Area-based rescue system of vehicle and calculation processing method thereof

Abstract

Provided is a calculation processing method in an area-based rescue system of a vehicle. The method comprises the steps of: receiving a request for confirming whether resources required for calculation processing are available from an individual ECU included in a vehicle area control unit in a zone area or a domain area including at least one ECU; confirming idle resource information in response to the confirmation request; providing the idle resource information to the individual ECU; receiving target data for the calculation processing from the individual ECU; and performing the calculation processing on the target data on the basis of the idle resource information.

Description

Area-based structural system for a vehicle and its computational processing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle area-based structure system and a computational processing method thereof.

[0002] The specifications of the Electronic Control Units (ECUs) installed in vehicles are already fixed, making them impossible to update with new hardware. In particular, the Micro Controller Unit (MCU), one of the key control units, adopts a very conservative computational processing method to maintain high reliability and safety against system failures. This decision is essential to ensuring vehicle safety and performance.

[0003] While MCUs perform computational processing from a conservative perspective, hardware constraints must be considered when providing new services to customers. However, hardware cannot be updated beyond its available capacity. Therefore, developing new services requires considering solutions that address both hardware and software limitations.

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a vehicle area-based structure system and a method for processing operations thereof, which support the processing of individual ECUs by using peripheral processing devices that support high-performance and high-throughput processing operations when the resources required for processing operations of individual ECUs are insufficient.

[0005] However, the problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems described above, and other problems may exist.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention for solving the above-described problem, a method for processing operations in a vehicle area-based architecture system includes the steps of: receiving a request for confirmation of availability of resources required for operation processing from an individual ECU included in a vehicle area control unit in a zone area or domain area including at least one ECU; checking idle resource information in response to the confirmation request; providing the idle resource information to the individual ECU; receiving target data for the operation processing from the individual ECU; and performing operation processing on the target data based on the idle resource information.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present invention, the step of receiving a request for confirmation of availability of resources required for operation processing from the individual ECU may include receiving a request for confirmation of availability of resources including an identification number of the individual ECU, an identification number of another ECU associated with the individual ECU, periodicity information of the operation processing, and information on required resources.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the information on the required resources may include the amount of storage space, required time, and virtual memory for the operation processing.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the step of confirming idle resource information in response to the confirmation request may include: a step of confirming information on idle resources of the vehicle area control unit itself in response to the confirmation request; a step of transmitting a confirmation request for resource availability to another operation processing unit in response to the confirmation request; a step of receiving information on idle resources from the other operation processing unit; and a step of designating information on idle resources to be applied to the individual ECU among information on idle resources of the vehicle area control unit and the other operation processing unit.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the step of specifying information of the idle resources to be applied to the individual ECU may include: a step of setting priorities for the information of the idle resources; a step of selecting information of the top n idle resources according to the priorities; and a step of specifying information of the highest idle resource among the information of the top n idle resources as information of the idle resources to be applied to the individual ECU.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the step of transmitting a request for confirmation of resource availability to another operation processing unit in response to the confirmation request may include the step of transmitting a request for confirmation of resource availability to another operation processing unit located within the vehicle; and the step of transmitting a request for confirmation of resource availability to another operation processing unit connected in a predetermined manner located outside the vehicle, if present.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the step of checking idle resource information in response to the confirmation request may check information on the idle resource including information on whether the resource is available, an identification number of the vehicle area control unit or other operation processing unit, total storage space, usage of the storage space, CPU usage rate, and the total amount and usage rate of virtual memory.

[0013] In addition, the vehicle area-based architecture system according to the second aspect of the present invention includes a vehicle area control unit that manages at least one individual ECU grouped based on a zone area or a domain area, and an individual ECU that requests confirmation of availability of resources required for computational processing and transmits target data for computational processing to the vehicle area control unit in response to the request, wherein the vehicle area control unit confirms idle resource information upon receiving the confirmation request and provides the information to the individual ECU, and proceeds with the computational processing upon receiving the target data.

[0014] In addition, a computer program according to another aspect of the present invention is coupled with a computer as hardware to execute the area-based structure system of the vehicle and the operation processing method thereof, and is stored in a computer-readable recording medium.

[0015] Other specific details of the present invention are included in the detailed description and drawings.

[0016] According to the present invention described above, efficient resource utilization can be maximized by identifying idle resource information in the surrounding area through the vehicle area control unit and dynamically allocating the necessary resources to each individual ECU. This allows for the processing of new services on the ECUs through the utilization of idle resources, despite the inherent difficulties of hardware upgrades and the limited processing capabilities of individual ECUs.

[0017] In addition, each individual ECU receives a request to confirm resource availability, and the vehicle area control unit can distribute and effectively manage computational processing by sending a request to other computational processing units to confirm as well. This allows for the flexibility and expandability of the system to be enhanced by flexibly managing the individual ECUs performing the corresponding functions when new functions or modules are added to the system.

[0018] In addition, it has the advantage of being able to allocate resources in an optimized manner by setting priorities for resource allocation and selecting the top n idle resource information.

[0019] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0020] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a domain area-based in-vehicle area-based architecture system.

[0021] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a zone-based in-vehicle area-based structure system.

[0022] Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining a process of performing vehicle communication in a domain area-based or zone area-based structure.

[0023] Figure 4 is a flowchart of an operation processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining information included in a request for confirmation of resource availability in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining information on idle resources in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of data to be processed in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of required resource information received by an operation processing unit in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a vehicle area-based structure system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] The advantages and features of the present invention, and the methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided solely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the present invention, and the present invention is defined solely by the scope of the claims.

[0030] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments only and is not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, the singular also includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise. As used herein, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components in addition to the mentioned components. Like reference numerals refer to like components throughout the specification, and "and / or" includes each and any combination of one or more of the mentioned components. Although "first", "second", etc. are used to describe various components, these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. Therefore, it should be understood that a first component mentioned below may also be a second component within the technical spirit of the present invention.

[0031] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may be used in their common sense to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Furthermore, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not to be interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly and specifically defined otherwise.

[0032] The present invention relates to a vehicle area-based structure system and a computational processing method thereof.

[0033] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a domain area-based in-vehicle area-based architecture system.

[0034] Most current vehicle embedded solutions are designed using a domain-based architecture, as shown in Figure 1. A domain is a collection of systems focused on a specific function or purpose. Each domain can be configured to address specific areas within the vehicle, such as driving safety, entertainment, and convenience.

[0035] Each domain is managed by a Domain Control Unit (DCU). The DCU is a central control unit that integrates and controls all functions and systems within that domain. The DCU comprehensively manages interactions and integration between functions within the domain.

[0036] This domain-based architecture configures specific modules to perform specific functions. Sensors and actuators are connected and controlled by individual ECUs. The domain control unit, which has greater computing power than the individual ECUs, controls them. Furthermore, a higher-level gateway has greater computing power than the domain control unit and controls each domain control unit or processes data transmission and reception with the cloud.

[0037] Specifically, Figure 1 illustrates various domains within a vehicle. Each domain is designed to focus on a specific function or purpose, and sensors and actuators are positioned close to each ECU within the domain to effectively perform specific functions.

[0038] However, when introducing additional sensors or actuators, there is a problem that it is difficult to provide expanded functions because this is a method of providing expanded functions by adding an ECU of the relevant domain, and if wiring or interfaces are added and the sensor or actuator is moved away from a specific module.

[0039] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a zone-based in-vehicle area-based structure system.

[0040] As mentioned above, a zone-based architecture was proposed to overcome the problem of not being able to be configured as a domain area due to wiring or other reasons when the sensor or actuator is far from the domain.

[0041] This zone-based architecture groups ECUs based on a network, enabling efficient communication regardless of the physical location of the ECUs, and providing stability and scalability compared to the domain-based architecture.

[0042] Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining a process of performing vehicle communication in a domain area-based or zone area-based structure.

[0043] In-vehicle communication processes necessary data through identifier information for information generated from a specific ECU rather than identifier information for a specific ECU.

[0044] For example, when ECU1 (12-1) detects that the door opening sensor value is 1 (open), it transmits data about this through the network. At this time, communication data about the door opening is transmitted through the network along with the message identifier information (id: 102) of the corresponding data defined in a predefined data table.

[0045] The transmitted message is transmitted to all connected ECUs (12-2, 12-3) via the network.

[0046] Each ECU (ECU2, ECU3) receives the transmitted message and checks the message's identifier (id: 102). If it confirms that the message is related to DoorOpen, it acquires and utilizes the message. Furthermore, because it uses the message identifier as a reference, it can identify messages related to specific functions or events regardless of which ECU generated them.

[0047] Hereinafter, an operation processing method performed by a vehicle area-based structure system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7.

[0048] Figure 4 is a flowchart of an operation processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] First, a request for confirmation of availability of resources required for computational processing is received from an individual ECU included in a vehicle area control unit including at least one ECU (S110).

[0050] In one embodiment, the vehicle area in the present invention may be a domain area or a zone area. In this case, the domain area control unit that controls the corresponding domain area and the zone area control unit that controls the corresponding zone area are referred to as a vehicle area control unit.

[0051] Additionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the entity requesting confirmation of resource availability may be referred to as a resource requester, and is described as an individual ECU, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

[0052] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining information (P1) included in a request for confirmation of resource availability in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] A resource requester may transmit a confirmation request to the vehicle area control unit, which includes information such as its own identification number (e_id), the identification number of another ECU related to itself (rel_e_id), information on the periodicity of the operation processing (is_periodic), and if periodic, the unit in which the processing should be performed (ms), as well as information on required resources (rsrc). At this time, the information on required resources may include storage space for operation processing (strg(mb)), time required for the operation processing (pr_t(ms)), and amount of virtual memory (virt(mb)).

[0054] Referring again to FIG. 4, the vehicle area control unit then checks idle resource information in response to the confirmation request (S120).

[0055] A vehicle area control unit that receives a request for resource availability confirmation from a resource requester can return the status of currently idle resources for itself and other resources connected to its surroundings.

[0056] That is, the vehicle area control unit checks information about its own idle resources in response to a confirmation request (S121) and also transmits a confirmation request regarding resource availability to another processing unit (S122). In response, information about idle resources can be received from the other processing units (S123). Here, the other processing units may be an ECU, DCU, ZCU, CCU, IVI, and external devices connected to the vehicle.

[0057] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining information (P2) of idle resources in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] For example, when a vehicle area control unit sends information to itself and its peripheral devices to check resource availability using APIs such as rsrc get_available_rsrc(), the vehicle area control unit can receive information on idle resources including information on resource availability (is_avbl), identification number of the vehicle area control unit or other processing unit (e_id), total storage space (strg), storage space usage (strg_per), CPU usage rate (cpu_per), and total virtual memory amount (virt) and usage rate (virt_per) in response.

[0059] Thereafter, the vehicle area control unit can specify information on idle resources to be applied to individual ECUs among the idle resources of itself and other operation processing units (S124).

[0060] In one embodiment, the vehicle area control unit can set priorities for identified idle resource information. Then, based on the priorities, the vehicle area control unit can select information about the top n idle resources, and designate the top idle resource information among the top n idle resources as the idle resource information to be applied to each ECU. Here, the top idle resource information corresponds to the idle resource information of the computational processing unit with the largest number of remaining idle resources.

[0061] In the case of the remaining cases, excluding the top one among the top n, if the operation processing unit corresponding to the information of the top idle resource experiences an error, malfunction, or other problem, the operation processing unit of the next highest rank can be applied.

[0062] Meanwhile, one embodiment of the present invention can utilize not only idle resources within the vehicle, but also idle resources of a processing unit located outside the vehicle. To this end, the vehicle area control unit can transmit a request to check resource availability to another processing unit located outside the vehicle and connected in a predetermined manner, if present.

[0063] When information on idle resources is obtained in response to a verification request, information on the highest-level idle resource can be selected and applied based on the information on idle resources confirmed within the vehicle and the information on idle resources confirmed outside the vehicle as described above.

[0064] Here, the processing unit located outside the vehicle is distinguished from the processing unit equipped in the system inside the vehicle, and refers to a smartphone, tablet PC, laptop, etc. that is connected to the vehicle in a predetermined manner through a connection interface supported by the vehicle.

[0065] Additionally, it goes without saying that these external processing units can be used as storage devices to temporarily store various types of information, such as OTA update data or external object information.

[0066] Next, when idle resource information is provided to individual ECUs (S130), the individual ECUs transmit target data for computational processing to the vehicle area control unit (S140).

[0067] Next, based on the idle resource information, the target data is processed through the corresponding processing unit (vehicle area control unit or other processing unit) (S150, S151 to S153). At this time, the target data may be source code or binary.

[0068] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation processing target data (P3) in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] Upon receiving idle resource information, individual ECUs can transmit their own identifier (e_id) and computational information (src) in response. If the processing information requires transmission to the network, the vehicle area control unit can directly transmit the computational processing results via the network (can0).

[0070] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of required resource information (P4) received by an operation processing unit in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] The computational processing unit, which has received the computational processing target data, can set a critical region for the required resource information received from the vehicle area control unit and perform computational processing through the critical region. In other words, the computational processing unit can set a critical region to prevent and control conflicts with tasks that must be performed by the computational processing unit itself.

[0072] In addition, in the case of the present invention, according to an embodiment, the system is configured based on a zone area or domain area, and the vehicle area control unit in charge of the zone area or domain area is structured to include each of lower-level individual ECUs.

[0073] In this case, the other processing unit, i.e., the other vehicle area control unit, which has received a request for confirmation of resource availability from the vehicle area control unit, can check not only the information on its own idle resources but also the information on the idle resources of individual ECUs connected to its lower level.

[0074] Additionally, information on idle resources of other vehicle area control units and information on idle resources of individual ECUs can be provided individually, in combination, or selectively. This can be determined by considering various information required for the corresponding computation (e.g., storage space, required time, and amount of virtual memory).

[0075] For example, let's assume that 100% of the computational processing can be processed using information on the current idle resources of the other vehicle area control unit, and that 50% of the computational processing can also be processed through the first and second ECUs below. In this case, if the other vehicle area control unit has a possibility of conflict with its own reserved scheduling information when considering the required time, it can return the idle resource information of the first and second ECUs below.

[0076] Additionally, when utilizing a connected device outside the vehicle as an arithmetic processing unit, the communication speed of the connected device may be further considered when determining the aforementioned priority. Generally, externally connected devices are equipped with higher-performance hardware than the arithmetic processing unit inside the vehicle, so utilizing an externally connected device is preferable. However, considering the target data to be transmitted for arithmetic processing and the communication speed for receiving the arithmetic processing results, it is ultimately preferable to select a arithmetic processing unit that can process faster.

[0077] At this time, the total time required for transmitting and receiving target data and computational processing results, taking into account communication speed, can be estimated using a predictive model trained on previously collected data. That is, if computational processing is performed via an external device at least once and the computational processing results are received, the target data size, transmission time of the target data, computational processing time, and transmission time of the computational processing results can be configured as training data, and the predictive model can be trained to output an estimated result for the total time required.

[0078] Meanwhile, in the above description, steps S110 to S150 may be further divided into additional steps or combined into fewer steps, depending on the implementation of the present invention. Furthermore, some steps may be omitted as needed, and the order of steps may be changed. Furthermore, even if other details are omitted, the details described in FIGS. 4 to 8 and FIG. 9 are mutually applicable.

[0079] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a vehicle area-based structure system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] A zone-based structure system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a vehicle zone control unit and an individual ECU.

[0081] The vehicle domain control unit manages at least one individual ECU grouped on a zone or domain basis.

[0082] Individual ECUs request confirmation of the availability of resources required for computational processing, and in response to the request, transmit target data for computational processing to the vehicle area control unit.

[0083] The vehicle area control unit can check idle resource information upon receiving a confirmation request and provide it to individual ECUs, and can perform computational processing upon receiving target data.

[0084] The method for processing operations in a vehicle area-based structural system according to one embodiment of the present invention described above can be implemented as a program (or application) to be executed in conjunction with a computer as hardware and stored in a medium.

[0085] The above-described program may include codes coded in a computer language, such as C, C++, JAVA, Ruby, or machine language, that can be read by the processor (CPU) of the computer through the device interface of the computer, so that the computer reads the program and executes the methods implemented as a program. Such codes may include functional codes related to functions that define functions necessary to execute the methods, and may include control codes related to execution procedures necessary for the processor of the computer to execute the functions according to a predetermined procedure. In addition, such codes may further include memory reference-related codes regarding which location (address address) of the internal or external memory of the computer should reference additional information or media necessary for the processor of the computer to execute the functions. In addition, if the processor of the computer needs to communicate with any other computer or server located remotely in order to execute the functions, the code may further include communication-related code regarding how to communicate with any other computer or server located remotely using the communication module of the computer, and what information or media to send and receive during communication.

[0086] The above storage medium refers to a medium that stores data semi-permanently and can be read by a device, rather than a medium that stores data for a short period of time, such as a register, cache, or memory. Specifically, examples of the storage medium include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage device. That is, the program can be stored in various recording media on various servers that the computer can access or in various recording media on the user's computer. In addition, the medium can be distributed across network-connected computer systems, so that computer-readable code can be stored in a distributed manner.

[0087] The foregoing description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention can be readily modified into other specific forms without altering the technical spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single entity may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined manner.

[0088] The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims described below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. In a method of computational processing in a vehicle area-based structural system, A step of receiving a request for confirmation of availability of resources required for computational processing from an individual ECU included in a vehicle area control unit in a zone area or domain area including at least one ECU; A step of checking idle resource information in response to the above verification request; A step of providing the above idle resource information to the individual ECU; A step of receiving target data for the operation processing from the individual ECU; and A step of performing computational processing on the target data based on the idle resource information, Operation processing method.

2. In paragraph 1, The step of receiving a request for confirmation of availability of resources required for computational processing from the above individual ECU is as follows: Receiving a request for confirmation of the availability of the resource, which includes the identification number of the individual ECU, the identification number of another ECU associated with the individual ECU, periodicity information of the operation processing, and information on required resources. Operation processing method.

3. In paragraph 2, The information of the above required resources includes the amount of storage space, required time, and virtual memory for the above operation processing. Operation processing method.

4. In paragraph 1, The step of checking idle resource information in response to the above verification request is: A step of checking information of idle resources of the vehicle area control unit itself in response to the above verification request; A step of transmitting a request for confirmation of resource availability to another processing unit in response to the above confirmation request; A step of receiving information on idle resources from the above-mentioned other operation processing unit; and A step of specifying information of idle resources to be applied to the individual ECU among information of idle resources of the vehicle area control unit and other operation processing units, Operation processing method.

5. In paragraph 4, The step of specifying information of the idle resources to be applied to the individual ECU is as follows: A step of setting priorities for information on the above idle resources; A step of selecting information on the top n idle resources according to the above priorities; and Including a step of designating the information of the highest idle resource among the information of the upper n idle resources as the information of the idle resource to be applied to the individual ECU. Operation processing method.

6. In paragraph 4, The step of transmitting a request for confirmation of resource availability to another processing unit in response to the above confirmation request is: A step of transmitting a request for checking resource availability to another processing unit located within the vehicle; and Including a step of transmitting a request for confirmation of availability of the resource to the connected other processing unit when there is another processing unit connected in a predetermined manner other than the vehicle. Operation processing method.

7. In paragraph 1, The step of checking idle resource information in response to the above verification request is: Information on the availability of said resources, identification number of said vehicle area control unit or other processing unit, total storage space, usage of said storage space, CPU usage rate, total amount of virtual memory and usage rate, including information on said idle resources, Operation processing method.

8. A vehicle area control unit that manages at least one individual ECU grouped based on a zone area or domain area, and Including an individual ECU that requests confirmation of availability of resources required for operation processing and transmits target data for operation processing to the vehicle area control unit in response to the request; The above vehicle area control unit checks idle resource information upon receiving the confirmation request and provides it to the individual ECU, and performs the operation processing upon receiving the target data. Area-based structural system for vehicles.

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