Vehicle network device

Abstract

Vehicle network device, installed in a vehicle, comprising: a communication relay (12) connected to a first set of multiple communication lines and a second set of multiple communication lines; and a router (13) that controls a communication route of a signal to pass through the communication relay (12), where the multiple communication lines belong to respective predetermined systems and are independent of each other; wherein, when a signal is received from a communication line of one of the two sets of multiple communication lines, the communication relay (12) (i) sends the signal to the router (13), and the router (13) sends the signal via the communication relay (12) to a communication line which (a) belongs to the other set of multiple communication lines and (b) belongs to a different system than the communication line from which the signal was received; and (ii) sends the signal without passing through the router (13) to a communication line which (a) belongs to the other set of multiple communication lines and (b) belongs to the same system as the communication line from which the signal was received.

Description

[Technical area]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle network device, and more particularly to a technique for enabling various devices on a vehicle to communicate with each other. [Background of the technology]

[0002] In vehicles, a number of different electrical devices are generally located at different locations. To appropriately control one or more electrical devices, an electronic control unit (ECU) with a microcomputer, for example, is provided for each function.

[0003] Furthermore, for example, it is necessary to enable various ECUs arranged in a vehicle to share the same information and obtain necessary information, and to enable the operating status of each ECU to be recognized by other ECUs. For this purpose, a number of ECUs that differ in function or type are connected through a network to communicate with each other in the same vehicle (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1, which relates to a vehicle control system, discloses a technique for shortening wiring lengths and facilitating wiring work. This vehicle control system is equipped with a plurality of functional ECUs arranged in a plurality of different areas of a vehicle and classified into a plurality of groups by the function of a functional unit as a control target, a plurality of relay ECUs arranged in the respective regions, a first network connecting the plurality of relay ECUs to each other, and a second network, each of which is arranged in each region and connects functional ECUs to a relay ECU in the region.

[0005] Patent document 2, which relates to a communication system, discloses a technique for enabling communication between devices even if they use different protocols, and for shortening the lengths of electrical wires. This communication system is equipped with several gateway units, each located in each section of a vehicle and capable of communicating with multiple devices using different protocols, and a connecting line linking the individual sections.

[0006] Further examples of communication systems are described in patent documents 3 to 5. [Previous technical documents][Patent documents] [Patent Document 1] JP-A-2015-67187 [Patent Document 2] JP-A-2017-19329 [Patent document 3] US 2017 / 0008464 A1 [Patent document 4] WO 2004 / 103771 A2 [Patent document 5] WO 2017 / 203902 A1 [Summary of the invention][Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In vehicle networks as described above, which implement communication between control devices, as disclosed, for example, in patent document 1, various control devices are classified into several groups by the function of a functional unit as the control target. This classification into groups is carried out taking into account the following factors:

[0008] (1) The component costs of a system can be reduced if several ECUs which are similar in terms of the required communication rate are assigned to the same group and connected via a common communication line. (2) The amount of bypass information that a gateway must pass through can be reduced if several ECUs implementing related functions are assigned to the same group and connected via a common communication line. A plausible way of implementing this would be to group control devices by function, for example, into a body group, a powertrain group, a driver assistance group, a multimedia group, etc. (3) Another plausible way of implementation would be to group ECUs, taking into account the differences in the confidentiality of the information to be transmitted and the degree of risk of a vehicle accident caused by a malfunction of a device. (4) Another plausible way of implementing this would be to assign control devices located next to each other in a vehicle body to the same group and control devices located further apart to different groups. This makes it possible to shorten the communication line lengths of a wiring harness and to reduce the cost and weight of the components. For example, it is conceivable to form different groups for specific areas, such as areas near the vehicle bumpers, the engine compartment, the dashboard, the door areas, the roof area, the seating area, and the luggage compartment area.

[0008] However, since the types of grouping optimization described in points (1) - (4) serve different purposes, the result of the optimization, i.e., the network configuration, varies depending on which of points (1) - (4) are considered important. Which of points (1) - (4) is desired as an item to which importance is assigned depends on the situation.

[0009] Furthermore, a communication line, such as a trunk line connecting multiple remote areas, must transmit a large amount of information at high speed. Furthermore, since each area of ​​a network system has different signal line systems classified into multiple groups, a router for controlling a signal route, such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) standard, must be installed at a location connecting multiple areas in a network. However, since a router compatible with high-speed communication and capable of complex control is very expensive, installing routers in each area increases the cost of a network for the entire vehicle.On the other hand, if the processing speed of routers is low, a signal will be delayed in a router as it travels from one area to another, even if it is transmitted through signal lines of the same system, making it difficult to meet the specification required for the vehicle.

[0010] The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and one object of the invention is therefore to provide a vehicle network device that is able to reduce the delay time of a communication that uses multiple systems of communication lines. [Means of solving the problems]

[0011] To solve the above problem, the invention provides vehicle net devices according to claims 1 to 5:

[0012] Since, according to the vehicle network device with the configuration according to claim 1, the operation of the communication relay is very simple, the communication delay time can be reduced if a signal received from one communication line of a system is sent to another communication line of the same system via the communication relay.

[0013] Since, according to the vehicle network device with the configuration of claim 2, the operation of each of the multiple communication relays is very simple, each communication relay suitable for high-speed operation can be implemented using only dedicated hardware that is easy to configure and cost-effective. Furthermore, the routing of a signal to be transmitted between signal lines of different systems can be controlled using only a single router. This simplifies the configuration of the overall system. As a result, high-speed operation can be achieved and communication latency can be reduced, while suppressing an increase in component costs.

[0014] According to the vehicle network device with the configuration according to claim 3, a communication network connecting sections of a vehicle can be easily constructed, and communication between sections located in different areas can be carried out at high speed by arranging communication relays, for example in respective areas such as areas near vehicle bumpers, an engine compartment area, a dashboard area, door areas, a roof area, a seating area and a luggage compartment area.

[0015] Since, according to the vehicle network device with the configuration of claim 4, the main line capable of high-speed communication is used as the intermediate connection unit, the communication delay time can even be reduced between distant areas. Thus, communication routes of a network in a vehicle can be controlled by only a single router.

[0016] According to the vehicle network device with the configuration according to claim 5, by using a communication path passing through the device for managing communication security, communication security can be ensured even when conducting communication between a device on a vehicle and an unspecified device outside the vehicle. [Advantages of the invention]

[0017] The in-vehicle network device according to the invention makes it possible to suppress the increase in the cost of components such as a router and to implement high-speed communication between multiple areas. That is, since router functions do not need to be deployed at multiple locations and the operation of each communication router is simple, high-speed operation can be realized without the use of expensive components.

[0018] The invention has been briefly described above. The details of the invention will become clearer when the methods for carrying out the invention described below (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) are read with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings] [ Fig. 1] Fig. Figure 1 represents a block diagram showing a vehicle network device with an example configuration-1. [ Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is a table showing trends of characteristics of respective systems (groups) of communication lines installed in a vehicle. [ Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication ECU except for a communication relay. [ Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a vehicle network device having an exemplary configuration-2. [ Fig. 5] Fig. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary structure that includes transmission lines in the Fig. 4 shown vehicle network device. [ Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing an exemplary arrangement of communication ECUs of a vehicle network device on a vehicle. [Modes of carrying out the invention]

[0019] A specific embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings. <Beispiel Konfiguration-1 einer Fahrzeug-Netzwerk-Vorrichtung>

[0020] Fig. Figure 1 shows a vehicle network device with an example configuration-1.

[0021] The Fig. The vehicle network device shown consists of two communication ECUs 10 and 20 and an intermediate connection unit 17 connecting them. The communication ECUs 10 and 20 are each arranged in a region 1 and a region 2 of a vehicle.

[0022] The communication ECU 10 has a function to enable communication between different systems of communication lines 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4, which are independent of each other and of the communication ECU 20. Each of the communication lines 11-1, 11-2, and 11-3 has a bus function to enable the connection of various vehicle devices (ECUs, etc.) with a communication function. Thus, the number of vehicle devices that can be connected to each of the communication lines 11-1, 11-2, and 11-3 can be changed as needed. The different systems of communication lines 11-1, 11-2, and 11-3 can differ from each other, for example, in their design specifications such as communication speed, communication protocol, etc.

[0023] Communication line 11-4 has a function to enable communication between a device outside the vehicle and a vehicle device. Therefore, to establish communication using communication line 11-4, a function to ensure communication security should be provided. Each of the communication lines 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4 consists of two electrical wires if its design specification is compatible with, for example, the CAN (Controller Area Network) standard.

[0024] The Fig. The communication ECU 10 shown in Figure 1 is equipped with a communication relay 12, a router 13, driver ICs (integrated circuits) 14-1 to 14-4, and a security management unit 15. The communication relay 12 and the router 13 are interconnected by a router connection unit 16. The communication lines 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4 are connected to the input / output ports 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d of the communication relay 12 via driver ICs 14-1, 14-2, and 14-3 and 14-4, respectively. The security management unit 15 is connected between the input / output port 12d and the driver IC 14-4.

[0025] The communication relay 12 has only a hub function for simply forwarding communication within the same area or between different areas in such a way that they remain the same in terms of system type and communication specification. That is to say, in the Fig. The communication ECU 10 shown in Figure 1, which comprises the four systems of communication lines 11-1 to 11-4, forwards the communication relay 12 to four communication systems independently of one another. The intermediate link unit 17, which connects the communication relay 12 and the communication ECU 20, comprises four systems of communication lines corresponding to the respective communication lines 11-1 to 11-4, in order to be able to forward the communications transmitted via the communication lines 11-1 to 11-4 independently of one another.

[0026] On the other hand, vehicle networks require a forwarding function for communication between systems that differ in system type or communication specification. For example, a situation may arise where communication is required between a vehicle device connected to communication line 11-1 and a vehicle device connected to communication line 11-3. To enable such communication between different systems, the communication ECU 10 is equipped with router 13 in addition to the communication relay 12.

[0027] This means that router 13 has a route control function, for example, switching the destination of a signal transmitted from one of the communication lines 11-1 to 11-4 to another communication line 11-1 to 11-4 of a different system type, if necessary. Router 13 also has a gateway (GW) function to enable communication between different systems by, for example, handling differences in the communication protocol or other standard elements.

[0028] The driver ICs 14-1 to 14-4 perform signal processing portions appropriate for the communication standards of the respective systems to which the communication lines 11-1 to 11-4 belong. That is, each of the driver ICs 14-1 to 14-4 includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit that perform amplification, waveform shaping, and other processing on a signal input or output according to a communication standard.

[0029] The router connection unit 16, which connects the communication relay 12 and the router 13, is equipped with independent communication lines, the number of which (four) corresponds to the number of communication lines 11-1 to 11-4. Thus, the router connection unit 16 can receive signals from the respective communication lines 11-1 to 11-4 and output signals to the respective communication lines 11-1 to 11-4. These signals are forwarded by the communication relay 12.

[0030] On the other hand, four systems of communication lines 21-1 to 21-4 are connected to the communication ECU 20 located in area 2. The communication lines 21-1 to 21-4 correspond to the respective communication lines 11-1 to 11-4 located in area 1.

[0031] That is, communication lines 21-1 and 11-1 are identical in terms of communication protocol and communication standard. Likewise, communication lines 21-2 and 11-2 are identical in terms of communication protocol and communication standard. Communication lines 21-3 and 11-3 are identical in terms of communication protocol and communication standard. Communication lines 21-4 and 11-4 are identical in terms of communication protocol and communication standard. Thus, for example, a vehicle device can be connected to one of the communication lines 11-1 and 21-1, which have the same system and are identical in system type to the vehicle device.Indeed, since communication ECU 10 and communication ECU 20 are located in different areas, a vehicle device can be connected, for example, to a device closer to or more conveniently located than communication lines 11-1 and 21-1, which have the same system and are identical in system type to the vehicle device. Communication line 21-4 is used to connect to a device outside the vehicle, such as communication line 11-4, which is identical in system type to communication line 21-4.

[0032] The Fig. The communication ECU 20 shown in FIG. 1 is equipped with a communication relay 22, four systems of driver ICs 24-1 to 24-4, and a security management unit 25. That is, the communication ECU 20 is the same as the communication ECU 10, except that the former is not equipped with a router.

[0033] The communication relay 22 has a function for forwarding communications between communication lines 21-1 to 21-4 and communication lines 11-1 to 11-4 in such a way that they remain consistent within the system. The input / output ports 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d of the communication relay 22 receive and output signals to and from communication lines 21-1 to 21-4. The input / output ports 22a, 22b, and 22c are connected to communication lines 21-1 to 21-3 via the driver ICs 24-1 to 24-3. The input / output port 22d is connected to communication line 21-4 via the safety management unit 25 and the driver IC 24-4. <Overview of relay operation><Funktionen des Kommunikationsrelais 12>

[0034] When a signal is received from communication line 11-1 at input / output port 12a, the communication relay 12 in area 1 sends the same information transmitted by the received signal, as is, to communication line 17a of the same system of the intermediate-area link unit 17 and to communication line 16a of the same system of the router link unit 16.

[0035] Likewise, when a signal is received from communication line 11-2 at input / output port 12b, the communication relay 12 sends the same information transmitted by the signal, as it is, to communication line 17b of the same system of the intermediate link unit 17 and to communication line 16b of the same system of the router link unit 16.

[0036] When a signal is received from communication line 11-3 at input / output port 12c, communication relay 12 sends the same information transmitted by the signal, as is, to communication line 17c of the same system of intermediate link unit 17 and to communication line 16c of the same system of router link unit 16. When a signal is received from communication line 11-4 at input / output port 12d, communication relay 12 sends the same information transmitted by the received signal, as is, to communication line 17d of the same system of intermediate link unit 17 and to communication line 16d of the same system of router link unit 16.

[0037] When a signal is received from the communication line 17a of the first system of the intermediate link unit 17, the communication relay 12 sends the same information transmitted by the received signal to the communication line 11-1 of the same system from the input / output port 12a of the same system and to the communication line 16a of the same system.

[0038] Likewise, when a signal is received from the communication line 17b of the second system of the intermediate link unit 17, the communication relay 12 sends the same information transmitted by the received signal to the communication line 11-2 of the input / output port 12b of the same system and to the communication line 16b of the same system.

[0039] When a signal is received from the third-system communication line 17c of the inter-area connection unit 17c, the communication relay 12 transmits the same information transmitted by the received signal to the communication line 11-3 of the same-system input / output port 12c and to the same-system communication line 16c. When a signal is received from the third-system communication line 17d of the inter-area connection unit 17d, the communication relay 12 transmits the same information transmitted by the received signal to the communication line 11-4 of the same-system input / output port 12d and to the same-system communication line 16d. <Funktionen des Kommunikationsrelais 22>

[0040] When a signal is received from communication line 21-1 at input / output port 22a, communication relay 22 in area 2 sends the same information transmitted by the received signal, exactly as it is, to communication line 17a of the same system of the intermediate link unit 17. Likewise, when a signal is received from communication line 21-2 at input / output port 22b, communication relay 22 sends the same information transmitted by the received signal, exactly as it is, to communication line 17b of the same system of the intermediate link unit 17.

[0041] When a signal from the communication line 21-3 is received at the input / output port 22c, the communication relay 22 sends the same information transmitted by the received signal, as it is, to the communication line 17c of the same system of the inter-area connection unit 17. When a signal from the communication line 21-4 is received at the input / output port 22d, the communication relay 22 sends the same information transmitted by the received signal, as it is, to the communication line 17d of the same system of the inter-area connection unit 17.

[0042] When a signal is received from communication line 17a of the first system of the intermediate link unit 17, the communication relay 12 sends the same information transmitted by the signal to communication line 21-1 of input / output port 22a of the same system. Likewise, when a signal is received from communication line 17b of the second system of the intermediate link unit 17, the communication relay 12 sends the same information transmitted by the signal to communication line 21-2 of input / output port 22b of the same system.

[0043] When a signal is received from the communication line 17c of the third system of the inter-area connection unit 17, the communication relay 12 sends the same information transmitted by the signal to the communication line 21-3 from the input / output port 22c of the same system. When a signal is received from the communication line 17d of the fourth system of the inter-area connection unit 17, the communication relay 12 sends the same information transmitted by the signal to the communication line 21-4 from the input / output port 22d of the same system. <Gesamter Relais Betrieb>

[0044] As can be seen from the above description, when the function of router 13 is not used, the communication relays 12 and 22 operate so that they enable the communication of a signal by forwarding only between communication lines belonging to the same system in several areas.

[0045] For example, if a signal is input to the input / output port 12a of the communication relay 12 from the communication line 11-1 via the driver IC 14-1, this signal is sent to the communication line 21-1 via the communication relay 12, the communication line 17a, the communication relay 22, and the driver IC 24-1. Similarly, if a signal is input to the input / output port 12b of the communication relay 12 from the communication line 11-2 via the driver IC 14-2, this signal is sent to the communication line 21-2 via the communication relay 12, the communication line 17b, the communication relay 22, and the driver IC 24-2.

[0046] When a signal is input to the input / output port 12c of the communication relay 12 from the communication line 11-3 via the driver IC 14-3, this signal is sent to the communication line 21-3 via the communication relay 12, the communication line 17c, the communication relay 22, and the driver IC 24-3. When a signal is input to the input / output port 12d of the communication relay 12 from the communication line 11-4 via the driver IC 14-4, this signal is sent to the communication line 21-4 via the communication relay 12, the communication line 17d, the communication relay 22, and the driver IC 24-4.

[0047] When a signal is input to the input / output port 22a of communication relay 22 from communication line 21-1 via driver IC 24-1, this signal is sent to communication line 11-1 via communication relay 22, communication line 17a, communication relay 12, and driver IC 14-1. Similarly, when a signal is input to the input / output port 22b from communication line 21-2, this signal is sent to communication line 11-2 via communication relay 22, communication line 17b, communication relay 12, and driver IC 14-2.

[0048] When a signal is input to the input / output port 22c of the communication relay 22 from the communication line 21-3 via the driver IC 24-3, this signal is sent to the communication line 11-3 via the communication relay 22, the communication line 17c, the communication relay 12, and the driver IC 14-4. When a signal is input to the input / output port 22d from the communication line 21-4, this signal is sent to the communication line 11-4 via the communication relay 22, the communication line 17d, the communication relay 12, and the driver IC 14-4.

[0049] When communication takes place between devices (for example, multiple ECUs) connected to communication lines belonging to the same system during the above operations, the signal forwarding delay is normally suppressed because the communication relays 12 and 22 do not need to extract destination information from the signal. If communication between different types of systems is required, the router 13 establishes a communication route as needed, encompassing multiple communication lines belonging to different systems.

[0050] For example, router 13 can transmit the same information, transmitted by a signal input into the first communication line 16a of the router connection unit 16, to one of the second to fourth communication lines 16b-16d. Thus, a signal received by communication line 11-1 in area-1 can be sent to one of the selected communication lines 11-2 to 11-4 and 21-2 to 21-4, which belong to different systems than communication line 11-1.

[0051] However, since communication lines belonging to different systems may differ in communication protocol or communication standard, a function for accommodating such a difference in communication protocol or communication standard is required to perform communication between different systems; the router 13 is provided with this function. That is, the communication ECU 10 equipped with the router 13 includes a gateway function that enables communication using multiple communication lines belonging to different systems. Fig. In the configuration shown in Figure 1, in which the single router 13 can control the entire network installed in the vehicle, it is sufficient that the router 13 is only provided with the gateway function in the single communication ECU 10. <Sätze von Eigenschaften der jeweiligen Kommunikationsleitungs-Systeme>

[0052] Fig. Figure 2 shows tendencies in the properties of respective systems (groups) of communication lines installed in a vehicle. The in Fig. Example 2 shows a case where various vehicle devices installed in a vehicle (electrical devices, such as ECUs) are classified by function into six systems, namely a driver assistance system, a wheel drive system and an electrical power supply system, a body system, an information system and an external connection system.

[0053] The term "risk" in Fig. 2 indicates the degree of influence of a faulty operation, for example, from a faulty device. "High risk" means a high probability of a traffic accident occurring, "medium risk" a relatively high probability of a traffic accident occurring, and "low risk" means a condition that would be perceived as inconvenient for a user.

[0054] Although the example of Fig. In the case where the communication lines are classified into six systems, the number of systems can be reduced by combining some of the systems into a group. For example, since in the example of Fig. 2. Since the driver assistance system and the wheel drive system represent two systems that are similar in terms of risk and the amount of communication data, they can be combined into the same group. Likewise, the electrical power supply system and the body system represent two systems that are similar in terms of risk and the amount of communication data and can therefore be combined into one group. Furthermore, the information system and the external communication system can also be grouped together.

[0055] The communication specifications of the four systems of communication lines 11-1 to 11-4 and the four systems of communication lines 21-1 to 21-4 that form the network can be optimized by determining how vehicle devices are assigned to the communication lines belonging to the corresponding systems, taking into account similarities in various aspects, as described above.

[0056] For example, in the Fig. The vehicle network device shown in section 1 is conceivable, since it is equipped with the four systems of communication lines 11-1 to 11-4 and the four systems of communication lines 21-1 to 21-4, parts of which are shown in Fig. 2. For example, in-vehicle devices of the drive assist system and the wheel drive system are connected to the first communication line 11-1 or 21-1 of the first system. In-vehicle devices of the electric power system and the body system are connected to the communication line 11-2 or 21-2 of the second system. In-vehicle devices of the information system are connected to the communication line 11-3 or 21-3 of the third system. In-vehicle devices of the external connection system requiring security management are connected to the communication line 11-4 or 21-4 of the fourth system. <Funktionen des Routers 13>

[0057] Fig. Figure 3 shows the configuration of the communication ECU 10, excluding the communication relay 12. The example of Fig. 3 assumes that the communication lines 11-1, 11-2 and 11-4 are designed to be compatible with the CAN communication standard, and that the communication line 11-3 is designed to be compatible with the communication standard for Ethernet (registered trademark).

[0058] The Fig. The communication ECU 10 shown in Figure 3 is equipped with a microcomputer 10a, CAN driver ICs 14-1, 14-2 and 14-4, and an Ethernet driver IC 14-3. The microcomputer 10a provides functions for the security management unit 15, the router 13, and the drivers for the respective systems.

[0059] The security management unit 15 provides a firewall function and an encrypted communication function. The router 13 provides a bit mapping table holding unit 13a and a bit mapping table comparison unit 13b. The bit mapping table shows the ways of mapping information pieces to respective communication bits required to perform processing, based on each of several types of communication standards with which each of the systems to which the communication lines 11-1 and 1-4, etc., belong is compatible.

[0060] Router 13 can establish a communication route for communication between different systems. For example, Router 13 can send a signal received from a vehicle device connected to communication line 11-1 to communication line 11-3 belonging to another system. However, since in the example of Fig. Since the communication standards of the communication lines 11-1 and 11-3 are CAN and Ethernet, the router must compensate for 13 differences between these standards.

[0061] For this purpose, the router 13, referring to the bit mapping table from the bit mapping table holding unit 13a, recognizes the types of mapping of information parts to respective bits in communication standards of a transmission source and a transmission destination, and absorbs differences between the communication protocols or, if necessary, performs a data conversion by processing the bit mapping table comparison unit 13b. (Advantages of vehicle network devices>

[0062] In the Fig. In the vehicle network device shown in Figure 1, the communication relays 12 and 22, provided within the respective communication ECUs 10 and 20 and installed in the respective areas, are interconnected by the inter-area connection unit 17, thus enabling communication between the different areas. Since it is not necessary for each of the communication relays 12 and 22 to perform any operations other than a simple relay function, they can achieve high-speed communication using only inexpensive hardware components. This reduces the transmission delay time of communication along a route passing through multiple areas.Even if the communication ECUs 10 and 20 are located in different areas, only one router 13 is required to establish communication between the communication lines 11-1 to 11-4 and 21-1 to 21- belonging to different systems. The component costs of the overall network can therefore be significantly reduced. <modifikation><Beispiel Konfiguration-2 der Fahrzeug-Netzwerk-Vorrichtung>

[0063] Fig. Figure 4 shows a vehicle network device with an exemplary configuration 2, which is a modification of the one shown in Fig. Example configuration 1 is shown in Figure 1. Example configuration 2 differs from example configuration 1 in that an optical link 18 is used at the location where the communication relay 12 and the communication relay 22 are connected.

[0064] It is expected that communication lines will be used to connect different areas on a vehicle, such as the one in Fig. 1 shown intermediate area connection unit 17 and the one in Fig. 4, serve to exchange a large amount of data. Furthermore, it is very likely that a permissible communication delay time will be set very short in a vehicle-side specification.

[0065] It is therefore necessary to maintain high communication speed between the communication ECUs 10 and 20 for connecting different areas, and the processing speed performed in each of the communication ECUs 10 and 20. Connecting the communication ECUs 10 and 20 through the optical connection line 18 as shown in the Fig. The configuration shown in Figure 4 enables high-speed communication and thus the transmission of large amounts of data. Since data communication is carried out using an optical signal, the bit rate can be increased by setting a higher communication frequency. It is conceivable to implement communication over the optical link 18 in the form of optical communication according to, for example, the Ethernet standard. <Beispielstruktur mit Übertragungsleitungen>

[0066] Fig. Figure 5 shows an exemplary structure of transmission lines in the Fig. The vehicle network device shown in section 4 is included. In the example of Fig. 5, four optical transmission lines 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d are independently formed at the location of one optical fiber of the optical connection main line 18. In fact, the four optical transmission lines 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d can be formed by sequentially transmitting signals from the optical transmission lines 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d through four time-divided communication channels. Of course, another method can be used; for example, multiple communication channels can be secured simultaneously by transmitting multiple optical signals of different wavelengths through the same optical fiber.

[0067] In the example of Fig. 4. It is possible to prevent each of the communication relays 12 and 22 from becoming complex, since the four independent optical transmission lines 18a-18d are formed in the main optical connection line 18. That is, the information components transmitted by the four systems of communication lines 11-1 to 11-4 can be sent as they are via the corresponding optical systems of transmission lines 18a-18d to the four respective systems of communication lines 21-1 to 21-4. It is not necessary to perform any special processing, such as mixing several signal systems in communication relay 12 or separating several signal systems from a signal received by communication relay 22. <Beispielhafte Anordnung von Kommunikations-ECUs einer Fahrzeug-Netzwerk-Vorrichtung an einem Fahrzeug>

[0068] Fig. Figure 6 shows an exemplary arrangement of communication ECUs of a vehicle network device on a vehicle 30. The in Fig. The vehicle network device shown in Figure 6 includes a communication ECU 10A with a gateway function (GA) and four communication ECUs 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D that do not have a gateway function. The total number of communication control devices 20A to 20D connected to this network is increased or decreased as needed.

[0069] The five communication ECUs 10A, 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D are arranged in different areas of the vehicle 30. In a typical example, the communication ECUs 10A, 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D are arranged in the engine compartment, near the left door, in the instrument panel, near the right door, and in the luggage compartment. Of course, they can also be arranged in other areas, such as near the vehicle body roof, near the seats, and near the bumpers.

[0070] In the example of Fig. 6, the communication relay 12 of the communication ECU 10A and the communication relay 22 of the communication ECU 20A are connected to each other by an inter-area connection unit 17A. Likewise, the communication relay 12 of the communication ECU 10A and the communication relay 22 of the communication ECU 20B are connected to each other by an inter-area connection unit 17B. The communication relay 12 of the communication ECU 10A and the communication relay 22 of the communication ECU 20C are connected to each other by an inter-area connection unit 17C. The communication relay 12 of the communication ECU 10A and the communication relay 22 of the communication ECU 20D are connected to each other by an inter-area connection unit 17D.

[0071] Like the inter-area connection unit 17, each inter-area connection unit 17A, 17B, 17C, and 17D comprises four systems of independent communication lines. In the example of Fig. 6. Each of the communication relays 12 and 22 is designed to be compatible with the Ethernet standard.

[0072] The communication ECU 10A has the same configuration as the one in Fig. 1, except that the former is configured so that the plurality of inter-area connection units 17A, 17B, 17C, and 17D can be connected to its communication relay 12. Each of the communication ECUs 20A to 20D has the same configuration as that shown in Fig. 1 shown communication ECU 20.

[0073] Each of the various vehicle devices (electrical devices, such as ECUs; not shown) arranged at respective locations of the vehicle 30 can communicate with another vehicle device via the network by connecting the former to one of the several systems of communication lines 11-1 to 11-4 of the communication ECU 10A or one of the several systems of communication lines 21-1 to 21-4 of one of the communication ECUs 20A to 20D.

[0074] Each of the various vehicle devices connected to one of the multiple systems of communication lines 11-1 to 11-4 or one of the multiple systems of communication lines 21-1 to 21-4 can receive all signals sent on the same communication line. For example, when the CAN communication standard is used, each vehicle device distinguishes data frames addressed to itself from other data frames by recognizing an ID contained within the data frames, and receives only the self-directed data frames, while discarding the others. When the Ethernet communication standard is used, each vehicle device assesses whether a destination MAC address contained in a MAC frame matches its own, and receives only self-directed MAC frames, while discarding the others.As a result, multiple vehicle devices can be connected to each communication line with a bus structure.

[0075] Features of the vehicle network device according to the embodiment of the invention are briefly summarized below in the form of items [1] to [5]: [1] A vehicle network device installed in a vehicle, comprising: a communication relay (12) connected to at least two sets of multiple communication lines (11-1 to 11-4); and a router (13) that controls a communication route of a signal to pass through the communication relay, wherein the plurality of communication lines belong to respective predetermined systems and are independent of each other; wherein, when a signal is received from a communication line of one of the at least two sets of multiple communication lines, the communication relay sends the signal to a communication line belonging to the same system as the communication line from which the signal was received, of another set of multiple communication lines, and to the router; and where the router sends the signal to a communication line of the other set of multiple communication lines, which belongs to a different system than the communication line from which the signal was received. [2] Vehicle network device, comprising: several communication relays (12, 22) which can be arranged in different areas of a vehicle; a router (13) that controls a communication route of a signal to pass through two of the multiple communication relays; and an inter-area connection unit or units (17), each of which connects two of the plurality of communication relays to each other and one of the plurality of communication relays and the router to each other through a communication line; and Device connection units (communication lines 11-1 to 11-4, 21-1 to 21-4) connected to the plurality of respective communication relays, each of which has a plurality of communication lines, where the multiple communication lines belong to respective predetermined systems and are independent of each other; wherein the communication line of each inter-area connection unit comprises transmission lines that are independent of each other and belong to respective systems, the number of which is at least equal to the plurality of communication lines; wherein, when a signal is received, each of the plurality of communication relays outputs the signal to one of the transmission lines belonging to the same system as the communication line from which the signal was received, and to the router; and where the router sends the signal to a transmission line that belongs to a different system than the communication line from which the signal was received. [3] Vehicle network device according to point [2], wherein the plurality of communication relays (12, 22) are arranged in respective spaces in the vehicle, which are provided with respective vehicle sections having different functions and are independent of each other (see Fig. 6). [4] Vehicle network device according to point [2] or [3], further comprising a main line (optical link main line 18) capable of higher-speed communication than the multiple communication lines from each of the device link units, wherein: the main line includes transmission lines (optical transmission lines 18a - 18d) whose number is at least equal to the multiple communication lines of each of the device connection units. [5] Vehicle network device according to one of points [2] to [4], further comprising a device (safety management unit 15, 25) that manages communication security and is arranged between at least one of the several communication relays and a communication line belonging to a system, the associated device linking unit. [List of reference symbols] 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, 11-4 Communications Line 12, 22 communication relays 13 routers 13a Bit mapping table holding unit 13b Bit mapping table comparison unit 14-1, 14-2, 14-3, 14-4 driver IC 15, 25 Security Management Unit 16 Router connection unit 17, 17A, 17B, 17C, 17D Inter-area connection unit 18 optical connection main lines 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d optical transmission line 21-1, 21-2, 21-3, 21-4 Communication line 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d Input / Output port 24-1, 24-2, 24-3, 24-4 driver IC 30 vehicles< / modifikation>

Claims

[1] A vehicle network device installed in a vehicle, comprising: a communication relay (12) connected to a first set of multiple communication lines and a second set of multiple communication lines; and a router (13) that controls a communication route of a signal to pass through the communication relay (12), wherein the plurality of communication lines belong to respective predetermined systems and are independent of each other; wherein, when a signal is received from a communication line of one of the two sets of multiple communication lines, the communication relay (12) (i) sends the signal to the router (13), and the router (13) sends the signal via the communication relay (12) to a communication line that (a) belongs to the other set of multiple communication lines and (b) belongs to a different system than the communication line from which the signal was received; and (ii) sends the signal, without passing through the router (13), to a communication line which (a) belongs to the other set of multiple communication lines and (b) belongs to the same system as the communication line from which the signal was received. [2] A vehicle network device comprising: a first communication relay (12) and a second communication relay (22) which can be arranged in different areas of a vehicle; a router (13) that controls a communication route of a signal to pass through the communication relays (12, 22); and an inter-area connection unit (17) connecting the first communication relay to the second communication relay through a communication line; a router connection unit (16) connecting the first communication relay (12) to the router (13) through a communication line; a first device connection unit connected to the first communication relay (12) and having a plurality of communication lines (11-1 - 11-4); and a second device connection unit connected to the second communication relay (22) and having a plurality of communication lines (21-1 - 21-4); wherein the plurality of communication lines belong to respective predetermined systems and are independent of each other; wherein the communication line of the inter-area connection unit (17) comprises transmission lines that are independent of each other and belong to respective systems, the number of which is at least equal to the plurality of communication lines of the first device connection unit; wherein, when a signal is received, each of the communication relays (12, 22) outputs the signal to one of the transmission lines belonging to the same system as the communication line from which the signal was received, and to the router (13); and wherein the router (13) sends the signal via the first communication relay (12) to one of the transmission lines belonging to a different system than the communication line from which the signal was received. [3] A vehicle network device according to claim 2, wherein the communication relays (12,22) are arranged in respective spaces in the vehicle which are provided with respective vehicle sections having different functions and are independent of each other. [4] The vehicle network device according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising the communication line of the inter-area connection unit (17) is a main line (8) capable of higher speed communication than the plurality of communication lines of each of the device connection units. [5] The vehicle network device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising a device (15, 25) that manages communication security and is arranged between at least one of the communication relays (12, 22) and a communication line belonging to a system of the associated device connection unit.

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