Information processing device

Abstract

To improve the technology related to vehicles within a specified area. [Solution] An information processing device 20 capable of changing the driving mode of a vehicle 10, wherein the driving mode includes a circuit mode that enables circuit-specific control when the vehicle 10 is located within a circuit, and the information processing device 20 is configured to receive a request from a terminal device 30 to turn on the circuit mode, and to send an instruction to the vehicle 10 to turn on the circuit mode when the vehicle 10 and the terminal device 30 are located within a circuit, and when the IG switch of the vehicle 10 is turned OFF while the circuit mode is ON and then turned ON again, the information processing device 20 continues the circuit mode if the interruption period from when the IG switch is turned OFF until when it is turned ON again is less than or equal to a predetermined period, and sends an instruction to the vehicle 10 to turn off the circuit mode if the interruption period is longer than the predetermined period.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, technologies related to vehicles within a predetermined area have been known. For example, when a vehicle is located within a circuit, a circuit mode that activates circuit-specific control is known. Also, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for determining whether a vehicle is located within a circuit by using the position information and camera information of the vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventionally, when the ignition (IG) switch is turned off after the circuit mode is turned on, the circuit mode is automatically turned off for fail-safe purposes. Therefore, every time the user turns on the IG switch, the user has to turn on the circuit mode, resulting in a decrease in convenience. In view of such circumstances, the object of the present disclosure is to improve the technology related to vehicles within a predetermined area.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can change the driving mode of a vehicle, where the driving mode includes a circuit mode that activates circuit-specific control when the vehicle is located within a circuit. The information processing device is configured to receive a request from a terminal device to turn on circuit mode, and to transmit an instruction to the vehicle to turn on circuit mode when the vehicle and the terminal device are located within the circuit. When the IG switch of the vehicle is turned OFF while the circuit mode is ON, and then turned ON again, the information processing device will: If the interruption period from when the IG switch is turned OFF until it is turned ON again is less than or equal to a predetermined period, the circuit mode is continued. If the interruption period is longer than a predetermined period, an instruction to turn off the circuit mode is sent to the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the technology relating to a vehicle within a predetermined area is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This block diagram shows a schematic configuration of a system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart showing the operation of an information processing device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] (Summary of this embodiment) Referring to Figure 1, an overview of System 1 according to one embodiment of this disclosure will be described. System 1 comprises a vehicle 10, an information processing device 20, and a terminal device 30. The vehicle 10, the information processing device 20, and the terminal device 30 are communicated together via a network 40, including the Internet or a mobile communication network. The vehicle 10 includes any vehicle such as an automobile. The vehicle 10 may include automobiles such as gasoline automobiles, electric vehicles (BEV; Battery Electric Vehicle), hybrid automobiles (HEV; Hybrid Electric Vehicle), plug-in hybrid automobiles (PHEV; Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or fuel cell automobiles (FCEV; Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle). The vehicle 10 is capable of switching driving modes. The driving modes include a circuit mode. The circuit mode is a mode that enables circuit-specific controls, such as the release of the speed limiter, when the vehicle 10 is located on a circuit. The information processing device 20 includes one or more computers, such as a server device, that can communicate with each other. The information processing device 20 can change the driving mode of the vehicle 10 based on a request from the terminal device 30. The terminal device 30 includes any information processing terminal such as a PC (Personal Computer), tablet, or smartphone. The terminal device 30 is operated by the user.

[0009] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. The information processing device 20 according to this embodiment can change the driving mode of the vehicle 10. The driving mode includes a circuit mode that enables circuit-specific control when the vehicle 10 is located within a circuit. The information processing device 20 is configured to receive a request from the terminal device 30 to turn on the circuit mode, and to send an instruction to the vehicle 10 to turn on the circuit mode when the vehicle 10 and the terminal device 30 are located within a circuit. When the IG switch of the vehicle 10 is turned OFF while the circuit mode is ON, and then turned ON again, the information processing device 20 continues the circuit mode if the interruption period from when the IG switch is turned OFF until when it is turned ON again is less than or equal to a predetermined period, and sends an instruction to the vehicle 10 to turn off the circuit mode if the interruption period is longer than the predetermined period.

[0010] The information processing device 20 according to this embodiment determines whether or not to continue the circuit mode based on the interruption period when the IG is interrupted. This makes it possible to achieve both user convenience and fail-safe operation.

[0011] (Vehicle configuration 10) As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 10 comprises a control unit 11, a communication unit 12, a positioning unit 13, and a meter 14. The control unit 11 includes one or more processors. The processors are, for example, general-purpose processors such as CPUs (Central Processing Units), or dedicated processors specialized for specific processing. The control unit 11 controls each part of the information processing device 20 and executes processing related to the operation of the information processing device 20. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 also functions as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The ECU includes an engine ECU 110 that controls the operation of the engine, and a meter ECU 111 that controls the operation of the meter 14. The communication unit 12 includes at least one communication interface that connects to the network 40. In this embodiment, the communication interface includes a DCM (Data Communication Module) 120, which is a communication device specifically for vehicles. The positioning unit 13 includes one or more devices that acquire location information of the terminal device 30. The positioning unit 13 may include a receiver compatible with a satellite positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System). The meter 14 displays indicators showing parameters related to the driving of the vehicle 10 (e.g., vehicle speed). When the driving mode is circuit mode, the meter 14 displays indicators specific to circuit mode (e.g., engine speed or shift timing).

[0012] (Configuration of the information processing device 20) As shown in Figure 1, the information processing device 20 comprises a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, and a storage unit 23. The control unit 21 includes one or more processors. The processors are, for example, general-purpose processors such as CPUs, or dedicated processors specialized for specific processing. The control unit 21 controls each part of the information processing device 20 and executes processing related to the operation of the information processing device 20. The communication unit 22 includes at least one communication interface connected to the network 40. The communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard such as 5G (5th generation), or a wired LAN (Local Area Network) communication standard or a wireless LAN communication standard. The storage unit 23 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 23 may function as, for example, a main memory, an auxiliary memory, or a cache memory. The storage unit 23 stores any information used in the operation of the information processing device 20. For example, the storage unit 23 may store, for example, system programs, application programs, and embedded software. The information stored in the storage unit 23 may be updated based on information obtained from the network 40 via, for example, the communication unit 22.

[0013] (Configuration of terminal device 30) As shown in Figure 1, the terminal device 30 comprises a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, and a positioning unit 33. The control unit 31 includes one or more processors. The processors are, for example, general-purpose processors such as CPUs, or dedicated processors specialized for specific processing, but are not limited to these. The control unit 31 controls each part of the terminal device 30 and executes processing related to the operation of the terminal device 30. The communication unit 32 includes at least one communication interface connected to the network 40. The communication interface is, for example, compatible with mobile communication standards such as 5G, or wired LAN communication standards or wireless LAN communication standards, but is not limited to these and may be compatible with any communication standard. The positioning unit 33 includes one or more devices that acquire location information of the terminal device 30. The positioning unit 33 may include a receiver compatible with satellite positioning systems such as GPS.

[0014] (Operation flow of the information processing device 20) Referring to Figure 2, the operation of the information processing device 20 in System 1 according to this embodiment will be described. In the following, communication between the vehicle 10, the information processing device, and the terminal device 30 is performed via the communication units 12 (DCM120), 22, 32 and the network 40.

[0015] S1: The control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 receives a request from the terminal device 30 to turn on the circuit mode.

[0016] S2: The control unit 21 determines whether the vehicle 10 and the terminal device 30 are located within the circuit. If the terminal device 30 is located within the circuit (S2-YES), the process proceeds to S103. If the terminal device 30 is located outside the circuit (S2-NO), the process terminates. Any method may be used for the determination process in S2. For example, the determination process may be performed based on the location information acquired by the positioning unit 13 of the vehicle 10 and the location information acquired by the positioning unit 33 of the terminal device 30. In this case, the control unit 21 may receive this location information via the communication unit 22 and the network 40, and perform the determination process by comparing this location information with the circuit's location information.

[0017] S3: The control unit 21 sends an instruction to the vehicle 10 via the DCM 120 to turn on circuit mode. Upon receiving the instruction, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 (engine ECU 110 and meter ECU 111) turns on circuit mode. While in circuit mode, the engine ECU 110 performs control specific to circuit mode, such as disabling the speed limiter. While in circuit mode, the meter ECU 111 displays a circuit mode-specific indicator on the meter 14. The control unit 11 may make a final decision on whether or not to turn on circuit mode based on the position of the vehicle 10. For example, if the vehicle 10 is not located within the circuit, the control unit 11 may turn off circuit mode.

[0018] During the circuit mode, the control unit 21 may constantly or periodically monitor the position of the vehicle 10. Based on the position of the vehicle 10, the control unit 21 may determine whether to continue the circuit mode. For example, when the circuit mode is ON and the vehicle 10 is not located within the circuit, the control unit 21 may transmit an instruction to turn off the circuit mode to the vehicle 10 via the DCM 120. The control unit 11 (engine ECU 110 and meter ECU 111) of the vehicle 10 that has received the instruction may turn off the circuit mode. Alternatively, the control unit 21 may determine whether to continue the circuit mode based on the position of the terminal device 30.

[0019] S4: The control unit 21 receives an OFF notification from the DCM 120 indicating that the ignition (IG) switch has been turned off. The OFF notification may include information indicating the time when the IG switch was turned off. In this embodiment, when the IG switch is turned off while the circuit mode is ON, the control unit 21 of the information processing device 20 starts measuring the time elapsed since the IG switch was turned off, for example, using a timer. The DCM 120, engine ECU 110, and meter ECU 111 may also start the measurement. The timer may be reset each time the circuit mode is turned on. In S4, the circuit mode remains ON.

[0020] S5: The control unit 21 receives an ON notification from the DCM 120 indicating that the IG switch has been turned on again. The ON notification may include information indicating the time when the IG switch was turned on again. In S5, the circuit mode remains ON.

[0021] S6: The control unit 21 determines whether the interruption period from when the IG switch is turned OFF until it is turned ON again is less than or equal to a predetermined period. If the interruption period is less than or equal to the predetermined period (S6-YES), the process proceeds to S7. If the interruption period is longer than the predetermined period, the process proceeds to S8. The predetermined period is, for example, 12 hours. The predetermined period may be changed to any value. Alternatively, the DCM 120, engine ECU 110, and meter ECU 111 may each determine whether to continue the circuit mode based on the interruption time measured by, for example, a timer in each device.

[0022] In conventional technology, the circuit mode is turned OFF in the following cases: when a user requests to turn off the circuit mode using a terminal device; when the vehicle's IG switch is turned OFF, the circuit mode is automatically turned OFF; and when the vehicle is determined to be outside the circuit. Conventionally, as a fail-safe measure in case of a malfunction in a device such as the DCM or ECU, the circuit mode is automatically turned OFF when the IG switch is turned OFF. Therefore, if the user temporarily leaves the vehicle 10 for reasons such as taking a break, they had to operate the terminal device 30 to restart the circuit mode. However, having the user operate the terminal device 30 every time they leave the vehicle 10 reduces user convenience. On the other hand, if the user is going to be away from the vehicle for a long period of time, it is necessary to turn off the circuit mode for safety reasons. The information processing device 20 according to this embodiment makes a determination of whether or not to continue the circuit mode based on the interruption period when the IG is interrupted. This makes it possible to achieve both user convenience and fail-safe measures.

[0023] S7: The control unit 21 continues in circuit mode. The DCM 120, engine ECU 110, and meter 14 also continue in circuit mode.

[0024] S8: The control unit 21 sends an instruction to the vehicle 10 via the DCM 120 to turn off circuit mode. Upon receiving the instruction, the control unit 11 of the vehicle 10 (engine ECU 110 and meter ECU 111) turns off circuit mode.

[0025] While this disclosure has been described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or separated. For example, in the embodiments described above, an embodiment is also possible in which the configuration and operation of the information processing device 20 or terminal device 30 are distributed among multiple computers that can communicate with each other.

[0026] For example, in S2, the control unit 21 may determine whether the vehicle 10 is located within the circuit based solely on the location information of the vehicle 10. In this case, if the vehicle 10 is located within the circuit, the process may proceed to S3; if the vehicle 10 is not located within the circuit, the process may terminate. Similarly, in S2, the control unit 21 may determine whether the terminal device 30 is located within the circuit based solely on the location information of the terminal device 30. In this case, if the terminal device 30 is located within the circuit, the process may proceed to S3; if the terminal device 30 is not located within the circuit, the process may terminate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 1 System, 10 Vehicle, 11 ECU, 110 Engine ECU, 111 Meter ECU, 12 Communication Unit, 120 DCM, 13 Positioning Unit, 14 Meter, 20 Information Processing Unit, 21 Control Unit, 22 Communication Unit, 23 Storage Unit, 30 Terminal Device, 31 Control Unit, 32 Communication Unit, 33 Positioning Unit, 40 Network

Claims

[Claim 1] An information processing device capable of changing the driving mode of a vehicle, The aforementioned driving mode includes a circuit mode that enables circuit-specific control when the vehicle is located within a circuit. The information processing device is configured to receive a request from a terminal device to turn on the circuit mode, and to transmit an instruction to the vehicle to turn on the circuit mode when the vehicle and the terminal device are located within the circuit. When the IG switch of the vehicle is turned OFF while the circuit mode is ON, and then turned ON again, the information processing device will: If the interruption period from when the IG switch is turned OFF until it is turned ON again is less than or equal to a predetermined period, the circuit mode is continued. An information processing device that, if the interruption period is longer than a predetermined period, transmits an instruction to the vehicle to turn off the circuit mode.

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