Partial network redundancy device and network system

Abstract

To provide a partial network redundancy device capable of increasing the versatility of a node.SOLUTION: A partial network redundancy device 10 includes a second main transceiver 10a connected to a main line 41 and compatible with SW (Selective Wakeup), a second redundant transceiver 10b connected to a redundant line 42 and compatible with SW, and a microcomputer 100 capable of receiving a PN activation request message 1 corresponding to SW via the transceivers 10a and 10b. When it is determined that a line fault has occurred, the microcomputer 100 transmits the received PN activation request message 1 as a proxy via either the second main transceiver 10a or the second redundant transceiver 10b, which has not received the PN activation request message 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a partial network redundancy device and a network system. [Background technology]

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a technology called partial network that reduces the power consumption of the entire network system. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-89022 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a partial network, low power consumption is achieved by individually waking up or putting nodes to sleep (selective activation) as needed. To achieve this, the nodes must be equipped with transceivers that support selective activation. Also, a network system can be considered to have a redundant configuration with a main line and a redundant line. To achieve redundancy in a partial network, each node must be equipped with a transceiver that supports selective activation for each of the main line and the redundant line.

[0005] One disclosed object is to provide a partial network redundancy device and a network system that can increase the versatility of nodes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The partial network redundancy device disclosed herein comprises: A partial network redundancy device provided in a network system including: a communication line including a main line (41) and a redundant line (42); a plurality of nodes (21-23) each having a main transceiver (21a, 22a) connected to the main line and capable of selective activation and a redundant transceiver (21b, 22b) connected to the redundant line and not capable of selective activation; and a gateway device (30) having a first main transceiver (30a) connected to the main line and capable of selective activation and a first redundant transceiver (30b) connected to the redundant line and capable of selective activation, a second main transceiver (10a) connected to the main line and capable of selective activation; a second redundant transceiver (10b) connected to the redundant line and capable of selective activation; a control unit (100) capable of receiving a start-up request message corresponding to selective start-up via a second main transceiver and a second redundant transceiver; The control unit a fault determination unit (140) for determining whether a line fault has occurred in the main line and the redundant line; If the fault determination unit determines that a line fault has occurred, the activation request message is transmitted via either the second main transceiver or the second redundant transceiver, whichever has not received the activation request message.

[0007] The partial network redundancy device disclosed herein can deliver a startup request message to a node that cannot receive the startup request message due to a line failure. Therefore, the partial network redundancy device can maintain the startup state of the node. In other words, the partial network redundancy device can maintain the startup state even for a node equipped with a primary transceiver and a redundant transceiver, thereby enhancing the versatility of the node.

[0008] The network system disclosed herein also includes: a communication line including a main line (41) and a redundant line (42); a plurality of nodes (21-23) each including a main transceiver (21a, 22a) connected to a main line and capable of selective activation and a redundant transceiver (21b, 22b) connected to a redundant line and not capable of selective activation; a gateway device (30) including a first main transceiver (30a) connected to a main line and capable of selective activation, and a first redundant transceiver (30b) connected to a redundant line and capable of selective activation; A network system comprising a partial network redundancy device (10) including a second main transceiver (10a) connected to a main line and capable of selective activation, and a second redundant transceiver (10b) connected to a redundant line and capable of selective activation, The partial network redundancy device comprises a control unit (100) capable of receiving a startup request message corresponding to selective startup via a second primary transceiver and a second redundant transceiver; The control unit a fault determination unit (140) for determining whether a line fault has occurred in the main line and the redundant line; If the fault determination unit determines that a line fault has occurred, the activation request message is transmitted via either the second main transceiver or the second redundant transceiver, whichever has not received the activation request message.

[0009] The network system disclosed herein can deliver a startup request message to a node that cannot receive the startup request message due to a line failure. Therefore, the network system can maintain the startup state of the node. In other words, the network system can maintain the startup state even for a node equipped with a primary transceiver and a redundant transceiver, thereby enhancing the versatility of the node.

[0010] The various aspects disclosed in this specification employ different technical means to achieve their respective objectives. The reference numerals in parentheses in the claims and in this section are intended to exemplify correspondences with the following embodiments and are not intended to limit the technical scope. The objectives, features, and advantages disclosed in this specification will become more apparent by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a network system. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is an image diagram showing a communication state of a PN activation request message in a network system. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a PN redundancy device. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing operation of a PN reception determination unit. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing operation of a failure detection unit; [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing operation of a PN transmission determination unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an image diagram showing the communication state of a PN activation request message when a line failure occurs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. The network system is configured to be mountable on a vehicle or the like. The network system complies with the partial network defined by AUTOSAR. The network system is, for example, a CAN network equipped with a selective wake function.

[0013] In the following, partial network will be referred to as PN and selective wake-up as SW. Selective wake-up is equivalent to selective activation. AUTOSAR is an abbreviation for AUTomotive Open System Architecture. CAN is a registered trademark. CAN is an abbreviation for Controller Area Network.

[0014] <Network System> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the network system is equipped with a communication line (communication bus) including a main line 41 and a redundant line 42. In other words, the network system has a redundant configuration equipped with the main line 41 and the redundant line 42. A partial network redundancy device 10, multiple nodes 21 to 23, and a partial network coordination device 30 are connected to the communication line. Note that the partial network redundancy device 10 and the partial network coordination device 30 can also be considered as one of the nodes. Furthermore, the multiple nodes 21 to 23 can also be called control nodes to distinguish them from the partial network redundancy device 10 and the partial network coordination device 30.

[0015] Hereinafter, the partial network redundancy device 10 will also be referred to as the PN redundancy device 10, and the partial network coordination device 30 will also be referred to as the PN coordination device 30. The PN coordination device 30 corresponds to a gateway device. In FIG. 2 and other figures, the PN redundancy device 10 is represented as PNR, and the PN coordination device 30 is represented as GW. Furthermore, the first node 21 is represented as 1NOD, and the second node 22 is represented as 2NOD.

[0016] In the network system, communication messages such as control messages including control information for each node 21 to 23 and a PN activation request message 1 (SRM) for waking up a correspondent node are transmitted via communication lines. The PN activation request message 1 is transmitted periodically to wake up the correspondent node and maintain the wake-up state. The correspondent nodes are nodes in the same cluster, and also include the PN redundancy device 10 and the PN coordination device 30. The PN activation request message 1 corresponds to SW. The PN activation request message 1 is a message that can be transmitted and received only by a transceiver that supports SW. The PN activation request message 1 corresponds to an activation request message.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 1, this embodiment employs a network system including three nodes 21 to 23. In Fig. 2, in order to simplify the drawing, the third node 23 is omitted and only the first node 21 and the second node 22 are shown. The network system may include four or more nodes.

[0018] Each of the nodes 21 to 23 includes a processing device such as a CPU, a storage device such as a ROM or RAM, a communication device connected to a communication line, etc. In other words, each of the nodes 21 to 23 can be said to be an electronic control device equipped with a microcomputer and a communication device.

[0019] 2, the first node 21 includes, as communication devices, a main transceiver 21a connected to the main line 41 and corresponding to SW, and a redundant transceiver 21b connected to the redundant line 42 and not corresponding to SW. Similarly, the second node 22 includes, as communication devices, a main transceiver 22a connected to the main line 41 and corresponding to SW, and a redundant transceiver 22b connected to the redundant line 42 and not corresponding to SW. Since the redundant transceivers 21b and 22b do not support SW, they cannot receive the PN activation request message 1. However, the redundant transceivers 21b and 22b can receive control messages.

[0020] A transceiver that supports SW is called a compatible transceiver. On the other hand, a transceiver that does not support SW is called a non-compatible transceiver. In the drawings, a compatible transceiver is indicated as TRXA, and a non-compatible transceiver is indicated as TRXB. A compatible transceiver can also be called a SW compatible transceiver. On the other hand, a non-compatible transceiver can also be called a SW non-compatible transceiver.

[0021] Each of the nodes 21 to 23 is configured such that the processing device executes a program stored in the storage device. By executing the program, the processing device performs arithmetic processing using data received by the communication device, etc. The processing device realizes various functions by performing arithmetic processing.

[0022] A plurality of nodes 21 to 23 belong to a predetermined PNC (cluster). For example, the first node 21 and the second node 22 belong to the first PNC, and the third node 23 belongs to the second PNC. Therefore, it can be said that FIG. 2 only shows the nodes 21 and 22 that belong to the first PNC. Each of the nodes 21 to 23 holds information (PNCID) for identifying the PNC to which it belongs. For example, the PNCID of the first PNC is 1, the PNCID of the second PNC is 2, and the PNCID of the n-th PNC is n. PNC is an abbreviation for Partial Network Cluster.

[0023] The PNCID is also included in the PN activation request message 1. Therefore, each of the nodes 21 to 23 can determine, based on the PNCID in the received PN activation request message 1, whether the PN activation request message 1 is intended for the PNC to which it belongs. Furthermore, when each of the nodes 21 to 23 receives the PNCID indicating the PNC to which it belongs, it becomes capable of sending and receiving other communication messages. In this way, the network system controls whether or not each of the nodes 21 to 23 can receive other communication messages by sending and receiving the PN activation request message 1 including the PNCID. Other communication messages are communication messages other than the PN activation request message 1.

[0024] In addition to the PNCID, the PN activation request message 1 includes, for example, a frame ID. Furthermore, the PN activation request message 1 may include a source address and a destination address. The PNCID, frame ID, source address, and destination address are additional information of the PN activation request message 1.

[0025] The PN coordination device 30 includes a processing device such as a CPU, a storage device such as a ROM or RAM, a communication device connected to a communication line, etc. In other words, the PN coordination device 30 can be said to be an electronic control device equipped with a microcomputer and a communication device.

[0026] 2, the PN coordination device 30 includes, as communication devices, a first main transceiver 30a that is connected to a main line 41 and corresponds to SW, and a first redundant transceiver 30b that is connected to a redundant line 42 and corresponds to SW. The first main transceiver 30a and the first redundant transceiver 30b are compatible transceivers (TRXAs) because they correspond to SW.

[0027] The PN coordination device 30 is configured such that the processing device executes a program stored in the storage device. By executing the program, the processing device performs arithmetic processing using data received by the communication device, etc. The processing device realizes various functions by performing arithmetic processing.

[0028] The PN coordination device 30 has a partial network coordination function 30c (PCF) as one of its functions. The PN coordination function 30c is a function that determines which PNC should be kept in a wake-up state based on the PNCID etc. of the received PN activation request message 1, and transmits the PN activation request message 1 to the necessary communication line at regular intervals.

[0029] 2, the PN coordination device 30 maintains the wake-up state of the first node 21, the second node 22, and the PN redundancy device 10 by transmitting a PN activation request message 1 to the main line 41 via the first main transceiver 30a. At the same time, the PN coordination device 30 also transmits a similar PN activation request message 1 to the redundant line 42 via the first redundant transceiver 30b, maintaining the wake-up state of the PN redundancy device 10. In this way, the PN coordination device 30 periodically transmits the same PN activation request message 1 to both the main line 41 and the redundant line 42.

[0030] However, in nodes 21 and 22, redundant transceivers 21b and 22b are connected to redundant line 42. Redundant transceivers 21b and 22b cannot receive PN activation request message 1. Therefore, PN activation request message 1 on redundant line 42 is received only by PN redundancy device 10. Note that PN activation request message 1 can also be transmitted by each of nodes 21 to 23. The wake-up state can also be called a communication activation state.

[0031] <Partial network redundancy device> As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the PN redundancy device 10 includes a microcomputer 100 (MCU) including a processing device such as a CPU and storage devices such as a ROM and RAM, and a communication device connected to a communication line.

[0032] The PN redundancy device 10 is a communication device that includes a second main transceiver 10a that is connected to the main line 41 and corresponds to SW, and a second redundant transceiver 10b that is connected to the redundant line 42 and corresponds to SW. The second main transceiver 10a and the second redundant transceiver 10b are compatible with SW and are therefore compatible transceivers (TRXAs).

[0033] The microcomputer 100 is configured so that the processing device executes a program stored in the storage device. By executing the program, the processing device performs arithmetic processing using data received by the communication device, etc. The processing device realizes various functions by performing arithmetic processing. The microcomputer 100 corresponds to a control unit.

[0034] 3, the microcomputer 100 includes receivers 110a and 110b and transmitters 120a and 120b, each of which is a CAN controller. The first receiver 110a and the first transmitter 120a are connected to the second primary transceiver 10a. The second receiver 110b and the second transmitter 120b are connected to the second redundant transceiver 10b. The microcomputer 100 is configured to receive a PN activation request message 1 and the like via the second primary transceiver 10a and the second redundant transceiver 10b.

[0035] The first receiving unit 110a acquires the received message (RM) received by the second main transceiver 10a. The first transmitting unit 120a transmits a PN activation request message 1 from the second main transceiver 10a. That is, the first receiving unit 110a acquires the communication message transmitted to the main line 41. Then, the first transmitting unit 120a transmits the PN activation request message 1 to the main line 41.

[0036] The second receiving unit 110b acquires a received message received by the second redundant transceiver 10b. The second transmitting unit 120b transmits a PN activation request message 1 from the second redundant transceiver 10b. That is, the second receiving unit 110b acquires a communication message transmitted to the redundant line 42. Then, the second transmitting unit 120b transmits the PN activation request message 1 to the redundant line 42. The received message is a communication message that has been received. The received message is a control message or a PN activation request message.

[0037] 3, the first receiving unit 110a is denoted as RXA, the first transmitting unit 120a as TXA, the second receiving unit 110b as RXB, and the second transmitting unit 120b as TXB.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 2, the PN redundancy device 10 has a partial network redundancy management function 10c (PRF) as one of its functions. In other words, it can be said that the microcomputer 100 has the partial network redundancy management function 10c. The PN redundancy management function 10c includes multiple function blocks 130, 140, and 150 as shown in Fig. 3.

[0039] The partial network activation request reception determination unit 130 (SRS) determines the type and sender of the received message. Hereinafter, the partial network activation request reception determination unit 130 will be referred to as the PN reception determination unit 130.

[0040] The PN reception determination unit 130 receives the received messages acquired by the receiving units 110a and 110b. It can also be said that the PN reception determination unit 130 refers to both received messages. In other words, the PN reception determination unit 130 refers to the received message on the main line 41 and the received message on the redundant line 42.

[0041] The PN reception determination unit 130 determines whether the message type of each received message is a PN activation request message 1. If the message type is a PN activation request message 1, the PN reception determination unit 130 determines whether the sender of the PN activation request message 1 is the PN coordination device 30. The PN reception determination unit 130 makes this determination using additional information of the received message.

[0042] Furthermore, if the message type is a PN activation request message 1, the PN reception determination unit 130 acquires PN activation request information (SRI) of the PN activation request message 1. The PN activation request information includes a PNCID and a receiving line. For example, if the first receiving unit 110a receives a PN activation request message 1 with a PNCID of 1, the PN activation request information includes the PNCID of 1 and information (value) indicating the receiving line, which is the main line 41. In other words, the PN reception determination unit 130 extracts the PN activation request information. Then, the PN reception determination unit 130 passes the extracted PN activation request information to the partial network activation request proxy transmission determination unit (PN transmission determination unit) 150. In other words, the PN reception determination unit 130 makes the PN activation request information available for reference by the PN transmission determination unit 150. The PN reception determination unit 130 may pass the received PN activation request message 1 to the PN transmission determination unit 150.

[0043] Furthermore, if the sender of the PN activation request message 1 is the PN coordination device 30, the PN reception determination unit 130 notifies the fault detection unit 140 of the receiving line information (RN). In other words, the PN reception determination unit 130 makes the receiving line information available for reference by the fault detection unit 140.

[0044] The receiving line information is information indicating whether the PN activation request message 1 has been received from each line 41, 42. In other words, the receiving line information is information indicating whether the PN activation request message 1 has been received via the main line 41, and information indicating whether the PN activation request message 1 has been received via the redundant line 42. The receiving line information can also be said to be information that associates the PN activation request message 1 with the receiving line from which the PN activation request message 1 has been received. The receiving line information can be obtained based on whether the PN activation request message 1 has been acquired by the receiving unit 110a or 110b. The notification of the receiving line information is also referred to as a reception notification. The PN reception determination unit 130 may also send a reception notification to the PN transmission determination unit 150.

[0045] The fault detection unit 140 (FDS) determines whether a line fault has occurred in the main line 41 and the redundant line 42. The fault detection unit 140 detects the occurrence of a line fault based on the received line information. It can also be said that the fault detection unit 140 determines whether a line fault has occurred based on the received line information. In other words, the fault detection unit 140 determines whether a line fault has occurred based on whether the same PN activation request message 1 has been received from both the main line 41 and the redundant line 42. It can also be said that the fault detection unit 140 detects a line fault by checking whether the PN activation request message 1 periodically transmitted from the PN coordination device 30 has arrived. The fault detection unit 140 corresponds to a fault determination unit.

[0046] The fault detection unit 140 includes a fault detection determination table 141 (FDT) and a reception timer 142 (RTI). The fault detection determination table 141 includes whether or not the PN activation request message 1 has been received on each of the lines 41, 42, and whether or not a fault has occurred. For example, a value indicating that the PN activation request message 1 has been received is set to 1, and a value indicating that it has not been received is set to 0. Also, a value indicating that there is a line fault is set to 1, and a value indicating that there is no fault is set to 0. The fault detection unit 140 determines whether or not a line fault has occurred by performing an exclusive OR (XOR) operation on the values ​​indicating the presence or absence of reception on the main line 41 and the redundant line 42 in the fault detection determination table 141.

[0047] Therefore, when the fault detection unit 140 receives the PN activation request message 1 from both the second main transceiver 10a and the second redundant transceiver 10b, it determines that the main line 41 and the redundant line 42 are in a normal state. On the other hand, when the fault detection unit 140 receives the PN activation request message 1 from only one of the second main transceiver 10a and the second redundant transceiver 10b, it determines that a line failure has occurred.

[0048] More specifically, the fault detection unit 140 determines whether or not the PN activation request message 1 has been received, using the reception timer 142. In other words, the fault detection unit 140 determines whether or not the PN activation request message 1 has been received from the PN coordination device 30. Therefore, the fault detection unit 140 does not need to check the PNCID in the PN activation request message 1.

[0049] The reception timer 142 is used to determine a timeout for receiving the PN activation request message 1. The reception timer 142 holds the remaining time for each of the lines 41 and 42. In other words, the reception timer 142 is used to determine a timeout for each of the lines 41 and 42. The remaining time can be considered a counter for determining a timeout for the PN activation request message 1 for each of the lines 41 and 42.

[0050] The reception timer 142 counts down the remaining time at regular intervals, for example. That is, the reception timer 142 starts counting down when it receives a PN activation request message 1 from either the main line 41 or the redundant line 42. Then, the reception timer 142 stops counting down when it receives a PN activation request message 1 from the other of the main line 41 and the redundant line 42. The reception timer 142 determines that a reception timeout has occurred if there is no remaining time and the timer has expired, and determines that a reception timeout has not occurred if there is remaining time and the timer has not expired.

[0051] It can also be said that the reception timer 142 measures the elapsed time from when it receives the PN activation request message 1 from one of the main line 41 and the redundant line 42 until it receives the PN activation request message 1 from the other of the main line 41 and the redundant line 42. The reception timer 142 determines that a reception timeout has occurred if the elapsed time reaches a preset specified time, and determines that a reception timeout has not occurred if the specified time has not been reached.

[0052] If the fault detection unit 140 determines that the reception timeout has not occurred using the reception timer 142, it determines that the PN activation request message 1 has been received. If the fault detection unit 140 determines that the reception timeout has occurred using the reception timer 142, it determines that the PN activation request message 1 has not been received.

[0053] If fault detection unit 140 determines that a line fault has occurred, it notifies PN transmission determination unit 150 of the line on which the fault has occurred. That is, fault detection unit 140 notifies PN transmission determination unit 150 of fault information indicating that a line fault has occurred for each of lines 41 and 42. In other words, fault detection unit 140 makes the fault information available for reference by PN transmission determination unit 150. The notification of the fault information can also be called a fault notification (FN). The occurrence of a line fault is also referred to as a line fault, and the absence of a line fault is also referred to as no line fault.

[0054] The PN transmission determination unit 150 (PSS) determines whether or not to proxy transmit the PN activation request message 1 to each of the lines 41 and 42. Then, the PN transmission determination unit 150 proxy transmits the PN activation request message 1 to the lines 41 and 42 for which it has determined that proxy transmission is necessary. The PN transmission determination unit 150 can also be called a proxy transmission unit.

[0055] That is, the PN transmission determination unit 150 generates a similar PN activation request message 1 based on the PN activation request information related to the PN activation request message 1 received from the main line 41. Then, the PN transmission determination unit 150 passes the generated PN activation request message 1 to the second transmission unit 120b on the redundant line 42 side. As a result, the microcomputer 100 transmits the PN activation request message 1 from the second redundant transceiver 10b to the redundant line 42.

[0056] Similarly, the PN transmission determination unit 150 generates a similar PN activation request message 1 based on the PN activation request information related to the PN activation request message 1 received from the redundant line 42. Then, the PN transmission determination unit 150 passes the generated PN activation request message 1 to the first transmission unit 120a on the main line 41 side. As a result, the microcomputer 100 transmits the PN activation request message 1 from the second main transceiver 10a to the main line 41. The first transmission unit 120a and the second transmission unit 120b can also be considered to be included in a proxy transmission unit.

[0057] The PN transmission determination unit 150 includes a reception PNC information management table 151 (PNT) and a reception PNC timer 152 (RPT). The reception PNC information management table 151 associates each PNCID with information indicating whether or not reception has occurred for each of the lines 41 and 42. The PN transmission determination unit 150 updates the reception PNC information management table 151 based on the PN activation request information and reception notification received from the PN reception discrimination unit 130.

[0058] The reception PNC timer 152 holds each PNCID and the remaining time of the reception PNC timer for each of the lines 41 and 42. Like the reception timer 152, the reception PNC timer 152 counts down the remaining time at regular intervals. However, the reception PNC timer 152 counts down after checking the PNCID in the PN activation request message 1. When the reception PNC timer 152 receives the PN activation request message 1 from either the main line 41 or the redundant line 42, it checks the PNCID and starts counting down. Then, when the reception timer 142 receives the PN activation request message 1 with the same PNCID from the other of the main line 41 and the redundant line 42, it stops counting down.

[0059] The PN activation request message 1 from the PN coordination device 30 is transmitted synchronously via the main line 41 and the redundant line 42. Therefore, the fault detection unit 140 determines whether a line fault has occurred based on the PN activation request message 1 from the PN coordination device 30. Meanwhile, the PN activation request message 1 from each of the nodes 21 to 23 is transmitted from the main line 41 to the PN redundancy device 10, and also transmitted from the redundant line 42 to the PN redundancy device 10 via the PN coordination device 30. Therefore, a time lag occurs in the PN redundancy device 10 between the timing at which the PN activation request message 1 is received from the main line 41 and the timing at which the PN activation request message 1 is received from the redundant line 42. This time lag can cause erroneous determinations when determining whether a line fault has occurred. Therefore, the PN redundancy device 10 uses a reception PNC timer 152 to suppress erroneous determinations.

[0060] In order to prevent erroneous determination as described above, a fault detection time (time for preventing erroneous determination) may be set in PN redundancy device 10. In this case, fault detection determination table 141 can be substituted with reception PNC information management table 151. Reception timer 142 can be substituted with reception PNC timer 152.

[0061] <Processing operation> Here, the processing operation of the microcomputer 100 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7. First, the processing operation of the PN reception determination unit 130 will be described with reference to Figure 4. When the microcomputer 100 receives a communication message, it starts the flowchart shown in Figure 4. That is, when the first receiving unit 110a acquires the communication message, the microcomputer 100 executes step S10. Similarly, when the second receiving unit 110b acquires the communication message, the microcomputer 100 executes step S10. The PN reception determination unit 130 operates in response to the reception of a communication message as a trigger.

[0062] In step S10, it is determined whether the received message is a PN activation request message 1. The microcomputer 100 determines the type of the received message. If the microcomputer 100 determines that the type of the received message is a PN activation request message 1, it proceeds to step S11, and if it determines that the received message is not a PN activation request message 1, it ends the flowchart of FIG.

[0063] In step S11, the microcomputer 100 extracts the PN activation request information from the received PN activation request message 1.

[0064] In step S12, the microcomputer 100 passes the PN activation request information to the PN transmission determination unit 150 (PSS).

[0065] In step S13, it is determined whether the sender is the PN coordination device 30 (GW). The microcomputer 100 determines whether the sender of the received PN activation request message 1 is the PN coordination device 30. If the microcomputer 100 determines that the sender is the PN coordination device 30, it proceeds to step S14, and if it determines that the sender is not the PN coordination device 30, it ends the flowchart of FIG.

[0066] The microcomputer 100 can determine the sender from additional information included in the received PN activation request message 1. The microcomputer 100 may also execute step S12 only if the sender is the PN coordination device 30.

[0067] In step S14, a reception notification is sent to the fault detection unit 140 (FDS). The microcomputer 100 notifies the fault detection unit 140 of reception line information indicating that a PN activation request message 1 has been received from the main line 41 or the redundant line 42. For example, if the received PN activation request message has been received from the main line 41, the microcomputer 100 notifies the fault detection unit 140 of reception line information indicating that a PN activation request message 1 has been received from the main line 41. Furthermore, if the received PN activation request message has been received from the redundant line 42, the microcomputer 100 notifies the fault detection unit 140 of reception line information indicating that a PN activation request message 1 has been received from the redundant line 42.

[0068] Next, the processing operation of the fault detection unit 140 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The microcomputer 100 starts the flowchart shown in Fig. 5 at predetermined intervals. In other words, the fault detection unit 140 operates as a periodic task.

[0069] In step S20, the microcomputer 100 updates the reception timer 142. That is, the microcomputer 100 starts the reception timer 142 to measure time.

[0070] In step S21, it is determined whether or not there is a reception notification. If the microcomputer 100 determines that there is a reception notification from the PN reception determination unit 130, the microcomputer 100 proceeds to step S22, and if it determines that there is no reception notification, the microcomputer 100 proceeds to step S24.

[0071] In step S22, the corresponding line in the fault detection determination table 141 (FDT) is updated to indicate reception. The corresponding line is the receiving line (either line 41 or 42) for the PN activation request message 1 in the receiving line information. If the receiving line information for the current periodic task indicates that a PN activation request message 1 has been received from the main line 41, the microcomputer 100 updates the reception / non-reception status associated with the main line 41 in the fault detection determination table 141 to information indicating reception. Similarly, if the receiving line information for the current periodic task indicates that a PN activation request message 1 has been received from the redundant line 42, the microcomputer 100 updates the reception / non-reception status associated with the redundant line 42 in the fault detection determination table 141 to information indicating reception.

[0072] In step S23, the reception timer for the line in question is reset. The microcomputer 100 resets the reception timer 142 for the line in question. That is, the microcomputer 100 resets the reception timer 142 when a reception notification is received.

[0073] In step S24, it is determined whether or not the reception timer 142 has expired. If the microcomputer 100 determines that the reception timer 142 has expired, the process proceeds to step S25, and if it determines that the reception timer 142 has not expired, the process proceeds to step S26.

[0074] In step S25, the corresponding line in the fault detection determination table 141 (FDT) is updated to no reception. If the receiving line information in the current periodic task relates to the main line 41, the microcomputer 100 updates the reception presence / absence associated with the main line 41 in the fault detection determination table 141 to information indicating no reception. Also, if the receiving line information in the current periodic task relates to the redundant line 42, the microcomputer 100 updates the reception presence / absence associated with the redundant line 42 in the fault detection determination table 141 to information indicating no reception.

[0075] In step S26, the microcomputer 100 recalculates whether or not a fault has occurred. To determine whether or not a line fault has occurred, the microcomputer 100 performs an exclusive OR operation on the reception presence / absence values ​​in the fault detection determination table 141. The microcomputer 100 recalculates whether or not a fault has occurred by performing an exclusive OR operation using the reception presence / absence values ​​in the fault detection determination table 141 after step S24 or step S25 in the current periodic task. The microcomputer 100 then updates the value indicating the presence / absence of a fault in the fault detection determination table 141 to the recalculated value.

[0076] In step S27, it is determined whether or not a line fault has occurred. The microcomputer 100 determines whether or not a line fault has occurred by referring to the fault detection determination table 141. If the microcomputer 100 determines that a line fault has occurred, it proceeds to step S28, and if it determines that no line fault has occurred, it ends the flowchart of FIG. 5.

[0077] In step S28, the failure is notified to the PN transmission determining unit 150 (PSS). If the microcomputer 100 determines that a line failure has occurred, it notifies the PN transmission determining unit 150 of the failure information.

[0078] Next, the processing operation in PN transmission determination unit 150 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Microcomputer 100 starts the flowchart shown in Fig. 6 at predetermined intervals. In other words, PN transmission determination unit 150 operates as a periodic task.

[0079] In step S30, the microcomputer 100 updates the reception PNC timer 152. That is, the microcomputer 100 starts the reception PNC timer 152 to measure the time.

[0080] In step S31, it is determined whether or not there is a reception notification. If the microcomputer 100 determines that there is a reception notification from the PN reception determination unit 130, the microcomputer 100 proceeds to step S32, and if it determines that there is no reception notification, the microcomputer 100 proceeds to step S .

[0081] In step S32, the corresponding line and PNCID in the reception PNC information management table 151 (PNT) are updated to indicate reception. The corresponding line is the reception line (either line 41 or 42) of the PN activation request message 1 in the reception line information received in the current periodic task. The PNCID is the PNCID of that PN activation request message 1, and can also be called the corresponding PNCID. The microcomputer 100 updates the reception presence / absence associated with the corresponding PNCID for the corresponding line in the reception PNC information management table 151 to information indicating reception.

[0082] In step S33, the reception PNC timer for the relevant line and PNCID is reset. The microcomputer 100 resets the reception PNC timer 152 for the relevant PNCID on the relevant line. That is, the microcomputer 100 resets the reception PNC timer 152 when a reception notification is received.

[0083] In step S34, it is determined whether or not the reception PNC timer 152 has expired. If the microcomputer 100 determines that the reception PNC timer 152 has expired, the process proceeds to step S35, and if it determines that the reception PNC timer 152 has not expired, the process proceeds to step S36.

[0084] In step S35, the corresponding line and PNCID in the reception PNC information management table 151 (PNT) are updated to "no reception." The microcomputer 100 updates the reception status associated with the corresponding PNCID for the corresponding line in the reception PNC information management table 151 to information indicating "no reception."

[0085] In step S36, it is determined whether or not a line fault has occurred. The microcomputer 100 determines whether or not a line fault has occurred by referring to the fault information notified in step S28. If the microcomputer 100 determines that a line fault has occurred, it proceeds to step S37, and if it determines that no line fault has occurred, it ends the flowchart of FIG. 6.

[0086] In step S37, the microcomputer 100 generates a PN activation request message 1 from the information of the redundant line 42 and transmits it to the main line 41. The microcomputer 100 generates the PN activation request message 1 based on the PN activation request information related to the PN activation request message 1 received from the redundant line 42. The microcomputer 100 then passes the generated PN activation request message 1 to the first transmitting unit 120a, thereby transmitting the PN activation request message 1 to the main line 41. Therefore, it can be said that the microcomputer 100 performs processing to transmit (proxy transmit) the PN activation request message 1 to the main line 41.

[0087] In step S38, the microcomputer 100 generates a PN activation request message 1 from the information of the main line 41 and transmits it to the redundant line 42. The microcomputer 100 generates the PN activation request message 1 based on the PN activation request information related to the PN activation request message 1 received from the main line 41. The microcomputer 100 then passes the generated PN activation request message 1 to the first transmitting unit 120a, thereby transmitting the PN activation request message 1 to the redundant line 42. Therefore, it can be said that the microcomputer 100 performs processing to transmit (proxy transmit) the PN activation request message 1 to the redundant line 42.

[0088] In other words, when the microcontroller 100 determines that a line failure has occurred, it sends the PN activation request message 1 via either the second main transceiver 10a or the second redundant transceiver 10b, whichever transceiver has not received the PN activation request message 1.

[0089] In FIG. 7, the received PN activation request message 1 and the proxy-sent PN activation request message 2 are labeled differently to distinguish them from each other. The PN activation request message 2 is the generated PN activation request message. The proxy-sent PN activation request message 2 is a message equivalent to the received PN activation request message 1. The proxy-sent PN activation request message 2 can also be considered as the received PN activation request message 1.

[0090] Here, as shown in Fig. 7, a situation will be described in which a line fault (disconnection) has occurred between the first node 21 and the second node 22 on the main line 41. The PN activation request message 1 sent by the PN coordination device 30 reaches the first node 21 via the main line 41 and then reaches the PN redundancy device 10 via the redundant line 42. On the other hand, the second node 22 cannot receive the PN activation request message 1 because the main line 41 is disconnected.

[0091] However, PN redundancy device 10 generates PN activation request message 2 based on PN activation request message 1 received from redundant line 42 and transmits it to main line 41 as a proxy. This allows second node 22 to receive PN activation request message 2. In other words, PN redundancy device 10 can deliver PN activation request message 2 to the node beyond the broken point as viewed from PN coordination device 30. Therefore, PN redundancy device 10 can maintain the communication activation state of that node.

[0092] As described above, the PN redundancy device 10 determines a line failure when it is unable to receive the PN activation request message 1. For this reason, it is preferable that the PN redundancy device 10 be connected to a position on the communication line that is the farthest from the PN coordination device 30. In other words, if the nth node is connected before the PN redundancy device 10 as viewed from the PN coordination device 30, it may not be possible to determine a line failure.

[0093] Also, for example, when the second node 22 transmits a PN activation request message 1, the PN activation request message 1 reaches the PN redundancy device 10. On the other hand, the PN coordination device 30 and the first node 21 cannot receive the PN activation request message 1 because the main line 41 is disconnected.

[0094] However, the PN redundancy device 10 generates a PN activation request message 2 based on the PN activation request message 1 received from the main line 41 and transmits it to the redundant line 41 as a proxy. This allows the PN coordination device 30 to receive the PN activation request message 2. Furthermore, upon receiving the PN activation request message 1, the PN coordination device 30 transmits the PN activation request message 1 to the main line 41. This allows the second node 22 to receive the PN activation request message 1. The PN redundancy device 10 can maintain the communication activation state between the PN coordination device 30 and the first node 21.

[0095] <Effects> As described above, PN redundancy device 10 can deliver PN activation request message 1 even to nodes to which it cannot reach due to a line failure. Therefore, PN redundancy device 10 can maintain the activation state of that node. That is, PN redundancy device 10 can maintain the activation state even in nodes that have a compatible transceiver and a non-compatible transceiver, such as first node 21 and second node 22. In other words, PN redundancy device 10 can maintain the activation state even in nodes that have a compatible transceiver for main line 41 and a non-compatible transceiver for redundant line 42. Therefore, PN redundancy device 10 can enhance the versatility of the node.

[0096] The network system also includes the above-described PN redundancy device 10. Therefore, the network system can enhance the versatility of the nodes.

[0097] Furthermore, compatible transceivers are typically more expensive than non-compatible transceivers. However, the PN redundancy device 10 and network system can maintain an active state even in nodes equipped with compatible and non-compatible transceivers. Therefore, the PN redundancy device 10 and network system can employ nodes 21-23 equipped with inexpensive non-compatible transceivers. Therefore, the PN redundancy device 10 and network system can reduce the cost of the nodes 21-23.

[0098] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above. While the present disclosure has been described based on the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the scope of equivalents. In addition, although various combinations and forms are shown in the present disclosure, other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] Second main transceiver 10a, second redundant transceiver 10b, first node 21, second node 22, third node 23, main transceivers 21a and 22a, redundant transceivers 21b and 22b, first main transceiver 30a, first redundant transceiver 30b, main line 41, redundant line 42, microcomputer 100

Claims

1. A partial network redundancy device provided in a network system including: a communication line including a main line (41) and a redundant line (42); a plurality of nodes (21-23) each having a main transceiver (21a, 22a) connected to the main line and capable of selective activation and a redundant transceiver (21b, 22b) connected to the redundant line and not capable of selective activation; and a gateway device (30) having a first main transceiver (30a) connected to the main line and capable of selective activation and a first redundant transceiver (30b) connected to the redundant line and capable of selective activation, a second main transceiver (10a) connected to the main line and adapted for selective activation; a second redundant transceiver (10b) connected to the redundant line and adapted for selective activation; a control unit (100) capable of receiving a startup request message corresponding to the selective startup via the second main transceiver and the second redundant transceiver, The control unit a fault determination unit (140) for determining whether a line fault has occurred in the main line and the redundant line; A partial network redundancy device that, when the fault determination unit determines that the line fault has occurred, transmits the startup request message on behalf of the second main transceiver or the second redundant transceiver, whichever has not received the startup request message.

2. 2. The partial network redundancy device according to claim 1, wherein the fault determination unit determines that the main line and the redundant line are in a normal state when the startup request message is received from both the second main transceiver and the second redundant transceiver, and determines that a line fault has occurred when the startup request message is received from only one of the second main transceiver and the second redundant transceiver.

3. 3. The partial network redundancy device according to claim 1, wherein the partial network redundancy device is connected to a position on the communication line that is the farthest from the gateway device.

4. a communication line including a main line (41) and a redundant line (42); a plurality of nodes (21-23) each including a main transceiver (21a, 22a) connected to the main line and capable of selective activation, and a redundant transceiver (21b, 22b) connected to the redundant line and not capable of selective activation; a gateway device (30) including a first main transceiver (30a) connected to the main line and capable of selective activation, and a first redundant transceiver (30b) connected to the redundant line and capable of selective activation; a partial network redundancy device (10) including a second main transceiver (10a) connected to the main line and capable of selective activation, and a second redundant transceiver (10b) connected to the redundant line and capable of selective activation, the partial network redundancy device comprises a control unit (100) capable of receiving a startup request message corresponding to the selective startup via the second main transceiver and the second redundant transceiver; The control unit a fault determination unit (140) for determining whether a line fault has occurred in the main line and the redundant line; A network system in which, when the fault determination unit determines that the line fault has occurred, the startup request message is transmitted via either the second main transceiver or the second redundant transceiver, whichever has not received the startup request message.

5. 5. The network system according to claim 4, wherein the fault determination unit determines that the main line and the redundant line are in a normal state when the startup request message is received from both the second main transceiver and the second redundant transceiver, and determines that a line fault has occurred when the startup request message is received from only one of the second main transceiver and the second redundant transceiver.

6. 6. The network system according to claim 4, wherein the partial network redundancy device is connected to a position on the communication line that is farthest from the gateway device.

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