In-vehicle system, decision method, and decision program

Abstract

To reduce the execution delay of predetermined processes that must be performed in the in-vehicle system. [Solution] The in-vehicle system includes an acquisition unit that acquires load information indicating the load status of each of a plurality of in-vehicle devices on which a program for performing a predetermined process is stored, and a determination unit that determines, based on the load information acquired by the acquisition unit, the target in-vehicle device among the plurality of in-vehicle devices which is the in-vehicle device that performs the predetermined process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle system, a determination method, and a determination program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in an in-vehicle system including a plurality of in-vehicle ECUs (Electronic Control Units), a technique capable of accelerating the processing performed by the in-vehicle ECUs has been desired.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a conventional in-vehicle system, depending on the load status of the in-vehicle ECU, the execution of predetermined processing to be performed in the in-vehicle system may be delayed.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an in-vehicle system, a determination method, and a determination program capable of reducing a delay in the execution of predetermined processing to be performed in the in-vehicle system.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The in-vehicle system of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires load information indicating the load status of each of a plurality of in-vehicle devices in which programs for performing predetermined processing are stored, and based on the load information acquired by the acquisition unit, a determination unit that determines a target in-vehicle device that is the in-vehicle device for performing the predetermined processing among the plurality of in-vehicle devices.

[0007] One aspect of this disclosure can be implemented not only as an in-vehicle system equipped with such characteristic processing, but also as a method in which such characteristic processing is performed in steps, or as a program for causing a computer to perform such steps. Furthermore, one aspect of this disclosure can be implemented as a semiconductor integrated circuit that implements part or all of the in-vehicle system. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to reduce the execution delay of predetermined processes that should be performed in an in-vehicle system. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle system according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the software configuration of an in-vehicle ECU according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle ECU according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation procedure when an in-vehicle ECU according to the first embodiment of this disclosure performs a decision process. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of a processing sequence in an in-vehicle system according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows the configuration of an in-vehicle system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a relay device and an in-vehicle ECU according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of a processing sequence in an in-vehicle system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows the configuration of an in-vehicle system according to the third embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 10]Figure 10 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle ECU according to a third embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation procedure when an in-vehicle ECU according to the third embodiment of this disclosure performs a decision process. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows an example of a processing sequence in an in-vehicle system according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and explained. (1) An in-vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires load information indicating the load status of each of a plurality of in-vehicle devices on which a program for performing predetermined processing is stored, and a determination unit that determines, based on the load information acquired by the acquisition unit, the target in-vehicle device among the plurality of in-vehicle devices which is the in-vehicle device that performs the predetermined processing.

[0011] In this configuration, the target in-vehicle device for performing a predetermined process is determined based on the load status of each of the multiple in-vehicle devices. This allows the predetermined process to be performed on the in-vehicle device with the lowest processing load, thus enabling earlier execution of the predetermined process compared to a configuration where the in-vehicle device performing the predetermined process is fixed in advance. Furthermore, because the program for performing the predetermined process is pre-stored on each in-vehicle device, the predetermined process can be performed earlier and more easily on the target in-vehicle device compared to a configuration where the program is provided to the target in-vehicle device after it has been determined. Therefore, the execution delay of the predetermined process to be performed in the in-vehicle system can be reduced.

[0012] (2) In (1) above, the acquisition unit may acquire the measurement results of the processing load in each of the in-vehicle devices as the load information, and the determination unit may determine the target in-vehicle device based on the load information and notify the target in-vehicle device of the determination result.

[0013] With such a configuration, it is possible to aggregate the measurement results of the processing loads in each in-vehicle device, efficiently determine the target in-vehicle device, and cause the determined target in-vehicle device to execute a predetermined process.

[0014] (3) In the above (1), the in-vehicle system may include a plurality of the determination units respectively corresponding to the plurality of in-vehicle devices. The acquisition unit may acquire, as the load information, the measurement results of the processing loads in each in-vehicle device. Each determination unit may determine whether or not to determine the corresponding in-vehicle device as the target in-vehicle device based on the load information.

[0015] With such a configuration, in each determination unit, it is possible to determine whether or not to determine the corresponding in-vehicle device as the target in-vehicle device. Therefore, the configuration for determining the target in-vehicle device can be made redundant, and the determination of the target in-vehicle device can be stably performed. In addition, since communication for instructing the execution of a predetermined process to the target in-vehicle device is unnecessary, the predetermined process can be executed earlier.

[0016] (4) In any of the above (1) to (3), the predetermined process may be a process that can be executed in each in-vehicle device and has a lower priority than the process to be measured for the load status.

[0017] With such a configuration, while giving priority to target processes with higher priority than the predetermined process in each in-vehicle device, it is possible to perform the predetermined process in an in-vehicle device with a small processing load of the target process.

[0018] (5) In any of the above (1) to (4), the predetermined process may be a process that is periodically performed in the vehicle in which the in-vehicle system is mounted, and the acquisition unit may periodically acquire the load information.

[0019] With such a configuration, it is possible to periodically switch the in-vehicle device that performs the predetermined process in accordance with changes in the load status of each in-vehicle device.

[0020] (6) In (5) above, the predetermined process may be a process that controls the air conditioner in the vehicle based on the measurement result of the interior temperature of the vehicle on which the in-vehicle system is installed.

[0021] With this configuration, the airflow of the air conditioner and other parameters can be automatically adjusted according to the temperature inside the vehicle at adjustment timings that follow a predetermined cycle.

[0022] (7) A determination method relating to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a determination method in an in-vehicle system, comprising the steps of: acquiring load information indicating the load status of each of a plurality of in-vehicle devices on which a program for performing a predetermined process is stored; and determining, based on the acquired load information, the target in-vehicle device which is the in-vehicle device that performs the predetermined process among the plurality of in-vehicle devices.

[0023] In this way, by determining the target in-vehicle device to perform a predetermined process based on the load status of each of multiple in-vehicle devices, the predetermined process can be performed on the in-vehicle device with the lowest processing load. This allows the predetermined process to be performed earlier compared to a method in which the in-vehicle device performing the predetermined process is fixed in advance. Furthermore, because the program for performing the predetermined process is stored in advance on each in-vehicle device, the predetermined process can be performed earlier and more easily on the target in-vehicle device compared to a configuration in which the target in-vehicle device is determined and then the program is provided to that device. Therefore, the execution delay of the predetermined process to be performed in the in-vehicle system can be reduced.

[0024] (8) The decision program according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is a decision program used in an in-vehicle system, which causes a computer to function as an acquisition unit that acquires load information indicating the load status of each of a plurality of in-vehicle devices in which a program for performing predetermined processing is stored, and a decision unit that determines, based on the load information acquired by the acquisition unit, the target in-vehicle device among the plurality of in-vehicle devices which is the in-vehicle device that performs the predetermined processing.

[0025] In this configuration, the target in-vehicle device for performing a predetermined process is determined based on the load status of each of the multiple in-vehicle devices. This allows the predetermined process to be performed on the in-vehicle device with the lowest processing load, thus enabling earlier execution of the predetermined process compared to a configuration where the in-vehicle device performing the predetermined process is fixed in advance. Furthermore, because the program for performing the predetermined process is pre-stored on each in-vehicle device, the predetermined process can be performed earlier and more easily on the target in-vehicle device compared to a configuration where the program is provided to the target in-vehicle device after it has been determined. Therefore, the execution delay of the predetermined process to be performed in the in-vehicle system can be reduced.

[0026] 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.

[0027] <First Embodiment> [Configuration and Basic Operation] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 1, the in-vehicle system 301 comprises in-vehicle ECUs 101A, 101B, 101C, and 101D, a relay device 201, a temperature sensor 111, and a control device 121. Hereinafter, each of the in-vehicle ECUs 101A, 101B, 101C, and 101D will also be referred to as in-vehicle ECU 101. The in-vehicle system 301 is mounted on a vehicle 1. The in-vehicle system 301 may be configured to include two, three, or five or more in-vehicle ECUs 101. For example, each in-vehicle ECU 101 is arranged in a different area of ​​the vehicle 1 according to a zonal architecture. For example, the vehicle 1 has an automatic air conditioning function that controls an air conditioner (not shown) in the vehicle 1 according to the interior temperature.

[0028] Each in-vehicle ECU 101 is connected to the relay device 201 via a transmission line 10. In addition, in-vehicle ECUs 101A and 101B are connected to each other via the transmission line 10. Furthermore, in-vehicle ECUs 101B and 101C are connected to each other via the transmission line 10. Also, in-vehicle ECUs 101C and 101D are connected to each other via the transmission line 10. Furthermore, in-vehicle ECUs 101D and 101A are connected to each other via the transmission line 10. The temperature sensor 111 and the control device 121 are connected to in-vehicle ECU 101A via the transmission line 10. The transmission line 10 is, for example, an Ethernet® cable. However, the transmission line 10 is not limited to an Ethernet cable; it may also be a communication line conforming to other standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network)® and FlexRay®.

[0029] The relay device 201 can communicate with the in-vehicle ECU 101. The relay device 201 performs relay processing to relay frames transmitted and received between the in-vehicle ECUs 101. The relay device 201 is, for example, an in-vehicle device that conforms to HPC (High Performance Computing).

[0030] The temperature sensor 111 measures the interior temperature of the vehicle 1. For example, when the temperature sensor 111 receives a request frame from the in-vehicle ECU 101, it sends a response frame addressed to the in-vehicle ECU 101, which includes the measured interior temperature, as a response to the request frame.

[0031] The control device 121 controls the operation of the air conditioner installed in the vehicle 1. For example, when the control device 121 receives an instruction frame indicating the control content of the air conditioner from the onboard ECU 101, it adjusts the airflow of the air conditioner, etc., according to the received instruction frame.

[0032] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the software configuration of an in-vehicle ECU according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 2, the in-vehicle ECU 101 comprises base software 21, SWC (Software Component) 22, VM (Virtual Machine) 23, and script 24.

[0033] Base software 21 is the OS (Operating System). SWC22 is an application that conforms to AUTOSAR (AUTomotive Open System ARchitecture) (registered trademark). VM23 creates object code by compiling script 24.

[0034] Script 24 is a program for performing predetermined processing. For example, predetermined processing is processing that is performed periodically in vehicle 1. As an example, predetermined processing is automatic air conditioning processing that controls the air conditioner in vehicle 1 based on the measurement result of the interior temperature of vehicle 1. Automatic air conditioning processing can be executed independently in each on-board ECU 101. That is, automatic air conditioning processing may be executed in any of the four on-board ECUs 101 in the on-board system 301.

[0035] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle ECU according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. Referring to Figure 3, the in-vehicle ECU 101A includes a communication unit 11, an acquisition unit 12, a determination unit 13, a measurement unit 14, a processing unit 15, and a storage unit 16. In-vehicle ECUs 101B, 101C, and 101D do not include the acquisition unit 12 and the determination unit 13 compared to the in-vehicle ECU 101A. For example, the communication unit 11, acquisition unit 12, determination unit 13, and measurement unit 14 are included in SWC22. Also, for example, the processing unit 15 is included in VM23. Some or all of the communication unit 11, acquisition unit 12, determination unit 13, measurement unit 14, and processing unit 15 are implemented by a processing circuit (Circuitry) including one or more processors. The storage unit 16 is, for example, a non-volatile memory included in the above processing circuit. The script 24 described above is stored in the storage unit 16 in advance.

[0036] The communication unit 11 in the in-vehicle ECU 101 can transmit and receive various frames with other in-vehicle ECUs 101, temperature sensors 111, and control devices 121 via the transmission line 10, or via the transmission line 10 and relay devices 201. Furthermore, the communication unit 11 in the in-vehicle ECU 101 can relay frames transmitted and received in the in-vehicle system 301.

[0037] The processing unit 15 in the in-vehicle ECU 101 executes the target process, which is the process assigned to the in-vehicle ECU 101. The target process is the process for which the load status is measured, as described later. The processing unit 15 can also execute the automatic air conditioning process. The automatic air conditioning process has a lower priority than the target process.

[0038] (Automatic air conditioning treatment) The processing unit 15 creates object code by compiling the script 24 in the storage unit 16, and executes the automatic air conditioning process according to the created object code.

[0039] In the automatic air conditioning process, the processing unit 15 acquires the measurement result of the in-vehicle temperature from the temperature sensor 111 at an adjustment timing according to a predetermined adjustment cycle C1. The adjustment cycle C1 is, for example, 1 minute. More specifically, the processing unit 15 transmits a request frame to the temperature sensor 111 via the communication unit 11. The processing unit 15 receives a response frame from the temperature sensor 111 via the communication unit 11 and acquires the measurement result of the in-vehicle temperature from the received response frame. The processing unit 15 compares the acquired measurement result with the set temperature of the air conditioner.

[0040] If the difference between the measurement result and the set temperature is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the processing unit 15 performs processing to change the airflow rate of the air conditioner, for example. More specifically, the processing unit 15 generates an instruction frame addressed to the control device 121 indicating the airflow rate value of the air conditioner, and transmits the generated instruction frame via the communication unit 11. After transmitting the instruction frame, the processing unit 15 waits for a new adjustment timing according to the adjustment cycle C1.

[0041] On the other hand, if the difference between the measurement result and the set temperature is less than a predetermined value, the processing unit 15 waits for a new adjustment timing according to the adjustment cycle C1 without transmitting an instruction frame.

[0042] The determination unit 13 in the in-vehicle ECU 101A determines which in-vehicle device is the in-vehicle ECU 101 that performs a predetermined process from among in-vehicle ECUs 101A, 101B, 101C, and 101D. That is, the determination unit 13 determines which in-vehicle device performs the automatic air conditioning process from among in-vehicle ECUs 101A, 101B, 101C, and 101D. For example, in the initial state, the processing unit 15 in the in-vehicle ECU 101A performs the automatic air conditioning process.

[0043] (Determination of the in-vehicle ECU that performs the automatic air conditioning operation) The acquisition unit 12 in the in-vehicle ECU 101A acquires load information indicating the load status of each of the multiple in-vehicle ECUs 101. For example, the acquisition unit 12 periodically acquires the measurement results of the processing load in each in-vehicle ECU 101 as load information.

[0044] More specifically, the acquisition unit 12 generates a measurement instruction indicating the measurement period Tm of the processing load at a decision timing according to a predetermined decision cycle C2. The decision cycle C2 is longer than the adjustment cycle C1, for example, 10 minutes. The acquisition unit 12 outputs the generated measurement instruction to the measurement unit 14 in the in-vehicle ECU 101A, and also transmits the measurement instruction, included in a frame, to the in-vehicle ECUs 101B, 101C, and 101D via the communication unit 11.

[0045] The measurement unit 14 in the in-vehicle ECU 101A receives a measurement instruction from the acquisition unit 12 and measures the processing load in the processing unit 15 according to the received measurement instruction. More specifically, during the measurement period Tm, the measurement unit 14 measures the processing time Pm required for the target processing, which is processing other than the automatic air conditioning processing in the processing unit 15, as the processing load. The processing unit 15 outputs load information indicating the measurement result of the processing time Pm to the acquisition unit 12.

[0046] The measurement unit 14 in an in-vehicle ECU 101 other than the in-vehicle ECU 101A receives a measurement instruction from the in-vehicle ECU 101A via the communication unit 11, and measures the processing load in the processing unit 15 of the in-vehicle ECU 101 according to the received measurement instruction. More specifically, during the measurement period Tm, the measurement unit 14 measures the processing time Pm required for the target processing, which is processing other than the automatic air conditioning processing in the processing unit 15, as the processing load. The processing unit 15 includes the load information indicating the measurement result of the processing time Pm in a frame and transmits it to the in-vehicle ECU 101A via the communication unit 11.

[0047] The acquisition unit 12 in the in-vehicle ECU 101A receives load information from the measurement unit 14. The acquisition unit 12 also receives load information from other in-vehicle ECUs 101 via the communication unit 11. The acquisition unit 12 outputs the load information received from the measurement unit 14 and the load information received from other in-vehicle ECUs 101 to the determination unit 13. Hereinafter, the processing time Pm measured in the in-vehicle ECUs 101A, 101B, 101C, and 101D will also be referred to as processing time PmA, PmB, PmC, and PmD, respectively.

[0048] The decision unit 13 performs a decision process to determine the target in-vehicle device from among the in-vehicle ECUs 101A, 101B, 101C, and 101D based on the load information acquired by the acquisition unit 12. The decision unit 13 notifies the target in-vehicle device of the decision result.

[0049] More specifically, the determination unit 13 compares the processing times PmA, PmB, PmC, and PmD indicated by each load information and identifies the shortest processing time Pm. The determination unit 13 determines the in-vehicle ECU 101 corresponding to the shortest processing time Pm to be the in-vehicle ECU 101 that performs the automatic air conditioning processing, i.e., the target in-vehicle device. As an example, the determination unit 13 determines the in-vehicle ECU 101D to be the target in-vehicle device.

[0050] The decision unit 13 sends a processing stop instruction to the in-vehicle ECU 101, which is currently performing the automatic air conditioning process, indicating that the automatic air conditioning process should be stopped. More specifically, the decision unit 13 outputs the processing stop instruction to the processing unit 15 in the in-vehicle ECU 101A.

[0051] Furthermore, the determination unit 13 transmits a processing start instruction to the determined target in-vehicle device, indicating that the automatic air conditioning process should be started, as a result of determining the target in-vehicle device. More specifically, the determination unit 13 transmits the processing start instruction to the in-vehicle ECU 101D via the communication unit 11, including it in a frame. Note that if the determination unit 13 determines that the target in-vehicle device is the in-vehicle ECU 101, which is currently performing the automatic air conditioning process, it may be configured not to transmit a processing stop instruction or a processing start instruction.

[0052] The processing unit 15 in the in-vehicle ECU 101A receives a processing stop instruction from the decision unit 13 and stops the automatic air conditioning process in accordance with the received processing stop instruction.

[0053] Furthermore, the processing unit 15 in the in-vehicle ECU 101D receives a processing start instruction from the in-vehicle ECU 101A via the communication unit 11, and starts the automatic air conditioning process according to the received processing start instruction. Specifically, as described above, the processing unit 15 waits for the adjustment timing according to the adjustment cycle C1, and at the adjustment timing, it acquires the measurement result of the in-vehicle temperature from the temperature sensor 111 and compares the measurement result with the set temperature.

[0054] [Operation Flow] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation procedure when an in-vehicle ECU according to the first embodiment of this disclosure performs a decision process.

[0055] Referring to Figure 4, first, the in-vehicle ECU 101A waits for a decision timing according to the decision cycle C2 (NO in step S11), and when the decision timing arrives (YES in step S11), it acquires load information indicating the load status of each in-vehicle ECU 101. More specifically, the in-vehicle ECU 101A acquires the measurement result of the processing time Pm in each in-vehicle ECU 101 (step S12).

[0056] Next, the in-vehicle ECU 101A determines the target in-vehicle device from among the in-vehicle ECUs 101A, 101B, 101C, and 101D based on the processing time Pm in each in-vehicle ECU 101 (step S13).

[0057] Next, the in-vehicle ECU 101A sends a processing start instruction to the determined target in-vehicle device (step S14) and waits for a new decision timing according to the decision cycle C2 (NO in step S11).

[0058] Figure 5 shows an example of a processing sequence in an in-vehicle system according to the first embodiment of this disclosure.

[0059] Referring to Figure 5, first, the vehicle's ECU 101A performs the automatic air conditioning process (step S21).

[0060] Next, the in-vehicle ECU 101A transmits a measurement instruction to the in-vehicle ECUs 101B, 101C, and 101D at the decision timing according to the decision cycle C2 (step S22).

[0061] Next, the in-vehicle ECUs 101A, 101B, 101C, and 101D each measure the processing time PmA, PmB, PmC, and PmD required for the target process during the measurement period Tm indicated by the measurement instruction (step S23).

[0062] Next, the in-vehicle ECUs 101B, 101C, and 101D each transmit load information indicating the measurement results of processing times PmB, PmC, and PmD to the in-vehicle ECU 101A (step S24).

[0063] Next, the in-vehicle ECU 101A determines the target in-vehicle device from among the in-vehicle ECUs 101A, 101B, 101C, and 101D based on the load information. For example, the in-vehicle ECU 101A determines the in-vehicle ECU 101D, which corresponds to the shortest processing time PmD among the processing times PmA, PmB, PmC, and PmD, as the target in-vehicle device (step S25).

[0064] Next, the in-vehicle ECU 101A sends a processing start instruction to the in-vehicle ECU 101D indicating that the automatic air conditioning process should be stopped and then started again (step S26).

[0065] Next, the vehicle's ECU 101D starts the automatic air conditioning process in accordance with the processing start instruction (step S27).

[0066] In the in-vehicle system 301 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure, the in-vehicle ECU 101A connected to the temperature sensor 111 and the control device 121 is configured to include an acquisition unit 12 and a determination unit 13, but this is not the only configuration. Instead of the in-vehicle ECU 101A, any one of the in-vehicle ECUs 101B, 101C, and 101D may be configured to include an acquisition unit 12, or any one of the in-vehicle ECUs 101B, 101C, and 101D may be configured to include a determination unit 13.

[0067] Furthermore, in the in-vehicle system 301 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure, the determination unit 13 is configured to determine an in-vehicle ECU 101 that performs automatic air conditioning processing based on load information, but the system is not limited to this. The determination unit 13 may be configured to determine an in-vehicle ECU 101 that performs other predetermined processing instead of automatic air conditioning processing. For example, the other predetermined processing may be automatic wiper processing that controls the operation of the wipers based on the rainfall measurement result.

[0068] Furthermore, in the in-vehicle system 301 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure, the automatic air conditioning process is a process with a lower priority than the target process for measuring load conditions, but this is not limited to this. The automatic air conditioning process may be a process with a higher priority than the target process for measuring load conditions.

[0069] Furthermore, in the in-vehicle system 301 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure, the measurement unit 14 in each in-vehicle ECU 101 is configured to measure the processing time Pm required for target processing other than the automatic air conditioning processing in the processing unit 15 as the processing load, but the invention is not limited to this. The measurement unit 14 may be configured to measure the processing time Pm required for multiple processing processes, including the automatic air conditioning processing.

[0070] Furthermore, while the in-vehicle system 301 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure is configured such that the acquisition unit 12 periodically acquires load information, the invention is not limited to this configuration. The acquisition unit 12 may also be configured to acquire load information irregularly, for example, depending on the load status of the in-vehicle ECU 101 that performs automatic air conditioning processing.

[0071] Next, other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0072] <Second Embodiment> [Configuration and Basic Operation] This embodiment relates to an in-vehicle system 302 in which decision processing is performed in an in-vehicle device that does not include a script 24, compared to the in-vehicle system 301 according to the first embodiment. Except for the contents described below, it is the same as the in-vehicle system 301 according to the first embodiment.

[0073] Figure 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 6, the in-vehicle system 302 is equipped with in-vehicle ECUs 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D instead of in-vehicle ECUs 101A, 101B, 101C, and 101D, and with a relay device 202 instead of a relay device 201, compared to the in-vehicle system 301. Hereinafter, each of the in-vehicle ECUs 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D will also be referred to as in-vehicle ECU 102.

[0074] Figure 7 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a relay device and an in-vehicle ECU according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 7, the relay device 202 comprises a relay unit 31, an acquisition unit 12, and a determination unit 13. The relay unit 31 performs relay processing to relay frames transmitted and received between in-vehicle ECUs 102. Some or all of the relay unit 31, acquisition unit 12, and determination unit 13 are implemented, for example, by a processing circuit (Circuitry) including one or more processors.

[0075] The in-vehicle ECUs 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D, like the in-vehicle ECUs 101B, 101C, and 101D, include a communication unit 11, a measurement unit 14, a processing unit 15, and a storage unit 16.

[0076] The determination unit 13 in the relay device 202 determines the target in-vehicle device, which is the in-vehicle ECU 102 that performs automatic air conditioning processing, from among the in-vehicle ECUs 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D. For example, in the initial state, the processing unit 15 in the in-vehicle ECU 102A performs automatic air conditioning processing.

[0077] (Determination of the in-vehicle ECU that performs the automatic air conditioning operation) The acquisition unit 12 in the relay device 202 acquires load information indicating the load status of each of the multiple in-vehicle ECUs 102. For example, the acquisition unit 12 periodically acquires the measurement results of the processing load in each in-vehicle ECU 102 as load information.

[0078] More specifically, the acquisition unit 12 generates a measurement instruction indicating the measurement period Tm of the processing load at the decision timing according to the decision cycle C2. The acquisition unit 12 includes the generated measurement instruction in a frame and transmits it via the relay unit 31 to the in-vehicle ECUs 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D.

[0079] The measurement unit 14 in each in-vehicle ECU 102 receives a measurement instruction from the relay device 202 via the communication unit 11, and measures the processing load in the processing unit 15 of the in-vehicle ECU 102 according to the received measurement instruction. More specifically, during the measurement period Tm, the measurement unit 14 measures the processing time Pm required for the target processing, which is processing other than the automatic air conditioning processing in the processing unit 15, as the processing load. The processing unit 15 transmits load information indicating the measurement result of the processing time Pm to the relay device 202 via the communication unit 11, including it in a frame.

[0080] The acquisition unit 12 in the relay device 202 receives load information from each vehicle-mounted ECU 102 via the relay unit 31 and outputs the load information to the determination unit 13.

[0081] The determination unit 13 performs a determination process to determine the target in-vehicle device from among the in-vehicle ECUs 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D based on the load information acquired by the acquisition unit 12. The determination unit 13 notifies the target in-vehicle device of the determination result. As an example, the determination unit 13 determines that the in-vehicle ECU 102D is the target in-vehicle device.

[0082] The decision unit 13 sends a processing stop instruction to the in-vehicle ECU 102, which is currently performing the automatic air conditioning process, indicating that the automatic air conditioning process should be stopped. More specifically, the decision unit 13 includes the processing stop instruction in a frame and sends it to the in-vehicle ECU 102A via the relay unit 31.

[0083] Furthermore, the determination unit 13 transmits a processing start instruction to the determined target in-vehicle device, indicating that the automatic air conditioning process should be started, as a result of determining the target in-vehicle device. More specifically, the determination unit 13 transmits the processing start instruction to the in-vehicle ECU 102D via the relay unit 31, including it in a frame.

[0084] [Operation Flow] Figure 8 shows an example of a processing sequence in an in-vehicle system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0085] Referring to Figure 8, first, the in-vehicle ECU 102A performs the automatic air conditioning process (step S31).

[0086] Next, the relay device 202 transmits a measurement instruction to the in-vehicle ECUs 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D at the decision timing according to the decision cycle C2 (step S32).

[0087] Next, the in-vehicle ECUs 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D each measure the processing time PmA, PmB, PmC, and PmD required for the target process during the measurement period Tm indicated by the measurement instruction (step S33).

[0088] Next, the in-vehicle ECUs 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D each transmit load information indicating the measurement results of processing times PmB, PmC, and PmD to the relay device 202 (step S34).

[0089] Next, the relay device 202 determines the target in-vehicle device from among the in-vehicle ECUs 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D based on the load information. For example, the relay device 202 determines the in-vehicle ECU 102D, which corresponds to the shortest processing time PmD among the processing times PmA, PmB, PmC, and PmD, as the target in-vehicle device (step S35).

[0090] Next, the relay device 202 sends a processing stop instruction to the on-board ECU 102A indicating that the automatic air conditioning process should be stopped (step S36).

[0091] Next, the relay device 202 sends a processing start instruction to the on-board ECU 102D indicating that the automatic air conditioning process should be started (step S37).

[0092] Next, the vehicle's ECU 102D starts the automatic air conditioning process in accordance with the processing start instruction (step S38).

[0093] Next, other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0094] <Third Embodiment> [Configuration and Basic Operation] This embodiment relates to an in-vehicle system 303 in which decision processing is performed in multiple in-vehicle devices, compared to the in-vehicle system 301 according to the first embodiment. Except for the contents described below, it is the same as the in-vehicle system 301 according to the first embodiment.

[0095] Figure 9 shows the configuration of an in-vehicle system according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 9, in-vehicle system 303 is equipped with in-vehicle ECUs 103A, 103B, 103C, and 103D instead of in-vehicle ECUs 101A, 101B, 101C, and 101D, compared to in-vehicle system 301. Hereinafter, each of the in-vehicle ECUs 103A, 103B, 103C, and 103D will also be referred to as in-vehicle ECU 103.

[0096] Figure 10 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle ECU according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 10, the in-vehicle ECU 103, compared to the in-vehicle ECU 101A, includes an acquisition unit 17 instead of an acquisition unit 12, a determination unit 18 instead of a determination unit 13, and a measurement unit 19 instead of a measurement unit 14. That is, the in-vehicle system 303 includes four determination units 18 corresponding to the in-vehicle ECUs 103A, 103B, 103C, and 103D, respectively. For example, in the initial state, the processing unit 15 in the in-vehicle ECU 103A performs automatic air conditioning processing.

[0097] (Determination of the in-vehicle ECU that performs the automatic air conditioning operation) The acquisition unit 17 in each in-vehicle ECU 103 acquires load information indicating the load status of each of the multiple in-vehicle ECUs 101. For example, the acquisition unit 17 periodically acquires the measurement results of the processing load in each in-vehicle ECU 103 as load information.

[0098] More specifically, the acquisition unit 17 in each in-vehicle ECU 103 generates a measurement instruction indicating the measurement period Tm of the processing load at a decision timing according to the decision cycle C2, and outputs the generated measurement instruction to the measurement unit 19 in the in-vehicle ECU 103.

[0099] The measurement unit 19 in the in-vehicle ECU 103 receives a measurement instruction from the acquisition unit 17 and measures the processing load in the processing unit 15 of the in-vehicle ECU 103 according to the received measurement instruction. More specifically, during the measurement period Tm, the measurement unit 19 measures the processing time Pm required for the target processing, which is processing other than the automatic air conditioning processing in the processing unit 15, as the processing load. The measurement unit 19 outputs load information indicating the measurement result of the processing time Pm to the acquisition unit 17, and also transmits the load information, including it in a frame, to other in-vehicle ECUs 103 via the communication unit 11.

[0100] The acquisition unit 17 in each in-vehicle ECU 103 receives load information from the measurement unit 19 in that in-vehicle ECU 103. The acquisition unit 17 also receives load information from other in-vehicle ECUs 103 via the communication unit 11. The acquisition unit 17 outputs the load information received from the measurement unit 19 and the load information received from other in-vehicle ECUs 103 to the determination unit 18.

[0101] The determination unit 18 in each in-vehicle ECU 103 performs a determination process to determine the target in-vehicle device from among the in-vehicle ECUs 103A, 103B, 103C, and 103D based on the load information acquired by the acquisition unit 17. For example, in the determination process, the determination unit 18 performs a determination process to determine whether or not to determine the corresponding in-vehicle ECU 103 as the target in-vehicle device based on the load information.

[0102] More specifically, the determination unit 18 compares the processing times Pm measured in each in-vehicle ECU 103. For example, the shortest processing time Pm among processing times PmA, PmB, PmC, and PmD is assumed to be processing time PmD.

[0103] The determination unit 18 determines the corresponding vehicle-mounted ECU 103 as the target vehicle-mounted device if the processing time Pm measured in the corresponding vehicle-mounted ECU 103 is the shortest among the processing times Pm measured in each vehicle-mounted ECU 103. The determination unit 18 then outputs a processing start instruction to the processing unit 15 indicating that the automatic air conditioning processing should be started. More specifically, the determination unit 13 in vehicle-mounted ECU 103D determines vehicle-mounted ECU 103D as the target vehicle-mounted device and outputs a processing start instruction to the processing unit 15 in vehicle-mounted ECU 103D.

[0104] On the other hand, if the processing time Pm measured in each in-vehicle ECU 103 includes a processing time Pm shorter than the processing time Pm measured in the corresponding in-vehicle ECU 103, the determination unit 18 does not determine the corresponding in-vehicle ECU 103 as the target in-vehicle device. More specifically, the determination units 13 in in-vehicle ECUs 103A, 103B, and 103C do not determine the in-vehicle ECUs 103A, 103B, and 103C as the target in-vehicle device, respectively. The determination unit 13 in in-vehicle ECU 103A then outputs a processing stop instruction to the processing unit 15 in in-vehicle ECU 103A, indicating that the auto air conditioning processing should be stopped.

[0105] [Operation Flow] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation procedure when an in-vehicle ECU according to the third embodiment of this disclosure performs a decision process.

[0106] Referring to Figure 11, the in-vehicle ECU 103 waits for a decision timing according to the decision cycle C2 (NO in step S41), and when the decision timing arrives (YES in step S41), it measures the processing time Pm required for the target processing in the in-vehicle ECU 103 (step S42).

[0107] Next, the in-vehicle ECU 103 transmits load information, which indicates the measurement result of the processing time Pm, to another in-vehicle ECU 103, including it in the frame (step S43).

[0108] Next, the in-vehicle ECU 103 receives load information from another in-vehicle ECU 103 (step S44).

[0109] Next, the in-vehicle ECU 103 compares the processing time Pm measured in each in-vehicle ECU 103 (step S45).

[0110] Next, among the processing times Pm measured in each vehicle-mounted ECU 103, if the processing time Pm in that vehicle-mounted ECU 103 is the shortest (YES in step S46), then that vehicle-mounted ECU 103 is selected as the target vehicle-mounted device (step S47).

[0111] Next, the vehicle's ECU 103 starts the automatic air conditioning process (step S48).

[0112] On the other hand, if the processing time Pm measured in each vehicle ECU 103 includes a processing time Pm that is shorter than the processing time Pm measured in the corresponding vehicle ECU 103 (NO in step S46), the vehicle ECU 103 does not determine that vehicle ECU 103 as the target vehicle device (step S49), but waits for a new determination timing according to the determination cycle C2 (NO in step S41).

[0113] Figure 12 shows an example of a processing sequence in an in-vehicle system according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0114] Referring to Figure 12, first, the in-vehicle ECU 103A performs the automatic air conditioning process (step S51).

[0115] Next, the in-vehicle ECUs 103A, 103B, 103C, and 103D each measure the processing time PmA, PmB, PmC, and PmD required for the target process at the decision timing according to the decision cycle C2 (step S52).

[0116] Next, the in-vehicle ECU 103A transmits load information indicating the measurement result of the processing time PmA to the in-vehicle ECUs 103B, 103C, and 103D (step S53).

[0117] Furthermore, the in-vehicle ECU 103B transmits load information indicating the measurement result of the processing time PmB to the in-vehicle ECUs 103A, 103C, and 103D (step S54).

[0118] Furthermore, the in-vehicle ECU 103C transmits load information indicating the measurement result of the processing time PmC to the in-vehicle ECUs 103A, 103B, and 103D (step S55).

[0119] Furthermore, the in-vehicle ECU 103D transmits load information indicating the measurement result of the processing time PmD to the in-vehicle ECUs 103A, 103B, and 103C (step S56).

[0120] Next, the in-vehicle ECUs 103A, 103B, 103C, and 103D each perform a decision process to determine whether or not to select the in-vehicle device as the target device (step S57).

[0121] Next, the in-vehicle ECU 103D determines itself as the target in-vehicle device and starts the automatic air conditioning process (step S58).

[0122] 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.

[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 separated computers may cooperate with each other via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), and the Internet to perform 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 above description includes the following features. [Note 1] An acquisition unit that acquires load information indicating the load status of each of multiple in-vehicle devices on which a program for performing a predetermined process is stored, Based on the load information acquired by the acquisition unit, a determination unit determines the target vehicle device among the plurality of vehicle devices which is the vehicle device that performs the predetermined processing, The vehicle-mounted device includes a measuring unit for measuring the processing load, The acquisition unit is an in-vehicle system that acquires the load information indicating the measurement result of the processing load by the measurement unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0125] 1 vehicle 10 Transmission lines 11 Communications Department 12,17 Acquisition Department 13,18 Decision Section 14,19 Measurement section 15 Processing Unit 16 Memory section 21 Base Software 22 SWC 23 VM 24 Scripts 31 Relay Unit 101,101A,101B,101C,101D,102,102A,102B,102C,102D,103,103A,103B,103C,103D Automotive ECU 111 Temperature sensor 121 Control device 201, 202, 203 Relay devices 301, 302, 303 In-vehicle systems

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires load information indicating the load status of each of multiple in-vehicle devices on which a program for performing a predetermined process is stored, An in-vehicle system comprising: a determination unit that determines, based on the load information acquired by the acquisition unit, the target in-vehicle device among the plurality of in-vehicle devices which is the in-vehicle device that performs the predetermined processing.

2. The acquisition unit acquires the measurement results of the processing load in each of the in-vehicle devices as load information. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the target in-vehicle device based on the load information and notifies the target in-vehicle device of the determination result.

3. The aforementioned in-vehicle system is Each of the above-mentioned multiple in-vehicle devices comprises a plurality of determination units corresponding to each of the above-mentioned multiple in-vehicle devices, The acquisition unit acquires the measurement results of the processing load in each of the in-vehicle devices as load information. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein each of the determination units determines, based on the load information, whether or not to determine the corresponding in-vehicle device as the target in-vehicle device.

4. The in-vehicle system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the predetermined processing is executable in each of the in-vehicle devices and has a lower priority than the processing of the load status measurement target.

5. The aforementioned predetermined process is a process that is performed periodically in the vehicle on which the in-vehicle system is installed. The vehicle-mounted system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the acquisition unit periodically acquires the load information.

6. The in-vehicle system according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined process is a process of controlling an air conditioner in a vehicle based on the measurement result of the interior temperature of the vehicle on which the in-vehicle system is installed.

7. A decision-making method in an in-vehicle system, A step of acquiring load information indicating the load status of each of multiple in-vehicle devices on which a program for performing a predetermined process is stored, A determination method comprising the step of determining, based on the acquired load information, the target vehicle device among the plurality of vehicle devices which is the vehicle device that performs the predetermined processing.

8. A decision program used in an in-vehicle system, Computers, An acquisition unit that acquires load information indicating the load status of each of multiple in-vehicle devices on which a program for performing a predetermined process is stored, Based on the load information acquired by the acquisition unit, a determination unit determines the target vehicle device among the plurality of vehicle devices which is the vehicle device that performs the predetermined processing. A decision-making program to function as such.

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