Vehicle control system

Abstract

To minimize communication capacity between a master node and a slave node.SOLUTION: A vehicle control system includes a master node and a plurality of slave nodes that are connected to respective operating devices and that output on / off signals to the operating devices on the basis of the operating command signal from the master node. Each of the slave nodes stores a plurality of operation patterns that are patterns for one cycle of on / off signals for operating each of the operating devices, and operates the corresponding operating device by an on / off signal of the corresponding pattern when an operation command signal that specifies the operation pattern to be output from the operation patterns is input from the master node.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed herein belongs to the technical field relating to vehicle control systems. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the electrification of in-vehicle devices has become remarkable, and these devices are now controlled electronically.

[0003] Patent Document 1 shows an example of an in-vehicle network configuration in which ECUs are connected to each other via an in-vehicle network, and devices such as sensors and actuators are connected to each ECU (see Figure 1 of Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-212725 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Incidentally, in recent years, the electronic integration of in-vehicle devices has been remarkable, with not only power sources such as engines but also so-called body-related devices such as door locks and turn signals now operating under electronic control. This electronic integration of in-vehicle devices has led to the challenge of an enormous increase in the number of wire harnesses required for communication. To address this, the number of wire harnesses is being reduced by using multiplex communication standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0006] However, communication standards such as CAN require a dedicated microcontroller for each in-vehicle device, which increases the cost of the in-vehicle devices and, consequently, the manufacturing cost of the vehicle itself. Therefore, the introduction of CXPI (Clock Extension Peripheral Interface), a communication method consisting of a control unit with a dedicated microcontroller (master node) and a general-purpose control circuit (slave node) that can communicate with each other, is being considered.

[0007] In the CXPI communication method described above, if multiple events occur simultaneously, non-destructive arbitration is performed, and the slave node that wins the arbitration is given priority. Therefore, if there are many slave nodes, the communication capacity between the master node and each slave node becomes enormous, and the interval becomes long, which may worsen responsiveness.

[0008] The technology disclosed herein was developed in view of these points, and its purpose is to minimize the communication capacity between the master node and the slave node. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the aforementioned problems, the technology disclosed herein relates to a vehicle control system that controls a plurality of operating devices mounted on a vehicle, each operated by an on / off signal, and comprises a master node and a plurality of slave nodes connected to each of the operating devices, each of which outputs an on / off signal to each of the operating devices based on an operation command signal from the master node. Each slave node stores a plurality of operation patterns, which are patterns of one cycle of on / off signals for operating each of the operating devices, and when an operation command signal is input from the master node specifying which of the operation patterns to be output, the slave node operates the corresponding operating device with the on / off signal of the corresponding pattern.

[0010] In this configuration, the master node only needs to specify the operating pattern for each slave node. This significantly simplifies the commands and reduces the communication capacity between the master node and the slave nodes.

[0011] In the vehicle control system described above, the master node may configure each of the slave nodes to store the operation pattern in each of the slave nodes.

[0012] This configuration allows the operation patterns stored in the slave node to be modified as needed. As a result, even if the specifications of the operating device change, the modified operating device can be operated correctly by simply storing the operation patterns corresponding to the modified operating device in the slave node again.

[0013] In the vehicle control system described above, the master node is configured to transmit to each of the slave nodes, along with an operation command signal specifying the operation pattern, specific information instructing the immediate execution of the operation based on the operation command signal. The slave node is configured to stop the currently running operation and operate the operation device using an on / off signal of the pattern corresponding to the newly received operation command signal when it receives the specific information in addition to the operation command signal.

[0014] This configuration allows even highly urgent operations, such as unlocking doors, to be executed properly. In particular, by specifying patterns from the master node to the slave nodes, communication capacity is reduced, enabling highly urgent operations to be executed with high responsiveness.

[0015] In the vehicle control system capable of immediate execution by a specific signal, the operation device includes a door lock drive motor of a door lock device, and among the respective slave nodes, the slave node that operates the door lock drive motor is configured to stop the currently executing control and operate the door lock drive motor to turn off the door lock when receiving the specific information in addition to the operation command signal for turning off the door lock. Such a configuration may be adopted.

[0016] According to this configuration, an operation with high urgency such as unlocking a door can be appropriately executed with good responsiveness.

[0017] In the vehicle control system, the master node may be configured to be able to transmit information specifying the number of times to operate the operation device in the operation pattern to each of the slave nodes in addition to the operation pattern.

[0018] According to this configuration, the operation of an operation device that operates periodically like a turn lamp can be simplified. Also, since the number of communications between the master node and the slave nodes can be reduced, the communication capacity between the master node and the slave nodes can be made smaller.

Effects of the Invention

[0019] As described above, according to the technology disclosed herein, the communication capacity between the master node and the slave nodes can be made smaller.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle control system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of function distribution between a master node and a slave node.​​​​​Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a slave node. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a circuit block diagram showing an example configuration of the driver group. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of a vehicle control system. [Figure 7] Figure 7 illustrates an example of an operation pattern stored in a slave node that operates the door lock drive motor. [Figure 8] Figure 8 illustrates an example of an operation pattern stored in a slave node that controls a turn LED. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating how a turn LED is operated using an instruction set that executes an operation pattern multiple times. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing how to operate the door lock drive motor. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a flowchart for operating the turn LED. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the case where the door lock drive motor is activated immediately. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0021] The following describes exemplary embodiments in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0022] In this disclosure, the configurations referred to by the terms “system,” “unit,” “module,” and “node” may be partially or entirely implemented by dedicated circuits such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) or PLAs (Programmable Logic Arrays). Furthermore, some or all of these may be implemented by processor circuits that execute computer-readable instructions (e.g., programs) and perform specific functions by executing predetermined processing steps.

[0023] Furthermore, in the following explanation, "in-vehicle device" refers to a device mounted on a vehicle CA that has at least one of the following: a sensor and / or a device to be operated (such as a motor or LED). When referring specifically to an in-vehicle device that is to be operated, it may simply be called an operating device.

[0024] (Vehicle control system configuration) Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle control system 1 is mounted on the vehicle CA and consists of a master node 2 and multiple slave units connected via an in-vehicle communication network.

[0026] In the example shown in Figure 1, multiple slave units are exemplified, including a combination switch unit 4, left and right side mirror units 5, a steering switch unit 6, a cluster switch unit 31, an overhead console unit 32, left and right seat heater units 33, and left and right door lock units 34. Each slave unit is equipped with a slave node 7 (see Figure 4) which has a common configuration. For convenience, the side mirror unit 5, door lock unit 34, and seat heater unit 33 are each given the same reference numerals for the left and right sides.

[0027] Master node 2 and each of the slave nodes 7 are connected via communication line B, which conforms to CXPI (Clock Extension Peripheral Interface).

[0028] Specifically, the master node 2 and several slave units (in this example, the combination switch unit 4, the steering switch unit 6, the cluster switch unit 31, the right side mirror unit 5, the right seat heater unit 33, and the right door lock unit 34) are bus-connected via communication line B1. Furthermore, the master node 2 and several other slave units (in this example, the overhead console unit 32, the left side mirror unit 5, the left seat heater unit 33, and the left door lock unit 34) are bus-connected via communication line B2. As will be described in more detail later, this embodiment includes multiple (two in Figure 1) communication lines to accommodate a fail-safe function. Note that communication lines B1 and B2 may be communicatively connected. Also, the number of communication lines may be three or more. The communication method is not limited to CXPI; other communication methods (wired or wireless) may be used.

[0029] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the functional distribution between master node 2 and slave node 7 for the actions of vehicle CA. In Figure 2, the operation process of vehicle CA is divided into cognitive process Iz, judgment process Pz, and operation process Oz, and each process is further subdivided. Functions 20 distributed to master node 2 are enclosed by dashed lines, and functions 30 distributed to slave node 7 are enclosed by solid lines.

[0030] The following explanation describes the processes performed in the cognitive process Iz, the decision-making process Pz, and the operation process Oz in master node 2 and slave node 7, using an example of a change in weather from sunny to rainy (hereinafter simply referred to as "weather change").

[0031] [Cognitive process] In recognition process Iz, information acquired by sensors is recognized based on the output signals of sensors mounted on the in-vehicle devices. In this disclosure, the term "sensor" is used as a broad concept that includes not only sensors that measure and detect various physical quantities such as temperature, voltage, and current, but also switches that accept various operations, cameras that capture images inside and outside the vehicle, radar that recognizes targets outside the vehicle, and mechanical-electrical conversion signals of actuators. The sensors acquire vehicle behavior information, occupant operation information, occupant status information, and / or external environment information (hereinafter collectively referred to as "detection information").

[0032] The cognitive process Iz includes processes Iz2 and Iz3, which are performed on slave node 7, and processes Iz4 and Iz5, which are performed on master node 2.

[0033] First, in process Iz1, some kind of detection information is detected by sensors mounted on the in-vehicle device. For example, if there is a "change in weather" as mentioned above, detection information (e.g., the adhesion of raindrops, a change in the amount of light received) is detected by a raindrop sensor and a light receiving sensor (not shown).

[0034] Slave node 7 receives the sensor output via port P, which will be described later (step Iz2). This output includes, for example, the sensor's detection signal, physical quantities such as current, voltage, and temperature detected by the sensor, and the actuator's mechanical-electrical conversion signal.

[0035] In the next step Iz3, the slave node 7 performs signal conversion processing on the sensor output and sends it to the master node 2 as a detection signal. This signal conversion processing is, for example, protocol conversion to a signal compliant with CXPI.

[0036] In other words, in processes Iz2 and Iz3, the slave node 7 does not recognize or judge the specific content of the input information, but converts the input from the sensor into a predetermined signal format and transmits it to the master node 2 as a detection signal.

[0037] Master node 2 receives a detection signal from slave node 7 (step Iz4), and based on the time-dependent changes in the detection signal and the connection data described later, recognizes the specific content of the detection information input from the sensor to slave node 7 (step Iz5). In the aforementioned example of "weather change," the information processing provides recognition information such as, for example, that the light intensity transmitted through the windshield has fallen below a predetermined value, making it dark outside the car, and that it has started to rain. In the following explanation, the information recognized in the recognition process will be referred to as "recognition information."

[0038] [Judgment process] In the decision-making process Pz, the actions and responses of the vehicle CA are determined based on the cognitive information recognized in the cognitive process. Processes Pz1 to Pz4, which are components of the decision-making process Pz, are executed on master node 2.

[0039] Specifically, in process Pz1, master node 2 determines the objective of the vehicle CA's actions based on the cognitive information recognized in cognitive process Iz. In the aforementioned example of "weather changes," for example, the objective is determined to "act in a manner appropriate to the situation when the external environment becomes dark and it starts to rain."

[0040] In the next step Pz2, the master node 2 sets an action plan to achieve the objective determined in step Pz1. At this time, action plans including alternative means are enumerated, and for example, an action list is generated that lists the action plans. For example, among the action plans corresponding to the above-mentioned "behavior when the external environment is dark and it is raining," action plans such as "activate the wipers," "turn on the vehicle CA's automatic light function," and "limit the vehicle CA's maximum speed" are included.

[0041] In the next step, Pz3, the master node 2 decides which actions to actually execute from among the actions listed in the action plan. For example, it selects actions to be actually performed from the action list. In the aforementioned example of "weather change," for example, the actions "activate the wipers" and "turn on the vehicle's automatic headlight function" are selected as actions to be executed.

[0042] In the next step Pz4, the master node 2 selects the means (hereinafter also referred to as "response means") to realize the action determined in step Pz3. In the example of "weather change," for example, for the actions of "activate the wipers" and "turn on the vehicle's automatic light function," a wiper unit (not shown), a headlight unit (not shown), and a taillight unit (not shown) are selected.

[0043] [Operating process] The operation process Oz includes processes Oz1 and Oz2 performed on master node 2, and processes Oz3 to Oz5 performed on slave node 7.

[0044] In process Oz1, the master node 2 determines the objects to be manipulated and the amount of manipulation required to realize the actions or responses determined in the decision process Pz. Here, the objects to be manipulated broadly include the objects to be manipulated in order to realize the actions or responses, and include, for example, lighting devices and actuators. Lighting devices include various LEDs and light bulbs used in headlights, indicators, turn signals, etc. Actuators include body system devices such as motors for wipers and mirror drives, and power system devices used in engines, brakes, etc.

[0045] In the aforementioned example of "weather changes," for instance, the operation of the wiper unit determines whether to turn on the windshield wipers and set their operating speed and interval. Similarly, the operation of the headlight and taillight units determines whether to turn on the headlights and taillights and set their brightness.

[0046] In the next step Oz2, the master node 2 performs the following processes: (1) identify the port P to which the target to be operated is connected (hereinafter referred to as "operation port P") based on the connection data, (2) generate an instruction code that commands the output content of operation port P, and (3) transmit it to the slave node where operation port P is provided. In the aforementioned "weather change" example, for example, the master node 2 sends an operation command signal to the wiper unit that commands the output content of operation port P to which the wipers are connected, an operation command signal indicating the output content of operation port P to which the headlights are connected to the headlight unit, and an operation command signal indicating the output content of operation port P to which the taillights are connected to the taillight unit.

[0047] Each slave node 7 receives an operation command signal from the master node 2 and outputs an operation signal based on the command code from the operation port P based on the operation command signal.

[0048] Specifically, each slave node 7 generates a signal to be output from the operation port P based on the operation command signal, after protocol conversion of the operation command signal and / or referencing a specified register (step Oz3). Then, it outputs the operation signal to the operation device from the operation port P specified by the operation command signal (step Oz4). As a result, (1) the wiper unit drives the wipers, (2) the headlight unit turns on the headlights, and (3) the taillight unit turns on the taillights.

[0049] Next, we will describe in detail the configurations of Master Node 2 and Slave Node 7. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of Master Node 2, and Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of Slave Node 7.

[0050] The master node 2 illustrated in Figure 3 comprises a communication module 21, a cognitive module 22, a decision module 23, an operation module 24, and a memory 25.

[0051] Master node 2 is comprised of, for example, one or more electronic control units (ECUs). An electronic control unit may be comprised of a single integrated circuit (IC) or multiple ICs. Furthermore, the IC may contain a single core or die, or multiple cooperating cores or dies.

[0052] The communication module 21 has the function of receiving received signals from each slave node 7 via the communication line B and transmitting signals to each slave node 7.

[0053] Memory 25 stores configuration data and the like corresponding to each slave node 7. Memory 25 may be an internal memory built into the IC constituting the ECU, or it may be an external memory attached to the IC. Furthermore, the memory may store, for example, a program for operating the CPU mounted on the IC, or information such as the processing results from the CPU.

[0054] The cognitive module 22 performs cognitive processing steps Iz4 and Iz5 of the aforementioned cognitive process Iz. Specifically, the cognitive module 22 performs cognitive processing to recognize detection information acquired by the detection device based on connection data stored in memory and the time-dependent changes in detection signals received from the slave node.

[0055] The cognitive module 22 includes a decoding module 221 that decodes the detection signal received from the slave node 7, and an information processing module 222 that performs the information processing described in step Iz5 above.

[0056] The decision module 23 executes the decision processes of the aforementioned decision steps Pz (Pz1 to Pz4). Specifically, the decision module 23 executes a decision process to determine the vehicle CA's actions based on the cognitive information recognized in the cognitive processing performed by the cognitive module 22.

[0057] The decision module 23 comprises a purpose determination module 231 that executes the aforementioned process Pz1, an action planning module 232 that executes the aforementioned process Pz2, an action decision module 233 that executes the aforementioned process Pz3, and a response decision module 234 that executes the aforementioned process Pz4.

[0058] The operation module 24 executes processes Oz1 and Oz2 of the operation process Oz. Specifically, it identifies the operation device corresponding to the vehicle action determined in the decision process, generates an operation command signal to command the operation of the identified operation device, and performs operation processing to send it to the slave node to which the operation device is connected.

[0059] The operation module 24 includes an operation decision module 241 that executes the aforementioned process Oz1, and an instruction generation module 242 that executes the aforementioned process Oz2.

[0060] Figure 4 shows an example configuration of the slave node 7 illustrated in Figure 1, specifically the combination switch unit 4, the right side mirror unit 5 (hereinafter referred to as the right side mirror unit 5), and the right door lock unit 34 (hereinafter referred to as the right door lock unit 34).

[0061] As shown in Figure 4, the combination switch unit 4, the right side mirror unit 5, and the right door lock unit 34 are each provided with a common slave node 7. Each slave node 7 is provided with a port P for connecting in-vehicle devices.

[0062] In this example, the combination switch unit 4 has the following connected to ports P1 to P4: a wiper switch 41 for operating the wipers, a light switch 42 for operating the lights, and a turn switch 43 for operating the turn signals, respectively. Port P12 is for reserve. The wiper switch 41, light switch 42, and turn switch 43 are examples of in-vehicle devices that include only sensors.

[0063] The right side mirror unit 5 has LEDs 51 for turn signals (hereinafter referred to as "turn LED 51") connected to ports P1 and P2, LEDs 52 for indicators connected to ports P3 to P6, and a motor 53 for mirror retraction connected to ports P7 to P12. Here, the turn LED 51, LED 52, and motor 53 are examples of operating devices among in-vehicle devices. In particular, the motor 53 has a position sensor that detects the rotational position of the motor, and is an in-vehicle device that has both a sensor and an operating device.

[0064] The right door lock unit 34 has a door lock switch 341 connected to port P1, and door lock drive motors 342 for locking the door connected to ports P2 to P6. The door lock drive motors 342 have a position sensor that detects the rotational position of the motor, and are an in-vehicle device that has both a sensor and an operating device. Although some ports P are omitted in Figure 4, the right door lock unit 34 also has 12 ports P.

[0065] Each slave node 7 is equipped with a communication module 71, a register 72, a selector 73, a driver group 74, and a timer 75.

[0066] The communication module 71 is connected to the communication module 21 of the master node 2, which will be described later, via communication line B, and is configured to enable bidirectional communication compliant with CXPI. The communication module 71 includes, for example, an input / output circuit connected to communication line B, an encoder that generates signals to be output from the input / output circuit, and a decoder that converts signals to be output from the input / output circuit. As a conventionally known configuration can be applied to the specific circuit configuration of the communication module 71, a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0067] The driver group 74 comprises multiple driver groups 740, each connected one-to-one to a port P. For example, if the slave node 7 has 12 ports P, the driver group 74 will have 12 driver groups 740.

[0068] The driver group 740 is an I / O circuit that can be used as an input port or an output port depending on external settings. For example, a conventionally known general-purpose input / output circuit (GPIO: General Purpose Input / Output) can be applied as the driver group 740. Figure 5 shows an example configuration of the driver group 740.

[0069] The driver group 740 illustrated in Figure 5 comprises an output circuit 743 connected to port P and a driver circuit 741 that drives the output circuit 743 based on the setting value of the output register 742. The setting value of the output register 742 can be rewritten by a setting signal input from the OUT terminal.

[0070] The driver group 740 includes an input circuit 745 that receives input to port P, and a receiver circuit 746 that converts the input received by the input circuit 745 into a detection signal. The receiver circuit 746 includes an AD converter 747 and a comparator 748. The AD converter 747 converts the input to port P from analog to digital and outputs it from the AI ​​terminal when the attribute of port P is analog input. The comparator 748 outputs the input to port P as a digital signal from the DI terminal when the attribute of port P is digital input.

[0071] The driver group 740 allows the settings of each component to be changed based on the configuration signal. For example, the filter multiplier of the digital filter in the receiver circuit 746 can be changed based on the configuration signal.

[0072] The selector 73 has the function of selecting which terminals (OUT terminal, AI terminal, DI terminal) of each driver group 740 to enable based on the attribute information of each port P recorded in register 72.

[0073] When the AI ​​terminal is enabled, an analog input signal is input from port P. In this case, the analog input signal is converted to a digital signal by the input circuit 745 and the AD converter 747, output from the AI ​​terminal, and written to register 72 via selector 73.

[0074] When the DI terminal is enabled, a digital input signal is input from port P. In this case, the digital input signal is output from the DI terminal via input circuit 745 and comparator 748, and written to register 72 via selector 73.

[0075] When the OUT terminal is enabled, the output setting information is reflected in the output register 742 of the driver circuit 741 via the selector 73. Based on the setting information in the output register 742, the driver circuit 741 outputs either a digital signal, an analog signal, or a PWM signal from port P via the output circuit 743.

[0076] Regarding the specific circuit configuration of the selector, conventionally known configurations can be used, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here.

[0077] Register 72 stores the configuration data set for each slave node 7. The configuration data includes attribute data for each port P.

[0078] Timer 75 includes an oscillator that operates at a constant frequency, such as a crystal oscillator, and a counter that counts the clock from the oscillator. Timer 75 is used, for example, to measure the elapsed time since information was sent from a master node. Timer 75 is also used to measure the elapsed time since an operating device was turned on, when it is necessary to turn on an operating device for a fixed period of time.

[0079] Next, an example of the operation of the vehicle control system will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 6. Here, we will explain the process when the driver operates the turn switch 43 provided on the combination switch unit 4 to the right turn side after the initial configuration process in step S1.

[0080] In the vehicle control system 1, when power is turned on, the initial configuration process of step S1 is executed.

[0081] During the initial configuration process, initial configuration data is sent from master node 2 to each slave node 7. Each slave node 7 stores the initial configuration data received from master node 2 in register 72. After storing the initial configuration data in register 72, each slave node 7 sends a reply indicating that the configuration is complete. If the initial configuration data is already stored in each slave node 7, no action is taken in step S1 and the system proceeds to the next step.

[0082] Next, in step S2, when the turn switch 43 is operated to the right turn position, an ON setting signal is input from the digital output port DOR of the turn switch 43 to port P10 of the driver group 74.

[0083] Next, in step S3, the slave node 7 sends an event notification to the master node 2. The event notification informs the master node 2 of the changes in the detected signal area.

[0084] In the next step, S4, the master node 2 performs processing (also called "event processing") according to the content of the event notification. In event processing, the processing of the aforementioned recognition process, decision process, and operation process is performed.

[0085] In this example, the master node 2 performs an information processing step as a recognition process, based on the difference data between the detection data received in step S1 and the detection data D4 received in the current step. Specifically, the master node 2 recognizes that the turn switch 43 has been operated to the right turn side based on the change in port P10 of the combi switch unit 4 and the connection data.

[0086] Next, the master node 2, after going through steps Pz1 to Pz4 of the decision process, determines that the action to be performed by vehicle CA is to "turn on the right turn lamp of vehicle CA (including the right turn lamp of the right side mirror unit 5)".

[0087] Next, the master node 2 decides that the slave node 7 to which the right turn signal is connected will be the target of the operation, and that the operation will be to make the right turn signal blink. The master node 2 then generates an operation command signal to instruct the right turn signal to blink and transmits this operation command signal to the slave node 7 (including the right side mirror unit 5) to which the right turn signal is connected.

[0088] Next, in step S6, the slave node 7 of the right side mirror unit 5 receives an operation command signal.

[0089] Next, in step S7, the slave node 7 of the right side mirror unit 5 outputs an operation signal based on the operation command signal from the port based on the operation command signal. Specifically, the slave node 7 of the right side mirror unit 5 outputs a digital operation signal from port P2 that instructs ON control based on the operation command signal.

[0090] Next, in step S8, the master node 2 requests an acknowledgment from the slave node 7 that sent the operation command signal to confirm whether the output settings based on the operation command signal have been made. Then, in the next step S9, the slave node 7, having received the acknowledgment request, sends back an acknowledgment to the master node 2 indicating the status of the output settings based on the operation command signal.

[0091] (Autonomous timer control) In event-based communication methods like CXPI, if multiple events occur simultaneously, non-destructive arbitration is performed, and the slave node 7 that wins the arbitration takes priority. Therefore, as mentioned above, if there are many slave nodes 7, when multiple events occur simultaneously, the communication interval—the time between when a slave node 7 sends a notification to the master node 2 and when a slave node 7 receives an operation command signal from the master node 2—becomes longer, potentially degrading responsiveness. Furthermore, with many slave nodes 7, the communication capacity between the master node 2 and each slave node 7 becomes enormous. This, too, can lengthen the communication interval and degrade responsiveness. For this reason, in order to shorten the communication interval as much as possible, it is necessary to minimize the communication capacity between the master node 2 and each slave node 7.

[0092] Therefore, in this embodiment, each slave node 7 is instructed to store multiple operation patterns, which are patterns representing one cycle of on / off signals for operating each operating device. The master node 2 then sends an operation command signal to the slave node 7 specifying which operation pattern to output. Upon receiving the operation command signal from the master node 2, the slave node 7 operates the operating device using the on / off signal of the corresponding pattern.

[0093] Figures 7 and 8 show examples of operation patterns stored by slave node 7. Figure 7 shows the operation pattern stored by slave node 7 (hereinafter referred to as the first slave node) that operates the door lock drive motor 342 in the door lock unit 34. Figure 8 shows the operation pattern stored by slave node 7 (hereinafter referred to as the second slave node) of the right side mirror unit 5. These operation patterns are stored as configuration information in the first and second slave nodes, respectively. If slave node 7 has memory, these operation patterns may also be stored in memory.

[0094] The door lock drive motor 342 essentially has only two functions: turning the door lock on and turning the door lock off. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, the first slave node stores only the on / off signal of pattern 1 for turning the door lock on and the on / off signal of pattern 2 for turning the door lock off. As shown in Figure 7, each signal has an on time t on and off time off The on / off signals of Pattern 1 and Pattern 2 are defined as follows: on and off time t off The same. On the other hand, the on / off signal in pattern 2 requires the motor to rotate in reverse, so the voltage is negative. The on time t of pattern 1 on The ON time t of pattern 2 is set to be sufficient to rotate the door lock drive motor 342 enough to lock the door. on This is also set to a time sufficient to reverse the door lock drive motor 342 enough to turn off the door lock.

[0095] The turn LED 51 functions not only as a turn signal but also as a hazard light. Therefore, as shown in Figure 8, the second slave node may store on / off signals for multiple operating patterns. Patterns 1 to 5 shown in Figure 8 have an on timing (i.e., the first off time t) offand on-time t on are different in length, and the timing of turning off after turning on and the off-time t off are the same. Specifically, Pattern 1 is the on / off signal with the earliest timing of turning on and the longest on-time t on . The on / off signal becomes slower in the timing of turning on and shorter in the on-time t on as it becomes Pattern 2, 3, 4, and 5 with respect to Pattern 1. And Pattern 5 is the on / off signal with the slowest timing of turning on and the shortest on-time t on among the five patterns. The second slave node may store an operation pattern other than Patterns 1 to 5 shown here.

[0096] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the on / off signal of each operation pattern is defined by the on / off times t on , t off . As described above, since each slave node 7 has its own timer 75, each slave node 7 can autonomously operate the operation device while measuring time with its own timer 75 according to the on / off timing and on / off time defined in the on / off signal of the specified operation pattern when the operation pattern is specified. That is, each slave node 7 can autonomously turn on / off the operation device without being sequentially instructed to turn on / off from the master node 2. Thereby, the communication capacity between the master node 2 and each slave node 7 can be reduced.

[0097] The operation patterns as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 are stored in each slave node 7 respectively by the master node 2 configuring each slave node 7 as described above. When the operation device is replaced and there is a need to change the operation pattern, the master node 2 reconfigures the corresponding slave node 7 to store an appropriate operation pattern in the slave node 7.

[0098] Master node 2 is configured to send not only operation command signals specifying the operation pattern to each slave node 7, but also specific information instructing each slave node 7 to immediately execute the operation based on the operation command signal. This specific information is sent from master node 2 to slave node 7 simultaneously with the operation command signal as part of the instruction set. Upon receiving the instruction set containing the specific information, slave node 7 stops the currently executing operation and operates the operating device using the on / off signal of the pattern corresponding to the operation command signal in the newly received instruction set. For example, in the event of a vehicle collision, master node 2 outputs an instruction set to the first slave node containing an operation command signal specifying pattern 2 and the aforementioned specific information, causing it to immediately execute the operation of turning off the door lock.

[0099] Furthermore, the master node 2 is configured to transmit to each slave node 7, as part of the instruction set, information indicating the number of times to operate the control device according to the operation pattern, in addition to the operation pattern itself. A slave node 7 that receives an instruction set containing information specifying the number of times to execute the operation pattern executes the specified operation pattern on / off signal for the specified number of consecutive times. In other words, a slave node 7 that receives information specifying the number of times to execute the operation pattern executes the next cycle immediately after one cycle of the specified operation pattern is completed, without any interval between cycles.

[0100] For example, as shown in Figure 9, suppose the master node 2 sends an instruction set to the second slave node specifying that pattern 3 be executed three times. The second slave node, upon receiving the instruction set, executes the on / off signal of pattern 3 three times in succession. Specifically, the second slave node generates an output signal such that the latter half of the on / off time in the first on / off signal of pattern 3 is consecutive with the first half of the on / off time in the second on / off signal of pattern 3, and the latter half of the on / off time in the second on / off signal of pattern 3 is consecutive with the first half of the on / off time in the third on / off signal of pattern 3, thereby activating the turn LED 51.

[0101] Next, we will explain the flow of operating the control device, referring to Figures 10 to 12.

[0102] Figure 10 shows the flow when turning on the door lock. Initially, the door lock is assumed to be in the off state.

[0103] First, when the door lock switch 341 is pressed, the first slave node of the door lock unit 34 notifies the master node 2 that the door lock switch 341 has been pressed (step S101).

[0104] Next, the master node 2 recognizes that the door lock switch 341 has been turned on (step S102).

[0105] Next, the master node 2 generates an instruction set 1 containing an operation command signal specifying pattern 1 and information indicating that the instruction set 1 should be executed once, and transmits the instruction set 1 to the first slave node (step S103).

[0106] Next, the first slave node receives instruction set 1 from the master node 2 (step S104).

[0107] Then, the first slave node activates the door lock drive motor 342 by an on / off signal of pattern 1, according to the instruction set 1 received from the master node (step S105).

[0108] When the operation of the door lock drive motor 342 by the on / off signal of pattern 1 specified in instruction set 1 is completed, the first slave node notifies the master node 2 that the operation based on instruction set 1 is complete.

[0109] This completes the process of turning on the door locks.

[0110] Figure 11 shows the flow when the turn LED 51 is blinked. Figure 11 shows the flow after the turn switch 43 of the combination switch unit 4 is turned on to the right turn position.

[0111] First, when the turn switch 43 of the combi switch unit 4 is turned on to the right turn position, the master node 2 recognizes that the turn switch 43 has been turned on to the right turn position (step S201).

[0112] Next, the master node 2 generates an instruction set 1 containing an operation command signal specifying pattern 3 and information indicating that it will be executed 5 times, and transmits the instruction set 1 to the second slave node of the right side mirror unit 5 (step S202).

[0113] Next, the second slave node receives instruction set 1 from master node 2 (step S203).

[0114] Upon receiving instruction set 1 from master node 2, the second slave node activates the turn LED 51 of the right side mirror unit 5 using the on / off signal of pattern 3 according to instruction set 1 (step S204).

[0115] When the operation using the on / off signal of pattern 3 has been completed five times, the second slave node notifies the master node 2 that the operation is complete (step S205).

[0116] Upon receiving completion notification from the second slave node, the master node 2 sends an instruction set to the second slave node specifying that the same operation pattern be executed the same number of times, unless it is notified by the combi switch unit 4 that the turn switch 43 has been turned off. Here, the master node 2 generates an instruction set 2 containing an operation command signal specifying pattern 3 and information that the number of times to be executed is 5, and sends it to the second slave node (step S206).

[0117] Next, the second slave node receives instruction set 2 from master node 2 (step S207).

[0118] Upon receiving instruction set 2 from master node 2, the second slave node activates the turn LED 51 of the right side mirror unit 5 using the on / off signal of pattern 3 according to instruction set 2 (step S208).

[0119] Next, suppose the turn switch 43 of the combi switch unit 4 is turned off (not shown). When the master node is notified from the combi switch unit 4 that the turn switch 43 has been turned off, the master node 2 recognizes that the turn switch 43 has been turned off (step S209).

[0120] Next, the master node 2 sends an operation command signal to the second slave node to stop the operation of the turn LED 51 (step S210).

[0121] Next, the second slave node receives an operation command signal from the master node 2 to stop the operation (step S211).

[0122] Subsequently, the second slave node stops the operation of the turn LED 51 (step S212). At this time, the second slave node may stop after completing one cycle of processing and not executing the remaining cycle, or it may stop by forcibly turning off the operation that is currently running.

[0123] Although not shown in the diagram, the second slave node notifies the master node 2 when the operation of the turn LED 51 has finished stopping.

[0124] With the above steps completed, the operation of the turn LED 51 is finished.

[0125] Figure 12 shows the flow of immediately disabling the door lock. Initially, the door lock is assumed to be in the off state.

[0126] First, when the door lock switch 341 is pressed, the first slave node of the door lock unit 34 notifies the master node 2 that the door lock switch 341 has been pressed (step S301).

[0127] Next, the master node 2 recognizes that the door lock switch 341 has been turned on (step S302).

[0128] Next, the master node 2 generates an instruction set 1 containing an operation command signal specifying pattern 1 and information indicating that the instruction set 1 should be executed once, and transmits the instruction set 1 to the first slave node (step S303).

[0129] Next, the first slave node receives instruction set 1 from the master node 2 (step S304).

[0130] Next, the first slave node activates the door lock drive motor 342 with an on / off signal of pattern 1 according to the instruction set 1 received from the master node (step S305).

[0131] Then, when it becomes necessary to immediately turn off the door locks, such as when the vehicle is involved in a collision, the master node 2 first determines that it is necessary to immediately turn off the door locks (step S306). Based on detection signals from a G sensor (not shown), the master node 2 determines whether or not a collision has occurred and whether or not it is necessary to immediately turn off the door locks.

[0132] Next, without waiting for notification from the first slave node that the operation has been completed, the master node 2 sends an instruction set 2 to the first slave node, which includes an operation command signal specifying pattern 2, information indicating that the operation will be performed once, and specific information ordering immediate execution (step S307).

[0133] Next, the first slave node receives instruction set 2 from master node 2 (step S308).

[0134] The first slave node, having received instruction set 2 from master node 2, stops the operation based on instruction set 1 (step S309). As a result, the door lock drive motor 342 is stopped.

[0135] Then, the first slave node activates the door lock drive motor 342 with an on / off signal of pattern 2 to turn off the door lock, according to instruction set 2 (step S310).

[0136] When the operation using the on / off signals of pattern 2 specified in instruction set 2 is completed, the first slave node notifies the master node 2 that the operation based on instruction set 2 is complete.

[0137] (summary) Therefore, in this embodiment, the system comprises a master node 2 and a plurality of slave nodes 7, each connected to an operating device, which output an on / off signal to each operating device based on an operation command signal from the master node 2. Each slave node 7 stores multiple operation patterns, which are patterns of one cycle of on / off signals for operating each operating device. When an output signal is input from the master node 2 specifying which operation pattern to output, the slave node 7 operates the corresponding operating device with the on / off signal of the corresponding pattern. As a result, the master node 2 only needs to specify the operation pattern to each slave node 7, thus greatly simplifying the commands. Consequently, the communication capacity between the master node 2 and the slave nodes 7 can be reduced.

[0138] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the master node 2 configures each slave node 7 to store its own operating pattern. This allows the operating patterns stored in the slave nodes 7 to be changed as needed. Therefore, even if the specifications of the operating device are changed, the modified operating device can be operated appropriately by storing a new operating pattern corresponding to the modified operating device in the slave nodes 7. As a result, the slave nodes 7 can flexibly respond to changes and advancements in the functionality of the operating devices they operate.

[0139] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the master node 2 is configured to transmit to each slave node 7 specific information instructing immediate execution of the operation based on the operation command signal, along with an operation command signal specifying an operation pattern. When a slave node 7 receives the operation command signal in addition to the specific information, it stops the currently running operation and operates the operating device using an on / off signal of the pattern corresponding to the newly received operation command signal. This allows even highly urgent operations, such as unlocking a door, to be executed appropriately. In particular, by specifying the pattern from the master node 2 to the slave nodes 7, the communication capacity is reduced, enabling highly urgent operations to be executed with good responsiveness.

[0140] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the master node 2 is configured to transmit to each slave node 7, in addition to the operation pattern, information specifying the number of times the operating device should be operated according to that operation pattern, in addition to the operation pattern, in the output signal. This simplifies the operation of operating devices that operate periodically, such as the turn LED 51. Also, since the number of communications between the master node 2 and the slave nodes 7 can be reduced, the communication capacity between the master node 2 and the slave nodes 7 can be further reduced.

[0141] (Other embodiments) The technologies disclosed herein are not limited to the embodiments described above and may be substituted insofar as they do not depart from the spirit of the claims.

[0142] For example, in the embodiment described above, the case of activating the door lock drive motor 341 and the turn LED 51 was illustrated, but any operating device that operates in response to an on / off signal can be controlled by the vehicle control system of this disclosure.

[0143] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, even when the slave node 7 only needed to operate the control device once using the specified operation pattern, information specifying the number of times to operate the control device was transmitted from the master node 2. However, the master node 2 does not need to specify the number of times to operate the control device when the slave node 7 only needs to operate the control device once using the specified operation pattern. In this case, the slave node 7 is configured to operate the control device only once (for only one cycle) using the on / off signal of the specified operation pattern, and thereafter does not output an on / off signal to the control device.

[0144] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the claims, and any variations or modifications within the equivalent scope of the claims are all within the scope of this disclosure. [Industrial applicability]

[0145] The technology disclosed herein is useful as a vehicle control system that controls multiple operating devices mounted in a vehicle, each operated by an on / off signal. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0146] 1. Vehicle control system 2 Master Nodes 7 slave nodes 51 Turn LED (operating device) 342 Door lock drive motor (operating device) CA Vehicles

Claims

1. A vehicle control system that controls multiple operating devices mounted on a vehicle, each of which is operated by an on / off signal, Master node and The system comprises a plurality of slave nodes, each connected to one of the aforementioned operating devices, which output on / off signals to each of the aforementioned operating devices based on operation command signals from the master node, Each of the slave nodes stores multiple operation patterns, which are patterns of one cycle of on / off signals for operating each of the operating devices. When an output signal is input from the master node specifying which of the operation patterns to be output, the slave node operates the corresponding operating device using the on / off signal of the corresponding pattern. The master node is configured to transmit to each of the slave nodes, along with the operation command signal specifying the operation pattern, specific information instructing the immediate execution of the control by the operation command signal. The slave node is also configured to stop the currently running operation and operate the operating device with an on / off signal of a pattern corresponding to the newly received operating command signal when it receives the specific information in addition to a new operating command signal before the operation of the operating device by the operating command signal from the master node is completed. A vehicle control system characterized by the following features.

2. In the vehicle control system according to claim 1, A vehicle control system characterized in that the master node configures each of the slave nodes to store the operation pattern in each of the slave nodes.

3. In the vehicle control system according to claim 1, The operating device includes a door lock drive motor for the door lock device. A vehicle control system characterized in that, among the aforementioned slave nodes, the slave node that operates the door lock drive motor is configured to stop the currently executing control and operate the door lock drive motor to turn off the door lock when it receives the specific information in addition to the operation command signal to turn off the door lock.

4. In the vehicle control system according to claim 1, A vehicle control system characterized in that the master node is configured to transmit to each slave node, in addition to the operation pattern, information specifying the number of times the operating device should be operated according to the operation pattern.

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