A method for rapidly refreshing sensor nodes via an Ethernet network

Abstract

A method for rapidly refreshing sensor nodes via an Ethernet network having a head node and a plurality of associated nodes, wherein the method includes: a) determining the number of active nodes via the head node; b) classifying the identified nodes into two or more node categories to prioritize communications on the Ethernet network via the head node; c) receiving reservation requests from at least some of the plurality of nodes via the head node; d) in response to the reservation requests, assigning time slots to one or more nodes in an upcoming communication window, wherein these assignments are based on node priorities, and the priorities are assigned to the nodes according to the categories of the nodes; wherein, after determining the number of active nodes, a necessary download data rate is determined and a current bus utilization is determined, wherein the bus utilization is determined by calculating the time difference of the final beacon and the number of nodes, and the bus cycle of the Ethernet network is optimized in terms of the necessary download data rate.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] With the advent of 10 Mbit / s (IEEE 802.3ch), in addition to 100 Mbit / s, 1000 Mbit / s and the ongoing gigabit standardization, other Ethernet standards will also be used in automotive applications.

[0002] Ethernet and wireless technologies are only now beginning to enter the automotive industry, and their open and standardized protocols are, for the first time, offering the possibility of attacking cars from the outside. Newspapers are increasingly reporting on attacks against vehicles in which attackers manage to access the vehicle via radio waves, thereby gaining access to its critical functions.

[0003] One variant of the new standard is based on the CSMA / CD multi-drop mode. This differs significantly from other Ethernet variants (>10 Mbit / s) because it aims to design Ethernet more cost-effectively, thus enabling simpler control devices. This standard eliminates the need for any switches (switch ICs) and is designed as a bus (similar to CAN). This roughly halves the number of PHYs (transceiver / port physical layers) required. Therefore, due to its ability to significantly reduce system costs, Ethernet is becoming a strong competitor to CAN / CAN-FD and FlexRay. Furthermore, typical automotive interfaces (such as SPI instead of xMII) can also be used for communication between the controller and the physical transceiver / port physical layer (PHY).

[0004] Figure 1 This paper compares the fundamental characteristics of switched Ethernet with "bus Ethernet" (multipoint) as defined in the IEEE standard IEEE P802.3cg. The most important difference is that resources (i.e., bus access) are exclusively available in switched Ethernet, meaning that each Ethernet node (ECU) needs to transmit at any given time without collisions. The new Ethernet bus implementation with multipoint mode uses a shared medium, meaning that access to the bus must wait before the resource becomes available. MARK

[0005] The IEEE P802.3cg standard employs a newly defined mechanism (PLCA – Physical Layer Collision Avoidance) to prevent collisions during bus access and ensure fair access. In this mechanism, only one PHY (Physical Transceiver) can receive access to the bus at any given time. This makes collision avoidance possible. Access is based on a round-robin method. Each ECU (node) on the bus has the opportunity to make a transmission once within a defined period (or sequence).

[0006] The so-called head node, which acts as the network controller, determines the period and transmits recurring "beacons" on the bus. Therefore, each node starts a timer based on its previously defined identity ID (which determines the order in which they are allowed to transmit), and after the timer expires and it is recognized that it is their turn, these nodes are allowed to transmit.

[0007] Figure 2 This illustrates the basic sequence of communication on an Ethernet bus. After transmitting a beacon, it is node 0's turn, and only after this node completes its transmission is the next node allowed to transmit (typically, only a single Ethernet frame can be transmitted in each time slot).

[0008] Figure 3 The physical representation of an Ethernet bus with branch lines is shown.

[0009] EP 2 585 940 A1 describes a system and method for scheduling network communications in a managed network, which may include a network controller identifying multiple network nodes; the network controller classifying the identified network nodes into two or more node categories to prioritize network communications at the node level; the network controller receiving reservation requests from at least some of the multiple network nodes, wherein these reservation requests request one or more time slots for their respective network nodes in an upcoming communication window; and the network controller allocating time slots in the upcoming communication window to one or more network nodes in response to the reservation requests, wherein the allocation is based on the priorities of these network nodes, and wherein the priorities are assigned to these nodes according to their categories. This patent application describes a network controller creating a periodic media access plan (MAP), wherein access operations for network nodes are defined in each period. The basis is the required quality of service, reservation requests from the respective nodes, and their priorities / sub-priorities, which the network controller uses to create the MAP. The network controller may also automatically send MAP messages in the absence of reservation requests.

[0010] In US 2005 213 503A1, according to some described embodiments, the coordinating device performs a bandwidth allocation procedure based on information from previously unmet bandwidth allocation requests and responds to current bandwidth allocation requests. The current bandwidth allocation request specifies the amount of bandwidth requested for multiple flows and can be received from multiple entities having multiple flows. When allocating available bandwidth among multiple flows or multiple entities for the currently requested amount of bandwidth, information from previously unmet bandwidth allocation requests is taken into account. When planning bus access for network nodes, the head node also considers "unserved" access reservations from the previous cycle.

[0011] Unlike switched networks (such as those with 100 / 1000 Mbit / s), as described, the bus cannot be accessed immediately at 10 Mbit / s; instead, a waiting period is required. The data rate offered by a 10 Mbit bus is significantly lower compared to other Ethernet types, which is why data transmission efficiency and latency (or access time) must be carefully considered. If security is also a component of a 10 Mbit / s system, then almost no data rate remains for payload data (similar to current CAN-FD implementations).

[0012] For the automotive industry, updating control devices (i.e., updating software, providing new features, and eliminating bugs) is not a new topic, but it will become even more important in the coming years due to the emergence of the new mobile communication standard, 5G. On Ethernet (100 Mbit / s, 1000 Mbit / s, etc.), updating also poses no problem because there is sufficient bandwidth and exclusive access (point-to-point full-duplex connection).

[0013] With the new 10 Mbit / s multipoint bus, new challenges not considered in industry standards must be addressed. This is because parallel transmission and reception are not possible with this bus, and each node can only transmit one frame per transmission cycle. Currently, there is no solution for efficient refresh of subscribers on the bus (or, in this case, the actual time available for downloading software or diagnostic queries). The remaining data rate in the case of approximately 8 nodes is typically only between 1 and 2 Mbit / s.

[0014] The problem now is that the standard only allows one frame to be transmitted per cycle, so as the number of subscribers on the bus increases, the remaining data rate for the corresponding nodes (especially the master or head node) will decrease.

[0015] The head node is either implemented in the vehicle host, gateway, or fusion unit, or typically in the area controller, that is, usually on the same control device that also needs to be updated or diagnostically queried.

[0016] As is well known, to use the so-called burst mode, a node can send up to 255 packets during its cycle, but this mode requires static pre-configuration and maintenance.

[0017] In semi-autonomous and highly automated driving, the requirements for vehicles are increasing, which necessitates hard real-time support from transmission networks and protocols, just as is already the case in aircraft or industrial automation today.

[0018] The purpose of this invention is to optimize the refresh time, and in particular the download time, of software or diagnostic queries for sensors or other control devices.

[0019] This objective is achieved through the features of the method of claim 1, the control device of claim 4, and the Ethernet network of claim 6.

[0020] Advantageously, the present invention adapts new Ethernet technologies in terms of cost and implementation complexity, making them suitable for motor vehicles.

[0021] This invention proposes a method to adapt the bus cycle to the data rate requirements of the head node. This means that more bandwidth can be dynamically allocated to the head node as needed. The invention proposes a method that adapts the bus cycle based on the size of the data to be transmitted, thus not violating the download / update time requirements. In this case, the method calculates how much bandwidth must be provided at what time. However, the method in this process always takes into account standards and does not require intervention from other nodes.

[0022] This solution addresses the issue that beacon cycle time is only related to the bus and its configuration, but not to individual nodes or their requirements. A key change in the new architecture is the centralization of software across fewer and fewer computing units. These so-called servers or central computers no longer consist of a single μC or μP, but rather several μCs, μPs, SOCs, and Ethernet switches with numerous ports—each server or central computer represents its own local network with separate software (meaning the corresponding software components are unaware that they are communicating with components, for example, located in the same housing).

[0023] Domain architecture with a central server is well-known. Here, on one hand, the server contains many powerful processors, and on the other hand, a large amount of software or applications run on it. The communication work within the control unit is enormous (meaning it has its own local network). In the future, the entire vehicle software will run here, and each controller will have its own software stack provided by different vendors.

[0024] The concept of dynamically transferring functions and applications to other control devices / processors (i.e., also for their optimization) is known. This is referred to as live migration, reallocation, or migration. A range of applications involving transferring software to other ECUs / processors are also known.

[0025] As hardware becomes more ubiquitous and software becomes less platform-dependent, new architectures now make it possible, for the first time, to implement software across different ECUs—something previously impossible for all functions and ECUs. Therefore, when designing a system, it's not always certain which software will run on which control device (server). However, software transfer here is not limited to ECU-to-ECU operations, but more broadly applies to controller-to-controller operations within the same ECU.

[0026] Description and advantages of the invention

[0027] Advantageously, the present invention can significantly optimize and shorten refresh time, and thus optimize and shorten software downloads, for example, from control devices. This concept can be implemented without additional financial expenditure (such as hardware costs) while simultaneously conforming to standards. The use of the newly introduced Ethernet protocol in motor vehicles requires mechanisms that utilize simple techniques and given technical properties to enable implementation without expensive implementation methods and additional hardware. The network system according to the invention offers improvements in reliability.

[0028] The advantage of determining more accurate and predictable latency specifically for the application is improved planning and execution of communications within the vehicle. This means that existing bus systems can be used more efficiently, and the jump to expensive technologies (higher bandwidth) can be avoided. It also impacts the required buffer storage, which can then be eliminated (or reduced). This allows for improved and more accurate fusion of different data (e.g., ultrasonic + radar or microphone). Furthermore, data recording can become more precise.

[0029] The method described in this invention enables more flexible software design and optimizes the use of the underlying system without having to permanently program it into the software beforehand. This invention allows software developers and architects to provide software / applications that can be more flexibly and precisely customized to the requirements of the application instance. Incorporating the cited method into software allows for optimization within the control device in its respective context. This means that software can be developed in a more platform-independent manner.

[0030] The advantage of this invention is that it enables software refresh rates approximately eight times faster than existing technologies in a 10 Mbit / s Ethernet bus system. This means that the memory size can be smaller, or the memory can be freed up for other applications.

[0031] In the case of a software update, this invention can report back to a more realistic time window and avoid assuming the worst-case scenario. Therefore, the download / update can proceed if it otherwise never starts or may not start at all.

[0032] New technologies may no longer face obstacles in motor vehicles. For example, protocols such as IP, AVB, and TSN have thousands of pages of specifications and test suites. The controllability of these new protocols in automobiles is not immediately apparent.

[0033] The advantage of this invention is that it does not require changes to existing hardware; existing hardware can continue to be used. The new method can be integrated into existing networks without damaging existing equipment. Because existing protocols can be used, it does not violate applicable standards.

[0034] The method according to the invention can be used in other industrial fields that use 10 Mbit / s Ethernet, such as industrial automation.

[0035] Technical advantages of the present invention

[0036] Advantageously, this objective is achieved by a method for rapidly refreshing sensor nodes via an Ethernet network having a head node and multiple associated nodes, wherein the method includes:

[0037] a) Determine the number of active nodes using the head node;

[0038] b) Classify the identified nodes into two or more node categories to prioritize communications on the Ethernet network via the head node.

[0039] c) Receive reservation requests from at least some of the multiple nodes through this head node.

[0040] d) In response to a reservation request, assign time slots to one or more nodes in the upcoming communication window, wherein these assignments are based on node priorities assigned to the nodes according to their categories. After determining the number of active nodes, determine the necessary download data rate and the current bus utilization / bus load rate, wherein the bus utilization is determined by calculating the final beacon time difference and the number of nodes, and optimize the bus cycle of the Ethernet network in terms of the necessary download data rate.

[0041] In an advantageous embodiment of the method, bus utilization is continuously monitored.

[0042] Another advantageous embodiment of the method is characterized by determining, after determining the necessary download data rate, the current idle data rate (D) in the Ethernet network during the last bus cycle of the Ethernet network. frei ), and determine the necessary data rate (D) for each bus cycle. zus ), where if the idle data rate (D) in the Ethernet network during the last bus cycle of the Ethernet network freiThe required data rate (D) per bus cycle is greater than or equal to that required data rate. zus If the idle data rate (D) in the Ethernet network is not changed in the next bus cycle, then no change will be made in the next bus cycle. frei If the data rate is less than the required data rate for each bus cycle, a change will be made in the next bus cycle.

[0043] Particularly advantageous is implementation via a control unit for an Ethernet network, which is designed as a first node to: send signals to and receive signals from a second control unit of the Ethernet vehicle network; determine the propagation time of the signal on the connection path to the second control unit; determine the maximum speed of the connection path based on the propagation time; and determine the type of transmission medium of the connection path based on the maximum speed. The control unit includes at least a microprocessor, volatile and non-volatile memory, at least two communication interfaces, and a synchronized timer / clock. The non-volatile memory contains program instructions that, when executed by the microprocessor, allow implementation and execution of at least one embodiment of the method according to the invention.

[0044] It is particularly advantageous to implement this method via an Ethernet network for motor vehicles, the Ethernet network having a first control unit and a second control unit, wherein the control units are connected to each other via at least one connection path, and the first control unit is designed to perform the method according to the invention.

[0045] A particularly advantageous embodiment of the Ethernet vehicular network is characterized in that the Ethernet network includes a third control unit that is only indirectly connected to the first control unit and directly connected to the second control unit via a third connection path, wherein the third control unit is designed to determine the propagation time of a third signal on the third connection path, and wherein the first control unit is designed to trigger the determination of the propagation time of the third signal by providing a service message to the third control unit.

[0046] By implementing the methods disclosed in this invention, platform-independent software with higher quality and durability can be used. This invention can also be used in other communication systems with clock synchronization components and embedded systems. Attached Figure Description

[0047] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are depicted in the accompanying drawings, which will be described in more detail below. In the drawings:

[0048] Figure 1 A simplified diagram showing the differences between Ethernet bus (10 Mbit / s) and switched networks is provided.

[0049] Figure 2 This illustrates the basic communication flow on an Ethernet bus.

[0050] Figure 3 The physical representation of an Ethernet bus with branch lines is shown.

[0051] Figure 4 A simplified illustration of the problem according to the present invention is shown.

[0052] Figure 5 The general solution of the invention is illustrated by the dynamically changing beacon cycle time.

[0053] Figure 6 This illustrates the optimization of the beacon cycle time based on the bandwidth requirements of the head node.

[0054] Figure 7 An example of simple periodic optimization is shown.

[0055] Figure 8 An example of extended, fair cycle optimization is shown.

[0056] Figure 9 An alternative method for calculating download data rate is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0057] Figure 1 A simplified illustration shows the differences between an Ethernet bus (10 Mbit / s) and a switched network.

[0058] Figure 2 This demonstrates the basic communication flow on an Ethernet network bus. When a beacon is sent, node 0 is the first to transmit; once that node completes its transmission, the next node can begin its transmission. Typically, only a single Ethernet frame can be transmitted in each time slot.

[0059] Figure 3 It is a component-based representation of an Ethernet bus with branch lines.

[0060] Figure 4 A simplified representation of the object according to the present invention is shown.

[0061] exist Figure 5 The general solution of this invention is illustrated by dynamically varying beacon cycle times, where the beacon signal is represented by 'B'. This invention proposes a novel method to optimize data transmission efficiency on a 10 Mbit / s automotive bus and reduce head node bus access time. The idea behind this invention is to adapt the Ethernet network bus cycle. Unlike FlexRay, this does not negatively impact or account for undercycle effects. Nodes do not have fixed, explicit time windows, but simply follow a transmission order based on pre-configured unique node IDs.

[0062] Figure 6 This illustrates the basics of optimizing bus cycles. First, the header node determines which data must be transmitted within which time unit. This time unit can be the size of a file or the duration of a stream. The absolute data rate on the bus is then determined by taking into account the overhead in data transmission (e.g., the Ethernet header).

[0063] To avoid unnecessary optimizations or adjustments to the bus cycle, this method proposes determining the current bus utilization. The current load rate can be determined by the time difference of the last beacon and the number of participating nodes. If the bus utilization is low, it can be statistically assumed that it will not suddenly increase in the next cycle. However, it is still possible to react to any changes, as continuous monitoring of bus utilization is proposed.

[0064] In the final step, the bus cycle is adjusted according to the required data rate. Two possibilities for this will be presented later.

[0065] Figure 7 The following diagram illustrates some steps of the method, in which the necessary data rate is compared with the current bus capacity. First, the necessary download data rate for a 10 Mbit bus is calculated. Then, the number of active nodes is determined by the head node. Time slots for inactive subscribers (either passively listening, in an error state, or in sleep mode) are identified and made available to the head node using this method; these time slots are referred to as D. frei .

[0066] This optimizes the bus without actively interfering with ongoing communication or disabling nodes. It also allows reporting the actual data rate back to the application, rather than always assuming worst-case scenarios. This saves memory and provides the application, and possibly the driver, with a realistic time window. This approach is the first step in optimizing the cycle.

[0067] Another possible optimization step is described, which blocks a subset (or all) of other subscribers (excluding the head node) from transmitting on the bus based on the calculated necessary data rate at the head node, thus reducing the cycle time for downloads (or security updates) so that the head node can provide its necessary data rate, even if insufficient bandwidth is available for normal bus operation. To do this, the amount of data the head node still needs to send in the current cycle is continuously compared, where this value is considered a limit that must not fall below 0 in the cycle, for which the cycle is terminated in advance by transmitting the next beacon. This method offers the highest possible fairness to other bus subscribers because the head node uses only the bandwidth it needs within a certain tolerance, leaving the remaining bandwidth available for subsequent nodes. It is impossible to accurately predict the number of nodes that can still transmit using this remaining bandwidth in a cycle, as each bus subscriber could be between 0 bytes (no data sent), 64 bytes (sent the minimum Ethernet frame), and 1522 bytes (sent the maximum Ethernet frame).

[0068] To further improve fairness, it is recommended that when a node can no longer transmit and the cycle is terminated by the next beacon (because the remaining required data rate in that time slot is lower than the potential maximum Ethernet frame), the "remaining bandwidth" be carried over to the next cycle and released to other bus subscribers in that next cycle. In this way, a "surplus" can still be established even though the bandwidth requirements at the head node are met.

[0069] However, to prevent the surplus from increasing too much and potentially causing large data bursts (in which case many other bus subscribers could send large amounts of data without hindrance), it has been proposed to limit the increase of the surplus, either by limiting it in terms of time (by saturating or resetting the surplus after a configurable period of time in seconds) or by limiting it by a cycle counter (by saturating or resetting the surplus after a configurable number of bus cycles).

[0070] This extended, more equitable, periodically optimized sequence is in Figure 8 As shown in the diagram. This type of periodic optimization is not the only conceivable optimization. Figure 7 "Unfairness" in China Figure 8An intermediate solution between "maximum possible fairness" and a simpler approach might be to allow only the head node to transmit over a few cycles, thus quickly building up a large surplus. This surplus can be reduced all at once by inserting cycles in which all nodes have a chance to transmit before they must be "idle" again for a certain number of cycles, starting from a certain threshold. To simplify the approach if needed, this variant could also be implemented without considering any surplus, simply based on the number of cycles—e.g., "99 cycles for only the head node to transmit, and then 1 cycle for all nodes to transmit." However, in this case, some jitter (variance / bias) in the head node's data rate cannot be ruled out.

[0071] Figure 9 Alternative method steps are shown, which, after determining the number of active nodes, identify unused transmission possibilities, thereby calculating the absolute data rate of the head node for each time unit.

[0072] In the following sections, the present invention addresses previously presented methods for determining the trustworthiness of a communication partner or its application. Once this trustworthiness is determined, the exchange of sensitive data can be performed.

[0073] Figure 3 The diagram also schematically illustrates the details of the overall system architecture, where the ECU (server) can connect to other sensors, ECUs, and components external to the vehicle. For example, the head nodes on the server are typically connected to the PCB (printed circuit board) via MII (Media Independent Interface) or PCI Express, and therefore can be managed without a transceiver (PHY).

[0074] Ethernet transceivers (PHYs) can cause latency in the range of three digits in nanoseconds. This may sound small, but Layer 2 (MAC) latency is in the range of one digit in nanoseconds or approaches zero, depending on how high the resolution of the measurement is.

[0075] This method first determines the address of the application to which data exchange (receiving, sending, or both) will take place.

[0076] The method then begins measuring the propagation time of the component. For example, the PDelay_Request method of the gPTP protocol (or 802.1AS) could be used here. In response, two responses are sent back, and the propagation time of the message can be determined using a hardware timestamp. Therefore, protocols such as NTP with hardware timestamps are ruled out because the resolution is too inaccurate.

[0077] With the help of this calculated value, the method calculates the physical distance to the subscriber. This distance is not expressed directly in units of measurement such as meters or centimeters, but can be converted into the number of components (PHY, switch) that are part of the connection, because this delay is significant compared to the delay on the actual cable.

[0078] This method measures the propagation time to a subscriber / address by starting a propagation time measurement (e.g., part of the PTP protocol) and calculating the distance to the subscriber from it.

[0079] The measured propagation time must first be evaluated to provide an indication of location. The software cannot know if a partner is within the same ECU, or ideally, it cannot know if a generic switch (SW) is being used instead of a specific version; additionally, IP addresses can be spoofed or altered. MII-based connections do not require a PHY (transceiver) for propagation time. However, neither the time synchronization software nor the actual application commissioning this survey is aware of this. The PHY converts data into electrical signals and encodes them, which takes significantly longer than two Ethernet MACs communicating with each other over an MII-based line.

[0080] The presented method identifies whether the subscriber is directly connected to the requesting subscriber. If not, an appropriate protocol can be selected based on the waiting time. For example, MAC-Sec or IP-Sec can be used for waiting times inside the vehicle, and if the waiting time is too long and the subscriber is undoubtedly outside the vehicle, other IP / TCP-based methods can be used.

Claims

1. A method for rapidly refreshing sensor nodes via an Ethernet network having a head node and multiple associated nodes, wherein, The method includes: a) Determine the number of active nodes using the head node; b) Classify the identified nodes into two or more node categories to prioritize communications on the Ethernet network via the head node. c) Receive reservation requests from at least some of the multiple nodes through this head node. d) In response to a reservation request, assign time slots to one or more nodes in an upcoming communication window, wherein these assignments are based on node priorities assigned to the nodes according to their categories. The feature is that, after determining the number of active nodes, each node transmits only one frame in each transmission cycle and determines the time slots of inactive nodes, and uses them for the head node, determines the necessary download data rate and determines the current bus utilization through the head node, wherein the necessary download data rate is calculated in relation to the 10 Mbit Ethernet bus, the head node determines which data must be transmitted in which time unit, and determines the absolute data rate on the bus taking into account the overhead in data transmission. Optimizing the Ethernet network bus cycle for the necessary download data rate is required to shorten sensor node refresh time. This involves determining the necessary download data rate, and then determining the current idle data rate (D) in the Ethernet network during the last bus cycle. frei ), and determine the necessary data rate (D) for each bus cycle. zus ), where if the idle data rate (D) in the Ethernet network during the last bus cycle of the Ethernet network frei The required data rate (D) per bus cycle is greater than or equal to that required data rate. zus If the idle data rate (D) in the Ethernet network remains unchanged in the next bus cycle, then no change will be made in the next bus cycle. frei If the data rate is less than the required data rate for each bus cycle, a change will be made in the next bus cycle.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Continuously monitor the bus utilization.

3. A control unit for an Ethernet network, the control unit serving as a first node—the first node serving as a control unit—is designed as follows: - Send signals to and receive signals from the second control unit of the Ethernet network; - Determine the propagation time of the signal on the connection path to the second control unit; - Determine the maximum speed of the connection path based on the propagation time; -The type of transmission medium for this connection path is determined based on this maximum speed. The control unit includes at least: -microprocessor, -Volatile memory and non-volatile memory, -At least two communication interfaces, - Synchronizable timer The non-volatile memory contains program instructions that, when run by the microprocessor, enable the implementation and execution of the method as described in claim 1 or 2.

4. An Ethernet network for a motor vehicle, the Ethernet network having a first control unit and a second control unit, wherein, These control units are connected to each other via at least one connection path, and the first control unit is constructed according to claim 3.

5. The Ethernet network for motor vehicles as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The Ethernet network includes a third control unit (5), which is only indirectly connected to the first control unit (3) and directly connected to the second control unit through a third connection path. The third control unit is designed to determine the propagation time of a third signal on the third connection path. The first control unit is designed to trigger the determination of the propagation time of the third signal by providing a service message to the third control unit.

6. A computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method (200) as claimed in claim 1 or 2.

7. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon the computer program product as claimed in claim 6.

8. A vehicle comprising an Ethernet network having a plurality of control units as described in claim 3.

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