JP2012010287A - Ont-vehicle equipment for automatically starting application of cooperation equipment in cooperation with mobile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for completing a process for starting a desired application with less operation man-hours and in a shorter time when a mobile equipment is used in combination with an on-vehicle equipment.SOLUTION: A system comprises on-vehicle equipment mounted on a vehicle and communicates with mobile equipment having an information processing function, and functional information retaining means for retaining functional information for specifying functions of a device mounted on the vehicle. The mobile equipment automatically starts a program corresponding to the application so that a user can use the application corresponding to the functional information in response to reading the functional information retained by the functional information retaining means of the mounted device. After the program is started, connection to the mounted device is established via the on-vehicle equipment. In this manner, operation man-hours for starting the application to realize a desired function of the on-vehicle equipment can be reduced.

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-vehicle device that can operate in cooperation with a portable device, and more specifically, relates to an in-vehicle device that can automatically start an application of the portable device.

  Conventionally, a method of remotely operating an in-vehicle device has been proposed. In Patent Document 1 below, when a remote control Bluetooth connection request is received from a mobile phone, on the basis of receiving a remote control command from the mobile phone, an in-vehicle operation that executes an operation specified by the received remote operation command A navigation device is described.

  Patent Document 2 below describes that when operating an in-vehicle device with a remote controller, the receiving unit is divided into a plurality of parts, and the range in which the operation can be performed is changed depending on which receiving unit receives the vehicle. ing.

JP 2006-303484 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-59484

  In recent years, in response to increasing needs for high-performance mobile devices and low-cost in-vehicle devices, systems that use mobile devices in cooperation with in-vehicle devices are being studied. According to such a system, functions necessary for various types of information processing are provided by the mobile device. Therefore, the functions of the entire system can be improved by adding or updating the application on the mobile device side. On the other hand, the in-vehicle device side has a relatively large and easy-to-handle display device and input device, which solves the problems of invisibility and difficulty in operation when the mobile device is used as it is. Services realized by the processing function can be provided to users in the vehicle at a low cost.

  The number of applications that can be mounted on recent portable devices has been rapidly increasing in response to the development environment that has evolved and the development environment itself has become widely available to the general public. It is not uncommon for general users to use dozens of applications, and necessary applications are activated and used as appropriate using a list menu, a dedicated launcher (application activation software), or the like.

  On the other hand, as described above, it is assumed that these applications are also used in a system linked with an in-vehicle device. In particular, since use in a vehicle is assumed, higher operability is required.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to propose a method for completing a startup process of a desired application in a shorter time with fewer operation steps when a portable device is used in cooperation with an in-vehicle device.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, an in-vehicle device that is mounted on a vehicle and communicates with a portable device having an information processing function, and function information that holds function information for specifying a function of an apparatus equipped in the vehicle. Holding means, and the portable device can use the application corresponding to the function information by the user in response to reading the function information held by the function information holding means of the equipped device. In addition, the program corresponding to the application is automatically activated, and after the activation, the connection with the equipped device is established through the in-vehicle device.

  According to the present invention, an application that uses the read function can be automatically made available by simply reading the function information of the desired on-vehicle equipment by the portable device. For example, the function holding means of the air conditioner (air conditioner) of the vehicle can hold information specifying the function of setting the temperature of the air conditioner, and when the portable device reads the function information, The program for temperature setting can be started directly. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the man-hours for using the desired function of the desired equipment. For example, various applications can be installed in a mobile device, but it is not necessary to go through the operation man-hours of selecting an application related to an air conditioner and selecting an item for temperature setting from the application. .

  Furthermore, the application is not activated via the in-vehicle device, and communication via the in-vehicle device is performed after the application is activated. Therefore, also from this viewpoint, the application can be activated in a short time. Since the activated application automatically connects to the corresponding on-vehicle equipment to realize the corresponding function, for example, there is no need to set the connection with the on-vehicle equipment or to specify the on-board equipment of the connection destination.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the portable device communicates information about the equipped device necessary for execution of the program with the device via the established connection, via the established connection. . Thus, for example, in the case of an application for setting the temperature of an air conditioner, the current temperature setting content can be acquired from the air conditioner and displayed, or a new temperature can be reset for the air conditioner.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the device installed in the vehicle includes an air conditioner device, an ETC terminal device, a car audio device, a television receiver, a car navigation device, a display device, and an electronic control device for controlling the vehicle. Including any of In this way, it is possible to automatically start necessary applications via mobile devices for various equipment functions mounted on the vehicle, and quickly perform various settings and information browsing using the functions. it can. Since the functions of the in-vehicle equipment can be managed and set through the application of the mobile device, the cost for the initial in-vehicle equipment can be reduced. In addition, it is possible to easily and inexpensively add onboard functions and upgrade applications.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, reading of the function information is performed between the portable device and the function information holding means using communication using an IC tag, wireless communication, or infrared communication. Thus, when an IC tag is used as the function information holding means, for example, the IC tag may be provided in the vicinity of each of the above-described devices. As a result, the application using the function held in the IC tag can be automatically started by simply bringing the portable device close to the IC tag of the desired device.

  Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description that follows.

The figure which shows the one form of the vehicle-mounted processing system with which the portable apparatus and the vehicle-mounted apparatus were connected according to one Example of this invention. The functional block diagram of the portable apparatus and vehicle equipment in the form which operates a portable apparatus and vehicle equipment according to one Example of this invention in cooperation, and outputs the result of the information processing from this portable apparatus on vehicle equipment. The functional block diagram of the portable apparatus and vehicle equipment in the form which performs the automatic start of the application of a portable apparatus according to one Example of this invention. The figure which shows an example of arrangement | positioning of a function information holding means according to one Example of this invention. The flowchart of the application automatic starting process according to one Example of this invention.

  Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 schematically shows an in-vehicle processing system including an in-vehicle device that operates so as to be capable of cooperating with a portable device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The mobile device 10 is a portable terminal such as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a smartphone that has an information processing function and a communication function. Of course, it may be provided with a voice call function.

  The mobile device 10 includes a display (display screen) 11 that displays data, a speaker 12 that outputs sound and sound (hereinafter simply referred to as “sound”), and keys (buttons) provided in the mobile device 10. An input operation unit 13 for a user to input some data (signal) to the mobile device 10 is provided. The display 11 may be a touch panel. In this case, the input operation unit 13 includes the touch panel.

  The mobile device 10 has an information processing function as a computer having a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory, and is shown as a processing unit 14 and a storage unit 15 in the figure. For example, the program stored in the storage unit 15 is executed by the processing unit 14 in accordance with a signal input by the input operation unit 13, the information processing result is displayed on the display 11, and / or the speaker 12. The sound is output via

  The mobile device 10 has a communication function, and is shown as a communication unit 16 and an in-vehicle communication unit 17 in the figure. The communication unit 16 is connected to an external network 31 via an antenna and has a function of transmitting and receiving signals for voice call or data communication. In the figure, the Internet is shown as the external network 31, and the communication unit 16 can connect to the external server 32 via the Internet and perform data communication with the external server 32.

  The in-vehicle communication unit 17 is connected to the in-vehicle communication unit 27 of the in-vehicle device 20 mounted on the vehicle via predetermined wireless communication, and has a function of transmitting and receiving signals for data communication with the in-vehicle device 20. ing. Any appropriate short-range wireless communication method can be used as the predetermined wireless communication, and for example, Bluetooth can be used.

  Various applications (applications) are installed in the mobile device 10, and each application is realized by executing one or a plurality of programs stored in the storage unit 15. In this embodiment, an application for using a predetermined function of a predetermined device installed in the vehicle is mounted on the mobile device 10, and details thereof will be described later.

  The in-vehicle device 20 includes a display device 21 having a display screen for displaying data, a speaker 22 for outputting sound and sound, and an input device 23 for a user to input some data (signal) to the in-vehicle device. Yes. Here, the input device 23 includes a touch panel (touch panel display) configured on the display screen of the display device 21 and predetermined buttons and keys provided in the in-vehicle device 20. The display device 21 can be installed such that the touch panel display and operation units such as buttons and keys are incorporated in the dashboard of the vehicle so that the driver can visually recognize and operate the display device 21. Note that the input device 23 may include a microphone (not shown), and audio data may be input via the microphone.

  The in-vehicle device 20 includes a central processing unit (CPU) and an electronic control unit (ECU) that is a computer having a memory, and these are shown as a processing unit 24 and a storage unit 25 in the drawing. For example, the program stored in the storage unit 25 is executed by the processing unit 24 in accordance with a signal input by the input device 23, the result of the information processing is displayed on the display device 21, and / or a speaker. The sound is output via the terminal 22.

  Corresponding to the in-vehicle communication unit 17 provided in the mobile device 10, the in-vehicle device 20 is provided with the in-vehicle communication unit 27, and as described above, both are connected via a predetermined wireless communication. Can be done. For example, by bringing the portable device 10 into the vehicle, the portable device 10 can be connected to the in-vehicle device 20 via the in-vehicle communication units 17 and 27.

  A sensor 29 for detecting the traveling state of the vehicle is connected to the in-vehicle device 20. In this embodiment, the sensor 29 is a sensor for detecting the vehicle speed, and can be realized by, for example, a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a wheel speed sensor, or the like. The vehicle speed detected by the sensor 29 is passed to the processing unit 24. When detecting whether or not the vehicle is stopped, a parking brake sensor that detects whether or not the parking brake is operating may be used as the sensor 29 instead of the sensor that detects the vehicle speed. .

  FIG. 2 illustrates a processing unit 14 of the mobile device 10 and a processing unit of the in-vehicle device 10 in order to explain a basic communication form realized by the system including the in-vehicle device 20 linked to the mobile device 10 illustrated in FIG. 24 is a functional block. These functions are executed by the CPU. Also, memories 115 and 211 used for data processing are shown, and these are realized in the storage units 15 and 25, respectively.

  Various applications (applications) are mounted on the mobile device 10. For example, when executing a desired application in response to some input operation by the user, the application execution unit 111 reads a corresponding program from, for example, a nonvolatile memory (not shown) of the storage unit 15 or obtains it from an external network. Execute by doing. As a result of processing by the program, display screen data and / or audio data to be output is generated.

  A display screen typically includes content such as text (characters) and images, and GUI (graphical user interface) parts such as windows, dialog boxes, taskbars, buttons, check boxes, and text fields. . By designating desired text data in the program (the text data itself may be described or a file of the text data may be described), the text data can be drawn. The same applies to image data (for example, image data such as JPEG). Various GUI parts are provided as a library in advance by the OS (operating system) installed in the portable device 10 and stored in the storage unit 15, and a desired GUI part is designated in the program. The GUI part can be drawn. For example, in a Java program, a Button class can be drawn by defining a Button class in the program. Furthermore, the audio data can be reproduced by designating the audio data file in the program.

  When the application execution unit 111 executes the program, if there is an instruction to draw specified text and image data in the program, the application execution unit 111 outputs the drawing instruction to the display control unit 113. In response to this command, the display control unit 113 acquires the specified text and image data via, for example, the storage unit 15 or an external network, and obtains the data from the display screen memory 115 such as a VRAM. Output (draw). In addition, when the application execution unit 111 executes the program, if there is a GUI component specified in the program, the application execution unit 111 outputs the drawing command to the display control unit 113. In response to this, the display control unit 113 reads the designated GUI component from the storage unit 15 and outputs (draws) it to the memory 115. Furthermore, when the application execution unit 111 executes the program, if there is audio data designated in the program, the application execution unit 111 outputs a playback instruction for the audio data to the audio control unit 114. The voice control unit 114 acquires a designated voice data file via, for example, the storage unit 15 or an external network.

  The transmission / reception control unit 117 is provided to play a role as a device driver of the in-vehicle device 20 for the application of the mobile device 10, and its function can be realized by a software program. More specifically, the transmission / reception control unit 117 generates bitmap data (referred to as screen data) having the same resolution as the screen resolution of the display device 21 of the in-vehicle device 20 from the data for one screen stored in the memory 115. The audio data file obtained by the audio control unit 114 is received from the memory 115, and the screen data and audio data file are transmitted to the in-vehicle device 20 via the in-vehicle communication unit 17.

  Preferably, the transmission / reception control unit 117 acquires attribute information about the screen data (display screen) from the display control unit 113 and transmits this to the in-vehicle device 20 via the in-vehicle communication unit 17 together with the screen data. The attribute information is information used by the output control unit 213 to be described later when screen data is output to the display device 21 of the in-vehicle device 20. The attribute information can include, for example, the type of application (program), the number and type of requested input operations, the number of display items, the color of display items, the number of characters to be displayed, and the like. As described above, the display control unit 113 outputs the contents and GUI components constituting the display screen to the memory 115 in accordance with the drawing command output by executing the program. The attribute information can be acquired based on information from the display control unit 113.

  In this way, the screen data, the attribute information thereof, and the audio data are transmitted from the transmission / reception control unit 117 to the in-vehicle device 20 via the in-vehicle communication unit 17. The in-vehicle communication unit 27 of the in-vehicle device 20 receives these, temporarily stores the screen data and audio data in the memory 211, and passes the attribute information to the output control unit 213.

  The output control unit 213 controls the output mode of the received screen data and audio data to the display device 21 and the speaker 22 based on the received attribute information and the running state of the vehicle detected by the sensor 29. This control can be performed from the viewpoint of safety, for example. For example, based on the attribute information, the output control unit 213 determines whether the received screen data satisfies a predetermined condition determined from the viewpoint of safety. If the predetermined condition is satisfied, the received screen data is read from the memory 211 and output to the display device 21 as it is without being processed. If the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the received screen data is read out from the memory 211, processed to the extent that the predetermined condition is satisfied, and the processed screen data is displayed on the display device 21. Output above. When it is determined that the processing cannot be performed to such an extent that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the output of the screen data on the display device 21 is prohibited.

  In addition, the output control unit 213 determines whether the audio output satisfies the predetermined condition. If the predetermined condition is satisfied, the received audio data is read from the memory 211, reproduced as it is, and output through the speaker 22. If the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the output is delayed in time until the predetermined condition is satisfied. When it is determined that it is difficult to satisfy the predetermined condition, output of the audio data through the speaker 22 is prohibited.

  The predetermined conditions include, for example, (1) conditions based on the running state of the vehicle (vehicle speed obtained from the sensor 29, etc.), (2) conditions based on processing contents (application types, etc.) of the application (program), (3) Conditions based on display contents (number of items, color, etc.), (4) Conditions based on voice (timing of voice output, etc.) can be included. As described above, by providing the output control unit 213, the user in the vehicle can enjoy the service provided by the application of the mobile device with more peace of mind.

  For example, when a navigation application is mounted on the mobile device 10, the communication unit 16 further receives a signal (GPS signal) transmitted from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite via an antenna. Is also provided. If the external server 32 is a server (navigation server) that provides a navigation service, the processing unit 14 detects the current position from the received GPS signal through the execution of the navigation program, and the current position. Can be transmitted to the server 32 via the communication unit 16. In response to this, the server 32 transmits map data around the current position to the mobile device 10. The processing unit 14 receives the map data via the communication unit 16, generates a display screen in which the current position is superimposed on the map data, and stores the display screen in the memory 115. Here, the resolution of the screen data stored in the memory 115 is sufficiently large. The screen data having the same resolution as that of the display device 21 of the in-vehicle device 21 is cut out from the memory by the transmission / reception control unit 117 and sent to the in-vehicle device 20 together with the attribute information thereof. Thus, the map data around the host vehicle can be displayed on the display device 21 of the in-vehicle device 20. Similarly, the route to the destination can be calculated by the navigation function of the mobile device 10, and the map data on which the route to the destination is superimposed can be displayed on the display device 21 of the in-vehicle device 20. Since these displays satisfy a predetermined condition for ensuring the safety of the vehicle, for example, the driver of the vehicle can view the display screen provided by the navigation function on the display device 21 with peace of mind. can do. Thus, even when a dedicated navigation device is not installed in the vehicle, the navigation function of the mobile phone can be safely used as vehicle navigation.

  The screen data displayed on the display device 21 of the in-vehicle device 20 as described above may include a portion that requests an input operation such as key input or button selection. In this case, the user can perform an input operation via the input device 23 such as a touch panel of the display device 21 or a predetermined key. A signal corresponding to the input operation is transmitted to the mobile device 10 via the in-vehicle communication unit 27. The transmission / reception control unit 117 of the mobile device 10 receives the signal via the in-vehicle communication unit 17, converts it into a signal in a form that can be interpreted by the application execution unit 111 if necessary, and passes the signal to the application execution unit 111. The application execution unit 111 performs processing according to the signal in accordance with the currently executing program. As a result, when a new display screen is output, the screen data is transmitted from the transmission / reception control unit 117 to the in-vehicle device 20 together with the attribute information through the processing described above.

  As described above, the program execution of the application is performed by the mobile device 10, and the display screen and audio data generated as a result are output via the display device 21 and the speaker 22 of the in-vehicle device 20. At this time, the display screen and audio output to the display 11 and the speaker 12 of the portable device 10 may be prohibited. For example, the processing unit 14 of the mobile device 10 detects that the in-vehicle device 20 is connected, thereby giving a signal for prohibiting output to the display 11 and the speaker 12 to the display control unit 113 and the audio control unit 114. Can be output.

  In the above description, the data communication between the mobile device 10 and the in-vehicle device 20 has been described. However, the in-vehicle device 20 can also be used for the voice call function of the mobile device 10. For example, the mobile device 10 detects that it is connected to the in-vehicle device 20, and switches the input / output destination of audio data for performing a voice call to the in-vehicle device 20. When a voice call is connected to the outside by the mobile device 10, the voice data received by the mobile device 10 is transmitted to the in-vehicle device 20 and output through the speaker 22, and is input to the input device 23 of the in-vehicle device 20. Audio data input via the provided microphone is transmitted to the mobile device 10 and transmitted to the outside. Thus, the vehicle occupant can make a voice call in a hands-free manner. Note that the voice call may also be controlled by the output control unit 213.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the portable device and the in-vehicle device constitute an integrated system and can communicate with each other. Various applications of the portable device are executed, and the in-vehicle device Output can be obtained.

  However, the number of applications that can be mounted on a single mobile device is increasing due to the recent high functionality of mobile devices and the development of application development environments, and it may take time to select the necessary applications as appropriate. . In addition, by realizing functions related to various devices installed in a vehicle using an application installed in a portable device, the version of the application can be easily and inexpensively upgraded. Assuming that, it is desirable to reduce the man-hours and operation time required to use the application as much as possible. Therefore, the present invention realizes a technique for more efficiently and easily starting an application of a mobile device with respect to a specific function of a device installed in a vehicle, which will be described below.

  FIG. 3 shows a processing unit 14 of the portable device 10 and a processing unit of the in-vehicle device 20 for the above application activation system using the configuration described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention. 24 is represented by a functional block. The same blocks as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Note that the transmission / reception control unit 117 serving as a driver described with reference to FIG. 2 is necessary for data (signal) communication between the mobile device 10 and the in-vehicle device 20 here. Perform format conversion, etc.

  The vehicle is equipped with various devices. Corresponding to each of the predetermined devices 63 equipped, the function information holding unit 61 is preferably located near the position where the device 63 is equipped, or It is provided near a position related to the position where the device 63 is equipped.

  The function information holding unit 61 holds information (referred to as function information) for specifying a function provided in the corresponding device 63 and is preferably configured to be able to communicate with the mobile device 10. . In this embodiment, a wireless IC tag (also called a wireless tag or an IC tag) is used as the function information holding unit 61. As is well known, a wireless IC tag is a tag in which a memory in which information (data) is stored, a circuit for communicating the information, an antenna, and the like are embedded.

  The mobile device 10 has a function of reading information stored in the IC tag via wireless, and this is represented as a reading unit 41. For example, by bringing the mobile device 10 close to a predetermined range of the wireless IC tag, the reading unit 41 of the mobile device 10 can read the function information stored in the IC tag.

  In this embodiment, an IC tag is used for the function information holding unit 61. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the function information unit 61 may be any one that can read the held information by the mobile device 10. Can be realized. For example, a function such as a signal output unit configured to output a predetermined signal corresponding to predetermined function information can also be used as the function information unit 61. In this case, the correspondence between the signal and the function information is determined in advance, and the signal receiving unit provided in the mobile device 10 receives the signal output from the signal output unit and corresponds to the received signal. The function information to be determined can be determined.

  Further, any wireless communication method can be used to read the function information from the function information holding unit 61. For example, Bluetooth, IrDA (Infrared data association) using infrared rays, or the like may be used.

  Alternatively, a camera provided in the mobile device 10 may be used for the reading instead of using communication. For example, a barcode may be used as the function information holding unit 61 and read by the camera of the mobile device 10. In this case, the association between each barcode and the function information is determined in advance, and the mobile device 10 can determine the corresponding function information from the read barcode.

  It is preferable that the function information holding unit 61 holds information specifying a function that is used frequently by the user, that is, a function having a relatively high need. As will be described later, the function information holding unit 61 improves the operability by the user regarding the use of the function specified by the unit 61. Therefore, by using the unit 61 for such a function with high needs, Further convenience improvement can be achieved.

  In this embodiment, an air conditioner (air conditioner) device, an ETC terminal device (ETC vehicle-mounted device), a car navigation device, and a car audio device are used as the device 63 mounted on the vehicle. Furthermore, in this embodiment, an electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling the traveling of the vehicle is also treated here as a device 63 equipped on the vehicle. For example, such an electronic control device includes an ECU for controlling a power source (engine, motor, or both) of a vehicle and various mechanisms (accelerator pedal, brake pedal, steering wheel) related to the power source. ECU etc. for controlling a battery etc. can be included. A wireless IC tag is assigned as a function information holding unit 61 to each device.

  Here, referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, there is shown an example of the location of the function information holding unit 61 of each of these devices, that is, the wireless IC tag in the vehicle in this embodiment. Reference numeral 81 denotes an area in the vicinity of the air outlet 91 from the air conditioner, and a wireless IC tag for the air conditioner apparatus is installed in the area 81 (can be installed at any place in the area 81). When the portable device 10 is brought close to the area 81, the portable device 10 can communicate with the wireless IC tag for the air conditioner device and read the function information held in the tag. Similarly, reference numeral 82 denotes an area in the vicinity of the ETC terminal apparatus 91, and a wireless IC tag for the ETC terminal apparatus is installed in this area 82.

  In this embodiment, a predetermined insertion port 93 is provided near the display device 21 provided on the dashboard 36, and the portable device 10 can be installed here. Reference numeral 83 denotes an area around the insertion port 93, where a wireless IC tag for a car navigation apparatus is installed. Since the screen (such as map data) of the car navigation device is displayed on the display device 21, in this embodiment, a wireless IC tag for the car navigation device is provided near the display device 21. Preferably, the wireless IC tag is configured so that the mobile device 10 can read the function information of the wireless IC tag for the car navigation device 21 in response to the mobile device 10 being installed in the insertion port 93. Installed.

  Reference numeral 84 denotes an area in the storage box 94 provided on the dashboard 36, where a wireless IC tag for a car audio device is installed. When listening to music or the like via the car audio device, it is considered that the operation of the portable device 10 is unnecessary. In this embodiment, the wireless IC tag for the car audio device is placed in the storage box 94. Provided. Alternatively, a wireless IC tag for a car audio device may be provided, for example, near any speaker of the audio device.

  Further, reference numeral 85 denotes an area where the engine room of the vehicle is disposed, in which the above-described wireless IC tag for an electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling the traveling of the vehicle is installed. (In this case, the tag may be located outside the bonnet or inside the hood, that is, on the engine room side). Since traveling of the vehicle is realized by a power source (engine, motor, etc.) in the engine room, in this embodiment, a wireless IC tag for an electronic control device for controlling the traveling is provided near the engine room. Yes.

In this embodiment, the function information holding unit (wireless IC tag) 61 of each device holds the following function information.
1) Wireless IC tag for air conditioner device: Air conditioner temperature and air volume setting 2) Wireless IC tag for ETC terminal device: Acquisition of ETC usage history 3) Wireless IC tag for car navigation device: Start of navigation function 4) Car Wireless IC tag for audio device: automatic reproduction of music stored in portable device 10 5) Wireless IC tag for electronic control device for controlling vehicle travel: acquisition of maintenance information

  As described above, the information held in the function information holding unit 61 is data indicating a specific function among various functions provided in the device 63 corresponding to the function information holding unit 61. Therefore, in the case of 1), the wireless IC tag for the air conditioner apparatus holds data indicating the temperature and air volume setting functions among various functions provided in the air conditioner apparatus.

  In the case of the above 2), the wireless IC tag for the ETC terminal device holds data indicating the function of acquiring the ETC usage history among the functions provided in the ETC terminal device. In the case of the above 3), the wireless IC tag for the car navigation device holds data indicating the function for starting the navigation function. In the case of the above 4), the wireless IC tag for the car audio device holds data indicating the automatic playback function of music stored in a predetermined storage area of the mobile device 10.

  In the case of the above 5), predetermined maintenance information (for example, maintenance information on the battery, etc.) among the functions of the electronic control device is acquired in the wireless IC tag for the electronic control device for controlling the running of the vehicle. Data indicating the function is held.

  Returning to FIG. 3, the user holds the function information holding unit 61 by the reading unit 41 of the portable device 10 by bringing the portable device 10 close to the function information holding unit 61 indicating the desired function to be used. Functional information is read. The storage unit 15 of the mobile device 10 stores in advance a program for realizing a function specified by the function information held in each function information holding unit 61. The application execution unit 111 reads a program corresponding to the function information read by the reading unit 41 from the storage unit 15 and executes it. In this way, the user can automatically start an application (program) that realizes a desired function simply by bringing the portable device 10 close to the desired function information holding unit 61.

  After the program is started by the application execution unit 111, the application execution unit 111 instructs to establish a communication connection with the in-vehicle device 20 via the transmission / reception control unit 117. This instruction may be performed via a started program, or may be performed via a program separate from the started program. In response to this instruction, the transmission / reception control unit 117 establishes a communication connection with the device communication unit 43 of the in-vehicle device 20 via the in-vehicle communication units 17 and 27. The device communication unit 43 operates to interface communication between the portable device 10 and various equipped devices 63. Therefore, the mobile device 10 can establish a communication connection with the corresponding device 63 via the device communication unit 43 of the in-vehicle device 20. Thereafter, the program activated in accordance with the function information of the function information holding unit 61 can exchange information with the corresponding device 63 via the device communication unit 43 as necessary.

  For example, when the user desires to set the temperature of the air conditioner 63, the portable device 10 is brought close to the wireless IC tag 61 installed in the area 81 (FIG. 4). The portable device 10 reads function information such as temperature and air volume setting from the wireless IC tag 61, and automatically reads and activates a program corresponding to the function information, that is, a program for setting the temperature and air volume of the air conditioner. The program is a program that allows the user to set the temperature and the air volume. After the program is started, a communication connection is established between the mobile device 10 and the in-vehicle device 20, and as a result, between the mobile device 10 and the air conditioner device 63 via the device communication unit 43 of the in-vehicle device 20. A communication connection is established. The program uses the communication connection to acquire data indicating the currently set temperature and air volume from the air conditioner 63, and, for example, the portable device 10 together with a screen for changing the temperature and air volume. Is displayed on the display 11. The user can change the temperature and the air volume on the screen as necessary while checking the current temperature and the air volume. If the operation for changing the temperature and the air volume is performed, the program sends data indicating the change contents addressed to the air conditioner device 63 to the in-vehicle device 20 via the transmission / reception control unit 117. The device communication unit 43 of the in-vehicle device 20 passes the data to the air conditioner device 63 that is the destination. The air conditioner device 63 changes the temperature and the air volume in response to the reception of the data.

  In this way, a user who desires to change the temperature or air volume of an air conditioner automatically activates an application (program) for the change by simply bringing the portable device 10 close to the area 81 near the air outlet of the air conditioner. The temperature or the air volume can be changed through the activated application. The user does not need to search for an application for changing the temperature or air volume from among tens to hundreds of applications installed in the mobile device 10.

  In addition, since the function information holding unit 61 holds data indicating a specific function among various functions of the corresponding device, an application that directly realizes the specific function can be activated. Therefore, the user does not need to search for an application related to a desired function among various functions related to the device. For example, when an application that realizes various functions related to an air conditioner is activated, it is necessary to search for a specific function from the application, and it takes time to realize the specific function. By using the function information holding unit 61, such trouble can be saved.

  Further, a function information holding unit 61 for the air conditioner device is provided near the air outlet 91 of the air conditioner device, a function information holding unit 61 for the ETC terminal device is provided near the ETC terminal device, and so on. Since the information holding unit 61 is provided in the vicinity of the corresponding device or a position related to the device, the user can intuitively determine which function of which equipment the installed function information holding unit 61 relates to. Easy to grasp. Therefore, it is possible to intuitively recognize a place where the mobile device 10 is brought closer to the automatic activation of an application having a desired function.

  In the form described with reference to FIG. 2, the screen and audio data from the application of the mobile device 10 are transferred to the transmission / reception control unit 117 via the display control unit 113 and the audio control unit 114, and then the in-vehicle device. 20, and output to the display device 21 or the speaker 22 of the vehicle by the output control unit 213. However, as described above, the screen and audio data from the application described automatically with reference to the function information from the function information unit 61 in the form described with reference to FIG. Instead of being output to, it may be output to the display 11 or the speaker 12 of the mobile device 10. In this case, the application execution unit 111 displays a screen on the display 11 via the display control unit 113 and outputs sound or voice to the speaker 12 via the voice control unit 114. By carrying out like this, the portable apparatus 10 can be used as a remote control terminal of the apparatus 63 with which the vehicle was equipped. Even when the vehicle is not equipped with the display device 21 (for example, when the car navigation device is not installed, the display device 21 may not be equipped), the function information from the function information unit 61 is provided. The functions provided by the application that is automatically started can be operated while viewing the display 11 of the mobile device 10, so that convenience is improved.

  However, instead of the display 11 and the speaker 12 of the mobile device 10, or in addition to the display 11 and the speaker 12, a screen or an application screen that is automatically activated by the function information from the function information unit 61. Audio data may be output to the display device 21 or the speaker 22 of the in-vehicle device 20 by the method described with reference to FIG. Thus, the user can perform a predetermined input operation via the input device 23 on the screen displayed on the display device 21 and the sound output from the speaker 22, and a signal (data) corresponding to the input operation is obtained. And transmitted to the portable device 10 via the in-vehicle communication unit 27. The application execution unit 111 performs processing according to the signal received via the transmission / reception control unit 117 of the mobile device 10 in accordance with the program currently being executed.

  Thus, although the present invention is premised on the form as shown in FIG. 2 in one embodiment, it is noted that the invention can be applied to other forms in which the display device 21 is not provided in the vehicle. I want.

  For reference, specific examples 2) to 5) will be further described.

  Regarding the above 2), when the user desires to refer to the ETC usage history, the portable device 10 is brought close to the wireless IC tag 61 installed in the area 82 (FIG. 4). The mobile device 10 reads function information “acquisition of ETC usage history” from the wireless IC tag 61, and automatically reads out and starts a program corresponding to the function information, that is, a program for acquiring the ETC usage history. The program is a program that makes it possible to acquire a past usage history of ETC via the ETC terminal device 92 and display it to the user. After the program is started, a communication connection is established between the mobile device 10 and the in-vehicle device 20, and as a result, the mobile device 10 and the ETC terminal device 92 via the device communication unit 43 of the in-vehicle device 20 are connected. In the meantime, a communication connection is established. In this embodiment, the ETC terminal device 92 has a function of acquiring an ETC usage history from, for example, an inserted ETC card. The activated program receives the usage history data acquired by the ETC terminal device 92 from the ETC terminal device 92 using the communication connection, and displays a screen displaying the usage history as the mobile device 10. Is displayed on the display 11. In this way, the user can easily browse the ETC usage history on the mobile device 10.

  As for 3) above, when the user desires to use the navigation function, the mobile device 10 is installed in the insertion port 93 installed in the region 83 (FIG. 3). With this installation, the portable device 10 reads out the function information of the start of the navigation function from the wireless IC tag 61 in the area 83 and automatically executes a program corresponding to the function information, that is, a program for starting the car navigation device. Read and start automatically. After the program is started, a communication connection is established between the mobile device 10 and the in-vehicle device 20, and as a result, a car navigation device (not shown) is connected via the mobile device 10 and the device communication unit 43 of the in-vehicle device 20. Communication connection is established. The program uses the communication connection to start the car navigation device and instruct to switch the display on the display device 21 for navigation. In response to this, the car navigation device detects the current position of the vehicle, acquires map data around the current position (for example, from the storage device 25 or from an external server), and on the map data, A screen on which the mark indicating the current position is superimposed is displayed on the display device 21. In this way, when a dedicated car navigation device is mounted on the vehicle, the user can automatically activate the device to automatically display map data including the current position.

  Some recent portable devices have a navigation application installed as described above. Also in this case, the method of the present invention can be applied. For example, the navigation program stored in the mobile device 10 is automatically read out and activated in response to reading out the function information indicating the start of the navigation function from the wireless IC tag 61. In this case, the display device 21 of the vehicle can be considered as the device 63 installed in the vehicle described above. As a result, a communication connection is established between the mobile device 10 and the display device 21 via the device communication unit 43 of the in-vehicle device 20. Thereby, the display device 21 can be switched so as to display only the data received via the device communication unit 43 and not to display data from other devices. The program detects the current position of the vehicle, acquires map data from an external server 32, generates screen data in which a mark indicating the current position is superimposed on the map data, Send to 20. The device communication unit 43 of the in-vehicle device 20 displays the screen data on the display device 21. When the user performs an input operation on the screen data displayed on the display device 21, the data representing the operation is sent to the mobile device 10 via the device communication unit 43 and passed to the navigation program. . In this case, the output control unit 213 described with reference to FIG. 2 is provided between the device communication unit 43 and the display device 21 as the device 63 so as to control the output on the display device 21. It may be.

  As for the above 4), when the user desires to use the automatic playback function of the song stored in the mobile device 10, the mobile device 10 can communicate with the wireless IC tag 61 installed in the area 84. Into the dashboard storage box 94. The mobile device 10 reads out the function information of automatic reproduction of music from the wireless IC tag 61, and reads out and reproduces the program corresponding to the function information, that is, the music stored in a predetermined storage area of the mobile device 10. The program is automatically read and started. After the program is started, a communication connection is established between the mobile device 10 and the in-vehicle device 20, and as a result, the car audio device (not shown) is connected to the mobile device 10 via the device communication unit 43 of the in-vehicle device 20. Communication connection is established. The program reads music data stored in the storage area and transmits it to the in-vehicle device 20. The device communication unit 43 of the in-vehicle device 20 passes the received song data to the car audio device. The car audio device reproduces the song and outputs it via the speaker 22 in response to the reception of the song data. Also in this case, the output control unit 213 described with reference to FIG. 2 is provided between the device communication unit 43 and the car audio device as the device 63 so as to control the output to the speaker 22. May be. Thus, audio data such as music stored on the mobile device 10 can be automatically reproduced in the vehicle via the car audio device 63.

  As for the above 5), when the user desires to obtain maintenance information, the mobile device 10 is brought close to the wireless IC tag 61 installed in the area 85. For example, the portable device 10 can be brought close to the wireless IC tag 61 disposed on the hood outside the vehicle. The mobile device 10 reads out the function information “acquisition of maintenance information” from the wireless IC tag 61, automatically acquires a program corresponding to the function information, that is, a program for acquiring the maintenance information and displaying it to the user. Read to start. After the program is started, a communication connection is established between the mobile device 10 and the in-vehicle device 20, and as a result, the vehicle travel is controlled via the mobile device 10 and the device communication unit 43 of the in-vehicle device 20. A communication connection is established with a predetermined electronic control device (not shown). The electronic control unit has a function of acquiring predetermined maintenance information (for example, the current battery charge amount, engine oil level, etc.). The activated program receives maintenance information acquired by the electronic control device from the electronic control device via the device communication unit 43 of the in-vehicle device 20, and this is received on the display 11 of the portable device 10. indicate. The acquisition of maintenance information by the electronic control device may be performed in real time in response to a request from the mobile device 10, or may be periodically checked and stored. In this way, the user can easily check the maintenance information of the vehicle by browsing the maintenance information. By using the display 11 of the portable device 10, the maintenance information can be confirmed even outside the vehicle.

  The types of device and function information that are mounted on the vehicle are examples, and the present invention can be applied to various desired devices and specific functions thereof. For example, a television receiver (television tuner) can be provided in a vehicle and the display device 21 can be used as a television screen. Information indicating a function of receiving a broadcast from a predetermined station is associated with the television receiver. A held function information holding unit 61 is provided. By bringing the mobile device 10 close to the unit 61, the program for receiving the broadcast of the predetermined station is started in the mobile device 10. After starting the program, a communication connection is established between the mobile device 10 and the in-vehicle device 20, and as a result, between the mobile device 10 and the television receiver via the device communication unit 43 of the in-vehicle device 20, A communication connection is established. The program can transmit data requesting reception of the broadcast of the predetermined station to the television receiver via the device communication unit 43. In response to the request, the television receiver can start receiving the broadcast from the predetermined station and display the received broadcast data on the display device 21 of the vehicle. In this way, it is possible to automatically display the broadcast content of a desired station simply by bringing the mobile device 10 close to the corresponding function information holding unit 61.

  In the above-described embodiment, one function information holding unit 61 is provided for one device 63. Alternatively, a plurality of function information holding units 61 may be provided for one device 63. For example, in association with the audio device, as described above, the function information holding unit 61 indicating the function of automatically reproducing the music from the portable device, and the radio provided in the audio device are activated to set a predetermined station. A function information holding unit 61 indicating a function to receive can be provided. The function to be automatically activated can be switched depending on which unit 61 the portable device 10 is brought closer to.

  FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of an application auto-launch process according to one embodiment of the present invention. The process can be executed by the CPU of the mobile device 10 at predetermined time intervals.

  In step S <b> 11, it is determined whether or not the function information of any function information unit 61 has been read by the reading unit 41 of the mobile device 10. If this determination is No, the application is not automatically started, and the process is exited. If this judgment is Yes, it will progress to Step S12.

  In step S12, a program corresponding to the function information read in step S11 is read from the storage unit 15 and executed. In step S13, a communication connection is established with the in-vehicle device 20, and a communication connection is established with the device 63 corresponding to the read function information via the in-vehicle device 20. In step S14, according to the program, the portable device 10 exchanges necessary information with the device 63 to realize the function indicated by the read function information.

  As described above, for example, if the read function information indicates the function of setting the temperature and air volume of the air conditioner device, a communication connection is established between the portable device 10 and the air conditioner device via the in-vehicle device 20. The currently set temperature and air volume data is transmitted from the air conditioner to the portable device 10 and displayed to the user, or the temperature and air volume data set by the user on a predetermined change screen is sent to the air conditioner. The temperature and the air volume of the air conditioner can be changed. In this way, the user can set the temperature and the air volume of the air conditioner with a small number of man-hours and a short operation time.

  As described above, specific embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

10 Mobile device 11 Display (touch panel)
12 Speaker 13 Input Operation Unit 20 In-vehicle Device 21 Display Device 23 Input Device 22 Speaker

Claims (4)

An in-vehicle device that is mounted on a vehicle and communicates with a portable device having an information processing function;
A function information holding means for holding function information for specifying the function of the device equipped in the vehicle,
The portable device corresponds to the application so that the user can use the application corresponding to the function information by reading the function information held by the function information holding unit of the equipped device. Automatically starting the program to be established, and after the activation, establishing a connection with the equipped device via the in-vehicle device,
system.   The system according to claim 1, wherein the portable device communicates information about the equipped device necessary for execution of the program via the established connection with the device via the in-vehicle device. . The device equipped in the vehicle includes any one of an air conditioner device, an ETC terminal device, a car audio device, a television receiver, a car navigation device, a display device, and an electronic control device for controlling the vehicle.
The system according to claim 1 or 2. The reading of the function information is performed between the portable device and the function information holding unit using any one of communication using an IC tag, wireless communication, and infrared communication.
The system according to claim 1.

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