Relay device, in-vehicle communication system, in-vehicle communication program, and in-vehicle communication method

Abstract

To provide a relay device, an in-vehicle communication system, a vehicle, and an in-vehicle communication method, for efficiently performing relay processing in an in-vehicle network.SOLUTION: A relay device 100 comprises: a transfer control unit 10 that is a relay unit for performing relay processing on a frame to be transmitted / received among a plurality of function units (an application in a vehicle velocity sensor 111A, an engine ECU 111B, and an automatic operation ECU 111C); and a transfer management unit 20 that is a relay management unit. The relay unit: receives, from the function unit, a target frame including information, by which a service request source can be identified, and information, by which a requested service content can be identified; and outputs the target frame to the relay management unit. When the target frame's content satisfies a prescribed condition, the relay management unit: stores, in the target frame, positional information on a position, in the in-vehicle network, of the function unit of the service request source or a service request destination with respect to the target frame; and outputs the target frame to the relay unit. The relay unit transmits the target frame to a destination function unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a relay device, an in-vehicle communication system, a vehicle, and an in-vehicle communication method. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-195298 filed on October 28, 2019, and incorporates all of the disclosures thereof herein.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-9559) discloses the following server. That is, the server is applied to a communication system (10) using the TCP / IP communication protocol, and is a server (20) that provides services to clients (40 to 44, 50 to 54) in response to subscription requests from the clients. For each of the services, a table storage unit (30) configured to store a priority table (32) in which the priority of receiving the service is set corresponding to the client, and when a subscription request for the service is requested from the client, based on the priority table stored in the table storage unit, a service determination unit (26, S400 to S410) configured to determine whether to permit the subscription request for the service from the client.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0004] The relay device of the present disclosure is a relay device used in an in-vehicle network including a plurality of functional units, and includes a relay unit that relays and processes frames transmitted and received between the functional units, and a relay management unit. The relay unit receives, from the functional unit, a target frame that is a frame transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol and has information capable of identifying a service requester and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service, and outputs the received target frame to the relay management unit. When the content of the target frame received from the relay unit satisfies a predetermined condition, the relay management unit stores, in the target frame, position information that is information regarding the position of the functional unit that is the service requester related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the service destination related to the target frame in the in-vehicle network, and outputs the target frame in which the position information is stored to the relay unit. The relay unit transmits the target frame received from the relay management unit to the functional unit that is the destination of the target frame.

[0005] The in-vehicle communication system of the present disclosure includes a plurality of functional units and a relay device that relays and processes frames transmitted and received between the functional units in an in-vehicle network. The functional unit transmits a target frame that is a frame transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol and has information capable of identifying a service requester and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service to the relay device. When the content of the target frame received from the functional unit satisfies a predetermined condition, the relay device stores, in the target frame, position information that is information regarding the position of the functional unit that is the service requester related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the service destination related to the target frame in the in-vehicle network, and transmits the target frame in which the position information is stored to another functional unit different from the functional unit that transmitted the target frame to the relay device. The other functional unit determines whether to perform processing for the service related to the target frame based on the position information stored in the target frame received from the relay device.

[0006] The in-vehicle communication method of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle communication method in a relay device that is used in an in-vehicle network including a plurality of functional units and relays frames transmitted and received between the functional units, and includes steps of receiving, from the functional unit, a target frame that is a frame transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol and has information capable of identifying a service requester and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service; storing, in the target frame, position information regarding a position of the functional unit that is the service requester related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the service recipient related to the target frame in the in-vehicle network when the content of the received target frame satisfies a predetermined condition; and transmitting the target frame in which the position information is stored to the functional unit that is the destination of the target frame.

[0007] The in-vehicle communication method of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle communication method in an in-vehicle communication system including a plurality of functional units and a relay device that relays frames transmitted and received between the functional units in an in-vehicle network, and includes steps of the functional unit transmitting, to the relay device, a target frame that is a frame transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol and has information capable of identifying a service requester and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service; the relay device storing, in the target frame, position information regarding a position of the functional unit that is the service requester related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the service recipient related to the target frame in the in-vehicle network when the content of the target frame received from the functional unit satisfies a predetermined condition, and transmitting the target frame in which the position information is stored to another functional unit different from the functional unit that transmitted the target frame to the relay device; and the other functional unit determining whether to perform processing for the service related to the target frame based on the position information stored in the target frame received from the relay device.

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure can be realized not only as a relay device including such a characteristic processing unit, but also as a semiconductor integrated circuit realizing part or all of the relay device, or as a program for causing a computer to execute the processing steps in the relay device. Further, one aspect of the present disclosure can be realized not only as an in-vehicle communication system including such a characteristic processing unit, but also as a method having such characteristic processing as steps, or as a semiconductor integrated circuit realizing part or all of the in-vehicle communication system, or as a program for causing a computer to execute the processing steps in the in-vehicle communication system.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In recent years, the introduction of service-oriented communication to in-vehicle networks has been progressing.

[0011] In the prior art described in Patent Document 1, further improvement is required in terms of the efficiency of frame relay processing. A technology that can perform relay processing in an in-vehicle network more efficiently than the prior art is desired.

[0012] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a relay device, an in-vehicle communication system, a vehicle, and an in-vehicle communication method capable of performing relay processing in an in-vehicle network more efficiently.

[0013] [EFFECTS OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE] According to the present disclosure, relay processing in an in-vehicle network can be performed more efficiently.

[0014] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, the content of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0015] (1) The relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a relay device used in an in-vehicle network including a plurality of functional units, and includes a relay unit that relays frames transmitted and received between the functional units, and a relay management unit. The relay unit receives, from the functional unit, a target frame that is a frame transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol and has information capable of identifying a service requester and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service, and outputs the received target frame to the relay management unit. When the content of the target frame received from the relay unit satisfies a predetermined condition, the relay management unit stores, in the target frame, position information that is information regarding the position of the functional unit that is the service requester related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the service destination related to the target frame in the in-vehicle network, and outputs the target frame in which the position information is stored to the relay unit. The relay unit transmits the target frame received from the relay management unit to the functional unit that is the destination of the target frame.

[0016] In this way, by adopting a configuration in which a target frame with position information stored therein is transmitted to another functional unit, it is possible to determine whether or not to establish a communication connection between the functional unit and the other functional unit, or to determine the communication volume between the functional unit and the other functional unit, based on the position of the functional unit in the in-vehicle network that was difficult to specify in the above communication protocol. Therefore, relay processing in the in-vehicle network can be performed more efficiently.

[0017] (2) Preferably, the relay unit outputs location information indicating the reception location of the target frame in the relay device to the relay management unit, and the relay management unit stores the location information received from the relay unit in the target frame as the position information.

[0018] With such a configuration, in the functional unit that has received the target frame, it is possible to identify the reception location of the target frame, for example, the communication port, in the relay device that has performed the relay process of the target frame, and it is possible to easily grasp the position of the functional unit that is the transmission source of the target frame in the in-vehicle network.

[0019] (3) Preferably, the relay management unit stores the identification information of the relay device as the position information in the target frame.

[0020] With such a configuration, for example, in an in-vehicle network including a plurality of relay devices, in the functional unit that has received the target frame, it is possible to identify the relay device that has performed the relay process of the target frame, and it is possible to more accurately grasp the position of the functional unit that is the transmission source of the target frame in the in-vehicle network.

[0021] (4) The in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of functional units and a relay device that performs relay processing on frames transmitted and received between the functional units in the in-vehicle network. The functional unit transmits a target frame, which is a frame transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol and has information capable of identifying the service requester and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service, to the relay device. When the content of the target frame received from the functional unit satisfies a predetermined condition, the relay device stores, in the target frame, position information regarding the position of the functional unit that is the service requester related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the service request destination related to the target frame in the in-vehicle network, and transmits the target frame in which the position information is stored to another functional unit different from the functional unit that has transmitted the target frame to the relay device. The other functional unit determines whether to perform processing for the service related to the target frame based on the position information stored in the target frame received from the relay device.

[0022] In this way, by adopting a configuration in which the target frame storing the location information is transmitted to other functional units, it is possible to, for example, determine whether a communication connection can be established between the functional unit and the other functional unit, or determine the communication volume between the functional unit and the other functional unit, based on the location of the functional unit in the in-vehicle network 12, which was difficult to identify in the above communication protocol. Therefore, the relay processing in the in-vehicle network can be performed more efficiently.

[0023] (5) The vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the in-vehicle communication system.

[0024] With such a configuration, in a vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle communication system, the relay processing in the in-vehicle network can be performed more efficiently.

[0025] (6) The in-vehicle communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle communication method in a relay device that relays frames transmitted and received between functional units in an in-vehicle network including a plurality of functional units, and includes steps of: receiving, from the functional unit, a target frame that is a frame transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol and has information capable of identifying a service requester and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service; storing, in the target frame, location information that is information regarding the location in the in-vehicle network of the functional unit that is the service requester related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the service destination related to the target frame when the content of the received target frame satisfies a predetermined condition; and transmitting the target frame in which the location information is stored to the functional unit that is the destination of the target frame.

[0026] In this way, by means of a method of transmitting a target frame in which position information is stored to other functional units, it is possible to determine whether or not to establish a communication connection between the functional unit and the other functional unit, or to determine the communication volume between the functional unit and the other functional unit, based on, for example, the position of the functional unit in the in-vehicle network 12 that was difficult to specify in the above communication protocol. Therefore, the relay processing in the in-vehicle network can be performed more efficiently.

[0027] (7) The in-vehicle communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle communication method in an in-vehicle communication system including a plurality of functional units and a relay device that relays frames transmitted and received between the functional units in an in-vehicle network, the method including: a step in which the functional unit transmits a target frame, which is a frame transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol and has information capable of identifying a service requester and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service, to the relay device; a step in which, when the content of the target frame received from the functional unit satisfies a predetermined condition, the relay device stores, in the target frame, position information that is information regarding the position of the functional unit that is the service requester related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the service request destination related to the target frame in the in-vehicle network, and transmits the target frame in which the position information is stored to another functional unit different from the functional unit that transmitted the target frame to the relay device; and a step in which the other functional unit determines whether to perform processing for the service related to the target frame based on the position information stored in the target frame received from the relay device.

[0028] In this way, by means of a method of transmitting a target frame in which position information is stored to other functional units, it is possible to determine whether or not to establish a communication connection between the functional unit and the other functional unit, or to determine the communication volume between the functional unit and the other functional unit, based on, for example, the position of the functional unit in the in-vehicle network 12 that was difficult to specify in the above communication protocol. Therefore, the relay processing in the in-vehicle network can be performed more efficiently.

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will not be repeated. Also, at least a part of the embodiments described below may be arbitrarily combined.

[0030] [In-vehicle communication system] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 1, the in-vehicle communication system 300 includes a plurality of in-vehicle ECUs (Electronic Control Units) 111 and a relay device 100. Specifically, the in-vehicle communication system 300 includes in-vehicle ECUs 111A to 111C as the in-vehicle ECUs 111. The in-vehicle communication system 300 is mounted on the vehicle 1. The in-vehicle ECUs 111 and the relay device 100 constitute the in-vehicle network 12. The relay device 100 is used for the in-vehicle network 12 including a plurality of in-vehicle ECUs 111.

[0032] The in-vehicle ECU 111A includes an application 112A and a storage unit 113A. The in-vehicle ECU 111B includes an application 112B and a storage unit 113B. The in-vehicle ECU 111C includes an application 112C and a storage unit 113C. Hereinafter, each of the applications 112A, 112B, and 112C is also referred to as the application 112. Also, each of the storage units 113A, 113B, and 113C is also referred to as the storage unit 113.

[0033] The in-vehicle ECU 111 and the application 112 are an example of functional units in the in-vehicle network 12.

[0034] In the in-vehicle network 12, the in-vehicle ECU 111 is connected to the relay device 100 via, for example, an Ethernet (registered trademark) cable 11.

[0035] Note that the in-vehicle communication system 300 is not limited to a configuration including three in-vehicle ECUs 111, and may also have a configuration including two or four or more in-vehicle ECUs 111. Further, the in-vehicle communication system 300 is not limited to a configuration in which one application 112 is installed in one in-vehicle ECU 111, and may also have a configuration in which two or more applications 112 are installed in one in-vehicle ECU 111.

[0036] Also, the in-vehicle communication system 300 is not limited to a configuration including one relay device 100, and may also have a configuration including two or more relay devices 100.

[0037] The relay device 100 is, for example, a gateway device and can relay data between a plurality of in-vehicle ECUs 111 connected to itself. The relay device 100 can perform relay processing according to, for example, layer 2 and a layer 3 higher than layer 2, and can perform, for example, frame relay processing between in-vehicle ECUs 111 belonging to the same VLAN and frame relay processing between in-vehicle ECUs 111 belonging to different VLANs.

[0038] More specifically, the relay device 100 performs relay processing of frames exchanged between in-vehicle ECUs 111 connected via an Ethernet cable 11 according to, for example, the communication standard of Ethernet. Hereinafter, a frame conforming to the communication standard of Ethernet is referred to as an Ethernet frame. An IP packet is stored in the Ethernet frame.

[0039] Note that in the in-vehicle communication system 300, the relay of Ethernet frames is not limited to a configuration in which each is performed according to the communication standard of Ethernet, and data relay may be performed according to, for example, communication standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network), FlexRay (registered trademark), MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) (registered trademark), and LIN (Local Interconnect Network).

[0040] The in-vehicle ECU 111 is, for example, an autonomous driving ECU, an engine ECU, a sensor, a navigation device, a human-machine interface, and a camera, etc.

[0041] In this example, the in-vehicle ECUs 111A, 111B, and 111C are a vehicle speed sensor, an engine ECU, and an autonomous driving ECU, respectively.

[0042] Hereinafter, the in-vehicle ECUs 111A, 111B, and 111C are also referred to as a vehicle speed sensor 111A, an engine ECU 111B, and an autonomous driving ECU 111C, respectively.

[0043] Each application 112 performs a predetermined process in the in-vehicle ECU 111 on which it is mounted, for example, by performing processing of the application layer. For example, the application 112A in the vehicle speed sensor 111A generates speed information indicating the traveling speed of the vehicle 1 at a predetermined cycle.

[0044] For example, the vehicle speed sensor 111A periodically or aperiodically includes speed information indicating the speed of the vehicle 1 in a frame and transmits it to other in-vehicle ECUs 111.

[0045] The engine ECU 111B receives the speed information from the in-vehicle ECU 111A via the relay device 100 and controls the engine based on the received speed information and the like.

[0046] The autonomous driving ECU 111C receives the speed information from the in-vehicle ECU 111A via the relay device 100 and performs autonomous driving control of the vehicle 1 based on the received speed information and the like.

[0047] That is, the vehicle speed sensor 111A is a server ECU that provides a service of notifying speed information. Also, the engine ECU 111B and the autonomous driving ECU 111C are client ECUs that receive the service from the vehicle speed sensor 111A.

[0048] Each functional unit transmits and receives frames according to a predetermined protocol. For example, in-vehicle ECU 111 transmits and receives frames according to the SOME / IP (Scalable Service-Oriented Middleware on Ethernet / Internet Protocol) protocol.

[0049] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a frame transmitted and received by an in-vehicle ECU according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 shows an example of a frame conforming to the SOME / IP protocol that is transmitted and received between in-vehicle ECUs 111.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 2, the header of a frame conforming to the SOME / IP protocol has fields of Message ID, Length, Request ID, Protocol Version, Interface Version, Message Type, Return Code, Flags, Reserve, Length of Entries Array, Entries Array, Length of Options Array, and Options Array.

[0051] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a frame transmitted and received by an in-vehicle ECU according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 shows details of the Entries Array field of the frame shown in FIG. 2.

[0052] Referring to FIG. 3, the fields of the Entries Array of a frame conforming to the SOME / IP protocol have fields of Type, Index 1st options, Index 2st options, # of opt 1, # of opt 2, Service ID, Instance ID, Major Version, TTL (Time To Live), Reserve, Initial Data Requested Flag, Reserve2, Counter, and Eventgroup.

[0053] The in-vehicle ECU 111 transmits and receives, via the relay device 100, a communication setting frame which is a frame for establishing a communication connection with other in-vehicle ECUs 111 in accordance with the SOME / IP protocol.

[0054] The in-vehicle ECU 111 establishes a communication connection with other in-vehicle ECUs 111 by transmitting and receiving the communication setting frame via the relay device 100, and communicates with the other in-vehicle ECUs 111 using a frame that conforms to the SOME / IP protocol.

[0055] For example, the server ECU and the client ECU establish a communication connection by transmitting and receiving the communication setting frame via the relay device 100. Then, the server ECU starts providing services to the client ECU with which the communication connection has been established, using a frame that conforms to the SOME / IP protocol.

[0056] Specifically, the server ECU and the client ECU determine to establish a communication connection and start providing and receiving services by transmitting and receiving the communication setting frame. Then, the server ECU periodically or aperiodically transmits, via the relay device 100, a service provision frame which is a frame for providing services and conforms to the SOME / IP protocol, to the client ECU.

[0057] Here, in the request ID field of the communication setting frame transmitted and received between the server ECU and the client ECU, information that can identify the client ECU which is the service requester is stored. More specifically, the MAC address of the client ECU is stored in the request ID field.

[0058] Also, in the message ID field of the communication setting frame transmitted and received between the server ECU and the client ECU, information that can identify the content of the service provided by the server ECU is stored. More specifically, information indicating the content of the service provided by the server ECU is stored in the message ID field.

[0059] [Relay device] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 4, the relay device 100 includes a transfer control unit 10, a transfer management unit 20, and a storage unit 30. The transfer control unit 10 includes communication ports 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D, 13E, and 13F. The transfer control unit 10 is an example of a relay unit. The transfer management unit 20 is an example of a relay management unit.

[0061] The transfer control unit 10 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor integrated circuit. The transfer management unit 20 is realized, for example, by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The storage unit 30 is, for example, a flash memory.

[0062] The communication ports 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D, 13E, and 13F are, for example, input / output ports. Hereinafter, each of the communication ports 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D, 13E, and 13F is also referred to as a communication port 13.

[0063] In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the vehicle speed sensor 111A is connected to the communication port 13A via a wiring pattern and an Ethernet cable 11, the engine ECU 111B is connected to the communication port 13C via a wiring pattern and an Ethernet cable 11, the autonomous driving ECU 111C is connected to the communication port 13E via a wiring pattern and an Ethernet cable 11, and the transfer management unit 20 is connected to the communication port 13F via a wiring pattern. Note that the communication ports 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D, and 13E may be external connectors or the like of the relay device 100.

[0064] [Transfer control unit] The transfer control unit 10 relays the frames transmitted and received between functional units. More specifically, the transfer control unit 10 receives a frame addressed to another in-vehicle ECU 111 from the in-vehicle ECU 111 via the corresponding communication port 13, and transmits the frame to the other in-vehicle ECU 111 via the corresponding communication port.

[0065] For example, the storage unit 30 stores an address table associating the communication port 13 with the MAC address of the device connected via the communication port 13.

[0066] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the address table in the storage unit of the relay device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 5, in the address table, for example, the MAC address of the vehicle speed sensor 111A is "MAC-A", the MAC address of the engine ECU 111B is "MAC-B", the MAC address of the automatic driving ECU 111C is "MAC-C", and the MAC address of the transfer management unit 20 is "MAC-D".

[0068] When the destination MAC address of the frame received from the vehicle speed sensor 111A via the communication port 13A is MAC-B, the transfer control unit 10 transmits the frame to the engine ECU 111B via the communication port 13C corresponding to MAC-B according to the address table in the storage unit 30.

[0069] The transfer control unit 10 receives a target frame from a functional unit, which is a frame transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol and has information capable of identifying the service requester and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service, and selectively outputs the received target frame to the transfer management unit 20.

[0070] For example, the transfer control unit 10 outputs the target frame received from the functional unit to the transfer management unit 20 without relaying the target frame to another functional unit.

[0071] More specifically, the transfer control unit 10 receives a frame addressed to the vehicle speed sensor 111A from the automatic driving ECU 111C via the communication port 13E, and checks the port number of, for example, the UDP header of the received frame. When the port number of the frame matches the port number pre-assigned to a frame conforming to the SOME / IP protocol, the transfer control unit 10 determines that the received frame is a target frame. Note that the transfer control unit 10 may be configured to determine whether the received frame is a target frame based on the MAC address or IP address of the received frame.

[0072] When the transfer control unit 10 determines that the received frame is a target frame, it rewrites the destination MAC address of the target frame with the MAC address MAC-D of the transfer management unit 20. Then, the transfer control unit 10 outputs the target frame to the transfer management unit 20 via the communication port 13F according to the address table in the storage unit 30.

[0073] On the other hand, when the transfer control unit 10 determines that the received frame is not a target frame, it transmits the frame to the vehicle speed sensor 111A via the communication port 13A according to the address table in the storage unit 30.

[0074] For example, the transfer control unit 10 outputs location information indicating the reception location of the target frame in the relay device 100 to the transfer management unit 20.

[0075] More specifically, for example, the transfer control unit 10 outputs port information indicating the communication port 13 through which the received target frame has passed, among the plurality of communication ports 13 in the relay device 100, to the transfer management unit 20 as the location information.

[0076] Specifically, when the transfer control unit 10 determines that the frame addressed to the vehicle speed sensor 111A received from the automatic driving ECU 111C via the communication port 13E is the target frame, the transfer control unit 10 generates port information indicating that the target frame has been received via the communication port 13E, and outputs the generated port information to the transfer management unit 20 together with the target frame.

[0077] [Transfer Management Unit] The transfer management unit 20 determines whether the content of the target frame received from the transfer control unit 10 satisfies a predetermined condition. More specifically, the transfer management unit 20 determines whether the target frame is a communication setting frame as the predetermined condition.

[0078] For example, the transfer management unit 20 determines whether the target frame is a communication setting frame based on the message ID in the header of the target frame conforming to the SOME / IP communication protocol received from the transfer control unit 10.

[0079] When the content of the target frame received from the transfer control unit 20 satisfies a predetermined condition, that is, when the target frame is a communication setting frame, the transfer management unit 20 stores position information, which is information regarding the position of the functional unit that is the request source of the service related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the request destination of the service related to the target frame in the in-vehicle network 12, in the target frame.

[0080] For example, the transfer management unit 20 stores the location information received from the transfer control unit 10 in the target frame as position information. More specifically, the transfer management unit 20 stores the port information received from the transfer control unit 10 in the target frame as position information.

[0081] Also, for example, the transfer management unit 20 stores the identification information of its own relay device 100 in the target frame as position information. More specifically, when the transfer management unit 20 receives the target frame from the transfer control unit 10, the transfer management unit 20 acquires the ID of the relay device 100 stored in the storage unit 30, and stores the acquired ID in the target frame.

[0082] Referring to FIG. 2 again, the transfer management unit 20 stores port information and position information such as ID in the field of the Options Array in the target frame.

[0083] Then, the transfer management unit 20 outputs the target frame in which the position information is stored to the transfer control unit 10.

[0084] When the transfer control unit 10 receives the target frame in which the position information is stored from the transfer management unit 20, it transmits the received target frame to the functional unit at the destination of the target frame, for example, the in-vehicle ECU 111.

[0085] [Communication connection between functional units] The functional unit determines whether to perform processing for the service related to the target frame based on the position information stored in the target frame received from the relay device 100.

[0086] More specifically, the functional unit, for example, the in-vehicle ECU 111, receives a communication setting frame from another in-vehicle ECU 111 via the relay device 100, and checks whether position information is stored in the received communication setting frame.

[0087] When the in-vehicle ECU 111 receives a communication setting frame from another in-vehicle ECU 111 and the position information is stored in the communication setting frame, the in-vehicle ECU 111 acquires the position information, and based on the acquired position information, determines whether to perform processing for the service related to the communication setting frame, for example, processing for establishing a communication connection with the other in-vehicle ECU 111.

[0088] Specifically, the server ECU determines whether to perform processing for starting to provide a service to the client ECU that is the transmission source of the communication setting frame based on the position information acquired from the communication setting frame. Also, the client ECU determines whether to perform processing for starting to subscribe to a service from the server ECU that is the transmission source of the communication setting frame based on the position information acquired from the communication setting frame.

[0089] (Example 1 of Communication Connection between Server ECU and Client ECU) For example, when a client ECU is added to the in-vehicle network 12 as a new in-vehicle ECU 111, it generates a service discovery frame, which is an example of a communication setting frame, including information indicating that it is searching for a server ECU capable of providing the services it needs, and multicasts the generated service discovery frame to other in-vehicle ECUs 111 via the relay device 100.

[0090] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a situation where a new in-vehicle ECU is connected to the relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0091] Referring to FIG. 6, for example, when an autonomous driving ECU 111C, which is a client ECU, is added to the in-vehicle network 12 by being connected to the communication port 13E of the transfer control unit 10, it generates a service discovery frame including information indicating that it is searching for a server ECU capable of transmitting speed information, and multicasts the generated service discovery frame to other in-vehicle ECUs 111 via the relay device 100.

[0092] The transfer management unit 20 in the relay device 100 stores location information in the service discovery frame received from the autonomous driving ECU 111C via the transfer control unit 10, and transmits the service discovery frame with the location information stored therein to other in-vehicle ECUs 111 via the transfer control unit 10.

[0093] The vehicle speed sensor 111A, which is a server ECU, receives the service discovery frame from the autonomous driving ECU 111C via the relay device 100, and acquires the location information stored in the received service discovery frame. Then, based on the acquired location information, the vehicle speed sensor 111A recognizes that the autonomous driving ECU 111C, which is the transmission source of the service discovery frame, is connected to the communication port 13E in the relay device 100.

[0094] Referring again to FIG. 1, for example, the storage unit 113 in the in-vehicle ECU 111 stores an additional permission table which is information capable of recognizing a permission communication port which is a communication port 13 where addition of functional units is permitted, and a non-permission communication port which is a communication port 13 where addition of functional units is not permitted.

[0095] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an additional permission table in the storage unit of the in-vehicle ECU according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 7, in the additional permission table, communication ports 13A, 13C, and 13E are permission communication ports, and communication ports 13B and 13D are non-permission communication ports.

[0096] For example, when the vehicle speed sensor 111A recognizes based on the additional permission table in the storage unit 113A that the communication port 13E is a permission communication port, the vehicle speed sensor 111A generates a service provision notification frame which is an example of a communication setting frame including its own MAC address and information indicating that it can transmit speed information, and transmits the generated service provision notification frame to the automatic driving ECU 111C via the relay device 100 as a response to the service discovery frame.

[0097] The automatic driving ECU 111C receives the service provision notification frame from the vehicle speed sensor 111A via the relay device 100, and generates a service subscription request frame which is an example of a communication setting frame including information indicating a request to transmit its own ID and speed information, and transmits the generated service subscription request frame to the vehicle speed sensor 111A via the relay device 100.

[0098] The vehicle speed sensor 111A receives the service subscription request frame from the automatic driving ECU 111C via the relay device 100, and determines whether to permit service subscription by the automatic driving ECU 111C, that is, whether to start transmitting speed information to the automatic driving ECU 111C, based on the ID of the automatic driving ECU 111C included in the received service subscription request frame.

[0099] Then, the vehicle speed sensor 111A generates a service subscription availability frame, which is an example of a communication setting frame including information indicating the determination content, and transmits the generated service subscription availability frame to the automatic driving ECU 111C via the relay device 100 as a response to the service subscription request frame.

[0100] When the vehicle speed sensor 111A determines to start providing a service to the automatic driving ECU 111C, it periodically or aperiodically transmits a service provision frame conforming to the SOME / IP protocol to the automatic driving ECU 111C via the relay device 100. More specifically, the vehicle speed sensor 111A periodically or aperiodically transmits a service provision frame including speed information to the automatic driving ECU 111C via the relay device 100.

[0101] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of a situation where a new in-vehicle ECU is connected to the relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0102] Referring to FIG. 8, for example, when the automatic driving ECU 111C, which is a client ECU, is added to the in-vehicle network 12 by being connected to the communication port 13D of the transfer control unit 10, it generates a service search frame including information indicating that it is searching for a server ECU capable of transmitting speed information, and multicasts the generated service search frame to other in-vehicle ECUs 111 via the relay device 100.

[0103] The transfer management unit 20 in the relay device 100 stores location information in the service search frame received from the automatic driving ECU 111C via the transfer control unit 10, and transfers the service search frame in which the location information is stored to other in-vehicle ECUs 111 via the transfer control unit 10.

[0104] The vehicle speed sensor 111A, which is a server ECU, receives a service discovery frame from the autonomous driving ECU 111C via the relay device 100 and acquires the position information stored in the received service discovery frame. Then, based on the acquired position information, the vehicle speed sensor 111A recognizes that the autonomous driving ECU 111C, which is the source of the service discovery frame, is connected to the communication port 13D in the relay device 100.

[0105] For example, when the vehicle speed sensor 111A recognizes that the communication port 13D is a non-permitted communication port based on the additional permission information in the storage unit 113A, the vehicle speed sensor 111A discards the received service discovery frame without transmitting a service provision notification frame to the autonomous driving ECU 111C via the relay device 100.

[0106] In addition, when an application, which is an example of a functional unit, is downloaded to the autonomous driving ECU 111C connected to the communication port 13E or 13D of the transfer control unit 10 and the application is added to the in-vehicle network 12, an operation similar to the operation described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8 above is performed.

[0107] (Example 2 of Communication Connection between Server ECU and Client ECU) For example, the autonomous driving ECU 111C, which is a client ECU, periodically or aperiodically generates a service discovery frame and multicasts the generated service discovery frame to other in-vehicle ECUs 111 via the relay device 100.

[0108] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of a situation in which a new in-vehicle ECU is connected to the relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0109] Referring to FIG. 9, for example, the vehicle speed sensor 111A, which is a server ECU, is added to the in-vehicle network 12 by being connected to the communication port 13A of the transfer control unit 10. It receives a service discovery frame from the automatic driving ECU 111C, generates a service provision notification frame including its own MAC address and information indicating that it can transmit speed information, and transmits the generated service provision notification frame to the automatic driving ECU 111C via the relay device 100 as a response to the service discovery frame.

[0110] The transfer management unit 20 in the relay device 100 stores location information in the service provision notification frame received from the vehicle speed sensor 111A via the transfer control unit 10, and transmits the service provision notification frame with the location information stored therein to the automatic driving ECU 111C via the transfer control unit 10.

[0111] The automatic driving ECU 111C receives a service provision notification frame from the vehicle speed sensor 111A via the relay device 100, and acquires the location information stored in the received service provision notification frame. Then, based on the acquired location information, the automatic driving ECU 111C recognizes that the vehicle speed sensor 111A, which is the source of the service provision notification frame, is connected to the communication port 13A in the relay device 100.

[0112] For example, when the automatic driving ECU 111C recognizes that the communication port 13A is a permitted communication port based on the additional permission information in the storage unit 113C, it generates a service subscription request frame including information requesting the transmission of its own ID and speed information, and transmits the generated service subscription request frame to the vehicle speed sensor 111A via the relay device 100.

[0113] The vehicle speed sensor 111A receives a service subscription request frame from the automatic driving ECU 111C via the relay device 100, and determines whether to permit the service subscription by the automatic driving ECU 111C, that is, whether to start transmitting speed information to the automatic driving ECU 111C, based on the ID of the automatic driving ECU 111C included in the received service subscription request frame.

[0114] Then, the vehicle speed sensor 111A generates a service subscription availability frame including information indicating the determination content, and transmits the generated service subscription availability frame to the automatic driving ECU 111C via the relay device 100 as a response to the service subscription request frame.

[0115] When the vehicle speed sensor 111A determines to start providing a service to the automatic driving ECU 111C, it periodically or aperiodically transmits a service provision frame conforming to the SOME / IP protocol to the automatic driving ECU 111C via the relay device 100. More specifically, the vehicle speed sensor 111A periodically or aperiodically transmits a service provision frame including speed information to the automatic driving ECU 111C via the relay device 100.

[0116] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a situation in which a new in-vehicle ECU is connected to the relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0117] Referring to FIG. 10, the vehicle speed sensor 111A, which is a server ECU, is added to the in-vehicle network 12 by being connected to the communication port 13B of the transfer control unit 10, receives a service search frame from the automatic driving ECU 111C, generates a service provision notification frame including its own MAC address and information indicating that it can transmit speed information, and transmits the generated service provision notification frame to the automatic driving ECU 111C via the relay device 100 as a response to the service search frame.

[0118] The transfer management unit 20 in the relay device 100 stores location information in the service provision notification frame received from the vehicle speed sensor 111A via the transfer control unit 10, and transmits the service provision notification frame in which the location information is stored to the automatic driving ECU 111C via the transfer control unit 10.

[0119] The automatic driving ECU 111C receives a service provision notification frame from the vehicle speed sensor 111A via the relay device 100, and acquires the position information stored in the received service provision notification frame. Then, based on the acquired position information, the automatic driving ECU 111C recognizes that the vehicle speed sensor 111A, which is the transmission source of the service provision notification frame, is connected to the communication port 13B in the relay device 100.

[0120] For example, when the automatic driving ECU 111C recognizes that the communication port 13B is a non-permitted communication port based on the additional permission information in the storage unit 113A, it discards the received service provision notification frame without transmitting a service subscription request frame to the vehicle speed sensor 111A via the relay device 100.

[0121] In addition, when an application, which is an example of a functional unit, is downloaded to the vehicle speed sensor 111A connected to the communication port 13A or 13B of the transfer control unit 10 and the application is added to the in-vehicle network 12, the same operations as those described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 above are performed.

[0122] [Operation flow] Each device in the in-vehicle communication system includes a computer including a memory, and an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU in the computer reads and executes a program including some or all of the steps of the following flowchart and sequence from the memory. The programs of these multiple devices can each be installed from the outside. The programs of these multiple devices are each distributed in a state stored in a recording medium.

[0123] FIG. 11 is a flowchart defining an example of an operation procedure when the relay device changes the relay process setting in the in-vehicle communication system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0124] Referring to FIG. 11, first, the relay device 100 waits for a frame from a functional unit in the in-vehicle network 12, for example, the in-vehicle ECU 111 (NO in step S102). When the relay device 100 receives a frame from the in-vehicle ECU 111 (YES in step S102), it determines whether the received frame is a target frame. More specifically, the relay device 100 checks the port number in the UDP header of the received frame. When the port number of the frame matches the port number pre-assigned to a frame conforming to a predetermined communication protocol such as SOME / IP, the relay device 100 determines that the received frame is a target frame (step S104).

[0125] When the relay device 100 determines that the received frame is not a target frame (NO in step S106), it transmits the frame to the destination functional unit, for example, the in-vehicle ECU 111. That is, the relay device 100 relays the frame (step S108).

[0126] Next, the relay device 100 waits for a new frame from the functional unit (NO in step S102).

[0127] On the other hand, when the relay device 100 determines that the received frame is a target frame (YES in step S106), it determines whether the target frame is a communication setting frame. More specifically, the transfer control unit 10 in the relay device 100 outputs the target frame to the transfer management unit 20. For example, the transfer control unit 10 outputs the port information indicating the communication port 13 through which the received target frame has passed to the transfer management unit 20 together with the target frame. Then, based on the information stored in the header of the target frame received from the transfer control unit 10, the transfer management unit 20 determines whether the target frame is a communication setting frame (step S110).

[0128] Next, when the relay device 100 determines that the target frame is not a communication setting frame (NO in step S112), it transmits the target frame to the destination functional unit, for example, the in-vehicle ECU 111. More specifically, the transfer management unit 20 in the relay device 100 transmits the target frame to the destination functional unit, for example, the in-vehicle ECU 111 via the transfer control unit 10. That is, the relay device 100 relays the frame (step S108).

[0129] On the other hand, when the relay device 100 determines that the target frame is a communication setting frame (YES in step S112), it stores the location information of the functional unit that is the source of the service related to the target frame or the location information of the functional unit that is the destination of the service related to the target frame in the target frame (step S114).

[0130] Next, the relay device 100 transmits the target frame in which the location information is stored to the destination functional unit, for example, the in-vehicle ECU 111 (step S116).

[0131] Next, the relay device 100 waits for a new frame from the functional unit (NO in step S102).

[0132] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence of processes for relaying frames between functional units in an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0133] Referring to FIG. 12, a vehicle speed sensor 111A, which is an example of a functional unit, transmits a service providing frame addressed to the engine ECU 111B including speed information to the relay device 100 at a timing when the speed information should be transmitted (step S202).

[0134] Next, the relay device 100 receives the service providing frame from the vehicle speed sensor 111A and transmits the received service providing frame to the engine ECU 111B, which is an example of a functional unit. That is, the relay device 100 relays the service providing frame from the vehicle speed sensor 111A to the engine ECU 111B (step S204).

[0135] Next, when the automatic driving ECU 111C, which is an example of a functional unit, is added to the in-vehicle network 12 by being connected to the communication port 13E of the transfer control unit 10, it transmits a service search frame, which is an example of a communication setting frame, to the relay device 100 (step S206).

[0136] Next, the relay device 100 stores location information in the service search frame received from the automatic driving ECU 111C (step S208).

[0137] Next, the relay device 100 relays the service search frame in which the location information is stored to another in-vehicle ECU 111, for example, the vehicle speed sensor 111A (step S210).

[0138] Next, the vehicle speed sensor 111A receives the service search frame, acquires the location information stored in the received service search frame, and determines whether to perform processing for establishing a communication connection with the automatic driving ECU 111C based on the acquired location information. Then, since the communication port 13E is a permitted communication port, the vehicle speed sensor 111A decides to perform processing for establishing a communication connection with the automatic driving ECU 111C, and generates a service provision notification frame, which is an example of a communication setting frame (step S212).

[0139] Next, the vehicle speed sensor 111A transmits the generated service provision notification frame to the relay device 100 as a response to the service search frame (step S214).

[0140] Next, the relay device 100 relays the service provision notification frame received from the vehicle speed sensor 111A to the automatic driving ECU 111C (step S216).

[0141] Next, the automatic driving ECU 111C transmits a service subscription request frame, which is an example of a communication setting frame, to the relay device 100 (step S218).

[0142] Next, the relay device 100 relays the service subscription request frame received from the automatic driving ECU 111C to the vehicle speed sensor 111A (step S220).

[0143] Next, as a response to the service subscription request, the vehicle speed sensor 111A transmits a service subscription permission / non-permission frame storing information indicating permission of service subscription, which is an example of a communication setting frame, to the relay device 100 (step S222).

[0144] Next, the relay device 100 relays the service subscription permission / non-permission frame to the automatic driving ECU 111C (step S224).

[0145] Next, at the next transmission timing when the speed information is to be transmitted, the vehicle speed sensor 111A transmits a service provision frame addressed to the engine ECU 111B and the automatic driving ECU 111C to the relay device 100 (step S226).

[0146] Next, the relay device 100 receives the service provision frame from the vehicle speed sensor 111A and transmits the received service provision frame to the engine ECU 111B and the automatic driving ECU 111C (step S228).

[0147] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a sequence of processing for relaying frames between functional units in an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0148] Referring to FIG. 13, a vehicle speed sensor 111A, which is an example of a functional unit, transmits a service provision frame addressed to the engine ECU 111B including speed information to the relay device 100 at the timing when the speed information is to be transmitted (step S302).

[0149] Next, the relay device 100 receives the service provision frame from the vehicle speed sensor 111A and transmits the received service provision frame to the engine ECU 111B, which is an example of a functional unit. That is, the relay device 100 relays the service provision frame from the vehicle speed sensor 111A to the engine ECU 111B (step S304).

[0150] Next, when the automatic driving ECU 111C, which is an example of a functional unit, is added to the in-vehicle network 12 by being connected to the communication port 13D of the transfer control unit 10, it transmits a service search frame to the relay device 100 (step S306).

[0151] Next, the relay device 100 stores location information in the service search frame received from the automatic driving ECU 111C (step S308).

[0152] Next, the relay device 100 relays the service search frame in which the location information is stored to another in-vehicle ECU 111, for example, the vehicle speed sensor 111A (step S310).

[0153] Next, the vehicle speed sensor 111A receives the service search frame, acquires the location information stored in the received service search frame, and determines whether to perform processing for establishing a communication connection with the automatic driving ECU 111C based on the acquired location information. Then, since the communication port 13D is a non-permitted communication port, the vehicle speed sensor 111A decides not to perform the processing for establishing a communication connection with the automatic driving ECU 111C and discards the received service search frame (step S312).

[0154] Next, at the next transmission timing when the speed information is to be transmitted, the vehicle speed sensor 111A transmits a service provision frame addressed to the engine ECU 111B to the relay device 100 (step S314).

[0155] Next, the relay device 100 receives the service provision frame from the vehicle speed sensor 111A and transmits the received service provision frame to the engine ECU 111B (step S316).

[0156] [Modification Example 1] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the configuration of a modification example of the relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0157] Referring to FIG. 14, the relay device 101 includes a transfer control unit 10, a transfer management unit 20, a storage unit 30, and a processing unit 40.

[0158] The processing unit 40 is an example of a functional unit in the in-vehicle network 12. The processing unit 40 is connected to, for example, the communication port 13A of the transfer control unit 10. For example, the processing unit 40 acquires information such as speed information from the in-vehicle ECU 111 in the in-vehicle network 12 and transmits the acquired information to other in-vehicle ECUs 111.

[0159] The processing unit 40 transmits and receives, via the transfer control unit 10, a communication setting frame for establishing a communication connection with the in-vehicle ECU 111 according to the SOME / IP protocol.

[0160] For example, the processing unit 40 functions as a server, establishes a communication connection with the client ECU, and starts providing a service to the client ECU using a frame according to the SOME / IP protocol. Specifically, the processing unit 40 periodically or aperiodically transmits, via the transfer control unit 10, a service providing frame including information such as speed information to the in-vehicle ECU 111.

[0161] Alternatively, the processing unit 40 functions as a client, establishes a communication connection with the server ECU, and receives a service provided by the server ECU using a frame according to the SOME / IP protocol. Specifically, the processing unit 40 periodically or aperiodically receives, via the transfer control unit 10, a service providing frame including information such as speed information from the in-vehicle ECU 111.

[0162] The transfer control unit 10 relays the frames transmitted and received between the processing unit 40 and the in-vehicle ECU 111.

[0163] For example, the transfer control unit 10 receives a communication setting frame from the processing unit 40 and selectively outputs the received target frame to the transfer management unit 20. Alternatively, the transfer control unit 10 receives a communication setting frame from the in-vehicle ECU 111 and selectively outputs the received target frame to the transfer management unit 20.

[0164] When the content of the target frame received from the transfer control unit 10 satisfies a predetermined condition, that is, when the target frame is a communication setting frame, the transfer management unit 20 stores the position information in the target frame. Then, the transfer management unit 20 outputs the target frame in which the position information is stored to the transfer control unit 10.

[0165] When the transfer control unit 10 receives the target frame in which the position information is stored from the transfer management unit 20, it transmits the received target frame to the destination functional unit, for example, the processing unit 40.

[0166] The processing unit 40 determines whether to perform processing for the service related to the target frame based on the position information stored in the target frame received from the transfer control unit 10.

[0167] [Modification Example 2] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the configuration of a modification of the in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0168] Referring to FIG. 15, the in-vehicle communication system 301 includes in-vehicle ECUs 111A to 111C and a relay device 100. The in-vehicle communication system 301 includes relay devices 100A and 100B as the relay device 100.

[0169] The relay device 100A and the relay device 100B are connected to each other via an Ethernet cable 11.

[0170] The automatic driving ECU 111C is connected to the communication port in the relay device 100B via the Ethernet cable 11 and a wiring pattern. The connection relationship among the vehicle speed sensor 111A, the engine ECU 111B, and the relay device 100A is the same as the connection relationship shown in FIG. 4.

[0171] The transfer control unit 10 in the relay device 100B receives the target frame from the functional unit connected to itself, that is, the automatic driving ECU 111C, and selectively outputs the received target frame to the transfer management unit 20 in the relay device 100B.

[0172] When the target frame received by the transfer management unit 20 in the relay device 100B is a communication setting frame, the transfer management unit 20 stores the position information, that is, the port information and the ID of the relay device 100B, in the target frame. The transfer management unit 20 stores the position information in the target frame and outputs the target frame with the position information stored therein to the transfer control unit 10.

[0173] When the transfer control unit 10 in the relay device 100B receives a target frame with position information stored therein from the transfer management unit 20, it transmits the received target frame to the destination functional unit, for example, the vehicle speed sensor 111A, via the relay device 100A.

[0174] The storage unit 113 in the in-vehicle ECU 111 according to Modification 2 stores an additional permission table for each relay device 100.

[0175] The vehicle speed sensor 111A receives the target frame from the automatic driving ECU 111C via the relay devices 100A and 100B, refers to the ID stored in the target frame, and acquires from the storage unit 113 the additional permission table corresponding to the relay device 100B indicated by the ID. Then, based on the acquired additional permission table and the port information stored in the received target frame, the vehicle speed sensor 111A determines whether to perform processing for establishing a communication connection with the automatic driving ECU 111C.

[0176] [Other Modifications] Note that in the relay device 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the transfer control unit 10 is configured to output the location information, that is, the port information, to the transfer management unit 20, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The transfer control unit 10 may be configured not to output the port information to the transfer management unit 20. In this case, the transfer management unit 20 does not store the port information in the target frame, but stores the ID of the relay device 100 as the position information in the target frame.

[0177] In this case, the functional unit that has received the target frame from the relay device 100 determines whether to perform processing for the service related to the target frame according to another relay device 100 that is the connection destination of the functional unit that is the transmission source of the target frame.

[0178] Also, in the relay device 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, although the transfer management unit 20 is configured to store the port information and the ID of the relay device 100 in the target frame, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, in the in-vehicle network 12 including one relay device 100 in the in-vehicle communication system 300 shown in FIG. 1, the transfer management unit 20 may be configured to store the port information as position information in the target frame without storing the ID of the relay device 100 in the target frame.

[0179] By the way, a technology that can perform relay processing in an in-vehicle network more efficiently is desired.

[0180] For example, in recent years, the spread of in-vehicle networks introducing service-oriented communication has been progressing. Based on the topology of the functional units performing such service-oriented communication, a technology that can adjust the communication volume between the functional units at low cost or improve the security of communication between the functional units is desired.

[0181] On the other hand, in the relay device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the transfer control unit 10 performs relay processing on frames transmitted and received between functional units. The transfer control unit 10 receives, from a functional unit, a target frame that is a frame transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol and has information capable of identifying a service requester and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service, and outputs the received target frame to the transfer management unit 20. When the content of the target frame received from the transfer control unit 10 satisfies a predetermined condition, the transfer management unit 20 stores, in the target frame, position information that is information regarding the position in the in-vehicle network 12 of the functional unit that is the service requester related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the service destination related to the target frame, and outputs the target frame in which the position information is stored to the transfer control unit 10. The transfer control unit 10 transmits the target frame received from the transfer management unit 20 to the functional unit that is the destination of the target frame.

[0182] In the in-vehicle communication system 300 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the relay device 100 performs relay processing on frames transmitted and received between functional units in the in-vehicle network 12. The functional unit transmits, to the relay device, a target frame that is a frame transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol and has information capable of identifying a service requester and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service. When the content of the target frame received from the functional unit satisfies a predetermined condition, the relay device stores, in the target frame, position information that is information regarding the position in the in-vehicle network 12 of the functional unit that is the service requester related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the service destination related to the target frame, and transmits the target frame in which the position information is stored to another functional unit different from the functional unit that transmitted the target frame to the relay device 100. The other functional unit determines whether to perform processing for the service related to the target frame based on the position information stored in the target frame received from the relay device.

[0183] The in-vehicle communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle communication method in a relay device that is used in an in-vehicle network including a plurality of functional units and relays frames transmitted and received between the functional units. In this in-vehicle communication method, first, the relay device receives, from a functional unit, a target frame that is a frame transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol and has information capable of identifying a service requester and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service. Next, when the content of the received target frame satisfies a predetermined condition, the relay device stores, in the target frame, position information that is information regarding the position of the functional unit that is the service requester related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the service request destination related to the target frame in the in-vehicle network 12. Next, the relay device transmits the target frame in which the position information is stored to the functional unit that is the destination of the target frame.

[0184] The in-vehicle communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle communication method in an in-vehicle communication system including a plurality of functional units and a relay device that relays frames transmitted and received between the functional units in the in-vehicle network 12. In this in-vehicle communication method, first, the functional unit transmits, to the relay device, a target frame that is a frame transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol and has information capable of identifying a service requester and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service. Next, when the content of the target frame received from the functional unit satisfies a predetermined condition, the relay device stores, in the target frame, position information that is information regarding the position of the functional unit that is the service requester related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the service request destination related to the target frame in the in-vehicle network 12, and transmits the target frame in which the position information is stored to another functional unit different from the functional unit that transmitted the target frame to the relay device 100. Next, the other functional unit determines whether to perform processing for the service related to the target frame based on the position information stored in the target frame received from the relay device.

[0185] In this way, by means of a configuration and method for transmitting a target frame storing position information to other functional units, for example, based on the position of a functional unit in the in-vehicle network 12 that was difficult to identify in the above communication protocol, it is possible to determine whether to establish a communication connection between the functional unit and the other functional unit, or to determine the communication volume between the functional unit and the other functional unit.

[0186] Therefore, in the relay device, in-vehicle communication system, and in-vehicle communication method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, relay processing in the in-vehicle network can be performed more efficiently.

[0187] The above embodiments should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of claims rather than the above description, and it is intended that all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims be included.

[0188] The above description includes the features appended below. [Appendix 1] A relay device used in an in-vehicle network including a plurality of functional units, a transfer control unit that performs relay processing on frames transmitted and received between the functional units, and a transfer management unit, wherein the transfer control unit receives, from the functional unit, a target frame that is a frame transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol and has information capable of identifying a service requester and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service, and outputs the received target frame to the transfer management unit, wherein when the target frame received by the transfer management unit from the transfer control unit is a communication setting frame that is a frame for establishing a communication connection with another functional unit, the transfer management unit stores, in the target frame, position information that is information regarding the position in the in-vehicle network of the functional unit that is the service requester related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the service request destination related to the target frame, and outputs the target frame in which the position information is stored to the transfer control unit of the target frame. The relay control unit is a relay device that transmits the target frame received from the transfer management unit to the function unit at the destination.

[0189] [Appendix 2] A plurality of function units, and a relay device that relays frames transmitted and received between the function units in a vehicle-mounted network, wherein the function unit transmits a target frame, which is a frame transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol and has information capable of identifying a service requester and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service, to the relay device, and when the content of the target frame received from the function unit satisfies a predetermined condition, the relay device stores, in the target frame, position information that is information regarding the position of the function unit that is the service requester related to the target frame or the function unit that is the service request destination related to the target frame in the vehicle-mounted network, and transmits the target frame in which the position information is stored to another function unit different from the function unit that transmitted the target frame to the relay device, and the other function unit determines whether to perform processing for establishing a communication connection with the function unit that is the transmission source of the target frame based on the position information stored in the target frame received from the relay device. A vehicle-mounted communication system.

[0190] [Appendix 3] A relay device including a processor and a semiconductor integrated circuit, which is used in a vehicle-mounted network including a plurality of function units, wherein the semiconductor integrated circuit realizes a transfer control unit that relays frames transmitted and received between the function units, the processor realizes a transfer management unit, and the transfer control unit receives, from the function unit, a target frame, which is a frame transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol and has information capable of identifying a service requester and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service, and outputs the received target frame to the transfer management unit, When the content of the target frame received from the transfer control unit satisfies a predetermined condition, the transfer management unit stores position information, which is information regarding the position in the in-vehicle network of the functional unit that is the source of the service related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the destination of the service related to the target frame, in the target frame, and outputs the target frame in which the position information is stored to the transfer control unit. The transfer control unit is a relay device that transmits the target frame received from the transfer management unit to the functional unit that is the destination of the target frame.

[0191] [Appendix 4] A plurality of in-vehicle ECUs, and a relay device that relays frames transmitted and received between the in-vehicle ECUs in the in-vehicle network. The in-vehicle ECU transmits a target frame, which is a frame transmitted and received according to a predetermined communication protocol and has information capable of identifying the source of a service and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service, to the relay device. When the content of the target frame received from the in-vehicle ECU satisfies a predetermined condition, the relay device stores position information, which is information regarding the position in the in-vehicle network of the in-vehicle ECU that is the source of the service related to the target frame or the in-vehicle ECU that is the destination of the service related to the target frame, in the target frame, and transmits the target frame in which the position information is stored to another in-vehicle ECU different from the in-vehicle ECU that transmitted the target frame to the relay device. The other in-vehicle ECU determines whether to perform processing for the service related to the target frame based on the position information stored in the target frame received from the relay device. An in-vehicle communication system.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0192] 1 Vehicle 10 Transfer control unit 11 Ethernet cable 12 In-vehicle network 13 Communication port 20 Transfer Management Unit 30 Memory Unit 40 Processing Unit 100 Relay Device 101 Relay Device 111A Vehicle Speed Sensor (In-vehicle ECU) 111B Engine ECU (In-vehicle ECU) 111C Autonomous Driving ECU (In-vehicle ECU) 112 Application 113 Memory Unit 300 In-vehicle Communication System 301 In-vehicle Communication System

Claims

1. A relay device for use in an in-vehicle network including a plurality of functional units, a relay unit that relays frames transmitted and received between the functional units; A relay management unit, the relay unit receives from the functional unit a target frame, the target frame being a frame transmitted and received in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol and including information capable of identifying a source of a service request and information capable of identifying the content of the requested service, and outputs the received target frame to the relay management unit; when the content of the target frame received from the relay unit satisfies a predetermined condition, the relay management unit stores in the target frame location information, which is information regarding a location in the in-vehicle network of the functional unit that has requested a service related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the destination of a request for a service related to the target frame, and outputs the target frame in which the location information has been stored to the relay unit; The relay unit transmits the target frame received from the relay management unit to the functional unit that is the destination of the target frame.

2. The relay unit outputs location information indicating a receiving location of the target frame in the relay device to the relay management unit; The relay device according to claim 1 , wherein the relay management unit stores the location information received from the relay unit as the position information in the target frame.

3. The relay device according to claim 1 , wherein the relay management unit stores identification information of the relay device as the location information in the target frame.

4. A plurality of functional units; a relay device that relays frames transmitted and received between the functional units in an in-vehicle network, the function unit transmits to the relay device a target frame, the target frame being a frame transmitted and received in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol and including information capable of identifying a source of a service request and information capable of identifying content of the requested service; when the content of the target frame received from the functional unit satisfies a predetermined condition, the relay device stores in the target frame location information, which is information regarding a location in the in-vehicle network of the functional unit that has requested a service related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the destination of a request for the service related to the target frame, and transmits the target frame in which the location information has been stored to another functional unit different from the functional unit that transmitted the target frame to the relay device; An in-vehicle communication system, wherein the other functional unit determines whether or not to perform processing for a service related to the target frame based on the location information stored in the target frame received from the relay device.

5. A vehicle comprising an in-vehicle communication system according to claim 4.

6. An in-vehicle communication method in a relay device used in an in-vehicle network including a plurality of functional units, which relays frames transmitted and received between the functional units, comprising: receiving, from the functional unit, a target frame which is a frame transmitted and received in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol and which includes information for identifying a source of a service request and information for identifying the content of the requested service; storing, in the target frame, location information, which is information regarding a location in the in-vehicle network, of the functional unit that is a requester of a service related to the target frame or the functional unit that is a destination of a request for a service related to the target frame, when the content of the received target frame satisfies a predetermined condition; and transmitting the target frame in which the location information is stored to the functional unit that is the destination of the target frame.

7. An in-vehicle communication method in an in-vehicle communication system including a plurality of functional units and a relay device that relays frames transmitted and received between the functional units in an in-vehicle network, a step of transmitting, by the functional unit, to the relay device, a target frame which is a frame transmitted and received in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol and which includes information capable of identifying a source of a service request and information capable of identifying content of the requested service; a step of storing, in the target frame, location information, which is information regarding a location in the in-vehicle network of the functional unit that has requested a service related to the target frame or the functional unit that is the destination of the request for the service related to the target frame, in the target frame when the content of the target frame received from the functional unit satisfies a predetermined condition, and transmitting the target frame in which the location information is stored to another functional unit different from the functional unit that transmitted the target frame to the relay device; and a step in which the other functional unit determines whether to perform processing for a service related to the target frame based on the location information stored in the target frame received from the relay device.

Images