JP2005156169A - Timing control type download system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problems that update data are received, regardless of stopping or running of a vehicle, for the updating of a map and other multimedia information used in a car navigation system, so that especially when there is a communication trouble following a change in environmental conditions in driving, the amount of communication in downloading needs to be reduced, for example, by limiting the range of map data according to the environment. <P>SOLUTION: A time zone in which communication conditions for downloading are stable is assumed, a communication device at a vehicle side is started up at a predetermined time in the time zone, and hence a signal for requesting downloading is transmitted to an information center side. Accordingly, the information center side transmits a vehicle side identification ID and update data, and the vehicle side verifies the ID and downloads the update data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to car navigation technology, and more particularly to an efficient download method for map information.

  As a method for downloading map data, a technique described in Patent Document 1 below is disclosed. According to the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, map information downloaded from an information center that supplies map information or the like (corresponding to a download center in Patent Document 1 below) is, for example, an expressway, a general road, or near an interchange, Furthermore, a technology for reducing the amount of communication at the time of download by limiting the map data to be downloaded according to the driving state of the automobile, the driving environment, etc., such as when driving at high speed or low speed is disclosed.

JP 2003-232644 A

  According to the above conventional technique, the map information from the information center is downloaded even while the automobile is running. For this reason, there is a case in which communication is performed while a vehicle as a terminal moves at a high speed, and there is a problem that a communication state becomes unstable due to a traveling environment or the like. Furthermore, multimedia information data to be downloaded is limited as the amount of communication is reduced, and there is a problem that information required by a customer cannot be sufficiently provided. An object of the present invention is to provide a system that enables downloading of map information or the like having a sufficient amount of information in a stable communication state in view of such problems of the conventional technology.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, multimedia information is automatically downloaded in a time zone where the vehicle is in a stopped state or a parked state that is not easily affected by a communication failure and the communication line is relatively free. I tried to do it. To achieve this, when the preset update time arrives, the vehicle side checks whether the vehicle is stopped at a predetermined location, and downloads update data to the information center side after confirmation by this check. Send a request. When the information center receives this request, the update data is transmitted together with the requester confirmation confirmation ID, and after the ID is confirmed on the in-vehicle device side, the download is started.

  According to the present invention, for example, by performing timing control so that multimedia information can be automatically updated during night parking, in a stable state avoiding the time zone when the communication line is congested without being affected by the driving environment of the vehicle. The effect is that multimedia information and update data can be downloaded.

  The operation of the system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a timing control type download system according to the present invention. A vehicle unit 10 in which an in-vehicle device is mounted as a terminal, and multimedia information including map information (for example, map-related characters, images, (Including each information such as voice guide and facility) and an information center unit 11 on the supply side.

  The vehicle-mounted device mounted on the vehicle unit 10 has vehicle stop control means for checking the current location from the GPS data of the navigation unit 1 and the registered location data and determining whether or not the host vehicle is stopped. A device 4, a navigation unit 1 in which map information and other related multimedia information are stored, a download control unit 2 for controlling a download operation of map information and other related multimedia information recorded in the information center unit 11, In order to be able to execute download at the time of the update, it has an activation device 3 for activating the navigation unit 1 to be operable. Here, the download control unit 2 transmits a download request to the information center unit 11 and receives multimedia information from the information center 11, and identification of an in-vehicle device identification ID transmitted from the information center 1. Means.

  The information center unit 11 serving as a fixed station also includes a server 5 that stores multimedia information to be transmitted, and a wireless on the information center side for distributing information recorded in the server 5 to the vehicle unit 10 that is a customer. And a communication device 6. Here, the server 5 also includes a storage portion that serves as an update time storage means for storing an update start time, customer identification ID, and other customer information that are preset for each in-vehicle device that is a customer. Yes.

  Next, a procedure for downloading the system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. First, before starting the processing of FIG. 2, when the update time notified in advance from the information center 11 side and registered in the vehicle unit 10 is reached, the power source of the vehicle unit 10 is automatically turned on. The circuit enters an operating state, and data reception from the information center 11 is started. Here, the update of the multimedia information is, for example, in a parking lot at home, in a time zone where there is no movement of a normal vehicle from midnight to 6 o'clock and the communication line is relatively free. It is assumed that any specific time is set. Further, it is assumed that the ID of the vehicle unit 10 is added prior to the transmission signal from the information center and transmitted, and the download process is started after the ID is confirmed on the vehicle unit 10 side. First, the vehicle unit 10 checks whether or not the current parking position is at home before the power is turned on and the update time is reached (step 101). If it is a place other than home (NO in step 101), there is a possibility that the vehicle starts to move immediately. Therefore, the process is terminated without updating the data, and the next update time is awaited.

  If the parking lot is parked at home (YES in step 101), an update flag indicating whether the data is update data from the information center is added (ON in step 102), and the next process (step 103). ), If the update flag is not added (OFF in step 102), the process ends because it is not the update data of the vehicle.

  If an update flag is attached at step 103 (ON at step 102), the state of the vehicle, that is, the state of the accessory (ACC) switch is checked at step 103. This is an operation included in the vehicle information control device 4 in FIG. When the ACC switch is ON (ON in Step 103), at least the vehicle is not in the OFF state, the engine can be started immediately and is not in the parking state. Return to the start state without executing it, and repeat the update process from the beginning again. This operation may be repeated after returning to the start state and then restarting after the engine is stopped and parked. Further, when the ACC switch is in an OFF state (OFF in Step 103), the vehicle unit 10 is in a stopped state, and update data can be downloaded. For this purpose, the navigation device 1 is activated by the activation device 3 (step 104). Although it is possible to use a vehicle battery for this activation, it is desirable to have an independent secondary battery for this system in consideration of vehicle battery consumption due to this system operation.

  When the navigation unit 1 is started up, it is checked whether or not the system on the vehicle unit 10 side is within the communicable area. If the system is outside the communicable region (NO in step 106), the data cannot be updated. End the update operation and wait for the next update time. If within the communicable area (YES in step 106), a download request is transmitted from the vehicle unit 10 side to the information center 11 side, and the vehicle unit 10 that receives this receives a download request from the vehicle unit 10 side where the in-vehicle device is mounted. The identification ID and the update data are transmitted to the vehicle unit 10, and downloading is started after confirmation of the ID (step 107). If the engine start occurs during the download and the ACC switch is turned on (ON in step 108), the download is interrupted, the process returns to the start state, the engine is stopped, and this process is started again. Start over. If there is no engine start (OFF at step 108), the update process is continued. However, if a communication failure occurs here ("Yes" at step 109), the update process is interrupted and terminated, and the next update start is awaited. . If there is no problem in the communication operation (“No” in step 109), the download is continued and then the process is terminated (step 110). Further, the activation device is turned off (step 111), and all the download processes are terminated.

  Among the processing processes described above, if the processing including the determination (steps 101, 102, 106, and 109) is judged that download is impossible, and the processing process is forcibly terminated, the download system thereafter There is also an informing means 112 for informing that the updating process has not been executed when the vehicle is traveling. However, this notification operation is unnecessary when the engine is in an operating state and returns to the start of processing (steps 103 and 108), because a retry is performed when the engine is stopped.

  With the above processing, the update location is home, but if the home wireless LAN or the like becomes widespread in the future, this can be used to end the update processing without problems of poor communication while parking in the garage. It is assumed that

Next, how to take the timing will be described with reference to FIG. 3 by taking as an example the case of fetching the update data while stopping at home. In FIG. 3, in step 120, it is checked whether or not the home is registered as the update location for the first time, and if it is not home (NO in step 120), the process returns to the start step and the update location is set to home. The registration location is checked repeatedly until the registration location is set at home (YES in step 120), and the update data is accessed to the information center unit 11 using the update flag as a trigger to start downloading (step 130). In the second and subsequent times, the number of communications can be reduced if information on the next update timing is also given at the download timing for updating the information. In addition, when there is an urgent need to notify the update occurrence on the information center unit 11 side, the update information can be distributed to the vehicle unit 10 side using an information tool such as an e-mail. Next, it is determined whether or not the vehicle unit 10 is within the communicable area. If the vehicle unit 10 is not within the communicable area (NO in step 140), this determination is repeated again several times or after a preset time. Further, update information is acquired after confirming that communication is possible by any method when the electric field strength reaches a communicable level (step 150), and update information acquisition is executed.
As described above, in the present invention, the multimedia information download operation is controlled while checking the operation of the related device at a preset timing, so that it is possible to avoid troubles during travel or congestion of communication lines. It becomes possible to update information stably.

The block diagram of the download system by this invention. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the download process in this system. The flowchart explaining the download timing in this system.

Explanation of symbols

1: Navigation unit 2: Download control unit 3: Start-up device 4: Vehicle information control device 5: Server 6, 21: Wireless communication device 10: Vehicle unit 11: Information center unit

Claims (5)

An information center that transmits multimedia data update data including already distributed map information at a preset update time;
A timing-controlled download system having a plurality of in-vehicle devices that receive and download the update data transmitted from the information center at the set update time;
The information center sets an update time of the multimedia information stored in each of the plurality of in-vehicle devices, and notifies each of the in-vehicle devices of the set update time;
In the in-vehicle device to update data among the plurality of in-vehicle devices, storage means for storing the set update time received,
When the update time is reached, the in-vehicle device determines whether or not the host vehicle is in a predetermined location, and whether or not the vehicle is in a stopped state,
Update from the information center by activating the storage unit and the related circuit unit in which the multimedia information is stored in a state where it is confirmed that the determination result is in a predetermined place and the vehicle is stopped Activating means for enabling data reception;
Means for sending a download request to the information center at the stage when the update time has arrived and the in-vehicle device is at a predetermined position and confirmed that the vehicle is stopped;
When the information center receives the download request, it transmits update data together with the ID of the in-vehicle device identification,
A timing control type download system, wherein the in-vehicle device side downloads the transmitted update data to the navigation unit via the download control unit after confirming the ID of the in-vehicle device identification. The timing control type download system according to claim 1,
Download determination means for determining whether or not the download from the information center was successful,
Timing comprising: download resumption means for resuming download when it is determined by the stop determination means that the vehicle has stopped next time when the download determination means determines that the download has failed. Controlled download system. In the timing control type download system according to claim 2,
A timing-controlled download system comprising: a notifying means for notifying that the download has failed when the download determining means determines that the download has failed. The timing control type download system according to claim 1,
The information center includes storage means for recording the multimedia information and the update data;
Update time information storage means for storing customer information including the multimedia information update time for each customer;
A timing control type download system comprising: a wireless communication device for transmitting the stored contents to the vehicle side. The timing control type download system according to claim 1,
The on-vehicle device determines whether or not the vehicle is stopped at a preset location;
A download control unit that performs an operation of receiving and capturing the multimedia information transmitted from the information center;
A navigation unit for storing the captured multimedia information;
A timing-controlled download system comprising: an activation device that activates the navigation unit in an operable state when the update time comes.

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