Information distribution method and information distribution system

Abstract

Provided are information distribution method and system which are highly convenient for users while realizing authentication with high security. The information distribution method has: a first acquisition step in which personal authentication of a user who boards a vehicle is executed through a mobile terminal (50), and the mobile terminal acquires a user identifier for specifying the user; a second acquisition step in which the mobile terminal is wirelessly connected to a vehicle communication device (10), and the mobile terminal acquires, from the vehicle communication device, a device identifier for specifying the vehicle communication device; a first determination step for determining whether the user identifier is assigned to the device identifier; a third acquisition step in which the mobile terminal acquires, in response to the request from the mobile terminal, an on-vehicle device identifier for specifying on-vehicle electronic devices (34, 36) which control the operation of the vehicle; and a second determination step for determining whether the user identifier is assigned to the on-vehicle device identifier.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information distribution method and an information distribution system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known an authentication system that can achieve highly secure authentication when a mobile terminal runs an application that uses highly secure vehicle data that represents the vehicle status obtained from the vehicle in which the onboard device is installed. This authentication system is characterized in that it performs a first authentication after determining whether or not connection with the mobile terminal is possible by comparing a PIN code, requests an onboard device ID from the mobile terminal that has been connected after the first authentication, and performs a second authentication by comparing the onboard device ID sent from the mobile terminal in response to the request with the onboard device ID registered in the onboard device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-088913 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, this authentication system requires the allocation of a PIN code and an in-vehicle device ID to each in-vehicle device, and is therefore unsuitable for authentication in cases where multiple people share a vehicle. In addition, the process is complicated because it requires the supplier factory to assign a PIN code and an onboard device ID to each onboard device and then transmit the PIN code and onboard device ID assigned to each onboard device to the data center, which requires prior cooperation from the supplier factory.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an information distribution method and an information distribution system that are highly convenient for users while realizing authentication with high security. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information distribution method comprising: a first acquisition step of authenticating the identity of a user boarding a vehicle via a mobile terminal and having the mobile terminal acquire a user identifier that identifies the user; a second acquisition step of wirelessly connecting the mobile terminal to a vehicle communication device and having the mobile terminal acquire a device identifier that identifies the vehicle communication device from the vehicle communication device; a first determination step of determining whether the user identifier is assigned to the device identifier; a third acquisition step of, in response to a request from the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal acquires an in-vehicle device identifier that identifies an in-vehicle electronic device that controls the operation of the vehicle; and a second determination step of determining whether the user identifier is assigned to the in-vehicle device identifier. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information distribution method and system that realizes highly secure authentication and is highly convenient even when multiple people share a vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of an information distribution system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a main part of an information distribution system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a configuration diagram showing main functional units of a mobile terminal 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the operation of the information distribution system 1 according to the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the operation of the information distribution system 1 according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] First, an information distribution system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of the information distribution system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that Fig. 1 describes the application of the present invention to saddle-type vehicles such as motorcycles and electric bicycles, which are often shared with people other than the owner and where group rides are relatively frequent, but the present invention is not limited to application to saddle-type vehicles.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, an information distribution system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a vehicle communication device 10, on-board electronic devices 34 and 36, a mobile terminal 50, and a server 60.

[0011] The vehicle communication device 10 is a communication device (for example, a navigation system) that does not have a communication function via a communication line or the like, and is connected to the mobile terminal 50 through device-to-device communication. Here, device-to-device communication refers to communication functions between devices that the mobile terminal 50 generally has, such as USB, Bluetooth (registered trademark), and wireless LAN (Local Area Network).

[0012] The on-board electronic devices 34, 36 are connected to the vehicle communication device 10, enabling data exchange between them. The on-board electronic devices 34, 36 and the vehicle communication device 10 may be connected via a wired connection using an electronic cable or the like, or wirelessly via device-to-device communication. Specific examples of the on-board electronic devices 34, 36 that control the operation of the vehicle include a brake control device that controls the vehicle's brakes, a drive control device that controls the drive of the vehicle's engine or motor, and a steering control device that controls the vehicle's steering. The mobile terminal 50 is a highly functional mobile phone or the like, such as a smartphone, that performs data communication using a mobile communication network such as a 4G or 5G network or a wireless LAN. The mobile terminal 50 is connected to the Internet via a communication network. The mobile terminal 50 and the server 60 can communicate with each other via a network such as the Internet.

[0013] Next, each device constituting the information distribution system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described.

[0014] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of an information distribution system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

[0015] 2, the vehicle communication device 10 includes a control unit 12, a communication unit 14, a first storage unit 16, a second storage unit 17, a LAN communication unit 18, and a power supply unit 19. As will be described later, the vehicle communication device 10 functions as a gateway for communication between the mobile terminal 50 and various on-board electronic devices (ECUs, etc.) 34, 36.

[0016] The control unit 12 is configured as a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, which are connected to each other via a bus (not shown). The ROM stores various programs executed by the CPU. A first storage unit 16 and a second storage unit 17 are connected to the control unit 12. The first storage unit 16 and the second storage unit 17 are configured by writable memory, and may be configured by rewritable memory such as an EEPROM or a hard disk drive (HDD). The first storage unit 16 stores a device identifier (described later), and the second storage unit 17 stores an in-vehicle device identifier (described later).

[0017] The control unit 12, as a main functional unit, controls the calling of information from the first storage unit 16 and the second storage unit 17, the power management function, and the calling of information from the in-vehicle electronic devices 34 and 36 via the LAN communication unit 18. These functions may be realized by the CPU executing a program stored in the ROM.

[0018] The vehicle communication device 10 performs wireless communication with the mobile terminal 50 via the communication unit 14. A wireless technology such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) may be used for this wireless communication. In this example, the description will continue assuming that Bluetooth (registered trademark) is used. Various data required for authentication are exchanged between the vehicle communication device 10 and the mobile terminal 50. In addition, the vehicle communication device 10 transmits to the mobile terminal 50 various pieces of identifier information stored in the first memory unit 16 and the second memory unit 17, as well as vehicle data (vehicle data indicating the vehicle state) obtained from the on-board electronic devices 34, 36.

[0019] The vehicle communication device 10 is connected to an in-vehicle battery 20 via a power supply unit 19 and receives a supply of power. The vehicle communication device 10 is also connected to an in-vehicle LAN 32 via a LAN communication unit 18. The vehicle communication device 10 is capable of data communication with various in-vehicle electronic devices 34, 36 connected to the in-vehicle LAN 32. The in-vehicle LAN 32 may be based on a CAN (Controller Area Network) or a LIN (Local Interconnect Network), etc. The in-vehicle LAN 32 may also be configured with multiple in-vehicle LANs (for example, a LAN for powertrain system control and a LAN for brake system control).

[0020] The mobile terminal 50 is a terminal (for example, a smartphone) owned by the driver and has a wireless communication function. In this example, the mobile terminal 50 has a wireless communication function using Bluetooth (registered trademark). The mobile terminal 50 can also access the Internet and exchange various data with a server 60. As shown in FIG. 3, the mobile terminal 50 mainly includes a communication unit 51, a control unit 52, a display unit 54, and a storage unit 56. The mobile terminal 50 also has, as its main functional units, a first determination unit 58 and a second determination unit 59 that determine the assignment of various identifiers to each other.

[0021] The server 60 may be a server installed in a remote location away from the vehicle, such as a cloud server. The server 60 stores web applications that perform predetermined functions based on vehicle data acquired from the on-board electronic devices 34 and 36.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a method for constructing and operating the information distribution system 1 according to the present invention.

[0023] Here, an example of a method for constructing and operating the information distribution system 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0024] First, as shown in Fig. 4, the identity of the user boarding the vehicle is authenticated via the mobile terminal 50. The identity authentication may be performed by biometric authentication (matching of fingerprints, etc.) or by inputting a PIN number. Alternatively, the identity authentication may be performed via a specific application. Once the identity authentication is complete, the control unit 52 of the mobile terminal 50 permits access to the user identifier stored in the memory unit 56, or downloads the user identifier stored in the server 60 to the mobile terminal 50 via the communication unit 51 (first acquisition step).

[0025] Next, as shown in Fig. 4, when the user's mobile terminal 50 is located within a distance where wireless communication is possible with the vehicle communication device 10, pairing between the vehicle communication device 10 and the mobile terminal 50 is executed. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the mobile terminal 50 requests pairing to the vehicle communication device 10 (step S2). When the pairing request is made from the mobile terminal 50, the communication unit 14 of the vehicle communication device 10 transmits to the mobile terminal 50 a device identifier that is an identifier unique to the vehicle communication device 10 and that is stored in the first storage unit 16 (step S3, second acquisition step). Note that the transmission and reception of this information for pairing is realized by wireless communication based on Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0026] Next, the first determination unit 58 of the mobile terminal 50 determines whether or not the device identifier has been assigned using the device identifier sent from the vehicle communication device 10 (step S4, first determination step). Specifically, the first determination unit 58 compares the device identifier sent from the vehicle communication device 10 with the user identifier stored in the storage unit 56 or downloaded from the server 60, and determines whether or not the user identifier has been assigned to the device identifier. If it is determined that the user identifier has been assigned to the device identifier (yes), the process proceeds to the next step. If it is determined that the user identifier has not been assigned to the device identifier (no), the process ends, and subsequent processing is restricted.

[0027] Here, a user identifier being assigned to a device identifier means that the user identifier is registered as a user identifier that should be permitted to access the first vehicle data for one device identifier unique to the vehicle communication device 10. In other words, it means that there may be multiple user identifiers that are permitted to access the first vehicle data for one device identifier unique to the vehicle communication device 10. In other words, the vehicle owner can assign not only his / her own user identifier but also the user identifiers of the vehicle owner's family members, friends, or other persons who drive the vehicle to the device identifier. Note that when multiple identifiers are registered, it may be possible to register other user identifiers only by using the vehicle owner's user identifier.

[0028] When pairing is established in the first determination step, the vehicle communication device 10 receives first vehicle data from the various on-board electronic devices 34, 36 via the on-board LAN 32. The first vehicle data is data transmitted from the various on-board electronic devices 34, 36 to the on-board LAN 32 and may be data with relatively low security. For example, the first vehicle data may be data representing vehicle speed (detection data from a wheel speed sensor) or data representing vehicle body inclination (detection data from an inertial sensor). As a more specific example, the first vehicle data may be data necessary for displaying the vehicle's fuel efficiency (fuel efficiency calculation). In this case, the first vehicle data may be data related to a mileage (integral value of vehicle speed) or a fuel injection amount, although this depends on the fuel efficiency calculation method.

[0029] The communication unit 14 of the vehicle communication device 10 transmits the first vehicle data obtained from the various on-board electronic devices 34, 36 to the mobile terminal 50 by wireless communication based on Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0030] The control unit 52 of the mobile terminal 50 displays the first vehicle data on the display unit 54. The control unit 52 of the mobile terminal 50 may display the first vehicle data as is, or may convert the first vehicle data into other information and then display it.

[0031] Next, a procedure for a user to access the second vehicle data will be described. When it is determined in the first determination step that the user identifier is assigned to the device identifier, the user can operate the mobile terminal 50 to request the vehicle communication device 10 to transmit the in-vehicle device identifier (step S5). When the request is made from the mobile terminal 50, the communication unit 14 of the vehicle communication device 10 transmits the in-vehicle device identifier unique to the in-vehicle electronic devices 34, 36, which is stored in advance in the second storage unit 17, to the mobile terminal 50 (step S6, third acquisition step). Alternatively, when the request is made from the mobile terminal 50 to the vehicle communication device 10, the control unit 12 of the vehicle communication device 10 may request the in-vehicle electronic devices 34, 36 to transmit an in-vehicle device identifier unique to the in-vehicle electronic devices 34, 36 via the LAN communication unit 18 (step S5').

[0032] Next, the second determination unit 59 of the mobile terminal 50 determines whether or not the in-vehicle device identifier has been assigned using the in-vehicle device identifier sent from the vehicle communication device 10 (step S7, second determination step). Specifically, the second determination unit 59 compares the in-vehicle device identifier sent from the vehicle communication device 10 with the user identifier stored in the storage unit 56 or downloaded from the server 60, and determines whether or not the user identifier has been assigned to the in-vehicle device identifier. If it is determined that the user identifier is assigned to the in-vehicle device identifier (yes), the process can proceed to the next step. If it is determined that the user identifier is not assigned to the in-vehicle device identifier (no), the process ends and access to the second vehicle data is restricted.

[0033] When pairing is established in the second determination step, the control unit 52 of the mobile terminal 50 transmits a read request for the second vehicle data to the vehicle communication device 10 by wireless communication based on Bluetooth (registered trademark) (step S8).

[0034] The vehicle communication device 10 reads the second vehicle data in response to a request from the mobile terminal 50. Specifically, the vehicle communication device 10 requests the second vehicle data from the on-board electronic devices 34, 36 via the on-board LAN 32 (step S9). The vehicle communication device 10 may directly transmit the read request for the second vehicle data from the mobile terminal 50 to the on-board LAN 32. The second vehicle data is data with higher security (confidentiality) than the first vehicle data, and may be, for example, various data indicating a fault or abnormal state of the vehicle. The data may be sensor detection data itself or data generated by the ECU based on sensor information. The on-board electronic devices 34, 36 may read the requested second vehicle data from their own memories and transmit it to the on-board LAN 32. The control unit 12 of the vehicle communication device 10 may identify the on-board electronic devices 34, 36 that are the request destinations according to the type of the requested second vehicle data, and request the second vehicle data from the on-board electronic devices 34, 36 that are the request destinations.

[0035] The vehicle communication device 10 receives the second vehicle data transmitted from the on-board electronic devices 34, 36 via the on-board LAN 32 (step S10). The second vehicle data is preferably transmitted to the vehicle communication device 10 as individual data with a specified destination.

[0036] Next, the second vehicle data is individually read by the mobile terminal 50. Specifically, the communication unit 14 of the vehicle communication device 10 transmits the received second vehicle data to the mobile terminal 50 by wireless communication based on Bluetooth (registered trademark) (step S11). The second vehicle data may be time-series data, in which case the second vehicle data may be transmitted to the mobile terminal 50 in real time, or may be transmitted all at once at predetermined time intervals.

[0037] Next, the control unit 52 of the mobile terminal 50 displays the second vehicle data on the display unit 54. Alternatively, the second vehicle data may be converted into other information and displayed.

[0038] 5 is a diagram showing another example of the construction method and operation of the information distribution system 1 according to the present invention. Note that the difference from the first embodiment is the process after the first determination step, so the following will explain the process after the first determination step.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 52 of the mobile terminal 50 accesses the server 60 via the communication unit 51 and requests a specific application (step S15). The specific application may be an application that operates using the second vehicle data, or may be an application for reading out the second vehicle data. The request for the specific application may be automatically executed by the control unit 52 of the mobile terminal 50 when the first determination step is completed, or may be executed after receiving approval or instruction from the user. A plurality of specific applications may be prepared in the server 60. In this case, the user may operate the mobile terminal 50 to select and request a desired specific application.

[0040] The server 60 transmits (downloads) the requested specific application to the mobile terminal 50 (step S16). The mobile terminal 50 requests an in-vehicle device identifier from the vehicle communication device 10 at the same time as the request for the specific application or the specific application is downloaded and a specific request is made from the specific application (step S17). When the mobile terminal 50 requests the in-vehicle device identifier, the communication unit 14 of the vehicle communication device 10 transmits the in-vehicle device identifier unique to the in-vehicle electronic devices 34, 36 stored in the second storage unit 17 to the mobile terminal 50 (step S20, third acquisition step). Alternatively, when the mobile terminal 50 requests the in-vehicle device identifier from the vehicle communication device 10, the control unit 12 of the vehicle communication device 10 may request the in-vehicle device identifier unique to the in-vehicle electronic devices 34, 36 from the in-vehicle electronic devices 34, 36 via the in-vehicle LAN 32 (step S18).

[0041] Next, the second determination unit 59 of the mobile terminal 50 determines whether or not the in-vehicle device identifier has been assigned using the in-vehicle device identifier sent from the vehicle communication device 10 (step S21, second determination step). Specifically, the second determination unit 59 compares the in-vehicle device identifier sent from the vehicle communication device 10 with the user identifier stored in the storage unit 56, and determines whether or not the user identifier has been assigned to the in-vehicle device identifier. If it is determined that the user identifier has been assigned to the in-vehicle device identifier, the second determination unit 59 can proceed to the next step. If it is determined that the user identifier is not assigned to the in-vehicle device identifier, the process ends and access to the second vehicle data is restricted.

[0042] When pairing is established in the second determination step, a request to read the second vehicle data is executed by activating the specific application downloaded to the mobile terminal 50 (step S22). Alternatively, the request to read the second vehicle data may be executed automatically following the download of the specific application.

[0043] 5, the vehicle communication device 10 reads the second vehicle data in response to a request from the mobile terminal 50. Specifically, the vehicle communication device 10 requests the second vehicle data from the on-board electronic devices 34, 36 via the on-board LAN 32. The vehicle communication device 10 may directly transmit the read request for the second vehicle data from the mobile terminal 50 to the on-board LAN 32 (step S23). The on-board electronic devices 34, 36 may read the requested second vehicle data from their own memories and transmit the data to the on-board LAN 32. The control unit 12 of the vehicle communication device 10 may identify the on-board electronic devices 34, 36 that are the request destinations according to the type of the requested second vehicle data, and request the second vehicle data from the on-board electronic devices 34, 36 that are the request destinations.

[0044] 5, the vehicle communication device 10 receives the second vehicle data transmitted from the on-board electronic devices 34, 36 via the on-board LAN 32 (step S24). The second vehicle data is preferably transmitted to the vehicle communication device 10 as individual data with a specified destination.

[0045] 5, the mobile terminal 50 individually reads the second vehicle data (step S25). Specifically, the communication unit 14 of the vehicle communication device 10 transmits the second vehicle data obtained in step S24 to the mobile terminal 50 by wireless communication based on Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0046] 5, the control unit 52 of the mobile terminal 50 may use a specific application to display the second vehicle data as is, or may convert the second vehicle data into other information and display it (step S26). As an example of the latter, the second vehicle data may be used by the specific application executed on the mobile terminal 50. That is, the specific application is operated by the second vehicle data.

[0047] According to the information distribution system 1 of the present embodiment described above, the following excellent effects are achieved.

[0048] According to the information distribution system 1 of this embodiment, as described above, in addition to matching the user identifier with the device identifier, the second vehicle data with high security is transmitted after matching the user identifier with the in-vehicle device identifier. This ensures high security for the reading of vehicle data from the vehicle communication device 10 (and the various in-vehicle electronic devices 34, 36) by the mobile terminal 50, and also makes it possible to easily assign an identifier using the vehicle owner's identifier.

[0049] Furthermore, according to the information distribution system 1 of this embodiment, if it is determined that the user identifier is assigned to the device identifier, the transition to the second acquisition step is permitted. This makes it possible to distinguish and manage users who can access the first vehicle data from users who can access the second vehicle data with higher security.

[0050] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0051] For example, in the above embodiment, the first and second determination steps are performed by a mobile terminal, but the first and second determination units that perform these steps may be mounted on the vehicle communication device 10.

[0052] In the above-described embodiment, the PIN code verification for personal authentication may be performed in any manner. For example, in addition to the PIN code used for verification, other authentication information such as a MAC address may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1 Information distribution system, 10 Vehicle communication equipment, 12 Control unit, 14 Communication unit, 16 First memory unit, 17 Second memory unit, 18 LAN communication unit, 19 Power supply unit, 32 In-vehicle LAN, 34, 36 In-vehicle electronic device, 50 Mobile terminal, 51 Communication unit, 52 Control unit, 54 Display unit, 56 Memory unit, 58 First judgment unit, 59 Second judgment unit, 60 Server.

Claims

1. a first acquisition step of authenticating a user who boards a vehicle through a mobile terminal (50) and acquiring a user identifier that identifies the user by the mobile terminal; a second acquisition step in which the mobile terminal is wirelessly connected to a vehicle communication device (10), and the mobile terminal acquires a device identifier that identifies the vehicle communication device from the vehicle communication device; a first determining step of determining whether the user identifier is assigned to the device identifier; a third acquisition step in which, in response to a request from the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal acquires an in-vehicle device identifier that identifies an in-vehicle electronic device (34, 36) that controls the operation of the vehicle; a second determination step of determining whether the user identifier is assigned to the in-vehicle device identifier; Information distribution method having

2. 2. The information distribution method according to claim 1, wherein if it is determined in said first determination step that said user identifier is assigned to said device identifier, a transition to said third acquisition step is permitted.

3. 2. The information distribution method according to claim 1, wherein if it is determined in the first determining step that the user identifier is assigned to the device identifier, access to the first vehicle data is permitted through the mobile terminal.

4. 4. The information distribution method according to claim 3, wherein, if it is determined in the second determination step that the user identifier is assigned to the vehicle-mounted equipment identifier, access to second vehicle data having higher security than the first vehicle data is permitted via the mobile terminal.

5. 5. The information distribution method according to claim 4, wherein, in the second determination step, if it is determined that the user identifier is assigned to the vehicle-mounted equipment identifier, the second vehicle data is transmitted to the mobile terminal in response to a request from the mobile terminal.

6. The information distribution method according to claim 1 , wherein the in-vehicle device identifier is acquired via the vehicle communication device.

7. 2. The information distribution method according to claim 1, wherein, if it is determined in said first determining step that said user identifier is assigned to said device identifier, said mobile terminal requests a server to transmit a specific application.

8. a first determination unit that determines whether a user identifier that becomes accessible after identity authentication of a user who boards a vehicle is assigned to a device identifier that identifies the vehicle communication device and is obtained from the vehicle communication device when the user's mobile terminal is wirelessly connected to the vehicle communication device; a second determination unit that determines whether the user identifier is assigned to an in-vehicle device identifier that identifies an in-vehicle electronic device that controls an operation of the vehicle and that is acquired in response to a request from the mobile terminal; An information distribution system having

9. 9. The information distribution system according to claim 8, wherein the vehicle is a saddle-ride type vehicle.

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