JP2012121533A - Apparatus and method for managing additional function of on-board equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and method for managing an additional function of on-board equipment, capable of being introduced more simply and easily, while reducing man-hours for verification of the additional function, concerning the additional function separably-added to the on-board equipment.SOLUTION: An arithmetic unit 52 of a navigation system 11 manages execution of the additional function (additional function software 531) separably-added to the navigation system 11 mounted on a vehicle 10. The arithmetic unit 52 includes: a vehicle state detection unit (engine ECU 121, a meter ECU 122, and other ECU 123 etc.) that detects a vehicle state being a state of the vehicle 10; and a control unit 522 that controls execution and stop of the additional function depending on the vehicle state detected by the vehicle state detection unit.

Description

  The present invention relates to an additional function management device for an in-vehicle device that manages additional functions executed by software and electronic circuits that are detachably added to the in-vehicle device.

  As is well known, in-vehicle devices such as a vehicle control device and a navigation system are mounted on the vehicle. These in-vehicle devices are equipped with various functions that are executed through sensor signal processing for vehicle control, screen display processing for navigation systems, and the like. In such an in-vehicle device, these functions are generally realized by cooperation of various hardware and software.

  By the way, conventionally, software installed in an in-vehicle device usually has been used as it is. However, in recent years, with the diversification of functions as in-vehicle devices, various software has been used. Such software is not only frequently updated for correction and function expansion, but also software that adds new functions to in-vehicle devices in response to requests from vehicle users. In many cases, it is newly introduced. Therefore, the update software and function addition software introduced in this way are verified in advance for their appropriateness of operation so that the installed in-vehicle device does not operate inappropriately.

  Here, for example, Patent Document 1 describes an example of a technique for verifying in advance that update (version upgrade) software properly operates in an in-vehicle device. The technique described in Patent Document 1 mainly relates to software maintenance, and includes the function information of the software prior to the download when the software is downloaded from the base station side device via wireless communication. “Confirmation information” is presented to the user to request permission to execute the download. In addition to the function information of the software itself, this “confirmation information” includes information regarding whether or not the software needs to be changed, as well as demonstrations, as information that contributes to determining whether or not the software operates properly on the in-vehicle device. Information for displaying the screen and the like is also included, which facilitates confirmation by the user.

JP 11-27749 A

  By the way, the enhancement of the functions of the in-vehicle device increases the man-hours required for creating the “confirmation information”, particularly in the case of the system or method described in Patent Document 1. In addition, it is inevitable that the in-vehicle device has high functionality itself, and that the software that realizes it is complicated, and the increase in the amount of work cannot be ignored when verifying the appropriateness in the design stage.

  In this way, for vehicle users, the addition of functions as in-vehicle equipment should be welcomed, but the ease of introduction and the complexity of verification on the software development side are in a trade-off relationship. is there. Therefore, in recent years, in order to make it possible to add an additional function to an in-vehicle device, there is a demand for both easy introduction and easy software development.

  As a means for adding an additional function to the in-vehicle device, software is generally used, but it is also possible to add the additional function to the in-vehicle device by mounting hardware (electronic circuit) such as a custom LSI. Even in this case, the relationship between the ease of introduction and the complexity of verification on the development side is generally the same.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and the purpose of the additional function added to the in-vehicle device in a separable manner is to be easier while suppressing the man-hour required for the verification. It is an object to provide an additional function management device for an in-vehicle device and an additional function management method for the in-vehicle device that enable easy introduction.

Hereinafter, means for solving the above-described problems and the effects thereof will be described.
In order to solve the above problem, the invention according to claim 1 is an additional function management device for an in-vehicle device that manages the execution of an additional function that is detachably added to the in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle, A gist is provided with a vehicle state detection unit that detects a vehicle state that is the state of the vehicle, and a control unit that controls execution and stop of the additional function according to the vehicle state detected by the vehicle state detection unit. To do.

  According to such a configuration, since the control unit manages execution / stop of the additional function based on a predetermined vehicle state, the vehicle in which the execution environment of the additional function in the in-vehicle device is allowed to execute the additional function. Limited to state. Therefore, the operation verification of the additional function in the in-vehicle device can be limited to the execution condition of the additional function. As a result, for example, even in the case of a highly functional in-vehicle device, it is sufficient that the operation verification of the additional function is not performed for all the functions of the in-vehicle device but only in a vehicle state where the additional function is executed. Therefore, an increase in man-hours required for verifying the additional function can be suppressed.

  In recent years, it is becoming impractical to verify the operation of the additional functions for all of the functions of in-vehicle devices that have been improved in function, and there is a concern that the verification accuracy may be lowered. Therefore, by limiting the execution conditions in this way, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the accuracy of operation verification under the execution conditions and to improve the accuracy. Certainty is also improved.

  Furthermore, since the execution conditions of additional functions are also limited, it is possible to suppress an increase in processing for other functions that must be provided there, so that the complexity and complexity of additional functions are also suppressed. As a result, an increase in design man-hours for additional functions can be suppressed.

  Conventionally, as technology for controlling execution / stop of application software, technology based on execution / stop of in-vehicle devices, technology based on an explicit instruction by a user, technology based on a preset time, remote control, Technologies based on controls are known. However, according to this configuration, it becomes possible to control the execution / stop of the application software with a higher degree of freedom than in the past based on the vehicle state, thereby improving the convenience of the control.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the additional function management device for an in-vehicle device according to the first aspect, the vehicle state detected by the vehicle state detection unit is a vehicle speed, and the control unit detects the detected value. The gist is to control execution and stop of the additional function according to the speed of the vehicle.

According to such a configuration, execution and stop of the additional function are controlled based on the speed of the vehicle. In general, since the safety and necessary information of a vehicle change greatly according to a change in speed, there are many functions whose operation state changes according to the speed. Thus, by performing execution and stop of the additional function according to the speed of the vehicle in this way, it becomes possible to make verification work unnecessary at the speed of the vehicle where the additional function is not executed. Thus, it is possible to prevent an unnecessary increase in the time required for the additional function verification work.

  Further, since an additional function does not require an operation process for a speed at which the function is not executed, an unnecessary increase in function and a complicated function can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the conventional safety and operability can be maintained even at a speed at which the additional function is not executed, the additional function can be corrected and added more safely. Thereby, as an additional function management apparatus, complication of an additional function etc. can be suppressed, maintaining the safety | security, operativity, etc. of vehicle equipment.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the additional function management device for an in-vehicle device according to the second aspect, the additional function is provided as application software for adding a new function to a program executed by the in-vehicle device. This is the gist.

  According to such a configuration, since the additional function is activated by executing the software, the correction or addition of the additional function is also performed by correction or addition of the software. In general, the software corresponding to the function of the in-vehicle device includes software that provides a basic function of the in-vehicle device and a plurality of software attached thereto. For example, in the case of a navigation system as an in-vehicle device, in addition to software that provides basic functions, software that supports display, software that calculates a destination route, software that provides detailed information on a map, etc. Be prepared. The software prepared in this way can be updated easily and safely.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the additional function management device for an in-vehicle device according to the third aspect, application software provided as the additional function is provided from a software distribution center provided so as to be capable of wireless communication with the vehicle. The gist is that it is distributed and provided by wireless communication.

  According to such a configuration, software corresponding to the additional function is distributed from the software distribution center, so that software can be easily updated and added to the in-vehicle device. Even if the software is updated quickly and easily, the software is executed only under the condition of the vehicle in which execution is controlled. Therefore, the number of verification steps for the software is reduced and the safety and reliability of the vehicle are maintained. Is done.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the additional function management device for an in-vehicle device according to the third aspect, a storage medium storing application software provided as the additional function can be connected to the vehicle. The gist is that a medium connection unit is provided, and the application software provided as the additional function is provided from the storage medium connected to the storage medium connection unit.

  According to such a configuration, since software corresponding to the additional function is provided from the storage medium connected to the storage medium connection unit provided in the vehicle, the software update or change can be performed under stable data communication. To be done. This makes it possible to update or change software even when the amount of software data to be updated or changed for in-vehicle devices is enormous, or when data communication via wireless communication is difficult. Can be suitably performed.

The invention described in claim 6 is the additional function management device for the in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the in-vehicle device is provided with information for providing information to the driver by the additional function. The application software provided as the additional function is provided with information corresponding to the information providing unit that is permitted to be executed by the control unit within a speed range of the first vehicle. Additional function software and a second additional function that provides information corresponding to the information providing unit that is permitted to be executed by the control unit in a speed range of the second vehicle that is higher than the speed range of the first vehicle The amount of information provided by the additional function provided to the driver through the information providing unit by the second additional function software is provided by the first additional function software. And summarized in that less than the information amount of the additional functions provided to the driver through.

  According to such a configuration, since the first additional function software and the second additional function software are selectively executed according to the speed of the vehicle, only information suitable for each speed is provided. You will be able to design each software as you can. This prevents an unnecessary increase in man-hours required for software verification.

  In addition, since the processing corresponding to other functions that must be installed in the software can be reduced, the size of the software that is executed at the corresponding speed is kept small. Thus, the load on the in-vehicle device can be reduced.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the additional function management device for an in-vehicle device according to any one of the third to sixth aspects, the application software provided as the additional function includes the control unit when the vehicle is stopped. Specific additional function software permitted to be executed by the control unit is further included, and the control unit executes the specific additional function software when the detected vehicle speed indicates a stop of the vehicle. .

  According to such a configuration, since the specific additional function software is executed when the vehicle is stopped, it is possible to prevent a possibility that the specific additional function software will be adversely affected if the specific additional function software is modified or added. Will come to be. This makes it easier and safer to modify and add software to the in-vehicle device.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the additional function management device for the in-vehicle device according to claim 7, wherein the specific additional function software is software without operation guarantee in the corresponding in-vehicle device. .

  According to such a configuration, the software is composed of specific software that is not guaranteed to operate in the vehicle, for example, software that operates on a general computer, and software that is not guaranteed to operate in the vehicle. It is possible to ensure the safety of the vehicle while ensuring the above. As a result, it becomes possible to omit the operation verification of the software with respect to the vehicle state, and therefore, it is possible to reduce the man-hours required for the software verification.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 9 is an additional function management method for an in-vehicle device that manages execution of an additional function that is detachably added to the in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle, The gist of the invention is to control the execution and stop of the additional function according to the detected vehicle state while detecting the vehicle state which is the state of the vehicle.

According to such a method, since the execution environment of the additional function in the in-vehicle device is managed based on the predetermined vehicle state, the execution / stop of the additional function is managed. It will be limited. Therefore, the operation verification of the additional function in the in-vehicle device can be limited to the execution condition of the additional function. As a result, for example, even in the case of a highly functional in-vehicle device, the operation verification of the additional function is not performed for all functions of the in-vehicle device, but only for the function under the vehicle state to be executed Therefore, an increase in man-hours required for verifying the additional function can be suppressed.

  In recent years, it is becoming impractical to verify the operation of the additional functions for all of the functions of in-vehicle devices that have been improved in function, and there is a concern that the verification accuracy may be lowered. Therefore, by limiting the execution conditions in this way, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the accuracy of operation verification under the execution conditions and to improve the accuracy. Certainty is also improved.

  Furthermore, since the execution conditions are limited as an additional function, it is possible to suppress an increase in processing corresponding to other functions that must be provided there, so that the complexity as an additional function is also suppressed. An increase in design man-hours for additional functions can be suppressed.

  Conventionally, as technology for controlling execution / stop of application software, technology based on execution / stop of in-vehicle devices, technology based on an explicit instruction by a user, technology based on a preset time, remote control, Technologies based on controls are known. However, according to this configuration, it becomes possible to control the execution / stop of the application software with a higher degree of freedom than in the past based on the vehicle state, thereby improving the convenience of the control.

  A tenth aspect of the present invention is the additional function management method for an in-vehicle device according to the ninth aspect, wherein execution and stop of the additional function are controlled according to a vehicle speed detected as the vehicle state. And

  According to such a method, execution and stop of the additional function are controlled based on the speed of the vehicle. In general, since the safety and necessary information of a vehicle change greatly according to a change in speed, there are many functions whose operation state changes according to the speed. Thus, by performing execution and stop of the additional function according to the speed of the vehicle in this way, it becomes possible to make verification work unnecessary at the speed of the vehicle where the additional function is not executed. Thus, it is possible to prevent an unnecessary increase in the time required for the additional function verification work.

  Further, since an additional function does not require an operation process for a speed at which the function is not executed, an unnecessary increase in function and a complicated function can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the conventional safety and operability can be maintained even at a speed at which the additional function is not executed, the additional function can be corrected and added more safely. Thereby, as an additional function management apparatus, complication of an additional function etc. can be suppressed, maintaining the safety | security, operativity, etc. of vehicle equipment.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the additional function management method for an in-vehicle device according to the tenth aspect, the additional function is provided as application software for adding a new function to a program executed by the in-vehicle device. .

According to such a method, the additional function operates when the software is executed. Therefore, the correction or addition of the additional function is performed by the correction or addition of the software. In general, the software corresponding to the function of the in-vehicle device includes software that provides a basic function of the in-vehicle device and a plurality of software attached thereto. For example, in the case of a navigation system as an in-vehicle device, in addition to software that provides basic functions, software that supports display, software that calculates a destination route, software that provides detailed information on a map, etc. It is prepared. The software prepared in this way can be updated easily and safely.

The schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure about one Embodiment which actualized the software delivery system containing the vehicle provided with the additional function management apparatus of the vehicle equipment concerning this invention. The block diagram which shows the schematic structure centering on an additional function management apparatus about the vehicle equipment. The figure which shows an example of the content set to the management information list used for the additional function management apparatus. The flowchart shown about the process of managing the additional function performed with the additional function management apparatus. The sequence diagram which shows the operation example of the management process performed with the additional function management apparatus.

An embodiment in which a software distribution system including a vehicle including an additional function management device for an in-vehicle device according to the present invention is embodied will be described with reference to FIGS.
The software distribution system is provided with a vehicle 10 in which software is executed by a navigation system 11 as an in-vehicle device, and a distribution center 20 that distributes the software to the vehicle 10. The software distribution system is provided with a development center 30 that provides the distribution center 20 with software to be distributed to the vehicle 10.

  The development center 30 adds additional functions as various application software that can be added to the program executed by the navigation system 11 mounted on the vehicle 10 by adding the additional function to the program. The software 531 is updated as necessary or newly developed. Further, the development center 30 creates management information 532 as a condition for executing and stopping the additional function software 531 in the navigation system 11 of the vehicle 10 in association with each additional function software 531.

  In the present embodiment, the program executed by the in-vehicle device such as the navigation system 11 includes a main software that realizes the basic function of the navigation system 11 and a plurality of additions different from the main software in order to add an additional function to the main software. It consists of functional software 531. By providing the additional function software separately from the main software, the design efficiency and maintenance of the program executed by the navigation system 11 can be improved. Further, since the additional function is provided by each of the additional function software 531, the main software of the navigation system 11 is prevented from being complicated and complicated, and the addition of the additional function to the navigation system 11 is easy. Also become. By adding the additional function software 531 in addition to the basic function, the navigation system 11 becomes easier to use for the user, for example, by strengthening the basic function.

Such additional function software 531 includes software that can be executed alone, replaceable (separable) software that can freely implement functions in the navigation system 11, so-called plug-in software, and the like. It is. Further, as the additional function software 531, software that supports an image display function such as displaying a target object on the navigation system 11, software that provides other algorithms used for route calculation up to the target, Software that provides detailed information to other stores. That is, in the present embodiment, the above-described software that supports the image display function, software that provides a route calculation algorithm, software that provides detailed information on a map, and the like are added as additional function software 531 at the development center 30. Updated or newly developed.

  It should be noted that the update function software 531 and the additional function software 531 as the function addition software introduced into the navigation system 11 in this way are operated so that the introduced navigation system 11 does not operate inappropriately. Appropriateness is verified in advance. At that time, the additional function software 531 created as software smaller in size than the main software is verified for its suitability in the design stage with a minimum amount of work.

  Since the distribution center 20 is connected to the development center 30 through a communication line or the like, various data can be received from the development center 30. The distribution center 20 is provided with an application server 21 that stores software for distribution to the vehicle 10. The distribution center 20 receives the various additional function software 531 developed from the development center 30 and the management information 532 attached thereto, transmitted from the development center 30. The distribution center 20 examines the received additional function software 531 for general conditions such as that the contents satisfy the registration conditions for the distribution center 20. The additional function software 531 that has passed the examination is registered in the application server 21 together with the management information 532 corresponding thereto.

  The distribution center 20 has a wireless communication device or is connected to the wireless communication device, so that various data can be exchanged with the vehicle 10 via wireless communication. When the distribution center 20 receives a request for distribution of the additional function software 531 from the vehicle 10 due to a request from the user of the vehicle 10 or the like, the distribution center 20 reads the corresponding additional function software 531 from the application server 21 in response to the request. And deliver. Further, the information on the additional function software registered in the navigation system 11 is collected from the vehicle 10 and the updated information on the additional function software and the information on the new additional function software are distributed to the vehicle 10. Yes. In addition, well-known processing based on various agreements for software distribution, such as software compatibility management, software acquisition authority management, and usage fee management, is performed between the vehicle 10 and the distribution center 20. In general, however, descriptions of these well-known processes are omitted.

  The vehicle 10 includes a moving body such as an automobile, and is mounted with various control devices related to vehicle control, various information processing devices related to information processing such as the navigation system 11 described above, and the like. As shown in FIG. 2, the navigation system 11 detects the current position of the vehicle 10 in the vehicle state by using a global positioning system (GPS) 110 as a vehicle state detection unit. Then, by referring to the map information 541 stored in advance in the navigation information storage unit 54 based on the detected current position, the driver is guided on the travel route of the vehicle 10 to the travel destination.

  The navigation system 11 is provided with a microphone 111 that inputs voice information, which is an information input unit as a vehicle state detection unit, a camera 112 that inputs image information, a steering switch 113 that inputs operation information, and the like. A user such as a driver can set a vehicle state or the like in the navigation system 11 or instruct the operation content via the information input unit.

In addition, since the vehicle control system LAN 120 as an in-vehicle network such as CAN (Control Area Network) is connected to the navigation system 11, an engine ECU, a meter ECU, and other ECUs connected to the vehicle control system LAN 120 The vehicle data as the vehicle state can be acquired from the above. For example, from the engine ECU 121, the meter ECU 122, and other ECUs 123, the navigation system 11 determines the vehicle state such as the engine speed, the engine temperature, the vehicle speed (vehicle speed), the vehicle acceleration, and the barking brake state. Can be acquired.

  Furthermore, a communication device 141 is connected to the navigation system 11 so that communication information can be exchanged. The navigation system 11 includes additional function software 531 and management information 532 with the distribution center 20 provided outside the vehicle 10 via the communication device 141 that performs wireless communication using the antenna 142. Wireless communication to exchange various data.

  The navigation system 11 is connected to a storage medium connection device 143 as a storage medium connection unit so that data information can be exchanged. Thus, the navigation system 11 can exchange various data with the storage medium 144 by connecting the storage medium 144 that can be connected to the storage medium connection apparatus 143 to the storage medium connection apparatus 143. For example, the storage medium 144 is an SD card or a USB memory, and the storage medium connection device 143 is a connection device (such as a card slot or a memory slot) compatible with the storage medium 144 such as an SD card or a USB memory.

  On the other hand, the navigation system 11 is provided with a display device 131 as an information providing unit. The display device 131 is configured by a liquid crystal display, for example, and is installed near the center console in the vehicle interior. The display device 131 displays an image corresponding to a video signal such as image data input from the navigation system 11. Thereby, for example, the navigation system 11 outputs image data that combines the current position of the vehicle 10 and the surrounding map, thereby displaying an image combining the position of the vehicle 10 and the surrounding map. To display.

  The navigation system 11 is connected to a vehicle information LAN 150 as an in-vehicle network made up of Ethernet (registered trademark), FlexRay (registered trademark), or the like. For this reason, the navigation system 11 can perform mutual data communication with the audio device 151 and the rear seat entertainment system 155 connected to the vehicle information LAN 150. The audio device 151 is connected to an antenna 152 for a wireless audio transmitter, an amplifier 153 that drives the speaker 154 with sound corresponding to the output sound of the audio device 151, and the like. The rear seat entertainment system 155 is a system that provides a variety of entertainment to passengers of the vehicle 10, and includes a headphone receiver that receives a signal transmitted from a wireless audio transmitter, a DVD player, a TV receiver, and the like. ing. The previous audio device 151 may be included in the rear seat entertainment system 155.

  The navigation system 11 is provided with an input / output interface 51. The input / output interface 51 is connected to each device such as the information input unit, the information providing unit, the vehicle control system LAN 120, the vehicle information system LAN 150, and the communication device 141, and the navigation system 11 and the connected devices. It is possible to transmit information such as various data to and from.

  Further, the navigation system 11 is provided with an arithmetic device 52 as an additional function management device mainly composed of a microcomputer. That is, the arithmetic device 52 is provided with a CPU that executes various arithmetic processes, a ROM that stores various control programs, a RAM that is used as a work area for data storage and program execution, a memory (including a non-volatile memory), and the like. It has been.

  Further, the navigation system 11 is provided with an additional function storage unit 53 and a navigation information storage unit 54 configured by a known storage device such as a hard disk so that the arithmetic device 52 can read and write. The additional function storage unit 53 stores one or a plurality of additional function software 531 to be executed by the arithmetic device 52 and a management information list 533 configured based on the management information 532 associated therewith. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the management information list 533 includes an event type item, an “execution application” item, and an “end application” item. The event type item corresponds to the execution / stop condition of the additional function software 531 set in the management information 532. That is, the vehicle state acquired from the vehicle state detection unit set in the management information 532 is set in the event type item. For example, the event in the vehicle 10 may be a vehicle running, a vehicle stop, a change with respect to a predetermined set speed (for example, exceeding 30 km / h or less than 30 km / h), or a specific geographical area There are intrusions and exits. Here, the travel of the vehicle is an event in which the vehicle speed is not “0”, and the stop of the vehicle is an event in which the vehicle speed is “0” or the parking brake is used. In the item “execution application”, the identification information of the additional function software 531 having the management information 532 in which the execution condition corresponding to the event set in the event type is set is set. In the “end application” item, the identification information of the additional function software 531 having the management information 532 in which the end condition corresponding to the event set in the event type is set is set.

  For example, the management information list 533 exemplifies a case where the additional function software A to H is executed and managed as the plurality of additional function software 531. According to the management information list 533, the event a corresponds to the execution condition of the additional function software A, and corresponds to the end condition of the additional function software B. The event b corresponds to the execution condition of the additional function software B, and corresponds to the end condition of the additional function software A. Further, the event c corresponds to the execution condition of the two additional function softwares C and D, while corresponding to the end condition of the two additional function softwares A and B. Event d corresponds to the execution conditions of the two additional function softwares E and F, while corresponding to the end conditions of the two additional function softwares G and H.

  That is, in the management information 532 of each additional function software A to H, the management information 532 associated with the additional function software A includes at least information for identifying the additional function software A, an event a as an execution condition, Event b and event c are set as end conditions. Further, in the management information 532 associated with the additional function software B, at least information for identifying the additional function software B, an event b as an execution condition, and an event a and an event c as end conditions are set. Yes. Furthermore, at least information for identifying the additional function software C and an event c as an execution condition are set in the management information 532 associated with the additional function software C. On the other hand, in the management information 532 associated with the additional function software D, at least information for identifying the additional function software D and an event c as an execution condition are set. Further, in the management information 532 associated with the additional function software E, at least information for identifying the additional function software E and an event d as an execution condition are set. On the other hand, in the management information 532 associated with the additional function software F, at least information for identifying the additional function software F and an event d as an execution condition are set. Further, in the management information 532 associated with the additional function software G, at least information for identifying the additional function software G and an event d as an end condition are set. On the other hand, in the management information 532 associated with the additional function software H, at least information for identifying the additional function software H and an event d as an execution condition are set.

  That is, when the arithmetic device 52 receives the additional function software 531 and the management information 532, the arithmetic device 52 stores the additional function software 531 in the additional function storage unit 53, and stores the information set in the management information 532 as the management information list 533. Add to. Conversely, when deleting the additional function software 531 from the additional function storage unit 53, the arithmetic device 52 deletes information corresponding to the additional function software 531 from the management information list 533.

The navigation information storage unit 54 stores map information 541 used by the navigation system 11 for route guidance and the like.
With reference to FIG. 2, the management state of the software in the arithmetic unit 52 will be described. In FIG. 2, the management state of software in the arithmetic device 52 is shown by a hierarchical schematic diagram. In the arithmetic device 52, system software 520 as a so-called operating system (OS) is stored in a ROM or the like, and is executed by the arithmetic device 52 when the arithmetic device 52 is started. The system software 520 can manage a plurality of pieces of software in the arithmetic device 52 so as to be executable. In this embodiment, the system software 520 includes main software 521 that provides basic functions of the navigation system 11, a control unit 522 that manages execution / stop of the plurality of additional function software 531 based on an event including a vehicle state, It manages the execution of a plurality of additional function software 531 that provides additional functions.

  The main software 521 stores the program in a ROM, a storage device (not shown), and the like, and is executed by the arithmetic device 52 under the system software 520 to provide the basic function of the navigation system 11 in the arithmetic device 52. To do.

  The additional function software (A) 531 and the additional function software (B) 531 are prepared in such a manner that the corresponding additional function software 531 is read from the additional function storage unit 53 into the arithmetic unit 52 under the system software 520 and can be executed. It is a thing. These are executed in the arithmetic unit 52 so that each additional function is added to the main software 521. In addition, in the arithmetic device 52, the additional function software 531 can be executed and stopped separately regardless of whether the main software 521 is being executed.

  The control unit 522 controls execution and stop of the additional function software 531 of the arithmetic device 52 based on an event including a vehicle state, and the program is stored in a ROM or a storage device (not shown). The control unit 522 is executed by the arithmetic device 52 under the system software 520, so that the additional function software 531 of the additional function storage unit 53 is read from the additional function storage unit 53 to the arithmetic device 52 and can be executed. The function software 531 is prepared and the execution and stop of the additional function software 531 in the arithmetic unit 52 are controlled. In addition, when the additional function software 531 is stopped, the control unit 522 changes the additional function software 531 according to rewriting of the additional function software 531 of the additional function storage unit 53 due to correction or version upgrade. The correction or version upgrade applied to the additional function software 531 is reflected. Further, the control unit 522 causes the additional function software 531 updated or additionally stored in the additional function storage unit 53 to be read by the arithmetic device 52 and prepares the additional function software 531 to be executable by the arithmetic device 52. As a result, a new function is reflected in the navigation system 11 by executing the additional function software 531.

  As a method for controlling execution and stop of the additional function software 531, conventionally, a method based on execution / stop of the computing device 52, a method based on an explicit instruction by the user, a method based on a preset time, A control-based method or the like is known, but a control method different from them is provided by the control unit 522.

  As illustrated in FIG. 4, when the control unit 522 enables execution of the additional function software (A to H) 531 in the arithmetic device 52, the control unit 522 controls the execution of the additional function software (A to H) 531 (addition). Start the function management method. When the control for managing the execution is started, the management information list 533 is read from the additional function storage unit 53 and the additional function software (A to H) 531 that provides the additional function based on the management information list 533 is executed. In addition, the stoppage becomes a controllable (manageable) state based on the corresponding event (step S10 in FIG. 4).

  When the execution and stop control of the additional function software (A to H) 531 becomes possible, the control unit 522 starts execution and stop control, that is, management of the additional function. When management of the additional function is started, the control unit 522 sequentially determines whether or not a predetermined event has occurred in the vehicle 10 based on the acquired vehicle state (step S11 in FIG. 4). The predetermined event that has occurred in the vehicle 10 refers to a vehicle running, a vehicle stop, a change with respect to a predetermined set speed acquired from the vehicle state detection unit (for example, exceeding 30 km / h, or less than 30 km / h Or entering or leaving a specific geographic area. If it is determined that a predetermined event has not occurred in vehicle 10 (NO in step S11 in FIG. 4), control unit 522 repeats step S11 at predetermined time intervals to determine whether a predetermined event has occurred in vehicle 10 or not. Is repeatedly determined.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that a predetermined event has occurred in the vehicle 10 (YES in step S11 in FIG. 4), the control unit 522 acquires the generated event (step S12 in FIG. 4), and the acquired event is management information. It is determined whether the event is equal to the event set in the list 533 (step S13 in FIG. 4). When it is determined that the acquired event is not equal to the event set in the management information list 533 (NO in step S13 in FIG. 4), the control unit 522 returns to step S11, thereby determining step S11 again. It is supposed to repeat.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the acquired event is equal to the event set in the management information list 533 (YES in step S13 in FIG. 4), the control unit 522 terminates the event associated with the event equal to the acquired event. A termination process for the application is performed (step S14 in FIG. 4). And the control part 522 performs the execution process with respect to the execution application linked | related with the event equal to the said acquired event (step S15 of FIG. 4). For example, in FIG. 3, the “end application” corresponding to the event a is the additional function software B, and the “execution application” is the additional function software A. And the control part 522 comes to repeat determination of step S11 again by returning to step S11.

Next, an operation example in the arithmetic device 52 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, when an event a over the period La occurs from the vehicle 10 at timing t11, the event a is input to the control unit 522 in the execution period L522 (step S20 in FIG. 5). The control unit 522 starts execution / stop control processing (additional function management processing) based on the input of the event a (step S21 in FIG. 5). When the execution / stop control process is started, the control unit 522 compares the event a with the event set in the management information list 533, and determines that the event a is set in the management information list 533. Then, according to the event a set in the management information list 533, the control unit 522 performs the end processing of the additional function software B set as the “end application” in the event a and The additional function software A set as “application” is executed. As shown in FIG. 5, since the additional function software B is not executed at this time, a process for executing the additional function software A is performed at timing t12 (step S22 in FIG. 5). With this execution process, the execution of the additional function software A is started at the timing t13 slightly after the timing t12 (execution period LA).

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5, when an event b over the period Lb occurs from the vehicle 10 at timing t21, the event b is input to the control unit 522 in the execution period L522 (step S23 in FIG. 5). The control unit 522 starts the execution / stop control process based on the input of the event b (step S24 in FIG. 5). When the execution / stop control process is started, the control unit 522 determines that the event b is set in the management information list 533 by comparing the event b with the event set in the management information list 533. Then, in accordance with the setting of event b in the management information list 533, the control unit 522 performs termination processing of the additional function software A set as “end application” in the event b, and also executes “execution application” in the event a. The additional function software B set as is executed. That is, at timing t22, the control unit 522 performs termination processing of the additional function software A (step S25 in FIG. 5). Then, at timing t23 after timing t22, processing for executing the additional function software B is performed (step S26 in FIG. 5). With this execution process, the execution of the additional function software B is started at the timing t24 slightly after the timing t23 (execution period LB).

  Then, as shown in FIG. 5, when an event c over the period Lc from the vehicle 10 occurs at the timing t31, the event c is input to the control unit 522 in the execution period L522 (step S27 in FIG. 5). . The control unit 522 starts the execution / stop control process based on the input of the event c (step S28 in FIG. 5). When the execution / stop control process is started, the control unit 522 determines that the event c is set in the management information list 533 by comparing the event c with the event set in the management information list 533. Then, in accordance with the setting of the event c in the management information list 533, the control unit 522 performs the end processing of the two additional function software A and B set as the “end application” in the event c and The execution processing of the two additional function software C and D set as the “execution application” is performed. That is, at timing t32, the additional function software A is not executed, so the control unit 522 performs only the termination process of the additional function software B (step S29 in FIG. 5). Although not shown, a process for executing the two additional function software C and D is performed at a timing after the timing t32.

As described above, according to the on-vehicle equipment additional function management device of the present embodiment, the effects listed below can be obtained.
(1) In general, it is preferable that application software to be distributed is controlled according to the vehicle state. However, as the control according to the state is performed in more detail, the scale of the software becomes larger and more complicated. Man-hours will be involved in verification. However, by providing the additional function software separately from the main software, the design efficiency and maintenance of the program executed by the navigation system 11 can be improved. In addition, since the additional function is provided by each of the additional function software 531, the main software 521 of the navigation system 11 can be prevented from being complicated and complicated, and the addition of the additional function to the navigation system 11 is easy. It also becomes. The navigation system 11 is made easier to use for the user by adding additional function software in addition to the basic function to enhance the basic function.

(2) Since the control unit 522 manages execution / stop of the additional function based on a predetermined vehicle state (events a to d, etc.), the execution environment of the additional function in the navigation system 11 is used to execute the additional function. Limited to permitted vehicle conditions (events a to d, etc.). Therefore, the operation verification of the additional function in the navigation system 11 can be limited to the execution condition of the additional function. As a result, for example, even in the navigation system 11 with high functionality, the operation verification of the additional function is not performed for all the functions of the navigation system 11 but only under the vehicle state in which the additional function is executed. Therefore, an increase in man-hours required for verifying the additional function can be suppressed.

  (3) Further, the update function software 531 and the additional function software 531 as the function addition software introduced into the navigation system 11 are arranged so that the introduced navigation system 11 does not operate inappropriately. The appropriateness of the operation is verified in advance. However, it is becoming impractical to verify the operation of the additional functions for all of the functions of recent in-vehicle devices, and there is a concern that the verification accuracy may be lowered. Therefore, by limiting the execution conditions in this way, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the accuracy of operation verification under the execution conditions and to improve the accuracy. Certainty is also improved.

  Further, since the additional function software 531 is created as small-scale software, the amount of work is minimized as compared with the modification of the main software 521 when verifying the appropriateness in the design stage. To be able to. In addition, since the execution conditions of additional functions are limited, it is possible to suppress an increase in processing for other functions that must be provided there, so that the additional functions are complicated and complicated. As a result, an increase in design man-hours for additional functions can be suppressed.

  (4) Since the execution / stop of the additional function software 531 can be controlled with a high degree of freedom based on the vehicle state (events a to d, etc.), the convenience of the control can be improved. Become. Furthermore, since the distributed additional function software 531 can be executed only under conditions that do not affect the operation of the vehicle 10 or the driver, the amount of work required for operation verification before shipment is also confirmed. Can be suppressed.

  (5) In general, since the safety and necessary information of a vehicle change greatly according to a change in speed, there are many functions whose operation state changes according to the speed. Therefore, by performing execution and stop of the additional function according to the speed of the vehicle, verification work can be made unnecessary at the speed of the vehicle where the additional function is not executed. Thereby, even if the vehicle state is speed, it is possible to prevent an unnecessary increase in the time required for the additional function verification work. That is, since the additional function does not require an operation process for a speed at which the function is not executed, an unnecessary increase in function or a complicated function can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the conventional safety and operability can be maintained even at a speed at which the additional function is not executed, the additional function can be corrected and added more safely. Thereby, as an additional function management apparatus, complication of an additional function etc. can be suppressed, maintaining the safety | security, operativity, etc. of vehicle equipment.

  (6) Since the additional function is activated by executing the additional function software 531, the correction and addition of the additional function are also performed by the correction and addition of the software. In general, the software corresponding to the function of the in-vehicle device includes software that provides a basic function of the in-vehicle device, and a plurality of application software attached thereto. For example, in addition to the main software 521 that provides basic functions, the navigation system 11 includes application software that supports display, application software that calculates a destination route, application software that provides detailed information on a map, and the like. Prepared. The application software prepared in this way can be updated easily and safely.

(7) Since the additional function software 531 corresponding to the additional function is distributed from the distribution center 20, the additional function software 531 can be easily updated and added to the in-vehicle device. Further, even if the additional function software 531 is updated quickly and easily, the additional function software 531 is executed only under the vehicle state in which execution is controlled. Reliability and reliability are maintained.

  In addition, since the processing corresponding to other functions that must be installed in the software can be reduced, the size of the software that is executed at the corresponding speed is kept small. Thus, the load on the in-vehicle device can be reduced.

In addition, the said embodiment can also be implemented with the following aspects.
In the above embodiment, the additional function software 531 may be executed according to each event, that is, the speed of the vehicle, with the event as an event due to the speed of the vehicle 10. For example, when the vehicle state (event) is in a speed range of 30 km / h or less, the first additional function software is operated. On the other hand, when the vehicle state (event) is in a speed range faster than 30 km / h, the second additional function software is operated. To work. Each of the first additional function software and the second additional function software has an appropriate information providing function corresponding to the speed of the vehicle. For example, the first additional function software and the second additional function software are software that transmits predetermined information to the driver or the like through the navigation system. When the speed is low, the first additional function software and the second additional function software are detailed on the map by the first additional function software. Display with additional information. On the other hand, when the speed is high, schematic information is added to the map and displayed by the second additional function software.

  As described above, by selectively executing the first additional function software and the second additional function software according to the speed of the vehicle 10, information of an information amount suitable for each speed is provided to the driver or the like. Become so. As a result, since the verification of each software is performed only for the speed range in which the software is executed, an unnecessary increase in the number of man-hours required for the verification is prevented. In addition, since the processing corresponding to the functions of other speed ranges that must be installed in the software can be reduced, the software is prevented from being enlarged, and the size of the software executed at the corresponding speed is kept small. Thus, the load on the navigation system 11 can be reduced.

  -The event in the said embodiment may be made into the event by stopping of the vehicle 10, and specific additional function software may be performed at the time of a stop. Since the specific additional function software is executed when the vehicle is stopped, even if the specific additional function software is modified or added, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 10 from being affected. Thereby, correction and addition of additional function software to the navigation system 11 can be performed more easily and safely. As described above, the specific additional function software executed when the vehicle 10 is stopped may be software that is not guaranteed to operate in the vehicle 10, for example, software that operates on a general mobile phone or computer. The software can be executed while securing. As a result, it becomes possible to omit the operation verification of the software with respect to the vehicle state, and therefore, it is possible to reduce the man-hours required for the software verification.

  In the above embodiment, a case where CAN is used as the vehicle control system LAN 120 while Ethernet (registered trademark) or FlexRay (registered trademark) is used as the vehicle information system LAN 150 is illustrated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any of CAN, LIN, Ethernet (registered trademark), and FlexRay (registered trademark) may be used as the vehicle control system LAN and the vehicle information system LAN, or a combination thereof may be used. May be.

In the above embodiment, the vehicle 10 is based on the management information 532 received from the distribution center 20.
However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the management information list may be sent directly from the distribution center to the vehicle. In this case, the distribution center can create the information management list to be sent to the vehicle by holding the information management list of the vehicle or by obtaining the information from the vehicle each time. Thereby, the freedom degree of the system regarding an information management list is raised.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the management information 532 corresponding to the additional function software 531 is provided separately is illustrated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and management information may be included in the additional function software. In this case, the event may be directly associated with the application software as an attribute. Management information included in the additional function software can be set in the management information list. As a result, the degree of freedom in design of management information corresponding to the additional function software is increased, and the applicability of execution management of the additional function software based on the management information is increased.

  In the above embodiment, the case where execution of the additional function software 531 is managed by the control unit 522 using the management information list 533 is illustrated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the control unit may search for additional function software to be executed or stopped each time an event occurs. In the search, management information associated with the additional function software, management information embedded in the additional function software, or the like may be referred to. Thereby, the freedom degree of control concerning management of execution stop is raised.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the communication device 141 and the storage medium connection device 143 are provided in the vehicle 10 is illustrated. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the vehicle may be provided with at least one of a communication device and a storage medium connection device. For example, when only a communication device is provided in the vehicle, the additional function software 531 and management information 532 are provided to the vehicle 10 via the communication device 141 as in the above embodiment. Further, for example, when only the storage medium connection device is provided in the vehicle, the additional function software 531 and the management information 532 stored in the storage medium 144 are stored in the storage medium connection device in the vehicle 10. 143 may be provided. At this time, the distribution center 20 and the development center 30 are stored in the storage medium 144 via an information device such as a computer provided in a home or a card dealer that can perform data communication with the distribution center 20 or the development center 30. The additional function software 531 and the management information 532 may be stored.

  Further, when the communication device 141 and the storage medium connection device 143 are provided in the vehicle 10 as in the above embodiment, the additional function software 531 and the management information 532 are either the communication device 141 or the storage medium connection device 143, respectively. It may be provided to the vehicle 10 via one side.

According to these things, the freedom degree of provision of additional function software and management information to vehicles is improved.
In particular, according to the configuration in which the additional function software is provided from the storage medium connected to the storage medium connection unit provided in the vehicle, the update or change of the additional function software is performed under stable data communication. Become. Thereby, for example, even when the amount of data of additional function software that is updated or changed with respect to the in-vehicle device is enormous, or when data communication via wireless communication is difficult, the additional function software Can be suitably updated or changed.

In the above embodiment, the case where the additional function is provided by the additional function software 531 is illustrated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be added to the vehicle-mounted device by mounting hardware (electronic circuit) such as a custom LSI. Thereby, the applicable range with respect to the vehicle equipment of this additional function management apparatus can be widened now.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the in-vehicle device is the navigation system 11 is illustrated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the in-vehicle device may be various vehicle control devices provided in the vehicle, an information processing device such as an acoustic product, or the like. Thereby, this additional function management apparatus can be widely applied to in-vehicle devices.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vehicle, 11 ... Navigation system, 20 ... Distribution center, 21 ... Application server, 30 ... Development center, 51 ... Input / output interface, 52 ... Arithmetic unit, 53 ... Additional function storage part, 54 ... Navigation information storage part, 110 ... Global positioning system, 111 ... Microphone, 112 ... Camera, 113 ... Steering switch, 120 ... Vehicle control system LAN, 131 ... Display device, 141 ... Communication device, 142 ... Antenna, 143 ... Storage medium connection device, 144 ... Memory Medium, 150 ... Vehicle information system LAN, 151 ... Audio device, 152 ... Antenna, 153 ... Amplifier, 154 ... Speaker, 155 ... Rear seat entertainment system, 520 ... System software, 521 ... Main software, 522 ... Control unit, 531, A ~ H ... Additional function Software, 532 ... management information, 533 ... management information list, 541 ... map information.

Claims (11)

An in-vehicle device additional function management device that manages execution of an additional function that is detachably added to an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle,
A vehicle state detection unit that detects a vehicle state that is a state of the vehicle, and a control unit that controls execution and stop of the additional function according to the vehicle state detected by the vehicle state detection unit. Additional function management device for in-vehicle equipment. The vehicle state detected by the vehicle state detection unit is a vehicle speed,
The additional function management device for an in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls execution and stop of the additional function according to the detected vehicle speed. The additional function management device for an in-vehicle device according to claim 2, wherein the additional function is provided as application software for adding a new function to a program executed by the in-vehicle device. The additional function management device for in-vehicle devices according to claim 3, wherein the application software provided as the additional function is distributed and provided by a wireless communication from a software distribution center provided so as to be capable of wireless communication with the vehicle. The vehicle is provided with a storage medium connection unit capable of connecting a storage medium storing application software provided as the additional function,
The in-vehicle device additional function management device according to claim 3, wherein the application software provided as the additional function is provided from the storage medium connected to the storage medium connection unit. The in-vehicle device is provided with an information providing unit that provides information on the additional function to the driver,
The application software provided as the additional function includes first additional function software that is permitted to be executed by the control unit in a speed range of the first vehicle and that provides information corresponding to the information providing unit; Second additional function software that provides execution information by the control unit and provides information corresponding to the information providing unit in a speed range of the second vehicle that is higher than the speed range of the one vehicle,
The amount of information provided by the additional function provided by the second additional function software to the driver through the information providing unit is greater than the amount of information provided by the additional function provided by the first additional function software to the driver through the information providing unit. The additional function management apparatus of the vehicle-mounted apparatus as described in any one of Claims 3-5. The application software provided as the additional function further includes specific additional function software that is permitted to be executed by the control unit when the vehicle is stopped.
The said control part performs the said specific additional function software, when the speed of the detected vehicle shows a stop of a vehicle, The additional function management apparatus of the vehicle equipment as described in any one of Claims 3-6. The additional function management device for an in-vehicle device according to claim 7, wherein the specific additional function software is software that is not guaranteed to operate in the corresponding in-vehicle device. An additional function management method for an in-vehicle device that manages execution of an additional function that is separably added to an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle,
An additional function management method for an in-vehicle device, wherein the execution and stop of the additional function are controlled according to the detected vehicle state while detecting the vehicle state that is the state of the vehicle. The additional function management method for an in-vehicle device according to claim 9, wherein execution and stop of the additional function are controlled according to a vehicle speed detected as the vehicle state. The additional function management method for an in-vehicle device according to claim 10, wherein the additional function is provided as application software for adding a new function to a program executed by the in-vehicle device.

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