JP2002082818A - System and method for distributing program for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a program for vehicle distribution system for promoting and maintaining vehicle safe travel by timely rewriting a program written into an on-vehicle computer by communications. SOLUTION: The program in the on-vehicle computer for processing a numerical value or information about the travel safety of a vehicle is written in a rewritable memory, the on-vehicle computer is connected to vehicle mounting type communication equipment. The program can also be rewritten by communications from the outside of the vehicle.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a vehicle program distribution system and method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a vehicle program distribution system and method capable of promoting safe driving of a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a system for detecting a running state of a vehicle has created a program in consideration of the characteristic value for each vehicle type, and has written it into a memory of a vehicle-mounted computer to control engine output and braking force distribution. Used for various alarms.

Therefore, even if an attempt is made to use a new control logic or a logic for issuing a danger alarm, it cannot be changed unless the computer itself or the memory is replaced.

Particularly, in a program for warning a decrease in tire air pressure from tire rotational speed information, it is necessary to input vehicle parameters such as tread width and tread length of the vehicle for each vehicle type. Create different programs.

Further, in this tire pressure drop warning program, it is necessary to set a threshold value for determining whether or not to issue a warning. However, at present, there is some allowance in consideration of the influence due to the difference in tire type. Settings.

[0006] Further, for a logic for estimating the friction coefficient of the road surface from the rotation speed information of the tire, that is, a logic in which the so-called tire stiffness has an influence, it is desired to set parameters in detail for each tire.

[0007]

Although the running state of a vehicle greatly changes depending on the relationship between the tires and the road surface, even if the tires are changed, there is no means for inputting the information to the on-board computer. General tire characteristics must be assumed for detecting the running state, and the detection accuracy cannot be improved.

Also, in a program for detecting a decrease in tire air pressure from tire rotation speed information, a computer in which the program is changed must be produced only by changing vehicle parameters, resulting in high cost.
Not economic.

Further, as for the above-mentioned threshold value, if the mounted tire can be specified, a more appropriate threshold value can be set, and a high-precision internal pressure drop warning can be performed. I can't help changing the settings.

As for the logic for estimating the friction coefficient of the road surface from the rotation speed information of the tire, it is desired that the parameters be finely set for each tire. However, as a result of giving priority to versatility, only rough road surface determination is performed. And giving them to the driver can be confusing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a vehicular program distribution system and method that can rewrite a program written in a memory of an on-vehicle computer through communication as needed to promote safe driving of a vehicle. The purpose is to provide.

[0012]

In a vehicle program distribution system according to the present invention, a program in a vehicle-mounted computer for processing numerical values or information relating to vehicle running safety is written in a rewritable memory. The program is connected to a vehicle-mounted communication device, and the program is rewritten by communication from outside the vehicle.

Further, according to the vehicle program distribution method of the present invention, a program for processing numerical values or information relating to the driving safety of a vehicle is created for each type of vehicle and each type of tire, and these programs are mounted on the in-vehicle computer via the Internet. And rewrite the old program in the rewritable memory.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a vehicle program distribution system and method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a vehicle related to the vehicle program distribution system of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing program distribution, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle according to the present embodiment includes a central computer 1, a vehicle control device 2,
A communication device mounted on a vehicle, for example, an Internet device 3 using Internet communication, an information display 4 which is a display means such as a liquid crystal display element, a plasma display element or a CRT, and a rewritable connected to these. A safety monitoring computer 5 having a memory 5a and an arithmetic processing unit 5b and an alarm unit 6 connected to the computer 5 are provided. The central computer 1 can select an interface menu screen, a communication or travel selection screen, a communication mode screen, a travel mode screen, and the like. In the rewritable memory 5a, a program of a system for processing a running state (a numerical value or information related to safety) of the vehicle is written.
It can be rewritten by connecting to the program distribution service center and downloading. The computer 5 provides numerical values or information necessary for the control to the vehicle control device 2 and provides warning information on safety, for example, warning information based on information on a decrease in tire air pressure or information on a coefficient of friction between a tire and a road surface. Is provided to the alarm means 6. In the present embodiment, it is preferable that a car navigation device using a GPS antenna or the like for detecting position information of a running vehicle is also mounted.

In the present embodiment, as an apparatus for alarming a decrease in air pressure of a tire mounted on a vehicle, an output of a rotation speed detecting means for periodically detecting a rotation speed of a wheel tire provided on each of four tires is set to ABS. Or the like, which transmits the information to a vehicle control unit and determines the pressure reduction according to the procedure of the tire pressure warning program. As the rotation speed detecting means, a wheel speed sensor that generates a rotation pulse using an electromagnetic pickup or the like and measures the rotation speed from the number of pulses, or generates power using rotation like a dynamo, and performs rotation from this voltage. An angular velocity sensor or the like including one for measuring velocity can be used. The decompression determination is, for example, a comparison of a difference between two diagonal sums of a front wheel tire and a rear wheel tire, and is based on a sum of signals from a pair of diagonal wheels and another pair of diagonal wheels. The sum of the signals from the wheels is subtracted, and the ratio of the result to the average of the two sums (judgment value)
Is calculated and compared with a preset threshold value.

A road surface friction coefficient determining device mounted on a vehicle includes a road surface friction coefficient determining program capable of quantifying a level of slipperiness of a road surface from a tire rotation behavior caused by a friction coefficient between a tire and a road surface. The one that determines the coefficient of friction according to the procedure described above can be used. The friction coefficient is determined, for example, by calculating a slip ratio (a ratio between the wheel speed of the front wheel tire and the wheel speed of the rear wheel tire) from the measured value by the rotation speed detecting means, and then calculating the slip ratio and the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle. Is obtained based on the slope of the relational expression.

In the present embodiment, a computer having a rewritable memory is capable of rewriting programs, factors, parameters, and the like for performing calculations relating to running conditions, so that the latest control technology and individual vehicles and tires can be used. It is possible to maintain the safe running of the vehicle by changing the calculation program of the running state with high accuracy as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rewriting of the program is performed by a download using the Internet communication between the external information center 8 outside the vehicle connected to the vehicle program distribution service center 7 and the vehicle-mounted Internet communication device 3. Can be realized by: As the service program in the vehicle program distribution service center 7, for example, as shown in Table 1, an air pressure drop warning program and a road surface friction coefficient determination program are prepared for each vehicle type and tire, and the conditions of the own vehicle are selected. By doing so, a program in which appropriate parameters are set can be selected.

[0021]

[Table 1]

The external information center 8 has a VIC
It has means such as a host computer of S (registered trademark) (road traffic information communication system), and can be connected to the traffic congestion information service center 9 or the weather forecast service center 10 by switching the communication mode.

Therefore, the vehicle owner can freely select and download the latest control program, tire air pressure warning program, and road surface friction coefficient determination program by accessing the information service via the vehicle-mounted Internet.

In the present invention, a rewritable program and a non-rewritable program may be provided so that erroneous download does not deteriorate the running performance.

Further, since it is easy to recognize the vehicle type at the time of access, it is possible to prevent erroneous program download.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 3, the ignition is turned on (step S1), and the central computer mounted on the vehicle is operated (step S2). Thereby, the interface menu screen is started up, and the selection of the communication mode or the traveling mode is displayed (step S3). When the communication mode is selected here, the in-vehicle Internet device is connected to the information center (step S4), and communication modes a, b, and c are displayed on the interface menu screen (step S5). Next, when the communication mode a is selected, after being connected to the program distribution service center (step S6), a rewritable memory via vehicle-mounted Internet equipment and vehicle information including information on the current vehicle and desired information are provided. Exchange (step S7) and display on the screen (step S7).
8). Then select the program you want on the screen,
The desired program is downloaded to the rewritable memory (step S9).

After the download is completed, when the service content is completed (step S10), the user is asked on the screen whether communication is to be continued again. If YES, connect to step S5. Information service b,
c. If NO, the Internet connection is terminated (step S13), and the interface menu screen is displayed again (step S3).

Next, the driving mode is selected, and the driving mode, for example, a speedometer, a tachometer and a water temperature is displayed on the screen (step S14). As a result, the traveling state from now on can be ensured, so that the traveling is continued or the traveling is terminated and the ignition is turned off (steps S15 and S16).

It is preferable that the operation of the on-board computer in various modes, including the interface menu, be interactive, and that the driver be more user-friendly by employing a touch panel and voice input.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention,
With the rewritable memory, the latest control technology can be loaded into the vehicle, so that detailed control for each tire and the like can be performed, and the safety of running the vehicle can be maintained.

For example, even in a vehicle without a system for detecting a decrease in air pressure from the rotation speed of the wheels, the system can be incorporated into the own vehicle by using the distribution service. Furthermore, for vehicles with this program added, by specifying the tires worn by the vehicle, a program with an appropriate threshold set using the distribution service is downloaded, and highly accurate detection of internal pressure drop can be detected. It becomes possible.

Further, in the road surface friction coefficient determination program, the service side can prepare parameters for each tire, and the vehicle owner can select a tire being mounted therefrom, thereby enabling fine-grained parameter setting. ,
The determination accuracy of the road surface friction coefficient can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a vehicle equipped with a distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing distribution of a program.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Central computer 2 Vehicle control device 3 Internet communication device 4 Information display 5 Safety monitoring computer 5 a Rewritable memory 5 b Operation processing unit 6 Alarm means 7 Vehicle program distribution service center 8 External information center 9 Traffic congestion information service center 10 Weather forecast Service center

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5B049 BB00 CC08 GG04 GG07 GG08 5B076 BB06 5H180 AA01 BB05 CC12 EE12 EE13 FF05 FF13

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A program in a vehicle-mounted computer for processing numerical values or information related to the running safety of a vehicle is written in a rewritable memory, and the vehicle-mounted computer is connected to a vehicle-mounted communication device and connected from a vehicle outside. A program distribution system for a vehicle, wherein the program is rewritten by communication. 2. The distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the program performs a calculation process of tire rotation information of a running vehicle, and issues an alarm relating to running safety of the vehicle. 3. The distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the program processes information relating to a decrease in air pressure of a tire of a running vehicle or information relating to a coefficient of friction between a tire and a road surface. 4. The distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said communication includes Internet communication. 5. A program for processing numerical values or information relating to the running safety of a vehicle is created for each type of vehicle and each type of tire, and these are distributed to a vehicle-mounted computer via the Internet, and are stored in a rewritable memory. A method for distributing a vehicle program, wherein the method is rewritten as an old program.