JP2024054211A - Device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a device and the like that make information regarding a vehicle state based on information to be output from originally provided electronic control units available from external instruments without connecting instruments other than a diagnostic machine to a diagnostic connector provided in an on-board LAN or K line.SOLUTION: In a vehicle provided with a communication system constituted by having an electronic control unit and a diagnostic connector to be connected by a diagnostic machine connected with respect to a signal communication path, in which an external instrument is directly or indirectly connected to the diagnostic connector to thereby capable of communicating with the electronic control unit, a device, which is connected to the communication system and the external instrument arranged in a vehicle interior, comprises: an external instrument side connection part that is connected to the external instrument; and a vehicle side connection part that is connected to the communication system. The external instrument side connection part is arranged in the vehicle interior, and the vehicle side connection part is connected to a part other than the diagnostic connector, and, in the communication system, enabling a signal necessary for an action of the external instrument to be obtained.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to, for example, an apparatus and a program.

For example, OBD (on-board diagnostics) systems have been widely used as fault diagnosis systems for automobiles.

In the OBD system, information on each part of the vehicle can be obtained by connecting an external device to the OBDII (the "II" in OBDII stands for the Roman numeral 2, and will be referred to as "OBD2" below) connector installed in the vehicle. In a vehicle repair shop, a diagnostic device can be connected to the OBD2 connector as an external device to obtain information on each part of the vehicle, and inspection and maintenance can be performed based on that information. The OBD2 connector is also called simply an OBD connector, or a DLC (data link connector). The OBD2 connector is connected to the signal line of the in-vehicle LAN and the signal line of the K line, and is configured to be able to output signals.

The in-vehicle LAN is connected to multiple ECUs (electronic control units) that are installed to control the vehicle. For example, a CAN (controller area network) is used as the in-vehicle LAN. The ECUs are also connected to the K line, for example, via P2P (peer to peer). The ECUs output information acquired from sensors installed in various parts of the vehicle to the in-vehicle LAN and the K line.

The OBD2 connector is a diagnostic connector that is usually used for vehicle inspection and maintenance in repair shops and the like, and nothing is connected to it when the user is driving. However, the OBD2 connector is often placed so that it is exposed from a position that is not directly visible from the driver's seat, such as at the feet of the driver's or passenger's seat, or on the right or left side of the center console. This is thought to be particularly intended to enable an automobile mechanic to connect a diagnostic device to the OBD2 connector and check the condition of the automobile by looking at the display of the diagnostic device while sitting in the driver's seat and operating the automobile's accelerator pedal and brake pedal, and also because automobile manufacturers do not expect the OBD2 connector to be used regularly by users.

This arrangement, which is accessible from within the vehicle cabin, combined with the usefulness of the information obtained, has led to a demand for using the OBD2 connector for purposes other than inspection and maintenance, and for using the information output from the OBD2 connector with external devices other than diagnostic machines. Patent Document 1 proposes a device that, by connecting to the OBD2 connector, makes the information output from the OBD2 connector available to multiple devices.

JP 2015-63164 A

However, for example, automobile manufacturers are beginning to give instructions not to connect external devices other than diagnostic devices to the OBD2 connector for reasons such as preventing trouble. Also, for example, if other external devices are connected to the OBD2 connector, when a user takes the car to a dealer for inspection or maintenance, the dealer's mechanic will have to remove the other external devices in order to use the diagnostic device, which reduces the efficiency of the inspection and maintenance work and creates unnecessary negotiations between the user and the dealer regarding the labor costs.

On the other hand, the information output from the OBD2 connector is very useful and diverse, covering engine status, fuel efficiency, vehicle speed, door opening and closing status, etc., so not using it would be a huge social loss. Furthermore, because the information output from the OBD2 connector can be used with a variety of external devices, there has been a demand from users for it to be made easier to attach and remove external devices.

Moreover, recently, the OBD2 connector has been switched to a specification where it is connected to the signal line of the in-vehicle LAN via a gateway ECU. As a result, only the minimum necessary data sent from the ECU inside the gateway ECU (on the vehicle side) flows through the OBD2 connector. This has caused problems with external devices that were usable under the previous specifications being unable to obtain the necessary information even when connected to the OBD2 connector and therefore cannot be used.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device or the like that does not require connecting an external device other than a diagnostic device to a diagnostic connector such as an OBD2 connector provided on an in-vehicle LAN or K-line, and that can make information about the vehicle's status available to an external device based on information output from an electronic control device such as an ECU that is originally provided for controlling the vehicle. The object of the present invention is to provide a device or the like that can open a diagnostic connector provided on an in-vehicle LAN or a communication cable in the vehicle for a diagnostic device, and that can make information about the vehicle's status available to an external device based on information output from an electronic control device such as the ECU.

Furthermore, it is expected that such problems will occur not only when the external device connection means is a diagnostic connector. For example, there is a case where connection of an external device that does not have a certain intended purpose is restricted to a connection means for an external device that has the same intended purpose.

In light of this, the object of the present invention is to provide a device or the like that does not connect an external device other than an external device having its original purpose to a connection means for an external device having its original purpose provided on, for example, an in-vehicle LAN or K-line, and that can make information about the vehicle's status based on information output from an electronic control device such as the ECU available from an external device. The object of the present invention is to provide a device or the like that opens a connection means for an external device having its original purpose provided on, for example, an in-vehicle LAN or an in-vehicle communication cable for the external device having its original purpose, for example, and can make information about the vehicle's status based on information output from an electronic control device such as the ECU available from an external device. The object of the present invention is not limited to this, and the object is to obtain the effects achieved from the parts of the configuration disclosed in this specification and drawings, etc. For example, the object of the present invention is disclosed in this specification in which the part described as "can be" in this specification is read as "is the problem". And it is also an object of the present invention to solve this problem. The applicant intends to include a part of the configuration described in this specification in the scope of the patent claim by amending or dividing the application.

(1) For example, a communication system in which an electronic control device that controls the vehicle and a diagnostic connector to which a diagnostic device that diagnoses the state of the vehicle are connected are connected to a communication path through which a signal containing information flows, and in a vehicle provided with a communication system that enables an external device to communicate with the electronic control device by directly or indirectly connecting the external device, the device may be a device connected to the communication system and a first external device arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the device comprising an external device side connection unit that is connected to the first external device and a vehicle side connection unit that is connected to the communication system, the external device side connection unit being arranged in the passenger compartment, and the vehicle side connection unit being connected to a location in the communication system other than the diagnostic connector where a signal necessary for the operation of the first external device can be obtained.

In this way, the user can leave the diagnostic connector open, for example, even when using the first external device. Also, the first external device can obtain the signals necessary for its operation and perform operations based on these signals.

On the other hand, when using a diagnostic device on a vehicle brought in by a user, the vehicle dealer will no longer need to disconnect external devices from the diagnostic connector, or reconnect the external devices to the diagnostic connector after inspecting and repairing the vehicle. In particular, while it is difficult for dealers to charge users for additional labor costs incurred during disconnection, etc., dealers will no longer need to charge users for additional labor costs, and this will prevent problems with users that may arise from such charges.

The device according to the present invention is used in a vehicle such as an automobile, and may serve as an interface between a communication system and a first external device, for example.

The "communication path through which a signal containing information flows" may be any communication path that is capable of transmitting a signal containing information. For example, it may be a single communication path, or multiple communication paths connected directly or indirectly. In the case of an indirect connection, for example, multiple communication paths may be connected via a member that relays the signal. The member that relays the signal may be a physical direct relay such as a connector, or may be a gateway that first receives a signal from one communication path, performs some kind of control, and then outputs it to another communication path. The "signal containing information" may be composed of packets, for example.

The "communication path" may be, for example, a one-to-one communication path. Furthermore, it may be, for example, a network to which multiple electronic control devices are connected, and in this way, information obtained from the multiple electronic control devices can be used in the diagnostic device and the first external device. In particular, if the electronic control device is an ECU for an automobile, the communication path may be, for example, an in-vehicle LAN such as a CAN or a K-line. The information flowing through the communication path may be, for example, information about the state of the vehicle based on information output from an electronic control device that controls the vehicle.

The "electronic control device that controls the vehicle" may be, for example, an electronic control device that moves the vehicle itself, such as by operating a motor or actuator provided in the vehicle, or it may be, for example, an electronic control device that does not perform such control, or that performs such control as well as acquiring information from a sensor or the like provided in the vehicle and controlling the output of information based on the acquired information to a communication path, such as an ECU.

The "diagnostic machine" may be, for example, a machine that diagnoses the condition of a vehicle based on information about the condition of each part of the vehicle collected by an electronic control device, and may in particular be a machine that is generally used for diagnosis. The diagnostic machine may also be, for example, a machine that performs diagnosis based on a signal transmitted from the electronic control device in response to a signal transmitted from a transmitter that is connected to a separate communication system and that only transmits diagnostic signals. The diagnostic machine may be, for example, a fault diagnosis machine. The same applies to the second external device in (5) described below.

The "diagnostic connector" may be, for example, a connector that can be used in common across many vehicles to diagnose the vehicle. It may also be a connector that can be connected by a diagnostic device for general diagnostic purposes at a repair shop in the city, rather than by the vehicle manufacturer. In particular, it may be, for example, an OBD2 connector. The electronic control device that controls the vehicle and the diagnostic connector may be connected via, for example, a communication path.

The "diagnostic connector" may be located, for example, inside the vehicle cabin, particularly at the feet of the driver or passenger seat or on the right or left side of the center console, and may be exposed in a position that is difficult or invisible to see directly from the driver's seat. In this way, a person using the diagnostic device can check the state of information flowing through the communication path while operating the diagnostic device connected to the diagnostic connector, or while viewing the display if the diagnostic device is equipped with a display unit.

An "external device" may be a device that only transmits signals, such as a signal transmission device, a device that only receives signals, or a device that transmits and receives signals. With regard to the connection between an external device and a communication system, "directly" may mean, for example, a connection without any other member between the communication system and the external device, and "indirectly" may mean, for example, a connection between the communication system and the external device via another member. The "member" may be, for example, a connector or another device.

"Communication" can be understood as a concept that includes, for example, either the transmission or reception of signals, or both.

The term "communication system" refers to any system capable of communication, and may consist of, for example, a communication path, an electronic control device, and a diagnostic connector, or may include other components such as a gateway ECU in addition to these. The communication system is preferably located inside the vehicle. The "interior of the vehicle" where the communication system is located may be, for example, a part that is not visible on the vehicle's exterior or inside the cabin, and in particular, may be a place that cannot be accessed without removing a part of the components that make up the vehicle. The part of the component that makes up the vehicle may be, for example, a part that separates the inside and outside of the cabin (a part that is not visible on the vehicle's exterior or inside the cabin), and may be the so-called instrument panel.

The "first external device" may be a device that only transmits signals, such as a signal transmission device, a device that only receives signals, or a device that transmits and receives signals. In addition, for example, it may be a device that has a function of outputting to a user information based on a signal obtained at a location in the communication system other than the diagnostic connector where a signal necessary for the operation of the first external device can be obtained. In particular, it may be a display device such as a display that can display information obtained at a part where the vehicle side connection part of the communication system is connected, or a radar detector or car navigation device that displays such information. Or it may be a simple security device that can issue an alarm based on information obtained at a part where the vehicle side connection part of the communication system is connected.

The "vehicle cabin" may be, for example, the living space of the vehicle's occupants. The vehicle cabin does not necessarily have to be a closed space, and may be, for example, an open space such as an open-top car without a roof, or may be, for example, a closed space such as a car with a roof.

The "external device side connection part" may be a part that is directly connected to the first external device by, for example, soldering, or may have a connection means such as a connector that fits with a connector provided on the first external device. Furthermore, it is preferable to use, for example, (2) described below. The connection part provided on the first external device that is connected to this "external device side connection part" may be a wiring that is connected to an internal component by, for example, soldering, or may be a connector provided at the end or midway of this wiring. This connector may be, for example, one that is drawn out from the housing by a wiring, and in particular, may be, for example, one that is disposed on the surface of the housing.

The "vehicle-side connection portion" may be something that is directly connected to the communication path by, for example, soldering, or may in particular be provided with, for example, a connection means. The connection means may be connectable to a connection means other than the diagnostic device connector provided in the communication system, and may be, for example, an electrotap, or may be, for example, a connector that fits into a connector provided in the communication system. The connector provided in the communication system may be an unused, free connector or a connector that is likely to be free. For example, it may be a connector to which equipment is connected only when the vehicle is manufactured and to which no equipment is connected after manufacture. It may also be, for example, an option connector to which optional equipment for the vehicle provided by a dealer is connected.

In addition, when connecting the "vehicle-side connection unit" to a communication system, for example, it is preferable to remove a part of the vehicle's components, and then reattach the part of the vehicle's components to the vehicle after connection. In this way, it is possible to prevent unnecessary problems, such as a user accidentally disconnecting the vehicle-side connection unit from the communication system.

In the device according to the present invention, the external device side connection section and the vehicle side connection section may be connected so that information signals can be transmitted, for example, by wireless communication using wireless communication members provided in the external device side connection section and the vehicle side connection section, but it is particularly preferable to connect the information signals so that they can be transmitted by a transmission line.

When connecting the external device side connection part and the vehicle side connection part with a transmission line, for example, the vehicle side connection part may be connected to a communication system with some of the components constituting the vehicle removed, and after the connection, the transmission line may transmit information about the vehicle's status between the vehicle side connection part and the first external device with the part of the component reattached to the vehicle. The transmission line may be arranged so that when the part of the component constituting the vehicle is reattached to the vehicle, it passes through a gap between the part and the other parts. In this way, the transmission line can pass through the space inside the vehicle cabin and the space outside the vehicle cabin (a part that does not appear on the outside of the vehicle or inside the vehicle cabin) that is separated from the vehicle cabin by the components constituting the vehicle. In particular, the transmission line can connect the external device side connection part that connects to the first external device arranged on the dashboard to the vehicle side connection part arranged inside the vehicle separated from the vehicle cabin by the instrument panel, for example, even with the instrument panel attached.

The "location in the communication system other than the diagnostic connector where the signal required for the operation of the first external device is obtained" may be any location where the signal required for the operation of the first external device is obtained, but for example, if the communication system is provided with a gateway that converts and selects the information signals flowing through the communication path, it may be a portion of the communication path where the signals are not converted or selected by the gateway. In this way, it is possible to obtain signals that are not converted or selected.

The "signal necessary for the operation of the first external device" may be, for example, a signal generated by an electronic control device that is output from the electronic control device connected to the communication path.

The "operation" of the first external device that has received a signal necessary for its operation from the communication system may be, for example, the output of information based on the necessary signal to the user as described above. In this way, the user can obtain information from the first external device that is not normally obtainable from an external device placed inside the vehicle cabin. This information may be, for example, information about the state of the vehicle based on information output from an electronic control device.

(2) The external device side connection unit may be a connection means that is detachable from the connection means provided on the first external device.

In this way, even if the device according to the present invention requires a certain part of the vehicle to be removed before it can be attached to the vehicle, or requires soldering, the user can easily attach and detach the first external device to and from the device once the device according to the present invention has been attached to the vehicle by a dealer's staff member or the like. The connecting means provided in the device according to the present invention and the connecting means provided in the first external device may be connectors, for example. The connector provided in the device according to the present invention may be drawn into the vehicle cabin by a transmission line, for example, and may be arranged on the surface of the instrument panel so as to be exposed to the vehicle cabin side. The connector provided in the first external device may be drawn out from the housing by wiring, for example, and may be arranged on the surface of the housing. The connector provided in the device according to the present invention and the connector provided in the first external device may be connected via a cable provided with two connectors, for example.

With a conventional OBD2 connector, no special skills were required to attach or detach an external device. On the other hand, with the device of the present invention, for example, if the external device side connection section and the first external device are connected by soldering or the like, once the device is installed in the vehicle, it may be difficult to easily attach or detach the first external device. However, by making the external device side connection section a detachable connection means between the connection means of the first external device, the user can easily attach or detach the first external device to or from the device of the present invention.

For example, if the first external device breaks down due to an initial defect within one week of installation, the vehicle must be taken back to the shop where the installation was performed for repairs within a short period of time, which is a troublesome situation. However, by making the external device side connection part a detachable connection means, it is possible to easily remove only the first external device and send it in for repairs or quickly replace it with a replacement without having to disassemble the vehicle or the first external device.

(3) A connector other than the diagnostic connector may be provided on the communication path, and the vehicle-side connection unit may be connected to the communication system by connecting the vehicle-side connection unit to the connector other than the diagnostic connector.

In this way, the user or the person installing the device of the present invention (e.g., a worker at a dealership) can easily connect the device to the communication system compared to when they connect the devices directly, and is freed from the hassle of connecting wires. In addition, the burden on the worker can be reduced when removing the device.

The connector other than the diagnostic connector may be of the same type as the diagnostic connector, or the OBD2 connector, but may be an optional connector. This optional connector may be a connector that allows the user to connect optional equipment to the vehicle in the future, and may be located inside the instrument panel. This optional equipment may be a device that can be selected as an option for the vehicle by the dealer, and may be a device that can be built into or embedded in the center console of the instrument panel with the display or operation unit exposed to the passenger compartment, and may be a device that can be connected to the optional connector via a connector provided in a portion embedded inside the instrument panel.

The "connector other than the diagnostic connector" may be, for example, a connector other than a diagnostic connector in a communication system, which is connected to a location where a signal necessary for the operation of the first external device can be obtained, and if a gateway ECU is provided in the communication system, it may be connected to a location in the gateway ECU that can output a signal that has not been converted or selected.

(4) In the communication system, a plurality of electronic control devices are arranged on the communication path, one of the plurality of electronic control devices is a gateway, the gateway is arranged between a portion of the communication path to which the electronic control devices other than the gateway are connected and a portion to which the diagnostic connector is connected, and the vehicle side connection unit is connected to the portion of the communication path to which the electronic control devices other than the gateway are connected.

In this way, the user can reliably send and receive signals to and from each electronic control device other than the gateway, even if the signal sent to the diagnostic connector by the electronic control device that is the gateway is a signal sent from an electronic control device other than the gateway that has been converted into another signal or a signal that has been partially selected. The electronic control device that is the gateway may be disposed, for example, between a portion of the communication path to which all electronic control devices other than the gateway are connected and a portion to which the diagnostic connector is connected.

(5) It is preferable that the communication system includes a communication restriction unit that can restrict communication via the communication path by at least one of the apparatus and the first external device, so as to give priority to communication by the second external device, on the condition that a second external device which is a diagnostic device is connected to the communication system via the diagnostic connector.

In this way, the user and the dealer to whom the user brings the vehicle can prevent unnecessary trouble that could lead to malfunction of the diagnostic device, such as conflicting signals emitted from the diagnostic device, which is the second external device, with signals emitted from the device itself or the first external device. It also eliminates the need to remove the device or the first external device from the communication system, or to reinstall it after inspecting and repairing the vehicle, eliminating the hassle of trouble that comes with billing for additional labor for such work.

The device according to the present invention is suitable, for example, in a communication system in which communication by a first external device causes a disruption to communication by a diagnostic device.

The concept of "being able to restrict communication via the communication path by at least one of the device and the first external device so as to give priority to communication by the second external device" should be taken to include not only completely blocking communication by the device of the present invention or the first external device in order to favor communication by the second external device, which is, for example, a diagnostic device, but also restricting communication by the first external device to a range that does not affect communication by the diagnostic device.

The "communication restriction" may be, for example, a control of signal transmission and reception so that the communication signal of the diagnostic device and the communication signal of the first external device do not overlap or interfere with each other.

The "restriction of communication" in the device according to the present invention is "possible," so even if a diagnostic device is connected to the communication system, communication does not have to be restricted immediately. In other words, the connection of a diagnostic device may be one of the multiple conditions set for restricting communication, or may be one of the conditions.

The "restriction of communication by the communication restriction unit" may be performed, for example, by the communication restriction unit of the present invention detecting that a diagnostic machine has been connected via a communication path or the like and preventing the device of the present invention from transmitting signals that interfere with the operation of the diagnostic machine, for example, by the user using a switch to turn off power to the first external device, or by preventing the device from accessing a communication system, etc.

The "communication restriction unit" may be, for example, a circuit provided on a substrate, and in particular may be an integrated circuit chip. The chip may be provided, for example, in the external device connection unit or in the vehicle connection unit. When the external device connection unit and the vehicle connection unit are connected by a transmission line, the communication restriction unit may be provided, for example, midway along the transmission line.

(6) A first switch is provided within the vehicle cabin, and the communication restriction unit may perform communication restriction that prioritizes communication by the second external device by turning off the first switch.

In this way, when a dealer receives a vehicle brought in by a user and uses a diagnostic device on the vehicle, even if signal conflict occurs between the diagnostic device (the second external device) and at least one of the device and the first external device, the dealer can simply turn off the first switch provided on the device to eliminate the conflict and make the diagnostic device usable. This eliminates the need to remove the device or the first external device from the communication system, and the user and dealer are free from the hassle of problems that may arise from billing for additional labor costs for such work.

The "first switch" may be, for example, a power switch. The "first switch" may be arranged in the vehicle cabin, for example, via wiring, and may be arranged in a location that is easy for the user to reach while sitting in the driver's seat, such as the dashboard or instrument panel (hereinafter referred to as "instrument panel"), the center console or its vicinity.

(7) The first external device may include a second switch, and the communication restriction unit may perform communication restriction that prioritizes communication by the second external device by turning off the second switch of the first external device when the first external device is connected to the external device side connection unit.

In this way, even if signal conflict occurs between the diagnostic device (the second external device) and at least one of the device and the first external device when the dealer to which the user has brought the vehicle uses the diagnostic device on the vehicle, the dealer can eliminate the conflict and make the diagnostic device usable simply by turning off the second switch provided on the first external device. This eliminates the need to remove the device or the first external device from the communication system, and the user and dealer are free from the hassle of trouble that may arise from billing for additional labor costs for such work.

The "second switch" provided on the first external device may be, for example, a power switch. The first external device may be, for example, a radar detector or the like that is placed on the dashboard in a location that is easily accessible to the user.

(8) The first external device has an operation unit, and when the first external device is connected to the external device side connection unit, the communication restriction unit can be operated using the operation unit of the first external device, and the communication restriction unit may perform communication restriction that prioritizes communication by the second external device by operating the communication restriction unit using the operation unit of the first external device.

In this way, when a dealer receives a vehicle brought in by a user and uses a diagnostic machine on the vehicle, even if signal conflict occurs between the diagnostic machine (the second external device) and at least one of the device and the first external device, the conflict can be resolved by simply operating the operation section of the first external device, making the diagnostic machine usable. This eliminates the need to remove the device or the first external device from the communication system, and the user and dealer are free from the hassle of trouble that may arise from billing for additional labor for such work.

The "operation unit" of the first external device may be, for example, a switch, button, dial, etc. provided on the housing of the first external device, and the first external device may have a display unit, and settings may be made using buttons, etc. provided on the housing based on a setting screen displayed on the display unit. The "operation unit" of the first external device may be, for example, a touch panel display unit, and settings may be made by directly touching the setting screen displayed on the display unit, and may be, for example, a remote controller that can be operated wirelessly using radio waves, infrared rays, etc.

The first external device may be, for example, a radar detector or the like, which is placed on the dashboard in a location that is easily within reach of the user. The display unit of the first external device may display, for example, a setting menu with an option to "suspend/resume access to the communication system."

(9) The first external device has an operation unit, the external device side connection unit and the first external device are connected by wireless communication, and when the first external device is connected to the external device side connection unit, the communication restriction unit can be operated using the operation unit of the first external device, and the communication restriction unit may perform communication restriction that prioritizes communication by the second external device by operating the communication restriction unit using the operation unit of the first external device, and when wireless communication between the external device side connection unit and the first external device becomes impossible, the communication restriction unit may perform communication restriction that prioritizes communication by the second external device.

In this way, the user can prevent troubles such as the wiring of the device according to the present invention getting caught on the hand, and can freely arrange the first external device. Furthermore, when the dealer to whom the user brought the vehicle uses the diagnostic device on the vehicle, even if signal conflict occurs between the diagnostic device, which is the second external device, and at least one of the device and the first external device, the conflict can be eliminated by simply operating the operation unit of the first external device, and the diagnostic device can be used. Furthermore, even if it becomes impossible to operate the communication restriction unit of the device according to the present invention using the operation unit of the first external device, the diagnostic device can be used reliably. This eliminates the need to remove the device from the communication system, and the user and the dealer are not bothered by troubles such as those that arise from the billing of additional labor costs for such work.

The "wireless communication" between the external device side connection unit and the first external device may be performed, for example, by providing chips capable of wireless communication in the external device side connection unit and the first external device, and using Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi, etc.

The first external device may be, for example, a radar detector or the like, which is placed on the dashboard in a location that is easily within reach of the user. The display unit of the first external device may display, for example, a setting menu with an option to "suspend/resume access to the communication system."

(10) When the communication restriction unit detects that a signal other than the signal transmitted from the first external device has been transmitted, it may stop access to the electronic control device and implement communication restrictions that prioritize communication by the second external device.

In this way, the user and the dealer to whom the user brings the vehicle can prevent unnecessary trouble that could lead to malfunction of the diagnostic device, such as conflicting signals emitted from the diagnostic device, which is the second external device, with signals emitted from the device itself or the first external device. It also eliminates the need to remove the device or the first external device from the communication system, or to reinstall it after inspecting and repairing the vehicle, eliminating the hassle of trouble that comes with billing for additional labor for such work.

The "signal other than the signal transmitted from the first external device" that is detected by the communication restriction unit of the device according to the present invention and that stops access to the electronic control device may be, for example, a signal transmitted from a diagnostic device.

(11) When the communication restriction unit detects that a predetermined signal is flowing through the communication path, it is preferable that the communication restriction unit performs communication restriction that prioritizes communication by the second external device.

In this way, even if signal conflict occurs between the diagnostic device (the second external device) and at least one of the device and the first external device when the dealer to which the user has brought the vehicle uses the diagnostic device on the vehicle, the conflict can be resolved and the diagnostic device can be used simply by making a specified signal flow through the communication path. This eliminates the need to remove the device or the first external device from the communication system, and the user and dealer are not bothered by the trouble that comes with being charged additional labor for such work.

The "predetermined signal" that flows through the communication path may be, for example, a signal that an electronic control device outputs to the communication path, and may be a signal related to the state of a vehicle operation switch or the like that is originally installed in the vehicle.

The "vehicle operation switch" may be, for example, an "ignition switch," a "light power switch," or a "brake pedal." The "ignition switch" may be, for example, a button-type switch that is operated by inserting a key into a key cylinder. The "light power switch" may be, for example, an "interior light power switch" or a "headlight power switch."

The "predetermined state" of the vehicle operation switch may be, for example, a state in which a predetermined operation is performed using the vehicle operation switch, and in particular, may be, for example, a state in which the vehicle operation switch is switched on and off a predetermined number of times. This "switching on and off of the vehicle operation switch" may be, for example, "switching the ignition switch on and off a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time (e.g., three times per second)," or, for example, "switching the headlights on and off and switching the brakes on and off simultaneously."

Furthermore, after a specific signal is detected and communication by the second external device is given priority, if a similar signal is detected again, the priority of communication by the second external device can be cancelled. In this way, the user and the dealer can easily cancel the priority of communication by the second external device.

(12) It is preferable that the device includes a signal conversion unit that converts a signal transmitted from the electronic control device into a format that can be used by the first external device, and converts a signal transmitted from the first external device into a format that can be used by the electronic control device.

In this way, the user can use the first external device without having to worry about the correspondence between the signals used in the electronic control device of the communication system and the signals used in the first external device.

The "signal conversion unit" may be, for example, a circuit provided on a substrate, and in particular may be an integrated circuit chip. The chip may be provided, for example, in the external device connection unit or in the vehicle connection unit. When the external device connection unit and the vehicle connection unit are connected by a transmission line, the communication restriction unit may be provided, for example, in the middle of the transmission line.

As an example, the signal format may be converted as follows. For example, a case will be described where the format of the request message sent from the first external device is "7E0**", the format of the response message recognizable by the first external device is "7E8**", the format of the request message recognizable by the electronic control device of the communication system is "700##", and the format of the response message sent from the electronic control device of the communication system is "708##".

In this case, the first external device sends "7E0**", and the device of the present invention that receives "7E0**" converts this signal to "700##" in its signal conversion unit and sends it to the communication path of the communication system. The electronic control device of the communication system that receives and recognizes "700##" flowing through the communication path sends "708##" to the communication path. The signal conversion unit that receives "708##" converts it to "7E8**" and sends it to the first external device. Here, "**" and "##" are any numbers or symbols that indicate the content of the request or response, and may be, for example, hexadecimal numbers.

The request message may, for example, convey "instructions to other devices," and the response message may, for example, convey "responses from other devices to the instructions." The response messages may, for example, be positive response messages indicating "that an instruction has been executed and the results of that execution," or negative response messages indicating "that an instruction cannot be executed and the reason why."

(13) After transmitting a signal from the device to the communication system, the signal flowing through the point in the communication system where the vehicle side connection part is connected may be recorded for a predetermined period of time.

In this way, the manufacturer who receives the troubled device from the user can use this record to identify the cause of the trouble, and can easily identify the signal generated by the device causing the trouble and correct this signal. Furthermore, the user of the troubled device can continue to use the device after the signal has been corrected by the manufacturer.

The signal may be recorded for a predetermined period of time after the signal is transmitted from the device. After the predetermined period of time has elapsed, the record may be deleted, or may be left as long as the capacity of the memory unit allows. Also, for example, a certain amount of the latest record may be constantly stored in the memory unit while the device is in operation, while being updated by so-called overwrite saving, and if a communication abnormality occurs, the update may be stopped, or a record for a certain period of time (for example, 10 seconds) before the occurrence may be stored in the memory unit as a separate record file. In this way, the signal that caused the trouble will be included in the record stored in the memory unit, and can be used to identify the cause of the trouble. The memory unit may be, for example, an external server capable of communicating with the device of the present invention, or may be provided in the device of the present invention.

(14) The electronic control device is capable of communicating with an external server, and when the electronic control device receives update information for software used in the electronic control device from the server, the electronic control device updates the software and records the differences in the signals flowing through the communication path before and after the update.

In this way, when a troubled device is brought in by a user, the manufacturer can use this record to determine that the problem is caused by a change in the signals flowing through the communication path due to the update, and can easily identify and correct the cause of the problem. Furthermore, the user of the troubled device can continue to use the device after the manufacturer has corrected the cause of the problem.

The differences in the signals flowing through the communication path before and after the update can be found, for example, by pre-recording the signals flowing through the communication path before the update in a storage unit, and then newly recording the signals flowing through the communication path after the update in the storage unit, and comparing these records. The storage unit may be, for example, an external server capable of communicating with the device of the present invention, or may be provided in the device of the present invention.

Communication between the electronic control device and the external server may be wireless communication such as LTE or 3G.

(15) It is preferable to enable communication with an external server and to enable signals received from the electronic control device to be transmitted to the server.

In this way, the manufacturer who receives the device from the user can refer to the records stored in the server and make improvements to the device. Also, the user who brought the device to the manufacturer can use the improved device.

Communication between the device and an external server may be wireless communication such as LTE or 3G.

The above-mentioned inventions (1) to (15) can be combined in any way. For example, it may be possible to have at least one of the other configurations (2) to (15) without having all or part of the configuration (1). However, it is particularly good to have all or part of the configuration (1) in combination with at least one of the configurations (2) to (15). In addition, any component may be extracted from at least one of (1) to (15) and combined. The applicant intends to obtain patent rights for such configurations as well.

(16) For example, it may be configured as a program for causing a computer to realize any of the functions described in (12) to (15) above.

The specific method of the present invention described above is an example, and some parts may be expanded or limited.

For example, a device may be provided that is connected to a communication system provided in a vehicle and a first external device disposed in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the communication system having an electronic control device that controls the vehicle, a communication path through which vehicle information, which is information about the state of the vehicle based on information output from the electronic control device, flows, and a vehicle interior connection means that is a connection means that can connect to a second external device from inside the passenger compartment on the communication path, the first external device is capable of communicating with the electronic control device by being connected to the device, and the second external device is capable of communicating with the electronic control device by being connected to the vehicle interior connection means, the device has an external device side connection unit that is connected to the first external device and a vehicle side connection unit that is connected to the communication system, and vehicle information can be transmitted between the external device side connection unit and the vehicle side connection unit, and the vehicle side connection unit is connected to a location of the communication system other than the vehicle interior connection means and to a location through which the vehicle information flows.

In this way, the user can keep the vehicle interior connection means open, for example, even when using the first external device. Therefore, when a vehicle such as an automobile breaks down and the user visits a dealer for repairs, for example, if the vehicle interior connection means is a connector for a diagnostic device, the user can avoid being suddenly asked by the dealer to "disconnect the first external device from the vehicle interior connection means," or being charged an additional labor fee if the user is unable to disconnect it.

On the other hand, when using a diagnostic device as the second external device, the dealer will not need to remove the external device from the vehicle interior connection means, which is the connector for the diagnostic device, or reconnect the first external device to the vehicle interior connection means after inspecting and repairing the vehicle. In particular, while it is difficult for the dealer to charge the user for additional labor costs incurred separately, it will no longer be necessary for the dealer to charge additional labor costs for removal, etc., and the occurrence of problems associated with such charges can be prevented. In addition, the first external device can obtain signals necessary for operation and perform operations based on these signals.

The term "communication system" refers to any system capable of communication, and may consist of, for example, a communication path, an electronic control device, and a diagnostic connector, or may include other components such as a gateway ECU in addition to these. The communication system is preferably located inside the vehicle. The "vehicle interior" where the communication system is located is preferably a part that is not visible on the vehicle's exterior or inside the cabin, and in particular, a place that cannot be accessed without removing some of the components that make up the vehicle.

The "vehicle cabin" may be, for example, the living space of the vehicle's occupants. It does not necessarily have to be a closed space, and may be an open space such as an open-top car without a roof, or a closed space such as a car with a roof.

The "first external device" may be a device that only transmits signals, such as a signal transmission device, a device that only receives signals, or a device that transmits and receives signals. For example, the "first external device" may be a device that has a function of outputting to a user information based on a signal acquired at a location in the communication system other than the diagnostic connector where a signal necessary for the operation of the first external device is obtained. In particular, the first external device may be a display device such as a display that can display information acquired at a location where the vehicle-side connection part of the communication system is connected, or a radar detector or car navigation device that displays such information. Alternatively, the first external device may be a simple security device that can issue an alarm based on information acquired at a location where the vehicle-side connection part of the communication system is connected.

The "electronic control device that controls the vehicle" may be, for example, an electronic control device that moves the vehicle itself, such as by operating a motor, actuator, or engine fuel injection valve provided on the vehicle, or it may be, for example, an electronic control device that does not perform such control, or that performs such control as well as acquiring information from sensors provided on the vehicle and outputting information based on the acquired information to a communication path, such as an ECU.

The "communication path through which an information signal flows" may be any communication path that is capable of transmitting an information signal. For example, it may be a single communication path, or multiple communication paths that are directly or indirectly connected. In the case of an indirect connection, for example, multiple communication paths may be connected via a component that relays the signal. The component that relays the signal may be a direct physical relay such as a connector, or it may be a gateway that first receives a signal from one communication path, performs some kind of control, and then outputs it to another communication path.

The "communication path" may be, for example, a one-to-one communication path. Furthermore, it may be, for example, a network to which a plurality of electronic control devices are connected, and in this way, information obtained from the plurality of electronic control devices can be used in the diagnostic device and the first external device. In particular, when the electronic control device is an ECU of an automobile, the communication path may be, for example, an in-vehicle LAN such as a CAN or a K-line. The information flowing through the communication path may be, for example, information about the state of the vehicle based on information output from an electronic control device that controls the vehicle.

The "second external device" may be a diagnostic machine that is generally and widely used for diagnosis in city repair shops. The diagnostic machine may be, for example, a device that diagnoses the condition of the vehicle based on information on the condition of each part of the vehicle collected by an electronic control device. The diagnostic machine may also be, for example, a device that performs diagnosis based on a signal transmitted from the electronic control device in response to a signal transmitted from a transmitter that is connected to a separate communication system and that transmits only diagnostic signals. The diagnostic machine may be, for example, a fault diagnosis machine.

The "vehicle interior connection means" may be, for example, a connector that can be used to diagnose vehicles in common across many vehicles. It may also be a connector that can be connected by a diagnostic device for general diagnosis at a repair shop in the city, rather than by the vehicle manufacturer. In particular, it may be, for example, an OBD2 connector. The electronic control device that controls the vehicle and the vehicle interior connection means may be connected via, for example, a communication path.

The "external device side connection part" may be, for example, a part that is directly connected to the first external device by soldering, or may be equipped with a connection means such as a connector that fits into a connector provided on the first external device.

The "vehicle-side connection portion" may be something that is directly connected to the communication path by, for example, soldering, or may in particular be provided with, for example, a connection means. The connection means may be connectable to a connection means other than the diagnostic device connector provided in the communication system, and may be, for example, an electrotap, or may be, for example, a connector that fits into a connector provided in the communication system. The connector provided in the communication system may be an unused, free connector or a connector that is likely to be free. For example, it may be a connector to which equipment is connected only when the vehicle is manufactured and to which no equipment is connected after manufacture. It may also be, for example, an option connector to which optional equipment for the vehicle provided by a dealer is connected.

Furthermore, the "vehicle-side connection unit" may be in a state where a part of a component constituting the vehicle is removed when connecting to a communication system, and after connection, the part of the component constituting the vehicle is reattached to the vehicle. In this way, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of unnecessary trouble, such as a user accidentally disconnecting the vehicle-side connection unit from the communication system. The part of the component constituting the vehicle may be, for example, a component that separates the inside and outside of the vehicle cabin (the inside of the vehicle that cannot be seen from either inside or outside the vehicle), and may be a so-called instrument panel.

In the device according to the present invention, the external device side connection section and the vehicle side connection section are preferably connected so that information signals can be transmitted by wireless communication using wireless communication members provided in the external device side connection section and the vehicle side connection section, and in particular, are preferably connected so that information signals can be transmitted by a transmission line.

The transmission line may be, for example, connected to the communication system with the vehicle-side connection unit removed from a part of the vehicle's component, and then transmit information about the vehicle's condition between the vehicle-side connection unit and the first external device with the part of the vehicle's component attached to the vehicle again after the connection. The part of the vehicle's component may be, for example, a component that separates the inside and outside of the vehicle's compartment, such as a so-called instrument panel. The transmission line may be arranged so that when the part of the vehicle's component is attached to the vehicle again, it passes through a gap between the part and the other parts. In this way, the transmission line can pass through the space inside the vehicle's compartment and the space outside the vehicle's compartment (the inside of the vehicle that cannot be seen from either inside or outside the vehicle) that is separated from the vehicle's compartment by the part of the vehicle. The transmission line may also be connected to the external device-side connection unit that connects to the first external device arranged on the dashboard and the vehicle-side connection unit that is arranged inside the vehicle separated from the vehicle's compartment by the instrument panel, even with the instrument panel attached.

According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide a device or the like that does not require connecting an external device other than a diagnostic device to a diagnostic connector provided on an in-vehicle LAN or K-line, and that can make information about the vehicle's condition available to an external device based on information output from an electronic control device such as an ECU that is originally provided for controlling the vehicle. Also, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a device or the like that can open a diagnostic connector provided on an in-vehicle LAN or a communication cable in the vehicle for a diagnostic device, and that can make information about the vehicle's condition available to an external device based on information output from an electronic control device such as the ECU.

According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide a device or the like that does not connect any external device other than the external device having its intended purpose to a connection means for an external device having its intended purpose provided on an in-vehicle LAN or K-line, and that can make information about the vehicle's status based on information output from an electronic control device such as the ECU available to an external device. Also, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a device or the like that leaves a connection means for an external device having its intended purpose provided on an in-vehicle LAN or an in-vehicle communication cable open for an external device having its intended purpose, and that can make information about the vehicle's status based on information output from an electronic control device such as the ECU available to an external device.

Furthermore, it is possible to provide products described in this specification, such as products that have the effects described as "able to achieve...".

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an OBD2 interface is applied. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which the interface according to the first embodiment is applied. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which the interface according to the first embodiment is applied. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle interior showing the location of the OBD2 connector. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the option connector and the vehicle-side connector are connected. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to embodiment 2-1 of the second embodiment is applied. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to a modified example of embodiment 2-1 of the second embodiment is applied. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to embodiment 2-2 of the second embodiment is applied. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to embodiment 2-3 of the second embodiment is applied. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to embodiment 2-4 of the second embodiment is applied. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to embodiment 2-5 of the second embodiment is applied. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to the third embodiment is applied. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to a first modification of the third embodiment is applied. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to a second modification of the third embodiment is applied. FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to a third modification of the third embodiment is applied. FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to the fourth embodiment is applied. FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to a first modified example is applied. FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to a first modified example is applied. FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to the second modified example is applied. FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to the third modified example is applied. FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to another aspect of the third modified example is applied. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a state in which a T-shaped harness is arranged between the communication system and an interface shown in FIG. FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface that integrates an external device connector and a vehicle connector is applied. FIG. 24 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface is applied in which a communication limiter is connected to a wiring that is connected midway through a transmission line. FIG. 25 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface is applied in which a communication limiter is connected to a wiring connected midway through a transmission line and an ammeter is arranged in the communication path.

The preferred embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. The device of this embodiment is an interface for connecting an external device to a communication system installed in a vehicle such as an automobile, and opens a diagnostic connector installed in the communication system for a fault diagnosis device. Note that the present invention is not limited to the examples shown in the embodiments described below, and it will be easily understood by those skilled in the art that other embodiments are possible within the scope of the claims and the teachings and spirit of the invention.

1. Configuration of the communication system FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface (hereinafter also referred to as an "OBD2 connection type interface") that connects to an OBD2 connector is applied. FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are block diagrams showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which a device (interface) according to the first embodiment is applied. In FIG. 3, the parts that constitute the interface according to the invention corresponding to the scope of the claims at the beginning of the present application (hereinafter referred to as "the present interface" or simply "the interface") are indicated by thick lines (similarly in FIG. 6, FIG. 10, FIG. 12, FIG. 16, FIG. 18, FIG. 19, and FIG. 21). For example, in a procedural amendment or divisional application, the applicant intends to grant rights to a part of this part, a part different from this part, or a part that includes this part and a part described in this specification. The communication system shown in FIG. 1 and the communication systems shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 differ in the presence or absence of a gateway ECU and an option connector described later, but the present interface can be applied to both of them.

The communication system 10 controls the vehicle, is already installed in the vehicle when it is shipped from the factory, and forms a part of the vehicle. The communication system 10 includes a communication path 12, an ECU 14 which is an electronic control device, and an OBD2 connector 16 which is a diagnostic connector. A plurality of ECUs 14 are provided, including an engine ECU 14a, a hybrid ECU 14b, an ABS ECU 14c, a body ECU 14d, a meter ECU 14e, and a transmission ECU 14f. Hereinafter, when the term "ECU 14" is used, it refers collectively to these ECUs. Note that the transmission ECU 14f is omitted in FIG. 1. The ABS ECU 14c and the transmission ECU 14f are omitted in FIG. 2 (the same applies to FIGS. 7 to 9, 11, 13 to 15, 17, and 20). In FIG. 3, the hybrid ECU 14b, the ABS ECU 14c, the body ECU 14d, the meter ECU 14e, and the transmission ECU 14f are omitted.
(The same applies to FIGS. 6, 10, 12, 16, 18, 19, and 21.) The communication system 10 may include other components (such as connectors, electronic control devices, and sensors) than those mentioned above.

The communication path 12 is connected to the ECU 14 and the OBD2 connector 16 to form a CAN. A signal including information output from the ECU 14 flows through the communication path 12. The signal flowing through the communication path 12 can be acquired from the OBD2 connector 16. In addition, a signal including information output from an external device connected to the OBD2 connector 16 also flows through the communication path 12.

The engine ECU 14a is connected to sensors and devices (not shown) necessary for controlling the engine system, such as a throttle sensor, an engine speed sensor, and a water temperature sensor. The hybrid ECU 14b is also called a hybrid control ECU (HV ECU) and controls the hybrid system. The ABS ECU 14c is connected to a vehicle speed sensor 18 that detects the vehicle speed. As shown in FIG. 3, the body ECU 14d is connected to a door lock control device 22, a hazard light control device 24, and other devices (not shown). As shown in FIG. 3, the transmission ECU 14f is connected to a shift position detection sensor 20 that detects the position of the shift lever, and other devices (not shown). These ECUs 14 operate the connected devices and output signals generated based on information obtained from the connected devices and sensors to the communication path 12.

In addition to the ECU 14, electronic control devices such as ECUs with other functions may be connected to the communication path 12. The dashed lines between the engine ECU 14a and the hybrid ECU 14b in Figures 1 and 2 and the dashed lines between the body ECU 14d and the meter ECU 14e indicate that further electronic control devices may be connected (the same applies below to Figures 7 to 9, 11, 13 to 15, 17, and 20).

In the communication system 10 shown in Figures 2 and 3, a gateway ECU 26 is provided between the portion of the communication path 12 to which the ECU 14 is connected and the portion of the communication path 12 to which the OBD2 connector 16 is connected. That is, the portion of the communication path 12 to which the ECU 14 is connected and the portion of the communication path 12 to which the OBD2 connector 16 is connected are indirectly connected by the gateway ECU 26. Hereinafter, the portion of the communication path 12 to which the ECU 14 is connected will also be referred to as "inside the gateway ECU 26," and the portion of the communication path 12 to which the OBD2 connector 16 is connected will also be referred to as "outside the gateway ECU 26." Note that although the gateway ECU 26 is an ECU, it is not included in the ECU 14, which collectively refers to the engine ECU 14a, etc.

2 and 3, information signals output from the ECU 14 to the communication path 12 are selected or converted by the gateway ECU 26, or are output as is to the OBD2 connector 16 side. Of the information signals flowing inside the gateway ECU 26 of the communication path 12, some flow outside the gateway ECU 26, and another part does not flow outside the gateway ECU 26. In addition, information signals output from an external device connected to the OBD2 connector 16 flow from the OBD2 connector 16 to the outside of the gateway ECU 26 of the communication path 12, and are selected or converted by the gateway ECU 26, or are output as is to the inside of the gateway ECU 26 of the communication path 12. For example, in the vehicle of the embodiment, information that is used only between ECUs 14 is blocked by the gateway ECU 26 from being output to the OBD2 connector 16 side (from inside to outside), while information from the OBD2 connector 16 side that is the same as information that is used only inside is blocked, and other information is relayed from outside to inside, and response information from the ECU 14 to this is also relayed from inside to outside.

An option connector 28 is connected to the gateway ECU 26 via the communication path 12. The option connector 28 is a connector that is pre-installed inside the so-called instrument panel of the vehicle. The option connector 28 is intended to connect a car navigation device, which is originally a dealer option at a car dealer. The car navigation device connected to the option connector 28 acquires vehicle speed signals and the like from the CAN via the option connector 28, and the acquired signals are used for navigation processing. Information signals output to the communication path 12 from the ECU 14 and electronic control devices connected to the inside of the gateway ECU 26 of the communication path 12 (not shown in Figures 2 and 3) flow through the option connector 28, and signals necessary for the operation of the radar detector 40, which will be described later, are obtained.

The communication path 12, ECU 14, gateway ECU 26, and option connector 28 are located in a space outside the vehicle compartment separated from the vehicle compartment by a vehicle component 30 such as an instrument panel (a part that is not visible either on the vehicle's exterior or inside the vehicle compartment (e.g., inside the dashboard or inside the hood). In Figures 1 and 2, they are shown as the part to the left of the dashed line representing the vehicle component 30 (similarly in Figures 7 to 9, 11, 13 to 15, 17, and 20 below). In Figure 3, they are shown as the part surrounded by a rectangle representing the vehicle component 30 (similarly in Figures 6, 10, 12, 16, 18, 19, and 21 below).

The OBD2 connector 16 is arranged so that its terminals are exposed on the surface of the vehicle component 30, and a connector 74 provided on the diagnostic device 70 can be connected from inside the vehicle via a wire 72. FIG. 3 shows the diagnostic device 70 connected to the communication system 10 by connecting the OBD2 connector 16 and the connector 74. The diagnostic device 70 is a device used for inspecting vehicles at car dealerships, etc., and by inserting and connecting the connector 74 into the OBD2 connector 16, it acquires and displays information for fault diagnosis output from the ECU 14 provided in the communication system 10. In this way, the diagnostic device 70 is generally connected to the communication system 10 by a dealer, etc. to which a user has brought a faulty vehicle, and is not connected during normal vehicle use.

When external devices such as a radar detector 40 or a fault diagnosis device 70 described below are directly or indirectly connected to the communication system 10, the external devices can communicate with the ECU 14 and other electronic control devices not shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3.

Note that FIG. 1 shows the state in which the OBD2 interface 100 is connected to the OBD2 connector 16, and the radar detector 40 is connected to the OBD2 interface 100, but the OBD2 connector 16 is in principle a connector for the fault diagnosis device 70. "RD" in the figure stands for radar detector (same below). The OBD2 interface 100 has a connection part 100a that can be connected to the OBD2 connector 16, and a connection part 100b that can be connected to a connector 50 provided at the end of the wiring 48 of the radar detector 40.

Conventionally, when using a signal flowing through the communication path 12 in an external device such as a radar detector 40, an OBD2 interface 100 is connected to the OBD2 connector 16, and the external device such as a radar detector 40 is connected to the OBD2 interface 100, as shown in FIG. 1. By using the device (interface 80) according to the present invention, it is possible to use a signal flowing through the communication path 12 in the external device with the OBD2 connector 16 open.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the vehicle interior showing the arrangement of the OBD2 connector. The OBD2 connector 16 is provided in different locations depending on the vehicle model, and is provided in one of the areas indicated by circles in the figure or in the vicinity thereof. Specifically, the areas indicated by circles are next to the accelerator pedal (a), to the right of the driver's feet (b), in the center of the driver's feet (c), to the left of the driver's feet (d), to the right of the center console (e), to the right of the passenger's feet (f), behind the panel to the right of the steering wheel (g), to the left of the passenger's feet (h), to the left of the center console (i), and under the center console (j). The letters in parentheses correspond to the letters written in the circles shown in the figure. For example, in the vehicle of the embodiment, the OBD2 connector 16 is provided to the right of the center console (e) as shown in Figure 4.

2. First embodiment As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 (indicated by a thick line in Fig. 3), the interface 80, which is a device according to the first embodiment, includes a transmission line 82, an external device side connector 84, and a vehicle side connector 86, and the external device side connector 84 and the vehicle side connector 86 are connected to the transmission line 82. The external device side connector 84 incorporates a control member such as a microcomputer that transmits and receives signals and performs control. The vehicle side connector 86 is connected to the option connector 28 of the communication system 10. The external device side connector 84 may be located anywhere, but it is preferable to locate it so that the terminals are exposed on the surface of the vehicle component 30 as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. In order to locate the external device side connector 84 in this way, a hole for fitting the external device side connector 84 is provided in the instrument panel or other vehicle component 30 after the purchase of the vehicle, and the external device side connector 84 is attached to this hole.

The interface 80 is connected to the communication system 10 as follows. First, a part of the vehicle component 30 (the instrument panel) is removed to expose and make accessible the option connector 28, and then the vehicle side connector 86 is connected to the option connector 28. The external device side connector 84 is fitted into a hole provided in the vehicle component 30 and positioned so that the terminals are exposed on the surface of the vehicle component 30. The instrument panel is then reinstalled in its original position.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the optional connector and the vehicle connector when connected. The optional connector 28 has a terminal portion 28a that is connected to the vehicle connector 86 and a main body portion 28b that extends perpendicularly from the terminal portion 28a (in the direction of the arrow x in the figure). The main body portion 28b is connected to the communication path 12 on the opposite side to the terminal portion 28a.

The vehicle side connector 86 has a terminal portion 86a connected to the optional connector 28, a main body portion 86b extending in a direction perpendicular to the terminal portion 86a (arrow -x direction in the figure), and two arms 86c extending from the terminal portion 86a side of the main body portion 86b in the opposite direction to the main body portion 86b (arrow x direction in the figure). The main body portion 86b is connected to the transmission line 82 on the opposite side of the terminal portion 86a. The tip of the arm 86c protrudes inward. The distance between the arms 86c is approximately equal to the width of the main body portion 86b of the optional connector 28 (length in the arrow y direction in the figure) excluding the tip, and the length of the part excluding the protruding part at the tip of the arm 86c is approximately equal to the length in the direction perpendicular to the terminal portion 86a of the main body portion 86b of the optional connector 28 (arrow x direction in the figure).

When connecting the optional connector 28 and the vehicle-side connector 86, the tip of the arm 86c first comes into contact with the main body 28b of the optional connector 28, causing the arm 86c to bend outward. When the terminal portion 86a and the terminal portion 28a are then connected, the tip of the arm 86c is in a position beyond the main body 28b of the optional connector 28, the arm 86c returns to its original bending, and the optional connector 28 is, so to speak, embraced by the arm 86c. When separating the optional connector 28 and the vehicle-side connector 86, it is necessary to bend the arm 86c of the optional connector 28 outward by hand, and the possibility of them being separated by themselves is very low. The optional connector 28 and the vehicle-side connector 86 may be made of, for example, metal, and particularly resin. The vehicle-side connector 86 is a male connector, and the optional connector 28 is a female connector that fits into the vehicle-side connector 86.

The radar detector 40 displays information on reception of microwaves emitted from the surroundings of the vehicle, information on the current vehicle, and other information on a display unit 42. Generally, the radar detector 40 is obtained by a user at an auto parts store or the like after purchasing a vehicle, and is fixed on the dashboard as shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the radar detector 40 includes a display unit 42 made of a touch panel type liquid crystal screen, an operation unit 44 having a plurality of buttons, and a power switch 46. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the radar detector 40 includes wiring 48 drawn from the inside, and a connector 50 is provided at the end of the wiring 48 drawn from the inside. The connector 50 of the radar detector 40 is detachably connected to an external device side connector 84 of the interface 80. As a result, the radar detector 40 is indirectly connected to the communication system 10 via the interface 80, and is capable of communicating with the ECU 14.

The control member such as a microcomputer built into the external device connector 84 has a CAN port and a UART port. The CAN port is connected to the transmission line 82 side, and the UART port is connected to the wiring 48 side (connector 50 side). The control member such as a microcomputer built into the external device connector 84 has a function of transmitting CAN packet data acquired from the transmission line 82 side to the wiring 48 side as serial data, and a function of transmitting serial data received from the wiring 48 side to the transmission line 82 side as a CAN packet.

The radar detector 40 generates 56 items of information (described below) based on the signal acquired from the communication path 12 via the interface 80, and outputs the information to the user from the display unit 42.

The radar detector 40 acquires vehicle information contained in the signal acquired from the communication path 12 via the interface 80 every 0.5 seconds. This vehicle information includes, for example, vehicle speed, engine RPM, engine load factor, throttle degree, ignition timing, percentage of remaining fuel, intake manifold pressure, intake air flow rate (MAF), injection open time, engine coolant temperature (coolant temperature), temperature of air drawn into the engine (intake temperature), air temperature outside the vehicle (outside air temperature), amount of remaining fuel in the fuel tank (remaining fuel amount), fuel flow rate, instantaneous fuel consumption, accelerator opening, turn signal information (operation of left and right turn signals (ON/OFF)), brake opening, steering wheel rotation angle information, etc.

Based on the vehicle information acquired by the radar detector 40, the following 56 items of information are generated and the information selected by the user is output.

The 56 items that can be output are: "Speed", "Average speed", "Maximum speed", "5-second speed", "Average 5-second speed", "Maximum 5-second speed", "RPM", "Average RPM", "Maximum RPM", "Engine load", "Average load", "Maximum load", "Throttle opening", "Average throttle opening", "Maximum throttle opening", "Ignition timing", "Fuel level", "Intake manifold pressure", "MAF", "INJ", "Coolant temperature", "Intake temperature", "Outside air temperature", "Remaining fuel", "Fuel flow rate", "Fuel consumed", "Lifetime fuel consumed", "Instantaneous fuel consumption", "Current fuel consumption", "Lifetime fuel consumption", "Average fuel consumption", "Average fuel consumption on general roads", "Average fuel consumption on expressways", "Driving time", "Driving time", "Idle time", and "Idle ratio "rate", "mileage", "lifetime mileage", "acceleration time from 0-20km/h", "average acceleration from 0-20km/h", "shortest acceleration from 0-20km/h", "acceleration time from 0-40km/h", "average acceleration from 0-40km/h", "shortest acceleration from 0-40km/h", "acceleration time from 0-60km/h", "average acceleration from 0-60km/h", "shortest acceleration from 0-60km/h", "acceleration time from 0-80km/h", "average acceleration from 0-80km/h", "shortest acceleration from 0-80km/h", "driving time from 0-20km/h", "driving time from 20-40km/h", "driving time from 40-60km/h", "driving time from 60-80km/h", and "driving time over 80km/h".

"Speed" displays the current vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle in km/h units. "Average speed" displays the average vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle from the power-on of the radar detector 40 to the present in km/h units. "Maximum speed" displays the highest vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle from the power-on of the radar detector 40 to the present in km/h units. "5-second speed" displays the average vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle from 5 seconds ago to the present in km/h units. "Average 5-second speed" displays the average vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle in km/h units for every 5 seconds from the power-on of the vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle. "Maximum 5-second speed" displays the highest vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle in km/h units for every 5 seconds from the power-on of the vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle. "Revolutions" displays the current engine revolutions obtained from the vehicle in rpm units. "Average revolutions" displays the average engine revolutions obtained from the vehicle from the power-on to the present in rpm units. "Maximum RPM" displays the maximum engine RPM value obtained from the vehicle from power-on to the present in units of rpm. "Engine Load" displays the current engine load rate obtained from the vehicle in units of %. "Average Load" displays the average engine load rate obtained from the vehicle from power-on to the present in units of %. "Average Load" displays the average engine load rate obtained from the vehicle from power-on to the present in units of %. "Maximum Load" displays the maximum engine load rate obtained from the vehicle from power-on to the present in units of %. "Throttle Opening" displays the current throttle opening obtained from the vehicle in units of %. "Average Throttle Opening" displays the average throttle opening value obtained from the vehicle from power-on to the present in units of %. "Maximum Throttle Opening" displays the maximum throttle opening value obtained from the vehicle from power-on to the present in units of %. "Ignition Timing" displays the current ignition timing obtained from the vehicle in units of degrees. "Average throttle opening" displays the average throttle opening obtained from the vehicle side from power-on to the present in units of %. "Maximum throttle opening" displays the maximum throttle opening obtained from the vehicle side from power-on to the present in units of %. "Fuel level" displays the current remaining fuel ratio obtained from the vehicle side in units of %. "Intake manifold pressure" displays the current intake manifold pressure obtained from the vehicle side in units of kPa. "MAF" displays the current amount of air taken into the engine (intake air amount (MAF)) obtained from the vehicle side in units of g/s. "INJ" displays the time during which fuel is injected by the injector in a certain period of time (injection open time) obtained from the vehicle side in units of ms. "Coolant temperature" displays the current engine coolant temperature (coolant temperature) obtained from the vehicle side in units of °C. "Intake air temperature" displays the current temperature of air taken into the engine (intake air temperature) obtained from the vehicle side in units of °C. "Outside air temperature" displays the current temperature outside the vehicle (outside air temperature) obtained from the vehicle side in units of °C. "Remaining fuel" displays the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank (remaining fuel amount) obtained from the vehicle in units of L. "Fuel flow rate" displays the current fuel flow rate obtained from the vehicle in units of ml/m. "Consumed fuel" displays the difference between the remaining fuel amount obtained from the vehicle when the power is turned on and the current remaining fuel amount as the consumed fuel in units of ml. "Lifetime fuel consumption" displays the cumulative value of the fuel consumed since the radar detector 40 was first installed or reset in units of L. "Instantaneous fuel consumption" displays the current instantaneous fuel consumption obtained from the vehicle in units of km/l. "Current fuel consumption" displays the fuel consumption due to the current driving, etc., calculated based on the instantaneous fuel consumption obtained from the vehicle from the time the power is turned on to the present in units of km/l. "Lifetime fuel consumption" displays the fuel consumption calculated based on the instantaneous fuel from the time the radar detector 40 was first installed or the all-reset on the setting screen to the present in units of km/l. "Average fuel consumption" displays the fuel consumption calculated based on the instantaneous fuel from the time the radar detector 40 was first installed or the average fuel consumption was reset on the setting screen to the present in units of km/l. "Average fuel consumption on general roads" determines whether the current location corresponds to a general road location based on map data stored in a database in the radar detector 40 and the current location acquired by a GPS receiver in the radar detector 40, and displays the average fuel consumption on general roads from the time the radar detector 40 was first installed or from the time the average fuel consumption was reset on the setting screen to the present in units of km/l based on the instantaneous fuel consumption acquired from the vehicle side at the general road location. Similarly, "Average fuel consumption on expressways" displays the average fuel consumption on expressways in units of km/l. "Driving time" displays the time from power-on to the present in the format of hours:minutes:seconds. "Traveling time" displays the time during which the vehicle speed acquired from the vehicle side exceeded 0 during the time from power-on to the present in the format of hours:minutes:seconds. "Idle time" displays the time during which the vehicle was stopped during the time from power-on to the present, i.e., the time during which the vehicle speed acquired from the vehicle side was 0 during the time from power-on to the present in the format of hours:minutes:seconds. "Idle ratio" is displayed in percentage units of the ratio between the time when the vehicle was running from power-on to the present, i.e., the time when the vehicle speed exceeded 0 (running time), and the time when the vehicle was stopped, i.e., the time when the vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle side was 0 (stopped time). "Distance traveled" is displayed in km units of the distance traveled calculated from the vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle side from power-on to the present. "Lifetime distance traveled" is displayed in km units of the cumulative value of the distance traveled since the radar detector 40 was first installed or reset. "0-20km/h acceleration time" is displayed in seconds units of the time it took to reach 20km/h from the most recent stopped state. "0-20km/h average acceleration" is displayed in seconds units of the average time it took to reach 20km/h from a stopped state. "0-20km/h shortest acceleration" is displayed in seconds units of the shortest time it took to reach 20km/h from a stopped state. "0-40km/h acceleration time" displays the time taken from the most recent stopped state to reach 40km/h in seconds. "0-40km/h average acceleration" displays the average time taken from a stopped state to reach 40km/h in seconds. "0-40km/h minimum acceleration" displays the minimum time taken from a stopped state to reach 40km/h in seconds. "0-60km/h acceleration time" displays the time taken from the most recent stopped state to reach 60km/h in seconds. "0-60km/h average acceleration" displays the average time taken from a stopped state to reach 60km/h in seconds. "0-60km/h minimum acceleration" displays the minimum time taken from a stopped state to reach 60km/h in seconds. "0-80km/h acceleration time" displays the time taken from the most recent stopped state to reach 80km/h in seconds. "0-80km/h average acceleration" displays the average time taken to reach 80km/h from a stopped state in seconds. "0-80km/h minimum acceleration" displays the minimum time taken to reach 80km/h from a stopped state in seconds. "0-20km/h driving time" displays the total time traveled at 20km/h from a stopped state in hours:minutes:seconds format. "20-40km/h driving time" displays the total time traveled from 20km/h to 40km/h in hours:minutes:seconds format. "40-60km/h driving time" displays the total time traveled from 40km/h to 60km/h in hours:minutes:seconds format. "60-80km/h driving time" displays the total time traveled from 60km/h to 80km/h in hours:minutes:seconds format. "Time traveled at 80km/h or faster" displays the total time traveled at a speed of 80km/h or faster in the format hours:minutes:seconds.

3. Second embodiment FIGS. 6 to 11 are block diagrams showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to a second embodiment is applied. The interface shown in the figures has the same configuration as the interface shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, except that a communication limiter is provided, and the same reference numerals are used for substantially the same parts.

The second embodiment has the following embodiments 2-1 to 2-7 as specific implementation modes. -Embodiment 2-1: A switch 92 is connected to the communication limiter 88 via a wire 90, and the communication is limited by the communication limiter 88 by operating the switch 92. -Embodiment 2-2: The communication is limited by the communication limiter 88 by operating the power switch 46 of the radar detector 40 connected to the interface 80 by wire. -Embodiment 2-3: The communication is limited by the communication limiter 88 in a software manner by operating a menu displayed on the display unit 42 of the radar detector 40 connected to the interface 80 by wire. -Embodiment 2-4: The communication is limited by the communication limiter 88 by controlling the radar detector 40 connected wirelessly to the interface 80. -Embodiment 2-5: The communication is limited by the communication limiter 88 when data other than the data transmitted by the in-vehicle ID or the interface 80 itself is detected. -Embodiment 2-6: The communication is limited by the communication limiter 88 by operating the vehicle.

3-1. Embodiment 2-1 FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to embodiment 2-1 is applied. In the interface 80 shown in the figure, a communication limiter 88 is disposed in the middle of a transmission line 82. The communication limiter 88 is configured with an integrated circuit including a microcomputer and is disposed on a board. The communication limiter 88 has two CAN ports (not shown), one of which is connected to the transmission line 82 on the external device connector 84 side, and the other is connected to the transmission line 82 on the vehicle connector 86 side. A switch 92 is connected to the communication limiter 88 via a wiring 90, and the switch 92 is disposed within reach from the driver's seat inside the vehicle.

Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to a modified embodiment of embodiment 2-1 is applied. In the interface 80 shown in the figure, a microcomputer built into the external device connector 84 operates as a communication limiter 88 (similar to Figures 8, 9, and 11). In the interface 80 shown in Figure 7, a switch 92 is connected via a wiring 90 to a microcomputer built into the external device connector 84 that operates as a communication limiter 88. Note that the communication system 10 shown in Figure 7 does not have an option connector, and as shown in Figure 17 described later, the vehicle side connection part 82a of the transmission line 82 is directly connected to the communication path 12 inside the gateway ECU 26 by soldering or the like (similar to Figures 8, 9, and 11).

In this embodiment, the user manually executes and stops the communication restriction by the communication limiter 88. That is, the communication restriction is executed by turning off the switch 92 connected to the communication limiter 88 shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, and the communication restriction is stopped by turning on the switch 92.

The "communication restriction" by the communication limiter 88 is performed by restricting the communication by the radar detector 40 via the communication path 12 so as to prioritize the communication by the fault diagnosis device 70 when the fault diagnosis device 70 is connected to the OBD2 connector 16 and the radar detector 40 is connected to the external device connector 84 of the interface 80. Specifically, the communication restriction by the communication limiter 88 is performed by one of the following methods (controls): preventing the interface 80 from transmitting a signal that interferes with the operation of the fault diagnosis device 70 to the communication system 10, preventing the interface 80 from accessing the communication system 10, and blocking the transmission of packets from the vehicle connector 86 to the external device connector 84 or in the opposite direction. When communication is not restricted, that is, in normal operation, the communication limiter 88 passes all packets in both directions, from the vehicle connector 86 to the external device connector 84 or in the opposite direction.

3-2. Embodiment 2-2 Figure 8 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to embodiment 2-2 is applied. The interface 80 shown in the figure has a communication limiter 88 that has a function of detecting whether the power switch 46 of the radar detector 40 is on or off.

In this embodiment, the communication limiter 88 manually restricts and stops communication. That is, when the power switch 46 of the radar detector 40 shown in FIG. 8 is turned off, the communication limiter 88 restricts communication in conjunction with this. When the switch 92 is turned on, the communication limiter 88 stops restricting communication in conjunction with this. Specifically, for example, the switch 92 may be configured as a switch that combines the functions of the power switch 46 of the radar detector 40 and the switch 92 in FIG. 7. As another configuration, the radar detector 40 may periodically send a signal to the communication limiter 88, and when the radar detector 40 is turned off and the communication limiter 88 no longer receives this periodic signal, the communication limiter 88 may restrict communication.

The communication limiter 88 of the interface 80 shown in FIG. 6 above may be capable of detecting whether the power switch 46 of the radar detector 40 is on or off. In this way, the communication limiter 88 can be used to implement or stop communication restrictions not only by operating the switch 92 connected to the communication limiter 88, but also by operating the power switch 46 of the radar detector 40.

3-3. Embodiment 2-3 Figure 9 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to embodiment 2-3 is applied. The interface 80 shown in the figure is one in which a communication limiter 88 can receive a signal from a radar detector 40.

In this embodiment, the communication limiter 88 executes or stops the communication restriction in response to the user's operation on the operation unit of the radar detector 40. That is, the user touches the display unit 42 and selects whether to execute or stop the communication restriction in response to an operation of turning on or off the communication restriction on the operation unit (not shown in FIG. 9) of the radar detector 40 or the operation menu 42a displayed on the display unit 42. Depending on whether this is on or off, the radar detector 40 transmits this on or off signal to the communication limiter 88 through the operation of software built into the radar detector 40, and upon receiving this signal, the communication limiter 88 executes or stops the communication restriction in response to the signal.

In the operation menu 42a displayed on the display unit 42 shown in FIG. 9, "When implementing communication restrictions" is displayed as "off" to prevent the interface 80 from accessing the CAN of the communication system 10, and "When stopping communication restrictions" is displayed as "on" to allow the interface 80 to access the CAN of the communication system 10. The figure shows a state in which "off" has been selected in the operation menu 42a and communication restrictions are being implemented.

3-4. Embodiment 2-4 Figure 10 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to embodiment 2-4 is applied. The interface 80 shown in the figure is one in which a communication limiter 88 can receive a signal from a radar detector 40.

The radar detector 40 shown in FIG. 10 is wirelessly connected to the interface 80. The external device connector 84 and the radar detector 40 shown in the figure each have a chip for wireless communication, and the external device connector 84 and the radar detector 40 are connected via wireless communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark).

In this embodiment, the user manually executes and stops the communication restriction by the communication limiter 88. That is, as in embodiment 2-3, the user touches the display unit 42 or the operation unit 44 to display the operation menu 42a on the display unit 42 of the radar detector 40, and selects whether to execute or stop the communication restriction. Then, a signal is sent from the radar detector 40 to the communication limiter 88 by the operation of the software built into the radar detector 40, and the communication limiter 88 that receives this signal executes or stops the communication restriction. Furthermore, communication restriction is also executed when wireless communication between the external device connector 84 and the radar detector 40 becomes impossible for some reason, such as radio wave conditions. Also, when communication restriction is executed due to the inability of wireless communication, the communication restriction is stopped when wireless communication between the external device connector 84 and the radar detector 40 is restored.

3-5. Embodiment 2-5 Figure 11 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to embodiment 2-5 is applied, and an explanatory diagram of the operation. The interface 80 shown in the figure is one in which a communication limiter 88 can receive a signal from a radar detector 40.

Figure 11(a) shows the state in which the OBD2 interface 100 is connected to the OBD2 connector 16, and the connector 74 of the diagnostic device 70 is connected to the OBD2 interface 100. The diagnostic device 70 sends a request message specifying an ID to the ECU 14 it wishes to diagnose. When the ECU 14 receives the request message and recognizes that the ID corresponds to itself, it sends a return message to the communication path 12, and the diagnostic device 70 receives this return message and displays diagnostic information based on the return message.

Similarly, the radar detector 40 also specifies an ID to the ECU 14 from which it wishes to obtain information and sends a request message via the interface 80. When the ECU 14 receives the request message and recognizes that the ID corresponds to itself, it sends a return message to the communication path 12, and the radar detector 40 receives this return message via the interface 80 and displays information based on the return message.

In this embodiment, in order to prevent the fault diagnosis device 70 from detecting an abnormality and stopping access due to a collision between the ID of the request message sent from the fault diagnosis device 70 and the ID of the request message sent from the radar detector 40 via the interface 80, the communication limiter 88 restricts communication in the following two cases. (1) Before the interface 80 transmits a signal (actually, a monitoring time of about several seconds is required), the communication limiter 88 detects that the request message sent from the fault diagnosis device 70 and the request message sent from the radar detector 40 have the same destination (ID of the access destination. FIG. 11(a) shows the case of "7E0"), or detects a return message from the same destination (FIG. 11(a) shows the case of "7E8"). (2) When the interface 80 is accessing and detects a request or return for a different item from the same destination.

For example, if the fault diagnosis device 70 is requesting the engine RPM and the interface 80 is requesting the vehicle speed, the system operates as shown in Figures 11(b) and 11(c). This operation is as follows. First, the fault diagnosis device 70 sends a signal S1 with the CAN ID of the function request (in this case, "engine RPM"). Next, it sends a signal S2 with the CAN ID of the physical request (in this case, "vehicle speed").

Next, engine ECU 14a returns engine RPM information S3 to signal S1, and engine ECU 14a returns vehicle speed information S4 to signal S2. Of the ECUs 14 that receive signal S1, which is a function request, ECUs other than engine ECU 14a that can output "engine RPM" do not respond to signal S1. Since signal S2, which is a physical request, is intended for engine ECU 14a, of the ECUs 14 that receive signal S2, ECUs other than engine ECU 14a ignore signal S1. In FIG. 11(b), signals S1 to S4 are abbreviated and written as "7DF YY...", "7E0 XX...", "7E8 XX...", and "7E8 YY...", respectively.

Here, since the interface 80 has issued a vehicle speed request S2 but has received engine speed information S3 that does not match the request, further transmission is halted. That is, communication is restricted by the communication limiter 88. If there is no return of the "7E8 XX..." signal for a certain period of time thereafter, transmission from the interface 80 is resumed. That is, the communication restriction by the communication limiter 88 is lifted.

3-6. Embodiment 2-6 In this embodiment, the communication limiter 88 of the interface 80 shown in Figures 6 to 11 is capable of detecting the operation of an ignition switch provided in a vehicle.

In this embodiment, the communication restriction by the communication limiter 88 is manually executed and stopped by the user. That is, the communication restriction by the communication limiter 88 is executed by switching an ignition switch (not shown) installed in the vehicle from off to on three times per second (the initial state is off, and the sequence is off → on → off → on → off → on) and detecting that a signal caused by such an ignition switch operation has flowed on the communication path 12 via the ECU of the communication system 10. In addition, the communication restriction by the communication limiter 88 is stopped when the communication limiter 88 detects that a signal caused by a similar ignition switch operation has flowed while the communication restriction is being executed.

4. Third embodiment Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to a third embodiment is applied. The interface according to the third embodiment shown in the figure has the same configuration as the interface shown in Fig. 3 except that a signal converter is provided, and substantially the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

As shown in FIG. 12, the interface 80 has a signal converter 94 provided in the middle of the transmission line 82. The signal converter 94 is composed of an integrated circuit including a microcomputer, and is disposed on a board.

The signal converter 94 converts the signal sent from the ECU 14 into a format that can be used by the radar detector 40, and converts the signal sent from the radar detector 40 into a format that can be used by the ECU 14.

An example of signal format conversion will be described below. As shown in FIG. 12, the format of the request message sent from the radar detector 40 is "7E0**", the format of the response message recognizable by the radar detector 40 is "7E8**", the format of the request message recognizable by the ECU 14 is "700##", and the format of the response message sent from the ECU 14 is "708##".

In this case, the radar detector 40 sends a request message of "7E0**". The request message of "7E0**" flows both to the signal converter 94 side and to the direct communication path 12 side. The signal converter 94 that receives the request message of "7E0**" converts the request message to a "700##" format and immediately sends it to the communication path 12 of the communication system 10. Therefore, the request message "700##" sent by the signal converter 94 flows to the communication path 12 side without a significant delay after the request message "7E0**" sent by the radar detector 40.

ECU 14 receives the request message "700##" flowing through communication path 12, and any ECU 14 that recognizes that the request message is intended for itself transmits a response message "708##" to the communication path. Furthermore, even if ECU 14 receives the request message "7E0**" flowing through communication path 12, it does not recognize (ignores) this message and therefore does not take any action.

The response message "708##" sent by the ECU 14 flows via the option connector 28 to both the signal converter 94 and directly to the radar detector 40. Upon receiving the response message "708##", the signal converter 94 converts the format of the response message to "7E8**" and sends it to the radar detector 40. Upon receiving the response message "7E8##", the radar detector 40 displays information corresponding to this response message on the display unit 42. Furthermore, even if the radar detector 40 receives the request message "708##", it does not recognize (ignore) this message and therefore does not take any action.

Here, "**" and "##" are data that indicate the contents of the request or response. In Figure 12, the flow of request messages is shown with solid lines, and the flow of response messages is shown with dashed lines.

If the radar detector 40 does not receive a response message to the request message within, for example, 100 milliseconds, it will retry sending the request message again. The retry will be performed, for example, three times, and if the response message cannot be received after three retries, it will be considered an error and a message indicating that an error has occurred will be displayed on the display unit 42.

4-1. Another aspect of the third embodiment Another aspect of the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 15. Figures 13 to 15 show a case where the communication system 10 is mounted on a new model automobile, and the radar detector 40 is a device compatible with old automobiles before a model change and is configured to be able to display the 56 items described in the first embodiment, but is not compatible with new automobiles after a model change (hereinafter referred to as a "device not compatible with new automobiles"). Figures 13 to 15 show an example in which a microcomputer built into the external device side connector 84 operates as a signal converter 94. Note that the communication system 10 shown in Figures 13 to 15 does not have an option connector, and the vehicle side connection part 82a of the transmission line 82 is directly connected to the communication path 12 inside the gateway ECU 26 by soldering or the like, as shown in Figure 17 described later.

4-1-1. First Alternative Embodiment Figure 13 shows a state in which the OBD2 interface 100 is connected to the OBD2 connector 16, the connector 50 of the radar detector 40 is connected to the OBD2 interface 100, and nothing is connected to the external device connector 84.

Figure 13 shows the case where a request message is sent to the engine ECU 14a. As shown in Figure 13, the format of the request message sent from the radar detector 40, which is not compatible with new automobiles, is "7E0 XX...", and the format of the response message that can be recognized by the radar detector 40 is "7E8 XX...". The format of the request message that can be recognized by the ECU 14 installed in the new automobile is "700 YY...", and the format of the response message sent from the ECU 14 is "708 YY...". The format of these signals (CAN ID) is the same as in the case shown in Figure 12. The format of the request message and response message sent from the radar detector 40 is compatible with the ECU installed in the old automobile.

This gateway ECU 26 allows a specific CAN ID (in this case, "7xx", the ID used by the fault diagnosis device 70) to pass through, while other CAN IDs (e.g., "B4") are blocked.

The old-format request message "7E0 XX..." sent from the radar detector 40 flows through the OBD2 connector 16 to both the ECU 14 side and the external device connector 84 side inside the gateway ECU 26. When the signal converter 94 built into the external device connector 84 detects the old-format request message "7E0 XX...", it converts it to the new format "700 YY..." and sends it. The engine ECU 14a that receives "700 YY..." sends a new format response message "708 YY...". Even if the engine ECU 14a receives an old-format request message, it does not recognize (ignores) this message and does not take any action. Also, even if the ECUs 14 other than the engine ECU 14a receive an old-format request message or a new format request message "7E0 XX..." addressed to the engine ECU 14a, they do not recognize this message and do not take any action.

The new format response message "708 YY..." sent from the engine ECU 14a flows to both the external device connector 84 and the radar detector 40 via the OBD2 connector 16. When the signal converter 94 built into the external device connector 84 detects the new format response message "708 YY...", it converts it to the old format "7E8 XX..." and sends it. When the radar detector 40 receives the response message "7E8 XX...", it displays information corresponding to this response message on the display unit (not shown in FIG. 13). Furthermore, even if the radar detector 40 receives the new format response message "708 YY...", it does not recognize (ignore) this message and therefore does not take any action.

4-1-2. Second Alternative FIG. 14 shows a state in which the adapter 102, the OBD2 interface 100, and the connector 50 of the radar detector 40 are connected in this order to the external device connector 84 of the interface 80, and nothing is connected to the OBD2 connector 16. The adapter 102 has a first connector 106 at one end of the wiring 104, and a second connector 108 at the other end of the wiring 104. The first connector 106 is connected to the external device connector 84 of the interface 80. The second connector 108 is a connector of the same type as the OBD2 connector 16, and is connected to the connection portion 100a of the OBD2 interface 100. The connector 50 of the radar detector 40 is connected to the connection portion 100b of the OBD2 interface 100.

Figure 14 shows the case where a request message is sent to the hybrid ECU 14b. The old-format request message "7E2 XX..." sent from the radar detector 40 is converted to the new-format "7D2 YY..." by the signal converter 94 built into the external device connector 84 and sent to the ECU 14. The hybrid ECU 14b that receives "7D2 YY..." sends a new-format response message "7DA YY...". Even if ECUs 14 other than the hybrid ECU 14b receive the new-format request message "7D2 YY..." addressed to the hybrid ECU 14b, they do not recognize this message and therefore do not take any action.

The new-format response message "7DA YY..." output from the hybrid ECU 14b flows to both the external device connector 84 and the OBD2 connector 16. When the signal converter 94 built into the external device connector 84 detects the new-format response message "7DA YY...", it converts it to the old-format "7EA XX..." and sends it to the radar detector 40. The radar detector 40, which receives the response message "7EA XX...", displays information corresponding to this response message on the display unit (not shown in FIG. 14).

In addition, when the radar detector 40 is connected to the communication system 10 via the interface 80, the ID inside the gateway ECU 26 is also output to an external device. Figure 14 shows a state in which a signal containing the ID "B4" flowing through the communication path 12 passes through the interface 80 and is output to the radar detector 40.

4-1-3. Third Alternative Embodiment FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the state in which the interface 80 and the radar detector 40 are wirelessly connected in the block diagram shown in FIG. 14. The external device connector 84 and the radar detector 40 shown in the figure each have a chip for wireless communication, and the external device connector 84 and the radar detector 40 are connected via wireless communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark).

In this case, the old-format request message "7E2 XX..." sent from the radar detector 40 is sent to the external device connector via wireless communication and converted to the new-format "7D2 YY..." by a signal converter 94 built into the external device connector 84. The new-format response message "7DA YY..." output from the hybrid ECU 14b is converted to the old-format "7EA XX..." and sent to the radar detector 40 via wireless communication. The signal containing the ID "B4" flowing through the communication path 12 is also sent to the radar detector 40 via wireless communication. Other signal flows are the same as in the second alternative embodiment described above.

5. Fourth embodiment Fig. 16 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to a fourth embodiment is applied. The interface shown in the figure has the same configuration as the interface shown in Fig. 3 except that a second external device side connector is provided, and substantially the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

As shown in FIG. 16, the interface 80 has a bifurcated transmission line 82, and each of the three ends of the transmission line 82 is provided with a second external device connector 96 in addition to an external device connector 84 and a vehicle connector 86.

The vehicle side connector 86 is connected to the option connector 28 as in the other embodiments. The vehicle side connector 86, the external device side connector 84, and the second external device side connector 96 are all positioned inside the vehicle component 30 in positions that cannot be seen from the passenger compartment.

The external device connector 84 is the same type of connector as the option connector 28, and is connected to a connector 60 provided on the car navigation device 52 via a wire 58. The car navigation device 52 is a device that can be selected as a vehicle option at a dealer or purchased separately at an auto parts store after the purchase of the vehicle, and is originally intended to be connected to the option connector 28. The car navigation device 52 is embedded in the center console portion of the instrument panel of the vehicle component 30 with the display unit 54 and operation unit 56 exposed to the passenger compartment. The connector 60 of the car navigation device 52 is provided at the end of the wire 58 drawn out from the rear, and these wires 58 and connector 60 cannot be seen from the passenger compartment.

The second external device side connector 96 is connected to the connector 50 of the radar detector 40. The wiring 48 of the radar detector 40 is arranged so as to pass through the gap between the instrument panel and other parts. The second external device side connector 96 may be arranged inside the vehicle cabin, or may be arranged so that the terminals are exposed on the surface of the vehicle component 30. When arranged inside the vehicle cabin, the transmission line 82 is arranged so as to pass through the gap between the instrument panel and other parts of the vehicle component 30. When arranged so that the terminals are exposed on the surface of the vehicle component 30, a hole is made in the vehicle component 30, and the second external device side connector 96 is fitted into the hole.

6. Modifications of the interface according to the above embodiment The interface according to the above embodiment may be modified as follows. In addition, the interface according to the above embodiment may also be applied to, for example, the following communication systems.

6-1. First Modification Figures 17 and 18 are block diagrams showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to a first modification is applied. The interfaces shown in Figures 17 and 18 have the same configuration as the interfaces shown in Figures 2 and 3, respectively, except that a vehicle-side connector is not provided. The communication system shown in Figure 18 has the same configuration as the communication system and interface shown in Figure 3, except that a gateway ECU and an option connector are not provided, and substantially the same parts are given the same reference numerals.

The communication system 10 shown in FIG. 18 differs from that shown in FIG. 3 in that it does not have a gateway ECU 26, and the part of the communication path 12 to which the ECU 14 is connected is directly connected to the part to which the OBD2 connector 16 is connected.

As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the interface 80 has an external device side connector 84 at one end of a transmission line 82, and no connector is provided at the other end, the vehicle side connection part 82a. The interface 80 has the vehicle side connection part 82a of the transmission line 82 directly connected to the communication path 12 by soldering or the like. As shown in Figure 17, if a gateway ECU 26 is provided, it is directly connected to the communication path 12 inside the gateway ECU 26.

In this case, the interface 80 is connected to the communication system 10 as follows. First, a part of the vehicle component 30 (the instrument panel) is removed to expose and make accessible the communication path 12, and then the vehicle side connection part 82a is connected to the communication path 12 by soldering or the like. The external device side connector 84 is fitted into a hole provided in the vehicle component 30 and positioned so that the terminals are exposed on the surface of the vehicle component 30. The instrument panel is then reinstalled in its original position.

6-2. Second Modification FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to a second modification is applied. The communication system and interface shown in the figure have the same configuration as the communication system and interface shown in FIG. 3, except that an option connector, a vehicle-side connector, and an external device-side connector are not provided, and substantially the same parts are given the same reference numerals.

The interface 80 shown in FIG. 19 does not have a connector on either the external device side connection part 82b, which is one end of the transmission line 82, or the vehicle side connection part 82a, which is the other end. In the interface 80, the external device side connection part 82b of the transmission line 82 is directly connected to the radar detector 40 by soldering or the like, and the vehicle side connection part 82a is directly connected inside the gateway ECU 26 of the communication path 12 by soldering or the like.

In this case, the interface 80 is connected to the communication system 10 as follows. First, a part of the vehicle component 30 (the instrument panel) is removed to expose and make accessible the communication path 12, and then the vehicle side connection part 82a is connected to the communication path 12 by soldering or the like. The transmission line 82 is pulled out to the passenger compartment side, and the external device side connection part 82b is connected to the radar detector 40 by soldering or the like. The radar detector 40 is then placed in a specified position on the instrument panel, and the instrument panel is attached to its original position. At this time, the transmission line 82 is positioned so that it passes through the gap between the instrument panel and other parts of the vehicle component 30.

6-3. Third Modification FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system to which an interface according to a third modification is applied. In the communication system and interface shown in the figure, parts that are substantially the same as those in the communication system and interface shown in FIG. 2 are given the same reference numerals.

The difference between the communication system 10 shown in FIG. 20 and the communication system 10 shown in FIG. 2 is that the communication path 12 to which the engine ECU 14a and the hybrid ECU 14b are connected is independent from the communication path 12 to which the body ECU 14d and the meter ECU 14e are connected, and that a communication path 12 to which the millimeter wave ECU 14g and the ITS (intelligent transport systems) connect ECU 14h are connected is added.

The communication path 12, ECU 14, gateway ECU 26, and option connector 28 are arranged in a space outside the vehicle cabin (a part that is not visible on the outside or inside the vehicle cabin) that is separated from the vehicle cabin by a vehicle component 30 such as an instrument panel. The OBD2 connector 16 is arranged so that its terminals are exposed on the surface of the vehicle component 30, and a connector 74 provided on a fault diagnosis device 70 can be connected from inside the vehicle cabin.

The interface 80 includes four transmission lines 82, an external device connector 84, and a vehicle side connector 86. All four transmission lines 82 are connected to the external device side connector 84. One of the transmission lines 82 has a vehicle side connector 86 at the end that is not connected to the external device side connector 84. Figure 20 shows the state in which the connector 50 of the radar detector 40 is connected to the external device side connector 84.

The control member such as a microcomputer built into the external device connector 84 has four CAN ports and a UART port. The four CAN ports are connected to the respective transmission lines 82, and the UART port is connected to the wiring 48 side (connector 50 side). The control member such as a microcomputer built into the external device connector 84 has a function to transmit CAN packet data acquired from the transmission line 82 side to the wiring 48 side as serial data, and a function to transmit serial data received from the wiring 48 side to the transmission line 82 side as a CAN packet.

The three transmission lines 82 that do not have a vehicle-side connector 86 are directly connected by soldering or the like at the vehicle-side connection section 82a to the communication path 12 to which the engine ECU 14a and hybrid ECU 14b are connected, the communication path 12 to which the body ECU 14d and meter ECU 14e are connected, and the communication path 12 to which the millimeter wave ECU 14g and ITS connect ECU 14h are connected. This allows signals output from all ECUs 14 to be received from the external device connector 84, and the radar detector 40 connected to the external device connector 84 can receive signals necessary for operation.

<Another aspect of the third modified example> Another aspect of the third modified example will be described with reference to Figure 21. The communication system and interface shown in this figure have the same configuration as the communication system and interface shown in Figure 3, except that multiple communication paths to which ECUs are connected are provided, and substantially the same parts are given the same reference numerals.

The communication system 10 shown in FIG. 21 includes five communication paths 12, multiple ECUs 14, a gateway ECU 26, and an OBD2 connector 16. The communication system 10 may include other components (e.g., connectors, electronic control devices, etc.).

All five communication paths 12 are connected to the gateway ECU 26, one of which is connected to the engine ECU 14a and hybrid ECU 14b, another to the body ECU 14d and meter ECU 14e, another to the millimeter wave ECU 14g and ITS connect ECU 14h, another to the option connector 28, and the remaining one to the OBD2 connector 16. In other words, all communication paths 12 are indirectly connected via the gateway ECU 26.

The communication path 12, ECU 14, gateway ECU 26, and option connector 28 are arranged in a space outside the vehicle cabin (a part that is not visible on the outside or inside the vehicle cabin) that is separated from the vehicle cabin by a vehicle component 30 such as an instrument panel. The OBD2 connector 16 is arranged so that its terminals are exposed on the surface of the vehicle component 30, and a connector 74 provided on a fault diagnosis device 70 can be connected from inside the vehicle cabin. Figure 21 shows a state in which the connector 60 of the car navigation device 52 is connected to the option connector 28, and the connector 74 of the fault diagnosis device 70 is connected to the OBD2 connector 16.

The interface 80 has four transmission lines 82 and an external device side connector 84, and all four transmission lines 82 are connected to the external device side connector 84. Figure 21 shows the state in which the connector 50 of the radar detector 40 is connected to the external device side connector 84.

The four transmission lines 82 are directly connected by soldering or the like to the communication path 12 to which the ECU 14 or the option connector 28 is directly connected at the vehicle side connection portion 82a. This allows the external device side connector 84 to receive all signals output from the ECUs 14 and signals output from the external device connected to the option connector 28 (in this case, the car navigation device 52), and the radar detector 40 connected to the external device side connector 84 can receive signals necessary for operation.

The external device connector 84 may be located anywhere, but FIG. 21 shows it located so that the terminals are exposed on the surface of the vehicle component 30. The instrument panel or other vehicle component 30 has a hole into which the external device connector 84 can be fitted. Alternatively, a connector may be provided on each of the vehicle side connection parts 82a of the four transmission lines 82 and the corresponding communication paths 12, and the vehicle side connection parts 82a and the communication paths 12 may be connected via the connector.

In the interface 80 according to the present invention described in the above embodiment and modification, instead of connecting the external device connector 84 and the vehicle connector 86 with the transmission line 82, a chip for wireless communication may be provided in each of the external device connector 84 and the vehicle connector 86, and the external device connector 84 and the vehicle connector 86 may be connected via wireless communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark).

In the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the option connector 28 and the vehicle side connector 86 of the interface 80 are directly connected, but as shown in Figure 22, a T-shaped harness 110 may be arranged between the option connector 28 and the vehicle side connector 86 of the interface 80. The T-shaped harness 110 includes a bifurcated wiring 112 and a first connector 114, a second connector 116, and a third connector 118 provided at each of the three ends of the wiring 112. The first connector 114 is a connector of the same type as the vehicle side connector 86 of the interface 80 and is connected to the option connector 28. The second connector 116 is a connector of the same type as the option connector 28 and is connected to the vehicle side connector 86. The third connector 118 is a connector of the same type as the option connector 28. The third connector 118 is connected to an external device of a dealer option that is originally connected to the option connector 28, not shown. By using the T-type harness 110, you can use dealer option external devices and other external devices even when using the interface 80.

Two T-type harnesses 110 may be prepared, the first connector 114 of one T-type harness 110 may be connected to the option connector 28, the second connector 116 of the other T-type harness 110 may be connected to the vehicle side connector 86, and the second connector 116 of one T-type harness 110 may be connected to the first connector 114 of the other T-type harness 110. This allows two third connectors 118 to be used, and increases the number of connectable external devices. Three or more T-type harnesses 110 may be connected. The type of the third connector 118 does not have to be the same as the option connector 28.

In the above embodiment, the interface 80 has been described as having a configuration including a transmission line 82, but as shown in FIG. 23, the interface 80 may be configured by integrating the external device side connector 84 and the vehicle side connector 86, without the transmission line 82. In this case, for example, as shown in the figure, the external device side connector 84 is connected to the connector 50 of the radar detector 40, the vehicle side connector 86 is connected to the second connector 116 of the above-mentioned T-type harness 110, and the first connector 114 of the T-type harness 110 is connected to the option connector 28.

In the above embodiment, a control member such as a microcomputer that transmits and receives signals and performs control has been described as being built into the external device connector 84, but the control member may also be built into the vehicle connector 86. In addition, the control member may operate as either or both of the communication limiter 88 and the signal converter 94 described in the above embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the vehicle connector 86 is described as a male connector and the option connector 28 is a female connector, but the vehicle connector 86 may be a female connector and the option connector 28 may be a male connector that fits into the female connector.

In the above embodiment, the radar detector 40 is configured to have a connector 50 at the end of the wiring 48 pulled out from the inside, and the connector 50 is connected to the external device side connector 84 of the interface 80. However, it is also possible to provide a main body side connector on the main body of the radar detector 40, and use wiring instead of the wiring 48 to connect a connector that fits into this main body side connector to the connector 50, and connect the main body of the radar detector 40 to the external device side connector 84 of the interface 80 using this wiring.

In the above embodiment, communication between the external device connector 84 and the radar detector 40 is configured to be via UART, but the communication method between the external device connector 84 and the radar detector 40 is not limited to this and may be, for example, UART, USB, or other serial communication, or a network such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or CAN.

The radar detector 40 is configured to acquire vehicle information every 0.5 seconds, but the cycle for acquiring vehicle information may be faster than 0.5 seconds, such as 0.2 seconds or 0.25 seconds, and may be variable depending on the number of display items and items to be acquired set by the user. For example, when a quick response is required, such as "engine speed" or "intake manifold pressure," the cycle may be made faster (e.g., 0.1 seconds), and conversely, when a quick response is not required, such as "coolant temperature" or "outside air temperature," the cycle may be made slower (e.g., 10 seconds), and vehicle information may be acquired separately for each item.

In the above embodiment, the radar detector 40 can output 56 items of information, but it may also be possible to generate and output information other than these 56 items. For example, in a hybrid vehicle, it may be possible to output information such as "HV battery charge/discharge current," "battery capacity," "engine running ratio," and "gasoline consumption." "HV battery charge/discharge current" and "battery capacity" can be obtained directly from the vehicle.

The "engine driving ratio" is the ratio of the distance traveled by the engine to the total driving distance of a hybrid vehicle; the lower this value, the better the fuel economy. The "engine driving ratio" indicates the distance traveled by the engine, and serves as a guide for when to change the engine oil. For example, if the total driving distance shown on the trip meter is 5,000 km and the "engine driving ratio" displayed on the radar detector 40 is 50%, then the distance traveled by the engine is only 2,500 km, and the user can determine that there is no need to change the oil yet.

In addition, "gasoline consumption" is effective in the following cases. For example, when the heater is turned on in winter, the engine is started just to warm the interior even in situations where it would normally be stopped (for example, when going downhill or waiting at a traffic light), which uses gasoline and reduces fuel efficiency. By displaying "gasoline consumption" on the radar detector 40 at this time, the user can pay attention to fuel efficiency. In particular, in vehicles that are not equipped with a tachometer (engine rotation speed meter), it is difficult for the user to grasp the level of engine operation, so displaying "gasoline consumption" is effective in increasing the user's interest in fuel efficiency.

In implementation 2-1 of the second embodiment, the communication limiter 88 is arranged in the middle of the transmission line 82 as shown in FIG. 6, but the communication limiter 88 may also be connected to wiring 82c connected in the middle of the transmission line 82 as shown in FIG. 24.

In implementation 2-4 of the second embodiment, the communication restriction by the communication limiter 88 is performed or stopped by selecting from the operation menu displayed on the display unit 42 of the wirelessly connected radar detector 40, but as in implementation 2-2, the communication restriction by the communication limiter 88 may be performed or stopped by turning on or off the power switch 46 of the radar detector 40.

In implementation 2-5 of the second embodiment, the communication limiter 88 is configured to limit communication when it detects a CAN ID conflict, but the communication limiter 88 may be configured to limit communication when it detects that a signal other than the signal transmitted from the radar detector 40 has been transmitted to the communication system 10.

In addition to the method described in the second embodiment, the communication limiter 88 may also limit and stop communication when it detects that the fault diagnosis device 70 and the radar detector 40 are connected via the communication path 12 and the transmission line 82. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 25, an ammeter 98 may be disposed in a portion of the communication path 12 between the gateway ECU 26 and the OBD2 connector 16, and the communication limiter 88 may limit and stop communication when the ammeter 98 detects the current consumption of the fault diagnosis device 70 connected to the OBD2 connector 16. The ammeter 98 is connected to the communication limiter 88 by a wire 82d. The ammeter 98 may be, for example, a clamp ammeter.

In the second embodiment, embodiment 2-1 to embodiment 2-6 are shown, but these embodiments may be combined. For example, by combining embodiment 2-1 with embodiment 2-2 to embodiment 2-6, when the execution and stopping of communication restriction by the communication limiter 88 in embodiment 2-2 to embodiment 2-6 is unstable, the execution and stopping of communication restriction can be reliably performed by operating the switch 92.

The radar detector 40 is configured such that the operation unit 44 is provided on the main body of the radar detector 40, but the operation unit 44 may be a remote control connected to the main body of the radar detector 40 by wire or wirelessly, or the operation unit 44 may be provided on the main body and used together as a remote control.

In the third embodiment, a configuration was described in which the interface 80 shown in Figures 12 to 15 includes a signal converter 94. The interface 80 shown in these figures may be provided with a communication limiter 88 shown in Figure 6 and the like in addition to the signal converter 94. This allows not only signal conversion by the signal converter 94, but also communication restriction by the communication limiter 88 described in the second embodiment. The signal converter 94 and the communication limiter 88 may be a control member such as a microcomputer that transmits and receives signals and controls the signals and is built into the external device side connector 84 or the vehicle side connector 86, and operates as the communication limiter 88 and the signal converter 94.

In addition, in the third embodiment, a configuration was described in which the ECU 14 does not recognize the request message "7E0**", but regardless of whether the ECU 14 recognizes the request message "7E0**", the gateway ECU 26 blocks the request message "7E0**", and the request message "7E0**" may not flow inside the gateway ECU 26.

The external device side connector 84 and the second external device side connector 96 may have the same configuration as the vehicle side connector 86 shown in FIG. 5.

In the third modified example, a configuration in which transmission and reception between the external device side connector 84 and the wiring 48 side is performed via a UART port has been described using FIG. 20, but this UART port may be another type of port, for example, a CAN port. If it is a CAN port, the interface 80 will combine four CAN lines (four communication paths 12) into one CAN line (one wiring 48). In other words, the interface 80 in this case performs the function of combining multiple lines into one. By using this interface 80, the configuration becomes equivalent to that of an old vehicle without a gateway ECU 26, and even if the gateway ECU 26 blocks signals flowing inward and some information does not flow to the OBD2 connector 16 outside the gateway ECU 26, it is possible to use external devices and interfaces for old vehicles.

7. System for collecting data from a communication system using an interface according to the present invention Next, we will explain a system for collecting data from a communication system using an interface according to the present invention.

7-1. Prior Art and Background In the interface 80 described in each of the above embodiments, a program is built into a microcomputer built into the external device side connector 84 or the vehicle side connector 86 or a microcomputer connected to the transmission line 82, and the microcomputer is used to monitor the CAN of the communication system 10, to transmit data to the CAN, and to monitor packets that exchange information between the ECUs of the vehicle that control the vehicle, and to transmit data to the ECUs of the vehicle.
It is possible to transmit an inquiry packet to U and obtain the contents of the response packet. From the data such as engine RPM contained in the packet obtained by such monitoring or acquisition, data for a radar detector or navigation system can be generated and transmitted.

However, the format of these packets varies depending on the vehicle, and since the vehicle manufacturer only needs to be able to control the vehicle and the information does not need to be disclosed to third parties, the interface manufacturer must analyze it every time a new car is released. This requires that vehicles be procured every time. Also, if they try to display information on new items, they have to re-procure and re-analyze even older models of vehicles, which creates a costly issue.

On the other hand, in this age of big data, anyone who collects valuable data can reap the benefits. For example, data obtained from in-vehicle networks such as CAN, for example data obtained via an OBD2 connector, is a treasure trove, and acquiring this data and collecting it on a server is extremely useful.

7-2. Means for solving the problem As a result of the inventors' investigation into the above problems, they came up with the following configurations (1) to (9) as means for solving the problem. It is advisable to carry out processing consisting of these procedures instead of or in addition to the processing performed by the microcomputer built into the external device side connector 84 of the interface 80 shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the processing by the communication limiter 88, and the processing by the signal converter 94, which have been described in the above embodiments. Below, a case will be described in which the in-vehicle network constituted by the communication system 10 is a CAN, but the present invention can also be applied to networks other than CAN.

(1) For example, it has a communication function such as wireless LAN or LTE, and has a function of wirelessly transmitting packets such as CAN packets acquired by the interface 80 to a server and storing them.

(2) The interface 80 has a function to display and set a screen on the screen of an external device (such as a radar detector 40 or a PND (portable navigation device, portable car navigation system)) that allows the user to set the vehicle's vehicle model (such as the model number listed on the vehicle inspection certificate), the type of safety equipment, and whether or not each type of safety equipment is installed.

(3) The information (2) above is added to the information (1) above and transmitted, and the correspondence between the CAN packets and the vehicle model, the correspondence between the CAN packets and the type of safety equipment installed, or the correspondence between the CAN packets and the vehicle model and the safety equipment installed is stored in the server. This makes it possible to analyze the contents of the CAN packets flowing for each vehicle model from these correspondences. Therefore, the manufacturer of the interface 80 does not need to procure vehicles on its own, collect packets on its own, and determine the contents of the packets to be restricted by the communication limiter and the packets to be converted by the signal converter. By analyzing what data is flowing and when for the same vehicle model between users, the manufacturer can determine the contents of the packets to be restricted by the communication limiter and the packets to be converted by the signal converter. In addition, it is easy to obtain new knowledge by comparing the differences in data between different vehicle models. For example, it becomes easy to determine the contents of the packets to be converted by the signal converter.

(4) It is preferable to set in advance what the trigger is and the range of packets that the interface 80 will acquire and transmit, and to acquire packets within the set range and transmit them together with information indicating the type of trigger. In particular, it is preferable to configure this range to be set from the server side via wireless communication. In this way, the server side can determine from a large amount of accumulated data that information will flow to the CAN in a certain packet pattern when a certain type of trigger occurs. This determination process can be performed automatically by comparing a large amount of data or automatically using machine learning, etc. Examples of trigger types are given below in (4-1) to (4-3).

(4-1) For example, by detecting power noise caused by turning on the ACC switch or starting the engine when the ignition switch installed in the vehicle is operated, information is captured in packets for a few seconds (e.g., 5 seconds) before and after the detection and transmitted to a server.

(4-2) For example, the trigger is a known packet ID and data pattern obtained from CAN. For example, the packet ID and data specified by ISO are used as the trigger. The data can be, for example, "transmit while the engine speed is below xxx revolutions" or "transmit when the water temperature is xxx degrees Celsius or higher." In this way, the trigger can be set without the need for wiring.

(4-3) For example, in cases where a signal line is branched to a vehicle sensor or actuator, such as an engine starter or car security, or where a sensor is directly attached to the sensor or actuator, the signal is input to the interface 80 (or an external device such as a radar detector 40 or PND to which it is connected). The trigger is then when the state of these sensors, etc. reaches a desired state. For example, a "door open" sensor may transmit a packet from one second before the "door open" state is reached to one second after the "door closed" state is reached. In this way, the causal relationship between door opening and the contents of the packet can be more reliably identified, and it also becomes easier to compare the same or different car models of multiple users.

(5) In the communication system 10 shown in Fig. 20 and Fig. 21, multiple CANs are installed in the vehicle, and the multiple CAN lines (communication paths 12) are connected by a gateway ECU 26. Information is acquired from the multiple CAN lines, and a timestamp is attached to each piece of acquired information before it is sent to the server. The server can analyze what kind of packet is sent to other CAN lines when what packet arrives on what CAN line. This makes it easy to analyze which CAN line should be connected to our equipment to obtain the appropriate information. (A method similar to the method in (6) below may be used to discover correlations between data packets between multiple CAN lines.)

(5-1) The network is not limited to CAN. It is also possible to connect to both CAN and Ethernet (registered trademark) to obtain correlation, or to obtain correlation between CAN and CANFD (CAN with Flexible Data Rate) within a single network.

(6) Using machine learning or deep learning on the acquired data, it is possible to determine what kind of packets will be output when a certain trigger is input. For example, this can be done using unsupervised learning, or it can be done using known triggers that send out known packets as teachers to derive information indicated by those packets for known triggers of unknown vehicle models. If this processing is done on a microcomputer, it can be done without incurring communication costs. Furthermore, if it is done on the server side, it can be done more accurately by taking into account information from multiple vehicles.

(7) For the user, useful information based on the accumulated data obtained from the CAN is provided from the server via the Web, etc. For example, each communication interface 80 stores its own individual identification information, and the above-mentioned microcomputer transmits the individual identification information to the server along with the above-mentioned CAN packet. The identification information may be stored in the microcomputer at the time of factory shipment, but a configuration may also be used in which a user ID, etc. inputted by a connected radar detector 40, etc., is stored as the individual identification information. The server displays the vehicle's fuel economy, fault diagnosis information, various logs, etc., on a page provided for each individual identification information, based on the contents of the CAN packet stored in association with that individual identification information. For example, a configuration may be used in which the information can be viewed from a dedicated page for each user set up on the Web by the manufacturer of the communication interface 80.

(7-1) Information associated with the content of the radar detector 40 or a PND connected to the interface 80 in the same way as the radar detector 40, and operation information of a security device, engine starter, etc. connected to the interface 80 in the same way as the radar detector 40, can be sent from these devices to the above-mentioned microcomputer of the interface 80, and then sent to a server in the same way as above, where it can be stored and provided to the user via the Web, etc. It is particularly desirable to have a function for displaying user operations in chronological order.

(8) A screen explaining the benefits of providing data is displayed on the screen of the radar detector 40, PND, etc., and a selection screen for whether or not to consent to the provision of information is displayed when the OBD2 connector 16 is first connected, etc. The user is then prompted to select whether or not to transmit the information obtained from the CAN according to this setting.

(9) The interface will be sold as compatible with all vehicle models with a built-in function to acquire ISO and other information that can be acquired by any vehicle and display it on an RD, etc. After that, once the analysis of the relationship between the packets and information analyzed by the mechanisms of (1) to (8) above is complete, the server will send an instruction to start a software update to the microcomputer mentioned above, and the microcomputer will process the software update. This will automatically make it possible to display any unique information that can be acquired by the vehicle at any time.

8. Dealing with external attacks on the in-vehicle network For example, in a new vehicle, when an external device such as a radar detector 40 for older vehicles is connected via the interface 80 according to the present invention, the packets sent as information signals from the external device or the interface 80 may not be compatible with the new vehicle, and the external device or the interface 80 may not be usable. There is also a possibility that the in-vehicle network (communication system 10) may be attacked from the outside. In such a case, a program may be built into the microcomputer built into the external device side connector 84 or the vehicle side connector 86 of the interface 80 described in each of the above embodiments, or into the microcomputer connected to the transmission line 82, and this microcomputer (hereinafter also referred to as the "microcomputer of the interface 80") may be used to take the following measures (a) to (h), for example.

(a) The microcomputer of the interface 80 may be given the function of monitoring communications in the communication system 10. If a warning log communication occurs in the in-vehicle communication system 10 after a packet, which is an information signal, is sent from the interface 80, it may be determined that an abnormality has been detected, and the packet may be subject to a design change.

In particular, it is advisable to monitor the number of transmitted bytes of the packet, and if the number of transmitted bytes deviates from normal, it is determined that an abnormality has been detected. In addition, the transmission interval of the warning log may be monitored, and if the transmission interval time is different from normal, it may be determined that an abnormality has been detected.

If it is determined that an abnormality has occurred, the packets sent from interface 80 before that determination should be considered as abnormal, and those packets should be subject to design changes.

Machine learning (e.g., deep learning) may be used to learn the relationship between packets sent from the interface 80 and packets of log data, and a model may be generated to distinguish whether or not a packet is considered to be abnormal.

Machine learning may be performed, for example, by the microcomputer of the interface 80 itself. Alternatively, the interface 80 may be provided with a communication function, and the communication function may be used to transmit packets sent from the interface 80 and packets of log data to an external server wirelessly connected to the interface 80.

(b) In recent years, automobiles equipped with Internet communication functions, so-called connected cars, have been developed. In connected cars, there is a risk that the on-board communication system may be subject to external attacks. Potential attacks include, for example, statistical attacks, message-level attacks, and timing attacks.

A "statistical attack" is, for example, an attack in which an attacker transmits data when traffic conditions are such that the attack is difficult to detect, or a denial of service attack launched by an unauthorized person on a vehicle. A denial of service attack, for example, disables a communication bus (communication path) such as a CAN-BUS with a large amount of data, thereby blocking access from the ECU to the CAN-BUS.

A "message level attack" is, for example, an attack in which malicious messages are inserted. These messages may, for example, have a different format or contain anomalous content.

A "timing attack" is one in which, for example, malicious messages are inserted to appear to have normal content and message ratings, but in fact violate the normal timing sequence of such messages within a vehicle.

(b-1) As a countermeasure against "statistical attacks," the microcomputer in the interface 80 learns the network traffic patterns and adjusts the timing of data transmission so that the data is sent in accordance with those traffic patterns.

(b-2) As a countermeasure against "message-level attacks" and "timing attacks", the contents and timing of network packet transmissions are learned. As for the contents of transmissions, it is particularly effective to learn the correspondence between some of the packet fields. For example, the correspondence between the ID and data fields is learned.

A packet that does not fall within the learned ID and data relationship is sent, and a check is made to see if it is judged to be abnormal as described above in (a). The packet that is not judged to be abnormal is the one to be used. In particular, it is advisable to use packets that are not judged to be abnormal from among those that are not used as IDs. A "packet that does not fall within the learned ID and data relationship" would be, for example, a packet whose ID exists in the learning content so far, but whose data was not included in the learning content.

Regarding timing, the time between packets sent to the network and both packets can be used as explanatory variables, and the state of actuators or known OBD data that has subsequently changed can be used as the objective variable. The learning results can tell which packet changes which actuator or known OBD data.

(c) The interface 80 may issue a warning when an abnormality is detected in the microcomputer and when providing information about the system status. In the following, a warning issued when an abnormality is detected in the network is referred to as an "abnormality warning," and a warning issued when providing information about the software system status is referred to as a "system warning." The warning may be issued from a display or speaker of an external device, such as a car navigation system or radar detector 40, connected to the interface 80.

An "abnormality warning" is issued when a state deviates from the standards created during the learning phase in the interface 80's microcontroller. Items that may cause an abnormality warning to be issued include, for example, "invalid CAN ID," "CAN timing warning," "invalid payload length," "invalid payload value," "denial of service attack," and "invalid sequence."

"Invalid CAN ID" is raised when the application identifies an invalid CAN ID using a DBC (database CAN) file. The DBC file should be provided by the OEM or vendor. "CAN Timing Warning" is raised when the application detects an inserted message. "Invalid Payload Length" is raised when the application detects a malicious payload based on an invalid payload length in the CAN ID. "Invalid Payload Value" is raised when the application detects a malicious payload. "Denial of Service Attack" is raised when the application detects a denial of service attack, such as flooding the network with data without waiting for a system response. "Invalid Sequence" is raised when the application detects a violation of a state pattern. The state pattern should be part of the criteria created during the product learning phase.

"System warnings" may be, for example, "Increased memory usage warning", "Input validation warning", "Audit log", "CAN data loading", etc.

The "High memory usage warning" is issued when the application's memory usage becomes higher than expected. The "Input validation warning" is issued when input validation fails for specific data, such as message timestamp or payload length. The "Audit log" is an audit log such as data logging start or data logging end. The "CAN data loading" is a warning when CAN data loading starts/stops.

Of the two types of warnings, abnormal warnings are the most important, so it is a good idea to determine whether they are system or abnormal warnings and only modify packets that contain abnormal warnings.

(d) The "abnormal warning" issued by the interface 80 includes the above-mentioned "invalid CAN ID", "CAN timing warning", "invalid payload length", "invalid payload value", and "denial of service attack", as well as items such as "severity of warning" and "information indicating whether the bus where the problem occurred is a high-speed bus or a low-speed bus". It is advisable to read the log and exclude information about packets detected as abnormal from the training data for packet learning in the system established by the manufacturer of the interface 80 for learning. In particular, it is advisable to have a function for adjusting "invalid CAN ID", "invalid payload length", and "invalid payload value" so that they are not used as invalid. Furthermore, it is advisable to have the training data include a distinction between valid data and invalid data.

(e) The microcomputer of the interface 80 detects a change in the software version of the ECU 14 (so-called update) and detects changes (differences) between network packets before the update and after the update. Then, (e1) the change is wirelessly transmitted to the cloud. (e2) In particular, when packets of an external device such as a car navigation system connected to the interface 80 or an address used by the interface 80 stop flowing (address change, data field content change), a notification of this fact and information on the newly flowing address and new packets are also transmitted to the cloud. The cloud outputs information on which packet before the update corresponds to which packet after the update using machine learning or the like. The software update of the ECU 14 is preferably configured to send the updated software from a fault diagnosis device 70 connected to the OBD2 connector 16, and may further be performed wirelessly.

To detect updates, it is recommended to detect (A-1) to (A-4) of "9" (described later), for example.

(f) Monitor and record request messages to the ECU 14 (from the fault diagnosis device 70, etc.) and response messages from the ECU 14 to those request messages. Monitor and record whether the response message is a positive response message indicating "that an instruction has been executed and the result" or a negative response message indicating "that an instruction cannot be executed and the reason for this." If the response message changes from positive to negative after a software update, upload that information to the cloud.

(g) The fault diagnosis machine is also required to be updated in response to vehicle updates. However, the fault diagnosis machine and the vehicle do not necessarily request updates at the same time. Therefore, for example, it is advisable to prioritize packets sent by the diagnostic machine even when an update is required. In particular, it is advisable to prioritize packets specified by ISO that are common between vehicle models.

(h) It is advisable to use as an explanatory variable for learning whether the message destination type is physical addressing or not.

9. Operations related to software updates In relation to the software update of the ECU 14 described in (e) of "8" above, for example, the following operations may be performed.

(A-1) When a software update is detected, it is preferable to notify the user that an update is necessary as follows. The notification can be made using a display or speaker of an external device such as a car navigation system or radar detector 40 connected to the interface 80. - The notification that an update is necessary is made when the vehicle is not moving. - The update is performed if the user who has been notified that an update is necessary agrees. - It is determined whether the situation requires a notification to the user in order to perform an update, or whether the situation does not require a notification to the user. - If the part to be updated does not affect the current situation, the update may be performed automatically.

(A-2) If an update becomes necessary, the following notifications will be given: - An instruction to park the car in a safe place before performing the update. - The time required to perform the update. - That the car cannot be moved while the update is being performed. - That the engine will be turned off and on automatically during the update. - That the vehicle doors will be locked during the update. - An instruction not to leave anyone in the car. - An instruction to leave the car. Note that, contrary to the notifications for the above items, a notification will be given to the driver's seat to ensure that someone is present during the update.

(A-3) After the update is complete, a notification is issued requesting a specific user operation. For example, a notification such as "Please try starting the engine."

(A-4) The version check sequence before and after an update can be, for example, as follows: - When making changes to information flowing through the network, it is necessary to update multiple ECUs 14 at the same time. The IDs of the ECUs 14 that need to be updated together are stored in a table, and an inquiry is made according to the contents stored in the table. - If the version of each ECU 14 returned in response to the inquiry differs from the combination stored in the table, each ECU 14 is updated. - After the update, an inquiry is made again to check whether it matches the version stored in the table. Note that the interface 80 can monitor the version check sequence and/or the version rewrite sequence, and determine whether an update has been performed based on whether or not one has occurred.

For example, the above-mentioned microcomputer etc. may have the following functions: (A) A function to detect power-on, such as when the vehicle's ACC is turned on, and capture CAN packets when the power is turned on. In particular, CAN packets may be captured both before and after power-on. Based on the difference between the packets captured when the power is turned on and the packets captured while the vehicle is running, characteristic packets may be extracted when the power is turned on, and authentication information between the ECU 14 inside the vehicle may be estimated based on the packets, and the authentication information may be used for communication between the ECU 14 and the microcomputer. In vehicles that have a function to initially perform authentication between ECUs when communicating between ECUs, authentication is likely to be performed when communication begins after power is turned on to the ECU, but such a configuration makes it possible to more reliably estimate the authentication information.

(A) The above-mentioned microcomputer may have two or more CAN ports, a first CAN port connected to a communication path inside the gateway ECU, a second CAN port connected to a communication path outside the gateway ECU, a packet detected as a known "intrusion" is sent from the second CAN port, and a function is provided to determine whether the gateway ECU has an intrusion detection system (IDS) or not based on whether the packet detected as a known "intrusion" passes through the first CAN port, and a function is provided to change the content of the packet sent from the CAN port of the microcomputer connected to the outside of the gateway depending on whether the gateway ECU has an IDS or not. This determination may be always performed when the microcomputer is started up, but it may be performed when a dealer's mechanic detects that a device equipped with the microcomputer (for example, the interface 80 described in each of the above embodiments) has been installed on a vehicle for the first time, and the result is stored, and thereafter, the user may have a function to change the content of the packet sent from the CAN port of the microcomputer connected to the outside of the gateway based on the stored result.

Furthermore, if a packet that is known to be detected as an "intrusion" is sent from the second CAN port and a corresponding packet is detected at the first CAN port, the corresponding packet can be determined to be a "packet generated during an intrusion" or stored, and if the packet is detected when a packet known to be detected as an "intrusion" is not sent from the second CAN port, the microcontroller can determine that an intrusion has occurred.

For example, when an installer (such as a mechanic at a mass retailer or specialty store) of an interface 80 having a microcomputer installs (sets up) the interface 80, a packet that is detected as a known "intrusion" by an in-vehicle IDS is sent out, and the microcomputer processes the packet to check whether any unusual signals are sent out as signals to the ECU responsible for notifying the driver and as signals to the ECU that communicates with the outside world via LTE or the like. If any unusual signals are detected, the contents of the signals are stored, and when the device is actually used by a user after setup, a determination is made as to whether or not an actual intrusion has occurred based on whether or not these stored signals are detected. This makes it possible for an aftermarket product equipped with the microcomputer connected to the CAN bus to detect that an abnormality has been detected by the IDS.

(c) Information left in the vehicle's ECU 14 is used for criminal investigations, etc. For example, CAN packets that flowed on the communication path for several tens of seconds before and after the operation of the airbag ECU are stored in the ECU 14. In addition, the infotainment ECU 14 stores records of calls from a wirelessly connected smartphone and the results of voice recognition. In some cases, the vehicle user cannot know what information is stored in the vehicle. Some users may find this unpleasant. Therefore, it is advisable to provide a function to determine what the vehicle has stored based on information obtained by the above-mentioned microcomputer connected to the communication path, and to provide an indication of this. In particular, it is advisable to provide the microcomputer or a device connected to the microcomputer with a function to display whether information that can be used to infer the user's behavior, personal information, etc. has been stored.

The ECU 14 should also have a function for transmitting information required for investigation and information required for vehicle operation (e.g., fault diagnosis) separately according to the type of request so that the information can be obtained from outside.

(D) It is advisable to provide a wireless LAN connection function (Wi-Fi) in a microcomputer or in devices such as radar detectors, drive recorders, and PNDs connected to a microcomputer, and to provide a function for capturing Wi-Fi packets in addition to communicating with a normal server. The user is instructed to operate the vehicle's genuine smartphone app, and the Wi-Fi packets and CAN packets generated during operation are captured and stored. If a packet different from the Wi-Fi packets generated during operation is found to have a similar flow to the CAN packets, it is determined that this is due to a Wi-Fi connection from a non-genuine app. It is advisable to provide a function for a CAN-connected device such as a radar detector, drive recorder, or PND to issue a warning that such communication has occurred.

(E) The above-mentioned microcomputers, etc. may have a function for determining the level of autonomous driving of the vehicle, and may have a function for issuing an alert according to that level from devices such as a radar detector, drive recorder, and PND connected to the above-mentioned microcomputers, etc. For example, it may be determined whether the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, and if it is an autonomous vehicle, it may be controlled so that an alarm is not issued. If the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, it may be determined whether it is in autonomous driving mode or non-autonomous driving mode, and if it is in autonomous driving mode, it may be controlled so that an alarm is not issued (other alerts such as entertainment are issued).

(F) The power supply line connected to each ECU 14 may be clamped with a current clamp or the like, the current clamp may be connected to a microcomputer, the current flowing to each ECU 14 may be measured, and the timing of sending packets may be determined according to the power consumption of the ECU 14. For example, the maximum and minimum power consumption during operation of each ECU 14 may be continuously measured, and when the current amount of each ECU 14 is at its most frequent value, data may be sent to that ECU 14, thereby preventing the sent packets from standing out in the network or in that ECU 14, or preventing that ECU 14 from becoming overloaded. In particular, the relationship between the amount of packets addressed to each ECU 14 and the power consumption of each ECU may be stored, and the timing of sending packets to that ECU 14 may be determined according to the packets to that ECU 14 and the power consumption situation based on that relationship. In this way, it is possible to prevent that ECU 14 from becoming overloaded due to network processing. It also reduces the possibility that the ECU 14 that monitors the network will determine that an abnormality has occurred in the network, while allowing data to be input from a retrofitted microcomputer.

(G) An aftermarket product that connects to the in-vehicle LAN (e.g., CAN) should be provided with a means for determining whether it has entered a maintenance shop (e.g., by determining if the power is turned on when it is at the dealer's location or the vehicle inspection shop location as determined by GPS), and when the aftermarket product is turned on in the maintenance shop (when ACC is on), it should not accept signals from the in-vehicle LAN (e.g., displaying a message that the product itself has stopped operating). This reduces the possibility that a malicious individual may tamper with the microcomputer program at the maintenance shop. This function may also be provided in the ECU 14.

(H) For example, the number of ECUs incorporating open source software, such as the meter ECU 14e, is increasing. The ECU 14 should have a function that transmits usage information (such as version information) of software, such as open source software, in each ECU 14 only from specific authenticated computers in response to an external request from a microcomputer or the like connected to the in-vehicle LAN. The life cycle of open source software is around two years, but the life cycle of a car is around 20 years, so vulnerabilities in this software need to be updated. At this time, the software usage information required for the update can be obtained safely from outside.

(K) The microcontroller may have a function to stop access to the in-vehicle LAN in a specific area, and while the function is stopped, only other functions may be operated. In this way, if access to the in-vehicle LAN by aftermarket products is prohibited in a certain area, it is possible to prohibit access to the in-vehicle LAN only in that area.

(J) The vehicle manufacturer may configure the ECU 14 to respond if the device connected to the vehicle's OBD connector is a genuine diagnostic device. However, in order to comply with exhaust gas standards, it is necessary to be able to perform conventional diagnostics. Therefore, the vehicle manufacturer may configure a gateway ECU or the like so that when a certified diagnostic device is connected to the OBD connector, the gateway ECU outputs information unique to the vehicle other than information specified by ISO, while an uncertified device (such as the interface 80 of the present application) outputs only information specified by ISO. In this case, the authentication may be performed using information (a key (such as a common key or public key encryption)), or a near field communication (NFC) reader may be provided in the vehicle's OBD connector, and an NFC tag may be provided in the diagnostic device to determine whether or not to authenticate depending on whether the NFC tag is genuine. In such a configuration, the gateway ECU may be configured to connect the microcomputer of the present application to the inside of the gateway ECU.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the above-mentioned interface 80 is a communication system 10 in which an ECU 14 and an OBD2 connector 16 to which a fault diagnosis device 70 is connected are connected to a communication path 12 through which a signal containing information flows, and in a vehicle equipped with the communication system 10 that allows an external device to communicate with these ECUs by directly or indirectly connecting the external device, the interface 80 is connected to the communication system 10 and a radar detector 40 arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. In addition, the interface 80 includes an external device side connector 84 that is connected to the radar detector 40 and a vehicle side connector 86 that is connected to the communication system 10, the external device side connector 84 is arranged in the passenger compartment, and the vehicle side connector 86 is connected to a location in the communication system 10 other than the OBD2 connector 16 in the communication system 10 where a signal necessary for the operation of the radar detector 40 can be obtained.

Therefore, the user can leave the OBD2 connector 16 open for the fault diagnosis device 70 even when using the radar detector 40, for example. In addition, the radar detector 40 can obtain signals necessary for operation and perform operations based on these signals.

On the other hand, when a vehicle dealer uses the fault diagnosis device 70 on a vehicle brought in by a user, the dealer will no longer need to remove external devices from the OBD2 connector 16, or reconnect the external devices to the OBD2 connector 16 after inspecting and repairing the vehicle. In particular, while it is difficult for dealers to charge users for additional labor costs incurred during removal, etc., the dealer will no longer need to charge additional labor costs for removal, etc., and this will prevent problems with users that may arise from such charges.

The "communication path 12 through which a signal containing information flows" may be any communication path capable of transmitting a signal containing information. For example, it may be a single communication path, or multiple communication paths connected directly or indirectly. In the case of an indirect connection, for example, multiple communication paths may be connected via a member that relays the signal. The member that relays the signal may be a physical direct relay such as a connector, or may be a gateway that first receives a signal from one communication path, performs some control, and then outputs it to another communication path. The "signal containing information" may be composed of, for example, packets.

Furthermore, the "communication path 12" may be, for example, a one-to-one communication path. Furthermore, it may be, for example, a network to which multiple electronic control devices such as ECUs are connected, and in this way, information obtained from the multiple electronic control devices can be used in the fault diagnosis device 70 and the radar detector 40. In particular, when the electronic control device is an ECU of an automobile, the communication path 12 may be, for example, an in-vehicle LAN such as a CAN or a K-line. The information flowing through the communication path 12 may be, for example, information about the state of the vehicle based on information output from an electronic control device that controls the vehicle.

In addition to the ECU 14, the "electronic control device that controls the vehicle" connected to the communication path 12 may be, for example, an electronic control device that moves the vehicle itself, such as by operating a motor or actuator provided in the vehicle, or, for example, an electronic control device that does not perform such control, or that performs such control as well as acquiring information from sensors provided in the vehicle and outputting information based on the acquired information to the communication path 12, such as an ECU.

The "fault diagnosis device 70" may be, for example, a device that diagnoses the state of the vehicle based on information on the state of each part of the vehicle collected by an electronic control device, and may in particular be a device that is generally used for diagnosis. The fault diagnosis device 70 may also be, for example, a device that performs diagnosis based on a signal transmitted from an electronic control device in response to a signal transmitted from a transmitting device that is separately connected to the communication system 10 and that transmits only a signal for diagnosis.

The "OBD2 connector 16" is a connector that can be used to diagnose vehicles in common across many vehicles. It is also a connector that can be connected by a fault diagnosis device 70 for general diagnosis at repair shops in the city, rather than by the vehicle manufacturer. The electronic control devices that control the vehicle, such as the ECU described above, are connected to the OBD2 connector 16 via a communication path 12.

The "OBD2 connector 16" may be disposed, for example, within the vehicle cabin, particularly at the feet of the driver or passenger seat or on the right or left side of the center console, and may be disposed so as to be exposed in a position that is difficult to see or cannot be seen directly from the driver's seat. In this way, a user of the fault diagnosis device 70 can check the state of information flowing through the communication path 12 while operating the fault diagnosis device 70 connected to the OBD2 connector 16, or while visually checking the display if the fault diagnosis device 70 has a display unit.

The "external device" may be a device that only transmits signals, such as a signal transmission device, a device that only receives signals, or a device that transmits and receives signals. With regard to the connection between the external device and the communication system 10, "directly" may mean, for example, a connection without any other member between the communication system 10 and the external device, and "indirectly" may mean, for example, a connection between the communication system 10 and the external device via another member. The "member" may be, for example, a connector or another device.

"Communication" can be understood as a concept that includes, for example, either or both the sending and receiving of signals.

The "communication system 10" refers to any system capable of communication, and may be, for example, a system consisting of a communication path 12, an electronic control device such as an ECU, and an OBD2 connector 16, or may include other components such as a gateway ECU in addition to these. The communication system 10 is preferably disposed inside the vehicle. The "vehicle interior" where the communication system 10 is disposed may be, for example, a part that is not visible on the exterior or inside the vehicle cabin, and in particular, may be a place that cannot be accessed without removing a part of the vehicle components 30. The part of the vehicle components 30 may be, for example, a part that separates the inside and outside of the vehicle cabin (a part that is not visible on the exterior or inside the vehicle cabin), and may be a so-called instrument panel.

The "radar detector 40" may be a device that only receives signals, or may be a device that transmits and receives signals. It may also be a device that has a function of outputting to a user information based on signals acquired at a location in the communication system 10 other than the OBD2 connector 16 where signals necessary for the operation of the radar detector 40 can be obtained. In particular, it may be a display device such as a display that can display information acquired at a part where the vehicle-side connector 86 of the communication system 10 is connected, or a radar detector or car navigation device that displays such information. Or it may be a simple security device that can issue an alarm based on information acquired at a part where the vehicle-side connector 86 of the communication system 10 is connected.

The "vehicle cabin" may be, for example, the living space of the vehicle's occupants. The vehicle cabin does not necessarily have to be a closed space, and may be, for example, an open space such as an open-top car without a roof, or may be, for example, a closed space such as a car with a roof.

The "external device side connector 84" is a connection means provided in the external device side connection part, and can be fitted with a connector provided in the radar detector 40. Instead of a connector, the external device side connection part can be directly connected to the radar detector 40, for example, by soldering. The connection part provided in the radar detector 40 that is connected to this "external device side connection part" can be wiring connected to an internal component, for example, by soldering, or it can be a connector provided at the end or midway of this wiring. This connector can be, for example, one that is pulled out from the housing by wiring, and in particular, can be, for example, one that is arranged on the surface of the housing.

The "vehicle-side connector 86" is a connection means provided in the vehicle-side connection portion, and can be fitted into a connector provided in the communication system 10. Instead of a connector, the vehicle-side connection portion can be directly connected to the communication path 12 by, for example, soldering. The vehicle-side connection portion may be connectable to a connection means other than the OBD2 connector 16 provided in the communication system 10, and may be, for example, an electrotap, or may be the connector described above. The connector provided in the communication system 10 may be an unused, free connector or a connector that is likely to be free. For example, it may be a connector to which equipment is connected only when the vehicle is manufactured and no equipment is connected after the manufacture. It may also be, for example, an option connector 28 to which optional equipment for the vehicle provided by a dealer is connected.

Furthermore, the "vehicle-side connection unit" may be in a state where a part of the vehicle component 30 is removed when connecting to the communication system 10, and after the connection is made, the part of the vehicle component 30 is reattached to the vehicle. In this way, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of unnecessary trouble, such as a user accidentally removing the vehicle-side connection unit from the communication system 10.

In the interface 80, the external device side connection section and the vehicle side connection section may be connected so that information signals can be transmitted via wireless communication using wireless communication members provided in the external device side connection section and the vehicle side connection section, respectively, but it is particularly preferable to connect the information signals so that they can be transmitted via a transmission line 82.

When connecting the external device side connection part and the vehicle side connection part with the transmission line 82, the vehicle side connection part may be connected to the communication system 10 with a part of the vehicle component 30 removed, and the transmission line 82 may transmit information about the vehicle state between the vehicle side connection part and the radar detector 40 with the part of the vehicle component 30 attached to the vehicle again after the connection. The transmission line 82 may be arranged so that it passes through the gap between the part of the vehicle component 30 and the other parts when the part is attached to the vehicle again. In this way, the transmission line 82 can pass through the space inside the vehicle cabin and the space outside the vehicle cabin (a part that does not appear on the outside of the vehicle or inside the vehicle cabin) separated from the vehicle cabin by the vehicle component 30. In particular, the transmission line 82 can connect the external device side connection part connected to the radar detector 40 arranged on the dashboard to the vehicle side connection part arranged inside the vehicle separated from the vehicle cabin by the instrument panel, for example, even with the instrument panel attached.

The "location in the communication system 10 other than the OBD2 connector 16 in the communication system 10 where the signals necessary for the operation of the radar detector 40 can be obtained" can be any location where the signals necessary for the operation of the radar detector 40 can be obtained, but for example, if the communication system 10 is provided with a gateway ECU 26 that converts and selects the information signals flowing through the communication path 12, it may be a portion of the communication path 12 where the signals are not converted or selected by the gateway ECU 26. In this way, it is possible to obtain signals that are not converted or selected.

The "signal necessary for the operation of the radar detector 40" may be, for example, a signal generated by an electronic control device such as an ECU that is connected to the communication path 12 and output from the electronic control device.

The "operation" of the radar detector 40, which has received a signal necessary for its operation from the communication system 10, may be, for example, the output of information based on the necessary signal to the user, as described above. In this way, the user can obtain information from the radar detector 40 that is not normally obtainable from an external device placed inside the vehicle cabin. This information may be, for example, information about the vehicle's condition based on information output from an electronic control device. The information may be output as text or images on the display unit 42 of the radar detector 40, or may be output as audio, for example, by providing a speaker inside the radar detector 40.

In the above embodiment, the external device connection part is an external device connector 84 that is detachable from the connector 50 provided on the radar detector 40.

Therefore, even if the interface 80 according to the present invention requires a certain degree of skill to be attached to the vehicle, for example, by removing a part of the vehicle component 30 or by soldering, once the interface 80 is attached to the vehicle by a dealer's staff member or the like, the user can easily attach and detach the radar detector 40 to and from the interface 80. The external device side connector 84 provided on the interface 80 may be drawn into the vehicle cabin by a transmission line 82, and may be particularly arranged so as to be exposed to the vehicle cabin side on the surface of the instrument panel, for example. The connector 50 provided on the radar detector 40 may be drawn out from the housing by wiring, and may be particularly arranged on the surface of the housing, for example. The external device side connector 84 provided on the interface 80 and the connector provided on the radar detector 40 may be connected, for example, via a cable provided with two connectors.

With a conventional OBD2 connector, no special skills were required to attach or remove an external device. On the other hand, with the interface 80 of the present invention, for example, if the external device side connection section and the radar detector 40 are connected by soldering or the like, once the interface 80 is installed in the vehicle, it may be difficult to attach or remove the radar detector 40. However, by making the external device side connection section a detachable connection means (external device side connector 84) between the connector 50 of the radar detector 40, the user can easily attach or remove the radar detector 40 from the interface 80 of the present invention.

For example, if the radar detector 40 breaks down due to an initial defect within a week of installation, the vehicle must be taken back to the shop where the installation was performed for repairs within a short period of time, which can be a hassle. However, by making the external device connection section a detachable connection means (external device connector 84), it is possible to easily remove just the radar detector 40 and send it in for repairs or quickly replace it with a replacement without having to disassemble the vehicle or radar detector 40.

In the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, a connector (option connector 28) other than the OBD2 connector 16 is provided on the communication path 12, and the vehicle side connector 86 is connected to the communication system 10 by connecting the vehicle side connector 86 to the option connector 28.

As a result, the user or the person installing the interface 80 (e.g., a sales store worker) can easily connect the interface 80 to the communication system 10 compared to when connecting the wires directly, and is freed from the hassle of connecting wires. In addition, the burden on the worker can be reduced when removing the interface 80.

The option connector 28 is a connector that allows the user to connect an option device to the vehicle in the future, and is disposed inside the instrument panel. This option device is a device (car navigation device 52) that can be selected as an option for the vehicle by a dealer, and as described with reference to Fig. 16, can be built in or embedded in the center console of the instrument panel with the display unit 54 or the operation unit 56 exposed to the passenger compartment. Furthermore, the option connector 28 can be connected to a connector 60 provided in a portion embedded inside the instrument panel.

The "option connector 28" may be connected to a location other than the OBD2 connector 16 in the communication system 10 where the signals necessary for the operation of the radar detector 40 can be obtained, and if a gateway ECU 26 is provided in the communication system 10, may be connected to a location in the gateway ECU 26 that can output signals that have not been converted or selected.

In the above embodiment, in the communication system 10, multiple ECUs including the gateway ECU 26 are arranged in the communication path 12, the gateway ECU 26 is arranged between a portion of the communication path 12 to which electronic control devices (ECUs 14) other than the gateway ECU 26 are connected and a portion to which the OBD2 connector 16 is connected, and the vehicle side connector 86 is connected to the portion of the communication path 12 to which electronic control devices other than the gateway ECU are connected.

Therefore, the user can reliably send and receive signals to and from each electronic control device other than the gateway ECU 26, even if the signal sent to the OBD2 connector 16 by the gateway ECU 26 is a signal sent from an electronic control device other than the gateway ECU 26 and converted into another signal, or a portion of the signal is selected. In the above embodiment, the gateway ECU 26 is disposed between the portion of the communication path 12 to which all electronic control devices other than the gateway ECU 26 are connected and the portion to which the OBD2 connector 16 is connected.

In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 etc., the communication system 10 is provided with a communication limiter 88 that can limit communication via the communication path 12 by at least one of the interface 80 and the radar detector 40, so as to prioritize communication by the fault diagnosis device 70, provided that the fault diagnosis device 70 (second external device) is connected to the communication system 10 via the OBD2 connector 16.

As a result, the user and the dealer to whom the user has brought the vehicle can prevent the occurrence of unnecessary trouble that could lead to malfunction of the fault diagnosis device 70, such as conflicting signals emitted from the fault diagnosis device 70 (the second external device) with signals emitted from the interface 80 itself or the radar detector 40 (the first external device). In addition, it is no longer necessary to remove the interface 80 or the radar detector 40 from the communication system 10, or to reinstall them after inspecting and repairing the vehicle, eliminating the need to be bothered by trouble that would accompany billing for additional labor costs for such work.

The interface 80 is suitable, for example, in a communication system 10 in which communication by the radar detector 40 causes problems with communication by the fault diagnosis device 70.

The concept of "being able to restrict communication via the communication path 12 by at least one of the interface 80 and the radar detector 40 so as to give priority to communication by the fault diagnosis device 70" should be taken to include not only completely blocking communication by the interface 80 or the radar detector 40 in order to allow communication by the fault diagnosis device 70, but also restricting communication by the radar detector 40 to a range that does not affect communication by the fault diagnosis device 70.

"Communication restriction" refers to controlling the transmission and reception of signals so that the communication signals of the fault diagnosis device 70 and the radar detector 40 do not overlap or interfere with each other.

The "restriction of communication" in the interface 80 is "possible," so even if, for example, a fault diagnosis device 70 is connected to the communication system 10, communication does not have to be restricted immediately. In other words, the connection of the fault diagnosis device 70 may be one of the multiple conditions set for restricting communication, or may be one part of the conditions.

The "restriction of communication by the communication limiter 88" may be performed, for example, by the communication limiter 88 detecting that the fault diagnosis device 70 has been connected via the communication path 12 or the like and preventing signals that would interfere with the operation of the fault diagnosis device 70 from being transmitted from the interface 80, for example, by the user using a switch to turn off power to the radar detector 40, or by preventing the interface 80 from accessing the communication system 10, etc.

The "communication limiter 88" is an integrated circuit chip including a microcomputer mounted on a substrate. In FIG. 6, the communication limiter 88 is provided midway along the transmission line 82, but the communication limiter 88 chip may be provided, for example, in the external device side connection section (external device side connector 84) as shown in FIG. 7, or in the vehicle side connection section (vehicle side connector 86).

In the second embodiment, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, a switch 92 (first switch) is provided inside the vehicle cabin, and the communication limiter 88 can restrict communication by turning off the switch 92, giving priority to communication by the fault diagnosis device 70.

Therefore, when a dealer receives a vehicle brought in by a user and uses the fault diagnosis device 70 on the vehicle, even if signal conflict occurs between the fault diagnosis device 70 (second external device) and at least one of the interface 80 and the radar detector 40 (first external device), the dealer can eliminate the conflict and enable the fault diagnosis device 70 to be used simply by turning off the switch 92 provided on the interface 80. This eliminates the need to remove the interface 80 or the radar detector 40 from the communication system 10, and the user and the dealer are free from the hassle of trouble that may arise from billing for additional labor for such work.

The "switch 92" may be, for example, a power switch. The "switch 92" is placed inside the vehicle cabin via a wiring 90, and is preferably placed in a location that is easy for the user to reach while sitting in the driver's seat, such as the dashboard, instrument panel, center console, or the vicinity thereof.

In the second embodiment, as shown in Figures 6 and 8, the radar detector 40 is equipped with a power switch 46 (second switch), and the communication limiter 88 can restrict communication by prioritizing communication by the fault diagnosis device 70 by turning off the power switch 46 of the radar detector 40 when the radar detector 40 is connected to the external device side connector 84.

As a result, when a dealer receives a vehicle brought in by a user and uses the fault diagnosis device 70 on the vehicle, even if signal conflict occurs between the fault diagnosis device 70 and at least one of the interface 80 and radar detector 40, the conflict can be eliminated by simply turning off the power switch 46 provided on the radar detector 40, making the fault diagnosis device 70 usable. This eliminates the need to remove the interface 80 or radar detector 40 from the communication system 10, and the user and dealer are free from the hassle of trouble that may arise from billing for additional labor costs for such work.

The radar detector 40 should be placed in a location on the dashboard that is easily within reach of the user.

In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the radar detector 40 has an operation unit 44, and when the radar detector 40 is connected to the external device side connector 84, the operation unit 44 of the radar detector 40 can be used to operate the communication limiter 88, and the communication limiter 88 can impose a communication restriction that prioritizes communication by the fault diagnosis device 70 by operating the communication limiter 88 using the operation unit 44 of the radar detector 40.

As a result, when a dealer receives a vehicle brought in by a user and uses the fault diagnosis device 70 on the vehicle, even if signal conflict occurs between the fault diagnosis device 70 and at least one of the interface 80 and the radar detector 40, the conflict can be eliminated by simply operating the operation unit 44 of the radar detector 40, making the fault diagnosis device 70 usable. This eliminates the need to remove the interface 80 or the radar detector 40 from the communication system 10, and the user and the dealer are free from the hassle of trouble that may arise from billing for additional labor costs for such work.

The operation unit 44 of the radar detector 40 may include switches, dials, etc. in addition to the buttons provided on the housing of the radar detector 40 shown in FIG. 6. It is also preferable that the operation unit can be set using buttons, etc. provided on the housing based on a setting screen displayed on the display unit 42 of the radar detector 40. Instead of buttons, the operation unit can be configured such that the display unit 42 of the radar detector 40 is made of a touch panel type LCD screen, etc., and settings can be made by directly touching the setting screen displayed on the display unit 42. The operation unit of the radar detector 40 can also be a remote controller that can be operated wirelessly using radio waves, infrared rays, etc.

The radar detector 40 may be a device placed in a location on the dashboard that is easily within reach of the user, and the display unit 42 of the radar detector 40 may display, for example, a setting menu with the option to "suspend/resume access to the communication system."

In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the radar detector 40 has an operation unit 44, the external device connector 84 and the radar detector 40 are connected via wireless communication, and when the radar detector 40 is connected to the external device connector 84, the communication limiter 88 can be operated using the operation unit 44 of the radar detector 40. By operating the communication limiter 88 using the operation unit 44 of the radar detector 40, the communication limiter 88 can impose communication restrictions that give priority to communication by the fault diagnosis device 70, and when wireless communication between the external device connector 84 and the radar detector 40 becomes impossible, the communication limiter 88 can impose communication restrictions that give priority to communication by the fault diagnosis device 70.

Therefore, the user can prevent trouble such as the wiring of the interface 80 getting caught on the hand, and can freely position the radar detector 40. In addition, when the dealer to whom the user has brought the vehicle uses the fault diagnosis device 70 on the vehicle, even if signal conflict occurs between the fault diagnosis device 70 and at least one of the interface 80 and the radar detector 40, the dealer can eliminate the conflict and enable the fault diagnosis device 70 to be used simply by operating the operation unit 44 of the radar detector 40. Furthermore, even if the operation unit 44 of the radar detector 40 cannot operate the communication limiter 88 of the interface 80, the fault diagnosis device 70 can be reliably used. Therefore, the work of removing the interface 80 from the communication system 10 can be eliminated, and the user and the dealer will not have to worry about troubles such as those that arise from the billing of additional labor charges for such work.

The "wireless communication" between the external device connector 84 and the radar detector 40 is performed, for example, by providing chips capable of wireless communication in the external device connector 84 and the radar detector 40, using Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi, etc.

The radar detector 40 may be a device placed in a location on the dashboard that is easily within reach of the user, and the display unit 42 of the radar detector 40 may display, for example, a setting menu with the option to "suspend/resume access to the communication system."

In the second embodiment described above, when the communication limiter 88 detects that a signal other than the signal transmitted from the radar detector 40 has been transmitted, it can restrict communication by stopping access to electronic control devices such as the ECU 14 and giving priority to communication by the fault diagnosis device 70.

Therefore, the user and the dealer to whom the user brings the vehicle can prevent the occurrence of unnecessary trouble leading to a malfunction of the fault diagnosis device 70, such as conflicting signals between the signals emitted from the fault diagnosis device 70 and the signals emitted from the interface 80 itself or the radar detector 40. In addition, it is no longer necessary to remove the interface 80 or the radar detector 40 from the communication system 10 or to reinstall the interface 80 or the radar detector 40 after inspecting and repairing the vehicle, and thus the user and the dealer can avoid troubles associated with billing for additional labor costs for such work.

The "signal other than the signal transmitted from the radar detector 40" that the communication limiter 88 detects and stops access to electronic control devices such as the ECU 14 can be a signal transmitted from the fault diagnosis device 70.

In the second embodiment described above, when the communication limiter 88 detects that a specific signal is flowing through the communication path 12, it can implement communication restrictions that prioritize communication by the fault diagnosis device 70.

As a result, when a dealer receives a vehicle brought in by a user and uses the fault diagnosis device 70 on the vehicle, even if signal conflict occurs between the fault diagnosis device 70 and at least one of the interface 80 and the radar detector 40, the conflict can be resolved and the fault diagnosis device 70 can be used simply by making a specified signal flow through the communication path 12. This eliminates the need to remove the interface 80 or the radar detector 40 from the communication system 10, and the user and the dealer are not bothered by the trouble that may arise from the billing of additional labor costs for such work.

The "predetermined signal" that flows through communication path 12 is a signal that is output to communication path 12 by an electronic control device such as ECU 14, and is a signal related to the state of a vehicle operation switch or the like that is originally installed in the vehicle.

The "vehicle operation switch" may be the above-mentioned "ignition switch," or may be a "light power switch," a "brake pedal," or the like. The "ignition switch" may be, for example, a button-type switch that is operated by inserting a key into a key cylinder. The "light power switch" may be, for example, an "interior light power switch," or a "headlight power switch."

The "predetermined state" of the vehicle operation switch may be, for example, a state in which a predetermined operation has been performed using the vehicle operation switch, and in particular, may be, for example, a state in which the vehicle operation switch has been switched on and off a predetermined number of times. This "switching on and off of the vehicle operation switch" may be "switching the ignition switch on and off a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time (for example, three times per second)," or, for example, "switching the headlights on and off and switching the brakes on and off simultaneously."

Furthermore, after a specific signal is detected and communication by the fault diagnosis device 70 is given priority, if the same signal is detected again, the priority of communication by the fault diagnosis device 70 can be cancelled. In this way, the user and the dealer can easily cancel the priority of communication by the fault diagnosis device 70.

The communication restriction by the communication limiter 88 may be performed by at least one of the methods described above. Therefore, the switch 92 connected to the communication limiter 88 is not necessarily required.

In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, a signal converter 94 is provided that converts signals transmitted from electronic control devices such as the ECU 14 into a format that can be used by the radar detector 40, and converts signals transmitted from the radar detector 40 into a format that can be used by the electronic control devices.

Therefore, the user can use the radar detector 40 without worrying about the correspondence between the signals used in electronic control devices such as the ECU 14 of the communication system 10 and the signals used in the radar detector 40.

The "signal converter 94" is an integrated circuit chip mounted on a substrate. The signal converter 94 is provided midway along the transmission line 82, but the signal converter 94 chip may be provided, for example, in the external device side connection section (external device side connector 84) or in the vehicle side connection section (vehicle side connector 86).

As shown in FIG. 12, the signal format can be converted as follows, for example. A case will be described in which the format of the request message sent from the radar detector 40 is "7E0**", the format of the response message recognizable by the radar detector 40 is "7E8**", the format of the request message recognizable by the electronic control device of the communication system 10 is "700##", and the format of the response message sent from the electronic control device of the communication system 10 is "708##".

In this case, the radar detector 40 sends "7E0**", and the interface 80 that receives "7E0**" converts this signal to "700##" using the signal converter 94 and sends it to the communication path 12 of the communication system 10. The electronic control device of the communication system 10 that receives and recognizes "700##" flowing through the communication path 12 sends "708##" to the communication path 12. The signal converter 94 that receives "708##" converts it to "7E8**" and sends it to the radar detector 40. Here, "**" and "##" are any numbers or symbols that indicate the content of the request or response, and may be, for example, hexadecimal numbers.

The request message may, for example, convey "instructions to other devices," and the response message may, for example, convey "responses from other devices to the instructions." The response messages may, for example, be positive response messages indicating "that an instruction has been executed and the results of that execution," or negative response messages indicating "that an instruction cannot be executed and the reason why."

In the above embodiment, after a signal is sent from the interface 80 to the communication system 10, the signal flowing through the point where the vehicle side connection part (vehicle side connector 86) in the communication system 10 is connected may be recorded for a predetermined period of time.

In this way, when a user brings in an interface 80 in which a problem has occurred, the manufacturer can use this record to identify the cause of the problem, and can easily identify the signal generated by the interface 80 that caused the problem and correct this signal. Furthermore, the user of the interface 80 in which a problem has occurred can continue to use the interface 80 whose signal has been corrected by the manufacturer.

The signal may be recorded for a predetermined period of time after the signal is transmitted from the interface 80. After the predetermined period of time has elapsed, the record may be deleted, or may be left as long as the capacity of the memory unit allows. Also, for example, while the interface 80 is in operation, a certain amount of the latest record may be constantly stored in the memory unit while being updated by so-called overwrite saving, and if a communication abnormality occurs, the update may be stopped, or a record for a certain period of time (for example, 10 seconds) before the occurrence may be stored in the memory unit as a separate record file. In this way, the record stored in the memory unit will include the signal that caused the trouble, and can be used to identify the cause of the trouble. The memory unit may be, for example, an external server that can communicate with the interface 80, or may be provided in the interface 80.

In the above embodiment, an electronic control device such as ECU 14 is capable of communicating with an external server, and when the electronic control device receives update information for software used in the electronic control device from the server, it updates the software and records the differences in the signals flowing through communication path 12 before and after the update.

Therefore, when a user brings in an interface 80 in which a problem has occurred, the manufacturer can determine, based on this record, that the problem is caused by a change in the signal flowing through the communication path 12 due to the update, and can easily identify the cause of the problem and correct this cause. Furthermore, the user of the interface 80 in which a problem has occurred can continue to use the interface 80 after the cause of the problem has been corrected by the manufacturer.

The difference between the signals flowing through the communication path 12 before and after the update can be found, for example, by pre-recording the signals flowing through the communication path 12 before the update in a storage unit, and then newly recording the signals flowing through the communication path 12 after the update in the storage unit, and comparing these records. The storage unit may be, for example, an external server capable of communicating with the interface 80, or may be provided in the interface 80.

Communication between the electronic control device and the external server may be wireless communication such as LTE or 3G.

In the above embodiment, communication with an external server is possible, and signals received from electronic control devices such as ECU 14 can be transmitted to the server.

Therefore, the manufacturer who receives the interface 80 from the user can refer to the records stored in the server and improve the interface 80. Also, the user who brought the interface 80 to the manufacturer can use the improved interface 80.

Communication between the interface 80 and an external server may be wireless communication such as LTE or 3G.

Although various aspects of the present invention have been described above using embodiments and modifications, it should be noted that these embodiments and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but are provided to aid in understanding the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations explicitly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of the various aspects of the present invention disclosed in this specification. The configurations of the present invention for which a patent is sought are specified in the claims attached to the application, but it is our intention to include configurations disclosed in this specification in the claims in the future, even if they are not currently specified in the claims.

The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-mentioned embodiments. The components of each of the above-mentioned embodiments and variations may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Any of the components of each of the embodiments and variations may be arbitrarily combined with any of the components described in the means for solving the invention or any of the components that embody any of the components described in the means for solving the invention. We intend to obtain rights to inventions with these configurations through amendments to this application or divisional applications, etc.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 communication system 12 communication path 14 ECU 14a engine ECU 14b hybrid ECU 14c ABS ECU 14d body ECU 14e meter ECU 14f transmission ECU 14g millimeter wave ECU 14h ITS connect ECU 16 OBD2 connector 18 vehicle speed sensor 20 shift position detection sensor 22 door lock control device 24 hazard lighting control device 26 gateway ECU 28 option connector 28a terminal section 28b main body section 30 vehicle component 40 radar detector (RD) 42 display section 44 operation section 46 power switch 48 wiring 50 connector 52 car navigation device 54 display section 56 operation section 58 wiring 60 connector 70 fault diagnosis device 72 wiring 74 connector 80 Interface 82 Transmission line 82a Vehicle side connection portion 82b External device side connection portion 82c Wiring 84 External device side connector 86 Vehicle side connector 86a Terminal portion 86b Main body portion 86c Arm 88 Communication limiter 90 Wiring 92 Switch 94 Signal converter 96 Second external device side connector 98 Ammeter 10
0 OBD2 interface 100a Connection portion 100b Connection portion 102 Adapter 104 Wiring 106 First connector 108 Second connector 110 T-type harness 112 Wiring 114 First connector 116 Second connector 118 Third connector

Claims (7)

A system comprising: a first connector that connects to a vehicle-side connector that is already installed in a vehicle shipped from a factory, is provided on a communication path for controlling the vehicle, and is located in a space that does not appear on the exterior or interior of the vehicle; and a second connector that connects to a product-side connector that is installed in an after-sales product that a user can obtain at an auto parts store after purchasing the vehicle, and has a function of outputting information obtained via the first connector to the after-sales product via the second connector, wherein the after-sales product is installed in the vehicle interior, and the second connector is configured to connect to the product-side connector located in the vehicle interior. 2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a function for performing a predetermined process when an update to an ECU that controls a vehicle connected to the communication path is detected. 3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a function of capturing packets flowing through the communication path when a vehicle power source is turned on. 4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a function of capturing packets flowing through the communication path before and after the vehicle is powered on. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it has a function of performing a predetermined processing based on a difference between packets flowing through the communication path captured when the vehicle is turned on and packets flowing through the communication path captured while the vehicle is running. 6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a function for determining a level of autonomous driving of the vehicle and for causing the after-sales product to give a notification according to the level. 5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the after-sales product has a function of performing a predetermined process when the after-sales product is powered on in a repair shop.

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