Server and vehicle management system

Abstract

To provide a server and a vehicle management system which reduce a risk such as a theft and prevent start-up of an engine in a safer state.SOLUTION: A storage unit DB of a server 14 stores a permission area of travel of a vehicle 19, a threshold of battery voltage, a threshold of the similarity to reference sound data of the idling sound and a motion condition. A position determination unit 56 determines whether or not a position shown in positioning data is within a non-permission area. An ACC state determination unit 57 determines whether or not the accessory power supply state is in the off-state. A voltage determination unit 61 determines whether or not the battery voltage is less than a voltage threshold. A sound determination unit 63 determines whether or not the similarity of the acquired sound data is less than the threshold. A motion determination unit 66 determines whether or not the acceleration speed and angular speed satisfy the motion condition. A transmission unit 21 transmits a start-up prevention instruction to an on-vehicle terminal 13 when affirmative determination is performed by each determination unit 56, 57, 61, 63, 66.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a server and a vehicle management system.

Background Art

[0002] Devices for preventing theft of vehicles used in car rental, car sharing, etc. are known. For example, in Patent Document 1, there are provided a determination unit for determining whether or not the rental period has passed, a lock unit for locking the engine or motor in an off state, or locking the shift position of the transmission in a parking position, and a control unit for operating the lock unit to lock the vehicle when the rental period of the vehicle has passed. The control unit rewrites the rental period to zero when it receives information for forcibly ending the rental transmitted from the center when the vehicle has been stolen.

[0003] Further, Patent Document 2 discloses an anti-theft device including a transceiver of a vehicle that receives a setting area from a communication source, a position measuring means for measuring the current position of the vehicle, an anti-theft means provided in the vehicle, and a controller for operating the anti-theft means. The controller operates the vehicle's anti-theft means when the current position is outside the set area by comparing the set area with the current position, and also operates the vehicle's anti-theft means when it determines that it cannot receive a signal periodically transmitted from the communication source. The anti-theft means stores an instruction to operate the anti-theft function without executing the anti-theft function while the engine is running, and executes the anti-theft function after the engine has been stopped.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, since the vehicle theft prevention device described in Patent Document 1 has a locking unit that operates after the rental period has passed, it cannot deal with the case where the vehicle is stolen during the rental period. Also, recently, in order to reduce the environmental load and improve fuel efficiency, for example, automobiles equipped with functions such as automatically stopping the engine when waiting for a signal have been increasing. If such an automobile executes a theft prevention function when the engine stops, like the theft prevention device described in Patent Document 2, the engine cannot be started during signal waiting. As a result, it may cause traffic congestion and, ultimately, put the driver himself / herself and the drivers of other automobiles in a dangerous state, and a mechanism for preventing the engine from starting in a safer state is required.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a server and a vehicle management system that reduce the risk of theft and prevent the engine from starting in a safer state.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The server of the present invention includes a receiving unit, a storage unit, a position determination unit, an accessory power state determination unit, a voltage determination unit, a sound determination unit, a motion determination unit, and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit receives positioning data indicating the position of the vehicle, accessory power state data indicating the on / off state of the accessory power of the vehicle, battery voltage data of the vehicle, acquired sound data of the idling sound during idling of the vehicle, and each motion data indicating the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity applied to the vehicle, from an in-vehicle terminal mounted on the vehicle. The storage unit stores a permitted area where the vehicle's travel is permitted, a voltage threshold of the vehicle's battery voltage, reference sound data of the vehicle's periodic idling sound, a similarity threshold of the similarity with the reference sound data, and a stop state and preset stop conditions based on the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity. The position determination unit compares the positioning data with the permitted area stored in the storage unit to determine whether the position indicated by the positioning data is within a non-permitted area that is not the permitted area. The accessory power state determination unit determines whether the accessory power state indicated by the accessory power state data is in the off state. The voltage determination unit determines whether the battery voltage indicated by the battery voltage data is less than the voltage threshold stored in the storage unit. The sound determination unit compares the acquired sound data with the reference sound data to determine whether the similarity of the acquired sound data is less than the similarity threshold. The motion determination unit determines whether the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity indicated by the motion data satisfy the conditions stored in the storage unit. The transmitting unit transmits a start prevention instruction to prevent the start of the vehicle's engine after the idling sound is no longer acquired, to the in-vehicle terminal when a positive determination is made in the position determination unit, the power state determination unit, the voltage determination unit, the sound determination unit, and the motion determination unit.

[0008] It is preferable that the accessory power state determination unit makes a determination when a positive determination is made in the position determination unit, the voltage determination unit makes a determination when a positive determination is made in the accessory power state determination unit, the sound determination unit makes a determination when a positive determination is made in the power determination unit, and the motion determination unit makes a determination when a positive determination is made in the sound determination unit.

[0009] The vehicle management system of the present invention includes an in-vehicle terminal mounted on a vehicle and a server that communicates with the in-vehicle terminal. The in-vehicle terminal has a positioning data acquisition unit, an accessory power state acquisition unit, a battery voltage acquisition unit, a sound acquisition unit, a motion data acquisition unit, an in-vehicle terminal transceiver unit, and a start prevention unit. The positioning data acquisition unit acquires positioning data indicating the position of the vehicle. The accessory power state acquisition unit detects the on / off state of the accessory power of the vehicle. The battery voltage acquisition unit acquires the battery voltage of the vehicle. The sound acquisition unit acquires the idling sound when the vehicle is idling. The motion data acquisition unit acquires motion data indicating the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity applied to the vehicle. The in-vehicle terminal transceiver unit transmits the positioning data, accessory power state data indicating the on / off state of the accessory power, battery voltage data, acquired sound data of the idling sound, and each motion data indicating the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity to the server and receives an instruction from the server. The start prevention unit prevents the vehicle from starting after the idling sound has stopped being acquired when the in-vehicle terminal transceiver unit receives a start prevention instruction from the server to prevent the engine of the vehicle from starting. The server has a reception unit, a storage unit, a position determination unit, an accessory power state determination unit, a voltage determination unit, a sound determination unit, a motion determination unit, and a transmission unit. The reception unit receives the positioning data, accessory power state data indicating the acquired on / off state of the accessory power, battery voltage data, acquired sound data of the idling sound, and each motion data indicating the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity from the in-vehicle terminal. The storage unit stores a permitted area where the vehicle's travel is permitted, a voltage threshold value of the vehicle's battery voltage, reference sound data of the vehicle's periodic idling sound, a similarity threshold value of the similarity with the reference sound data, and a preset stop condition for the stop state based on the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity. The position determination unit compares the positioning data with the permitted area stored in the storage unit and determines whether the position indicated by the positioning data is within a non-permitted area that is not the permitted area. The accessory power state determination unit determines whether the accessory power state indicated by the accessory power state data is in the off state. The voltage determination unit determines whether the battery voltage indicated by the battery voltage data is less than the voltage threshold value stored in the storage unit.The sound determination unit compares the acquired sound data with the reference sound data and determines whether the similarity of the acquired sound data is less than a similarity threshold. The motion determination unit determines whether the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity indicated in the motion data satisfy the conditions stored in the memory unit. The transmission unit transmits a start-up prevention instruction to the in-vehicle terminal when the position determination unit, power supply state determination unit, voltage determination unit, sound determination unit, and motion determination unit all make positive determinations. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the risk of theft or the like is reduced, and the start of the vehicle engine can be prevented in a safer state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

[0012] The vehicle management system 11 shown in FIG. 1 is one embodiment of the present invention and is used to manage a plurality of vehicles. The vehicles are rental cars. In this example, all of the vehicles are automobiles, but they may also be vehicles other than automobiles, such as motorcycles, construction machinery vehicles, and heavy machinery vehicles. Each vehicle is equipped with an on-board terminal, which is denoted by reference numerals 13A, 13B, 13C, etc. in FIG. 1. The vehicle management system 11 includes a server 14 and on-board terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, etc. The server 14 and each of the on-board terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, etc. are connected to each other via a communication network 18 such as the Internet, thereby enabling communication, i.e., the transmission and reception of various data (information). Each of the on-board terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, etc. transmits various data acquired about the vehicle to the server 14.

[0013] Server 14 performs various processes based on the data received from each of in-vehicle terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, ···, and transmits a start inhibition instruction for inhibiting the start of the vehicle engine to in-vehicle terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, ··· in order to prevent vehicle theft, for example. When each of in-vehicle terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, ··· receives the start inhibition instruction from server 14, it inhibits the start of the vehicle engine. In this way, server 14 remotely controls the vehicle.

[0014] The vehicle management system 11 preferably further includes a management terminal 17 for managing the vehicle via server 14, and also does so in this example. The management terminal 17 is, for example, a terminal used by an administrator who manages the vehicle. The management terminal 17 and the server 14 are communicably connected by a communication network (not shown) such as a LAN (Local Area Network). When the server 14 is communicably connected to the management terminal 17, it transmits various data about the vehicle received from each of in-vehicle terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, ··· to the management terminal 17, and the administrator can use the management terminal 17 to, for example, grasp the position and state of the vehicle and perform an input operation of a start inhibition instruction for inhibiting the start of the vehicle engine based on those various data. The management terminal 17 transmits a start inhibition instruction to the server 14 in response to an input operation of a start inhibition instruction by the administrator, and the server 14 transmits the start inhibition instruction to the in-vehicle terminal in response to receiving the start inhibition instruction. In this way, the management terminal 17 can remotely control the vehicle by transmitting an instruction to the server 14.

[0015] In this example, the management terminal 17 can preset (reserve) the timing of transmitting a start inhibition instruction from the server 14 to the in-vehicle terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, ···. Thus, the management terminal 17 transmits an instruction on the transmission timing of the start inhibition instruction (transmission timing instruction) to the server 14, and the server 14 transmits a start inhibition instruction to the in-vehicle terminals 13A, 13B, 13C at a predetermined timing based on this transmission timing instruction. Note that the transmission timing indicated by the transmission timing instruction may be a date and time, or may be a timing based on a condition such as a point in time when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The connection between the management terminal 17 and the server 14 is not particularly limited as long as communication is possible, and it may be connected by a communication network 18. In the following description, when the individual in-vehicle terminals 13A, 13B, 13C, ··· are not distinguished, they are described as the in-vehicle terminal 13.

[0016] In FIG. 2, the in-vehicle terminal 13 of the vehicle management system 11 is configured by a computer and functions as the following respective units by executing a predetermined application program. The in-vehicle terminal 13 includes a transmission unit 21, a reception unit 22, a positioning data acquisition unit 23, an accessory power state acquisition unit (hereinafter referred to as an ACC state acquisition unit) 26, a switch circuit state acquisition unit (hereinafter referred to as an SW circuit state acquisition unit) 27, a battery voltage acquisition unit 28, an engine state acquisition unit 31, a sound acquisition unit 32, a motion data acquisition unit 33, and a start inhibition unit 36. The SW circuit state acquisition unit 27 and the engine state acquisition unit 31 do not necessarily have to be provided, but it is preferable to provide them as in this example.

[0017] The transmission unit 21 and the reception unit 22 constitute an in-vehicle terminal transmission / reception unit that transmits and receives to and from the server 14 via a communication network 18 (see FIG. 1). The transmission unit 21 transmits each data acquired by the positioning data acquisition unit 23, the ACC state acquisition unit 26, the SW circuit state acquisition unit 27, the battery voltage acquisition unit 28, the engine state acquisition unit 31, the sound acquisition unit 32, and the motion data acquisition unit 33 to the server 14. The reception unit 22 receives a start inhibition instruction from the server 14.

[0018] The positioning data acquisition unit 23 acquires positioning data indicating the position of the vehicle 19 equipped with the in-vehicle terminal 13. The positioning data acquisition unit 23 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, and measures the current position of the vehicle 19 to acquire position data, i.e., positioning data. In this manner, the positioning data acquisition unit 23 in this example measures the position of the vehicle 19. However, if the vehicle 19 is equipped with a GPS receiver, the positioning data of the position measured by the GPS receiver of the vehicle 19 may be acquired from the GPS receiver, or may be used in combination with the GPS receiver of the vehicle 19. When the GPS receiver of the vehicle 19 is used in combination, it is preferable to set the positioning data acquisition unit of the in-vehicle terminal to be used preferentially, or to use the positioning data acquired by the positioning data acquisition unit 23 preferentially. Each time the positioning data acquisition unit 23 acquires positioning data, it outputs the positioning data to the transmission unit 21, and the transmission unit 21 transmits the measurement data to the server 14 in response to the input of the positioning data.

[0019] The ACC state acquisition unit 26, the SW circuit state acquisition unit 27, the battery voltage acquisition unit 28, the engine state acquisition unit 31, the sound acquisition unit 32, and the motion data acquisition unit 33 are for acquiring vehicle state data indicating the state of the vehicle 19. The vehicle state data is used by the server 14 to determine whether or not the engine of the vehicle 19 is not running (hereinafter referred to as the engine-off state).

[0020] The ACC status acquisition unit 26 detects the on / off state of the accessory power supply of the vehicle 19. The accessory power supply is a power supply that drives electrical components of the vehicle 19, such as a car stereo or a car navigation system. The connection of the ACC status acquisition unit 26 to the vehicle 19 is not particularly limited as long as it is a connection that can detect the on / off state of the accessory power supply, and in this example, the ACC status acquisition unit 26 is wired to a circuit line that is energized when the accessory power supply is on. In this way, the ACC status acquisition unit 26 detects and acquires the on / off state of the accessory power supply, generates accessory power supply state data (hereinafter referred to as ACC state data) that indicates the on / off state of the accessory power supply, and outputs the generated data to the transmission unit 21 as first vehicle state data.

[0021] The ACC state acquisition unit 26 may output to the transmission unit 21 every time it generates ACC state data indicating an on state or an off state, or may output to the transmission unit 21 only when it generates ACC state data indicating an off state by switching the accessory power from on to off and ACC state data indicating an on state by switching from off to on.

[0022] The SW circuit state acquisition unit 27 detects the on / off state of a switch circuit that is energized only when the vehicle 19 is stopped. The stopped state means when the engine is off and when the engine is running (hereinafter referred to as the engine-on state) but the vehicle is not moving. The switch circuit that is energized only when the vehicle is stopped is, for example, a brake pedal switch circuit that is in an on state when the brake is depressed, a parking brake switch circuit that is in an on state when the parking brake is applied, and a parking position switch circuit that is in an on state when the shift position of the transmission mechanism is in the parking position. The switch circuit that is energized only when the vehicle is stopped is always connected to the power supply. The connection of the SW circuit state acquisition unit 27 is not particularly limited as long as it can detect the on / off state of the switch circuit. In this example, it is connected to a circuit line that is energized when the switch circuit is in an on state. In this way, the SW circuit state acquisition unit 27 detects and acquires the on / off state of the above switch circuit, generates switch circuit state data (hereinafter referred to as SW circuit state data) indicating the on / off state, and outputs it to the transmission unit 21 as second vehicle state data. The transmission unit 21 transmits the input SW circuit state data to the server 14 in response to the input of the SW circuit state data.

[0023] The SW circuit state acquisition unit 27 may output to the transmission unit 21 every time it generates SW circuit state data indicating an on state or an off state, or may output to the transmission unit 21 only when it generates SW circuit state data indicating an off state when the switch circuit switches from on to off and SW circuit state data indicating an on state when the switch circuit switches from off to on.

[0024] The battery voltage acquisition unit 28 acquires the battery voltage of the vehicle 19 as the third vehicle state. The battery voltage acquisition unit 28 is connected to the OBD2 connector of the vehicle 19, acquires the battery voltage as data from the ECU via OBD2, and outputs this battery voltage data to the transmission unit 21 as the third vehicle state data. Each time the battery voltage acquisition unit 28 acquires the battery voltage as data from the ECU, it outputs the data to the transmission unit 21. In response to the input of the battery voltage data, the transmission unit 21 transmits the input battery voltage data to the server 14.

[0025] The engine state acquisition unit 31 acquires the engine speed and the accelerator opening degree of the engine of the vehicle 19 from the vehicle 19 as the engine state, and outputs the data to the transmission unit 21 as the engine state data, which is the fourth vehicle state data. Specifically, the engine speed and the accelerator opening degree as the engine state are whether the engine speed is 0 (zero) and whether the accelerator opening degree is 0 (zero) (the accelerator opening rate is 0%). When the engine speed and the accelerator opening degree are acquired as numerical data from the ECU, digital data indicating whether the acquired numerical data is 0 may be generated, and the generated digital data may be output to the transmission unit 21 as the engine state data. In response to the input of the engine state data, the transmission unit 21 transmits the input engine state data to the server 14.

[0026] The sound acquisition unit 32 acquires the idling sound of the vehicle 19 during idling. The sound acquisition unit 32 is provided inside the vehicle 19, specifically, inside the dashboard near the engine room of the vehicle 19, from the perspective of suppressing the sound collection effect of the idling sound and the sound collection of sounds other than the idling sound in this example. The sound acquisition unit 32 includes a transducer that converts sound into sound data (electrical signal), collects the surrounding sound, and converts the collected sound into sound data. The sound acquisition unit 32 outputs the sound data thus acquired to each of the transmission unit 21 and the start prevention unit 36 as the acquired sound data of the idling sound. This acquired sound data is the fifth vehicle state data. In response to the input of the acquired sound data, the transmission unit 21 transmits the input acquired sound data to the server 14.

[0027] The motion data acquisition unit 33 acquires, as the sixth vehicle state data, motion data indicating the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity applied to the vehicle. The motion data acquisition unit 33 is composed of, for example, an acceleration sensor that detects the above-described three-axis acceleration to acquire acceleration data and a gyro sensor that detects the angular velocity (roll) to acquire angular velocity data. Thus, the motion data acquisition unit 33 of this example detects acceleration and angular velocity to acquire each data. However, when an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor are provided in the vehicle 19, each data of the acceleration and angular velocity detected by the acceleration sensor and gyro sensor of the vehicle 19 may be acquired from these sensors, or they may be used in combination with the acceleration sensor and gyro sensor of the vehicle 19. When using the acceleration sensor and gyro sensor of the vehicle 19 in combination, it is preferable to preferentially use the motion data acquisition unit 33 or set to preferentially use the motion data acquired by the motion data acquisition unit 33. Each time the motion data acquisition unit 33 acquires acceleration data and angular velocity data, it outputs these data to the transmission unit 21 as motion data indicating the movement of the vehicle, and the transmission unit 21 transmits the input motion data to the server 14 in response to the input of the motion data.

[0028] When the receiving unit 22 constituting the in-vehicle terminal transmission / reception unit receives a start prevention instruction from the server 14, the start prevention unit 36 prevents the engine of the vehicle 19 from starting after the idling sound is no longer acquired. Specifically, when no acquired sound data is input from the sound acquisition unit 32, the start prevention unit 36 assumes that the idling sound is not acquired and prevents the engine from starting. On the other hand, when acquired sound data is input, the start prevention unit 36 assumes that the idling sound is acquired, does not prevent the engine from starting, and waits for the input of the acquired sound data to stop, and then prevents the engine from starting. The start prevention unit 36 prevents the engine from starting, for example, by causing at least one of the circuits necessary to start the engine not to operate. In this example, the wiring circuit to the engine start push switch is cut off.

[0029] The in-vehicle terminal 13 preferably further includes a removal detection unit (not shown), and this is also the case in this example. The removal detection unit is for detecting that the in-vehicle terminal 13 has been removed from the vehicle 19, and is provided on at least any one of the connection lines connecting to the vehicle 19, such as a connection line connected to the OBD2 connector of the engine state acquisition unit 31 or a connection line to which the ACC state acquisition unit 26 is connected to a predetermined circuit of the vehicle 19. The in-vehicle terminal 13 of this example includes an internal battery (not shown). When the removal detection unit generates a removal signal indicating that the connection to the vehicle 19 has been disconnected, the removal signal is sent from the removal detection unit to the transmission unit 21 by the internal battery, and then transmitted from the transmission unit 21 to the management terminal 17 via the server 14 to notify the administrator.

[0030] The management terminal 17 includes an input unit 45, a display unit 46, and a control unit 47. The management terminal 17 is configured by a computer and can function as the management terminal 17 by executing a predetermined application program. The display unit 46 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display, and displays a display image input from the control unit 47 under the control of the control unit 47. The input unit 45 is, for example, a keyboard or a mouse. When a touch panel display is used as the display unit 46, the display unit 46 can also function as the input unit 45. The input unit 45 is for performing various input operations, such as input operations for setting a permission area, a threshold value of the battery voltage, etc., which will be described later, and an input operation for a start prevention instruction.

[0031] The server 14 includes a receiving unit 51, a transmitting unit 52, a memory DB, a control unit 53, a position determining unit 56, an accessory power state determining unit (hereinafter referred to as an ACC state determining unit) 57, a switch circuit state determining unit (hereinafter referred to as an SW circuit state determining unit) 58, a voltage determining unit 61, an engine state determining unit 62, a sound determining unit 63, and a motion determining unit 66. The server 14 is configured by a computer, and functions as each of the above units by executing a predetermined application program. The position determining unit 56, the ACC state determining unit 57, the SW circuit state determining unit 58, the voltage determining unit 61, the engine state determining unit 62, the sound determining unit 63, and the motion determining unit 66 form a determining unit 70. The determining unit 70 does not necessarily have to include the SW circuit state determining unit 58 and the engine state determining unit 62, but it is preferable to include them.

[0032] The receiving unit 51 and the transmitting unit 52 constitute a server transmitting / receiving unit that transmits and receives data to and from the in-vehicle terminal 13 via the communication network 18 (see FIG. 1). The receiving unit 52 receives positioning data, ACC state data, SW circuit state data, battery voltage data, engine state data, acquired sound data, each motion data indicating each of the three-axial accelerations of the vehicle 19, and each motion data indicating each of the three-axial angular velocities, from the transmitting unit 21 of the in-vehicle terminal 13, and outputs them to the control unit 53. The transmitting unit 52 transmits a start-up prevention instruction to the in-vehicle terminal 13.

[0033] When the control unit 53 receives the above-mentioned data from the receiving unit 51, it controls the determination unit 70 and causes the position determination unit 56, the ACC state determination unit 57, the SW circuit state determination unit 58, the voltage determination unit 61, the engine state determination unit 62, the sound determination unit 63, and the motion determination unit 66 to perform predetermined processing in this order. The control unit 53 is communicably connected to the control unit 47 of the management terminal 17 by a communication unit (not shown), and when a start / stop instruction is received from the control unit 47, it transmits the start / stop instruction from the transmitting unit 52 to the receiving unit 22 of the in-vehicle terminal 13. In this way, the control unit 53 comprehensively controls each unit of the server 14.

[0034] The memory unit DB stores a permitted area where the operation of the vehicle 19 is permitted, a threshold value of the battery voltage of the vehicle 19 (hereinafter referred to as the voltage threshold value), reference sound data of the periodic idling sound of the vehicle 19, a threshold value of the similarity with the reference sound data (hereinafter referred to as the similarity threshold value), and a stop state and a preset stop condition (hereinafter referred to as the motion condition) based on the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity. The permitted area, the voltage threshold value, the reference sound data, the similarity threshold value, and the motion condition are stored for each vehicle 19, that is, they are stored in association with the vehicle 19.

[0035] The permitted area is preset, and the setting is, for example, based on an input at the management terminal 17, and is, for example, a range such as within a predetermined prefecture or a route such as a predetermined driving route. The permitted area can also be set by providing a non-permitted area that is not a permitted area. For example, since a car may be stolen and transported overseas, a predetermined area of the port is provided as a non-permitted area where entry is prohibited, or an area beyond the prefectural border is made non-permissible as a non-permitted area, etc., to set the permitted area.

[0036] The voltage threshold, the reference sound data and similarity threshold, and the motion condition are all criteria for determining whether the vehicle 19 is in an engine-off state. The voltage threshold is VB+Vα, which is obtained by adding a predetermined voltage value Vα to the battery voltage VB of the vehicle 19 under normal conditions (e.g., the battery voltage when the engine is off). Vα is set taking into consideration the normal battery voltage fluctuation between the engine-off state and when the vehicle is running. For most vehicle types, Vα is preferably at least 1.5V, and is set to 1.5V in this example. The battery voltage of a standard-sized automobile is typically 12V, and the battery voltage of a large vehicle such as a truck is typically 24V. These values may be used as the reference voltage VB, but battery voltages decrease due to aging and other factors. Therefore, it is advisable to check the battery voltage for each vehicle 19, for example, periodically, and use the most recent battery voltage as the reference voltage VB. Since the voltage threshold is thus a value obtained from the reference voltage VB and Vα, the reference voltages VB and Vα may be stored as the voltage thresholds. In this example, VB and Vα are inputted by the input unit 45 and stored in the storage unit DB, but Vα may be set in advance in the program.

[0037] The reference sound data is sound data including the vibration pattern of the idling sound of the vehicle 19, and the idling sound is acquired for each vehicle and stored. Note that after noise is removed from the sound data, an average value is calculated, and the data obtained by subtracting the average value from the noise-removed data can be used as the reference sound data, and this is also done in this example. Because idling sounds are periodic, the reference sound data is data for at least one cycle and is stored in association with the vehicle 19. In this example, one cycle of data obtained by removing noise from the acquired sound data is defined as f1(t) (where t is time), and the average value Avg1 for this one cycle is calculated. Then, f1(t) - Avg1 is calculated by subtracting Avg1 from f1(t), and this f2(t) is used as the reference sound data.

[0038] The similarity threshold is a threshold set in advance for the similarity indicating the degree of similarity between the acquired sound data and the reference sound data. In this example, the similarity threshold is set to 8% of the reference sound data, that is, 0.08×f2(t).

[0039] The motion condition is a condition set for the physical movement state of the vehicle 19. The motion condition can be set as follows, for example. First, the vehicle 19 equipped with the in-vehicle terminal 13 in advance is set to each state such as engine on, running, stopped, engine off, etc., and each motion data acquired in these various states is prepared. Then, these motion data and the state of the vehicle when each motion data is shown are learned by a learning calculation unit (not shown) to construct a learning model. When the vehicle 19 is provided with an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, instead of or in addition to the motion data acquisition unit 33 of the in-vehicle terminal 13, each motion data acquired by the acceleration sensor and the gyro sensor may be used. When motion data is acquired by both the motion data acquisition unit 33 and the acceleration sensor and the gyro sensor, these data may be learned as an AND condition. The learning model is constructed so that it can determine whether the vehicle 19 is in the engine-off state, and is used as the motion condition as the determination criterion. In this example, the learning model is stored in the storage unit DB, and a learning calculation unit is provided in the control unit 53, but the learning model stored in the storage unit DB may also be stored in the memory in the control unit 53.

[0040] When positioning data is input under the control of the control unit 53, the position determination unit 56 compares it with the permitted area stored in the storage unit DB, and determines whether the position indicated by the positioning data is within the non-permitted area. The position determination unit 56 outputs the determination result of an affirmative determination (determination that it is within the non-permitted area) or a negative determination (determination that it is not within the non-permitted area) to the control unit 53.

[0041] When the ACC state determination unit 57 receives ACC state data from the control unit 53, it determines whether or not the accessory power state indicated by the ACC state data is in the off state. The ACC state determination unit 57 outputs the determination result of an affirmative determination (determination that it is in the off state) or a negative determination (determination that it is not in the off state) to the control unit 53.

[0042] When the voltage determination unit 61 receives battery voltage data from the control unit 53, it determines whether or not the battery voltage is less than the voltage threshold value stored in the storage unit DB. The voltage determination unit 61 outputs the determination result of an affirmative determination (determination that it is less than the voltage threshold value) or a negative determination (determination that it is not less than the voltage threshold value) to the control unit 53.

[0043] When the engine state determination unit 62 receives engine state data from the control unit 53, it determines whether or not the engine state (engine speed and accelerator opening) indicated by the engine state data is 0 (zero). The engine state determination unit 62 outputs the determination result of an affirmative determination (determination that it is 0) or a negative determination (determination that it is not 0) to the control unit 53.

[0044] When the sound determination unit 63 receives acquired sound data from the control unit 53, it compares the acquired sound data with the reference sound data stored in the storage unit DB, obtains the similarity between the acquired sound data and the reference sound data, and determines whether or not the similarity is less than the similarity threshold value stored in the storage unit DB. The sound determination unit 63 outputs the determination result of an affirmative determination (determination that it is less than the similarity threshold value) or a negative determination (determination that it is not less than the similarity threshold value) to the control unit 53.

[0045] Specifically, the determination is executed as follows. First, when the acquired sound data is input, the sound determination unit 63 identifies the reference sound data of the vehicle 19 from which the acquired sound data was obtained from the storage unit DB. The sound determination unit identifies, from the acquired sound data, a data portion that has periodicity and whose period is closest to the reference sound data, for example, at least one period in the same manner as the reference sound data, and uses this as the acquired sound data for which the similarity is to be determined. Let the acquired sound data targeted in this way be g1(t), let the average value of g1(t) be Avg2, and let g1(t) - Avg2 obtained by subtracting Avg2 from g1(t) be g2(t). Then, the difference |f2(t) - g2(t)| between f2(t) and g2(t) is obtained, and this difference |f2(t) - g2(t)| is compared with the similarity threshold value to determine whether this difference |f2(t) - g2(t)| is less than the similarity threshold value.

[0046] When the motion data is input from the control unit 53 to the motion determination unit 66, the motion determination unit 66 determines whether the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity indicated in the motion data satisfy the motion conditions stored in the storage unit DB. The motion determination unit 66 outputs the determination result of an affirmative determination (determination that the motion conditions are satisfied) or a negative determination (determination that the motion conditions are not satisfied) to the control unit 53.

[0047] When an affirmative determination is input from the motion determination unit 66 to the control unit 53, the control unit 53 transmits an engine-off notification to the management terminal 17. After the management terminal 17 receives the engine-off notification, if a start prevention instruction is input from the input unit 45, the start prevention instruction is transmitted from the control unit 53 of the server 14 to the in-vehicle terminal 13, and the start prevention unit 36 of the in-vehicle terminal 13 executes a process of preventing the engine of the vehicle 19 from starting after the idling sound is no longer acquired by the sound acquisition unit 32.

[0048] The operation of the above configuration will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, before the vehicle 19 is rented out, a permitted area, a battery voltage threshold value, etc. are input in advance by the management terminal 17 and stored in the storage unit DB of the server 14. Also, the reference sound data and the similarity threshold value are stored in advance in the storage unit DB.

[0049] While the vehicle 19 is being rented out, the server 14 and the in-vehicle terminal 13 execute predetermined processes. The positioning data acquisition unit 23 of the in-vehicle terminal 13 measures the position of the vehicle 19 at, for example, a predetermined time interval (timing) and generates positioning data.

[0050] Some accessory power sources can be turned on even before the engine starts, but as the state changes from the on state with the engine running to the off state, the state switches from on to off. That is, when the accessory power source is off, it can be considered that the engine is in the off state. Therefore, the ACC state acquisition unit 26 detects whether the accessory power source is in the off state and outputs it to the transmission unit 21. Since the state of the accessory power source is detected by the presence or absence of voltage, it is detected quickly.

[0051] The SW circuit state acquisition unit 27 detects whether the circuit that is energized only when the vehicle 19 is stopped is on or off, and outputs the detection result to the transmission unit 21 as SW circuit state data. Since the SW circuit state data is also detected by the presence or absence of voltage, it is detected quickly.

[0052] The battery voltage acquisition unit 28 acquires the battery voltage data of the vehicle 19, and the engine state acquisition unit 31 acquires the engine state data and outputs them to the transmission unit 21 respectively. The sound acquisition unit 32 acquires the idling sound as acquired sound data, and the motion data acquisition unit 33 acquires the motion data and outputs them to the transmission unit 21 respectively. The transmission unit 21 transmits each data input in this way to the server 14.

[0053] When each of the above data is input to the control unit 53 of the server 14, the control unit 53 controls the determination unit 70 and causes each part constituting the determination unit 70 to execute a predetermined process. When the positioning data is input, the control unit 53 inputs the positioning data to the position determination unit 56 and causes the position determination unit 56 to execute the determination. In response to the input of the positioning data, the position determination unit 56 determines whether the position indicated by the positioning data is within the non-permitted area, and outputs the determination result to the control unit 53.

[0054] In response to a positive determination input from the position determination unit 56, the control unit 53 inputs ACC state data to the ACC state determination unit 57 to execute the determination. When a negative determination is input from the position determination unit 56, the control unit 53 terminates the determination by the determination unit 70 without executing the determination after the determination by the ACC state determination unit 57. Note that the control unit 53 may transmit the determination result to the management terminal 17 in response to the input of the determination result from the position determination unit 56. In this case, the management terminal 17 is configured to display the determination result on the display unit 46 in this example. Similarly, for the determination results input from the ACC state determination unit 57, the SW circuit state determination unit 58, the voltage determination unit 61, the engine state determination unit 62, the sound determination unit 63, and the motion determination unit 66 to the control unit 53, the control unit 53 may transmit them to the management terminal 17 and the management terminal 17 may perform the same processing.

[0055] In response to the input of the ACC state data, the ACC state determination unit 57 determines whether the accessory power supply is in the off state and outputs the determination result to the control unit 53. In response to a positive determination input from the ACC state determination unit 57, the control unit 53 inputs SW circuit state data to the SW circuit state determination unit 58 to execute the determination. When the determination unit 70 does not include the SW circuit state determination unit 58, the control unit 53 inputs battery voltage data to the voltage determination unit 61 to execute the determination. On the other hand, when a negative determination is input from the ACC state determination unit 57, the control unit 53 terminates the determination by the determination unit 70 without executing the determination after the determination by the SW circuit state determination unit 58. Since the ACC state data is a determination of on or off, the determination is made quickly. Therefore, it is quickly grasped that the engine is in the on state. As a result, it is also quickly determined not to execute the subsequent determination, so the safety of the running of the vehicle 19 is ensured earlier.

[0056] The voltage determination unit 61 determines whether the battery voltage is less than the voltage threshold value in response to the input of the battery voltage data, and outputs the determination result to the control unit 53. In response to the input of an affirmative determination from the voltage determination unit 61, the control unit 53 inputs the engine state data to the engine state determination unit 62 to execute the determination. When the determination unit 70 does not include the engine state determination unit 62, the control unit 53 inputs the acquired sound data to the sound determination unit 63 to execute the determination. On the other hand, when a negative determination is input from the voltage determination unit 61, the control unit 53 ends the determination by the determination unit 70 without executing the determination after the determination by the engine state determination unit 62. Since the voltage determination unit 61 determines whether the battery voltage is less than the threshold value, the determination is made quickly. Therefore, it is quickly grasped that the engine is in the on state. Thus, it is quickly determined not to execute the subsequent determination, so the running safety of the vehicle 19 is ensured earlier. Further, even if the connection of the ACC state acquisition unit 26 to a predetermined circuit of the vehicle 19 is completely cut off, the voltage determination unit 61 acquires the battery voltage data of the vehicle 19 and grasps and determines the state of the vehicle 19, so the safety of the vehicle 19 is more ensured.

[0057] The engine state determination unit 62 determines whether the engine state (engine speed and accelerator opening) is 0 in response to the input of the engine state data, and outputs the determination result to the control unit 53. In response to the input of an affirmative determination from the engine state determination unit 62, the control unit 53 inputs the acquired sound data to the sound determination unit 63 to execute the determination. On the other hand, when a negative determination is input from the engine state determination unit 62, the control unit 53 ends the determination by the determination unit 70 without executing the determination after the determination by the sound determination unit 63. Since the engine state determination unit 62 determines the state of the engine based on the engine state (engine speed and accelerator opening), the safety of the vehicle 19 is more ensured, and since the determination is made based on whether it is 0 or not, the determination is fast.

[0058] In response to input of the acquired sound data, the sound determination unit 63 compares the acquired sound data with the reference sound data, calculates the similarity of the acquired sound data to the reference sound data, and outputs the determination result indicating whether or not the similarity is less than the similarity threshold to the control unit 53. When a positive determination is input from the sound determination unit 63, the control unit 53 inputs motion data to the motion determination unit 66 in response to the input of this positive determination, causing the motion determination unit 66 to execute a determination. On the other hand, when a negative determination is input from the sound determination unit 63, the control unit 53 does not execute a determination by the motion determination unit 66, and ends the determination by the determination unit 70. Because the sound determination unit 63 determines whether or not the similarity of the acquired sound data is less than the similarity threshold, it is possible to prevent erroneous execution of an engine start prevention operation when movement of the vehicle 19 is not detected and the vehicle is idling.

[0059] In response to the input of motion data, the motion determination unit 66 determines whether the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity indicated in the motion data satisfy the motion conditions and outputs the determination result to the control unit 53. In response to the input of a positive determination from the motion determination unit 66, the control unit 53 transmits an engine-off notification to the management terminal 17, indicating that the vehicle 19 is in an engine-off state. If a start-blocking instruction is input from the input unit 45 after the management terminal 17 receives the notification, the control unit 47 transmits the start-blocking instruction to the server 14, and then the control unit 53 transmits the start-blocking instruction to the in-vehicle terminal 13. When a start-blocking instruction is input, the start-blocking unit 36 of the in-vehicle terminal 13 does not block the start of the vehicle's engine while acquired sound data is being input from the sound acquisition unit 32, and blocks the start of the vehicle's engine 19 after, for example, a certain time has elapsed since the input of the acquired sound data ceases. Furthermore, when a start-blocking instruction is input, the start-blocking unit 36 blocks the start of the vehicle's engine 19 if acquired sound data is not being input from the sound acquisition unit 32. The engine of the vehicle 19 is prevented from starting, and the vehicle 19 is unable to run. On the other hand, when a negative determination is input from the motion determination unit 66, the control unit 53 transmits a determination completion notification to the management terminal 17 indicating that the determination by the determination unit 70 has been completed.

[0060] In this way, since the server 14 determines the state of the vehicle 19 based on the position of the vehicle 19, it is possible to take measures to avoid theft for the vehicle 19 even during the rental period. Also, since whether the engine of the vehicle 19 is in the on state or the off state is determined based on at least the accessory power state, the battery voltage, the idling sound, and the motion data of the acceleration and angular velocity, the operating state of the vehicle 19 can be grasped more reliably. As a result, the prevention of engine start is carried out to ensure the safety of the vehicle 19 more highly. Further, since the vehicle ACC state determination, the battery voltage determination, the idling sound determination, and the motion determination are performed in this order, the determination is made quickly. As a result, the safety of the vehicle 19 is ensured more reliably.

Explanation of Signs

[0061] 11 Vehicle management system 13A, 13B, 13C In-vehicle terminal 14 Server 17 Management terminal 18 Communication network 19 Vehicle 21 Transmission unit 22 Reception unit 23 Positioning data acquisition unit 26 ACC state acquisition unit 28 Battery voltage acquisition unit 32 Sound acquisition unit 33 Motion data acquisition unit 36 Start prevention unit 51 Reception unit 52 Transmission unit 53 Control unit 56 Position determination unit 57 ACC state determination unit 61 Voltage determination unit 63 Sound determination unit 66 Motion determination unit 70 Determination unit 76 Control unit DB Storage unit

Claims

1. A receiving unit that receives from an in-vehicle terminal mounted on the vehicle, positioning data indicating the position of the vehicle, accessory power state data indicating the on / off state of the accessory power supply of the vehicle, battery voltage data of the vehicle, acquired sound data of the idling sound when the vehicle is idling, and each motion data indicating the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity applied to the vehicle; A storage unit that stores a permitted area where travel of the vehicle is permitted, a voltage threshold value of the battery voltage of the vehicle, reference sound data of a periodic idling sound of the vehicle, a similarity threshold value of the similarity with the reference sound data, and a stop state and preset stop conditions based on the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity; A position determination unit that compares the positioning data with the permitted area stored in the storage unit and determines whether or not the position indicated by the positioning data is within a non-permitted area that is not the permitted area; An accessory power state determination unit that determines whether or not the accessory power state indicated by the accessory power state data is an off state; A voltage determination unit that determines whether or not the battery voltage indicated by the battery voltage data is less than the voltage threshold value stored in the storage unit; A sound determination unit that compares the acquired sound data with the reference sound data and determines whether or not the similarity of the acquired sound data is less than the similarity threshold value; A motion determination unit that determines whether or not the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity indicated by the motion data satisfy the conditions stored in the storage unit; A transmission unit that transmits a start prevention instruction to prevent the start of the engine of the vehicle after the idling sound is no longer acquired, when a positive determination is made in the position determination unit, the power state determination unit, the voltage determination unit, the sound determination unit, and the motion determination unit, to the in-vehicle terminal A server comprising.

2. The accessory power state determination unit makes a determination when a positive determination is made in the position determination unit; The voltage determination unit makes a determination when a positive determination is made in the accessory power state determination unit; The sound determination unit makes a determination when a positive determination is made in the power determination unit; The server according to claim 1, wherein the motion determination unit makes a determination when a positive determination is made in the sound determination unit.

3. An in-vehicle terminal mounted on a vehicle; A server that communicates with the in-vehicle terminal Comprising, The in-vehicle terminal is, A positioning data acquisition unit that acquires positioning data indicating the position of the vehicle; An accessory power state acquisition unit that detects the on / off state of the accessory power supply of the vehicle; A battery voltage acquisition unit that acquires the battery voltage of the vehicle; A sound acquisition unit that acquires the idling sound when the vehicle is idling; A motion data acquisition unit that acquires motion data indicating the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity applied to the vehicle; An in-vehicle terminal transmission / reception unit that transmits the positioning data, accessory power state data indicating the on / off state of the accessory power supply, battery voltage data, acquired sound data of the idling sound, and each motion data indicating the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity to the server, and receives an instruction from the server; A start prevention unit that prevents the vehicle from starting after the idling sound is no longer acquired when the in-vehicle terminal transmission / reception unit receives a start prevention instruction from the server to prevent the engine of the vehicle from starting; having; The server is a reception unit that receives the positioning data, accessory power state data indicating the acquired on / off state of the accessory power supply, battery voltage data, acquired sound data of the idling sound, and each motion data indicating the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity from the in-vehicle terminal; a storage unit that stores a permitted area where the vehicle is permitted to travel, a voltage threshold of the battery voltage of the vehicle, reference sound data of the periodic idling sound of the vehicle, a similarity threshold of the similarity with the reference sound data, and a stop state and preset stop conditions based on the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity; a position determination unit that compares the positioning data with the permitted area stored in the storage unit and determines whether the position indicated by the positioning data is within a non-permitted area that is not the permitted area; an accessory power state determination unit that determines whether the accessory power state indicated by the accessory power state data is an off state; a voltage determination unit that determines whether the battery voltage indicated by the battery voltage data is less than the voltage threshold stored in the storage unit; a sound determination unit that compares the acquired sound data with the reference sound data and determines whether the similarity of the acquired sound data is less than the similarity threshold; a motion determination unit that determines whether the three-axis acceleration and angular velocity indicated by the motion data satisfy the conditions stored in the storage unit; A vehicle management system, characterized by comprising a transmission unit that transmits the start prevention instruction to the in-vehicle terminal when positive determinations are made by all of the position determination unit, the power state determination unit, the voltage determination unit, the sound determination unit, and the motion determination unit.

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