Control device

Abstract

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique for suitably controlling an environment inside a movable body to be charged.SOLUTION: The control device includes a control unit. The controller detects the start of charging of the mobile unit by referring to the information on the state of charge of the battery of the mobile unit. The control unit controls an operation of an output device mounted on the moving body so as to suppress output of information in the output device while the charging is performed after the start of the charging is detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 proposes a seat experience system that prohibits the use of apps that require the driver's seat to be reclined while the vehicle is moving, but allows the use of such apps while the battery is being charged. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-052301 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] One of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide a technology for suitably controlling the environment inside a mobile body that is being charged. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The control device of the present disclosure includes a control unit configured to detect the start of charging of a mobile object by referring to information regarding a charging state of a battery of the mobile object, and after detecting the start of charging, to control an output device mounted on the mobile object so as to suppress output of information from the output device while the charging is being performed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technology for suitably controlling the environment inside a mobile object that is being charged. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example of a situation to which the present disclosure is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration and functional configuration of a vehicle. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows an example of a procedure for control processing by the in-vehicle terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [1 Application example] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example of a situation to which the present disclosure is applied. The control system 1 is a system that controls the output of information in a mobile object. In the example of FIG. 1, a vehicle 10 is an example of the mobile object. A battery 30 mounted on the vehicle 10 can be charged by receiving a supply of electricity from a charging device 70. The charging device 70 is appropriately configured to charge the battery 30. The in-vehicle terminal 20 can detect that charging of the battery 30 has started by referring to information regarding the charging state of the battery 30 (hereinafter referred to as charging information). After detecting that the battery 30 is being charged, the in-vehicle terminal 20 can suppress the output of information from the output device (speaker 40 and display device 50) while charging is being performed. The in-vehicle terminal 20 can suppress the output of information from the display device 50 by taking into account the degree of brightness inside the vehicle 10 obtained from the illuminance sensor 60. Note that the mobile object does not have to be a vehicle (vehicle 10). The mobile object may include any mobile device other than a vehicle, such as an aircraft or a ship.

[0009] [2 Configuration Examples] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the hardware configuration and functional configuration of vehicle 10. In one example, vehicle 10 may be an electric vehicle (including hybrid vehicles, etc.) driven by an electric motor. Vehicle 10 may be either a vehicle driven by a driver or an autonomous vehicle. Vehicle 10 includes an in-vehicle terminal 20, a battery 30, a speaker 40, a display device 50, and an illuminance sensor 60. In-vehicle terminal 20 may communicate with battery 30, speaker 40, display device 50, and illuminance sensor 60 using a predetermined in-vehicle communication standard. In one example, the predetermined in-vehicle communication standard may be selected from Controller Area Network (CAN), Local Interconnect Network (LIN), etc.

[0010] (battery) The battery 30 is exemplified by a battery that supplies electricity to an electric motor that drives the vehicle 10. When the amount of stored power in the battery 30 falls below a predetermined threshold, the vehicle 10 moves to a charging spot. A charging spot is a location that provides a charging service available to an unspecified number of users. As an example, charging spots may be installed in car dealerships, commercial facilities, service areas and parking areas on expressways, and rest facilities on public roads. The battery 30 may be charged by a charging device 70 installed at the charging spot.

[0011] (Speaker) The speaker 40 is an example of an output device. The speaker 40 is configured to output information as sound (including voice). The information output as sound may include, for example, music files, broadcasts, etc. The broadcasts may include, for example, radio broadcasts and digital television broadcasts. The information output as sound may also include information related to application software (hereinafter referred to as apps) used by the user of the vehicle 10. The apps may include, for example, a route guidance app, an agent app, a call app, a game app, etc. The route guidance app is an application that provides guidance on a driving route to a destination. The agent app is an application that provides information to the user through voice dialogue by an agent on behalf of a person while the vehicle 10 is traveling.

[0012] (display device) The display device 50 is an example of an output device. The display device 50 includes a screen. The display device 50 is configured to display information represented by at least one of text and images (still images or video) on the screen at an arbitrary degree of brightness. Hereinafter, the degree of brightness will be referred to as "illuminance." In one example, the information displayed on the screen may include at least one of text and images of a broadcast received by the in-vehicle terminal 20. The information displayed on the screen may include information related to an app used by the user in the vehicle 10. The illuminance may be set appropriately to a level at which the user can recognize the information displayed on the display device 50.

[0013] (illuminance sensor) In one example, an illuminance sensor 60 for measuring the illuminance in the vehicle interior detects the illuminance in the vehicle interior (e.g., In this case, the illuminance sensor 60 may be provided in the vicinity of the windshield. may be output to the in-vehicle terminal 20 at predetermined intervals.

[0014] (In-vehicle terminal) The in-vehicle terminal 20 is a computer that controls the output devices (speaker 40 and display device 50) mounted on the vehicle 10. The in-vehicle terminal 20 is mounted on the vehicle 10, which is an example of a moving body, when in use. That is, when not in use, the in-vehicle terminal 20 may be detached from the moving body. The in-vehicle terminal 20 has a processor 21, a memory unit 22, and a communication unit 23. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle terminal 20 is an example of a "control device." The processor 21 is an example of a "control unit."

[0015] The processor 21 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) or a digital signal processor (DSP). The processor 21 includes, as a functional unit, a battery information acquisition unit 2 11, includes a determination unit 212, a setting acquisition unit 213, an illuminance acquisition unit 214, and a setting adjustment unit 215.

[0016] The processor 21 operates as a battery information acquisition unit 211 and acquires charging information of the battery 30 mounted on the vehicle 10. As an example, the charging information includes a signal indicating the value and direction of a current flowing through the battery 30. The battery information acquisition unit 211 can periodically acquire the charging information from the battery 30. The battery information acquisition unit 211 passes the acquired charging information to the determination unit 212.

[0017] Processor 21 operates as determination unit 212 and determines whether or not the start of charging of battery 30 has been detected. In one example, determination unit 212 refers to the charging information passed from battery information acquisition unit 211. If the referred charging information includes a signal indicating a current flowing from outside battery 30 toward battery 30, determination unit 212 determines that the start of charging of battery 30 has been detected.

[0018] After determining that charging of the battery 30 has started, the determination unit 212 may further determine whether or not it has detected the end of charging of the battery 30. In one example, after determining that it has detected the start of charging of the battery 30, the determination unit 212 further refers to the charging information passed from the battery information acquisition unit 211. If the referred charging information does not include a signal indicating a current flowing from outside the battery 30 toward the battery 30, the determination unit 212 determines that it has detected the end of charging of the battery 30.

[0019] The processor 21 operates as a setting acquisition unit 213 and can acquire setting information from the output device (the speaker 40 and the display device 50). The setting information is information related to the current output settings of the output device. For example, the setting information is the following information: (1) The volume value output from the speaker 40 (2) Type of application related to information displayed on the display device 50 (3) Illuminance value of the display device 50 Alternatively, the setting information may be stored in the storage unit 22. In this case, the setting acquisition unit 213 may acquire the setting information from the storage unit 22. The setting acquisition unit 213 passes the acquired setting information to the setting adjustment unit 215.

[0020] The processor 21 operates as an illuminance acquisition unit 214 and can acquire, by a well-known method, the value of the illuminance inside the vehicle 10 detected by the illuminance sensor 60. The illuminance acquisition unit 214 passes the acquired illuminance to the setting adjustment unit 215.

[0021] The processor 21 operates as the setting adjustment unit 215 and adjusts the settings of the output device after the start of charging is detected. In one example, the setting adjustment unit 215 may generate a suppression command as the adjustment of the settings. The suppression command is a command to adjust (suppress) the output of information by the output device. The setting adjustment unit 215 may output the generated suppression command to the output device. For example, the setting adjustment unit 215 adjusts the settings of the output device as follows:

[0022] (1) Volume output from speaker 40 When the vehicle 10 is running, i.e., before charging starts, running noise is generated. Therefore, the volume value of the speaker 40 can be set to a larger value compared to when the vehicle 10 is not running. With the above setting, even when running noise is generated by the vehicle 10, the user of the vehicle 10 can recognize the output information. In contrast, when the vehicle 10 is stopped and the battery 30 is being charged, No running noise is generated. Therefore, the interior of the vehicle 10 may be quieter while the battery 30 is being charged than when the vehicle is running. If the volume output from the speaker 40 is maintained at a high level in this case, a user in the vehicle may feel that the volume is too loud. Therefore, the setting adjustment unit 215 adjusts the volume output from the speaker 40 to be reduced while the vehicle 10 is being charged. In one example, the setting adjustment unit 215 refers to the volume value passed from the setting acquisition unit 213. The setting adjustment unit 215 determines a volume value obtained by reducing the referenced volume value by an arbitrary value. The setting adjustment unit 215 generates a first reduction command including the determined volume value. The first reduction command is a command to reduce the volume output from the speaker 40 in accordance with the determined volume value. The setting adjustment unit 215 outputs the generated first reduction command to the speaker 40. The speaker 40 reduces the volume of the speaker 40 in accordance with the volume value included in the first reduction command obtained from the setting adjustment unit 215. This allows the volume output from the speaker 40 to be adjusted to a volume that is suitable for the user.

[0023] (2) Apps to be displayed on the display device 50 Before charging of the vehicle 10 starts, the display device 50 may output information related to other apps in addition to the specific app. In contrast, while charging of the vehicle 10 is in progress, the setting adjustment unit 215 adjusts the information displayed on the display device 50 to limit it to the specific app. In one example, the setting adjustment unit 215 generates a second suppression command. The second suppression command is a command to limit the display on the display device 50 to information related to the specific app. In one example, the second suppression command is a command to stop output of information related to other apps that are running. The second suppression command may also be a command to prohibit output of information related to other apps that are not running. The setting adjustment unit 215 outputs the generated second suppression command to the display device 50. In one example, the specific app is a game app. In one example, the other apps are a route guidance app, an agent app, and a call incoming app. In this case, while charging of the vehicle 10 is in progress, information related to the game app may be output from the display device 50, and output of information related to the other apps may be suppressed.

[0024] In one example, when identifying the "specific app," the setting adjustment unit 215 refers to information about the app displayed on the display device 50, which information is passed from the setting acquisition unit 213. Based on the referenced app information, the setting adjustment unit 215 may identify the app related to the information displayed on the display device 50 at the time charging of the battery 30 starts as the "specific app." Information indicating the specific app may be stored in the storage unit 22. In this case, the setting adjustment unit 215 can identify the "specific app" by referring to the stored information. In this way, by suppressing the display of information on the display device 50 in response to the second suppression command, the user can concentrate on using the specific app in the vehicle cabin while charging the vehicle 10.

[0025] (3) Illuminance of the display device 50 The illuminance at which the display device 50 outputs information may be linked to the usage status of the headlights of the vehicle 10. For example, when the headlights are turned on, information may be displayed on the screen of the display device 50 at a lower illuminance. When the headlights are turned off, information may be displayed on the screen of the display device 50 at a higher illuminance than when the headlights are turned on. While the battery 30 is being charged, the headlights of the vehicle 10 may be turned off and the lights of the charging spot may be turned on. In this case, a user viewing the information displayed on the display device 50 may feel that the display on the display device 50 is too bright. Therefore, the setting adjustment unit 215 adjusts the illuminance of the display device 50 while the vehicle 10 is being charged. In one example, the setting adjustment unit 215 generates a third reduction command. The third reduction command is a command to reduce the illuminance value of the display device 50, received from the setting acquisition unit 213, by an arbitrary value. The setting adjustment unit 215 outputs the generated third command to the display device 50. The display device 50 acquires the output third reduction command. The display device 50 outputs information by reducing the illuminance in response to the third reduction command, thereby preventing a user viewing the display device 50 from feeling that the display on the display device 50 is too bright.

[0026] When generating the notification, the setting adjustment unit 215 may adjust the value of the illuminance to be reduced on the display device 50 by a well-known method, depending on the value of the illuminance inside the vehicle 10 passed from the illuminance acquisition unit 214. This allows information to be displayed at an illuminance that is more suitable for the user viewing the display device 50.

[0027] When the determination unit 212 detects that charging of the vehicle 10 has ended, the setting adjustment unit 215 may adjust the setting of the output device to restore the setting before charging started. In one example, the setting adjustment unit 215 generates a restoration command. The restoration command is a command to restore the setting of information output by the output device to the setting before charging started. The setting adjustment unit 215 may output the generated restoration command to the output device. In one example, the restoration command is a restoration command (first to third restoration commands) corresponding to the first to third suppression commands described above, respectively. When generating the restoration command, the setting adjustment unit 215 may refer to the setting information stored in the storage unit 22, which is set immediately before charging started in the vehicle 10. The setting adjustment unit 215 may include the setting information set immediately before charging started in the restoration command.

[0028] The storage unit 22 includes a main storage unit and an auxiliary storage unit. The main storage unit is, for example, a Random Access Memory (RAM). The auxiliary storage unit is, for example, a Read Only Memory (ROM), a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), a The auxiliary storage unit is a removable disk drive (HDD) or flash memory. The removable medium may include, for example, a USB memory, an SD card, or a disk recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, or a Blu-ray disk.

[0029] The auxiliary storage unit stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various information tables, etc. The processor 21 loads the programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit into the main storage unit and executes them, thereby realizing the control processing of this embodiment. Some or all of the functions of the in-vehicle terminal 20 can be realized by hardware circuits such as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) or a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The in-vehicle terminal 20 does not need to be realized by a single physical configuration, and may be made up of multiple computers that work together.

[0030] The auxiliary storage unit can store information acquired by the battery information acquisition unit 211, the setting acquisition unit 213, and the illuminance acquisition unit 214.

[0031] The communication unit 23 is a communication interface that connects the in-vehicle terminal 20 to the battery 30, the speaker 40, the display device 50, and the illuminance sensor 60. The communication unit 23 may connect the in-vehicle terminal 20 to a network external to the vehicle 10.

[0032] [3 Example of operation] 3 shows an example of control processing by the processor 21 of the in-vehicle terminal 20 according to this embodiment. The following processing procedure is an example of a control method executed by a computer.

[0033] The battery information acquisition unit 211 of the processor 21 acquires charging information for the battery 30 of the vehicle 10, which is an example of a moving body (S101). The determination unit 212 references the acquired charging information and determines whether or not the start of charging in the vehicle 10 has been detected (S102). If the determination is positive (YES in S102), the process proceeds to S103. If the determination is negative (NO in S102), the process returns to S101.

[0034] In S103, the setting acquisition unit 213 acquires setting information for outputting information in the output device. The process of S103 may be executed periodically regardless of the determination result of S102. After detecting the start of charging of the vehicle 10, the setting adjustment unit 215 adjusts the setting information according to the setting information. During this time, a command to suppress output from the output device is output to the output device (S104).

[0035] After detecting the start of charging of the vehicle 10, the battery information acquisition unit 211 further acquires charging information of the battery 30 (S105). The determination unit 212 references the acquired charging information and determines whether or not the end of charging of the vehicle 10 has been detected (S106). If the determination is affirmative (YES in S106), the process proceeds to S107. If the determination is negative (NO in S106), the process returns to S105. In S107, the setting adjustment unit 215 outputs a command to the output device to restore the output setting of the output device to the setting before charging, and the processor 21 ends the process.

[0036] [Features] Charging a battery mounted on a vehicle has been known in the past. Patent Document 1 proposes a system that motivates a user (driver) to charge the vehicle by permitting the use of an application program that is prohibited while the vehicle is moving while the vehicle is being charged. However, the present inventors have discovered the following problems with this system. For example, in-vehicle terminals have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years. Accordingly, an increase in users is expected to use output devices that remain in the vehicle while the vehicle battery is being charged and provide information within the vehicle. The in-vehicle environment may differ between when the vehicle is in use and when it is being charged. Therefore, it may not be appropriate to apply output device settings that are designed for when the vehicle is in use to when the vehicle is being charged. Therefore, there is a need for a technology that adjusts output device settings assuming that the vehicle is being charged.

[0037] In this embodiment, after detecting that charging of the vehicle 10 has begun, the on-board terminal 20 outputs a suppression command to the output device. The output device acquires the suppression command and suppresses the output of information in response to the suppression command. Therefore, the on-board terminal 20 can suitably control the environment inside the vehicle that is being charged. Furthermore, after detecting that charging of the vehicle 10 has begun, the on-board terminal 20 can also detect that charging of the vehicle 10 has ended. In response to detecting the end of charging, the on-board terminal 20 outputs a command to restore the output settings to the output device. The output device acquires the restore command. In response to the restore command, the output device restores the output settings to the settings before charging. Therefore, the on-board terminal 20 can suitably control the environment inside the vehicle that has finished charging.

[0038] [4 Variations] In the present embodiment, as an example, the processor 21 of the in-vehicle terminal 20 executes the control processing from S101 to S107. Note that there is a case where a user of the vehicle 10 uses a mobile terminal (such as a smartphone) that can be connected to the in-vehicle terminal 20 via a network inside the vehicle 10. The mobile terminal may include a processor having functional units similar to those of the processor 21. In this case, the processor of the mobile terminal may be connected to the in-vehicle terminal 20 directly via the network or indirectly via a server. Then, the mobile terminal may execute the same control processing as the processor 21 via the in-vehicle terminal 20.

[0039] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the above description is merely an example of the present disclosure in every respect. It goes without saying that various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1. Control system 10. Vehicle, 20. In-vehicle terminal, 30. Battery, 40. Speaker, 50. Display device, 60. Illuminance sensor, 70. Charging device 21. Processor, 22. Memory unit, 23. Communication unit

Claims

[Claim 1] A control device including a control unit, The control unit Detecting the start of charging of the mobile body by referring to information about the charging state of the battery of the mobile body; and After detecting the start of the charging, controlling an operation of an output device mounted on the moving body so as to suppress output of information from the output device while the charging is being performed; configured to perform Control device.

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