Vehicle ECU, information processing methods and vehicle systems

Abstract

The vehicle ECU is communicatively connected to a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices mounted in the vehicle and a vehicle control device that determines priorities related to the control of the vehicle-mounted devices. The vehicle-mounted ECU includes a control unit that performs processing related to the control of the vehicle-mounted devices. In the event of a conflict in the control of any of the plurality of vehicle-mounted devices or a group of associated vehicle-mounted devices, the control unit performs processing to determine the priority of the control. The vehicle-mounted devices that are the object of the priority determination by the control unit and the vehicle-mounted devices that are the object of the priority determination by the vehicle control device are at least partially overlapping.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to vehicle-mounted ECUs, information processing methods, and vehicle-mounted systems.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Japanese Application No. 2020-022615, filed on February 13, 2020, and invokes all the contents of that Japanese application. Background Technology

[0003] The vehicle is equipped with a control system for controlling onboard devices such as the engine, transmission, electric generator, braking system, and steering system (e.g., Patent Document 1). The control system of Patent Document 1 performs priority determination processing in the event of conflicting control signals to the same onboard device.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-30633 Summary of the Invention

[0007] One embodiment of this disclosure includes an on-board ECU that is communicatively connected to a plurality of on-board devices mounted in a vehicle and a vehicle control device that determines priorities related to the control of the on-board devices. The ECU includes a control unit that performs processing related to the control of the on-board devices. In the event of a conflict in the control of any of the plurality of on-board devices or a group of associated on-board devices, the control unit determines the priority of that control. The on-board devices to which the priority determination by the control unit is applied and the on-board devices to which the priority determination by the vehicle control device is applied overlap at least partially. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the system structure including individual ECUs (vehicle ECUs) and integrated ECUs (vehicle control devices) as described in Embodiment 1.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the internal structure of an individual ECU (vehicle ECU).

[0010] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection methods between vehicle ECUs (individual ECUs and integrated ECUs).

[0011] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the control unit of an individual ECU (vehicle ECU). Detailed Implementation

[0012] [The problem this disclosure aims to solve]

[0013] The control system of Patent Document 1 is a structure that determines the priority of a single functional part of the vehicle device that is the object of control of the control system. Therefore, in the event of a conflict between multiple controls of the vehicle device, it becomes difficult to determine the priority of the controls that are concerned about these conflicts.

[0014] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide an on-board ECU, etc., that can efficiently determine the priority of conflicting controls when multiple controls of an on-board device conflict.

[0015] [The Effects of This Disclosure]

[0016] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an on-board ECU, etc., is provided that can efficiently perform processing related to determining the priority of these conflicting controls when multiple controls of an on-board device conflict.

[0017] [Description of embodiments of this disclosure]

[0018] First, embodiments of this disclosure are listed for illustration. Additionally, at least some of the embodiments described below can be combined arbitrarily.

[0019] (1) In one aspect of the present disclosure, the vehicle ECU is communicatively connected to a plurality of vehicle devices mounted on a vehicle and a vehicle control device that determines the priority related to the control of the vehicle devices. The vehicle ECU includes a control unit that performs processing related to the control of the vehicle devices. In the event of a conflict in the control of any of the plurality of vehicle devices or a group of associated vehicle devices, the control unit determines the priority of the control. The vehicle devices that are the object of the priority determination of the control unit and the vehicle devices that are the object of the priority determination of the vehicle control device are at least partially overlapping.

[0020] In this solution, when a conflict arises in the control of an onboard device, the control unit of the onboard ECU determines the priority of the conflicting control. The onboard devices to which the priority determination by the onboard ECU is applied and the onboard devices to which the priority determination by the vehicle control unit is applied overlap at least partially. By separating or sharing the processing related to the priority determination of the same onboard device using the vehicle control unit and a separate device, namely the onboard ECU, the processing related to the priority determination can be performed efficiently.

[0021] (2) In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the priority determination of the control unit takes precedence over the priority determination of the vehicle control device.

[0022] In this solution, the priority determination of the control unit of the vehicle ECU takes precedence over the priority determination of the vehicle control device. Therefore, even when the processing load of the vehicle control device is high, by prioritizing the priority determination of the control unit of the vehicle ECU, delays in the determination of the priority of the vehicle device relative to which the priority is determined, and in the control based on the result of that priority determination, can be suppressed.

[0023] (3) In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle ECU has a communication unit for communicating with the vehicle device or a relay control unit for supplying and cutting off power to the vehicle device, and the vehicle device that is the object of priority determination by the control unit is directly connected to the ECU via the communication unit or the relay control unit.

[0024] In this solution, the vehicle ECU includes a communication unit for communicating with vehicle-mounted devices or a relay control unit for supplying and cutting off power to and from the vehicle-mounted devices. By designating the vehicle-mounted device that is directly connected to the ECU via the communication unit or the relay control unit as the vehicle-mounted device to which the control unit makes a priority decision, the vehicle ECU can efficiently output control-related information based on the priority decision result to the vehicle-mounted device to which the priority decision is made.

[0025] (4) In one embodiment of the vehicle ECU of this disclosure, the plurality of vehicle devices include a first vehicle device and a second vehicle device. The second vehicle device outputs control-related information with a higher urgency than the control-related information output by the first vehicle device. When the control unit obtains the control-related information output from the first vehicle device, it relays the control-related information output from the first vehicle device to the vehicle control device. When the control unit obtains the control-related information output from the second vehicle device, it performs processing for determining priority based on the control-related information output from the second vehicle device.

[0026] In this solution, the control unit of the onboard ECU relays control-related information output from the first onboard device to the vehicle control unit. Furthermore, when the control unit receives control-related information output from a second onboard device that is more urgent than the information from the first onboard device, it performs processing to determine priority based on that information. Therefore, when performing processing related to determining priority relative to the same onboard device, the vehicle control unit typically makes the priority decision, while the onboard ECU determines the priority of control-related information that is urgent and requires real-time response due to the short time required for control. This allows for efficient handling of urgent requirements in vehicle control.

[0027] (5) In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit obtains control-related information based on the result of the priority being determined by the vehicle control device, obtains control-related information output from the second vehicle device, and performs processing for determining the priority based on the obtained control-related information based on the result of the priority being determined by the vehicle control device and the control-related information output from the second vehicle device.

[0028] In this solution, the control unit of the vehicle ECU performs processing to determine the priority based on control-related information determined by the vehicle control device and control-related information output from the second vehicle device, thus enabling efficient processing related to priority determination.

[0029] (6) In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the level of urgency is determined based on the ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level) of ISO 26262. As the safety level of the ASIL associated with the control of the vehicle device that is the object of the priority decision increases, the urgency of the control increases.

[0030] In this approach, the level of urgency is determined based on the ASIL of ISO 26262; that is, as the safety level in the ASIL increases, the urgency also increases. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently prioritize controls with high urgency corresponding to the safety level.

[0031] (7) In an on-board ECU of one aspect of the present disclosure, when interruption processing is included among the multiple conflicting controls, the control unit determines the priority of the multiple conflicting controls by prioritizing the interruption processing over the priority determination of the vehicle control device.

[0032] In this solution, the priority determination of the vehicle ECU's control unit takes into account the presence or absence of interrupt processing; that is, the priority determination of the vehicle ECU's control unit based on the interrupt processing takes precedence over the priority determination of the vehicle control device. Therefore, even when the vehicle control device is under high processing load, by prioritizing the priority determination of the vehicle ECU's control unit, delays in the priority determination of the vehicle device relative to the priority determination object and the control based on the priority determination result can be suppressed.

[0033] (8) In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle ECU that outputs information related to the interrupt handling is directly connected to the ECU.

[0034] In this solution, since the vehicle-mounted device that outputs information related to interrupt handling is directly connected to this ECU, the control unit can suppress the delay in obtaining the information related to interrupt handling and determine the priority of multiple conflicting controls based on whether interrupt handling is present or not.

[0035] (9) An information processing method of the present disclosure causes a computer to perform the following processing: in the event that a conflict arises in the control of at least a portion of the vehicle-mounted devices or groups of vehicle-mounted devices relative to the vehicle control device, the vehicle control device performs the priority determination related to the control of the vehicle-mounted devices.

[0036] In this solution, an information processing method is provided that enables a computer to function as an on-board ECU, capable of efficiently determining the priority of conflicting controls when multiple controls of an on-board device conflict.

[0037] (10) An in-vehicle system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a vehicle control device, which is communicatively connected to a plurality of in-vehicle devices mounted on a vehicle; and a plurality of in-vehicle ECUs, which are communicatively connected to the plurality of in-vehicle devices, wherein the in-vehicle ECUs and the vehicle control device include a control unit that determines the priority of control in the event of a conflict in the control of any one of the plurality of in-vehicle devices or an associated group of in-vehicle devices, and the in-vehicle devices to which the priority determination of the control unit of the vehicle control device is applied are at least partially repeated.

[0038] This solution provides an in-vehicle system capable of efficiently determining the priority of conflicting controls when multiple controls of an in-vehicle device conflict.

[0039] [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure]

[0040] This disclosure will be specifically described based on the accompanying drawings illustrating embodiments thereof. The vehicle-mounted ECU (individual ECU2) of the embodiments of this disclosure is shown in the accompanying drawings below. Figure 1 The following is an explanation. It should be noted that this disclosure is not limited to these examples, as indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications with the same meaning and scope as the claims.

[0041] (Implementation Method 1)

[0042] The embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1This is a schematic diagram illustrating the system structure including the individual ECU2 (vehicle ECU) and the integrated ECU6 (vehicle control device) of Embodiment 1. Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the internal structure of an individual ECU2 (vehicle ECU).

[0043] The vehicle system S includes multiple individual ECUs 2 (vehicle ECUs), multiple vehicle devices 3, and a unified ECU 6 (vehicle control unit) mounted in the vehicle. Each individual ECU 2 is a relay control ECU configured in various areas of the vehicle and functions as a gateway or Ethernet switch, relaying communication between the multiple vehicle devices 3 connected to the individual ECU 2 via the vehicle network 4, or between the vehicle devices 3 and the unified ECU 6. This individual ECU 2 is equivalent to an vehicle ECU capable of determining the priority of control in the event of a conflict in the control of any vehicle device 3 or a group of associated vehicle devices 3. The individual ECU 2 can also function as a PLB (PowerLan Box), in addition to its communication-related relay functions, as a power distribution device that distributes and relays power output from the energy storage device and supplies it to the vehicle devices 3 connected to the ECU.

[0044] The integrated ECU6 generates and outputs control signals for each of the vehicle-mounted devices 3, such as a vehicle computer or other central control unit, based on data relayed from the individual ECUs 2 via the individual ECUs 2. The integrated ECU6 is equivalent to a vehicle control device that has the function of determining the priority of control in the event of a conflict in the control of any one of the vehicle-mounted devices 3 or a group of associated vehicle-mounted devices 3.

[0045] The vehicle-mounted device 3 includes various sensors such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), light sensors, CMOS cameras, infrared sensors, etc. 31; switches such as fog light switches and manual switches 32; and lighting devices such as headlights 301, etc. (see reference) Figure 3 ECU33, including actuator 30 and fault detection ECU331.

[0046] In the event of a conflict between multiple controls relative to any vehicle device 3, individual ECU 2 and integrated ECU 6 perform a process to determine the priority of those multiple controls (priority determination processing). At least a portion of the vehicle devices 3 that are subject to the priority determination in individual ECU 2 and integrated ECU 6 are repeated. That is, for the same vehicle device 3, the priority determination-related processing is performed by both individual ECU 2 and integrated ECU 6. Details regarding this priority determination processing will be described later.

[0047] The external server 100 is a computer connected to an external network N, such as the Internet or a public bus network, and has a storage unit formed by RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or a hard disk. Any individual ECU 2 can be connected to the external communication device 1 in a communicative manner, and communicate with the external server 100 connected to the external communication device 1 via the external network N, relaying communication between the external server 100 and the on-board unit 3 mounted in the vehicle C.

[0048] Vehicle C is equipped with an integrated ECU 6, an external communication device 1, individual ECUs 2, and multiple on-board devices 3. The individual ECUs 2 and the external communication device 1 are connected in a communicable manner via a wiring harness, such as a serial cable. The individual ECUs 2 and the on-board devices 3 are connected in a communicable manner via a communication line 41 corresponding to a communication protocol such as CAN (Control Area Network) or Ethernet, and an on-board network 4. The communication protocol in the individual ECUs 2 and the on-board devices 3 can also be based on LIN, MOST, FlexRay, etc. Alternatively, the individual ECUs 2 and the on-board devices 3 can also be connected in a communicable manner via a wiring harness, such as a serial cable.

[0049] The external communication device 1 includes an external communication unit (not shown) and an input / output (I / F) (not shown) for communicating with individual ECUs 2. The external communication unit is a communication device for wireless communication using mobile communication protocols such as 3G, LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G, and WiFi, and transmits and receives data with an external server 100 via an antenna 11 connected to the external communication unit. Communication between the external communication device 1 and the external server 100 is conducted via an external network N, such as a public landline network or the Internet. The input / output (I / F) is a communication interface for serial communication with the individual ECUs 2. The external communication device 1 and the individual ECUs 2 communicate with each other via the input / output (I / F) and wiring harnesses such as serial cables connected to the input / output (I / F). In this embodiment, the external communication device 1 is configured as a device independent of the individual ECUs 2, and these devices are connected in a communicative manner using the input / output (I / F), but this is not a limitation. The external communication device 1 may also be integrated into the individual ECU 2 as a component of the individual ECU 2.

[0050] Each ECU2 includes a control unit 20, a storage unit 21, an input / output I / F 22, an in-vehicle communication unit 23, and a relay control unit 24. The in-vehicle communication unit 23 and the input / output I / F 22 are equivalent to communication units for communicating with the on-board unit 3 connected to the individual ECU2.

[0051] Each ECU2 functions as a gateway (repeater) that oversees and relays communication between vehicle-mounted devices 3 in different segments of a system formed by multiple communication lines 41, such as those for cognitive, judgment, and operational systems. The multiple communication lines 41 correspond to buses in each segment (region), and each ECU2 can also function as a region control unit that manages the region connected to it. Furthermore, each ECU2 can function as a PLB (Power Line Box) connected to a secondary battery (not shown) such as a lithium-ion battery, distributing power supplied from the battery to the vehicle-mounted devices 3 within the segment managed by the ECU. Each ECU2 can also be configured as a device (reprogrammer) that receives an update program from an external server 100 via wireless communication from the external communication device 1, retrieves the update program from the external communication device 1, and sends it to the designated vehicle-mounted device 3 (the vehicle-mounted device 3 to be updated) via the vehicle network 4.

[0052] The control unit 20 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit), etc., and performs various control and calculation processes, including priority determination processing, by reading and executing the control program and data pre-stored in the storage unit 21.

[0053] The storage unit 21 is composed of volatile memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or non-volatile memory elements such as ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), or flash memory, and pre-stores control programs and data referenced during processing. The control program stored in the storage unit 21 can be a control program that can be read from the recording medium 211 of the individual ECU 2. Alternatively, the control program can be downloaded from an external computer (not shown) connected to a communication network (not shown) and stored in the storage unit 21.

[0054] The storage unit 21 stores relay path information (routing table) used for relay processing in communication between vehicle-mounted devices 3, communication between vehicle-mounted devices 3 and integrated ECU 6, or communication between vehicle-mounted devices 3 and external server 100. The format of this relay path information is determined based on the communication protocol. When the communication protocol is CAN, the CAN relay path information includes the message identifier (CAN-ID) contained in the CAN message and the relay destination (I / O port number of the CAN communication unit 232) associated with that CAN-ID. When the communication protocol is TCP / IP, the TCP / IP relay path information includes the sending destination address (MAC address or IP address) contained in the IP packet and the relay destination (physical port number of the Ethernet communication unit 231) associated with that sending destination address.

[0055] The input / output I / F22 is the same as the input / output I / F of the external communication device 1, for example, it is a communication interface for serial communication. Through the input / output I / F22, the individual ECU2 is connected to the external communication device 1 and on-board devices 3 such as sensors 31, switches 32 or actuators 30 in a communicative manner.

[0056] The in-vehicle communication unit 23 is an input / output interface (CAN communication unit 232, Ethernet communication unit 231) that uses communication protocols such as CAN (Control Area Network) or Ethernet (registered trademark). The control unit 20 communicates with in-vehicle devices such as in-vehicle devices 3 or other relay devices connected to the in-vehicle network 4 via the in-vehicle communication unit 23.

[0057] Ethernet communication unit 231 is an Ethernet PHY unit that corresponds to TCP / IP packets transmitted in Ethernet cable 411 such as 100BASE-T1 or 1000BASE-T1.

[0058] The CAN communication unit 232 is a CAN transceiver that corresponds to the CAN messages transmitted on the CAN bus 412, receives the waveform of the potential difference of the differential voltage on the CAN bus 412, which consists of two wires on the high side and the low side, and decodes the received waveform into a signal represented by a bit string of 1s and 0s. Alternatively, the CAN communication unit 232 may also include a CAN transceiver and a CAN controller.

[0059] Multiple in-vehicle communication units 23 (Ethernet communication unit 231, CAN communication unit 232) are provided, and each in-vehicle communication unit 23 is connected to a communication line 41 (Ethernet cable 411, CAN bus 412), i.e., a bus, that constitutes the vehicle network 4. By setting up multiple in-vehicle communication units 23 in this way, the vehicle network 4 can also be divided into multiple segments, and the vehicle device 3 can be connected to each segment according to the function of the vehicle device 3 (cognitive function, judgment function, operating function).

[0060] The relay control unit 24 includes a semiconductor switch such as a FET (Field Effect Transistor) or a mechanical relay, which is connected to the actuator 30 of the lamp device 301, etc., via the power supply line 5. The relay control unit 24 supplies and cuts off power to the on-board device 3, such as the actuator 30. The relay control unit 24 controls the drive of the actuator 30 connected to the power supply line 5 by turning the semiconductor switch on or off based on the control signal (relay control signal) output from the control unit 20.

[0061] When controlling the drive of the actuator 30, a relay control unit 24 including a semiconductor switch is one example, but it is not limited to this. The relay control unit 24 may also be an actuator drive control unit for controlling the drive of the actuator 30 connected to an individual ECU 2. That is, the actuator drive control unit for controlling the drive of the actuator 30 may also output control signals to the actuator 30 connected via a communication unit including an in-vehicle communication unit 23 or an input / output I / F 22, and control the drive of the actuator 30. The actuator drive control unit may also be a functional unit that functions by executing a control program through the control unit 20.

[0062] This configuration consists of a unified ECU6 and multiple individual ECUs2, for example... Figure 1 As shown, the integrated ECU6 and individual ECU2 are connected in a communicative manner using a ring network topology. That is, the integrated ECU6 and individual ECU2 can also have multiple Ethernet communication units 231, forming a ring network topology to enable bidirectional communication and achieve redundancy. Furthermore, through this ring network topology, individual ECU2s not directly adjacent to the integrated ECU6 can be connected to the integrated ECU6 using communication lines 41 formed by Ethernet cables 411, etc., to form bypass lines, further increasing the communication path redundancy. Alternatively, the integrated ECU6 and multiple individual ECU2 can be connected in a communicative manner using a bus-like network topology formed by the CAN bus 412.

[0063] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection method between vehicle ECUs (individual ECU2 and integrated ECU6). Like the individual ECU2, the integrated ECU6 (vehicle control unit) is a central control device, including a control unit 60, a storage unit 61, and an in-vehicle communication unit 62 including an Ethernet communication unit 621, and such as a vehicle computer that controls the entire vehicle C. The integrated ECU6 can also operate as a functional unit within this central control device.

[0064] The control unit 20 of each ECU2 functions as a relay unit 201, a control signal generation unit 202, and an interrupt handling acceptance unit 203 by executing the control program stored in the storage unit 21.

[0065] The relay unit 201 of each individual ECU2 relays information output (sent) from the vehicle-mounted device 3 to the integrated ECU 6, other vehicle-mounted devices 3, or other individual ECUs 2 via the in-vehicle communication unit 23 or input / output I / F 22. The vehicle-mounted device 3 that outputs such relayed information to the integrated ECU 6 is equivalent to the first vehicle-mounted device.

[0066] The control signal generation unit 202 of each ECU 2 generates a control signal for controlling the vehicle device 3, which is the object of priority determination, based on information obtained from the vehicle device 3 via the in-vehicle communication unit 23 or the input / output I / O 22, and outputs it to the interrupt handling receiving unit 203. The vehicle device 3 that outputs such information obtained by the control signal generation unit 202 is equivalent to a second vehicle device. That is, the vehicle device 3 includes a first vehicle device and a second vehicle device. The information output by the first vehicle device and the second vehicle device is equivalent to information related to control relative to any vehicle device or a group of associated vehicle devices. Although details are described later, the control-related information output by the second vehicle device is of higher urgency than the control-related information output by the first vehicle device.

[0067] When the control signal generation unit 202 outputs the generated control signal to the interrupt handling receiving unit 203, it can output the control signal as an interrupt handling signal to the interrupt handling receiving unit 203. In this case, the vehicle device 3 that outputs information obtained via the in-vehicle communication unit 23 or the input / output I / F 22 is equivalent to the vehicle device 3 that outputs information related to interrupt handling, including the second vehicle device described above.

[0068] The interrupt handling receiving unit 203 of each ECU2 acquires the control signal output from the control signal generation unit 202. As described above, when the control signal output from the control signal generation unit 202 is an interrupt handling signal, the interrupt handling receiving unit 203 acquires the interrupt handling signal output from the control signal generation unit 202. Furthermore, the interrupt handling receiving unit 203 acquires the control signal output from the integrated ECU6 via the in-vehicle communication unit 23, which is the control signal whose priority is determined by the integrated ECU6 (the control signal based on the priority determination result).

[0069] The interrupt handling acceptance unit 203 determines the final priority based on the control signal (interrupt handling signal) output from the control signal generation unit 202, the control signal whose priority is determined by the integrated ECU 6, or the control signal output from the interrupt handling acceptance unit 203 and the control signal whose priority is determined by the integrated ECU 6. That is, if the interrupt handling acceptance unit 203 only receives the control signal whose priority is determined by the integrated ECU 6 within a specified processing unit time, it determines that control signal whose priority is determined by the integrated ECU 6 as the final priority control signal. If the interrupt handling acceptance unit 203 only receives the control signal (interrupt handling signal) output from the control signal generation unit 202 within a specified processing unit time, it determines that control signal (interrupt handling signal) output from the control signal generation unit 202 as the final priority control signal. If the interrupt handling acceptance unit 203 receives both the control signal whose priority is determined by the integrated ECU 6 and the control signal (interrupt handling signal) output from the control signal generation unit 202 within a specified processing unit time, it determines that control signal (interrupt handling signal) output from the control signal generation unit 202 as the final priority control signal.

[0070] Based on the final priority determination result, the interrupt handling acceptance unit 203 generates drive signals such as relay control signals for controlling the vehicle device 3 (starting, driving, stopping, interrupting, or restarting the vehicle device 3, etc.). The interrupt handling acceptance unit 203 outputs the generated drive signals such as relay control signals to the relay control unit 24 of the vehicle device 3, which is connected via the power line 5 to the vehicle device 3, which is the object of the priority determination.

[0071] The relay control unit 24 connects or disconnects the relays based on the relay control signals output from the interrupt handling unit 203, and performs drive control on the vehicle-mounted device 3, which is determined to be the priority object.

[0072] The control unit 60 of the integrated ECU6 functions as a control signal generation unit 601 and a priority determination unit 602 by executing the control program stored in the storage unit 21 of the ECU.

[0073] The control signal generation unit 601 of the integrated ECU 6 acquires information output (transmitted) from the vehicle-mounted device 3 via individual ECUs 2. Based on the acquired information, it generates control signals for controlling the vehicle-mounted device 3 that is the object of priority determination and outputs them to the priority determination unit 602. The vehicle-mounted device 3 that is the object of priority determination is one of multiple vehicle-mounted devices 3 whose control may conflict. In the event of a conflict among multiple controls related to the vehicle-mounted device 3, the priority determination unit 602 determines the priority control among these conflicting multiple controls. As illustrated in this embodiment, the integrated ECU 6 may also include multiple control signal generation units 601 depending on the type or number of acquired information.

[0074] The priority determination unit 602 of the integrated ECU 6 performs a process of acquiring each control signal output from the multiple control signal generation units 601 and determining the priority of each acquired control signal (priority determination process). Based on the result of the priority determination process (priority determination result), the priority determination unit 602 of the integrated ECU 6 generates a control signal for controlling the vehicle device 3 that is the object of the priority determination and outputs (transmits) it to the individual ECU 2. The control signal generated by the priority determination unit 602 in determining the priority is, for example, a control signal for performing the control with the highest importance among multiple conflicting controls. Alternatively, the control signal generated by the priority determination unit 602 in determining the priority may also be, for example, a control signal for performing any control selected from the perspective of ensuring or protecting the operation of the vehicle device being controlled among multiple conflicting controls.

[0075] There are multiple control conflicts when the same vehicle device 3 or a group of associated vehicle devices 3 are the objects of priority determination. In the case where the vehicle device 3 that is the object of priority determination, such as in this embodiment, is a lamp device 301, these multiple controls sometimes conflict because they occur approximately simultaneously or within a specified period (a specified processing unit time), depending on whether the control related to illuminating the lamp device using a light sensor corresponding to the automatic lighting function unit, the control related to illuminating the lamp device using a fog light switch (switch) for illuminating fog lights, or the control related to illuminating the lamp device using a manual switch. "Approximately simultaneous" includes a period short enough to be substantially simultaneous in terms of the control quality or accuracy required when performing the priority determination process. In this case, the priority determination unit 602 of the integrated ECU 6 performs processing to determine the priority of these multiple controls and outputs a control signal as the result of the priority determination to the individual ECU 2 directly connected to the vehicle device 3 that is the object of priority determination. The priority determination of the priority determination unit 602 of the integrated ECU 6 can also be performed based on the priority among the conflicting multiple controls or the state of the vehicle C at the point in time when the multiple controls conflict.

[0076] As described above, the interrupt handling receiving unit 203 of each individual ECU2 determines the priority based on the control signal output from the interrupt handling receiving unit 203, the control signal whose priority is determined by the integrated ECU 6, or the control signal output from the interrupt handling receiving unit 203 and the control signal whose priority is determined by the integrated ECU 6. When the interrupt handling receiving unit 203 receives both the control signal output from its own control signal generation unit 202 and the control signal whose priority is determined by the integrated ECU 6 approximately simultaneously or within a predetermined period, it prioritizes the control signal output from its own control signal generation unit 202, generates drive signals such as relay control signals, and outputs them to the relay control unit 24. When the interrupt handling receiving unit 203 receives only the control signal output from its own control signal generation unit 202 within approximately simultaneous or within a predetermined period, it generates drive signals such as relay control signals based on those control signals and outputs them to the relay control unit 24.

[0077] That is, the interruption processing acceptance unit 203 accepts two inputs: the input from the priority determination unit 602 of the integrated ECU 6 and the input from the control signal generation unit 202 of the local ECU. When an input from the priority determination unit 602 of the integrated ECU 6 is in progress or is waiting for an input from the priority determination unit 602 of the integrated ECU 6, and an input from the control signal generation unit 202 of the local ECU has been processed, the interruption processing acceptance unit 203 prioritizes processing based on the input from the control signal generation unit 202. In other words, the interruption processing acceptance unit 203 may also treat processing related to the input from the control signal generation unit 202 of the local ECU as interruption processing, relative to processing related to the input from the priority determination unit 602 of the integrated ECU 6.

[0078] Alternatively, each ECU2 may have multiple control signal generation units 202, from which multiple control signal generation units 202 output multiple control signals to the interrupt processing acceptance unit 203 approximately simultaneously or within a predetermined period. In this case, the interrupt processing acceptance unit 203 may also perform priority determination-related processing based on these multiple control signals, generate drive signals such as relay control signals that become the priority determination results, and output them to the relay control unit 24.

[0079] When the interrupt handling unit 203 receives a control signal whose priority is determined by the integrated ECU 6 at approximately the same time or within a specified period, it generates drive signals such as relay control signals based on the control signal that determines the priority, and outputs them to the relay control unit 24.

[0080] The functional units of each individual ECU2, including the relay unit 201, the control signal generation unit 202, and the interrupt handling acceptance unit 203, have been described as functional units within the control unit 20 of the individual ECU2, but are not limited thereto. Alternatively, some of these functional units may be configured as functional units of a cloud server, such as an external server 100, that is communicatively connected to the individual ECU2, and the individual ECU2 and the external server 100 may cooperate to perform a series of processes within these functional units.

[0081] The functional units of the integrated ECU6, including the control signal generation unit 202 and the interrupt handling acceptance unit 203, have been described as individual control unit 20 functional units of the ECU2, but are not limited thereto. Alternatively, some of these functional units of the integrated ECU6 may be configured as functional units of a cloud server such as an external server 100 that can communicate with the integrated ECU6, and the integrated ECU6 and the external server 100 may cooperate to perform a series of processes in these functional units.

[0082] The vehicle-mounted device 3 includes a first vehicle-mounted device and a second vehicle-mounted device that outputs control-related information with a higher urgency level than the control-related information output by the first vehicle-mounted device. The level of urgency in this control, i.e., the degree of urgency, can be determined, for example, based on the safety level defined by the ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level) of ISO 26262. ASIL levels are classified as QM, ASIL-A, ASIL-B, ASIL-C, and ASIL-D. The QM level allows for general quality management of functional safety based on ISO 26262 without the application of ISO 26262. ASIL-A to ASIL-D levels require functional safety applications based on ISO 26262, with functional safety requirements becoming more stringent as one progresses from ASIL-A to ASIL-D. That is, the QM level can be considered the lowest priority, and the ASIL-D level the highest priority.

[0083] The priority determination and control performed by individual ECU2 and integrated ECU6 are determined as a control program or a program module included in the control program. The urgency level in the control can be determined based on the safety level of the ASIL required in the program. That is, as the safety level of the ASIL increases, the urgency level also increases. By determining the level of urgency based on the ASIL of ISO 26262, the priority determination of controls with high urgency corresponding to the safety level can be executed efficiently.

[0084] The urgency level can also be determined based on the time required for processing (processing time) of the on-board device 3, such as the actuator 30, which is the object of priority determination. That is, the urgency of the control can be increased as the processing time required when executing the control becomes shorter. Therefore, the processing time required for control performed using information output from the second on-board device is shorter than the processing time required for control performed using information output from the first on-board device, relative to any actuator 30. The required processing time is, for example, an upper limit of the time required for a series of processes up to the acquisition of information of the trigger that drives the actuator 30, priority determination processing, generation and output of the control signal. In the case where the required processing time is, for example, 0.5 seconds, the individual ECU 2 is required to perform the series of processes up to the acquisition of information of the trigger that drives the actuator 30, priority determination processing, generation and output of the control signal within 0.5 seconds.

[0085] In this embodiment, for example, if the actuator 30 that is prioritized is the lamp device 301, the first vehicle-mounted device (vehicle-mounted device 3) is a sensor 31 such as a light sensor, a switch 32 such as a fog light switch or a manual switch, and the second vehicle-mounted device (vehicle-mounted device 3) is a fault detection ECU 331. The fault detection ECU 331 is connected to the individual ECU 2 via a CAN communication unit 232 and a CAN bus 412. For example, it detects whether a fault or malfunction has occurred in the vehicle based on CAN messages flowing on the CAN bus 412. The connection method between the fault detection ECU 331 and the individual ECU 2 is not limited to the CAN communication unit 232 and the CAN bus 412; it can also be an Ethernet communication unit 231 and an Ethernet cable 411.

[0086] The priority determination of the control of the lighting device 301, which is the object of priority determination, is performed by both the individual ECU 2 and the integrated ECU 6. The lighting device 301 is a vehicle device 3 that is repeated among the vehicle devices 3 that are the objects of priority determination by the individual ECU 2 and the integrated ECU 6. By repeating at least a portion of the vehicle devices 3 that are the objects of priority determination by the individual ECU 2 and the integrated ECU 6, the functions related to priority determination processing can be separated using the individual ECU 2 and the integrated ECU 6.

[0087] Sensors 31, such as light sensors, and switches 32, such as fog light switches or manual switches, output information related to control of the lighting device 301 based on the brightness of the surrounding environment of the vehicle C and the operation or behavior of the operator of the vehicle C. When a fault detection ECU 331 detects a fault or obstacle in the vehicle, it outputs information related to control of the lighting device 301. In this case, control implemented based on the information output from the fault detection ECU 331 (equivalent to a second on-board unit) (control-related information) is more urgent (higher degree of urgency) than control implemented based on the information output from the light sensors, fog light switches, and other switches 32 (equivalent to a first on-board unit).

[0088] In this embodiment, when an individual ECU2 obtains information related to the control of the device that determines the priority, namely the lighting device 301, from a sensor 31 such as a light sensor, a switch 32 such as a fog light switch or a manual switch, which is equivalent to the first vehicle device, the information is relayed to the integrated ECU6.

[0089] The integrated ECU6 obtains information from sensors 31 (such as light sensors) and switches 32 (such as fog light switches or manual switches) that are equivalent to the first on-board unit and are relayed by individual ECUs 2.

[0090] Based on the acquired information, the control signal generation unit 601 corresponding to the light sensor, the control signal generation unit 601 corresponding to the fog light switch, and the control signal generation unit 601 corresponding to the manual switch in the integrated ECU6 generate each control signal and output them to the priority determination unit 602.

[0091] The priority determination unit 602 of the integrated ECU6 performs priority determination processing based on the control signals generated by the control signal generation unit 601 corresponding to the light sensor, the control signal generation unit 601 corresponding to the fog light switch, and the control signal generation unit 601 corresponding to the manual switch, and outputs (sends) the control signal that becomes the priority determination result (the control signal that determines the priority) to the individual ECU2.

[0092] Individual ECU2 generates relay control signals based on the control signals (which determine the priority) output from the integrated ECU6, and outputs these relay control signals to the relay control unit 24. By having the integrated ECU6 determine the priority of controls based on information output from the first on-board unit—that is, controls with low urgency and performed normally during the operation of vehicle C—the overall control of vehicle C can be unified using the integrated ECU6, enabling efficient control.

[0093] When an individual ECU2 obtains information related to the control of the device for priority determination, namely the lighting device 301, from an ECU33 such as the fault detection ECU331 (equivalent to a second vehicle-mounted device), the control signal generation unit 202 of the individual ECU2 generates a control signal. The interrupt handling acceptance unit 203 determines the priority based on this control signal, generates a relay control signal that is the result of the priority determination, and outputs it to the relay control unit 24.

[0094] By having individual ECU2s determine the priority of control based on information output from the second on-board unit—specifically, control that is highly urgent and required during emergency operation of vehicle C—this highly urgent control can be performed in real time, improving control responsiveness. Furthermore, for this highly urgent control, it is not necessary to output (relay) the control-related information to the integrated ECU6, thus eliminating the need for reduced processing load in the second on-board unit and the reception of responses from the integrated ECU6, reliably ensuring the required processing time.

[0095] When an individual ECU2 receives control-related information output from any vehicle-mounted device 3, it performs a process to identify or determine whether the priority decision based on the control-related information is made in its own interrupt handling acceptance unit 203 or in the priority determination unit 602 of the integrated ECU 6. That is, the individual ECU 2 determines whether to make the priority decision based on the control-related information within its own ECU or to relay the control-related information output from the vehicle-mounted device 3 to the integrated ECU 6 instead of making the decision within its own ECU.

[0096] When an individual ECU2 receives control-related information from a vehicle-mounted device 3 connected to the ECU and the vehicle-mounted device 3 via a dedicated communication cable (dedicated communication cable) at the communication section of this ECU, i.e., the in-vehicle communication section 23 and the input / output I / F 22, the priority of this information can be determined in the interrupt handling reception section 203 included in this ECU. When an individual ECU2 receives control-related information from a vehicle-mounted device 3 connected to the ECU and the vehicle-mounted device 3 via a communication cable (shared communication cable) also shared with other vehicle-mounted devices 3, the priority of this information can be determined without performing a priority determination, and the information can be relayed to the integrated ECU 6. The dedicated communication cable can be, for example, a serial cable harness such as when the ECU (individual ECU2) and the vehicle-mounted device 3 are connected via the input / output I / F 22, or an Ethernet cable 411 when the ECU (individual ECU2) and the vehicle-mounted device 3 are connected via the Ethernet communication section 231. In this case, the vehicle-mounted device 3, which is directly connected to the integrated ECU 6 via a dedicated communication cable, is equivalent to the first vehicle-mounted device. The common communication cable is, for example, the CAN bus 412, which connects this ECU (i.e., the individual ECU 2) and the vehicle-mounted device 3 via the CAN communication unit 232. In this case, the vehicle-mounted device 3, which is directly connected to the integrated ECU 6 via the common communication cable, is equivalent to the second vehicle-mounted device.

[0097] When control-related information is obtained from at least one of the vehicle-mounted devices 3 directly connected to the individual ECU 2 via a dedicated communication cable, the individual ECU 2 processes the information in its control signal generation unit 202 and interrupt handling unit 203 based on the priority of the information. Therefore, the time required for control can be shortened, ensuring the required processing time. By directly connecting at least one of the vehicle-mounted devices 3 (second vehicle-mounted devices) that outputs highly urgent control-related information to the individual ECU 2, for example via a dedicated communication cable, the bandwidth or transmission capacity used for communication or signal transmission between the second vehicle-mounted device and the individual ECU 2 can be allocated for this communication, thereby improving processing responsiveness.

[0098] When an individual ECU2 receives control-related information output from the vehicle-mounted device 3, it can determine, based on the identification information of the vehicle-mounted device 3 stored in the storage unit 21, whether to prioritize the control-related information within its own control signal generation unit 202 or relay the acquired information to the integrated ECU 6 without performing the priority determination within this ECU. This identification information may, for example, be information obtained by assigning a value to the IP address of the vehicle-mounted device 3 that serves as the information source, indicating whether the vehicle-mounted device 3 is a first or second vehicle-mounted device. Alternatively, this identification information may be information about whether a message identifier such as CAN-ID contained in a message output from the vehicle-mounted device 3 matches a first or second vehicle-mounted device. Alternatively, this identification information may be appended to or included in the aforementioned relay path information, indicating whether the vehicle-mounted device 3 that outputs control-related information is a first or second vehicle-mounted device. By referring to this identification information, the individual ECU2 can efficiently determine whether a priority determination of the control-related information output from any vehicle-mounted device 3 is necessary.

[0099] According to this embodiment, the second vehicle-mounted device is the fault detection ECU 331, and the vehicle-mounted device 3 that is the object of priority determination by the control unit 20 is the lighting device 301.

[0100] In this solution, the vehicle-mounted device 3, which is the object of the fault detection ECU 331 and the priority determination of the control unit 20, is the lamp device 301. For example, when the control unit 20 obtains information related to a fault of the vehicle C from the fault detection ECU 331, it can determine the priority based on this information and efficiently issue control signals to the lamp device 301 to illuminate or flash the lamp (headlight). The processing related to the priority determination in each control of the lamp device 301 is also performed in the vehicle control unit (integrated ECU 6), but since the control unit 20 determines the priority based on the information from the fault detection ECU 331, there is no need to wait for the response from the vehicle control unit (integrated ECU 6), and highly urgent control can be performed efficiently.

[0101] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the control unit 20 of an individual ECU2. For example, when the vehicle C is running (IG switch 32 is turned on), the control unit 20 of the individual ECU2 stably performs the following processing.

[0102] The control unit 20 of each ECU2 determines whether control-related information has been obtained from the first vehicle-mounted device (S101). For example, the control unit 20 determines whether control-related information has been obtained from the first vehicle-mounted device connected via the CAN communication unit 232, etc. If no control-related information has been obtained from the first vehicle-mounted device (S101: No), the control unit 20 of each ECU2 performs a loop process in order to execute the process of S101 again.

[0103] When control-related information is obtained from the first vehicle-mounted device (S101: Yes), the control unit 20 of the individual ECU2 outputs (relays) the control-related information obtained from the first vehicle-mounted device to the integrated ECU6 (S1011). The control unit 20 outputs (relays) the control-related information obtained from the first vehicle-mounted device to the integrated ECU6, for example, with reference to relay path information.

[0104] The control unit 20 of the individual ECU2 determines whether it has obtained information related to the priority determination result from the integrated ECU6 (S102). If no information related to the priority determination result is obtained from the integrated ECU6 (S102: No), the control unit 20 of the individual ECU2 performs a loop process in order to repeat the process of S102. If information related to the priority determination result is obtained from the integrated ECU6 (S102: Yes), the control unit 20 of the individual ECU2 performs the processing related to the priority determination (S104).

[0105] The control unit 20 of each ECU2 determines whether control-related information has been obtained from the second vehicle-mounted device (S103). If no control-related information has been obtained from the second vehicle-mounted device (S103: No), the control unit 20 of each ECU2 performs a loop process to repeat the process of S103. If control-related information has been obtained from the second vehicle-mounted device (S103: Yes), the control unit 20 of each ECU2 performs processing related to priority determination (S104).

[0106] The control unit 20 of the individual ECU2 may also perform the processing of S101, S102 and S103 as parallel processing or concurrent processing. For example, the control unit 20 of the individual ECU2 may also generate each process of processing waiting for information output from the first vehicle device, processing waiting for information output from the individual ECU2 and processing waiting for information output from the second vehicle device as multiple resident processes, and perform these multiple processes in parallel.

[0107] When the control unit 20 of the individual ECU 2 obtains information related to the priority decision result from the integrated ECU 6 (S102: Yes), obtains control-related information from the second vehicle-mounted device (S103: Yes), or obtains both information related to the priority decision result from the integrated ECU 6 and control-related information from the second vehicle-mounted device within approximately the same period or a predetermined time, the control unit 20 performs priority decision-related processing (S104). If the control unit 20 obtains only control-related information from the second vehicle-mounted device within approximately the same period or a predetermined time, it performs priority decision-related processing based on that information. If the control unit 20 obtains only information related to the priority decision result from the integrated ECU 6 within approximately the same period or a predetermined time, it performs priority decision-related processing based on that information. If the control unit 20 obtains both information related to the priority decision result from the integrated ECU 6 and control-related information from the second vehicle-mounted device within approximately the same period or a predetermined time, it prioritizes the control-related information from the second vehicle-mounted device and determines the priority.

[0108] The control unit 20 of each ECU2 outputs a control signal based on the priority determination result (S105). As a control signal based on the priority determination result, the control unit 20 generates, for example, a relay control signal indicating on or off to the relay control unit 24 connected to the actuator 30 to which the priority determination object is located, and outputs this relay control signal. The relay control unit 24, which has received the relay control signal, is driven according to this relay control signal, thereby performing drive control of the actuator 30 connected to the relay control unit 24.

[0109] According to this embodiment, among the multiple vehicle-mounted devices 3, such as the actuator 30, which are the objects of priority determination, at least a portion of the vehicle-mounted devices 3 undergo repeated priority determination processing by individual ECUs 2 and the integrated ECU 6. Therefore, by separating or sharing the processing related to the priority determination relative to the same vehicle-mounted device 3 using the integrated ECU 6 and individual ECUs, which are independent of the integrated ECU 6, the load of processing related to the priority determination can be distributed, and responsiveness can be improved by having individual ECUs 2 handle the priority determination of controls requiring urgency. Since the priority determination of the control unit 20 of the individual ECU 2 takes precedence over the priority determination of the integrated ECU 6, delays in the determination of the priority of the vehicle-mounted device 3 that is the object of priority determination and the control based on the result of the priority determination can be suppressed.

[0110] According to this embodiment, since the vehicle-mounted device 3 (second vehicle-mounted device) that outputs control-related information with high urgency and the vehicle-mounted device 3 that is the object of priority determination are directly connected to the input / output I / F 22 or relay control unit 24 of the individual ECU 2, the overhead caused by communication delay can be reduced, and the control-related information or signal based on the priority determination result can be efficiently output to the vehicle-mounted device 3 that is the object of priority determination, thereby improving responsiveness.

[0111] It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative rather than restrictive in all respects. The scope of the invention is defined not by the foregoing meaning but by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0112] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0113] Vehicle C

[0114] S vehicle system

[0115] 100 external servers

[0116] 1. External communication device

[0117] 11 antennas

[0118] 2 Individual ECUs (Vehicle ECUs)

[0119] 20 Control Department

[0120] 201 Relay Unit

[0121] 202 Control Signal Generation Unit

[0122] 203 Interruption Handling Department

[0123] 21 Storage Department

[0124] 211 Recording media

[0125] 22 Input / Output I / F (Communications Section)

[0126] 23. In-vehicle communication department (communication department)

[0127] 231 Ethernet Communications Department

[0128] 232 CAN Communication Department

[0129] 24 Relay Control Section

[0130] 3. Vehicle-mounted devices (first vehicle-mounted device, second vehicle-mounted device)

[0131] 30 actuators

[0132] 301 Lamp Installation

[0133] 31 Sensors

[0134] 32 switches

[0135] 33 Vehicle ECU

[0136] 331 Fault Detection ECU

[0137] 4. In-vehicle network

[0138] 41 Communication Line

[0139] 411 Ethernet cable

[0140] 412 CAN bus

[0141] 5. Power cord

[0142] 6. Integrated ECU (Vehicle Control Unit)

[0143] 60 Control Department

[0144] 61 Storage Department

[0145] 62. In-vehicle communication department (communication department)

[0146] 621 Ethernet Communication Department

[0147] 601 Control Signal Generation Unit

[0148] 602 Priority Decision Department.

Claims

1. An on-board ECU, communicatively connected to a plurality of on-board devices mounted in a vehicle and a vehicle control device that determines priorities related to the control of the on-board devices, wherein, The system includes a control unit that performs processing related to the control of the on-board device. In the event of a conflict in the control of any one of the plurality of vehicle-mounted devices or a group of associated vehicle-mounted devices, the control unit determines the priority of that control. The vehicle-mounted devices that are prioritized by the control unit and the vehicle-mounted devices that are prioritized by the vehicle control unit overlap in at least a portion. The plurality of vehicle-mounted devices includes a first vehicle-mounted device and a second vehicle-mounted device, wherein the second vehicle-mounted device outputs control-related information with a higher urgency level than the control-related information output by the first vehicle-mounted device. Upon receiving control-related information output from the first vehicle-mounted device, the control unit relays this control-related information from the first vehicle-mounted device to the vehicle control device. Upon obtaining control-related information output from the second vehicle-mounted device, the control unit performs processing to determine priorities based on the control-related information output from the second vehicle-mounted device.

2. The vehicle-mounted ECU according to claim 1, The priority determination of the control unit takes precedence over the priority determination of the vehicle control device.

3. The vehicle-mounted ECU according to claim 1 or 2, It includes a communication unit for communicating with the vehicle-mounted device or a relay control unit for supplying and cutting off power to the vehicle-mounted device. The vehicle-mounted device that is the object of the priority determination of the control unit is directly connected to this ECU via the communication unit or the relay control unit.

4. The vehicle-mounted ECU according to claim 1, The control unit acquires control-related information based on the priority determined by the vehicle control device. The control unit acquires control-related information output from the second vehicle-mounted device. The control unit performs processing to determine the priority based on control-related information obtained from the vehicle control device and control-related information output from the second vehicle-mounted device.

5. The vehicle-mounted ECU according to claim 1, The level of urgency is determined based on the ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level) of ISO 26262. As the safety level of ASIL associated with the control of onboard devices that become priority decisions increases, the urgency of that control also increases.

6. The vehicle ECU according to claim 1 or 2, In cases where interruption processing is included among the conflicting controls, the control unit determines the priority among the conflicting controls by prioritizing the interruption processing over the priority determination of the vehicle control device.

7. The vehicle-mounted ECU according to claim 6, The onboard device that outputs information related to the interrupt handling is directly connected to this ECU.

8. An information processing method that causes a computer to perform the following processing: In the event of a conflict in the control of at least a portion of the on-board devices or groups of on-board devices that are subject to priority determination by the vehicle control device, the vehicle control device determines the priority in the control process, making priority decisions related to the control of the on-board devices. The plurality of vehicle-mounted devices include a first vehicle-mounted device and a second vehicle-mounted device, wherein the second vehicle-mounted device outputs control-related information with a higher urgency than the control-related information output by the first vehicle-mounted device. Having obtained control-related information output from the first on-board unit, the control-related information output from the first on-board unit is relayed to the vehicle control unit. Upon obtaining control-related information output from the second vehicle-mounted device, processing is performed to determine priority based on the control-related information output from the second vehicle-mounted device.

9. A vehicle-mounted system, comprising: A vehicle control unit, communicatively connected to multiple onboard devices mounted in the vehicle; and Multiple vehicle-mounted ECUs are connected to the multiple vehicle-mounted devices in a communicative manner. in, The vehicle ECU and the vehicle control device include a control unit that determines the priority of control in the event of a conflict in the control of any one of the plurality of vehicle devices or a group of associated vehicle devices. The vehicle-mounted devices that are prioritized by the control unit of the vehicle-mounted ECU and the vehicle-mounted devices that are prioritized by the control unit of the vehicle control device overlap in at least a portion. The plurality of vehicle-mounted devices includes a first vehicle-mounted device and a second vehicle-mounted device, wherein the second vehicle-mounted device outputs control-related information with a higher urgency level than the control-related information output by the first vehicle-mounted device. When the control unit of the vehicle ECU receives control-related information output from the first vehicle device, it relays the control-related information output from the first vehicle device to the vehicle control device. When the control unit of the vehicle ECU obtains control-related information output from the second vehicle device, it performs processing to determine priority based on the control-related information output from the second vehicle device.

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