VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM, VEHICLE CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM

Abstract

To execute more appropriate processing by using a plurality of control sections.SOLUTION: A vehicle control system includes: a first control section provided in each device mounted on a vehicle; a second control section that controls the one or more first control sections; and a third control section that controls the one or more second control sections. In the vehicle control system, the second control section is connected to the first control section by a communication wire and executes first processing on the basis of output information output from the device connected to the first control section. The third control section is connected to the second control section by a communication wire and executes second processing based on a predetermined function of the vehicle. The predetermined function of the vehicle is executed by executing the first processing and the second processing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control system, a vehicle control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a technology has been disclosed relating to an electronic control device in which a plurality of ECUs (Electronic Control Units) mounted on a vehicle communicate with each other to perform cooperative processing and operate individual actuators and sensors (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 085330 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional technology, when a vehicle is equipped with multiple control units, no consideration was given to how and in what situations each of them should cooperate with each other. In addition, conventionally, application software (hereinafter referred to as software) for executing each function was installed for each individual control unit, and an ECU operated for each function, so when updating the software, it was necessary to deal with each related ECU individually. As a result, there were cases where more appropriate processing using multiple control units could not be performed.

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one object of the present application is to provide a vehicle control system, a vehicle control method, and a program that are capable of executing more appropriate processing by using multiple control units. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle control system, the vehicle control method, and the program according to the present invention employ the following configuration. (1): A vehicle control system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle control system including a first control unit provided for each device mounted in a vehicle, a second control unit that controls one or more of the first control units, and a third control unit that controls one or more of the second control units, wherein the second control unit is connected to the first control unit by a communication line and executes a first process based on output information output from a device connected to the first control unit, and the third control unit is connected to the second control unit by a communication line and executes a second process based on a predetermined function of the vehicle, and the predetermined function of the vehicle is executed by executing the first process and the second process.

[0007] (2): In the above aspect (1), the first control unit includes a first information acquisition unit that acquires first information output from the device, the second control unit includes a signal information extraction unit that extracts signal information from the first information detected by the first information acquisition unit as the first processing, and the third control unit includes a first function control unit that executes a predetermined function of the vehicle based on the signal information extracted by the signal information extraction unit as the second processing.

[0008] (3): In the above aspect (2), the signal information extraction unit executes a filter process to separate the first information into the signal information and noise information, and outputs the signal information to the third control unit.

[0009] (4): In the above aspect (2), the second control unit further includes a second function control unit that executes a predetermined function of the vehicle based on the signal information extracted by the signal information extraction unit, and the third control unit further includes a switching unit that executes a switching process to switch between executing the predetermined function of the vehicle by the first function control unit and executing the predetermined function of the vehicle by the second function control unit.

[0010] (5): In the above aspect (4), the third control unit detects the amount of communication traffic in a communication line connecting the third control unit and the second control unit, and executes the switching process according to the detected amount of communication traffic.

[0011] (6): In the above aspect (5), when the communication volume of the communication line is greater than a predetermined volume, the third control unit executes the switching process using the switching unit, and, as the second process, causes the second function control unit to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle.

[0012] (7): In the above aspect (1), the third control unit determines, as the second processing, an operation content for executing a predetermined function of the vehicle, and based on the determined operation content, generates an operation command based on the operation content in either the third control unit or the second control unit. The second control unit generates, as the first processing, operation execution information based on a device connected to the first control unit, and the first control unit causes the device to execute the predetermined function of the vehicle based on the operation execution information.

[0013] (8): In the above aspect (7), when a predetermined event occurs in the vehicle, the second control unit generates operation execution information for causing a device connected to the first control unit to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle, and the first control unit executes the predetermined function of the vehicle based on the operation execution information.

[0014] (9): A vehicle control method according to another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control method in which a computer of a vehicle control system including a first control unit provided for each device mounted on a vehicle, a second control unit that controls one or more of the first control units, and a third control unit that controls one or more of the second control units executes a first process based on output information output from a device connected to the first control unit in the second control unit, executes a second process based on a predetermined function of the vehicle in the third control unit, and causes the device to execute the predetermined function of the vehicle by executing the first process and the second process.

[0015] (10): A program according to another aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer of a vehicle control system having a first control unit provided for each device mounted on a vehicle, a second control unit that controls one or more of the first control units, and a third control unit that controls one or more of the second control units to execute a first process based on output information output from a device connected to the first control unit by the second control unit, and to execute a second process based on a predetermined function of the vehicle by the third control unit, and to cause the device to execute the predetermined function of the vehicle by executing the first process and the second process. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the above aspects (1) to (10), more appropriate processing can be executed by using a plurality of control units. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a vehicle control system 1 according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a device ECU 200. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a zone ECU 300. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a central ECU 400. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining division of functions (functional partitioning) in input processing. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining division of functions (functional partitioning) in output processing. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram for explaining saturation of communication traffic based on the bandwidth of a communication line connecting a zone ECU 300 and a central ECU 400. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example in which a part of the processing executed by the central ECU 400 is executed by the zone ECU 300. [Figure 9]13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a switching unit 406. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of switching according to a communication band. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of signal list information. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining communication signal information. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining reduction in communication traffic based on communication signal information. [Figure 14] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of communication signal information before and after compression. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a flow of fail-safe processing via the central ECU 400. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of fail-safe processing not involving the central ECU 400. [Figure 17] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of an input process in the vehicle control system 1. [Figure 18] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of an output process in the vehicle control system 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an embodiment of a vehicle control system, a vehicle control method, and a program of the present invention will be described. In the following example, a case where the vehicle control system is mounted on a moving body such as a four-wheeled vehicle will be described, but the vehicle control system may be mounted on a control device other than a moving body. The moving body is not limited to a four-wheeled vehicle, for example, but may include three-wheeled vehicles, two-wheeled vehicles, micromobility, etc., and may further include any moving body on which a person (driver) rides. In the following description, the moving body is a four-wheeled vehicle and is referred to as "vehicle M."

[0019] [Overall configuration] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle control system 1 according to an embodiment. The vehicle control system 1 includes, for example, various devices 100 mounted on a vehicle M, a device ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 200, a zone ECU 300, a central ECU 400, and a software update unit 500. Each of the device ECU 200, the zone ECU 300, the central ECU 400, and the software update unit 500 is realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). In addition, some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transient storage medium) such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a flash memory of the vehicle control system 1, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and the storage medium (non-transient storage medium) may be installed in the HDD or the flash memory of the vehicle control system 1 by mounting the storage medium (non-transient storage medium) in a drive device. The vehicle control system 1 is an example of a "control system". The device ECU 200 is an example of a "first control unit". The zone ECU 300 is an example of a "second control unit". The central ECU 400 is an example of a "third control unit". Each ECU communicates with other ECUs, the software update unit 500, etc. through a predetermined network. The predetermined network is, for example, a network conforming to a controller area network (CAN), a CAN-FD (CAN with Flexible Data rate), a local interconnect network (LIN), Ethernet (registered trademark), etc.The network may be configured in a tree structure, a star structure, or a combination of these.

[0020] The various devices 100 are devices for executing predetermined functions of the vehicle M. The various devices 100 include, but are not limited to, an engine 110, a braking device 120, a steering device 130, an external detection sensor 140, a battery 150, a navigation device 160, and a communication device 170. Sensors, actuators, and the like corresponding to the functions are connected to each of the various devices.

[0021] The device ECU 200 is an electronic control unit provided for each of the various devices 100. In the example of Fig. 1, the engine ECU 210 that controls the engine 110, the brake ECU 220 that controls the brake device 120, the steering ECU 230 that controls the steering device 130, the driving control ECU 240 that controls the engine 110, the brake device 120, and the steering device 130 based on the detection result of the external environment detection sensor 140, the battery ECU 250 that controls the charging and discharging of the battery 150, the navigation ECU 260 that controls the navigation device 160, and the communication ECU 270 that controls the communication device 170 are each an example of the device ECU 200. The device ECU 200 is not limited to the above-mentioned types.

[0022] The engine ECU 210 controls the engine 110, which outputs a driving force to drive wheels for driving the vehicle M. For example, the engine ECU 210 acquires information such as the rotation speed of the engine 110 according to information input from the driving control ECU 240 or information input by an accelerator pedal included in an operation unit (not shown), and controls the operating state of the engine 110 by adjusting the throttle valve opening, the amount of fuel supply, etc., based on the acquired information so that the engine 110 generates a target engine torque.

[0023] The brake ECU 220 controls the braking of the vehicle M by the brake device 120. The brake device 120 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, and an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder. The brake ECU 220 controls the electric motor according to information input from the driving control ECU 240 or information input from a brake pedal included in the operation unit 90, so that a brake torque corresponding to a braking operation is output to each wheel. The brake device 120 may include a mechanism that transmits hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal to the cylinder via a master cylinder as a backup. Note that the brake device 120 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may be an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that controls an actuator according to information input from the driving control ECU 240 to transmit hydraulic pressure in the master cylinder to the cylinder.

[0024] The steering ECU 230 controls the steering of the vehicle M by the steering device 130. The steering device 130 includes, for example, an electric motor. The electric motor changes the direction of the steered wheels by, for example, applying a force to a rack-and-pinion mechanism. The steering ECU 230 drives the electric motor of the steering device 130 according to information input from the driving control ECU 240 or information input from a steering wheel included in the operation unit, to change the direction of the steered wheels.

[0025] The driving control ECU 240 performs driving control of the vehicle M based on, for example, the recognition result of the surroundings of the vehicle M by the external environment detection sensor 140. Driving control means, for example, controlling one or both of the steering and the speed of the vehicle M to assist the driving of the occupant of the vehicle M. The driving control includes, for example, an Adaptive Cruise Control System (ACC), a Lane Keeping Assistance System (LKAS), a Traffic Jam Pilot (TJP), an Auto Lane Changing System (ALC), a Collision Mitigation Brake System (CMBS), a Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), and the like.

[0026] The external environment detection sensor 140 acquires information from, for example, a camera, a radar device, and a finder to recognize objects around the vehicle M. The camera captures the surroundings of the vehicle M and generates a captured image. The camera is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera is attached to an arbitrary location of the vehicle M on which the vehicle control system 1 is mounted. The surroundings of the vehicle M include the front of the vehicle M, and may also include the sides or rear of the vehicle M. For example, when capturing an image of the front of the vehicle M, the camera is attached to the top of the front windshield or the back of the rearview mirror. The camera may be a stereo camera. The radar device emits radio waves such as millimeter waves in a predetermined irradiation direction around the vehicle M, and detects radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by an object to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the object. The object is, for example, another vehicle, an obstacle, a structure, etc. present around the vehicle M. One or more radar devices are attached to any location of the vehicle M. The radar device may detect the position and speed of an object by a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) method. The finder is a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) that measures scattered light in response to light irradiated in a predetermined irradiation direction around the vehicle M and detects the distance to the object. One or more finders are attached to any location of the vehicle M.

[0027] The external environment detection sensor 140 may perform sensor fusion processing on some or all of the detection results from the camera, the radar device, and the finder to recognize the position, type, speed, and the like of objects present around the vehicle M. The external environment detection sensor 140 may also recognize the road shape, signs, lanes, and the like around the vehicle M through the sensor fusion processing. The external environment detection sensor 140 outputs the recognition result to the driving control ECU 240.

[0028] The driving control ECU 240 acquires control information from the engine ECU 210, the brake ECU 220, and the steering ECU 230 so that a predetermined driving control is executed based on the recognition result from the external environment detection sensor 140. The predetermined driving control is, for example, driving control based on the driving state of the vehicle M and the driving state of the occupants, and more specifically includes driving control to avoid contact between the vehicle M and an object, driving control to suppress deviation from the driving lane, driving control to follow the vehicle ahead, and the like.

[0029] The battery ECU 250 controls the amount of energy, charging and discharging, etc., of the battery 150 mounted on the vehicle M. The battery ECU 250 supplies power from the battery 150 to, for example, the various devices 100, the operation unit, the display unit, the software update unit 500, and other electric devices in the vehicle M. The battery ECU 250 may also supply power from the battery 150 to a predetermined device based on the operation content of the ignition device. Energy used when performing an update process for software, etc. is mainly supplied from the battery 150 to the ECU to be updated.

[0030] The battery ECU 250 may also perform control to charge the battery 150 using, for example, a regenerative current generated by the operation of the brake device 120. The battery ECU 250 may also perform control to store energy supplied from an external charging facility via, for example, a charging connector or the like in the battery 150. The battery ECU 250 may also measure the terminal voltage of the battery 150 and acquire the remaining energy amount (SOC; State Of Charge) based on the magnitude of the measured terminal voltage. The battery ECU 250 may also acquire the remaining energy amount by, for example, integrating the amount of current stored during charging using a current detection resistor and determining the amount of current output during discharging, or may store a database of the discharge characteristics, temperature characteristics, etc. of the battery in a storage unit or the like in advance and acquire the remaining energy amount based on the measured voltage value, current value, and the database.

[0031] The navigation ECU 260 controls the navigation device 160 mounted on the vehicle M. The navigation device 160 includes, for example, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, a navigation HMI (Human Machine Interface), and a route determination unit. The GNSS receiver identifies the position of the vehicle M based on a signal received from a GNSS satellite. The navigation HMI includes a display, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, and the like. The navigation HMI allows the occupant to set a destination, etc., using images, voice, etc., and guides the occupant along a driving route to the destination. The route determination unit, for example, determines a route (hereinafter, a route on a map) from the position of the vehicle M identified by the GNSS receiver (or an arbitrary input position) to a destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI, by referring to map information, etc. The navigation ECU performs route guidance, etc., based on the route on the map, by displaying a map image by the navigation HMI or a display unit (not shown) or outputting voice by a speaker (not shown).

[0032] The communication ECU 270 controls a communication device 170 mounted on the vehicle M. The communication device 170 is a communication interface for the vehicle M to communicate with an external device. The communication device 170 may be, for example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) interface based on Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark), or may be a WAN (Wide Area Network) interface for connecting to a cellular network, a dedicated line, or the like. The communication ECU 270 transmits data to an external device or receives information from an external device via the communication device 170, and outputs the information to a predetermined ECU.

[0033] The zone ECU 300 is electrically connected to the device ECU 200, acquires output information output from devices connected to the device ECU 200, and executes processing (first processing) based on the acquired output information. For example, the zone ECU 300 controls one or more device ECUs grouped according to a predetermined condition among the device ECUs 200. The predetermined condition may be, for example, a condition based on a function of a device associated with the device ECU 200, or a condition based on the amount of communication (traffic) between ECUs (between the zone ECU 300 and the device ECU 200) at a predetermined time, a processing load, a processing frequency, or the number of times processing is performed.

[0034] In the example of FIG. 1, the first zone ECU 310, the second zone ECU 320, and the third zone ECU 330 are each an example of a zone ECU 300. The first zone ECU 310 is connected to the engine ECU 210, the brake ECU 220, and the steering ECU 230, and executes a predetermined process for each device ECU 200. The second zone ECU 320 is connected to the driving control ECU 240, and executes a predetermined process for the driving control ECU 240. The third zone ECU 330 is connected to the battery ECU 250, the navigation ECU 260, and the communication ECU 270, and executes a predetermined process for each device ECU 200. The number of zone ECUs 300 and grouping of the zone ECUs are not limited to the example of FIG. 1.

[0035] The central ECU 400 is electrically connected to the zone ECU 300 and executes a process (second process) based on a predetermined function of the vehicle M. In the embodiment, the predetermined function of the vehicle M is executed by executing the first process and the second process. The central ECU 400 is connected to the zone ECUs 300 (the first zone ECU 310 to the third zone ECU 330 shown in FIG. 1) and executes a predetermined process for each zone ECU 300. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the zone ECU 300 existing between the central ECU 400 and the device ECU 200 also has a control unit, so that each role is limited to allow each ECU to perform more appropriate processing and optimize costs. For example, in the vehicle control system 1, the zone ECUs 300 are arranged by grouping the various devices 100 according to their functions. For example, the actuators operate upon receiving instructions from the central ECU 400, and the sensors transmit detected information as signals to the central ECU 400.

[0036] The software update unit 500 updates software embedded in each of a plurality of ECUs that control a predetermined function (function for each device) of the vehicle M, which is mounted on the vehicle M, by communication with an external device by the communication device 170. Updating the software includes, for example, upgrading the software stored in a storage unit provided in the ECU, installing new software in the storage unit, deleting unnecessary software from the storage unit, and the like. The software update unit 500 selects a target ECU from the device ECU 200, the zone ECU 300, and the central ECU 400 according to the contents to be updated, and updates the software embedded in the selected ECU. For example, when updating processing contents that depend on a sensor on the device side, the software embedded in the zone ECU 300 is updated, and when updating processing contents that depend on the functions and behavior of the vehicle M, the software embedded in the central ECU 400 is updated. Note that the device ECU 200 and the zone ECU 300 may be updated via the central ECU 400. In that case, the software of each ECU is received from the software update unit 500, and the central ECU 400 updates the ECU to be updated.

[0037] Next, the functional configurations of the device ECU 200, the zone ECU 300, and the central ECU 400 will be described. In the following description, each device ECU and each zone ECU will be simply referred to as "device ECU 200" and "zone ECU 300" and will be described collectively. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the device ECU 200. The device ECU 200 includes, for example, a first information acquisition unit 202 and a storage unit 204. The first information acquisition unit 202 acquires first information output from an electrically connected device. The first information is, for example, an electrical signal. The first information includes, for example, a detection result by a sensor in the device, an actuator drive amount, the presence or absence of an abnormality, and various other information. The storage unit 204 is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) or a flash memory. The storage unit 204 stores software (programs) incorporated in the device ECU 200, configuration information related to the device ECU 200, processing results by the device ECU 200, etc. The configuration information includes, for example, hardware identification information and software identification information. The hardware identification information includes, for example, a part number (hardware number) of an equipment, a unique ID (serial number), etc. The software identification information includes identification information (software number) for each software module, version information, etc. The hardware number and software number may include, for example, a function type, a configuration type, a part classification, variation information, other supplementary information (for example, a manufacturer number), etc.

[0038] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the zone ECU 300. The zone ECU 300 includes, for example, a signal information extraction unit 302, a zone side function control unit 304, and a storage unit 306. The zone side function control unit 304 is an example of a "second function control unit." As a first process, the signal information extraction unit 302 extracts signal information from the first information acquired by the first information acquisition unit 202. For example, the signal information extraction unit 302 executes a filter process that separates the first information into signal information and noise information, and outputs the signal information obtained by the filter process (from which noise has been removed) to the central ECU 400.

[0039] When the zone side function control unit 304 receives an execution instruction from the central ECU 400, it performs control to realize a predetermined function of the vehicle M based on the signal information extracted by the signal information extraction unit 302.

[0040] The storage unit 306 is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM or a flash memory. The storage unit 306 stores software (programs) incorporated in the zone ECU 300, configuration information related to the zone ECU 300, processing results by the zone ECU 300, and the like. In addition to the configuration described above, the zone ECU 300 may be provided with a function of performing AD conversion (analog / digital conversion) and DA conversion (digital / analog conversion).

[0041] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the central ECU 400. The central ECU 400 includes, for example, a central-side function control unit 402, a communication status detection unit 404, a switching unit 406, and a storage unit 408. The central-side function control unit 402 is an example of a "first function control unit." As a second process, the central-side function control unit 402 performs control for realizing a predetermined function of the vehicle M based on the signal information extracted by the signal information extraction unit 302. The central-side function control unit 402 may also perform various output processes based on input information based on a control application (software). For example, the central-side function control unit 402 may perform a process for capturing a discrete signal as a continuous signal (moving average filter, etc.), or a process for extracting semantic information required by the function side (application) from data (for example, when an auto-wiper function is used, increasing the wiper speed when it suddenly starts raining) and determining the operation content for the device based on the semantic information.

[0042] The communication status detection unit 404 detects the communication status in the communication line (network) connecting the central ECU 400 and the zone ECU 300. The communication status is, for example, the communication volume (traffic volume). The communication status detection unit 404 may detect the amount of change in the communication volume over a predetermined time period, and may predict the communication volume in the near future (several seconds from now) from the amount of change. The communication status detection unit 404 detects the communication status using, for example, packet capture, or a function such as SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) or NetFlow.

[0043] The switching unit 406 executes a switching process for switching between performing control for realizing a predetermined function of the vehicle M by the central side function control unit 402 and performing control for realizing a predetermined function of the vehicle M by the zone side function control unit 304. For example, the switching unit 406 executes the above-mentioned switching process according to the amount of communication on the communication line connecting the central ECU 400 and the zone ECU 300 detected by the communication status detection unit 404. For example, when the amount of communication on the communication line is greater than a predetermined amount, the switching unit 406 causes the zone side function control unit 304 to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle M, and when the amount of communication on the communication line is equal to or less than the predetermined amount, the switching unit 406 causes the central side function control unit 402 to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle M. In addition, the switching unit 406 may cause the zone side function control unit 304 to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle M when the communication band of the communication line is narrow (when it is equal to or less than the predetermined band), and cause the central side function control unit 402 to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle M when the communication band of the communication line is wide (when it is greater than the predetermined band). By switching between these, it is possible to suppress delays in data transmission between ECUs due to an increase in the amount of communication traffic relative to the communication band, and more appropriate processing can be performed for each ECU. Note that the switching unit 406 outputs an execution instruction to a function control unit that performs control to realize a predetermined function of the vehicle M.

[0044] The storage unit 408 is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM or a flash memory. The storage unit 408 stores software (programs) incorporated in the central ECU 400, configuration information related to the central ECU 400, processing results by the central ECU 400, and the like. The storage unit 408 may also store signal list information and communication signal information for grasping and adjusting the contents of signals input and output between ECUs. The functions of each component of each ECU shown in the above-mentioned Figs. 2 to 4 may be realized by software corresponding to the functions.

[0045] For example, as a second process, the central ECU 400 generates an operation instruction signal for executing a predetermined function of the vehicle M. Further, as a first process, the zone ECU 300 generates a second operation signal based on the operation instruction signal. Note that the second operation signal may include information regarding the device ECU 200. That is, the zone ECU 300 may generate a second operation instruction signal based on the device information connected to the device ECU 200. The device ECU 200 causes a predetermined function of the vehicle M to be executed corresponding to the connected device based on the second operation instruction signal. The device information is, for example, the type and function of the device connected to the device ECU 200 (e.g., a motor, etc.), and when the device includes an actuator, the operations that the actuator can output (e.g., the operating range such as the rotational speed and the number of revolutions), and in the case of a sensing system device, the electrical signal detected by the sensor (e.g., a signal obtained from a temperature sensor or a physical switch for window opening and closing, etc.). Further, the predetermined function of the vehicle M is, for example, the function and behavior of the vehicle M that the device wants to perform, and is, for example, an acceleration / deceleration operation, a steering operation, a battery operation, a navigation operation, a communication control operation, etc. Further, the predetermined function may include functions related to a turn signal operation, air conditioner control, and reproduction operations such as music and radio.

[0046] <Function partitioning among ECUs> Next, using a specific data example, the function partitioning (which ECU performs what process) between the zone ECU 300 and the central ECU 400 will be described. Hereinafter, the description will be divided into an input process and an output process. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the function partitioning (function partitioning) in the input process. The sensor (or switch) and the hardware circuit shown in FIG. 5 are an example of various devices (terminal devices) 100. Further, the hardware circuit may include the device ECU 200. In the example of FIG. 5, it is shown that the information input to the sensor is subjected to a first input process, a second input process, and a third input process as necessary via the hardware circuit, and then integrated control based on the control application is executed.

[0047] The first input processing is, for example, processing that distinguishes an electrical signal into a signal (presence or absence) and noise (insignificant) and extracts only the signal. The second input processing is, for example, processing to capture a discrete signal (significant) as a continuous signal. The third input processing is, for example, processing to extract the meaning required by the function from the data. The content of the third input processing differs depending on the requirements of the function (for example, what the information is for and how it is intended to be used, etc.). The first input processing includes processing that mainly depends on the performance of the sensor, etc., and parts that depend on the function and behavior, while the second input processing and the third input processing include parts that mainly depend on the function / behavior of the vehicle M.

[0048] 5, the input of the operation switch, the input of resistance division information of the wiper switch (analog input), and the temperature sensor (analog input) are information acquired by the first information acquisition unit 202 of the device ECU 200. Depending on the type of each piece of information, the execution of the first input process is divided between the zone ECU 300 and the central ECU 400.

[0049] For example, when an input from an operation switch is acquired, the zone ECU 300 (signal information extraction unit 302) performs chattering filtering on the input signal as the first input processing, and the central ECU 400 (central side function control unit 402) performs data thinning as the first input processing. In addition, in the third input processing, when the switch input is High, the central side function control unit 402 outputs a switch-on (SW ON) to the control application.

[0050] For example, when a resistively divided input of a wiper switch is acquired, the zone ECU 300 performs IF branching (branching to any of A, B, C, and D) processing for the input processing as a first input processing, and further executes a chattering filter. The central ECU 400 also performs data thinning as the first input processing. The central ECU 400 also sets wiper control operations associated with A, B, C, and D obtained by IF branching as a third input processing. In the example of FIG. 5, when the switch input is A, "Wiper LO" is set, when it is B, "Wiper Hi" is set, when it is C, "Wiper Auto" is set, and when it is D, "Wiper OFF" is set.

[0051] For example, when a temperature input is acquired, the zone ECU 300 performs input processing and conversion using a LUT (Lookup table) (for example, conversion according to sensor characteristics) as a first input process. The central ECU 400 also performs data thinning as the first input process. The central ECU 400 may also perform processing such as continuous signaling using the thinned data according to the type of control application, etc. The central ECU 400 may, for example, turn on a lamp when the temperature is below -10°C, or perform temperature feedback PID (Proportional Integral Differential) control as control of the control application.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 5, sensor-dependent processing (sensor-dependent first input processing), such as filter processing for removing unnecessary signals and processing using a lookup table for improving processing efficiency, is executed on the zone ECU 300 side, and subsequent processing (processing for causing the vehicle M to execute a specified function or behavior, function / behavior-dependent first input processing) is executed on the central ECU 400 side.

[0053] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the division of functions (functional partitioning) in output processing. The actuator and hardware circuit shown in FIG. 6 are an example of various devices (end devices) 100. The actuator drives, for example, a motor, a solenoid, and a valve. The hardware circuit may also include a device ECU 200. In the example of FIG. 6, a first output process, a second output process, and a third output process are executed in response to input information acquired by a control application, and then the actuator is driven via a hardware circuit. The first output process, for example, determines the instruction content (drive amount) to the controlled device (actuator). For example, in the case of a vehicle M, it indicates the behavior amount of the vehicle's behavior, etc. The second output process, for example, outputs an operation command to realize the operation amount. The operation command is, for example, instruction information for converting into the behavior of each individual operation. The third output process, for example, executes an operation according to the processing result (operation command) of the second output process. The operation is, for example, on / off control of a switching element such as a relay element or a FET (Field Effect Transistor) element.

[0054] The example in Figure 6 shows the division of functions for locking the doors of vehicle M, indicating the direction of travel (right or left turn) with the turn light, notifying of a burned-out light, driving at medium speed with air conditioning, and performing Fade In control (brightness control) with lighting control.

[0055] For example, when a lock command is input from a control application, the central ECU 400 (central function control unit 402) performs an operation decision to change the state of the door section to the locked state as a first output process. The zone ECU 300 (zone function control unit 304) generates an operation command to turn on the forward rotation side of the mechanism that locks the door section for a predetermined time as a second output process, and controls an actuator to execute an operation to output (ON output) to switch on a relay element that is in the forward rotation as a third control process.

[0056] When turning right or left, the central ECU 400 performs a first output process to determine an operation to cause the turn lights to flash in a normal pattern, and generates a second output process to generate an operation command to repeatedly turn the lights on and off in a first time cycle. The zone ECU 300 performs a third output process to control an actuator to cause the turn relay to repeatedly execute an ON / OFF output in a first time cycle. When one light is broken, the central ECU 400 performs a first output process to determine an operation to cause the turn lights to flash in a normal pattern, and generates a second output process to generate an operation command to repeatedly turn the lights on and off in a second time cycle that is shorter than the first time. The zone ECU 300 performs a third output process to control an actuator to cause the turn relay to repeatedly execute an ON / OFF output in a second time cycle.

[0057] When medium-speed operation is performed in air conditioning control, the central ECU 400 performs an operation decision to output a predetermined air volume corresponding to medium-speed operation as a first output process. The zone ECU 300 generates an operation command to output PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) at a first frequency and a fixed duty as a second output process, and performs an on / off command to the FET element as a third output process. When Fade In control is performed on lighting, the central ECU 400 performs an operation decision to increase the illuminance by 1% at a predetermined time with a target of a predetermined illuminance as a first output process, and generates an operation command to perform PWM control at a second frequency and a variable duty as a second output process. The zone ECU 300 performs an on / off command to the FET element as a third output process.

[0058] In this way, in the output process, the central ECU 400 determines the operation content for executing a predetermined function of the vehicle M as the second process (first output process), and generates an operation command based on the operation content in either the central ECU 400 or the zone ECU 300 based on the determined operation content (second output process), and the zone ECU 300 generates operation execution information based on the device connected to the device ECU 200 as the first process (third output process). As a result, the device ECU 200 executes a predetermined function of the vehicle M according to the device (actuator, etc.) based on the operation execution information. In particular, in the second output process, as shown in FIG. 6, operation commands for locking or driving at medium speed are issued on the zone ECU 300 side, and operation commands for turning right or left, breaking one light, and Fade In are issued on the central ECU 400 side. 6, in the output processing, processing dependent on the function or behavior request of the vehicle M (second output processing dependent on the function / behavior) is performed by the central ECU 400, and processing for achieving that control (second output processing dependent on the actuator) is executed by the zone ECU 300. Note that which ECU, the central ECU 400 or the zone ECU 300, will perform which processing may be set in advance for each function or device and stored in the storage unit 408 or the like.

[0059] Here, if the central ECU 400 is configured to execute many functions, the amount of information transmitted from the zone ECU 300 to the central ECU 400, particularly during input processing, may become so large that communication traffic may become saturated, resulting in data being unable to be transmitted or in a transmission delay.

[0060] 7 is a diagram for explaining saturation of communication traffic based on the bandwidth of the communication line connecting the zone ECU 300 and the central ECU 400. For example, when the communication bandwidth of the communication line (network) connecting the zone ECU 300 and the central ECU 400 is wide (wider than the predetermined bandwidth), a large amount of information can be transmitted even if the execution result of the first input process dependent on the sensor is output to the central ECU 400 via the communication line, so that the central ECU 400 can execute the process without delay. However, when the communication bandwidth is narrow (narrower than the predetermined bandwidth), the amount of information after the first input process dependent on the sensor cannot be transmitted without delay, and a delay occurs on the central ECU 400 side, which may cause the process to not operate normally.

[0061] Therefore, in the embodiment, when the communication band is narrow (when it is predicted that the band cannot be sufficiently secured), a part of the processing executed by the central ECU 400 (central side function control unit 402) is switched to the zone ECU 300 (zone side function control unit 304) side for execution. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an example in which a part of the processing executed by the central ECU 400 is executed on the zone ECU 300 side. In the example of FIG. 8, an example is shown in which a first input processing dependent on a function / behavior is executed on the zone ECU 300 side. When the band of the communication line connected to the zone ECU 300 is narrow, the central ECU 400 executes control for causing the zone ECU 300 to execute the first input processing dependent on a function / behavior. Note that, in the embodiment, instead of the central ECU 400 automatically determining the band and switching the ECU to execute the processing as described above, a designer, an operator, or the like may check the state of the communication band and switch the ECU to execute the processing. By executing a first input process (e.g., a thinning process) that depends on the function / behavior on the zone ECU 300 side, an amount of data that is less than the amount of data output after the first input process that depends on the sensor is transmitted to the central ECU 400, so that information can be transmitted appropriately without delay even when the communication bandwidth is narrow.

[0062] Furthermore, the communication bandwidth varies depending on the operating status and communication status of each device. Therefore, based on the detection result of the communication status detection unit 404, if the communication bandwidth is not secured, the central ECU 400 executes the first input processing that depends on the function / behavior on the zone ECU 300 side, and if the communication bandwidth is secured sufficiently, the central ECU 400 side should process. Therefore, in the embodiment, the zone ECU 300 and the central ECU 400 are provided with a function (switching unit 406) that allows switching of processing by configuration alone as a common basic software (BSW) for both the zone ECU 300 and the central ECU 400, and control is performed by this function (switching unit 406).

[0063] 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the switching unit 406. In the example of FIG. 9, both the zone ECU 300 and the central ECU 400 are configured to be able to execute a first input process that depends on a function / behavior. This first input process may be realized by, for example, common basic software. This first input process is executed by the zone side function control unit 304 on the zone ECU 300 side, and is executed by the central side function control unit 402 on the central ECU 400 side. The switching unit 406 switches the execution destination of the first input process that depends on a function / behavior between the zone ECU 300 and the central ECU 400 depending on the communication band of the communication line connected to the zone ECU 300 and the current communication situation.

[0064] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of switching according to a communication band. As shown in FIG. 10, when the communication band is wide, the switching unit 406 performs a switching process so that the processing is executed on the central ECU 400 side without executing the first input processing dependent on the function / behavior of the zone ECU 300 side. On the other hand, when the communication band is narrow, the switching unit 406 performs a switching process so that the processing is executed on the zone ECU 300 side without executing the first input processing dependent on the function / behavior of the central ECU 400 side. This makes it possible to flexibly switch processing even when the communication volume increases or decreases. In addition, even when the communication line is replaced, it is possible to avoid updating (recreating, etc.) the software built into the corresponding ECU, thereby reducing costs.

[0065] Also, instead of (or in addition to) switching the processing contents between the zone ECU 300 and the central ECU 400, the contents and transmission cycle of the signals to be communicated may be made different depending on the communication band etc. In this case, the central ECU 400 adjusts the communication volume based on a communication signal table stored in the storage unit 408.

[0066] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of signal list information. The signal list information shown in Fig. 11 is information in which, for example, signal identification information, a transmitting side ECU, a receiving side ECU, message information, a communication cycle, and bit allocation information are associated with each other. The message stores specific data content included in the signal. The bit allocation information includes information indicating which bit of the signal contains what information, or where the signal is allocated in the communication signal information.

[0067] Fig. 12 is a diagram for explaining communication signal information. In the communication signal information shown in Fig. 12, 30 types of signals (Signal A to Signal AD) and information for detecting the state of the transmitting / receiving device (ECU) and data (for example, abnormality detection and error detection), such as an alive counter and a checksum, are arranged in each bit (0 to 7 bits) of 8 bytes (Byte 0 to Byte 7). In data transmission and reception, basic information is transmitted to the destination (receiving side) before sending a signal, and the basic information may include information on the sender, or the sender information may be included at the beginning of the signal to be transmitted.

[0068] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining reduction of communication volume based on communication signal information. In the example of FIG. 13, the contents stored in each bit of two bytes (byte0, byte1) are shown. For example, when the communication volume is reduced by changing the contents of the data, the number of bits used for a predetermined signal is reduced. For example, when Signal A is information indicating temperature information and the temperature information is a signal that transmits the information amount to two decimal places, the zone side function control unit 304 of the zone ECU 300 can reduce the number of bits used for transmission by changing (compressing) the temperature information to the information amount to the last digit. In the example of FIG. 13, the signal of Signal A that used 16 bits can be reduced to 8 bits. Then, the zone side function control unit 304 can compress the overall data amount by inserting information of another signal (for example, Signal B) into the vacant area, since the types of signals that can be transmitted at one time are increased, and transmission can be performed without delay even when the communication band with the central ECU 400 is narrow. The zone side function control unit 304 may transmit, to the central ECU 400 side, information indicating whether or not the transmitted signal is compressed.

[0069] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of communication signal information before and after compression. In the example of FIG. 14, the data amount of Signal A is reduced in the compression process, so that more types of signals can be stored. Note that, although the example of FIG. 14 shows an example in which only Signal A is compressed, other predetermined data may also be compressed. By storing the conversion table (communication signal information before and after compression) shown in FIG. 14 in the storage unit 408, the central ECU 400 can more accurately grasp the content of the communication signal depending on whether the signal acquired from the zone ECU 300 has been compressed. Moreover, the zone side function control unit 304 of the zone ECU 300 may reduce the communication amount in a predetermined time by lengthening (delaying) the transmission period of the signal instead of (or in addition to) compressing the communication signal.

[0070] In this way, by switching between the processes in the zone ECU 300 and the central ECU 400 and varying the contents and cycles of the signals to be communicated, it is possible to achieve common use of the zone ECU 300 and lean development while satisfying restrictions imposed by communication lines, etc. Note that while the above description has mainly focused on input processing, switching between the processes in the zone ECU 300 and the central ECU 400 may also be performed in the output processing.

[0071] [Variations] In the vehicle control system 1 of the embodiment, when a predetermined event occurs in the vehicle M, the zone ECU 300 may generate instruction information for executing a predetermined function of the vehicle M and output it to the device ECU 200 without going through the central ECU 400. The predetermined event is, for example, an event that requires a quick response, such as an abnormality such as equipment failure (e.g., motor short circuit, overcurrent failure). In this case, the predetermined function of the vehicle M is a fail-safe process. For example, in the case of a motor short circuit, a predetermined process such as stopping the power supply or turning off the relay is executed as the fail-safe process. Note that this fail-safe process also depends on the "function", and therefore is usually controlled via the central ECU 400.

[0072] Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of fail-safe processing via the central ECU 400. In the example of Fig. 15, the zone ECU 300 receives a signal detected by a sensor at time T0, performs AD conversion and first input processing, and then transmits the signal to the central ECU 400 at time T2. After receiving a signal from the zone ECU 300 at time T2, the central ECU 400 performs second input processing, third input processing, control processing by a control application (abnormality detection), first output processing (operation decision), and the like, and outputs the signal to the zone ECU 300 at time T3. The zone ECU 300 receives information from the central ECU 400 at time T4, performs second output processing (operation command), third output processing (operation execution), DA conversion, and the like, and transmits an operation signal to a target device (e.g., an actuator) at time T5 to cause the target device to perform an operation corresponding to the fail-safe processing, and the like.

[0073] However, when executing a fail-safe or the like, there is a possibility that responsiveness may decrease if processing is performed via the central ECU 400 as shown in FIG. 15. Therefore, when an abnormality is detected, all processing is performed by the zone ECU 300, and the central ECU 400 is not involved.

[0074] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of fail-safe processing not via the central ECU 400. When the fail-safe processing is executed without the central ECU 400, the zone ECU 300 generates operation execution information for causing a device connected to the device ECU 200 to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle B. As a result, the device ECU 200 can execute a predetermined function of the vehicle M based on the operation execution information generated by the zone ECU 300. In the example of FIG. 16, the zone ECU 300 acquires information detected by a sensor and executes AD conversion, first to third input processing, third processing, control processing, first to third output processing, DA conversion, and the like. As a result, the time Ta (the elapsed time from time T0) output from the zone ECU 300 is shorter than the time T5 shown in FIG. 15. Note that the zone ECU 300 switches to the processing of FIG. 16 when it detects an abnormality such as a breakdown or when it executes the fail-safe processing. As a result, it is possible to satisfy a faster response in the fail-safe processing. In this case, the zone ECU 300 is also provided with a function executable by the central ECU 400, and a switching process between the zone ECU 300 and the central ECU 400 is performed in the control process of the zone ECU 300. In the embodiment, the process is not limited to the fail-safe process, and may automatically switch between a process that uses the central ECU 400 (process in FIG. 15) and a process that does not use the central ECU 400 (process in FIG. 16) depending on the responsiveness when the function is executed. In this case, the zone ECU 300 or the central ECU 400 measures the time from when the central ECU 400 outputs a control command to when the device starts to operate, and if the measured time exceeds a reference time, executes a process that does not use the central ECU 400. This makes it possible to realize a process with higher responsiveness.

[0075] [Processing flow] Next, a flow of processing executed by the vehicle control system 1 of the embodiment will be described. In the following processing, input / output processing by the ECU will be mainly described among the processing executed by the vehicle control system 1. In addition, the following will be divided into input processing and output processing. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of input processing in the vehicle control system 1. In the example of FIG. 17, the device ECU 200 acquires information from the connected device (step S100). Next, the zone ECU 300 extracts signal information from the acquired information (step S102). Next, the central ECU 400 detects the communication volume of the communication line connecting the zone ECU 300 and the central ECU 400 (step S104) and determines whether the communication volume is greater than a predetermined volume (step S106). If it is determined that the communication volume is greater than the predetermined volume, the central ECU 400 switches to the zone side function control unit 304 to execute processing for reducing the communication volume (step S108). After the process of step S108, or if it is determined in the process of step S106 that the communication volume is not greater than the predetermined volume, the central ECU 400 executes the subsequent input process in the central side function control unit 402 (step S110). This ends the process of this flowchart.

[0076] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of output processing in the vehicle control system 1. In the example of FIG. 18, the central ECU 400 determines the operation content for making the vehicle M execute a predetermined function as a first output processing based on the input information (step S200). Next, the central ECU 400 switches the content of the input information to either the zone ECU 300 or the central ECU 400 based on the type of the device to be operated and the operation decision content, and generates an operation command as a second output processing (step S202). Next, the zone ECU 300 outputs an operation execution instruction to the device ECU 200 to operate the target device as a third output processing (step S204). This ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0077] According to the embodiment described above, the vehicle control system 1 includes a device ECU (an example of a first control unit) 200 provided for each device mounted on the vehicle M, a zone ECU (an example of a second control unit) 300 that controls one or more of the device ECUs 200, and a central ECU (an example of a third control unit) 400 that controls one or more of the zone ECUs 300, wherein the zone ECU 300 is connected to the device ECU 200 by a communication line and executes a first process based on output information output from the device connected to the device ECU 200, and the central ECU 400 is connected to the zone ECU second control unit by a communication line and executes a second process based on a predetermined function of the vehicle, and by executing the first process and the second process, the predetermined function of the vehicle M is executed, so that more appropriate processing can be executed using the multiple control units.

[0078] Specifically, according to the embodiment, for example, when updating the function of an application, only the software of the central ECU 400 on which the function of the application is executed is rewritten, and when updating a device, only the software of the device ECU 200 or the zone ECU 300 is rewritten, so that the number of ECUs to be rewritten or changed can be minimized. Therefore, it is possible to speed up the rewriting process, realize lean development with improved development efficiency, and suppress dark current. For example, the vehicle M is equipped with various devices for achieving predetermined functions, and many device ECUs 200 and zone ECUs 300 are also equipped, so that a higher effect can be obtained by controlling the processing of the ECUs using the above configuration.

[0079] According to the embodiment, for example, the first input process such as a filtering process, which is a data thinning process, can be switched to either the central ECU 400 or the zone ECU 300 depending on the communication situation. According to the embodiment, even if the device ECU 200 is changed or the software is rewritten, the central ECU 400 is not affected, so that the cost of the rewriting process can be reduced. According to the embodiment, depending on the content of the vehicle control such as the occurrence of a predetermined event, the zone ECU 300 can process the process without involving the central ECU 400, so that the processing speed of the entire vehicle control system can be increased and the processing efficiency can be improved by distributing the load. According to the embodiment, the ECU to execute the process can be switched depending on the load situation of the communication line (communication bus), so that the communication delay can be suppressed and the load can be reduced.

[0080] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1 Vehicle Control System 100 different devices 200 Device ECU 202 1st Information Acquisition Department 204, 306, 408 Storage section 300 Zone ECU 302 Signal Information Extraction Unit 304 Zone side function control unit 400 Central ECU 402 Central side function control unit 404 Communication Status Detection Unit 406 Switching section 500 Software Update Unit

Claims

1. A vehicle control system including a first control unit provided for each device mounted on a vehicle, a second control unit that controls one or more of the first control units, and a third control unit that controls one or more of the second control units, The second control unit is connected to the first control unit by a communication line, and executes a first process based on output information output from a device connected to the first control unit; The third control unit is connected to the second control unit via a communication line and executes a second process based on a predetermined function of the vehicle. A predetermined function of the vehicle is executed by executing the first process and the second process, The first control unit includes a first information acquisition unit that acquires first information output from the device, The second control unit includes a signal information extraction unit that extracts signal information from the first information detected by the first information acquisition unit as the first processing, The third control unit includes a first function control unit that executes a predetermined function of the vehicle based on the signal information extracted by the signal information extraction unit as the second process, The second control unit further includes a second function control unit that executes a predetermined function of the vehicle based on the signal information extracted by the signal information extraction unit, The third control unit further includes a switching unit that executes a switching process to switch between executing a predetermined function of the vehicle by the first function control unit and executing a predetermined function of the vehicle by the second function control unit. Vehicle control system.

2. A vehicle control system including a first control unit provided for each device mounted on a vehicle, a second control unit that controls one or more of the first control units, and a third control unit that controls one or more of the second control units, The second control unit is connected to the first control unit by a communication line, and executes a first process based on output information output from a device connected to the first control unit; The third control unit is connected to the second control unit via a communication line and executes a second process based on a predetermined function of the vehicle. A predetermined function of the vehicle is executed by executing the first process and the second process, The third control unit determines, as the second process, an operation content for executing a predetermined function of the vehicle, generating an operation command based on the determined operation content in either the third control unit or the second control unit; The second control unit generates operation execution information based on a device connected to the first control unit as the first process; The first control unit causes the device to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle based on the operation execution information, When a predetermined event occurs in the vehicle, the second control unit generates operation execution information for causing a device connected to the first control unit to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle; The first control unit executes a predetermined function of the vehicle based on the operation execution information. Vehicle control system.

3. The first control unit includes a first information acquisition unit that acquires first information output from the device, The second control unit includes a signal information extraction unit that extracts signal information from the first information detected by the first information acquisition unit as the first processing, The third control unit includes a first function control unit that executes a predetermined function of the vehicle based on the signal information extracted by the signal information extraction unit as the second processing. The vehicle control system according to claim 2 .

4. The signal information extraction unit performs a filtering process to separate the first information into the signal information and noise information, and outputs the signal information to the third control unit. The vehicle control system according to claim 3 .

5. The third control unit detects a traffic volume in a communication line connecting the third control unit and the second control unit, and executes the switching process in accordance with the detected traffic volume. The vehicle control system of claim 1 .

6. When the communication volume of the communication line is greater than a predetermined volume, the third control unit executes the switching process by the switching unit, and causes the second function control unit to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle as the second process. The vehicle control system according to claim 5 .

7. The third control unit determines, as the second process, an operation content for executing a predetermined function of the vehicle, generating an operation command based on the determined operation content in either the third control unit or the second control unit; The second control unit generates operation execution information based on a device connected to the first control unit as the first process; The first control unit causes the device to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle based on the operation execution information. The vehicle control system of claim 1 .

8. A computer of a vehicle control system including a first control unit provided for each device mounted on a vehicle, a second control unit that controls one or more of the first control units, and a third control unit that controls one or more of the second control units, executing a first process based on output information output from a device connected to the first control unit in the second control unit; The third control unit executes a second process based on a predetermined function of the vehicle; causing the device to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle by executing the first process and the second process; The first control unit acquires first information output from the device; The second control unit extracts signal information from the first information as the first processing, The third control unit has, as the second processing, a first function of executing a predetermined function of the vehicle based on the signal information, and a second function of executing a predetermined function of the vehicle based on the signal information, in the second control unit; a switching process for switching between executing a predetermined function of the vehicle by the first function and executing a predetermined function of the vehicle by the second function, by the third control unit; A vehicle control method.

9. A computer of a vehicle control system including a first control unit provided for each device mounted on a vehicle, a second control unit that controls one or more of the first control units, and a third control unit that controls one or more of the second control units, executing a first process based on output information output from a device connected to the first control unit in the second control unit; The third control unit executes a second process based on a predetermined function of the vehicle; causing the device to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle by executing the first process and the second process; determining an operation content for executing a predetermined function of the vehicle as the second process in the third control unit; generating an operation command based on the determined operation content in either the third control unit or the second control unit; generating operation execution information based on a device connected to the first control unit as the first process in the second control unit; The first control unit causes the device to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle based on the operation execution information; generating operation execution information for causing a device connected to the first control unit to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle in the second control unit when a predetermined event occurs in the vehicle; The first control unit executes a predetermined function of the vehicle based on the operation execution information. A vehicle control method.

10. A computer of a vehicle control system including a first control unit provided for each device mounted on a vehicle, a second control unit that controls one or more of the first control units, and a third control unit that controls one or more of the second control units, causing the second control unit to execute a first process based on output information output from a device connected to the first control unit; causing the third control unit to execute a second process based on a predetermined function of the vehicle; causing the device to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle by executing the first process and the second process; causing the first control unit to acquire first information output from the device; The second control unit extracts signal information from the first information as the first processing, The second process includes a first function of executing a predetermined function of the vehicle based on the signal information by the third control unit, and a second function of executing a predetermined function of the vehicle based on the signal information by the second control unit, executing a switching process by the third control unit to switch between executing a predetermined function of the vehicle by the first function and executing a predetermined function of the vehicle by the second function; program.

11. A computer of a vehicle control system including a first control unit provided for each device mounted on a vehicle, a second control unit that controls one or more of the first control units, and a third control unit that controls one or more of the second control units, causing the second control unit to execute a first process based on output information output from a device connected to the first control unit; causing the third control unit to execute a second process based on a predetermined function of the vehicle; causing the device to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle by executing the first process and the second process; determining an operation content for executing a predetermined function of the vehicle by the third control unit as the second processing; generating an operation command based on the determined operation content in either the third control unit or the second control unit; generating operation execution information based on a device connected to the first control unit as the first process by the second control unit; causing the device to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle based on the operation execution information by the first control unit; When a predetermined event occurs in the vehicle, the second control unit generates operation execution information for causing a device connected to the first control unit to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle; causing the first control unit to execute a predetermined function of the vehicle based on the operation execution information; program.

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