In-vehicle network management system, management device, and management program

Abstract

This in-vehicle network management system comprises: a relay unit that performs relay processing for a message on an in-vehicle network; an acquisition unit that acquires software configuration information indicating the correspondence relationship between a plurality of pieces of software operated in the in-vehicle network and a plurality of in-vehicle devices respectively equipped with the plurality of pieces of software; and a selection unit that selects a setting for the relay processing by the relay unit on the basis of the software configuration information acquired by the acquisition unit.

Description

In-vehicle network management system, management device, and management program

[0001] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-192673, filed November 13, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] Patent Literature 1 (WO 2020 / 179123) discloses the following management device: That is, the management device includes a detection unit that detects the addition of a functional unit to a network that includes one or more in-vehicle functional units, an acquisition unit that acquires functional unit information including information on the new functional unit that is the functional unit whose addition is detected by the detection unit and on the network configuration of the in-vehicle functional unit at a layer lower than the application layer, and a generation unit that generates configuration information of the new network that is the network that further includes the new functional unit, based on the functional unit information acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0003] International Publication No. 2020 / 179123

[0004] The in-vehicle network management system of the present disclosure includes a relay unit that performs message relay processing in an in-vehicle network, an acquisition unit that acquires software configuration information indicating the correspondence between multiple software programs operating in the in-vehicle network and multiple in-vehicle devices in which the multiple software programs are respectively installed, and a selection unit that selects settings for the relay processing in the relay unit based on the software configuration information acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure can be realized not only as an in-vehicle network management system including such a characteristic processing unit, but also as a management method including such characteristic processing steps.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure may be realized not only as a management device including such a characteristic processing unit, but also as a management method having such characteristic processing steps, or as a program for causing a computer to execute such steps. Furthermore, one aspect of the present disclosure may be realized as a semiconductor integrated circuit that realizes part or all of the management device.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle network management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an in-vehicle network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an in-vehicle network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an address correspondence table stored in a storage unit of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a topology correspondence table stored in a storage unit of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration table created by an aggregation unit of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration table after update by an aggregation unit of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting table selected by a relay management unit of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an in-vehicle network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a topology correspondence table after update by an aggregation unit of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a software configuration table after updating by an aggregator in a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence for changing settings for relay processing in an in-vehicle network management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence for changing settings for relay processing in an in-vehicle network management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0008] In recent years, with the spread of car sharing and the demand for improved processing power of in-vehicle devices, there is a demand for customizing in-vehicle networks by adding applications to the in-vehicle network. Thus, there is a demand for technology that enables various applications to be added or removed from the in-vehicle network according to user needs.

[0009] [Problem to be Solved by the Present Disclosure] There is a need for a technology that goes beyond the technology described in Patent Document 1 and that is capable of appropriately setting the relay processing of messages in an in-vehicle network.

[0010] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an in-vehicle network management system, management device, and management program that are capable of appropriately configuring message relay processing in an in-vehicle network.

[0011] Effect of the Present Disclosure According to the present disclosure, it is possible to appropriately set the relay process of messages in an in-vehicle network.

[0012] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, the contents of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0013] (1) An in-vehicle network management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a relay unit that performs message relay processing in an in-vehicle network, an acquisition unit that acquires software configuration information indicating the correspondence between multiple software programs operating in the in-vehicle network and multiple in-vehicle devices on which the multiple software programs are respectively installed, and a selection unit that selects settings for the relay processing in the relay unit based on the software configuration information acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0014] With this configuration, it is possible to select relay processing settings taking into consideration the correspondence between the software and the in-vehicle device on which the software is installed, and therefore it is possible to set relay processing for relaying messages addressed to the software to the node on which the software runs, thereby making it possible to appropriately set relay processing for messages in the in-vehicle network.

[0015] (2) In the above (1), the selection unit may select the setting of the relay process further based on topology information indicating a topology of the in-vehicle network.

[0016] With this configuration, the relay processing settings can be selected taking into account the topology of the in-vehicle network, so that the relay processing settings for messages can be appropriately set, for example, in an in-vehicle network having multiple relay devices.

[0017] (3) In the above (2), the in-vehicle network management system may further include a memory unit that stores the topology information, and the selection unit may select the relay processing setting based on the topology information in the memory unit.

[0018] With this configuration, for example, when the topology of an in-vehicle network is changed, there is no need to obtain information on all nodes in the changed in-vehicle network. Instead, topology information for the changed in-vehicle network can be created based on the topology information in the memory unit and the information on the nodes where the change has occurred, and relay processing settings for the changed in-vehicle network can be selected based on the created topology information.

[0019] (4) In the above (2), the selection unit may select the relay processing settings further based on the topology information obtained from a functional unit different from the functional unit that provides the software configuration information.

[0020] With this configuration, for example, in an in-vehicle network having multiple relay devices, topology information can be created in a relay device where a change in the connection node has occurred, and message relay processing can be appropriately configured based on the topology information obtained from the relay device.

[0021] (5) In any of (1) to (4) above, the acquisition unit may create the software configuration information based on information indicating the sender of a first message, which is the message including identification information of the software, and the identification information included in the first message.

[0022] With this configuration, software configuration information can be created based on the correspondence between the sender of the first message and the identification information of the software contained in the first message, without obtaining the identification information of the vehicle-mounted device on which the software is installed from the software.

[0023] (6) In any of (1) to (4) above, the acquisition unit may create the software configuration information based on a second message, which is a message sent by the software and includes functional information indicating a correspondence between the software's identification information and the in-vehicle device in which the software is installed.

[0024] With this configuration, software configuration information can be created through simple processing based on the information included in the second message.

[0025] (7) A management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires software configuration information indicating the correspondence between a plurality of pieces of software operating in an in-vehicle network and a plurality of in-vehicle devices on which the plurality of pieces of software are respectively installed, and a selection unit that selects settings for message relay processing in the in-vehicle network based on the software configuration information acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0026] With this configuration, it is possible to select relay processing settings taking into consideration the correspondence between the software and the in-vehicle device on which the software is installed, and therefore it is possible to set relay processing for relaying messages addressed to the software to the node on which the software runs, thereby making it possible to appropriately set relay processing for messages in the in-vehicle network.

[0027] (8) A management program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a management program used in a management device, and is a program for causing a computer to function as an acquisition unit that acquires software configuration information indicating the correspondence between multiple software programs operating in an in-vehicle network and multiple in-vehicle devices on which the multiple software programs are respectively installed, and a selection unit that selects settings for message relay processing in the in-vehicle network based on the software configuration information acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0028] With this configuration, it is possible to select relay processing settings taking into consideration the correspondence between the software and the in-vehicle device on which the software is installed, and therefore it is possible to set relay processing for relaying messages addressed to the software to the node on which the software runs, thereby making it possible to appropriately set relay processing for messages in the in-vehicle network.

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated. Furthermore, at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any manner.

[0030] [Configuration and Basic Operation] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle network management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 1, an in-vehicle network management system 301 includes relay devices 101 and 102 and in-vehicle ECUs (Electronic Control Units) 111, which are in-vehicle ECUs 111A, 111B, 111C, and 111D. The in-vehicle ECU 111 is an example of an in-vehicle device. The relay device 101 is an example of a management device. The in-vehicle ECU 111 and the relay devices 101 and 102 configure an in-vehicle network 31.

[0031] The in-vehicle ECU 111 is, for example, a TCU (Telematics Communication Unit), an automatic driving ECU, an engine ECU, a sensor, a navigation device, a human-machine interface, a camera, and the like.

[0032] An application 112, which is software, is installed in each on-board ECU 111. More specifically, as the application 112, an application 112A is installed in the on-board ECU 111A, an application 112B is installed in the on-board ECU 111B, an application 112C is installed in the on-board ECU 111C, and an application 112D is installed in the on-board ECU 111D.

[0033] For example, application 112 generates messages containing various data by performing application layer processing. For example, application 112 in on-board ECU 111, which is a temperature sensor, generates messages containing temperature data indicating the outside air temperature of the vehicle at a predetermined interval. Application 112 transmits the generated messages to other applications 112 via at least one of relay devices 101 and 102.

[0034] The relay device 101 has communication ports PA1, PA2, and PA3 which are communication ports PA. The relay device 102 has communication ports PB1, PB2, PB3, and PB4 which are communication ports PB. The communication ports PA and PB are terminals to which an Ethernet (registered trademark) cable 32 can be connected. The communication port PA3 of the relay device 101 and the communication port PB1 of the relay device 102 are connected via the Ethernet cable 32.

[0035] The in-vehicle ECU 111 is connected to the relay device 101 or the relay device 102 via an Ethernet cable 32. More specifically, the in-vehicle ECUs 111A and 111B are connected to communication ports PA1 and PA2, respectively, of the relay device 101 via the Ethernet cable 32. The in-vehicle ECUs 111C and 111D are connected to communication ports PB2 and PB3, respectively, of the relay device 102 via the Ethernet cable 32.

[0036] The relay devices 101 and 102 are, for example, gateway devices, and are capable of relaying messages between a plurality of applications 112. The relay devices 101 and 102 perform relay processing of messages exchanged between the applications 112 in accordance with the Ethernet communication standard.

[0037] Note that the in-vehicle network 31 is not limited to a configuration in which messages are relayed in accordance with the Ethernet communication standard, and may be a configuration in which messages are relayed in accordance with a communication standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network) (registered trademark), FlexRay (registered trademark), MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) (registered trademark), and LIN (Local Interconnect Network).

[0038] Furthermore, the in-vehicle network management system 301 is not limited to a configuration including four in-vehicle ECUs 111, but may be a configuration including one, two, three, or five or more in-vehicle ECUs 111. Furthermore, the in-vehicle network management system 301 is not limited to a configuration in which one application 112 is installed in one in-vehicle ECU 111, but may be a configuration in which two or more applications 112 are installed in one in-vehicle ECU 111.

[0039] Furthermore, the in-vehicle network management system 301 is not limited to a configuration including one relay device 101, but may be a configuration including multiple relay devices 101. Furthermore, the in-vehicle network management system 301 is not limited to a configuration including one relay device 102, but may be a configuration including multiple relay devices 102.

[0040] [Problem] Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an in-vehicle network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 illustrates an in-vehicle network 31A in which, compared to the in-vehicle network 31 illustrated in Fig. 1, an application 112E, which is an application 112, is further installed in the in-vehicle ECU 111B. In the in-vehicle network 31A, when the relay device 101 receives a message addressed to the application 112E from the application 112A via communication port PA1, the relay device 101 transmits the received message to the application 112E via communication port PA2.

[0041] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an in-vehicle network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Compared to the in-vehicle network 31 illustrated in FIG. 1 , Fig. 3 illustrates an in-vehicle network 31B in which an application 112E, which is the application 112, is further installed in the in-vehicle ECU 111C. In the in-vehicle network 31B, when the relay device 101 receives a message addressed to the application 112E from the application 112A via communication port PA1, the relay device 101 transmits the received message to the application 112E via communication port PA3 and the relay device 102.

[0042] For example, in a conventional in-vehicle communication system, a relay device holds configuration information indicating a list of applications 112 operating in the in-vehicle network. However, there are cases where the relay device is unable to appropriately configure message relay processing based on the configuration information. Specifically, since the applications 112 operating in the in-vehicle networks 31A and 31B shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 are the same, the in-vehicle networks 31A and 31B cannot be distinguished based on the configuration information. Therefore, in the conventional in-vehicle communication system, the relay device is unable to appropriately configure message relay processing in the in-vehicle networks 31A and 31B based on the configuration information.

[0043] Therefore, the in-vehicle network management system 301 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure solves the above problem by using the following configuration.

[0044] (Relay Device) FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 4, the relay device 101 includes a relay unit 11, an aggregation unit 12, a relay management unit 13, and a storage unit 14. The aggregation unit 12 is an example of an acquisition unit and an example of a function unit. The relay management unit 13 is an example of a selection unit. Some or all of the relay unit 11, the aggregation unit 12, and the relay management unit 13 are realized, for example, by a processing circuit including one or more processors. The storage unit 14 is, for example, a non-volatile memory included in the processing circuit.

[0045] The relay device 101 performs settings for message relay processing. The following describes the settings for relay processing in the in-vehicle network 31 shown in FIG.

[0046] 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an address correspondence table stored in a storage unit in the relay device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 5, the storage unit 14 stores an address correspondence table T1 indicating the correspondence between the IP address of the on-board ECU 111 and the ECU ID, which is the ID of the on-board ECU 111. Assume that the ECU IDs of the on-board ECUs 111A, 111B, 111C, and 111D are "ecu001," "ecu002," "ecu003," and "ecu004," respectively. For example, the address correspondence table T1 includes records of the IP addresses and ECU IDs of the on-board ECUs 111A, 111B, 111C, and 111D, as well as records of the IP addresses and ECU IDs of the on-board ECUs 111 that may be added to the on-board network 31. In addition, the memory unit 14 may be configured to store an address correspondence table T1 that shows the correspondence between the MAC address of the vehicle ECU 111, or an identifier in a protocol at a layer above the transport layer, and the ECU ID, which is the ID of the vehicle ECU 111.

[0047] 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a topology correspondence table stored in a storage unit in a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 6, the storage unit 14 stores a topology correspondence table T2 indicating a correspondence relationship between relay device IDs (IDs) of the relay devices 101 and 102, port IDs (IDs) of the communication ports PA and PB, and connection node IDs (IDs) of devices connected to the communication ports PA and PB. The topology correspondence table T2 is an example of topology information indicating the topology of the in-vehicle network 31. The relay device IDs of the relay devices 101 and 102 are assumed to be "esw001" and "esw002," respectively. The port IDs of the communication ports PA1, PA2, PA3, PB1, PB2, PB3, and PB4 are assumed to be "A1," "A2," "A3," "B1," "B2," "B3," and "B4," respectively.

[0048] For example, the address correspondence table T1 and the topology correspondence table T2 are stored in advance in the storage unit 14 by the manufacturer of the relay device 101. The address correspondence table T1 can be updated by the manufacturer or a user of the relay device 101. The topology correspondence table T2 is updated by the aggregation unit 12 every time a change occurs in the topology of the in-vehicle network 31. The updating of the topology correspondence table T2 by the aggregation unit 12 will be described later.

[0049] 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 7 , the relay device 102 includes a relay unit 21, a consolidation unit 22, and a storage unit 24. The consolidation unit 22 is an example of a functional unit. The relay unit 21 and the consolidation unit 22 are partially or entirely implemented by a processing circuit including one or more processors. The storage unit 24 is, for example, a non-volatile memory included in the processing circuit.

[0050] The storage unit 24 stores an address correspondence table T1 and a topology correspondence table T2, similar to the storage unit 14. Note that the storage unit 24 does not necessarily have to store the topology correspondence table T2.

[0051] 4 and 7, relay units 11 and 21 perform relay processing of messages in in-vehicle network 31. More specifically, relay unit 11 in relay device 101 receives a message from in-vehicle ECU 111 or relay device 102 via communication port PA and performs relay processing of the received message. Relay unit 21 in relay device 102 receives a message from in-vehicle ECU 111 or relay device 101 via communication port PB and performs relay processing of the received message.

[0052] 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration table created by the aggregation unit in the relay device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Software configuration table T3 is an example of software configuration information. The application IDs of applications 112A, 112B, 112C, and 112D are assumed to be "func001," "func002," "func003," and "func004," respectively.

[0053] 8, the aggregation unit 12 creates a software configuration table T3 that indicates the correspondence between a plurality of applications 112 operating in the in-vehicle network 31 and a plurality of in-vehicle ECUs 111 on which the plurality of applications 112 are respectively installed. That is, the aggregation unit 12 creates the software configuration table T3 that indicates the correspondence between an application ID, which is the ID of the application 112, and the ECU ID of the in-vehicle ECU 111 on which the application 112 is installed. The application ID is an example of software identification information.

[0054] For example, when the operation of the in-vehicle network 31 starts, the application 112 transmits an identification message, which is a message including an application ID, to the relay device 101. The identification message is an example of a first message.

[0055] The aggregation unit 12 creates a software configuration table T3 based on information indicating the sender of the identification message and the application ID included in the identification message.

[0056] More specifically, the aggregation unit 12 receives identification messages from the applications 112A and 112B via the relay unit 11, and acquires the IP address and application ID of the sender from the received identification messages. The aggregation unit 12 also receives identification messages from the applications 112C and 112D via the relay device 102 and the relay unit 11, and acquires the IP address and application ID of the sender from the received identification messages.

[0057] The aggregation unit 12 creates a software configuration table T3 based on the IP addresses and application IDs acquired from the identification messages and the correspondence relationships between IP addresses and ECU IDs indicated in the address correspondence table T1 in the storage unit 14. The aggregation unit 12 stores the created software configuration table T3 in the storage unit 14. The aggregation unit 12 also outputs the created software configuration table T3 to the relay management unit 13.

[0058] The relay management unit 13 selects the relay processing settings in the relay unit 11 based on the software configuration table T3 created by the aggregation unit 12. For example, the relay management unit 13 selects the relay processing settings in the relay unit 11 further based on the topology correspondence table T2 in the storage unit 14. For example, the relay management unit 13 selects the correspondence relationship between the message type, the receiving port ID, and the transmitting port ID as the relay processing setting selection.

[0059] More specifically, the storage unit 14 stores a setting table T4 that indicates the correspondence between message types, receiving port IDs, and transmitting port IDs. For example, the storage unit 14 stores a plurality of setting tables T4 each having different settings for relay processing.

[0060] The relay management unit 13 receives the software configuration table T3 from the aggregation unit 12, and selects, from among the multiple setting tables T4 in the storage unit 14, a setting table T4 indicating setting contents to be used for relay processing by the relay unit 11 in the in-vehicle network 31, based on the received software configuration table T3 and the topology correspondence table T2 in the storage unit 14. The relay management unit 13 outputs the selected setting table T4 to the relay unit 11.

[0061] The relay unit 11 receives the setting table T4 from the relay management unit 13 and performs relay processing in accordance with the received setting table T4.

[0062] Furthermore, based on the software configuration table T3 and the topology correspondence table T2, the relay management unit 13 selects, from among the multiple setting tables T4 in the storage unit 14, a setting table T4 that indicates setting contents to be used for relay processing of the relay device 102 in the in-vehicle network 31. The relay management unit 13 transmits the selected setting table T4 to the relay device 102 via the relay unit 11.

[0063] The relay unit 21 in the relay device 102 receives the setting table T4 from the relay device 101 and performs relay processing in accordance with the received setting table T4.

[0064] (Setting Change 1 When an Application is Added) When the application 112E is installed in the in-vehicle ECU 111B and the in-vehicle network 31 shown in Fig. 1 changes to the in-vehicle network 31A shown in Fig. 2, it is necessary to change the settings of the relay process in order to properly relay messages transmitted and received between the application 112E and other applications 112. The following describes the setting change of the relay process when the application 112E is installed in the in-vehicle ECU 111B.

[0065] When the application 112E is installed in the in-vehicle ECU 111B, the application 112E transmits to the relay device 101 an identification message that includes the application ID of the application 112E.

[0066] Aggregation unit 12 receives an identification message from application 112E via relay unit 11, and acquires the IP address and application ID of the sender from the received identification message. Aggregation unit 12 performs an update process to update software configuration table T3 in storage unit 14 based on the acquired IP address and application ID and the correspondence between IP addresses and ECU IDs indicated in address correspondence table T1 in storage unit 14. More specifically, in the update process, aggregation unit 12 associates the acquired application ID with the ECU ID based on address correspondence table T1, and adds the correspondence between the application ID and the ECU ID to software configuration table T3.

[0067] 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration table after being updated by the aggregation unit in the relay device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. It is assumed that the application ID of the application 112E is "func005."

[0068] 9 , in the update process, the aggregation unit 12 associates "func005", which is the application ID of the application 112E, with "ecu002", which is the ECU ID of the in-vehicle ECU 111B, based on the address correspondence table T1, and adds the correspondence between "func005" and "ecu002" to the software configuration table T3 in the storage unit 14. The aggregation unit 12 stores the software configuration table T3 after the update process in the storage unit 14. The aggregation unit 12 also outputs the software configuration table T3 after the update process to the relay management unit 13.

[0069] The relay management unit 13 receives the software configuration table T3 from the aggregation unit 12, and based on the received software configuration table T3 and topology correspondence table T2, selects a setting table T4 from the multiple setting tables T4 in the memory unit 14 that indicates the setting contents to be used for the relay processing of the relay unit 11 in the in-vehicle network 31A.

[0070] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting table selected by a relay management unit in a relay device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Message AE is a message sent by application 112A and addressed to application 112E. Message EA is a message sent by application 112E and addressed to application 112A. Message CE is a message sent by application 112C and addressed to application 112E. Message EC is a message sent by application 112E and addressed to application 112C. Message DE is a message sent by application 112D and addressed to application 112E. Message ED is a message sent by application 112E and addressed to application 112D.

[0071] For example, the relay management unit 13 selects a setting table T4 that includes records of the receiving port IDs and transmitting port IDs of messages EA, EC, and ED whose sender is application 112E, and records of the receiving port IDs and transmitting port IDs of messages AE, CE, and DE addressed to application 112E, as a setting table T4 that indicates the setting contents of the relay processing of the relay unit 11 in the in-vehicle network 31A. The relay management unit 13 outputs a setting change request that includes the selected setting table T4 to the relay unit 11.

[0072] The relay unit 11 receives a setting change request from the relay management unit 13 and changes the settings of the relay process in accordance with the setting table T4 included in the received setting change request.

[0073] Furthermore, based on the software configuration table T3 and the topology correspondence table T2, the relay management unit 13 selects a setting table T4 indicating settings to be used for the relay processing of the relay device 102 in the in-vehicle network 31A from among the multiple setting tables T4 in the storage unit 14. For example, the relay management unit 13 selects a setting table T4 including records of the receiving port IDs and transmitting port IDs of messages EA, EC, and ED sent from application 112E, and records of the receiving port IDs and transmitting port IDs of messages AE, CE, and DE addressed to application 112E, as the setting table T4 indicating the settings for the relay processing of the relay device 102 in the in-vehicle network 31A. The relay management unit 13 transmits a setting change request including the selected setting table T4 to the relay device 102 via the relay unit 11.

[0074] The relay unit 21 in the relay device 102 receives the setting change request from the relay device 101 and changes the settings of the relay process in accordance with the setting table T4 included in the received setting change request.

[0075] (Setting Change 2 When an Application is Added) Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an in-vehicle network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Compared to the in-vehicle network 31 shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 11 illustrates an in-vehicle network 31C in which an in-vehicle ECU 111E is connected to a communication port PB4 in a relay device 102 via an Ethernet cable 32. An application 112E is installed in the in-vehicle ECU 111E.

[0076] When the in-vehicle ECU 111E is connected to the relay device 102, and the in-vehicle network 31 shown in Fig. 1 changes to the in-vehicle network 31C shown in Fig. 11, it is necessary to change the settings of the relay process in order to properly relay messages transmitted and received between the application 112E and another application 112. The following describes how to change the settings of the relay process when the in-vehicle ECU 111E is newly connected to the relay device 102.

[0077] When the in-vehicle ECU 111E is connected to the relay device 102, the application 112E transmits to the relay device 102 an identification message including the application ID of the application 112E.

[0078] 7 , the aggregation unit 22 in the relay device 102 creates a topology correspondence table T2 indicating the topology of the in-vehicle network 31C. More specifically, the aggregation unit 22 receives an identification message from the application 112E via the relay unit 21, and acquires the IP address of the sender from the received identification message. The aggregation unit 22 refers to the address correspondence table T1 in the storage unit 24 to identify the ECU ID corresponding to the IP address acquired from the identification message. The aggregation unit 22 performs an update process to update the topology correspondence table T2 in the storage unit 24 based on the identified ECU ID.

[0079] 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a topology correspondence table after an update by the aggregation unit in the relay device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Assume that the ECU ID of the in-vehicle ECU 111E is "ecu005." Referring to FIG. 12 , in the update process, the aggregation unit 22 adds a correspondence relationship between "B4," which is the port ID of the communication port PB4 through which the identification message was sent, and "ecu005," which is the ECU ID corresponding to the IP address acquired from the identification message, to the topology correspondence table T2 shown in FIG. 6 in the storage unit 14. The aggregation unit 22 stores the topology correspondence table T2 after the update process in the storage unit 14.

[0080] The aggregator 22 transmits the updated topology correspondence table T2 and the identification message received from the application 112E to the relay device 101 via the relay unit 21. If the storage unit 24 does not previously store the topology correspondence table T2, the aggregator 22 transmits to the relay device 101, instead of the updated topology correspondence table T2, information indicating the correspondence between "B4", which is the port ID of the communication port PB4 through which the identification message passed, and "ecu005", which is the ECU ID corresponding to the IP address acquired from the identification message.

[0081] 4 again, aggregation unit 12 in relay device 101 receives topology correspondence table T2 and the identification message from relay device 102 via relay unit 11. Aggregation unit 12 performs an update process to update topology correspondence table T2 in storage unit 14 to the received topology correspondence table T2.

[0082] The aggregation unit 12 in the relay device 101 also acquires the IP address and application ID of the sender from the received identification message. The aggregation unit 12 performs an update process to update the software configuration table T3 in the storage unit 14 based on the acquired IP address and application ID and the correspondence between the IP address and the ECU ID indicated in the address correspondence table in the storage unit 14.

[0083] 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration table after an update by the aggregation unit in the relay device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 13 , in the update process, the aggregation unit 12 associates "func005," which is the application ID of the application 112E, with "ecu005," which is the ECU ID of the in-vehicle ECU 111E, based on the address correspondence table T1, and adds the correspondence between "func005" and "ecu005" to the software configuration table T3 shown in FIG. 8 in the storage unit 14. The aggregation unit 12 stores the software configuration table T3 after the update process in the storage unit 14. The aggregation unit 12 also outputs the software configuration table T3 after the update process to the relay management unit 13.

[0084] The relay management unit 13 selects relay processing settings based on a topology correspondence table T2 acquired from a functional unit other than the functional unit that provided the software configuration table T3. More specifically, the relay management unit 13 receives the software configuration table T3 from the aggregation unit 12 and, based on the received software configuration table T3 and topology correspondence table T2, selects a setting table T4 indicating settings to be used for the relay processing of the relay unit 11 in the in-vehicle network 31C from among multiple setting tables T4 in the storage unit 14. For example, the relay management unit 13 selects a setting table T4 including records of the receiving port IDs and transmitting port IDs of messages EA, EC, and ED sent from application 112E and records of the receiving port IDs and transmitting port IDs of messages AE, CE, and DE addressed to application 112E as the setting table T4 indicating settings for the relay processing of the relay unit 11 in the in-vehicle network 31C. The relay management unit 13 outputs a setting change request including the selected setting table T4 to the relay unit 11.

[0085] The relay unit 11 receives a setting change request from the relay management unit 13 and changes the settings of the relay process in accordance with the setting table T4 included in the received setting change request.

[0086] Furthermore, based on the software configuration table T3 and the topology correspondence table T2, the relay management unit 13 selects a setting table T4 indicating settings to be used for relay processing in the relay device 102 in the in-vehicle network 31C from among multiple setting tables T4 in the storage unit 14. For example, the relay management unit 13 selects a setting table T4 including records of the receiving port IDs and transmitting port IDs of messages EA, EC, and ED sent from application 112E, and records of the receiving port IDs and transmitting port IDs of messages AE, CE, and DE addressed to application 112E, as the setting table T4 indicating settings for relay processing in the relay device 102 in the in-vehicle network 31C. The relay management unit 13 transmits a setting change request including the selected setting table T4 to the relay device 102 via the relay unit 11.

[0087] The relay unit 21 in the relay device 102 receives the setting change request from the relay device 101 and changes the settings of the relay process in accordance with the setting table T4 included in the received setting change request.

[0088] [Operation Flow] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence of changing the settings of the relay process in the in-vehicle network management system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 14 shows the sequence of changing the settings in the above-mentioned "setting change 1 when an application is added."

[0089] Referring to FIG. 14, first, when the application 112E is installed in the in-vehicle ECU 111B, the application 112E transmits an identification message including the application ID of the application 112E to the relay device 101 (step S11).

[0090] Next, the aggregation unit 12 acquires the IP address and application ID of the sender from the received identification message, and performs an update process to update the software configuration table T3 in the storage unit 14 (step S12).

[0091] Next, the aggregation unit 12 outputs the updated software configuration table T3 to the relay management unit 13 (step S13).

[0092] Next, the relay management unit 13 selects a setting table T4 indicating the setting contents to be used for the relay processing of the relay unit 11 in the in-vehicle network 31A based on the software configuration table T3 received from the aggregation unit 12 and the topology correspondence table T2 in the memory unit 14 (step S14).

[0093] Next, the relay management unit 13 outputs a setting change request including the selected setting table T4 to the relay unit 11 (step S15).

[0094] Next, the relay unit 11 changes the settings of the relay process in accordance with the setting table T4 included in the setting change request received from the relay management unit 13 (step S16).

[0095] Next, the relay management unit 13 selects a setting table T4 indicating the setting contents to be used for the relay processing of the relay device 102 in the in-vehicle network 31A based on the software configuration table T3 and the topology correspondence table T2 (step S17).

[0096] Next, the relay management unit 13 transmits a setting change request including the selected setting table T4 to the relay device 102 via the relay unit 11 (step S18).

[0097] Next, the relay unit 21 in the relay device 102 changes the settings of the relay process in accordance with the setting table T4 included in the setting change request received from the relay device 102 (step S19).

[0098] 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sequence for changing the relay processing settings in the in-vehicle network management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 15 illustrates the sequence for changing the settings in the above-described "setting change 2 when an application is added."

[0099] Referring to FIG. 15, first, when the in-vehicle ECU 111E is connected to the relay device 102, the application 112E transmits an identification message including the application ID of the application 112E to the relay device 102 (step S21).

[0100] Next, the aggregation unit 22 in the relay device 102 obtains the source IP address from the received identification message, and performs an update process to update the topology correspondence table T2 in the memory unit 24 based on the obtained IP address and the address correspondence table T1 (step S22).

[0101] Next, the aggregation unit 22 transmits the updated topology correspondence table T2 and the identification message received from the application 112E to the relay device 101 (step S23).

[0102] Next, the aggregation unit 12 in the relay device 101 performs an update process to update the topology correspondence table T2 in the storage unit 14 to the topology correspondence table T2 received from the aggregation unit 22 (step S24).

[0103] In addition, the aggregation unit 12 in the relay device 101 acquires the sender's IP address and application ID from the received identification message, and performs an update process to update the software configuration table T3 in the memory unit 14 based on the acquired IP address and application ID, and the correspondence between the IP address and the ECU ID shown in the address correspondence table in the memory unit 14 (step S25).

[0104] Next, the aggregation unit 12 outputs the updated software configuration table T3 to the relay management unit 13 (step S26).

[0105] Next, the relay management unit 13 selects a setting table T4 indicating the setting contents to be used for the relay processing of the relay unit 11 in the in-vehicle network 31C based on the software configuration table T3 received from the aggregation unit 12 and the topology correspondence table T2 in the memory unit 14 (step S27).

[0106] Next, the relay management unit 13 outputs a setting change request including the selected setting table T4 to the relay unit 11 (step S28).

[0107] Next, the relay unit 11 changes the settings of the relay process in accordance with the setting table T4 included in the setting change request received from the relay management unit 13 (step S29).

[0108] Next, the relay management unit 13 selects a setting table T4 indicating the setting contents to be used for the relay processing of the relay device 102 in the in-vehicle network 31C based on the software configuration table T3 and the topology correspondence table T2 (step S30).

[0109] Next, the relay management unit 13 transmits a setting change request including the selected setting table T4 to the relay device 102 via the relay unit 11 (step S31).

[0110] Next, the relay unit 21 in the relay device 102 changes the settings of the relay process in accordance with the setting table T4 included in the setting change request received from the relay device 102 (step S32).

[0111] In the in-vehicle network management system 301 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the aggregator 12 in the relay device 101 is configured to create the software configuration table T3 based on the IP address of the sender of the identification message and the application ID included in the identification message, but this is not limited to this. For example, the application 112 transmits to the relay device 101 a function information message that includes function information indicating a correspondence between the application ID of the application 112 and the ECU ID of the in-vehicle ECU 111 on which the application 112 is installed. The function information message is an example of a second message. In this case, the aggregator 12 receives the function information message from each application 112 via the relay device 11 and creates the software configuration table T3 based on the function information included in the received function information message.

[0112] In addition, in the in-vehicle network management system 301 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the aggregation unit 12 and the relay management unit 13 are configured to be provided in the relay device 101, but this is not limiting. At least one of the aggregation unit 12 and the relay management unit 13 may be provided in a device different from the relay device 101.

[0113] Furthermore, in the in-vehicle network management system 301 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the aggregator 12 in the relay device 101 is configured to store the created address correspondence table T1 and topology correspondence table T2 in the storage unit 14, but this is not limited to this. The aggregator 12 does not have to store the address correspondence table T1 and the topology correspondence table T2 in the storage unit 14. In this case, each time it becomes necessary to change the relay processing settings due to the addition of an application 112 to the in-vehicle network 31, the aggregator 12 communicates with each in-vehicle ECU 111 via the relay unit 11 to obtain the IP address and ECU ID of each in-vehicle ECU 111, and creates the address correspondence table T1 and the topology correspondence table T2 based on the obtained IP address and ECU ID.

[0114] In addition, in the in-vehicle network management system 301 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the aggregation unit 22 in the relay device 102 is configured to perform an update process to update the address correspondence table T1 and the topology correspondence table T2 when the in-vehicle ECU 111E is newly connected to the relay device 102, but this is not limited to this. When the in-vehicle ECU 111E is newly connected to the relay device 102, the aggregation unit 12 in the relay device 101, instead of the aggregation unit 22, may perform an update process to update the address correspondence table T1 and the topology correspondence table T2.

[0115] Furthermore, in the in-vehicle network management system 301 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the relay management unit 13 in the relay device 101 is configured to select relay processing settings based on the software configuration table T3 and the topology correspondence table T2 in the storage unit 14, but this is not limiting. For example, the relay management unit 13 may be configured to select relay processing settings based on the software configuration table T3 without using the topology correspondence table T2.

[0116] In addition, in the in-vehicle network management system 301 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the relay management unit 13 in the relay device 101 is configured to select the correspondence between the message type, the receiving port ID, and the transmitting port ID as the selection of the relay processing setting, but this is not limited to this. For example, the relay management unit 13 may be configured to select the correspondence between the message type and the communication bandwidth or priority instead of selecting the message path, in order to enable setting of the upper limit of the bandwidth, etc. in the in-vehicle network 31.

[0117] The above-described embodiments should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0118] Each process (each function) in the above-described embodiments is realized by a processing circuit (circuitry) including one or more processors. The processing circuit may be configured as an integrated circuit or the like that combines one or more memories, various analog circuits, and various digital circuits in addition to the one or more processors. The one or more memories store programs (instructions) that cause the one or more processors to execute each of the processes. The one or more processors may execute each of the processes according to the program read from the one or more memories, or may execute each of the processes according to a logic circuit designed in advance to execute each of the processes. The processor may be any of various processors suitable for computer control, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Note that the physically separated processors may cooperate with each other to execute the processes. For example, the processors installed in the physically separated computers may cooperate with each other via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or the Internet to execute the processes. The program may be installed into the memory from an external server device or the like via the network, or may be distributed in a state stored on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), or a semiconductor memory, and then installed into the memory from the recording medium.

[0119] The above description includes the following additional features: [Supplementary Note 1] A management method in an in-vehicle network management system, wherein the in-vehicle network management system includes a relay unit that performs a process of relaying messages in an in-vehicle network, the management method including the steps of: acquiring software configuration information indicating a correspondence between a plurality of pieces of software operating in the in-vehicle network and a plurality of in-vehicle devices in which the plurality of pieces of software are respectively installed; and selecting a setting for the relay process in the relay unit based on the acquired software configuration information.

[0120] [Supplementary Note 2] A management method in a management device, comprising: a step of acquiring software configuration information indicating a correspondence between a plurality of pieces of software operating in an in-vehicle network and a plurality of in-vehicle devices in which the plurality of pieces of software are respectively installed; and a step of selecting settings for message relay processing in the in-vehicle network based on the acquired software configuration information.

[0121] [Supplementary Note 3] A management device comprising a processing circuit, wherein the processing circuit acquires software configuration information indicating a correspondence between a plurality of pieces of software operating in an in-vehicle network and a plurality of in-vehicle devices in which the plurality of pieces of software are respectively installed, and selects settings for message relay processing in the in-vehicle network based on the acquired software configuration information.

[0122] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 Relay unit 12 Aggregation unit 13 Relay management unit 14 Memory unit 21 Relay unit 22 Aggregation unit 24 Memory unit 31, 31A, 31B, 31C In-vehicle network 32 Ethernet cable 101, 102 Relay device 111, 111A, 111B, 111C, 111D, 111E In-vehicle ECU 112, 112A, 112B, 112C, 112D, 112E Application 301 In-vehicle network management system PA, PA1, PA2, PA3, PB, PB1, PB2, PB3, PB4 Communication port T1 Address correspondence table T2 Topology correspondence table T3 Software configuration table T4 Setting table

Claims

1. An in-vehicle network management system comprising: a relay unit that performs message relay processing in an in-vehicle network; an acquisition unit that acquires software configuration information indicating the correspondence between multiple software programs operating in the in-vehicle network and multiple in-vehicle devices in which the multiple software programs are respectively installed; and a selection unit that selects settings for the relay processing in the relay unit based on the software configuration information acquired by the acquisition unit.

2. The in-vehicle network management system according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit selects the relay processing setting further based on topology information indicating a topology of the in-vehicle network.

3. The in-vehicle network management system of claim 2, further comprising a memory unit for storing the topology information, and the selection unit selects the relay processing setting further based on the topology information in the memory unit.

4. The in-vehicle network management system according to claim 2, wherein the selection unit selects the relay processing settings based further on the topology information obtained from a functional unit other than the functional unit that provides the software configuration information.

5. An in-vehicle network management system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the acquisition unit creates the software configuration information based on information indicating the sender of a first message, which is the message including identification information of the software, and the identification information included in the first message.

6. An in-vehicle network management system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the acquisition unit creates the software configuration information based on a second message, which is a message sent by the software and includes functional information indicating a correspondence between the software's identification information and the in-vehicle device in which the software is installed.

7. A management device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires software configuration information indicating the correspondence between multiple software programs operating in an in-vehicle network and multiple in-vehicle devices in which the multiple software programs are respectively installed; and a selection unit that selects settings for message relay processing in the in-vehicle network based on the software configuration information acquired by the acquisition unit.

8. A management program used in a management device, which causes a computer to function as: an acquisition unit that acquires software configuration information indicating the correspondence between multiple software programs operating in an in-vehicle network and multiple in-vehicle devices in which the multiple software programs are respectively installed; and a selection unit that selects settings for message relay processing in the in-vehicle network based on the software configuration information acquired by the acquisition unit.

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