In-vehicle system

Abstract

An in-vehicle system (1) includes an ECU (12) installed in a vehicle, and an in-vehicle control device (15) that communicates with the ECU (12). The in-vehicle control device (15) issues an activation instruction to instruct the ECU (12) to transition to an activated state when an activation condition is satisfied. Upon receiving the activation instruction, the ECU (12) transitions from a sleep state to the activated state and transmits an activation completion notification. After issuing the activation instruction, the in-vehicle control device (15) determines that a current supplied to the ECU (12) has become equal to or higher than an activation threshold value, and then, upon receiving the activation completion notification from the ECU (12), determines that the ECU (12) has transitioned to the activated state.

Description

In-vehicle systems

[0001] The present disclosure relates to in-vehicle systems.

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-129999 discloses a vehicle control system in which an entry ECU transmits a first activation request to a central ECU. In response to receiving the first activation request, the central ECU executes activation processing. After completing the activation processing, the central ECU transmits a activation completion notification to the entry ECU.

[0003] Patent No. 7108064

[0004] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, the entry ECU can determine that the central ECU has started up normally by receiving a startup completion notification after transmitting the first startup request. However, with this configuration, it is possible that the above conditions may be met and the central ECU may erroneously determine that the central ECU is running normally, even though an abnormality actually exists. For example, a case may be imagined in which the central ECU has already started up before receiving the first startup request and sends the startup completion notification after receiving the first startup request.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a technique that can more accurately determine whether an ECU has transitioned to a normal startup state.

[0006] The vehicle system of the present disclosure comprises an ECU mounted on a vehicle and an in-vehicle control device that communicates with the ECU, wherein the in-vehicle control device issues a startup instruction to the ECU when a startup condition is met, instructing the ECU to transition to a startup state, the ECU transitioning from a sleep state to a startup state upon receiving the startup instruction and transmitting a startup completion notification, and after issuing the startup instruction, the in-vehicle control device determines that the current supplied to the ECU has reached or exceeded a startup threshold, and then determines that the ECU has transitioned to the startup state upon receiving the startup completion notification from the ECU.

[0007] According to the technology of the present disclosure, it is possible to more accurately determine whether an ECU has transitioned to a normal startup state.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an in-vehicle system according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the first half of a process performed by the in-vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the second half of a process performed by the in-vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the process performed by the ECU according to the first embodiment.

[0009] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] [1] An in-vehicle system comprising: an ECU mounted on a vehicle; and an in-vehicle control device communicating with the ECU, wherein the in-vehicle control device issues a startup instruction to the ECU when a startup condition is met, instructing the ECU to transition to a startup state; the ECU transitions from a sleep state to a startup state upon receiving the startup instruction and transmits a startup completion notification; and the in-vehicle control device, after issuing the startup instruction, determines that the current supplied to the ECU has reached or exceeded a startup threshold, and then determines that the ECU has transitioned to the startup state upon receiving the startup completion notification from the ECU.

[0011] The above-mentioned vehicle control device determines that the ECU has transitioned to the startup state if the current supplied to the ECU between issuing a startup instruction and receiving a startup completion notification is greater than or equal to the startup threshold, thereby enabling more accurate determination that the ECU has transitioned to the startup state.

[0012] [2] The in-vehicle system according to [1], further comprising another ECU different from the ECU, wherein the in-vehicle control device notifies the other ECU that the ECU has transitioned to the activated state when it determines that the ECU has transitioned to the activated state.

[0013] The vehicle-mounted control device can notify other ECUs that the ECU has transitioned to the activated state.

[0014] [3] The in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if, after issuing the startup instruction, the ECU receives the startup completion notification while the current supplied to the ECU remains below the startup threshold.

[0022] The in-vehicle system described in [1] or [2].

[0015] When the ECU receives a startup instruction, it transitions to a startup state and then transmits a startup completion notification. Therefore, the current supplied to the ECU should be equal to or greater than a certain level before the ECU transmits the startup completion notification. After issuing a startup instruction, the in-vehicle control device can determine that the ECU is abnormal if it receives the startup completion notification while the current supplied to the ECU remains below the startup threshold.

[0016] [4] The in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if the current supplied to the ECU is equal to or greater than the startup threshold value before issuing the startup instruction.

[0023] The in-vehicle system described in any one of [1] to [3].

[0017] The ECU is in a sleep state before the start-up signal is sent. Therefore, the current consumption of the ECU should be less than a certain level. The in-vehicle control device can determine that the ECU is abnormal if the current supplied to the ECU before the start-up command is sent exceeds the start-up threshold.

[0018] [5] The in-vehicle system according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if it receives the startup completion notification at a stage before issuing the startup instruction.

[0019] Since the ECU is in a sleep state before issuing a startup instruction, it should not transmit a startup completion notification. The in-vehicle control device can determine that the ECU is abnormal if it receives a startup completion notification before issuing a startup instruction.

[0020] [6] The in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if, after issuing the startup instruction, a startup determination period has elapsed while the current supplied to the ECU remains below the startup threshold. The in-vehicle system described in any one of [1] to [5].

[0021] When an ECU receives a startup instruction, it should transition to a startup state within a certain time. The current consumption of the ECU that has transitioned to the startup state should be equal to or greater than a certain value. After issuing a startup instruction, the vehicle control device can determine that the ECU is abnormal if the current supplied to the ECU remains below the startup threshold for a startup determination period.

[0022] [7] The in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if a startup determination period has elapsed after issuing the startup instruction without receiving the startup completion notification.

[0023] The in-vehicle system described in any one of [1] to [6].

[0023] When the ECU receives a startup instruction, it transitions to a startup state and is expected to transmit a startup completion notification within a certain period of time. After issuing a startup instruction, the in-vehicle control device can determine that the ECU is abnormal if a startup determination period has elapsed without receiving a startup completion notification.

[0024] [8] The in-vehicle system according to any one of [3] to [7], further comprising another ECU different from the ECU, wherein the in-vehicle control device notifies the other ECU that the ECU is abnormal when it determines that the ECU is abnormal.

[0025] The vehicle-mounted control device can notify other ECUs that an ECU is abnormal.

[0026] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] 1. First embodiment 1-1. Configuration of in-vehicle system 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the in-vehicle system 1 of the first embodiment includes a power supply unit 10, a power path 11, an ECU 12, a current detection unit 13, a bus 14, and an in-vehicle control device 15.

[0027] The power supply unit 10 includes, for example, a battery. The power supply unit 10 may include, for example, a low-voltage battery, or may include a high-voltage battery and a DC-DC converter that steps down the output voltage of the high-voltage battery.

[0028] The power path 11 is an electrical path that supplies power from the power supply unit 10 to the ECU 12. The power path 11 has a common path 11X electrically connected to the power supply unit 10 and a plurality of branch paths 11A, 11B, and 11C branching from the common path 11X. The ECU 12 is electrically connected to each of the branch paths 11A, 11B, and 11C.

[0029] The ECU 12 is mounted on a vehicle. The ECU 12 is an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU 12 transitions between an activated state and a sleep state, which consumes less power than the activated state. The current supplied to the ECU 12 in the activated state is equal to or greater than the activation threshold. The current supplied to the ECU 12 in the sleep state is less than the activation threshold. When the ECU 12 receives a startup instruction from the on-board control device 15, the ECU 12 transitions from the sleep state to the activated state and transmits a startup completion notification to the on-board control device 15. When the ECU 12 receives a sleep instruction from the on-board control device 15 in the activated state, the ECU 12 transmits an acknowledgement response to the on-board control device 15 and then transitions to the sleep state. The ECU 12 includes ECUs 12A, 12B, and 12C. The ECU 12A is electrically connected to the branch path 11A. The ECU 12B is electrically connected to the branch path 11B. The ECU 12C is electrically connected to the branch path 11C.

[0030] The current detection unit 13 detects the current supplied to the ECU 12. The current detection unit 13 detects the current supplied to the ECU 12 using, for example, a known current sensor. Information indicating the detection result of the current detection unit 13 is input to the on-board control device 15. The current detection unit 13 includes current detection units 13A, 13B, and 13C that detect the current flowing through each of the branch paths 11A, 11B, and 11C.

[0031] The bus 14 is a communication line used for communication between the ECU 12 and the vehicle control device 15 .

[0032] The in-vehicle control device 15 includes, for example, a microcomputer. The in-vehicle control device 15 can communicate with each ECU 12 and can individually control each ECU 12. The in-vehicle control device 15 can selectively transition each ECU 12 to an active state and can selectively transition each ECU 12 to a sleep state. Each ECU 12 includes, for example, a CAN transceiver compatible with partial networking. When the CAN transceiver receives an activation signal addressed to the ECU 12 in the sleep state, the ECU 12 transitions to the active state. When the CAN transceiver receives an activation signal other than that addressed to the ECU 12 in the sleep state, the ECU 12 does not transition to the active state.

[0033] 1-2. Operation of the in-vehicle control device 15 The in-vehicle control device 15 determines whether the activation condition is met for each ECU 12 in the sleep state, and transitions only the ECU 12 for which it is determined that the activation condition is met to the activated state. The in-vehicle control device 15 determines whether the activation condition is met for each ECU 12, for example, based on the vehicle state. For example, the in-vehicle control device 15 stores correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the vehicle state and the state of each ECU 12 in advance, identifies the ECU 12 that should be activated based on the correspondence information and the vehicle state, and determines that the activation condition is met for that ECU 12.

[0034] The vehicle state is determined by, for example, a combination of a basic vehicle state and a service state. The basic vehicle state is a state that transitions at least between a vehicle running state and a vehicle parked state. The service state is a state determined by the enablement / disablement of service functions provided by the vehicle. Service functions include, for example, a perimeter monitoring service that monitors the perimeter of the vehicle, and an air conditioning management service that manages the air conditioning inside the vehicle when there is no one inside.

[0035] The in-vehicle control device 15 transitions the ECU 12 to an activated state by issuing a startup instruction to the ECU 12. The startup instruction is to transmit a startup signal to the ECU 12. The startup signal is transmitted continuously or periodically. The in-vehicle control device 15 maintains the ECU 12 in an activated state by continuing to transmit the startup signal continuously or periodically. The in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the ECU 12 has transitioned to an activated state on the condition that it has received a startup completion notification from the ECU 12.

[0036] The vehicle control device 15 determines whether the sleep condition is met for each ECU 12 in the activated state, and transitions only the ECU 12 for which it is determined that the sleep condition is met to the sleep state. Similar to the determination of whether the activation condition is met as described above, the vehicle control device 15 identifies the ECU 12 that should be put into the sleep state based on the correspondence information and the vehicle state, and determines that the sleep condition is met for that ECU 12.

[0037] The in-vehicle control device 15 transitions the ECU 12 to the sleep state by issuing a sleep instruction to the ECU 12. The sleep instruction is to stop the activation signal that is continuously or periodically transmitted to the ECU 12. The in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the ECU 12 has transitioned to the sleep state on the condition that the in-vehicle control device 15 receives an acknowledgement response from the ECU 12.

[0038] The in-vehicle control device 15 performs the processes shown in Figures 2 and 3 for each ECU 12 that has transitioned to the sleep state. The in-vehicle control device 15 determines whether the activation condition is met in step S11 of Figure 2. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the activation condition is not met, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines whether the current supplied to the ECU 12 is equal to or greater than the activation threshold in step S12. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the current supplied to the ECU 12 is not equal to or greater than the activation threshold, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines whether a startup completion notification has been received in step S13. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that a startup completion notification has not been received, the in-vehicle control device 15 returns to step S11. In other words, the in-vehicle control device 15 repeats the processes of steps S11, S12, and S13 until it determines Yes in any of steps S11, S12, and S13.

[0039] If the on-board control device 15 determines in step S12 that the current supplied to the ECU 12 is equal to or greater than the activation threshold value even before the activation condition is satisfied, the on-board control device 15 determines in step S14 that the ECU 12 is abnormal. The stage before the activation condition is satisfied refers to a state in which the activation signal is stopped. If the on-board control device 15 receives a startup completion notification in step S13 even before the activation condition is satisfied, the on-board control device 15 determines in step S14 that the ECU 12 is abnormal. If the on-board control device 15 determines in step S14 that the ECU 12 is abnormal, the on-board control device 15 notifies the other ECUs 12 of this fact in step S15. For example, if the ECU 12 determined to be abnormal is ECU 12A, the on-board control device 15 notifies ECUs 12B and 12C that ECU 12A is abnormal. If the on-board control device 15 determines that the activation condition is satisfied, the on-board control device 15 issues a startup instruction to the ECU 12 in step S21 of FIG. 3. That is, the vehicle control device 15 starts transmitting the activation signal continuously or periodically.

[0040] After initiating the activation instruction, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S22 whether the current supplied to the ECU 12 is equal to or greater than the activation threshold. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the current supplied to the ECU 12 is not equal to or greater than the activation threshold, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S23 whether a activation completion notification has been received. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the activation completion notification has not been received, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S24 whether a predetermined activation determination period has elapsed since the initiation of the activation instruction. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the activation determination period has not elapsed, the in-vehicle control device 15 returns to the processing of step S22. That is, the in-vehicle control device 15 repeats the processing of steps S22, S23, and S24 until it determines Yes in any of steps S22, S23, and S24. During this time, the in-vehicle control device 15 continues to transmit the activation signal continuously or periodically.

[0041] If the in-vehicle control device 15 receives a startup completion notification in step S23 even though the current supplied to the ECU 12 is less than the startup threshold, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S25 that the ECU 12 is abnormal. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S24 that the startup determination period has elapsed even though the current supplied to the ECU 12 is less than the startup threshold, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S25 that the ECU 12 is abnormal. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S25 that the ECU 12 is abnormal, the in-vehicle control device 15 notifies the other ECUs 12 of this in step S26. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the current supplied to the ECU 12 is equal to or greater than the startup threshold, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S31 whether or not the in-vehicle control device 15 has received a startup completion notification.

[0042] If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that it has not received the startup completion notification, it determines in step S32 whether the time since the start of the startup instruction has elapsed a predetermined startup determination period. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the startup determination period has not elapsed, it returns to the processing of step S31. That is, the in-vehicle control device 15 repeats the processing of steps S31 and S32 until it determines Yes in either step S31 or S32. During this time, the in-vehicle control device 15 continues to transmit the startup signal continuously or periodically.

[0043] If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the activation determination period has elapsed without receiving a activation completion notification, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the ECU 12 is abnormal in step S33. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the ECU 12 is abnormal in step S33, the in-vehicle control device 15 notifies the other ECUs 12 of this fact in step S35. If the in-vehicle control device 15 receives a activation completion notification in step S31, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the ECU 12 has transitioned to the activated state in step S34, and notifies the other ECUs 12 of this fact in step S35. For example, if the ECU 12 that has transitioned to the activated state is ECU 12A, the in-vehicle control device 15 notifies ECUs 12B and 12C that ECU 12A has transitioned to the activated state.

[0044] 1-3. Operation of ECU 12 When power is supplied, each ECU 12 transitions to an activated state and starts the process shown in FIG. 4, for example. In step S41, the ECU 12 determines whether or not a sleep instruction has been received. The ECU 12 determines that a sleep instruction has been received when the activation signal transmitted continuously or periodically is interrupted. If the ECU 12 determines that a sleep instruction has not been received, it repeats the process of step S41 until a sleep instruction is received. If the ECU 12 determines that a sleep instruction has been received, it transmits an acknowledgement response to the in-vehicle control device 15 in step S42.

[0045] After transmitting the acknowledgement response, the ECU 12 performs a sleep preparation process in step S43 and transitions to a sleep state in step S44. After transitioning to the sleep state, the ECU 12 determines whether or not a startup instruction has been received in step S45. If the ECU 12 receives a startup signal, it determines that a startup instruction has been received. If the ECU 12 determines that a startup instruction has not been received, it repeats the process of step S45 until it determines that a startup instruction has been received. If the ECU 12 determines that a startup instruction has been received, it transitions to a startup state in step S46 and transmits a startup completion notification in step S47. Then, the ECU 12 returns to the process of step S41.

[0046] 1-4. Functions and Effects of the In-Vehicle System 1 When a startup condition is met, the in-vehicle control device 15 issues a startup instruction to the ECU 12, instructing the ECU 12 to transition to an active state. When the ECU 12 receives the startup instruction, the ECU 12 transitions from a sleep state to an active state and transmits a startup completion notification. After issuing the startup instruction, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the current supplied to the ECU 12 has reached or exceeded the startup threshold. Thereafter, when the in-vehicle control device 15 receives the startup completion notification from the ECU 12, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the ECU 12 has transitioned to the active state. With this configuration, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the ECU 12 has transitioned to the active state on the condition that the current supplied to the ECU 12 has reached or exceeded the startup threshold between the time the in-vehicle control device 15 issues the startup instruction and the time the in-vehicle control device 15 receives the startup completion notification, thereby more accurately determining that the ECU 12 has transitioned to the active state.

[0047] When the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the ECU 12 (e.g., the ECU 12A) has transitioned to the activated state, the in-vehicle control device 15 notifies the other ECUs 12 (e.g., the ECUs 12B and 12C) that the ECU 12 (e.g., the ECU 12A) has transitioned to the activated state. With this configuration, the in-vehicle control device 15 can notify the other ECUs 12 that the ECU 12 has transitioned to the activated state.

[0048] When the ECU 12 receives a startup instruction, it transitions to a startup state and then transmits a startup completion notification. Therefore, the current supplied to the ECU 12 should be equal to or greater than a certain level before the ECU 12 transmits the startup completion notification. After issuing a startup instruction, the in-vehicle control device 15 can determine that the ECU 12 is abnormal if the ECU 12 receives the startup completion notification while the current supplied to the ECU 12 remains below the startup threshold.

[0049] The ECU 12 is in a sleep state before the start-up signal is sent, so the current consumption of the ECU 12 should be less than a certain level. The vehicle control device 15 can determine that the ECU 12 is abnormal if the current supplied to the ECU 12 before the start-up command is sent exceeds the start-up threshold.

[0050] The ECU 12 is in a sleep state before issuing a startup instruction, and therefore should not transmit a startup completion notification. If the ECU 12 receives a startup completion notification before issuing a startup instruction, the in-vehicle control device 15 can determine that the ECU 12 is abnormal.

[0051] When the ECU 12 receives a startup instruction, it should transition to the startup state within a certain time. The current consumption of the ECU 12 that has transitioned to the startup state should be equal to or greater than a certain value. After issuing the startup instruction, the on-board control device 15 can determine that the ECU 12 is abnormal if the current supplied to the ECU 12 remains below the startup threshold for a startup determination period.

[0052] When the ECU 12 receives a startup instruction, it transitions to a startup state and is expected to transmit a startup completion notification within a certain time. After issuing a startup instruction, the in-vehicle control device 15 can determine that the ECU 12 is abnormal if a startup determination period has elapsed without receiving a startup completion notification.

[0053] When the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that an ECU 12 (e.g., ECU 12A) is abnormal, it notifies other ECUs 12 (e.g., ECUs 12B and 12C) that the ECU 12 (e.g., ECU 12A) is abnormal. With this configuration, the in-vehicle control device 15 can notify other ECUs 12 that the ECU 12 is abnormal.

[0054] <Other Embodiments> The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings. For example, any combination of features of the above-described or below-described embodiments is possible within a range that does not contradict. Furthermore, any feature of the above-described or below-described embodiments may be omitted unless explicitly stated as essential. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be modified as follows.

[0055] In the first embodiment, the ECUs are connected to the same bus, but the ECUs may be connected to separate buses.

[0056] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0057] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1... In-vehicle system 10... Power supply unit 11... Power path 11A... Branch path 11B... Branch path 11C... Branch path 11X... Common path 12... ECU 12A... ECU 12B... ECU 12C... ECU 13... Current detection unit 13A... Current detection unit 13B... Current detection unit 13C... Current detection unit 14... Bus 15... In-vehicle control device

Claims

1. An in-vehicle system comprising: an ECU mounted on a vehicle; and an in-vehicle control device communicating with the ECU, wherein the in-vehicle control device issues a startup instruction to the ECU when a startup condition is met, instructing the ECU to transition to a startup state; the ECU transitions from a sleep state to a startup state upon receiving the startup instruction and transmits a startup completion notification; and the in-vehicle control device, after issuing the startup instruction, determines that the current supplied to the ECU has reached or exceeded a startup threshold, and then determines that the ECU has transitioned to the startup state upon receiving the startup completion notification from the ECU.

2. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, further comprising another ECU different from the ECU, wherein the in-vehicle control device notifies the other ECU that the ECU has transitioned to the activated state when it determines that the ECU has transitioned to the activated state.

3. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if, after issuing the startup instruction, the current supplied to the ECU remains below the startup threshold and the startup completion notification is received.

4. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if the current supplied to the ECU is equal to or greater than the activation threshold value before issuing the activation instruction.

5. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if the in-vehicle control device receives the startup completion notification at a stage before issuing the startup instruction.

6. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if, after issuing the startup instruction, a startup determination period has elapsed while the current supplied to the ECU remains below the startup threshold.

7. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if a start determination period has elapsed after issuing the start instruction without receiving the start completion notification.

8. An in-vehicle system according to any one of claims 3 to 7, further comprising another ECU different from the ECU, wherein the in-vehicle control device notifies the other ECU that the ECU is abnormal when it determines that the ECU is abnormal.

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