WO2017051731A1 - Vehicle-mounted communications device and vehicle communications system - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted communications device (2) comprises: a position detection unit (7) that detects the current position of a vehicle; a radio wave state detection unit (5) that detects the radio wave state of a communications network (3); and information transmission units (133, 134) that send information about the current position of the vehicle and information about the radio wave state of the communications network (3), to an information center (4). The vehicle-mounted communications device (2) comprises: an out-of-range information reception unit (135) that receives out-of-range information sent from the information center (4) and indicating an out-of-range area for the communications network (3); and an approach determination unit (15) that determines whether or not the vehicle has approached the out-of-range area for the communications network (3), on the basis of the information about the current position of the vehicle and the out-of-range information.

Description

In-vehicle communication device and vehicle communication system Cross-reference of related applications

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-188160 filed on September 25, 2015, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle communication device and a vehicle communication system that communicate with an information center via a communication network.

Communication between the in-vehicle communication device and the information center is performed using a communication network of a carrier (carrier) such as a mobile phone. As such a vehicle communication system, for example, a telematics service is known. When using a telematics service, if the vehicle moves into an out-of-service area of the communication network, it becomes impossible to communicate with the information center, so the telematics service data cannot be downloaded, that is, the telematics service cannot be used continuously. Things happen.

On the other hand, Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of communication terminals respectively connected to a plurality of communication networks, and when communicating using a certain communication network, the communication network has an out-of-service area. The configuration is described so that when a vehicle enters, communication can be executed by automatically switching to another communication network.

JP 2014-36340 A

However, the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the number of parts increases and the manufacturing cost increases because it is necessary to provide a plurality of communication terminals respectively connected to a plurality of communication networks.

An object of the present disclosure is to enable in-vehicle communication that can continue to use a communication service as much as possible even when a vehicle moves to an out-of-service area of a communication network, and that can prevent an increase in the number of parts and an increase in manufacturing cost. An apparatus and a vehicle communication system are provided.

A first aspect of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle communication device that performs communication with an information center via a communication network, a position detection unit that detects a current position of a vehicle, and a radio wave state that detects a radio wave state of the communication network A detection unit; an information transmission unit that transmits information on a current position of the vehicle and information on a radio wave state of the communication network to the information center; and information transmitted from the information center that is located in an out-of-service area of the communication network. An out-of-service information receiving unit that receives the out-of-service information shown, and an approach determination unit that determines whether the vehicle is approaching an out-of-service area of the communication network based on the current position information of the vehicle and the out-of-service information. It has features.

A second aspect of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle communication device that communicates with an information center via a communication network, a position detection unit that detects a current position of a vehicle, and a radio wave state that detects a radio wave state of the communication network A detection unit; an information transmission unit that transmits information on a current position of the vehicle and information on a radio wave state of the communication network to the information center; and information transmitted from the information center, where the vehicle is out of range of the communication network. It has a feature in that it includes an information receiving unit that receives notification information for requesting to download information to be acquired before entering the area in advance.

A third aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle communication system including an information center and an in-vehicle communication device that communicates with the information center via a communication network, wherein the in-vehicle communication device determines a current position of the vehicle. A position detection unit for detecting; a radio wave state detection unit for detecting a radio wave state of the communication network; and an information transmission unit for transmitting information on a current position of the vehicle and information on a radio wave state of the communication network to the information center; An out-of-service information receiving unit that receives information transmitted from the information center and indicating out-of-service information indicating an out-of-service area of the communication network, and the information center receives information on the current position of the vehicle from the in-vehicle communication device, and A receiving unit that receives information on a radio wave state of the communication network, an update unit that updates the out-of-service information based on information on a current position of the vehicle and information on a radio wave state of the communication network, and Characterized in place and a transmitter for transmitting out-of-range information.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawing
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an overall schematic configuration of a vehicle communication system showing a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the navigation unit, FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the center terminal. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of control for transmitting information on the current position and radio wave state in the in-vehicle communication device and control for updating out-of-service information. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining out-of-service information. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of control when an out-of-service area approach in the in-vehicle communication device, FIG. 7 is a flowchart of control for updating out-of-service information in the information center. FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of the overall schematic configuration of the vehicle communication system showing the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of control when an out-of-service area approach in the in-vehicle communication device, FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of the overall schematic configuration of the vehicle communication system showing the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of communication control. FIG. 12 shows a fourth embodiment, and is a flowchart of control when an out-of-service area approach in an in-vehicle communication device, FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for inquiring the user. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of displaying an out-of-service area on a map screen. FIG. 15 shows a fifth embodiment, and is a flowchart of control when an out-of-service area approaches in an in-vehicle communication device, FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen for inquiring the user.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. First, FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an overall schematic configuration of a vehicle communication system (for example, telematics) of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicular communication system 1 is connected to an in-vehicle communication device 2 mounted on a vehicle, and the in-vehicle communication device 2 via a communication network 3 including, for example, a mobile phone communication network. The information center 4 is provided. Although one in-vehicle communication device 2 (vehicle) is shown in FIG. 1, actually there are a plurality of (many) in-vehicle communication devices (mounted on a large number of vehicles). It is configured to be able to communicate with the information center 4 separately.

The in-vehicle communication device 2 includes a communication unit 5, a map data storage unit 6, a position detection unit 7, and a navigation unit 8. The communication unit 5 has a function of communicating with the information center 4 via the communication network 3, and transmits data received from the information center 4 via the communication network 3 to the navigation unit 8 and received from the navigation unit 8. The transmitted data is transmitted to the information center 4 via the communication network 3. Further, the communication unit 5 has a function of detecting the radio wave intensity (radio wave state) of the wireless communication of the communication network 3, and transmits the detected radio wave intensity to the navigation unit 8. In this case, the communication unit 5 has a function as a radio wave state detection unit.

The map data storage unit 6 is configured by a hard disk, a DVD, an SD memory, or the like, stores map data, and is configured so that map data in a desired area can be read out by the navigation unit 8. . The position detection unit 7 includes, for example, a GPS receiver and various sensors, detects the current position of the vehicle, and transmits the detected current position to the navigation unit 8.

As shown in FIG. 2, the navigation unit 8 includes a display unit 9, a storage unit 10, an operation input unit 11, and a control unit 12. The display unit 9 is composed of, for example, a color liquid crystal display, and the control unit 12 can display a map, characters, symbols, images, and the like. The storage unit 10 includes a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, an SD memory, and the like. The storage unit 10 stores a program and various data, and the control unit 12 can read and write data. It is configured as follows. The operation input unit 11 includes a touch panel provided on the screen of the display unit 9, a switch or a remote controller provided around the display unit 9, and outputs an operation signal operated by the user to the control unit 12. To do.

The control unit 12 controls the entire navigation unit 8. For example, the control unit 12 receives information (data) on the current position of the vehicle from the position detection unit 7, and stores the received information on the current position in the storage unit 10. And the function of accumulating (function of the position information receiving unit 131). The control unit 12 also receives information (data) of radio wave intensity (radio wave state) from the communication unit 5, stores the received radio wave intensity information in the storage unit 10 and accumulates it (radio wave state reception unit 132. Function). In this case, the current position data and the radio wave intensity data are stored in the storage unit 10 as a pair. Further, it is preferable that the current position data and the radio wave intensity data are detected and stored every set time (first set time) or every time the vehicle travels a set distance. In addition, the control unit 12 transmits the data on the current position of the vehicle accumulated in the storage unit 10 to the information center 4 via the communication unit 5 periodically, that is, every set time (second set time). It has a function (function of the position information transmission unit 133). Further, the control unit 12 has a function of transmitting the radio wave intensity data to the information center 4 via the communication unit 5 periodically, that is, every set time (second set time) (of the radio wave state transmitting unit 134). Function). In this case, the position information transmission unit 133 and the radio wave state transmission unit 134 have a function as an information transmission unit. In addition, it is preferable that the current position data and the radio wave intensity data transmitted at each set time are configured to transmit untransmitted data so far.

In addition, the control unit 12 includes a function of receiving out-of-service information (function of the out-of-service information receiving unit 135) from the information center 4 through the communication unit 5 every set time (third set time), and the received out-of-service information. And a function of updating out-of-service information stored in the storage unit 10 (a function of the out-of-service information update unit 14). Further, the control unit 12 determines whether or not the vehicle has approached the out-of-service area based on the current position information and out-of-service information (for example, whether or not the distance between the vehicle and the out-of-service area has become a predetermined distance or less). It has the function to determine (the function of the out-of-range approach determination unit 15). In this case, the out-of-range approach determination unit 15 has a function as an approach determination unit. Further, the control unit 12 has a function as a request transmission unit. Similarly to the known navigation device, the control unit 12 has a function of searching for a route from the current position to the destination and guides the route to the destination when the destination is set by the operation input unit 11. Has functions etc.

As shown in FIG. 1, the information center 4 includes a center terminal 16 and an external storage unit 17 for storing out-of-service information, a database of various content data, and the like. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the center terminal 16 includes a data receiving unit 18, a data transmitting unit 19, a display unit 20, an operation input unit 21, an internal storage unit 22, and a control unit 23. . The data receiving unit 18 receives data transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 2 and outputs the received data to the control unit 23. The data receiving unit 18 has a function as a receiving unit. The data transmission unit 19 transmits the transmission data input from the control unit 23 to the in-vehicle communication device 2 via the communication network 3. The data transmission unit 19 has a function as a transmission unit. The display unit 20 is configured by, for example, a color liquid crystal display, and the control unit 23 can display a map, characters, symbols, images, and the like. The internal storage unit 22 includes a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, an SD memory, and the like. The internal storage unit 22 stores a program and various data, and can be read and written by the control unit 23. It is configured as follows. The operation input unit 21 includes a keyboard, a mouse, and the like, and outputs an operation signal operated by the user to the control unit 23.

The control unit 23 controls the center terminal 16 as a whole. For example, the control unit 23 collects electric field intensity information (received data) transmitted from the in-vehicle communication devices 2 of a large number of vehicles, and based on the collected electric field intensity information. A function (out-of-service information updating unit 24) for specifying out-of-service area and updating out-of-service information in the external storage unit 17 based on the specified out-of-service area is provided. The out-of-service information update unit 24 has a function as an update unit. The control unit 23 has a function of transmitting the updated out-of-service information or the latest out-of-service information to the in-vehicle communication device 2 of each vehicle every set time (fourth set time).

Further, when receiving a command requesting various information (content data or the like) from the in-vehicle communication device 2 of any vehicle, the control unit 23 searches the external storage unit 17 for the requested information, and the searched information is in-vehicle. It has a function of transmitting to the communication device 2.

Next, with the operation of the above-described configuration, for example, control for transmitting the current position information and radio wave state information of the navigation unit 8 of the in-vehicle communication device 2 to the information center 4, and out-of-service information transmitted from the information center 4. Control for updating out-of-service information in the storage unit 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The flowchart of FIG. 4 shows the contents of control of the navigation unit 8 (control unit 12).

First, in step S10 of FIG. 4, the navigation unit 8 acquires information on the current position of the vehicle (for example, latitude and longitude data) from the position detection unit 7. Then, it progresses to step S20 and the navigation part 8 acquires the information of a radio wave state from the communication part 5, ie, the information of a radio wave intensity. In this case, the radio wave intensity is configured to be expressed by, for example, six levels from 0 to 5 (the minimum value is 0 and the maximum value is 5). It has become. In step S 30, the navigation unit 8 transmits (uploads) the information on the current position and the information on the radio wave state (radio wave intensity) to the information center 4 via the communication unit 5 and the communication network 3.

Next, the process proceeds to step S40, and the navigation unit 8 acquires (receives) out-of-service information transmitted from the information center 4 via the communication network 3 and the communication unit 5. In this case, as the out-of-service information, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the predetermined area 24 is divided into a grid like a grid, and the size of one divided first area 24a is, for example, 1 km to It is configured to be several km square, and the communication environment level of the communication network 3 is set to be good or bad for each area 24a. In FIG. 5, the shaded area indicates an area 24a having a bad communication environment level. The navigation unit 8 acquires out-of-service information having such a configuration. The size of the predetermined area 24 of out-of-service information transmitted from the information center 4 is, for example, an area having a size of 10 km to several tens km square with the current position of the vehicle as the center. In this case, the size of the area included in the distance that the vehicle moves in about 10 minutes to several tens of minutes may be used. Then, it progresses to step S50 and the navigation part 8 preserve | saves the acquired out-of-service information in the memory | storage part 10 (or updates out-of-service information in the memory | storage part 10).

It should be noted that the control shown in FIG. 4 is repeatedly executed every set time or every time the vehicle moves a set distance. Further, the process of step S40 (and step S50) is configured to be executed only when out-of-service information is transmitted from the information center 4 at regular intervals (every set time). Further, when executing step S40, a signal requesting out-of-service information is transmitted from the navigation unit 8 to the information center 4, and the out-of-service information is transmitted from the information center 4 to the navigation unit 8 in response to this signal. It may be configured. In this case, when requesting out-of-service information, the version information of out-of-service information possessed by the navigation unit 8 is added and transmitted to the information center 4, and the out-of-service information possessed by the navigation unit 8 is transmitted to the information center 4 side. It is preferable to determine whether or not the information is up-to-date, and to transmit the latest out-of-service information to the navigation unit 8 when it is not up-to-date, while not transmitting the out-of-service information when it is up-to-date.

Next, control when a vehicle approaches an out-of-service area will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the flowchart of FIG. 6 shows the contents of control of the navigation unit 8 (control unit 12).

First, in step S110 of FIG. 6, the navigation unit 8 calculates the distance between the current position and the nearest out-of-service area (area where the communication environment level is bad) based on the current position of the vehicle and out-of-service information. Then, the process proceeds to step S120, and it is determined whether or not the vehicle has approached an out-of-service area based on the calculated distance (that is, whether or not the calculated distance is equal to or less than a set distance). Here, when the vehicle is not approaching the out-of-service area (“NO” in step S120), the control is terminated.

When the vehicle is approaching the out-of-service area in step S120 (“YES”), the process proceeds to step S130, and the navigation unit 8 acquires information (content data or the like) that the vehicle should acquire before entering the out-of-service area. Judge whether there is. Here, when there is no information to be acquired (“NO” in step S130), the control is terminated. On the other hand, when there is information to be acquired in step S130 ("YES"), the process proceeds to step S140, and the navigation unit 8 sends the content data of the information to be acquired to the information center 4 and the like. Send a request signal to download together.

Subsequently, the process proceeds to step S150, and the navigation unit 8 downloads (receives) information such as content data transmitted from the information center 4 collectively. It should be noted that the control shown in FIG. 6 is repeatedly executed every set time or every time the vehicle moves a set distance.

Next, control for updating out-of-service information in the information center 4 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7 shows the contents of control of the center terminal 16 (control unit 23) of the information center 4.

First, in step S210 of FIG. 7, the center terminal 16 acquires (receives) information on the current position of the vehicle and information on the radio wave state (radio wave intensity) from the in-vehicle communication device 2. Subsequently, the process proceeds to step S220, and the center terminal 16 calculates an average value of information on the radio wave intensity acquired (uploaded) in the same area 24a within a set time (for example, 10 minutes) (that is, a plurality of values) The average value of the radio field intensity acquired for each area 24a is calculated).

Then, the process proceeds to step S230, and it is determined whether or not the calculated average value of the radio field intensity is “1” or less. Here, when the average value is “1” or less (“YES” in step S230), the process proceeds to step S240, and the calculation target area 24a is set as an out-of-service area (communication environment level is bad). On the other hand, if the average value is not equal to or less than “1” in step S230 (“NO”), the process proceeds to step S250, and the calculation target area 24a is set as an in-area (communication environment level is good).

Subsequently, the process proceeds to step S260, and the center terminal 16 updates out-of-service information in the external storage unit 17 based on the setting information in steps S240 and S250. In addition, in the control shown in FIG. 7, while being able to always receive each said information from the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus 2 of many vehicles, it is controlled so that the received information can be accumulate | stored. Further, the average value of the radio field intensity is calculated for each of the plurality of areas 24a every set time (for example, 10 minutes), and the out-of-service information update process is executed. These controls are configured to be repeatedly executed.

According to the present embodiment having such a configuration, the information center 4 receives information on the current position of the vehicle and information on the radio wave state of the communication network 3 from the in-vehicle communication devices 2 of a large number of vehicles. The out-of-service information indicating the 3 out-of-service area can be updated to the latest state. In the present embodiment, the in-vehicle communication device 2 of each vehicle receives and stores the latest out-of-service information from the information center 4, and the vehicle approaches the out-of-service area of the communication network 3 based on this out-of-service information. It can be determined whether or not. Further, in the in-vehicle communication device 2, when there is information to be acquired before the vehicle enters the out-of-service area, the information (content data or the like) to be acquired in advance is downloaded before entering the out-of-service area. be able to.

In this case, examples of information to be acquired in advance before entering the out-of-service area include content data such as politics, economy, and sports, and traffic information data when the content data is news. For example, by downloading a plurality of contents (politics, economy, sports, etc.) from the information center 4 in advance before the vehicle enters the out-of-service area, even if the vehicle enters the out-of-service area, the user can receive news, etc. You can continue to use the service you browse. In addition, the traffic information is normally downloaded from the information center 4 at a preset time interval. However, according to the present embodiment, just before the vehicle enters the out-of-service area even if the set time has not elapsed. Traffic information can be downloaded. Thereby, when the vehicle enters the out-of-service area, the vehicle can be run while referring to the traffic information (latest traffic information) immediately before entering the out-of-service area.

In the first embodiment, the determination as to whether or not the vehicle has approached the out-of-service area is made based on the distance between the current position of the vehicle and the out-of-service area. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the approach to the out-of-service area may be determined in consideration of information such as the speed of the vehicle and the traveling direction of the vehicle.

(Second Embodiment)
8 and 9 show a second embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same structure as 1st Embodiment. In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the information center 4 side is configured to determine whether or not the vehicle has approached the out-of-service area. Specifically, the vehicle that is approaching the out-of-service area is specified at the center terminal 16 of the information center 4. In this case, the center terminal 16 determines the distance between the current position of each vehicle and the nearest out-of-service area (area where the communication environment level is bad) based on the current position and out-of-service information of many vehicles to be communicated (managed). A vehicle approaching the out-of-service area by determining whether or not the vehicle has approached the out-of-service area based on the calculated distance (that is, whether or not the calculated distance is equal to or less than the set distance). Is identified. When the vehicle approaching the out-of-service area is specified, the center terminal 16 receives information (content data, etc.) that the vehicle should acquire before entering the out-of-service area with respect to the in-vehicle communication device 2 of the specified vehicle. It is configured to transmit information of a notification that guides the user to request download in advance (that is, a prior download notification).

Next, control when the in-vehicle communication device 2 of the vehicle receives the information of the preceding download notification from the information center 4 will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the flowchart of FIG. 9 has shown the content of control of the navigation part 8 (control part 12) of the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus 2. FIG. The navigation unit 8 (control unit 12) has a function as an information receiving unit.

First, in step S115 of FIG. 9, the navigation unit 8 determines whether or not the information of the prior download notification from the information center 4 has been received. Here, when the information of the prior download notification is not received (“NO” in step S115), the control is terminated.

When the advance download notification information is received in step S115 ("YES"), the process proceeds to step S130, and the navigation unit 8 has information (content data or the like) that should be acquired before the vehicle enters the out-of-service area. Judge whether there is. And control after this step S130 is performed like the 1st embodiment.

The configuration of the second embodiment other than that described above is the same as the configuration of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the second embodiment, substantially the same operational effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained. In particular, in the second embodiment, since the information center 4 side determines whether or not the vehicle has approached the out-of-service area, the in-vehicle communication device 2 does not need to have out-of-service information. The process which transmits to the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus 2 can be omitted.

In the second embodiment, the information center 4 is configured to determine whether or not the vehicle has approached the out-of-service area based on the distance between the current position of the vehicle and the out-of-service area. The present invention is not limited, and the approach to the out-of-service area may be determined in consideration of information such as the vehicle speed and the traveling direction of the vehicle.

(Third embodiment)
10 and 11 show a third embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same structure as 1st Embodiment. In the third embodiment, as a countermeasure when the vehicle enters an out-of-service area and cannot communicate with the information center 4 and information on the current position of the vehicle and information on the radio wave state cannot be transmitted to the information center 4, the information center 4 The information on the current position of the vehicle and the information on the radio wave state that could not be transmitted when the communication with the information center is resumed can be collectively transmitted to the information center 4.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, in the in-vehicle communication device 2 for a vehicle, the position detection unit 7 has a clock function, and when transmitting information on the current position of the vehicle to the navigation unit 8, Information on the time when the current position of the vehicle is detected is also transmitted to the navigation unit 8 together. The navigation unit 8 is configured to store the time information together when the current position data and the radio wave intensity data are stored in the storage unit 10 and stored in pairs. Further, when the current position data and the radio wave intensity data are transmitted from the navigation unit 8 to the information center 4, the time information is also transmitted together.

In particular, in the third embodiment, even when a vehicle enters an out-of-service area and cannot communicate with the information center 4, information on the current position of the vehicle, time information, and information on the radio wave state cannot be transmitted to the information center 4. The current position information, time information, and radio wave state information are stored and stored in the storage unit 10. Then, when the vehicle enters the area again, communication between the in-vehicle communication device 2 and the information center 4 is resumed. When the communication is resumed, the navigation unit 8 is configured to collectively transmit to the information center 4 information on the current position of the vehicle that could not be transmitted to the information center 4, time information, and information on the radio wave state. In this case, for example, when the vehicle enters the out-of-service area and cannot communicate with the information center 4, the time (communication cutoff time) is stored, and the navigation unit 8 performs the above operation when the communication with the information center 4 is resumed. It is preferable that the current position information, the time information, and the radio wave state information after the communication cutoff time are read from the storage unit 10 and transmitted to the information center 4.

An example of the above communication control will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 11, when the vehicle is traveling in the left area, information on the current position of the vehicle, time information and radio wave state information is stored and accumulated at points P1, P2 and P3, and these information are stored in the information center. 4 to send. Thereafter, when the vehicle enters the central out-of-service area, communication with the information center 4 becomes impossible, so information on the current position of the vehicle, time information, and information on the radio wave state is stored at the points P4, P5, P6, and P7. Although stored, these pieces of information cannot be transmitted to the information center 4. Subsequently, when the vehicle enters the area in the right area, communication with the information center 4 is resumed. Therefore, at the first point P8 after the communication is resumed, information on the current position of the vehicle, time information, and information on the radio wave state are obtained. In addition to storing and storing, in addition to information on the current position of the vehicle at the point P8, time information, and information on the radio wave status, information on the current position of the vehicle at the points P4, P5, P6, and P7 that could not be transmitted until then, time information The radio wave state information is collectively transmitted to the information center 4. In addition, after the point P9, in the same manner as the points P1, P2, and P3 in the area (normal), information on the current position of the vehicle, time information, and information on the radio wave state are stored and stored, and these information are stored in the information center. 4 is configured to transmit to 4.

The configuration of the third embodiment other than that described above is the same as the configuration of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the third embodiment, substantially the same operational effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained. In particular, according to the third embodiment, the information center 4 acquires (receives) information on the current position of the vehicle, time information, and information on the radio wave state accumulated when the vehicle is traveling outside the service area. Therefore, out-of-service information can be updated with higher accuracy based on the acquired information.

In the third embodiment, the above-described communication control is executed in the first embodiment (the configuration in which the vehicle approach determination control to the out-of-service area is performed by the in-vehicle communication device 2). You may comprise so that the communication control mentioned above may be performed in 2nd Embodiment (structure which performs the approach determination control of the vehicle to an out-of-service area in the information center 4).

(Fourth embodiment)
12 and 13 show a fourth embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same structure as 1st Embodiment. In the first embodiment, the navigation unit 8 determines whether there is information to be acquired (see step S130 in FIG. 6). Instead, in the fourth embodiment, the information is acquired in advance. It was configured to inquire the user about information to be used.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, steps S110 and S120 are executed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In step S120, when the vehicle approaches the out-of-service area (“YES”), the process proceeds to step S135, and the navigation unit 8 inquires of the user about information to be acquired. In this case, for example, a message as shown in FIG. 13 is displayed on the display unit 9 of the navigation unit 8. The navigation part 8 (control part 12) has a function as an information inquiry part. If the user responds to the above inquiry, the process proceeds to step S140, and a download request for information responded by the user (information selected by the user) is transmitted to the information center 4. And step S150 is performed similarly to 1st Embodiment.

In step S135, when the user makes a response not to download, the processing is terminated without executing steps S140 and S150.

The configuration of the fourth embodiment other than that described above is the same as the configuration of the first embodiment. Therefore, also in the fourth embodiment, substantially the same operational effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained. In particular, in the fourth embodiment, information desired by the user (content data or the like) can be downloaded in advance, which improves usability for the user.

In the fourth embodiment, the above-described user inquiry control is applied to the first embodiment. However, the above-described user inquiry control is applied to the second embodiment or the third embodiment. It is also a preferable configuration to apply.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 14 shows a fifth embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same structure as 1st Embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, it is configured to display on the map screen of the display unit 9 that the vehicle is approaching the out-of-service area.

Specifically, when it is determined that the vehicle has approached the out-of-service area (see “YES” in step S120 in FIG. 6), as shown in FIG. 14, the map screen of the display unit 9 (for example, the current position of the vehicle) In the map screen that displays), the out-of-service area is displayed in a shaded area so as to overlap the map. As a result, the user can easily understand that the vehicle is approaching the out-of-service area, that is, it will soon be impossible to communicate with the information center 4, so that the user mainly collects necessary information (content data, etc.). Can be downloaded in advance. In the third embodiment or the fourth embodiment, the above-described control for displaying the out-of-service area on the map screen may be applied.

(Sixth embodiment)
15 and 16 show a sixth embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same structure as 1st Embodiment. In the sixth embodiment, when the information center 4 receives a request for downloading information (content) from the in-vehicle communication device 2, the information center 4 is configured to transmit information on the download time (download time) to the in-vehicle communication device 2. . The in-vehicle communication device 2 is configured to inquire the user of the countermeasure when it is determined that the user enters the out-of-service area during the download execution based on the received download time.

Specifically, in the flowchart of FIG. 15, the processing from step S110 to step S140 is executed in the same manner as in the first embodiment (see FIG. 6). In step S140, when a request for downloading information (content) is transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 2 (navigation unit 8) to the information center 4, the information center 4 receives the download request, A time required for downloading (download time) is acquired from, for example, the external storage unit 17, and information on the acquired time is transmitted to the in-vehicle communication device 2. Note that the center terminal 16 of the information center 4 may be configured to calculate the download time from the amount of information to be downloaded and the communication speed of the communication network 3.

Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S170 of FIG. 15, and the navigation unit 8 (control unit 12) of the in-vehicle communication device 2 receives the download time from the information center 4. The navigation unit 8 (control unit 12) has a function as an information receiving unit. Then, it progresses to step S172 and the navigation part 8 calculates whether a vehicle will enter an out-of-service area within the said download time based on the information of a vehicle speed, and out-of-service information. In addition, it is preferable that the navigation part 8 is comprised so that the information of a vehicle speed may be acquired from the vehicle speed sensor mounted in the vehicle. The navigation unit 8 (control unit 12) has a function as a download out-of-service area determination unit. If it is determined from the calculation result that the vehicle enters the out-of-service area within the download time (“YES” in step S174), the process proceeds to step S176 to notify the user of a message as to whether or not to continue the download. . In this case, for example, the navigation unit 8 displays various messages as shown in FIG. 16 on the display unit 9 to allow the user to select a desired action. The navigation part 8 (control part 12) has a function as a coping inquiry part.

Here, when the user selects “change to a route having a good communication environment (route passing through the area within the range)” (“YES” in step S178), the process proceeds to step S180, where the route is changed to the route passing through the area. , Change the route guidance to pass through the area. Then, the process proceeds to step S182 to start downloading information. In this case, since the driver is guided to travel along the route passing through the area by the changed route guidance, the communication is not interrupted and the download of information can be completed.

If the user selects “continue download” or “stop and download” (“NO” in step S178, “YES” in step S184), the process proceeds to step S182 to start downloading information. .

If the user selects “cancel download” (“NO” in step S178, “NO” in step S184), the process proceeds to step S186 to cancel the download.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S174 that the vehicle does not enter the out-of-service area within the download time ("NO"), the process proceeds to step S182 and information download is started.

The configuration of the sixth embodiment other than that described above is the same as the configuration of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the sixth embodiment, substantially the same operational effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained. In particular, in the sixth embodiment, when it is determined that the vehicle enters the out-of-service area within the information download time, the user continues to download, cancels, changes to a route with a good communication environment, or stops. In this case, when downloading information having a large amount of data, download failure can be avoided.

Although the present disclosure has been described based on the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and structures. The present disclosure includes various modifications and modifications within the equivalent range. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms including only one element, more or less, are within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims (10)

1. An in-vehicle communication device (2) that communicates with an information center (4) via a communication network (3),
   A position detector (7) for detecting the current position of the vehicle;
   A radio wave state detector (5) for detecting a radio wave state of the communication network (3);
   Information transmitting units (133, 134) for transmitting information on the current position of the vehicle and information on the radio wave state of the communication network (3) to the information center (4);
   An out-of-service information receiving unit (135) that receives information transmitted from the information center (4) and indicating out-of-service information indicating the out-of-service area of the communication network (3);
   An approach determination unit (15) for determining whether the vehicle has approached an out-of-service area of the communication network (3) based on the information on the current position of the vehicle and the out-of-service information;
   An in-vehicle communication device.
2. When there is information to be acquired before the vehicle enters the out-of-service area when the vehicle approaches the out-of-service area, a request transmission unit that transmits a request to download the information to the information center (4) ( 12. The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 1, comprising 12).
3. The position detector (7) is configured to output time information when the current position of the vehicle is detected,
   A storage unit (10) for storing information on the current position of the vehicle, the time information, and information on a radio wave state of the communication network (3);
   The information transmission unit (133, 134) transmits to the information center (4) when communication with the information center (4) is resumed after communication with the information center (4) is disabled. The in-vehicle communication according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle position information, the time information, and the radio wave state information of the communication network (3) that could not be transmitted are collectively transmitted to the information center (4). apparatus.
4. The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit (9) for displaying a map and an out-of-service area of the communication network (3).
5. The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 1, further comprising an information inquiry unit (12) for inquiring a user of information to be acquired before the vehicle enters the out-of-service area when the vehicle is approaching the out-of-service area.
6. An information receiving unit (12) for receiving a download time required for downloading information from the information center (4);
   A download time out-of-range determination unit (12) for determining whether or not the vehicle enters an out-of-service area during download of information based on the vehicle speed and the download time;
   The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 1, comprising:
7. The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 6, further comprising a coping inquiry section (12) for inquiring the user of a coping process when it is determined that the vehicle enters an out-of-service area during downloading of information.
8. An in-vehicle communication device (2) that communicates with an information center (4) via a communication network (3),
   A position detector (7) for detecting the current position of the vehicle;
   A radio wave state detector (5) for detecting a radio wave state of the communication network (3);
   Information transmitting units (133, 134) for transmitting information on the current position of the vehicle and information on the radio wave state of the communication network (3) to the information center (4);
   Information transmitted from the information center (4) and notification information for guiding the vehicle to request the download of information to be acquired before entering the out-of-service area of the communication network (3) is received. An information receiving unit (12) to perform,
   An in-vehicle communication device.
9. When there is information to be acquired before the vehicle enters the out-of-service area when the notification information is received from the information center (4), a request to download the information is sent to the information center (4). The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 8, further comprising a request transmission unit (12) for transmission.
10. A vehicle communication system comprising an information center (4) and an in-vehicle communication device (2) that communicates with the information center (4) via a communication network (3),
    The in-vehicle communication device (2) includes a position detection unit (7) that detects a current position of the vehicle;
    A radio wave state detector (5) for detecting a radio wave state of the communication network (3);
    Information transmitting units (133, 134) for transmitting information on the current position of the vehicle and information on the radio wave state of the communication network (3) to the information center (4);
    An out-of-service information receiving unit (135) that receives information transmitted from the information center (4) and indicating out-of-service information indicating the out-of-service area of the communication network (3);
    With
    The information center (4) includes a receiving unit (18) for receiving information on a current position of the vehicle and information on a radio wave state of the communication network (3) from the in-vehicle communication device (2).
    An update unit (24) for updating the out-of-service information based on information on a current position of the vehicle and information on a radio wave state of the communication network (3);
    A transmission unit (19) for transmitting the out-of-service information to the in-vehicle communication device (2);
    A vehicle communication system.
    

Images