Vehicle control device and on-vehicle program

Abstract

This vehicle control device (10) mounted on a vehicle (101) comprises: a condition setting unit (15) for setting a data acquisition condition; a data acquisition unit (14) for acquiring data pertaining to sensor information acquired by various types of sensors mounted on the vehicle when the acquisition condition is satisfied; and a transmission unit (17) for transmitting the data acquired by the data acquisition unit to a server (102) over a communication network (103). When the acquisition condition is not satisfied within a predetermined limit time, the condition setting unit changes the acquisition condition and newly sets the acquisition condition.

Description

Vehicle control device and in-vehicle program CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Application No. 2024-069043, filed on April 22, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device and an in-vehicle program.

[0003] In recent years, a method has been adopted in which various data actually acquired from vehicles after they have been sold while they are being driven is collected on a server via a communication network, and the data collected on the server is analyzed to be used in future vehicle development or to update the vehicle's control program.

[0004] One example of such a method is a verification method called shadow mode, in which a vehicle control program to be verified is run while the vehicle is running after sales to verify its performance and safety. In a verification using shadow mode, the vehicle control program to be verified is run in the background, i.e., without being involved in vehicle control, and data related to the output values ​​is stored. The data related to the output values ​​is then collected by a server via an external network or the like. The collected data is then analyzed to verify the operation of the vehicle control program. Technology related to such shadow mode is described, for example, in Patent Document 1.

[0005] International Publication No. 2022 / 004324

[0006] When collecting data, the data is collected when a predetermined trigger condition is met. However, if the trigger condition is not set appropriately, data may not be collected properly in a particular situation, or conversely, too much data may be collected in a particular situation, which can be problematic.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has as its main object to provide a vehicle control device and an in-vehicle program that can efficiently collect necessary data.

[0008] A vehicle control device for solving the above problem is a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle, and includes a condition setting unit that sets data acquisition conditions, a data acquisition unit that acquires data related to sensor information acquired by various sensors mounted on the vehicle when the acquisition conditions are met, and a transmission unit that transmits the data acquired by the data acquisition unit to a server via a communication network, and if the acquisition conditions are not met within a predetermined time limit, the condition setting unit changes and sets new acquisition conditions.

[0009] In this way, if there are any acquisition conditions that have not been met, they are changed. Therefore, the acquisition conditions can be changed to appropriate ones. Therefore, even if data cannot be acquired in a specific situation, it is possible to improve the situation and acquire data in the specific situation.

[0010] The in-vehicle program for solving the above problem is an in-vehicle program executed by a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle, and causes the vehicle control device to perform an acquisition condition setting step of setting data acquisition conditions, a data acquisition step of acquiring data related to sensor information acquired by various sensors mounted on the vehicle when the acquisition conditions are met, and a transmission step of transmitting the data acquired by the data acquisition step to a server via a communication network, and in the acquisition condition setting step, if the acquisition conditions are not met within a predetermined time limit, the acquisition conditions are changed and newly set.

[0011] In this way, if there are any acquisition conditions that have not been met, they are changed. Therefore, the acquisition conditions can be changed to appropriate ones. Therefore, even if data cannot be acquired in a specific situation, it is possible to improve the situation and acquire data in the specific situation.

[0012] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a data collection system, Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing functions performed by a verification processing device, Fig. 3 is a flowchart of processing related to setting acquisition conditions, Fig. 4 is a flowchart of data acquisition processing, Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing functions performed by a verification processing device of a modified example, Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing functions performed by a processing device in a second embodiment, Fig. 7 is a flowchart of data acquisition processing in the second embodiment, and Fig. 8 is a flowchart of data acquisition processing in a modified example.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle control device and an on-board program according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that, between the embodiments and modifications, the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated in principle.

[0014] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 shows a data collection system 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the data collection system 100 includes a server 102 as a data collection server, and is capable of communicating with one or more vehicles 101 via a communication network 103 such as the Internet. Fig. 1 shows only one vehicle 101. The vehicle 101 includes a vehicle control device 10, a sensor 20, an actuator 30, and the like. The vehicle control device 10 is mounted on the vehicle 101 and controls the vehicle 101 and performs driving assistance.

[0015] The sensor 20 includes various sensors for measuring the traveling conditions of the vehicle 101, such as a vehicle speed sensor 21, an acceleration sensor 22, and a yaw rate sensor 23. The sensors for measuring the traveling conditions of the vehicle 101 may include other sensors, or any of the vehicle speed sensor 21, the acceleration sensor 22, and the yaw rate sensor 23 may not be included.

[0016] The sensor 20 also includes various sensors for detecting other vehicles and obstacles, such as a camera 24 and a millimeter-wave radar 25. The sensor for detecting other vehicles and obstacles is not limited to the millimeter-wave radar 25, but may also be a laser radar (LiDAR), an ultrasonic sensor, or a combination of these. The camera 24 may also be a monocular camera or a compound camera. The camera 24 may also capture either still images or videos. The number, position, and type of the cameras 24 may be changed as desired. For example, the vehicle may include a front camera that captures the area in front of the vehicle, a right-side camera that captures the area on the right side of the vehicle, a left-side camera that captures the area on the left side of the vehicle, and a rear camera that captures the area behind the vehicle.

[0017] The sensor 20 also includes various sensors for detecting various amounts of operation by the driver, such as an accelerator sensor 26 that detects the amount of accelerator operation by the driver, a brake sensor 27 that detects the amount of brake operation, and a steering angle sensor 28 that detects the amount of steering (steering angle) of the steering wheel by the driver.

[0018] These sensors 20 are connected to the vehicle control device 10 wirelessly or by wire, and the measurement results (or detection results) of these sensors 20 are input to the vehicle control device 10 or the like as sensor information.

[0019] The actuators 30 include, for example, actuators for driving the vehicle 101, such as a motor that serves as the main engine of the vehicle 101. The actuators 30 may also include actuators for controlling the behavior of the vehicle 101, such as an actuator for operating a steering wheel, an actuator for operating a brake pedal, or an actuator for operating an accelerator pedal. The actuators 30 may also include devices for operating accessories of the vehicle 101, such as a display, a speaker, an indicator, and a headlight. The driving and operation of the vehicle 101 are controlled by the actuators 30.

[0020] The vehicle control device 10 is primarily composed of a microcomputer including a processing unit 10a such as a CPU and a storage unit 10b such as various types of memory. The functions provided by the microcomputer can be provided by software recorded in a physical memory device and a computer executing the software, software alone, hardware alone, or a combination thereof. For example, when the microcomputer is provided by electronic circuits, which are hardware, the functions can be provided by digital circuits including numerous logic circuits or analog circuits. For example, the processing unit 10a of the microcomputer executes programs stored in a non-transitory tangible storage medium (non-transitory tangible storage medium) that serves as the storage unit 10b. The programs include, for example, programs that realize functions shown in FIG. 2 . Execution of the programs results in the execution of methods corresponding to the programs. The storage unit 10b is, for example, a non-volatile memory. The programs stored in the storage unit 10b can be downloaded and updated via a communication network 103, such as the Internet, via over-the-air (OTA) or other means.

[0021] The vehicle control device 10 has various functions (application programs) for assisting the driving of the vehicle 101, and these functions control the actuator 30 based on sensor information input from the sensor 20.

[0022] Typical functions for assisting the driving of the vehicle 101 include, for example, an adaptive cruise control system (ACC), a forward collision warning (FCW), an advanced emergency braking system (AEBS), a night vision / pedestrian detection (NV / PD), a traffic sign recognition (TSR), a lane departure warning (LDW), a lane keeping assist system (LKAS), a rear cross traffic alert (RCTA), an adaptive front lighting system (AFS), and an advanced parking assist (APA). The vehicle 101 may be provided with all or some of these functions. Furthermore, the vehicle 101 may also be provided with other driving assistance functions. Furthermore, the vehicle 101 may also be provided with a function for realizing autonomous driving of the vehicle 101. These functions are realized by the arithmetic processing unit 10a executing a driving assistance control program stored in the storage unit 10b.

[0023] Furthermore, in order to verify the performance and safety of the driving assistance control program, the vehicle control device 10 has a function called a shadow mode in which a driving assistance control program to be verified (hereinafter referred to as a verification target program) is run while the vehicle 101 is running after being sold, that is, in an actual use case, and output values ​​are checked. In verification using the shadow mode, for example, the verification target program is run in the background, that is, in a manner not related to vehicle control, and data related to the output values ​​is stored, and the server 102 collects the data related to the output values ​​via the communication network 103. Note that the shadow mode is a type of data collection mode for collecting data.

[0024] The configuration and functions of the shadow mode according to this embodiment will be described below. The timing of switching to the shadow mode may be any timing. For example, the switching may be performed by an operation by the driver or by an instruction from the server 102. Alternatively, the switching to the shadow mode may be performed when the ignition switch is turned on.

[0025] In the following, the driving assistance control program that actually operates the vehicle 101 will be referred to as an "implemented program" to contrast it with the program to be verified. It will also be referred to as an "implemented program" in FIG. 1 . The vehicle control device 10 is equipped with a verification processing device 11 for executing the program to be verified, taking into account the processing load when executing the implemented program. The verification processing device 11 may have performance equivalent to or different from that of the processing device 10a, as long as it has the performance to execute the program to be verified. The program to be verified is stored in the storage unit 10b. A storage device dedicated to the shadow mode may also be provided.

[0026] Execution of the program to be verified executes various functions in the background to assist the driving of the vehicle 101. The functions implemented by execution of the program to be verified may be the same as the functions actually realized by the arithmetic processing device 10a, or some of the functions may be omitted. Furthermore, functions other than the functions actually realized by the arithmetic processing device 10a may also be implemented.

[0027] When the verification target program is running in shadow mode, the verification processing unit 11, like the processing unit 10a, receives sensor information from the various sensors 20. Based on the received sensor information, the verification processing unit 11 then performs various functions and outputs various control signals for operating the actuators. These control signals (output results) are not actually input to the actuators 30, but are stored in the storage unit 10b as data related to the output results. At this time, the verification processing unit 11 also stores data related to the sensor information, which is an input value, in association with the data.

[0028] The verification processing unit 11 also receives the control signal output from the processing unit 10a after inputting sensor information as an input value and processing it based on the implementation program, and stores the control signal in the storage unit 10b as data related to the output result. That is, the verification processing unit 11 also stores the control signal output from the processing unit 10a after processing it based on the implementation program in order to compare and verify the output result of the implementation program with the output result of the program to be verified.

[0029] Furthermore, the verification processing device 11 may input sensor information (vehicle speed, yaw rate, acceleration amount, accelerator pedal operation amount, brake pedal operation amount, steering angle, etc.) detected when a control signal processed and output based on the implementation program is input to the actuator 30 and the vehicle 101 moves as a result, and store the information in the storage unit 10b. In other words, the sensor information related to the actual operation of the vehicle 101 for each scene, that is, the sensor information necessary to verify the correct operation, may also be stored.

[0030] The vehicle control device 10 uploads the data thus stored in the storage unit 10b to the server 102 via the communication network 103 at a predetermined transmission timing. The predetermined transmission timing may be any timing, for example, a timing when an upload instruction is issued from the server 102. Alternatively, the predetermined transmission timing may be, for example, a timing when the vehicle 101 is charging, when the vehicle is parked or stopped, or when the ignition switch is turned off.

[0031] In the vehicle control device 10, data is acquired when predetermined acquisition conditions (trigger conditions) are met. However, if the acquisition conditions are not set appropriately, data relating to a specific scene or a specific function may not be collected properly, or conversely, excessive data relating to a specific scene or a specific function may be collected, which can be problematic. Therefore, the acquisition conditions are configured to be appropriately reset depending on the data collection situation. This will be explained in detail below.

[0032] 2, the verification processing device 11 of the vehicle control device 10 has a function as an input unit 12, a function as a processing unit 13, a function as a data acquisition unit 14, a function as a condition setting unit 15, and a function as a transmission unit 17. These functions are realized by the verification processing device 11 by executing an in-vehicle program stored in the storage unit 10b.

[0033] The input unit 12 inputs sensor information from the sensor 20. Then, the input unit 12 inputs part or all of the input sensor information to the processing unit 13 as input values ​​for the program to be verified. The input unit 12 also inputs part or all of the input sensor information to the data acquisition unit 14.

[0034] The processing unit 13 runs the program to be verified and performs processing based on various functions (application programs) realized by the program to be verified, based on input values ​​(sensor information) input from the input unit 12. The processing unit 13 then inputs control signals (control signals for the actuator 30) as the processing results to the data acquisition unit 14. Note that, as described above, these control signals are not input to the actuator 30.

[0035] The data acquisition unit 14 determines whether the acquisition condition (also called the trigger condition) is met based on at least one of the input value (sensor information) input from the input unit 12 and the output result (control signal) input from the processing unit 13.

[0036] The acquisition conditions may include, for example, thresholds for one or more parameters as components. The parameters of the acquisition conditions may be, for example, parameters included in sensor information such as vehicle speed, yaw rate, accelerator operation amount, brake operation amount, and steering amount, or parameters included in output results such as required torque and an output instruction signal to a display. The acquisition conditions may also include parameters calculated or estimated from sensor information or output results. For example, the acquisition condition parameters may include the relative distance to an obstacle (such as a preceding vehicle or pedestrian), the relative speed to the obstacle, and the time-to-collision (TTC) calculated from the recognition results of a camera image or the detection results of the millimeter-wave radar 25. The acquisition condition parameters may also include the difference between the output results based on the implemented program and the output results of the program to be verified. For example, the parameter may be the difference between the brake operation amount output by processing based on the implemented program and the brake operation amount output by processing based on the program to be verified. The threshold may be either the upper limit or lower limit of any of these parameters, or both.

[0037] Furthermore, a component of the acquisition condition may be whether or not the scene in which the vehicle 101 is traveling (hereinafter simply referred to as the scene) is a predetermined acquisition scene. The scene refers to various scenes that are expected when the vehicle 101 is traveling, such as a scene in which the vehicle overtakes a preceding vehicle, a scene in which the vehicle passes between vehicles, a scene in which the vehicle follows a preceding vehicle, a scene in which a pedestrian crosses in front of the vehicle 101 at night, a scene in which the vehicle 101 merges from an acceleration lane onto a main lane on a motorway, a scene in which the vehicle is parking or stopping, a scene in which the vehicle is waiting at a traffic light, and the like.

[0038] These scenes are estimated based on sensor information. For example, the vehicle control device 10 may recognize camera images or the like and estimate the scenes. More specifically, the sensor information such as camera images may be input to a machine-learned inference model such as a deep neural network to estimate the scenes. Note that image recognition does not have to be performed by the vehicle control device 10, and may be performed by an external device of the vehicle control device 10, such as an image recognition device, and the results may be input as sensor information.

[0039] Furthermore, among various functions (application programs) based on the program to be verified, an executed function (executed function) may be a component of the acquisition condition. For example, the acquisition condition may be satisfied when a collision damage mitigation braking control function is executed. Note that which function has been executed can be determined based on the output result (control signal) input from the processing unit 13.

[0040] In this embodiment, the acquisition condition is set by combining the acquisition scene, the execution function, and the parameter threshold (i.e., an AND condition). For example, the acquisition condition may be satisfied when the scene is following a preceding vehicle and the vehicle speed (a parameter of the acquisition condition) is equal to or greater than a threshold (50 km / h).

[0041] The combination of components of the acquisition condition may be an acquisition scene and an implementation function, an acquisition scene and a parameter threshold, or an implementation function and a parameter threshold. Furthermore, the components included in one acquisition condition may include two or more implementation functions, and in this case, the implementation functions may be an AND condition or an OR condition. For example, the condition may be that both the forward vehicle approach warning function and the collision damage mitigation braking control function are implemented, or that either one of them is implemented. Similarly, the parameter threshold may be a threshold for two or more types of parameters.

[0042] Furthermore, the acquisition condition is established when all of the constituent elements of the acquisition condition are satisfied. For example, if the acquisition scene of the acquisition condition is "a scene of following a preceding vehicle," the implementation function of the acquisition condition is "a following driving function," and the threshold value of the parameter of the acquisition condition is "50 km / h or more," the acquisition condition is established when the following driving function is implemented in the scene of following a preceding vehicle and the vehicle speed (a parameter of the acquisition condition) is equal to or greater than the threshold value (50 km / h).

[0043] The number of acquisition conditions is not limited to one, and multiple acquisition conditions may be set. For example, a first acquisition condition may be a scene in which the vehicle is following a preceding vehicle and the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a first threshold, and a second acquisition condition may be a scene in which a pedestrian is crossing in front of the vehicle 101, the distance to the pedestrian is equal to or less than a second threshold, and the amount of brake operation is equal to or greater than a third threshold.

[0044] When any of the acquisition conditions is satisfied, the data acquisition unit 14 stores data related to input values ​​and output results in the storage unit 10b. As described above, the input values ​​include, for example, sensor information input to the verification processing device 11. Furthermore, the output results include, for example, control signals processed and output based on the program to be verified, or control signals processed and output based on the implemented program. Furthermore, the output results may include sensor information related to the actual operation of the vehicle 101 for each scene. Furthermore, the output results may include a difference between the output results based on the implemented program and the output results of the program to be verified. The stored (acquired) data may be changed depending on the acquisition condition that is satisfied. For example, when an acquisition condition is satisfied in a scene in which the vehicle is following a preceding vehicle and the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a first threshold, data related to the vehicle speed may be acquired. On the other hand, when an acquisition condition is satisfied in a scene in which a pedestrian is crossing in front of the vehicle 101 and the distance to the pedestrian is equal to or less than a second threshold and the brake operation amount is equal to or greater than a third threshold, data related to the brake operation amount may be acquired.

[0045] The condition setting unit 15 sets data acquisition conditions. More specifically, after starting the setting of the shadow mode (data collection mode), the condition setting unit 15 initializes one or more acquisition conditions. The number and contents of the acquisition conditions to be initialized may be stored in advance in the storage unit 10b or the like. Alternatively, the number and contents of the acquisition conditions to be initialized may be included in the download data transmitted from the server 102, and the one or more acquisition conditions may be initialized based on the download data.

[0046] If any of the set acquisition conditions is not satisfied within a predetermined time limit, the condition setting unit 15 changes the content of the unsatisfied acquisition condition and resets the acquisition condition. More specifically, the condition setting unit 15 changes the unsatisfied acquisition condition so as to relax the acquisition condition.

[0047] For example, if the parameter threshold in the acquisition conditions is set to a vehicle speed of 50 km or more, it can be changed to a vehicle speed of 40 km or more. Furthermore, while determining whether the acquisition conditions are met based on the image data from the camera 24 and the detection data from the millimeter-wave radar 25, the acquisition conditions may be changed so that the determination is based solely on the image data. Furthermore, if the acquisition conditions include simultaneous implementation (AND condition) of the forward vehicle approach warning function and the collision damage mitigation braking control function, they may be changed to implementation (OR condition) of either the forward vehicle approach warning function or the collision damage mitigation braking control function. Furthermore, if the acquisition conditions include a scene of following a forward vehicle at night, the time of day condition may be deleted, and the scene may simply be a scene of following a forward vehicle.

[0048] The changes to the acquisition conditions may be stored in advance in the storage unit 10b, etc. Alternatively, the changes to the acquisition conditions may be included in the download data transmitted from the server 102, and the acquisition conditions may be changed based on the download data.

[0049] The transmitter 17 transmits the data acquired by the data acquisition unit 14 and stored in the storage unit 10b to the server 102 via the communication network 103 at a predetermined transmission timing. The predetermined transmission timing is as described above.

[0050] The flow of data acquisition and the process for setting acquisition conditions in this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 3 and 4. These processes are performed by the verification processing unit 11 after the shadow mode is set. The timing at which the shadow mode is set is arbitrary, but may be, for example, the timing when the ignition switch is turned on.

[0051] 3, after the shadow mode is set, the condition setting unit 15 of the verification processing unit 11 initializes the acquisition conditions (step S101). The verification processing unit 11 also initializes a fulfillment flag indicating whether the acquisition condition is fulfilled (step S102). A fulfillment flag is provided for each acquisition condition. If the acquisition condition is fulfilled, information indicating this (e.g., "1") is set. If the acquisition condition is not fulfilled, information indicating this (e.g., "0") is set. When the fulfillment flags are initialized, all fulfillment flags are set to "0," indicating that the condition is not fulfilled.

[0052] The verification processing unit 11 also starts measuring the time that has elapsed since the acquisition conditions were set (step S103).The verification processing unit 11 then performs a data acquisition process (step S104).

[0053] The data acquisition process will be described with reference to Fig. 4. When the data acquisition process starts, the input unit 12 of the verification processing device 11 inputs sensor information from the sensor 20 (step S201). The processing unit 13 runs the program to be verified and performs processing based on various functions realized by the program to be verified, based on the input values ​​(sensor information) input from the input unit 12 (step S202). In step S202, the processing unit 13 inputs a control signal as a result of the processing to the data acquisition unit 14.

[0054] The data acquisition unit 14 determines whether or not an acquisition condition is satisfied based on at least one of the input value (sensor information) and the output result (control signal, etc.) (step S203). The acquisition condition in step S203 is the acquisition condition initially set by the condition setting unit 15 in step S101, or the acquisition condition reset in step S107 (described later). If there are multiple acquisition conditions, it is determined in step S203 whether or not any of the acquisition conditions is satisfied.

[0055] If the determination result is positive (if the acquisition condition is satisfied), the data acquisition unit 14 stores (acquires) data regarding the input values ​​and output results in the storage unit 10b (step S204). When storing the data, the data acquisition unit 14 also associates and stores the satisfied acquisition condition (hereinafter referred to as the satisfied condition). The verification processing unit 11 also sets the satisfaction flag corresponding to the satisfied acquisition condition to "1" indicating that the condition is satisfied (step S205). The data acquisition process then ends. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S203 is negative, the data acquisition unit 14 of the verification processing unit 11 ends the data acquisition process.

[0056] Returning to the processing in Fig. 4 , after completing the data acquisition process in step S104, the verification processing unit 11 determines whether the elapsed time has exceeded a predetermined time limit (step S105). The time limit may be any time, such as 12 hours, one day, one week, one month, or six months. If the determination in step S105 is negative (if the time limit has not been exceeded), the verification processing unit 11 performs the data acquisition process in step S104 again after a certain time has elapsed.

[0057] On the other hand, if the determination result in step S105 is positive, the verification processing unit 11 determines whether or not there is any of the established flags for which information indicating that the flag is not established is set (step S106). That is, it determines whether or not there is any acquisition condition that is not established even after the time limit has elapsed since the elapsed time was set.

[0058] If the determination result in step S106 is positive, the condition setting unit 15 of the verification processing unit 11 changes and resets the acquisition conditions (step S107). Specifically, the condition setting unit 15 changes and resets the unsatisfied acquisition conditions to relax the conditions, as described above. In conjunction with this resetting, all satisfaction flags are initialized. That is, all satisfaction flags are set to "0," indicating that the conditions are unsatisfied.

[0059] Thereafter, the verification processing unit 11 proceeds to the process of step S102, initializes the establishment flag, and starts measuring the progress of the event (step S103), and then similarly performs the processes from step S104 onwards.

[0060] If the determination result in step S106 is negative (if there are no unsatisfied acquisition conditions), the verification processing unit 11 proceeds to the processing of step S102, initializes the establishment flag, and starts measuring the progress event (step S103). Then, similarly, the processing from step S104 onwards is carried out. This series of processing is repeated until the shadow mode ends. Even during this series of processing, the transmission unit 17 performs interrupt processing and transmits the data stored in the memory unit 10b to the server 102 when a predetermined transmission timing arrives.

[0061] According to the first embodiment, the following effects are achieved.

[0062] If the acquisition conditions are not satisfied within a predetermined time limit after being set, the condition setting unit 15 changes and sets new acquisition conditions. Specifically, the condition setting unit 15 relaxes the unsatisfied acquisition conditions and resets the acquisition conditions. This makes it possible to set appropriate acquisition conditions. This makes it possible to prevent situations where data related to a specific scene or a specific function cannot be collected successfully.

[0063] (Variations of the First Embodiment) In the first embodiment, it is not necessary to acquire the control signal (data related to the output result) that is processed and output based on the implementation program. On the other hand, after the acquisition condition is met, sensor information (vehicle speed, yaw rate, acceleration amount, accelerator pedal operation amount, brake pedal operation amount, steering angle, etc.) detected when the vehicle 101 is operating may be acquired until a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0064] In the first embodiment, the driving assistance function does not need to be implemented. In this case, sensor information (vehicle speed, yaw rate, acceleration amount, accelerator pedal operation amount, brake pedal operation amount, steering angle, etc.) detected when the vehicle 101 is operating due to an operation by the driver may be acquired until a predetermined time has elapsed after the acquisition condition is met.

[0065] In the first embodiment, the condition setting unit 15 changes the unsatisfied acquisition conditions to relax the conditions, but a simple change may also be made. For example, if a parameter threshold in the acquisition conditions is set to "vehicle speed of 50 km or more," the parameter may be changed to something completely different, such as "acceleration of 10 m / s^2." Similarly, an acquisition condition that includes the implementation of a collision damage mitigation braking control function may be changed to the implementation of a forward vehicle approach warning function. Furthermore, an acquisition condition that includes an implementation function may be changed to an acquisition scene or a parameter threshold.

[0066] In the above embodiment, if a certain acquisition condition is met a predetermined number of times or more within a time limit, the data acquisition unit 14 may stop acquiring data based on the fulfillment of the acquisition condition. This can prevent excessive collection of data related to a specific scene or a specific function.

[0067] In the above embodiment, if a certain acquisition condition is met a predetermined number of times or more within a time limit, the condition setting unit 15 may strengthen (strengthen) the acquisition condition and set a new acquisition condition. For example, if the parameter threshold in the acquisition condition is set to "vehicle speed of 50 km or more," the condition may be changed to "vehicle speed of 60 km or more." Furthermore, if the acquisition condition includes the implementation of either the forward vehicle approach warning function or the collision damage mitigation braking control function (OR condition), the condition may be changed to the simultaneous implementation of the forward vehicle approach warning function and the collision damage mitigation braking control function (AND condition). Furthermore, if the acquisition condition includes a scene in which the vehicle is following a forward vehicle, a time zone condition may be added to set the scene in which the vehicle is following a forward vehicle at night.

[0068] In the above embodiment, when the condition setting unit 15 changes the acquisition conditions, the content of the conditions may be changed depending on the external environment. This modification will be described with reference to FIG. 5 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the vehicle control device 10 includes a recognition unit 50 that recognizes the external environment based on camera images input from the camera 24. The recognition unit 50 is, for example, an image processing device, and recognizes the external environment from the camera images using a machine-learned inference model. Specifically, the recognition unit 50 recognizes the time of day, weather, whether the vehicle is in an urban area, traffic volume, whether there is congestion, etc. The recognition unit 50 inputs the recognition results of the external environment to the condition setting unit 15. The condition setting unit 15 changes the acquisition conditions depending on the recognized external environment. For example, the condition setting unit 15 may relax or strengthen the acquisition conditions when the time of day is nighttime, taking into account that recognition is difficult.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the condition setting unit 15 changes the acquisition conditions if there are any acquisition conditions that have not been met even after the time limit has elapsed. As a variation of this, the acquisition conditions may be changed if there are any acquisition conditions that have not been met even if the number of times the data acquisition process has been executed is equal to or greater than the threshold.

[0070] Second Embodiment A second embodiment in which the vehicle control device 10 in the first embodiment is partially modified will be described.

[0071] The vehicle control device 10 in the second embodiment is configured to acquire only data related to sensor information and data related to output results based on the installed program without executing the program to be verified. In other words, in the second embodiment, a data collection mode is set in which the program to be verified is not executed.

[0072] The configuration and functions relating to the data collection mode according to the second embodiment will be described below. In the second embodiment, the verification processing unit 11 is not provided, and the processing unit 10a performs the processing relating to the data collection mode. As in the first embodiment, the verification processing unit 11 may be provided and may perform the processing in place of the processing unit 10a. Furthermore, the verification target program is not stored.

[0073] 6, in the second embodiment, the arithmetic processing device 10a of the vehicle control device 10 has a function as an input unit 112, a function as a processing unit 113, a function as a data acquisition unit 114, a function as a condition setting unit 115, and a function as a transmission unit 117. These functions are realized by the arithmetic processing device 10a as the arithmetic processing device 10a executes an in-vehicle program stored in the storage unit 10b.

[0074] The input unit 112 inputs sensor information from the sensor 20. The input unit 112 inputs some or all of the input sensor information to the processing unit 113 as input values ​​for the implementation program. The input unit 112 also inputs some or all of the input sensor information to the data acquisition unit 114.

[0075] The processing unit 113 runs the implementation program and performs processing based on various functions (application programs) realized by the implementation program, based on input values ​​(sensor information) input from the input unit 112. The processing unit 113 then inputs control signals (control signals for the actuator 30) as the processing results to the data acquisition unit 114. These control signals are also input to the actuator 30.

[0076] The data acquisition unit 114 determines whether or not an acquisition condition is met based on at least one of the input value (sensor information) input from the input unit 112 and the output result (control signal) input from the processing unit 13. The acquisition condition is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0077] When the acquisition condition is met, the data acquisition unit 114 stores data related to the input values ​​and output results in the storage unit 10b. As described above, the input values ​​include, for example, sensor information input to the arithmetic processing device 10a. The output results include, for example, control signals processed and output based on the implementation program.

[0078] Furthermore, the data acquisition unit 114 of the arithmetic processing device 10a may input sensor information (vehicle speed, yaw rate, acceleration amount, accelerator pedal operation amount, brake pedal operation amount, steering angle, etc.) detected when a control signal processed and output based on the implementation program is input to the actuator 30 and the vehicle 101 operates, and store the information in the storage unit 10b. In other words, the sensor information related to the actual operation of the vehicle 101 for each scene, that is, the sensor information necessary to verify the correct operation, may also be stored.

[0079] The condition setting unit 115 and the transmission unit 117 are similar to the condition setting unit 15 and the transmission unit 17 in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0080] The flow of data acquisition and the flow of processing related to setting of acquisition conditions in this embodiment will be described below. These processes are performed after the data collection mode is set. The timing at which the data collection mode is set is arbitrary, for example, when the ignition switch is turned on. Note that the processing related to setting of acquisition conditions is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore will be described using FIG. 3.

[0081] 3, after the data collection mode is started, the condition setting unit 115 of the arithmetic processing device 10a initializes the acquisition conditions (step S101). The arithmetic processing device 10a also initializes a flag indicating whether the acquisition conditions are met (step S102). The arithmetic processing device 10a also starts measuring the elapsed time since the acquisition conditions were set (step S103). Next, the arithmetic processing device 10a performs a data acquisition process (step S104).

[0082] The data acquisition process of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. When the data acquisition process starts, the input unit 112 of the arithmetic processing device 10a inputs sensor information from the sensor 20 (step S301).

[0083] The processing unit 113 of the arithmetic processing device 10a runs the implementation program and performs processing based on various functions realized by the implementation program, based on the input values ​​(sensor information) input from the input unit 12 (step S302). In step S302, the processing unit 113 inputs control signals as the processing results to the actuator 30 and the data acquisition unit 114.

[0084] The data acquisition unit 114 determines whether or not an acquisition condition is met based on at least one of the input value (sensor information) and the output result (control signal, etc.) (step S303).

[0085] If the determination result is positive (if the acquisition condition is met), the data acquisition unit 114 stores data regarding the input values ​​and output results in the storage unit 10b (step S304). When storing the data, the data acquisition unit 14 also stores the data in association with the met acquisition condition (hereinafter referred to as the met condition). In addition, the arithmetic processing unit 10a sets the met flag corresponding to the met acquisition condition to "1" indicating that the condition is met (step S305). Then, the data acquisition process ends. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S303 is negative, the arithmetic processing unit 10a ends the data acquisition process.

[0086] Returning to the processing in Fig. 7 , after completing the data acquisition process in step S104, the arithmetic processing device 10a determines whether the elapsed time has exceeded a predetermined time limit (step S105). If the determination in step S105 is negative (if the time limit has not been exceeded), the arithmetic processing device 10a performs the data acquisition process in step S104 again after a certain time has elapsed.

[0087] On the other hand, if the determination result in step S105 is positive, the arithmetic processing unit 10a determines whether or not there is any of the fulfillment flags for which information indicating that the flag is not fulfilled is set (step S106). That is, it determines whether or not there is any acquisition condition that is not fulfilled even after the time limit has elapsed since the elapsed time was set.

[0088] If the determination result in step S106 is positive, the condition setting unit 115 of the arithmetic processing unit 10a changes and resets the acquisition conditions (step S107). In conjunction with this resetting, all the establishment flags are initialized.

[0089] Thereafter, the arithmetic processing unit 10a proceeds to the process of step S102, initializes the establishment flag, and starts measuring the progress of the event (step S103), and then similarly performs the processes from step S104 onwards.

[0090] If the determination result in step S106 is negative (if there are no unsatisfied acquisition conditions), the calculation processing unit 10a proceeds to the process of step S102, initializes the establishment flag, and starts measuring the progress event (step S103). Then, similarly, the process from step S104 onwards is carried out. This series of processes is repeated until the data collection mode ends. Even during this series of processes, the transmission unit 17 performs interrupt processing and transmits the data stored in the memory unit 10b to the server 102 when a predetermined transmission timing arrives.

[0091] According to the second embodiment, the following effects are achieved.

[0092] Since the program to be verified is not executed, the processing load can be reduced, and therefore the verification processing unit 11 does not need to be provided.

[0093] (Variation of the Second Embodiment) In the second embodiment, the data acquisition unit 114 acquires data related to the output results (control signals) based on the operation of the implementation program. However, it is not necessary to acquire data related to the output results based on the operation of the implementation program. In this case, only sensor information that serves as an input value may be acquired. Furthermore, a control signal processed and output based on the implementation program may be input to the actuator 30, and sensor information (vehicle speed, yaw rate, acceleration amount, accelerator pedal operation amount, brake pedal operation amount, steering angle, etc.) detected when the vehicle 101 operates may be acquired.

[0094] In the second embodiment, the implementation program is executed to perform various driving assistance functions during the data collection mode, but the various driving assistance functions do not have to be executed during the data collection mode. In other words, during the data collection mode, sensor information (vehicle speed, yaw rate, acceleration amount, accelerator pedal operation amount, brake pedal operation amount, steering angle, etc.) detected when the vehicle 101 is operating may be acquired based on operations by the driver.

[0095] More specifically, the input unit 112 receives sensor information from the sensor 20 and inputs part or all of the received sensor information to the data acquisition unit 114 .

[0096] The data acquisition unit 114 determines whether or not an acquisition condition is met based on the input value (sensor information) input from the input unit 112. The acquisition condition is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0097] When an acquisition condition is met, the data acquisition unit 114 stores data related to the input values ​​in the storage unit 10b. After the acquisition condition is met, the data acquisition unit 114 of the arithmetic processing device 10a inputs sensor information detected when the vehicle 101 is operating based on an operation by the driver via the input unit 112 or the like, and stores data related to the sensor information in the storage unit 10b. The sensor information detected when the vehicle 101 is operating includes vehicle speed, yaw rate, acceleration amount, accelerator pedal operation amount, brake pedal operation amount, steering angle, etc. After the acquisition condition is met, the data acquisition unit 114 inputs and stores the sensor information until a predetermined time has elapsed. The predetermined time may be changed depending on the type of acquisition condition that has been met.

[0098] The condition setting unit 115 and the transmission unit 117 are similar to the condition setting unit 15 and the transmission unit 17 in the first and second embodiments, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0099] The flow of data acquisition in this modified example will be described below with reference to Fig. 8. The process related to setting acquisition conditions (Fig. 3) is the same as in the second embodiment, and therefore will not be described here. Note that the data acquisition flow shown below is the flow of the data acquisition process performed by the arithmetic processing device 10a in step S104.

[0100] When the data acquisition process starts, first, the input unit 112 of the arithmetic processing device 10a inputs sensor information from the sensor 20 (step S401). Then, the data acquisition unit 114 determines whether or not an acquisition condition is met based on the input value (sensor information) (step S402).

[0101] If the determination result is positive (if the acquisition condition is met), the data acquisition unit 114 stores data related to the input value in the storage unit 10b (step S403). The data acquisition unit 114 also inputs sensor information detected when the vehicle 101 is operating until a predetermined period of time has elapsed, and stores the data related to the sensor information in the storage unit 10b. When storing the data, the data acquisition unit 114 also stores the data in association with the fulfillment condition. The arithmetic processing unit 10a also sets the fulfillment flag corresponding to the fulfilled acquisition condition to "1" indicating fulfillment (step S404). The data acquisition process then ends. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S402 is negative, the arithmetic processing unit 10a ends the data acquisition process.

[0102] The controller and methods described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured with a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the controller and methods described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured with a processor configured with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the controller and methods described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured with a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions in combination with a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium.

[0103] The following describes technical ideas that can be derived from the above-described embodiment and modifications.

[0104] [Configuration 1] A vehicle control device (10) mounted on a vehicle (101), comprising: a condition setting unit (15) that sets data acquisition conditions; a data acquisition unit (14) that acquires data relating to sensor information acquired by various sensors mounted on the vehicle when the acquisition conditions are met; and a transmission unit (17) that transmits the data acquired by the data acquisition unit to a server via a communication network, wherein the condition setting unit changes and newly sets the acquisition conditions when the acquisition conditions are not met within a predetermined time limit.

[0105] [Configuration 2] The vehicle control device according to Configuration 1, wherein the condition setting unit relaxes the acquisition condition when the acquisition condition is not met within a predetermined time limit.

[0106] [Configuration 3] The vehicle control device according to Configuration 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of the acquisition conditions are set, and when any of the plurality of acquisition conditions is not satisfied within a predetermined time limit, the condition setting unit relaxes the acquisition condition.

[0107] [Configuration 4] The vehicle control device is configured to be able to implement a shadow mode in which the program to be verified runs in a manner not related to the control of the vehicle, and the data acquisition unit uses sensor information acquired by various sensors mounted on the vehicle as input values, and when the program to be verified is executed, acquires data on the output results together with the data on the sensor information, or acquires data on the output results instead of the data on the sensor information.

[0108] [Configuration 5] The vehicle control device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4, further comprising a recognition unit (50) that recognizes an external environment of the vehicle based on sensor information, and the condition setting unit changes the acquisition conditions based on a recognition result by the recognition unit.

[0109] [Configuration 6] The vehicle control device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5, wherein the data acquisition unit stops acquiring data based on the establishment of a certain acquisition condition when the certain acquisition condition is established a predetermined number of times or more within a time limit.

[0110] [Configuration 7] The vehicle control device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5, wherein the condition setting unit, when a certain acquisition condition is met a predetermined number of times or more within a time limit, strengthens the acquisition condition and sets a new acquisition condition.

[0111] [Configuration 8] An in-vehicle program executed by a vehicle control device (10) mounted on a vehicle (101), the in-vehicle program causing the vehicle control device to perform an acquisition condition setting step of setting data acquisition conditions, a data acquisition step of acquiring data relating to sensor information acquired by various sensors mounted on the vehicle when the acquisition conditions are met, and a transmission step of transmitting the data acquired by the data acquisition step to a server (102) via a communication network (103), wherein in the acquisition condition setting step, if the acquisition conditions are not met within a predetermined time limit, the in-vehicle program changes and newly sets the acquisition conditions.

[0112] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and equivalent modifications. In addition, various combinations and forms, including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device (10) mounted on a vehicle (101), comprising: a condition setting unit (15) that sets data acquisition conditions; a data acquisition unit (14) that acquires data relating to sensor information acquired by various sensors mounted on the vehicle when the acquisition conditions are met; and a transmission unit (17) that transmits the data acquired by the data acquisition unit to a server (102) via a communication network (103), wherein the condition setting unit changes and newly sets the acquisition conditions when the acquisition conditions are not met within a predetermined time limit.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the condition setting unit relaxes the acquisition condition if the acquisition condition is not met within a predetermined time limit.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the acquisition conditions are set, and the condition setting unit relaxes the acquisition condition if any of the plurality of acquisition conditions is not met within a predetermined time limit.

4. The vehicle control device is configured to be able to implement a shadow mode in which the program to be verified operates in a manner not related to the control of the vehicle, and the data acquisition unit uses sensor information acquired by various sensors mounted on the vehicle as input values, and when the program to be verified is executed, acquires data regarding the output results together with data regarding the sensor information, or acquires data regarding the output results instead of data regarding the sensor information. A vehicle control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A vehicle control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a recognition unit (50) that recognizes the external environment of the vehicle based on sensor information, and the condition setting unit changes the acquisition conditions based on the recognition results by the recognition unit.

6. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the data acquisition unit stops acquiring data based on the establishment of a certain acquisition condition if the acquisition condition is established a predetermined number of times or more within a time limit.

7. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the condition setting unit strengthens and newly sets an acquisition condition when a certain acquisition condition is met a predetermined number of times or more within a time limit.

8. An in-vehicle program executed by a vehicle control device (10) mounted on a vehicle (101), which causes the vehicle control device to carry out an acquisition condition setting step for setting data acquisition conditions, a data acquisition step for acquiring data relating to sensor information acquired by various sensors mounted on the vehicle when the acquisition conditions are met, and a transmission step for transmitting the data acquired by the data acquisition step to a server (102) via a communication network (103), wherein in the acquisition condition setting step, if the acquisition conditions are not met within a predetermined time limit, the in-vehicle program changes and sets new acquisition conditions.

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