JP2012032857A - Digital tachograph - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an on-vehicle digital tachograph used for recording operation data of the vehicle and notifying the status of the vehicle, and designed to be downsized and inexpensive.SOLUTION: A digital tachograph includes an on-vehicle unit built in a meter section of a vehicle, and a tachograph module 3 detachably attached to an attachment part of the on-vehicle unit built. The tachograph module 3 is constituted such that a circuit board is incorporated in a stick-like body 6 and a USB connector 8 for electrical connection with the on-vehicle unit is directly prepared on one end of the tachograph module 3. On the circuit board, a microcomputer, a flash memory in which operation data of the vehicle are written, a display 21 (green and red LEDs) for notifying operation status, and a sound output part 20 (buzzer) are provided.

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital tachograph including a vehicle-mounted device provided in a vehicle and a tachograph module that is detachably attached to the vehicle-mounted device and records operation data of the vehicle.

  In recent years, digital tachographs have become widespread in place of analog tachographs that use conventional recording paper as tachographs for recording time and vehicle speed (distance) at the time in commercial vehicles such as trucks. ing. This digital tachograph detachably accommodates a memory card as a medium for recording operation data in a DIN size main unit, and a display unit is provided on the front of the main unit to analyze the operation data and save it. It has a function to give advice on fuel efficiency and safe driving by display and voice.

  However, in the conventional digital tachograph, the price of the conventional analog tachograph was 1 to 20,000 yen, but the price was 5 to several hundred thousand yen. The fact is that there are many companies that do this. In addition, the main body of the digital tachograph is configured to occupy one DIN slot of the instrument panel, and there is a situation that it takes a place for installation.

  Although the function is different from that of a digital tachograph, Patent Document 1 discloses various information on a vehicle collected by a car computer by incorporating a semiconductor memory chip and a transmission / reception circuit in a knob part (mold part) of an automobile key. A technique of transmitting to a car key via a transceiver and storing it in a semiconductor memory chip, and processing information written in the car key with a personal computer to extract characteristics related to the driving situation of the driver Is disclosed.

JP 2002-242497 A

  However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires an expensive device because of a configuration in which data is exchanged wirelessly between the automobile key and the outside (car computer or personal computer) by wireless communication. In the first place, it is difficult for a car key to incorporate functions necessary as a digital tachograph such as state notification. From the above circumstances, there is a demand for a digital tachograph mounted on a vehicle that can be sufficiently reduced in size and can be provided at a low cost.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a digital tachograph that can be mounted on a vehicle, record operation data, and report a state, and can be downsized and inexpensive. There is.

  The digital tachograph includes an on-vehicle device and a tachograph module as a recording medium that can be attached to and detached from the on-vehicle device. In order to achieve the above object, the present inventor has provided the tachograph module side with a minimum necessary function as a digital tachograph, that is, a function for notifying the operation data, a function for notifying the status (display by a lamp and buzzer). The generation of an alarming sound) has been confirmed to achieve sufficient downsizing and cost reduction for both the vehicle-mounted device and the tachograph module, and the present invention has been accomplished.

  That is, the digital tachograph of the present invention is mounted on a vehicle and is detachably mounted on the vehicle, and at least the time and operation data including data on the speed and mileage of the vehicle at the time are less than a predetermined time. A tachograph module for recording at intervals of the tachograph module, a portable main body, a flash memory for recording the operation data, a notification unit for informing the state, A connector for electrical connection with the vehicle-mounted device, the vehicle-mounted device having a connector to which the connector of the tachograph module is connected, a mounting portion into which the main body of the tachograph module is inserted, and a vehicle-mounted sensor Signal output means for generating operation data based on a signal from and outputting to the tachograph module via the connector , Via said connector having characterized in that is constituted by a power supply means for supplying power to the tachograph module (invention of claim 1).

  According to this, the tachograph module is supplied with driving power from the power supply means of the vehicle-mounted device through the connector that electrically connects them in the mounted state inserted in the mounting unit of the vehicle-mounted device. The operation data is input from the signal output means of the vehicle-mounted device. In this state, the operation data is recorded in the flash memory of the tachograph module, and the notification of the state is performed in the notification unit, thereby realizing a function necessary as a digital tachograph.

  At this time, the tachograph module is configured by incorporating a flash memory and a notification unit in the main body and providing a connector directly on the main body, so that the tachograph module can be configured compactly as a whole. Of course, the configuration of the vehicle-mounted device becomes simple because the notification unit on the vehicle-mounted device side becomes unnecessary. As a result, according to the invention of claim 1 of the present application, it is mounted on a vehicle and can record operation data and report the state, and can be downsized and inexpensive. There is an excellent effect of being able to.

  In the present invention, the connector for connecting the vehicle-mounted device and the tachograph module can be constituted by a USB connector of USB 2.0 standard or higher (invention of claim 2). According to this, it is possible to make the connector highly versatile, for example, the tachograph module can be easily connected to a USB connector (port) generally provided in a personal computer. It should be noted that a sufficient data communication speed (100 Mbps or higher) can be obtained by using the USB 2.0 standard or higher.

  Alternatively, the main body of the tachograph module is provided with a first connector for connecting to a vehicle connector provided on the vehicle-mounted device side, and a second connector for connecting to an external personal computer or a dedicated reader. It is good also as a structure (invention of Claim 3). According to this, it is possible to connect to the vehicle-mounted device and an external personal computer or a dedicated reader while properly using the two connectors provided in the tachograph module, and it is not necessary to provide a special connector dedicated to the vehicle side, etc. Convenience can be improved.

  By the way, because the tachograph module is an in-vehicle device, there is a situation where it is exposed to a vehicle environment such as vibration, water exposure, condensation, etc. It is desirable to have a structure that prevents the occurrence of deterioration in insulation and corrosion due to the ingress of moisture.

  Therefore, in the present invention, in the mounting state of the vehicle-mounted device, in the mounting state of the main body of the tachograph module, the main body is prevented from being displaced in the front-rear direction, the vertical direction, or the horizontal or horizontal direction, which is the attaching / detaching direction. A locking portion can be provided (invention of claim 4). Thereby, the vibration of the tachograph module with respect to the mounting portion in the mounted state of the tachograph module can be suppressed, and as a result, the occurrence of defects in the connector portion can be prevented.

  Further, by providing a drain hole at the bottom of the mounting portion of the vehicle-mounted device (invention of claim 5), even if water enters the mounting portion, it can be easily discharged, and adversely affects the connector side. Can be prevented. Further, the inner wall portion of the mounting portion may be provided with a seal member that seals the space between the tachograph module and the main body of the tachograph module to prevent water from entering the connector portion. ). Thereby, the bad influence by the penetration | invasion of the water to a connector part can be prevented.

  In the digital tachograph of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size by simplifying the configuration of the vehicle-mounted device, and the vehicle-mounted device itself does not occupy one DIN slot. Although the vehicle-mounted device may be provided in the vehicle interior as a dedicated device, for example, it may be incorporated in another vehicle-mounted device. Specifically, the vehicle-mounted device can be installed in the vehicle compartment by being incorporated in the meter section (invention of claim 7). This makes it possible to place the tachograph module in a position that is easy to see and use for the driver in front of the driver's seat, and since the signal from the running sensor is introduced into the meter section, wiring etc. can be done easily. it can.

  Alternatively, the vehicle-mounted device may be installed in a vehicle-mounted device other than the meter unit and provided in the vehicle interior (invention of claim 8). The in-vehicle device can be incorporated into, for example, a display unit of a car navigation device, an ETC in-vehicle device, a drive recorder, a taximeter, or an in-vehicle wireless device. .

  In the present invention, the tachograph module is provided with error checking means for checking whether or not there is an error in the operation data when the operation data is written in the flash memory, and when there is an error, the error data is added to the operation data. It is also possible to add and record (invention of claim 9). As a result, it is possible to perform processing such as analysis and confirmation of the error occurrence status after the fact.

  Specifically, as an error item to be checked by the error check means, (1) the time information of the previous reception data and the current reception data exceeds a predetermined time interval. (2) Necessary data of at least one of time, speed and distance determined by the specification is missing. (3) The time × speed value and the distance value are significantly different. (4) The checksum and CRC used when writing data are abnormal. Any one or more of the above can be included.

  By the way, in the present invention, in the operation data recorded in the flash memory, detailed data at intervals of a predetermined time or less for the latest 24 hours, and time intervals longer than the predetermined time for the latest 24 hours or earlier. If the detailed data exceeds 24 hours among the operation data stored in the flash memory, the detailed data exceeding 24 hours is included in the tachograph module. Can be provided with data conversion means for converting the data into averaged data and storing them.

  In this case, if the error data is included in the detailed data when the data conversion means converts the detailed data into the averaged data, the error data does not adversely affect the averaged data, and the error If the configuration is such that error data processing is performed so that no record is lost (the invention of claim 11), it is effective.

  More specifically, as the error data processing executed by the data conversion means, the error data is thinned out from the detailed data and converted into averaged data, and only the error data is stored, or the error data is converted from the detailed data. The thinned data is converted into averaged data, and detailed data relating to a certain time including error data can be stored separately (invention of claim 11).

The perspective view which shows the 1st Example of this invention and shows the external appearance of a tachograph module The figure which shows schematically the structure of the surface side (a) and back surface side (b) of the circuit board incorporated in the main body of a tachograph module Block diagram schematically showing the electrical configuration of the tachograph module Longitudinal front view showing a state where the tachograph module is mounted on the mounting portion (a) and an enlarged view of the B portion (b) Block diagram schematically showing the electrical configuration of the OBE Front view showing a digital tachograph built into the meter A diagram showing a list of types of abnormalities (a) and a diagram showing a list of status displays (b) Flow chart showing the procedure of the startup process executed by the tachograph module Flow chart showing the procedure of data input / output processing executed by the tachograph module A flowchart showing a detailed procedure of a read process executed by the tachograph module A flowchart showing a detailed procedure of the erasure process executed by the tachograph module Flow chart showing the detailed procedure of the write process executed by the tachograph module Flow chart showing the procedure of the end process executed by the Futakograph module The flowchart which shows the procedure of starting and the data writing processing which OBE performs The flowchart which shows the procedure of the end processing which OBE performs FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention and is equivalent to FIG. 2 equivalent diagram 3 equivalent figure 4 equivalent diagram Fig. 9 equivalent Figure 13 equivalent The figure which shows the other Example of this invention, and shows a mode that the onboard equipment was integrated in some in-vehicle devices other than a meter part.

(1) First Example A first example embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 6, the digital tachograph 1 according to the present embodiment includes an in-vehicle device 2 provided in a vehicle such as a truck or a private car, and a tachograph module 3 that is detachably attached to the in-vehicle device 2. I have. In the present embodiment, the vehicle-mounted device 2 is incorporated in a portion closer to the right end in a meter portion (combination meter) 4 provided on the driver's seat side of the instrument panel and provided in the vehicle interior. As will be described in detail later, the tachograph module 3 is mounted by being inserted horizontally from the right side with respect to the mounting portion 5 (see FIG. 4A) included in the vehicle-mounted device 2.

  Although detailed illustration and description are omitted, the meter unit 4 is provided with a speedometer and a tachometer as well known, as well as various meters such as a water temperature meter and a fuel meter, a clock (time display unit), and the like. It has been. Furthermore, a shift position indicator, a blinker indicator, various warning lamps and the like are provided. Although not shown, each meter and indicator of the meter unit 4 is controlled by a meter control circuit. This meter control circuit includes a microcomputer, and is connected to a CAN (Controller Area Network) that forms a communication network between a plurality of systems (control computers) mounted on the vehicle. The meter control circuit receives, for example, ignition on / off information, information based on detection of various vehicle sensors such as an engine speed sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, a shift position sensor, a water temperature sensor, and a fuel sensor.

  Here, the tachograph module 3 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, the tachograph module 3 includes a circuit board 7 (see FIG. 2) in a stick-like main body (package) 6 that is long in the left-right direction and slightly thin in the front-rear direction in FIG. The USB connector 8 for electrical connection is provided directly (without a cable) at one end portion (left end portion in the figure). That is, the tachograph module 3 has a shape (size) like a commercially available USB memory, and is configured to be small and portable (easy).

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the circuit board 7 is located on the front surface (front surface) side (see FIG. 2A), the base end side of the USB connector 8 is mounted, and the microcomputer 9 And a buzzer 10 that functions as a notification unit for reporting the state, a green LED 11 and a red LED 12 are mounted. As shown in FIG. 3, the microcomputer 9 is configured by integrating a USB interface 13, a CPU 14, an IO interface 15, an internal RAM 16, and an internal flash ROM 17 on one chip.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, on the back surface (rear surface) side of the circuit board 7, two flash memories 18 and 18 for recording operation data and the like are mounted, and the buzzer 10 A drive circuit 19 for driving the two LEDs 11 and 12 is mounted. In this case, the circuit board 7 can have a size of about several square centimeters. The power for driving the tachograph module 3 is supplied from the vehicle-mounted device 2 side (or personal computer or dedicated reader side) via the USB connector 8.

  As a result, the tachograph module 3 is connected to the vehicle-mounted device 2 via the USB connector 8 to perform data communication, and operation data is written to the flash memory 18. Further, the tachograph module 3 is connected to a personal computer (or a dedicated reader) (not shown) via the USB connector 8 to perform data communication, and read out operation data, and further, store and analyze it. In this case, the personal computer (dedicated reader) is naturally provided with a USB connector (port) to which the USB connector 8 is detachably connected. The USB connector 8 is a USB 2.0 standard or a USB 2.0 standard or higher, and has a data communication speed of 100 Mbps or higher.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, the main body 6 of the tachograph module 3 has an audio output unit 20, which is located on the front end portion on the right end side and includes a plurality of small holes for emitting a warning sound by the buzzer 10. Provided at the right end is a green and red display 21 by the LEDs 11 and 12. A seal sticker 22 that cannot be re-applied when the inside of the main body 6 is opened is attached to a portion near the left end of the main body 6. Further, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the upper surface and the lower surface of the main body 6 are provided with locking recesses 6a (only the lower surface is shown) located in the center in the left-right direction and slightly to the right. Is provided.

  In contrast to the tachograph module 3 configured as described above, the vehicle-mounted device 2 is configured as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle-mounted device 2 includes a vehicle signal interface 23 to which signals from various vehicle-mounted sensors are input, a microcomputer 24 having a USB host function, and a USB connector 25. In addition, vehicle power is supplied to the vehicle-mounted device 2 through the power circuit 26, and power from the power circuit 26 is also supplied to the tachograph module 3 side through the USB connector 25. Power supply means is configured. The USB connector 25 of the tachograph module 3 is detachably connected to the USB connector 25. The microcomputer 24 (CPU 28) incorporates a CAN controller and is also connected to a CAN bus.

  The microcomputer 24 includes an IO interface 27, a CPU 28, an internal RAM 29, an internal flash ROM 30, and a USB interface 31. The microcomputer 24 has a function of generating operation data based on signals from various in-vehicle sensors input from the vehicle signal interface 23 and transmitting the operation data to the tachograph module 3. Therefore, the microcomputer 24 functions as a signal output unit.

  As will be described later, the operation data recorded in the tachograph module 3 includes, at a minimum, time, speed and travel distance data at that time. At this time, as a signal from the vehicle sensor, at least the vehicle speed (and time) is sufficient, but as operation data, in addition, in order to give advice on fuel-saving driving, In order to record the operation, position (latitude, longitude) data obtained from the navigation device (GPS) may be included.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle-mounted device 2 includes a mounting portion 5 to which the tachograph module 3 is inserted and connected to the outer surface portion of the right end portion of the meter portion 4. As shown in FIG. 4A, the mounting portion 5 has a size in which the portion excluding the right end portion (the audio output portion 20 and the display portion 21) of the main body 6 of the tachograph module 3 is inserted in the vertical and vertical directions. In the figure, it has a horizontally long box shape with walls on the front and back and an open right end. Although not shown, a USB connector 25 is provided on the back wall at the left end of the mounting portion 5.

  A lid portion 32 for opening and closing the opening portion is attached to the right end opening portion of the mounting portion 5 through an upper hinge portion 32a so as to be opened and closed. When the tachograph module 3 is not mounted, the lid portion 32 closes the opening portion by its own weight and prevents water from entering the mounting portion 5. When attaching the tachograph module 3 to the attachment portion 5, the lid portion 32 is opened, the tachograph module 3 is horizontally inserted from the right side into the attachment portion 5, and the USB connector 8 is fitted and connected to the USB connector 25. To.

  At this time, on the upper and lower wall portions of the mounting portion 5, as shown in FIG. 4B, the locking portions 33 that are respectively locked to the locking recesses 6 a of the main body 6 in the mounted state of the tachograph module 3. , 33 are provided integrally. When the locking portion 33 is locked to the locking recess 6 a of the tachograph module 3, the main body 6 of the tachograph module 3 is prevented from being detached and vertically displaced (vibrated).

  Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4A, the bottom portion (lower wall portion) of the mounting portion 5 is provided with a middle portion in the left-right direction (in order to discharge moisture that has entered the mounting portion 5). A first drain hole 34 is provided at a position slightly on the left side of the locking portion 33, and a second drain hole 35 is provided at the left end (just before the back wall). It has been. At this time, the bottom surface portion of the mounting portion 5 is provided in a form that gently descends toward the first drain hole 34, the second drain hole 35, and the right end opening.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the inner wall portion of the mounting portion 5 is located in the middle portion in the left-right direction (slightly to the left of the first drain hole 34) and between the outer surface of the main body 6 of the tachograph module 3. A sealing member 36 made of an O-ring that seals liquid-tightly and prevents water from entering the back side, that is, the USB connectors 8 and 25 is provided.

  Now, in the above configuration, the microcomputer 9 (CPU 14) of the tachograph module 3 performs a necessary operation as the digital tachograph 1 as will be described in the following description of operation (flowchart description). Specifically, firstly, recording (writing) of operation data (time and data of speed and distance traveled at that time) input from the vehicle-mounted device 2 side to the flash memory 18 is executed.

  At this time, the operation data recorded in the flash memory 18 is detailed detailed data (hereinafter referred to as “24 hr data”) at intervals of 500 ms or less which is a predetermined time for the latest 24 hours. The past 52 weeks before the time are averaged data (hereinafter referred to as “52 week data”) averaged at intervals longer than the predetermined time, for example, 1 minute intervals. The microcomputer 9 functions as data conversion means for converting the data exceeding 24 hours into data for 52 weeks and storing it when the 24 hours data exceeds 24 hours. Of course, the operation data recorded in the flash memory 18 including the sealing tape 22 is provided with a function for preventing erasure and falsification.

  As will be described later, the microcomputer 9 functions as an error check means for checking whether or not there is an error in the operation data when the operation data (24 hr data) is written in the flash memory 18 and operates when there is an error. Add error data to the data and record it. In this case, when converting the 24 hr data into the 52 week data, if the error data is included in the 24 hr data, the error data does not adversely affect the 52 week data, and the error is recorded. Perform error data processing that will not be lost.

  Secondly, the microcomputer 9 displays the operation state and abnormality notification for the driver by the sound output unit 20 (buzzer 10) and the display unit 21 (LEDs 11 and 12). In this case, the green LED 11 and the red LED 12 are turned on and blinked to display normality and abnormality, and at the time of abnormality, the buzzer 10 is sounded to output an alarm sound. As the types of abnormalities at this time, as shown in FIG. 7A, there are abnormalities in the initialization process, abnormalities during operation, and abnormalities during PC connection. At the time of occurrence (detection) of each of these abnormalities, status data including time and status (abnormality) codes (see FIG. 7B) is recorded in the flash memory 18 in the same manner as the operation data, and post-confirmation of the abnormal occurrence status is performed. It is possible. The state notification (display) is executed as shown in the list of FIG.

  Next, the operation of the digital tachograph 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 13 show processing executed by the microcomputer 9 (CPU 14) of the tachograph module 3. 8 is a startup process, FIG. 9 is a data input / output process, FIG. 10 is a read process (detailed process in step S17 in FIG. 9), FIG. 11 is an erase process (detailed process in step S18 in FIG. 9), Reference numeral 12 denotes a writing process (detailed process in step S19 in FIG. 9), and FIG. 13 shows an end process.

  That is, first, in the start-up process of FIG. 8, when the power of the tachograph module 3 is turned on (ACC on) (start), the internal (microcomputer 9) is initialized in step S1, and the next step S2 A self-diagnosis is performed as to whether or not the tachograph module 3 operates normally. In this self-diagnosis process, a test of the internal RAM 16, data verification of the internal flash ROM 17 (checksum, CRC, double write data comparison, etc.), a drive test of the LEDs 11 and 12, a drive test of the buzzer 10, etc. are executed.

  In step S3, it is determined whether or not the result of the self-diagnosis is OK, and if it does not operate normally (No in step S3), an abnormality at startup is notified in step S4. As shown in FIG. 7B, in this start-up abnormality, abnormality notification is performed by turning on the red LED 12, turning off the green LED 11, and sounding (continuing) the buzzer 10. On the other hand, when it operates normally (Yes in step S3), in step S5, as shown in FIG. 7B, the green LED 11 is turned on (the red LED 12 is turned off and the buzzer 10 is turned off). Normal notification is made. Thereafter, the process proceeds to the data input / output process of FIG.

  In the data input / output process of FIG. 9, the USB is first initialized in step S11, and the connection destination (vehicle device 2 or PC) is determined in the next step S12. This is because in the in-vehicle state, the recording interval is regulated (500 ms or less), but an analysis device such as a personal computer does not need to consider it. If it is connected to the personal computer (No in step S12), the process proceeds to step S13, and the status display when the PC is connected, that is, both the green LED 11 and the red LED 12 shown in FIG. (Buzzer 10 is off) is performed, and the process proceeds to step S16.

  On the other hand, if it is connected to the vehicle-mounted device 2 (Yes in step S12), it is determined in step S14 whether or not there has been a request for the operation data writing process within 500 ms. If there is writing (Yes in step S14), the process proceeds to step S16 as it is. If the request for the operation data writing process cannot be confirmed (No in step S14), it is determined in step S15 that the connection with the vehicle-mounted device 2 is abnormal, and the green data shown in FIG. Both the LED 11 and the red LED 12 are turned on, and an abnormality is notified by the buzzer 10 ringing for 3 seconds. However, since there are cases where the operation data can be recorded even after this abnormality notification, the process proceeds to step S16 and the subsequent operation is continued.

  After confirming the connection with the personal computer or the vehicle-mounted device 2, in step S <b> 16, it is determined which of the three processes of reading, erasing, and writing is required for the data input / output type. In the case of data reading, the process proceeds to the reading process (FIG. 10) in step S17. If the data is to be erased, the process proceeds to the erasure process (FIG. 11) in step S18. In the case of data writing, the process proceeds to the writing process (step S19) in step S19. After these processes, the process returns to step S12.

  Here, in the data reading process, the operation recorded in the flash memory 18 by the vehicle-mounted device 2 or the personal computer in order to realize an application (for example, fuel-saving driving diagnosis or safe driving diagnosis) using the recorded data. Data is read out. In this case, the recorded status data (abnormal code) can also be read. The data erasing process can be performed only when using a special purpose software for diagnosis that is not open to the public (for example, it can be used only in the manufacturer's factory).

  The data writing process is a process of writing operation data from the vehicle-mounted device 2 to the flash memory 18. To prevent data falsification, writing from a personal computer is prohibited except for special-purpose software for diagnostics that is not open to the public. In each process, details of the error code exchange are not stipulated, but the error code is exchanged when the vehicle-mounted device 2 or the personal computer reads it after the process request.

  The flowchart in FIG. 10 shows the detailed procedure of the reading process in step S17 in FIG. That is, in step S21, it is determined whether the requested data is operation data or status data. If the request data is state data, the state data is read from the flash memory 18 and transmitted in step S22, and the process returns to the flowchart of FIG.

  If the request data is operation data, the process proceeds to step S23, and operation data for the specified period is read from the flash memory 18. Then, in the next step S24, it is determined whether or not the read operation data is normal. If it is normal (Yes in step S24), operation data for the specified period is transmitted in step S25, and the process returns.

  On the other hand, when there is an abnormality in the operation data (No in step S24), in step S26, an abnormality notification (lighting of both the green LED 11 and the red LED 12 shown in FIG. 7B and a buzzer) is performed. 10 for 3 seconds), and data (0x03 abnormality code) indicating that there is an abnormality in data during operation is transmitted to the personal computer (or on-vehicle device 2). Further, there may be cases where the abnormality is partial and valid operation data exists, so the process proceeds to step S25, where operation data for a specified period is transmitted, and the process returns.

  The flowchart in FIG. 11 shows the detailed procedure of the erasure process in step S18 in FIG. That is, in step S31, it is determined whether the erase command is a dedicated diagnostic command. At this time, data erasure can be performed only by a dedicated diagnostic command of special purpose software that is not disclosed to the public, and since it is not supported by other than that, in the case of other than the dedicated diagnostic command, the process directly returns to the flowchart of FIG. . If it is a dedicated diagnostic command, the process proceeds to step S32, and the designated data is erased from the flash memory 18.

  Here, since an error may occur at the time of data erasure, it is determined at step S33 whether or not the data erasure has been normally performed. If normal (Yes in step S33), the process returns as it is. If an error has occurred (No in step S33), in step S34, a process for prohibiting the use of the corresponding area where the error has occurred in the flash memory 18 is performed, and the process returns. In this case, the area can be arbitrarily set according to the structure and management method of the flash memory 18 such as a sector, a block, and an address range. For the area that is prohibited from being used, the area is not written or read.

  The flowchart in FIG. 12 shows the detailed procedure of the writing process in step S19 in FIG. That is, in step S41, it is determined whether or not there is a sufficient free area in the flash memory 18 (for example, a storage capacity capable of writing operation data for one hour remains). If the storage capacity of one hour or more remains (Yes in step S41), the specified operation data (24 hr data) is written in the flash memory 18 in the next step S42.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the storage capacity of the flash memory 18 is insufficient (No in step S41), in step S43, an abnormality notification (lighting of the green LED 11 shown in FIG. 7B and red) is performed. The LED 12 blinks and the buzzer 10 sounds for 3 seconds), and data indicating that the recording capacity is insufficient (0x04 code) is transmitted to the vehicle-mounted device 2 in step S44. In step S42, the requested data is written.

  Here, since an error may also occur during data writing, it is determined in step S45 whether or not data writing has been performed normally. If normal (Yes in step S45), the process directly returns to the flowchart of FIG. If an error has occurred (No in step S45), in step S46, the corresponding area where the error has occurred in the flash memory 18 is prohibited, and the process returns to step S42 to write to another area. The

  The write data is recorded at an interval of 500 ms or less as a requirement. However, since data sampling is performed on the vehicle-mounted device 2 side, in this embodiment, the validity of the data is It is assumed that the data is secured on the second side, and the tachograph module 3 side does not particularly check the data. However, the microcomputer 9 checks the following check items for errors, and if there is an error, adds the error data to the operation data and records it. The situation can also be checked after the fact.

  Examples of errors to be checked include (1) the time information of the previous received data and the current received data exceeds the range of 0 ms to 500 ms, and (2) necessary data (time, Speed, distance, etc.) are missing. (3) Time x speed value and distance value are significantly different. (4) Checksum and CRC used when writing data are abnormal. , Etc. Further, in the termination process described below, when 24 hr data is converted into 52 week data, it is possible to avoid that abnormal data is directly reflected in the 52 week data by using error data.

  The flowchart of FIG. 13 shows the processing procedure of the end process. This termination process is started in step S51 when, for example, a termination process request is received from the vehicle-mounted device 2 (or the user (driver) performs a termination operation using a switch or the like). First, in step S52, it is determined whether 24 hr data in the flash memory 18 exists for 24 hours or more. If the 24 hr data is less than 24 hours (No in step S52), the process proceeds to step S55.

  If there is 24 hours of data for 24 hours or more (Yes in step S52), in step S53, the data exceeding 24 hours is converted into 52-week data (1-minute average data) in the oldest order, The writing process is performed. In the next step S54, a process of deleting the 24 hr data area that has been converted to the 52 week data is performed. This area is used again for data writing.

  In step S55, it is determined whether or not 52 weeks data in the flash memory 18 exist for 52 weeks or more. If there is no data for 52 weeks or more (No in step S55), the process is terminated. If there is any (Yes in step S55), in step S56, data older than 52 weeks are erased in chronological order, and the process ends. In the above processing, when an error occurs due to data writing or erasing, the corresponding area where the error has occurred in the flash memory 18 can be disabled as described above.

  Further, as described above, when the write data is checked and error data is added to the 24 hr data, the error data does not adversely affect the 52-week data and the error record is not lost. As described above, the following processing may be performed. That is, the error data is thinned out from the 24 hr data and converted into 52 week data, and only the error data is stored separately. Alternatively, the error data is thinned out from the 24 hr data and converted to 52-week data, and the 24 hr data for one minute including the error data is stored for analysis. Alternatively, the error data is thinned out from the 24 hr data and converted into 52-week data, and the 24 hr data for 30 seconds before and after the error data (this time can be changed if necessary) is stored for analysis.

  Next, the flowcharts of FIGS. 14 and 15 show the operation procedure executed by the microcomputer 24 (CPU 28) on the vehicle-mounted device 2 side. FIG. 14 shows the data write process from the start and FIG. 15 shows the end process. Show. First, in the flowchart of FIG. 14, when the vehicle-mounted device 2 is powered on (start), internal initialization is performed in step S61, and then USB initialization is performed in step S62. In step S63, a 400 ms timer is started. In step S64, a CAN signal and a vehicle signal are acquired. In step S65, an instruction to write operation data is issued to the tachograph module 3 via USB.

  In step S66, it is determined whether the 400 ms timer has overflowed. When 400 ms has elapsed (Yes in step S66), the processing from step S63 is repeated. In this case, the 400 ms interval is used to ensure the requirement that the operation data write interval is 500 ms or less. However, if 500 ms or less can be ensured, the timer value can be arbitrarily set.

  As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 15, the end process is started when the vehicle ACC is detected in step S71, and in the next step S72, an end process request is transmitted to the tachograph module 3 ( (See step S51 in FIG. 13). Next, in step S73, the 10s timer is started, and when 10 seconds have elapsed, all the processes are ended. As described in the description of FIG. 13, on the vehicle-mounted device 2 side, a termination process request may be transmitted to the tachograph module 3 based on a user performing a termination operation with a switch.

  According to the digital tachograph 1 of the present embodiment, the following operations and effects can be obtained. That is, a small vehicle-mounted device 2 that incorporates the digital tachograph 1 into a vehicle meter unit 4, and a tachograph module 3 that is detachably mounted on the vehicle-mounted device 2 and is supplied with power and operation data via a USB connector 8. It was configured with. At this time, the tachograph module 3 is mounted on a small stick-shaped main body 6 with a minimum necessary function as the digital tachograph 1, that is, a flash memory 18 for storing operation data, and a display unit 21 (LED 11 for notifying the state). 12) and an audio output unit 20 (buzzer 10).

  This simplifies the configuration on the vehicle-mounted device 2 side, such as eliminating the need for an informing unit on the vehicle-mounted device 2 side, and occupies one DIN slot, as well as the vehicle-mounted device 2 and the tachograph module 3. In both cases, the configuration can be simplified and sufficiently miniaturized. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, in the digital tachograph 1 that is mounted on a vehicle and can record operation data and report the state, it can be downsized and can be inexpensive. It has an excellent effect.

  In particular, in this embodiment, the connector for connecting the vehicle-mounted device 2 and the tachograph module 3 is composed of USB connectors 8 and 25 of USB 2.0 standard or higher, so that the tachograph module 3 can be easily connected to a personal computer or the like. The advantage that the connector 8 can be made highly versatile can be obtained. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the vehicle-mounted device 2 is provided in the meter unit 4, the tachograph module 3 (the display unit 21 and the audio output unit 20) is provided at a position that is easy to see and use for the driver in front of the driver's seat. In addition, since the signal from the traveling sensor or the like is originally introduced into the meter unit 4, wiring and the like can be easily completed.

  In this embodiment, the mounting portion 5 on the vehicle-mounted device 2 to which the tachograph module 3 is mounted is locked to the locking recesses 6a and 6a of the main body 6 of the tachograph module 3, respectively. Since the locking portions 33 and 33 for preventing the displacement (vibration) are integrally provided, the vibration of the tachograph module 3 with respect to the mounting portion 5 can be suppressed. It is possible to prevent contact failure due to terminal wear.

  In addition, in the present embodiment, the first drain hole 34 and the second drain hole 35 are provided in the bottom portion of the mounting portion 5, and the inner wall portion of the mounting portion 5 is connected to the main body 6 of the tachograph module 3. Since the sealing member 36 for liquid-tightly sealing is provided, in addition to providing the lid 32 at the opening of the mounting portion 5, water is prevented from entering the mounting portion 5, Moisture that has penetrated into the connector can be easily discharged, and adverse effects such as a decrease in insulation and corrosion on the connectors 8 and 25 can be effectively prevented.

(2) Second Example and Other Examples Next, a second example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. However, parts common to the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and new description will be omitted, and differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described. The digital tachograph according to the present embodiment includes, for example, a vehicle-mounted device 41 (see FIG. 19) incorporated in the meter unit 4 and a tachograph module 42 (FIGS. 16 and 18) that is detachably mounted to the mounting unit of the vehicle-mounted device 41. For example).

  The configuration of the tachograph module 42 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 16, the main body 43 of the tachograph module 42 is a small and portable (easy) figure and has a stick shape that is long in the left-right direction, and one end (the left end in the figure) has a vehicle-mounted device. A first connector 45 for connecting to the vehicle-side connector 44 (see FIG. 19) on the 41 side is directly provided, and the other end (right end in the figure) is connected to an external personal computer or a dedicated A USB connector 46 is directly provided as a second connector for connecting to a reader (both not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 18, the first connector 45 includes a vehicle signal input terminal, a CAN transmission terminal and a reception terminal, a power supply terminal for receiving power supply from the vehicle-mounted device 41 side, and the like. . The USB connector 46 is a USB 2.0 standard having a data communication speed of 100 Mbps or higher, or a USB 2.0 standard or higher, and is supplied with power from a data input / output terminal, an external personal computer, or a dedicated reader. It has a power supply terminal for receiving.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 16, an audio output unit 20 including a plurality of small holes for generating a warning sound by the buzzer 10 is provided on the right end side of the front surface of the main body 43, and a green color is provided on the right end portion. A green and red display unit 21 is provided by the LED 11 and the red LED 12. A seal seal 22 that cannot be re-applied when the inside of the main body 43 is opened is attached to a portion near the left end of the main body 43. A waterproof cap 47 that covers the USB connector 46 is detachably attached to the right end of the main body 43.

  As shown in FIG. 17, a circuit board 48 is provided in the main body 43. As shown in FIG. 18, the circuit board 48 is located on the front surface (front surface) side (see FIG. 17A), and the base end side of the first connector 45 is mounted on the circuit board 48. The buzzer 10 that functions as a notification unit for notifying the state, the green LED 11 and the red LED 12 are mounted, and the base end side of the USB connector 46 is mounted. As shown in FIG. 18, the microcomputer 9 is configured by integrating a USB interface 13, a CPU 14, an IO interface 15, an internal RAM 16, and an internal flash ROM 17 on one chip.

  On the back surface (rear surface) side of the circuit board 48 (see FIG. 17B), a CAN microcomputer 49 is mounted and two flash memories 18 and 18 for recording operation data and the like, A drive circuit 19 for driving the buzzer 10 and the two LEDs 11 and 12 is mounted. As shown in FIG. 18, the CAN microcomputer 49 is configured by integrating a CAN interface 50, a CPU 51, an IO interface 52, an internal RAM 53, and an internal flash ROM 54 on one chip. A vehicle signal is input to the IO interface 52 via the signal interface 55. The IO interface 52 and the IO interface 15 of the microcomputer 9 are connected to perform communication between the CPUs 51 and 14.

  As shown in FIG. 19, the vehicle-mounted device 41 is detachable from a vehicle signal interface 23 to which signals from various vehicle-mounted sensors are input, a microcomputer 56 having a CAN communication function, and a USB connector 46 of the tachograph module 42. And a vehicle connector 44 to be connected. The vehicle-mounted device 41 is supplied with vehicle power via the power circuit 26 and also supplies power from the power circuit 26 to the tachograph module 42 side via the vehicle connector 44. .

  The microcomputer 56 includes an IO interface 57, a CPU 58, an internal RAM 59, an internal flash ROM 60, and a CAN interface 61. The microcomputer 56 has a function of transmitting vehicle signals from various in-vehicle sensors input via the vehicle signal interface 23 and CAN communication data in CAN to the tachograph module 42. In the present embodiment, the microcomputer 56 (IO interface 57) of the vehicle-mounted device 41 is connected to a car audio device having an LCD 63 and a speaker 64 via a drive circuit 62, for example. Thereby, the microcomputer 56 of the vehicle-mounted device 41 can perform necessary display on the LCD 63 and can output sound (alarm sound) from the speaker 64.

  With the above configuration, the tachograph module 42 is mounted on a mounting portion (not shown) provided on the in-vehicle device 41 side, the vehicle connector 44 and the first connector 45 are connected, data communication is performed, and the flash memory 18 is connected. Operation data is written. At this time, although not shown in the drawings, the mounting portion includes a locking portion for preventing displacement in the front-rear direction, which is the attaching / detaching direction of the main body 43 of the tachograph module 42, and in the vertical direction or horizontal horizontal direction. Is provided. In addition, a drain hole is provided in the bottom of the mounting portion, and a sealing member is provided on the inner wall portion of the mounting portion to seal water between the main body 43 of the tachograph module 42 and prevent water from entering. Is provided.

  In the state where the tachograph module 42 is mounted on the mounting portion of the in-vehicle device 41, a waterproof cap 47 is mounted on the right end portion of the main body 43 so as to cover the USB connector 46. Although not shown, the tachograph module 42 is configured to be connectable to a personal computer (or a dedicated reader) (not shown) via the USB connector 46 while being removed from the vehicle-mounted device 41. Data communication is performed to read out the operation data, and then save and analyze it.

  The flowcharts of FIGS. 20 and 21 show the data input process and the end process, respectively, among the processes executed by the microcomputer 9 and the CAN microcomputer 49 of the tachograph module 42 in this embodiment. The other processes executed by the tachograph module 42 (the microcomputer 9 and the CAN microcomputer 49), that is, the startup process, the read process, the erase process, the write process, and the like are the processes described in the first embodiment (FIG. 8). To FIG. 13) (substantially similar processing is performed), only the differences from the first embodiment will be shown and described.

  As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 20, when the tachograph module 42 is connected to the vehicle-mounted device 41, first, a start process is performed, and then the CAN communication is initialized in step S81. In the next step S82, a 500 ms timer is started, and in step S83, CAN communication data and vehicle signal data are acquired (sampled). In step S84, operation data is written into the flash memory 18. The operation data writing process is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment (FIG. 12).

  In step S85, it is determined whether the 500 ms timer has overflowed. If the operation data can be written within 500 ms (No in step S85), the processing from step S82 is repeated. If the operation data cannot be written within 500 ms and the 500 ms timer overflows (Yes in step S85), in step S86, both the green LED 11 and the red LED 12 are turned on, and the buzzer 10 for 3 seconds. Abnormality notification by ringing is performed. However, since there may be cases where the operation data can be recorded even after this abnormality notification, the process returns to step S82 and the subsequent operation is continued.

  Next, in the flowchart (end processing) of FIG. 21, when the ACC off is detected in the tachograph module 42 in step S91, the subsequent end processing (steps S52 to S56) is started. That is, the difference from the end process in the first embodiment (the flowchart in FIG. 13) is that the ACC off is directly performed on the tachograph module 42 side instead of receiving the end process request from the on-vehicle device 2 side. It is in the point to detect. The subsequent termination process is the same as that described with reference to FIG.

  According to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the tachograph module 42 is provided on the small stick-shaped main body 43 with a minimum necessary function as a digital tachograph, that is, operation data. Since the flash memory 18 to be stored and the display unit 21 (LEDs 11 and 12) and the sound output unit 20 (buzzer 10) for informing the state are provided, the configuration of both the vehicle-mounted device 41 and the tachograph module 42 is configured. Simplification, sufficient miniaturization, and overall cost reduction can be achieved.

  In this embodiment, the main connector 43 of the tachograph module 42 is provided with a first connector 45 for connecting to the vehicle connector 44 provided on the vehicle-mounted device 41 side, and connected to an external personal computer or a dedicated reader. Since the USB connector 46 is provided, the two connectors 45 and 46 provided on the tachograph module 42 can be used properly while being connected to the vehicle-mounted device 41 and an external personal computer or a dedicated reader. For example, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated connector, so that convenience can be improved.

  22 (a) to 22 (e) show other embodiments (third to seventh embodiments) of the present invention. In these third to seventh embodiments, the digital tachograph 1 is also configured to include a vehicle-mounted device (only the USB connector 25 is shown) and a tachograph module 3 that can be attached to and detached from the vehicle-mounted device. However, some specific examples in the case where the vehicle-mounted device is incorporated in a vehicle-mounted device other than the meter unit 4 and provided in the vehicle interior are shown. That is, in the third embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 22A, the vehicle-mounted device of the digital tachograph 1 is incorporated into the ETC vehicle-mounted device 71 which is a vehicle-mounted device.

  In the fourth embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 22B, the vehicle-mounted device of the digital tachograph 1 is incorporated in the display unit 72 of the car navigation device which is a vehicle-mounted device. In the fifth embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 22C, the vehicle-mounted device of the digital tachograph 1 is incorporated in a drive recorder 73 which is a vehicle-mounted device. In the sixth embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 22 (d), the vehicle-mounted device of the digital tachograph 1 is incorporated into a taximeter 74 which is a vehicle-mounted device. In the seventh embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 22 (e), the vehicle-mounted device of the digital tachograph 1 is incorporated in a vehicle-mounted radio device 75 for taxi that is a vehicle-mounted device.

  Even with these configurations, the vehicle-mounted device of the digital tachograph 1 can be compactly incorporated into another vehicle-mounted device, and no separate assembly is required, and the tachograph module 3 is disposed at a position that is easy to see and use for the driver. Can be obtained. Furthermore, it is also possible to use a function of the in-vehicle device so as to achieve cooperation such as performing state notification (display or voice notification) for the user.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the onboard device of the digital tachograph is provided integrally with the in-vehicle device is described as an example. However, the on-vehicle device may be provided as a single device on the instrument panel of the vehicle. . The shape of the tachograph module (main body) is not limited to a stick shape, but may be a block shape (box shape) or a card shape. For example, in order to incorporate a large speaker (buzzer), the main body may be partially inflated.

  In addition, the structure of the mounting portion provided on the vehicle-mounted device side, that is, the vibration prevention (prevention) structure of the tachograph module and the structure for waterproofing the connector portion can be variously modified. For example, the tachograph module is inclined. It can also be configured to be inserted from above. Also, the connector standard is not limited to USB or the like, and the present invention does not depart from the gist of the invention, for example, if the data communication speed is 100 Mbps or more, a communication standard such as IEEE 1394 may be adopted. It can be implemented with appropriate modifications within the range.

  In the drawings, 1 is a digital tachograph, 2, 41 is a vehicle-mounted device, 3 and 42 are tachograph modules, 4 is a meter unit, 5 is a mounting unit, 6 and 43 are main bodies, 7 is a circuit board, 8 is a USB connector, 9 is Microcomputer (error check means, data conversion means), 10 is a buzzer, 11 and 12 are LEDs, 18 is a flash memory, 20 is an audio output section (notification section), 21 is a display section (notification section), and 24 is a microcomputer (signal) Output means), 25 is a connector, 26 is a power supply circuit (power supply means), 33 is a locking portion, 34 and 35 are drain holes, 36 is a sealing member, 44 is a vehicle connector, 45 is a first connector, 46 is a USB connector (second connector), 47 is a waterproof cap, 71 is an ETC in-vehicle device, 72 is a display unit (in-vehicle device), 73 is a drive recorder (in-vehicle device), and 74 is a taxi camera. (Vehicle apparatus), 75 denotes a vehicle wireless device (vehicle apparatus).

Claims (12)

An on-vehicle device provided in the vehicle, and a tachograph module that is detachably attached to the on-vehicle device and records operation data including at least a time and data of the speed and travel distance of the vehicle at an interval of a predetermined time or less. A digital tachograph comprising:
The tachograph module includes a portable main body, a flash memory that records the operation data, a notification unit for reporting a state, and a connector for electrical connection with the vehicle-mounted device,
The vehicle-mounted device has a connector to which a connector of the tachograph module is connected, a mounting portion into which a main body of the tachograph module is inserted, operation data is generated based on a signal from a vehicle-mounted sensor, and the A digital tachograph comprising signal output means for outputting to a tachograph module and power supply means for supplying power to the tachograph module via the connector.   The digital tachograph according to claim 1, wherein the connector for connecting the vehicle-mounted device and the tachograph module is a USB connector of USB 2.0 standard or higher.   The main body of the tachograph module is provided with a first connector for connecting to a vehicle connector provided on the vehicle-mounted device side, and a second connector for connecting to an external personal computer or a dedicated reader The digital tachograph according to claim 1, wherein the digital tachograph is provided.   The mounting portion of the vehicle-mounted device includes a locking portion for preventing the main body of the tachograph module from being displaced in the front-rear direction, the vertical direction, or the horizontal horizontal direction, which is the attaching / detaching direction of the main body. 4. The digital tachograph according to claim 1, wherein the digital tachograph is provided.   The digital tachograph according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a drain hole is provided in a bottom portion of the mounting portion of the vehicle-mounted device.   The inner wall portion of the mounting portion of the vehicle-mounted device is provided with a seal member that provides a liquid-tight seal with the body of the tachograph module to prevent water from entering the connector portion. The digital tachograph according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   The digital tachograph according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the vehicle-mounted device is incorporated in a meter unit and provided in a vehicle interior.   7. The digital tachograph according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle-mounted device is installed in a vehicle-mounted device other than a meter unit and is provided in a vehicle interior. The tachograph module comprises error check means for checking whether or not there is an error in the operation data when the operation data is written in the flash memory,
9. The digital tachograph according to claim 1, wherein when there is an error, the operation data is recorded with error data added thereto. 10. The digital tachograph according to claim 9, wherein the error items checked by the error check means include at least one of the following (1) to (4).
(1) The time information between the previous reception data and the current reception data exceeds a predetermined time interval.
(2) Necessary data of at least one of time, speed and distance determined by the specification is missing.
(3) The time × speed value and the distance value are significantly different.
(4) The checksum and CRC used when writing data are abnormal. The operation data recorded in the flash memory includes the detailed data at intervals of a predetermined time or less for the latest 24 hours, and the average of the latest 24 hours and earlier averaged at a time interval longer than the predetermined time Data and
The tachograph module is a data conversion means for converting the detailed data exceeding 24 hours into averaged data and storing it when the detailed data exceeds 24 hours among the operation data stored in the flash memory. With
The data conversion means, when converting the detailed data into averaged data, if the error data is included in the detailed data, the error data does not adversely affect the averaged data, 11. The digital tachograph according to claim 9 or 10, wherein error data processing is performed so that an error record is not lost.   The error data processing executed by the data conversion means is to thin out the error data from the detailed data and then convert it into averaged data and store only the error data or thin out the error data from the detailed data 12. The digital tachograph according to claim 11, wherein the digital tachograph is converted into averaged data and stored separately in detail data including a predetermined time including the error data.

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