Inspection content determination device, determination method, and computer program

Abstract

A device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a device for determining an inspection content to be applied to a vehicle, the device comprising: a storage unit that stores, for each combination of on-vehicle apparatuses that can be mounted to the vehicle, correspondence data that defines the type of inspection to be executed on the combination; and a control unit that performs processing to determine the content of the inspection on the basis of identification information of the on-vehicle apparatus that has been mounted to the vehicle in the middle of a manufacturing process. The determination processing includes a first processing for specifying the combination from the identification information, and a second processing for determining that the inspection content of the type corresponding to the combination searched from the correspondence data is the inspection content to be executed in the current processing.

Description

Apparatus, method, and computer program for determining test contents

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-86538 filed on May 28, 2024, and incorporates by reference all of the contents of that application.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a gateway ECU inspection method for shortening inspection takt time and improving productivity. The inspection method in Patent Document 1 inspects the communication functions of multiple gateway ECUs in a single inspection by connecting multiple gateway ECUs in series and comparing data transmitted from one end of the series connection with data received from the other end.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-228091

[0004] An apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an apparatus for determining inspection contents to be applied to a vehicle, and includes: a memory unit that stores correspondence data that defines the inspection contents to be performed for each combination of on-board equipment that may be installed in the vehicle; an acquisition unit that acquires identification information of on-board equipment already installed in the vehicle during the manufacturing process; and a control unit that performs a process for determining the inspection contents, wherein the determination process includes a first process that identifies the combination from the acquired identification information; and a second process that determines the inspection contents corresponding to the combination extracted from the correspondence data as the inspection contents to be performed in the current process.

[0005] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a variation of a vehicle inspection method. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a problem of a second inspection method. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inspection system of a first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of inspection processing of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inspection system of a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of inspection processing of the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a first specific example of inspection processing. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a second specific example of inspection processing.

[0006] <Problem to be Solved by the Present Disclosure> In some cases, an inspection method is performed on a vehicle by using an inspection device during a manufacturing process in which some of the on-board devices to be installed are connected (see "Second Inspection Method" in FIG. 1). In this inspection method, if unconnected on-board devices are inspected, errors may occur. Therefore, there is a problem in that the inspection contents for each process that targets connected on-board devices must be manually selected.

[0007] In view of the above-described conventional problems, the present disclosure aims to facilitate inspection of vehicles during manufacturing.

[0008] Effect of the Present Disclosure According to the present disclosure, inspection of vehicles during manufacturing becomes easier.

[0009] <Outline of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> Below, an outline of embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] (1) The device according to this embodiment is a device for determining the inspection content to be applied to a vehicle, and includes a memory unit that stores correspondence data defining the type of inspection to be performed for each combination of on-board equipment that may be installed in the vehicle, and a control unit that performs a process for determining the inspection content based on identification information of on-board equipment that has already been installed in the vehicle during the manufacturing process. The determination process includes a first process for identifying the combination from the identification information, and a second process for determining the type of inspection content that corresponds to the combination found from the correspondence data as the inspection content to be performed in the current process.

[0011] According to the determination device of this embodiment, the control unit performs the process of determining the inspection details including the first and second processes described above, so that the determination device automatically determines the inspection details to be performed in the current process. This eliminates the need for an operator to select the inspection details to be performed in each process, making it easier to inspect vehicles during production.

[0012] (2) In the determination device of (1) above, the determination device may be a server that can communicate with the vehicle. In this case, since the server stores the correspondence data, it is not necessary to store the correspondence data, which would otherwise be relatively large, in the ECU of the vehicle. This has the advantage of preventing the ECU from running out of storage capacity.

[0013] (3) In the determination device of (1) above, the determination device may be an ECU mounted on the vehicle. In this case, the control unit of the ECU performs the determination process, so there is no need to communicate with a server. This has the advantage of preventing the test from being disabled due to a communication interruption.

[0014] (4) The method according to this embodiment is a determination method executed by the determination device described above in (1) to (3). Therefore, the determination method according to this embodiment has the same effects as the determination device described above in (1) to (3).

[0015] (5) The computer program according to this embodiment is a computer program for causing a computer to function as the determination device described above in (1) to (3). Therefore, the computer program according to this embodiment has the same effects as the determination device described above in (1) to (3).

[0016] <Details of the Embodiments of the Present Invention> Hereinafter, the details of the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any manner.

[0017] [Variations of Inspection Method] Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing variations of an inspection method for a vehicle 100. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle 100 includes an in-vehicle network 200. The in-vehicle network 200 includes an inspection device 10 and multiple on-vehicle devices 20 and 30 as communication nodes. The inspection device 10 is configured by, for example, a central ECU or a gateway, and the inspection device 10 and each on-vehicle device 20 and 30 communicate in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or Ethernet (registered trademark).

[0018] The on-vehicle devices 20, 30 include an ECU 20 and a load 30. Hereinafter, the ECU 20 may be referred to as "ECUi" (i is an identification number: i = 1, 2, ...). The ECU 20 may be a control device that realizes various functions depending on the model and grade of the vehicle 100. The ECU 20 may include, for example, an engine ECU, a steering ECU, a brake ECU, a door lock ECU, an autonomous driving ECU, and a media ECU.

[0019] The load 30 is a collective term for sensors and actuators mounted on the vehicle 100. Hereinafter, the load 30 may be referred to as "load j" (j is an identification number: j = 1, 2, ...). The sensors include, for example, an ammeter, a voltmeter, a thermometer, a rotary encoder, and a gyro sensor. The actuators include, for example, an electric motor, a hydraulic motor, and an electromagnetic valve.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, either a "first inspection method" or a "second inspection method" can be adopted as the inspection method to be performed on the vehicle 100. The first inspection method is a method in which the inspection device 10 executes a predetermined inspection and outputs an inspection result 40 in a state in which all of the on-board devices 20, 30 to be installed in the vehicle 100 are connected to the in-vehicle network 200 of the vehicle 100. The first inspection method is the most common method performed in the manufacturing plant of the vehicle 100.

[0021] The second inspection method is a method in which the inspection device 10 performs a predetermined inspection and outputs the inspection result 40 during a stage in the manufacturing process in which some of the on-board devices 20, 30 to be installed in the vehicle 100 are connected. The second inspection method is performed during the period from the current process to the next process. The second inspection method can discover abnormalities in the on-board devices 20, 30 during the manufacturing process, and therefore has the advantage over the first inspection method of improving the efficiency of assembly of the vehicle 100 and allowing the inspection content to be changed flexibly.

[0022] [Problems with the second inspection method and solutions] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the problems with the second inspection method. As shown in Figure 2, the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 includes the following steps A to C, and proceeds in the order of step A → step B → step C. Step A: A step in which the connection of the ECU 1 is completed. Step B: A step in which the connection of the ECU 1 and the load 2 is completed. Step C: A step in which the connection of the ECU 1, the ECU 2, the load 1, and the load 2 is completed.

[0023] Since there is a possibility of errors occurring if unconnected on-board devices 20, 30 (devices indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 2) are targeted for testing, the second testing method requires the adoption of tests A, B, and C that target connected on-board devices 20, 30 in each of processes A, B, and C. Specifically, after process A, test A related to ECU 1 must be performed to obtain test result 40A, and after process B, test B related to ECU 1 and load 2 must be performed to obtain test result 40B.

[0024] Similarly, after process C, it is necessary to perform test C related to ECU1, ECU2, load 1, and load 2 to obtain test result 40C. Therefore, in the case of the second test method, an operator must determine the contents of tests A, B, and C for each of processes A, B, and C, which causes a problem of time and effort in selecting the test contents. Furthermore, if there is a change in the on-vehicle devices 20 and 30 connected in each of processes A, B, and C, or if an abnormality is found in an upstream test, an operator must respond to the change in the test contents.

[0025] In this embodiment, to solve the above problem, correspondence data 70 is created in advance for each combination of on-board devices 20 and 30 that may be installed in the vehicle 100, defining the contents of inspections A, B, and C to be performed for that combination, and the contents of inspections A, B, and C to be performed are automatically determined based on the correspondence data 70 and the combination of on-board devices 20 and 30 that are already installed. This has the advantage of making it easier to inspect the vehicle 100, as it is no longer necessary for an operator to determine the contents of inspections A, B, and C.

[0026] [Inspection System of First Embodiment] Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inspection system of the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the inspection system of the first embodiment includes an inspection device 10 and a server 50 capable of wireless communication with the inspection device 10.

[0027] The inspection device 10 is, for example, a central ECU mounted on the vehicle 100. The inspection device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13. The control unit 11 is an arithmetic processing device including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a volatile memory. The control unit 11 reads a computer program stored in the storage unit 12 into the memory and executes inspection processing of the on-vehicle devices 20 and 30. The control unit 11 may include an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or the like.

[0028] The storage unit 12 is a storage device including at least one nonvolatile memory (recording medium) selected from a hard disk drive (HDD) and a solid state drive (SSD). The storage unit 12 stores a computer program for implementing the above-described inspection process, data required for executing the program, and the like.

[0029] The communication unit 13 is a communication interface connected to the in-vehicle network 200 via a CAN bus, a LAN cable, or the like. When the inspection device 10 performs wireless communication with the server 50 by itself, the communication unit 13 also includes a communication interface for performing wireless communication with an external device.

[0030] The server 50 is, for example, a server operated by a vehicle manufacturer. The server 50 may be either an on-premise server or a cloud server. The server 50 is configured by a computer including a control unit 51, a storage unit 52, and a communication unit 53. The control unit 51 is an arithmetic processing device including a CPU and a volatile memory. The control unit 51 reads a computer program stored in the storage unit 52 into the memory and executes processes such as determining the inspection contents. The control unit 51 may include an FPGA or the like.

[0031] The storage unit 52 is a storage device including at least one nonvolatile memory (recording medium) of an HDD or an SSD. The storage unit 52 stores a computer program for implementing the above-described determination process, correspondence data 70 (described later) required for executing the program, and the like.

[0032] The communication unit 53 is a communication interface that can be connected to a public communication network (not shown) such as the Internet, and is capable of wireless communication with a TCU (Telematics Control Unit) mounted on the vehicle 100 or the inspection device 10 via a mobile communication system such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) or 5G.

[0033] Correspondence data 70 is stored in advance in the storage unit 52 of the server 50. The correspondence data 70 is data in which correspondences between combinations of the on-board devices 20, 30 in the vehicle 100 and types of tests (A, B, C, D) are predefined. For example, the correspondence data 70 in FIG. 3 defines the following correspondences: When the connected devices are "ECU1, ECU2, ECU3" → Test A When the connected device is "ECU1" → Test B When the connected device is "ECU1, Load 2" → Test C When the connected devices are "ECU2, ECU3, Load 2" → Test D

[0034] The control unit 11 of the inspection device 10 has a function of creating lists 60A and 60B of connected in-vehicle devices 20 and 30. The lists 60A and 60B are data in which the identification numbers i and j of ECU i or load j are described in a predetermined data format. The control unit 11 of the inspection device 10 creates the lists 60A and 60B by, for example, broadcasting a communication frame for alive monitoring to the in-vehicle network 200 and storing the identification numbers i and j that respond in the storage unit 12.

[0035] The control unit 11 of the inspection device 10 transmits the created lists 60A, 60B to the server 50, and the control unit 51 of the server 50 determines the type of inspection (A, B, C, D) required for the current vehicle 100 based on the received lists 60A, 60B and the corresponding data 70. The control unit 51 of the server 50 then notifies the inspection device 10 of the determined type of inspection (A, B, C, D), and the control unit 11 of the inspection device 10 performs the inspection of the type notified by the server 50 on the vehicle 100 in the current process.

[0036] 3, for example, the list 60A for process A includes identification information for "ECU1" (e.g., identification number i). Therefore, the control unit 51 of the server 50 determines that the type of inspection required for the vehicle 100 is inspection B, and notifies the inspection device 10 of the contents of inspection B. The control unit 11 of the inspection device 10 also executes inspection B on the vehicle 100 that has completed process A, and outputs the inspection result 40B.

[0037] 3, the list 60B for process B includes identification information (e.g., identification numbers i and j) for "ECU 1" and "load 2." Therefore, the control unit 51 of the server 50 determines that the type of inspection required for the vehicle 100 is inspection C, and notifies the inspection device 10 of the contents of inspection C. Furthermore, the control unit 11 of the inspection device 10 executes inspection C on the vehicle 100 that has completed process B, and outputs the inspection result 40C.

[0038] [Inspection Process of First Embodiment] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the inspection process of the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, when the inspection device 10 of the vehicle 100 detects the current connection status of the on-board devices 20 and 30 (step S11), it creates lists 60A and 60B of the connected on-board devices 20 and 30 and transmits them to the server 50 (step S12).

[0039] Next, the server 50 searches for an executable inspection type (A, B, C, D) based on the correspondence data 70 (step S13). Specifically, the server 50 searches the correspondence data 70 for an inspection type (A, B, C, D) that matches the combination of the on-board devices 20 and 30 listed in the lists 60A and 60B received from the inspection device 10 of the vehicle 100.

[0040] For example, if the combination of the on-board devices 20 and 30 listed in the list 60A is "ECU1," the test type found in step S14 will be "Test B." Next, the server 50 determines whether an executable test type has been found (step S14). If the determination result in step S14 is positive, the server 50 transmits the test software for the found type (Test B) to the inspection device 10 of the vehicle 100 (step S15).

[0041] The inspection device 10 of the vehicle 100 executes the inspection software received from the server 50 (step S16), uploads the inspection results to the server (step S17), and notifies the user of the inspection results (step S18). If the determination result of step S14 is negative, the inspection device 10 of the vehicle 100 notifies the user that the inspection will not be performed (step S19). The notification to the user is, for example, by sending predetermined information to a communication terminal managed by an operator.

[0042] [Inspection System of Second Embodiment] Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inspection system of the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the inspection system of the second embodiment does not include a server 50 and is composed only of an inspection device 10.

[0043] The inspection device 10 is, for example, a central ECU mounted on a vehicle 100. The inspection device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13. The device configurations and functions of the control unit 11, the storage unit 12, and the communication unit 13 are the same as those in the first embodiment ( FIG. 3 ), but differ in the following respects.

[0044] In addition to a computer program for implementing the inspection process, the storage unit 12 of the inspection device 10 stores the correspondence data 70 and a computer program for implementing the process of determining the inspection contents. The control unit 11 of the inspection device 10 uses the correspondence data 70 to execute the process of determining the inspection contents, and then executes the inspection contents that it has determined.

[0045] In the second embodiment, the control unit 11 of the inspection device 10 also creates the above-mentioned lists 60A and 60B by, for example, broadcasting a communication frame for alive monitoring to the in-vehicle network 200 and storing the identification numbers i and j that have responded in the memory unit 12. The control unit 11 of the inspection device 10 determines the type of inspection (A, B, C, D) required for the current vehicle 100 based on the created lists 60A and 60B and the correspondence data 70.

[0046] 5, for example, the identification information of "ECU1" is written in the list 60A for process A. Therefore, the control unit 11 of the inspection device 10 determines that the type of inspection required for the vehicle 100 is inspection B. The control unit 11 of the inspection device 10 also executes inspection B on the vehicle 100 that has completed process A, and outputs inspection result 40B.

[0047] 5, the list 60B for process B contains the identification information of "ECU1" and "load 2." Therefore, the control unit 11 of the inspection device 10 determines that the type of inspection required for the vehicle 100 is inspection C. The control unit 11 of the inspection device 10 also executes inspection C on the vehicle 100 that has completed process B, and outputs inspection result 40C.

[0048] [Inspection Process of Second Embodiment] Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the inspection process of the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, when the inspection device 10 of the vehicle 100 detects the current connection status of the on-board devices 20 and 30 (step S21), it creates lists 60A and 60B of the connected on-board devices 20 and 30 (step S22).

[0049] Next, the inspection device 10 of the vehicle 100 searches for an executable inspection type (A, B, C, D) based on the correspondence data 70 (step S23). Specifically, the inspection device 10 of the vehicle 100 searches the correspondence data 70 for an inspection type (A, B, C, D) that matches the combination of the on-board devices 20, 30 written in the created lists 60A, 60B.

[0050] For example, if the combination of the on-board devices 20 and 30 listed in the list 60A is a combination of "ECU 1" and "load 2," the test type found in step S24 will be "test A." Next, the test device 10 of the vehicle 100 determines whether an executable test type has been found (step S24).

[0051] If the determination result in step S24 is positive, the inspection device 10 of the vehicle 100 executes the inspection software of the hit type (inspection A) (step S25) and notifies the user of the inspection result (step S26). If the determination result in step S24 is negative, the inspection device 10 of the vehicle 100 notifies the user that the inspection will not be performed (step S27). The notification to the user is, for example, by sending predetermined information to a communication terminal managed by the worker.

[0052] [First Specific Example of Inspection Process] Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a first specific example of the inspection process. In the first specific example of Fig. 7, the inspection device 10 is a "seat ECU," and the in-vehicle devices to be inspected are a "navigation ECU," a "thermistor," and a "heater." The connection states upon completion of each of steps A, B, and C are as follows:

[0053] Step A: Connect the navigation ECU. Step B: Connect the navigation ECU and heater. Step C: Connect the navigation ECU, heater, and thermistor.

[0054] In the first specific example of Figure 7, the following two patterns are shown as examples of test transition patterns: Pattern 1: Test A → Test B → Test C Pattern 2: Test A → Test D → Test E Pattern 1 is the transition pattern when test A is passed. If test A is passed, test B is performed in process B, which tests the navigation ECU and heater.

[0055] Pattern 2 is a transition pattern that occurs when it is determined that the navigation ECU is not connected by test A. If test A determines that the navigation ECU is not connected, test D, which tests the heater, is performed in the subsequent process B. In this way, the test processing of this embodiment makes it possible to change the type of test to be performed in the subsequent processes B and C depending on the result of test A.

[0056] [Second Specific Example of Inspection Processing] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a second specific example of the inspection processing. In the second specific example of Figure 8, the inspection device 10 is an "Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS)-ECU", and the in-vehicle devices to be inspected are a "navigation ECU", a "sensor", and a "camera". The connection states upon completion of each of steps A, B, and C are as follows:

[0057] Step A: Connect the brake ECU. Step B: Connect the brake ECU and camera. Step C: Connect the brake ECU, camera, and sensor.

[0058] In the second specific example of Figure 8, the following two patterns are shown as examples of test transition patterns: Pattern 1: Test A → Test B → Test C Pattern 2: Test A → Test B → Test D Pattern 1 is the transition pattern when Test A and Test B are passed. If Test A and Test B are passed, Test C is performed in Process C, which tests the navigation ECU, camera, and sensor.

[0059] Pattern 2 is a transition pattern when it is determined that the camera is not connected in Inspection B. If Inspection B determines that the camera is not connected, Inspection D is performed in the subsequent process C, which inspects the brake ECU and sensors. In this way, according to the inspection process of this embodiment, the type of inspection to be performed in the subsequent process C can be changed depending on the result of Inspection B.

[0060] [Other Modifications] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes all modifications within the scope of the claims and equivalents thereof.

[0061] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Inspection device (inspection content determination device) 11 Control unit 12 Memory unit 13 Communication unit 20 ECU (on-vehicle device) 30 Load (on-vehicle device) 40 Inspection result 40A Inspection result 40B Inspection result 40C Inspection result 50 Server (inspection content determination device) 51 Control unit 52 Memory unit 53 Communication unit 60A List 60B List 70 Correspondence data 100 Vehicle 200 In-vehicle network

Claims

1. A device for determining inspection contents to be applied to a vehicle, comprising: a memory unit that stores correspondence data that defines the type of inspection to be performed for each combination of on-board equipment that can be installed in the vehicle; and a control unit that performs a process for determining the inspection contents based on identification information of on-board equipment that has already been installed in the vehicle during the manufacturing process, wherein the determination process includes: a first process that identifies the combination from the identification information; and a second process that determines the type of inspection content that corresponds to the combination found from the correspondence data as the inspection content to be performed in the current process.

2. The inspection content determination device according to claim 1, wherein the determination device is a server capable of communicating with the vehicle.

3. The inspection content determination device according to claim 1, wherein the determination device is an ECU mounted on the vehicle.

4. A method for determining inspection contents to be applied to a vehicle, comprising: a step in which a computer stores correspondence data that defines the type of inspection to be performed for each combination of on-board equipment that can be installed in the vehicle; and a step in which the computer performs a process for determining the inspection contents based on identification information of on-board equipment already installed in the vehicle during the manufacturing process, wherein the determination process includes: a first process for identifying the combination from the acquired identification information; and a second process for determining the type of inspection content that corresponds to the combination found from the correspondence data as the inspection content to be performed in the current process.

5. A computer program for causing a computer to function as a device for determining the inspection contents to be applied to a vehicle, the computer functioning as: a storage unit that stores correspondence data that defines the type of inspection to be performed for each combination of on-board equipment that can be installed in the vehicle; and a control unit that performs a process for determining the inspection contents based on identification information of on-board equipment already installed in the vehicle during the manufacturing process, the determination process including: a first process that identifies the combination from the acquired identification information; and a second process that determines the type of inspection contents corresponding to the combination extracted from the correspondence data as the inspection contents to be performed in the current process.

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