Onboard communication device

Abstract

An onboard communication device (11) comprises a conversion unit (21), an execution unit (22), and a restriction unit (23). The conversion unit (21) converts information transmitted from an ECU (12) using conversion information (21B) which is stored in advance. The execution unit (22) executes an application program (e.g. a first application program (22A)) which uses the information converted by the conversion unit (21). The restriction unit (23) restricts the execution unit (22) from accessing the conversion information (21B) through the execution of the application program.

Description

In-vehicle communication device

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an in-vehicle communication device. The in-vehicle communication device includes an application processing unit that executes an application program. The application processing unit receives data from the in-vehicle device via a relay processing unit.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-131641

[0004] Since data transmitted from an in-vehicle device is difficult to decipher, it may be converted into an easily understandable format before being transmitted to an application processing unit. In such a configuration, it is necessary to prevent the leakage of conversion information required for conversion so that the data transmitted from the in-vehicle device cannot be illegally deciphered. One possible pattern of leakage is when the application processing unit illegally obtains the conversion information. This problem becomes more pronounced in a configuration in which application programs can be downloaded from an external device.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique that makes it easy to prevent conversion information from being illegally obtained through the execution of an application program.

[0006] The in-vehicle communication device of the present disclosure includes a conversion unit that converts information transmitted from an ECU using pre-stored conversion information, an execution unit that executes an application program that uses the information converted by the conversion unit, and a restriction unit that restricts the execution unit from accessing the conversion information by executing the application program.

[0007] According to the technology of the present disclosure, it is easy to prevent conversion information from being illegally obtained through the execution of an application program.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of a communication system including an in-vehicle communication device according to a first embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram of a communication system that more specifically embodies the in-vehicle communication device in Fig. 1.

[0009] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] [1] An in-vehicle communication device comprising: a conversion unit that converts information transmitted from an ECU using pre-stored conversion information; an execution unit that executes an application program that uses the information converted by the conversion unit; and a restriction unit that restricts the execution unit from accessing the conversion information by executing the application program.

[0011] The in-vehicle communication device can prevent the conversion information from being obtained illegally by restricting the execution unit from accessing the conversion information through execution of the application program.

[0012] [2] The in-vehicle communication device according to [1], wherein the restriction unit uses virtualization technology to place the application program in an environment separated from the conversion information and operate the application program in the environment.

[0013] The above-mentioned in-vehicle communication device operates the application program in an environment separated from the conversion information, thereby preventing the conversion information from being illegally obtained by executing the application program.

[0014] [3] The vehicle-mounted communication device according to [2], wherein the restriction unit separates the application program from the conversion information using virtualization technology, containerizes the application program, and runs the application program using a container engine.

[0015] The portability of the above-mentioned in-vehicle communication device can be improved by using container-based virtualization technology.

[0016] [4] The in-vehicle communication device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the conversion unit rewrites the conversion information based on an input signal from an external device.

[0017] By providing an input signal to the conversion unit, the user can rewrite the conversion information to appropriate information according to the type of vehicle, etc.

[0018] [5] The conversion unit selects one of the plurality of conversion information stored in advance based on an input signal from an external device, and converts information transmitted from the ECU using the selected conversion information. [6] The in-vehicle communication device described in any one of [1] to [3].

[0019] By providing an input signal to the conversion unit, the user can select appropriate conversion information according to the type of vehicle, etc.

[0020] [6] The execution unit executes the application program to transmit the information converted by the conversion unit to an information management server located outside the vehicle, either directly or after processing. An in-vehicle communication device described in any one of [1] to [5].

[0021] The in-vehicle communication device can automatically transmit information within the vehicle to an information management server outside the vehicle. Furthermore, the in-vehicle communication device can prevent conversion information from being illegally acquired due to execution of an application program, thereby preventing conversion information from being illegally acquired and transmitted to the information management server.

[0022] [7] The in-vehicle communication device described in any one of [1] to [6], wherein the information transmitted from the ECU includes at least one of information transmitted using a CAN communication protocol and information transmitted using a LIN communication protocol.

[0023] The above-described in-vehicle communication device can convert information that is difficult to decipher, such as information transmitted using a communication protocol such as CAN or LIN, into an easy-to-understand format and allow the information to be used by an application program.

[0024] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] <First embodiment> 1-1. Configuration of communication system 1 Fig. 1 discloses a communication system 1 of the first embodiment. The communication system 1 includes a vehicle 10, an application management server 2, and an information management server 3. The vehicle 10 is communicably connected to the application management server 2 and the information management server 3 using a wireless communication line such as the Internet 4.

[0025] The vehicle 10 includes an in-vehicle communication device 11 , an ECU 12 , and a notification unit 13 .

[0026] The in-vehicle communication device 11 is connected to the ECU 12 via a communication line 15 that constitutes an in-vehicle network. The ECU 12 is an electronic control unit (ECU). A plurality of ECUs 12 are provided. The communication line 15 is, for example, a communication bus. Each ECU 12 may be connected to the in-vehicle communication device 11 via a different communication line 15, or may be connected to the in-vehicle communication device 11 via the same communication line 15. The in-vehicle communication device 11 and each ECU 12 may communicate using a CAN communication protocol, a LIN communication protocol, or another communication protocol.

[0027] The in-vehicle communication device 11 is connected to the notification unit 13 via a communication line 16. The notification unit 13 notifies predetermined information to an occupant (e.g., the driver) of the vehicle 10. The notification unit 13 has a display 13A and an audio output unit 13B. The display 13A is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an indicator lamp. The audio output unit 13B is, for example, a speaker.

[0028] The in-vehicle communication device 11 acquires the vehicle 10's location information, time information, information indicating the operating status of actuators, information indicating the on / off status of switches, information indicating the on / off status of lamps, information indicating the remaining battery charge, etc., based on information transmitted from the ECU 12, information output from sensors (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 10, information obtainable from direct line, etc.

[0029] The in-vehicle communication device 11 includes a conversion unit 21 , an execution unit 22 , and a restriction unit 23 .

[0030] The conversion unit 21 includes a second application program 21A and conversion information 21B. By executing the second application program 21A, the conversion unit 21 converts information transmitted from the ECU 12 using pre-stored conversion information 21B. The information transmitted from the ECU 12 is, for example, information transmitted using a CAN communication protocol or a LIN communication protocol. The information transmitted from the ECU 12 includes, for example, information indicating vehicle speed, steering angle, brake pressure, battery voltage, etc. The conversion unit 21 may or may not encrypt the converted information.

[0031] The conversion information 21B includes identification information for identifying information to be converted from among the information transmitted from the ECU 12, and conversion correspondence information indicating how to convert the identified information. The identification information is, for example, the ID of the CAN data, a channel (information indicating which bit of the information in the data field), etc. The conversion correspondence information is, for example, information indicating by how many times the identified information should be multiplied.

[0032] The conversion information 21B is set to differ depending on, for example, the type of vehicle 10. The conversion unit 21 may rewrite the conversion information 21B based on an input signal from an external device. With this configuration, the user can rewrite the conversion information 21B to appropriate information according to, for example, the type of vehicle 10 by providing the input signal to the conversion unit 21.

[0033] The conversion unit 21 may store a plurality of pieces of conversion information 21B in advance. The conversion unit 21 may then select one of the plurality of pieces of conversion information 21B based on an input signal from an external device, and use the selected conversion information 21B to convert information transmitted from the ECU 12. With this configuration, the user can provide the input signal to the conversion unit 21 to select appropriate conversion information 21B according to the type of vehicle 10, etc.

[0034] The execution unit 22 includes a first application program 22A that uses the information converted by the conversion unit 21. The first application program 22A corresponds to an example of an application program. The execution unit 22 executes the first application program 22A. The execution unit 22 downloads and installs the first application program 22A from the application management server 2. For example, by executing the first application program 22A, the execution unit 22 transmits the information converted by the conversion unit 21 to the information management server 3 provided outside the vehicle 10, either directly or after processing.

[0035] The restriction unit 23 restricts the execution unit 22 from accessing the conversion information 21B by executing the first application program 22A. The restriction unit 23 uses virtualization technology to place the first application program 22A in an environment separated from the conversion information 21B and run it in that environment. The restriction unit 23 uses virtualization technology to separate the first application program 22A from the conversion information 21B, containerize it, and run it on the container engine 43 (see FIG. 2).

[0036] The following description relates to a more specific configuration of the in-vehicle communication device 11. As shown in FIG.

[0037] The first communication unit 31 includes a communication interface for communicating with devices (e.g., the ECU 12) mounted on the vehicle 10. The first communication unit 31 is also directly connected to the vehicle 10.

[0038] The second communication unit 32 includes a wireless communication interface for wireless communication. The second communication unit 32 is connected to the Internet 4 and is capable of communicating with the application management server 2 and the information management server 3.

[0039] The control circuit 33 includes, for example, a microcomputer, a processor such as a CPU, and a memory such as a nonvolatile memory. The control circuit 33 is formed by a single integrated circuit.

[0040] The control circuit 33 communicates with the ECU 12 via the first communication unit 31. The control circuit 33 receives immediate notification information via the first communication unit 31. The control circuit 33 can control the notification unit 13 via the first communication unit 31. The control circuit 33 can communicate with the application management server 2 and the information management server 3 via the second communication unit 32.

[0041] The control circuit 33 constructs a first container 41 that containerizes the first application program 22A. The control circuit 33 constructs a second container 42 that containerizes the second application program 21A and the conversion information 21B. The control circuit 33 includes a container engine 43. The first container 41 and the second container 42 each run on the container engine 43.

[0042] When the second container 42 operates to execute the second application program 21A, information transmitted from the ECU 12 is converted using the conversion information 21B. The converted information is stored in the second container 42. When the first container 41 operates to execute the first application program 22A, the converted information stored in the second container 42 is requested and used to execute the first application program 22A. The specific method of use is as described above.

[0043] 1 are configured by the control circuit 33. Specifically, the conversion unit 21 is realized by the second container 42 and the container engine 43. The execution unit 22 is realized by the first container 41 and the container engine 43. The restriction unit 23 is realized by the first container 41, the second container 42, and the container engine 43.

[0044] The following description relates to the effects of the in-vehicle communication device 11 of the first embodiment. The in-vehicle communication device 11 of the first embodiment can prevent the conversion information 21B from being illegally acquired by restricting the execution unit 22 from accessing the conversion information 21B by executing the first application program 22A.

[0045] The in-vehicle communication device 11 operates the first application program 22A in an environment separated from the conversion information 21B, thereby preventing the conversion information 21B from being illegally obtained by executing the first application program 22A.

[0046] The in-vehicle communication device 11 can improve portability by using container-based virtualization technology.

[0047] The in-vehicle communication device 11 can automatically transmit information within the vehicle 10 to the information management server 3 outside the vehicle 10. Furthermore, the in-vehicle communication device 11 can prevent the conversion information 21B from being illegally acquired due to the execution of the first application program 22A, and therefore can prevent the conversion information 21B from being illegally acquired and transmitted to the information management server 3.

[0048] The in-vehicle communication device 11 can convert information that is difficult to decipher, such as information transmitted using a communication protocol such as CAN or LIN, into an easy-to-understand format and allow the first application program 22A to use the converted information.

[0049] <Other Embodiments> The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings. For example, any combination of features of the above-described or below-described embodiments is possible within a range that does not contradict. Furthermore, any feature of the above-described or below-described embodiments may be omitted unless explicitly stated as essential. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be modified as follows.

[0050] In the first embodiment, the in-vehicle communication device 11 is configured to use a container as the virtualization technology, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the in-vehicle communication device 11 may be configured to use a virtual machine as the virtualization technology. That is, the restriction unit 23 may use the virtualization technology to build a virtual machine separated from the conversion information 21B and run the first application program 22A on the virtual machine.

[0051] In the first embodiment, the execution unit 22 is configured to execute, for example, the first application program 22A, and transmit the information converted by the conversion unit 21 directly or after processing to the information management server 3. However, a different configuration may be used. For example, the execution unit 22 may be configured to execute the first application program 22A, and determine the state of the vehicle 10 based on the information converted by the conversion unit 21, and notify the occupant of the determined state of the vehicle 10 via the notification unit 13.

[0052] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0053] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Communication system 2...Application management server 3...Information management server 4...Internet 10...Vehicle 11...In-vehicle communication device 12...ECU 13...Notification unit 13A...Display unit 13B...Audio output unit 15...Communication line 16...Communication line 21...Conversion unit 21A...Second application program 21B...Conversion information 22...Execution unit 22A...First application program 23...Restriction unit 31...First communication unit 32...Second communication unit 33...Control circuit 41...First container 42...Second container 43...Container engine

Claims

1. An in-vehicle communication device comprising: a conversion unit that converts information transmitted from an ECU using pre-stored conversion information; an execution unit that executes an application program that uses the information converted by the conversion unit; and a restriction unit that restricts the execution unit from accessing the conversion information through execution of the application program.

2. The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein the restriction unit uses virtualization technology to place the application program in an environment separated from the conversion information, and causes the application program to operate in the environment.

3. The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 2, wherein the restriction unit separates the application program from the conversion information using virtualization technology, containerizes the application program, and runs the application program using a container engine.

4. The in-vehicle communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the conversion unit rewrites the conversion information based on an input signal from an external device.

5. The in-vehicle communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the conversion unit selects one of a plurality of pieces of conversion information stored in advance based on an input signal from an external device, and converts information transmitted from the ECU using the selected conversion information.

6. The in-vehicle communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the execution unit, by executing the application program, transmits the information converted by the conversion unit to an information management server located outside the vehicle either directly or after processing.

7. The in-vehicle communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the information transmitted from the ECU includes at least one of information transmitted using a CAN communication protocol and information transmitted using a LIN communication protocol.

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