WO2007003585A1

WO2007003585A1 - A method for managing data of a vehicle traveling data recorder

Info

Publication number: WO2007003585A1
Application number: PCT/EP2006/063711
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bao Tang; Dong Ping Wang; Yi Ling Wang
Original assignee: Siemens Vdo Automotive Ag
Priority date: 2005-06-30
Filing date: 2006-06-30
Publication date: 2007-01-11
Also published as: EP1908025A1; BRPI0612600A2; CN1889037A

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for managing data of vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) , in which at least one smart card component, at least one vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component, at least one database component, at least one user interface component are set in a vehicle traveling data recorder data management system (VDRDMS) , wherein a mediator component is used to connect the smart card component, the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component, the database component and the user interface component in the vehicle traveling data recorder data management system (VDRDMS) , and each said component communicates with said other components through said mediator component. A communication protocol between the mediator component and the other components is defined. This method enables the change of connection of the components from a web-like structure to a star-like structure, and reduces the connection complexity between components and inter-dependency between components, so as to enhance the scalability of the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) software system.

Description

A Method for Managing Data of a Vehicle Traveling Data Recorder

I. Technical Field

This invention relates to a method for managing data, and more particularly, to a method for managing data of a vehicle traveling data recorder.

II. Technical Background

A vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) is an electronic device for recording a vehicle' s traveling speed, time, mileage and other status information. The formation of a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) system is shown in Fig. 1. The figure includes a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) device mentioned above which is usually fitted on-board, a card reader, a series of cards (such as a workshop card, a driver's card and a company card) adapted for using with the card reader, and a computer.

A vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system (VDRDMS) is a piece of application software under

Windows environment operating in the above computer, which was developed in accordance with the national standards for vehicle traveling recorders, GB/T 19056-2003. A vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system (VDRDMS) exchanges data with a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) device by communication via a serial port (COM) or a USB port, and it can also exchange data with a driver' s card or a company card by communication via the USB port; and by way of a user-friendly graphic interface, it provides to users functions such as data communication, data display (tables and graphs) , data searching, data statistics, data printing, historical data analysis and management, etc.

The vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system (VDRDMS) software running in a computer (usually a PC) generally comprises a smart card component, a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component, a database component and a user interface component. The functions of the above devices and components are as follows:

Card Reader: a device for reading various categories of cards in a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) system, usually adapted to these cards;

Driver Card: a device for identifying the status of a driver using a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) system;

Workshop Card: a device for identifying the status of an engineer in a workshop responsible for setting the parameters of a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) system;

Company Card: a device for collecting data in a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) system; Smart Card Component: a functional entity responsible for communicating with a card reader and a smart card; vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) Communication

Component: a functional entity responsible for communicating with a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) ; Database Component: for storing a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) system's full historical records, workshop activities and driver information;

User Interface Component: a component for connecting the terminal user and vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) system.

Currently, there are the following main problems in the above vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) system:

Firstly, there is the issue of interface complexity between the components. There are, respectively, a number of data interfaces, control interfaces and security interfaces in each of the above components, and therefore there are, respectively, a number of data links, control links and security links between any of the above components and all the other components. For example, there are at least 10 data interfaces existing in the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component, which means that the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component has to exchange with the other components at least 10 types of data; and there are at least 7 types of data existing in a driver card, which means that the driver card has to exchange with the other components at least 7 types of data. In addition to the data interfaces, there exist in each component the control interfaces, such as those interfaces to open or shut the component, or to judge the component's status as open or shut. Furthermore, there are in the driver card or the workshop card interfaces relating to security, such as for changing passwords, for verifying passwords, etc.

Due to the existence of a large number of interfaces and links, the components in a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) system form a complicated web-like connection, and these interfaces and connections are so complicated that it is disadvantageous for maintenance at a later stage and for locating any problem once it is found. Furthermore, in view of a distributed environment in future, how to manage these interfaces and to adapt them to a future distributed environment is another urgent problem to be solved.

Secondly, there is the issue of inter-dependency between the components. The inter-dependency between the components is shown in many aspects, for example, the data in the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component are displayed via the user interface component, while the data are stored in the database component. Furthermore, the data in a driver card need to be synchronized with the data in the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) . Such inter-dependency between the components further increases the system' s complexity.

Thirdly, there is the issue of vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) system scalability. When assessing a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) system's scalability, it is necessary to consider the following three aspects: firstly, if a new component is to be introduced into the above system, such as a USB stick, a company card, a police card, etc., whether the design is still effective and whether it can be easily adapted to suit the changes. Secondly, in a distributed environment, such as when the database component is located in a remote server, or a user interface is a web page, whether the design is still effective and whether it can be easily adapted to suit the changes . Thirdly, in order to make it convenient to be used by different terminal users, the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) system needs to develop different versions. For example, to a company fleet, it is needed to develop a system version to collect vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) data and to manage driver cards; to a workshop, it is needed to develop a system version for standardized vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) data and to manage workshop cards; while to an authority, it is needed to develop a system version to create workshop cards and to distribute the workshop cards. To these different versions for different terminal users, whether the design is still effective and whether it can be easily adapted to suit the changes, it should change.

The current vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) systems suffer the above mentioned problems of complicated interfaces between components, high inter-dependency between components and bad scalability, etc., which to a certain degree have restricted the wide application of the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) systems.

III. Contents of the Invention

The main object of this invention is to provide a design method for a vehicle travelling data recorder' s data management software system, which can solve the problem of complicated interfaces between the components in this software system, and at the same time to eliminate the inter-dependency between the components in this software system and also to give this software system a good scalability.

To realize the above object, the technical solution according to this invention is realized as follows: a method for managing data of a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) , in which at least one smart card component, at least one vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component, at least one database component and at least one user interface component are set in a vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system (VDRDMS) , and according to this invention, a mediator component is further set in the vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system (VDRDMS) , so that said smart card component, said vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component, said database component and said user interface component are connected respectively via said mediator component to said other components.

According to one aspect of this invention, a communication protocol between the mediator component and the other components is defined.

According to another aspect of this invention, the communication protocol between the mediator component and the other components includes a target component parameter for identifying the other components which communicate with the mediator component; a communication port parameter for identifying the port used by the other components to communicate with external equipment; a communication category parameter for identifying the category of communication between the mediator component and the other components; and a communication command parameter for identifying the communication command between the mediator component and the other components. According to yet another aspect of this invention, as to the data interfaces, the communication protocol between the mediator component and the other components further includes at least one input parameter for identifying the parameter input from the external equipment to the other components; at least one output parameter for identifying the parameter output from the other components to the external equipment. As to the control interfaces and security interfaces, the input parameter and output parameter may exist, but also may not exist.

The target component that communicates with the mediator component can be the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component, the smart card component, the database component or the user interface component. The mediator component, the smart card component, the database component and the user interface component are all abstract components. The vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component can be an abstract component, but also a concrete component. If the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component is a concrete component, then there exists at least one vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component. As to the different versions of the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) system, the above components can be used to create concrete examples and to form different configurations or different star-like topological structures.

According to yet another aspect of this invention, the value range of the communication port parameter is from COMl to COM255, and a USB port. The communication category parameter for the communication between the mediator component and a target component can be a data parameter, a control parameter or a security parameter. Corresponding to each parameter for a category of communication between the components, there is a different communication command parameter.

According to another aspect of this invention, the smart card component has a layered sub-structure. The layered substructure includes an interface layer, an abstract card layer, a card operation system instruction layer and a card communication layer. The interface layer provides to the mediator component all the functions for managing the smart card; the abstract card layer includes a card data part and a card security part, with the card data defining an abstract card, and in different versions, the abstract card is able to create concrete examples, and with the card security providing functions relevant to security, including changing a password, decoding a password, authenticating a card and locking a card; the card operation system instruction layer provides to the abstract card layer a card operation system usable instruction; and the card communication layer provides a standard PC/SC instruction set.

According to yet another aspect of this invention, the smart card component includes a workshop card, a driver card, a company card and a police card.

It can be seen from the above solution that the key point of this invention is that an mediator mode is utilized in the vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system

(VDRDMS) of this invention, and this mediator mode is converted into an independent mediator component.

It can be seen that, in the method of the mediator mode utilized in the vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system (VDRDMS) provided by this invention, there are the following advantages and features:

(1) by introducing the mediator mode into the vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system

(VDRDMS) according to this invention, the connection between the components is changed from the web-like structure in prior art into the star-like structure in this invention, which has significantly reduced the degree of complexity in the connection between the components;

(2) due to the introduction of the mediator mode by this invention, the inter-dependency between the components is reduced, so any upgrade of each component would not affect the other components and at the same time it is easier to manage the components, which is particularly advantageous to the system' s maintenance at a later stage and to locate a problem once it is found;

(3) by defining the communication protocol between the mediator component and the other components in this invention, three interface categories, i.e. the data category, the control category and the security category, are defined for each component, so that the interface number in each component and the connection link number between the components are simplified and the same category of commands can be transferred through the same category of interfaces in similar manners, which makes it easy to reuse the interfaces;

(4) by adopting a layered sub-structure in the smart card component of this invention, the abstract card layer in this sub-structure includes a card data part, which allows the smart card component to be created into different card categories in application, so as to significantly enhance the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) software system's scalability.

(5) the introduction of the mediator mode by this invention has reduced the inter-dependency between the components, so that when the components in this software system are put into a distributed environment, the communication protocol between the components defined by this invention is not changed, and this software design can still be used, making it suitable for applications in future distributed systems; and

(6) as to different requirements by different user groups, different mediator components and user interface components are used in this invention, and at the same time, different smart cards, databases, or vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) devices are assembled and configured by the mediator component into an integrated assembly, so that different software systems can be produced according to different user groups to fully satisfy the demands of different user groups.

IV. Description of accompanying drawings

Fig. 1 is an illustrating diagram of the system structure of a vehicle traveling data recorder.

Fig. 2 is an illustrating diagram of the design method for the data management software of a vehicle traveling data recorder in this invention.

V. Embodiments

This vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system (VDRDMS) is a piece of application software under a Windows environment, which was developed in accordance with the national standards for motor vehicle traveling recorders, GB/T 19056-2003. The embodiments of this invention are built on the basis of the design method for the data management software of a vehicle traveling data recorder as shown in the illustrating diagram of Fig. 2.

In Fig. 2, the external system includes a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR), a card reader and various cards, such as workshop card, driver card, company card, etc. The vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system

(VDRDMS) communicates and exchanges data with the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component via a serial port (COM RS232) or a USB port; also communicates and exchanges data via the USB port with the smart card component, such as a driver card or a company card; and via a user- friendly graphic interface provides to a user data communication, data display (tables and graphs), data search, data statistics, data printing, historical data analysis and management, and other functions. The vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component and the smart card component are device-related software components. Due to the introduction of a mediator component into the vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system (VDRDMS) by this invention, the other components such as the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component, the smart card component, the database component and the user interface component, are all in communication via the mediator component, therefore the mediator component plays the role of a control logic component. A user operates on a PC via a user interface.

This invention is described hereinbelow by the embodiments, but these embodiments are not in any way to limit the scope of this invention.

Embodiment 1: a user interface requests the locking of a workshop card.

A vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system (VDRDMS) comprises a smart card component, a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component, a database component and a user interface component, and according to this invention, the vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system (VDRDMS) further comprises a mediator component. Due to the existence of this mediator component, any of the other components is connected to the mediator component via three interfaces, therefore all the components form a star-like structure with the mediator component at the center. These three interfaces are, respectively, a data interface, a control interface and a security interface. During the practical operation of the system, except the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component, all the other abstract components can be made into concrete examples. The definition of locking is to write the data on a user interface into a workshop card, and once it is written in, it would no longer be able to write again. If a user interface requests the locking of a workshop card, the user interface issues a command first to examine whether the workshop card is in existence and whether it is a legal workshop card; if the workshop card is not in existence or is not qualified, no further operation will be performed. If the workshop card exists and is a qualified one, the data on the user interface will be written into this workshop card.

The mediator component coordinates all of the following operations, and all these operations are performed through the mediator component. The write-in process is divided into three parts, this is because the data interface can write only one piece of data each time, the write-in process can only be completed by writing through the data interface three times. These three writing procedures are respectively an application identification procedure for reporting to the system the information such as card category, etc.; an identification procedure for reporting to the system the information about card number, the person who has issued the card, the effective date of the card, etc.; and a workshop information procedure for reporting to the system the workshop information. After having written the above data from the user interface into the workshop card, the above data are written from the user interface into the database, as a backup of the above data. Then an operation return value, such as write-success, write- failure, abnormality-occurred, etc. is sent via the mediator component back to the user interface, informing the user interface the results of the write-operation.

Embodiment 2: communication between the mediator component and the other components.

The vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system (VDRDMS) comprises a smart card component, a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component, a database component and a user interface component, and according to this invention, the vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system (VDRDMS) further comprises a mediator component. In the vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system (VDRDMS) of this invention, a communication protocol between the mediator component and the other components is defined as follows:

public SErrRec function_name (EDevicelD eDID, EPortID ePID, ECmdType eCType, ECmdID eCID, object inObj, ref object outObj)

wherein : ^λSErrRec' is a return value, indicating whether the communication between the mediator component and the other components is a success or failure. ^λEDeviceID eDID' is a parameter of a target component, which is the target component being in communication with the mediator component. This target component being in communication with the mediator component can be the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component, the smart card component, the database component or the user interface component. Except the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component, the mediator component, the smart card component, the database component and the user interface component are all abstract components. During the communication process, an abstract component can create a concrete example. ^λEPortID ePID' is a communication port parameter for identifying the port used by the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) software system in communicating with external equipment. The value range of the communication port parameter is an integer from 1 to 255, including 1 and 255 or it is the

USB port. ^λECmdType eCType' is a communication category parameter for identifying the category of the communication between the mediator component and the target component. This communication category parameter can be a data parameter, a control parameter or a security parameter. ^λECmdID eCID' is a communication command parameter for identifying the command for communication between the components. Corresponding to each communication category parameter between the components, there is a different communication command parameter. ^λobject inObj' is an input parameter for identifying the input from the external equipment into the components. ^λobject outObj' is an output parameter for identifying the output from the components to the external equipment.

Embodiment 3: adding new component or card into the system.

The vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system (VDRDMS) comprises a smart card component, a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component, a database component and a user interface component, and according to this invention, the vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system (VDRDMS) further comprises a mediator component. The smart card component comprises company card, workshop card or driver card. Adding a device into the vehicle traveling data recorder data management software system (VDRDMS) includes two cases, i.e. adding a component and adding a card.

If a new component (not a smart card component) is added into the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) system, changes are only needed for those components which are affected, and no change is necessary for the other components. For example, if a new USB stick is added into the system, changes are only necessary for the mediator component, the user interface component and the database component, and no change is needed for the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component and the smart card component.

The smart card component is a layered sub-structure. The layered sub-structure includes an interface layer, an abstract card layer, a card operating system instruction layer and a card communication layer. The interface layer provides all the functions for card management; the abstract card layer includes a card data part and a card security part, and the card data part defines an abstract card CCard as follows:

public abstract clsss CCard

{ public abstract SErrRec GetData (ECmdID eCID, ref OiJ jocL outOb j) ; publ-_c abstract SErrRec SetData (ECmdID eCID, ooηect inObj) ; public aostract SErrRec GetID (ref string strID); }

If a new card is added into the system, such as a company card, or a police card, changes are only necessary to the mediator component, the smart card component, the user interface component and the database component, while no change is needed to the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component; furthermore, since it is defined an abstract card layer in the smart card component, it is only necessary to define a sub-category for the police card or the company card. The current workshop card ^λCWSCard' or the driver card ^λCDrvCard' was done in this manner as a definition expansion.

public class CWSCard : CCard public class CDrvCard : CCard

The other parts of the smart card can be re-used. The card security provides security-related functions, such as changing password, decoding password, card authentication and card locking; the card operation system instruction layer provides instructions which can be used by the card operation system, and provides these instructions for serving the abstract card layer; and the card communication layer provides a standard PC/SC instruction set, helping different companies to communicate with one another.

This invention is described above by way of embodiments, and those skilled in the art would be able to make alterations without departing from the spirit of this invention, and such alterations would be within the scope of the claims attached herewith.

Claims

1. A method for managing data of a vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) , wherein at least one smart card component, at least one vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component, at least one database component and at least one user interface component are set in a vehicle traveling data recorder data management system (VDRDMS) , characterized in that a mediator component is used to connect the smart card component, the vehicle traveling data recorder (VDR) communication component, the database component and the user interface component in the vehicle traveling data recorder data management system (VDRDMS) , and each said component communicates with other components through said mediator component .

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that a communication protocol between the mediator component and the other components is defined.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that the communication protocol between the mediator component and the other components includes a target component parameter for identifying any other component which communicates with the mediator component; a communication port parameter for identifying the port used by the other component to communicate with external equipment; a communication category parameter for identifying the type of communication between the mediator component and the other components; a communication command parameter for identifying the communication command between the mediator component and the other components.

4. The method as described in claim 3, characterized in that the communication protocol between the mediator component and the other components includes at least one input parameter for identifying the parameter from the external equipment to the other components; at least one output parameter for identifying the parameter from the other components to the external equipment .

5. The method as described in claim 3, characterized in that the communication port parameter is one of COMl to COM255 or USB port.

6. The method as described in claim 3, characterized in that the communication category parameter is a data parameter, a control parameter or a security parameter.

7. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that the smart card component has a layered sub-structure.

8. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that the layered sub-structure includes an interface layer which provides all the functions to the mediator component for managing the smart card; an abstract card layer which defines an abstract card and a security function for the abstract card; an card operation system instruction layer for providing to the abstract card layer instructions that can be used by the card operation system; an card communication layer for providing to the card operation system instruction layer a standard PC/SC instruction set.

9. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that the abstract card layer includes a card data part and a card security part, the card data part defines an abstract card and the abstract card creates concrete examples for different versions of the vehicle traveling data recorder data management system (VDRDMS) , and the card security part defines the security function of the abstract card.

10. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that the definition of the card data part includes a driver card, a workshop card or a company card.