Vehicle control device, vehicle control system, control method, and program

Abstract

This control device comprises a storage unit 32, an input unit 84, and control units 84, 99. The storage unit stores, as position information indicating the mounting positions of a plurality of accessories, column position information and row position information indicating the longitudinal-direction position and the lateral-direction position, of each accessory, in a vehicle. The input unit receives a control request to an accessory or another on-vehicle component associated with the accessory, which is designated by identification information with which a longitudinal-direction order and a lateral-direction order in the vehicle can be specified. The control unit determines the accessory or the other on-vehicle component corresponding to the control request, as an object to be controlled, on the basis of the identification information included in the control request and the position information stored in the storage unit, and performs control.

Description

Vehicle control device, vehicle control system, control method, and program CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-166149, filed with the Japan Patent Office on October 17, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control system, a control method, and a program.

[0003] Patent Literature 1 describes a control device that enables remote control of vehicle equipment such as an electric power seat using a remote control. In this control device, a code that can identify the equipment to be controlled is assigned to an operation signal transmitted from the remote control. When the control device receives the operation signal from the remote control, it identifies the equipment to be controlled based on the code assigned to the operation signal and controls the identified equipment in accordance with the operation signal.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-162303

[0005] In the above-mentioned control device, the equipment to be controlled in response to the operation signal is identified by a code unique to the equipment, so the codes for the equipment cannot be made common between vehicles that have different numbers and locations of equipment to be controlled.

[0006] For this reason, the program, which is application software used to generate control requests such as operation signals in an input unit such as a remote control, must be created for each vehicle with the same number and arrangement of accessories. Therefore, in vehicles equipped with the above-mentioned control device, there is a problem in that management of the programs installed in the input unit becomes complicated.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure aims to provide a vehicle control device that enables a program used to identify one of multiple pieces of equipment installed in a vehicle and generate a control request to be shared between vehicles having different numbers and locations of equipment.

[0008] A vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a memory unit (32), an input unit (84), and a control unit (84, 99).

[0009] The memory unit stores, for each of the plurality of pieces of equipment, position information representing the mounting position of the plurality of pieces of equipment on the vehicle, including column position information representing the position in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle and row position information representing the position in the left-and-right direction of the vehicle.

[0010] The input unit receives a control request for an accessory specified by identification information that can identify a front-to-rear order representing the front-to-rear order in the vehicle and a left-to-right order representing the left-to-right order in the vehicle, or for another vehicle part linked to the accessory.

[0011] Based on the identification information included in the control request and the location information stored in the memory unit, the control unit determines the equipment corresponding to the control request or other vehicle parts linked to that equipment as the controlled object, and performs control on the controlled object.

[0012] In other words, in the control device of the present disclosure, the information used to identify one of the multiple pieces of equipment mounted on the vehicle is not a code for each piece of equipment, but rather position information consisting of column position information indicating the fore-and-aft position of the vehicle and lateral position information indicating the lateral position of the vehicle.

[0013] Then, the control unit determines the equipment or on-vehicle part to be controlled as the controlled object based on the identification information included in the control request from the input unit and the location information stored in the memory unit, and carries out control corresponding to the control request.

[0014] Therefore, even if the number and arrangement of equipment installed in the vehicle are different, the control unit can identify the equipment or on-board part that should be controlled based on the identification information included in the control request received by the input unit.

[0015] Therefore, according to the control device of the present disclosure, even if the program used to generate the control request accepted by the input unit is common between vehicles with different numbers and arrangements of equipment, it is possible to properly specify the equipment or on-board parts to be controlled by the control unit.

[0016] 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a vehicle control system of an embodiment. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of seats in a vehicle cabin and the position information of each seat. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram explaining a method for setting seat position information. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram explaining a problem that occurs when seat row position information is set in order from the left side of the vehicle. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the installation state of an electric power seat that constitutes a seat. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing management data including seat position information. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram explaining the spatial coordinates of a seat. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram explaining a problem that occurs when a seat is moved in a vehicle in which seat row position information is set in order from the left side of the vehicle. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the control operation of a body system control unit. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of updating management data. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram explaining a modified example of the method for setting position information.

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] 1 is mounted on a vehicle such as a passenger car, and includes a plurality of ECUs 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 41 to 48 (hereinafter, "multiple ECUs 10, etc."). The vehicle control system 1 may include a center device (hereinafter, "center") 35 located outside the vehicle.

[0019] The center 35 is configured as a server that can provide functions to vehicles. For example, the center 35 can provide functions related to automatic driving and the like to vehicles.

[0020] The numerous ECUs 10 and the center 35 are each configured around a well-known microcomputer including a CPU 11, 16, 21, 26, 31, and 36 (hereinafter referred to as CPUs 11 to 36) and semiconductor memories 12, 17, 22, 27, 32, and 37 (hereinafter referred to as memories 12 to 37), such as RAM, ROM, and flash memory. Note that ECUs 41 to 48 also have a CPU and memory, but these are not shown in the figure. ECU stands for electronic control unit.

[0021] The numerous ECUs 10 and the center 35 are configured to control controlled objects mounted on the vehicle. The controlled objects include, for example, various accessories such as the engine, brakes, motor, various lights, display devices, air conditioner, electric power seats, horn, generator, etc. The controlled objects are not shown in the drawings.

[0022] The controlled objects are individually controlled by ECUs 41 to 48, which are operation control devices. The ECUs 41 to 48 include an ECUF 41 having a camera control unit 91, an ECUG 42 having a millimeter wave control unit 92, an ECUH 43 having a brake control unit 93, and an ECUI 44 having a steering control unit 94. The ECUs 41 to 48 also include an ECUJ 45 having a display control unit 95, an ECUK 46 having a sound control unit 96, an ECUL 47 having an HVAC control unit 98, and an ECUM 48 having a seat control unit 99.

[0023] Each of the control units 91 to 99 has an operation control program for operating the controlled object. The camera control unit 91 acquires images captured by the vehicle-mounted camera and controls the exposure of the vehicle-mounted camera. The millimeter-wave control unit 92 controls the millimeter-wave radar installed in the vehicle and acquires the detection results obtained by the millimeter-wave radar.

[0024] The brake control unit 93 controls the brakes. The steering control unit 94 controls the steering. The display control unit 95 controls indicators such as meters and warning lights. The sound control unit 96 controls sounds such as warning sounds and voices emitted from speakers. The light control unit 97 controls various lights mounted on the vehicle. The light control unit 97 is provided in the ECUE 30.

[0025] The HVAC control unit 98 controls the vehicle air conditioner. HVAC is an abbreviation for Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning. The seat control unit 99 controls the electric power seats that make up the multiple seats in the vehicle.

[0026] The various functions of the numerous ECUs 10, etc. and the center 35 are realized by the CPUs 11-31 executing programs stored in non-transient tangible recording media. In this example, memories 12-32 correspond to non-transient tangible recording media storing the programs. Furthermore, the execution of these programs results in the execution of methods corresponding to the programs. Note that the term "non-transient tangible recording media" refers to recording media excluding electromagnetic waves. Furthermore, the number of microcomputers constituting the numerous ECUs 10, etc. and the center 35 may be one or more.

[0027] Among the many ECUs 10, ECU A10 realizes functions as a vehicle API 71 and a motor vehicle equipment control unit 82 using application software (hereinafter referred to as apps) 61 and 62. ECUB 15 realizes a predetermined function using an app 63. The center 35 realizes a predetermined function using an app 64.

[0028] The apps 61 to 64 are programs for providing services to the vehicle user. The apps 61 to 64 indirectly send commands to controlled objects and operate the controlled objects to provide the user with useful functions. These apps 61 to 64 may be installed in the ECU A 10, the ECUB 15, or the center 35.

[0029] More specifically, the applications 61 to 64 are configured to generate first commands, which are commands that do not specify any of the control units 91 to 99 (described later), for the vehicle API 71. The "commands" include, among the data used by the vehicle API 71, commands such as operation requests, commands having arguments, function calls, etc. The "commands" may also include priority information indicating which command should be given priority in processing.

[0030] The apps 61 to 64 are not programs created specifically for a particular vehicle model, grade, etc., but are general-purpose programs that can be used with many vehicle models, grades, etc. Therefore, the apps 61 to 64 cannot specify how the vehicle in which they are installed will control the controlled object. For this reason, the apps 61 to 64 output commands that do not specify the control amount of a specific controlled object, in other words, the control units 91 to 99 used by the vehicle API 71. On the other hand, the apps 61 to 64 generate desired abstract operation content and output it as a command.

[0031] In addition, apps 61 to 64 may not include in their operation details which lights to turn on, such as turning on all lights mode, or may include in their operation details which lights to turn on, such as turning on XX light.

[0032] In the following, at least one of the applications 61 to 64 will also be referred to as a service application 6.

[0033] Unlike the apps 61 to 64, the vehicle API 71 is a program created specifically for a vehicle model, grade, etc. In other words, the vehicle API 71 is a program that absorbs differences in vehicle model, grade, etc. so that the apps 61 to 64 do not need to be aware of differences in vehicle model, grade, etc. The vehicle API 71 is a program that functions as an API for matching commands handled by the apps 61 to 64 with commands handled by the state management unit 8 and the equipment management unit 9, which will be described later. Note that API is an abbreviation for Application Programming Interface.

[0034] The vehicle API 71 is mounted on the ECU A 10. The vehicle API 71 receives commands from the ECU A 10 itself, the ECUB 15 which is another ECU, and a plurality of applications 61 to 64 mounted on the center 35.

[0035] Hereinafter, at least one of the vehicle APIs 71 will also be referred to as the vehicle service unit 7. Note that the vehicle service unit 7 may be provided with a plurality of vehicle APIs.

[0036] Here, ECUC 20 functions as a state recognition unit 81. ECUD 25 functions as an HMI system state recognition unit 83. ECUE 30 functions as a body system control unit 84. Hereinafter, at least one of the state recognition unit 81, the motor system equipment control unit 82, the HMI system state recognition unit 83, and the body system control unit 84 will also be referred to as a state management unit 8.

[0037] The state management unit 8 is one of the programs for controlling the controlled object. For example, the state management unit 8 calculates the amount of operation of an actuator that is the controlled object, and sends a command including the amount of operation to the various control units 91 to 99. In other words, when an abstracted first command is input, the state management unit 8 has a function of generating a second command that embodies the first command. Note that the function of generating the second command that embodies the first command may be provided in the vehicle service unit 7. The state management unit 8 may be provided for each functional domain, and may have an arbitration function for the actuators of each domain.

[0038] The status management unit 8 is also a program for sending data obtained from sensors and the like to the service application 6. In other words, the status management unit 8 realizes a "data collection" function and a "control instruction" function. In the data collection function, the status management unit 8 converts sensor data obtained from the equipment management unit 9 (each of the control units 91 to 99 described later) into a format suitable for the vehicle service unit 7, and transmits the converted data to the vehicle service unit 7. In the control instruction function, the status management unit 8 distributes driving instructions from the vehicle service unit 7 to the equipment management unit 9.

[0039] The state management unit 8 may be mounted in the same ECU A10 as the vehicle API 71, or may be mounted in another ECU such as ECUC20, ECUD25, or ECUE30. The state management unit 8, which includes the state recognition unit 81, the motor system equipment control unit 82, the HMI system state recognition unit 83, and the body system control unit 84, may all be mounted in the same ECU A10 as the vehicle API 71, or may be distributed and mounted in the respective ECUs that control the respective domains.

[0040] The status recognition function realizes a function to classify the individual raw sensor data acquired by the equipment management unit 9 from the vehicle sensors into data by sensing target that is easy to use by the service application 6. It also realizes a function to integrate the data, convert it into more abstract information, and transmit it to the vehicle service unit 7.

[0041] For example, in the status recognition function, each of the control units 91 to 99 constituting the equipment management unit 9 acquires individual information such as vehicle speed 0 km / h, shift position P, and driver absence in the vehicle, and based on this information outputs that the vehicle is in a parked state. This information is further transmitted to the service application 6 via the vehicle service unit 7.

[0042] For example, when the service application 6 makes a request regarding the car finder, the vehicle service unit 7 may combine an ACK from the light and an ACK from the horn, which are responses to the light and horn control request, into a single operation result and respond to the service application 6. The car finder is a function that notifies the user of the location of the vehicle in a parking lot or the like in an easy-to-understand manner.

[0043] The equipment control function selects each of the control units 91 to 99 (for example, engine, steering, shift, doors, windows, air conditioner, etc.) in the equipment management unit 9 that are optimal for implementing a vehicle operation request from the service application 6. Then, the data is converted into a format that can be accepted by each of the control units 91 to 99, and distributed taking into consideration the order in which the data is to be transmitted.

[0044] For example, if the vehicle operation request is "Turn the vehicle left with a 200m radius and accelerate at 0.3G," the equipment control function outputs "a request to output 1000Nm to the engine and a request to output -0.1rad to the steering."

[0045] For example, if the vehicle operation request is "to shift to parked state," the equipment control function outputs "a request to shift the shift to P, a request to turn off the air conditioner, a request to fully close the windows, and when the above requests are completed and there are no occupants, a request to lock the doors and a request to shift to parked state."

[0046] The state management unit 8 is divided into a plurality of programs for each type of vehicle operation corresponding to the type of first command. The types of vehicle operation include, for example, a driving system for turning, running, stopping, etc. of the vehicle, an HMI system for presenting information to the user, and a body system for changing the state of the body. In this way, the state management unit 8 is provided with management functions 81 to 84 according to the type of domain, and each program of the management function is stored in the memory 22 of the ECUC C20, memory 27 of the ECUD 25, memory 32 of the ECUE 30, or memory 12 of the ECU A10, which is a domain control unit.

[0047] In other words, the state management unit 8 is classified according to vehicle operations that are likely to be requested by the service application 6, rather than by implementation means (such as the control units 91 to 99) that are likely to depend on vehicle variations.

[0048] The state recognition unit 81 acquires information from the camera control unit 91 and the millimeter wave control unit 92 , converts it into information on the positions of vehicles and pedestrians, and outputs it to the vehicle service unit 7 .

[0049] The motion system equipment control unit 82 converts the vehicle operation request into control amounts for the brake control unit 93 and the steering control unit 94 and outputs them.

[0050] Upon receiving a command such as an alarm, the HMI system state recognition unit 83 determines whether or not to issue a notification using the display control unit 95 and the sound control unit 96, and outputs a control amount.

[0051] For example, the body system control unit 84 receives a command related to the vehicle environment, determines which of the light control unit 97, HVAC control unit 98, seat control unit 99, etc. to operate, converts it into an appropriate command, and outputs it.

[0052] As described above, the architecture within the vehicle network is configured so that the first layer is the equipment management unit 9, the second layer is the status management unit 8, the third layer is the vehicle service unit 7, and the fourth layer is the service application 6.

[0053] The various equipment mounted on the vehicle as control targets are driven and controlled by the equipment management unit 9. The equipment management unit 9 also controls the drive of the various equipment in accordance with commands from the status management unit 8. The vehicle service unit 7 identifies the equipment to be controlled in response to a vehicle operation request input from the service application 6, and outputs a control request for the equipment to the status management unit 8.

[0054] In the vehicle control system 1 configured in this manner, the function as the control device of the present disclosure is realized by an ECUE 30 having a body system control unit 84 in the status management unit 8, and an ECUM 48 having a seat control unit 99 in the equipment management unit 9.

[0055] Next, the configuration of the ECUE 30 and the ECUM 48 for realizing the functions of the control device of the present disclosure will be described.

[0056] [Functional configuration as a control device] As shown in Figure 2, vehicle A of this embodiment is equipped with seats 50 and 51 arranged on the left and right sides at the front of the vehicle cabin, and seats 52 to 54 arranged on the left, right, and center at the rear of the vehicle cabin.

[0057] Position information indicating the position of the seat within the vehicle cabin is set for each of the five seats 50 to 54. This position information is made up of column position information indicating the position in the fore-and-aft direction of vehicle A and row position information indicating the position in the left-and-right direction of vehicle A.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 3, the column position information is set as Row 1, Row 2, ... in order from the front to the rear of the vehicle, with the front row seat at the front of the vehicle being the first row, and the row position information is set as the order in which the seats are arranged from the window seat on either side of the vehicle to the inside of the vehicle, with the window seat on either side being the first row.

[0059] That is, for seats located to the left of the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle, the row position information is set to Left1, Left2, ... in order from the outside left of the vehicle. Also, for seats located to the right of the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle, the row position information is set to Right1, Right2, ... in order from the outside right of the vehicle. Also, for seats located in the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle, the row position information is set to Center.

[0060] Therefore, in vehicle A of this embodiment, for example, the position information of the seat 50 by the right window in the front row is "Row1, Right1," and the position information of the seat 54 in the center of the rear row is "Row2, Center."

[0061] The terms "Row" representing the column position and "Left," "Right," and "Center" representing the row positions are used to clearly explain the method for setting the seat positions, and symbols that can identify the column and row positions are used for the position information that is actually used. Therefore, in cars A and C in Figure 3, the row position information for a seat located at the center in the left-right direction of the car may be set to "Left2 & Right2," as in seat 503 illustrated in Figure 11.

[0062] This method of setting location information can also be used in other vehicles that have different numbers and arrangements of seats from vehicle A.

[0063] For this reason, in the case of vehicle B, which has two seats in the front row and four seats in the second row, the column position information for the front row seats is Row1, and the row position information is Left1 and Right1, respectively, which represent the outer left and right seats, which is the same as vehicle A. Furthermore, the column position information for the second row seats is Row2, and the row position information for the outer left and right seats is Left1 and Right1, and for the inner left and right seats is Left2 and Right2.

[0064] In the case of vehicle C, which has three rows of seats, with two seats on each side in the first and second rows and three seats in the third row, the row position information for each seat is Row 1, Row 2, and Row 3, starting from row 1. The row position information for each seat is Left 1 and Right 1 for the outer seats on the left and right, and Center for the center seat in the third row.

[0065] Here, the row position information is set so that the arrangement order from the outside of the left and right of cars A, B, C, etc. can be determined in order to enable accurate selection of seat positions on the left and right sides of the car in accordance with control requests, even if the cars have different numbers and arrangements of seats.

[0066] In other words, as illustrated in Figure 4, if the row position information is set in order from the left side of the vehicle to the right side, such as Seat 1, Seat 2, etc., the position of the seat for "Row 2, Seat 2" will be different in vehicles D, A, and B, which have different numbers of seats in the second row.

[0067] Therefore, for example, if a user wants to operate the seat on the right window side of the second row, and a control request to operate the seat in "Row 2, Seat 2" is input, a seat in a different location will be selected as the object to be controlled in vehicles D, A, and B, which have different numbers of seats in the second row.

[0068] Specifically, in vehicle D, which has two seats in the second row, the seat by the right window in the second row is selected as requested by the user, but in vehicle A, which has three seats in the second row, the seat in the center of the second row is selected, and in vehicle B, which also has three seats in the second row, the seat on the left side of the center of the second row is selected.

[0069] In this way, if the row position information is set in order from the left or right side of the vehicle, it will be impossible to select the desired seat in a vehicle with a different number of seats on the left and right sides. However, if the position information is set using the setting method of this embodiment described above, it is possible to prevent such problems from occurring.

[0070] Next, the seats 50 to 54 installed in the vehicle A of this embodiment are configured as electric power seats. As shown in Figure 5, an electric power seat is a well-known type that can be slid forward and backward and can adjust the height of the seat surface 50A, the reclining angle of the backrest 50B, the height of the headrest 50C, etc. using an actuator such as an electric motor.

[0071] Then, in response to commands from the body system control unit 84, the seat control unit 99 adjusts the slide position, seat height, reclining angle, headrest position, etc. of the electric power seats that make up each of the seats 50 to 54, and outputs the results of these adjustments to the body system control unit 84.

[0072] Each of the seats 50 to 54 is installed in the vehicle cabin via a rotation mechanism 55 that rotatably supports the electric power seat. The rotation mechanism 55 supports each of the seats 50 to 54 so that they can rotate around a central axis in the height direction of the vehicle A, and the user can use the rotation mechanism 55 to change the orientation of the seats 50 to 54 from the standard forward direction to the left or right.

[0073] It should be noted that a locking mechanism (not shown) is provided in the rotation mechanism 55. The locking mechanism is for locking the seats 50 to 54 so that they do not rotate, and the user can rotate the seats 50 to 54 by releasing the lock provided by this locking mechanism.

[0074] Rails 56 are laid on the floor of vehicle A for moving each of the seats 50 to 54 in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions. The rotation mechanism 55 is movably provided on these rails 56. Therefore, each of the seats 50 to 54 can be moved back and forth or left and right within the vehicle cabin to change its position, as in the case of seat 53 shown in Figure 2. The seats can also be rotated to change their orientation.

[0075] The rotation and movement of each of the seats 50 to 54 using the rotation mechanism 55 and rails 56 are manually performed by the user. For this reason, the rotation mechanism 55 or the rails 56 are provided with a position sensor 58 and a rotation sensor 59 for detecting the position and orientation of each of the seats 50 to 54. Detection signals from these sensors 58, 59 are also input to the seat control unit 99, and output from the seat control unit 99 to the body system control unit 84.

[0076] Therefore, the body system control unit 84 can grasp the state of each seat 50 to 54 from the adjustment results of each seat 50 to 54 input from the seat control unit 99, and can grasp the position and orientation of each seat 50 to 54 from the detection results of the position sensor 58 and the rotation sensor 59.

[0077] The rotation and movement of each seat 50-54 may be performed using an actuator such as an electric motor, rather than manually by the user. In this case, the position and orientation of each seat 50-54 change depending on the operation of the actuator, and these parameters can be obtained from the actuator without using a sensor. The position and orientation of each seat 50-54 may also be detected based on an image captured by a camera installed inside the vehicle.

[0078] Next, management data for each of the seats 50 to 54 of the vehicle A is stored in the memory 32 of the ECUE 30 that constitutes the body system control unit 84. This management data includes identification information ID set for each of the seats 50 to 54 installed in the vehicle A, column position information and row position information for each of the seats 50 to 54, and spatial coordinates for each of the seats 50 to 54.

[0079] 7, the spatial coordinates are defined in a vehicle rear axis coordinate system with the origin at the midpoint between the left and right wheels at the rear of the vehicle, and the axis extending in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle is set as the X axis, the axis extending in the left-to-right direction is set as the Y axis, and the axis extending in the up-down direction is set as the Z axis. Note that the spatial coordinate in the X axis direction corresponds to the column spatial coordinate in the present disclosure, and the spatial coordinate in the Y axis direction corresponds to the row spatial coordinate in the present disclosure.

[0080] Since the position of each of the seats 50 to 54 is adjusted by the operation of the electric power seat, the management data stores, as spatial coordinates, an initial position that serves as a reference and a current position after the position has been adjusted.

[0081] Furthermore, because each of the seats 50 to 54 can be retracted by tilting the backrest 50B to a reclining angle of 0 degrees, the management data also stores information on the retracted state of each of the seats 50 to 54. The management data also stores information on the reclining angle, slide position, headrest position, etc. of each of the seats 50 to 54.

[0082] Furthermore, other vehicle components such as air conditioning outlets, spotlights, etc. may be located near each of the seats 50 to 54. For this reason, information about the air outlets and spotlights located near each of the seats 50 to 54 is stored as attribute information for each of the seats 50 to 54 in the management data, as shown in Fig. 6. Therefore, from the position information of each of the seats 50 to 54, it is also possible to identify other vehicle components such as air outlets and spotlights that are linked to that position information.

[0083] Furthermore, the seat position specified by the position information can be changed by moving each of the seats 50 to 54 back and forth and left and right using rails 56. Therefore, in the management data, the position information of the moved seat is rewritten, and the movement history of that seat is also updated.

[0084] That is, the ECUE 30 of the body system control unit 84 detects the movement of the seat based on the detection signal from the position sensor 58, the adjustment result by the seat control unit 99, or the image captured by the camera. Then, the ECUE 30 of the body system control unit 84 obtains the spatial coordinates of the moved seat and updates the spatial coordinates of the seat in the management data stored in the memory 32.

[0085] Furthermore, the ECUE 30 of the body system control unit 84 determines, from the spatial coordinates of the moved seat, to which front-to-rear or left-to-right order in the vehicle the moved seat belongs, and if the front-to-rear or left-to-right order has changed, it also updates the column position or row position of the seat 501 in the management data.

[0086] For example, as shown in Figure 8, when the seat 501 on the right window side of the third row moves laterally toward the center of the vehicle, the spatial coordinates of the seat 501 after the movement are detected based on a detection signal from the position sensor 58, etc., and the spatial coordinates of the seat 501 in the management data are updated.

[0087] Furthermore, if the spatial coordinates exceed a preset threshold value for determining rank and move toward the center of the vehicle, it is determined that seat 501 has moved from the right window side to the center, and the row position of seat 56 in the management data is rewritten from "Right 1" to "Center."

[0088] As a result, the position information of seat 501 in the management data is rewritten from "Row 3, Right 1" to "Row 3, Center," and the changed "Row 3, Center" is added to the movement history of seat 501.

[0089] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, when the right window seat 501 in the third row is moved to the center of the vehicle and then the right window seat 502 in the second row is moved backward, this movement is detected based on the detection signal from the position sensor 58, and the spatial coordinates of the seat 502 are updated.

[0090] If the spatial coordinates change rearward beyond a predetermined threshold for determining rank, it is determined that the seat 502 has moved rearward in the vehicle, and the row position of the seat 502 in the management data is rewritten from "Row 2" to "Row 3."

[0091] As a result, the position information of seat 502 in the management data is rewritten from "Row 2, Right 1" to "Row 3, Right 1", and the changed "Row 3, Right 1" is added to the movement history of seat 502.

[0092] Next, the control of each part of the vehicle using the management data and the management and updating of the management data are realized by the functions of the body system control unit 84.

[0093] [Processing] That is, the CPU 31 of the ECUE 30 executes a program stored in the memory 32, and the body system control unit 84 executes a control process to identify and control a seat or an in-vehicle part near the seat to be controlled in accordance with a control request from the vehicle service unit 71. In addition to this control process, the body system control unit 84 also executes a management data update process to monitor seat movement and update management data.

[0094] The control process using the management data and the update process of the management data, which are executed by the body system control unit 84, will be described below with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 9, in the control process, first, in S100, it is determined whether or not a control request based on management data has been received from the vehicle service unit 71, and the control request is waited for.

[0096] If it is determined in S100 that a control request has been made, the process proceeds to S102, where identification information capable of identifying the position of the controlled object is extracted from the control request. This identification information is information capable of identifying the front-to-rear order representing the order in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle and the left-to-right order representing the order in the left-to-right direction of the vehicle. In S102, the front-to-rear and left-to-right positions of the controlled object are detected from this identification information.

[0097] In addition, in S102, the seat to be controlled or an in-vehicle part such as a spotlight linked to that seat is identified based on the detected position within the vehicle, i.e., the column position and row position within the vehicle, and the management data, and then the process proceeds to S104.

[0098] In S104, in accordance with the control request, a control command for the seat or on-board component identified in S102 is output to the control unit corresponding to the control request, i.e., the light control unit 97, the HVAC control unit 98, the seat control unit 99, etc., and the control process is temporarily terminated.

[0099] As a result, the light control unit 97, the HVAC control unit 98, or the seat control unit 99 controls the controlled object in response to the control request.

[0100] For example, when a control request to change the reclining angle of the seat by the right window at the rear of the vehicle is input from the vehicle service unit 71, the seat at the position corresponding to the control request, in this case the seat with position information "Row 2, Right 1," is identified based on the management data. Once the seat corresponding to the control request has been identified, a control command to change the reclining angle of the identified seat, in this case seat ID: 005, is output to the seat control unit 99 in accordance with the control request. As a result, the seat control unit 99 adjusts the reclining angle of seat ID: 005.

[0101] Furthermore, when the seat control unit 99 changes the state of the seat, such as the reclining angle of the selected seat, in accordance with a command from the body system control unit 84 , it transmits the adjusted seat state to the body system control unit 84 .

[0102] Therefore, the body system control unit 84 can update the management data in the memory 37, specifically, information such as spatial coordinates, storage state, reclining angle, slide position, and headrest position, depending on the seat state information transmitted.

[0103] Therefore, the management data is updated in accordance with the movement of the electric power seats that make up each of the seats 50 to 54, and the body system control unit 84 can monitor the state of each of the seats 50 to 54 by updating the management data.

[0104] Furthermore, when the position or orientation of each seat 50 to 54 is changed, the body system control unit 84 can detect this based on the detection signals from the position sensor 58 and the rotation sensor 59, images captured by the camera, etc. When the position or orientation of each seat 50 to 54 is changed, the body system control unit 84 updates the position information and orientation information of the corresponding seat in the management data. Note that although the orientation information of each seat 50 to 54 is omitted in the management data shown in FIG. 6, the management data also includes directional information indicating the orientation of each seat.

[0105] Next, the management data update process executed by the CPU 31 of the ECUE 30 when a user detects movement of the seats 50-54 based on the position sensor 58 or images captured by a camera will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 10.

[0106] 10, the CPU 31 determines in S110 whether the seat has been moved by the user's movement or rotation. If it is determined in S110 that the seat has been moved, the CPU 31 proceeds to S120, where it obtains the spatial coordinates of the moved seat and updates the spatial coordinates of the seat in the management data stored in the memory 32.

[0107] Next, in S130, it is determined whether the position of the seat whose spatial coordinates have been updated in S120 is within the range of the column and row positions currently recognized in the management data, that is, whether the position of the moved seat belongs to the front-to-back or left-to-right order currently recognized as the seat position.

[0108] Then, if it is determined in S110 that the seat has not been moved, or if it is determined in S130 that the seat position belongs to the front-to-back or left-to-right order currently recognized as the seat position, the updating process of the management data is terminated.

[0109] On the other hand, if it is determined in S130 that the seat position does not belong to the front-to-back or left-to-right order currently recognized as the seat position, i.e., that the seat position has changed, the process proceeds to S140, where the position information of the moved seat, i.e., the row or column position, is updated in the management data so that it corresponds to the current seat position.

[0110] After updating the seat position information in the management data in S140, the process proceeds to S150, where it is determined whether or not there is seat-position-specific attribute information, i.e., information about spotlights and air outlets, linked to the updated seat position. If there is seat-position-specific attribute information, the process proceeds to S160, where the attribute information is linked to the seat so that it becomes the attribute information of the seat whose position information has been rewritten.

[0111] Therefore, for example, when a control request to turn on a spotlight located near a seat in the second row on the right window side of vehicle A is input to the body system control unit 84, the spotlight to be controlled can be appropriately selected using the management data.

[0112] In other words, in this case, the body system control unit 84 can identify the seat corresponding to the spotlight to be controlled based on the management data, appropriately select the spotlight from the attribute information of that seat, and output a lighting command to the light control unit 97, etc.

[0113] In S160, attribute information is linked to the seat whose position information has been updated this time, or if it is determined in S150 that there is no attribute information specific to the seat position, the process proceeds to S170. In S170, the latest position information is added to the movement history of the seat whose position information has been updated this time, and the management data update process ends.

[0114] [Effects] As described above, in the vehicle control system 1 of this embodiment, the memory 32 of the ECUE 30, which functions as the body system control unit 84, stores management data representing the seat positions and seat states of the multiple seats 50 to 54 installed in the vehicle A.

[0115] The body system control unit 84 uses the management data to identify the corresponding seat or another in-vehicle component linked to that seat as a controlled object based on identification information included in the control request input from the vehicle service unit 7, such as information such as second row, right window side.The body system control unit 84 then controls the identified controlled object via the light control unit 97, HVAC control unit 98, or seat control unit 99.

[0116] Furthermore, when the seat position is changed by the user, the body system control unit 84 detects the change in seat position based on the detection signals from the position sensor 58 and the rotation sensor 59 or the image captured by the camera, and updates the position information of the corresponding seat. Therefore, even if the seat position is changed, the seat to be controlled can be identified using the management data and controlled by the seat control unit 99.

[0117] Furthermore, the vehicle service unit 7 and its higher-level service application 6, which input control requests to the body system control unit 84, only need to input control requests that can identify the positions of the seats in the vehicle, and do not need to generate control requests based on the number or arrangement of seats in the vehicle.

[0118] Therefore, the programs incorporated in the vehicle service unit 7 and the service application 6 do not need to be created for each vehicle with the same number and arrangement of seats, and a common program can be used for each vehicle. Therefore, the vehicle control device system of this embodiment makes it easy to manage the programs used to control the seats and peripheral devices.

[0119] In particular, according to the body system control unit 84 of this embodiment, the position information of each seat 50 to 54 can be used not only when controlling the seats 50 to 54 configured as electric power seats, but also when controlling other vehicle components corresponding to the positions of each seat 50 to 54.

[0120] Therefore, the body system control unit 84 can control the other on-board parts associated with each of the seats 50 to 54 in accordance with a control request from the vehicle service unit 7, without managing the position information of the other on-board parts corresponding to each of the seats 50 to 54. This simplifies the configuration of the body system control unit 84.

[0121] In this embodiment, the memory 32 of the ECUE 30 corresponds to an example of a storage unit in the present disclosure, and the body system control unit 84 that receives a control request input from the service app 6 via the vehicle service unit 7 corresponds to an example of an input unit in the present disclosure. The body system control unit 84 and the seat control unit 99 that identify and control a seat or an in-vehicle part to be controlled in accordance with the control request correspond to an example of a control unit in the present disclosure. The position sensor 58 and the rotation sensor 59 correspond to an example of a detection unit in the present disclosure.

[0122] [Modifications] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be implemented in various modifications.

[0123] For example, in the above embodiment, the control device of the present disclosure is applied to a vehicle control system 1 in which the architecture within the vehicle network is hierarchical in four layers: a service application 6, a vehicle service unit 7, a status management unit 8, and an equipment management unit 9. However, the control device of the present disclosure can also be applied in the same manner as the above embodiment to a control system that controls equipment to be controlled in accordance with a control request input from an operation input unit such as a remote control, as described in Patent Document 1.

[0124] In the above embodiment, the management data stores, as the position information of each seat, spatial coordinates representing the seat position within the vehicle, as well as information on the column and row positions corresponding to the identification information included in the control request. However, the management data may store only spatial coordinates within the vehicle as the position information of each seat.

[0125] Even in this case, it is possible to identify and control the seat to be controlled or other mounted parts corresponding to the seat based on the identification information included in the control request and the spatial coordinates of each seat. That is, in this case, when the control target is identified based on the identification information included in the control request and the management data in S102 of Fig. 9, the order in the front-rear and left-right directions of the vehicle identified by the identification information may be associated with the spatial coordinates in the management data.

[0126] In the above embodiment, a seat is used as an example of an accessory whose mounting position in a vehicle is managed by management data, but other in-vehicle components such as a spotlight, an air conditioning vent, a window, etc. may also be used as an accessory whose mounting position is managed by management data. In other words, the accessory whose mounting position is managed by management data may be any component that is distributed in multiple locations within the vehicle cabin.

[0127] Similarly, the controlled object identified by the location information of the management data is not limited to an on-vehicle part located near the equipment constituting the management data, but may be an on-vehicle part linked to each equipment. In this case, however, it is preferable that the on-vehicle part be set as attribute information of the equipment.

[0128] Next, in the above embodiment, the row position information is described as being set as Row 1, Row 2, ... in order from the front to the rear of the vehicle, with the front row of seats at the front of the vehicle being Row 1, but the column position information may also be set in the same way as the row position information.

[0129] 11, for accessories arranged forward of the center of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction, the row position information may be set as Front1, Front2, ... in order from the front row of the vehicle. Also, for seats arranged behind the center of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction, the row position information may be set as Back1, Back2, ... in order from the rear row of the vehicle.

[0130] In this case, the row position information for the seat located in the center of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction may be set to "Front 2 & Back 2," similar to the case of seat 503 located in the center of the vehicle in the lateral direction. In this way, it is possible to identify that the seat is located in the center of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction.

[0131] The functions of the control device of the present disclosure may be realized by a special-purpose computer configured by configuring a processor and memory programmed to implement one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the functions of the control device of the present disclosure may be realized by a special-purpose computer configured by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the functions of the control device of the present disclosure may be realized by one or more special-purpose computers configured by combining a processor and memory programmed to implement one or more functions with a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored on a computer-readable non-transitory tangible storage medium as instructions to be executed by a computer. Furthermore, the method for realizing the functions of the control device of the present disclosure does not necessarily need to include software; all of the functions may be realized using one or more hardware components.

[0132] In the above embodiments, multiple functions of one component may be realized by multiple components, or one function of one component may be realized by multiple components. Furthermore, multiple functions of multiple components may be realized by one component, or one function realized by multiple components may be realized by one component. Furthermore, part of the configuration of the above embodiments may be omitted. Furthermore, at least part of the configuration of the above embodiments may be added to or substituted for the configuration of another of the above embodiments.

[0133] In addition, the technology disclosed herein can be realized in various forms, such as a control device including the above-mentioned ECU, a program for causing a computer to function as a control device, a non-transient physical recording medium such as a semiconductor memory on which this program is recorded, and a vehicle control method.

[0134] [Technical Idea Disclosed in the Present Specification] (1) A vehicle control device comprising: a storage unit (32) configured to store, for each of a plurality of pieces of equipment, column position information representing a position of the piece of equipment in a front-to-rear direction of the vehicle and row position information representing a position of the piece of equipment in a left-to-right direction of the vehicle as position information representing the mounting position of the piece of equipment on the vehicle; an input unit (84) configured to receive a control request for the piece of equipment or another on-board part linked to the piece of equipment specified by identification information capable of specifying a front-to-rear order representing the order of the piece of equipment in the front-to-rear direction and a left-to-right order representing the order of the piece of equipment in the left-to-right direction of the vehicle; and a control unit (84, 99) configured to determine, based on the identification information included in the control request and the position information stored in the storage unit, the piece of equipment or the other on-board part linked to the piece of equipment corresponding to the control request as a control target, and to implement control of the control target. (2) The vehicle control device according to (1), wherein the left-to-right order is set so as to identify the arrangement order of the pieces of equipment from the outside to the center on the left and right sides of the vehicle. (3) The vehicle control device according to (1) or (2), wherein the front-rear order is set so that the arrangement order of the accessories can be identified from the outside of the front or rear of the vehicle toward the center, or the arrangement order of the accessories can be identified from the front row of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle. (4) The vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the row position information includes row spatial coordinates that represent spatial coordinates in the left-right direction of the vehicle, the column position information includes column spatial coordinates that represent spatial coordinates in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the control unit is configured to associate the row spatial coordinates and the column spatial coordinates with the left-right order and the front-rear order.(5) The vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the accessories include seats (50-54) arranged in a passenger compartment of the vehicle so that the mounting position thereof can be changed, the seats are provided with detection units (58, 59) that detect the mounting position of the seats in the vehicle, and the control unit is configured to update the position information of the seats stored in the memory unit in accordance with the change in mounting position when the detection unit detects that the mounting position of the seats has changed. (6) The vehicle control device according to (5), wherein, when updating the position information of the seats stored in the memory unit, if there is attribute information that identifies the other on-board parts linked to the updated position information, the control unit updates the attribute information as attribute information of the seats after the position information update.

Claims

1. a storage unit (32) configured to store, as position information representing mounting positions of the plurality of equipment items on the vehicle, column position information representing a position in a front-rear direction of the vehicle and row position information representing a position in a left-right direction of the vehicle for each of the plurality of equipment items; an input unit (84) configured to receive a control request for the equipment or another on-vehicle part linked to the equipment, the control request being specified by identification information that can specify a front-rear order representing the order in the front-rear direction and a left-right order representing the order in the left-right direction in the vehicle, the identification information being used in another vehicle having a number and arrangement of the equipment different from that of the vehicle; a control unit (84, 99) configured to determine the accessory corresponding to the control request or another on-vehicle part linked to the accessory as a control target based on the identification information included in the control request and the position information stored in the storage unit, and to control the control target; A vehicle control device comprising:

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, A vehicle control device, wherein the left-right order is set so that an arrangement order of the accessories can be identified from the outside of the left or right side of the vehicle toward the center.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, A vehicle control device, wherein the front-rear order is set so that the arrangement order of the equipment can be identified from the outside of the front or rear of the vehicle toward the center, or the arrangement order of the equipment can be identified from the front row of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, The row position information includes row spatial coordinates that represent spatial coordinates in a left-right direction of the vehicle, The column position information includes column spatial coordinates that represent spatial coordinates in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, A vehicle control device, wherein the control unit is configured to associate the row spatial coordinates and the column spatial coordinates with the left-right order and the front-rear order.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, The equipment includes a seat (50 to 54) provided in a passenger compartment of the vehicle so that the mounting position can be changed, The seat is provided with a detection unit (58, 59) for detecting the mounting position in the vehicle, A vehicle control device, wherein the control unit is configured to update the position information of the seat stored in the memory unit in response to a change in the mounting position when the detection unit detects that the mounting position of the seat has changed.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 5, A vehicle control device, wherein when updating the position information of the seat stored in the memory unit, if there is attribute information identifying the other vehicle parts linked to the updated position information, the control unit updates the attribute information as the attribute information of the seat after the position information is updated.

7. A vehicle control system having a control device (30) mounted on a vehicle and a center device (35) configured to be able to communicate with the vehicle, The center device includes: The system is adapted to a plurality of types of vehicles having different numbers and arrangements of equipment, and is configured to transmit a control request for the equipment or other on-board parts associated with the equipment to the vehicle using identification information capable of identifying a front-rear order representing a front-rear order and a left-right order representing a left-right order in the vehicle, The control device includes: a storage unit (32) configured to store, as position information representing mounting positions of the plurality of equipment items on the vehicle, column position information representing a position in a front-rear direction of the vehicle and row position information representing a position in a left-right direction of the vehicle for each of the plurality of equipment items; an input unit (84) configured to receive a control request from the center device; a control unit (84, 99) configured to determine the accessory corresponding to the control request or another on-vehicle part linked to the accessory as a control target based on the identification information included in the control request and the position information stored in the storage unit, and to control the control target; A vehicle control system comprising:

8. A method for controlling a vehicle including a storage unit in which column position information representing a position of a plurality of equipment items in a front-rear direction of the vehicle and row position information representing a position of the plurality of equipment items in a left-right direction of the vehicle are stored for each of the plurality of equipment items, the method comprising: an input process for receiving a control request for the equipment or another on-vehicle part associated with the equipment, the control request being specified by identification information that can specify a front-rear order representing the order in the front-rear direction and a left-right order representing the order in the left-right direction of the vehicle, the identification information being used in another vehicle that is different from the vehicle in number and arrangement of the equipment; a control process of determining, as a control target, the accessory corresponding to the control request or another on-vehicle part associated with the accessory based on the identification information included in the control request and the position information stored in the storage unit, and executing control of the control target; A method for controlling a vehicle.

9. A method for controlling a vehicle including a storage unit in which column position information representing a position of a plurality of equipment items in a front-rear direction of the vehicle and row position information representing a position of the plurality of equipment items in a left-right direction of the vehicle are stored for each of the plurality of equipment items, the method comprising: an input process for receiving a control request transmitted from a center device configured to be able to communicate with the vehicle, the control request being for the equipment or another on-vehicle part linked to the equipment, the control request being specified by identification information that can specify a front-rear order representing the order in the front-rear direction and a left-right order representing the order in the left-right direction in the vehicle, the identification information being used in other vehicles having a number and arrangement of the equipment different from that of the vehicle; a control process of determining, as a control target, the accessory corresponding to the control request or another on-vehicle part associated with the accessory based on the identification information included in the control request and the position information stored in the storage unit, and executing control of the control target; A method for controlling a vehicle.

10. A control program for causing a computer to function as a vehicle control device including a storage unit in which column position information representing a position in a front-rear direction of the vehicle and row position information representing a position in a left-right direction of the vehicle are stored for each of the plurality of accessories, the control program comprising: an input unit that receives a control request for the equipment or another on-vehicle part linked to the equipment, the control request being specified by identification information that can specify a front-rear order representing the order in the front-rear direction and a left-right order representing the order in the left-right direction in the vehicle, the identification information being used in another vehicle having a number and arrangement of the equipment different from that of the vehicle; and a control unit that determines, based on the identification information included in the control request and the position information stored in the storage unit, the accessory corresponding to the control request or another on-vehicle part linked to the accessory as a control target, and controls the control target. A program that realizes the function as follows.