system

Abstract

We will improve the technology that selects the optimal telecommunications carrier from among multiple carriers. [Solution] The system comprises an in-vehicle device 10 and a server 20. The server 20 stores communication history information of one or more communication carriers transmitted from multiple vehicles. When a change in vehicle status is detected by the in-vehicle device 10, it transmits information related to the change in vehicle status to the server 20. Based on the received information related to the change in vehicle status, the server 20 determines the communication requirements of the in-vehicle device 10, selects one of the communication carriers that meets the communication requirements from among the one or more communication carriers included in the communication history information as a specific carrier, and transmits the information of the selected specific carrier to the in-vehicle device 10. The in-vehicle device 10 then connects to the specific carrier included in the received information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a system.

Background Art

[0002] Techniques for selecting an optimal communication carrier from a plurality of communication carriers are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for seamlessly switching a communication carrier even when a communication device having a roaming function moves abroad.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] There has been room for improvement in the technique of selecting an optimal communication carrier from a plurality of communication carriers.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the technique of selecting an optimal communication carrier.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a system comprising an in-vehicle device and a server, wherein the server stores communication history information of one or more communication carriers transmitted from a plurality of vehicles, the in-vehicle device transmits information relating to the change in vehicle state to the server when a change in vehicle state is detected, the server determines the communication requirements of the in-vehicle device based on the received information relating to the change in vehicle state, selects one of the communication carriers that satisfies the communication requirements from among the one or more communication carriers included in the communication history information as a specific carrier, transmits information of the selected specific carrier to the in-vehicle device, and the in-vehicle device connects to the specific carrier included in the information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the technology for selecting the optimal telecommunications carrier is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This block diagram shows a schematic configuration of a system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] A sequence diagram illustrating the operation of a system according to one embodiment of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below. As shown in Figure 1, an overview of System 1 according to an embodiment of this disclosure will be described. System 1 comprises an in-vehicle device 10 and a server 20. When a change in the state of a vehicle on which the in-vehicle device 10 is installed is detected, the server 20 selects the optimal communication carrier. The in-vehicle device 10 is, for example, an in-vehicle communication device, a navigation device, etc., but is not limited thereto. The in-vehicle device 10 is equipped with an eSIM. The eSIM is capable of storing a communication profile related to a communication carrier. The in-vehicle device 10 can use a mobile communication line provided by a communication carrier corresponding to such a communication profile. The server 20 is one or a plurality of computers that can communicate with each other and can communicate with the in-vehicle device 10 via a network 30.

[0010] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. System 1 comprises an in-vehicle device 10 and a server 20. The server 20 stores communication history information of one or more communication carriers transmitted from multiple vehicles. When a change in vehicle status is detected, the in-vehicle device 10 transmits this information to the server 20. Based on the received information regarding the change in vehicle status, the server 20 determines the communication requirements of the in-vehicle device 10, selects one of the communication carriers that meets the communication requirements from among the one or more communication carriers included in the communication history information as a specific carrier, and transmits the information of the selected specific carrier to the in-vehicle device 10. The in-vehicle device 10 then connects to the specific carrier included in the information.

[0011] Thus, according to this embodiment, in a country where multiple communication carriers exist, the server 20 can select the optimal communication carrier that best suits the optimal communication conditions based on communication history information accumulated from the vehicle's actual driving. Furthermore, since the server 20 re-selects the communication carrier when a change in the vehicle's status is detected, improvements in the communication environment and reductions in communication costs can be expected. Therefore, the technology for selecting the optimal communication carrier is improved in that the optimal communication carrier for the vehicle is selected.

[0012] Next, we will describe each component of System 1 in detail.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the in-vehicle device 10 comprises a communication unit 11, a control unit 12, and a storage unit 13. The communication unit 11 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 30. The communication interfaces are compatible with, for example, mobile communication standards such as 5G (5th Generation), but are not limited to these. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 communicates with the server 20 via the communication unit 11 and the network 30. The control unit 12 includes one or more processors, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processors are, for example, general-purpose processors such as CPUs (Central Processing Units), or dedicated processors specialized for specific processing, but are not limited to these. The control unit 12 controls the operation of the entire in-vehicle device 10. The storage unit 13 includes one or more memories. The memories are, for example, semiconductor memories, magnetic memories, etc., but are not limited to these. Each memory included in the storage unit 13 may function as, for example, a main memory, an auxiliary memory, or a cache memory. The storage unit 13 stores any information used in the operation of the server 20.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the server 20 comprises a communication unit 21, a control unit 22, and a storage unit 23. The hardware configuration of the communication unit 21, control unit 22, and storage unit 23 of the server 20 may be the same as the hardware configuration of the communication unit 11, control unit 12, and storage unit 13 of the in-vehicle device 10.

[0015] Referring to Figure 2, the operation of System 1 according to this embodiment will be described. The control unit 22 stores communication performance information of one or more communication carriers transmitted from multiple vehicles in the storage unit 23 (S100). The communication performance information of the communication carriers includes evaluation items, such as at least one of the following: radio wave strength from base stations for each area, communication quality for each area, and communication charges, and evaluation results for each evaluation item, but is not limited to these and may include any information. The evaluation items may include information such as the number of base stations and coverage area based on publicly available information of multiple communication carriers. Communication quality may be evaluated by any method, such as SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio), CNR (Carrier-to-Noise Ratio), or CIR (Carrier-to-Interference Ratio). Other evaluation items may also be evaluated by any method.

[0016] When a change in vehicle status is detected, the control unit 12 transmits information relating to the change in vehicle status to the server 20 (S101). Changes in vehicle status include, but are not limited to, a change in destination, a change in planned driving area, a change in the country or area being driven, or a change in the store storage status before the vehicle is sold to the user or the market driving status after the vehicle is sold to the user. Information on changes in destination and planned driving area is obtained, for example, from a car navigation system. Changes in the country or area being driven are detected, for example, based on the latitude and longitude information of the vehicle equipped with the in-vehicle device 10. Changes in store storage status or market driving status are detected, for example, when the vehicle has not been operated for a certain period of time or when the vehicle is operated periodically. Changes in vehicle status may also be detected by any method, but are not limited to these.

[0017] The control unit 22 determines the communication requirements for the in-vehicle device 10 based on the received information relating to the change in vehicle status (S102). The communication requirements are those required of the communication carrier after the switch. The communication requirements include at least one of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth requirements. The first requirement is that the radio wave strength is stronger than that of the communication carrier before the switch. The second requirement is that the communication quality is higher than that of the communication carrier before the switch. The third requirement is that the communication costs are lower than those of the communication carrier before the switch. The fourth requirement is that the number of base stations is greater than that of the communication carrier before the switch. The fifth requirement is that the coverage area is wider than that of the communication carrier before the switch. Here, the server 20 may store public information of multiple communication carriers in the storage unit 23. The evaluation items related to the first, second, and third requirements (i.e., evaluation items for radio wave strength, communication quality, and low communication costs) may be evaluated based on communication performance information. The evaluation items related to the fourth and fifth requirements (i.e., the number of base stations and the size of the coverage area) may be evaluated based on the publicly available information. For example, if a vehicle changes from a market-driven state to a store-storage state, it is determined that the communication requirements include the third requirement. Also, for example, if the driving area changes from an urban area to a mountainous area, it is determined that the communication requirements include the first requirement.

[0018] Furthermore, the control unit 22 of the server 20 may store vehicle type information of the vehicle equipped with the in-vehicle device 10 in the storage unit 23. In such cases, the control unit 22 determines the communication requirements of the in-vehicle device 10 based on changes in the vehicle state and vehicle type information. For example, if the vehicle is a family car that frequently receives content via the network 30, the control unit 22 will include the third requirement in the communication requirements. Alternatively, if the vehicle is a sports car that rarely communicates, the control unit 22 will include the first or second requirement in the communication requirements. This allows the control unit 22 to determine communication requirements that take into account the suitability for each vehicle type, leading to improved usability.

[0019] The control unit 22 selects one of the communication carriers that meets the communication requirements from among the one or more communication carriers included in the communication performance information as the specified carrier (S103). Here, if the specified communication requirements include the first, second, or third requirement, the control unit 22 identifies each of the one or more communication carriers that meet the communication requirements as a candidate based on the communication performance information. If the specified communication requirements include the fourth or fifth requirement, the control unit 22 identifies each of the one or more communication carriers that meet the communication requirements as a candidate based on publicly available information. The control unit 22 selects the specified carrier from among the one or more identified candidates based on the evaluation results for each evaluation item included in the communication performance information. For example, the evaluation result of radio wave strength, which is an evaluation item related to the first requirement, may be determined based on the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) value. The evaluation result of communication quality, which is an evaluation item related to the second requirement, may be determined based on the SNR value. The evaluation result of communication costs, which is an evaluation item related to the third requirement, may be determined by comparison with the average value of communication charges per packet for multiple communication carriers in the same country. The evaluation result for the number of base stations, which is an evaluation item related to the fourth requirement, may be determined by comparing it with the average number of base stations of multiple telecommunications carriers in the same country. Similarly, the evaluation item related to the fifth requirement may be determined by comparing it with the average area coverage rate of multiple telecommunications carriers in the same country.

[0020] Here, in the selection process of S103, when there are multiple candidates for communication carriers, among the communication carriers that meet the communication requirements, the communication carrier with the highest comprehensive evaluation value may be selected as the specific carrier. The comprehensive evaluation value is a value obtained by comprehensively judging the evaluation items of the communication carrier. Also, in the calculation of the individual evaluation value, a machine learning model may be used as appropriate. In this case, the server 20 may store in the storage unit 23 a machine learning model trained with the evaluation items included in the communication performance information as feature quantities. Specifically, the control unit 22 inputs the evaluation items included in the communication performance information into the machine learning model to determine the individual evaluation value. The individual evaluation value is an evaluation value determined for each evaluation item of each communication carrier related to the communication requirements. Also, the control unit 22 determines the comprehensive evaluation value for each communication carrier based on the determined individual evaluation values. The control unit 22 selects, as the specific carrier, the communication carrier with the highest comprehensive evaluation value among the communication carriers that meet the communication requirements. The comprehensive evaluation value may be determined by any statistical method, such as the sum of all individual evaluation values, the average value of all individual evaluation values, the sum of individual evaluation values with high priorities, etc.

[0021] The control unit 22 transmits the information of the selected specific carrier to the in-vehicle device 10 via the network 30 (S104). The information of the specific carrier includes, for example, information indicating the specific carrier and a communication profile for using the mobile communication line provided by the specific carrier, etc., but is not limited thereto and may include any information related to the specific carrier. Note that the server 20 may store in advance the communication profiles corresponding to each communication carrier, or may acquire them from the communication carrier each time.

[0022] The in-vehicle device 10 connects to a specific carrier included in the received information (S105). The in-vehicle device 10 extracts a communication profile from the information received from the server 20 via the network 30. The in-vehicle device 10 overwrites the communication profile stored in the eSIM with the communication profile received from the server 20 and connects using the said communication profile. After that, the in-vehicle device 10 can communicate via the mobile communication line provided by the specific carrier. In this way, the switching from communication carrier A to communication carrier B (carrier swap) is performed.

[0023] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions etc. included in each component or each step etc. can be rearranged so as not to be logically contradictory, and it is possible to combine or divide a plurality of components or steps etc. into one.

[0024] For example, in the above-described embodiment, an embodiment in which the configuration and operation of the server 20 are distributed to a plurality of computers capable of communicating with each other is also possible. For example, an embodiment in which some or all of the components of the server 20 are provided in the in-vehicle device 10 is also possible.

[0025] In the above-described embodiment, when the server 20 transmits an emergency notification to the in-vehicle device 10, or when receiving a notification that an emergency notification is transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10, regardless of whether there is a change in the vehicle state, the communication requirement may be specified as the first requirement. The emergency notification refers to, for example, a notification in the event of an accident or sudden illness, but is not limited thereto and may be any content.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0026] 1 System, 10 In-vehicle device, 11 Communication unit, 12 Control unit, 13 Storage unit, 20 Server, 21 Communication unit, 22 Control unit, 23 Storage unit, 30 Network

Claims

1. A system comprising an in-vehicle device and a server, The aforementioned server, The system stores a machine learning model and communication history information from one or more communication carriers transmitted from multiple vehicles. The in-vehicle device is When a change in vehicle status, which indicates the status of the vehicle on which the device is installed, is detected, the device transmits information related to the change in vehicle status to the server. The aforementioned server, Based on the received information relating to the change in the vehicle status, the communication requirements of the in-vehicle device are determined. The evaluation items included in the aforementioned communication performance information are input into a machine learning model trained with the evaluation items included in the aforementioned communication performance information as features, and the individual evaluation values ​​are determined. Based on the determined individual evaluation values, the overall evaluation value for each communication carrier is determined. Among the communication carriers that meet the aforementioned communication requirements, the communication carrier with the highest overall evaluation score is selected as the designated carrier. The selected information of the specific carrier is transmitted to the in-vehicle device. The in-vehicle device is A system that connects to the specific carrier included in the aforementioned information.

2. A system comprising an in-vehicle device and a server, The aforementioned server, It stores communication history information from one or more communication carriers transmitted from multiple vehicles. The in-vehicle device is When a change in the vehicle status is detected, information relating to the change in the vehicle status is transmitted to the server. The aforementioned server, Based on the information relating to the changes in the vehicle's condition, the communication requirements for the in-vehicle device are determined. From among the one or more communication carriers included in the aforementioned communication performance information, one communication carrier that satisfies the aforementioned communication requirements is selected as a specific carrier. The selected information of the specific carrier is transmitted to the in-vehicle device. The in-vehicle device is A system that connects to the specific carrier included in the aforementioned information.

3. The system according to claim 2, The aforementioned server, Furthermore, by storing publicly available information from multiple telecommunications carriers, The aforementioned communication requirements include one or more of the following:

1. Stronger signal strength than the previous carrier; 2. Higher communication quality than the previous carrier; 3. Lower communication costs than the previous carrier; 4. More base stations than the previous carrier; and 5. Wider coverage area than the previous carrier. The in-vehicle device is If it is determined that the communication requirements include the first requirement, the second requirement, or the third requirement, then, based on the communication performance information, each of the one or more communication carriers that satisfies the communication requirements is identified as a candidate. If it is determined that the aforementioned communication requirements include the fourth or fifth requirement, then, based on the publicly available information, each of the one or more communication carriers that satisfies the aforementioned communication requirements is identified as a candidate. A system for selecting the specified carrier from one or more identified candidates.

4. The system according to claim 2, The aforementioned server, The vehicle type information of the vehicle equipped with the aforementioned in-vehicle device is further stored, A system that determines the communication requirements of the in-vehicle device based on the received changes in the vehicle status and the vehicle type information.

5. The system according to claim 2, The aforementioned server, A system that, when transmitting an emergency call to the in-vehicle device, or when receiving notification that the in-vehicle device will transmit the emergency call, identifies the communication requirement as a first requirement: stronger radio wave strength than the communication carrier before the switch, regardless of whether there is a change in the vehicle status.

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