阅读说明：本技术 车载网络系统、电子控制装置、网关装置 (Vehicle-mounted network system, electronic control device, and gateway device ) 是由 栖川淳 芹泽一 金子周平 长田健一 于 2018-12-21 设计创作，主要内容包括：车载网络系统具备电子控制装置、多个网关装置、以及对车辆的周围的信息即周围信息进行收集的多个传感器装置,被搭载于车辆,传感器装置分别经由至少1个网关装置与电子控制装置进行通信,电子控制装置具备：模式管理部,在与工作的传感器装置建立了关联的多个运转模式之中,决定某一个运转模式；以及睡眠指示控制部,基于模式管理部所决定的运转模式,确定所连接的传感器装置不工作的网关装置即无需传感器中继网关装置,使无需传感器中继网关装置转移至处理能力降低的低功率状态,网关装置与在某一个相同的运转模式中不工作的多个传感器装置以不经由其他网关装置的方式连接。(The in-vehicle network system includes an electronic control device, a plurality of gateway devices, and a plurality of sensor devices that collect surrounding information that is information of the surroundings of a vehicle, and is mounted on the vehicle, the sensor devices each communicating with the electronic control device via at least 1 gateway device, and the electronic control device includes: a mode management unit that determines one of a plurality of operation modes associated with an operating sensor device; and a sleep instruction control unit that specifies a sensor-less relay gateway device, which is a gateway device in which the connected sensor devices do not operate, based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit, and shifts the sensor-less relay gateway device to a low power state in which the processing capacity is reduced, wherein the gateway device is connected to a plurality of sensor devices that do not operate in the same operation mode without passing through another gateway device.)

1. An in-vehicle network system provided with an electronic control device, a plurality of gateway devices, and a plurality of sensor devices for collecting surrounding information, which is information on the surroundings of a vehicle, and mounted on the vehicle,

the sensor devices communicate with the electronic control device via at least 1 gateway device respectively,

the electronic control device includes:

a mode management unit that determines one of a plurality of operation modes associated with the sensor device that is operating; and

a sleep instruction control unit that determines the unnecessary sensor relay gateway device, which is the gateway device in which the connected sensor device does not operate, based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit, and shifts the unnecessary sensor relay gateway device to a low power state in which the processing capability is reduced,

the gateway device is connected to the plurality of sensor devices that do not operate in one of the same operation modes, without passing through another gateway device.

2. The in-vehicle network system according to claim 1,

the gateway device reduces processing power in the low power state in response to the number of devices connected and not requiring communication.

3. The in-vehicle network system according to claim 1,

the sleep instruction control unit stops the sensorless relay gateway device from having the communication function when it is determined that the sensorless relay gateway device is not required to relay communication with another gateway device based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit.

4. The in-vehicle network system according to claim 1,

the sleep instruction control unit of the electronic control device determines a period in which the sensor device transmits the ambient information based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit, and causes the sensor device to transmit the ambient information at the determined period.

5. The in-vehicle network system according to claim 1,

the sleep instruction control unit of the electronic control device determines the number of times the sensor device repeatedly transmits the surrounding information based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit, and causes the sensor device to repeatedly transmit the surrounding information the determined number of times.

6. The in-vehicle network system according to claim 1,

the sleep instruction control unit, when any one of the devices is in the low power state, if detecting a trigger to the operation mode in which none of the devices is in the power saving state, outputs a wake-up signal to the gateway device that is not in the low power state,

the gateway device and the sensor device end the low power state when receiving the wake-up signal.

7. The in-vehicle network system according to claim 1,

the sleep instruction control unit determines a length of time for the sensorless relay gateway device to transition to the low power state based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit.

8. The in-vehicle network system according to claim 1,

redundant wiring is provided in such a manner that a plurality of paths for connecting the sensor device and the electronic control device exist,

the sleep instruction control unit sets a communication path between the sensor device and the electronic control device so that the sensorless relay gateway device does not need to relay communication with another gateway device.

9. The in-vehicle network system according to claim 1,

comprises a plurality of the electronic control devices,

constituting a 1 st group including the 1 st electronic control device and the 1 st sensor device, and a 2 nd group including the 2 nd electronic control device and the 2 nd sensor device,

the 1 st sensor device is connected with the 1 st electronic control device through the 1 st gateway device,

the 2 nd sensor device is connected with the 2 nd electronic control device through the 2 nd gateway device,

the mode management unit determines the operation mode as a 1 st retraction mode in which the 1 st group performs a retraction operation when a problem of the 1 st electronic control device is detected, and determines the operation mode as a 2 nd retraction mode in which the 1 st group performs a retraction operation when a problem of the 2 nd electronic control device is detected,

the sleep instruction control unit causes the 1 st gateway device to transition to a low power state in the 1 st fallback mode, and causes the 2 nd gateway device to transition to a low power state in the 2 nd fallback mode.

10. The in-vehicle network system according to claim 1,

the sensor devices are directly connected to more than 2 of the gateway devices,

the sleep instruction control unit specifies a destination to which the peripheral information is to be transmitted to the sensor device based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit.

11. The in-vehicle network system according to claim 1,

the plurality of gateway devices include 2 or more gateway devices logically configured and realized by 1 hardware device.

12. An electronic control device that communicates with a plurality of gateway devices and a plurality of sensor devices that collect surrounding information that is information about the surroundings of a vehicle, the electronic control device being mounted on the vehicle, the electronic control device comprising:

a mode management unit that determines one of a plurality of operation modes associated with the sensor device that is operating; and

and a sleep instruction control unit that specifies the unnecessary sensor relay gateway device, which is the gateway device in which the connected sensor device does not operate, based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit, and causes the unnecessary sensor relay gateway device to transition to a low power state in which the processing capability is reduced.

13. A gateway device mediates communication between an electronic control device that determines one of a plurality of operation modes associated with an operating sensor device and a plurality of sensor devices that collect surrounding information that is information on the surroundings of a vehicle,

the gateway device is connected to the plurality of sensor devices that do not operate in one of the same operation modes, without passing through another gateway device.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a vehicle-mounted network system, an electronic control device and a gateway device.

Background

In automobiles, the number of sensors and the types of sensors mounted on automobiles have increased with the progress of automatic driving. In order to achieve high reliability of automatic driving, it is considered to provide redundancy not only for the electronic control device for automatic driving but also for different types of sensors, and the number of sensors and the types of sensors are increased. In addition, as the performance of the sensors improves, the amount of data transmitted by the sensors also tends to increase. As described above, as the number of sensors and the types of sensors increase, the wiring lengths and the number of wirings between a large number of sensors, actuators, and electronic control devices increase, and therefore, in order to simplify the wiring in the in-vehicle network system, a transition is made to a network configuration in which the sensors, actuators, and electronic control devices are wired by gateways and the gateways are connected to a backbone network. In addition, as the number of sensors, the types of sensors, and the amount of communication per sensor increase, the bandwidth in the in-vehicle network increases, and therefore, there is a concern that the power consumption in the in-vehicle network increases. Further, from the viewpoint of reducing the environmental load, improving the fuel consumption rate of the vehicle, and the like, it is also desirable to reduce the power consumption of the on-vehicle network.

Patent document 1 discloses a vehicle control device including: a sensing device that detects an object in the vicinity of the vehicle; an electronic control unit that collects measurement results of the sensing device and instructs switching of an operation state of the sensing device as necessary; and a bus-type network for transmitting and receiving signals between the sensing device and the electronic control unit, the sensing device being configured to: the electronic control unit is capable of being brought into an operating state in a normal state in which normal operation is performed and an operating state in a power saving state in which power consumption is reduced, and the electronic control unit includes a sensor device operating state management unit that manages the operating state of the sensor device, and the sensor device operating state management unit includes: a peripheral environment recognition processing unit that recognizes a peripheral environment of the host vehicle based on a sensing result obtained from the sensing device; and an operating state switching processing unit that determines whether or not to transition the sensor device operating in the operating state in the normal state to the operating state in the power saving state, or whether or not to transition the sensor device operating in the operating state in the power saving state to the operating state in the normal state, and instructs switching of the operating state to the sensor device via the bus-type network based on the determination, the surrounding environment recognition processing unit calculating information on a position or a velocity of an object existing around the host vehicle, or both of the position and the velocity, based on a measurement result of the sensor device, and recognizing a relationship of a relative relationship between the host vehicle and the object existing around the host vehicle, based on a result of the calculation, the operating state switching processing unit recognizing, when a relative position and a relative velocity of the object existing around the host vehicle exceed a predetermined threshold value Then, it is determined that it is necessary to switch the sensor device currently in the power saving state to the normal state, and the switching to the normal state is instructed to the sensor device via the bus type network.

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1 Japanese patent No. 5701354

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In the invention described in patent document 1, power consumption is not sufficiently reduced.

Means for solving the problems

An in-vehicle network system according to a 1 st aspect of the present invention is a vehicle-mounted network system including an electronic control device, a plurality of gateway devices, and a plurality of sensor devices that collect surrounding information that is information of surroundings of a vehicle, the sensor devices being mounted on the vehicle, the sensor devices communicating with the electronic control device via at least 1 gateway device, respectively, the electronic control device including: a mode management unit that determines one of a plurality of operation modes associated with the sensor device that is operating; and a sleep instruction control unit that specifies, based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit, the unnecessary sensor relay gateway device that is the gateway device in which the connected sensor device does not operate, and shifts the unnecessary sensor relay gateway device to a low power state in which processing capacity is reduced, wherein the gateway device is connected to the plurality of sensor devices that do not operate in any one of the same operation modes without passing through another gateway device.

An electronic control device according to claim 2 of the present invention is an electronic control device that communicates with a plurality of gateway devices and a plurality of sensor devices that collect surrounding information that is information on the surroundings of a vehicle, and that is mounted on the vehicle, the electronic control device including: a mode management unit that determines one of a plurality of operation modes associated with the sensor device that is operating; and a sleep instruction control unit that specifies the unnecessary sensor relay gateway device, which is the gateway device in which the connected sensor device does not operate, based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit, and shifts the unnecessary sensor relay gateway device to a low power state in which the processing capability is reduced.

A gateway device according to claim 3 of the present invention mediates communication between an electronic control device that determines one of a plurality of operation modes associated with an operating sensor device and a plurality of sensor devices that collect surrounding information that is information on the surroundings of a vehicle, the electronic control device being connected to the plurality of sensor devices that do not operate in the same one of the operation modes without passing through another gateway device.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, power consumption can be reduced.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram of an in-vehicle network system S mounted on a vehicle 100.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a common configuration of the sensor device 10.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a common configuration of the gateway device 30.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a common configuration of the ECU device 50.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the pattern management table.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the communication path management table.

Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing of the sleep instruction control unit 5013.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing of the sleep control unit 3011.

Fig. 9 is a timing chart showing an example of the sleep operation.

Fig. 10 is a timing chart showing an example of the sleep operation in modification 1.

Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the operation mode management table according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sleep instruction control unit 5013 in embodiment 2.

Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the operation mode management table according to embodiment 3.

Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sleep instruction control unit 5013 in embodiment 3.

Fig. 15 is a timing chart showing an example of the sleep operation in embodiment 4.

Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sleep instruction control unit 5013 in embodiment 4.

Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing the processing of the sleep control unit 3011 in embodiment 4.

Fig. 18 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sleep instruction control unit 5013 in embodiment 5.

Fig. 19 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sleep instruction control unit 5013 in embodiment 6.

Fig. 20 is a configuration diagram of the in-vehicle network system S in embodiment 7.

Fig. 21 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sleep instruction control unit 5013 in embodiment 7.

Fig. 22 is a functional configuration diagram of a gateway device 30A according to embodiment 8.

Detailed Description

Embodiment 1-

Hereinafter, an embodiment 1 of the on-vehicle network system S according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 9.

(definition of wording)

In the present embodiment, a state in which power consumption of any one of the components of the apparatus is reduced is referred to as a "low power state" or a "sleep state", and a state in which power consumption is not reduced is referred to as a "normal state". In the low power state, the processing capability is reduced compared to the normal state. The low power state is, for example, a state in which the operation is stopped without supplying power to any component, or a state in which the power consumption is reduced by slowing down the operation. In the present embodiment, the combination of the ECU and the sensor that operate is referred to as an operation mode.

(construction of vehicle network System S)

Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram of an in-vehicle network system S mounted on a vehicle 100.

The vehicle-mounted network system S is provided with ECUs 50-1 to 50-2, a gateway 30-1F, a gateway 30-1R, a gateway 30-2F, a gateway 30-2R, sensors 10-1A to 10-1D, and sensors 10-2A to 10-2D. Hereinafter, the ECU device 50 is referred to without particularly distinguishing the ECUs, the gateway device 30 is referred to without particularly distinguishing the gateways, and the sensor device 10 is referred to without particularly distinguishing the sensors. In the following description, "10-" which is a reference common to the respective sensor devices 10 may be omitted, and the sensor 10-1A may be referred to as "sensor 1A". In addition, the gateway 30-1R may be similarly labeled as "gateway 1R", and the ECU 50-1 may be labeled as "ECU 1".

The sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 are classified into two groups. Sensors 10-1A-10-1D and ECU 50-1 belong to group 1, and sensors 10-2A-10-2D and ECU 50-2 belong to group 2. The gateway 30-1F and the gateway 30-1R are connected so as to line up the sensor devices 10 of the group 1, and the gateway 30-2F and the gateway 30-2R are connected so as to line up the sensor devices 10 of the group 2.

In FIG. 1, sensor 10-1A, sensor 10-1B and ECU 50-1 are directly connected to gateway 30-1F, sensor 10-2A, sensor 10-2B and ECU 50-2 are directly connected to gateway 30-2F, sensor 10-1C and sensor 10-1D are directly connected to gateway 30-1R, and sensor 10-2C and sensor 10-2D are directly connected to gateway 30-2R. Note that a direct connection between a certain sensor device 10 and a gateway device 30 means a connection without another gateway device 30 therebetween.

The gateway devices 30 are connected to each other in a ring shape. Specifically, the connection is made between the gateway 30-1R and the gateway 30-1F, between the gateway 30-1F and the gateway 30-2F, between the gateway 30-2F and the gateway 30-2R, and between the gateway 30-2R and the gateway 30-1R. Since the gateway devices 30 are connected to each other in a ring, even if1 location between any one of the gateways fails and communication is impossible, a detour route is provided, thereby saving wiring and realizing a highly reliable network.

These two groups are classified according to the presence or absence of use in an operation mode described later. For example, only the group 1 device is used in a certain operation mode, and only the group 2 device is used in another certain mode. In addition, each sensor device 10 collects information on the periphery of the vehicle 100. Since the installation place is limited based on the collected information, the installation position of each sensor device 10 in the vehicle 100 is limited. For example, in the case where the sensor 10-1A is a camera that photographs the front left of the vehicle 100, the sensor 10-1A is provided at the front left of the vehicle 100.

The gateway device 30 is also configured in consideration of the area in the vehicle 100. For example, two gateway devices 30 belonging to the same group 1 are: the gateway 30-1F is disposed in front of the vehicle 100, and the gateway 30-1R is disposed behind the vehicle 100. This allows connection between the sensor device 10 and the gateway device 30 for each group without extending the wiring of the in-vehicle network.

Further, since the grouping is determined based on the retracting operation, even if any one of the ECU1, the ECU2, the gateway device 30 connecting the ECU1 to the sensor device 10 of the group 1, and the gateway device connecting the ECU2 to the sensor device 10 of the group 2 fails, the retracting (weakening) operation can be performed. In this case, the sensor devices 10 used for the retracting operation in which the ECU 50-1 operates as a main body are set to group 1, and the sensor devices 10 used for the retracting operation in which the ECU 50-2 operates as a main body are set to group 2. In this case, the reliability of the in-vehicle network is high.

(communication)

The communication of the in-vehicle network system S is explained. The sensor information acquired by each sensor device 10 is transmitted to the gateway device 30 in a form conforming to a predetermined communication standard (standard). These sensor information are transmitted to ECU1 or ECU2 via 1 or more gateway devices 30. Wherein the sensor information may also be transmitted to both the ECU1 and the ECU 2.

When the sensors belonging to group 1 are not used, if there is no other role in the gateways 30-1F and 30-1R having the role of transmitting sensor information of the sensors belonging to group 1 to the ECU, it is possible to temporarily stop the operation, i.e., to sleep. Similarly, when the sensors belonging to group 2 are not used, if the gateways 30-2F and 30-2R having the function of transmitting the sensor information of the sensor devices 10 belonging to group 1 to the ECU device 50 do not have any other function, the temporary operation stop, that is, the sleep can be performed.

The sleep may be performed not in units of groups but in units of gateways to which the sensor devices 10 are connected. For example, without using the sensors 10-1C and 10-2C belonging to the group 1, if the gateway 30-1R connected only to the sensors 10-1C and 10-2C as the sensor device 10 has no other role, the gateway 30-1R can be shifted to the sleep state.

In this way, the following advantages are obtained by connecting the gateway device 30 to the sensor devices 10 and the ECU devices 50 of different groups so as not to be mixed as much as possible. That is, when the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 are not used for a certain period of time, not only the power consumption of the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 that are not used can be reduced, but also the power consumption of the gateway device 30 connected thereto can be reduced.

In fig. 1, the on-vehicle network system S includes 8 sensor devices 10, 4 gateway devices 30, and 2ECU devices 50, but the configuration of the on-vehicle network system S is not limited to this. For example, although the gateway devices 30 are connected to each other in a ring shape in fig. 1, the sensor devices 10 and the ECU devices 50 of each group can be divided and integrated into a group even if the gateway 30-1R and the gateway 30-1F, the gateway 30-1F and the gateway 30-2F, and the gateway 30-2F and the gateway 30-2R are connected to each other.

In fig. 1, 2 sensor devices 10 are connected to each gateway device 30, but the number of sensor devices 10 and ECU devices 50 connected to each gateway device 30 may be different. In fig. 1, the number of gateway devices 30 that perform trunking for group 1 and the number of gateway devices 30 that perform trunking for group 2 are both 2, but may be different.

(construction of sensor device 10)

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a common configuration of the sensor device 10. That is, as shown in fig. 1, the on-vehicle network system S includes a plurality of sensors, and the detailed configurations thereof are not necessarily the same, but a configuration common to these sensor devices 10 will be described here.

The sensor device 10 includes a control unit 101, an arithmetic processing unit 102, a measurement unit 103, and a communication interface (hereinafter referred to as "communication IF") 105. Hereinafter, the control unit 101, the arithmetic processing unit 102, the measurement unit 103, and the communication IF105 are collectively referred to as "respective components of the sensor device 10". The components of the sensor device 10 are connected to each other via an internal bus 104, and can transmit and receive control data to and from each other.

The control unit 101 and the arithmetic processing unit 102 are asics (application specific integrated circuits) which are integrated circuits for specific applications. The control unit 101 and the arithmetic processing unit 102 may be configured by a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, and may be realized by the CPU expanding and executing a program stored in the ROM on the RAM. The specific functions of the control unit 101 and the arithmetic processing unit 102 will be described later.

The measurement unit 103 senses (senses) the surrounding environment of the vehicle at a predetermined sampling frequency. Then, the measurement unit 103 converts the physical quantity sensed by the sensor into an electric signal, converts the electric signal into a digital signal, and outputs the digital signal to the arithmetic processing unit 102. The measurement unit 103 is, for example, an image sensor or a millimeter wave sensor.

The arithmetic processing unit 102 performs various arithmetic processes based on the digital signal acquired from the measurement unit 103, stores the result of the arithmetic processes (hereinafter referred to as "surrounding information") in a payload unit of a frame format, and outputs the frame to the communication IF 105. When the destination indicated in the header of the frame input from the communication IF105 matches the identifier of the device, the arithmetic processing unit 102 outputs the received frame to the control unit 101.

The communication IF105 converts the frame acquired from the arithmetic processing unit 102 into a format conforming to the communication standard, and outputs the converted frame to the connected gateway device 30. Further, the signal input from the gateway device 30 is converted into a frame and output to the arithmetic processing unit 102. The specification of the network to which the communication IF105 is connected is, for example, IEEE802.3, CAN (registered trademark), CAN-FD, or the like designed for vehicle use. In fig. 2, only one communication IF105 is provided, but a plurality of communication IFs 105 may be provided to improve the reliability of communication.

Communication IF105 is a combination of a physical communication interface, such as an RJ45 connector, and control circuitry. The control unit 101 and the arithmetic processing unit 102 assume connection ports for virtual communication during processing, and are also referred to as "communication ports" or "ports". The correspondence relationship between the communication port and the communication IF105 defined by the control unit 101 and the arithmetic processing unit 102 is determined in advance. Therefore, for example, IF the control unit 101 and the arithmetic processing unit 102 determine a communication port for outputting data, the communication IF105 for outputting data is also uniquely determined.

The communication IF105 can transmit and receive an LPS (Low Power Sleep) signal to and from the gateway apparatus 30 as a connection destination, and can transition to a Low Power state. In addition, IF the communication IF105 receives a WakeUp (hereinafter referred to as "WUP") signal in the low power state, it transitions from the low power state to the normal state. Further, IF the communication IF105 receives the WUP signal in the low power state, the communication IF105 is activated and notifies the sleep control unit 1011 of the reception of the WUP signal via the internal bus 104. In addition, IF the communication IF105 receives the LPS signal in the normal state, it notifies the sleep control unit 1011 of the reception of the LPS signal via the internal bus 104.

The control unit 101 includes a sleep control unit 1011 and a management unit 1012. The sleep control unit 1011 controls the power states of the respective components of the sensor device 10. For example, if an LPS signal is received as a transition command to the low power state from the gateway device 30 being connected, the sleep control unit 1011 causes each component of the sensor device 10 to transition to the low power state and transition to the sleep state. The sleep control unit 1011 may exclude the control unit 101 from being transitioned to the low power state.

The management unit 1012 controls and manages the operations of the measurement unit 103 and the arithmetic processing unit 102. For example, the management unit 1012 gives an instruction to change the sensing period to the measurement unit 103, or gives an instruction to change the operating frequency to the arithmetic processing unit 102. The sleep control unit 1011 and the management unit 1012 may operate in cooperation with each other.

Since the sensor device 10 has the configuration described above, the communication IF105, the arithmetic processing unit 102, and the measurement unit 103 can be brought into a low power state. Further, the normal state can be changed to the sleep state or the sleep state can be changed to the normal state based on a signal received from the gateway device 30.

(construction of gateway device 30)

Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a common configuration of the gateway device 30. The gateway device 30 includes a control unit 301, a frame transfer processing unit 302, and 1 or more communication IFs 303. Hereinafter, the control unit 301, the frame transfer processing unit 302, and the communication IF303 are collectively referred to as "each component of the gateway device 30". The respective components of the gateway device 30 are connected to each other via a bus 304, and transmit and receive control data to and from each other.

The control unit 301 and the frame transfer processing unit 302 are ASICs. The control unit 301 and the frame transfer processing unit 302 may be configured by a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, and may be realized by the CPU expanding and executing a program stored in the ROM on the RAM. The specific functions of the control unit 301 and the frame transfer processing unit 302 are left to be described later.

Communication IF303 is a combination of a physical communication interface, such as an RJ45 connector, and control circuitry. The control unit 301 and the frame transfer processing unit 302 assume connection ports for virtual communication during processing, and are also referred to as "communication ports" or "ports". The correspondence relationship between the communication ports defined by the control unit 301 and the frame transfer processing unit 302 and the communication IF303 is predetermined. Therefore, for example, IF the control unit 301 and the frame transfer processing unit 302 determine a communication port for outputting data, the communication IF303 for outputting data is also uniquely determined.

The control unit 301 includes a sleep control unit 3011 and a communication management unit 3012. The sleep control unit 3011 controls the power states of the respective components of the gateway device 30. The sleep control unit 3011 sets the respective components of the gateway device 30 to the low power state in accordance with the sleep instruction frame received from the other ECU. When the gateway device 30 receives the LPS signal via the communication IF303, it determines whether or not the communication IF303 that has received the LPS signal should be put into a low-power state.

As described above, the sensor device 10, if receiving the LPS signal, shifts the entire device to the sleep state in which the power is low, but the gateway device 30 does not shift to the sleep state even if receiving the LPS signal. Even IF the gateway device 30 receives the LPS signal, it shifts the communication IF303 that has received the LPS signal to the low power state to the maximum extent.

The communication management unit 3012 manages path information, transfer destination information, bandwidth information, priority information, failure information, and the like of frames transferred by the gateway device 30.

Each communication IF303 communicates with the ECU device 50, the sensor device 10, or the other gateway device 30. The communication IF303 in the present embodiment is a 1-to-1 connection, and the gateway device 30 includes the communication IF303 equal to or more than the number of connected devices. For example, in fig. 1, since the gateway 30-1F is connected to two sensor devices 10, two gateway devices 30, and 1ECU device 50, the gateway 30-1F includes at least 5 communication IFs 303.

The communication IF303 outputs data received via the network to the frame transfer processing unit 302, and also outputs data input from the frame transfer processing unit 302 to the network. The communication specification corresponding to each communication IF303 is not particularly limited. The communication IF303 corresponds to IEEE802.3, CAN-FD, and the like designed for on-vehicle use, for example. Each communication IF303 may correspond to a different communication standard.

Upon receiving a transition instruction to the low power state from the sleep control unit 3011, the communication IF303 transmits an LPS signal to the connection destination and transitions from the normal state to the low power state. Upon receiving a transition instruction to the normal state from the sleep control unit 3011, the communication IF303 transitions from the low-power state to the normal state and transmits a WUP signal to a connection destination. The communication IF303 always receives a WUP signal even in the low power state, and IF the WUP signal is received from the connection destination, it transitions to the normal state and notifies the control unit 301 of the reception of the WUP signal. IF the communication IF303 receives the LPS signal in the normal state, it notifies the control unit 301 of the reception of the LPS signal.

The frame transfer processing unit 302 is configured to process a frame input from the communication IF303, determine the communication IF303 to be output based on a destination stored in a header of the frame, and output the frame to the communication IF 303. When the destination stored in the header of the frame input from the communication IF303 is the gateway device 30, the frame transfer processing unit 302 outputs the payload of the frame to the control unit 301. For example, IF a sleep instruction frame addressed to the gateway device 30 is input from the communication IF303, the frame transfer processing unit 302 outputs the payload of the sleep instruction frame to the sleep control unit 3011. The frame transfer processing unit 302 includes a transfer database for determining an output destination of an input frame. The frame transferred by the frame transfer processing unit 302 also includes a sleep instruction frame.

Each gateway device 30 can cause the communication IF303 and the frame transfer processing unit 302 to transition to the low power state. In addition, the sleep instruction frame received from another ECU can be received, and the sleep control method can be determined based on this. Further, the gateway device 30 can cause the connected sensor device 10 and ECU to shift to the low power consumption state by transmitting the LPS signal via the communication IF 303.

(constitution of ECU device)

Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a common configuration of the ECU device 50. The ECU device 50 includes a control unit 501, an arithmetic processing unit 502, and 1 or more communication IFs 503. Hereinafter, the control unit 501, the arithmetic processing unit 502, and the communication IF503 are collectively referred to as "respective components of the ECU device 50". The respective components of the ECU device 50 are connected to each other via a bus 504, and mutually transmit and receive control data.

The control unit 501 and the arithmetic processing unit 502 are ASICs. The control unit 501 and the arithmetic processing unit 502 may be configured by a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, and may be realized by the CPU expanding and executing a program stored in the ROM on the RAM. Specific functions of the control unit 501 and the arithmetic processing unit 502 are left to be described later.

Communication IF503 is a combination of a physical communication interface, such as an RJ45 connector, and a control circuit. The control unit 501 and the arithmetic processing unit 502 are assumed to be connection ports for virtual communication during processing, and are also referred to as "communication ports" or "ports". The correspondence relationship between the communication ports defined by the control unit 501 and the arithmetic processing unit 502 and the communication IF503 is predetermined.

The control unit 501 includes a mode management unit 5011, a communication management unit 5012, and a sleep instruction control unit 5013. The mode management unit 5011 determines the operation mode based on the number of peripheral objects detected from the calculation result of the calculation processing unit 502 and the data received from the other sensor devices 10 and the ECU device 50, the distance to the vehicle, weather information, and the like.

The communication management unit 5012 manages path information, band information, priority information, failure information, and the like of communication in the entire in-vehicle network. The path information includes, for example, the following information: the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 located in the in-vehicle network communicate with which ECU device 50, and via which gateway device 30 the ECU devices 50 communicate in which order. The band information manages information such as the amount of data communicated between each sensor device 10, the ECU device 50, and the other ECU devices 50, and the transmission cycle thereof. The priority information manages, for example, the priority value corresponding to data communicated between each sensor device 10, the ECU device 50, and the other ECU devices 50. The obstacle information manages, for example, what kind of obstacles have occurred in which communication section. The information managed by the communication management unit 5012 is used by the sleep instruction control unit 5013.

The sleep instruction control unit 5013 determines a device to be put to sleep and a period for putting the device to sleep based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit 5011. Then, a sleep instruction frame including the sleep target and the sleep period is issued and transmitted via the arithmetic processing unit 502 and the communication IF 503. The arithmetic processing unit 502 performs arithmetic operations based on information input from the sensor device 10 or other ECU devices 50 via the communication IF 503. The specific calculation content of the calculation processing unit 502 is not particularly limited. The calculation result of the calculation processing unit 502 is transmitted to another ECU via the communication IF 503.

Each communication IF503 communicates with another ECU device 50 or the gateway device 30. The communication IF503 in the present embodiment is a 1-to-1 connection, and the ECU device 50 includes the communication IF503 equal to or more than the number of connected devices. The communication IF503 outputs data received via the network to the arithmetic processing unit 502 or the control unit 501, and outputs data input from the arithmetic processing unit 502 or the control unit 501 to the network. The communication specification corresponding to each communication IF503 is not particularly limited. The communication IF305 corresponds to IEEE802.3, CAN-FD, and the like designed for on-vehicle use, for example. Each communication IF503 may correspond to a different communication standard.

In this manner, the ECU device 50 performs calculation based on data from the sensor device 10 and other ECUs connected to the in-vehicle network, and transmits the calculation result to the other ECUs. The ECU device 50 determines an operation mode, and determines a device and a period for shifting to the sleep state based on the determined operation mode. Then, the ECU device 50 transmits the sleep instruction frame to the device to be put to sleep.

(operation mode management table)

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the operation mode management table stored in the ECU device 50. The operation mode management table shows the devices used for each operation mode. Hereinafter, a device used in a certain operation mode may be referred to as a "device to be used", and a device not used may be referred to as a "device not to be used". The operation mode management table is represented in a table format, for example, as shown in fig. 5, where rows correspond to the respective devices and columns correspond to the respective operation modes. In fig. 5, the ID of the device is shown in the left column, and the name of the pattern is shown in the upper grid. Values indicating whether or not the device is used in each operation mode are input to each element of the table. In fig. 5, O is written when the device is used, and the device is empty when the device is not used.

For example, in mode 0, all devices are utilized. In mode 1, only the ECU1 and the sensors 1A to 1D, which are the group 1, are used. In mode 2, only the ECU2 and the sensors 2A to 2D, which are the group 2, are used. In mode 3, devices other than the sensor 2C and the sensor 2D are utilized. In mode 4, the ECU1, the ECU2, and the sensors 1A to 1D are used.

The mode management unit 5011 selects a mode as follows, for example. The mode management unit 5011 selects the mode 0 when it is not suitable to support other modes, such as a situation where there are many objects around the vehicle and a situation where weather is not good and recognition by various sensors is necessary. The mode management unit 5011 selects the mode 1 when the autopilot ECU2 or a gateway device connected thereto fails and the autopilot ECU1 performs a retraction operation.

When the automated driving ECU1 or a gateway connected to the automated driving ECU1 fails and the automated driving ECU2 performs the retracting operation, the mode management unit 5011 selects the mode 2. The mode management unit 5011 selects the mode 3 when the vehicle is on a highway with few objects to be recognized and there are few objects around the vehicle. The mode management unit 5011 selects the mode 4 when the weather is good and the surrounding field of view is good and the weather can be recognized without using a variety of sensors.

(communication Path management Table)

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a communication path management table provided in the communication management unit 5012 of the ECU 50. The communication path management table is composed of entries of a source, a destination, and a gateway device to be passed through, and a list of identifiers of gateway devices to be passed through in the communication is described for a pair of the source and the destination. For example, in the case where the sensor 1A sends sensor information to the ECU1, only the gateway 1F is passed through. When the sensor 1A transmits the signal to the ECU2, the signal passes through the gateways 1F and 2F in this order. When the sensor 2X transmits the signal to the ECU2, the signal passes through the gateways 2R, 1F, and 2F in this order.

The communication management unit 5012 can specify a gateway device to which each sensor or each ECU is connected, or specify a gateway used for relay processing in each communication, by referring to the communication path management table. For example, when there are 1 gateway device, it can be determined that both the source terminal and the destination terminal are connected to the gateway device. For example, since the gateway device from the sensor 1A to the ECU1 is only the gateway 1F, it can be determined that both the sensor 1A and the ECU1 are connected to the gateway 1F.

In addition, when there are two gateway devices to be passed through, it can be determined that the transmission source terminal is connected to the 1 st gateway device and the transmission destination terminal is connected to the 2 nd gateway device. In addition, when there are 3 or more gateway devices to be passed through, it can be determined that the source terminal is connected to the first gateway device, the destination terminal is connected to the last gateway device, and the other gateway devices are used for relaying. For example, since the gateway devices passed from the sensor 2X to the ECU2 are 4 gateway devices, namely, the gateway 2R, the gateway 1F, and the gateway 2F, it can be determined that: the sensor 2X is connected to the gateway 2R as the 1 st gateway device, the ECU2 is connected to the gateway 2F as the last gateway device, and the gateways 1R and 1F are used for relaying.

(flowchart of sleep instruction control unit 5013)

Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing of the sleep instruction control unit 5013 included in the ECU device 50. In the present embodiment, the operation mode is set for each predetermined time period. The processing shown in fig. 7 is executed by the sleep instruction control unit 5013 if the operation mode is set, and the processing shown in fig. 7 is executed again if a certain time has elapsed, that is, if the operation mode is set next.

The sleep instruction control unit 5013 first acquires the number of the operation mode to be set in the next cycle from the mode management unit 5011 (S1101). Next, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 determines whether or not the acquired operation mode is the normal mode, i.e., mode 0 (S1102). When determining that the acquired operation mode is not the normal mode, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 proceeds to S1103 and performs a series of processes for determining a sleep instruction as described later. When determining that the acquired operation mode is the normal mode, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 ends the processing shown in fig. 7 because there is no device to sleep.

When determining that the acquired operation mode is not the normal mode, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 specifies the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 used in the operation mode based on the operation mode number and the operation mode management table (S1103). For example, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 may extract the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 in which O is described in the corresponding operation mode from the operation mode management table shown in fig. 5.

Next, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 executes the processes of S1103A to S1103B with each gateway device 30 as a processing target. For example, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 performs the processing of S1103A to S1103B with the gateway 1F as the processing target and then performs the processing of S1103A to S1103B with the gateway 1R as the processing target at the 1 st time, and similarly performs the processing with the gateway 2F and the gateway 2R as the processing targets. If the processing is completed with all the gateway devices as processing targets, the process proceeds to S1110.

In S1104, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 determines whether or not all of the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 connected to the gateway device 30 to be processed are non-use targets (S1104). In this determination, first, the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 connected to the gateway device 30 to be processed are specified using the communication path management table. Next, it is determined whether or not the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 connected to the gateway device 30 to be processed are respectively targets for use. If it is determined that all of the connected sensor devices 10 and ECU devices 50 are non-users, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 proceeds to S1105. If it is determined that there are 1 or more sensor devices 10 and ECU devices 50 to be used, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 proceeds to S1106.

For example, the ECU device 50 and the sensor device 10 directly connected to the gateway 1F may be determined based on whether or not they are the objects to be used, as the ECU1, the sensor 1A, and the sensor 1B, based on the communication path management table shown in fig. 6. For example, when the operation mode is mode 2, it is determined that all of the ECU1, the sensor 1A, and the sensor 1B are not targets for use.

In S1105, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 determines whether or not there is a sensor device 10 or an ECU device 50 to be used that needs to be relayed by the gateway device 30 to be processed. The judgment in this step is performed as follows. The sleep instruction control unit 5013 first identifies the sensor device 10 or the ECU device 50 that needs to be relayed by the gateway device 30 to be processed, and determines whether or not the identified sensor device 10 or ECU device 50 is a target of use, thereby making it possible to determine whether or not there is a target sensor device 10 or ECU device 50 that needs to be relayed. For example, when the gateway 1F needs to relay the communication of the sensor 2X and the operation mode is the mode 2, the sensor 2X is not used, and therefore it is determined that there is no sensor device 10 or ECU device 50 that needs to be relayed. The sleep instruction control unit 5013 proceeds to S1107 when determining that there is no sensor device 10 or ECU device 50 to be used relayed by the gateway device 30 to be processed, and proceeds to S1108 when determining that there is any sensor device or ECU device.

When determining that all of the sensor devices 10 and the ECU devices 50 connected to the gateway device 30 to be processed are not used and that there are no sensor devices 10 and ECU devices 50 to be used that require relaying, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 determines all of the communication IFs 303 of the gateway device 30 to be processed as the sleeping targets (S1107). When determining that all of the sensor devices 10 and the ECU devices 50 connected to the gateway device 30 to be processed are non-users and that there are user-related sensor devices 10 and ECU devices 50 that need to be relayed, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 determines the communication IF to which the sensor devices 10 and the ECU devices 50 are connected as a sleep target (S1108).

If the determination in S1104 is no, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 determines whether or not all of the sensor devices 10 and the ECU devices 50 connected to the gateway device 30 to be processed are the objects to be used (S1106). If it is determined that there are not all the sensor devices 10 or ECU devices 50 to be used, that is, not to be used, 1 or more, the process proceeds to S1109. IF the determination in S1106 is no, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 determines as the sleep target only the communication IF to which the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 are not to be used and to which the gateway device 30 to be processed is connected. If it is determined yes in S1106, since all of the sensor devices 10 and the ECU devices 50 connected to the gateway device 30 to be processed are the objects to be used, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 determines that there is no sleep object associated with the gateway device 30 to be processed, and proceeds to S1110.

For example, when the operation mode is set to mode 2 in the configuration shown in fig. 1, the gateways 1F, 1R, 2F, and 2R perform the processes of S1104 to S1109. Through the processing in S1104 to S1109, all the ports of the gateway 1F and the gateway 1R are determined to be the sleeping targets, and the gateway 2F and the gateway 2R are determined not to be the sleeping targets.

If the processing of S1103A to S1103B is executed with all the gateway devices 30 as processing targets, the gateway device and the port to be put to sleep are determined. Then, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 issues a sleep instruction frame to the gateway device 30 to be put to sleep, transmits the sleep instruction frame to the gateway device 30 (S1110), and ends the processing shown in fig. 6. The sleep instruction frame includes information for specifying whether or not all ports are located at a position to be subjected to sleep, and for specifying ports to be subjected to sleep if not all ports are located, and information for a sleep start time and a sleep end time, which are periods of sleep.

The port of the sleep object may be any information as long as the port of the gateway apparatus 30 can be uniquely specified. For example, an identifier of the sensor device 10 connected to a port of a sleeping subject can be used, and if the identifier of the sensor device 10 is IEEE802.3, a MAC address can be used. Alternatively, the physical port number of the gateway device 30 may be directly specified instead of using the MAC address. In this case, the communication path management table referred to by the sleep instruction control unit 5013 includes the port number to be connected.

Instead of transmitting the sleep instruction frame to each gateway apparatus 30, a single sleep instruction frame may be transmitted to all gateway apparatuses 30. In this case, the sleep instruction frame includes information for specifying the target gateway device 30 in addition to the above information.

Through the above processing, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 can identify the gateway device 30 or the port of the gateway device 30 to be in the low power state in the specified operation mode, and transmit the sleep instruction to the corresponding gateway device 30. Even if all of the sensor devices 10 and the ECU devices 50 connected to the gateway device 30 are not used, the communication of the sensor device 10 to be used can be maintained when the gateway device 30 is used for relay processing of another sensor device 10 or the like to be used.

In the above, the sleep instruction frame is transmitted to the gateway device 30 via the data communication cable used for communication between the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50. However, a communication network for transmitting the sleep instruction frame may be separately prepared from the data communication cable.

(flowchart of sleep control unit 3011 of gateway)

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing of the sleep control unit 3011 included in the gateway device 30. The sleep control unit 3011 performs substantially 2 processes. The 1 st process is a process of receiving and performing a sleep instruction frame from the ECU apparatus 50. The 2 nd process is a process in which the port of the adjacent gateway device 30 outputs an LPS signal as the port transitions to the sleep state, and the port that has received the LPS signal is put to sleep. The sleep control unit 3011 executes the processing shown in fig. 8 every time the sleep instruction control unit 5013 operates.

The sleep control unit 3011 first confirms whether or not a sleep instruction frame has been received (S1201). When determining that the sleep instruction frame has been received, the sleep control unit 3011 proceeds to S1202, and executes the above-described process 1 from S1202 to S1215. If determining that the sleep instruction frame has not been received, the sleep control unit 3011 proceeds to S1216.

In S1216, the sleep control unit 3011 determines whether or not the LPS signal is received by the communication IF303 (S1216). When it is determined that the LPS signal is received, the above-described 2 nd process is performed from S1217 to S1220. When determining that the LPS signal has not been received, the sleep control unit 3011 ends the process shown in fig. 8.

In S1202, the sleep control unit 3011 determines whether all ports are sleeping targets (S1202). Specifically, the sleep control unit 3011 determines from the sleep object included in the received sleep instruction frame. The sleep control unit 3011 proceeds to S1203 when determining that all ports are targeted for sleep, and proceeds to S1211 when determining that only some ports are targeted.

In S1203, the sleep control unit 3011 causes all ports, that is, all communication IFs 303 to transmit LPS signals (S1203). The device that received the LPS signal transmits an ACK signal as a reception response, and therefore the gateway device 30 receives the ACK signal (S1204). Next, the sleep control unit 3011 transitions the communication IF303 that has received the ACK signal to the low power state (S1205), and puts the frame transfer processing unit 302 into the low power state (S1206). In S1206, the sleep control unit 3011 greatly reduces the processing capacity of the control unit 301 to reduce the power consumption of the control unit 301.

Next, the sleep control unit 3011 determines whether or not the sleep end time is reached (S1207). If yes, the sleep control unit 3011 proceeds to S1208, and if no, returns to S1207. That is, whether or not sleep has timed out is monitored, and if it is determined that sleep has timed out, the process proceeds to S1208. In S1208, the sleep control unit 3011 activates the frame transfer processing unit 302. The sleep control unit 3011 returns the processing capability of the control unit 301 that has been lowered to normal.

Next, the sleep control unit 3011 switches all the communication IFs 303 that are sleeping to the normal state, and transmits WUP signals from these communication IFs 303 (S1209). The sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 that have received the WUP signal return the communication IF to the normal state. The sleep control unit 3011 finally confirms the association (link up) in all the communication IFs 303 of the gateway device 30, and ends the processing shown in fig. 8 (S1210).

IF the determination in S1202 is no, the sleep control unit 3011 acquires the sleep object of the sleep instruction frame, specifies the communication IF303 to be a sleep object, and transmits an LPS signal from the communication IF303 (S1211). When the identification is determined by the identifier of the device to which the communication IF303 to be put asleep is connected, the communication IF303 may be determined by referring to the above-described forwarding database, not shown. The device that received the LPS signal transmits an ACK signal in response, and therefore the gateway device 30 receives the ACK signal (S1212).

Next, the sleep control unit 3011 sets the communication IF303 that has received the ACK signal to the low power state (S1213). The sleep control unit 3011 reduces the power consumption of the control unit 301 by reducing the processing capacity of the control unit 301 according to the number of communication IFs 303 set to the power saving state. Next, the sleep control unit 3011 determines whether or not the sleep end time has come (S1214), and if it is determined yes, the process proceeds to S1208, and if it is determined no, the process returns to S1214. That is, the sleep control unit 3011 monitors the sleep timeout, and proceeds to S1214 when the sleep timeout occurs.

Next, the sleep control unit 3011 sets the communication IF303 in sleep to the normal state, causes it to transmit a WUP signal (S1215), and proceeds to S1210 described above. The communication interface of the other device that has received the WUP signal returns to the normal state. In S1215, the sleep control unit 3011 returns the processing capability of the control unit 301 reduced in S1213 to normal.

IF no in S1201, the sleep control unit 3011 determines whether any of the communication IFs 303 has received the LPS signal. IF it is determined that any one of the communication IFs 303 has received the LPS signal, the process proceeds to S1217, and IF it is determined that none of the communication IFs 303 has received the LPS signal, the process shown in fig. 8 is terminated. In S1217, the sleep control unit 3011 transmits an ACK signal to the communication IF303 that has received the LPS signal, and places the communication IF303 in a low power state (S1218). At this time, the sleep control unit 3011 reduces the power consumption of the control unit 301 by reducing the processing capacity of the control unit 301 according to the number of communication IFs 303 set to the power saving state.

Thereafter, if the sleep period of the neighboring gateway device ends, the WUP signal is received from the neighboring gateway device 30 (S1219). Upon receiving the WUP signal, the sleep control unit 3011 activates the corresponding communication IF303, returns the processing capability of the control unit 301 lowered in S1218 to normal, and proceeds to S1210 (S1220).

According to the processing described above, the sleep control unit 3011 of the gateway device 30 causes the designated sleep object to sleep for the designated sleep period in accordance with the sleep instruction frame received from the ECU device 50. When the communication IF303 of the adjacent gateway device 30 is shifted to the low power state, the communication IF303 connected to the communication IF303 can be shifted to the low power state by receiving the LPS signal, and further, IF the adjacent gateway device 30 is shifted to the normal state, the communication IF303 can be returned to the normal state by receiving the WUP signal.

(example of sleep state of gateway device 30)

The gateway device 30 can be put into various sleep states. When communication is not necessary in the communication IF303 of the gateway device 30, the communication IF303 may be put into a sleep state in which it is possible to receive the WUP signal although it is not possible to receive the frame. When 1 or more communication IFs 303 are put into a sleep state, the processing capability of the frame transfer processing unit 302 or the control unit 301 may be reduced to further reduce power consumption. The reduction in processing capability can be achieved by, for example, reducing the operating frequency and reducing the number of cores (cores) of the operating processor.

When communication is not necessary in all communication IFs 303, the operation of the frame transfer processing unit 302 may be stopped in addition to the low power state of all communication IFs 303. The control unit 301 may be set to the low power state within a range in which the operation can be started in accordance with the WUP signal.

(timing of sleep movement)

Fig. 9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the sleep operation in the in-vehicle network system S. In this example, it is shown that: in the configuration of the in-vehicle network shown in fig. 1, the operation in the case of changing from the state of the pattern 0 to the pattern 1 and then returning to the pattern 0 is resumed. In fig. 9, time passes from the top to the bottom of the figure. In the initial state shown in the upper part of fig. 9, the operation mode is mode 0, and all the devices are in the normal state.

First, the ECU1 detects a trigger to change to mode 1. The trigger is, for example, a failure in the ECU2, and the failure of the ECU2 is detected by the ECU 1. Next, in the ECU1, the mode management unit 5011 determines the mode to be set in the next cycle as mode 1 based on the present trigger. Then, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 determines the gateway device 30 to be asleep and the communication IF303 to be asleep in the case of the mode 1. In this example, all ports of the gateway 2F and all ports of the gateway 2R are targets of sleep.

Next, if ECU1 determines the operation mode and the sleep range, ECU1 notifies ECU2 of the determined mode, and ECU1 and ECU2 share the mode to be operated. Next, the ECU1 transmits a sleep instruction frame to the gateway 2F and the gateway 2R, which are gateways of the sleeping subjects. The sleep period specified in the sleep instruction frame is from time t1s to time t1 e.

Next, the gateways 2F and 2R perform the sleep control operation based on the received sleep instruction frame. When the sleep start time t1s is reached, the gateways 2F and 2R transmit LPS signals from all the communication IFs 303 to be put to sleep. Gateway 2F sends to sensor 2A, sensor 2B, gateway 1F, gateway 2R, ECU 2. The gateway 2R transmits the information to the sensor 2C, the sensor 2D, the gateway 1R, and the gateway 2F. Each device that has received the LPS signal transmits an ACK signal to the source. Here, since the LPS signal from the gateway 2F to the gateway 2R is transmitted first, the gateway 2R transmits the ACK signal to the gateway 2F.

Next, the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 that have received the LPS signal set the communication interface to the low power state. The sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 may be set to the low power state for a portion other than the communication interface. For example, the clock frequency of the processing of the processor provided in the sensor device 10 or the ECU device 50 may be reduced, or the power supply other than the portion necessary for starting the device when the WUP signal is received by the communication interface may be turned OFF.

The gateway 1F that has received the LPS signal sets only the communication IF303 connected to the gateway 2F to the low-power state, and maintains the other communication IF303 in the normal state. The gateway 1R that has received the LPS signal sets only the communication IF303 connected to the gateway 2R to the low-power state, and maintains the other communication IF303 in the normal state. In addition, since the gateways 2F and 2R put all the communication IF303 ports to sleep, the frame transfer processing unit 302 also shifts to the sleep state.

When detecting that the time is a predetermined time earlier than the sleep end time, i.e., time t1e, the gateway 2F and the gateway 2R transmit WUP signals to all ports. The sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 that have received the WUP signal return to the normal state. The gateway 2F and the gateway 2R also return the frame transfer processing unit 302 and the communication IF303 to the normal state. Here, the predetermined time is a time required to return from the sleep state to the normal state. The WUP signal is transmitted at a predetermined early timing to return to a normal state at the end of sleep. As described above, a series of processes of determining the mode in the 1 st cycle, sleeping the mode, ending the sleep, and returning to the original state are completed.

In the 2 nd cycle, similarly to the processing in the 1 st cycle, the mode is determined, the device to be a sleeping target is determined, the port is determined, the target position is made to sleep, and the normal state is restored. Mode 1 is set to be set also in the 2 nd cycle. It is assumed that the ECU1 detects a trigger for changing to the mode 0 in the middle of the 2 nd cycle. Examples of such triggers include: the mode 1 was set up previously due to a failure of the ECU2, but it was detected that the failure of the ECU2 had recovered. In embodiment 1, sleep is performed for the gateway device and the sensor until the end period, and the operation mode is determined to be mode 0 at the start of the 3 rd cycle which is the next cycle.

According to the above-described sequence operation, the operation mode according to the situation can be periodically set, and the sensor and the gateway device can be set to the sleep state based on the operation mode.

In the above-described operation example of the sequence, the case where the operation mode is set to the mode 1 and the gateways 2F and 2R are in the sleep state is described. The same operation can be performed even when the operation mode is set to other modes such as mode 2 and mode 3. For example, when the operation mode is set to the mode 2, the gateways 1R and 1F are in the sleep state. For example, when the operation mode is set to the mode 3, the gateway 2R enters a sleep state.

In the above description, the communication management unit and the sleep instruction control unit 5013 are mounted on the ECU1, but the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, a device different from ECU1 may be provided to enable communication with ECU 1. Alternatively, one of the gateway devices, for example, the communication management unit and the sleep instruction control unit 5013 may be mounted on the gateway 30-1F.

According to embodiment 1 described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.

(1) The in-vehicle network system S includes an ECU device 50, a plurality of gateway devices 30, and a plurality of sensor devices 10 that collect surrounding information, which is information on the surroundings of the vehicle 100, and is mounted on the vehicle 100. The sensor devices 10 communicate with the ECU device 50 via at least 1 gateway device 30, respectively. The ECU device 50 includes: a mode management unit 5011 that determines one of a plurality of operation modes associated with the sensor device 10 that is operating; and a sleep instruction control unit 5013 that specifies the gateway device 30 in which the connected sensor device 10 is not operating based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit 5011, and causes the gateway device 30 to transition to the low power state. The gateway device 30 is connected to a plurality of sensor devices 10 that do not operate in any one of the same operation modes, without passing through another gateway device 30.

Therefore, in the operation mode in which any one of the sensor devices 10 is not operated, the processing capability of the gateway device 30 connected to the sensor device 10 can be reduced and the state can be shifted to the low power consumption state. In general, since the connection between the sensor device 10 and the gateway device 30 is designed to have a short wiring length, in the example of fig. 1, the conventional sensor 1C and the sensor 2C are connected to the gateway 1R, and the sensor 1D and the sensor 2D are connected to the gateway 2R. In this case, only when both the 1 st group and the 2 nd group are not operating, the gateway 1R and the gateway 2R can stop the frame transfer processing unit 302.

However, in the present embodiment, the gateway device 30 is connected to a plurality of sensor devices 10 that do not operate in any one of the same operation modes, without passing through another gateway device 30. For example, the gateway 1R is directly connected to the sensors 1C and 1D which do not operate in the same mode 2. Therefore, in the mode 2, the gateway 1R does not need to transfer the peripheral information output from the sensor device 10, and power consumption can be reduced.

(2) The gateway device 30 reduces the processing power in the low power state in accordance with the number of devices connected and not requiring communication. Even if the number of devices connected is large and the number of devices communicating in a certain operation mode is reduced, the processing is not saturated even if the processing capacity is reduced in proportion to the phenomenon, and therefore, the power consumption can be further reduced.

(3) The sleep instruction control unit 5013 stops the communication function of the gateway device 30 if it determines that the gateway device 30 in which the directly connected sensor device 10 is not operating does not need to relay communication with another gateway device 30 based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit 5011. The gateway device 30 can also obtain a certain power saving effect by putting each communication IF303 into a low power state. However, by stopping the communication function itself, a better power saving effect can be obtained.

(4) The vehicle-mounted network system S includes a plurality of ECU devices 50. The 1 st group including the 1 st ECU device 50 and the 1 st sensor device 10, and the 2 nd group including the 2 nd ECU device 50 and the 2 nd sensor device 10 are configured. The 1 st sensor device 10 is connected to the 1 st ECU device 50 via the 1 st gateway device 30. The 2 nd sensor device 10 is connected to the 2 nd ECU device 50 via the 2 nd gateway device 30. The mode management unit 5011 determines the operation mode as mode 2 for performing the retracting operation using the 2 nd group if a problem with the 1 st ECU device 50 is detected, and determines the operation mode as mode 1 for performing the retracting operation using the 1 st group if a problem with the 2 nd ECU device 50 is detected. The sleep instruction control unit 5013 causes the 1 st gateway device 30 to transition to the low power state in the mode 2, and causes the 2 nd gateway device 30 to transition to the low power state in the mode 1.

(5) The ECU device 50 communicates with a plurality of gateway devices 30 and a plurality of sensor devices 10 that collect surrounding information, which is information about the surroundings of the vehicle 100, and is mounted on the vehicle 100. The disclosed device is provided with: a mode management unit 5011 that determines one of a plurality of operation modes associated with the sensor device 10 that is operating; and a sleep instruction control unit 5013 that specifies the gateway device 30 in which the connected sensor device 10 is not operating based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit 5011, and causes the gateway device 30 to transition to the low power state. Therefore, the ECU device 50 can shift the appropriate gateway device 30 to the low power state.

(6) The gateway device 30 mediates communication between the ECU device 50 and the plurality of sensor devices 10, and the ECU device 50 determines one of the plurality of operation modes associated with the operating sensor devices 10, and the plurality of sensor devices 10 collect surrounding information, which is information on the surroundings of the vehicle 100. The plurality of sensor devices 10 that do not operate in any of the same operation modes are connected without passing through another gateway device 30. Therefore, since the plurality of sensor devices 10 connected to the gateway device 30 do not operate in a certain operation mode, the communication IF303 connected to the sensor devices 10 can be shifted to the low power state, and the processing capability of the control unit 301 can be reduced according to the number of communication IF303 in the low power state, thereby further reducing the power consumption of the gateway device 30.

(modification 1)

In the above-described embodiment 1, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 of the ECU apparatus 50 transmits a sleep instruction frame to the gateway apparatus 30. Then, the gateway device 30 that has received the sleep instruction frame transmits an LPS signal to the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50, and shifts the own device to the sleep state. However, the ECU device 50 may output the sleep instruction frame to the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50, and then cause the gateway device 30 to transition to the sleep state.

Fig. 10 is a timing chart showing an example of the sleep operation in modification 1. Fig. 10 corresponds to fig. 9 in embodiment 1. In the timing chart shown in fig. 10, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 transmits a sleep instruction frame to the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50, and the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 that have received the sleep instruction frame transmit an LPS signal to the gateway device 30. The gateway device 30, if receiving the LPS signal from the connected sensor device 10 or ECU device 50, determines whether or not communication with another gateway device is necessary, and shifts to the sleep state if it is determined that communication is unnecessary. Further, if the predetermined time is reached, the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 start and transmit WUP signals to the gateway device 30. The gateway device 30 that has received the WUP signal starts up another communication IF303 in the low power state and transmits the WUP signal, and further returns all the communication IFs 303 to the normal state.

(operation of sensor device 10)

The operation of the sensor device 10 in the present modification will be described. In the present modification, the sensor device 10 sets the normal state and the sleep state based on the sleep instruction frame transmitted from the ECU device 50.

The communication IF105 of the sensor device 10, upon receiving the sleep instruction frame from the ECU device 50, outputs the sleep instruction frame to the arithmetic processing unit 102. The arithmetic processing unit 102 outputs the sleep instruction frame to the sleep control unit 1011 based on the destination of the sleep instruction frame. The sleep control unit 1011 analyzes the sleep instruction frame to acquire a sleep target and a sleep period. In this modification, the control unit 101 manages the timing of synchronization in the entire in-vehicle network system S. The sleep control unit 1011 outputs an LPS signal to the gateway device 30 IF the designated sleep start time is reached, and shifts the communication IF105, the arithmetic processing unit 102, and the measurement unit 103 of the sensor device 10 to the sleep state IF the ACK signal is received from the gateway device 30.

When the sensor device 10 reaches the predetermined sleep completion time, it outputs a WUP signal to the gateway device 30 and changes the measurement unit 103 and the arithmetic processing unit 102 to the normal state. In this modification, the gateway device 30, the sensor device 10, and the ECU device 50 can be set to the low power state based on the set operation mode.

Embodiment 2-

Embodiment 2 of the on-vehicle network system S according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 11 to 12. In embodiment 1, the transmission cycle of the peripheral information transmitted by the sensor device 10 is set to be constant regardless of the operation mode. However, since more sensor devices 10 and ECU devices 50 operate in the normal mode than in the other operation modes, the amount of communication is larger than in the other operation modes, and the processing load on the ECU devices 50 is larger. In addition, since the number of sensor devices 10 that are operated in the low power state is reduced, the amount of information that can be collected is reduced, and the performance of recognizing the surrounding environment of vehicle 100 is expected to be reduced. Further, in the low power state, since the number of sensor devices 10 that operate is reduced, there is a possibility that detection of a trigger corresponding to the change of the operation mode is slowed down.

In view of this, in embodiment 2, the transmission cycle of the sensor device 10 used is controlled for each operation mode. In embodiment 1, a combination of a sensor and an ECU used is defined as an operation mode, but in embodiment 2, a combination of a sensor, an ECU used, and a transmission cycle of a sensor used is defined as an operation mode. In the following description, the same components as those in embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals and are mainly described with differences. The points not specifically described are the same as those in embodiment 1.

According to embodiment 2, since a wider variety of operation modes can be selected, a more suitable operation mode can be set depending on the situation. Further, by setting the transmission cycle in the normal mode to be relatively longer than that in the other operation modes, it is possible to improve the discrimination performance in the low power consumption and low power state in the normal mode.

Hereinafter, embodiment 2 will be described centering on differences from embodiment 1. The main difference between the two is the operation mode management table and the sleep instruction control action.

(operation of sensor device 10)

The sensor device 10 according to embodiment 2 performs not only the operation of embodiment 1 but also the following operation. That is, the sensor device 10 receives a transmission cycle indication frame including information of a transmission cycle to be set and a period during which the transmission cycle is changed from the sleep indication control unit 5013 of the ECU device 50. Then, the sensor device 10 acquires a transmission cycle from the transmission cycle instruction frame, and transmits the surrounding information at a predetermined transmission cycle. Here, the transmission cycle of the frame including the surrounding information is the same as the cycle of measuring the sensor value, but the cycles may be different.

The transmission cycle instruction frame received by the sensor device 10 is input to the management unit 1012 of the control unit 101. The management unit 1012 analyzes the input transmission cycle instruction frame, and acquires a transmission cycle to be set and a period during which the transmission cycle is changed. Then, the management unit 1012 gives an instruction to change the sampling period to the measurement unit 103 if the specified period is reached.

(operation mode management table)

Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the operation mode management table according to embodiment 2. The difference from embodiment 1 is that embodiment 1 stores only information on whether or not to use it in each mode, and embodiment 2 stores the data transmission cycle of the sensor when it is used in each mode. Fig. 11 shows, for example: the transmission cycle is T0 _ 1A when the sensor 1A is in the mode 0, and T1 _ 1A when the sensor 1A is in the mode 1. In embodiment 1, the period in which the sensor device 10 transmits the surrounding information is fixed regardless of the operation mode, but in embodiment 2, the period in which the surrounding information is transmitted may vary depending on the operation mode.

In the above example, the value of the transmission cycle itself is stored, but instead, the value of the ratio may be stored with the transmission cycle in the mode 0 as a reference. The value of each transmission cycle needs to be determined in each mode in consideration of the maximum communication rate in each section of the in-vehicle network.

In the example of fig. 11, the combination of the sensors and the ECUs used differs depending on the operation mode, but a mode in which the combination of the sensors and the ECUs is the same and only the transmission cycles of the sensors differ may be prepared. For example, only the mode 4A having a different transmission cycle may be prepared in the same manner as the sensors and ECU used in the mode 4. In the above example, the values of the transmission cycle are prepared for each sensor and each mode, but a uniform value may be prepared for each mode. For example, in the mode 1, the transmission cycle may be set to 0.5 times that in the mode 0. By setting in this manner, the data size of the operation mode management table can be reduced.

In addition, if the data transmission period in each operation mode is relatively extended in the normal mode and relatively shortened in the low power state, the following advantages are obtained. That is, the processing load on the sensor, the gateway device, and the ECU in the normal mode can be reduced, and low power in the normal mode can be realized. In addition, since the transmission cycle in the low power state is shortened, the sensor can recognize the data more quickly. Further, in the low power state, the trigger for returning to the normal mode can be detected earlier.

(flowchart of sleep instruction control unit 5013)

Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sleep instruction control unit 5013 in embodiment 2. The difference from embodiment 1 is that: after the operation mode is acquired in S1101, a process of determining a transmission cycle of the target sensor (S2102) and a process of transmitting a transmission cycle instruction frame to the target sensor (S2103) are performed. In fig. 12, the processing after S1104 is the same as that in embodiment 1, and therefore, illustration thereof is omitted.

In S2102, the transmission cycle of the object sensor is determined by referring to the operation mode management table based on the operation mode acquired in the processing in S2101. In S2103, the transmission cycle instruction frame storing the transmission cycle acquired in S2102 is issued to the use target sensor, and transmitted to the use target sensor.

According to embodiment 2 described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.

(7) The sleep instruction control unit 5013 of the ECU device 50 determines the period in which the sensor device 10 transmits the peripheral information based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit 5011, and causes the sensor device 10 to transmit the peripheral information at the determined period. Therefore, the operation mode of vehicle 100 can be further increased, and it is possible to cope with a wider variety of situations and to realize low power consumption.

Embodiment 3-C

Embodiment 3 of the in-vehicle network system S will be described with reference to fig. 13 to 14. In the following description, the same components as those in embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals and are mainly described with differences. The points not specifically described are the same as those in embodiment 1. In embodiment 1, regardless of the operation mode, the peripheral information transmitted by the sensor device 10 of the object is not repeatedly transmitted. However, in the low power state, since the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 operate less frequently than in the normal mode, frame loss occurring in the transmission of the surrounding information may cause a reduction in the recognition performance or a delay in the detection of the surrounding object.

In embodiment 3, not only the gateway device 30 and the sensor device 10 that are asleep are controlled for each operation mode, but also the number of repetitive transmissions in the sensor device 10 is controlled. That is, in embodiment 2, the transmission cycle of the usage object sensor is controlled based on the operation pattern, and in embodiment 3, the number of repeated transmissions of the usage object sensor is controlled based on the operation pattern. Hereinafter, embodiment 3 will be described centering on differences from embodiment 2. The main differences are the functions of the sensor device 10, the configuration of the operation mode management table, and the operation of the sleep instruction control unit 5013.

(operation mode management table)

Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the operation mode management table according to embodiment 3. The operation mode management table in embodiment 3 is similar to that in embodiment 2, and stores the value of the transmission cycle in embodiment 2, and stores the value of the number of repeated transmissions in embodiment 3. For example, in the example shown in fig. 13, in the pattern 0, the number of repetitive transmissions of all the sensor devices 10 that are not repeatedly transmitted is 0, whereas in the patterns 1 and 2, the number of repetitive transmissions of all the sensor devices 10 that are used is 1. In pattern 3, the number of repeated transmissions of the sensor 1C and the sensor 1D is 2, and the number of repeated transmissions of the other sensor devices 10 is 1.

(operation of sensor device 10)

The sensor device 10 according to embodiment 3 performs not only the operation of embodiment 1 but also the following operation. That is, the sensor device 10 receives the number of repeated transmissions indication frame from the sleep indication control unit 5013 and acquires the number of repeated transmissions. Then, the sensor device 10 copies the specified number of repeated transmissions including the surrounding information and transmits the copied number. For example, when the number of repeated transmissions is 1, 1 identical frame is added to generate 2 frames in total, and the generated frames are transmitted to the gateway device. If the sensor device 10 receives the repeat transmission number instruction frame, it inputs the frame to the management unit 1012 of the control unit.

The management unit 1012 analyzes the inputted retransmission number instruction frame, and acquires the retransmission number to be set and the period for changing the retransmission number. Then, if the specified period is reached, the management unit 1012 issues an instruction to change the number of repetitive transmissions to the arithmetic processing unit 102. The arithmetic processing unit 102 generates a frame including the surrounding information based on the signal received from the measurement unit 103. Then, the arithmetic processing unit 102 copies the frame based on the designated number of repeated transmissions and outputs the copied frame to the communication IF 105.

(flowchart of sleep instruction control unit 5013)

Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sleep instruction control unit 5013 in embodiment 3. The difference from embodiment 1 is that after S1101 is executed, S3102 and S3103 are executed and then the process proceeds to S3104. In fig. 14, the processing from S1104 onward is the same as that in embodiment 1, and therefore, illustration thereof is omitted.

In S3102, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 refers to the operation mode management table based on the operation mode acquired in the process of S1101, and determines the number of repetitive transmissions of the sensor to be used. In S3103, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 transmits a repeat transmission number instruction frame storing the repeat transmission number acquired in S3102 to the sensor to be used.

According to embodiment 3 described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.

(8) The sleep instruction control unit 5013 of the ECU device 50 determines the number of times the sensor device 10 repeatedly transmits the surrounding information based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit 5011, and causes the sensor device 10 to repeatedly transmit the surrounding information the determined number of times. Therefore, in a low power state in which a small number of sensor devices 10 are used, the substantial frame loss rate in the in-vehicle network can be reduced, and a decrease in recognition performance and a delay in detection of a trigger for returning to the normal mode can be prevented.

Embodiment 4-

Embodiment 4 of the in-vehicle network system S will be described with reference to fig. 15 to 17. In the following description, the same components as those in embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals and are mainly described with differences. The points not specifically described are the same as those in embodiment 1.

In embodiment 1, in a sleep period specified at the time of a sleep instruction, even if a trigger to return to mode 0, which is a normal mode, is detected, it is necessary to wait until the specified sleep period ends to return to the normal state. However, when the sensor device 10 used in the low power state has a failure, the recognition performance of the surrounding environment may be degraded, and it is desirable to change the mode early.

In embodiment 4, when a trigger to return to the mode 0 is detected, the gateway device 30, the sensor device 10, and the ECU device 50 in the sleep state are activated without waiting for the sleep completion time. However, when the communication IF between the gateway device 30 and the sensor device 10 is in the low power state, the frame transmitted from the ECU device 50 cannot be received, and the communication IF cannot be started. Therefore, if the ECU device 50 detects a trigger to return to the mode 0, it transmits a sleep release instruction frame to the gateway device 30 in the normal state. Then, the gateway device 30 starts up the communication IF303 in the low power state and transmits a WUP signal, and starts up an adjacent device.

Hereinafter, embodiment 3 will be described centering on differences from embodiment 1. The main differences are timing of sleep control, operation of sleep instruction control, and operation of sleep control of the gateway device 30.

(sleep control timing)

Fig. 15 is a timing chart showing an example of the sleep control operation in embodiment 4. In this example, the operation mode is changed from mode 0 to mode 1, and the gateway 1R detects a trigger to return to mode 0 during mode 1. The difference from embodiment 1 is that the operation after the trigger to the mode 0 is detected, and therefore only this part will be described.

If the gateway 1R detects the trigger of the mode 0, the gateway 1R transmits a frame notifying the ECU1 of the detection of the trigger. The frame is sent to the ECU1 via the gateway 1F. Next, if the ECU1 receives the notification of the detection of the trigger, the ECU1 transmits a frame indicating sleep release to all of the gateway device 30, the ECU device 50, and the sensor device 10.

Next, the gateway 1R and the gateway 1F that have received the sleep release instruction frame transmit WUP signals from all the communication IFs 303 that have been in the low power state. In this example, the gateway 1R transmits a WUP signal to the gateway 2R, and the gateway 1F transmits a WUP signal to the gateway 2F.

Next, IF the gateway 2R and the gateway 2F in the sleep state receive the WUP signal, the sleep control unit 3011 causes each component to transition to the normal state, and transmits the WUP signal from the other communication IF303 in the low power state. The gateway 2R transmits WUP signals to the gateway 1F, the sensor 2C, and the sensor 2D. The gateway 2F transmits a WUP signal to the ECU2, the sensor 2A, and the sensor 2B. The device in the sleep state that receives the WUP signal transitions to the normal state.

Next, the ECU1 changes the operation mode to mode 0, and notifies the ECU2 that the operation mode has changed to mode 0. Thereby, at time t1m, the vehicle-mounted network system as a whole returns to the normal state. In embodiment 1, the transition to the mode 0 is made at time t1e later than time t1m, but according to embodiment 4, the sleep state can be quickly restored to the normal state.

(flow chart of sleep indication control)

Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sleep instruction control unit 5013 in embodiment 4. The processing in S1101 to S1110 is the same as that in embodiment 1, and therefore, a part of the description and illustration is omitted. In embodiment 4, the processing from S1110 onward is different.

In embodiment 1, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 waits until the sleep end time after transmitting the sleep instruction frame to the gateway device 30. However, in embodiment 4, whether or not a trigger to return to the mode 0 is detected is monitored at a time before the sleep end time (S4112). Then, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 ends the processing when the trigger is not detected until the sleep end time. When detecting the trigger, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 transmits a sleep release instruction frame to all the activated gateway devices 30 (S4113), and ends the process.

The detection of the trigger to return to mode 0 may be performed directly by ECU1, or may be detected by another device, notified to ECU1, and detected by ECU 1.

By the above processing, even when the trigger is detected at a time before the sleep completion time, the normal state can be promptly restored. Note that, although the ECU1 transmits the sleep cancellation instruction frame here, it may be transmitted by each gateway device 30. In this case, the gateway device 30 has a function of transmitting a sleep release instruction frame.

(flowchart of sleep control unit 3011)

Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing the processing of the sleep control unit 3011 in embodiment 4. The point of difference from the flowchart of fig. 8 shown in embodiment 1 is that S4208 is executed if it is determined to be not in S1207, and S4216 and S4217 are executed if it is determined to be not in S1215. The same processing as in embodiment 1 will not be described or illustrated.

If all ports are put to sleep in S1206, the sleep control unit 3011 determines whether or not the sleep time has expired (S1207). If it is determined that the time has not timed out, the sleep control unit 3011 determines whether or not the WUP signal has been received (S4208), and if the WUP signal has been received, the process proceeds to S1208, and the frame transfer processing unit is immediately started.

In addition, if a part of the ports are put to sleep in S1213, the sleep control unit 3011 determines whether the sleep time is exceeded (S1214). If it is determined that the time has not timed out, the sleep control unit 3011 determines whether a WUP signal or a sleep release frame has been received (S4216), and if any one has been received, it proceeds to S4217 to transmit a sleep release frame from a port that is not a sleep target. Here, the sleep release frame is transmitted to: the other devices connected to the communication interface in the normal state are also notified that the sleep should be released, and the entire in-vehicle network is restored to the normal state. Next, the sleep control section 3011 proceeds to S1215. The subsequent processes are the same as those in embodiment 1, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

According to embodiment 4 described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.

(9) When any one of the devices is in the low power state, if a trigger of an operation mode in which none of the devices is in the power saving state is detected, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 outputs a WUP signal to the gateway device 30 which is not in the low power state, and if the gateway device 30 and the sensor device 10 receive the WUP signal, the low power state is ended. The gateway device 30, upon receiving the sleep release instruction frame, can start the device without waiting for the sleep completion time, and can transmit a WUP signal or a sleep release frame to another device to issue a sleep release instruction.

Embodiment 5-

Referring to fig. 18, a 5 th embodiment of the on-vehicle network system S will be described. In the following description, the same components as those in embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals and are mainly described with differences. The points not specifically described are the same as those in embodiment 1.

In embodiment 1, the operation mode is set at a fixed cycle. Therefore, the length of time during which any one of the operation modes is continued is the same. However, if the time from when the ECU device 50 transmits the sleep instruction frame to when each device actually shifts to the sleep state and the time from when the devices actually shift to the normal state are taken into consideration, the operation mode in the low power state is preferably longer than the operation mode in the non-low power state in order to improve the effect of reducing power consumption. In view of this, in embodiment 5, the length of the sleep period specified by the sleep instruction frame is set based on the newly set operation mode. Hereinafter, embodiment 3 will be described centering on differences from embodiment 1. The main difference is the action of the sleep indication control.

(flowchart of sleep instruction control unit 5013)

Fig. 18 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sleep instruction control unit 5013 in embodiment 5. The difference from embodiment 1 is that after the operation mode is acquired in S1101, the length of the period in the next operation mode is determined (S1101P), and the process proceeds to S1102. The determination of the length of the period in S1101P is performed by the sleep instruction control unit 5013 referring to a table, not shown, for example, so as to adopt the length of the period for each predetermined operation mode. Since the sleep instruction control unit 5013 determines the period of sleep based on the length of the period of the operation mode to be executed next, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 can also determine the length of time to shift to the low power state for each operation mode.

According to embodiment 5 described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.

(10) The sleep instruction control unit 5013 determines the length of time for which the gateway device 30 is to transition to the low power state based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit 5011. Therefore, the effect of reducing power consumption can be improved.

Embodiment 6-

Referring to fig. 19, a 6 th embodiment of the on-vehicle network system S will be described. In the following description, the same components as those in embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals and are mainly described with differences. The points not specifically described are the same as those in embodiment 1.

In embodiment 1, the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 connected to a certain gateway device 30 are not intended for use in a certain operation mode, but if communication relay is also required, there are the following problems. That is, the gateway device 30 cannot stop the frame transfer processing unit 302 because it is necessary to continue the operation of the frame transfer processing unit 302, which prevents further reduction in power consumption. In view of this, in embodiment 6, when the operation mode is changed, the communication path between the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 is changed, thereby realizing further low power consumption.

(flowchart of sleep instruction control unit 5013)

Fig. 19 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sleep instruction control unit 5013 in embodiment 6. The same processing as in embodiment 1 will not be described or illustrated. The following processing is added between S1103B and S1110 in embodiment 1. After the sleep instruction control unit 5013 executes S1103B, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 then determines whether or not there is a gateway device 30 that performs only the relay processing (S6110). The gateway device 30 that performs only the relay process refers to the gateway device 30 that is not a target of use in the next operation mode, but relays communication with another gateway device 30, although the connected sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 are not targets of use.

The sleep instruction control unit 5013 proceeds to S6111 when it determines yes in S6110, and proceeds to S1110 when it determines no. In S6111, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 specifies the sensor communicating via the corresponding gateway device 30 and the transmission destination thereof (S6111). Next, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 determines whether or not an alternative communication path not passing through the gateway exists up to the transmission destination by the corresponding sensor (S6112). The presence or absence of the alternative communication path is not only simply determined but also considered in the communication band. The sleep instruction control unit 5013 proceeds to S1110 when determining that there is no alternative communication path, and proceeds to S6113 when determining that there is an alternative path.

In S6113, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 determines the contents of change of the forwarding database built in the gateway device 30 so as to use the alternative communication path determined to exist in S6112. Then, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 transmits an instruction to change the transfer database to the corresponding gateway device 30 (S6113). In response to this, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 updates the communication path management table managed by each ECU50 and proceeds to S1110. The processing from S1110 onward is the same as that in embodiment 1, and therefore, description thereof is omitted.

(operation of the communication management unit 3012)

The communication management unit 3012 of embodiment 6 performs the following operations in addition to the operations of embodiment 1. That is, if the communication management unit 3012 receives a control frame indicating a transfer database change instruction from the sleep instruction control unit 5013, it changes the transfer database of the gateway stored in the gateway device 30 in accordance with the instruction.

According to embodiment 6 described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.

(11) The sleep instruction control unit 5013 sets the communication path between the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 so that the sensor relay gateway device 30 does not need to relay communication with another gateway device 30, by redundantly wiring the path through which the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 are connected to each other in a plurality of ways. Therefore, the gateway device 30 that changes the communication path so as to eliminate the relay process alone can determine the target of sleep when the communication path is changed.

Embodiment 7-

Embodiment 7 of the in-vehicle network system S will be described with reference to fig. 20 to 21. In the following description, the same components as those in embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals and are mainly described with differences. The points not specifically described are the same as those in embodiment 1.

In embodiment 1, the sensor device 10 is connected to a single gateway device 30. However, in order to improve the reliability of the in-vehicle network, in embodiment 7, each sensor device 10 is connected to a plurality of gateway devices 30. With this configuration, even when a failure occurs in one of the gateway devices 30, the sensor device 10 can transmit the surrounding information to the ECU device 50 via another gateway device 30. Hereinafter, embodiment 7 will be described centering on differences from embodiment 1. The main difference is the composition of the vehicle-mounted network system and the action of the sleep indication control.

(vehicle network configuration)

Fig. 20 is a configuration diagram of the in-vehicle network system S in embodiment 7. The difference from fig. 1 in embodiment 1 is that each sensor device 10 is connected to 2 gateway devices 30. For example, the sensor 1C is connected to the gateway 1R and the gateway 2R. Therefore, even if any one of the gateway devices 30 fails, the communication between the sensors and the ECUs can be maintained.

(construction of sensor device 10)

In embodiment 1, the sensor device 10 includes only 1 communication IF105, but in embodiment 7, the sensor device 10 includes 2 communication IF 105.

(operation of sensor device 10)

The sensor device 10 according to embodiment 7 performs not only the operation of embodiment 1 but also the following operation. The sensor device 10 receives a transmission port instruction frame including information on a transmission port for outputting the surrounding information and a period for changing the transmission port from the ECU device 50. Then, the transmission port indication frame is analyzed to determine a transmission port, and the peripheral information is output from the designated transmission port.

If the sensor device 10 receives the transmission port instruction frame, the frame is input to the management unit 1012 of the control unit 101. The management unit 1012 analyzes the input transmission port instruction frame, and acquires a transmission port for outputting the peripheral information and a period for changing the transmission port. Then, IF the specified period is reached, the management unit 1012 outputs an instruction to change the transmission port to the arithmetic processing unit 102 and the communication IF 105.

The arithmetic processing unit 102 generates a frame including the surrounding information based on the signal received from the measurement unit 103, and outputs the frame to the communication IF105 corresponding to the designated transmission port. The transmission port for outputting a frame including the surrounding information may be one or both of the two communication IFs 105. When the output is from both ports, the arithmetic processing unit 102 copies the frame and outputs the copied frame to the communication IF105 corresponding to each transmission port. Also in this case, since the same surrounding information is transmitted from the sensor device 10 to the ECU device 50 via two different paths, the ECU device 50 also performs processing for excluding duplicates for frames received from a plurality of paths.

(flowchart of sleep instruction control unit 5013)

Fig. 21 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sleep instruction control unit 5013 in embodiment 7. The sleep instruction control unit 5013 acquires the operation mode (S1101), and determines the transmission port of the target sensor (S7101). For example, the transmission port of the sensor 1C is set to both the gateway 1R and the gateway 2R in the mode 0, and is set to only the gateway 1R in the mode 1. If the sleep instruction control unit 5013 determines the transmission port, it issues a transmission port instruction frame and transmits the control frame to the target sensor (S7103). The sleep instruction control unit 5013 proceeds to S1102 and thereafter performs the same processing as in embodiment 1.

However, in the determination at S1104, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 considers only the sensor devices 10 that transmit the surrounding information to the gateway device 30 in the operation mode, instead of all the connected sensor devices 10. Therefore, even when the sensor device 10 is connected to a plurality of gateway devices 30, the gateway device 30 can be put to the sleep state.

For example, when the sensor 1C and the sensor 1D output only to the gateway 1R in the mode 1, the gateway 2R can determine that all the connected sensor devices 10 are non-use targets for the following reason. First, the sensor 2C and the sensor 2D are not used in the mode 1. In the mode 1, the sensors 1C and 1D are not considered because they output the surrounding information only to the gateway 1R and not to the gateway 2R in accordance with the instruction from the sleep instruction control unit 5013. Therefore, the gateway 2R can determine that all the connected sensor devices 10 are non-use targets.

According to embodiment 7 described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.

(12) The sensor device 10 is directly connected to 2 or more gateway devices 30, and the sleep instruction control unit 5013 specifies a transmission destination of the peripheral information to the sensor device 10 based on the operation mode determined by the mode management unit 5011. In the present embodiment, only the sensor device 10 that transmits the surrounding information to the gateway device 30 in the target operation mode is considered. Even when the sensor device 10 is connected to a plurality of gateway devices 30, the gateway devices 30 can be put to a sleep state. This makes it possible to achieve both the securing of redundancy of the communication path and the reduction of power consumption.

(modification of embodiment 7)

In embodiment 7, a case where a plurality of communication paths are provided between the sensor device 10 and the gateway device 30 is described. In a similar manner, one can consider: the sensor device 10 is connected to only 1 gateway device 30 as in embodiment 1, but the gateway devices 30 are connected to each other so as to have redundancy. At this time, any gateway device 30 duplicates the frame received from the sensor device 10 and transmits the duplicated frame to the ECU device 50 via each individual path.

At this time, when the operation mode is set to the mode 1, the gateway 2R cannot shift to the sleep state because it receives not only the peripheral information of the sensor device 10 of the group 2 but also the peripheral information of the sensor device 10 of the group 1 from the adjacent gateway device 30. In this case, the sleep instruction control unit 5013 transmits a transmission port instruction frame to the gateway device 30 so that the gateway device 30 outputs the transmission port instruction frame to only one path. By doing so, for example, when the mode 1 is set, the gateway 2R can shift to the sleep state because it does not receive the group 1 peripheral information from the adjacent gateway device 30.

Embodiment 8-

Referring to fig. 22, an embodiment 8 of the on-vehicle network system S will be described. In the following description, the same components as those in embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals and are mainly described with differences. The points not specifically described are the same as those in embodiment 1. Hereinafter, embodiment 8 will be described centering on differences from embodiment 1. The main difference is in the functional composition of the gateway device.

In embodiment 1, since 1 physical gateway device 30 functions as 1 gateway device 30 as it is, 1 physical gateway device 30 can function as 1 logical gateway device. In embodiment 8, 1 physical gateway device 30 functions as 2 logical gateway devices. Of these, 1 physical gateway device 30 may function as 3 or more logical gateway devices. In the present embodiment, the gateway 1R and the gateway 2R in embodiment 1 are realized by a single gateway device 30, and the gateway 1F and the gateway 2F are realized by a single gateway device 30.

(construction of gateway device 30)

Fig. 22 is a functional configuration diagram of a gateway device 30A according to embodiment 8. The gateway device 30A includes a control unit 301, a 1 st logical gateway 30A-1, and a 2 nd logical gateway 30A-2. Each logical gateway includes a communication IF303 and a frame transfer processing unit 302. In addition, communication IF 303-4 is connected to communication IF 303-7 for communication between logical gateway 1 30A-1 and logical gateway 2 30A-2.

All of the communication IF303 of the 1 st logical gateway 30A-1, the frame transfer processing unit 302-1 of the 1 st logical gateway 30A-1, the communication IF303 of the 2 nd logical gateway 30A-2, and the frame transfer processing unit 302-2 of the 2 nd logical gateway 30A-2 can be independently transitioned to the sleep state. Therefore, in embodiment 1, the communication IF303 and the frame transfer processing unit 302 of a certain gateway device 30 are caused to transition to the sleep state, and in embodiment 8, power consumption can be reduced as in embodiment 1, corresponding to the case where the entire one of the logical gateways of the gateway device 30A is caused to transition to the sleep state in embodiment 8. When receiving the sleep instruction frame from the ECU1, the sleep control unit 3011 of the control unit 301 receives the frame as in embodiment 1 and performs processing in accordance with the instruction.

According to embodiment 8 described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.

(13) The plurality of gateway devices 30 includes 2 or more gateway devices 30 logically configured and realized by 1 hardware device. According to embodiment 8, even when a plurality of logical gateway devices are configured in 1 physical gateway device 30A, the logical gateway to which the sensor device 10 and the ECU device 50 that are not the target of use in the specific operation mode are connected can be shifted to the sleep state. Further, by rewriting the program or logic circuit for realizing the logical gateway, when it is desired to change the group of each sensor, the logical gateway to be the connection destination of each sensor can be changed without changing the cable connection between the sensor and the gateway.

(modification 1 of embodiment 8)

The communication IF303 of the gateway apparatus 30A may be provided with a wiring switching unit capable of dynamically switching the wiring. The wiring switching unit can dynamically change the correspondence between input and output based on a manual switch or an instruction from the control unit 301. According to this modification, it is easy to change the connection destination and to shift the logical gateway to the sleep state according to the situation.

(modification 2 of embodiment 8)

The logical gateway according to embodiment 8 may be configured by a dynamically rewritable logical circuit, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). According to this modification, the switching function of the connection destination can be embedded in the logic circuit.

The above embodiments and modifications may be combined. The above description has been made of various embodiments and modifications, but the present invention is not limited to these. Other modes that can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention.

The disclosures of the following priority base applications are hereby incorporated by reference.

Japanese patent application 2018-14801 (application 1/31/2018)

Description of reference numerals:

10 … … sensor device

30 … … gateway device

50 … … ECU device

100 … … vehicle

101 … … control part

102 … … arithmetic processing unit

103 … … measurement unit

104 … … internal bus

105 … … communication interface

301 … … control unit

302 … … frame transfer processing unit

501 … … control part

502 … … arithmetic processing unit

1011 … … sleep control part

1012 … … management part

3011 … … sleep control unit

3012 … … communication management unit

5011 … … mode management part

5012 … … communication management unit

5013 … … sleep instruction control unit