Vehicle information acquisition device

Abstract

To suitably suppress power consumption of an information acquisition device connected to a connector of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle information acquisition device 20 includes a determination part 25 and a changeover part 26. The determination part 25 determines a non-operating state in which a vehicle 10 is not operated for a first hour according to at least part of first vehicle information in acquired vehicle information, and when determining to be in the non-operating state, determines a communication stop state in which communication is stopped for a prescribed period on a communication line L1. When the determination part 25 determines the communication stop state, the changeover part 26 switches at least some electronic components in the vehicle information acquisition device 20 to a sleep state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle information acquisition device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle diagnosis system. In this vehicle diagnosis system, when a user connects an OBD terminal to an ECU connector of a vehicle, diagnostic result information of the ECU is read out to the OBD terminal, and the information is displayed on the user's mobile communication terminal.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In Patent Document 1, it is assumed that the OBD terminal is temporarily connected to the ECU connector only when it is desired to acquire diagnostic result information. If it is attempted to constantly obtain the diagnostic result information of the vehicle, the OBD terminal needs to be constantly connected to the ECU connector. However, in this case, since the OBD terminal constantly consumes the power of the vehicle battery, there is a risk of so-called battery depletion. To prevent this, it is conceivable to suppress the power consumption of the OBD terminal when the vehicle start switch is off, but there are also cases where a signal indicating the on / off state of the vehicle start switch cannot be obtained from the ECU connector.

[0005] The present invention provides a technology capable of suitably suppressing the power consumption of an information acquisition device connected to a vehicle connector.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] [1] The vehicle information acquisition device of the present invention is connected to a connector of a vehicle having an electronic control unit, a communication line connected to the electronic control unit, and a connector having terminals connected to the communication line, and can acquire vehicle information from the vehicle. Further, the vehicle information acquisition device of the present invention further includes a determination unit and a switching unit. The determination unit determines a non-operating state in which the vehicle is non-operating for a first period based on at least a part of the first vehicle information among the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle, and determines a communication stop state in which communication is stopped for a predetermined period on the communication line when determining the non-operating state. The switching unit switches at least a part of the electronic components in the vehicle information acquisition device to a sleep state when the determination unit determines the communication stop state.

[0007] According to this configuration, even if a signal indicating the on / off state of the start switch cannot be obtained from the vehicle, it is estimated that the start switch is in the off state when it is determined to be in the non-operating state and the communication stop state, and the vehicle information acquisition device can be switched to the sleep state. Therefore, according to this configuration, the power consumption of the vehicle information acquisition device connected to the connector of the vehicle can be suitably suppressed.

[0008] [2] The first vehicle information may be the vehicle speed and the engine speed of the vehicle. The determination unit may determine that the vehicle is in the non-operating state on the condition that the vehicle speed of the vehicle is 0 [km / h] for the first period and the engine speed is 0 [rpm] for the first period.

[0009] According to this configuration, it is possible to determine that the vehicle is in the non-operating state, and by using the vehicle speed and the engine speed that can easily acquire information from the vehicle, it is possible to suppress the complication of the process for determining the non-operating state.

[0010] [3] In [2], the determination unit may determine that the vehicle is in the non-operating state on the condition that the vehicle information acquisition device cannot acquire vehicle information from the vehicle for a second period.

[0011] According to this configuration, even if the start switch is in the off state and the vehicle speed or engine speed does not become 0 [km / h] or 0 [rpm] respectively, the vehicle information acquisition device can be determined to be in the non-operating state on the condition that vehicle information cannot be acquired from the vehicle for the second period of time. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a situation where the device is not determined to be in the non-operating state even though the start switch has been switched to the off state.

[0012] [4] The determination unit may determine whether or not it is in a communication stop state at a predetermined period determined in advance in the sleep state. The switching unit may return the vehicle information acquisition device from the sleep state to the normal state when the determination unit determines that it is not in the communication stop state.

[0013] According to this configuration, when it is determined that the communication stop state has ended, it can be estimated that the start switch has been switched to the on state, and the device can be returned from the sleep state to the normal state.

[0014] [5] The vehicle information acquisition device may be configured to include a voltage detection unit that detects the voltage of a power line to which the output voltage of the vehicle battery is applied as second vehicle information, which is one of the vehicle information. The determination unit may determine whether or not the voltage of the power line satisfies a predetermined increase condition based on the detection value of the voltage detection unit. The switching unit may return the vehicle information acquisition device from the sleep state to the normal state when the determination unit determines that the increase condition is satisfied.

[0015] According to this configuration, based on the voltage of the power line, it can be estimated that the start switch has been switched to the on state, and the device can be returned from the sleep state to the normal state.

Effects of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, the power consumption of the information acquisition device connected to the vehicle connector can be suitably suppressed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] 1. First Embodiment 1-1. Configuration of Vehicle Information Acquisition System 100 The vehicle information acquisition system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a system that acquires vehicle information of the vehicle 10, and includes a vehicle information acquisition device 20, a server device 30, and a terminal device 40.

[0019] The vehicle 10 is an engine vehicle and includes an electronic control unit 11, a battery 12, an alternator 13, an engine 14, a connector 15, a communication line L1, and a power line L2.

[0020] The electronic control unit 11 is a device that controls devices mounted on the vehicle 10. A plurality of electronic control units 11 are provided. In this embodiment, the electronic control unit 11 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). In FIG. 1, the electronic control unit 11 is denoted as “ECU”. The battery 12 is, for example, a lead battery. The alternator 13 is driven by the engine 14 of the vehicle 10 to generate electricity.

[0021] The connector 15 includes a first terminal TR1 and a second terminal TR2. The first terminal TR1 corresponds to an example of a "terminal". A communication line L1 is electrically connected to the first terminal TR1. The communication line L1 is, for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication bus. The communication line L1 is electrically connected to each of the electronic control units 11. Information transmitted and received by the electronic control unit 11 flows through the communication line L1.

[0022] A power line L2 is electrically connected to the second terminal TR2. The power line L2 is connected to the battery 12 and the alternator 13, respectively. The output voltage of the battery 12 and the output voltage of the alternator 13 are applied to the power line L2. When the alternator 13 is not driven, only the output voltage of the battery 12 among the battery 12 and the alternator 13 is applied to the power line L2. The output voltage of the battery 12 when fully charged is a value greater than 0V, for example, 12V. When the alternator 13 is driven, the output voltages of both the battery 12 and the alternator 13 are applied to the power line L2. When the alternator 13 is driven, the voltage applied to the power line L2 is, for example, up to 14V.

[0023] The vehicle information acquisition device 20 includes a first connection line L3, a second connection line L4, a voltage detection unit 21, an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) 22, and a communication unit 23. The vehicle information acquisition device 20 is connected to the connector 15 of the vehicle 10 and can acquire vehicle information from the vehicle 10. The vehicle information includes, for example, diagnostic result information indicating the diagnostic result of the vehicle 10.

[0024] When the vehicle information acquisition device 20 is connected to the connector 15, the first connection line L3 is electrically connected to the first terminal TR1 of the connector 15. That is, the first connection line L3 is electrically connected to the communication line L1 via the first terminal TR1. As a result, information transmitted and received by the electronic control unit 11 flows through the first connection line L3. The information that can be acquired from the first connection line L3 corresponds to an example of the first vehicle information.

[0025] When the vehicle information acquisition device 20 is connected to the connector 15, the second connection line L4 is electrically connected to the second terminal TR2 of the connector 15. That is, the second connection line L4 is electrically connected to the power line L2 via the second terminal TR2. As a result, the voltage applied to the power line L2, that is, the output voltage of the battery 12 and the output voltage of the alternator 13 are applied to the second connection line L4. The information that can be acquired from the second connection line L4 corresponds to an example of the second vehicle information.

[0026] The voltage detection unit 21 is configured as, for example, a known voltage detection circuit. The voltage detection unit 21 detects the voltage of the second connection line L4 as the voltage of the power line L2. The detection value by the voltage detection unit 21 is input to the MCU 22.

[0027] The MCU 22 has a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and controls the operation of the vehicle information acquisition device 20. The MCU 22 is connected to the first connection line L3 and can communicate with the electronic control device 11 via the first connection line L3. The MCU 22 can acquire vehicle information corresponding to the request signal from the electronic control device 11 by transmitting a request signal to the electronic control device 11. The vehicle information that can be acquired according to the request signal is a kind of the first vehicle information, and for example, includes the vehicle speed of the vehicle 10, the engine speed of the vehicle 10, the coolant temperature, the intake air temperature, etc. The MCU 22 is connected to the second connection line L4 and receives power supply based on the battery 12 via the second connection line L4. The MCU 22 has a determination unit 25 and a switching unit 26.

[0028] The determination unit 25 determines a non-operating state in which the vehicle 10 is non-operating for a first time TA (for example, 5 minutes) based on at least a part of the first vehicle information among the vehicle information acquired by the MCU 22. When it is determined that the vehicle is in the non-operating state, the determination unit 25 also determines a communication stop state in which communication on the communication line L1 has been stopped for a predetermined period TB (for example, 10 seconds).

[0029] The determination unit 25 determines that it is in a non-operating state on the condition that the vehicle speed of the vehicle 10 is 0 [km / h] during the first time period TA (for example, 5 minutes) and the engine speed is 0 [rpm] during the first time period TA (for example, 5 minutes) (hereinafter referred to as the "first condition").

[0030] Further, the determination unit 25 determines that it is in a non-operating state on the condition that the vehicle information acquisition device 20 cannot acquire vehicle information from the vehicle 10 during the second time period TD (for example, 10 minutes) (hereinafter referred to as the "second condition"). "The fact that vehicle information from the vehicle 10 cannot be acquired" means that there is no response to the request signal from the electronic control device 11.

[0031] The determination unit 25 determines that it is in a communication stop state when no information flows through the communication line L1 during a predetermined period TB, that is, when there is no change in the signal (voltage) of the communication line L1 during the predetermined period TB.

[0032] When the determination unit 25 determines that it is in a non-operating state and a communication stop state, the switching unit 26 switches at least some of the electronic components (for example, the MCU 22) in the vehicle information acquisition device 20 from the normal state to the sleep state. In the sleep state, a sleep operation with lower power consumption than the operation performed in the normal state is performed. The sleep operation is an operation based on a known sleep method such as a power-saving operation or an intermittent operation. In the sleep state, the sleep operation is performed at a predetermined cycle TC (for example, a 10-second cycle) that is predetermined. In the sleep state, a sleep operation period during which the sleep operation is performed and a return determination period for performing a predetermined return determination are set, and the sleep operation period (for example, 8 seconds) and the return determination period (for example, 2 seconds) come alternately and at a predetermined cycle TC (for example, a 10-second cycle). The number of times of performing the return determination during one return determination period may be once or multiple times.

[0033] The return determination includes a first return determination and a second return determination. The first return determination is a determination as to whether or not it is in a communication stop state. That is, the determination unit 25 determines whether or not it is in a communication stop state at a predetermined cycle TC (for example, a 10-second cycle) in the sleep state. When the determination unit 25 determines that it is not in the communication stop state, the switching unit 26 returns the vehicle information acquisition device 20 from the sleep state to the normal state.

[0034] The second return determination is a determination as to whether or not the voltage of the power line L2 satisfies a predetermined rising condition. The determination unit 25 determines whether or not the output voltage of the battery 12 satisfies a predetermined rising condition based on the detection value of the voltage detection unit 21. When the determination unit 25 determines that the rising condition is satisfied, the switching unit 26 returns the vehicle information acquisition device 20 from the sleep state to the normal state.

[0035] The rising condition is determined based on the voltage of the power line L2 for three cycles detected every time the predetermined cycle TC is reached, for example. Specifically, the rising condition is, for example, that the voltage of the power line L2 detected every time the predetermined cycle TC is reached satisfies the following formulas (1) and (2). VN2 - VN1 > Vth1 ··· Formula (1) VN3 - VN1 > Vth2 ··· Formula (2) VN1 is the voltage of the power line L2 detected in the Nth cycle. VN2 is the voltage of the power line L2 detected in the (N + 1)th cycle. VN3 is the voltage of the power line L2 detected in the (N + 2)th cycle. N is a natural number. Vth2 is a voltage greater than 0V and lower than the voltage at full charge of the battery 12, for example 0.50V. Vth1 is a value greater than 0V and smaller than Vth2, for example 0.25V.

[0036] The communication unit 23 can perform wireless communication with an external device such as the server device 30. The vehicle information acquisition device 20 transmits information (specifically, the vehicle information itself and information obtained by processing the vehicle information) based on the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle 10 to the server device 30. In the normal state, the vehicle information acquisition device 20 continuously transmits information based on the vehicle information.

[0037] The server device 30 can perform wireless communication with the vehicle information acquisition device 20 and the terminal device 40. The server device 30 receives information based on the vehicle information from the vehicle information acquisition device 20. The server device 30 continuously receives information based on the vehicle information under the condition that the vehicle information acquisition device 20 is in the normal state. The server device 30 stores the received information. The server device 30 transfers the information acquired from the vehicle information acquisition device 20 to the terminal device 40. The transfer timing may be, for example, the timing when the server device 30 acquires information from the vehicle information acquisition device 20, the timing when a request is received from the terminal device 40, or the timing when a predetermined time condition is satisfied. The predetermined time condition is, for example, that a predetermined time has been reached or a predetermined period has been reached.

[0038] In this embodiment, the terminal device 40 is a portable device such as a smartphone. Note that the terminal device 40 is not limited to a portable device and may be a stationary device such as a personal computer. The terminal device 40 includes a terminal-side communication unit 41, a terminal-side MCU 42, a display unit 43, and an operation unit 44. The terminal-side communication unit 41 can perform wireless communication with an external device such as the server device 30. The terminal-side MCU 42 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc., and controls the operation of the terminal device 40. The display unit 43 and the operation unit 44 are, for example, a touch panel. The terminal device 40 performs wireless communication with the server device 30 through the terminal-side communication unit 41. When the vehicle 10 for which vehicle information is to be acquired is designated by the operation unit 44, the terminal device 40 can acquire information based on the vehicle information of the designated vehicle 10 from the server device 30. The terminal device 40 can display the acquired information on the display unit 43.

[0039] 1-2. Operations of the vehicle information acquisition system 100 Regarding the above-described first condition and first return determination, a detailed explanation will be given with reference to FIG. 2. The types of information shown in the timing chart of FIG. 2 are, in order from the top, the voltage of the power line L2 (second vehicle information), the on / off state of the alternator 13, the on / off state of the start switch of the vehicle 10 (ignition switch in this embodiment), whether communication is in progress or stopped on the communication line L1, the presence or absence of a response to the request of the vehicle information acquisition device 20, the vehicle speed of the vehicle 10 (first vehicle information), the engine speed of the vehicle 10 (first vehicle information), the operation mode of the vehicle information acquisition device 20, the on / off state of the communication line monitoring function, and the on / off state of the voltage monitoring function.

[0040] The "voltage of the power line L2" is the detected value of the voltage detection unit 21. The "on / off state of the alternator 13" and the "on / off state of the start switch" represent actual operations and are not information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition device 20. Whether "communication is in progress or stopped on the communication line L1" represents an actual operation and is not the determination result by the determination unit 25. The "presence or absence of a response to the request of the vehicle information acquisition device 20" represents an actual operation and is not the determination result by the determination unit 25. The "vehicle speed" and "engine speed" shown in FIG. 2 are information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition device 20 from the vehicle 10 via the connector 15.

[0041] The "operation mode of the vehicle information acquisition device 20" includes the normal state, the sleep preparation state, and the sleep state. The normal state is a state in which the sleep operation is not performed and is a state for executing the determination of whether it is in a non-operating state. The sleep preparation state is a state that transitions when it is determined to be in a non-operating state in the normal state and is a state for executing the determination of whether the communication is stopped. The sleep state is a state that transitions when it is determined that the communication is stopped in the sleep preparation state.

[0042] The "communication line monitoring function" and the "voltage monitoring function" are functions of the MCU 22. The communication line monitoring function is a function of monitoring whether communication is in progress or stopped on the communication line L1. The communication line monitoring function is always in the on state in the normal state and the sleep preparation state, and is in the on state at a predetermined period TC (for example, a 10-second period) in the sleep state. That is, in the sleep state, it is alternately switched between the on state and the off state at a predetermined period TC (for example, a 10-second period). The voltage monitoring function is a function of monitoring the voltage of the power line L2. The voltage monitoring function is always in the on state in the normal state and the sleep preparation state, and is in the on state at a predetermined period TC (for example, a 10-second period) in the sleep state. The MCU 22 detects the voltage of the power line L2 once at a predetermined period TC (for example, a 10-second period) in the sleep state.

[0043] At timing T1 in FIG. 2, the start switch of the vehicle 10 is in the on state, and the vehicle 10 is running. At this time, the alternator 13 is driven in the on state, and the voltage of the power line L2 is 14V. Thereafter, when the vehicle 10 stops at timing T2, the vehicle speed becomes 0 [km / h]. Thereafter, at timing T3, the start switch is turned off, and the engine speed becomes 0 [rpm]. That is, at timing T3, the vehicle speed is 0 [km / h] and the engine speed is 0 [rpm].

[0044] When the determination unit 25 determines that the vehicle speed is 0 [km / h] and the engine speed is 0 [rpm], it determines whether or not this state continues for the first time period TA (for example, 5 minutes). Until the first time period TA elapses, the alternator 13 is turned off, and there is no response to the request from the vehicle information acquisition device 20. When the first time period TA elapses at timing T4 while the vehicle speed is 0 [km / h] and the engine speed is 0 [rpm], it is determined to be in the non-operating state, and the operation mode of the vehicle information acquisition device 20 is switched from the normal state to the sleep preparation state.

[0045] The determination unit 25 determines whether or not it is in a communication stop state in the sleep preparation state. Immediately after timing T4, since communication is in progress on the communication line L1, the determination unit 25 determines that it is not in the communication stop state. Thereafter, while in the non-operating state, when communication stops at timing T5, the determination unit 25 determines whether or not the stopped state continues for a predetermined period TB (for example, 10 seconds). If the stopped state continues for the predetermined period TB (for example, 10 seconds), the determination unit 25 determines that it is in the communication stop state at timing T6. That is, the determination unit 25 determines that it is in the non-operating state and the communication stop state. Then, the switching unit 26 switches the operation mode of the vehicle information acquisition device 20 from the sleep preparation state to the sleep state.

[0046] After the operation mode of the vehicle information acquisition device 20 is switched to the sleep state, the determination unit 25 determines whether or not it is in the communication stop state at a predetermined period TC (for example, a 10-second cycle) determined in advance. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the determination unit 25 determines whether or not it is in the communication stop state by the communication line monitoring function at timings T7, T8, T9, T10, and T11. If communication is stopped on the communication line L1, the determination unit 25 determines that it is in the communication stop state, and if communication is in progress, the determination unit 25 determines that it is not in the communication stop state. For example, at timings T7, T8, T9, and T10, the determination unit 25 determines that it is in the communication stop state. Thereafter, before timing T11, the start switch is turned on and communication on the communication line L1 is started. Therefore, at timing T11, the determination unit 25 determines that it is not in the communication stop state, and the switching unit 26 returns the vehicle information acquisition device 20 from the sleep state to the normal state.

[0047] Subsequently, the above-described second condition and second return determination will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3. Since the types of information shown in the timing chart of FIG. 3 are the same as the types of information shown in the timing chart of FIG. 2, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0048] At timing T21 in FIG. 3, similar to timing T1 in FIG. 2, the start switch of vehicle 10 is in the ON state and vehicle 10 is in motion. At this time, the alternator 13 is driven in the ON state, and the voltage of power line L2 is 14V. Thereafter, when vehicle 10 stops at timing T22, the vehicle speed becomes 0 [km / h]. Thereafter, at timing T23, the start switch is turned OFF, and the engine speed becomes 0 [rpm]. That is, at timing T23, it becomes the non-operating state.

[0049] By the way, when the start switch is turned OFF before the engine speed reaches 0 [rpm] or simultaneously when the engine speed reaches 0 [rpm], the electronic control unit 11 may enter the sleep state before transmitting the response of the engine speed of 0 [rpm]. An example of this is shown in FIG. 3. In this case, although the engine speed has actually reached 0 [rpm], the determination unit 25 cannot recognize that the engine speed has reached 0 [rpm].

[0050] However, when the determination unit 25 cannot acquire vehicle information (when there is no response from the electronic control unit 11), it determines whether or not this state continues for a second time TD (for example, 10 minutes). Then, when the determination unit 25 determines that vehicle information cannot be acquired during the second time TD, at timing T24, it determines that it is in the non-operating state. When the determination unit 25 determines that it is in the non-operating state, the operation mode of the vehicle information acquisition device 20 is switched from the normal state to the sleep preparation state.

[0051] In the sleep preparation state, the determination unit 25 determines whether or not the communication is in a stopped state. Immediately after timing T24, since the communication on the communication line L1 is stopped, the determination unit 25 determines whether or not the stopped state continues for a predetermined period TB (for example, 10 seconds). If the stopped state continues for the predetermined period TB (for example, 10 seconds), the determination unit 25 determines at timing T25 that the communication is in a stopped state. That is, the determination unit 25 determines that it is in a non-operating state and a communication stopped state. Then, the switching unit 26 switches the operation mode of the vehicle information acquisition device 20 from the sleep preparation state to the sleep state.

[0052] After the operation mode of the vehicle information acquisition device 20 is switched to the sleep state, the determination unit 25 determines whether or not the communication is in a stopped state at a predetermined period TC (for example, a 10-second cycle) determined in advance. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the determination unit 25 determines whether or not the communication is in a stopped state by the communication line monitoring function at timings T26, T27, T28, T29, T30, and T31, and acquires the voltage of the power line L2 by the voltage monitoring function. Then, the determination unit 25 determines whether or not the acquired voltage satisfies the above-described rising condition.

[0053] At timings T26, T27, T28, and T29, the voltage of the power line L2 is 12V. However, after timing T29 and before timing T30, the start switch is turned on, the alternator 13 is driven, and the voltage of the power line L2 starts to rise. As a result, the value obtained by subtracting the voltage of the power line L2 at timing T29 from the voltage of the power line L2 at timing T30 is greater than 0.25V, and the condition of the above-described formula (1) is satisfied. Further, the voltage of the power line L2 continues to rise after timing T30, and the value obtained by subtracting the voltage of the power line L2 at timing T29 from the voltage of the power line L2 at timing T31 is greater than 0.50V, and the condition of the above-described formula (2) is satisfied. Therefore, it is determined at timing T31 that the rising condition is satisfied, and the switching unit 26 returns the vehicle information acquisition device 20 from the sleep state to the normal state.

[0054] 1-3. Effects of the First Embodiment When the determination unit 25 determines that the vehicle information acquisition device 20 of the first embodiment is in a non-operating state and a communication stop state, at least some of the electronic components in the vehicle information acquisition device 20 are switched to the sleep state. According to this configuration, even if a signal indicating the on / off state of the start switch cannot be obtained from the vehicle 10, when it is determined that the device is in a non-operating state and a communication stop state, it is presumed that the start switch is in the off state, and the vehicle information acquisition device 20 can be switched to the sleep state. Therefore, according to this configuration, the power consumption of the vehicle information acquisition device 20 connected to the connector 15 of the vehicle 10 can be suitably suppressed.

[0055] Furthermore, the determination unit 25 determines that the vehicle is in a non-operating state on the condition that the vehicle speed of the vehicle 10 is 0 [km / h] and the engine speed is 0 [rpm] during the first time TA. Therefore, by using the vehicle speed and engine speed that can determine that the vehicle 10 is in a non-operating state and can easily obtain information from the vehicle 10, the complication of the process of determining the non-operating state can be suppressed.

[0056] Furthermore, the determination unit 25 determines that the vehicle is in a non-operating state on the condition that the vehicle information acquisition device 20 cannot acquire vehicle information from the vehicle 10 during the second time TD. Therefore, even if the start switch is in the off state, but the vehicle speed or engine speed does not become 0 [km / h] and 0 [rpm] respectively, it can be determined that the vehicle is in a non-operating state on the condition that the vehicle information acquisition device 20 cannot acquire vehicle information from the vehicle 10 during the second time TD. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a situation where the vehicle is not determined to be in a non-operating state even though the start switch has been switched to the off state.

[0057] Furthermore, in the sleep state, the determination unit 25 determines whether or not the communication is in a stopped state at a predetermined period TC. When the determination unit 25 determines that the communication is not in the stopped state, the switching unit 26 returns the vehicle information acquisition device 20 from the sleep state to the normal state. Therefore, when the communication is no longer in the stopped state, it can be estimated that the start switch has been switched to the on state, and the vehicle information acquisition device 20 can be returned from the sleep state to the normal state.

[0058] Furthermore, based on the detection value of the voltage detection unit 21, the determination unit 25 determines whether or not the voltage of the power line L2 satisfies a predetermined rising condition. When the determination unit 25 determines that the rising condition is satisfied, the switching unit 26 returns the vehicle information acquisition device 20 from the sleep state to the normal state. Therefore, based on the voltage of the power line L2, it can be estimated that the start switch has been switched to the on state, and the vehicle information acquisition device 20 can be returned from the sleep state to the normal state.

[0059] In particular, in the present embodiment, the rising condition is a condition determined by the voltages at three points (for three cycles). Therefore, it is possible to suppress an erroneous determination that the vehicle 10 has entered the operating state when the voltage temporarily rises due to noise or the like.

[0060] <Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above with reference to the description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Also, various features of the above-described embodiments and the embodiments described below may be combined in any combination as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the vehicle is an engine vehicle, but it does not have to be an engine vehicle. For example, the vehicle may be a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle. When the vehicle is an electric vehicle, the non-operating state can be determined based only on the vehicle speed. That is, when the vehicle speed is 0 [km / h], it can be determined that the vehicle is in the non-operating state.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the configuration was such that when communication was resumed, the device would return from the sleep state to the normal state. However, it may also be configured to return from the sleep state to the normal state by another method. For example, it may be configured to have a vibration detection unit that detects vibrations applied to the vehicle, and to return from the sleep state to the normal state based on the detection of vibrations.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the rising condition was a condition determined based on the voltage for three cycles. However, it may also be a condition determined based on the voltage for two cycles, or a condition determined based on the voltage for four or more cycles. Also, in the above embodiment, the rising condition was a condition determined based on the voltage at three points. However, it may also be a condition determined based on the voltage at two points, or a condition determined based on the voltage at four or more points.

[0064] It should be considered that all the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed this time, and it is intended to include all modifications within the scope indicated by the claims or within the scope equivalent to the claims.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0065] 10…Vehicle 11…Electronic Control Unit 12…Battery 15…Connector 20…Vehicle Information Acquisition Device 21…Voltage Detection Unit 25…Determination Unit 26…Switching Unit L1…Communication Line L2…Power Line TA…First Time TB…Predetermined Period TC…Predetermined Cycle TD…Second Time

Claims

1. A vehicle information acquisition device connected to the connector of a vehicle, which has an electronic control device, a communication line connected to the electronic control device, and a connector having terminals connected to the communication line, and is capable of acquiring vehicle information from the vehicle, a determination unit that determines a non-operating state in which the vehicle is non-operating for a first period of time based on at least a part of the acquired vehicle information, and determines a communication stop state in which communication on the communication line has stopped for a predetermined period when the non-operating state is determined; and a switching unit that switches at least a part of the electronic components in the vehicle information acquisition device to a sleep state when the determination unit determines the communication stop state. The vehicle information acquisition device further includes the switching unit.

2. The first vehicle information is the vehicle speed and engine speed of the vehicle, and the determination unit determines the non-operating state on the condition that the vehicle speed of the vehicle is 0 [km / h] during the first period of time and the engine speed is 0 [rpm] during the first period of time. The vehicle information acquisition device according to Claim 1.

3. The determination unit determines the non-operating state on the condition that the vehicle information acquisition device cannot acquire the vehicle information from the vehicle for a second period of time. The vehicle information acquisition device according to Claim 2.

4. In the sleep state, the determination unit determines whether or not the communication stop state exists at a predetermined period determined in advance, and when the determination unit determines that the communication stop state does not exist, the switching unit returns the vehicle information acquisition device from the sleep state to the normal state. The vehicle information acquisition device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3.

5. The vehicle information acquisition device has a voltage detection unit that detects the voltage of a power line to which the output voltage of the battery of the vehicle is applied as second vehicle information, which is one of the vehicle information, the determination unit determines whether or not the voltage of the power line satisfies a predetermined increase condition based on the detection value of the voltage detection unit, and when the determination unit determines that the increase condition is satisfied, the switching unit returns the vehicle information acquisition device from the sleep state to the normal state. The vehicle information acquisition device according to any one of Claims 1 to 4.

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