In-vehicle device, communication method, and communication program

Abstract

To transmit necessary data while suppressing a load in specific communication by selectively using communication systems according to contents of data regarding driving diagnosis.SOLUTION: A data logger 20 as an on-vehicle device is constituted so that a collection unit collects first data which is driving diagnosis created from vehicle information detected by an on-vehicle sensor, and second data which is data used for creation of the driving diagnosis, a communication unit transmits the first data to a server by a first communication system, and transmits the second data to the server by a second communication system faster than the first communication system when a predetermined condition is satisfied after transmitting the first data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle device that controls a vehicle, a communication method, and a communication program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for improving energy-saving performance while reducing communication costs. In this technology, one of the communication methods is selected based on power consumption and communication costs to communicate with the outside.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for reducing the communication costs for wireless communication and reducing the burden on drivers when transferring data. In this technology, wide area wireless communication is selected with priority for data where immediacy is important, such as dynamic data (vehicle position data), and wireless LAN is selected with priority for data where immediacy is not important, such as general operational data. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-150296 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2018-207401 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The prior art describes switching of communication methods depending on costs, importance, etc. Here, it is assumed that a driving content diagnosis is performed in an on-board device in a vehicle that collects vehicle information and transmits it to an external device, and data related to the driving diagnosis is transmitted to a server. The data related to the diagnosis obtained from the on-board device is large in volume, and if all the data is transmitted each time, there is a risk that necessary communication with the server will be hindered. Therefore, it becomes necessary to manage data that requires immediate feedback to the driver separately from data that is accumulated and utilized later. However, the prior art does not take into consideration switching of data based on driving diagnosis.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide an in-vehicle device, a communication method, and a communication program that can transmit necessary data while reducing the load in specific communications by using different communication methods depending on the content of data related to driving diagnosis. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 includes a collection unit that collects first data, which is a driving diagnosis created from vehicle information detected by an in-vehicle sensor, and second data, which is data used to create the driving diagnosis; Based on collection target information that defines a communication timing for each of the first data type and the second data type to be collected, The first data is transmitted to the server in a first communication method, and if a predetermined condition is satisfied after the first data is transmitted, Based on the collected information, The communication unit transmits the second data to a server in a second communication method that is faster than the first communication method.

[0008] The in-vehicle device described in claim 1 uses different communication methods for the first data of the driving diagnosis that needs to be fed back to the driver and the second data used to create the driving diagnosis. By using different communication methods in this way, it is possible to transmit necessary data while suppressing the load on specific communications. Furthermore, the in-vehicle device can transmit data at appropriate communication timing for each type of data.

[0009] The in-vehicle device of claim 2 is the in-vehicle device of claim 1, wherein the first communication method uses a communication method that is constantly connectable, the second communication method uses a communication method that is usable at a specified location, and the specified condition is when the second communication method becomes usable.

[0010] According to the in-vehicle device of claim 2, a first communication method such as LTE, which allows constant connection, is used for transmitting the first data, and a second communication method such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), which allows high-speed communication in a location where communication equipment is installed, is used for transmitting the second data. By using the communication methods in this way, the load in a specific communication can be suppressed, and the first data can be transmitted immediately and the second data can be transmitted at high speed when transmission is possible.

[0011] The in-vehicle device of claim 3 is the in-vehicle device of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first data and the second data are transmitted to the server with a tag attached thereto that identifies at least one of the in-vehicle device, the vehicle, and a terminal associated with the in-vehicle device as a transmission source.

[0012] According to the in-vehicle device of claim 3, the first data and the second data transmitted separately can be associated with each other and identified on the server side.

[0015] Claim 4 The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 In the in-vehicle device described in the above, the collection target information is received from the server and updated.

[0016] Claim 4 According to the in-vehicle device described in the above, the communication timing can be updated according to the situation.

[0017] Claim 5 The in-vehicle device according to the present invention is 4 In the in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, when the degree of urgency of the event that is the subject of the driving diagnosis is high, the second data is transmitted to the server using a first communication method.

[0018] Claim 5 According to the in-vehicle device described in the above, the second data can be transmitted promptly according to the degree of urgency.

[0019] Claim 6 The in-vehicle device according to the present invention is 4 In the in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, when a request to transmit the second data is received from the server after transmitting the first data, the in-vehicle device transmits the second data to the server in a first communication method.

[0020] Claim 6 According to the in-vehicle device described in the above, the second data can be transmitted even when the second communication method cannot be used.

[0021] Claim 7 The communication method described in the item (1) includes collecting first data, which is a driving diagnosis created from vehicle information detected by an on-board sensor, and second data, which is data used to create the driving diagnosis; Based on collection target information that defines a communication timing for each of the first data type and the second data type to be collected, The first data is transmitted to the server in a first communication method, and if a predetermined condition is satisfied after the first data is transmitted, Based on the collected information, The computer executes a process of transmitting the second data to a server using a second communication method that is faster than the first communication method.

[0022] Claim 8 The communication program described in collects first data, which is a driving diagnosis created from vehicle information detected by an on-board sensor, and second data, which is data used to create the driving diagnosis; Based on collection target information that defines a communication timing for each of the first data type and the second data type to be collected, The first data is transmitted to the server in a first communication method, and if a predetermined condition is satisfied after the first data is transmitted, Based on the collected information, The computer executes a process of transmitting the second data to a server using a second communication method that is faster than the first communication method. Effect of the Invention

[0023] According to the technology disclosed herein, by using different communication methods depending on the content of data related to driving diagnosis, it is possible to transmit necessary data while reducing the load on specific communications. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information collecting system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment; [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a data logger according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the data logger according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing a process flow in the information collecting system according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of a collection process executed in the data logger of the embodiment. [Figure 7] 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of a collection process executed in a data logger according to a first modified example. [Figure 8] 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of a collection process executed in a data logger according to a second modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] An information collection system including an on-board device of the present invention will be described. The information collection system is a system in which a device outside the vehicle collects and analyzes vehicle information such as measurement information of parameters acquired from each device of the vehicle and image information captured by a camera, and creates a driving diagnosis related to driving operation. Driving diagnosis refers to a general diagnosis related to driving operation, and driving operations such as steering wheel operation and pedal operation are diagnosed using a driving diagnosis model that has been learned in advance by machine learning. In the information collection system of this embodiment, a simple driving diagnosis is created using vehicle information such as image information in a data logger 30 (or a mobile terminal 40) that is an on-board device, and transmitted to a center server 50. A diagnostic report incorporating the driving diagnosis is provided to the mobile terminal 40 from the center server 50. In the method according to this embodiment, when data is transmitted from the data logger 30 to the center server 50, a communication method is used depending on the data. The driving diagnosis is transmitted using a communication method that can be constantly connected, such as LTE, in order to provide immediate feedback to the driver, and large-capacity vehicle information is transmitted when a connection can be made using a communication method such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) that allows large-capacity communication. In this way, it is possible to provide the driver with a driving diagnosis of high urgency promptly, and to appropriately manage the data communication capacity. The driving diagnosis created by the data logger 30 is an example of the first data, and the vehicle information used to create the driving diagnosis is an example of the second data. The LTE communication method is an example of the first communication method, and the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication method is an example of the second communication method.

[0026] (Overall composition) As shown in Fig. 1, an information collection system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a vehicle 12 and a center server 50. The vehicle 12 is equipped with an on-board device 20, a data logger 30 which is an on-board device, and a mobile terminal 40 which is a communication device. The mobile terminal 40 and the center server 50 are connected to each other via a network N. Note that, while Fig. 1 illustrates one vehicle 12, the on-board device 20, the data logger 30, and the mobile terminal 40 mounted on the vehicle 12 for one center server 50, the numbers of the vehicles 12, the on-board devices 20, the data loggers 30, and the mobile terminals 40 are not limited to this.

[0027] The data logger 30 is an add-on device that is separately installed after the purchase of the vehicle 12. The data logger 30 is connected to the network N by a communication standard such as 5G, LTE, or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The data logger 30 also has a function of connecting to a mobile terminal 40. A detailed configuration of the data logger 30 will be described later.

[0028] The mobile terminal 40 is exemplified by a smartphone or a tablet terminal carried by a passenger of the vehicle 12. The mobile terminal 40 is connected to the network N by a communication standard such as 5G, LTE, or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The mobile terminal 40 is brought into the vehicle 12 when the passenger gets into the vehicle 12 and used. The mobile terminal 40 has a function of receiving and displaying a driving diagnosis from the center server 50. The mobile terminal 40 may be configured to be connected to the center server 50 via the network N. The mobile terminal 40 may also function as a wireless communication device for relaying communication between the data logger 30 and the center server 50. In that case, the mobile terminal 40 transmits first data by a first communication method and transmits second data by a second communication method. When the data logger 30 and the mobile terminal 40 are connected, the communication method can be shared. For example, the data logger 30 may transmit data by the first communication method, and the mobile terminal 40 may transmit data by the second communication method. Conversely, transmission using the first communication method may be performed by the mobile terminal 40, and transmission using the second communication method may be performed by the data logger 30.

[0029] The center server 50 is installed, for example, at a manufacturer that manufactures the vehicle 12 or at a car dealership affiliated with the manufacturer. The center server 50 collects vehicle information from the vehicle 12 in advance and performs detailed analysis. This allows for detailed driving diagnosis of the driver of the vehicle 12 and understanding of driving tendencies. The center server 50 receives the driving diagnosis, creates a diagnosis report incorporating the driving diagnosis and the analysis results, and provides it to the mobile terminal 40. The center server 50 collects and accumulates the driving diagnosis and the vehicle information used to create the driving diagnosis from the data logger 30. The center server 50 may also update the definition of the information to be collected and transmit it to the data logger 30. The information to be collected will be described later.

[0030] (vehicle) As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 12 according to this embodiment includes an in-vehicle device 20, a plurality of ECUs (Electronic Control Units) 22, and a plurality of in-vehicle devices 24.

[0031] The vehicle-mounted device 20 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 20A, a read only memory (ROM) 20B, a random access memory (RAM) 20C, and an in-vehicle communication interface (I / F) 20D. The CPU 20A, the ROM 20B, the RAM 20C, and the in-vehicle communication interface (I / F) 20D are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via an internal bus 20G.

[0032] The CPU 20A is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 20A reads out the programs from the ROM 20B and executes the programs using the RAM 20C as a working area.

[0033] The ROM 20B stores various programs and various data. In the present embodiment, the ROM 20B stores a collection program for collecting vehicle information related to the state and control of the vehicle 12 from the ECU 22. In addition, the ROM 20B stores backup data of the vehicle information. The RAM 20C temporarily stores programs or data as a working area.

[0034] The in-vehicle communication I / F 20D is an interface for connecting to each ECU 22. The interface uses a communication standard based on the Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol. The in-vehicle communication I / F 20D is connected to the external bus 20H.

[0035] A connector (DLC: Data Link Connector) 26 is connected to the external bus 20H. A data logger 30 is connected to this connector 26. Also, instead of the data logger 30, a vehicle diagnostic device, which is a diagnostic tool, can be connected to the connector 26.

[0036] The ECU 22 includes at least an ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System)-ECU 22A, a steering ECU 22B, a brake ECU 22C, and an engine ECU 22D.

[0037] The ADAS-ECU 22A controls the advanced driving assistance system. A vehicle speed sensor 24A, a yaw rate sensor 24B, an external sensor 24C, and an internal sensor 24D, which constitute the in-vehicle device 24, are connected to the ADAS-ECU 22A. The external sensor 24C is a group of sensors used to detect the surrounding environment of the vehicle 12. The external sensor 24C includes, for example, a camera that captures an image of the surroundings of the vehicle 12, a millimeter wave radar that transmits a search wave and receives a reflected wave, and a lidar (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) that scans the front of the vehicle 12. The internal sensor 24D is a camera for monitoring the user, who is the driver, and captures the driving operation of the driver.

[0038] The steering ECU 22B controls the power steering. A steering angle sensor 24E constituting the in-vehicle device 24 is connected to the steering ECU 22B. The steering angle sensor 24E is a sensor that detects the steering angle of the steering wheel.

[0039] The brake ECU 22C controls the brake system of the vehicle 12. A brake actuator 24F constituting the in-vehicle device 24 is connected to the brake ECU 22C.

[0040] The engine ECU 22D controls the engine of the vehicle 12. A throttle actuator 24G and sensors 24H constituting the in-vehicle device 24 are connected to the engine ECU 22D. The sensors 24H include an oil temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the engine oil, an oil pressure sensor for measuring the oil pressure of the engine oil, and a rotation sensor for detecting the engine speed.

[0041] (Data Logger) 3, the data logger 30 includes a CPU 30A, a ROM 30B, a RAM 30C, a storage 30D, a communication I / F 30E, an input / output I / F 30F, a speaker 34, and a display 36. The CPU 30A, the ROM 30B, the RAM 30C, the storage 30D, the communication I / F 30E, the input / output I / F 30F, the speaker 34, and the display 36 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via an internal bus 30G. The functions of the CPU 30A, the ROM 30B, and the RAM 30C are the same as the functions of the CPU 20A, the ROM 20B, and the RAM 20C of the vehicle-mounted device 20 described above.

[0042] The ROM 30B of this embodiment stores a processing program 100, a communication information DB (database) 110, and a collection DB 120. The processing program 100 and the communication information DB 110 may be stored in the storage 30D, which will be described later.

[0043] The processing program 100, which serves as a communication program, is a program for controlling the data logger 30. As the processing program 100 is executed, the data logger 30 executes a communication process, which will be described later.

[0044] The communication information DB110 is a database in which communication information and collection target information are stored. The communication information defines the communication methods of the first data and the second data to be collected by the data logger 30. The first data is data of driving diagnosis created by the data logger 30. The driving diagnosis is data related to driving such as steering operation. The second data is data of vehicle information used to create the driving diagnosis. The vehicle information is, for example, image information acquired by the external sensor 24C and the internal sensor 24D, and sensor information acquired by the vehicle speed sensor 24A and the yaw rate sensor 24B. The communication information defines that the first data is transmitted by the first communication method and the second data is transmitted by the second communication method. The first communication method uses LTE, which is a communication method that can be constantly connected. The second communication method uses Wi-Fi (registered trademark), which is a communication method that can be used at a location where the communication equipment is installed and is faster than the first communication method. Note that the first communication method, LTE, and the second communication method, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), are merely examples, and other communication methods may be used as long as the conditions are similar.

[0045] The collection target information is information in which the communication timing is defined for each type of the first data and the second data. For example, the first data driving diagnosis is defined to be immediately transmitted if it is a driving diagnosis with high urgency such as driver drowsiness or dangerous driving operation, and other driving diagnoses are defined to be transmitted periodically, such as once an hour. Also, the vehicle information used to create the driving diagnosis may be defined for each type. For example, the communication timing of the image information and the sensor information are defined separately. Since the image information is expected to have a large data volume, it is defined to be transmitted periodically at a timing when other data is not being transmitted. Since the sensor information is expected to have a relatively small volume, it is defined to be transmitted before the image information. In this way, when there are multiple types of data, an appropriate communication timing can be defined according to the type of data. The collection target information may be received from the center server 50 and updated. The flow of the collection process when the collection target information is used will be described later in the first modified example.

[0046] The collection DB 120 is a database in which the first data and the second data are stored. In addition, the collection DB 120 stores a driving diagnosis model used for the driving diagnosis of the diagnosis unit 210.

[0047] The storage 30D as a storage unit is configured with a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a secure digital card (SD card) and stores various data. In this embodiment, the storage 30D stores a vehicle information DB 130. The ROM 30B may store the vehicle information DB 130.

[0048] The vehicle information DB 130 can store all or a part of the vehicle information acquired by the data logger 30 .

[0049] The communication I / F 30E as a communication unit is an interface for connecting to the network N. In the communication I / F 30E of the present embodiment, communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), 5G, LTE, and Wi-Fi (registered trademark) are selectively applied as communication standards. The communication I / F 30E communicates with the center server 50, the mobile terminal 40, and the vehicle-mounted device 20 via a communication link 33.

[0050] The input / output I / F 30F is an interface for communicating with the external bus 20H of the vehicle 12. A communication cable 32 is connected to the input / output I / F 30F in this embodiment. This communication cable 32 is connected to the connector 26 of the vehicle 12.

[0051] The speaker 34 is an audio output device that provides information to the occupants of the vehicle 12 by voice.

[0052] The display 36 is a display device that provides the results of the driving diagnosis to the occupants of the vehicle 12 by means of images or the like. By displaying the driving diagnosis on the display 36, the results of the driving diagnosis can be quickly provided to the driver instead of a diagnosis report. Note that instead of the display 36 of this embodiment, the driving diagnosis may be transmitted to the mobile terminal 40, and the driving diagnosis may be provided by a display device provided on the mobile terminal 40. Therefore, it does not necessarily have to be a display device capable of displaying images, and may be a lamp such as an LED.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 4, in the data logger 30 of this embodiment, a CPU 30A executes a processing program 100 to function as an acquisition unit 200, a diagnosis unit 210, a collection unit 220, and a communication unit 230.

[0054] The acquisition unit 200 has a function of acquiring vehicle information from the vehicle 12. Here, the acquired vehicle information includes measurement information such as vehicle speed, acceleration, voltage, and on / off signals of various switches, and image information which is information of images captured by a camera mounted on the vehicle 12. The image information includes an image of the outside of the vehicle 12 captured by the external sensor 24C, and an image of the driver inside the vehicle 12 captured by the internal sensor 24D. The acquisition unit 200 stores the acquired vehicle information in the vehicle information DB 130.

[0055] The diagnosis unit 210 inputs the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 200 into a driving diagnosis model that has been learned in advance, and creates a driving diagnosis. Note that the processing of the diagnosis unit 210 is not limited to being executed by the data logger 30, and may be executed by providing a diagnosis unit in the mobile terminal 40.

[0056] When the driving diagnosis is created in the diagnosis unit 210, the collection unit 220 collects the driving diagnosis as first data and the vehicle information used to create the driving diagnosis as second data. The collection unit 220 also adds a tag, which is the identification information of the transmission source of the data logger 30, to the collected first data and second data, and stores the data in the collection DB 120. The tag may include not only the identification information of the data logger 30, but also the identification information of the vehicle 12 and the identification information of the mobile terminal 40. The identification information of the vehicle 12 is registered in the data logger 30 in advance. When acquiring the identification information of the mobile terminal 40, it is sufficient to establish a connection with the mobile terminal 40 and acquire the identification information of the mobile terminal 40, and the identification can be performed by associating the data logger 30 with the mobile terminal 40. In this way, the first data and the second data are collected with a tag that identifies the transmission source, and are transmitted to the center server 50.

[0057] When the first data and the second data are collected, the communication unit 230 acquires communication information from the communication information DB 110. The communication unit 230 transmits the first data to the center server 50 using the first communication method based on the communication information. After transmitting the first data, the communication unit 230 determines whether the second communication method has become available, and transmits the second data to the center server 50 by the second communication method if the second communication method has become available. Whether the second communication method is available may be determined based on whether the vehicle 12 has moved to a location where Wi-Fi (registered trademark) is installed, whether the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) connection has been turned on, etc.

[0058] (Flow of Control) The flow of each process as a communication method executed in the information collection system 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of Fig. 5 and the flowchart of Fig. 6. The process in the data logger 30 is executed by the CPU 30A functioning as each part of the data logger 30.

[0059] 5, the CPU 20A of the vehicle-mounted device 20 transmits vehicle information to the data logger 30. The vehicle information is transmitted at any timing, such as when the ignition of the vehicle 12 is turned ON or OFF, or when a command requesting transmission of the vehicle information is received from the data logger 30. The vehicle information is stored in the vehicle information DB 130.

[0060] In step S11, the data logger 30 executes a collection process. Details of the collection process will be described later, but only the part related to the sequence process will be described in the explanation of Fig. 5. Here, in the collection process of step S11, steps S11-1 and S11-2 are executed. In step S11-1, the data logger 30 transmits the first data to the center server 50 using the first communication method.

[0061] In step S12, when the center server 50 receives the first data, it executes a process of creating a diagnostic report incorporating the first data. In step S13, the center server 50 transmits the diagnostic report to the mobile terminal 40.

[0062] In step S11-2, when the second communication method becomes available, the data logger 30 transmits the second data to the center server 50 using the second communication method.

[0063] Next, the collection process in step S12 will be described in detail. In step S100 in FIG. 6, CPU 30A acquires vehicle information from vehicle information DB .

[0064] In step S101, CPU 30A inputs the acquired vehicle information into a driving diagnosis model that has been trained in advance, and creates a driving diagnosis.

[0065] In step S102, CPU 30A collects the driving diagnosis created in step S101 as first data, and collects the vehicle information used in creating the driving diagnosis as second data.

[0066] In step S103, the CPU 30A assigns a tag, which is identification information of the transmission source of the data logger 30, to the collected first data and second data, and stores the data in the collection DB 120. As a result, the first data and second data are assigned a tag and transmitted to the center server 50.

[0067] In step S104, CPU 30A obtains communication information from communication information DB 110.

[0068] In step S105, the first data is transmitted to the center server 50 using the first communication method based on the communication information. In this manner, the first data is transmitted to the center server 50 promptly at the required timing using the first communication method (LTE) that is constantly connectable.

[0069] In step S106, the CPU 30A determines whether the second communication method is available. If it is determined that the second communication method is available, the process proceeds to step S107. If it is determined that the second communication method is not available, the process repeats the determination in step S106 at regular intervals.

[0070] In step S107, the CPU 30A transmits the second data to the center server 50 using the second communication method. In this way, the first data is transmitted to the center server 50 at the timing when communication becomes possible using the second communication method (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)) that enables large-volume, high-speed communication. The above is the details of the collection process in step S11.

[0071] (summary) The data logger 30 as an in-vehicle device of this embodiment collects the created driving diagnosis as first data and the vehicle information used to create the driving diagnosis as second data. A tag, which is the identification information of the sender, is attached to the collected first and second data. The first data is transmitted to the center server 50 by the first communication method. It is determined whether the second communication method is available, and if available, the second data is transmitted to the server 50 by the second communication method. In this way, by using different communication methods depending on the content of the data related to the driving diagnosis, it is possible to transmit necessary data while suppressing the load in a specific communication.

[0072] [First Modification] The first modification is a mode in which collection target information is used to transmit data at a communication timing according to the type of data. A flowchart of the first modification is shown in FIG. In the first modified example, step S200 is executed after step S104. In step S200, CPU 30A acquires collection target information in which communication timing is defined for each type of first data and second data.

[0073] In step S201, CPU 30A determines whether the type of collected first data is communication timing based on the collection target information. If it is determined that the type of the first data is communication timing, the process proceeds to step S105, and if it is determined that the type of the first data is not communication timing, the process proceeds to step S202.

[0074] In step S202, CPU 30A sets a timer so as to transmit the first data by the first communication method at the communication timing defined for the type of the first data, based on the collection target information.

[0075] In the first modified example, step S203 is executed after step S106. In step S203, CPU 30A selects the type of second data to be subjected to determination.

[0076] In step S204, CPU 30A determines whether the type of the selected second data is a communication timing or not, and if it is determined that the type of the second data is a communication timing, proceeds to step S205, and if it is determined that the type of the second data is not a communication timing, proceeds to step S206.

[0077] In step S205, CPU 30A transmits the selected type of second data in the second communication method.

[0078] In step S206, CPU 30A sets a timer so as to transmit the second data by the second communication method at the communication timing defined for the type of the second data, based on the collection target information.

[0079] In step S207, CPU 30A determines whether all types of second data have been processed. If it is determined that all types of second data have been processed, the collection process ends, and if it is determined that all types of second data have not been processed, the process returns to step S203 and is repeated.

[0080] [Second modified example] The second modified example is an aspect in which, depending on the degree of urgency of the event targeted by the driving diagnosis, if the degree of urgency is high, the second data is transmitted to the center server 50 by the first communication method. The level of urgency is defined in the communication information for each content of the driving diagnosis. For example, if the content of the driving diagnosis is related to drowsiness, the degree of urgency is determined to be high if the diagnosis content indicates drowsiness. If the content of the driving diagnosis is related to steering operation, the degree of urgency is determined to be high if the steering is turned suddenly or the steering operation is unstable. If the content of the driving diagnosis is related to the occurrence of an accident, the degree of urgency is determined to be high if an accident is expected to occur in an image captured of the outside.

[0081] FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of the second modified example. In the second modified example, step S300 is executed after step S105. In step S300, CPU 30A determines whether the degree of urgency in the driving diagnosis is high or not. If it is determined that the degree of urgency is high, the process proceeds to step S301, and if it is determined that the degree of urgency is not high, the process proceeds to step S106.

[0082] In step S301, the CPU 30A transmits second data related to a driving diagnosis with a high degree of urgency to the center server 50 by the first communication method. The second data related to a driving diagnosis with a high degree of urgency is, for example, an image capturing an image of a driver feeling drowsy, an image capturing an image of an accident that has occurred in the vehicle 12, etc. In this way, when the degree of urgency is high, even the second data is quickly transmitted to the center server 50, allowing the administrator to quickly respond to the incident.

[0083] Furthermore, after transmitting the first data, if a transmission request for the second data is received from the center server 50, the second data may be transmitted to the center server 50 in the first communication method. In this way, by making it possible to transmit the second data in the first communication method using a transmission request from the center server 50 as a trigger, it is possible to respond so that the second data can be transmitted to the center server 50 in the case where the second communication method is not available.

[0084] In the above embodiment, various processes executed by the CPU 20A and the CPU 30A by reading the software (programs) may be executed by various processors other than the CPU. In this case, examples of the processor include a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, and a dedicated electric circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) which is a processor having a circuit configuration designed exclusively for executing a specific process. In addition, each of the above-mentioned processes may be executed by one of these various processors, or may be executed by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (for example, a plurality of FPGAs, a combination of a CPU and an FPGA, etc.). In addition, the hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electric circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0085] In the above embodiment, each program is described as being prestored (installed) in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium. For example, the program in the vehicle-mounted device 20 is prestored in the ROM 20B, and the processing program 100 in the data logger 30 is prestored in the storage 30D. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and each program may be provided in a form recorded in a non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. Also, the program may be downloaded from an external device via a network.

[0086] The process flow described in the above embodiment is merely an example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the process order may be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 10. Information Collection System 12 Vehicles 30 Data logger (vehicle-mounted device) 30A CPU (processor) 40 Mobile Devices 50 Center Server 100 Processing program (communication program)

Claims

1. A collection unit that collects first data, which is a driving diagnosis created from vehicle information detected by an on-board sensor, and second data, which is data used to create the driving diagnosis; a communication unit that transmits the first data to a server by a first communication method based on collection target information that defines a communication timing for each type of the first data and each type of the second data to be collected, and transmits the second data to the server by a second communication method faster than the first communication method based on the collection target information when a predetermined condition is satisfied after the first data is transmitted; An in-vehicle device comprising:

2. The first communication method uses a communication method that is constantly connectable, the second communication method uses a communication method that can be used in a predetermined location, The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined condition is that the second communication method becomes available.

3. the first data and the second data are transmitted to the server with a tag attached thereto that identifies at least one of a vehicle-mounted device, a vehicle, and a terminal associated with the vehicle-mounted device as a transmission source; The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 , wherein the collection target information is received from the server and updated.

5. The vehicle-mounted device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, depending on the degree of urgency of the event that is the subject of the driving diagnosis, when the degree of urgency is high, the second data is transmitted to the server using a first communication method.

6. The in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein after transmitting the first data, when a request to transmit the second data is received from the server, the in-vehicle device transmits the second data to the server using a first communication method.

7. Collecting first data, which is a driving diagnosis created from vehicle information detected by an on-board sensor, and second data, which is data used to create the driving diagnosis; transmits the first data to a server using a first communication method based on collection target information that defines a communication timing for each type of the first data and each type of the second data to be collected, and when a predetermined condition is satisfied after transmitting the first data, transmits the second data to the server using a second communication method that is faster than the first communication method based on the collection target information. A communication method in which processing is performed by a computer.

8. Collecting first data, which is a driving diagnosis created from vehicle information detected by an on-board sensor, and second data, which is data used to create the driving diagnosis; transmits the first data to a server using a first communication method based on collection target information that defines a communication timing for each type of the first data and each type of the second data to be collected, and when a predetermined condition is satisfied after transmitting the first data, transmits the second data to the server using a second communication method that is faster than the first communication method based on the collection target information. A communications program that causes a computer to execute processing.

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