Communication system

Abstract

To provide a communication system that enhances the reliability in vehicle communication.SOLUTION: A vehicle communication system includes a first on-vehicle device (DCM10; data communication module) that communicates via a built-in communication module, a second on-vehicle device (ECU20) that communicates via the first on-vehicle device and an on-vehicle device 30 (car navigation device). When the first on-vehicle device communicates independently, the first on-vehicle device communicates with a center server 100 through a first access point (first APN) of a plurality of access points that provides access to a wide area network and communicates with the center server through a second access point (second APN) different from the first access point when performing communication on the basis of a request from the second on-vehicle device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication system.

Background Art

[0002] A system in which an in-vehicle computer performs wireless communication has become widespread. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle communication system that has a plurality of in-vehicle transmission / reception antennas and performs transmission control of emergency data using a second transmission / reception antenna when the first transmission / reception antenna becomes unusable.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to improve the reliability of communication performed by a vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle communication system including a first in-vehicle device that communicates via a built-in communication module, and a second in-vehicle device that communicates via the first in-vehicle device. Specifically, when the first in-vehicle device communicates alone, the first in-vehicle device communicates via a first access point among a plurality of access points that provide access to a wide area network, and communicates based on a request from the second in-vehicle device in the case of performing communication, communication is performed via a second access point different from the first access point.

[0006] As another aspect, there is provided an information processing method executed by the first or second in-vehicle device, a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method, or a computer-readable storage medium storing the program non-temporarily.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the reliability of communication performed by a vehicle can be enhanced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle communication system including a first in-vehicle device that communicates via a built-in communication module, and a second in-vehicle device that communicates via the first in-vehicle device. Specifically, when the first in-vehicle device communicates alone, it communicates via a first access point among a plurality of access points that provide access to a wide area network, and when communicating based on a request from the second in-vehicle device, it communicates via a second access point different from the first access point.

[0010] The first in-vehicle device is an in-vehicle device incorporating a communication module. The first in-vehicle device is also referred to as, for example, a DCM (Data Communication Module). The first in-vehicle device can communicate alone using the incorporated communication module. The second in-vehicle device is an in-vehicle device that does not incorporate a communication module. The second in-vehicle device is, for example, a car navigation device, an infotainment device, a head unit, etc. Also, the second in-vehicle device may be an ECU (Electric Control Unit). The second in-vehicle device can communicate with the outside of the vehicle via the first in-vehicle device.

[0011] When the communication module provides a connection to a wide area network such as the Internet via a mobile communication network, it is necessary to specify an access point name. An access point is a gateway that connects a mobile communication network and a wide area network. However, when using a single access point, problems may occur in terms of reliability and load distribution. For example, among vehicle functions that use the network, some require high reliability such as an emergency reporting function and a security function, and some do not, such as a traffic information providing function. If all of these communications are performed on the same route, there is a risk that necessary functions may become unavailable in the event of communication congestion or a communication failure.

[0012] To address this, in the vehicle communication system according to the present disclosure, different access points are used depending on whether the first in-vehicle device communicates alone or the second in-vehicle device communicates via the first in-vehicle device. For example, communications that require a higher reliability are performed by the first in-vehicle device alone, and other communications are performed by the second in-vehicle device, thereby dispersing the communication paths. As a result, the load can be reduced and high reliability can be obtained.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

[0014] The outline of the vehicle system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The vehicle system according to the present embodiment includes a vehicle 1 and a center server 100.

[0015] The vehicle 1 is a connected car having a communication function. The vehicle 1 includes a DCM10 which is a communication module, an ECU 20, and an in-vehicle device 30. Although a single ECU 20 is illustrated in the figure, there may be a plurality of ECUs 20 mounted on the vehicle. Examples of the plurality of ECUs included in the vehicle include an engine ECU, a body ECU, a power train ECU, or a hybrid ECU. The in-vehicle device 30 is a device that provides information to the passengers of the vehicle (for example, a car navigation device).

[0016] The center server 100 is a server device capable of communicating with the vehicle 1. By communicating with the vehicle 1, the center server 100 provides various remote services. As an example of a remote service, there is a service for remotely controlling the air conditioner of the vehicle 1. By using such a service, the user can operate the heating or cooling of the vehicle and make the interior temperature suitable before getting into the vehicle.

[0017] The components of the system will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1. The vehicle 1 includes a DCM 10, an ECU 20, and an in-vehicle device 30. These components are interconnected by a CAN bus 40. In this example, the air-conditioning ECU 20A is exemplified as the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 20 mounted on the vehicle 1. The air-conditioning E CU 20A is an ECU that controls a plurality of air-conditioning devices of the vehicle, and is one of the plurality of ECUs 20. Examples of the plurality of air-conditioning devices of the vehicle include, for example, an air conditioner, a defroster, a seat heater, a steering heater, and the like. Other ECUs 20 that govern other vehicle components may be connected to the CAN bus 40. In the following description, when collectively referring to a plurality of ECUs of the vehicle, the term ECU 20 is used.

[0018] The DCM 10 is an interface unit that connects an in-vehicle network and a communication network outside the vehicle 1 (hereinafter, external network). The DCM 10 is configured to be able to communicate with a mobile communication network by wireless communication. The mobile communication network is interconnected with a wide-area network (for example, the Internet), and thereby the DCM 10 can communicate with devices on the wide-area network.

[0019] The DCM 10 executes a function of mediating communication between the external network and the vehicle 1. For example, when the ECU 20 or the in-vehicle device 30 of the vehicle 1 requires communication with the external network, the DCM 10 relays the data transmitted from the ECU 20 or the in-vehicle device 30 to the external network. Also, it receives the data transmitted from the external network and transfers the data to an appropriate ECU 20 or in-vehicle device 30. For example, the DCM 10 executes a process of receiving a request (air-conditioning request) to operate the air-conditioning of the vehicle 1 from the center server 100 and transferring the air-conditioning request to the air-conditioning ECU 20.

[0020] Furthermore, the DCM10 can execute functions specific to the device itself. For example, the DCM10 has a security monitoring function and a call function, and based on triggers occurring inside the vehicle, it can perform security notifications, emergency notifications, etc.

[0021] The DCM10 can be configured as a computer having processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), main memory devices such as a RAM and a ROM, an EPROM, and a disk drive , and auxiliary storage devices such as removable media. However, some or all of the functions may be realized by hardware circuits such as ASICs and FPGAs.

[0022] The DCM10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13A which is an interface for communicating with the CAN bus 40, a communication unit 13B which is an interface for communicating with an external network, and an input / output unit 14.

[0023] The control unit 11 is an arithmetic unit (processor) that realizes various functions of the DCM10 by executing a predetermined program. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the logical configuration of the control unit 11 included in the DCM10. The control unit 11 has three modules, namely, a data relay unit 111, an emergency notification unit 112, and a security unit 113, as functional modules. Each functional module may be realized by executing a program stored in a storage means such as a ROM by the control unit 11 (i.e., a CPU or the like).

[0024] The data relay unit 111 receives, for example, a message sent by a first device connected to the in-vehicle network, and executes a process of transferring the message to a second device connected to the in-vehicle network as necessary. When the vehicle 1 has a plurality of CAN buses, the data relay unit 111 may send the message to an appropriate CAN bus. The first and second devices may be the ECU 20 or the in-vehicle device 30. In addition, when the data relay unit 111 receives a message destined for an external network from the ECU 20 or the in-vehicle device 30, it relays the message to the external network. Also, it receives data transmitted from the external network and transfers the data to an appropriate ECU 20 or in-vehicle device 30.

[0025] When an abnormal situation occurs in the vehicle 1, the emergency reporting unit 112 makes an emergency report to an operator outside the vehicle. Examples of abnormal situations include the occurrence of a traffic accident or a vehicle breakdown. For example, when a predetermined trigger such as the pressing of a call button provided inside the vehicle or the deployment of an airbag occurs, the emergency reporting unit 112 starts a connection with the operator and enables a call between the vehicle occupants and the operator.

[0026] The security unit 113 performs security monitoring processing. For example, based on data received from the ECU 20 that manages the electronic lock of the vehicle, the security unit 113 detects that the vehicle has been unlocked without following the normal procedure and sends a security report to a predetermined device. The security report may include the vehicle's location information. In this case, the security unit 113 may be configured to be able to acquire location information from other components of the vehicle 1.

[0027] Returning to FIG. 2, the description will continue. The memory unit 12 is a memory device including a main memory device and an auxiliary memory device. In the auxiliary memory device, an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc. are stored, and by loading the programs stored therein into the main memory device and executing them, various functions that meet predetermined purposes as described later can be realized.

[0028] The communication unit 13A is a communication interface that connects the DCM 10 to an in-vehicle network (CAN bus 40). The communication unit 13A executes a process of converting a message in a predetermined format generated by the control unit 11 into CAN data, and a process of converting the received CAN data into a message in a predetermined format and transmitting it to the control unit 11. The communication unit 13B is a communication interface that connects the DCM 10 to a mobile communication network. The communication unit 13B executes a process of converting a message in a predetermined format generated by the control unit 11 into a packet, and a process of converting the received packet into a message in a predetermined format and transmitting it to the control unit 11.

[0029] The input / output unit 14 is a unit that performs information input / output with the vehicle occupants. The input / output unit 14 can be, for example, an audio input / output unit including a microphone and a speaker. By using the input / output unit 14, the DCM 10 can provide functions such as a communication function.

[0030] Next, the ECU 20 will be described. Here, as an example of the ECU 20, the air-conditioning ECU 20A will be exemplified. The air-conditioning ECU 20A is an electronic control unit that controls the air-conditioning device mounted on the vehicle 1. A plurality of air-conditioning devices are connected to the air-conditioning ECU 20, and based on instructions from the user, control of these air-conditioning devices is performed. Examples of the plurality of air-conditioning devices included in the vehicle 1 can include a car air conditioner, a defroster, a seat heater, a steering heater, etc.

[0031] The air conditioning ECU 20A operates the air conditioner based on operations performed on a control panel installed inside the vehicle, and also executes remote air conditioning based on an air conditioning request transmitted from the center server 100. The mode for performing remote air conditioning is referred to as the remote air conditioning mode. When the vehicle 1 is in the remote air conditioning mode, driving is prohibited. When the vehicle 1 is in the remote air conditioning mode, for example, changing the shift position, releasing the parking brake, releasing the steering lock, etc. are prohibited.

[0032] Similar to the DCM 10, the air conditioning ECU 20A can be configured as a computer having processors such as a CPU and a GPU, main storage devices such as a RAM and a ROM, and auxiliary storage devices such as an EPROM, a disk drive, and a removable media.

[0033] In the present embodiment, the air conditioning ECU 20A is configured to include a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23. The control unit 21 is an arithmetic unit (processor) that realizes various functions of the air conditioning ECU 20A by executing a predetermined program.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the logical configuration of the control unit 21 included in the air conditioning ECU 20A. The control unit 21 has a remote air conditioning unit 211 as a functional module. This functional module may be realized by executing a program stored in a storage means such as a ROM by the control unit 21 (that is, a CPU or the like).

[0035] Based on the received air conditioning request, the remote air conditioning unit 211 generates a command for operating one or more air conditioners. Thereby, the remote air conditioning of the vehicle 1 is started. Also, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the remote air conditioning unit 211 stops the remote air conditioning. For example, the remote air conditioning unit 211 stops the remote air conditioning when a predetermined timer expires or when the user gets into the vehicle 1.

[0036] The storage unit 22 is a memory device including a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. Since these functions are the same as those of the control unit 11 and the storage unit 12, detailed descriptions thereof are omitted. The communication unit 23 is a communication interface that connects the air-conditioning ECU 20A to the in-vehicle network (CAN bus 40). The communication unit 23 executes a process of converting a message in a predetermined format generated by the control unit 21 into CAN data, and a process of converting the received CAN data into a message in a predetermined format and transmitting the message to the control unit 21.

[0037] The in-vehicle device 30 is a device that provides information to the vehicle occupants, and is also called a car navigation system, an infotainment system, or a head unit. The in-vehicle device 30 can provide navigation and entertainment to the vehicle occupants. Further, the in-vehicle device 30 has a function of downloading traffic information, road map data, music, moving images, etc. by communicating with an external network of the vehicle 1.

[0038] The in-vehicle device 30 can be configured as a computer having processors such as a CPU and a GPU, a main storage device such as a RAM and a ROM, and auxiliary storage devices such as an EPROM, a disk drive, and a removable media, similar to the DCM 10.

[0039] In the present embodiment, the in-vehicle device 30 is configured to include a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, a communication unit 33, and an input / output unit 34. The control unit 31 is an arithmetic unit (processor) that realizes various functions of the in-vehicle device 30 by executing a predetermined program. The control unit 31 executes a navigation function, an audio / visual function, and other information providing functions. The storage unit 32 is a memory device including a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. These functions are the same as those of the control unit 11 and the storage unit 12, and thus detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0040] The communication unit 33 is a communication interface that connects the in-vehicle device 30 to the in-vehicle network (CAN bus 40). The input / output unit 34 is a unit that receives input operations performed by the user and presents information to the user. In this embodiment, it consists of a single touch panel display. That is, it is composed of a liquid crystal display and its control means, and a touch panel and its control means.

[0041] The CAN bus 40 is a in-vehicle network communication bus that is based on the CAN (Controller Area Network) protocol. In this example, one CAN bus 40 is illustrated, but the in-vehicle network may have a plurality of communication buses. Also, it may have a gateway for interconnecting these multiple communication buses. In this case, the DCM10 may also serve as the gateway. Further, instead of the CAN bus, a network such as Ethernet (registered trademark) may be used.

[0042] FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the center server 100 shown in FIG. 1. The center server 100 is a server device that remotely controls the vehicle 1. The center server 100 is configured to be able to execute, for example, a program for instructing the operation of remote air conditioning for the vehicle 1. The center server 100 may, for example, instruct the vehicle 1 to perform the operation of remote air conditioning based on a request transmitted from a user terminal.

[0043] The center server 100 can be configured by a general-purpose computer. That is, the center server 100 can be configured as a computer having a processor such as a CPU or GPU, a main storage device such as a RAM or ROM, and an auxiliary storage device such as an EPROM, a hard disk drive, and a removable medium. The auxiliary storage device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, various functions that match a predetermined purpose as described later can be realized. However, some or all of the functions may be realized by a hardware circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA.

[0044] The center server 100 is configured to include a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, and a communication unit 103.

[0045] The control unit 101 is a means for controlling the center server 100. The control unit 101 is composed of, for example, an information processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). It is composed of an information processing unit. The control unit 101 has an air conditioning request unit 1011 as a functional module. The functional module may be realized by executing a program stored in a storage means such as a ROM by the CPU.

[0046] Based on the data transmitted from the user terminal, the air conditioning request unit 1011 generates a request (air conditioning request) for operating the remote air conditioning of the designated vehicle 1 and transmits it to the vehicle 1. The air conditioning request includes, for example, the designation of the air conditioning device to be operated, the set temperature, the operating time, etc. The generated air conditioning request is transmitted to the DCM10 mounted on the target vehicle via the network.

[0047] The storage unit 102 is a means for storing information and is composed of a storage medium such as a RAM, a magnetic disk, or a flash memory. The storage unit 102 stores various programs executed by the control unit 101, data used by the programs, etc. Also, the storage unit 102 stores data related to the vehicle 1 (for example, the identifier of the vehicle 1, the identification information of the DCM10, etc.).

[0048] The communication unit 103 is an interface for connecting the center server 100 to the network. The communication unit 103 can communicate with the vehicle 1 via, for example, the Internet or a mobile communication network.

[0049] Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the logical communication path between the vehicle 1 and the external network will be described. In this embodiment, the DCM 10 accesses a wide - area network (Internet) via a mobile communication network. When accessing a wide - area network such as the Internet via a mobile communication network, it is necessary to specify a gateway (also called an access point), which is a connection point between networks. The name of the access point is also called an Access Point Name (APN).

[0050] In this embodiment, the DCM 10 can communicate with a wide - area network using two types of APNs. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a communication path from the vehicle 1 to the wide - area network. When the communication to be performed by the DCM 10 is by the device alone, the DCM 10 communicates via the first APN. Examples of the communication performed by the DCM 10 alone include communication performed by the emergency reporting unit 112 (communication related to emergency reporting) and communication performed by the security unit 113 (communication related to security). Also, when the communication to be performed by the DCM 10 is due to a request from outside the device, the DCM 10 communicates via the second APN. Examples of such communication include communication related to remote air - conditioning performed by the air - conditioning ECU 20A and communication performed by the in - vehicle device 30.

[0051] When the DCM 10 communicates only using a single APN (for example, the first APN), if a failure occurs in the access point in use, the communication will be interrupted. Also, if a high load is applied to the access point, it will also cause a communication failure. On the other hand, as in this embodiment, if multiple APNs are properly used according to the communication source, even if a communication failure or communication delay occurs in one of them, the service can continue to be provided. Furthermore, since the communication paths can be separated for multiple services, the development efficiency can be improved.

[0052] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the processing executed by the DCM 10 (data relay unit 111) when data addressed to the wide - area network is generated inside the vehicle 1. The illustrated processing is repeatedly executed during the operation of the vehicle system. First, in step S11, data is received. The data may be transmitted from a module within the own device (i.e., the emergency notification unit 112 or the security unit 113), or may be transmitted from the ECU 20 or the in-vehicle device 30. Next, in step S12, the source of the data is determined. If the source of the data is a module within the own device, the process transitions to step S13. If the source of the data is another device (i.e., the ECU 20 or the in-vehicle device 30), the process transitions to step S14.

[0053] In step S13, communication with an external network is established using the first APN, and data relaying is performed. Also, in step S14, communication with an external network is established using the second APN, and data relaying is performed.

[0054] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the process executed by the DCM 10 (data relay unit 111) when data addressed to components of the vehicle 1 is received from a wide area network. The illustrated process is repeatedly executed during the operation of the vehicle system. First, in step S21, data is received. The data may be addressed to a module within the own device (i.e., the emergency notification unit 112 or the security unit 113), or may be addressed to any one of the plurality of ECUs 20 of the vehicle 1, or the in-vehicle device 30. Next, in step S22, the channel through which the data was received is determined. If the channel through which the data was received is a communication channel using the first APN, the process transitions to step S23. If the channel through which the data was received is a communication channel using the second APN, the process transitions to step S24.

[0055] In step S23, the received data is processed within the own device. Specifically, the data is transferred to the module that is the destination of the data (i.e., the emergency notification unit 112 or the security unit 113). In step S24, the received data is transferred to the ECU 20 (or in-vehicle device 30) which is the destination of the data.

[0056] As described above, in the vehicle system according to the present embodiment, the communication path is dynamically switched depending on whether the entity performing the data communication is the own device (DCM 10) or another device (ECU 20, in-vehicle device 30). According to such a configuration, it becomes possible to disperse the communication load and to provide a communication system that is resistant to failures.

[0057] (Modification example) The above embodiment is merely an example, and the present invention can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the processes and means described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0058] Also, the process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by a plurality of devices. Alternatively, the process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, it is possible to flexibly change how each function is realized by what hardware configuration (server configuration).

[0059] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer and causing one or more processors included in the computer to read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the system bus of the computer, or may be provided to the computer via a network. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes, for example, any type of disk such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk, etc.), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

Explanation of Signs

[0060] 1 ··· Vehicle 10 ··· DCM 20 ··· ECU 30 ··· In-vehicle device 11, 21, 31 ··· Control unit 12, 22, 32 ··· Storage unit 13, 23, 33 ··· Storage unit 14, 34 ··· Input / output unit 100 ··· Center server 101 ··· Control unit 102 ··· Storage unit 103 ··· Communication unit

Claims

【Claim 1】 A communication system including a first in-vehicle device that communicates via a built-in communication module, and a second in-vehicle device that is connected to the first in-vehicle device via an in-vehicle network and communicates with an external wide-area network via the first in-vehicle device, when the first in-vehicle device receives first data that is data from inside the vehicle on which the first in-vehicle device is mounted, the first in-vehicle device determines whether the source of the first data is a module within the first in-vehicle device or the second in-vehicle device, the first in-vehicle device, when the source of the first data is the module within the first in-vehicle device, establishes communication with the wide-area network via a first access point among a plurality of access points that provide access to the wide-area network and relays the first data, when the source of the first data is the second in-vehicle device, establishes communication with the wide-area network via a second access point different from the first access point and relays the first data, when the first in-vehicle device receives second data that is data transmitted from the wide-area network toward the vehicle, the first in-vehicle device determines whether the second data is received via the first access point or the second access point, the first in-vehicle device, when the second data is received via the first access point, processes the second data within the first in-vehicle device, when the second data is received via the second access point, transmits the second data to the second in-vehicle device, A communication system.

Images