Software update method and software update device

Abstract

This vehicle software update method involves receiving update information about travel control software for controlling the travel of a vehicle capable of autonomous travel, detecting an occupant in the vehicle, determining whether or not the occupant who is riding in the vehicle when the update information is available is the same as an occupant who was riding in the vehicle when an autonomous travel task was performed to cause the vehicle to operate autonomously according to the travel control software prior to the update; and announcing the update of the travel control software to the occupant if the occupant is determined to be the same.

Description

Software update method and software update device

[0001] The present invention relates to a software update method and a software update device.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A software updating device that updates software in a vehicle is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-42850

[0004] The program update management control unit (software update device) described in Patent Document 1 does not have a means of informing the vehicle occupants of the contents of the software update, so if the occupants are the same before and after the software update, the occupants may feel uncomfortable with the changes in the vehicle's behavior before and after the update.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a software update method and a software update device that can reduce the sense of discomfort caused by changes in vehicle behavior before and after a software update.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention receives update information for driving control software that controls the driving of an autonomously capable vehicle, determines whether the occupant who was on board the vehicle when an autonomous driving task that caused the vehicle to operate autonomously was performed using the driving control software before the update is the same as the occupant who is on board the vehicle when the update information is received, and if it is determined that the occupant is the same, notifies the occupant of the update of the driving control software.

[0007] Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a software update system including a software update device according to an embodiment; Fig. 2 is a flowchart of updating driving control software executed by the software update device; Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of advance notification of an autonomous driving task; Fig. 4 is an example time chart of updating driving control software; Fig. 5 is a flowchart of updating driving control software executed by a software update device according to a modified example;

[0008] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that, hereinafter, notification refers not only to notification through visual or auditory senses, but also to notification through tactile sensations.

[0009] 1 is a schematic diagram of a software update system 1. The software update system 1 includes a server 10 and a vehicle 20. The server 10 and the vehicle 20 are capable of communicating with each other via a network 30.

[0010] The server 10 transmits to the vehicle 20 update information for driving control software (hereinafter referred to as control software) that controls the driving of the vehicle 20. The control software update information includes the control software updated for the update, its version information, the update contents of the control software, the update date, etc. The control software is updated by a programmer or by parameter learning of the control software in the server 10.

[0011] The vehicle 20 is capable of autonomous driving and includes a notification device 40, a navigation device 50, a vehicle drive device 60, a cruise control device 70, and a software update device 80.

[0012] The notification device 40 includes a display 41 and a speaker 42. The notification device 40 displays images and text on the display 41 and outputs sounds from the speaker 42 in accordance with instructions from the navigation device 50, the driving control device 70, and the software update device 80.

[0013] The navigation device 50 acquires map information within a predetermined distance around the vehicle and displays the map on the display 41. The map information includes, for example, information such as the location of intersections, whether or not right or left turns are permitted at intersections, the number of lanes on a road, and the possible directions of travel for the vehicle 20 along the lanes. The navigation device 50 also calculates a driving plan for the vehicle. For example, when a destination and intermediate points are set by the occupant, the navigation device 50 calculates a driving plan including a driving route from the current position detected by the position sensor 71 to the destination, and provides guidance about the driving route by displaying information on the display 41 or outputting audio from the speaker 42.

[0014] The vehicle drive device 60 is driven under the control of the cruise control device 70, and performs driving, braking, steering, etc. of the vehicle 20. The vehicle drive device 60 includes a drive source such as an electric motor or an engine that drives the wheels, a braking mechanism, and a steering mechanism.

[0015] The driving control device 70 includes a position sensor 71, a surroundings sensor 72, and a controller 73 as an in-vehicle device.

[0016] The position sensor 71 is a sensor that detects the current position of the vehicle. An example of the position sensor 71 is a receiver that receives satellite signals from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to determine the current position.

[0017] The surrounding sensor 72 is a sensor that detects objects around the vehicle 20, and includes, for example, a camera or a radar sensor. Examples of objects to be detected include other vehicles around the vehicle 20, marked lines on the road surface, and obstacles on the road. Examples of marked lines on the road surface include lane markings, stop lines, pedestrian crossings, and bicycle crossing zones. Obstacles are anything that hinders the travel of the vehicle 20, and include objects installed on the road as well as pedestrians and bicycles walking on the road.

[0018] The controller 73 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer including an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Central Graphics Processing Unit), a storage unit 74 such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory), and an input / output unit such as an input / output interface. The notification device 40, the navigation device 50, the vehicle drive device 60, the position sensor 71, the surrounding sensor 72, and the software update device 80 are electrically or communicatively connected to the controller 73.

[0019] The controller 73 includes a memory unit 74 , a communication unit 75 , a driving plan acquisition unit 76 , and an autonomous driving control unit 77 .

[0020] The memory unit 74 stores a computer program for causing the controller 73 to function, control software for controlling the traveling of the vehicle 20, various maps used for control, various parameters, etc. The parameters stored in the memory unit 74 include, for example, parameters used in an autonomous traveling task for autonomously operating the vehicle 20. The parameters used in the autonomous traveling task include, for example, acceleration when turning right at an intersection, deceleration before stopping at a traffic light, the amount of lateral margin between the vehicle and surrounding vehicles, lateral acceleration when changing lanes, lateral acceleration when traveling around a curve, the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle, and the speed limit.

[0021] The communication unit 75 communicates with the server 10 , the notification device 40 , the navigation device 50 , the position sensor 71 , the surrounding sensor 72 , and the software update device 80 .

[0022] The driving plan acquisition unit 76 acquires a driving plan for the vehicle 20. In the present embodiment, the driving plan acquisition unit 76 acquires the driving plan generated by the navigation device 50, and obtains a driving plan including a driving route to the destination.

[0023] The autonomous driving control unit 77 controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle 20 based on the detection results of the position sensor 71 and the surrounding sensor 72 and the driving plan. For example, the autonomous driving control unit 77 controls the vehicle 20 to autonomously drive along a driving route, taking into account information obtained from the surrounding sensor 72, such as other vehicles and obstacles around the vehicle 20, road markings that separate lanes, traffic lights, and signs. The autonomous driving control unit 77 also performs autonomous driving tasks that cause the vehicle 20 to operate autonomously during the autonomous driving of the vehicle 20. Some autonomous driving tasks cause the occupant to feel, or are likely to feel, a change in the behavior of the vehicle 20. Examples of such autonomous driving tasks include tasks such as turning right at an intersection, changing lanes, stopping at a traffic light, slowing down when a preceding vehicle approaches, overtaking a preceding vehicle, making an avoidance maneuver when a surrounding vehicle approaches, and driving around a curve.

[0024] The software update device 80 includes an occupant sensor 81 and a controller 82 .

[0025] The occupant sensor 81 includes, for example, a camera or a radar sensor, and detects an occupant inside the vehicle 20 .

[0026] The controller 82 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer including a calculation unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Central Graphics Processing Unit), a storage unit 83 such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory), and an input / output unit such as an input / output interface. The alarm device 40, the navigation device 50, the cruise control device 70, and the occupant sensor 81 are electrically or communicatively connected to the controller 82.

[0027] The controller 82 includes a memory unit 83 , a communication unit 84 , a software update unit 85 , an update content determination unit 86 , an autonomous driving task implementation determination unit 87 , an occupant determination unit 88 , and a notification unit 89 .

[0028] The storage unit 83 stores a computer program and various parameters for operating the controller 82. When the communication unit 84 receives update information for the control software, the storage unit 83 stores the received update information.

[0029] The communication unit 84 communicates with the server 10, the notification device 40, the navigation device 50, the driving control device 70, and the occupant sensor 81. The communication unit 84 receives update information for the control software from the server 10 and temporarily stores it in the memory unit 83.

[0030] The software update unit 85 updates the control software stored in the controller 73 by executing a process (hereinafter referred to as the control software update process) of writing the updated control software for updating to the memory unit 74 of the controller 73 based on the received update information.

[0031] The update content determination unit 86 determines the update content of the control software based on the received update information. In this embodiment, the update content determination unit 86 determines whether there is an update related to the autonomous driving task and whether the parameters set for each driving section have been updated. Examples of the parameters set for each driving section include the distance from the preceding vehicle and the speed limit for the driving section.

[0032] The autonomous driving task implementation determination unit 87 determines whether or not an autonomous driving task is being performed by the driving control device 70. In this embodiment, the autonomous driving task implementation determination unit 87 receives information regarding the implementation of an autonomous driving task from the controller 73 of the driving control device 70, and determines whether or not the autonomous driving task is being performed based on that information. Furthermore, when an autonomous driving task is performed by the driving control device 70, the autonomous driving task implementation determination unit 87 stores in the memory unit 83 which of multiple autonomous driving tasks has been executed.

[0033] The occupant determination unit 88 determines whether the occupant who was in the vehicle 20 when the autonomous driving task that caused the vehicle 20 to operate autonomously was executed using the control software before the update is the same as the occupant who is in the vehicle 20 when the update information is received, based on the detection result of the occupant sensor 81 and the storage of the autonomous driving task in the storage unit 83. This includes making the determination when the update information is available (before the update process is started).

[0034] When it is determined that the occupant aboard vehicle 20 is the same, notification unit 89 notifies the occupant of a control software update. In the present embodiment, notification unit 89 notifies the occupant of a control software update by providing advance notice that an autonomous driving task will be performed before the autonomous driving task is performed, or by continuously displaying the control software update content on display 41, depending on the content of the control software update. Furthermore, when the autonomous driving task is being performed, notification unit 89 performs an activation notification that notifies the occupant that the autonomous driving task is being performed while the autonomous driving task is being performed.

[0035] 2 is a flowchart of a control software update executed by the controller 82. The routine shown in the flowchart is preprogrammed by the control software, and this program is installed in the controller 82. The controller 82 repeatedly executes the following routine in accordance with the program, for example, at an operation cycle of about 10 milliseconds. In this embodiment, the controller 82 notifies the user of a control software update when it receives update information for the control software, or at any timing after receiving the update information and before the start of the control software update process.

[0036] 2, the software update unit 85 determines whether the communication unit 84 has received update information for the control software from the server 10. If it is determined in step S1 that update information for the control software has been received, the communication unit 84 temporarily stores the update information in the storage unit 83, and then the process proceeds to step S2;

[0037] If a notification of an update is given every time the control software is updated, the occupants may feel annoyed, depending on the content of the control software update. On the other hand, if the control software update does not include an update related to the autonomous driving task, or if there is an update related to the autonomous driving task but the occupants are different from those who performed the autonomous driving task before the update, the occupants are unlikely to feel uncomfortable with the change in behavior of the vehicle 20. Therefore, in these cases, the notification of a control software update is not given.

[0038] In step S2, the update content determination unit 86 determines whether or not there is an update related to the autonomous driving task (e.g., a task that changes vehicle behavior) based on the received update information. If it is determined in step S2 that there is no update related to the autonomous driving task, the process proceeds to step S3 without notifying the user of the control software update; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S4.

[0039] In step S4, the occupant determination unit 88 detects an occupant in the vehicle 20 via the occupant sensor 81. At this time, the occupant determination unit 88 stores the characteristics of the detected occupant in the storage unit 83. In the following step S5, the occupant determination unit 88 determines whether the occupant who was in the vehicle 20 when the autonomous driving task was performed before the control software update is the same as the occupant who is in the vehicle 20 when the update information is received. For example, the occupant determination unit 88 determines that the occupant is the same if the vehicle 20 is not stopped at a boarding or disembarking point such as a destination or an intermediate point and the occupant is sitting in the same seat, or determines that the occupant is the same by utilizing facial recognition technology. If it is not determined in step S5 that the occupant is the same as the occupant who was in the vehicle 20 when the autonomous driving task was performed before the control software update, in step S6, the notification unit 89 performs an activation notification to notify the user that the autonomous driving task is being performed during the autonomous driving task. If this is not the case, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0040] In step S7, the update content determination unit 86 determines whether or not the parameters set for each driving section will be updated based on the received update information. If it is determined in step S7 that the parameters set for each driving section will not be updated, then in step S8, the update content determination unit 86 determines whether or not the autonomous driving task that causes a change in behavior of the vehicle 20 to be perceived will be updated. If it is not determined in step S8 that the autonomous driving task that causes a change in behavior of the vehicle 20 to be perceived will be updated, then in step S6, the notification unit 89 issues an activation notification that notifies the user that the autonomous driving task is being performed when the autonomous driving task is being performed.

[0041] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S8 that an autonomous driving task that causes a change in the behavior of the vehicle 20 to be sensed is to be updated, in step S9, the notification unit 89 provides a warning before the autonomous driving task is performed that the autonomous driving task will be performed.

[0042] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a warning notification when the autonomous driving task is turning right at an intersection. Turning right at an intersection is an autonomous driving task that makes the driver perceive a change in the behavior of the vehicle 20. For example, if the parameter value for acceleration when turning right at an intersection is updated and there is a possibility that the vehicle 20 will experience increased longitudinal sway, the notification unit 89 displays an image such as that shown by AA in FIG. 3 on the display 41. This allows the driver and passenger to know in advance that the vehicle 20 will experience increased longitudinal sway and a change in ride comfort, thereby reducing the driver's discomfort due to the change in the behavior of the vehicle 20.

[0043] 2, if it is determined in step S7 that the parameters set for each travel section are to be updated, in step S10 the notification unit 89 continues to display the parameters for each travel section on the map displayed on the display 41. This allows the occupant to know that the behavior of the vehicle 20 may change differently for each travel section, thereby reducing any sense of discomfort caused by the behavior change.

[0044] Then, in step S11, the software update unit 85 executes an update process for the control software stored in the controller 73. The software update unit 85 determines whether the control software update process is possible, and if it determines that the update process is possible, executes the control software update process. For example, the software update unit 85 determines that the control software update process is possible when the vehicle 20 is stopped or when the autonomous driving task is unlikely to be performed even if the vehicle 20 is traveling. Examples of times when the autonomous driving task is unlikely to be performed include when there are no other vehicles traveling around the vehicle 20, when the vehicle 20 is traveling in a location other than a section where a lane change is expected, and when the arrival time to an intersection is greater than or equal to a predetermined time.

[0045] 4 is an example of a time chart for updating control software. Here, an example is shown in which an advance notice of an autonomous driving task that makes the user aware of a change in behavior is given before the control software update process is executed.

[0046] As shown in Figure 4, after the control software update process is executed from time T1 to T2, an occupant is on board from time T3 to T4, but the control software update is not notified for reasons such as the occupant not being on board before the control software update information is received and the autonomous driving task not being performed, or the update information not including an update related to the autonomous driving task.

[0047] The same occupant then boards the vehicle again at time T5, and the autonomous driving task is performed from time T6 to T7. However, because this is the first autonomous driving task since the previous update, no notification of a control software update is issued this time either. Subsequently, when control software update information is received at time T8, if the update content relates to an autonomous driving task that causes a change in the behavior of vehicle 20 to be detected, a prior notification of the autonomous driving task is issued at any time between time T8 and time T9, when the control software update process begins. In FIG. 4 , the notification flag indicating that an update has been notified is set at time T8, before time T11, when the autonomous driving task begins, because a prior notification was issued before the autonomous driving task was performed. Then, after the control software update process was performed from time T9 to T10, the autonomous driving task was performed from time T11 to T12. Therefore, an activation notification is issued between times T11 and T12 to notify the user that the autonomous driving task is being performed.

[0048] According to the above-described embodiment, if the occupant who was on board the vehicle 20 when the autonomous driving task was performed with the control software before the update is the same as the occupant who is on board the vehicle 20 when the update information is available, the occupant is notified of the control software update. In other words, the occupant is notified if they experienced the autonomous driving task before the control software update and are on board when the update information is received. Therefore, the occupant can understand the reason for the change in behavior of the vehicle 20 before and after the control software update, thereby reducing any sense of discomfort.

[0049] According to the embodiment, based on the update content of the control software, an advance notification of the autonomous driving task, a notification when the autonomous driving task is in operation, or a continuous display of the update content of the control software is performed. Therefore, appropriate notifications can be provided according to the update content of the control software.

[0050] According to the embodiment, if the autonomous driving task is an autonomous driving task that causes the occupant to feel a change in the behavior of the vehicle 20, the occupant is notified in advance of the execution of the autonomous driving task. This makes it possible to prevent the occupant from feeling uncomfortable due to the change in the behavior of the vehicle 20.

[0051] According to an embodiment, if it is determined that the occupant is not the same, a notification that the autonomous driving task is being performed is given while the autonomous driving task is being performed, or no notification is given at all, thereby reducing the annoyance of receiving notifications about control software updates.

[0052] According to the embodiment, when the updated contents of the control software are parameters set for each travel section of the vehicle 20, the parameters for each travel section are continuously displayed on the map displayed on the display 41. This allows the occupant to recognize that the behavior of the vehicle 20 may change differently for each travel section.

[0053] As described above, the best configurations, methods, and the like for implementing the present invention have been disclosed in the above description, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, although the present invention has been particularly illustrated and described mainly with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the above-described embodiments in terms of shape, material, quantity, and other detailed configurations without departing from the scope of the technical idea and purpose of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-disclosed descriptions limiting the shape, material, and the like are provided as examples to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, descriptions using names of components that are free from some or all of the limitations on shape, material, and the like are included in the present invention.

[0054] The notification device 40 may be provided with, for example, a vibration device built into a seat of the vehicle 20, and may notify the occupant by making the occupant feel the vibration.

[0055] The navigation device 50 may, for example, acquire map information recorded on a recording medium installed in the vehicle 20 from the recording medium, or may acquire map information by communicating with a data server on which the map information is stored via a communication line such as the Internet.

[0056] The controller 73 and the controller 82 may be configured as a single integrated controller, or may be configured separately.

[0057] When the controller 82 issues a warning about an update of an autonomous driving task before executing the control software update process, it may issue a warning about only the autonomous driving tasks that were performed before the update, or it may issue a warning about any or all autonomous tasks that cause a change in the behavior of the vehicle 20 to be noticed.

[0058] The controller 82 may notify the controller 82 of a control software update after the control software update process has been performed but before the updated autonomous driving task is executed. For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , the controller 82 may determine that control software update information has been received in step S1, and then perform the control software update process stored in the controller 73 in the subsequent step S1A, and then notify the controller 82 of a control software update in steps S2 to S10. In the flow shown in FIG. 5 , in step S2A following step S2, the autonomous driving task execution determination unit 87 determines whether to execute the same autonomous driving task as before the control software update. In this embodiment, the autonomous driving task execution determination unit 87 receives information to execute an autonomous driving task from the controller 73 of the driving control device 70 and determines whether to execute the same autonomous driving task as before the update based on the information. If it is determined in step S2A that the same autonomous driving task as before the update will not be executed, the process proceeds to step S3 without notifying the controller 82 of a control software update. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S4 and subsequent steps.

[0059] When updating an autonomous driving task that causes a change in the behavior of the vehicle 20 to be felt, the controller 82 may issue both a warning notification and an activation notification, or may issue a warning notification but not an activation notification.

[0060] If it is determined that the occupant is not the same, the controller 82 may issue an activation notification or may not issue any notification.

[0061] If the update contents include parameters set for each driving section of the vehicle 20, and the parameters are parameters related to an autonomous driving task that causes a change in the behavior of the vehicle 20 to be felt, the controller 82 may continuously display the parameters for each driving section on a map displayed within the vehicle 20, and may also provide a warning, for example, just before entering the driving section.

[0062] The occupant determination unit 88 may verify whether the occupant is the same or not by periodically conducting wireless communication within the vehicle 20 using a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone or tablet terminal carried by the occupant.

[0063] For example, if the notification device 40 is equipped with a vibration device, the notification unit 89 may notify the occupant of a control software update by making the occupant feel a vibration. The notification unit 89 may also provide advance notification of the autonomous driving task or notification upon activation, even when an autonomous driving task is being performed that makes it difficult for the occupant to sense a change in the behavior of the vehicle 20. The notification unit 89 may notify the occupant of the control software update only once after the control software update, may notify the occupant a predetermined number of times, or may notify the occupant only within a predetermined period of time. The notification unit 89 may notify the occupant of the control software update either before or after the control software update, as long as the notification unit 89 notifies the occupant of the control software update at least before the autonomous driving task of the updated control software is performed. For example, the notification unit 89 may notify the occupant of the control software update before the updated autonomous driving task is performed after the control software update. Furthermore, the notification unit 89 may notify the occupant of the update when the updated control software is received, or at any timing after the reception but before the update process begins.

[0064] 20... vehicle, 80... software update device, 84... communication unit, 85... software update unit, 87... autonomous driving task execution determination unit, 88... occupant determination unit, 89... notification unit

Claims

1. A software update method by a vehicle software controller, comprising: receiving update information for driving control software that controls the driving of an autonomously driven vehicle; detecting an occupant in the vehicle; determining whether the occupant who was in the vehicle when an autonomous driving task that caused the vehicle to operate autonomously was performed using the driving control software before the update is the same as the occupant who was in the vehicle when the update information was received; and notifying the occupant of the update of the driving control software if it is determined that the occupant is the same.

2. A software update method as described in claim 1, wherein, depending on the update content of the driving control software, a warning is given before the autonomous driving task is performed that the autonomous driving task will be performed, a warning is given while the autonomous driving task is being performed that the autonomous driving task is being performed, or the update content of the driving control software is continuously displayed.

3. A software update method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein, if the autonomous driving task is an autonomous driving task that causes the occupant to feel a change in the vehicle's behavior, a warning is given that the autonomous driving task will be carried out before the autonomous driving task is carried out.

4. A software update method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein if it is determined that the occupant is not the same, a notification is given that the autonomous driving task is being performed while the autonomous driving task is being performed, or no notification is given at all.

5. A software update method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, when the update contents of the driving control software are parameters set for each driving section of the vehicle, the parameters for each driving section are continuously displayed on a map displayed inside the vehicle.

6. A software update method according to claim 3, wherein the autonomous driving task that causes the occupant to feel a change in the vehicle's behavior is turning right at an intersection, changing lanes, stopping at a traffic light, slowing down when approaching a preceding vehicle, overtaking a preceding vehicle, or driving around a curve.

7. A software update method according to claim 5, wherein the parameter set for each travel section is the distance to a preceding vehicle or a speed limit.

8. A software update device for a vehicle, comprising: a controller that updates driving control software that controls the driving of an autonomously driven vehicle, the controller comprising: a communication unit that receives update information for the driving control software; an occupant determination unit that determines whether the occupant who was in the vehicle when an autonomous driving task that caused the vehicle to operate autonomously was performed with the driving control software before the update is the same as the occupant who is in the vehicle when the update information is received; and a notification unit that notifies the occupant of the update of the driving control software if it is determined that the occupant is the same.

Images