Vehicle Management System

Abstract

To provide a vehicle management system that can provide in-vehicle devices tailored to users' actual use.SOLUTION: A vehicle management system according to the present invention includes a mobile terminal and an in-vehicle device capable of communicating with the mobile terminal, and has a storage unit that stores time information corresponding to a connection method between the mobile terminal and the in-vehicle device, and a changing unit that changes a time at which power of the in-vehicle device is turned off based on the time information corresponding to the connection method between the mobile terminal and the in-vehicle device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle management system. [Background technology]

[0002] There are a variety of services available to users on their mobile devices, and the number of services that communicate with in-vehicle devices is increasing every year. For example, connected services provide vehicle services such as detecting whether the user has forgotten to close the windows, turn off the headlights, or lock the doors after leaving the vehicle, and notifying the user of the detection results. This service notifies the user of any operations that the user has forgotten to perform by maintaining communication between the mobile device and the in-vehicle device.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle management system that notifies the vehicle status from outside the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-205063 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when the power is turned off, the in-vehicle device turns off at a time that is set for the in-vehicle device. This poses a problem in that even if the number of available services, such as services after getting off the vehicle, becomes more diverse, the in-vehicle device has a set time, which means that the user can only use certain services.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle management system that can provide an in-vehicle device that is suited to the actual use of the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle management system according to the present invention includes a mobile terminal and an in-vehicle device capable of communicating with the mobile terminal, communication Supports connection methods By communication connection method a storage unit for storing time information; communication and a change unit that changes the time at which the power supply of the in-vehicle device is turned off based on time information corresponding to the connection method. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to adapt to the actual usage of the user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a vehicle management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the connection relationship between a vehicle and a vehicle power source. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the change time information T. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a control flow for extending the life of the vehicle-mounted device when the power is turned off. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A vehicle management system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and the components in the following embodiments include those that would be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are equivalent. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the following embodiments.

[0011] <Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle management system according to an embodiment. The vehicle management system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a mobile terminal 10, an in-vehicle device 20, and an external server 30. Here, the in-vehicle device 20 corresponds to an "in-vehicle device," and as shown in FIG. 2, is mounted on a vehicle 100, and detects the ON / OFF state of a vehicle power supply 101, which is the power source for the vehicle 100, using a detection unit 25. The vehicle power supply 101 is an element, such as an ON / OFF switch or a communication unit, that instructs a control device 102 of the vehicle 100 body to turn the power ON or OFF. The external server 30 is an example of an "external device" located outside the vehicle 100.

[0012] The mobile terminal 10 is a smartphone or the like carried by a user. While the vehicle-mounted device 20 is activated, communication between the mobile terminal 10 and the vehicle-mounted device 20 is possible. For example, communication is performed between the mobile terminal 10 and the vehicle-mounted device 20 while the user is in the vehicle 100.

[0013] The mobile terminal 10 has a control unit 11 and a communication unit 12 that operate in cooperation with the vehicle-mounted device 20. The control unit 11 executes an application that performs the cooperation operation. The communication unit 12 communicates with the vehicle-mounted device 20 via a wireless connection or a wired connection. The communication between the communication unit 12 and the vehicle-mounted device 20 is performed using a communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), USB (Universal Serial Bus), or Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0014] The mobile terminal 10 also has a mobile communication unit, a call unit, a voice assistant, map navigation, email, a messenger, and the like, and among these, functions permitted by the application can be used on the vehicle-mounted device 20 side through cooperation. The mobile communication unit can also access the Internet and communicate with a service provider server, etc.

[0015] The in-vehicle device 20 provides functions based on various operations by the user. For example, if the in-vehicle device 20 has a touch-input display screen, it provides functions based on touch operations by the user. After startup, the in-vehicle device 20 connects to a user's mobile terminal 10 within communication range, such as inside the vehicle, and provides functions in cooperation with the mobile terminal 10. For example, the in-vehicle device 20 provides various functions by using predetermined functions and predetermined registered data of the mobile terminal 10. The in-vehicle device 20 may also notify information to the mobile terminal 10.

[0016] Specifically, the vehicle-mounted device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an external communication unit 23, a communication unit 24, a detection unit 25, an input / output unit 26, a power supply unit 27, and the like.

[0017] The control unit 21 controls each unit (storage unit 22, external communication unit 23, communication unit 24, detection unit 25, input / output unit 26, and power supply unit 27) to execute various functions of the vehicle-mounted device 20 and to cooperate with the mobile terminal 10. The control unit 21 also collects information on each unit of the vehicle 100 main body via the input / output unit 26 as needed.

[0018] Control unit 21, in cooperation with mobile terminal 10, is connected to communication unit 12 of mobile terminal 10 via communication unit 24. When detection unit 25 detects that the vehicle power supply 101 has been turned off, control unit 21 also functions as a "change unit" that sets a change time corresponding to the connection method with mobile terminal 10 and instructs power supply unit 27 to turn off the power.

[0019] The storage unit 22 stores change time information T. The change time information T is "time information" that is provided for each connection method between the vehicle-mounted device 20 and the mobile terminal 10. The connection method refers to information related to the connection method, such as the communication connection method between the vehicle-mounted device 20 and the mobile terminal 10. The change time information T is information that essentially indicates an extension time that extends the time that is preset in the vehicle-mounted device 20, and in one example, stores a constant that indicates the extension time for each connection method.

[0020] The vehicle-mounted device 20 is started up by receiving power supply from a power supply unit 27. The power supply unit 27 receives power from a battery of the vehicle 100 or the like.

[0021] The detection unit 25 detects whether the vehicle power supply 101 is powered on or off.

[0022] The input / output unit 26 is connected via a wiring cable or the like to a control device (e.g., an ECU (Electronic Control Unit)) 102 of the vehicle 100 body. The input / output unit 26 acquires information indicating the state of the vehicle 100, such as driving information and information indicating an operation forgotten by the user, such as forgetting to close a window, forgetting to turn off a headlight, or forgetting to lock a door, from the control device 102.

[0023] The external communication unit 23 communicates with the external server 30. The external server 30 communicates with the external server 30 via a network 200 such as the Internet. The external server 30 is provided, for example, in a cloud, and stores change time information T and the like. The change time information T of the external server 30 may be set to a fixed value, or may be updated or added from an administrator's terminal. The external server 30 may be a dedicated management server that manages the change time information T, or may be a server that provides various services.

[0024] Specifically, the in-vehicle device 20 acquires change time information (in this example, a constant indicating the life extension time) from the external server 30 while communicating with the external server 30 and stores the information in the storage unit 22. When the power supply of the vehicle 100 main body is turned off, the in-vehicle device 20 performs life extension control to extend the power OFF time of the in-vehicle device 20 to the life extension time corresponding to the connection method with the mobile terminal 10, based on the change time information (constant indicating the life extension time) in the storage unit 22.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of change time information T. As described above, the life extension time is set for each connection method. FIG. 3 shows an example of setting each life extension time when the connection method is the first connection method, the second connection method, etc. The first connection method corresponds to life extension time Ta, and the second connection method corresponds to life extension time Tb.

[0026] It is also possible to set a life extension time Ta for the first connection method and not set a life extension time for other connection methods. For example, the Bluetooth connection method is set as the first connection method and a life extension time Ta is set, and other connection methods are not set to life extension.

[0027] 4 is a diagram showing an example of a control flow for extending the life of the vehicle-mounted device 20 (controller 21) when the vehicle is powered off. First, the controller 21 acquires change time information T (extended life time in this example) from the external server 30 after startup (S1). Specifically, the controller 21 communicates with the external server 30 via the external communication unit 23, acquires the change time information T from the external server 30, and stores it in the memory unit 22. The change time information T may be acquired from the external server 30 once upon initial startup, or may be acquired periodically each time the device is started up, and the life time in the memory unit 22 may be added or updated.

[0028] Thereafter, when the vehicle power supply 101 is turned off, the control unit 21 detects that the vehicle power supply 101 has been turned off using the detection unit 25 (S2), and reads the extension time (constant) corresponding to the connection method between the vehicle-mounted device 20 and the mobile terminal 10 from the change time information T in the memory unit 22 and applies it to the set time (S3).

[0029] Next, the control unit 21 counts the elapsed time from the time when the power supply 101 of the vehicle is detected to be turned off (S4), and determines whether the elapsed time satisfies, or for example reaches, the time after applying the extension time added to the above-mentioned set time (S5).

[0030] When the control unit 21 determines that the elapsed time has not reached the time after the application of the life extension time (S5: No determination), the control unit 21 waits until the count reaches the limit.

[0031] Then, when the control unit 21 determines that the elapsed time has reached the time after the application of the life extension time (S5: Yes determination), it instructs the power supply unit 27 to turn off the power, and stops the vehicle-mounted device 20 (S6).

[0032] In this way, by applying the life extension time corresponding to the connection method, it is possible to extend the life of the vehicle-mounted device 20 even longer than the setting when the power is turned off. Services available to the user can be identified by checking the connection method with the mobile terminal 10, and restrictions on the use of the services can be lifted by applying the corresponding life extension time.

[0033] For example, suppose a user is using a connected service. One of the connected services is a service that notifies the user of any operations the user has forgotten to perform after exiting the vehicle 100, such as forgetting to close the windows, turn off the headlights, or lock the doors. To use this service, the in-vehicle device 20 must remain awake for a predetermined time to detect the vehicle state after the vehicle power supply 101 is turned off. However, some types of in-vehicle devices 20 have a short set time. This is determined in advance during the development stage because keeping the in-vehicle device 20 awake can waste battery power. However, the user's actual usage differs from the assumptions made during the development stage. As a result, the user may be unable to use the service due to the set time limit. According to the vehicle management system 1 of this embodiment, even if the in-vehicle device 20 has a short set time, the in-vehicle device 20 extends the set time to a time corresponding to the connection method based on the connection method and then stops the service. Because the extension time is applied depending on the connection method, the restriction can be lifted according to the user's usage.

[0034] In this way, the user can appropriately release restrictions on the use of services that depend on the settings of the vehicle-mounted device 20 without being particularly aware of the settings of the vehicle-mounted device 20.

[0035] The connected service is an example of a case where the set time of the vehicle-mounted device 20 needs to be extended, and the time change is not limited to this service. It may be applied as appropriate to any case where the time of the vehicle-mounted device 20 needs to be changed.

[0036] Although Bluetooth connection, USB connection, Wi-Fi connection, etc. have been given as examples of connection methods, the connection method is not limited to these. Furthermore, the connection method is not limited to these communication connection methods, and may also be classified based on, for example, device information such as the type of OS and communication connection status, and the presence or absence of an event.

[0037] In addition, although an example has been shown in which the vehicle-mounted device 20 detects whether the vehicle power supply 101 has been switched ON or OFF using the detection unit 25 via a wired cable, it may also be configured to detect this via wireless communication such as short-range wireless communication.

[0038] Also, an example of acquiring the change time information T from the external server 30 has been shown. In this way, the constant value of the life extension time on the external server 30 can be changed as needed, and by being able to acquire the constant value of the life extension time from the external server 30, the time until the in-vehicle device 20 stops can be made variable. Therefore, even after the sale of the vehicle and in-vehicle device, it becomes possible to provide in-vehicle devices that can cover a wide range of users based on the actual usage of users in the market. Furthermore, making the time variable also contributes to reducing the load on the battery of the vehicle 100.

[0039] Furthermore, the acquisition of the change time information T is not limited to acquisition from the external server 30. Of course, the change time information T may be set in advance in the storage unit 22 of the vehicle-mounted device 20 and used without communicating with the external server 30. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1. Vehicle management system 10 Mobile devices 11 Control section 12 Communications Department 20 Onboard equipment 21 Control Unit 22 Memory section 23 External Communications Department 24 Communications Department 25 Detection unit 26 Input / output section 27 Power supply section 30 External Servers 100 vehicles 101 Vehicle power supply 102 Control device 200 Network T Change time information

Claims

1. A mobile device, an in-vehicle device capable of communicating with the mobile terminal; and a storage unit that stores time information for each communication connection method corresponding to a communication connection method between the mobile terminal and the in-vehicle device; a change unit that changes the time at which the power supply of the in-vehicle device is turned off based on time information corresponding to a communication connection method between the mobile terminal and the in-vehicle device; A vehicle management system having:

2. The change unit A detection unit that detects when the vehicle's power is turned off is included, instructing the in-vehicle device to turn off the power after a time indicated by the time information for each communication connection method corresponding to the communication connection method between the mobile terminal and the in-vehicle device has elapsed since the power supply for the vehicle was turned off; The vehicle management system according to claim 1 .

3. the change unit instructs the in-vehicle device to turn off the power when an elapsed time from a time when the power off of the vehicle is detected satisfies a set time plus a time of the time information for each communication connection method. The vehicle management system according to claim 2 .

4. an external device having time information for each of the communication connection methods; the in-vehicle device stores the time information for each communication connection method acquired from the external device in the storage unit; The vehicle management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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