In-vehicle systems

Abstract

To better address increasingly sophisticated vehicle theft methods. [Solution] The in-vehicle system includes a first control module mounted in the vehicle that outputs a predetermined control signal when an abnormal situation occurs, including an abnormal operation different from the planned operation of the vehicle, and a second control module mounted in the vehicle that controls the driving or notification operation of the vehicle, and when it receives the predetermined control signal, performs abnormal operation including restricting the driving of the vehicle and activating the notification operation. The second control module, when it receives information from the first control module indicating the type of power supply to the first control module, performs the abnormal operation in a manner corresponding to the type of power supply.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle system.

Background Art

[0002] Various techniques have been proposed to prevent vehicle theft. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an anti-theft device that monitors the state of an in-vehicle device, determines the occurrence of vehicle theft according to the communication state with the outside of the vehicle, and executes anti-theft suppression processing in order to suppress vehicle theft after a legitimate user starts the vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In preventing vehicle theft, it is required to more accurately deal with sophisticated means such as cutting off the power supply to an anti-theft device or the like.

[0005] Hereinafter, an in-vehicle system and the like that enable more accurate countermeasures against sophisticated vehicle theft means will be disclosed.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The in-vehicle system in this disclosure includes: a first control module mounted in a vehicle that outputs a predetermined control signal when an abnormal situation occurs, including an abnormal operation different from the planned operation of the vehicle; and a second control module mounted in the vehicle that controls the driving or notification operation of the vehicle, and when it receives the predetermined control signal, performs abnormal operation including restricting the driving of the vehicle and activating the notification operation, wherein the second control module performs the abnormal operation in a manner corresponding to the type of power supply when it receives information from the first control module indicating the type of power supply to the first control module. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The in-vehicle system described in this disclosure will enable more effective countermeasures against increasingly sophisticated vehicle theft methods. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing an example of an in-vehicle system configuration. [Figure 2] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operating procedure of an in-vehicle system. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operating procedure for an in-vehicle system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments will be described below.

[0010] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle system in one embodiment. The in-vehicle system 1 has control modules 10 and 12, which are mounted on a vehicle 13 and whose components are connected to each other via an in-vehicle network 11 so that they can communicate with one another. Control module 10 has a communication device 101 that communicates with a network 14 outside the vehicle 13 via mobile communication, and an anti-theft device 102 that detects abnormal operations on the vehicle 13 that are different from the planned operations. Control module 12 has a drive control device 121 that controls the engine, etc., that drives the vehicle 13 in response to a start signal from the ignition 130 via the in-vehicle network 11, and a notification control device 122 that controls operations such as igniting the horn and turning on the lights as a warning to the outside of the vehicle 13. A server device 15 and a terminal device 16 are connected to the network 14, and the communication device 101 and the terminal device 16 are connected so that they can communicate with each other via the server device 15. The terminal device 16 is used by the user of the vehicle 13.

[0011] In the in-vehicle system 1 of this embodiment, the control module 10 is mounted on the vehicle 13 and outputs a predetermined control signal (hereinafter referred to as the anti-theft signal) when an abnormal situation occurs, including an abnormal operation (hereinafter referred to as an abnormal operation) that is different from the planned operation of the vehicle 13. An abnormal situation includes the anti-theft device 102 detecting an abnormal operation of the vehicle 13, such as breaking a window or starting the engine without a valid key or authentication, and further includes the communication device 101 receiving a signal indicating an abnormality (hereinafter referred to as an abnormality notification signal) sent from the terminal device 16 by user operation. On the other hand, the control module 12 is mounted on the vehicle 13 and controls the driving or notification operation of the vehicle 13, and when it receives the anti-theft signal, it performs abnormal operation including restricting the driving of the vehicle 13 and activating the notification operation. As an abnormal operation, for example, the drive control device 121 restricts the drive of the vehicle 13, making it impossible to drive or allowing only extremely slow speed driving, or the notification control device 122 sounds the horn or flashes the lights to notify the outside of the vehicle 13 of the abnormal situation. Furthermore, when the control module 12 receives information from the control module 10 indicating the type of power supply to the control module 10, it performs an abnormal operation in a manner appropriate to the type of power supply. Even if the power supply from the vehicle 13's battery to the communication device 101 or the anti-theft device 102 is cut off, the communication device 101 or the anti-theft device 102 will operate on its internal battery for a certain period of time, and information indicating the type of power supply, that is, information indicating that the internal battery has started to be used, will be sent to the drive control device 121 or notification control device 122 of the control module 12. As a result, the drive control device 121 or the notification control device 122 can suppress the drive or issue a notification in a manner appropriate to the type of power supply, for example, to a certain degree or frequency. Therefore, it becomes possible to deal with increasingly sophisticated vehicle theft methods more accurately.

[0012] In Figure 1, the vehicle 13 is, for example, a gasoline car, an electric vehicle (Battery Electric Vehicle, BEV), a hybrid vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), etc. The communication device 101 in the in-vehicle system 1 is, for example, a DCM (Data Communication Module) and is configured to include a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) positioning module. The anti-theft device 102, the drive control device 121, and the notification control device 122 are, for example, ECUs (Electronic Control Units). The communication device 101, the anti-theft device 102, the drive control device 121, and the notification control device 122 each receive power from the on-vehicle battery that supplies power for driving the vehicle 13, and are equipped with built-in batteries so that they can operate even after the power is cut off. The in-vehicle network 11 is, for example, a network compliant with standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network). Furthermore, network 14 may be, for example, the Internet, but could also be an ad-hoc network, LAN, MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), or other network, or any combination thereof. Server device 15 is, for example, a server computer belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system that implements various functions. Terminal device 16 is, for example, a smartphone, tablet terminal, PC (Personal Computer), etc.

[0013] Figure 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation procedure of the in-vehicle system 1. Figure 2 shows the procedure for the coordinated operation of the communication device 101, the anti-theft device 102, and the drive control device 121 and the notification control device 122. Procedures S20 to S24 and procedures S25 to S28 are executed either or both independently. When both procedures are executed, the order is not limited to that shown in Figure 2, and they may be executed simultaneously in a time-division multiplexer.

[0014] The communication device 101 acquires an abnormal communication signal from the terminal device 16 (S20). If the likelihood of the vehicle 13 being stolen increases, for example, due to the loss or theft of the keys, the user operates the anti-theft application on the terminal device 16 to cause the terminal device 16 to send an abnormal notification signal to the communication device 101. The communication device 101 detects its own power supply type in response to the abnormal notification signal (S21). The power supply type indicates the type of power supply from which it is receiving power. The power supply type is either an on-board battery or a built-in battery. Next, the communication device 101 acquires location information corresponding to the current location of the vehicle 13 using GPS signals or the like (S22). Next, the communication device 101 sends the abnormal notification signal, power status information indicating the detected power supply type, and location information to the drive control device 121 and the notification control device 122 (S23). Then, the drive control device 121 and the notification control device 122 store the status information of the communication device 101, including an abnormality notification signal, power status information, and location information, in their internal non-volatile memory (S24). If the communication device 101 itself is removed by a thief, steps S20 to S24 will not be executed.

[0015] The anti-theft device 102 detects abnormal operation on the vehicle 13 (S25). The anti-theft device 102 detects abnormal operation by receiving signals from sensors installed in various locations on the vehicle 13, for example. Abnormal operation includes striking the vehicle 13 to break its windows, jacking up the vehicle body to remove tires, etc., unauthorized unlocking without proper key operation or authentication, and unauthorized engine starting. For example, striking the vehicle body, displacement, etc. are detected by acceleration sensors, gyro sensors, etc., unauthorized unlocking is detected by door sensors, and unauthorized engine starting is detected by sensors that detect engine operation or power consumption. Next, the anti-theft device 102 detects its own power source type (S26). The power source type is either the vehicle battery or the built-in battery. Next, the anti-theft device 102 sends an anti-theft signal and power status information indicating the detected power source type to the drive control device 121 and the notification control device 122 (S27). The drive control device 121 and the notification control device 122 then store the status information of the anti-theft device 102, including the anti-theft signal and power status information, in their internal non-volatile memory (S28). Note that if the anti-theft device 102 itself is removed by a thief, S26 may not be executed. In that case, the power status information is omitted in S27 and the anti-theft signal is transmitted.

[0016] The drive control device 121 and the notification control device 122 each perform control operations according to the state of the communication device 101 or the anti-theft device 102, that is, the state including the power supply type (S29).

[0017] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a detailed example of the operation procedure in S29, that is, an example of the control operation procedure by the drive control device 121 and the notification control device 122 when an abnormal situation is notified by either or both of the abnormal notification signal and / or the anti-theft signal. The drive control device 121 and the notification control device 122 each determine whether the ignition 130 is on or off (S30). If it is on (Yes in S31), proceed to S32; if it is off (No in S31), proceed to S36. In S32, the drive control device 121 and the notification control device 122 each determine whether there has been a power supply change in the communication device 101 or the anti-theft device 102 based on the status information of the communication device 101 or the anti-theft device 102 stored in the non-volatile memory. If there is a change in the power supply of the communication device 101 or the anti-theft device 102 (Yes in S32), that is, if the battery type has been changed from the onboard battery to the built-in battery, the drive control device 121 and the notification control device 122 proceed to S33, and if there is no change in the power supply (No in S32), they proceed to S35. In S33, the drive control device 121 and the notification control device 122 each determine whether or not location information for the vehicle 13 is available based on the status information from the communication device 101 stored in the non-volatile memory. If location information has been acquired, for example, that the vehicle 13 is located at the user's home (Yes in S33), the drive control device 121 and the notification control device 122 each proceed to S34, and if location information has not been acquired (No in S33), they proceed to S35. If the communication device 101 or the anti-theft device 102 itself is removed and power status information or location information is not acquired by the drive control device 121 and the notification control device 122, this is included in "no power change" (No. in S32) or "no location information" (No. in S33).

[0018] In S34, the notification control device 122 sounds the horn of the vehicle 13 for a predetermined period of time, for example, several minutes to over ten minutes, and flashes the hazard lights. The drive control device 121 controls the output of the vehicle 13's engine to limit it to an extremely low speed, for example, a few kilometers per hour. In this case, although it is highly probable that the power supply has been changed and the onboard battery has been cut, the location of the vehicle 13 can be identified, so theft is prevented by limiting the vehicle 13's speed. In S35, the notification control device 122 sounds the horn of the vehicle 13 for a predetermined period of time, and flashes the hazard lights. The drive control device 121 suppresses the output of the vehicle 13's engine so that it cannot be driven. In this case, the location of the vehicle 13 cannot be identified, so theft is prevented by preventing the vehicle 13 from moving. In S36, the notification control device 122 sounds the horn of the vehicle 13 at a predetermined interval of time, for example, every few minutes to over ten minutes. In this case, since the ignition is not on and the probability of vehicle 13 being moved immediately is relatively low, theft is prevented by attracting attention to the surroundings with periodic horn sounds. Then the procedure shown in Figure 3 is completed.

[0019] According to this embodiment as described above, for example, even if a thief attempts to disable the communication device 101 or the anti-theft device 102 by cutting off the power supply from the vehicle's battery, the drive control device 121 and the notification control device 122 can perform anti-theft actions. Furthermore, even if the thief attempts to move the vehicle 13 by reconnecting the battery or attempts to reset it by cutting off the battery's power again, the drive control device 121 and the notification control device 122 operate based on the information stored in the non-volatile memory, restricting the movement of the vehicle 13 and thus preventing theft. Moreover, even if the thief removes the communication device 101 or the anti-theft device 102, the drive control device 121 and the notification control device 122 receive an anti-theft signal and perform actions as if power status information or location information were not acquired, thus effectively preventing theft. Therefore, this embodiment enables more accurate countermeasures against increasingly sophisticated vehicle theft methods.

[0020] In the above, the embodiments have been described based on the drawings and examples. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each means, each step, etc. can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and it is possible to combine or divide a plurality of means, steps, etc. into one.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0021] 1 Vehicle-mounted system, 10, 12 Control module 101 Communication device 102 Anti-theft device 111 Drive control device 122 Notification control device 11 In-vehicle network 13 Vehicle

Claims

1. A first control module, installed in a vehicle, outputs a predetermined control signal when an abnormal situation occurs, including an abnormal operation that differs from the planned operation of the vehicle, An in-vehicle system comprising a second control module mounted on the vehicle, which controls the driving or notification operation of the vehicle, and which, upon receiving the predetermined control signal, performs abnormal operation including restricting the driving of the vehicle and activating the notification operation, When the second control module receives information from the first control module indicating the type of power supply, it performs the abnormal operation in a manner corresponding to the type of power supply. In-vehicle systems.

2. In claim 1, The aforementioned abnormal situation is that the abnormal operation is detected by the first control module. In-vehicle systems.

3. In claim 1, The aforementioned abnormal situation is that the first control module receives an abnormal signal sent from the vehicle user's terminal device. In-vehicle systems.

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