In-vehicle communication devices and communication systems

Abstract

To make it possible to notify an appropriate user of an operation defect even if a plurality of users are in a vehicle.SOLUTION: An on-vehicle communication device according to the present disclosure is mounted onto a vehicle having a plurality of on-vehicle devices, and comprises: a first communication part that can perform a communication in radio with a plurality of portable terminals of a plurality of users; a second communication part that can perform a communication in radio with a server performing the notification to the plurality of portable terminals; a terminal information acquisition part that acquires terminal information for uniquely specifying each of the plurality of portable terminals from the plurality of portable terminals via the first communication part; and a vehicle information acquisition part that acquires vehicle information indicating a state of the vehicle from an on-vehicle device group containing the plurality of on-vehicle devices. The terminal information acquisition part acquires, when the communication of any one of the portable terminals of the plurality of portable terminals with the first communication part is established, the terminal information from the portable terminal for which the communication is established, and the vehicle information acquisition part associates the vehicle information acquired from the on-vehicle device group to the terminal information acquired by the terminal information acquisition part to transmit it to the server via the second communication part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle communication device and a communication system.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, various services using vehicle connectivity technologies have been provided to vehicle users. As an example, there is a technology for providing an operation forgetting notification service by an in-vehicle device that notifies a server of the state of an accessory power source of a vehicle or the like, and a server that sends an operation forgetting notification to the mobile phone of the vehicle owner based on the notification from the in-vehicle device (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, there may be a plurality of users in a vehicle other than the vehicle owner, and the person who has made an operation omission may be a user other than the owner. In such a case, for example, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the notification is not sent to the person who should originally receive the notification, but is sent to a person different from the person who should receive the notification.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an in-vehicle communication device and a communication system that can notify a user who should receive a notification of an operation defect even when there are a plurality of users in the vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The in-vehicle communication device according to this disclosure is an in-vehicle communication device mounted in a vehicle having a plurality of in-vehicle devices, comprising: a first communication unit capable of wirelessly communicating with a plurality of mobile terminals of a plurality of users; a second communication unit capable of wirelessly communicating with a server that notifies the plurality of mobile terminals; a terminal information acquisition unit that acquires terminal information that uniquely identifies each of the plurality of mobile terminals from the plurality of mobile terminals via the first communication unit; and a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information indicating the status of the vehicle from a group of in-vehicle devices including the plurality of in-vehicle devices. The first communication unit communicates with one of the multiple mobile terminals using short-range wireless communication, The terminal information acquisition unit is connected to the first communication unit. Note When communication is established with either mobile terminal, the vehicle information acquisition unit acquires terminal information from the mobile terminal with which communication has been established, links the vehicle information acquired from the in-vehicle device group to the terminal information acquired by the terminal information acquisition unit, and transmits it to the server via the second communication unit. The server then determines whether the vehicle information obtained from the in-vehicle communication device includes the event to be notified. If the vehicle information includes the event to be notified, the server identifies the mobile terminal based on the terminal information associated with the vehicle information and sends a notification about the event to the identified mobile terminal using the wide-area communication network. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the in-vehicle communication device and communication system described herein, even when there are multiple users in the vehicle, operational errors can be notified to the user who should receive the notification. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an in-vehicle communication device according to an embodiment, along with other components of the vehicle. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an in-vehicle communication device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the server hardware configuration according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a server according to the embodiment. [Figure 6]Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a mobile terminal according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating, in order, an example of the operation of the communication system according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating, in order, an example of the operation of the communication system according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating, in order, an example of the operation of the communication system according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure by the in-vehicle communication device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure performed by the server according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the in-vehicle communication device and communication system according to this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] (Example of a communication system configuration) Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 1 of the embodiment comprises an in-vehicle communication device 10, a server 20, and a plurality of mobile terminals 30 (30a, 30b, 30c, etc.).

[0011] The in-vehicle communication device 10 is installed in the vehicle VH and acquires vehicle information indicating the status of various parts of the vehicle VH. The in-vehicle communication device 10 can communicate wirelessly with the server 20 via a wide-area communication network WA such as the internet and transmits the acquired vehicle information to the server 20.

[0012] Furthermore, the in-vehicle communication device 10 can communicate with multiple mobile terminals 30 using short-range wireless communication (NF), such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The in-vehicle communication device 10 obtains terminal information from the multiple mobile terminals 30 to identify each mobile terminal 30.

[0013] The server 20 is configured to communicate with the in-vehicle communication device 10 and a plurality of mobile terminals 30 via a wide-area communication network WA. The server 20 notifies the plurality of mobile terminals 30 based on the vehicle information acquired from the in-vehicle communication device 10.

[0014] The plurality of mobile terminals 30 are smartphones, mobile phones, tablet terminals, etc. possessed by a plurality of users who use the vehicle VH. The plurality of users may include the owner of the vehicle VH.

[0015] The plurality of mobile terminals 30 transmit terminal information for identifying themselves to the in-vehicle communication device 10 by short-range wireless communication NF. Also, the plurality of mobile terminals 30 can communicate wirelessly with the server 20 via the wide-area communication network WA and receive notifications from the server 20.

[0016] (Configuration example of in-vehicle communication device) Next, a configuration example of the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the embodiment will be described using FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the embodiment together with other configurations of the vehicle VH.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle communication device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a storage device 14, communication I / Fs (interfaces) 15, 17, and an input / output I / F 16.

[0018] The CPU 11 controls the entire in-vehicle communication device 10. The ROM 12 functions as a storage area in the in-vehicle communication device 10. The information stored in the ROM 12 is retained even when the power of the in-vehicle communication device 10 is turned off. The RAM 13 functions as a primary storage device and serves as the working area of the CPU 11.

[0019] By the CPU 11 expanding and executing, for example, a control program stored in the ROM 12 in the RAM 13, various functions as the in-vehicle communication device 10 are realized.

[0020] The storage device 14 is an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), etc., and functions as an auxiliary storage device for the CPU 11.

[0021] The communication interface 15 is configured to connect to a wide-area communication network (WA) (see Figure 1) by means of wireless, for example. The communication interface 15 enables the exchange of various types of information between the in-vehicle communication device 10 and the server 20.

[0022] The communication interface 17 is configured to connect to multiple mobile terminals 30 owned by different users, for example, via short-range wireless communication (NF) (see Figure 1). The communication interface 17 enables the exchange of various types of information between the in-vehicle communication device 10 and the mobile terminals 30.

[0023] The input / output interface 16 is connected to a group of on-board devices 40, which includes multiple on-board devices, and acquires various information about the vehicle VH from the group of on-board devices 40. These on-board devices, like the on-board communication device 10, are mounted on the vehicle VH.

[0024] Multiple in-vehicle devices include, for example, various ECUs (Electronic Control Units) 41 (41a, 41b, 41c...) and various sensors 42 (42a, 42b, 42c...) connected to the various ECUs 41.

[0025] Various sensors 42 detect the status of various parts of the vehicle's VH, such as the open / closed status of doors and windows, the status of door locks, and the illumination status of various lights such as headlights. Various ECUs 41 manage and control various parts of the vehicle's VH based on the detection information from the various sensors 42.

[0026] The input / output interface 16 acquires vehicle information from various ECUs 41, such as the status of various parts of the vehicle VH as described above. However, the input / output interface 16 may also directly acquire vehicle information from various sensors 42.

[0027] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the embodiment.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the in-vehicle communication device 10 includes, as functional units, a terminal information acquisition unit 101, a vehicle information acquisition unit 102, a terminal communication unit 103, a server communication unit 104, and a storage unit 105.

[0029] The terminal information acquisition unit 101 acquires terminal information from among the multiple mobile terminals 30 that have established communication with the terminal communication unit 103 after the vehicle VH's power is turned on. The terminal information is an identifier such as a device token that is assigned to each of the multiple mobile terminals 30 and uniquely identifies each mobile terminal 30.

[0030] As will be described later, the terminal communication unit 103 communicates with the mobile terminal 30 using short-range wireless communication (NF). Therefore, after the vehicle VH is powered on, the mobile terminal 30 with which communication is established is considered to be the mobile terminal 30 owned by the user who intends to use the vehicle VH at that time, among the multiple users of the vehicle VH.

[0031] When acquiring terminal information, the terminal information acquisition unit 101 sends a terminal information transmission request to the mobile terminal 30 via the terminal communication unit 103. The terminal information acquisition unit 101 also acquires the terminal information transmitted from the mobile terminal 30 in accordance with the terminal information transmission request via the terminal communication unit 103.

[0032] The functions of the terminal information acquisition unit 101 are realized, for example, by the CPU 11 that executes the control program.

[0033] When the power to the vehicle VH is turned off, the vehicle information acquisition unit 102 acquires vehicle information from the group of on-board devices 40, including various ECUs 41 and sensors 42, indicating the status of various parts of the vehicle VH at that time, such as the open / closed status of the doors and windows, the status of the door locks, and the illumination status of various lamps such as the headlights.

[0034] The timing at which the vehicle information acquisition unit 102 acquires vehicle information after the vehicle VH is powered off can be set at the time of shipment of the vehicle VH or arbitrarily by the user. For example, it can be set immediately after power off, a few seconds to tens of seconds after power off, or a few minutes to 10 minutes after power off.

[0035] The vehicle information acquisition unit 102 links the acquired vehicle information to the terminal information already acquired from the mobile terminal 30 and transmits it to the server 20 via the server communication unit 104.

[0036] The functions of the vehicle information acquisition unit 102 are realized, for example, by a CPU 11 that executes a control program, and an input / output interface 16 that operates under the control of the CPU 11.

[0037] The terminal communication unit 103, acting as the first communication unit, communicates wirelessly with multiple mobile terminals 30 using short-range wireless communication (NF). After the vehicle VH is powered on, the terminal communication unit 103 sends a terminal information transmission request to the mobile terminals 30 with which communication has been established. The terminal communication unit 103 also obtains terminal information from those mobile terminals 30.

[0038] The functions of the terminal communication unit 103 are realized, for example, by a communication interface 17 that operates under the control of the CPU 11 that executes the control program.

[0039] The server communication unit 104, acting as a second communication unit, communicates wirelessly with the server 20 via the wide-area communication network WA. When the vehicle VH is powered off, the server communication unit 104 transmits vehicle information, linked to the terminal information acquired by the terminal information acquisition unit 101, to the server 20.

[0040] The functions of the server communication unit 104 are realized, for example, by a communication interface 15 that operates under the control of the CPU 11 that executes the control program.

[0041] The memory unit 105 stores control programs and various parameters for operating the in-vehicle communication device 10, terminal information acquired from the mobile terminal 30, and vehicle information acquired from the in-vehicle device group 40, etc.

[0042] The functions of such a memory unit 105 are realized, for example, by ROM 12, RAM 13, and storage device 14, which operate under the control of the CPU 11 that executes the control program.

[0043] (Example server configuration) Next, an example of the configuration of the server 20 in the embodiment will be described using Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server 20 according to the embodiment.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4, the server 20 includes a CPU 21, ROM 22, RAM 23, storage device 24, and communication I / F 25.

[0045] The CPU 21 controls the entire server 20. The ROM 22 functions as a storage area in the server 20. Information stored in the ROM 22 is retained even when the server 20 is powered off. The RAM 23 functions as a primary storage device and serves as the CPU 21's workspace.

[0046] The CPU 21, for example, loads a control program stored in ROM 22 into RAM 23 and executes it, thereby realizing various functions of the server 20.

[0047] The storage device 24 is an HDD, SSD, etc., and functions as an auxiliary storage device for the CPU 21.

[0048] The communication interface 25 is configured to connect to the wide-area communication network WA (see Figure 1). The communication interface 25 enables the exchange of various types of information between the server 20 and the in-vehicle communication device 10 and the mobile terminal 30.

[0049] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server 20 according to the embodiment.

[0050] As shown in Figure 5, the server 20 comprises a determination unit 201, a notification generation unit 202, a communication unit 204, and a storage unit 205 as functional units.

[0051] The determination unit 201 determines whether the vehicle information obtained from the in-vehicle communication device 10 via the communication unit 204 includes the event to be notified.

[0052] A notification event is an event that is presumed to have occurred immediately before the vehicle information was transmitted, that is, before the vehicle VH was powered off, due to a malfunction in the operation of the vehicle VH by the user who was using it. Specifically, notification events include information indicating, for example, the open status of a door or window, the open status of a door lock, and the illuminated status of any of the various lights such as headlights.

[0053] The determination unit 201 determines whether the vehicle information includes the notification target events described above by referring to, for example, the notification target event DB (database) 205b stored in the storage unit 205. The notification target event DB 205b stores information that corresponds to the notification target events among the vehicle information that can be transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 10.

[0054] If a vehicle VH is in any of the above states while the power is off, it is presumed that there was a deficiency in the user's operation at the time of use of the vehicle VH, such as forgetting to close the doors or windows, forgetting to lock the doors, or forgetting to turn off various lights.

[0055] If the determination unit 201 determines that the vehicle information includes any of the notification target events, it identifies the mobile terminal 30 of the user who was using the vehicle VH immediately before the vehicle information was transmitted. Specifically, the determination unit 201 identifies the user's mobile terminal 30 based, for example, the terminal information corresponding DB 205a stored in the storage unit 205 and the terminal information transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 10 in association with the vehicle information.

[0056] The terminal information database 205a stores user information for each mobile terminal 30 owned by multiple users of the vehicle VH, along with the terminal information of those mobile terminals 30. The user information of the mobile terminal 30 includes, for example, a user ID and an email address. The determination unit 201 compares the terminal information transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 10 with the information on multiple mobile terminals 30 contained in the terminal information database 205a to identify the mobile terminal 30 of a user suspected of having operational problems.

[0057] The functions of the determination unit 201 are realized, for example, by the CPU 21 that executes the control program.

[0058] When the determination unit 201 determines that the vehicle information contains any of the notification target events, the notification generation unit 202 generates a notification based on the notification target events contained in the vehicle information, informing the user that there may have been an error in their operation. The notification generation unit 202 also transmits the generated notification to the mobile terminal 30 identified by the determination unit 201 via the communication unit 204. Notifications transmitted in this manner based on terminal information such as a device token are also called push notifications.

[0059] The functions of such a notification generation unit 202 are realized, for example, by the CPU 21 that executes the control program.

[0060] The third communication unit, the communication unit 204, communicates with the in-vehicle communication device 10 and the individual mobile terminals 30 of multiple users via the wide-area communication network (WA).

[0061] When the vehicle VH is turned off, the communication unit 204 receives vehicle information linked to the terminal information of a predetermined mobile terminal 30 from the in-vehicle communication device 10. Also, when the notification generation unit 203 generates a notification for the predetermined mobile terminal 30, the communication unit 204 sends the notification to the mobile terminal 30 based on the information of the mobile terminal 30 identified by the determination unit 201.

[0062] The functions of such a communication unit 204 are realized, for example, by a communication interface 25 that operates under the control of a CPU 21 that executes a control program.

[0063] The storage unit 205 stores control programs and various parameters for operating the server 20, as well as terminal information and vehicle information acquired from the in-vehicle communication device 10. The storage unit 205 also stores terminal information DB 205a and notification target event DB 205b.

[0064] The functions of such a memory unit 205 are realized, for example, by ROM 22, RAM 23, and storage device 24, which operate under the control of a CPU 21 that executes a control program.

[0065] (Example of mobile device configuration) Next, an example of the configuration of the mobile terminal 30 according to the embodiment will be described using Figure 6. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 30 according to the embodiment.

[0066] Note that Figure 6 shows the common configuration of multiple mobile terminals 30 (30a, 30b, 30c, etc.). Therefore, at least some of the multiple mobile terminals 30 may have a configuration other than that shown in Figure 6, and may have a different configuration from the other mobile terminals 30.

[0067] As shown in Figure 6, the mobile terminal 30 includes a CPU 31, ROM 32, RAM 33, storage device 34, and communication I / F 35, 37.

[0068] The CPU 31 controls the entire mobile terminal 30. The ROM 32 functions as a storage area in the mobile terminal 30. Information stored in the ROM 32 is retained even when the mobile terminal 30 is powered off. The RAM 33 functions as a primary storage device and serves as the CPU 31's workspace.

[0069] Furthermore, the mobile terminal 30 of this embodiment has a communication application 32a installed, which is stored, for example, in the ROM 32.

[0070] The communication application 32a is a computer-readable computer program that contains multiple instructions that can be executed by a computer. In the communication application 32a, these multiple instructions cause the computer to execute various processes in cooperation with the in-vehicle communication device 10 and the server 20.

[0071] The communication application 32a is provided as an installable or executable file recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, flexible disk (FD), CD-R, or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc).

[0072] Alternatively, the communication application 32a may be configured to be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by allowing users to download it via the network. Alternatively, the communication application 32a may be configured to be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0073] The CPU 31, for example, loads a communication application 32a stored in the ROM 32 into the RAM 33 and executes it, thereby providing various services to the mobile terminal 30 in cooperation with the in-vehicle communication device 10 and the server 20.

[0074] For example, the mobile terminal 30 can communicate with the in-vehicle communication device 10 via the communication application 32a and transmit terminal information to the in-vehicle communication device 10. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 30 can communicate with the server 20 via the communication application 32a and receive push notifications from the server 20.

[0075] The storage device 34 is an HDD, SSD, etc., and functions as an auxiliary storage device for the CPU 31.

[0076] The communication interface 35 is configured to connect to a wide-area communication network (WA) (see Figure 1) by means of wireless, for example. The communication interface 35 enables the exchange of various types of information between the mobile terminal 30 and the server 20.

[0077] The communication interface 37 is configured to connect to the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the vehicle VH used by the user, for example, via short-range wireless communication NF (see Figure 1). The communication interface 37 enables the exchange of various types of information between the mobile terminal 30 and the in-vehicle communication device 10.

[0078] (Example of communication system operation) Next, an example of the operation of the communication system 1 according to the embodiment will be described using Figures 7 to 9. Figures 7 to 9 are explanatory diagrams that sequentially show an example of the operation of the communication system 1 according to the embodiment.

[0079] As shown in Figure 7, for example, suppose user C, one of several users, turns on the power to vehicle VH in order to use it. The in-vehicle communication device 10 installed in vehicle VH starts communication with the mobile terminal 30c that user C possesses.

[0080] In other words, wireless communication is established between the terminal communication unit 103 (see Figure 3) of the in-vehicle communication device 10 and the mobile terminal 30c via short-range wireless communication NF. In addition, the terminal information acquisition unit 101 of the in-vehicle communication device 10 acquires terminal information from the mobile terminal 30c via the terminal communication unit 103.

[0081] As shown in Figure 8, assume that user C has finished using vehicle VH, turned off the power to vehicle VH, and then left vehicle VH. When the power to vehicle VH is turned off, the in-vehicle communication device 10 transmits vehicle information acquired from the in-vehicle device group 40 (see Figure 2) to the server 20.

[0082] In other words, the vehicle information acquisition unit 102 of the in-vehicle communication device 10 acquires vehicle information from the in-vehicle device group 40, links it with terminal information acquired from the mobile terminal 30c, and transmits it to the server 20 via wireless communication using the wide-area communication network WA through the server communication unit 104.

[0083] Server 20 begins analyzing the vehicle information acquired from the in-vehicle communication device 10.

[0084] In other words, the determination unit 201 of the server 20 (see Figure 5) refers to the notification target event DB 205b to determine whether or not the vehicle information includes a notification target event. If the vehicle information includes a notification target event, the determination unit 201 compares the terminal information associated with the vehicle information with the terminal information corresponding DB 205a to identify that the terminal information is a mobile terminal 30c owned by user C.

[0085] Furthermore, the notification generation unit 202 of the server 20 generates a notification indicating the possibility of a malfunction in the operation of vehicle VH by user C, based on the content of the notification target event included in the vehicle information. For example, if the notification target event included in the vehicle information is information indicating the open state of a window, the notification generation unit 202 generates a notification such as "A window is open."

[0086] As shown in Figure 9, the server 20 sends a push notification to user C's mobile terminal 30c.

[0087] In other words, the notification generation unit 202 of the server 20 transmits the generated notification via wireless communication using the wide-area communication network WA through the communication unit 204 to the mobile terminal 30c identified by the determination unit 201 from among the mobile terminals 30 possessed by multiple users A to D.

[0088] (Example of communication system processing) Next, an example of processing by the communication system 1 of the embodiment will be described using Figures 10 and 11. Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure by the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the embodiment.

[0089] As shown in Figure 10, when the vehicle VH is powered on (step S101), the terminal information acquisition unit 101 of the in-vehicle communication device 10 waits for communication to be established between one of the multiple mobile terminals 30 and the terminal communication unit 103 (step S102). The terminal information acquisition unit 101 remains in standby mode until communication is established between one of the mobile terminals 30 and the terminal communication unit 103 (step S102: No).

[0090] When communication is established between the mobile terminal 30 and the terminal communication unit 103 (Step S102: Yes), the terminal information acquisition unit 101 sends a terminal information transmission request to the mobile terminal 30 via the terminal communication unit 103 (Step S103). The terminal information acquisition unit 101 also acquires the terminal information of the mobile terminal 30, which has been transmitted from the mobile terminal 30 in response to the terminal information transmission request, via the terminal communication unit 103 (Step S104).

[0091] The vehicle information acquisition unit 102 waits for the power to the vehicle VH to be turned off (step S105). The vehicle information acquisition unit 102 remains on standby until the power to the vehicle VH is turned off (step S105: No).

[0092] When the power to the vehicle VH is turned off (step S105: Yes), the vehicle information acquisition unit 102 acquires vehicle information from the in-vehicle device group 40, associates terminal information with the acquired in-vehicle information, and transmits it to the server 20 via the server communication unit 104 (step S106).

[0093] With the above steps completed, the processing by the in-vehicle communication device 10 of this embodiment is finished.

[0094] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure performed by the server 20 according to the embodiment.

[0095] As shown in Figure 11, the determination unit 201 of the server 20 waits for vehicle information linked to terminal information to be received from the in-vehicle communication device 10 (step S201). The determination unit 201 remains in standby until vehicle information linked to terminal information is received (step S201: No).

[0096] When vehicle information linked to terminal information is received by the communication unit 204 (step S201: Yes), the determination unit 201 compares the acquired vehicle information with the notification target event DB 205b stored in the storage unit 205 (step S202). The determination unit 201 also determines, based on the notification target event DB 205b, whether or not the acquired vehicle information includes a notification target event (step S203).

[0097] If the acquired vehicle information does not include the event to be notified (step S203: No), the determination unit 201 terminates the process.

[0098] If the acquired vehicle information includes a notification target event (step S203: Yes), the determination unit 201 compares the terminal information associated with the acquired vehicle information with the terminal information corresponding DB 205a stored in the storage unit 205, and identifies the mobile terminal 30 to which that terminal information is assigned (step S204).

[0099] The notification generation unit 202 generates a notification to be sent to the identified mobile terminal 30 based on the notification target event included in the vehicle information (step S205). The communication unit 204 sends the notification generated by the notification generation unit 202 to the identified mobile terminal 30 (step S206).

[0100] With this, the processing by the server 20 of the embodiment is completed.

[0101] (Overview) In recent years, various services have been provided to vehicle users using vehicle connectivity technology. One such service is one that notifies users of malfunctions in vehicle operation.

[0102] In the above service, a dedicated communication module is installed in the vehicle, and a few minutes after the vehicle's power is turned off, various vehicle statuses, such as door locks, are sent to the server. The server then notifies the user's mobile device via email or other means if the vehicle status is suspected to be due to user error. The server has pre-registered information about the vehicle owner's mobile device, and the server sends an email notification to the registered owner's mobile device.

[0103] However, a vehicle may have multiple users besides the owner. In such cases, the person who performed a potentially faulty operation may be one of these users. Therefore, according to the technology described above, it is possible that the owner may be notified of an operational error caused by a user other than the owner.

[0104] If the user, for example, washes the car without locking the doors or stays in the vehicle for a while after turning off the power, notifying the owner of the operational error could cause them unnecessary worry. Furthermore, it could create unnecessary trouble for the owner in order to understand the vehicle's status.

[0105] According to the communication system 1 of the embodiment, terminal information is acquired from the mobile terminal 30 with which communication has been established among the terminal communication unit 103 and a plurality of mobile terminals 30a, 30b, 30c, etc., and the acquired vehicle information is linked to the terminal information and transmitted to the server 20. As a result, even if there are multiple users in the vehicle VH, the server 20 can notify the user who should be notified of the operational error.

[0106] Furthermore, a notification is sent to the mobile device 30 of any user who may have made a mistake in operation, allowing that user to quickly understand the situation. For example, if the user was washing their car without locking the doors, they can quickly determine that no action is required in response to the notification. Even if they determine that they have made a mistake in operation, they can quickly take action, such as locking the doors.

[0107] According to the communication system 1 of this embodiment, terminal information is acquired from the mobile terminal 30 with which communication is established after the vehicle VH is powered on. When the vehicle VH is powered off, vehicle information linked to the acquired terminal information is sent to the server 20. In this way, vehicle information indicating the status of the vehicle VH after power-off is transmitted, making it easier to identify operational errors such as users forgetting to perform operations after finishing using the vehicle VH.

[0108] According to the communication system 1 of this embodiment, communication is performed with multiple mobile terminals 30 using short-range wireless communication (NF), and with a server 20 using a wide-area communication network (WA). In this way, since communication with the mobile terminals 30 is performed using short-range wireless communication (NF), it is possible to more reliably identify the mobile terminals 30 of users who are in a location close to the vehicle VH and intend to use the vehicle VH.

[0109] According to the communication system 1 of this embodiment, multiple mobile terminals 30 have a communication application 32a that can communicate wirelessly with the in-vehicle communication device 10 and the server 20. In this way, since communication with the mobile terminals 30 is performed at the higher layer communication application 32a, cooperation with multiple mobile terminals 30 can be achieved regardless of the model and specifications of each user's mobile terminal 30. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0110] 1. Communication System 10. In-vehicle communication device 20 servers 30 Mobile devices 32a Communication applications 40 In-vehicle equipment group 101 Terminal Information Acquisition Unit 102 Vehicle Information Acquisition Unit 103 Terminal Communications Department 104 Server Communication Unit 105 Storage section 201 Judgment section 202 Notification generator 204 Communications Department 205 Storage section 205a Terminal Information Compatible Database 205b Notification Target Event Database NF Near Field Communication VH Vehicle WA Wide Area Communication Network

Claims

1. An in-vehicle communication device installed in a vehicle having multiple in-vehicle devices, A first communication unit capable of wirelessly communicating with multiple mobile devices of multiple users, A second communication unit capable of wirelessly communicating with a server that notifies the aforementioned multiple mobile terminals, A terminal information acquisition unit that acquires terminal information that uniquely identifies each of the plurality of mobile terminals from the plurality of mobile terminals via the first communication unit, The system includes a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information indicating the status of the vehicle from a group of in-vehicle devices including the aforementioned plurality of in-vehicle devices, The first communication unit is, Using short-range wireless communication, communicate with one of the aforementioned mobile terminals. The terminal information acquisition unit, When communication is established between the first communication unit and any of the mobile terminals, the terminal information is obtained from the mobile terminal with which the communication has been established. The aforementioned vehicle information acquisition unit, The vehicle information acquired from the group of in-vehicle devices is linked to the terminal information acquired by the terminal information acquisition unit and transmitted to the server via the second communication unit. The aforementioned server, The system determines whether the vehicle information obtained from the in-vehicle communication device includes the event to be notified, and if the vehicle information includes the event to be notified, it identifies the mobile terminal based on the terminal information associated with the vehicle information, and sends a notification about the event to be notified to the identified mobile terminal using a wide-area communication network. In-vehicle communication device.

2. The terminal information acquisition unit, After the vehicle's power is turned on, the terminal information is obtained from the mobile terminal with which the communication has been established. The aforementioned vehicle information acquisition unit, When the power is turned off, the vehicle information associated with the terminal information is sent to the server. The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 1.

3. The second communication unit is: The server communicates using the aforementioned wide-area communication network. The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 1.

4. Multiple users' multiple mobile devices, An in-vehicle communication device installed in a vehicle with multiple in-vehicle devices, The system includes a server that sends notifications to the aforementioned multiple mobile terminals, The aforementioned in-vehicle communication device is A first communication unit capable of wirelessly communicating with the aforementioned multiple mobile terminals, A second communication unit capable of communicating wirelessly with the aforementioned server, A terminal information acquisition unit that acquires terminal information that uniquely identifies each of the plurality of mobile terminals from the plurality of mobile terminals via the first communication unit, The vehicle information acquisition unit acquires vehicle information indicating the status of the vehicle from the group of in-vehicle devices, which includes the aforementioned plurality of in-vehicle devices. The aforementioned server, A third communication unit capable of communicating with the in-vehicle communication device and the plurality of mobile terminals, A determination unit determines whether or not the vehicle information acquired from the in-vehicle communication device via the third communication unit includes a notification target event, It has a notification generation unit that generates notifications to the aforementioned multiple mobile terminals, The first communication unit is, Using short-range wireless communication, communicate with one of the aforementioned mobile terminals. The terminal information acquisition unit, When communication is established between the first communication unit and any of the mobile terminals, the terminal information is obtained from the mobile terminal with which the communication has been established. The aforementioned vehicle information acquisition unit, The vehicle information acquired from the group of in-vehicle devices is linked to the terminal information acquired by the terminal information acquisition unit and transmitted to the server via the second communication unit. The determination unit, If the vehicle information obtained from the in-vehicle communication device includes the notification target event, the mobile terminal is identified based on the terminal information linked to the vehicle information. The notification generation unit, A notification is generated regarding the aforementioned notification target event, The third communication unit is, A notification regarding the notification target event is sent to the identified mobile terminal using a wide-area communication network. Communication system.

5. The aforementioned multiple mobile terminals are A communication application that can communicate wirelessly with the in-vehicle communication device and the server, The communication system according to claim 4.

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