Management device, in-vehicle communication system, vehicle communication management method, and vehicle communication management program

Abstract

This invention provides a management device, functional units, an in-vehicle communication system, and a vehicle communication management program that enable more reliable communication between each functional unit in a newly configured in-vehicle network. [Solution] The management device is a management device used in an in-vehicle network including one or more in-vehicle function units, and comprises: a detection unit that detects the addition of a function unit to the in-vehicle network; a determination unit that determines whether the in-vehicle function unit satisfies the requirements based on requirement information transmitted from the new function unit, which is the function unit whose addition has been detected by the detection unit, indicating the requirements necessary for the in-vehicle function unit and the new function unit to communicate; and an update request unit that, if the determination unit determines that the in-vehicle function unit does not satisfy the requirements, transmits update request information to an external device different from the in-vehicle function unit, requesting an update of the in-vehicle function unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a management device, a functional unit, an in-vehicle communication system, and a vehicle communication management program.

Background Art

[0002] There is a demand for a technology that enables adding various functional units to an in-vehicle network according to user needs. For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-220220) discloses a vehicle electronic control device as follows. That is, the vehicle electronic control device is a vehicle electronic control device (1 to 5) that is connected to an in-vehicle network network network (6) and executes a predetermined function by an installed application, and requests a service that uses a function installed in another vehicle electronic control device connected to the in-vehicle network in response to a request from the application, and when receiving a service request from the other vehicle electronic control device, generates and responds to the service. It includes a service interface (8), a service bus (9) that transmits and receives messages corresponding to service requests and responses by a predetermined protocol between the service interface and the service interface of the other vehicle electronic control device, and a service management unit (11) that makes the service dynamically mutually available by managing the location of the service.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, if the functional units in the in-vehicle network before adding a new functional unit do not support communication with the added functional unit, communication between the functional units may become unstable or impossible.

[0005] This disclosure was made to solve the aforementioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a management device, a functional unit, an in-vehicle communication system, and a vehicle communication management program that can more reliably perform communication between each functional unit in a new configuration of in-vehicle network. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The management device of the present disclosure is a management device used in an in-vehicle network including one or more in-vehicle function units, comprising: a detection unit for detecting the addition of a function unit to the in-vehicle network; a determination unit for determining whether the in-vehicle function unit satisfies the requirements based on requirement information transmitted from the new function unit, which is the function unit detected by the detection unit, indicating the requirements necessary for the in-vehicle function unit and the new function unit to communicate; and an update request unit for transmitting update request information to an external device different from the in-vehicle function unit, if the determination unit determines that the in-vehicle function unit does not satisfy the requirements.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure can be implemented not only as a management device including such characteristic processing, but also as a step-based method for such characteristic processing, or as a semiconductor integrated circuit that implements part or all of the management device. One aspect of the present disclosure can be implemented as a step-based method for processing in a functional unit, or as a semiconductor integrated circuit that implements part or all of the functional unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, communication between each functional unit can be made more reliable in a new in-vehicle network configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the configuration of a new network in an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of version information for a functional unit in an in-vehicle network related to a comparative example. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the novel functional unit according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of a sequence of processes for constructing a new network in an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows another example of the sequence of processes for constructing a new network in an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and explained. (1) The management device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is a management device used in an in-vehicle network including one or more in-vehicle function units, comprising: a detection unit for detecting the addition of a function unit to the in-vehicle network; a determination unit for determining whether the in-vehicle function unit satisfies the requirements based on requirement information transmitted from the new function unit, which is the function unit whose addition has been detected by the detection unit, indicating the requirements necessary for the in-vehicle function unit and the new function unit to communicate; and an update request unit for transmitting update request information to an external device different from the in-vehicle function unit, if the determination unit determines that the in-vehicle function unit does not satisfy the requirements.

[0011] With this configuration, when the management device detects the addition of a new function unit in the in-vehicle network, it can update the in-vehicle function unit to a state where it can communicate with the new function unit. Therefore, communication between each function unit can be made more reliable in the newly configured in-vehicle network.

[0012] (2) In (1) above, the management device may further include an acquisition unit that, when it receives the requirement information from the new function unit, acquires the function unit information of the in-vehicle function unit for determining the requirement, and the determination unit may determine whether the in-vehicle function unit satisfies the requirement based on the requirement information and the function unit information.

[0013] This configuration allows the determination unit to consider, for example, the latest function unit information when determining whether an in-vehicle function unit supports communication with a new function unit, thereby improving the accuracy of the determination. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to obtain the function unit information of the in-vehicle function unit from an external device outside the in-vehicle network, the process of obtaining such function unit information can be simplified.

[0014] (3) In (1) above, the management device may further include an acquisition unit for acquiring functional unit information of the in-vehicle function unit from the external device for determining the requirements, and the determination unit may determine whether the in-vehicle function unit satisfies the requirements based on the requirement information and the functional unit information.

[0015] This configuration allows the determination unit to consider, for example, the latest function unit information when determining whether an in-vehicle function unit supports communication with a new function unit, thereby improving the determination accuracy of the determination unit. Furthermore, for example, it is possible to obtain function unit information of an in-vehicle function unit from an in-vehicle network, and to obtain that function unit information.

[0016] (4) In any of the above (1) to (3), the requirement may be that the version of the software incorporated in the in-vehicle functional unit is the same as the version of the software incorporated in the new functional unit, or that the version of the software incorporated in the in-vehicle functional unit is newer than the version of the software incorporated in the new functional unit.

[0017] With such a configuration, when the in-vehicle functional unit and the new functional unit communicate with each other, the software incorporated in the in-vehicle functional unit can be updated to an appropriate state.

[0018] (5) The functional unit according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is a functional unit used in an in-vehicle network including one or more in-vehicle functional units and a management device, and when the functional unit is added to the in-vehicle network, a processing unit that transmits requirement information indicating requirements necessary for communicating with the in-vehicle functional unit to a management device in the in-vehicle network is provided.

[0019] With such a configuration, when the functional unit is added to the in-vehicle network, the management device can obtain the requirement information from the functional unit, so that it can be determined whether the in-vehicle functional unit satisfies the requirements included in the requirement information. Further, when the in-vehicle functional unit does not satisfy the requirements, the management device can perform various processes necessary for the added functional unit to communicate normally with the in-vehicle functional unit. Therefore, in a new configuration of the in-vehicle network, communication between functional units can be performed more reliably.

[0020] (6) An in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a management device used in an in-vehicle network including one or more in-vehicle function units, and a function unit, wherein the management device detects the addition of the function unit to the in-vehicle network, the new function unit which is the function unit whose addition to the in-vehicle network has been detected transmits requirement information which is information indicating the requirements necessary for the in-vehicle function unit and the new function unit to communicate to the management device, the management device determines whether the in-vehicle function unit satisfies the requirements based on the requirement information received from the new function unit, and if the management device determines that the in-vehicle function unit does not satisfy the requirements, it transmits update request information which requests the update of the in-vehicle function unit to an external device different from the in-vehicle function unit.

[0021] With this configuration, when the management device detects the addition of a new function unit in the in-vehicle network, it can update the in-vehicle function unit to a state where it can communicate with the new function unit. Therefore, communication between each function unit can be made more reliable in the newly configured in-vehicle network.

[0022] (7) 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 including one or more in-vehicle function units, and is a program for causing a computer to function as: a detection unit that detects the addition of a function unit to the in-vehicle network; a determination unit that determines whether the in-vehicle function unit satisfies the requirements based on requirement information transmitted from the new function unit, which is the function unit whose addition has been detected by the detection unit, indicating the requirements necessary for the in-vehicle function unit and the new function unit to communicate; and an update request unit that, if the determination unit determines that the in-vehicle function unit does not satisfy the requirements, transmits update request information to an external device different from the in-vehicle function unit, requesting an update of the in-vehicle function unit.

[0023] With this configuration, when the management device detects the addition of a new function unit in the in-vehicle network, it can update the in-vehicle function unit to a state where it can communicate with the new function unit. Therefore, communication between each function unit can be made more reliable in the newly configured in-vehicle network.

[0024] 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.

[0025] [Communication System] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Referring to Figure 1, the communication system 501 comprises a server 180 and one or more in-vehicle communication systems 301. The in-vehicle communication systems 301 are mounted on the vehicle 1.

[0027] [In-vehicle communication system] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Referring to Figure 2, the in-vehicle communication system 301 includes, for example, one or more in-vehicle ECUs (Electronic Control Units) 202 and one or more relay devices 101.

[0029] In the example shown in Figure 2, the in-vehicle communication system 301 comprises in-vehicle ECUs 202A and 202B, which are in-vehicle ECUs 202, and one relay device 101. The in-vehicle ECUs 202 and the relay device 101 constitute an in-vehicle network 401. The in-vehicle ECUs 202 are an example of an in-vehicle functional unit mounted on the vehicle 1. The relay device 101 is an example of a management device.

[0030] Furthermore, the in-vehicle communication system 301 is not limited to a configuration with two in-vehicle ECUs, but may also be configured with one or three or more in-vehicle ECUs 202. Also, the in-vehicle communication system 301 is not limited to a configuration with one relay device 101, but may also be configured with multiple relay devices 101.

[0031] In the in-vehicle network 401, the in-vehicle ECU 202 is connected to the relay device 101 via, for example, an Ethernet® cable 11.

[0032] 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 11 can be connected. The relay device 101 and each in-vehicle ECU 202 are connected to other in-vehicle ECUs 202 via the communication ports 51 and Ethernet cables 11.

[0033] 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 can perform relay processing according to, for example, Layer 2 and Layer 3, which is higher than Layer 2.

[0034] More specifically, the relay device 101 performs relay processing of frames exchanged between the in-vehicle ECUs 202 connected via the Ethernet cable 11, for example, in accordance with the Ethernet communication standard.

[0035] Furthermore, the in-vehicle communication system 301 is not limited to a configuration in which frame relay processing is performed according to the Ethernet communication standard, but may also be configured in which frame relay is performed according to communication standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network), CAN FD (CAN with Flexible Data Rate), FlexRay (registered trademark), MOST (Media Oritend System Transport) (registered trademark), and LIN (Local Interconnect Network).

[0036] The relay device 101 and each in-vehicle ECU 202 generate a frame containing various information described later and transmit it to another in-vehicle ECU 202 or the relay device 101.

[0037] Automotive ECUs 202 include, for example, TCUs (Telematics Communication Units), autonomous driving ECUs, engine ECUs, sensors, navigation systems, human-machine interfaces, and cameras.

[0038] In this example, the in-vehicle ECU202A and ECU202B are the engine ECU and TCU, respectively.

[0039] Hereinafter, the vehicle-mounted ECU202A and vehicle-mounted ECU202B will also be referred to as the engine ECU202A and TCU202B, respectively.

[0040] The engine ECU 202A can communicate with the TCU 202B via the relay device 101, and for example, it controls the engine in vehicle 1.

[0041] More specifically, the engine ECU202A acquires information such as engine speed, vehicle speed, engine shaft torque, transmission status, throttle valve status, and measured values ​​from various sensors, and controls the engine based on the acquired information.

[0042] Furthermore, the engine ECU 202A can, for example, transmit some or all of the acquired information to the relay device 101 in response to a request from the relay device 101.

[0043] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the TCU202B can communicate with the server 180. More specifically, the TCU202B can communicate with the server 180 via the wireless base station device 161 using IP packets, for example.

[0044] More specifically, the TCU202B can communicate wirelessly with the wireless base station equipment 161 in accordance with communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) or 5G.

[0045] Specifically, when the wireless base station device 161 receives an IP packet from the server 180 via an external network 170 such as the Internet, it includes the received IP packet in a wireless signal and transmits it to the TCU 202B.

[0046] When TCU202B receives a wireless signal containing IP packets from server 180 via wireless base station device 161, it retrieves the IP packets from the received wireless signal, stores the retrieved IP packets in an Ethernet frame, and transmits it to relay device 101.

[0047] Furthermore, when the TCU202B receives an Ethernet frame from the relay device 101, it obtains an IP packet from the received Ethernet frame, includes the obtained IP packet in the wireless signal, and transmits it to the wireless base station device 161.

[0048] When the wireless base station device 161 receives a wireless signal from the TCU 202B, it obtains an IP packet from the received wireless signal and transmits the obtained IP packet to the server 180 via the external network 170.

[0049] Server 180 is, for example, an OTA (Over The Air) server and is located outside of vehicle 1. Server 180 is an example of an external device distinct from the in-vehicle function unit. Server 180 holds an update program for updating the software embedded in the in-vehicle ECU 202. As will be described later, in response to a request from the relay device 101, Server 180 transmits the update program to the designated in-vehicle ECU 202.

[0050] [Relay device] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] Referring to Figure 3, the relay device 101 comprises a relay unit 111, a detection unit 112, an acquisition unit 113, a determination unit 114, an update request unit 115, a generation unit 116, a setting unit 117, and a storage unit 118.

[0052] Some or all of the relay unit 111, detection unit 112, acquisition unit 113, determination unit 114, update request unit 115, generation unit 116, and setting unit 117 are implemented by a processing circuit (Circuitry) including one or more processors. The storage unit 118 is, for example, a non-volatile memory included in the above processing circuit.

[0053] The relay unit 111 relays frames transmitted and received between in-vehicle ECUs 202. More specifically, when the relay unit 111 receives a frame from one in-vehicle ECU 202, it transmits the received frame to the destination in-vehicle ECU 202.

[0054] Furthermore, when the relay unit 111 receives a frame addressed to its own relay device 101 from a newly added functional unit in the in-vehicle network 401, it outputs the received frame to the detection unit 112.

[0055] Hereinafter, the functional unit newly added to the in-vehicle network 401 will also be referred to as the new functional unit, the in-vehicle network 401 including the new functional unit will also be referred to as the new network, and the in-vehicle network 401 before the addition of the new functional unit will also be referred to as the existing network. Furthermore, the functional unit included in the existing network will also be referred to as the existing functional unit.

[0056] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a new network in an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 shows the configuration of the in-vehicle network 401 in which an in-vehicle ECU 202C has been newly added to the in-vehicle network 401 shown in Figure 2.

[0057] Referring to Figure 4, the in-vehicle ECU 202C is connected, for example, to the communication port 51 of the relay device 101 via an Ethernet cable 11. In this example, the in-vehicle ECU 202C is a navigation device. Hereafter, the in-vehicle ECU 202C will also be referred to as the navigation device 202C.

[0058] Referring again to Figure 3, the detection unit 112 in the relay device 101 detects the addition of a new function unit to the in-vehicle network 401. In this case, the detection unit 112 detects the in-vehicle ECU 202C.

[0059] The detection unit 112 receives a frame from the in-vehicle ECU 202C via the relay unit 111 and performs authentication processing on the in-vehicle ECU 202C using the ID and authentication password contained in the frame.

[0060] When the detection unit 112 successfully authenticates the in-vehicle ECU 202C, it transmits a frame containing authentication success information indicating that the authentication was successful to the in-vehicle ECU 202C via the relay unit 111.

[0061] When the detection unit 112 successfully authenticates the new functional unit as described above, it outputs a frame containing detection information, such as the ID of the new functional unit, to the acquisition unit 113.

[0062] The detection unit 112 may also be configured to periodically broadcast a search message via the relay unit 111 to detect a new functional unit. In this case, the new functional unit receives the search message and transmits the connection request information as a response to the received search message.

[0063] Furthermore, the detection unit 112 may be configured to add an application installed on an existing in-vehicle ECU 202 in the in-vehicle network 401 as a new functional unit. That is, the new functional unit may be hardware or software.

[0064] Hereafter, the software that implements the applications in the in-vehicle ECU202 will also be simply referred to as "software."

[0065] [assignment] By the way, in a new network, if existing functional units do not support communication with new functional units, there is a possibility that communication between the functional units may not be able to function properly.

[0066] For example, in Figure 4, if the software embedded in the in-vehicle ECU202B, which is an example of an existing functional unit (hereinafter also referred to as "existing software"), does not support communication with the software embedded in the new functional unit, the in-vehicle ECU202C (hereinafter also referred to as "new software"), communication between the in-vehicle ECU202C and the in-vehicle ECU202B may malfunction or become impossible.

[0067] Figure 5 shows an example of software version information embedded in an in-vehicle ECU in an in-vehicle network related to a comparative example.

[0068] In the example in Figure 5, the existing software version is "Ver.1" and the new software version is "Ver.2". As shown here, if the existing software version is older than the new software version, it may not be possible to ensure normal communication on the new network.

[0069] In contrast, the in-vehicle communication system according to the embodiment of this disclosure solves the above problem through the following configuration and operation.

[0070] [New Function Section] Figure 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of a new functional unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 shows the configuration of the in-vehicle ECU202C shown in Figure 4.

[0071] Referring to Figure 6, the in-vehicle ECU 202C comprises a communication unit 211, a processing unit 212, and a storage unit 213. One or both of the communication unit 211 and the processing unit 212 are implemented by a processing circuit including, for example, one or more processors. The storage unit 213 is, for example, a non-volatile memory included in the processing circuit.

[0072] When the communication unit 211 receives a frame addressed to its own in-vehicle ECU 202C from the relay device 101 or another in-vehicle ECU 202, it outputs the received frame to the processing unit 212.

[0073] The processing unit 212 performs various processes based on the information contained in the frame received from the communication unit 211. For example, when the processing unit 212 receives authentication success information from the relay device 101, it transmits requirement information to the relay device 101 that indicates the requirements necessary to communicate with other functional units.

[0074] More specifically, the processing unit 212 transmits a frame containing the requirements information for communicating with the existing functional unit to the relay device 101 via the communication unit 211. In this case, the processing unit 212 transmits a frame containing the requirements information for communicating with the in-vehicle ECU 202B to the relay device 101.

[0075] The requirements information includes, for example, version information of existing software and version information of new software that are required for communication between existing and new functional units.

[0076] One of the requirements included in the requirements information (hereinafter also referred to as "Requirement R") is that the version of the existing software and the version of the new software are the same. Specifically, Requirement R is that, for example, the version of the software incorporated in the in-vehicle ECU202B and the version of the software incorporated in the in-vehicle ECU202C are the same.

[0077] Furthermore, requirement R may also be that the version of the existing software is newer than the version of the new software.

[0078] Furthermore, requirement R may also be a requirement indicating the settings for the communication operation required of the existing functional unit. For example, requirement R may be a requirement regarding the communication bandwidth of the existing functional unit, and a requirement regarding the transmission cycle of the information that the existing functional unit transmits to the new functional unit.

[0079] Furthermore, the requirements information may also be information indicating the specifications of the new functional unit. More specifically, the requirements information may also be information indicating the content of the services provided by the new functional unit.

[0080] Furthermore, if the requirements information is information indicating the content of the service requested by the new functional unit, the requirement R may be that the new functional unit receives a frame from the existing functional unit within a predetermined time that includes information indicating that the service can be provided.

[0081] [Acquisition Department] Referring to Figures 1 and 3, the acquisition unit 113 in the relay device 101 acquires requirement information for the new functional unit and functional unit information for the existing functional unit.

[0082] More specifically, when the acquisition unit 113 receives requirement information from a new functional unit whose addition has been detected by the detection unit 112, it acquires functional unit information from the existing functional unit in order to determine requirement R. When the acquisition unit 113 receives detection information from the detection unit 112, it sends an information request notification to the new functional unit via the relay unit 111 to request requirement information. When the acquisition unit 113 receives requirement information from the new functional unit via the relay unit 111, it sends an information request notification to the existing functional unit via the relay unit 111 to request functional unit information.

[0083] The acquisition unit 113 acquires existing software version information as functional unit information for existing functional units. The acquisition unit 113 outputs the requirement information received from the new functional unit and the functional unit information received from the existing functional unit to the determination unit 114. If the acquisition unit 113 receives requirement information from the new functional unit, it may also acquire the functional unit information for the existing functional unit from the server 180.

[0084] [Judgment section] The determination unit 114 determines whether the existing functional unit satisfies requirement R based on the requirement information transmitted from the new functional unit.

[0085] More specifically, the determination unit 114 determines whether the existing functional unit satisfies requirement R based on the requirement information and functional unit information received from the acquisition unit 113. For example, as shown in Figure 5 above, the determination unit 114 determines that the existing functional unit does not satisfy requirement R if the version of the existing software is older than the version of the new software. If the determination unit 114 determines that the existing functional unit does not satisfy requirement R, it outputs information indicating that the determination result is negative (hereinafter also referred to as "determination negation information") to the update request unit 115.

[0086] On the other hand, if the determination unit 114 determines that the existing functional unit satisfies requirement R, it outputs information indicating that the determination result is positive (hereinafter also referred to as "positive determination information") to the generation unit 116.

[0087] [Update request part] Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3, if the determination unit 114 determines that the existing functional unit does not meet requirement R, the update request unit 115 sends update request information requesting the update of the existing functional unit to an external device via the relay unit 111 and TCU202B. More specifically, when the update request unit 115 receives negative determination information from the determination unit 114, it outputs update request information to the relay unit 111. When the relay unit 111 receives the update request information from the update request unit 115, it sends the Ethernet frame containing the update request information to the TCU202B via the communication port 51.

[0088] When the TCU202B receives the Ethernet frame from the relay unit 111, it obtains an IP packet from the received Ethernet frame, includes the obtained IP packet in the wireless signal, and transmits it to the server 180 via the wireless base station device 161.

[0089] Furthermore, the update request information may include information about the function of the new function unit. For example, the Ethernet frame containing the update request information may include information specifying the updated version of the existing software. The Ethernet frame may include information indicating the same version as the new software version or information indicating a newer version than the new software version as the information specifying the updated version of the existing software.

[0090] When server 180 receives a wireless signal containing an IP packet from TCU202B, it sends an IP packet containing the update program for the existing software, its own ID, and the MAC (Media Access Control) address of the existing functional unit to be updated to the wireless base station device 161 via the external network 170. Here, the MAC address of the existing functional unit to be updated included in the IP packet is the MAC address of TCU202B.

[0091] When the wireless base station device 161 receives an IP packet from the server 180 via the external network 170, it includes the received IP packet in a wireless signal and transmits it to the TCU 202B.

[0092] When the TCU202B receives a radio signal containing an IP packet from the radio base station device 161, it acquires the IP packet from the received radio signal and installs the update program contained in that IP packet. This allows the existing software built into the TCU202B to be updated.

[0093] When the software update is complete, the TCU202B sends a predetermined notification to other devices in the communication system 501. Specifically, the TCU202B sends an IP packet containing an update completion notification indicating that the software update is complete to the server 180 via the wireless base station device 161. The TCU202B also sends the update completion notification to the relay device 101.

[0094] Furthermore, the external device in the communication system 501 is not limited to the server 180 located outside the in-vehicle network 401, but may also be, for example, a device for reprogramming programs incorporated into existing functional units (hereinafter also referred to as a "reprogramming device"). The relay device 101 can communicate with the reprogramming device via a communication cable. In other words, the relay device 101 may be connected to an external device within the in-vehicle network 401 not only via a wireless line, but also via a wired line.

[0095] [Generation part] Referring again to Figure 3, when the generation unit 116 in the relay device 101 receives a positive determination information from the determination unit 114 or receives an update completion notification from the existing function unit, it acquires the function unit information of the existing function unit and the function unit information of the new function unit. Based on the function unit information of the existing function unit and the function unit information of the new function unit, the generation unit 116 generates new network configuration information.

[0096] More specifically, the generation unit 116 acquires functional information of existing functional units and functional information of new functional units via the relay unit 111.

[0097] The generation unit 116 generates new network configuration information based on the acquired functional unit information of existing functional units and functional unit information of new functional units.

[0098] For example, the generation unit 116 acquires information that allows recognition of the topology of hardware devices such as the in-vehicle ECU 202 and relay device 101 in the new network, as functional unit information. Also, for example, the generation unit 116 acquires information that allows recognition of constraints regarding the placement of applications on hardware devices in the new network. Also, for example, the generation unit 116 acquires information that allows recognition of constraints regarding the communication method in the new network.

[0099] The generation unit 116 acquires information that allows recognition of the topology of the hardware devices, such as vehicle information indicating the manufacturer and model of the vehicle 1 on which the in-vehicle ECU 202 and relay device 101 are installed, additional option information indicating additional options installed in the vehicle 1, an in-vehicle device ID which is an identifier indicating the manufacturer and serial number of the in-vehicle ECU 202, the port number of the communication port in the connection between hardware devices, and the bandwidth of the communication path between hardware devices.

[0100] The generation unit 116 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).

[0101] The generation unit 116 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: communication data size, communication frequency, whether burst transmission is required, acceptable delay time, acceptable loss amount, required security level, operation timing, communication type indicating whether it is periodic or irregular communication, identifier of the communication partner application, messaging method indicating whether it is request-response type or publish-subscribe type, and information regarding the communication priority of the application.

[0102] For example, the generation unit 116 identifies one or more types of functional unit information necessary for new network configuration information from among the types of functional unit information described above.

[0103] The generation unit 116 sends an information request notification to the existing and new functional units via the relay unit 111 to request information on the specified type of functional unit.

[0104] The existing and new functional units, in response to the information request notification received from the generation unit 116, transmit to the generation unit 116, for example, information about their own functional unit of the type specified in the information request notification.

[0105] When the generation unit 116 receives the functional unit information of existing functional units and the functional unit information of new functional units via the relay unit 111, it generates new network configuration information based on the received functional unit information.

[0106] More specifically, the generation unit 116 generates information that can identify the functional units in vehicle 1 and the new network as configuration information.

[0107] More specifically, the generation unit 116 generates configuration information that indicates the settings of the relay device 101 for communication in the new network.

[0108] For example, the generation unit 116 generates configuration information that indicates the settings of the relay device 101 for each functional unit and the relay device 101 to communicate in the new network, such as filtering, communication bandwidth, and VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) settings, based on the acquired functional unit information of the existing functional unit and the functional unit information of the new functional unit. The generation unit 116 outputs this configuration information to the configuration unit 117. Note that the acquisition unit 113 may be configured to acquire functional unit information as described above, rather than being limited to acquiring version information of the existing software as functional unit information for determining the requirement R.

[0109] [Settings section] When the setting unit 117 receives notification of the setting content from the generation unit 116, it makes various setting changes according to the notified setting content.

[0110] The generation unit 116 may also generate configuration information that further indicates the settings of the existing and new functional units, and based on this configuration information, notify the existing and new functional units of the settings required for communication in the new network.

[0111] In the new network, each functional unit and relay device 101 communicates with each other according to the changed settings.

[0112] The relay device 101 is not limited to a configuration that transmits update request information to the server 180; it may also be configured to transmit the update request information to an external device such as a display device within the in-vehicle network 401. For example, the relay device 101 may transmit the update request information to the navigation device 202C within the in-vehicle network 401 shown in Figure 4. When the navigation device 202C receives the update request information, it may, for example, display a message on its screen prompting the user to update an existing function.

[0113] [Operation Flow] Figure 7 shows an example of a sequence of processes for constructing a new network in an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0114] Referring to Figure 7, first, the new functional unit transmits connection request information to the relay device 101 (step S11).

[0115] Next, when the relay device 101 receives connection request information, it detects the new functional unit and performs authentication processing for the new functional unit (step S12).

[0116] Next, if the relay device 101 successfully authenticates the new function unit, it transmits authentication success information to the new function unit (step S13).

[0117] Furthermore, once the relay device 101 successfully authenticates the new functional unit, it sends an information request notification to the new functional unit to request requirement information (step S14).

[0118] Next, the new functional unit transmits the requirement information to the relay device 101 as a response to the information request notification (step S15).

[0119] Next, when the relay device 101 receives requirement information from the new functional unit, it sends an information request notification to the existing functional unit to request information about the existing functional unit (step S16).

[0120] Next, the existing functional unit transmits its own functional unit information to the relay device 101 in response to the information request notification. Here, the existing functional unit transmits the version information of the existing software to the relay device 101 as its own functional unit information (step S17).

[0121] Next, the relay device 101 determines whether the existing functional unit satisfies requirement R based on the requirements information and functional unit information (step S18).

[0122] Next, if the relay device 101 determines that the existing functional unit does not meet requirement R (NO in step S18), it sends update request information to the server 180 requesting an update to the existing software (step S19).

[0123] Next, the server 180 sends an update program, including the version specified in the update request information from the relay device 101, to the existing functional unit (step S20).

[0124] Next, the existing functional unit updates the existing software by installing the update program received from the server 180 (step S21), and once the update is complete, it sends an update completion notification to the server 180 (step S22).

[0125] Furthermore, once the existing functional unit has completed updating the existing software, it sends an update completion notification to the relay device 101 (step S23).

[0126] Next, when the relay device 101 receives an update completion notification from the existing functional unit, it generates new network configuration information based on the functional unit information of the existing functional unit and the functional unit information of the new functional unit (step S24).

[0127] Next, the relay device 101 makes various setting changes based on the generated setting information (step S25).

[0128] Next, the relay device 101, the new functional unit, and the existing functional unit in the new network communicate with each other according to the changed settings (step S26).

[0129] On the other hand, if the relay device 101 determines that the existing functional unit satisfies requirement R (YES in step S18), it performs the processing from step S24 to step S26.

[0130] <Variation> In the example above, when the acquisition unit 113 in the relay device 101 receives requirement information from a new functional unit whose addition has been detected by the detection unit 112, it acquires the functional unit information of an existing functional unit from that existing functional unit. In the following example, the server 180 holds the functional unit information of an existing functional unit in the existing network and transmits this functional unit information to the relay device 101. In other words, in the following example, the relay device 101 acquires the functional unit information of an existing functional unit from the server 180.

[0131] Figure 8 shows another example of the sequence of processes for constructing a new network in an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0132] Referring to Figures 3 and 8, first, the server 180 periodically or irregularly transmits functional unit information of existing functional units to the relay device 101. More specifically, the server 180 holds version information of existing software as functional unit information. The server 180 transmits this version information to the relay device 101 when updating existing software in the existing network, etc. For example, if the existing network includes multiple existing functional units, the server 180 transmits functional unit information for each existing functional unit to the relay device 101 (step S31).

[0133] Next, the relay device 101 stores the function information of the existing function unit received from the server 180 in the storage unit 118 (step S32).

[0134] Next, the new functional unit transmits connection request information to the relay device 101 (step S33).

[0135] Next, when the relay device 101 receives connection request information, it detects the new functional unit and performs authentication processing for the new functional unit (step S34).

[0136] Next, if the relay device 101 successfully authenticates the new function unit, it transmits authentication success information to the new function unit (step S35).

[0137] Furthermore, once the relay device 101 successfully authenticates the new functional unit, it sends an information request notification to the new functional unit to request requirement information (step S36).

[0138] Next, the new functional unit transmits the requirement information to the relay device 101 as a response to the information request notification (step S37).

[0139] The processes from step S38 to step S46 shown in Figure 8 are the same as the processes from step S18 to step S26 shown in Figure 7.

[0140] Although the management device according to the embodiment of this disclosure is configured to be included in the relay device 101 of the in-vehicle communication system 301, it is not limited thereto. Some or all of the units other than the relay unit 111 in the relay device 101 may be included in devices other than the relay device 101 in the in-vehicle communication system 301, or they may be provided outside the in-vehicle communication system 301.

[0141] 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.

[0142] Each process (each function) of the above-described embodiment is implemented by a processing circuit including one or more processors. The processing circuit may consist of one or more memories, various analog circuits, various digital circuits, and other integrated circuits in addition to the one or more processors. 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.

[0143] 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.

[0144] The above description includes the following features. [Note 1] A management device used in an in-vehicle network including one or more in-vehicle function units, A detection unit that detects the addition of a functional unit to the in-vehicle network, A determination unit determines whether the in-vehicle function unit satisfies the requirements based on requirement information transmitted from the new function unit, which is the function unit detected by the detection unit as being added, indicating the requirements necessary for the in-vehicle function unit and the new function unit to communicate. If the determination unit determines that the in-vehicle function unit does not meet the requirements, the system includes an update request unit that transmits update request information to an external device requesting an update to the in-vehicle function unit. The management device includes the update request information, which includes the functional information of the new functional unit.

[0145] [Note 2] A management device used in an in-vehicle network including one or more in-vehicle function units, Equipped with a processing circuit, The aforementioned processing circuit is The system detects the addition of a functional component to the in-vehicle network. Based on requirement information transmitted from the new functional unit, which is the functional unit whose addition has been detected by the detection unit, indicating the requirements necessary for the in-vehicle functional unit and the new functional unit to communicate, the system determines whether the in-vehicle functional unit satisfies the requirements. A management device that, if the determination unit determines that the in-vehicle function unit does not meet the requirements, transmits update request information to an external device requesting an update of the in-vehicle function unit.

[0146] [Note 3] A functional unit used in an in-vehicle network that includes one or more in-vehicle functional units, Equipped with a processing circuit, The aforementioned processing circuit is A functional unit that, when added to the in-vehicle network, transmits requirement information indicating the requirements necessary for communicating with the in-vehicle functional unit to a management device in the in-vehicle network.

[0147] [Note 4] A management method for a management device used in an in-vehicle network including one or more in-vehicle functional units, A step of detecting the addition of a functional unit to the in-vehicle network, The steps include determining whether the in-vehicle function unit satisfies the requirements based on requirement information transmitted from the new function unit, which is the function unit whose addition was detected, indicating the requirements necessary for the in-vehicle function unit and the new function unit to communicate, A management method comprising the step of sending update request information to an external device requesting an update of the in-vehicle function unit if it is determined that the in-vehicle function unit does not meet the requirements.

[0148] [Note 5] A communication control method for a functional unit used in an in-vehicle network including one or more in-vehicle functional units, A communication control method comprising the step of transmitting requirement information indicating the requirements necessary for communicating with the in-vehicle function unit to a management device in the in-vehicle network when the function unit is added to the in-vehicle network.

[0149] [Note 6] A communication control program used in a functional unit used in an in-vehicle network that includes one or more in-vehicle functional units, Computers, When the aforementioned functional unit is added to the in-vehicle network, a processing unit transmits requirement information indicating the requirements necessary for communicating with the in-vehicle functional unit to a management device in the in-vehicle network. A communication control program to enable it to function as such. [Explanation of symbols]

[0150] 1 vehicle 11 Ethernet cable 51 Communication Ports 101 Relay device 111 Relay Unit 112 Detection unit 113 Acquisition Department 114 Judgment section 115 Update request section 116 Generation part 117 Settings Section 118,213 Storage section 161 Wireless base station equipment 170 External Network 180 servers 202A,202B,202C Automotive ECU 211 Communications Department 212 Processing Unit 301 In-vehicle communication system 401 In-vehicle network 501 Communication System

Claims

1. A management device used in an in-vehicle network including one or more in-vehicle function units, A detection unit for detecting the addition of a functional unit to the in-vehicle network, A determination unit determines whether the in-vehicle function unit satisfies the requirements based on requirement information transmitted from the new function unit, which is the function unit detected by the detection unit as being added, indicating the requirements necessary for the in-vehicle function unit and the new function unit to communicate. A management device comprising: an update request unit that, if the determination unit determines that the in-vehicle function unit does not meet the requirements, transmits update request information requesting an update to the in-vehicle function unit to an external device different from the in-vehicle function unit.

2. The aforementioned control device further, When the requirement information is received from the new function unit, the system includes an acquisition unit that acquires the function unit information of the in-vehicle function unit for determining the requirement from the in-vehicle function unit, The management device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether the in-vehicle function unit satisfies the requirements based on the requirements information and the function unit information.

3. The aforementioned control device further, The vehicle includes an acquisition unit that acquires functional information of the in-vehicle function unit for determining the aforementioned requirements from the external device, The management device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether the in-vehicle function unit satisfies the requirements based on the requirements information and the function unit information.

4. The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the requirement is that the version of the software incorporated in the in-vehicle function unit and the version of the software incorporated in the new function unit are the same, or that the version of the software incorporated in the in-vehicle function unit is newer than the version of the software incorporated in the new function unit.

5. A functional unit used in an in-vehicle network that includes one or more in-vehicle functional units, A functional unit that, when added to the in-vehicle network, includes a processing unit that transmits requirement information indicating the requirements necessary for communicating with the in-vehicle functional unit to a management device in the in-vehicle network.

6. A management device used in an in-vehicle network including one or more in-vehicle functional units, Equipped with a functional section, The management device detects the addition of the functional unit to the in-vehicle network, The new functional unit, which is the functional unit that has been detected as being added to the in-vehicle network, transmits requirement information, which is information indicating the requirements necessary for the in-vehicle functional unit and the new functional unit to communicate, to the management device. The management device determines whether the in-vehicle function unit satisfies the requirements based on the requirement information received from the new function unit. The management device is an in-vehicle communication system that, when it determines that the in-vehicle function unit does not meet the requirements, transmits update request information to an external device different from the in-vehicle function unit, requesting an update of the in-vehicle function unit.

7. A vehicle communication management program used in a management device used in an in-vehicle network including one or more in-vehicle function units, Computers, A detection unit for detecting the addition of a functional unit to the in-vehicle network, A determination unit determines whether the in-vehicle function unit satisfies the requirements based on requirement information transmitted from the new function unit, which is the function unit detected by the detection unit as being added, indicating the requirements necessary for the in-vehicle function unit and the new function unit to communicate. If the determination unit determines that the in-vehicle function unit does not meet the requirements, the update request unit transmits update request information requesting an update to the in-vehicle function unit to an external device different from the in-vehicle function unit. A vehicle communication management program to enable it to function as such.

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