the multiple types of time series data and event metadata to the server 4 separately.

[0081] The server 4 receives the multiple types of time series data and event metadata that are each separately transmitted from the data collection device 51A of the vehicle control device 3. Based on the received multiple types of time series data and event metadata, the server 4 generates multiple types of time series data for each event that associates the event, the time when the event was detected by the event detection unit, and the multiple types of time series data that was recorded when the occurrence of the event was detected.

[0082] In other words, since the vehicle control device 3 does not generate multiple types of time-series data for each event, even if the specifications of the individual time-series data to be recorded are frequently changed, the lead time for modifications to the vehicle control device 3 can be shortened. Also, the vehicle control device 3 does not need to transfer data associated with data aggregation for each event between the SoCs that configure the data collection devices 51A and 52A. This allows for a reduction in the resources consumed by the individual SoCs that configure the data collection devices 51A and 52A of the vehicle control device 3.

[0083] (Second embodiment) A data collection device 51B according to a second embodiment of the present invention, shown in Fig. 9, illustrates an example in which a defect in a trajectory plan is detected and the trajectory plan data is corrected by additionally recording the data. A trajectory planning application 22, a trajectory plan data recording control unit 65, and a trajectory plan data log group 75 are added to the data collection device 51A according to the first embodiment. As in Fig. 8, the vehicle 2 is not shown.

[0084] The trajectory planning application 22 is an application program that plans a traveling trajectory of the vehicle 2. The trajectory planning data recording control unit 65 transmits time series data related to the trajectory planning data output by the trajectory planning application 22 to the recording unit 30. The trajectory planning data log group 75 is a collection of time series data related to the trajectory planning data output by the trajectory planning application 22. In this embodiment, the event setting data group 33 is changed as shown in FIG. 10 .

[0085] In this embodiment, each data element has an independent processing structure, so even when adding or modifying data elements to be collected, there is no need to modify the existing software, making modifications easy.

[0086] (Third embodiment) A data collection device 51C according to a third embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 11 illustrates an example of ASIL / non-ASIL separation. In Fig. 11, the area surrounded by a dashed line is an ASIL region 180. The image recognition application 23 is an application program that identifies objects around the vehicle 2 based on image data obtained from the camera 90. As with Fig. 8, the vehicle 2 is not shown.

[0087] 11, large amounts of camera data are handled by both the image recognition application 23 and the camera data recording control unit 62, but since storing the data separately would increase the processing load, the data in the same location is referenced via shared memory 80. The camera data log group 72 is time-series data from the camera 90 output by the camera data recording control unit 62.

[0088] From the perspective of functional safety, computer programs for which an ASIL has been assigned must be separated in memory space from computer programs for which an ASIL has not been assigned. As the data collection system 1 itself does not affect the safety of the vehicle 2, an ASIL is generally not assigned. Therefore, when the data collection system acquires data from an ASIL-related computer program, communication across different memory spaces is required.

[0089] However, in the case of large volumes of data such as camera data, applying communication across different memory spaces requires copying a large amount of data, which increases the processing load. Therefore, one method is to allocate only the computer program of the data recording control unit 14, which handles large volumes of data, as a computer program with an ASIL setting, and enable direct access to the relevant data, thereby reducing the processing load.

[0090] In the case of the software configuration of the present invention, this can be realized by arranging only the camera data recording control unit 62 of the relevant data recording control unit 14 to operate in the memory space of the ASIL. On the other hand, in the case of a configuration in which time-series data of multiple data elements is processed collectively, if an ASIL is set in the computer program that processes the time-series data of the relevant data elements, it is necessary to arrange the processing related to the time-series data of multiple data elements separately, which makes modification cumbersome and undesirable.

[0091] According to this embodiment, a computer program corresponding to some of the multiple types of time-series data is assigned an ASIL, which is a risk classification system defined by the ISO 26262 standard, while a computer program corresponding to the remaining time-series data, excluding some of the multiple types of time-series data, is not assigned an ASIL. In the case of large-volume data such as image data, applying communication across different memory spaces for ASIL and non-ASIL requires copying a large amount of data, which increases the processing load. However, as in this embodiment, by arranging only the computer program of the data recording control unit 14 that processes large volumes of image data as a computer program with an ASIL assigned and enabling direct access to the image data, it is possible to reduce the processing load.

[0092] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the data recording control unit 14 transmits multiple types of time-series data using multiple computer programs corresponding to the multiple types of time-series data, and the multiple computer programs corresponding to the multiple types of time-series data transmit the multiple types of time-series data independently of each other. Therefore, even when it is necessary to handle data for which an ASIL is set, it is only necessary to modify the computer program of the relevant data recording control unit 14, minimizing modifications. Therefore, the lead time for modifications can be shortened.

[0093] (Fourth embodiment) 12, the vehicle control device 3 includes a data collection device 51D in addition to the above-described data collection device 51A. The data collection device 51D includes an event-based data generation unit 16 similar to the event-based data generation unit 112 of the server 4. That is, in this embodiment, the event-based data is generated on the data collection device 51D side. Specifically, the event-based data generation unit 16 separately receives multiple types of time-series data transmitted from the data recording control units 14 of the data collection devices 51A and 51D, and event metadata generated by the recording instruction unit 13 of either the data collection device 51A or the data collection device 51D.

[0094] Based on the received multiple types of time-series data and the event metadata, the event-based data generation unit 16 generates event-based data, which is multiple types of time-series data for each event, associating the event with the time at which the event was detected by the event detection unit and multiple types of time-series data recorded when the event was detected. The event-based data generated by the event-based data generation unit 16 is recorded as an event-based data log group 34 in the recording unit 30. The event-based data log group 34 in the recording unit 30 is transmitted to the server 4 via the communication unit 40, the in-vehicle network 60, and the network 6.

[0095] In this embodiment, event-based data is generated on the data collection device 51D side. For example, data collection may be required in multiple SoCs and electronic control devices in the vehicle control device 3, and each of the SoCs and electronic control devices may be provided with the data collection device 51D, the above-described data collection device 51A, etc. When data collection is required in such multiple SoCs, individual time-series data may be collected by each SoC, then collected in a single SoC constituting the data collection device 51D, converted into event-based data, and then uploaded to the server 4.

[0096] In this embodiment, even if the specifications of each piece of recorded time-series data are changed, the scope affected by the specification change is localized to each computer program that processes the time-series data, making it easier to modify and shortening the lead time for modification. In other words, according to this embodiment, when the specifications of each piece of recorded time-series data are changed, the lead time for modification of each SoC constituting the data collecting devices 51A and 51D can be shortened.

[0097] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention as defined in the claims. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configurations of the above-described embodiments with other configurations, and it is also possible to add other configurations to the configurations of the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace other configurations with part of the configurations of the above-described embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1. Data Collection System 2 vehicles 3 Vehicle control device 4 Server 5 Other equipment 6 Network 10 Processing section 11 Vehicle communication control unit 12 Event detection unit 13 Recording instruction section 14 Data recording control section 15 Server communication control unit 16 Event-based data generation unit 21 Fusion App 22 Trajectory Planning App 23 Image Recognition App 30 Recording Section 31 Data element unit data log group 32 Event Metadata Logs 33 Event setting data group 34 Event-based data log set 40 Communications Department 51A, 51B, 51C, 52A Data collection device 60 In-vehicle network 61 Vehicle data recording control unit 62 Camera data recording control section 63 Fusion data recording control unit 64 LIDAR data recording control unit 65 Trajectory planning data recording control unit 71 Vehicle data log group 72 camera data logs 73 Fusion data log group 74 LIDAR data logs 75 Trajectory Planning Data Logs 80 Shared Memory 90 Camera 110 Processing section 111 Vehicle communication control unit 112 Event-based data generation unit 113 Event Settings 130 Recording Unit

Claims

1. an event detection unit that detects the occurrence of an event; a recording instruction unit that transmits a recording instruction specifying a plurality of types of time-series data related to the event when the occurrence of the event is detected by the event detection unit; a data recording control unit that transmits the plurality of types of time-series data related to the event in accordance with the recording instruction transmitted by the recording instruction unit; a recording unit that records the plurality of types of time-series data related to the event transmitted from the data recording control unit; Equipped with the data recording control unit transmits the plurality of types of time series data by a plurality of computer programs corresponding to the plurality of types of time series data, each of the plurality of computer programs corresponding to each of the plurality of types of time series data transmits the plurality of types of time series data independently of each other; A data collection device characterized by:

2. the event detection unit, when detecting occurrence of the event, transmits to the recording instruction unit event setting data associating the event with a plurality of types of the time-series data to be recorded when occurrence of the event is detected; 2. The data collection device according to claim 1, wherein the recording instruction unit transmits the recording instruction to the data recording control unit based on the event setting data transmitted from the event detection unit.

3. 3. The data collection device according to claim 2, wherein the recording instruction unit generates event metadata that associates the event, a time at which the event was detected by the event detection unit, and multiple types of the time-series data to be recorded when the occurrence of the event is detected.

4. receiving the plurality of types of time-series data transmitted from the data recording control unit and the event metadata generated by the recording instruction unit separately; 4. The data collection device according to claim 3, further comprising an event-based data generation unit that generates, based on the received multiple types of time-series data and the event metadata, multiple types of time-series data for each event, which associates the event, a time at which the event was detected by the event detection unit, and multiple types of time-series data recorded when the occurrence of the event was detected.

5. an Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL), which is a risk classification system defined in ISO 26262 standard, is set for the computer program corresponding to some of the time series data among the plurality of types of time series data; 2. The data collection device according to claim 1, wherein the ASIL is not set in the computer program corresponding to the remaining time series data excluding the part of the plurality of types of time series data.

6. A vehicle control device comprising the data collection device according to claim 1.

7. A plurality of the data collection devices according to claim 3 are provided, The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein only one of the recording instruction units in the data collection device generates the event metadata.

8. a vehicle control device equipped with the data collection device according to claim 3 mounted on a vehicle; a server that receives the plurality of types of time-series data from the vehicle control device via a network; Equipped with the vehicle control device transmits the plurality of types of time-series data and the event metadata separately to the server, The server receiving a plurality of types of the time-series data and the event metadata, each transmitted separately from the vehicle control device; and generating, based on the received multiple types of time series data and the event metadata, multiple types of time series data for each event, which associates the event, the time at which the event was detected by the event detection unit, and the multiple types of time series data recorded when the occurrence of the event was detected.

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