Regional controller, control method for regional controller, and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

Specifically provided in the present application are a regional controller, a control method for a regional controller, and a computer-readable storage medium, which are intended to solve the problem of an existing expansion chip being unable to solve the original resource problem of an MCU and thus affecting the regional controller in terms of performance and functions. For this purpose, the regional controller in the present application comprises: a first MCU and a second MCU, which are configured to be in communication connection with each other.

Description

Area controller, area controller control method, and computer-readable storage medium

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202311794147.8, filed on December 22, 2023, entitled “Region Controller, Region Controller Control Method and Computer-readable Storage Medium”. The entire contents of the above Chinese patent application are incorporated into this application by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and specifically provides a zone controller, a zone controller control method, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0003] The excessive number of regional controller functions and insufficient system resources can easily lead to computing power and I / O (Input / Output) overloads. Conventional technologies typically address regional controller system resource issues by upgrading the MCU (Micro Control Unit) model or by using expansion chips to increase the number of regional controllers. However, expansion chips cannot address the native MCU resource issue, thus still impacting the performance and functionality of regional controllers.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application aims to solve the above technical problems, that is, to solve the problem that the existing use of expansion chips cannot solve the MCU native resource problem, which in turn still affects the performance and function of the regional controller.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a regional controller, which includes a first MCU and a second MCU, wherein the first MCU and the second MCU are communicatively connected.

[0007] In some embodiments, the zone controller further includes an Ethernet interface, and the first MCU and the second MCU share the Ethernet interface.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first MCU and the second MCU are communicatively connected via at least one of CAN, GPIO, and UART.

[0009] In some embodiments, when the first MCU and the second MCU are connected via CAN communication, the communication channel configuration mode of the CAN is a non-coordinator mode.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first MCU is provided with a first peripheral interface, and the zone controller further includes a first functional unit; the first functional unit is connected to the first MCU via the first peripheral communication interface, and the first functional unit is a functional unit whose security level meets preset requirements.

[0011] In some embodiments, the second MCU is provided with a second peripheral interface, and the regional controller further includes a second functional unit; the second functional unit is connected to the second MCU via the second peripheral communication interface, and the security level of the second functional unit is lower than the security level of the first functional unit.

[0012] In a second aspect, the present application provides a method for controlling a zone controller, which is applied to any of the zone controllers described above, comprising:

[0013] The first MCU monitors state parameters, wherein the state parameters include peripheral state parameters and second MCU state parameters;

[0014] When the peripheral status parameter or the second MCU status parameter indicates wake-up, the first MCU wakes up; when the first MCU is successfully awakened based on the peripheral status parameter, a wake-up signal is sent to the second MCU, so that the second MCU wakes up based on the wake-up signal.

[0015] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0016] When both the peripheral device status parameter and the second MCU status parameter indicate hibernation, the first MCU goes into hibernation.

[0017] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0018] When the peripheral status parameter indicates sleep, the first MCU sets the communication channel to sleep wait mode and enters sleep. The communication channel is used to connect the first MCU and the second MCU so that the second MCU enters sleep when it does not monitor the first MCU status parameter within a preset time.

[0019] In a third aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the zone controller control method described in any one of the above items is implemented.

[0020] When the above technical solution is adopted, the present application can overcome the problem of insufficient resources of the existing regional controller by setting up a first MCU and a second MCU that are communicatively connected, which is beneficial to improving the performance of regional control.

[0021] Another aspect of the present application provides a regional controller control method for a regional controller. The method involves a first MCU monitoring status parameters, including peripheral status parameters and second MCU status parameters. When the peripheral status parameters or the second MCU status parameters indicate a wake-up request, the first MCU wakes up. When the first MCU successfully wakes up based on the peripheral status parameters, the method sends a wake-up signal to the second MCU, causing the second MCU to wake up based on the wake-up signal. This method achieves synchronous wake-up of the first and second MCUs, simplifies the regional controller control process, and improves the overall efficiency of the regional controller. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The preferred embodiments of the present application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a zone controller provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a zone controller provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a regional controller architecture for a car according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] FIG4 is a flow chart of a zone controller control method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] FIG5 is a flow chart of a method for controlling a zone controller according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG6 is a flow chart of a method for controlling a zone controller according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a smart device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings of the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments disclosed in this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the described embodiments disclosed in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0031] Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used in this application should have the same ordinary meaning as those understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this application do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components.

[0032] As described in the background section, related technologies address regional controller system resource issues by increasing the MCU model of the controller system or by using expansion chips to increase the number of regional controllers. However, these methods cannot address native MCU resource issues, such as insufficient storage space and lack of specific interfaces due to MCU chip hardware limitations, which still affect regional controller performance.

[0033] In light of this, the present application provides a regional controller. FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the regional controller structure provided by an embodiment of the present application. The regional controller may include a first MCU and a second MCU, which are communicatively connected. This overcomes the resource shortage issue of existing regional controllers and improves regional control performance.

[0034] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1 , the zone controller may further include an Ethernet interface, and the first MCU and the second MCU may share the Ethernet interface. The first MCU and the second MCU may communicate via the Ethernet interface, and providing a separate Ethernet interface for each MCU may effectively reduce the number of interfaces, thereby saving space.

[0035] In some embodiments, the first MCU and the second MCU may further be connected via at least one of a CAN (Controller Area Network), a GPIO (General Purpose Input / Output), and a UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter). FIG1 exemplarily illustrates the first MCU and the second MCU being connected via a private CAN.

[0036] In some embodiments, when the first MCU and the second MCU are connected via CAN communication, the CAN communication channel configuration mode can be non-coordinator mode. By configuring the CAN communication channel to non-coordinator mode, competition and conflicts in network management message transmission between the first and second MCUs can be reduced, thereby improving system stability and reliability. Furthermore, configuring the CAN channel to non-coordinator mode can reduce system resource usage, thereby improving overall system performance and efficiency.

[0037] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of the regional controller structure provided by another embodiment of the present application, the first MCU is provided with a first peripheral interface, and the regional controller may further include a first functional unit; the first functional unit is connected to the first MCU via the first peripheral communication interface, and the first functional unit is a functional unit whose security level meets preset requirements.

[0038] In some embodiments, the first MCU may be provided with a plurality of first peripheral interfaces, and correspondingly, the regional controller may further include a plurality of first functional units.

[0039] In some embodiments, the regional control unit provided by the present application can be applied to the automotive field. Accordingly, as an example, the first functional unit can be a functional unit whose safety level meets the highest level of safety level, and the highest level can be ASIL-D level, wherein, in the automotive industry, ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level) is a criterion for evaluating the risk level of the safety system, ASIL-D is the highest level of safety requirement, and ASIL-B is the lowest level. The higher the safety level, the higher the corresponding processing priority and / or the demand for data transmission reliability. Therefore, it can be configured to be connected to the first MCU to ensure sufficient processing resources and processing power.

[0040] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2 , the second MCU may be provided with a second peripheral interface, and the regional controller may further include a second functional unit; the second functional unit is connected to the second MCU via the second peripheral communication interface, and the security level of the second functional unit is lower than the security level of the first functional unit.

[0041] In some embodiments, the second MCU may be provided with a plurality of second peripheral interfaces, and correspondingly, the regional controller may further include a plurality of second functional units.

[0042] Based on the above example, the second functional unit may be a basic functional unit with a relatively low safety level, such as a functional unit with an ASIL-B level.

[0043] By controlling the first MCU and the second MCU to connect functional units of different security levels, optimal allocation of regional controller resources can be achieved, thereby improving the overall control efficiency of regional control resources.

[0044] In some embodiments, different peripheral interface configurations may be performed for the first MCU and the second MCU based on the security levels of functional units connected to the first MCU and the second MCU, to ensure that the first MCU is configured with relatively better system resources.

[0045] See FIG3 , which is a schematic diagram of a regional controller architecture applied to a car provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0046] The front end of the zone controller (ZONE Controller-Front) can be divided into a main section (Main Section) and an extended section (Extended Section). The zone controller can be provided with an Ethernet interface (Ethernet Switch), two MCUs, and multiple functional units.

[0047] Among them, the MCU set in the main area can be used as the first MCU, the MCU set in the extension area can be used as the second MCU, the first MCU and the second MCU can share an Ethernet interface, and in addition, the first MCU and the second MCU can be connected through UART communication.

[0048] The functional unit connected to the first MCU can serve as the first functional unit. As shown in FIG3 , there can be multiple first functional units, such as a communication functional unit, a safety pattern functional unit, a common pattern functional unit, and an electronic fuse (E-FUSE Pattern) functional unit. Among them, the communication functional unit can be used to provide a variety of communication protocols and technologies for data interaction and information sharing between internal and external devices of the car, such as providing LIN (Local Interconnect Network, serial communication network). The safety mode functional unit is used to manage and implement safety-related functions, such as the collection of accelerator pedals and collision signals. The common mode functional unit is used to manage some common configurations, such as the management of seat belt and horn related data. The safety level is relatively high, and the frequency of use may be relatively high, so it is also necessary to ensure that there are sufficient processing resources. The electronic fuse functional unit is used to prevent the circuit from being damaged by overcurrent and overvoltage, and the safety level is relatively high.

[0049] The functional unit connected to the second MCU can serve as a second functional unit. As shown in Figure 3, there can be multiple second functional units, such as a communication functional unit, a universal mode functional unit, a differentiated mode functional unit, and an electronic fuse functional unit. The communication functional unit, the universal mode (Unique Pattern) functional unit, and the electronic fuse functional unit are configured differently from the corresponding types of functional units in the main area. For example, the universal mode functional unit in the extended area can be configured to manage components with relatively low safety levels, such as wipers and interior lights. The differentiated mode functional unit can be used to implement some functions with relatively low safety levels and differentiated configurations based on different vehicle models. This allows for optimized allocation of regional controller resources and improves the overall efficiency and resource utilization of the regional controller.

[0050] In another aspect of the present application, a method for controlling a zone controller is provided, which can be applied to the zone controller described in any of the above embodiments. Referring to FIG4 , FIG4 is a flow chart of the method for controlling a zone controller provided in an embodiment of the present application, which may include:

[0051] Step S41: the first MCU monitors state parameters, which include peripheral state parameters;

[0052] Step S42: When the peripheral status parameter indicates wake-up, the first MCU wakes up;

[0053] Step S43: When the first MCU is successfully awakened based on the peripheral device status parameter, a wake-up signal is sent to the second MCU, so that the second MCU is awakened based on the wake-up signal.

[0054] The peripheral device status parameter may be a relevant status parameter on the first peripheral device interface.

[0055] In some embodiments, step S42 may specifically include that when the peripheral device status parameter indicates wake-up, the first MCU may determine whether it meets the wake-up condition, and if so, wake up. The wake-up condition may be pre-set based on demand.

[0056] In some embodiments, the first MCU and the second MCU may be communicatively connected via at least one of an Ethernet interface, a GPIO, and a CAN.

[0057] In some embodiments, when the first MCU and the second MCU are connected via GPIO communication, step S43 may be specifically that when the first MCU is successfully awakened based on the peripheral status parameters, a wake-up instruction is sent to the second MCU via GPIO, so that the second MCU is awakened based on the wake-up instruction, thereby achieving simultaneous wake-up of the two MCUs and simplifying the overall wake-up logic of the regional controller.

[0058] In some embodiments, the second MCU wakes up based on the wake-up instruction. Specifically, the second MCU responds to the wake-up instruction, determines whether the second MCU satisfies the wake-up condition, and wakes up if so.

[0059] It should be noted that in other embodiments, the second MCU can be awakened first, and then the first MCU can be awakened by the second MCU. Accordingly, the first MCU can monitor the status parameters of the second MCU; when the status parameters of the second MCU indicate awakening, the first MCU awakens. This can also achieve simultaneous awakening of two MCUs, simplifying the overall wake-up logic of the zone controller.

[0060] In other embodiments, the zone controller control method provided in the embodiments of the present application may further include:

[0061] When both the peripheral device status parameter and the second MCU status parameter indicate hibernation, the first MCU goes into hibernation.

[0062] In some embodiments, referring to FIG5 , FIG5 is a flow chart of a zone controller control method provided by another embodiment of the present application, which may include:

[0063] Step S51: The first MCU monitors the peripheral device status parameters and the second MCU status parameters;

[0064] Step S52: when the peripheral status parameter indicates sleep, determining whether the second MCU is in sleep mode based on the monitored second MCU status parameter;

[0065] Step S53: When the second MCU state parameter indicates sleep mode, the first MCU goes into sleep mode.

[0066] When the second MCU is configured to communicate with a functional unit with a relatively low security level, the second MCU can independently sleep. Specifically, the second MCU can detect a second peripheral status parameter and sleep when the second peripheral status parameter indicates sleep. The second peripheral status parameter can be a related status parameter obtained through the second peripheral interface. The first MCU unit can only sleep after the second MCU unit sleeps, thereby achieving flexible sleep for the second MCU and saving energy.

[0067] In some other embodiments, two MCUs may be controlled to sleep simultaneously, wherein the first MCU and the second MCU are connected via CAN communication, as shown in FIG6 , which is a flow chart of a method for controlling a zone controller according to another embodiment of the present application, which may include:

[0068] Step S61: the first MCU monitors peripheral status parameters;

[0069] Step S62: When the peripheral status parameter indicates hibernation, the first MCU sets the communication channel to a sleep waiting mode and enters hibernation;

[0070] Step S63: the second MCU monitors the state parameters of the first MCU, and enters sleep mode when the state parameters of the first MCU are not monitored within a preset time.

[0071] Among them, when the first MCU sets the communication channel to sleep waiting mode and enters sleep mode, it will no longer send NM (Network Management) messages. Step S43 can be specifically that the second MCU monitors the NM messages of the communication channel. When no NM messages are detected within the preset time, it enters the sleep state.

[0072] In some embodiments, the second MCU can also detect whether it meets the sleep conditions. If so, and if no NM message is detected within a preset time, it enters the sleep state. This facilitates sleep control of the two MCUs, simplifies the control logic of the regional controller, and helps save energy.

[0073] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that all or part of the processes in the method for implementing the above-mentioned embodiments of the present application can also be completed by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it can implement the steps of the above-mentioned various method embodiments. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in source code form, object code form, executable file or some intermediate form. The computer-readable storage medium can include: any entity or device, medium, USB flash drive, mobile hard disk, magnetic disk, optical disk, computer memory, read-only memory, random access memory, electric carrier signal, telecommunication signal and software distribution medium, etc. that can carry the computer program code.

[0074] Another aspect of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When executed by a processor, the computer program implements the zone controller control method described in any of the above embodiments. The computer-readable storage medium may be a storage device formed by various electronic devices. Optionally, in embodiments of the present application, the computer-readable storage medium is non-transitory.

[0075] Another aspect of the present application provides an intelligent device, which may include the zone controller described in any of the above embodiments, at least one processor, and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor. The memory stores a computer program that, when executed by the at least one processor, implements the zone controller control method described in any of the above embodiments. The intelligent device described in this application may include a driving device, a smart car, a robot, or other devices. Referring to Figure 7 , Figure 7 exemplarily illustrates a memory 71 and a processor 72 communicatively connected via a bus.

[0076] In some embodiments of the present application, the smart device further includes at least one sensor configured to sense information. The sensor is communicatively coupled to any of the processors described herein. Optionally, the smart device further includes an autonomous driving system configured to guide the smart device in autonomous or assisted driving. The processor communicates with the sensor and / or autonomous driving system to implement the zone controller control method described in any of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0077] In some embodiments, the memory and the processor are connected via a bus, and only one memory and only one processor are provided.

[0078] In other embodiments, the smart device may include multiple memories and multiple processors. The program for executing the zone controller control method of any of the above-described embodiments may be divided into multiple subroutines, each of which may be loaded and executed by a processor to perform different steps of the above-described method embodiments. Specifically, each subroutine may be stored in a different memory, and each processor may be configured to execute the programs in one or more memories to collectively implement the zone controller control method of the above-described method embodiments.

[0079] Thus far, the technical solutions of the present application have been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it is readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of the present application is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of the present application, those skilled in the art may make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after such changes or substitutions will fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A zone controller, characterized in that: The system comprises a first MCU and a second MCU, wherein the first MCU and the second MCU are communicatively connected.

2. The zone controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The zone controller further includes an Ethernet interface, and the first MCU and the second MCU share the Ethernet interface.

3. The zone controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first MCU and the second MCU are communicatively connected via at least one of CAN, GPIO and UART.

4. The zone controller according to claim 3, characterized in that: When the first MCU and the second MCU are connected via CAN communication, the communication channel configuration mode of the CAN is a non-coordinator mode.

5. The zone controller according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The first MCU is provided with a first peripheral interface, and the zone controller further includes a first functional unit; the first functional unit is connected to the first MCU via the first peripheral communication interface, and the first functional unit is a functional unit whose security level meets preset requirements.

6. The zone controller according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second MCU is provided with a second peripheral interface, and the regional controller also includes a second functional unit; the second functional unit is connected to the second MCU through the second peripheral communication interface, and the security level of the second functional unit is lower than the security level of the first functional unit.

7. A method for controlling a zone controller, characterized in that: The zone controller applied to any one of claims 1 to 6 comprises: The first MCU monitors state parameters, wherein the state parameters include peripheral state parameters and second MCU state parameters; When the peripheral status parameter or the second MCU status parameter indicates wake-up, the first MCU wakes up; when the first MCU is successfully awakened based on the peripheral status parameter, a wake-up signal is sent to the second MCU, so that the second MCU wakes up based on the wake-up signal.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: When both the peripheral status parameter and the second MCU status parameter indicate sleep, the The first MCU goes into sleep mode.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When the peripheral status parameter indicates sleep, the first MCU sets the communication channel to sleep waiting mode and enters sleep, and the communication channel is used to connect the first MCU and the second MCU so that the second MCU enters sleep when the first MCU status parameter is not monitored within a preset time.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the area controller control method according to any one of claims 7 to 9 is implemented.

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