WO2017046899A1

WO2017046899A1 - In-vehicle information system

Info

Publication number: WO2017046899A1
Application number: PCT/JP2015/076320
Authority: WO
Inventors: 悦男轟
Original assignee: 三菱電機株式会社
Priority date: 2015-09-16
Filing date: 2015-09-16
Publication date: 2017-03-23

Abstract

In the present invention, an in-vehicle gateway device has an external communication unit that exchanges information with the internet, and an internal communication unit that exchanges information with an in-vehicle LAN. An in-vehicle dedicated LAN device has an internal communication unit that exchanges information with the in-vehicle LAN, and the in-vehicle dedicated LAN device acquires information, which the in-vehicle gateway device acquired via the internet, through the in-vehicle LAN.

Description

In-vehicle information system

This invention relates to an in-vehicle information system for sharing information among a plurality of in-vehicle devices.

While the vehicle is moving, passengers in the rear seats can use the mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet PC (Personal Computer) or the RSE (Rear Seat Entertainment) system installed in the vehicle. You can eliminate the absence. However, there is a problem that it is troublesome to hold a smartphone or the like for a long time in order to view content stored in the smartphone or the like. To solve this problem, for example, by using the technology of the WiFi display compatible network gateway described in Patent Document 1, a smartphone or the like can be easily connected to the RSE system, and content stored in the smartphone or the like can be stored. Can be viewed on the RSE system display.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2015-8460

Conventionally, when content stored in a home device is brought into the car and viewed on the RSE system, or on the contrary, when content held in the RSE system is brought into the home, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or It was necessary to use a storage medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, which was complicated.

In recent years, a cloud-compatible HEMS combined with cloud computing and a home energy management system (HEMS) has been used by a user to connect to a home LAN (Local Area Network) via the Internet using a smartphone or the like. It has become easier to control connected electronic devices and acquire content. Therefore, the user can acquire content stored in a home device via the Internet while traveling in a vehicle.

In general, a car navigation system for a driver is the most sophisticated device in the vehicle, and often has means (tethering function) for connecting to the Internet via a separate communication module or a smartphone. However, since the driver cannot watch the screen while driving and cannot operate the driver, only content that does not hinder driving can be acquired from the Internet. Therefore, although there is a physically broadband Internet connection means, the band is often not used and is wasted.
In addition, it is difficult for the driver to perform operations such as channel selection and recording reservation for an in-vehicle device capable of receiving a broadcast such as a digital television broadcast or a digital radio broadcast (DAB: Digital Audio Broadcast). It cannot be used for. In particular, when two or more programs can be received and recorded simultaneously, it is difficult for the driver to finely control them.
On the other hand, a passenger who uses the RSE system can operate the RSE system freely. However, RSE systems often do not have a means for connecting to the Internet, and often cannot acquire content from the Internet.

As described above, conventionally, even if there is a broadband Internet connection means in the vehicle, the bandwidth is not fully used, and the content cannot be fully utilized by acquiring content from the Internet or the like while the vehicle is moving. was there.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a means for acquiring information from the outside for an in-vehicle device such as an RSE system that does not have a means for directly acquiring information from the outside. The purpose is to be able to utilize information.

The in-vehicle information system according to the present invention includes a first external communication unit that exchanges information with an external communication network outside the vehicle, and an internal communication unit that exchanges information with an internal communication network inside the vehicle. A second in-vehicle device that has an internal communication unit that exchanges information between the in-vehicle device and the internal communication network, and that acquires information acquired from the external communication network by the first in-vehicle device via the internal communication network. Are provided.

According to this invention, the second in-vehicle device acquires the information acquired by the first in-vehicle device from the external communication network via the internal communication network, and thus acquires the information directly from the outside. A means for acquiring information from the outside can be provided to the second in-vehicle device without means, and the information can be utilized.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the vehicle-mounted information system which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example in which the vehicle-mounted information system which concerns on Embodiment 1 acquires information from the internet. It is a figure which shows the example in which a vehicle-mounted information system acquires information from home LAN. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of an in-vehicle information system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the vehicle-mounted information system which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the appearance at the time of seeing an external communication network from in-vehicle LAN exclusive equipment. It is a figure which shows the appearance at the time of seeing in-vehicle LAN from home LAN. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the data server connected to in-vehicle LAN. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the vehicle-mounted gateway apparatus used for the vehicle-mounted information system which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an in-vehicle LAN dedicated device used in an in-vehicle information system according to Embodiment 3. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a data server according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an operation example of the in-vehicle information system according to the third embodiment. 12B is a continuation of the flowchart of FIG. 12A. Fig. 12B is a continuation of the flowchart of Fig. 12B. 12C is a continuation of the flowchart of FIG. 12C. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an in-vehicle information system according to a third embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the vehicle-mounted information system which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention.

Hereinafter, in order to explain the present invention in more detail, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the in-vehicle information system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the in-vehicle information system includes one or more in-vehicle gateway devices 10 and one or more in-vehicle LAN dedicated devices 20. The in-vehicle gateway device 10 has means for directly connecting to the Internet 1 which is an example of an external communication network outside the vehicle, but the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 has means for directly connecting to the Internet 1. Absent. Each of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 and the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 has means for connecting to the in-vehicle LAN 2 which is an example of an internal communication network inside the vehicle, and can exchange information with each other.

The in-vehicle gateway device 10 is a first in-vehicle device, for example, a car navigation system installed on a dashboard. This in-vehicle gateway device 10 includes an external communication unit 11 that exchanges information with an external communication network such as the Internet 1, an internal communication unit 12 that exchanges information with an internal communication network such as an in-vehicle LAN 2, and video Is output to the display 51, the audio output unit 14 is configured to output audio to the speaker 52, and the control unit 15. The control unit 15 controls operations of the external communication unit 11, the internal communication unit 12, the video output unit 13, and the audio output unit 14.

The in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 is a second in-vehicle device, for example, an RSE system installed on the back of the driver seat or the back of the passenger seat. The in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 includes an internal communication unit 22 that exchanges information with an internal communication network such as the in-vehicle LAN 2, a video output unit 23 that outputs video to the display 53, and audio that outputs audio to the speaker 54. An output unit 24 and a control unit 25 are provided. The control unit 25 controls operations of the internal communication unit 22, the video output unit 23, and the audio output unit 24.

Each of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 and the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 has an input device (not shown) and can accept input of various instructions from the user. The input device may be a button or the like provided on the device, or a touch panel or the like provided on the

displays

51 and 53.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the in-vehicle information system according to Embodiment 1 acquires information from the Internet 1.
Since the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 does not have a means for connecting to the Internet 1, it cannot directly acquire information such as moving image data on the Internet 1. Therefore, the control unit 15 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 acquires information such as moving image data from the Internet 1 using the external communication unit 11, and uses the internal communication unit 12 to transmit information such as moving image data via the in-vehicle LAN 2. Provided to the LAN dedicated device 20. The control unit 25 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 receives information such as moving image data from the in-vehicle gateway device 10 via the in-vehicle LAN 2 using the internal communication unit 22. Thereby, a means for acquiring information from the Internet 1 can be provided to the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 that does not have a means for directly connecting to the Internet 1.

The control unit 15 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 instructs the video output unit 13 to display the moving image data acquired from the Internet 1 on the display 51. In addition, the control unit 15 instructs the audio output unit 14 to output music data acquired from the Internet 1 from the speaker 52.

The control unit 25 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 instructs the video output unit 23 to display the moving image data provided from the in-vehicle gateway device 10 on the display 53. In addition, the control unit 25 instructs the audio output unit 24 to output the music data provided from the in-vehicle gateway device 10 from the speaker 54.

While the vehicle is moving, the driver is in a situation where the display 51 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 that is a car navigation system cannot be watched and cannot be operated. Therefore, even if the in-vehicle gateway device 10 that is a car navigation system includes the external communication unit 11 that connects to the Internet 1, information acquisition from the Internet 1 cannot be fully utilized.
On the other hand, passengers in the rear seats are not restricted as drivers and can view DVDs using the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 that is an RSE system. However, since the conventional RSE system did not have a means for connecting to the Internet 1, it was not possible to acquire and view moving image data on the Internet 1.
In contrast, in the first embodiment, the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 that is the RSE system is configured to be able to acquire information from the Internet 1 via the in-vehicle gateway device 10 that is the car navigation system. Information acquisition can be fully utilized.

1 and 2, the Internet 1 is shown as an example of the external communication network, but it may be a LAN outside the vehicle, a digital television broadcast, a digital radio broadcast, or the like.
FIG. 3 shows an example in which the in-vehicle information system acquires information from the home LAN 3 that is an external communication network. When a vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle information system is parked at home, the external communication unit 11 can be connected to the home LAN 3, and the in-vehicle gateway device 10 can receive music data from the home PC 4 connected to the home LAN 3. Information such as can be acquired. Information such as music data acquired from the home PC 4 is provided from the in-vehicle gateway device 10 to the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 via the in-vehicle LAN 2. Thereby, a means for acquiring information from the home LAN 3 can be provided to the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 that does not have a means for directly connecting to the home LAN 3.

Conventionally, when bringing information such as music data stored in the home PC 4 into the vehicle or vice versa, the user has to use a storage medium such as a DVD or USB memory, which is cumbersome. .
On the other hand, in the first embodiment, the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 is configured to be able to acquire information from the home PC 4 of the home LAN 3 via the in-vehicle gateway device 10, so that information can be easily brought into the vehicle. , And information can be easily taken out of the vehicle.

In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, the vehicle-mounted gateway apparatus 10 may be provided with the some external communication part 11. FIG. Each of the external communication units 11 can be connected to the Internet 1 or the home LAN 3. Alternatively, the in-vehicle information system may include a plurality of in-vehicle gateway devices 10. Each of the plurality of in-vehicle gateway devices 10 can be connected to the Internet 1 or the home LAN 3.
The in-vehicle information system may include a plurality of in-vehicle LAN dedicated devices 20. Each of the plurality of in-vehicle LAN dedicated devices 20 can exchange information with the Internet 1 or the home LAN 3 via the in-vehicle gateway device 10, and also exchange information with each other via the in-vehicle LAN 2. It is possible.

Next, a hardware configuration example of the in-vehicle information system according to Embodiment 1 will be described. 4A shows a hardware configuration diagram of the in-vehicle gateway device 10, and FIG. 4B shows a hardware configuration diagram of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the external communication unit 11 in the in-vehicle gateway device 10 is an external communication device 101 that can be connected to at least one of the Internet 1 or the home LAN 3. The internal communication unit 12 in the in-vehicle gateway device 10 is an internal communication device 102 that can be connected to the in-vehicle LAN 2.
Each function of the video output unit 13, the audio output unit 14, and the control unit 15 in the in-vehicle gateway device 10 is realized by a processing circuit. That is, the in-vehicle gateway device 10 transmits / receives information to / from the Internet 1 or the home LAN 3, transmits / receives information to / from the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 via the in-vehicle LAN 2, A processing circuit is provided for outputting the video to the display 51 and outputting the voice of the transferred information to the speaker 52. The processing circuit is a processor 104 that executes a program stored in the memory 103.

Each function of the video output unit 13, the audio output unit 14, and the control unit 15 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. Software or firmware is described as a program and stored in the memory 103. The processor 104 reads out and executes the program stored in the memory 103, thereby realizing the function of each unit. That is, the in-vehicle gateway device 10 exchanges information with the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 through the in-vehicle LAN 2 in the step of transmitting / receiving information to / from the Internet 1 or the home LAN 3 when executed by the processor 104. A memory 103 for storing a program in which a step of outputting a video of the transferred information to the display 51 and a step of outputting a sound of the transferred information to the speaker 52 are executed as a result. Is provided. It can also be said that this program causes a computer to execute the procedure or method of the video output unit 13, the audio output unit 14, and the control unit 15.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the internal communication unit 22 in the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 is an internal communication device 202 that can be connected to the in-vehicle LAN 2.
Each function of the video output unit 23, the audio output unit 24, and the control unit 25 in the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 is realized by a processing circuit. That is, the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 transmits / receives information to / from the in-vehicle gateway device 10 or other in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 via the in-vehicle LAN 2, and outputs an image of the transferred information to the display 53. And a processing circuit for outputting the voice of the received information to the speaker 54. The processing circuit is a processor 204 that executes a program stored in the memory 203.

Each function of the video output unit 23, the audio output unit 24, and the control unit 25 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. Software or firmware is described as a program and stored in the memory 203. The processor 204 reads out and executes the program stored in the memory 203, thereby realizing the functions of the respective units. That is, when the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 is executed by the processor 204, the step of exchanging information with the in-vehicle gateway device 10 or another in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 via the in-vehicle LAN 2, Is provided with a memory 203 for storing a program that results in the step of outputting the video of the above to the display 53 and the step of outputting the audio of the received information to the speaker 54 as a result. Further, it can be said that this program causes the computer to execute the procedures or methods of the video output unit 23, the audio output unit 24, and the control unit 25.

The processor 104 and the processor 204 are also referred to as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a central processing unit, a processing unit, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor).
The memory 103 and the memory 203 are nonvolatile or volatile semiconductor memories such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), and an EEPROM (Electrically EPROM). Alternatively, it may be a magnetic disk such as a hard disk or a flexible disk, or an optical disk such as a mini disk, CD (Compact Disc), or DVD.

As described above, in the in-vehicle information system according to the first embodiment, the in-vehicle gateway device 10 that is the first in-vehicle device includes the external communication unit 11 that exchanges information with the external communication network outside the vehicle, and the inside of the vehicle. It is the structure which has the internal communication part 12 which exchanges information between internal communication networks. The in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 as the second in-vehicle device has an internal communication unit 22 that exchanges information with the internal communication network, and the information acquired by the in-vehicle gateway device 10 from the external communication network is internally communicated. This configuration is obtained via the network. Therefore, a means for acquiring information from the outside can be provided to the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 that does not have a means for acquiring information directly from the outside, and the information can be utilized.

In addition, according to the first embodiment, by using the first in-vehicle device as the car navigation system and the second in-vehicle device as the RSE system, the RSE system can be used in a car navigation system whose use is restricted during movement of the vehicle. Information can be acquired from outside via the system. Therefore, the car navigation system can be used effectively.
Note that the first in-vehicle device is not limited to the car navigation system, and may be a broadcast receiving device having a function of receiving, reproducing, and recording a digital TV broadcast, for example.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the in-vehicle information system according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 5, parts that are the same as or correspond to those in FIGS. 1 to 4 shown in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.
The in-vehicle information system according to Embodiment 2 includes one or more in-vehicle gateway devices 10 and one or more in-vehicle LAN dedicated devices 20.

The in-vehicle gateway device 10 according to the second embodiment includes an external communication unit 11, an internal communication unit 12, a video output unit 13, an audio output unit 14, and a control unit 15, a storage unit 16 that stores information, a smartphone 30, and the like. And an extension unit 17 to which the third device can be connected.
The storage unit 16 is the memory 103 shown in FIG. The expansion unit 17 is a USB connector that connects the smartphone 30 by wire, a WiFi radio that wirelessly connects the smartphone 30, or the like.

The in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 according to the second embodiment includes a storage unit 26 that stores information in addition to the internal communication unit 22, the video output unit 23, and the audio output unit 24.
The storage unit 26 is the memory 203 shown in FIG.

The in-vehicle gateway device 10 stores information acquired via the external communication unit 11, an external communication unit 31 (described later) or the internal communication unit 12 in the storage unit 16, and stores information stored in the storage unit 16 as an external communication unit. 11. Provided to other devices via the external communication unit 31 or the internal communication unit 12.
The in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 stores information acquired through the internal communication unit 22 in the storage unit 26, or provides information stored in the storage unit 26 to other devices through the internal communication unit 22. To do.

The smartphone 30 is a third device. The smartphone 30 can be connected to an in-vehicle gateway device 10 that is a first in-vehicle device, and includes an external communication unit 31 that exchanges information with an external communication network such as the Internet 1 or a home LAN 3. Note that the third device is not limited to the smartphone 30 and may be a portable information terminal having a function as the external communication unit 31 such as a tablet PC.

The in-vehicle gateway device 10 according to the second embodiment uses the built-in external communication unit 11 and the external communication unit 31 of the smartphone 30 connected via the expansion unit 17 to the Internet 1 and the home LAN 3. It is possible to exchange information between.
The external communication network selection unit 15-1 determines whether to use the Internet 1 or the home LAN 3 according to the communication state between the external communication unit 11 and the Internet 1 and the communication state between the external communication unit 31 and the home LAN 3. Select and switch.

Here, FIG. 6 shows an appearance when the external communication network is viewed from the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20. The in-vehicle gateway device 10 provides a common information providing unit to the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 regardless of the difference in the external communication network between the Internet 1 and the home LAN 3. The in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 and the user who uses it can handle the in-vehicle gateway device 10 as a data server on the in-vehicle LAN 2, and need not be aware of the location of information and the acquisition route. As a result, the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 can acquire information such as music data stored in the home PC 4 from either the home LAN 3 or the Internet 1 via the in-vehicle gateway device 10.

When the vehicle is parked at home, the external communication network selection unit 15-1 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 selects the home LAN 3 where high-speed communication can be expected, and uses the external communication unit 31 of the smartphone 30 to Connect to LAN3. When the vehicle starts from this state, the in-vehicle gateway device 10 cannot obtain information from the home LAN 3 via the external communication unit 31 of the smartphone 30. In such a case, when the external communication network selection unit 15-1 detects from the communication state that information acquisition from the home LAN 3 has become impossible, the external communication network selection unit 15-1 switches from the external communication unit 31 of the smartphone 30 to the external communication unit 11, The external communication unit 11 is used to connect to the Internet 1 and the connection to the home LAN 3 is continued via the Internet 1.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an appearance when the in-vehicle LAN 2 is viewed from the in-home LAN 3. The in-vehicle gateway device 10 relays information between the home LAN 3 and the in-vehicle LAN 2. Therefore, the home PC 4 connected to the home LAN 3 and the user who uses the home PC 3 can handle the in-vehicle gateway device 10 as a data server on the home LAN 3, and are aware of the location and acquisition route of information. There is no need. As a result, the home PC 4 can acquire information such as music data stored in the storage unit 16 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 via the home LAN 3. The home PC 4 can acquire information such as music data stored in the storage unit 26 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 via the in-vehicle LAN 2, the in-vehicle gateway device 10, and the home LAN 3.

5 illustrates the external communication unit 11 that can be connected to the Internet 1 and the external communication unit 31 that can be connected to the home LAN 3, but the external communication unit 11 is connected to the home LAN 3 on the contrary. The external communication unit 31 may be connected to the Internet 1. Further, the external communication unit 11 and the external communication unit 31 may both be connected to the Internet 1, or both the external communication unit 11 and the external communication unit 31 may be connected to the home LAN 3.

Moreover, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, the vehicle-mounted gateway apparatus 10 may be equipped with the some expansion part 17, and the structure which can connect the some smart phone 30 may be sufficient as it. Further, the in-vehicle gateway device 10 may have a configuration in which the external communication unit 11 is not included and the external communication unit 31 of the smartphone 30 connected to the expansion unit 17 is used to connect to the external communication network.

In the above example, each of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 and the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 has a built-in storage unit, but a storage device such as a data server is provided separately from the in-vehicle gateway device 10 and the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20. May be used.
Here, FIG. 8 shows a configuration example of the data server 40 connected to the in-vehicle LAN 2. The data server 40 includes an internal communication unit 42 that exchanges information with the in-vehicle LAN 2, a control unit 45 that controls transmission / reception of information to / from other devices via the in-vehicle LAN 2, and a storage that stores the received information. Part 46. The in-vehicle gateway device 10 and the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 can exchange information with the data server 40 via the in-vehicle LAN 2. If the data server 40 exists, the in-vehicle gateway device 10 and the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 may not have the

storage units

16 and 26.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the in-vehicle gateway device 10 includes the plurality of

external communication units

11 and 31, and the plurality of

external communication units

11 and 31 can be connected to the same or different external communication networks. Therefore, external information can be acquired in parallel, and the information acquisition speed can be increased.

Further, according to the second embodiment, the in-vehicle gateway device 10 includes the external communication network selection unit 15-1, and the external communication network selection unit 15-1 is different by a plurality of

external communication units

11 and 31. When the same information can be exchanged from the external communication network, the external communication network that exchanges the information is switched according to the communication state with the plurality of external communication networks. Thereby, the network connection can be automatically switched according to the communication state, and the user does not need to operate the switching of the network connection.

According to the second embodiment, at least one of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 or the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 has the

storage units

16 and 26 for storing information, and the

storage units

16 and 26 via the internal communication network. Therefore, the in-vehicle gateway device 10 and the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 can share information.
Alternatively, the in-vehicle information system includes a data server 40 connected to an internal communication network, and the in-vehicle gateway device 10 and the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 exchange information with the data server 40 via the internal communication network. Even in the case of the configuration, the in-vehicle gateway device 10 and the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 can share information.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 used in the in-vehicle information system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 used in the in-vehicle information system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the data server 40 according to the third embodiment. 9 to 11, the same or corresponding parts as those in FIGS. 1 to 8 shown in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.
The in-vehicle information system according to the third embodiment includes one or more in-vehicle gateway devices 10, one or more in-vehicle LAN dedicated devices 20, and one or more data servers 40.

The in-vehicle gateway device 10 according to the third embodiment includes an external communication unit 11, an internal communication unit 12, a video output unit 13, an audio output unit 14, a control unit 15, and a storage unit 16. The internal communication unit 12 includes an information synchronization unit 12-1, and the control unit 15 includes an acquisition destination determination unit 15-2, an order determination unit 15-3, and an assignment determination unit 15-4.

In-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 according to Embodiment 3 can be connected to a third device such as smartphone 30 in addition to internal communication unit 22, video output unit 23, audio output unit 24, control unit 25, and storage unit 26. An expansion unit 27 is provided. The expansion unit 27 is a USB connector that connects the smartphone 30 to a wired connection, a WiFi wireless device that wirelessly connects the smartphone 30, or the like. The internal communication unit 22 includes an information synchronization unit 22-1 and the control unit 25 includes an acquisition destination determination unit 25-2, an order determination unit 25-3, and an assignment determination unit 25-4.

The data server 40 in the third embodiment includes an internal communication unit 42, a control unit 45, and a storage unit 46. The internal communication unit 42 has an information synchronization unit 42-1.

The information synchronization unit 12-1, the information synchronization unit 22-1 and the information synchronization unit 42-1 are connected to two or more of the in-vehicle gateway device 10, the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20, and the data server 40 via the in-vehicle LAN 2. It exchanges information synchronized between devices. The synchronized information is, for example, video or audio streaming data. For example, when the in-vehicle gateway device 10 is a master, the information synchronizer 12-1 on the master side provides information with a synchronization signal added thereto, and the information synchronizer 22-1 on the slave side and the information synchronizer 42-1 are synchronized. This information is acquired while synchronizing with the master based on the signal.

In the third embodiment, any one of the in-vehicle gateway device 10, the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20, or the data server 40 may be determined in advance as a master, or a device that provides information becomes a master. The master may be determined each time according to a predetermined condition.

Note that the internal communication unit 12, the internal communication unit 22, and the internal communication unit 42 in the third embodiment are not limited to information that needs synchronization such as streaming data, but also packet data and the like as in the first and second embodiments. Information that does not require synchronization can be exchanged.

The acquisition destination determination unit 15-2 and the acquisition destination determination unit 25-2 create and hold an acquired list indicating information already acquired from the external communication network. That is, the information on the acquired list is information stored in the storage unit 16 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10, the storage unit 26 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20, or the storage unit 46 of the data server 40. The acquired list may include not only identification information for identifying the acquired information but also location information indicating the location of the storage unit that stores the acquired information. In addition, it is assumed that the acquisition destination determination unit 15-2 and the acquisition destination determination unit 25-2 share the acquired list.

The acquisition destination determination unit 15-2 and the acquisition destination determination unit 25-2 determine whether to acquire information scheduled to be acquired from the external communication network or the internal communication network based on the acquired list. For example, when the information to be acquired is included in the acquired list, the acquisition destination determination unit 15-2 stores the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 from the storage unit 16 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 or via the in-vehicle LAN 2. The information is acquired from the unit 26 or the storage unit 46 of the data server 40. On the other hand, the acquisition destination determination unit 15-2 acquires the information from the Internet 1 when the information scheduled to be acquired is not included in the acquired list.

The order determination unit 15-3 and the order determination unit 25-3 create and hold an acquisition schedule list indicating information to be acquired from now on. Further, it is assumed that the order determining unit 15-3 and the order determining unit 25-3 share the acquisition schedule list. The acquisition schedule list may include not only identification information for identifying information to be acquired but also location information indicating an acquisition destination. The location information indicating the acquisition location includes a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) indicating the location where the information exists on the Internet 1, and a location indicating the location of the storage unit that can be acquired via the in-vehicle LAN 2 if the information has already been acquired. There is information.

The order determination unit 15-3 and the order determination unit 25-3 determine the order in which the information included in the acquisition schedule list is acquired. For example, when the data amount of each piece of information included in the acquisition schedule list is known, the order is such that information is acquired in ascending order of information. Further, for example, the order may be such that information stored in a device on the in-vehicle LAN 2 is acquired first, and information on the Internet 1 is acquired later. Thus, by acquiring information that is estimated to take a short time to acquire first, it is possible to speed up the start of information provision to the user.

The sharing determination unit 15-4 and the sharing determination unit 25-4 refer to the acquisition schedule lists held by the order determination unit 15-3 and the order determination unit 25-3, and each of the acquisition schedule lists included in the acquisition schedule list The sharing of the external communication unit 11 that acquires information and the external communication unit 31 of the smartphone 30 is determined. The sharing is divided into the communication state of the Internet 1 to which the external communication unit 11 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 is connected and the communication state of the Internet 1 to which the expansion unit 27 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 is connected via the smartphone 30. Will be decided accordingly. For example, if the communication state of its own external communication unit 11 is better than the communication state of the slave-side external communication unit 31, the master side assignment determination unit 15-4 acquires it to its own external communication unit 11. The number of information sharing to be increased is increased, and the number of information sharing acquired by the external communication unit 31 on the slave side is decreased. By determining the sharing in this way, information can be efficiently acquired from the external communication network, and the information acquisition speed can be increased.

Also, the assignment determination unit 15-4 and the assignment determination unit 25-4 appropriately change the assignment according to the communication state of the external communication unit 11 and the external communication unit 31. For example, when the communication state of the external communication unit 11 or the external communication unit 31 deteriorates, the assignment determination unit 15-4 on the master side decreases the assignment number that has deteriorated and sets the assignment number that has not deteriorated. Do more. Further, for example, when the connection of the external communication unit 11 or the external communication unit 31 is disconnected, the assignment determination unit 15-4 on the master side reduces the number of assignments of the disconnected side and shares the connected side. Increase the number.

Here, the order determination unit 15-3 and the order determination unit 25-3 create an acquisition schedule list to determine the acquisition order, and the assignment determination unit 15-4 and the assignment determination unit 25-4 acquire the acquisition schedule after the order determination. The allocation is determined with reference to the list, but conversely, the allocation determination unit 15-4 and the allocation determination unit 25-4 create and divide the acquisition schedule list, and the order determination unit 15-3 and the order determination The unit 25-3 may be configured to determine the acquisition order with reference to the acquisition schedule list after the sharing.

In the example of FIGS. 9 and 10, the acquisition destination determination unit, the order determination unit, and the sharing determination unit are configured to be included in both the in-vehicle gateway device 10 and the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20. When the device is determined, only the master device may be provided. In that case, the slave device operates according to the determination and determination in the master device.

Next, an operation example of the in-vehicle information system according to Embodiment 3 will be described.
12A to 12D are flowcharts showing an operation example of the in-vehicle information system according to Embodiment 3. As shown in FIG. 13, it is assumed that the in-vehicle gateway device 10 and the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 can each be connected to the Internet 1. The in-vehicle gateway device 10 is determined as a master in advance, and the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 and the data server 40 are slaves.
The user operates an input device (not shown) to input to the in-vehicle gateway device 10 to instruct acquisition of the moving images A, B, and C. It is assumed that the moving images A, B, and C exist on the Internet 1 and the locations thereof can be grasped in advance as URLs.

In step ST1, the control unit 15 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 accepts an input instructing acquisition of the moving images A, B, and C. The order determination unit 15-3 creates and holds an acquisition schedule list including the moving images A, B, and C.
In step ST2, the control unit 15 instructs the video output unit 13 to display the acquisition status of the moving images A, B, and C. Upon receiving this instruction, the video output unit 13 causes the display 51 to display an acquisition status such as “Movie A: Waiting”, “Movie B: Standby”, “Movie C: Standby”.

In step ST3, the control unit 15 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 instructs the internal communication unit 12 to check whether the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 can connect to the Internet 1 or not. The internal communication unit 12 that has received this instruction inquires of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 through the in-vehicle LAN 2 whether the connection to the Internet 1 is possible.

In step ST4, the internal communication unit 22 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 receives an inquiry from the in-vehicle gateway device 10 through the in-vehicle LAN 2. When receiving this inquiry, the control unit 25 checks whether or not connection to the Internet 1 is possible.
In step ST5, the control unit 25 instructs the internal communication unit 22 to make a response as to whether connection to the Internet 1 is possible. The internal communication unit 22 that has received this instruction responds to the in-vehicle gateway device 10 via the in-vehicle LAN 2 as to whether or not connection to the Internet 1 is possible.
Here, as shown in FIG. 10, since the external communication unit 31 of the smartphone 30 is connected to the expansion unit 27, the control unit 25 determines that the connection to the Internet 1 is possible and indicates that the connection is possible. respond.

In step ST6, the control unit 15 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 instructs the internal communication unit 12 to check whether the data server 40 can connect to the Internet 1. Receiving this instruction, the internal communication unit 12 inquires of the data server 40 via the in-vehicle LAN 2 whether the connection to the Internet 1 is possible.

In step ST <b> 7, the internal communication unit 42 of the data server 40 receives an inquiry from the in-vehicle gateway device 10 via the in-vehicle LAN 2. When receiving this inquiry, the control unit 45 checks whether or not connection to the Internet 1 is possible.
In step ST8, the control unit 45 instructs the internal communication unit 42 to make a response as to whether connection to the Internet 1 is possible. The internal communication unit 42 that has received this instruction responds to the in-vehicle gateway device 10 via the in-vehicle LAN 2 as to whether or not the connection to the Internet 1 is possible.
Here, as shown in FIG. 11, since the data server 40 does not have an external communication unit, the control unit 45 determines that connection to the Internet 1 is impossible, and responds that connection is impossible.

In step ST9, the control unit 15 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 instructs the internal communication unit 12 to request an acquisition schedule list held by the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 that can be connected to the Internet 1. The internal communication unit 12 that has received this instruction requests the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 for an acquisition schedule list via the in-vehicle LAN 2.

In step ST10, the internal communication unit 22 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 receives a request from the in-vehicle gateway device 10 via the in-vehicle LAN 2. In accordance with this request, the control unit 25 confirms the acquisition schedule list held by the order determination unit 25-3.
In step ST11, the control unit 25 instructs the internal communication unit 22 to respond with the contents of the acquisition schedule list held by the order determination unit 25-3. The internal communication unit 22 that has received this instruction returns the contents of the acquisition schedule list to the in-vehicle gateway device 10 via the in-vehicle LAN 2.
Here, since the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 has not received an information acquisition instruction from the user and the acquisition schedule list does not include information to be acquired, the control unit 25 indicates that there is no information to be acquired. respond.

The internal communication unit 12 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 receives the response of the acquisition schedule list from the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20, and when receiving the acquisition schedule list, the order determination unit 15-3 stores the contents in its acquisition schedule list. to add.

In step ST12, the control unit 15 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 instructs the internal communication unit 12 to acquire the communication state of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 that can be connected to the Internet 1. The internal communication unit 12 that has received this instruction inquires of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 about the communication state with the Internet 1 via the in-vehicle LAN 2.

In step ST13, the internal communication unit 22 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 receives an inquiry from the in-vehicle gateway device 10 through the in-vehicle LAN 2. The control unit 25 confirms the communication state between the external communication unit 31 of the smartphone 30 and the Internet 1 in accordance with this inquiry.
In step ST14, the control unit 25 instructs the internal communication unit 22 to respond with a communication state with the Internet 1. The internal communication unit 22 that has received this instruction returns a communication state with the Internet 1 to the in-vehicle gateway device 10 via the in-vehicle LAN 2.
Here, since 100 Mbps among 100 Mbps can be used between the external communication unit 31 of the smartphone 30 and the Internet 1, the control unit 25 responds to that effect.

In step ST15, the control unit 15 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 confirms the communication state between the external communication unit 11 and the Internet 1. Here, it is assumed that 100 Mbps of 100 Mbps can be used between the external communication unit 11 and the Internet 1.

In step ST16, the order determination unit 15-3 and the sharing determination unit 15-4 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 determine the acquisition order and sharing of the moving images A, B, and C, and the acquisition schedule list and in-vehicle LAN of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 The acquisition schedule list of the dedicated device 20 is updated.
Here, since the communication state between the in-vehicle gateway device 10 and the Internet 1 and the communication state between the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 and the Internet 1 are the same, the same number of information is given to the in-vehicle gateway device 10 and the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20. Although it is possible to share, since the number of information is an odd number, the moving images A and B are shared with the in-vehicle gateway device 10 and the moving image C is shared with the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20. The number of in-vehicle gateway devices 10 assigned more than the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 is that the in-vehicle gateway device 10 that is the car navigation system is operated by the user during the movement of the vehicle than the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 that is the RSE system. This is because it is estimated that sudden communication due to is difficult to occur and there is a margin in the amount of communication.
Further, the order determination unit 15-3 may arrange the acquisition order of the moving images A, B, and C in ascending order of the data amount.

In step ST17, the control unit 15 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 instructs the internal communication unit 12 to send the updated acquisition schedule list to the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20. The internal communication unit 12 that has received this instruction sends the acquisition schedule list to the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 via the in-vehicle LAN 2.

In step ST18, the internal communication unit 22 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 receives the acquisition schedule list from the in-vehicle gateway device 10 via the in-vehicle LAN 2. The control unit 25 analyzes the received acquisition schedule list and confirms information scheduled to be acquired by itself.

In step ST19, the control unit 15 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 instructs the external communication unit 11 to acquire the moving image A described at the top of its own acquisition schedule list. Receiving this instruction, the external communication unit 11 requests the moving image A from the Internet 1 and starts acquiring the moving image A from the Internet 1 in step ST20.
In step ST21, the control unit 15 instructs the video output unit 13 to update the display of the acquisition state of the moving images A, B, and C. Upon receiving this instruction, the video output unit 13 causes the display 51 to display an acquisition state such as “moving image A: acquiring”, “moving image B: waiting”, “moving image C: waiting”.

In step ST22, the control unit 25 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 instructs the external communication unit 31 of the smartphone 30 via the expansion unit 27 to acquire the moving picture C described at the top of its own acquisition schedule list. The external communication unit 31 of the smartphone 30 that has received this instruction requests the moving image C from the Internet 1, and starts acquiring the moving image C in step ST24.

Further, the control unit 25 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 notifies the in-vehicle gateway device 10 of the moving image C acquisition state. For example, when requesting the moving image C from the expansion unit 27 to the Internet 1 via the smartphone 30 in step ST22, the control unit 25 instructs the internal communication unit 22 to acquire the moving image C from the in-vehicle gateway device 10 in step ST23. Notify that it is inside. In addition, for example, when the control unit 25 starts to acquire the moving image C from the smartphone 30 via the expansion unit 27 in step ST24, the control unit 25 instructs the internal communication unit 22 in step ST25 to transmit the moving image C to the in-vehicle gateway device 10. Notify the acquisition rate.

When the internal communication unit 12 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 receives the notification of the acquisition state of the moving image C from the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 via the in-vehicle LAN 2, the control unit 15 instructs the video output unit 13 to display on the display 51. The acquisition state of the moving image C being displayed is updated. For example, in step ST25, when the internal communication unit 12 receives a notification of an acquisition state indicating that 10% of the moving image C has been acquired from the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 via the in-vehicle LAN 2, the video output unit from the control unit 15 in step ST26. 13 is updated, and the display on the display 51 is updated to “moving image C: 10% being acquired”.

In step ST27, when the acquisition of the moving image C is completed, the control unit 25 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 instructs the internal communication unit 22 in step ST28 to confirm that the acquisition of the moving image C is completed for the in-vehicle gateway device 10. Notice.

In step ST29, the internal communication unit 12 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 receives the notification of the acquisition state indicating completion of acquisition of the moving image C from the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 via the in-vehicle LAN 2. Upon receiving this notification, the control unit 15 instructs the video output unit 13 to update the display 51 to “Movie C: 100% acquisition complete”.

The control unit 15 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 also instructs the video output unit 13 to update the display of the moving images A and B acquired by the external communication unit 11 at any time.

In step ST30, the sharing determination unit 15-4 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 updates the sharing of the moving images A and B included in the acquisition schedule list when the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 completes the acquisition of the moving image C.
Here, since the acquisition of the moving image B is not started in the in-vehicle gateway device 10, the sharing determination unit 15-4 acquires the list of acquisition schedules to change the sharing of the moving image B from the in-vehicle gateway device 10 to the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20. Update.

In step ST31, the control unit 15 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 instructs the internal communication unit 12 to send the updated acquisition schedule list to the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20. The internal communication unit 12 that has received this instruction sends the acquisition schedule list to the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 via the in-vehicle LAN 2.

In step ST32, the internal communication unit 22 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 receives the updated acquisition schedule list from the in-vehicle gateway device 10 via the in-vehicle LAN 2. The control unit 25 analyzes the received acquisition schedule list and confirms information scheduled to be acquired by itself.

In step ST33, the control unit 25 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 instructs the external communication unit 31 of the smartphone 30 via the expansion unit 27 to acquire the moving image B described at the top of the updated acquisition schedule list. Receiving this instruction, the external communication unit 31 of the smartphone 30 requests the moving image B from the Internet 1 and starts acquiring the moving image B in step ST34. In step ST35, the control unit 25 instructs the internal communication unit 22 to notify the in-vehicle gateway device 10 of the acquisition state of the moving image B.

In step ST36, when the acquisition of the moving image A is completed, the control unit 15 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 instructs the video output unit 13 in step ST37 to update the display 51 to “moving image A: 100% acquisition completed”. .

In step ST38, when the control unit 25 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 completes the acquisition of the moving image B, the control unit 25 instructs the internal communication unit 22 in step ST39 to confirm that the in-vehicle gateway device 10 has acquired the moving image B. Notice.
In step ST40, the internal communication unit 12 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 receives an acquisition state notification indicating the completion of acquisition of the video B from the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 via the in-vehicle LAN 2. Upon receiving this notification, the control unit 15 instructs the video output unit 13 to update the display 51 to “Movie B: 100% acquisition complete”.

Thus, the acquisition processing of the moving images A, B, and C received from the user is completed.

In step ST41, the control unit 15 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 instructs the internal communication unit 12 to transfer the moving image A stored in the storage unit 16 to the data server 40. Receiving this instruction, the internal communication unit 12 transfers the moving image A stored in the storage unit 16 to the data server 40 via the in-vehicle LAN 2.

In step ST42, the control unit 15 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 instructs the internal communication unit 12 to transfer the moving images B and C acquired by the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 to the data server 40. The internal communication unit 12 that has received this instruction requests the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 to transfer the moving images B and C to the data server 40 via the in-vehicle LAN 2.

In step ST43, the internal communication unit 22 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 receives a transfer request from the in-vehicle gateway device 10 to the data server 40 of the moving images B and C via the in-vehicle LAN 2. Upon receiving this transfer request, the control unit 25 instructs the internal communication unit 22 to transfer the moving images B and C stored in the storage unit 26 to the data server 40. The internal communication unit 22 that has received this instruction transfers the moving images B and C stored in the storage unit 26 to the data server 40 via the in-vehicle LAN 2.

In step ST44, the internal communication unit 22 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 receives a notification that the transfer of the moving images B and C is completed from the data server 40 via the in-vehicle LAN 2. Upon receiving this notification, the control unit 25 instructs the internal communication unit 22 in step ST45 to notify the in-vehicle gateway device 10 that the transfer of the moving images B and C has been completed.
In step ST46, the internal communication unit 12 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 receives a notification that the transfer of the moving image A is completed from the data server 40 via the in-vehicle LAN 2. Upon receiving this notification, the acquisition destination determination unit 15-2 creates and holds an acquired list indicating that the moving images A, B, and C are stored in the storage unit 46 of the data server 40.

The moving image A stored in the storage unit 16 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 and the moving images B and C stored in the storage unit 26 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 are deleted after the transfer to the data server 40 is completed. You may leave it.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, at least one of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 or the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 has the acquisition destination determination units 15-2 and 25-2, and the acquisition destination determination units 15-2 and 25- 2 holds an acquired list indicating information already acquired from the external communication network, and determines whether information to be acquired is acquired from the external communication network or the internal communication network based on the acquired list Therefore, the in-vehicle gateway device 10 and the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 can share information acquired from the external communication network.

Further, according to the third embodiment, at least one of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 or the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 includes the order determining units 15-3 and 25-3, and the order determining units 15-3 and 25-3 include: Since the acquisition schedule list indicating the information scheduled to be acquired from the external communication network is held and the order in which the information included in the acquisition schedule list is acquired is determined, for example, it is estimated that the time required for acquisition is short. By acquiring the information first, it is possible to speed up the start of information provision to the user.

Further, according to the third embodiment, at least one of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 or the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 has the sharing determination units 15-4 and 25-4, and the sharing determination units 15-4 and 25-4 An acquisition schedule list indicating information scheduled to be acquired from an external communication network is held, and information included in the acquisition schedule list is stored in accordance with the communication state of each external communication network to which a plurality of external communication units are connected. Since the assignment of the external communication unit to be acquired is determined, information can be efficiently acquired from the external communication network, and the speed of information acquisition can be increased.

Further, according to the third embodiment, the sharing determination units 15-4 and 25-4 change the sharing according to the communication state of each external communication network, so that the speed of information acquisition can be increased. .

The external communication unit targeted by the sharing determination unit 15-4 of the in-vehicle gateway device 10 is not limited to the external communication unit included in the in-vehicle gateway device 10, but also external communication built in the smartphone connected to the in-vehicle gateway device 10. And an external communication unit of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 that can communicate with the in-vehicle gateway device 10 via an internal communication network. Similarly, the external communication unit targeted by the sharing determination unit 25-4 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 is not limited to the external communication unit built in the smartphone connected to the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20, but also through the internal communication network. The external communication part which the vehicle-mounted gateway apparatus 10 which can communicate with the in-vehicle LAN dedicated apparatus 20 has, the external communication part with a built-in smart phone connected to the vehicle-mounted gateway apparatus 10, etc. may be sufficient.

Further, according to the third embodiment, the in-vehicle gateway device 10, the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20, and the data server 40 exchange information synchronized with each other via the internal communication network. , 42-1 so that information that requires synchronization such as streaming data can be exchanged.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the in-vehicle information system according to the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 14, parts that are the same as or correspond to those in FIGS. 1 to 13 shown in Embodiments 1 to 3 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.
The in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 can have means for directly connecting to an external communication network by connecting a communication device such as the smartphone 30 to the expansion unit 27. That is, the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 to which the smartphone 30 having the external communication unit 31 is connected is equivalent to the in-vehicle gateway device 10 having the external communication unit 11. Therefore, it is possible to configure an in-vehicle information system only with the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20.

The in-vehicle information system according to Embodiment 4 includes two or more in-vehicle LAN dedicated devices 20. At least one of the two or more in-vehicle LAN dedicated devices 20 includes an expansion unit 27. A smartphone 30 is connected to the extension unit 27, and information can be exchanged with an external communication network such as the Internet 1 via the external communication unit 31.

Although not shown, the internal communication unit 22 may include the information synchronization unit 22-1 shown in the third embodiment. The control unit 25 may include the acquisition destination determination unit 25-2, the order determination unit 25-3, and the assignment determination unit 25-4 described in the third embodiment.

In addition, a configuration in which one in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 includes a plurality of expansion units 27 and a plurality of smartphones 30 can be connected may be possible. The plurality of smartphones 30 can be connected to the same or different external communication networks.
When one in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 includes a plurality of expansion units 27, the control unit 25 of the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 has the same function as the external communication network selection unit 15-1 described in the second embodiment. You may have. By having this function, it is possible to select a smartphone 30 having a good communication state from among a plurality of smartphones 30 connected to the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 and exchange information. Also, by having this function, switching between the Internet 1 as an external communication network and the home LAN 3 can be automatically performed according to the communication state.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the in-vehicle information system includes the expansion unit 27 that can connect the smartphone 30 and the like that incorporates the external communication unit 31 that exchanges information with an external communication network outside the vehicle, and the vehicle. This configuration includes a plurality of in-vehicle LAN dedicated devices 20 having an internal communication unit 22 that exchanges information with an internal communication network. And the smart phone 30 grade | etc., Is connected to the expansion part 27 which at least 1 in-vehicle LAN special equipment 20 has among the several in-vehicle LAN special equipments 20 and this smart phone 30 grade | etc., Is connected to the smart phone 30. The information is acquired from the external communication network via the network, and the information is provided to the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 to which the smartphone 30 or the like is not connected via the internal communication network. Therefore, the communication device such as the smartphone 30 is not connected, that is, the in-vehicle LAN dedicated device 20 having no means for directly acquiring information from the outside is provided with means for acquiring information from the outside, and the information is utilized. can do.

In the present invention, within the scope of the invention, free combinations of the respective embodiments, modification of arbitrary components of the respective embodiments, or omission of arbitrary components of the respective embodiments are possible.

The in-vehicle information system according to the present invention provides a means for directly acquiring information from the outside for an in-vehicle device that does not have a means for directly acquiring information from the outside. It is suitable for use in an RSE system having no means for acquiring information.

1 Internet (external communication network), 2 in-vehicle LAN (internal communication network), 3 in-home LAN (external communication network), 4 in-home PC, 10 in-vehicle gateway device (first in-vehicle device), 11 external communication unit, 12 Internal communication unit, 12-1 information synchronization unit, 13 video output unit, 14 audio output unit, 15 control unit, 15-1 external communication network selection unit, 15-2 acquisition destination determination unit, 15-3 order determination unit, 15 -4 Allocation determination unit, 16 storage unit, 17 expansion unit, 20 in-vehicle LAN dedicated device (second in-vehicle device), 22 internal communication unit, 22-1 information synchronization unit, 23 video output unit, 24 audio output unit, 25 Control section, 25-1, external communication network selection section, 25-2 acquisition destination determination section, 25-3 order determination section, 25-4 sharing determination section, 26 storage section, 27 expansion section, 30 smart phone (Third device, communication device), 31 external communication unit, 40 data server (storage device), 42 internal communication unit, 42-1 information synchronization unit, 45 control unit, 46 storage unit, 51, 53 display, 52 , 54 speaker, 101 external communication device, 102, 202 internal communication device, 103, 203 memory, 104, 204 processor.

Claims

A first in-vehicle device having an external communication unit that exchanges information with an external communication network outside the vehicle, and an internal communication unit that exchanges information with an internal communication network inside the vehicle;
A second in-vehicle device that has an internal communication unit that exchanges information with the internal communication network and that acquires information acquired from the external communication network by the first in-vehicle device via the internal communication network An in-vehicle information system.
The in-vehicle information system according to claim 1, wherein the first in-vehicle device has a plurality of the external communication units, and the plurality of external communication units can be connected to the same or different external communication networks.
When the first in-vehicle device can exchange the same information from a plurality of different external communication networks by the plurality of external communication units, the first in-vehicle device receives the information according to the communication state with the plurality of different external communication networks. The in-vehicle information system according to claim 2, further comprising an external communication network selection unit that switches an external communication network to be exchanged.
The in-vehicle information system according to claim 1, wherein the external communication unit is built in a third device connectable to the first in-vehicle device.
At least one of the first in-vehicle device or the second in-vehicle device has an expansion unit that can connect a third device including an external communication unit that exchanges information with an external communication network. The in-vehicle information system according to claim 1, wherein
6. The in-vehicle information according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the first in-vehicle device or the second in-vehicle device has a plurality of the extension units, and a plurality of the third devices can be connected. system.
The external communication unit included in the first in-vehicle device and the external communication unit included in the third device connected to the extension unit can be connected to the same or different external communication networks. The in-vehicle information system according to claim 5,
The in-vehicle information system according to claim 1, wherein the first in-vehicle device and the second in-vehicle device have an information synchronization unit that exchanges information synchronized with each other via the internal communication network.
At least one of the first in-vehicle device or the second in-vehicle device has a storage unit for storing information, and exchanges information with the storage unit via the internal communication network. The in-vehicle information system according to claim 1.
A storage device connected to the internal communication network;
The in-vehicle information system according to claim 1, wherein the first in-vehicle device and the second in-vehicle device exchange information with the storage device via the internal communication network.
A plurality of the first in-vehicle devices;
The in-vehicle information system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the first in-vehicle devices exchange information with each other via the internal communication network.
A plurality of the second in-vehicle devices;
The in-vehicle information system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the second in-vehicle devices exchange information with each other via the internal communication network.
At least one of the first in-vehicle device or the second in-vehicle device holds an acquired list indicating information already acquired from the external communication network, and acquires information to be acquired based on the acquired list. The in-vehicle information system according to claim 1, further comprising an acquisition destination determination unit that determines whether to acquire from the external communication network or from the internal communication network.
At least one of the first in-vehicle device or the second in-vehicle device holds an acquisition schedule list indicating information scheduled to be acquired from the external communication network, and an acquisition order of information included in the acquisition schedule list The in-vehicle information system according to claim 1, further comprising an order determination unit that determines
At least one of the first in-vehicle device or the second in-vehicle device holds an acquisition schedule list indicating information to be acquired from the external communication network, and each external communication unit connected to the plurality of external communication units The in-vehicle information system according to claim 2, further comprising a sharing determination unit that determines sharing of the external communication unit that acquires information included in the acquisition schedule list according to a communication state with the communication network. .
At least one of the first in-vehicle device or the second in-vehicle device holds an acquisition schedule list indicating information to be acquired from the external communication network, and each external communication unit connected to the plurality of external communication units 6. The in-vehicle information system according to claim 5, further comprising a sharing determination unit that determines sharing of the external communication unit that acquires information included in the acquisition schedule list according to a communication state with the communication network. .
The in-vehicle information system according to claim 15, wherein the sharing determination unit changes the sharing according to a communication state of each external communication network.
The in-vehicle information system according to claim 16, wherein the sharing determination unit changes the sharing according to a communication state of each external communication network.
The in-vehicle information system according to claim 1, wherein the first in-vehicle device is a car navigation system, and the second in-vehicle device is a rear seat entertainment system.
An in-vehicle unit having an expansion unit capable of connecting a communication device incorporating an external communication unit that exchanges information with an external communication network outside the vehicle, and an internal communication unit that exchanges information with an internal communication network inside the vehicle Equipped with multiple devices,
The communication device is connected to the extension unit included in at least one of the plurality of vehicle-mounted devices, and the vehicle-mounted device to which the communication device is connected receives information from the external communication network via the communication device. And providing the information to an in-vehicle device to which the communication device is not connected via the internal communication network.