In-vehicle device and vehicle

This application is a U.S. National Stage entry of PCT Application No: PCT/JP2017/003239 filed Jan. 30, 2017, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-058929, filed Mar. 23, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to an in-vehicle device and a vehicle.

Conventionally, there is known a technique using a plurality of azimuth measuring means and a plurality of speed measuring means, in which an error of each measuring means is corrected to improve navigation accuracy (for example, PTL 1).

Patent Literature

PTL 1: JP 7-301541 A

Technical Problem

The prior art does not assume that an abnormality occurs in a positioning device.

Solution to Problem

According to a first aspect of the present invention, an in-vehicle device includes: an acquiring unit that acquires comparison information; and a detecting unit that detects an abnormality in a positioning device based on position information on a host vehicle output from the positioning device mounted in the host vehicle and the comparison information different from the position information.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the present invention, an abnormality occurring in a positioning device can be detected.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle control network system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram exemplifying a hardware configuration of a vehicle and an in-vehicle device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram exemplifying a hardware configuration of a roadside unit.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram exemplifying a functional configuration of an in-vehicle device.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying the configuration of a vehicle information packet.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying the configuration of a global positioning system (GPS) information packet.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying the configuration of a vehicle electronic control unit (ECU) information packet.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying the configuration of a GPS information database (DB).

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying the configuration of a vehicle ECU information DB.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying the configuration of a roadside unit information packet.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying the configuration of a reception information DB.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of an abnormality detection process executed by an abnormality processing unit.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of an abnormality detection process with different processing procedures executed by the abnormality processing unit.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle control network system 1 having an in-vehicle device according to a first embodiment. The vehicle control network system 1 includes a plurality of vehicles 2 , a plurality of roadside units 3 , a network 4 , and a center server 5 .

Each of the plurality of vehicles 2 mounts an in-vehicle device 20 . The roadside unit 3 is installed on a road side of a road on which the vehicle 2 travels. The roadside unit 3 is installed fixedly at a predetermined point. The plurality of roadside units 3 and the center server 5 are mutually connected by the network 4 . The center server 5 performs data communication with the plurality of roadside units 3 .

In the following description, one of the plurality of vehicles 2 is referred to as host vehicle 2 a and vehicles 2 other than the host vehicle 2 a are referred to as other vehicles 2 b . The operation of the in-vehicle device 20 will be described by focusing on the host vehicle 2 a.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram exemplifying a hardware configuration of the vehicle 2 and the in-vehicle device 20 . The vehicle 2 is provided with an antenna unit 107 , a display device 108 , an angular velocity sensor 109 , a GPS sensor 110 , a navigation system 111 , and a plurality of vehicle ECUs 112 .

The in-vehicle device 20 is connected with the antenna unit 107 , the display device 108 , the angular velocity sensor 109 , the GPS sensor 110 , the navigation system 111 , and the plurality of vehicle ECUs 112 .

The antenna unit 107 is connected to the in-vehicle device 20 . The in-vehicle device 20 performs data communication with the roadside unit 3 and the in-vehicle device 20 mounted on the other vehicle 2 by wireless communication via the antenna unit 107 .

The display device 108 is, for example, a liquid crystal monitor and displays various types of information to a driver. The angular velocity sensor 109 measures the angular velocity of the vehicle 2 . The GPS sensor 110 is a positioning device that receives a signal from a satellite and measures the position of the vehicle 2 . The navigation system 111 holds map information and provides a route guidance function to the driver. The plurality of vehicle ECUs 112 separately controls the accelerator, the brake, and the like of the vehicle 2 .

The in-vehicle device 20 is provided with a storage device 101 , a central processing unit (CPU) 102 , a memory unit 103 , and a wireless transmitting/receiving unit 106 . The storage device 101 is an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a flash memory. The CPU 102 reads and executes a predetermined control program stored in, for example, the storage device 101 to control the in-vehicle device 20 .

The memory unit 103 is a main storage device used by the CPU 102 when executing the control program. The wireless transmitting/receiving unit 106 performs data communication with the roadside unit 3 and the in-vehicle device 20 mounted on the other vehicle 2 by transmitting and receiving a wireless signal via the antenna unit 107 .

The CPU 102 is functionally provided with an outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 , an inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 , and an abnormality processing unit 1300 . That is, the outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 , the inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 , and the abnormality processing unit 1300 are implemented as software by the control program executed by the CPU 102 . The outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 , the inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 , and the abnormality processing unit 1300 will be described later in detail.

Note that the outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 , the inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 , and the abnormality processing unit 1300 also can be constituted by, for example, equivalent electronic circuits.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram exemplifying a hardware configuration of the roadside unit 3 . The roadside unit 3 is provided with a roadside unit control unit 205 , a wireless transmitting/receiving unit 206 , and an antenna unit 207 .

The wireless transmitting/receiving unit 206 performs data communication with the in-vehicle device 20 mounted on the vehicle 2 by transmitting and receiving a wireless signal via the antenna unit 207 . The roadside unit control unit 205 controls the roadside unit 3 . The roadside unit control unit 205 is connected to the network 4 . The roadside unit control unit 205 performs data communication with the center server 5 via the network 4 . The roadside unit control unit 205 transmits information transmitted from the center server 5 to the vehicle 2 and transmits information received from the vehicle 2 to the center server 5 . In addition, the roadside unit control unit 205 transmits information other than the information transmitted from the center server 5 (for example, information saved in a storage medium (not illustrated) included in the roadside unit 3 ) to the vehicle 2 .

FIG. 4 is a block diagram exemplifying a functional configuration of the in-vehicle device 20 . The storage device 101 has a GPS information DB 1304 , a reception information DB 1305 , and a vehicle ECU information DB 1306 . The configuration of each of these databases will be described in detail later.

The outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 transmits and receives information to and from the outside of the host vehicle 2 a . For example, the outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 transmits a vehicle information packet A 600 described later to the other vehicle 2 b and the roadside unit 3 . The outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 receives the vehicle information packet A 600 described later from the other vehicle 2 b . The outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 receives a roadside unit information packet A 1100 described later from the roadside unit 3 . The outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 saves the vehicle information packet A 600 and the roadside unit information packet A 1100 received from the outside in the reception information DB 1305 .

The inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 receives information output from the angular velocity sensor 109 , the GPS sensor 110 , the navigation system 111 , and the vehicle ECUs 112 . For example, the GPS sensor 110 outputs a GPS information packet A 700 described later to the inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 . In addition, the vehicle ECU 112 outputs an ECU information packet A 800 described later to the inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 . Here, the ECU stands for an electronic control unit and has a function of processing information.

The navigation system 111 has map information 1400 . The navigation system 111 outputs the map information 1400 to the inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 . The inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 saves the received GPS information packet A 700 in the GPS information DB 1304 . The inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 saves the received ECU information packet A 800 in the vehicle ECU information DB 1306 .

The abnormality processing unit 1300 has a comparison information acquiring unit 1301 , an abnormality detecting unit 1302 , and an abnormality notifying unit 1303 . The comparison information acquiring unit 1301 acquires comparison information described later from the vehicle ECU information DB 1306 and the reception information DB 1305 .

The abnormality detecting unit 1302 detects an abnormality in the GPS sensor 110 based on position information on the host vehicle 2 a saved in the GPS information DB 1304 and the comparison information acquired by the comparison information acquiring unit 1301 . When an abnormality in the GPS sensor 110 is detected by the abnormality detecting unit 1302 , the abnormality notifying unit 1303 notifies the driver and the outside of the host vehicle 2 a that an abnormality has been detected.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying the configuration of the vehicle information packet A 600 . The vehicle information packet A 600 includes a vehicle ID A 601 , latitude 1 information A 602 , latitude 2 information A 603 , longitude 1 information A 604 , longitude 2 information A 605 , positioning time A 606 , a vehicle advancing direction A 607 , and a vehicle traveling speed A 608 .

The vehicle ID A 601 is a number assigned to each vehicle 2 so as not to be redundant. The latitude 1 information A 602 is a latitude value representing the current position of the vehicle 2 . The latitude 2 information A 603 is information representing whether the value of the latitude 1 information A 602 indicates north latitude (N) or south latitude (S).

The longitude 1 information A 604 is a longitude value representing the current position of the vehicle 2 . The longitude 2 information A 605 is information representing whether the value of the longitude 1 information A 604 indicates east longitude (E) or west longitude (W). The positioning time A 606 is information representing the time (time of day) at which the values of the latitude 1 information A 602 , the latitude 2 information A 603 , the longitude 1 information A 604 , and the longitude 2 information A 605 were acquired through positioning.

The vehicle advancing direction A 607 is information representing an advancing direction of the vehicle 2 at the positioning time A 606 . The vehicle advancing direction A 607 is expressed by an angle of 0 to 360 degrees, for example, where a predetermined direction (for example, a magnetic north direction) is designated as 0 degrees. The vehicle traveling speed A 608 is information representing a traveling speed of the vehicle 2 at the positioning time A 606 . The vehicle traveling speed A 608 is expressed, for example, as a numerical value in kilometers per hour.

The outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 acquires a positioning result and vehicle information (speed, advancing direction, and the like) at a specific time from the vehicle ECU information DB 1306 and the GPS information DB 1304 to create the vehicle information packet A 600 . The outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 transmits the created vehicle information packet A 600 to the other vehicle 2 b and the roadside unit 3 located in the vicinity of the host vehicle 2 a (for example, within a range of several tens of meters in radius around the host vehicle 2 a ).

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying the configuration of the GPS information packet A 700 . The GPS information packet A 700 includes latitude 1 information A 701 , latitude 2 information A 702 , longitude 1 information A 703 , longitude 2 information A 704 , and positioning time A 705 .

The latitude 1 information A 701 is a latitude value representing the current position of the vehicle 2 . The latitude 2 information A 702 is information representing whether the value of the latitude 1 information A 701 indicates north latitude (N) or south latitude (S). The longitude 1 information A 703 is a longitude value representing the current position of the vehicle 2 . The longitude 2 information A 704 is information representing whether the value of the longitude 1 information A 703 indicates east longitude (E) or west longitude (W).

The positioning time A 705 is information representing the time (time of day) at which the values of the latitude 1 information A 701 , the latitude 2 information A 702 , the longitude 1 information A 703 , and the longitude 2 information A 704 were acquired through positioning.

The GPS sensor 110 receives a signal from a satellite and measures the position of the vehicle 2 . The GPS sensor 110 transmits a positioning result to the inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 in the form of the GPS information packet A 700 . The inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 saves each piece of information included in the received GPS information packet A 700 in the GPS information DB 1304 described later.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying the configuration of the vehicle ECU information packet A 800 . The vehicle ECU information packet A 800 includes a vehicle advancing direction A 801 , a vehicle traveling speed A 802 , and measuring time A 803 .

The vehicle advancing direction A 801 is information representing an advancing direction of the vehicle 2 at the measuring time A 803 . The vehicle advancing direction A 801 is expressed by an angle of 0 to 360 degrees, for example, where a predetermined direction (for example, a magnetic north direction) is designated as 0 degrees. The vehicle traveling speed A 802 is information representing a traveling speed of the vehicle 2 at the measuring time A 803 . The vehicle traveling speed A 802 is expressed, for example, as a numerical value in kilometers per hour. The measuring time A 803 is information representing the time (time of day) at which the values of the vehicle advancing direction A 801 and the vehicle traveling speed A 802 were acquired by the vehicle ECUs 112 .

The vehicle ECUs 112 create the vehicle ECU information packet A 800 based on control information on the vehicle 2 . The vehicle ECUs 112 transmit the created vehicle ECU information packet A 800 to the inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 . The inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 saves each piece of information included in the received vehicle ECU information packet A 800 in the vehicle ECU information DB 1306 described later.

For example, the vehicle ECU 112 has a triaxial acceleration sensor. The vehicle ECU 112 estimates the vehicle advancing direction A 801 based on the integration between the current acceleration of the vehicle 2 detected by the triaxial acceleration sensor and the past acceleration history of the vehicle 2 detected in the past by the triaxial acceleration sensor. Alternatively, the current vehicle advancing direction A 801 may be estimated using a moving average of the acceleration history, or the like. As another example, the vehicle ECU 112 has a GPS sensor different from the GPS sensor 110 . The vehicle ECU 112 specifies the vehicle advancing direction A 801 based on a difference between the current position of the vehicle 2 detected by this GPS sensor and a past position of the vehicle 2 detected in the past by this GPS sensor.

Note that the information included in the vehicle ECU information packet A 800 may not be the information itself exemplified in FIG. 7 but may be information that can generate the information exemplified in FIG. 7 . For example, information such as an accelerator opening degree, a brake pressure, and a steering angle may be employed. In this case, the inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 makes various calculations on the information included in the vehicle ECU information packet A 800 , thereby generating the vehicle advancing direction A 801 and the vehicle traveling speed A 802 exemplified in FIG. 7 .

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying the configuration of the GPS information DB 1304 . The GPS information DB 1304 stores a plurality of pieces of GPS information A 9001 to A 900 n . Each piece of the GPS information A 9001 to A 900 n includes latitude 1 information A 901 , latitude 2 information A 902 , longitude 1 information A 903 , longitude 2 information A 904 , and positioning time A 905 .

The contents of the latitude 1 information A 901 , the latitude 2 information A 902 , the longitude 1 information A 903 , the longitude 2 information A 904 , and the positioning time A 905 are the same as those of the latitude 1 information A 701 , the latitude 2 information A 702 , the longitude 1 information A 703 , the longitude 2 information A 704 , and the positioning time A 705 described with reference to FIG. 6 , respectively, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

Every time the inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 receives the GPS information packet A 700 , the inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 writes each piece of information included in the received GPS information packet A 700 additionally to the GPS information DB 1304 . That is, each piece of information included in the GPS information packet A 700 is saved in the GPS information DB 1304 in chronological order.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying the configuration of the vehicle ECU information DB 1306 . The vehicle ECU information DB 1306 stores a plurality of pieces of ECU information A 10001 to A 1000 n . Each piece of the ECU information A 10001 to A 1000 n includes a vehicle advancing direction A 1001 , a vehicle traveling speed A 1002 , and measuring time A 1003 .

The contents of the vehicle advancing direction A 1001 , the vehicle traveling speed A 1002 , and the measuring time A 1003 are the same as those of the vehicle advancing direction A 801 , the vehicle traveling speed A 802 , and the measuring time A 803 described with reference to FIG. 7 , respectively, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

Every time the inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 receives the vehicle ECU information packet A 800 , the inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 writes each piece of information included in the received vehicle ECU information packet A 800 additionally to the vehicle ECU information DB 1306 . That is, each piece of information included in the vehicle ECU information packet A 800 is saved in the vehicle ECU information DB 1306 in chronological order.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying the configuration of the roadside unit information packet A 1100 . The roadside unit information packet A 1100 includes a roadside unit ID A 1101 , latitude 1 information A 1102 , latitude 2 information A 1103 , longitude 1 information A 1104 , longitude 2 information A 1105 , transmitting time A 1106 , and application information A 1107 .

The roadside unit ID A 1101 is a number assigned to each roadside unit 3 so as not to be redundant. The latitude 1 information A 1102 is a latitude value representing a position where the roadside unit 3 is installed. The latitude 2 information A 1103 is information representing whether the value of the latitude 1 information A 1102 indicates north latitude (N) or south latitude (S).

The longitude 1 information A 1104 is a longitude value representing a position where the roadside unit 3 is installed. The longitude 2 information A 1105 is information representing whether the value of the longitude 1 information A 1104 indicates east longitude (E) or west longitude (W). The transmitting time A 1106 is information representing the time (time of day) at which this roadside unit information packet A 1100 was transmitted.

The application information A 1107 is other information provided to the vehicle 2 by this roadside unit information packet A 1100 . The application information A 1107 is, for example, information for notifying the driver that a traffic accident has happened nearby.

The roadside unit 3 creates the roadside unit information packet A 1100 when the vehicle 2 is located in the vicinity of the roadside unit 3 (for example, within a range of several tens of meters in radius around the roadside unit 3 ). For example, the roadside unit 3 compares the position information on the vehicle 2 included in the vehicle information packet A 600 , which has been received from the vehicle 2 , with the position where the roadside unit 3 is installed and, when the vehicle 2 is located in the vicinity of the roadside unit 3 , creates the roadside unit information packet A 1100 .

The roadside unit 3 creates the roadside unit information packet A 1100 including information received from the center server 5 as the application information A 1107 . The roadside unit 3 transmits the created roadside unit information packet A 1100 to the vehicle 2 located in the vicinity. The inside-vehicle information processing unit 1200 saves each piece of information included in the received roadside unit information packet A 1100 in the reception information DB 1305 described later.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying the configuration of the reception information DB 1305 . The reception information DB 1305 stores a plurality of pieces of reception information A 12001 to A 1200 n . Each piece of the reception information A 12001 to A 1200 n includes an ID A 1201 , latitude 1 information A 1202 , latitude 2 information A 1203 , longitude 1 information A 1204 , longitude 2 information A 1205 , and receiving time A 1206 .

The ID A 1201 , the latitude 1 information A 1202 , the latitude 2 information A 1203 , the longitude 1 information A 1204 , and the longitude 2 information A 1205 are the same as the vehicle ID A 601 , the latitude 1 information A 602 , the latitude 2 information A 603 , the longitude 1 information A 604 , and the longitude 2 information A 605 described with reference to FIG. 5 , or the roadside unit ID A 1101 , the latitude 1 information A 1102 , the latitude 2 information A 1103 , the longitude 1 information A 1104 , and the longitude 2 information A 1105 described with reference to FIG. 10 , respectively, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

Every time the outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 receives the vehicle information packet A 600 or the roadside unit information packet A 1100 , the outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 writes each piece of information included in the received packet additionally to the reception information DB 1305 . That is, each piece of information included in the vehicle information packet A 600 or the roadside unit information packet A 1100 is saved in the reception information DB 1305 in chronological order. The receiving time A 1206 is information representing the time (time of day) at which the vehicle information packet A 600 or the roadside unit information packet A 1100 was received.

Note that information representing the time (time of day) at which the vehicle information packet A 600 or the roadside unit information packet A 1100 was transmitted may be saved in the reception information DB 1305 instead of the receiving time A 1206 . When such a configuration is employed, the transmitting time A 1106 included in the roadside unit information packet A 1100 may be used as it is in the case of the roadside unit information packet A 1100 . In addition, in the case of the vehicle information packet A 600 , it is necessary to add, to the vehicle information packet A 600 , information indicating the time of day when the vehicle information packet A 600 was transmitted.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of an abnormality detection process executed by the abnormality processing unit 1300 . In step S 10 , the comparison information acquiring unit 1301 acquires first comparison information from the reception information DB 1305 . The first comparison information acquired here is the latest (most up-to-date) reception information A 1200 n in the reception information DB 1305 . That is, the first comparison information is information indicating the position of the other vehicle 2 b or the roadside unit 3 that was located close to the host vehicle 2 a most recently.

In step S 20 , the abnormality detecting unit 1302 compares the first comparison information with the position information. The position information compared with the first comparison information here is the latest (most up-to-date) GPS information A 900 n in the GPS information DB 1304 .

In step S 30 , the abnormality detecting unit 1302 determines whether or not the difference between the first comparison information and the position information (that is, a distance between the two positions) compared in step S 20 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. In different words, the abnormality detecting unit 1302 determines whether the position indicated by the first comparison information and the position indicated by the position information are separated by a certain distance or more in consideration of an error due to the GPS accuracy and the like.

As described earlier, the first comparison information is information indicating the position of the other vehicle 2 b or the roadside unit 3 that was located close to the host vehicle 2 a most recently. In different words, the first comparison information is information indicating the position of the other vehicle 2 b or the roadside unit 3 indicated by the vehicle information packet A 600 of the other vehicle 2 b or the roadside unit information packet A 1100 received most recently by the host vehicle 2 a . Therefore, as long as an abnormality does not occur, the difference between the first comparison information and the position information compared in step S 20 (that is, the distance between the two positions) does not greatly exceed a distance obtained by adding together a communicable distance between the host vehicle 2 a and the other vehicle 2 b or the roadside unit 3 and an error due to the GPS accuracy and the like. The threshold value used in step S 30 is defined in consideration of this communicable distance, the GPS accuracy, and the like. For example, if the GPS sensor 110 independently performs positioning, the threshold value is set to about 300 meters by adding an error of 50 meters to a communicable distance of 250 meters. Meanwhile, if the GPS sensor 110 performs positioning by making correction with differential global positioning system (D-GPS) or the like, the threshold value is set to about 260 meters by adding an error of 10 meters to a communicable distance of 250 meters. If the GPS sensor 110 performs highly accurate positioning using a quasi-zenith satellite, the threshold value is set to about 250.3 meters by adding an error of 30 centimeters to a communicable distance of 250 meters. When the communicable distance falls below the above-mentioned threshold value, a threshold value to the extent slightly exceeding the communicable distance is set instead of the above-mentioned threshold value. Note that the threshold value may be changed dynamically according to the number and type of satellites used by the GPS sensor 110 for positioning.

In step S 30 , when the difference between the first comparison information and the position information is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value, the abnormality detecting unit 1302 advances the process to step S 70 . In step S 70 , the outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 transmits the vehicle information packet A 600 indicating the position of the host vehicle 2 a to the surrounding other vehicle 2 b and roadside unit 3 .

On the other hand, when the difference between the first comparison information and the position information exceeds the predetermined threshold value in step S 30 , the abnormality detecting unit 1302 advances the process to step S 40 . In step S 40 , the comparison information acquiring unit 1301 acquires second comparison information from the vehicle ECU information DB 1306 . The second comparison information acquired here includes the latest M (most up-to-date M) pieces of ECU information among the plurality of pieces of ECU information A 10001 to A 1000 n in the vehicle ECU information DB 1306 . Here, M is an integer equal to or larger than one. That is, the second comparison information is information indicating the histories of the advancing direction and vehicle speed of the host vehicle 2 a . For example, it is assumed that the positioning of the GPS sensor 110 is performed at intervals of about one second and comparison of the position information is desired to be performed at intervals of about 500 meters. Supposing that the average speed per hour of the vehicle 2 is 60 kilometers an hour, the time to travel 500 meters is given as 30 seconds and accordingly M can be set to a value of about (30 seconds/one second)=30.

In step S 50 , the abnormality detecting unit 1302 compares the second comparison information with the history of the position information. The history of the position information compared with the second comparison information here is the latest N (most up-to-date N) pieces of GPS information among the plurality of pieces of GPS information A 9001 to A 900 n in the GPS information DB 1304 .

The abnormality detecting unit 1302 estimates the past advancing direction and vehicle speed of the host vehicle 2 a from these pieces of information in the GPS information DB 1304 . The past advancing direction can be estimated, for example, by examining a straight line joining two points. The past vehicle speed can be estimated, for example, by dividing a distance between two points by a difference in positioning time. Note that the method of estimating the past advancing direction and vehicle speed may be different from these methods.

The abnormality detecting unit 1302 compares the past advancing direction and vehicle speed thus estimated with the histories of the advancing direction and vehicle speed of the host vehicle 2 a included in the second comparison information. For example, a method of comparing the histories of the advancing direction and vehicle speed using a moving average, or the like is used as the method of comparison. Note that only one of the advancing direction and the vehicle speed may be compared.

In step S 60 , the abnormality detecting unit 1302 determines whether or not a difference between the second comparison information and the history of the position information compared in step S 50 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. When this difference is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value, the abnormality detecting unit 1302 advances the process to step S 70 . In step S 70 , the outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 transmits the vehicle information packet A 600 indicating the position of the host vehicle 2 a to the surrounding other vehicle 2 b and roadside unit 3 .

On the other hand, when the difference between the second comparison information and the history of the position information exceeds the predetermined threshold value in step S 60 , the abnormality detecting unit 1302 advances the process to step S 80 . In step S 80 , the abnormality detecting unit 1302 prohibits the transmission of the vehicle information packet A 600 by the outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 . The outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 prohibited from transmitting the vehicle information packet A 600 stops transmitting the vehicle information packet A 600 . In step S 90 , the abnormality notifying unit 1303 displays a predetermined message on the display device 108 , thereby notifying the driver of the occurrence of an abnormality.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of an abnormality detection process executed by the abnormality processing unit 1300 . In FIG. 12 , the second comparison information and the history of the position information is compared after the first comparison information and the position information is compared. However, FIG. 13 illustrates a flowchart in the case of carrying out the comparison between the first comparison information and the position information after comparing the second comparison information and the history of the position information.

In step S 210 , the comparison information acquiring unit 1301 acquires the second comparison information from the vehicle ECU information DB 1306 . The second comparison information acquired here includes the latest M (most up-to-date M) pieces of ECU information among the plurality of pieces of ECU information A 10001 to A 1000 n in the vehicle ECU information DB 1306 .

In step S 220 , the abnormality detecting unit 1302 compares the second comparison information with the history of the position information. The history of the position information compared with the second comparison information here is the latest N (most up-to-date N) pieces of GPS information among the plurality of pieces of GPS information A 9001 to A 900 n in the GPS information DB 1304 .

The abnormality detecting unit 1302 estimates the past advancing direction and vehicle speed of the host vehicle 2 a from these pieces of information in the GPS information DB 1304 . The past advancing direction can be estimated, for example, by examining a straight line joining two points. The past vehicle speed can be estimated, for example, by dividing a distance between two points by a difference in positioning time. Note that the method of estimating the past advancing direction and vehicle speed may be different from these methods.

The abnormality detecting unit 1302 compares the past advancing direction and vehicle speed thus estimated with the histories of the advancing direction and vehicle speed of the host vehicle 2 a included in the second comparison information.

In step S 230 , the abnormality detecting unit 1302 determines whether or not a difference between the second comparison information and the history of the position information compared in step S 220 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. When this difference is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value, the abnormality detecting unit 1302 advances the process to step S 270 . In step S 270 , the outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 transmits the vehicle information packet A 600 indicating the position of the host vehicle 2 a to the surrounding other vehicle 2 b and roadside unit 3 .

When the difference between the second comparison information and the history of the position information exceeds the predetermined threshold value in step S 230 , the abnormality detecting unit 1302 advances the process to step S 240 . In step S 240 , the comparison information acquiring unit 1301 acquires the first comparison information from the reception information DB 1305 . The first comparison information acquired here is the latest (most up-to-date) reception information A 1200 n in the reception information DB 1305 . That is, the first comparison information is information indicating the position of the other vehicle 2 b or the roadside unit 3 that was located close to the host vehicle 2 a most recently.

In step S 250 , the abnormality detecting unit 1302 compares the first comparison information with the position information. The position information compared with the first comparison information here is the latest (most up-to-date) GPS information A 900 n in the GPS information DB 1304 .

In step S 260 , the abnormality detecting unit 1302 determines whether or not the difference between the first comparison information and the position information (that is, a distance between the two positions) compared in step S 240 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. In different words, the abnormality detecting unit 1302 determines whether the position indicated by the first comparison information and the position indicated by the position information are separated by a certain distance or more in consideration of an error due to the GPS accuracy and the like.

On the other hand, when the difference between the first comparison information and the history of the position information exceeds the predetermined threshold value in step S 260 , the abnormality detecting unit 1302 advances the process to step S 280 . In step S 280 , the abnormality detecting unit 1302 prohibits the transmission of the vehicle information packet A 600 by the outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 . The outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 prohibited from transmitting the vehicle information packet A 600 stops transmitting the vehicle information packet A 600 . In step S 290 , the abnormality notifying unit 1303 displays a predetermined message on the display device 108 , thereby notifying the driver of the occurrence of an abnormality.

By receiving a signal from a satellite, the GPS sensor 110 detects information indicating the position of the vehicle 2 (the latitude 1 information A 901 , the latitude 2 information A 902 , the longitude 1 information A 903 , and the longitude 2 information A 904 ) and information indicating the time at which the positioning was performed (the positioning time A 905 ). When an abnormality occurs in the GPS sensor 110 , at least one of the former position information and the latter time information results in erroneous information. In both cases where the former position information is not normal and where the latter time information is not normal, the past advancing direction and vehicle speed estimated by the abnormality detecting unit 1302 based on the GPS information DB 1304 result in a traveling direction and a vehicle speed greatly different from the actual ones. In other words, even when only the position information has an abnormal content or even when only the time information has an abnormal content, the abnormality detecting unit 1302 can detect an abnormality occurring in the GPS sensor 110 .

Note that an abnormality occurring in the positioning time A 905 may be detected by a method different from the method for the position information. For example, the exact time may be acquired from another information source beforehand such that, in step S 20 , the history thereof is compared with the history of the positioning time A 905 and, when a deviation of a certain level or more is found in step S 30 , the GPS sensor 110 is judged to have an abnormality. As the another information source mentioned here, another GPS sensor prepared separately from the GPS sensor 110 , a timer module using a quartz oscillator or the like, a timer module containing therein a radio wave clock, or the like can be used.

According to the above-described first embodiment, the following action effects can be obtained.

(1) The comparison information acquiring unit 1301 acquires the first comparison information and the second comparison information. The abnormality detecting unit 1302 detects an abnormality in the GPS sensor 110 based on the position information on the host vehicle 2 a output from the GPS sensor 110 mounted on the host vehicle 2 a and the first comparison information and the second comparison information different from the position information on the host vehicle 2 a . By configuring in such a manner, it is possible to detect an abnormality occurring in the GPS sensor 110 .

(2) The comparison information acquiring unit 1301 acquires the vehicle information output from the vehicle ECUs 112 of the host vehicle 2 a as the second comparison information. By configuring in such a manner, an abnormality in the GPS sensor 110 can be detected when the output of the GPS sensor 110 is inconsistent with the output of the vehicle ECUs 112 .

(3) The comparison information acquiring unit 1301 acquires the vehicle information relating to the advancing direction and speed of the host vehicle 2 a . By configuring in such a manner, an abnormality in the GPS sensor 110 can be detected when the output of the GPS sensor 110 is inconsistent with the advancing direction and speed of the host vehicle 2 a.

(4) The abnormality detecting unit 1302 compares the speed and advancing direction of the host vehicle 2 a based on the vehicle information with the speed and advancing direction of the host vehicle 2 a based on the plurality of pieces of position information, to detect an abnormality in the GPS sensor 110 . By configuring in such a manner, an abnormality in the GPS sensor 110 can be detected when the output of the GPS sensor 110 is inconsistent with the advancing direction and speed of the host vehicle 2 a.

(5) The comparison information acquiring unit 1301 acquires other position information different from the position information acquired from the GPS sensor 110 from the outside of the host vehicle 2 a as the first comparison information. By configuring in such a manner, an abnormality in the GPS sensor 110 can be detected when the output of the GPS sensor 110 is inconsistent with the output of the GPS sensor 110 of the other vehicle 2 b and when the output of the GPS sensor 110 is inconsistent with the output of the roadside unit 3 .

(6) The comparison information acquiring unit 1301 acquires other position information representing the position of the other vehicle 2 b located within a predetermined range from the host vehicle 2 a as the first comparison information. By configuring in such a manner, an abnormality in the GPS sensor 110 can be detected when a difference between the output of the GPS sensor 110 and the output of the GPS sensor 110 of the other vehicle 2 b is far away from the communicable distance with the other vehicle 2 b.

(7) The comparison information acquiring unit 1301 acquires other position information representing the position of the roadside unit 3 fixed at a predetermined point as the first comparison information when a distance between the roadside unit 3 and the host vehicle 2 a is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. By configuring in such a manner, an abnormality in the GPS sensor 110 can be detected when a difference between the output of the GPS sensor 110 and the output of the roadside unit 3 is far away from the communicable distance with the roadside unit 3 .

(8) The outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 transmits the vehicle information packet A 600 including the position information acquired from the GPS sensor 110 to the outside of the host vehicle 2 a . When an abnormality in the GPS sensor 110 is detected by the abnormality detecting unit 1302 , the outside-vehicle information processing unit 1100 stops transmitting the vehicle information packet A 600 including the position information. By configuring in such a manner, it is possible to prevent the vehicle information packet A 600 including incorrect information from having an adverse influence on the other vehicle 2 b.

The following modifications are also within the scope of the present invention and it is also possible to combine one or a plurality of the modifications with the above-described embodiment.

(First Modification)

The abnormality notifying unit 1303 may notify not only the driver but also the outside of the host vehicle 2 a of an abnormality in the GPS sensor 110 . For example, when an abnormality is detected, the abnormality notifying unit 1303 may transmit a packet indicating that an abnormality has occurred in the GPS sensor 110 of the host vehicle 2 a to the other vehicle 2 b and the roadside unit 3 .

(Second Modification)

The abnormality detecting unit 1302 may detect an abnormality in the GPS sensor 110 using only one of the first comparison information and the second comparison information. For example, in the process in FIG. 12 , if steps S 10 to S 30 are omitted such that the process is started from step S 40 , it is possible to detect an abnormality in the GPS sensor 110 using only the second comparison information. Alternatively, in the process in FIG. 12 , if steps S 40 to S 60 are omitted such that the process proceeds to step S 80 when the negative determination is made in step 30 , it is possible to detect an abnormality in the GPS sensor 110 using only the first comparison information.

(Third Modification)

In the above-described embodiment, the speed and advancing direction of the host vehicle 2 a are estimated from the contents of the GPS information DB 1304 and an abnormality in the GPS sensor 110 is detected by comparing the estimation result with the second comparison information. Conversely, the position of the host vehicle 2 a may be estimated from the second comparison information to compare the estimation result with the contents of the GPS information DB 1304 , such that an abnormality in the GPS sensor 110 is detected. For example, by adding a distance traveled by the host vehicle 2 a from a predetermined starting point to position information indicating the starting point, the position of the host vehicle 2 a can be estimated. The travel distance of the host vehicle 2 a can be acquired, for example, from a vehicle speed pulse based on the rotation speed of the wheel of the host vehicle 2 a . When the travel distance is added, the moving direction of the host vehicle 2 a may be worked out from the steering angle, the angular velocity, and the like of the host vehicle 2 a such that the travel distance is added in consideration of this moving direction.

(Fourth Modification)

The roadside unit 3 may determine whether the vehicle 2 is located in the vicinity of the roadside unit 3 using a method different from the method described above. For example, the roadside unit 3 may create the roadside unit information packet A 1100 when receiving the vehicle information packet A 600 . In this modification, since the distance at which wireless communication between the roadside unit 3 and the vehicle 2 is possible is at most about 200 meters, the fact that the wireless communication can be performed (the vehicle information packet A 600 can be received) certainly means that the vehicle 2 is located in the vicinity of the roadside unit 3 . In addition to this example, the roadside unit information packet A 1100 may be created when a sensor such as a camera senses that the vehicle 2 is located in the vicinity of the roadside unit 3 . Furthermore, position information indicating the position of a base station that relays communication between the roadside unit 3 and the center server 5 may be saved beforehand in the application information A 1107 illustrated in FIG. 10 such that this position information and the position of the vehicle 2 are compared to determine whether the vehicle 2 is located in the vicinity of the roadside unit 3 .

As long as the features of the present invention are not impaired, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and other forms conceived within the technical idea of the present invention are included within the scope of the present invention.

The disclosure content of the following priority application is incorporated herein as a quotation.

Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-58929 (filed on Mar. 23, 2016)

1 vehicle control network system

2 vehicle

3 roadside unit

110 GPS sensor

1100 outside-vehicle information processing unit

1200 inside-vehicle information processing unit

1300 abnormality processing unit

1301 comparison information acquiring unit

1302 abnormality detecting unit

1303 abnormality notifying unit

1304 GPS information DB

1305 reception information DB

1306 vehicle ECU Information DB