Information notification system, management device, edge device, information notification method, management device operation method, and program

Abstract

To provide a technology by which an event occurring in each vehicle can be dealt with by cooperating with other existing around.SOLUTION: A service server 5 receives an event notice from an edge device 2 of a registered vehicle. The service server 5 identifies a position of a target vehicle being the registered vehicle which is a transmission source of the event notice, following identification information shown in the event notice and vehicle data collected from a management server 3, and sets a geo-fence including the position of the target vehicle. The service server 5 selects notification destinations on information associated with an event using the geo-fence and a shadow, and transmits an evocation notice for evoking attention depending on type information shown in the event notice to each of the selected notification destinations.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a technology for effectively utilizing resources possessed by a connected vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 describes a technology for connecting a vehicle to a cloud server or the like on a network and uploading and downloading various data between the vehicle and the cloud.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The prior art is used for fleet services and the like. A fleet service is a service that provides services such as vehicle tracking, business management, driver management, compliance, and cost reduction for commercial vehicles using connected technology.

[0005] As an example of a fleet service, when a delivery person leaves a delivery vehicle during delivery, a service that activates a sensor for monitoring the periphery of the vehicle to detect a suspicious person can be considered. In this case, when a suspicious person is detected, video is taken and uploaded to a cloud server, or a notification is sent to a mobile device such as a smartphone carried by the delivery person.

[0006] However, such services were only performed individually for each vehicle. One aspect of this disclosure provides a technology that enables dealing with events occurring in individual vehicles in cooperation with others existing in the vicinity.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] One aspect of this disclosure is an information notification system comprising a management device and an edge device (2). The management device has a first management unit (3) and a second management unit (5). The edge device is mounted on a vehicle.

[0008] The edge device comprises a data provision unit (261) and an event transmission unit (S180). The data provision unit is configured to collect vehicle data, including location information and status of the edge-equipped vehicle, which is the vehicle on which the edge device is installed, and provide it to the first management unit. The event transmission unit is configured to detect the occurrence of a pre-set event and transmit an event notification to the second management unit, which includes identification information to identify the edge-equipped vehicle and type information indicating the type of event.

[0009] The first management unit includes a storage unit (113). The storage unit is configured to store vehicle data repeatedly acquired from the edge device for each edge-equipped vehicle.

[0010] The second management unit comprises a data collection unit (61), a receiving unit (52), a geofence setting unit (S310-S320), a notification destination selection unit (S330-S340), and a notification unit (S350). The data collection unit is configured to collect vehicle data stored in the storage unit from the first management unit. The receiving unit is configured to receive event notifications transmitted from the edge device of a registered vehicle, which is a registered edge-mounted vehicle. When the geofence setting unit receives an event notification, it is configured to identify the location of the target vehicle, which is a registered vehicle, where the event occurred, according to the identification information shown in the event notification and the vehicle data collected by the data collection unit. The geofence setting unit is also configured to set a geofence that includes the location of the target vehicle. The notification destination selection unit is configured to select a notification destination for information related to the event using the geofence set by the geofence setting unit and the vehicle data collected by the data collection unit. The notification unit is configured to send a warning notification to each of the notification recipients selected by the notification recipient selection unit, in order to draw attention to the type of information indicated in the event notification.

[0011] One aspect of this disclosure is a management device that constitutes the aforementioned information notification system. One aspect of this disclosure is an edge device that constitutes the aforementioned information notification system. One aspect of this disclosure is an information notification method in the aforementioned information notification system. One aspect of this disclosure is a method for operating a management device that constitutes the aforementioned information notification system. One aspect of this disclosure is a program that causes the computers constituting the edge device to function as parts of the edge device in the aforementioned information notification system. With this configuration, events are promptly notified to designated recipients using geofencing, allowing those recipients to coordinate and address the events occurring on the target vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1]It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a mobility IoT system. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of an edge device. [Figure 3] It is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of an edge device. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing the first layer of standardized vehicle data and the data format. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing the configuration of standardized vehicle data. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart showing the detection process of a suspicious person detection app. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart showing the information provision process of a suspicious person detection app. [Figure 8] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a management server. [Figure 9] It is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of a management server. [Figure 10] It is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of a mobility GW and a data management department. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing the configuration of a shadow. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing the configuration of the latest index. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing the configuration of an index. [Figure 14] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a service server. [Figure 15] It is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of a service server. [Figure 16] It is a flowchart showing the event processing executed by an event management department. [Figure 17] It is a sequence diagram showing the operation of a mobility IoT system during normal times. [Figure 18] It is a sequence diagram showing the operation of a mobility IoT system when an event is detected by an edge device. [Figure 19] It is an explanatory diagram showing the outline of the service provided by a suspicious person detection app. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. [1. Overall Structure] The mobility IoT system 1 shown in Figure 1 comprises multiple edge devices 2, a management server 3, a service server 5, and multiple driver terminals 7. IoT stands for Internet of Things. The management server 3 and service server 5 may be configured as cloud servers.

[0014] Edge device 2 is installed in the vehicle. Hereinafter, a vehicle equipped with edge device 2 will be referred to as an edge-equipped vehicle. Edge device 2 collects vehicle data from the edge-equipped vehicle and uploads the collected vehicle data to management server 3. Edge device 2 performs vehicle control according to instructions from management server 3. Edge device 2 executes various application programs that are optionally installed.

[0015] Management server 3 communicates with edge device 2 and service server 5 via a wide-area communication network (NW). Management server 3 stores vehicle data uploaded from edge device 2 in its database. Management server 3 provides service server 5 with an interface to access management server 3's database and edge-equipped vehicles.

[0016] The service server 5 uses the interface provided by the management server 3 to collect vehicle data and perform vehicle control for registered edge-equipped vehicles, thereby providing various services to the drivers of the edge-equipped vehicles.

[0017] The driver terminal 7 is a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet, carried by the driver of an edge-equipped vehicle. The driver terminal 7 communicates with the service server 5. Similar to the edge device 2, the driver terminal 7 executes various application programs that are optionally installed.

[0018] In this embodiment, the service server 5 provides a suspicious person information service and a hit-and-run information service to edge-equipped vehicles used by delivery companies for delivery operations, and to the drivers of those edge-equipped vehicles.

[0019] In this embodiment, the service server 5 is provided separately from the management server 3, but it may be provided together with the management server 3. Furthermore, the mobility IoT system 1 may include multiple service servers 5, each providing different services.

[0020] [2. Edge Devices] [2-1. Hardware Configuration] As shown in Figure 2, the edge device 2 comprises a control unit 21, a vehicle interface (hereinafter referred to as vehicle I / F) 22, a communication unit 23, and a storage unit 24.

[0021] The control unit 21 comprises a CPU 211, a ROM 212, and a RAM 213. The various functions of the control unit 21 are realized by the CPU 211 executing a program stored in a non-transitional physical recording medium. In this example, the ROM 212 corresponds to the non-transitional physical recording medium storing the program. Furthermore, the execution of this program executes a method corresponding to the program.

[0022] The vehicle IF unit 22 is connected to various in-vehicle devices via the in-vehicle network of the edge-equipped vehicle and acquires various information from the in-vehicle devices. The in-vehicle network may include CAN and Ethernet. CAN stands for Controller Area Network. CAN is a registered trademark. Ethernet is a registered trademark. The in-vehicle devices connected to the vehicle IF unit 22 may include devices that are originally installed in the vehicle, as well as external devices that are added later. External devices may include sensors, cameras, sound devices, and display devices.

[0023] The communication unit 23 communicates data with the management server 3 and the service server 5 via wireless communication over the wide-area communication network NW. The storage unit 24 is a storage device that stores vehicle data and other information acquired via the vehicle interface unit 22. The vehicle data stored in the storage unit 24 is uploaded to the management server 3 via the communication unit 23.

[0024] [2-2. Functional Configuration] As shown in Figure 3, when the edge device 2 is shown as a block organized by function, it comprises systemware 25, a core function execution unit 26, and an application execution unit 27. The functions of each of these units 25 to 27 are realized by the CPU 211 executing programs stored in the ROM 212.

[0025] Systemware 25 includes basic software that abstracts hardware and provides various services necessary for the execution of application programs, and drivers to support special processing that cannot be standardized. The basic software includes an operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS) and a hardware abstraction layer (hereinafter referred to as HAL). The hardware subject to abstraction by Systemware 25 includes not only the hardware of the edge device 2, but also in-vehicle equipment and exterior equipment connected to the edge device 2 via the vehicle IF unit 22.

[0026] The core function execution unit 26 and the application execution unit 27 are implemented by software that runs on the systemware 25. [2-2-1. Core Function Execution Unit] The core function execution unit 26 provides the function of an edge computer that mediates between the management server 3 and the edge-equipped vehicle. Specifically, the core function execution unit 26 comprises a basic upload unit 261 and a vehicle control unit 262. The basic upload unit 261 collects vehicle data from the edge-equipped vehicle and uploads it to the management server 3. The vehicle control unit 262 controls the edge-equipped vehicle according to instructions from the management server 3. The vehicle control unit 262 may perform, for example, controls to sound the horn in a specified pattern, controls to flash specified lighting equipment in a specified pattern, and controls to limit the upper limit of the movement speed.

[0027] Here, we will explain the vehicle data that the basic upload unit 261 provides to the management server 3. The basic upload unit 261 repeatedly collects vehicle data from edge-mounted vehicles via the vehicle interface unit 22. The basic upload unit 261 converts the collected vehicle data into a standard format and stores it in the storage unit 24, associating it with a hierarchical classification. Hereinafter, the hierarchical vehicle data will be referred to as standardized vehicle data.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4, the standard format for vehicle data may include the following items: "unique label," "ECU," "data type," "data size," "data value," and "data unit."

[0029] A "unique label" is information used to identify individual physical quantities. For example, "ETHA" indicates intake air temperature, and "NE1" indicates engine speed. "ECU" is information indicating the electronic control unit (ECU) from which the vehicle data was generated. For example, "ENG" indicates that the data was generated by the engine ECU.

[0030] A "data type" is information used to define the properties of a "data value." A "data type" may include, for example, integer types, floating-point types, boolean types, character types, and so on. "Data size" is information that indicates how many bytes represent the "data value".

[0031] "Data value" is information that indicates the value of a physical quantity identified by a "unique label". "Data unit" is information that indicates the unit of data value. Furthermore, the "data values" are normalized so that the same physical quantities are expressed in the same units, regardless of the vehicle type or manufacturer.

[0032] Furthermore, the "unique label" may include information that identifies "processed data" in addition to identifying "raw data" obtained from the vehicle. "Processed data" refers to data that has been converted into a format that is easier for the user to understand by applying predetermined calculations to one or more "raw data" pieces.

[0033] Standardized vehicle data has a multi-layered structure. For example, as shown in Figure 4, standardized vehicle data includes items set in the highest level, the first layer, such as "Attribute Information," "Powertrain," "Energy," "ADAS / AD," "Body," "Multimedia," and "Other." ADAS stands for Advanced Driver Assistance System. AD ​​stands for Autonomous Driving. Each item belonging to the first layer represents a category of vehicle data.

[0034] As shown in Figure 5, standardized vehicle data may include a second and third layer in addition to the first layer. The second layer is the layer directly below the first layer, and the third layer is the layer directly below the second layer.

[0035] For example, the first-level item "Attribute Information" includes second-level items such as "Vehicle Identification Information," "Vehicle Attributes," "Transmission Configuration," and "Firmware Version." The first-level item "Powertrain" includes second-level items such as "Accelerator Pedal," "Engine," and "Engine Oil." The first-level item "Energy" includes second-level items such as "Battery Status," "Battery Configuration," and "Fuel." Each of these items belonging to the second level also represents a category of vehicle data.

[0036] For example, the second-level item "Vehicle Identification Information" includes the third-level items "Vehicle Identification Number," "Chassis Number," and "License Plate." The second-level item "Vehicle Attributes" includes the third-level items "Brand Name," "Model," and "Year of Manufacture," etc. The second-level item "Transmission Configuration" includes the third-level item "Transmission Type." Although not shown in the diagram, the second-level item "Accelerator Pedal" includes the third-level items "Accelerator Pedal State" and "Accelerator Pedal Opening," etc. The second-level item "Engine" includes the third-level items "Engine State" and "Rotation Speed," etc. Each of these third-level items corresponds to a "Unique Label" in the standard format. In other words, individual vehicle data is stored in association with each of the third-level items. Individual vehicle data belonging to standardized vehicle data are also called items.

[0037] Thus, each item in the first tier contains one or more items in the second tier, and each item in the second tier contains one or more items in the third tier, i.e., vehicle data. For example, vehicle data where the "unique label" is "vehicle identification information" is stored in a storage area in standardized vehicle data where the first layer is "attribute information", the second layer is "vehicle identification information", and the third layer is "vehicle identification number".

[0038] The first-level item, "Other," may include, for example, location information obtained from a GPS device mounted on the vehicle via the vehicle IF unit 22, i.e., latitude, longitude, and altitude. The basic upload unit 261 explains the procedure for uploading vehicle data to the management server 3.

[0039] Each individual vehicle data set belonging to the standardized vehicle data has a transmission cycle set for sending data to the management server 3. The transmission cycle is set according to the degree to which the data changes and the importance of the data, with shorter cycles for data that changes more frequently and for data of higher importance. In other words, each vehicle data is transmitted at a frequency appropriate to its characteristics. Examples of transmission cycles include 500ms, 2s, 4s, 30s, 300s, and 12-hour cycles.

[0040] Furthermore, the transmission timing is set to, for example, a 250ms cycle. Each vehicle data is uploaded at a predetermined transmission timing according to the schedule. The schedule is set so that a large number of vehicle data transmissions do not occur at the same transmission timing.

[0041] [2-2-2. Application Execution Section] Returning to Figure 3, the application execution unit 27 provides the function of executing application programs (hereinafter referred to as external applications) A1, A2, ... which are optionally installed later. The application execution unit 27 includes a virtual environment platform 271 and a library 272.

[0042] The virtual environment platform 271 has the function of simplifying the execution and management of containerized external applications Ai by virtualizing the OS of the systemware 25. External applications Ai run on the virtual environment platform 271. External applications Ai include a suspicious person detection application A1 and a hit-and-run detection application A2.

[0043] Library 272 is a group of programs that provide standardized functions commonly used by the external application Ai. Library 272 includes an event notification program P1 and a video upload program P2. The event notification program P1 provides the function of sending event notifications to the service server 5 in accordance with instructions from the external application Ai. The video upload program P2 provides the function of uploading video captured by the in-vehicle camera to the service server 5 in accordance with instructions from the external application Ai.

[0044] [2-3. Suspicious Person Detection App] The suspicious person detection application A1, one of the external applications executed by the application execution unit 27, will be explained using the flowcharts in Figures 6 and 7.

[0045] The suspicious person detection application A1 includes detection processing and information provision processing. Once installed on edge device 2, the suspicious person detection application A1 is executed repeatedly. As shown in Figure 6, once the detection process begins, in S110, the CPU 211 determines whether the edge-equipped vehicle is parked or not. For example, the determination of whether the vehicle is parked may be made if the shift lever is in the parking position and the vehicle speed is zero. If the CPU 211 determines that the edge-equipped vehicle is parked, it proceeds to S120; if it determines that the edge-equipped vehicle is not parked, it waits by repeating the process in S110.

[0046] In S120, the CPU 211 activates the surrounding monitoring sensors equipped in the edge-mounted vehicle via the vehicle IF unit 22. The surrounding monitoring sensors can be, for example, sonar, lidar, radar, etc., which have a detection range of within 3m of the vehicle and detect obstacles within that range. There may be one or more surrounding monitoring sensors.

[0047] In S130, the CPU 211 determines whether or not a moving object has been detected by the surrounding monitoring sensor. If the CPU 211 determines that a moving object has been detected, it proceeds to S140; if it determines that no moving object has been detected, it waits by repeating the process in S130.

[0048] In S140, the CPU 211 activates the video camera for photographing suspicious persons via the vehicle IF unit 22 and starts recording. In the subsequent S150, the CPU 211 determines whether or not a suspicious person has been detected from the video camera footage. For example, the CPU 211 may determine that a person is a suspicious person if, from the footage, it is determined that a moving object is a person, and that the moving object determined to be a person remains within the monitoring range of the surrounding monitoring sensor for a certain period of time or longer. If the CPU 211 determines that a suspicious person has been detected, it proceeds to S180; if it determines that no suspicious person has been detected, it proceeds to S160.

[0049] In S160, the CPU 211 determines whether a pre-set monitoring time has elapsed since the video camera was started. If the CPU 211 determines that the monitoring time has elapsed, it proceeds to S170; otherwise, it returns to S150.

[0050] In S170, CPU211 stops the video camera that was started in S140 and returns processing to S130. In S180, the CPU 211 sends an event notification to the service server 5 via the communication unit 23. The event notification includes type information indicating that the event is a suspicious person detection, and source information such as the vehicle ID that identifies the edge-equipped vehicle that sent the event notification. Hereinafter, the event notification sent in S180 will also be referred to as a suspicious person detection notification.

[0051] In the subsequent S190, the CPU 211 uploads the video of the suspicious person, which was captured by the video camera used to film suspicious persons and shows the moment a suspicious person is detected, to the service server 5 via the communication unit 23, and then terminates processing.

[0052] As shown in Figure 7, once the detection process begins, in S210, the CPU 211 determines whether or not it has received suspicious person features from the service server 5. If the CPU 211 determines that it has received suspicious person features, it proceeds to S220; if it determines that it has not received suspicious person features, it waits by repeating the process in S210.

[0053] In S220, the CPU 211 activates a video camera that films the area around the vehicle via the vehicle IF unit 22 and starts filming. In the following S230, the CPU 211 determines whether the conditions for stopping the video camera, which was started in the previous S220, have been met. The conditions for stopping the video camera can include, for example, receiving a stop command from the service server 5, or the elapsed time. If the CPU 211 determines that the conditions for stopping have been met, it proceeds to S270; if it determines that the conditions for stopping have not been met, it proceeds to S240.

[0054] In S240, CPU211 analyzes the video footage obtained from the video camera to extract features of the same type as those for suspicious individuals. In the subsequent S250, the CPU 211 determines whether or not a suspicious person has been detected from the video camera footage. Specifically, the CPU 211 determines this by checking whether or not features matching the suspicious person features received from the service server 5 have been extracted from the footage. If the CPU 211 determines that a suspicious person has been detected, it moves the process to S260; if it determines that no suspicious person has been detected, it returns the process to S230.

[0055] In S260, the CPU 211 sends a suspicious person detection notification to the service server 5, indicating that a suspicious person has been detected, and returns processing to S230. The suspicious person detection notification includes information indicating the location and time of detection. Furthermore, the suspicious person detection notification may be accompanied by video footage in which features matching the suspicious person's features have been detected.

[0056] In S270, CPU211 stops the video camera that was started in S220 and terminates the process. [3. Management Server] [3-1. Hardware Configuration] As shown in Figure 8, the management server 3 comprises a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, and a storage unit 33.

[0057] The control unit 31 comprises a CPU 311, a ROM 312, and a RAM 313. The various functions of the control unit 31 are realized by the CPU 311 executing a program stored in a non-transitional physical recording medium. In this example, the ROM 312 corresponds to the non-transitional physical recording medium storing the program. Furthermore, the execution of this program executes a method corresponding to the program.

[0058] The communication unit 32 performs data communication with multiple edge devices 2 and service servers 5 via a wide-area communication network NW. For communication with the edge devices 2, a simple and lightweight publish / subscribe protocol such as MQTT may be used. MQTT stands for Message Queue Telemetry Transport.

[0059] The memory unit 33 is a storage device for storing vehicle data and the like provided by the edge device 2. [3-2. Functional Configuration] As shown in Figure 9, the management server 3, when shown in a block structure according to its function, comprises a vehicle-side unit 110 and a service-side unit 120.

[0060] The methods for realizing these elements that constitute the management server 3 are not limited to software; some or all of these elements may be realized using one or more hardware components. For example, if the above functions are realized by an electronic circuit, which is hardware, that electronic circuit may be a digital circuit containing a large number of logic circuits, an analog circuit, or a combination thereof.

[0061] The vehicle-side unit 110 includes a mobility gateway (hereinafter referred to as mobility GW) 111. The mobility GW111 comprises a shadow management unit 112 and a vehicle control unit 130. The shadow management unit 112 has the function of managing shadows 114 provided for each vehicle equipped with the edge device 2. Shadows 114 are generated based on standardized vehicle data transmitted from the edge device 2. The vehicle control unit 130 has the function of controlling the vehicle equipped with the edge device 2 according to instructions from the service server 5.

[0062] The service-side unit 120 comprises a data management unit 121 and an API provision unit 122. API stands for Application Programming Interface. The data management unit 121 has the function of managing the digital twin 123, which is a virtual space for providing vehicle access that is independent of changes in the vehicle's connection status. The digital twin 123 is one of the databases built on the storage unit 33.

[0063] The API provision unit 122 is a standard interface for the service server 5 to access the mobility GW 111 and the data management unit 121. [3-2-1. Data Storage Function] As shown in Figure 10, the shadow management unit 112 is configured to store vehicle data acquired from the edge device 2 and includes a shadow creation unit 115, a shadow storage unit 113, a latest index creation unit 116, and a latest index storage unit 117.

[0064] The shadow creation unit 115 updates the standardized vehicle data by overwriting the corresponding area of ​​the structured standardized vehicle data with the transmitted vehicle data each time vehicle data is transmitted from the edge device 2. In other words, standardized vehicle data is provided for each vehicle and updated asynchronously for each vehicle.

[0065] The shadow creation unit 115 uses the updated standardized vehicle data to simultaneously create new shadows 114 for all vehicles at regular intervals. The shadow creation unit 115 stores the created shadows 114 in the shadow storage unit 113. As a result, the shadow storage unit 113 stores multiple shadows 114 created chronologically for each vehicle. In other words, the shadows 114 can be considered copies of the state of the edge-equipped vehicle at a given time.

[0066] As shown in Figure 11, the shadow 114 includes a vehicle data storage unit 114a and a device data storage unit 114b. The vehicle data storage unit 114a stores "object-id", "Shadow_version", and "mobility-data" as data related to the edge-mounted vehicle.

[0067] "object-id" is a string that identifies the vehicle equipped with edge device 2 and functions as a partition key. "Shadow_version" is a numerical value that indicates the version of Shadow 114, and each time Shadow 114 is created, a timestamp indicating the time of creation is set.

[0068] "mobility-data" is the value of standardized vehicle data at the time represented by the timestamp. The device data storage unit 114b stores "object-id", "update_time", "version", "power_status", "power_status_timestamp", and "notify_reason" as data relating to the hardware, software, and status installed on the edge device 2.

[0069] "object-id" is a string that identifies the vehicle equipped with edge device 2 and functions as a partition key. "update_time" is a numerical value that indicates the update time of the hardware and software.

[0070] "version" is a string that indicates the version of the hardware and software. "power_status" is a string that indicates the system status of edge device 2. Specifically, there are two states: "power on" where all functions are available, and "power off" where some functions are disabled for low power consumption.

[0071] "power_status_timestamp" is a numerical value that indicates the time of notification of the system status. "notify_reason" is a string indicating the reason for the notification.

[0072] When changes occur in the "version," "power_status," "notify_reason," etc., stored in the device data storage unit 114b, the edge device 2 notifies the user separately from the standardized vehicle data.

[0073] Returning to Figure 10, the latest index creation unit 116 retrieves the latest shadow 114 for each vehicle from the shadow storage unit 113 and uses the retrieved shadow 114 to create the latest index 118. The latest index creation unit 116 then stores the created latest index 118 in the latest index storage unit 117. The latest index storage unit 117 stores one latest index 118 for each vehicle (i.e., for each object-id).

[0074] As shown in Figure 12, the latest index 118 stores "gateway-id", "object-id", "shadow-version", "vin", "location-lon", "location-lat", and "location-alt".

[0075] "object-id" and "shadow-version" are the same as those explained in Shadow 114. "gateway-id" is information that identifies mobility GW111. It is used to identify multiple management servers 3, for example, if there are multiple servers set up for each country.

[0076] "vin" is a unique registration number assigned to vehicles equipped with Edge. "location-lon" is information indicating the latitude where the Edge-equipped vehicle is located. "location-lat" is information indicating the longitude at which the edge-equipped vehicle is located.

[0077] "location-alt" is information indicating the altitude at which the edge-equipped vehicle is located. Returning to Figure 10, the data management unit 121 includes an index creation unit 124 and an index storage unit 125, which are configured to implement the function of storing the latest index 118 obtained from the shadow management unit 112 as index 126.

[0078] The index creation unit 124 retrieves the latest index 118 from the latest index storage unit 117 according to a pre-set acquisition schedule, and uses the retrieved latest index 118 to create an index 126 for the digital twin 123. The index creation unit 124 then sequentially stores the created index 126 in the index storage unit 125. As a result, the index storage unit 125 stores multiple indexes 126 created chronologically for each vehicle. In other words, each index 126 stored in the index storage unit 125 represents a vehicle that exists on the digital twin 123, which is a virtual spatiotemporal space.

[0079] As shown in Figure 13, index 126 stores "timestamp", "schedule-type", "gateway-id", "object-id", "shadow-version", "vin", "location", and "alt".

[0080] "timestamp" is a timestamp that shows the time in milliseconds when index 126 was created. The "schedule-type" indicates whether the scheduler generating the data is recurring or event-based. If it is recurring, "schedule-type" is set to "Repeat," and if it is event-based, "schedule-type" is set to "Event."

[0081] The information for "gateway-id", "object-id", "shadow-version", and "vin" is inherited from the latest index 118. The "location" information is inherited from the latest index 118's "location-lon" and "location-lat," and the "alt" information is inherited from the latest index 118's "location-alt."

[0082] [3-2-2. Service Provision Functions] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the service-side unit 120 includes an API provision unit 122. The API provision unit 122 is an interface provided to allow external service providers, such as the service server 5, to use the functions of the management server 3. Hereinafter, users of the mobility IoT system 1 who use the API provision unit 122, etc., will be referred to as service users. A service user is, for example, a service provider that delivers goods to the trunk of a vehicle.

[0083] As shown in Figure 10, the API provisioning unit 122 includes an authentication information storage unit 141, an authorization information storage unit 142, a vehicle identification information storage unit 143, and an authentication processing unit 144. It also provides service users with the following types of APIs: a login API 145, a data acquisition API 146, and a vehicle control API 148.

[0084] The authentication information storage unit 141 stores the "authentication information" in association with the "service user ID". The "service user ID" is identification information that uniquely identifies the service user. The "authentication information" is a pre-set password.

[0085] The authorization information storage unit 142 stores authorization information in association with the service user ID. The authorization information specifies the range of services available to each service user from among all services provided by the management server 3.

[0086] The vehicle identification information storage unit 143 stores table information that associates the "object-id" uniquely assigned to an edge-mounted vehicle with the "vin" of that edge-mounted vehicle. The authentication processing unit 144 executes authentication processing when an authentication request is made via the login API 145, and executes authorization processing when an access request is made via the data acquisition API 146 and the vehicle control API 148.

[0087] The login API 145 is used when logging into the management server 3. When the login API 145 receives an authentication request from a service user, the authentication processing unit 144 executes the authentication process. In the authentication process, the "service user ID" and "authentication information" entered by the login API 145 are compared with the registered contents in the authentication information storage unit 141. If the information matches, i.e., if authentication is successful, access to the management server 3 is permitted.

[0088] The data acquisition API 146 is used to access vehicle data (i.e., index 126 and shadow 114) stored on the management server 3, as shown by L1 in Figure 9. The vehicle control API 148 is used to access edge-mounted vehicles, as shown by L2 in Figure 8.

[0089] The data acquisition API 146 and the vehicle control API 148 may perform authorization processing when they receive an access request from a service user. Authorization processing is the process of allowing or denying the access request according to the permissions previously granted to the service user.

[0090] In addition, the data acquisition API 146 and the vehicle control API 148 may use either "object-id" or "vin" as information to identify the vehicle. If "vin" is used as information to identify the vehicle, the vehicle identification information storage unit 143 may be consulted to convert the information to identify the vehicle from "vin" to "object-id".

[0091] [3-3. Data Acquisition Function] As shown in Figure 10, the management server 3 is configured to process access requests (hereinafter referred to as data acquisition requests) via the data acquisition API 146 and includes an index acquisition unit 127 and a data acquisition unit 119.

[0092] This section describes the data acquisition process executed by the index acquisition unit 127 and the data acquisition unit 119 when the data acquisition API 146 receives a data acquisition request from a service user.

[0093] A data acquisition request includes vehicle specification information, time specification information, and data specification information. Vehicle specification information is information used to specify the vehicle from which the vehicle data is provided (hereinafter referred to as the target vehicle). There are two methods for specifying vehicle specification information: listing the vehicle IDs (i.e., object-id or vin) of the target vehicle in a list format, or specifying the geographical area in which the target vehicle is located (hereinafter referred to as the area specification).

[0094] Time-specific information specifies when the data was generated. This information is represented by a starting time and a range. The range, for example, is a value where the generation cycle of the latest index 118 is used as the unit time, and the time width is represented by an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0095] Data specification information is information that specifies the data to be acquired. This information may be expressed as a list of item names from the standardized vehicle data, or as a category name from the standardized vehicle data. If a category name is specified, it is equivalent to selecting all items belonging to that category. If neither an item name nor a category name is specified, it is equivalent to selecting all items.

[0096] Please note that the methods for setting vehicle specification information, time specification information, and data specification information shown here are just examples and are not limited to the above methods. The index acquisition unit 127 extracts all indices 126 that have a "timestamp" within the time range indicated in the time specification information for all vehicles identified from the vehicle specification information indicated in the data acquisition request.

[0097] The index acquisition unit 127 generates shadow identification information for each of the extracted indexes 126 by combining the "object-id" and "shadow-version" indicated in index 126. This generates a shadow list that enumerates the shadow identification information.

[0098] The index acquisition unit 127 outputs a shadow access request to the data acquisition unit 119 of the shadow management unit 112, which adds the data specification information indicated in the data acquisition request to the generated shadow list.

[0099] In other words, the index acquisition unit 127 uses the vehicle specification information and time specification information indicated in the data acquisition request from the data acquisition API 146 as acquisition conditions, and generates a shadow list according to these acquisition conditions. The index acquisition unit 127 also outputs a shadow access request to the data acquisition unit 119, which combines the generated shadow list and the data specification information.

[0100] When the data acquisition unit 119 receives a shadow access request from the index acquisition unit 127, it refers to the shadow storage unit 113 and extracts the shadows 114 corresponding to each shadow identification information shown in the shadow list of the shadow access request. Furthermore, the data acquisition unit 119 extracts the specified data, which is the data shown in the data specification information of the shadow access request, from each of the extracted shadows 114, and sends the extracted specified data back to the data acquisition API 146 that made the request as the access result.

[0101] [3-4. Vehicle Control Functions] As shown in Figure 10, the management server 3 includes a vehicle control unit 130 as a configuration for processing access requests (hereinafter referred to as vehicle control requests) via the vehicle control API 148.

[0102] This section describes the vehicle control processing that the vehicle control unit 130 executes when the vehicle control API 148 receives a vehicle control request from a service user. A vehicle control request includes vehicle designation information, execution target information, and control designation information. A vehicle control request may further include priority information, time limit information, and vehicle authentication information.

[0103] The vehicle designation information displays a single vehicle ID. The vehicle identified by this vehicle ID is the target vehicle for control. The execution target information specifies which application implemented in the target vehicle should execute the control content indicated in the control specification information, and it includes an application ID that identifies the application.

[0104] The control specification information indicates the specific control to be performed on the target vehicle. For example, it may include the operation of various doors such as the doors for each seat and the trunk door, the operation of sound equipment such as the horn and buzzer, the operation of various lights such as the headlights and hazard lights, and the operation of various sensors such as cameras and radar. The control specification information may indicate a single control, or it may indicate multiple controls to be executed sequentially in a list format. Controls shown in list format will be executed in the order they are listed.

[0105] Priority information indicates the priority given to sending control instructions, generated based on a vehicle control request, to the target vehicle. Priority information may be set by the requesting service user, or it may be set automatically according to the content of the control specified in the control specification information.

[0106] The time limit information indicates the final time at which control of the target vehicle is permitted. For example, the time limit information is set to a limit of 10 minutes after the time the vehicle control request was entered. Similar to priority information, the time limit information may be set by the requesting service user, or it may be set automatically depending on the content of the control requested from the vehicle.

[0107] Vehicle authentication information is used to determine whether a target vehicle is permitted to accept control commands, and may consist of an owner ID and password to identify the owner of the target vehicle. Vehicle authentication information is stored in the vehicle and also in the possession of service users who are authorized to access that vehicle.

[0108] When the vehicle control unit 130 receives a vehicle control request from the vehicle control API 148, it transmits one or more control instructions generated based on the vehicle control request to the target vehicle. When edge device 2 receives a control instruction from management server 3, it performs authentication by comparing the vehicle authentication information indicated in the control instruction with the vehicle authentication information possessed by its own vehicle.

[0109] If authentication is successful, edge device 2 instructs the application identified from the execution designation information to execute the control specified in the control designation information. Edge device 2 also sends a response containing the result of the control execution to management server 3.

[0110] Upon receiving the response, the vehicle control unit 130 sends the response content back to the vehicle control API 148. [4. Service Server] [4-1. Hardware Configuration] As shown in Figure 14, the service server 5 comprises a control unit 51, a communication unit 52, and a storage unit 53.

[0111] The control unit 51 comprises a CPU 511, a ROM 512, and a RAM 513. The various functions of the control unit 51 are realized by the CPU 511 executing a program stored in a non-transitional physical recording medium. In this example, the ROM 512 corresponds to the non-transitional physical recording medium storing the program. Furthermore, the execution of this program executes a method corresponding to the program.

[0112] The communication unit 52 communicates with the edge device 2, the management server 3, and the driver terminal 7 via the wide-area communication network NW. Note that a different network may be used for communication with the driver terminal 7 than the network used for communication with the management server 3.

[0113] The memory unit 53 stores various information necessary for providing the service. [4-2. Functional Configuration] As shown in Figure 15, the service server 5, when shown in a functionally divided block, comprises a data collection unit 61, a remote control unit 62, and an event management unit 63. The service server 5 also includes multiple databases (hereinafter referred to as DBs), specifically a vehicle DB 531, a video DB 532, a user DB 533, a map DB 534, and a geofence DB 535.

[0114] Vehicle DB 531 stores vehicle data acquired by the data collection unit 61 from the management server 3. Video DB 532 stores video data uploaded from the edge device 2. User DB 533 stores user information, which is information about users related to registered vehicles. User information includes driver information, which is information about the occupants of the registered vehicle, including the driver, and owner information, which is information about the owner of the registered vehicle. Registered vehicles refer to vehicles equipped with edge devices that are subject to service provision. For example, all edge-equipped vehicles used for delivery services are registered vehicles. Driver information includes the vehicle ID of the registered vehicle associated with the driver, and the method of contacting the driver terminal 7 (e.g., telephone number, email address, etc.). Map DB 534 stores map information used for navigation, etc. Geofence DB 535 stores geofences set based on the location of registered vehicles stored in Vehicle DB 531 and the map information stored in Map DB 534. A geofence is an area enclosed by a virtual geographical boundary.

[0115] The data acquisition unit 61 repeatedly acquires location information for all registered vehicles using the data acquisition API provided by the management server 3, and stores the latest location information for each registered vehicle in the vehicle database 531.

[0116] The remote control unit 62, in accordance with instructions from the driver terminal 7, uses the vehicle control API 148 provided by the management server 3 to perform vehicle control of the designated registered vehicle. When the event management unit 63 receives an event notification from the edge device 2, it executes processing according to the content of the event notification.

[0117] [4-3. Event Handling] The event processing performed by the event management unit 63 when it receives an event notification (i.e., a suspicious person detection notification) from a registered vehicle indicating the detection of a suspicious person will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 16.

[0118] In S310, the CPU 511 uses the source information indicated in the received suspicious person detection notification to search the vehicle DB 531 and obtain the location of the registered vehicle identified from the source information, i.e., the edge-equipped vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the target vehicle) in which the suspicious person was detected.

[0119] In the subsequent S320, the CPU 511 sets a geofence based on the location of the target vehicle acquired in S310 and the map data stored in the map DB 534. The geofence may be set, for example, within a radius of 100m centered on the location of the target vehicle. The shape and size of the geofence may be appropriately varied depending on the event content of the event notification.

[0120] In the subsequent S330, CPU511 searches the vehicle DB531 to extract registered vehicles (hereinafter referred to as surrounding vehicles) that are located within the geofence. In the subsequent S340, the CPU 511 searches the user DB 533 to obtain driver information, particularly how to contact the driver terminal 7, for the target vehicle and all surrounding vehicles extracted in S330.

[0121] In the subsequent S350, the CPU 511 sends a suspicious person alert to each driver's terminal 7 associated with all surrounding vehicles, according to the method of contacting the driver terminal 7 acquired in S340.

[0122] In the subsequent S360, CPU 511 sends a video upload notification to the driver of the target vehicle. The video upload notification includes the URL of the suspicious person video uploaded from the target vehicle's edge device 2 to the service server 5. The URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator.

[0123] In other words, the driver of the vehicle in question can view the video of the suspicious person by accessing the URL attached to the video upload notification received by the driver terminal 7. In the subsequent S370, CPU511 analyzes the video of the suspicious person to extract suspicious person features. Suspicious person features include, for example, facial features, external features (e.g., body shape, clothing, etc.), and gait characteristics.

[0124] In the subsequent S380, the CPU 511 transmits the suspicious person characteristics extracted in S380 to the edge devices 2 of all surrounding vehicles via the communication unit 52. The edge device 2 of the surrounding vehicle, which has received the suspicious person characteristics, performs the information provision process described using Figure 7.

[0125] In the following S390, the CPU 511 determines whether the termination conditions for event processing have been met. The CPU 511 may determine that the termination conditions have been met, for example, when it receives a termination instruction from the driver associated with the target vehicle, or when a certain amount of time has elapsed since the start of event processing. If the CPU 511 determines that the termination conditions have been met, it terminates the process; otherwise, it proceeds to S400.

[0126] In the following step S400, the CPU 511 determines whether or not it has received a notification of suspicious person sighting from the edge device 2 of the surrounding vehicle. If the CPU 511 determines that it has received a notification of suspicious person sighting, it proceeds to S410; otherwise, it returns to S390.

[0127] In S410, CPU 511 forwards the suspicious person detection notification received from the edge device 2 of the surrounding vehicle to the administrator and returns processing to S390. The administrator is, for example, a member of the support center that supports the services provided by service server 5.

[0128] [5. Driver Terminal] The driver terminal 7 has a terminal application installed. The terminal application uses a graphical user interface (GUI) and has functions to display notifications from the service server 5, play videos of suspicious persons, and instruct the service server 5 to control the vehicle.

[0129] The terminal application's GUI displays a video viewing screen, menu buttons, and other elements. The menu buttons include video playback buttons and vehicle control buttons. When the terminal application receives a suspicious person notification, it may display an icon or similar on the display screen of the driver terminal 7 to indicate that a suspicious person notification has been received, and may also provide notification by sound or vibration using the audio equipment installed in the driver terminal 7.

[0130] When the driver terminal 7 receives a video upload notification from the service server 5, the terminal application enables the video playback button. When the enabled video playback button is pressed, the terminal application plays the suspicious person video on the video viewing screen.

[0131] When the suspicious person video is played, the terminal application activates the vehicle control button. When the activated vehicle control button is operated, the terminal application instructs the service server 5 to perform vehicle control. If multiple vehicle control options are available, a separate vehicle control button may be provided for each type of vehicle control.

[0132] [6. Operation] The overall operation of Mobility IoT System 1 will be explained using the sequence diagrams in Figures 17 and 18.

[0133] [6-1. Normal operation] As shown in Figure 17, under normal circumstances, the edge device 2 repeatedly transmits vehicle data from the edge-equipped vehicle to the management server 3 according to a schedule.

[0134] The mobility GW 111 of the management server 3 stores the received vehicle data as a shadow 114 and generates the latest index 118. The data management unit 121 of the management server 3 stores the latest index 118 as a digital twin 123. The digital twin 123 includes at least identification information and location information for all edge-equipped vehicles.

[0135] In other words, as shown in the upper part of Figure 19, the management server 3 on the cloud stores vehicle data for all edge-equipped vehicles, which are continuously updated as shadows 114 and digital twins 123.

[0136] The data collection unit 61 of the service server 5 repeatedly acquires location information for all registered vehicles within the service area provided by the service server 5 using the data acquisition API 146 provided by the management server 3, and stores the latest location information in the vehicle database 531. In this case, the registered vehicles are edge-equipped vehicles used by delivery companies for their delivery operations.

[0137] The data acquisition request input to the data acquisition API 146 includes, for example, the service area as location information, the current time as time information, and location information as acquisition information. The data management unit 121 then generates an object list specifying the object ID and current time of all registered vehicles within the service area. The mobility GW 111 then extracts the latest location information from the shadow 114 according to the object list and sends it back to the service server 5.

[0138] [6-2. Actions when an event is detected] As shown in Figure 18, when the edge device 2 detects that the vehicle equipped with the edge is parked, it activates the surrounding monitoring sensor. When the surrounding monitoring sensor detects a moving object, the edge device 2 activates the video camera and starts recording.

[0139] In other words, for example, if a delivery person leaves their vehicle while making a delivery, and a suspicious person approaches the vehicle, the video camera will start recording. If edge device 2 detects a suspicious person from the captured video, it sends an event notification (i.e., a suspicious person detection notification) to service server 5 indicating that a suspicious person has been detected. Furthermore, edge device 2 uploads a video containing the portion in which the suspicious person was detected to service server 5.

[0140] As shown in the lower part of Figure 19, when the service server 5 receives a suspicious person detection notification, it selects a nearby vehicle to which the notification will be sent and sends an alert notification to the driver terminal 7 of the driver associated with the selected nearby vehicle. Geofencing is used to select the notification destination. The geofencing is set based on the location of the target vehicle identified from the source information of the suspicious person detection notification. All registered vehicles within the geofencing are considered nearby vehicles. The service server 5 may also send an alert notification to the target vehicle.

[0141] Returning to Figure 18, when a video of a suspicious person is uploaded from the edge device 2, the service server 5 sends a video upload notification with the URL of the suspicious person video attached to the driver terminal 7 of the driver associated with the target vehicle. This video upload notification also serves as an alert notification for the target vehicle. The service server 5 also analyzes the video of the suspicious person to extract the suspicious person's features and sends the extracted features to the edge devices 2 of the surrounding vehicles.

[0142] Drivers of surrounding vehicles, that is, other drivers performing delivery work around the target vehicle, can become aware of the presence of a suspicious person nearby by receiving a suspicious person alert via their own driver terminal 7.

[0143] The driver of the target vehicle can understand the situation by viewing the video of the suspicious person via their driver terminal 7. The driver of the target vehicle can, if necessary, instruct the service server 5 to control the vehicle via the driver terminal 7.

[0144] When the service server 5 receives a vehicle control instruction from the driver terminal 7, it uses the vehicle control API 148 of the management server 3 to access the edge device 2 of the target vehicle and instructs the edge device 2 to perform vehicle control. Vehicle control could include, for example, sounding the horn of the target vehicle or flashing the lights of the target vehicle to deter intruders.

[0145] When the edge device 2 of the surrounding vehicle receives the features of a suspicious person from the service server 5, it activates a video camera that films the area around the vehicle and starts recording. The edge device 2 of the surrounding vehicle analyzes the recorded video and detects the suspicious person by comparing the analysis results with the received features. The edge device 2 of the surrounding vehicle sends a suspicious person detection notification, including the image in which the suspicious person was detected, to the service server 5. The service server 5 stores the information shown in the suspicious person detection notification and forwards the suspicious person detection notification to the administrator or other relevant party.

[0146] [7. Correspondence of Terms] In this embodiment, the mobility IoT system 1 corresponds to the information notification system in this disclosure. The management server 3 and the service server 5 correspond to the management devices in this disclosure. The management server 3 corresponds to the first management unit in this disclosure. The service server 5 corresponds to the second management unit in this disclosure. The basic upload unit 261 corresponds to the data provision unit in this disclosure.

[0147] In this embodiment, S180 corresponds to the event transmission unit in this disclosure. S190 corresponds to the video transmission unit in this disclosure. S210 to S270 correspond to the object detection unit in this disclosure. S310 to S320 correspond to the geofence setting unit in this disclosure. S330 to S340 correspond to the notification recipient selection unit in this disclosure. S350 corresponds to the notification unit in this disclosure. S370 to S380 correspond to the feature distribution unit in this disclosure. Warning notification and video upload notification correspond to alert notification in this disclosure. Suspicious person video corresponds to event video in this disclosure. Suspicious person corresponds to the detection target object in this disclosure.

[0148] [8. Effects] The first embodiment described in detail above provides the following effects. (8a) In the mobility IoT system 1, if a suspicious person is detected approaching a parked vehicle, the system notifies not only the driver associated with the vehicle (i.e., the delivery person) but also the drivers associated with surrounding vehicles. Therefore, all delivery people working in the vicinity of the location where the suspicious person was detected can be alerted. In other words, the system can deal with the situation of a suspicious person detection in cooperation with the drivers of surrounding vehicles as well as the driver of the vehicle in question.

[0149] (8b) In the mobility IoT system 1, if a suspicious person is detected in the target vehicle, the driver of the target vehicle can view a video of the suspicious person on their driver terminal 7, thereby quickly understanding the situation of the target vehicle and the suspicious person.

[0150] (8c) In the mobility IoT system 1, the driver of the target vehicle can remotely control the horn and lights of the target vehicle via their driver terminal 7, thereby deterring suspicious persons audibly or visually as needed.

[0151] (8d) In the mobility IoT system 1, the characteristic quantities of the suspicious person extracted from the video of the suspicious person are distributed to the edge devices 2 of the surrounding vehicles, and the edge devices 2 of the surrounding vehicles are made to detect the suspicious person using the characteristic quantities of the suspicious person and upload the detection information to the service server 5. Therefore, by checking the detection information obtained from the edge devices 2 of the surrounding vehicles, the actions of the suspicious person can be understood.

[0152] [9. Other Embodiments] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be implemented in various modified forms.

[0153] (9a) In this disclosure, a service for providing information on suspicious persons using the suspicious person detection application A1 has been described, but the same mechanism may also be applied to a service for providing information on hit-and-run incidents using the hit-and-run detection application A2.

[0154] The hit-and-run detection app assumes a scenario where a parked vehicle equipped with edge technology is hit by another vehicle while the driver has left the vehicle. Edge device 2 is detected by an acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle, but differs in that it activates a video camera in response to collision vibrations, and extracts feature quantities of the hit-and-run vehicle from the captured images, instead of the suspicious person. In this case, the feature quantities may include the vehicle's license plate number. Furthermore, in the hit-and-run information provision service, since the speed of the hit-and-run vehicle is faster than the speed of the suspicious person, the range of the geofence generated by service server 5 may be set wider than in the suspicious person information provision service, for example, to a radius of 3 km.

[0155] (9b) While this disclosure provides examples of events to be addressed, such as the detection of a suspicious person and the detection of a hit-and-run, the events are not limited to these. (9c) The control units 21, 31, 51 and their methods described in this disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the control units 21, 31, 51 and their methods described in this disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor by one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control units 21, 31, 51 and their methods described in this disclosure may be implemented by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions and a processor configured by one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by the computer on a computer-readable non-transitional tangible recording medium. The methods for implementing the functions of each part included in the control units 21, 31, 51 do not necessarily need to include software, and all of their functions may be implemented using one or more hardware components.

[0156] (9d) Multiple functions of one component in the above embodiment may be realized by multiple components, or one function of one component may be realized by multiple components. Also, multiple functions of multiple components may be realized by one component, or one function realized by multiple components may be realized by one component. Furthermore, some of the configuration of the above embodiment may be omitted. Furthermore, at least some of the configuration of the above embodiment may be added to or replaced with the configuration of other above embodiments.

[0157] (9e) In addition to the mobility IoT system, management device, and edge device described above as an information notification system, this disclosure can also be implemented in various forms, such as a program for making a computer function as the management device and edge device, a non-transitional physical recording medium such as semiconductor memory on which this program is recorded, and an information notification method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0158] 1...Mobility IoT system, 2...Edge device, 3...Management server, 5...Service server, 7...Driver terminal, 21, 31, 51...Control unit, 22...Vehicle interface unit, 23, 32, 52...Communication unit, 24, 33, 53...Storage unit, 25...Systemware, 26...Core function execution unit, 27...Application execution unit, 61...Data collection unit, 62...Remote control unit, 63...Event management unit, 531...Vehicle DB, 531...Video DB, 532...Video DB, 533...User DB, 534...Map DB, 535...Geofence DB.

Claims

1. A control device having a first control unit (3) and a second control unit (5), An edge device (2) mounted on a vehicle and having a core function execution unit (26) that communicates with the first management unit and an application execution unit (27) that communicates with the second management unit, Equipped with, The aforementioned core function execution unit is: The system includes a data provision unit (261) configured to collect vehicle data, including location information of the edge-equipped vehicle and the status of the edge-equipped vehicle, which is a vehicle equipped with the edge device, and provide it to the first management unit. The aforementioned application execution unit, The system includes an event transmission unit (S180) configured to detect the occurrence of a pre-set event and transmit an event notification to the second management unit, which includes identification information to identify the Edge-equipped vehicle and type information indicating the type of the event. The first management unit is, The system includes a storage unit (113) configured to store the vehicle data repeatedly acquired from the edge device for each vehicle equipped with the edge device, The second management unit is, A data acquisition unit (61) configured to collect the vehicle data stored in the storage unit from the first management unit, A receiving unit (52) is configured to receive the event notification transmitted from the edge device of a registered vehicle which is a registered vehicle equipped with edge, When the aforementioned event notification is received, the geofence setting unit (S310-S320) is configured to identify the location of the target vehicle, which is the registered vehicle on which the event occurred, according to the identification information shown in the event notification and the vehicle data collected by the data collection unit, and to set a geofence that includes the location of the target vehicle and in which at least one of the size and shape is variably set according to the type information, A notification recipient selection unit (S330-S340) is configured to select a recipient for information related to the event using the geofence set in the geofence setting unit and the vehicle data collected by the data collection unit, A notification unit (S350) is configured to send a warning notification to each of the notification recipients selected by the notification recipient selection unit, in order to draw attention to the event notification in accordance with the type information indicated in the event notification, Equipped with Information notification system.

2. An information notification system according to claim 1, The aforementioned application execution unit, The system further includes a video transmission unit (S190) configured to transmit event video footage of the area around the edge-equipped vehicle to the second management unit when the aforementioned event is detected, using a video camera that starts recording when a moving object is detected by the surrounding monitoring sensor of the edge-equipped vehicle. The second management unit is, The system further includes a video database (532) configured to store the event video received from the source of the event notification, The notification unit is configured to add information to the alert notification for accessing the event video stored in the video database. Information notification system.

3. The information notification system according to claim 2, The second management unit is, The feature distribution unit (S370-S380) is configured to extract feature quantities of the object to be detected according to the type information from the event video stored in the video database and distribute the feature quantities of the object to be detected to the edge device mounted on the registered vehicle located within the geofence. The aforementioned application execution unit, The system further includes an object detection unit (S210-S270) configured to detect the object using the characteristic quantities of the object to be detected distributed from the second management unit, and to notify the second management unit of the detection result when the object to be detected is detected from the video footage taken around the edge-equipped vehicle by a camera mounted on the edge-equipped vehicle. Information notification system.

4. An information notification system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The second management unit is, The system further includes a user database (533) that stores information relating the registered vehicle to a driver terminal, which is a portable terminal owned by a user associated with the registered vehicle. The notification recipient selection unit is configured to extract registered vehicles located within the geofence and to select the driver terminal associated with the extracted registered vehicles in the user database as the notification recipient. Information notification system.

5. The information notification system according to claim 4, The first management unit is, The vehicle control unit (130) is further configured to cause the designated edge-equipped vehicle to perform designated vehicle control, The second management unit is, The unit further includes a remote control unit (62) configured to cause the target vehicle to execute the control corresponding to the instruction, using the vehicle control unit of the first management unit, in accordance with the instruction from the driver terminal. Information notification system.

6. An information notification system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The storage unit is configured to store data associated with the acquisition time of the vehicle data as a shadow to the vehicle data acquired from the edge device, and to store an index that includes vehicle identification information and vehicle location information extracted from the shadow. Information notification system.

7. A management device that is mounted on a vehicle and constitutes an information notification system together with an edge device (2) having a core function execution unit (26) and an application execution unit (27), A first management unit (3) that communicates with the core function execution unit, A second management unit (5) that communicates with the aforementioned application execution unit, Equipped with, The core function execution unit is configured to collect vehicle data including location information and status of the edge-equipped vehicle, which is a vehicle equipped with the edge device, and provide it to the first management unit, and the application execution unit is configured to detect the occurrence of a pre-set event and transmit an event notification to the second management unit including identification information that identifies the edge-equipped vehicle and type information that indicates the type of the event. The first management unit is, The system includes a storage unit (113) configured to store the vehicle data repeatedly acquired from the edge device for each vehicle equipped with the edge device, The second management unit is, A data acquisition unit (61) configured to collect the vehicle data stored in the storage unit from the first management unit, A receiving unit (52) is configured to receive the event notification transmitted from the edge device of a registered vehicle which is a registered vehicle equipped with edge, When the aforementioned event notification is received, the geofence setting unit (S310-S320) is configured to identify the location of the target vehicle, which is the registered vehicle on which the event occurred, according to the identification information shown in the event notification and the vehicle data collected by the data collection unit, and to set a geofence that includes the location of the target vehicle and in which at least one of the size and shape is variably set according to the type information, A notification recipient selection unit (S330-S340) is configured to select a recipient for information related to the event using the geofence set in the geofence setting unit and the vehicle data collected by the data collection unit, A notification unit (S350) is configured to send a warning notification to each of the notification recipients selected by the notification recipient selection unit, in order to draw attention to the event notification in accordance with the type information indicated in the event notification, A control device equipped with the following features.

8. The edge device is configured to be mounted on a vehicle and, together with a management device having a first management unit (3) and a second management unit (5), wherein the first management unit is configured to store vehicle data repeatedly acquired from an edge device (2) for each edge-equipped vehicle which is a vehicle equipped with the edge device, and the second management unit collects the vehicle data from the first management unit and, upon receiving an event notification transmitted from the edge device of a registered vehicle which is a registered edge-equipped vehicle, identifies the location of the target vehicle which is the registered vehicle where the event occurred according to the identification information shown in the event notification and the vehicle data, sets a geofence which includes the location of the target vehicle and whose size and shape are variable according to type information indicating the type of event, selects recipients for notification of information related to the event using the geofence and the vehicle data, and sends a warning notification to each of the selected recipients to draw attention according to the type information shown in the event notification, A core function execution unit (26) that communicates with the first management unit, An application execution unit (27) that communicates with the second management unit, Equipped with, The aforementioned core function execution unit is: The system includes a data provision unit (261) configured to collect vehicle data, including location information and status of the edge-equipped vehicle on which the edge device is installed, and provide it to the first management unit. The aforementioned application execution unit, The system includes an event transmission unit (S180) configured to detect the occurrence of the event and transmit an event notification to the second management unit, which includes the identification information and type information used to identify the edge-equipped vehicle. Edge unit.

9. An information notification system comprising a management device having a first management unit (3) and a second management unit (5), and an edge device (2) mounted on a vehicle having a core function execution unit (26) that communicates with the first management unit and an application execution unit (27) that communicates with the second management unit, wherein the information notification system provides an information notification method, The aforementioned core function execution unit is: The system collects vehicle data, including location information of the edge-equipped vehicle and the status of the edge-equipped vehicle, which is a vehicle equipped with the edge device, and provides it to the first management unit. The aforementioned application execution unit, Upon detecting the occurrence of a pre-configured event, an event notification is transmitted to the second management unit, which includes identification information to identify the Edge-equipped vehicle and type information indicating the type of the event. The first management unit is, The vehicle data repeatedly acquired from the edge device is stored for each vehicle equipped with the edge device. The second management unit is, The vehicle data is collected from the first management unit. Upon receiving the event notification transmitted from the edge device of the registered vehicle which is a registered vehicle equipped with edge, When the aforementioned event notification is received, the location of the target vehicle, which is the registered vehicle on which the event occurred, is identified according to the identification information shown in the event notification and the vehicle data collected from the first management unit, and a geofence is set that includes the location of the target vehicle and whose size and shape are variable according to the type information. Using the geofence and the vehicle data collected from the first management unit, the recipients of notifications related to the event are selected. Send a reminder notice to each of the selected recipients to draw their attention to the type of event indicated in the event notice. Information notification method.

10. A method for operating a management device comprising a first management unit (3) and a second management unit (5), an edge device (2) mounted on a vehicle and having a core function execution unit (26) that communicates with the first management unit and an application execution unit (27) that communicates with the second management unit, wherein the information notification system is configured together with the edge device, and the core function execution unit collects vehicle data including location information of the edge-equipped vehicle, which is the vehicle on which the edge device is mounted, and the status of the edge-equipped vehicle, and provides it to the first management unit, and the application execution unit is configured to detect the occurrence of a pre-set event and transmit an event notification to the second management unit, which includes identification information that identifies the edge-equipped vehicle and type information that indicates the type of the event, The first management unit is, The vehicle data repeatedly acquired from the edge device is stored for each vehicle equipped with the edge device. The second management unit is, The vehicle data is collected from the first management unit. Upon receiving the event notification transmitted from the edge device of the registered vehicle which is a registered vehicle equipped with edge, When the aforementioned event notification is received, the location of the target vehicle, which is the registered vehicle on which the event occurred, is identified according to the identification information shown in the event notification and the vehicle data collected from the first management unit, and a geofence is set that includes the location of the target vehicle and whose size and shape are variable according to the type information. Using the geofence and the vehicle data collected from the first management unit, the recipient of the notification of information related to the event is selected. A notification is sent to each of the selected recipients to draw their attention to the type of event information indicated in the event notification. Operating instructions for the control device.

11. In the edge device, the computer constituting the edge device is configured such that, together with a management device mounted on a vehicle and having a first management unit (3) and a second management unit (5), the first management unit is configured to store vehicle data repeatedly acquired from the edge device (2) for each edge-equipped vehicle which is a vehicle equipped with the edge device, the second management unit collects the vehicle data from the first management unit, and when it receives an event notification transmitted from the edge device of a registered vehicle which is a registered edge-equipped vehicle, it identifies the location of the target vehicle which is the registered vehicle where the event occurred according to the identification information shown in the event notification and the vehicle data collected from the first management unit, sets a geofence which includes the location of the target vehicle and whose size and shape are variable according to type information indicating the type of event, selects recipients for notification of information related to the event using the geofence and the vehicle data collected from the first management unit, and sends a warning notification to each of the selected recipients to draw attention according to the type information shown in the event notification, the computer constituting the edge device is configured A core function execution unit (26) having a data provision unit configured to communicate with the first management unit and collect vehicle data including location information and status of the edge-equipped vehicle on which the edge device is installed, and provide it to the first management unit; and an application execution unit (27) having a notification unit configured to communicate with the second management unit and detect the occurrence of the event and transmit the event notification including the identification information and type information that identifies the edge-equipped vehicle to the second management unit. A program designed to function as such.

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