JP4483528B2 - In-vehicle information communication device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-vehicle information communication device, and more particularly to an in-vehicle information communication device that transmits vehicle information to a center via an in-vehicle communication device after the ignition of the vehicle is turned off.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known an in-vehicle information communication apparatus in which a control unit including a microcomputer is in a low power consumption mode in order to reduce power consumption after the vehicle is turned off (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this device, when the emergency call button is pressed in the low power consumption mode and information transmission to the center is requested, the low power consumption mode is canceled and the control unit wakes up so that the vehicle and the center communicate with each other. Vehicle information indicating an emergency is connected and sent to the center.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-276881

  However, in the system in which the vehicle information is transmitted to the center after the low power consumption mode is canceled as described above, when the vehicle information is collected by the vehicle, the low power consumption mode is always canceled and all the vehicle information is centered. If it is assumed that the transmission is to be performed, a situation occurs in which such transmission is performed even when information transmission is not originally required. In this case, the control unit wakes up unnecessarily, and information transmission from the vehicle to the center is often performed unnecessarily, resulting in inconvenience that power consumption becomes excessive and communication cost increases. End up.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and in-vehicle information communication capable of reducing power consumption or communication cost by performing transmission processing of vehicle information only when it is truly necessary. An object is to provide an apparatus.

  The above object is an in-vehicle information communication apparatus for transmitting vehicle information to a center via an in-vehicle communication device after the vehicle is turned off as described in claim 1, and it is necessary to transmit the collected vehicle information to the center. A first computer having a function of determining whether or not there is a second computer different from the first computer having a function of requesting the vehicle-mounted communication device to transmit vehicle information to the center And the vehicle-mounted information communication device.

  In the present invention, a first microcomputer having a function of determining whether or not the collected vehicle information needs to be transmitted to the center, and a function of requesting the vehicle information to be transmitted to the center from the in-vehicle communication device Are separate and independent from each other. In such a configuration, after the ignition of the vehicle is turned off, the first microcomputer can turn on the power to the second microcomputer only when it is determined that transmission of the vehicle information to the center is necessary. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the power consumption after the ignition is turned off.

In this case, the pre-Symbol first computer, after the vehicle ignition off, the collected vehicle information when it is determined that it is necessary to transmit to the center, if performing the power supply to the second computer Good.

Further, in the above-described in- vehicle information communication device, the first computer is a flag state indicating whether or not to permit transmission of vehicle information from the vehicle to the center, which can be rewritten in response to a request from a vehicle user. If it is determined whether or not it is necessary to transmit the collected vehicle information to the center, the vehicle information is transmitted to the center only when the vehicle user permits the information transmission. Therefore, transmission of unnecessary vehicle information can be regulated, and power consumption and communication costs can be reduced.

In the above-described in- vehicle information communication device, the first computer needs to transmit the vehicle information collected this time to the center based on whether or not the vehicle information collected this time is different from the vehicle information collected last time. If the vehicle information collected this time is different from the vehicle information collected last time, the vehicle information can be transmitted to the center only when the vehicle information collected this time is different. Can be controlled continuously to reduce power consumption and communication costs.

In the above-described in- vehicle information communication apparatus, the first computer is a computer that consumes a relatively small amount of power when performing functions, and the second computer is a power consumption when performing functions. The computer may be a relatively large number of computers.

In the above-described in- vehicle information communication device, the vehicle information may be information indicating that the state of the in-vehicle device that can be operated by the vehicle user corresponds to forgetting the operation of the vehicle user.

In the above-described in- vehicle information communication device, the vehicle information may be information indicating the state of the vehicle.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce power consumption or communication cost by performing a vehicle information transmission process only when it is really necessary after the ignition is turned off.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration diagram of an information communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system of the present embodiment includes an in-vehicle device 10 mounted on a vehicle, and a mobile terminal 12 such as a mobile phone, a personal computer, or a PDA that is carried and carried by a regular vehicle user such as a driver or owner of the vehicle. And a center 14 for managing information between the in-vehicle device 10 and the portable terminal 12. The system of the present embodiment is a vehicle-mounted device that can be directly operated by the vehicle user in the vehicle (for example, lighting / extinguishing of lights, doors, etc.) after the vehicle user gets off the vehicle from the vehicle whose ignition is turned off. Lock / unlock, opening / closing of the power window, etc.) (hereinafter referred to as forgotten operation information), vehicle position information and remaining driving This is a system capable of transmitting information indicating vehicle status such as possible distance, average fuel consumption, door status (hereinafter referred to as remote confirmation information) to the mobile terminal 12 via the center 14 or the center 14.

  The in-vehicle device 10 operates by being supplied with power from a battery 16 mounted mainly in the vehicle. The in-vehicle device 10 includes a data communication module (hereinafter referred to as DCM) 20 capable of performing wireless communication with the center 14 through a predetermined communication network, and a master electronic control unit connected to the DCM 20 via a communication line 22. (Hereinafter referred to as a master ECU) 24. The DCM 20 has a data communication antenna 20a, a function for transmitting various information of the vehicle-mounted device 10 from the data communication antenna 20a to the center 14 via the communication network, and various information transmitted from the center 14 via the communication network. Is received by the data communication antenna 20a.

  The master ECU 24 includes a main computer (hereinafter referred to as a main microcomputer) 26 and a sub computer (hereinafter referred to as a sub microcomputer) 28 which are separate and independent from each other. The main microcomputer 26 and the sub microcomputer 28 each have a CPU, an input / output interface, and memories such as ROM and RAM. The main microcomputer 26 and the sub microcomputer 28 are connected to each other via a communication line. The main microcomputer 26 and the sub-microcomputer 28 are connected to the battery 16 described above, and operate by being supplied with power from the battery 16 when the ignition of the vehicle is off. The power consumption required for the main microcomputer 26 to perform its own function described below is relatively large, and the power consumption required for the sub-microcomputer 28 to perform its own function described below is relatively small.

  The main microcomputer 26 has a storage device that stores the identification information of the host vehicle, the telephone number of the center 14 and the like, and a buffer memory that temporarily stores various vehicle information. The above-described DCM 20 is connected to the main microcomputer 26, and the main microcomputer 26 mainly requests the DCM 20 to transmit various information collected by the master ECU 24 to the center 14 together with its own identification information. It has a function to do. The main microcomputer 26 has a function of detecting the position of the own vehicle using a GPS receiver or the like, and the map data and the own vehicle position data read from a recording medium such as a DVD can be visually recognized by the occupant. It is good also as having the function to output to a multi display.

  The sub-microcomputer 28 is connected to various slave ECUs that constitute a group of controlled ECUs mounted on the vehicle. The sub-microcomputer 28 has a function of controlling input / output between the master ECU 24 and each slave ECU, collects various vehicle information from each slave ECU, and transmits the collected vehicle information from the DCM 20 to the center 14. It has a function to determine whether or not it is necessary.

  As the slave ECU, a gateway ECU 32, an engine ECU 34, a VSC (Vehicle Stability Control System) -ECU 36, and the like connected to the sub-microcomputer 28 via the first bus 30 are connected to the gateway ECU 32 via the second bus 40. , Meter ECU 42, door ECU 44, body ECU 46, and the like (hereinafter collectively referred to as body system ECU). The gateway ECU 32 has a gateway function that enables bidirectional communication between the first bus 30 side and the second bus 40 side. The first bus 30 and the second bus 40 may have different communication protocols such as information transmission speed.

  The above-described engine ECU 34 is a unit that detects the engine water temperature, the intake air temperature, the throttle opening, and the like, and controls the fuel injection amount, the ignition timing, and the like based on the detected values. The VSC-ECU 36 is a unit that detects vehicle acceleration, yaw rate, steering angle, wheel speed, brake hydraulic pressure, and the like, and controls the turning behavior of the vehicle based on the detected values. The meter ECU 42 is connected to the first sensor via the sensor connected to itself (for example, a collision sensor used for airbag activation) and switches (for example, a turn signal switch), the second bus 40, and the gateway ECU 32. This is a unit that receives signals output from the slave ECUs connected to the bus 30 and detects various current information about the vehicle (remaining travelable distance, average fuel consumption, etc .; hereinafter referred to as meter information).

  The door ECU 44 has a function of detecting a lock position of each vehicle door and detecting an open / closed state of a power window provided in each vehicle door. The door ECU 44 is a unit that controls switching of the lock position of the vehicle door between locking (locking) and unlocking (unlocking), and also controls the opening and closing of the power window. The door lock position is switched between when the vehicle occupant is operated by inserting the vehicle key into the key cylinder, or when the lock / unlock button provided on the vehicle key is pressed by the vehicle occupant. When the verification is performed by wireless communication, the vehicle occupant approaches the vehicle with the vehicle key or presses a predetermined switch provided on the door knob or the like to perform verification by wireless communication between the vehicle and the vehicle key. This is done in the case of breakage. The power window is opened and closed when the opening / closing button is operated in the passenger compartment by the vehicle occupant. The body ECU 46 detects the lighting / extinguishing state of lights (for example, turn signal lamps, hazard lamps, head lamps, room lamps, etc.) of the vehicle, and controls the lighting / extinguishing of these lights. It is.

  The sub-microcomputer 28 collects various vehicle information to be transmitted to the vehicle user through the center 14 or the portable terminal 12 from the above-described slave ECUs via the first bus 30 and the second bus 40. As this vehicle information, for example, remote confirmation information which is meter information and vehicle position information such as the remaining travelable distance, average fuel consumption, average vehicle speed, etc., mainly output from the meter ECU 42, and mainly the door ECU 44 and body ECU 46. The forgotten operation information indicating that the in-vehicle device is not in the state that should be after the ignition is turned off, such as the door lock position, the open / close state of the power window, and the lighting / extinguishing state of the lights.

  Whether the sub-microcomputer 28 permits transmission of remote confirmation information to the center 14 (hereinafter referred to as a remote confirmation information flag) and whether to permit transmission of forgotten operation information to the center 14. A flag indicating whether or not (hereinafter referred to as an operation forgotten notification flag). Each of these flags can be rewritten according to the request of the vehicle user, and the setting can be changed to that according to the request of the vehicle user. This setting change may be performed according to a direct operation on the in-vehicle device 10 or may be performed according to a command from the center 14 based on an indirect operation on the mobile terminal 12. The sub-microcomputer 28 determines whether or not the collected vehicle information needs to be transmitted to the center 14 based on the state of the remote confirmation information flag and the state of the forgotten operation notification flag.

  The sub-microcomputer 28 can cause each slave ECU to execute a predetermined process in accordance with a command from the center 14 side. Specifically, remote control of the above-mentioned various in-vehicle devices from the portable terminal 12 via the center 14 (for example, door lock / unlock, turn signal lamp on / off, power window open / close, engine start / stop) Is notified from the DCM 20 that the remote operation of the vehicle-mounted device is to be performed via the first bus 30 or the second bus 40. . When the slave ECU is instructed by the sub-microcomputer 28 to remotely operate the in-vehicle device, the slave ECU automatically controls the in-vehicle device using an actuator.

  The portable terminal 12 stores the identification information including the mail address and telephone number of the own portable terminal 12 or the telephone number of the own vehicle corresponding to the own portable terminal 12, the telephone number of the center 14, and the like. Wireless communication with the center 14 is possible. The portable terminal 12 has a function of transmitting its own information to the center 14 via the communication network and a function of receiving information transmitted from the center 14 via the communication network.

  The portable terminal 12 has an input / output unit that is manually input by the user and that outputs sound and / or display to the vehicle user. The mobile terminal 12 has a web browser and can obtain information provided by the center 14, for example, a web screen for requesting remote operation of the in-vehicle device. The mobile terminal 12 can browse files and data stored in an external web server via a communication network by an input operation to the input / output unit, and transmits contents input to the input / output unit to the web server. Is possible.

  The center 14 includes a host computer capable of high-speed computation, identification information of a regular user of a vehicle who is a user using the center 14, a mail address, a telephone number of the mobile terminal 12, and vehicle identification information and a telephone number. And a large-capacity database for storing customer information. The center 14 can wirelessly communicate with the in-vehicle device 10 and the portable terminal 12 through the communication network, and transmits the information of itself to the in-vehicle device 10 and the portable terminal 12 through the communication network. It has a function of receiving information transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 and the portable terminal 12 via the communication network. The center 14 can provide the mobile terminal 12 with a web screen for requesting remote operation of various in-vehicle devices.

  The operation of the information communication system according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the exchange of information between each element of the information communication system of the present embodiment while distinguishing between when the accessory is on and when the accessory is off. 3 and 4 show a flowchart of an example of a control routine executed in the information communication system of the present embodiment. 5 and 6 show a flowchart of an example of a control routine executed in the master ECU 24 of the in-vehicle device 10 included in the information communication system of the present embodiment. In this information communication system, each of the in-vehicle device 10, the mobile terminal 12, and the center 14 has a program for realizing the following functions in a ROM or the like, and operates according to the program. These programs can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD, a DVD, or a hard disk.

  In the information communication system of the present embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 supplies power from the battery 16 to the master ECU 24 and the like before the vehicle is turned off and the accessory is turned off by the vehicle user. The vehicle position information detected in the above is temporarily stored in the memory of the main microcomputer 26 periodically (for example, every few seconds) (step 100), and the position information is periodically notified from the main microcomputer 26 to the DCM 20 (step 102). The position information is temporarily stored in the memory of the DCM 20 (step 104). At this time, the latest value of the vehicle position information is temporarily stored in the memory as remote confirmation information.

  In addition, the meter ECU 42 of the body ECU connected to the second bus 40 in the in-vehicle device 10 periodically displays the current meter information about the vehicle to be detected before the vehicle is turned off and the accessory is turned off by the vehicle user ( For example, every several seconds), the sub-microcomputer 28 of the master ECU 24 is notified via the second bus 40, the gateway ECU 32, and the first bus 30 to be acquired by the sub-microcomputer 28 (step 106). The vehicle-mounted device 10 temporarily stores the meter information periodically notified from the meter ECU 42 in the memory of the sub-microcomputer 28 before the vehicle is turned off and the accessory is turned off by the vehicle user (step 108). At this time, the latest value of the meter information is temporarily stored in the memory as remote confirmation information.

  From this situation, when the vehicle is turned off and the accessory is turned off by the vehicle user (step 110), the in-vehicle device 10 first stops the power supply from the battery 16 to the main microcomputer 26 of the master ECU 24. The main microcomputer 26 is shifted to the sleep state (step 112). Further, when both the ignition-off and accessory-off are realized, the body system ECU (specifically, the door ECU 44 and the body ECU 46) of the in-vehicle device 10 receives predetermined operation forgotten information such as a door lock position detected at that time. The sub-microcomputer 28 of the master ECU 24 is notified via the second bus 40, the gateway ECU 32, and the first bus 30 to be acquired by the sub-microcomputer 28 (step 114). After the ignition is turned off and the accessory is turned off, the in-vehicle device 10 temporarily stores the operation forgotten information notified from the body ECU as “current value” in the memory of the sub-microcomputer 28 (step 116).

  The in-vehicle device 10 puts the buses 30 and 40 into a sleep state when data does not flow through the first and second buses 30 and 40. After the accessory is turned off, the in-vehicle device 10 repeatedly performs the processing of steps 114 and 116 described above until the first bus 30 sleeps (affirmative determination in step 118). For this reason, the latest value of the operation forgotten information immediately before the first bus 30 sleeps is temporarily stored in the memory of the sub-microcomputer 28 as the current value. Further, the current value of the forgotten operation information is cleared when the accessory switch of the vehicle is switched from the off state to the on state.

  Further, each body ECU notifies the sub-microcomputer 28 of forgotten operation information after the accessory is turned off as described above, and then, unless an event such as door unlocking is detected using the sensor or switch, those sensors or switches are used. Only in the sleep state (low power consumption mode) that can be driven (step 120). The body system ECU wakes up whenever an event occurs during sleep.

  The sub-microcomputer 28 of the in-vehicle device 10 determines whether or not a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute) has elapsed after the first bus 30 enters the sleep state (step 122). As a result, if it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed, it is then determined whether or not the bus sleep is the first (first) bus sleep after the accessory is turned off (step 124).

  When the sub-microcomputer 28 determines that the bus sleep is the first time in step 124, the sub-microcomputer 28 checks the state of the remote confirmation information flag, and the flag is in an ON state permitting transmission to the center 14. Whether or not (step 126). When the remote confirmation information flag is in the on state, the latest remote confirmation information temporarily stored in the memory in step 108 is set as vehicle information to be transmitted to the center 14 (step 128).

  The sub-microcomputer 28 determines that the bus sleep is the second or later time after the accessory is turned off in step 124, determines that the remote confirmation information flag is in the OFF state in step 126, and If the latest remote confirmation information is set as the vehicle information to be transmitted to the center 14 at 128, then the state of the forgetting operation notification flag is confirmed, and the flag is turned on to permit transmission to the center 14. It is determined whether or not there is (step 130). When the forgetting operation flag is in the ON state, it is determined whether or not the current value of the forgetting operation information temporarily stored in the memory in step 116 is different from the previous value (step 132). Note that the previous value of the operation forgotten information is the operation forgotten information immediately before the previous first bus 30 sleeps immediately before this time. The previous value is also cleared when the accessory switch of the vehicle is switched from the off state to the on state, similarly to the current value. For this reason, the current value and the previous value of the forgotten operation information are different from each other during the first bus sleep after the accessory is turned off. If the current value of the forgotten operation information is different from the previous value, the sub-microcomputer 28 executes a process of setting the forgotten operation information temporarily stored in the memory in step 116 as vehicle information to be transmitted to the center 14 (step). 134).

  The sub-microcomputer 28 determines that the forgotten operation notification flag is off in step 130, determines that the current value of the forgotten operation information matches the previous value in step 132, and forgets the operation in step 134. When the current value of the information is set as the vehicle information to be transmitted to the center 14, whether or not at least one of the remote confirmation information and the forgotten operation information is set as the vehicle information to be transmitted to the center 14 next. Is determined (step 136).

  As a result, when neither the remote confirmation information nor the forgotten operation information is set as the vehicle information to be transmitted to the center 14, the current routine is terminated without any further processing. On the other hand, when any information is set as vehicle information to be transmitted to the center 14, the main microcomputer 26 is woken up to transmit the vehicle information from the in-vehicle device 10 to the center 14 (step 138). First, the main microcomputer 26 is turned on (step 140), and a wake-up request is issued to the main microcomputer 26 to cancel the sleep state (step 142).

  When the main microcomputer 26 is powered on from the battery 16 and is requested to wake up from the sub-microcomputer 28 during sleep, the main microcomputer 26 wakes up to be able to perform its function and indicates that it has shifted to the wake-up state. Respond to 28 (step 144). When the sub-microcomputer 28 receives the wake-up response from the main microcomputer 26 after making a wake-up request to the main microcomputer 26, the sub-microcomputer 28 then transmits the vehicle to be transmitted to the collected center 14 to the main microcomputer 26. An upload request is made to request transmission of remote confirmation information and forgotten operation information as information to the center 14 (step 146).

  When an upload request is made from the sub-microcomputer 28, the main microcomputer 26 first performs processing for requesting the DCM 20 to transmit time information (step 148). When the DCM 20 is requested to transmit time information from the main microcomputer 26, the DCM 20 responds to the main microcomputer 26 with the current time information (step 150). When the main microcomputer 26 receives the time information from the DCM 20 after making a request to transmit the time information to the DCM 20, the main microcomputer 26 next sends the remote confirmation information and the forgotten operation information to be transmitted to the center 14 to the DCM 20. A process for requesting SMTP transmission to the center 14 together with the information is performed (step 152).

  When the DCM 20 is requested by the main microcomputer 26 to transmit vehicle information to the center 14, the DCM 20 performs SMTP transmission of the collected remote confirmation information and forgotten operation information as vehicle information to be transmitted to the center 14 to the center 14. (Step 154). When the center 14 receives the vehicle information transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10, the center 14 thereafter transfers the vehicle information to the portable terminal 12 as necessary, and informs that the vehicle information from the in-vehicle device 10 has been normally received. Processing to respond to the machine 10 is performed (step 156). When the DCM 20 receives a normal response from the center 14 within a predetermined time after performing the transmission process of the vehicle information to the center 14, the DCM 20 notifies the main microcomputer 26 that the center 14 has received the vehicle information normally. (Step 158).

  When the main microcomputer 26 receives a notification of normal response of the center 14 from the DCM 20 after making a transmission request of the vehicle information to the center 14 to the DCM 20, the vehicle information is first uploaded from the in-vehicle device 10 to the center 14. To the sub-microcomputer 28 (step 160). When the sub-microcomputer 28 makes an upload response from the main microcomputer 26 after an upload request to the main microcomputer 26, the sub-microcomputer 28 performs a process of writing the current value temporarily stored in the memory at the above-described step 116 to the “previous value” (step 162). .

  On the other hand, when the vehicle information transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 cannot be normally received, the center 14 responds to the in-vehicle device 10 that the reception of the vehicle information is abnormal. When the DCM 20 performs processing for transmitting vehicle information to the center 14 and then receives an abnormal response from the center 14 or does not receive a normal response from the center 14 within a predetermined time, the main microcomputer The center 14 is notified that the vehicle information has been abnormally received or that the center 14 has not responded normally (step 164).

  After the main microcomputer 26 makes an upload response to the sub-microcomputer 28 or receives an abnormal response or timeout notification from the center 14 from the DCM 20, the master ECU 24 and the DCM 20 supply power to the sub-microcomputer 28. A request is made for sleep processing to stop and shut down (step 166). When receiving the sleep processing request from the main microcomputer 26, the sub-microcomputer 28 checks whether there is new data to be uploaded from the in-vehicle device 10 to the center 14 (step 168). As a result, if new data exists, an upload request is made to request the main microcomputer 26 to transmit the data to the center 14, while if no new data exists or a predetermined time ( If the sleep processing request is not received within 5 minutes (for example, 5 minutes), the sleep request for requesting the main microcomputer 26 to sleep is performed (step 170), and the sleep processing is performed by itself.

  When the main microcomputer 26 receives a sleep request from the sub-microcomputer 28, it makes a sleep request to the DCM 20 (step 172) and also performs a shutdown / sleep process (step 174). When the DCM 20 receives a sleep request from the main microcomputer 26, the DCM 20 performs its own shutdown / sleep process.

  When the body ECU detects an event such as door unlock during sleep of the sub-microcomputer 28 (step 180), the body-system ECU makes a wake-up request for requesting the sub-microcomputer 28 to wake up (step 182). . When receiving the wake-up request from the body system ECU, the sub-microcomputer 28 cancels its sleep state and wakes up (step 184). Further, when the body ECU makes a wake-up request to the sub-microcomputer 28, the body-related ECU then notifies the sub-microcomputer 28 of forgetting operation information detected at that time (step 114). And the vehicle equipment 10 and the center 14 perform the process after the said step 116 on the assumption that the sleep of the 1st bus | bath 30 is the 2nd bus sleep after an accessory off.

  As described above, in the information communication system according to the present embodiment, when the vehicle user stops the use of the vehicle by performing the operation of ignition off and accessory off, the remote confirmation information (mainly meter information) at that time and The operation forgotten information on the in-vehicle device can be transmitted to the mobile terminal 12 from the in-vehicle device 10 to the center 14 or through the center 14. In this case, the vehicle user who has the center 14 or the portable terminal 12 can know vehicle information such as the vehicle stop position, average fuel consumption, and forgetting to operate the in-vehicle device at a place away from the vehicle. Therefore, if the vehicle user forgets to turn off the lights, lock the door of the vehicle, or close the window after the vehicle accessory is turned off, the center 14 or the vehicle user can take further action. It is possible to make it take appropriately.

  Further, in the system of the present embodiment, when the vehicle user is notified of forgetting to operate the in-vehicle device, either spontaneously or at a point away from the vehicle, from the center 14 via the portable terminal 12, for example, theft. For prevention or the like, when it is desired to lock the vehicle door, close the window, or turn off the lights, the web browser is started by operating the input / output unit of the portable terminal 12. The center 14 stores a format for requesting a remote operation required to drive the in-vehicle device of the in-vehicle device 10 remotely by operating the mobile terminal 12. The mobile terminal 12 is wirelessly connected to the center 14 via the communication network in accordance with an operation by the vehicle user with the web browser activated, and provides a web screen for requesting a remote operation of the center 14. 14 to request. The center 14 provides the mobile terminal 12 with a web screen for requesting remote operation in accordance with a request from the mobile terminal 12. The mobile terminal 12 acquires a web screen for requesting remote operation from the center 14 according to the above processing.

  This web screen is provided with a remote operation item that can be remotely controlled by operating the mobile terminal 12. The mobile terminal 12 determines which of the in-vehicle devices is desired by the vehicle user based on the presence or absence of a check in a check box provided for each remote control item that can be remotely controlled. When the mobile terminal 12 makes a transmission request in a state where any of the above check boxes is checked by an operation by the vehicle user, the center 14 confirms that remote driving of the in-vehicle device corresponding to the check is desired. The remote operation request information is transmitted to the center 14 for notification to the center 14.

  When the center 14 receives the remote operation request information transmitted from the mobile terminal 12 after providing the mobile terminal 12 with a web screen for requesting the remote operation, the center 14 performs a specific in-vehicle device by the operation on the mobile terminal 12. A remote operation command signal indicating that the remote operation is requested is transmitted to the in-vehicle device 10. When receiving the remote operation command signal transmitted from the center 14, the in-vehicle device 10 supplies the command signal to an appropriate actuator 44 to drive the in-vehicle device in response to the remote operation request.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the in-vehicle device can be driven in accordance with the manual operation of the vehicle user with respect to the vehicle, and further the remote operation from the center 14 to the in-vehicle device 10 by the operation of the portable terminal 12 by the vehicle user. It can be made according to what is requested. For this reason, the vehicle user can realize remote operation of the in-vehicle device by operating the mobile terminal 12 at a place away from the vehicle even if the user is not on the vehicle. Therefore, according to the system of the present embodiment, even when the vehicle user has forgotten to manually operate the in-vehicle device in the vehicle, etc., even after receiving the notification of forgetting operation as described above, it can be remotely performed by operating the mobile terminal 12. It is possible to shift the in-vehicle device to a desired state.

  By the way, in this embodiment, the master ECU 24 of the in-vehicle device 10 determines an information collection function for collecting vehicle information from each slave ECU and a transmission determination for determining whether or not the collected vehicle information needs to be transmitted to the center 14. And a transmission request function for requesting the DCM 20 to transmit the vehicle information to the center 14. Here, if these functions are processed by a single microcomputer, the power consumption of the in-vehicle device 10 after the vehicle ignition is turned off and the accessory is turned off may be excessive. For example, even when it is not necessary to transmit vehicle information to the center 14, a situation occurs in which power is supplied to a part of the microcomputer that is responsible for the transmission request function.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, two independent microcomputers (main microcomputer 26 and sub-microcomputer 28) are provided in the master ECU 24, the sub-microcomputer 28 has an information collecting function and a transmission determination function, and the main microcomputer 26 has Each has a transmission request function. The sub-microcomputer 28 also has a function of turning on the power to the main microcomputer 26 only when vehicle information needs to be transmitted to the center 14 after the ignition is turned off and the accessory is turned off. The power is supplied by a command from the microcomputer 28, and the function can be exhibited.

  Therefore, according to this configuration, the power supply to the main microcomputer 26 is limited as much as possible after the vehicle ignition is turned off and the accessory is turned off. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the in-vehicle device 10 after the ignition is turned off. It has become. As described above, the power consumption required for the main microcomputer 26 to perform its own function is relatively large, and the power consumption required for the sub-microcomputer 28 to perform its function is relatively small. For this reason, according to the present Example, the reduction of the power consumption of the vehicle equipment 10 after ignition-off is more effective.

  By the way, when vehicle information is collected in the in-vehicle device 10, if the main microcomputer 26 is always turned on and all vehicle information is transmitted to the center 14, information transmission is essentially required. This transmission is performed even when there is no communication. As a result, the power consumption of the in-vehicle device 10 is excessive due to unnecessary information transmission, and the communication cost between the in-vehicle device 10 and the center 14 and the center 14 are also increased. As a result, the communication cost between the mobile terminal 12 and the mobile terminal 12 increases unnecessarily.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, when the collected remote confirmation information is transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 to the center 14, the state of the remote confirmation information flag of the sub-microcomputer 28 is confirmed, and the collected forgotten operation information is transmitted to the in-vehicle device. In transmitting from 10 to the center 14, the state of the forgotten operation notification flag of the sub-microcomputer 28 is confirmed. As a result of the confirmation, if the flag permits transmission of information to the center 14, the sub-microcomputer 28 turns on the main microcomputer 26 and the main microcomputer 26 assumes that vehicle information needs to be transmitted to the center 14. 26, on the other hand, if the flag does not permit transmission of information to the center 14, it is determined that there is no need to transmit vehicle information to the center 14, and the power supply of the main microcomputer 26 by the sub-microcomputer 28 is determined. No charging is performed, and the main microcomputer 26 is not waked up.

  The remote confirmation information flag and the forgotten operation notification flag described above are rewritable flags in response to a vehicle user request. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, power is supplied to the main microcomputer 26 only when the vehicle user permits transmission of the remote confirmation information to the center 14, and the remote confirmation information is transmitted from the vehicle-mounted device 10 to the center. 14 can be uploaded, and power is supplied to the main microcomputer 26 only when the vehicle user permits transmission of the forgotten operation notification information to the center 14, and the forgotten operation notification information Uploading from the in-vehicle device 10 to the center 14 can be performed.

  For this reason, transmission of vehicle information that the vehicle user does not permit transmission from the in-vehicle device 10 to the center 14 is prohibited, and unnecessary power-on to the main microcomputer 26 and transmission of vehicle information are restricted. It is possible to reduce power consumption in the device 10 and reduce communication costs between the in-vehicle device 10 and the center 14 and between the center 14 and the portable terminal 12. Further, since uploading of vehicle information to the center 14 is restricted by the vehicle user's will, the vehicle user can be as much troublesome as possible when transmitting vehicle information from the in-vehicle device 10 to the portable terminal 12 via the center 14. It is possible not to give.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the collected operation forgotten information is transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 to the center 14, the contents of the operation forgotten information collected this time are collected last time and uploaded to the center 14 from the in-vehicle device 10. It is confirmed whether or not the content of the forgotten information is different. As a result of the confirmation, when the contents of the forgotten operation information in this time and the previous time are different, it is necessary to transmit the forgotten operation information to the center 14 and the main microcomputer 26 is turned on by the sub-microcomputer 28. Although the microcomputer 26 is waked up, on the other hand, when the contents of the forgotten operation information in the current time and the previous time match, it is not necessary to transmit the current forgotten operation information to the center 14, and the main microcomputer by the sub-microcomputer 28. 26 is not turned on, and the main microcomputer 26 is not woken up.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, power is supplied to the main microcomputer 26 only when the forgotten operation information collected this time and the forgotten operation information collected last time are different from each other, and the in-vehicle device of the forgotten operation notification information is provided. 10 to the center 14 can be uploaded. For this reason, the continuous transmission of the operation forgotten information with the same content is prohibited, and unnecessary power-on to the main microcomputer 26 and the transmission of the operation forgotten information are restricted, so that the power consumption in the in-vehicle device 10 can be reduced. In addition, it is possible to reduce communication costs between the in-vehicle device 10 and the center 14 and between the center 14 and the portable terminal 12. In addition, since frequently forgotten operation information having the same content is restricted from being frequently uploaded to the center 14, the vehicle user is bothered by the transmission of the forgotten operation information from the in-vehicle device 10 to the portable terminal 12 via the center 14. It is possible to avoid giving as much as possible.

  In the system of the present embodiment, when the user forgets to operate the in-vehicle device is notified to the vehicle user through the portable terminal 12, the vehicle user uses the portable terminal 12 in order to resolve the forgotten operation state of the in-vehicle device. It is conceivable to perform remote operation of the in-vehicle device, but since the transmission of forgetting operation information from the in-vehicle device 10 is restricted as described above, remote operation of the in-vehicle device is not performed unnecessarily. Also from this point, the effect of reducing power consumption and the effect of reducing communication costs in the in-vehicle device 10 are sufficiently exhibited.

  By the way, in the above embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 is included in the “in-vehicle information communication device” described in the claims, the sub-microcomputer 28 is included in the “first computer” described in the claims, and the main microcomputer 26. Corresponds to the “second computer” described in the claims, and the DCM 20 corresponds to the “vehicle communication device” described in the claims.

  In the above embodiment, the main microcomputer 26 and the sub-microcomputer 28 are provided in the same master ECU 24, but may be provided in separate ECUs.

It is a block diagram of the information communication system which is one Example of this invention. This is because the information exchange between the elements of the information communication system of the present embodiment is described by distinguishing when the accessory of the vehicle is on and when the accessory is off. It is a flowchart (the 1) of the control routine performed in the information communication system of a present Example. It is a flowchart (the 2) of the control routine performed in the information communication system of a present Example. It is a flowchart (the 1) of the control routine performed in the vehicle equipment which the information communication system of a present Example has. It is a flowchart (the 2) of the control routine performed in the vehicle equipment which the information communication system of a present Example has.

Explanation of symbols

10 in-vehicle device 12 portable device 14 center 16 battery 20 DCM
26 Main computer (main microcomputer)
28 Subcomputer (Submicrocomputer)

Claims (6)

An in-vehicle information communication device that transmits vehicle information to a center via an in-vehicle communication device after the vehicle is turned off.
A first computer having a function of determining whether the collected vehicle information needs to be transmitted to the center;
A second computer different from the first computer, having a function of requesting the vehicle information to be transmitted to the center to the in-vehicle communication device ,
The first computer turns on the power to the second computer when it is determined that the collected vehicle information needs to be transmitted to the center after the vehicle is turned off. apparatus. The first computer stores the collected vehicle information on the basis of the state of a flag that indicates whether or not transmission of vehicle information from the vehicle to the center is permitted and that can be rewritten according to a request of each vehicle user. vehicle information communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining whether it is necessary to send to. The first computer determines whether or not it is necessary to transmit the vehicle information collected this time to the center based on whether or not the vehicle information collected this time is different from the vehicle information collected last time. The in-vehicle information communication apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 . The first computer is a computer that consumes a relatively small amount of power to perform its functions, and
The in-vehicle information communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the second computer is a computer that consumes a relatively large amount of power when performing functions. The in-vehicle information according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the vehicle information is information indicating that a state of the in-vehicle device that can be operated by the vehicle user corresponds to forgetting operation of the vehicle user. Communication device. The vehicle information communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the vehicle information is information indicating a state of the vehicle.

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