In-vehicle equipment and server equipment

Abstract

To improve the accuracy of settings for vehicle operation. [Solution] The in-vehicle device is an in-vehicle device for setting the operation of a vehicle, and comprises a communication unit that communicates with a server device, an input unit that accepts user operations, and a control unit that, in response to a startup instruction, transitions the in-vehicle device from a standby state to an operating state in which a first setting is performed by the user's operation, and after transitioning to the operating state, does not perform a second setting in accordance with instructions from the server device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle device and a server device.

Background Art

[0002] Techniques for avoiding control conflicts due to overlapping of a plurality of instructions given to a vehicle are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for avoiding control conflicts based on a communicable distance in a communication standard when a vehicle and a terminal device communicate with each other.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] There is room for improving the accuracy of settings for vehicle operations.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an in-vehicle device or the like capable of improving the accuracy of settings for vehicle operations.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle device that sets operations of a vehicle, and includes a communication unit that communicates with a server device, an input unit that receives a user's operation, and a control unit that, in response to a startup instruction, shifts the in-vehicle device from a standby state to an operating state in which a first setting by the user's operation is performed, and after shifting to the operating state, does not perform a second setting based on an instruction from the server device.

[0007] A server device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a communication unit that communicates with an in-vehicle device that sets the operation of a vehicle, and a control unit that sends an instruction to the in-vehicle device to perform the setting when the in-vehicle device is in a standby state, wherein when the control unit receives a notification from the in-vehicle device indicating that the in-vehicle device has transitioned to an operational state, it stops sending the instruction to the in-vehicle device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the accuracy of settings for vehicle operation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the control system. [Figure 2] This is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the control system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below.

[0011] Referring to Figure 1, an overview of the control system 1 according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described. The control system 1 comprises an on-board device 11 mounted on a vehicle 10, a server device 12, and a terminal device 13. The vehicle 10 is, for example, a passenger car, a commercial vehicle, etc. The on-board device 11 is, for example, an information processing device that controls the vehicle, such as an EUC (Electronic Control Unit). The server device 12 is, for example, a server computer that belongs to a cloud computing system or other computing system and functions as a server that implements various functions. The server device 12 is, for example, a server provided by a business operator that operates the control system 1. The terminal device 13 is, for example, a personal computer or a tablet terminal device, used by the user of the vehicle 10. The network 14 is, for example, the internet or a wide-area communication network. The on-board device 11 and the server device 12 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via the network 14. Also, the server device 12 and the terminal device 13 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via the network 14. The number of vehicles 10, on-board devices 11, server devices 12, and terminal devices 13 shown in Figure 1 may be determined arbitrarily.

[0012] In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 11 sets the operation of the vehicle 10. In the following, setting the operation includes changing existing settings. The operation to be set in the vehicle 10 includes the operation of each unit that constitutes the vehicle 10, such as the operation of the drive recorder, navigation system, driver assistance system, and air conditioning. The in-vehicle device 11 has a communication unit 111 that communicates with the server device 12 and an input unit 114 that accepts user operations. The control unit 113 of the in-vehicle device 11 transitions the in-vehicle device 11 from a standby state to an operational state in which user operations (hereinafter referred to as direct settings for convenience) are performed in response to a startup instruction. After transitioning to the operational state, the control unit 113 does not perform settings based on instructions from the server device 12 (hereinafter referred to as remote settings for convenience). Remote settings are sent from the terminal device 13 to the server device 12 in response to an operation by a user who has been granted the authority to perform settings via an application or the like.

[0013] Furthermore, the server device 12 of this embodiment has a communication unit 121 that communicates with the in-vehicle device 11. The control unit 123 of the server device 12 sends a setting instruction (hereinafter referred to as a remote setting instruction for convenience) to the in-vehicle device 11 when the in-vehicle device 11 is in a standby state. When the control unit 123 receives a notification from the in-vehicle device 11 indicating that the in-vehicle device 11 has transitioned to an operational state, it stops sending remote setting instructions to the in-vehicle device 11. Settings for the drive recorder include setting the sensitivity of the impact detection function to one of three levels, such as "high, medium, or low," and starting or stopping the camera's continuous recording function and audio recording function. In the following, when a user operates the terminal device 13 and sends instructions from the terminal device 13 to the in-vehicle device 11 via the server device 12, this will be referred to as "via the server device 12."

[0014] The standby state of the in-vehicle device 11 is the state before startup, and is in a state where it can receive startup instructions. Startup instructions include startup operations by the user and startup signals via the server device 12. The operating state is the state in which the various operations of the vehicle 10 are controlled after startup. The transition between the standby state and the operating state occurs, for example, when the user sends startup or shutdown instructions to the in-vehicle device 11 directly or via the server device 12 by operating the terminal device 13.

[0015] If the in-vehicle device 11 has multiple EUCs, the transition between the standby state and the operational state is performed in stages. The multiple EUCs include, for example, an EUC that detects the surroundings of the vehicle 10 using the camera function and collision detection function of a drive recorder (hereinafter referred to as the detection EUC) and an EUC that sets the operation of the vehicle 10 (hereinafter referred to as the control EUC). In this case, when the in-vehicle device 11 transitions to monitoring operation when the vehicle 10 is stopped, the detection EUC is in an operational state to monitor the surroundings of the vehicle 10, while the control EUC transitions to a standby state. During monitoring operation, the control EUC transitions from the standby state to the operational state upon receiving a start command or a start command from a detection EUC that has detected an abnormality. In the operational state, the control EUC starts controlling the operation of the vehicle 10, including analyzing information acquired from the detection EUC and issuing alarms.

[0016] According to this embodiment, while it takes some time for the in-vehicle device 11 to receive remote settings via the server device 12, conflicts in settings may occur between the remote settings and the direct settings to the in-vehicle device 11. However, it is possible to avoid such conflicts. Therefore, by avoiding conflicts in settings instructed by two separate systems, the accuracy of settings for vehicle operation is improved.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the in-vehicle device 11 includes a communication unit 111, a control unit 113, and an input unit 114, as well as a storage unit 112 and an output unit 115.

[0018] The communication unit 111 includes a mobile communication module compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation), and a communication module compatible with wireless LAN standards. In this embodiment, the communication unit 111 connects to the network 14 and communicates with the server device 12.

[0019] The storage unit 112 includes one or more memories. The memories are, for example, semiconductor memories, magnetic memories, or optical memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 112 functions, for example, as a main memory, an auxiliary memory, or a cache memory. The storage unit 112 stores information used for the operation of the in-vehicle device 11 and information obtained by the operation of the in-vehicle device 11. In this embodiment, the storage unit 112 may store settings for the operation of the vehicle 10 and application programs for setting the operation of the vehicle 10.

[0020] The control unit 113 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 113 controls the operations of the various parts of the in-vehicle device 11 while controlling the overall operation of the in-vehicle device 11. In the present embodiment, the control unit 113, for example, sets the operation of the vehicle 10.

[0021] The input unit 114 includes one or more input devices that receive operations by an operator or a user. The input device is, for example, a physical key, a capacitance key, a capacitance panel, a touch screen provided integrally with a display, or a microphone that receives voice input. The input unit 114 receives the input of information used for the operation of the control unit 113 and sends the input information to the control unit 113. In the present embodiment, the input unit 114, for example, receives an operation for starting or stopping and an operation for setting the operation of the vehicle 10.

[0022] The output unit 115 includes one or more output devices that output information. The output device is, for example, a display that outputs information as video, or a speaker that outputs information as voice. The output unit 115 outputs the information obtained by the operation of the control unit 113. In the present embodiment, the output unit 115, for example, outputs an image or voice related to the setting of the operation of the vehicle 10.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the server device 12 includes a storage unit 122 in addition to a communication unit 121 and a control unit 123.

[0024] The communication unit 121 includes one or more communication modules connected to the network 14. The communication modules may, for example, support mobile communication standards, wired LAN (Local Area Network) standards, or wireless LAN standards. In this embodiment, the communication unit 121 connects to the network 14 and communicates with the in-vehicle device 11 and the terminal device 13.

[0025] The storage unit 122 has the same configuration as the storage unit 112 of the in-vehicle device 11. The storage unit 122 stores information used for the operation of the server device 12 and information obtained through the operation of the server device 12. In this embodiment, the storage unit 122 stores, for example, the operating status of the in-vehicle device 11.

[0026] The control unit 123 has the same configuration as the control unit 113 of the in-vehicle device 11. The control unit 123 controls the operation of the entire server device 12 while controlling each part of the server device 12. In this embodiment, the control unit 123 performs, for example, a determination of the standby state or the operating state of the in-vehicle device 11.

[0027] The operation of the control system 1 of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 2A and 2B. Hereinafter, the operation of the in-vehicle device 11 is performed by the control unit 113, and data communication is performed via the communication unit 111. User operations on the in-vehicle device 11 are received via the input unit 114. Similarly, the operation of the server device 12 is performed by the control unit 123, and data communication is performed via the communication unit 121.

[0028] Figure 2A shows an example of the operation procedure of the control system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0029] In S200, terminal device 13 receives remote settings for the operation of vehicle 10 from the user. In S201, terminal device 13 sends remote setting instructions to server device 12.

[0030] In step S202, the server device 12 sends a notification to the terminal device 13 that it has received a remote configuration instruction. This allows the user to check the status of the remote configuration. In step S203, the server device 12 sends a signal to the in-vehicle device 11 instructing it to start up and transition to an operational state (hereinafter referred to as a start instruction). If the in-vehicle device 11 is in a standby state, in step S204, the in-vehicle device 11 starts up and transitions to an operational state in response to receiving the start instruction. If the in-vehicle device 11 is already in an operational state in step S204, it does not respond to the start instruction and proceeds to step S205.

[0031] In step S205, if the in-vehicle device 11 determines that it was operational (i.e., not in standby mode) when it received the start command (step S205-No), it sends a notification to the server device 12 in step S206 rejecting the remote configuration command (hereinafter referred to as the rejection notification). In other words, the in-vehicle device 11 does not perform remote configuration while operational. In step S207, the server device 12 sends the rejection notification to the terminal device 13. On the other hand, the in-vehicle device 11, while operational, accepts user operations for direct configuration to the in-vehicle device 11 and performs direct configuration. In this way, the in-vehicle device 11, while operational, rejects remote configuration commands via the server device 12 and does not perform remote configuration, and instead performs direct configuration operations on the in-vehicle device 11, thereby avoiding control conflicts.

[0032] In S205, if the control unit 113 determines that it was in a standby state when it received the start command (step S205-Yes), in step S208 it sends a notification to the server device 12 indicating that it has transitioned to an operational state in response to the start command (hereinafter referred to as the start response notification) or a request for a remote configuration instruction (hereinafter referred to as the instruction request). In S209, the server device 12 sends a remote configuration instruction to the in-vehicle device 11. In S210, the in-vehicle device 11 performs remote configuration in response to the remote configuration instruction. In this way, the in-vehicle device 11 can transition to an operational state in response to a start command while in a standby state and perform remote configuration via the server device 12. In S211, once the remote configuration is complete, the in-vehicle device 11 sends a completion notification to the server device 12. In S212, the server device 12 sends a completion notification to the terminal device 13. At this time, the in-vehicle device 11 may transition from the operating state to the standby state in response to the completion of step S210, or upon receiving a stop instruction via the server device 12 from a user who has confirmed the completion notification.

[0033] Figure 2B shows an example of the operation procedure of the control system 1 according to the second embodiment.

[0034] In S220, the in-vehicle device 11 is in a standby state and is started up and enters an operational state by the user directly operating the in-vehicle device 11 or by remotely operating it via the server device 12. In S221, once the in-vehicle device 11 enters an operational state, it sends a startup notification to the server device 12.

[0035] The processing in steps S222 and S223 is equivalent to that in steps S200 and S201. Here, the processing in steps S220 and S221 and steps S222 and S223 may be performed simultaneously, with steps S222 and S223 starting first, or alternately. Also, steps S220 and S221 may be omitted.

[0036] In step S224, when the server device 12 receives a remote configuration instruction from the terminal device 13, it determines whether the in-vehicle device 11 is in a standby state. The server device 12 determines that the in-vehicle device 11 is in an operational state (i.e., not in a standby state) on the condition that it receives a startup notification. At this time, the server device 12 associates the startup notification with the in-vehicle device 11 in any way. For example, the server device 12 can set an operational status flag for the in-vehicle device 11 associated with the startup notification. If the server device 12 determines that the in-vehicle device 11 is in an operational state (step S224-No), it sends a rejection notification to the terminal device 13 in step S225. In other words, the server device 12 stops sending remote configuration instructions to the in-vehicle device 11. The in-vehicle device 11 accepts direct configuration operations and performs direct configuration when in an operational state. Also, before transitioning from the operational state to the standby state, the in-vehicle device 11 sends a notification to the server device 12 canceling the startup notification or a notification transitioning to the standby state. When the server device 12 receives such a notification, it cancels the notification it received in step S221.

[0037] In step S224, if the server device 12 determines that the in-vehicle device 11 is in a standby state (step S224-Yes), it sends a start command to the in-vehicle device 11 in step S226. In step S227, the in-vehicle device 11 sends a start response notification or instruction request to the server device 12. In step S228, the server device 12 sends a remote configuration command to the in-vehicle device 11. Next, the process transitions to steps equivalent to steps S210 onwards in Figure 2A.

[0038] As a variation of S224, even if the server device 12 determines that the in-vehicle device 11 is operational, it may send a remote setting instruction to the in-vehicle device 11 within a predetermined period after receiving the startup notification. The predetermined period is, for example, any time from a few milliseconds to a few seconds. This makes it possible to have the in-vehicle device 11 execute the remote setting sent by the terminal device 13 at a timing such as before the startup notification reaches the server device 12 or before the server device 12 processes the startup notification.

[0039] In the first and second embodiments, the in-vehicle device 11 may disable direct setting by operation on the in-vehicle device 11 from the time it receives a remote setting instruction from the server device 12 until it performs the remote setting, or until a predetermined period has elapsed from the time it receives the remote setting instruction. Alternatively, the server device 12 may send such a disable instruction to the in-vehicle device 11 along with the remote setting instruction. This predetermined period is any time, such as 1 to 3 minutes. Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 11 may disable the input unit 114 or output to the output unit 115 that it does not accept direct settings in order to disable direct setting. This makes it possible to further improve the accuracy of the settings.

[0040] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, if the server device 12 receives multiple remote setting instructions between sending a start instruction to the in-vehicle device 11 while it is in standby mode and receiving a start response notification or instruction request, it may determine whether the target operations of the remote setting instructions (e.g., air conditioning temperature settings) overlap. If the server device 12 determines that there is an overlap, it may send only the latest remote setting instruction to the in-vehicle device 11 based on a timestamp or the like at the time the server device 12 or terminal device 13 received the remote setting instruction. Alternatively, if the in-vehicle device 11 receives multiple remote setting instructions, this determination may be made by the in-vehicle device 11. This makes it possible to further improve the accuracy of settings where the target operations overlap, as it takes a certain amount of time for the in-vehicle device 11 to transition from receiving a start instruction to an operational state.

[0041] As a variation of the first and second embodiments, this disclosure may apply only when setting the operation of the drive recorder among the operations of the vehicle 10.

[0042] 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, etc., 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 divided into two.

[0043] Furthermore, it is also possible to implement an embodiment in which a general-purpose computer functions as the in-vehicle device 11 or server device 12 according to the above-described embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing content that realizes each function of the in-vehicle device 11 or server device 12 according to the above-described embodiment is stored in the memory of the general-purpose computer, and the processor reads and executes the program. Therefore, this disclosure can also be implemented as a program that can be executed by a processor, or as a non-temporary computer-readable medium that stores said program. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 1 Control system, 10 Vehicle, 11 In-vehicle equipment, 12 Server equipment, 13 Terminal equipment, 14 Network, 111, 121 Communication unit, 112, 122 Storage unit, 113, 123 Control unit, 114 Input unit, 115 Output unit

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device for setting the operation of a vehicle, A communication unit that communicates with the server device, An input section that accepts user input, An in-vehicle device having a control unit that, in response to a startup command, transitions the in-vehicle device from a standby state to an operating state in which a first setting is performed by the user's operation, and after transitioning to the operating state, does not perform a second setting in accordance with instructions from the server device.

2. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, when it receives the startup instruction from the server device in the standby state, performs the second setting even after transitioning to the operating state.

3. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs the second setting instruction sent to the server device within a predetermined period after receiving notification from the server device indicating that it has transitioned to the operating state, on the condition that it receives the second setting instruction from the server device.

4. The in-vehicle device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit disables the input unit from the time it receives an instruction to make the second setting until it makes the second setting.

5. A communication unit that communicates with an in-vehicle device that sets the vehicle's operation, The vehicle-mounted device includes a control unit that sends an instruction to the vehicle-mounted device to perform the setting when the vehicle-mounted device is in standby mode, The control unit, upon receiving notification from the in-vehicle device that the in-vehicle device has entered an operational state, stops sending the instruction to the in-vehicle device, and is a server device.

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