Method and apparatus for vehicle time synchronization, vehicle, and storage medium

Abstract

The application provides a vehicle time synchronization method, device, vehicle and storage medium. The method comprises the following steps: obtaining a reference time, setting the reference time as a service plane time, synchronizing the service plane time to each device in a service plane system; in different running stages of a domain controller, setting the service plane time or a first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller as a calculation domain time, and synchronizing the calculation domain time to each sensor. When the reference data jumps due to the difference of the T-BOX time service mechanism, the calculation domain time of the domain controller can not jump with the service plane time, so that the stability of the automatic driving function of the vehicle is ensured, and the automatic driving failure is prevented.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent driving technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus, vehicle, and storage medium for vehicle time synchronization. Background Technology

[0002] Autonomous vehicles are equipped with a variety of sensors. There is a time lag between the time the sensors collect data and when the data is finally consumed by the autonomous driving computing platform. Therefore, most sensors timestamp their data for use by downstream algorithms. To ensure that the timestamps of different sensors are meaningful, the clocks of the sensors and the domain controller need to be aligned, i.e., time synchronization. Time synchronization means ensuring that the clocks of sensors using their own clocks are as consistent as possible with the clocks of the domain controllers.

[0003] Currently, in the field of autonomous driving, T-BOX serves as the primary time synchronization source, while the domain controller serves as the secondary time synchronization source. By providing the same reference time to each sensor through a unified clock source, the domain controller receives the time synchronization source from T-BOX and distributes it to each sensor. Each sensor calibrates its own clock time according to the reference time provided by the domain controller, thus achieving time synchronization in hardware.

[0004] However, as the primary time source, the T-BOX uses a switching mechanism to provide time synchronization to the domain controller in different environments such as without network or GPS. Different time source scenarios can cause jumps in the T-BOX's time synchronization, resulting in different reference times for each sensor, which can affect the operation of the vehicle's autonomous driving function. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a method, apparatus, vehicle, and storage medium for vehicle time synchronization to solve the problem of time synchronization jumps during time synchronization in the prior art.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a method for vehicle time synchronization, wherein the time domain resources of the vehicle's domain controller include: service plane time and computing domain time, wherein the computing domain time is the time corresponding to data processing related to each computing node of the vehicle's autonomous driving, and the service plane time is the time corresponding to data processing of devices other than the vehicle's autonomous driving computing nodes; the vehicle time synchronization method includes:

[0007] Obtain a reference time and set the reference time as the business plane time, then synchronize the business plane time to each device within the business plane system;

[0008] During different operating phases of the domain controller, the service plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller is set as the calculation domain time and synchronized to each sensor.

[0009] In one possible implementation, during different operational phases of the domain controller, the service plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller is set as the computation domain time and synchronized to each sensor, including:

[0010] During the initialization of the domain controller, the service plane time is set to the computation domain time and synchronized to each sensor;

[0011] After the domain controller completes initialization, the first crystal oscillator time of the crystal oscillator in the domain controller is obtained, and the first crystal oscillator time is set as the calculation domain time and synchronized to each sensor.

[0012] In one possible implementation, obtaining the reference time includes:

[0013] When the vehicle networking control unit (Telematics-BOX, T-BOX) successfully synchronizes time, the reference time is obtained from the T-BOX;

[0014] When the T-BOX time synchronization fails, the second crystal oscillator time is obtained from the crystal oscillator in the Central Electronic Control Module (CEM) connected to the T-BOX, and the second crystal oscillator time is used as the reference time.

[0015] In one possible implementation, obtaining the reference time from the T-BOX when T-BOX time synchronization is successful includes:

[0016] When T-BOX time synchronization is successful, GNSS time or network time is obtained from the T-BOX. The network time includes Network Time Protocol (NTP) time or Time Synchronization Protocol (TSP) time.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the base time is set as the service plane time, and the service plane time is synchronized to each device within the service plane system, including:

[0018] Set the reference time to the service plane time, and synchronize the service plane time to the multi-control unit (MCU) of the domain controller;

[0019] The domain controller's MCU synchronizes the service plane time to each device within the service plane system.

[0020] In one possible implementation, during different operational phases of the domain controller, the service plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller is set as the computation domain time and synchronized to each sensor, including:

[0021] During different operating phases of the domain controller, the MCU of the domain controller sets the service plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller as the calculation domain time and synchronizes it to each sensor.

[0022] In one possible implementation, after setting the business plane time according to the reference time, the method further includes:

[0023] The service plane time is stored so that when the domain controller restarts, the saved service plane time is used as the calculated domain time during the domain controller initialization.

[0024] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide a vehicle time synchronization device, comprising:

[0025] The partitioning module is used to divide the time domain resources of the domain controller into service space time and computing space time according to the different applications of the data of the domain controller. The computing space time is the time corresponding to the data processing of each computing node of the vehicle autonomous driving, and the service space time is the time corresponding to the data processing of devices other than the computing nodes of the vehicle autonomous driving.

[0026] The time synchronization module is used to obtain a reference time after the vehicle starts, set the reference time as the business plane time, and synchronize the business plane time to each device in the business plane system.

[0027] The time synchronization module is also used to set the service plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller as the calculation domain time at different operating stages of the domain controller, and synchronize it to each sensor.

[0028] Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention provide a vehicle including a domain controller, the domain controller including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the vehicle time synchronization method as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0029] Fourthly, embodiments of the present invention provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the vehicle time synchronization method as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0030] This invention provides a method, apparatus, vehicle, and storage medium for vehicle time synchronization. By acquiring a reference time and setting it as the service plane time, the service plane time is synchronized to all devices within the service plane system. During different operating phases of the domain controller, the service plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller is set as the computational domain time and synchronized to each sensor. This allows the synchronization time of each sensor used for vehicle autonomous driving performance control to be differentiated into service plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller based on different operating phases of the domain controller. Therefore, when the reference data changes due to different T-BOX timing mechanisms, the computational domain time of the domain controller does not change with the service plane time, thus ensuring the stability of the vehicle's autonomous driving function and preventing autonomous driving malfunctions. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the vehicle time synchronization method provided in this embodiment of the invention.

[0033] Figure 2-1 This is a schematic diagram of vehicle time synchronization provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2-2 This is a schematic diagram of vehicle time synchronization in the prior art provided by the embodiments of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the vehicle time synchronization device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a domain controller provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0037] In the following description, specific details such as particular system architectures and techniques are set forth for illustrative purposes and not for limitation, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the invention can be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, apparatuses, circuits, and methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the invention with unnecessary detail.

[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, specific embodiments will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0039] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the implementation of a vehicle time synchronization method according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the execution entity of the vehicle time synchronization method is a domain controller, specifically an intelligent driving domain controller. Time synchronization is performed for intelligent driving time. This embodiment specifically describes a time synchronization method configured internally within the domain controller.

[0040] In this embodiment, the time domain resources of the vehicle's domain controller include service plane time and compute domain time. Therefore, before performing a vehicle time synchronization operation, and before the first vehicle time synchronization operation, the time domain resources of the domain controller are divided into service plane time and compute domain time according to the different applications of the domain controller's data. When performing vehicle time synchronization again, the time domain resources of the domain controller do not need to be divided, and the service plane time and compute domain time can be applied directly.

[0041] In this embodiment, the time domain resources of the domain controller are divided into two levels according to different application scenarios, and master-slave time synchronization is performed. This includes the master time synchronization time T-master and the slave time synchronization time T-slave within the domain controller. The master time synchronization time is the service plane time, and the slave time synchronization time is the computing domain time.

[0042] The computation domain time refers to the time corresponding to data processing related to each computation node of the vehicle's autonomous driving system. The service plane time refers to the time corresponding to data processing of devices other than the vehicle's autonomous driving computation nodes. The computation domain time, corresponding to the data processing of each computation node of the vehicle's autonomous driving system, is used to meet the data synchronization requirements of sensor perception fusion services and to synchronize time with computation nodes participating in the intelligent driving algorithm. These computation nodes can include sensors and chassis systems. Sensors mainly refer to those related to intelligent driving, such as vehicle cameras, radar, and inertial measurement units. Radar can include ultrasonic radar, millimeter-wave radar, and lidar. These sensors provide functions such as image acquisition, speed measurement, and distance measurement for intelligent driving. Therefore, the computation domain time must be strictly consistent and cannot change with Coordinated Universal Time (UTC); otherwise, it will affect the performance of autonomous driving. See also... Figure 2-1 As shown, for each sensor corresponding to the computational domain time, data fusion requires time synchronization between the sensors; otherwise, autonomous driving performance will be affected. Therefore, the synchronization time of each sensor must be strictly consistent. See also... Figure 2-2As shown, in existing technologies, the domain controller directly synchronizes all devices with the time synchronized from the T-Box. This means that when the synchronization time obtained from the T-Box changes due to different application scenarios, it will cause changes in the synchronization time of each sensor, thus affecting vehicle operation. It should be noted that the T-BOX acts as the master time source (Grandmaster) of the synchronization system, while the domain controller acts as the slave time source, obtaining synchronization data from the T-BOX. Figure 2-1 In this system, by separating the business plane time and the computing domain time, the synchronization time of devices with less stringent synchronization time requirements is kept consistent with that of the T-Box, while the synchronization time of sensor devices with strict synchronization time requirements is kept consistent with that of the T-Box only during initialization. This prevents the synchronization time of each sensor device from changing with the T-Box, thus maintaining the safe operation of the vehicle.

[0043] Business plane time refers to the data processing time of devices other than the vehicle's autonomous driving computing nodes. Business plane time is used for time synchronization in logs, primarily for operations and maintenance. When it doesn't involve vehicle control decisions for autonomous driving, the timestamp must be consistent with UTC time. See also Figure 2-1 As shown, business-level time applications are used on Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and closed-loop data-related devices. PKI refers to devices handling information security processing. For example, during certificate verification, the base time synchronized from the T-Box via CEM can be sent to the PKI for time verification. This synchronization time requirement is not very strict and can be consistent with the base time synchronized from the T-Box. Similarly, for devices handling closed-loop data processing, such as uploading incident data to the cloud, the synchronization time can be included when uploading the data; therefore, the synchronization time can be consistent with the base time synchronized from the T-Box.

[0044] UTC, also known as Coordinated Universal Time, is the master clock of a synchronization network, set based on the Earth's rotation around the sun.

[0045] Step 101: Obtain the reference time and set it as the business plane time. Then, synchronize the business plane time to each device within the business plane system.

[0046] The reference time is the base time for determining the business plane time and the computation domain time. It can be obtained from the T-BOX or from the crystal oscillator in the CEM connected to the T-BOX.

[0047] The crystal oscillator is an onboard crystal oscillator. By connecting with other components, it generates pulses, acting as a signal source, thus enabling the circuit board to function in the product. It's important to note that a crystal oscillator is present in each device, such as T-BOX, CEM, and domain controllers. Once the crystal oscillator obtains an initial time, it can use that initial time for timing.

[0048] In one embodiment, this step is performed after the vehicle is started, so that vehicle control can be performed based on vehicle time synchronization during vehicle operation.

[0049] In one embodiment, obtaining the reference time may include: when the T-BOX time synchronization is successful, obtaining the reference time from the T-BOX; when the T-BOX time synchronization is unsuccessful, obtaining the second crystal oscillator time from the crystal oscillator in the CEM connected to the T-BOX, and using the second crystal oscillator time as the reference time.

[0050] This function checks whether T-BOX time synchronization is successful. It can detect whether T-BOX can obtain the synchronized time. When T-BOX can obtain the synchronized time, the reference time is successfully obtained. When T-BOX cannot obtain the synchronized time, the second crystal oscillator time in CEM is used as the reference time.

[0051] Optionally, the synchronization time of the T-BOX can be obtained from multiple time sources, such as receiving satellite time from the GNSS receiver set inside the T-BOX, time synchronization via network, and time synchronization via the MCU's real-time clock (RTC).

[0052] It should be noted that T-BOX configures timing rules for different time sources, that is, it performs timing according to the priority of the timing source, with GNSS level being the highest, network timing level being the second highest, and RTC timing level being the lowest. Since RTC timing is inaccurate, this embodiment only uses GNSS timing source and network timing source.

[0053] If GNSS time synchronization is completed, the T-BOX will use Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) time, and the process will end. If GNSS time synchronization is not completed within the preset time, network time synchronization will be initiated, including NTP time or TSP time. If network time synchronization is completed, the T-BOX will use network time synchronization, and the process will end.

[0054] Therefore, in this embodiment, when T-BOX time synchronization is successful, the reference time is obtained from the T-BOX, including: obtaining GNSS time or network time from the T-BOX, where network time includes NTP time or TSP time. When T-BOX time synchronization fails, the second crystal oscillator time corresponding to CEM is used.

[0055] See Figure 2-1 The time synchronization of the T-BOX is transmitted to the domain controller via the CEM. At this time, the crystal oscillator in the CEM obtains this time synchronization as the initial time for timing. So that if the T-BOX fails to synchronize time successfully, a second crystal oscillator time can be obtained from the CEM as the reference time to synchronize the time of the domain controller. The CEM can synchronize the time synchronization to the Head Unit System (HUT) and related devices in the power domain.

[0056] After the vehicle starts, the domain controller acquires the reference time at preset intervals and sets the acquired reference time as the service plane time in real time. When there is a jump in the reference time, for example, when the T-BOX currently uses network time for time synchronization, and when there is a GNSS signal, the reference time is obtained through the GNSS time synchronization source. The domain controller then sets the received GNSS time as the service plane time. However, there will be a jump between network time and GNSS time, so the service plane time will also jump. But the jump in service plane time does not affect the data processing on the devices within the service plane system and will not affect the vehicle's autonomous driving performance.

[0057] In one embodiment, setting the base time as the service plane time and synchronizing the service plane time to each device within the service plane system may include:

[0058] Set the base time to the service plane time and synchronize the service plane time to the MCU of the domain controller; the MCU of the domain controller will then synchronize the service plane time to each device within the service plane system.

[0059] The domain controller includes an MCU with control functions. The reference time transmitted by the T-BOX to the domain controller is first received by the time synchronization module within the domain controller. The reference time is set as the service plane time via the GPTP protocol, and then synchronized to the MCU within the domain controller via the SOMEIP protocol. Finally, the MCU within the domain controller synchronizes the service plane time to each device in the service plane system.

[0060] See Figure 2-1 As shown, the business plane system is a system composed of various devices corresponding to the business plane time, including devices corresponding to PKI and closed-loop data.

[0061] Step 102: During different operating phases of the domain controller, set the service plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller as the calculation domain time and synchronize it to each sensor.

[0062] To prevent the compute domain time from jumping with the service plane time, the service plane time is only set to the compute domain time during the domain controller's initialization phase. During subsequent operation, the domain controller uses the time set by its internal crystal oscillator. The compute domain time is not synchronized with the base time in real time; it is only synchronized during domain controller initialization. Therefore, the compute domain time does not jump with the service plane time, maintaining algorithm stability and thus preventing jumps in the intelligent driving time within the domain controller, ensuring the stable operation of the autonomous driving function.

[0063] It should be noted that when the domain controller is initialized, the computed domain time obtained is synchronized to the crystal oscillator within the domain controller so as to give the crystal oscillator an initial time, which the crystal oscillator uses for timing thereafter.

[0064] In one embodiment, during different operational phases of the domain controller, setting the service plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller as the computation domain time and synchronizing it to each sensor may include:

[0065] During domain controller initialization, the service plane time is set to the computation domain time and synchronized to each sensor. After the domain controller completes initialization, the first crystal oscillator time of the crystal oscillator in the domain controller is obtained, and the first crystal oscillator time is set to the computation domain time and synchronized to each sensor.

[0066] Optionally, when setting the computation domain time, at different operational stages of the domain controller, the domain controller's MCU sets the service plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller as the computation domain time and synchronizes it to each sensor. That is, during domain controller initialization, the domain controller's MCU sets the service plane time as the computation domain time and synchronizes it to each sensor; after the domain controller completes initialization, the domain controller's MCU obtains the first crystal oscillator time within the domain controller, sets the first crystal oscillator time as the computation domain time, and synchronizes it to each sensor.

[0067] See Figure 2-1 As shown, the sensors may include radar (Lidar), camera, inertial measurement unit (IMU), and ultrasonic sensor on the vehicle, wherein the ultrasonic sensor can be either radar or USS.

[0068] In one embodiment, during the operation of the domain controller, after obtaining the service plane time, the current service plane time is stored in the file system in real time so that when the domain controller restarts, the saved service plane time is used as the calculated domain time during the domain controller initialization.

[0069] This invention acquires a reference time and sets it as the service plane time, synchronizing the service plane time to all devices within the service plane system. During different operational phases of the domain controller, the service plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller is set as the computational domain time and synchronized to each sensor. In this embodiment, the computational domain time is synchronized with the reference time only during the domain controller's initialization phase. During the operational phase, the first crystal oscillator time within the domain controller is used. This ensures that when the reference time changes due to different T-BOX timing mechanisms, the service plane time also changes, but the computational domain time does not change with the service plane time, thereby guaranteeing the stability of the vehicle's autonomous driving function and preventing autonomous driving malfunctions.

[0070] It should be understood that the sequence number of each step in the above embodiments does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0071] The following are device embodiments of the present invention. For details not described in detail, please refer to the corresponding method embodiments described above.

[0072] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a vehicle time synchronization device provided in an embodiment of the present invention is shown. For ease of explanation, only the parts relevant to the embodiment of the present invention are shown. The time domain resources of the vehicle's domain controller include: service plane time and computation domain time. The computation domain time is the time corresponding to data processing related to each computation node of the vehicle's autonomous driving, and the service plane time is the time corresponding to data processing of devices other than the vehicle's autonomous driving computation nodes. Details are as follows:

[0073] like Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle time synchronization device 3 includes: a business plane time synchronization module 31 and a computing domain time synchronization module 32.

[0074] The business plane time synchronization module 31 is used to obtain the reference time, set the reference time as the business plane time, and synchronize the business plane time to each device in the business plane system.

[0075] The computing domain time synchronization module 32 is used to set the service plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller to the computing domain time at different operating stages of the domain controller, and synchronize it to each sensor.

[0076] In one possible implementation, during different operational phases of the domain controller, the computational domain time synchronization module 32 sets the service plane time or the crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller as the computational domain time and synchronizes it to each sensor, for the following purposes:

[0077] During domain controller initialization, the service plane time is set to the computation domain time and synchronized to each sensor;

[0078] After the domain controller completes initialization, the first crystal oscillator time of the crystal oscillator in the domain controller is obtained, and the first crystal oscillator time is set as the calculation domain time and synchronized to each sensor.

[0079] In one possible implementation, when the business plane time synchronization module 31 obtains the reference time, it is used for:

[0080] When T-BOX time synchronization is successful, the reference time is obtained from T-BOX;

[0081] When time synchronization by the T-BOX fails, the second crystal oscillator time is obtained from the crystal oscillator in the CEM connected to the T-BOX, and the second crystal oscillator time is used as the reference time.

[0082] In one possible implementation, when T-BOX time synchronization is successful, the business plane time synchronization module 31 obtains the reference time from T-BOX and uses it for:

[0083] When T-BOX time synchronization is successful, GNSS time or network time is obtained from T-BOX. Network time includes NTP time or TSP time.

[0084] In one possible implementation, the service plane time synchronization module 31 sets the base time to the service plane time and synchronizes the service plane time to various devices within the service plane system, for the following purposes:

[0085] Based on the reference time, set the business plane time to the business plane time and synchronize the business plane time to the MCU in the business plane time synchronization module 31.

[0086] The MCU in the business plane time synchronization module 31 synchronizes the business plane time to each device in the business plane system.

[0087] In one possible implementation, during different operational phases of the domain controller, the computational domain time synchronization module 32 sets the service plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller as the computational domain time and synchronizes it to each sensor, for the following purposes:

[0088] During different operating phases of the domain controller, the business plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller is set as the calculation domain time and synchronized to each sensor.

[0089] In one possible implementation, after setting the business plane time according to the reference time, the business plane time synchronization module 31 is further used for:

[0090] Store the business plane time so that when the domain controller restarts, the saved business plane time can be used as the calculated domain time during domain controller initialization.

[0091] The aforementioned vehicle time synchronization device obtains a reference time through a service plane time synchronization module, sets the reference time as the service plane time, and synchronizes the service plane time to each device within the service plane system. During different operational phases of the domain controller, the computational domain time synchronization module sets the service plane time or the crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller as the computational domain time and synchronizes it to each sensor. In this embodiment, the computational domain time is synchronized with the reference time only during the domain controller's initialization phase. During operation, the first crystal oscillator time within the domain controller is used. This ensures that when the reference time changes due to different T-BOX timing mechanisms, the service plane time also changes, but the computational domain time does not change with the service plane time, thereby guaranteeing the stability of the vehicle's autonomous driving function and preventing autonomous driving malfunctions.

[0092] This invention provides a vehicle, which includes a domain controller, such as... Figure 4 The diagram shows a domain controller. Figure 4 As shown, the domain controller 4 in this embodiment includes a processor 40, a memory 41, and a computer program 42 stored in the memory 41 and executable on the processor 40. When the processor 40 executes the computer program 42, it implements the steps in the various vehicle time synchronization method embodiments described above, for example... Figure 1 Steps 101 to 102 are shown. Alternatively, when the processor 40 executes the computer program 42, it implements the functions of each module / unit in the above-described device embodiments, for example... Figure 3 The functions of modules / units 31 to 32 shown.

[0093] For example, the computer program 42 can be divided into one or more modules / units, which are stored in the memory 41 and executed by the processor 40 to complete the present invention. The one or more modules / units can be a series of computer program instruction segments capable of performing a specific function, which describe the execution process of the computer program 42 in the domain controller 4. For example, the computer program 42 can be divided into... Figure 3 Modules / units 31 to 32 are shown.

[0094] The domain controller 4 may include, but is not limited to, a processor 40 and a memory 41. Those skilled in the art will understand that... Figure 4This is merely an example of domain controller 4 and does not constitute a limitation on domain controller 4. It may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or different components. For example, the domain controller may also include input / output devices, network access devices, buses, etc.

[0095] The processor 40 may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0096] The memory 41 can be an internal storage unit of the domain controller 4, such as a hard disk or memory of the domain controller 4. The memory 41 can also be an external storage device of the domain controller 4, such as a plug-in hard disk, Smart Media Card (SMC), Secure Digital (SD) card, or Flash Card equipped on the domain controller 4. Furthermore, the memory 41 can include both internal storage units and external storage devices of the domain controller 4. The memory 41 is used to store the computer program and other programs and data required by the domain controller. The memory 41 can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or will be output.

[0097] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the above-described division of functional units and modules is merely an example. In practical applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The functional units and modules in the embodiments can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit. Furthermore, the specific names of the functional units and modules are only for easy differentiation and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. The specific working process of the units and modules in the above system can be referred to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0098] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts that are not described in detail or recorded in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0099] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this invention.

[0100] In the embodiments provided by this invention, it should be understood that the disclosed device / domain controller and method can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device / domain controller embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules or units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0101] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0102] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present invention can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0103] If the integrated module / unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, all or part of the processes in the above embodiments of the present invention can also be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed by a processor, it can implement the steps of the above-described vehicle time synchronization method embodiments. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in the form of source code, object code, executable files, or certain intermediate forms. The computer-readable medium can include: any entity or device capable of carrying the computer program code, a recording medium, a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a computer memory, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution medium, etc.

[0104] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should all be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for vehicle time synchronization, characterized in that, The time-domain resources of the vehicle's domain controller include: service plane time and computing domain time. The computing domain time is the time corresponding to data processing related to each computing node of the vehicle's autonomous driving. Each computing node of the vehicle's autonomous driving includes: chassis system and sensors related to intelligent driving. The service plane time is the time corresponding to data processing of devices other than the vehicle's autonomous driving computing nodes. The devices other than the vehicle's autonomous driving computing nodes include: public key infrastructure and devices related to closed-loop data. The vehicle time synchronization method includes: Obtain a reference time and set the reference time as the business plane time, then synchronize the business plane time to each device within the business plane system; During different operating phases of the domain controller, the service plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller is set as the computation domain time and synchronized to each sensor, including: when the domain controller is initialized, the service plane time is set as the computation domain time and synchronized to each sensor; after the domain controller completes initialization, the first crystal oscillator time of the crystal oscillator in the domain controller is obtained, and the first crystal oscillator time is set as the computation domain time and synchronized to each sensor.

2. The vehicle time synchronization method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The acquisition of the reference time includes: When T-BOX time synchronization is successful, the reference time is obtained from the T-BOX; When the T-BOX time synchronization fails, the second crystal oscillator time is obtained from the crystal oscillator in the central electronic control module connected to the T-BOX, and the second crystal oscillator time is used as the reference time.

3. The vehicle time synchronization method according to claim 2, characterized in that, When T-BOX time synchronization is successful, obtaining the reference time from the T-BOX includes: When T-BOX time synchronization is successful, GNSS time or network time is obtained from the T-BOX, where the network time includes Network Time Protocol time or Time Synchronization Protocol time.

4. The vehicle time synchronization method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Setting the base time as the service plane time and synchronizing the service plane time to each device within the service plane system includes: Set the reference time to the service plane time, and synchronize the service plane time to the MCU of the domain controller; The domain controller's MCU synchronizes the service plane time to each device within the service plane system.

5. The vehicle time synchronization method according to claim 4, characterized in that, During different operational phases of the domain controller, the service plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller is set as the calculation domain time and synchronized to each sensor, including: During different operating phases of the domain controller, the MCU of the domain controller sets the service plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller as the calculation domain time and synchronizes it to each sensor.

6. The vehicle time synchronization method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After setting the base time to the business plane time, the method further includes: The service plane time is stored so that when the domain controller restarts, the stored service plane time is used as the calculated domain time during the domain controller initialization.

7. A device for vehicle time synchronization, characterized in that, The time-domain resources of the vehicle's domain controller include: service plane time and compute domain time. The compute domain time corresponds to the data processing time associated with each compute node of the vehicle's autonomous driving system. Each compute node of the vehicle's autonomous driving system includes: the chassis system and sensors related to intelligent driving. The service plane time corresponds to the data processing time of devices other than the vehicle's autonomous driving compute nodes. These devices include: public key infrastructure and devices related to closed-loop data. The vehicle time synchronization device includes: The business plane time synchronization module is used to obtain a reference time, set the reference time as the business plane time, and synchronize the business plane time to each device in the business plane system. The computational domain time synchronization module is used to set the service plane time or the first crystal oscillator time corresponding to the domain controller as the computational domain time at different operating stages of the domain controller, and synchronize it to each sensor; the computational domain time synchronization module is used to set the service plane time as the computational domain time and synchronize it to each sensor when the domain controller is initialized; after the domain controller completes initialization, it obtains the first crystal oscillator time of the crystal oscillator in the domain controller, sets the first crystal oscillator time as the computational domain time, and synchronizes it to each sensor.

8. A vehicle comprising a domain controller, the domain controller including a memory and a processor, the memory for storing a computer program, the processor for calling and running the computer program stored in the memory, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the steps of the vehicle time synchronization method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the vehicle time synchronization method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6 above.

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