Grid computing management method and grid computing system

Abstract

To secure an objective quality of a grid operation.SOLUTION: A method for managing a grid computing includes: a registration step of registering a main user and the address of the main user; an authentication step of determining whether a driver is the main user on the basis of input information from a sensor installed in a vehicle 10; and an operation step in which the vehicle starts the operation of a grid computing by an operation resource on the condition that approval information was received from the outside showing that the main user approved start of processing the grid computing when the driver who was driving the vehicle in the last drive is determined to be a person who is not the main user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed herein belongs to the technical field of a grid computing management method and a grid computing system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology related to a grid computing system that uses computational resources installed in a vehicle. In Patent Document 1, when the processing capacity of at least one of a plurality of processing devices is insufficient, a management server transmits an instruction to the vehicle to participate in grid computing.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for managing the content of services provided to vehicle users for each user. In Patent Document 2, when a vehicle user uses a service, license information associated with both the vehicle ID assigned to the vehicle and the user ID assigned to the user is read from a storage unit, and the content of the service to be provided to the vehicle user is managed through a service management unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-160661 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-109816 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When a vehicle is not in operation and grid computing operations (hereinafter also referred to as "grid computing") are performed using the vehicle's computing resources, objective quality of each computing resource in the grid computing is required. However, if grid computing operations are performed under circumstances that go against the will of the vehicle's main user (e.g., the vehicle owner), the objective quality of the computing resources may not be ensured.

[0006] The technology disclosed here has been developed in consideration of such points, and aims to ensure the objective quality of computing resources in grid computing by allowing grid computing to be performed under the management of the main user even when a driver other than the main user uses the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a first aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a method for managing grid computing that utilizes computational resources mounted on a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is provided with a sensor that recognizes a driver, a parking detection unit that detects the parking state of the vehicle, and a lock detection unit that detects the door lock state of the vehicle, and the method includes a registration process for registering a primary user who is a primary user of the vehicle and contact information of the primary user, an authentication process for determining whether the driver is the primary user based on input information from the sensor, and a front-end authentication process for authenticating the vehicle after the vehicle changes from a running state to a parked state, the parking detection unit detects that the vehicle has been parked, and the driver has exited the vehicle. When the lock detection unit detects that the doors of the vehicle are locked, and the authentication process determines that the driver driving immediately before parking is the primary user, the vehicle automatically starts grid computing calculations using the computational resources; and when the authentication process determines that the driver driving immediately before parking is other than the primary user, the vehicle is configured to include a calculation process that starts grid computing calculations using the computational resources on the condition that approval information indicating that the start of the grid computing process has been approved is received from the contact information of the primary user registered in the registration process.

[0008] According to the first aspect, when the driver immediately before parking the vehicle is other than the primary user, the grid computation is started upon receipt of approval information from the primary user's contact information. This allows the grid computation to be executed under the control of the primary user even when a driver other than the primary user uses the vehicle, ensuring a safe environment for the computation and ensuring the objective quality of the computational resources in the grid computation. Furthermore, when the driver immediately before parking is determined to be the primary user, the grid computation is automatically started without contacting the primary user, ensuring the objective quality of the computational resources and realizing seamless computation.

[0009] Furthermore, even when a driver other than the primary user uses the vehicle, calculations can be performed in a safe environment, so that loss of opportunity for performing grid calculations can be minimized.

[0010] In addition, as a second aspect of the present disclosure, a grid computing system is provided that includes a vehicle equipped with computational resources and a management device that manages grid computing utilizing the computational resources of the vehicle, wherein the management device includes a communication unit that communicates with the vehicle and a memory unit that registers a primary user who is the main user of the vehicle and the primary user's contact information, and the vehicle includes a communication unit that communicates with the management device, a sensor that recognizes the driver of the vehicle, an authentication unit that authenticates whether the driver is the primary user based on input information from the sensor, a parking detection unit that detects the parking status of the vehicle, and a lock detection unit that detects the door lock status of the vehicle. When the vehicle changes from a driving state to a parked state, the parking detection unit detects that the vehicle has been parked, and the lock detection unit detects that the vehicle's doors are locked after the driver has been confirmed to have gotten out of the vehicle, if the authentication unit determines that the driver in the previous drive was the main user, the vehicle automatically starts grid computing calculations using the computational resources, and if the authentication unit determines that the driver in the previous drive was someone other than the main user, the vehicle starts grid computing calculations using the computational resources on the condition that approval information approving the start of the grid computing process by the main user is received from the management device.

[0011] According to the second aspect, as in the first aspect, the calculation is performed in a safe environment, and the objective quality of the calculation can be ensured. Moreover, since the grid calculation is automatically started without contacting the primary user, the objective quality of the calculation resources can be ensured and seamless calculation can be realized. Furthermore, even when a driver other than the primary user uses the vehicle, the calculation can be performed in a safe environment, and the opportunity loss for the execution of the grid calculation can be minimized. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] As described above, the technology disclosed herein allows grid computing operations to be performed under the management of the primary user, allowing operations to be performed in a safer environment and ensuring the objective quality of computing resources in grid computing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Conceptual diagram to explain grid computing [Figure 3] A block diagram illustrating the configuration of a vehicle [Figure 4] Block diagram illustrating a client-server configuration [Figure 5] Block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management server [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of a grid computing system. [Figure 7A] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of a grid computing system. [Figure 7B] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of a grid computing system. [Figure 8] A flowchart showing an example of a flow for determining a grid start condition. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent parts will be designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations may be omitted. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, configurations highly relevant to the contents of the present disclosure will be mainly described. Note that the following embodiments are merely illustrative, and there is no intention to limit the contents of the present disclosure by the presence or absence of descriptions or the exemplified numerical values, etc.

[0015] First Embodiment (Grid Computing System) FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the configuration of a grid computing system 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as "system 1") according to an embodiment.

[0016] The system 1 includes a plurality of vehicles 10, a plurality of client terminals 30, and a management server 50. These components can communicate with each other via a communication network 6. Each of the plurality of vehicles 10 is equipped with a computing device 102. The management server 50 is an example of a management device.

[0017] [Grid Computing] As shown in Figure 2, in the embodiment system 1, grid computing (hereinafter also simply referred to as "grid G") is configured using multiple computing devices 102, and grid computing is performed in which an available computing device 102 among the multiple computing devices 102 executes the computation of job data D1 of an application job (hereinafter also simply referred to as "job").

[0018] When the vehicle 10 is traveling, the computing power of the arithmetic device 102 is required for driving control of the vehicle 10, and the arithmetic device 102 is in an operating state. On the other hand, for example, when the vehicle 10 is parked and the power of the vehicle 10 is turned off, the computing power of the arithmetic device 102 for driving control of the vehicle is substantially unnecessary. Therefore, the above grid calculation is performed when the vehicle 10 is not in operation (for example, when the vehicle 10 is parked).

[0019] 〔vehicle〕 A battery (not shown) is mounted on the vehicle 10. Power from the battery is supplied to on-board devices such as the computing device 102. Examples of such vehicles 10 include electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

[0020] 3, the vehicle 10 includes a communication unit 101, a computing device (processor) 102, a memory unit 103, an occupant sensor 111, a driving operation sensor 112, a vehicle state sensor 113, and a position sensor 114. In the following description, the occupant sensor 111, the driving operation sensor 112, the vehicle state sensor 113, and the position sensor 114 may be collectively referred to as a sensor group 110.

[0021] -Communications Department- The communication unit 101 transmits and receives information and data to and from the management server 50 via the communication network 6. The information and data received by the communication unit 101 is sent to the arithmetic device .

[0022] -Arithmetic device- The arithmetic device 102 controls each part of the vehicle 10. In this example, the arithmetic device 102 controls each actuator (not shown) in accordance with various information obtained from the sensor group 110. Note that the arithmetic device 102 may be equipped with a arithmetic device dedicated to grid computing, i.e., a arithmetic device not involved in the control of the vehicle 10, in addition to a arithmetic device used for controlling the vehicle 10.

[0023] The arithmetic device 102 has one or more processors and one or more memories. The arithmetic devices 102 may be arranged in one place within the vehicle, or may be arranged in several places within the vehicle. Examples of processors include a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The memory stores programs for operating the processors, information and data indicating the processing results of the processors, etc.

[0024] In this disclosure, for convenience of explanation, resources available for grid computing calculations and processing within the calculation device 102 will be referred to as "calculation resources."

[0025] The computing resources may also be resources used for controlling the vehicle 10, or a CPU or GPU dedicated to grid computing that is not used for controlling the vehicle may be used.

[0026] Also, for example, there may be separate time periods during which use as a computing resource is permitted and time periods during which use as a computing resource is restricted. That is, a single CPU may be counted as a computing resource during certain time periods and not counted as a computing resource during other time periods. The same applies to GPUs.

[0027] In addition, when a CPU is implemented with a single or multiple cores, some of the multiple cores may be counted as computing resources, and the remaining cores may not be counted as computing resources. The same applies to GPUs.

[0028] -Occupant sensor- The occupant sensor 111 acquires information necessary to authenticate the driver. The occupant sensor 111 is not particularly limited, but includes, for example, an in-vehicle camera (not shown) installed in a position where it can capture the face of the driver. The image captured by the in-vehicle camera is transmitted to the arithmetic device 102. The arithmetic device 102 extracts the face image of the driver and identifies the driver.

[0029] The method for identifying the driver is not particularly limited, and for example, deep learning technology can be used. When deep learning is used, the extracted face image and information on the identified driver are provided as input to a human model. The human model is, for example, a trained model generated by deep learning.

[0030] A biometric information sensor such as an iris recognition sensor, a fingerprint sensor, a voiceprint sensor, or a body measurement sensor may be used as the occupant sensor 111. Also, the driver may be identified by a combination of an image from an in-vehicle camera and information acquired by the above sensors.

[0031] The authentication unit that authenticates the driver can be realized, for example, by an occupant sensor and the arithmetic device 102. Note that information acquired by the occupant sensor 111 may be transmitted to the management server 50, and some or all of the functions of the arithmetic device 102 may be realized by the control unit 502 of the management server 50. However, by completing the functions of the authentication unit within the vehicle, more secure processing can be realized.

[0032] -Driving operation sensor- The driving operation sensor 112 detects the driving operation of the driver. Examples of the driving operation sensor 112 include an accelerator opening sensor, a shift sensor, a brake sensor, and a steering angle sensor. The detection signal from the driving operation sensor 112 is sent to the arithmetic device 102. A parking detection unit that detects the parking state can be realized by the driving operation sensor 112 and the arithmetic device 102. For example, when the brake sensor detects that the parking brake is applied and the shift sensor detects that the shift lever is set to park, the arithmetic device 102 determines that the vehicle 10 is in a parked state. Note that the arithmetic device 102 may detect the parking state based on composite information, such as detection information from a position sensor 114 and a vehicle state sensor 113 (described later) in addition to the driving operation sensor 112.

[0033] -Vehicle condition sensor- The vehicle state sensor 113 acquires the state of the vehicle 10. The vehicle state sensor 113 is composed of, for example, a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a yaw rate sensor, etc. A detection signal from the driving operation sensor 112 is transmitted to the arithmetic device 102. As described above, the vehicle state sensor 113 may constitute part of the parking detection unit.

[0034] The vehicle state sensor 113 includes a sensor that detects the door lock state of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the vehicle state sensor 113 includes a lid sensor that detects the open / closed state of the doors, the locked state of the doors provided in the vehicle, the open / closed state of the hood, and the position of the lift gate and the open / closed state of the trunk. The lid sensor is an example of a lock detection unit that detects the door lock state.

[0035] The lock detection unit may be configured to detect whether the vehicle doors are locked or not, and may be configured to detect whether the vehicle doors are locked or not, based on the door lock signal from a keyless entry device or an immobilizer authentication device.

[0036] -Position sensor- The position sensor 114 uses a global positioning system (GPS) to detect the position (vehicle position information) of the vehicle 10. The information acquired by the driving operation sensor 112 is transmitted to the computing device .

[0037] As described above, the vehicle state sensor 113 may constitute a part of the parking detection unit. Specifically, for example, the computing device 102 may determine that the vehicle is parked if the location where the vehicle is stopped is confirmed by a driving operation sensor or the like is a parking area such as a parking lot, and may not determine that the vehicle is parked if the stopping location is a no-parking area such as an intersection.

[0038] -Storage Department- The storage unit 103 stores various types of information and data. The specific configuration of the storage unit 103 is not particularly limited. For example, the storage unit 103 may be realized by a memory built into a chip, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or an optical disc such as a DVD or BD.

[0039] In this example, the storage unit 103 stores vehicle information D10 and user information D20. The vehicle information D10 includes basic vehicle information D11, vehicle state information D13, and operation information D15.

[0040] <Vehicle basic information> The vehicle basic information D11 includes vehicle identification information and resource information.

[0041] The vehicle identification information includes information for identifying the vehicle, such as the VIN.

[0042] Resource information is information related to computational resources (such as CPUs and GPUs). The resource information includes, for example, a computational resource ID assigned to each computational resource and performance information indicating the performance of each computational resource. The performance of a computational resource includes the computational capacity of the computational resource (specifically, the maximum computational capacity), the ratio of CPUs to GPUs in the computational resource, and the like. The computational capacity of a computational resource is, for example, the amount of data that each computational resource can calculate per unit time.

[0043] <Vehicle status information> The vehicle state information D13 is information indicating the state of the vehicle 10, and includes, for example, vehicle position information, vehicle communication information, vehicle power supply information, and the like.

[0044] The vehicle position information indicates the position (latitude and longitude) of the vehicle 10. For example, the vehicle position information is acquired by the position sensor 114.

[0045] The vehicle communication information includes information indicating the communication state between the vehicle 10 and the communication network 6, and information on the communication bandwidth between the vehicle 10 and the management server 50. The vehicle communication information is updated, for example, at predetermined time intervals.

[0046] The vehicle power source information includes information indicating the power source state of the vehicle 10, vehicle battery remaining amount information, vehicle charging information, etc. For example, the vehicle power source information indicates whether the ignition power is on or off, whether the accessory power is on or off, etc. The vehicle battery remaining amount information indicates the remaining amount of a battery (not shown) installed in the vehicle 10. The vehicle charging information indicates whether the vehicle 10 is being charged in a charging facility (not shown).

[0047] <Operation information> The operation information D15 includes, for example, vehicle driving information indicating the driving history of the vehicle 10, operation history information indicating the operation history of the arithmetic device 102, and operation schedule information indicating the operation schedule of the arithmetic device 102.

[0048] The vehicle travel information indicates, for example, the position of the vehicle 10 in association with time. In addition to the travel history information, travel schedule information indicating future travel schedules of the vehicle 10 may be included.

[0049] The operation history information indicates, for example, the utilization rate of the computing resources of the computing device 102 and / or the job processing volume in association with time. The operation history information includes a normal operation history and a grid operation history. The normal operation history is information indicating the history of the operation of the computing device 102 for user use, such as providing services such as vehicle driving, car navigation, and music playback. The grid operation history is information indicating the history of the operation of the computing device 102 to execute grid computing processing.

[0050] The operation schedule information indicates, for example, usage schedule information indicating the future usage status of the arithmetic device 102.

[0051] <User Information> The user information D20 includes main user information D21 and secondary user information D22.

[0052] The primary user information D21 is information about the primary user who is the main user registered in the vehicle 10. The primary user information D21 includes information for identifying the primary user. Information for identifying the primary user includes, for example, a photograph of the primary user taken in advance, and the primary user's iris information, fingerprint information, and / or voiceprint information that has been registered in advance. The primary user information D21 is updated when the primary user changes. For example, the information is updated when the owner of the vehicle 10 changes, or when the driver in charge of the vehicle 10 changes in the case of a commercial vehicle. Note that the primary user's contact information (for example, the email address of the terminal device 40 owned by the primary user) may also be registered as the primary user information D21.

[0053] The secondary user information D22 is information about users (referred to as "secondary users") other than the primary user registered to the vehicle 10 who may drive the vehicle. The secondary user information D22 includes information for identifying the secondary user. Information for identifying the secondary user includes, for example, a pre-taken photograph of the secondary user, and pre-registered iris information, fingerprint information, and / or voiceprint information of the secondary user. The secondary user information D22 can be updated by adding or deleting information. For example, the owner of the vehicle 10 can add or delete family members or friends as secondary users, and in the case of a commercial vehicle, employees who may drive the vehicle can be registered as secondary users. The secondary user information D22 may also include the secondary user's contact information (for example, the email address of the terminal device 40 owned by the secondary user).

[0054] [Client terminal] The client terminal 30 is owned by a client. The client requests the calculation of job data. Examples of such clients include companies, research institutes, and educational institutions.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 4, the client terminal 30 includes a communication unit 301, a storage unit 303, and a control unit 302.

[0056] -Communications Department- The communication unit 301 is connected to the management server 50 so as to be capable of two-way communication, and transmits and receives information and data therebetween. The information and data received by the communication unit 301 are sent to the control unit 302.

[0057] -Arithmetic section- The control unit 302 controls each unit of the client terminal 30. The control unit 302 has one or more processors, one or more memories, etc. The memories store programs for operating the processors, information and data indicating the processing results of the processors, etc.

[0058] -Storage Department- The storage unit 303 stores information and data. In this example, the storage unit 303 stores client information D31 and job data D1.

[0059] <Client Information> The client information D31 is information about the client, and includes a client ID set for the client, a client terminal ID set for the client terminal 30 owned by the client, a person in charge's name, address, telephone number, etc.

[0060] <Job Data> The job data D1 is data corresponding to a job and is processed to execute the job.

[0061] The job data D1 can be classified by calculation type. Examples of calculation types include CPU-based calculation types and GPU-based calculation types. Job data D1 of the CPU-based calculation type tend to require complex calculations with many conditional branches, such as simulation calculations. Job data D1 of the GPU-based calculation type tend to require a huge amount of simple calculations, such as image processing and machine learning.

[0062] <Job Information> Job information D32 relating to the job is stored in association with the job data D1. The job information D32 includes, for example, job name information, job content information, job data calculation type, processing conditions, required calculation capacity, and job delivery date information.

[0063] [Management Server] The management server 50 manages the operation of grid computing. In other words, the system 1 includes the management server 50. The management server 50 is owned by the operator that operates the system 1.

[0064] 5, the management server 50 includes a communication unit 501, a control unit 502, and a storage unit 503. The management server 50 includes one or more processors and one or more memories.

[0065] -Communications Department- The communication unit 501 is connected to the vehicle 10 and the client terminal 30 so as to be able to perform two-way communication, and transmits and receives information and data therebetween. The information and data received by the communication unit 501 is sent to the control unit 502.

[0066] -Storage Department- Various types of information and data are stored in the storage unit 503. There are no particular limitations on the specific configuration of the storage unit 503. For example, the storage unit 503 may be realized by a memory built into a chip, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or an optical disc such as a DVD or BD.

[0067] In this example, the storage unit 503 stores a vehicle information table D51, a job table D53, a matching table D55, a user table D56, job data D1, and calculation result data D2.

[0068] <Vehicle Information Table> The vehicle information table D51 is a table for managing vehicle information. For example, the vehicle information D10 of each vehicle is stored in the vehicle information table D51 in a list form.

[0069] <Job Table> The job table D53 is a table for managing jobs requested by clients. For each job, the job table D53 registers the reception number set for that job, the client ID set for the client that requested the job, the name and content of the job, and so on. The job table D53 also registers for each job the calculation type and processing conditions of the job data D1 corresponding to that job, the required computing power that is the computing power required to calculate the job data D1, the delivery date set for that job, and so on. In the job table D53, each piece of job data D1 is linked so that it is clear which client requested the job.

[0070] Matching Table The matching table D55 is a table for managing the results of matching in the matching process. For each job, the matching table D55 registers the reception number set for that job, the job data ID set in the job data D1 corresponding to that job, the vehicle identification information of the vehicle assigned to that job data by the matching process, and the like.

[0071] <User table> The user table D56 is a table for managing the primary user and secondary users of each vehicle 10. For example, the user table D56 stores a list of vehicle identification information for each vehicle, linked to the primary user identification information and secondary user identification information for each vehicle. The form of the primary user identification information and secondary user identification information is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, an identification ID assigned to each user or the name of each user. The user table also stores contact information for the primary user and secondary users.

[0072] In addition, when implementing part of the functions of the authentication unit in the management server 50, it is necessary to store information equivalent to the user information D20 (information necessary to identify the main user based on data such as photographs and biometric information received from the vehicle) in the memory unit 503.

[0073] <Job Data> The job data D1 stored in the storage unit 503 is data of a job accepted from the client terminal 30 in a job acceptance process, which will be described later.

[0074] <Calculation result data> The calculation result data D2 stored in the storage unit 503 is data of the calculation result of a job executed in each vehicle 10 by grid computing processing, which will be described later.

[0075] -Control Unit- In this example, the control unit 502 has the function of executing a series of controls and processes related to the operation and management of grid computing. For example, it executes the controls and processes in the flow charts of Figures 7A and 7B described below. Note that in the following explanation, for the sake of convenience, the operations and processes are described mainly by the management server 50, but the control unit 502 may contribute to the processes and controls.

[0076] The control unit 502 stores information and data received from the client terminal 30 in the storage unit 503. For example, when the control unit 502 receives job data D1 from the client terminal 30, the control unit 502 saves the job data D1 in the storage unit 503. Furthermore, when the control unit 502 receives job information D32 from the client terminal 30, the control unit 502 registers the job information D32 in a job table D53 in the storage unit 503.

[0077] The control unit 502 stores information and / or data received from each vehicle 10 and / or the primary user's terminal device 40 in the storage unit 503. For example, when the control unit 502 receives vehicle information D10 (including vehicle driving information and resource information) from the vehicle 10, it registers the information in the vehicle information table D51 in the storage unit 503. Furthermore, when the control unit 502 receives notification of addition / deletion of a secondary user from the primary user's terminal device 40, it updates the user information in the user table D56.

[0078] [Grid Computing System Operation] An example of the operation of the grid computing system will be described below with reference to the flowcharts of Figures 6 to 8. Figure 6 is a flowchart that mainly describes the operation of the vehicle and the control and processing in the vehicle. Figure 7 (Figures 7A and 7B) is a flowchart that describes the same operation as Figure 6 from the perspective of cooperation between the vehicle and the management device, and cooperation between the management device and the terminal device owned by the main user. In Figures 6 and 7, the same processes are assigned the same symbols. Also, Figure 8 shows an example of a determination flow for grid start conditions.

[0079] -Step S11 (S41, S51)- In step S11, the primary user is registered in the vehicle 10. This registration method is not particularly limited. For example, the primary user's information may be registered while the vehicle is stopped or moving using an occupant sensor 111 installed in the vehicle cabin, or may be registered using a terminal device 40 owned by the primary user. In addition to the primary user, secondary users may also be registered. The primary user's registration information is stored as user information D20 in the memory unit 103. The primary user's contact information may also be registered in the vehicle 10. The registration method is not particularly limited, and any conventionally known method may be used.

[0080] 7, the primary user of vehicle 10 is registered with the management server 50 from terminal device 40 along with his or her contact information. In this example, as shown in FIG. 1, vehicle owner P11 uses terminal device 41 to register himself or herself as primary user P11 with respect to his or her vehicle 11 with the management server 50. Also, vehicle owner P21 uses terminal device 42 to register himself or herself as primary user P21 and another person as secondary user P22 with respect to his or her vehicle 12 with the management server 50. Each of terminal devices 41, 42 transmits information required for management in user table D56 to the management server 50 based on the input information of each primary user P11, P21.

[0081] The process here corresponds to a registration step of registering the main user and the main user's contact information.

[0082] -Steps S12 and S13- In step S12, the ignition power of the vehicle 10 is turned on (in the case of an electric vehicle, the drive power is turned on), and the vehicle 10 starts to travel. In the next step S13, the calculation device 102 recognizes the driver of the traveling vehicle 10 based on input information from the sensor group 110 from the time the vehicle starts traveling until it is parked. In this example, the primary user P11 is driving vehicle 11, and the secondary user P22 is driving vehicle 12. Therefore, the primary user P11 is recognized as the driver of vehicle 11, and the secondary user P22 is recognized as the driver of vehicle 12.

[0083] This process corresponds to an authentication step of determining whether the driver is the primary user based on input information from the sensor.

[0084] -Step S14- In step S14, for example, when the vehicle 10 enters a parking area in a parking lot, the ignition power is turned off (in the case of an electric vehicle, the drive power is turned off), and the vehicle changes from a traveling state to a parking state. Then, the parking detection unit (for example, the driving operation sensor 112 and the vehicle state sensor 113) detects the parking state of the vehicle, and the flow proceeds to the next step S15.

[0085] -Step S15- In step S15, the arithmetic device 102 determines whether a grid start condition is satisfied. Specifically, for example, the grid start condition is set such that, in a state where the parking detection unit detects that the vehicle is parked, after it is confirmed that the driver has exited the vehicle, the lock detection unit detects that the vehicle doors are locked.

[0086] FIG. 8 shows an example of a determination flow for the grid start condition. In the example of FIG. 8, the arithmetic device 102 executes the determinations of steps S151 to S154 in parallel. In step S151, the lid sensor is used to determine whether the door is open or closed. In step S152, the lid sensor is used to determine whether the door is locked. In step S153, the lid sensor is used to determine whether the hood is open or closed. In step S154, the lid sensor is used to determine the position of the lift gate and the open or closed state of the trunk.

[0087] In the next step S155, the arithmetic device 102 determines the door lock state of the vehicle 10 based on the determination results of steps S151 to S154. For example, if the vehicle interior is closed and the doors are locked, the arithmetic device 102 determines that the door lock state determination result is OK, that is, that the grid start condition is satisfied. In this example, the arithmetic device 102 determines that the grid start condition is satisfied if it detects that all doors are closed in step S151, that all doors are locked in step S152, that the hood is closed in step S153, and that the lift gate is in the closed position and the trunk is closed in step S154. If the determination result in step S155 is OK, the flow proceeds to the next step S16 (see FIG. 6).

[0088] -Steps S16 to S20- Returning to FIG. 6, in step S16, the computing device 102 determines whether permission to use the computing resources for grid computing has been obtained.

[0089] <Processing when the driver is the primary user> 7A shows an example of the operation when the driver is the primary user, that is, when the driver is determined to be the primary user in step S13. The operation up to step S16 in FIG. 7A is the same as that in FIG. 6. Here, the explanation will be given using a vehicle 11 driven by a primary user P11.

[0090] In S16, the computing device 102 of the vehicle 11 (hereinafter simply referred to as the computing device 102) recognizes the driver in the immediately preceding trip, i.e., the driver in step S13, as the primary user P11, and therefore automatically starts grid computing processing using computing resources (step S20). Step S20 in Fig. 6 corresponds to steps S21 to S25 in Fig. 7A.

[0091] In step S21, the computing device 102 requests the management server 50 to transmit job data D1 to be used in the grid computing.

[0092] In step S54, the control unit 502 of the management server 50, which has received the transmission request from the arithmetic device 102, transmits to the vehicle 11 the job data D1 for the application job that is the request target.

[0093] In step S22, the arithmetic device 102 receives the job data D1 from the management server 50. Thereafter, the arithmetic device 102 starts grid calculation using the job data D1 (step S23). When the grid calculation is completed (step S24), the arithmetic device 102 transmits the calculation result to the management server 50 (step S25). When the management server 50 receives the calculation result from the arithmetic device 102, the series of processes ends (step S55). Note that if there is sufficient parking time, the process of step S20 may be repeated.

[0094] <Processing when the driver is not the primary user> Figure 7B shows an example of the operation when the driver is other than the primary user, that is, when the driver is determined to be other than the primary user in step S13. The operation up to step S16 in Figure 7B is the same as in Figure 6. Here, the explanation will be given using a vehicle 12 driven by a secondary user P22. Note that step S20 in Figure 6 corresponds to steps S22 to S25 in Figure 7B.

[0095] In S16, the calculation device 102 of the vehicle 12 (hereinafter simply referred to as the calculation device 102) recognizes that the driver in the immediately preceding trip, i.e., the driver in step S13, is other than the primary user P21. Therefore, in the vehicle 12, grid calculation is not automatically started.

[0096] 6, the computing device 102 transmits an inquiry request to the main user P21 regarding starting grid computing to the management server 50. In the next step S18, it is determined whether or not permission for use has been granted by the main user P21.

[0097] Returning to FIG. 7B, in step S52, when the management server 50 receives the above inquiry request from the vehicle 12, it refers to the user table D56 in the storage unit 503 and sends a confirmation message to the primary user's contact point (here, the terminal device 42) asking whether it is okay to execute grid calculations on the vehicle 12. When sending this confirmation message, it may also notify the primary user P21 of driver information for the most recent trip, in this example, that the driver is the secondary user P22. In this way, by notifying the primary user P21 of the driver information for the most recent trip, it is possible to provide the primary user P21 with information on whether to approve or disapprove of the grid calculations.

[0098] In step S42, when the terminal device 42 receives the confirmation message from the management server 50, it displays the message on the display screen and accepts a response from the main user P21. When the terminal device 42 acquires the response operation information from the main user P21, it transmits the response result from the main user P21 to the terminal device 42.

[0099] In step S53, when the management server 50 receives the response result of the main user P21 from the terminal device 42, the management server 50 transmits the content thereof to the vehicle 12. FIG. 7B shows an example in which the main user P21 has permitted grid calculation on the vehicle 12.

[0100] In the next step S54, the control unit 502 of the management server 50 transmits job data D1 for the requested application job to the vehicle 12. Note that, similar to the case of Fig. 7A, the management server 50 may transmit the job data D1 to the vehicle 12 after receiving a transmission request from the vehicle 12. The subsequent processing of steps S22 to S25 and step S55 is the same as that of Fig. 7A.

[0101] On the other hand, if the response result received by the management server 50 in step S53 does not permit grid calculations in the vehicle 12, then in step S18 of Figure 6, a determination is made that permission is not granted, and the series of processes ends without the grid calculations being performed in the vehicle 12.

[0102] [Effects of the embodiment] As described above, according to the above embodiment, when the driver in the immediately preceding vehicle trip is determined to be the primary user, the vehicle 10 automatically starts grid computation using computational resources. On the other hand, when the driver in the immediately preceding vehicle trip is determined to be other than the primary user, the vehicle 10 starts grid computation on the condition that approval information indicating that the primary user has approved the start of grid computing processing is received from outside.

[0103] In this way, by specifying the conditions for starting calculation after parking the vehicle 10, grid calculation can be performed under the management of the primary user even when a driver other than the primary user uses the vehicle. This allows calculation to be performed in a safer environment, and the objective quality of calculation resources in the grid calculation can be ensured. Furthermore, when the driver driving immediately before parking is determined to be the primary user, grid calculation is automatically started without contacting the primary user, so that seamless calculation can be realized while ensuring the objective quality of calculation resources.

[0104] Furthermore, even when a driver other than the primary user uses the vehicle, calculations can be performed, so that loss of opportunity for performing grid calculations can be minimized.

[0105] The above embodiments may be combined as appropriate. The above embodiments are essentially preferred examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the technology disclosed herein, its applications, or its uses. In other words, the above embodiments are merely examples and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, and all modifications and variations that fall within the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the present disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0106] As described above, the technology disclosed herein is useful as a technology for managing grid computing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 10 vehicles 50 Management Server (Management Device) 101 Communications Department 111 Occupant sensor (sensor) 112 Driving operation sensor (parking detection unit) 113 Vehicle status sensor (parking detection unit, lock detection unit) 501 Communications Department 503 Storage section

Claims

1. A method for managing grid computing utilizing computing resources mounted on a vehicle, comprising: The vehicle is provided with a sensor for recognizing a driver, a parking detection unit for detecting a parking state of the vehicle, and a lock detection unit for detecting a door lock state of the vehicle, a registration step in which a control unit of a management device configured to be able to communicate with the vehicle and managing the grid computing registers, in a storage unit, a main user who is a primary user of the vehicle and contact information of the main user; an authentication step in which an authentication unit provided in the vehicle or the management device determines whether the driver is the primary user based on input information from the sensor; When the vehicle changes from a traveling state to a parking state, the parking detection unit detects that the vehicle is parked, and the lock detection unit detects that the driver has gotten out of the vehicle, When the driver in the immediately preceding trip is determined to be the primary user in the authentication process, the vehicle automatically starts grid computing calculations using the computing resources; a computing step of, when the authentication step determines that the driver in the immediately preceding trip is other than the primary user, sending an inquiry from the management device to a contact point of the primary user, and the vehicle starting grid computing calculations using the computing resources on condition that approval information indicating that the primary user has approved the start of the grid computing process is received from an external device. How to manage grid computing.

2. 2. The grid computing management method according to claim 1, In the registration step, in addition to the main user, a secondary user who is a user of the vehicle other than the main user is registered, In the calculation step, when making the inquiry, notifying the user that the driver in the immediately preceding trip is the secondary user. How to manage grid computing.

3. A grid computing system including a vehicle equipped with a computing resource and a management device that manages grid computing utilizing the computing resource of the vehicle, The management device a communication unit that communicates with the vehicle; a storage unit in which a primary user who is a primary user of the vehicle and contact information of the primary user are registered; The vehicle is a communication unit that communicates with the management device; a sensor for recognizing a driver of the vehicle; an authentication unit that authenticates whether the driver is the primary user based on input information from the sensor; a parking detection unit that detects the parking state of the vehicle; a lock detection unit that detects a door lock state of the vehicle, When the vehicle changes from a traveling state to a parking state, the parking detection unit detects that the vehicle is parked, and the lock detection unit detects that the driver has gotten out of the vehicle, When the authentication unit determines that the driver in the immediately preceding trip is the primary user, the vehicle automatically starts grid computing calculations using the computing resources; When the authentication unit determines that the driver in the immediately preceding trip is other than the primary user, the vehicle starts the grid computing calculation using the computing resources on the condition that approval information approving the primary user's start of the grid computing process is received from the management device. Grid computing system.

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