JP5735887B2 - Operation card initialization method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an operation card initialization method, and more particularly to a technique for initializing an operation card attached to an operation recorder mounted on a vehicle.

  For business vehicles such as freight trucks and taxis used for business purposes, it is required by law to keep a record of operation information. Therefore, an operation recorder (for example, a digital tachograph) capable of automatically collecting and recording operation information such as a vehicle speed, an engine rotation speed, and a travel distance is mounted on the vehicle. Information collected by such operation recorders is used for safety management, economic management, labor management, and the like.

  In a general operation recorder, an operation card equipped with a nonvolatile memory is used as a data recording medium. Specifically, a memory card equipped with a flash memory or the like is used as an operation card. The operation card is detachable from the operation recorder. Normally, when the crew member starts the crew, the operation card possessed by each crew member is attached to the operation recorder.

  The operation recorder, for example, periodically collects information in a short cycle during the business operation of the vehicle, and automatically records and stores the obtained data on the operation card. In addition, recent operation recorders often have a function of recording a large amount of data such as a collection of still images or moving images taken by an in-vehicle camera on an operation card.

  As a conventional technique related to an operation recorder using such an operation card, for example, techniques disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that an operation card attached to an operation recorder is initialized using a management device (personal computer) installed in an office.

JP 2008-152609 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-234260

  By the way, when the operation recorder is actually used, a malfunction may occur. Specifically, when data is written from the main body of the operation recorder to the operation card, a write error frequently occurs, so that only a part of the data may be recorded or the data may not be recorded at all. Such inconvenience is likely to occur when collecting image data captured by the in-vehicle camera and writing it to the operation card.

  As a cause of the writing error, there may be a problem of deterioration of the operation card and a writing timing in processing. In other words, the flash memory mounted on the operation card has a limited number of rewrites because the electrons penetrate the oxide film that becomes an insulator when erasing or writing, and deteriorates the oxide film. It gradually deteriorates by repeating.

  When recording image data with a large data capacity on the operation card, it is necessary to control to delete the old data and overwrite the new data as necessary due to restrictions on the recording capacity of the operation card. . That is, data rewriting is repeated for the same recording area on the flash memory. As a result, in the area where the number of data rewrites is increased on the operation card, partial deterioration occurs and a write error occurs.

  Further, when a write error occurs, the same operation may be repeated until it is correctly written, and the time required for the write operation becomes longer than usual. For this reason, a situation occurs in which the data writing speed is insufficient with respect to the capacity of the collected data, causing a problem in the writing operation.

  In addition, when there is a discontinuous location where data already exists and an empty location on the operation card recording area, or when there is no empty area and it is necessary to search for an area to be overwritten, a write operation is performed. It takes longer time than usual.

  In addition, even when the operation data writing and the image data writing occur at the same time, there is a possibility that there is no time for processing and there is a problem in the operation card writing operation.

  For example, if the entire contents of the operation card are erased, there is a possibility that the time required for data writing can be shortened. In addition, if a predetermined format process is performed as initialization of the recording area of the operation card, it is possible to assign a part of the area that takes time to write due to deterioration of the card itself, for example, as a write-inhibited area, and a write error occurs. Can be suppressed, and malfunction of the operation can be eliminated.

  However, the data collected and recorded by the operation recorder must be strictly managed, and it is not possible to install a function that allows the crew to delete or tamper with the collected data without permission. Unacceptable. In other words, the data collected by the operation recorder needs to be delivered to the management device side in the office as disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, that is, the manager without being altered or deleted.

  For this reason, functions such as erasing or formatting the recorded contents of the operation card could not be installed in the operation recorder that is a vehicle-mounted device. Therefore, even if the operation card is deteriorated and the writing operation is defective during the business operation of the vehicle, it cannot be immediately restored to the normal operation. In other words, after the day-to-day duties of the crew were completed, the occurrence of a writing error could not be suppressed unless the operation card removed from the operation recorder was attached to the management device in the office and the card was formatted.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and its purpose is to prevent data from being falsified or erased by the operation of the crew, and at the initial stage of the operation card in which a malfunction has occurred without the crew returning to the office. An object is to provide a method of initializing an operation card that can be converted into a card.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the operation card initialization method according to the present invention is characterized by the following (1) to (2).
(1) An operation card for controlling the operation of the operation recorder in a situation where wireless communication is possible between an operation recorder mounted on the vehicle and a predetermined management device arranged outside the vehicle. An initialization method,
On the operation recorder side, monitor the occurrence of a data write error for a predetermined operation card attached to the operation recorder,
When the data write error occurrence condition satisfies a predetermined condition, a write failure notification is sent from the operation recorder side to the management device,
On the management device side, when the writing failure notification is received, a format command for permitting initialization of the operation card is transmitted to the operation recorder as a transmission source.
(2) The operation card initialization method described in (1) above,
On the management device side, an operation data transfer request for acquiring operation data recorded on an operation card attached to the operation recorder is transmitted to the operation recorder,
On the operation recorder side, when the operation data transfer request is received, the operation data is transmitted to the management device of the transmission source,
On the management device side, after receiving the operation data transmitted from the operation recorder, the format command is transmitted to the operation recorder.

According to the operation card initialization method having the configuration (1) above, when the operation card deteriorates and a writing error occurs, it can be dealt with immediately without returning to the office. For this reason, the omission of the collected data that occurs after the occurrence of the error can be minimized.
According to the operation card initialization method having the configuration (2) above, even if a data write error occurs, the data on the operation card collected before that can be reliably delivered to the management device side. . Therefore, even when the operation card is initialized, it is impossible to hide the operation data that has already been collected and recorded from the manager, and it is possible to prevent an illegal act such as a crew member.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent data from being falsified or erased by the operation of the crew, and to initialize the operation card in which the malfunction occurred without returning to the office.

  The present invention has been briefly described above. Further, details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through the modes for carrying out the invention described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram illustrating an operation example in the system of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the entire system according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an electric circuit of the operation recorder shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an outline of the operation of the operation recorder shown in FIG.

  Specific embodiments relating to the operation card initialization method of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<System configuration>
In the present embodiment, it is assumed that a system as shown in FIG. 2 is used. That is, the operation recorder 100 is mounted on the business vehicle 10 such as a truck. The operation recorder 100 automatically collects various information related to the operation of the business vehicle 10 and records and stores the data in a predetermined recording medium.

  On the other hand, an office-side management device 200 is installed in the office 20 of a company that needs to manage the business vehicle 10 and the crew that operates it. The office management apparatus 200 is configured by, for example, a personal computer and is used for performing predetermined business management. Specifically, processing such as analysis and display is performed based on data collected by the operation recorder 100. The manager of the office 20 uses the office management device 200 to perform safety management, economic management, labor management, etc. for crew members.

  The data transfer from the operation recorder 100 to the office management device 200 is normally performed by physical movement of a recording medium attached to the operation recorder 100. Specifically, the detachable non-volatile memory card (121 in FIG. 3) called an operation card is removed from the operation recorder 100 by the crew at the end of the daily crew, and after returning to the office 20, the office-side management device 200 The memory card is attached to the card reader and data is transferred.

  The operation recorder 100 is equipped with a wireless communication function, and the office management device 200 is also equipped with a communication function. The office management apparatus 200 can be connected to the server 300 shown in FIG. 2 via a communication network such as the Internet. The operation recorder 100 mounted on the business vehicle 10 can also communicate with the server 300 by wireless communication. The server 300 can relay data between the operation recorder 100 and the office management device 200. Therefore, the office-side management apparatus 200 can communicate with the operation recorder 100 via the server 300, and can manage the operation recorder 100 by remote control.

<Configuration example of operation recorder>
An example of the configuration of the electric circuit of the operation recorder 100 shown in FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the main body of the operation recorder 100 includes an information processing unit 101, a memory card I / O unit 102, an interface 103, a program storage unit 104, a set value data storage unit 105, an operation unit 106, A display unit 107, a vehicle information storage unit 108, and a communication terminal interface 109 are provided.

  The information processing unit 101 is configured by a microcomputer (CPU), and provides a function necessary for the operation of the operation recorder 100 by executing a program prepared in advance.

  The memory card I / O unit 102 has a slot in which the memory card 121 can be inserted, and controls data input / output (I / O) between the information processing unit 101 and the memory card 121. That is, the information processing unit 101 can access the memory card 121 via the memory card I / O unit 102, read data from the memory card 121, and write data. The information processing unit 101 can also identify whether or not a card is inserted into the slot of the memory card I / O unit 102.

  The memory card 121 is a recording medium having a non-volatile recording area such as a flash memory, and is normally used after being initialized by the office side management device 200. In each memory card 121, unique identification information for identifying the card and a crew member code for identifying a crew member possessing the card are written by the office-side management device 200 so that the card can be used as an operation card. It is.

  The interface (I / F) 103 performs signal processing for inputting various pieces of operation information to be acquired by the operation recorder 100 to the information processing unit 101. Specifically, the interface 103 is connected to various sensors and an electronic control unit (ECU) on the vehicle side, and signals representing vehicle speed and engine speed are input.

  The program storage unit 104 is configured by a read-only memory (ROM), and holds information on various programs that can be executed by the information processing unit 101 in advance. The programs stored in the program storage unit 104 include an operating system program for controlling basic operations and an application program for controlling operations of the operation recorder.

  The set value data storage unit 105 is configured by a read-only memory (EEPROM) and holds various constant data necessary for the operation of the operation recorder 100. Note that the data held by the set value data storage unit 105 can be rewritten by performing a special process.

  The operation unit 106 includes various buttons necessary for the information processing unit 101 to accept an input operation from a crew member. The display unit 107 is configured by a liquid crystal display (LCD), and can display information such as character strings and numerical values to the crew as visible information under the control of the information processing unit 101.

  The vehicle information storage unit 108 is configured by a memory (RAM) that can freely read and write data. The vehicle information storage unit 108 is volatile, and is used by the information processing unit 101 to temporarily store various information.

  The communication terminal interface 109 provides a communication function necessary for the information processing unit 101 to use the communication terminal 123. The communication terminal 123 can perform data communication by connecting to a communication network outside the vehicle by wireless communication, such as a telematics terminal. In the present embodiment, the communication terminal 123 can perform wireless communication with the server 300 illustrated in FIG.

The operation recorder 100 according to the present embodiment has a function of collecting and recording image data taken by the in-vehicle camera 122 together with operation data. The in-vehicle camera 122 periodically photographs, for example, a landscape in front of or behind the vehicle in the traveling direction or a situation in the vehicle interior.
The signal processing unit 110 performs processing such as analog / digital conversion on a signal such as an image output from the in-vehicle camera 122 to generate image data suitable for the processing of the information processing unit 101.

<Overview of operation of operation recorder>
An outline of the operation of the operation recorder 100 shown in FIG. 2 is shown in FIG.
After the operation recorder 100 is turned on, the information processing unit 101 monitors the state of the ignition switch to identify whether the engine is on. When the engine is turned on, the process proceeds from step S11 to S12 in FIG.

  In step S12, the information processing unit 101 identifies whether or not the memory card 121 is installed in the slot of the memory card I / O unit 102, and waits until it is installed if not installed. If the memory card 121 is not installed, an appropriate message is displayed on the display unit 107 to prompt the crew to insert the memory card.

  In step S <b> 13, the information processing unit 101 starts collecting and recording data in the operation recorder 100. Thereafter, operation information, that is, information such as vehicle speed, engine rotation speed, travel distance, and time is periodically collected, and the collected data is written to the memory card 121.

  In addition to the operation information, image data taken by the in-vehicle camera 122 is also recorded in the memory card 121. As shown in FIG. 4, a signal such as a video output by the in-vehicle camera 122 at the time of shooting is input to the signal processing unit 110 and converted into a digital signal. A digital signal output from the signal processing unit 110, that is, image data, is input to a predetermined application program 131 executed by the information processing unit 101. The application program 131 takes in image data of each frame at a constant cycle (for example, at intervals of 1 second) and performs a predetermined encoding process. For example, the image data is converted into MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) format image data. The bit rate of data to be generated is about 384 kbps to 4096 kbps.

  Further, the above-described application program 131 divides the generated image data into predetermined sizes and temporarily stores them in a buffer area on the vehicle information storage unit 108. When a certain amount (for example, 32 kbytes) of image data accumulates on the buffer, the application program passes the corresponding data to the file system 132 as a storage target.

  The file system 132 is included in a basic program that can be executed by the information processing unit 101, and has a basic control function necessary when the information processing unit 101 accesses the memory card 121. For example, when data of a certain size to be saved is input from the application program 131 to the file system 132, the file system 132 writes the received data on the memory card 121 as one data file.

  When the file system 132 writes the data file to the memory card 121, it is verified whether or not the data has been correctly written. If there is an abnormality, the same data is written again or processed as a write failure. (S21 in FIG. 4).

  When one day of work is completed, the crew member of the vehicle on which the operation recorder 100 is mounted presses an “end button” included in the operation unit 106. When the information processing unit 101 detects that the “end button” is pressed in step S14, the information processing unit 101 ends the operation. After the operation of the operation recorder 100 is completed, the crew can remove the memory card 121 from the operation recorder 100.

<System operation when an error occurs>
FIG. 1 shows an operation example when an abnormality occurs in the system of the present embodiment. The operation shown in FIG. 1 will be described below.

  The information processing unit 101 of the operation recorder 100 monitors the occurrence of an error in step S21. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, when the file system 132 writes data to the memory card 121, it is verified whether or not the data has been correctly written. If a write failure is detected, the same data is written again. Process as an error occurrence.

  In step S21, when a specific condition that should be recognized as a writing failure is satisfied, for example, when writing is not completed within a predetermined time, or when the number of occurrences or the occurrence frequency of the writing error exceeds a predetermined value, FIG. Step S22 is executed. That is, the information processing unit 101 notifies the office-side management device 200 of “operation card writing failure notification” in step S22.

  Although omitted in FIG. 1, the “operation card writing failure notification” transmitted by the operation recorder 100 by wireless communication is received by the server 300 as shown in FIG. “Operation card writing failure notification” is transmitted to the side management device 200.

  The office management device 200 constantly monitors reception of signals from the server 300. When the “operation card writing failure notification” is received from the operation recorder 100, the “operation data transfer request” is sent to the operation recording meter 100 that is the transmission source of the “operation card writing failure notification” in step S31. To send. This “operation data transfer request” is also relayed by the server 300 and delivered to the operation recorder 100 by wireless communication.

  When the information processing unit 101 of the operation recorder 100 receives the “operation data transfer request” from the office-side management device 200 after the transmission of the “operation card writing failure notification”, the operation data transfer is executed in step S23. To do. That is, all the operation data (including images) recorded so far on the memory card 121 currently mounted on the operation recorder 100 is read in order and transmitted to the office management device 200. This data is also relayed by the server 300 and reaches the office management apparatus 200.

  When the office-side management device 200 receives operation data from the operation recorder 100 after the transmission of the “operation data transfer request”, the office-side management device 200 uniquely identifies the corresponding operation recorder 100 and the memory card 121. The information is stored on a predetermined storage device in association with the information.

  In addition, after receiving all the operation data from the operation record meter 100, the office-side management apparatus 200 transmits a predetermined “format command” to the operation record device 100 as a transmission source in step S32. This “format command” is also relayed by the server 300 and reaches the operation recorder 100.

  When the information processing unit 101 of the operation recorder 100 receives the “format command” transmitted from the regular office-side management device 200, the information processing unit 101 performs format processing relating to the memory card 121, i.e., initialization, in step S <b> 24.

  With respect to this format processing, initialization is performed according to a predetermined file system format so that the memory card 121 can be easily accessed, rather than simply erasing data. Specifically, various areas are secured, addresses are assigned to each area, management information such as addresses is initialized, and the like. Further, a data write test is performed to identify the presence or absence of a defective part due to a failure or deterioration, and when a defective part is found, the part is assigned as a write-prohibited, that is, unusable area.

  Therefore, for example, when the memory card 121 is deteriorated due to repeated data writing to the same area, and a portion where a write error is likely to occur occurs, the problematic portion is not accessed by performing the formatting process. Occurrence of write errors is suppressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent a delay in the data writing operation to the memory card 121, the writing operation from being stopped, and a part of the collected data from being lost from the recorded data.

  In addition, regarding the formatting process of the memory card 121 that can be executed by the information processing unit 101 of the operation recorder 100, as shown in FIG. 1, a “format command” is issued from a regular office management apparatus 200 that manages the memory card 121. Limited to received situations. Therefore, even when a crew member or the like performs various operations on the operation unit 106 of the operation recorder 100, it is not possible to give an instruction for formatting. In other words, unless the office management device 200 is used, it is impossible to delete or tamper with the recorded data in the memory card 121, and it is possible to safely manage the operation data and the like.

  On the other hand, when a failure occurs in the writing operation of the operation recorder 100 due to the deterioration of the memory card 121, the writing operation may be stopped or a part of the collected data may be lost from the recorded data. However, by performing the control shown in FIG. 1, the operation recorder 100 can execute the format process in accordance with an instruction from the office-side management device 200, so that it is possible to avoid continuation of the malfunction. In addition, in the control shown in FIG. 1, since the operation data stored in the memory card 121 is transferred to the office side management device 200 before the formatting process is executed, the important data recorded so far along with the formatting process is transferred. It is possible to prevent a part of the operation data from disappearing.

  For example, when there is a free area having a sufficient storage capacity in the vehicle information storage unit 108 of the operation recorder 100, all the operation data recorded on the memory card 121 before the formatting process is stored in the free area. It may be saved and processed so as to be written back on the memory card 121 after formatting. In that case, the process (S23, S31) which transfers operation data from the operation recorder 100 to the office side management apparatus 200 can be skipped.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Business vehicle 20 Office 100 Operation recorder 101 Information processing part 102 Memory card I / O part 103 Interface 104 Program storage part 105 Setting value data storage part 106 Operation part 107 Display part 108 Vehicle information storage part 109 Communication terminal interface 110 Signal processing unit 121 Memory card 122 In-vehicle camera 123 Communication terminal 131 Application program 132 File system 200 Office management device 300 Server

Claims (2)

An operation card initialization method for controlling the operation of the operation recorder in a situation where wireless communication is possible between an operation recorder installed in the vehicle and a predetermined management device arranged outside the vehicle Because
On the operation recorder side, monitor the occurrence of a data write error for a predetermined operation card attached to the operation recorder,
When the data write error occurrence condition satisfies a predetermined condition, a write failure notification is sent from the operation recorder side to the management device,
When the management device side receives the write failure notification, the operation card initialization method transmits a format command for permitting initialization of the operation card to the operation recorder as a transmission source. . On the management device side, an operation data transfer request for acquiring operation data recorded on an operation card attached to the operation recorder is transmitted to the operation recorder,
On the operation recorder side, when the operation data transfer request is received, the operation data is transmitted to the management device of the transmission source,
The operation card initial stage according to claim 1, wherein the management device transmits the format command to the operation recorder after receiving the operation data transmitted from the operation recorder. Method.

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