In-vehicle devices, vehicles, systems, programs, and profile setting methods

Abstract

Reduces the possibility of incorrectly obtaining profiles from different regions. [Solution] The in-vehicle device 100 includes a communication unit 101 that supports both a first wireless communication method that utilizes the mobile communication network of a regional communication carrier and a second wireless communication method different from the first wireless communication method, a storage unit 102 that supports one of two or more regions and stores a profile used when communicating using the first wireless communication method via the communication unit 101 within the corresponding region, and a control unit 103 that, when communicating using the second wireless communication method via the communication unit 101 with a wireless communication device 40 installed in the first of the two or more regions, receives identification information associated with the first region from the wireless communication device 40, obtains a profile corresponding to the first region from an information processing device, and stores the obtained profile in the storage unit 102.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle device, a vehicle, a system, a program, and a profile setting method.

Background Art

[0002] Techniques related to rewriting communication profiles in in-vehicle devices are known. For example, in Patent Document 1, when a second profile is received from a server device within a predetermined area using a first profile previously stored in a storage unit, an in-vehicle communication device that stores the second profile while keeping the first profile stored is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a vehicle such as a connected car equipped with an eSIM, when the destination country is unknown at the time of factory shipment, it may be required to rewrite the profile of that country when arriving at the destination country. "eSIM" is an abbreviation for embedded Subscriber Identity Module. An eSIM is an embedded SIM. "SIM" is an abbreviation for Subscriber Identity Module. As a method for automating the rewriting, for example, it is conceivable to automatically rewrite the profile of that country triggered by the vehicle detecting the radio wave of the mobile communication network provided by the local communication carrier. However, for example, when assuming vehicle transportation between countries using a transport ship, if the vehicle passes through the coverage area of a communication carrier in a country different from the destination country, there is a risk of erroneously acquiring the profile of that different country.

[0005] The purpose of this disclosure is to reduce the possibility of mistakenly obtaining profiles for different regions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The in-vehicle device relating to this disclosure is An in-vehicle device installed in a vehicle, A communication unit that supports both a first wireless communication method that utilizes the mobile communication network of a regional communication carrier and a second wireless communication method different from the first wireless communication method, A storage unit for storing a profile used when performing communication of the first wireless communication method via the communication unit within one of two or more regions, corresponding to one of the two regions, By communicating with a wireless communication device installed in the first of the two or more aforementioned regions via the communication unit using the second wireless communication method, when identification information associated with the first region is received from the wireless communication device, a profile corresponding to the first region is obtained from the information processing device. The acquired profile is stored in the storage unit. Control unit and It is equipped with.

[0007] The profile setting method related to this disclosure is: A profile setting method using an in-vehicle device, comprising: a communication unit that supports both a first wireless communication method utilizing the mobile communication network of a regional communication carrier and a second wireless communication method different from the first wireless communication method; a storage unit that supports one of two or more regions and stores a profile used when performing communication of the first wireless communication method via the communication unit within the corresponding region; and a control unit, wherein the in-vehicle device is installed in a vehicle and includes: When the control unit communicates with a wireless communication device installed in the first of the two or more regions using the second wireless communication method via the communication unit, and receives identification information associated with the first region from the wireless communication device, it obtains a profile corresponding to the first region from the information processing device. The control unit causes the acquired profile to be stored in the storage unit. Includes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] This disclosure reduces the possibility of mistakenly obtaining profiles from different regions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of transporting a vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle device according to the present disclosure by a transport ship. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, one embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to the figures.

[0011] In each figure, identical or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, the description of identical or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0012] Referring to Figure 1, the configuration of System 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0013] System 1 comprises an in-vehicle device 100, a server device 20, and a wireless communication device 40. System 1 may also include one or more other in-vehicle devices similar to the in-vehicle device 100. System 1 may also include one or more other server devices similar to the server device 20. System 1 may also include one or more other wireless communication devices similar to the wireless communication device 40.

[0014] The in-vehicle device 100 is a communication device installed in the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 100 supports both a first wireless communication method that utilizes the mobile communication network 30 of a regional communication carrier and a second wireless communication method different from the first wireless communication method. The first wireless communication method is a wireless communication method that conforms to a mobile communication standard such as LTE, 4G, or 5G. "LTE" is an abbreviation for Long Term Evolution. "4G" is an abbreviation for 4th generation. "5G" is an abbreviation for 5th generation. The second wireless communication method may be any wireless communication method that does not utilize the mobile communication network 30, but for example, it may be a wireless communication method that conforms to a wireless LAN communication standard such as IEEE 802.11, or a short-range wireless communication standard such as NFC, UHF, or Bluetooth (registered trademark). "IEEE" is an abbreviation for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. "LAN" is an abbreviation for local area network. "NFC" is an abbreviation for near-field communication. "UHF" is an abbreviation for ultra-high frequency.

[0015] Vehicle 10 is any type of automobile, such as a gasoline car, diesel car, hydrogen car, HEV, PHEV, BEV, or FCEV. "HEV" is an abbreviation for hybrid electric vehicle. "PHEV" is an abbreviation for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. "BEV" is an abbreviation for battery electric vehicle. "FCEV" is an abbreviation for fuel cell electric vehicle. Vehicle 10 may be automated to any level. The level of automation may be, for example, one of levels 1 to 5 in the SAE classification. "SAE" is an abbreviation for Society of Automotive Engineers. Vehicle 10 may also be a vehicle dedicated to MaaS. "MaaS" is an abbreviation for Mobility as a Service.

[0016] The server device 20 is an information processing device belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system installed in a facility such as a data center.

[0017] The wireless communication device 40 is a communication device installed at or near a point where the vehicle 10 passes within the first region Rt among two or more regions R1, R2, ···. In this embodiment, the two or more regions R1, R2, ··· are each a country, but may be regions other than a country, such as a plurality of regions within the same country or regions spanning multiple countries. The first region Rt is also the destination country of the vehicle 10 in this embodiment, but for example, it may be a country that the driver of the vehicle 10 temporarily passes through or stays in when driving from country to country, or may be a region other than a country. One or more other wireless communication devices similar to the wireless communication device 40 may be installed at or near one or more points where one or more other vehicles similar to the vehicle 10 pass within one or more regions different from the first region Rt among the two or more regions R1, R2, ···. In this embodiment, the wireless communication device 40 supports the second wireless communication method. The wireless communication device 40 is, for example, a communication device capable of wireless LAN communication, such as a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) access point, or a communication device capable of short-range wireless communication such as NFC, UHF, or Bluetooth.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, the outline of this embodiment will be described.

[0019] When the in-vehicle device 100 performs communication with the wireless communication device 40 using the second wireless communication method and receives identification information linked to the first region Rt from the wireless communication device 40, the in-vehicle device 100 acquires a profile corresponding to the first region Rt from the server device 20. The in-vehicle device 100 stores the acquired profile. This profile is used when performing communication using the first wireless communication method within the corresponding region, that is, within the first region Rt.

[0020] In this embodiment, instead of being triggered by the detection of radio waves from the mobile communication network 30, the system automatically acquires the regional profile associated with the identification information when the identification information is received via a wireless communication method that does not utilize the mobile communication network 30. Therefore, the possibility of mistakenly acquiring a profile for a different region can be reduced.

[0021] In this embodiment, profile acquisition is performed using a first wireless communication method that utilizes the mobile communication network 30. Therefore, as shown in Figure 2, the in-vehicle device 100 stores a first profile 121 in advance. The first profile 121 is a profile that is common to two or more regions R1, R2, ... and is used when performing communication using the first wireless communication method in order to acquire a second profile 122 provided by the server device 20. The first profile 121 may be a profile that does not allow communication via the mobile communication network 30 other than receiving the second profile 122 from the server device 20 within the first region Rt. When the in-vehicle device 100 receives identification information from the wireless communication device 40, it performs communication using the first wireless communication method with the first profile 121 to acquire the profile corresponding to the first region Rt as the second profile 122 from the server device 20. Then, the in-vehicle device 100 overwrites the first profile 121 with the second profile 122. Alternatively, the in-vehicle device 100 may store the second profile 122 while storing the first profile 121, similar to the in-vehicle communication device disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0022] As one variation, profile acquisition may be performed using a second wireless communication method that does not utilize the mobile communication network 30. In such a variation, when the in-vehicle device 100 receives identification information from the wireless communication device 40, it further performs communication using the second wireless communication method to acquire a profile corresponding to the first region Rt from the server device 20 via the wireless communication device 40. The in-vehicle device 100 then stores the acquired profile. According to this variation, it is no longer necessary to store the first profile 121 in advance.

[0023] The wireless communication device 40 and the server device 20 may be connected via any network, such as the Internet. Such a network may include a mobile communication network 30.

[0024] In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 100 may have a country determination function. The country determination function is a function that determines the country where the vehicle 10 is located. For example, the in-vehicle device 100, as a wireless communication device 40, detects a Wi-Fi access point installed in the destination country that has predetermined identification information. The identification information may be an identifier of the Wi-Fi access point, such as an SSID or MAC address, or it may include an identifier of the country where the Wi-Fi access point is installed, such as a string indicating the country name or a country code. "SSID" is an abbreviation for service set identifier. "MAC" is an abbreviation for media access control. If the identification information is an identifier of a Wi-Fi access point, the in-vehicle device 100 stores in advance the correspondence between the Wi-Fi access point identifier and the country where the Wi-Fi access point is installed. Based on the identification information of the detected Wi-Fi access point, the in-vehicle device 100 determines, using the country determination function, that the vehicle 10 is located in the destination country. If the destination country has neighboring countries, the Wi-Fi access point is installed in a location where radio waves cannot reach the neighboring country, for example, more than 100 meters inside the border. Therefore, the Wi-Fi access point installed in the destination country will not be detected in the neighboring country. The in-vehicle device 100 uses the first profile 121 to send a request signal for the second profile 122 for performing mobile communication in the country determined by the country determination function to the server device 20. The server device 20 may determine the profile to send as the second profile 122 using a known method, but if the request signal from the in-vehicle device 100 includes a country identifier, the server device 20 may determine the profile to send based on that country identifier. The in-vehicle device 100 either overwrites the first profile 121 with the second profile 122 received from the server device 20, or stores the second profile 122 while keeping the first profile 121 in memory.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, for example, a vehicle 10 equipped with an on-board device 100 can be transported by a transport ship 50 from a first country to a second country, which is the destination country. In this example, the vehicle 10 is shipped from a factory F in the first country and loaded onto the transport ship 50 either by driving itself or by truck. When the transport ship 50 carrying the vehicle 10 arrives at a port P in the second country, the on-board device 100 detects the wireless communication device 40, which is pre-installed at port P, by receiving a beacon signal emitted from the device. The on-board device 100 then determines that the vehicle 10 is located in the country corresponding to the identification information contained in the beacon signal, i.e., the second country. Since the on-board device 100 is controlled to communicate only with the second wireless communication system corresponding to the detected wireless communication device 40, as shown in Figure 3, for example, it will not erroneously detect radio waves from the mobile communication network of another country other than the second country, i.e., a third country, as a trigger for profile acquisition during maritime navigation.

[0026] In this example, the in-vehicle device 100 automatically determines the destination country based on the identification information of the wireless communication device 40 detected by the device. This reduces the possibility of misidentifying the destination country compared to methods that trigger detection of radio waves from the local mobile communication network, and enables timely profile rewriting when the vehicle 10 arrives in the destination country. While it is conceivable to acquire location information by combining satellite positioning and map data as an alternative to mobile communication and then determine the country from that, this method has the problem of not being able to accurately determine the country for destination countries where the use of satellites or the acquisition of map data is restricted. The example described above can resolve such problems.

[0027] As another example, consider a scenario where the driver of vehicle 10 is driving from country to country, and vehicle 10 moves from country 1 to country 2, which is a temporary stay country. In this example, after vehicle 10 passes through a border checkpoint, and arrives at a point a certain distance from the border, for example, 100 meters away, the on-board device 100 detects the wireless communication device 40 by receiving a beacon signal emitted from the wireless communication device 40 that has been pre-installed at that point. The on-board device 100 then determines that vehicle 10 is located in the country corresponding to the identification information contained in the beacon signal, i.e., country 2. Since the on-board device 100 is controlled to communicate only with the second wireless communication system corresponding to the detected wireless communication device 40, it can acquire a timely profile when vehicle 10 leaves the country, even if it detects radio waves from both the mobile communication network of country 1 and the mobile communication network of country 2 near the border. In this example, the in-vehicle device 100 may overwrite the profile with the acquired profile, or it may not overwrite the profile and instead store the profile each time it acquires a profile in the countries that the vehicle 10 has traveled to.

[0028] The configuration of the in-vehicle device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

[0029] The in-vehicle device 100 includes a communication unit 101, a storage unit 102, a control unit 103, and a positioning unit 104.

[0030] The communication unit 101 includes a first communication circuit 111 and a second communication circuit 112. The first communication circuit 111 is a communication circuit that corresponds to a mobile communication standard that utilizes the mobile communication network 30 of a regional communication carrier. The second communication circuit 112 is a communication circuit that corresponds to a wireless LAN communication standard or a short-range wireless communication standard. In other words, the communication unit 101 supports both a first wireless communication method that utilizes the mobile communication network 30 of a regional communication carrier and a second wireless communication method that is different from the first wireless communication method. The communication unit 101 receives information used for the operation of the in-vehicle device 100 and transmits information obtained by the operation of the in-vehicle device 100.

[0031] The memory unit 102 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or any combination thereof. The semiconductor memory is, for example, RAM, ROM, or flash memory. "RAM" is an abbreviation for random access memory. "ROM" is an abbreviation for read-only memory. The RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. "SRAM" is an abbreviation for static random access memory. "DRAM" is an abbreviation for dynamic random access memory. The ROM is, for example, EEPROM. "EEPROM" is an abbreviation for electrically erasable programmable read-only memory. The flash memory is, for example, an SSD. "SSD" is an abbreviation for solid-state drive. The magnetic memory is, for example, an HDD. "HDD" is an abbreviation for hard disk drive. The memory unit 102 functions, for example, as main memory, auxiliary memory, or cache memory. The memory unit 102 stores information used for the operation of the in-vehicle device 100 and information obtained through the operation of the in-vehicle device 100.

[0032] The storage unit 102 corresponds to one of two or more regions R1, R2, ... and includes a non-volatile memory for storing a profile used when performing mobile communication via the first communication circuit 111 within the corresponding region. That is, the storage unit 102 corresponds to one of two or more regions R1, R2, ... and includes a non-volatile memory for storing a profile used when performing communication of the first wireless communication system via the communication unit 101 within the corresponding region. In this embodiment, the first profile 121 is pre-stored in the non-volatile memory. The first profile 121 is common to two or more regions R1, R2, ... and is used when performing mobile communication via the first communication circuit 111 in order to receive the second profile 122 provided by the server device 20. That is, the first profile 121 is common to two or more regions R1, R2, ... and is used when performing communication of the first wireless communication system via the communication unit 101 in order to obtain the second profile 122 provided by the server device 20.

[0033] The control unit 103 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or any combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. "CPU" is an abbreviation for central processing unit. "GPU" is an abbreviation for graphics processing unit. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA. "FPGA" is an abbreviation for field-programmable gate array. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC. "ASIC" is an abbreviation for application specific integrated circuit. The control unit 103 controls each part of the in-vehicle device 100 and executes processes related to the operation of the in-vehicle device 100.

[0034] The positioning unit 104 includes at least one GNSS receiver. "GNSS" is an abbreviation for global navigation satellite system. GNSS systems include, for example, GPS, QZSS, BDS, GLONASS, or Galileo. "GPS" is an abbreviation for Global Positioning System. "QZSS" is an abbreviation for Quasi-Zenith Satellite System. QZSS satellites are called quasi-zenith satellites. "BDS" is an abbreviation for BeiDou Navigation Satellite System. "GLONASS" is an abbreviation for Global Navigation Satellite System. The positioning unit 104 measures the position of the vehicle-mounted device 100. That is, the positioning unit 104 measures the position of the vehicle 10 on which the vehicle-mounted device 100 is installed.

[0035] The functions of the in-vehicle device 100 are realized by executing the program according to this embodiment on the processor, which acts as the control unit 103. In other words, the functions of the in-vehicle device 100 are realized by software. The program causes the computer to perform the operations of the in-vehicle device 100, thereby causing the computer to function as the in-vehicle device 100. That is, the computer functions as the in-vehicle device 100 by performing the operations of the in-vehicle device 100 according to the program.

[0036] The program can be stored on a non-temporary computer-readable medium. Examples of non-temporary computer-readable media include flash memory, magnetic recording devices, optical discs, magneto-optical recording media, or ROM. The program can be distributed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending portable media such as SD cards, DVDs, or CD-ROMs containing the program. "SD" is an abbreviation for Secure Digital. "DVD" is an abbreviation for digital versatile disc. "CD-ROM" is an abbreviation for compact disc read only memory. The program may also be distributed by storing it in server storage and transferring it from the server to other computers. The program may also be provided as a program product.

[0037] A computer, for example, stores a program stored on a portable medium or a program transferred from a server in its main memory. Then, the computer reads the program stored in the main memory with its processor and executes the processing according to the read program. The computer may also read the program directly from the portable medium and execute the processing according to the program. The computer may also execute the processing according to the received program sequentially each time a program is transferred to the computer from a server. Processing may also be performed by a so-called ASP-type service, which does not transfer programs from the server to the computer, but realizes its function only through execution instructions and result retrieval. "ASP" is an abbreviation for application service provider. A program includes information used for processing by an electronic computer that is equivalent to a program. For example, data that is not a direct instruction to the computer but has the nature of defining the computer's processing falls under "equivalent to a program".

[0038] Some or all of the functions of the in-vehicle device 100 may be implemented by a programmable circuit or a dedicated circuit as the control unit 103. In other words, some or all of the functions of the in-vehicle device 100 may be implemented by hardware.

[0039] Referring to Figure 1, the configuration of the server device 20 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0040] The server device 20 comprises a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a control unit 23.

[0041] The communication unit 21 includes at least one communication circuit. The communication circuit is, for example, a communication circuit compatible with a wired LAN communication standard such as Ethernet®, or a communication circuit compatible with a wireless LAN communication standard such as IEEE 802.11. The communication unit 21 receives information used for the operation of the server device 20 and transmits information obtained through the operation of the server device 20.

[0042] The storage unit 22 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or any combination thereof. The semiconductor memory is, for example, RAM, ROM, or flash memory. The RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. The ROM is, for example, EEPROM. The flash memory is, for example, an SSD. The magnetic memory is, for example, an HDD. The storage unit 22 functions, for example, as a main memory, an auxiliary memory, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores information used for the operation of the server device 20 and information obtained by the operation of the server device 20.

[0043] The control unit 23 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or any combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC. The control unit 23 controls each part of the server device 20 and executes processes related to the operation of the server device 20.

[0044] The functions of the server device 20 are realized by executing a server program on a processor acting as a control unit 23. In other words, the functions of the server device 20 are realized by software. Alternatively, some or all of the functions of the server device 20 may be realized by a programmable circuit or dedicated circuit acting as a control unit 23. In other words, some or all of the functions of the server device 20 may be realized by hardware.

[0045] Referring to Figure 4, the operation of the in-vehicle device 100 according to this embodiment will be described. The operation described below corresponds to the profile setting method by the in-vehicle device 100. That is, the profile setting method according to this embodiment includes steps S11 to S15 shown in Figure 4.

[0046] In S11, the control unit 103 waits until it receives identification information by communicating using the second wireless communication method via the communication unit 101. The control unit 103 receives identification information associated with the first region Rt from the wireless communication device 40, which is installed in the first region Rt among two or more regions R1, R2, ... via the communication unit 101 using the second wireless communication method. In this case, the first region Rt is a destination region such as the second country in the example shown in Figure 3, but it may also be a temporary stay region such as the second country in another example.

[0047] Specifically, the control unit 103 receives identification information associated with the destination region from the wireless communication device 40, which is installed within the destination region, by performing wireless local area network communication or short-range wireless communication via the second communication circuit 112. The destination region is, for example, the destination country. The destination country refers to the country to which the vehicle 10 will be transported, excluding the country in which the vehicle 10 was manufactured. As for the method of transport, for example, sea transport in which the vehicle 10 is loaded onto a transport ship 50 as shown in Figure 3 is assumed, but any method that can transport the vehicle 10 to the destination country may be adopted. For example, when the transport ship 50 carrying the vehicle 10 arrives at the port P of the destination country, and the wireless communication device 40 installed in the destination country and the vehicle 10 including the on-board equipment 100 approach within a communication range of 100 meters or so, the control unit 103 detects the beacon signal broadcast by the wireless communication device 40 and recognizes the identification information contained in the beacon signal.

[0048] As a first example, the identification information is the identifier of the wireless communication device 40. The identifier of the wireless communication device 40 is, for example, the SSID or MAC address. The SSID may also be ESSID. "ESSID" is an abbreviation for extended service set identifier.

[0049] As a second example, the identification information may include an identifier for the destination region. The identifier for the destination region may be, for example, a string of characters indicating the country name or a country code.

[0050] In S12, the control unit 103 determines the destination region based on the identification information received in S11.

[0051] In the first example, the control unit 103 determines the destination region based on identification information and correspondence information stored in the storage unit 102. The correspondence information is information regarding the correspondence between the identifiers of the wireless communication device 40 and one or more other wireless communication devices and two or more regions R1, R2, ... That is, in the first example, each of the two or more regions R1, R2, ... is pre-associated with the identifier of each wireless communication device, including the wireless communication device 40. For example, suppose that a table is pre-stored in the storage unit 102 as correspondence information, associating the SSID with the country code of the country where the Wi-Fi access point is installed for each Wi-Fi access point. If an SSID is received from a Wi-Fi access point installed in a Japanese port in S11, the control unit 103 determines that the destination country is Japan by obtaining the country code "JP" associated with the received SSID from the table.

[0052] In the second example, the control unit 103 determines the destination region based on the identification information. For example, if the SSID "12345678-JP" is received in S11 from a Wi-Fi access point installed at a Japanese port, the control unit 103 determines that the destination country is Japan by obtaining the country code "JP" included in the received SSID.

[0053] The control unit 103 may determine the destination region based on the identification information received in S11 and the position measured by the positioning unit 104. In the first or second example, if the destination country is determined to be Japan, the control unit 103 determines whether the current location is within Japan by comparing the latitude and longitude of the vehicle 10's current location, obtained by the GNSS receiver (positioning unit 104), with the map information stored in the memory unit 102. If it is determined that the current location is within Japan, the country determination function has functioned correctly. On the other hand, if it is determined that the current location is not within Japan, the country determination function has not functioned correctly, so the step in S11 is executed again, or the flow shown in Figure 4 is forcibly terminated. In the case of forcible termination, it is desirable for the control unit 103 to store an error log in the memory unit 102 indicating that the country determination function did not function correctly.

[0054] In S13, the control unit 103 sends a request for a profile corresponding to the destination region determined in S12 to the server device 20. In this embodiment, the control unit 103 uses the first profile 121 stored in the storage unit 102 to send a request for a profile corresponding to the destination region to the server device 20 by performing communication using the first wireless communication method via the communication unit 101.

[0055] Specifically, the control unit 103 uses the first profile 121 stored in the memory unit 102 to perform mobile communication via the first communication circuit 111 and transmits a request for a profile corresponding to the destination region to the server device 20. The first profile 121 is, for example, an initial profile, i.e., the first communication profile assigned to the vehicle 10 at the time of factory shipment. The first profile 121 is a communication profile that is used to receive local profiles using the local communication carrier's mobile communication network 30 in any country, and other communications are restricted. The first profile 121 includes at least information that may be required for authentication, but may also include other information such as the name of the vehicle manufacturer, the name of the country of manufacture, or the date and time of production. For example, if it is determined in S12 that the destination country is Japan, the control unit 103 transmits the information contained in the first profile 121 to the local communication carrier's mobile communication network 30 via the first communication circuit 111. If authentication on the mobile communication network 30 side based on the transmitted information is successful, the control unit 103 is granted permission to access the mobile communication network 30. Therefore, it accesses the internet via the mobile communication network 30 through the first communication circuit 111 and sends a request signal to the server device 20, for example, including the country code "JP".

[0056] In S14, the control unit 103 obtains a profile corresponding to the destination region from the server device 20. In this embodiment, the control unit 103 uses the first profile 121 stored in the storage unit 102 to perform communication using the first wireless communication method via the communication unit 101, thereby obtaining a profile corresponding to the destination region as the second profile 122 from the server device 20.

[0057] Specifically, the control unit 103 uses the first profile 121 stored in the memory unit 102 to perform mobile communication via the first communication circuit 111, thereby receiving a profile corresponding to the destination region as the second profile 122 from the server device 20. The second profile 122 is, for example, a communication profile for wireless communication using the local communication carrier's mobile communication network 30 in the destination country. For example, if a request signal including the country code "JP" is transmitted in S13, the control unit 23 of the server device 20 decides to transmit the profile corresponding to the country code "JP" from the profiles corresponding to the country codes of various countries that are pre-stored in the memory unit 22, via the communication unit 21. The control unit 103 receives the profile corresponding to the country code "JP" from the server device 20 via the first communication circuit 111, via the Internet and the mobile communication network 30.

[0058] In S15, the control unit 103 stores the profile acquired in S14 in the storage unit 102. In this embodiment, for example, the control unit 103 stores the second profile 122 in the storage unit 102 by overwriting the first profile 121 with the second profile 122 received in S14. For example, if a profile corresponding to the country code "JP" is received in S14, the control unit 103 rewrites the initial profile previously stored in the storage unit 102 with the profile corresponding to the country code "JP".

[0059] As one variation, in S13 and S14, the control unit 103 may further perform communication using the second wireless communication method via the communication unit 101 to obtain a profile corresponding to the destination region from the server device 20 via the wireless communication device 40.

[0060] Specifically, the control unit 103 may receive a profile corresponding to the destination region from the server device 20 by further performing wireless local area network communication or short-range wireless communication via the second communication circuit 112. For example, suppose the wireless communication device 40 is a Wi-Fi access point connected to the internet. If it is determined in S12 that the destination country is Japan, the control unit 103 accesses the internet via the Wi-Fi access point, i.e., via the wireless LAN, via the second communication circuit 112, and sends a request signal including the country code "JP" to the server device 20. The control unit 103 then receives a profile corresponding to the country code "JP" from the server device 20 via the second communication circuit 112, via the internet and the wireless LAN.

[0061] As described above, according to this embodiment, the destination region is automatically determined based on the identification information of the wireless communication device 40 detected by the in-vehicle device 100. Therefore, the possibility of misdetermining the destination region is reduced compared to methods that are triggered by the detection of radio waves from the local mobile communication network. In other words, the possibility of mistakenly acquiring a profile for a region different from the first region Rt is reduced.

[0062] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, two or more blocks described in the block diagram may be combined, or one block may be divided. Instead of executing two or more steps described in the flowchart in chronological order as described, they may be executed in parallel or in a different order, depending on the processing capacity of the device performing each step, or as necessary. Other modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0063] Some embodiments of the present disclosure are described below. However, it should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to these. [Note 1] An in-vehicle device installed in a vehicle, A first communication circuit that corresponds to a mobile communication standard that uses the mobile communication network of a regional communication carrier, A second communication circuit compatible with wireless local area network communication standards or short-range wireless communication standards, A storage unit for storing a profile used when performing mobile communication via the first communication circuit within one of two or more regions, and a storage unit for storing a first profile used when performing the mobile communication via the first communication circuit in order to receive a second profile provided by an information processing device, which is common to the two or more regions. By performing wireless local area network communication or short-range wireless communication via the second communication circuit with a wireless communication device installed in the first of the two or more aforementioned areas, when identification information associated with the first area is received from the wireless communication device, the mobile communication is performed via the first communication circuit using the first profile stored in the storage unit, and the profile corresponding to the first area is received from the information processing device as the second profile. The second profile is stored in the storage unit by overwriting the first profile with the received second profile. Control unit and An in-vehicle device equipped with the following features. [Note 2] An in-vehicle device installed in a vehicle, A communication unit that supports both a first wireless communication method that utilizes the mobile communication network of a regional communication carrier and a second wireless communication method different from the first wireless communication method, A storage unit for storing a profile used when performing communication of the first wireless communication method via the communication unit within one of two or more regions, corresponding to one of the two regions, By communicating with a wireless communication device installed in the first of the two or more aforementioned regions via the communication unit using the second wireless communication method, when identification information associated with the first region is received from the wireless communication device, a profile corresponding to the first region is obtained from the information processing device. The acquired profile is stored in the storage unit. Control unit and An in-vehicle device equipped with the following features. [Note 3] The storage unit stores a first profile that is common to the two or more regions and is used when communicating using the first wireless communication method via the communication unit in order to obtain a second profile provided by the information processing device. The in-vehicle device as described in Appendix 2, wherein when the control unit receives the identification information from the wireless communication device, it uses the first profile stored in the storage unit to perform communication using the first wireless communication method via the communication unit, thereby obtaining the profile corresponding to the first region as the second profile from the information processing device. [Note 4] The in-vehicle device as described in Appendix 3, wherein the control unit overwrites the first profile with the second profile. [Note 5] The in-vehicle device as described in Appendix 2, wherein when the control unit receives the identification information from the wireless communication device, it further performs communication using the second wireless communication method via the communication unit, thereby obtaining the profile corresponding to the first region from the information processing device via the wireless communication device. [Note 6] The identification information is the identifier of the wireless communication device, The in-vehicle device according to any one of Appendix 2 to Appendix 5, wherein the control unit obtains from the information processing device a profile corresponding to a region among the two or more regions that is pre-associated with the identifier of the wireless communication device, as the profile corresponding to the first region. [Note 7] The storage unit stores correspondence information relating to the correspondence between the identifiers of the wireless communication device and one or more other wireless communication devices and the two or more regions. The control unit, Based on the identification information and the correspondence information stored in the storage unit, the first region is determined. The in-vehicle device according to Appendix 6, which transmits a request for the profile corresponding to the first region determined to be the first region to the information processing device. [Note 8] The identification information includes the identifier of the first region, The control unit, Based on the aforementioned identification information, the first region is determined, An in-vehicle device according to any one of Appendix 2 to 5, which transmits a request for the profile corresponding to the first region determined to be the information processing device. [Note 9] The vehicle is further equipped with a positioning unit for measuring the vehicle's position. The control unit, Based on the identification information and the position measured by the positioning unit, the first region is determined. An in-vehicle device according to any one of the appendices 2 to 8, which transmits a request for the profile corresponding to the first region determined to be the information processing device. [Note 10] The in-vehicle device described in any one of the appendices 2 to 9, wherein the communication of the second wireless communication method is wireless local area network communication or short-range wireless communication. [Note 11] The two or more regions mentioned above are each countries, and the vehicle-mounted device is one of the items in any one of the appendices 2 to 10. [Note 12] A vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle device as described in any one of the items from Appendix 1 to Appendix 11. [Note 13] An in-vehicle device described in any one of the items from Appendix 1 to Appendix 11, The information processing device and A system equipped with these features. [Note 14] An in-vehicle device described in any one of the items from Appendix 1 to Appendix 11, The wireless communication device and A system equipped with these features. [Note 15] A program that causes the computer to function as an in-vehicle device as described in any one of the items from Appendix 1 to Appendix 11. [Note 16] A profile setting method using an in-vehicle device, comprising: a communication unit that supports both a first wireless communication method utilizing the mobile communication network of a regional communication carrier and a second wireless communication method different from the first wireless communication method; a storage unit that supports one of two or more regions and stores a profile used when performing communication of the first wireless communication method via the communication unit within the corresponding region; and a control unit, wherein the in-vehicle device is installed in a vehicle and includes: When the control unit communicates with a wireless communication device installed in the first of the two or more regions using the second wireless communication method via the communication unit, and receives identification information associated with the first region from the wireless communication device, it obtains a profile corresponding to the first region from the information processing device. The control unit causes the acquired profile to be stored in the storage unit. Profile setup method including this. [Note 17] The storage unit stores a first profile that is common to the two or more regions and is used when communicating using the first wireless communication method via the communication unit in order to obtain a second profile provided by the information processing device. The profile setting method described in Appendix 16, wherein, upon receiving the identification information from the wireless communication device, the profile corresponding to the first region is obtained from the information processing device as the second profile by performing communication using the first wireless communication method via the communication unit using the first profile stored in the storage unit. [Note 18] The method for setting a profile as described in Appendix 16, wherein, upon receiving the identification information from the wireless communication device, the method further performs communication using the second wireless communication method via the communication unit to obtain the profile corresponding to the first region from the information processing device via the wireless communication device. [Note 19] The identification information is the identifier of the wireless communication device, The method for setting a profile as described in any one of the appendices 16 to 18, wherein the acquisition includes acquiring from the information processing device a profile corresponding to a region among the two or more regions that is pre-associated with the identifier of the wireless communication device, as the profile corresponding to the first region. [Note 20] The identification information includes the identifier of the first region, To obtain the above means, Determining the first region based on the aforementioned identification information, To transmit a request for the profile corresponding to the first region that has been determined to the information processing device. The profile setting method described in any one of the appendices 16 to 18, including the above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1 System 10 vehicles 20 Server Devices 21 Communications Department 22 Memory section 23 Control Unit 30 Mobile communications network 40 Wireless communication devices 50 transport ships 100 Onboard equipment 101 Communications Department 102 Storage section 103 Control Unit 104 Positioning Unit 111 First Communication Circuit 112 Second Communication Circuit 121 First Profile 122 Second Profile

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device installed in a vehicle, A first communication circuit that corresponds to a mobile communication standard that uses the mobile communication network of a regional communication carrier, A second communication circuit compatible with wireless local area network communication standards or short-range wireless communication standards, A storage unit for storing a profile used when performing mobile communication via the first communication circuit within one of two or more regions, and a storage unit for storing a first profile used when performing the mobile communication via the first communication circuit in order to receive a second profile provided by an information processing device, which is common to the two or more regions. By performing wireless local area network communication or short-range wireless communication via the second communication circuit with a wireless communication device installed in the first of the two or more aforementioned areas, when identification information associated with the first area is received from the wireless communication device, the mobile communication is performed via the first communication circuit using the first profile stored in the storage unit, and the profile corresponding to the first area is received from the information processing device as the second profile. The second profile is stored in the storage unit by overwriting the first profile with the received second profile. Control unit and An in-vehicle device equipped with the following features.

2. An in-vehicle device installed in a vehicle, A communication unit that supports both a first wireless communication method that utilizes the mobile communication network of a regional communication carrier and a second wireless communication method different from the first wireless communication method, A storage unit for storing a profile used when performing communication of the first wireless communication method via the communication unit within one of two or more regions, which corresponds to one of the regions. By communicating with a wireless communication device installed in the first of the two or more aforementioned regions via the communication unit using the second wireless communication method, when identification information associated with the first region is received from the wireless communication device, a profile corresponding to the first region is obtained from the information processing device. The acquired profile is stored in the storage unit. Control unit and An in-vehicle device equipped with the following features.

3. The storage unit stores a first profile that is common to the two or more regions and is used when communicating using the first wireless communication method via the communication unit in order to obtain a second profile provided by the information processing device. The in-vehicle device according to claim 2, wherein when the control unit receives the identification information from the wireless communication device, it uses the first profile stored in the storage unit to perform communication using the first wireless communication method via the communication unit, thereby obtaining the profile corresponding to the first region as the second profile from the information processing device.

4. The in-vehicle device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit overwrites the first profile with the second profile.

5. The in-vehicle device according to claim 2, wherein when the control unit receives the identification information from the wireless communication device, it further performs communication using the second wireless communication method via the communication unit, thereby obtaining the profile corresponding to the first region from the information processing device via the wireless communication device.

6. The identification information is the identifier of the wireless communication device, The in-vehicle device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit obtains from the information processing device a profile corresponding to a region among the two or more regions that is pre-associated with the identifier of the wireless communication device, as the profile corresponding to the first region.

7. The storage unit stores correspondence information relating to the correspondence between the identifiers of the wireless communication device and one or more other wireless communication devices and the two or more regions. The control unit, Based on the identification information and the correspondence information stored in the storage unit, the first region is determined. The in-vehicle device according to claim 6, which transmits a request for the profile corresponding to the first region determined to be the information processing device.

8. The identification information includes the identifier of the first region, The control unit, Based on the aforementioned identification information, the first region is determined, The in-vehicle device according to claim 2, which transmits a request for the profile corresponding to the first region determined to be the information processing device.

9. The vehicle is further equipped with a positioning unit for measuring the vehicle's position. The control unit, Based on the identification information and the position measured by the positioning unit, the first region is determined. The in-vehicle device according to claim 2, which transmits a request for the profile corresponding to the first region determined to be the information processing device.

10. The in-vehicle device according to claim 2, wherein the communication of the second wireless communication method is wireless local area network communication or short-range wireless communication.

11. The in-vehicle device according to claim 2, wherein the two or more regions are each a country.

12. A vehicle equipped with the in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. An in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, The information processing device and A system equipped with these features.

14. An in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, The wireless communication device and A system equipped with these features.

15. A program that causes a computer to function as an in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

16. A profile setting method using an in-vehicle device, comprising: a communication unit that supports both a first wireless communication method utilizing the mobile communication network of a regional communication carrier and a second wireless communication method different from the first wireless communication method; a storage unit that supports one of two or more regions and stores a profile used when performing communication of the first wireless communication method via the communication unit within the corresponding region; and a control unit, wherein the in-vehicle device is installed in a vehicle and includes: When the control unit communicates with a wireless communication device installed in the first of the two or more regions using the second wireless communication method via the communication unit, and receives identification information associated with the first region from the wireless communication device, it obtains a profile corresponding to the first region from the information processing device. The control unit causes the acquired profile to be stored in the storage unit. Profile setup method including this.

17. The storage unit stores a first profile that is common to the two or more regions and is used when communicating using the first wireless communication method via the communication unit in order to obtain a second profile provided by the information processing device. The method for setting a profile according to claim 16, wherein the acquisition includes, upon receiving the identification information from the wireless communication device, using the first profile stored in the storage unit to perform communication using the first wireless communication method via the communication unit, thereby acquiring the profile corresponding to the first region as the second profile from the information processing device.

18. The method for setting a profile according to claim 16, wherein the acquisition includes, upon receiving the identification information from the wireless communication device, further performing communication using the second wireless communication method via the communication unit, thereby acquiring the profile corresponding to the first region from the information processing device via the wireless communication device.

19. The identification information is the identifier of the wireless communication device, The profile setting method according to claim 16, wherein the acquisition includes acquiring from the information processing device a profile corresponding to a region among the two or more regions that is pre-associated with the identifier of the wireless communication device, as the profile corresponding to the first region.

20. The identification information includes the identifier of the first region, To obtain the above means, Determining the first region based on the aforementioned identification information, To transmit a request for the profile corresponding to the first region that has been determined to the information processing device. The profile setting method according to claim 16, including the method described in claim 16.

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