In-vehicle system

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted system includes a plurality of relay devices. Among them, the plurality of relay devices are respectively placed in a plurality of placement areas and are provided with a plurality of connectors corresponding to the number of the plurality of placement areas. The number and shape of the plurality of connectors are made common among the plurality of relay devices. A wire harness extending from the plurality of placement areas is directly or connected via a relay connector to the plurality of connectors. The plurality of relay devices include: a first relay device to which respective wire harnesses extending from different placement areas are respectively connected; and a second relay device other than the first relay device, and the number of relay connectors connected to the first relay device is less than or equal to the number of relay connectors connected to the second relay device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle system.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Japanese Application No. 2019-221518 filed on December 6, 2019, and incorporates by reference all the descriptions recited in the Japanese application. Background Art

[0003] An in-vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) for controlling in-vehicle devices such as a power train for controlling an engine and a body system for controlling an air conditioner is mounted on a vehicle. A power distribution system (in-vehicle system) is mounted on the vehicle, and the power distribution system includes a plurality of power distribution devices for distributing power from a power source to these multiple in-vehicle ECUs (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Prior Art Documents

[0005] Patent Documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-101184 Summary of the Invention

[0007] An in-vehicle system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is mounted on a vehicle and includes a plurality of relay devices. The plurality of relay devices are respectively placed in a plurality of placement areas partitioned in the vehicle, and include a plurality of connectors corresponding to the number of the plurality of placement areas. The number and shape of the plurality of connectors are made common among the plurality of relay devices. A wiring harness extending from the plurality of placement areas is connected directly or via a relay connector to the plurality of connectors. The plurality of relay devices include: a first relay device to which respective wiring harnesses extending from different placement areas are connected; and a second relay device other than the first relay device, the number of relay connectors connected to the first relay device being less than or equal to the number of relay connectors connected to the second relay device. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing an in-vehicle system according to Embodiment 1.

[0009] Figure 2 It is a block diagram showing the structure of a relay device included in the in-vehicle system.

[0010] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram showing an in-vehicle system according to Embodiment 2.

[0011] Figure 4It is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle-mounted system related to Embodiment 3.

[0012] Figure 5 It is a block diagram showing the structure of the relay device included in the vehicle-mounted system related to Embodiment 4.

[0013] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle-mounted system.

[0014] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle-mounted system related to Embodiment 5. Detailed Embodiment

[0015] [Problems to be Solved by the Present Disclosure]

[0016] Among the multiple power distribution devices included in the vehicle-mounted system described in Patent Document 1, no consideration was given to the connector form of the area of the vehicle on which these power distribution devices are mounted, and no appropriate consideration was given to the connector form in the case of making these power distribution devices common.

[0017] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle-mounted system including a plurality of relay devices mounted in a plurality of areas of a vehicle and having an appropriate connector form.

[0018] [Effects of the Present Disclosure]

[0019] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a vehicle-mounted system including a plurality of relay devices mounted in a plurality of areas of a vehicle and having an appropriate connector form.

[0020] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure]

[0021] First, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. In addition, at least a part of the following-described embodiments can be arbitrarily combined.

[0022] (1) The vehicle-mounted system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is mounted on a vehicle and includes a plurality of relay devices. Among them, the plurality of relay devices are respectively mounted in a plurality of mounting areas divided in the vehicle, and have a plurality of connectors corresponding to the number of the plurality of mounting areas. The number and shape of the plurality of connectors are made common among the plurality of relay devices. A wiring harness extending from the plurality of mounting areas is connected to the plurality of connectors directly or via a relay connector. The plurality of relay devices include: a first relay device to which each wiring harness extending from different mounting areas is connected; and a second relay device other than the first relay device, and the number of the relay connectors connected to the first relay device is less than or equal to the number of the relay connectors connected to the second relay device.

[0023] In this method, among a plurality of relay devices including a first relay device and a second relay device, the number and shape of a plurality of connectors provided in each relay device are made common, that is, the in-vehicle system can be configured using relay devices of the same type. Moreover, the number of relay connectors connected to the first relay device is less than or equal to the number of relay connectors connected to the second relay device. Therefore, by making the product specifications including at least the connector form of the plurality of relay devices common (same componentization) and making the connector form of the relay devices appropriate, the number of circuits of the wiring harness can be reduced, and the component cost can be reduced and the vehicle body weight can be lightened.

[0024] (2) In the in-vehicle system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, each wiring harness extending from a different mounting area is connected to all the connectors of the first relay device.

[0025] In this method, by connecting each wiring harness extending from mutually different mounting areas to all the connectors of the first relay device, the number, shape, and other types of the connectors of the first relay device can be optimized with respect to each wiring harness extending from mutually different mounting areas, that is, optimized with respect to each in-vehicle load connected to each wiring harness. By optimizing the connector form based on the first relay device and using the first relay device and a second relay device having the same connector form as that of the first relay device, the in-vehicle system can be efficiently constructed.

[0026] (3) In the in-vehicle system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, among the plurality of relay devices, the number of wiring harnesses extending from a mounting area other than the mounting area where the device is mounted and connected is the largest in the first relay device.

[0027] In this method, the number of relay connectors connected to the first relay device, which is most connected to the wiring harnesses extending from a mounting area other than the mounting area where the device is mounted, is set to be less than or equal to the number of relay connectors connected to the second relay device. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the case where the wiring harness is divided by the relay connectors and the number of circuits of the wiring harness increases. Therefore, by making the product specifications including at least the connector form of the plurality of relay devices common (same componentization) and making the connector form of the relay devices appropriate, the number of circuits of the wiring harness can be reduced, and the component cost can be reduced and the vehicle body weight can be lightened.

[0028] (4) In the in-vehicle system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the number of the relay connectors connected to the first relay device is 0, and the wiring harnesses extending from the plurality of mounting areas are directly connected to the plurality of connectors of the first relay device.

[0029] In this method, by setting the number of relay connectors connected to the first relay device to 0, each wire harness extending from a plurality of mounting areas is directly connected to the connectors of the first relay device. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the case where the wire harness is divided by the relay connector and the number of circuits of the wire harness increases.

[0030] (5) In the vehicle-mounted system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, in the first relay device, each wire harness extending from the plurality of mounting areas is respectively connected to the plurality of connectors of the first relay device so that a plurality of wire harnesses extending from different mounting areas do not mix in the same connector.

[0031] In this method, wire harnesses extending from the same mounting area are respectively connected to the plurality of connectors of the first relay device, and in any of the plurality of connectors, they are connected in such a way that wire harnesses extending from different mounting areas do not mix. The first relay device is a relay device to which the most wire harnesses extending from mounting areas other than the mounting area on which this device is mounted are connected. Therefore, by connecting wire harnesses extending from the same mounting area to each of the plurality of connectors of the first relay device, the form of the connectors of the first relay device can be made appropriate, the relay connectors connected to the first relay device are not required, and the increase in the number of circuits of the wire harnesses connected to the first relay device can be suppressed.

[0032] (6) In the vehicle-mounted system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the relay connector is interposed between a wire harness extending from a mounting area other than the mounting area on which this device is mounted and the connector to which this wire harness is connected.

[0033] In this method, the relay connector is provided between a wire harness extending from a mounting area other than the mounting area on which this device is mounted and the connector to which this wire harness is connected. The relay connector and the connector are connected by a wire harness different from the wire harness extending from the mounting area other than the mounting area on which this device is mounted. Therefore, even when a plurality of wire harnesses extending from different mounting areas are connected to any connector and a plurality of wire harnesses extending from different mounting areas are mixed with respect to this connector, any one of the plurality of wire harnesses extending from different mounting areas is connected to this connector via the relay connector. Thus, it is possible to separately divide a plurality of wire harnesses extending from different mounting areas by the relay connector.

[0034] In a vehicle-mounted system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the plurality of mounting areas include: an engine room area for mounting vehicle-mounted devices of a drive system of the vehicle; a floor area that is the lower part of a floor panel of the vehicle; and an instrument panel area located between the engine room area and the floor area, and the first relay device is mounted in the instrument panel area.

[0035] In this aspect, the plurality of mounting areas include an engine room area, a floor area, and an instrument panel area located between the engine room area and the floor area, and the first relay device to which the most wire harnesses extending from mounting areas other than the mounting area where this device is mounted are connected is mounted in the instrument panel area. Since the instrument panel area is located between the engine room area and the floor area, it is possible to efficiently route the wire harnesses extending from the engine room area and the floor area, which are equivalent to mounting areas other than the mounting area where this device is mounted, to the first relay device mounted in this instrument panel area.

[0036] (8) In a vehicle-mounted system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the plurality of relay devices include a plurality of fuses respectively connected to the plurality of connectors, and the types and numbers of the plurality of fuses are made common among the plurality of relay devices.

[0037] In this aspect, since the plurality of relay devices include a plurality of fuses respectively connected to the plurality of connectors, this relay device can function as a fuse box. Since the types and numbers of the plurality of fuses are made common among the plurality of relay devices, it is possible to prevent incorrect assembly during the manufacturing process.

[0038] (9) In a vehicle-mounted system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the plurality of relay devices include communication ports for communicating with in-vehicle ECUs mounted on the vehicle, and the numbers and shapes of the communication ports are made common among the plurality of relay devices.

[0039] In this aspect, since the plurality of relay devices include communication ports for communicating with in-vehicle ECUs mounted on the vehicle, and the numbers and shapes of the communication ports are made common among the plurality of relay devices, it is possible to prevent incorrect assembly during the manufacturing process.

[0040] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure]

[0041] The present disclosure will be specifically described based on the drawings showing embodiments of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, a vehicle-mounted system S according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is shown by the scope of claims and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

[0042] (Embodiment 1)

[0043] Figure 1 FIG.

[0043] is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle-mounted system S related to Embodiment 1. The vehicle-mounted system S is mounted on a vehicle C and includes a plurality of relay devices 1 connected to be able to communicate with each other. A plurality of vehicle-mounted loads 3 are connected to each of these plurality of relay devices 1. The relay device 1 relays power or communication data for the vehicle-mounted load 3 connected to this device.

[0044] When these relay devices 1 and vehicle-mounted loads 3 are mounted in the vehicle C, the vehicle C is divided into a plurality of mounting areas. The relay device 1 is mounted in any one of the mounting areas and is connected to the vehicle-mounted load 3 mounted in the same mounting area as this device or the vehicle-mounted load 3 mounted in a mounting area different from this device.

[0045] The relay device 1 and the vehicle-mounted load 3 are connected by a wiring harness 20. For example, the male connector of the wiring harness 20 is fitted to the connector 11 (female connector) of the relay device 1. Alternatively, the wiring harness 20 side may be a female connector and the relay device 1 side may be a male connector. The wiring harness 20 may be a single cable connected to each vehicle-mounted load 3, or a wiring harness formed by bundling a plurality of cables connected to a plurality of vehicle-mounted loads 3. The wiring harness 20 includes at least any one of a power cable for supplying power from the relay device 1 to the vehicle-mounted load 3 and a communication cable such as a CAN bus or an Ethernet (registered trademark) cable for performing data communication between the relay device 1 and the vehicle-mounted load 3. The wiring harness 20 may also include both a power cable and a communication cable.

[0046] The method of connecting the wiring harness 20 to the relay device 1 includes a method of directly connecting the wiring harness 20 to the relay device 1 and a method of connecting the wiring harness 20 to the relay device 1 via a relay connector 21. When a plurality of wiring harnesses 20 extending from different mounting areas are connected to the relay device 1, in the case where these plurality of wiring harnesses 20 are connected to the same connector 11 of the relay device 1, any one of the plurality of wiring harnesses 20 is connected to the connector 11 via the relay connector 21.

[0047] The relay connector 21 connects the wiring harness 20 to the wiring harness 20 for relaying and is also called a wire-to-wire connector (WtoW connector). By connecting the relay device 1 and the vehicle-mounted load 3 via the relay connector 21, the wiring harness 20 connecting the relay device 1 and the vehicle-mounted load 3 has a structure divided by the relay connector 21. That is, the relay connector 21 and the connector 11 of the relay device 1 are connected by a wiring harness 20 different from the wiring harness 20 directly connected to the vehicle-mounted load 3 (the wiring harness 20 extending from the mounting area). By dividing the wiring harness 20 by the relay connector 21 in this way, the number of circuits of the wiring harness 20 increases.

[0048] Among the multiple connectors 11 provided in the relay device 1, when multiple wire harnesses 20 extending from different mounting areas are connected to the same connector 11, it is impossible to directly connect all of these multiple wire harnesses 20 to the same connector 11, thus restricting the wiring of the wire harnesses 20 in the vehicle. Therefore, when multiple wire harnesses 20 extending from different mounting areas are connected to the same connector 11, any one of the wire harnesses 20 is directly connected to the connector 11, and the other wire harnesses 20 are connected to the connector 11 via a relay connector 21. This any one wire harness 20, that is, the wire harness 20 directly connected to the connector 11, can be a wire harness 20 extending from the same mounting area as the mounting area where this device is mounted. In this way, the other wire harnesses 20 are connected to the connector 11 via the relay connector 21, and the other wire harnesses 20 have a structure divided by the relay connector 21, thereby avoiding the situation where multiple wire harnesses 20 extending from different mounting areas are directly connected to the same connector 11.

[0049] The multiple mounting areas include, for example, an engine room area A1, an instrument panel area A3, and a floor area A2. The engine room area A1 represents the area based on the engine room, and in this engine room area A1, vehicle-mounted devices such as power transmission systems like drive motors or vehicle-mounted loads 3 (drive system vehicle-mounted devices) such as vehicle-mounted EUCs are mounted. The floor area A2 represents the area separated by the floor panel or the area inside the seat, and in the floor area A2, vehicle-mounted devices such as drive devices for the seat or vehicle-mounted loads 3 such as vehicle-mounted EUCs are mounted. The instrument panel area A3 represents the area separated by the instrument panel, and in this instrument panel area A3, vehicle-mounted devices such as HMI (Human Machine Interface) devices, air conditioners, or instrument clusters, or vehicle-mounted loads 3 such as vehicle-mounted EUCs are mounted. The instrument panel area A3 is located between the engine room area A1 and the floor area A2.

[0050] The multiple relay devices 1 are distribution boxes that relay, distribute, and supply the power output from the power storage device 4 (refer to Figure 2 ) to the vehicle-mounted loads 3 connected to this device via the wire harnesses 20, or gateways or Ethernet switches that relay data communication between the vehicle-mounted loads 3. The relay device 1 can also be a PLB (Power LanBox: power Lan box) or an ACU (Area Control Unit: area control unit) having the functions of both a distribution box and a gateway, etc.

[0051] The plurality of relay devices 1 includes a first relay device 101 and a second relay device 102. In the illustration of the present embodiment, the vehicle-mounted system S includes one first relay device 101 and two second relay devices 102. The first relay device 101 and the plurality of second relay devices 102 are respectively connected to a communication line 5 such as an Ethernet cable in a manner capable of communicating with each other, and relay the communication between in-vehicle loads 3 such as sensors or in-vehicle ECUs connected to the first relay device 101 or the second relay device 102.

[0052] The relay device 1 (the first relay device 101 and the second relay device 102) includes a plurality of connectors 11 respectively corresponding to a plurality of mounting areas. The details of the structures of the first relay device 101 and the second relay device 102 will be described later, but the types such as the number and shape of the connectors 11 included in the first relay device 101 and the second relay device 102 are made common. In this way, by making the connectors 11 of the first relay device 101 and the second relay device 102 common, the vehicle-mounted system S can be configured using the same type of relay device 1, and the component cost related to the relay device 1 can be reduced.

[0053] The number of the plurality of connectors 11 included in the relay device 1 corresponds to the number of mounting areas, and the number of the connectors 11 and the number of mounting areas can be the same. In the illustration of the present embodiment, the number of mounting areas is three based on the engine room area A1, the floor area A2, and the instrument panel area A3, and the number of the connectors 11 included in the relay device 1 (the first relay device 101 and the second relay device 102) is also three, which is the same number.

[0054] In the illustration of the present embodiment, the first relay device 101 is mounted on the instrument panel area A3. In the first relay device 101, the wire harnesses 20 extending from the instrument panel area A3, the wire harnesses 20 extending from the floor area A2, and the wire harnesses 20 extending from the engine room area A1 are respectively connected to different connectors 11.

[0055] In the first relay device 101, since each wire harness 20 extending from a plurality of mounting areas is respectively connected to a different connector 11, each of these wire harnesses 20 can be directly connected to each connector 11 without passing through a relay connector 21. Therefore, in the first relay device 101, the situation where the wire harness 20 is divided by the relay connector 21 can be avoided.

[0056] In the first relay device 101, the types such as the shape of each connector 11 respectively connected to the in-vehicle loads 3 connected by the wiring harness 20 are determined corresponding to the wiring harness 20. That is, each connector 11 of the first relay device 101 corresponds to a plurality of mounting areas. For example, it includes a connector 11 for the engine room area A1, a connector 11 for the floor area A2, and a connector 11 for the instrument panel area A3.

[0057] The connector 11 for the engine room area A1 of the first relay device 101 is connected to the wiring harness 20 extending from the engine room area A1. The connector 11 for the floor area A2 of the first relay device 101 is connected to the wiring harness 20 extending from the floor area A2. The connector 11 for the instrument panel area A3 of the first relay device 101 is connected to the wiring harness 20 extending from the instrument panel area A3. All the connectors 11 of the first relay device 101 are connected to the respective wiring harnesses 20 extending from different mounting areas. That is, in any connector 11 of the first relay device 101, in order to prevent a plurality of wiring harnesses 20 extending from different mounting areas from being mixed in the same connector 11, the plurality of wiring harnesses 20 are respectively connected to the respective connectors 11.

[0058] In this way, the number and types such as the shape of the connectors 11 of the first relay device 101 are appropriated or optimized corresponding to the respective wiring harnesses 20 connected, that is, corresponding to the respective in-vehicle loads 3 connected to the wiring harness 20. Therefore, all the connectors 11 of the first relay device 101 are used, and each connector 11 of the first relay device 101 can be used as a dedicated connector 11 (dedicated connector) dedicated to each of the plurality of mounting areas.

[0059] In the illustration of the present embodiment, the second relay device 102 is mounted in the engine room area A1 and the floor area A2, that is, the vehicle-mounted system S includes two second relay devices 102. As described above, in the second relay device 102 and the first relay device 101, at least the forms such as the number and types of the connectors 11 are made common. For example, the second relay device 102 and the first relay device 101 can be devices of the same type.

[0060] The second relay device 102 placed in the engine room area A1 is connected to the respective wire harnesses 20 extending from the engine room area A1, the floor area A2, and the instrument panel area A3. The forms of the connectors 11 of the second relay device 102 and the first relay device 101 are made common, and the form of the connector 11 is optimized based on the first relay device 101. Therefore, when connecting a plurality of wire harnesses 20 extending from different placement areas to the second relay device 102, there are cases where these plurality of wire harnesses 20 are connected to the same connector 11. In the second relay device 102 in the engine room area A1, the respective wire harnesses 20 extending from the engine room area A1, the floor area A2, and the instrument panel area A3 are connected to the same connector 11. The wire harness 20 extending from the same placement area as this device (the second relay device 102), that is, the engine room area A1, is directly connected to the connector 11. The respective wire harnesses 20 extending from different placement areas from this device (the second relay device 102), that is, the floor area A2 and the instrument panel area A3, are connected to the connector 11 via relay connectors 21.

[0061] The second relay device 102 placed in the floor area A2 is connected to the respective wire harnesses 20 extending from the floor area A2 and the instrument panel area A3. In the second relay device 102 in the floor area A2, the respective wire harnesses 20 extending from the floor area A2 and the instrument panel area A3 are connected to the same connector 11. The wire harness 20 extending from the same placement area as this device (the second relay device 102), that is, the floor area A2, is directly connected to the connector 11. The wire harness 20 extending from a different placement area from this device (the second relay device 102), that is, the instrument panel area A3, is connected to the connector 11 via a relay connector 21.

[0062] Even in the case where a plurality of wire harnesses 20 extending from different placement areas are connected to the same connector 11, since the wire harnesses 20 extending from different placement areas from this device are connected to the connector 11 via relay connectors 21, a structure can be formed in which the plurality of wire harnesses 20 extending from different placement areas can be separately divided.

[0063] In this way, by connecting the wire harness 20 to the connector 11 of the second relay device 102 via the relay connector 21, each connector 11 of the second relay device 102 is different from the connector 11 of the first relay device 101 and is not dedicated to each of the plurality of placement areas, but can be used as a common connector 11 (common-use connector) to which the wire harnesses 20 extending from the plurality of placement areas are connected.

[0064] In the present embodiment, among a plurality of relay devices 1 including a first relay device 101 and a second relay device 102, the types such as the number and shape of the connectors 11 are made common based on the first relay device 101. That is, the in-vehicle system S can be configured using relay devices 1 of the same type, and incorrect assembly of the relay devices 1 in the vehicle C can be prevented and the component cost of the relay devices 1 can be reduced.

[0065] By directly connecting all the connectors 11 of the first relay device 101 to respective wire harnesses 20 extending from mutually different mounting regions, the types such as the number and shape of the connectors 11 can be made appropriate or optimized based on the first relay device 101, and all the connectors 11 of the first relay device 101 can be effectively utilized. By directly connecting each wire harness 20 to all the connectors 11, the situation where the wire harness 20 is divided by the relay connector 21 can be avoided, and thus the number of circuits can be reduced.

[0066] The number of in-vehicle loads 3 connected via the wire harness 20 connected to the first relay device 101 can be larger than the number of in-vehicle loads 3 connected via the wire harness 20 connected to the second relay device 102. That is, among the relay devices 1 included in the in-vehicle system S, the number of in-vehicle loads 3 connected via the wire harness 20 to the first relay device 101 can be the largest. Thus, by determining the form of the connectors 11 such as the number and type of the connectors 11 of the relay device 1 based on the first relay device 101 having the largest number of in-vehicle loads 3 connected via the wire harness 20, the versatility when using the relay device 1 as the second relay device 102 can be ensured.

[0067] In the present embodiment, the first relay device 101 is mounted in the instrument panel area A3. Since the instrument panel area A3 is located between the engine room area A1 and the floor area A2, when connecting the wire harnesses 20 extending from the engine room area A1 and the floor area A2, which are mounting regions different from the mounting region where this device is mounted, to the first relay device 101, the wiring of these wire harnesses 20 can be performed efficiently. That is, among the plurality of mounting regions, by mounting the first relay device 101 in the instrument panel area A3, which is the mounting region located in the central part, the wiring of the wire harness 20 connected to the first relay device 101 can be performed efficiently.

[0068] Figure 2 It is a block diagram showing the structure of the relay device 1 included in the in-vehicle system S. The relay device 1, that is, the first relay device 101 and the second relay device 102, include a plurality of connectors 11. The types such as the number and shape of the plurality of connectors 11 are determined based on the number and type of the wire harnesses 20 connected to the first relay device 101, that is, the in-vehicle loads 3 connected to the wire harnesses 20. The number of the connectors 11 can be the same as the number of mounting regions in the vehicle C (illustrated as three).

[0069] The connector 11 includes a plurality of power output terminals 111 and an ECU-side communication port 112. The connector 11 may be a composite connector in which a pair of power output terminals 111 and the ECU-side communication port 112 are integrated. A pair of power output terminals 111 and the ECU-side communication port 112 are set according to the type of any in-vehicle load 3 connected via the harness 20. The connector 11 is not limited to the case of including the power output terminals 111 and the ECU-side communication port 112, and may include only either one of the power output terminals 111 and the ECU-side communication port 112.

[0070] A fuse 12 or a semiconductor switch 121 such as an FET (Field Effect Transistor) corresponding to the type of the in-vehicle load 3 connected to the power output terminal 111 via the harness 20 is connected in series to each power output terminal 111. The semiconductor switch 121 such as an FET is electrically connected to the control unit 14 via a control signal line 123, and functions as a semiconductor relay or a semiconductor fuse that is turned on or off according to a control signal output from the control unit 14. A plurality of series circuits formed by connecting the power output terminals 111 in series with the fuse 12 or the semiconductor switch 121 are connected in parallel to each other, and are connected to a power storage device 4 such as a lead storage battery or a lithium ion battery via a power line 13.

[0071] The power line 13 branches inside the relay device 1 corresponding to the number of connectors 11 (three in the figure), and the power output from the power storage device 4 is distributed by two-stage branching composed of branching based on the number of connectors 11 and branching based on the number of power output terminals 111 included in each connector 11, and is supplied to each in-vehicle load 3. That is, the relay device 1 functions as a power relay device such as a distribution box or a junction box that relays and distributes the power output from the power storage device 4 and supplies it to each in-vehicle load 3.

[0072] The relay device 1, that is, the first relay device 101 and the second relay device 102, include a communication unit 16. A plurality of ECU-side communication ports 112 included in each connector 11 are connected to the communication unit 16. The communication unit 16 relays data flowing through the plurality of connected ECU-side communication ports 112, and can function as, for example, a layer 2 switch, a layer 3 switch, or a CAN gateway.

[0073] The ECU-side communication port 112 is a communication port corresponding to an Ethernet standard such as 100BASE-T1 or 1000BASE-T1, and functions as an input / output interface in Ethernet-based communication. Alternatively, the ECU-side communication port 112 may also be a CAN transceiver corresponding to a CAN bus.

[0074] The relay devices 1, namely the first relay device 101 and the second relay device 102, include a control unit 14, a storage unit 15, and a communication unit 16. The control unit 14, the storage unit 15, and the communication unit 16 are communicably connected via an internal bus 18.

[0075] The control unit 14 is constituted by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (MicroProcessing Unit), etc., and performs various control processes and arithmetic processes, etc. by reading out and executing control programs and data prestored in the storage unit 15. The control unit 14 can also function as a layer-3 switch by executing a control program, etc., and perform control related to relaying. In addition, the control unit 14 can be constituted by an IC chip based on an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or an ASCI (Application SpecificIntegrated Circuit), etc., and perform control related to relaying based on a circuit structure such as an FPGA (relay circuit). Or, the control unit 14 and the storage unit 15 can be constituted by a microcomputer in which they are integrated and encapsulated. The control unit 14 can also perform conversion processing (protocol conversion) between different protocols such as Ethernet and CAN.

[0076] The storage unit 15 is constituted by volatile memory elements such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), or non-volatile memory elements such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically ErasableProgrammable ROM), or a flash memory, and prestores control programs and data to be referred to during processing. The control program stored in the storage unit 15 can also be a control program read out from a recording medium (not shown) readable by the control unit 14. In addition, a control program can be downloaded from an external computer (not shown) connected to a communication network (not shown) and stored in the storage unit 15. Moreover, in the storage unit 15, when performing relay control, information related to path information (routing table) specified based on a communication protocol is stored.

[0077] The communication unit 16 is also connected to a backbone communication port 17 for communicating with other relay devices 1. The backbone communication port 17 is a communication port corresponding to Ethernet standards such as 100BASE-T1 or 1000BASE-T1, and functions as an input / output interface in Ethernet-based communication. A communication line 5 such as an Ethernet cable is connected to the backbone communication port 17, and multiple relay devices 1 are connected to each other via the communication line 5 in a communicable manner. The communication line 5 that connects these multiple relay devices 1 to each other in a communicable manner constitutes a backbone communication line.

[0078] The relay device 1 configured in this way functions as a communication relay device such as an Ethernet switch or a CAN gateway that relays communication between in-vehicle loads 3 such as in-vehicle ECUs connected to the communication unit 16 and relays communication between in-vehicle loads 3 connected to this device and other relay devices 1.

[0079] The relay device 1 may also include two backbone communication ports 17. By including two backbone communication ports 17, the relay device 1 can communicate with other relay devices 1 through multiple paths, and the redundancy of the in-vehicle network (backbone communication line) composed of multiple relay devices 1 can be improved.

[0080] (Embodiment 2)

[0081] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram showing the in-vehicle system S according to Embodiment 2. In the first relay device 101 included in the in-vehicle system S of Embodiment 2, the most wire harnesses extending from mounting areas different from the mounting area where this device is mounted are connected. That is, when each relay device 1 is mounted in any mounting area, the relay device 1 to which the most wire harnesses 20 extending from mounting areas other than the mounting area where this device is mounted are connected is used as the first relay device 101.

[0082] In the illustration of this embodiment, two wire harnesses 20 extending from the engine room area A1 and the floor area A2, which are mounting areas different from the mounting area where the device is mounted, are connected to the first relay device 101 in the instrument panel area A3.

[0083] The second relay device 102 in the engine room area A1 is only connected to the wire harness 20 extending from the mounting area where this device is mounted, that is, the engine room area A1, and is not connected to the wire harness 20 extending from a mounting area different from the mounting area where this device is mounted. The second relay device 102 in the floor area A2 is connected to one wire harness 20 extending from a mounting area different from the mounting area where this device is mounted, that is, the instrument panel area A3. That is, in any second relay device 102, the number of wire harnesses 20 extending from a mounting area other than the mounting area where this device (second relay device 102) is mounted is smaller than the number of wire harnesses 20 connected to the first relay device 101 (the wire harnesses 20 extending from a mounting area other than the mounting area where the first relay device 101 is mounted).

[0084] Since the first relay device 101 is the relay device 1 that is connected to the largest number of wire harnesses 20 extending from a mounting area other than the mounting area where this device is mounted, each wire harness 20 is directly connected to each connector 11 without the need for a relay connector 21 connected to the first relay device 101. Thus, the number of circuits of the wire harness 20 can be reduced. Therefore, by taking the first relay device 101 that is connected to the largest number of wire harnesses 20 extending from a mounting area other than the mounting area where this device is mounted as a reference, the number, shape, and other types of the connectors 11 of the relay device 1 (the first relay device 101 and the second relay device 102) can be efficiently determined.

[0085] (Embodiment 3)

[0086] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle-mounted system S according to Embodiment 3. The vehicle-mounted system S of Embodiment 3 includes, for example, one first relay device 101 and three second relay devices 102.

[0087] One of the three second relay devices 102 is mounted in the engine room area A1 in the same manner as in Embodiment 1, and the other two second relay devices 102 are mounted in the floor area A2. These one first relay device 101 and three second relay devices 102 are provided with two backbone-side communication ports 17. By connecting their backbone-side communication ports 17 to each other with a communication line 5 such as Ethernet, a vehicle-mounted network having a ring-shaped network topology is constituted.

[0088] In this way, by connecting the relay devices 1 including the first relay device 101 and the second relay device 102 to each other in a ring-shaped network topology to constitute a vehicle-mounted network, the relay device 1 (the first relay device 101 and the second relay device 102) can communicate with other relay devices 1 through two paths, clockwise and counterclockwise, and the traffic during communication or relaying between the relay devices 1 can be reduced.

[0089] Moreover, in a vehicular network in which relay devices 1 are connected to each other in a ring network topology, even when a communication line 5 on the trunk-side communication port 17 side is disconnected or any trunk-side communication port 17 becomes inoperative, communication between relay devices 1 can be ensured through either a clockwise or counterclockwise path, and redundancy in the vehicular network can be guaranteed.

[0090] (Embodiment 4)

[0091] Figure 5 It is a block diagram showing the structure of the relay device 1 included in the vehicular system S according to Embodiment 4. Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram showing the vehicular system S. In Embodiment 1, the case where the trunk-side communication port 17 for communicating with other relay devices 1 is arranged outside the connector 11 including the ECU-side communication port 112 etc. is described for the relay device 1 included in the vehicular system S, but it is not limited thereto. The relay device 1 included in the vehicular system S according to Embodiment 4 arranges the trunk-side communication port 17 for communicating with other relay devices 1 inside the connector 11. That is, the connector 11 of the relay device 1 in Embodiment 4 includes a plurality of power output terminals 111, an ECU-side communication port 112, and a trunk-side communication port 17.

[0092] The ECU-side communication port 112 and the trunk-side communication port 17 built in each connector 11 are connected to the communication unit 16. The communication unit 16 functions as, for example, a second-layer switch, a third-layer switch, or a CAN gateway as described above, and thereby functions as a relay related to between the ECU-side communication port 112 and the trunk-side communication port 17 etc.

[0093] In the illustration of the present embodiment, the relay device 1 has three connectors 11 as devices corresponding to three mounting areas. Each of the three connectors 11 includes a trunk-side communication port 17 for communicating with other relay devices 1. That is, the trunk-side communication ports 17 included in each connector 11 are arranged in the same row as the ECU-side communication port 112 etc. inside the connector 11.

[0094] In the present embodiment, all the connectors 11 included in the relay device 1 include the trunk-side communication port 17, but it is not limited thereto. Among the plurality of connectors 11 included in the relay device 1, any one connector 11 or two or more connectors 11 may include the trunk-side communication port 17.

[0095] A communication line 5 such as an Ethernet cable that is connected to the backbone-side communication port 17 and connects the relay devices 1 to each other is routed inside the vehicle C as one of the communication cables included in the harness 20.

[0096] The first relay device 101 in the instrument panel area A3 and the second relay device 102 in the engine room area A1 are connected via the communication line 5 and the relay connector 21 placed in the instrument panel area A3. The second relay device 102 in the engine room area A1 and the second relay device 102 in the floor area A2 are connected via the communication line 5 and the relay connector 21 placed in the floor area A2.

[0097] In this way, when the connector 11 includes the backbone communication port 17 for communicating with other relay devices 1 and the communication line 5 is connected between the backbone communication ports 17, the communication line 5 is routed across different mounting areas. However, by passing through the relay connector 21, it is possible to form a structure capable of dividing the communication line 5 routed across different mounting areas.

[0098] In this embodiment, the communication line 5 such as an Ethernet cable connecting the relay devices 1 to each other is connected via the relay connector 21, but it is not limited thereto. The communication line 5 such as an Ethernet cable connecting the relay devices 1 to each other may also be directly connected to the backbone communication port 17 of each relay device 1 without passing through the relay connector 21.

[0099] By arranging the backbone communication port 17 for communicating with other relay devices 1 inside the connector 11 in the same way as the ECU side communication port 112 and the like, it is not necessary to rely only on the connection part (connector part) of the backbone communication port 17, and the relay device 1 can be miniaturized. Moreover, communication between the relay devices 1, power supply to in-vehicle loads 3 such as sensors or in-vehicle ECUs, and communication relay can be achieved through a single connector 11.

[0100] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram showing the in-vehicle system S according to the fifth embodiment. Each relay device 1 included in the in-vehicle system S according to the fifth embodiment arranges the backbone communication port 17 for communicating with other relay devices 1 inside the connector 11 in the same way as the relay device 1 in the fourth embodiment.

[0101] One of the two second relay devices 102 is placed in the engine room area A1 in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the other second relay device 102 is placed in the floor area A2. These one first relay device 101 and two second relay devices 102 are provided with two backbone side communication ports 17, and by connecting their backbone side communication ports 17 to each other with a communication line 5 such as Ethernet, a vehicle-mounted network having a ring-shaped network topology is constituted. That is, the vehicle-mounted system S according to the fifth embodiment, on the basis of connecting each relay device 1 in the same manner as in the fourth embodiment, the first relay device 101 and the second relay device 102 in the floor area A2 are also connected to the communication line 5 via a relay connector 21 provided in the floor area A2, constituting a vehicle-mounted network having a ring-shaped network topology.

[0102] By thus constituting a vehicle-mounted network having a ring-shaped network topology, communication between the relay devices 1 can be ensured through either the clockwise or counterclockwise path, and redundancy in the vehicle-mounted network can be guaranteed.

[0103] It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not the above meaning, but is represented by the scope of claims, and is intended to include all changes within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

[0104] Reference Numeral Explanation

[0105] S Vehicle-mounted system;

[0106] C Vehicle;

[0107] A1 Engine room area;

[0108] A2 Floor area;

[0109] A3 Instrument panel area;

[0110] 1 Relay device (PLB);

[0111] 101 First relay device;

[0112] 102 Second relay device;

[0113] 11 Connector;

[0114] 111 Power output terminal;

[0115] 112 ECU side communication port (communication port);

[0116] 12 Fuse;

[0117] 121 Semiconductor switch (FET);

[0118] 123 Control signal line;

[0119] 13 Power line;

[0120] 14 Control unit;

[0121] 15 Storage unit;

[0122] 16 Communication unit;

[0123] 17 Backbone side communication port;

[0124] 18 Internal bus;

[0125] 20 Wiring harness;

[0126] 21 Relay connector;

[0127] 3 Vehicle-mounted load (vehicle-mounted ECU, in-vehicle device of drive system);

[0128] 4 Energy storage device;

[0129] 5 Communication line.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted system is mounted on a vehicle and includes a plurality of relay devices. Among them, the plurality of relay devices are respectively placed in a plurality of placement areas partitioned in the vehicle, and are provided with a plurality of connectors corresponding to the number of the plurality of placement areas. The number and shape of the plurality of connectors are commonized among the plurality of relay devices. Wiring harnesses extending from the plurality of placement areas are directly or connected via relay connectors to the plurality of connectors. The plurality of relay devices include: a first relay device, to which wiring harnesses respectively extending from different placement areas are connected to the plurality of connectors; and a second relay device other than the first relay device. The number of the relay connectors connected to the first relay device is less than or equal to the number of the relay connectors connected to the second relay device.

2. The vehicle-mounted system according to claim 1, wherein the connectors of the first relay device include area connectors corresponding one by one to different placement areas, and each of the area connectors is respectively connected to a wiring harness extending from the corresponding placement area.

3. The vehicle-mounted system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein among the plurality of relay devices, the number of wiring harnesses extending from placement areas other than the placement area where the device is placed and being connected is the largest in the first relay device.

4. The vehicle-mounted system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the number of the relay connectors connected to the first relay device is 0, and wiring harnesses extending from the plurality of placement areas are directly connected to the plurality of connectors of the first relay device.

5. The vehicle-mounted system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the first relay device, each of the wiring harnesses extending from the plurality of placement areas is respectively connected to the plurality of connectors of the first relay device, so that a plurality of wiring harnesses extending from different placement areas do not mix and exist in the same connector.

6. The vehicle-mounted system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the relay connector is interposed between a wiring harness extending from a placement area other than the placement area where the device is placed and the connector connected to the wiring harness.

7. The vehicle-mounted system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of placement areas include: an engine room area, in which a vehicle-mounted device of the drive system of the vehicle is placed; a floor area, which is the lower part of the floor panel of the vehicle; and an instrument panel area, which is located between the engine room area and the floor area. The first relay device is placed in the instrument panel area.

8. The vehicle-mounted system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of relay devices are provided with a plurality of fuses respectively connected to the plurality of connectors, and the types and numbers of the plurality of fuses are commonized among the plurality of relay devices.

9. The vehicle-mounted system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of relay devices are provided with communication ports for communicating with a vehicle-mounted ECU mounted on the vehicle, and the number and shape of the communication ports are commonized among the plurality of relay devices.

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