Patent Publication Number: US-2022230486-A1

Title: Information processing system, communication terminal, and information processing method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-008104 filed on Jan. 21, 2021, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to an information processing system, a communication terminal, and an information processing method. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     An in-vehicle communication device for transmitting abnormality information to an information center when an abnormality occurs in a device mounted on a vehicle is known (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-234100 (JP 2014-234100 A)). 
     SUMMARY 
     An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology that can flexibly respond to changes in specifications of devices mounted on a vehicle. 
     The present disclosure can be regarded as an information processing system including a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) mounted on a vehicle and a communication terminal mounted on the vehicle. In the information processing system in that case, for example: each of the plurality of ECUs may execute acquiring a first alarm list in a template state, the first alarm list having a format common to the plurality of ECUs and including a plurality of items for registering presence or absence of an alarm regarding devices mounted on the vehicle by type of alarm, registering information indicating presence or absence of an actual alarm, for an item under control of an ECU, among the plurality of items in the acquired first alarm list, uniformly registering information indicating absence of an alarm, for an item that is not under the control of the ECU, among the plurality of items in the acquired first alarm list, and transmitting the first alarm list in which registration of the information indicating the presence or absence of an alarm is completed, to the communication terminal; and the communication terminal may execute aggregating the number of alarms registered in a plurality of the first alarm lists received from the plurality of ECUs, for each of the items included in the first alarm list, and aggregating the number of alarms registered in the plurality of the first alarm lists for each of the devices. 
     The present disclosure can also be regarded as a communication terminal mounted on a vehicle having a plurality of ECUs. The communication terminal in that case may include a control unit that executes, for example, receiving a first alarm list from each of the plurality of ECUs, the first alarm list having a format common to the plurality of ECUs and including a plurality of items for registering presence or absence of an alarm regarding devices mounted on the vehicle by type of alarm, and the first alarm list being a list in which information indicating presence or absence of an actual alarm is registered for an item under control of each of the plurality of ECUs, among the plurality of items, and information indicating absence of an alarm is uniformly registered for an item that is not under the control of each of the plurality of ECUs, among the plurality of items, aggregating the number of alarms registered in a plurality of the first alarm lists received from the plurality of ECUs, for each of the items included in the first alarm list, and aggregating the number of alarms registered in the plurality of the first alarm lists for each of the devices. 
     The present disclosure can also be regarded as an information processing method that is executed by a communication terminal mounted on a vehicle including a plurality of ECUs. In the information processing method in that case, the communication terminal may execute, for example, a step of receiving a first alarm list from each of the plurality of ECUs, the first alarm list having a format common to the plurality of ECUs and including a plurality of items for registering presence or absence of an alarm regarding devices mounted on the vehicle by type of alarm, and the first alarm list being a list in which information indicating presence or absence of an actual alarm is registered for an item under control of each of the plurality of ECUs, among the plurality of items, and information indicating absence of an alarm is uniformly registered for an item that is not under the control of each of the plurality of ECUs, among the plurality of items, a step of aggregating the number of alarms registered in a plurality of the first alarm lists received from the plurality of ECUs, for each of the items included in the first alarm list, and a step of aggregating the number of alarms registered in the plurality of the first alarm lists for each of the devices. 
     The present disclosure can also be regarded as a program for causing a communication terminal mounted on a vehicle including a plurality of ECUs to execute the above-mentioned information processing method, or a non-transitory storage medium that stores the program. 
     According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technology that can flexibly respond to changes in specifications of devices mounted on a vehicle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like signs denote like elements, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram showing an outline of an in-vehicle system; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram showing examples of electronic control units (ECUs) mounted on a vehicle; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of components included in the in-vehicle system; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the ECU according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the communication terminal according to the embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram showing an example of a second alarm list; 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram showing an example of a first alarm list; 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram showing an example of a processing sequence in the in-vehicle system; 
         FIG. 9  is a flowchart showing a processing flow executed by the communication terminal when the second alarm list is generated; 
         FIG. 10  is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a communication terminal according to a modification; and 
         FIG. 11  is a flowchart showing a processing flow executed by the communication terminal in the modification. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     In recent years, with the progress of vehicle communication technology such as Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), development of a vehicle equipped with a device (communication terminal) capable of communicating with an external device has been promoted. In such a vehicle, the communication terminal can collect, from the ECUs mounted on the vehicle, data indicating presence or absence of an alarm regarding devices such as a battery, a motor, or an internal combustion engine mounted on the vehicle (hereinafter, may be referred to as “in-vehicle devices”). This makes it possible to aggregate the number of alarms generated in the vehicle by type of alarm based on the collected data. 
     Here, in new energy vehicles such as electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs), data (alarm list) including the above aggregation results may be required to be transmitted periodically to a server (predetermined server) operated by a public institution and the like. At that time, the format of the alarm list transmitted from the in-vehicle device to the predetermined server (a plurality of items for registering the presence or absence of an alarm and the number of alarms by type of alarm) may be stipulated by laws and regulations. Thus, when the format of the alarm list is stipulated by laws and regulations, the communication terminal needs to aggregate the data collected from the ECUs for each item in accordance with the format of the alarm list. 
     When the format of the data provided from the ECUs to the communication terminal is different for each ECU, the aggregation process in the communication terminal is also different for each data provided from each ECU. Therefore, when the format of the data transmitted from an ECU to the communication terminal is changed due to changes in specifications of an in-vehicle device and the like, the aggregation process for the data from the ECU is also changed, so that the need for design change of the communication terminal arises. Thus, a technology is desired that can flexibly respond to changes in specifications of the in-vehicle devices such that a design change of the communication terminal does not arise even when the specifications of the in-vehicle devices change. 
     Thus, in an information processing system according to the present disclosure, each of a plurality of ECUs mounted on a vehicle is configured to use an alarm list having a format common to the plurality of ECUs (first alarm list) to notify a communication terminal of presence or absence of an alarm regarding an in-vehicle device under control of each ECU. The first alarm list in the present disclosure includes a plurality of items for registering presence or absence of an alarm by type of alarm that can be generated in a plurality of in-vehicle devices. Each ECU acquires the first alarm list in a template state, and registers information indicating presence or absence of an actual alarm for an item under control of the ECU, among the plurality of items in the acquired first alarm list. Each ECU uniformly registers information indicating absence of an alarm for an item that is not under the control of the ECU, among the plurality of items in the acquired first alarm list. Each ECU transmits the first alarm list in which registration of the information indicating presence or absence of an alarm is completed, to the communication terminal. 
     When the communication terminal receives the first alarm list from each of the plurality of ECUs, the communication terminal aggregates the number of alarms registered in the plurality of first alarm lists for each item included in the first alarm list. For example, the communication terminal calculates a total number of alarms for each item, by performing logical sum operation for each item, for the number of alarms registered in a plurality of the first alarm lists. Further, the communication terminal aggregates the number of alarms registered in the plurality of the first alarm lists for each in-vehicle device. 
     With the information processing system according to the present disclosure, even when the specifications of an in-vehicle device and the like are changed, the format of data transmitted from the ECU that manages the in-vehicle device conforms to the first alarm list. Therefore, when the specifications of the in-vehicle device and the like are changed, it is not necessary to change the aggregation process performed by the communication terminal. As a result, it is not necessary to change the design of the communication terminal when the specifications of the in-vehicle device and the like are changed. Thus, it is possible to provide an information processing system that can flexibly respond to changes in specifications of in-vehicle devices. Further, in the information processing system according to the present disclosure, the first alarm list has a format common to a plurality of ECUs, so it is possible to simplify the aggregation process performed by the communication terminal. 
     Here, the communication terminal may generate a second alarm list including an item in which the aggregation result of the number of alarms for each item is registered and an item in which the aggregation result of the number of alarms for each in-vehicle device is registered and transmit the generated second alarm list to a predetermined server. The “predetermined server” here is, for example, a server operated by a public institution and the like that require provision of alarm lists. Thus, it is possible to provide information regarding alarms generated in vehicles to a public institution and the like. 
     The plurality of items in the first alarm list may include a plurality of first items for registering presence or absence of an alarm regarding in-vehicle devices by type of alarm and a plurality of second items for registering the total number of alarms generated under control of each of the plurality of ECUs for each of levels corresponding to severity of alarm. This assumes a case in which the number of alarms regarding the in-vehicle devices and a level of alarm having the highest severity among the alarms generated in the vehicle are required to be provided to a public institution and the like. That is, this assumes the case in which the format of the second alarm list is defined to include the following items (1) to (3): 
     (1) an item for registering information indicating a level of an alarm having the highest severity among the alarms generated in the vehicle (third item);
 
(2) an item for registering an aggregation result of the number of alarms for each in-vehicle device (fourth item); and
 
(3) an item for registering presence or absence of an alarm of a specific type regarding the in-vehicle devices (fifth item).
 
The “in-vehicle device” here is, for example, an in-vehicle device specific to a new energy vehicle, and is a rechargeable battery, a motor that uses electric power of the battery to cause the vehicle to travel, and the like.
 
     When the format of the first alarm list is defined based on the format of the second alarm list as described above, the communication terminal identifies the alarm having the highest severity among the alarms generated in the vehicle based on the information registered in the second item in the plurality of the first alarm lists received from the plurality of ECUs. Thereby, the communication terminal can register the information indicating the level of the identified alarm in the third item in the second alarm list. Further, the communication terminal aggregates the number of alarms registered in the first items in the plurality of the first alarm lists for each in-vehicle device. As a result, the communication terminal can register the aggregation result in the fourth item in the second alarm list. In addition, the communication terminal aggregates the number of alarms regarding an alarm of a specific type, among the number of alarms registered in the first items in the plurality of the first alarm lists. At that time, the plurality of first items in the first alarm list may include an item for registering an alarm of the same type as that in the fifth item in the second alarm list. With this, the communication terminal aggregates the number of alarms registered in the item corresponding to the fifth item among the plurality of first items in the plurality of the first alarm lists, so as to be able to derive information to be registered in the fifth item of the second alarm list. Thus, the format of the first alarm lists is set based on the format of the second alarm list, so that it is possible to simplify the process for generating the second alarm list. 
     A situation is conceivable in which an abnormality occurs in a specific ECU, among the plurality of ECUs. In such a situation, there is a possibility that the first alarm list is not transmitted from the specific ECU to the communication terminal. On the other hand, a situation is also conceivable in which an alarm is not generated in the in-vehicle device under the control of the specific ECU. In such a situation, the first alarm list in which the information indicating the absence of an alarm is registered in the item under the control of the specific ECU is transmitted from the specific ECU to the communication terminal. In the information processing system according to the present disclosure, each of the plurality of ECUs registers information indicating the absence of an alarm for an item that is not under the control of the ECU. Thus, in the aggregation results of the number of alarms for each item, there is a possibility that the communication terminal cannot determine whether an abnormality has occurred in the specific ECU (the first alarm list is not normally transmitted from the specific ECU to the communication terminal) or an alarm is not generated in the in-vehicle device under the control of the specific ECU, when the number of alarms for all the items under the control of the specific ECU is zero. 
     In the information processing system according to the present disclosure, the plurality of ECUs may repeatedly transmit the first alarm list to the communication terminal at a predetermined cycle. Along with this, when the first alarm list from the specific ECU, among the plurality of ECUs, cannot be received a predetermined number of times consecutively, the communication terminal may determine that an abnormality has occurred in the specific ECU. Thereby, when the number of alarms for all the items under the control of the specific ECU is zero, the communication terminal can determine whether an abnormality has occurred in the specific ECU or an alarm is not generated in the in-vehicle device under the control of the specific ECU. The “predetermined cycle” here may be the same cycle as the cycle of transmitting the second alarm list from the communication terminal to the predetermined server. 
     EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The configuration of the following embodiment is illustrative, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment. 
     Overall Configuration of System 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an in-vehicle system to which the present disclosure is applied. The in-vehicle system in the present embodiment includes a plurality of ECUs  100  mounted on a vehicle  10  and a communication terminal  200  mounted on the vehicle  10 . 
     The vehicle  10  in this example is a PHV including a battery that can be charged by an external power source, a motor driven by the battery, and an internal combustion engine that cooperates with the motor to cause the vehicle  10  to travel (hereinafter, may be referred to as “engine”). The vehicle  10  is not limited to the PHV, and may be a new energy vehicle (for example, an EV, a fuel cell vehicle (FCV), and the like). 
     The ECUs  100  are electronic control units for controlling in-vehicle devices such as the above-mentioned battery, motor, and engine. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the ECUs  100  in this example includes an ECU (motor ECU)  101  for controlling the motor, an ECU (engine ECU)  102  for controlling the engine, an ECU (battery ECU)  103  for managing the state of the battery, an ECU (charging ECU)  104  for controlling charging of the battery, and the like. Each of the ECUs  100  has a function of transmitting a first alarm list to the communication terminal  200  at a predetermined cycle. The first alarm list is an alarm list having a format common to the ECUs  100 , and has a plurality of items for registering presence or absence of an alarm regarding the above in-vehicle devices by type of alarm. Details of the first alarm list will be described later. Each of the ECUs  100  also has a function of registering information indicating presence or absence of an actual alarm for an item under its control, among the items in the first alarm list. Each of the ECUs  100  also has a function of uniformly registering information indicating absence of an alarm, for items that are not under its control, among the items in the first alarm list. The first alarm list in which the registration of the information indicating the presence or absence of an alarm is completed is transmitted from the ECU  100  to the communication terminal  200 . 
     The communication terminal  200  is connected to the ECUs  100  by a controller area network (CAN) standard bus (CAN-BUS), and has a function of generating a second alarm list based on the plurality of first alarm lists received from the ECUs  100 . The second alarm list is an alarm list that is transmitted to a center server  300  at a predetermined cycle, and includes a plurality of items for registering presence or absence of an alarm of a type stipulated by laws and regulations. Details of the second alarm list will be described later. The center server  300  in this example is a server operated by a public institution. The “public institution” here is, for example, an institution that requires new energy vehicles to provide the second alarm list on a regular basis. The communication terminal  200  also has a function of transmitting the second alarm list to the center server  300  using wireless communication. 
     In the in-vehicle system configured as described above, each of the ECUs  100  generates the first alarm list at a predetermined cycle, and transmits the generated first alarm list to the communication terminal  200 . The communication terminal  200  generates the second alarm list based on the information registered in the first alarm lists received from the ECUs  100 , and transmits the generated second alarm list to the center server. In this example, the data regarding the alarm is transmitted and received using the first alarm lists having a format defined in advance. Therefore, when the specifications of the ECUs  100  are changed in conjunction with changes in specifications of the in-vehicle devices and the like, it is possible to suppress the format of the data transmitted from the ECUs  100  to the communication terminal  200  from being changed. Also in this example, the format of the first alarm lists is determined so as to correspond to the format of the second alarm list. Therefore, it is also possible to simplify the process for generating the second alarm list in the communication terminal  200 . 
     Hardware Configuration of In-Vehicle System 
       FIG. 3  is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the ECU  100  and the communication terminal  200  included in the in-vehicle system. Although only one of the ECUs  100  is shown in  FIG. 3 , the hardware configurations of the other ECUs  100  are the same. 
     The ECU  100  is an electronic control unit for controlling an in-vehicle device, and performs various processes for transmitting the first alarm list to the communication terminal  200  at a predetermined cycle. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the ECU  100  includes a processor  101 , a main storage unit  102 , an auxiliary storage unit  103 , and an in-vehicle communication unit  104 . The ECU  100  implements a function that meets a predetermined purpose, as the processor  101  loads a program stored in the auxiliary storage unit  103  into a work area of the main storage unit  102  and executes the program. 
     The processor  101  is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) or a digital signal processor (DSP). The processor  101  controls the ECU  100  and performs various information processing calculations. 
     The main storage unit  102  includes, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), and the like. As described above, in the main storage unit  102 , the work area for the processor to execute the program is set. 
     The auxiliary storage unit  103  includes, for example, an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), and the like. The auxiliary storage unit  103  stores various programs, various kinds of data, and various tables in a recording medium such that they are readable and writable. The programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit  103  include, in addition to an operating system (OS) and the like, a program for implementing a process for transmitting the first alarm list to the communication terminal  200  at a predetermined cycle. Further, the data stored in the auxiliary storage unit  103  may include the first alarm list in a template state (first alarm list in a state in which information indicating the presence or absence of an alarm is not registered). Part or all of the information stored in the auxiliary storage unit  103  may be stored in the main storage unit  102 . Further, part of the information stored in the main storage unit  102  may be stored in the auxiliary storage unit  103 . 
     The communication unit  104  is an interface for connecting the ECU  100  to the in-vehicle network (CAN-BUS). The in-vehicle communication unit  104  connects to the in-vehicle network using, for example, a CAN standard interface circuit. In the present embodiment, the in-vehicle communication unit  104  communicates with the other ECUs  100  and the communication terminal  200  through the in-vehicle network. 
     The series of processes executed by the ECU  100  can be executed by hardware or software. 
     Next, the communication terminal  200  is a communication terminal mounted on the vehicle  10 , and performs various processes for transmitting the second alarm list to the center server  300  at a predetermined cycle. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the communication terminal  200  includes a processor  201 , a main storage unit  202 , an auxiliary storage unit  203 , an in-vehicle communication unit  204 , and an out-of-vehicle communication unit  205 . The communication terminal  200  implements a function that meets a predetermined purpose, as the processor  201  loads a program stored in the auxiliary storage unit  203  into a work area of the main storage unit  202  and executes the program. 
     Since the processor  201 , the main storage unit  202 , and the in-vehicle communication unit  204  are the same as the processor  101 , the main storage unit  102 , and the in-vehicle communication unit  104  of the ECU  100 , the description thereof will be omitted. 
     The auxiliary storage unit  203  may include a removable medium in addition to the same configuration as that of the auxiliary storage unit  103  of the ECU  100 . The removable medium is, for example, a universal serial bus (USB) memory or a disc recording medium such as a compact disc (CD) or a digital versatile disc (DVD). Further, the program stored in the auxiliary storage unit  203  includes a program for implementing a process for transmitting the second alarm list to the center server  300 . 
     The out-of-vehicle communication unit  205  is an interface for connecting the communication terminal  200  to the network. The out-of-vehicle communication unit  205  connects to the network by a mobile communication method such as long term evolution (LTE), LTE-advanced, and 5th generation (5G), or a wireless communication method such as Wi-Fi. In the present embodiment, the out-of-vehicle communication unit  205  communicates with the center server  300  through the network. 
     The series of processes executed by the communication terminal  200  configured as described above can be executed by hardware or software. 
     Functional Configuration of ECU 
     Here, an example of the functional configuration of the ECU  100  in the present embodiment will be described with reference to  FIG. 4 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the ECU  100  in the present embodiment includes an acquisition unit F 110 , a data generation unit F 120 , and a transmission unit F 130  as its functional components. The acquisition unit F 110 , the data generation unit F 120 , and the transmission unit F 130  are implemented, as the processor  101  executes a program loaded on the main storage unit  102 . Any of the acquisition unit F 110 , the data generation unit F 120 , and the transmission unit F 130 , or a part thereof may be implemented by a hardware circuit. Further, the functional configuration of the ECU  100  is not limited to the example shown in  FIG. 4 , and components may be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate. 
     The acquisition unit F 110  acquires the first alarm list in a template state at a predetermined cycle. Here, when the first alarm list in the template state is stored in the auxiliary storage unit  103  of the ECU  100 , the acquisition unit F 110  reads out the first alarm list in the template state from the auxiliary storage unit  103 . The first alarm list in the template state may be provided from the communication terminal  200  to the ECU  100  at a predetermined cycle. The first alarm list acquired by the acquisition unit F 110  is passed from the acquisition unit F 110  to the data generation unit F 120 . 
     The data generation unit F 120  registers information indicating presence or absence of an alarm in each item of the first alarm list passed from the acquisition unit F 110 , so as to complete the first alarm list. The first alarm list has a format common to the ECUs  100  mounted on the vehicle  10 , and has a plurality of items for registering presence or absence of an alarm regarding the in-vehicle devices by type of alarm, as described above. The data generation unit F 120  registers information indicating presence or absence of an actual alarm for an item under the control of the ECU  100 , among a plurality of first items in the first alarm list, which will be described later. For example, when the ECU  100  is the motor ECU  101 , the data generation unit F 120  registers the information indicating presence or absence of an actual alarm related to the motor for an item related to the motor, among the first items in the first alarm list. The data generation unit F 120  uniformly registers information indicating absence of an alarm for items that are not under the control of the ECU  100 , among the first items in the first alarm list. For example, when the ECU  100  is the motor ECU  101 , the data generation unit F 120  uniformly registers the information indicating absence of an alarm for the items other than the item related to the motor, among the first items in the first alarm list. Further, the data generation unit F 120  registers the number of alarms for each level for a second item in the first alarm list, which will be described later. When the data generation unit F 120  finishes registering information for all the items of the first alarm list, the data generation unit F 120  passes, to the transmission unit F 130 , the first alarm list in which registration of the information is completed. Regarding whether an alarm of a type corresponding to the item under the control of the ECU  100  is generated, the data generation unit F 120  may determine based on detection values of various sensors and the like attached to the in-vehicle devices at the timing of generating the first alarm list. 
     The transmission unit F 130  transmits the first alarm list generated by the data generation unit F 120  to the communication terminal  200  through the in-vehicle communication unit  104 . 
     Functional Configuration of Communication Terminal 
     Next, an example of the functional configuration of the communication terminal  200  in the present embodiment will be described with reference to  FIG. 5 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the communication terminal  200  in the present embodiment includes a reception unit F 210 , a data processing unit F 220 , and a transmission unit F 230  as its functional components. The reception unit F 210 , the data processing unit F 220 , and the transmission unit F 230  are implemented, as the processor  201  executes a program loaded on the main storage unit  202 . The combination of the reception unit F 210 , the data processing unit F 220 , and the transmission unit F 230  corresponds to the “control unit” of the communication terminal according to the present disclosure. Any or part of the reception unit F 210 , the data processing unit F 220 , and the transmission unit F 230  may be implemented by a hardware circuit. Further, the functional configuration of the communication terminal  200  is not limited to the example shown in  FIG. 5 , and components may be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate. 
     The reception unit F 210  receives the first alarm list transmitted from each of the ECUs  100  at a predetermined cycle through the in-vehicle communication unit  204 . The first alarm lists received by the reception unit F 210  are passed from the reception unit F 210  to the data processing unit F 220 . 
     The data processing unit F 220  generates the second alarm list based on the first alarm lists received by the reception unit F 210 . The second alarm list is an alarm list required to be transmitted to the center server  300  at a predetermined cycle, and includes a plurality of items for registering presence or absence of an alarm of a type stipulated by laws and regulations, as described above. 
     Here, an example of the second alarm list is shown in  FIG. 6 . In the example shown in  FIG. 6 , the second alarm list includes a third item, fourth items, and fifth items. The format of the second alarm list including the third item, the fourth items, and the fifth items (types of items and order of items) is defined based on the laws and regulations of the country or region and the like. However, the types of items included in the second alarm list and the order of the items are not limited to the example shown in FIG.  6 , and can be appropriately changed based on the laws and regulations of the country or region and the like where the vehicle  10  is used. 
     The third item is an item for registering information indicating an alarm of the highest level among the alarms generated in the vehicle  10 . The “level” here is an index regarding the severity of alarm. Such a level is set in advance for each type of alarm. Here, when three levels from level 1 to level 3 are set and the alarm of level 3 having the highest severity is generated in the vehicle  10 , the information indicating level 3 is registered in the third item. When the alarm of level 3 is not generated in the vehicle  10  and an alarm of level 2 having the second highest severity is generated in the vehicle  10 , the information indicating level 2 is registered in the third item. When the alarms of level 2 and level 3 are not generated in the vehicle  10  and an alarm of level 1 having the lowest severity is generated in the vehicle  10 , the information indicating level 1 is registered in the third item. When no alarm of any level from level 1 to level 3 is generated in the vehicle  10 , “0” is registered in the third item. 
     The fourth items include a plurality of items classified for each in-vehicle device. The “in-vehicle device” here is a device that can be mounted on a new energy vehicle, and is classified into, for example, a battery, a motor, an engine, and others. Among the fourth items, the items classified into the battery include an item for registering the total number of alarms generated in the battery and an item for registering information indicating the types of alarms generated in the battery. Among the fourth items, the items classified into the motor include an item for registering the total number of alarms generated in the motor and an item for registering information indicating the types of alarms generated in the motor. Among the fourth items, the items classified into the engine include an item for registering the total number of alarms generated in the engine and an item for registering information indicating the types of alarms generated in the engine. Among the fourth item, the items classified into the others include an item for registering the total number of alarms generated in the in-vehicle devices other than the battery, the motor, and the engine (hereinafter, may be referred to as “other in-vehicle devices”) and an item for registering information indicating the types of alarms generated in the other in-vehicle devices. 
     The fifth items include a plurality of items for registering presence or absence of alarms of specific types. The alarms of specific types are some of the alarms for in-vehicle devices that are specific to new energy vehicles. The alarms of specific types include, for example, an alarm regarding a battery temperature, an alarm regarding a battery state of charge (SOC), an alarm regarding a battery voltage, an alarm regarding a motor temperature, and the like. 
     Next, an example of the first alarm list is shown in  FIG. 7 . The first alarm list is an alarm list generated in a format common to the ECUs  100  mounted on the vehicle  10 , and has a plurality of items for registering presence or absence of an alarm regarding the in-vehicle devices by type of alarm, as described above. Specifically, the first alarm list in the present embodiment includes the first items and the second items as shown in  FIG. 7 . Each of the first items and the second items illustrated in  FIG. 7  is determined based on the format of the second alarm list shown in  FIG. 6 . Therefore, when the format of the second alarm list is changed to a format different from the example shown in  FIG. 6 , the items included in the first alarm list can be changed, deleted, or added accordingly. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the first items include a plurality of items for registering presence or absence of alarms regarding the in-vehicle devices by type of alarm. The in-vehicle devices are devices that can be mounted on a new energy vehicle as described above, and include a battery, a motor, an engine, and other in-vehicle devices. The items regarding each of the battery, the motor, the engine, and the other in-vehicle devices (E 2  to E 5  in  FIG. 7 ) include a plurality of items for each type of alarm stipulated by laws and regulations. Further, at least one (E 1  in  FIG. 7 ) of the first items is set such that the presence or absence of alarms of the same type as in the fifth items in the second alarm list. That is, the first items include items for registering the presence or absence of alarms of specific types among the alarms regarding the in-vehicle devices. In each item included in the first items, for example, “1” is registered when there is an alarm, and “0” is registered when there is no alarm. 
     The second items include a plurality of items for registering the number of alarms for each level. The “level” here is an index regarding the severity of alarm, and is set in advance for each type of alarm (each item included in the first items), as described above. In the example shown in  FIG. 7 , the second items include an item for registering “the number of alarms of level 1”, an item for registering “the number of alarms of level 2”, and an item for registering “the number of alarms of level 3”. The “number of alarms of level 1” is the number of alarms of a type corresponding to level 1 (the number of alarms in the item for registering the presence or absence of an alarm of the type corresponding to level 1, among the items included in the first items). The “number of alarms of level 2” is the number of alarms of a type corresponding to level 2 (the number of alarms in the item for registering the presence or absence of an alarm of the type corresponding to level 2, among the items included in the first items). The “number of alarms of level 3” is the number of alarms of a type corresponding to level 3 (the number of alarms in the item for registering the presence or absence of an alarm of the type corresponding to level 3, among the items included in the first items). 
     When the reception unit F 210  receives the first alarm lists having the format shown in  FIG. 7  from the ECUs  100 , the data processing unit F 220  aggregates the total number of alarms registered in the first alarm lists for each item. Specifically, the data processing unit F 220  performs logical sum calculation of the numerical values (“0” or “1”) registered in each item of the first alarm lists, for each item. At that time, when there is only one first alarm list in which “1” is registered in the item of the “number of alarms of level 1” in  FIG. 7 , among the first alarm lists, the total number of alarms of level 1 is calculated as “1”. When there is no first alarm list in which “1” is registered in the item of the “number of alarms of level 1”, among the first alarm lists, the total number of alarms of level 1 is calculated as “0”. The data processing unit F 220  also performs the aggregation for the items of the “number of alarms of level 2” and the “number of alarms of level 3” in the same manner, and derives the total number of alarms for each of levels 1 to 3. At that time, when the total number of alarms of level 3 is “1” or more, the data processing unit F 220  registers information indicating level 3 (for example, “3”) for the item of the “alarm of the highest level” in the second alarm list shown in  FIG. 6 . When the total number of alarms of level 3 is “0” and the total number of alarms of level 2 is “1” or more, the data processing unit F 220  registers information indicating level 2 (for example, “2”) for the item of the “alarm of the highest level” in the second alarm list shown in  FIG. 6 . When the total number of alarms of level 3 and the total number of alarms of level 2 are “0” and the total number of alarms of level 1 is “1” or more, the data processing unit F 220  registers information indicating level 1 (for example, “1”) for the item of the “alarm of the highest level” in the second alarm list shown in  FIG. 6 . When the total number of alarms of levels 1 to 3 is “0”, the data processing unit F 220  registers “0” for the item of the “alarm of the highest level” in the second alarm list shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     The data processing unit F 220  registers the aggregation result of the items for registering the presence or absence of the alarms of specific types (items included in E 1  in  FIG. 7 ), among the aggregation results for each item included in the first items, in the items corresponding to the fifth items in the second alarm list. For example, when the aggregation result of the item of the “specific alarm 1” (the total number of alarms in the item of the “specific alarm 1”) is “1”, the data processing unit F 220  registers “1” for the item of the “specific alarm 1” among the fifth items of the second alarm list shown in  FIG. 6 . The data processing unit F 220  also registers the aggregation results of the items of the “specific alarm 2” and subsequent items, in the items of the “specific alarm 2” and the subsequent items among the fifth items in the second alarm list shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     Further, the data processing unit F 220  aggregates the total numbers of alarms registered in the first alarm lists for each in-vehicle device. That is, the data processing unit F 220  aggregates, for each in-vehicle device, the aggregation results for each item, regarding the items for registering the presence or absence of alarms other than the alarms of specific types (E 2  to E 5  in  FIG. 7 ), among the first items in the first alarm list. For example, for the battery, the data processing unit F 220  totals the aggregation results for each item regarding the battery (aggregation results of the items included in E 2  in  FIG. 7 ) to calculate the total number of alarms generated in the battery. For the motor, the data processing unit F 220  totals the aggregation results for each item regarding the motor (aggregation results of the items included in E 3  in  FIG. 7 ) to calculate the total number of alarms generated in the motor. For the engine, the data processing unit F 220  totals the aggregation results for each item regarding the engine (aggregation results of the items included in E 4  in  FIG. 7 ) to calculate the total number of alarms generated in the engine. For the other in-vehicle devices, the data processing unit F 220  totals the aggregation results for each item regarding the other in-vehicle devices (aggregation results of the items included in E 5  in  FIG. 7 ) to calculate the total number of alarms generated in the other in-vehicle devices. The aggregation results for each in-vehicle device thus obtained are registered in the corresponding items among the fourth items in the second alarm list. For example, the total number of alarms generated in the battery is registered in the item of the “total number of battery-related alarms” among the fourth items in the second alarm list shown in  FIG. 6 . The total number of alarms generated in the motor is registered in the item of the “total number of motor-related alarms” among the fourth items in the second alarm list shown in  FIG. 6 . The total number of alarms generated in the engine is registered in the item of the “total number of engine-related alarms” among the fourth items in the second alarm list shown in  FIG. 6 . The total number of alarms generated in the other in-vehicle devices is registered in the item of the “total number of other alarms” among the fourth items in the second alarm list shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     Among the fourth items in the second alarm list shown in  FIG. 6 , for the items of the “battery-related alarm type”, the “motor-related alarm type”, the “engine-related alarm type”, and the “other alarm type”, information for identifying the item in which information indicating the presence of an alarm (“1”) is registered, among the first items in the first alarm list, is registered. For example, in the item of the “battery-related alarm type” in the second alarm list shown in  FIG. 6 , information for identifying the item in which the information indicating the presence of an alarm (“1”) is registered, among the items included in E 2  in  FIG. 7 , is registered. When there is a plurality of items in which the information indicating the presence of an alarm (“1”) is registered, among the items included in E 2  in  FIG. 7 , the information for identifying each of the items is registered in the item of the “battery-related alarm type” in the second alarm list shown in  FIG. 6 . In the item of the “motor-related alarm type” in the second alarm list shown in  FIG. 6 , information for identifying the item in which the information indicating the presence of an alarm (“1”) is registered, among the items included in E 3  in  FIG. 7 , is registered. In the item of the “engine-related alarm type” in the second alarm list shown in  FIG. 6 , information for identifying the item in which the information indicating the presence of an alarm (“1”) is registered, among the items included in E 4  in  FIG. 7 , is registered. In the item of the “other alarm type” in the second alarm list shown in  FIG. 6 , information for identifying the item in which the information indicating the presence of an alarm (“1”) is registered, among the items included in E 5  in  FIG. 7 , is registered. 
     When the second alarm list is generated by the above procedure, the generated second alarm list is passed from the data processing unit F 220  to the transmission unit F 230 . 
     The transmission unit F 230  transmits the second alarm list generated by the data processing unit F 220  to the center server  300  through the out-of-vehicle communication unit  205 . 
     Processing Flow 
     Next, an example of the processing sequence in the in-vehicle system of the present embodiment will be described with reference to  FIG. 8 . The ECU  100  in  FIG. 8  includes the plurality of ECUs (the motor ECU  101 , the engine ECU  102 , the battery ECU  103 , the charging ECU  104 , and the like). 
     In  FIG. 8 , the ECUs  100  mounted on the vehicle  10  each generate the first alarm list at a predetermined cycle (S 11 ). Specifically, the acquisition unit F 110  of each ECU  100  acquires the first alarm list in the template state at a predetermined cycle, and the acquired first alarm list is passed to the data generation unit F 120 . The data generation unit F 120  registers the information indicating the presence or absence of an alarm in each item of the first alarm list in the template state so as to complete the first alarm list. Specifically, the data generation unit F 120  registers the information indicating the presence or absence of an actual alarm (“1” or “0”) for an item under of the control of the ECU  100 , among the items included in the first alarm list, as described above. Further, the data generation unit F 120  uniformly registers the information indicating the absence of an alarm (“0”) for the items that are not under the control of the ECU  100 . The first alarm list generated by the data generation unit F 120  of each ECU  100  is transmitted to the communication terminal  200  (S 12 ). At that time, in each ECU  100 , the transmission unit F 130  transmits the first alarm list to the communication terminal  200  through the in-vehicle communication unit  104 . 
     The first alarm lists from the ECUs  100  are received by the in-vehicle communication unit  204  of the communication terminal  200  and passed to the data processing unit F 220  through the reception unit F 210 . The data processing unit F 220  generates the second alarm list based on the first alarm lists received from the ECUs  100  (S 13 ). The second alarm list generated by the data processing unit F 220  is passed from the data processing unit F 220  to the transmission unit F 230 . The transmission unit F 230  transmits the second alarm list to the center server  300  through the out-of-vehicle communication unit  205  (S 14 ). 
     Here, a detailed processing flow of the process of S 13  will be described with reference to  FIG. 9 .  FIG. 9  is a flowchart showing a processing flow executed by the communication terminal  200  when generating the second alarm list. The processing flow of  FIG. 9  is executed, with the reception of the first alarm list from the ECUs  100  by the communication terminal  200  as a trigger. 
     In the processing flow of  FIG. 9 , the data processing unit F 220  of the communication terminal  200  calculates the total number of alarms registered in the first alarm lists received from the ECUs  100  for each item (step S 101 ). Specifically, the data processing unit F 220  performs a logical sum calculation of the numerical values (“0” or “1”) registered for each item of the first alarm lists, for each item. 
     The data processing unit F 220  calculates the total number of alarms for each in-vehicle device based on the total number of alarms for each item calculated in step S 101  (step S 102 ). Specifically, the data processing unit F 220  totals the total number of alarms for each item regarding the battery (the total number of alarms for each item in the items included in E 2  in  FIG. 7 ) to calculate the total number of alarms generated in the battery, as described above. The data processing unit F 220  totals the total number of alarms for each item regarding the motor (the total number of alarms for each item in the items included in E 3  in  FIG. 7 ) to calculate the total number of alarms generated in the motor. The data processing unit F 220  totals the total number of alarms for each item regarding the engine (the total number of alarms for each item in the items included in E 4  in  FIG. 7 ) to calculate the total number of alarms generated in the engine. The data processing unit F 220  totals the total number of alarms for each item regarding the other in-vehicle devices (the total number of alarms for each item in the items included in E 5  in  FIG. 7 ) to calculate the total number of alarms generated in the other in-vehicle devices. 
     The data processing unit F 220  identifies an item (alarm item) in which the information indicating the presence of an alarm (“1”) is registered in the first alarm lists received from the ECUs  100 , for each in-vehicle device (step S 103 ). For example, the data processing unit F 220  identifies the item in which the information indicating the presence of an alarm (“1”) is registered, among the battery-related items (items included in E 2  in  FIG. 7 ) in the first alarm lists received from the ECUs  100 . The data processing unit F 220  identifies the item in which the information indicating the presence of an alarm (“1”) is registered, among the motor-related items (items included in E 3  in  FIG. 7 ) in the first alarm lists received from the ECUs  100 . The data processing unit F 220  identifies the item in which the information indicating the presence of an alarm (“1”) is registered, among the engine-related items (items included in E 4  in  FIG. 7 ) in the first alarm lists received from the ECUs  100 . The data processing unit F 220  identifies the item in which the information indicating the presence of an alarm (“1”) is registered, among the items related to the other in-vehicle devices (items included in E 5  in  FIG. 7 ) in the first alarm lists received from the ECUs  100 . 
     The data processing unit F 220  determines the level of the alarm having the highest severity, among the alarms generated in the vehicle  10 , based on the total number of alarms for each item calculated in step S 102  (step S 104 ). At that time, when the total number of alarms in the item of the “number of alarms of level 3” is “1” or more, the data processing unit F 220  determines that the highest level of alarm generated in the vehicle  10  is level 3. When the total number of alarms for each item in the item of the “number of alarms of level 3” is “0” and the total number of alarms for each item in the item of the “number of alarms of level 2” is “1” or more, the data processing unit F 220  determines that the highest level of alarm generated in the vehicle  10  is level 2. When the total number of alarms for each item in the item of the “number of alarms of level 3” and the total number of alarms for each item in the item of the “number of alarms of level 2” are “0” and the total number of alarms for each item in the item of the “number of alarms of level 1” is “1” or more, the data processing unit F 220  determines that the highest level of alarm generated in the vehicle  10  is level 1. When the total number of alarms for each item in the item of the “number of alarms of level 3”, the total number of alarms for each item in the item of the “number of alarms of level 2”, and the total number of alarms for each item in the item of the “number of alarms of level 1” are all “0”, the data processing unit F 220  determines that the highest level of alarm generated in the vehicle  10  is level 0. 
     The data processing unit F 220  generates the second alarm list based on the information derived in step S 101  to step S 104  (step S 105 ). Specifically, the data processing unit F 220  registers the total number of alarms for each item regarding the items of the alarms of the specific types (items included in E 1  in  FIG. 7 ), among the total number of alarms for each item that is derived in step S 101 , in the fifth items in the second alarm list. Also, the data processing unit F 220  registers the total number of alarms for each in-vehicle device that is derived in step S 102  and the alarm item for each in-vehicle device that is determined in step S 103 , in the fourth items in the second alarm list. Further, the data processing unit F 220  registers the highest level determined in step S 104  in the third item in the second alarm list. The second alarm list generated by such a procedure is transmitted to the center server  300  by the transmission unit F 230 , as described in the description of S 14  in  FIG. 8 . 
     According to the sequence of  FIG. 8  and the processing flow of  FIG. 9 , the formats of the alarm lists transmitted from the ECUs  100  to the communication terminal  200  can be unified into the first alarm list having a format common to the ECUs  100 . Thereby, even when the specifications of the ECUs  100  are changed with changes in the specifications of the in-vehicle devices and the like, a format according to the first alarm list can be used as the format of the alarm lists transmitted from the ECUs  100  to the communication terminal  200 . As a result, when the specifications of the in-vehicle devices and the like are changed, the necessity to change the aggregation process performed by the communication terminal  200  does not arise and there is no need to change the design of the communication terminal  200 . Moreover, the ECUs  100  transmit information regarding the presence or absence of an alarm to the communication terminal  200  using the first alarm lists having a format common to the ECUs  100 , so that various aggregation processes performed by the communication terminal  200  can be simplified. Furthermore, the format of the first alarm lists is set so as to correspond to the format of the second alarm list. Therefore, it is also possible to simplify the process for generating the second alarm list in the communication terminal  200 . 
     Thus, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide an in-vehicle system that can flexibly respond to changes in specifications of the in-vehicle devices. 
     Modifications 
     A situation is conceivable in which an abnormality occurs in a specific ECU, among the ECUs  100  mounted on the vehicle  10 . In such a situation, there is a possibility that the first alarm list is not transmitted from the specific ECU to the communication terminal  200  at a timing corresponding to the predetermined cycle. On the other hand, a situation is conceivable in which an alarm is not generated in the in-vehicle device under the control of the specific ECU. In such a situation, the first alarm list in which the information indicating the absence of an alarm (“0”) is registered in the item under the control of the specific ECU is transmitted from the specific ECU to the communication terminal. 
     In the information processing system according to the above-described embodiment, each of the ECUs  100  uniformly registers the information indicating the absence of an alarm (“0”) for the items in the first alarm list that are not under its control. Therefore, in the aggregation results of the total number of alarms for each item, there is a possibility that the communication terminal cannot determine whether an abnormality has occurred in the specific ECU (the first alarm list is not normally transmitted from the specific ECU to the communication terminal  200 ) or an alarm is not generated in the in-vehicle device under the control of the specific ECU, when the total number of alarms for each item in the items under the control of the specific ECU is “0”. 
     Thus, in this modification, when the first alarm list from the specific ECU, among the ECUs, cannot be received a predetermined number of times consecutively, the communication terminal  200  determines that an abnormality has occurred in the specific ECU. 
       FIG. 10  is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the communication terminal  200  in this modification. The communication terminal  200  in this modification includes the reception unit F 210 , the data processing unit F 220 , the transmission unit F 230 , and a determination unit F 240  as its functional components. Since the functions of the data processing unit F 220  and the transmission unit F 230  are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted. The reception unit F 210  passes the first alarm lists received from the ECUs  100  to the data processing unit F 220  and also to the determination unit F 240 . 
     The determination unit F 240  determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the specific ECU, among the ECUs  100 . A processing flow executed by the communication terminal  200  when such a determination is made will be described with reference to  FIG. 11 .  FIG. 11  is a flowchart showing a processing flow executed at a predetermined cycle in the communication terminal  200 . The predetermined cycle here is a cycle synchronized with the cycle at which the first alarm lists are transmitted from the ECUs  100  to the communication terminal  200 . 
     In the processing flow of  FIG. 11 , the reception unit F 210  receives the first alarm lists via the in-vehicle communication unit  204  (step S 201 ). The reception unit F 210  passes all the received first alarm lists to the determination unit F 240 . 
     The determination unit F 240  determines whether the number of first alarm lists received by the reception unit F 210  is less than a predetermined number (step S 202 ). The “predetermined number” here is the same value as the number of ECUs  100  mounted on the vehicle  10 . When the number of first alarm lists received by the reception unit F 210  is equal to or more than the predetermined number (negative determination in step S 202 ), the determination unit F 240  resets the counter (step S 207 ). The “counter” here is a counter for counting the number of times that the first alarm list cannot be received in the case where the first alarm lists cannot be received consecutively, and the counter is set for each ECU. Such a counter is incremented by one when the first alarm list from the corresponding ECU cannot be received, and is reset to “0” when the first alarm list from the corresponding ECU can be received. When the reset of the counter described above is completed in step S 207 , the present processing flow is ended. 
     When the number of first alarm lists received by the reception unit F 210  is less than the predetermined number (affirmative determination in step S 202 ), the process of step S 203  is executed. In step S 203 , the determination unit F 240  determines the ECU from which the first alarm list could not be received (unreceived ECU). At that time, each ECU  100  may be set so as to transmit its own identification information to the communication terminal  200  together with the first alarm list, and the determination unit F 240  may identify the ECU  100  from which the identification information could not be received. Alternatively, the ECUs  100  mounted on the vehicle  10  may be set so as to transmit the first alarm lists at different timings, and the determination unit F 240  may identify the ECU  100  from which the first alarm list could not be received at the set timing. When the ECU  100  from which the first alarm list could not be received is determined in these ways, the process of step S 204  is executed. 
     In step S 204 , the determination unit F 240  updates the counters. Specifically, the counter corresponding to the ECU  100  determined in step S 203  is incremented by one, and the counters corresponding to the other ECUs  100  are reset to “0”. When the update of the counters is completed, the process of step S 205  is executed. 
     In step S 205 , the determination unit F 240  determines whether there is an ECU  100  having a counter value equal to or more than a threshold value. The “threshold value” here is a threshold value for determining whether an abnormality has occurred in the ECU  100 , and is set to an integer of 2 or more. When there is no ECU  100  having a counter value equal to or more than the threshold value (negative determination in step S 205 ), this processing flow is terminated. On the other hand, when there is an ECU  100  having a counter value equal to or more than the threshold value (affirmative determination in step S 205 ), the determination unit F 240  determines that an abnormality has occurred in the ECU  100  (step S 206 ). After the process of step S 206  is executed, the execution of this processing flow is ended. 
     According to the processing flow of  FIG. 11 , when the total number of alarms for each item in the items under the control of the specific ECU is “0”, it is possible to determine whether an abnormality has occurred in the specific ECU or an alarm is not generated in the in-vehicle device under the control of the specific ECU. As a result, the communication terminal  200  can also generate more accurate second alarm list. 
     Others 
     The above-described embodiment and modification are merely examples, and the present disclosure may be appropriately modified to be implemented without departing from the scope thereof. Also, the processes and the configurations described in the present disclosure can be appropriately combined to be implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs. Moreover, the processes described as being executed by one device may be shared and executed by a plurality of devices. Alternatively, the processes described as being executed by different devices may be executed by one device. In the computer system, it is possible to flexibly change the hardware configuration for implementing each function. 
     The present disclosure can also be implemented by supplying a computer with a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiment and modification and causing one or more processors of the computer to read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the system bus of the computer, or may be provided to the computer via a network. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is a recording medium that can store information such as data and programs by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action and can be read from a computer or the like. Such a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is a disc of any type such as a magnetic disc (floppy (registered trademark) disc, HDD, and the like) or an optical disc (CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-ray disc, and the like). Further, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be a medium such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, or a solid state drive (SSD).