Joint connector

Abstract

To provide a joint connector that can disconnect any of the multiple joint terminals.SOLUTION: A joint connector 2 is mounted on a vehicle and connects multiple wire harnesses, and includes multiple joint terminals to which the connectors of the multiple wire harnesses are connected, and an electronic board on which the multiple joint terminals are mounted, and the electronic board is provided with a cut-off switch that disconnects any of the multiple joint terminals.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present technology relates to joint connectors. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART A connector type called a joint connector is known as a connector for collectively connecting a plurality of electric wires routed from a plurality of electronic devices mounted on an automobile or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The joint connector of Patent Document 1 includes terminal fittings electrically connected to terminals of a narrow-pitch connector serving as a mating connector of a sub-harness, and a connector housing that accommodates the terminal fittings and mates with the narrow-pitch connector, and is connected to and joins a plurality of wire harnesses for communication using a Control Area Network (CAN). Each of the plurality of wire harnesses is connected to an on-board ECU (Electronic Control Unit) for controlling on-board devices. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-25917 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the joint connector of Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration the disconnection of any of the joint terminals among the multiple joint terminals to which the vehicle-mounted ECU is connected.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a joint connector in which any one of a plurality of joint terminals can be separated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A joint connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a joint connector that is mounted on a vehicle and joins a plurality of wire harnesses that are connected to each other, and includes a plurality of joint terminals to which the connectors of the plurality of wire harnesses are respectively connected, and an electronic board on which the plurality of joint terminals are mounted, and the electronic board is provided with a cut-off switch that disconnects any one of the plurality of joint terminals. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a joint connector that separates one of a plurality of joint terminals. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle equipped with a joint connector according to a first embodiment (a breaker switch in a main line). [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a joint connector. [Figure 3] 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a connection state of an in-vehicle ECU when a cutoff switch is in an open (off) state. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a connection state of an in-vehicle ECU when a cutoff switch is in a closed (on) state. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of a control unit of a joint connector. [Figure 6] 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a joint connector according to a second embodiment (a cutoff switch on a branch line and a termination resistor on an end of a main line). FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. At least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any desired manner.

[0011] (1) A joint connector according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a joint connector that is mounted on a vehicle and connects a plurality of wire harnesses, and includes a plurality of joint terminals to which the connectors of the plurality of wire harnesses are connected, and an electronic board on which the plurality of joint terminals are mounted, and the electronic board is provided with a cut-off switch that disconnects any one of the plurality of joint terminals.

[0012] In this aspect, the joint connector is a connector compatible with a communication protocol that uses a bus connection such as a CAN (Control Area Network) at the physical layer, and multiple on-board ECUs are communicatively connected to the joint connector via a wire harness such as a CAN bus. The joint connector, which communicatively connects multiple on-board ECUs, is mounted on a vehicle and forms part of the vehicle's on-board network. A connector is provided at the end of the wire harness such as a CAN bus, and the connector is mated and connected to joint terminals of the joint connector. The joint connector includes an electronic board on which the multiple joint terminals are mounted. In other words, the joint terminals are electrically connected, for example, in a bus-like manner, by conductors such as lands formed on the electronic board. The electronic board is provided with a cutoff switch constituted by, for example, a semiconductor relay such as a FET (Field Effect Transistor) or a mechanical relay. The cutoff switch may be opened and closed (on / off) controlled, for example, by a microcomputer mounted on the electronic board or a relay device to which the joint connector is connected. By closing (turning off) the cutoff switch, one of the multiple joint terminals is disconnected from the in-vehicle network, i.e., the in-vehicle ECU connected to that one of the joint terminals is physically disconnected from the in-vehicle network. An in-vehicle ECU connected to the in-vehicle network transitions to an activated state (wake-up state) or a stopped state (sleep state) by receiving, for example, a wake-up message or a sleep message. In this case, if it is desired to transition only some of the in-vehicle ECUs connected to the joint connector to the activated state (wake-up state), the in-vehicle ECU connected to the joint terminal disconnected by the cutoff switch can be physically disconnected from the in-vehicle network by opening (turning off) the cutoff switch.As a result, even if a message such as a wake-up message for transitioning an in-vehicle ECU that is in a stopped state (sleep state) to an activated state (wake-up state) is sent to the joint connector, the wake-up message will not reach the in-vehicle ECU connected to the joint terminal that is disconnected by the cut-off switch. By using the cut-off switch, only the necessary in-vehicle ECUs can be put into the activated state, thereby suppressing power consumption in the vehicle, i.e., reducing consumption of the in-vehicle battery installed in the vehicle.

[0013] (2) In a joint connector according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the electronic board has a main line formed thereon that connects the plurality of joint terminals, and the cutoff switch is provided on the main line.

[0014] In this embodiment, the electronic board has a main line connecting each of the multiple joint terminals. When the joint connector is compatible with a CAN, the main line corresponds to a CAN bus. Inside the joint connector, one or more cutoff switches are arranged on the main line functioning as a CAN bus. For example, when multiple cutoff switches are arranged, the multiple cutoff switches are connected in series along the main line. When the joint connector is connected to a relay device such as a CAN gateway, the main line is divided into an upstream main line and a downstream main line based on the cutoff switch in the flow direction of communication data output from the relay device. In this case, by closing (turning off) the cutoff switch, the joint terminal connected to the downstream main line can be disconnected from the relay device, i.e., the in-vehicle network, and the connection between the in-vehicle ECU (downstream in-vehicle ECU) connected to the joint terminal connected to the downstream main line and the in-vehicle network can be physically disconnected. By arranging such cutoff switches in the main line (the CAN bus in the joint connector), an in-vehicle ECU that does not need to be started can be physically disconnected from the in-vehicle network with a relatively simple configuration.

[0015] (3) In a joint connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a termination resistor is provided on the electronic board, and when any of the joint terminals is disconnected by the cut-off switch, the termination resistor is connected to another joint terminal other than the disconnected joint terminal.

[0016] In this aspect, a termination resistor of, for example, 120 Ω is mounted on the electronic board. When the joint connector is compatible with CAN, the termination resistor is connected to an end of the CAN bus located inside the joint connector to suppress message reflections and ensure communication quality. The termination resistor is not limited to being mounted on the electronic board; it may be located outside the electronic board and electrically connected to the electronic board via lead wires or the like. When any joint terminal is disconnected by a disconnecting switch, the joint terminal is electrically disconnected from the other joint terminals. Therefore, if the on-board ECU connected to the disconnected joint terminal includes a termination resistor, or if a termination resistor is located at the end of the CAN bus to which the disconnected joint terminal is connected, the termination resistor is also disconnected by the disconnecting switch. In contrast, when any joint terminal is disconnected by a disconnecting switch, the termination resistor included in the joint connector is connected to another joint terminal other than the disconnected joint terminal, and is therefore located at the end of the CAN bus to which the other joint terminal is connected. In this case, the cutoff switch may be configured as a mechanical relay with a c-contact (single-pole, double-throw) and may switch between a non-cutoff state in which the CAN bus is connected while the termination resistor is disconnected, and a cutoff state in which the CAN bus is disconnected while the termination resistor is connected. Alternatively, the cutoff switch may be configured as a semiconductor switch that opens and closes the main line (CAN bus), and the joint connector may further include a semiconductor switch (resistor switch) that opens and closes the main line (CAN bus) and the termination resistor. In this way, even if the cutoff switch disconnects a joint terminal to which an on-board ECU equipped with a termination resistor is connected, the termination resistor can be replaced by a spare termination resistor held by the joint connector, thereby ensuring the communication quality of the CAN bus to which other joint terminals (joint terminals other than the disconnected joint terminal) are connected.

[0017] (4) In a joint connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a main line connecting each of the plurality of joint terminals is formed on the electronic board, a branch line is interposed between each of the plurality of joint terminals and the main line, and the cut-off switch is provided on the branch line.

[0018] In this aspect, a main line functioning as a CAN bus is formed on the electronic board using, for example, lands, and joint terminals are connected to the main line via branch lines. That is, a plurality of branch lines are arranged, for example, at equal intervals on the bus-shaped main line, and each of these branch lines is connected to a respective joint terminal. A cutoff switch is provided on the branch line interposed between the main line and the joint terminal. The cutoff switch may be provided on all branch lines, or may be provided on only some of the branch lines. By providing a cutoff switch on each branch line in this way, it is possible to individually determine each joint terminal to be physically disconnected from the in-vehicle network, thereby improving the availability of the joint connector.

[0019] (5) A joint connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a control unit that performs processing related to the opening and closing control of the disconnecting switch, and the control unit acquires a message related to the startup of an on-board ECU connected to the wire harness, and based on the acquired message, opens the disconnecting switch to disconnect one of the joint terminals.

[0020] In this aspect, the joint connector includes a control unit that performs processing related to the opening and closing control of the cutoff switch. The control unit may be configured as a microcomputer packaged with a storage unit such as RAM and a communication unit such as a CAN transceiver. The control unit configured as a microcomputer may be mounted on an electronic board or located outside the electronic board and electrically connected to various switches such as the cutoff switch or electrical elements mounted on the electronic board. The joint connector may include, for example, a power supply terminal, and may drive the microcomputer and various switches such as the cutoff switch using power supplied from an onboard battery connected via a power line via the power supply terminal. The control unit acquires (receives) communication data such as CAN messages transmitted and received over the onboard network via a relay device such as a CAN gateway. The communication data includes, for example, messages related to the startup of the onboard ECU, such as wake-up messages. When the control unit acquires a message related to the startup of the onboard ECU, it determines whether to open (off) or close (on) the cutoff switch based on the message. When the control unit determines to open (off) the cutoff switch based on the message, the control unit opens (off) the cutoff switch, thereby physically disconnecting the on-board ECU that does not need to be started from the on-board network. When the control unit determines to close (on) the cutoff switch based on the message, the control unit closes (on) the cutoff switch, thereby physically connecting the on-board ECU that needs to be started to the on-board network. For example, if the message regarding the startup of the on-board ECU includes a flag value (0: off, 1: on) indicating whether the cutoff switch is open (off) or closed (on), the control unit may control the cutoff switch to open (off) or close (on) based on the flag value. By controlling the opening and closing of the cutoff switch in this way in accordance with the message regarding the startup of the on-board ECU, the physical connection of the on-board ECU connected to the joint connector can be changed, i.e., the physical connection state of the CAN bus inside the joint connector can be changed, so that communication data such as CAN messages flow only to on-board ECUs that need to be started.

[0021] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] The present disclosure will be specifically described with reference to drawings showing embodiments thereof. A joint connector 2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0022] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle 1 equipped with a joint connector 2 according to embodiment 1 (a breaker switch 34 on a main line 31). Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates the joint connector 2. The vehicle 1 is equipped with an in-vehicle network 9 that uses, for example, CAN as a communication protocol, and a relay device 8 such as a CAN gateway and one or more joint connectors 2 are connected to the in-vehicle network 9. A plurality of joint connectors 2 are connected to the relay device 8, and a plurality of in-vehicle ECUs 6 are connected to each of these joint connectors 2. Each of these in-vehicle ECUs 6 is connected to be able to communicate via the joint connector 2 and the relay device 8.

[0023] Each of the in-vehicle ECUs 6 is connected to various sensors such as a camera, Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging, Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), etc., or various in-vehicle devices (actuators) such as a car air conditioner, interior lights, door mirrors, displays, and audio equipment, depending on the specifications or applications of the in-vehicle ECU 6, and the in-vehicle ECU 6 controls the driving of the actuators, etc. The vehicle 1 transitions between various states, including a started state and a stopped state, in response to the operation of an IG switch or a power switch that starts or stops the vehicle 1, and depending on the state, the in-vehicle ECU 6 connected to the joint connector 2 also transitions to, for example, a wake-up state (started state) or a sleep state (stopped or hibernated state).

[0024] Each of the in-vehicle ECUs 6 connected to the joint connector 2 transitions to a sleep state, for example, by receiving a sleep message, thereby reducing power consumption in the in-vehicle ECU 6. An in-vehicle ECU 6 in a sleep state transitions to a wake-up state, for example, by receiving a wake-up message, thereby enabling the driving and control of an in-vehicle device (actuator) directly connected to the in-vehicle ECU 6.

[0025] In the in-vehicle network 9 using CAN as a communication protocol, CAN messages are transmitted by multicast, so the wake-up message is received by all in-vehicle ECUs 6 connected to the joint connector 2, which is essentially the same CAN bus. In response to this, the joint connector 2 is provided with a cut-off switch 34, and when it receives a message (a message related to the activation of the in-vehicle ECU 6) transmitted before the transmission of the wake-up message, for example, it opens (turns off) the cut-off switch 34 in response to the message.

[0026] By opening (turning off) the cutoff switch 34, the joint terminal 33 to which the in-vehicle ECU 6 that does not require wake-up (Wake-Up-required ECU) is connected can be disconnected (the physical connection can be cut off) from the in-vehicle network 9. This allows the in-vehicle ECU 6 that does not require wake-up (Wake-Up-required ECU) to be kept in a sleep state while only the in-vehicle ECU 6 that requires wake-up (Wake-Up-required ECU) is activated (wake-up), thereby suppressing power consumption in the vehicle 1 and reducing consumption of the in-vehicle battery installed in the vehicle 1.

[0027] The relay device 8 is, for example, a CAN gateway. Alternatively, when the communication protocol of the in-vehicle network 9 is TCP / IP, the relay device 8 may be a layer 2 Ethernet switch or a layer 3 Ethernet switch. When the relay device 8 is a CAN gateway, the relay device 8 may include a termination resistor 4 compatible with the CAN bus, which is a physical layer protocol. In this case, the relay device 8 and the joint connector 2 are connected to be able to communicate with each other via the CAN bus.

[0028] A plurality of on-board ECUs 6 are connected to the joint connector 2 via joint terminals 33. The plurality of on-board ECUs 6 connected to the joint connector 2 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via the joint connector 2. The joint connector 2 includes an electronic board 3, on which a main line 31, branch lines 32, joint terminals 33, a cutoff switch 34, a terminating resistor 4, a resistor switch 41, and a microcomputer 5 constituting a control unit 50 and the like are mounted. The joint connector 2 is connected by a power line to an on-board battery constituted by a secondary battery such as a lead battery or a lithium-ion battery mounted on the vehicle 1, and may be supplied with power from the on-board battery.

[0029] The electronic board 3 is a mounting board on which various electrical components or battery components are mounted, and has, for example, a rectangular plate shape. In this embodiment, a main line 31, which is formed of, for example, a land or a conductor pattern, is formed along the longitudinal direction of the rectangular plate-shaped electronic board 3. In the in-vehicle network 9 that uses CAN as a communication protocol, the main line 31 corresponds to a CAN bus. One end of the main line 31, which functions as a CAN bus, is connected to the relay device 8 and is further connected to a termination resistor 81 of the relay device 8.

[0030] A plurality of branch lines 32 branch off from a main line 31 that functions as a CAN bus, and joint terminals 33 are provided at the ends of the branch lines 32. Connectors 71 of a wire harness 7 are connected (fitted) to the joint terminals 33, and each of the in-vehicle ECUs 6 is connected to each of the joint terminals 33 via the wire harness 7.

[0031] One of the on-board ECUs 6 connected to the joint connector 2 is provided with a termination resistor 61. In this case, in the main line 31 functioning as a CAN bus, the termination resistor 81 of the relay device 8 and the termination resistor 61 of the on-board ECU 6 adjust impedance, thereby suppressing the occurrence of reflected waves.

[0032] A cutoff switch 34 is disposed on the main line 31. The cutoff switch 34 is configured, for example, by a semiconductor relay such as a FET (Field Effect Transistor) or a mechanical relay. The cutoff switch 34 is opened (on) or closed (on) in response to a control signal from the control unit 50. When the cutoff switch 34 is opened (off), the cutoff switch 34 disconnects the main line 31 from the main line 31 on the relay device 8 side (upstream side) and the main line 31 on the other side (downstream side). When the cutoff switch 34 is closed (on), the cutoff switch 34 connects the main line 31 on the relay device 8 side (upstream side) and the main line 31 on the other side (downstream side).

[0033] In this embodiment, the cutoff switch 34 arranged on the main line 31 is arranged at a location on the main line 31 between the branch point of the branch line 32 located closest to the relay device 8 (the first location from the relay device 8) and the branch point of the branch line 32 adjacent to the branch line 32, i.e., the branch line 32 second from the relay device 8, but is not limited to this. The cutoff switch 34 arranged on the main line 31 may also be arranged at a location on the main line 31 between the branch point of the branch line 32 second from the relay device 8 and the branch point of the branch line 32 third from the relay device 8. In other words, the cutoff switch 34 arranged on the main line 31 may be arranged at a location on the main line 31 between the branch point of the n-th branch line 32 from the relay device 8 and the branch point of the (n+1)-th branch line 32 from the relay device 8.

[0034] In this case, the in-vehicle ECUs 6 are classified into those that always need to be woken up by a wake-up message (Wake-Up Required ECUs) and those that do not always need to be woken up (Wake-Up Unnecessary ECUs) depending on the type, specifications, or use of the in-vehicle ECUs 6. Then, the wake-up required ECUs may be connected to the n-th branch line 32 from the relay device 8 side, and the wake-up unnecessary ECUs may be connected to the (n+1)-th branch line 32 from the relay device 8 side.

[0035] By disposing the cutoff switch 34 on the main line 31 in this way, the multiple joint terminals 33 are divided into upstream joint terminals 33 and downstream joint terminals 33 with the cutoff switch 34 as a reference in the flow direction of communication data from the relay device 8. The joint terminals 33 that are disconnected from the in-vehicle network 9 by the cutoff switch 34 correspond to downstream joint terminals 33. The other joint terminals 33 other than the joint terminals 33 that are disconnected by the cutoff switch 34 correspond to upstream joint terminals 33.

[0036] In this case, the upstream in-vehicle ECU 6 connected to the upstream joint terminal 33 via the wire harness 7 may be used more frequently than the downstream in-vehicle ECU 6 connected to the downstream joint terminal 33 via the wire harness 7. Alternatively, the upstream in-vehicle ECU 6 may have a higher ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level) level than the downstream in-vehicle ECU 6. By connecting such a relatively infrequently used in-vehicle ECU 6 or having a low ASIL level to the downstream joint terminal 33 of the joint connector 2 as an in-vehicle ECU 6 that does not require constant wake-up (wake-up-free ECU), it is possible to efficiently suppress power consumption in the vehicle 1 and reduce the amount of power consumption of an in-vehicle battery mounted in the vehicle 1.

[0037] In the present embodiment, the main line 31 is provided with one cutoff switch 34, but this is not limiting, and multiple cutoff switches 34 may be arranged in series on the main line 31. In this case, the multiple cutoff switches 34 are arranged one by one between the branch points of adjacent branch lines 32, and are arranged, for example, at two locations on the main line 31: a location on the main line 31 located between the branch point of the nth branch line 32 and the branch point of the n+1th branch line 32 from the relay device 8 side, and a location on the main line 31 located between the branch point of the n+1th branch line 32 and the branch point of the n+2th branch line 32. In this way, by arranging the cutoff switches 34 at multiple locations on the main line 31, multiple combinations of on-board ECUs 6 that can be disconnected from the on-board network 9 can be provided, thereby improving the availability of the joint connector 2.

[0038] A resistor switch 41 and a termination resistor 4 are mounted on the electronic board 3, and the termination resistor 4 is connected to the main line 31 via the resistor switch 41. The main line 31 and the resistor switch 41 are connected by a branch line branched off from the main line 31, and the starting point of the branch line is provided between the cutoff switch 34 and the branch point of the branch line 32 that is closest to the cutoff switch 34 and is located on the relay device 8 side of the cutoff switch 34.

[0039] The resistor switch 41 is configured with a semiconductor relay such as an FET or a mechanical relay, similar to the cutoff switch 34, and is controlled to open and close (ON / OFF) in response to a control signal from the control unit 50. When the resistor switch 41 is opened (OFF), the main line 31 and the termination resistor 4 are electrically connected. When the resistor switch 41 is closed (ON), the main line 31 and the termination resistor 4 are electrically disconnected.

[0040] The joint connector 2 includes a control unit 50, a storage unit 51, a communication unit 52, and an input / output I / F 53, and the control unit 50 and the like may be configured as a packaged microcomputer 5. The control unit 50 is configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and performs control processing and the like by reading and executing a program P and data pre-stored in the storage unit 51. The control unit 50 is not limited to only a software processing unit that performs software processing such as a CPU, but may also include a hardware processing unit that performs various control processing and arithmetic processing and the like by hardware processing such as an FPGA, ASIC, or SOC.

[0041] The storage unit 51 is configured with a volatile memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a non-volatile memory element such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), or a flash memory, and stores a program P (program product) or data to be executed by the control unit 50. The program P, etc. stored in the storage unit 51 may be a program P (program product) read from a recording medium M readable by the microcomputer 5 included in the joint connector 2. Alternatively, the program P (program product) may be downloaded from an external computer (not shown) connected to a communication network (not shown) and stored in the storage unit 51.

[0042] The input / output I / F 53 is, for example, a communication interface for serial communication. The control unit 50 (microcomputer 5) is electrically connected to the cutoff switch 34 and the resistor switch 41 via the input / output I / F 53.

[0043] The communication unit 52 is an input / output interface that uses a communication protocol such as CAN, and is connected to the main line 31 that functions as a CAN bus. The control unit 50 communicates with the relay device 8 or with an on-board ECU 6 that is connected to another joint connector 2 via the communication unit 52. The communication unit 52 is not limited to one that uses a communication protocol such as CAN, and may be an input / output interface that uses a communication protocol such as Ethernet (registered trademark).

[0044] The in-vehicle ECU 6 includes a control unit, a storage unit, and a communication unit, similar to the joint connector 2, and is connected to various actuators or sensors. The in-vehicle ECU 6 controls the driving of the actuators connected to the in-vehicle ECU 6 in accordance with various communication data received via the in-vehicle network 9.

[0045] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a connection state of the in-vehicle ECU 6 when the cutoff switch 34 is in an open (off) state. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a connection state of the in-vehicle ECU 6 when the cutoff switch 34 is in a closed (on) state. When it is determined that it is unnecessary to transition an in-vehicle ECU 6 connected to the joint connector 2, which is connected to the joint terminal 33 downstream of the cutoff switch 34 in the flow direction of communication data from the relay device 8, from a sleep state to a wake-up state, the control unit 50 (microcomputer 5) of the joint connector 2 opens (off) the cutoff switch 34 and closes (on) the resistor switch 41. As a result, the downstream in-vehicle ECU 6 (wake-up-free ECU) is physically disconnected and blocked from the in-vehicle network 9, and a wake-up message transmitted via the relay device 8 is not received by the downstream in-vehicle ECU 6. Therefore, the downstream in-vehicle ECU 6 (wake-up-free ECU) in a sleep state maintains the sleep state.

[0046] In the flow direction of communication data from the relay device 8, the in-vehicle ECU 6 (upstream in-vehicle ECU 6) connected to the joint terminal 33 on the upstream side with respect to the cutoff switch 34 is connected to the relay device 8 and the in-vehicle network 9 without being affected by the opening and closing of the cutoff switch 34. Therefore, the wake-up message transmitted via the relay device 8 is received by the upstream in-vehicle ECU 6 (Wake-Up required ECU), and the upstream in-vehicle ECU 6 (Wake-Up required ECU) transitions from a sleep state to a wake-up state. At this time, by closing (turning on) the resistor switch 41, the termination resistor 4 is connected to the main line 31, making it possible to suppress reflections in the main line 31 functioning as a CAN bus.

[0047] When all of the in-vehicle ECUs 6 connected to the joint connector 2 are to transition from a sleep state to a wake-up state, the control unit 50 (microcomputer 5) of the joint connector 2 closes (turns on) the cutoff switch 34 and opens (turns off) the resistor switch 41. This allows all of the in-vehicle ECUs 6, i.e., the upstream and downstream in-vehicle ECUs 6, to receive the wake-up message transmitted via the relay device 8 and transition from the sleep state to the wake-up state. In this case, all of the in-vehicle ECUs 6 correspond to ECUs that require wake-up. The control unit 50 (microcomputer 5) of the joint connector 2 controls the opening and closing of the cutoff switch 34 and the resistor switch 41 in response to a message regarding the activation of the in-vehicle ECUs 6 received from the relay device 8 or the in-vehicle ECUs 6 via the in-vehicle network 9.

[0048] 5 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2. The control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 steadily performs the following processing, for example, when the vehicle 1 is in a running state (IG switch is on) or in a stopped state (IG switch is off). In this case, the control unit 50 (microcomputer 5) of the joint connector 2 may be constantly powered by an on-board battery mounted on the vehicle 1. In other words, the joint connector 2 and the relay device 8 may be constantly connected to a power line (+B line) so that they can receive power from the on-board battery mounted on the vehicle 1.

[0049] The control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 acquires a message related to the startup of the in-vehicle ECU 6 (S101). For example, the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2, which is configured by the microcomputer 5, acquires various communication data output from any of the in-vehicle ECUs 6 via the relay device 8. The communication data includes, for example, messages such as a wake-up message or a sleep message. When the protocol of the in-vehicle network 9 is CAN, the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 receives a CAN message transmitted and received over the in-vehicle network 9, and if the received CAN message corresponds to a message related to the startup of the in-vehicle ECU 6, such as a wake-up message, performs the following processing.

[0050] The control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 determines whether to open (off) the cutoff switch 34 based on the acquired message (S102). The control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 determines whether to open (off) the cutoff switch 34 based on the acquired message, for example, based on a message ID included in the header of the acquired message. If the acquired message is a CAN message, whether to open (off) or close (on) the cutoff switch 34 is determined in advance according to the message ID number. The storage unit 51 of the joint connector 2 may store a table or parameter sheet that defines the setting of the cutoff switch 34 to open (off) or close (on) for the message ID number, and the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 may derive whether to open (off) the cutoff switch 34 by referring to the table or the like. Alternatively, the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 determines whether to open (off) the cutoff switch 34 based on a flag value included in the payload of the acquired message.

[0051] The message including information on whether to open (off) or close (on) the cutoff switch 34 is transmitted from any of the on-board ECUs 6, such as an integrated ECU that controls the entire vehicle 1 or a body ECU that controls the drive of body-related actuators. Any of the on-board ECUs 6 may generate and output a message including information on whether to open (off) or close (on) the cutoff switch 34 based on, for example, an operation by an operator of the vehicle 1. For example, when the entire vehicle 1 is in a sleep state, the operator of the vehicle 1 may operate a terminal device, such as a smartphone, to start only the car air conditioner installed in the vehicle 1. The on-board ECU 6 may then communicate with the terminal device via a wireless communication function such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark), and generate and output a message. Alternatively, the terminal device may have a wireless communication function. In this case, the terminal device may connect to the on-board network 9 via the wireless communication function and generate and transmit a message to the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 via the on-board network 9.

[0052] The message regarding the activation of the in-vehicle ECU 6 may be a message (pre-message) transmitted before the wake-up message is transmitted. When the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 receives the pre-message, the control unit 50 may determine to open (turn off) the cutoff switch 34. In this case, the cutoff switch 34 may be set to be always closed (normally on).

[0053] When it is determined that the cutoff switch 34 should be opened (off) (S102: YES), the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 opens (off) the cutoff switch 34 (S103). When it is determined that the cutoff switch 34 should be opened (off) based on the acquired message (message related to the startup of the in-vehicle ECU 6), the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 opens (off) the cutoff switch 34. When the cutoff switch 34 is set to be always closed (normally on), the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 opens (off) the cutoff switch 34. When the cutoff switch 34 is set to be always open (normally off), the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 maintains the cutoff switch 34 in the open (off) state.

[0054] By opening (turning off) the cutoff switch 34, the vehicle ECU 6 connected to the joint terminal 33 downstream of the cutoff switch 34 in the flow direction of communication data from the relay device 8 has its physical connection with the vehicle network 9 cut off. The vehicle ECU 6 whose physical connection is cut off in this way does not receive the wake-up message transmitted via the relay device 8, and therefore remains in a sleep state. That is, by maintaining the sleep state of the vehicle ECU 6 that does not require wake-up (wake-up unnecessary ECU), and activating (wake-up) only the vehicle ECU 6 that requires wake-up (wake-up required ECU), such as the vehicle ECU 6 that controls the car air conditioner, it is possible to suppress power consumption in the vehicle 1 and reduce consumption of the vehicle battery installed in the vehicle 1.

[0055] In the present embodiment, the main line 31 is provided with one cutoff switch 34, but this is not limiting. A plurality of cutoff switches 34 may be arranged in series on the main line 31. In this case, the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 may determine (derive) which of the plurality of cutoff switches 34 to open (off) based on a message related to the activation (wake-up) of the in-vehicle ECU 6, such as a pre-message transmitted before the transmission of a wake-up message. In this case, the storage unit 51 of the joint connector 2 may store, for example, a table or the like that defines the device number of the cutoff switch 34 to open (off) for each type of message, such as an ID, related to the activation (wake-up) of the in-vehicle ECU 6, and the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 may identify the cutoff switch 34 to open (off) by referring to the table.

[0056] The control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 closes (turns on) the resistor switch 41 (S104). When the protocol of the in-vehicle network 9 is CAN, the main line 31 of the joint connector 2 corresponds to a CAN bus, and resistors of, for example, 120 Ω are arranged on both ends of the main line 31, with the resistor at one end being the termination resistor 81 of the relay device 8 and the resistor at the other end being the termination resistor 61 of the in-vehicle ECU 6 connected to the main line 31.

[0057] By opening (turning off) the cutoff switch 34, it is assumed that in the on-board ECU 6 whose physical connection from the on-board network 9 has been cut off, the physical connection of the termination resistor 61 of the on-board ECU 6 is also cut off. In this case, no resistor is arranged in the main line 31 upstream of the cutoff switch 34 in the flow direction of communication data from the relay device 8. In response to this, the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 connects (wires) the main line 31 and the termination resistor 4 provided in the joint connector 2 by closing (turning on) the resistor switch 41.

[0058] As a result, even if the downstream main line 31 is physically disconnected from the relay device 8 by opening (turning off) the cutoff switch 34, a termination resistor 4 (resistor) can be connected to the end of the main line 31 upstream of the cutoff switch 34 in the direction of flow of communication data from the relay device 8, thereby preventing reflected waves from occurring in the main line 31 that functions as a CAN bus.

[0059] In the present embodiment, the in-vehicle ECU 6 whose physical connection with the in-vehicle network 9 is cut off by opening (off) the cutoff switch 34 has been described as including the termination resistor 61, but this is not limited to this. All of the in-vehicle ECUs 6 connected to the joint connector 2 may include the termination resistor 61. In this case, the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 does not need to close (on) the resistor switch 41 even when the cutoff switch 34 is opened (off). In other words, if all of the in-vehicle ECUs 6 connected to the joint connector 2 each include the termination resistor 61, the joint connector 2 may not include the termination resistor 41 and the resistor switch 41.

[0060] When it is not determined that the cutoff switch 34 should be opened (off) (S102: NO), the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 closes (on) the cutoff switch 34 (S1021). When the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 does not determine that the cutoff switch 34 should be opened (off) based on the acquired message (message related to the startup of the in-vehicle ECU 6), that is, when it determines that the cutoff switch 34 should be closed (on), it closes (on) the cutoff switch 34. When the cutoff switch 34 is set to be always closed (normally on), the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 maintains the cutoff switch 34 in a closed (on) state. When the cutoff switch 34 is set to be always open (normally off), the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 closes (on) the cutoff switch 34.

[0061] By closing (turning on) the cutoff switch 34, the in-vehicle ECUs 6 connected to the main line 31 on both the upstream and downstream sides of the cutoff switch 34 in the flow direction of communication data from the relay device 8 are physically connected to the in-vehicle network 9. When there is only one cutoff switch 34 arranged on the main line 31 as in this embodiment, all of the in-vehicle ECUs 6 connected to the joint connector 2 are physically connected to the in-vehicle network 9. Therefore, when the cutoff switch 34 is in a closed (turned on) state, all of the communication data that arrives at the joint connector 2 via the relay device 8 is received by all of the in-vehicle ECUs 6 connected to the joint connector 2. As a result, even a wake-up message transmitted from any of the in-vehicle ECUs 6 is received by all of the in-vehicle ECUs 6 connected to the joint connectors 2 with the cutoff switch 34 in a closed (turned on) state, and these in-vehicle ECUs 6 can be transitioned from a sleep (stopped) state to a wake-up (activated) state.

[0062] The control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 opens (off) the resistor switch 41 (S1022). When closing (on) the cutoff switch 34, the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 transitions the resistor switch 41 to open (off) if the resistor switch 41 is always closed (normally on), or maintains the open (off) state if the resistor switch 41 is always open (normally off). After executing process S104 or S1022, the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 may perform loop processing to execute the process from S101 again.

[0063] In the present embodiment, the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 determines whether to open (turn off) the cutoff switch 34 based on a message acquired via the relay device 8, but the present invention is not limited to this. The joint connector 2 may have the cutoff switch 34 and the resistor switch 41 without mounting a microcomputer 5 such as the control unit 50, and the cutoff switch 34 and the resistor switch 41 may be opened and closed (turned on and off) in response to an opening / closing signal (on / off signal) from the relay device 8.

[0064] In this case, the relay device 8 and the cutoff switch 34 and resistor switch 41 included in the joint connector 2 are communicatively connected by a signal line or the like, and the relay device 8 may determine whether to open (off) the cutoff switch 34 based on a message or communication data transmitted from any of the on-board ECUs 6, such as an integrated ECU that controls the entire vehicle 1, in the same manner as the determination processing of the control unit 50 of the joint connector 2 described above. By using this configuration in which the relay device 8 determines whether to open (off) the cutoff switch 34, it is possible to eliminate the need to mount a microcomputer 5 that constitutes the control unit 50 or the like in the joint connector 2, thereby enabling reductions in the manufacturing cost, weight, and size of the joint connector 2.

[0065] (Embodiment 2) FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates a joint connector 2 according to a second embodiment (cutoff switches 34 on branch lines 32: termination resistors 4 on ends of main lines 31). In this embodiment, the cutoff switches 34 are arranged on the branch lines 32 that branch off from the main line 31 on the electronic board 3. The cutoff switches 34 may be arranged on all branch lines 32 as illustrated in the drawing of this embodiment, or may be arranged on any one or more branch lines 32. Each of the cutoff switches 34 arranged on each of these branch lines 32 is electrically connected to the control unit 50 (microcomputer 5) via the input / output I / F 53, as in the first embodiment. The control unit 50 controls the opening and closing of each cutoff switch 34 by outputting a control signal to each cutoff switch 34 via the input / output I / F 53.

[0066] As in the first embodiment, the control unit 50 (microcomputer 5) of the joint connector 2 receives a message regarding the activation of the in-vehicle ECU 6, determines which of the cutoff switches 34 to open (off) or close (on) based on the received message, and controls the opening and closing of each of the cutoff switches 34 based on the determination result. In this case, the message regarding the activation of the in-vehicle ECU 6 may include an identifier (ECU-ID) that uniquely identifies the in-vehicle ECU 6 to be disconnected from the in-vehicle network 9. In addition, the storage unit 51 (microcomputer 5) of the joint connector 2 may store, in table format (switch table), the device numbers of the cutoff switches 34 corresponding to the identifiers (ECU-IDs), i.e., the cutoff switches 34 arranged on the branch lines 32 of the joint terminals 33 to which the in-vehicle ECU 6 with the identifiers (ECU-IDs) is connected. The control unit 50 (microcomputer 5) of the joint connector 2 may identify the cutoff switches 34 to be opened (off) by referring to the received message and the switch table.

[0067] In this case, a termination resistor 4 is arranged at the end of the main line 31 that functions as a CAN bus, and the termination resistor 4 may be mounted on the electronic board 3. By arranging the cutoff switch 34 on each of the branch lines 32 in this way, the number of combinations of on-board ECUs 6 that can be disconnected from the on-board network 9 can be increased, and the availability of the joint connector 2 can be further improved.

[0068] The embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0069] Multiple claims may be combined with each other regardless of the form of reference. Multiple dependent claims may be included in the claims, depending on multiple claims. Multiple dependent claims may be included in a multiple dependent claim. If multiple dependent claims are not included in a multiple dependent claim, this does not limit the number of multiple dependent claims that are included in a multiple dependent claim. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1 vehicle 2 joint connector 3 Electronic board 31 Main Line (CAN Bus) 32 Branch line (CAN bus) 33 Joint terminal 34 Isolation Switch 4 Termination resistor 41 Resistor switch 5. Microcomputer 50 control section 51 Storage section M Recording medium P Program 52 Communication unit (CAN transceiver) 53 Input / Output Interface 6 In-vehicle ECU 61 Termination resistor (vehicle ECU termination resistor) 7 Wire harness (CAN bus) 71 Connector 8. Relay Device 81 Termination resistor (relay device termination resistor) 9 In-vehicle network

Claims

1. A joint connector that is mounted on a vehicle and connects a plurality of wire harnesses, a plurality of joint terminals to which the connectors of the plurality of wire harnesses are respectively connected; an electronic substrate on which the plurality of joint terminals are mounted, The electronic board is provided with a cutoff switch that cuts off any one of the plurality of joint terminals. Joint connector.

2. a main line connecting each of the plurality of joint terminals is formed on the electronic board; The cutoff switch is provided on the main line. The joint connector according to claim 1 .

3. The electronic board is provided with a termination resistor, When any of the joint terminals is disconnected by the cutoff switch, the termination resistor is connected to another joint terminal other than the disconnected joint terminal. The joint connector according to claim 2 .

4. a main line connecting each of the plurality of joint terminals is formed on the electronic board; a branch wire is interposed between each of the plurality of joint terminals and the main wire; The cutoff switch is provided on the branch line. The joint connector according to claim 1 .

5. a control unit that performs processing related to opening and closing control of the cutoff switch, The control unit Acquire a message regarding activation of an in-vehicle ECU connected to the wire harness; Based on the acquired message, the cutoff switch is opened to disconnect any of the joint terminals. The joint connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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