On-vehicle management device and on-vehicle system

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of making it difficult to cause an adverse effect due to interruption of power supply to a communicable ECU.SOLUTION: An on-vehicle management device 20 is included in an on-vehicle system 1 including a power supply unit 10, a ECU12 receiving power supply from the power supply unit 10, and a relay 13 provided between the power supply unit 10 and the ECU12. The on-vehicle management device 20 includes a communication unit 21 that communicates with the ECU12, and a control unit 22 that controls the relay 13. The controller 22 transmits a turn-off instruction to the ECU12 via the communication unit 21 when the turn-off condition is satisfied, and switches the relay 13 to the off state when receiving a turn-off permission from the ECU12 via the communication unit 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle management device and an in-vehicle system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a network system. This network system includes a power supply, an intermediate ECU, and a lower ECU. The intermediate ECU includes a relay. When the relay is open, power supply from the power supply to the lower ECU is cut off. When the relay is closed, power is supplied from the power supply to the lower ECU. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-011228 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, when the relay switches from a closed state to an open state, the subordinate ECU is immediately switched to an off state, which may cause some kind of malfunction (for example, the contents stored in the volatile memory of the ECU may be erased before being transferred to the non-volatile memory). Such a problem is common to ECUs other than the subordinate ECU.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique that can reduce the occurrence of adverse effects caused by cutting off the power supply to a communication-enabled ECU. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The in-vehicle management device of the present disclosure includes: An in-vehicle management device included in an in-vehicle system including a power supply unit, an ECU that receives power from the power supply unit, and a relay provided between the power supply unit and the ECU, a communication unit that communicates with the ECU; a control unit that controls the relay, The control unit transmits an off transition instruction to the ECU via the communication unit when an off condition is met, and switches the relay to the off state when an off transition permission is received from the ECU via the communication unit.

[0007] The in-vehicle system of the present disclosure includes: A power supply unit; an ECU that receives power from the power supply unit; a relay provided between the power supply unit and the ECU; an in-vehicle management device that communicates with the ECU; the in-vehicle management device transmits an OFF transition instruction when an OFF condition is satisfied; When the ECU receives the power-off instruction, the ECU performs power-off preparation processing and then transmits a power-off permission; When the on-board management device receives the off-transition permission, the on-board management device switches the relay to the off state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the technology of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of adverse effects caused by cutting off the power supply to a communicable ECU. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an in-vehicle system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a first example of notifying an ECU of power supply information. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a second example of notifying the ECU of power supply information. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a third example of notifying the ECU of power supply information. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle-mounted management device shown in FIG. 1 in more detail. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a flow of determining the power supply state of an in-vehicle device in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a vehicle state table in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the first table in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the second table in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of determining the power supply state of an in-vehicle device in the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram that schematically shows the relationship between the in-vehicle management device, the first target ECU, and the second target ECU in the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a flow of controlling the relay to the off state when an off transition permission is received after an off transition instruction is sent to the first target ECU and the second target ECU in the configuration shown in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram showing the relationship between the on-board management device in the first embodiment and two ECUs that are capable of communicating and whose power supply state is switched by a relay. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process performed by the vehicle-mounted management device shown in FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing a flow of determining the power supply state of an in-vehicle device in the second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a service ID table in the second embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing a vehicle state table in the second embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram showing the second table in the second embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of determining the power supply state of an in-vehicle device in the second embodiment. [Figure 20]FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram showing a flow of determining the power supply state of an in-vehicle device in the third embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram showing a power supply state table in the third embodiment. 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.

[0011] [1] An in-vehicle management device included in an in-vehicle system including a power supply unit, an ECU that receives power from the power supply unit, and a relay provided between the power supply unit and the ECU, a communication unit that communicates with the ECU; a control unit that controls the relay, The control unit transmits an OFF transition instruction to the ECU via the communication unit when an OFF condition is met, and switches the relay to the OFF state when an OFF transition permission is received from the ECU via the communication unit. In-vehicle management device.

[0012] When the off condition is satisfied, the vehicle management device does not immediately switch the relay to the off state, but instead transmits an off transition instruction to the ECU, waits for an off transition permission, and then switches the relay to the off state. Therefore, when cutting off the power supply to a communicable ECU, the vehicle management device can provide the ECU with a preparation period before cutting off the power supply to the ECU, thereby making it less likely that adverse effects will occur when cutting off the power supply to the ECU.

[0013] [2] The control unit transmits an OFF transition notification to an ECU other than a destination ECU, which is the ECU to which the OFF transition instruction is transmitted, indicating that the OFF transition instruction will be transmitted or has been transmitted to the destination ECU. The vehicle-mounted management device described in [1].

[0014] By receiving the off-transition notification, the other ECU can prepare for the destination ECU switching to the off state.

[0015] [3] The vehicle-mounted management device a main management device for determining the vehicle status; a sub-management device capable of communicating with the main management device, the sub-management device has a sub-communication unit that functions as the communication unit and a sub-control unit that functions as the control unit, The sub-management device determines whether the off condition is satisfied based on the state information indicating the vehicle state received from the main management device, and when it determines that the off condition is satisfied, transmits the off transition instruction to the ECU, and when it receives the off transition permission from the ECU, switches the relay to the off state. The vehicle-mounted management device described in [1].

[0016] The above-described in-vehicle management device can reduce the processing load of the main management device that determines the vehicle state by having the sub-management device that controls the relay and is capable of communicating with the ECU determine the off condition.

[0017] [4] When the sub-management device determines that the off condition is satisfied, it transmits the off-transition instruction to the ECU, and transmits an off-transition notification to an ECU other than a destination ECU, which is the ECU to which the off-transition instruction is transmitted, indicating that the off-transition instruction will be transmitted to the destination ECU or that the off-transition instruction has been transmitted. The vehicle-mounted management device described in [1].

[0018] The sub-management device can transmit an off-transition notification to another ECU under its control.

[0019] [5] The vehicle-mounted management device is configured to include a sub-management device separate from the sub-management device, the other sub-management device is capable of communicating with an ECU other than the ECU; when it is determined that the off condition is satisfied, the sub-management device transmits the off-transition instruction to the ECU, and transmits an off-transition notification to the main management device indicating that the off-transition instruction will be transmitted or has been transmitted to the ECU; When the main management device receives the power-off transition notification, the main management device transmits the power-off transition notification to the other sub-management device; When the other sub-management device receives the off-transition notification, the other sub-management device transmits the off-transition notification to the other ECU. The vehicle-mounted management device described in [3].

[0020] The above-described in-vehicle management device can transmit an OFF transition notification to another ECU under the control of a sub-management device different from the sub-management device that transmitted the OFF transition instruction.

[0021] [6] The sub-management device includes a first sub-management device and a second sub-management device; The ECUs include a first target ECU and a second target ECU, The relay includes a first relay and a second relay; the first relay is provided between the power supply unit and the first target ECU, the second relay is provided between the power supply unit and the second target ECU, the first sub-management device has a first sub-communication unit that functions as the communication unit and a first sub-controller that functions as the control unit, the first sub-communication unit communicates with the first target ECU; the first sub-controller controls the first relay; the second sub-management device has a second sub-communication unit that functions as the communication unit and a second sub-control unit that functions as the control unit, the second sub-communication unit communicates with the second target ECU; the second sub-controller controls the second relay; the first sub-management device determines whether a first off condition is satisfied based on state information indicating the vehicle state received from the main management device, and when it determines that the first off condition is satisfied, transmits the off transition instruction to the first target ECU, and when it receives the off transition permission from the first target ECU, switches the first relay to an off state; the second sub-management device determines whether a second off condition is satisfied based on state information indicating the vehicle state received from the main management device, and when it determines that the second off condition is satisfied, transmits the off transition instruction to the second target ECU, and when it receives the off transition permission from the second target ECU, switches the second relay to the off state; when it is determined that the first off condition is satisfied, the first sub-management device transmits the off-transition instruction to the first target ECU, and transmits a first off-transition notification to the main management device indicating that the off-transition instruction will be transmitted or has been transmitted to the first target ECU; when it is determined that the second off condition is satisfied, the second sub-management device transmits the off-transition instruction to the second target ECU, and transmits a second off-transition notification to the main management device indicating that the off-transition instruction will be transmitted or has been transmitted to the second target ECU; When the main management device receives the first off transition notification, the main management device transmits the first off transition notification to the other ECU via the other sub-management device without waiting for the second off transition notification, and when the main management device receives the second off transition notification, the main management device transmits the second off transition notification to the other ECU via the other sub-management device without waiting for the first off transition notification. The vehicle-mounted management device described in [5].

[0022] The in-vehicle management device can quickly transmit the first off transition notification and the second off transition notification to the other ECU.

[0023] [7] The control unit performs a corresponding process when an upper limit time has elapsed without receiving the off-transition permission after transmitting the off-transition instruction via the communication unit. [1] to [6], the vehicle-mounted management device described in any one of [1] to [6].

[0024] The in-vehicle management device can perform a predetermined necessary process when an upper limit time elapses after transmitting an OFF transition instruction without receiving an OFF transition permission.

[0025] [8] The response process is a process of switching the relay to an OFF state. The vehicle-mounted management device according to [7].

[0026] The in-vehicle management device can switch the relay to the off state when the upper limit time has elapsed even if the in-vehicle management device does not receive the off-transition permission. Therefore, even if the in-vehicle management device cannot receive the off-transition permission due to a communication abnormality of the ECU, the in-vehicle management device can avoid the continuous power consumption by the ECU due to the inability to switch the relay to the off state.

[0027] [9] The ECU is provided in plurality, The upper limit time is set corresponding to each of the ECUs, The control unit performs the response process when the upper limit time corresponding to the ECU to which the off-transition instruction is sent has elapsed without receiving the off-transition permission after sending the off-transition instruction to the ECU via the communication unit. The vehicle-mounted management device according to [7] or [8].

[0028] The in-vehicle management device can set different upper limits on the time until the corresponding process is performed for each ECU.

[0029]

[10] The control unit sets the upper limit time based on the vehicle state when the OFF transition instruction is transmitted. [7] to [9], the vehicle-mounted management device.

[0030] The in-vehicle management device can set an upper limit time suitable for the vehicle state.

[0031]

[11] When the vehicle state changes after transmitting the OFF transition instruction, the control unit changes the upper limit time based on the changed vehicle state. The vehicle-mounted management device according to

[10] .

[0032] Even if the vehicle state changes after the transmission of the OFF transition instruction, the vehicle management device can change the upper limit time to a time appropriate for the changed vehicle state.

[0033]

[12] When the control unit receives the off-transition permission without transmitting the off-transition instruction, the control unit maintains the relay in an on state.

[10] An in-vehicle management device according to any one of [1] to

[11] .

[0034] If the control unit receives an OFF transition permission without having sent an OFF transition instruction, it is considered that the OFF transition permission was sent in error. In this case, the control unit can maintain the relay in the ON state.

[0035]

[13] When the control unit receives the off-transition permission without transmitting the off-transition instruction, the control unit performs a predetermined process without switching the relay to an off state.

[12] An in-vehicle management device according to any one of [1] to

[12] .

[0036] If the control unit receives an OFF transition permission without having sent an OFF transition instruction, it is considered that the OFF transition permission was sent in error. In this case, the control unit can perform predetermined necessary processing without switching the relay to the OFF state.

[0037]

[14] The control unit switches the relay to the off state when the off transition permission is received after a lower limit time has elapsed since the off transition instruction was sent.

[14] The vehicle-mounted management device according to any one of [1] to

[13] .

[0038] If the time between transmitting the OFF transition instruction and receiving the OFF transition permission is too short, there is a possibility that the OFF transition permission was transmitted in error, unrelated to the OFF transition instruction. The in-vehicle management device switches the relay to the OFF state when the OFF transition permission is received after the minimum time has elapsed since transmitting the OFF transition instruction, and therefore can switch the relay to the OFF state when there is a high possibility that the OFF transition permission was transmitted normally.

[0039]

[15] When the control unit receives the OFF transition permission during the time period from when the OFF transition instruction was transmitted until the lower limit time has elapsed, the control unit transmits the OFF transition instruction again while maintaining the relay in an ON state. The vehicle-mounted management device according to

[14] .

[0040] An OFF transition permission received before the minimum time limit has elapsed is not necessarily an OFF transition permission that has been erroneously transmitted. If the vehicle management device receives an OFF transition permission before the minimum time limit has elapsed, the vehicle management device transmits an OFF transition instruction again while maintaining the relay in the ON state. This allows the vehicle management device to reconfirm whether or not it can receive an OFF transition permission.

[0041] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First Embodiment <1-1. Configuration of In-Vehicle System 1> 1 is a system mounted on a vehicle. The vehicle system 1 includes a power supply unit 10, a power line 11, an ECU 12, a relay 13, a detection unit 14, a bus 15, and an in-vehicle management device 20.

[0042] The power supply unit 10 includes, for example, a battery. The power supply unit 10 may include, for example, a low-voltage battery, or may include a high-voltage battery and a DC-DC converter that steps down the output voltage of the high-voltage battery.

[0043] The power path 11 is an electrical path that supplies power from the power supply unit 10 to the ECU 12. The power path 11 has a common path 11A electrically connected to the power supply unit 10, and a plurality of branch paths 11B, 11C, 11D, and 11E branching from the common path 11A. The ECU 12 is electrically connected to each of the branch paths 11B, 11C, 11D, and 11E.

[0044] The ECU 12 is an electronic control unit. The ECU 12 includes ECUs 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D, 12E, and 12F. The ECU 12A is electrically connected to the branch path 11B. The ECUs 12B and 12C are electrically connected to the branch path 11C. The ECUs 12D and 12E are electrically connected to the branch path 11D. The ECU 12F is electrically connected to the branch path 11E.

[0045] The relay 13 may be configured by a mechanical switch or a semiconductor switch. The relay 13 includes relays 13B, 13C, and 13D. The relay 13B is provided between the power supply unit 10 and the ECU 12A in the branch path 11B. The relay 13C is provided between the power supply unit 10 and the ECUs 12B and 12C in the branch path 11C. The relay 13D is provided between the power supply unit 10 and the ECUs 12D and 12E in the branch path 11D.

[0046] The detection unit 14 detects at least one of the current supplied to the ECU 12 and the voltage applied to the ECU 12. The detection unit 14 detects the current supplied to the ECU 12 using, for example, a known current sensor. The detection unit 14 detects the voltage applied to the ECU 12 using, for example, a known voltage detection circuit. The detection result of the detection unit 14 is output to the in-vehicle management device 20.

[0047] The detection unit 14 includes detection units 14B, 14C, 14D, and 14E. The detection unit 14B is provided in the branch path 11B. The detection unit 14B is provided between the ECU 12A and the power supply unit 10. The detection unit 14B detects at least one of the current supplied to the ECU 12A and the voltage applied to the ECU 12A. The detection unit 14C is provided in the branch path 11C. The detection unit 14C is provided between the ECUs 12B and 12C and the power supply unit 10. The detection unit 14C detects at least one of the current supplied to the ECUs 12B and 12C and the voltage applied to the ECUs 12B and 12C. The detection unit 14D is provided in the branch path 11D. The detection unit 14D is provided between the ECUs 12D and 12E and the power supply unit 10. The detector 14D detects at least one of the current supplied to the ECUs 12D and 12E and the voltage applied to the ECUs 12B and 12C. The detector 14E is provided on the branch path 11E. The detector 14E detects at least one of the current supplied to the ECU 12F and the voltage applied to the ECU 12F.

[0048] The bus 15 is a communication line used for communication between the ECU 12 and the vehicle-mounted management device 20. The bus 15 includes buses 15A and 15B.

[0049] The above-mentioned ECU 12 is classified into three types.

[0050] The ECUs 12A and 12B are classified as a first pattern. The ECUs 12 of the first pattern receive power from the power supply unit 10 via the relay 13 and are not connected to the bus 15. In other words, the ECUs 12 of the first pattern cannot communicate with the in-vehicle management device 20. The ECUs 12 of the first pattern are in an on state when the relay 13 provided between the ECUs 12 and the power supply unit 10 is in an on state, and are in an off state when the relay 13 is in an off state.

[0051] The ECUs 12C, 12D, and 12E are classified as a second pattern. The ECUs 12 of the second pattern receive power from the power supply unit 10 via the relay 13 and are connected to the bus 15. The ECUs 12 of the second pattern are in an on state when the relay 13 provided between the ECUs 12 and the power supply unit 10 is in an on state, and are in an off state when the relay 13 is in an off state. Furthermore, the ECUs 12 of the second pattern are in a communication-disabled state immediately after switching to the on state, and are in a communication-enabled state when the communication preparation process is completed.

[0052] The ECU 12F is classified as a third pattern. The ECU 12 of the third pattern receives power from the power supply unit 10 without going through the relay 13 and is connected to the bus 15. The ECU 12 of the third pattern switches between an active state and a sleep state in response to an instruction from the vehicle management device 20. The sleep state consumes less power than the active state. The ECU 12 of the third pattern is in a communication-disabled state immediately after switching to the active state, and becomes communication-enabled once the communication preparation process is completed.

[0053] The in-vehicle management device 20 is a device that manages the power supply states of the multiple ECUs 12. The in-vehicle management device 20 stores the power supply states of the multiple ECUs 12. The in-vehicle management device 20 controls the power supply states of the multiple ECUs 12. The power supply states of the ECUs 12 are, for example, an on state, an off state, a running state, and a sleep state. The in-vehicle management device 20 has a communication unit 21, a control unit 22, and a storage unit 23.

[0054] The communication unit 21 is configured by, for example, a communication interface and is capable of communicating with the ECUs 12C, 12D, 12E, and 12F via the bus 15.

[0055] The control unit 22 can control the power supply state of the ECU 12. The control unit 22 can control the on / off states of the first and second pattern ECUs 12 by controlling the relay 13. The control unit 22 can control the third pattern ECU 12 between an active state and a sleep state by transmitting a signal via the bus 15.

[0056] The storage unit 23 is configured by a memory, etc. The storage unit 23 stores programs executed by the control unit 22, tables used in the determination process, etc.

[0057] <1-2. Configuration for notifying the second ECU of power supply information from the first ECU> 2, the control unit 22 notifies the second ECU of power supply information indicating the power supply state of the first ECU via the communication unit 21. ECUs 12C, 12D, 12E, and 12F correspond to examples of second ECUs. ECUs 12A and 12B correspond to examples of first ECUs. Furthermore, ECUs 12C, 12D, 12E, and 12F each correspond to an example of a first ECU in relation to a second ECU other than itself.

[0058] According to this configuration, the in-vehicle management device 20 can notify the second ECU of the power supply state of the first ECU. Therefore, the second ECU can restrict the transmission of signals to the first ECU when the first ECU is clearly in a state where communication is not possible (for example, an off state, a sleep state, etc.). As a result, the in-vehicle management device 20 can reduce unnecessary processing by the ECU.

[0059] When the first ECU is in the first pattern or the second pattern, the control unit 22 controls the on / off state of the first ECU by, for example, controlling the relay 13, and notifies the second ECU of the power supply information. With this configuration, the in-vehicle management device 20 can control the on / off state of the first ECU and can notify the second ECU of the on / off state of the first ECU.

[0060] When the first ECU is in the third pattern, the control unit 22 switches the first ECU between an active state and a sleep state by sending a signal to the first ECU, and notifies the second ECU of the power supply information. With this configuration, the vehicle management device 20 can switch the first ECU between an active state and a sleep state, and can notify the second ECU of whether the first ECU is in the active state or the sleep state.

[0061] The control unit 22 determines the power supply state of the first ECU, for example, as follows. The control unit 22 may determine the on / off state of each of the first ECUs of the first and second patterns based on the state of control of the relay 13 provided between the first ECU and the power supply unit 10. The control unit 22 may also determine the on / off state of each of the first ECUs of the first and second patterns based on the current supplied to the first ECU. Specifically, the control unit 22 may determine that the first ECU is in the on state when the current supplied to the first ECU exceeds a threshold current, and may determine that the first ECU is in the off state when the current supplied to the first ECU is equal to or less than the threshold current. The control unit 22 may also determine the on / off state of each of the first ECUs of the first and second patterns based on the voltage applied to the first ECU. Specifically, the control unit 22 may determine that the first ECU is in an on state when the voltage applied to the first ECU exceeds a threshold voltage, and may determine that the first ECU is in an off state when the voltage applied to the first ECU is equal to or less than the threshold voltage.

[0062] The control unit 22 may determine the on / off state of a first ECU of the second pattern based on the result of communication with the first ECU.

[0063] The control unit 22 may determine whether a first ECU of the third pattern is in an activated state or a sleep state based on a result of communication with the first ECU. For example, the control unit 22 may determine that the first ECU has switched to an activated state when an activation instruction signal is transmitted to the first ECU. The control unit 22 may also determine whether a first ECU of the third pattern is in an activated state or a sleep state based on a current supplied to the first ECU. Specifically, the control unit 22 may determine that the first ECU is in an activated state when the current supplied to the first ECU exceeds a threshold current, and may determine that the first ECU is in a sleep state when the current supplied to the first ECU is equal to or less than the threshold current.

[0064] For a first ECU of the second pattern, the control unit 22 notifies the second ECU of communication availability information indicating whether the first ECU is in a communication-enabled state when the first ECU is in an on-state. It takes time for the ECU 12 to become communication-enabled after turning on. Therefore, even if the ECU 12 is activated, it may be in a communication-disabled state. The in-vehicle management device 20 can notify the second ECU of the communication availability information indicating whether the first ECU is in a communication-enabled state. Therefore, the second ECU can more accurately determine whether the first ECU is in a communication-enabled state and can more reliably restrict the transmission of signals to a first ECU with which communication is disabled. As a result, the in-vehicle management device 20 can further reduce unnecessary ECU processing.

[0065] The first ECU of the second pattern may transmit a communication available notification to the control unit 22 when it becomes capable of communication after being switched to the on state. In this case, the control unit 22 may determine that the first ECU is in a communication unavailable state from the time the first ECU is switched to the on state until it receives the communication available notification, and may determine that the first ECU has become capable of communication when it receives the communication available notification.

[0066] After performing control to switch the relay 13 to the on state, the control unit 22 may start determining whether the first ECU is ready to communicate, and if it determines that the first ECU is ready to communicate, may notify the second ECU of communication availability information indicating that the first ECU is ready to communicate. With this configuration, the in-vehicle management device 20 can efficiently and quickly determine that the first ECU is ready to communicate.

[0067] For a first ECU of the third pattern, the control unit 22 notifies the second ECU of communication availability information indicating whether the first ECU is in a communication-enabled state when the first ECU is in an activated state. It takes time for the ECU 12 to become communication-enabled after entering an activated state. Therefore, even if the ECU 12 is in an activated state, it may be in a communication-disabled state. The in-vehicle management device 20 can notify the second ECU of the communication availability information indicating whether the first ECU is in a communication-enabled state. Therefore, the second ECU can more accurately determine whether the first ECU is in a communication-enabled state and can more reliably restrict the transmission of signals to a first ECU with which communication is disabled. As a result, the in-vehicle management device 20 can further reduce unnecessary ECU processing.

[0068] The first ECU of the third pattern may transmit a communication available notification to the control unit 22 when it becomes capable of communication after switching to the activated state. In this case, the control unit 22 may determine that the first ECU is in a communication unavailable state from when the first ECU switches to the activated state until it receives the communication available notification, and may determine that the first ECU has become capable of communication when it receives the communication available notification.

[0069] After instructing the first ECU to switch to the activated state, the control unit 22 may start determining whether the first ECU has become capable of communication, and if it determines that the first ECU has become capable of communication, may notify the second ECU of communication availability information indicating that the first ECU has become capable of communication. With this configuration, the in-vehicle management device 20 can efficiently and quickly determine that the first ECU has become capable of communication.

[0070] When the second ECU is in a sleep state, the control unit 22 restricts notification of power supply information to the second ECU. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, ECUs 12C and 12E are in an active state, and ECUs 12D and 12F are in a sleep state. The control unit 22 and ECUs 12C, 12D, 12E, and 12F are configured to be able to notify information to an active ECU 12 connected to the same bus 15 while maintaining the sleeping ECU 12 in the sleep state. For example, the control unit 22 and ECUs 12C, 12D, 12E, and 12F support partial network control. In this configuration, the control unit 22 does not notify the sleeping ECUs 12D and 12F of the power supply information of the first ECU, but only notifies the sleeping ECUs 12C and 12E. This configuration allows the in-vehicle management device 20 to prevent the sleeping second ECU from being woken up due to the power supply information being notified to the sleeping second ECU.

[0071] In a configuration in which all ECUs 12 connected to bus 15 are switched to an active state when information is transmitted to bus 15, control unit 22 restricts transmission of power supply information to bus 15 to which a second ECU in a sleep state is connected. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4 , ECUs 12C and 12D connected to bus 15A are active, and ECUs 12E and 12F connected to bus 15B are in a sleep state. In this state, control unit 22 does not transmit power supply information of the first ECU to bus 15B to which ECUs 12E and 12F in the sleep state are connected, but transmits it only to bus 15A to which ECUs 12C and 12D in the active state are connected. With this configuration, in-vehicle management device 20, it is possible to prevent a second ECU in a sleep state from being activated due to power supply information being transmitted to the second ECU in the sleep state.

[0072] The control unit 22 determines whether the first ECU is in a communication abnormal state, and if it determines that the first ECU is in a communication abnormal state, notifies the second ECU that the first ECU is in a communication abnormal state. The control unit 22 determines that the first ECU is in a communication abnormal state when, for example, the first ECU does not respond and therefore cannot provide a normal notification. With this configuration, the in-vehicle management device 20 can notify the second ECU that the first ECU is in a communication abnormal state. Therefore, the second ECU can restrict the transmission of signals to the first ECU in a communication abnormal state. As a result, the in-vehicle management device 20 can reduce unnecessary processing by the second ECU.

[0073] The control unit 22 notifies the second ECU of information indicating whether a service function provided by the vehicle is enabled. The control unit 22 may determine whether a service function is enabled by itself, or may receive information indicating whether a service function is enabled from an external device. The service function may be, for example, a perimeter monitoring service that monitors the perimeter of the vehicle, or an air conditioning management service that manages the air conditioning inside the vehicle when the vehicle is unmanned. With this configuration, the in-vehicle management device 20 can notify the second ECU of whether a service function is enabled. Therefore, the second ECU can operate based on whether the service function is enabled.

[0074] The vehicle may also be capable of providing a plurality of service functions. The control unit 22 may notify the second ECU of information indicating a combination of enabled and disabled states of two or more service functions. With this configuration, the in-vehicle management device 20 can efficiently notify the second ECU of information indicating the enabled and disabled states of a plurality of service functions.

[0075] <1-3. Configuration in which functions are distributed between the main management device 30 and the sub-management device 40> As shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle-mounted management device 20 includes a main management device 30 and a plurality of sub-management devices 40.

[0076] The main management device 30 has a main communication unit 31, a main control unit 32, and a main memory unit 33. The main communication unit 31 is configured, for example, by a communication interface. The main communication unit 31 is capable of communicating with devices external to the in-vehicle management device 20, the sub-management device 40, and the like via a communication line. The main communication unit 31 functions as the communication unit 21. The main control unit 32 is configured, for example, by a processing unit such as a CPU. The main control unit 32 functions as the control unit 22. The main memory unit 33 is configured, for example, by a memory. The main memory unit 33 functions as the memory unit 23.

[0077] The main control unit 32 determines the vehicle state based on the basic vehicle state and the service state (see FIG. 6).

[0078] The basic vehicle state is a state that transitions to at least a vehicle running state and a vehicle parked state. In this embodiment, the basic vehicle state transitions to a running state, a riding state, and a parked state. The running state is, for example, the ON state of the starter switch. The starter switch is, for example, an ignition switch or a power switch. The riding state is a state in which the starter switch is OFF and the user is in the vehicle. The parked state is a state in which the starter switch is OFF and the user is not in the vehicle.

[0079] The main control unit 32 determines the basic vehicle state based on information input to itself, such as a signal indicating the on / off state of the start switch and a signal indicating the detection result of a detection unit that detects whether a user is getting in the vehicle.

[0080] The service state is a state defined by the enable / disable of a service function provided by the vehicle. Examples of the service function include the perimeter monitoring service and air conditioning management service described above. The enable / disable of a service function can be switched, for example, by operating an operation unit mounted on the vehicle or by operating a communication terminal capable of wireless communication with the vehicle. The main control unit 32 acquires information indicating the enable / disable of a service function from an external in-vehicle device (e.g., the ECU 12 shown in FIG. 1 ) of the in-vehicle management device 20. The in-vehicle device determines whether a service function is enabled or disabled based on input information thereto and transmits the determination result to the main management device 30. This configuration allows the in-vehicle system 1 to eliminate or reduce the process of determining whether a service function is enabled or disabled in the main management device 30. The in-vehicle device may also determine whether multiple service functions are enabled or disabled based on input information thereto and transmit combination information indicating a combination of enabled and disabled service functions to the main management device 30. According to this configuration, when the in-vehicle device transmits information indicating whether a service function is enabled or disabled to the main management device 30, the transmission can be performed more efficiently than in a configuration in which the information is transmitted for each service function.

[0081] The main memory unit 33 stores a vehicle state table that defines a vehicle state for each combination of a basic vehicle state and a service state. As shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle state table defines a vehicle state for each combination of the basic vehicle state and the enabled / disabled state of each service function. The main control unit 32 determines the vehicle state based on the vehicle state table, the basic vehicle state, and the service state (specifically, the enabled / disabled state of each service function). For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the basic vehicle state is parked, the perimeter monitoring service is enabled, and the air conditioning management service is disabled, the main control unit 32 determines that the vehicle state is B.

[0082] The main control unit 32 transmits to the sub-management device 40 status information indicating the vehicle status determined by the main control unit 32 itself.

[0083] The sub-management device 40 shown in FIG. 5 controls the power supply states of multiple in-vehicle devices 50 based on state information received from the main management device 30. The in-vehicle devices 50 are provided in the in-vehicle system 1. The in-vehicle devices 50 are, for example, the ECU 12 shown in FIG. 1 , a sensor, or an actuator. When the in-vehicle device 50 is the ECU 12, the sub-management device 40 may control the on / off state of the ECU 12 by controlling the on / off state of the relay 13, or may switch the ECU 12 to an active state by transmitting an activation instruction signal via the bus 15, or may switch the ECU 12 to a sleep state by transmitting a sleep instruction signal via the bus 15. When the in-vehicle device 50 is a load such as a sensor or an actuator, the sub-management device 40 may control the on / off state of the load by controlling the on / off state of the relay 13.

[0084] The sub-management device 40 has a sub-communication unit 41, a sub-control unit 42, and a sub-storage unit 43. The sub-communication unit 41 is configured, for example, by a communication interface. The sub-communication unit 41 is capable of communicating with the main management device 30, the second pattern ECU 12, and the third pattern ECU 12 via a communication line. The sub-communication unit 41 functions as the communication unit 21. The sub-control unit 42 is configured, for example, by a processor such as a CPU. The sub-control unit 42 functions as the control unit 22. The sub-storage unit 43 is configured, for example, by a memory. The sub-storage unit 43 functions as the storage unit 23.

[0085] The sub-controller 42 controls the power supply states of the multiple on-vehicle devices 50 based on the state information received from the main management device 30 and the power supply state table. The power supply state table is stored in the sub-storage unit 43. The power supply state table is a table showing the correspondence between the vehicle state and the power supply state of each of the multiple on-vehicle devices 50. The power supply state table includes the vehicle state table shown in FIG. 7, a first table shown in FIG. 8, and a second table shown in FIG. 9. In FIGS. 8 to 10, on-vehicle devices 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D are shown as the on-vehicle devices 50.

[0086] As described above, the vehicle state table is a table that defines a vehicle state for each combination of a basic vehicle state and a service state. Specifically, the vehicle state table defines a vehicle state for each combination of a basic vehicle state and the enabled / disabled state of each service function. The sub-control unit 42 determines the basic vehicle state and the service state based on the state information received from the main management device 30 and the vehicle state table. Specifically, the sub-control unit 42 determines the basic vehicle state and the enabled / disabled state of each service function. In the example shown in Figures 6 and 7, the sub-control unit 42 determines from vehicle state B that the basic vehicle state is a parked state, the perimeter monitoring service is enabled, and the air conditioning management service is disabled.

[0087] 8, the first table is a table showing the correspondence between the basic vehicle state and the power supply state (specifically, on / off state) of each on-board device 50. In the example shown in FIG. 8, when the basic vehicle state is the parked state, the on-board devices 50A and 50B are in the on state, and the on-board devices 50C and 50D are in the off state. When the basic vehicle state is the occupied state, the on-board devices 50A and 50C are in the on state, and the on-board devices 50B and 50D are in the off state. When the basic vehicle state is the traveling state, the on-board devices 50A, 50C, and 50D are in the on state, and the on-board device 50B is in the off state. Note that in the description of "1-3. Configuration in which functions are distributed between the main management device 30 and the sub-management device 40," for an ECU 12 that switches between a sleep state and an activated state, the sleep state is taken as the off state, and the activated state is taken as the on state.

[0088] As shown in Fig. 9, the second table is a table showing the correspondence between the service state (specifically, each service function) and the power state (specifically, on / off state) of each in-vehicle device 50. In the example shown in Fig. 9, when the perimeter monitoring service is enabled, the in-vehicle devices 50A and 50C are in the on state, and the in-vehicle devices 50B and 50D are in the off state. When the air conditioning management service is enabled, the in-vehicle devices 50A and 50B are in the on state, and the in-vehicle devices 50C and 50D are in the off state.

[0089] The sub-control unit 42 determines the power supply states of the in-vehicle devices 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D based on the basic vehicle state and the first table. The sub-control unit 42 determines the power supply states of the in-vehicle devices 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D based on the service state and the second table. The sub-control unit 42 controls, to the on state, the in-vehicle devices 50 determined to be in the on state based on the basic vehicle state and the first table and the in-vehicle devices 50 determined to be in the on state based on the service state and the second table. The sub-control unit 42 controls, to the off state, the in-vehicle devices 50 determined to be in the off state based on the basic vehicle state and the first table and determined to be in the off state based on the service state and the second table.

[0090] When the vehicle state is B, the power supply states of the on-board devices 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D are determined as shown in FIG. 10. That is, since the basic vehicle state is the parked state, the on-board devices 50A and 50B are determined to be in the on state based on the basic vehicle state and the first table. As for the service state, only the perimeter monitoring service is enabled. Therefore, the on-board devices 50A and 50C are determined to be in the on state based on the service state and the second table. As a result, the on-board devices 50A, 50B, and 50C are determined to be in the on state, and the on-board device 50D is determined to be in the off state. The sub-control unit 42 controls the on-board devices 50A, 50B, and 50C to be in the on state, and controls the on-board device 50D to be in the off state.

[0091] After completing the switching process for controlling all of the in-vehicle devices 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D that are managed by the sub-control unit 42 to power states corresponding to the vehicle status, the sub-control unit 42 transmits switching completion information indicating the completion of the switching process to the main management device 30. With this configuration, the sub-management device 40 can notify the main management device 30 of the completion of the switching process when it is completed. Therefore, the amount of communication is reduced compared to a configuration in which notification is sent for each in-vehicle device 50 whose power state has been switched. In other words, the sub-management device 40 can notify the main management device 30 that it has controlled all of the in-vehicle devices 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D that are managed to power states corresponding to the vehicle status while suppressing the amount of communication.

[0092] If there is no in-vehicle device 50 to be switched, the sub-controller 42 transmits switching completion information to the main management device 30 without switching the power state of the in-vehicle device 50. With this configuration, the sub-management device 40 can notify the main management device 30 that the switching process has been completed, even if there is no in-vehicle device 50 to be switched.

[0093] If the main management device 30 does not receive switching completion information within a determination period after transmitting status information, the main management device 30 performs a determination process to determine whether or not the sub-management device 40 is abnormal. The determination process may be, for example, a process of transmitting a signal requesting a response to the sub-management device 40 and determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred based on whether or not a response is obtained. With this configuration, the main management device 30 can determine whether or not the sub-management device 40 is abnormal in a situation where there is a high possibility of an abnormality, in which switching completion information is not received within the determination period. Note that the main management device 30 may also determine that the sub-management device 40 is abnormal at the point in time when the main management device 30 does not receive switching completion information within a determination period after transmitting status information.

[0094] The main management device 30 transmits status information to each sub-management device 40, and performs processing according to the determined vehicle status after receiving switching completion information from all sub-management devices 40. With this configuration, the main management device 30 can perform processing according to the vehicle status after confirming that the switching processing has been completed in all sub-management devices 40.

[0095] As described above, the in-vehicle system 1 can have the main management device 30 determine the vehicle state and the sub-management device 40 control the power supply state using a control pattern based on the vehicle state. Therefore, the main management device 30 does not need to store a control pattern for the power supply state according to the vehicle state, and does not need to perform processing to determine the control pattern for the power supply state according to the vehicle state. Therefore, this configuration makes it easy to reduce the storage capacity of the main management device 30 that determines the vehicle state.

[0096] Furthermore, by using the power supply state table, the sub-management device 40 can easily grasp the desired power supply state of each in-vehicle device 50 according to the vehicle state, which allows the sub-management device 40 to simplify the process of controlling the power supply state of each in-vehicle device 50 according to the vehicle state.

[0097] Furthermore, the main management device 30 determines the vehicle status based on the basic vehicle status and the service status. With this configuration, both the basic vehicle status and the service status are reflected in the status information. Therefore, when the main management device 30 transmits information indicating the basic vehicle status and information indicating the service status to the sub-management device 40, the transmission can be more efficient than in a configuration in which each information is transmitted separately.

[0098] Furthermore, if a table showing the power state of each on-board device 50 is prepared for each combination of the basic vehicle state and the enabled / disabled status of a service function, the table capacity is likely to increase. For example, if there are three basic vehicle states, even if there is only one type of service function, a table showing six (=3×2) possible power states based on the enabled / disabled combinations is required. The on-board management device 20 uses a first table showing the correspondence between the basic vehicle state and the power state of each on-board device 50, and a second table showing the correspondence between the service state and the power state of each on-board device 50, thereby making it easier to prevent an increase in the storage capacity required for the table showing the power state of the on-board devices 50. In particular, the on-board management device 20 can control the required on-board devices 50 to be in the on state while preventing an increase in the storage capacity required for the table.

[0099] Furthermore, the in-vehicle management device 20 can have the main management device 30 determine the vehicle state and the sub-management device 40 control the power state of the in-vehicle devices 50 based on the vehicle state. Therefore, the main management device 30 does not need to store control patterns according to the vehicle state, and does not need to perform processing to determine the control pattern according to the vehicle state. Therefore, with this configuration, it is easy to reduce the storage capacity of the main management device 30 that determines the vehicle state. Furthermore, the main management device 30 transmits status information indicating the vehicle status that reflects both the basic vehicle status and the service status to the sub-management device 40. Therefore, when the main management device 30 transmits information indicating the basic vehicle status and information indicating the service status to the sub-management device 40, the main management device 30 can transmit the information more efficiently than in a configuration in which each information is transmitted separately. The sub-management device 40 then determines the basic vehicle status and service status based on the status information received from the main management device 30. The sub-management device 40 then controls the power supply status of the multiple in-vehicle devices 50 based on the determined basic vehicle status and service status, the first table, and the second table. This makes it easier for the sub-management device 40 to prevent an increase in the storage capacity required for the table indicating the power supply status of the in-vehicle devices 50.

[0100] <1-4. Configuration in which an OFF transition command is sent to the ECU 12 and then the relay is switched to the OFF state> 11, the in-vehicle management device 20 includes a main management device 30 and a plurality of sub-management devices 40. As shown in FIG. 5, the sub-management devices 40 include a first sub-management device 40A, a second sub-management device 40B, and a third sub-management device 40C. The first sub-management device 40A, the second sub-management device 40B, and the third sub-management device 40C each have a sub-communication unit 41 (specifically, a first sub-communication unit 41A, a second sub-communication unit 41B, and a third sub-communication unit 41C), a sub-control unit 42 (specifically, a first sub-control unit 42A, a second sub-control unit 42B, and a third sub-control unit 42C), a sub-storage unit 43 (specifically, a first sub-storage unit 43A, a second sub-storage unit 43B, and a third sub-storage unit 43C), and a sub-control unit 42 (specifically, a first sub-control unit 42A, a second sub-control unit 42B, and a third sub-control unit 42C). Each sub-management device 40 controls a plurality of in-vehicle devices 50 under its control.

[0101] 11, a first target ECU 112A, an ECU 112B, a second target ECU 112C, and an ECU 112D are illustrated as examples of the ECUs 12. The first target ECU 112A and the ECU 112B are connected to a first sub-management device 40A via a bus 115A (corresponding to the bus 15). A first relay 113A (corresponding to the relay 13) is provided between the first target ECU 112A and the power supply unit 10. The second target ECU 112C is connected to a second sub-management device 40B via a bus 115B (corresponding to the bus 15). A second relay 113B (corresponding to the relay 13) is provided between the second target ECU 112C and the power supply unit 10. The ECU 112D is connected to a third sub-management device 40C via a bus 115C (corresponding to the bus 15).

[0102] The first sub-management device 40A can control the on / off state of the first target ECU 112A by controlling the first relay 113A. The first sub-management device 40A can communicate with the first target ECU 112A and ECU 112B via the bus 115A. The second sub-management device 40B can control the on / off state of the second target ECU 112C by controlling the second relay 113B. The second sub-management device 40B can communicate with the second target ECU 112C via the bus 115B. The third sub-management device 40C can communicate with the ECU 112D via the bus 115C.

[0103] The first sub-management device 40A determines whether the first off condition is met based on the status information indicating the vehicle status received from the main management device 30. The determination of whether the first off condition is met is performed, for example, by the method described above in "1-3. Configuration for distributing functions between the main management device 30 and the sub-management device 40." When the first sub-management device 40A determines that the first off condition is met, it transmits an off-transition instruction to the first target ECU 112A. When the first target ECU 112A receives the off-transition instruction, it performs off preparation processing for transitioning to the off state and then transmits an off-transition permission to the first sub-management device 40A. When the first sub-management device 40A receives the off-transition permission from the first target ECU 112A, it switches the first relay 113A to the off state.

[0104] The second sub-management device 40B determines whether the second off condition is met based on the status information indicating the vehicle status received from the main management device 30. The determination of whether the second off condition is met is performed, for example, by the method described above in "1-3. Configuration for distributing functions between the main management device 30 and the sub-management device 40." When the second sub-management device 40B determines that the second off condition is met, it transmits an off-transition instruction to the second target ECU 112C. When the second target ECU 112C receives the off-transition instruction, it performs off preparation processing for transitioning to the off state and then transmits an off-transition permission to the second sub-management device 40B. When the second sub-management device 40B receives the off-transition permission from the second target ECU 112C, it switches the second relay 113B to the off state.

[0105] When the first sub-management device 40A determines that the first off condition is met, it transmits an off transition instruction to the first target ECU 112A and transmits a first off transition notification indicating that the off transition instruction will be transmitted or has been transmitted to the first target ECU 112A to the ECU 112B and the main management device 30. The timing of transmitting the first off transition notification may be the same as the timing of transmitting the off transition instruction, or may be shifted from the timing of transmitting the off transition instruction.

[0106] When the second sub-management device 40B determines that the second off condition is met, it transmits an off transition instruction to the second target ECU 112C and transmits a second off transition notification indicating that the off transition instruction will be transmitted or has been transmitted to the second target ECU 112C to the main management device 30. The timing of transmitting the second off transition notification may be the same as the timing of transmitting the off transition instruction, or may be shifted from the timing of transmitting the off transition instruction.

[0107] When the main management device 30 receives the first off transition notification, it transmits the first off transition notification to a sub-management device 40 (for example, the second sub-management device 40B or the third sub-management device 40C) other than the first sub-management device 40A without waiting for the second off transition notification. When the other sub-management device 40 receives the first off transition notification, it transmits the first off transition notification to the ECUs 12 it manages (for example, the second target ECUs 112C and 112D).

[0108] When the main management device 30 receives the second off transition notification, it transmits the second off transition notification to a sub-management device 40 (for example, the first sub-management device 40A or the third sub-management device 40C) other than the second sub-management device 40B without waiting for the first off transition notification. When the other sub-management device 40 receives the second off transition notification, it transmits the second off transition notification to the ECUs 12 it manages (for example, the first target ECUs 112A, 112B, and 112D).

[0109] 12, the main management device 30 first determines the vehicle state and transmits state information indicating the determined vehicle state to each sub-management device 40 (T21). When the first sub-management device 40A determines based on the state information that the first OFF condition corresponding to the first target ECU 112A is satisfied, the first sub-management device 40A transmits an OFF transition instruction to the first target ECU 112A (T22) and transmits a first OFF transition notification to the ECU 112B and the main management device 30 (T23). When the main management device 30 receives the first OFF transition notification, it transmits the first OFF transition notification to the third sub-management device 40C without waiting for the second OFF transition notification (T24). When the third sub-management device 40C receives the first OFF transition notification, it transmits the first OFF transition notification to the ECU 112D (T25).

[0110] When the second sub-management device 40B determines based on the state information that the second off condition corresponding to the second target ECU 112C is met, it transmits an off transition instruction to the second target ECU 112C (T26) and also transmits a second off transition notification to the main management device 30 (T27). When the main management device 30 receives the second off transition notification, it transmits the second off transition notification to the third sub-management device 40C without waiting for the first off transition notification (T28). When the third sub-management device 40C receives the second off transition notification, it transmits the second off transition notification to the ECU 112D (T29).

[0111] After performing the off preparation process, the first target ECU 112A transmits an off transition permission to the first sub-management device 40A (T30). When the first sub-management device 40A receives the off transition permission, it controls the first relay 113A to the off state (T31).

[0112] After performing the off preparation process, the second target ECU 112C transmits an off transition permission to the second sub-management device 40B (T32). When the second sub-management device 40B receives the off transition permission, it controls the second relay 113B to the off state (T33).

[0113] As described above, when the off condition is met, the in-vehicle management device 20 does not immediately switch the relays 13 (specifically, the first relay 113A and the second relay 113B) to the off state, but instead transmits an off transition instruction to the ECUs 12 (specifically, the first target ECU 112A and the second target ECU 112C), and then waits for the reception of an off transition permission before switching the relays 13 to the off state. Therefore, when cutting off the power supply to a communicable ECU 12, the in-vehicle management device 20 can provide the ECU 12 with a preparation period before cutting off the power supply to the ECU 12, and as a result, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of adverse effects caused by cutting off the power supply to the ECU 12.

[0114] Furthermore, the sub-control unit 42 transmits an OFF transition notification to an ECU 12 other than the destination ECU 12 (specifically, the first target ECU 112A or the second target ECU 112C) that is the ECU 12 to which the OFF transition instruction is transmitted. Thus, by receiving the OFF transition notification, the other ECU 12 can prepare for the destination ECU 12 to be switched to the OFF state.

[0115] The vehicle-mounted management device 20 can reduce the processing load on the main management device 30, which determines the vehicle state, by having the sub-management device 40, which controls the relay 13 and is capable of communicating with the ECU 12, determine the off condition.

[0116] After transmitting the OFF transition instruction to the first target ECU 112A, the first sub-management device 40A can transmit an OFF transition notification to the ECU 112B, which is another ECU under its control.

[0117] The in-vehicle management device 20 can transmit an OFF transition notification to another ECU 12 (e.g., ECU 112D) under a sub-management device 40 (e.g., third sub-management device 40C) other than the sub-management device 40 (e.g., first sub-management device 40A, second sub-management device 40B) that transmitted the OFF transition instruction. Moreover, the in-vehicle management device 20 can quickly transmit the first OFF transition notification and the second OFF transition notification to the other ECU 12.

[0118] Next, the operation of the in-vehicle management device 20 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. In FIG. 13, ECUs 112E and 112F are illustrated as examples of the ECU 12. A relay 113E (corresponding to the relay 13) is provided between the ECU 112E and the power supply unit 10. A relay 113F (corresponding to the relay 13) is provided between the ECU 112F and the power supply unit 10. The control unit 22 of the in-vehicle management device 20 can control the on / off state of the ECU 112E by controlling the on / off state of the relay 113E. The control unit 22 can control the on / off state of the ECU 112F by controlling the on / off state of the relay 113F. The control unit 22 can communicate with the ECUs 112E and 112F via the bus 15.

[0119] The control unit 22 performs a corresponding process when the upper limit time has elapsed without receiving an OFF transition permission after transmitting an OFF transition instruction via the communication unit 21. According to this configuration, the in-vehicle management device 20 can perform a predetermined necessary process when a situation occurs in which the upper limit time has elapsed without receiving an OFF transition permission after transmitting an OFF transition instruction.

[0120] The response process is, for example, a process of switching the relay 13 to the OFF state, a process of notifying the user of the abnormality, a process of determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred, etc. When the response process is a process of switching the relay 13 to the OFF state, the in-vehicle management device 20 can switch the relay 13 to the OFF state when the upper limit time has elapsed even if the in-vehicle management device 20 does not receive the OFF transition permission. Therefore, even if the in-vehicle management device 20 cannot receive the OFF transition permission due to a communication abnormality in the ECU 12, the in-vehicle management device 20 can avoid the ECU 12 from continuously consuming power because the relay 13 cannot be switched to the OFF state.

[0121] The upper limit time may be set individually for each ECU 12. In this case, the control unit 22 performs the response process when the upper limit time corresponding to the ECU 12 to which the OFF transition instruction was sent has elapsed without receiving an OFF transition permission after transmitting the OFF transition instruction to the ECU 12 via the communication unit 21. According to this configuration, the in-vehicle management device 20 can set different upper limit times for performing the response process for each ECU 12.

[0122] The control unit 22 may set the upper limit time based on the vehicle state when transmitting the OFF transition instruction. With this configuration, the in-vehicle management device 20 can set the upper limit time appropriate for the vehicle state. Note that the upper limit time may be constant regardless of the vehicle state.

[0123] If the vehicle state changes after transmitting the OFF transition instruction, the control unit 22 may change the upper limit time based on the changed vehicle state. For example, if the basic vehicle state transitions from a driving state to a parked state, the control unit 22 may determine that there is no problem in immediately shutting off the power and shorten the upper limit time. With this configuration, even if the vehicle state changes after transmitting the OFF transition instruction, the in-vehicle management device 20 can change the upper limit time to one appropriate for the changed vehicle state.

[0124] When the control unit 22 receives the OFF transition permission without transmitting the OFF transition instruction, the control unit 22 maintains the relay 13 in the ON state. When the control unit 22 receives the OFF transition permission without transmitting the OFF transition instruction, it is considered that the OFF transition permission was transmitted in error. In this case, the in-vehicle management device 20 can maintain the relay 13 in the ON state.

[0125] If the control unit 22 receives an OFF transition permission without transmitting an OFF transition instruction, the control unit 22 may perform a predetermined process without switching the relay 13 to the OFF state. If the control unit 22 receives an OFF transition permission without transmitting an OFF transition instruction, it is considered that the OFF transition permission was transmitted in error. In this case, the control unit 22 can perform a predetermined necessary process without switching the relay 13 to the OFF state. The predetermined process is, for example, a process of notifying the user of an abnormality, a process of determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred, etc.

[0126] The control unit 22 may switch the relay 13 to the off state when it receives an off transition permission after a minimum time has elapsed since the off transition instruction was transmitted. If the time between transmitting the off transition instruction and receiving the off transition permission is too short, there is a possibility that the off transition permission was transmitted in error, unrelated to the off transition instruction. According to this configuration, the in-vehicle management device 20 switches the relay 13 to the off state when it receives an off transition permission after a minimum time has elapsed since the off transition instruction was transmitted. Therefore, the in-vehicle management device 20 can switch the relay 13 to the off state when there is a high possibility that the off transition permission was transmitted normally.

[0127] If the control unit 22 receives an OFF transition permission between the transmission of the OFF transition instruction and the lapse of the minimum time limit, the control unit 22 may transmit the OFF transition instruction again while maintaining the relay 13 in the ON state. An OFF transition permission received before the lapse of the minimum time limit is not necessarily an OFF transition permission that was transmitted in error. According to this configuration, if the in-vehicle management device 20 receives an OFF transition permission before the lapse of the minimum time limit, the in-vehicle management device 20 transmits the OFF transition instruction again while maintaining the relay 13 in the ON state. This allows the in-vehicle management device 20 to reconfirm whether or not it is possible to receive an OFF transition permission. The minimum time limit for the reconfirmation may be the same as the first time or may be shorter than the first time.

[0128] When a start condition is met, the control unit 22 performs the process shown in Fig. 14. The start condition may be, for example, that a control circuit constituting the control unit 22 has been activated, that any of the relays 13 has been switched to the on state, or some other condition. Note that the control unit 22 immediately restarts the process shown in Fig. 14 after it has finished. In other words, after the start condition is met, the control unit 22 repeatedly performs the process shown in Fig. 14.

[0129] The control unit 22 first determines whether or not the OFF condition is satisfied (step S11). If it is determined that the OFF condition is not satisfied, it determines whether or not an OFF transition permission has been received (step S12). If the determination is No in step S12, the control unit 22 returns to step S11. If it is determined in step S12 that an OFF transition permission has been received, the control unit 22 performs a predetermined process while maintaining the relay 13 in the ON state, and ends the process shown in FIG. 14 (steps S13 and S14).

[0130] If the control unit 22 determines in step S11 that the OFF condition is satisfied, it sets an upper limit time corresponding to the ECU 12 for which the OFF condition is satisfied (step S15) and transmits an OFF transition instruction (step S16). Then, the control unit 22 determines whether or not the lower limit time has elapsed (step S17). If the control unit 22 determines that the lower limit time has not elapsed, it determines in step S18 whether or not OFF transition permission has been received. If the control unit 22 determines that OFF transition permission has not been received, it returns to step S17. If the control unit 22 determines that OFF transition permission has been received, it returns to step S16 and transmits an OFF transition instruction again.

[0131] If the control unit 22 determines in step S17 that the lower limit time has elapsed, it determines whether or not it has received an OFF transition permission (step S19). If the control unit 22 determines that it has not received an OFF transition permission, it determines whether or not it has received an upper limit time (step S21). If the control unit 22 determines that the upper limit time has elapsed, it performs a corresponding process (step S22) and ends the process shown in FIG. 14. If the control unit 22 determines that the upper limit time has not elapsed, it returns to step S19. If the control unit 22 determines in step S19 that it has received an OFF transition permission, it controls the relay 13 to the OFF state (step S20) and ends the process shown in FIG. 14.

[0132] Second Embodiment In "1-3. Configuration in which functions are distributed between main management device 30 and sub-management device 40" of the first embodiment, the enable / disable status of each service function is managed individually. In contrast, in the second embodiment, a configuration in which the enable / disable status of multiple service functions is collectively managed as an ID will be described. Note that in the second embodiment, the configuration of the in-vehicle system is the same as the configuration of the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 5, so the description will be made with reference to Figures 1 and 5.

[0133] The main management device 30 (specifically, the main control unit 32) of the in-vehicle management device 20 of the second embodiment determines the vehicle state based on the basic vehicle state and the service ID, as shown in FIG. 15. The service ID is information indicating the combination of enabled and disabled service functions. The main control unit 32 may determine the service ID itself, or may obtain it from an external device.

[0134] When determining the service ID, the main control unit 32 makes the determination based on the service ID table shown in Fig. 16. The service ID table is a table that shows the correspondence between the service ID and the combination of enabled and disabled service functions. In the example shown in Fig. 16, when the perimeter monitoring service is enabled and the air conditioning management service is enabled, the service ID is A; when the perimeter monitoring service is enabled and the air conditioning management service is disabled, the service ID is B; when the perimeter monitoring service is disabled and the air conditioning management service is enabled, the service ID is C; and when the perimeter monitoring service is disabled and the air conditioning management service is disabled, the service ID is D. As shown in Fig. 15, when the perimeter monitoring service is enabled and the air conditioning management service is disabled, the main control unit 32 determines that the service ID is B.

[0135] When determining the vehicle state, the main control unit 32 makes the determination based on the vehicle state table shown in Fig. 17. The vehicle state table of the second embodiment is a table showing the correspondence between the basic vehicle state and the service ID. In the example shown in Fig. 17, when the basic vehicle state is the parked state and the service ID is A, the vehicle state is A; when the basic vehicle state is the parked state and the service ID is B, the vehicle state is B; when the basic vehicle state is the parked state and the service ID is C, the vehicle state is C; when the basic vehicle state is the parked state and the service ID is D, the vehicle state is D; and when the basic vehicle state is the occupied state and the service ID is A, the vehicle state is E. As shown in Fig. 15, when the basic vehicle state is the parked state and the service ID is B, the main control unit 32 determines that the vehicle state is B.

[0136] The main control unit 32 transmits status information indicating the vehicle status determined by the main control unit 32 to the sub-management device 40. The sub-management device 40 controls the power supply status of the multiple in-vehicle devices 50 based on the status information received from the main control unit 30.

[0137] The sub-management device 40 (specifically, the sub-controller 42) controls the power supply states of the multiple on-vehicle devices 50 based on the state information received from the main management device 30 and the power supply state table. The power supply state table is stored in the sub-storage unit 43. The power supply state table is a table showing the correspondence between the vehicle state and the power supply state of each of the multiple on-vehicle devices 50. The power supply state table of the second embodiment includes the vehicle state table shown in FIG. 17, a first table shown in FIG. 8, and a second table shown in FIG. 18. In FIGS. 8, 18, and 19, on-vehicle devices 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D are shown as the on-vehicle devices 50.

[0138] As shown in Fig. 18, the second table of the second embodiment is a table showing the correspondence between the service ID and the power state (specifically, on / off state) of each in-vehicle device 50. In the example shown in Fig. 18, when the service ID is A, the in-vehicle devices 50A, 50B, and 50C are in the on state, and the in-vehicle device 50D is in the off state. When the service ID is B, the in-vehicle devices 50A and 50C are in the on state, and the in-vehicle devices 50B and 50D are in the off state. When the service ID is C, the in-vehicle devices 50A and 50B are in the on state, and the in-vehicle devices 50C and 50D are in the off state. When the service ID is D, the in-vehicle devices 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D are all in the off state.

[0139] The sub-control unit 42 determines the basic vehicle state and the service state (specifically, the service ID) based on the state information and the vehicle state table received from the main management device 30. In the examples shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 15, the sub-control unit 42 determines from the vehicle state B that the basic vehicle state is the parked state and the service ID is B.

[0140] The sub-control unit 42 determines the power supply states of the in-vehicle devices 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D based on the basic vehicle state and the first table. The sub-control unit 42 determines the power supply states of the in-vehicle devices 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D based on the service ID and the second table. The sub-control unit 42 controls, to the on state, the in-vehicle devices 50 determined to be in the on state based on the basic vehicle state and the first table and the in-vehicle devices 50 determined to be in the on state based on the service ID and the second table. The sub-control unit 42 controls, to the off state, the in-vehicle devices 50 determined to be in the off state based on the basic vehicle state and the first table and determined to be in the off state based on the service ID and the second table.

[0141] When the vehicle state is B, the power supply states of the in-vehicle devices 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D are determined as shown in FIG. 19. That is, since the basic vehicle state is the parked state, the in-vehicle devices 50A and 50B are determined to be in the ON state based on the basic vehicle state and the first table. The service ID is B. Therefore, the in-vehicle devices 50A and 50C are determined to be in the ON state based on the service ID and the second table. As a result, the in-vehicle devices 50A, 50B, and 50C are determined to be in the ON state, and the in-vehicle device 50D is determined to be in the OFF state. The sub-control unit 42 controls the in-vehicle devices 50A, 50B, and 50C to be in the ON state, and controls the in-vehicle device 50D to be in the OFF state.

[0142] According to this configuration, sub-management device 40 can reduce the number of tables to be prepared compared to a configuration in which a table is prepared for each service function.

[0143] Third Embodiment In "1-3. Configuration for distributing functions between the main management device 30 and the sub-management device 40" of the first embodiment, an example was described in which the sub-management device 40 determines the basic vehicle state and the service state based on the state information, and then determines the power state of each in-vehicle device 50. In the third embodiment, an example will be described in which the sub-management device 40 determines the power state of the in-vehicle device 50 without determining the basic vehicle state and the service state. In the second embodiment, the configuration of the in-vehicle system is the same as the configuration of the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 5, so the description will be made with reference to Figures 1 and 5.

[0144] As shown in FIG. 20, the sub-management device 40 of the third embodiment directly determines the power supply state of the in-vehicle device 50 from the status information indicated by the status information received from the main management device 30.

[0145] As shown in Fig. 21, the power supply state table of the third embodiment is a table in which the vehicle state is directly associated with the power supply state of each in-vehicle device 50. In the example shown in Fig. 21, in vehicle states A, B, and E, the in-vehicle devices 50A, 50B, and 50C are in the on state, and the in-vehicle device 50D is in the off state. In vehicle states C and D, the in-vehicle devices 50A and 50B are in the on state, and the in-vehicle devices 50C and 50D are in the off state.

[0146] The sub-management device 40 of the third embodiment determines the vehicle state based on state information received from the main management device 30. In the example shown in Fig. 20, the sub-management device 40 determines that the vehicle state is B. The sub-management device 40 determines the power state of each in-vehicle device 50 based on the vehicle state and the power state table, and controls the power state to the determined power state. In the example shown in Fig. 21, the sub-management device 40 controls the in-vehicle devices 50A, 50B, and 50C to the ON state, and controls the in-vehicle device 50D to the OFF state.

[0147] According to this configuration, the first table and the second table described in the first and second embodiments are not necessary.

[0148] <Other embodiments> The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings. For example, any combination of features of the above-described or following embodiments is possible within a range that does not contradict. Furthermore, any feature of the above-described or following embodiments may be omitted unless explicitly stated as essential. Furthermore, the above-described embodiment may be modified as follows.

[0149] The in-vehicle management device 20 may communicate with the ECU 12 via another device (for example, a gateway device).

[0150] The vehicle-mounted management device 20 may control the relay 13 via another device.

[0151] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0152] 1. In-vehicle systems 10...Power supply section 11…Power line 11A...Common route 11B...Fork in the road 11C...Fork in the road 11D...Fork in the road 11E...Fork in the road 12...ECU 12A…ECU (1st ECU) 12B…ECU (1st ECU) 12C…ECU (1st ECU, 2nd ECU) 12D…ECU (1st ECU, 2nd ECU) 12E…ECU (1st ECU, 2nd ECU) 12F…ECU (1st ECU, 2nd ECU) 13...Relay 13B...Relay 13C...Relay 13D…Relay 14...Detection unit 14B…Detection unit 14C…Detection unit 14D…Detection unit 14E…Detection unit 15...Bus 15A...bus 15B...bus 20…In-vehicle management device 21…Communications Department 22...Control unit 23...Storage section 30...Main control equipment 31...Main communication section 32...Main control unit 33...Main memory section 40...Sub-management device 40A...First sub-control device 40B...Second sub-control device 40C...Third sub-control device (another sub-control device) 41...Sub-communication unit 41A...First sub-communication unit 41B...Second sub-communication unit 41C...Third sub-communication unit 42...Sub-control unit 42A...First sub-control section 42B...Second sub-control section 42C...Third sub-control section 43...Sub-storage unit 43A...First sub-storage unit 43B...Second sub-storage unit 43C...Third sub-storage unit 50…In-vehicle equipment 50A…In-vehicle equipment 50B…In-vehicle equipment 50C…In-vehicle equipment 50D…In-vehicle equipment 112A...First target ECU 112B…ECU 112C...Second target ECU 112D…ECU 112E…ECU 112F…ECU 113A...1st relay 113B...Second relay 113E…Relay 113F...Relay 115A...bus 115B...bus 115C...bus

Claims

1. An in-vehicle management device included in an in-vehicle system including a power supply unit, an ECU that receives power from the power supply unit, and a relay provided between the power supply unit and the ECU, a communication unit that communicates with the ECU; a control unit that controls the relay, The control unit transmits an OFF transition instruction to the ECU via the communication unit when an OFF condition is met, and switches the relay to the OFF state when an OFF transition permission is received from the ECU via the communication unit. In-vehicle management device.

2. The control unit transmits an OFF transition notification indicating that the OFF transition instruction will be transmitted or has been transmitted to an ECU other than a destination ECU that is the ECU to which the OFF transition instruction is transmitted. The vehicle-mounted management device according to claim 1 .

3. The in-vehicle management device a main management device for determining the vehicle status; a sub-management device capable of communicating with the main management device, the sub-management device has a sub-communication unit that functions as the communication unit and a sub-control unit that functions as the control unit, The sub-management device determines whether the off condition is satisfied based on the state information indicating the vehicle state received from the main management device, and when it determines that the off condition is satisfied, transmits the off transition instruction to the ECU, and when it receives the off transition permission from the ECU, switches the relay to the off state. The vehicle-mounted management device according to claim 1 .

4. When the sub-management device determines that the off condition is satisfied, the sub-management device transmits the off-transition instruction to the ECU, and transmits an off-transition notification to an ECU other than a destination ECU, which is the ECU to which the off-transition instruction is transmitted, indicating that the off-transition instruction will be transmitted or has been transmitted to the destination ECU. The vehicle-mounted management device according to claim 3 .

5. the in-vehicle management device is configured to include a sub-management device separate from the sub-management device, the other sub-management device is capable of communicating with an ECU other than the ECU; When the sub-management device determines that the off condition is satisfied, the sub-management device transmits the off-transition instruction to the ECU, and transmits an off-transition notification to the main management device indicating that the off-transition instruction will be transmitted or has been transmitted to the ECU; When the main management device receives the power-off transition notification, the main management device transmits the power-off transition notification to the other sub-management device; When the other sub-management device receives the off-transition notification, the other sub-management device transmits the off-transition notification to the other ECU. The vehicle-mounted management device according to claim 3 .

6. the sub-management devices include a first sub-management device and a second sub-management device; The ECU includes a first target ECU and a second target ECU, The relay includes a first relay and a second relay, the first relay is provided between the power supply unit and the first target ECU, the second relay is provided between the power supply unit and the second target ECU, the first sub-management device has a first sub-communication unit that functions as the communication unit and a first sub-controller that functions as the control unit, the first sub-communication unit communicates with the first target ECU; the first sub-controller controls the first relay; the second sub-management device has a second sub-communication unit that functions as the communication unit and a second sub-control unit that functions as the control unit, the second sub-communication unit communicates with the second target ECU; the second sub-controller controls the second relay; the first sub-management device determines whether a first off condition is satisfied based on status information indicating the vehicle status received from the main management device, and when it is determined that the first off condition is satisfied, transmits the off transition instruction to the first target ECU, and when it receives the off transition permission from the first target ECU, switches the first relay to an off state; the second sub-management device determines whether a second off condition is satisfied based on status information indicating the vehicle status received from the main management device, and when it determines that the second off condition is satisfied, transmits the off transition instruction to the second target ECU, and when it receives the off transition permission from the second target ECU, switches the second relay to the off state; When the first sub-management device determines that the first off condition is satisfied, the first sub-management device transmits the off-transition instruction to the first target ECU, and transmits a first off-transition notification to the main management device indicating that the off-transition instruction will be transmitted or has been transmitted to the first target ECU; When the second sub-management device determines that the second off condition is satisfied, the second sub-management device transmits the off-transition instruction to the second target ECU, and transmits a second off-transition notification to the main management device indicating that the off-transition instruction will be transmitted or has been transmitted to the second target ECU; When the main management device receives the first off transition notification, the main management device transmits the first off transition notification to the other ECU via the other sub-management device without waiting for the second off transition notification, and when the main management device receives the second off transition notification, the main management device transmits the second off transition notification to the other ECU via the other sub-management device without waiting for the first off transition notification. The vehicle-mounted management device according to claim 5 .

7. The control unit performs a corresponding process when an upper limit time has elapsed without receiving the off-transition permission after transmitting the off-transition instruction via the communication unit. The vehicle-mounted management device according to claim 1 .

8. The corresponding process is a process of switching the relay to an OFF state. The vehicle-mounted management device according to claim 7.

9. The ECU is provided in plurality, The upper limit time is set corresponding to each of the ECUs, The control unit performs the response process when the upper limit time corresponding to the ECU to which the off-transition instruction is sent has elapsed without receiving the off-transition permission after transmitting the off-transition instruction to the ECU via the communication unit.

9. The vehicle-mounted management device according to claim 7 or 8.

10. The control unit sets the upper limit time based on a vehicle state when the power-off transition instruction is transmitted.

9. The vehicle-mounted management device according to claim 7 or 8.

11. When the vehicle state changes after the transmission of the OFF transition instruction, the control unit changes the upper limit time based on the changed vehicle state. The vehicle-mounted management device according to claim 10.

12. The control unit maintains the relay in an on state when the off-transition permission is received without transmitting the off-transition instruction. The vehicle-mounted management device according to claim 1 .

13. When the control unit receives the off-transition permission without transmitting the off-transition instruction, the control unit performs a predetermined process without switching the relay to an off state. The vehicle-mounted management device according to claim 1 .

14. The control unit switches the relay to the off state when the off-transition permission is received after a lower limit time has elapsed since the off-transition instruction was transmitted. The vehicle-mounted management device according to claim 1 .

15. When the control unit receives the OFF transition permission during the time period from when the OFF transition instruction was transmitted until the lower limit time has elapsed, the control unit transmits the OFF transition instruction again while maintaining the relay in an ON state. The vehicle-mounted management device according to claim 14.

16. A power supply unit; an ECU that receives power from the power supply unit; a relay provided between the power supply unit and the ECU; an in-vehicle management device that communicates with the ECU; the in-vehicle management device transmits an OFF transition instruction when an OFF condition is satisfied; When the ECU receives the OFF transition instruction, the ECU performs an OFF preparation process and then transmits an OFF transition permission. The vehicle management device switches the relay to an off state when the off-transition permission is received. In-vehicle systems.

Images