In-vehicle communication system and communication control method in in-vehicle communication system

Abstract

To realize an in-vehicle communication system at low cost, while enhancing flexibility and / or expandability of a communication network.SOLUTION: An in-vehicle communication system 2 includes: a plurality of electronic control devices 4; a plurality of communication transmission paths 6; a transmission path switch 5; and a network control device 3. The network control device includes: a control communication unit 13 performing control communication with the transmission path switch; and a control communication management unit 14 managing operation of the control communication in the control communication unit. Each of the electronic control device includes: a data communication unit 23 performing data communication with the other electronic control devices; and a data communication management unit 24 managing operation of the data communication in the data communication unit. The control communication management unit and the data communication management unit manage operation of the control communication unit and the data communication unit, respectively, such that the control communication and the data communication are performed on the communication transmission paths in different time periods respectively.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an in-vehicle communication system and a communication control method in the in-vehicle communication system.

Background Art

[0002] As a technology for improving the flexibility and expandability of a communication network, SDN (Software Defined Network) technology is known. In a communication network using SDN technology, generally, control communication for network control and data communication between devices connected to the communication network are physically configured as separate lines.

[0003] Also, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle network system using SDN (Software Defined Network) technology. This vehicle network system includes a first control device that performs network control and a second control device that includes a transmission path switch. The first control device and the second control device are connected by two signal lines, and control messages necessary for OpenFlow control in SDN are divided and communicated through the two signal lines.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, a configuration in which devices are connected by a plurality of communication transmission paths leads to an increase in the number of communication devices in addition to an increase in the number of communication transmission paths, which can be disadvantageous in terms of cost. An object of the present invention is to improve the flexibility and / or expandability as a communication network, while reducing the number of communication transmission lines connecting devices, so as to realize an in-vehicle communication system at low cost.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is an in-vehicle communication system including a plurality of electronic control devices mounted on a vehicle, a plurality of communication transmission lines, a transmission line switch for switching the connection of the communication transmission lines, and a network control device for managing the operation of the transmission line switch. The network control device includes a control communication unit that executes control communication for controlling the operation of the transmission line switch with the transmission line switch via the communication transmission line, and a control communication management unit that manages the operation of the control communication in the control communication unit. The electronic control device includes a data communication unit that performs data communication for exchanging data necessary for the operation of the vehicle with other electronic control devices via the communication transmission line, and a data communication management unit that manages the operation of the data communication in the data communication unit. The control communication management unit and the data communication management unit manage the operations of the control communication unit and the data communication unit so that the control communication and the data communication are performed in different time periods on the communication transmission line. According to another aspect of the present invention, the control communication management unit and the data communication management unit manage the operations of the control communication unit and the data communication unit so that the control communication and the data communication on the communication transmission line are executed in different time slots within a frame that is a time period of a predetermined length. According to another aspect of the present invention, the data communication includes communication of service data performed by a plurality of the electronic control devices to provide a predetermined service related to the operation of the vehicle, and the data communication management unit manages the operation of the data communication unit so that the communication of the service data is executed in a time slot assigned for each type of the service. According to another aspect of the present invention, in the data communication, the time slots used for the communication of the service data include dedicated time slots exclusively used by one type of the service and shared time slots shared by a plurality of types of the services. According to another aspect of the present invention, the time slots used for the data communication include general-purpose time slots used for the communication of arbitrary data. According to another aspect of the present invention, the network control device includes a slot management unit that instructs the electronic control device to change the type of the service using the dedicated time slot or the shared time slot, or to change the number of time slots included in the dedicated time slot or the shared time slot, according to the running state of the vehicle. According to another aspect of the present invention, when the vehicle stops, the slot management unit instructs the electronic control device to increase the number of time slots included in the shared time slot as compared with when the vehicle is running. According to another aspect of the present invention, the slot management unit instructs the electronic control device to change the type of the service using the dedicated time slot or the shared time slot, or to change the number of time slots included in the dedicated time slot or the shared time slot, according to the state of the surrounding environment of the vehicle. Another aspect of the present invention is a communication control method in a vehicle-mounted communication system including a plurality of electronic control devices mounted on a vehicle, a plurality of communication transmission paths, a transmission path switch for switching the connection of the communication transmission paths, and a network control device for managing the operation of the transmission path switch. A first computer included in the network control device executes a control communication step of performing control communication for controlling the operation of the transmission path switch with the transmission path switch via the communication transmission path, and the first computer executes a control communication management step of managing the operation of the control communication in the control communication step. A second computer included in the electronic control device executes a data communication step of performing data communication for data transfer necessary for the operation of the vehicle with other electronic control devices via the communication transmission path, and the second computer executes a data communication management step of managing the operation of the data communication in the data communication step. The control communication management step and the data communication management step manage the operations of the control communication and the data communication such that the control communication and the data communication are performed in different time periods on the communication transmission path.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the number of communication transmission paths connecting devices while improving the flexibility and / or expandability as a communication network, and to realize a vehicle-mounted communication system at low cost.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle communication system 2 mounted on a vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The in-vehicle communication system 2 includes a network control device 3, a plurality of electronic control devices 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h, 4i that control the operation of the vehicle 1, and transmission path switches 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e. Hereinafter, the electronic control devices 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h, 4i will also be collectively referred to as the electronic control device 4. Also, the transmission path switches 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e will also be collectively referred to as the transmission path switch 5.

[0010] The in-vehicle communication system 2 also includes a plurality of communication transmission paths 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h, 6i, 6j, 6k. Hereinafter, the communication transmission paths 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h, 6i, 6j, 6k will also be collectively referred to as the communication transmission path 6.

[0011] The transmission path switch 5 includes an OpenFlow switch according to the SDN technology. The transmission path switch 5 switches the connection between a plurality of communication transmission paths 6 connected to the transmission path switch 5 in response to an instruction from the network control device 3 by OpenFlow control according to the SDN technology performed by the network control device 3. Thereby, the in-vehicle communication system 2 maintains the flexibility and expandability of the communication network according to the SDN technology.

[0012] The network control device 3 manages the operation of the transmission path switch 5 and manages the communication between the network control device 3, the electronic control device 4, and the transmission path switch 5 in the in-vehicle communication system 2.

[0013] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the network control device 3. The network control device 3 includes a first processor 10, a first memory 11, and a first communicator 12. The first memory 11 is composed of, for example, a volatile and / or non-volatile semiconductor memory. The first communicator 12 is a transceiver for the network control device 3 to communicate with the electronic control device 4 and the transmission line switch 5 via the communication transmission line 6.

[0014] The first processor 10 is a computer including, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The first processor 10 may have a configuration including a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which a program is written, a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporarily storing data, and the like. And the first processor 10 includes a control communication unit 13, a control communication management unit 14, and a slot management unit 15 as functional elements or functional units.

[0015] These functional elements included in the first processor 10 are realized, for example, by the first processor 10, which is a computer, executing a first communication control program 16 stored in the first memory 11. The first communication control program 16 can be stored in any computer-readable storage medium. Instead of this, all or part of the above functional elements included in the first processor 10 may be configured by hardware including one or more electronic circuit components. Here, the first processor 10 corresponds to the first computer in the present disclosure.

[0016] The control communication unit 13 executes control communication for controlling the operation of the transmission line switch 5, that is, controlling the switching operation of the communication transmission line 6, with the transmission line switch 5 via the communication transmission line 6. As described above, in the present embodiment, the control communication unit 13 controls the switching operation of the transmission line switch 5 by open flow control according to the SDN technology. That is, the above control communication performed between the control communication unit 13 and the transmission line switch 5 may be an open flow message conforming to the open flow protocol of the SDN technology.

[0017] The control communication unit 13 also executes control communication with the electronic control unit 4 in order to transmit information related to the communication operation in the electronic control unit 4 (for example, slot management information described later).

[0018] The control communication management unit 14 manages the operation of the control communication in the control communication unit 13. In the present embodiment, in particular, the control communication management unit 14 cooperates with the data communication management unit 24 of the electronic control unit 4 described later to manage the operation of the control communication unit 13 so that the control communication and the data communication are performed in different time periods on the communication transmission line 6.

[0019] Specifically, the control communication management unit 14 and the data communication management unit 24 manage the operations of the control communication unit 13 and the data communication unit 23 (described later) so that the control communication and the data communication on the communication transmission line 6 are performed in different time slots within a frame that is a time period of a predetermined length. Here, the data communication refers to various data communications including the communication of service data performed between the electronic control units 4 to provide various services (or functions) related to the operation of the vehicle 1.

[0020] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of time slots included in the frame used in the present embodiment. In FIG. 4, a frame sequence composed of a plurality of frames 30 is shown in the upper part of the figure, and a time slot sequence constituting one frame 30 is shown in the lower part of the figure. Also, in FIG. 4, it is assumed that time flows from left to right in the figure. That is, the frames and slots shown on the left side of the figure are transmitted earlier in time, respectively. In FIG. 4, numbers are assigned to the upper part of each slot included in the slot sequence.

[0021] The frame 30 starts from the SOF (Start Of Frame) arranged at the head in time at the left end of the figure and ends at the EOF (Start Of Frame) arranged at the end in time at the right end of the figure.

[0022] In this embodiment, the frame 30 includes a control time slot 41 for performing control communication and a data time slot 42 for performing data communication. In the illustrated example, the control time slot 41 is composed of i time slots, and the data time slot 42 is composed of (j + k + m) time slots. In this embodiment, the data time slot 42 is arranged temporally after the control time slot 41.

[0023] The number of time slots included in each of the control time slot 41 and the data time slot 42 can be preset in the control communication management unit 14 and the data communication management unit 24 of the electronic control device 4. Alternatively, the number of time slots included in each of the control time slot 41 and the data time slot 42 may be determined by the control communication management unit 14 according to the driving state and surrounding situation of the vehicle 1 and notified to the electronic control device 4.

[0024] The control communication management unit 14 notifies the control communication unit 13 of control time slot information, which is information on the number of time slots assigned to the control time slot 41. Further, the control communication management unit 14 manages the transmission timing of the SOF indicating the start of the frame 30. For example, the control communication management unit 14 instructs the control communication unit 13 to transmit the SOF to the communication transmission path 6 at a predetermined time interval corresponding to the time length of the frame 30. After transmitting the SOF, the control communication unit 13 performs control communication with the transmission path switch 5 using the i time slots assigned as the control time slot 41.

[0025] As will be described later, the data communication management unit 24 of the electronic control device 4 detects the start of the frame 30 when the SOF is received from the communication transmission path 6. After receiving the SOF, the data communication management unit 24 transmits a transmission start instruction indicating the timing of sending the (i + 1)-th time slot to the data communication unit 23 (described later). The data communication unit 23 starts data communication in response to receiving the transmission start instruction.

[0026] In this embodiment, the data time slot 42 includes a dedicated time slot 42a exclusively used by one type of service as a time slot used for communication of service data, and a shared time slot 42b shared by a plurality of types of services. Further, the data time slot 42 includes a general-purpose time slot 42c used for communication of arbitrary data. The dedicated time slot 42a is composed of j time slots, the shared time slot is composed of k time slots, and the general-purpose time slot 42c is composed of m time slots, respectively.

[0027] In this embodiment, the dedicated time slot 42a is allocated earlier in time than the shared time slot 42b and the general-purpose time slot, and then the shared time slot 42b and the general-purpose time slot are allocated in this order. The dedicated time slot 42a is used, for example, for communication of service data performed by a service with the highest processing priority, and the shared time slot 42b is used, for example, for communication of services with a medium or lower processing priority. Thereby, the service with the highest priority can quickly perform communication of service data without being affected by communication performed by other services, and can realize a responsive operation. Also, services with a medium or lower priority can share communication time among services and adjust the execution time of the services.

[0028] Also, in the general-purpose time slot 42c, for example, services with various priorities communicate freely. Thereby, when service data with different communication priorities is used in each service, for example, high-priority service data can be communicated in the dedicated time slot 42a or the shared time slot 42b, and low-priority service data can be communicated in the general-purpose time slot. Thereby, the flexibility and expandability of service data communication for each service in the data time slot 42 are improved.

[0029] Note that the number of dedicated time slots 42a provided in the data time slot 42 is one in the example shown in FIG. 4, but it may be plural. By providing a plurality of dedicated time slots 42a, for example, a plurality of services in descending order of priority can each use a dedicated time slot 42a allocated earlier in time, so that the plurality of services can execute operations with responsiveness according to the priority.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 2, the slot management unit 15 instructs the electronic control unit 4 to change the type of service that uses the dedicated time slot 42a or the shared time slot 42b, or to change the number of time slots included in the dedicated time slot 42a or the shared time slot 42b, according to the driving state of the vehicle 1. This instruction is performed, for example, by the slot management unit 15 transmitting slot management information listing the type of service to be allocated and the number of time slots to be allocated for each of the dedicated time slot 42a and the shared time slot 42b to the electronic control unit 4. The transmission of the slot management information is performed, for example, by the control communication unit 13 transmitting to the electronic control unit 4 as part of the control communication (that is, during the period of the control time slot 41) according to an instruction from the slot management unit 15.

[0031] For example, when it can be determined from the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 that the vehicle 1 is traveling on a highway, the slot management unit 15 can preferentially allocate a service related to the driving operation of the vehicle 1 to the dedicated time slot 42a. Alternatively, when a service for a driving operation has already been allocated to the dedicated time slot 42a, the slot management unit 15 can reduce the number of time slots included in the shared time slot 42b or the general-purpose time slot and increase the number of time slots included in the dedicated time slot 42a when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a highway. Thereby, for example, while increasing the priority of the service for the driving operation particularly required on the highway, the communication speed of entertainment-related services such as videos not related to the driving operation using the shared time slot 42b can be reduced, and the responsiveness of the service related to the driving operation can be improved.

[0032] Further, for example, when the vehicle 1 stops, the slot management unit 15 may instruct the electronic control unit 4 to increase the number of time slots included in the shared time slot 42b compared to when the vehicle 1 is traveling. Thereby, when the vehicle 1 stops, for example, the communication speed of entertainment-related services such as video playback using the shared time slot 42b can be increased to provide a high-quality playback video.

[0033] Further, the slot management unit 15 instructs the electronic control unit 4 to change the type of service using the dedicated time slot 42a or the shared time slot 42b, or to change the number of time slots included in the dedicated time slot 42a or the shared time slot 42b, according to the state of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1. Here, the "state of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1" can be, for example, the weather, the temperature, the number of traffic participants such as vehicles and pedestrians existing around.

[0034] Thereby, for example, in a scenario where the number of traffic participants is large and the processing load of services related to driving operations is expected to increase, the priority of communication of services related to driving operations can be raised or the communication speed can be increased to improve the responsiveness and the amount of information processing in those services.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the electronic control unit 4. Note that in FIG. 3, only the components related to data communication performed by the electronic control unit 4 are shown for easy understanding of the invention, but the electronic control unit 4 may include various functional elements or functional units or devices or electronic circuit components for realizing a predetermined service (or function) according to the prior art.

[0036] The electronic control unit 4 includes a second processor 20, a second memory 21, and a second communicator 22. The second memory 21 is composed of, for example, a volatile and / or non-volatile semiconductor memory. The second communicator 22 is a transceiver for the electronic control unit 4 to communicate with the network control unit 3 and other electronic control units 4 via the communication transmission line 6.

[0037] The second processor 20 is a computer including, for example, a CPU or the like. The second processor 20 may have a configuration including a ROM in which a program is written, a RAM for temporarily storing data, and the like. And the second processor 20 includes, as functional elements or functional units, a data communication unit 23 and a data communication management unit 24.

[0038] These functional elements included in the second processor 20 are realized, for example, by the second processor 20, which is a computer, executing a second communication control program 25 stored in the second memory 21. The second communication control program 25 can be stored in any computer-readable storage medium. Alternatively, all or part of the above functional elements included in the second processor 20 may be configured by hardware including one or more electronic circuit components. Here, the second processor 20 corresponds to the second computer in the present disclosure.

[0039] The data communication unit 23 performs data communication for data transfer necessary for the operation of the vehicle 1 with other electronic control devices 4 via the communication transmission line 6. As described above, the data communicated in the data communication includes service data that is performed between the electronic control devices 4 to provide various services (or functions) related to the operation of the vehicle 1.

[0040] The data communication management unit 24 manages the operation of the data communication unit 23. In the present embodiment, in particular, the data communication management unit 24 collaborates with the control communication management unit 14 of the network control device 3 described above to manage the operation of the data communication unit 23 so that data communication and control communication are performed in different time periods on the communication transmission line 6. Specifically, the data communication management unit 24 manages the operation of the data communication unit 23 so that the communication of the service data is executed in the time slots assigned for each type of service.

[0041] More specifically, the data communication management unit 24 receives the slot management information transmitted from the network control device 3, and notifies the data communication unit 23 of the time slots assigned to the services performed by its own device. Further, the data communication management unit 24 detects the start of the frame 30 by receiving the SOF transmitted by the network control device 3. Then, after receiving the SOF, the data communication management unit 24 transmits a transmission start instruction indicating the timing for transmitting the (i + 1)-th time slot to the data communication unit 23. In response to receiving the transmission start instruction, the data communication unit 23 performs data communication using the time slots assigned to the services of its own device.

[0042] In the in-vehicle communication system 2 having the above configuration, since the control communication and the data communication are executed in different time periods, it is not necessary to use a plurality of signal lines for the control communication and the data communication as in the conventional communication system using the SDN technology, and the communication transmission path 6 can be configured with a single communication line or a single communication channel. Therefore, in the in-vehicle communication system 2, while improving the flexibility and / or expandability as a communication network using the SDN technology, the number of signal lines or communication channels of the communication transmission path 6 connecting between the network control device 3, the electronic control device 4, and the transmission path switch 5 is reduced, and the in-vehicle communication system 2 can be realized at low cost.

[0043] Next, the operation procedure in the in-vehicle communication system 2 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure in the in-vehicle communication system 2. The processing in FIG. 5 is repeatedly executed.

[0044] When the process starts, the control communication management unit 14 of the network control device 3 transmits information on the number of time slots (control time slot information) assigned to the control time slot 41 to the control communication unit 13 in order to manage the operation of the control communication in the control communication unit 13 (S100). Next, the control communication management unit 14 sends a transmission instruction of the SOF to the control communication unit 13 (S102). Steps S100 and S102 correspond to the control communication management step.

[0045] Next, in response to the SOF transmission instruction from the control communication management unit 14, the control communication unit 13 of the network control device 3 executes control communication for operation control of communication path switching with the transmission path switch 5 (S104). Step S104 corresponds to the control communication step.

[0046] Next, in each of the electronic control devices 4, after receiving the SOF, when the start timing of the data time slot 42 arrives, the data communication management unit 24 sends a transmission start instruction to the data communication unit (S106). Subsequently, each data communication unit 23 of the electronic control device 4 performs data communication of various data including service data related to the service performed by each electronic control device 4 during the period of the data time slot 42 (S108), and ends the process. Here, steps S106 and S108 correspond to the data communication management step and the data communication step, respectively.

[0047] That is, by steps S100 and S102 which are the control communication management steps and step S106 which is the data communication management step, the operations of step S104 which is the control communication step and step S108 which is the data communication step are managed so that control communication and data communication are performed in different time periods on the communication transmission path 6, respectively.

[0048] Note that the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist thereof.

[0049] The above-described embodiment supports the following configuration. (Configuration 1) An in-vehicle communication system including a plurality of electronic control units mounted on a vehicle, a plurality of communication transmission lines, a transmission line switch for switching the connection of the communication transmission lines, and a network control device for managing the operation of the transmission line switch. The network control device includes a control communication unit that executes control communication for controlling the operation of the transmission line switch with the transmission line switch via the communication transmission line, and a control communication management unit that manages the operation of the control communication in the control communication unit. The electronic control unit includes a data communication unit that performs data communication for data transfer necessary for the operation of the vehicle with other electronic control units via the communication transmission line, and a data communication management unit that manages the operation of the data communication in the data communication unit. The control communication management unit and the data communication management unit manage the operations of the control communication unit and the data communication unit so that the control communication and the data communication are performed in different time periods in the communication transmission line. An in-vehicle communication system. According to the in-vehicle communication system of Configuration 1, for example, while improving the flexibility and / or expandability as a communication network using SDN technology, the in-vehicle communication system can be realized at low cost by configuring the communication transmission line with a single communication line or one communication channel.

[0050] (Configuration 2) The in-vehicle communication system according to Configuration 1, wherein the control communication management unit and the data communication management unit manage the operations of the control communication unit and the data communication unit so that the control communication and the data communication in the communication transmission line are executed in different time slots within a frame having a predetermined length of time period. According to the in-vehicle communication system of Configuration 2, the control communication and the data communication can be easily performed in different time periods.

[0051] (Configuration 3) The data communication includes communication of service data performed by a plurality of the electronic control units to provide a predetermined service related to the operation of the vehicle. The data communication management unit manages the operation of the data communication unit so that the communication of the service data is executed in time slots assigned for each type of the service. The in-vehicle communication system according to Configuration 2. According to the in-vehicle communication system of Configuration 3, since time slots used for each type of service are assigned, it is possible to reduce the probability of collision of communication data between services and improve the reliability of communication.

[0052] (Configuration 4) The time slots used for the communication of the service data in the data communication include dedicated time slots exclusively used by one type of the service and shared time slots shared by a plurality of types of the services. The in-vehicle communication system according to Configuration 3. According to the in-vehicle communication system of Configuration 4, for example, by assigning the service with the highest priority to a dedicated time slot to provide a responsive service, other services with medium or lower priority can be assigned to shared time slots to adjust the execution time of the services.

[0053] (Configuration 5) The time slots used for the data communication include general-purpose time slots used for communication of arbitrary data. The in-vehicle communication system according to Configuration 4. According to the in-vehicle communication system of Configuration 5, for example, in one service, by alternatively or additionally assigning service data with low priority to general-purpose time slots, it is possible to realize flexible and extensible data communication for the service.

[0054] (Configuration 6) The network control device is configured with a slot management unit that, according to the driving state of the vehicle, instructs the electronic control unit to change the type of service that uses the dedicated time slot or the shared time slot, or to change the number of time slots included in the dedicated time slot or the shared time slot. The in-vehicle communication system according to Configuration 4 or 5. According to the in-vehicle communication system of Configuration 6, for example, when it can be determined from the vehicle speed of Vehicle 1 that Vehicle 1 is traveling on a highway, while increasing the priority of services related to driving operations that are particularly necessary on the highway, the communication speed of entertainment-related services such as video playback that are not related to driving operations is reduced, and the responsiveness of the services related to driving operations can be improved.

[0055] (Configuration 7) The slot management unit of the in-vehicle communication system according to Configuration 6 instructs the electronic control unit to increase the number of time slots included in the shared time slot when the vehicle stops, as compared to when the vehicle is traveling. According to the in-vehicle communication system of Configuration 7, when the vehicle is stopped, for example, the communication speed of entertainment-related services such as video playback using the shared time slot can be increased to provide high-quality playback videos.

[0056] (Configuration 8) The slot management unit of the in-vehicle communication system according to Configuration 6 or 7 instructs the electronic control unit to change the type of service that uses the dedicated time slot or the shared time slot, or to change the number of time slots included in the dedicated time slot or the shared time slot, according to the state of the surrounding environment of the vehicle. According to the in-vehicle communication system of Configuration 8, for example, in a scenario where the number of traffic participants is large and the processing load of services related to driving operations is expected to increase, the communication priority of services related to driving operations can be raised or the communication speed can be increased to improve the responsiveness and information processing volume in those services.

[0057] (Configuration 9) A communication control method in an in-vehicle communication system including a plurality of electronic control units mounted on a vehicle, a plurality of communication transmission paths, a transmission path switch for switching the connection of the communication transmission paths, and a network control device for managing the operation of the transmission path switch, the method including: a control communication step in which a first computer included in the network control device executes control communication for controlling the operation of the transmission path switch with the transmission path switch via the communication transmission path; a control communication management step in which the first computer manages the operation of the control communication in the control communication step; a data communication step in which a second computer included in the electronic control unit performs data communication for data transfer necessary for the operation of the vehicle with other electronic control units via the communication transmission path; and a data communication management step in which the second computer manages the operation of the data communication in the data communication step, wherein in the control communication management step and the data communication management step, the operations of the control communication and the data communication are managed such that the control communication and the data communication are performed in different time periods in the communication transmission path. According to the communication control method of Configuration 9, for example, while improving the flexibility and / or expandability as a communication network using SDN technology, the in-vehicle communication system can be realized at low cost by configuring the communication transmission path with a single communication line or a single communication channel.

Description of Signs

[0058] 1... Vehicle, 2... In-vehicle communication system, 3... Network control device, 4, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h, 4i... Electronic control device, 5, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e... Transmission path switch, 6, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h, 6i, 6j, 6k... Communication transmission path, 10... First processor, 11... First memory, 12... First communicator, 13... Control communication unit, 14... Control communication management unit, 15... Slot management unit, 16... First communication control program, 20... Second processor, 21... Second memory, 22... Second communicator, 23... Data communication unit, 24... Data communication management unit, 30... Frame, 41... Control time slot, 42... Data time slot, 42a... Dedicated time slot, 42b... Shared time slot, 42c... General-purpose time slot.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle communication system comprising a plurality of electronic control units mounted on a vehicle, a plurality of communication transmission paths, a transmission path switch for switching the connection of the communication transmission paths, and a network control device for managing the operation of the transmission path switch, wherein the network control device includes a control communication unit that executes control communication for controlling the operation of the transmission path switch with the transmission path switch via the communication transmission path, a control communication management unit that manages the operation of the control communication in the control communication unit, and is provided with the electronic control unit includes a data communication unit that performs data communication for data transfer necessary for the operation of the vehicle with other electronic control units via the communication transmission path, a data communication management unit that manages the operation of the data communication in the data communication unit, and is provided with the control communication management unit and the data communication management unit respectively manage the operations of the control communication unit and the data communication unit so that the control communication and the data communication are performed in different time periods in the communication transmission path, In-vehicle communication system.

2. The control communication management unit and the data communication management unit respectively manage the operations of the control communication unit and the data communication unit so that the control communication and the data communication in the communication transmission path are executed in different time slots within a frame that is a time period of a predetermined length, The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 1.

3. The data communication includes communication of service data performed by a plurality of the electronic control units to provide a predetermined service related to the operation of the vehicle, The data communication management unit manages the operation of the data communication unit so that the communication of the service data is executed in a time slot assigned for each type of the service, The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 2.

4. The time slots used for the communication of the service data in the data communication include dedicated time slots exclusively used by one type of the service and shared time slots shared by a plurality of types of the service, The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 3.

5. The time slots used for the data communication include general-purpose time slots used for communication of arbitrary data, The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 4.

6. The network control device includes A slot management unit that instructs the electronic control unit to change the type of service that uses the dedicated time slot or the shared time slot, or to change the number of time slots included in the dedicated time slot or the shared time slot, according to the driving state of the vehicle. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 4 or 5.

7. When the vehicle stops, the slot management unit instructs the electronic control unit to increase the number of time slots included in the shared time slot compared to when the vehicle is running. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 6.

8. The slot management unit instructs the electronic control unit to change the type of service that uses the dedicated time slot or the shared time slot, or to change the number of time slots included in the dedicated time slot or the shared time slot, according to the state of the surrounding environment of the vehicle. The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 6 or 7.

9. A communication control method in an in-vehicle communication system including a plurality of electronic control units mounted on a vehicle, a plurality of communication transmission paths, a transmission path switch for switching the connection of the communication transmission paths, and a network control device for managing the operation of the transmission path switch, comprising: A control communication step in which a first computer included in the network control device executes control communication for controlling the operation of the transmission path switch with the transmission path switch via the communication transmission path; A control communication management step in which the first computer manages the operation of the control communication in the control communication step; A data communication step in which a second computer included in the electronic control unit performs data communication for exchanging data necessary for the operation of the vehicle with other electronic control units via the communication transmission path; A data communication management step in which the second computer manages the operation of the data communication in the data communication step; Including In the control communication management step and the data communication management step, the operations of the control communication and the data communication are managed so that the control communication and the data communication are performed in different time periods on the communication transmission path. Communication control method.

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