Control devices and vehicles

Abstract

The aim is to reduce power consumption in vehicles that perform non-terrestrial network communications. [Solution] A control device 20 that controls a vehicle 10 performing non-terrestrial network communication acquires environmental information 32 regarding the conditions around the vehicle 10 and function usage information 33 regarding the usage status of functions of the vehicle 10 that involve communication with the outside. When it is determined that there is an occupant in the vehicle 10, the control unit 21 switches the non-terrestrial network communication on or off based on at least one of the acquired environmental information 32 and function usage information 33.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device and a vehicle. [Background Art]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an in-vehicle data communication device that switches a supply current of a power supply for a communication module between a communication operation and a communication standby state. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-117577 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] In the conventional technology, switching considering NTN communication cannot be performed, so there is a risk that a vehicle performing NTN communication will suffer from power shortage. "NTN" is an abbreviation for non-terrestrial network.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to save power for a vehicle performing NTN communication. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] A control device according to the present disclosure is a control device that controls a vehicle performing non-terrestrial network communication, the control device including: a control unit that acquires environmental information related to a situation around the vehicle and function usage information related to a usage status of a function of the vehicle involving communication with the outside, and when it is determined that an occupant is on the vehicle, switches on or off the non-terrestrial network communication based on at least one of the acquired environmental information and the acquired function usage information. [Advantageous Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it will be possible to reduce the power consumption of vehicles that use NTN communications. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, the description of the same or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0010] The configuration of the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1.

[0011] Vehicle 10 is equipped with a control device 20 that controls vehicle 10. The control device 20 is connected to various devices mounted on vehicle 10, such as a cellular communication module 11, an NTN communication module 12, and various ECUs 13, via an in-vehicle network such as CAN. "CAN" is an abbreviation for Controller Area Network. "ECU" is an abbreviation for electronic control unit. The control device 20 may be integrated with the cellular communication module 11 and the NTN communication module 12 to constitute an in-vehicle communication device such as a TCU. "TCU" is an abbreviation for telematic control unit.

[0012] 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. In this embodiment, vehicle 10 is driven by a user, but the driving 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.

[0013] The cellular communication module 11 is a communication module used by the vehicle 10 to perform cellular communication. Cellular communication refers to communication performed by connecting to a cellular network that uses ground base stations. The cellular communication module 11 is, for example, hardware or a combination of hardware and software that supports a cellular 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.

[0014] The NTN communication module 12 is a communication module used by the vehicle 10 to perform NTN communication. NTN communication refers to communication performed by connecting to a multi-layered network that uses communication infrastructure other than ground base stations, such as artificial satellites or HAPS. "HAPS" is an abbreviation for high-altitude platform station. The NTN communication module 12 is, for example, hardware or a combination of hardware and software that supports NTN communication standards such as IoT-NTN or NR-NTN. "IoT" is an abbreviation for Internet of Things. "NR" is an abbreviation for New Radio.

[0015] The various ECUs 13 include, for example, a body control ECU, a power management ECU, and a battery management ECU. The body control ECU is an ECU that controls body-related equipment such as the doors, shift lever, and parking brake of the vehicle 10. The power management ECU is an ECU that monitors the status of the power source of the vehicle 10, such as the engine or motor. The battery management ECU is an ECU that monitors the status of the battery of the vehicle 10.

[0016] The control device 20 is an on-board computer. The control device 20 is, for example, an ECU separate from the various ECUs 13. As mentioned above, the control device 20 may be, for example, part of the TCU.

[0017] The control device 20 comprises a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23.

[0018] The control unit 21 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 21 controls each part of the control device 20 and executes processes related to the operation of the control device 20.

[0019] 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. "RAM" is an abbreviation for random access memory. "ROM" is an abbreviation for read-only memory. The storage unit 22 functions, for example, as a main memory, auxiliary memory, or cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores information used for the operation of the control device 20 and information obtained by the operation of the control device 20.

[0020] In the present embodiment, the storage unit 22 stores state information 31, environment information 32, function use information 33, connection information 34, battery information 35, and attribute information 36. The state information 31 is information related to the power supply state and charging state of the vehicle 10. For example, the state information 31 includes whether the vehicle 10 is parked, boarded, or driven, and whether the vehicle 10 is being charged. The environment information 32 is information related to the surrounding situation of the vehicle 10. For example, the environment information 32 includes whether there is a disaster notification near the vehicle 10. The function use information 33 is information related to the use status of functions of the vehicle 10 that involve communication with the outside. For example, the function use information 33 includes whether the vehicle 10 is activating the function of a connected service. The connection information 34 is information related to the connection status of the vehicle 10 with a cellular network. For example, the connection information 34 includes whether the cellular antenna reception intensity is higher or lower than -76 dBm. The battery information 35 is information related to the remaining amount of the battery of the vehicle 10. For example, the battery information 35 includes whether the remaining amount of the driving battery of the vehicle 10 is equal to or more than a specified remaining amount. The state information 31, the environment information 32, the function use information 33, the connection information 34, and the battery information 35 are used for determining a use case. The attribute information 36 is information related to a new attribute for providing expandability to use case determination.

[0021] The communication unit 23 includes at least one communication circuit. The communication circuit is, for example, a circuit compatible with in-vehicle network standards such as CAN. The communication unit 23 communicates with various devices mounted on the vehicle 10. The communication unit 23 receives information used for the operation of the control device 20, and transmits information obtained by the operation of the control device 20.

[0022] The functions of the control device 20 are realized by executing the program according to the present embodiment by a processor serving as the control unit 21. That is, the functions of the control device 20 are realized by software. The program causes a computer to function as the control device 20 by causing the computer to execute the operation of the control device 20.

[0023] The program can be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Examples of the non-transitory computer-readable medium include flash memory, magnetic recording devices, optical discs, magneto-optical recording media, and ROM. The program includes information that is provided for processing by a computer and is equivalent to a program. For example, data that is not a direct instruction to a computer but has the property of defining processing by the computer falls under "information equivalent to a program".

[0024] Some or all functions of the control device 20 may be implemented by a programmable circuit or a dedicated circuit as the control unit 21. That is, some or all functions of the control device 20 may be implemented by hardware.

[0025] With reference to FIG. 2, the operation of the control device 20 according to the present embodiment will be described. The operation described below corresponds to the control method according to the present embodiment.

[0026] In S1, the control unit 21 collects various types of information inside and outside the vehicle and stores the collected information in the storage unit 22.

[0027] For example, the control unit 21 acquires status information 31 from a body control ECU and a power management ECU via the communication unit 23. The control unit 21 acquires environment information 32, function usage information 33, and connection information 34 from a TCU including the cellular communication module 11 and the NTN communication module 12 via the communication unit 23. Alternatively, when the control device 20 is a part of the TCU, the control unit 21 may acquire the environment information 32, the function usage information 33, and the connection information 34 from the storage unit 22. The control unit 21 acquires battery information 35 from a battery management ECU via the communication unit 23.

[0028] In S2, the control unit 21 checks for changed points in the information stored in the storage unit 22.

[0029] If there is no changed point, the current control state is maintained, and the flow ends.

[0030] If there is a change, in S3, the control unit 21 determines the current use case based on the information stored in the memory unit 22.

[0031] If the current use case allows NTN communication, in S4, the control unit 21 turns on NTN communication.

[0032] If the current use case is one in which NTN communication is disabled, in S5, the control unit 21 turns off NTN communication.

[0033] For example, use cases B ("Occupants present, waiting to charge, outside cellular service area"), use case D ("During a disaster"), use case E ("Emergency call activated, low cellular signal strength"), and use case F ("Connected services in use, with sufficient battery charge") are assumed to be use cases where NTN communication is possible. On the other hand, use cases A ("No passengers"), use case C ("Occupants present, waiting to charge, within cellular service area"), and use case G ("Connected services in use, with no battery charge") are assumed to be use cases where NTN communication is not possible.

[0034] The control unit 21 refers to the status information 31 and, if the vehicle 10 is parked, determines that the current use case is use case A and turns off NTN communication.

[0035] If the vehicle 10 is occupied or in motion, the control unit 21 refers to the environmental information 32 to determine whether there is a disaster notification near the vehicle 10. If there is a notification, the control unit 21 refers to the connection information 34 to determine whether the cellular antenna reception strength is higher or lower than -76 dBm, and if the vehicle 10 is in motion, it refers to the battery information 35 to determine whether the remaining charge of the vehicle 10's drive battery is above the specified level. If the vehicle 10 is occupied and the cellular antenna reception strength is lower than -76 dBm, the control unit 21 determines the current use case to be use case D and turns on NTN communication. If the vehicle 10 is in motion and the remaining charge of the vehicle 10's drive battery is above the specified level, the control unit 21 also determines the current use case to be use case D and turns on NTN communication.

[0036] If the vehicle 10 is occupied or in motion and the current use case does not fall under use case D, the control unit 21 refers to the function usage information 33 to further determine whether the vehicle 10 has activated the emergency call function, and also refers to the connection information 34 to determine whether the cellular antenna reception strength is higher or lower than -76 dBm. If the vehicle 10 has activated the emergency call function and the cellular antenna reception strength is lower than -76 dBm, the control unit 21 refers to the status information 31 to determine whether the vehicle 10 is charging. If the vehicle 10 is not charging, the control unit 21 determines the current use case to be use case E and turns on NTN communication.

[0037] If the vehicle 10 is occupied and charging, and the current use case does not fall under either use case D or use case E, the control unit 21 refers to the function usage information 33 to determine whether the vehicle 10 is activating a connected service function other than emergency call. If the vehicle 10 is activating a connected service function other than emergency call, the control unit 21 refers to the connection information 34 to determine whether the cellular antenna reception strength is higher or lower than -76 dBm. If the cellular antenna reception strength is lower than -76 dBm, the control unit 21 determines the current use case to be use case B and turns on NTN communication. On the other hand, if the cellular antenna reception strength is higher than -76 dBm, the control unit 21 determines the current use case to be use case C and turns off NTN communication.

[0038] If the vehicle 10 is running and the current use case does not fall under either use case D or use case E, the control unit 21 refers to the function usage information 33 to determine whether the vehicle 10 is activating any connected service function, and also refers to the connection information 34 to determine whether the cellular antenna reception strength is higher or lower than -76 dBm. If the vehicle 10 is activating any connected service function and the cellular antenna reception strength is lower than -76 dBm, the control unit 21 refers to the battery information 35 to determine whether the remaining charge of the vehicle 10's drive battery is above a specified level. If the remaining charge is above a specified level, the control unit 21 determines the current use case to be use case F and turns on NTN communication. On the other hand, if the remaining charge is below a specified level, the control unit 21 determines the current use case to be use case G and turns off NTN communication.

[0039] The flow shown in Figure 2 is repeated periodically to collect information and determine use cases. When not needed, NTN communication is turned off, enabling power saving for vehicle 10.

[0040] As described above, in this embodiment, the control unit 21 acquires environmental information 32 and function usage information 33. When the control unit 21 determines that there is an occupant in the vehicle 10, it switches NTN communication on or off based on at least one of the acquired environmental information 32 and function usage information 33.

[0041] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it becomes possible to reduce the power consumption of the vehicle 10 that performs NTN communication.

[0042] In this embodiment, the environmental information 32 includes whether or not a disaster is occurring around the vehicle 10. The control unit 21 further acquires connection information 34 and battery information 35. When switching NTN communication on or off based on the environmental information 32, the control unit 21 further switches NTN communication on or off based on at least one of the acquired connection information 34 and battery information 35.

[0043] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it becomes possible to switch between modes in a way that is more appropriate to the situation.

[0044] In this embodiment, the function usage information 33 includes whether or not the vehicle 10 has activated the emergency call function. The control unit 21 further acquires connection information 34. When switching NTN communication on or off based on the function usage information 33, the control unit 21 further switches NTN communication on or off based on the acquired connection information 34.

[0045] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it becomes possible to switch between modes in a way that is more appropriate to the situation.

[0046] In this embodiment, the control unit 21 switches NTN communication on and off based on different information depending on whether the vehicle 10's battery is being charged or whether the vehicle 10 is running on battery power.

[0047] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it becomes possible to switch between modes in a way that is more appropriate to the situation.

[0048] In this embodiment, NTN communication is turned on when necessary, while power saving can be appropriately implemented by turning off NTN communication as appropriate when the environment requires consideration of battery level, etc.

[0049] NTN communications consume high power, and in environments where power supply is limited, such as BEVs, this power consumption becomes a problem. In this embodiment, the control device 20 automatically collects information such as the actual user's usage status or environmental factors, and makes an on / off control decision for the NTN communication module 12 based on the results. The control device 20 then takes into account various conditions such as power status, charging status, disaster information, connected service usage status, cellular connection status, and battery level, enabling more precise control tailored to the use case. A mechanism can also be provided to dynamically add conditions for control decisions in addition to the prescribed attribute information.

[0050] 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 10: Vehicle, 11: Cellular communication module, 12: NTN communication module, 13: ECU, 20: Control unit, 21: Control unit, 22: Memory unit, 23: Communication unit, 31: Status information, 32: Environmental information, 33: Function usage information, 34: Connection information, 35: Battery information, 36: Attribute information

Claims

1. A control device for controlling a vehicle that performs non-terrestrial network communication, The system acquires environmental information regarding the conditions surrounding the vehicle and function usage information regarding the use of functions of the vehicle that involve communication with the outside world. When it is determined that there are occupants in the vehicle, the non-terrestrial network communication is switched on or off based on at least one of the acquired environmental information and the function usage information. A control device equipped with a control unit.

2. The aforementioned environmental information includes whether or not a disaster is occurring in the vicinity of the vehicle. The control unit, Further, connection information regarding the vehicle's connection status to a cellular network using a ground base station, and battery information regarding the vehicle's battery level are obtained. The control device according to claim 1, which, when switching the non-terrestrial network communication on or off based on the environmental information, further switches the non-terrestrial network communication on or off based on at least one of the acquired connection information and battery information.

3. The aforementioned function usage information includes whether or not the vehicle has activated the emergency call function. The control unit, Further connection information regarding the vehicle's connection status to a cellular network using a ground base station is obtained. The control device according to claim 1, which, when switching the non-terrestrial network communication on or off based on the function usage information, further switches the non-terrestrial network communication on or off based on the acquired connection information.

4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit switches the non-terrestrial network communication on and off based on different information depending on whether the vehicle's battery is being charged or whether the vehicle is running on battery power.

5. A vehicle equipped with the control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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