Expansion unit, in-vehicle device unit, and vehicle system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024127635-A1
Application number	US-202318397209-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 27, 2023
Priority date	Jul 2, 2021
Publication date	Apr 18, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle system includes: an in-vehicle device configured to communicate with a cloud server configured to manage vehicle data; and an expansion unit that is detachably attached to the in-vehicle device. The expansion unit includes: an input line for each communication protocol of input data; an output line for each communication protocol of output data; a connector for connecting the output line to the in-vehicle device; and a processing unit configured to perform processing on input data and cause the output line to output the output data. The in-vehicle device includes: a controller configured to generate the vehicle data based on the received output data; and a communication unit configured to transmit the vehicle data.

First claim

1 . An expansion unit configured to be detachably attached to an in-vehicle device configured to communicate with a cloud server configured to manage vehicle data via a communication device, the expansion unit comprising:
at least one input line that is provided for each communication protocol of input data that is data transmitted from an instrument of a vehicle and receives the input data; at least one output line that is provided for each communication protocol of output data and outputs the output data; at least one connector for connecting the output line to the in-vehicle device; a processing unit configured to perform processing on the input data and cause the output line to output the output data according to the input data; and a table defines determination of whether to cause the processing unit to perform the processing on the input data for each communication protocol or each data type, wherein the processing unit performs the processing on the input data when the processing is performed according to the table, and the processing unit causes the output line to output, as the output data, the input data without performing the processing on the input data when the processing is not performed according to the table.

2 . The expansion unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the processing unit is configured to perform first processing that is processing of reducing a data amount of the input data.

3 . The expansion unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the processing unit is configured to
acquire, as the input data, capture data by a camera, and
perform, as the first processing, processing of recognizing an object from the capture data.

4 . The expansion unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the processing unit is configured to
acquire, as the input data, audio data, and
perform, as the first processing, processing of recognizing a content of audio from the audio data.

5 . The expansion unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the processing unit is configured to
acquire, as the input data, obstacle data by an obstacle sensor that detects an obstacle in a periphery of the vehicle, and
perform, as the first processing, processing of recognizing a position of at least a position of the obstacle from the obstacle data.

6 . The expansion unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the processing unit is configured to
acquire, as the input data, device data from a short distance device, and
perform, as the first processing, processing of extracting, from the input data, the device data obtained from the short distance device that is preset.

7 . The expansion unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the processing unit is configured to
acquire, as the input data, cloud data from the cloud server, and
perform, as the first processing, processing of extracting, from the input data, the cloud data obtained from the cloud server that is preset.

8 . The expansion unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the processing unit is configured to
acquire, as the input data, controller area network (CAN) data by a communication protocol CAN (registered trademark), and
perform, as the first processing, CAN data extraction processing of extracting CAN data having a preset type from the input data.

9 . The expansion unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the processing unit is configured to
perform second processing of converting data obtained by the first processing into data in a preset format configured to be handled by the in-vehicle device, and
send data obtained by the second processing to the output line as output data.

10 . The expansion unit according to claim 9 , wherein
the processing unit is configured to perform, as the second processing, processing of converting the data obtained by the first processing into a common data format including at least a payload and identification information of the payload.

11 . The expansion unit according to claim 1 , wherein
a numerical number of the output line for the input data having a same type is less than a numerical number of the input line.

12 . The expansion unit according to claim 1 , wherein
a numerical number of the output line for the input data having a same type is more than a numerical number of the input line.

13 . The expansion unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the input line is provided for each data type of the input data.

14 . An in-vehicle device unit comprising:
an in-vehicle device configured to communicate with a cloud server configured to manage vehicle data via a communication device; and a plurality of expansion units configured to serve as the expansion unit according to claim 1 .

15 . The in-vehicle device unit according to claim 14 , wherein
the plurality of expansion units include:
a first expansion unit configured to set data obtained from a communication instrument located outside a vehicle to input data; and
a second expansion unit configured to set data obtained from a vehicle side instrument located inside the vehicle,
wherein the first expansion unit and the second expansion unit include a processing unit configured to perform processing on the input data and output data according to the input data to the in-vehicle device.

16 . A vehicle system comprising:
an in-vehicle device configured to communicate with a cloud server configured to manage vehicle data via a communication device; an expansion unit that is detachably attached to the in-vehicle device; and an electronic control unit configured to output data to the expansion unit, wherein the expansion unit includes:
at least one input line that is provided for each communication protocol of input data that is data transmitted from the electronic control unit and receives the input data;
at least one output line that is provided for each communication protocol of output data and outputs the output data;
at least one connector for connecting the output line to the in-vehicle device; and
a processing unit configured to perform processing on the input data and cause the output line to output the output data according to the input data,
the in-vehicle device includes:
a controller configured to generate the vehicle data based on the received output data; and
a communication unit configured to transmit the vehicle data to the cloud server via a communication device,
the electronic control unit includes a relay unit configured to relay, to the expansion unit, data transmitted from a different electronic control unit.

17 . An expansion unit configured to be detachably attached to an in-vehicle device configured to communicate with a cloud server configured to manage vehicle data via a communication device, the expansion unit comprising:
at least one input line that is provided for each communication protocol of input data that is data transmitted from an instrument of a vehicle and receives the input data; at least one output line that is provided for each communication protocol of output data and outputs the output data; at least one connector for connecting the input line to an instrument of the vehicle; at least one connector for connecting the output line to the in-vehicle device; and a processing unit configured to perform processing on the input data and cause the output line to output the output data according to the input data.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Komiyama Masatoshi
• Nishio Keisuke
• Kajioka Shigeru
• Tauchi Makiko

Classifications

• G07C5/008 Primary

  communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C) · CPC title

• G06T7/70

  Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) · CPC title

• G06V20/58 Primary

  Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads · CPC title

• H04L69/14

  Multichannel or multilink protocols · CPC title

• H04L12/28

  characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] (wireless communication networks H04W {; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00}) · CPC title