JP2007043391A - In-vehicle communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an in-vehicle communication device capable of radio communication with an unspecified roadside radio communication device accompanied by the travel of a vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: Once an engine of the vehicle is started, it is determined which prefecture the vehicle is currently in (S101, S102) and a wireless LAN area connection information request for the transmission of information on all access points in the prefecture where the vehicle is is transmitted to a connection information providing server on the Internet through a mobile phone network (S103). Then, when wireless LAN area connection information is received from the connection information providing server normally (S104: YES), a connection information database is updated based upon the information (S105). Then, when it is decided that the vehicle enters a communication area of an access point (S106: YES), radio communication with the access point through a wireless LAN is performed (S107). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-vehicle communication device used by being mounted on a vehicle.

  Conventionally, as an in-vehicle communication device mounted and used in a vehicle, a roadside wireless communication device provided outside the vehicle by a narrow area wireless communication by a communication method such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or a DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication) The thing of the structure which performs radio | wireless communication between is proposed.

  For example, Patent Document 1 includes a mobile phone IF that is a wireless communication unit of a mobile phone communication system and an in-vehicle device that includes a wireless communication IF that is a wireless communication unit of a DSRC communication system that is narrower and faster than the mobile phone IF. A data distribution system that distributes data to a communication device is disclosed. In this data distribution system, when a data distribution request is transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device, which wireless communication means should be used in the in-vehicle communication device based on the expected time required for distribution of the requested data. to decide. If it is determined that the wireless communication IF should be used, the in-vehicle communication device is notified of the position of the DSRC communication type wireless base station (roadside wireless communication device) existing near the current position of the vehicle. .

  Patent Document 2 discloses that a vehicle-mounted communication device capable of wireless communication with a DSRC communication type wireless base station (roadside wireless communication device) and a communication partner center can communicate via the Internet. , A communication system for constructing a VPN between a radio base station and a center is disclosed.

  By the way, in the systems described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is assumed that the in-vehicle communication device can communicate with the roadside wireless communication device by entering the communication area of the roadside wireless communication device. . However, depending on the system construction method, there may be a configuration in which information about the roadside wireless communication device must be registered in advance on the in-vehicle communication device side in order to enable wireless communication with the roadside wireless communication device. Conceivable.

That is, for example, in Patent Document 3, when a notebook computer capable of wireless LAN communication is brought into a store provided with a wireless LAN access point, the notebook computer can be connected to the Internet via the access point. The structure to perform is disclosed. In this configuration, in order to enable wireless LAN communication with an access point, the SSID (Service Set ID) and WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) set for the access point are transferred to the notebook computer side. It is necessary to register in advance. For this reason, a mobile phone having a current position detection function is connected to a notebook computer, and a user of the notebook computer performs a call operation with a setting file management server that manages information about a plurality of access points as a call destination. By using the telephone, the SSID and WEP information about the access point corresponding to the position information of the mobile phone is transmitted to the mobile phone.
JP 2004-328389 A JP 2004-312350 A JP 2002-351766 A

  By the way, communication information (SSID and WEP in the example of Patent Document 3 above), which is information necessary for enabling wireless communication with a roadside wireless communication device, is registered in advance on the in-vehicle communication device side. In the case of a configuration that must be maintained, in order to support not only existing roadside wireless communication devices but also newly installed roadside wireless communication devices, as described in Patent Document 3, a roadside wireless communication device ( It is preferable to acquire the communication information as needed from an external server that manages the communication information of the access point in Patent Document 3 described above. However, since the in-vehicle communication device is used by being mounted on a vehicle, the communication time with the roadside wireless communication device is, for example, passing through the communication area of the roadside wireless communication device while the vehicle is traveling. It can be shortened. For this reason, there is a concern that the communication time may be insufficient if the vehicle acquires the communication information after entering the communication area of the roadside wireless communication device. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain in advance communication information about a roadside wireless communication device as a communication partner from an external server.

  However, in the case of an in-vehicle communication device, it is normal that a roadside wireless communication device that is a communication partner is unspecified. In other words, if the usage mode is intended to communicate with a specific access point, such as bringing a laptop computer into the store, information about the specific access point is acquired in advance. Just keep it. On the other hand, in the case of an in-vehicle communication device, the roadside wireless communication device is in the process of traveling the vehicle for another purpose than the usage mode of traveling the vehicle for the purpose of communicating with the roadside wireless communication device. It is considered that there are more usage forms that enter the communication area. In such a usage mode, it is not sufficient to obtain only communication information for a specific roadside wireless communication device.

  The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and an object thereof is to provide an in-vehicle communication device capable of wireless communication with an unspecified roadside wireless communication device as the vehicle travels.

  The vehicle-mounted communication device according to claim 1 of the present invention made to achieve the above object is wireless communication (for example, wireless communication by a communication method such as wireless LAN or DSRC) with a roadside wireless communication device provided outside the vehicle. ) Is provided. And in this vehicle-mounted communication apparatus, an acquisition means acquires the information for communication which is information required in order to enable wireless communication between the roadside radio | wireless communication apparatuses from an external server. Here, the communication information acquired by the acquisition unit from the external server is for all roadside wireless communication devices that satisfy a predetermined condition.

  According to the vehicle-mounted communication device having such a configuration, the communication information about all the roadside wireless communication devices that satisfy the predetermined condition is acquired. Therefore, the roadside wireless communication device that is not specified as the vehicle travels. It is possible to perform wireless communication with.

  By the way, if the in-vehicle communication device is configured to include wide area communication means capable of wireless communication in a wider area than the wireless communication means, for example, as described in claim 2, the acquisition means is a wireless communication by the wide area communication means. The communication information may be acquired from an external server. According to this configuration, it is possible to acquire communication information from an external server even in a place where no roadside wireless communication device exists. Examples of the wide area communication means include those using a cellular phone or a PHS (Personal Handyphone System) packet communication network.

  In addition, as described in claim 3, in the case where the storage unit that stores the communication information acquired by the acquisition unit is provided, the acquisition unit wirelessly uses the communication information already stored in the storage unit. Communication information may be acquired from an external server by wireless communication by wireless communication means with a roadside wireless communication device capable of communication. According to this configuration, communication information can be acquired without using communication means other than wireless communication means. The wireless communication means is particularly effective when the communication speed is faster than other communication means or when the communication cost is low.

However, depending on the wireless communication means, it is conceivable that normal communication cannot be performed when the traveling speed of the vehicle is high.
Therefore, as in the in-vehicle communication device according to claim 4, when equipped with speed detection means for detecting the travel speed of the vehicle, and the travel speed detected by the speed detection means exceeds a predetermined determination reference value The prohibiting unit may be configured to prohibit acquisition of communication information by the wireless communication unit. In this way, it is possible to prevent communication abnormality caused by the wireless communication means.

  In particular, as described in claim 5, if the configuration includes wide-area communication means capable of wireless communication in a wider area than the wireless communication means, the traveling speed detected by the speed detection means has a predetermined determination reference value. If it exceeds, the prohibiting means may acquire the communication information from the external server by wireless communication by the wide area communication means instead of the wireless communication means. According to this configuration, it is possible to properly use the wireless communication unit and the wide-area communication unit according to the traveling speed of the vehicle.

  By the way, as a condition (the predetermined condition) of the roadside wireless communication device from which the acquisition unit acquires the communication information, as described in claim 6, all roadside wireless communication devices managed by an external server are used. It is possible. In this way, wireless communication can be reliably performed with all roadside wireless communication devices managed by the external server.

However, it may be difficult to acquire communication information for all roadside wireless communication devices, such as when the number of roadside wireless communication devices managed by an external server is large.
Therefore, in the configuration including the position detection means for detecting the current position of the vehicle as in the in-vehicle communication device according to claim 7, the acquisition means is a position-side radio communication device that satisfies the predetermined condition. It is preferable to obtain communication information for all roadside wireless communication devices existing in a predetermined area including the current position detected by the detection means. In this way, it is possible to extract and acquire only communication information about roadside wireless communication devices that are highly likely to perform wireless communication. Examples of the “predetermined area including the current position” include an area divided in advance (for example, a prefecture or a municipality) that includes the current position, or a predetermined range centered on the current position (for example, A circular or square area).

  The timing for acquiring the communication information may be a case where the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on as described in claim 8, for example. In this way, the communication information can be appropriately acquired.

  On the other hand, in the configuration provided with the destination detection means for detecting the destination of the vehicle in addition to the position detection means for detecting the current position of the vehicle, as in the in-vehicle communication device according to claim 9, the acquisition means includes: All roadside radios that exist in a predetermined area including a travel route from the current position detected by the position detection means to the destination detected by the destination detection means as roadside radio communication devices that meet the above predetermined conditions Information for communication about the communication device may be acquired. In this way, it is possible to more efficiently extract and acquire only communication information about a roadside wireless communication device that is highly likely to perform wireless communication. Examples of the “predetermined region including the travel route” include all regions including the travel route among regions divided in advance (for example, prefectures and municipalities), or a plurality of points on the travel route. Examples include a region composed of a plurality of predetermined ranges (for example, a circular or square range) centered on each.

  The timing for acquiring the communication information may be a case where the destination of the vehicle is detected by the destination detection means, for example, as in the in-vehicle communication device according to claim 10. In this way, the communication information can be appropriately acquired.

Embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a communication system including the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the first embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, the in-vehicle communication device 10 is used in a state where it is mounted on a vehicle (automobile) 1, and includes a GPS receiver 11, a map information database (map information DB) 12, and wireless LAN communication. Unit 13, connection information database (connection information DB) 14, operation unit 15, mobile phone communication unit 16, and control unit 17.

  The GPS receiver 11 is for receiving a transmission radio wave from a GPS (Global Positioning System) artificial satellite via a GPS antenna and detecting the current position (latitude, longitude, etc.) of the vehicle 1. In the in-vehicle communication device 10, the current position of the vehicle 1 detected by the GPS receiver 11 is corrected based on the traveling speed of the vehicle 1 detected by the vehicle speed sensor 19 provided in the vehicle 1. Yes.

The map information database 12 stores map data.
The wireless LAN communication unit 13 is a short distance wireless communication using access points (APs) 2, 2,... As roadside wireless communication devices arranged at a plurality of points outside the vehicle (for example, intersections, dealers, gas stations, etc.). It is for communication. That is, in the communication system of the present embodiment, a plurality of access points 2, 2,... For performing data communication with the in-vehicle communication device 10 are provided, and each access point 2 has its communication area (for example, , Data communication by wireless LAN is performed in a state where the vehicle 1 is in the area of a radius of several meters to several tens of meters. In the communication system of this embodiment, WEP and SSID, which are non-common communication information, are set for each access point 2 at all access points 2, 2,. For this reason, the in-vehicle communication device 10 can communicate with the access point 2 by wireless LAN by setting the WEP and SSID of the access point 2 in advance as WEP and SSID for wireless LAN communication. It becomes.

  The connection information database 14 stores WEP and SSID for a plurality of access points 2. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the unique identification information (APID) given to the access point 2, the name of the business that owns the access point 2, and the access point WEP and SSID for 2, location information (latitude and longitude in this embodiment) indicating the location of the access point 2, and the contents of services performed at the access point 2 (for example, maintenance notifications and advertisements by dealers, municipalities, etc. Service information representing tourist attraction guides) is stored.

  The operation unit 15 includes a plurality of operation buttons for inputting various commands from an occupant (driver or passenger) of the vehicle 1. The in-vehicle communication device 10 has a function as a navigation device, and searches for an optimal travel route from the current position to the destination by performing an operation for setting the destination.

  The mobile phone communication unit 16 is for performing wireless data communication via the mobile phone network (mobile phone packet communication network) 3. For this reason, the mobile phone communication unit 16 is a communication area covered by the mobile phone base stations 4, 4,... Arranged in various places (an area much larger than the communication area covered by the access points 2, 2,... ), Data communication can be performed with a connection information providing server (corresponding to an external server) 20 on the Internet 5 that manages the latest information on all the access points 2, 2,. However, the communication by the mobile phone communication unit 16 has a lower communication speed than the wireless LAN communication unit 13 and is not suitable for large-capacity data communication.

  The control unit 17 is mainly configured by a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and comprehensively controls each unit constituting the in-vehicle communication device 10. In addition, the state of an ignition switch (IG switch) 18 provided in the vehicle 1 is input to the control unit 17.

  Next, wireless communication processing executed by the control unit 17 of the in-vehicle communication device 10 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. This wireless communication process is started when it is detected that the ignition switch 18 is turned on.

When this wireless communication process is started, first, the current position of the vehicle 1 is detected by the GPS receiver 11 in S101.
Subsequently, in S102, the prefecture to which the current position of the vehicle 1 detected in S101 belongs is determined. That is, it is determined in which prefecture the vehicle 1 is currently located.

  Subsequently, in S103, a wireless LAN area connection information request for requesting transmission of information about all access points 2 existing in the prefecture determined in S102 is transmitted via the mobile phone communication unit 16 on the Internet 5. Processing to transmit to the connection information providing server 20 is performed.

  Subsequently, in S104, the wireless LAN area connection information returned from the connection information providing server 20 on the Internet 5 in response to the wireless LAN area connection information request transmitted in S103 is normally transmitted via the mobile phone communication unit 16. It is determined whether or not it has been received. The wireless LAN area connection information received here is information about all access points 2 existing in the prefecture to which the current position of the vehicle 1 belongs. Specifically, the wireless LAN area connection information is unique to each access point 2. Identification information (APID), name of the business owner that owns the access point 2, WEP and SSID necessary for enabling short-distance wireless communication with the access point 2 by wireless LAN, and the access point 2 Location information (latitude and longitude) indicating the location of the service, and the contents of the service performed at the access point 2. That is, it is the same as the item of information (FIG. 2) stored in the connection information database 14 of the in-vehicle communication device 10.

If it is determined in step S104 that the wireless LAN area connection information has not been received normally (for example, if a communication error occurs), the process returns to step S101 to retry.
On the other hand, if it is determined in S104 that the wireless LAN area connection information has been normally received, the process proceeds to S105, and processing for updating the contents of the connection information database 14 based on the received wireless LAN area connection information is performed. Specifically, of the received wireless LAN area connection information, information about the access point 2 that has not been stored in the connection information database 14 is added, and the access already stored in the connection information database 14 is added. If it is point 2 but the stored content is old, it is rewritten with new content.

  Subsequently, in S106, it is determined whether or not the access point 2 has been detected (whether or not the vehicle 1 has entered the communication area of the access point 2). If it is determined that the access point 2 has been detected, the process proceeds to S107. Specifically, based on the current position of the vehicle 1 detected by the GPS receiver 11 and the position information of each access point 2 stored in the connection information database 14, the surrounding area of the vehicle 1 (the access point 2 When it is determined that a known access point 2 exists within a wider range than the communication area, for example, within a predetermined distance range centered on the vehicle 1, the WEP and SSID stored for the access point 2 are wirelessly transmitted. Set to WEP and SSID for LAN communication. That is, before the vehicle 1 enters the communication area of the access point 2, the WEP and SSID for the access point 2 are set to the WEP and SSID for wireless LAN communication. In this way, when the vehicle 1 enters the communication area of the access point 2, wireless communication can be performed with the access point 2 via the wireless LAN communication unit 13. Can be detected.

In S107, an automatic connection process, which is a process of performing data communication with the access point 2 via the wireless LAN communication unit 13, is performed. Thereafter, the process returns to S106.
Next, the flow of communication realized by the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the timing chart of FIG.

  When the engine is started by the driver of the vehicle 1, information on the current position of the vehicle 1 is acquired by the in-vehicle communication device 10 mounted on the vehicle 1 (S101), and the prefecture to which the vehicle 1 currently belongs is determined. (S102). Then, a wireless LAN area connection information request for requesting transmission of information about all access points 2 existing in the prefecture is transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 10 to the connection information providing server 20 via the mobile phone network 3. (S103). The connection information providing server 20 performs processing for extracting information on all access points 2 existing in the prefecture requested by the wireless LAN area connection information request from its own database, and the extracted information is stored in the wireless LAN area connection information request. It is returned as the LAN area connection information from the connection information providing server 20 to the in-vehicle communication device 10 via the mobile phone network 3. In the in-vehicle communication device 10, the information in the connection information database 14 is updated based on the wireless LAN area connection information returned from the connection information providing server 20 (S104: YES, S105). Thereafter, when the vehicle 1 enters the communication area of the access point 2 stored in the connection information database 14 (S106: YES), automatic connection processing by wireless LAN is performed between the in-vehicle communication device 10 and the access point 2. Data is exchanged (S107).

  In the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the first embodiment, the GPS receiver 11 and the control unit 17 that executes the process of S101 in the wireless communication process (FIG. 3) correspond to the position detection unit of the present invention. The wireless LAN communication unit 13 corresponds to the wireless communication unit of the present invention, the connection information database 14 corresponds to the storage unit of the present invention, and the mobile phone communication unit 16 corresponds to the wide-area communication unit of the present invention. Moreover, the control part 17 which performs the process of S103 and S104 in a radio | wireless communication process (FIG. 3) is equivalent to the acquisition means of this invention.

  As described above, in the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the first embodiment, the latest information on all the access points 2 existing in the prefecture to which the vehicle 1 belongs when the ignition switch 18 of the vehicle 1 is turned on. Communication information is received from the connection information providing server 20 and stored in the connection information database 14. For this reason, wireless communication can be performed with an unspecified access point 2 as the vehicle 1 travels. In particular, since only the access point 2 existing in the prefecture to which the vehicle 1 belongs is acquired, it is possible to extract and acquire only information about the access point 2 that is highly likely to perform wireless communication. Moreover, since the information is acquired only once when the ignition switch 18 is turned on, the information can be appropriately acquired.

  In addition, since the in-vehicle communication device 10 acquires the wireless LAN area connection information via the mobile phone network 3, the area is much wider than the communication area covered by the access points 2, 2,. It becomes possible to acquire wireless LAN area information.

  In the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the first embodiment, information on all access points 2 existing in the prefecture to which the current position of the vehicle 1 belongs when the ignition switch 18 is turned on is connected information. Although it is set as the structure acquired from the provision server 20, it is not restricted to this.

  That is, for example, when the ignition switch 18 is turned on, information about all the access points 2 managed by the connection information providing server 20 can be acquired from the connection information providing server 20. Specifically, the process of S101 and S102 of the wireless communication process (FIG. 3) is not performed, and the transmission of information about all access points 2 managed by the connection information providing server 20 is requested in S103. The wireless LAN area connection information request is transmitted to the connection information providing server 20 on the Internet 5 through the mobile phone communication unit 16. In this way, wireless communication can be performed with all access points 2 existing at the present time.

  On the other hand, for example, when an operation for setting a destination is performed, information about all access points 2 existing in a peripheral area including a travel route from the current position to the destination is acquired from the connection information providing server 20. It can also be set as the structure to do. Here, the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus 10 of 2nd Embodiment of such a structure is demonstrated. Note that the hardware configuration of the communication system including the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the second embodiment is the same as the hardware configuration (FIG. 1) of the communication system of the first embodiment described above, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted. To do.

The in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the second embodiment is different from the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the first embodiment in the content of the wireless communication process executed by the control unit 17.
Here, instead of the wireless communication process of the first embodiment (FIG. 3), the wireless communication process executed by the control unit 17 of the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. . This wireless communication process is started when an operation for setting a destination is performed by the operation unit 15 of the in-vehicle communication device 10. In addition, each process of S205-S207 in the radio | wireless communication process of this 2nd Embodiment is the same as each process of S105-S107 in the radio | wireless communication process (FIG. 3) of the said 1st Embodiment.

  When the wireless communication process is started, first, in S201, an optimum travel route from the current position of the vehicle 1 detected by the GPS receiver 11 to the destination set by the operation of the operation unit 15 is searched. Process.

  Subsequently, in S202, a peripheral area including the travel route searched in S201 is determined. Specifically, the map data stored in the map information database 12 is divided into a plurality of areas of a predetermined size (for example, a square area of 10 km square), and a traveling route belongs to each divided area as a unit. One or a plurality of divided areas (divided areas through which the vehicle 1 passes) are extracted. Thereby, a peripheral region including a travel route from the current position to the destination is determined.

  Subsequently, in S203, a wireless LAN area connection information request for requesting transmission of information about all access points 2 existing in the peripheral area determined in S202 is transmitted on the Internet 5 via the mobile phone communication unit 16. Processing to transmit to the connection information providing server 20 is performed. The information on the peripheral area can be transmitted, for example, in the form of identification information of each divided area constituting the peripheral area.

  Subsequently, in S204, the wireless LAN area connection information returned from the connection information providing server 20 on the Internet 5 in response to the wireless LAN area connection information request transmitted in S203 is normally transmitted via the mobile phone communication unit 16. It is determined whether or not it has been received. The wireless LAN area connection information received here is information about all the access points 2 existing in the peripheral area including the travel route, and specifically, unique identification information given to the access point 2 (APID), the name of the business owner that owns the access point 2, the WEP and SSID necessary for enabling short-range wireless communication with the access point 2 by the wireless LAN, and the location of the access point 2 And location information (latitude and longitude) indicating the content of the service performed at the access point 2. That is, it is the same as the item of information (FIG. 2) stored in the connection information database 14 of the in-vehicle communication device 10.

If it is determined in step S204 that the wireless LAN area connection information has not been normally received, the process returns to step S201 to retry.
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S204 that the wireless LAN area connection information has been normally received, the process proceeds to step S205, and processing for updating the contents of the connection information database 14 based on the received wireless LAN area connection information is performed.

Subsequently, in S206, it is determined whether or not the access point 2 has been detected. If it is determined that the access point 2 has been detected, the process proceeds to S207.
In S207, an automatic connection process, which is a process of performing data communication with the access point 2 via the wireless LAN communication unit 13, is performed. Thereafter, the process returns to S206.

Next, the flow of communication realized by the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the timing chart of FIG.
When an occupant of the vehicle 1 performs an operation of setting a destination, an in-vehicle communication device 10 mounted on the vehicle 1 searches for an optimal travel route from the current position of the vehicle 1 to the destination (S201). A peripheral area including the travel route is determined (S202). Then, a wireless LAN area connection information request for requesting transmission of information about all access points 2 existing in the peripheral area is sent from the in-vehicle communication device 10 to the connection information providing server 20 via the mobile phone network 3. It is transmitted (S203). The connection information providing server 20 performs a process of extracting information about all access points 2 existing in the peripheral area requested by the wireless LAN area connection information request from its own database, and the extracted information is The wireless LAN area connection information is returned from the connection information providing server 20 to the in-vehicle communication device 10 via the mobile phone network 3. In the in-vehicle communication device 10, the information in the connection information database 14 is updated based on the wireless LAN area connection information returned from the connection information providing server 20 (S204: YES, S205). Thereafter, when the vehicle 1 enters the communication area of the access point 2 stored in the connection information database 14 (S206: YES), automatic connection processing by the wireless LAN is performed between the in-vehicle communication device 10 and the access point 2. The data is exchanged (S207).

  In the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the second embodiment, the operation unit 15 corresponds to the destination detection unit of the present invention, and the control unit 17 that executes the processes of S203 and S204 in the wireless communication process (FIG. 3). Corresponds to the acquisition means of the present invention.

  As described above, in the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the second embodiment, when an operation for setting a destination is performed by the operation unit 15, all existing in the peripheral area including the travel route to the destination. The latest communication information for the access point 2 is received from the connection information providing server 20 and stored in the connection information database 14. For this reason, wireless communication can be performed with an unspecified access point 2 as the vehicle 1 travels. In particular, since only the access point 2 existing in the peripheral area including the travel route to the destination is acquired, only the information about the access point 2 that is highly likely to perform wireless communication is extracted and acquired. be able to. Moreover, since the information is acquired only once when the operation for setting the destination is performed, the information can be appropriately acquired.

  In addition, since the in-vehicle communication device 10 acquires the wireless LAN area connection information via the mobile phone network 3, the area is much wider than the communication area covered by the access points 2, 2,. It becomes possible to acquire wireless LAN area information.

  By the way, in the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus 10 of each said embodiment, although the information for communication about the access point 2 is acquired via the mobile telephone network 3, it is not restricted to this. For example, the communication information for other access points 2 may be acquired by wireless LAN communication with the access point 2 whose communication information is already stored in the connection information database 14. Here, the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus 10 of 3rd Embodiment of such a structure is demonstrated. The hardware configuration of the communication system including the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the third embodiment is also the same as the hardware configuration (FIG. 1) of the communication system of the first embodiment described above, and detailed description thereof is omitted. To do.

The in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the third embodiment is different from the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the first embodiment in the content of the wireless communication process executed by the control unit 17.
Here, instead of the wireless communication process of the first embodiment (FIG. 3), the wireless communication process executed by the control unit 17 of the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the third embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. . This wireless communication process is started when it is detected that the ignition switch 18 is turned on. Note that the processes of S302, S303, S306 to S308 in the wireless communication process of the third embodiment are the same as the processes of S101, S102, S105 to S107 in the wireless communication process (FIG. 3) of the first embodiment. It is.

  When this wireless communication process is started, first, in S301, whether or not the access point 2 already stored in the connection information database 14 has been detected (whether or not the vehicle 1 has entered the communication area of the access point 2). If it is determined that it has been detected, the process proceeds to S302. Specifically, based on the current position of the vehicle 1 detected by the GPS receiver 11 and the position information of each access point 2 stored in the connection information database 14, a known access point in the peripheral area of the vehicle 1 When it is determined that 2 exists, the WEP and SSID stored for the access point 2 are set as the WEP and SSID for wireless LAN communication. In this way, when the vehicle 1 enters the communication area of the access point 2, wireless communication via the wireless LAN communication unit 13 is possible with the access point 2, and the access point 2 is detected.

In S <b> 302, the current position of the vehicle 1 is detected by the GPS receiver 11.
Subsequently, in S303, the prefecture to which the current position of the vehicle 1 detected in S302 belongs is determined. That is, it is determined in which prefecture the vehicle 1 is currently located.

  Subsequently, in S304, a wireless LAN area connection information request for requesting transmission of information about all access points 2 existing in the prefecture determined in S303 is transmitted on the Internet 5 via the wireless LAN communication unit 13. Processing to transmit to the connection information providing server 20 is performed.

  Subsequently, in S305, the wireless LAN area connection information returned from the connection information providing server 20 on the Internet 5 in response to the wireless LAN area connection information request transmitted in S304 is normally transmitted via the wireless LAN communication unit 13. It is determined whether or not it has been received. The wireless LAN area connection information received here is information about all access points 2 existing in the prefecture to which the current position of the vehicle 1 belongs. Specifically, the wireless LAN area connection information is unique to each access point 2. Identification information (APID), name of the business owner that owns the access point 2, WEP and SSID necessary for enabling short-distance wireless communication with the access point 2 by wireless LAN, and the access point 2 Location information (latitude and longitude) indicating the location of the service, and the contents of the service performed at the access point 2. That is, it is the same as the item of information (FIG. 2) stored in the connection information database 14 of the in-vehicle communication device 10.

If it is determined in step S305 that the wireless LAN area connection information has not been normally received, the process returns to step S301 and is retried.
On the other hand, if it is determined in S305 that the wireless LAN area connection information has been normally received, the process proceeds to S306, and processing for updating the contents of the connection information database 14 based on the received wireless LAN area connection information is performed.

Subsequently, in S307, it is determined whether or not the access point 2 has been detected. If it is determined that the access point 2 has been detected, the process proceeds to S308.
In S308, an automatic connection process, which is a process of performing data communication with the access point 2 via the wireless LAN communication unit 13, is performed. Thereafter, the process returns to S307.

Next, a communication flow realized by the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to a timing chart of FIG.
When the vehicle 1 enters the communication area of the access point 2 already stored in the connection information database 14 (S301: YES), information on the current position of the vehicle 1 is acquired (S302). A prefecture is determined (S303). Then, a wireless LAN area connection information request for requesting transmission of information about all access points 2 existing in the prefecture is transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 10 to the connection information providing server 20 via the access point 2. (S304). The connection information providing server 20 performs processing for extracting information on all access points 2 existing in the prefecture requested by the wireless LAN area connection information request from its own database, and the extracted information is stored in the wireless LAN area connection information request. It is returned as the LAN area connection information from the connection information providing server 20 to the in-vehicle communication device 10 via the access point 2. In the in-vehicle communication device 10, the information in the connection information database 14 is updated based on the wireless LAN area connection information returned from the connection information providing server 20 (S205: YES, S206). Thereafter, when the vehicle 1 enters the communication area of the access point 2 stored in the connection information database 14 (S207: YES), automatic connection processing by the wireless LAN is performed between the in-vehicle communication device 10 and the access point 2. The data is exchanged (S208).

In the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the third embodiment, the control unit 17 that executes the processes of S304 and S305 in the wireless communication process (FIG. 3) corresponds to the acquisition unit of the present invention.
As described above, in the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the third embodiment, all the access points 2 existing in the prefecture to which the vehicle 1 belongs when the vehicle 1 enters the communication area of the known access point 2. The latest communication information is received from the connection information providing server 20 and stored in the connection information database 14. For this reason, wireless communication can be performed with an unspecified access point 2 as the vehicle 1 travels. In particular, since only the access point 2 existing in the prefecture to which the vehicle 1 belongs is acquired, it is possible to extract and acquire only information about the access point 2 that is highly likely to perform wireless communication. Moreover, since the information is acquired only once when the ignition switch 18 is turned on, the information can be appropriately acquired.

  In addition, in the in-vehicle communication device 10, wireless LAN area connection information is acquired by communication using a wireless LAN, which has a higher communication speed than communication via the mobile phone network 3, so information is acquired in a short time. It becomes possible.

  In the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the third embodiment, information on all access points 2 existing in the prefecture to which the current position of the vehicle 1 belongs when the ignition switch 18 is turned on is connected information. Although it is set as the structure acquired from the provision server 20, it is not restricted to this.

  That is, for example, when the ignition switch 18 is turned on, information about all the access points 2 managed by the connection information providing server 20 can be acquired from the connection information providing server 20. Specifically, the process of S302 and S303 of the wireless communication process (FIG. 6) is not performed, and the transmission of information about all access points 2 managed by the connection information providing server 20 is requested in S304. The wireless LAN area connection information request is transmitted to the connection information providing server 20 on the Internet 5 through the mobile phone communication unit 16. In this way, wireless communication can be performed with all access points 2 existing at the present time.

  On the other hand, for example, when an operation for setting a destination is performed, information about all access points 2 existing in a peripheral area including a travel route from the current position to the destination is acquired from the connection information providing server 20. It can also be set as the structure to do. Here, the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the fourth embodiment having such a configuration will be described. Note that the hardware configuration of the communication system including the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the fourth embodiment is the same as the hardware configuration (FIG. 1) of the communication system of the first embodiment described above, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted. To do.

The in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the fourth embodiment is different from the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the first embodiment in the content of the wireless communication process executed by the control unit 17.
Here, instead of the wireless communication process (FIG. 3) of the first embodiment, the wireless communication process executed by the control unit 17 of the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. . This wireless communication process is started when an operation for setting a destination is performed by the operation unit 15 of the in-vehicle communication device 10. Note that the processes of S401, S402, S406 to S408 in the wireless communication process of the fourth embodiment are the same as the processes of S201, S202, S205 to S207 in the wireless communication process (FIG. 5) of the second embodiment. It is. Further, the process of S403 in the wireless communication process of the fourth embodiment is the same as the process of S301 in the wireless communication process (FIG. 6) of the third embodiment.

  When the wireless communication process is started, first, in S401, an optimum travel route from the current position of the vehicle 1 detected by the GPS receiver 11 to the destination set by the operation of the operation unit 15 is searched. Process.

Subsequently, in S402, a peripheral area including the travel route searched in S401 is determined.
Subsequently, in S403, it is determined whether or not the access point 2 already stored in the connection information database 14 is detected. If it is determined that the access point 2 has been detected, the process proceeds to S404.

  In S404, connection information on the Internet 5 is provided via the wireless LAN communication unit 13 to the wireless LAN area connection information request for requesting transmission of information on all access points 2 existing in the peripheral area determined in S403. Processing to transmit to the server 20 is performed.

  Subsequently, in S405, the wireless LAN area connection information returned from the connection information providing server 20 on the Internet 5 in response to the wireless LAN area connection information request transmitted in S404 is normally transmitted via the wireless LAN communication unit 13. It is determined whether or not it has been received. The wireless LAN area connection information received here is information about all the access points 2 existing in the peripheral area including the travel route, and specifically, unique identification information given to the access point 2 (APID), the name of the business owner that owns the access point 2, the WEP and SSID necessary for enabling short-range wireless communication with the access point 2 by the wireless LAN, and the location of the access point 2 And location information (latitude and longitude) indicating the content of the service performed at the access point 2. That is, it is the same as the item of information (FIG. 2) stored in the connection information database 14 of the in-vehicle communication device 10.

If it is determined in step S405 that the wireless LAN area connection information has not been normally received, the process returns to step S401 to retry.
On the other hand, if it is determined in S405 that the wireless LAN area connection information has been normally received, the process proceeds to S406, and processing for updating the contents of the connection information database 14 based on the received wireless LAN area connection information is performed.

Subsequently, in S407, it is determined whether or not the access point 2 has been detected. If it is determined that the access point 2 has been detected, the process proceeds to S408.
In S <b> 408, an automatic connection process, which is a process of performing data communication with the access point 2 via the wireless LAN communication unit 13, is performed. Thereafter, the process returns to S407.

Next, the flow of communication realized by the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the timing chart of FIG.
When an occupant of the vehicle 1 performs an operation of setting a destination, an in-vehicle communication device 10 mounted on the vehicle 1 searches for an optimal travel route from the current position of the vehicle 1 to the destination (S401). A peripheral area including the travel route is determined (S402). When the vehicle 1 enters the communication area of the access point 2 already stored in the connection information database 14 (S403: YES), information on all the access points 2 existing in the peripheral area including the travel route is stored. A wireless LAN area connection information request for requesting transmission is transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 10 to the connection information providing server 20 via the access point 2 (S404). The connection information providing server 20 performs a process of extracting information about all access points 2 existing in the peripheral area requested by the wireless LAN area connection information request from its own database, and the extracted information is The wireless LAN area connection information is returned from the connection information providing server 20 to the in-vehicle communication device 10 via the access point 2. In the in-vehicle communication device 10, the information in the connection information database 14 is updated based on the wireless LAN area connection information returned from the connection information providing server 20 (S405: YES, S406). Thereafter, when the vehicle 1 enters the communication area of the access point 2 stored in the connection information database 14 (S407: YES), automatic connection processing by the wireless LAN is performed between the in-vehicle communication device 10 and the access point 2. The data is exchanged (S408).

  In the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the fourth embodiment, the operation unit 15 corresponds to the destination detection unit of the present invention, and the control unit 17 that executes the processes of S404 and S405 in the wireless communication process (FIG. 3). Corresponds to the acquisition means of the present invention.

  As described above, in the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the fourth embodiment, after the operation for setting the destination is performed by the operation unit 15, the vehicle 1 enters the communication area of the known access point 2. Thus, the latest communication information for all access points 2 existing in the peripheral area including the travel route to the destination is received from the connection information providing server 20 and stored in the connection information database 14. For this reason, wireless communication can be performed with an unspecified access point 2 as the vehicle 1 travels. In particular, since only the access point 2 existing in the peripheral area including the travel route to the destination is acquired, only the information about the access point 2 that is highly likely to perform wireless communication is extracted and acquired. be able to. Moreover, since the information is acquired only once when the operation for setting the destination is performed, the information can be appropriately acquired.

  In addition, in the in-vehicle communication device 10, wireless LAN area connection information is acquired by communication using a wireless LAN, which has a higher communication speed than communication via the mobile phone network 3, so information is acquired in a short time. It becomes possible.

  In the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the third embodiment and the fourth embodiment, the communication information about the other access point 2 is acquired by wireless LAN communication with the known access point 2, It is conceivable that information cannot be acquired normally when the vehicle 1 is traveling. Then, the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus 10 of 5th Embodiment which switches a communication system according to the travel speed of the vehicle 1 is demonstrated. The hardware configuration of the communication system including the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the fifth embodiment is also the same as the hardware configuration (FIG. 1) of the communication system of the first embodiment described above, and detailed description thereof is omitted. To do.

The in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the fifth embodiment differs from the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the first embodiment in the content of the wireless communication process executed by the control unit 17.
Here, instead of the wireless communication process (FIG. 3) of the first embodiment, the wireless communication process executed by the control unit 17 of the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. . This wireless communication process is started when it is detected that the ignition switch 18 is turned on. Note that the processes of S501 and S506 in the wireless communication process of the fifth embodiment are the same as the processes of S301 and S304 in the wireless communication process (FIG. 6) of the third embodiment. Further, the processes of S502, S503, S507, and S509 to S511 in the wireless communication process of the fifth embodiment are the processes of S101 to S103 and S105 to S107 in the wireless communication process (FIG. 3) of the first embodiment. Is the same.

  When the wireless communication process is started, first, in S501, it is determined whether or not the access point 2 already stored in the connection information database 14 is detected. If it is determined that the access point 2 is detected, the process proceeds to S502.

In S <b> 502, the current position of the vehicle 1 is detected by the GPS receiver 11.
Subsequently, in S503, the prefecture to which the current position of the vehicle 1 detected in S502 belongs is determined. That is, it is determined in which prefecture the vehicle 1 is currently located.

Subsequently, in S504, it is determined whether or not the area is capable of communication via the mobile phone network 3.
If it is determined in S504 that the area can be communicated via the mobile phone network 3, the process proceeds to S505, where the traveling speed of the vehicle 1 is detected by the vehicle speed sensor 19, and a predetermined determination is made. It is determined whether or not the speed is higher than the required speed. The determination speed is a determination reference value for normally performing wireless communication with the access point 2, and when the traveling speed is less than the determination speed, the wireless communication with the access point 2 is normally performed. It is likely that you can.

  If it is determined in S505 that the traveling speed of the vehicle 1 is equal to or higher than the determination speed, the process proceeds to S506, and transmission of information about all access points 2 existing in the prefecture determined in S503 is requested. The wireless LAN area connection information request is transmitted to the connection information providing server 20 on the Internet 5 via the mobile phone communication unit 16. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S508.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S504 that the area is not communicable via the mobile phone network 3 (out of service area), or the traveling speed of the vehicle 1 is not higher than the determination speed (less than the determination speed). If so, the process proceeds to S507, and a wireless LAN area connection information request for requesting transmission of information on all access points 2 existing in the prefecture determined in S503 is sent via the wireless LAN communication unit 13. Processing to transmit to the connection information providing server 20 on the Internet 5 is performed. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S508.

  In S508, the wireless LAN area connection information returned from the connection information providing server 20 on the Internet 5 in response to the wireless LAN area connection information request transmitted in S506 or S507 is the mobile phone communication unit 16 or the wireless LAN communication unit 13. It is determined whether or not the data has been normally received via. The wireless LAN area connection information received here is information about all access points 2 existing in the prefecture to which the current position of the vehicle 1 belongs. Specifically, the wireless LAN area connection information is unique to each access point 2. Identification information (APID), name of the business owner that owns the access point 2, WEP and SSID necessary for enabling short-distance wireless communication with the access point 2 by wireless LAN, and the access point 2 Location information (latitude and longitude) indicating the location of the service, and the contents of the service performed at the access point 2. That is, it is the same as the item of information (FIG. 2) stored in the connection information database 14 of the in-vehicle communication device 10.

If it is determined in step S508 that the wireless LAN area connection information has not been normally received, the process returns to step S501 and is retried.
On the other hand, if it is determined in S508 that the wireless LAN area connection information has been normally received, the process proceeds to S509, and processing for updating the contents of the connection information database 14 based on the received wireless LAN area connection information is performed.

Subsequently, in S510, it is determined whether or not the access point 2 has been detected. If it is determined that the access point 2 has been detected, the process proceeds to S511.
In S511, an automatic connection process, which is a process of performing data communication with the access point 2 via the wireless LAN communication unit 13, is performed. Thereafter, the process returns to S510.

  In the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the fifth embodiment, the control unit 17 that executes the processes of S506 to S508 in the wireless communication process (FIG. 3) corresponds to the acquisition unit of the present invention, and executes the process of S505. The control unit 17 corresponds to speed detection means and prohibition means of the present invention.

  As described above, in the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the fifth embodiment, when the vehicle 1 enters the communication area of the known access point 2 (S501: YES), all existing in the prefecture to which the vehicle 1 belongs. The latest communication information for the access point 2 is received from the connection information providing server 20 (S502 to S508) and stored in the connection information database 14 (S509). For this reason, wireless communication can be performed with an unspecified access point 2 as the vehicle 1 travels. In particular, since only the access point 2 existing in the prefecture to which the vehicle 1 belongs is acquired, it is possible to extract and acquire only information about the access point 2 that is highly likely to perform wireless communication. Moreover, since the information is acquired only once when the ignition switch 18 is turned on, the information can be appropriately acquired.

  In addition, in the in-vehicle communication device 10, whether to acquire the wireless LAN area connection information by the mobile phone network 3 or the wireless LAN is selected according to the traveling speed of the vehicle 1. Information can be acquired through optimal communication.

As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention can take a various form.
For example, when the ignition switch 18 of the vehicle 1 is turned off or when the amount of stored data exceeds a reference value, information stored in the connection information database 14 (FIG. 2) is stored. You may make it erase | eliminate a part or all. In this way, the storage capacity required for the connection information database 14 can be reduced.

In the communication systems of the first and second embodiments, it is not necessary to have a configuration capable of communicating with the connection information providing server 20 via the access point 2.
Furthermore, in the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the first, third, and fifth embodiments, the wireless LAN area connection information is acquired when the ignition switch 18 is turned on, but this is limited to this. Instead, for example, it is possible to adopt a configuration that is acquired periodically or a configuration that is acquired based on an operation by an occupant of the vehicle 1. In the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the second and fourth embodiments, the wireless LAN area connection information is acquired when an operation for setting a destination is performed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a configuration in which the destination is set regularly and a configuration in which the destination is set or a configuration in which the travel route is changed every time the travel route is changed may be employed.

  On the other hand, in the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the first, third, and fifth embodiments, the prefecture is a unit as the region including the current position of the vehicle 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the map data stored in the map information database 12 is previously divided into a plurality of areas of a predetermined size (for example, a square area of 100 km square), this divided area may be used as a unit. In addition, instead of performing determination of the region including the current position of the vehicle 1 on the in-vehicle communication device 10 side, the connection information providing server 20 is transmitted by transmitting the current position information from the in-vehicle communication device 10 to the connection information providing server 20. The region including the current position may be determined on the side. In particular, in the case of a configuration in which information about the access point 2 is acquired by communication with a known access point 2 as in the in-vehicle communication device 10 of the third and fifth embodiments, based on the installation location of the access point 2 The current position of the vehicle 1 can be determined.

  Moreover, in the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus 10 of the said 2nd, 4th embodiment, although the division area of map data is made into a unit as a peripheral area containing the driving | running route of the vehicle 1, it does not restrict to this. For example, a prefecture or a municipality may be used as a unit. Further, instead of performing determination of the surrounding area including the travel route of the vehicle 1 on the in-vehicle communication device 10 side, information on the travel route (or current position and destination information) is transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 10 to the connection information providing server 20. ) May be determined on the connection information providing server 20 side to determine the surrounding area including the travel route.

  Furthermore, in each said embodiment, although demonstrated taking the case of the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus 10 which has the function as a navigation apparatus as an example, it is not restricted to this, The present position of the vehicle 1 from the separate navigation apparatus, the objective You may make it acquire information, such as a ground and a travel route. In this way, it is not necessary to prepare the GPS receiver 11 and the map information database 12 on the in-vehicle communication device 10 side. In this case, the configuration for acquiring the current position of the vehicle 1 from the navigation device corresponds to the position detection means of the present invention, and the configuration for acquiring the destination or travel route of the vehicle 1 from the navigation device is the present invention. It corresponds to the destination detection means. The mobile phone communication unit 16 may be configured to use a commercially available mobile phone terminal.

  On the other hand, in the communication system of each embodiment described above, when it is determined that there is a known access point 2 in the peripheral area of the vehicle 1, the WEP and SSID stored for the access point 2 are used as the WEP for wireless LAN communication and By setting the SSID, it is detected that the vehicle 1 has entered the communication area of the access point 2. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if it is premised that the access point 2 can be detected without having the WEP and SSID for the access point 2, it is necessary to set the WEP and SSID in advance as described above. Absent.

  In addition, in the communication system of each of the above-described embodiments, the configuration in which communication by the wireless LAN is performed with the access point 2 as the roadside wireless communication device is illustrated. However, the configuration is not limited to this, for example, communication by DSRC is performed. It is good also as a structure to perform.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a communication system according to a first embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the information memorize | stored in the connection information database. It is a flowchart of the radio | wireless communication process which the control part of the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus of 1st Embodiment performs. It is a timing chart showing the flow of communication implement | achieved by the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus of 1st, 2nd embodiment. It is a flowchart of the radio | wireless communication process which the control part of the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus of 2nd Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart of the radio | wireless communication process which the control part of the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus of 3rd Embodiment performs. It is a timing chart showing the flow of communication implement | achieved by the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus of 3rd, 4th embodiment. It is a flowchart of the radio | wireless communication process which the control part of the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus of 4th Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart of the radio | wireless communication process which the control part of the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus of 5th Embodiment performs.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle, 2 ... Access point, 3 ... Mobile telephone network, 4 ... Mobile telephone base station, 5 ... Internet, 10 ... In-vehicle communication apparatus, 11 ... GPS receiver, 12 ... Map information database, 13 ... Wireless LAN communication part , 14 ... connection information database, 15 ... operation unit, 16 ... mobile phone communication unit, 17 ... control unit, 18 ... ignition switch, 19 ... vehicle speed sensor, 20 ... connection information providing server

Claims (10)

An in-vehicle communication device used by being mounted on a vehicle,
Wireless communication means for performing wireless communication with a roadside wireless communication device provided outside the vehicle;
Obtaining means for obtaining information for communication, which is information necessary for enabling wireless communication with the roadside wireless communication device, from an external server;
The in-vehicle communication device is characterized in that the acquisition unit acquires the communication information about all roadside wireless communication devices that satisfy a predetermined condition from the external server. Wide area communication means capable of wireless communication in a wider area than the wireless communication means,
The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the communication information from the external server by wireless communication by the wide area communication unit. Storage means for storing communication information acquired by the acquisition means;
The acquisition means obtains the communication information by the wireless communication by the wireless communication means with the roadside wireless communication device capable of wireless communication using the communication information already stored by the storage means. It acquires from a server. The vehicle-mounted communication apparatus of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. Speed detecting means for detecting the traveling speed of the vehicle;
When the traveling speed detected by the speed detecting means exceeds a predetermined determination reference value, prohibiting means for prohibiting the acquisition of the communication information by the wireless communication means;
The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 3, further comprising: Wide area communication means capable of wireless communication in a wider area than the wireless communication means,
When the traveling speed detected by the speed detecting means exceeds a predetermined determination reference value, the prohibiting means replaces the wireless communication means with the communication information by wireless communication by the wide area communication means. It acquires from the said external server. The vehicle-mounted communication apparatus of Claim 4 characterized by these. The said acquisition means acquires the said information for communication about all the roadside radio | wireless communication apparatuses managed by the said external server as a roadside radio | wireless communication apparatus applicable to the said predetermined conditions. The in-vehicle communication device according to any one of claims 5 to 6. A position detecting means for detecting a current position of the vehicle;
The acquisition unit obtains the communication information about all roadside wireless communication devices existing in a predetermined area including the current position detected by the position detection unit as roadside wireless communication devices corresponding to the predetermined condition. The in-vehicle communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the vehicle-mounted communication device is acquired. The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the communication information when an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on. Position detecting means for detecting a current position of the vehicle;
Destination detection means for detecting the destination of the vehicle;
And the acquisition means is a roadside wireless communication device that satisfies the predetermined condition, and includes a predetermined route including a travel route from a current position detected by the position detection means to a destination detected by the destination detection means. The in-vehicle communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein communication information about all roadside wireless communication devices existing in the area is acquired. The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 9, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the communication information when the destination of the vehicle is detected by the destination detection unit.

Images