Vehicle exterior controller, vehicle-mounted controller, vehicle-mounted network update system, vehicle-mounted network update method, and program

Abstract

A vehicle exterior controller (11) provided outside a vehicle (20) is provided with a vehicle exterior database (410) in which configuration information of a plurality of vehicle-mounted networks (21) having different configurations and communication setting flags respectively corresponding to the plurality of vehicle-mounted networks (21) are associated with each other. The vehicle exterior database (410) is updated in conjunction with updates of the configuration information. The vehicle exterior controller (11) acquires configuration information of the vehicle-mounted network (21) in the vehicle (20). The vehicle exterior controller (11) extracts a communication setting flag to be applied to the vehicle (20) with reference to the acquired configuration information and the vehicle exterior database (410). The vehicle exterior controller (11) notifies a vehicle-mounted controller (22) of the extracted communication setting flag.

Description

External vehicle controller, in-vehicle controller, in-vehicle network update system, in-vehicle network update method and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an external vehicle controller, an in-vehicle controller, an in-vehicle network update system, an in-vehicle network update method, and a program using an SDN system.

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

[0003] The SDN controller controls communication settings in multiple SDN switches, which are switches provided on a network and perform data transfer.

[0004] JP 2017-169044 A

[0005] It is conceivable to use the SDN system described in Patent Document 1 in an in-vehicle SDN network. In a vehicle, new in-vehicle devices may be added and connected to add functions, etc. Furthermore, the software of the in-vehicle devices may be updated. The configuration of the in-vehicle SDN network may be changed due to the addition of new in-vehicle devices or the addition of functions through software updates. Even if the configuration of the in-vehicle SDN network is changed, the SDN controller can control the in-vehicle SDN network by appropriately changing the communication settings of the SDN switch.

[0006] In order for the SDN controller to control the in-vehicle SDN network, it is necessary to have a database that matches the configuration information of the in-vehicle SDN network, such as topology information of in-vehicle equipment and software version information, with the communication settings of the SDN switch in the vehicle.

[0007] This database stores information indicating multiple communication settings corresponding to multiple in-vehicle SDN networks with different configurations, in order to provide versatility so that it can accommodate the addition of additional in-vehicle equipment for functional expansion and vehicles with different specifications.

[0008] Therefore, in order to keep the database up to date, it is necessary to update the database even when updates are made to information indicating communication settings that are not used in a certain vehicle or to software that is not used in that vehicle, which means that the actual number of database updates will be greater than if only necessary updates were made in that vehicle.

[0009] While data is being updated in the vehicle, the vehicle may not be able to be driven, which means that the frequency of data updates in the vehicle needs to be reduced.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an off-vehicle controller provided outside a vehicle. The off-vehicle controller includes an off-vehicle database that associates configuration information of a plurality of in-vehicle networks with information indicating communication settings corresponding to each of the plurality of in-vehicle networks. The off-vehicle database is updated as the configuration information is updated. The off-vehicle controller is configured to acquire the configuration information of the in-vehicle networks in the vehicle, refer to the acquired configuration information and the off-vehicle database to extract information indicating the communication settings to be applied to the vehicle, and notify an on-vehicle controller provided in the vehicle of the extracted information indicating the communication settings.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an on-board controller provided in a vehicle, wherein the on-board controller is configured to control communication settings of a plurality of switches, which are data transfer devices provided on an on-board network of the vehicle, based on information indicating communication settings notified from an off-board controller provided outside the vehicle.

[0012]

[0010] In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an in-vehicle network updating system including the above-mentioned external controller and the above-mentioned in-vehicle controller. In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an in-vehicle network updating method executed by an in-vehicle network updating system including an external controller provided outside a vehicle and an in-vehicle controller provided in the vehicle. The in-vehicle network updating method includes: a first step in which the external controller, which includes an external database that associates configuration information of a plurality of in-vehicle networks with information indicating communication settings corresponding to each of the plurality of in-vehicle networks, acquires the configuration information of the vehicle; a second step in which the external controller refers to the acquired configuration information and the external database to extract information indicating the communication settings to be applied to the vehicle; a third step in which the external controller notifies the in-vehicle controller of the extracted information indicating the communication settings; and a fourth step in which the in-vehicle controller controls communication settings of a plurality of switches, which are data transfer devices, provided on the in-vehicle network of the vehicle, based on the notified information indicating the communication settings.

[0013] In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a program executed by an off-vehicle controller provided outside a vehicle, the program causing the off-vehicle controller, which includes an off-vehicle database that associates configuration information of a plurality of on-vehicle networks with information indicating communication settings corresponding to each of the plurality of on-vehicle networks, to acquire the configuration information of the vehicle, refer to the acquired configuration information and the off-vehicle database, extract information indicating the communication settings to be applied to the vehicle, and notify an on-vehicle controller provided in the vehicle of the extracted information indicating the communication settings.

[0014] In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a program executed by an on-board controller provided in a vehicle, the program causing the on-board controller to control communication settings of each of a plurality of switches, which are data transfer devices provided on an on-board network of the vehicle, based on information indicating communication settings notified from an off-board controller provided outside the vehicle.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an in-vehicle SDN network update system. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle SDN network including an in-vehicle controller and in-vehicle devices. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an update operation in network configuration when the in-vehicle controller holds a database. FIG. 4 is a table showing an example of the database shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a table showing the operating status of each SDN switch in each communication configuration. FIG. 6 is a table showing an example of an updated database obtained by updating the database shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an update operation in network configuration when the off-vehicle controller includes an off-vehicle database and the on-vehicle controller includes an on-vehicle database. FIG. 8 is a table showing an example of an off-vehicle database included in the off-vehicle controller shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a table showing an example of an on-vehicle database included in the on-vehicle controller shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 10 is a table showing an example of an updated off-vehicle database obtained by updating the off-vehicle database shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an update operation in an in-vehicle SDN network when only the off-vehicle controller includes a database.

[0016] An embodiment of an in-vehicle SDN network update system will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. <Overview of In-Vehicle SDN Network Update System 1> FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the in-vehicle SDN network update system 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the in-vehicle SDN network update system 1 is an in-vehicle network update system including a server 10, multiple vehicles 20, and an external communication network 30. The server 10 includes an off-vehicle controller 11 and a communication device 12. Each vehicle 20 has an in-vehicle SDN network 21. An in-vehicle communication device 23 is connected to each in-vehicle SDN network 21. The server 10 is connected to the in-vehicle SDN network 21 of each vehicle 20 via the communication device 12, the external communication network 30, and the in-vehicle communication device 23. The external communication network 30 is, for example, a wireless communication network such as a mobile phone network. Therefore, the server 10 and each vehicle 20 can communicate information with each other via the external communication network 30.

[0017] The off-vehicle controller 11 includes a CPU and a ROM. The CPU executes programs stored in the ROM. <Overview of the In-Vehicle SDN Network 21> As shown in FIG. 2 , the in-vehicle SDN network 21 in the vehicle 20 is an in-vehicle network including an in-vehicle controller 22 (an SDN controller), an in-vehicle communication device 23, multiple SDN switches 24, and multiple in-vehicle devices 25. Each in-vehicle device 25 is controlled by software 26 installed in the in-vehicle device 25. The in-vehicle devices 25 include various ECUs (Electronic Control Units), an engine, a brake, a motor, sensors, a car navigation system, and the like installed in the vehicle 20. The in-vehicle devices 25 are connected to the in-vehicle SDN network 21 using the PnP (Plug and Play) method.

[0018] The SDN switch 24 and the in-vehicle device 25 are communication devices that perform frame communication. Here, frame communication refers to performing at least one of frame transfer, frame transmission, and frame reception.

[0019] The in-vehicle controller 22 controls communication settings in the in-vehicle SDN network 21. The in-vehicle controller 22 updates the communication settings when the configuration of the in-vehicle SDN network 21 is changed, for example, when a new in-vehicle device 25 is connected. At this time, the in-vehicle controller 22 transmits communication settings that determine a data communication path to each SDN switch 24 provided on the in-vehicle SDN network 21. In this way, the in-vehicle controller 22 centrally manages the communication settings of the multiple SDN switches 24 provided on the in-vehicle SDN network 21. The in-vehicle controller 22 transmits data to be transferred by the SDN switch 24.

[0020] The in-vehicle communication device 23 establishes data communication with the off-vehicle controller 11 via the external communication network 30. In Fig. 2, the in-vehicle communication device 23 is directly connected to the in-vehicle controller 22. Note that the in-vehicle communication device 23 may be connected to the in-vehicle controller 22 via an SDN switch 24.

[0021] The SDN switch 24 is a data transfer device that transfers data on the in-vehicle SDN network 21. Specifically, the SDN switch 24 updates the rules for data transfer stored in its own flow table based on information received from the in-vehicle controller 22. Then, based on the updated rules, the SDN switch 24 transfers the data received from the in-vehicle controller 22 to the appropriate in-vehicle device 25. Hereinafter, when each SDN switch 24 is to be distinguished, they will be referred to as a first SDN switch 24_1, a second SDN switch 24_2, a third SDN switch 24_3, and a fourth SDN switch 24_4.

[0022] 3 , as a comparative example, a case will be considered in which the on-board controller 22 includes the database 400. In this case, the on-board SDN network 21 in the vehicle 20 includes the on-board controller 22, the on-board communication device 23, and the PnP master 110.

[0023] The database 400 stores configuration information of multiple in-vehicle SDN networks 21 with different configurations, in association with the communication settings of each SDN switch 24 provided on each in-vehicle SDN network 21.

[0024] Here, the configuration information of the in-vehicle SDN network 21 includes topology information 100 of the in-vehicle devices 25 in the in-vehicle SDN network 21 and software information 200 of the in-vehicle devices 25. The software information 200 is, for example, version information of each piece of software 26 provided in each piece of in-vehicle device 25. The information indicating the communication settings is, for example, the communication settings of each SDN switch 24 that determines the data communication path on the network in the in-vehicle SDN network 21.

[0025] The in-vehicle controller 22 acquires the topology information 100 from the PnP master 110 on the in-vehicle SDN network 21. The PnP master 110 manages which port on the in-vehicle SDN network 21 each in-vehicle device 25 is connected to. That is, the PnP master 110 manages the topology information 100. For example, when a new in-vehicle device 25 is connected to the in-vehicle SDN network 21, the PnP master 110 notifies the in-vehicle controller 22 that the topology information 100 has been changed.

[0026] The in-vehicle controller 22 acquires software information 200 from a software management system 220 provided outside the vehicle via an external communication network 30. The software management system 220 manages version information of the software 26 of the in-vehicle devices 25. When a new version of the software 26 is released, the software management system 220 notifies the in-vehicle controller 22 of the software information 200 via the external communication network 30. The software management system 220 includes a plurality of pieces of software information 200 corresponding to a plurality of pieces of software 26 in a plurality of in-vehicle devices 25.

[0027] Since there are multiple pieces of software information 200 corresponding to multiple in-vehicle devices 25, in the following, when describing each piece of software information 200 separately, they will be referred to as first software information 201 and second software information 202.

[0028] The in-vehicle controller 22 references the topology information 100 notified from the PnP master 110, the software information 200 notified from the software management system 220, and the database 400 to extract communication settings for each SDN switch 24. Thereafter, the in-vehicle controller 22 controls the communication settings of each SDN switch 24 provided on the in-vehicle SDN network 21 in the vehicle 20 based on the extracted communication settings.

[0029] <Specific Example of Information Stored in Database 400> As shown in FIG. 4 , the database 400 illustrated here stores two types of information, "T_1" and "T_2," for the topology information 100. That is, the database 400 stores communication settings corresponding to two types of topologies that differ in the connection method of the in-vehicle devices 25. Similarly, the database 400 stores three types of information, "S_1_1," "S_1_2," and "S_1_3," for the first software information 201. That is, the database 400 stores three different types of version information for the first software information 201. Furthermore, the database 400 stores one type of information, "S_2_1," for the second software information 202. That is, the database 400 stores only one type of version information for the second software information 202.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4, the database 400 stores communication settings for each SDN switch 24 corresponding to each combination of the topology information 100, the first software information 201, and the second software information 202.

[0031] The communication setting of each SDN switch 24 applied to an in-vehicle SDN network 21 in which the topology information 100 is "T_1", the first software information 201 is "S_1_1", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1" is "Conf_1". The communication setting of each SDN switch 24 applied to an in-vehicle SDN network 21 in which the topology information 100 is "T_2", the first software information 201 is "S_1_1", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1" is "Conf_2". The communication setting of each SDN switch 24 applied to an in-vehicle SDN network 21 in which the topology information 100 is "T_1", the first software information 201 is "S_1_2", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1" is "Conf_1". The communication setting of each SDN switch 24 applied to an in-vehicle SDN network 21 in which the topology information 100 is "T_2", the first software information 201 is "S_1_2", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1" is "Conf_2". The communication setting of each SDN switch 24 applied to an in-vehicle SDN network 21 in which the topology information 100 is "T_1", the first software information 201 is "S_1_3", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1" is "Conf_3". The communication setting of each SDN switch 24 applied to an in-vehicle SDN network 21 in which the topology information 100 is "T_2", the first software information 201 is "S_1_3", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1" is "Conf_3".

[0032] 5, the in-vehicle controller 22 operates each SDN switch 24 based on the extracted communication setting of each SDN switch 24, "Conf_1," "Conf_2," or "Conf_3." When the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 applied to the in-vehicle SDN network 21 is "Conf_1," the first SDN switch 24_1 and the second SDN switch 24_2 operate. When the communication setting of each applied SDN switch 24 is "Conf_2," the first SDN switch 24_1, the second SDN switch 24_2, and the fourth SDN switch 24_4 operate. When the communication setting of each applied SDN switch 24 is "Conf_3," the first SDN switch 24_1 and the third SDN switch 24_3 operate.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, even if the combinations of topology information 100, first software information 201, and second software information 202 are different, the communication settings of each SDN switch 24 applied to the in-vehicle SDN network 21 may be the same.

[0034] For example, for the two rows surrounded by dashed lines in Figure 4, even if the first software information 201 is different between "S_1_1" and "S_1_2", the communication settings of each SDN switch 24 applied will both be "Conf_1".

[0035] <Updating the Database 400 > If the latest topology information 100 or the latest software information 200 does not exist in the database 400 of the in-vehicle controller 22 , the in-vehicle controller 22 updates the database 400 .

[0036] For example, assume that the database 400 needs to be updated when a new version of the software 26 is released. The software management system 220 transmits the new version of the software 26 to the in-vehicle controller 22. The in-vehicle controller 22 downloads the new software 26. The in-vehicle controller 22 then installs the new software 26 in the corresponding in-vehicle device 25.

[0037] The software management system 220 notifies the vehicle controller 22 of the latest software information 200. The vehicle controller 22 updates the database 400 so that the notified latest software information 200 is included, and creates an updated database 401.

[0038] The in-vehicle controller 22 references the topology information 100 notified from the PnP master 110, the software information 200 notified from the software management system 220, and the updated database 401 to extract communication settings for each SDN switch 24. Thereafter, the in-vehicle controller 22 controls the communication settings of each SDN switch 24 provided on the in-vehicle SDN network 21 in the vehicle 20 based on the extracted communication settings.

[0039] <Specific example of updating the database 400> Assume that the second software information 202 has been updated. As shown in Fig. 6, in the updated database 401, "S_2_2" has been added to the second software information 202. Lines 1 to 6 of the updated database 401 are the same as those of the database 400 shown in Fig. 4. The range enclosed by the dashed line in Fig. 6 is the range that has been added to the updated database 401. The communication setting of each SDN switch 24 applied to the in-vehicle SDN network 21 in which the topology information 100 is "T_1", the first software information 201 is "S_1_1", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_2" is "Conf_1". The communication setting of each SDN switch 24 applied to an in-vehicle SDN network 21 in which the topology information 100 is "T_2", the first software information 201 is "S_1_1", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_2" is "Conf_2". The communication setting of each SDN switch 24 applied to an in-vehicle SDN network 21 in which the topology information 100 is "T_1", the first software information 201 is "S_1_2", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_2" is "Conf_1". The communication setting of each SDN switch 24 applied to an in-vehicle SDN network 21 in which the topology information 100 is "T_2", the first software information 201 is "S_1_2", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_2" is "Conf_2". The communication setting of each SDN switch 24 applied to the in-vehicle SDN network 21 in which the topology information 100 is "T_1", the first software information 201 is "S_1_3", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_2" is "Conf_3". The communication setting of each SDN switch 24 applied to the in-vehicle SDN network 21 in which the topology information 100 is "T_2", the first software information 201 is "S_1_3", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_2" is "Conf_3".

[0040] <Problems with updating the database 400> The database 400 provided in the in-vehicle controller 22 stores communication settings corresponding to each of a plurality of in-vehicle SDN networks 21 that have different topology information 100 and software information 200. As a result, the database 400 has versatility that allows for the addition of in-vehicle devices 25 for functional expansion and for handling vehicles 20 with different specifications.

[0041] Therefore, in order to keep the database 400 up to date, it is necessary to update the database 400 even if communication settings or software 26 that are not used in a certain vehicle 20 are updated.

[0042] For example, when new topology information 100 corresponding to the database 400 is added, the database 400 is updated to correspond to the added topology information 100. For example, when any piece of software information 200 is updated, the database 400 is updated to correspond to the new software information 200.

[0043] For example, when a software 26 corresponding to the database 400 is added, the database 400 is updated to add the software information 200 for the new software 26 .

[0044] Therefore, the actual number of updates to the database 400 is greater than when only necessary updates are performed for a certain vehicle 20. Updates to the database 400 may include updates that are not required for some vehicles 20. For example, this may be the case when the software information 200 of an in-vehicle device 25 that is not installed in the vehicle 20 is updated.

[0045] When updating the database 400, the external controller 11 needs to transmit campaign information and distribution packages related to updating the database 400 to the vehicle 20. In other words, when the on-board controllers 22 installed in multiple vehicles 20 each have a database 400, the server 10 needs to frequently transmit campaign information and distribution packages to the multiple vehicles 20. This causes a problem in that data updates occur frequently in each vehicle 20.

[0046] 7 , the in-vehicle SDN network updating system 1 of this embodiment includes an off-vehicle database 410 in the off-vehicle controller 11 on the server 10. The in-vehicle SDN network updating system 1 also includes an on-vehicle database 420 in the on-vehicle controller 22 on the in-vehicle SDN network 21.

[0047] The server 10 includes a software management system 220. The software management system 220 stores a plurality of pieces of software information 200 for a plurality of vehicles 20. For example, assume that a new on-board device 25 is connected to the on-board SDN network 21 of the vehicle 20. In this case, the topology information 100 in the vehicle 20 is changed.

[0048] The PnP master 110 notifies the off-vehicle controller 11 of the changed topology information 100. The off-vehicle controller 11 extracts a communication setting flag by referring to the notified topology information 100, the software information 200 acquired from the software management system 220, and the off-vehicle database 410. Thereafter, the off-vehicle controller 11 notifies the on-vehicle controller 22 in the vehicle 20 of the extracted communication setting flag.

[0049] The in-vehicle controller 22 refers to the communication setting flag notified from the off-vehicle controller 11 and the in-vehicle database 420, and extracts the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 corresponding to the communication setting flag. Then, the in-vehicle controller 22 controls the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 provided on the in-vehicle SDN network 21 in the vehicle 20 based on the extracted communication setting.

[0050] 8 , the off-vehicle database 410 stores topology information 100, first software information 201, and second software information 202. Furthermore, the off-vehicle database 410 stores communication setting flags corresponding to combinations of the topology information 100, the first software information 201, and the second software information 202.

[0051] When the topology information 100 is "T_1", the first software information 201 is "S_1_1", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1", the communication setting flag notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Flag_1". When the topology information 100 is "T_2", the first software information 201 is "S_1_1", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1", the communication setting flag notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Flag_2". When the topology information 100 is "T_1", the first software information 201 is "S_1_2", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1", the communication setting flag notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Flag_1". When the topology information 100 is "T_2", the first software information 201 is "S_1_2", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1", the communication setting flag notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Flag_1". When the topology information 100 is "T_1", the first software information 201 is "S_1_3", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1", the communication setting flag notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Flag_3". When the topology information 100 is "T_2", the first software information 201 is "S_1_3", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1", the communication setting flag notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Flag_3".

[0052] For example, as shown by the dashed line in Fig. 8 , it is assumed that the external controller 11 has acquired "T_1" as the topology information 100, "S_1_2" as the first software information 201, and "S_2_1" as the second software information 202. In this case, the external controller 11 refers to the acquired configuration information and the external database 410. As a result, the external controller 11 extracts "Flag_1" as the communication setting flag.

[0053] As shown by the dashed line in Figure 9, when the in-vehicle controller 22 is notified of "Flag_1" as the communication setting flag from the external controller 11, the in-vehicle controller 22 extracts "Conf_1" as the communication setting. When the in-vehicle controller 22 is notified of "Flag_2" as the communication setting flag from the external controller 11, the in-vehicle controller 22 extracts "Conf_2" as the communication setting. When the in-vehicle controller 22 is notified of "Flag_3" as the communication setting flag from the external controller 11, the in-vehicle controller 22 extracts "Conf_3" as the communication setting.

[0054] 5, when the in-vehicle controller 22 extracts "Conf_1" as the communication setting, the in-vehicle controller 22 activates the first SDN switch 24_1 and the second SDN switch 24_2. When the in-vehicle controller 22 extracts "Conf_2" as the communication setting, the in-vehicle controller 22 activates the first SDN switch 24_1, the second SDN switch 24_2, and the fourth SDN switch 24_4. When the in-vehicle controller 22 extracts "Conf_3" as the communication setting, the in-vehicle controller 22 activates the first SDN switch 24_1 and the third SDN switch 24_3.

[0055] <Updating the external database 410> For example, when the existing software 26 is updated, the software management system 220 transmits the updated software 26 to the on-board controller 22 in the vehicle 20. When the existing software 26 is updated, the software management system 220 notifies the external controller 11 of version information of the software 26. In other words, the software management system 220 notifies the external controller 11 of the software information 200.

[0056] For example, assume that the software management system 220 detects an update to the existing software 26. In this case, the software management system 220 extracts the vehicles 20 that use the software 26 for which the update has been detected. The software management system 220 then transmits the new version of the software 26 to the on-board controllers 22 in the vehicles 20 that use the software 26 for which the update has been detected. The on-board controllers 22 install the new version of the software 26 in the corresponding on-board devices 25. In addition, the software management system 220 notifies the off-vehicle controller 11 of the software information 200 that includes the new version of the software 26.

[0057] The external controller 11 then updates the external database 410 based on the notified software information 200. The external controller 11 extracts a communication setting flag by referring to the notified software information 200 and the external database 410. The external controller 11 then notifies the on-board controller 22 of the vehicle 20 whose software 26 has been updated of the communication setting flag.

[0058] The in-vehicle controller 22 references the communication setting flag notified from the off-vehicle controller 11 and the in-vehicle database 420 to extract the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 corresponding to the communication setting flag. Then, the in-vehicle controller 22 controls the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 provided on the in-vehicle SDN network 21 in the vehicle 20 based on the extracted communication setting.

[0059] 10, it is assumed that, due to an update of the outside-vehicle database 410, "S_2_2" is added to the second software information 202 in the updated outside-vehicle database 411. Lines 1 to 6 of the updated outside-vehicle database 411 are the same as those of the outside-vehicle database 410 shown in FIG.

[0060] 10 , when the topology information 100 is "T_1", the first software information 201 is "S_1_1", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_2", the communication setting flag notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Flag_1". When the topology information 100 is "T_2", the first software information 201 is "S_1_1", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_2", the communication setting flag notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Flag_2". When the topology information 100 is "T_1", the first software information 201 is "S_1_2", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_2", the communication setting flag notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Flag_1". When the topology information 100 is "T_2", the first software information 201 is "S_1_2", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_2", the communication setting flag notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Flag_1". When the topology information 100 is "T_1", the first software information 201 is "S_1_3", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_2", the communication setting flag notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Flag_3". When the topology information 100 is "T_2", the first software information 201 is "S_1_3", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_2", the communication setting flag notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Flag_3".

[0061] As shown by the dashed line in Figure 9, when the in-vehicle controller 22 is notified of "Flag_1" as the communication setting flag from the external controller 11, the in-vehicle controller 22 extracts "Conf_1" as the communication setting. When the in-vehicle controller 22 is notified of "Flag_2" as the communication setting flag from the external controller 11, the in-vehicle controller 22 extracts "Conf_2" as the communication setting. When the in-vehicle controller 22 is notified of "Flag_3" as the communication setting flag from the external controller 11, the in-vehicle controller 22 extracts "Conf_3" as the communication setting.

[0062] 5, when the in-vehicle controller 22 extracts "Conf_1" as the communication setting, the in-vehicle controller 22 activates the first SDN switch 24_1 and the second SDN switch 24_2. When the in-vehicle controller 22 extracts "Conf_2" as the communication setting, the in-vehicle controller 22 activates the first SDN switch 24_1, the second SDN switch 24_2, and the fourth SDN switch 24_4. When the in-vehicle controller 22 extracts "Conf_3" as the communication setting, the in-vehicle controller 22 activates the first SDN switch 24_1 and the third SDN switch 24_3.

[0063] <Operation of this embodiment> The in-vehicle SDN network update system 1 of this embodiment includes an off-vehicle controller 11 located outside the vehicle 20. The off-vehicle controller 11 includes an off-vehicle database 410. The off-vehicle database 410 is versatile enough to accommodate the addition of optional devices for functional expansion and to accommodate vehicles 20 with different specifications. The off-vehicle database 410 is frequently updated to accommodate, for example, the addition of new on-vehicle devices 25 and version upgrades of the software 26.

[0064] The in-vehicle SDN network updating system 1 of this embodiment includes an in-vehicle controller 22 in a vehicle 20. The in-vehicle controller 22 includes an in-vehicle database 420. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle database 420 stores communication setting flags and communication settings of each SDN switch 24 in the in-vehicle SDN network 21 in association with each other. That is, the in-vehicle database 420 only needs to be updated when the communication setting flag or the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 is increased. Therefore, as described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 , when the in-vehicle controller 22 includes the in-vehicle database 420, data updates in the vehicle 20 are less frequent than when the in-vehicle controller 22 includes the database 400.

[0065] <Effects of the Present Embodiment> (1) The in-vehicle SDN network update system 1 can reduce the frequency of data updates in the vehicle 20.

[0066] (2) When the off-vehicle controller 11 stores information indicating configuration information and communication settings for each individual vehicle 20, the off-vehicle controller 11 needs to store information indicating configuration information and communication settings corresponding to the number of vehicles 20. In addition, when the configuration information is updated due to the release of new software 26, the off-vehicle controller 11 needs to update the configuration information stored for each individual vehicle 20 in accordance with the number of vehicles 20.

[0067] The off-vehicle database 410 associates configuration information of multiple in-vehicle SDN networks 21 with information indicating communication settings corresponding to each of the multiple in-vehicle SDN networks 21. In other words, the off-vehicle database 410 stores information organized by type of in-vehicle SDN network 21. In this way, the off-vehicle controller 11 stores off-vehicle databases 410 corresponding to multiple vehicles 20. Therefore, the amount of data stored in the off-vehicle controller 11 is smaller than when the off-vehicle controller 11 stores configuration information and information indicating communication settings for each individual vehicle 20.

[0068] When the configuration information is updated due to the release of new software 26, the external controller 11 updates the external database 410. This allows the external controller 11 to complete the update with less communication traffic than when updating the configuration information stored for each individual vehicle 20.

[0069] (3) The in-vehicle SDN network updating method executed by the in-vehicle SDN network updating system 1 is an in-vehicle network updating method. The in-vehicle SDN network updating method includes a first step in which the off-vehicle controller 11 acquires configuration information for the vehicle 20. The in-vehicle SDN network updating method includes a second step in which the off-vehicle controller 11 references the acquired configuration information and the off-vehicle database 410 to extract a communication setting flag, which is information indicating a communication setting to be applied to the vehicle 20. The in-vehicle SDN network updating method includes a third step in which the off-vehicle controller 11 notifies the on-vehicle controller 22 of the extracted communication setting flag. The in-vehicle SDN network updating method includes a fourth step in which the on-vehicle controller 22 controls the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 provided on the in-vehicle SDN network in the vehicle 20 based on the notified communication setting flag. The fourth step of the in-vehicle SDN network updating method includes the following fifth and sixth steps. The in-vehicle SDN network updating method includes a fifth step in which the in-vehicle controller 22 refers to the notified communication setting flag and the in-vehicle database 420 to extract communication settings of the in-vehicle SDN network 21 corresponding to the communication setting flag. The in-vehicle SDN network updating method includes a sixth step in which the in-vehicle controller 22 controls communication settings of the SDN switch 24 provided on the in-vehicle SDN network 21 in the vehicle 20 based on the extracted communication settings.

[0070] By performing this in-vehicle SDN network update method, the in-vehicle SDN network update system 1 can reduce the frequency of data updates in the vehicle 20.

[0071] (4) The off-vehicle controller 11 includes an off-vehicle database 410 that associates configuration information of multiple in-vehicle SDN networks 21 with communication setting flags corresponding to each of the multiple in-vehicle SDN networks 21. The off-vehicle database 410 is updated as the configuration information is updated. The off-vehicle controller 11 acquires the configuration information of the vehicle 20. Then, the off-vehicle controller 11 references the acquired configuration information and the off-vehicle database 410 to extract a communication setting flag to be applied to the vehicle 20. Furthermore, the off-vehicle controller 11 notifies the on-vehicle controller 22 provided in the vehicle 20 of the extracted communication setting flag.

[0072] The external database 410 needs to be versatile enough to accommodate the addition of optional devices for functional expansion and to accommodate vehicles 20 with different specifications. The external database 410 stored in the external controller 11 is frequently updated to accommodate, for example, the addition of new optional devices and version upgrades of the software 26.

[0073] The external controller 11 described above eliminates the need to install the database 400, which is updated frequently, in the vehicle 20. Therefore, the external controller 11 described above can reduce the frequency of updating data in the vehicle 20.

[0074] (5) The in-vehicle controller 22 includes an in-vehicle database 420 that associates communication setting flags with the communication settings of each SDN switch 24 provided on each in-vehicle SDN network 21. The in-vehicle controller 22 references the communication setting flag notified from the off-vehicle controller 11 and the in-vehicle database 420 to extract the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 corresponding to the communication setting flag. The in-vehicle controller 22 controls the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 provided on the in-vehicle SDN network 21 in the vehicle 20 based on the extracted communication setting.

[0075] The on-board controller 22 controls the communication settings of each SDN switch 24 provided on the network in the vehicle 20 based on the communication setting flag notified from the off-board controller 11 .

[0076] 3 to 6, when the on-board controller 22 is equipped with a database 400 that is updated frequently, data updates are frequently performed in the vehicle 20 to update the database 400. In contrast, the on-board controller 22 of this embodiment controls the SDN switch 24 based on the communication setting flag notified from the off-vehicle controller 11.

[0077] That is, the on-board controller 22 of the present embodiment can control communication settings without having a frequently updated database 400. Therefore, the on-board controller 22 can reduce the frequency of updating data in the vehicle 20.

[0078] (6) In this embodiment, the program executed by the external controller 11 causes the external controller 11 to acquire configuration information of the vehicle 20. This program causes the external controller 11 to reference the acquired configuration information and the external database 410, and extract a communication setting flag to be applied to the vehicle 20. This program causes the external controller 11 to notify the on-board controller 22 of the extracted communication setting flag.

[0079] The program executed by the external controller 11 eliminates the need to install the database 400, which is updated frequently, in the vehicle 20. Therefore, the program executed by the external controller 11 can reduce the frequency of updating data in the vehicle 20.

[0080] (7) In this embodiment, the program executed by the in-vehicle controller 22 causes the in-vehicle controller 22 to control the communication settings of the SDN switch 24 provided on the network in the vehicle 20 based on the communication setting flag notified from the off-vehicle controller 11.

[0081] According to this program, the on-board controller 22 can control the communication settings of the SDN switch 24 even if the on-board controller 22 does not have the database 400, which is updated frequently. Therefore, the program executed by the on-board controller 22 can reduce the frequency of data updates in the vehicle 20.

[0082] <Modifications> This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0083] <When the external controller 11 notifies the in-vehicle controller 22 of the communication settings of the SDN switches 24> In the above embodiment, the external controller 11 notifies the in-vehicle controller 22 of a communication setting flag as information indicating the communication setting. In contrast, the external controller 11 may notify the in-vehicle controller 22 of information other than the communication setting flag as information indicating the communication setting. For example, the external controller 11 may notify the in-vehicle controller 22 of the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 provided on the in-vehicle SDN network 21 as information indicating the communication setting to be applied to the vehicle 20. In other words, the external controller 11 may notify the in-vehicle controller 22 of information summarizing the content of the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 provided on the in-vehicle SDN network 21.

[0084] 11 , the in-vehicle SDN network updating system 1 in this modified example includes a database 400 in an off-vehicle controller 11 on a server 10. The server 10 includes a software management system 220. The software management system 220 stores a plurality of pieces of software information 200 for a plurality of vehicles 20.

[0085] For example, assume that a new in-vehicle device 25 is connected to the in-vehicle SDN network 21 in the vehicle 20. In this case, the topology information 100 in the vehicle 20 is changed. The PnP master 110 notifies the off-vehicle controller 11 of the changed topology information 100.

[0086] The external controller 11 refers to the notified topology information 100, the software information 200 acquired from the software management system 220, and the database 400 to extract the communication settings of each SDN switch 24. Thereafter, the external controller 11 notifies the on-board controller 22 in the vehicle 20 of the communication settings of each SDN switch 24.

[0087] Based on the notified communication settings, the in-vehicle controller 22 controls the communication settings of each SDN switch 24. As shown in Fig. 4, the database 400 stores the communication settings of each SDN switch 24 corresponding to each combination of the topology information 100, the first software information 201, and the second software information 202.

[0088] When the topology information 100 is "T_1", the first software information 201 is "S_1_1", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1", the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Conf_1". When the topology information 100 is "T_2", the first software information 201 is "S_1_1", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1", the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Conf_2". When the topology information 100 is "T_1", the first software information 201 is "S_1_2", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1", the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Conf_1". When the topology information 100 is "T_2", the first software information 201 is "S_1_2", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1", the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Conf_2". When the topology information 100 is "T_1", the first software information 201 is "S_1_3", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1", the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Conf_3". When the topology information 100 is "T_2", the first software information 201 is "S_1_3", and the second software information 202 is "S_2_1", the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 notified to the in-vehicle controller 22 is "Conf_3".

[0089] 5, the in-vehicle controller 22 operates each SDN switch 24 based on the notified communication setting of each SDN switch 24, "Conf_1," "Conf_2," or "Conf_3." If the communication setting of each SDN switch 24 notified from the off-vehicle controller is "Conf_1," the first SDN switch 24_1 and the second SDN switch 24_2 operate. If the notified communication setting of each SDN switch 24 is "Conf_2," the first SDN switch 24_1, the second SDN switch 24_2, and the fourth SDN switch 24_4 operate. If the notified communication setting of each SDN switch 24 is "Conf_3," the first SDN switch 24_1 and the third SDN switch 24_3 operate.

[0090] In this modification, the in-vehicle SDN network updating method includes a first step in which the off-vehicle controller 11 acquires configuration information of the in-vehicle SDN network 21 in the vehicle 20. In this modification, the in-vehicle SDN network updating method includes a second step in which the off-vehicle controller 11 references the acquired configuration information and the database 400 to extract communication settings of each SDN switch 24 to be applied to the vehicle 20. In this modification, the in-vehicle SDN network updating method includes a third step in which the off-vehicle controller 11 notifies the on-vehicle controller 22 of the extracted communication settings of each SDN switch 24. In this modification, the in-vehicle SDN network updating method includes a fourth step in which the on-vehicle controller 22 controls the communication settings of each SDN switch 24 included in the in-vehicle SDN network 21 in the vehicle 20 based on the notified communication settings.

[0091] In this modification, the program executed by the external controller 11 causes the external controller 11 to acquire configuration information of the in-vehicle SDN network 21 in the vehicle 20. In this modification, the program executed by the external controller 11 causes the external controller 11 to refer to the acquired configuration information and the database 400, and extract information indicating communication settings to be applied to the vehicle 20. In this modification, the program executed by the external controller 11 causes the external controller 11 to notify the in-vehicle controller 22 provided in the vehicle 20 of the extracted communication settings of each SDN switch 24.

[0092] In this modified example, the program executed by the in-vehicle controller 22 causes the in-vehicle controller 22 to control the communication settings of each SDN switch 24 provided on the in-vehicle SDN network 21 based on the communication settings notified from the off-vehicle controller 11.

[0093] <Configuration of the in-vehicle SDN network update system 1> The in-vehicle SDN network update system 1 may be applied to an in-vehicle SDN network 21 other than the in-vehicle SDN network 21 in the above embodiment. For example, the in-vehicle SDN network update system 1 may be applied to an in-vehicle SDN network 21 including five or more SDN switches 24.

[0094] The in-vehicle SDN network update system 1 may include the software management system 220 in a server 10 different from the server 10 in which the external controller 11 is provided. That is, the in-vehicle SDN network update system 1 may include multiple servers 10. In this case, the external controller 11 acquires the software information 200 from the software management system 220 via the external communication network 30 or wired communication.

[0095] <Method by which the external controller 11 acquires the topology information 100> The external controller 11 may acquire the topology information 100 in the vehicle 20 from a source other than the vehicle 20. For example, the external controller 11 may acquire the topology information 100 from a topology information management system provided in the server 10.

[0096] The topology information management system is a system that stores a plurality of pieces of topology information 100 for a plurality of vehicles 20. The topology information management system notifies the off-vehicle controller 11 of the vehicle 20 whose topology information 100 is to be changed. In addition, the topology information management system notifies the off-vehicle controller 11 of the topology information 100.

[0097] The off-vehicle controller 11 extracts a communication setting flag by referring to the topology information 100 acquired from the topology information management system, the software information 200 acquired from the software management system 220, and the off-vehicle database 410. Thereafter, the off-vehicle controller 11 notifies the on-vehicle controller 22 in the vehicle 20 whose topology information 100 is to be changed of the extracted communication setting flag.

[0098] The in-vehicle SDN network update system 1 may include the topology information management system in a server 10 different from the server 10 including the off-vehicle controller 11. In this case, the off-vehicle controller 11 acquires the topology information 100 from the topology information management system via the external communication network 30 or wired communication.

[0099] <Method by which the external controller 11 acquires the software information 200> The external controller 11 may acquire the software information 200 in the vehicle 20 from a system other than the software management system 220 provided in the server 10. For example, the external controller 11 may acquire the software information 200 from a software management device provided in the vehicle 20.

[0100] The software management device manages software information 200 of the on-board devices 25 in the vehicle 20. The on-board controller 22 acquires the software information 200 from the software management device via the on-board SDN network 21. The on-board controller 22 notifies the acquired software information 200 to the off-board controller 11 via the on-board communication device 23 and the external communication network 30.

[0101] The off-vehicle controller 11 extracts a communication setting flag by referring to the topology information 100 acquired from the PnP master 110, the software information 200 acquired from the software management device, and the off-vehicle database 410. Thereafter, the off-vehicle controller 11 notifies the on-vehicle controller 22 in the vehicle 20 equipped with the software management device of the extracted communication setting flag.

[0102] <Others> The external controller 11 may be configured as a circuit including one or more processors that execute various processes according to a computer program (software). The external controller 11 may also be configured as a circuit including one or more dedicated hardware circuits, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), 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. The same applies to the on-board controller 22.

Claims

1. An off-vehicle controller provided outside a vehicle, the off-vehicle controller comprising an off-vehicle database that associates configuration information of a plurality of in-vehicle networks having different configurations with information indicating communication settings corresponding to each of the plurality of in-vehicle networks, the off-vehicle database being updated as the configuration information is updated, and the off-vehicle controller is configured to perform the following operations: acquire the configuration information of the in-vehicle network in the vehicle; refer to the acquired configuration information and the off-vehicle database to extract information indicating the communication settings to be applied to the vehicle; and notify an on-vehicle controller provided in the vehicle of the extracted information indicating the communication settings.

2. The off-vehicle controller of claim 1, further comprising an off-vehicle database that associates the configuration information of the in-vehicle network with a communication setting flag, and the off-vehicle controller is configured to: refer to the configuration information and the off-vehicle database that are applied to the vehicle, extract the communication setting flag as the communication setting to be applied to the vehicle, and notify the on-vehicle controller of the extracted communication setting flag.

3. An in-vehicle controller provided in a vehicle, the in-vehicle controller being configured to control the communication settings of each of a plurality of switches which are data transfer devices provided on an in-vehicle network in the vehicle based on information indicating communication settings notified from an external controller provided outside the vehicle.

4. The in-vehicle controller of claim 3, further comprising an in-vehicle database that associates a communication setting flag as information indicating the communication setting with the communication setting of each switch provided on the in-vehicle network, and the in-vehicle controller is configured to: refer to the communication setting flag notified from the off-vehicle controller and the in-vehicle database to extract the communication setting of each switch corresponding to the communication setting flag; and control the communication setting of each switch provided on the in-vehicle network in the vehicle based on the extracted communication setting.

5. An in-vehicle network updating system comprising the external controller according to claim 1 and the in-vehicle controller according to claim 3.

6. The in-vehicle network update system of claim 5, wherein the external controller is configured to notify the in-vehicle controller of a communication setting flag as information indicating the communication setting to be applied to the vehicle, the in-vehicle controller has an in-vehicle database that associates the communication setting flag with the communication setting of each switch provided on the in-vehicle network, and the in-vehicle controller is configured to: refer to the communication setting flag notified from the external controller and the in-vehicle database, to extract the communication setting of each switch corresponding to the communication setting flag, and control the communication setting of each switch provided on the in-vehicle network in the vehicle based on the extracted communication setting.

7. An in-vehicle network updating method executed by an in-vehicle network updating system including an external controller provided outside a vehicle and an in-vehicle controller provided in the vehicle, the in-vehicle network updating method comprising: a first step in which the external controller, which has an external database that associates configuration information of a plurality of in-vehicle networks having different configurations with information indicating communication settings corresponding to each of the plurality of in-vehicle networks, acquires the configuration information in the vehicle; a second step in which the external controller refers to the acquired configuration information and the external database to extract information indicating the communication settings to be applied to the vehicle; a third step in which the external controller notifies the in-vehicle controller of the extracted information indicating the communication settings; and a fourth step in which the in-vehicle controller controls the communication settings of each of a plurality of switches, which are data transfer devices provided on the in-vehicle network in the vehicle, based on the notified information indicating the communication settings.

8. The in-vehicle network updating method according to claim 7, wherein the third step is a step in which the external controller notifies the in-vehicle controller of a communication setting flag as information indicating the communication setting to be applied to the vehicle, and the fourth step is a fifth step in which the in-vehicle controller, which has an in-vehicle database that associates the communication setting flag with the communication setting of each switch provided on the in-vehicle network, refers to the communication setting flag notified from the external controller and the in-vehicle database, and extracts the communication setting of each switch corresponding to the communication setting flag, and a sixth step in which the in-vehicle controller controls the communication setting of each switch provided on the in-vehicle network in the vehicle based on the extracted information indicating the communication setting.

9. A program executed by an external controller provided outside a vehicle, the program causing the external controller, which has an external database that associates configuration information of a plurality of in-vehicle networks with different configurations with information indicating communication settings corresponding to each of the plurality of in-vehicle networks, to perform the following operations: acquire the configuration information in the vehicle; refer to the acquired configuration information and the external database to extract information indicating the communication settings to be applied to the vehicle; and notify the extracted information indicating the communication settings to an in-vehicle controller provided in the vehicle.

10. The program described in claim 9, which causes the off-vehicle controller, which has the off-vehicle database that associates the configuration information of the in-vehicle network with a communication setting flag, to execute the following: referring to the configuration information of the in-vehicle network applied to the vehicle and the off-vehicle database, extracting the communication setting flag as information indicating the communication setting; and notifying the in-vehicle controller of the extracted communication setting flag.

11. A program executed by an in-vehicle controller provided in a vehicle, causing the in-vehicle controller to control the communication settings of each of a plurality of switches which are data transfer devices provided on an in-vehicle network in the vehicle based on information indicating communication settings notified from an external controller provided outside the vehicle.

12. The program described in claim 11, which causes the in-vehicle controller having an in-vehicle database that associates communication setting flags with the communication settings of each switch provided on the in-vehicle network to execute the following: referring to the communication setting flag notified from the off-vehicle controller and the in-vehicle database, extracting the communication setting of each switch corresponding to the communication setting flag; and controlling the communication setting of each switch provided on the in-vehicle network in the vehicle based on the extracted communication setting.

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