Network management method and apparatus, vehicle, and storage medium

Abstract

The present application discloses a network management method and apparatus, a vehicle, and a storage medium. A first controller (ECU) comprises a first micro control unit (MCU), a first system-on-chip (SOC), and an Ethernet transceiver. The method comprises: determining whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet a sleep condition for entering a sleep mode; if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep condition, turning off, by means of the first MCU, a power supply corresponding to the Ethernet transceiver, wherein a network maintenance signal is used for representing that the first ECU needs to maintain a network connection. By turning off the power supply of the Ethernet transceiver in the first ECU by means of the first MCU, the first ECU cannot receive a communication signal on the Ethernet in a sleep state, thereby completely preventing the first ECU from being abnormally awakened by an Ethernet signal in the sleep state, ensuring that the first ECU can sleep and wake up normally.

Description

Network management method, device, vehicle and storage medium

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on November 22, 2023, with application number 202311570817.8, and invention name “Network Management Method, Device, Vehicle and Storage Medium”, all contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of vehicle control technology, and more specifically, to a network management method, device, vehicle, and storage medium. Background Art

[0003] For vehicle control, automotive controllers can manage sleep and wakeup by coordinating with bus network management. With the increasing diversity of communication media within automotive networks, CAN network management is relatively widespread and mature, while Ethernet management is less common. However, in practice, Ethernet buses that meet the Automotive Ethernet sleep / wakeup standard (TC10) also have the ability to wake up controllers. Therefore, if only CAN network management is available, Ethernet communication signals may affect controller sleep and wakeup management, causing confusion in controller management.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present application proposes a network management method, device, vehicle and storage medium, which can prevent the first controller ECU from being abnormally awakened by an Ethernet signal in a sleep state, and ensure that the first ECU can sleep and wake up normally.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a network management method, wherein a first controller ECU includes a first microcontroller unit MCU, a first system-on-chip unit SOC, and an Ethernet transceiver. The method includes: determining whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions for entering a sleep mode; if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions, turning off the power supply corresponding to the Ethernet transceiver through the first MCU, and the network hold signal is used to indicate that the first ECU needs to maintain a network connection.

[0007] In the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a network management device, wherein the first controller ECU includes a first microcontroller unit MCU, a first system-on-chip unit SOC and an Ethernet transceiver, and the device includes a condition judgment module and a power shutdown module, wherein the condition judgment module is used to judge whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions for entering sleep mode; the power shutdown module is used to shut down the power corresponding to the Ethernet transceiver through the first MCU if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions, and the network hold signal is used to indicate that the first ECU needs to maintain a network connection.

[0008] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a vehicle comprising: one or more processors; a memory; and one or more applications, wherein the one or more applications are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, and the one or more programs are configured to execute the network management method provided in the first aspect above.

[0009] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which program code is stored. The program code can be called by a processor to execute the network management method provided in the first aspect above.

[0010] The solution provided in this application determines whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions for entering sleep mode. If both meet the sleep conditions, the first MCU shuts down the power supply corresponding to the Ethernet transceiver. The network hold signal is used to indicate that the first ECU needs to maintain a network connection. By shutting down the power supply of the Ethernet transceiver in the first ECU by the first MCU, the first ECU cannot receive communication signals on the Ethernet network while in sleep mode, thereby completely preventing the first ECU from being abnormally awakened by Ethernet signals while in sleep mode, thereby ensuring that the first ECU can sleep and wake up normally. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0012] FIG1 shows a flow chart of a network management method provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0013] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of the hardware connection between the first ECU and the second ECU in an embodiment of the present application.

[0014] FIG3 shows a flow chart of a network management method provided in another embodiment of the present application.

[0015] FIG4 shows a schematic diagram of a specific flow chart of step S210 in another embodiment of the present application.

[0016] FIG5 shows a schematic diagram of a specific flow chart of step S220 in another embodiment of the present application.

[0017] FIG6 shows a schematic diagram of the overall process of the network management method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0018] FIG7 shows a structural block diagram of a network management device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0019] FIG8 shows a structural block diagram of a vehicle provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] FIG9 shows a block diagram of the structure of a computer-readable storage medium provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solution of the present application, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0022] With the development of vehicle technology, the communication media in current vehicle networks are becoming more and more diversified, including communication media such as serial communication network (Local Interconnect Network, LIN), CAN, CAN FD and Ethernet. Among them, the network management of CAN bus is relatively widely used and mature in vehicles, while the network management of Ethernet bus is not yet mature enough. Therefore, vehicles usually manage the sleep and wake-up of controllers through the network management of CAN bus. However, in actual vehicle circuits, since the Ethernet bus that meets the TC10 standard also has the ability to wake up the controller, in an in-vehicle network that includes multiple communication media, if only CAN network management is available, the controller in the sleep state is likely to be abnormally awakened by the communication signal on the Ethernet.

[0023] Typically, vehicles can also control the wakeup and sleep of controllers in the circuits through software management. That is, a pre-programmed management program can be used to cause the controller to perform a shallow wakeup upon receiving a communication signal while in sleep mode to determine whether the received communication signal is a wakeup signal. If so, the controller will be deeply awakened; if not, the controller can be put back into sleep mode. However, while this software-managed controller wakeup method can, to a certain extent, prevent the processor from being completely awakened by unexpected signals, it is clear that the controller will still perform a shallow wakeup to make a judgment for each communication signal. In other words, this method cannot completely prohibit the reception of communication signals on the Ethernet when the controller is in sleep mode, and the effect of preventing the controller from being abnormally awakened is not obvious.

[0024] Therefore, the present application provides a network management method, apparatus, vehicle, and storage medium. By shutting down the power supply of the Ethernet transceiver in the first ECU via a first MCU, the first ECU is prevented from receiving Ethernet communication signals while in sleep mode. This prevents the first ECU from being abnormally awakened by Ethernet signals while in sleep mode, thereby ensuring that the first ECU can sleep and wake up normally. The specific network management method is described in detail in subsequent embodiments.

[0025] Please refer to Figure 1, which shows a schematic flow chart of a network management method provided by one embodiment of the present application. The first controller ECU includes a first microcontroller unit MCU, a first system-on-chip unit SOC, and an Ethernet transceiver. The process shown in Figure 1 will be described in detail below. Specifically, it may include the following steps:

[0026] Step S110: determining whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions for entering a sleep mode.

[0027] In an embodiment of the present application, before controlling the first ECU to enter sleep mode, the vehicle may first determine whether the first MCU and the first SOC included in the first ECU can both enter sleep mode, that is, determine whether the first MCU and the first SOC both meet the sleep conditions. Specifically, the first MCU may determine whether the sleep conditions are met based on its own status conditions, and instruct the first SOC to determine whether it meets the sleep conditions through inter-core communication. If both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions, the vehicle may control the first ECU to enter sleep mode.

[0028] It is worth noting that the first SOC meets the sleep conditions. Not only is the first SOC capable of sleep, but there is also no need for data transmission between the first SOC and other external ECUs. If neither the first SOC nor the first MCU in the first ECU needs to communicate with other external ECUs, and all tasks within the first ECU have been completed, then it can be determined that the first MCU and the first SOC in the first ECU meet the sleep conditions.

[0029] As you can understand, ECUs in vehicle circuits typically have three modes: working mode, sleep mode, and boot mode. Working mode is the normal operating mode, which consumes a lot of energy; sleep mode is a standby state, with most ECU functions disabled, a low-power mode; and boot mode is the ECU flashing mode, typically used for ECU upgrades. Furthermore, vehicle circuits include a variety of ECUs, all of which require electricity. Vehicles are typically powered by batteries, which have limited capacity. Therefore, to conserve as much power as possible, vehicles implement network management, controlling ECUs without communication needs to enter sleep mode and coordinating the sleep and wakeup of various ECUs.

[0030] Among them, in the vehicle control circuit, the first MCU is connected to the second MCU included in the other second ECUs in the circuit through the CAN bus, and the first SOC is connected to the second SOC included in the other second ECUs in the circuit through the Ethernet bus. The first MCU usually transmits network management instruction signals to other MCUs through the CAN bus, and the first SOC transmits application data to other SOCs through the Ethernet bus. However, since the Ethernet bus is not used to transmit network management signals for Ethernet, in the embodiment of the present application, the first MCU can obtain the current communication status of the first SOC through inter-core communication and broadcast it to other second ECUs through the CAN bus, thereby achieving the effect of managing Ethernet network communication through the network management of the CAN bus.

[0031] Step S120: If both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep condition, the power supply corresponding to the Ethernet transceiver is turned off by the first MCU.

[0032] In the embodiment of the present application, if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions, it means that there are no tasks to be processed within the first ECU at this time, and other ECU nodes do not need to transmit data to the first ECU. In this case, the first ECU does not need to maintain a network connection. The vehicle can shut down the power of the Ethernet transceiver through the first MCU and control the first ECU to enter sleep mode. As a result, after the Ethernet transceiver is powered off, it cannot receive data transmitted by other ECU nodes on the Ethernet network. This can prevent the first SOC from being abnormally awakened by Ethernet signals when the first ECU enters sleep mode.

[0033] Among them, the first SOC in the first ECU obtains the data transmitted by other ECU nodes in the Ethernet through the Ethernet transceiver. Therefore, after the vehicle turns off the power of the Ethernet transceiver through the first MCU, the Ethernet transceiver can no longer receive data sent by other ECUs, and the first SOC will no longer be abnormally awakened by the signal on the Ethernet. This can ensure the normal sleep of the first ECU and prevent the first SOC and the first ECU from being abnormally awakened by the Ethernet.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2, it shows a schematic diagram of the hardware connection between the first ECU and the second ECU in an embodiment of the present application, as well as a schematic diagram of the hardware connection relationship between the first MCU and the first SOC included in the first ECU. It can be seen that the first MCU in the first ECU is connected to the second MCU in the second ECU via the CAN bus, and the first SOC in the first ECU is connected to the second SOC in the second ECU via Ethernet. The SOC and MCU in each ECU communicate via inter-core routing, and the SOC obtains data on the Ethernet bus through the Ethernet transceiver and sends data outward via the Ethernet bus.

[0035] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2, the first ECU further includes a network switch, through which the Ethernet transceiver is connected to the power supply, and the network switch is connected to the first ECU. In other words, if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions, the network switch can be turned off by the first MCU to disconnect the path between the Ethernet transceiver and the power supply. In other words, the vehicle can control the connection and disconnection of the path between the Ethernet transceiver and the power supply through the first MCU, thereby directly disconnecting the path for the first SOC to receive Ethernet messages when the first SOC is in sleep mode, thereby preventing the first SOC from being abnormally awakened.

[0036] The network management method provided in an embodiment of the present application determines whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions for entering sleep mode. If both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions, the first MCU shuts down the power supply corresponding to the Ethernet transceiver. The network hold signal is used to indicate that the first ECU needs to maintain a network connection. By shutting down the power supply of the Ethernet transceiver in the first ECU by the first MCU, the first ECU cannot receive communication signals on the Ethernet network while in sleep mode, thereby completely preventing the first ECU from being abnormally awakened by Ethernet signals while in sleep mode, thereby ensuring that the first ECU can sleep and wake up normally.

[0037] Please refer to Figure 3, which shows a flow chart of a network management method provided by another embodiment of the present application. The first controller ECU includes a first microcontroller unit MCU, a first system-on-chip unit SOC, and an Ethernet transceiver. The flow chart shown in Figure 3 will be described in detail below. Specifically, it may include the following steps:

[0038] Step S210: determining whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet preset conditions for entering a sleep mode.

[0039] In an embodiment of the present application, if the first MCU and the first SOC both meet the sleep conditions for entering sleep mode, it indicates that at this time not only the task processing within the first MCU and the first SOC is completed, that is, their own state conditions can enter sleep mode, but also there is no need for data transmission between the first ECU and the second ECU connected to the external network. In this case, the vehicle can determine that the first ECU can enter sleep mode. Therefore, in the process of judging whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions, the vehicle can first judge whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions for entering sleep mode. The preset conditions are used to judge whether the first SOC and the first MCU's own state conditions can enter sleep mode. Obviously, only when the first SOC and the first MCU both meet the preset conditions, that is, they can enter sleep mode, the vehicle needs to further judge whether there is a network communication demand between the first ECU and the external second ECU, and then make an overall judgment on whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions for entering sleep mode.

[0040] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4 , the vehicle may determine whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions for entering the sleep mode through the following steps:

[0041] Step S211: If the first MCU meets the preset condition for entering the sleep mode, a first sleep indication signal is sent to the first SOC via the first MCU, where the first sleep indication signal is used to indicate that the first MCU can enter the sleep mode.

[0042] In an embodiment of the present application, the vehicle can only control the first ECU to enter sleep mode when both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions. The vehicle can use the first MCU to determine whether the state of the first MCU itself meets the preset conditions for entering sleep mode. If so, the first MCU sends a first sleep indication signal to the first SOC to inform the first SOC that the first MCU can currently enter sleep mode. After receiving the first sleep indication signal sent by the first MCU, the first SOC can respond to the sleep indication signal and, based on its current process running state, determine whether it meets the preset conditions for entering sleep mode, and feed back the judgment result to the first MCU. The vehicle can then use the first MCU to determine whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions.

[0043] Step S212: If the first MCU receives a second sleep indication signal fed back by the first SOC according to the first sleep indication signal, it is determined that the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions for entering the sleep mode, and the second sleep indication signal is used to indicate that the first SOC can enter the sleep mode.

[0044] In an embodiment of the present application, if the first SOC determines that Ethernet communication is not required or that it can enter sleep mode based on current communication requirements, the first SOC can feedback a second sleep indication signal to the first MCU based on the first sleep indication signal sent by the first MCU to inform the first MCU that the first SOC can enter sleep mode. Thus, under the premise that the first MCU meets the preset conditions for entering sleep mode, based on the second sleep indication signal fed back by the first SOC, the first ECU can determine that both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions.

[0045] It is worth noting that at this time the first SOC and the first MCU both meet the preset conditions and can enter sleep mode, but the vehicle will not control the first ECU to enter sleep mode directly at this time, because even if the first ECU does not have Ethernet network communication requirements, other ECUs connected to the first ECU network may have data transmission requirements with the first ECU. Therefore, the first ECU cannot enter sleep mode directly for the time being, but needs to wait for the data transmission with other ECUs to be completed, or determine that other ECUs no longer need to transmit data with the first ECU before it can control the first ECU to enter sleep mode.

[0046] Step S213: In response to the first network signal fed back by the first SOC according to the first sleep indication signal, the first MCU sends a first state change signal to the other second ECU connected to the CAN bus. The first network signal is used to indicate that the first SOC has a network communication requirement, and the first state change signal is used to instruct the second ECU to maintain network connectivity.

[0047] In an embodiment of the present application, the first MCU may send a first sleep indication signal to the first SOC if preset conditions are met. Based on its own actual situation, the first SOC may, if the preset conditions are not met, feed back a first network signal to the first MCU, thereby informing the first MCU that the first SOC still needs to perform data transmission and network communication with other second ECUs and cannot enter sleep mode. To ensure that the first SOC and other second ECUs can successfully communicate over the network, the vehicle may send a first state change signal to the other second ECUs connected to the CAN bus via the first MCU to instruct the other second ECUs to maintain network connectivity, thereby ensuring normal network communication between the first SOC and the second ECUs.

[0048] It can be understood that if the second MCU and the second SOC included in the other second ECU also meet the sleep conditions at this time, then the first state change signal sent by the first MCU to the second ECU is equivalent to the second ECU receiving the network hold signal, that is, when the second ECU receives the first network signal sent by the first ECU, it will maintain the network connection of the second SOC so that the data transmission between it and the first SOC is normal.

[0049] Step S214: The first MCU responds to the first network signal fed back by the first SOC according to the first sleep indication signal, and determines whether the first SOC can enter the sleep mode at intervals of a target duration, where the first network signal is used to indicate that the first SOC has a network communication requirement.

[0050] In an embodiment of the present application, if the first MCU meets the preset conditions, the first MCU will send a first sleep indication signal to the first SOC to inform the first SOC that the first MCU can currently enter sleep mode. At this time, the first SOC may have two situations. The first is that it can enter sleep mode, then the first SOC can feedback a second sleep indication signal to the first MCU; the other situation is that it cannot enter sleep mode, then the first SOC can feedback a first network signal to the first MCU to inform the first MCU that the first SOC still has network communication requirements and does not meet the sleep conditions. At this time, in order to be able to detect the first ECU that meets the sleep conditions in a timely manner, the vehicle can confirm with the first SOC once every target time interval whether it can enter sleep mode through the first MCU. And according to different confirmation results, different subsequent operations are performed.

[0051] Step S215: If it is determined that the first SOC can enter the sleep mode, determine whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions for entering the sleep mode, and return to the step of determining whether the first MCU receives a network hold signal within a preset time period through the first MCU if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions for entering the sleep mode.

[0052] In an embodiment of the present application, when the first SOC in the first ECU of the vehicle is temporarily unable to enter the sleep mode, the first MCU can confirm with the first SOC once every target time interval whether the sleep condition is met. If, within a certain target time, the first MCU determines that the first SOC meets the sleep condition, that is, the first SOC feeds back a second sleep indication signal to the first MCU, then the vehicle can determine that both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions, and can then proceed to step S220, that is, after determining that both the first MCU and the first SOC in the first ECU meet the preset conditions for entering the sleep mode, the first MCU is further used to determine whether the first MCU receives a network hold signal within the preset time.

[0053] Step S220: If both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions, the first MCU is used to determine whether the first MCU receives a network hold signal within a preset time period.

[0054] In an embodiment of the present application, a network hold signal is used to indicate that the first ECU needs to maintain a network connection. Even if the vehicle determines that the first MCU and the first SOC included in the first ECU meet the preset conditions, it cannot directly control the first ECU to enter sleep mode at this time. This is because other ECU nodes connected to the first ECU via Ethernet may not necessarily enter sleep mode at this time. If other ECUs cannot enter sleep mode, these ECUs may need to transmit data with the first ECU via Ethernet. In this case, the first ECU cannot enter sleep mode, but needs to wait for the data transmission with other ECUs to be completed before entering sleep mode. Therefore, after determining that the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions, the first ECU can wait for a preset time. If within the preset time, the first MCU receives a network hold signal sent by other ECUs, that is, other ECUs need to transmit data with the first ECU, then the first ECU cannot enter sleep mode; on the contrary, if the first MCU does not receive a network hold signal sent by other ECUs within the preset time, then the first ECU can enter sleep mode.

[0055] It is understandable that if there is still a need for data transmission between other ECUs and the first ECU, then the other ECUs can send a network hold signal to the first ECU to instruct the first ECU to maintain the network connection and thus transmit data. In some embodiments, the network hold signal sent by other ECUs to the first ECU can be a signal actively sent to the first ECU when the other ECUs need to transmit data with the first ECU to avoid the first ECU suddenly interrupting the network connection. It can also be a signal that the first ECU actively sends a state change signal to other ECUs on the Ethernet bus when the first SOC and the first MCU meet preset conditions. The ECUs among the other ECUs that have a need for data transmission with the first ECU can then feedback a network hold signal to the first ECU based on the received state change signal to instruct the first ECU to temporarily maintain the network connection.

[0056] Obviously, the first ECU will only determine whether there is a need for communication between it and other ECUs if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions. If neither the first MCU nor the first SOC within the first ECU meets the preset conditions, then the first ECU will not enter sleep mode regardless of whether there is a need for network communication between it and other ECUs.

[0057] In some embodiments, if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet preset conditions for entering sleep mode, a third sleep indication signal may be sent to the upper layer application via the first SOC, where the third sleep indication signal is used to instruct the upper layer application to stop sending data.

[0058] Specifically, if the first SOC meets the sleep conditions for entering sleep mode, it means that the first SOC currently has no Ethernet communication needs, and the first ECU as a whole can enter sleep mode smoothly. At this time, the first SOC can send a fourth sleep indication signal to the upper-layer application to instruct the upper-layer application to stop sending data through Ethernet, that is, to inform the upper-layer application that the first ECU is about to enter sleep mode, Ethernet is about to be shut down, and prepare to stop sending data.

[0059] It can be understood that the upper-layer application transmits application data and functional data to other ECUs through the first SOC and the Ethernet network. Therefore, before the first SOC enters the sleep mode, the first SOC needs to notify the upper-layer application in advance to avoid the upper-layer application not being able to understand in time after the first SOC enters the sleep mode and thus uselessly sending data that cannot be actually transmitted.

[0060] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5 , if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet preset conditions, the vehicle may determine whether the first MCU receives the network hold signal within a preset time period by performing the following steps:

[0061] Step S221: If the first MCU and the first SOC both meet the preset conditions, a second state change signal is sent to the other second ECU connected to the CAN bus through the first MCU, and the second state change signal is used to instruct the second ECU to confirm whether to feedback the network hold signal.

[0062] In an embodiment of the present application, if the first MCU and the first SOC included in the first ECU both meet the preset conditions, the vehicle can send a second state change signal to the other second ECU connected to the CAN bus through the first MCU to inform the second ECU that the current first ECU meets the preset conditions and is about to enter sleep mode, and instruct the second ECU to determine whether there is a need for data transmission between the first ECU and the second ECU. If there is a need for data transmission between the second ECU and the first ECU, the second ECU can feedback a network hold signal in response to the second state change signal sent by the first ECU to instruct the first ECU to continue to maintain the network connection and not to enter sleep mode temporarily. Of course, if there is no network communication need between the second ECU and the first ECU, no information can be fed back.

[0063] Step S222: determining, by the first MCU, whether the first MCU receives the network hold signal fed back by the other second ECU within a preset time period.

[0064] In an embodiment of the present application, if the first MCU and the first SOC included in the first ECU of the vehicle meet preset conditions, the first MCU can determine whether to control the first ECU to enter sleep mode based on whether it receives a network hold signal fed back by other second ECUs in the CAN network within a preset time period. It is understandable that if the first MCU receives a network hold signal fed back by the second ECU within the preset time period, it indicates that the second ECU still needs to communicate with the first ECU over the network at this time, and then the first ECU cannot enter sleep mode temporarily; if the network hold signal is not received within the first preset time period, it indicates that no other second ECU needs to communicate with the first ECU, and then the vehicle can control the first ECU to enter sleep mode. Before entering sleep mode, the vehicle can turn off the power supply corresponding to the Ethernet transceiver through the first MCU to prevent the first ECU from being awakened by abnormal signals on the Ethernet during sleep mode.

[0065] Step S230: If the first MCU does not receive the network hold signal within a preset time period, it is determined that both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep condition.

[0066] In an embodiment of the present application, if the first MCU does not receive a network hold signal within a preset time period, that is, other second ECUs connected to the first ECU network do not need to conduct network communication and data transmission with the first ECU, then if it has been determined in advance that the first MCU and the first SOC in the first ECU meet the preset conditions for entering sleep mode, the vehicle can determine that the first MCU and the first SOC in the first ECU meet the sleep conditions.

[0067] Step S240: If both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep condition, the power supply corresponding to the Ethernet transceiver is turned off by the first MCU.

[0068] In the embodiment of the present application, step S240 can refer to the explanation in other embodiments and will not be elaborated here.

[0069] Step S250: Control the first ECU to enter a sleep mode.

[0070] In an embodiment of the present application, when the vehicle determines that the first MCU and the first SOC included in the first ECU meet the preset conditions and there is no need for data transmission and network communication between the first SOC and the second SOC in the other second ECU, the vehicle can control the first ECU to enter sleep mode after turning off the power of the Ethernet transceiver through the first MCU.

[0071] Step S260: If the first MCU and the first SOC both meet the preset conditions, and the first MCU determines that the first MCU receives the network hold signal within the preset time, then at each interval of the preset time, the first MCU determines whether the network hold signal is received within the preset time.

[0072] In an embodiment of the present application, if the second ECU sends a network hold signal to the first ECU within a preset time period, the first MCU is temporarily unable to enter sleep mode and must wait for data transmission between the first and second ECUs to complete. In some embodiments, if data transmission between the second ECU and the first ECU is complete, the second ECU can proactively send a transmission completion signal to the first ECU to inform the first ECU that data transmission between the second ECU and the first ECU has completed and the first ECU can enter sleep mode. The first ECU can then enter sleep mode in response to the transmission completion signal. In other embodiments, the second ECU may maintain a network connection with the first ECU but not proactively disconnect after valid data transmission is completed. In this case, the first ECU can re-determine whether the first MCU has received a network hold signal within a preset time period. If no network hold signal is received, the first ECU can proactively disconnect the network connection with the second ECU, deeming that there is no need for data transmission with the second ECU. The first ECU can then control the first ECU to enter sleep mode after powering off the Ethernet transceiver via the first MCU. Of course, if the first ECU receives a network hold signal again within the first preset time period, the network connection can be maintained and data can be transmitted between the second ECU and the second ECU.

[0073] Step S270: If the first MCU does not receive the network hold signal within the preset time, return to the step of determining whether the first MCU receives the network hold signal within the preset time if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions.

[0074] In an embodiment of the present application, if the first MCU receives a network hold signal within a preset time period, the vehicle can always monitor whether the first MCU receives the network hold signal again when both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions, that is, return to step S220 and execute in a loop until the first MCU does not receive the network hold signal within a certain preset time period, or the first SOC or the first MCU no longer meets the preset conditions for entering sleep mode within a certain preset time period.

[0075] The network management method provided in the embodiment of the present application is further illustrated below by taking examples.

[0076] For example, as shown in Figure 6, it shows a schematic diagram of the overall process of network management provided by an embodiment of the present application. First, the vehicle performs an initialization operation to enable the first ECU and the second ECU to work normally. At this time, the first MCU in the first ECU can control the power supply of the Ethernet transceiver to turn on, so that the first SOC can normally perform network communication and data transmission with other second ECUs. Thereafter, if the first MCU meets the preset conditions for entering sleep mode, the vehicle can send a first sleep indication signal to the first SOC through the first MCU to indicate that the first MCU can enter sleep mode. At this time, the first SOC can send a third sleep indication signal to the upper-layer application to instruct the upper-layer application to stop sending data, and feedback the second sleep indication signal to the first MCU if the preset conditions are met (that is, the sleep mode can be entered); the first SOC can also feedback the first network signal to the first MCU if the preset conditions are not met (that is, the sleep mode cannot be entered). In response to the first network signal, the first MCU can send a first state change signal to other second ECUs connected to the CAN bus to instruct the second ECUs to maintain network connectivity, and determine whether the first SOC can enter the sleep mode every target time interval. If it is determined that the first SOC can enter the sleep mode (that is, it meets the preset conditions), it can return to the steps of sending the third sleep indication signal to the upper-level application and feeding back the second sleep indication signal to the first MCU.

[0077] In response to the second sleep indication signal, the first MCU can send a second state change signal to the other second ECU connected to the CAN bus to instruct the second ECU to confirm whether to feedback the network hold signal to the first ECU, that is, to instruct the second ECU to confirm whether to maintain network connection and data transmission with the first ECU. If the first MCU does not receive the network hold signal within the preset time, the vehicle can shut down the power supply corresponding to the Ethernet transceiver through the first MCU and control the first ECU to enter sleep mode. If the first MCU receives the network hold signal within the preset time, the vehicle can determine whether the network hold signal is received within the preset time at intervals of the preset time through the first MCU. If the first MCU receives the network hold signal within the preset time, it is determined that the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions for entering sleep mode, and the process returns to the step of sending the second state change signal to the second ECU connected to the CAN bus.

[0078] The network management method provided in the embodiment of the present application is as follows: if the first MCU meets the sleep conditions for entering the sleep mode, the first MCU sends a first sleep indication signal to the first SOC through the first MCU; if the first MCU receives a second sleep indication signal fed back by the first SOC based on the first sleep indication signal, it is determined that the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions for entering the sleep mode, and the first MCU sends a second state change signal to the other second ECU connected to the CAN bus through the first MCU; the first MCU determines whether the first MCU receives the network hold signal fed back by the other second ECU within a preset time period; if the first MCU does not receive the network hold signal within the preset time period, the first MCU turns off the power supply corresponding to the Ethernet transceiver and controls the first ECU to enter the sleep mode. Thus, by turning off the power supply of the Ethernet transceiver in the first ECU through the first MCU, it is possible to prevent the first ECU from being abnormally awakened by the Ethernet signal in the sleep state, thereby ensuring that the first ECU can sleep and wake up normally.

[0079] Please refer to Figure 7, which shows a structural block diagram of a network management device 200 provided in one embodiment of the present application. The first controller ECU includes a first microcontroller unit MCU, a first system-on-chip unit SOC, and an Ethernet transceiver. The network management device 200 includes: a condition judgment module 210 and a power shutdown module 220. Among them, the condition judgment module 210 is used to determine whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions for entering sleep mode; the power shutdown module 220 is used to shut down the power corresponding to the Ethernet transceiver through the first MCU if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions. The network hold signal is used to indicate that the first ECU needs to maintain a network connection.

[0080] As a possible implementation, the first ECU further includes a network switch, through which the Ethernet transceiver is connected to the power supply, and the network switch is connected to the first MCU. The power shutdown module 220 is further configured to, if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions, turn on the network switch via the first MCU to disconnect the Ethernet transceiver from the power supply.

[0081] As a possible implementation, the conditional judgment module 210 includes a preset judgment unit, a signal judgment unit, and a conditional judgment unit. The preset judgment unit is configured to determine whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions for entering sleep mode. The signal judgment unit is configured to determine, through the first MCU, whether the first MCU receives a network hold signal within a preset duration if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions. The network hold signal is configured to indicate that the first ECU needs to maintain a network connection. The conditional judgment unit is configured to determine that both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions if the first MCU does not receive the network hold signal within the preset duration.

[0082] As a possible implementation manner, the preset judgment unit is also used to send a first sleep indication signal to the first SOC through the first MCU if the first MCU meets the preset conditions for entering the sleep mode, and the first sleep indication signal is used to indicate that the first MCU can enter the sleep mode; if the first MCU receives a second sleep indication signal fed back by the first SOC based on the first sleep indication signal, it is determined that the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions for entering the sleep mode, and the second sleep indication signal is used to indicate that the first SOC can enter the sleep mode.

[0083] As a possible implementation manner, the preset judgment unit is also used to determine whether the first SOC can enter the sleep mode through the first MCU in response to the first network signal fed back by the first SOC according to the first sleep indication signal, at each target time interval, the first network signal is used to characterize the existence of network communication requirements of the first SOC; if it is determined that the first SOC can enter the sleep mode, it is determined that the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions for entering the sleep mode, and the step of determining whether the first MCU receives the network hold signal within the preset time is returned if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions for entering the sleep mode.

[0084] As a possible implementation, the preset judgment unit is also used to send a first state change signal to other second ECUs connected to the CAN bus in response to the first network signal fed back by the first SOC based on the first sleep indication signal through the first MCU. The first network signal is used to indicate that the first SOC has a network communication requirement, and the first state change signal is used to instruct the second ECU to maintain network connectivity.

[0085] As a possible implementation, the preset judgment unit is further used to send a third sleep indication signal to the upper layer application through the first SOC if the first SOC meets the preset conditions for entering the sleep mode, and the third sleep indication signal is used to instruct the upper layer application to stop sending data.

[0086] As a possible implementation manner, the signal judgment unit is also used to send a second state change signal to other second ECUs connected to the CAN bus through the first MCU if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet preset conditions. The second state change signal is used to instruct the second ECU to confirm whether to feedback the network hold signal; and to determine through the first MCU whether the first MCU receives the network hold signal fed back by other second ECUs within a preset time length.

[0087] As a possible implementation manner, the condition judgment module 210 is also used to, if the first MCU and the first SOC both meet the preset conditions, and it is determined through the first MCU that the first MCU receives the network hold signal within the preset time length, then, at each interval of the preset time length, determine through the first MCU whether the network hold signal is received within the preset time length; if the first MCU does not receive the network hold signal within the preset time length, return to the step of determining through the first MCU whether the first MCU receives the network hold signal within the preset time length if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions.

[0088] As a possible implementation, the network management device 200 further includes a sleep control module, configured to control the first ECU to enter a sleep mode.

[0089] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the above-described devices and modules can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0090] In several embodiments provided in this application, the coupling between modules may be electrical, mechanical or other forms of coupling.

[0091] In addition, the functional modules in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a processing module, or each module may exist physically separately, or two or more modules may be integrated into a single module. The above-mentioned integrated modules may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional modules.

[0092] In summary, the solution provided by this application determines whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions for entering sleep mode; if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep conditions, the first MCU shuts down the power corresponding to the Ethernet transceiver, and the network hold signal is used to indicate that the first ECU needs to maintain a network connection. By shutting down the power of the Ethernet transceiver in the first ECU by the first MCU, the first ECU cannot receive communication signals on the Ethernet network while in sleep mode, thereby completely preventing the first ECU from being abnormally awakened by Ethernet signals while in sleep mode, thereby ensuring that the first ECU can sleep and wake up normally.

[0093] Please refer to Figure 8, which shows a block diagram of a vehicle 400 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The vehicle 400 in the present application may include one or more of the following components: a processor 410, a memory 420, and one or more application programs, wherein the one or more application programs may be stored in the memory 420 and configured to be executed by the one or more processors 410, and the one or more programs are configured to perform the methods described in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0094] Processor 410 may include one or more processing cores. Processor 410 utilizes various interfaces and circuits to connect various components within the vehicle. It executes instructions, programs, code sets, or instruction sets stored in memory 420, as well as accesses data stored in memory 420, to perform various vehicle functions and process data. Optionally, processor 410 may be implemented using at least one of the following hardware forms: a digital signal processing (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a programmable logic array (PLA). Processor 410 may integrate one or a combination of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a modem. The CPU primarily handles the operating system, user interface, and application programs; the GPU is responsible for rendering and drawing display content; and the modem handles wireless communications. It is understood that the modem may not be integrated into processor 410 and may be implemented separately via a communications chip.

[0095] The memory 420 may include a random access memory (RAM) or a read-only memory (ROM). The memory 420 may be used to store instructions, programs, codes, code sets, or instruction sets. The memory 420 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store instructions for implementing an operating system, instructions for implementing at least one function (such as a touch function, a sound playback function, an image playback function, etc.), instructions for implementing the various method embodiments described below, etc. The data storage area may also store data created by the vehicle during use (such as a phone book, audio and video data, chat history data, etc.).

[0096] Please refer to Figure 9, which shows a computer-readable storage medium provided in an embodiment of the present application. The computer-readable storage medium 800 stores program code, which can be called by a processor to execute the method described in the above method embodiment.

[0097] The computer-readable storage medium 800 can be an electronic memory such as a flash memory, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), an EPROM, a hard disk, or a ROM. Alternatively, the computer-readable storage medium 800 includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium 800 has storage space for program code 810 for executing any of the method steps described above. These program codes can be read from or written to one or more computer program products. The program code 810 can be compressed, for example, in a suitable form.

[0098] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A network management method, characterized in that: The first controller ECU includes a first micro control unit MCU, a first system-on-chip unit SOC and an Ethernet transceiver, and the method includes: Determine whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep condition of entering the sleep mode; If both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep condition, the power supply corresponding to the Ethernet transceiver is turned off by the first MCU.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first ECU further includes a network switch, the Ethernet transceiver is connected to a power source via the network switch, and the network switch is connected to the first MCU; If both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep condition, turning off the power corresponding to the Ethernet transceiver by the first MCU includes: If both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep condition, the network switch is turned off by the first MCU to disconnect the path between the Ethernet transceiver and the power supply.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The determining whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep condition of entering the sleep mode includes: Determine whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions for entering the sleep mode; If both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions, determining, by the first MCU, whether the first MCU receives a network hold signal within a preset time period, the network hold signal being used to indicate that the first ECU needs to maintain a network connection; If the first MCU does not receive the network hold signal within a preset time period, it is determined that both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep condition.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The determining whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset condition for entering the sleep mode includes: If the first MCU meets the preset condition for entering the sleep mode, a first sleep indication signal is sent to the first SOC through the first MCU, where the first sleep indication signal is used to indicate that the first MCU can enter the sleep mode; If the first MCU receives a second sleep indication signal fed back by the first SOC according to the first sleep indication signal, it is determined that the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions for entering the sleep mode, and the second sleep indication signal is used to indicate that the first SOC can enter the sleep mode.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that After the first MCU sends a first sleep indication signal to the first SOC if the first MCU meets the preset condition for entering the sleep mode, the method further includes: Determine, by the first MCU, whether the first SOC can enter a sleep mode at intervals of a target duration in response to a first network signal fed back by the first SOC according to the first sleep indication signal, wherein the first network signal is used to indicate that the first SOC has a network communication requirement; If it is determined that the first SOC can enter the sleep mode, it is determined that the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions for entering the sleep mode, and the if the first MCU and the first SOC both meet the preset conditions for entering the sleep mode are returned. The method further comprises the step of determining, by the first MCU, whether the first MCU receives a network hold signal within a preset time period in accordance with a preset condition for entering a sleep mode.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that After the first MCU sends a first sleep indication signal to the first SOC if the first MCU meets the preset condition for entering the sleep mode, the method further includes: The first MCU responds to the first network signal fed back by the first SOC according to the first sleep indication signal, and sends a first state change signal to other second ECUs connected to the CAN bus, wherein the first network signal is used to characterize that the first SOC has a network communication requirement, and the first state change signal is used to instruct the second ECU to maintain network connectivity.

7. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that After the first MCU sends a first sleep indication signal to the first SOC if the first MCU meets the preset condition for entering the sleep mode, the method further includes: If the first SOC meets the preset condition for entering the sleep mode, a third sleep indication signal is sent to the upper layer application through the first SOC, and the third sleep indication signal is used to instruct the upper layer application to stop sending data.

8. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that If both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset condition, determining, by the first MCU, whether the first MCU receives a network hold signal within a preset time period includes: If the first MCU and the first SOC both meet the preset conditions, a second state change signal is sent to another second ECU connected to the CAN bus through the first MCU, where the second state change signal is used to instruct the second ECU to confirm whether to feed back a network hold signal; The first MCU is used to determine whether the first MCU receives the network holding signal fed back by other second ECUs within a preset time period.

9. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: After determining whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions for entering the sleep mode, the method further includes: If the first MCU and the first SOC both meet the preset conditions, and the first MCU determines that the first MCU receives a network hold signal within a preset time, then at intervals of the preset time, the first MCU determines whether a network hold signal is received within the preset time; If the first MCU does not receive the network hold signal within the preset time, the process returns to the step of determining, by the first MCU, whether the first MCU receives the network hold signal within the preset time if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the preset conditions.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: After turning off the power supply corresponding to the Ethernet transceiver by the first MCU, the method further includes: Control the first ECU to enter a sleep mode.

11. A network management device, characterized in that: The first controller ECU includes a first micro control unit MCU, a first system-on-chip unit SOC and an Ethernet transceiver, and the device includes: A condition judgment module is used to judge whether the first MCU and the first SOC meet the conditions for entering the sleep mode. Dormant conditions; The power shut-down module is used to shut down the power corresponding to the Ethernet transceiver through the first MCU if both the first MCU and the first SOC meet the sleep condition, and the network hold signal is used to indicate that the first ECU needs to maintain a network connection.

12. A vehicle, characterized in that: The vehicle comprises: One or more controllers, each of which includes a microcontroller unit, a system-on-chip unit, and an Ethernet transceiver; Memory; One or more application programs, wherein the one or more application programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, and the one or more programs are configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-10.

13. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores program codes, which can be called by a processor to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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