Communication device and information processing method

Abstract

To confirm that information sent to an on-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle has been received by the on-vehicle device.SOLUTION: A communication device performs specific communication according to a MQTT protocol mounted on a vehicle. A control section of the communication device: receives first information sent to an on-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle through the specific communication from an external device which is a sender of the first information; and sends the received first information to the on-vehicle device. The control section of the communication device also receives second information indicating that the on-vehicle device has completed reception of the first information form the on-vehicle device. When receiving the second information, the control section of the communication device sends third information notifying that the on-vehicle device has completed reception of the first information to the external device through he specific communication.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication device, an information processing method, and an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a server system that collects operation information of at least one target device via a network. The server system disclosed in Patent Document 1 performs a first communication process in which, after a communication connection is established, the established state of the communication connection is maintained, and a second communication process in which, after the communication connection is established, the communication connection is disconnected when information is received. The server system receives first information from the operation information through the first communication process, and receives second information from the operation information through the second communication process. Then, if the received first information is of a given type, the server system sends a push notification to the terminal device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-028757 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure aims to confirm that information transmitted to an in-vehicle device installed in a vehicle has been transmitted to the in-vehicle device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A communication device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes: A communication device mounted on a vehicle that performs specific communication according to the MQTT protocol, receiving first information transmitted to an in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle from an external device that is a transmission source of the first information through the specific communication; transmitting the received first information to the in-vehicle device; receiving second information from the in-vehicle device indicating that the in-vehicle device has completed receiving the first information; When the second information is received, third information notifying that the in-vehicle device has completed receiving the first information is transmitted to the external device via the specific communication. The control unit executes the above.

[0006] An information processing method according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes: An information processing method executed by a communication device mounted on a vehicle and performing specific communication according to an MQTT protocol, receiving first information transmitted to an in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle from an external device that is a transmission source of the first information through the specific communication; transmitting the received first information to the in-vehicle device; receiving second information from the in-vehicle device indicating that the in-vehicle device has completed receiving the first information; When the second information is received, third information notifying that the in-vehicle device has completed receiving the first information is transmitted to the external device via the specific communication. Includes:

[0007] An information processing device according to a third aspect of the present disclosure includes: An information processing device that performs specific communication with a communication device mounted on a vehicle according to the MQTT protocol, transmitting, via the specific communication to the in-vehicle device, first information to be transmitted to the in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle and a topic that designates the external device that is the sender of the first information as a destination of second information that notifies the in-vehicle device that reception of the first information has been completed; When the second information associated with the topic is received, transmitting the second information to the external device; The control unit executes the above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to confirm that information transmitted to an in-vehicle device installed in a vehicle has been transmitted to the in-vehicle device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an external device, a publisher server, a broker server, a communication device, and an in-vehicle device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a table configuration of topic information held in the topic information database. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a table configuration of device information held in the device information database. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a first sequence diagram showing the flow of information processing in the communication system. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a second sequence diagram showing the flow of information processing in the communication system. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the erasure process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A communication device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a communication device that performs specific communication according to the MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) protocol. The communication device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure is mounted on a vehicle. Here, it is assumed that an external device transmits first information to an in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle using the MQTT protocol. In this case, specific communication is performed between the external device and the communication device. The MQTT protocol is a Pub / Sub communication protocol. That is, information is transmitted from the external device to a communication device that is a subscriber via a publisher and a broker. Meanwhile, communication is performed between the communication device and the in-vehicle device using a communication protocol other than MQTT. In the specific communication, when a subscriber receives information, the subscriber can notify the external device of the reception via the broker and the publisher. However, when the communication device further forwards the first information to the in-vehicle device, the communication device cannot notify the external device of whether the in-vehicle device has received the first information. Therefore, the communication device according to the present disclosure solves the problem that it is not possible to confirm that the in-vehicle device has completed receiving the first information transmitted to the in-vehicle device.

[0011] A control unit of a communication device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure receives first information to be transmitted to an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle from an external device by specific communication. Here, the external device is a device that is the source of the first information. The control unit of the communication device transmits the received first information to the in-vehicle device. In this way, the first information is transferred to the in-vehicle device by the communication device, thereby transmitting the first information to the in-vehicle device. Thereafter, the control unit receives second information from the in-vehicle device indicating that the in-vehicle device has completed receiving the first information. Then, the control unit transmits third information to the in-vehicle device as specific information. The third information is transmitted to the external device through constant communication. Here, the third information is information notifying that the in-vehicle device has completed receiving the first information.

[0012] As described above, when the in-vehicle device completes reception of the first information, the third information is transmitted to the external device. This allows the external device to know that the in-vehicle device has completed reception of the first information. As a result, even in a configuration in which a communication system based on the MQTT protocol and an in-vehicle communication system are combined, the external device can confirm that the first information has been received by the in-vehicle device.

[0013] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in the present embodiments are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present disclosure unless otherwise specified.

[0014] First Embodiment (System Overview) A communication system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the communication system 1. The communication system 1 includes an external device 100, a publisher server 200, a broker server 300, a communication device 400, and an in-vehicle device 500. In the communication system 1, the external device 100, the publisher server 200, the broker server 300, and the communication device 400 are interconnected by a network N1. The network N1 may be, for example, a wide area network (WAN), which is a global public communication network such as the Internet, or a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone. In the communication system 1, the communication device 400 and the in-vehicle device 500 are interconnected by an in-vehicle network of a vehicle 50.

[0015] (external device) The external device 100 is a device that transmits specific information to the in-vehicle device 500 mounted on the vehicle 50. The specific information is, for example, update information for updating an application installed in the in-vehicle device 500. The specific information may also be, for example, specific information for issuing a command to the in-vehicle device 500. The external device 100 is, for example, a terminal used by a manufacturer of the in-vehicle device 500.

[0016] The external device 100 transmits specific information via the network N1 through communication in accordance with the MQTT protocol (hereinafter, this may be referred to as "specific communication"). The specific information reaches the in-vehicle device 500 via the communication device 400. Furthermore, the external device 100 receives information notifying that the in-vehicle device 500 has completed receiving the specific information (hereinafter, this may be referred to as "notification information") from the communication device 400 via the broker server 300 and the publisher server 200 through the specific communication. This allows the external device 100 to know that the in-vehicle device 500 has completed receiving the specific information. In this way, the external device 100 receives the notification information as a result of transmitting the specific information to the in-vehicle device 500. Note that the method by which the external device 100 transmits and receives the specific information and the method by which the external device 100 transmits and receives the notification information through the specific communication will be described in detail later.

[0017] (Publisher Server) The publisher server 200 is a publisher in the MQTT protocol. The publisher server 200 receives specific information from the external device 100 through specific communication. Then, the publisher server 200 transmits the specific information to the broker server 300 through specific communication. The publisher server 200 also receives notification information generated by the communication device 400 via the broker server 300 through specific communication. Then, the publisher server 200 transmits the notification information to the external device 100 through specific communication. The method by which publisher server 200 transmits and receives specific information and notification information through specific communication will be described in detail later.

[0018] The publisher server 200 includes a computer having a processor 210, a main memory 220, an auxiliary memory 230, and a communication interface (communication I / F) 240. The processor 210 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) or a digital signal processor (DSP). The main memory 220 is, for example, a random access memory (RAM). The auxiliary memory 230 is, for example, a read-only memory (ROM). The auxiliary memory 230 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a disc recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD disc, or a Blu-ray disc. The auxiliary memory 230 may also be a removable medium (portable storage medium). Examples of removable media include a USB memory or an SD card. The communication I / F 240 is, for example, a local area network (LAN) interface board or a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication.

[0019] In publisher server 200, auxiliary storage unit 230 stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various information tables, and the like. In publisher server 200, processor 210 loads programs stored in auxiliary storage unit 230 into main storage unit 220 and executes them to realize various functions, as described below. However, some or all of the functions of publisher server 200 may be realized by hardware circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs. Publisher server 200 does not necessarily have to be realized by a single physical configuration, and may be composed of multiple computers working together. Similarly to publisher server 200, external device 100 also includes a computer.

[0020] (Broker server) The broker server 300 is a broker in the MQTT protocol. The broker server 300 receives specific information from the publisher server 200 via specific communication. Then, the broker server 300 transmits the specific information to the communication device 400 via specific communication. The broker server 300 also receives notification information from the communication device 400 via specific communication. Then, the broker server 300 transmits the notification information to the publisher server 200 via specific communication. Details of how the broker server 300 transmits and receives specific information and notification information via specific communication will be described later. Like the publisher server 200, the broker server 300 also includes a computer.

[0021] (Communication equipment) The communication device 400 is a communication device mounted on the vehicle 50. The communication device 400 receives specific information from the broker server 300 through specific communication. Then, the communication device 400 transmits the specific information to the in-vehicle device 500 via the in-vehicle network. Here, specific communication is performed between the external device 100 and the communication device 400 using the MQTT protocol. Therefore, the specific information is transmitted from the external device 100 to the communication device 400, which is a subscriber, via the publisher server 200 and the broker server 300. On the other hand, communication is performed between the communication device 400 and the in-vehicle device 500 via the in-vehicle network using a communication protocol other than MQTT. In specific communication, when the communication device 400, which is a subscriber, receives information, it can notify the external device 100 of the reception of information via the broker server 300 and the publisher server 200. However, when the communication device 400 further transfers the specific information to the in-vehicle device 500, the communication device 400 cannot notify the external device 100 whether or not the in-vehicle device 500 has received the specific information.

[0022] Therefore, the communication device 400 receives information indicating that the in-vehicle device 500 has completed receiving the specific information (hereinafter, this information may be referred to as "completion information") from the in-vehicle device 500 via the in-vehicle network. When the communication device 400 receives the completion information from the in-vehicle device 500, it transmits notification information to the broker server 300 by specific communication. Details of how the broker server 300 transmits and receives the specific information, how it receives the completion information from the in-vehicle device 500, and how it transmits the notification information to the broker server 300 will be described later.

[0023] The communication device 400 includes a computer having a processor 410, a main memory 420, an auxiliary memory 430, an external communication interface (external communication I / F) 440, and an in-vehicle communication interface (in-vehicle communication I / F) 450. The processor 410, the main memory 420, the auxiliary memory 430, and the external communication I / F 440 are similar to the processor 210, the main memory 220, the auxiliary memory 230, and the communication I / F 240 in the publisher server 200, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. The in-vehicle communication I / F 450 can be realized by a communication interface for an in-vehicle network provided in the vehicle 50.

[0024] (In-vehicle device) The in-vehicle device 500 is a device mounted on the vehicle 50. The in-vehicle device 500 is, for example, an ECU of the vehicle 50. The in-vehicle device 500 receives the specific information via an in-vehicle network from the communication device 400, which has received the specific information from the external device 100 via the publisher server 200 and the broker server 300. Upon receiving the specific information, the in-vehicle device 500 performs predetermined information processing based on the specific information. Here, the predetermined information processing is, for example, information processing for updating an application installed in the in-vehicle device 500. The predetermined information processing may also be information processing for issuing a command to the in-vehicle device 500 contained in the specific information. Upon completing reception of the specific information, the in-vehicle device 500 transmits completion information to the communication device 400. Note that the in-vehicle device 500 is configured to include a computer having a processor, a main memory unit, an auxiliary memory unit, and an in-vehicle communication I / F, similar to the communication device 400.

[0025] (Functional configuration) Next, the functional configurations of the external device 100, publisher server 200, broker server 300, communication device 400, and in-vehicle device 500 that make up the communication system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2 to Fig. 4. Fig. 2 is a block diagram that schematically shows an example of the functional configurations of the external device 100, publisher server 200, broker server 300, communication device 400, and in-vehicle device 500.

[0026] (external device) The external device 100 is configured to include a control unit 101 and a communication unit 102. The control unit 101 has a function of performing arithmetic processing for controlling the external device 100. The control unit 101 can be realized by a processor in the external device 100. The communication unit 102 has a function of connecting the external device 100 to a network N1. The communication unit 102 can be realized by a communication I / F in the external device 100.

[0027] The control unit 101 transmits the specific information to the publisher server 200 by specific communication using the communication unit 102. At this time, the communication system 101 transmits the specific information to the in-vehicle The control unit 101 transmits a topic specifying the in-vehicle device 500 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "transmission topic") together with the specific information to the publisher server 200 by specific communication. In this way, the control unit 101 transmits the specific information associated with the transmission topic to the publisher server 200 by specific communication. The control unit 101 also receives notification information from the publisher server 200 by the communication unit 102 by specific communication. This allows the control unit 101 to know that the in-vehicle device 500 has completed receiving the specific information.

[0028] (Publisher Server) Publisher server 200 is configured to include control unit 201 and communication unit 202. Control unit 201 has a function of performing arithmetic processing for controlling publisher server 200. Control unit 201 can be realized by processor 210 in publisher server 200. Communication unit 202 has a function of connecting publisher server 200 to network N1. Control unit 201 can be realized by communication I / F 240 in publisher server 200.

[0029] The control unit 201 receives specific information and a transmission topic from the external device 100 via specific communication using the communication unit 202. The control unit 201 transmits, via specific communication, a topic that specifies the external device 100 as the destination of notification information (hereinafter, may be referred to as a "reply topic"), along with the specific information and the transmission topic, to the broker server 300. In this way, the control unit 201 transmits the specific information associated with the transmission topic and the reply topic to the broker server 300. The control unit 201 also receives notification information from the broker server 300 via specific communication using the communication unit 202. At this time, the notification information received by the control unit 201 is associated with a reply topic. Therefore, the control unit 201 transmits the received notification information to the external device 100 via specific communication using the communication unit 202.

[0030] (Broker server) The broker server 300 includes a control unit 301, a communication unit 302, and a topic information database (topic information DB) 303. The control unit 301 has a function of performing calculations to control the broker server 300. The control unit 301 can be realized by a processor in the broker server 300. The communication unit 302 has a function of connecting the broker server 300 to the network N1. The control unit 301 can be realized by a communication I / F in the broker server 300.

[0031] The topic information DB 303 has a function of storing topic information. When the broker server 300 receives information associated with a topic, the topic information is used to identify the destination of the information based on the topic. The topic information DB 303 can be realized by an auxiliary storage unit in the broker server 300. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a table configuration of topic information stored in the topic information DB 303.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, the topic information has a device ID field, a topic field, and a destination field. In the device ID field, an identifier (device ID) is input for identifying a device (multiple devices including the communication device 400) to which the broker server 300 transmits information. In the topic field, a topic is input that specifies the device having the device ID input in the device ID field as the destination of the information. The control unit 301 identifies a topic field in which a topic matching the topic associated with the information is input, and determines the device having the device ID input in the device ID field corresponding to the topic field as the destination of the information. In the destination field, information is input for identifying the destination of the information to the device corresponding to the device ID input in the device ID field (for example, the network address of the communication device 400). In the topic information, the device ID of the communication device 400, the transmission topic, and the destination of the information of the communication device 400 are input.

[0033] The control unit 301 receives the specific information, the sending topic, and the reply topic from the publisher server 200 through specific communication using the communication unit 302. Here, the specific information is associated with the sending topic. Therefore, the control unit 301 receives the specific information, the sending topic, and the reply topic from the topic information DB 300. Based on the topic information and the transmission topic stored in the communication unit 3, the control unit 301 identifies the communication device 400 as the destination of the specific information. Then, the control unit 301 causes the communication unit 302 to transmit the specific information, the transmission topic, and the reply topic to the communication device 400 by specific communication.

[0034] Furthermore, control unit 301 receives notification information from communication device 400 via specific communication using communication unit 302. At this time, a reply topic is associated with the notification information. Therefore, control unit 301 identifies broker server 300 as the destination of the notification information based on the topic information and the reply topic stored in topic information DB 303. Control unit 301 transmits the received notification information to publisher server 200 via specific communication using communication unit 302.

[0035] (Communication equipment) The communication device 400 is configured to include a control unit 401, an external communication unit 402, an in-vehicle communication unit 403, and a device information database (device information DB) 404. The control unit 401 has a function of performing arithmetic processing for controlling the communication device 400. The control unit 401 can be realized by a processor 410 in the communication device 400. The external communication unit 402 has a function of connecting the communication device 400 to a network N1. The external communication unit 402 can be realized by an external communication I / F 440 in the communication device 400. The in-vehicle communication unit 403 has a function of connecting the communication device 400 to an in-vehicle network of the vehicle 50. The in-vehicle communication unit 403 can be realized by an in-vehicle communication I / F 450 in the communication device 400.

[0036] The device information DB 404 has a function of storing device information. When the communication device 400 receives information associated with a topic, the device information is information for identifying the destination of the information (a device mounted on the vehicle 50) based on the topic. In this embodiment, the device information is stored in advance in the device information DB 404. The device information DB 404 can be realized by the auxiliary storage unit 430 in the communication device 400. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a table configuration of device information stored in the device information DB 404.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 4, the device information has a device ID field, a topic field, and an address field. In the device ID field, an identifier (device ID) for identifying a device mounted on the vehicle 50 is input. In this embodiment, the vehicle 50 is equipped with a plurality of devices including an in-vehicle device 500. In the topic field, a topic identifying the device having the device ID input in the device ID field as the destination is input. The control unit 401 identifies a topic field in which a topic matching the topic associated with the information is input, and determines the device having the device ID input in the device ID field corresponding to the topic field as the destination of the information. In the address field, a network address in the in-vehicle network of the device input in the device ID field is input. In the device information, the device ID of the in-vehicle device 500, the transmission topic, and the network address in the in-vehicle network of the information of the in-vehicle device 500 are input.

[0038] The control unit 401 receives the specific information, the sending topic, and the reply topic from the broker server 300 through specific communication using the external communication unit 402. At this time, the sending topic is associated with the specific information. Therefore, the control unit 401 identifies the in-vehicle device 500 as the destination of the specific information based on the device information stored in the device information DB 404 and the sending topic. Then, the control unit 401 transmits the specific information to the in-vehicle device 500 using the in-vehicle communication unit 403.

[0039] Furthermore, the control unit 401 receives completion information from the in-vehicle device 500 via the in-vehicle communication unit 403. Upon receiving the completion information, the control unit 401 transmits the notification information to the broker server 300 via specific communication together with the reply topic that has been received in advance. As a result, the control unit 401 transmits the notification information associated with the reply topic to the broker server 300 via specific communication. The notification information is then transmitted to the external device 100 via the broker server 300 and the publisher server 200. In this way, the control unit 401 transmits the notification information to the external device 100 using the reply topic.

[0040] (In-vehicle device) The in-vehicle device 500 includes a control unit 501 and an in-vehicle communication unit 502. The control unit 501 can be realized by a processor in the in-vehicle device 500. The in-vehicle communication unit 502 has a function of connecting the in-vehicle device 500 to an in-vehicle network of the vehicle 50. The in-vehicle communication unit 502 can be realized by an in-vehicle communication I / F in the in-vehicle device 500.

[0041] The control unit 501 receives the identification information from the communication device 400 via the in-vehicle communication unit 502. When the reception of the identification information is completed, the control unit 501 transmits completion information to the communication device 400. This allows the communication device 400 to know that the in-vehicle device 500 has completed receiving the identification information.

[0042] (Information processing flow) Next, the flow of information processing in the communication system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a first sequence diagram showing the flow of information processing in the communication system 1. The processes executed by the external device 100, the publisher server 200, the broker server 300, the communication device 400, and the in-vehicle device 500 are executed by the control unit 101, the control unit 201, the control unit 301, the control unit 401, and the control unit 501, respectively.

[0043] In the communication system 1, the external device 100 transmits the specific information and the transmission topic to the publisher server 200 by specific communication so that the transmission topic is associated with the specific information (S11). Next, the publisher server 200 transmits the specific information, the transmission topic, and the reply topic to the broker server 300 by specific communication (S12). Next, the broker server 300 transmits the specific information, the transmission topic, and the reply topic to the communication device 400 by specific communication (S13). In this way, by the publisher server 200 transmitting the reply topic to the broker server 300, the reply topic can be notified to the communication device 400 via the broker server 300.

[0044] Next, the communication device 400 acquires device information stored in the device information DB 404 (S14). Here, since the specific information is associated with a transmission topic, the communication device 400 identifies the in-vehicle device 500 as the destination of the specific information based on the acquired device information and transmission topic (S15). Next, the communication device 400 transmits the specific information to the in-vehicle device 500 via the in-vehicle network (S16). Next, when the in-vehicle device 500 has completed receiving the specific information, it transmits completion information to the communication device 400 (S17).

[0045] When the communication device 400 receives the completion information, it transmits the notification information and the reply topic to the broker server 300 by specific communication so that the topic is associated with the notification information (S18). The broker server 300 then transmits the notification information and the reply topic to the publisher server 200 by specific communication (S19). Then, 200 transmits the notification information to the external device 100 by specific communication (S20). This allows the external device 100 to know that the in-vehicle device 500 has completed receiving the specific information.

[0046] As described above, the communication system 1 allows the external device 100 to receive the notification information when the in-vehicle device 500 has completed receiving the specific information. The in-vehicle device 100 can grasp that the in-vehicle device 500 has completed receiving the specific information. As a result, it becomes possible to confirm that the specific information has been transmitted to the in-vehicle device 500.

[0047] (Variation) In this embodiment, the publisher server 200 transmits a reply topic to the communication device 400. Then, the communication device 400 associates the received reply topic with notification information and transmits the notification information to the broker server 300 by specific communication. However, the communication device 400 does not necessarily have to associate the received reply topic with the notification information and transmit the notification information to the broker server 300 by specific communication. For example, the communication device 400 may associate the notification information with a reply topic that is stored in advance in the device information stored in the device information DB 404. That is, the communication device 400 may transmit notification information associated with a predetermined reply topic to the broker server 300. In this manner, it is also possible to confirm that the specific information has been transmitted to the in-vehicle device 500.

[0048] Second Embodiment In this embodiment, the communication device 400 receives from the in-vehicle device 500 a transmission topic and an address of the in-vehicle device 500 in the in-vehicle network of the vehicle 50 (hereinafter, may be referred to as a "specific address"), which is used by the communication device 400 to transmit specific information to the in-vehicle device 500. Only the differences from the first embodiment will be described below.

[0049] (In-vehicle device) The control unit 501 transmits the transmission topic and the specific address to the communication device 400 via the in-vehicle communication unit 502. The control unit 501 transmits the transmission topic and the specific address to the communication device 400 by acquiring a pre-specified transmission topic and the specific address from the auxiliary storage unit in the in-vehicle device 500. Here, the control unit 501 transmits the device ID of the in-vehicle device 500, the transmission topic, and the specific address to the communication device 400 via the in-vehicle communication unit 502, for example, at a timing that is predetermined as a timing when the in-vehicle device 500 receives specific information.

[0050] (Communication equipment) The control unit 401 registers the device ID, the transmission topic, and the specific address received from the in-vehicle device 500 by the in-vehicle communication unit 403 in the device information DB 404. This allows the control unit 401 to identify the specific address of the in-vehicle device 500 based on the device information held in the device information DB 404 and the specific information and transmission topic received from the broker server 300. This allows the control unit 401 to transmit the specific information to the in-vehicle device 500 by the in-vehicle communication unit 403.

[0051] Furthermore, the control unit 401 transmits request information to the broker server 300 by specific communication using the external communication unit 402. Here, the request information is information for requesting the broker server 300 to register the communication device 400 as a subscriber of the transmission topic received from the in-vehicle device 500. The request information is information including the device ID of the communication device 400, the transmission topic, and the destination of information to be sent to the communication device 400. This allows the broker server 300 to know the transmission topic to be registered.

[0052] (Broker server) The control unit 301 receives request information from the communication device 400 through specific communication using the communication unit 302. The broker server 300 registers the device ID of the communication device 400, the transmission topic, and the destination of the information to the communication device 400, which are included in the request information. As a result, when the broker server 300 receives specific information associated with the transmission topic, it references the topic field stored in the topic information DB 303 to determine the specific information. The communication device 400 can be identified as the destination of the fixed information.

[0053] (Information processing flow) Next, the flow of information processing in the communication system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a second sequence diagram showing the flow of information processing in the communication system 1. The processes executed by the broker server 300, the communication device 400, and the in-vehicle device 500 are executed by the control unit 301, the control unit 401, and the control unit 501, respectively.

[0054] In the communication system 1, the in-vehicle device 500 transmits the device ID, the transmission topic, and the specific address to the communication device 400 via the in-vehicle network (S21). Next, the communication device 400 registers the device ID, the transmission topic, and the specific address in the device information DB 404. This enables the communication device 400 to transmit the specific information associated with the transmission topic to the in-vehicle device 500 when the communication device 400 receives the specific information from the broker server 300 through specific communication.

[0055] Next, the communication device 400 transmits the request information to the broker server 300 (S23). Next, the in-vehicle device 500 registers the device ID, the transmission topic, and the transmission destination included in the request information in the vehicle 503 (S24). This enables the broker server 300 to transmit the specific information and the transmission topic to the communication device 400 when the broker server 300 receives specific information associated with the transmission topic from the publisher server 200 through specific communication.

[0056] As described above, in the second embodiment, in the communication system 1, the in-vehicle device 500 transmits a transmission topic and a specific address to the communication device 400. This enables the communication device 400 to transmit specific information to the in-vehicle device 500. In particular, even if there are multiple in-vehicle devices 500 in the vehicle, it becomes possible to transmit specific information to the appropriate in-vehicle device 500.

[0057] Furthermore, in the communication system 1, the communication device 400 transmits request information to the broker server 300. This enables the communication device 400 to receive specific information from the broker server 300 through specific communication, and enables the external device 100 to transmit the specific information to the in-vehicle device 500. This enables the communication device 400 to transmit notification information to the external device 100. As a result, it becomes possible to confirm that the in-vehicle device 500 has completed receiving the specific information.

[0058] (Variation) In this modification, the communication device 400 erases the device information stored in the device information DB 404 at a predetermined timing. Here, the predetermined timing is, for example, the timing when the power of the communication device 400 is turned off. Alternatively, the predetermined timing may be, for example, the timing when a predetermined period arrives. Only the differences from the second embodiment will be described below.

[0059] (Erasing process) The erasure process executed by the control unit 401 in the communication device 400 in the communication system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The erasure process is a process for erasing device information held in the device information DB 404. The erasure process is repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals. Fig. 7 is a flowchart of the erasure process.

[0060] In the erasure process, first, in S101, it is determined whether or not a predetermined timing has arrived. If a positive determination is made in S101, the device information held in the device information DB 404 is erased. Then, the erasure process is temporarily terminated. If a negative determination is made in S101, the time for erasure of the device information held in the device information DB 404 is determined. Therefore, the erasure process is temporarily terminated.

[0061] As described above, in this modification, the device information stored in the device information DB 404 is erased at a predetermined timing. Therefore, the communication device 400 does not need to always store information that requires security for transmitting information to the in-vehicle device 500. Furthermore, if the vehicle 50 has multiple devices, it is expected that the amount of device information data stored in the device information DB 404 will become enormous. However, because the device information stored in the device information DB 404 is erased at a predetermined timing, it is possible to prevent the amount of device information data stored in the device information DB 404 from becoming enormous.

[0062] Furthermore, even if the device information stored in the device information DB 404 is deleted at a predetermined timing, the transmission topic and the specific address are transmitted to the communication device 400 at a timing when the in-vehicle device 500 needs to receive the specific information. This enables the communication device 400 to receive the specific information from the broker server 300 through specific communication, and enables the external device 100 to transmit the specific information to the in-vehicle device 500. This enables the communication device 400 to transmit notification information to the external device 100. As a result, it becomes possible to confirm that the specific information has been transmitted to the in-vehicle device 500.

[0063] <Other embodiments> The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the processes and means described in the present disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0064] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

[0065] The present disclosure can also be realized by providing a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer via a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the computer's system bus or via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions, such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy disk or a hard disk drive (HDD)), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, or a Blu-ray disk), a read-only memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, or an optical card. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1. Communication Systems 100...external device 101 Control unit 102··Communications Department 200 Publisher Server 201 Control section 202··Communications Department 300··Broker Server 301 Control Unit 302··Communications Department 303··Topic Information DB 400 Communication equipment 401 Control section 402 External Communications Department 403 In-vehicle communication unit 404...Device information DB 50 vehicles 500...In-vehicle equipment 501 Control unit 502 In-vehicle communication unit

Claims

1. A communication device mounted on a vehicle that performs specific communication according to the MQTT protocol, receiving first information transmitted to the in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle from an external device that is a transmission source of the first information through the specific communication; transmitting the received first information to the in-vehicle device; receiving second information from the in-vehicle device indicating that the in-vehicle device has completed receiving the first information; and when the second information is received, third information notifying that the in-vehicle device has completed receiving the first information and a first topic specifying the external device to which the third information is to be sent are associated with each other, and the third information is sent to a first server device that relays the transmission of the third information to the external device, thereby transmitting the third information to the external device via the first server device by the specific communication; A control unit that executes Communication equipment.

2. the first topic is associated with the first information and transmitted from the external device; The communication device according to claim 1 .

3. the control unit acquires the predetermined first topic from a database; The communication device according to claim 1 .

4. The control unit receiving, from the in-vehicle device, a second topic specifying the in-vehicle device that is the destination of the first information, and fourth information that is information associating a network address within the vehicle of the in-vehicle device that is the destination of the first information; and registering the fourth information in a database; Further execute 3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein when the first information associated with the second topic included in the fourth information registered in the database is received through the specific communication, the control unit transmits the first information to the network address corresponding to the second topic as a destination.

5. The control unit further executes transmitting fifth information to a second server device that relays transmission of the first information through the specific communication, requesting that the second server device register itself as a subscriber of the second topic included in the fourth information. The communication device according to claim 4.

6. The control unit further deletes the fourth information from the database at a predetermined timing. The communication device according to claim 4.

7. the control unit further acquires, from a database, fourth information that associates a second topic that specifies the in-vehicle device that is a destination of the first information with a network address within the vehicle of the in-vehicle device that is a destination of the first information; When the first information associated with the second topic is received through the specific communication, the control unit transmits the first information to the network address corresponding to the second topic.

3. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2.

8. An information processing method executed by a communication device mounted on a vehicle and performing specific communication according to the MQTT protocol, receiving first information transmitted to the in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle from an external device that is a transmission source of the first information through the specific communication; transmitting the received first information to the in-vehicle device; receiving second information from the in-vehicle device indicating that the in-vehicle device has completed receiving the first information; and when the second information is received, third information notifying that the in-vehicle device has completed receiving the first information and a first topic specifying the external device to which the third information is to be sent are associated with each other, and the third information is sent to a first server device that relays the transmission of the third information to the external device, thereby transmitting the third information to the external device via the first server device by the specific communication; Including, Information processing methods.

9. the first topic is associated with the first information and transmitted from the external device; The information processing method according to claim 8.

10. obtaining the predetermined first topic from a database; The information processing method according to claim 8.

11. receiving, from the in-vehicle device, a second topic specifying the in-vehicle device that is the destination of the first information, and fourth information that is information associating a network address within the vehicle of the in-vehicle device that is the destination of the first information; and registering the fourth information in a database; Further comprising: When the first information associated with the second topic included in the fourth information registered in the database is received through the specific communication, the first information is transmitted to the network address corresponding to the second topic.

10. The information processing method according to claim 8 or 9.

12. The fourth server device relays the transmission of the first information through the specific communication. and further including transmitting fifth information requesting registration of the device as a subscriber of the second topic included in the information. The information processing method according to claim 11.

13. The information processing method according to claim 11 , further comprising: deleting the fourth information from the database at a predetermined timing.

14. and acquiring, from a database, fourth information that associates a second topic that specifies the in-vehicle device that is a destination of the first information with a network address within the vehicle of the in-vehicle device that is a destination of the first information, When the first information associated with the second topic is received through the specific communication, the first information is transmitted to the network address corresponding to the second topic.

10. The information processing method according to claim 8 or 9.

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