Apparatus and method for connecting a service-oriented device to a signal-based device

Description

[0001] To enable communication between devices in a vehicle, a so-called "service-oriented architecture" is increasingly being used. In this architecture, various communication data is managed, requested, and provided as so-called "services." Such services offer the advantage that they can be activated or deactivated as needed and dynamically assigned to different devices.

[0002] To enable service-oriented communication in a vehicle, it is currently necessary to equip the respective vehicle devices that are to participate in service-oriented communication with a specific control unit that supports service-oriented communication interfaces and protocols. Such control units are expensive and require complex adaptation to a specific vehicle architecture.

[0003] WO 2018 / 127790 A2 describes a service-oriented server configured to provide a service to an external device in a vehicle.

[0004] US2019 / 126858 A1 describes a system with gateways that allow different networks, such as the networks of different vehicles, to exchange data with each other. For example, a sensor in a first network can provide data to an actuator in a second network. The functionalities thus available can be provided as a service-oriented architecture (SOA). US2017 / 063971 A1 describes a system in which signal-based control devices such as ECUs are recognized and utilized in a complex, hierarchical network. Protocol translation from SOME / IP to a CAN protocol is also provided.

[0005] Against this background, one object of the presented invention was to provide a cost-effective and robust way to implement service-oriented communication in a signal-based vehicle architecture.

[0006] The above object is achieved by the features of the respective independent claims. Further features and details of the invention emerge from the subclaims, the description, and the drawings.

[0007] In a first aspect, the presented invention relates to a device for service-oriented communication with a signal-based hardware architecture according to claim 1.

[0008] In the context of the invention presented, service-oriented communication refers to communication in which packet data grouped into services is exchanged using a service-oriented protocol and assigned to respective service-oriented communication partners. The services can be dynamically assigned to different communication partners on demand by adjusting communication parameters, such as a destination address or bandwidth.

[0009] In the context of the invention presented, a signal-based hardware architecture is understood to mean a number of devices that exchange communication signals using fixed communication parameters.

[0010] In the context of the invention presented, routing logic refers to the assignment of respective signal-based communication interfaces to respective signal-based communication interfaces. A predefined routing logic can be dynamically adapted as needed, so that, for example, a signal-based communication partner can be dynamically assigned to different signal-based communication partners.

[0011] In the context of the present invention, a transformation of signal-based communication signals into service-oriented communication signals according to a service-oriented communication protocol is understood to mean a process in which signal-based communication signals are adapted, i.e., reordered, for example, so that they can be processed with a respective communication protocol. For the transformation of signal-based communication signals, transformation protocols can be used, for example, which include instructions on how which communication data should be inserted where in order to complete the transformation.

[0012] In the context of the presented invention, an embedded system is understood to be a component that includes both manufacturer-configurable ICs, such as ASICs, and user-configurable ICs, in particular a processor. An embedded system can, for example, contain a so-called "gateway" that supports forwarding functions or so-called "routing" between the respective communication interfaces of the presented device. In addition to the forwarding functions, the embedded system of the presented device supports a transformation of data or data packets from a signal-based communication protocol to a service-oriented communication protocol and a transformation of data or data packets from a service-oriented communication protocol to a signal-based communication protocol.This transformation can be purely software-based, i.e., through programs executed in the embedded system, or hardware-based, i.e., through physical circuits or circuits without the use of software. Of course, a transformation can also be partially software-based and partially hardware-based. An embedded system can be a computing unit.

[0013] The device presented serves, in particular, to make an existing and tested signal-based communication architecture of a vehicle accessible for service-oriented communication or control. For this purpose, the device is connected to respective signal-based external devices, i.e., respective devices of the vehicle's communication architecture, via signal-based communication interfaces. This means that the external signal-based devices communicate with the signal-based communication interfaces and exchange data. The signal-based communication interfaces can, for example, be configured for communication via a signal-based CAN, LIN, or PSl5 protocol.

[0014] Furthermore, it is envisaged that the presented device will be connected to respective external service-oriented communication partners, for example, respective devices of a service-oriented communication architecture of the vehicle or an external control instance, via service-oriented communication interfaces. This means that the external service-oriented communication partners communicate with the service-oriented communication interfaces and exchange data. The service-oriented communication interfaces can, for example, be configured for communication via a SOME / IP protocol, a SOME / IP-SD protocol, or similar protocols from the so-called "AUTOSAR" context.

[0015] The presented device comprises an embedded system, in particular a gateway, by means of which transformation processes for transforming signal-based data, i.e. data structured according to a signal-based communication protocol, are transformed into service-oriented data, i.e. data structured according to a service-oriented communication protocol, and vice versa.

[0016] Furthermore, the embedded system serves for routing, i.e. for establishing or disconnecting communication connections between respective communication interfaces of the presented device.

[0017] The proposed device can be preconfigured with a predefined routing logic to prepare an existing signal-based component, in particular a hardware architecture, for service-oriented communication without additional adaptations, i.e., to make it "SOA-ready." Alternatively or additionally, the device can be prepared for specific hardware architectures using additional configuration instructions, such as a corresponding, modifiable routing logic.

[0018] It may be provided that the embedded system is configured to provide an offer catalog comprising a list of services that can be provided by the device, and the embedded system is further configured to dynamically update the offer catalog depending on respective external signal-based devices communicating with the device using a predetermined offer assignment logic.

[0019] Using a catalog of services that can be provided by the device, the device can serve service-oriented communication participants, i.e., provide service-oriented communication participants who have subscribed to a service with the device with corresponding data from respective signal-based devices. Based on the catalog of services, respective service-oriented communication participants can determine which services are offered by the device.

[0020] Offer allocation logic specifies which data can be offered by which signal-based devices as which services. For example, the offer allocation logic can specify that data from a signal-based rain / light sensor can be used to provide a "rain information" service and a "light information" service. In this example, the device presented can be configured to only retrieve data from the rain / light sensor if a "rain information" service or a "light information" service has been subscribed to by a service-oriented communication partner. Accordingly, cyclical data provision by the rain / light sensor can be dispensed with, regardless of current requirements. By dispensing with cyclical data provision, communication resources are conserved and energy is saved.

[0021] By dynamically updating the offering catalog, a list of available services can be adapted, for example, depending on the configuration and / or status of a component currently connected to the device, making the device suitable for use with various components or configurations. This means that the device can be universally and flexibly deployed and adapted to the various components.

[0022] It may further be provided that the embedded system is configured to provide a requirement catalog comprising a list of services required for a given function, and to dynamically update the requirement catalog depending on each of the given functions using a given requirement mapping logic and to forward respective data from respective provided services to corresponding external signal-based devices according to the requirement mapping logic.

[0023] To control the respective signal-based devices connected to the proposed device in a service-dependent manner, a requirement catalog can be used that includes the respective services to be supplied with data. Using a requirement mapping logic, the respective data or devices required for the currently supplied services can be determined and controlled accordingly.

[0024] It can further be provided that the embedded system is configured to route respective signal-based communication signals specified by a direct connection catalog from the number of signal-based communication interfaces directly to respective service-oriented communication interfaces specified according to the specified routing logic.

[0025] Through direct routing of selected or predefined signal-based communication signals to the respective service-oriented communication interfaces, direct access to the corresponding signal-based devices—that is, access to the data generated by the signal-based devices without data transformation—can be guaranteed. Such direct routing is required, for example, for data acquisition using predefined communication protocols, such as diagnostic data in the UDS protocol.

[0026] It can further be provided that the device comprises a memory, and that the embedded system is configured to temporarily store cyclically provided signal-based communication signals in the memory, and to assign respective signal-based communication signals temporarily stored in the memory to service-oriented communication signals to be provided asynchronously in time to the cyclically provided signal-based communication signals.

[0027] To enable the transformation of data provided according to a signal-based communication protocol, which is provided cyclically, for example, into a service-oriented communication protocol that provides data on demand, a memory can be provided that compensates for a temporary offset between the respective requests of the service-oriented communication protocol and the timing of the signal-based communication protocol. This means that data provided according to a signal-based communication protocol is, for example, temporarily stored in the memory until it is retrieved by a service-oriented communication protocol or updated according to the signal-based communication protocol.

[0028] It may further be provided that the device comprises a user interface for configuring the routing logic and / or the offer allocation logic and / or the request allocation logic.

[0029] By means of a user interface, a user can be enabled to adapt forwarding rules, i.e. the routing logic and / or the offer assignment logic and / or the request assignment logic of the presented device.

[0030] It is intended that the embedded system is configured to transmit a switching signal to a respective external signal-based device in dependence on a service-oriented communication signal requested by an external service-oriented communication partner in order to activate or deactivate the respective external signal-based device.

[0031] By selectively activating or deactivating devices connected to the device, the device can activate devices as needed, for example, according to services subscribed to by a communication partner. This prevents unnecessary devices from being activated, and minimizes the energy consumption of a component. Furthermore, communication resources, especially those of the device, are conserved.

[0032] "Activating" can mean supplying electricity to a device that was previously unpowered, or changing its operating state through a corresponding control command, such as a "wake-up." Similarly, "deactivating" can mean disconnecting a device that was previously powered from an electricity supply, or changing its operating state through a corresponding control command, such as a "standby" command.

[0033] It may further be provided that the device comprises a switching communication interface, and that the embedded system is configured to transmit the switching signal to the respective external signal-based device via the switching communication interface.

[0034] To transmit a switching signal to activate or deactivate respective devices, the presented device may comprise a switching communication interface, such as a so-called "EN-PIN", which is connected to a switching pin for activating or deactivating a respective device, or a wireless communication interface.

[0035] In a second aspect, the presented invention relates to a communication system for a vehicle. The communication system comprises a number of signal-based devices, a number of service-oriented communication partners, and a possible embodiment of the presented device, wherein the device is configured to communicatively connect the number of signal-based devices with the number of service-oriented communication partners.

[0036] The presented communication system is used in particular for operating the presented device in a vehicle.

[0037] In a third aspect, the presented invention relates to a method for controlling communication in a communication system, wherein the method comprises a first connection step for connecting a possible embodiment of the presented device to a number of signal-based devices, a second connection step for connecting the device to a number of service-oriented communication partners, and a control step for controlling communication of the number of service-oriented communication partners with the number of signal-based devices by means of the device.

[0038] The presented method is used in particular for operating the presented device, for example in the presented communication system.

[0039] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Fig. 1 a possible design of the presented device, Fig. 2 another possible embodiment of the device presented, Fig. 3 a possible design of the presented communication system, Fig. 4 a further possible design of the presented communication system, Fig. 5 a possible design of the presented procedure.

[0040] In Fig 1 A device 100 is shown. The device 100 comprises a number of service-oriented communication interfaces 101 to 103, a number of signal-based communication interfaces 105 to 107, and an embedded system 109 in the form of a gateway. The embedded system 109 accesses an optional memory 111 to determine data stored there, such as cyclically updated signal-based data, i.e., data that is cyclically provided by signal-based devices.

[0041] Furthermore, the embedded system 109 includes routing logic that specifies which signal-based communication interfaces 105 to 107 are to be communicatively connected to which signal-based communication interfaces. The routing logic can change dynamically depending on the respective supported services.

[0042] To enable a service-oriented communication partner to communicate with the device 100, the device provides an offer catalog 113 that includes a list of services supported by the device. The list of services supported by the device can change, for example, depending on the respective signal-based devices connected to the signal-based communication interfaces 105 to 107 or their operating state.

[0043] The embedded system 109 is configured to transform signal-based communication signals provided by the signal-based communication interfaces 105 to 107 into service-oriented communication signals according to a service-oriented communication protocol, and to transform service-oriented communication signals provided by the respective service-oriented communication interfaces 101 to 103 into signal-based communication signals according to a signal-based communication protocol. Accordingly, the device 100 acts as an intermediary between service-oriented communication partners and signal-based devices.

[0044] For the direct, i.e. non-transformed forwarding of selected data, such as diagnostic data, the embedded system 109 accesses an optional direct connection catalog 115, which specifies which signal-based communication interfaces 105 to 107 are directly connected to which service-oriented communication interfaces 101 to 103.

[0045] The signal-based communication interfaces 105 to 107 can, for example, be CAN interfaces to a CAN network of a vehicle.

[0046] The service-oriented communication interfaces 101 to 103 can, for example, be Ethernet interfaces for connecting to a service-oriented communication partner, such as a central control unit.

[0047] Of course, the signal-based communication interfaces 105 to 107 and / or the service-oriented communication interfaces 101 to 103 can be designed to be wired or wireless.

[0048] The direct connection catalog 115 and the offer catalog 113 can be provided via an optional user interface, adapted or preconfigured, e.g. stored in the memory 111.

[0049] In Fig. 2 The device 100 is shown with an additional switching communication interface 201 in the form of an "EN-PIN." Using the switching communication interface 201, an activation signal or a deactivation signal can be transmitted to activate or deactivate a signal-based device 203, such as a sensor or an actuator.

[0050] The activation signal can be, for example, a supply of electricity to the device 203 or a control command, such as a "wake up" to control the device 203.

[0051] The deactivation signal may, for example, be a disconnection of the device 203 from an electricity supply or a change in an operating state of the device 203 by a corresponding control command for controlling the device 203, such as a "standby command".

[0052] The switching communication interface 201 may be connected to a power supply switch 205 of the device 203 to control its power supply. Alternatively or additionally, the switching communication interface 201 may be connected to a control switch 207 for controlling an operating state of the device 203.

[0053] In Fig. 3 is a communication system 300. The communication system 300 comprises a signal-based device 301, such as a sensor or an actuator, and the device 100 according to Figur 1 .

[0054] The device 100 is connected to the signal-based device 301, as indicated by arrow 303. Furthermore, the device 100 is connected 305 to a service-oriented communication partner, as indicated by arrow 307. Accordingly, the device 100 acts as an intermediary between the signal-based device 301 and the service-oriented communication partner 305. For this purpose, the device 100 provides the service-oriented communication partner 305 with a catalog of supported services. These services can optionally be updated at runtime via an interface, in particular a user interface.

[0055] Depending on the respective services subscribed to by the service-oriented communication partner 305 at the device 100, the device 100 determines a routing logic for forwarding and transforming data from the signal-based device 301 to the service-oriented communication partner 305 and vice versa.

[0056] In Fig. 4 a communication system 400 is shown. The communication system 400 comprises a signal-based device 401, here a node control device, which is connected to further signal-based devices 403, 405 and 407 and the device 100 according to Fig. 1 .

[0057] The device 100 is connected to a service-oriented communication partner 305, as indicated by arrow 409. Accordingly, the device 100 acts as an intermediary between the signal-based device 401 and, consequently, the other signal-based devices 403, 405, and 407 and the service-oriented communication partner 305. For this purpose, the device 100 provides the service-oriented communication partner with a catalog of supported services. The catalog of services is dynamically updated depending on an operating state or the addition or removal of the devices 403, 405, and 407 from the device 401.

[0058] The device 100 can, for example, be integrated as an integrated circuit in the signal-based device 401 or connected to the signal-based device 401 as a separate module.

[0059] In Fig. 5 a method 500 is shown. The method 500 comprises a first connection step 501 for connecting a possible embodiment of the presented device, such as device 100 according to Fig. 1 , with a number of signal-based devices, a second connection step 503 for connecting the device to a number of service-oriented communication partners, and a control step 505 for controlling communication of the number of service-oriented communication partners with the number of signal-based devices by means of the device. List of reference symbols

[0060] 100Device 101Service-oriented communication interface 103Service-oriented communication interface 105Signal-based communication interface 107Signal-based communication interface 109Computing unit 111Memory 113Offer catalog 115Direct connection catalog 201Switching communication interface 203Signal-based device 205Power supply switch 207Control switch 300Communication system 301Signal-based device 303Arrow 305Communication participant 307Arrow 400Communication system 401Signal-based device 403Signal-based device 405Signal-based device 407Signal-based device 409Arrow 500Procedure 501First connection step 503Second connection step 505Control step

Claims

1. An apparatus (100) for enabling service-oriented communication of a service-oriented device with a plurality of signal-based devices (301, 401, 403, 405, 407), said apparatus (100) comprising: - a plurality of service-oriented communication interfaces (101, 103) for communicative linking to a plurality of external service-oriented communication partners (305), - a plurality of signal-based communication interfaces (105, 107) for communication with a plurality of external signal-based devices (301, 401, 403, 405, 407), - an embedded system (109), said embedded system (109) being configured to communicatively link respective signal-based communication interfaces (105, 107) to respective service-oriented communication interfaces (101, 103) according to a predetermined routing logic and to transform signal-based communication signals provided via the respective signal-based communication interfaces (105, 107) into service-oriented communication signals according to a service-oriented communication protocol and to transform service-oriented communication signals provided via the respective service-oriented communication interfaces (101, 103) into signal-based communication signals according to a signal-based communication protocol, characterized in that the embedded system (109) is configured to transmit a switching signal to a respective external signal-based device (301, 401, 403, 405, 407) in order to activate or deactivate the respective external signal-based device (301, 401, 403, 405, 407) depending on a service-oriented communication signal requested by an external service-oriented communication partner (305).

2. An apparatus (100) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the embedded system (109) is configured to provide an offer catalogue (113) containing a list of services that can be provided by the apparatus (100), and that the embedded system (109) is furthermore configured to dynamically update the offer catalogue (113) depending on the respective external signal-based devices communicating with the apparatus (100) using a predetermined offer mapping logic.

3. An apparatus (100) according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterized in that the embedded system (109) is configured to provide a requirement catalogue containing a list of services required for a predetermined function, and to dynamically update the requirement catalogue depending on the predetermined function using a predetermined requirement mapping logic, and to forward respective data from respective provided services to respective external signal-based devices (301, 401, 403, 405, 407) according to the requirement mapping logic.

4. An apparatus (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the embedded system (109) is configured to route respective signal-based communication signals predetermined by a direct connection catalogue from the plurality of signal-based communication interfaces (105, 107) directly to respective service-oriented communication interfaces (101, 103) predetermined according to the predetermined routing logic.

5. An apparatus (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the apparatus (100) comprises a memory (111), and that the embedded system (109) is configured to temporarily store cyclically provided signal-based communication signals in the memory (111), and to assign respective signal-based communication signals temporarily stored in the memory (111) to service-oriented communication signals to be provided asynchronously in time to the cyclically provided signal-based communication signals.

6. An apparatus (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the apparatus (100) comprises a user interface (117) for configuring the routing logic and / or the offer mapping logic and / or the requirement mapping logic.

7. An apparatus (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the apparatus (100) comprises a switching communication interface (201), and that the embedded system (109) is configured to transmit the switching signal to the respective external signal-based device (301, 401, 403, 405, 407) via the switching communication interface (201).

8. A communication system (300, 400) for a motor vehicle, said communication system comprising: - a plurality of signal-based devices (301, 401, 403, 405, 407), - a plurality of service-oriented communication partners (305), - an apparatus (100) according to one of Claims 1 to 7, said apparatus (100) being configured to communicatively link the plurality of signal-based devices (301, 401, 403, 405, 407) to the plurality of service-oriented communication partners (305).

9. A process (500) for controlling a communication in a communication system (300, 400), said process (500) comprising: - Connection (501) of a device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 7 to a plurality of signal-based devices (301, 401, 403, 405, 407), - Connection (503) of the apparatus (100) to a plurality of service-oriented communication partners (305), - Controlling (505) a communication between the plurality of service-oriented communication partners (305) and the plurality of signal-based devices (301, 401, 403, 405, 407) by means of the apparatus (100).