In-vehicle device, setting processing method, and setting processing program

Abstract

To make it possible to easily obtain vehicle information about a vehicle in which an in-vehicle device is installed.SOLUTION: An in-vehicle device used in an in-vehicle network includes an acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information about a vehicle in which the in-vehicle device is installed from a communication line of the in-vehicle network, and a setting processing unit that performs setting processing for the in-vehicle device to communicate with other apparatuses via the communication line using setting information based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle device, a setting processing method, and a setting processing program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a system including a management device that collects vehicle information related to a vehicle from the vehicle has been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-123060) discloses the following technology. That is, a vehicle information writing device includes a terminal device capable of exchanging data with a vehicle and an information center, the terminal device and the information center can communicate with each other, the terminal device includes a position detection unit that detects a current position and a vehicle type information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle type information that identifies the type of the vehicle to be set, transmits a vehicle type setting information request including the area information reflecting the current position and the vehicle type information to the information center, receives, from the information center, vehicle type setting information including setting parameters suitable for the area information and applicable to an in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle corresponding to the vehicle type setting information request, further includes a vehicle setting information generation unit that generates vehicle setting information reflecting the received vehicle type setting information, and a vehicle setting information output unit that outputs the vehicle setting information to the vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In some cases, vehicle information is collected using in-vehicle devices that are installed after the vehicle has been shipped. These in-vehicle devices are installed on a wide variety of vehicles, and often the communication interface and the content of the vehicle information differ depending on the vehicle model. In such cases, the process becomes complicated because the in-vehicle device needs to be configured to acquire vehicle information either before or after installation.

[0005] This disclosure was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an in-vehicle device, a setting processing method, and a setting processing program that can easily acquire vehicle information in the vehicle on which it is installed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The in-vehicle device of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle device used in an in-vehicle network, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information relating to a vehicle on which the in-vehicle device is installed from a communication line in the in-vehicle network; and a setting processing unit that uses setting information based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit to perform setting processing for the in-vehicle device to communicate with other devices via the communication line.

[0007] One aspect of this disclosure can be realized not only as an in-vehicle device equipped with such characteristic processing units, but also as a semiconductor integrated circuit that realizes part or all of the in-vehicle device, or as a system including the in-vehicle device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, vehicle information can be easily obtained from the vehicle on which the device is installed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a communication system according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle device according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of the server configuration according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a correspondence table stored by a server according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of bit assignment information stored by a server according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows another example of bit assignment information stored by a server according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart that defines the operating procedure when the in-vehicle device according to the first embodiment of this disclosure performs setting processing. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a flowchart that defines the operation procedure when a server according to the first embodiment of this disclosure sends a configuration instruction. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of the processing sequence of an in-vehicle device, server, and in-vehicle equipment in a communication system according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle device according to the second embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a flowchart that defines the operating procedure when the in-vehicle device according to the second embodiment of the disclosure performs setting processing. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle device according to the third embodiment of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and explained. (1) The in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle device used in an in-vehicle network, and includes an acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information regarding a vehicle on which the in-vehicle device is mounted from a communication line in the in-vehicle network, and a setting processing unit that performs setting processing for the in-vehicle device to communicate with other devices via the communication line using setting information based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0011] With such a configuration, even when the in-vehicle device is retrofitted after the vehicle is shipped, setting processing can be performed in the in-vehicle device, and vehicle information can be automatically acquired from other devices. Therefore, prior setting of the in-vehicle device by the vehicle user is not required. Accordingly, vehicle information in the vehicle where the device is installed can be easily acquired.

[0012] (2) In the above (1), the communication line may be a communication bus, and the acquisition unit may acquire the vehicle information output from an in-vehicle device connected to the communication bus to the communication bus.

[0013] With such a configuration, vehicle information necessary for performing setting processing can be easily acquired from other devices via the communication bus.

[0014] (3) In the above (1) or (2), the in-vehicle device may further include a communication unit that transmits the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit to a management device outside the vehicle, receives the setting information from the management device, and the setting processing unit may perform the setting processing based on the setting information received by the communication unit.

[0015] With such a configuration, for example, it is not necessary to pre-register setting information used in setting processing in the in-vehicle device, so the storage capacity for storing various setting information in the in-vehicle device can be saved.

[0016] (4) In any of the above (1) to (3), the setting processing unit may, prior to the setting processing, attempt to communicate with the other device via the communication line, and until the test result satisfies a predetermined condition, change the setting of the communication operation in the in-vehicle device based on the test result, and the acquisition unit may acquire the vehicle information from the other device by communicating with the other device according to the setting corresponding to the state where the test result satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0017] With such a configuration, for example, in an in-vehicle device, even if vehicle information necessary for performing setting processing cannot be acquired in the initial setting, by attempting to communicate with the other device until information from the other device can be normally received, the vehicle information can be surely acquired from the other device.

[0018] (5) In the above (1) or (2), the in-vehicle device may further include a creation unit that creates the setting information corresponding to the vehicle based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0019] In this way, with a configuration in which the in-vehicle device creates setting information, for example, when performing setting processing, since there is no need to communicate with a device outside the vehicle, it is possible to suppress the shortage of communication resources used by the vehicle in which the in-vehicle device is mounted.

[0020] (6) In any of the above (1) to (5), the acquisition unit may further acquire transmission information transmitted on the communication line according to the setting processing, and the in-vehicle device may further include a communication unit that transmits the transmission information acquired by the acquisition unit to an external device outside the vehicle.

[0021] With such a configuration, when an in-vehicle device for transmitting transmission information to a device outside the vehicle is retrofitted after the vehicle is shipped, the transmission information can be provided to the device outside the vehicle and used for analysis and the like.

[0022] (7) A configuration processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a configuration processing method for an in-vehicle device used in an in-vehicle network, comprising the steps of: acquiring vehicle information relating to a vehicle on which the in-vehicle device is installed from a communication line in the in-vehicle network; and performing configuration processing using configuration information based on the acquired vehicle information so that the in-vehicle device can communicate with other devices via the communication line.

[0023] With this configuration, even if an in-vehicle device is retrofitted after the vehicle has been shipped, the device can perform the necessary configuration and automatically acquire vehicle information from other devices. Therefore, prior configuration of the in-vehicle device by the vehicle user is unnecessary. Consequently, vehicle information can be easily obtained from the vehicle in which it is installed.

[0024] (8) The configuration processing program according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is a configuration processing program used in an in-vehicle device used in an in-vehicle network, and is a program that causes a computer to function as an acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information relating to a vehicle on which the in-vehicle device is installed from a communication line in the in-vehicle network, and a configuration processing unit that uses configuration information based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit to perform configuration processing for the in-vehicle device to communicate with other devices via the communication line.

[0025] With this configuration, even if an in-vehicle device is retrofitted after the vehicle has been shipped, the device can perform the necessary configuration and automatically acquire vehicle information from other devices. Therefore, prior configuration of the in-vehicle device by the vehicle user is unnecessary. Consequently, vehicle information can be easily obtained from the vehicle in which it is installed.

[0026] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated. Furthermore, at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any way.

[0027] <First Embodiment> [Communication System] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 1, the communication system 501 comprises one or more in-vehicle devices 101 and a server 151. Each in-vehicle device 101 and the server 151 can send and receive information via an external network 161, such as the Internet. The in-vehicle devices 101 are mounted on a vehicle 1. The server 151 is an example of a management device located outside the vehicle 1.

[0028] Server 151 is used, for example, by a business operator or individual who manages the operation of vehicle 1.

[0029] [In-vehicle device] Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 2, the in-vehicle device 101 is connected to a plurality of in-vehicle devices 202, for example, via a communication bus 51 and a connector 52. The in-vehicle device 101 and the plurality of in-vehicle devices 202 constitute an in-vehicle network 401. The communication bus 51 is, for example, a CAN bus conforming to the CAN (Controller Area Network) standard. The connector 52 is, for example, a connector conforming to the OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) 2 standard. The communication bus 51 is an example of a communication line.

[0030] The in-vehicle equipment 202 is, for example, an in-vehicle ECU such as a TCU (Telematics Communication Unit), an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) for autonomous driving, an ECU for facial recognition, and an ECU for door locks. However, the in-vehicle equipment 202 is not limited to in-vehicle ECUs, and may also be sensors, navigation systems, human-machine interfaces, cameras, etc.

[0031] In the example shown in Figure 2, the in-vehicle device 101 is connected to in-vehicle devices 202A and 202B via a communication bus 51A and a connector 52A. The in-vehicle device 101 is also connected to in-vehicle devices 202C and 202D via a communication bus 51B and a connector 52B.

[0032] The in-vehicle device 202 creates a frame containing various types of information, such as information to assist the autonomous driving performed by the vehicle 1 and information used for entertainment, as well as an ID (Identifier) ​​(hereinafter also referred to as "data ID") indicating the type of data. The in-vehicle device 202 then transmits the created frame to other in-vehicle devices 202, either directly or via a relay device (not shown) in the vehicle 1.

[0033] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the in-vehicle device 101 transmits, for example, transmission information transmitted on the communication bus 51 to the server 151 via the external network 161.

[0034] The transmitted information includes, for example, equipment information relating to the in-vehicle equipment 202. The equipment information includes log information that associates data contained in frames received from the in-vehicle equipment 202 with the reception time of said frames, images captured by a camera in vehicle 1, and information acquired by external devices such as a communication terminal.

[0035] The server 151 collects equipment information for the corresponding vehicle 1 from, for example, one or more in-vehicle devices 101. Based on the collected equipment information, the server 151 detects abnormalities related to vehicle 1, such as malfunctions in vehicle 1.

[0036] Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 101 and the in-vehicle equipment 202 may be configured to communicate in accordance with communication protocols such as CAN FD (CAN with Flexible Data Rate), Ethernet (registered trademark), FlexRay (registered trademark), MOST (Media Oritend System Transport) (registered trademark), LIN (Local Interconnect Network), and CXPI (Clock Extension Peripheral Interface) (registered trademark), in addition to or instead of communication in accordance with the CAN standard.

[0037] The in-vehicle device 101 comprises an in-vehicle communication unit 11, a setting processing unit 12, an external communication unit 13, and a storage unit 14. Parts or all of the in-vehicle communication unit 11, the setting processing unit 12, and the external communication unit 13 are implemented, for example, by a processing circuit (Circuitry) including one or more processors. The storage unit 14 is, for example, a non-volatile memory included in the processing circuit. The in-vehicle communication unit 11 is an example of an acquisition unit.

[0038] The in-vehicle communication unit 11 obtains vehicle information relating to vehicle 1 from the communication bus 51 in the in-vehicle network 401. The vehicle information includes vehicle identification information (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle ID") for identifying vehicle 1, or part number information indicating the part number of software, etc., of in-vehicle equipment 202. Here, the in-vehicle communication unit 11 obtains the vehicle ID as vehicle information. The vehicle ID is a unique ID for each vehicle 1.

[0039] More specifically, for example, the in-vehicle communication unit 11 obtains the vehicle ID output to the communication bus 51 from the in-vehicle equipment 202 connected to the communication bus 51.

[0040] Specifically, for example, the storage unit 14 stores an ID (hereinafter also referred to as the "request ID") that indicates that the source is its own in-vehicle device 101 and that it is requesting a vehicle ID, in accordance with the OBD2 standard.

[0041] When the ignition power of the vehicle 1 switches from the off state to the on state, and its onboard device 101 is activated, the in-vehicle communication unit 11 creates a frame containing the request ID stored in the memory unit 14 (hereinafter also referred to as the "ID request frame") and outputs it to the communication bus 51.

[0042] A storage unit (not shown) provided in the in-vehicle device 202 stores a reception list indicating the IDs included in the frames it is to receive. When the in-vehicle device 202 receives an ID request frame from the in-vehicle device 101 via the communication bus 51 to which it is connected, it checks whether the request ID included in the received ID request frame is registered in the reception list.

[0043] When the in-vehicle device 202 confirms that the request ID is registered in the reception list, it retrieves the vehicle ID from its own memory. The memory then stores an ID (hereinafter also referred to as the "response ID") indicating that the vehicle ID has been retrieved, in accordance with the OBD2 standard.

[0044] When the in-vehicle device 202 obtains a vehicle ID, it creates a frame (hereinafter also referred to as a "response frame") containing the obtained vehicle ID and the response ID stored in the memory unit as a response to the ID request frame and outputs it to the communication bus 51.

[0045] In the in-vehicle device 101, when the in-vehicle communication unit 11 receives a response frame from the in-vehicle equipment 202 via the communication bus 51 and connector 52, it outputs the vehicle ID included in the received response frame to the external communication unit 13.

[0046] The external communication unit 13 transmits the vehicle ID obtained by the internal communication unit 11 to the server 151.

[0047] More specifically, the external communication unit 13 communicates with the server 151 via the external network 161 by wirelessly communicating with devices such as a wireless base station (not shown) according to a communication method such as WiFi (registered trademark), LTE (Long Term Evolution) (registered trademark), or 5G. The external communication unit 13 is not limited to communicating with the server 151 via a wireless base station and the external network 161; it may also communicate with the server 151 via a wired connection. Furthermore, the external communication unit 13 may communicate with the server 151 via other in-vehicle devices.

[0048] When the external communication unit 13 receives the vehicle ID from the internal communication unit 11, it transmits the vehicle ID to the server 151 via the wireless base station and the external network 161.

[0049] Specifically, for example, the external communication unit 13 creates an IP packet that includes the vehicle ID and contains the IP address of its own in-vehicle device 101 and the IP address of the server 151 as the source address and destination IP address, respectively. The external communication unit 13 then transmits the created IP packet to the server 151 via the wireless base station and the external network 161.

[0050] [server] Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of a server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 3, the server 151 comprises a communication unit 21, a configuration information determination unit 22, an analysis unit 23, and a storage unit 24. Some or all of the communication unit 21, the configuration information determination unit 22, and the analysis unit 23 are implemented by a processing circuit including, for example, one or more processors. The storage unit 24 is, for example, a non-volatile memory included in the processing circuit.

[0051] The communication unit 21 receives the vehicle ID from the in-vehicle device 101. More specifically, when the communication unit 21 receives an IP packet containing the vehicle ID from the in-vehicle device 101 via the wireless base station and external network 161, it outputs the vehicle ID contained in the received IP packet to the configuration information determination unit 22.

[0052] The setting information determination unit 22 determines setting information based on the vehicle ID received by the communication unit 21, which indicates the settings for the in-vehicle device 101 to communicate with the in-vehicle equipment 202.

[0053] Figure 4 shows an example of a correspondence table stored by a server according to the first embodiment of this disclosure.

[0054] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, for example, the storage unit 24 stores a correspondence table Tb1 that shows the correspondence between vehicle IDs and setting information.

[0055] Specifically, in the corresponding table Tb1, the configuration information indicates the communication protocol, the number of communication buses, and the bit assignment information number.

[0056] In the correspondence table Tb1, vehicle 1 with vehicle ID "V1" uses the communication protocols "CAN" and "CAN FD". There are two CAN buses, which are communication buses conforming to the "CAN" standard, and the bit assignment information numbers for these CAN buses are "B11" and "B12". In addition, vehicle 1 has one CAN-FD bus, which is a communication bus conforming to the "CAN FD" standard, and the bit assignment information number for this CAN-FD bus is "B21".

[0057] Vehicle 1 with vehicle ID "V2" uses the communication protocol "CAN," and there are two CAN buses that conform to the "CAN" standard, with bit assignment information numbers "B12" and "B13" for these CAN buses. Vehicle 1 with vehicle ID "V2" does not use the communication protocol "CAN FD."

[0058] Vehicle 1 with vehicle ID "V3" uses the communication protocols "CAN" and "CAN FD". There are three CAN buses that conform to the "CAN" standard, and the bit assignment numbers for these CAN buses are "B12, B13, B14". In addition, Vehicle 1 has two CAN-FD buses that conform to the "CAN FD" standard, and the bit assignment numbers for these CAN-FD buses are "B22, B23".

[0059] The configuration information is not limited to the communication protocol, the number of communication buses, and the bit assignment information number; it may also include the frame bitrate or the data sampling point, etc.

[0060] Figure 5 shows an example of bit assignment information stored by a server according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 6 shows another example of bit assignment information stored by a server according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. Figures 5 and 6 show bit assignment information B11 and bit assignment information B12 in the correspondence table Tb1 shown in Figure 4, respectively.

[0061] Referring to Figures 3, 5, and 6, the storage unit 24 further stores bit assignment information. The bit assignment information indicates the correspondence between the data ID and the position of the data in the data field of the frame.

[0062] In bit assignment information B11, in the data field of the frame containing data ID "001", the 0th to 3rd bits of byte 0, the 4th to 7th bits of byte 0, and the 6th to 7th bytes contain data D11, data D12, and data D13, respectively. In the data field of the frame containing data ID "002", the 0th to 4th bits of byte 0 contain data D21. In the data field of the frame containing data ID "003", the 0th to 2nd bits of byte 0 contain data D31.

[0063] In bit assignment information B12, in the data field of the frame containing data ID "004", the 0th to 3rd bits of byte 0, the 4th to 7th bits of byte 1, and the 6th to 7th bytes contain data D14, data D15, and data D16, respectively. In the data field of the frame containing data ID "005", the 0th to 2nd bits of byte 0 contain data D22. In the data field of the frame containing data ID "006", the 0th to 5th bits of byte 0 contain data D32.

[0064] Referring again to Figures 1 and 4, when the setting information determination unit 22 receives a vehicle ID from the communication unit 21, it reads the correspondence table Tb1 in the storage unit 24. Then, by referring to the correspondence table Tb1, the setting information determination unit 22 confirms the setting information corresponding to the vehicle ID.

[0065] When the setting information determination unit 22 confirms the setting information, it obtains the bit assignment information for the number indicated by the setting information from the storage unit 24. Then, the setting information determination unit 22 transmits a setting instruction including the setting information and the obtained bit assignment information to the in-vehicle device 101 via the communication unit 21.

[0066] Specifically, the configuration information determination unit 22 outputs a configuration instruction to the communication unit 21. When the communication unit 21 receives a configuration instruction from the configuration information determination unit 22, it creates an IP packet that includes the configuration instruction and also includes the IP address of its own server 151 and the IP address of the in-vehicle device 101 as the source address and destination IP address, respectively. The communication unit 21 then transmits the created IP packet to the in-vehicle device 101 via the external network 161 and the wireless base station.

[0067] [Setup Process] Diagram again 2Referring to the above, in the in-vehicle device 101, the setting processing unit 12 uses the setting information based on the vehicle information acquired by the in-vehicle communication unit 11 to perform setting processing so that its own in-vehicle device 101 can communicate with the in-vehicle equipment 202 via the communication bus 51.

[0068] More specifically, for example, when the external communication unit 13 receives an IP packet containing a configuration instruction from the server 151 via the external network 161 and the wireless base station, it stores the configuration instruction contained in the received IP packet in the storage unit 14 and outputs a reception notification to the configuration processing unit 12 indicating that the configuration instruction has been received.

[0069] When the setting processing unit 12 receives a notification from the external communication unit 13, it refers to the setting instructions stored in the memory unit 14 and sets the operation of the internal communication unit 11 by performing register settings, etc., according to the setting instructions.

[0070] For example, the in-vehicle communication unit 11 acquires transmission information transmitted on the communication bus 51 in accordance with the setting process performed by the setting processing unit 12 as described above. Then, for example, the external communication unit 13 sends some or all of the transmission information acquired by the in-vehicle communication unit 11 to the server 151.

[0071] (Example 1) The in-vehicle communication unit 11, with the above operation settings configured, receives frames from the in-vehicle equipment 202 transmitted on the communication bus 51 and reads the bit assignment information corresponding to the communication bus 51 from the storage unit 14. The in-vehicle communication unit 11 then verifies the data contained in the frame by checking the bit assignment information.

[0072] The in-vehicle communication unit 11 creates log information that associates the confirmed data with the reception time of the frame containing the data, saves the created log information in the storage unit 14, and outputs a completion notification to the external communication unit 13 indicating that the log information has been created.

[0073] When the external communication unit 13 receives a completion notification from the internal communication unit 11, it retrieves log information from the storage unit 14 and creates an IP packet that includes the log information and contains the IP address of its own in-vehicle device 101 and the IP address of the server 151 as the source address and destination IP address, respectively. The external communication unit 13 then transmits the created IP packet to the server 151 via the wireless base station and the external network 161.

[0074] (Example 2) The in-vehicle communication unit 11, with the above operation settings configured, receives frames from the in-vehicle equipment 202 transmitted on the communication bus 51 and checks whether the frames contain predetermined data to be transmitted to the server 151. For example, the data to be transmitted is pre-registered when the in-vehicle device 101 is shipped.

[0075] If the in-vehicle communication unit 11 receives a frame that contains data to be transmitted, it retrieves the data to be transmitted from that frame and outputs it to the external communication unit 13.

[0076] When the external communication unit 13 receives data to be transmitted from the internal communication unit 11, it creates an IP packet that includes the data to be transmitted and contains the IP address of its own in-vehicle device 101 and the IP address of the server 151 as the source address and destination IP address, respectively. The external communication unit 13 then transmits the created IP packet to the server 151 via the wireless base station and the external network 161.

[0077] Furthermore, the in-vehicle communication unit 11 may determine that the vehicle 1 to which its in-vehicle device 101 is installed has changed if, for example, no new transmission information arrives from the in-vehicle device 202 even after a certain period of time has elapsed since acquiring transmission information. In this case, the in-vehicle communication unit 11 creates the above-mentioned ID request frame and acquires a new vehicle ID.

[0078] [Analysis Processing] Referring again to Figure 3, the server 151 performs analysis processing to analyze the transmission information received from the in-vehicle device 101.

[0079] More specifically, in server 151, when the communication unit 21 receives transmission information from the in-vehicle device 101, it outputs the received transmission information to the analysis unit 23.

[0080] When the analysis unit 23 receives transmitted information from the communication unit 21, it performs various analyses based on the transmitted information, such as detecting abnormalities related to the vehicle 1.

[0081] [Operation Flow] Figure 7 is a flowchart that defines the operating procedure when the in-vehicle device according to the first embodiment of this disclosure performs setting processing.

[0082] Referring to Figure 7, first, the in-vehicle device 101 starts up when the ignition power of the vehicle 1 switches from the off state to the on state (step S101).

[0083] Next, the in-vehicle device 101 sends an ID request frame containing a request ID indicating that it is requesting a vehicle ID to the in-vehicle device 202 (step S102).

[0084] Next, when the in-vehicle device 101 receives the vehicle ID from the in-vehicle device 202 (YES in step S103), it transmits the received vehicle ID to the server 151 (step S104).

[0085] Next, when the in-vehicle device 101 receives a setting instruction from the server 151 (YES in step S105), it performs a setting process to communicate with the in-vehicle device 202 based on the setting information contained in the setting instruction (step S106).

[0086] Next, the in-vehicle device 101 transmits the transmission information transmitted on the communication bus 51 to the server 151 according to the setting process (step S107).

[0087] Figure 8 is a flowchart that defines the operation procedure when a server according to the first embodiment of this disclosure sends a configuration instruction.

[0088] Referring to Figure 8, first, the server 151 waits to receive the vehicle ID from the in-vehicle device 101 (NO in step S201).

[0089] Next, when the server 151 receives a vehicle ID from the in-vehicle device 101 (YES in step S201), it verifies the configuration information corresponding to that vehicle ID. For example, as described above, the server 151 verifies the configuration information corresponding to the vehicle ID received from the in-vehicle device 101 by referring to the correspondence table Tb1 in the storage unit 24 (step S202).

[0090] Next, the server 151 sends a setting instruction to the in-vehicle device 101 that includes the confirmed setting information and the bit assignment information for the number indicated by the setting information. For example, as described above, when the server 151 confirms the setting information corresponding to the received vehicle ID, it obtains the bit assignment information for the number indicated by the setting information from the storage unit 24, sends a setting instruction including the setting information and the bit assignment information to the in-vehicle device 101 (step S203), and waits for the reception of a new vehicle ID (step S201).

[0091] Figure 9 shows an example of the processing sequence of an in-vehicle device, server, and in-vehicle equipment in a communication system according to the first embodiment of this disclosure.

[0092] Referring to Figure 9, first, the in-vehicle device 101 starts up when the ignition power of the vehicle 1 switches from the off state to the on state (step S301).

[0093] Next, the in-vehicle device 101 sends an ID request frame containing a request ID indicating that it is requesting a vehicle ID to the in-vehicle device 202 (step S302).

[0094] Next, the in-vehicle device 202 transmits the vehicle ID to the in-vehicle device 101. For example, as described above, the in-vehicle device 202 transmits a response frame to the in-vehicle device 101 that includes the vehicle ID and a response ID indicating that the vehicle ID has been obtained (step S303).

[0095] Next, the in-vehicle device 101 transmits the vehicle ID received from the in-vehicle device 202 to the server 151 (step S304).

[0096] Next, the server 151 verifies the configuration information corresponding to the vehicle ID received from the in-vehicle device 101. For example, as described above, the server 151 verifies the configuration information corresponding to the vehicle ID received from the in-vehicle device 101 by referring to the correspondence table Tb1 in the storage unit 24 (step S305).

[0097] Next, the server 151 sends a setting instruction to the in-vehicle device 101 that includes the confirmed setting information and the bit assignment information for the number indicated by the setting information. For example, as described above, when the server 151 confirms the setting information corresponding to the received vehicle ID, it obtains the bit assignment information for the number indicated by the setting information from the storage unit 24 and sends a setting instruction to the in-vehicle device 101 that includes the setting information and the bit assignment information (step S306).

[0098] Next, the in-vehicle device 101 performs a setting process based on the setting information included in the setting instruction received from the server 151 (step S307).

[0099] Next, the in-vehicle device 101 acquires the transmission information transmitted on the communication bus 51 according to the setting process (step S308).

[0100] Next, the in-vehicle device 101 transmits some or all of the acquired transmission information to the server 151 (step S309).

[0101] Next, the server 151 performs analysis processing to analyze the transmission information received from the in-vehicle device 101. For example, as described above, the server 151 performs various analyses based on the transmission information, such as detecting abnormalities related to the vehicle 1 (step S310).

[0102] <Second Embodiment> In the first embodiment of the present disclosure described above, the server 151 determines the configuration information corresponding to the vehicle ID. In contrast, in the second embodiment of the present disclosure, the in-vehicle device 101A determines the configuration information corresponding to the vehicle ID. Except for the contents described below, it is the same as the in-vehicle device 101 in the first embodiment.

[0103] Figure 10 shows an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 10, the in-vehicle device 101A according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure further includes a manufacturing unit 15 compared to the in-vehicle device 101 shown in Figure 2.

[0104] For example, the creation unit 15 creates configuration information corresponding to vehicle 1 based on the vehicle ID obtained by the in-vehicle communication unit 11.

[0105] More specifically, for example, when the in-vehicle communication unit 11 receives a response frame from the in-vehicle equipment 202 via the communication bus 51 and connector 52, it outputs the vehicle ID included in the received response frame to the creation unit 15.

[0106] The storage unit 14 stores, for example, the correspondence table Tb1 shown in Figure 4. When the creation unit 15 receives a vehicle ID from the in-vehicle communication unit 11, it reads the correspondence table Tb1 from the storage unit 14. The creation unit 15 then checks the setting information corresponding to the vehicle ID by referring to the correspondence table Tb1.

[0107] The storage unit 14 further stores bit assignment information in the correspondence table Tb1 shown in Figure 4. The correspondence table Tb1 and bit assignment information are registered in the storage unit 14 by the manufacturer of vehicle 1 when vehicle 1 is shipped, for example.

[0108] When the creation unit 15 confirms the setting information, it retrieves the bit assignment information for the number indicated by the setting information from the storage unit 14. Then, the creation unit 15 outputs a setting instruction including the setting information and the retrieved bit assignment information to the setting processing unit 12.

[0109] When the setting processing unit 12 receives a setting instruction from the creation unit 15, it sets the operation of the in-vehicle communication unit 11 by performing register settings, etc., according to the setting instruction.

[0110] Figure 11 is a flowchart that defines the operation procedure when an in-vehicle device according to the second embodiment of this disclosure performs a setting process.

[0111] Referring to Figure 11, the processes in steps S401 and S402 are the same as the processes in steps S101 and S102 shown in Figure 7, respectively.

[0112] Next, when the in-vehicle device 101A receives a vehicle ID from the in-vehicle device 202 (YES in step S403), it checks the configuration information corresponding to the received vehicle ID. For example, as described above, the in-vehicle device 101A checks the configuration information corresponding to the vehicle ID received from the in-vehicle device 202 by referring to the correspondence table Tb1 in the storage unit 14 (step S404).

[0113] Next, the in-vehicle device 101A performs a configuration process to communicate with the in-vehicle device 202 according to the confirmed configuration information and the bit assignment information of the numbers indicated by the configuration information (step S405).

[0114] The process in step S406 is the same as the process in step S107 shown in Figure 7.

[0115] <Third Embodiment> In the first and second embodiments of this disclosure described above, the in-vehicle device 101 is connected to the in-vehicle device 202 via a communication bus 51. The in-vehicle device 101 also obtains a vehicle ID from the in-vehicle device 202 by communicating with the in-vehicle device 202 in accordance with the OBD2 standard. In contrast, in the third embodiment of this disclosure, the in-vehicle device 101 is connected to the in-vehicle device 202 via an Ethernet cable 53. The in-vehicle device 101 also obtains a vehicle ID from the in-vehicle device 202 by attempting to communicate with the in-vehicle device 202. Except for the contents described below, the in-vehicle device 101 is the same as in the first and second embodiments.

[0116] Figure 12 shows an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle device according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 12, the in-vehicle device 101B and a plurality of in-vehicle devices 202 constitute an in-vehicle network 401. The in-vehicle device 101B is connected to the in-vehicle devices 202 via an Ethernet cable 53. The Ethernet cable 53 is an example of a communication line.

[0117] In the example shown in Figure 12, the in-vehicle device 101B is connected to the in-vehicle equipment 202A and the in-vehicle equipment 202B, respectively, via Ethernet cable 53A and Ethernet cable 53B.

[0118] Information is exchanged between the in-vehicle device 101B and the in-vehicle device 202 using Ethernet frames.

[0119] The in-vehicle device 101B includes an in-vehicle communication unit 11B and a setting processing unit 12B instead of the in-vehicle communication unit 11 and setting processing unit 12 shown in Figure 2.

[0120] For example, prior to the setting process, the setting processing unit 12B performs a trial process to attempt communication with the in-vehicle device 202 via the Ethernet cable 53, and changes the communication operation settings of its own in-vehicle device 101 based on the trial results until the trial results satisfy predetermined conditions.

[0121] More specifically, for example, if the in-vehicle device 101B is retrofitted to the vehicle 1 after its shipment, the setting processing unit 12B will attempt to communicate with each in-vehicle device 202 in the in-vehicle system 301 because the in-vehicle device 202 that stores the vehicle ID is unknown.

[0122] Specifically, for example, the memory unit 14 stores trial communication information that indicates the settings for communicating with the in-vehicle device 202 via the Ethernet cable 53. The trial communication information indicates, for example, the correspondence between the bitrate of the Ethernet frame and its priority.

[0123] When its in-vehicle device 101 starts up, the configuration processing unit 12B configures the operation of the in-vehicle communication unit 11B by performing register settings, etc., according to the trial communication information in the storage unit 14. For example, the configuration processing unit 12B sets the bit rate with the highest priority indicated by the trial communication information in the register settings and performs the trial processing.

[0124] When the in-vehicle communication unit 11B receives an Ethernet frame from the in-vehicle equipment 202, it outputs the received Ethernet frame to the configuration processing unit 12B.

[0125] When the configuration processing unit 12B receives an Ethernet frame from the in-vehicle communication unit 11B, it performs a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) check on the Ethernet frame.

[0126] Specifically, the configuration processing unit 12B calculates the CRC value of the data contained in the Ethernet frame received from the in-vehicle communication unit 11B. B This checks whether the calculated CRC value matches the FCS (Frame Check Sequence) value included in the FCS field of the Ethernet frame in question.

[0127] If the CRC value and FCS value match, the setting processing unit 12B determines that the above data is normal and that communication with the in-vehicle device 202 has been successful, and outputs a communication success notification to the in-vehicle communication unit 11B.

[0128] For example, the in-vehicle communication unit 11B communicates with the in-vehicle device 202 according to the settings for communication operations corresponding to the state in which the trial results satisfy predetermined conditions, thereby obtaining the vehicle ID from the in-vehicle device 202.

[0129] More specifically, for example, when the in-vehicle communication unit 11B receives a communication success notification from the setting processing unit 12B, it creates ID request information indicating that it requests a vehicle ID. The in-vehicle communication unit 11B then transmits an Ethernet frame containing the created ID request information to each in-vehicle device 202.

[0130] When the in-vehicle device 202 receives an Ethernet frame containing ID request information from the in-vehicle device 101, it checks whether or not the vehicle ID is stored in its own memory.

[0131] If the vehicle ID is stored in its own memory, the in-vehicle device 202 creates an Ethernet frame containing the vehicle ID and sends it to the in-vehicle device 101. On the other hand, if the vehicle ID is not stored in its own memory, the in-vehicle device 202 discards the Ethernet frame containing the ID request information received from the in-vehicle device 101.

[0132] In the in-vehicle device 101, when the in-vehicle communication unit 11B receives an Ethernet frame containing the vehicle ID from the in-vehicle device 202, it outputs the vehicle ID to the external communication unit 13.

[0133] On the other hand, if the CRC value and the FCS value do not match, the setting processing unit 12B determines that the above data is abnormal and that communication with the in-vehicle device 202 has failed. The setting processing unit 12B then discards the Ethernet frame received from the in-vehicle communication unit 11B.

[0134] Furthermore, the configuration processing unit 12B refers to the trial communication information in the storage unit 14, sets the next highest priority bitrate in the register settings, and continues the trial process. Then, the configuration processing unit 12B performs a CRC check on the newly received Ethernet frame. The configuration processing unit 12B repeats the trial process until the CRC value and the FCS value match.

[0135] In the third embodiment of the in-vehicle device 101 of this disclosure, the setting processing unit 12B is configured to perform trial processing when its own in-vehicle device 101 is connected to the in-vehicle equipment 202 via the Ethernet cable 53, but it is not limited to this. The setting processing unit 12B may also be configured to perform trial processing when its own in-vehicle device 101 is connected to the in-vehicle equipment 202 via the communication bus 51, as in the first and second embodiments of this disclosure. In this case, the trial communication information in the storage unit 14 indicates, for example, the correspondence between the bit rate of the CAN frame, the data sampling point, and the priority. The setting processing unit 12B changes the bit rate and sampling point until it determines that the data is normal in the CRC check.

[0136] The embodiments described above should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the above description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included.

[0137] Each process (each function) of the above-described embodiment is implemented by a processing circuit including one or more processors. The processing circuit may consist of one or more memories, various analog circuits, various digital circuits, and other integrated circuits in addition to the one or more processors. The one or more memories store programs (instructions) that cause the one or more processors to execute each of the above processes. The one or more processors may execute each of the above processes according to the programs read from the one or more memories, or they may execute each of the above processes according to logic circuits that have been pre-designed to execute each of the above processes. The processors may be various processors suitable for computer control, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Furthermore, the physically separated multiple processors may cooperate with each other to execute each of the above processes. For example, the processors installed in each of several physically separate computers may cooperate with each other via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), and the Internet to perform the above processes. The program may be installed in the memory via the network from an external server device, or it may be distributed on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), and semiconductor memory, and then installed in the memory from the recording medium.

[0138] The above description includes the following features. [Note 1] A management device used in a communication system equipped with an in-vehicle device, A receiving unit that receives vehicle information relating to the vehicle on which the above-mentioned in-vehicle device is installed from the above-mentioned in-vehicle device, A management device comprising: a setting information determination unit that transmits setting information to the in-vehicle device, which is setting information based on the vehicle information received by the receiving unit and indicates the setting content for the in-vehicle device to communicate with other devices.

[0139] [Note 2] In-vehicle devices used in in-vehicle networks, Equipped with a management device, The in-vehicle device transmits vehicle information relating to the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device is installed, obtained from the communication lines in the in-vehicle network, to the management device. The management device is a communication system that receives vehicle information from the in-vehicle device and transmits to the in-vehicle device the setting information, which is based on the vehicle information and indicates the settings for the in-vehicle device to communicate with other devices.

[0140] [Note 3] A management method for a management device used in a communication system equipped with an in-vehicle device, The steps include receiving vehicle information relating to the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device is installed from the in-vehicle device, A management method comprising the step of transmitting to the in-vehicle device the setting information, which is setting information based on the received vehicle information and indicates the settings for the in-vehicle device to communicate with other devices.

[0141] [Note 4] A management program used in a management device used in a communication system equipped with an in-vehicle device, Computers, A receiving unit that receives vehicle information relating to the vehicle on which the above-mentioned in-vehicle device is installed from the above-mentioned in-vehicle device, A setting information determination unit transmits setting information, which is based on the vehicle information received by the receiving unit and indicates the setting content for the in-vehicle device to communicate with other devices, to the in-vehicle device. A management program to enable it to function as such.

[0142] [Note 5] A configuration processing method for a communication system comprising an in-vehicle device used in an in-vehicle network and a management device, The in-vehicle device transmits vehicle information relating to the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device is installed, obtained from a communication line in the in-vehicle network, to the management device. A setting processing method comprising the steps of: the management device receiving the vehicle information from the in-vehicle device and transmitting the setting information, which is based on the vehicle information and indicates the setting content for the in-vehicle device to communicate with other devices, to the in-vehicle device.

[0143] [Note 6] An in-vehicle device used in an in-vehicle network, Equipped with a processing circuit, The aforementioned processing circuit is Vehicle information relating to the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device is installed is obtained from the communication lines in the in-vehicle network. An in-vehicle device that uses the acquired vehicle information to perform a setting process for the in-vehicle device to communicate with other devices via the communication line. [Explanation of symbols]

[0144] 1 vehicle 11,11B In-vehicle communication unit 12,12B Configuration Processing Unit 13. External communications unit 14,2 4 storage section 15 Creation Section 21 Communications Department 22 Configuration Information Determination Unit 23 Analysis Department 51, 51A, 51B Communications Bus 52, 52A, 52B connectors 53, 53A, 53B Ethernet Cables 101,101A,101B On-vehicle equipment 151 Servers 161 External Network 202,202A,202B,202C,202D Vehicle equipment 401 In-vehicle network 501 Communication System

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device used in an in-vehicle network, An acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information relating to the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device is installed from the communication lines in the in-vehicle network, A setting processing unit performs setting processing for the in-vehicle device to communicate with other devices via the communication line, using setting information based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit. The system includes a communication unit that transmits the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit to a management device located outside the vehicle, and receives the setting information from the management device. The acquisition unit determines whether the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device is installed has been changed, and if it determines that it has been changed, it acquires new vehicle information. The communication unit transmits the vehicle information newly acquired by the acquisition unit to the management device, and receives the new setting information from the management device. The setting processing unit is an in-vehicle device that performs the setting processing based on the new setting information received by the communication unit.

2. The aforementioned communication line is a communication bus, The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the vehicle information output to the communication bus from an in-vehicle device connected to the communication bus.

3. Prior to the setting process, the setting processing unit attempts to communicate with the other device via the communication line, and changes the settings of the communication operation in the in-vehicle device based on the trial results until the trial results satisfy predetermined conditions. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the acquisition unit acquires vehicle information from the other device by communicating with the other device in accordance with the setting corresponding to the state in which the trial result satisfies the predetermined conditions.

4. The aforementioned in-vehicle device further includes, The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a creation unit that creates the setting information corresponding to the vehicle based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit.

5. The acquisition unit further acquires the transmission information transmitted on the communication line in accordance with the setting process, The aforementioned in-vehicle device further includes, The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a communication unit that transmits the transmission information acquired by the acquisition unit to an external device located outside the vehicle.

6. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the vehicle information is vehicle identification information for identifying the vehicle.

7. A method for setting up an in-vehicle device used in an in-vehicle network, The steps include: obtaining vehicle information relating to the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device is installed from a communication line in the in-vehicle network; The steps include: transmitting the acquired vehicle information to a management device located outside the vehicle, and receiving setting information based on the transmitted vehicle information from the management device; The steps include: using the received configuration information to perform configuration processing for the in-vehicle device to communicate with other devices via the communication line; In the step of acquiring the vehicle information, it is determined whether the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device is installed has been changed, and if it is determined that it has been changed, the vehicle information is newly acquired. In the step of receiving the aforementioned setting information, the newly acquired vehicle information is transmitted to the management device, and the new setting information is received from the management device. A setting processing method comprising the step of performing the setting processing based on the received new setting information.

8. A configuration processing program used in an in-vehicle device used in an in-vehicle network, Computers, An acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information relating to the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device is installed from the communication lines in the in-vehicle network, A setting processing unit performs setting processing for the in-vehicle device to communicate with other devices via the communication line, using setting information based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit. A communication unit transmits the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit to a management device located outside the vehicle, and receives the setting information from the management device. It is a program designed to function as such. The acquisition unit determines whether the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device is installed has been changed, and if it determines that it has been changed, it acquires new vehicle information. The communication unit transmits the vehicle information newly acquired by the acquisition unit to the management device, and receives the new setting information from the management device. The setting processing unit is a setting processing program that performs the setting processing based on the new setting information received by the communication unit.

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