JP6767098B2 - Communication system and communication control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a communication system for managing an in-vehicle device such as an operation recorder mounted on a vehicle and a communication control method for controlling the communication system.

For example, Patent Document 1 shows a taxi management system in which a vehicle equipped with an on-board unit capable of wireless communication, an information management center, and a device of a taxi company are connected. In this system, the information management center regularly polls all taxi vehicles for location information, and grasps the location information based on the response from the taxi vehicles. Then, the information management center superimposes the vacant vehicle information on the map based on the vacant vehicle status and the position information of all taxi vehicles, and transmits the vacant vehicle information to the taxi company.

Further, Patent Document 2 shows a vehicle operation system including a commercial vehicle which is a mobile station, a base station, and a management center. In this vehicle operation system, the base station periodically transmits a polling signal to each mobile station in order to periodically collect the dynamic position information of all the mobile stations. The mobile station sends vehicle position information and the like in response to polling. The management center calculates the broadcast information based on the information from the base station and transmits it to the mobile station via the base station. In the vehicle, the notification information is displayed on the monitor.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-36498 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-24548

By adopting technologies such as Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, users such as management centers and companies that use management centers can always grasp information on the current positions of various vehicles, such as taxis and taxis. Current location information can be used to properly allocate commercial vehicles such as trucks.

However, users such as companies do not always need information on the current position of each vehicle. For example, in the application of dispatching a taxi, the location information of each vehicle is required when the taxi company, which is the user company, is contacted by a customer who needs a pick-up, but such an event does not occur. In some situations, location information is often unnecessary.

In technologies such as Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, position information is acquired from each vehicle by regularly polling at short time intervals, but most of the regularly acquired position information is actually There is a high possibility that it is useless information that is not used.

Therefore, for example, in a data center that manages a large number of vehicles, it is required to minimize unnecessary data communication. Therefore, for example, only when a user requests a vehicle position search, the data center makes an inquiry to the on-board unit mounted on the vehicle and provides a communication service for acquiring the position information from each vehicle. As a result, data communication related to the acquisition of vehicle position information can be performed only when the user actually needs it, and the occurrence of unnecessary data communication can be suppressed.

However, when the data center performs data communication with the on-board unit at the request of the user only when the user needs it, the user may repeat the same input operation many times, such as dispatching a vehicle. The work could not be done efficiently.

For example, when the position information of each of a large number of vehicles managed by the user is required, the corresponding vehicles must be specified in order, and the position information request must be sent from the user to the data center each time. Therefore, the user repeats the same operation for the number of vehicles.

In addition, the user company that manages the vehicle needs to manage each vehicle and the crew in various situations other than the case where the position information is required. For example, you may want to send a message to the on-board unit to inform the crew of each vehicle of various situations. In addition, in the event of a disaster, it is necessary to confirm the safety of the crew of each vehicle. In addition, in situations where there is congestion on the road, it is necessary to collect information on congestion for efficient operation. In addition, there are cases where it is desired to update the software used by the on-board unit of each vehicle. In such a situation, when trying to remotely control each on-board unit via the data center, the user needs to repeat the same input operation for the number of vehicles, and when the number of vehicles increases, the work becomes efficient. I can't do it.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to allow a user who manages a plurality of vehicles to remotely control each in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle by using a predetermined data center. In some cases, it is to provide a communication system and a communication control method capable of improving the efficiency of input operations by a user.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the communication system according to the present invention is characterized by the following (1) to (5).

(1) From an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle and including a wireless communication function for wireless communication with the outside of the vehicle, a user-operated terminal for remotely operating the in-vehicle device from the outside of the vehicle, and the user-operated terminal. A communication system including a data center for wireless data communication with the on-board unit to be controlled according to the instruction of the above.
The data center includes an on-board unit management unit in which the correspondence between the user and a plurality of on-board units is registered in advance.
When a request from the user operation terminal is received, an identification means for identifying whether the received request is a normal transmission request or a batch transmission request, and
When the normal transmission request is received, one in-vehicle device corresponding to the normal transmission request is specified, and when the batch transmission request is received, the correspondence relationship registered in the in-vehicle device management unit is established. Based on this, a specific means for identifying a plurality of on-board units associated with the user who performed the operation, and
When the normal transmission request is received, a command corresponding to the normal transmission request is transmitted to the one in-vehicle device specified by the specific means, and when the batch transmission request is received, the command is transmitted. for each of the plurality of vehicle-mounted device identified to a particular unit, have a, a vehicle-mounted device side transmission means for transmitting a command corresponding to the batch transmission request simultaneously, or sequentially,
The batch transmission request includes a request for updating the hazard map used by the vehicle-mounted device .

According to this communication system, a user who handles a user-operated terminal only needs to perform a batch transmission request input operation once when trying to give the same instruction to a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices, and this alone is sufficient for a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices. Common instructions can be given to all the vessels at once. The user operation terminal or the data center can identify all the on-board units to which instructions should be given based on the information registered in the on-board unit management unit. Therefore, the work efficiency related to the user's input operation can be significantly improved. Further, since the time required for the entire input operation can be shortened, for example, when acquiring the position information, the position information of all the on-board units can be acquired in a short time.

(2) The communication system according to (1) above.
Upon receiving the response from each of the plurality of vehicle-mounted devices to the command transmitted in response to the batch transmission request, the specific means identifies the vehicle-mounted device that transmitted the response.
The data center is further characterized by having a user-operated terminal-side transmitting means that transmits information corresponding to the response to the user-operated terminal that is the request source of the batch transmission request.

According to this communication system, the user operation terminal can acquire predetermined information from each on-board unit as a response to the batch transmission request. That is, the user can collect information from each of a large number of on-board units by performing a simple input operation.

(3) The communication control method according to (2) above.
When the specific means does not detect a response from the transmission destination vehicle-mounted device within a predetermined time in response to the command transmitted in response to the batch transmission request, the specific means identifies the corresponding vehicle-mounted device.
The user-operated terminal-side transmitting means transmits information indicating that there is no response to the user-operated terminal that is the request source of the batch transmission request.
It is characterized by that.

According to this communication system, the user can acquire information that can identify whether or not the state is responsive to the instructions given by each of the plurality of vehicle-mounted devices via the data center and the user operation terminal. Therefore, information such as safety confirmation that is useful in situations such as when a disaster occurs can be easily obtained.

(4) The communication control method according to any one of (1) to (3) above.
As before Symbol batch transmission request, request for location information of the vehicle equipped with the said vehicle-mounted device, and the transmission request message to the vehicle-mounted device includes at least one,
It is characterized by that.

According to this communication system, the efficiency of the user's input operation can be improved in various applications for operating the on-board unit. That is, the position information of a large number of vehicles can be easily collected by requesting the position information of the vehicles in the batch transmission request. In addition, by transmitting a message with a batch transmission request, it is possible to transmit the message to the crew of each vehicle all at once. Further, by requesting the software update in the batch transmission request, the software handled by each of a large number of on-board units can be updated all at once.

(5) The communication control method according to (4) above.
When the on-board unit receives the message from the data center, the on-board unit holds the data of the message at least while the vehicle is in a predetermined operating state, and outputs the message according to the operation requested by the crew of the vehicle. Do it multiple times,
It is characterized by that.

According to this communication system, even if the driving situation is such that the crew cannot confirm the message when each on-board unit receives the message, the message can be output and confirmed again after that.

Further, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the communication control method according to the present invention is characterized by the following (6) .

( 6 ) From the on-board unit mounted on the vehicle and including a wireless communication function for wireless communication with the outside of the vehicle, the user-operated terminal for remotely operating the on-board unit from the outside of the vehicle, and the user-operated terminal. It is a communication control method for controlling a communication system composed of a data center that performs wireless data communication with the on-board unit to be controlled according to the instruction of.
The data center holds in advance the correspondence between a specific user and a plurality of on-board units in a predetermined on-board unit management unit.
When the data center detects a request from a user, the data center identifies whether the detected request is a normal transmission request or a batch transmission request, and when the data center detects the normal transmission request, the data center identifies. , When one in-vehicle device corresponding to the normal transmission request is specified, a command corresponding to the normal transmission request is transmitted to the specified one in-vehicle device, and the batch transmission request is detected, the corresponding case is applicable. A plurality of on-board units associated with the user are specified by the on-board unit management unit, and commands corresponding to the batch transmission request are simultaneously or sequentially transmitted to each of the specified on-board units. ,
The batch transmission request includes a hazard map update request used by the vehicle-mounted device.
It is characterized by that.

According to this communication control method, the user who operates the user operation terminal can remotely control a plurality of on-board units with only a simple input operation by using the service provided by the data center.

According to the communication system and the communication control method of the present invention, when a user who manages a plurality of vehicles intends to remotely control each on-board unit mounted on a vehicle by using a predetermined data center, an input operation by the user is performed. It becomes possible to improve the efficiency of.

The present invention has been briefly described above. Further, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through the embodiments for carrying out the invention described below (hereinafter, referred to as "embodiments") with reference to the accompanying drawings. ..

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a communication system used in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an in-vehicle device included in the communication system. FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing an operation example of the entire communication system when the user requests the position information in the normal mode. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an operation example of the entire communication system when the user requests the position information in the batch transmission request mode. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a device in the data center. FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a configuration example of the on-board unit management table. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a specific example of the process of transmitting data to the on-board unit by the data center. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a specific example of the operation of the data center processing the request from the user. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a specific example of the operation of processing the message received by the vehicle-mounted device.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to each figure.

First, the configuration of the entire communication system 100 will be described.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a communication system 100 to which the communication control method of the present invention can be applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 100 includes an on-board unit 10, a data center 20, and an office PC 30. Further, the vehicle-mounted device 10 and the data center 20 are connected via a wide area communication network 40, and the data center 20 and the office PC 30 are connected via a communication line 50.

The on-board unit 10 included in the communication system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a digital operation recorder, that is, a digital tachograph. Further, the vehicle-mounted device 10 is provided with a wireless data communication function so that the communication service of the data center 20 can be used. The on-board unit 10 is generally used in a state of being mounted on a commercial vehicle such as a taxi or a truck, or various vehicles under a lease contract.

In the present embodiment, the operation recorder is assumed as the on-board unit 10, but it can also be assumed that it is replaced with another on-board unit such as a drive recorder or a taximeter.

For example, when a taxi company that owns a large number of taxi vehicles intends to manage the operating state of each taxi vehicle, each taxi vehicle is equipped with a digital tachograph as an in-vehicle device 10.

In addition, a user of a taxi company or the like can remotely control the on-board unit 10 mounted on each vehicle or acquire necessary data from the on-board unit 10 by using the office PC 30 installed in the in-house office or the like. It can be used for vehicle operation management and safe driving management.

Further, the burden on the office PC 30 can be reduced by using the data center 20 that provides a dedicated data processing service suitable for handling the vehicle-mounted device 10. In addition, it is possible to secure a communication line with the on-board unit 10 mounted on each of a large number of vehicles at a required timing, acquire various information at low cost, and perform advanced data analysis.

The office PC 30 is a device in which dedicated software for management is incorporated into a general PC (personal computer). By collecting and analyzing various data from the digital tachograph mounted on each vehicle to be managed as the on-board unit 10, information useful for operation management and safe driving management of each vehicle can be obtained.

As a specific example, by collecting information indicating the current position of each vehicle, it becomes easy to grasp the current allocation status of many vehicles, and it is also possible to give instructions to each vehicle so that it can be operated efficiently. It will be possible. In addition, by collecting and analyzing information such as vehicle speed and engine speed, information useful for supporting safe driving of crew members can be obtained.

It is also possible to send a message from the office PC 30 to each on-board unit 10 via the data center 20. In addition, each on-board unit 10 is remotely controlled from the office PC 30 via the data center 20, and software used by each on-board unit 10, that is, firmware for controlling the on-board unit itself, and constant data such as a hazard map are output. It is also possible to update to the latest content.

Next, the configuration of the vehicle-mounted device 10 will be described.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the vehicle-mounted device 10 included in the communication system 100 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle device 10 includes a microcomputer (CPU) 11, a display unit 12, a memory (SRAM) 13, a memory (ROM) 14, a serial interface (I / F) 15, a communication interface 16, and an outside device. It includes an interface 17, a communication module 18, a communication antenna 19, an operation unit 61, an audio output unit 62, a speaker 63, a signal processing unit 64, and a GPS receiver 65.

The microcomputer 11 performs various controls necessary for realizing the functions of the entire vehicle-mounted device 10 by executing a program built in in advance or a program existing on the memory 14.

The display unit 12 has a function of displaying visible information having a relatively small amount of information, and can display numerical values such as vehicle speed, time, and position under the control of the microcomputer 11.

The memory 13 is volatile, and data can be freely read and written by the access of the microcomputer 11. The memory 13 is used to temporarily hold various data.

The memory 14 is non-volatile, and data can be freely read and written by the access of the microcomputer 11. The memory 14 is used to hold software necessary for realizing various functions of the vehicle-mounted device 10, such as a program such as firmware and a constant data group such as a hazard map.

The external display 17 has a function of displaying various visible information in a state in which the crew can easily see it. The external display 17 is connected to the microcomputer 11 via the serial interface 15. The external display 17 is used, for example, to display the status of the vehicle-mounted device 10, a character message useful for safe driving, a message for prompting an input operation to the vehicle-mounted device 10, and the like.

The communication module 18 is necessary for using the communication antenna 19 to perform wireless communication with, for example, a predetermined wide area communication network 40 provided by a mobile communication operator to secure a wireless communication line for data communication. It is equipped with various communication functions. The communication module 18 is connected to the microcomputer 11 via the communication interface 16.

The operation unit 61 has a plurality of operation buttons (not shown) that can be operated by the crew. The microcomputer 11 can detect the input operation of the crew by reading the change in the state of each operation button of the operation unit 61.

The voice output unit 62 can synthesize a pseudo voice signal from a text-format message. The pseudo voice signal generated by the voice output unit 62 is output from the speaker 63 as a voice message. For example, it is possible to output a voice message for urging the crew to drive safely, a voice message for efficient vehicle operation, a voice message for urging an input operation, and the like.

The signal processing unit 64 can process a plurality of signals SG1, SG2, and SG3 representing the operating state of the vehicle and give them to the microcomputer 11. Specifically, a signal indicating an on / off state of the ignition of the vehicle, a pulse signal indicating the vehicle speed, a pulse signal indicating the engine speed, and the like are input as signals SG1, SG2, and SG3.

The GPS receiver 65 receives radio waves from a plurality of GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites, and can calculate a receiving point, that is, a vehicle position (latitude / longitude) based on the information of the received time.

Therefore, the microcomputer 11 can grasp the on / off state of the ignition, the vehicle speed, the engine speed, and the like based on the signal input from the signal processing unit 64, and can determine the current position of the vehicle from the output of the GPS receiver 65. You can also figure it out. Further, for example, based on the detection result of the button operation of the operation unit 61, it is possible to grasp the "actual vehicle" and the "empty vehicle" indicating the difference in the operating state of the vehicle. Further, the microcomputer 11 can automatically store the information in the memory 14 or transfer the information to the data center 20 via the wide area communication network 40.

Next, the configuration of the data center 20 will be described.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the device in the data center 20. In the configuration example of FIG. 5, the data center 20 includes a server main body 21, a large-capacity storage device 22, a user management unit 24, an in-vehicle device management unit 25, a user-side communication interface 26, and an in-vehicle device-side communication interface 27. Means the whole.

The server main body 21 is composed of a predetermined computer, and performs data communication with the vehicle-mounted device 10 of each vehicle as necessary via the vehicle-mounted device side communication interface 27 and the wide area communication network 40. Further, the server main body 21 performs data communication with each user's office PC 30 as necessary via the user-side communication interface 26 and the communication line 50.

Further, the server main body 21 performs various processes according to a predetermined processing procedure or according to the result of analyzing the request input from the office PC 30. For example, data can be acquired from each on-board unit 10 at a required timing, the acquired data can be stored in the large-capacity storage device 22, a predetermined analysis process can be performed on the acquired data, and the acquired data can be used for office work. It can be transferred to the PC30. It is also possible to transfer the message transmitted by the office PC 30 to the vehicle-mounted device 10.

The large-capacity storage device 22 can store a large amount of data acquired from each of a large number of vehicle-mounted devices 10, and can store analysis result data.

The user management unit 24 holds information necessary for managing users who use the services of the data center 20. That is, the user management unit 24 holds a user ID required to identify each user registered in advance, a unique password for each user required for authentication, and the like.

When each user first accesses the server main body 21 of the data center 20, it is necessary to identify the user who uses the service and perform authentication. At this time, by collating the information such as the user ID and password input from the office PC 30 to the server main body 21 with the information held on the user management unit 24, it is possible to identify whether or not the user is a legitimate user. it can.

The on-board unit management unit 25 holds information necessary for each user to grasp each on-board unit 10 mounted on the vehicle owned or managed by each user, that is, the on-board unit management table 25a described later. By using the on-board unit management unit 25, the server main body 21 can grasp each on-board unit 10 under the control of the user for each user.

Next, the configuration of the on-board unit management table 25a will be described.
FIG. 6 shows a configuration example of the vehicle-mounted device management table 25a provided in the vehicle-mounted device management unit 25 shown in FIG. The vehicle-mounted device management table 25a shown in FIG. 6 holds the vehicle-mounted device ID assigned to each vehicle-mounted device 10, the user ID, and the vehicle-mounted device IP (Internet Protocol) address in association with each other.

In the example shown in FIG. 6, 21 on-board units 10 to which each on-board unit ID of IDd001 to IDd021 is assigned are associated with a user whose user ID is (IDu = 001). Further, 11 on-board units 10 to which each on-board unit ID of IDd022 to IDd031 is assigned are associated with the user whose user ID is (IDu = 002). Further, for the user whose user ID is (IDu = 003), the vehicle-mounted device 10 to which the vehicle-mounted device ID of IDd032 or later is assigned is associated.

Therefore, by using the on-board unit management table 25a of FIG. 6, the relationship between the user ID and each on-board unit ID can be grasped. Further, it is possible to specify the IP address used when communicating with the vehicle-mounted device 10 to which each vehicle-mounted device ID is assigned. Although the on-board unit management table 25a shown in FIG. 6 collectively holds information on a plurality of users, an independent on-board unit management table 25a may be prepared for each user ID.

Next, the operation of the entire communication system 100 will be described.
<Outline of operation>
Each of the large number of vehicle-mounted devices 10 included in the communication system 100 sequentially acquires information such as an on / off state of an ignition, a vehicle speed, an engine speed, and a current position of a vehicle. These acquired information are automatically stored inside the vehicle-mounted device 10.

Further, for example, when the on / off state of the ignition is switched, the on-board unit 10 transmits the latest information to the data center 20 via the wide area communication network 40. Therefore, in the data center 20, information such as the vehicle speed, the engine speed, and the current position of the vehicle when the ignition on / off state is switched can be automatically acquired for each vehicle.

Further, the data center 20 may request each vehicle-mounted device 10 to transmit necessary information according to the processing procedure incorporated in the server main body 21 in the data center 20. In the data center 20, the information acquired for each on-board unit 10 can be accumulated, the accumulated information can be analyzed, and the acquired information and the data of the analysis result can be transmitted to the office PC 30.

In addition, each user can access the server main body 21 of the data center 20 using the office PC 30 and use a predetermined service provided by the data center 20. That is, by making a predetermined request from the office PC 30 to the data center 20, the user sends a command to each on-board unit 10 under the control of the user to perform remote control, or information from the on-board unit 10. Can be acquired or a message can be sent to the in-vehicle device 10.

In the present embodiment, the operation mode of the data center 20 when the user sends a request from the office PC 30 to the data center 20 includes a "normal mode" and a "batch transmission request mode". The "normal mode" is a mode for controlling a specific vehicle-mounted device 10 designated by the user. The "batch transmission request mode" is a mode for collectively remotely controlling all the on-board units 10 under the control of the user.

<System operation in response to user requests>
<Example of normal mode operation>
FIG. 3 shows an example of an operation sequence of the entire communication system when a user operating the office PC 30 requests location information from the data center 20 in the “normal mode”. The operation of FIG. 3 will be described below.

Before executing the operation shown in FIG. 3, the user inputs authentication information such as a user ID and a password into the office PC 30 so that the service of the data center 20 can be used, and the office PC 30 and the server main body 21 It is necessary to complete the authentication between.

When the user operates the office PC 30 to select the target "vehicle A" (S11) and presses the "vehicle position request button" (S12) (not shown), the office PC 30 sets the "vehicle" according to the input. "A position request" is transmitted to the data center 20 (S13). This "vehicle A position request" includes information such as a user ID for identifying the corresponding user of the request source, and information for identifying the "vehicle A" to be controlled. Here, the "vehicle A" may be information on an ID that identifies the vehicle, or may be an on-board unit ID that represents the on-board unit 10 mounted on the vehicle.

When the server main body 21 receives the "vehicle A position request" from the office PC 30, it processes this request. Then, the IP address assigned to the vehicle-mounted device 10 mounted on the "vehicle A" is specified so that the "vehicle A" to be controlled specified by the received request can be accessed (S21). For example, by referring to the on-board unit management table 25a shown in FIG. 6, the target IP address can be obtained from the on-board unit ID. Then, the server main body 21 transmits a predetermined "location request command" to the target vehicle-mounted device 10 via the wide area communication network 40 with the IP address acquired in S21 as the destination (S22).

When the vehicle-mounted device 10 receives the "position request command" from the server main body 21 (S31), the vehicle-mounted device 10 receives this command and processes it as follows. The on-board unit 10 acquires the information of the current position by using the GPS receiver 65 (S32). Further, the on-board unit 10 acquires the latest vehicle information, that is, information such as vehicle speed, engine speed, classification of actual vehicle / empty vehicle (S33).

Then, the vehicle-mounted device 10 generates a packet including a "position reply command" necessary for replying to the command received in S31 (S34). This "position reply command" includes the position information acquired in S32 and the vehicle information acquired in S33. Only the position information may be included in the "position reply command". Further, the vehicle-mounted device 10 returns the packet of the "position reply command" generated in S34 to the server main body 21 via the wide area communication network 40 (S35).

When the server main body 21 of the data center 20 receives the packet of the "position reply command" from the vehicle-mounted device 10 (S23), the vehicle-mounted device ID of the corresponding vehicle-mounted device 10 or the vehicle is obtained from the IP address of the source of the received packet. (S24). For example, the vehicle-mounted device ID can be specified from the IP address by referring to the vehicle-mounted device management table 25a shown in FIG. Then, the server main body 21 identifies the requesting office PC 30 based on the vehicle-mounted device ID specified in S24 or the vehicle, and transfers the packet received in S23 to the office PC 30 as a reply.

When the office PC 30 receives the packet of the "position reply command" from the data center 20 (S14) as a response to the "vehicle A position request" transmitted in S13, the office PC 30 receives the position information of the corresponding vehicle included in the packet. Map on the map (S15). In other words, it is associated so that the position of the vehicle can be displayed on the map.

If the received packet contains additional information other than position information, such as vehicle speed, engine speed, and distinction between actual vehicle and empty vehicle, these information are associated with the corresponding "vehicle A". The office PC 30 processes the data so that it can be displayed as a pop-up on the display screen (S16). In addition, the office PC 30 displays on the screen that "vehicle A position information acquisition" has been completed in response to the request, and notifies the user (S17).

Therefore, when the operation shown in FIG. 3 is performed on a plurality of vehicles, the user selects each vehicle in order in S11 and repeats the operation of pressing the "vehicle position request button" in S12 many times. become.

<Operation example of batch transmission request mode>
FIG. 4 shows an example of an operation sequence of the entire communication system when a user operating the office PC 30 requests location information from the data center 20 in the “batch transmission request mode”. The operation of FIG. 4 will be described below.

Before executing the operation shown in FIG. 4, the user inputs authentication information such as a user ID and a password into the office PC 30 so that the service of the data center 20 can be used, and the office PC 30 and the server main body 21 It is necessary to complete the authentication between.

When requesting position information for all vehicles under the control of the user, the user operates the office PC 30 and presses an "all vehicle position request button" (not shown) (S41). According to the input, the office PC 30 transmits the "all vehicle position request" to the data center 20 (S42). This "all vehicle position request" includes information such as a user ID for identifying the corresponding user of the request source, and information indicating that the control target is "all vehicles".

When the server main body 21 receives the "all vehicle position request" from the office PC 30, it processes this request. Then, since it is known that the control target of the received request is "all vehicles", the on-board unit 10 of each vehicle is accessed with the on-board unit 10 of all the vehicles associated with the user who sent the request as the processing target. The IP address required for this is specified (S51).

For example, when the user ID of the user who requested the "all vehicle position request" is (IDu = 001) and the on-board unit management table 25a shown in FIG. 6 is used, the on-board unit of IDd001 to IDd021 is used. Since it can be seen that the 21 on-board units 10 to which the IDs are assigned are the control targets, the on-board unit IP addresses are acquired from the on-board unit management table 25a for each of them.

Then, the server main body 21 simultaneously or sequentially performs wide area communication with each of the 21 on-board units 10 to be controlled, that is, with each on-board unit IP address specified in S51 as the transmission destination. It is transmitted via the network 40.

Therefore, all the vehicles under the control of the user, that is, the on-board unit 10 mounted on each of the "vehicle A", "vehicle B", "vehicle C" ... Shown in FIG. 4, is the above-mentioned from the server main body 21. Each of the "position request commands" is received (S61).

Each on-board unit 10 that has received this "position request command" acquires information on the current position using the GPS receiver 65 (S62). Further, the on-board unit 10 acquires the latest vehicle information, that is, information such as vehicle speed, engine speed, classification of actual vehicle / empty vehicle (S63).

Then, the vehicle-mounted device 10 generates a packet including a "position reply command" necessary for replying to the command received in S61 (S64). This "position reply command" includes the position information acquired in S62 and the vehicle information acquired in S63. Only the position information may be included in the "position reply command". Further, the vehicle-mounted device 10 returns the packet of the "position reply command" generated in S64 to the server main body 21 via the wide area communication network 40 (S65).

When the server body 21 of the data center 20 receives the packet of the "position reply command" from each on-board unit 10 (S53), the on-board unit ID of the corresponding on-board unit 10 or the on-board unit ID of the corresponding on-board unit 10 is obtained from the IP address of the source of the received packet. The vehicle is specified (S54). For example, the vehicle-mounted device ID can be specified from the IP address by referring to the vehicle-mounted device management table 25a shown in FIG. Then, the server main body 21 identifies the requesting office PC 30 based on the vehicle-mounted device ID specified in S54 or the vehicle, and transfers the packet received in S53 to the office PC 30 as a reply.

When the office PC 30 receives a packet of the "position reply command" from the vehicle-mounted device 10 of each vehicle from the data center 20 as a response to the "all vehicle position request" transmitted in S42 (S43), the office PC 30 includes the packet. The position information of the corresponding vehicle is mapped on the map (S44). In other words, it is associated so that the position of the vehicle can be displayed on the map.

In addition, if the received packet contains additional information other than position information, such as vehicle speed, engine speed, and distinction between actual vehicle and empty vehicle, the display screen associates these information with the corresponding vehicle. The office PC 30 processes the data so that it can be displayed as a pop-up above (S45).

In addition, the office PC 30 displays on the screen that the "vehicle position information acquisition" has been completed for the vehicle that is the source of the packet received in S43, and notifies the user (S46).

Further, the office PC30 identifies in S47 whether or not the acquisition of the position information is completed for all the vehicles requested in S42, and if there are still vehicles for which the position information has not been acquired, returns to S43. Repeat the process.

Therefore, when executing the operation of the batch transmission request mode shown in FIG. 4, the user only needs to press the "all vehicle position request button" once in S41, and the position information is provided from all the vehicles under the control of the user. Etc. can be acquired all at once.

For example, if a taxi company that manages the operation of a large number of taxi vehicles receives a request for pick-up from a customer who is a passenger, the taxi vehicle that exists closest to the customer's current position and is empty. Need to be identified. At this time, the user can acquire the position information of all the vehicles by pressing the "all vehicle position request button" of the office PC 30 once. Then, by displaying the position of each vehicle on the map on the screen of the office PC 30, the corresponding taxi vehicle can be easily identified.

Next, the details of the processing in the data center 20 will be described.
<Process in which the data center sends data to the in-vehicle device>
FIG. 7 shows a specific example of the process in which the data center 20 transmits data to the vehicle-mounted device 10. For example, when the server main body 21 transmits a “position request command” to the vehicle-mounted device 10 in step S52 shown in FIG. 4, the process of FIG. 7 is executed. The process of FIG. 7 will be described below.

In step S101, the server main body 21 transmits the corresponding data, for example, a “position request command” to the vehicle-mounted device 10. Further, in step S102, the internal timer is activated to start measuring the elapsed time after the data is transmitted.

In step S103, the server main body 21 identifies whether or not there is a response from the vehicle-mounted device 10 to the data transmitted in S101. If there is a response, the process proceeds to S105, and if there is no response, the process proceeds to S104.

In step S104, the server main body 21 compares the elapsed time measured by the internal timer started in S102 with the threshold value to identify whether or not it is a timeout. If it is within the predetermined time, the process returns to S103, and if the time-out occurs, the process proceeds to S106.

In step S105, the server main body 21 transmits a message corresponding to the response from the vehicle-mounted device 10 together with the corresponding vehicle-mounted device ID to the office PC 30 of the user who sent the request as a reply.

In step S106, the server main body 21 transmits a message indicating that there is no response from the vehicle-mounted device 10 to the office PC 30 of the user who sent the request together with the corresponding vehicle-mounted device ID as a reply.

Therefore, regardless of whether or not each on-board unit 10 can respond to the user's request, the office PC 30 handled by the user can receive some response from the data center 20. Further, since different messages are returned from the data center 20 to the office PC 30 depending on whether or not the vehicle-mounted device 10 responds to the request within a predetermined time, the office PC 30 and the user can use the vehicle-mounted device 10 for each vehicle-mounted device 10. You can distinguish whether there is a response or not.

<Operation in which the data center processes requests from users>
FIG. 8 shows a specific example of the operation in which the data center 20 processes a request from a user. For example, when the server main body 21 receives the request from the office PC 30 in each of the steps S21 and S51 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the server main body 21 executes the process of FIG. The process of FIG. 8 will be described below.

When the server main body 21 receives the request from the office PC 30, it proceeds to the processing of S111 to S112 and identifies the content of the request. Then, if the received request corresponds to the "batch transmission request", the process proceeds to S114, and if it is not the "batch transmission request", the process proceeds to S113.

In step S113, the server main body 21 individually executes processing for the specific on-board unit 10 designated by the office PC 30. For example, when the "vehicle A" is specified as in the example shown in FIG. 3, the process for the specific vehicle-mounted device 10 corresponding to the "vehicle A" is executed.

In step S114, the server main body 21 identifies the type of "batch transmission request" received from the office PC 30 received in S111. In the present embodiment, the server main body 21 can process each of the "location information request", "message transmission request", and "software update request" as a "batch transmission request".

Then, if the type of "batch transmission request" is "location information request", the process proceeds to S115, and if the type of "batch transmission request" is "message transmission request", the process proceeds to S116, and the "batch transmission request" is performed. If the type of "" is "software update request", the process proceeds to S117.

In step S115, the server main body 21 executes the position information collection process for all the vehicle-mounted devices 10 associated with the user IDs of the specific users who have transmitted the "batch transmission request". That is, as in step S52 shown in FIG. 4, a "position request command" is transmitted to the on-board unit 10 of all the corresponding vehicles.

In step S116, the server main body 21 sends the content of the message specified by the office PC 30 together with the request to all the on-board units 10 associated with the user ID of the specific user who transmitted the "batch transmission request". Send all at once. For example, in a situation where a disaster has occurred, when a user who operates the office PC 30 wants to confirm the safety of the crew of each vehicle, a predetermined message requesting a reply of the safety confirmation is sent to all vehicles in S116. Can be sent all at once.

In step S117, the server main body 21 executes software update processing for all the vehicle-mounted devices 10 associated with the user IDs of the specific users who have transmitted the "batch transmission request". For example, when updating the firmware for controlling the microcomputer 11 of the on-board unit 10 or updating the hazard map used by the on-board unit 10 to the latest data in order to avoid danger, all in S117. The on-board unit 10 can be updated all at once.

Next, the details of the processing of the vehicle-mounted device 10 will be described.
FIG. 9 shows a specific example of the operation of processing the message received by the vehicle-mounted device 10. For example, when the office PC 30 transmits a "batch transmission request" including a message to the vehicle-mounted device 10 via the data center 20, the microcomputer 11 in each vehicle-mounted device 10 executes the process shown in FIG. The processing of FIG. 9 will be described below.

When the vehicle-mounted device 10 receives the message from the data center 20, the microcomputer 11 proceeds from steps S121 to S122, and outputs the latest received message so that the crew can recognize it. For example, the characters of the message are displayed on the display screen of the external display 17, or the text data of the message is converted into a voice signal by the voice output unit 62 and output as a voice message from the speaker 63. Further, the microcomputer 11 stores the text data of the received message in the non-volatile memory 14 in the next step S123.

In step S124, the microcomputer 11 identifies whether or not the "message output" is requested by the button operation of the operation unit 61 by the crew member who operates the vehicle-mounted device 10. If there is no such request, the process proceeds to S126, and if there is a request, the process proceeds to S125.

In step S125, the microcomputer 11 reads the text data of the message stored in the memory 14 in S123 from the memory 14, and outputs it as a character display or a voice so that the crew can recognize it, as in S122.

In step S126, the microcomputer 11 identifies whether or not the operation of the own vehicle has ended. For example, when the removal of the recording medium (not shown) that records the operation information of the own vehicle from the on-board unit is detected and the crew of the day is recognized, or the ignition of the vehicle is turned off. If it is detected, it is regarded as the end of operation and the process proceeds from S126 to S127.

In step S127, the microcomputer 11 erases the text data of the message stored in the memory 14 in S123 from the memory 14.

Therefore, when the on-board unit 10 executes the operation shown in FIG. 9, the content of the message received from the data center 20 is displayed not only at the timing of receiving the message but also according to the operation of the crew member as many times as necessary. But it can be output repeatedly. Therefore, even if the received message cannot be confirmed immediately due to the operating conditions of the vehicle, or if it is difficult to hear the voice of the message due to the influence of ambient noise, etc., the message output can be repeated to ensure It becomes possible to check the contents. Therefore, the user who operates the office PC 30 does not need to perform the work of repeatedly transmitting the same message.

As described above, in the communication system 100 shown in FIG. 1, the data center 20 can receive the "batch transmission request" output from the office PC 30. Then, by controlling the server main body 21 of the data center 20, for example, the operation as shown in FIG. 4 can be performed. Therefore, even if the user who operates the office PC 30 does not input the request for each vehicle to be controlled as in the operation shown in FIG. 3, the “batch transmission request” is performed as in the operation shown in FIG. It is possible to collectively control the on-board units 10 of all the vehicles under control by performing only one operation for transmitting.

In the above-mentioned communication system 100, it is assumed that the data center 20 accepts the user's "batch transmission request", but the same function may be installed on the office PC 30. That is, by providing the function corresponding to the on-board unit management unit 25 in the software incorporated in the office PC 30, even if the data center 20 does not accept the user's "batch transmission request", the user once. It is possible to control all the on-board units 10 by the input operation of.

In the communication system 100 shown in FIG. 1, the server main body 21 of the data center 20 executes the operation shown in FIG. 7. Therefore, when a "batch transmission request" is transmitted, the user replies to each in-vehicle device 10. It is possible to reliably distinguish the presence or absence of. Therefore, for example, when a disaster occurs and the user wants to confirm the safety of the crew of all vehicles, it is easy to send a "batch transmission request" and identify the content of the reply from each on-board unit 10. You can confirm your safety.

In the communication system 100 shown in FIG. 1, since the server main body 21 of the data center 20 executes the operation shown in FIG. 8, the “batch transmission request” can be used for various purposes. That is, the position information can be collectively collected from all the vehicles under the control of the user, the same message can be transmitted to all the vehicles at once, and the on-board unit 10 of all the vehicles can be used. You can also update the software you use all at once.

In the communication system 100 shown in FIG. 1, since the on-board unit 10 executes the operation shown in FIG. 9, the received message may not be immediately confirmed by the crew depending on the operation status of the vehicle, or the influence of ambient noise or the like. Even in a situation where it is difficult to hear the voice of the message, it is possible to confirm the content reliably by repeating the output of the message. Therefore, the user who operates the office PC 30 does not need to perform the work of repeatedly transmitting the same message.

Here, the features of the above-described communication system and the embodiment of the communication control method according to the present invention are briefly summarized and listed below [1] to [11], respectively.
[1] An on-board unit (10) mounted on the vehicle and including a wireless communication function for wireless communication with the outside of the vehicle, and a user operation terminal (office PC30) for remotely operating the on-board unit from the outside of the vehicle. ), And a data center (20) that performs wireless data communication between the vehicle-mounted device to be controlled according to an instruction from the user operation terminal, and a communication system (100).
The data center includes an on-board unit management unit (25) that registers in advance the correspondence between the user and a plurality of on-board units.
Specific means for identifying a plurality of on-board units associated with the user who performed the operation based on the correspondence registered in the on-board unit management unit when a batch transmission request is received from the user operation terminal. (Server body 21) and
Vehicle-mounted unit-side transmitting means (server main body 21, vehicle-mounted device-side interface 27) that simultaneously or sequentially transmits commands corresponding to the batch transmission request to each of the plurality of vehicle-mounted devices specified by the specific means. A communication system characterized by having and.
[2] When the specific means receives a response from each of the plurality of vehicle-mounted devices to the command transmitted in response to the batch transmission request, the specific means identifies the vehicle-mounted device that transmitted the response.
The data center further provides user-operated terminal-side transmission means (server body 21, user-side communication interface 26) for transmitting information corresponding to the response to the user-operated terminal that is the request source of the batch transmission request. The communication system according to the above [1], which is characterized by having.
[3] When the specific means does not detect a response from the transmission destination vehicle-mounted device within a predetermined time in response to the command transmitted in response to the batch transmission request, the specific means identifies the corresponding vehicle-mounted device.
The user-operated terminal-side transmitting means transmits information indicating that there is no response to the user-operated terminal that is the request source of the batch transmission request.
The communication system according to the above [2].
[4] At least of the request for the position information of the vehicle equipped with the on-board unit, the request for transmitting a message to the on-board unit, and the request for updating the software handled by the on-board unit as the batch transmission request by the user operation terminal. Accept one,
The communication system according to any one of the above [1] to [3].
[5] When the on-board unit receives the message from the data center, the on-board unit retains the data of the message at least while the vehicle is in a predetermined operating state, and according to the operation requested by the crew of the vehicle, the message. Output multiple times,
The communication system according to the above [4].
[6] An on-board unit (10) mounted on the vehicle and including a wireless communication function for wireless communication with the outside of the vehicle, and a user operation terminal (office PC30) for remotely operating the on-board unit from the outside of the vehicle. ), And a communication control method for controlling a communication system (100) composed of a data center (20) that performs wireless data communication between the vehicle-mounted device to be controlled according to an instruction from the user operation terminal. And
The correspondence relationship between a specific user and a plurality of in-vehicle devices is registered in advance in a predetermined in-vehicle device management unit (25).
When the user operation terminal or the data center detects a batch transmission request from a user, it identifies a plurality of on-board units associated with the corresponding user, and for each of the specified plurality of on-board units. , The commands corresponding to the batch transmission request are transmitted simultaneously or in order (S51, S52).
A communication control method characterized by that.

[7] When the data center (20) receives a response from each of the plurality of vehicle-mounted devices to the command transmitted in response to the batch transmission request, the data center (20) identifies the vehicle-mounted device that transmitted the response and performs the batch transmission. Information corresponding to the response is transmitted to the user operation terminal that is the request source of the request (S53, S54).
The communication control method according to the above [6].

[8] If the data center does not detect a response from the transmission destination vehicle-mounted device within a predetermined time in response to the command transmitted in response to the batch transmission request, the data center identifies the corresponding vehicle-mounted device. Information indicating that there is no response is transmitted to the user operation terminal that is the request source of the batch transmission request (S104, S106).
The communication control method according to the above [7].

[9] The user-operated terminal or the data center requests the position information of the vehicle equipped with the on-board unit, the request for transmitting a message to the on-board unit, and the update of the software handled by the on-board unit as the batch transmission request. Accept at least one of the requests (S114-S117),
The communication control method according to any one of the above [6] to [8].

[10] When the vehicle-mounted device (10) receives a message from the user operation terminal or the data center, the vehicle-mounted device (10) holds the data of the message and holds the data of the message at least while the vehicle is in a predetermined operating state. The message is output a plurality of times according to the operation requested by the crew (S121 to S127).
The communication control method according to the above [9].

[11] An on-board unit (10) mounted on the vehicle and including a wireless communication function for wireless communication with the outside of the vehicle, and a user operation terminal (office PC30) for remotely operating the on-board unit from the outside of the vehicle. ), And a communication system (100) composed of a data center (20) that performs wireless data communication between the vehicle-mounted device to be controlled according to an instruction from the user operation terminal, and a communication control for controlling the communication system (100). It's a method
The data center holds in advance the correspondence between a specific user and a plurality of on-board units in a predetermined on-board unit management unit (25).
When the data center detects a batch transmission request from a user, the data center identifies a plurality of on-board units associated with the corresponding user by the on-board unit management unit (S51), and the specified plurality of on-board units. The commands corresponding to the batch transmission request are simultaneously or sequentially transmitted to each of the vehicle-mounted devices (S52).
A communication control method characterized by that.

10 On-board unit 11 Microcomputer (CPU)
12 Display 13 Memory (SRAM)
14 Memory (ROM)
15 Serial interface 16 Communication interface 17 External display 18 Communication module 19 Communication antenna 20 Data center 21 Server body 22 Large-capacity storage device 24 User management unit 25 On-board unit management unit 25a On-board unit management table 26 User-side communication interface 27 On-board unit Side communication interface 30 Office PC
40 Wide area communication network 50 Communication line 61 Operation unit 62 Voice output unit 63 Speaker 64 Signal processing unit 65 GPS receiver 100 Communication system

Claims (6)

According to an in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle and including a wireless communication function for wireless communication with the outside of the vehicle, a user-operated terminal for remotely operating the in-vehicle device from the outside of the vehicle, and instructions from the user-operated terminal. A communication system including a data center for wireless data communication with the on-board unit to be controlled.
The data center includes an on-board unit management unit in which the correspondence between the user and a plurality of on-board units is registered in advance.
When a request from the user operation terminal is received, an identification means for identifying whether the received request is a normal transmission request or a batch transmission request, and
When the normal transmission request is received, one in-vehicle device corresponding to the normal transmission request is specified, and when the batch transmission request is received, the correspondence relationship registered in the in-vehicle device management unit is established. Based on this, a specific means for identifying a plurality of on-board units associated with the user who performed the operation, and
When the normal transmission request is received, a command corresponding to the normal transmission request is transmitted to the one in-vehicle device specified by the specific means, and when the batch transmission request is received, the command is transmitted. Each of the plurality of on-board units specified as the specific means is provided with on-board unit-side transmitting means for simultaneously or sequentially transmitting commands corresponding to the batch transmission request.
A communication system characterized in that the batch transmission request includes a request for updating a hazard map used by the vehicle-mounted device. Upon receiving the response from each of the plurality of vehicle-mounted devices to the command transmitted in response to the batch transmission request, the specific means identifies the vehicle-mounted device that transmitted the response.
The first aspect of claim 1, wherein the data center further includes a user-operated terminal-side transmitting means for transmitting information corresponding to the response to the user-operated terminal that is a request source of the batch transmission request. Communication system. When the specific means does not detect a response from the transmission destination vehicle-mounted device within a predetermined time in response to the command transmitted in response to the batch transmission request, the specific means identifies the corresponding vehicle-mounted device.
The user-operated terminal-side transmitting means transmits information indicating that there is no response to the user-operated terminal that is the request source of the batch transmission request.
2. The communication system according to claim 2. The batch transmission request includes at least one of a request for position information of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle-mounted device and a request for transmitting a message to the vehicle-mounted device.
The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the communication system is characterized by the above. When the on-board unit receives the message from the data center, the on-board unit holds the data of the message at least while the vehicle is in a predetermined operating state, and outputs the message according to the operation requested by the crew of the vehicle. Do it multiple times,
The communication system according to claim 4, wherein the communication system is characterized by the above. According to an in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle and including a wireless communication function for wireless communication with the outside of the vehicle, a user-operated terminal for remotely operating the in-vehicle device from the outside of the vehicle, and instructions from the user-operated terminal. It is a communication control method for controlling a communication system composed of a data center that performs wireless data communication with the on-board unit to be controlled.
The data center holds in advance the correspondence between a specific user and a plurality of on-board units in a predetermined on-board unit management unit.
When the data center detects a request from a user, the data center identifies whether the detected request is a normal transmission request or a batch transmission request, and when the data center detects the normal transmission request, the data center identifies. , When one in-vehicle device corresponding to the normal transmission request is specified, a command corresponding to the normal transmission request is transmitted to the specified one in-vehicle device, and the batch transmission request is detected, the corresponding case is applicable. A plurality of on-board units associated with the user are specified by the on-board unit management unit, and commands corresponding to the batch transmission request are simultaneously or sequentially transmitted to each of the specified on-board units. ,
The batch transmission request includes a hazard map update request used by the vehicle-mounted device.
A communication control method characterized by that.

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