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

Abstract

To provide a management device, an in-vehicle system, a vehicle, a communication management method, and a communication management program that can efficiently transmit a large amount of data in an in-vehicle network.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device is a management device which is to be used in an in-vehicle network including a plurality of function units installed in a vehicle and includes: a state information acquisition unit configured to acquire state information indicating a state of the vehicle; and an allocation unit configured to change allocation of transmission bands of a plurality of logical paths between the function units in accordance with the state of the vehicle indicated by the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a management device, an in-vehicle system, a vehicle, a communication management method, and a communication management program. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-194635, filed on October 25, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 (WO 2012 / 063334) discloses the following memory control device: That is, the memory control device is connected to an electronic computer and an I / O device, divides a specific area of ​​the computer's memory into pages, and has a dirty bit array for storing the presence or absence of a memory write for each divided page, and a memory write monitoring mechanism for monitoring memory writes from the I / O device to the computer's memory, and when a memory write from the I / O device to a specific area of ​​the memory is observed by the monitoring mechanism, the page to which the memory write was performed is determined from the address of the memory write, and the fact that a memory write to the page occurred is recorded in the dirty bit array. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2012 / 063334 Summary of the Invention

[0004] The management device disclosed herein is a management device used in an in-vehicle network that includes multiple functional units mounted on a vehicle, and is equipped with a status information acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating the status of the vehicle, and an allocation unit that changes the allocation of transmission bandwidths of multiple logical paths between the functional units depending on the status of the vehicle indicated by the status information acquired by the status information acquisition unit.

[0005] The in-vehicle system of the present disclosure includes a plurality of functional units mounted on a vehicle and a management device used in an in-vehicle network including the plurality of functional units, wherein the management device changes the allocation of transmission bandwidths of a plurality of logical paths between the functional units according to the state of the vehicle, and transmits bandwidth setting information indicating the transmission bandwidths of each of the logical paths after the change to one or more of the functional units, and the functional units change the transmission bandwidths of each of the logical paths according to the bandwidth setting information received from the management device.

[0006] The communication management method disclosed herein is a communication management method in a management device used in an in-vehicle network, which includes multiple functional units mounted on a vehicle, and includes a step of acquiring status information indicating the status of the vehicle, and a step of changing the allocation of transmission bandwidth for multiple logical paths between the functional units according to the status of the vehicle indicated by the acquired status information.

[0007] The communication management program disclosed herein is a communication management program used in a management device used in an in-vehicle network that includes multiple functional units mounted on a vehicle, and is a program that causes a computer to function as a status information acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating the status of the vehicle, and an allocation unit that changes the allocation of transmission bandwidths of multiple logical paths between the functional units depending on the status of the vehicle indicated by the status information acquired by the status information acquisition unit.

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure may be realized not only as a management device including such a characteristic processing unit, but also as a semiconductor integrated circuit that realizes part or all of the management device. Furthermore, one aspect of the present disclosure may be realized not only as an in-vehicle system including such a characteristic processing unit, but also as a method having such characteristic processing steps, a semiconductor integrated circuit that realizes part or all of the in-vehicle system, or a program that causes a computer to execute processing steps in the in-vehicle system. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of logical paths between in-vehicle devices in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a pattern table stored in the storage unit in the vehicle control device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another example of logical paths between in-vehicle devices in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of logical paths between in-vehicle devices in an in-vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of logical paths between in-vehicle devices in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating another example of logical paths between in-vehicle devices in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of logical paths between in-vehicle devices in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of logical paths between in-vehicle devices in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a logical path between in-vehicle devices in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart defining an example of an operation procedure when the vehicle control device changes the allocation of the transmission band of the logical path in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14]FIG. 14 is a flowchart defining another example of an operation procedure when the vehicle control device changes the allocation of the transmission band of the logical path in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing sequence for changing the transmission band of the logical path between functional units in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating another example of a processing sequence for changing the transmission band of the logical path between functional units in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating another example of a processing sequence for changing the transmission band of the logical path between functional units in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A technology known as live migration is known, which moves a guest OS (Operating System) running on a hypervisor of a specific server to a hypervisor of another server via a network without stopping the operation of the guest OS. For example, when the processing load of the entire system is low, live migration can be used to consolidate multiple guest OSs onto the hypervisor of a single physical machine, and by stopping the operation of the physical machines other than the one in question, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the entire system.

[0011] [Problem to be solved by this disclosure] For example, if large volumes of data can be transmitted efficiently in an in-vehicle network, it would be effective from the standpoint of reducing the load on each ECU (Electronic Control Unit) in the in-vehicle network.

[0012] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a management device, an in-vehicle system, a vehicle, a communication management method, and a communication management program that enable more efficient data transmission in an in-vehicle network.

[0013] [Effects of this disclosure] According to the present disclosure, data transmission in an in-vehicle network can be performed more efficiently.

[0014] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, the contents of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0015] (1) A management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a management device used in an in-vehicle network, including a plurality of functional units mounted on a vehicle, and includes a status information acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating the status of the vehicle, and an allocation unit that changes the allocation of transmission bandwidths of a plurality of logical paths between the functional units in accordance with the status of the vehicle indicated by the status information acquired by the status information acquisition unit.

[0016] In this way, by configuring the vehicle control device to change the allocation of transmission bandwidths for multiple logical paths between functional units according to the vehicle state, it is possible to more appropriately allocate transmission bandwidths to logical paths between functional units in an in-vehicle network according to the content of communication performed for each vehicle state. This allows for more efficient transmission of large amounts of data, for example, by setting a small transmission bandwidth for a logical path that transmits a small amount of data and a large transmission bandwidth for a logical path that transmits a large amount of data. Therefore, the vehicle control device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can more efficiently transmit data in an in-vehicle network.

[0017] (2) Preferably, the management device further includes a memory unit that stores a transmission bandwidth allocation pattern for each of the logical paths for each state of the vehicle, and the allocation unit determines the allocation content of the transmission bandwidth for each of the logical paths between the functional units in accordance with the allocation pattern corresponding to the state of the vehicle.

[0018] With this configuration, the allocation of transmission bands for each logical path between functional units can be determined through simple processing.

[0019] (3) Preferably, the management device further includes a configuration information acquisition unit that acquires configuration information regarding the configuration of the in-vehicle network, and the allocation unit determines the allocation content of the transmission bandwidth of each of the logical paths between the functional units based on the configuration information acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit and the state of the vehicle indicated by the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit.

[0020] With this configuration, it is possible to determine the allocation of transmission bandwidth for each logical path in consideration of the current configuration of the in-vehicle network. For example, when the configuration of the in-vehicle network is changed by adding a new functional unit to the in-vehicle network, it is possible to determine the allocation of transmission bandwidth in consideration of the changed configuration of the in-vehicle network.

[0021] (4) More preferably, the configuration information acquisition unit acquires required bandwidth information indicating the bandwidth required for communication between the functional units for each state of the vehicle as the configuration information in accordance with the transition of the state of the vehicle, and the allocation unit determines the allocation content of the transmission bandwidth of each of the logical paths between the functional units based on the required bandwidth information acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit and the state of the vehicle indicated by the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit.

[0022] With this configuration, it is possible to determine more appropriate allocation of the transmission bandwidth of each logical path using information on the bandwidth required for communication between functional units according to the state of the vehicle.

[0023] (5) Preferably, a first logical path among the plurality of logical paths is realized by a plurality of transmission paths including a first transmission path and a second transmission path which are physical transmission paths, and a second logical path among the plurality of logical paths is realized by a plurality of transmission paths including the first transmission path and a third transmission path which are physical transmission paths.

[0024] This configuration makes it possible to achieve more efficient data transmission in a wider variety of in-vehicle networks.

[0025] (6) Preferably, the allocation unit allocates a transmission bandwidth greater than zero to all of the logical paths.

[0026] With this configuration, for example, it is possible to ensure a minimum transmission bandwidth for communications that should be performed periodically on all logical routes regardless of the state of the vehicle.

[0027] (7) An in-vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of functional units mounted on a vehicle and a management device used in an in-vehicle network including the plurality of functional units, wherein the management device changes the allocation of transmission bandwidths of a plurality of logical paths between the functional units according to the state of the vehicle, and transmits bandwidth setting information indicating the transmission bandwidths of each of the logical paths after the change to one or more of the functional units, and the functional units change the transmission bandwidths of each of the logical paths according to the bandwidth setting information received from the management device.

[0028] In this way, by configuring the system to change the allocation of transmission bandwidths for multiple logical paths between functional units according to the state of the vehicle, it is possible to more appropriately allocate transmission bandwidths to logical paths between functional units in an in-vehicle network according to the content of communication performed for each state of the vehicle. As a result, it is possible to more efficiently transmit large amounts of data, for example, by setting a small transmission bandwidth for a logical path that transmits a small amount of data and a large transmission bandwidth for a logical path that transmits a large amount of data. Therefore, the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can more efficiently transmit data in the in-vehicle network.

[0029] (8) A vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the above-described in-vehicle system.

[0030] With this configuration, data transmission in the in-vehicle network can be performed more efficiently in a vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle system.

[0031] (9) A communication management method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a communication management method in a management device used in an in-vehicle network, including a plurality of functional units mounted on a vehicle, and includes a step of acquiring status information indicating the status of the vehicle, and a step of changing the allocation of transmission bandwidths of a plurality of logical paths between the functional units according to the status of the vehicle indicated by the acquired status information.

[0032] In this way, by changing the allocation of transmission bandwidths of multiple logical paths between functional units according to the state of the vehicle, for example, in an in-vehicle network, it is possible to more appropriately allocate transmission bandwidths to logical paths between functional units according to the content of communication performed for each state of the vehicle. As a result, for example, by setting a small transmission bandwidth for a logical path that transmits a small amount of data and setting a large transmission bandwidth for a logical path that transmits a large amount of data, it is possible to more efficiently transmit large amounts of data. Therefore, the communication management method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure enables more efficient data transmission in an in-vehicle network.

[0033] (10) A communication management program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a communication management program used in a management device used in an in-vehicle network, including a plurality of functional units mounted on a vehicle, and is a program for causing a computer to function as a status information acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating the status of the vehicle, and an allocation unit that changes the allocation of transmission bandwidths of a plurality of logical paths between the functional units in accordance with the status of the vehicle indicated by the status information acquired by the status information acquisition unit.

[0034] In this way, by changing the allocation of transmission bandwidths of multiple logical paths between functional units according to the state of the vehicle, for example, in an in-vehicle network, it is possible to more appropriately allocate transmission bandwidths to logical paths between functional units according to the content of communication performed for each state of the vehicle. As a result, for example, by setting a small transmission bandwidth for a logical path that transmits a small amount of data and setting a large transmission bandwidth for a logical path that transmits a large amount of data, it is possible to transmit large amounts of data more efficiently. Therefore, the communication management program according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can perform data transmission in an in-vehicle network more efficiently.

[0035] 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.

[0036] [Vehicle communication system] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] 1, the communication system 400 includes a server 180 and one or more in-vehicle systems 300. The in-vehicle systems 300 are mounted on a vehicle 1.

[0038] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] 2, the in-vehicle system 300 includes a plurality of in-vehicle ECUs 111, relay devices 211A and 211B, and a vehicle control device 100. The in-vehicle ECUs 111 and the relay devices 211A and 211B are examples of in-vehicle devices. The vehicle control device 100 is an example of a management device.

[0040] Specifically, the in-vehicle system 300 includes in-vehicle ECUs 111A to 111G as the in-vehicle ECU 111. Hereinafter, each of the relay devices 211A and 211B will also be referred to as a relay device 211.

[0041] The in-vehicle ECU 111 includes an application 112. More specifically, as the applications 112, the in-vehicle ECU 111A includes an application 112A, the in-vehicle ECU 111B includes an application 112B, the in-vehicle ECU 111C includes an application 112C, the in-vehicle ECU 111D includes an application 112D, the in-vehicle ECU 111E includes an application 112E, the in-vehicle ECU 111F includes an application 112F, and the in-vehicle ECU 111G includes an application 112G.

[0042] The relay device 211 includes an application 212. More specifically, as the application 212, the relay device 211A includes an application 212A, and the relay device 211B includes an application 212B.

[0043] The in-vehicle ECUs 111A to 111G and the relay devices 211A and 211B configure an in-vehicle network 12. The vehicle control device 100 is used in the in-vehicle network 12.

[0044] The in-vehicle ECU 111, the relay device 211, the application 112, and the application 212 are examples of functional units, that is, objects, in the in-vehicle network 12 that are installed in the vehicle 1.

[0045] The in-vehicle system 300 is not limited to a configuration including seven in-vehicle ECUs 111, but may be a configuration including six or less or eight or more in-vehicle ECUs 111. Furthermore, the in-vehicle system 300 is not limited to a configuration in which one application 112 is provided in one in-vehicle ECU 111, but may be a configuration in which two or more applications 112 are provided in one in-vehicle ECU 111.

[0046] Furthermore, the in-vehicle system 300 is not limited to a configuration including two relay devices 211, but may be a configuration including one or three or more relay devices 211. Furthermore, the in-vehicle system 300 is not limited to a configuration in which one application 212 is provided in one relay device 211, but may be a configuration in which two or more applications 212 are provided in one relay device 211.

[0047] Furthermore, the in-vehicle network 12 may include external devices outside the vehicle 1 and applications provided in the external devices as functional units, that is, objects.

[0048] The in-vehicle ECU 111 is, for example, a TCU (Telematics Communication Unit), an automatic driving ECU, an engine ECU, a sensor, a navigation device, a human-machine interface, a camera, an OTA (Over The Air) master, or the like.

[0049] In this example, the in-vehicle ECUs 111A, 111B, 111C, 111D, 111E, 111F, and 111G are a TCU, an autonomous driving ECU, an OTA master, an engine ECU, an intake pressure sensor, a water temperature sensor, and a temperature sensor, respectively.

[0050] Hereinafter, the in-vehicle ECUs 111A, 111B, 111C, 111D, 111E, 111F, and 111G will also be referred to as TCU 111A, engine ECU 111B, OTA master 111C, autonomous driving ECU 111D, intake pressure sensor 111E, water temperature sensor 111F, and temperature sensor 111G, respectively.

[0051] In the in-vehicle network 12, the vehicle control device 100 and the in-vehicle ECU 111 are connected to a relay device 211 via, for example, an Ethernet (registered trademark) cable.

[0052] More specifically, the vehicle control device 100 is connected to the relay device 211A via an Ethernet cable 11A. The TCU 111A is connected to the relay device 211A via an Ethernet cable 11B. The engine ECU 111B is connected to the relay device 211A via an Ethernet cable 11C. The OTA master 111C is connected to the relay device 211A via an Ethernet cable 11D. The autonomous driving ECU 111D is connected to the relay device 211A via an Ethernet cable 11E and is connected to the relay device 211B via an Ethernet cable 11F. The intake pressure sensor 111E is connected to the relay device 211B via an Ethernet cable 11G. The water temperature sensor 111F is connected to the relay device 211B via an Ethernet cable 11H. The temperature sensor 111G is connected to the relay device 211B via an Ethernet cable 11J.

[0053] The relay device 211A and the relay device 211B are connected to each other via an Ethernet cable 11K.

[0054] The relay device 211 is, for example, a gateway device, and is capable of relaying data between a plurality of on-board ECUs 111 connected thereto. The relay device 211 is capable of performing relay processing according to, for example, Layer 2 and Layer 3, which is higher than Layer 2, and performs, for example, relay processing of frames between on-board ECUs 111 belonging to the same VLAN and relay processing of frames between on-board ECUs 111 belonging to different VLANs.

[0055] The relay device 211 relays Ethernet frames in accordance with the Ethernet communication standard. Specifically, the relay device 211 relays Ethernet frames exchanged between the in-vehicle ECUs 111, for example. An IP packet is stored in the Ethernet frame.

[0056] In addition, the in-vehicle system 300 is not limited to a configuration in which Ethernet frames are relayed in accordance with the Ethernet communication standard, but may also be a configuration in which data is relayed in accordance with communication standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network) (registered trademark), FlexRay (registered trademark), MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) (registered trademark), and LIN (Local Interconnect Network).

[0057] 1 and 2, the TCU 111A is capable of communicating with the server 180. In particular, the TCU 111A is capable of communicating with the server 180 via the wireless base station device 161 using, for example, IP packets.

[0058] More specifically, the TCU 111A is capable of wireless communication with the wireless base station device 161 in accordance with a communication standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) or 3G.

[0059] Specifically, when wireless base station device 161 receives an IP packet from server 180 via external network 170, wireless base station device 161 transmits the received IP packet in a wireless signal to TCU 111A.

[0060] For example, when TCU 111A receives a radio signal including an IP packet from server 180 from radio base station device 161, it acquires the IP packet from the received radio signal, stores the acquired IP packet in an Ethernet frame, and transmits it to relay device 211A.

[0061] Furthermore, when the TCU 111A receives an Ethernet frame from the relay device 211A, it acquires an IP packet from the received Ethernet frame, and transmits the acquired IP packet to the wireless base station device 161 by including the IP packet in a wireless signal.

[0062] When the wireless base station device 161 receives the wireless signal from the TCU 111 A, it acquires an IP packet from the received wireless signal and transmits the acquired IP packet to the server 180 via the external network 170 .

[0063] The engine ECU 111B can communicate with other in-vehicle ECUs 111 via the relay device 211. The engine ECU 111B controls, for example, the engine in the vehicle 1. More specifically, the engine ECU 111B acquires information indicating, for example, the engine rotation speed, the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1, the engine torque, the state of the transmission, the state of the throttle valve, and the measurement values ​​of each sensor, and controls the engine based on the acquired information.

[0064] The engine ECU 111B transmits engine information indicating the operating state of the engine to the vehicle control device 100 via the relay device 211 periodically or irregularly.

[0065] For example, when the engine ECU 111B switches the operating state of the engine, it transmits engine information indicating that the operating state has been switched to the vehicle control device 100 via the relay device 211.

[0066] Specifically, when the engine ECU 111B switches the engine from a driving state to a stopped state, it transmits engine information indicating that the engine has been switched to a stopped state to the vehicle control device 100 via the relay device 211, and when the engine switches from a stopped state to a driving state, it transmits engine information indicating that the engine has been switched to a driving state to the vehicle control device 100 via the relay device 211.

[0067] The OTA master 111C can communicate with other in-vehicle ECUs 111 via the relay device 211. The OTA master 111C receives an update program for the in-vehicle ECU 111 from the server 180 via the TCU 111A and the relay device 211A, for example, and transmits the received update program to the in-vehicle ECU 111 to be updated.

[0068] When the OTA master 111C receives an update program for the in-vehicle ECU 111 from the server 180 via the TCU 111A and the relay device 211A, it transmits required bandwidth information indicating the transmission bandwidth required to transmit the update program to the in-vehicle ECU 111 to be updated to the vehicle control device 100 via the relay device 211.

[0069] The autonomous driving ECU 111D can communicate with other in-vehicle ECUs 111 via the relay device 211. The autonomous driving ECU 111D detects the driving conditions of the vehicle 1 based on measurement information from sensors, for example, and performs autonomous driving control based on the detection results.

[0070] The autonomous driving ECU 111D transmits mode information indicating the current driving mode to the vehicle control device 100 via the relay device 211 periodically or irregularly.

[0071] For example, the autonomous driving ECU 111D switches from autonomous driving mode to manual driving mode and from manual driving mode to autonomous driving mode in accordance with an operation by the user of the vehicle 1. When the autonomous driving ECU 111D switches the driving mode, it transmits mode information indicating that the driving mode has been switched to the vehicle control device 100 via the relay device 211.

[0072] Specifically, when the autonomous driving ECU 111D switches from autonomous driving mode to manual driving mode, it transmits mode information indicating that it has switched to manual driving mode to the vehicle control device 100 via the relay device 211, and when it switches from manual driving mode to autonomous driving mode, it transmits mode information indicating that it has switched to autonomous driving mode to the vehicle control device 100 via the relay device 211.

[0073] The intake pressure sensor 111E can communicate with other in-vehicle ECUs 111 via the relay device 211. The intake pressure sensor 111E, for example, periodically measures the intake pressure of the engine in the vehicle 1 and transmits measurement information indicating the measurement results to the automatic driving ECU 111D.

[0074] The water temperature sensor 111F can communicate with other in-vehicle ECUs 111 via the relay device 211. The water temperature sensor 111F periodically measures the temperature of the coolant circulating inside the engine of the vehicle 1, for example, and transmits measurement information indicating the measurement results to the autonomous driving ECU 111D.

[0075] The temperature sensor 111G is capable of communicating with other in-vehicle ECUs 111 via the relay device 211. The temperature sensor 111G, for example, periodically measures the outside air temperature of the vehicle 1 and transmits measurement information indicating the measurement results to the autonomous driving ECU 111D.

[0076] Each application 212 performs predetermined processing in the relay device 211 in which it is installed, for example, by performing processing of the application layer. Each application 112 performs predetermined processing in the in-vehicle ECU 111 in which it is installed, for example, by performing processing of the application layer. For example, application 112G in temperature sensor 111G generates measurement information indicating the outside air temperature of vehicle 1 at a predetermined period.

[0077] [Vehicle control device] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0078] 3, the vehicle control device 100 includes a state information acquisition unit 10, a configuration information acquisition unit 20, an allocation unit 30, and a storage unit 40. The storage unit 40 is, for example, a flash memory.

[0079] The state information acquisition unit 10, the configuration information acquisition unit 20, and the allocation unit 30 are realized by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), for example.

[0080] [Status information acquisition section] The state information acquisition unit 10 acquires state information indicating the state of the vehicle 1. More specifically, the state information acquisition unit 10 periodically or irregularly acquires state information of the vehicle 1 in which the in-vehicle network 12 is installed.

[0081] For example, the state information acquiring unit 10 acquires, as the state information, information that enables determination as to whether or not the vehicle 1 is parked. Specifically, the state information acquiring unit 10 receives, as the state information, engine information indicating that the operating state of the engine has been switched from the engine ECU 111B via the relay device 211A.

[0082] Alternatively, the state information acquisition unit 10 acquires, as state information, information that enables determination of whether the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is the autonomous driving mode or the manual driving mode. Specifically, the state information acquisition unit 10 receives, as state information, mode information indicating that the driving mode has been switched from the autonomous driving ECU 111D via the relay device 211.

[0083] When the state information acquisition unit 10 receives the state information, it outputs the received state information to the allocation unit 30 and the configuration information acquisition unit 20 .

[0084] [Configuration information acquisition unit] The configuration information acquisition unit 20 acquires configuration information relating to the configuration of the in-vehicle network 12 periodically or irregularly.

[0085] For example, the configuration information acquisition unit 20 acquires, as configuration information, required bandwidth information indicating the bandwidth required for communication between functional units for each state of the vehicle 1 in accordance with the transition of the state of the vehicle 1. More specifically, upon receiving state information from the state information acquisition unit 10, the configuration information acquisition unit 20 recognizes that the state of the vehicle 1 has transitioned, and acquires required bandwidth information indicating the data transfer rate required for communication between the source functional unit and the destination functional unit.

[0086] Alternatively, the configuration information acquisition unit 20 acquires, as configuration information, reserved bandwidth information indicating transmission bandwidths allocated to multiple logical paths between functional units, i.e., reserved bandwidths. More specifically, the configuration information acquisition unit 20 acquires reserved bandwidth information indicating current data transfer rates set for multiple logical paths between functional units.

[0087] Alternatively, the configuration information acquiring unit 20 acquires, as the configuration information, functional unit information including information on the network configuration of each functional unit in the in-vehicle network 12 at a layer lower than the application layer.

[0088] Specifically, the configuration information acquisition unit 20 acquires, as functional unit information, information that can recognize at least one of the specifications of hardware devices such as the in-vehicle ECU 111 and relay device 211, the topology of the in-vehicle network 12, constraints on the placement of applications 112, 212 to hardware devices in the in-vehicle network 12, and constraints on the communication method in the in-vehicle network 12.

[0089] The configuration information acquisition unit 20 acquires at least one type of information from among the following information that can be used to recognize the specifications of the hardware devices and the topology of the in-vehicle network 12: information on the device type indicating the identifier, name, sensor type, etc. of the hardware device, memory size, number of physical ports provided for each communication protocol, physical port identifier, power supply configuration, power consumption, VLAN ID, subnet address, and functional domain; information on the specifications of the CPU or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) installed in the hardware device; information on the connection relationship between the hardware devices; information on the bandwidth of communication between the hardware devices; and information on the specifications of the relay device 211.

[0090] The configuration information acquisition unit 20 acquires at least one type of information from among information that can identify constraints on the placement of the applications 112, 212 on the hardware device, such as information on the calculation speed required for execution of the applications 112, 212, memory usage, constraints on the OS (Operating System) environment, and constraints on communication protocols such as TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram Protocol).

[0091] The configuration information acquisition unit 20 acquires at least one type of information from the applications 112, 212, such as the communication data size, communication frequency, whether burst transmission is required, the allowable delay time, the allowable loss amount, the required security level, the operation timing, the communication type indicating, for example, periodic or irregular communication, the identifier of the application 112, 212 with which the communication is to be performed, and the messaging method indicating, for example, request-response type or publish-subscribe type, as well as information regarding the priority of communication by the application 112, 212, as information that can be used to recognize the constraints of the communication method in the in-vehicle network 12.

[0092] The configuration information acquisition unit 20 identifies one or more types of configuration information from the types of configuration information described above that are necessary for the allocation process in the allocation unit 30, which will be described later. Hereinafter, each of the one or more types of configuration information identified by the configuration information acquisition unit 20 will also be referred to as target information.

[0093] The configuration information acquisition unit 20 transmits an information request notification to each functional unit in the in-vehicle network 12, indicating that the target information should be transmitted.

[0094] In response to the information request notification received from the configuration information acquisition unit 20, each functional unit transmits to the configuration information acquisition unit 20 its own configuration information of the type specified in the information request notification, for example.

[0095] The configuration information acquisition unit 20 outputs the configuration information acquired as described above to the allocation unit 30.

[0096] [Allocation section] The allocation unit 30 changes the allocation of transmission bands of a plurality of logical paths between the functional units according to the state of the vehicle 1 indicated by the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit 10.

[0097] More specifically, when the allocation unit 30 receives the state information from the state information acquisition unit 10, it determines the transmission bandwidth to be allocated to each of the plurality of logical paths between the functional units. For example, the allocation unit 30 allocates a transmission bandwidth greater than zero to each of the logical paths.

[0098] Then, the allocation unit 30 transmits bandwidth setting information indicating the determined allocation content of the transmission bandwidth to one or more functional units. More specifically, the allocation unit 30 selectively transmits the bandwidth setting information to the functional unit whose transmission bandwidth setting should be changed.

[0099] When the functional unit receives the bandwidth setting information from the allocation unit 30, it sets the transmission bandwidth of one or more logical paths in accordance with the received bandwidth setting information, and transmits data using the logical paths.

[0100] Specifically, the allocation unit 30 changes the allocation of transmission bandwidth for each logical path by changing the shaping rate of CBS (Credit Based Shaper) according to the IEEE802.1Qav standard or TAS (Time Aware Shaper) according to the IEEE802.1Qbv standard in multiple logical paths between functional units.

[0101] The allocation unit 30 transmits bandwidth setting information indicating the changed shaping rate to one or more functional units.

[0102] When the functional unit receives the bandwidth setting information from the allocation unit 30, it sets the shaping rate in accordance with the received bandwidth setting information, thereby setting the transmission bandwidth of one or more logical routes.

[0103] (Transmission Band Allocation Example 1) Referring again to FIG. 2, when the OTA master 111C receives, for example, an update program for the autonomous driving ECU 111D from the server 180 via the TCU 111A and the relay device 211A, the OTA master 111C transmits the received update program to the autonomous driving ECU 111D via the relay device 211A.

[0104] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a logical path between on-board devices in an on-board system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4 illustrates a logical path in an Ethernet cable 11E between a relay device 211A and an autonomous driving ECU 111D. Here, the transmission capacity of the Ethernet cable 11E is, for example, 1000 Mbps.

[0105] Referring to FIG. 4, the relay device 211A transmits data to the automatic driving ECU 111D using logical paths P1 and P2 in the Ethernet cable 11E.

[0106] More specifically, the relay device 211A uses logical path P1 to send update programs from the OTA master 111C to the autonomous driving ECU 111D, and uses logical path P2 to send data other than the update programs from the OTA master 111C, such as data from the engine ECU 111B, to the autonomous driving ECU 111D.

[0107] Referring again to FIG. 3, for example, when the allocation unit 30 receives the state information from the state information acquisition unit 10, it determines the transmission bandwidths to be allocated to the logical paths P1 and P2 between the relay device 211A and the autonomous driving ECU 111D.

[0108] For example, the storage unit 40 stores a pattern table that indicates a pattern of allocation of transmission bands to each logical route for each state of the vehicle 1.

[0109] 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a pattern table stored in a storage unit in a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 5 shows a pattern table PT1 indicating a transmission band allocation pattern for logical paths P1 and P2 for each operating state of the engine of vehicle 1.

[0110] Referring to Figure 5, pattern table PT1 in memory unit 40 indicates that in allocation pattern A when the engine is running, transmission bandwidths of 300Mbps and 700Mbps should be allocated to logical path P1 and logical path P2, respectively, and in allocation pattern B when the engine is stopped, transmission bandwidths of 900Mbps and 100Mbps should be allocated to logical path P1 and logical path P2, respectively.

[0111] 3 and 5, the allocation unit 30 determines the allocation content of the transmission band of each logical path between the functional units in accordance with an allocation pattern corresponding to the state of the vehicle 1.

[0112] More specifically, when the allocation unit 30 receives engine information from the engine ECU 111B via the status information acquisition unit 10, it refers to the pattern table PT1 in the memory unit 40 and determines the allocation content of the transmission bandwidth of the logical paths P1 and P2 according to the allocation pattern corresponding to the operating state of the engine.

[0113] Specifically, when the allocation unit 30 receives engine information indicating that the engine has been switched to a running state, it refers to the pattern table PT1 in the memory unit 40 and determines to allocate transmission bandwidths of 300 Mbps and 700 Mbps to the logical paths P1 and P2, respectively, in accordance with allocation pattern A.

[0114] In addition, when the allocation unit 30 receives engine information indicating that the engine has been switched to a stopped state, it refers to the pattern table PT1 in the memory unit 40 and determines to allocate transmission bandwidths of 900 Mbps and 100 Mbps to the logical path P1 and logical path P2, respectively, in accordance with allocation pattern B.

[0115] After determining the allocation details of the transmission bands of the logical routes P1 and P2, the allocation unit 30 transmits band setting information indicating the determined transmission bands to the relay device 211A.

[0116] When the relay device 211A receives bandwidth setting information from the allocation unit 30, it changes the settings of the transmission bandwidth of the logical paths P1 and P2 in accordance with the received bandwidth setting information, and transmits data to the autonomous driving ECU 111D using the logical paths P1 and P2 after the settings have been changed.

[0117] (Transmission Band Allocation Example 2) 6 is a diagram illustrating another example of logical paths between on-board devices in an on-board system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 6 illustrates logical paths in Ethernet cables 11D, 11E, 11F, and 11K between the OTA master 111C and the autonomous driving ECU 111D. Here, the transmission capacity of the Ethernet cables 11D, 11E, 11F, and 11K is, for example, 1000 Mbps.

[0118] Referring to Figure 6, the OTA master 111C sends the update program to the autonomous driving ECU 111D using one of the logical path P3 consisting of logical paths P31 and P32, the logical path P4 consisting of logical paths P41, P42, and P43, and the logical path P5 consisting of logical paths P51, P52, and P53.

[0119] For example, the logical paths P3, P4, and P5 are realized by a plurality of physical transmission paths branching from the relay device 211A to the relay device 211B and the automatic driving ECU 111D.

[0120] More specifically, the logical paths P4 and P5 are realized by a plurality of transmission paths including a first transmission path and a second transmission path, which are physical transmission paths. The logical path P3 is realized by a plurality of transmission paths including a first transmission path and a third transmission path, which are physical transmission paths.

[0121] Specifically, logical paths P4 and P5 are realized by Ethernet cables 11D, 11K, and 11F that respectively connect the OTA master 111C and the relay device 211A, the relay device 211A and the relay device 211B, and the relay device 211B and the autonomous driving ECU 111D. Logical path P3 is realized by Ethernet cables 11D and 11E that respectively connect the OTA master 111C and the relay device 211A, and the relay device 211A and the autonomous driving ECU 111D. Logical paths P4 and P5 are an example of a first logical path. Logical path P3 is an example of a second logical path. Ethernet cable 11D is an example of a first transmission path. Ethernet cables 11K and 11F are an example of a second transmission path. Ethernet cable E is an example of a third transmission path.

[0122] For example, when the configuration information acquisition unit 20 receives engine information from the engine ECU 111B via the state information acquisition unit 10, it acquires configuration information from each functional unit. Then, the configuration information acquisition unit 20 outputs the acquired configuration information to the allocation unit 30. For example, the configuration information acquisition unit 20 acquires required bandwidth information and reserved bandwidth information of each logical path in the in-vehicle network 12 as configuration information, and outputs the acquired required bandwidth information and reserved bandwidth information to the allocation unit 30.

[0123] 7 is a diagram showing an example of logical paths between on-board devices in an on-board system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the drawings of FIGS. 7 to 12, the numerical values ​​written within the arrows of each logical path have a denominator indicating the reserved bandwidth and a numerator indicating the available bandwidth, and are expressed in units of Mbps.

[0124] Based on the required bandwidth information and reserved bandwidth information received from the configuration information acquisition unit 20, the allocation unit 30 identifies the logical path with the largest available transmission bandwidth from among the logical path P3 consisting of logical paths P31 and P32, the logical path P4 consisting of logical paths P41, P42, and P43, and the logical path P5 consisting of logical paths P51, P52, and P53.

[0125] More specifically, the allocation unit 30 identifies the maximum logical path, which is the logical path with the largest minimum available bandwidth among the logical paths between the functional units, from among the logical paths P3, P4, and P5.

[0126] Specifically, referring to FIG. 7, the available bandwidth of the logical path P31 is 250 Mbps, and the available bandwidth of the logical path P32 is 700 Mbps, so the available transmission bandwidth on the logical path P3 is 250 Mbps.

[0127] Furthermore, the available bandwidth of the logical path P41 is 100 Mbps, the available bandwidth of the logical path P42 is 50 Mbps, and the available bandwidth of the logical path P43 is 50 Mbps, so the available transmission bandwidth for the logical path P4 is 50 Mbps.

[0128] Furthermore, the available bandwidth of the logical path P51 is 250 Mbps, the available bandwidth of the logical path P52 is 100 Mbps, and the available bandwidth of the logical path P53 is 100 Mbps, so the available transmission bandwidth for the logical path P5 is 100 Mbps.

[0129] Therefore, the allocation unit 30 identifies the logical route P3 as the maximum logical route in the current state of the vehicle 1.

[0130] As described above, each time the state of the vehicle 1 changes, the allocation unit 30 identifies the maximum logical route in the new state of the vehicle 1.

[0131] Then, when the OTA master 111C receives an update program for the autonomous driving ECU 111D from the server 180 via the TCU 111A and the relay device 211A in a certain state of the vehicle 1, it transmits required bandwidth information to the vehicle control device 100 indicating the transmission bandwidth required to transmit the update program to the autonomous driving ECU 111D.

[0132] The allocation unit 30 in the vehicle control device 100 compares the transmission bandwidth indicated by the requested bandwidth information received from the OTA master 111C with the transmission bandwidth available on the logical route P3, which is the maximum logical route in the current state of the vehicle 1, and if the transmission bandwidth available on the logical route P3 is greater than the transmission bandwidth indicated by the requested bandwidth information, sends selected route information to the OTA master 111C indicating that communication should be performed using the logical route P3.

[0133] When the OTA master 111C receives the selected route information from the allocation unit 30, it transmits the update program to the autonomous driving ECU 111D using the logical route P3 in accordance with the received selected route information.

[0134] On the other hand, the allocation unit 30 in the vehicle control device 100 compares the transmission bandwidth indicated by the requested bandwidth information received from the OTA master 111C with the transmission bandwidth available for the logical path P3, and if the transmission bandwidth available for the logical path P3 is smaller than the transmission bandwidth indicated by the requested bandwidth information, changes the allocation of the transmission bandwidth for the logical paths P3, P4, and P5.

[0135] For example, the allocation unit 30 determines the allocation content of the transmission bandwidth of the logical paths P3, P4, and P5 between the functional units based on the configuration information, such as required bandwidth information, acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit 20 and the status information acquired by the status information acquisition unit 10.

[0136] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of logical paths between in-vehicle devices in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0137] For example, the allocation unit 30 changes the allocation of the transmission bandwidth of the logical routes P3, P4, and P5 so that the transmission bandwidth available for the logical route P3, which is the maximum logical route in the current state of the vehicle 1, is greater than the transmission bandwidth indicated by the requested bandwidth information received from the OTA master 111C.

[0138] 8, the allocation unit 30 changes the reserved bandwidth of the logical path P51 from 250 Mbps to 1 Mbps, and also changes the reserved bandwidth of the logical path P31 from 500 Mbps to 749 Mbps. In other words, the allocation unit 30 further allocates the transmission bandwidth of 249 Mbps that was allocated to the logical path P51 to the logical path P31.

[0139] Since the transmission bandwidth available on the logical path P3 after changing the transmission bandwidth allocation has become larger than the transmission bandwidth indicated by the requested bandwidth information, the allocation unit 30 transmits bandwidth setting information to the OTA master 111C indicating that the transmission bandwidth allocation of the logical paths P31 and P51 should be changed.

[0140] When the OTA master 111C receives bandwidth setting information from the allocation unit 30, it changes the settings of the transmission bandwidth of the logical paths P31 and P51 in accordance with the received bandwidth setting information, and sends the update program to the autonomous driving ECU 111D using the logical path P3 after the setting change.

[0141] For example, when the OTA master 111C completes transmission of the update program to the autonomous driving ECU 111D, it returns the settings of the transmission bands of the logical routes P31 and P51 to the state before the change.

[0142] (Transmission Band Allocation Example 3) Here, a new functional unit may be added to the in-vehicle network 12. When a new functional unit is added to the in-vehicle network 12, for example, the allocation of transmission bands for each logical path between the in-vehicle ECUs is changed.

[0143] 9 is a diagram illustrating another example of a logical path between on-board devices in an on-board system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the on-board network 12, an image sensor 111H, which is a new functional unit, is connected to a relay device 211A via an Ethernet cable 11L. The transmission capacity of the Ethernet cable 11L is, for example, 1000 Mbps.

[0144] As described above, when the configuration information acquisition unit 20 receives the state information from the state information acquisition unit 10 , it acquires the required bandwidth information and reserved bandwidth information and outputs them to the allocation unit 30 .

[0145] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of logical paths between in-vehicle devices in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0146] Based on the required bandwidth information and reserved bandwidth information received from the configuration information acquisition unit 20, the allocation unit 30 identifies the logical path with the largest available transmission bandwidth from among the logical path P3 consisting of logical paths P31 and P32, the logical path P4 consisting of logical paths P41, P42, and P43, the logical path P5 consisting of logical paths P51, P52, and P53, and the logical path P6 consisting of logical paths P61 and P62.

[0147] Specifically, referring to FIG. 10, the available bandwidth of the logical path P31 is 250 Mbps, and the available bandwidth of the logical path P32 is 50 Mbps, so the available transmission bandwidth for the logical path P3 is 50 Mbps.

[0148] Furthermore, the available bandwidth of the logical path P41 is 100 Mbps, the available bandwidth of the logical path P42 is 50 Mbps, and the available bandwidth of the logical path P43 is 50 Mbps, so the available transmission bandwidth for the logical path P4 is 50 Mbps.

[0149] Furthermore, the available bandwidth of the logical path P51 is 150 Mbps, the available bandwidth of the logical path P52 is 100 Mbps, and the available bandwidth of the logical path P53 is 100 Mbps, so the available transmission bandwidth for the logical path P5 is 100 Mbps.

[0150] Furthermore, since the available bandwidth of the logical path P61 is 50 Mbps and the available bandwidth of the logical path P62 is 50 Mbps, the available transmission bandwidth for the logical path P6 is 50 Mbps.

[0151] Therefore, the allocation unit 30 identifies the logical route P5 as the maximum logical route in the current state of the vehicle 1.

[0152] As described above, when the transmission bandwidth available on logical route P5, which is the maximum logical route in the current state of vehicle 1, is greater than the transmission bandwidth indicated by the requested bandwidth information received from OTA master 111C, the allocation unit 30 in the vehicle control device 100 transmits selected route information to the OTA master 111C indicating that communication should be performed using logical route P5.

[0153] On the other hand, if the transmission bandwidth available on the logical route P5 is smaller than the transmission bandwidth indicated by the required bandwidth information, the allocation unit 30 in the vehicle control device 100 changes the allocation of the transmission bandwidths of the logical routes P3, P4, P5, and P6.

[0154] (Transmission Band Allocation Example 4) 2 again, the autonomous driving ECU 111D receives measurement information from the intake pressure sensor 111E, the water temperature sensor 111F, and the temperature sensor 111G, for example, via the relay device 211B. Then, the autonomous driving ECU 111D detects the driving conditions of the vehicle 1 based on the received measurement information, and performs autonomous driving control based on the detection results. In other words, the autonomous driving ECU 111D is assumed to be operating in the autonomous driving mode.

[0155] 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of logical paths between on-board devices in an on-board system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 11 illustrates a logical path in Ethernet cable 11G between intake pressure sensor 111E and relay device 211B, a logical path in Ethernet cable 11H between water temperature sensor 111F and relay device 211B, a logical path in Ethernet cable 11J between temperature sensor 111G and relay device 211B, and a logical path in Ethernet cable 11F between relay device 211B and autonomous driving ECU 111D. Here, the transmission capacities of Ethernet cables 11F, 11G, 11H, and 11J are, for example, 1000 Mbps.

[0156] Referring to FIG. 11, the intake pressure sensor 111E transmits measurement information to the automatic driving ECU 111D using a logical path P7 consisting of logical paths P71 and P72.

[0157] Furthermore, the water temperature sensor 111F transmits measurement information to the automatic driving ECU 111D using a logical path P8 consisting of logical paths P81 and P82.

[0158] Furthermore, the temperature sensor 111G transmits measurement information to the automatic driving ECU 111D using a logical path P9 consisting of logical paths P91 and P92.

[0159] 3 and 11 , for example, the configuration information acquisition unit 20 periodically acquires configuration information. For example, the configuration information acquisition unit 20 periodically acquires required bandwidth information and reserved bandwidth information of each logical path in the in-vehicle network 12 as configuration information, and outputs the acquired required bandwidth information and reserved bandwidth information to the allocation unit 30.

[0160] As shown in Figure 11, based on the required bandwidth information and reserved bandwidth information received from the configuration information acquisition unit 20, the allocation unit 30 recognizes that, for example, the reserved bandwidth of logical path P72 is 500 Mbps, the reserved bandwidth of logical path P82 is 400 Mbps, the reserved bandwidth of logical path P92 is 100 Mbps, and the available bandwidth of logical paths P72, P82, and P92 is zero.

[0161] Thereafter, for example, when the configuration information acquisition unit 20 receives mode information indicating that the operation mode has been switched to the manual operation mode from the state information acquisition unit 10 as state information, the configuration information acquisition unit 20 acquires configuration information from each functional unit and outputs the acquired configuration information to the allocation unit 30. For example, the configuration information acquisition unit 20 acquires required bandwidth information and reserved bandwidth information of the logical routes P7, P8, and P9 as configuration information, and outputs the acquired required bandwidth information and reserved bandwidth information to the allocation unit 30.

[0162] For example, when the allocation unit 30 acquires required bandwidth information indicating that logical path P72 requires a bandwidth of 10 Mbps, logical path P82 requires a bandwidth of 10 Mbps, and logical path P92 requires a bandwidth of 700 Mbps, the allocation unit 30 changes the allocation of transmission bandwidth for logical paths P7, P8, and P9 based on the acquired required bandwidth information.

[0163] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a logical path between in-vehicle devices in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0164] For example, the allocation unit 30 changes the allocation of transmission bandwidth for logical paths P72, P82, and P92 so that the reserved bandwidth for logical path P72 is 10 Mbps or more, the reserved bandwidth for logical path P82 is 10 Mbps or more, and the reserved bandwidth for logical path P92 is 700 Mbps or more.

[0165] 12, the allocation unit 30 changes the reserved bandwidth of the logical path P72 from 500 Mbps to 10 Mbps, changes the reserved bandwidth of the logical path P82 from 400 Mbps to 10 Mbps, and changes the reserved bandwidth of the logical path P92 from 100 Mbps to 980 Mbps. In other words, the allocation unit 30 further allocates the 490 Mbps transmission bandwidth allocated to the logical path P72 and the 390 Mbps transmission bandwidth allocated to the logical path P82 to the logical path P92.

[0166] Then, since the available transmission bandwidth for the logical paths P72, P82, and P92 after the bandwidth allocation has been changed has become larger than the transmission bandwidth indicated by the required bandwidth information, the allocation unit 30 transmits bandwidth setting information to the relay device 211B indicating that the bandwidth allocation for the logical paths P72, P82, and P92 should be changed.

[0167] When the relay device 211B receives bandwidth setting information from the allocation unit 30, it changes the transmission bandwidth setting in accordance with the received bandwidth setting information and transmits the measurement information from each sensor to the autonomous driving ECU 111D using the logical paths P72, P82, and P92 after the setting change.

[0168] [Operation flow] Each device in the in-vehicle system 300 is equipped with 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 flowcharts and sequences. The programs for these multiple devices can each be installed externally. The programs for these multiple devices are distributed in a state where they are stored on a recording medium.

[0169] FIG. 13 is a flowchart defining an example of an operation procedure when the vehicle control device changes the allocation of the transmission band of the logical path in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0170] 13, first, the vehicle control device 100 waits for status information from a functional unit in the in-vehicle network 12 (NO in step S102), and upon receiving the status information (YES in step S102), changes the allocation of transmission bandwidths of a plurality of logical paths between the functional units according to the status of the vehicle 1 indicated by the received status information. More specifically, the vehicle control device 100 determines the allocation content of the transmission bandwidth of each logical path between the functional units according to an allocation pattern in the pattern table PT1 of the storage unit 40 that corresponds to the status of the vehicle 1 (step S104).

[0171] Next, the vehicle control device 100 waits for new state information from the functional unit (NO in step S102).

[0172] FIG. 14 is a flowchart defining another example of an operation procedure when the vehicle control device changes the allocation of the transmission band of the logical path in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0173] Referring to FIG. 14, first, the vehicle control device 100 waits for status information from the functional units in the in-vehicle network 12 (NO in step S202), and upon receiving the status information (YES in step S202), acquires required bandwidth information and reserved bandwidth information for each logical path between the functional units (step S204).

[0174] Next, the vehicle control device 100 changes the allocation of transmission bandwidths of the plurality of logical paths between the functional units. More specifically, the vehicle control device 100 determines the allocation of transmission bandwidths of the respective logical paths between the functional units based on the required bandwidth information, reserved bandwidth information, and status information (step S206).

[0175] Next, the vehicle control device 100 waits for new state information from the functional unit (NO in step S202).

[0176] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing sequence for changing the transmission band of the logical path between functional units in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0177] Referring to FIG. 15, first, when the engine ECU 111B switches the operating state of the engine, it transmits engine information indicating that the operating state of the engine has been switched to the vehicle control device 100 via the relay device 211 (step S302).

[0178] Next, the vehicle control device 100 changes the allocation of transmission bands for multiple logical paths between the OTA master 111C and the autonomous driving ECU 111D in accordance with the state of the vehicle 1 indicated by the engine information. More specifically, the vehicle control device 100 determines the allocation content of the transmission bands for each logical path between the OTA master 111C and the autonomous driving ECU 111D in accordance with an allocation pattern in the pattern table PT1 of the storage unit 40 that corresponds to the operating state of the engine indicated by the engine information (step S304).

[0179] Next, after determining the allocation content of the transmission band of each logical path between the OTA master 111C and the autonomous driving ECU 111D, the vehicle control device 100 transmits band setting information indicating the determined transmission band to, for example, the relay device 211A (step S306).

[0180] When the relay device 211A receives the bandwidth setting information from the vehicle control device 100, it changes the setting of the transmission bandwidth of each logical path between the OTA master 111C and the autonomous driving ECU 111D in accordance with the received bandwidth setting information (step S308).

[0181] Next, the OTA master 111C transmits the update program to the autonomous driving ECU 111D via the relay device 211A using the logical path after the setting change (step S310).

[0182] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating another example of a processing sequence for changing the transmission band of the logical path between functional units in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0183] Referring to FIG. 16, first, when the engine ECU 111B switches the operating state of the engine, it transmits engine information indicating that the operating state has been switched to the vehicle control device 100 via the relay device 211 (step S402).

[0184] Next, when the vehicle control device 100 receives the engine information from the engine ECU 111B via the relay device 211, it transmits an information request notice indicating that the required bandwidth information and reserved bandwidth information should be transmitted to each functional unit in the in-vehicle network 12 (step S404).

[0185] Next, each functional unit transmits the required bandwidth information and the reserved bandwidth information to the vehicle control device 100 in response to the information request notification from the vehicle control device 100 (step S406).

[0186] Next, the vehicle control device 100 identifies the longest logical route among the logical routes based on the required bandwidth information and reserved bandwidth information received from each functional unit (step S408).

[0187] Next, for example, the OTA master 111C receives an update program for the autonomous driving ECU 111D from the server 180 via the TCU 111A and the relay device 211A (step S410).

[0188] Next, the OTA master 111C transmits required bandwidth information indicating the transmission bandwidth required for transmitting the update program to the autonomous driving ECU 111D to the vehicle control device 100 (step S412).

[0189] Next, the vehicle control device 100 compares the transmission bandwidth indicated by the requested bandwidth information received from the OTA master 111C with the maximum logical route among each logical route, and changes the allocation of the transmission bandwidth of each logical route between the OTA master 111C and the autonomous driving ECU 111D according to the comparison result (step S414).

[0190] Next, after determining the allocation content of the transmission bands of each logical path between the OTA master 111C and the autonomous driving ECU 111D, the vehicle control device 100 transmits band setting information indicating each determined transmission band to, for example, the OTA master 111C (step S416).

[0191] When the OTA master 111C receives the bandwidth setting information from the vehicle control device 100, it changes the setting of the transmission bandwidth of each logical path between itself and the autonomous driving ECU 111D in accordance with the received bandwidth setting information (step S418).

[0192] Next, the OTA master 111C transmits the update program to the autonomous driving ECU 111D via the relay device 211A using the logical path after the setting change (step S420).

[0193] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating another example of a processing sequence for changing the transmission band of the logical path between functional units in the in-vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0194] Referring to FIG. 17, first, each of intake pressure sensor 111E, water temperature sensor 111F, and temperature sensor 111G transmits measurement information to automatic driving ECU 111D via relay device 211B using the corresponding logical path (step S502).

[0195] The automatic driving ECU 111D detects the driving conditions of the vehicle 1 based on the received measurement information from each sensor, and performs automatic driving control based on the detection results (step S504).

[0196] Next, when the automatic driving ECU 111D switches from automatic driving mode to manual driving mode, for example, in accordance with a user operation, it transmits mode information indicating that the driving mode has been switched to the vehicle control device 100 via the relay device 211 (step S506).

[0197] Next, when the vehicle control device 100 receives the mode information from the autonomous driving ECU 111D via the relay device 211, it transmits an information request notification indicating that the required bandwidth information and reserved bandwidth information should be transmitted to each functional unit in the in-vehicle network 12 (step S508).

[0198] Next, each functional unit transmits the required bandwidth information and reserved bandwidth information to the vehicle control device 100 in response to the information request notification from the vehicle control device 100 (step S510).

[0199] Next, the vehicle control device 100 changes the allocation of the transmission bandwidth of each logical path between each of the sensors and the autonomous driving ECU 111D based on the required bandwidth information and reserved bandwidth information received from each functional unit (step S512).

[0200] Next, after determining the allocation of the transmission bands of the logical paths between the sensors and the autonomous driving ECU 111D, the vehicle control device 100 transmits band setting information indicating the determined transmission bands to, for example, the relay device 211B (step S514).

[0201] When the relay device 211B receives the bandwidth setting information from the vehicle control device 100, it changes the setting of the transmission bandwidth of each logical path between itself and the autonomous driving ECU 111D in accordance with the received bandwidth setting information (step S516).

[0202] Next, each of the intake pressure sensor 111E, the water temperature sensor 111F, and the temperature sensor 111G transmits measurement information to the automatic driving ECU 111D via the relay device 211B using the corresponding logical path after the setting change (step S518).

[0203] In the in-vehicle system 300 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle control device 100 is one device that constitutes the in-vehicle network 12, but this is not limiting. The vehicle control device 100 may be configured to be included in the relay device 211 or the in-vehicle ECU 111. That is, the vehicle control device 100 may be integrated into the relay device 211 or the in-vehicle ECU 111. Furthermore, the vehicle control device 100 may be configured to be provided outside the in-vehicle network 12.

[0204] Furthermore, the vehicle control device 100 may be realized by a device outside the vehicle 1, such as a server 180. In this case, some or all of the functions of the vehicle control device 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided by cloud computing. That is, the vehicle control device 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be configured by multiple cloud servers, etc.

[0205] Furthermore, in the in-vehicle system 300 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, each logical path is configured to be realized by a plurality of physical transmission paths branching from one functional unit to another functional unit, but this is not limited thereto. Each logical path may be configured to be realized by a single physical transmission path from one functional unit to another functional unit.

[0206] In addition, in the in-vehicle system 300 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first logical path is realized by a plurality of transmission paths including the first transmission path and the second transmission path, which are physical transmission paths, and the second logical path is realized by a plurality of transmission paths including the first transmission path and the third transmission path, which are physical transmission paths, but this is not limited to this. Each logical path may be realized by one or more common transmission paths.

[0207] Furthermore, in the vehicle control device 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the allocating unit 30 is configured to determine the allocation of the transmission bandwidth of each logical path between the functional units based on the required bandwidth information acquired by the configuration information acquiring unit 20 and the state of the vehicle 1 indicated by the state information acquired by the state information acquiring unit 10, but this is not limited to this. The allocating unit 30 may be configured to determine the allocation of the transmission bandwidth of each logical path between the functional units based on the function unit information, which is an example of the configuration information acquired by the configuration information acquiring unit 20, and the state of the vehicle 1 indicated by the state information acquired by the state information acquiring unit 10.

[0208] In addition, in the vehicle control device 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the allocation unit 30 is configured to allocate a transmission bandwidth greater than zero to all logical routes, but this is not limited to this. The allocation unit 30 may be configured not to allocate a transmission bandwidth to some logical routes in a certain state of the vehicle 1.

[0209] However, there is a demand for a technology that can more appropriately change the network settings in an in-vehicle network depending on the communication status in the in-vehicle network.

[0210] For example, in recent years, the widespread use of high-end CPUs and GPUs has led to the development of ECUs that integrate the functions of multiple ECUs and have a wide range of functions. In such multi-function ECUs, the requirements for communication with other ECUs, such as transmission bandwidth, are likely to differ depending on the vehicle's state.

[0211] Furthermore, in vehicles such as electric vehicles, where current consumption directly affects the vehicle's cruising range, technology is desired that reduces current consumption in the in-vehicle network by more appropriately configuring the in-vehicle network to avoid the use of excessive network resources.

[0212] In contrast, in the vehicle control device 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the state information acquisition unit 10 acquires state information indicating the state of the vehicle 1. The allocation unit 30 changes the allocation of transmission bandwidths of multiple logical paths between functional units according to the state of the vehicle 1 indicated by the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit 10.

[0213] Furthermore, in the in-vehicle system 300 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle control device 100 changes the allocation of transmission bandwidths of multiple logical routes between functional units in accordance with the state of the vehicle 1, and transmits bandwidth setting information indicating the transmission bandwidths of each logical route after the change to one or more functional units. The functional units change the transmission bandwidths of each logical route in accordance with the bandwidth setting information received from the vehicle control device 100.

[0214] Furthermore, in the communication management method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, first, the vehicle control device 100 acquires status information indicating the status of the vehicle 1. Next, the vehicle control device 100 changes the allocation of transmission bandwidths of multiple logical paths between functional units according to the status of the vehicle 1 indicated by the acquired status information.

[0215] In this way, by using a configuration or method for changing the allocation of transmission bandwidths of multiple logical paths between functional units in accordance with the state of the vehicle 1, it is possible to more appropriately allocate transmission bandwidths to logical paths between functional units in the in-vehicle network 12, for example, in accordance with the content of communication performed for each state of the vehicle 1. This makes it possible to transmit, for example, large amounts of data more efficiently by setting a small transmission bandwidth for a logical path for which the amount of data to be transmitted is small, while setting a large transmission bandwidth for a logical path for which the amount of data to be transmitted is large.

[0216] Therefore, the vehicle control device, the in-vehicle system, and the communication management method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can perform data transmission in the in-vehicle network more efficiently.

[0217] 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.

[0218] The above description includes the following additional features. [Appendix 1] A management device used in an in-vehicle network, the management device including a plurality of functional units mounted on a vehicle, a state information acquisition unit that acquires state information indicating a state of the vehicle; an allocation unit that changes allocation of transmission bands of a plurality of logical paths between the functional units in accordance with the state of the vehicle indicated by the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit; a configuration information acquisition unit that acquires configuration information related to the configuration of the in-vehicle network; When the configuration information acquisition unit recognizes that the state of the vehicle has transitioned based on the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit, it acquires, as the configuration information, required bandwidth information indicating a bandwidth required for communication between the functional units for each state of the vehicle; The allocation unit determines the allocation content of the transmission bandwidth of each logical path between the functional units based on the required bandwidth information acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit and the state of the vehicle indicated by the status information acquired by the status information acquisition unit.

[0219] [Appendix 2] A plurality of functional units mounted on a vehicle; a management device used in an in-vehicle network including the plurality of functional units, The functional unit transmits status information indicating a status of the vehicle to the management device, When the management device recognizes that the state of the vehicle has transitioned based on the state information received from the functional units, the management device acquires required bandwidth information indicating a bandwidth required for communication between the functional units for each state of the vehicle, the management device changes allocation of transmission bandwidths of the plurality of logical paths between the functional units in accordance with the state of the vehicle and the acquired required bandwidth information, and transmits bandwidth setting information indicating the transmission bandwidths of each of the logical paths after the change to one or more of the functional units; The functional unit changes the transmission bandwidth of each of the logical paths in accordance with the bandwidth setting information received from the management device.

[0220] [Appendix 3] A management device comprising a processor, The processor: a state information acquisition unit that acquires state information indicating a state of the vehicle; an allocation unit that changes allocation of transmission bands of a plurality of logical paths between the functional units in accordance with the state of the vehicle indicated by the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit; A management device that achieves the above.

[0221] [Appendix 4] a plurality of on-board devices mounted on a vehicle; a management device used in an in-vehicle network including the plurality of in-vehicle devices; the management device changes allocation of transmission bandwidths of the plurality of logical paths between the on-board devices in accordance with the state of the vehicle, and transmits bandwidth setting information indicating the transmission bandwidths of each of the logical paths after the change to one or more of the on-board devices; The in-vehicle device changes the transmission bandwidth of each of the logical paths in accordance with the bandwidth setting information received from the management device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0222] 1 vehicle 10 Status information acquisition unit 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E, 11F, 11G, 11H, 11J, 11K, 11L Ethernet cable 12 In-vehicle network 20 Configuration information acquisition section 30 Allocation Section 40 Storage section 100 Vehicle control device 111 Automotive ECU 111A TCU (vehicle ECU) 111B Engine ECU (In-vehicle ECU) 111C OTA Master (Automotive ECU) 111D Autonomous Driving ECU (In-Vehicle ECU) 111E Intake pressure sensor (on-board ECU) 111F Water temperature sensor (on-board ECU) 111G Temperature sensor (automotive ECU) 111H Image sensor (vehicle ECU) 112A, 112B, 112C, 112D, 112E, 112F, 112G Applications 161 Wireless base station equipment 170 External Network 180 servers 211A, 211B repeater 212A, 212B Applications 300 In-Vehicle Systems 400 Communication Systems

Claims

1. A management device used in an in-vehicle network, the management device including a plurality of functional units mounted on a vehicle, a state information acquisition unit that acquires state information indicating a state of the vehicle; an allocation unit that changes allocation of transmission bandwidths of a plurality of logical paths between the functional units in accordance with the state of the vehicle indicated by the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit, a physical transmission path that realizes a first logical path and a physical transmission path that realizes a second logical path among the plurality of logical paths include transmission paths that are different from each other; the different transmission paths are transmission paths that branch and are connected to the same functional unit, The management device further a configuration information acquisition unit that acquires configuration information related to the configuration of the in-vehicle network; the allocation unit determines allocation details of transmission bandwidths of the logical paths between the functional units based on the configuration information acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit and the state of the vehicle indicated by the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit; the configuration information acquisition unit acquires, as the configuration information, required bandwidth information indicating a bandwidth required for communication between the functional units for each state of the vehicle in response to a transition of the state of the vehicle; The allocation unit determines the allocation content of the transmission bandwidth of each logical path between the functional units based on the required bandwidth information acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit and the state of the vehicle indicated by the status information acquired by the status information acquisition unit.

2. the configuration information acquisition unit further acquires, as the configuration information, reserved bandwidth information indicating bandwidths allocated to the plurality of logical routes in accordance with a transition of the state of the vehicle; 2. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the allocation unit determines the allocation content of the transmission bandwidth of each of the logical paths between the functional units based on the required bandwidth information and the reserved bandwidth information acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit, and the state of the vehicle indicated by the status information acquired by the status information acquisition unit.

3. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the different transmission paths branch off at a relay device.

4. A plurality of functional units mounted on a vehicle; a management device used in an in-vehicle network including the plurality of functional units, the management device changes allocation of transmission bandwidths of the plurality of logical paths between the functional units in accordance with the state of the vehicle, and transmits bandwidth setting information indicating the transmission bandwidths of each of the logical paths after the change to one or more of the functional units; the functional unit changes the transmission bandwidth of each of the logical paths in accordance with the bandwidth setting information received from the management device; a physical transmission path that realizes a first logical path and a physical transmission path that realizes a second logical path among the plurality of logical paths include transmission paths that are different from each other; the different transmission paths are transmission paths that branch and are connected to the same functional unit, the management device acquires configuration information relating to a configuration of the in-vehicle network, and determines allocation details of transmission bandwidths of the logical paths between the functional units based on the acquired configuration information and a state of the vehicle; the management device acquires, as the configuration information, required bandwidth information indicating a bandwidth required for communication between the functional units for each state of the vehicle in response to a transition of the state of the vehicle; The management device determines the allocation of transmission bandwidths for the logical paths between the functional units based on the acquired required bandwidth information and the state of the vehicle.

5. A communication management method in a management device used in an in-vehicle network including a plurality of functional units mounted on a vehicle, comprising: acquiring status information indicating a status of the vehicle; changing allocation of transmission bandwidths of a plurality of logical paths between the functional units according to the state of the vehicle indicated by the acquired state information; a physical transmission path that realizes a first logical path and a physical transmission path that realizes a second logical path among the plurality of logical paths include transmission paths that are different from each other; the different transmission paths are transmission paths that branch and are connected to the same functional unit, The communication management method further includes: acquiring configuration information relating to a configuration of the in-vehicle network; In the step of changing the allocation, a content of allocation of a transmission band of each of the logical paths between the functional units is determined based on the acquired configuration information and a state of the vehicle indicated by the acquired state information; In the step of acquiring the configuration information, required bandwidth information indicating a bandwidth required for communication between the functional units for each state of the vehicle is acquired as the configuration information in response to a transition of the state of the vehicle; In the step of changing the allocation, the allocation content of the transmission bandwidth of each logical path between the functional units is determined based on the acquired required bandwidth information and the state of the vehicle indicated by the acquired state information.

6. A communication management program used in a management device used in an in-vehicle network including a plurality of functional units mounted on a vehicle, Computer, a state information acquisition unit that acquires state information indicating a state of the vehicle; an allocation unit that changes allocation of transmission bands of a plurality of logical paths between the functional units in accordance with the state of the vehicle indicated by the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit; It is a program to function as a physical transmission path that realizes a first logical path and a physical transmission path that realizes a second logical path among the plurality of logical paths include transmission paths that are different from each other; the different transmission paths are transmission paths that branch and are connected to the same functional unit, The communication management program further causes the computer to: a configuration information acquisition unit that acquires configuration information related to the configuration of the in-vehicle network; It is a program to function as the allocation unit determines allocation details of transmission bandwidths of the logical paths between the functional units based on the configuration information acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit and the state of the vehicle indicated by the state information acquired by the state information acquisition unit; the configuration information acquisition unit acquires, as the configuration information, required bandwidth information indicating a bandwidth required for communication between the functional units for each state of the vehicle in response to a transition of the state of the vehicle; The allocation unit determines the allocation content of the transmission bandwidth of each logical path between the functional units based on the required bandwidth information acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit and the state of the vehicle indicated by the status information acquired by the status information acquisition unit.

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