Management device, vehicle communication management method, and vehicle communication management program

Abstract

The present invention provides a management device that enables configuration changes to an in-vehicle network while maintaining stable operation within the network. [Solution] An apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a management device used in an in-vehicle network mounted on a vehicle, comprising: an importance determination unit that determines the importance of frames relayed by a relay device that performs relay processing for relaying frames transmitted and received between a plurality of functional units in the in-vehicle network and is subject to setting changes; and an execution feasibility determination unit that determines whether or not to perform the setting changes based on the determination result of the importance determination unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a management device, a vehicle communication management method, and a vehicle communication management program. This application claims priority based on Japanese Application No. 2022-114250 filed on July 15, 2022, and incorporates all the descriptions described in the above Japanese application.

Background Art

[0002] Techniques for changing the configuration of an in-vehicle network have been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 (International Publication No. 2020 / 145334) discloses the following technique. That is, a vehicle control device controls a plurality of repeaters based on a control scenario in which the state of a vehicle in which a vehicle network composed of a plurality of repeaters is built inside is associated with the control content set for each of the plurality of repeaters.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0004] The management device of the present disclosure is a management device used for an in-vehicle network mounted on a vehicle, and is a relay device that performs relay processing for relaying frames transmitted and received between a plurality of functional units in the in-vehicle network, and is a relay device that is a target of setting change, and includes an importance determination unit that determines the importance of the frames relayed by the relay device, and an execution determination unit that determines whether to perform the setting change based on the determination result of the importance determination unit.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure can be realized as a semiconductor integrated circuit that realizes part or all of the management device, and can also be realized as a system including the management device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the configuration of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of a message relayed in an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a message importance table in a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows the configuration of a modified example 2 of the relay device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation procedure when a relay device according to the embodiment of this disclosure performs network configuration changes. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation procedure when a modified example 2 of the relay device according to the embodiment of this disclosure performs a network setting change. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of a sequence of network setting changes in an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of a sequence of network setting changes in an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] <Issues this disclosure aims to address> As described in Patent Document 1 above, when the settings of an in-vehicle network are changed dynamically, such changes may affect communication within the in-vehicle network.

[0008] This disclosure was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a management device, a vehicle communication management method, and a vehicle communication management program that can change the settings of an in-vehicle network while maintaining stable operation in the in-vehicle network.

[0009] <Effects of this disclosure> According to this disclosure, it is possible to change the settings of an in-vehicle network while maintaining stable operation of the in-vehicle network.

[0010] <Summary of the embodiments of this disclosure> The embodiments of this disclosure are described below. (1) The management device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is a management device used in an in-vehicle network installed in a vehicle, and comprises an importance determination unit that determines the importance of frames relayed by a relay device that performs relay processing for relaying frames transmitted and received between a plurality of functional units in the in-vehicle network and is subject to setting changes, and an execution feasibility determination unit that determines whether or not to perform the setting changes based on the determination result of the importance determination unit.

[0011] In this way, by configuring the system to determine whether or not to change the settings of the relay device by considering the importance of the frames relayed in the in-vehicle network, it is possible to prevent delays or discarding of messages exchanged between control system ECUs, for example, due to the setting change. This reduces the possibility that control system communications will be affected and impact the vehicle's operation. Therefore, it is possible to change the settings of the in-vehicle network while maintaining stable operation of the in-vehicle network.

[0012] (2) In (1) above, the management device further includes a generation unit that generates new network configuration information based on the device information obtained from the plurality of functional units, determines the relay devices that are subject to configuration changes for communication in the new network, and notifies the determined relay devices of the configuration details. The generation unit may also refrain from notifying at least one of the plurality of relay devices of the configuration details if the execution feasibility determination unit determines that the configuration changes will not be made to at least one of the plurality of relay devices.

[0013] This configuration prevents inconsistencies throughout the entire system, which can occur when multiple relay devices are provided in an in-vehicle network and multiple relay devices are subject to configuration changes, resulting in a mix of relay devices that have not yet reflected the changes and those that have.

[0014] (3) In (1) or (2) above, the management device may further include a storage unit that stores correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the identification information of the relay device and the importance of the frames relayed by the relay device, and the importance determination unit may determine the importance based on the correspondence information.

[0015] This configuration allows the importance of frames to be determined with simple processing using corresponding information.

[0016] (4) In any of (1) to (3) above, the management device may further include a relay status determination unit that determines whether or not the relay device in the in-vehicle network is relaying frames of a particular importance, and the execution feasibility determination unit may determine whether or not to perform the setting change based on the determination result of the importance determination unit and the determination result of the relay status determination unit.

[0017] With such a configuration, even when a relay device that relays frames of high importance becomes a target of setting change, it is possible to wait for the setting change and execute it at an appropriate timing, so that the setting change of the in-vehicle network can be executed more reliably.

[0018] (5) In the above (4), the management device may further include a vehicle state acquisition unit that acquires vehicle state information regarding the state of the vehicle, and the relay state determination unit may determine whether or not the relay device in the in-vehicle network is in a state of relaying frames of a specific importance based on the vehicle state information acquired by the vehicle state acquisition unit.

[0019] With such a configuration, at an appropriate timing such as when the vehicle is stopped and there is a high possibility that frames of high importance are not being relayed, the waiting setting change can be moved to execution.

[0020] (6) In the above (4), the relay state determination unit may make an inquiry as to whether or not the specific importance frame is being transmitted to a specific functional unit.

[0021] With such a configuration, it is possible to more reliably grasp the state in which frames of high importance are not being relayed and move the waiting setting change to execution at an appropriate timing.

[0022] (7) In any of the above (1) to (6), the management device may further include a device information acquisition unit that acquires device information of the functional unit, and the importance determination unit may determine the importance based on the device information acquired by the device information acquisition unit.

[0023] With such a configuration, it is possible to more accurately determine the importance of a frame using information on functional units in the in-vehicle network.

[0024] (8) A vehicle communication management method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a vehicle communication management method for a management device used in an in-vehicle network installed in a vehicle, comprising the steps of: determining the importance of a frame relayed by a relay device that performs relay processing for relaying frames transmitted and received between a plurality of functional units in the in-vehicle network, and which is the relay device subject to setting change; and determining whether or not to perform the setting change based on the result of determining the importance.

[0025] In this way, by configuring the system to determine whether or not to change the settings of the relay device by considering the importance of the frames relayed in the in-vehicle network, it is possible to prevent delays or discarding of messages exchanged between control system ECUs, for example, due to the setting change. This reduces the possibility that control system communications will be affected and impact the vehicle's operation. Therefore, it is possible to change the settings of the in-vehicle network while maintaining stable operation of the in-vehicle network.

[0026] (9) The vehicle communication management program according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is a vehicle communication management program used in a management device used in an in-vehicle network installed in a vehicle, and is a program that causes a computer to function as an importance determination unit that determines the importance of a frame relayed by a relay device that performs relay processing for relaying frames transmitted and received between a plurality of functional units in the in-vehicle network and is the relay device subject to setting changes, and an execution feasibility determination unit that determines whether or not to perform the setting changes based on the determination result of the importance determination unit.

[0027] In this way, by configuring the system to determine whether or not to change the settings of the relay device by considering the importance of the frames relayed in the in-vehicle network, it is possible to prevent delays or discarding of messages exchanged between control system ECUs, for example, due to the setting change. This reduces the possibility that control system communications will be affected and impact the vehicle's operation. Therefore, it is possible to change the settings of the in-vehicle network while maintaining stable operation of the in-vehicle network.

[0028] <Details of the embodiments of this disclosure> Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated. Furthermore, at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any way.

[0029] [In-vehicle communication system] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 1, the in-vehicle communication system 301 comprises a plurality of in-vehicle ECUs (Electronic Control Units) 202 and one or more relay devices 101.

[0030] In the example shown in Figure 1, the in-vehicle communication system 301 comprises in-vehicle ECUs 202A, 202B, 202C, 202D, and 202E, which are in-vehicle ECUs 202, and relay devices 101A and 101B, which are relay devices 101. The in-vehicle communication system 301 is mounted on a vehicle 501. The in-vehicle ECUs 202 and relay devices 101 constitute an in-vehicle network 401. The in-vehicle ECUs 202 are an example of a functional unit. Relay device 101A includes a management device according to the embodiment of this disclosure.

[0031] Furthermore, the in-vehicle communication system 301 is not limited to a configuration with five in-vehicle ECUs 202, but may be configured with multiple in-vehicle ECUs 202. Also, the in-vehicle communication system 301 is not limited to a configuration with two relay devices 101, but may be configured with one or three or more relay devices 101.

[0032] In the in-vehicle network 401, the in-vehicle ECU 202 is connected to the relay device 101, for example, via an Ethernet® cable.

[0033] More specifically, the relay device 101 includes a plurality of communication ports 51. The communication ports 51 are, for example, terminals to which Ethernet cables can be connected. Each relay device 101 and each in-vehicle ECU 202 are connected to other relay devices 101 or in-vehicle ECUs 202 via the communication ports 51 and Ethernet cables.

[0034] The relay device 101 is used in an in-vehicle network 401 that includes multiple in-vehicle ECUs 202. The relay device 101 is, for example, a gateway device and is capable of relaying data between multiple in-vehicle ECUs 202 connected to it. The relay device 101 is capable of performing relay processing according to, for example, Layer 2 and Layer 3, which is higher than Layer 2.

[0035] More specifically, the relay device 101 performs relay processing of frames exchanged between in-vehicle ECUs 202 connected via an Ethernet cable, for example, in accordance with the Ethernet communication standard.

[0036] Furthermore, the in-vehicle communication system 301 is not limited to a configuration in which frames are relayed according to the Ethernet communication standard, but may also be configured in which frames are relayed according to communication standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network), CAN FD (CAN with Flexible Data Rate), FlexRay (registered trademark), MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) (registered trademark), and LIN (Local Interconnect Network).

[0037] Examples of in-vehicle ECUs 202 include autonomous driving ECUs, engine ECUs, sensors, navigation systems, human-machine interfaces, and cameras.

[0038] Each relay device 101 and each in-vehicle ECU 202 generates a frame containing various information described later and transmits it to another in-vehicle ECU 202 or relay device 101.

[0039] As described later, when a predetermined event occurs, the relay device 101A changes the settings of the in-vehicle network 401 (hereinafter also referred to as network setting change). Hereinafter, the in-vehicle network 401 after the network setting change has been applied will also be referred to as the new network.

[0040] [Relay device 101A] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 shows the configuration of the relay device 101A shown in Figure 1.

[0041] Referring to Figure 2, the relay device 101A comprises a relay unit 1, a generation unit 2, a setting unit 3, a priority determination unit 4, an execution feasibility determination unit 5, and a storage unit 8. Some or all of the relay unit 1, generation unit 2, setting unit 3, priority determination unit 4, and execution feasibility determination unit 5 are implemented by a processing circuit (Circuitry) including, for example, one or more processors. The storage unit 8 is, for example, a non-volatile memory included in the above-mentioned processing circuit.

[0042] The relay unit 1 performs relay processing to relay frames transmitted and received between in-vehicle ECUs 202. More specifically, when the relay unit 1 receives a frame from an in-vehicle ECU 202 or relay device 101B, it transmits the received frame to the destination in-vehicle ECU 202 or relay device 101B.

[0043] The generation unit 2, acting as a device information acquisition unit, acquires device information from multiple functional units, including information about the network configuration of layers lower than the application layer.

[0044] More specifically, when a predetermined event occurs that triggers a change in network settings, the generation unit 2 acquires device information for each functional unit, such as each in-vehicle ECU 202. In addition to the device information for each functional unit, the generation unit 2 may also be configured to acquire device information for relay devices 101A and 101B.

[0045] This event occurs, for example, when a user performs a predetermined operation on the in-vehicle ECU 202, which is a navigation device. This event may also occur when a new functional unit is added to the in-vehicle network 401, specifically when an in-vehicle ECU 202 is added to the in-vehicle network 401, or when a new application is installed on an existing in-vehicle ECU 202 in the in-vehicle network 401. Thus, the functional unit may be hardware or software.

[0046] For example, the generation unit 2 acquires information that allows recognition of the specifications of hardware devices such as the in-vehicle ECU 202 and relay device 101 in the new network, as well as the topology of the new network, and information that allows recognition of at least one of the following: constraints on the placement of applications on hardware devices in the new network, and constraints on the communication method in the new network.

[0047] The generation unit 2 acquires at least one of the following types of information as information that can recognize the specifications of the hardware device and the topology of the new network: for example, the device type indicating the identifier, name, sensor type, etc. of the hardware device, memory size, number of physical ports provided for each communication protocol, identifier of the physical port, power supply configuration, power consumption, VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) ID, subnet address and functional domain information, as well as information regarding the specifications of the CPU or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) installed in the hardware device, information regarding the connection relationships between hardware devices, information regarding the bandwidth of communication between hardware devices, and information regarding the specifications of the relay device 101.

[0048] The generation unit 2 acquires at least one type of information as information that can recognize constraints on the deployment of applications to hardware devices, such as information regarding the processing speed required for execution of the application in the in-vehicle ECU 202, memory usage, OS (Operating System) environment constraints, and communication protocol constraints such as TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP (User datagram Protocol).

[0049] The generation unit 2 acquires at least one type of information from the following sources as information that can recognize the constraints of the communication method in the new network: the communication data size, communication frequency, whether burst transmission is required, the permissible delay time, the permissible amount of loss, the required level of security, the operating timing, the communication type indicating whether it is periodic or irregular communication, the identifier of the application to which it will communicate, the messaging method indicating whether it is request-response type or publish-subscribe type, and information regarding the communication priority by the application.

[0050] For example, the generation unit 2 identifies one or more types of device information necessary for generating new network configuration information from among the types of device information described above.

[0051] The generation unit 2 sends an information request notification indicating that information of the specified type of device should be transmitted to each functional unit and relay device 101B, for example via the relay unit 1.

[0052] Each functional unit and relay device 101B transmits, for example, the type of equipment information specified in the information request notification, to the generation unit 2 as a response to the information request notification received from the generation unit 2.

[0053] Furthermore, for example, the generation unit 2 refers to the storage unit 8 and obtains equipment information for the specified type of relay device 101A from the storage unit 8.

[0054] The generation unit 2 generates new network configuration information based on the acquired device information.

[0055] More specifically, the generation unit 2 determines one or more relay devices 101 (hereinafter also referred to as "target relay devices") that are subject to configuration changes for communication in the new network by generating the configuration information. The generation unit 2 then notifies the target relay devices of the configuration based on the generated configuration information.

[0056] For example, based on the acquired device information, the generation unit 2 generates configuration information including the settings for the target relay devices for which each functional unit and relay devices 101A and 101B will communicate in the new network, such as filtering, communication bandwidth, and VLAN settings in the relay device 101. The generation unit 2 notifies the importance determination unit 4 of the identification information of the target relay devices.

[0057] On the other hand, if there are no relay devices 101 that require configuration changes in the new network, the generation unit 2 does not notify the importance determination unit 4 of the identification information.

[0058] The importance determination unit 4 determines the importance of the frame to be relayed by the target relay device notified by the generation unit 2.

[0059] Figure 3 shows an example of a message relayed in an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] Referring to Figure 3, the in-vehicle ECUs 202A and 202B are control system ECUs that exchange information related to the driving of the vehicle 501, such as an autonomous driving ECU, engine ECU, sensors, and cameras. The in-vehicle ECUs 202C, 202D, and 202E are infotainment system ECUs, such as a navigation system.

[0061] In the in-vehicle communication system 301, a frame containing message M1 exchanged between in-vehicle ECU 202A and in-vehicle ECU 202B is relayed by relay device 101A, a frame containing message M2 exchanged between in-vehicle ECU 202C and in-vehicle ECU 202D is relayed by relay devices 101A and 101B, and a frame containing message M3 exchanged between in-vehicle ECU 202D and in-vehicle ECU 202E is relayed by relay device 101B.

[0062] Figure 4 shows an example of a message importance table in a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] The storage unit 8 stores correspondence information that shows the correspondence between the identification information of the relay device 101 and the importance levels of one or more types of frames relayed by the relay device 101.

[0064] Specifically, referring to Figure 4, the message importance table, which is an example of correspondence information, shows the correspondence between the ID of relay device 101, the name of the relay device, the type of message being relayed, and the importance of the message.

[0065] In the message importance table, relay device 101A, with ID "001", relays message M1, which has an importance level of "important", and message M2, which has an importance level of "average". Relay device 101B, with ID "002", relays messages M2 and M3, which have an importance level of "average".

[0066] Thus, in the in-vehicle communication system 301, messages exchanged between control system ECUs are set to "important" because they affect the driving of the vehicle 501. On the other hand, messages exchanged between infotainment system ECUs are set to "normal" because they are unlikely to affect the driving of the vehicle 501.

[0067] The importance determination unit 4 determines the importance based on the corresponding information. More specifically, the importance determination unit 4 refers to the message importance table and, if the ID of the target relay device notified by the generation unit 2 is "001", notifies the execution feasibility determination unit 5 that the importance of the frame relayed by the target relay device is "important". On the other hand, the importance determination unit 4 refers to the message importance table and, if the ID of the target relay device notified by the generation unit 2 is "002", notifies the execution feasibility determination unit 5 that the importance of the frame relayed by the target relay device is "normal".

[0068] The message importance table may not be limited to "important" and "normal," but may show three or more levels of importance. In this case, the importance determination unit 4 comprehensively determines the importance of each message that is to be relayed by the relay device 101 and notifies the execution feasibility determination unit 5 of the determination result.

[0069] Referring again to Figure 2, the execution feasibility determination unit 5 determines whether or not to change the settings of the target relay device based on the determination result of the importance determination unit 4.

[0070] More specifically, if the execution feasibility determination unit 5 receives a "high priority" judgment result from the importance determination unit 4, it notifies the generation unit 2 that the setting change of the target relay device is "impossible to execute". On the other hand, if the execution feasibility determination unit 5 receives a "normal" judgment result from the importance determination unit 4, it notifies the generation unit 2 that the setting change of the target relay device is "permitted to execute".

[0071] In other words, the execution feasibility determination unit 5 determines that, for example, if a message M1 with an importance level of "important" is delayed or discarded due to the setting change during the period from when the relay device 101A starts changing its own settings until it is completed, it may affect the control system's communication and potentially affect the operation of the vehicle 501, and therefore decides not to perform the setting change. On the other hand, the execution feasibility determination unit 5 determines that if the settings of the relay device 101B are changed, the likelihood of the control system's communication being affected is low even if messages M2 and M3, which have a "normal" importance level, are delayed or discarded due to the setting change is low, and therefore the setting change may be performed.

[0072] If the generation unit 2 receives notification from the execution feasibility determination unit 5 that "execution is not possible," it will cancel or suspend the notification of the setting changes to the target relay device, i.e., the notification of the setting details to the target relay device. On the other hand, if the generation unit 2 receives notification of "execution possible" from the execution feasibility determination unit 5, it notifies at least one of the relay devices 101A and 101B that require configuration changes of the configuration details necessary for communication on the new network, based on the generated configuration information.

[0073] Furthermore, for example, if the generation unit 2 determines that multiple relay devices 101 are to be changed, and the execution feasibility determination unit 5 determines that the settings of at least one of the multiple relay devices 101 will not be changed, the generation unit 2 will not notify the multiple relay devices 101 of the settings.

[0074] More specifically, if the importance determination unit 4 receives the IDs of both relay devices 101A and 101B from the generation unit 2, it notifies the execution feasibility determination unit 5 that the importance of the frame relayed by relay device 101A is "important" and the importance of the frame relayed by relay device 101B is "normal".

[0075] The execution feasibility determination unit 5 notifies the generation unit 2 that the setting change for the target relay device is "important" because it has been notified by the importance determination unit 4 that the relay device 101A is "impossible to execute".

[0076] When the generation unit 2 notifies the relay device 101A of the setting content, it notifies the setting unit 3 of the setting content. When the generation unit 2 notifies the relay device 101B of the setting content, it transmits a frame containing the setting content to the relay device 101B via the relay unit 1.

[0077] When the setting unit 3 in relay device 101A and relay device 101B receive notification of the setting content from the generation unit 2, they make various setting changes according to the notified setting content.

[0078] Furthermore, the generation unit 2 may generate setting information that includes the settings of the functional unit, and based on this setting information, it may notify the functional unit of the settings for communication in the new network, in addition to the relay device 101.

[0079] In the new network, each functional unit and relay devices 101A and 101B communicate with each other according to the changed settings.

[0080] [Example 1] The storage unit 8 may be configured not to store a message importance table. In this case, the importance determination unit 4 may be configured to determine the importance of the frames relayed by the target relay device based on the device information acquired by the generation unit 2.

[0081] More specifically, the generation unit 2 notifies the importance determination unit 4 of the identification information of the target relay device and outputs the acquired device information to the importance determination unit 4.

[0082] The importance determination unit 4 determines whether the importance of the frame relayed by the target relay device is "important" or "normal" based on the information regarding the application in the in-vehicle ECU 202, or the specifications of the relay device 101, as indicated by the device information received from the generation unit 2.

[0083] [Differentiation 2] Figure 5 shows the configuration of a modified example 2 of the relay device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 shows the configuration of a modified example of the relay device 101A shown in Figure 1.

[0084] Referring to Figure 5, Modification 2 of the relay device 101A further includes a relay state determination unit 6 and a vehicle state acquisition unit 7 compared to the relay device 101A shown in Figure 2. Some or all of the relay unit 1, generation unit 2, setting unit 3, importance determination unit 4, execution feasibility determination unit 5, relay state determination unit 6, and vehicle state acquisition unit 7 are implemented by a processing circuit including, for example, one or more processors. The storage unit 8 is, for example, a non-volatile memory included in the above processing circuit.

[0085] The relay status determination unit 6 determines whether the relay device 101 in the in-vehicle network 401 is relaying frames of a specific importance.

[0086] The execution feasibility determination unit 5 determines whether or not to change the settings of the target relay device based on the determination result of the importance determination unit 4 and the determination result of the relay status determination unit 6.

[0087] For example, the vehicle status acquisition unit 7 acquires vehicle status information regarding the status of the vehicle 501 and outputs it to the relay status determination unit 6. The vehicle status information indicates the status of the vehicle 501's operation, the battery status, the air conditioner status, and the driver's status, etc.

[0088] The relay status determination unit 6 determines, based on the vehicle status information acquired by the vehicle status acquisition unit, whether or not the relay device 101 in the in-vehicle network 401 is relaying frames of a specific importance.

[0089] Specifically, the vehicle status acquisition unit receives vehicle status information regarding the status of vehicle 501, which is transmitted periodically or irregularly from a specific in-vehicle ECU 202, via the relay unit 1, and outputs it to the relay status determination unit 6. Here, the vehicle status information indicates whether vehicle 501 is in motion or stationary.

[0090] If the relay status determination unit 6 receives vehicle status information from the vehicle status acquisition unit indicating that the vehicle 501 is in motion, it notifies the execution feasibility determination unit 5 that this is relay status 1, in which the relay device 101 in the in-vehicle network 401 is relaying frames with an importance level of "important". On the other hand, if the relay status determination unit 6 receives vehicle status information from the vehicle status acquisition unit indicating that the vehicle 501 is stopped, it notifies the execution feasibility determination unit 5 that this is relay status 2, in which the relay device 101 in the in-vehicle network 401 is not relaying frames with an importance level of "important".

[0091] If the execution feasibility determination unit 5 receives notification from the importance determination unit 4 that the change in the target relay device settings is "important" and the relay status determination unit 6 also notifies it that the relay status is 1, the execution feasibility determination unit 5 notifies the generation unit 2 that the change in the target relay device settings is "impossible". On the other hand, if the execution feasibility determination unit 5 receives notification from the importance determination unit 4 that the change in the importance determination unit 4 is "normal", or if the relay status determination unit 6 also notifies it that the relay status is 2, the execution feasibility determination unit 5 notifies the generation unit 2 that the change in the target relay device settings is "possible".

[0092] Furthermore, the relay status determination unit 6 is not limited to a configuration that determines the relay status using vehicle status information, but may also be configured to query a specific functional unit whether or not it is transmitting a frame of a specific importance.

[0093] Specifically, for example, the relay status determination unit 6 sends a transmission status inquiry to the in-vehicle ECU 202 of the control system via the relay unit 1, and determines the relay status based on the transmission status response from the in-vehicle ECU 202 indicating whether or not message M1 is being transmitted. In such a configuration, for example, if the in-vehicle ECU 202 sends a transmission status response to the relay device 101A indicating that message M1 is not being transmitted, it will withhold the transmission of message M1 until a predetermined time has elapsed since sending the transmission status response.

[0094] [Operation Flow] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation procedure when a relay device according to the embodiment of this disclosure performs network configuration changes.

[0095] Referring to Figure 6, first, when a predetermined event that triggers a change in network settings occurs in the relay device 101A (YES in step S1), it acquires, for example, device information for each functional unit and each relay device 101 (step S2).

[0096] Next, the relay device 101A determines the target relay device by generating configuration information based on the acquired device information (step S3).

[0097] Next, if the relay device 101A determines that the importance of the frame relayed by the target relay device is "important" (YES in step S4), it cancels the configuration change of the target relay device (step S5).

[0098] On the other hand, if the importance of the frame relayed by the target relay device is "normal" (NO in step S4), the relay device 101A notifies the target relay device of the settings (step S6).

[0099] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation procedure when a modified example 2 of the relay device according to the embodiment of this disclosure performs a network setting change.

[0100] Referring to Figure 7, the processes from step S11 to step S13 are the same as those from step S1 to step S3 in Figure 6.

[0101] Next, if the importance of the frame relayed by the target relay device is "normal" (NO in step S14), the relay device 101A notifies the target relay device of the settings (step S17).

[0102] On the other hand, if the frame relayed by the target relay device is "important" (YES in step S4) and relay device 101 in the in-vehicle network 401 is relaying a frame with "important" importance (YES in step S15), relay device 101A suspends the setting change of the target relay device (step S16). If the relay device transitions to relay state 2 where the frame is not relayed (NO in step S15), relay device 101A notifies the target relay device of the setting changes (step S17).

[0103] Figure 8 shows an example of a sequence of network setting changes in an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0104] Referring to Figure 8, first, when a predetermined event that triggers a network configuration change occurs, the relay device 101A starts changing the network configuration (step S21).

[0105] Next, the relay device 101A sends an information request notification to each in-vehicle ECU 202 and the relay device 101B (steps S22, S23, S24).

[0106] Next, each in-vehicle ECU 202 and relay device 101B receives an information request notification and transmits the equipment information to the relay device 101A (steps S25, S26, S27).

[0107] Next, the relay device 101A determines the target relay device by generating configuration information based on the received device information and the device information of the relay device 101A (step S28).

[0108] Next, the relay device 101A determines the importance of the frame to be relayed by the target relay device, and for example, determines that the importance is "important" (step S29).

[0109] Next, the relay device 101A sends a transmission status inquiry to the in-vehicle ECU 202 of the control system (step S30).

[0110] Next, the in-vehicle ECU 202 of the control system receives the transmission status inquiry and sends a transmission status response to the relay device 101A indicating, for example, that it is not currently transmitting message M1 (step S31).

[0111] Next, the relay device 101A receives the transmission status response and determines whether it is "possible" to change the settings of the target relay device (step S32), and notifies the setting details of the settings of, for example, the setting unit 3 of the relay device 101A and the relay device 101B (step S33).

[0112] Next, the setting unit 3 of the relay device 101A and the relay device 101B perform various setting changes according to the setting content notified from the relay device 101A (steps S34, S35).

[0113] Next, the relay devices 101A and 101B and each functional unit communicate with each other according to the changed settings (step S36).

[0114] Figure 9 shows an example of a sequence of network setting changes in an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0115] Referring to Figure 9, the processes from step S41 to step S49 are the same as those from step S21 to step S29 in Figure 8.

[0116] Next, the relay device 101A acquires vehicle status information, such as that indicating that vehicle 501 is stopped, as information regarding the status of vehicle 501 (step S50).

[0117] Next, the relay device 101A determines whether it is "permissible" to change the settings of the target relay device (step S51), and notifies the setting details of the settings of, for example, the setting unit 3 of the relay device 101A and the relay device 101B (step S52).

[0118] Next, the setting unit 3 of the relay device 101A and the relay device 101B make various setting changes according to the setting content notified from the relay device 101A (steps S53, S54).

[0119] Next, the relay devices 101A and 101B and each functional unit communicate with each other according to the changed settings (step S55).

[0120] In addition, the in-vehicle communication system 301 may not have a relay device 101B, but may have a configuration with one relay device 101A. In this case, the execution feasibility determination unit 5 in the relay device 101A is fixedly notified of the judgment result of "important" from the importance determination unit 4, and therefore notifies the generation unit 2 whether the setting change of the target relay device, the relay device 101A, is "executable" or "not executable" according to the relay status notified by the relay status determination unit 6.

[0121] Furthermore, although the management device according to the embodiment of this disclosure is configured to be included in the relay device 101A of the in-vehicle communication system 301, it is not limited thereto. Some or all of the units other than the relay unit 1 in the relay device 101A may be included in devices other than the relay device 101A of the in-vehicle communication system 301, or they may be provided outside the in-vehicle communication system 301.

[0122] Furthermore, the management device according to the embodiment of this disclosure may be implemented by a server (not shown) capable of communicating with the in-vehicle communication system 301. In this case, some or all of the functions of the management device according to the embodiment of this disclosure may be provided by cloud computing. That is, the management device according to the embodiment of this disclosure may be composed of multiple cloud servers or the like.

[0123] Each process (each function) of the above-described embodiment is implemented by a processing circuit (Circuitry) including one or more processors. The processing circuit may consist of one or more memories, various analog circuits, various digital circuits, etc., in addition to the one or more processors, as well as an integrated circuit. The one or more memories store programs (instructions) that cause the one or more processors to execute each of the above processes. The one or more processors may execute each of the above processes according to the programs read from the one or more memories, or they may execute each of the above processes according to logic circuits that have been pre-designed to execute each of the above processes. The processors may be various processors suitable for computer control, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Furthermore, the physically separated multiple processors may cooperate with each other to execute each of the above processes. For example, the processors installed in each of several physically separate computers may cooperate with each other via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), and the Internet to execute the above processes. The program may be installed in the memory via the network from an external server device, or it may be distributed on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), and semiconductor memory, and then installed in the memory from the recording medium.

[0124] The embodiments described above should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the above description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included.

[0125] The above description includes the following features. [Note 1] A management device used in an in-vehicle network installed in a vehicle, A relay device that performs relay processing for relaying frames transmitted and received between multiple functional units in the in-vehicle network, and the relay device subject to configuration change, includes an importance determination unit that determines the importance of the frames it relays, The system includes an execution feasibility determination unit that determines whether or not to perform the setting change based on the determination result of the importance determination unit, The aforementioned control device further, The in-vehicle network includes a relay state determination unit that determines whether the relay device is in a first relay state, relaying frames of a specific importance, or in a second relay state, not relaying frames of a specific importance. The execution feasibility determination unit determines whether or not to perform the setting change based on the determination result of the importance determination unit and the determination result of the relay status determination unit. The execution feasibility determination unit determines whether to perform the setting change if the frame relayed by the relay device subject to the setting change is a frame of a specific importance and the relay state determination unit determines that it is in the first relay state, and determines whether to perform the setting change if it is in the second relay state.

[0126] [Note 2] A management device used in an in-vehicle network installed in a vehicle, Equipped with a processing circuit, The aforementioned processing circuit is A relay device that performs relay processing for relaying frames transmitted and received between multiple functional units in the in-vehicle network, and which is the relay device subject to configuration change, determines the importance of the frames it relays, A management device that determines whether or not to make the aforementioned setting changes based on the judgment result. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 1. Relay section 2 Generation part 3. Settings section 4 Importance judgment section 5. Execution Feasibility Determination Unit 6. Relay Status Determination Unit 7. Vehicle status acquisition unit 8 Memory section 51 Communication Ports 101, 101A, 101B relay device 202,202A,202B,202C,202D,202E Vehicle ECU 301 In-vehicle communication system 401 In-vehicle network 501 Vehicle

Claims

1. A management device used in an in-vehicle network installed in a vehicle, A relay device that performs relay processing for relaying frames transmitted and received between multiple functional units in the in-vehicle network, and the relay device subject to configuration change, includes an importance determination unit that determines the importance of the frames it relays, An execution feasibility determination unit determines whether or not to perform the setting change based on the determination result of the importance determination unit, The system includes a generation unit that generates new network configuration information based on device information acquired from the aforementioned multiple functional units, determines the relay device to which configuration changes will be made for communication in the new network, and notifies the determined relay device of the configuration details, The generation unit is a management device that, if the execution feasibility determination unit determines that the setting change will not be performed on at least one of the plurality of relay devices, does not notify at least one of the plurality of relay devices of the setting content.

2. The aforementioned control device further, The system includes a storage unit that stores correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the identification information of the relay device and the importance of the frames relayed by the relay device. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the importance determination unit determines the importance based on the corresponding information.

3. The aforementioned control device further, The in-vehicle network includes a relay status determination unit that determines whether or not the relay device in the in-vehicle network is relaying frames of a specific importance, The management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the execution feasibility determination unit determines whether or not to perform the setting change based on the determination result of the importance determination unit and the determination result of the relay status determination unit.

4. The aforementioned control device further, The system includes a vehicle status acquisition unit that acquires vehicle status information relating to the state of the vehicle, The management device according to claim 3, wherein the relay status determination unit determines, based on the vehicle status information acquired by the vehicle status acquisition unit, whether or not the relay device in the in-vehicle network is relaying frames of a specific importance.

5. The management device according to claim 3, wherein the relay status determination unit queries a specific functional unit to determine whether or not it is in a state of transmitting a frame of a specific importance.

6. The aforementioned control device further, The system includes an equipment information acquisition unit that acquires equipment information for the aforementioned functional unit, The management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the importance determination unit determines the importance based on the equipment information acquired by the equipment information acquisition unit.

7. A vehicle communication management method for a management device used in an in-vehicle network installed in a vehicle, A relay device that performs relay processing for relaying frames transmitted and received between multiple functional units in the in-vehicle network, and which is the relay device subject to configuration change, determines the importance of the frames it relays; A step of determining whether or not to make the setting change based on the result of the importance assessment, The process includes: generating new network configuration information based on device information obtained from the aforementioned multiple functional units, determining the relay device to be subject to configuration changes for communication in the new network, and notifying the determined relay device of the configuration details; A vehicle communication management method in which, in the notification step, if the execution feasibility determination unit determines that the setting change will not be performed on at least one of the plurality of relay devices, the notification of the setting content will not be sent to at least one of the plurality of relay devices.

8. A vehicle communication management program used in a management device used in an in-vehicle network installed in a vehicle, Computers, A relay device that performs relay processing for relaying frames transmitted and received between multiple functional units in the in-vehicle network, and the relay device subject to configuration change, includes an importance determination unit that determines the importance of the frames it relays, An execution feasibility determination unit determines whether or not to perform the setting change based on the determination result of the importance determination unit, A generation unit generates new network configuration information based on the device information acquired from the aforementioned multiple functional units, determines the relay device that will be subject to configuration changes for communication in the new network, and notifies the determined relay device of the configuration details. To make it function as, A vehicle communication management program in which, if the execution feasibility determination unit determines that the setting change will not be performed on at least one of the plurality of relay devices, the generation unit does not notify at least one of the plurality of relay devices of the setting content.

Images