Vehicle-mounted system

Abstract

This vehicle-mounted system (1) is provided with an ECU (12) mounted in a vehicle, and a vehicle-mounted control device (15) that communicates with the ECU (12). When a sleep condition is satisfied, the vehicle-mounted control device (15) issues a sleep instruction to the ECU (12) to instruct the ECU (12) to transition to a sleep state. Upon receiving the sleep instruction, the ECU (12) transmits an acknowledgement response and then transitions to the sleep state. After receiving the acknowledgement response from the ECU (12), the vehicle-mounted control device (15) determines that the ECU (12) has transitioned to the sleep state upon determining that a current being supplied to the ECU (12) is equal to or less than a sleep current threshold.

Description

In-vehicle systems

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an in-vehicle device that outputs a sleep signal to an in-vehicle ECU to cause the in-vehicle ECU to transition to a sleep mode.

[0003] JP 2023-57798 A

[0004] The in-vehicle device of Patent Document 1 does not check whether the in-vehicle ECU has actually transitioned to sleep mode after outputting the sleep signal, and therefore cannot detect that the transition to sleep mode was not made due to some malfunction, or know the timing of the transition to sleep mode.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a technique that can determine whether an ECU has transitioned to a sleep state after issuing a sleep instruction to the ECU.

[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 sleep instruction to the ECU to transition to a sleep state when a sleep condition is met, the ECU transmits an acknowledgement response upon receiving the sleep instruction and then transitions to the sleep state, and the in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU has transitioned to the sleep state if it determines, after receiving the acknowledgement response from the ECU, that the current supplied to the ECU is equal to or less than a sleep current threshold.

[0007] According to the technology of the present disclosure, it is possible to determine that the ECU has transitioned to a sleep state after issuing a sleep instruction to the ECU.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an in-vehicle system according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a part of a flowchart of processing performed by the in-vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is the remaining part of the flowchart of processing performed by the in-vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a flowchart of processing 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 sleep instruction to the ECU to transition to a sleep state when a sleep condition is met; the ECU, upon receiving the sleep instruction, transmits an acknowledgement response and then transitions to the sleep state; and the in-vehicle control device, after receiving the acknowledgement response from the ECU, determines that the ECU has transitioned to the sleep state if it determines that the current supplied to the ECU is equal to or less than a sleep current threshold.

[0011] After issuing a sleep instruction to the ECU, the above-mentioned vehicle control device receives an acknowledgement response and determines that the current supplied to the ECU has become less than or equal to the sleep current threshold, thereby determining that the ECU has transitioned to a sleep state.

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

[0013] The in-vehicle control device can notify other ECUs that the ECU has transitioned to the sleep state, so that the other ECUs can perform processing based on the transition of the ECU to the sleep state.

[0014] [3] The in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if, after issuing the sleep instruction, it determines that the current supplied to the ECU is below the sleep current threshold without receiving the acknowledgement response. [1] or [2] The in-vehicle system described in [1] or [2].

[0015] The ECU transitions to a sleep state after transmitting the acknowledgement. Therefore, the current supplied to the ECU should decrease after transmitting the acknowledgement. After issuing a sleep instruction, the in-vehicle control device can determine that the ECU is abnormal if it determines that the current supplied to the ECU has decreased to or below the sleep current threshold without receiving the acknowledgement.

[0016] [4] The in-vehicle system according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if the in-vehicle control device receives the acknowledgement response before issuing the sleep instruction.

[0017] The acknowledgement response is supposed to be transmitted after the sleep instruction is issued. If the in-vehicle control device receives the acknowledgement response before issuing the sleep instruction, the in-vehicle control device can determine that the ECU is abnormal.

[0018] [5] The in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if it determines that the current supplied to the ECU before issuing the sleep instruction is equal to or less than the sleep current threshold. The in-vehicle system described in any one of [1] to [4].

[0019] When the ECU is in an activated state, the current supplied to the ECU should be equal to or greater than a certain level. The in-vehicle control device can determine that the ECU is abnormal if the current supplied to the ECU falls below a sleep current threshold before issuing a sleep command.

[0020] [6] The vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if a predetermined period of time has passed since issuing the sleep instruction without receiving the acknowledgement response.

[0023] The vehicle control device is an in-vehicle system described in any one of [1] to [5].

[0021] When the ECU receives the sleep instruction, it is expected to send an acknowledgement response within a certain time. If a predetermined period of time has passed without receiving an acknowledgement response after issuing the sleep instruction, the in-vehicle control device can determine that the ECU is abnormal.

[0022] [7] The vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if, after receiving the acknowledgement response, a sleep determination period has elapsed before determining that the current supplied to the ECU is below the sleep current threshold. [1] The vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if a sleep determination period has elapsed after receiving the acknowledgement response before determining that the current supplied to the ECU is below the sleep current threshold.

[0023] After transmitting the acknowledgement, the ECU should transition to a sleep state within a certain time. As a result, the current supplied to the ECU should be equal to or less than the sleep current threshold. If the sleep determination period elapses before the current supplied to the ECU becomes equal to or less than the sleep current threshold after receiving the acknowledgement, the in-vehicle control device can determine that the ECU is abnormal.

[0024] [8] The in-vehicle system according to [7], wherein the ECU transmits the acknowledgement response including information indicating the sleep determination period.

[0025] The time required for the ECU to transition to the sleep state may vary depending on the operating state of the ECU, etc. If the ECU transmits an appropriate sleep determination period according to its own operating state, the in-vehicle control device can determine that the ECU is abnormal using a more appropriate sleep determination period.

[0026] [9] The in-vehicle system according to any one of [3] to [8], 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.

[0027] The vehicle-mounted control device can notify other ECUs that an ECU is abnormal.

[0028] [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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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 greater than a sleep current threshold. The current supplied to the ECU 12 in the sleep state is equal to or less than the sleep current 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] The bus 14 is a communication line used for communication between the ECU 12 and the vehicle control device 15 .

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] When the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the activation condition is met for any of the ECUs 12, it starts the processing shown in Figures 2 and 3 for the ECU 12 for which the activation condition is met. In step S11 of Figure 2, the in-vehicle control device 15 issues a startup instruction to the ECU 12 for which the activation condition is met. That is, the in-vehicle control device 15 starts transmitting a startup signal. After starting transmission of the startup signal, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S12 whether the sleep condition is met.

[0041] If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the sleep condition is not satisfied, it determines in step S13 whether or not it has received an acknowledgment response from the ECU 12. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that it has not received an acknowledgment response, it determines in step S14 whether or not the current supplied to the ECU 12 is equal to or less than the sleep current threshold. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the current supplied to the ECU 12 is not equal to or less than the sleep current threshold, it returns to the processing of step S12. That is, the in-vehicle control device 15 repeats the processing of steps S12, S13, and S14 until it determines Yes in any of steps S12, S13, and S14. During this time, the in-vehicle control device 15 continues to transmit the activation signal continuously or periodically.

[0042] If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S13 that it has received an acknowledgement response even before issuing a sleep instruction, it determines in step S15 that the ECU 12 is abnormal. The stage before issuing a sleep instruction refers to a state in which an activation signal is being transmitted continuously or periodically. Furthermore, if the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S14 that the current supplied to the ECU 12 is equal to or less than the sleep current threshold even before issuing a sleep instruction, it determines in step S15 that the ECU 12 is abnormal. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S15 that the ECU 12 is abnormal, it notifies the other ECUs 12 of this fact in step S25. For example, if the ECU 12 determined to be abnormal is ECU 12A, the in-vehicle control device 15 notifies ECUs 12B and 12C that ECU 12A is abnormal. If the on-board control device 15 determines in step S12 that the sleep condition is met, the on-board control device 15 issues a sleep instruction to the ECU 12 in step S16 of FIG.

[0043] After issuing the sleep instruction, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S17 whether or not an acknowledgement response has been received from the ECU 12. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that an acknowledgement response has not been received, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S18 whether or not the current supplied to the ECU 12 is equal to or less than the sleep current threshold. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the current supplied to the ECU 12 is not equal to or less than the sleep current threshold, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S19 whether or not a predetermined period has elapsed. Specifically, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines whether or not the time elapsed since issuing the sleep instruction has exceeded a predetermined period. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the predetermined period has not elapsed, the in-vehicle control device 15 returns to the processing of step S17. That is, the in-vehicle control device 15 repeats the processing of steps S17, S18, and S19 until it determines Yes in any of steps S17, S18, and S19.

[0044] If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S18 that the current supplied to the ECU 12 is equal to or less than the sleep current threshold even before receiving an acknowledgment response, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S20 that the ECU 12 is abnormal. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S19 that a predetermined period has elapsed without receiving an acknowledgment response, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S20 that the ECU 12 is abnormal. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S20 that the ECU 12 is abnormal, the in-vehicle control device 15 notifies the other ECUs 12 of that fact in step S25.

[0045] If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S17 that it has received an acknowledgment response, it determines in step S21 whether the current supplied to the ECU 12 is equal to or less than the sleep current threshold. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the current supplied to the ECU 12 is not equal to or less than the sleep current threshold, it determines in step S22 whether the sleep determination period has elapsed. Specifically, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines whether the time elapsed since receiving the acknowledgment response has exceeded a predetermined sleep determination period. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the sleep determination period has not elapsed, it returns to the processing of step S21. That is, the in-vehicle control device 15 repeats the processing of steps S21 and S22 until it determines Yes in either step S21 or S22.

[0046] If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S22 that the sleep determination period has elapsed before determining in step S21 that the current supplied to the ECU 12 is equal to or less than the sleep current threshold, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S23 that the ECU 12 is abnormal. If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S23 that the ECU 12 is abnormal, the in-vehicle control device 15 notifies the other ECUs 12 of that fact in step S25.

[0047] If the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S21 that the current supplied to the ECU 12 is equal to or less than the sleep current threshold, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines in step S24 that the ECU 12 has transitioned to the sleep state, and notifies the other ECUs 12 of this in step S25. For example, if the ECU 12 that has transitioned to the sleep state is ECU 12A, the in-vehicle control device 15 notifies ECUs 12B and 12C that ECU 12A has transitioned to the sleep state.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 1-4. Functions and Effects of the In-Vehicle System 1 When a sleep condition is met, the in-vehicle control device 15 issues a sleep instruction to the ECU 12 to transition to a sleep state. When the ECU 12 receives the sleep instruction, it transmits an acknowledgement response and then transitions to the sleep state. After receiving the acknowledgement response from the ECU 12, the in-vehicle control device 15 determines that the ECU 12 has transitioned to the sleep state if it determines that the current supplied to the ECU 12 is equal to or less than the sleep current threshold. With this configuration, the in-vehicle control device 15 can determine that the ECU 12 has transitioned to the sleep state by issuing a sleep instruction to the ECU 12, receiving the acknowledgement response, and determining that the current supplied to the ECU 12 is equal to or less than the sleep current threshold.

[0051] The in-vehicle control device 15 can notify the other ECUs 12B and 12C that the ECU 12A has transitioned to the sleep state, so that the other ECUs 12B and 12C can perform processing based on the transition of the ECU 12A to the sleep state.

[0052] The ECU 12 transitions to the sleep state after transmitting the acknowledgement. Therefore, the current supplied to the ECU 12 should decrease after transmitting the acknowledgement. After issuing a sleep instruction, the in-vehicle control device 15 can determine that the ECU 12 is abnormal if it determines that the current supplied to the ECU 12 has decreased to or below the sleep current threshold without receiving the acknowledgement.

[0053] The acknowledgement response should be transmitted after the sleep instruction is issued. If the acknowledgement response is received before the sleep instruction is issued, the in-vehicle control device 15 can determine that the ECU 12 is abnormal.

[0054] When the ECU 12 is in an activated state, the current supplied to the ECU 12 should be equal to or greater than a certain level. The in-vehicle control device 15 can determine that the ECU 12 is abnormal if the current supplied to the ECU 12 falls below the sleep current threshold before issuing a sleep instruction.

[0055] When the ECU 12 receives the sleep instruction, it is expected to transmit an acknowledgement response within a certain time. If a predetermined period of time has passed without receiving an acknowledgement response after issuing the sleep instruction, the in-vehicle control device 15 can determine that the ECU 12 is abnormal.

[0056] After transmitting the acknowledgement, the ECU 12 should transition to the sleep state within a certain time. As a result, the current supplied to the ECU 12 should be equal to or less than the sleep current threshold. After receiving the acknowledgement, if the sleep determination period elapses before the current supplied to the ECU 12 becomes equal to or less than the sleep current threshold, the in-vehicle control device 15 can determine that the ECU 12 is abnormal.

[0057] The time required for the ECU 12 to transition to the sleep state may vary depending on the operating state of the ECU 12. The ECU 12 transmits an appropriate sleep determination period according to its operating state, so that the in-vehicle control device 15 can determine that the ECU 12 is abnormal using a more appropriate sleep determination period.

[0058] 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.

[0059] <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.

[0060] In the first embodiment, the sleep determination period is set by the ECU 12. However, the sleep determination period may be a fixed value. In this case, the sleep determination period may be stored in advance in the vehicle control device 15.

[0061] 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.

[0062] 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 that communicates with the ECU; wherein the in-vehicle control device issues a sleep instruction to the ECU to transition to a sleep state when a sleep condition is met; the ECU, upon receiving the sleep instruction, transmits an acknowledgement response and then transitions to the sleep state; and wherein the in-vehicle control device, after receiving the acknowledgement response from the ECU, determines that the ECU has transitioned to the sleep state if it determines that the current supplied to the ECU is equal to or less than a sleep current threshold.

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 a sleep state when it determines that the ECU has transitioned to a sleep 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 sleep instruction, it determines that the current supplied to the ECU is equal to or less than the sleep current threshold without receiving the acknowledgement response.

4. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if the acknowledgement response is received before issuing the sleep instruction.

5. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if it determines that the current supplied to the ECU before issuing the sleep instruction is equal to or less than the sleep current threshold.

6. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if a predetermined period of time has passed without receiving the acknowledgement response after issuing the sleep instruction.

7. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle control device determines that the ECU is abnormal if, after receiving the acknowledgement response, a sleep determination period has elapsed before determining that the current supplied to the ECU is equal to or less than the sleep current threshold.

8. The in-vehicle system according to claim 7, wherein the ECU transmits the acknowledgement response together with information indicating the sleep determination period.

9. An in-vehicle system according to any one of claims 3 to 8, 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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