JP2007265223A - Vehicle information communication system, management server, on-vehicle terminal, and vehicle information communication method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle information communication system, a management server, an on-vehicle terminal and a vehicle information communication method enabling a vehicle user to recognize the continuation of a contract of vehicle information communication service without annoying the user of a vehicle information communication service. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicle information communication system communicable with an on-vehicle device 5 through a management center from an information terminal 4 used by the user, is characterized in that the management center 2 performs user confirmation processing for confirming the vehicle user when the on-vehicle device 5 detects an information terminal 4 different from the previous one. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle information communication system, a management server, an in-vehicle terminal, and a vehicle information communication method for communicating with an in-vehicle device from an information terminal used by a user via a management center.

  Advances in vehicle information provision services (telematics services) centered on automobiles are being promoted, providing various services to owners through the vehicle and driver (owner), and providing various information itself. It has become easier to communicate in both directions (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the vehicle information communication service, the vehicle and the information terminal carried by the owner can communicate via the management center even if the vehicle and the owner are separated from each other, and the owner operates the information terminal. It is possible to check a parking place of a vehicle from a remote place and receive a notification of detection of engine start. Accordingly, the contractor of the vehicle information providing service can acquire information on the vehicle status, operate the in-vehicle device, and the like even when away from the vehicle.

When using the vehicle information communication service, the contractor makes a predetermined contract with the management center and registers the contractor information such as address, name, mobile phone number, and password for authentication in advance. When the contractor obtains vehicle information from a remote location by remote operation, the authentication operation is performed from the information terminal, the identity confirmation is obtained, and various services provided by the vehicle information providing service can be used.
JP 2004-102939 A

  By the way, the owner of a vehicle is often transferred by auction or sales between individuals. However, if a vehicle is sold or leased for a vehicle that has been contracted with the vehicle information communication service, a contract for the vehicle information communication service is made. And the owner of the vehicle are trapped.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a relationship when a vehicle owner and a vehicle information communication service contractor are different. User A (contractor) of the vehicle 5 concludes a vehicle information communication service contract with the management center 2, and then transfers the vehicle 5 to the user B. When the user A does not cancel the contract, the user B drives the vehicle 5 while the contract remains between the user A and the vehicle information communication service. If the user B newly contracts with the vehicle information communication service, it may become clear that the contract remains between the vehicle 5 and the vehicle information communication service based on the vehicle number or the like. It does not necessarily sign a contract with a service, nor does it necessarily sign a contract with an operator of the same vehicle information communication service.

  Thus, once the owner of the vehicle and the contractor of the vehicle information communication service are different, the vehicle information communication service rarely requires the owner to authenticate the contractor from the vehicle 5 side. In many cases, the user B who gets on the vehicle 5 uses the vehicle 5 without noticing that the contract for the vehicle information communication service remains.

  Therefore, when the contractor and the owner are different as shown in FIG. 1, the user A remotely operates the information terminal to acquire the location of the vehicle 5, vehicle information, or operate the in-vehicle device. There is a problem that there is a possibility that an action that B does not want to work is performed before the user B is aware of it.

  In order to prevent such an action, it is desirable to confirm whether or not the user B who is the current user of the vehicle 5 is a contracted person. However, the management center 2 and the vehicle 5 may determine whether the vehicle 5 has been transferred or not. Since the timing is not known, a check operation such as a boarding time is periodically performed, which causes inconvenience for the user of the vehicle to feel annoyance.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a vehicle information communication system and a management that allow a user of a vehicle information communication service to recognize that a vehicle information communication service contract is continued without causing annoyance to a user of the vehicle information communication service. It aims at providing a server, a vehicle-mounted terminal, and a vehicle information communication method.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a vehicle information communication system capable of communicating with an in-vehicle device via an administration center from an information terminal used by a user. A user confirmation process for confirming the user is performed.

  According to the present invention, the vehicle information communication service contract that allows the user of the vehicle information communication service to recognize that the vehicle information communication service contract is continued without causing annoyance is continued. The user of the vehicle who has recognized that the user can cancel the contract can prevent the user who has transferred the vehicle from acting unexpectedly on the owner or the vehicle.

  Moreover, in one form of the vehicle information communication system of this invention, when an in-vehicle apparatus detects the information terminal different from before, the management center performs a user confirmation process.

  According to the present invention, the user confirmation is made when an information terminal different from the previous one is detected a predetermined number of times or more.

  Further, if the predetermined number of times is the number of times within a predetermined period, the user can be confirmed by excluding the case where a plurality of users are using one vehicle.

  Further, when the same information terminal as the information terminal different from the previous one is continuously detected a predetermined number of times or more, if the user confirmation process is performed, the user can be confirmed without waiting for the elapse of the predetermined period.

  In one embodiment of the vehicle information communication system of the present invention, the in-vehicle device detects an information terminal by Bluetooth communication.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to detect an information terminal different from the previous one without any particular operation by the user.

  Moreover, in one form of the vehicle information communication system of this invention, a user confirmation process is a process which notifies a user of the contractor of the said vehicle information communication system, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can recognize that the contract of a vehicle information communication service is continuing because a new user perceives the contractor's information.

  Vehicle information communication system, management server, in-vehicle terminal, and vehicle information communication method capable of recognizing that the user of the vehicle information communication service continues the contract of the vehicle information communication service without making the user of the vehicle information communication service feel annoying Can be provided.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 2 shows an overall configuration diagram of the vehicle information communication system according to the present embodiment. This system provides a vehicle information communication service. The vehicle information communication system mediates between the vehicle 5 and the information terminal 4 and obtains information from the vehicle 5 and provides various services such as remote operation of the vehicle 5 to the owner (user A or B), The vehicle 5 owned by the user B and the information terminal 4 used by the user A are configured via the network 1.

  In FIG. 2, the user A is a person who was the owner of the vehicle 5 in the past, and is a contractor of the vehicle information communication service. In addition, the user B is a person who has transferred the vehicle 5 from the user A and is the current owner of the vehicle 5. The owner has the right to control the vehicle 5, but in the present embodiment, it is not so strict. If the person can use the vehicle 5 for a predetermined period, the owner Call it. In addition, in the case of simply a user, it may mean the owner.

  The management center 2 is connected to a network 1 such as the Internet. Further, the vehicle 5 and the information terminal 4 are configured to be able to communicate with the base station 3 or 7 connected to the network 1 by wireless or wired. For example, the communication system is connected from the base station 3 or 7 to the management center 2 by a public telephone switching network (PSTN), a digital communication network (ISDN), or a wired line such as an optical fiber. The terminal 4 or the vehicle 5 is connected by radio such as a mobile phone network, a PHS (Personal Handy-phone System) network, a wireless LAN, WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), a satellite phone, and a beacon. For data transmission / reception, for example, HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol), FTP (File Transfer Protocol), MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension), etc. that are upwardly compatible with protocols such as TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / IP (Internet Protocol). Protocol is used.

  The information terminal 4 is a mobile phone, a mobile computer, an electronic notebook (personal digital assistant (PDA)), a PHS (Personal Handyphone System), a portable game machine, or the like. The information terminal 4 has a long-distance communication function for communicating with the management center 2 via the network 1 connected to the base station 3 at a relatively long distance, and a short-distance communication function for directly communicating with the in-vehicle device of the vehicle 5. Have.

  FIG. 3 shows a functional block diagram of the information terminal 4. The information terminal 4 includes a short-range communication unit 41, a display unit 42, an operation unit 43, a long-distance communication unit 44, a voice processing unit 45, a memory 46, a speaker 47, a microphone 48, and a control unit 40.

  The display unit 42 is a screen display device of the information terminal 4 such as a liquid crystal, and displays display data output from the control unit 40 on the display unit 42. The operation unit 43 includes a mechanical switch such as a push button, a touch panel provided on the display surface, a scroll key, and the like. When these are operated, the operation unit 43 outputs a signal based on the operation content to the control unit 40.

  The short-range communication unit 41 communicates with the in-vehicle device by Bluetooth, wireless LAN, infrared communication, wired connection, or the like. In the case of Bluetooth, the signal received by the antenna is subjected to processing according to a predetermined Bluetooth wireless communication protocol, such as amplification, frequency conversion, demodulation, A / D conversion, and the signal obtained as a result of the processing is transmitted to the control unit 40. Output to. Further, the short-range communication unit 41 performs processing according to a predetermined Bluetooth wireless communication protocol, such as D / A conversion, modulation, frequency conversion, amplification, etc., on the data input from the control unit 40, and the result Output radio waves from the antenna.

  In Bluetooth, there is a protocol (profile) formulated for each type of device that communicates, and in HSP (Headset Profile), a headset (microphone and earphone) equipped with Bluetooth can communicate with the information terminal 4. In HFP (Hands-Free Profile), the information terminal 4 and the in-vehicle device are connected, and a hands-free call using a vehicle microphone or speaker is possible. Also, SPP (Serial Port Profile) makes it possible to create a virtual serial port in a Bluetooth device and transfer data from the information terminal 4 to the in-vehicle device (or vice versa).

  Note that, when the information terminal 4 and the in-vehicle device are connected by wire as in a wired hands-free device, data is communicated with a predetermined protocol, and when connected with a wireless LAN, data is transferred with a predetermined protocol such as IP.

  The long-distance communication unit 44 performs amplification, frequency conversion, demodulation, A / D conversion, etc. on the signal received by the call antenna 31, such as a predetermined cellular call protocol (PDC (Personal Digital Cellular), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). ), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), etc.), and outputs the result to the control unit 40. The long-distance communication unit 44 performs processing in accordance with a predetermined cellular communication protocol, such as D / A conversion, modulation, frequency conversion, amplification, etc., on the data input from the control unit 40, and outputs a signal of the processing result. Output to the antenna.

  The memory 46 includes ROM, RAM, NV-RAM (Non Volatile RAM), etc. (not shown). The ROM and flash memory store a program read and executed by the control unit 40, a telephone number of the information terminal 4, a unique number unique to the information terminal, and the like.

  The audio processing unit 45 converts the audio signal input from the microphone 48 into digital data and outputs the digital data to the control unit 40, and converts the digital data input from the control unit 40 into an audio signal and outputs the audio signal to the speaker 47. .

  The control unit 40 includes a CPU, an input / output unit, and the like, and executes a program read from the memory 46. The control unit 40 performs processing based on a program to be executed, a signal from the operation unit 42, reception data from the short-range communication unit 41 and the long-range communication unit 44, and audio data from the audio processing unit 45. For example, the control unit 40 executes a browser program or a mail program stored in the memory 46 and displays an operation screen or message received from the management center 2. In addition, when the information terminal 4 is brought close to a predetermined range from the vehicle 5 or connected by wire, the control unit 40 transmits the unique number acquired from the memory 46 to the in-vehicle device 5.

  The vehicle 5 will be described. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the in-vehicle device that the vehicle 5 has. The vehicle 5 receives the operation signal transmitted from the management center 2, and transmits / receives the vehicle information and the operation result according to the operation signal to the management center 2, and the remote operation for controlling the remote operation of the vehicle 5. An ECU (Electrical Control Unit) 22 is included. The remote control ECU 22 is communicably connected to various in-vehicle ECUs connected by a bus using a protocol such as CAN (Controller Area Network). In FIG. 4, as an example, a door control ECU 23 that controls the opening and closing of the door and the opening and closing of the window, an air conditioner ECU 24 that air-conditions based on the temperature inside and outside the vehicle, a set temperature, etc., detects vibrations and intrusion into the parked vehicle A security ECU 25 that detects the operating state of the engine, an engine ECU 26 that performs fuel injection control, ignition timing control, and idle speed control, a car navigation ECU 27 that controls the navigation system, and a verification ECU 30 that registers and collates keys are connected. . A display device 28 and a speaker 29 are connected to the car navigation ECU 27.

  The verification ECU 30 manages the keys registered in the vehicle 5. The verification ECU 30 permits the engine to start when the key ID built in the key transponder matches the ID managed by the verification ECU according to the key authentication procedure of the immobilizer.

  The remote operation device (the in-vehicle terminal in the claims) includes at least the transmission / reception device 21, the remote operation ECU 22, and the display device 28, and further includes the in-vehicle device necessary for the alerting control described in the present embodiment. Including.

  The transmission / reception device 21 receives the operation signal transmitted from the management center 2 by the receiving circuit and demodulates the operation signal. The demodulated operation signal is sent to the remote operation ECU 22, and the remote operation ECU 22 determines the operation content and communicates with a predetermined ECU according to the determination result. Each ECU communicates with the remote operation ECU 22 to send the state of each in-vehicle device to the remote operation ECU, or controls a predetermined in-vehicle device such as driving an actuator in accordance with a control signal from the remote operation ECU 22 to lock the door. To do.

  The vehicle 5 is equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System) device, and the car navigation ECU 27 detects the current position using the arrival time of the radio wave transmitted from the GPS satellite. When the user A wants to know the position of the vehicle 5 from a location away from the contractor of the vehicle information communication service, the user A operates the information terminal 4 to determine the position of the vehicle 5 detected by the car navigation ECU 27 before parking. Can be displayed with a map on the screen.

  A control unit 31 is connected to the bus, and the control unit 31 is connected to a short-range communication unit 32, a sound processing unit 33 to which a microphone 35 and a speaker 36 are connected, and a memory 34. The near field communication unit 32 and the sound processing unit 33 perform the same processing as the near field communication unit 41 and the sound processing unit 45 of FIG.

  The display device 28 is a liquid crystal, organic EL, HUD (Head Up Display) or the like, and displays an operation menu, traffic information, a road map, a route to a destination, and the like. Further, a touch panel may be provided on the display device 28 so that an operation can be input. The speaker 29 outputs the route guided by the car navigation ECU 27 by voice in front of a right / left turn point or the like. The display device 28 and the speaker 29 are also used for the output of other media such as television and radio, music players, and DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) players.

  When the management center 2 confirms whether or not the user B is the owner of the vehicle 5, the remote control ECU 22 displays a message transmitted from the management center 2 on the display means 28 and also outputs a sound from the speaker 29. Output.

  In the present embodiment, transfer of the vehicle 5 is estimated using the unique number of the information terminal 4 of the user B, and the user B is confirmed with the user. When the transfer of the vehicle 5 is estimated, the management center 2 gives a message to the vehicle 5 to alert the current user of the vehicle 5 to recognize the fact that the vehicle 5 is a contract object of the vehicle information communication service. Send to.

  When the user B who gets on the vehicle 5 is not a person registered in the contractor information 6, the user B can recognize the fact that the vehicle 5 is a target of the vehicle information communication service and the contract remains. . If the user B can recognize that the contract of the vehicle information communication service remains, it can be recognized that the user A may acquire vehicle information such as the parking location of the vehicle 5 and operate the in-vehicle device.

  First, the management center 2 of the present embodiment will be described. The management center 2 provides various services to the user A through the vehicle 5 and the user A (information terminal 4). Even if the vehicle 5 and the user A are separated by a predetermined amount or more by the management center 2, It becomes possible to monitor the entry of a third party into the vehicle 5, start of the engine, etc. and notify the owner, or the owner can operate the vehicle 5. Further, when the airbag of the vehicle 5 is activated or the emergency switch is pressed, a signal is transmitted from the vehicle 5 to the management center 2 to execute a predetermined process such as dispatch of a guard.

  The management center 2 functions as a management server configured as a computer in which a CPU, ROM, RAM, storage device (HDD), communication device, NV-RAM, drive device, and the like are connected to each other via a bus. The storage device of the management center 2 stores contractor information 6 in which information on contractors of the vehicle information communication system is stored.

  FIG. 5A shows a functional block diagram of the management center 2 (management server). The functional block diagram of the management center 2 shown in FIG. 5A is for supporting user confirmation, and includes a transmission / reception unit 11, an operation screen generation unit 12, a vehicle transfer estimation unit 13, and contractor information 6. Configured.

  The transmission / reception unit 11 is a network interface that communicates with the information terminal 4 and the vehicle 5 via the network 1. The transmission / reception unit 11 transmits the operation screen generation information and message generated by the operation screen generation unit 12 to the information terminal 4 and the vehicle 5.

  The vehicle transfer estimation unit 13 estimates that the owner of the vehicle 5 has changed, that is, that the vehicle 5 has been transferred from the user A to the user B in this embodiment. Although the estimation method will be described later, the combination of the unique number of the information terminal 4 and the key ID of the vehicle 5 is recorded, for example, every time the ignition is turned on, and it is estimated that the vehicle 5 has been transferred when the combination changes. To do.

  The operation screen generation unit 12 generates an interface with the user such as operation screen generation information displayed on the information terminal 4 or a display device of the vehicle 5 described later, a message for contacting the user A or B, and the like. The operation screen generation information and messages are described in HTML (HyperText Markup Language), XML (eXtensible Markup Language), and the like, and are interpreted and displayed by a browser included in the display device of the information terminal 4 or the vehicle 5.

  The storage device of the management center 2 stores programs that cause the management server to function as the operation screen generation unit 12 and the vehicle transfer estimation unit 13, and the CPU executes these programs to implement such functions. .

  The contractor information 6 will be described. FIG. 5B shows an example of the contractor information 6 registered in the management center 2. Since the user A has a contract with the management center 2 and the contractor has not been changed, the contractor information of the user A is registered. The contractor information 6 stores a contract ID given for each contract at the time of contract, a user ID for identifying the user A, name, address, telephone number, gender, and age. In the contractor information, a password for authenticating the contractor is registered in association with the user ID. Note that biometric identification information such as fingerprints, voiceprints, facial contours, irises, and vein arrangements may be used for user A authentication.

  When the user A accesses the management center 2 using the information terminal 4, the user ID and password required by connecting the information terminal 4 to a predetermined URL (Uniform Resource Locator) are input to the management center 2. Send. The management center 2 authenticates the user A with the consistency of the input user ID and password.

  When the authenticated owner inputs a desired operation by looking at the operation screen or message of the information terminal 4, an operation signal transmitted from the information terminal 4 is transmitted to the management center 2 via the mobile phone network or the network 1. . The management center 2 receives the operation signal transmitted from the information terminal 4, interprets the operation content, determines whether it can be executed, converts it into an operation signal interpretable by the vehicle 5, and the transmission / reception unit 11 transmits it to the vehicle 5. Send.

  Next, a procedure until the remote operation ECU 22 acquires a key ID and a unique number will be described.

  The flow of processing in which the control unit 31 communicates with the short-range communication unit 41 of the information terminal 4 through the short-range communication unit 32 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The flowchart of FIG. 6 is a process when communicating by Bluetooth. The short-range communication unit 32 receives a device search signal transmitted from the information terminal 4 and establishes a wireless connection with the information terminal 4 by performing Bluetooth authentication, and then enters an information communication mode. The short-range communication unit 41 of the vehicle 5 and the short-range communication unit 32 of the information terminal 4 are already paired with a pass key (authentication key or PIN).

  First, the control part 31 determines whether IG (ignition) or ACC (accessory) is ON (S11). The control unit 31 determines the state of IG (ignition) or ACC from the engine ECU 26 or the power supply ECU. If IG or ACC is off, the determination in step S11 is repeated.

  When IG or ACC is on (Yes in S11), the control unit 31 activates the short-range communication unit 32 and starts waiting from the short-range communication unit 41 of the information terminal 4 (S12).

  Next, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the short-range communication unit 32 has received a device search signal transmitted from the information terminal 4 (S13). If a device search signal is received, the process proceeds to step S14. If not received, the determination in step S13 is repeated.

  When the device search signal is received (Yes in S13), the control unit 31 transmits a response (S14). Specifically, a signal for responding to the input device search signal is output to the short-range communication unit 32 as transmission data.

  Next, the control unit 31 performs Bluetooth authentication processing (S15). Specifically, the connection with the information terminal 4 is established using the above pass key.

  The control unit 31 determines whether or not the authentication is successful (S16). If the authentication is not successful (No in S16), the process ends.

  If the authentication is successful (Yes in S16), the information communication mode in which data can be transmitted and received between the information terminal 4 and the in-vehicle device is set (S17).

  While connected to the information terminal 4, the control unit 31 receives a hands-free function execution command issued from the information terminal 4 via the short-range communication unit 32 and executes a hands-free function program. By executing this program, the control unit 31 receives voice data from the other party with whom the information terminal 4 is performing telephone communication via the short-range communication unit 32, and receives the received voice data as the voice processing unit 33. Then, the signal is output from the speaker 36. In addition, the voice data of the user in the vehicle 5 input from the microphone 35 and processed by the voice processing unit 33 is transmitted to the information terminal 4 via the short-range communication unit 32. Thereby, the information terminal 4 transmits the user's voice to the other party.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process in which the remote operation ECU 22 acquires the unique number of the information terminal 4.

  First, the remote control ECU 22 acquires the unique number of the information terminal 4 (S21). When the connection by Bluetooth is established and the information communication mode is set, the control unit 31 of the vehicle 5 requests the control unit 40 of the information terminal 4 to acquire a unique number. The control unit 40 extracts the unique number stored in the memory 46 and transmits it to the vehicle 5 by Bluetooth communication.

  Next, the remote control ECU 22 acquires a key ID (S23). Since the ignition or ACC is on, the key ID built in the key transponder is detected by the verification ECU 30. If not detected, the remote control ECU 22 requests the verification ECU 30 to acquire the key ID again.

  The remote control ECU 22 stores the unique number and the key ID in NV-RAM or the like in association with the date and time when the IG is turned on, for example (S23).

  If the information terminal 4 is set to refuse notification of the unique number to the outside, the information of the other information terminal 4, preferably unique information, is stored together with the key ID. For example, a telephone number, a mail address, a name, an address, a user ID of a vehicle information communication service, and the like. In the present embodiment, it is only necessary to determine whether or not the user has changed. Therefore, information that can identify the user may not be guaranteed to be completely unique.

  The remote control ECU 22 transmits the unique number and the key ID to the management center 2 (S24). Since the remote operation ECU 22 repeats the storage process as in step S23 every time the IG is turned on or once a day, the transmission process to the management center 2 may be transmitted once a day.

  As described above, the management center 2 can recognize the user who gets on the vehicle 5 by using the unique number of the information terminal 4. The vehicle transfer estimation unit 13 of the management center 2 estimates transfer of the vehicle 5 based on the unique number and the key ID as follows.

  FIG. 8A is a diagram showing the stored contents of the combination of the unique number and the key ID over time. In FIG. 8A, “A” indicates one key ID having a predetermined number of digits, and “B” and “C” indicate unique numbers of one information terminal 4, respectively. The left direction in the figure indicates the past.

  The vehicle transfer estimation unit 13 uses the key ID “A” and the unique number “B” before the predetermined date and time t1, but after the predetermined date and time t1, the key ID remains “A” and the unique number is “C”. ”Is detected. The vehicle transfer estimation unit 13 estimates that the vehicle 5 has been transferred because the unique number has changed. Immediately after the key ID changes from “A” to “C”, for example, the vehicle 5 may simply be lent, and therefore, when the changed combination continues for about one week from three days. The vehicle transfer estimation unit 13 estimates that the vehicle 5 has been transferred. If the unique number is stored in the contractor information 6, it may be compared with the stored unique number.

  The operation screen generation unit 12 generates operation screen generation information and a message to be displayed on the display device 28 of the vehicle 5 in response to the vehicle transfer estimation unit 13 estimating the transfer of the vehicle. Send to. The remote operation ECU 22 of the vehicle 5 displays the received message and operation screen on the car navigation ECU 27. When the user B is not on the vehicle 5, a message and an operation screen are stored and displayed when the ignition is turned on.

  FIG. 9A shows an example of a message displayed on the display device 28. In FIG. 9A, a message “Thank you for using us always,” is displayed. By displaying such a message from the management center 2, the user B can recognize that the vehicle information communication service is being used from the fact that the message is distributed and the distribution source.

  In the message, “Mr. A” is the name of the user A recorded in the contractor information 6 as a contractor. Since the vehicle 5 is used by the user B, the user B sees the message “A-like, ...”. The user B can recognize the existence of the vehicle information communication service from the name of the previous owner of the vehicle 5 in response to the question “Mr. A”.

  Even if the vehicle has not been transferred, the message “Thank you for always using it” is less likely to impress that it is confirmation by the contractor. If the message is changed according to the season and time, it is preferable that the message does not become monotonous.

  Although the name of the message is a name in FIG. 9A, it may be any content that makes the user B aware of the user A, such as a telephone number or an address, and all the contents of the contractor information 6 may be applicable.

  Further, the service content of the vehicle information communication service may be displayed as a message. FIG. 9B shows an example of a message displayed as service content. In FIG. 9 (b), “Thank you for always using this service. This service can acquire vehicle information and operate the in-vehicle device” is displayed. Recognize that there is a risk of acquisition. Further, the service content may include not only the specific content of the service but also the service name, the provider, the operator, the advertisement, the logo display, the paid service, and the like.

  Even if the vehicle 5 is not transferred, the unique number changes when the user A buys the information terminal 4 again. Assuming such a case, for example, a message such as “How is A, how is the new information terminal 4 in condition?” May be displayed. If it is such a message, the user B can be alerted by the question “A-like”, and if the vehicle 5 has not been transferred, the user is asked about the information terminal 4 so that the user A does not feel bothered.

  By the way, even when the unique number changes, the vehicle 5 is not always transferred when a plurality of users use the vehicle 5. FIG. 8B is a diagram showing another example of the combination of the unique number and the key ID over time.

In FIG. 8B, the unique number “C” appears after the predetermined date and time t2, but the unique number “B” does not disappear and “C” and “B” are displayed irregularly. In such a state, it is unclear whether or not the vehicle 5 has been transferred, and may occur in the following case without the transfer of the vehicle 5.
A plurality of users are using the vehicle 5.
A single user has a plurality of information terminals 4.

  Accordingly, the vehicle transfer estimation unit 13 estimates that the vehicle 5 has been transferred if the unique number “C” appears a predetermined number of times after the predetermined date and time t2. This is because when the vehicle 5 has been transferred, the user B has used the vehicle 5 a predetermined number of times or more, so it is preferable to notify that the vehicle 5 is the target of the vehicle information communication service. . For example, when the transfer of the vehicle 5 is estimated when a new unique number “C” appears five times, in FIG. 7B, it is estimated that the vehicle 5 has already been transferred at the date and time t3.

  However, only when the unique number “C” appears, even if a plurality of users use the vehicle 5 properly, it is estimated that the vehicle 5 has been transferred over time. It may be estimated based on the number of times the unique number “C” appears in. For example, if the vehicle transfer estimation unit 13 estimates that the vehicle 5 has been transferred four times or more in the most recent week when the unique number “C” appears, the vehicle transfer estimation unit 13 already has a date and time t4 in FIG. It is presumed that the vehicle 5 has been transferred (in the case where FIG. 7 (b) shows that the vehicle is boarded once a day). The determination may be based on the ratio of “B” and “C” within a predetermined period instead of the number of times.

  If the transfer is determined based on the number of times or the ratio within the predetermined period, at least the predetermined period elapses. Therefore, if the unique number “C” appears continuously more than the predetermined number of times, it is estimated that the vehicle 5 has been transferred. May be. For example, when a transfer is estimated when a new unique number appears twice or more in succession, it is estimated that the vehicle 5 has already been transferred at the date and time t5 in FIG. 7B. If the determination is made based on the number of times new unique numbers appear successively, the transfer of the vehicle 5 can be detected in a shorter time.

  Even when the determination is based on the number of times or the ratio as described above, it is not unlikely that the vehicle 5 has not been transferred. Therefore, it is preferable to make the message displayed on the display device 28 softer. FIG. 9C shows an example of a message displayed on the display device 28 when the determination is made based on the number of times or the ratio. In FIG. 9 (c), “A-sama, how is your car?” Is displayed, but if the message asks in this way, even if the vehicle 5 has not been transferred, User A does not feel bothered. Further, when the vehicle 5 is transferred, the display of “Mr. A” or such a message is displayed from the management center 2, so that the user B can obtain vehicle information from the fact that the message is distributed and the distribution source. You can notice that the contract for the communication service is continuing.

  In this embodiment, the key ID and the unique number are transmitted from the vehicle 5 to the management center 2 and the management center 2 detects the transfer of the vehicle 5. However, the vehicle 5 may estimate the transfer. When the vehicle 5 detects the assignment, the remote control ECU 22 stores the history of the combination of the key ID and the unique number, and estimates the assignment in the same manner as described above.

  According to the present embodiment, when a different information terminal 4 is brought into the vehicle, the transfer of the vehicle 5 can be estimated and the user can be confirmed. Since the information terminal 4 is often brought into the vehicle without being conscious of it, if Bluetooth is used, the transfer of the vehicle 5 can be estimated without the user B performing a special operation. In addition, since a message is displayed when an information terminal 4 different from the previous one is brought into the vehicle, it is possible to prevent the user of the vehicle information communication service from feeling annoyed. Further, since the name of the contractor is not displayed regularly (for example, every month), the effect of the message is not diminished.

  In the present embodiment, a vehicle information communication system that periodically checks the owner from the management center 2 will be described. If the owner of the vehicle 5 changes, it is considered that the service of the vehicle information communication system should be enjoyed by the owner of the new vehicle. Therefore, the management center 2 periodically performs a process for confirming whether the owner has changed.

  FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of the management center 2 (management server) in the present embodiment. In FIG. 10, the same components as those in FIG. 5A are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. The management center 2 in FIG. 10 is different from FIG. 5A in that it has a contractor confirmation unit 14. The functional block diagram of the vehicle 5 is the same as that shown in FIG.

  Although the contractor confirmation unit 14 will be described in detail later, the contractor confirmation unit 14 displays a request message for requesting a predetermined response from the user in order to confirm whether or not the owner of the vehicle 5 is the same as the contractor. 28. And based on a user's response, it is confirmed whether the user of the vehicle 5 is the same as a contractor.

FIG. 11 shows an outline until a request message is periodically displayed on the vehicle 5 for user confirmation.
T1: The user A (1st owner) of the vehicle 5 is also the user A as the contractor of the vehicle information communication service.
T2: User A transfers vehicle 5 to user B (2nd owner). At the time of transfer, the user A does not cancel the vehicle information communication service, and does not explain to the user B whether the vehicle information communication service or the contract exists.
T3: The management center 2 periodically displays a request message for confirming the contractor on the vehicle 5, and a sound to that effect is output from the speaker 29.

  This request message is for requesting a response that is not known unless the user is on the vehicle 5, and the owner of the current vehicle 5 is confirmed based on the content of the response.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure until the contractor confirmation unit 14 of the management center 2 displays a request message on the vehicle 5.

  The contractor confirmation unit 14 of the management center 2 periodically determines whether or not a predetermined period has elapsed in order to determine whether or not the user of the vehicle 5 has changed (S101). The predetermined period is, for example, about once a month. However, when the vehicle is frequently used, it is preferable to detect the change of the user at an early stage. Therefore, the number of times the ignition is turned on may be more than a predetermined value. In this case, in order to prevent the user from being bothered, an upper limit such as twice a month is set.

  When the predetermined period has elapsed, the operation screen generation unit 12 generates a request message to be displayed on the vehicle 5, and the transmission / reception unit 11 transmits the generated request message to the vehicle 5 (S102). The operation screen generator 12 refers to the contractor information 6 and extracts necessary information such as the contractor's name.

  The transmission / reception device 21 of the vehicle 5 receives the request message from the management center 2 and displays it on the car navigation ECU 27 (S103). When the user B is not on the vehicle 5, the request message and the operation screen are stored and displayed when the ignition is turned on.

  FIG. 13A shows an example of a request message displayed on the display device 28 of the vehicle 5. In Fig. 13 (a), "Do you wish to use the vehicle information communication service next month? A, please call the following telephone number for confirmation. 0186-090-****-***-*** * "Is displayed.

  When the user B inputs a telephone number from the information terminal 4 in accordance with the instruction, the first number “0186” is a caller number notification, so the telephone number of the information terminal 4 of the user of the vehicle 5 is the telephone number designated by the management center 2. Will be notified.

  Since the displayed telephone number is a one-time telephone number that is changed every time, the user A who transferred the vehicle 5 cannot know it, and the user A disguises it as if the vehicle 5 was not transferred. It is not possible.

  The contractor confirmation unit 14 of the management center 2 confirms the response content based on the notified telephone number and the telephone number of the user A stored in the contractor information 6 (S104). If the two telephone numbers match, the contractor confirmation unit 14 ends the process as it is, and repeats the same process after a predetermined period.

  When the notified telephone number is different from the telephone number of the contractor information 6, the contractor confirmation unit 14 determines that the user has been changed and performs contractor change processing (S105). The contractor confirmation process will be described later.

  When the user A or B does not make a call to the designated telephone number, the contractor cannot be confirmed, so the contractor confirmation process is performed in the same manner as when the two telephone numbers are different.

  As described above, a request message for requesting a response can be transmitted to the user B, and the presence or absence of transfer of the vehicle 5 can be confirmed using the response.

  Next, another form of the request message will be described. In order to confirm that the owner is on the vehicle 5, information displayed only on the vehicle 5 may be used. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure until the management center 2 displays a request message on the vehicle 5.

  Similarly to FIG. 12, when the predetermined period has elapsed, the operation screen generation unit 12 generates a message to be displayed on the vehicle 5, and the transmission / reception unit 11 transmits the generated request message to the vehicle 5 (S201 to 202). The operation screen generator 12 refers to the contractor information 6 and extracts necessary information such as the contractor's name.

  The transmission / reception device 21 of the vehicle 5 receives the request message from the management center 2 and displays it on the car navigation ECU 27 (S203). When the user B is not on the vehicle 5, the request message and the operation screen are stored and displayed when the ignition is turned on.

  FIG. 13B shows an example of a request message displayed on the display device 28 of the vehicle 5. In FIG. 13B, “Please input the value of TRIP meter and press the send button” is displayed. The TRIP meter is a mileage accumulated until the user resets. Normally, the value of the TRIP meter of 1 to 3 types can be displayed on the vehicle. Designate a TRIP meter that cannot be seen and let the user enter that value.

  Next, the contractor confirmation unit 14 generates an information acquisition command for acquiring information from the vehicle 5 and transmits it to the vehicle 5 (S204). The information requested to be acquired here is the same as the information requested to be input to the user in step S203.

  Receiving the information acquisition command, the remote control ECU 22 determines the content of the command and acquires the TRIP meter value from the ECU that manages the value of the TRIP meter (S205). The remote control ECU 22 transmits the TRIP meter value to the management center 2 as vehicle information.

  User B enters the vehicle, starts the engine, and inputs the numerical value when the value of the TRIP meter is displayed. The numerical value is input by selecting the keyboard displayed on the display device 28. Then, by selecting a transmission button or the like, the input value of the TRIP meter is transmitted to the management center 2 as input information (S207).

  Since the management center 2 receives the vehicle information and the input information (S206, S208), the management center 2 collates whether or not these values match (S209). When the vehicle information and the input information match, the contractor confirmation unit 14 ends the process as it is, and repeats the same process after a predetermined period.

  Further, when the vehicle information and the input information do not match, the contractor confirmation unit 14 determines that the user has been changed and performs the contractor change process (S105). The contractor confirmation process will be described later.

  Since the value of the TRIP meter cannot be known without getting on the vehicle 5 and starting the engine, such a value can be used for confirming the contractor. Therefore, the information on the vehicle 5 requested in the present embodiment may be information that cannot be known without getting on the vehicle 5 and starting the engine, and may be, for example, the value of an ODD meter. In addition, it is preferable that the value used for collation cannot be referred from the information terminal 4.

  Further, since such a value increases every time the vehicle 5 gets on the vehicle 5 and travels, the value is effective only once as in the case of a one-time telephone number, so there is little risk of leakage.

  The contractor change process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Based on the telephone number of the user or the value of the TRIP meter, it was determined that the vehicle 5 was transferred. However, since there is a possibility that the information terminal 4 has been changed, an input error in the value of the TRIP meter, etc., the contractor confirmation unit 14 confirms again whether or not the user of the vehicle 5 has been changed (S301). For example, the same processing as in FIG. 12 or FIG. 14 may be repeated, and a confirmation message (for example, “Are you A?” “Are you the owner of vehicle 5?” Etc.) is sent again. May be.

  As a result of the confirmation, when the owner has changed (when the user B is using the vehicle 5), the management center 2 prohibits the use of the vehicle information communication service from the information terminal 4 of the user A (S301). For example, the login may be prohibited when access is made by the user ID and password of the user A, or “use of Mr. A is prohibited” may be displayed after the login.

  The management center 2 permits the use of the vehicle information communication service by the user B (S303). For example, the management center 2 issues a temporary password and permits login to the management center 2 using the telephone number of the user B as a temporary user ID. The official user ID and password are mailed to the address of user B.

  If it is confirmed that the user of the vehicle 5 and the contractor of the vehicle information communication service are different from each other by such processing, the contractor of the vehicle information communication service and the user of the vehicle 5 can be matched.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to detect that the owner of the vehicle 5 has changed by using the telephone number of the information terminal or information that can be obtained only by the owner of the vehicle 5, and the vehicle 5 is transferred. In such a case, the use of the vehicle information communication service by the original owner can be prohibited. Moreover, since it is performed for every predetermined period, even if the vehicle 5 is not transferred, it can be prevented that the user feels bothered.

It is a figure which shows the relationship in case the owner of a vehicle and the contractor of a vehicle information communication service differ. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a vehicle information communication system. It is a functional block diagram of an information terminal. It is a functional block diagram of the vehicle-mounted apparatus which a vehicle has. It is a functional block diagram of a management center (management server). It is a flowchart figure which shows the flow of the process which a vehicle-mounted apparatus and an information terminal communicate. It is a flowchart figure which shows the process in which remote control ECU acquires the specific number of an information terminal. It is a figure which shows the memory content of the combination of a specific number and key ID with progress of time. It is a figure which shows an example of the message displayed on a display apparatus. It is a functional block diagram of the management center 2 (management server) in the second embodiment. It is a figure which shows the outline until a request message is regularly displayed on a vehicle for a user's confirmation. It is a flowchart figure which shows the process sequence until a contractor confirmation part displays a request message on a vehicle. It is a figure which shows an example of the request message displayed on the display apparatus 28 of a vehicle. It is a flowchart figure which shows the process sequence until a contractor confirmation part displays a request message on a vehicle. It is a flowchart figure of a contractor change process.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Network 2 Management center 4 Information terminal 5 Vehicle 6 Contractor information 12 Operation screen production | generation part 13 Vehicle transfer estimation part 14 Contractor confirmation part 22 Remote operation ECU
31 Maintenance terminal

Claims (9)

In a vehicle information communication system capable of communicating with an in-vehicle device from an information terminal used by a user via a management center,
When the in-vehicle device detects the information terminal different from the previous one, the management center performs a user confirmation process for confirming the user of the vehicle.
A vehicle information communication system. When the in-vehicle device detects the information terminal different from the previous one or more times, the management center performs the user confirmation process,
The vehicle information communication system according to claim 1.   The vehicle information communication system according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined number of times is a number of times within a predetermined period. When the same information terminal as the information terminal different from the previous one is continuously detected a predetermined number of times or more, the management center performs the user confirmation process.
The vehicle information communication system according to claim 2.   The vehicle information communication system according to claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle device detects the information terminal through Bluetooth communication.   The vehicle information communication system according to claim 1, wherein the user confirmation process is a process of notifying the user of information on a contractor of the vehicle information communication system. In a management server of a vehicle information communication system that communicates information through an information terminal used by a user and an in-vehicle device,
When the in-vehicle device detects the information terminal different from the previous one, a user confirmation process for confirming the user of the vehicle is performed.
A management server characterized by that. In the in-vehicle terminal that controls the in-vehicle device by receiving the information transmitted from the information terminal used by the user via the management center,
When the in-vehicle device detects the information terminal different from the previous one, the user is notified of the information transmitted from the management center.
In-vehicle terminal characterized by this. In a vehicle information communication method that enables communication with an in-vehicle device from an information terminal used by a user via a management center,
When the in-vehicle device detects the information terminal different from the previous one, the management center performs a user confirmation process for confirming the user of the vehicle.
The vehicle information communication method characterized by the above-mentioned.

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