JP2013115680A - Information relay device and on-vehicle information terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide: an information relay device for relaying DRSC communication as Internet communication to an on-vehicle information terminal only in a case where the on-vehicle information terminal connects to the Internet using the DRSC communication; and the on-vehicle information terminal performing DRSC communication with the outside via the relaying of the aforementioned information relay device.SOLUTION: An information relay device includes: a communication characteristic information acquisition part 203 for acquiring communication characteristic information indicating communication characteristics between the outside and a DRSC on-vehicle devices 1 and between the outside and an on-vehicle information terminal 2; an on-vehicle information terminal state information acquisition part 205 for acquiring on-vehicle information terminal state information indicating the state of an on-vehicle information terminal 3, the state including availability of DRSC-PPP communication; and a DRSC-PPP communication connection/relay process part 209 for connecting for DRSC-PPP communication with the outside via the DRSC on-vehicle devices 1 on the basis of the communication characteristic information and on-vehicle information terminal state information, and relaying DRSC-PPP communication data to the on-vehicle information terminal 3.

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-vehicle information terminal capable of performing DSRC communication with the outside via a DSRC in-vehicle device installed in a vehicle, and an information relay device that relays DSRC communication between the in-vehicle information terminal and the DSRC in-vehicle device The present invention relates to an in-vehicle information terminal and an information relay device in a vehicle-side system including:

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there has been a technology in which an in-vehicle information terminal such as a car navigation system connected to a DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication) communication device installed in a vehicle connects to the Internet using PPP (Point to Point Protocol) communication via DSRC communication. (For example, see Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  The technology described in Non-Patent Document 1 uses IP communication (UDP, TCP, etc.), which is a communication protocol used for the Internet on DSRC communication, and other communication (non-IP communication) simultaneously or uses one communication protocol. It is to be selected and used, and a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) or the like is notified from the server or the like installed on the roadside to the in-vehicle information terminal, and the IP site is notified to the WEB site indicated by the URI notified by the in-vehicle information terminal. Assume that you are connected to the Internet.

  Also, there are technologies that use 3G (3rd Generation), 4G (4th Generation) communication, or wireless LAN (IEEE802.11a / b / g / n, etc.) communication media for Internet communication. There is a wireless communication terminal (for example, a smart phone) or the like for connecting to the Internet by installing and selecting and using one communication medium among the plurality of communication media (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  The technique described in Patent Document 1 is a technique in which an in-vehicle information terminal can use a plurality of communication media, and the in-vehicle information terminal selects a communication medium to be used in consideration of communication quality such as radio wave intensity of wireless communication. is there.

JP 2010-268085 A

"Short-range communication (DSRC) application sublayer standard", ARIB STD-T88 version 1.1, Japan Radio Industry Association, December 12, 2007 “Narrow Area Communication (DSRC) Basic Application Interface Specification Guidelines”, ITS FORUM RC-004 1.1 Edition, ITS Information and Communication System Promotion Conference, March 28, 2007

  However, in Non-Patent Document 1, it is assumed that DSRC communication is used as communication media as Internet communication, but the in-vehicle information terminal described in Patent Document 2 has no means to recognize the operation of Non-Patent Document 1. For this reason, the technique described in Non-Patent Document 1 is applied and DSRC communication cannot be selected for use in Internet communication.

  A plurality of applications are mounted on the in-vehicle information terminal, and a user (user) of the in-vehicle information terminal may select and use these applications.

  In addition, the above-described application indicates an application that displays a map acquired via the Internet such as Google Map, or a browser such as Safari that browses the Internet WEB site.

  These applications are premised on connecting to the Internet using communication media (wireless LAN, 3G, etc.) provided by the in-vehicle information terminal.

  However, in the realization of an application (DSRC-PPP application) in which the user uses the DSRC communication as a communication medium to connect to the Internet, the DSRC communication is selected as the communication medium used for the Internet connection only while the DSRC-PPP application is being used. However, there was no product or technology that provided such means.

  The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and only when the in-vehicle information terminal uses the DSRC communication to connect to the Internet, the information relay that relays the DSRC communication as the Internet communication to the in-vehicle information terminal. An object is to provide a device and an in-vehicle information terminal that performs DSRC communication with the outside by relaying the information relay device.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an information relay device according to the present invention is an information relay device that is installed in a vehicle and relays the DSRC in-vehicle device and the in-vehicle information terminal so that they can communicate with each other. Communication characteristic information acquisition means for acquiring communication characteristic information indicating communication characteristics with the information terminal, and in-vehicle information terminal state information for acquiring in-vehicle information terminal state information indicating the state of the in-vehicle information terminal including the availability state of DSRC-PPP communication Based on the information acquisition means, the communication characteristic information of the DSRC in-vehicle device and the in-vehicle information terminal, and the in-vehicle information terminal state information of the in-vehicle information terminal, the DSRC-PPP communication is connected to the outside via the DSRC in-vehicle device, -DSRC-PPP communication connection / relay means for relaying DSRC-PPP communication data, which is data by PPP communication, to the in-vehicle information terminal Obtain.

  An in-vehicle information terminal according to the present invention is an in-vehicle information terminal that is installed in a vehicle and can select and use communication media including DSRC-PPP communication with the outside via a DSRC in-vehicle device and an information relay device. In-vehicle information terminal state information output means for outputting in-vehicle information terminal state information indicating the state of the in-vehicle information terminal including the availability of use of DSRC-PPP communication to the information relay device.

  According to the present invention, communication characteristic information acquisition means for acquiring communication characteristic information indicating communication characteristics between the outside and the DSRC in-vehicle device and the in-vehicle information terminal, and the usage state of DSRC-PPP communication (stopped, in use, temporarily stopped, Or in-vehicle information indicating whether or not a function for realizing DSRC-PPP communication is installed, and an operation state of the function for realizing DSRC-PPP communication (stopped, being used, temporarily stopped, unavailable, etc.) Based on the in-vehicle information terminal state information acquisition means for acquiring the terminal state information, the communication characteristic information of the DSRC in-vehicle device and the in-vehicle information terminal, and the in-vehicle information terminal state information of the in-vehicle information terminal, externally via the DSRC in-vehicle device Connects DSRC-PPP communication and relays DSRC-PPP communication data, which is data by DSRC-PPP communication, to the in-vehicle information terminal To provide a DSRC-PPP communication connection and relay means that, only when the vehicle information terminal by using the DSRC communication is performed an Internet connection, can be relayed to the in-vehicle information terminal a DSRC communication as Internet communication.

It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the road-vehicle communication system by Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the vehicle side system by Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the connection process of the DSRC-PPP communication in the vehicle side system by Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the vehicle side system by Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the vehicle side system by Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the display of the vehicle-mounted information terminal by Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the connection process of the DSRC-PPP communication in the vehicle side system by Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the vehicle side system by Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the cutting | disconnection process of DSRC-PPP communication in the vehicle side system by Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the stop process of the DSRC-PPP communication in the vehicle side system by Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the restart process of the DSRC-PPP communication in the vehicle side system by Embodiment 5 of this invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a road-vehicle communication system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the information relay device 2 is installed in a vehicle and connected so as to relay the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 in a communicable manner.

  The DSRC in-vehicle device 1 performs DSRC communication with the DSRC roadside device 4 (see Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2). The DSRC roadside server 5 holds content information to be provided to the DSRC in-vehicle apparatus 1 via the DSRC roadside apparatus 4. Note that the content information includes information in various formats such as a WEB site, an image, or sound.

  The DSRC in-vehicle apparatus 1 and the DSRC roadside apparatus 4 are configured to be able to perform IP communication. The information relay apparatus 2 is connected to the DSRC roadside server via the DSRC in-vehicle apparatus 1 and the DSRC roadside apparatus 4. 5 is capable of PPP communication connection.

  The in-vehicle information terminal 3 can access (communication connection) the roadside server 6 outside the vehicle (wireless communication) such as wireless LAN communication, 3G (3rd Generation), and 4G (4th Generation) communication. is there.

  The in-vehicle information terminal 3 uses a single communication medium to be connected to the Internet, and when there are a plurality of communication media that can be connected to the Internet, the in-vehicle information terminal 3 performs the Internet communication according to a predetermined rule defined by the in-vehicle information terminal 3. Assume that one communication medium to be used is selected.

  The road-to-vehicle communication system shown in FIG. 1 includes a vehicle-side system and a road-side system. The vehicle-side system includes a DSRC in-vehicle device 1, an information relay device 2, and an in-vehicle information terminal 3. A DSRC roadside device 4, a DSRC roadside server 5, and a roadside server 6 are provided, and the configuration of the road-to-vehicle communication system is common to the following embodiments.

  Each of the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 has a function as a road-vehicle communication terminal that communicates with each of the DSRC roadside server 5 or the roadside server 6.

  In the following description, communication in the vehicle such as communication between the information relay device 2 and the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 and communication between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is also referred to as first communication. In addition, DSRC communication between the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 and the DSRC roadside device 4 and road-to-vehicle communication such as wireless communication (eg, 3G, wireless LAN) between the in-vehicle information terminal 3 and the roadside server 6 are performed. Also referred to as two communications.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle side system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle side system according to the first embodiment connects the DSRC in-vehicle device 1, the in-vehicle information terminal 3, and the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 by relaying communication. And an information relay device 2 capable of receiving the information.

  The DSRC in-vehicle device 1 is a communication medium (second communication) for communication performed between the communication control unit 101 that controls communication (first communication) with the information relay device 2 and the DSRC roadside device 4 ( For example, a second communication characteristic information output unit 102 that outputs second communication characteristic information including DSRC, wireless LAN, etc., communication type (non-IP, IP), and communication connection state (disconnected, connected) to the information relay device 2; And a DSRC communication processing unit 103 that performs processing of DSRC communication with the DSRC roadside device 4.

  The information relay device 2 receives the relay communication control unit 201 that performs relay control of communication between the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 that are communicably connected, and the DSRC roadside device 4 (external). A relay communication data storage unit 202 (relay communication data storage means) that stores DSRC-PPP communication data that is communication data relayed to the in-vehicle information terminal 3, the DSRC roadside device 4 and the roadside server 6 (external), and the DSRC in-vehicle device. 1 and a second communication characteristic information acquisition unit 203 (communication characteristic information acquisition means) that acquires second communication characteristic information (communication characteristic information) indicating communication characteristics with the in-vehicle information terminal 3 from the DSRC in-vehicle apparatus 1 or the in-vehicle information terminal 3 ), The second communication characteristic information storage unit 204 that stores the acquired second communication characteristic information, and the DSRC-PPP application of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 Installation status (for example, whether or not an application that uses DSRC-PPP communication is installed in the in-vehicle information terminal 3) and the usage status of the DSRC-PPP communication application (stopped, being used, temporarily stopped, unavailable, etc.) ) Or availability of DSRC-PPP communication (for example, whether or not the in-vehicle information terminal 3 has a communication function for realizing the DSRC-PPP communication (for example, whether the in-vehicle information terminal 3 has a DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304 described later) And the operation state of the communication function that realizes the DSRC-PPP communication (for example, the DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304 is not using the DSRC-PPP communication process, is using it, is temporarily stopped using it) In-vehicle information terminal state information for acquiring in-vehicle information terminal state information indicating Obtaining unit 205 (in-vehicle information terminal state information acquisition means), in-vehicle information terminal state information storage unit 206 for accumulating the acquired in-vehicle information terminal state information, second communication characteristic information acquired from in-vehicle information terminal 3 and in-vehicle information terminal Relay communication mode control unit that controls switching of the relay communication mode (IP communication disabled / enabled, non-IP / IP communication) as to whether or not Internet communication with the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is enabled based on the status information DSRC via the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 based on 207 (relay communication mode control means), the second communication characteristic information of the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3, and the in-vehicle information terminal state information of the in-vehicle information terminal 3. Connects the roadside server 5 (external) to the DSRC-PPP communication, and the DSRC-PPP communication data, which is data by the DSRC-PPP communication, is connected to the vehicle information terminal. A DSRC-PPP communication connection / relay processing unit 209 (DSRC-PPP communication connection / relay means) that relays to the terminal 3;

  The in-vehicle information terminal 3 can select and use a communication medium including the DSRC roadside server 5 and the DSRC-PPP communication via the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 and the information relay device 2. The second communication that outputs the second communication characteristic information of the communication (second communication) performed between the communication control unit 301 that controls communication (first communication) between the two and the roadside server 6 to the information relay device 2 The in-vehicle information terminal state information output unit 303 (in-vehicle information) that outputs the in-vehicle information terminal state information indicating the state of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 including the characteristic information output unit 302 and the DSRC-PPP communication availability state to the information relay device 2 Terminal status information output means), DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304 that performs DSRC-PPP communication processing, and a narrow area such as a wireless LAN or Bluetooth (registered trademark) A narrow-area wireless communication processing unit 305 that performs line communication processing, a wide-area wireless communication processing unit 306 that performs wide-area wireless communication processing such as 3G or 4G communication, and communication used for Internet communication according to the connection state of communication media A communication media selection unit 307 that selects media, an Internet communication processing unit 308 (a function that realizes HTTP communication for browsing the Internet, etc.) that performs processing of reproducing content acquired through Internet communication such as a WEB browser, and DSRC-PPP A DSRC-PPP application 309 that uses communication and other applications 310 are provided.

  The DSRC roadside server 5 provided as a roadside system functions as a server that performs PPP communication connection via DSRC communication, and is an apparatus (for example, the information relay apparatus 2) that is connected to the DSRC roadside server 5 by PPP communication. Shall be able to communicate with the Internet.

  Next, an operation when using Internet communication using the DSRC in-vehicle device 1, the information relay device 2, and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 will be described. Hereinafter, Internet communication (PPP communication) via DSRC communication is also referred to as DSRC-PPP communication.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a DSRC-PPP communication connection process in the vehicle side system according to the first embodiment.

  As a premise of the connection process of the DSRC-PPP communication shown in FIG. 3, in the in-vehicle information terminal 3, the second communication characteristic information output unit 302 is a wireless communication medium (for example, wireless LAN or 3G) currently used for Internet communication. ) Is output to the information relay device 2 as the second communication characteristic information. Also, the in-vehicle information terminal state information output unit 303 is in a state where the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is used for the DSRC-PPP communication (whether the DSRC-PPP application is installed and whether the DSRC-PPP application is available). ), And the DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304 that performs DSRC-PPP communication processing (such as not being used, being used, temporarily stopped, or unavailable) as the in-vehicle information terminal state information as the information relay device 2 is notified (output). In the information relay device 2, the second communication characteristic information output from the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is acquired by the second communication characteristic information acquisition unit 203, and the in-vehicle information terminal state information is acquired by the in-vehicle information terminal state information acquisition unit 205. To do.

  The in-vehicle information terminal state information output unit 303 can acquire the usage state of the DSRC-PPP application 309 on the in-vehicle information terminal 3 and the operation state of the DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304, and the DSRC-PPP application It is assumed that 309 has a function of outputting the use state and the DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304 has a function of outputting the operation state. When the DSRC-PPP application 309 or the DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304 is not installed in the in-vehicle information terminal 3 (when the usage state or the operation state cannot be acquired from the DSRC-PPP application 309 or the DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304) The in-vehicle information terminal state information output unit 303 may be treated as “unusable” by the DSRC-PPP application 309 or the DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304.

  As a method for obtaining the use state of the DSRC-PPP application 309 on the in-vehicle information terminal 3 and the operation state of the DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304 in the in-vehicle information terminal state information output unit 303 described above, for example, the OS of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 (Operation System) and an API (Application Program Interface) provided by SDK (Software Development Kit).

  Also, since the DSRC-PPP application 309 and the DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304 have an interface, the use status of the DSRC-PPP application 309 and the operation status of the DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304 are output as in-vehicle information terminal status information. It may be notified to the unit 303.

  The timing at which the second communication characteristic information and the in-vehicle information terminal state information are output from the in-vehicle information terminal 3 to the information relay device 2 is the time when the content of the second communication characteristic information in the in-vehicle information terminal 3 changes (for example, The in-vehicle information terminal at the time when the communication medium used for Internet communication is switched or when the usage state of the DSRC-PPP communication is changed (for example, when the DSRC-PPP application 309 is changed from being used to being stopped). However, the information relay device 2 may inquire the in-vehicle information terminal 3 about the second communication characteristic information and the in-vehicle information terminal state information at an arbitrary timing.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 completes the DSRC communication connection with the DSRC roadside device 4 (step S301).

  After step S301, the second communication characteristic information output unit 102 of the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 includes information indicating disconnection or connection of the DSRC communication with the DSRC roadside device 4, and the DSRC roadside device 4 performs the DSRC-PPP communication. Is output to the information relay apparatus 2 as second communication characteristic information (step S302).

  In addition, the DSRC communication connection process is performed between the DSRC in-vehicle apparatus 1 and the DSRC roadside apparatus 4 according to the process described in the above non-patent document, for example.

  In the DSRC communication connection, the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 determines whether the DSRC-PPP communication can be used. For example, the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 is notified from the DSRC roadside device 4 when the DSRC communication connection is established. It is determined whether or not ppControl is stored in the ASL-NCP information (accessControl) of the ASL base station profile (LoadSideProfile) in Document 1, and if it is stored, the information relay device 2 can use DSRC-PPP communication. If the stored information is not stored, the information indicating that the DSRC-PPP communication cannot be used is output to the information relay apparatus 2.

  The information indicating the disconnection or connection of the DSRC communication and the information indicating whether or not the DSRC roadside device 4 can use the DSRC-PPP communication can be transmitted to the information relay device 2 as long as the content can be notified to the information relay device 2. It doesn't matter how.

  If the information relay device 2 is not notified of the information indicating that the DSRC-PPP communication can be used, a predetermined rule may be determined in advance as “DSRC-PPP communication cannot be used”. The communication characteristic information output unit 102 does not need to output information indicating that the DSRC-PPP communication cannot be used.

  After step S302, the information relay apparatus 2 uses the second communication characteristic information acquisition unit 203 to acquire the contents of the second communication characteristic information acquired from the DSRC in-vehicle apparatus 1 and the contents of the second communication characteristic information of the in-vehicle information terminal 3. Then, the content of the in-vehicle communication terminal state information of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 acquired by the in-vehicle information terminal state information acquisition unit 205 is confirmed, and “DSRC connection complete” and “DSRC roadside device 4 is available for DSRC-PPP communication” In addition, it is determined whether or not “the in-vehicle information terminal 3 can use DSRC-PPP communication” (step S303).

  If it is determined in step S303 that “DSRC connection is complete”, “DSRC roadside device 4 can use DSRC-PPP communication”, and “vehicle-mounted information terminal 3 can use DSRC-PPP communication”, The DSRC-PPP communication connection / relay processing unit 209 of the relay device 2 starts DSRC-PPP communication with the DSRC roadside server 5 (step S304).

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S303 that “DSRC connection is complete”, “DSRC roadside apparatus 4 is available for DSRC-PPP communication”, and “vehicle-mounted information terminal 3 is not available for DSRC-PPP communication” The information relay device 2 does not start the DSRC-PPP communication with the DSRC roadside server 5, and ends the connection process of the DSRC-PPP communication (step S305).

  Here, “DSRC connection completion” and “DSRC roadside device 4 can use DSRC-PPP communication” means, for example, that the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 and the DSRC roadside device 4 are in accordance with the processing described in the above-mentioned non-patent document. When the DSRC communication connection process is completed, PPPCPP (Point to Point Protocol Control Protocol) is notified to the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 as an NCP (Network Control Protocol) supported by the DSRC roadside device 4 at the time of the DSRC communication connection. It is a state of being.

  In step S303, the case where “the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is available for DSRC-PPP communication” means that the in-vehicle information terminal 3 has activated the DSRC-PPP application 309 and is available (for example, A state in which the DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304 can be used or used in the in-vehicle information terminal 3).

  After step S304, the DSRC-PPP communication connection / relay processing unit 209 of the information relay apparatus 2 completes the DSRC-PPP communication connection (step S306).

  After step S306, when the communication medium used for the Internet communication in the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is not the DSRC-PPP communication, the relay communication mode control unit 207 of the information relay device 2 communicates with the in-vehicle information terminal 3. A communication environment enabling internet communication is constructed (step S307). That is, when the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is in a state where the DSRC-PPP communication can be used, the relay communication mode control unit 207 performs communication between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 illustrated in FIG. A communication environment is constructed so as to change from “non-IP communication” to “IP communication” (control to change the relay communication mode). When a communication environment that enables Internet communication between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is established, the communication media selection unit 307 of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 selects DSRC-PPP communication as the Internet communication path.

  Here, the above-mentioned “construction of communication environment” assigns an IP address so that communication between the in-vehicle information terminal 3 and the information relay device 2 is preferentially used for Internet communication. For example, when the in-vehicle information terminal 3 does not use the Internet by DSRC communication, an IP address (for example, a class B address) that cannot be routed between the in-vehicle information terminal 3 and the information relay device 2 is assigned, or The in-vehicle information terminal 3 is not notified or set of the gateway address necessary for Internet connection. When using the Internet, a class C IP address capable of routing is assigned. As for the above allocation method, DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) or the like may be used. However, when a wireless LAN or the like is used, use of class B and class C is registered in the in-vehicle information terminal 3 in advance. The SSID (Service Set Identifier) may be registered, and the information relay apparatus 2 may switch the SSID.

  From the above, the information relay device 2 according to the first embodiment can use the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 to connect / disconnect information about the DSRC communication and use the DSRC-PPP communication via the DSRC communication. The second communication characteristic information including the above information and the second communication characteristic information including information on the wireless communication medium currently used for Internet communication from the in-vehicle information terminal 3 are obtained by the second communication characteristic information acquisition unit 203. In-vehicle information terminal state information acquisition unit 205 acquires in-vehicle communication terminal state information including information on whether or not the in-vehicle information terminal 3 can use DSRC-PPP communication. Based on these information, The DSRC in-vehicle device 1 is in a state in which DSRC-PPP communication with the DSRC roadside device 4 is possible, and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 has activated the DSRC-PPP application 309. Or, only in the case you start, because relaying DSRC-PPP communication data to the in-vehicle information terminal 3, vehicle information terminal 3 can utilize the DSRC-PPP communication as an Internet communication channel.

  Therefore, when the in-vehicle information terminal 3 does not start the DSRC-PPP application 309 or the DSRC-PPP application 309 is not installed, the Internet communication path of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is changed to DSRC-PPP communication. Therefore, the operation of other applications 310 that use communication media other than DSRC-PPP communication for Internet communication is not hindered.

  That is, in the in-vehicle information terminal 3 (for example, a smartphone or the like) in which a plurality of applications are installed in one terminal, the user selects an application, and the user directly uses one application at a time, the DSRC-PPP Since the communication media between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 can be used for Internet communication only when the application 309 is activated, it is assumed that 3G or WiMax communication other than DSRC-PPP communication is used. When another application 310 such as a WEB browser is started up, the DSRC-PPP communication is not used for Internet communication.

  On the other hand, when the DSRC-PPP communication connection to the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is not performed as in the first embodiment, for example, the in-vehicle information terminal brought into the vehicle does not use the above-described DSRC-PPP communication function. However, since the information relay device makes the DSRC-PPP communication available to the in-vehicle information terminal 3, the in-vehicle information terminal 3 uses the Internet for other functions such as a WEB browser to be originally used such as 3G and wireless LAN. Communication becomes unavailable.

  3, the information relay device 2 starts the DSRC-PPP communication connection process with respect to the DSRC roadside server 5 only when the DSRC-PPP communication can be used in the in-vehicle information terminal 3.

  As an example of the operation of the road-to-vehicle communication system, the DSRC roadside server 5 determines that the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 that has completed the connection of the DSRC-PPP communication can be connected to the Internet via the DSRC-PPP communication. A URI for accessing a specific WEB site of the DSRC roadside server 5 from the roadside server 5 may be distributed to the DSRC in-vehicle device 1.

  According to the first embodiment, when this URI is received by the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 and notified to the in-vehicle information terminal 3 via the information relay device 2, the in-vehicle information terminal 3 performs DSRC-PPP communication. Since the application to be used (for example, a dedicated browser) is activated, the in-vehicle information terminal 3 has an effect of allowing immediate access to the WEB site indicated by the notified URI.

<Embodiment 2>
In the first embodiment, when the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 is “DSRC connection complete” and “DSRC-PPP communication is available”, and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is “DSRC-PPP communication is available”. The DSRC-PPP communication connection / relay processing unit 209 of the information relay apparatus 2 has started DSRC-PPP communication with the DSRC roadside server 5 (see step S208 in FIG. 3).

  On the other hand, in the second embodiment, when the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 is “DSRC connection completed” and “DSRC-PPP communication is available”, the DSRC-PPP communication connection / relay processing unit 209 of the information relay device 2. Is characterized by starting DSRC-PPP communication with the DSRC roadside server 5. In this case, after the DSRC-PPP communication connection is completed with the DSRC roadside server 5, the information relay device 2 is switched to the state shown in FIG. 3 when the in-vehicle information terminal 3 becomes “DSRC-PPP communication is available”. The same processing as step S307 is performed, and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 can use the Internet communication via the DSRC-PPP communication.

  From the above, for example, when the in-vehicle information terminal 3 activates the DSRC-PPP application 309, the DSRC-PPP connection time T1 required for the DSRC-PPP communication connection performed between the DSRC roadside server 5 and the information relay device 2 Assuming that the communication environment construction time T2 required for the information relay device 2 to construct a communication environment in which the in-vehicle information terminal 3 can use the Internet communication via the DSRC-PPP communication is used in the first embodiment, in-vehicle information The time from when the terminal 3 starts the DSRC-PPP application 309 to when the DSRC-PPP communication becomes available is T1 + T2 hours, but in the second embodiment, only T2 time is required. DSRC-P for users who use information terminal 3 in a shorter time than in the first embodiment It is possible to provide a capable communication environment utilizing P communication.

  That is, in the second embodiment, for example, when the user launches (starts up) the DSRC-PPP application 309 on the in-vehicle information terminal 3, “Please wait for a while since communication is being established.” When the message is displayed until DSRC-PPP communication is available, the display time of the predetermined message can be made shorter than that of the first embodiment.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, after the DSRC-PPP communication connection with the information relay apparatus 2 is completed, the DSRC roadside server 5 accesses the specific WEB site of the DSRC roadside server 5. By distributing the URI to the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 and notifying the in-vehicle information terminal 3 via the information relay device 2, the in-vehicle information terminal 3 accesses the WEB site indicated by the URI. It was.

  However, in the second embodiment, when the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is not ready to access the WEB site (a specific WEB site of the DSRC roadside server 5) (for example, a dedicated browser or application is not activated). Alternatively, even if the function of accessing the WEB site is not provided, the DSRC-PPP communication connection is performed from the information relay apparatus 2 to the DSRC roadside server 5. As a result, even if the in-vehicle information terminal 3 cannot access the WEB site, the DSRC roadside server 5 distributes the URI of the WEB site to the DSRC in-vehicle device 1, so that the information relay device 2 is connected to the DSRC in-vehicle device. Even if the URI received at 1 is transferred (relayed) to the in-vehicle information terminal 3, the in-vehicle information terminal 3 may not be able to access the WEB site indicated by the URI.

  In order to solve the above problem, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the information relay device 2 acquires the relay communication mode selected by the relay communication mode control unit 207 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3. Based on the in-vehicle information terminal status information, the relay data output control unit 208 (for controlling whether to extract the DSRC-PPP communication data stored in the relay communication data storage unit 202 and output it to the in-vehicle information terminal 3) Relay data output control means). Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted here.

  Here, the “relay communication mode” indicates whether the communication between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is “Internet communication is possible or not”. The switching of the communication mode is performed by the relay communication mode control unit 207. Note that the specific relay communication mode switching method in the relay communication mode control unit 207 is the same as in the first embodiment.

  Next, specific processing of the information relay apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  The DSRC-PPP communication connection / relay processing unit 209 of the information relay device 2 communicates with the DSRC roadside server 5 when the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 is “DSRC connection completed” and “DSRC-PPP communication is available”. The DSRC-PPP communication connection process is performed. When the DSRC-PPP communication connection is completed between the information relay apparatus 2 and the DSRC roadside server 5, the URI of the specific WEB site of the DSRC roadside server 5 is notified from the DSRC roadside server 5 to the information relay apparatus 2. . At this time, when the relay communication mode is impossible for the Internet communication or when the in-vehicle information terminal 3 cannot use the DSRC-PPP communication, the URI notified from the DSRC roadside server 5 is the relay data output. The control unit 208 temporarily stores the relay communication data storage unit 202 so that the URI is not output to the in-vehicle information terminal 3.

  Thereafter, the relay data output control unit 208 switches the relay communication mode to the relay communication data storage unit 202 when the relay communication mode is switched to enable Internet communication or when the in-vehicle information terminal 3 can use the DSRC-PPP communication. The stored URI (DSRC-PPP communication data) is searched, and if there is a stored URI, the URI is output to the in-vehicle information terminal 3.

  The URI temporarily stored in the relay communication data storage unit 202 is received by the second communication characteristic information acquisition unit 203 of the information relay device 2 from the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 (the received URI is the DSRC communication). Is valid only during connection) or from the time when the URI is stored in the relay communication data storage unit 202 until the predetermined time elapses. That is, the DSRC-PPP communication data (for example, the above-described URI) stored in the relay communication data storage unit 202 receives a DSRC communication disconnection notification from the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 or relays the DSRC-PPP communication data. When a predetermined time elapses from the time when the data is stored in the communication data storage unit 202, the data becomes invalid. The invalidated DSRC-PPP communication data may be deleted from the relay communication data storage unit 202.

  From the above, when the in-vehicle information terminal 3 cannot use the DSRC-PPP communication, the DSRC roadside server 5 has requested access to a predetermined URI via the DSRC-PPP communication. In addition, the information relay device 2 can notify the in-vehicle information terminal 3 of the URI when the in-vehicle information terminal 3 can use the Internet communication via the DSRC-PPP communication.

  In the above description, it is assumed that the relay communication data storage unit 202 and the relay data output control unit 208 are provided in the information relay device 2. However, the relay communication data storage unit 202 and the relay data output control unit 208 are connected to the in-vehicle information terminal. Even if the same processing as described above is performed in preparation for 3, the same effect as described above is obtained. At that time, the validity period of the URI temporarily stored in the relay communication data storage unit 202 is handled in the same manner as described above, and information notified from the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 to the information relay device 2 (such as information on disconnection of DSRC communication). Is notified as the same information to the communication control unit 301 of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 via the relay communication control unit 201 of the information relay device 2.

<Embodiment 3>
In the first and second embodiments, when the user starts the DSRC-PPP application 309 at an arbitrary timing on the in-vehicle information terminal 3, the user connects to the WEB site indicated by the URI distributed from the DSRC roadside server 5. However, in such a case, the user needs to confirm whether or not the in-vehicle information terminal 3 exists in an environment where the DSRC-PPP communication can be used.

  In the third embodiment, when the in-vehicle information terminal 3 exists in an environment where the DSRC-PPP communication can be used, it is possible for the user (the DSRC-PPP communication can be used). ) Will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the vehicle side system according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, when the in-vehicle information terminal 3 according to the third embodiment is notified of the URI from the information relay device 2 (when DSRC-PPP communication with the DSRC roadside server 5 is possible), the DSRC-PPP When the application 309 is installed in the in-vehicle information terminal 3 and the function is not activated, the DSRC- notifies the user that the DSRC-PPP communication function is started (DSRC-PPP communication can be started). When the in-vehicle information terminal 3 starts the DSRC-PPP communication with the PPP communication start notifying unit 311 (DSRC-PPP communication start notifying unit), the in-vehicle information terminal 3 controls the DSRC-PPP to the relay communication mode control unit 207 of the information relay device 2. Relay communication mode that requires construction of a communication environment (change of relay communication mode) that enables communication as Internet communication Change request unit 312 is characterized in that it comprises a (relay communication mode change request means). Since other configurations are the same as those of the first and second embodiments, description thereof is omitted here.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of display on the in-vehicle information terminal 3 according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the in-vehicle information terminal 3 includes a display screen 350, and an application list 351 that can be used by the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is displayed on the display screen 350. When the URI is notified from the information relay device 2, the DSRC-PPP communication start notification unit 311 is installed with the application for starting the DSRC-PPP communication installed in the in-vehicle information terminal 3 and the function is not activated. The DSRC-PPP communication function start notification 352 is displayed on the display screen 350.

  In the DSRC-PPP communication function start notification 352, the name of the application to be activated and the restrictions that occur when using DSRC-PPP communication for Internet communication at the time of activation are displayed, and confirmation of the activation of the function with the user is performed. And

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing DSRC-PPP communication connection processing in the vehicle side system according to the third embodiment. Hereinafter, a procedure until the user of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 uses the DSRC-PPP communication based on the information notified from the DSRC-PPP communication start notification unit 311 will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the third embodiment, regardless of the first and second embodiments, when the URI of the WEB site accessed via the DSRC-PPP communication is notified from the information relay apparatus 2 to the in-vehicle information terminal 3. The processing corresponding to the case where the in-vehicle information terminal 3 has not activated the DSRC-PPP application 309 or is sleeping (temporarily stopped) will be described.

  First, the URI distributed from the DSRC roadside server 5 is notified from the information relay device 2 to the in-vehicle information terminal 3 (step S701).

  After step S701, the DSRC-PPP communication start notifying unit 311 of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is in the DSRC-PPP communication when the DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304 is not activated (including the pause state (sleep state)). A function start notification 352 (see FIG. 6) is displayed, and whether or not the DSRC-PPP communication is used (whether to start the DSRC-PPP communication) is confirmed with the user (step S702).

  In step S702, when the user selects to use DSRC-PPP communication (YES in step S702), the in-vehicle information terminal 3 activates the DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304, and performs Internet communication via DSRC-PPP communication. To start. The activation of the in-vehicle information terminal refers to activation of a dedicated browser (step S703).

  On the other hand, if the user has not selected to use the DSRC-PPP communication in Step S702 (NO in Step S702), the connection process of the DSRC-PPP communication is terminated (Step S704).

  After step S703, the communication media selection unit 307 of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 determines whether or not the communication medium between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is selected for Internet communication (the communication medium is used on the Internet). It is determined whether or not it is possible (step S705).

  In step S705, if the communication media between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is not selected for Internet communication in the communication media selection unit 307 of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 (the communication media cannot be used on the Internet). ), The relay communication mode change request unit 312 of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 changes the mode of the communication medium between the information relay apparatus 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 to the information relay apparatus 2 so that Internet communication is possible. The relay communication mode control unit 207 of the information relay device 2 changes the communication environment so that communication media between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 can be communicated with the Internet (step S706).

  On the other hand, when communication media between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is selected for Internet communication in the communication media selection unit 307 of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 in step S705 (communication media is used on the Internet). If possible, the in-vehicle information terminal 3 accesses the WEB site indicated by the URI notified from the information relay apparatus 2 in step S701 via the DSRC-PPP communication (step S707).

  From the above, in the third embodiment, when the user of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 does not use the DSRC-PPP communication, the user is notified of the available timing of the DSRC-PPP communication, When the user selects the use of DSRC-PPP communication, the communication medium between the in-vehicle information terminal 3 and the information relay device 2 is an Internet communication path. Further, when using the DSRC-PPP communication, the in-vehicle information terminal 3 clearly indicates to the user that the DSRC-PPP communication is used as a main Internet communication line.

  From the above, in the in-vehicle information terminal 3 that supports a plurality of communication media and uses any one of the communication media for Internet communication, the DSRC-PPP communication is performed only when the user uses the DSRC-PPP communication. By making the in-vehicle information terminal 3 usable as Internet communication, for example, the user of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 uses DSRC-PPP communication as an Internet communication line even though the user does not intend to use DSRC-PPP communication. Nothing will happen.

  In addition, when using DSRC-PPP communication, the user uses DSRC-PPP communication while using DSRC-PPP communication by indicating the correct usage method to the user, such as clearly indicating that other communication media cannot be used as Internet communication. Even if the WEB browser is activated, it is not connected to the Internet, and there is an effect of preventing the user from using it incorrectly.

<Embodiment 4>
In the fourth embodiment, disconnection of DSRC-PPP communication in the in-vehicle information terminal 3 will be described. Here, “disconnection of DSRC-PPP communication” means that the DSRC-PPP communication between the information relay device 2 and the DSRC roadside server 5 is disconnected by the DSRC-PPP communication connection / relay processing unit 209 of the information relay device 2. To do. In the fourth embodiment, the disconnection of the DSRC-PPP communication when the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 notifies the information relay device 2 that the DSRC communication is disconnected will be described.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle side system according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the in-vehicle information terminal 3 according to the fourth embodiment includes a DSRC-PPP communication disconnection / reconnection processing unit 313 (DSRC-PPP communication disconnection processing means) that performs a DSRC-PPP communication disconnection process. It is characterized by that.

  In the fourth embodiment, the case where the in-vehicle information terminal 3 according to the third embodiment is additionally provided with a DSRC-PPP communication disconnection / reconnection processing unit 313 is illustrated. Even if the DSRC-PPP communication disconnection / reconnection processing unit 313 is added to the in-vehicle information terminal 3, the same effect can be obtained. Therefore, the application of the fourth embodiment to the third embodiment is not limited. .

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a DSRC-PPP communication disconnection process in the vehicle side system according to the fourth embodiment.

  First, from DSRC in-vehicle device 1, there is information indicating either “disconnection of DSRC communication between DSRC in-vehicle device 1 and DSRC roadside device 4” or “DSRC-PPP disconnection request from DSRC roadside server 5”. The information relay apparatus 2 is notified (step S901).

  After step S901, the relay communication control unit 201 of the information relay apparatus 2 transfers the information notified in step S901 to the in-vehicle information terminal 3 (step S902). When the DSRC-PPP communication disconnection / reconnection processing unit 313 of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 receives the DSRC-PPP communication disconnection notification from the information relay device 2, the DSRC-PPP communication disconnection unit 304 stops (for example, closes the WEB browser). ).

  After step S902, the DSRC-PPP communication connection / relay processing unit 209 of the information relay apparatus 2 disconnects the DSRC-PPP communication connection between the information relay apparatus 2 and the DSRC roadside server 5 (step S903). That is, the DSRC-PPP communication disconnection / reconnection processing unit 313 performs the DSRC-PPP communication disconnection process when the DSRC-PPP communication with the DSRC roadside server 5 becomes impossible.

  After step S903, the relay communication mode control unit 207 of the information relay device 2 disables the use of Internet communication of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 as a communication medium between the in-vehicle information terminal 3 and the information relay device 2 (step S904). .

  From the above, in the fourth embodiment, the in-vehicle information terminal 3 includes the DSRC-PPP communication disconnection / reconnection processing unit 313, and the DSRC-PPP communication with the DSRC roadside server 5 becomes impossible. Since the PPP communication disconnection / reconnection processing unit 313 performs the DSRC-PPP communication disconnection process, the user of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 can know the timing when the DSRC-PPP communication cannot be used. When other communication media can be used for Internet communication, it becomes possible to quickly use other communication media as Internet communication.

<Embodiment 5>
In the fifth embodiment, a method for stopping / resuming the use of DSRC-PPP communication in the in-vehicle information terminal 3 will be described. Here, “use / resumption of DSRC-PPP communication use” means a function (DSRC-PPP communication processing) for using the DSRC-PPP communication in the in-vehicle information terminal 3 regardless of the connection / disconnection state of the DSRC-PPP communication. A case where the unit 304) is stopped and a case where the use of the stopped function is started again. The vehicle-side system configuration according to the fifth embodiment is the same as that of the fourth embodiment, but can be applied to any of the other first to third embodiments.

  Next, a process when the use of DSRC-PPP communication between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is stopped (DSRC-PPP communication is disconnected) will be described.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a DSRC-PPP communication stop process in the vehicle side system according to the fifth embodiment.

  First, the DSRC-PPP communication function of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is stopped (step S1001). That is, the DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304 is stopped. At this time, the DSRC-PPP communication disconnection / reconnection processing unit 313 (DSRC-PPP communication disconnection processing means) performs a DSRC-PPP communication disconnection process.

  After step S1001, it is confirmed whether the communication medium between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is used for Internet communication (step S1002).

  In step S1002, when the communication medium between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is used for Internet communication (that is, when the communication medium selection unit 307 selects a communication medium that can be used for the Internet, In step S1002, YES, the relay communication mode change request unit 312 of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 communicates with the relay communication mode control unit 207 of the information relay device 2 between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3. Is requested to change the relay communication mode so that the vehicle-mounted information terminal 3 is not used for Internet communication (so that Internet communication is impossible) (step S1003).

  After step S1003, the relay communication mode control unit 207 of the information relay apparatus 2 that has received the request for the change cannot use Internet communication when the communication medium between the information relay apparatus 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is the in-vehicle information terminal 3. (Step S1004).

  If the communication medium between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is not used for Internet communication in step S1002 (NO in step S1002), the DSRC-PPP communication stop process is terminated (step S1005).

  Next, processing when resuming use of DSRC-PPP communication between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 will be described.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a DSRC-PPP communication restart process in the vehicle side system according to the fifth embodiment.

  First, the function which implement | achieves the DSRC-PPP communication process of the vehicle-mounted information terminal 3 is started (step S1101). That is, the DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304 is activated. At this time, the DSRC-PPP communication disconnection / reconnection processing unit 313 (DSRC-PPP communication connection processing means) performs DSRC-PPP communication connection processing.

  After step S1101, it is confirmed whether the communication medium between the information relay apparatus 2 and the vehicle-mounted information terminal 3 is not used for Internet communication (step S1102).

  In step S1102, when the communication medium between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is not used for Internet communication (YES in step S1102), the relay communication mode change request unit 312 of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 For the DSRC-PPP communication connection / relay processing unit 209 of the relay apparatus 2, the communication medium between the information relay apparatus 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 can be used by the in-vehicle information terminal 3 (Internet communication). Request to change the relay communication mode (step S1103).

  On the other hand, when the communication medium between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is used for Internet communication in step S1102 (NO in step S1102), the process proceeds to step S1104.

  After step S1103 or step S1102 (when NO is selected), the DSRC communication between the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 and the DSRC roadside device 4 is connected, and the DSRC roadside server 5 corresponds to the DSRC-PPP communication. It is confirmed whether or not (step S1104). It is assumed that the information relay device 2 acquires the second communication characteristic information and recognizes the information in advance.

  In step S1104, when DSRC communication is connected between the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 and the DSRC roadside device 4, and the DSRC roadside server 5 does not support DSRC-PPP communication (NO in step S1104), the information relay device 2, the relay communication mode control unit 207 makes the communication medium between the in-vehicle information terminal 3 and the information relay device 2 unusable for Internet communication of the in-vehicle information communication terminal 3 and the reason (for example, “error information: DSRC communication disconnection”). Error message such as “/ road server not compatible with DSRC-PPP communication”) to the in-vehicle information terminal 3, and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 displays the notified error message on a display screen 350 (notification as shown in FIG. 6). And the DSRC-PPP communication processing unit 304 is stopped (step S). 105). That is, the display screen 350 (notification means) of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 notifies that when the use of the DSRC-PPP communication cannot be started.

  On the other hand, when the DSRC communication is connected between the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 and the DSRC roadside device 4 in step S1104 and the DSRC roadside server 5 supports DSRC-PPP communication (YES in step S1104), the information The DSRC-PPP communication connection / relay processing unit 209 of the relay device 2 confirms whether the DSRC-PPP communication connection with the DSRC roadside server 5 is completed (step S1106).

  In step S1106, when the DSRC-PPP communication connection between the information relay apparatus 2 and the DSRC roadside server 5 is not completed (NO in step S1106), the information relay apparatus 2 connects the DSRC-PPP communication connection to the DSRC roadside server. 5, and after the connection is completed, the relay communication mode control unit 207 of the information relay device 2 uses communication media between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 for Internet communication in the in-vehicle information terminal 3. The process proceeds to step S1108 (step S1107).

  When the DSRC-PPP communication connection between the information relay device 2 and the DSRC roadside server 5 is completed in step S1106 (when YES is selected) or after step S1107, the communication media selection of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is selected. When the communication medium between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is selected to be used for Internet communication, the unit 307 selects the Internet communication processing unit 308 (function for realizing HTTP communication for browsing the Internet). It starts and starts Internet communication via DSRC-PPP communication (step S1108).

  From the above, when the in-vehicle information terminal 3 does not use the DSRC-PPP communication, communication between the information relay device 2 and the in-vehicle information terminal 3 is prevented from being used for Internet communication by the in-vehicle information terminal 3, and the in-vehicle information By changing so that the terminal 3 is used for Internet communication only when the DSRC-PPP communication is used, for example, in the in-vehicle information terminal 3, the DSRC-PPP application A is once terminated and other than the DSRC-PPP communication When the application B that uses the Internet communication is started, the Internet communication connection using the application B can be normally performed. On the other hand, even when the application B is started (disconnected) and the application A is started, it is possible to use the Internet communication via the DSRC-PPP communication using the application A.

  In addition, when the DSRC-PPP communication is not available in the in-vehicle information terminal 3, such as when the DSRC communication is not connected between the DSRC in-vehicle device 1 and the DSRC roadside device 4, the in-vehicle information terminal 3 By notifying that fact, the user of the in-vehicle information terminal 3 can recognize that the DSRC-PPP communication cannot be used, and the application A cannot be used by repeatedly starting up the application A described above several times. There is an effect that it is not necessary to confirm this.

  It should be noted that the present invention can be freely combined with each other within the scope of the invention, and each embodiment can be appropriately modified or omitted.

  1 DSRC in-vehicle device, 2 information relay device, 3 in-vehicle information terminal, 4 DSRC roadside device, 5 DSRC roadside server, 6 roadside server, 101 communication control unit, 102 second communication characteristic information output unit, 103 DSRC communication processing unit, 201 Relay communication control unit 202 Relay communication data storage unit 203 Second communication characteristic information acquisition unit 204 Second communication characteristic information storage unit 205 In-vehicle information terminal state information acquisition unit 206 In-vehicle information terminal state information storage unit 207 Relay Communication mode control unit, 208 Relay data output control unit, 209 DSRC-PPP communication connection / relay processing unit, 301 Communication control unit, 302 Second communication characteristic information output unit, 303 In-vehicle information terminal state information output unit, 304 DSRC-PPP Communication processing unit, 305 Narrow wireless communication processing unit, 306 Wide area wireless communication processing unit, 307 Communication media selection unit, 308 Internet communication processing unit, 309 DSRC-PPP application, 310 Other application, 311 DSRC-PPP communication start notification unit, 312 Relay communication mode change request unit, 313 DSRC-PPP communication disconnection / reconnection processing unit , 350 display screen, 351 application list, 352 DSRC-PPP communication function start notification.

Claims (13)

An information relay device that is installed in a vehicle and relays a DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication) in-vehicle device and an in-vehicle information terminal in a communicable manner,
Communication characteristic information acquisition means for acquiring communication characteristic information indicating communication characteristics between the outside and the DSRC in-vehicle device and the in-vehicle information terminal;
In-vehicle information terminal state information acquisition means for acquiring in-vehicle information terminal state information indicating the state of the in-vehicle information terminal including the availability state of use of DSRC-PPP (Point to Point Protocol) communication;
Based on the communication characteristic information of the DSRC in-vehicle device and the in-vehicle information terminal and the in-vehicle information terminal state information of the in-vehicle information terminal, the connection between the outside and the DSRC-PPP communication is established via the DSRC in-vehicle device. DSRC-PPP communication connection / relay means for relaying DSRC-PPP communication data, which is data by the DSRC-PPP communication, to the in-vehicle information terminal;
An information relay device.   The DSRC-PPP communication connection / relay means can use the DSRC-PPP communication when the DSRC in-vehicle device is connected to the outside with the DSRC communication, and the in-vehicle information terminal can perform the DSRC-PPP communication. When it is available, the DSRC-PPP communication is connected to the outside via the DSRC in-vehicle device, and DSRC-PPP communication data, which is data by the DSRC-PPP communication, is sent to the in-vehicle information terminal The information relay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information relay apparatus relays the information.   The DSRC-PPP communication connection / relay means connects the outside via the DSRC in-vehicle device when the DSRC in-vehicle device is connected to the outside through the DSRC communication and can use the DSRC-PPP communication. When connection of DSRC-PPP communication is performed, and after the connection, the in-vehicle information terminal becomes ready to use the DSRC-PPP communication, the DSRC-PPP communication data which is data by the DSRC-PPP communication is transmitted to the in-vehicle information terminal. The information relay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information relay apparatus relays to an information terminal. Relay communication for controlling switching of the relay communication mode whether or not to enable Internet communication with the in-vehicle information terminal based on the communication characteristic information and the in-vehicle information terminal state information acquired from the in-vehicle information terminal Further comprising mode control means,
The relay communication mode control unit is configured to enable the Internet communication with the vehicle information terminal when the vehicle information terminal is in a state where the DSRC-PPP communication is available. The information relay device according to claim 2, wherein the information relay device is controlled. Relay communication data storage means for storing the DSRC-PPP communication data received from the outside and relayed to the in-vehicle information terminal;
Relay data output control for controlling whether or not to output the DSRC-PPP communication data stored in the relay communication data storage means to the in-vehicle information terminal based on the relay communication mode and the in-vehicle information terminal state information Means,
Further comprising
The relay data output control means switches the relay communication data when the relay communication mode is switched to enable the Internet communication or when the in-vehicle information terminal is in a state where the DSRC-PPP communication can be used. 5. The information relay apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the DSRC-PPP communication data stored in the storage means is output to the in-vehicle information terminal.   The DSRC-PPP communication data stored in the relay communication data storage means receives the DSRC communication disconnection notification from the DSRC in-vehicle device, or the DSRC-PPP communication data is sent to the relay communication data storage means. 6. The information relay apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the information relay apparatus becomes invalid after a predetermined time has elapsed from the accumulated time. An in-vehicle information terminal installed in a vehicle and capable of selecting and using communication media including DSRC-PPP (Point to Point Protocol) communication with the outside via a DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication) in-vehicle device and an information relay device There,
An in-vehicle information terminal comprising in-vehicle information terminal state information output means for outputting in-vehicle information terminal state information indicating the state of the in-vehicle information terminal including the availability state of the DSRC-PPP communication to the information relay device. Relay communication data storage means for storing the DSRC-PPP communication data received from the outside;
Based on the relay communication mode for determining whether to enable Internet communication between the information relay device and the in-vehicle information terminal, which is controlled by the information relay device, and the in-vehicle information terminal state information, Relay data output control means for controlling whether to output the DSRC-PPP communication data stored in the relay communication data storage means for use in the in-vehicle information terminal;
Further comprising
The relay data output control means switches the relay communication data when the relay communication mode is switched to enable the Internet communication or when the in-vehicle information terminal is in a state where the DSRC-PPP communication can be used. The in-vehicle information terminal according to claim 7, wherein the in-vehicle information terminal outputs the DSRC-PPP communication data stored in the storage means for use in the in-vehicle information terminal. A DSRC-PPP communication start notification means for notifying a user that the DSRC-PPP communication can be started when the DSRC-PPP communication with the outside is possible;
Relay communication mode change requesting means for requesting the information relay device to change the relay communication mode so as to enable the Internet communication when starting the DSRC-PPP communication;
The in-vehicle information terminal according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising: DSRC-PPP communication disconnection processing means for disconnecting the DSRC-PPP communication is further provided,
10. The DSRC-PPP communication disconnection processing unit performs the DSRC-PPP communication disconnection process when the DSRC-PPP communication with the outside becomes impossible. The in-vehicle information terminal described in the above. The DSRC-PPP communication disconnection processing unit performs the DSRC-PPP communication disconnection process when the use of the DSRC-PPP communication is stopped.
11. The relay communication mode change requesting unit requests the information relay device to change the relay communication mode so that the Internet communication is not possible. In-vehicle information terminal. A DSRC-PPP communication connection processing means for performing a connection process of the DSRC-PPP communication;
The DSRC-PPP communication connection processing means performs connection processing of the DSRC-PPP communication when the use of the DSRC-PPP communication is started,
12. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 7, wherein the relay communication mode change requesting unit requests the information relay device to change the relay communication mode so as to enable the Internet communication. Information terminal.   The in-vehicle information terminal according to claim 12, further comprising notification means for notifying that the use of the DSRC-PPP communication cannot be started.

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