Communication system and electronic control device

Abstract

The invention provides a communication system and an electronic control device. Power consumption is reduced in a communication system. A communication system (1) is provided with an ECU (2). An ECU (2) is provided with cores (31, 32). An ECU (2) is provided with a power supply IC (17), power supply switches (33, 34), a communication unit (14), and a microcomputer (11). A communication unit (14) transmits and receives an NM frame including first switching information indicating whether or not power is supplied to a core (31) and second switching information indicating whether or not power is supplied to a core (32). The microcomputer (11) sets the power supply IC (17) and the power supply switch (33) to an ON state or an OFF state on the basis of the first switching information included in the NM frame. The microcomputer (11) turns the power supply IC (17) and the power supply switch (34) into an ON state or an OFF state on the basis of second switching information included in the NM frame.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication system including a plurality of electronic control devices. Background Art

[0002] Patent document 1 describes an in-vehicle network system that includes a power relay for individually switching the on / off of the power of the electronic control device for each of a plurality of electronic control devices. For a specific electronic control device corresponding to a scenario determined based on the condition of the vehicle, a control content for switching the on / off of the power of the specific electronic control device is determined. Based on the determined control content, the on / off of the power supplied to the specific electronic control device is switched using the power relay.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-81021.

[0004] The inventors have conducted detailed studies and found the following problem: In a communication system that includes a plurality of electronic control devices and switches the power supply of the electronic control devices on and off, power may be consumed unnecessarily. Summary of the invention

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to reduce power consumption in a communication system.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a communication system including a plurality of electronic control devices connected to each other so as to be able to transmit and receive communication frames.

[0007] The plurality of electronic control devices include a plurality of circuit control devices. The plurality of circuit control devices are electronic control devices including a first electronic circuit and a second electronic circuit.

[0008] The plurality of circuit control devices include a first power supply switching unit, a second power supply switching unit, a management frame transmission / reception unit, and a power supply control unit.

[0009] The first power supply switching unit is provided on a first power supply path between a power source and a first electronic circuit, and is configured to switch between a first conducting state in which the first power supply path is conducted and a first blocking state in which the first power supply path is blocked.

[0010] The second power supply switching unit is provided on the second power supply path between the power supply and the second electronic circuit, and is configured to switch between a second conductive state in which the second power supply path is conductive and a second disconnected state in which the second power supply path is disconnected.

[0011] The management frame transmission and reception unit is configured to transmit and receive a management frame that is a communication frame including first switching information indicating whether to supply power to the first electronic circuit and second switching information indicating whether to supply power to the second electronic circuit.

[0012] The power supply control unit is configured to set the first power supply switching unit to a first on state or a first off state based on first switching information included in a management frame received by the management frame sending and receiving unit, and to set the second power supply switching unit to a second on state or a second off state based on second switching information included in a management frame received by the management frame sending and receiving unit.

[0013] The communication system of the present disclosure constructed in this way can suppress the occurrence of unnecessary power consumption in the first electronic circuit or the second electronic circuit by supplying power to the first electronic circuit even though the first electronic circuit is not used, or supplying power to the second electronic circuit even though the second electronic circuit is not used, thereby reducing power consumption in the communication system.

[0014] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an electronic control device included in a communication system, including a frame generation unit and a frame transmission unit.

[0015] The communication system includes a plurality of circuit control devices, a first power supply switching unit, and a second power supply switching unit.

[0016] The frame generation unit is configured to generate a management frame corresponding to the service if it is determined to provide a preset service based on the detected event. The management frame is a communication frame including first switching information indicating whether power is supplied to the first electronic circuit and second switching information indicating whether power is supplied to the second electronic circuit.

[0017] The frame transmission unit is configured to transmit a management frame.

[0018] The electronic control device of the present disclosure configured in this way is a device included in the communication system of the present disclosure, and can obtain the same effects as the communication system of the present disclosure.

[0019] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an electronic control device including a first electronic circuit, a second electronic circuit, a first power supply switching unit, a second power supply switching unit, a management frame transmission and reception unit, and a power supply control unit.

[0020] The electronic control device of the present disclosure configured in this way is a device included in the communication system of the present disclosure, and can obtain the same effects as the communication system of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a block diagram showing the configuration of the communication system according to the first embodiment.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the structure of an NM frame.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing the management process.

[0024] Figure 4 It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication system according to the second embodiment.

[0025] Figure 5 It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication system according to the third embodiment.

[0026] Figure 6 It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication system according to a fourth embodiment.

[0027] Figure 7 It is a block diagram showing the structure of the upstream power distribution unit.

[0028] Figure 8 It is a block diagram showing the structure of a zone ECU.

[0029] Fig. 9 It is a block diagram showing the structure of a slave ECU.

[0030] Fig.10 It is a diagram showing the structure of an NM frame according to the fourth embodiment.

[0031] Fig.11 It is a flowchart showing the upstream management process.

[0032] Fig.12 This is a flowchart showing the area management process.

[0033] Fig.13 It is a block diagram showing the structure of the communication system according to the fifth embodiment.

[0034] Fig.14 It is a diagram showing the correspondence between control objects and clusters. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] [First embodiment]

[0036] A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0037] The communication system 1 of this embodiment is installed in a vehicle, such as Figure 1 As shown, a first ECU 2, a second ECU 3, a third ECU 4 and a battery 5 are provided. ECU is an abbreviation of Electronic Control Unit. Hereinafter, the first ECU 2, the second ECU 3 and the third ECU 4 are also collectively referred to as nodes.

[0038] The first ECU 2 , the second ECU 3 , and the third ECU 4 are connected via a communication bus 6 so as to be able to communicate data with each other.

[0039] The battery 5 supplies power to various parts of the vehicle using a DC battery voltage (eg, 12 V). The first ECU 2 , the second ECU 3 , and the third ECU 4 receive power from the battery 5 to operate.

[0040] The first ECU 2 includes a first microcomputer 11, a SoC 12, a second microcomputer 13, a CAN communication unit 14, a storage unit 15, a first power IC 16, a second power IC 17, and a third power IC 18. CAN is an abbreviation of Controller Area Network. SoC is an abbreviation of System on a Chip. In addition, the communication protocol of the communication system 1 is not limited to CAN.

[0041] The first microcomputer 11 includes a CPU 21, a ROM 22, a RAM 23, and the like. The various functions of the first microcomputer 11 are realized by the CPU 21 executing a program stored in a non-migrating physical recording medium. In this example, the ROM 22 is equivalent to a non-migrating physical recording medium storing the program. In addition, a method corresponding to the program is executed by executing the program. In addition, part or all of the functions executed by the CPU 21 may also be constituted by one or more ICs in a hardware manner.

[0042] SoC12 includes: a first core 31 and a second core 32 that have arithmetic units and registers for executing programs and performing various calculations; a first power switch 33 connected to the first core 31; a second power switch 34 connected to the second core 32; and a power switch control unit 35 that is always supplied with power from the battery 5.

[0043] The second microcomputer 13 includes a third core 41 including a calculation unit and a register for executing a program and performing various calculation processes.

[0044] The CAN communication unit 14 performs communication by transmitting and receiving communication frames based on the CAN communication protocol between the second ECU 3 and the third ECU 4 connected to the communication bus 6. Hereinafter, the communication frame of the CAN is referred to as a CAN frame.

[0045] The storage unit 15 is a storage device for storing various data. The storage unit 15 stores a management table 51 described later.

[0046] The first power IC 16 generates a first power voltage for operating the first microcomputer 11 based on the battery voltage of the battery 5, and supplies the first power voltage to the first microcomputer 11. The first power IC 16 is disposed on the power supply path 7 between the battery 5 and the first microcomputer 11.

[0047] The second power IC 17 generates a second power voltage for operating the SoC 12 based on the battery voltage of the battery 5 , and supplies the second power voltage to the SoC 12 . The second power IC 17 is disposed on the power supply path 8 between the battery 5 and the SoC 12 .

[0048] The third power IC 18 generates a third power voltage for operating the second microcomputer 13 based on the battery voltage of the battery 5 and supplies the third power voltage to the second microcomputer 13. The third power IC 18 is disposed on the power supply path 9 between the battery 5 and the second microcomputer 13.

[0049] The first microcomputer 11 is configured to output a control signal (hereinafter referred to as a second power control signal) for controlling the power supply from the second power IC 17 to the first core 31 and the second core 32 to the power switch control unit 35 of SoC12 via a signal line connecting the first microcomputer 11 and the power switch control unit 35 of SoC12.

[0050] The first microcomputer 11 is configured to output a control signal (hereinafter, second power IC control signal) for controlling power supply from the second power IC 17 to the SoC 12 to the second power IC 17 via a signal line connecting the first microcomputer 11 and an EN terminal of the second power IC 17 .

[0051] The first microcomputer 11 is configured to output a control signal (hereinafter, a third power supply control signal) for controlling power supply from the third power supply IC 18 to the second microcomputer 13 to the third power supply IC 18 via a signal line connecting the first microcomputer 11 and an EN terminal of the third power supply IC 18 .

[0052] The first power switch 33 is disposed on the power supply path 81 between the second power IC 17 and the first core 31. The first power switch 33 is configured to open or close the power supply path 81 in accordance with a command from the power switch control unit 35.

[0053] The second power switch 34 is disposed on the power supply path 82 between the second power IC 17 and the second core 32. The second power switch 34 is configured to connect or disconnect the power supply path 82 according to a command from the power switch control unit 35. Hereinafter, the state in which the power supply paths 81, 82, and 9 are connected is also referred to as the connected state, and the state in which the power supply paths 81, 82, and 9 are disconnected is also referred to as the disconnected state.

[0054] The second ECU 3 and the third ECU 4 include a control unit 61 , a CAN communication unit 62 , and a storage unit 63 .

[0055] The control unit 61 is an electronic control device composed of a microcomputer including a CPU 71, a ROM 72, and a RAM 73. The various functions of the microcomputer are realized by the CPU 71 executing a program stored in a non-migrating physical recording medium. In this example, the ROM 72 is equivalent to a non-migrating physical recording medium storing the program. In addition, the method corresponding to the program is executed by executing the program. In addition, part or all of the functions executed by the CPU 71 may also be constituted by one or more ICs in a hardware manner.

[0056] The CAN communication unit 62 communicates with communication devices (ie, the first, second, and third ECUs 2 , 3 , and 4 ) connected to the communication bus 6 based on the CAN communication protocol.

[0057] The storage unit 63 is a storage device for storing various data. The storage unit 63 stores a management table 75 described later.

[0058] The CAN frame is composed of a start frame, an arbitration field, a control field, a data field, a CRC field, an ACK field, and an end frame. In addition, the arbitration field is composed of an 11-bit or 29-bit identifier (ie, ID) and a 1-bit RTR bit.

[0059] An 11-bit identifier used in CAN communication is called a CAN ID. The CAN ID is set in advance based on the content of data included in a CAN frame, a transmission source of the CAN frame, a transmission destination of the CAN frame, and the like.

[0060] The data field is a payload consisting of 8-bit (ie, 1 byte) first data, second data, third data, fourth data, fifth data, sixth data, seventh data, and eighth data.

[0061] The first, second, and third ECUs 2, 3, and 4 are configured to switch between an awake state (i.e., an activated state) and a sleep state (i.e., a dormant state). The awake state is a normal operating state in which functions assigned to the ECUs are available without restrictions. The sleep state is a low-power operating state in which available functions are limited.

[0062] In the communication system 1, in order to switch the power supply paths 81, 82, 9 for supplying power to the first, second, and third cores 31, 32, 41 to an on state or a cut-off state, or to switch the second ECU 3 and the third ECU 4 to an awake state or a sleep state, a CAN frame containing switching information and startup information, namely, an NM frame, is used. NM is the abbreviation of Network Management.

[0063] The switching information is information indicating whether to put the power supply paths 81, 82, and 9 into the conducting state. The activation information is information indicating whether to put the second ECU 3 and the third ECU 4 into the awake state.

[0064] Switching information and startup information such as Figure 2 DLC is the abbreviation of Data Length Code, which is an area that indicates the size of the data field in the CAN frame in bytes. That is, the switching information and the startup information are stored in the data field of the CAN frame. Here, for the sake of simplicity, the case where DLC is 1 byte (i.e., 8 bits) is shown.

[0065] Each bit of the 8-bit data is allocated with switching information of the power supply path 81 connected to the first core 31 , switching information of the power supply path 82 connected to the second core 32 , switching information of the power supply path 9 connected to the third core 41 , startup information of the second ECU 3 , and startup information of the third ECU 4 .

[0066] exist Figure 2 In the NM frame shown, the first bit from the top of the first data is assigned the switching information of the power supply path 81 connected to the first core 31. The second bit from the top of the first data is assigned the switching information of the power supply path 82 connected to the second core 32. The third bit from the top of the first data is assigned the switching information of the power supply path 9 connected to the third core 41. The fourth bit from the top of the first data is assigned the startup information of the second ECU 3. The fifth bit from the top of the first data is assigned the startup information of the third ECU 4.

[0067] Hereinafter, the switching information of the power supply path 81 is referred to as the switching information of the first core 31 , the switching information of the power supply path 82 is referred to as the switching information of the second core 32 , and the switching information of the power supply path 9 is referred to as the switching information of the third core 41 .

[0068] Moreover, in Figure 2 In the NM frame shown, the first bit of the first data is set to 0, so Figure 2 The NM frame shown instructs to put the power supply path 81 connected to the first core 31 into a disconnected state.

[0069] exist Figure 2 In the NM frame shown, the second bit from the top of the first data is set to 1, so Figure 2 The NM frame shown instructs that the power supply path 82 connected to the second core 32 be brought into a conductive state.

[0070] exist Figure 2 In the NM frame shown, the third bit from the top of the first data is set to 0, so Figure 2 The NM frame shown instructs to put the power supply path 9 connected to the third core 41 into a disconnected state.

[0071] exist Figure 2 In the NM frame shown, the fourth bit from the top of the first data is set to 1, so Figure 2 The NM frame shown indicates that the second ECU 3 is to be in the awake state.

[0072] exist Figure 2 In the NM frame shown, the fifth bit from the first data is set to 0, so Figure 2 The NM frame shown indicates that the third ECU 4 is put into a sleep state.

[0073] Figure 1 The management tables 51 and 75 shown set the correspondence between the service, the switching information, and the start information for each of the plurality of services provided to the occupants of the vehicle using the first, second, and third ECUs 2, 3, and 4. In addition, the management table 51 may also be stored in the ROM 22 or RAM 23 of the first microcomputer 11. The management table 75 may also be stored in the ROM 72 or RAM 73 of the control unit 61.

[0074] For example, the management tables 51 and 75 set the first service as follows: the switching information of the first core 31 is 1, the switching information of the second core 32 is 0, the switching information of the third core 41 is 1, the activation information of the second ECU 3 is 1, and the activation information of the third ECU 4 is 0.

[0075] For example, the management tables 51 and 75 set the second service as follows: the switching information of the first core 31 is 0, the switching information of the second core 32 is 1, the switching information of the third core 41 is 1, the activation information of the second ECU 3 is 0, and the activation information of the third ECU 4 is 1.

[0076] Therefore, when the first, second, and third ECUs 2, 3, and 4 detect that the start condition of the service is satisfied, they extract the switching information and activation information corresponding to the service from the management table 51, 75, and generate and transmit an NM frame including the extracted switching information and activation information.

[0077] By rewriting the management tables 51 and 75 , the switching information and the activation information included in the NM frames transmitted by the first, second, and third ECUs 2 , 3 , and 4 can be updated.

[0078] Next, a description will be given of a procedure of a management process executed by the first microcomputer 11 of the first ECU 2. The management process is a process that is repeatedly executed when the first microcomputer 11 is activated.

[0079] If management processing is performed, Figure 3 As shown, the CPU 21 of the first microcomputer 11 determines whether an NM frame has been received in S10. If the NM frame has not been received, the CPU 21 ends the management process.

[0080] On the other hand, when an NM frame is received, CPU 21 confirms the switching information included in the NM frame received in S10 in S20. Specifically, CPU 21 confirms whether the first bit, the second bit, and the third bit of the first data of the NM frame received in S10 are set to 1 or 0, respectively.

[0081] In S30 , the CPU 21 checks whether power supply switching is required for each of the first core 31 , the second core 32 , and the third core 41 based on the check result in S20 .

[0082] For example, when the first power switch 33 is in the on state at the current moment and the first uppermost bit of the first data of the NM frame received in S10 is 0, the CPU 21 determines that the power supply switching is required for the first core 31 .

[0083] For example, when the first power switch 33 is in the on state at the current moment and the first upper bit of the first data of the NM frame received in S10 is 1, the CPU 21 determines that power supply switching is not necessary for the first core 31 .

[0084] For example, when the first power switch 33 is currently in the off state and the first uppermost bit of the first data of the NM frame received in S10 is 1, the CPU 21 determines that power supply switching is required for the first core 31 .

[0085] For example, when the first power switch 33 is currently in the off state and the first upper bit of the first data of the NM frame received in S10 is 0, the CPU 21 determines that power supply switching is unnecessary for the first core 31 .

[0086] For example, when the second power switch 34 is in the on state at the current moment and the second-most bit of the first data of the NM frame received in S10 is 0, the CPU 21 determines that the power supply switching is required for the second core 32 .

[0087] For example, when the third power IC 18 is in the on state at the present time and the third bit from the top of the first data of the NM frame received in S10 is 0, the CPU 21 determines that the power supply switching is required for the third core 41 .

[0088] In S40, based on the confirmation result in S30, the CPU 21 determines whether power supply switching is required in at least one of the first core 31, the second core 32, and the third core 41. Here, if power supply switching is not required in all of the first core 31, the second core 32, and the third core 41, the CPU 21 ends the management process.

[0089] On the other hand, when power supply switching is required in at least one of the first core 31 , the second core 32 , and the third core 41 , the CPU 21 outputs a power supply control signal based on the confirmation result in S20 , and ends the management process.

[0090] For example, when all of the first core 31, the second core 32, and the third core 41 need to be switched to the on state, the CPU 21 outputs a second power control signal to the power switch control unit 35 to instruct the first power switch 33 and the second power switch 34 to be turned on, and outputs a third power control signal to the third power IC 18 to instruct the third power IC 18 to be turned on. The power switch control unit 35 that receives the second power control signal turns the first power switch 33 and the second power switch 34 on, and the third power IC 18 that receives the third power control signal turns the third power IC 18 on.

[0091] For example, when it is necessary to switch the first core 31 and the third core 41 to the cut-off state, CPU 21 outputs a second power control signal to the power switch control unit 35 to instruct the first power switch 33 to be in the cut-off state, and outputs a third power control signal to the third power IC 18 to instruct the third power IC 18 to be in the cut-off state.

[0092] For example, when it is necessary to switch only the second core 32 to the off state, the CPU 21 outputs a second power supply control signal to the power supply switch control unit 35 to instruct the second power supply switch 34 to be in the off state.

[0093] Furthermore, the first ECU 2 stores a table in which, for each of the cores 31 , 32 , and 41 , correspondence between information for identifying the core and information for identifying the power switch or power IC connected to the core is set.

[0094] The communication system 1 configured in this manner includes a first ECU 2 , a second ECU 3 , and a third ECU 4 that are connected to each other so as to be able to transmit and receive CAN frames.

[0095] The first ECU 2 includes a first core 31 and a second core 32 .

[0096] The first ECU 2 includes a second power supply IC 17 , a first power supply switch 33 , a second power supply switch 34 , a CAN communication unit 14 , and a first microcomputer 11 .

[0097] The second power IC 17 and the first power switch 33 are provided on the power supply path 8 , 81 between the battery 5 and the first core 31 , and are switched between a first conducting state in which the power supply path 8 , 81 is conducted and a first blocking state in which the power supply path 8 , 81 is blocked.

[0098] The second power IC 17 and the second power switch 34 are provided on the power supply path 8 , 82 between the battery 5 and the second core 32 , and are switched between a second conducting state in which the power supply path 8 , 82 is conducted and a second blocking state in which the power supply path 8 , 82 is blocked.

[0099] The CAN communication unit 14 is configured to transmit and receive an NM frame including first switching information indicating whether to supply power to the first core 31 and second switching information indicating whether to supply power to the second core 32 .

[0100] The first microcomputer 11 is configured to put the second power IC 17 and the first power switch 33 into the first on state or the first off state based on the first switching information included in the NM frame received by the CAN communication unit 14. The first microcomputer 11 is configured to put the second power IC 17 and the second power switch 34 into the second on state or the second off state based on the second switching information included in the NM frame received by the CAN communication unit 14.

[0101] Such a communication system 1 can suppress the occurrence of unnecessary power consumption in the first core 31 or the second core 32 by supplying power to the first core 31 even though the first core 31 is not used, or supplying power to the second core 32 even though the second core 32 is not used, thereby reducing power consumption in the communication system 1.

[0102] The first ECU 2 further includes a SoC 12 which is an integrated circuit including the first core 31 and the second core 32. Such a communication system 1 can reduce power consumption in one integrated circuit included in the first ECU 2.

[0103] The NM frame further includes one or more activation information indicating whether to activate one or more ECUs other than the first ECU 2 (ie, the second ECU 3 and the third ECU 4). Such a communication system 1 can switch the second ECU 3 and the third ECU 4 between the awake state and the sleep state using the NM frame.

[0104] In the above-described embodiment, the first, second, and third ECUs 2, 3, and 4 correspond to electronic control devices, the CAN frame corresponds to a communication frame, the first core 31 corresponds to a first electronic circuit, the second core 32 corresponds to a second electronic circuit, and the first ECU 2 corresponds to a plurality of circuit control devices.

[0105] In addition, the battery 5 is equivalent to the power supply, the power supply paths 8 and 81 are equivalent to the first power supply path, the second power supply IC17 and the first power supply switch 33 are equivalent to the first power supply switching unit, the power supply paths 8 and 82 are equivalent to the second power supply path, and the second power supply IC17 and the second power supply switch 34 are equivalent to the second power supply switching unit.

[0106] The NM frame corresponds to a management frame, the CAN communication unit 14 corresponds to a management frame transmission / reception unit, S10 to S50 correspond to processing as a power supply control unit, and the SoC 12 corresponds to a multi-core integrated circuit.

[0107] The power switch control unit 35 corresponds to a power supply switching control unit, the first microcomputer 11 and the control unit 61 correspond to a frame generation unit, and the CAN communication units 14 and 62 correspond to a frame transmission unit.

[0108] [Second Embodiment]

[0109] The second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the second embodiment, the parts different from the first embodiment will be described. The same reference numerals are given to the common structures.

[0110] like Figure 4 As shown, the communication system 1 of the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that an Ethernet communication unit 19 is provided instead of the second microcomputer 13. Ethernet is a registered trademark.

[0111] The Ethernet communication unit 19 communicates with a communication device connected to the communication line 10 based on the Ethernet communication protocol.

[0112] The first microcomputer 11 outputs a third power control signal to the third power IC 18 based on the switching information of the third bit in the first data of the received NM frame. Thus, the Ethernet communication unit 19 switches between the state of supplying power from the battery 5 and the state of cutting off power supply from the battery 5.

[0113] The communication system 1 configured in this manner includes a first ECU 2 , a second ECU 3 , and a third ECU 4 that are connected to each other so as to be able to transmit and receive CAN frames.

[0114] The first ECU 2 includes a first core 31 and an Ethernet communication unit 19 .

[0115] The first ECU 2 includes a second power supply IC 17 , a first power supply switch 33 , a third power supply IC 18 , a CAN communication unit 14 , and a first microcomputer 11 .

[0116] The second power IC 17 and the first power switch 33 are provided on the power supply path 8 , 81 between the battery 5 and the first core 31 , and are switched between a first conducting state in which the power supply path 8 , 81 is conducted and a first blocking state in which the power supply path 8 , 81 is blocked.

[0117] The third power IC 18 is provided on the power supply path 9 between the battery 5 and the Ethernet communication unit 19 and is configured to switch between a second conductive state in which the power supply path 9 is conductive and a second disconnected state in which the power supply path 9 is disconnected.

[0118] The CAN communication unit 14 is configured to transmit and receive an NM frame including first switching information indicating whether to supply power to the first core 31 and second switching information indicating whether to supply power to the Ethernet communication unit 19 .

[0119] The first microcomputer 11 is configured to set the second power IC 17 and the first power switch 33 to the first on state or the first off state based on the first switching information included in the NM frame received by the CAN communication unit 14. The first microcomputer 11 is configured to set the third power IC 18 to the second on state or the second off state based on the second switching information included in the NM frame received by the CAN communication unit 14.

[0120] Such a communication system 1 can suppress the occurrence of unnecessary power consumption in the first core 31 or the Ethernet communication unit 19 by supplying power to the first core 31 even though the first core 31 is not used, or supplying power to the Ethernet communication unit 19 even though the Ethernet communication unit 19 is not used, thereby reducing power consumption in the communication system 1.

[0121] In the above-described embodiment, the first core 31 corresponds to the first electronic circuit, and the Ethernet communication unit 19 corresponds to the second electronic circuit.

[0122] The power supply paths 8 and 81 correspond to the first power supply path, the second power supply IC 17 and the first power supply switch 33 correspond to the first power supply switching unit, the power supply path 9 corresponds to the second power supply path, and the third power supply IC 18 corresponds to the second power supply switching unit.

[0123] [Third Embodiment]

[0124] Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the third embodiment, portions different from those of the first embodiment will be described. The same reference numerals are given to common structures.

[0125] like Figure 5 As shown, the communication system 1 of the third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a third microcomputer 20 is provided instead of the SoC 12 .

[0126] The third microcomputer 20 receives power supply from the battery 5 via the power supply path 8. The second power supply IC 17 is arranged on the power supply path 8.

[0127] The third microcomputer 20 includes a fourth core 91 including a calculation unit and a register for executing a program and performs various calculation processes.

[0128] The first microcomputer 11 outputs a second power supply IC control signal to the second power supply IC 17 based on the switching information of the first uppermost bit in the first data of the received NM frame.

[0129] For example, when the third microcomputer 20 needs to be switched to the on state, the CPU 21 outputs a second power IC control signal to the second power IC 17 to turn on the second power IC 17. The second power IC 17 that receives the second power IC control signal turns on the second power IC 17.

[0130] For example, when the third microcomputer 20 needs to switch to the off state, the CPU 21 outputs a second power IC control signal to the second power IC 17 to switch to the off state. The second power IC 17 that receives the second power IC control signal switches to the off state.

[0131] The communication system 1 configured in this manner includes a first ECU 2 , a second ECU 3 , and a third ECU 4 that are connected to each other so as to be able to transmit and receive CAN frames.

[0132] The first ECU 2 includes a third microcomputer 20 and a second microcomputer 13 .

[0133] The first ECU 2 includes a second power supply IC 17 , a third power supply IC 18 , a CAN communication unit 14 , and a first microcomputer 11 .

[0134] The second power supply IC 17 is provided on the power supply path 8 between the battery 5 and the third microcomputer 20 and is configured to switch between a first on state in which the power supply path 8 is turned on and a first off state in which the power supply path 8 is turned off.

[0135] The third power supply IC 18 is provided on the power supply path 9 between the battery 5 and the second microcomputer 13 and is configured to switch between a second on state in which the power supply path 9 is turned on and a second off state in which the power supply path 9 is turned off.

[0136] The CAN communication unit 14 is configured to transmit and receive an NM frame including first switching information indicating whether power is supplied to the third microcomputer 20 and second switching information indicating whether power is supplied to the second microcomputer 13 .

[0137] The first microcomputer 11 is configured to set the second power IC 17 to the first on state or the first off state based on the first switching information included in the NM frame received by the CAN communication unit 14. The first microcomputer 11 is configured to set the third power IC 18 to the second on state or the second off state based on the second switching information included in the NM frame received by the CAN communication unit 14.

[0138] Such a communication system 1 can suppress the occurrence of unnecessary power consumption in the third microcomputer 20 or the second microcomputer 13 by supplying power to the third microcomputer 20 even though the third microcomputer 20 is not used, or supplying power to the second microcomputer 13 even though the second microcomputer 13 is not used, thereby reducing the power consumption in the communication system 1.

[0139] In the above-described embodiment, the third microcomputer 20 corresponds to the first electronic circuit, and the second microcomputer 13 corresponds to the second electronic circuit.

[0140] The power supply path 8 corresponds to the first power supply path, the second power supply IC 17 corresponds to the first power supply switching unit, the power supply path 9 corresponds to the second power supply path, and the third power supply IC 18 corresponds to the second power supply switching unit.

[0141] In addition, the third microcomputer 20 corresponds to the first single-core integrated circuit, and the second microcomputer 13 corresponds to the second single-core integrated circuit.

[0142] [Fourth Embodiment]

[0143] A fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0144] The communication system 100 of the fourth embodiment is installed in a vehicle. Figure 6 As shown, the central ECU 101, the upstream power distribution unit 102, the regional ECU 103, the slave ECU 104, and the battery 105 are provided. Hereinafter, the central ECU 101, the upstream power distribution unit 102, the regional ECU 103, and the slave ECU 104 are also collectively referred to as nodes. Here, the regional ECU may be an ECU that gathers the slave ECUs located in a predetermined area in the vehicle, or may be an ECU that gathers the slave ECUs belonging to a predetermined domain.

[0145] The battery 105 supplies power to various parts of the vehicle using a DC battery voltage (eg, 12 V). The central ECU 101 , the upstream power distribution unit 102 , the regional ECU 103 , and the slave ECU 104 operate by receiving power from the battery 105 .

[0146] The central ECU 101 receives power supply from the battery 105 through a power supply path 111 between the battery 105 and the central ECU 101 .

[0147] The upstream power distribution unit 102 receives power supply from the battery 105 through a power supply path 112 between the battery 105 and the upstream power distribution unit 102 .

[0148] The regional ECU 103 receives power supply from the battery 105 via a power supply path 113 between the upstream power distribution unit 102 and the regional ECU 103 .

[0149] The slave ECU 104 receives power supply from the battery 105 via a power supply path 114 between the area ECU 103 and the slave ECU 104 .

[0150] The central ECU 101 and the upstream power distribution unit 102 are connected via a communication line 121 so as to be able to perform data communication with each other.

[0151] The central ECU 101 and the regional ECU 103 are connected via a communication line 122 so as to be able to perform data communication with each other.

[0152] The area ECU 103 and the slave ECU 104 are connected via a communication bus 123 so as to be able to communicate data with each other.

[0153] The central ECU 101 includes a SoC 131 , communication units 132 , 133 , Ethernet switches 134 , 135 , a storage unit 136 , and power supply ICs 137 , 138 .

[0154] The SoC 131 includes cores 141 and 142 that include a calculation unit and registers for executing a program and perform various calculations, a power switch 143 connected to the core 141 , and a power switch 144 connected to the core 142 .

[0155] The communication unit 132 communicates with the upstream power distribution unit 102 connected to the communication line 121 by transmitting and receiving communication frames based on the Ethernet communication protocol. Ethernet is a registered trademark.

[0156] The communication unit 133 performs communication with the zone ECU 103 connected to the communication line 122 by transmitting and receiving communication frames based on the Ethernet communication protocol.

[0157] The Ethernet switches 134 and 135 are network switches having a function of relaying communications between a plurality of devices connected to the Ethernet switches 134 and 135 in accordance with the Ethernet standard. The Ethernet switch 134 is connected to the communication unit 132 and the core 141 , and the Ethernet switch 135 is connected to the communication unit 133 and the core 142 .

[0158] The storage unit 136 is a storage device for storing various data. The storage unit 136 stores a management table 146 described later.

[0159] The power IC 137 generates a power supply voltage for operating the cores 141 and 142 based on the battery voltage of the battery 105 , and supplies the generated power supply voltage to the cores 141 and 142 .

[0160] The power IC 138 generates a power supply voltage for operating the Ethernet switches 134 and 135 based on the battery voltage of the battery 105 , and supplies the generated power supply voltage to the Ethernet switches 134 and 135 .

[0161] The core 141 is configured to output a control signal for controlling the power supply from the power IC 138 to the Ethernet switches 134 and 135 to the power IC 138 via a signal line connecting the SoC 131 and the EN terminal of the power IC 138 .

[0162] like Figure 7 As shown, the upstream power distribution unit 102 includes a microcomputer 151 , a SoC 152 , a communication unit 153 , a storage unit 154 , power ICs 155 and 156 , and a power switch 157 .

[0163] The microcomputer 151 includes a CPU 161, a ROM 162, and a RAM 163. The various functions of the microcomputer 151 are realized by the CPU 161 executing a program stored in a non-migrating physical recording medium. In this example, the ROM 162 is equivalent to a non-migrating physical recording medium storing the program. In addition, by executing the program, a method corresponding to the program is executed. In addition, part or all of the functions executed by the CPU 161 may also be constituted by one or more ICs in a hardware manner.

[0164] SoC152 includes: cores 171 and 172 that have arithmetic units and registers for executing programs and performing various calculations, a power switch 173 connected to core 171, a power switch 174 connected to core 172, and a power switch control unit 175 that is always supplied with power from the battery 105.

[0165] The communication unit 153 performs communication with the central ECU 101 connected to the communication line 121 by transmitting and receiving communication frames based on the Ethernet communication protocol.

[0166] The storage unit 154 is a storage device for storing various data. The storage unit 154 stores a management table 166 described later.

[0167] The power IC 155 generates a power supply voltage for operating the microcomputer 151 based on the battery voltage of the battery 105 , and supplies the generated power supply voltage to the microcomputer 151 .

[0168] The power IC 156 generates a power supply voltage for operating the SoC 152 based on the battery voltage of the battery 105 , and supplies the generated power supply voltage to the SoC 152 .

[0169] The power switch 157 is disposed on the power supply path 113. The power switch 157 is configured to open or close the power supply path 113 in accordance with a command from the microcomputer 151.

[0170] The microcomputer 151 is configured to output a control signal for controlling the power supply from the power IC 156 to the cores 171 and 172 to the power switch control unit 175 of the SoC 152 via a signal line connecting the microcomputer 151 and the power switch control unit 175 of the SoC 152 .

[0171] The microcomputer 151 is configured to output a control signal for controlling the power supply from the power IC 156 to the SoC 152 to the power IC 156 via a signal line connecting the microcomputer 151 and an EN terminal of the power IC 156 .

[0172] The microcomputer 151 is configured to output, to the power switch 157 , a control signal for switching the power switch 157 to an on state or an off state.

[0173] The power switch 173 is disposed on the power supply path 231 between the power IC 156 and the core 171 . The power switch 173 is configured to open or close the power supply path 231 in accordance with a command from the power switch control unit 175 .

[0174] The power switch 174 is disposed on the power supply path 232 between the power IC 156 and the core 172. The power switch 174 is configured to open or close the power supply path 232 in accordance with a command from the power switch control unit 175.

[0175] like Figure 8 As shown, the zone ECU 103 includes a microcomputer 181 , a SoC 182 , a communication unit 183 , a CAN communication unit 184 , a storage unit 185 , power ICs 186 and 187 , and a power switch 188 .

[0176] The microcomputer 181 includes a CPU 191, a ROM 192, and a RAM 193. The various functions of the microcomputer 181 are realized by the CPU 191 executing a program stored in a non-migrating physical recording medium. In this example, the ROM 192 is equivalent to a non-migrating physical recording medium storing the program. In addition, by executing the program, a method corresponding to the program is executed. In addition, part or all of the functions executed by the CPU 191 may also be constituted by one or more ICs in a hardware manner.

[0177] SoC182 includes: cores 201 and 202 that have arithmetic units and registers for executing programs and performing various calculations, a power switch 203 connected to the core 201, a power switch 204 connected to the core 202, and a power switch control unit 205 that is always supplied with power from the battery 105.

[0178] The communication unit 183 performs communication with the central ECU 101 connected to the communication line 122 by transmitting and receiving communication frames based on the Ethernet communication protocol.

[0179] The CAN communication unit 184 performs communication with the slave ECU 104 connected to the communication bus 123 by transmitting and receiving communication frames based on the CAN communication protocol.

[0180] The storage unit 185 is a storage device for storing various data. The storage unit 185 stores a management table 196 described later.

[0181] The power IC 186 generates a power supply voltage for operating the microcomputer 181 based on the battery voltage of the battery 105 , and supplies the generated power supply voltage to the microcomputer 181 .

[0182] The power IC 187 generates a power supply voltage for operating the SoC 182 based on the battery voltage of the battery 105 , and supplies the generated power supply voltage to the SoC 182 .

[0183] The power switch 188 is disposed on the power supply path 114. The power switch 188 is configured to open or close the power supply path 114 in accordance with a command from the microcomputer 181.

[0184] The microcomputer 181 is configured to output a control signal for controlling the power supply from the power IC 187 to the cores 201 and 202 to the power switch control unit 205 of the SoC 182 via a signal line connecting the microcomputer 181 and the power switch control unit 205 of the SoC 182 .

[0185] The microcomputer 181 is configured to output a control signal for controlling the power supply from the power IC 187 to the SoC 182 to the power IC 187 via a signal line connecting the microcomputer 181 and an EN terminal of the power IC 187 .

[0186] The microcomputer 181 is configured to output a control signal for switching the power switch 188 to an on state or an off state to the power switch 188 .

[0187] The power switch 203 is disposed on the power supply path 241 between the power IC 187 and the core 201. The power switch 203 is configured to open or close the power supply path 241 in accordance with a command from the power switch control unit 205.

[0188] The power switch 204 is disposed on the power supply path 242 between the power IC 187 and the core 202. The power switch 204 is configured to open or close the power supply path 242 in accordance with a command from the power switch control unit 205.

[0189] like Fig. 9 As shown, the slave ECU 104 includes a control unit 211 , a CAN communication unit 212 , a storage unit 213 , and a power supply IC 214 .

[0190] The control unit 211 is an electronic control device composed of a microcomputer including a CPU 221, a ROM 222, and a RAM 223. The various functions of the microcomputer are realized by the CPU 221 executing a program stored in a non-migrating physical recording medium. In this example, the ROM 222 is equivalent to a non-migrating physical recording medium storing the program. In addition, the method corresponding to the program is executed by executing the program. In addition, part or all of the functions executed by the CPU 221 may also be constituted by one or more ICs in a hardware manner.

[0191] The CAN communication unit 212 communicates with the area ECU 103 connected to the communication bus 123 based on the CAN communication protocol.

[0192] The storage unit 213 is a storage device for storing various data. The storage unit 213 stores a management table 226 described later.

[0193] The power IC 214 generates a power supply voltage for operating the control unit 211 based on the battery voltage of the battery 105 , and supplies the generated power supply voltage to the control unit 211 .

[0194] like Fig.10As shown, the NM frame used in the fifth embodiment includes: six switching information indicating whether power is supplied to the Ethernet switches 134, 135, cores 171, 172, 201, and 202 respectively, two switching information indicating whether the power switches 157 and 188 are turned on respectively, and one startup information indicating whether the slave ECU 104 is turned on.

[0195] exist Fig.10 In the NM frame shown, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th bits are respectively assigned to Ethernet switch 134, Ethernet switch 135, core 171, core 172, power switch 157, core 201, core 202, power switch 188 and slave ECU 104.

[0196] The management table 146 of the central ECU 101, the management table 166 of the upstream power distribution unit 102, the management table 196 of the regional ECU 103, and the management table 226 of the slave ECU 104 set the correspondence between the service and the switching information and the startup information for each of the multiple services provided to the occupants of the vehicle using the central ECU 101, the upstream power distribution unit 102, the regional ECU 103, and the slave ECU 104.

[0197] Therefore, if the central ECU 101, the upstream power distribution unit 102, the regional ECU 103 and the slave ECU 104 detect an event, they determine the service corresponding to the detected event, extract the switching information and startup information corresponding to the determined service from the management tables 146, 166, 196, 226, and generate and send an NM frame containing the extracted switching information and startup information.

[0198] Next, the procedure of the upstream management process executed by the microcomputer 151 of the upstream power distribution unit 102 will be described. The upstream management process is a process that is repeatedly executed when the microcomputer 151 is activated.

[0199] If upstream management processing is performed, then Fig.11 As shown, the CPU 161 of the microcomputer 151 determines whether an NM frame has been received in S110. If the NM frame has not been received, the CPU 161 ends the upstream management process.

[0200] On the other hand, when an NM frame is received, the CPU 161 checks the switching information included in the NM frame received in S110 in S120. Specifically, the CPU 161 checks whether the third bit, the fourth bit, and the fifth bit of the NM frame received in S110 are set to 1 or 0, respectively.

[0201] In S130 , the CPU 161 checks whether power supply switching is required for each of the core 171 , the core 172 , and the power switch 157 based on the check result in S120 .

[0202] For example, when the power switch 173 is in the on state at the current moment and the third bit from the top of the received NM frame is 0, the CPU 161 determines that the power supply switching is required for the core 171 .

[0203] For example, when the power switch 157 is currently in the off state and the fifth bit from the top of the received NM frame is 0, the CPU 161 determines that the power supply switching is unnecessary for the power switch 157 .

[0204] In S140, based on the confirmation result in S130, the CPU 161 determines whether power supply switching is required in at least one of the core 171, the core 172, and the power switch 157. Here, if power supply switching is not required in all of the core 171, the core 172, and the power switch 157, the CPU 161 ends the upstream management process.

[0205] On the other hand, when power switching is required in at least one of core 171, core 172 and power switch 157, CPU 161 in S150 controls the control object requiring power switching (i.e., at least one of core 171, core 172 and power switch 157) to the state indicated by the received NM frame based on the confirmation result in S120, and ends the upstream management processing.

[0206] Next, the procedure of the area management process executed by the microcomputer 181 of the area ECU 103 will be described. The area management process is a process that is repeatedly executed when the microcomputer 181 is activated.

[0207] If regional management processing is performed, Fig.12 As shown, the CPU 191 of the microcomputer 181 determines whether an NM frame has been received in S210. If the NM frame has not been received, the CPU 191 ends the area management process.

[0208] On the other hand, when an NM frame is received, the CPU 191 checks the switching information included in the NM frame received in S210 in S220. Specifically, the CPU 191 checks whether the sixth bit, the seventh bit, and the eighth bit of the NM frame received in S210 are set to 1 or 0, respectively.

[0209] In S230 , the CPU 191 checks whether power supply switching is required for each of the core 201 , the core 202 , and the power switch 188 based on the check result in S220 .

[0210] In S240, based on the result of the confirmation in S230, the CPU 191 determines whether power supply switching is required in at least one of the core 201, the core 202, and the power switch 188. Here, if power supply switching is not required in all of the core 201, the core 202, and the power switch 188, the CPU 191 ends the area management process.

[0211] On the other hand, when power switching is required in at least one of core 201, core 202 and power switch 188, CPU 191 controls the control object requiring power switching (i.e., at least one of core 201, core 202 and power switch 188) to the state indicated by the received NM frame in S250 based on the confirmation result in S220, and ends the area management processing.

[0212] Next, a case will be described in which the central ECU 101 activates the SoC 152 of the upstream power distribution unit 102 , activates the SoC 182 of the regional ECU 103 , and further wakes up the slave ECU 104 .

[0213] The core 141 of the central ECU 101 has a function of controlling activation of the SoC 152 of the upstream power distribution unit 102 and activation of the SoC 182 of the regional ECU 103 .

[0214] When the core 141 of the central ECU 101 detects an event, it determines a service corresponding to the detected event. The core 141 refers to the management table 146 to recognize that the determined service requires power supply to the Ethernet switches 134 and 135 .

[0215] Therefore, the core 141 outputs a control signal to the power IC 138 , so that the power IC 138 supplies power to the Ethernet switches 134 , 135 , thereby waking up the Ethernet switches 134 , 135 .

[0216] When the Ethernet switches 134 and 135 wake up, the core 141 transmits an NM frame including switching information for waking up the core 171 , putting the core 172 to sleep, and turning on the power switch 157 to the upstream power distribution unit 102 .

[0217] The upstream power distribution unit 102 that has received the NM frame turns on the power switch 173 to wake up the core 171 , and turns on the power switch 157 to supply power to the area ECU 103 .

[0218] Next, the core 141 transmits an NM frame including switching information for waking up the core 201 , putting the core 202 to sleep, and turning on the power switch 188 to the regional ECU 103 .

[0219] The regional ECU 103 that has received the NM frame turns on the power switch 203 to wake up the core 201 , and turns on the power switch 188 to supply power to the slave ECU 104 .

[0220] Next, the core 141 transmits an NM frame including activation information for waking up the slave ECU 104 to the regional ECU 103 . The regional ECU 103 transfers the received NM frame to the slave ECU 104 .

[0221] The slave ECU 104 that has received the NM frame wakes up based on the activation information included in the NM frame.

[0222] The communication system 100 configured in this manner includes a central ECU 101 , an upstream power distribution unit 102 , a regional ECU 103 , and a slave ECU 104 , which are connected to each other so as to be able to transmit and receive communication frames.

[0223] The upstream power distribution unit 102 includes a core 171 and a core 172 .

[0224] The upstream power distribution unit 102 includes a power switch 173 , a power switch 174 , a communication unit 153 , and a microcomputer 151 .

[0225] The power switch 173 is provided on the power supply path 231 between the battery 105 and the core 171 , and is configured to switch between an on state in which the power supply path 231 is turned on and an off state in which the power supply path 231 is turned off.

[0226] The power switch 174 is provided on the power supply path 232 between the battery 105 and the core 172 , and is configured to switch between an on state in which the power supply path 232 is turned on and an off state in which the power supply path 232 is turned off.

[0227] The communication unit 153 is configured to transmit and receive an NM frame including switching information indicating whether to supply power to the core 171 and switching information indicating whether to supply power to the core 172 .

[0228] The microcomputer 151 is configured to turn on or off the power switches 173 and 174 based on the switching information included in the NM frame received by the communication unit 153 .

[0229] Such a communication system 100 can suppress the occurrence of unnecessary power consumption in core 171 or core 172 by supplying power to core 171 even though core 171 is not used, or supplying power to core 172 even though core 172 is not used, thereby reducing power consumption in communication system 100.

[0230] In addition, the area ECU 103 includes a core 201 and a core 202 .

[0231] The zone ECU 103 includes a power switch 203 , a power switch 204 , a communication unit 183 , a CAN communication unit 184 , and a microcomputer 181 .

[0232] The power switch 203 is provided on the power supply path 241 between the battery 105 and the core 201 , and is configured to switch between an on state in which the power supply path 241 is turned on and an off state in which the power supply path 241 is turned off.

[0233] The power switch 204 is provided on the power supply path 242 between the battery 105 and the core 202 , and is configured to switch between an on state in which the power supply path 242 is turned on and an off state in which the power supply path 242 is turned off.

[0234] The communication unit 183 and the CAN communication unit 184 are configured to transmit and receive an NM frame including switching information indicating whether power is supplied to the core 201 and switching information indicating whether power is supplied to the core 202 .

[0235] The microcomputer 181 is configured to turn on or off the power switches 203 and 204 based on the switching information included in the NM frame received by the communication unit 183 and the CAN communication unit 184 .

[0236] Such a communication system 100 can suppress the occurrence of unnecessary power consumption in core 201 or core 202 by supplying power to core 201 even though core 201 is not used, or supplying power to core 202 even though core 202 is not used, thereby reducing power consumption in the communication system 100.

[0237] In the embodiment described above, the central ECU 101, the upstream power distribution unit 102, the regional ECU 103 and the slave ECU 104 are equivalent to electronic control devices, the cores 171 and 201 are equivalent to the first electronic circuit, the cores 172 and 202 are equivalent to the second electronic circuit, and the upstream power distribution unit 102 and the regional ECU 103 are equivalent to multiple circuit control devices.

[0238] The battery 105 corresponds to a power source, the power supply paths 231 and 241 correspond to a first power supply path, the power switches 173 and 203 correspond to a first power supply switching unit, the power supply paths 232 and 242 correspond to a second power supply path, and the power switches 174 and 204 correspond to a second power supply switching unit.

[0239] The communication unit 153 , the communication unit 183 , and the CAN communication unit 184 correspond to a management frame transmission / reception unit, and S110 to S150 and S210 to S250 correspond to processing as a power supply control unit.

[0240] The power switch control units 175 and 205 correspond to the power supply switching control unit, the SoC 131 and the microcomputers 151 and 181 correspond to the frame generation unit, and the communication units 132 , 133 , 153 , 183 and the CAN communication units 184 and 212 correspond to the frame transmission unit.

[0241] In addition, the power supply path 114 is equivalent to the third power supply path, the power switch 188 is equivalent to the third power supply switching unit, the slave ECU 104 is equivalent to the slave control device, the regional ECU 103 is equivalent to the regional control device, the central ECU 101 is equivalent to the central control device, the power switch 203 is equivalent to the first power supply switching unit, and the power switch 204 is equivalent to the second power supply switching unit.

[0242] In addition, the power supply path 113 corresponds to a fourth power supply path, and the power switch 157 corresponds to a fourth power supply switching unit.

[0243] [Fifth Embodiment]

[0244] A fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0245] The communication system 300 of the fifth embodiment is installed in a vehicle, such as Fig.13 As shown, a master ECU 302 , slave ECUs 303 , 304 , 305 , 306 , and a battery 307 are provided.

[0246] The master ECU 302 and the slave ECU 306 are connected via a communication bus 309 so as to be able to communicate data with each other.

[0247] The battery 307 supplies electric power to various parts of the vehicle using a DC battery voltage (eg, 12 V). The master ECU 302 and the slave ECUs 303 to 306 receive electric power from the battery 307 to operate.

[0248] The main ECU 302 includes a control unit 321, CAN communication units 322 and 323, a storage unit 324, and relays 325 and 326. In addition, the communication protocol of the communication system 300 is not limited to CAN.

[0249] The control unit 321 is an electronic control device mainly composed of a microcomputer including a CPU 331 , a ROM 332 , a RAM 333 , and the like.

[0250] The CAN communication unit 322 performs communication with the slave ECUs 303 , 304 , and 305 connected to the communication bus 308 by transmitting and receiving communication frames based on the CAN communication protocol.

[0251] The CAN communication unit 323 performs communication by transmitting and receiving communication frames based on the CAN communication protocol with the slave ECU 306 connected to the communication bus 309. Hereinafter, the communication frame of the CAN is referred to as a CAN frame.

[0252] The storage unit 324 is a storage device for storing various data.

[0253] The relay 325 is arranged on the power supply path 310 between the battery 307 and the slave ECU 303. The relay 326 is arranged on the power supply path 312 between the battery 307 and the slave ECU 305. The slave ECU 304 receives power supply from the battery 307 via the power supply path 311.

[0254] The relay 325 is configured to switch to either an on state for conducting the power supply path 310 or an off state for interrupting the power supply path 310 in response to a command from the control unit 321 .

[0255] Relay 326 is configured to switch to either an on state for conducting power supply path 312 or an off state for interrupting power supply path 312 according to a command from control unit 321. Hereinafter, the on state is also referred to as an on state, and the off state is also referred to as an off state.

[0256] The slave ECUs 303 to 306 include a control unit 341 , a CAN communication unit 342 , and a storage unit 343 .

[0257] The control unit 341 is an electronic control device mainly composed of a microcomputer including a CPU 351 , a ROM 352 , a RAM 353 , and the like.

[0258] The CAN communication unit 342 of the slave ECUs 303 to 305 communicates with the communication devices (that is, the master ECU 302 and the slave ECUs 303 to 305 ) connected to the communication bus 308 based on the CAN communication protocol.

[0259] The CAN communication unit 342 of the slave ECU 306 communicates with a communication device (that is, the master ECU 302 ) connected to the communication bus 309 based on the CAN communication protocol.

[0260] The storage unit 343 is a storage device for storing various data.

[0261] The communication system 300 further includes a smart sensor 313 , a smart actuator 314 , a wireless device 315 , and relays 327 and 328 .

[0262] The smart sensor 313 is a sensor including a CAN communication unit 345 .

[0263] The smart actuator 314 is an actuator including a CAN communication unit 346 .

[0264] The CAN communication units 345 and 346 communicate with each other by sending and receiving communication frames based on the CAN communication protocol between devices connected to the communication bus 308 .

[0265] The wireless device 315 is a wireless communication device for wirelessly communicating with an external communication device installed outside the vehicle. The wireless device 315 is, for example, a DCM. DCM is an abbreviation of Data Communication Module.

[0266] The relay 327 is arranged on the power supply path 316 between the battery 307 and the smart sensor 313. The relay 328 is arranged on the power supply path 317 between the battery 307 and the smart actuator 314.

[0267] The relays 327 and 328 are respectively configured to switch to either an on state for connecting the power supply paths 316 and 317 or an off state for disconnecting the power supply paths 316 and 317 in accordance with a command from the control unit 321 .

[0268] Hereinafter, the master ECU 302 , the slave ECUs 303 to 306 , the smart sensor 313 , and the smart actuator 314 are also collectively referred to as nodes.

[0269] (Prerequisites)

[0270] The master ECU 302, the slave ECU 304, and the slave ECU 306 are always powered by the slave battery 307 without relays, and can be switched to the awake state or the sleep state by the node alone. Hereinafter, the master ECU 302, the slave ECU 304, and the slave ECU 306 are also referred to as NM-equipped nodes. The NM-equipped node refers to a node having the function of generating an NM frame.

[0271] The slave ECU 303, the slave ECU 305, the smart sensor 313, and the smart actuator 314 are powered via the relay, and cannot be switched to the awake state or the sleep state by the node alone. That is, the awake state is entered with the relay being turned on, and the sleep state is entered with the relay being turned off. Hereinafter, the slave ECU 303, the slave ECU 305, the smart sensor 313, and the smart actuator 314 are also referred to as NM non-equipped nodes. NM non-equipped nodes refer to nodes that do not have the function of generating and interpreting NM frames.

[0272] The NM non-mounted node includes at least one of an actuator and a sensor in addition to the ECU having a control function.

[0273] The power supply path of the NM non-mounted node is connected to relays 325 , 326 , 327 , and 328 of the main ECU 302 , respectively.

[0274] The NM non-mounted node may be connected to the relay one-to-one, or a plurality of NM non-mounted nodes belonging to the same cluster (ie, a group activated simultaneously) may be connected under one relay.

[0275] The main ECU 302 and the NM-mounted node have a CAN communication unit and can transmit and receive NM frames.

[0276] The NM-equipped node determines whether the node is in the awake state or the sleep state based on the NM frame sent and received via the communication bus.

[0277] The main ECU 302 turns on or off the relays 325 , 326 , 327 , and 328 to which the NM non-mounted nodes are connected, based on the NM frames transmitted and received via the communication bus.

[0278] In the payload (ie, data area) of the NM frame transmitted and received between the main ECU 302 and the NM-equipped node, one or more bits of information indicating which cluster is to be activated are stored.

[0279] One or more main ECUs (ie, ECUs with built-in relays) are mounted on the vehicle.

[0280] like Fig.14 As shown, one or more nodes belonging to each cluster are determined in advance by the system developer. Clusters can also be assigned to each node, but multiple nodes can be registered in one cluster. When the bit corresponding to each cluster is activated (i.e., bit = 1), the cluster wakes up. In the case of the main ECU, waking up means turning on the relay.

[0281] (First startup example)

[0282] The first activation case is an operation example of performing a failure diagnosis of the slave ECU 303 using a request from the cloud.

[0283] First, a connection request is sent from the base station (ie, the cloud) side to the vehicle's wireless device 315 .

[0284] Next, when the wireless device 315 determines that the connection is valid, it transmits the event received from the cloud to the main ECU 302 .

[0285] Next, the master ECU 302 determines a service called “failure diagnosis of the slave ECU 303 ” based on the event, and generates an NM frame that enables only the bit of the third cluster to which the slave ECU 303 belongs in order to activate the slave ECU 303 .

[0286] Then, the main ECU 302 transmits the generated NM frame to the communication buses 308 , 309 .

[0287] Since there is no NM-equipped node belonging to the third cluster on the communication buses 308 and 309 , there is no change in the devices on the communication buses.

[0288] Next, in the main ECU 302 , as a part of receiving the NM frame that makes the bit of the third cluster valid simultaneously with the above, the control unit 321 executes processing based on the NM frame.

[0289] Next, when the control unit 321 of the main ECU 302 determines the wake-up instruction for the three clusters based on the NM frame, since the relay 325 is included in the third cluster, the relay 325 is turned on.

[0290] When the relay 325 is turned on, power is supplied to the downstream slave ECU 303 to start up.

[0291] The master ECU 302 waits for the slave ECU 303 to be activated, requests the slave ECU 303 to provide a diagnostic code, and transmits the response result from the slave ECU 303 to the base station via the wireless device 315 .

[0292] (Second startup example)

[0293] The second activation example is an operation example of performing a fault diagnosis of the slave ECU 304 using a request from the cloud.

[0294] First, a connection request is sent from the base station (ie, the cloud) side to the vehicle's wireless device 315 .

[0295] Next, when the wireless device 315 determines that the connection is valid, it transmits the event received from the cloud to the main ECU 302 .

[0296] Next, the master ECU 302 determines a service called “failure diagnosis of the slave ECU 304 ” based on the event, and generates an NM frame that enables only the bit of the fourth cluster to which the slave ECU 304 belongs in order to activate the slave ECU 304 .

[0297] Then, the main ECU 302 transmits the generated NM frame to the communication buses 308 , 309 .

[0298] As a node belonging to the fourth cluster, there is a slave ECU 304 on the communication bus 308 , and therefore the slave ECU 304 wakes up.

[0299] Next, in the main ECU 302 , as a part of receiving the NM frame in which the bit of the fourth cluster is validated simultaneously with the above, the control unit 321 executes processing based on the NM frame.

[0300] Next, the control unit 321 of the main ECU 302 determines a wake-up instruction to the fourth cluster based on the NM frame, but ignores it because the corresponding relay is not included in the fourth cluster.

[0301] When the slave ECU 304 is activated, the master ECU 302 requests a diagnostic code from the slave ECU 304 via the communication bus 308 , and transmits a response result from the slave ECU 304 to the base station via the wireless device 315 .

[0302] (Third startup example)

[0303] The third activation example is an action example in which a user activates a remote air conditioner using a smartphone.

[0304] First, the user instructs to turn on the vehicle air conditioner from the smartphone.

[0305] The wireless device 315 receives the instruction signal from the smartphone, and if the wireless device 315 determines that the instruction signal is valid, it transmits the event (ie, instruction signal) received from the cloud to the main ECU 302 .

[0306] The main ECU 302 determines the "air conditioning service" based on the event, and generates an NM frame for activating the second cluster as a cluster for air conditioning.

[0307] The main ECU 302 periodically sends the generated NM frame to the communication buses 308 and 309 until the air conditioner stop instruction is issued. If the activation state is to be maintained, the NM frame needs to be continuously sent periodically. At the same time, the control unit 321 of the main ECU 302 executes processing based on the NM frame.

[0308] If an NM frame for activating the second cluster is generated on the communication bus 308 , the slave ECU 304 (ie, the air-conditioning ECU) belonging to the second cluster receives the NM frame and wakes up according to the received NM frame.

[0309] When detecting that the second cluster is activated, the control unit 321 of the main ECU 302 turns on the relays 327 and 328 belonging to the second cluster.

[0310] When the relay 327 and the relay 328 are turned on, power is supplied to the smart sensor 313 (ie, temperature sensor) and the smart actuator 314 (ie, compressor).

[0311] Based on the above, it is possible to start supplying power to the air-conditioning ECU, the smart sensor 313, and the smart actuator 314, and turn on the vehicle air-conditioning.

[0312] When the user instructs the vehicle air conditioner to be turned off from the smartphone, main ECU 302 stops the periodic transmission of the NM frame.

[0313] When the NM frame is interrupted, the slave ECU 304 shifts to the sleep state, and the master ECU 302 turns off the relays 327 and 328. As a result, the vehicle air conditioner stops.

[0314] (Fourth startup example)

[0315] The fourth activation example is an operation example in which the slave ECU 304 activates the vehicle air conditioner.

[0316] The slave ECU 304 is always supplied with power even when the vehicle is stopped, and therefore can be awakened by detecting input of a signal indicating that a start switch connected to the slave ECU 304 is turned on, even when the slave ECU 304 is in sleep mode.

[0317] When the awakened slave ECU 304 confirms an input to activate the vehicle air conditioner, it generates an NM frame in which a bit corresponding to the second cluster is turned on.

[0318] The slave ECU 304 transmits the generated NM frame via the CAN communication unit 342. When the master ECU 302 receives the NM frame, the master ECU 302 turns on the relays 327 and 328 belonging to the second cluster.

[0319] When the start switch of the vehicle air conditioner is turned off, the slave ECU 304 stops transmitting the NM frame and temporarily shifts to the sleep state.

[0320] When the NM frame is interrupted, the main ECU 302 temporarily turns the relays 327 and 328 to the OFF state to terminate the control.

[0321] When the master ECU 302 determines that control needs to be continued even after the transmission of the NM frame stops, the master ECU 302 transmits an NM frame that turns on the bit corresponding to the second cluster. Thus, the slave ECU 304 and the relays 327 and 328 can also maintain the activated state until the transmission of the NM frame generated by the master ECU 302 stops.

[0322] As mentioned above, although one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be implemented in various modified forms.

[0323] [Modification 1]

[0324] In the above embodiment, the first microcomputer 11 which is always supplied with power from the battery 5 executes the management process. However, the SoC 12 may include a core that executes the management process, and the second microcomputer 13 may include a core that executes the management process.

[0325] [Modification 2]

[0326] In the above embodiment, the switching information of the NM frame is associated with the information identifying the core, but the switching information of the NM frame may be associated with the information identifying the power switch connected to the core.

[0327] The first microcomputer 11 and the method thereof recorded in the present disclosure may also be implemented by a special-purpose computer, which is provided by constituting a processor and a memory programmed to execute one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the first microcomputer 11 and the method thereof recorded in the present disclosure may also be implemented by a special-purpose computer, which is provided by constituting a processor composed of one or more special-purpose hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the first microcomputer 11 and the method thereof recorded in the present disclosure may also be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers, which are constituted by a combination of a processor and a memory programmed to execute one or more functions and a processor composed of one or more hardware logic circuits. In addition, a computer program may also be stored as an instruction executed by a computer in a non-migratable tangible recording medium that can be read by a computer. The method for realizing the functions of each part contained in the first microcomputer 11 does not necessarily need to include software, and all of the functions may also be implemented using one or more hardware.

[0328] It is also possible to realize multiple functions of one constituent element of the above-mentioned embodiment by multiple constituent elements, or realize one function of one constituent element by multiple constituent elements. In addition, it is also possible to realize multiple functions of multiple constituent elements by one constituent element, or realize one function realized by multiple constituent elements by one constituent element. In addition, it is also possible to omit a part of the structure of the above-mentioned embodiment. In addition, it is also possible to add or replace at least a part of the structure of the above-mentioned embodiment relative to the structure of other above-mentioned embodiments.

[0329] In addition to the above-mentioned ECU2~4, 101~104, the present disclosure can also be implemented in various ways such as a system with the ECU2~4, 101~104 as a constituent element, a program for enabling a computer to function as the ECU2~4, 101~104, a non-migrating physical recording medium such as a semiconductor memory recording the program, and a management method.

Claims

1. A communication system, wherein: A plurality of electronic control devices are connected to be able to send and receive communication frames, wherein: The plurality of electronic control devices include a plurality of circuit control devices, and the plurality of circuit control devices are the electronic control devices having a first electronic circuit and a second electronic circuit. The plurality of circuit control devices include: a first power supply switching unit, arranged on a first power supply path between a power source and the first electronic circuit, and configured to switch between a first on state in which the first power supply path is turned on and a first off state in which the first power supply path is turned off; a second power supply switching unit, arranged on a second power supply path between the power source and the second electronic circuit, and configured to switch between a second on state in which the second power supply path is turned on and a second off state in which the second power supply path is turned off; a management frame transmitting and receiving unit configured to transmit and receive a management frame, the management frame being the communication frame including first switching information indicating whether to supply power to the first electronic circuit and second switching information indicating whether to supply power to the second electronic circuit; and The power supply control unit is configured to put the first power supply switching unit into the first on state or the first off state based on the first switching information included in the management frame received by the management frame sending and receiving unit, and put the second power supply switching unit into the second on state or the second off state based on the second switching information included in the management frame received by the management frame sending and receiving unit.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein: The first electronic circuit is a first core, The second electronic circuit is a second core, The plurality of circuit control devices further include a multi-core integrated circuit which is an integrated circuit including the first core and the second core.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein: The first electronic circuit is an integrated circuit including only one core, namely a first single-core integrated circuit. The second electronic circuit is an integrated circuit including only one core, ie, a second single-core integrated circuit.

4. The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The management frame further includes one or more activation information indicating whether to activate one or more of the electronic control devices other than the plurality of circuit control devices.

5. The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The power supply control unit is configured to output a control signal indicating whether to set the first power supply switching unit to the first conductive state and whether to set the second power supply switching unit to the second conductive state. The plurality of circuit control devices further include a power supply switching control unit configured to set the first power supply switching unit to the first on state or the first off state and set the second power supply switching unit to the second on state or the second off state based on the control signal output from the power supply control unit.

6. The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The plurality of electronic control devices include a slave control device that receives power supply from the power supply via a third power supply switching unit, the third power supply switching unit being configured to be provided on a third power supply path and switching between a third on state that turns on the third power supply path and a third off state that turns off the third power supply path, The plurality of electronic control devices include a zone control device, the zone control device being connected to the slave control device so as to be able to send and receive the communication frame, and controlling the operation of the third power supply switching unit. The plurality of electronic control devices include a central control device, the central control device being connected to the regional control devices so as to be able to send and receive the communication frames, The area control device includes the first power supply switching unit, the second power supply switching unit, the management frame transmission and reception unit, and the power supply control unit.

7. The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The plurality of electronic control devices include a slave control device that receives power supply from the power supply via a third power supply switching unit, the third power supply switching unit being configured to be provided on a third power supply path and switching between a third on state that turns on the third power supply path and a third off state that turns off the third power supply path, The plurality of electronic control devices include a regional control device, the regional control device being configured to receive power supply from the power supply via a fourth power supply switching unit, and being connected to the slave control device so as to be able to send and receive the communication frame, and controlling the operation of the third power supply switching unit, wherein the fourth power supply switching unit (157) is configured to be provided on a fourth power supply path (113) connecting the power supply and the third power supply path, and to switch between a fourth conducting state in which the fourth power supply path is turned on and a fourth disconnecting state in which the fourth power supply path is disconnected, The plurality of electronic control devices include an upstream power distribution unit configured to control the operation of the fourth power supply switching unit. The plurality of electronic control devices include a central control device, the central control device being connected to the regional control device and the upstream power distribution unit so as to be able to send and receive the communication frame. The regional control device and the upstream power distribution unit are respectively the plurality of circuit control devices, The central control device is configured to send the management frame including switching information related to the first power supply switching unit of the upstream power supply distribution unit, switching information related to the second power supply switching unit of the upstream power supply distribution unit, and switching information related to the fourth power supply switching unit to the upstream power supply distribution unit, and after sending the management frame to the upstream power supply distribution unit, send the management frame including switching information related to the first power supply switching unit of the regional control device, switching information related to the second power supply switching unit of the regional control device, and switching information related to the third power supply switching unit to the regional control device.

8. An electronic control device included in a communication system, the communication system comprising: a plurality of circuit control devices, each comprising a first electronic circuit and a second electronic circuit; a first power supply switching unit, configured to be provided on a first power supply path between a power source and the first electronic circuit, and to switch between a first conducting state in which the first power supply path is conducted and a first disconnecting state in which the first power supply path is disconnected; and a second power supply switching unit, which is arranged on a second power supply path between the power supply and the second electronic circuit and switches between a second on state in which the second power supply path is turned on and a second off state in which the second power supply path is turned off, wherein: The electronic control device comprises: a frame generating unit configured to generate a management frame corresponding to the service if it is determined to provide a preset service based on the detected event, the management frame being a communication frame including first switching information indicating whether to supply power to the first electronic circuit and second switching information indicating whether to supply power to the second electronic circuit; as well as The frame transmitting unit is configured to transmit the management frame.

9. An electronic control device, wherein: have: a first electronic circuit; a second electronic circuit; a first power supply switching unit, arranged on a first power supply path between a power source and the first electronic circuit, and configured to switch between a first on state in which the first power supply path is turned on and a first off state in which the first power supply path is turned off; a second power supply switching unit configured to be provided on a second power supply path between the power source and the second electronic circuit and to switch between a second on state in which the second power supply path is turned on and a second off state in which the second power supply path is turned off; a management frame transmitting and receiving unit configured to transmit and receive a management frame, the management frame being a communication frame including first switching information indicating whether to supply power to the first electronic circuit and second switching information indicating whether to supply power to the second electronic circuit; as well as The power supply control unit is configured to put the first power supply switching unit into the first on state or the first off state based on the first switching information included in the management frame received by the management frame sending and receiving unit, and put the second power supply switching unit into the second on state or the second off state based on the second switching information included in the management frame received by the management frame sending and receiving unit.

Images