Vehicle-mounted apparatus

Abstract

To prevent a situation in which a server becomes unable to provide an appropriate service.SOLUTION: A communication module 16 performs the processing of collecting vehicle information from a vehicle control ECU 12 connected to an in-vehicle network and transmitting the vehicle information to a management server 20. The communication module 16 monitors a CAN signal transmitted via a DLC. The communication module 16 performs connection determination as to whether a diagnostic tool 21 is connected via the DLC on the basis of a monitoring result of the CAN signal. The communication module 16 transmits the vehicle information including the result of the connection determination to the management server 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an in-vehicle device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, on-board devices installed in vehicles include a DCM (Data Communication Module) that performs fault diagnosis communication with the vehicle's ECU and transmits the results to a specified server. External diagnostic tools are also known that are connected to the vehicle via a DLC (Data Link Connector) and perform various diagnoses by performing fault diagnosis communication with the vehicle's ECU.

[0003] Furthermore, as in Patent Document 1, when communication requests are made to the vehicle's central gateway from both the DCM and the external diagnostic tool, the communication request from the DCM is stopped to give priority to responding to the communication request from the external diagnostic tool. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-78800 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When an external diagnostic tool is connected via DLC, the DCM may not be able to properly collect vehicle information because priority is given to responding to communication requests from the external diagnostic tool. In this case, the server may not be able to provide appropriate services. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The in-vehicle device for solving the above problem is an in-vehicle device that is mounted on an in-vehicle network and performs processing to collect vehicle information from each device connected to the in-vehicle network and transmit it to a server, and is equipped with a processing circuit that performs the following operations: monitoring a CAN signal transmitted via a connector for external connection mounted on the in-vehicle network; based on the results of monitoring the CAN signal, making a connection determination as to whether a specified communication device is connected to the in-vehicle network via the connector; and including the determination result of the connection determination in the vehicle information and transmitting it to the server. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the server from being unable to provide appropriate services. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle, a diagnostic tool, and an external management server. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between communication requests from the communication module and the diagnostic tool to the vehicle control ECU and communication responses. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the flow of communication processing in the in-vehicle network. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the flow of communication processing in the in-vehicle network. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of an on-vehicle device mounted on an on-vehicle network will be described below with reference to FIGS. <In-vehicle network configuration> First, with reference to FIG. 1, an in-vehicle network in which the in-vehicle device of this embodiment is installed will be described.

[0010] The vehicle 10 is equipped with an in-vehicle network 11. Various electronic control units for vehicle control are installed in the in-vehicle network 11. Examples of electronic control units for vehicle control include an electronic control unit for engine control, an electronic control unit for brake control, and an electronic control unit for gear shift control. In the following description, such an electronic control unit for vehicle control will be referred to as a vehicle control ECU 12. FIG. 1 shows only one of the multiple vehicle control ECUs 12 installed in the vehicle 10. The vehicle control ECU 12 has a self-diagnosis function. The vehicle control ECU 12 is equipped with a storage device 18 for recording diagnostic data, which is data used to diagnose the vehicle 10. The diagnostic data includes the results of the self-diagnosis of the vehicle control ECU 12 and various data indicating the operating status of the vehicle 10.

[0011] A gateway ECU 13, which is an electronic control unit for managing communications, is installed in the in-vehicle network 11. The gateway ECU 13 includes a memory that stores programs and data for managing communications, and a processing circuit that executes programs read from the memory.

[0012] A communication module 16 for wirelessly connecting to a wireless LAN and a mobile communication network is connected to the gateway ECU 13. The communication module 16 is an example of an on-board device mounted on the on-board network 11. The communication module 16 includes a processing circuit 14 for executing various controls and a storage device 15 for storing various information. The communication module 16 enables wireless communication between the gateway ECU 13 and a management server 20 located outside the vehicle. The processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 is capable of collecting vehicle information, including diagnostic data of the vehicle 10, from each device connected to the on-board network 11 and transmitting the collected information to a server. The storage device 15 of the communication module 16 stores vehicle information related to the vehicle 10. The management server 20 is a server device for managing information about each vehicle 10 under its management.

[0013] In addition, a DLC (Data Link Connector) 17, which is an external connection connector for wired connection with devices outside the vehicle, is connected to the gateway ECU 13. At a dealer or the like, a diagnostic tool 21 outside the vehicle is connected to the DLC 17 to diagnose the vehicle 10. The diagnostic tool 21 has a function of reading data necessary for diagnosing the vehicle 10 from the vehicle 10 and displaying it. The diagnostic tool 21 is an example of a communication device connected to the in-vehicle network 11 via the DLC 17.

[0014] <In-vehicle network communications> The vehicle control ECUs 12, the communication module 16, and the diagnostic tool 21 communicate with each other in accordance with the CAN (Control Area Network) protocol (hereinafter referred to as CAN communication) via the gateway ECU 13. The vehicle control ECUs 12, the communication module 16, and the diagnostic tool 21 are examples of nodes connected to the in-vehicle network 11.

[0015] In CAN communication, communication is performed between nodes connected to the in-vehicle network 11 by exchanging CAN signals. In CAN communication, CAN signals are transmitted in a group called a frame. Examples of frames include a data frame that can store data specified by a user and a remote frame that requests a data frame.

[0016] A data frame is provided with, for example, an ID area, an RTR (remote transmission request) area, a data field area, etc. The ID area is an area where the data content and an ID for identifying the node that transmitted the data frame are set. The ID is an example of an identifier for identifying the node that transmitted the data frame. The ID area is also an area for determining the priority of communication arbitration. Communication arbitration will be described in detail later. The RTR area is an area for identifying a data frame and a remote frame. The data field area is an area that contains the data to be transmitted.

[0017] The structure of a remote frame is the same as that of a data frame, minus the data field. That is, a remote frame has, for example, an ID field, an RTR field, etc., but no data field. The ID field of a remote frame contains the ID of the node that will send the requested data frame.

[0018] In the CAN protocol, a node that requires data makes a communication request by transmitting a remote frame to the gateway ECU 13. The remote frame transmitted to the gateway ECU 13 is then transmitted to all nodes connected to the in-vehicle network 11. Thereafter, a node that has data corresponding to the transmitted remote frame transmits a data frame to the gateway ECU 13 to perform a communication response. The data frame transmitted to the gateway ECU 13 is then transmitted to all nodes connected to the in-vehicle network 11. Then, the node that requires the data receives the transmitted data frame to obtain the required data.

[0019] <Communication Mediation> In communications conforming to the CAN protocol, frames may be transmitted simultaneously from multiple nodes. In such cases, communication arbitration is performed to prioritize the transmission of frames with higher priority. The priority of a frame is determined by the ID set in the ID field of each frame. Specifically, when multiple nodes start transmitting frames simultaneously, each node that transmits a frame monitors and compares the frame it has transmitted with the state of the communication bus. At this time, the state of the bus is set to match the frame with the frame with the higher priority. If the frame it has transmitted matches the bus state, each node continues transmitting its frame; if the frame it has transmitted does not match the bus state, it stops transmitting its frame.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2 , in this embodiment, an ID is set in the ID field of each frame so that a frame transmitted from the diagnostic tool 21 has a higher priority than a frame transmitted from the communication module 16. Therefore, for example, assume that the communication module 16 and the diagnostic tool 21 simultaneously start transmitting remote frames requesting data to the vehicle control ECU 12. In this case, the transmission of the remote frame from the diagnostic tool 21 continues, while the transmission of the remote frame from the communication module 16 is stopped. Therefore, the vehicle control ECU 12 transmits a data frame corresponding to the remote frame transmitted from the diagnostic tool 21, but does not transmit a data frame corresponding to the remote frame transmitted from the communication module 16. In other words, when a communication request from the communication module 16 and a communication request from the diagnostic tool 21 occur simultaneously, as shown in FIG. 2 , the communication request from the diagnostic tool 21 has priority, and the communication request from the communication module 16 is stopped. Therefore, the vehicle control ECU 12 transmits a communication response to the communication request from the diagnostic tool 21, but does not transmit a communication response to the communication request from the communication module 16.

[0021] <Vehicle 10 Diagnosis> The diagnostic tool 21 is capable of diagnosing the vehicle 10 through fault diagnosis communication via the DLC 17. Specifically, the diagnostic tool 21 issues a communication request to the vehicle control ECU 12 by transmitting a remote frame requesting transmission of diagnostic data to the gateway ECU 13 via the DLC 17. The gateway ECU 13 transmits the remote frame transmitted from the diagnostic tool 21 to each node on the in-vehicle network 11. That is, the gateway ECU 13 transmits the remote frame transmitted from the diagnostic tool 21 to the vehicle control ECU 12, the communication module 16, and the diagnostic tool 21. Upon receiving the remote frame requesting transmission of diagnostic data, the vehicle control ECU 12 transmits a data frame including the diagnostic data to the gateway ECU 13, thereby communicating a response to the diagnostic tool 21. The gateway ECU 13 transmits the data frame including the diagnostic data to each node on the in-vehicle network 11. That is, the gateway ECU 13 transmits the data frame including the diagnostic data to the vehicle control ECU 12, the communication module 16, and the diagnostic tool 21. Then, when the diagnostic tool 21 receives the data frame including the diagnostic data, it diagnoses the vehicle 10 using the diagnostic data. Note that the vehicle control ECU 12 may acquire diagnostic data by communicating with the plurality of vehicle control ECUs 12 upon receiving the remote frame. Furthermore, when the ignition of the vehicle 10 is turned on, the vehicle control ECU 12 acquires diagnostic data by communicating with the plurality of vehicle control ECUs 12 at any timing, and stores the diagnostic data in the storage device 18. Then, the vehicle control ECU 12 may acquire diagnostic data from the storage device 18 upon receiving the remote frame.

[0022] The management server 20 can also diagnose the vehicle 10 through fault diagnosis communication via the communication module 16. Specifically, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 issues a communication request to the vehicle control ECU 12 by transmitting a remote frame requesting the transmission of diagnostic data to the gateway ECU 13. The gateway ECU 13 transmits the remote frame transmitted from the communication module 16 to each node on the in-vehicle network 11. That is, the gateway ECU 13 transmits the remote frame transmitted from the communication module 16 to the vehicle control ECU 12, the communication module 16, and the diagnostic tool 21. Upon receiving the remote frame transmitted from the communication module 16, the vehicle control ECU 12 transmits a data frame including diagnostic data to the gateway ECU 13, thereby communicating a response to the communication module 16. The gateway ECU 13 transmits the data frame including diagnostic data to each node on the in-vehicle network 11. That is, the gateway ECU 13 transmits the data frame including diagnostic data to the vehicle control ECU 12, the communication module 16, and the diagnostic tool 21. The processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 stores the diagnostic data included in the received data frame in the storage device 15. The diagnostic data is stored in the storage device 15 as vehicle information related to the vehicle 10. Then, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 transmits vehicle information including the diagnostic data stored in the storage device 15 to the management server 20. For example, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 transmits the vehicle information to the management server 20 at a predetermined interval. The management server 20 diagnoses the vehicle 10 using the diagnostic data included in the received vehicle information.

[0023] <Transmission of vehicle information via communication module> Hereinafter, specific control for the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 to transmit vehicle information to the management server 20 will be described.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3 , when the ignition of the vehicle 10 is turned on, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 sets the wired connection information stored in the storage device 15 to “not connected.” In FIGS. 3 and 4 , the ignition is indicated as “IG.” The wired connection information is information that specifies whether or not the diagnostic tool 21 is connected via the DLC 17. The wired connection information is stored in the storage device 15 as vehicle information related to the vehicle 10. Furthermore, when the ignition of the vehicle 10 is turned on, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 sets a monitoring setting to on, which monitors whether or not the diagnostic tool 21 is connected via the DLC 17. When the monitoring setting is on, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 monitors the CAN signal transmitted over the in-vehicle network 11.

[0025] Then, based on the result of monitoring the CAN signal, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 determines whether the diagnostic tool 21 is connected to the in-vehicle network 11 via the DLC 17. Specifically, when the diagnostic tool 21 is connected to the DLC 17, the diagnostic tool 21 makes a communication request to the vehicle control ECU 12 by transmitting a remote frame requesting transmission of diagnostic data at a predetermined interval via the DLC 17. Furthermore, upon receiving the remote frame transmitted from the diagnostic tool 21, the vehicle control ECU 12 transmits a data frame including diagnostic data to make a communication response to the diagnostic tool 21.

[0026] Here, the remote frame transmitted from the diagnostic tool 21 and the data frame transmitted from the vehicle control ECU 12 are also transmitted to the communication module 16 via the gateway ECU 13. Then, when the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 receives the remote frame transmitted from the diagnostic tool 21, it sets the wired connection information to "connected." At this time, if the ID included in the received remote frame is an ID indicating the diagnostic tool 21, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 determines that the remote frame is transmitted from the diagnostic tool 21. In other words, if the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 detects a communication request from the diagnostic tool 21, it determines that the diagnostic tool 21 is connected. That is, if the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 detects an ID indicating the diagnostic tool 21 in the connection determination, it determines that the diagnostic tool 21 is connected.

[0027] Thereafter, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 transmits, at a predetermined timing, the vehicle information including the wired connection information to the management server 20. That is, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 transmits, to the management server 20, the vehicle information including the wired connection information of "connected," which indicates that the diagnostic tool 21 is connected.

[0028] 4, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 sets the wired connection information to "not connected" when a certain period of time has passed without receiving a remote frame transmitted from the diagnostic tool 21. In other words, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 determines that the diagnostic tool 21 is not connected when a certain period of time has passed without detecting a communication request from the diagnostic tool 21. That is, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 determines that the diagnostic tool 21 is not connected when it does not detect an ID indicating the diagnostic tool 21 for a certain period of time in the connection determination. In this embodiment, the certain period of time is a period of time longer than the time from when the previous remote frame is transmitted to when the next remote frame is transmitted when the diagnostic tool 21 transmits remote frames at a predetermined cycle.

[0029] 4, thereafter, when transmitting the vehicle information to the management server 20 at a predetermined timing, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 transmits the vehicle information together with the wired connection information. That is, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 transmits the vehicle information to the management server 20 including the wired connection information of “no connection,” which indicates that the diagnostic tool 21 is not connected.

[0030] <Operation of the embodiment> According to this embodiment, the communication module 16 can notify the management server 20 of the result of the connection determination as to whether the diagnostic tool 21 is connected by transmitting vehicle information including wired connection information to the management server 20. Here, the vehicle information may also include diagnostic data of the vehicle 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, when transmitting the diagnostic data of the vehicle 10 to the management server 20, the result of the connection determination as to whether the diagnostic tool 21 is connected can also be notified to the management server 20.

[0031] In particular, the communication module 16 determines whether the diagnostic tool 21 is connected by monitoring whether an ID indicating the diagnostic tool 21 is included in the CAN signal transmitted and received within the in-vehicle network 11. That is, the communication module 16 determines whether the diagnostic tool 21 is connected based on the CAN signal transmitted from the diagnostic tool 21.

[0032] Furthermore, the communication module 16 determines that the diagnostic tool 21 is not connected if it has not detected a CAN signal containing an ID indicating the diagnostic tool 21 for a certain period of time. In other words, the communication module 16 determines that the diagnostic tool 21 is connected for a certain period of time after it last detected a CAN signal containing an ID indicating the diagnostic tool 21.

[0033] 3, the communication module 16 cannot make a communication request to the vehicle control ECU 12 due to communication arbitration while a communication request is being made from the diagnostic tool 21. Therefore, while the diagnostic tool 21 is connected via the DLC 17, the communication module 16 cannot receive a communication response corresponding to the communication request sent from the communication module 16 to the vehicle control ECU 12, and may not be able to acquire diagnostic data of the vehicle 10.

[0034] 4, the communication module 16 can issue a communication request to the vehicle control ECU 12 after the diagnostic tool 21 is removed. In this case, the communication module 16 can acquire diagnostic data of the vehicle 10 by receiving a communication response corresponding to the communication request transmitted from the communication module 16 to the vehicle control ECU 12.

[0035] In this embodiment, the communication module 16 transmits vehicle information including wired connection information when transmitting vehicle information to the management server 20, regardless of whether the diagnostic tool 21 is connected or not connected via the DLC 17. That is, regardless of whether the communication module 16 has received a communication response from the vehicle control ECU 12 or has not received the communication response, the communication module 16 transmits the vehicle information to the management server 20, including the result of the connection determination as to whether the diagnostic tool 21 is connected.

[0036] <Effects of this embodiment> The effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) When transmitting vehicle information to the management server 20, the communication module 16 can also notify the management server 20 of the result of the connection determination as to whether or not the diagnostic tool 21 is connected via the DLC 17. In other words, the management server 20 can be notified that the diagnostic tool 21 is connected and therefore information about the vehicle 10 cannot be collected appropriately. This allows the management server 20 to issue a notification instructing the execution of appropriate measures or to stop providing services based on insufficient information. This prevents the management server 20 from being unable to provide appropriate services. It also prevents the management server 20 from providing low-quality services based on incomplete information.

[0037] (2) The communication module 16 determines whether the diagnostic tool 21 is connected based on the CAN signal transmitted from the diagnostic tool 21, and therefore can appropriately determine whether the diagnostic tool 21 is connected. This allows the management server 20 to appropriately recognize whether the diagnostic tool 21 is connected.

[0038] (3) Because the diagnostic tool 21 transmits a CAN signal at a predetermined cycle, even when the diagnostic tool 21 is connected via the DLC 17, there are times when the CAN signal from the diagnostic tool 21 is transmitted and times when it is not transmitted. In response to this, the communication module 16 determines that the diagnostic tool 21 has been connected for a certain period of time since the last detection of a CAN signal containing an ID indicating the diagnostic tool 21. In this way, when the diagnostic tool 21 is connected, the communication module 16 can prevent the management server 20 from mistakenly determining that the diagnostic tool 21 is not connected due to a temporary period in which the CAN signal from the diagnostic tool 21 is not transmitted.

[0039] (4) Whether the communication module 16 has received a communication response from the vehicle control ECU 12 or has not received the communication response, the communication module 16 includes the result of the connection determination as to whether the diagnostic tool 21 is connected in the vehicle information and transmits the result to the management server 20. This allows the management server 20 to recognize whether the diagnostic tool 21 is connected regardless of whether the communication module 16 has received a communication response from the vehicle control ECU 12, thereby preventing the management server 20 from being unable to provide appropriate services.

[0040] <Example of change> This embodiment can be modified and implemented as follows. This embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0041] The conditions for determining that the diagnostic tool 21 is connected in the connection determination by the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 may be changed as appropriate. For example, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 may determine that the diagnostic tool 21 is connected on the condition that a communication request from the diagnostic tool 21 is detected a predetermined number of times within a certain period of time.

[0042] In the connection determination by the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16, the conditions for determining that the diagnostic tool 21 is not connected may be changed as appropriate. For example, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 may determine that the diagnostic tool 21 is not connected if it does not detect a communication request from the diagnostic tool 21 at a predetermined determination timing or within a predetermined determination period.

[0043] When transmitting vehicle information from the communication module 16 to the management server 20, there may be cases where the vehicle information does not include wired connection information. For example, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 may include wired connection information in the vehicle information to be transmitted to the management server 20 on the condition that a communication response has not been received from the vehicle control ECU 12. In other words, when the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 has received a communication response from the vehicle control ECU 12, the processing circuit 14 of the communication module 16 may not include wired connection information in the vehicle information to be transmitted to the management server 20.

[0044] The timing at which the communication module 16 issues a communication request to the vehicle control ECU 12 may be changed as needed. Also, the timing at which the diagnostic tool 21 issues a communication request to the vehicle control ECU 12 may be changed as needed.

[0045] The timing at which the communication module 16 transmits the vehicle information to the management server 20 may be changed as appropriate. The content included in the vehicle information transmitted from the communication module 16 to the management server 20 may be changed as appropriate. For example, the vehicle information may include information other than the diagnostic data and the wired connection information. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 10... Vehicle 11... In-vehicle network 12... Vehicle control ECU 13... Gateway ECU 14... Processing circuit 15... Storage device 16... Communication module 17... DLC 18... Storage device 20... Management server 21... Diagnostic tool

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device that is mounted on an in-vehicle network and performs processing to collect vehicle information from devices connected to the in-vehicle network and transmit the collected information to a server, monitoring a CAN signal transmitted via an external connection connector mounted on the in-vehicle network; determining whether a predetermined communication device is connected to the in-vehicle network via the connector based on a result of monitoring the CAN signal; transmitting a determination result of the connection determination to a server together with the vehicle information; and a processing circuit for executing In-vehicle device.

2. When the processing circuit detects an identifier of the predetermined communication device in the connection determination, the processing circuit determines that the predetermined communication device is connected. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 .

3. The processing circuit determines that the predetermined communication device is not connected when the identifier of the predetermined communication device is not detected for a certain period of time during the connection determination. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The processing circuit transmits the result of the connection determination to the server together with the vehicle information, regardless of whether the processing circuit has received a communication response to a predetermined communication request via the in-vehicle network or has not received the communication response. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 .

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