Composite communication system and method for vehicle

Abstract

A composite vehicle communication system includes an on-vehicle communication device and a field communication device. The on-vehicle communication device includes an on-vehicle controller and multiple on-vehicle communication interfaces, and the field communication device includes a field controller and multiple field communication interfaces. Multiple communication channels are established between the on-vehicle communication device and the field communication device via their wireless communication interfaces. The on-vehicle controller defines a bandwidth level value and a speed level value according to a real-time bandwidth and a real-time speed of each communication channel, and generates an evaluation equivalence value according to the bandwidth level value and the speed level value of each communication channel, and uses the communication channel with the best evaluation equivalence value as a main communication channel. The on-vehicle controller transmits data with the field communication device via the main communication channel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a communication system and method, particularly a vehicle-mounted composite communication system and method. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, an autonomous vehicle can connect to a remote back-end information station for bidirectional data transmission. The autonomous vehicle can transmit real-time driving data (such as GPS coordinates, throttle opening, brake signal, driving image, road conditions and / or vehicle speed) to the back-end information station, so that the back-end information station can effectively grasp the driving status of the autonomous vehicle based on the real-time driving data. The back-end information station can also transmit data and control commands to the autonomous vehicle, which can then implement autonomous driving based on the data and control commands received from the back-end information station.

[0003] Therefore, the data transmitted between the self-driving car and the backend information station is quite diverse, and this data is of considerable importance due to its connection to driving safety. Thus, ensuring the quality of communication between the self-driving car and the backend information station is a crucial issue. When the communication quality between the self-driving car and the backend information station deteriorates or is interrupted, the self-driving car may be unable to receive necessary data and control commands from the backend information station in real time, and the backend information station will also find it difficult to monitor the self-driving car's driving status. In this situation, the chances of the self-driving car causing an accident may increase. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the main objective of the present invention is to provide a vehicle-mounted composite communication system and method that can ensure the communication quality of the vehicle's external connections, thereby overcoming the problem of poor communication quality described in the prior art.

[0005] The vehicle-mounted composite communication system of the present invention includes:

[0006] A vehicle communication device for installation in a vehicle, and comprising a vehicle controller and multiple vehicle communication interfaces electrically connected to the vehicle controller;

[0007] A field communication device is provided for installation on the roadside and includes a field controller and multiple field communication interfaces electrically connected to the field controller. At least two of the multiple field communication interfaces establish multiple communication channels with at least two of the multiple vehicle communication interfaces, enabling the vehicle controller and the field controller to exchange packets with each other through the multiple communication channels.

[0008] The vehicle controller defines a bandwidth level value and a speed level value based on the real-time bandwidth and real-time speed of each communication channel, generates an evaluation value based on the bandwidth level value and speed level value of each communication channel, and selects the communication channel with the best evaluation value as a primary communication channel. The vehicle controller transmits data with the field communication device through the primary communication channel.

[0009] Preferably, in the aforementioned vehicle-mounted composite communication system, the vehicle controller stores a bandwidth level lookup table corresponding to each communication channel, which includes multiple bandwidth ranges and corresponding multiple bandwidth level numbers; the vehicle controller determines that the real-time bandwidth falls into one of the multiple bandwidth ranges and defines its corresponding bandwidth level number as the bandwidth level value.

[0010] The vehicle controller stores a speed level lookup table corresponding to each communication channel, which contains multiple speed level numbers corresponding to multiple speed ranges; the vehicle controller determines that the real-time speed falls into one of the multiple speed ranges and defines its corresponding speed level number as the speed level value.

[0011] Preferably, in the aforementioned vehicle-mounted composite communication system, the vehicle controller stores multiple different weighted values, and each of the different weighted values ​​corresponds to a different communication channel; the vehicle controller generates the evaluation value based on the bandwidth level value, the speed level value, and the weighted value.

[0012] Preferably, in the aforementioned vehicle-mounted composite communication system, the vehicle controller generates the evaluation equivalent corresponding to each of the communication channels according to the following formula:

[0013] Evaluation equivalent value = (bandwidth grade value + speed grade value) × weighted value.

[0014] Preferably, in the aforementioned vehicle-mounted composite communication system, when the vehicle controller determines that at least two of the communication channels have optimal evaluation values, the vehicle controller uses the communication channel corresponding to the optimal weighted value as the primary communication channel.

[0015] Preferably, in the aforementioned vehicle-mounted composite communication system, the on-vehicle controller extracts a reference bandwidth and a reference speed corresponding to each communication channel from a test packet received from each of the communication channels;

[0016] The vehicle controller defines multiple bandwidth ranges based on the reference bandwidth of each communication channel and the multiple bandwidth level numbers, and defines multiple speed ranges based on the reference speed of each communication channel and the multiple speed level numbers.

[0017] Preferably, in the aforementioned vehicle-mounted composite communication system, when the vehicle controller determines that the packet transmission of the communication channel serving as the main communication channel is abnormal or disconnected, the vehicle controller uses another communication channel among the multiple communication channels as the main communication channel.

[0018] Preferably, in the aforementioned vehicle-mounted composite communication system, when the vehicle controller determines that the packet transmission of the communication channel serving as the main communication channel is abnormal or disconnected, the vehicle controller uses another communication channel among the multiple communication channels as the main communication channel.

[0019] Preferably, in the aforementioned vehicle-mounted composite communication system, the message frame of the packet sent by the vehicle controller to the field controller includes a start symbol, sequence number, time, vehicle information, and end symbol; the message frame of the packet sent by the field controller to the vehicle controller includes a start symbol, sequence number, time, field information, and end symbol.

[0020] The vehicle-mounted composite communication method of the present invention is executed in a vehicle controller and includes:

[0021] Establish multiple communication channels with a field controller;

[0022] A bandwidth level value and a speed level value are defined based on the real-time bandwidth and real-time speed of each communication channel;

[0023] An evaluation equivalent is generated based on the bandwidth level value and the speed level value of each communication channel; and

[0024] The communication channel with the best evaluation equivalence is used as a primary communication channel, through which the vehicle controller transmits data with the field communication device.

[0025] Preferably, in the aforementioned vehicle-mounted composite communication method, the vehicle controller determines that the real-time bandwidth falls into one of multiple bandwidth ranges, and defines the corresponding bandwidth level number as the bandwidth level value.

[0026] The vehicle's controller determines that the real-time speed falls within one of multiple speed ranges and defines the corresponding speed level number as the speed level value.

[0027] Preferably, in the aforementioned vehicle-mounted composite communication method, the vehicle controller generates the evaluation equivalent corresponding to each of the communication channels according to the following formula:

[0028] Evaluation equivalent value = (bandwidth grade value + speed grade value) × weighted value.

[0029] Preferably, in the aforementioned vehicle composite communication method, when the vehicle controller determines that at least two of the communication channels have optimal evaluation values, the vehicle controller uses the communication channel corresponding to an optimal weighted value as the primary communication channel.

[0030] Preferably, in the aforementioned vehicle composite communication method, the vehicle controller extracts a reference bandwidth and a reference speed corresponding to each communication channel from a test packet received from each of the communication channels;

[0031] The plurality of bandwidth ranges of each communication channel are defined by the reference bandwidth and the plurality of bandwidth class numbers, and the plurality of speed ranges of each communication channel are defined by the reference speed and the plurality of speed class numbers.

[0032] Preferably, in the aforementioned vehicle-mounted composite communication method, when the vehicle controller determines that the packet transmission of the communication channel serving as the primary communication channel is abnormal, another communication channel among the multiple communication channels is designated as the primary communication channel, wherein:

[0033] The onboard controller will extract the sequence number from two packets received sequentially from the main communication channel and define them as an earlier sequence number and a newer sequence number, respectively.

[0034] The vehicle controller determines whether the latest serial number is consecutive to the earlier serial number; if not, the vehicle controller determines whether the difference between the latest serial number and the earlier serial number is greater than or equal to an allowable value.

[0035] When the difference between the latest sequence number and the earlier sequence number is greater than or equal to the allowable value, the vehicle controller determines that the packet transmission is abnormal.

[0036] Preferably, in the aforementioned vehicle-mounted composite communication method, when the vehicle controller determines that the communication channel serving as the primary communication channel is disconnected, another communication channel among the multiple communication channels is designated as the primary communication channel, wherein:

[0037] The moment when the vehicle controller receives a packet from the field controller and captures the message box of the packet, that moment is the moment when the field controller sends the packet.

[0038] The vehicle controller determines whether a new packet is received from the main communication channel within a threshold time difference. If not, it determines that the main communication channel is disconnected.

[0039] According to the vehicle-mounted composite communication system and method of the present invention, the field communication device can be connected to a back-end information station, and bidirectional data transmission can be performed between the vehicle-mounted communication device and the back-end information device through the field communication device. Multiple communication channels are established between the vehicle-mounted controller and the field controller, with one of them having the best evaluation value serving as the primary communication channel. Even if the primary communication channel experiences a disconnection or poor communication quality at a certain time, the present invention still allows another communication channel to be determined to have the best evaluation value, and thus this other communication channel is used as the primary channel. This ensures that the connection between the vehicle-mounted communication device and the field communication device is optimal at any given time, thereby overcoming the problem of poor communication quality described in the prior art. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 : Block diagram of an embodiment of the vehicle-mounted composite communication system of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 2 : A schematic diagram of the vehicle-mounted composite communication system of the present invention connecting to the back-end information station.

[0042] Figure 3 : Block diagram of an embodiment of the vehicle-mounted composite communication system of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 4 This invention is a schematic diagram of a packet message box sent by the vehicle controller.

[0044] Figure 5 This invention provides a schematic diagram of the packet message frame sent by the field controller.

[0045] Figure 6 : A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the vehicle-mounted composite communication method of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 7 This invention provides a flowchart illustrating the process for determining whether the main communication channel is experiencing packet transmission abnormalities.

[0047] Figure 8 This invention provides a flowchart for determining whether the main communication channel is disconnected. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments of the present invention, further illustrates the technical means employed by the present invention to achieve its intended purpose.

[0049] Please refer to the reference. Figure 1An embodiment of the vehicle-mounted composite communication system of the present invention includes an on-vehicle communication device 10 and a field communication device 20. The on-vehicle communication device 10 is installed in a vehicle 100, which may be an autonomous vehicle or a vehicle in an autonomous vehicle fleet. The field communication device 20 is installed on the roadside, that is, on the roadside of the road through which the vehicle travels, and is not limited to indoor or outdoor use. Figure 2 For example, multiple field communication devices 20 are installed along the route. Therefore, as long as the vehicle's onboard communication device 10 and one of the field communication devices 20 enter each other's communication range, they can establish a connection for bidirectional data transmission. Figure 1 This explanation is based solely on the example of the vehicle's communication device 10 being connected to one of the field communication devices 20.

[0050] For example, the field communication device 20 can be connected to a back-end information station 30. The vehicle communication device 10 can receive real-time driving information via a diagnostic system (OBD-II) and a controller area network bus (CAN Bus), and transmit the real-time driving information to the field communication device 20. The real-time driving information may include, for example, real-time time (e.g., the system time of the vehicle 100's control system), vehicle coordinates (e.g., GPS coordinates), throttle opening, brake signal, driving image, road conditions, and / or vehicle speed. The back-end information station 30 can receive the real-time driving information via the field communication device 20. In addition, the back-end information station 30 can also transmit data and control commands to the vehicle communication device 10 via the field communication device 20. When the vehicle 100 is an autonomous driving vehicle, it can implement autonomous driving based on the received data and control commands. The autonomous driving may include speed control (e.g., constant speed, acceleration, deceleration, braking), route control (e.g., straight driving, turning, overtaking, roadside parking), and changing convoy formation, etc., but is not limited to these.

[0051] Therefore, ensuring the communication quality between the vehicle communication device 10 and the field communication device 20 is an important issue. When the communication quality is relatively good, the real-time driving information of the vehicle 100 can be reliably provided to the back-end information station 30, so that the back-end information station 30 can effectively grasp the vehicle status of the vehicle 100, and the vehicle 100 can also reliably receive the data and control commands issued by the back-end information station 30 and implement corresponding driving operations accordingly.

[0052] In embodiments of the present invention, the vehicle communication device 10 includes a vehicle controller 11 and a plurality of vehicle communication interfaces 12 electrically connected to the vehicle controller 11. The plurality of vehicle communication interfaces 12 are of different types (e.g., the communication protocols they use). The vehicle controller 11 may be a controller chip, and the plurality of vehicle communication interfaces 12 are wireless communication interfaces and may include mobile communication interfaces and short-range wireless communication interfaces. Please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 3 For example, the multiple vehicle communication interfaces 12 may include 5G (5G) th Generation (fifth generation) mobile communication interface, 4G (4G) th The device includes a fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication interface, a C-V2X (Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything) communication interface, a Wi-Fi communication interface, and a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication interface. The field communication device 20 includes a field controller 21 and multiple field communication interfaces 22 electrically connected to the field controller 21. The field controller 21 may be a controller chip, and the multiple field communication interfaces 22 are wireless communication interfaces. At least two of the multiple field communication interfaces 22 correspond to at least two of the multiple vehicle communication interfaces 12, such as... Figure 3 As shown in the example, the plurality of field communication interfaces 22 may include a 5G mobile communication interface, a C-V2X communication interface, and a Wi-Fi communication interface; in other embodiments, the plurality of vehicle communication interfaces 12 may also correspond completely to the plurality of field communication interfaces 22.

[0053] Through the corresponding vehicle communication interface 12 and field communication interface 22, the vehicle controller 11 can transmit connection commands to the field controller 21. Please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 1 At least two of the multiple field communication interfaces 22 establish multiple communication channels CH with at least two of the multiple vehicle communication interfaces 12, enabling the vehicle controller 11 and the field controller 21 to exchange packets through the multiple communication channels CH, and then... Figure 3 For example, the multiple communication channels established between the vehicle-mounted communication device 10 and the field communication device 20 can include a 5G communication channel CH1, a C-V2X communication channel CH2, and a Wi-Fi communication channel CH3. Therefore, the vehicle-mounted controller 11 and the field controller 21 can simultaneously exchange packets through the 5G communication channel CH1, the C-V2X communication channel CH2, and the Wi-Fi communication channel CH3. On the other hand, the vehicle-mounted controller 11 can detect the real-time bandwidth and real-time speed of each communication channel CH. The detection of the real-time bandwidth and real-time speed is common knowledge in the field of network communication technology and will not be detailed here.

[0054] Please refer to Figure 4 The message box 40 of the packet sent by the vehicle controller 11 to the field controller 21 may include a start symbol 401, a sequence number 402, a time 403, vehicle information 404, and an end symbol 405. The vehicle controller 11 determines that the received packet is a complete packet based on the start symbol 401 and the end symbol 405. The sequence number 402 and the time 403 provide the timing information of the packet transmission. The vehicle information 404 may include a vehicle identification code (ID) and the real-time driving information as described above. See also... Figure 5 The message box 41 of the packet sent by the field controller 21 to the vehicle controller 11 may include a start symbol 411, a sequence number 412, a time 413, field information 414, and an end symbol 415. The field controller 21 determines that the received packet is a complete packet based on the start symbol 411 and the end symbol 415. The sequence number 412 and the time 413 can provide the timing information of the packet transmission. The field information 414 may include a field identification code (ID).

[0055] In each of the established communication channels (CH), the vehicle controller 11 defines a bandwidth level value and a speed level value based on the real-time bandwidth and real-time speed of each communication channel CH. The data format of the bandwidth level value and the speed level value can be numerical, but is not limited to this. The smaller the bandwidth level value of each communication channel CH, the better its bandwidth performance; similarly, the smaller the speed level value of each communication channel CH, the better its bandwidth performance. The vehicle controller 11 can also generate an evaluation value based on the bandwidth level value and the speed level value of each communication channel CH. This evaluation value serves as an indicator for evaluating communication quality. The data format of the evaluation value can be numerical, but is not limited to this. The smaller the evaluation value of each communication channel CH, the better its communication quality.

[0056] Therefore, the vehicle controller 11 uses the communication channel with the best evaluation value (i.e., the one with the lowest evaluation value among the multiple communication channels that have been connected) as a primary communication channel. The vehicle controller 11 performs bidirectional data transmission with the field communication device 20 through the primary communication channel. Under relatively good communication quality, the real-time driving information of the vehicle 100 can be effectively provided to the background information station 30, and the vehicle 100 can also effectively receive the data and control commands issued by the background information station 30.

[0057] The following describes how the present invention selects the primary communication channel from multiple communication channels CH that have been established, wherein the field controller 21 can transmit test packets to the vehicle controller 11 from the multiple communication channels CH that have been established.

[0058] In the embodiments of the present invention, please refer to Figure 1 The vehicle controller 11 stores a bandwidth level lookup table 50 corresponding to each communication channel (CH). This table 50 contains multiple bandwidth ranges and corresponding bandwidth level numbers. For each established communication channel (CH), the vehicle controller 11 can determine if its real-time bandwidth falls within one of the multiple bandwidth ranges and define its corresponding bandwidth level number as the bandwidth level value. For example, the data in the bandwidth level lookup table 50 for each communication channel is shown in the table below. Each bandwidth range corresponds to a bandwidth level number, and the data format of the bandwidth level number can be, for example, a numerical value. A smaller bandwidth level number represents better bandwidth performance.

[0059]

[0060]

[0061] In the table above, BW0 is a reference bandwidth corresponding to each communication channel CH. In the test packets transmitted from the field controller 21 to the vehicle controller 11 via each communication channel CH, the field controller 21 has written the value of BW0 into the test packets, enabling the vehicle controller 11 to retrieve the value of BW0 from the test packets upon receipt. Different communication channels CH have different corresponding BW0 values. N is a maximum value of the bandwidth level sequence number in the bandwidth level lookup table 50, which is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2, and n is the bandwidth level sequence number. In the table above, BW... n It is represented as follows.

[0062] BW n =BW0-(BW0 / N)×n

[0063] For example, when N = 10 and BW0 = 1000, BW1 is 900. Therefore, the bandwidth range corresponding to bandwidth level 1 is 1000–900, the bandwidth range corresponding to bandwidth level 2 is 899–800, and so on. When the bandwidth level is N, N = n, the lower limit of its bandwidth range is 0. Therefore, the bandwidth range corresponding to bandwidth level 1 is the optimal range.

[0064] In the embodiments of the present invention, please refer to Figure 1The vehicle controller 11 stores a speed level lookup table 51 corresponding to each communication channel (CH). This speed level lookup table 51 contains multiple speed ranges and corresponding speed level numbers. For each established communication channel (CH), the vehicle controller 11 can determine if its real-time speed falls within one of the multiple speed ranges and define its corresponding speed level number as the speed level value. For example, the data in the speed level lookup table 51 for each communication channel (CH) is shown in the table below. Each speed range corresponds to a speed level number, and the speed level number can be in numerical format, for example, a numerical value. A smaller speed level number represents better speed performance.

[0065]

[0066] In the table above, SPD0 is a reference speed corresponding to each communication channel CH. The field controller 21 transmits the SPD0 value to the vehicle controller 11 via each communication channel CH in the test packet. The field controller 21 has written the SPD0 value into the test packet, enabling the vehicle controller 11 to retrieve the SPD0 value from the test packet upon receipt. M is a maximum value of the speed level sequence number in the speed level lookup table 51, which is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2, and M can (but is not limited to) be equal to N. m is the speed level sequence number. In the table above, SPD... m It is represented as follows.

[0067] SPD m =SPD0-(SPD0 / M)×m

[0068] For example, when M = 10 and SPD0 = 2000, SPD1 is 1800. Therefore, the speed range corresponding to speed class number 1 is 2000–1800 bps, the speed range corresponding to speed class number 2 is 1799–1600 bps, and so on. When the speed class number is M, M = m, the lower limit of its corresponding speed range is 0. Therefore, the speed range corresponding to speed class number 1 is the optimal range.

[0069] Regarding the calculation of the evaluation equivalence of each communication channel (CH), in an embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle controller 11 stores multiple different weighting values, and each weighting value corresponds to a different communication channel (CH). The data format of the weighting values ​​can be, for example, numerical, but is not limited to this. A communication channel with a smaller weighting value represents a more preferred communication channel. The vehicle controller 11 generates the evaluation equivalence corresponding to each communication channel (CH) based on the bandwidth level value, the speed level value, and the weighting value, as shown below:

[0070] Evaluation Equivalent Value = (Bandwidth Class Value + Speed ​​Class Value) × Weighted Value

[0071] For example, the weighting values ​​for various communication channels (CH) can be shown in the table below:

[0072] Communication Channel Weighted values 5G 1 4G 2 C-V2X 3 Wi-Fi 4 BLE 5

[0073] The following two scenarios illustrate how the onboard controller 11 determines the primary communication channel from among multiple established communication channels.

[0074] Scenario 1:

[0075] The communication channel CH established between the vehicle-mounted communication device 10 and the field communication device 20 includes a 5G communication channel, a 4G communication channel, a C-V2X communication channel, a Wi-Fi communication channel, and a BLE communication channel. The vehicle-mounted controller 11 determines the bandwidth level value, speed level value, and evaluation value of each communication channel, as shown in the table below:

[0076] Communication Channel Bandwidth rating Speed ​​rating Weighted values Equivalent Assessment 5G 1 1 1 2 4G 2 1 2 6 C-V2X 3 2 3 15 Wi-Fi 2 4 4 24 BLE 5 5 5 50

[0077] Therefore, in scenario 1, the vehicle controller 11 determines that the evaluation value of the 5G communication channel is the smallest, which means that the communication quality of the 5G communication channel is the best at present. The vehicle communication device 10 uses the 5G communication channel as the main communication channel to conduct bidirectional transmission with the field communication device 20 through the 5G communication channel.

[0078] Scenario 2:

[0079] The communication channel CH established between the vehicle-mounted communication device 10 and the field communication device 20 includes a 4G communication channel, a C-V2X communication channel, and a Wi-Fi communication channel. The vehicle-mounted controller 11 determines the bandwidth level, speed level, and evaluation value of each communication channel, as shown in the table below:

[0080] Communication Channel Bandwidth rating Speed ​​rating Weighted values Equivalent Assessment 4G 2 1 2 6 C-V2X 1 1 3 6 Wi-Fi 2 4 4 24

[0081] In scenario 2, the vehicle controller 11 determines that the evaluation value of the 4G communication channel and the C-V2X communication channel is the smallest, indicating that the communication quality of the 4G communication channel and the C-V2X communication channel is currently the best. Because the weighted value of the 4G communication channel is less than the weighted value of the C-V2X communication channel, the vehicle controller 11 uses the 4G communication channel as the primary communication channel to conduct bidirectional data transmission with the field communication device 20 through the 4G communication channel. Therefore, when the vehicle controller 11 determines that at least two of the communication channels have the best evaluation value, the vehicle controller 11 selects the communication channel corresponding to the best (smallest) weighted value as the primary communication channel.

[0082] As mentioned above, the vehicle controller 11 can identify a primary communication channel from multiple communication channels CH and transmit data with the field communication device 20 through this primary communication channel. However, the connection of the primary communication channel may experience packet transmission abnormalities or disconnections, for example, a failure in the field communication interface 22 corresponding to the primary communication channel. When the vehicle controller 11 determines that the communication channel serving as the primary communication channel is disconnected or has packet transmission abnormalities, the vehicle controller 11 can select another communication channel from the multiple communication channels that still has an established connection as the primary communication channel (i.e., currently having the best evaluation equivalence). This technology provides a backup mechanism, enabling the vehicle controller 11 to still transmit data with the field communication device 20 and maintain a continuous connection with the backend information station 30. Taking the aforementioned scenario 1 as an example, when the 5G communication channel, which was originally the main communication channel, is disconnected or packet transmission is abnormal, the vehicle controller 11 can use the 4G communication channel as the main communication channel. As the vehicle moves, the 5G communication channel may be reconnected. The vehicle controller 11 can send a connection command to the field controller 21 to re-establish the connection. When the 5G communication channel is reconnected and its evaluation value is judged to be optimal, the vehicle controller 11 can again use the 5G communication channel as the main communication channel. The backup mechanism of the aforementioned scenario 2 can be deduced in the same way. In scenario 2, when the 4G communication channel, which was originally the main communication channel, is disconnected or packet transmission is abnormal, the C-V2X communication channel is used as the main communication channel.

[0083] In summary, please refer to the above information. Figure 6 The present invention provides a vehicle-mounted composite communication method executed on the vehicle controller 11, comprising: establishing multiple communication channels CH with the field controller 21 (step S01); defining a bandwidth level value and a speed level value according to the real-time bandwidth and real-time speed of each communication channel CH (step S02); generating an evaluation equivalence value according to the bandwidth level value and the speed level value of each communication channel CH (step S03); and selecting the communication channel with the best evaluation equivalence value as the primary communication channel, through which the vehicle controller transmits data with the field communication device (step S04).

[0084] A feasible embodiment for the vehicle controller 11 to determine whether the main communication channel has packet transmission abnormalities is described below. Please refer to... Figure 7The vehicle controller 11 will extract the sequence number from the two packets received successively from the main communication channel and define them as an earlier sequence number P and a newer sequence number Q respectively (step S11). The vehicle controller 11 can determine whether the main communication channel is disconnected or the packet transmission is abnormal based on the newer sequence number Q and the earlier sequence number P. In this process, the vehicle controller 11 determines whether the earlier sequence number P plus a cumulative value R equals the latest sequence number Q (step S12) to determine whether the latest sequence number Q and the earlier sequence number P are consecutive. If the vehicle controller 11 determines that the earlier sequence number P plus the cumulative value R equals the latest sequence number Q, it means that the latest sequence number Q and the earlier sequence number P are consecutive, and the packet is transmitted normally. If the determination in step S12 is negative, the vehicle controller 11 determines whether the difference D between the latest sequence number Q and the earlier sequence number P (i.e., QP = D) is greater than or equal to an allowable value T (step S13). If negative, the vehicle controller 11 can determine that the main communication channel is in a normal connection state. If the determination in step S13 is positive, it means that too many packets may be missed between the two packets received successively, resulting in packet transmission abnormality. In the foregoing, the cumulative value R and the allowable value T are adjustable preset values. For example, the cumulative value can be 1 and the allowable value can be 5.

[0085] A feasible embodiment of the vehicle controller 11 determining whether the main communication channel is disconnected is described below. Please refer to... Figure 8 When the vehicle controller 11 receives a packet from the field controller 21, it can capture the time 413 of the message frame 41 of the packet. The time 413 is the time when the field controller 21 sent the packet (step S21). The vehicle controller 11 calculates the time difference between the time 413 and a real-time time (step S22). The vehicle controller 11 can obtain the real-time time from the vehicle 100's diagnostic system (OBD-II), controller area network bus (CAN Bus), or real-time driving information. The vehicle controller 11 determines whether another new packet is received from the main communication channel within a threshold time (i.e., time difference ≤ threshold time) of the time difference (step S23). If not, it indicates a connection timeout, so the vehicle controller 11 can determine that the communication channel, which is the main communication channel, is disconnected. If the determination is yes in step S23, it means that the main communication channel is connected normally and not disconnected. In the aforementioned context, the threshold time is an adjustable preset value, for example, 100 milliseconds (ms).

[0086] In summary, multiple communication channels CH are established between the vehicle controller 11 and the field controller 21. The vehicle controller 11 can determine the communication quality of each communication channel CH in real time. Among these multiple communication channels CH, the communication channel with the best communication quality corresponds to an optimal evaluation value. This invention can use the communication channel with the optimal evaluation value as the primary communication channel. On the other hand, this invention also provides a backup mechanism. When the communication channel serving as the primary communication channel experiences poor communication quality (e.g., packet transmission abnormalities, disconnection, etc.), this invention still has another communication channel as the primary communication channel to ensure that the connection between the vehicle communication device and the field communication device is optimal at the current time.

[0087] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle-use composite communication system, characterized in that: Include: An on-vehicle communication device, for installation in an autonomous driving vehicle, comprising an on-vehicle controller and a plurality of on-vehicle communication interfaces electrically connected to the on-vehicle controller; A field communication device is provided on the roadside of the road traveled by the autonomous driving vehicle, and comprises a field controller and a plurality of field communication interfaces electrically connected to the field controller, at least two of the plurality of field communication interfaces establish a plurality of communication channels with at least two of the plurality of on-vehicle communication interfaces, so that the on-vehicle controller and the field controller can exchange packets with each other through the plurality of communication channels; Among them, the on-board controller defines a bandwidth level value and a speed level value according to a real-time bandwidth and a real-time speed of each communication channel, and generates an evaluation equivalence value according to the bandwidth level value and the speed level value of each communication channel, and uses the communication channel with the best evaluation equivalence value as a main communication channel. The on-board controller transmits data with the field communication device through the main communication channel.

2. The vehicle-use composite communication system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The on-board controller stores a bandwidth level comparison table corresponding to each of the communication channels, which includes a plurality of bandwidth ranges and a plurality of corresponding bandwidth level serial numbers; the on-board controller determines that the real-time bandwidth falls within one of the plurality of bandwidth ranges, and defines the corresponding bandwidth level serial number as the bandwidth level value; The on-board controller stores a speed level comparison table corresponding to each of the communication channels, which includes multiple speed level serial numbers corresponding to multiple speed ranges; the on-board controller determines whether the real-time speed falls within one of the multiple speed ranges, and defines the corresponding speed level serial number as the speed level value.

3. The vehicle-use composite communication system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The on-board controller stores a plurality of different weighted values, and different weighted values ​​correspond to different communication channels respectively; the on-board controller generates the evaluation value according to the bandwidth level value, the speed level value and the weighted value.

4. The vehicle-use composite communication system as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The on-board controller generates the evaluation value corresponding to each communication channel according to the following formula: Evaluation value = (bandwidth level value + speed level value) × weighted value.

5. The vehicle-use composite communication system as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: When the on-board controller determines that at least two of the communication channels have the best evaluation values, the on-board controller uses the communication channel corresponding to the best weighted value as the main communication channel.

6. The vehicle-use composite communication system as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The on-board controller extracts a reference bandwidth and a reference speed corresponding to each communication channel from a test packet received by each communication channel; The on-board controller defines the multiple bandwidth ranges according to the reference bandwidth of each communication channel and the multiple bandwidth level serial numbers, and defines the multiple speed ranges according to the reference speed of each communication channel and the multiple speed level serial numbers.

7. The vehicle-use composite communication system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: When the on-board controller determines that the communication channel serving as the main communication channel has abnormal packet transmission or is disconnected, the on-board controller uses another communication channel among the plurality of communication channels as the main communication channel.

8. The vehicle-use composite communication system as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: When the on-board controller determines that the communication channel serving as the main communication channel has abnormal packet transmission or is disconnected, the on-board controller uses another communication channel among the plurality of communication channels as the main communication channel.

9. The vehicle-use composite communication system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The message frame of the packet sent by the on-board controller to the field controller includes a start symbol, a sequence number, a time, a vehicle information and an end symbol; the message frame of the packet sent by the field controller to the on-board controller includes a start symbol, a sequence number, a time, a field information and an end symbol.

10. A composite communication method for a vehicle, characterized in that: Executed by an on-vehicle controller of an on-vehicle communication device, comprising: Establishing a plurality of communication channels with a field controller of a field communication device, wherein the on-board communication device is provided on an autonomous driving vehicle, and the field communication device is provided on the side of a road on which the autonomous driving vehicle travels; According to a real-time bandwidth and a real-time speed of each communication channel, a bandwidth level value and a speed level value are defined respectively; Generating an evaluation value according to the bandwidth level value and the speed level value of each communication channel; and The communication channel with the best evaluation equivalence is used as a main communication channel, and the on-board controller transmits data with the field communication device through the main communication channel.

11. The vehicle-use composite communication method as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that: The on-vehicle controller determines that the real-time bandwidth falls within one of a plurality of bandwidth ranges, and defines a corresponding bandwidth level number as the bandwidth level value; The on-board controller determines that the real-time speed falls into one of a plurality of speed ranges, and defines a corresponding speed grade number as the speed grade value.

12. The vehicle-use composite communication method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The on-board controller generates the evaluation value corresponding to each communication channel according to the following formula: Evaluation value = (bandwidth level value + speed level value) × weighted value.

13. The vehicle-use composite communication method as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that: When the on-board controller determines that at least two of the communication channels have the best evaluation values, the on-board controller uses the communication channel corresponding to the best weighted value as the main communication channel.

14. The vehicle-use composite communication method as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that: The on-board controller extracts a reference bandwidth and a reference speed corresponding to each communication channel from a test packet received by each communication channel; The multiple bandwidth ranges of each of the communication channels are defined by the reference bandwidth and the multiple bandwidth level serial numbers, and the multiple speed ranges of each of the communication channels are defined by the reference speed and the multiple speed level serial numbers.

15. The vehicle-use composite communication method as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that: When the on-board controller determines that the communication channel serving as the main communication channel has abnormal packet transmission, another communication channel among the plurality of communication channels is used as the main communication channel, wherein: The on-board controller will extract the sequence numbers of the two packets received successively from the main communication channel and define them as an earlier sequence number and a latest sequence number respectively; The on-board controller determines whether the latest serial number is continuous with the earlier serial number; if not, the on-board controller determines whether a difference between the latest serial number and the earlier serial number is greater than or equal to an allowable value; When the difference between the latest sequence number and the earlier sequence number is greater than or equal to the allowable value, the on-board controller determines that the packet transmission is abnormal.

16. The vehicle-use composite communication method as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that: When the on-board controller determines that the communication channel serving as the main communication channel is disconnected, another communication channel among the plurality of communication channels is used as the main communication channel, wherein: When the on-board controller receives a packet from the field controller, it captures a time of the message frame of the packet, which is the time when the field controller sends the packet; The on-board controller calculates a time difference between the time and a real time, and determines whether another new packet is received from the main communication channel within a threshold time of the time difference. If not, it is determined that the communication channel serving as the main communication channel is disconnected.

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