Communication device, communication processing system, and communication control method

Abstract

Upon detecting that an own vehicle is parked, an in-vehicle communication device (1) records, in memory, information indicating whether or not Wi-Fi connection is available at a parking site that is the current position, and thereafter transitions to a power conservation mode. The power conservation mode is equivalent to a power source state in which at least Wi-Fi communication functions are set to off, while maintaining cellular communication functions. While in the power conservation mode, when a message distributed by push distribution from an app server (4) via cellular is received in a state in which Wi-Fi connection is recorded as being available, the in-vehicle communication device (1) enables the Wi-Fi communication functions, and causes an app (21) to perform data communication by Wi-Fi communication.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on Patent Application No. 2021-068622 filed in Japan on April 14, 2021, and the contents of the original application are incorporated by reference in their entirety. [Technical field]

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a technique for controlling data communication between a communication device used in a vehicle and an application server. [Background technology]

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which, in a communication device capable of selectively implementing cellular communication, which is wireless communication using a mobile phone network, and communication by Wi-Fi (registered trademark), the communication line is switched depending on whether or not the vehicle has changed to a parking preparation state. Specifically, the configuration discloses a configuration in which cellular communication is selected when the vehicle is not in a parking preparation state, and the communication line used for data communication is switched from cellular communication to Wi-Fi when the vehicle has transitioned to the parking preparation state.

[0004] In addition, the parking preparation state in Patent Document 1 is assumed to be a state in which the vehicle speed has changed to a predetermined speed or less, the vehicle has reached the vicinity of the user's home, the vehicle has reached the vicinity of the destination, and other driving states in which the vehicle can still move backwards, etc. In addition, the parking preparation state is exemplified as a state in which the shift lever is set to the drive position. In addition, the communication device in Patent Document 1 is mainly assumed to be a terminal that is basically assumed to be turned on, such as a smartphone. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-63338 A Summary of the Invention

[0006] The communication device disclosed herein is a communication device used in a vehicle as an interface for at least one in-vehicle device to perform data communication with an information processing device located outside the vehicle, and includes a short-range communication control unit that controls the operation of the short-range communication unit that performs short-range communication, a parking detection unit that detects that the vehicle has been parked based on a signal from an in-vehicle sensor, a short-range communication feasibility determination unit that determines whether data communication using short-range communication is possible at the point where the parking detection unit detects that the vehicle has been parked and stores the determination result in a predetermined memory, and a request reception unit that receives a communication start request, which is a message from either the in-vehicle device or the information processing device to start data communication with the other. The short-range communication control unit is configured to stop the operation of the short-range communication unit based on the parking detection unit detecting that the vehicle has been parked, and when the request reception unit receives a communication start request in a state in which the vehicle is parked and data indicating that data communication using short-range communication is possible is recorded in the memory, the short-range communication control unit is configured to resume operation of the short-range communication unit and then have the in-vehicle device perform data communication with the information processing device using short-range communication.

[0007] According to the above configuration, the short-range communication unit is basically stopped while the vehicle is parked, so that power consumption can be suppressed. In addition, when a communication start request is received, the short-range communication unit is temporarily operated, and then data communication between the in-vehicle device and the information processing device is performed using short-range communication. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the amount of cellular communication. In other words, it is possible to reduce the amount of cellular communication while suppressing power consumption while the vehicle is parked.

[0008] The communication processing system disclosed herein includes a communication device used in the vehicle as an interface for implementing data communication between an in-vehicle device and an information processing device located outside the vehicle, and a relay server that relays communication between the communication device and the information processing device, in which the communication device includes a short-range communication control unit that controls the operation of a short-range communication unit that implements short-range communication, a cellular control unit that controls the operation of a cellular communication unit that implements cellular communication, a parking detection unit that detects that the vehicle has been parked based on a signal from an in-vehicle sensor, a short-range communication feasibility determination unit that determines whether data communication using short-range communication is possible at a point where the parking detection unit detects that the vehicle has been parked and stores the determination result in a predetermined memory, and a request reception unit that receives a communication start request that is a message from either the in-vehicle device or the information processing device requesting the start of data communication with the other. and a reporting unit which transmits the determination result of the short range communication feasibility determination unit to the relay server, wherein the short range communication control unit is configured to stop operation of the short range communication unit based on the parking detection unit detecting that the vehicle has been parked, and to operate the short range communication unit intermittently at a predetermined polling interval if cellular communication is not possible but data communication via short range communication is possible at the point where the parking detection unit detects that the vehicle has been parked, and the relay server is configured to determine whether the communication device is unable to perform cellular communication and whether data communication via short range communication is possible based on at least one of the report from the communication device and the result of the communication confirmation with the communication device, and to change the response to a communication start request from the information processing device depending on the combination of whether the communication device is able to perform cellular communication and whether data communication via short range communication is possible.

[0009] Further, the communication control method disclosed herein is a communication control method for at least one on-board device to perform data communication with an information processing device located outside the vehicle, and includes: detecting that the vehicle on which the on-board device is mounted has been parked based on a signal from an on-board sensor; when it is detected that the vehicle has been parked, determining whether or not data communication using short range communication is possible at the point where the vehicle is parked and storing the determination result in a predetermined memory; receiving a communication start request, which is a message from either the on-board device or the information processing device requesting the start of data communication with the other; stopping operation of a short range communication unit, which is a communication module that performs short range communication, based on the detection that the vehicle has been parked; and when a communication start request is received in a state in which the vehicle is parked and data indicating that data communication using short range communication is possible is recorded in the memory, resuming operation of the short range communication unit and then performing data communication between the on-board device and the information processing device using short range communication.

[0010] In addition, the symbols in parentheses in the claims indicate a correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described below as one aspect, and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall view of a communication processing system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram for explaining functions of an in-vehicle communication device and an ECU. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration and functions of a relay server. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the controller during parking. [Figure 6] 11 is a sequence diagram when an application server outputs a communication start request. FIG. [Figure 7]FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram when an ECU outputs a communication start request. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the controller when the parking spot is outside the cellular service area. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of a response manner of a relay server to a push request from an application server according to a communication state of an in-vehicle communication device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication processing system 100 of the present disclosure includes an in-vehicle communication device 1 and an ECU 2 mounted on each vehicle Vc, and an application server 4 and a relay server 5 disposed outside the vehicle. Note that ECU is an abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit, which refers to an electronic control device. The application server is an abbreviation for application server. Although only two vehicles Vc equipped with the in-vehicle communication device 1 are shown in FIG. 1, three or more vehicles may exist in the entire system. The specifications of the ECU 2 mounted on each vehicle Vc may be different. The specifications of the ECU 2 may include an OS (Operating System) and a startup state when the vehicle power supply (e.g., accessory power supply) is set to off.

[0013] The in-vehicle communication device 1 is a device used in the vehicle as an interface for the ECU 2 to perform data communication with an application server 4 located outside the vehicle. The in-vehicle communication device 1 is configured to be capable of performing both cellular communication, which is wireless communication using a cellular line, and Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication. The cellular line here refers to a communication line via a cellular base station 7, in other words, a communication line conforming to the LTE / 4G / 5G standard. The in-vehicle communication device 1 includes a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) linked to an arbitrary communication carrier.

[0014] The cellular base station 7 is a facility for transmitting and receiving wireless signals conforming to standards such as LTE with the in-vehicle communication device 1. The cellular base station 7 is also called an eNB (evolved NodeB). The cellular base station 7 may be a gNB (next generation NodeB) used in 5G. The cellular base station 7 exchanges control signals with the in-vehicle communication device 1, thereby enabling the in-vehicle communication device 1 to connect to the wide area communication network 9, and thus enabling data communication between the in-vehicle communication device 1 and various servers.

[0015] The wide area communication network 9 is, for example, the Internet. The wide area communication network 9 may be, for example, an IP (Internet Protocol) network other than the Internet, or a network provided by a telecommunications carrier, such as a mobile phone network. The wide area communication network 9 may be any network to which the application server 4, the relay server 5, the cellular base station 7, and the Wi-Fi base station 8 are connected.

[0016] The Wi-Fi communication here refers to communication via a Wi-Fi base station 8. The Wi-Fi base station 8 is a communication facility for forming a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) conforming to Wi-Fi. Various standards such as IEEE802.11n, IEEE802.11ac, and IEEE802.11ax (so-called Wi-Fi6) can be adopted as Wi-Fi standards. The Wi-Fi base station 8 is arranged at any location by various service providers as infrastructure facilities. The Wi-Fi in the present disclosure refers to Wi-Fi that can be used by the in-vehicle communication device 1, such as free Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi for which a user or a vehicle manufacturer has signed a service contract. The in-vehicle communication device 1 can perform Wi-Fi communication when a vehicle Vc is present within the communication area of ​​the Wi-Fi base station 8. The Wi-Fi base station 8 can be called an access point or a router. Although only one cellular base station 7 and one Wi-Fi base station 8 are shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of these may exist.

[0017] The in-vehicle communication device 1 is a device that provides the above-mentioned wireless communication function. The in-vehicle communication device 1 is installed in the vehicle Vc, making it a connected car that can connect to the Internet. The in-vehicle communication device 1 can also be called a DCM (Data Communication Module) or a TCU (Telematics Control Unit). The in-vehicle communication device 1 is housed in, for example, an instrument panel. The in-vehicle communication device 1 may be configured to be removable by the user. The in-vehicle communication device 1 may also be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone that is brought into the vehicle by the user. The in-vehicle communication device 1 here includes a state in which it is brought into the vehicle. The in-vehicle communication devices 1 used in each vehicle Vc are basically configured in the same way, but do not necessarily have to have completely the same specifications. The OS, the number of antennas, the contracted communication carrier, the number of available communication lines, the communication fee plan, etc. may be different. In the following, the own vehicle refers to the vehicle Vc in which the in-vehicle communication device 1, the ECU 2, and the in-vehicle sensor 3 are installed / used.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle communication device 1 is used by being connected to an ECU 2 and an in-vehicle sensor 3 mounted on the vehicle itself. The ECU 2 is a control device mounted on the vehicle Vc. The ECU 2 may be any of a body-related ECU, a vehicle control-related ECU, an ADAS-related or autonomous driving-related ECU, and an HMI-related ECU. For example, the in-vehicle communication device 1 is configured to be capable of mutual communication with each ECU 2 via an in-vehicle network, which is a communication network built in the vehicle. As a standard for the in-vehicle network, various standards can be adopted, such as Controller Area Network (CAN is a registered trademark) and Ethernet (registered trademark).

[0019] The in-vehicle communication device 1 and the ECU 2 may be configured to be able to communicate directly without going through an in-vehicle network. Only one ECU 2 may be connected to the in-vehicle communication device 1. The in-vehicle communication device 1 may be configured to be able to communicate with other ECUs via a central ECU that is an ECU that controls the entire vehicle, or a gateway ECU that separates the inside and outside of the vehicle and ensures security.

[0020] The in-vehicle communication device 1 is configured to maintain an online state connected to the wide area communication network 9 by cellular communication even when the driving power source is off, for example, while the vehicle is parked. The driving power source is, for example, the ignition power source in an engine vehicle. In an electric vehicle, the system main relay corresponds to the driving power source. Each in-vehicle communication device 1 is assigned a communication device ID as unique identification information. The communication device ID functions as information for identifying the in-vehicle communication device 1 (vehicle Vc). The communication device ID can also be called a DCM-ID or a TCU-ID. Details of the in-vehicle communication device 1 will be described separately later.

[0021] Each ECU 2 is configured as a computer having an arithmetic core such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory). Each ECU 2 executes a program stored in the non-volatile memory of the ECU 2, thereby performing processing according to the program. Each ECU 2 is assigned an ECU-ID as an identification number. The ECU 2 corresponds to an in-vehicle device.

[0022] The ECU 2 is configured to be able to execute one or more applications (hereinafter, apps 21). The ECU 2 corresponds to an end ECU in an in-vehicle system. The apps 21 provide a predetermined service to a user of the vehicle Vc by communicating with the app server 4. The apps 21 are realized by a computation core such as a CPU provided in the ECU 2 executing predetermined application software. In the present disclosure, the terms "application" and "app" may be read as a device / computation core that executes an application. The computation core corresponds to a processor such as a CPU. Each app 21 is assigned an app ID, which is unique identification information for each app.

[0023] Each application 21 outputs transmission data addressed to the application server 4 corresponding to that application 21 to the in-vehicle communication device 1, and also acquires data from the corresponding application server 4 via the in-vehicle communication device 1. In the communication processing system 100 of this embodiment, communication between the application server 4 and the application 21 is performed not only via the in-vehicle communication device 1 but also via the relay server 5. Each application 21 outputs a communication start request to the in-vehicle communication device 1 when transmission data addressed to the application server 4 is generated. The communication start request corresponds to a message (signal) requesting the start of data communication with a device designated as a destination.

[0024] The application 21 includes an encryption processing unit that encrypts transmission data and decrypts encrypted data transmitted from the application server 4. For example, the application 21 includes a function for performing encrypted communication using TLS (Transport Layer Security).

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3, the ECU 2 also includes an ACP client 22 and a power supply control unit 23. The ACP client 22 is configured to mediate communication between the application 21 and the in-vehicle communication device 1. The ACP client 22 can also be called an in-vehicle relay module. The ACP client 22 can be arranged for each ECU 2 or each application 21. The ACP client 22 is also realized by hardware such as a CPU executing ACP client software, which is a predetermined software. The ACP client 22 transmits a communication start request from the application 21 to the in-vehicle communication device 1, and transmits a response from the in-vehicle communication device 1 to the communication start request to the application 21.

[0026] Furthermore, the ACP client 22 notifies the in-vehicle communication device 1 of the application ID and the ECU-ID periodically or when a predetermined event occurs. This enables the in-vehicle communication device 1 to identify which application 21 exists in which ECU 2. Notification of various IDs may be performed, for example, when the power source for running is turned on or at a predetermined time.

[0027] The function of the ACP client 22 may be provided by the application 21 itself. The ACP client 22 may be configured as part of the application 21. In addition, the ACP client 22 may be configured as hardware. The encryption processing unit provided in the application 21 may be provided by the ACP client 22. The functional layout of each component may be changed as appropriate. When the ECU 2 has multiple applications 21, the ACP client 22 of the ECU 2 may manage the application ID and activation state of each application 21.

[0028] The power supply control unit 23 switches the power supply of the ECU 2 on and off based on an instruction signal from the in-vehicle communication device 1. For example, the power supply control unit 23 switches the power supply of the ECU 2 from off to on based on a start request signal input from the in-vehicle communication device 1. Unlike the in-vehicle communication device 1, when the power supply for running the vehicle Vc is off, the ECU 2 is in a state in which data communication with the application server 4 is essentially disabled in order to reduce power consumption. For example, when the power supply for running is set to off, the ECU 2 transitions to a power-off state in which power supply to components other than the power supply control unit 23 is stopped.

[0029] The ECU 2 may be configured to be able to set a sleep state or a hibernation state as a power state in addition to on and off. The sleep state refers to a state in which the supply of power to the arithmetic core, etc. is stopped while the data being worked on, in other words, the execution state of the program, is stored in a volatile memory such as a RAM. The hibernation state refers to a state in which the supply of power to the arithmetic core, etc. is stopped while the execution state of the program is stored in a writable non-volatile memory such as a flash memory. The above-mentioned power off state may be, for example, a hibernation state or a sleep state. The power supply control unit 23 may be implemented as one of the functions of the ACP client 22. In other words, the power supply control unit 23 may be integrated with the ACP client 22.

[0030] The in-vehicle sensor 3 is a sensor that detects a predetermined item related to the state of the vehicle Vc. The in-vehicle sensor 3 includes a shift position sensor that detects a shift position, a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed, and the like. The in-vehicle sensor 3 also includes a sensor / switch that detects the operation state of a parking brake, a sensor / switch that detects the power supply state of the vehicle, and the like. The in-vehicle sensor 3 also includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver as a sensor that detects the position of the vehicle. As the GNSS, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, IRNSS, QZSS, Beidou, and the like can be adopted. Information such as the state of the vehicle power supply, the shift position, and the operation state of the parking brake detected by the in-vehicle sensor 3 may be input to the in-vehicle communication device 1 via the ECU 2. In other words, one or more ECUs 2 may be interposed between the in-vehicle sensor 3 and the in-vehicle communication device 1.

[0031] The application server 4 is a facility for providing a predetermined service in cooperation with the application 21 used in the vehicle Vc. The application server 4 executes a predetermined process on data received from the application 21 used in the vehicle Vc. The application server 4 is a substantial communication partner of the ECU 2 and the application 21. The application server 4 corresponds to an information processing device. The application server 4 transmits data corresponding to the provided service to the application 21 and collects data from the application 21. The application server 4 is configured to be able to actively (voluntarily) transmit a message as a push transmission to a specific application 21 used in a specific vehicle Vc. The push transmission can be understood as a message transmission to an application 21 that is not operating or is operating in the background, in other words, an application 21 that is not communicating with the application server 4. The push transmission is performed using a token. The token is information that acts as a search key for uniquely identifying the destination of a message or the source of a received message, and is issued by the relay server 5. The token will be described in detail later.

[0032] When performing push transmission to a certain application 21 installed in a specific vehicle Vc, the application server 4 transmits a push request, which is a signal requesting push transmission to the in-vehicle communication device 1, to the relay server 5. The push request includes at least one of an application ID and a token as destination information, along with a message body. In this embodiment, a token is mainly used as destination information. The application server 4 includes a token database 41 that stores a token for identifying a destination and data indicating a correspondence with the vehicle Vc. The application server 4 reads out a token associated with a message transmission target from the token database 41. Then, the application server 4 transmits a message to which the read token is added as a push request to the relay server 5. DB in FIG. 1 is an abbreviation for database.

[0033] The push request issued by the application server 4 mainly corresponds to a request to start communication with a specific ECU 2 (application 21). Note that the message sent by push from the application server 4 may be a command instructing the execution of a predetermined vehicle control, such as starting an air conditioner or locking a door. However, even if the message sent by push from the application server 4 is a command for vehicle control, the application 21 will ultimately carry out data communication with the application server 4 to report the control result. Therefore, a command to execute a predetermined vehicle control is also included in the concept of a message for starting data communication (i.e., a communication start request).

[0034] The communication between the application server 4 and the application 21 is encrypted. Various methods can be adopted as the encryption communication method. For example, the application server 4 and the application 21 are configured to be able to perform TLS encrypted communication. Here, as an example, not only the application 21 and the application server 4 but also other devices such as the relay server 5 and the in-vehicle communication device 1 are configured to be able to perform TLS communication.

[0035] The relay server 5 is a server that relays communication between the vehicle Vc and the application server 4. The relay server 5 performs integrated control of communication connection between the vehicle Vc and the application server 4 and monitoring of the communication state. When the in-vehicle communication device 1 is connected to the wide area communication network 9 by cellular communication or Wi-Fi communication, the relay server 5 is able to communicate with the in-vehicle communication device 1 via the wide area communication network 9. Based on a request from the application server 4, the relay server 5 transmits data to the ECU 2 mounted in the specified vehicle Vc and acquires data from the vehicle Vc.

[0036] The relay server 5 corresponds to a server that provides a main function on the cloud side in an Automotive Communication Platform (ACP). The ACP is a technology for enabling secure data communication between the application server 4 and the application 21 while concealing (abstracting) differences in system configurations for each vehicle. For example, due to differences in model, release year (generation), grade, etc., the combination of ECUs that are turned off during parking and ECUs that are not turned off may differ for each vehicle Vc. In addition, the configuration of the in-vehicle system including the ECUs may differ for each vehicle Vc. The relay server 5 plays a role of concealing differences in system configurations for each vehicle and differences in power supply states for each ECU, that is, diversity for each vehicle Vc and each ECU 2, from the application server 4 side. Then, a pseudo-always-on connection is realized as if each ECU 2 and the application server 4 were always connected. The relay server 5 is a server that constitutes the ACP in one aspect, so it can also be called an ACP server.

[0037] The relay server 5 is configured using a communication device 51, a server processor 52, a RAM 53, and a storage 54 as shown in FIG. 4. The communication device 51 is configured to communicate with the in-vehicle communication device 1 and various application servers 4, and is configured to be able to perform encrypted communication using, for example, TLS with other devices such as the application server 4. The server processor 52 is, for example, a calculation core such as a CPU. The RAM 53 is a rewritable volatile memory. The storage 54 is a rewritable non-volatile memory. The storage 54 stores a relay server program, which is a program for relaying data communication between the in-vehicle communication device 1 and the application server 4. The relay server program can also be called ACP cloud software.

[0038] The relay server 5 obtains communication path information (so-called 5-tuple) such as address information and port numbers of various devices by exchanging control signals with the in-vehicle communication device 1 and the application server 4. The address information is either an IP address or a MAC (Media Access Control) address, or both. The relay server 5 notifies the application server 4 of information necessary for communication between the application 21 and the application server 4, such as the port number assigned to the application 21 in the in-vehicle communication device 1.

[0039] The relay server 5 also includes, for example, a token management unit G1 and a relay processing unit G2 as functional modules that are realized when the server processor 52 executes a relay server program stored in the storage 54. The token management unit G1 and the relay processing unit G2 each correspond to a subsystem of the ACP cloud Gx, which is a cloud-side functional unit constituting the ACP.

[0040] The token management unit G1 manages the application ID, ECU-ID, and communication device ID by linking them to a token as unique identification information (ID) for each combination. The token is an ID for identifying a specific application 21 on a specific ECU 2, and plays a role in linking the application 21, the ECU 2, and the in-vehicle communication device 1. Even if the same application 21 is installed in multiple vehicles Vc and the application IDs are the same, the application server 4 and the relay server 5 can set the application 21 installed in a specific ECU 2 of the specific vehicle Vc as the notification destination by using the token. Furthermore, the application server 4 and the relay server 5 can uniquely identify the source of the received message / data by using the token. The token has a predetermined number of bits, for example, 16 bits.

[0041] The token management unit G1 issues a token when a predetermined token issuance event occurs. For example, a token issuance event may be when the application 21 is newly installed in the ECU 2, or when the user of the vehicle Vc provided for the sharing service is changed. The issuance of a token, in other words, the payment, may be executed based on a request from the application 21, the ACP client 22, or the in-vehicle communication device 1.

[0042] When the token management unit G1 issues a token, it notifies the associated in-vehicle communication device 1 and application server 4 of the token. The relay server 5 as the token management unit G1 communicates with each application server 4 to synchronize information on tokens associated with the application server 4. A token associated with a certain application server 4 refers to a token linked to an application ID corresponding to the application server 4. In addition, the relay server 5 as the token management unit G1 communicates with the in-vehicle communication device 1 to synchronize information on tokens associated with the communication device ID of the in-vehicle communication device 1. The token is stored in association with a port number assigned to the application 21 by the in-vehicle communication device 1.

[0043] When the relay processing unit G2 receives a push request from a certain application server 4, it identifies the in-vehicle communication device 1 corresponding to the destination based on the token included in the push request, and transmits a message to the in-vehicle communication device 1. Based on the message transferred from the relay server 5, the in-vehicle communication device 1 secures a communication path from the application 21 to the application server 4, and starts data communication between the application 21 and the application server 4. The final destination of the push request is the application 21 or the ECU 2. For the relay server 5, the in-vehicle communication device 1 corresponds to a (intermediate) destination as a transfer destination. The transfer destination may be identified using an application ID, a port number, a destination IP address, a destination MAC address, or the like.

[0044] When the relay processing unit G2 receives a push request, if the in-vehicle communication device 1 corresponding to the destination application 21 is not connected to the wide area communication network 9, the relay processing unit G2 returns a message to the request source indicating that the push delivery has failed. Note that the relay processing unit G2 may suspend the push delivery and return a message to that effect to the application server 4 if the in-vehicle communication device 1 corresponding to the destination application 21 is expected to connect to the wide area communication network 9 within a predetermined time based on Wi-Fi availability information, which will be described later.

[0045] In addition, the relay server 5 may have a function of authenticating the application server 4, the in-vehicle communication device 1, the application 21, and the like as communication counterparts by using a digital certificate or the like. A part or all of the functions provided by the relay server 5 may be provided by each application server 4. The functional arrangement may be changed as appropriate.

[0046] <An example of application 21 and application server 4> The vehicle Vc may be equipped with various applications 21, such as a vehicle status confirmation application, a video application, an emergency call application, a probe application, and a control support application. The vehicle status confirmation application is an application for confirming the vehicle status, such as the total mileage, the remaining battery level, the remaining fuel level, the open / closed status of each door, the open / closed status of each window, and the interior temperature, from an external device such as a smartphone. The vehicle status may include the on / off status of the hazard lamps and the on / off status of the interior lights. The open / closed status of the doors includes the locking status.

[0047] The vehicle state confirmation application uploads various information, for example, when the driving power source is turned off, to the corresponding application server 4. The vehicle state confirmation application may have a function of controlling the locking / unlocking state of the doors, the opening degree of the windows, and the lighting state of the lighting device based on an instruction signal from the user transmitted via the application server 4. The vehicle state confirmation application may be configured as an application for remotely controlling the body system electrical equipment and the in-vehicle air conditioner of the vehicle Vc. The body system electrical equipment includes various lighting devices, door lock motors, window motors, etc. The communication for remotely locking the doors corresponds to a relatively urgent communication, while the communication for remotely starting the air conditioner corresponds to a relatively less urgent communication. Even in the case of communication of the same application 21, the urgency, in other words, the immediacy of the communication may differ depending on the content and purpose of the communication.

[0048] The video application is, for example, an application for streaming video stored on the cloud. The video application may be an application for transferring data such as video recorded in the in-vehicle television system to a specific device such as a smartphone in cooperation with the application server 4. The communication for transferring the recorded data corresponds to an example of communication in which the data size is large and the urgency is low. The emergency call application is an application for contacting a specific center or a smartphone held by a user when triggered by an accident or an abnormality of an occupant. The emergency call application may be an application for detecting an abnormality related to theft, such as unauthorized unlocking of the vehicle Vc, and notifying the center. The emergency call application corresponds to an example of an application 21 having a relatively high requirement for immediacy of communication.

[0049] A probe application is an application that uploads probe data such as road shapes recognized by an in-vehicle camera to a server. An application server corresponding to the probe application can be a server that updates map data by statistically integrating probe data uploaded from multiple vehicles Vc, and transmits the map data to the vehicles Vc or a server for map distribution. The probe application is an example of an application with a large data size and low urgency.

[0050] The control assistance application is an application that receives dynamic map information (i.e., control assistance information) that is used as a reference for creating a control plan from the application server 4 periodically or when a predetermined event occurs. The control assistance information may be information about semi-dynamic map elements that indicate the positions and types of obstacles on the road, such as a section where traffic is regulated, the end of a traffic jam, or the position of an object that has fallen on the road. The control assistance information may be information that indicates the position and lighting status of a traffic light ahead of the vehicle Vc, or information that indicates a driving trajectory according to the traveling direction inside and outside an intersection. An event that requests the control assistance information may be, for example, a case where the remaining time / distance to an intersection or a junction point becomes less than a predetermined value. The application server 4 corresponding to the control assistance application may distribute control assistance information according to the current position of the vehicle Vc on which the application 21 is installed, based on a request from the application 21, for example.

[0051] The above-mentioned applications 21 are merely examples, and various applications other than those described above may be assumed. Also, a configuration may be adopted in which a plurality of ECUs 2 cooperate with each other to execute one application 21.

[0052] <Configuration of vehicle-mounted communication device 1> Based on a request from the application 21 or the application server 4, the in-vehicle communication device 1 uses the cellular communication function or the Wi-Fi communication function to perform data communication with the application server 4 corresponding to the application 21 included in the ECU 2. As described above, the communication between the in-vehicle communication device 1 and the application server 4 is performed via the relay server 5, the wide area communication network 9, and the cellular base station 7 or the Wi-Fi base station 8.

[0053] The in-vehicle communication device 1 can selectively use a cellular line and a Wi-Fi line depending on the generation status of communication traffic in each ECU 2. In other words, the in-vehicle communication device 1 selectively uses various communication lines depending on the purpose of communication and the communication status. The concept of communication lines / communication routes available to the in-vehicle communication device 1 can include not only cellular lines but also Wi-Fi lines.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle communication device 1 includes an in-vehicle communication unit 11, a cellular communication unit 12, a Wi-Fi communication unit 13, and a controller .

[0055] The in-vehicle communication unit 11 receives transmission data output from each ECU 2 and outputs it to the controller 14. The in-vehicle communication unit 11 also outputs data input from the controller 14 to the ECU 2 specified as the destination. For example, the in-vehicle communication unit 11 obtains the original data by separating the multiplexed data input from each ECU 2 in a predetermined manner. The in-vehicle communication unit 11 is a circuit module for communicating with the ECU 2 via the in-vehicle network. The in-vehicle communication unit 11 is realized using analog circuit elements, ICs, a PHY chip conforming to the communication standard of the in-vehicle network, and the like.

[0056] The cellular communication unit 12 is a communication module in charge of the data link layer and the physical layer in a wireless communication protocol such as LTE. The cellular communication unit 12 includes an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves in the frequency band used in LTE. The cellular communication unit 12 also includes a transceiver that performs signal processing equivalent to conversion from a baseband signal to a high-frequency signal and the reverse conversion in compliance with the LTE communication standard, and a packet processing unit that performs conversion between IP packets and signals of a physical channel.

[0057] The cellular communication unit 12 establishes a communication connection with the cellular base station 7 based on a predetermined signaling procedure. The cellular communication unit 12 also wirelessly connects to the cellular base station 7 based on a control signal from the cellular base station 7, such as a CRS (Cell-specific RS). The cellular communication unit 12 switches the cellular base station 7 (in other words, the serving cell) to which it is wirelessly connected as the vehicle moves, thus performing a so-called handover. The controller 14 may be provided with a function for switching (reselecting) the serving cell.

[0058] The cellular communication unit 12 continues to operate using the power of the battery even when the power source for driving the vehicle Vc is off, for example, while the vehicle is parked. Specifically, the cellular communication unit 12 periodically exchanges control signals for communication confirmation (maintenance of connection) with the cellular base station 7 using the power stored in the battery. This allows the in-vehicle communication device 1 to maintain an online state connected to the wide area communication network 9 when it is within the communication range of the cellular base station 7.

[0059] The Wi-Fi communication unit 13 is a communication module for connecting to the Internet via the Wi-Fi base station 8 and communicating with the application server 4. The Wi-Fi communication unit 13 corresponds to a short-range communication unit. The Wi-Fi communication unit 13 is configured using an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves in a frequency band used in the Wi-Fi standard, such as the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band, a modulation circuit, a demodulation circuit, and the like. The Wi-Fi communication unit 13 emits a wireless signal corresponding to data input from the controller 14. The Wi-Fi communication unit 13 also outputs data corresponding to the reception signal received by the antenna to the controller 14.

[0060] The Wi-Fi communication unit 13 recognizes the presence of the Wi-Fi base station 8 by receiving a beacon emitted from the Wi-Fi base station 8. The communication connection between the Wi-Fi communication unit 13 and the Wi-Fi base station 8 is controlled by the controller 14. The Wi-Fi communication unit 13 does not necessarily have to be built into the in-vehicle communication device 1. The Wi-Fi communication unit 13 may be provided outside the in-vehicle communication device 1 in such a manner that the in-vehicle communication device 1 can control the operation state of the Wi-Fi communication unit 13. The operation state of the Wi-Fi communication unit 13, for example, the power state, is controlled by the controller 14.

[0061] The controller 14 is mainly composed of a computer including a processor 15, a RAM 16, a storage 17, and a bus connecting these components. The processor 15 is hardware for arithmetic processing that is coupled to the RAM 16. The processor 15 includes at least one arithmetic core such as a CPU. The processor 15 accesses the RAM 16 to execute various processes.

[0062] The storage 17 includes a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory. A communication control program is stored in the storage 17 as a program executed by the processor 15. Execution of the program by the processor 15 corresponds to execution of a communication control method corresponding to the communication control program. Information (e.g., a profile, etc.) on APNs (Access Point Names) available to the in-vehicle communication device 1 is registered in the storage 17. In addition, SSIDs (Service Set Identifiers) of Wi-Fi available to the in-vehicle communication device 1, encryption keys, etc. are registered in the storage 17.

[0063] The controller 14 includes, as functional blocks, a cellular control unit F1, a Wi-Fi control unit F2, a parking detection unit F3, a Wi-Fi availability determination unit F4, a Wi-Fi availability report unit F5, a relay processing unit F6, and a start instruction unit F7. The relay processing unit F6 includes, as sub-functions, a request reception unit F61, a route allocation unit F62, and an ID management unit F63. The functional units included in the controller 14 correspond to subsystems of the ACP engine Fx, which is a functional unit on the vehicle side that constitutes the ACP.

[0064] The cellular control unit F1 controls the operation of the cellular communication unit 12. The cellular control unit F1 basically constantly drives the cellular communication unit 12. The cellular communication unit 12 may be stopped, for example, when a user operation to stop cellular communication is detected, or when the remaining battery charge falls below a predetermined limit value.

[0065] The cellular control unit F1 executes a procedure for establishing a cellular line in response to the occurrence of a predetermined connection event. Examples of connection events include a case where the software of the controller 14 itself is updated, a case where the in-vehicle communication device 1 is restarted due to a malfunction, and a case where the cellular communication function is enabled by a user or a staff member of a maintenance shop, etc. The procedure for establishing a communication connection includes the transmission of an attach request and the transmission of APN information.

[0066] The Wi-Fi control unit F2 controls the operation of the Wi-Fi communication unit 13. The Wi-Fi control unit F2 corresponds to a short-range communication control unit. The controller 14 starts a communication connection with the Wi-Fi base station 8 based on the fact that the Wi-Fi communication unit 13 has received a beacon. That is, the controller 14 exchanges control signals with the Wi-Fi base station 8 for obtaining an IP address and for setting security (such as exchanging encryption keys). As described later, the Wi-Fi control unit F2 cuts off the power supply to the Wi-Fi communication unit 13 based on the fact that the parking detection unit F3 has detected that the vehicle has been parked. That is, the controller 14 switches the Wi-Fi communication unit 13 to an off state. The off state corresponds to a state in which the operation is stopped. Accordingly, even if the vehicle is within the communication range of the Wi-Fi base station 8 and a Wi-Fi connection is possible, the Wi-Fi connection is once disconnected. The Wi-Fi connection here refers to a connection to the wide area communication network 9 using Wi-Fi communication.

[0067] When a predetermined Wi-Fi activation condition is satisfied, the Wi-Fi control unit F2 switches the power supply to the Wi-Fi communication unit 13 from an off state to an on state. The Wi-Fi activation condition includes a normal activation condition and a parked activation condition. The normal activation condition may be, for example, that the driving power source is turned on. The parked activation condition may be that a communication start request arrives from the application 21 or the application server 4 while the vehicle is parked and a Wi-Fi connection flag, which will be described later, is set to on. When the vehicle is parked, the Wi-Fi connection is basically set to off, so that the communication start request from the application server 4 is received via the cellular line.

[0068] The parking detection unit F3 detects that the host vehicle has been parked based on a signal input from the in-vehicle sensor 3. Detecting that the host vehicle has been parked corresponds to determining that the host vehicle has been parked. For example, the parking detection unit F3 determines that the host vehicle has been parked when the running power source is set to off. The parking detection unit F3 may determine that the host vehicle has been parked based on the shift position being set to the parking position. The parking detection unit F3 may determine that the host vehicle has been parked when the shift position is set to the parking position and the parking brake is set to on. The conditions for determining that the host vehicle has been parked can be changed as appropriate.

[0069] The Wi-Fi availability determination unit F4, in cooperation with the Wi-Fi communication unit 13, determines whether or not it is possible to connect to the wide area communication network 9 using Wi-Fi communication at the parking spot based on the fact that the parking detection unit F3 detects that the vehicle has been parked. The Wi-Fi availability determination unit F4 corresponds to a short range communication availability determination unit.

[0070] For example, the Wi-Fi availability determination unit F4 transmits a predetermined confirmation message to the relay server 5 using Wi-Fi communication based on the detection by the parking detection unit F3 that the vehicle has been parked. Then, when the Wi-Fi availability determination unit F4 receives a predetermined response message from the relay server 5, it determines that the Wi-Fi connection is possible. Also, when the message transmission to the relay server 5 fails or when the response message is not received from the relay server 5 even after a predetermined response waiting time has elapsed, the Wi-Fi availability determination unit F4 determines that the Wi-Fi connection is not possible. The determination result of the Wi-Fi availability determination unit F4 is held, for example, using a Wi-Fi connection flag, which is a processing flag. The state of the Wi-Fi connection flag being on (1) corresponds to a state in which the Wi-Fi connection is possible. The state of the Wi-Fi connection flag being off (0) corresponds to a state in which the Wi-Fi connection is not possible. The determination result of the Wi-Fi availability determination unit F4 indicates whether the parking spot where the vehicle is parked is a spot where the Wi-Fi connection is possible.

[0071] The determination result of the Wi-Fi availability determination unit F4, i.e., the Wi-Fi connection flag, is stored in the RAM 16 or the storage 17. The Wi-Fi connection flag may be stored in a storage medium that retains data even when the driving power is off. Note that the Wi-Fi availability determination unit F4 may determine whether or not the Wi-Fi connection is possible by attempting to communicate with a predetermined application server 4, instead of the relay server 5, via Wi-Fi.

[0072] The Wi-Fi availability determination unit F4 of this embodiment not only checks whether a beacon from the Wi-Fi base station 8 is received, but also checks whether data communication with an external device such as the relay server 5 is possible, in other words, whether connection to the wide area communication network 9 is possible. This configuration reduces the risk of erroneously determining that a Wi-Fi connection is possible when a Wi-Fi connection is actually impossible due to a poor connection between the Wi-Fi base station 8 and the wide area communication network 9, etc.

[0073] The Wi-Fi availability reporting unit F5 reports Wi-Fi availability information indicating the determination result of the Wi-Fi availability determination unit F4 to the relay server 5. The report of the Wi-Fi availability information by the Wi-Fi availability reporting unit F5 may be performed by Wi-Fi communication or may be performed by a cellular line. Based on the report from the in-vehicle communication device 1, the relay server 5 grasps whether the vehicle in which the in-vehicle communication device 1 is used is parked and whether it is in an environment where Wi-Fi connection is possible. In addition, the relay server 5 may detect that the target vehicle has transitioned to a parked state and is in an environment where Wi-Fi connection is possible based on receiving a message from the in-vehicle communication device 1 to confirm whether Wi-Fi connection is possible. The Wi-Fi availability reporting unit F5 corresponds to a reporting unit.

[0074] The request reception unit F61 is a module that receives requests for data communication from inside and outside the vehicle. A communication start request from inside the vehicle corresponds to a communication start request from the ECU 2 / application 21, and a communication start request from outside the vehicle corresponds to a communication start request from the application server 4. Note that, since the communication start request from the application server 4 reaches the in-vehicle communication device 1 via the relay server 5, a communication start request from outside the vehicle can be understood as a communication start request from the relay server 5.

[0075] For example, based on receiving a communication start request from an application 21, the request reception unit F61 receives a communication start request between the application 21 and the application server 4 corresponding to the application 21. Furthermore, when the request reception unit F61 is notified by the relay server 5 that data for the application 21 designated by the application server 4 exists, the request reception unit F61 receives a communication start request between the target application 21 and the application server 4.

[0076] When the request receiving unit F61 receives a communication start request from the application 21 or the application server 4, the path allocation unit F62 secures a source port for the application 21 and sets a communication path from the application 21 to the application server 4. A source port is assigned to each application 21. That is, one application ID is set for one port. Note that multiple ports may be assigned to one application. Elements constituting the communication path may include the type of communication line, such as a cellular line or a Wi-Fi line, an assigned frequency, a type of communication protocol, and the like. The communication protocol includes TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram Protocol), and the like.

[0077] In response to the communication start request received by the request receiving unit F61, the route allocation unit F62 sets a communication route according to the vehicle's traveling state, the availability of Wi-Fi communication, and the characteristics of the application 21 / data communication. For example, when the vehicle is parked and Wi-Fi communication is available, the route allocation unit F62 preferentially allocates Wi-Fi communication regardless of the type of application 21. In other words, when Wi-Fi communication is unavailable while the vehicle is parked, the route allocation unit F62 allocates cellular communication as a means of communication between the application 21 and the application server 4.

[0078] When the vehicle is traveling, the route allocation unit F62 allocates a cellular line with low latency to an application 21 that requires real-time performance or stable communication, for example. On the other hand, for an application 21 that is expected to have a relatively large data size, such as probe data or software update data, the route allocation unit F62 preferentially allocates Wi-Fi communication or suspends the start of communication.

[0079] The ID management unit F63 manages which ECU 2 the application 21 is in, based on a notification from each ACP client 22. The ID management unit F63 associates the application ID, ECU-ID, and token for each application 21, and stores them in a memory such as the RAM 16. The token for each application 21 is obtained through communication with the relay server 5. The ID management unit F63 also manages the port numbers assigned to each application 21 by the path assignment unit F62, by associating them with the application ID and token. The ID management unit F63 notifies the relay server 5 of the port number for each application ID or for each token, together with the communication device ID and ECU-ID.

[0080] When the setting of the communication path to the application server 4 is completed, the controller 14 as the relay processing unit F6 returns a communication permission response, which is a message to the effect that communication is permitted, to the ACP client 22. The communication permission response includes at least the source port number. In addition, the communication permission response from the vehicle-mounted communication device 1 may also include a source IP address, a destination IP address, a destination port number, and a protocol.

[0081] When the relay processing unit F6 receives a communication start request from the application server 4, it identifies the ECU2 to which the application 21 corresponding to the destination belongs based on the token managed by the ID management unit F63. Then, the relay processing unit F6 cooperates with the in-vehicle communication unit 11 to transmit the received data to the selected ECU2. If the power supply of the ECU2 corresponding to the communication partner of the application server 4 is off, the relay processing unit F6 requests the start instruction unit F7 to start the target ECU2 and waits for the power supply of the ECU2 to be turned on. If the power supply of the ECU2 corresponding to the destination of the push information is off, the start instruction unit F7 outputs a start request signal, which is a control signal for switching the power supply to the ECU2, to the ECU2. The relay processing unit F6 transmits the message / data from the application server 4 to the ECU2 whose power supply is on.

[0082] In addition, when the request receiving unit F61 receives a communication start request while the vehicle is parked and the Wi-Fi connection flag is set to ON, the relay processing unit F6 requests the Wi-Fi control unit F2 to activate the Wi-Fi communication unit 13. The Wi-Fi control unit F2 assumes that the parking start condition is satisfied and activates the Wi-Fi communication unit 13. When the request receiving unit F61 receives a communication start request while the vehicle is parked and the Wi-Fi connection flag is set to ON, the controller 14 establishes a Wi-Fi connection and then causes the application 21 to start data communication. In this case, the path allocation unit F62 selects Wi-Fi communication as the communication path for the application 21.

[0083] <Processing flow when parking> Here, the operation of the in-vehicle communication device 1 in a scene where the vehicle is parked will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 5. For convenience, a series of processes performed by the in-vehicle communication device 1 when parking is referred to as parking-related processes. The flowchart shown in FIG. 5 can be repeatedly executed at a predetermined determination period while a predetermined execution condition is satisfied, such as when the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined value (e.g., 0) or when the driving power source is set to ON. The determination period can be 100 ms, 200 ms, 1 sec, or the like. Here, as an example, the parking-related process includes steps S11 to S14. Note that the number of steps constituting the parking-related process and the execution order can be changed as appropriate.

[0084] In step S11, the parking detection unit F3 determines whether or not the vehicle is parked based on information input from the in-vehicle sensor 3. For example, the parking detection unit F3 determines that the vehicle is parked based on the fact that the driving power source is set to off. If the vehicle is determined to be not parked, a negative judgment is made in step S11 and this flow ends. If the vehicle is determined to be parked, a positive judgment is made in step S11 and the flow proceeds to step S12.

[0085] In step S12, the Wi-Fi availability determination unit F4 determines whether or not a Wi-Fi connection is possible at the parking spot, and the process proceeds to step S13. In step S13, the Wi-Fi availability report unit F5 transmits the determination result in step S12 to the relay server 5, and the process proceeds to step S14. In step S14, the in-vehicle communication device 1 transitions to a power saving mode. The power saving mode can be, for example, a state in which the power supply to the Wi-Fi communication unit 13 is cut off and operation is stopped. Such a power saving mode corresponds to a mode in which the in-vehicle communication unit 11, the cellular communication unit 12, and the controller 14 operate normally.

[0086] The power saving mode may be a mode in which the Wi-Fi communication unit 13 is stopped and in addition, some or all of the functions of the controller 14 are stopped. In the power saving mode, the controller 14 may be configured to return to the normal mode based on the in-vehicle communication unit 11 or the cellular communication unit 12 receiving a signal corresponding to a communication start request. For example, the power saving mode may be a state in which only the in-vehicle communication unit 11, the cellular communication unit 12, and the configuration related to the request reception unit F61 are operating. The normal mode corresponds to a state other than the power saving mode, that is, a state in which the Wi-Fi communication unit 13 and the like are operating.

[0087] <Processing flow while parking> Next, the operation of each device when a communication start request occurs while the vehicle Vc is parked will be described with reference to the sequence diagrams shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram when a communication demand occurs in the application server 4, in other words, when a push request is transmitted. Fig. 7 is a sequence diagram when a communication demand occurs in the ECU 2.

[0088] The ECU 2 and the application 21 shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 may be any ECU 2 and application 21. The application server 4 shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 is the application server 4 corresponding to the application 21 included in the ECU 2 shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Note that, as a premise of the following explanation, the in-vehicle communication device 1 has established a communication connection with the relay server 5 using a cellular line. The relay server 5 and the application server 4 are also in a state where they can communicate with each other, and perform communication for checking communication and data communication as needed.

[0089] First, an interaction when a communication demand occurs in the application server 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. When the application server 4 generates transmission data for the application 21 while the vehicle Vc is parked (step S21), the application server 4 transmits a push request as a communication start request to the relay server 5 (step S22). The push request includes a token corresponding to the application 21 as the destination, in addition to the message body.

[0090] The application server 4 may notify the relay server 5 of communication condition information, which is information to be used as a reference for communication control, such as an allowable waiting time and an expected data size. The communication condition information may be included in the push request or may be sent separately. The allowable waiting time is a parameter indicating the length of time that is allowable until communication starts. The expected data size is a parameter indicating the size of data to be transmitted.

[0091] When the relay server 5 receives the push request from the application server 4, the relay server 5 identifies the in-vehicle communication device 1 and the application 21 to which the message is to be sent, based on the token attached to the message. Then, the relay server 5 transmits the message from the application server 4 to the in-vehicle communication device 1 (step S23). At least one of the application ID and the token is also attached to the message transmitted in this step.

[0092] When the in-vehicle communication device 1 receives a message from the relay server 5 via cellular (step S23a), it refers to the setting value (on / off) of the Wi-Fi connection flag and determines whether or not a Wi-Fi connection is possible (step S24). If the Wi-Fi connection flag is set to on (step S24 YES), the Wi-Fi control unit F2 starts the Wi-Fi communication unit 13 (step S25). Then, it exchanges control signals with the Wi-Fi base station 8 for obtaining an IP address and exchanging encryption keys, and connects to the wide area communication network 9 by Wi-Fi communication.

[0093] When the Wi-Fi connection is completed, the route assignment unit F62 assigns Wi-Fi communication as the communication line between the application 21 and the application server 4 (step S26). On the other hand, when the Wi-Fi connection flag is set to OFF (step S24 NO), the route assignment unit F62 assigns cellular communication as the communication line between the application 21 and the application server 4 (step S27). The application 21 and ECU 2 to be processed are identified based on the application ID or token added to the message.

[0094] When preparation for communication, such as Wi-Fi connection, is completed, the start instruction unit F7 starts the ECU 2 and transmits a message from the application server 4 to the application 21 (step S28). Note that the start-up process of the ECU 2 by the start instruction unit F7 can be omitted if the ECU 2 is already powered on.

[0095] When the application 21 receives the message from the application server 4 via the ACP client 22, the application 21 returns a predetermined message to the application server 4 (step S29). The message sent in step S29 may be, for example, an initial message (so-called ClientHello) for starting TLS communication, or may be another predetermined message.

[0096] The application 21 and the application server 4 establish a session by exchanging messages in a predetermined data communication sequence such as a handshake protocol, and start encrypted communication (step S30). The above process starts data communication between the application server 4 and the application 21. Note that if the content of the push request does not require two-way communication, step S30 can be omitted. Similarly, if the content of the push request is of a type that does not require a response message to be returned, the processes from step S29 onwards can be omitted.

[0097] Next, with reference to FIG. 7, an interaction when a communication demand occurs in the ECU2 (application 21) will be described. During parking, the application 21 may spontaneously output a communication start request based on a preset schedule, such as communication for software update. In addition, when a predetermined notification event such as detection of vibrations above a predetermined threshold, window breakage, or unauthorized unlocking is detected, the application 21 may also issue a communication start request. The notification event may include leaving a child in the car. The ECU2 transitions from an off state to an on state based on detection of a preset schedule or a predetermined event, and starts the application 21. Of course, the ECU2 described here may be an ECU2 that maintains an on state even during parking.

[0098] When the application 21 generates data to be transmitted to the application server 4 while the vehicle Vc is parked, the application 21 transmits a communication start request to the in-vehicle communication device 1 via the ACP client 22 (step S41). The communication start request includes at least an application ID or a token.

[0099] When the in-vehicle communication device 1 receives a communication start request from the ECU 2 (step S41a), it first secures a port for the application 21 that is the requester of the communication. If a port for the requester has already been secured, the port securing step may be omitted. When the path assignment unit F62 assigns a new port to the application 21, the ID management unit F63 notifies the relay server 5 of the port number assigned to the target application 21 in association with at least one of the application ID and the token.

[0100] Next, the in-vehicle communication device 1 refers to the setting value of the Wi-Fi connection flag and determines whether or not a Wi-Fi connection is possible (step S42). If the Wi-Fi connection flag is set to ON (step S42 YES), the Wi-Fi control unit F2 activates the Wi-Fi communication unit 13 (step S43). Also, a routing process is performed according to a predetermined signaling procedure to connect to the wide area communication network 9 by Wi-Fi communication. Then, the route assignment unit F62 assigns Wi-Fi communication as a communication line between the application 21 and the application server 4 (step S44). On the other hand, if the Wi-Fi connection flag is set to OFF, the route assignment unit F62 assigns cellular communication as a communication line between the application 21 and the application server 4 (step S45).

[0101] When preparations for communication, such as a Wi-Fi connection, are completed, a communication permission response is transmitted to the application 21 (step S46). The communication permission response may include route information, such as a source port number and an IP address.

[0102] When the application 21 receives the communication permission response via the ACP client 22, the application 21 establishes a session by exchanging messages with the application server 4 in a predetermined data communication sequence, and starts encrypted communication (step S47). Through the above process, data transmission from the application 21 to the application server 4 is performed.

[0103] <Problems to be solved and effects of the above configuration>

[0104] Patent Document 1 does not mention anything about a method for controlling a communication line in an in-vehicle communication device when the driving power source is turned off after parking is completed.

[0105] In recent years, there has been an increasing demand to maintain in-vehicle communication devices in a communicative state for data distribution to the vehicle, acquisition of vehicle data, remote control, and the like, even when the vehicle's driving power source is set to off, such as when the vehicle is parked.

[0106] In an in-vehicle communication device capable of using cellular communication and Wi-Fi communication, if both communication modules are activated while the vehicle is parked, the battery consumes a lot of power. In general, the Wi-Fi communication module consumes more power than the cellular communication module. In view of this, the developers of the present disclosure have considered a configuration in which the cellular communication module continues to operate while the Wi-Fi communication module stops operating while the vehicle is parked.

[0107] However, the developers of the present disclosure have found the following problem after studying the above configuration. In the above studied configuration, only cellular communication is available while the vehicle is parked, so if a communication demand such as software distribution occurs while the vehicle is parked, the data communication is performed by cellular communication. As a result, communication charges may increase.

[0108] The present disclosure has been made based on the above considerations or points of view, and one of its objectives is to provide a communication device, a communication processing system, and a communication control method that can reduce cellular communication volume while suppressing power consumption while parked.

[0109] According to the above configuration of the present disclosure, since the power supply to the Wi-Fi communication unit 13 is stopped while the vehicle is parked, it is possible to reduce power consumption (dark current) while the vehicle is parked. In addition, whether or not a Wi-Fi connection is possible at the parking spot is stored, and if a Wi-Fi connection is possible, the Wi-Fi communication unit 13 is started based on a communication start request from inside or outside the vehicle. Then, Wi-Fi communication is assigned as a communication path between the application 21 and the application server 4. In other words, before the application 21-application server 4 data communication starts, a Wi-Fi connection is established, and communication is guided to be performed via Wi-Fi. According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the amount of communication in the cellular line while the vehicle is parked. In other words, it is possible to achieve both suppression of the amount of cellular communication and reduction of power consumption.

[0110] Moreover, if it is registered that a Wi-Fi connection is not possible at the parking spot, data communication is performed between the application 21 and the application server 4 via cellular without starting the Wi-Fi communication unit 13. With this configuration, data communication can be started promptly without starting the Wi-Fi communication unit 13 unnecessarily.

[0111] Furthermore, in the above configuration, as a more preferred embodiment, the relay server 5 also holds Wi-Fi availability information. With this configuration, the relay server 5 can return a response according to the availability of Wi-Fi connection in response to a communication start request from the application server 4. For example, when the vehicle-mounted communication device 1 cannot connect to Wi-Fi at a parking spot, the relay server 5 may return a communication unavailable response to the application server 4 as the request source in response to a request to start communication that is not urgent and involves large volume of data. The communication unavailable response may be a message indicating that communication is currently unavailable or a message requesting that communication be retried after a certain period of time.

[0112] Non-urgent communication is, for example, communication for which the allowable waiting time is set to 12 hours, 1 day, or 1 week. For example, distribution of software update data for an app 21 that is not involved in vehicle driving control, such as an entertainment app 21 such as a video app, may be considered as non-urgent communication. Note that the importance of software update for app 21 that is involved in vehicle driving control may differ depending on the purpose of the software update. The allowable waiting time for software distribution may be set as appropriate by the software distributor.

[0113] As in the above example, according to the configuration in which the relay server 5 holds the communication state of the in-vehicle communication device 1, the relay server 5 can return a response according to the communication state of the in-vehicle communication device 1 to the application server 4 without inquiring of the in-vehicle communication device 1. As a result, it is possible to reduce the risk of unnecessarily activating the in-vehicle communication device 1, and it is possible to further reduce power consumption during parking. In addition, if a communication condition such as an allowable waiting time is attached to the communication start request sent by the application server 4, the relay server 5 can implement a more appropriate response according to the state of the in-vehicle communication device 1 in response to the push request from the application server 4.

[0114] Although the embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modified examples described below are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure, and further, various modifications other than those described below can be implemented without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. For example, the following various supplements and modified examples can be implemented in appropriate combinations as long as no technical contradiction occurs. Note that the same reference numerals are used for components having the same functions as the components described above, and their description may be omitted. In addition, when only a part of the configuration is mentioned, the above description can be applied to the other parts.

[0115] <Additional information on parking operation> The parking spot may be a place where cellular communication is not possible, that is, outside the communication range of the cellular base station 7. In the above configuration, when the parking spot is Wi-Fi connectable but outside the cellular communication range, the communication start request from the application server 4 cannot be delivered to the in-vehicle communication device 1. Therefore, when the parking spot is outside the cellular communication range and the Wi-Fi connection flag is set to ON, the controller 14 may intermittently activate the Wi-Fi communication unit 13 at a predetermined polling interval. The polling interval may be, for example, 5 minutes or 10 minutes. The polling interval may be set according to the responsiveness required by the service (application). The set value of the polling interval is registered in advance in the relay server 5 by communication with the in-vehicle communication device 1 or as a system design value.

[0116] Hereinafter, the operation of the in-vehicle communication device 1 corresponding to the above technical concept will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 8. The flowchart shown in Fig. 8 can be implemented as a subsequent process of the parking-related process shown in Fig. 5. The number of steps and the processing order of the flowchart shown in Fig. 8 can be changed as appropriate.

[0117] It is assumed that the relay server 5 is configured to hold a push request for a predetermined time period corresponding to a polling interval when the relay server 5 receives a push request addressed to the in-vehicle communication device 1 whose Wi-Fi connection flag is set to ON. The state of holding a push request corresponds to a state in which retries are repeated at regular intervals, or a state in which a message can be sent based on an inquiry from the in-vehicle communication device 1.

[0118] First, in step S51, the cellular control unit F1 determines whether or not a wireless connection with the cellular base station 7 has been established based on a signal from the cellular base station 7. If cellular communication is not possible, that is, if the parking spot is outside the cellular communication range, a positive judgment is made in step S51 and the process proceeds to step S52. On the other hand, if cellular communication is possible, a negative judgment is made in step S51 and this flow ends. Whether or not cellular communication is possible may be managed by a cellular connection flag, which is a processing flag.

[0119] In step S52, it is determined whether or not the Wi-Fi connection flag is set to ON. If the Wi-Fi connection flag is set to ON, the process proceeds to step S53. On the other hand, if the Wi-Fi connection flag is set to OFF, the process ends.

[0120] In step S53, the Wi-Fi availability reporting unit F5 reports the communication environment at the parking spot to the relay server 5 via Wi-Fi. That is, it notifies that Wi-Fi connection is possible, but cellular communication is not possible. In a system configuration in which the polling interval is not constant and the polling interval set in the in-vehicle communication device 1 may be unknown to the relay server 5, the Wi-Fi availability reporting unit F5 may notify the relay server 5 of the current setting value of the polling interval. When step S53 is completed, step S54 is executed.

[0121] In step S54, a polling timer for activating the Wi-Fi communication unit 13 and connecting to a network is activated, and the process proceeds to step S55. The polling timer is configured to continue to operate even in the power saving mode. In step S55, the in-vehicle communication device 1 transitions to the power saving mode.

[0122] In step S56, it is determined whether the polling timer has expired. For example, if a signal indicating expiration has not been output from the polling timer, the process proceeds to step S57, where it is determined whether the driving power source has changed from off to on. Step S57 corresponds to a step of determining whether the parked state has been released. If the driving power source remains off, the determinations of steps S56 and S57 are repeated. If the polling timer has expired, step S58 is executed.

[0123] In step S58, the in-vehicle communication device 1 returns to the normal mode and executes processing for the Wi-Fi connection. When the Wi-Fi connection is established, step S59 is executed. In step S59, the request reception unit F61 communicates with the relay server 5 and checks whether a message (data) for the vehicle has arrived from the application server 4 to the relay server 5.

[0124] If a message addressed to the vehicle has not arrived at the relay server 5, a negative judgment is made in S60, and the processes from step S54 onward are executed again. On the other hand, if a message addressed to the vehicle has arrived at the relay server 5, a positive judgment is made in S60, and S61 is executed. In S61, the message that has arrived at the relay server 5 is acquired via Wi-Fi, and a response is made according to the message. For example, the application 21 communicates with the application server 4, receives distribution data from the application server 4, and transmits data in response to a request from the application server 4. When a series of communication processes in S61 is completed, the processes from step S54 onward are executed again.

[0125] According to the configuration described above, the Wi-Fi communication unit 13 is periodically started and the relay server 5 is checked via Wi-Fi for the presence or absence of a communication start request from the application server 4, it is possible to realize a certain degree of service even outside the cellular area while suppressing battery consumption.

[0126] The polling interval may be dynamically changed according to the time elapsed since parking and the time period. For example, immediately after parking, the user is relatively likely to realize that he / she forgot to lock the doors or close the windows and want to operate the vehicle remotely. Therefore, when the time elapsed since parking is less than a predetermined wait-and-see time, the polling interval may be shorter than when the time elapsed since parking is equal to or greater than the wait-and-see time. For example, when the time elapsed since parking is equal to or greater than the wait-and-see time, the polling interval may be set to a relatively long value, such as 5 minutes or 10 minutes. On the other hand, when the time elapsed since parking is less than the wait-and-see time, the polling interval may be set to a value, such as 2 minutes, that is equal to or less than half the value applied when the time elapsed since parking is equal to or greater than the wait-and-see time. The wait-and-see time may be, for example, 15 minutes or 30 minutes, and may be configured to be user-settable.

[0127] The in-vehicle communication device 1 may identify a time when the power source for driving is likely to be set to ON based on the history of the user's daily use start time of the vehicle, and may set the polling interval shorter in a time period before or after the specified time and within a wait-and-see period than in other time periods. The in-vehicle communication device 1 may be configured to set the polling interval shorter in a time period designated in advance by the user than in other time periods. The in-vehicle communication device 1 may be configured to be able to set the polling interval for each time period based on a user operation.

[0128] According to the above configuration, communication between the application server 4 and the application 21 is possible even outside the cellular range. However, from the perspective of the application server 4, the immediacy from the push request to the start of communication may decrease. Therefore, when the relay server 5 can identify that the vehicle-mounted communication device 1 is outside the cellular range and can connect to Wi-Fi, the relay server 5 may notify the application server 4, which is the push request source, that communication is not possible immediately. The notification that communication is not possible immediately may be transmitted by sending any one of (i) a standby instruction, (ii) a waiting time until communication starts, or (iii) a message indicating that communication is not possible. More specifically, the content of the notification as the waiting time until communication starts may be a notification of the set value of the polling interval, or may be the next time when communication is possible or the remaining time until that time.

[0129] In this way, when communication cannot be started immediately because the in-vehicle communication device 1 is outside the cellular range, the relay server 5 notifies the application server 4 of that fact, which allows the application server 4 to carry out processing according to the characteristics of the provided service. For example, the application server 4 can carry out an alternative response, such as sending a predetermined message to the user's smartphone or the like. More specifically, it becomes possible to display the waiting time on the screen of the user's smartphone or the like, and to display options for selecting whether to wait for a response from the vehicle or to cancel the response.

[0130] The application server 4 may transmit data to the relay server 5, to which attribute information indicating whether or not the message requires immediacy, such as an allowable waiting time, is added as a push request. When the relay server 5 receives a push request addressed to the in-vehicle communication device 1 whose Wi-Fi connection flag is set to ON, the relay server 5 may perform different processing based on a comparison result between the requested immediacy and the polling interval. For example, when the set value of the polling interval exceeds the allowable waiting time, the relay server 5 rejects the push request and returns a communication failure response to the push request source. On the other hand, when the set value of the polling interval is equal to or less than the allowable waiting time, the relay server 5 holds the push request as described above. When the set value of the polling interval is equal to or less than the allowable waiting time, the relay server 5 may notify the push request source of the polling interval or the remaining time until the next communication is possible for the in-vehicle communication device 1 / ECU 2 / application 21 that is the destination.

[0131] In the above, the relay server 5 has been described as specifying the communication environment at the parking location of the in-vehicle communication device 1 based on the report from the in-vehicle communication device 1, but the method of specifying the communication environment at the parking location of the in-vehicle communication device 1 is not limited to this. The relay server 5 and the in-vehicle communication device 1 may be configured to periodically transmit and receive messages for communication confirmation. The relay server 5 can specify that the in-vehicle communication device 1 is in an environment where neither cellular communication nor Wi-Fi connection is possible based on the fact that a state where communication confirmation cannot be performed continues for a time period corresponding to a polling interval or more.

[0132] Based on the fact that data communication with the vehicle-mounted communication device 1 is possible intermittently at a period corresponding to the polling interval, the relay server 5 may determine that the vehicle-mounted communication device 1 is in an environment where cellular communication is not possible but Wi-Fi connection is possible.

[0133] When the relay server 5 receives a push request addressed to the ECU 2 / application 21 associated with the vehicle-mounted communication device 1 that is determined to be in an environment in which neither cellular communication nor Wi-Fi connection is possible, the relay server 5 may notify the request source that communication is not possible with the destination. When the relay server 5 receives a push request addressed to the ECU 2 / application 21 associated with the vehicle-mounted communication device 1 that is capable of cellular communication but cannot connect to Wi-Fi, the relay server 5 may change the response according to the expected data size provided by the application server 4. For example, when the expected data size is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold (e.g., 100 MB), the relay server 5 may suspend the message transfer to the vehicle-mounted communication device 1 and notify the application server 4 that the vehicle-mounted communication device 1 cannot connect to Wi-Fi. With this configuration, the application server 4 can take measures such as displaying a screen on a terminal such as a smartphone owned by a user to inquire whether or not large-volume communication is possible over a cellular line.

[0134] As described above, the relay server may change the response to the push request from the application server 4 depending on the communication state of the in-vehicle communication device 1, in other words, the communication environment at the parking spot. Fig. 9 is a table summarizing an example of a response policy depending on the communication state of the in-vehicle communication device 1 described above. When the in-vehicle communication device 1 cannot perform cellular communication but can connect to Wi-Fi, various responses can be adopted depending on the immediacy required for the service.

[0135] In the above, an embodiment in which Wi-Fi communication is adopted as the short-range communication has been exemplified, but the method of the short-range communication does not have to be Wi-Fi. The short-range communication unit may be a module that performs communication conforming to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard. The short-range communication unit may be a communication module that performs impulse radio (IR: Impulse Radio) ultra-wide band (UWB: Ultra Wide Band) communication. The short-range communication may be one that conforms to DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications) corresponding to the IEEE802.11p standard or WAVE (Wireless Access in Vehicular Environment) standard disclosed in IEEE1609 or the like. In one aspect, the short-range communication can be communication that can be connected to a network via a wireless LAN / access point. An access point is a facility that forms a wireless LAN. The concept of an access point can include a roadside device in addition to a router. On the other hand, the cellular communication unit 12 can be interpreted as a communication module that can be connected to a network using a mobile phone line or a SIM. Alternatively, the short-range communication may be cellular V2X, for example, C-V2X (LTE-V2X), NR-V2X (5G-V2X), or LTE Direct. The short-range communication unit may be included in the cellular communication unit as one of its functional elements. The in-vehicle communication device 1 may wirelessly connect to a roadside unit by cellular V2X and communicate with the relay server 5 and the application server 4 via the roadside unit. V2X is an abbreviation for Vehicle to X (everything / something) and refers to a communication technology that directly connects a vehicle to various things. The concept of V2X includes road-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-vehicle communication. NR is an abbreviation for New Radio. <Additional remarks (1)>

[0136] The device, system, and method thereof described in the present disclosure may be realized by a dedicated computer that configures a processor programmed to execute one or more functions embodied by a computer program. The device and method described in the present disclosure may also be realized by using a dedicated hardware logic circuit. Furthermore, the device and method described in the present disclosure may be realized by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor that executes a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. For example, some or all of the functions provided by the in-vehicle communication device 1 may be realized as hardware. The embodiment in which a certain function is realized as hardware includes an embodiment in which it is realized using one or more ICs, etc. As the processor (computation core), a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, a DFP (Data Flow Processor), etc. can be adopted. Furthermore, some or all of the functions provided by the in-vehicle communication device 1 may be realized by combining multiple types of computation processing devices. Some or all of the functions provided by the in-vehicle communication device 1 may be realized by using a system-on-chip (SoC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), etc. The computer program may be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitive tangible storage medium. Examples of storage media for the program include hard disk drives (HDDs), solid state drives (SSDs), flash memory, and secure digital (SD) cards.

Claims

1. A communication device used in a vehicle as an interface for performing data communication between at least one in-vehicle device and an information processing device located outside the vehicle, a short range communication control unit (F2) that controls the operation of a short range communication unit (13) that performs short range communication; a parking detection unit (F3) that detects that the vehicle is parked based on a signal from an on-board sensor (3); a short range communication possibility determination unit (F4) that determines whether or not the data communication using the short range communication is possible at a point where the parking detection unit detects that the vehicle is parked, and stores the determination result in a predetermined memory (16, 17); a request receiving unit (F61) for receiving a communication start request which is a message from one of the in-vehicle device and the information processing device to request the start of the data communication with the other device; The short-range communication control unit stops the operation of the short-range communication unit based on the fact that the parking detection unit detects that the vehicle has been parked, A communication device configured such that when the request receiving unit receives the communication start request while the vehicle is parked and data indicating that the data communication is possible using the short range communication is recorded in the memory, the short range communication control unit resumes operation of the short range communication unit and then causes the in-vehicle device to carry out the data communication with the information processing device using the short range communication.

2. 2. The communication device according to claim 1, The short range communication feasibility determination unit is configured to determine whether data communication using the short range communication is possible by actually sending and receiving a specified message with the information processing device or another device on the network.

3. 3. The communication device according to claim 1, A cellular control unit (F1) for controlling the operation of a cellular communication unit (12) for implementing cellular communication; The cellular control unit continues operation of the cellular communication unit even when the vehicle is parked, The request receiving unit is a communication device configured to be able to receive the communication start request from the information processing device through the cellular communication.

4. 4. The communication device according to claim 3, configured to communicate with the information processing device via a relay server (5) configured to be capable of communicating with the information processing device, The communication device is configured to transmit a determination result of the short-range communication feasibility determination unit to the relay server.

5. The communication device according to claim 4, The short-range communication control unit is configured to operate the short-range communication unit intermittently at a predetermined polling interval while the vehicle is parked if the cellular communication is not possible at the point where the parking detection unit detects that the vehicle is parked.

6. A communication processing system including a communication device (1) used in a vehicle as an interface for an in-vehicle device (2) to perform data communication with an information processing device located outside the vehicle, and a relay server (5) that relays communication between the communication device and the information processing device, The communication device includes: a short range communication control unit (F2) that controls the operation of a short range communication unit (13) that performs short range communication; a cellular control unit (F1) that controls the operation of a cellular communication unit (12) for implementing cellular communication; a parking detection unit (F3) that detects that the vehicle is parked based on a signal from an on-board sensor (3); a short range communication possibility determination unit (F4) that determines whether or not the data communication using the short range communication is possible at a point where the parking detection unit detects that the vehicle is parked, and stores the determination result in a predetermined memory (16, 17); a request receiving unit (F61) for receiving a communication start request, which is a message from one of the in-vehicle device and the information processing device to request the start of the data communication with the other device; a report unit (F5) that transmits a determination result of the short-range communication determination unit to the relay server, the short-range communication control unit is configured to stop operation of the short-range communication unit based on the detection by the parking detection unit that the vehicle has been parked, and to intermittently operate the short-range communication unit at a predetermined polling interval when the cellular communication is not possible and the data communication by the short-range communication is possible at the point where the parking detection unit detects that the vehicle has been parked, The relay server includes: determining whether the communication device is unable to perform the cellular communication and whether the data communication via the short range communication is possible based on at least one of a report from the communication device and a result of a communication confirmation with the communication device; A communication processing system configured to change a response to the communication start request from the information processing device depending on a combination of whether the communication device is capable of performing the cellular communication and whether the data communication via the short range communication is possible.

7. 7. The communication processing system according to claim 6, The communication processing system is configured so that when the relay server receives a request to start communication with the in-vehicle device linked to the communication device from the information processing device when the communication device is unable to perform the cellular communication and is able to perform the data communication via the short range communication, the relay server retains the communication start request for a time corresponding to the polling interval and transmits the communication start request based on receiving an inquiry from the communication device.

8. 8. A communication processing system according to claim 6, further comprising: The relay server is configured to, when the relay server receives a request to start communication with the in-vehicle device linked to the communication device from the information processing device when the communication device is unable to perform the cellular communication and is able to perform the data communication via short range communication, return a message to the sender of the communication start request indicating that communication cannot be started immediately.

9. 8. A communication processing system according to claim 6, further comprising: The relay server includes: determining that the communication device is in an environment in which the data communication by the cellular communication or the short range communication is not possible based on the fact that the state in which communication with the communication device is not possible has continued for a period of time corresponding to the polling interval or more; The communication processing system is configured, when a request to start communication with an in-vehicle device linked to a communication device in an environment where neither the cellular communication nor the data communication via the short range communication is possible, to return a message to the sender of the communication start request indicating that communication cannot be started.

10. A communication control method for at least one in-vehicle device to perform data communication with an information processing device located outside the vehicle, comprising: Detecting that a vehicle equipped with the on-board device has been parked based on a signal from an on-board sensor (S11); When it is detected that the vehicle has been parked, determining whether or not the data communication using short range communication is possible at the location where the vehicle is parked, and storing the determination result in a predetermined memory (16, 17) (S12); Receiving a communication start request, which is a message requesting the start of the data communication between the in-vehicle device and the information processing device, from one of the in-vehicle device and the information processing device (S23a, S41a); Stopping the operation of a short-range communication unit (13), which is a communication module that performs the short-range communication, based on the detection that the vehicle has been parked (S14); When the communication start request is received while the vehicle is parked and data indicating that the data communication is possible using the short range communication is recorded in the memory, the communication control method includes: restarting operation of the short range communication unit and then carrying out the data communication between the in-vehicle device and the information processing device using the short range communication (S25 to S26, S43 to S44).

Images