In-vehicle control device

Abstract

The present invention facilitates saving of power on a sensor 105 while checking the condition of the sensor 105 in each of zone ECUs 109 that are provided in zone units in a vehicle and that are provided to respective zones. A zone ECU 109 is an ECU provided in each zone unit of a vehicle, is capable of communicating with a sensor 105 provided to a zone, and is also capable of controlling the voltage to be applied to the sensor 105. The zone ECU comprises: a power supply circuit 107 that applies voltage to the sensor 105 via a power line 106; a voltage control circuit 102 that controls the voltage to be applied to the sensor 105 from the power supply circuit 107; a communication circuit 104 that receives, from the sensor 105, sensor information indicating the condition of the sensor; and a diagnostic circuit 103 that changes the voltage to be applied to the sensor 105 in accordance with the sensor 105 information received by the communication circuit 104. The voltage control circuit 102 executes control such that the voltage changed by the diagnostic circuit 103 is to be applied to the sensor 105.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an on-vehicle control device that reduces power consumption of sensors mounted on a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, sensor performance has improved dramatically as autonomous driving levels have become more advanced, and the number of sensors used for autonomous driving has also been steadily increasing. On the other hand, with the advancement of EVs, the power consumption of in-vehicle components has a significant impact on the driving distance of a battery, so the increase in the power consumption of sensors cannot be ignored.

[0003] Furthermore, as vehicles become more electronic, the number of ECUs (Electronic Control Units) and harnesses has increased, creating a problem of an increased number of parts. Furthermore, because software is scattered across individual ECUs, software updates via OTA (Over-the-Air) are difficult. Therefore, progress has been made on zone architecture, which reduces the number of ECUs by integrating software into a central ECU and placing zone ECUs in locations such as the front right and front left as power supply and communication hubs, thereby reducing the number of harnesses (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-020606 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a zone architecture. It discloses that a zone ECU placed at each location serves as a communication hub between the central control unit and each sensor and actuator, and as a power supply hub between the battery and each sensor and actuator. Patent Document 1 also mentions a function to turn sensors on and off depending on the vehicle usage situation (for example, when updating the program of the central control unit, when the vehicle is parked, etc.).

[0006] However, although Patent Document 1 discloses that the power of the sensor is controlled according to the use scene of the vehicle, the state of the sensor is not taken into consideration in the power control of the sensor. In other words, Patent Document 1 does not allow for the power control of the sensor while checking whether the sensor is operating normally, for example.

[0007] The present disclosure aims to provide an on-board control device that is installed on a vehicle zone basis and is capable of communicating with sensors installed in the zones and controlling the power of the sensors, and that is capable of reducing the power consumption of the sensors while checking the status of the sensors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The vehicle control device disclosed herein is an on-board control device that is installed on a vehicle zone basis, that is capable of communicating with sensors installed in the zones and controlling the voltage applied to the sensors, and that includes a power supply means that applies a voltage to the sensors via a power line, a voltage control means that controls the voltage applied to the sensors from the power supply means, a communication means that receives sensor information from the sensors that indicates the state of the sensors, and a change means that changes the voltage applied to the sensors based on the sensor information received by the communication means, and the voltage control means performs control so that the voltage changed by the change means is applied to the sensors. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, an onboard control device that is installed in each vehicle zone and capable of communicating with and controlling the power of sensors installed in each zone can reduce the power consumption of the sensors while checking the sensor status. As a result, the fuel efficiency of a vehicle equipped with the onboard control device of the present disclosure is improved. Furthermore, since the onboard control device of the present disclosure can reduce the power consumption of the sensors while checking the normal operation of the sensors, the onboard control device of the present disclosure can be applied to sensors with high safety requirements (e.g., sensors that acquire data used for autonomous driving). Furthermore, since the onboard control device installed in each vehicle zone can both communicate with the sensors and control their power consumption, sensor power consumption can be reduced with a single onboard control device, eliminating the need for wasteful communication design, such as sending communication with the sensors to a central control device. Therefore, the design for sensor power consumption can be completed by a single onboard control device vendor and does not have to be cross-vendor, etc., which simplifies the design of the onboard control device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a circuit block diagram showing an on-vehicle control device (zone ECU) according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a circuit block diagram showing an on-board control device (zone ECU) according to a second embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a circuit block diagram showing an on-board control device (zone ECU) according to a third embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a circuit block diagram showing an on-board control device (zone ECU) according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a circuit block diagram showing an on-board control device (zone ECU) according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing an on-board control device (zone ECU) mounted on a general vehicle. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the layout of an on-board control unit (zone ECU) and sensors installed in a vehicle to which the zone architecture is applied. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a circuit block diagram showing an on-board control device (zone ECU) according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is table data showing an example of the relationship between the vehicle state and the power supply voltage. [Figure 10] 3 is a flowchart executed by an on-board control device (zone ECU) according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the description of the embodiments shown below. Those skilled in the art will easily understand that the specific configuration can be changed without departing from the concept or spirit of the present invention. In the configuration of the invention described below, the same parts or parts having similar functions are denoted by the same reference numerals in different drawings, and redundant explanations may be omitted. When there are multiple elements having the same or similar functions, they may be described using the same reference numeral with different subscripts. However, when there is no need to distinguish between multiple elements, the subscripts may be omitted. The designations "first," "second," "third," etc. in this specification are used to identify components and do not necessarily limit the number, order, or content thereof. Furthermore, numbers used to identify components are used in different contexts, and numbers used in one context do not necessarily indicate the same configuration in another context. Furthermore, this does not prevent a component identified by a certain number from also serving the function of a component identified by another number. In order to facilitate understanding of the invention, the position, size, shape, range, etc. of each component shown in the drawings etc. may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the position, size, shape, range, etc. disclosed in the drawings etc. All publications, patents, and patent applications cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. As used herein, elements referred to in the singular are intended to include the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0012] Before describing this embodiment, we will explain the difficulty of reducing sensor power consumption with current ECU configurations using the circuit block diagram of a vehicle control device (hereinafter, the vehicle control device will be referred to as an ECU as appropriate) installed in a typical vehicle shown in FIG. 6 . Currently, separate ECUs manage the power supply and communication for various actuators (brake control ECU 602, headlight control unit 603, air conditioning control unit 604, and autonomous driving ECU 605) including sensors (LiDAR 607, radar 608, camera 609). That is, a power control ECU 601 controls the power of each ECU. For example, the power control ECU 601 receives power from a battery 108 and transmits it to each ECU via a DC-DC converter (power supply circuit 107). Meanwhile, communication control between each ECU is performed by a central gateway ECU 610, which is separate from the power control ECU 601. For example, the central gateway ECU 610 transmits and receives data between each ECU connected via communication lines.

[0013] Even now, there are examples of adjusting the load power according to the vehicle's condition. For example, when emergency braking is applied, a large amount of power is consumed instantaneously, so power supply to headlights and air conditioners is temporarily cut off or the voltage is reduced to save power and prevent the engine from stalling. However, such methods are effective for air conditioners and headlights, which have low safety requirements and operate in an analog manner. However, they cannot be applied to sensors for autonomous driving, which have high safety requirements and include digital circuits that will stop working if the power supply voltage is lowered beyond a certain threshold. This is because, in some cases, it may take time to restart, which could have a high potential to affect autonomous driving or driver assistance.

[0014] Therefore, when controlling the power supply voltage to reduce the power consumption of sensors for autonomous driving, it is necessary to change the voltage while checking the normal operation of the sensors. However, in the current configuration, only the autonomous driving ECU 605 can communicate with the sensors and grasp their status, while only the power supply control ECU 601 can control the sensor voltage. If the power supply control ECU 601 attempts to adjust the sensor voltage while grasping the sensor status, it must obtain the sensor status via the central gateway ECU 610. Therefore, at least three ECUs (the power supply control ECU 601, the central gateway ECU 610, and the autonomous driving ECU 605) must be designed and verified to perform overall control, making system design difficult. Sensor data must be transmitted and received between ECUs, which constrains communication bandwidth and requires attention to transmission delays. For this reason, it is difficult to reduce the power consumption of sensors for autonomous driving in the current configuration.

[0015] Next, the vehicle architecture of this embodiment will be described using the block diagram of FIG. 7 showing the layout of ECUs and sensors installed in a vehicle employing the zone architecture. In recent years, the increasing number of ECUs and harnesses has become a problem due to the increasing number of components associated with the increasing electronics of vehicles. Furthermore, because software is scattered across individual ECUs, over-the-air (OTA) software updates are difficult. Therefore, a zone architecture that reduces the number of harnesses by consolidating software into a central ECU 101 and arranging zone ECUs 109 in each zone, such as the front right and front left, as hubs for power control and communication control is becoming mainstream. A distinctive feature of the zone ECU 109 in the zone architecture is that it functions as a hub for both power control and communication control. Conventionally, power lines and communication lines are bundled for each function, as shown in FIG. 6. However, in the zone architecture of FIG. 7, communication lines and power lines are routed on a zone-by-zone basis, connecting the zone ECU 109 to actuators 701 and sensors 702. This reduces the number of harnesses and achieves cost reduction. This embodiment is premised on a vehicle to which the zone ECU 109 in such a zone architecture is applied. [Example]

[0016] <1. Configuration of on-board control device> FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram illustrating an on-board control device according to a first embodiment. The on-board control device according to the first embodiment is a zone ECU 109 provided for each zone of a vehicle. The zone ECU 109 is capable of communicating with sensors 105 provided in the zone and controlling the voltage applied to the sensors 105. The zone ECU 109, which is an example of the on-board control device according to the first embodiment, includes a communication circuit 104 for routing, a power supply circuit 107 for supplying power to the multiple sensors 105 connected to the zone ECU 109, a voltage control circuit 102 for controlling the power supply voltage to the sensors 105, and a diagnostic circuit 103 for determining whether the sensors 105 are operating normally. The power supply circuit 107 functions as a power supply unit for applying a voltage to the sensors 105 via a power line 106. The power supply circuit 107 relays the power supply from a battery 108 mounted on the vehicle to the sensors 105. The voltage applied to the sensors 105 is a DC voltage. Furthermore, the voltage control circuit 102 functions as a voltage control means for controlling the voltage applied to the sensor 105 from the power supply circuit 107 .

[0017] The communication circuit 104 is communicatively connected to sensors 105 and a central ECU 101 mounted on the vehicle via a communication line 110. The central ECU 101 is an integrated on-board control device that manages the vehicle state, software, and the like. The communication circuit 104 is, for example, an Ether switch. The power supply circuit 107 is connected to the sensors 105 via a power line 106. Sensor data including image data captured by a camera, point cloud data from a LiDAR, or information about sensed surrounding objects is transmitted to the central ECU 101 and the autonomous driving ECU via a zone ECU 109. The power supply circuit 107 is connected to a battery 108 mounted on the vehicle via the power line 106. Power required for the sensors 105 is supplied to the sensors 105 via the power supply circuit 107 (for example, a DC-DC converter) or a regulator.

[0018] The communication circuit 104 in the first embodiment functions as a communication unit that receives sensor information indicating the state of the sensor 105 from the sensor 105 and receives vehicle information indicating the state of the vehicle from the central ECU 101. The diagnostic circuit 103 functions as a change unit that changes the voltage applied to the sensor 105 based on the sensor information received by the communication circuit 104. Furthermore, the voltage control circuit 102 executes control so that the voltage changed by the diagnostic circuit 103 is applied to the sensor 105. Specifically, the voltage control circuit 102 changes the settings of the power supply circuit 107 to change the output voltage output from the power supply circuit 107, and changes the settings of the regulator of the sensor 105 to change the input voltage input to the sensor 105.

[0019] When the diagnostic circuit 103 determines that the state of the sensor 105 can be changed to a non-operating state or an idle state based on the vehicle information, the diagnostic circuit 103 changes the voltage applied to the sensor 105 to a voltage (first voltage) that is lower than the voltage that would be applied to the sensor 105 when the sensor 105 is changed to an operating state. This voltage (first voltage) is, for example, the lower limit of the operating voltage range required to operate the sensor 105.

[0020] <2. Operation of the on-board control device (Zone ECU 109)> The zone ECU 109 receives vehicle information indicating the state of the vehicle (e.g., a driving state indicating that the vehicle is driving or an idle state indicating that the vehicle is idling) from the central ECU 101. Meanwhile, the zone ECU 109 receives sensor information indicating the state of the sensor 105 (e.g., beacon information periodically output by the sensor 105 when the sensor 105 is operating normally) from a watchdog timer 111 of the sensor 105. The diagnostic circuit 103 analyzes the sensor information received from the watchdog timer 111 and diagnoses the state of the sensor 105. The diagnostic circuit 103 confirms the normal operation of the sensor 105 based on the sensor information, and if it determines that the vehicle state requires voltage reduction for power saving, it instructs the voltage control circuit 102 to reduce the power of the sensor 105. Upon receiving the instruction, the voltage control circuit 102 adjusts the output voltage of the DC-DC converter (power supply circuit 107) so as to reduce the voltage applied to the sensor 105. For example, if the vehicle information indicates an idle stop state and there is no need to transmit sensor data, but turning off the power to the sensor 105 would prevent it from starting up in time, a voltage at the lower limit of the operating voltage range required to operate the sensor 105 is applied. If there is sufficient time before the sensor data is transmitted even after the power to the sensor 105 is turned off, the voltage of the sensor 105 may be set to 0 V to reduce power consumption to near zero. If the vehicle information transitions from an idle stop state to a running state, the diagnostic circuit 103 confirms that the sensor 105 is operating normally and instructs the voltage control circuit 102 to boost the voltage of the sensor 105. Upon receiving the instruction, the voltage control circuit 102 adjusts the output voltage of the DC-DC converter (power supply circuit 107) so that the voltage applied to the sensor 105 becomes the voltage for normal operation.

[0021] <3. Table data> FIG. 9 shows table data illustrating an example of the relationship between the vehicle state and the power supply voltage. Here, the table data for determining the voltage applied to the sensor 105 will be described using FIG. 9. The table data is data in which the vehicle state, outside air temperature, and the power supply voltage supplied to each sensor 105 (sensors A to C in FIG. 9) are associated with each other. For example, when the outside air temperature is between -30°C and 35°C and the vehicle state is an idle stop state, 0.9 V is applied to sensors A to C. The diagnostic circuit 103 determines the power supply voltage to be applied to sensors A to C based on the outside air temperature and vehicle information acquired from the central ECU 101.

[0022] Different sensors are used during idling stop, when driving on a regular road, when driving on a highway, etc., so the power supply for sensors that are not in use is reduced to low power. If there is sufficient time after restarting, it is also possible to drop the voltage to 0V. Also, when the outside temperature is high, sensors may not function if the voltage is reduced, so a higher voltage may be set to compensate for sensor operation. The power supply voltage setting may also be changed depending on the vehicle speed and remaining battery capacity.

[0023] <4. Operation flow of the on-board control device (Zone ECU 109)> 10 is a flowchart executed by the on-board control device (zone ECU 109) of the first embodiment. The zone ECU 109 includes a processor such as a microcomputer and a memory that stores program codes executed by the processor. The processor of the zone ECU 109 executes a sensor voltage control program, thereby executing each step of the flowchart in FIG. 10.

[0024] The zone ECU 109 executes the flowchart of Fig. 10 at predetermined time intervals. First, the zone ECU 109 acquires vehicle information from the central ECU 101, which manages the vehicle state (step S101). The acquired vehicle information includes, for example, an idle stop state, a general road driving state, a highway driving state, a backing state, a stopped state, and the like.

[0025] Then, the zone ECU 109 acquires the outside air temperature from the central ECU 101 that manages the outside air temperature (step S102).

[0026] Next, the zone ECU 109 refers to the table data 900 (see, for example, FIG. 9) (step S103).

[0027] The zone ECU 109 determines a voltage value to be applied to the sensor 105 from the table data 900 based on the vehicle state and the outside air temperature acquired in steps S101 and S102 (step S104). The zone ECU 109 executes control so that the voltage value determined in step S104 is applied to the sensor 105. Specifically, the voltage control circuit 102 of the zone ECU 109 sets the output voltage of the power supply circuit 107, and the power supply circuit 107 applies the set output voltage to the sensor 105. Here, it is assumed that the regulator of the sensor 105 does not adjust the voltage applied to the sensor 105.

[0028] Furthermore, the zone ECU 109 acquires the sensor state from the sensor 105 (step S105). The acquired sensor state may be, for example, a normal state, an abnormal state, etc. This allows the zone ECU 109 to grasp the sensor state.

[0029] Then, the zone ECU 109 adjusts the voltage to be applied to the sensor 105 while checking the state of the sensor acquired in step S105 (step S106).

[0030] (Effects of Example 1) By changing the power supply voltage of the sensor 105 according to the vehicle state in this way, the power consumption of the sensor 105 can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce the vehicle's power consumption and extend its driving distance. Since the power supply voltage is changed while checking the normal operation of the sensor 105, normal operation of the sensor 105 is guaranteed, enabling power savings for sensors used in autonomous driving, which require high safety standards. Furthermore, by determining and controlling voltage control in the zone ECU 109, which serves as a hub for power control and communication control, power savings for the sensor 105 can be achieved by designing only the zone ECU 109. Because power savings for the sensor 105 can be achieved with a single zone ECU 109, there is no need for unnecessary communication design, such as transmitting communication with the sensor 105 to the central ECU 101. Therefore, the design for reducing the power consumption of the sensor 105 can be completed by a single vendor of the zone ECU 109 and does not have to span multiple vendors of the central ECU 101, simplifying the design of the zone ECU 109. Furthermore, since there is no need to send the signal from the watchdog timer 111 to the central ECU 101, the communication load and CPU load of the central ECU 101 do not increase.

[0031] The voltage control circuit 102 can adjust the output voltage of the power supply circuit 107 by instructing the power supply circuit 107. The adjusted output voltage is applied to the sensor 105, so that the power consumption of the sensor 105 can be reduced.

[0032] When the vehicle information indicates an idle stop state or a stopped state, the state of the sensor 105 can be set to a non-operating state or an idle state. In this case, the voltage applied to the sensor 105 can be changed to a voltage lower than the voltage applied to the sensor 105 when the sensor 105 is set to an operating state. As a result, power consumption of the sensor 105 can be reduced when the sensor 105 is in a non-operating state or an idle state.

[0033] Furthermore, by setting the voltage applied to the sensor 105 when it is not in operation or is idle to the lower limit of the operating voltage range required to operate the sensor 105, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the sensor 105 while maintaining the operation of the sensor 105.

[0034] The diagnostic circuit 103 can easily grasp the state of the sensor 105 by using the beacon information as the sensor information. [Example]

[0035] For autonomous driving at level 4 or higher, system-wide safety must be ensured, so functions related to autonomous driving must be redundant. For example, it is considered necessary to install two or more sensors for autonomous driving. FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram showing an on-board control device of Example 2. In Example 2, two sensors of the same type are connected to a zone ECU 109. One is a normal-state sensor 201 used during normal operation, and the other is a backup sensor 202 used when an abnormality occurs in the normal-state sensor 201. For autonomous driving sensors, if an abnormality occurs in the normal-state sensor 201, it is necessary to seamlessly switch to the backup sensor 202. Therefore, two sensors must normally be operated simultaneously, which wastes power. Therefore, the zone ECU 109 of Example 2 is applied to idle one of the sensors. The zone ECU 109 of Example 2 reduces the power supply to the backup sensor 202 during normal operation, thereby achieving low power consumption while maintaining a state in which it can operate immediately in an emergency. If an abnormality occurs in the normal state sensor 201, the power supply to the abnormal normal state sensor 201 is stopped, and instead the voltage of the backup sensor 202 is boosted to a value for normal operation.

[0036] That is, the zone ECU 109 of the second embodiment is capable of communicating with a backup sensor 202 that is used when the normal-state sensor 201 fails, and is capable of controlling the voltage applied to the backup sensor 202. When the diagnostic circuit 103 determines that the normal-state sensor 201 is in a normal state based on the sensor information received from the normal-state sensor 201, the diagnostic circuit 103 changes the voltage applied to the backup sensor 202 to a voltage (second voltage) that is lower than the voltage applied to the normal-state sensor 201. The second voltage is the lower limit of an operating voltage range required to operate the backup sensor 202. When the diagnostic circuit 103 determines that the normal-state sensor 201 is in an abnormal state based on the sensor information received from the normal-state sensor 201, the diagnostic circuit 103 changes the voltage applied to the backup sensor 202 to a third voltage that is higher than the second voltage.

[0037] (Effects of Example 2) When the normal sensor 201 is operating normally, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the backup sensor 202, which results in reduced power consumption and an increased driving distance for the vehicle.

[0038] Furthermore, if the normal sensor 201 is abnormal, a voltage sufficient to immediately activate the backup sensor 202 is applied, thereby seamlessly activating the backup sensor 202. At this time, power supply to the normal sensor 201 in which the abnormality has occurred is stopped, thereby enabling power saving for the normal sensor 201. [Example]

[0039] When an abnormality occurs in the sensor 105, it is effective to reset and restart the sensor 105 to return the sensor 105 to a normal state. FIG. 3 is a circuit block diagram showing an on-board control device of the third embodiment. The zone ECU 109 of the third embodiment includes a reset circuit 301 (reset means) that resets the power supply circuit 107 and the sensor 105. When the diagnostic circuit 103 determines that the sensor 105 is abnormal based on sensor information from the watchdog timer 111, the diagnostic circuit 103 transmits the information to the central ECU 101 or the autonomous driving ECU and transmits a reset instruction to the reset circuit 301. Upon receiving the reset instruction, the reset circuit 301 resets and restarts the sensor 105 and the power supply circuit 107. The reset circuit 301 may reset multiple sensors 105 in the power system including the sensor 105 in which the abnormality occurred, or may reset only the sensor 105 in which the abnormality occurred.

[0040] (Effects of Example 3) In the third embodiment, the sensor 105 in which an abnormality has occurred can be reset, and therefore the sensor 105 can be restarted to return to a normal state. [Example]

[0041] In the fourth embodiment, the voltage setting for minimizing the power consumption of the sensor based on the vehicle state is learned by the AI ​​401. Fig. 4 is a circuit block diagram showing an on-board control device (zone ECU) of the fourth embodiment.

[0042] For example, the AI ​​401 performs learning based on vehicle information and outside air temperature acquired from the central ECU 101, the voltage supplied to the sensor 105 by the power supply circuit 107, and sensor information acquired from the sensor 105. For example, when the vehicle information indicates an idle stop state, the outside air temperature is −30° C. to 35° C., and the voltage applied to the sensor 105 by the power supply circuit 107 is 0.9 V, if the sensor status acquired from the sensor 105 indicates normal operation, the vehicle information, outside air temperature, and applied voltage are treated as correct data. On the other hand, when the vehicle information indicates an idle stop state, the outside air temperature is −30° C. to 35° C., and the voltage applied to the sensor 105 by the power supply circuit 107 is 0.8 V, if the sensor status acquired from the sensor 105 indicates an abnormality, the vehicle information, outside air temperature, and applied voltage are treated as incorrect data. In the fourth embodiment, the AI ​​401 performs learning using training data including the correct data and incorrect data as described above.

[0043] Then, the trained model (AI401) sets the smallest voltage value among the supply voltages at which the sensor 105 can operate normally to the power supply circuit 107 based on the vehicle information and outside temperature acquired from the central ECU 101. In this way, the AI401 can set the voltage to minimize the power consumption of the sensor 105 based on the vehicle state and outside temperature.

[0044] (Effects of Example 4) In the fourth embodiment, the trained AI 401 can set a voltage to minimize the power consumption of the sensor 105 based on the vehicle information and the outside air temperature acquired from the central ECU 101. This makes it possible to conserve power in the sensor 105 while checking the normal state of the sensor 105 with the optimal voltage setting determined by machine learning. [Example]

[0045] Table data 900, which the diagnostic circuit 103 refers to in order to determine the voltage value to be applied to the sensor 105, may be acquired or updated over the air (OTA) through communication between a TCU (Telematics Control Unit) mounted on the vehicle and a center outside the vehicle that distributes update software. FIG. 5 is a circuit block diagram showing an on-vehicle control device according to a fifth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, a zone ECU 109 according to the fifth embodiment is communicably connected to a TCU 501 mounted on the vehicle via a central ECU 101. The TCU 501 acquires update software and table data 900 over the air (OTA) through communication with a communication device at the center outside the vehicle. The acquired table data 900 is transmitted to the zone ECU 109 via the central ECU 101. The table data 900 is stored in a storage 502 of the zone ECU 109. The diagnostic circuit 103 determines the voltage to be applied to the sensor 105 by referring to the table data 900 stored in the storage 502.

[0046] (Effects of Example 5) Since the table data 900 can be acquired and updated over the air, the information for determining the voltage of the sensor 105 can be updated as needed in accordance with changes in the environment. [Example]

[0047] When the sensor 105 is provided with a regulator circuit 801, the voltage applied to the sensor 105 may be controlled not by the DC-DC converter (power supply circuit 107) of the zone ECU 109, but by setting a register via communication to change the setting of the regulator circuit 801 of the sensor 105, thereby controlling the power supply voltage and reducing the power consumption of the sensor 105. FIG. 8 is a circuit block diagram showing an on-board control device (zone ECU 109) of a sixth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the zone ECU 109 of the sixth embodiment includes a voltage control circuit 102 that sets the register of the sensor 105. The voltage control circuit 102 sets the register of the sensor 105 via the communication circuit 104. The output voltage of the regulator circuit 801 of the sensor 105 is changed by the register setting. The power supply voltage supplied from the power supply circuit 107 is adjusted by the regulator circuit 801 and supplied to the sensor 105.

[0048] (Effects of Example 6) In a configuration in which the voltage applied to the sensor 105 is adjusted by the regulator circuit 801, the voltage applied to the sensor 105 can be easily determined or adjusted by register settings of the voltage control circuit 102.

[0049] <Modification> The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present disclosure, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 101...Central ECU 102...Voltage control circuit 103...Diagnostic circuit 104...Communication circuit 105...Sensor 106…Power line 107...Power supply circuit 108...Battery 109…Zone ECU 110...Communication line 111...Watchdog timer 201...Normal sensor 202: Backup sensor 301...Reset circuit 401…AI circuit 501…TCU 502…Storage 601...Voltage control ECU 602...Brake control ECU 603...Headlight control unit 604...Air conditioner control unit 605...Autonomous driving ECU 607...LiDAR 608…Radar 609…Camera 610...Central Gateway ECU 701...Actuator 801...Regulator circuit

Claims

1. An on-board control device provided in each zone of a vehicle, the on-board control device being capable of communicating with a sensor provided in each zone and controlling a voltage applied to the sensor, power supply means for applying a voltage to the sensor via a power line; voltage control means for controlling the voltage applied to the sensor from the power supply means; a communication means for receiving sensor information indicating a state of the sensor from the sensor; a change unit that changes the voltage applied to the sensor based on the sensor information received by the communication unit, the voltage control means performs control so that the voltage changed by the change means is applied to the sensor; the on-board control device is capable of communicating with a backup sensor that is used when the sensor fails and is capable of controlling a voltage applied to the backup sensor, When it is determined that the sensor is in a normal state based on the sensor information received from the sensor, the change means changes the voltage applied to the backup sensor to a second voltage that is lower than the voltage applied to the sensor. An in-vehicle control device comprising:

2. The on-board control device is capable of communicating with an integrated on-board control device that manages the state of the vehicle, the communication means receives vehicle information indicating a state of the vehicle from the integrated on-board control device; The change unit determines the voltage to be applied to the sensor based on the vehicle information received by the communication unit, The voltage control means controls the power supply means so that the determined voltage is applied to the sensor.

2. The on-board control device according to claim 1.

3. The voltage control means changes the output voltage of the power supply means so that the voltage changed or determined by the change means is applied to the sensor, or changes the setting of a register of a regulator circuit provided in the sensor.

2. The on-board control device according to claim 1.

4. When it is determined that the state of the sensor can be changed to a non-operating state or an idle state based on the vehicle information, the change means changes the voltage applied to the sensor to a first voltage that is lower than the voltage applied to the sensor when the sensor is changed to an operating state.

3. The on-board control device according to claim 2.

5. The first voltage is a lower limit of an operating voltage range required to operate the sensor.

5. The on-board control device according to claim 4.

6. When it is determined that the state of the sensor is abnormal based on the sensor information received from the sensor, the change means changes the voltage applied to the backup sensor to a third voltage that is higher than the second voltage.

2. The on-board control device according to claim 1.

7. The second voltage is the lower limit of an operating voltage range required to operate the backup sensor.

2. The on-board control device according to claim 1.

8. The sensor information is beacon information that is periodically output when the sensor is operating normally.

2. The on-board control device according to claim 1.

9. The power supply means relays the power supply from a battery mounted on the vehicle to the sensor.

2. The on-board control device according to claim 1.

10. Further comprising resetting means for resetting the sensor; The change means instructs the reset means to reset the sensor when it determines that the sensor is in an abnormal state based on the sensor information.

2. The on-board control device according to claim 1.

11. The sensor further includes a trained model for setting a voltage to minimize power consumption of the sensor.

2. The on-board control device according to claim 1.

12. The on-board control device is capable of communicating with a communication device outside the vehicle, receiving, via the communication device, information for changing the voltage applied to the sensor based on the sensor information; 2. The on-board control device according to claim 1.

13. The voltage applied to the sensor is a DC voltage.

2. The on-board control device according to claim 1.

14. The sensor acquires data used for autonomous driving.

2. The on-board control device according to claim 1.

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