JP4151534B2 - Vehicle communication device and data communication system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular communication device that operates during parking with power supplied from a battery mounted on a vehicle and transmits / receives data to / from a communication partner outside the vehicle via radio, and a vehicular communication device. The present invention relates to the data communication system used.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to obtain various data files such as music data used in an on-vehicle audio device and map data for a car navigation device in a vehicle from a server which is an external terminal provided outside the vehicle, a mobile phone There is known a vehicular communication apparatus that communicates with a server via a radio wave using a wireless LAN or the like (see Patent Document 1).
JP 11-313366 A

  By the way, conventionally, when a data file is acquired from a server by a vehicle communication device while the vehicle is traveling, the state of the wireless radio wave changes depending on the traveling state of the vehicle. May be disconnected. When the communication line between the vehicle communication device and the server is completely disconnected, the vehicle communication device receives the data being received by the server after the radio wave state is recovered and the communication line is reconnected. Even if a transmission request is made for a file, the server recognizes it as a new transmission task, the data file is transmitted from the beginning, and is received again, and the data file being received is lost.

  As described above, if the communication line with the server may be disconnected, it takes a lot of time to send and receive the data file. Therefore, it is considered that the data sending and receiving efficiency is not good while the vehicle is traveling in an unstable radio wave condition. It is done.

  For this reason, it is considered that the vehicle communication device can transmit and receive data files while parking with little change in the state of the radio wave by supplying power even when the vehicle key is removed. .

  However, during parking, the engine is stopped, so there is no power generation by the vehicle generator, and the vehicle communication device is driven only by the power from the battery. descend. Especially in the night, the parking state continues for a long time, and the vehicle communication device is driven even after the acquisition of the data file from the server is completed. Therefore, the battery power consumption is large and the battery voltage is greatly reduced.

  If the battery voltage is too low, the starter motor cannot be turned on and the engine cannot be started, so that a so-called battery-up state occurs and the vehicle operation may be hindered.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and even when data is transmitted / received to / from a communication partner outside the vehicle while the vehicle is parked, a vehicle communication device that does not cause a problem due to a decrease in battery voltage, and It is an object of the present invention to provide a communication system using this vehicle communication device.

  In the vehicle communication device according to claim 1, which is made to achieve such an object, the power supply control unit monitors the current time while the vehicle is parked, and according to the schedule stored in the schedule storage unit, When the power supply path opening / closing means is driven to switch the power supply path to the conductive or cut-off state, and the power supply control means is switched to the conductive state, the communication means receives power supply from the battery mounted on the vehicle. Operates and starts transmitting / receiving data to / from a communication partner outside the vehicle via radio.

  As a result, according to the vehicle communication device of the present invention, the user intermittently communicates the communication means at a desired timing by storing a plurality of times at which the power supply path to the communication means is turned on or off in the schedule storage means. Data can be sent and received.

  Therefore, according to the vehicle communication device of the present invention, the communication means can be operated only during the time and time required for data communication while the vehicle is parked, and there is no need to operate the communication means while the vehicle is parked. Thus, it is possible to suppress the battery voltage drop that occurs during parking and prevent the battery from rising.

  Further, since the communication timing and time can be arbitrarily set by setting the schedule, the communication means can be operated intermittently, and information that occurs irregularly, such as e-mails and news, can be acquired in a timely manner.

  By the way, according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the battery voltage. However, when the communication means is operated when the battery voltage is originally low, the battery is in a state of rising even if the amount of decrease in the battery voltage is small. Can be considered.

  Therefore, in the vehicle communication device according to claim 1, as described in claim 2, while the power supply path is in the conductive state, the first battery cutoff unit detects the voltage of the battery, and the detected voltage value is The power supply path may be switched to a cut-off state by a power supply path opening / closing means when the first cut-off voltage value is lower than a predetermined value.

  That is, if the vehicle communication device has such a configuration, the first cut-off voltage value is regulated to a voltage value having a margin with respect to the battery-powered state, so that the battery is in a battery-powered state. The power consumption of the battery can be suppressed by interrupting the power supply path.

  Further, in the vehicle communication device according to claim 1 or 2, the first voltage communication means detects the voltage of the battery while the power supply path is in the conductive state, as described in claim 3, and the battery If the voltage of the battery becomes lower than the first contact voltage value defined in advance, information indicating the state of the battery voltage may be transmitted to the communication partner using the communication means.

  In other words, with this configuration, when the communication partner receives a notification that the battery voltage has become lower than the first communication voltage value (for example, the voltage value necessary to drive the communication means), It is also possible to cancel the transmission and reception in the middle in an appropriate state, or to perform processing for the communication partner to turn off the power. And although the said vehicle communication apparatus stopped data communication with the fall of a battery voltage, it can prevent that a communicating party performs useless communication operation in order to continue data communication.

  Further, when the battery of the vehicle communication device according to claim 1 is composed of a main battery and an auxiliary battery, the vehicle communication device has a battery while the power supply path is in a conductive state as described in claim 4. The switching means detects the voltage of the main battery, and if the voltage value of the main battery is equal to or higher than a predetermined switching voltage value, the main battery is selectively connected to the power supply path, and the voltage value of the main battery is the switching voltage. When the value is lower than the value, the auxiliary battery may be selectively connected to the power supply path.

That is, with such a configuration, even if the voltage of the main battery decreases, the communication means is operated by the auxiliary battery, so that data can be transmitted and received continuously.
Further, the vehicle communication device according to claim 4 may be configured as in claim 5 similarly to claim 2.

  That is, in the vehicle communication device according to claim 5, while the power supply path is in a conductive state and the auxiliary battery is connected to the power supply path, the second battery cutoff unit detects the voltage of the auxiliary battery and detects the voltage. When the measured voltage value becomes lower than the predetermined second cutoff voltage value, the power supply path switching means switches the power supply path to the cutoff state.

  As a result, according to the vehicle communication device of the present invention (Claim 5), by defining the second cutoff voltage value to a voltage value having a margin with respect to the battery rising state of the auxiliary battery, the auxiliary battery Before the battery goes up, the power path can be cut off to reduce the power consumption of the auxiliary battery.

Further, the vehicle communication device according to claim 4 or claim 5 may be configured as in claim 6 similarly to claim 3.
That is, in the vehicle communication device according to claim 6, the second voltage communication means detects the voltage of the main battery or the auxiliary battery while the power supply path is in the conductive state, and the detected voltage of the main battery or the auxiliary battery is detected. Becomes lower than the second contact voltage value defined in advance, information indicating a voltage drop of the voltage of the main battery or the auxiliary battery is transmitted to the communication partner using the communication means.

  As a result, according to the vehicle communication device of the present invention (Claim 6), the second communication voltage value is set to a voltage value necessary for the main battery or the auxiliary battery voltage to drive the communication means, for example. Thus, similarly to the third aspect, it is possible to prevent the communication partner from performing a wasteful communication operation in order to continue data communication.

  On the other hand, the data communication system according to claim 7 is constituted by the vehicle communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and is mounted on the vehicle and communicates with a predetermined communication partner via radio. An in-vehicle terminal having a first communication means for performing and an external terminal having a second communication means installed outside the vehicle and communicating with the in-vehicle terminal, and transmitting and receiving data between the in-vehicle terminal and the external terminal I do.

As a result, according to the data communication system of the present invention (Claim 7), the same effects as those of the vehicle communication device according to Claims 1 to 6 can be obtained.
Further, the data communication system according to claim 7 is a transmission / reception state storage means for storing the transmission / reception state of data, each of the in-vehicle terminal and the external terminal being non-volatile, as described in claim 8; A transmission / reception control unit that transmits / receives predetermined data via the first communication unit or the second communication unit, and the transmission / reception control unit transmits / receives a data transmission / reception state at a predetermined timing during data transmission / reception. When the communication means is temporarily stopped and restarted, whether or not the partner terminal is in a communicable state is confirmed by transmitting a connection request, and the partner terminal is in a communicable state In this case, the presence / absence of data that has not been transmitted / received at the time of the previous stop is confirmed based on the contents stored in the reception state storage means. Based on the content, adjust with the partner terminal so that the data that was sent and received at the previous stop is continuously started, send and receive data, and if the partner terminal is not in a communicable state or is communicating When communication with the partner terminal becomes impossible, the terminal waits for a connection request from the partner terminal, and when a connection request is received, returns whether the communication is possible or not in response to the connection request and stores it in the transmission / reception state storage means. The content of data to be transmitted / received based on the content of the received data may be adjusted with the counterpart terminal to perform data transmission / reception.

  In other words, with such a configuration, in the vehicle communication device, the power path from the battery is shut off according to a predetermined schedule, or the power path is shut down in response to a decrease in battery voltage. Even if the communication means stops operating halfway, the next time the power supply path is turned on and the communication means is operated, data can be sent and received continuously from the middle of the previous data communication. By interrupting transmission / reception of data, transmission / reception from the first data need not be performed again. In addition, when the operation time per activation of the in-vehicle terminal or the external terminal is limited, even if the data to be transmitted / received is a large-capacity data file that cannot be transmitted / received by one activation, the activation is performed several times. You can send and receive in between. Therefore, no problem occurs even if the communication apparatus is operated intermittently according to a predetermined schedule.

Hereinafter, a data communication system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be illustrated and described.
The overall configuration of the data communication system 1 is shown in FIG. 1, and the configuration of the vehicle communication device 5 of the data communication system 1 is shown in FIG.

  The data communication system 1 includes a vehicle communication device 5 mounted on a vehicle 3 and a server 70 installed outside the vehicle 3 such as a user's house and connected to a wide area network 7 such as the Internet. Yes.

  The vehicle 3 includes a main battery 20 and an auxiliary battery 21 for supplying power to each in-vehicle device, and a car navigation device 51 and an audio system 52 of the in-vehicle device. Lines and signal lines are connected.

  The data communication system 1 communicates between the vehicle communication device 5 and the server 70, information data such as mail and news, map update data for use in the car navigation device 51 of the vehicle 3, In this system, data such as music data for use in the audio system 52 is transmitted and received.

The wide area network 7 can be accessed from a mobile phone or the like via a mobile phone network 8 connected using radio waves.
Further, the main battery 20 has an ignition key 25 operated by a driver connected to a power line. When the ignition key 25 is operated to an ignition position for operating the engine or an accessory position for turning on the power of the in-vehicle device, the main battery 20 is connected to the car navigation device 51, the audio system 52, or the like. When the power line is switched so as to be directly connected to the vehicle-mounted device and is operated to the off position, the main battery 20 is switched to the power line connected to the vehicle-mounted device via the vehicle communication device 5.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle communication device 5 includes a control unit 10, a storage device 30, a communication device 40, and a timer 19.
The control unit 10 includes a main control unit 11, a sub control unit 12, a switch 14, a switch 15, and an A / D converter 17, and includes a storage device 30, a communication device 40, and a car navigation device 51. The power supply line and the signal line from the audio system 52 are connected to the main control unit 11.

  The switch 14 and the switch 15 are constituted by a relay, a switch IC, or the like. The switch 14 is provided in the middle of the power supply line from the main battery 20 to the main control unit 11 via the ignition key 25. A switch 15 is provided in the middle of the power supply line to the control unit 11, and in accordance with a command from the sub-control unit 12, the power supply line provided for each is connected (this state is referred to as ON) or cut off (this is called this). Switch state).

  The A / D converter 17 is composed of an IC that converts an analog signal into digital data, and is connected to detect the voltage to the power supply line from the main battery 20 and the auxiliary battery 21, and the detected voltage value. Is output to the sub-control unit 12 as digital data.

The timer 19 measures the current time and outputs information on the current time to the sub-control unit 12.
Further, the storage device 30 is configured by a storage medium such as a hard disk drive that can store data and is rewritable even when the power to the device is turned off, and the power line and the signal line are the main control unit. 11 and the sub-control unit 12. Then, a power schedule 31 in which a plurality of times for instructing to turn on and off the main controller 11 is stored, a transmission / reception data schedule 32 for storing the transmission / reception state of the data file, and data received by the communication device 40. An area for storing transmission / reception data 79 is secured.

  The power supply schedule 31 is input from the user using an input device (not shown) such as an operation button provided in the vehicle communication device 5 or information from the server 70 to supply power to the main control unit 11. A data string of times for turning on and off is set. As shown in FIG. 3, there are provided items of an order n indicating the row number of the data string, a start time Ton that defines a time for turning on the power, and a stop time Toff that defines a time for turning off the power. For example, a time for starting every 30 minutes every 30 minutes is designated.

  Further, the communication device 40 is configured to connect to the mobile phone network 8 using a radio wave by a mobile phone or the like, and via the mobile phone network 8 and the wide area network 7 in response to a command from the main control unit 11. Internet communication with the server 70 is performed.

  The main control unit 11 includes a well-known CPU and the like. The main control unit 11 instructs transmission contents to the communication device 40, writes data received by the communication device 40 to the storage device 30, and the car navigation device 51 and the audio system 52. To control the transmission of received data. Further, current supply to the storage device 30, the communication device 40, the car navigation device 51, and the audio system 52 connected to the power supply line is controlled. In addition, as a supply state of current supply controlled by the main control unit 11, a “full operation mode” in which current is supplied so that the car navigation device 51, the audio system 52, etc. can all be activated, and in order to reduce power consumption, There is a “low power operation mode” in which the navigation device 51, the audio system 52, and the like are limited in activation to supply current.

  The sub-control unit 12 is configured by a well-known CPU or the like, and is directly connected to a power supply line from the main battery 20 and the auxiliary battery 21 and is driven by a current from the power supply line. Then, the power supply schedule 31 stored in the storage device 30 is read, the current time information is received from the timer 19, the battery voltage information is received from the A / D converter 17, and the state is sent to the switch 14 and the switch 15. A command to switch on or off is output to inform the main control unit 11 of the state of the power supply voltage.

  Note that the sub-control unit 12 detects whether the ignition key 25 of the vehicle 3 is at the ignition position or the accessory position, and the ignition key 25 is moved from the ignition position or the accessory position to the off position (that is, in the parking state). And start after a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes). Further, when the sub-control unit 12 is in a stopped state, the switches 14 and 15 are both turned off.

Moreover, the main battery 20 is comprised with secondary batteries, such as a lead acid battery, and is used in order to supply an electric current with respect to the electrical system of the vehicle equipment.
In addition, the auxiliary battery 21 is formed of a secondary battery that is smaller than the main battery 20 and has a smaller current capacity. The auxiliary battery 21 supplies current to devices in the vehicle communication device 5 and devices that are operated in the “low power operation mode”. Used to supply

The main battery 20 and the auxiliary battery 21 are charged with a current generated by a generator (not shown) that is rotationally driven by the engine of the vehicle 3.
The car navigation device 51 is a device that incorporates map data for route guidance, and presents the route to the driver with respect to the current position and destination using this map data. When map data is transmitted from the server 70 via the vehicle communication device 5, the built-in map data is updated with the received map data.

  The audio system 52 is a device for playing music and video in the passenger compartment by using a sound source such as music data or music data from the vehicle communication device 5. Then, the music data sent from the server 70 via the vehicle communication device 5 is built in and made reproducible.

On the other hand, the server 70 includes a control unit 71, a communication device 72, a storage device 73, and a timer 75 that are connected to each other via signal lines.
Further, the storage device 73 is configured by a storage medium such as a hard disk drive that retains stored data even when the power is turned off and can rewrite the data, and stores various information such as music data and map data. . Also, a task file 76 in which file names of data files to be transmitted / received are listed, a power schedule 77, a transmission / reception data schedule 78, and transmission / reception data 79 transmitted / received by the communication device 72, similar to the storage device 30 of the vehicle communication device 5. An area for storing is secured.

  The communication device 72 is connected to the wide area network 7 and configured to communicate with a communication partner such as the vehicle communication device 5 via the Internet communication. The received data is output to the storage device 73 and is instructed from the control unit 71. The data stored in the designated storage device 73 is transmitted to the designated communication partner.

The timer 75 measures the current time and outputs information on the current time to the control unit 71.
The control unit 71 is configured by a well-known CPU or the like, and controls transmission contents by the communication device 72 and writing of data received by the communication device 72 to the storage device 30.

  The control unit 71 has a function of managing the power supply in the server 70 similar to the sub-control unit 12 of the vehicle communication device 5, and a timer 75 is provided for the power supply schedule 77 stored in the storage device 73. At the corresponding time, the server 70 is started or stopped.

  The power supply schedule 77 is set in the same manner as the power supply schedule 31 of the vehicular communication apparatus 5 by the user's input from the input device, and is operated from the communication device 72 by the control unit 71 by the user's operation. 5, the power supply schedule 31 of the vehicle communication device 5 can be set to the same start time and stop time schedule.

Next, the contents of processing performed by the sub-control unit 12 will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG.
First, in S100, initial values are set for a start time Ton (n) and a stop time Toff (n), which are variables for setting the time for starting and stopping the main control unit 11. That is, in the power schedule 31, the values set in the row of the order n in which the latest value greater than the current time of the timer 19 is set as the start time Ton are respectively set as the start time Ton (n) and the stop time Toff (n). Assign to.

  Next, in S110, it is determined whether the value of the timer 19 is equal to or greater than the activation time Ton (n). If it is equal to or greater than the activation time Ton (n), it is determined that it is time to activate the main control unit 11 in S120. Migrate to If the value of the timer 19 is not equal to or greater than the activation time Ton (n), S110 is repeated.

  Next, in S120, it is determined whether the voltage value of the main battery 20 from the A / D converter 17 is equal to or greater than a determination value A set in advance in order to determine whether or not current supply from the main battery 20 is possible. . As a result, if the determination value is equal to or greater than A, the process proceeds to S121 to drive the main control unit 11 and the like with the main battery 20, and if lower than the determination value A, the voltage drop of the main battery 20 exceeds the allowable value. The process proceeds to S130.

  Next, in S121, the state of the switch 14 is confirmed to determine whether or not the switch 14 is on. As a result, when the switch 14 is not turned on, the process proceeds to S122 to turn on the switch 14, and when the switch 14 is turned on, the process after S122 is not necessary and the process proceeds to S150.

  In S122, a command to turn on the switch 14 is output so that the current from the main battery 20 is supplied to the main control unit 11, and a command to turn off the switch 15 is output.

  Next, in S123, a command is output to the main control unit 11 so that the current supply becomes the “full operation mode”, so that the current can be supplied to all on-vehicle devices such as the car navigation device 51 and the audio system 52. To do.

  Next, in S124, the determination value A of the main battery voltage determined in S120 is changed to the specified value “s”, and the process proceeds to S150. The initial value of the determination value A is a specified value “s”, and the default value “s” is a minimum voltage value required to drive a starter motor or the like so that the vehicle 3 can function.

  On the other hand, in S130, it is determined whether the voltage value of the auxiliary battery 21 from the A / D converter 17 is equal to or greater than a determination value B set in advance in order to determine whether or not current supply from the auxiliary battery 21 is possible. If it is greater than or equal to the determination value B, the process proceeds to S131 in order to supply current from the auxiliary battery 21, and if it is lower than the determination value B, the process proceeds to S140 because the voltage drop of the auxiliary battery 21 exceeds the allowable value. Note that the determination value B is set to a voltage value of the auxiliary battery 21 which is the minimum necessary for driving the main control unit 11 in the “low power operation mode”.

  Next, in S131, the setting state of the switch 15 is confirmed to determine whether the switch 15 is set to an on state. If the switch 15 is not on, the process proceeds to S132 to turn on the switch 15 If the switch 15 is on, the process from S132 is unnecessary, and the process proceeds to S150.

  In S132, a command to turn on the switch 15 is output so that the current from the auxiliary battery 21 is supplied to the main control unit 11, and a command to turn off the switch 14 is output.

  Next, in S133, a command is output to the main control unit 11 so as to enter the “low power operation mode”. The main control unit 11 that has received the command for the low power operation mode minimizes the operation, and stops the current supply to the car navigation device 51 and the audio system 52 to suppress the current consumption.

Next, in S134, the main control unit 11 is instructed to transmit to the server 70 a voltage drop notification notifying that the voltage of the main battery 20 has dropped to the specified value “s”.
Next, in S135, the determination value A of the voltage of the main battery 20 in S120 is changed to a specified value “r” obtained by adding a predetermined margin to the specified value “s”, and the process proceeds to S150. Transition.

  Note that, by setting the determination value A to a specified value “r” that is larger than the specified value “s”, the main battery 20 is charged after the voltage of the main battery 20 falls below the lower limit value “s”. Even if the voltage exceeds the specified value “s”, the main control unit 11 does not immediately start to be driven by the main battery 20, and the voltage is restored to the specified value “r” where the main battery 20 is sufficiently charged. After that, the main controller 11 by the main battery 20 is driven. Therefore, switching to the auxiliary battery 21 is not frequently performed when the voltage of the main battery 20 is near the specified value “s”.

  In S140, the states of the switch 14 and the switch 15 are checked to determine whether or not each of the switches 14 and 15 is off. When the switches 14 and 15 are not off, the operation of the main control unit 11 is stopped. Therefore, the process proceeds to S141, and when the switch 14 and the switch 15 are OFF, the process after S141 is unnecessary, and the process proceeds to S150.

In S <b> 141, the main control unit 11 is instructed to transmit a transmission / reception stop notification for stopping the data transmission / reception process to the server 70.
Next, in S142, a command to perform the shutdown process is output to the main control unit 11, and after a predetermined time for performing the shutdown process of the main control unit 11, the process proceeds to S143.

Next, in S143, a command to turn off the switch 14 and the switch 15 is output, the power supply to the main control unit 11 is stopped, and the process proceeds to S150.
Next, in S150, it is determined whether or not the value of the timer 19 is equal to or greater than the value of the stop time Toff (n). If the value is equal to or greater than the value of the stop time Toff (n), the main controller 11 is turned off. The process proceeds to S151 because it is time to set the time to go to S151.

  Next, in S151, a command to perform the shutdown process is output to the main control unit 11, and after the time for performing the shutdown process of the main control unit 11, the process proceeds to S152.

Next, in S152, a command to turn off the switch 14 and the switch 15 is output, and the current supply to the main control unit 11 is stopped.
Next, in S153, the start time Ton (n) and the stop time Toff (n) of the main control unit 11 are designated by the power supply schedule 31 of the storage device 30 as the “n + 1” -th order in the next order. And return to S110.

  As described above, the state of the switches 14 and 15 is switched by the sub-control unit 12 at each start time Ton (n) and stop time Toff (n) specified in the power supply schedule 31 of the storage device 30, and the main control unit. 11 and the devices connected thereto are switched between start and stop.

  In addition, when the voltage of the main battery 20 is greater than or equal to the determination value A for the main control unit 11 and devices connected thereto, current is supplied from the main battery 20 and the voltage of the main battery 20 falls below the determination value A. When the current is supplied from the auxiliary battery 21 and the voltage of the auxiliary battery 21 falls below the determination value B, the power supply to the main control unit 11 is turned off and the main control unit 11 is stopped.

  By the way, data transmission / reception is performed between the server 70 and the vehicle communication device 5 according to the procedure described below. There are cases where data is transmitted / received by the server 70 and received by the vehicle communication device 5, and data is transmitted / received by the vehicle communication device 5 and received by the server 70. Therefore, the data transmission side is illustrated as master A and the reception side as slave B. Further, in the master A, a task file 76 in which a file to be transmitted / received is designated by the user is stored in the storage device 30 or the storage device 73.

First, a connection process for confirming whether communication between the master A and the slave B is possible will be described with reference to FIG.
The master A temporarily generates a block of data to be transmitted / received described in the task file 76 in a small size and assigns an ID number to each of the blocked data. A transmission / reception data schedule for managing the transmission / reception state is generated and stored in the storage device. The transmission / reception data schedule is for managing the ID number, the date and time when transmission / reception of block data was started, the date and time when transmission / reception was completed, and additional information for each block data. It consists of set information.

  Then, the master A outputs a connection request signal to the slave B in order to confirm whether the slave B is in a connectable state. The connection request signal from the master A includes a request number representing the master A on the network, the current time when the connection request signal is output, the transmission / reception data schedule of the file to be transmitted / received, and the data amount of the file to be transmitted this time And the location of data storage location information. The connection request number is not particularly limited as long as it is a number that can identify a device. For example, an IP address, a MAC address, or a predetermined code group is used. The location is a typical storage location on the receiving side, for example, a root directory.

  When the slave B receives the connection request signal, the slave B transmits a connection completion signal to the master A. This connection completion signal is composed of a response number representing slave B, the completion time, the number of data, the next ID, and ACK in the same manner as the request number of the connection request signal. The next ID is the ID number of the blocked data to be received next time, and is “1” when receiving the blocked data of a new file. The ACK is an item indicating whether or not connection to the master B is possible. When the connection is possible, “ACK” is returned, and when connection is not possible with other devices, “NACK” is returned.

Next, transmission / reception processing of the blocked data after receiving the “ACK” connection completion signal shown in FIG. 6 will be described.
The master A transmits a transmission request signal formed by the request number of the master A, the current time, the next ID, the ID-th blocked data, and the location to the slave B in order to transmit and receive the blocked data. The start time of the corresponding ID in the transmission / reception data schedule is updated with the current time.

  Then, the slave B that has received the transmission request signal checks the received data using a parity signal or the like included in the blocked data. If the reception is successful, “ACK” is obtained. If the reception is not successful, “NACK” is obtained. Is returned with a reception response signal in the same format as the connection completion signal.

  When master A receives “ACK” from the reception response signal from slave B, master A updates the end time of the transmission / reception data schedule with the current time. Then, the blocked data of the next ID number in the reception response signal is transmitted as a transmission request signal, and this is repeated until the last blocked data of the ID number of the transmission / reception data schedule.

  On the other hand, when the master A receives “NACK” with the reception response signal from the slave B, or when the reception response signal from the slave B does not come after a certain period, as shown in FIG. After the elapse of a predetermined time, the master A transmits the blocked data having the same ID number again. When “ACK” is received by the reception response signal, the blocked data of the next ID number is transmitted as a transmission request signal, and the data transmission / reception process is continued.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, the master A continues to receive the “NACK” reception response signal, and retransmits the blocked data having the same ID number “d” times the specified number of times, but the “ACK” reception response signal Is not returned, it is considered that data cannot be transmitted / received because the slave B is not activated, etc., the data transmission / reception process is interrupted, and the process of turning off the power of the master A is performed. .

  In addition, when the power source is once stopped and the start-up time is again reached, the master A confirms the contents of the transmission / reception data schedule and blocks data that has not reached the previous transmission / reception process as shown in FIG. If there is (that is, the end time is not updated), the previously generated transmission / reception data schedule is sent to the slave B by the connection request signal.

  Then, the slave B checks the relationship between the transmission / reception data schedule of the file being received by the slave B and the transmission / reception data schedule of the connection request signal, and continuously receives the matching file being received. Then, a connection completion signal is sent to master A.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the master A transmits a transmission request signal from the lowest ID number of unreached blocked data in the transmission / reception data schedule, and performs transmission / reception processing continued from the previous time.

When the transmission is completed up to the last ID number of the transmission / reception data schedule, the master A transmits a disconnection request signal to the slave B as shown in FIG.
Then, when the slave B receives the disconnection request signal, the slave B combines the blocked data and stores it in a designated location. Also, disconnection processing such as opening an I / O port is performed, and a disconnection completion signal is transmitted to the master A. The master A that has received this disconnection completion signal opens the I / O port and completes the transmission / reception of the instructed file.

  Next, processing in the control unit 71 of the server 70 that performs the above-described data transmission / reception procedure will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. Here, processing in the case where the server 70 is the transmission-side master A and the vehicle communication device 5 is the reception-side slave B will be described.

First, in S210, the transmission / reception data schedule 78 is read from the storage device 73.
Next, in S211, it is determined whether there is no untransmitted data in the transmission / reception data schedule 78 (that is, there is no blank at the end time). If there is no untransmitted data, the process proceeds to S212 in order to newly generate a transmission / reception data schedule. If there is untransmitted data, the transmission / reception process continued in the previously generated transmission / reception data schedule 78 is performed. The process proceeds to S213.

  In S212, the file specified by the task file 76 is divided into a predetermined size for transmission and blocked, and an ID number is assigned to each to generate a transmission / reception data schedule 78, which is stored in the storage device 73. , The process proceeds to S213.

Next, in S213, a connection request signal including a transmission / reception data schedule 78 is output from the communication device 72 to the vehicle communication device 5 as connection processing.
In S214, the signal received by the communication device 72 is confirmed to determine whether it is an “ACK” connection completion signal from the vehicle communication device 5, and when an “ACK” connection completion signal is received, a connection completion signal is displayed. The next ID information included is substituted into the transmission ID of the ID number to be transmitted, and the process proceeds to S221. If it is not the “ACK” connection completion signal, the process returns to S213.

Next, in S221, the blocked data corresponding to the transmission ID is transmitted to the vehicle communication device 5 by the communication device 72 as a transmission request signal.
In step S222, a variable retransmission counter Cnt for counting the number of retransmissions is set to a value obtained by adding 1 to the value of the retransmission counter Cnt. In addition, the ID number of the transmission / reception data schedule 78 updates the start time of the transmission ID to the current time, and the process proceeds to S230.

  Next, in S230, the signal received by the communication device 72 is confirmed, and it is determined whether it is a reception response signal of “ACK” from the vehicle communication device 5. If “ACK” is received, the process proceeds to S231 on the assumption that the transmitted ID-th blocked data has been transmitted successfully. If it is not “ACK”, the process proceeds to S240 as a process in the case where transmission is not successful.

Next, in S231, in order to transmit the next blocked data, a value obtained by adding 1 to the transmission ID is set.
In S232, the value of the retransmission counter Cnt is returned to “0”, and the timer 75 is reset. In S233, the end time of the information whose transmission ID is the ID of the transmission / reception data schedule 78 is updated to the current time, and the process proceeds to S234.

  Next, in S234, it is determined whether the value of the transmission ID is larger than the maximum value IDend in the ID item of the transmission / reception data schedule 78. As a result, if it is larger than the maximum value IDend, the process proceeds to S235, and if it is smaller than the maximum value IDend, the process returns to S221 to transmit the subsequent blocked data.

  Next, in S235, the contents of the task file 76 are confirmed, it is determined whether there is no instruction for the next data file to be transmitted, and the task is completed. If the task is completed, the process proceeds to S236, and the task is If not completed, the data file designated in the task file 76 is read, and the process returns to S212.

Next, in S236, as a disconnection process, a disconnection request signal is transmitted to the vehicle communication device 5, and after receiving a disconnection completion signal from the vehicle communication device 5, the process proceeds to S237.
Next, in S237, the server 70 is shut down, the server 70 is powered off, and the process is terminated.

  On the other hand, in S240, it is determined whether or not the reception response signal received by the communication device 72 is “NACK”. If “NACK”, it is determined that the transmitted data has not been normally received, so Migrate to If the received signal is not “NACK”, that is, if it is not a reception response signal, the process proceeds to S250.

  In S241, the value of the timer 75 is reset, and in S242, it is determined whether the retransmission counter Cnt is greater than or equal to a prescribed value “d” (eg, “4”). If not greater than the prescribed value “d”, the prescribed time has elapsed in S243. After that, the process returns to S221, and again transmits the blocked data of the transmission ID by the transmission request signal. If the transmission ID is equal to or greater than the prescribed value “d”, it is determined that the communication partner is in a response impossible state, and the process proceeds to S236. Transition.

  Also, in S250, it is determined whether the received signal is a voltage drop notification by a command from the sub-control unit 12 of the vehicle communication device 5, and if it is a voltage drop notification, the process proceeds to S251, and is not a voltage drop notification. Proceeds to S260.

  In S251, an alarm sound is generated or a warning screen is displayed by a speaker or monitor display (not shown) so as to notify the user of the server 70 that the vehicle communication device 5 is being driven by the auxiliary battery 21. Display processing is performed, and the process proceeds to S261.

  Next, in S260, it is determined whether the received data is a transmission / reception stop notification according to a command from the sub-control unit 12 of the vehicle communication device 5. If it is a transmission / reception stop notification, the process proceeds to S236, and is not a transmission / reception stop notification. In the case, the process proceeds to S261.

  Next, in S261, it is determined whether the value of the timer 75 is greater than or equal to the determination value “c”. If it is not larger than the determination value “c”, the process returns to S230 and waits for the reception response signal of “ACK” to be received. If the timer 75 is equal to or greater than the determination value “c”, a blocked error is generated as a time-out error. To re-send to S241.

Next, processing in the main control unit 11 of the vehicle communication device 5 that is a data transmission destination in the file transmission / reception procedure will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG.
First, in S310, the communication device 40 determines whether or not a connection request signal from the server 70 has been received. If the connection request signal has not been received, S310 is repeated, and if a connection request signal has been received, the process proceeds to S311. Transition.

  Next, in S311, as connection processing, initial setting such as allocation of the I / O port of the communication device 40 is performed, and initial setting can be normally performed. If communication is possible, “ACK” is set in the connection completion signal. When the initial setting cannot be normally performed, “NACK” is set to the connection completion signal. If the transmission / reception data schedule 78 included in the connection request signal and the transmission / reception data schedule 32 of the storage device 30 have the same contents, the blocked data stored in the transmission / reception data 33 and the transmission / reception data schedule 32 are The contents of the transmission / reception data schedule 32 are updated by the transmission / reception data schedule 78 so that the relevance is maintained and a new file is received when the contents are different, and the blocked data having the relation with the transmission / reception data schedule 32 is obtained. It is newly stored in the transmission / reception data 33.

  In step S312, the communication device 40 transmits a connection completion signal in which the end time of the transmission / reception data schedule 32 is blank and the connection ID is set with the lowest ID number as the next ID to the server 70.

  Next, in S320, it is determined whether a transmission request signal from the server 70 has been received. If a transmission request signal is received, the process proceeds to S321. If a transmission request signal is not received, S320 is repeated.

Next, in S321, the blocked data of the received transmission request signal is checked. For example, it is confirmed whether there is any abnormality in the parity information included in the received transmission request signal.
Next, in S322, it is determined whether or not the check result in S321 is good. If the check result is good, an "ACK" reception response signal is transmitted to the server 70 in S324, and the process proceeds to S325. To do. If the check result is not good, a reception response signal of “NACK” is transmitted to the server 70 in S323, and the process returns to S320.

  Next, in S325, the received transmission request signal is stored in the storage device 30 together with information such as an ID number, and the end time of the corresponding ID number in the transmission / reception data schedule 32 is updated with the current time.

  Next, in S326, it is determined whether the ID number of the received data is equal to or greater than the maximum ID IDend in the transmission / reception data schedule 32. If the ID number is not greater than the maximum IDend, the blocked data is received continuously. Therefore, the process returns to S320, and if it is larger than the maximum value IDend, the process proceeds to S327.

  Next, in S327, waiting for a disconnection request signal from the server 70, when the disconnection request signal is received, the blocked data stored in the storage device 30 is returned to one file, and this is changed according to the file type. To the car navigation device 51 or the audio system 52, a disconnection completion signal is transmitted to the server 70, connection disconnection processing such as closing the I / O port is performed, and the process returns to S310.

  In addition, although the data transmission / reception when transmitting by the server 70 and receiving by the vehicle communication device 5 has been described, the vehicle communication device 5 performs a processing procedure similar to the flowchart of FIG. 4, and the server 70 is similar to the flowchart of FIG. The data transmission / reception transmitted by the vehicle communication device 5 and received by the server 70 is also performed.

In this way, the data file specified by the task file 76 is transmitted and received between the vehicle communication device 5 and the server 70.
As described above, according to the data communication system 1, the user sets in advance the power supply schedule 31 so that the time to turn on or off the power supply path to the main control unit 11 is started intermittently. Thus, the power consumption of the battery can be suppressed so that the main control unit 11 is not activated during parking. For this reason, it is possible to transmit and receive data files during parking where the state of the radio wave is stable without worrying about the battery running up.

Then, by setting a plurality of times for turning on or off the power supply path and starting intermittently, it is possible to acquire data that occurs irregularly such as e-mails and news in a timely manner.
In addition, before the voltage of the main battery 20 drops below the determination value A, the power path of the vehicle communication device 5 is switched to the auxiliary battery 21, and the main battery 20 does not drop to a voltage at which the battery goes up. The state where the engine of the vehicle 3 can be started can be maintained.

  Furthermore, even if the voltage of the main battery 20 becomes lower than the determination value A, the vehicle communication device 5 is driven by the auxiliary battery 21 and can continuously transmit and receive data. Further, by sending a voltage drop notification to the server 70 at this time, it is possible to take measures such as stopping the task of the data file to be transmitted / received at the one currently being transmitted / received on the server 70 side.

  Further, when the voltage of the auxiliary battery 21 falls below the determination value B and the power supply line to the main control unit 11 is cut off, a transmission / reception stop notification is sent to the server 70, and the server 70 stops transmission / reception of data and power Since the shutdown process is performed to turn off the server 70, the server 70 can be prevented from operating even when the main control unit 11 is stopped.

Further, by storing the start time and the end time each time the blocked data is transmitted in the transmission / reception data schedules 32 and 78, the power source of the main control unit 11 or the server 70 is based on the power source schedules 31 and 77, or Even if it is turned off unexpectedly, since it is started after that, it transmits and receives from the subsequent blocked data, so even if the power is turned on or off based on the power schedules 31 and 71, the transmission and reception efficiency can be lowered. Absent. Further, even a large-capacity file that cannot be transmitted / received in one period activated by the power supply schedules 31 and 77 can be continuously transmitted / received at a plurality of activation times.
[Relationship with the present invention]
The communication device 40 and the main control unit 11 of the present embodiment correspond to communication means in the vehicle communication device of the present invention, the switch 14 and the switch 15 correspond to power supply path opening / closing means, and the sub-control unit 12 performs S120 and S130. Is equivalent to the power source selection means, the storage device 30 is equivalent to the schedule storage means, the processing of S110 to S124 and S150 to S153 by the sub-control unit 12 is equivalent to the power supply control unit, and S120 by the sub-control unit 12 The process of ~ S143 corresponds to the voltage drop prevention means.
[Modification]
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to said specific embodiment, It can implement with a various form besides this.

  For example, in the data communication system 1 of the present embodiment, the communication between the vehicle communication device 5 and the server 70 is configured to be performed by Internet communication via the mobile phone network 8 by the communication device 40. Any device that performs communication via radio waves may be used. For example, the vehicle communication device 5 and the server 70 may perform direct communication using radio waves.

  Further, in the data communication system 1, the communication partner communicating with the vehicle communication device 5 is not limited to the server 70, but depending on the content of data transmitted / received to / from servers installed in a plurality of places. May be used to transmit / receive data, or may be used to transmit / receive data to / from the vehicle communication device 5 of another vehicle.

  Further, the server 70 is configured to start at the time specified in the power supply schedule 78 similarly to the vehicle communication device 5, but the server 70 may not be managed in accordance with the schedule. For example, the server 70 may be in a sleep mode in which only the communication device 72 is turned on, and when the connection request signal is received from the vehicle communication device 5, the server 70 may be activated as a whole, or is always activated. It may be a thing.

  In addition, the A / D converter 17 detects the voltages of the main battery 20 and the auxiliary battery 21, and the sub-control unit 12 performs processing according to this voltage, but performs processing for the battery voltage in S120 to S143. Instead, the switch 14 may only be turned on, and the power supply to the main control unit 11 may be switched on / off at the time specified in the power supply schedule 31.

  Further, in the case of the vehicle 3 in which the auxiliary battery 21 is not mounted, even if the processing of S130 to S135 is not performed and the voltage of the main battery 20 falls below the determination value A in S120, the processing after S140 is performed. good.

  Further, after the vehicle communication device 5 and the server 70 are restarted, data is continuously transmitted and received based on the transmission / reception data schedules 32 and 78. However, when the power is turned off, data transmission / reception is started from the beginning. You may redo.

It is a figure showing the whole structure of the data communication system 1 of a present Example. It is a figure showing the whole structure of the communication apparatus for vehicles 5 of a present Example. It is a figure showing the power supply schedule 31 of a present Example. It is a flowchart figure showing the processing content by the sub-control part 12 of the vehicle communication apparatus 5 of a present Example. It is a figure explaining the procedure of the data transmission / reception of a present Example. It is a figure explaining the procedure of the data transmission / reception of a present Example. It is a figure explaining the procedure of the data transmission / reception of a present Example. It is a figure explaining the procedure of the data transmission / reception of a present Example. It is a figure explaining the procedure of the data transmission / reception of a present Example. It is a figure explaining the procedure of the data transmission / reception of a present Example. It is a figure explaining the procedure of the data transmission / reception of a present Example. It is a flowchart figure showing the processing content by the control part 71 of the server 70 of a present Example. It is a flowchart figure showing the processing content by the main-control part 11 of the vehicle communication apparatus 5 of a present Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Data communication system, 3 ... Vehicle, 5 ... Vehicle communication apparatus, 7 ... Wide area network, 8 ... Mobile telephone network, 10 ... Control part, 11 ... Main control part, 12 ... Sub-control part, 14, 15 ... Switch 17 ... A / D converter, 19 ... timer, 20 ... main battery, 21 ... auxiliary battery, 30 ... storage device, 31 ... power supply schedule, 32 ... transmission / reception data schedule, 40 ... communication device, 51 ... car navigation device, 52 ... Audio system, 70 ... Server, 71 ... Control unit, 72 ... Communicator, 73 ... Storage device, 75 ... Timer.

Claims (8)

In a vehicle communication device including a communication means that operates while parking by receiving power supply from a battery mounted on a vehicle, and transmits / receives data to / from a communication partner outside the vehicle via radio,
A power supply path opening / closing means for switching a power supply path from the battery to the communication means to a conductive or cut-off state;
Schedule storage means for storing a schedule in which a plurality of times for conducting or shutting off the power supply path are designated;
Power supply control means for monitoring the current time while the vehicle is parked, and switching the power supply path to a conductive or cut-off state by driving the power supply path opening / closing means according to the time specified in the schedule;
With
The communication means starts data transmission / reception when the power supply path is switched to a conductive state by the power supply control means.
A vehicular communication device.   While the power supply path is in a conductive state, the voltage of the battery is detected, and when the detected voltage value becomes lower than a predetermined first cutoff voltage value, the power supply path opening / closing means switches the power supply path to a cutoff state. The vehicular communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a battery shut-off unit.   While the power supply path is in a conductive state, the voltage of the battery is detected, and when the voltage of the battery becomes lower than a predetermined first communication voltage value, the voltage of the battery voltage is reduced using the communication means. The vehicle communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a first voltage communication unit that transmits information to a communication partner. The battery consists of a main battery and an auxiliary battery,
The vehicle communication device detects the voltage of the main battery while the power supply path is in a conductive state, and if the voltage value of the main battery is equal to or higher than a predetermined switching voltage value, the vehicle communication device 2. The battery switching unit according to claim 1, further comprising battery switching means that is selectively connected to a path and selectively connects the auxiliary battery to the power path when the voltage value of the main battery is lower than the switching voltage value. Vehicle communication device.   While the power supply path is in a conductive state and the auxiliary battery is connected to the power supply path, the voltage of the auxiliary battery is detected, and when the detected voltage value becomes lower than a predetermined second cutoff voltage value, The vehicle communication device according to claim 4, further comprising a second battery cutoff unit that switches the power source path to a cutoff state by a power path opening / closing unit.   While the power supply path is in a conducting state, the voltage of the main battery or the auxiliary battery is detected, and when the detected voltage of the main battery or the auxiliary battery becomes lower than a predetermined second communication voltage value, the communication means 6. The vehicle communication device according to claim 4, further comprising: a second voltage communication unit configured to transmit information representing a voltage drop of the voltage of the main battery or the auxiliary battery to a communication partner. . An in-vehicle terminal equipped with a first communication means mounted on a vehicle and performing communication with a predetermined communication partner via wireless;
An external terminal that is installed outside the vehicle and includes second communication means for communicating with the in-vehicle terminal;
A data communication system for transmitting and receiving data between the in-vehicle terminal and the external terminal,
The data communication system, wherein the first communication unit includes the vehicle communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The in-vehicle terminal and the external terminal are respectively
A non-volatile transmission / reception state storage means for storing a transmission / reception state of data;
A transmission / reception control means for transmitting / receiving predetermined data via the first communication means or the second communication means;
With
The transmission / reception control means includes:
During transmission / reception of data, the transmission / reception state of data is stored in the transmission / reception state storage means at predetermined timings,
When the communication means is temporarily stopped and restarted, it is confirmed whether or not the partner terminal is in a communicable state by sending a connection request,
When the partner terminal is in a communicable state, it is confirmed whether there is data that has not been transmitted / received at the previous stop by the content stored in the reception state storage means, and there is data that has not been transmitted / received, Based on the contents stored in the transmission / reception state storage means, adjust with the other terminal to start transmission / reception continuously with the data transmitted / received at the previous stop, and transmit / receive data,
When the partner terminal is not in a communicable state, or when communication with the partner terminal becomes impossible during communication, the connection request from the partner terminal is waited and the connection request is received. To send or receive data by adjusting whether or not communication is possible and adjusting the content of the data to be transmitted and received based on the content of the data stored in the transmission / reception state storage means.
The data communication system according to claim 7.

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