Vehicle system, method for switching configuration of on-board network, and recording medium

Abstract

Provided are a vehicle system capable of reducing the amount of communication in accordance with an environment in which a vehicle is located, a method for switching the configuration of an on-board network, and a recording medium.　A vehicle system includes a switch and a controller capable of switching the configuration of the on-board network by setting setting information to the switch. The controller includes a determination means for determining the environment in which a vehicle is located, a selection means for selecting an ECU connected to the on-board network on the basis of the environment in which the vehicle is located, and a switching means for switching the configuration of the on-board network so as to connect the selected ECU.

Description

Vehicle system, in-vehicle network configuration switching method, and recording medium

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle system, a method for switching the configuration of an in-vehicle network, and a recording medium.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an example of an in-vehicle network system capable of reducing power consumption. According to the document, this in-vehicle network system includes a plurality of ECUs (Electronic Control Units) that have the function of selectively executing a normal mode or a sleep mode based on network management corresponding to a partial network, and a management ECU. Each ECU can be individually powered on / off by a power relay of the management ECU. The management ECU identifies a scene corresponding to the vehicle's situation based on information acquired via a communication bus, and determines the control content for powering on / off for a specific ECU corresponding to the identified scene.

[0003] JP 2015-81021 A

[0004] The configuration of Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it cannot reduce unnecessary communication because it turns on / off the power of ECUs from the viewpoint of reducing power consumption. For example, the in-vehicle network of Patent Document 1 turns off the power of ECUs that are unlikely to be used at all in a certain scene, but keeps the power of other ECUs on. In other words, since the ECUs are not turned on / off from the viewpoint of reducing communication volume, a kind of waste occurs.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a vehicle system, an in-vehicle network configuration switching method, and a recording medium that can reduce communication traffic depending on the environment in which the vehicle is placed.

[0006] According to a first aspect, there is provided a vehicle system including a switch and a controller capable of switching the configuration of an in-vehicle network by setting configuration information in the switch, wherein the controller includes a determination means for determining the environment in which the vehicle is located, a selection means for selecting an ECU to connect to the in-vehicle network based on the environment in which the vehicle is located, and a switching means for switching the configuration of the in-vehicle network to connect the selected ECU.

[0007] According to a second aspect, there is provided a method for switching the configuration of an in-vehicle network, in which a controller capable of switching the configuration of an in-vehicle network by setting configuration information in switches that constitute the in-vehicle network determines the environment in which the vehicle is located, selects an ECU to connect to the in-vehicle network based on the environment in which the vehicle is located, and switches the configuration of the in-vehicle network to connect the selected ECU.

[0008] According to a third aspect, there is provided a recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes in a controller capable of switching the configuration of an in-vehicle network by setting configuration information in switches that configure the in-vehicle network: determining the environment in which the vehicle is located; selecting an ECU to connect to the in-vehicle network based on the environment in which the vehicle is located; and switching the configuration of the in-vehicle network to connect the selected ECU.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a vehicle system, an in-vehicle network configuration switching method, and a recording medium that can reduce communication traffic depending on the environment in which the vehicle is placed.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a controller of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of a controller of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a part of a setting selection table referred to by a controller of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a network configuration corresponding to settings selected by a controller of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is another diagram showing a network configuration corresponding to settings selected by a controller of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the configuration of a computer constituting a vehicle system of the present disclosure.

[0011] First, an overview of one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this disclosure, the drawings relate to one or more embodiments. The reference numerals in the drawings attached to this overview are attached to each element for convenience as an example to facilitate understanding, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the illustrated form. Furthermore, connecting lines between blocks in the drawings and the like referred to in the following description include both bidirectional and unidirectional lines. Unidirectional arrows are used to schematically indicate the flow of main signals (data) and do not exclude bidirectionality. A program is executed via a computer device, which includes, for example, a processor, a storage device, an input device, a communication interface, and, if necessary, a display device. Furthermore, this computer device is configured to be able to communicate with internal or external devices (including computers) via the communication interface, whether wired or wireless. Although ports or interfaces are present at the input / output connection points of each block in the drawings, they are not shown.

[0012] 1 , the present disclosure can be realized in an embodiment as a vehicle system including a switch 20 and a controller 10 capable of switching the configuration of an in-vehicle network by setting configuration information in the switch 20. ECUs 31 and 32, a camera C, a LiDAR L, and the like are connected to the in-vehicle network. The controller 10 and the switch 20 can be devices known as an SDN (Software Defined Networking) controller or an SDN switch.

[0013] More specifically, in addition to the function of an SDN controller, the controller 10 includes a determination unit 11, a selection unit 12, and a switching unit 13, as shown in Fig. 2. The determination unit 11 determines the environment in which the vehicle is located. The selection unit 12 selects an ECU to connect to the in-vehicle network based on the environment in which the vehicle is located. Then, the switching unit 13 switches the configuration of the in-vehicle network so as to connect the selected ECU.

[0014] The vehicle system configured as described above operates as follows: First, the controller 10 of the vehicle system determines the environment in which the vehicle is located (step S01 in FIG. 3 ). Next, the controller 10 selects an ECU to connect to the in-vehicle network based on the environment in which the vehicle is located (step S02 in FIG. 3 ). Next, the controller 10 switches the configuration of the in-vehicle network so that the selected ECU, either ECU 31 or ECU 32, is connected to the in-vehicle network (step S03 in FIG. 3 ).

[0015] 4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the vehicle system of the present disclosure. In the following description, ECU 31 is an ECU used for autonomous driving, and ECU 32 is an ECU used also during non-autonomous driving. For example, when a vehicle is traveling on a highway and is in a situation where autonomous driving is possible, controller 10 selects ECU 31 and ECU 32 as ECUs to connect to the in-vehicle network. Then, controller 10 controls switch 20 to connect the selected ECUs to the in-vehicle network. The thick lines in FIG. 4 indicate sections where communication paths are set by controller 10.

[0016] On the other hand, when the vehicle is traveling on a public road and is in a situation where autonomous driving is not possible, the controller 10 selects the ECU 32 as the ECU to connect to the in-vehicle network. The controller 10 then controls the switch 20 to connect the selected ECU 32 to the in-vehicle network. The thick lines in FIG. 5 indicate sections where a communication path is established by the controller 10. In the example of FIG. 5, no communication path is established between the ECU 31 and the switch 20. That is, the ECU 31 is disconnected from the in-vehicle network. Note that disconnecting the ECU from the in-vehicle network does not mean that it is physically disconnected, but rather that it is logically disconnected. Specifically, the switch 20 performs an operation to discard data from the ECU 31. This prevents data from the ECU 31 from flowing into the in-vehicle network while the vehicle is traveling on a public road.

[0017] By using a vehicle system that operates as described above, it is possible to reduce the amount of communication traffic depending on the environment in which the vehicle is placed. While the examples in Figures 4 and 5 have been described using examples in which there are two ECUs, the number of ECUs is not limited to two. In the example in Figure 5 described above, communication between the ECU 31 and the switch 20 is blocked, but if data from the camera C or LiDAR L is not required, communication between the camera C or LiDAR L and the switch 20 may be blocked.

[0018] [First Embodiment] Next, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described, in which the environment in which a vehicle is placed is determined using a number of determination items. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 6, a vehicle system 500 is shown, which includes six ECUs 1 to 6, switches (SW1 to SW3) 201 to 203 that connect sensors and ECUs, and a controller 100.

[0019] 6, this vehicle is equipped with a front camera FC and a front LiDAR FL at the front of the vehicle, and a rear camera RC and a rear LiDAR RL at the rear of the vehicle as object detection sensors.

[0020] The vehicle also includes a communication unit 301 and a GPS (Global Positioning System) 302. The communication unit 301 provides a function for transmitting and receiving data to and from an external server or the like via short-range wireless communication or a mobile communication network. A terminal of a mobile communication system can also be used as the communication unit 301.

[0021] The GPS 302 is a device that receives signals from GPS satellites and determines the current location. The GPS 302 may be a device used in a car navigation system or the like. The GPS 302 may be a device that determines the current location using any positioning system such as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

[0022] As shown in FIG. 7, the controller 100 includes a determination unit 101, a selection unit 102, a switching unit 103, and a setting information storage unit 104.

[0023] The determination unit 101 acquires the following information as the environment in which the vehicle is located and sends the determination result based on this acquired information to the selection unit 102. Therefore, the determination unit 101 corresponds to the above-mentioned determination means 11. Radio wave conditions: The radio wave reception strength RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) from the nearest base station can be used to determine the radio wave conditions. The radio wave reception strength RSSI can be acquired from the communication unit 301. Road conditions: The road conditions include information on whether the road is snowy, icy, flooded, or normal (dry). The road conditions can be determined from images of the road captured by the front camera FC. The road conditions can also be determined from data acquired by other sensors installed in the vehicle. Alternatively, the controller 100 may obtain information on the road conditions at the vehicle's location from an external server or the like via the communication unit 301. Expressway / General Road Information on whether the road the vehicle is traveling on is a highway or a general road can be obtained, for example, from a car navigation system installed in the vehicle. Alternatively, the controller 100 may obtain the road type of the vehicle's current location from an external server or the like via the communication unit 301. Weather Weather information includes sunny, rainy, snowy, foggy, etc. Weather can be determined from road images captured by the front camera FC. Weather can also be determined from data acquired by other sensors installed in the vehicle. Alternatively, the controller 100 may obtain weather information for the vehicle's current location from an external server or the like via the communication unit 301. Season / Time Zone Time zone information can be obtained from time information from the GPS 302 or a system timer in the in-vehicle system. The season can also be identified from the date included in this time information. Alternatively, the controller 100 may obtain time information from an external server or the like via the communication unit 301.

[0024] The selection unit 102 refers to a setting selection table stored in the setting information storage unit 104 and selects a setting that matches the information sent from the determination unit 101. The selection unit 102 then notifies the switching unit 103 of the selected setting. This setting includes the ECU selection information. Therefore, the selection unit 102 corresponds to the selection means 12 described above.

[0025] 8 is a diagram showing a portion of a setting selection table stored in the setting information storage unit 104. The setting selection table in FIG. 8 allows a setting appropriate for a given situation to be selected depending on the radio wave conditions, road conditions, highway / general road distinction, weather, and time of day. For example, if the radio wave conditions are weak, the road conditions are snowy, the highway / general road distinction is highway, the weather is rainy, and the season / time of day is summer daytime, the first entry from the top in FIG. 8 (setting 1) is selected. This setting 1 specifies that the remote control-related ECU 1 and the autonomous driving-related ECU 3 are to be excluded.

[0026] Similarly, for example, when the signal strength is strong, road conditions are snowy, highway / general road distinction is general road, weather is snowy, and season / time period is summer daytime, the second entry from the top in Figure 8 (setting 2) is selected. This setting 2 specifies that the ECU 2, which is used only when driving on the highway, the ECU 3 related to autonomous driving, and the LiDAR are to be excluded. In this way, it is also possible to specify whether or not to connect sensors such as the camera C and LiDAR to the in-vehicle network in addition to the ECU.

[0027] Similarly, for example, when the signal strength is strong, road conditions are normal (dry), highway / general road distinction is highway, weather is fine, and season / time period is summer daytime, the third entry from the top in FIG. 8 (setting 3) is selected. This setting 3 specifies that all ECUs are to be connected to the in-vehicle network. Note that although the above-mentioned settings 1 to 3 are shown in FIG. 8, the number of settings is not limited to three. The setting information storage unit 104 can store other settings according to combinations of signal strength, road conditions, highway / general road distinction, weather, and time period.

[0028] Upon receiving the selected setting from the selection unit 102, the switching unit 103 sets the necessary control information for the switches 201 to 203. It is assumed that each of the switches 201 to 203 is set with a set of control information corresponding to the above-mentioned Settings 1 to 3. The switching unit 103 then instructs the switches 201 to 203 on the set of control information to be applied, thereby switching the configuration of the in-vehicle network. Such presetting of the set of control information can be achieved, for example, by setting the set of control information in multiple tables (flow tables) for storing control information held by the switches 201 to 203. Furthermore, switching of the set of control information can be achieved by instructing the controller 100 on the table (flow table) to be referenced. Therefore, the switching unit 103 corresponds to the switching means 13 described above.

[0029] Alternatively, the set of control information to be applied can be switched by the switching unit 103 transmitting the control information to the switches 201 to 203 and storing it in a control information storage table. In either case, the vehicle system includes a storage unit that stores setting information that defines the network configuration corresponding to each environment in which the vehicle is placed (settings 1 to 3 above). The switching unit 203 then switches the configuration of the in-vehicle network based on the setting information corresponding to the environment in which the vehicle is placed.

[0030] SW1 to SW3 201 to 203 are switches also known as SDN switches, and have the function of sending received packets from a specified port according to control information (flow entries) stored in an internal table. This internal table can be set with control information (flow entries) that discards packets from specific ECUs or sensors. This makes it possible to logically disconnect specific ECUs or object detection sensors from the in-vehicle network.

[0031] 9 is a diagram showing a network configuration corresponding to the above-mentioned setting 1. In setting 1, it is specified that the remote control-related ECU 1 and the autonomous driving-related ECU 3 are excluded, and therefore the ECU 1 and the ECU 3 are disconnected from the in-vehicle network.

[0032] 10 is a diagram showing a network configuration corresponding to the above setting 2. Setting 2 specifies that the ECU 2, which is used only when driving on a highway, the ECU 3 related to autonomous driving, and the LiDAR are to be excluded, and therefore the ECU 2, the ECU 3, and the LiDAR L are disconnected from the in-vehicle network.

[0033] 11 is a diagram showing a network configuration corresponding to the above-mentioned setting 3. In setting 3, it is determined that all ECUs are to be connected to the in-vehicle network, and therefore, all ECUs are connected to the in-vehicle network.

[0034] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 12, first, the controller 100 acquires and determines information on radio wave conditions, road conditions, highway / general road distinction, weather, and season / time period (steps S001 to S005). This determination may be performed in parallel as shown in the figure, but for items that are unlikely to change in a very short period of time, such as highway / general road distinction and weather, the acquisition of information and determination may be omitted for a certain period of time.

[0035] Next, the controller 100 refers to the setting selection table stored in the setting information storage unit 104 and selects a setting that matches the information obtained in steps S001 to S005 (step S006).

[0036] Next, the controller 100 determines whether a specified time has elapsed since the previous determination (step S007). If the specified time has not elapsed (NO in step S007), the controller 100 returns to steps S001 to S005 and performs the determination for each item again. In this way, the reason why the elapse of the specified time is required before changing the settings is to prevent chattering of the settings due to frequent setting changes.

[0037] On the other hand, if the specified time has elapsed (YES in step S007), the controller 100 provisionally determines whether to switch the setting (step S008). In this provisional determination, the setting is not switched, and the next switching frequency is calculated and determined.

[0038] Next, the controller 100 calculates the setting switching frequency (step S009). This switching frequency can be calculated by counting the number of times the setting switching occurs within a predetermined unit time. This predetermined unit time is set to be longer than the aforementioned specified time.

[0039] Next, the controller 100 checks whether the frequency of the setting change exceeds a predetermined threshold (step S010). If the result of the check is that the frequency of the setting change is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold (NO in step S010), the controller 100 switches the setting (step S012, main switching).

[0040] On the other hand, if the frequency of switching between the settings exceeds a predetermined threshold (YES in step S010), the controller 100 compares the current setting with the selected setting and selects the setting that is safer for the operation of the vehicle. If the current setting is on the safer side, the current setting is maintained. On the other hand, if the selected setting is on the safer side, the controller 100 switches to the selected setting (step S011).

[0041] Here, various criteria can be considered for the "safer setting for vehicle operation." One method is to select the setting with the larger number of connected ECUs as the safer setting. Alternatively, if the vehicle is in a poor environment and the accuracy of autonomous driving cannot be guaranteed, the safer setting can be one that disconnects the autonomous driving ECU from the in-vehicle network. Which setting to adopt can be determined based on the type of vehicle, the performance of the vehicle itself, and so on.

[0042] As described above, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce communication traffic by selecting an ECU to connect to an in-vehicle network depending on the environment the vehicle is in. Furthermore, compared to the method of turning the power of the ECU on and off as in Patent Document 1, there is an advantage in that no ECU startup operation is required, startup time is shortened, and a highly responsive state can be maintained.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the environment in which the vehicle is placed is determined based on the radio wave conditions, road conditions, whether the vehicle is on a highway or an ordinary road, the weather, and the season and time of day. However, these are merely examples. Some of these may be omitted or replaced with other determination items.

[0044] The settings described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and various changes are possible in the combination of ECUs selected for each determination item. For example, the following ECUs can be selected:

[0045] - When radio wave conditions are poor, ECUs that communicate frequently with the outside of the vehicle, such as ECUs used for remote control, are disconnected from the in-vehicle network. - When the road condition is snowy, the ECU used for autonomous driving is disconnected from the in-vehicle network. - When the vehicle is traveling on an ordinary road, the ECU used for autonomous driving on an expressway is disconnected from the in-vehicle network. - When the weather is not sunny, the ECU used for autonomous driving is disconnected from the in-vehicle network. - When it is nighttime, the ECU used for autonomous driving is disconnected from the in-vehicle network.

[0046] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and further modifications, substitutions, and adjustments can be made without departing from the basic technical concept of the present disclosure. For example, the network configurations, element configurations, and data representation formats shown in the drawings are examples intended to aid in understanding the present disclosure, and are not limited to the configurations shown in these drawings.

[0047] For example, in the above-described embodiments, the controller 100 is described as being provided with the setting information storage unit 104, but the setting information storage unit 104 may be located on a network accessible by the controller 100. In this case, the controller 100 uses its communication function to access the setting information storage unit 104 on the network and refer to the setting selection table.

[0048] (Hardware Configuration) In each embodiment of the present disclosure, each component of each device represents a functional unit block. Some or all of the components of each device are realized by an arbitrary combination of an information processing device 900 and a program, for example, as shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 900 that realizes each component of each device. The information processing device 900 includes, as an example, the following configuration: - CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901 - ROM (Read Only Memory) 902 - RAM (Random Access Memory) 903 - Program 904 loaded into RAM 903 - Storage device 905 that stores the program 904 - Drive device 907 that reads and writes to a recording medium 906 - Communication interface 908 that connects to a communication network 909 - Input / output interface 910 that inputs and outputs data - Bus 911 that connects each component

[0049] Each component of each device in each embodiment is realized by the CPU 901 acquiring and executing a program 904 that realizes the function. That is, the CPU 901 in FIG. 13 executes a vehicle environment determination program and a setting switching program, and performs an update process for each calculation parameter stored in the RAM 903, the storage device 905, etc. The program 904 that realizes the function of each component of each device is stored in the storage device 905 or the ROM 902 in advance, for example, and is read by the CPU 901 as needed. The program 904 may be supplied to the CPU 901 via the communication network 909, or may be stored in advance on the recording medium 906, and the drive device 907 may read the program and supply it to the CPU 901.

[0050] There are various variations in the method of realizing each device. For example, each device may be realized by any combination of a separate information processing device 900 and a program for each component. Furthermore, multiple components of each device may be realized by any combination of a single information processing device 900 and a program. That is, each unit (processing means, function) of the vehicle system described in the first embodiment can be realized by a computer program that causes a processor mounted on the device to execute the above-described processes using its hardware.

[0051] In addition, some or all of the components of each device may be realized by other general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors, etc., or a combination of these. These may be configured by a single chip, or by multiple chips connected via a bus.

[0052] Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-mentioned circuits and programs.

[0053] When some or all of the components of each device are realized by multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc., the multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be centrally or decentralized. For example, the information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be realized as a client-server system, a cloud computing system, or the like, in a form in which each device is connected via a communication network.

[0054] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to only the above-described embodiments. In other words, those skilled in the art can modify or substitute the above-described embodiments to construct various modified forms without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0055] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0056] [Supplementary Note 1] A vehicle system including: a switch; and a controller capable of switching the configuration of an in-vehicle network by setting configuration information in the switch, wherein the controller comprises: a determination means for determining the environment in which the vehicle is located; a selection means for selecting an ECU to connect to the in-vehicle network based on the environment in which the vehicle is located; and a switching means for switching the configuration of the in-vehicle network to connect the selected ECU. [Supplementary Note 2] The above vehicle system may further include: a storage means for storing, for each environment in which the vehicle is located, configuration information that defines a network configuration corresponding to that environment, and the switching means may be configured to switch the configuration of the in-vehicle network based on the configuration information corresponding to the determined environment in which the vehicle is located. [Supplementary Note 3] The storage means of the above vehicle system may be configured to store, as the environment in which the vehicle is located, network configurations corresponding to at least two or more determination items among an index related to the quality of wireless communication used for communication with outside the vehicle, road conditions, whether the vehicle is on a highway, weather, and time. [Supplementary Note 4] The selection means of the vehicle system described above may be configured to disconnect an ECU that frequently communicates with the outside of the vehicle from the in-vehicle network when the radio wave conditions used for communication with the outside of the vehicle are poor. [Supplementary Note 5] The selection means of the vehicle system described above may be configured to disconnect an ECU used for autonomous driving from the in-vehicle network when the road condition is snowy. [Supplementary Note 6] The selection means of the vehicle system described above may be configured to disconnect an ECU used for autonomous driving on an expressway from the in-vehicle network when the vehicle is on an expressway. [Supplementary Note 7] The selection means of the vehicle system described above may be configured to disconnect an ECU used for autonomous driving from the in-vehicle network when the weather is not sunny. [Supplementary Note 8] The selection means of the vehicle system described above may be configured to disconnect an ECU used for autonomous driving from the in-vehicle network when it is nighttime.[Supplementary Note 9] The controller of the vehicle system described above can be configured to select or maintain a network configuration with higher safety for vehicle operation when the switching frequency of the in-vehicle network configuration exceeds a predetermined threshold. [Supplementary Note 10] A method for switching the in-vehicle network configuration by setting configuration information in switches constituting the in-vehicle network can be configured in such a way that a controller capable of switching the in-vehicle network configuration determines the environment in which the vehicle is located, selects an ECU to connect to the in-vehicle network based on the environment in which the vehicle is located, and switches the in-vehicle network configuration to connect the selected ECU. [Supplementary Note 11] A recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the following operations by setting configuration information in switches constituting the in-vehicle network: determine the environment in which the vehicle is located; select an ECU to connect to the in-vehicle network based on the environment in which the vehicle is located; and switch the in-vehicle network configuration to connect the selected ECU. Furthermore, the above Supplements 10 to 11 can be expanded into the forms of Supplements 2 to 9, as in Supplementary Note 1.

[0057] The disclosures of the above-cited patent documents are incorporated herein by reference and may be used as the basis or part of this disclosure, as necessary. Modifications and adjustments of the embodiments and examples are possible within the scope of this disclosure (including the claims), and further based on its basic technical concept. Furthermore, various combinations and selections (including partial deletions) of various disclosed elements (including elements of each claim, each element of each embodiment or example, each element of each drawing, etc.) are possible within the scope of this disclosure. In other words, this disclosure naturally includes various modifications and alterations that would be possible by a person skilled in the art in accordance with the entire disclosure, including the claims, and the technical concept. In particular, with regard to the numerical ranges described herein, any numerical value or subrange within that range should be construed as specifically described, even if not otherwise specified. Furthermore, the disclosures of the above-cited documents, when used in part or in whole in combination with the disclosures herein as part of this disclosure, in accordance with the spirit of this disclosure, are also deemed to be included in the disclosures of this application.

[0058] 10 Controller 11 Determination means 12 Selection means 13 Switching means 20 Switch 31, 32 ECU 100 Controller 101 Determination unit 102 Selection unit 103 Switching unit 104 Setting information storage unit 201 to 203 SW1 to SW3 301 Communication unit 302 GPS (Global Positioning System) 500 Vehicle system 900 Information processing device 901 CPU (Central Processing Unit) 902 ROM (Read Only Memory) 903 RAM (Random Access Memory) 904 Program 905 Storage device 906 Recording medium 907 Drive device 908 Communication interface 909 Communication network 910 Input / output interface 911 Bus C Camera L LiDAR FC Front camera FL Front LiDAR RC Rear camera RL Rear LiDAR

Claims

1. A vehicle system including: a switch; and a controller capable of switching the configuration of an in-vehicle network by setting configuration information in the switch, wherein the controller comprises: a determination means for determining the environment in which the vehicle is located; a selection means for selecting an ECU to connect to the in-vehicle network based on the environment in which the vehicle is located; and a switching means for switching the configuration of the in-vehicle network to connect the selected ECU.

2. A vehicle system according to claim 1, further comprising a storage means for storing setting information for each environment in which the vehicle is placed that defines the network configuration corresponding to that environment, and wherein the switching means switches the configuration of the in-vehicle network based on the setting information corresponding to the determined environment in which the vehicle is placed.

3. A vehicle system according to claim 2, wherein the storage means stores the network configuration corresponding to at least two of the following judgment items as the environment in which the vehicle is placed: an index relating to the quality of wireless communication used for communication with the outside of the vehicle, road conditions, whether the vehicle is on a highway or not, weather, and time.

4. A vehicle system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the selection means disconnects an ECU that frequently communicates with the outside of the vehicle from the in-vehicle network when the state of the radio waves used for communication with the outside of the vehicle is poor.

5. A vehicle system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the selection means disconnects the ECU used for autonomous driving from the in-vehicle network when the road condition is snowy.

6. A vehicle system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the selection means disconnects an ECU used for automated driving on expressways from the in-vehicle network when the vehicle is on an expressway.

7. A vehicle system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the selection means disconnects the ECU used for autonomous driving from the in-vehicle network when the weather is not clear.

8. A vehicle system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the selection means disconnects the ECU used for autonomous driving from the in-vehicle network at night.

9. A vehicle system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the controller selects or maintains a network configuration that is safer for operation of the vehicle when the frequency of switching the configuration of the in-vehicle network exceeds a predetermined threshold.

10. A method for switching the configuration of an in-vehicle network, in which a controller capable of switching the configuration of an in-vehicle network by setting configuration information in switches that make up the in-vehicle network determines the environment in which the vehicle is located, selects an ECU to connect to the in-vehicle network based on the environment in which the vehicle is located, and switches the configuration of the in-vehicle network so that the selected ECU is connected to the in-vehicle network.

11. A recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes in a controller that can switch the configuration of an in-vehicle network by setting configuration information in switches that make up the in-vehicle network: determining the environment in which the vehicle is located; selecting an ECU to connect to the in-vehicle network based on the environment in which the vehicle is located; and switching the configuration of the in-vehicle network so that the selected ECU is connected to the in-vehicle network.

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