Vehicle information-communication method, vehicle information-communication system, vehicle and control center

• US 20050021200A1
• Filed: 07/16/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Taki, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 7,471,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A control center transmits failure information transmission request information to a vehicle. The vehicle receives the failure information transmission request information transmitted from the control center. A navigation ECU and a gateway ECU obtain failure information from each ECU in cooperation with each other. At this time, the gateway ECU determines whether a data volume of the failure information is larger than a predetermined information volume. When it is determined that the data volume of the failure information is larger than the predetermined information volume, the gateway ECU divides the failure information into plural pieces, and outputs each piece of information. Also, the ECU does not output the failure information, which is output to a network built in the vehicle, to the navigation ECU, while a failure information obtaining device is connected. Meanwhile, the control center does not receive the failure information while the failure information obtaining device is connected.

Claims

1. A vehicle information-communication method in which first information regarding a failure in an in-vehicle unit mounted in a vehicle, the first information being obtained from the in-vehicle unit, is transmitted to a control center adapted to communicate with the vehicle, comprising the following steps of:

in the vehicle;

obtaining the first information from the in-vehicle unit;

determining whether a volume of the first information is larger than a predetermined information volume; and

limiting the volume of the first information to be transmitted to the control center to a volume equal to or smaller than the predetermined information volume, when it is determined that the volume of the first information is larger than the predetermined information volume.

2. A vehicle information-communication method in which first information regarding a failure in an in-vehicle unit mounted in the vehicle, the first information being obtained from the in-vehicle unit, is transmitted to a control center adapted to communicate with the vehicle, and is output to a failure diagnostic device which obtains the first information and which diagnoses the failure, comprising the following steps of:

in the vehicle;

obtaining the first information from the in-vehicle unit;

outputting the first information to the failure diagnostic device; and

prohibiting transmission of the first information to the control center, while the first information is being output to the failure diagnostic device.

3. A vehicle information-communication method in which a vehicle and a control center are adapted to communicate with each other, the control center transmits second information, which is used for requesting transmission of first information regarding a failure in an in-vehicle unit mounted in the vehicle, to the vehicle, and obtains the first information, comprising the following steps of:

in the control center;

determining whether the first information corresponds to the second information; and

prohibiting reception of the first information, when it is determined that the first information does not correspond to the second information.

4. The vehicle information-communication method according to claim 3, wherein the first information is information which is transmitted due to connection of a failure diagnostic device, that obtains the first information and that diagnoses the failure, to the vehicle.

5. A vehicle information-communication system in which a vehicle and a control center are adapted to communicate with each other, and first information and second information regarding a failure in an in-vehicle unit mounted in the vehicle is exchanged, wherein:

the vehicle includes;

an in-vehicle communication network built in the vehicle;

an in-vehicle unit connected to the in-vehicle communication network;

a communication device which is connected to the in-vehicle communication network so as to receive the second information for requesting transmission of the first information regarding the failure in the in-vehicle unit, the second information being transmitted from the control center, and so as to transmit the first information to the control center;

a connection device which is connected to the in-vehicle communication network, and which is connected to a failure diagnostic device that obtains the first information and that diagnoses the failure;

a connection determining device which determines whether the failure diagnostic device is connected to the connection device; and

a prohibiting device which prohibits the communication device from transmitting the first information to the control center, when the connection determining device determines that the failure diagnostic device is connected to the connection device; and

the control center includes;

a transmission requesting device which transmits the second information to the vehicle;

a determining device which determines whether the first information corresponds to the second information; and

a reception prohibiting device which prohibits reception of the first information, when the determining device determines that the first information does not correspond to the second information.

6. A vehicle comprising:

an in-vehicle communication network built in the vehicle;

an in-vehicle unit connected to the in-vehicle communication network;

a communication device which is connected to the in-vehicle communication network so as to receive second information for requesting transmission of first information regarding a failure in the in-vehicle unit, the second information being transmitted from an external element that can communicate with the vehicle, and so as to transmit the first information to the external element;

a connection device which is connected to the in-vehicle communication network, and which is connected to a failure diagnostic device that obtains the first information and that diagnoses the failure;

a connection determining device which determines whether the failure diagnostic device is connected to the connection device; and

a transmission prohibiting device which prohibits the communication device from transmitting the first information to the external element, when the connection determining device determines that the failure diagnostic device is connected to the connection device.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the communication device communicates with a control center as the external element which can receive the first information.

8. A control center which is adapted to communicate with a vehicle so as to receive first information regarding a failure in an in-vehicle unit, the first information being transmitted from the vehicle, comprising:

a transmission requesting device which transmits second information, that is used for requesting the vehicle to transmit the first information, to the vehicle;

a determining device which determines whether the first information corresponds to the second information; and

a reception prohibiting device which prohibits reception of the first information, when the determining device determines that the first information does not correspond to the second information.

9. A vehicle information-communication system in which a vehicle and a control center are adapted to communicate with each other, and first information and second information regarding a failure in an in-vehicle unit mounted in the vehicle is exchanged between the vehicle and the control center, wherein:

the vehicle includes;

an in-vehicle communication network built in the vehicle;

an in-vehicle unit connected to the in-vehicle communication network;

communication means for receiving the second information for requesting transmission of the first information regarding the failure in the in-vehicle unit, the second information being transmitted from the control center, and for transmitting the first information to the control center, the communication means being connected to the in-vehicle communication network;

connection means connected to the in-vehicle communication network, and connected to a failure diagnostic device that obtains the first information and that diagnoses the failure;

connection determining means for determining whether the failure diagnostic device is connected to the connection means; and

prohibiting means for prohibiting the communication means from transmitting the first information to the control center, when the connection determining means determines that the failure diagnostic device is connected to the connection means; and

the control center includes;

transmission requesting means for transmitting the second information to the vehicle;

determining means for determining whether the first information corresponds to the second information; and

reception prohibiting means for prohibiting reception of the first information, when the determining means determines that the first information does not correspond to the second information.

10. A vehicle, comprising:

an in-vehicle communication network built in the vehicle;

an in-vehicle unit connected to the in-vehicle communication network;

communication means for receiving second information for requesting transmission of first information regarding a failure in the in-vehicle unit, the second information being transmitted from an external element that can communicate with the vehicle, and for transmitting the first information to the external element, the communication means being connected to the in-vehicle communication network;

connection means connected to the in-vehicle communication network, and connected to a failure diagnostic device that obtains the first information and that diagnoses the failure;

connection determining means for determining whether the failure diagnostic device is connected to the connection means; and

prohibiting means for prohibiting the communication means from transmitting the first information to the external element, when the connection determining means determines that the failure diagnostic device is connected to the connection means.

11. A control center which is adapted to communicate with a vehicle, and which receives first information regarding a failure in an in-vehicle unit transmitted from the vehicle, comprising:

transmission requesting means for transmitting second information, which is used for requesting the vehicle to transmit the first information, to the vehicle;

determining means for determining whether the first information corresponds to the second information; and

reception prohibiting means for prohibiting reception of the first information, when the determining means determines that the first information does not correspond to the second information.