Systems, in-vehicle devices, and programs

Abstract

To provide a control system capable of surely storing information usable in a model in a storage medium in respective on-vehicle devices having a different model, an on-vehicle device and a program.SOLUTION: A control system determines whether model information of an on-vehicle device is stored in an SD card in the case that the SD card to be used by the on-vehicle device is inserted into a card slot. In the case that the model information is stored in the SD card, a display part is displayed on a selection screen 271. In the case that a user inputs a check in a checkbox area 274 and that an item of information stored in the SD card is selected, the control system acquires information usable by an on-vehicle device specified by the model information stored in the SD card from a server and stores the information in the SD card. In the case that the SD card is inserted into the on-vehicle device, the on-vehicle device notifies a driver of the information on the basis of the information stored in the SD card.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control system, an in-vehicle device, and a program for storing information regarding a target object in a storage medium used in an in-vehicle device.

Background Art

[0002] An in-vehicle device that specifies position information between a target object and a host vehicle and notifies a driver of information regarding the specified positional relationship is known. Examples of the in-vehicle device include a radar detector. Examples of the target object include a device for measuring the speed of a vehicle. The target object is often installed in a dangerous location where traffic accidents are likely to occur. Therefore, the in-vehicle device can encourage a driver to drive safely at a location where a traffic accident is likely to occur by, for example, notifying the driver of approaching the target object. Thus, notifying a driver of the positional relationship between the target object and the host vehicle contributes to safe driving of the driver.

[0003] In an in-vehicle device, the freshness and accuracy of the position information of the target object are important factors. That is, when the position information of the target object is old, a driver may be notified at a location where the target object has already been removed, or even though there is a newly installed target object, no notification may be made because there is no position information of that location, resulting in a decrease in reliability. Therefore, in a normal in-vehicle device, it is possible to update the position information of the target object even after purchase.

[0004] A conventional method for updating the position information of a target object is as follows. The position information of the target object is stored in an external non-volatile memory such as an SD card. The in-vehicle device refers to the position information stored in the set external non-volatile memory and notifies the driver. When updating the position information, the driver removes the external non-volatile memory from the in-vehicle device and sets it in an information terminal such as a PC. The information terminal can update the position information stored in the external non-volatile memory to the latest information.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for acquiring updated location information from other in-vehicle devices by receiving location information wirelessly transmitted from other in-vehicle devices and storing it in memory. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009-266057 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] In the device described in Patent Document 1, a new communication device is required for wireless communication between in-vehicle devices, so a method of updating location information using an information terminal is usually employed. Here, the format and content of the location information stored in the external non-volatile memory must correspond to the type of in-vehicle device. This is because the format and content of the location information stored in the external non-volatile memory differ depending on the type of in-vehicle device. If location information corresponding to a different type of in-vehicle device is stored in the external non-volatile memory, the in-vehicle device cannot use that location information and cannot notify the driver. For this reason, when updating location information via an information terminal, it is necessary to specify to the information terminal the type of in-vehicle device using the external non-volatile memory. However, drivers usually do not know the type of in-vehicle device they are using, so there is a problem in that they have to go to the trouble of checking the type of in-vehicle device when updating location information.

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a control system, an in-vehicle device, and a program that can reliably store information usable in a storage medium for each type of in-vehicle device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A control system according to a first aspect of the present invention is characterized by reading type information of an in-vehicle device that is stored in advance on a storage medium that stores information of a target used by an in-vehicle device that issues a notification to the driver based on the positional relationship between the target and the vehicle, and performing control to acquire information of the target corresponding to the type information of the in-vehicle device that has been read and store it on the storage medium.

[0010] According to the first embodiment, the user can store information on target objects usable in the in-vehicle device in a storage medium without having to perform an operation on the control system to specify the information on target objects usable in the in-vehicle device. The in-vehicle device can reliably perform notifications regarding target objects by referring to the storage medium in which the information on target objects is stored. For example, the information on target objects may include location information of the target objects. By including location information in the information on target objects, the in-vehicle device can provide notifications based on the positional relationship with the vehicle. Since the user does not need to know in advance the type information of the in-vehicle device as the type of target object information usable in the in-vehicle device, the operation of updating the information on target objects stored in the storage medium can be performed quickly and easily.

[0011] In the first embodiment, it is preferable to provide an in-vehicle device that writes its own in-vehicle device type information onto the recording medium if the type information of the in-vehicle device is not stored on the storage medium. When a general-purpose storage medium is used, the storage medium usually does not store the type information of the in-vehicle device, so the user needs to store the type information of the in-vehicle device they are using on the storage medium. If the storage of the type information of the in-vehicle device is done manually, the user needs to confirm what type the in-vehicle device is, which is troublesome. Also, if incorrect type information of the in-vehicle device is stored on the storage medium, the in-vehicle device will not be able to properly provide notifications to the driver. In contrast, in the present invention, the in-vehicle device directly stores the type information of the in-vehicle device on the storage medium, so the type information of the in-vehicle device is stored accurately and reliably. Therefore, the control system can reliably store information of target objects that can be used by the in-vehicle device on the storage medium. The in-vehicle device can reliably provide notifications to the driver by referring to the storage medium.

[0012] In the first embodiment, the type of target information usable by the in-vehicle device may be used as the type information of the in-vehicle device. Even if the hardware of the in-vehicle devices is the same, the usable target information may differ. For example, this may occur if the firmware version driving the in-vehicle device is different. By using the type of target information usable by the in-vehicle device as the identification information of the in-vehicle device to be stored in the storage medium, even if the usable target information differs for in-vehicle devices with the same hardware, the usable target information for each in-vehicle device can be reliably stored in the storage medium. Therefore, the in-vehicle device can reliably provide notifications to the driver by referring to the storage medium.

[0013] In the first embodiment, differential information, which is information about the difference between the target information corresponding to the type information of the in-vehicle device read from the storage medium and the target information already acquired, is acquired and stored in the storage medium. For example, the amount of information about the target may be large, such as when the target information includes location information, target type information, and an image showing the appearance of the target. In contrast, the control system stores differential information in the storage medium, so the amount of information to be stored in the storage medium can be reduced. Accordingly, the time required to store information in the storage medium can be shortened.

[0014] In the first embodiment, the control system may acquire difference information between the target information within a predetermined area, which corresponds to the type information of the in-vehicle device, and the target information within a predetermined area, which has already been acquired, and store this difference information in the storage medium. The control system narrows down the target information based on the location of the target and stores it in the storage medium. For example, when storing information on public enforcement in the storage medium, if the storage medium contains information on public enforcement conducted in the area including the location of the vehicle and the areas the vehicle passes through on its way to its destination, the control system can notify the driver of public enforcement information corresponding to the vehicle's location. Therefore, the control system stores only the difference information of target information corresponding to the predetermined area as described above in the storage medium. This further reduces the amount of information the control system stores in the storage medium.

[0015] In the first embodiment, if the storage medium stores history information associated with the vehicle's travel location and travel time, it is preferable to retrieve the history information stored in the storage medium and delete the history information from the storage medium. This prevents the storage capacity from becoming insufficient when the storage medium is repeatedly used in the in-vehicle device.

[0016] In the first embodiment, control is performed to sequentially display the locations the vehicle has traveled on a map displayed on the display means, based on the travel location and travel time of the history information. The user can check the route the vehicle actually traveled on in chronological order, so they can recognize their own travel history more intuitively.

[0017] In the first embodiment, when the position of the target object approaches the driving position, the control system may be configured to display an image of the target object and the vehicle's speed at the driving position. By displaying the image of the target object and the driving speed, the control system can enhance the user's sense of presence. As a result, the user can view the driving history as if they were actually there.

[0018] In a first embodiment, the system includes a first storage means for storing acquired target information, and controls are performed to determine the location of the target and display an image of the target based on the target information stored in the first storage means that is prior to the travel time in the history information and updated at the time closest to the travel time. When displaying an image of the target, information of the target that was installed at the time the vehicle traveled is referenced. This makes it possible to display an image of the target that was actually installed at the time the vehicle traveled on the map.

[0019] In the first embodiment, if the storage medium stores at least one of the following: registration information, which is information about the target object registered by the user, and invalidation information, which is an instruction from the user to invalidate notifications based on the information about the target object, then it is preferable to acquire at least one of the registration information and invalidation information stored in the storage medium. The control system can effectively utilize the acquired registration information and invalidation information. For example, based on the acquired registration information and invalidation information, the control system may display on the display an image on a map in which images for identifying the target object are placed, and allow the user to confirm it. This allows the user to clearly see the registration information and invalidation information.

[0020] In the first embodiment, the detection information stored in the storage medium is to be acquired when the storage medium contains detection information relating to information detected in at least one of the following cases: when the in-vehicle device detects the target based on radio waves emitted from the target; when the in-vehicle device detects the target in a location where the target is not actually installed; or when the in-vehicle device acquires vehicle status information. The control system can effectively utilize the acquired detection information or time information. For example, if a target or malfunction is detected as detection information, the system can display a video on the display showing images of the target or malfunction placed on a map. This allows the user to easily see the detection information.

[0021] In the first embodiment, information acquired from the storage medium is divided by user and stored in a second storage means. When storing information in the storage medium, the user using the storage medium is identified based on user identification information stored in the storage medium, and the information corresponding to the identified user is read from the second storage means and stored in the storage medium. This allows users to repeatedly use information unique to them in the in-vehicle device. For example, when multiple people jointly use a common in-vehicle device, each user may have a storage medium on which information for their own identification is stored. This ensures that each user has information unique to them stored in the storage medium, and the in-vehicle device can operate based on information unique to each person.

[0022] In the first embodiment, when the storage medium is used by the in-vehicle device, certification information proving that it was used by the in-vehicle device is stored in the storage medium, and the target information is stored in the storage medium only when the certification information is stored in the storage medium. This prevents the target information from being stored in a storage medium that is not actually used by the in-vehicle device. Therefore, the security of the target information can be enhanced, and high-value information such as paid information can be provided only to storage media that are actually used by the in-vehicle device.

[0023] In the first embodiment, the certification information is information indicating that the vehicle has traveled, and may include at least one of the travel location and travel time. If the travel location and travel time are stored as certification information, the storage medium is considered to have been actually used by the in-vehicle device. In this way, by using the travel location and travel time as certification information, it is possible to easily confirm that the storage medium has been used by the in-vehicle device. Furthermore, the travel location and travel time can be used as information indicating the vehicle's travel history.

[0024] In a first aspect, control is performed to store in the storage medium setting information indicating various settings during operation of the in-vehicle device, and the in-vehicle device may perform various settings during operation based on the setting information stored in the storage medium. Thereby, various settings during operation of the in-vehicle device can be changed via the control system.

[0025] In a first aspect, a user who uses the storage medium is identified by information for identifying the user stored in the storage medium, and based on third storage means in which the setting information is stored for each user, the setting information corresponding to the identified user is selected and stored in the storage medium.

[0026] Since the setting information is classified for each user, by using a storage medium in which setting information unique to each person is stored, the in-vehicle device can be operated with the settings of each person. For example, when a plurality of people jointly use a common in-vehicle device, each individual user may own a storage medium in which information for identifying themselves is stored. Thereby, the user can always drive the in-vehicle device under desired setting conditions without performing an input operation of the setting conditions when using the in-vehicle device.

[0027] In a first aspect, the setting information corresponding to a user different from the user stored in the storage medium is read from the third storage means and stored in the storage medium. Since the information acquired from the storage medium can be stored in a storage medium in which another user ID is stored, the information stored in the storage medium can be shared among users.

[0028] In the first embodiment, the setting information stored in the third storage means is stored on a server connected via a network, and if the setting information stored in the third storage means cannot be retrieved, the setting information is retrieved from the server and stored on the storage medium. This allows the setting information to be restored by querying the server even if the third storage means fails and the setting information cannot be retrieved from the third storage means. Therefore, the user is saved the trouble of having to reconfigure the in-vehicle device.

[0029] In the first embodiment, when the setting information is organized hierarchically, the user's operation of the control system is guided in a hierarchical order to identify the setting information necessary for the user to operate the in-vehicle device in the desired manner, and the identified setting information is stored in the storage medium. This allows the user to reliably identify the setting information necessary to operate the in-vehicle device in the desired manner by performing input operations hierarchically in accordance with the guidance.

[0030] In the first embodiment, when an inquiry regarding various settings during the operation of the in-vehicle device is received, a screen for changing the setting information of the in-vehicle device corresponding to the inquiry is displayed on the display means, and the setting information entered by the user while the screen is displayed is stored in the storage medium.

[0031] Since users can identify configuration information by querying the control system, they can operate the in-vehicle device in the desired manner even without detailed knowledge of the device. The display means shows a screen for directly changing the configuration information, so users can avoid the trouble of repeatedly performing input operations and navigating screens to identify the configuration information. As a result, users can quickly identify the desired configuration information and store it in the storage medium, thereby operating the in-vehicle device in the desired manner.

[0032] In the first embodiment, the information stored in the storage medium is classified into information that the control system can acquire and information that it cannot acquire, and it is preferable to acquire only the information that can be acquired and not the information that cannot be acquired.

[0033] For example, historical information, including the vehicle's location and time of travel, should not be incorporated into the control system from the standpoint of protecting user privacy. On the other hand, registered and invalid information should be incorporated into the control system because sharing it among multiple users allows for obtaining the latest target information. In this case, it is preferable to make it impossible to acquire historical information, while making it possible to acquire registered and invalid information. This allows the control system to acquire only registered and invalid information. In this way, it is possible to prevent all information stored on the storage medium from being incorporated into the control system.

[0034] In the first embodiment, it is preferable to store in the storage medium the information of the target objects that are within the main range of movement of the vehicle, from among the acquired information of the target objects.

[0035] When the vehicle's range of movement is somewhat defined, the in-vehicle device can reliably notify the driver if information about target objects corresponding to the vehicle's range of movement is stored in the storage medium. Therefore, by storing only information about target objects corresponding to the vehicle's range of movement in the storage medium, the control system can ensure that the in-vehicle device reliably notifies the driver while simultaneously reducing the amount of information stored in the storage medium.

[0036] In the first embodiment, if the storage medium contains images taken in predetermined cases by a camera installed in the vehicle, the images stored in the storage medium may be acquired. This allows the control system to provide the images to the user.

[0037] In a first embodiment, advertising information and location information are associated and stored in the storage medium, and the in-vehicle device is controlled to display the advertising information stored in the storage medium when the vehicle approaches a location indicated by the location information stored in the storage medium. This allows the driver to recognize advertising information about facilities, etc., near the vehicle. In this way, the in-vehicle device provides the driver with not only notifications about target objects but also additional information based on the vehicle's location, enabling the driver to acquire various information while driving.

[0038] In a first embodiment, it is preferable to control the display means to display an image introducing a different in-vehicle device from the in-vehicle device that uses the storage medium when a predetermined period of use has elapsed for the in-vehicle device. This allows the control system to notify the user that it is time to replace the in-vehicle device and to encourage the user to purchase a new in-vehicle device.

[0039] In the first embodiment, when the system receives an operation from a user instructing it to register information about the target object, the received information about the target object is stored in the storage medium. This allows the user to easily set the information about the target object by inputting the information about the target object using the control system and storing it in the storage medium.

[0040] In the first embodiment, it is preferable to provide a display means with a larger display area than the display means provided by the in-vehicle device. Displays provided by in-vehicle devices often cannot be made larger due to the constraints of the overall size of the in-vehicle device. Therefore, users cannot comfortably view or edit various types of information managed by the in-vehicle device. In contrast, the control system of the present invention can, for example, provide a larger display with better visibility than the display means provided by the in-vehicle device, thereby enabling comfortable viewing and editing of various types of information.

[0041] For example, by displaying history information acquired from a storage medium on a display device, the user can comfortably view their driving history. Also, for example, by displaying a video on the display device in which images for identifying target objects are placed on a map based on registered and invalid information acquired from a storage medium, the user can clearly view the registered and invalid information. Furthermore, for example, the user can easily change the setting information while viewing the display device, making it easy to operate the in-vehicle device under the desired setting conditions. Also, for example, the user can easily register information about target objects using the display device. For example, a map can be displayed on the display device, and the user can select a specific point on the map. This allows the user to register information about the target object. In this case, it would be good to also allow the user to register the type of target object.

[0042] An in-vehicle device according to a second aspect of the present invention is an in-vehicle device provided by a control system according to a first aspect, characterized in that, when type information of the in-vehicle device is not stored on the storage medium, it writes its own type information to the recording medium. This makes it possible to achieve the same effects as in the first aspect.

[0043] The program according to the third aspect of the present invention enables a computer to implement each function of the control system according to the first aspect.

[0044] The above-described embodiment may be configured as follows, for example. The control system according to the first embodiment includes: detection means for detecting a storage medium used by an in-vehicle device that issues a notification to the driver based on the positional relationship between the target object and the vehicle; first acquisition means for acquiring the type information of the in-vehicle device when the type information of the in-vehicle device is stored in the storage medium detected by the detection means; and first control means for acquiring information of the target object identified by the type information of the in-vehicle device acquired by the first acquisition means and storing it in the storage medium.

[0045] In the first embodiment, when the storage medium, which does not contain the type information of the in-vehicle device, is used for the first time by the in-vehicle device, the in-vehicle device stores the type information of the in-vehicle device in the storage medium, and the first acquisition means acquires the type information of the in-vehicle device stored in the storage medium by the in-vehicle device.

[0046] In the first embodiment, the type of information on target objects usable by the in-vehicle device may be used as the type information of the in-vehicle device.

[0047] In the first embodiment, the first control means may acquire difference information, which is information about the portion that differs between the target object information corresponding to the type information of the in-vehicle device acquired by the first acquisition means and the target object information already acquired, and store it in the storage medium.

[0048] In a first embodiment, the first control means may acquire difference information between the target information of a target within a predetermined area, which corresponds to the type information of the in-vehicle device acquired by the first acquisition means, and the target information of a target within a predetermined area, which has already been acquired, and store it in the storage medium.

[0049] In the first embodiment, the storage medium stores history information associated with the vehicle's travel location and travel time, and the first acquisition means acquires the history information stored in the storage medium and deletes the history information from the storage medium.

[0050] In the first embodiment, the system may include a first display control means that displays the locations the vehicle has traveled in order on a map displayed on a display means, based on the travel location and travel time of the history information acquired by the first acquisition means.

[0051] In the first embodiment, the first display control means may display an image of the target object and the vehicle's speed at the driving position when the position of the target object approaches the driving position.

[0052] In a first embodiment, the system includes a first storage means for storing acquired information about the target object, and the first display control means determines the position of the target object and displays an image representing the target object based on the information about the target object stored in the first storage means that is updated at a time prior to the travel time in the history information and closest to the travel time.

[0053] In the first embodiment, the storage medium stores at least one of the following: registration information, which is information about the target object registered by the user, and invalidation information, which is an instruction by the user to invalidate notifications based on the information about the target object. The first acquisition means may acquire at least one of the registration information and the invalidation information stored in the storage medium.

[0054] In the first embodiment, the storage medium stores detection information relating to information detected in at least one of the following cases: when the in-vehicle device detects the target object based on radio waves emitted from the target object; when the in-vehicle device detects the target object in a location where the target object is not actually installed; or when the in-vehicle device acquires vehicle status information. The first acquisition means may acquire the detection information stored in the storage medium.

[0055] In the first embodiment, information acquired from the storage medium is divided by user and stored in a second storage means, and when the first control means stores information in the storage medium, it identifies the user using the storage medium based on information for identifying users stored in the storage medium, reads the information corresponding to the identified user from the second storage means and stores it in the storage medium.

[0056] In the first embodiment, when the storage medium is used in the in-vehicle device, certification information proving that it was used in the in-vehicle device is stored in the storage medium, and the first control means may store the target information in the storage medium only when the certification information is stored in the storage medium.

[0057] In a first embodiment, the certification information may include information indicating that the vehicle has traveled, and may include at least one of the travel location and travel time.

[0058] In the first embodiment, the vehicle-mounted device may be provided with a second control means for storing setting information indicating various settings during operation in the storage medium, and the vehicle-mounted device may perform various settings during operation based on the setting information stored in the storage medium.

[0059] In the first embodiment, the second control means may identify a user using the storage medium using user identification information stored in the storage medium, and based on a third storage means in which the setting information is stored for each user, select the setting information corresponding to the identified user and store it in the storage medium.

[0060] In the first embodiment, a third control means may be provided that reads the setting information corresponding to a user different from the user stored in the storage medium from the third storage means and stores it in the storage medium.

[0061] In the first embodiment, the system includes a fourth control means that stores the setting information stored in the third storage means on a server connected via a network, and the third control means may, if it is unable to retrieve the setting information stored in the third storage means, retrieve the setting information from the server and store it on the storage medium.

[0062] In the first embodiment, when the setting information is organized hierarchically, the third control means may include a identifying means that identifies the setting information necessary to operate the in-vehicle device in the manner desired by the user, by guiding the user's operation of the control system in hierarchical order, and the third control means stores the setting information identified by the identifying means in the storage medium.

[0063] In the first embodiment, when an inquiry regarding various settings for the operation of the in-vehicle device is received, the system includes a second display control means that displays a screen on the display means for directly changing the setting information of the in-vehicle device corresponding to the inquiry, and the third control means stores the setting information entered by the user in the storage medium while the screen is displayed by the second display control means.

[0064] In the first embodiment, the information stored in the storage medium is classified into information that the control system can acquire and information that it cannot acquire, and the first acquisition means may acquire only the information that can be acquired and not the information that cannot be acquired.

[0065] In a first embodiment, the first control means may store in the storage medium information of the target objects that are within the main range of movement of the vehicle, from among the acquired information of the target objects.

[0066] In the first embodiment, the storage medium stores images taken in predetermined cases by a camera installed in the vehicle, and the first acquisition means acquires the images stored in the storage medium.

[0067] In the first embodiment, the in-vehicle device includes a fourth control means that acquires advertising information and location information in association and stores them in the storage medium, and the in-vehicle device displays the advertising information stored in the storage medium when the vehicle approaches a location indicated by the location information stored in the storage medium.

[0068] In the first embodiment, a third display control means may be provided to display an image on a display means that introduces another in-vehicle device different from the in-vehicle device that uses the storage medium detected by the detection means, when the usage period of the in-vehicle device has elapsed for a predetermined period.

[0069] In the first embodiment, when the first control means receives an operation from a user instructing the registration of the target information, it may store the received target information in the storage medium. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0070] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing System 1, including Control System 2. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing the electrical configuration of the in-vehicle device 4. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing the information stored on SD card 5. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing the history information 53. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of control system 2. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing the objective-related table 251. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing user ID correspondence table 252. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram showing Table 253. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart showing the first main control process. [Figure 10] This flowchart shows the first main control process and is a continuation of Figure 9. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart showing the history retrieval process. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart of the first memory processing step. [Figure 13] This is a flowchart showing the read process. [Figure 14] This is a flowchart of the second memory processing step. [Figure 15]This is a flowchart of the third memory processing step. [Figure 16] This is a schematic diagram showing selection screen 271. [Figure 17] This is a flowchart showing the second main control process. [Figure 18] This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the configuration information 61. [Figure 19] This is a schematic diagram illustrating screen transition 65. [Figure 20] This is a schematic diagram showing input screen 66. [Figure 21] This is a schematic diagram showing notification screen 67. [Figure 22] This is a schematic diagram showing simulation image 300. [Figure 23] This is a flowchart showing the main processing steps for in-vehicle systems. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0071] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. These drawings are used to illustrate the technical features that the present invention may adopt. The configuration of the apparatus, flowcharts of various processes, etc., described are not intended to limit the invention to these, but are merely illustrative examples.

[0072] Referring to Figure 1, an overview of System 1, including the control system 2, will be described. System 1 comprises the control system 2, a server 3, and an in-vehicle device 4. The control system 2 and the server 3 are connected via a network 6. The control system 2 can acquire information from the server 3 via the network 6 and store the acquired information on an SD card 5 used in the in-vehicle device 4. The in-vehicle device 4 is mounted on an automobile or motorcycle. Based on the information stored on the SD card 5, the in-vehicle device 4 can notify the driver of information. For example, a well-known PC can be used as the control system 2. For example, a well-known radar detector can be used as the in-vehicle device 4. The network 6 is, for example, the well-known internet.

[0073] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration. For example, the control system 2 and the in-vehicle device 4 may be integrated. That is, the in-vehicle device may obtain information from the server by directly connecting to the network 6. Also, for example, the in-vehicle device 4 does not have to be mounted on an automobile or motorcycle, and may be directly possessed by the user.

[0074] Referring to Figure 2, the electrical configuration of the in-vehicle device 4 will be described. The in-vehicle device 4 is equipped with a control unit 41 that performs main control, and the control unit 41 is composed of a microcontroller equipped with a CPU 42, EEPROM 43, RAM 44, etc. The control unit 41 is also connected to a GPS receiver (GPS module) 45 that receives radio waves from GPS satellites, a microwave receiver (microwave receiving module) 46 that receives microwaves from radar for speed measurement, a wireless receiver (wireless receiving module) 47 that receives UHF band wireless radio waves for traffic enforcement communication, a display unit 48 composed of a color liquid crystal that displays various information and warning screens, a touch panel 49 provided on the surface of the display unit 48, a lamp 50 that flashes or lights up to provide notification, a speaker 51 that emits warning sounds, a card reader 52 into which an SD card 5 is inserted, and an OBD connector 53 for collecting OBD information of the vehicle.

[0075] The control unit 41 performs predetermined processing based on information input from the various input devices (GPS receiver 45, microwave receiver 46, wireless receiver 47, touch panel 49, card reader 52) and outputs predetermined alarm messages using output devices (display unit 48, lamp 50, speaker 51). These basic configurations can essentially be the same as those used in conventional systems.

[0076] The functions of the in-vehicle device 4 in this embodiment are realized by the CPU 42, which is located in the control unit 41, executing firmware stored in the EEPROM 43 of the control unit 41. The firmware stored in the EEPROM 43 can be updated with new firmware stored on the SD card 5. Functions realized by the computer through the firmware of the control unit 41 include a standby screen display function, a radar scope display function, a GPS warning function, a radar wave warning function, and a wireless warning function.

[0077] The standby screen display function displays the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the vehicle detected by the GPS receiver 45. The radar scope display function searches for target objects within a predetermined range (for example, within a range of approximately 1 km) from the current position detected by the GPS receiver 45, based on the location information stored in the SD card 5, and displays the relative positional relationship between the vehicle's position and the target object's position on the display unit 48.

[0078] The control unit 41 executes processing to implement various functions such as GPS warning function, radar wave warning function, and wireless warning function in response to events that occur while the standby screen display function or radar scope display function is being executed.

[0079] The GPS warning function, while the standby screen display function or radar scope display function is running, calculates the distance between the target's position (latitude and longitude) stored on the SD card 5 and the current position (latitude and longitude) detected by the GPS receiver 45. When the calculated distance reaches a predetermined proximity warning distance, it reads the photograph or schematic diagram data stored on the SD card 5 and displays it on the display unit 48, and also reads the audio data stored on the SD card 5 and outputs a proximity warning sound from the speaker 51 to provide proximity notification.

[0080] These targets include fixed speed measuring devices (including speed measuring devices that emit radar waves (microwaves) like radar and speed measuring devices that do not emit radar waves, such as loop coils), speed limit change points, enforcement areas, checkpoint areas, parking violation monitoring areas, N-systems, traffic monitoring systems, intersection monitoring points, red light violation prevention systems, police stations, accident-prone areas, car break-in-prone areas, sharp / continuous curves (expressways), branching / merging points (expressways), ETC lane advance guidance (expressways), service areas (expressways), parking areas (expressways), parking areas (expressways), highway oases (expressways), smart interchanges (expressways), and within PA / SA areas. These include gas stations (on expressways), tunnels (on expressways), highway radio reception areas (on expressways), prefectural border announcements, roadside rest areas, and viewpoint parking areas. The latitude and longitude information indicating the location of these targets, information indicating the type of target, schematic diagrams or photographs displayed on the display unit 48, and audio data of voice output from the speaker 51 are associated and managed by a target-related table 251 (see Figure 6) stored on the SD card 5.

[0081] For example, while the standby screen display function or radar scope function is running, if the distance between the target loop coil and the vehicle becomes one of the proximity warning distances stored in the SD card 5 (2km, 1km, or 500m), the system reads a schematic diagram or photograph of the target loop coil from the SD card 5 and displays it on the display unit 48. At the same time, it reads audio data stored in the SD card 5 and outputs an alarm sound from the speaker 51 to provide proximity notification.

[0082] The radar wave warning function is a warning function that, when the microwave receiver 46 detects a signal corresponding to microwaves in a frequency band emitted from a speed measuring device (a speed measuring device that emits radar waves such as a mobile radar), displays a warning screen on the display unit 48 and outputs a warning sound from the speaker 51.

[0083] The wireless alarm function is a function that, when the wireless receiver 47 receives a radio signal from an emergency vehicle or the like, issues an alarm to prevent it from interfering with their driving or other activities. The wireless alarm function scans frequencies such as enforcement radio, car location radio, digital radio, low-power radio, police station activity radio, police telephone, police activity radio, tow truck radio, helicopter telemetry radio, fire helicopter telemetry radio, fire radio, ambulance radio, highway radio, and security radio. When a radio signal is received on a scanned frequency, a schematic diagram indicating that a radio signal corresponding to that frequency has been received, stored in the SD card 5 for each radio type, is displayed on the display unit 48 as an alarm screen. At the same time, audio data stored in the SD card 5 for each radio type is read out, and an alarm sound indicating the type of radio signal is output from the speaker 51.

[0084] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the details of the information stored on the SD card 5 will be explained. As shown in Figure 3, the SD card 5 stores (1) user ID, (2) type information, (3) target-related information, (4) registration-related information, (5) OBD information, (6) other information, (7) history information, (8) setting information, and (9) start date information. The in-vehicle device 4 performs GPS warning function, radar wave warning function, and wireless warning function based on the information stored on the SD card 5. The following describes each of these pieces of information in detail.

[0085] (1) The user ID is identification information used to identify the user who will be using the SD card 5. When a user inserts the SD card 5 into the in-vehicle device 4 for the first time and uses the in-vehicle device 4, they enter their user ID (for example, "ichiro" or "hanako") into the in-vehicle device 4. The in-vehicle device 4 stores the entered user ID in the SD card 5. This allows the user to use the SD card 5 as their own personal card. The user ID may also be stored in the SD card 5 by the control system 2 when the SD card 5 is inserted into the card reader 29 of the control system 2 (see Figure 5).

[0086] (2) The type information is identification information for identifying the type of in-vehicle device 4 in which the SD card 5 is used. The type information includes the model number of the in-vehicle device 4 (e.g., "XXX-1") and the version of the firmware that drives the in-vehicle device 4 (e.g., "Ver.1"). Therefore, even if the model number of the in-vehicle device 4 is the same, different type information will be assigned if the firmware that drives the in-vehicle device 4 is different. For example, "XXX-1 (Ver.1)" will be stored on the SD card 5 as type information. This type information indicates the type of information, such as target-related information, that can be used in the in-vehicle device 4.

[0087] There are two methods for storing type information on the SD card 5. The first method is for the manufacturer to store the type information on the SD card 5 when it is shipped. If the SD card 5 is pre-packaged with the in-vehicle device 4, the manufacturer will pre-store the type information corresponding to the in-vehicle device 4 on the SD card 5. The second method is for the in-vehicle device 4 to store the type information on the SD card 5. When a general-purpose SD card is purchased and used, the in-vehicle device 4 stores the type information on the SD card 5 when it is first inserted into the in-vehicle device 4. Also, if the firmware that drives the in-vehicle device 4 is updated, the type information will also be updated. In this case, the in-vehicle device 4 overwrites the type information stored on the inserted SD card 5 with the new type information. The type information is defined within the firmware that drives the in-vehicle device 4. Therefore, if the model number of the in-vehicle device 4 and the version of the firmware that drives the in-vehicle device 4 are different, the type information stored on the SD card 5 will also be different.

[0088] The firmware for the in-vehicle device 4 is stored in the server 3 and updated as needed. The control system 2 downloads the firmware from the server 3 and stores it on the SD card 5. The in-vehicle device 4 reads the firmware stored on the SD card 5 and stores it in the EEPROM 43. The control unit 41 of the in-vehicle device 4 (see Figure 3) operates based on the firmware stored in the EEPROM 43. If the type information stored on the SD card 5 differs from the type information defined in the firmware, the in-vehicle device 4 overwrites and updates the type information stored on the SD card 5 with the type information defined in the firmware.

[0089] As will be explained in more detail later, the various types of information that the in-vehicle device 4 obtains from the server 3 via the SD card 5 differ depending on the type of information of the in-vehicle device 4. This is because different firmware versions have different types of information that can be processed. The server 3 provides firmware to the in-vehicle device 4 as needed, manages the types of information that each firmware can process for each type of information, and provides it to the in-vehicle device 4 via the control system 2. The control system 2 determines, based on the type of information stored in the SD card 5, what types of information the in-vehicle device 4 using the SD card 5 can process when it is driven based on the firmware, and stores the appropriate information in the SD card 5. For this reason, the in-vehicle device 4 stores its own model number and type of information corresponding to its firmware in the SD card 5, so that the types of information that can be processed are reliably stored in the SD card 5.

[0090] As described above, the type information is either pre-stored on the SD card 5 or automatically stored on the SD card 5 by the in-vehicle device 4. Therefore, the user does not need to check the type information corresponding to the in-vehicle device 4 or manually store the type information on the SD card 5.

[0091] (3) Target-related information is information related to target objects that is notified to the driver. Target-related information includes GPS information, image information, and enforcement information. GPS information is information that associates information indicating the type of target object with the latitude and longitude indicating the location of the target object. Image information is information that associates information indicating the type of target object with schematic diagrams or photographs showing the target object. Enforcement information is information that associates the content of public enforcement announced by each prefectural police station with the location and date and time when the public enforcement will be conducted.

[0092] The on-board device 4 determines the distance between the vehicle's current position and the target object by referring to the vehicle's position information detected by the GPS receiver 45 and the GPS information stored on the SD card 5. When the determined distance reaches a predetermined proximity warning distance, the on-board device 4 refers to the image information corresponding to the target object's type information associated with the target object's position and identifies a schematic diagram or photograph corresponding to the approaching target object. The on-board device 4 notifies the driver that the vehicle is approaching the target object by displaying the identified schematic diagram or photograph on the display unit 48 (see Figure 2). The on-board device 4 also determines whether the vehicle has entered a location where a public enforcement operation is being conducted by referring to the enforcement information stored on the SD card 5. If the vehicle has entered a location where a public enforcement operation is being conducted, the on-board device 4 displays the details of the public enforcement operation on the display unit 48. In this way, the on-board device 4 notifies the driver that a public enforcement operation is being conducted near the vehicle.

[0093] (4) Registration-related information includes registration information, invalid information, detection information, and false detection information. Registration information is information that associates information indicating the type of target object registered by the user with the latitude and longitude indicating the location of the target object. For example, the user inputs locations where mobile speed cameras frequently appear or locations where speed cameras have been newly installed into the in-vehicle device 4 via the touch panel 49. The in-vehicle device 4 stores the input information as registration information in the SD card 5. When a vehicle approaches a location indicated by the registration information, the in-vehicle device 4 displays a screen on the display unit 48 notifying the vehicle that it has approached the registered location and outputs an alarm sound from the speaker 51, thereby realizing the GPS warning function.

[0094] The invalid information is latitude and longitude information indicating a location where the notification by the in-vehicle device 4 is invalid. For example, the user inputs a location into the in-vehicle device 4 via the touch panel 49 where the in-vehicle device 4 would issue a warning notification using the radar wave warning function even though there is no target object installed, such as an automatic door. The in-vehicle device 4 stores the input information as invalid information on the SD card 5. When the vehicle approaches a location indicated by the invalid information, the in-vehicle device 4 will not issue a notification to the driver using the GPS warning function or the radar wave warning function, even if there is another target object installed nearby or if the microwave receiver 46 detects microwaves.

[0095] The detection information consists of information indicating the type of speed measuring device detected by the in-vehicle device 4 upon receiving microwaves, the latitude and longitude indicating the detection location, and the time of detection, all associated with each other. For example, when the in-vehicle device 4 detects microwaves of a frequency emitted from a mobile speed camera, it associates information indicating the type of mobile speed camera, the latitude and longitude indicating the detection location, and the time of detection with each other and stores this as detection information on the SD card 5. When a vehicle approaches a location indicated by the detection information, the in-vehicle device 4 displays a screen on the display unit 48 notifying the vehicle that it is approaching a location where a target object has been detected in the past, and outputs a warning sound from the speaker 51, thereby realizing the GPS warning function.

[0096] False detection information is information indicating the latitude and longitude of the location in question, which is stored when the in-vehicle device 4 detects microwaves but no target object is actually set. The false detection information associates the latitude and longitude of the location where the in-vehicle device 4 issued a false alarm with the time the false alarm occurred. For example, if the user determines that there is no target object installed even though the in-vehicle device 4 has detected microwaves and issued an alarm, they input that it is a false detection to the in-vehicle device 4 via the touch panel 49. The in-vehicle device 4 stores the input information as false detection information on the SD card 5. When the vehicle approaches the location indicated by the false detection information, the in-vehicle device 4 will not issue a notification to the driver via the GPS warning function or the radar wave warning function, even if a target object is installed nearby.

[0097] Furthermore, registration information, invalid information, detection information, and false detection information may be made available for user input via the control system 2. The control system 2 may store the input registration information, invalid information, detection information, and false detection information on the SD card 5 inserted into the card reader 29 (see Figure 5).

[0098] (5) OBD (On-board diagnostics) information includes vehicle status information, and more specifically, engine control information. OBD information is acquired by the on-board device 4 at predetermined intervals when a dedicated connector provided in the vehicle is connected to the OBD connector 53 (see Figure 2). The on-board device 4 associates the acquisition time with the acquired OBD information and stores it on the SD card 5. Based on the acquired OBD information, the on-board device 4 can identify engine speed, engine load rate, throttle opening, fuel flow rate, cumulative fuel consumption, instantaneous fuel consumption, average fuel consumption, average fuel consumption on general roads, average fuel consumption on highways, lifetime fuel consumption, lifetime fuel consumption, water temperature, speed, engine speed, etc. The on-board device 4 can also display various information identified based on the OBD information on the display unit 48 while the standby screen is being displayed on the display unit 48.

[0099] (6) Other information includes standby image and audio information, store advertising image information, and sales advertising image information. Other information is stored on the SD card 5 by the control system 2.

[0100] The standby image and audio information consists of the image displayed on the display unit 48 by the standby screen display function, and the audio information output from the speaker 51. Multiple sets of standby image and audio information may be stored on the SD card 5. The user may be able to select the image and audio to be used from among the multiple sets of standby image and audio information via the touch panel 49.

[0101] The store advertising image information is information that associates the latitude and longitude indicating the location of a designated store with an image used to advertise that store. When a vehicle approaches the designated store, the in-vehicle device 4 displays the image used to advertise the designated store on the display unit 48. This allows the store to be advertised to drivers of vehicles passing near the store. Note that the store advertising image information is not limited to images used to advertise a store. For example, it may also include images used to advertise tourist attractions or events taking place at event venues.

[0102] The sales advertisement image information is image information for introducing the new in-vehicle device 4 to the driver. When the in-vehicle device 4 has been in use for a predetermined period, it displays the sales advertisement image on the display unit 48. The usage period is calculated as described in (9) below. This allows the in-vehicle device 4 to encourage the driver to purchase a new in-vehicle device 4. Note that the sales advertisement image is not limited to an image introducing the new in-vehicle device 4 to the driver. For example, it may be an image introducing accessories for the in-vehicle device 4 to the driver. It may also be an image explaining the convenient way to use the in-vehicle device 4.

[0103] (7) The history information is information that associates the latitude and longitude indicating the vehicle's position with the time of travel. The on-board device 4 associates the time of travel with the latitude and longitude indicating the vehicle's position detected by the GPS receiver 45 and stores it on the SD card 5 at predetermined intervals. Figure 4 shows the history information 53 stored on the SD card 5. As shown in Figure 4, the latitude and longitude indicating the vehicle's position are stored in chronological order in association with the time of travel. The on-board device 4 acquires the time of travel, latitude, and longitude at 1-second intervals and stores them on the SD card 5 as history information 53. The history information 53 stored on the SD card 5 is read by the control system 2 through a process described later. Based on the read history information 53, the control system 2 can perform a so-called driving simulation, which displays the vehicle's movement on a map in chronological order (see Figure 22). Details will be described later.

[0104] (8) The setting information is information for identifying the driving conditions of the in-vehicle device 4. The setting information includes multiple setting items. For example, setting items related to alarm settings include display switching distance (standby screen fixed, 500m, 1000m, radar screen fixed), radar alarm sound (electronic sound, voice, quiet voice, melody 1-3, melody rotation), reception sensitivity mode (city, extra, super extra, AAC / ASS, AAC / SE), wireless alarm (voice alarm, demodulation, OFF), road selection (general road, high speed, all, auto), positioning announcement (ON / OFF), speed camera location guide (ON / OFF), and display format (nose up, heading up). Changes to the setting items included in the setting information are made to the in-vehicle device 4 via the touch panel 49. The in-vehicle device 4 stores the contents of the changed setting items as setting information on the SD card 5.

[0105] As mentioned above, the setting information can also be entered by the user via the control system 2. The control system 2 stores the entered setting information on the SD card 5 inserted into the card reader 29 (see Figure 5) (see Figure 17, described later).

[0106] (9) The start date information is information indicating when the in-vehicle device 4 was first used. The start date information is stored by the in-vehicle device 4 when the SD card 5 is used by the in-vehicle device 4 for the first time. When the SD card 5 is used for the first time, the in-vehicle device 4 stores the date and time of use as the start date information on the SD card 5. The in-vehicle device 4 can determine whether the SD card 5 has been used by the in-vehicle device 4 for the first time by determining whether the start date information is stored on the inserted SD card 5. The start date information is used when the control system 2 and the in-vehicle device 4 determine whether or not to display a sales advertisement image, and when calculating the usage period of the in-vehicle device 4.

[0107] Referring to Figure 5, the electrical configuration of the control system 2 will be described. The control system 2 is equipped with a control unit 21 that performs main control. The control unit 21 consists of a CPU 22, an EEPROM 23, RAM 24, etc. The control unit 21 is connected to a hard disk drive (HDD) 25 that stores information to be stored on the SD card 5 and programs executed by the CPU 22, a communication device 26 for communicating with the server 3 via the network 6, a display unit 27 made of a color liquid crystal, an input unit 28 made of a keyboard and mouse, and a card reader 29 into which the SD card 5 is inserted.

[0108] This section describes the information stored on HDD25. HDD25 stores the target-related table 251 (see Figure 6), the user ID correspondence table 252 (see Figure 7), and other tables 253 (see Figure 8). The following provides a detailed explanation of each of these tables.

[0109] Referring to Figure 6, the target-related table 251 will be explained. The target-related table 251 stores target-related information acquired by the control system 2 from the server 3 via the network 6, categorized by type. Each piece of target-related information is associated with an update date and time, which indicates the date and time the target-related information was updated on the server 3.

[0110] For example, in Figure 6, the GPS information corresponding to category information "XXX-1 (Ver.1)" is stored as "Ver.1-1" (updated: 2011 / 01 / 05), "Ver.1-2" (updated: 2011 / 03 / 15), and "Ver.1-3" (updated: 2011 / 05 / 15). Therefore, three pieces of GPS information corresponding to category information "XXX-1 (Ver.1)" have been created and made public on server 3 in the past. On the other hand, the enforcement information corresponding to category information "XXX-1 (Ver.1)" is stored as "Ver.1-1" (updated: 2011 / 01 / 01), "Ver.1-2" (updated: 2011 / 03 / 01), "Ver.1-3" (updated: 2011 / 05 / 01), and "Ver.1-4" (updated: 2011 / 07 / 01). This means that four pieces of enforcement information corresponding to the type information "XXX-1 (Ver.1)" have been created and made public on server 3 in the past. Public enforcement information tends to be frequently announced by each prefectural police station, so it is updated more frequently than other information. Also, in Figure 6, target-related information corresponding to two types of information ("XXX-1 (Ver.1)" and "XXX-1 (Ver.2)") is stored.

[0111] Referring to Figure 7, the user ID correspondence table 252 will be explained. The user ID correspondence table 252 stores information read by the control system 2 from the SD card 5 (type information, registration-related information (registration information, invalid information, detection information, false detection information), OBD information, history information, and setting information) for each user ID. For example, in Figure 7, the information read from the SD card 5 with user ID "ichiro" and the information read from the SD card 5 with user ID "hanako" are stored in association with their respective user IDs.

[0112] Referring to Figure 8, the other information table 253 will be explained. The other information table 253 stores other information (standby image / audio information, store advertisement image information, and sales advertisement image information) acquired by the control system 2 from the server 3 via the network 6, categorized by type of information. Each piece of other information is associated with an update date and time indicating the date and time when the other information was updated on the server 3.

[0113] Referring to Figures 9 to 16, the first main control process executed in the control unit 21 of the control system 2 will be described. In the first main control process, the process of storing target-related information, registration-related information, other information, and setting information as needed is executed on the SD card 5 inserted into the card reader 29 (see Figure 5). The first main control process starts when the control unit 21 executes the program stored in the HDD 25.

[0114] When the first main control process begins, the control unit 21 first determines whether the SD card 5 is inserted into the card reader 29 (see Figure 5) (S11). If the SD card 5 is not inserted into the card reader 29 (S11: NO), the process returns to S11. If the SD card 5 is inserted into the card reader 29 (S11: YES), the control unit 21 determines whether type information is stored in the SD card 5 (S13). If the type information is not stored in the SD card 5 (S13: NO), the target-related information corresponding to the type information cannot be identified, so the process returns to S11.

[0115] If type information is stored on SD card 5 (S13: YES), the control unit 21 determines whether history information is stored on SD card 5 (S15). If history information is not stored on SD card 5 (S15: NO), the inserted SD card 5 may not have been used in the in-vehicle device 4. This is because history information is stored on SD card 5 if it has been used in the in-vehicle device 4 even once. Therefore, if history information is not stored on SD card 5, in order to prevent storing target-related information etc. on an SD card 5 that has not been used, no further processing is performed and the process returns to S11.

[0116] As described above, the control system 2 prevents target-related information from being stored on the SD card 5, which is not actually used by the in-vehicle device 4. This allows the control system 2 to enhance the security of target-related information. For example, the control system 2 can provide high-value target-related information, such as paid information, only to the SD card 5 that is actually used by the in-vehicle device 4. This prevents target-related information from being leaked and misused.

[0117] Furthermore, the control system 2 determines whether the SD card 5 is actually being used by the in-vehicle device 4 by checking whether history information is stored on the SD card 5. This makes it easy to confirm that the SD card 5 is being used by the in-vehicle device 4. In addition, since the history information can be used not only as the vehicle's driving history but also to determine whether the SD card 5 is actually being used by the in-vehicle device 4, it is efficient because it does not require the addition of other information to prove that the SD card 5 is being used by the in-vehicle device 4.

[0118] Furthermore, in the present invention, if, for example, paid target-related information is to be stored only on a specific SD card 5, the decision of whether or not to store the target-related information on the SD card 5 may be made based on other proof information. For example, if a well-known encryption key is stored on the SD card 5 as proof information, the decision may be made to permit the storage of target-related information on the SD card 5.

[0119] In S15, if it is determined that history information is stored in the SD card 5 (S15: YES), the control unit 21 executes a process to read the history information stored in the SD card 5 (history reading process (see Figure 11)) (S17). The history reading process will be explained with reference to Figure 11. The control unit 21 reads the user ID from the SD card 5 (S61). Next, the control unit 21 reads the history information from the SD card 5 (S63). The control unit 21 associates the history information with the user ID and stores it in the user ID correspondence table 252 of the HDD 25 (see Figure 7) (S65). After storing the history information in the user ID correspondence table 252, the control unit 21 deletes the history information from the SD card 5 (S67). The history reading process is completed, and the process returns to the first main control process (Figure 9).

[0120] The control system 2 reads history information from the SD card 5 and stores it in the HDD 25, enabling it to display the history information on the display unit 27 (see Figure 5) and edit the history information via the input unit 28 (see Figure 5). The display unit 48 and touch panel 49 (see Figure 2) provided on the in-vehicle device 4 are smaller than the display unit 27 and input unit 28 of the control system 2, so the user cannot comfortably view or edit history information using the in-vehicle device 4. In contrast, by having the control system 2 store history information in the HDD 25, the user can view the history information via the display unit 27, which has better visibility than the in-vehicle device 4, and edit the history information via the input unit 28, which has better operability, thus enabling the user to comfortably view and edit history information.

[0121] Furthermore, the history information stored on the SD card 5 is deleted after being read by the control system 2. This prevents the storage capacity of the SD card 5 from becoming insufficient due to the accumulation of history information when the SD card 5 is repeatedly used in the in-vehicle device 4.

[0122] After the history read process (S17, see Figure 11) is completed, the control unit 21 reads the type information stored on the SD card 5 (S19), as shown in Figure 9. The control unit 21 starts an application for storing information on the SD card 5 (S21). Subsequently, the control unit 21 displays a screen for selecting the information to be stored on the SD card 5 on the display unit 27.

[0123] Referring to Figure 16, the selection screen 271 displayed on the display unit 27 will be described. The selection screen 271 includes an area 272 for displaying type information and user ID stored on the SD card 5, an area 273 for displaying sales advertisement images, and a checkbox area 274 for selecting information to be stored on the SD card 5. The checkbox area 274 has checkboxes that allow the user to select target-related information (GPS information, image information, enforcement information), registration-related information (registration / invalidation information, detection / false detection information), setting information, other information (standby screen / voice information, store advertisement information, sales advertisement information), and whether or not to share. The user specifies the information they wish to store on the SD card 5 by checking the checkboxes and then selects the OK button. As a result, the specified information is stored on the SD card 5 through a process described later. When the user specifies enforcement information among the target-related information, they also select one or more specific regions from the list box for specifying regions. This specifies the area where the public enforcement information is implemented. When the user specifies sharing, they also select one or more specific users from the list box for specifying users. This allows the user to store information corresponding to other users on their own SD card 5.

[0124] As shown in Figure 9, the control unit 21 acquires the start date information stored in the SD card 5 (S23). Based on the acquired start date information, the control unit 21 calculates the usage period of the in-vehicle device 4 in which the SD card 5 is used. The control unit 21 determines whether the calculated usage period has exceeded a predetermined period (e.g., 3 months) (S25). If the calculated usage period is less than the predetermined period (S25: NO), the usage period of the in-vehicle device 4 is still short, so the process proceeds to S29.

[0125] On the other hand, if the calculated usage period has exceeded a predetermined period (S25: YES), it means that the in-vehicle device 4 has been in use for a long time. The control unit 21 obtains sales advertisement image information from the server 3 via the network 6 that corresponds to the type information read in S19 and has the most recent update date and time. The server 3 updates the sales advertisement information by creating sales advertisement information advertising new models of in-vehicle devices 4 at intervals shorter than the predetermined period. The control unit 21 stores the acquired sales advertisement image information in the other table 253 (see Figure 8) of the HDD 25. The control unit 21 selects the image data of the sales advertisement from the sales advertisement image information acquired from the server 3. The control unit 21 displays the image data of the selected sales advertisement in area 273 of the selection screen 271 (see Figure 16) displayed on the display unit 27 (S27). The sales advertisement images include information on new products such as a new in-vehicle device 4 that is different from the in-vehicle device 4 identified by the type information, as well as images promoting products and services related to the in-vehicle device 4, such as optional products for the in-vehicle device 4 identified by the type information. The sales advertisement images also include a list of functions of the in-vehicle device 4 being advertised. This allows the control system 2 to notify the user when it is time to replace the in-vehicle device 4 and encourage the user to purchase a new in-vehicle device 4. The process proceeds to S29.

[0126] Suppose the user checks a checkbox and selects the OK button via the selection screen 271 (see Figure 16) displayed on the display unit 27. The control unit 21 identifies the information item specified by the user (S29). The control unit 21 then executes the process of storing the information of the identified item on the SD card 5 as follows.

[0127] As shown in Figure 10, if the user has checked either the target-related information or other information item and selected the OK button (S31:YES), the process of storing the information of the specified item from the target-related information and other information onto the SD card 5 is executed (first storage process, see Figure 12) (S33). After the first storage process is completed, the process proceeds to S35. On the other hand, if the user has not specified any item from the target-related information or other information (S31:NO), the process proceeds to S35.

[0128] Referring to Figure 12, the first storage process will be explained. In the following explanation, it is assumed that the user has specified image information among the target-related information to be stored on the SD card 5. However, the same process is performed even if information other than image information among the target-related information and other information is specified. The control unit 21 queries the server 3 to obtain image information corresponding to the type information read in S19 (see Figure 9) and the image information with the most recent update date and time via the network 6 (S71). The control unit 21 compares the update date and time of the image information stored on the SD card 5 with the update date and time of the image information obtained in S71. If the update date and time of the image information obtained in S71 is newer than the update date and time of the image information stored on the SD card 5, it means that the image information has been newly updated on the server 3 (S73: YES). In this case, the control unit 21 associates the type information and update date and time with the image information obtained in S71 and stores it in the target-related table 251 (see Figure 6) on the HDD 25 (S75). The control unit 21 calculates difference information, which is information about the differences between the latest image information stored in the HDD 25 and the image information stored in the SD card 5 (S77). The control unit 21 stores the calculated difference information in the temporary area of ​​the SD card 5 (S79). The process proceeds to S81.

[0129] The in-vehicle device 4 reconstructs the image information with the most recent update date and time from the image information already stored on the SD card 5 and the differential information stored in the temporary area by the control system 2. The control unit 21 stores the reconstructed image information on the SD card 5 as the regular image information. The in-vehicle device 4 becomes ready to read and use the image information stored on the SD card 5.

[0130] As described above, the control system 2 updates the information stored on the SD card 5 by calculating differential information and storing it on the SD card 5. For example, as mentioned above, if image information is specified as target-related information, the amount of data for image information is generally large, so the amount of image information data to be stored on the SD card 5 will be large. For this reason, if the image information is stored on the SD card 5 as is, it may take a long time to store. If multiple pieces of information are specified by the user, the amount of data for the information will be even larger, and the time required for storage will be even longer. In contrast, the control system 2 stores differential information on the SD card 5, so the amount of information stored on the SD card 5 can be reduced. Therefore, the control system 2 can shorten the time required to store information on the SD card 5.

[0131] Furthermore, the control system 2 obtains information corresponding to the same type of information from the server 3 and stores it on the SD card 5, thereby ensuring that the in-vehicle device 4 can reliably access the information stored on the SD card 5. Here, the type of information includes information indicating the model of the in-vehicle device 4 (e.g., "XXX-1") and information indicating the firmware version (e.g., "Ver.1"). Therefore, even if in-vehicle devices 4 of the same model are driven by different firmware, the system can reliably obtain the information usable by each in-vehicle device 4 from the server 3 and store it on the SD card 5. As a result, the in-vehicle device 4 can reliably deliver notifications to the driver by referring to the SD card 5.

[0132] Furthermore, if enforcement information is specified by the user among the target-related information, the region is also selected on the selection screen 271 (see Figure 16). When the control unit 21 acquires enforcement information from the server 3 in S71, it identifies and acquires enforcement information for the region specified by the user. The control unit 21 calculates the difference between the enforcement information for the specified region and the enforcement information for the specified region stored on the SD card 5, and stores it in the temporary area of ​​the SD card 5. In this way, the control system 2 can narrow down the enforcement information by the specified region and store it on the SD card 5. This allows the control system 2 to further reduce the amount of information stored on the SD card 5. The driver only needs to be notified of information regarding public enforcement conducted in the region including the vehicle's current location and in the regions it will pass through on its way to its destination. Therefore, if enforcement information for these regions is stored on the SD card 5, the in-vehicle device 4 can reliably notify the driver of the enforcement information they need.

[0133] On the other hand, if the update date and time of the image information stored on SD card 5 is the same as the update date and time of the image information acquired in S71, then the image information stored on SD card 5 is the latest and has not been updated on server 3 (S73: NO). In this case, there is no need to store image information on SD card 5, so the process proceeds to S81.

[0134] In S81, it is determined whether processing has been performed for all items specified by the user via the selection screen 271 (see Figure 16). If there are any items that have not been processed (S81: NO), the process returns to S71. On the other hand, if processing has been performed for all items of target-related information and other information specified by the user (S81: YES), the first storage process ends, and the process returns to the first main control process (see Figure 10).

[0135] In S35 of Figure 10, the control unit 27 determines whether the user has checked the registration-related information items and selected the OK button via the selection screen 271 (see Figure 16) displayed on the display unit 27 (S35). If the user has not checked any of the registration-related information items (S35: NO), the control unit 21 determines whether registration-related information and OBD information are stored on the SD card 5 (S39). If registration-related information and OBD information are stored on the SD card 5 (S39: YES), the control unit 21 executes a process to read the registration-related information and OBD information from the SD card 5 (reading process, see Figure 13) (S41). After the processing is completed, the process proceeds to S43. Details of the reading process will be described later. On the other hand, if registration-related information and OBD information are not stored on the SD card 5 (S39: NO), the process proceeds to S43.

[0136] On the other hand, if it is determined in S35 that the user has specified any of the registration-related information items (S35:YES), the process of storing the information of the specified item on the SD card 5 is executed (second storage process, see Figure 14) (S37). After the completion of the process, the process proceeds to S43. Details of the second storage process will be described later.

[0137] Referring to Figure 13, the read operation will be explained. The control unit 21 reads the user ID stored on the SD card 5 (S91). The control unit 21 reads the registration-related information (registration information, invalid information, detection information, and false detection information) and OBD information stored on the SD card 5 (S93). Since the detection information, false detection information, and OBD information are associated with time, the associated time is also read. The control unit 21 associates the registration-related information and OBD information (including time) with the user ID and stores it in the user ID correspondence table 252 of the HDD 25 (see Figure 7) (S95). The read operation is completed, and the process returns to the first main control operation (see Figure 10).

[0138] By performing the above processes, the control system 2 can effectively utilize the acquired registration-related information (registration information, invalid information, detection information, and false detection information). For example, the control system 2 may place an image on the map to identify the type of registered target object based on the acquired registration-related information and display it on the display unit 27. Since the control system 2 is equipped with a display unit 27 that is larger than the in-vehicle device 4, the user can easily recognize the registration-related information displayed on the display unit 27.

[0139] Furthermore, the control system 2 can effectively utilize the OBD information. For example, the control system 2 may display the OBD information on the display unit 27 while sequentially changing it based on the time associated with the OBD information. As a result, the user can see and recognize the OBD information clearly because it is displayed on the display unit 27, which is larger than the display unit 48 provided on the in-vehicle device 4.

[0140] Referring to Figure 14, the second storage process will be explained. The control unit 21 reads the user ID stored in the SD card 5 (S101). The control unit 21 obtains registration-related information corresponding to the user ID read in S101 from the information stored in the user ID correspondence table 252 (see Figure 7) (S103). The control unit 21 stores the obtained registration-related information in the SD card 5 (S105). The second storage process is completed, and the process returns to the first control main process (see Figure 10).

[0141] By performing the above process, users can operate the in-vehicle device 4 using their own unique registration information. For example, if multiple people share a common in-vehicle device 4, each user may have an SD card 5 on which their user ID is stored to identify them. As a result, the SD card 5 will store registration information unique to each user, and the in-vehicle device 4 can be operated based on that unique registration information.

[0142] In S43 of Figure 10, the control unit 21 determines whether the user has checked the setting information and selected the OK button via the selection screen 271 (see Figure 16) displayed on the display unit 27 (S43). If the user has not specified any setting information (S43: NO), the control unit 21 determines whether the setting information is stored in the SD card 5 (S45). If the setting information is not stored in the SD card 5 (S45: NO), the process proceeds to S53. If the setting information is stored in the SD card 5 (S45: YES), the control unit 21 executes a process to read the setting information (reading process, see Figure 13) (S47). As shown in Figure 13, the control unit 21 reads the user ID stored in the SD card 5 (S91). The control unit 21 reads the setting information stored in the SD card 5 (S93). The control unit 21 associates the setting information with the user ID and stores it in the user ID correspondence table 252 (see Figure 7) of the HDD 25 (S95). The read operation is completed, and the process returns to the first main control process (see Figure 10). As shown in Figure 10, when the read operation is completed, the control unit 21 associates the user ID with the settings and sends it to the server 3 via the network 6 (S49). The server 3 associates the received user ID and settings information and stores it in the database.

[0143] On the other hand, if the user has specified configuration information (S43:YES), the process of storing the configuration information on the SD card 5 (third storage process, see Figure 15) is executed (S51).

[0144] Referring to Figure 15, the third memory processing will be explained. The control unit 21 reads the user ID stored in the SD card 5 (S111). Next, from the setting information stored in the user ID correspondence table 252 of the HDD 25 (see Figure 7), it selects the setting information corresponding to the user ID read in S111 (S113). The user ID correspondence table 252 stores either setting information previously read from the SD card 5 or setting information directly input by the user to the control system 2 via the input unit 28 (second main control processing (see Figure 17, described later)).

[0145] The control unit 21 determines whether it has successfully read the setting information stored in the user ID correspondence table 252 (S115). If the reading of the setting information is successful (S115: YES), the read setting information is stored in the SD card 5 (S119). The in-vehicle device 4 can be driven based on the setting information by reading and using the setting information stored in the SD card 5. The third storage process ends, and the process returns to the first main control process (see Figure 10).

[0146] As described above, in the control system 2, setting information is stored in the user ID correspondence table 252 in association with the user ID. Therefore, by storing setting information corresponding to the user ID stored on the SD card 5, the in-vehicle device 4 can be operated according to the settings conditions of each user. For example, when multiple people share a common in-vehicle device 4, each user should have an SD card 5 in which their user ID is stored to identify themselves. This allows users to operate the in-vehicle device 4 with their desired settings at all times without having to input the operating settings every time they use the in-vehicle device 4.

[0147] On the other hand, if reading the configuration information stored in the user ID correspondence table 252 fails (S115: NO), the control unit 21 notifies the server 3 of the user ID and obtains the configuration information corresponding to the user ID from the server 3 (S117). The control system 2 also has a function to transfer the input configuration information to the server 3 when it reads configuration information from the SD card 5 or when the user directly inputs configuration information to the control system 2 (see Figures 10 and 17, described later). For this reason, the server 3 stores the configuration information in association with the user ID. In response to an inquiry from the control system 2, the server 3 can send the configuration information corresponding to the notified user ID to the control system 2. The control system 2 obtains the configuration information from the server 3 and stores it in the SD card 5 (S119). The third storage process ends, and processing returns to the first main control process (see Figure 10).

[0148] As described above, even if the control system 2 is unable to obtain configuration information from the user ID correspondence table 252 due to a failure of the HDD 25 or the like, it can reliably store the configuration information on the SD card 5 by querying the server 3. This eliminates the need for the user to reconfigure the in-vehicle device 4 if the HDD 25 fails.

[0149] In S53 of Figure 10, the control unit 21 determines whether the user has specified sharing via the selection screen 271 (see Figure 16) displayed on the display unit 27 (S53). If it is determined that the user has not specified sharing (S53: NO), the process returns to S11 (see Figure 9). On the other hand, if it is determined that the user has specified sharing (S53: YES), the control unit 21 performs a third storage process (Figure 15) to store the setting information corresponding to the user selected on the selection screen 271 into the SD card 5 at the same time as the user specified sharing (S55).

[0150] As shown in Figure 15, in the third storage process, the control unit 21 obtains the user ID of the user selected by the user at the same time as the user specifies sharing (S111). The control unit 21 obtains the setting information corresponding to the obtained user ID from the user ID correspondence table 252 of the HDD 25 (S113). If the acquisition of the setting information is successful (S115: YES), the control unit 21 stores the acquired setting information in the SD card 5 (S119). The third storage process ends, and the process returns to the first main control process (see Figure 10). As shown in Figure 10, after the completion of the third storage process (S55), the process returns to S11 (see Figure 9).

[0151] As described above, the control system 2 can store setting information corresponding to a user ID different from the user ID stored on the SD card 5 on the SD card 5. This allows a user to drive the in-vehicle device 4 using the setting information already used by another user.

[0152] In the above example, setting information corresponding to a specified user ID is stored on the SD card 5, allowing the setting information used in a particular user's in-vehicle device 4 to be shared by other users. However, the information that can be shared is not limited to setting information. The control system 2 may also share other information stored in the user ID correspondence table 252, such as registration-related information, with other users.

[0153] As explained above, by having the control system 2 execute the first control process, the user can store target-related information usable in the in-vehicle device 4 on the SD card 5 without having to perform any specified operations on the control system 2. The in-vehicle device 4 can reliably provide notifications regarding the target by referring to the SD card 5 on which the target-related information is stored. Since the user does not need to know in advance information to identify the information usable in the in-vehicle device 4, such as the type information of the in-vehicle device 4, the user can quickly and easily update the target-related information stored on the SD card 5.

[0154] Referring to Figures 17 to 21, the second main control process executed in the control unit 21 of the control system 2 will be described. In the second main control process, the setting information of the in-vehicle device 4, which is input by the user via the input unit 28, is acquired and stored in the user ID correspondence table 252 (see Figure 7) of the HDD 25. The setting information stored in the user ID correspondence table 252 is then stored in the SD card 5 inserted into the card reader 29 (see Figure 5) of the control system 2 by the first main control process described above. When the user inputs an instruction to start inputting setting information, the control unit 21 executes the program stored in the HDD 25, thereby starting the second main control process.

[0155] When the second main control process begins, the control unit 21 first displays a screen for entering a user ID on the display unit 27 (see Figure 5) and prompts the user to enter a user ID. If the user enters a user ID via the input unit 28 (see Figure 5), the control unit 21 acquires the entered user ID (S121). Subsequently, the control unit 21 displays a screen on the display unit 27 that allows the user to select a method for entering setting information. There are three methods for entering setting information. When entering setting information, the user selects one of these methods and performs the input operation. (1) A method for guiding the user through operations in a hierarchical manner to identify the setting information items desired by the user and to change the setting content, etc. (2) A method of identifying the most appropriate setting information items in response to user questions based on an FAQ format, and making changes to the settings. (3) A method in which the user can change the settings by displaying the desired setting information items in order.

[0156] Figure 18 shows the setting information 61 of the in-vehicle device 4. As you can see, the setting information 61 contains a very large number of items, and each item is organized hierarchically. In the conventional method of changing the setting of a desired item via the in-vehicle device 4, the user typically operates the touch panel 49 to scroll through the items until the desired item is displayed on the display unit 48. After the desired item is displayed on the display unit 48, the setting of the displayed item is changed. Therefore, the conventional method not only takes time to display the desired item on the display unit 48, but it is also easy to overlook the desired item. Furthermore, because there are so many items in the setting information, the user may not know which item to change in order to drive the in-vehicle device 4 in the desired way.

[0157] In contrast, as shown in Figure 17, when the control unit 21 detects that the user has made an input operation to select method (1) (S123: YES), it displays the items included in the setting information 61 hierarchically and sequentially (S125), thereby efficiently changing the setting items in a short amount of time. The HDD 25 of the control system 2 stores the setting information 61 of the in-vehicle device 4 for each type of information. The control unit 21 may obtain the setting information 61 corresponding to each in-vehicle device 4 with different type information from the server 3 in advance and store it in the HDD 25 in association with the type information. Furthermore, when the control unit 21 starts the second main control process, it may read the type information stored on the SD card 5 inserted into the card reader 29, request the corresponding setting information 61 from the server 3, obtain the setting information 61 from the server 3, and store it in the HDD 25. Based on the setting information 61 stored in the HDD 25 as described above, the control unit 21 displays the items included in the setting information as follows. The following explanation will refer to the screen transitions 65 in Figure 19. As shown in Figure 19, the control unit 21 first displays the "Settings" button 62 on the display unit 27. If the control unit 21 detects that the user has selected the "Settings" button 62, it displays the "Radar," "GPS," and "Wireless" buttons on the display unit 27, which correspond to items at a lower level than "Settings." Subsequently, if the control unit 21 detects that the user has selected the "Radar" button 63, it displays the "I-Cancel," "I-Cancel Sound," and "Reverse Cancel" buttons on the display unit 27, which correspond to items at a lower level than "Radar."

[0158] "I-Cancel" is a function that automatically registers GPS location information when passing through a location that triggers a false alarm, such as an automatic door, and cancels the radar warning when a radio wave is received upon passing through that location from the second time onward. "I-Cancel Sound" is a function that outputs the voice message "Canceling in progress" while I-Cancel is active. "Opposite Cancel" is a function that cancels the radar wave reception warning on the opposite lane of a new H-system and radar speed camera point registered in the GPS information. Subsequently, when the user selects the "Opposite Cancel" button 64, the control unit 21 displays the "ON" and "OFF" buttons corresponding to the setting for "Opposite Cancel". The ON / OFF status of the Opposite Cancel function is switched by detecting the user's selection of either the "ON" or "OFF" button.

[0159] As shown in Figure 17, the control unit 21 acquires the setting information items and settings selected by the user (S127). The control unit 21 associates the acquired setting information items and settings with the user ID acquired in S121 and stores them as setting information in the user ID correspondence table 252 (see Figure 7) on the HDD 25 (S131). The control unit 21 associates the user ID with the setting information items and settings and sends them to the server 3 via the network 6 (S161). The server 3 associates the received user ID, items, and settings and stores them in the database. The second main control process ends.

[0160] By performing the above-described process, the user can perform input operations hierarchically according to the guidance, making it easy to identify the items of setting information necessary to drive the in-vehicle device 4 in the desired manner and to change the settings. Therefore, the user can quickly and efficiently change the driving method of the in-vehicle device 4.

[0161] On the other hand, if the system detects that the user has made an input operation to select method (2) (S123: NO, S133: YES), the control unit 21 identifies the setting information item in response to the user's inquiry and accepts the change in the setting content. This allows the user to change the setting content of the optimal item even if they do not know how to change the setting item to drive the in-vehicle device 4 in the desired driving method. The HDD 25 of the control system 2 stores string information that prompts the user to change the setting information, associated with relevant keywords for each setting information. The control unit 21 prompts the user to change the setting information by selecting the string corresponding to the keyword entered by the user and displaying it on the display unit 27. If there are multiple strings corresponding to the keyword entered by the user, all of the strings are displayed on the display unit 27. If the user enters multiple keywords, the control unit 21 selects the string to which all keywords are associated and displays it on the display unit 27. The control unit 21 may acquire in advance the string and keyword combinations corresponding to each of the in-vehicle devices 4 with different type information from the server 3 and store them in the HDD 25 associated with the type information. Furthermore, when the control unit 21 starts the second main control process, it reads the type information stored in the SD card 5 inserted into the card reader 29, requests the server 3 for the corresponding string and keyword combination, obtains the string and keyword from the server 3, and stores it in the HDD 25. Based on the string and keyword stored in the HDD 25 as described above, the control unit 21 performs display control as follows.

[0162] The following explanation will be given with reference to Figures 20 and 21. As shown in Figure 20, the control unit 21 displays an input screen 66 on the display unit 27 where a keyword can be entered (S135, see Figure 17). Here, suppose the user enters the keyword "opposite lane speed camera cancel" via the input unit 28 and selects the OK button. The control unit 21 acquires the entered keyword (S137, see Figure 17).

[0163] Next, the control unit 21 reads a string containing the entered keyword from the HDD 25. As shown in Figure 21, the control system 2 displays a notification screen 67 on the display unit 27 that notifies the user of the string "Radar ⇒ Turn on Opposite Cancellation". This prompts the user to turn "ON" the setting information item "Opposite Cancellation Function" (S139, see Figure 17). Suppose the user understands and selects the OK button. The control unit 21 identifies "Opposite Cancellation Function" as a setting information item and identifies "ON" as the setting content (S141). The control unit 21 associates the identified setting information item and setting content with the user ID obtained in S121 and stores it as setting information in the user ID correspondence table 252 on the HDD 25 (S145). The control unit 21 associates the user ID with the item and setting content and sends it to the server 3 via the network 6 (S161). The server 3 associates the received user ID, item, and setting content and stores them in the database. The second main control process is now complete.

[0164] As described above, by querying the control system 2 using keywords, the control system 2 can identify the items and settings of the setting information desired by the user. Therefore, even if the user does not have detailed knowledge of the in-vehicle device 4, the settings of the identified items are stored in the SD card 5, and the in-vehicle device 4 is driven in the driving method desired by the user.

[0165] The display unit 27 shows information about the optimal setting item for the query made using keywords, and the user can directly change the corresponding item by selecting the OK button. This eliminates the need for the user to repeatedly perform input operations and navigate through screens to identify the item to be changed. Consequently, the user can quickly identify the desired item and drive the in-vehicle device 4 using the desired driving method.

[0166] If the user performs an input operation to select method (2), the control unit 21 may perform the following processing instead of S135 to S145 described above. A web system for implementing an FAQ search system is set up on a server on the internet (for example, server 3). The user launches a browser using the control system 2 and accesses this FAQ search page. The user enters keywords, etc., on the search page. The server generates configuration information in which items and contents of configuration information for driving the in-vehicle device 4 are associated with the search results corresponding to the keywords. The configuration information is displayed on the browser for download. The user selects the configuration information, and the control system 2 downloads the configuration information. The control unit 21 stores the items and contents of the configuration information contained in the downloaded configuration information in the user ID correspondence table 252 of the HDD 25, associating them with the user ID. At the same time, the items and contents of the downloaded configuration information may also be stored on the SD card 5.

[0167] On the other hand, if it is detected that the user has performed an input operation to select method (3) (S133: NO), the system displays each item of the setting information 61 (see Figure 18) in order on the display unit 27 in response to the user's input operation via the input unit 28 (S147). Suppose the user performs an input operation to change the setting content of the displayed item. The control unit 21 acquires the entered setting content (S149). The control unit 21 associates the acquired setting information items and setting content with the user ID acquired in S121 and stores them as setting information in the user ID correspondence table 252 of the HDD 25 (S151). The control unit 21 associates the user ID with the items and setting content and sends it to the server 3 via the network 6 (S161). The server 3 associates the received user ID, items, and setting content and stores them in the database. The second main control process ends.

[0168] As explained above, the user can input setting information for the in-vehicle device 4 by directly operating the control system 2. The display unit 48 and touch panel 49 provided on the in-vehicle device 4 cannot be made larger due to the size constraints of the overall size of the in-vehicle device 4. Therefore, the user cannot easily change settings via the in-vehicle device 4. In contrast, the control system 2 is equipped with an input unit 28 that is easier to operate and a display unit 27 that is easier to see compared to the in-vehicle device 4. Therefore, the user can easily change settings. The in-vehicle device 4 operates based on the setting information stored on the SD card 5. Therefore, the control system 2 can change the driving conditions of the in-vehicle device 4 by storing the input setting information on the SD card 5. The user can easily drive the in-vehicle device 4 under the desired driving conditions.

[0169] The driving simulation function of the control system 2 will be explained with reference to Figure 22. Assume that the system detects that a user has entered a command to start a driving simulation along with a user ID via the input unit 28. The control system 2 reads the history information corresponding to the entered user ID from the user ID correspondence table 252 (see Figure 7). Based on the read history information, the control system 2 displays the simulation image 300 shown in Figure 22 on the display unit 27 and starts the driving simulation. The control unit 21 may, when a user enters a command to start a driving simulation, send a request signal to the server 3 to obtain a map image 301 of the area around the region specified by the latitude and longitude indicating the vehicle's driving position from the server 3 and store it in the HDD 25. The control unit 21 may create a simulation image 300 including the map image 301 stored in the HDD 25 and display it on the display unit 27.

[0170] As shown in Figure 22, the simulation image 300 includes a map image 301 of the area surrounding the region identified by the latitude and longitude of the vehicle's travel location in the historical information. Markers 302 are displayed at the points indicated by the latitude and longitude to show that the vehicle has passed through those locations. The marks 302 are displayed sequentially on the map image 301 in the order of the travel times included in the historical information. This allows the user to check the route the vehicle actually traveled in chronological order, enabling them to understand their own travel history more intuitively. Furthermore, the display unit 27 provided in the control system 2 is larger and more visible than the display unit 48 provided in the in-vehicle device 4, allowing the user to comfortably view their travel history.

[0171] The control system 2 also reads OBD information corresponding to the input user ID from the user ID correspondence table 252 on the HDD 25. The control system 2 refers to the OBD information detected at the time the vehicle was traveling from the read OBD information and determines the vehicle's speed. The determined speed is displayed as a speed display 305, overlaid on the map image 301.

[0172] The control system 2 also reads GPS information from the target-related table 251 (see Figure 6) that is prior to the travel time included in the history information and is updated at the time closest to the travel time. Based on the read GPS information and the latitude and longitude included in the history information, the control system 2 determines whether the distance between the vehicle and the target has reached the proximity warning distance. If the distance between the vehicle and the target has reached the proximity warning distance, the control system 2 reads image information 304 corresponding to the approached target from the target-related table 251 and displays it overlaid on the map image 301. In this way, the control system 2 can overlay images of target objects that were actually installed on the road at the time the vehicle was traveling onto the map image 301. The control system 2 can also overlay the travel speed on the map image 301 along with the image of the target object. As a result, the user can experience a highly realistic driving simulation and view the driving history as if they were actually there.

[0173] Although the driving speed is always displayed overlaid on the map image 301 as described above, the driving speed may be displayed only when the image information 304 corresponding to the target object is displayed overlaid on the map image 301.

[0174] Referring to Figure 23, the in-vehicle main processing performed by the control unit 41 of the in-vehicle device 4 will be described. In the in-vehicle main processing, a process is executed that is driven based on the information stored in the SD card 5. When the vehicle starts moving, the control unit 41 executes the program stored in the EEPROM 43, and the in-vehicle main processing begins.

[0175] When the in-vehicle main processing starts, the control unit 41 first determines whether or not the SD card 5 is inserted into the card reader 52 (see Figure 2) (S181). If the SD card 5 is not inserted into the card reader 52 (S181: NO), the in-vehicle device 4 cannot be driven, so the process returns to S181. If the SD card 5 is inserted into the card reader 52 (S181: YES), the control unit 41 determines whether or not type information is stored on the SD card 5 (S183). If type information is not stored on the SD card 5 (S183: NO), the SD card 5 inserted into the card reader 52 is being used for the first time, and it is possible that the information necessary to notify the driver is not stored on it. The control unit 41 stores the type information of the in-vehicle device 4 on the SD card (S185). The in-vehicle main processing ends. Furthermore, by inserting the SD card 5, which contains the type information, into the card reader 29 of the control system 2 (see Figure 5), the necessary information is stored on the SD card 5 (see Control First Main Processing, Figures 9 and 10).

[0176] For example, when a general-purpose SD card 5 is used for the first time, the SD card 5 does not contain the type information of the in-vehicle device 4. In order to store the necessary information on the SD card 5 using the control system 2, the type information of the in-vehicle device 4 must be stored on the SD card 5. If the user manually stores the type information of the in-vehicle device 4 on the SD card 5, the user needs to confirm what type the in-vehicle device 4 is, which is cumbersome. Also, if incorrect type information of the in-vehicle device 4 is stored on the SD card 5, the in-vehicle device 4 will not be able to perform notification processing to the driver. In contrast, if the type information of the in-vehicle device 4 is not stored on the SD card 5, the in-vehicle device 4 can store its own type information on the SD card 5. This ensures that the type information of the in-vehicle device 4 is stored accurately and reliably on the SD card 5. Therefore, the control system 2 can reliably store the information usable by the in-vehicle device 4 on the SD card 5. The in-vehicle device 4 can reliably perform notifications to the driver by referring to the SD card 5.

[0177] Furthermore, if the type information stored on the SD card 5 differs from its own type information, the in-vehicle device 4 will not overwrite and store its own type information on the SD card 5. This prevents the information stored on the SD card 5 from being rewritten based on the new type information.

[0178] On the other hand, if type information is stored in the SD card 5 (S183:YES), the control unit 41 determines whether setting information is stored in the SD card 5 (S187). If setting information is stored in the SD card 5 (S187:YES), the control unit 41 reads the setting information stored in the SD card 5 and sets it in the in-vehicle device 4 (S189). This makes it possible for the in-vehicle device 4 to be driven based on the setting information stored in the SD card 5. The process proceeds to S191. On the other hand, if no setting information is stored in the SD card 5 (S187:NO), the control unit 41 reads the default setting information from the EEPROM 43 and sets it in the in-vehicle device 4. The process proceeds to S191.

[0179] The control unit 41 determines whether the user has entered an instruction to start notifying the driver via the touch panel 49 (see Figure 2) (S191). If the user has not entered an instruction to start notifying the driver (S191: NO), the process returns to S191. On the other hand, if the user has entered an instruction to start notifying (S191: YES), the control unit 41 first acquires the start date information stored on the SD card 5. From the acquired start date information and the current date and time, it calculates the usage period of the in-vehicle device 4. The control unit 41 determines whether the calculated usage period is equal to or greater than a predetermined period (S193). If the calculated usage period is equal to or greater than a predetermined period (S193: YES), the control unit 41 selects the sales advertisement image information with the most recent update date and time from the other information stored on the SD card and reads the image data of the sales advertisement. The control unit 41 displays the read sales advertisement image data on the display unit 48 (S195). The process proceeds to S197. On the other hand, if the calculated usage period is less than the predetermined period (S193:NO), the process proceeds to S197.

[0180] The control unit 41 starts notifying the driver based on the target-related information, registration-related information, and other information stored in the SD card 5 (S197). Specifically, the control unit 41 implements the standby screen display function, radar scope display function, GPS warning function, radar wave warning function, and wireless warning function described above. At the same time, the control unit 41 starts the process of storing history information in the SD card 5 (S199). The control unit 41 selects the store advertisement image information with the most recent update date and time from the other information stored in the SD card 5. The control unit 41 determines whether the distance between the designated store and the vehicle has fallen below a predetermined level based on the location of the designated store and the location of the vehicle (S201). If the distance between the designated store and the vehicle is greater than or equal to the predetermined level (S201: NO), the process proceeds to S205. On the other hand, if the distance between the designated store and the vehicle has fallen below a predetermined level (S201: YES), the control unit 41 reads the image data of the store advertisement from the selected store advertisement image information. The control unit 41 displays the read store advertisement image data on the display unit 48 (S203). The process proceeds to S205. By performing the above display control, the driver can recognize advertising information about facilities, etc., near the vehicle. The in-vehicle device 4 not only provides notifications about target objects but also provides additional information based on the vehicle's position, enabling the driver to acquire various information while driving.

[0181] The control unit 41 determines whether the driver has entered an instruction to terminate the notification process for the target object via the touch panel 49 (S205). If the driver has not entered an instruction to terminate the notification process for the target object (S205: NO), the process returns to S199. On the other hand, if the driver has entered an instruction to terminate the notification process for the target object via the touch panel 49 (S205: YES), the in-vehicle main process terminates.

[0182] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible. When the SD card 5 is inserted into the card reader 29, the control system 2 performs a process to read history information and registration-related information from the SD card 5. For example, the history information and registration-related information stored on the SD card 5 may be classified into information that the control system 2 can read and information that the control system 2 cannot read. For example, the SD card 5 may have folders for storing information that the control system 2 can read and folders for storing information that the control system 2 cannot read. The control system 2 may read only the readable information from the SD card 5 and store it in the HDD 25.

[0183] For example, historical information, including the vehicle's location and time of travel, should not be read by the control system 2 from the standpoint of protecting user privacy. On the other hand, registration-related information should be imported into the control system 2 because sharing it among multiple users allows for the acquisition of the latest target information. In this case, it is preferable to store historical information in a folder that stores unreadable information, and registration information and invalid information in a folder that stores readable information. This allows the control system 2 to import only the registration-related information. In this way, it is possible to prevent all the information stored on the SD card 5 from being imported into the control system 2.

[0184] When the control system 2 stores target-related information on the SD card 5, it stores the target-related information with the most recent update date and time from the target-related table 251 (see Figure 6) on the SD card 5. For example, the control system 2 may store only the target-related information of targets within the main travel range of the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device 4 is installed, from among the target-related information on the SD card 5. Specifically, it may be done as follows: The in-vehicle device 4 identifies the main travel range of the vehicle (e.g., prefecture, city, town, etc.) based on historical information and stores it on the SD card 5. The control system 2 reads the main travel range of the vehicle from the SD card 5 inserted into the card reader 29. The control system 2 selects the target-related information from the target-related information stored in the target-related table 251 that is included in the main travel range read from the SD card 5, and stores it on the SD card 5 as differential information.

[0185] As a result, when the vehicle's range of movement can be determined to some extent, the in-vehicle device 4 can reliably provide notifications to the driver by storing target-related information corresponding to the vehicle's range of movement in the SD card 5. Therefore, the control system 2 can ensure that the in-vehicle device 4 reliably provides notifications to the driver by storing only target-related information corresponding to the vehicle's range of movement in the SD card 5, while simultaneously further reducing the amount of information stored in the SD card 5.

[0186] Images captured by a camera mounted on the vehicle (e.g., a drive recorder) may be stored on the SD card 5 by the in-vehicle device 4. For example, the camera may capture images when an accident occurs and store them on the SD card 5. The control system 2 may read and acquire the images captured by the camera from the SD card 5 inserted into the card reader 29. For example, the control system 2 may display the acquired images on the display unit 27. This allows the control system 2 to allow the user to view the images in a good manner.

[0187] The control system 2 may overlay images on the display unit 27 onto a map to identify registered target objects and their locations, areas where notification is disabled, locations where new target objects have been detected, and locations where target objects have been incorrectly detected, based on the registration information, invalid information, detection information, and false detection information acquired from the SD card 5, and allow the user to confirm them. Since the control system 2 is equipped with a larger display unit 27 compared to the in-vehicle device 4, the user can easily see the registration information and the like.

[0188] The control system 2 may accept an operation from the user to register target-related information via the input unit 28. In this case, the control system 2 may store the received target-related information in the target-related table 251 of the HDD 25, and at the same time, if there is an instruction to store it on the SD card 5, it may store the received target-related information on the SD card 5. The control system 3 is equipped with an input unit 28 that is easier to operate and a display unit 27 that is easier to see compared to the in-vehicle device 4, so the user can easily register target-related information.

[0189] As described above, information related to the target object to be notified to the driver was stored in the target-related table 251 as target-related information. The target object may or may not be an object. For example, it may be a place without a specific object, such as a publicly accessible enforcement area.

[0190] Furthermore, the HDD 25, etc., that stores the target-related table 251 corresponds to the "first storage means" of the present invention. The HDD 25, etc., that stores the user ID-related table 252 corresponds to the "second storage means" and "third storage means" of the present invention. The HDD 25, etc., that stores the other table 253 corresponds to the "fourth storage means" of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0191] 2. Control System 3 Servers 4 Onboard equipment 5 SD cards 21 Control Unit 27 Display section 29 Card Reader 41 Control Unit 48 Display section 52 Card Reader 251 Goal-Related Tables 252 User ID correspondence table 253 Other Tables

Claims

1. An in-vehicle system having a function to record acquired information on a storage medium, The storage medium stores registration information, which is information indicating the type of target registered by the user and the latitude and longitude indicating the location of the target, in a folder that stores information readable by an external system, and history information, including the driving position and driving time of the acquired vehicle, in a folder that stores information that cannot be read by the external system. In-vehicle systems.

2. The system has a function to read at least one of the following, which is stored in a folder that stores information readable by the aforementioned external system: the registration information and the invalidation information that instructs the user to disable notifications based on the registration information. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1.

3. A program for causing a computer to function as the in-vehicle system described in claim 1 or 2.

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