Setting device and program

Abstract

An SDN controller (15) controls the respective communication settings of a plurality of SDN switches (12) installed in a vehicle-mounted network (10). The communication setting includes a first communication setting that is a communication setting not uniquely determined from configuration information of a vehicle-mounted device (14) to be connected to the vehicle-mounted network (10) and a second communication setting uniquely determined from the configuration information. The SDN controller (15) performs selection processing and generation processing when the vehicle-mounted device (14) is connected to the vehicle-mounted network (10). The selection processing is processing for selecting the first communication setting associated with the configuration information from a memory (21) holding a plurality of first communication settings. The generation processing is processing for generating the second communication setting on the basis of the configuration information.

Description

Setting device and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a setting device and a program for controlling communication settings of a relay device in an in-vehicle network.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a Software Defined Networking (SDN) system that can change the network configuration and settings without changing the hardware configuration by controlling communication devices with software. The SDN system includes multiple SDN switches that are frame relay devices, and an SDN controller that updates the communication settings of each of the multiple SDN switches.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-175373

[0004] It is conceivable to use the above-described SDN system in an in-vehicle network. Meanwhile, new in-vehicle devices may be added to the in-vehicle network to add new functions, etc. When the configuration of the in-vehicle network changes due to the addition of new in-vehicle devices, the communication settings of the SDN switch must be updated. Here, various communication settings corresponding to anticipated changes to the in-vehicle network must be prepared in advance and stored in a storage unit. In this case, the number of communication settings to be stored in the storage unit may become enormous.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a setting device configured to control communication settings of multiple relay devices installed in an in-vehicle network. The communication settings include a first communication setting that is a communication setting that is not uniquely determined from configuration information of in-vehicle devices connected to the in-vehicle network, and a second communication setting that is a communication setting that is uniquely determined from the configuration information. The setting device is configured to perform a selection process and a generation process when connecting an in-vehicle device to the in-vehicle network. The selection process is a process of selecting the first communication setting associated with the configuration information from a storage unit that stores multiple first communication settings. The generation process is a process of generating the second communication setting based on the configuration information.

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a program executed by a setting device that controls communication settings of multiple relay devices installed in an in-vehicle network. The communication settings include a first communication setting that is a communication setting that is not uniquely determined from configuration information of in-vehicle devices connected to the in-vehicle network, and a second communication setting that is a communication setting that is uniquely determined from the configuration information. The program causes the setting device to execute a selection process and a generation process when connecting an in-vehicle device to the in-vehicle network. The selection process is a process of selecting the first communication setting associated with the configuration information from a storage unit that stores multiple first communication settings. The generation process is a process of generating the second communication setting based on the configuration information.

[0007] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a setting device according to an embodiment, Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating an update operation of communication settings in the embodiment, and Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating a setting mode of a first communication setting in the embodiment.

[0008] An embodiment of the setting device will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. <Configuration of In-Vehicle Network and Setting Device> The configuration of an in-vehicle network 10 to which this embodiment is applied and the setting device of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1.

[0009] As shown in Fig. 1, an in-vehicle network 10 includes a plurality of SDN switches 12. The SDN switches 12 are connected to one another via network lines 13. Each SDN switch 12 is connected to an in-vehicle device 14. The in-vehicle devices 14 transmit and receive frames to and from each other via the in-vehicle network 10. The in-vehicle devices 14 include various ECUs (Electronic Control Units), sensors, car navigation systems, and the like mounted on the vehicle. Meanwhile, the SDN switch 12 is a relay device that forwards frames transmitted and received by the in-vehicle devices 14.

[0010] An SDN controller 15 is connected to one of the SDN switches 12. The SDN controller 15 is a setting device that controls the communication settings of each SDN switch 12. The communication settings define frame forwarding rules, such as the communication path of frames between the in-vehicle devices 14, restrictions on the communication path for security purposes, and adjustments to the forwarding order and amount of forwarding for quality of service (QoS). For example, the communication settings include a routing table that specifies the forwarding destination of frames for each destination.

[0011] The SDN controller 15 includes a CPU 20 and a memory 21. The CPU 20 executes processing related to updating communication settings. The memory 21 stores programs and data used in the processing by the CPU 20 in advance.

[0012] <Connection of a new in-vehicle device to the in-vehicle network> In order to add a function to the vehicle, etc., a new in-vehicle device 14 may be connected to the in-vehicle network 10. The connection of the new in-vehicle device 14 to the in-vehicle network 10 here includes the following cases in addition to the case where the new in-vehicle device 14 is additionally installed in the vehicle.

[0013] Currently, it is conceivable that an in-vehicle device 14 for realizing a function that is prohibited by law may be installed in a vehicle in advance in a disabled state in anticipation of future changes to the law. A disabled in-vehicle device 14 is treated as not existing from the in-vehicle network 10 even though it is physically connected to the in-vehicle network 10. When such an in-vehicle device 14 is activated, it is treated as newly connected to the in-vehicle network 10. In this embodiment, a connection of an in-vehicle device 14 installed in a disabled state by activation is also included in the connection of a new in-vehicle device 14 to the in-vehicle network 10. Note that the activation or deactivation of the in-vehicle device 14 is performed based on preset flag information, etc.

[0014] In the following description, the in-vehicle device 14 newly connected to the in-vehicle network 10 will be referred to as new in-vehicle device 14A. The new in-vehicle device 14A may be, for example, an ECU or a sensor. The in-vehicle network 10 may also be connected to a unit having one or more ECUs, one or more sensors, and an SDN switch to which they are connected. For example, a unit for adding functions necessary for autonomous driving to a vehicle may include a camera or sensor for recognizing objects around the vehicle, an ECU for calculating the vehicle's driving path and driving speed, and an SDN switch to which they are connected. When newly connected to the in-vehicle network 10, such a unit may become the new in-vehicle device 14A.

[0015] The configuration of the in-vehicle network 10 changes when the new in-vehicle device 14A is connected. The connection of the new in-vehicle device 14A also changes the state of frame communication within the in-vehicle network 10. In response to this, the SDN controller 15 updates the communication settings of each SDN switch 12 when the new in-vehicle device 14A is connected.

[0016] The communication mode performed by the new in-vehicle device 14A varies depending on its type. For example, if the new in-vehicle device 14A is a sensor, the sensor basically only transmits frames. Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 14 to which the sensor transmits frames is limited depending on the sensor's detection target. The amount of communication and priority of communication performed by the new in-vehicle device 14A also vary depending on the type of the new in-vehicle device 14A. For example, if the new in-vehicle device 14A is a unit that adds functions necessary for autonomous driving as described above, the amount of communication performed by the unit will be large and the communication will have a high priority. Thus, the required communication settings of each SDN switch 12 will differ depending on the type of new in-vehicle device 14A. Furthermore, even among new in-vehicle devices 14A of the same type, some devices may have high communication volume and others may have low communication volume. Furthermore, even among new in-vehicle devices 14A of the same type, new in-vehicle devices 14A may be connected to different locations on the in-vehicle network 10. As described above, the communication settings of each SDN switch 12 corresponding to the connection of the new in-vehicle device 14A differ depending on the type, communication volume, and connection location of the new in-vehicle device 14A.

[0017] In contrast, a plurality of first communication settings are pre-stored in the memory 21, which is a storage unit of the SDN controller 15. The first communication settings are communication settings of each SDN switch 12 that are updated when a new in-vehicle device 14A is connected. The plurality of first communication settings stored in the memory 21 are categorized by configuration information of the in-vehicle device 14 connected to the in-vehicle network 10. The configuration information includes software information of the in-vehicle device 14, topology information of the in-vehicle device 14, vehicle communication specifications included in the software information of the in-vehicle device 14, etc. The software information includes, for example, version information of the software installed in the in-vehicle device 14 and the above-mentioned flag information.

[0018] <Updating of Communication Settings> Next, updating of the communication settings of the in-vehicle network 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Note that the communication settings are updated by the CPU 20 executing a program stored in the memory 21 of the SDN controller 15.

[0019] The SDN controller 15 executes a selection process M1 and a generation process M2 when connecting the on-board device 14 to the on-board network 10. The selection process M1 is a process of selecting a first communication setting associated with the above-mentioned configuration information from the memory 21 that stores multiple first communication settings. The first communication setting is a communication setting that cannot be uniquely determined from the configuration information of the on-board device 14 connected to the on-board network 10. In other words, there are multiple communication settings that can be set based on the configuration information of the on-board device 14 connected to the on-board network 10, and the first communication setting is a communication setting that is pre-selected from the multiple existing communication settings. The first communication setting is, for example, a communication setting related to priority control that determines a transfer order for quality of service (QoS) or bandwidth control that adjusts the transfer volume.

[0020] 3, the first communication setting has versatility that allows it to be used with different configuration information. For example, communication setting A is a communication setting associated with configuration information A and configuration information B. Communication setting B is a communication setting associated with configuration information C, configuration information D, and configuration information E.

[0021] In the selection process M1, topology information and software information of the in-vehicle device 14 are acquired as the configuration information. The topology information of the in-vehicle device 14 is acquired from the PnP master 100 on the in-vehicle network 10. The PnP master 100 manages which port on the in-vehicle network 10 each in-vehicle device 14 is connected to. In other words, the PnP master 100 manages the topology information.

[0022] The software information of the in-vehicle device 14 is acquired via an external network from a software management system 200 installed in an external server outside the vehicle. The software management system 200 manages version information, flag information, vehicle communication specifications, etc. of various software installed in the in-vehicle device 14.

[0023] The generation process M2 is a process for generating a second communication setting based on the above-described configuration information. The second communication setting is a communication setting that is uniquely determined from the configuration information of the in-vehicle device 14 connected to the in-vehicle network 10. In other words, the second communication setting is a communication setting that is automatically determined based on the configuration information of the in-vehicle device 14 connected to the in-vehicle network 10.

[0024] In the generation process M2, topology information of the on-board device 14 and vehicle communication specifications of the on-board device 14 are acquired as the configuration information. Then, based on the topology information and the vehicle communication specifications, a second communication setting is dynamically generated in accordance with a pre-prepared algorithm. For example, parameters of the second communication setting that are uniquely determined based on the topology information include an L2 forwarding setting, an L3 forwarding setting, node monitoring, port monitoring, and frame monitoring. Furthermore, parameters of the second communication setting that are uniquely determined based on the vehicle communication specifications include a VLAN setting, time synchronization (master-slave), wake-up / sleep, port filtering, and a diagnostic gateway.

[0025] The SDN controller 15 selects the first communication setting in the selection process M1 and generates the second communication setting in the generation process M2, and then executes the setting process M3. The setting process M3 is a process for setting communication settings including the first communication setting and the second communication setting. Then, the SDN controller 15 controls the communication settings of each SDN switch 12 provided on the in-vehicle network 10 based on the set communication settings.

[0026] <Operations and Effects of the Embodiment> The operations and effects of the setting device of the embodiment described above will be described. (1) The SDN controller 15 controls the communication settings of the multiple SDN switches 12 installed in the in-vehicle network 10. The communication settings include a first communication setting that is not uniquely determined from the configuration information of the in-vehicle devices 14 connected to the in-vehicle network 10, and a second communication setting that is uniquely determined from the configuration information. The SDN controller 15 performs a selection process M1 and a generation process M2 when connecting the in-vehicle devices 14 to the in-vehicle network 10. The selection process M1 is a process of selecting a first communication setting associated with the configuration information of the in-vehicle devices 14 from the memory 21 that stores multiple first communication settings. The generation process M2 is a process of generating the second communication setting based on the configuration information of the in-vehicle devices 14.

[0027] With this configuration, the second communication setting among the communication settings of the SDN switch 12 is generated from the configuration information of the in-vehicle device 14, and therefore does not need to be stored in advance in the memory 21. Therefore, the number of communication settings to be stored in advance in the memory 21 can be reduced.

[0028] (2) The first communication setting has versatility that allows it to be compatible with different configuration information of the in-vehicle device 14. Therefore, the number of communication settings to be stored in advance in the memory 21 can be reduced compared to when the first communication setting is a dedicated communication setting that corresponds to each individual piece of configuration information.

[0029] (3) The SDN controller 15 controls the communication settings of the multiple SDN switches 12 installed in the in-vehicle network 10 and executes a program. The communication settings include a first communication setting that is not uniquely determined from the configuration information of the in-vehicle device 14 connected to the in-vehicle network 10, and a second communication setting that is uniquely determined from the configuration information. This program causes the SDN controller 15 to execute a selection process M1 and a generation process M2 when connecting the in-vehicle device 14 to the in-vehicle network 10. The selection process M1 is a process of selecting a first communication setting associated with the configuration information of the in-vehicle device 14 from the memory 21 that stores multiple first communication settings. The generation process M2 is a process of generating the second communication setting based on the configuration information of the in-vehicle device 14.

[0030] According to this program, the second communication setting among the communication settings of the SDN switch 12 is generated from the configuration information of the in-vehicle device 14, and therefore does not need to be stored in advance in the memory 21. Therefore, the number of communication settings to be stored in advance in the memory 21 can be reduced.

[0031] <Modifications> The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0032] The selection process M1 may acquire, as the configuration information, either topology information of the on-board device 14 or software information of the on-board device 14. The generation process M2 may acquire, as the configuration information, topology information of the on-board device 14, vehicle communication specifications of the on-board device 14, and flag information of the on-board device 14.

[0033] The generation process M2 may acquire, as the configuration information, either topology information of the on-board device 14 or vehicle communication specifications of the on-board device 14. The first communication setting may be a dedicated communication setting corresponding to each piece of configuration information. Even in this case, actions and effects other than those described in (2) above can be obtained.

[0034] Some or all of the multiple SDN switches 12 installed in the in-vehicle network 10 may be replaced with other relay devices that perform frame forwarding, such as routers, and that can update communication settings using software.

[0035] The in-vehicle network 10 of the above embodiment is configured so that the in-vehicle devices 14 communicate at the data link layer (L2). The in-vehicle network 10 may be configured so that communication between the in-vehicle devices 14 occurs at a layer other than the data link layer. That is, the SDN controller 15 of the above embodiment may be configured as a device that controls communication settings of each relay device in an in-vehicle network provided with multiple relay devices that perform message forwarding.

[0036] The SDN controller 15 may be configured in any manner that functions as a setting device that updates communication settings of multiple communication devices installed in the in-vehicle network 10. The setting device may also be configured as a circuit including one or more processors that execute various processes according to a computer program (software). The setting device may also be configured as a circuit including one or more dedicated hardware circuits, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), that execute at least some of the various processes, or a combination thereof. The processor includes a CPU and memory such as RAM and ROM. The memory stores program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute processes. The memory, i.e., computer-readable medium, includes any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer.

Claims

1. A setting device configured to control communication settings of multiple relay devices installed in an in-vehicle network, the communication settings including a first communication setting which is a communication setting that is not uniquely determined from configuration information of an in-vehicle device connected to the in-vehicle network, and a second communication setting which is a communication setting that is uniquely determined from the configuration information, the setting device being configured to perform a selection process and a generation process when an in-vehicle device is connected to the in-vehicle network, the selection process being a process of selecting the first communication setting associated with the configuration information from a memory unit that holds multiple first communication settings, and the generation process being a process of generating the second communication setting based on the configuration information.

2. The setting device according to claim 1, wherein the selection process acquires software information of the in-vehicle device as the configuration information.

3. The setting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the selection process acquires topology information of the in-vehicle device as the configuration information.

4. The setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the generation process acquires topology information of the in-vehicle device as the configuration information.

5. A setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the generation process obtains vehicle communication specifications included in software information of the in-vehicle device as the configuration information.

6. A setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first communication setting is a versatile communication setting that can accommodate different pieces of configuration information.

7. A program executed by a setting device that controls communication settings of multiple relay devices installed in an in-vehicle network, the communication settings including a first communication setting that is a communication setting that is not uniquely determined from configuration information of an in-vehicle device connected to the in-vehicle network, and a second communication setting that is a communication setting that is uniquely determined from the configuration information, the program causes the setting device to execute a selection process and a generation process when an in-vehicle device is connected to the in-vehicle network, the selection process being a process of selecting the first communication setting that corresponds to the configuration information from a memory unit that stores multiple first communication settings, and the generation process being a process of generating the second communication setting based on the configuration information.

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