Remote Operation Control Device and Remote Operation Control Method

• US 20080048844A1
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Taki, Naoki, Watanabe, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,667,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

In a remote operation control device, an in-vehicle communication unit receives a drive request signal which is transmitted from a center to request a remote operation of a predetermined in-vehicle apparatus. When the drive request signal from the center is received by the in-vehicle communication unit, a preliminary checking request unit requests an in-vehicle electronic control unit which controls operation of the in-vehicle apparatus, to perform checking of whether a precondition for carrying out the remote operation of the in-vehicle apparatus is satisfied. A remote driving unit carries out the remote operation of the in-vehicle apparatus when it is determined after the drive request signal from the center is received by the in-vehicle communication unit that the precondition is satisfied as a result of response to the request for the checking by the preliminary checking request unit.

Claims

1. A remote operation control device comprising:

an in-vehicle communication unit receiving a drive request signal which is transmitted from a center to request a remote operation of a predetermined in-vehicle apparatus;

a preliminary checking request unit requesting, when the drive request signal from the center is received by the in-vehicle communication unit, an in-vehicle electronic control unit which controls operation of the in-vehicle apparatus, to perform checking of whether a precondition for carrying out the remote operation of the in-vehicle apparatus is satisfied; and

a remote driving unit carrying out the remote operation of the in-vehicle apparatus when it is determined, after the drive request signal from the center is received by the in-vehicle communication unit, that the precondition is satisfied as a result of response to the request for the checking by the preliminary checking request unit.

2. The remote operation control device according to claim 1 wherein the remote driving unit is configured to carry out the remote operation of the in-vehicle apparatus when a notice indicating that the precondition is satisfied sent by the in-vehicle electronic control unit is received after the drive request signal from the center is received by the in-vehicle communication unit and the checking is requested by the preliminary checking request unit.

3. The remote operation control device according to claim 1 wherein the in-vehicle electronic control unit to which the checking is requested by the preliminary checking request unit includes an in-vehicle electronic control unit that is different from the in-vehicle electronic control unit which controls operation of the in-vehicle apparatus.

4. The remote operation control device according to claim 1 wherein the preliminary checking request unit is configured to request the checking to a plurality of in-vehicle electronic control units which control respective operations of predetermined in-vehicle apparatuses which are remotely controllable.

5. The remote operation control device according to claim 1 wherein the remote driving unit has a table which specifies a combination of the predetermined in-vehicle apparatus which is remotely controlled and an in-vehicle electronic control unit which is provided for the checking of whether the precondition is satisfied.

6. The remote operation control device according to claim 5 wherein, when a plurality of in-vehicle electronic control units which are provided for the checking of whether the precondition is satisfied prior to performing the remote operation of the predetermined in-vehicle apparatus exist, the table specifies either a sequence of performing the checking by the in-vehicle electronic control units or a sequence of collecting notices that the precondition is satisfied from the in-vehicle electronic control units.

7. The remote operation control device according to claim 1 wherein the remote driving unit is contained in the in-vehicle communication unit.

8. The remote operation control device according to claim 4 wherein the preliminary checking request unit is configured to transmit a checking request signal to the plurality of in-vehicle electronic control units in a sequence of the in-vehicle electronic control units depending on their lengths of a time needed for the checking of whether the precondition is satisfied.

9. The remote operation control device according to claim 4 wherein, when the plurality of in-vehicle electronic control units are connected to a plurality of buses, the preliminary checking request unit is configured to transmit a checking request signal to the in-vehicle electronic control units connected to the respective buses in parallel.

10. The remote operation control device according to claim 4 wherein, when the plurality of in-vehicle electronic control units are connected to either a first bus or a second bus, the preliminary checking request unit is configured to transmit a checking request signal to the in-vehicle electronic control units connected to one of the first and second buses earlier.

11. The remote operation control device according to claim 4 wherein a checking request signal which requests the checking to the plurality of in-vehicle electronic control units and is transmitted by the preliminary checking request unit contains identification information of all the in-vehicle electronic control units which are provided for the checking.

12. The remote operation control device according to claim 11 wherein each of the plurality of in-vehicle electronic control units is configured such that one in-vehicle electronic control unit transmits, when it is determined in response to the checking request signal from the preliminary checking request unit that the precondition with respect to the in-vehicle electronic control unit is satisfied and the other in-vehicle electronic control units are provided for receiving a notice indicating that the precondition with respect to the in-vehicle electronic control unit is satisfied, the notice to each of the other in-vehicle electronic control units respectively, or when none of the other in-vehicle electronic control units is provided for receiving the notice, the in-vehicle electronic control unit transmits the notice to the remote driving unit.

13. The remote operation control device according to claim 1 further comprising a time-out inhibition unit which inhibits the preliminary checking request unit from requesting the checking and inhibits the remote driving unit from carrying out the remote operation of the in-vehicle apparatus when a difference between a time the drive request signal from the center is received by the in-vehicle communication unit and a time the drive request signal is transmitted by the center exceeds a predetermined time.

14. The remote operation control device according to claim 1 further comprising a conflict inhibition unit which inhibits the remote driving unit from carrying out the remote operation of the in-vehicle apparatus when contents of the drive request signal from the center received by the in-vehicle communication unit conflict with contents of a local operation on a vehicle directly performed on a vehicle by a vehicle operator.

15. A remote operation control device comprising:

an in-vehicle communication unit receiving a drive request signal which is transmitted from a center to request a remote operation of a predetermined in-vehicle apparatus;

a compulsive operation request unit requesting, when the drive request signal from the center is received by the in-vehicle communication unit, an in-vehicle electronic control unit which controls operation of the in-vehicle apparatus to perform an operation needed to satisfy a precondition for carrying out the remote operation of the in-vehicle apparatus; and

a remote driving unit carrying out the remote operation of the in-vehicle apparatus when it is determined, after the drive request signal from the center is received by the in-vehicle communication unit, that the precondition is satisfied as a result of response to the request for the operation by the compulsive operation request unit.

16. A remote operation control method comprising the steps of:

receiving a drive request signal which is transmitted from a center to request a remote operation of a predetermined in-vehicle apparatus;

requesting, when the drive request signal from the center is received in the receiving step, an in-vehicle electronic control unit which controls operation of the in-vehicle apparatus, to perform checking of whether a precondition for carrying out the remote operation of the in-vehicle apparatus is satisfied; and

carrying out the remote operation of the in-vehicle apparatus when it is determined, after the drive request signal from the center is received in the receiving step, that the precondition is satisfied as a result of response to the request for the checking in the requesting step.

17. A remote operation control method comprising the steps of:

receiving a drive request signal which is transmitted from a center to request a remote operation of a predetermined in-vehicle apparatus;

requesting, when the drive request signal from the center is received in the receiving step, an in-vehicle electronic control unit which controls operation of the in-vehicle apparatus to perform an operation needed to satisfy a precondition for carrying out the remote operation of the in-vehicle apparatus; and

carrying out the remote operation of the in-vehicle apparatus when it is determined, after the drive request signal from the center is received in the receiving step, that the precondition is satisfied as a result of response to the request for the operation in the requesting step.