Vehicle-mounted management device and management method

Abstract

To provide an in-vehicle management device and a management method, capable of improving a function related to sleep control further more.SOLUTION: An in-vehicle management device includes: a detection unit for detecting the presence of a target device that is an in-vehicle device not associated with a predetermined message among in-vehicle devices in an in-vehicle network; and a control unit that performs control for transitioning the target device detected by the detection unit to a sleep state if the predetermined message from the in-vehicle device to the in-vehicle management device does not arrive for a continuous predetermined amount of time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle management device and a management method. [Background technology]

[0002] Technologies for adjusting communication settings in an in-vehicle network have been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 (JP 2019-161103 A) discloses the following vehicle control device. That is, the vehicle control device includes a communication interface means for a communication system to which a control device that controls the behavior of a control target mounted on the vehicle is connected, and a communication setting means that is provided independently of the control device and adjusts communication settings for the control device that communicates via the communication system.

[0003] Furthermore, for example, pages 21-23 of Non-Patent Document 1 (AUTOSAR CP R19-11, "Specification of UDP Network Management," AUTOSAR, November 28, 2019) disclose a technology that, in accordance with the AUTOSAR standard, transitions an in-vehicle device to a sleep state when the in-vehicle device does not need to communicate. This technology can reduce the power consumption of the in-vehicle device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-161103 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] AUTOSAR CP R19-11, “Specification of UDP Network Management,” AUTOSAR, November 28, 2019 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] There is a demand for a technology that can further improve the sleep control function beyond the technology of Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an in-vehicle management device and management method that can further improve functions related to sleep control. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The vehicle management device disclosed herein includes a detection unit that detects the presence of a target device, which is an on-board device among the on-board devices in the vehicle network that does not respond to a specified message, and a control unit that controls the target device detected by the detection unit to transition to a sleep state if a state in which the specified message does not arrive from the on-board device continues for a specified period of time.

[0009] The management method disclosed herein is a management method in an on-board management device, and includes a step of detecting the presence of a target device, which is an on-board device among the on-board devices in the on-board network that does not respond to a specified message, and a step of controlling the detected target device to transition to a sleep state if a state in which the specified message does not arrive from the on-board device continues for a specified period of time.

[0010] The present disclosure can be realized not only as an on-board management device equipped with such a characteristic processing unit, but also as a semiconductor integrated circuit that realizes part or all of the on-board management device, or as a program for causing a computer to execute processing steps in the on-board management device, or as an on-board communication system equipped with an on-board management device, or as a semiconductor integrated circuit that realizes part or all of an on-board communication system, or as a relay method in which processing in an on-board communication system is a step, or as a program for causing a computer to execute processing steps in an on-board communication system. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to further improve functions relating to sleep control. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of the in-vehicle communication system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a condition table stored in a storage unit in the relay device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure when the relay device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure transitions the vehicle speed sensor to a sleep state. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure when the relay device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure transitions the vehicle speed sensor to the wake-up state. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sequence of transitions to a sleep state and a wake-up state in an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] First, the contents of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0014] (1) An in-vehicle management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a detection unit that detects the presence of a target device, which is an in-vehicle device among the in-vehicle devices in the in-vehicle network that does not respond to a specified message, and a control unit that controls the target device detected by the detection unit to transition to a sleep state when a state in which the specified message does not arrive from the in-vehicle device continues for a specified period of time.

[0015] In this way, by configuring the target device to transition to a sleep state when a state in which a predetermined message has not arrived continues for a predetermined time, for example, in a system in which an in-vehicle device transitions to a sleep state using a predetermined message, the target device can also transition to a sleep state at the timing when the in-vehicle device should transition to a sleep state, thereby further improving the sleep control function.

[0016] (2) Preferably, the vehicle management device further includes a judgment unit that judges whether the sleep conditions of the target device are met, and the control unit controls the target device to transition to a sleep state when the judgment unit judges that the sleep conditions are met and the vehicle management device does not receive the specified message from the vehicle device for a specified period of time.

[0017] With this configuration, it is not necessary to continue communication between the target device and the other in-vehicle device, and the target device can be transitioned to a sleep state at the timing when the other in-vehicle device should transition to a sleep state.

[0018] (3) Preferably, the vehicle management device further includes a judgment unit that judges whether the sleep conditions of the target device are met, and a transmission unit that, if the judgment unit determines that the sleep conditions are not met, transmits the specified message to the vehicle device in the vehicle network on behalf of the target device.

[0019] With this configuration, when it is necessary to continue communication between the target device and other in-vehicle devices, the other in-vehicle devices can be kept in a awake state by sending a specified message to the other in-vehicle devices, thereby maintaining a state in which the target device and other in-vehicle devices can communicate with each other.

[0020] (4) More preferably, the vehicle-mounted management device further includes an authentication processing unit that performs authentication processing of the target device detected by the detection unit, and the transmission unit transmits the specified message to the vehicle-mounted device on behalf of the target device when the target device has been authenticated by the authentication processing unit.

[0021] This configuration can prevent an unauthorized target device from interfering with the transition to the sleep state of other in-vehicle devices.

[0022] (5) Preferably, the control unit controls the target device to wake up from a sleep state when a wake-up condition for the target device is met or when the vehicle management device receives the specified message from the vehicle device.

[0023] With this configuration, when the target device needs to communicate with another in-vehicle device, or when the other in-vehicle device needs to communicate with the target device, the target device can be woken up from a sleep state, making it possible for the target device and the other in-vehicle device to communicate with each other.

[0024] (6) A management method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a management method in an in-vehicle management device, The method includes the steps of detecting the presence of a target device, which is an on-board device among the on-board devices in the on-board network that does not respond to a specified message, and controlling the detected target device to transition to a sleep state if a state in which the specified message does not arrive from the on-board device continues for a specified period of time.

[0025] In this way, by controlling the transition of the target device to a sleep state when a predetermined message has not arrived for a predetermined period of time, for example, in a system in which an in-vehicle device transitions to a sleep state using a predetermined message, the target device can also transition to a sleep state at the timing when the in-vehicle device should transition to a sleep state, thereby further improving the sleep control function.

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated. Furthermore, at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any manner.

[0027] [Configuration and basic operation] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1, the in-vehicle communication system 301 includes a relay device 101 and an in-vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 111. For example, the in-vehicle communication system 301 includes relay devices 101A and 101B as the relay device 101, and includes in-vehicle ECUs 111A and 111B as the in-vehicle ECU 111. The in-vehicle communication system 301 is mounted on a vehicle 1.

[0028] The relay devices 101A and 101B and the in-vehicle ECUs 111A and 111B are devices that comply with a predetermined in-vehicle network management method. More specifically, the relay devices 101A and 101B and the in-vehicle ECUs 111A and 111B are devices that comply with AUTOSAR (AUTomotive Open System ARchitecture), which is an example of an in-vehicle network management method.

[0029] The in-vehicle ECU 111A and the relay device 101A are connected to each other via a cable 2. The in-vehicle ECU 111B and the relay device 101B are connected to each other via a cable 2. The relay device 101A and the relay device 101B are connected to each other via a cable 2. The cable 2 is, for example, an Ethernet (registered trademark) cable. The relay device 101, the in-vehicle ECU 111, and the cable 2 configure an in-vehicle network.

[0030] The in-vehicle communication system 301 is not limited to a configuration including two in-vehicle ECUs 111, and may be a configuration including three or more in-vehicle ECUs 111. For example, the in-vehicle communication system 301 may be a configuration including two or more in-vehicle ECUs 111 connected to the relay device 101A via the cable 2, or may be a configuration including two or more in-vehicle ECUs 111 connected to the relay device 101B via the cable 2. Furthermore, the in-vehicle communication system 301 may not include the relay device 101B, or may be a configuration including three or more relay devices 101. The relay device 101A is an example of an in-vehicle management device. The relay device 101B and the in-vehicle ECU 111 are examples of in-vehicle devices.

[0031] The in-vehicle communication system 301 may also be configured to include, as an in-vehicle device, a consumer device that is temporarily installed in the vehicle 1. The consumer device is, for example, a terminal device such as a smartphone, or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory.

[0032] The in-vehicle ECU 111 is, for example, an electric power steering (EPS), a brake control device, an accelerator control device, a steering control device, or a driving assistance device that issues instructions to various devices in a driving assistance system (Advanced Driver-Assistance System (ADAS)).

[0033] The relay device 101 is capable of communicating with the in-vehicle ECU 111. The relay device 101 performs a relay process of relaying information exchanged between a plurality of in-vehicle ECUs 111 connected to different cables 2. For example, the relay device 101A is a switch device, and the relay device 101B is a gateway device.

[0034] For example, the in-vehicle ECU 111 periodically transmits an LLDP frame, which is a frame conforming to the Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP), to the relay device 101 connected to the in-vehicle ECU 111. The LLDP frame stores the MAC address and IP address of the in-vehicle ECU 111 that is the sender.

[0035] The relay device 101 receives an LLDP frame from the in-vehicle ECU 111 connected to itself, and acquires various information such as the MAC address and IP address of the in-vehicle ECU 111 that is the sender of the LLDP frame from the received LLDP frame.

[0036] (NM Message) The relay device 101 and the in-vehicle ECU 111 transition from a wake-up state to a sleep state and from the sleep state to the wake-up state. In the wake-up state, the relay device 101 and the in-vehicle ECU 111 communicate with other devices in the in-vehicle communication system 301, and in the sleep state, they stop communicating with other devices in the in-vehicle communication system 301. Here, the sleep state is a state in which power consumption is lower than in the wake-up state due to, for example, stopping some functions of the device, stopping the power supply to the device, or reducing the clock frequency of the device. The sleep state is also called a standby power mode state, a standby state, a power-saving state, a standby state, etc. The wake-up state is also called a normal startup state, a normal operation state, a non-sleep state, etc.

[0037] For example, each of the relay device 101 and the in-vehicle ECU 111 is preset with a sleep condition, which is the condition for transitioning to a sleep state, a timeout time, which is the waiting time from when its own sleep condition is met until transitioning to the sleep state, and a wake-up condition, which is the condition for transitioning to a wake-up state.

[0038] For example, the sleep conditions are that the ignition of the vehicle 1 is turned off, that the vehicle 1 is stopped, etc. Turning the ignition of the vehicle 1 off means that the ignition power of the vehicle 1 is turned off. Also, for example, the wake-up conditions are that the ignition of the vehicle 1 is turned on, that the vehicle 1 starts running, etc. As an example, the relay device 101 and the in-vehicle ECU 111 are set with different sleep conditions, different wake-up conditions, and the same timeout period.

[0039] In a wake-up state, the relay device 101 and the in-vehicle ECU 111 periodically transmit an NM (Network Management) message conforming to AUTOSAR to each device in the in-vehicle communication system 301. Specifically, the relay device 101 and the in-vehicle ECU 111 broadcast an Ethernet frame in which the NM message is stored to each device in the in-vehicle communication system 301. This allows the relay device 101 and the in-vehicle ECU 111 to notify other devices in the in-vehicle communication system 301 that they are in a wake-up state. In other words, the NM message is a message used by each device in the in-vehicle communication system 301 to transition to a sleep state and a wake-up state in cooperation with each other in accordance with the AUTOSAR standard.

[0040] When the relay device 101 and the in-vehicle ECU 111 are in a wake-up state and their sleep conditions are met, they stop transmitting NM messages.

[0041] If the relay device 101 and the in-vehicle ECU 111 do not receive an NM message from another device during the time-out period after their sleep conditions are met in the wake-up state, they transition to the sleep state.

[0042] More specifically, when the relay device 101 and the in-vehicle ECU 111 satisfy their own sleep conditions in the wake-up state, they start their timers. If the relay device 101 and the in-vehicle ECU 111 receive an NM message from another device before the time measured by the timer reaches its own timeout time, they reset the timer. On the other hand, if the time measured by the timer reaches its own timeout time without receiving an NM message from another device after starting or resetting the timer, the relay device 101 and the in-vehicle ECU 111 transition to the sleep state. In this way, each device in the in-vehicle communication system 301 can transition to the sleep state when its sleep condition is satisfied using the NM message.

[0043] When the relay device 101 and the in-vehicle ECU 111 are in the sleep state and their wake-up conditions are met, they transition to the wake-up state and start transmitting NM messages periodically. Furthermore, when the relay device 101 and the in-vehicle ECU 111 are in the sleep state and receive an NM message from another device in the in-vehicle communication system 301, they transition to the wake-up state. This allows the relay device 101 and the in-vehicle ECU 111 to transition to the wake-up state when the wake-up condition of any device in the in-vehicle communication system 301 is met using the NM message.

[0044] In the in-vehicle communication system 301, the NM message can be used to cause each device to transition to a sleep state when there is no need for communication between the devices, for example, thereby reducing the power consumption of each device.

[0045] <Issues> Incidentally, the in-vehicle communication system 301 may include an in-vehicle device that is not AUTOSAR compliant.

[0046] Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 illustrates a state in which a vehicle speed sensor 121 is retrofitted to the in-vehicle communication system 301 illustrated in Fig. 1. For example, the vehicle speed sensor 121 is an example of an in-vehicle device. The vehicle speed sensor 121 is an in-vehicle device added to the in-vehicle communication system 301.

[0047] 2, for example, a user of vehicle 1 connects vehicle speed sensor 121 to relay device 101A. Vehicle speed sensor 121 is an in-vehicle device that does not comply with AUTOSAR and does not support NM messages. That is, NM messages are messages that vehicle speed sensor 121 cannot process. Vehicle speed sensor 121 is an in-vehicle device that does not have a function related to NM messages, and is therefore unable to process received NM messages and unable to transmit NM messages. Vehicle speed sensor 121, for example, periodically measures the speed of vehicle 1 and transmits Ethernet frames including measurement information indicating the measurement results to in-vehicle ECU 111A via relay device 101A.

[0048] In the in-vehicle communication system 301, the vehicle speed sensor 121 cannot be transitioned to a sleep state using an NM message, and therefore it is not possible to reduce the power consumption of the vehicle speed sensor 121. In other words, the vehicle speed sensor 121 cannot cooperate with other devices in the in-vehicle communication system 301 in accordance with the AUTOSAR standard regarding transition to a sleep state and transition to a wake-up state.

[0049] Therefore, the in-vehicle communication system 301 and relay device 101A of the present disclosure solve these problems by using the following configuration and operation to reduce the power consumption of devices that cannot cooperate with other devices when transitioning to a sleep state or a wake-up state.

[0050] <Relay device> 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 3, relay device 101A includes communication ports 15A, 15B, and 15C, relay unit 11, detection unit 21, determination unit 31, control unit 41, NM processing unit 51, storage unit 61, and timers 71A and 71B. Hereinafter, each of communication ports 15A, 15B, and 15C will also be referred to as communication port 15. NM processing unit 51 is an example of a transmission unit.

[0051] The communication port 15 is, for example, a terminal to which a cable 2 can be connected. The communication port 15 may be a terminal of an integrated circuit. The communication port 15A is connected to the relay device 101B via the cable 2. The communication port 15B is connected to the in-vehicle ECU 111A via the cable 2. The communication port 15C is connected to the vehicle speed sensor 121 via the cable 2. The relay device 101A may be configured to include four or more communication ports 15.

[0052] The storage unit 61 stores a timeout period, and also stores a sleep condition and a wake-up condition for the relay device 101A.

[0053] The relay unit 11, the detection unit 21, the determination unit 31, the control unit 41, and the NM processing unit 51 are realized by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc. The storage unit 61 is, for example, a non-volatile memory.

[0054] The relay unit 11 receives Ethernet frames transmitted from on-board devices such as the on-board ECU 111 and the vehicle speed sensor 121 via the communication port 15, and performs relay processing on the received Ethernet frames. For example, the relay unit 11 can function as an L2 switch, and performs relay processing on Ethernet frames transmitted between the on-board ECU 111A and the vehicle speed sensor 121 connected to the relay device 101A. Furthermore, for example, the relay unit 11 can function as an L3 switch, and performs relay processing on Ethernet frames transmitted between on-board devices connected to different relay devices 101.

[0055] (Detection unit) The detection unit 21 detects the presence of a target device, which is an in-vehicle device that does not support NM messages among the in-vehicle devices in the in-vehicle network. More specifically, the detection unit 21 detects the presence of a vehicle speed sensor 121, which is an in-vehicle device that does not conform to AUTOSAR, as the target device. The NM message is an example of a predetermined message.

[0056] When the vehicle speed sensor 121 is connected to the communication port 15C in the relay device 101A via the cable 2, the vehicle speed sensor 121 generates an authentication frame, which is an Ethernet frame including non-compliance information indicating that the vehicle speed sensor 121 is not compliant with AUTOSAR and authentication information such as the vehicle speed sensor 121's ID and MAC address, and transmits the generated authentication frame to the relay device 101A.

[0057] The relay unit 11 receives an authentication frame from the vehicle speed sensor 121 via the communication port 15C, and outputs the received authentication frame to the detection unit 21.

[0058] The detection unit 21 receives an authentication frame from the relay unit 11 and acquires authentication information and non-compliance information from the authentication frame. Since the authentication frame contains non-compliance information, the detection unit 21 determines that the vehicle speed sensor 121, which is the sender of the authentication frame, does not support NM messages. The detection unit 21 then performs authentication processing for the vehicle speed sensor 121 using the acquired authentication information. In other words, the detection unit 21 functions as an authentication processing unit. If the authentication processing is successful, the detection unit 21 acquires the MAC address of the vehicle speed sensor 121 from the authentication frame and stores the acquired MAC address in the storage unit 61 as the MAC address of the target device.

[0059] When the detection unit 21 stores the MAC address of the vehicle speed sensor 121 as the MAC address of the target device in the storage unit 61, the detection unit 21 acquires the sleep condition and wake-up condition of the vehicle speed sensor 121.

[0060] More specifically, for example, the vehicle speed sensor 121 generates an LLDP frame including condition information indicating its own sleep condition and wake-up condition, and transmits the generated LLDP frame to the relay device 101A.

[0061] The detection unit 21 receives an LLDP frame from the vehicle speed sensor 121 via the communication port 15C and the relay unit 11, and acquires condition information from the received LLDP frame. The detection unit 21 stores the sleep conditions and wake-up conditions indicated by the acquired condition information in the storage unit 61 as the sleep conditions and wake-up conditions of the target device.

[0062] Alternatively, the vehicle speed sensor 121 generates an LLDP frame including function information indicating its own function. More specifically, the vehicle speed sensor 121 generates an LLDP frame including function information indicating that the vehicle speed sensor 121 has a vehicle speed measurement function. The vehicle speed sensor 121 then transmits the generated LLDP frame to the relay device 101A.

[0063] The detector 21 receives an LLDP frame from the vehicle speed sensor 121 via the communication port 15C and the relay unit 11, and acquires function information from the received LLDP frame.

[0064] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a condition table stored in a storage unit in the relay device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 4, a storage unit 61 stores a condition table indicating a correspondence relationship between functions of the in-vehicle device and sleep conditions and wake-up conditions.

[0065] The detection unit 21 acquires the sleep conditions and wake-up conditions corresponding to the function indicated by the function information acquired from the LLDP frame, i.e., the vehicle speed measurement function, from the condition table in the storage unit 61. The detection unit 21 stores the acquired sleep conditions and wake-up conditions in the storage unit 61 as the sleep conditions and wake-up conditions of the target device.

[0066] (Judgment Department) The determination unit 31 determines whether the sleep condition of the relay device 101A is met and whether the wake-up condition of the relay device 101A is met.

[0067] More specifically, determination unit 31 monitors the state of vehicle 1, and based on the monitoring result, performs a determination process to determine whether the sleep condition of relay device 101A stored in memory unit 61 is met, and whether the wake-up condition of relay device 101A stored in memory unit 61 is met. Determination unit 31 performs the determination process, for example, periodically, and notifies control unit 41 and NM processing unit 51 of the determination result.

[0068] The determination unit 31 also determines whether the sleep condition of the vehicle speed sensor 121, which is the target device, is satisfied, and whether the wake-up condition of the vehicle speed sensor 121 is satisfied.

[0069] More specifically, the determination unit 31 performs a determination process to determine whether the sleep conditions of the target device stored in the storage unit 61 are met and whether the wake-up conditions of the target device stored in the storage unit 61 are met, based on the monitoring results of the state of the vehicle 1. The determination unit 31 performs the determination process, for example, periodically, and notifies the control unit 41 and the NM processing unit 51 of the determination results.

[0070] (NM processing section) When the relay unit 11 receives an Ethernet frame storing an NM message from an in-vehicle device in the in-vehicle communication system 301 via the communication port 15 , it outputs the received Ethernet frame to the NM processing unit 51 .

[0071] The NM processing unit 51 receives an Ethernet frame from the relay unit 11, acquires an NM message from the received Ethernet frame, and outputs an NM reception notification to the control unit 41 indicating that the NM message has been received from an in-vehicle device in the in-vehicle communication system 301.

[0072] Furthermore, while the relay device 101A is in a wake-up state, the NM processing unit 51 broadcasts an NM message to each device in the in-vehicle communication system 301. Specifically, the NM processing unit 51 generates an Ethernet frame that includes a broadcast address as the destination IP address and in which the NM message is stored, and transmits the generated Ethernet frame to each device in the in-vehicle communication system 301 via the relay unit 11 and the communication port 15.

[0073] More specifically, when NM processing unit 51 receives a notification from determination unit 31 that the wake-up condition of relay device 101A has been met, NM processing unit 51 starts or continues the periodic broadcast of NM messages. Also, when NM processing unit 51 receives a notification from determination unit 31 that the sleep condition of relay device 101A has been met, NM processing unit 51 stops broadcasting NM messages until it receives a notification from determination unit 31 that the wake-up condition of relay device 101A has been met.

[0074] For example, when the determination unit 31 determines that the sleep condition of the vehicle speed sensor 121, which is the target device, is not satisfied, the NM processing unit 51 transmits the NM message to the in-vehicle device in the in-vehicle network instead of the vehicle speed sensor 121.

[0075] More specifically, when the NM processing unit 51 receives a notification from the determination unit 31 that the wake-up condition for the vehicle speed sensor 121 has been met, the NM processing unit 51 starts or continues to periodically broadcast an NM message on behalf of the vehicle speed sensor 121. Furthermore, when the NM processing unit 51 receives a notification from the determination unit 31 that the sleep condition for the vehicle speed sensor 121 has been met, the NM processing unit 51 stops broadcasting an NM message on behalf of the vehicle speed sensor 121 until the NM processing unit 51 receives a notification from the determination unit 31 that the wake-up condition for the vehicle speed sensor 121 has been met.

[0076] For example, if the vehicle speed sensor 121 has been authenticated, the NM processing unit 51 transmits an NM message on behalf of the vehicle speed sensor 121. On the other hand, if the vehicle speed sensor 121 has not been authenticated, the NM processing unit 51 does not transmit an NM message on behalf of the vehicle speed sensor 121, regardless of whether or not the determination unit 31 has notified the user that the wake-up condition for the vehicle speed sensor 121 has been met.

[0077] More specifically, the NM processing unit 51 confirms that the MAC address of the vehicle speed sensor 121 is stored in the storage unit 61 as the MAC address of the target device, and broadcasts an NM message on behalf of the vehicle speed sensor 121. On the other hand, if the MAC address of the vehicle speed sensor 121 is not stored in the storage unit 61 as the MAC address of the target device, the NM processing unit 51 does not broadcast an NM message on behalf of the vehicle speed sensor 121.

[0078] (Control unit) Control unit 41 performs a process of transitioning relay device 101A to a sleep state and a process of transitioning relay device 101A to a wake-up state. Control unit 41 also controls vehicle speed sensor 121, which is a target device, to transition to a sleep state and a process of transitioning vehicle speed sensor 121 to a wake-up state.

[0079] (Example of a process for transitioning the state of a relay device) When relay device 101A is in a wake-up state, if control unit 41 receives a notification from determination unit 31 that the sleep condition of relay device 101A has been met, control unit 41 starts timer 71A.

[0080] Control unit 41 resets timer 71A when it receives an NM reception notification from NM processing unit 51 before the time measured by timer 71A reaches the timeout time in storage unit 61. On the other hand, if control unit 41 starts or resets timer 71A and then the time measured by timer 71A reaches the timeout time without receiving an NM reception notification from NM processing unit 51, control unit 41 performs processing to transition relay device 101A to a sleep state.

[0081] When the relay device 101A is in a sleep state, the control unit 41 performs processing to transition the relay device 101A to a wake-up state when the control unit 41 receives a notification from the judgment unit 31 that the wake-up condition of the relay device 101A has been met or receives an NM reception notification from the NM processing unit 51.

[0082] (Example 1 of control to transition the vehicle speed sensor to sleep mode) When the determination unit 31 determines that the sleep condition for the vehicle speed sensor 121, which is the target device, is satisfied, the control unit 41 performs control to transition the vehicle speed sensor 121 to a sleep state.

[0083] More specifically, when control unit 41 receives a notification from determination unit 31 that the sleep condition for vehicle speed sensor 121 has been met, control unit 41 transmits a sleep transition instruction to vehicle speed sensor 121 via relay unit 11 as a message that can be processed by vehicle speed sensor 121, instructing vehicle speed sensor 121 to transition to a sleep state. Specifically, when control unit 41 receives a notification from determination unit 31 that the sleep condition for vehicle speed sensor 121 has been met, control unit 41 generates an Ethernet frame addressed to vehicle speed sensor 121 that includes the sleep transition instruction, and outputs the generated Ethernet frame to relay unit 11.

[0084] Relay unit 11 receives the Ethernet frame from control unit 41 and transmits the received Ethernet frame to vehicle speed sensor 121 via communication port 15C.

[0085] Vehicle speed sensor 121 receives the Ethernet frame from relay device 101A and transitions to a sleep state in accordance with the sleep transition instruction included in the received Ethernet frame.

[0086] (Example 2 of control to transition the vehicle speed sensor to sleep mode) If a state in which no NM message arrives at relay device 101A continues for a predetermined time, control unit 41 controls vehicle speed sensor 121, which is a target device, to transition to a sleep state. That is, if NM messages no longer arrive at relay device 101A, control unit 41 controls vehicle speed sensor 121 to transition to a sleep state. More specifically, if a state in which no NM reception notification is received from NM processing unit 51 continues for a predetermined time, control unit 41 generates an Ethernet frame including a sleep transition instruction and transmits the generated Ethernet frame to vehicle speed sensor 121 via relay unit 11 and communication port 15C.

[0087] For example, when the judgment unit 31 determines that the sleep condition of the target device, the vehicle speed sensor 121, is met and a state in which no NM message arrives at the relay device 101A continues for a predetermined time, the control unit 41 controls the vehicle speed sensor 121 to transition to a sleep state.

[0088] More specifically, when the control unit 41 receives a notification from the determination unit 31 that the sleep condition of the vehicle speed sensor 121 is met, the control unit 41 starts the timer 71B.

[0089] The control unit 41 resets the timer 71B when it receives an NM reception notification from the NM processing unit 51 before the time measured by the timer 71B reaches the timeout time in the memory unit 61. On the other hand, if the time measured by the timer 71B reaches the timeout time without receiving an NM reception notification from the NM processing unit 51 after starting or resetting the timer 71B, the control unit 41 generates an Ethernet frame including a sleep transition instruction and transmits the generated Ethernet frame to the vehicle speed sensor 121 via the relay unit 11 and the communication port 15C.

[0090] Vehicle speed sensor 121 receives the Ethernet frame from relay device 101A and transitions to a sleep state in accordance with the sleep transition instruction included in the received Ethernet frame.

[0091] (Example of control to transition the vehicle speed sensor to the wake-up state) When the wake-up condition for the vehicle speed sensor 121 is met or when the relay device 101A receives an NM message, the control unit 41 performs control to wake up the vehicle speed sensor 121 from the sleep state.

[0092] More specifically, when the control unit 41 receives a notification from the determination unit 31 that a wake-up condition for the vehicle speed sensor 121 has been met or receives an NM reception notification from the NM processing unit 51 while the vehicle speed sensor 121 is in a sleep state, the control unit 41 performs control to transition the vehicle speed sensor 121 to a wake-up state. More specifically, the control unit 41 transmits a wake-up transition instruction to transition to the wake-up state to the vehicle speed sensor 121 via the relay unit 11 as a message that can be processed by the vehicle speed sensor 121. Specifically, the control unit 41 generates an Ethernet frame addressed to the vehicle speed sensor 121 that includes the wake-up transition instruction to transition to the wake-up state, and transmits the generated Ethernet frame to the vehicle speed sensor 121 via the relay unit 11 and the communication port 15C.

[0093] Vehicle speed sensor 121 receives the Ethernet frame from relay device 101A and transitions to a wake-up state in accordance with the wake-up transition instruction included in the received Ethernet frame.

[0094] [Operation flow] Each device in the in-vehicle communication system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a computer including a memory, and a processing unit such as a CPU in the computer reads from the memory and executes a program including some or all of the steps in the following sequence. The programs for each of the devices can be installed externally. The programs for each of the devices are distributed in a state stored on a recording medium or via a communication line.

[0095] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure when the relay device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure transitions the vehicle speed sensor to a sleep state.

[0096] Referring to FIG. 5, first, relay device 101A detects the presence of vehicle speed sensor 121 as a target device in the in-vehicle network (step S102).

[0097] Next, relay device 101A acquires the sleep condition and wake-up condition of vehicle speed sensor 121 (step S104).

[0098] Next, relay device 101A waits for the sleep condition of vehicle speed sensor 121 to be met (NO in step S106), and when it determines that the sleep condition of vehicle speed sensor 121 is met (YES in step S106), it starts timer 71B (step S108).

[0099] Next, the relay device 101A waits for the time measured by the timer 71B to reach the timeout time and for an NM message from an in-vehicle device in the in-vehicle communication system 301 (NO in step S110 and NO in step S112), and if it receives an NM message from the in-vehicle device before the time measured by the timer 71B reaches the timeout time (NO in step S110 and YES in step S112), it resets the timer 71B (step S114).

[0100] On the other hand, if a state in which no NM message arrives at relay device 101A continues for a predetermined time, relay device 101A controls vehicle speed sensor 121 to transition to a sleep state. More specifically, if the time measured by timer 71B reaches the timeout time without receiving an NM message from an in-vehicle device after starting or resetting timer 71B (YES in step S110), relay device 101A transmits a sleep transition instruction to vehicle speed sensor 121 (step S116).

[0101] 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure when a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure transitions a vehicle speed sensor to a wake-up state. Referring to FIG. 6, first, when the vehicle speed sensor 121 is in a sleep state, the relay device 101A waits for the establishment of a wake-up condition for the vehicle speed sensor 121 and for an NM message from an in-vehicle device in the in-vehicle communication system 301 (NO in step S202 and NO in step S204).

[0102] Next, for example, when relay device 101A determines that the wake-up condition for vehicle speed sensor 121 is met (YES in step S202), relay device 101A transmits a wake-up transition instruction to vehicle speed sensor 121 (step S206).

[0103] Alternatively, when the relay device 101A receives an NM message from an in-vehicle device in the in-vehicle communication system 301 (YES in step S204), the relay device 101A transmits a wake-up transition instruction to the vehicle speed sensor 121 (step S206).

[0104] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sequence of transitions to a sleep state and a wake-up state in an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0105] Referring to FIG. 7, first, in-vehicle ECU 111 and relay device 101 transmit and receive NM messages, for example, periodically (step S302).

[0106] Next, the vehicle speed sensor 121 is added to the in-vehicle communication system 301. Specifically, for example, the user of the vehicle 1 connects the vehicle speed sensor 121 to the relay device 101A (step S304).

[0107] Next, vehicle speed sensor 121 transmits the authentication information in an authentication frame to relay device 101A (step S306).

[0108] Next, the relay device 101A acquires authentication information from the authentication frame received from the vehicle speed sensor 121, and performs authentication processing of the vehicle speed sensor 121 using the acquired authentication information. If the authentication processing is successful, the relay device 101A stores the MAC address of the vehicle speed sensor 121 in the memory unit 61 as the MAC address of the target device (step S308).

[0109] Next, the vehicle speed sensor 121 includes condition information indicating the sleep condition and the wake-up condition in an LLDP frame and transmits the frame to the relay device 101A (step S310).

[0110] Next, relay device 101A determines that the sleep condition for vehicle speed sensor 121 is met (step S312).

[0111] Next, the in-vehicle ECU 111 and the relay device 101 determine that their own sleep conditions are met (step S314).

[0112] Next, when the time-out period of the timer reaches the time-out period, the in-vehicle ECU 111 and the relay device 101 transition to a sleep state (step S316).

[0113] Next, relay device 101A transmits a sleep transition instruction to vehicle speed sensor 121 in an Ethernet frame (step S318).

[0114] Next, vehicle speed sensor 121 transitions to a sleep state in accordance with the sleep transition instruction contained in the Ethernet frame received from relay device 101A (step S320).

[0115] Next, relay device 101A determines that the wake-up condition for vehicle speed sensor 121 is met (step S322).

[0116] Next, relay device 101A transmits a wake-up transition instruction to vehicle speed sensor 121 in an Ethernet frame (step S324).

[0117] Next, vehicle speed sensor 121 transitions to a wake-up state in accordance with the wake-up transition instruction contained in the Ethernet frame received from relay device 101A (step S326).

[0118] In the in-vehicle communication system 301 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the NM processing unit 51 is configured to transmit an NM message to an in-vehicle device in the in-vehicle network instead of the vehicle speed sensor 121 when it is determined that the sleep condition of the vehicle speed sensor 121 is not satisfied, but the present invention is not limited to this. The NM processing unit 51 may be configured to periodically broadcast an NM message until it receives a notification from the determination unit 31 that the sleep condition of the relay device 101A is satisfied, and to stop broadcasting the NM message when it receives a notification from the determination unit 31 that the sleep condition of the relay device 101A is satisfied, regardless of whether the sleep condition of the vehicle speed sensor 121 is satisfied.

[0119] In addition, the NM processing unit 51 may be configured to broadcast an NM message when at least one of the sleep conditions of the relay device 101A and the sleep conditions of the vehicle speed sensor 121 is not met, and to stop broadcasting the NM message when the sleep conditions of the relay device 101A and the sleep conditions of the vehicle speed sensor 121 are met.

[0120] Furthermore, vehicle speed sensor 121 may transition to a sleep state independently of control by control unit 41. NM processing unit 51 may be configured to determine that vehicle speed sensor 121 has transitioned to a sleep state independently of control by control unit 41, when communication between relay device 101A and vehicle speed sensor 121 has stopped for a predetermined time, and to stop NM messages on behalf of vehicle speed sensor 121.

[0121] Furthermore, in the in-vehicle communication system 301 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the NM processing unit 51 is configured not to transmit an NM message on behalf of the vehicle speed sensor 121 if the vehicle speed sensor 121 has not been authenticated, but this is not limited to this. The NM processing unit 51 may be configured to broadcast an NM message on behalf of the vehicle speed sensor 121 regardless of whether the vehicle speed sensor 121 has been authenticated.

[0122] Furthermore, in the in-vehicle communication system 301 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit 41 is configured to control the vehicle speed sensor 121 to return from a sleep state, but this is not limited to this. The control unit 41 may be configured to control the vehicle speed sensor 121 to transition to a sleep state, but not to control the vehicle speed sensor 121 to return from the sleep state.

[0123] In addition, in the in-vehicle communication system 301 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the detection unit 21 is configured to determine that the vehicle speed sensor 121, which is the sender of the authentication frame, does not support NM messages when non-compliance information is included in the authentication frame received from the vehicle speed sensor 121 via the communication port 15C and the relay unit 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The detection unit 21 may also be configured to detect an in-vehicle device that does not comply with AUTOSAR as follows.

[0124] That is, for example, communication port 15C is predetermined to be a communication port 15 to which a device that does not conform to AUTOSAR is connected. When detecting unit 21 receives an authentication frame from vehicle speed sensor 121 via communication port 15C and relay unit 11, detecting unit 21 determines that vehicle speed sensor 121, which is the sender of the LLDP frame, does not support NM messages.

[0125] Alternatively, the detection unit 21 monitors the communication port 15C, and when the vehicle speed sensor 121 is connected to the communication port 15C, it detects that the communication port 15C has linked up. The detection unit 21 then determines whether the microcontroller in the vehicle speed sensor 121 is operating by transmitting and receiving an ICMP frame, which is a frame conforming to the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), or an ARP frame, which is a frame conforming to the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), to and from the vehicle speed sensor 121 via the relay unit 11 and the communication port 15C. If the NM processing unit 51 does not receive an NM message from the vehicle speed sensor 121 even though the microcontroller in the vehicle speed sensor 121 is operating, the detection unit 21 determines that the vehicle speed sensor 121 does not support NM messages.

[0126] Furthermore, in the in-vehicle communication system 301 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit 41 is configured to transmit an Ethernet frame including a sleep transition instruction to the vehicle speed sensor 121 via the relay unit 11 and the communication port 15C, but this is not limited to this. The control unit 41 may be configured to control the power supply to the vehicle speed sensor 121 to be turned off, instead of transmitting an Ethernet frame including a sleep transition instruction to the vehicle speed sensor 121 via the relay unit 11 and the communication port 15C.

[0127] Furthermore, in the in-vehicle communication system 301 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit 41 is configured to transmit an Ethernet frame including a wake-up transition instruction to the vehicle speed sensor 121 via the relay unit 11 and the communication port 15C, but this is not limiting. The control unit 41 may be configured to control turning on the power supply to the vehicle speed sensor 121, instead of transmitting an Ethernet frame including a wake-up transition instruction to the vehicle speed sensor 121 via the relay unit 11 and the communication port 15C.

[0128] In addition, in-vehicle communication system 301 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, relay device 101A is configured to control vehicle speed sensor 121 to transition to a sleep state and a wake-up state, but this is not limiting. Instead of relay device 101A, relay device 101B may be configured to control vehicle speed sensor 121 to transition to a sleep state and a wake-up state via relay device 101A.

[0129] Furthermore, in the in-vehicle communication system 301 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the detection unit 21 is configured to detect, as the target device, the vehicle speed sensor 121, which is an in-vehicle device added to the in-vehicle communication system 301; however, this is not limited to this. The detection unit 21 may be configured to detect, as the target device, an in-vehicle device already installed in the in-vehicle communication system 301. In other words, the detection unit 21 may be configured to detect, as the target device, an in-vehicle device that is installed in the in-vehicle communication system 301 at the time of shipment of the vehicle 1.

[0130] Furthermore, in the in-vehicle communication system 301 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the detection unit 21 is configured to detect, as a target device, an in-vehicle device that does not comply with AUTOSAR, but this is not limited to this. For example, the detection unit 21 may be configured to detect, as a target device, an in-vehicle device that does not comply with OSEK, which is an example of an in-vehicle network management method. In other words, the detection unit 21 may be configured to detect, as a target device, an in-vehicle device that does not support a predetermined message according to OSEK.

[0131] Furthermore, in the in-vehicle communication system 301 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the detection unit 21 is configured to detect the vehicle speed sensor 121 as the target device, but this is not limited to this. The detection unit 21 may be configured to detect an in-vehicle device other than the vehicle speed sensor 121, such as a camera, as the target device.

[0132] The above-described embodiments should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0133] The above description includes the following additional features. [Appendix 1] An in-vehicle management device, a detection unit configured to detect the presence of a target device, which is an in-vehicle device that does not support a predetermined message, among the in-vehicle devices in the in-vehicle network; a determination unit that determines whether a sleep condition of the target device detected by the detection unit is met; a control unit that controls the target device to transition to a sleep state when the determination unit determines that the sleep condition is met. [Explanation of symbols]

[0134] 1 vehicle 2 Cables 11 Relay Section 15, 15A, 15B, 15C communication ports 21 Detection unit 31 Judgment Department 41 Control Unit 51 NM processing section 61 Storage section 71A, 71B Timer 101, 101A, 101B Repeater 111,111A,111B Automotive ECU 121 Vehicle speed sensor 301 In-Vehicle Communication System

Claims

1. An in-vehicle management device, a detection unit configured to detect the presence of a target device, which is an in-vehicle device that does not support a predetermined message, among the in-vehicle devices in the in-vehicle network; a control unit that controls the target device detected by the detection unit to transition to a sleep state when a state in which the predetermined message from the in-vehicle device does not arrive at the in-vehicle management device continues for a predetermined time; a determination unit that determines whether a sleep condition of the target device is met; a transmitter that transmits the predetermined message to the in-vehicle device in the in-vehicle network instead of the target device when the determiner determines that the sleep condition is not satisfied; an authentication processing unit that performs authentication processing of the target device detected by the detection unit, The transmission unit transmits the predetermined message to the in-vehicle device on behalf of the target device when the target device has been authenticated by the authentication processing unit.

2. The vehicle management device described in Claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the target device to transition to a sleep state when the judgment unit determines that the sleep condition is met and the vehicle management device does not receive the specified message from the vehicle device for a specified period of time.

3. 3. The vehicle management device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the target device to wake up from a sleep state when a wake-up condition for the target device is met or when the vehicle management device receives the specified message from the vehicle device.

4. A management method in an in-vehicle management device, detecting the presence of a target device, which is an in-vehicle device that does not support a predetermined message, among the in-vehicle devices in the in-vehicle network; When a state in which the predetermined message does not arrive from the in-vehicle device to the in-vehicle management device continues for a predetermined time, performing control to transition the detected target device to a sleep state; determining whether a sleep condition for the target device is met; transmitting the predetermined message to the in-vehicle device in the in-vehicle network instead of the target device when it is determined that the sleep condition is not satisfied; performing an authentication process for the detected target device; In the step of transmitting the predetermined message, the predetermined message is transmitted to the in-vehicle device on behalf of the target device if the target device has been authenticated.

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