On-vehicle network management system, on-vehicle network management method, and on-vehicle network management program

Abstract

An on-vehicle network management system for managing settings related to a plurality of messages comprises: a first setting unit that performs a selection process for selecting a first setting pattern from among a plurality of setting patterns required for the settings and designed in advance; and a second setting unit that performs a generation process for dynamically generating a second setting pattern, wherein the plurality of messages are transmitted in an on-vehicle network mounted on a vehicle, the plurality of messages include a first message and a second message, the first setting pattern is the setting pattern required for the settings related to the first message, and the second setting pattern is the setting pattern required for the settings related to the second message.

Description

In-vehicle network management system, in-vehicle network management method, and in-vehicle network management program

[0001] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-151605, filed September 3, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] Patent Document 1 (JP 2024-6523 A) discloses the following technology: That is, a relay device relays frames from a plurality of control units connected to a network, and includes a receiving unit that receives the frames from the control units, a plurality of transmitting units that are individually connected to each of the control units and transmit the frames to their destinations using a weighted round robin method, a forwarding unit that forwards the frames to the destination transmitting units, and a control unit that calculates weight parameters used to determine the transmission order of the frames to be transmitted from the transmitting units based on data size information of the frames, and the transmitting units include a plurality of transmission buffers that have been prioritized to store the frames forwarded from the forwarding units, and a scheduler that determines the transmission order of the frames using the weight parameters calculated by the control unit and transmits the frames from the transmission buffers to the destination control units via transmission ports in accordance with the transmission order.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-6523 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-169044 International Publication No. 2020 / 179124 Special Publication No. 2022-548522

[0004] The in-vehicle network management system of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle network management system that manages settings related to a plurality of messages, and includes: a first setting unit that performs a selection process to select a first setting pattern from a plurality of pre-designed setting patterns required for the settings; and a second setting unit that performs a generation process to dynamically generate a second setting pattern, wherein the plurality of messages are transmitted in an in-vehicle network mounted on a vehicle, the plurality of messages include a first message and a second message, the first setting pattern is the setting pattern required for the settings related to the first message, and the second setting pattern is the setting pattern required for the settings related to the second message.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure can be realized not only as an in-vehicle network management system having such a characteristic processing unit, but also as a semiconductor integrated circuit that realizes part or all of the in-vehicle network management system.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a communication system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a new network in the in-vehicle system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle relay device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of connection device information held by the in-vehicle relay device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of specification information held by the in-vehicle relay device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a connection configuration table held by the server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a message table held by the server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a network table held by the server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting table held by the server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting pattern held by the server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of a generation process by a server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a setting pattern generated by the generation process by the server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation procedure when an in-vehicle relay device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure changes settings. Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation procedure when a server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure performs selection processing and generation processing. Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a processing sequence of each device in a communication system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 18 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle relay device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 19 is a flowchart defining an example of an operation procedure when an in-vehicle relay device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure changes settings.

[0007] 2. Description of the Related Art Techniques for changing the settings of relay devices and the like in an in-vehicle network have been developed.

[0008] [Problem to be Solved by the Present Disclosure] In recent years, development has been underway on vehicles that are capable of dynamically changing the settings of their in-vehicle networks using SDN (Software Defined Network) technology.

[0009] However, network design to ensure the communication quality of an in-vehicle network requires a lot of resources and computation time, and since in-vehicle networks have limited resources, it is difficult to design a network using SDN technology in a vehicle.

[0010] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an in-vehicle network management system, an in-vehicle network management method, and an in-vehicle network management program that enable easy changes to in-vehicle network settings.

[0011] [Effects of the Present Disclosure] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to easily change the settings of an in-vehicle network.

[0012] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, the contents of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. (1) An in-vehicle network management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle network management system that manages settings related to a plurality of messages, and includes: a first setting unit that performs a selection process to select a first setting pattern from a plurality of pre-designed setting patterns required for the settings; and a second setting unit that performs a generation process to dynamically generate a second setting pattern, the plurality of messages being transmitted over an in-vehicle network mounted on a vehicle, the plurality of messages including a first message and a second message, the first setting pattern being the setting pattern required for the settings related to the first message, and the second setting pattern being the setting pattern required for the settings related to the second message.

[0013] In this way, by selecting a setting pattern for a certain message from multiple predesigned setting patterns and dynamically generating setting patterns for other messages, the number of dynamically generated setting patterns can be reduced, thereby reducing the resources and calculation time required to determine a setting pattern, and thus facilitating changes to the in-vehicle network settings.

[0014] (2) In the above (1), the first setting unit may perform the selection process before the generation process by the second setting unit, and the second setting unit may perform the generation process using a result of the selection process by the first setting unit.

[0015] With this configuration, it is possible to generate a more appropriate second setting pattern based on the selection result of the first setting pattern.

[0016] (3) In the above (1) or (2), the second setting unit may perform the generation process in accordance with a combination of a connection configuration of the in-vehicle network and a specification of the message.

[0017] With this configuration, it is possible to generate a more appropriate second setting pattern according to the connection configuration of the in-vehicle network and the specifications of the message.

[0018] (4) In any one of (1) to (3) above, the in-vehicle network management system may include an external device outside the vehicle, and the external device may include the second setting unit.

[0019] The computational load when performing the generation process is greater than the computational load when performing the selection process. As described above, by performing the generation process in a device outside the vehicle, the processing load on the vehicle can be reduced compared to a configuration in which the generation process is performed in the vehicle.

[0020] (5) In any of (1) to (4) above, the in-vehicle network management system may further include a verification unit that verifies the first setting pattern selected by the first setting unit and the second setting pattern generated by the second setting unit.

[0021] With this configuration, when settings are changed according to the first setting pattern and the second setting pattern, it is possible to confirm whether each determined setting pattern is appropriate by checking whether it satisfies various communication requirements, etc.

[0022] (6) In the above (5), the in-vehicle network management system may include an external device outside the vehicle, and the external device may include the verification unit.

[0023] The computational load when verifying the first setting pattern and the second setting pattern is greater than the computational load when performing other processes. As described above, by performing verification in an apparatus outside the vehicle, the processing load on the vehicle can be reduced compared to a configuration in which verification is performed in the vehicle.

[0024] (7) In any of (1) to (6) above, the message to be set may be classified into the first message or the second message based on at least one of the communication requirements of the message to be set, the method for determining the setting pattern, and the time required to design the setting pattern.

[0025] With this configuration, it is possible to more appropriately determine whether the setting pattern for the message to be set should be selected from multiple pre-designed design patterns or dynamically generated, depending on the communication requirements, differences in the method for determining the setting pattern, or the design time for the setting pattern.

[0026] (8) An in-vehicle network management method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle network management method in an in-vehicle network management system that manages settings related to a plurality of messages, and includes a step of performing a selection process to select a first setting pattern from a plurality of pre-designed setting patterns required for the settings, and a step of performing a generation process to dynamically generate a second setting pattern, wherein the plurality of messages are transmitted in an in-vehicle network mounted on a vehicle, the plurality of messages include a first message and a second message, the first setting pattern is the setting pattern required for the settings related to the first message, and the second setting pattern is the setting pattern required for the settings related to the second message.

[0027] In this way, by selecting a configuration pattern for a certain message from among multiple predesigned configuration patterns and dynamically generating configuration patterns for other messages, the number of dynamically generated configuration patterns can be reduced, thereby reducing the resources and calculation time required to determine the configuration pattern, and thus facilitating changes to the in-vehicle network configuration.

[0028] (9) An in-vehicle network management program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle network management program used in an in-vehicle network management system that manages settings related to a plurality of messages, and is a program for causing a computer to function as a first setting unit that performs a selection process to select a first setting pattern from a plurality of pre-designed setting patterns required for the settings, and a second setting unit that performs a generation process to dynamically generate a second setting pattern, wherein the plurality of messages are transmitted in an in-vehicle network mounted on a vehicle, the plurality of messages include a first message and a second message, the first setting pattern is the setting pattern required for the settings related to the first message, and the second setting pattern is the setting pattern required for the settings related to the second message.

[0029] In this way, by selecting a setting pattern for a certain message from multiple predesigned setting patterns and dynamically generating setting patterns for other messages, the number of dynamically generated setting patterns can be reduced, thereby reducing the resources and calculation time required to determine a setting pattern, and thus facilitating changes to the in-vehicle network settings.

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated. Furthermore, at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any manner.

[0031] First Embodiment [Communication System] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a communication system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 1, a communication system 501 includes a server 150 and one or more in-vehicle systems 301. The in-vehicle systems 301 are mounted on a vehicle 1. The server 150 is provided outside the vehicle 1. The server 150 is an example of an external device.

[0032] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an in-vehicle system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 2, the in-vehicle system 301 includes a plurality of in-vehicle relay devices 101 and a plurality of in-vehicle devices 202.

[0033] The in-vehicle devices 202 include an in-vehicle Electronic Control Unit (ECU), an Over-The-Air (OTA) master, sensors, actuators, a navigation device, a human-machine interface, and a camera. The in-vehicle ECUs include a Telematics Communication Unit (TCU), an engine ECU, an autonomous driving ECU, a steering ECU, and a door lock ECU.

[0034] A plurality of vehicle-mounted relay devices 101 and a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices 202 constitute a vehicle-mounted network 401 .

[0035] 1, the in-vehicle system 301 includes in-vehicle repeaters 101A and 101B that are in-vehicle repeaters 101. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the in-vehicle system 301 includes in-vehicle devices 202A, 202B, 202C, 202D, 202E, and 202F that are in-vehicle devices 202.

[0036] The in-vehicle device 202 is connected to the in-vehicle relay device 101 via, for example, an Ethernet (registered trademark) cable 51 .

[0037] 1, the in-vehicle devices 202A and 202B are connected to the in-vehicle relay device 101A via an Ethernet cable 51. The in-vehicle devices 202C, 202D, and 202E are connected to the in-vehicle relay device 101B via an Ethernet cable 51.

[0038] More specifically, the vehicle-mounted relay device 101 includes a plurality of communication ports 10. The communication ports 10 are connectors to which an Ethernet cable 51 can be connected. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle-mounted relay device 101 includes communication ports 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D, which are the communication ports 10.

[0039] Each of the in-vehicle devices 202 includes a communication port 20. The communication port 20 is a connector to which an Ethernet cable 51 can be connected.

[0040] 2, the in-vehicle devices 202A and 202C have a communication port 20A which is the communication port 20. The in-vehicle device 202B has a communication port 20B which is the communication port 20. The in-vehicle device 202D has a communication port 20C which is the communication port 20. The in-vehicle device 202E has a communication port 20D which is the communication port 20.

[0041] The communication port 10A of the on-vehicle relay device 101A and the communication port 20A of the on-vehicle device 202A are connected via an Ethernet cable 51. The communication port 10B of the on-vehicle relay device 101A and the communication port 20B of the on-vehicle device 202B are connected via an Ethernet cable 51. The communication port 10A of the on-vehicle relay device 101B and the communication port 20A of the on-vehicle device 202C are connected via an Ethernet cable 51. The communication port 10C of the on-vehicle relay device 101B and the communication port 20C of the on-vehicle device 202D are connected via an Ethernet cable 51. The communication port 10C of the on-vehicle relay device 101B and the communication port 20C of the on-vehicle device 202D are connected via an Ethernet cable 51. The communication port 10D of the on-vehicle relay device 101B and the communication port 20D of the on-vehicle device 202E are connected via an Ethernet cable 51.

[0042] The vehicle-mounted repeater 101A is connected to the vehicle-mounted repeater 101B via an Ethernet cable 52.

[0043] More specifically, the communication port 10C of the vehicle-mounted relay device 101A and the communication port 10B of the vehicle-mounted relay device 101B are connected via an Ethernet cable 52.

[0044] Each communication port 10 and each communication port 20 is assigned a unique port number P and port number Q. Here, the port numbers P of communication ports 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D are P1, P2, P3, and P4, respectively. The port numbers Q of communication ports 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D are Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4, respectively.

[0045] The on-board device 202 transmits frames containing various messages to other on-board devices 202 via the on-board relay device 101 .

[0046] The in-vehicle system 301 is not limited to a configuration including two in-vehicle repeaters 101, but may be a configuration including one, or three or more in-vehicle repeaters 101.

[0047] Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 202 is not limited to a configuration in which it is connected to the in-vehicle repeater 101 via an Ethernet cable 51, but may also be configured to be connected to the in-vehicle repeater 101 via a transmission line conforming to other communication standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network), CAN FD (CAN with Flexible Data Rate), FlexRay (registered trademark), MOST (Media Oriented System Transport) (registered trademark), LIN (Local Interconnect Network), and CXPI (Clock Extension Peripheral Interface) (registered trademark).

[0048] 2, the in-vehicle device 202A is a TCU, and in the following description, the in-vehicle device 202A will also be referred to as a TCU 202A.

[0049] 1 and 2, the TCU 202A communicates with the server 150 via the wireless base station device 171, for example.

[0050] More specifically, the TCU 202A performs wireless communication with the wireless base station device 171 in accordance with a communication standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) (registered trademark) or 5G.

[0051] Specifically, when the TCU 202A receives an Ethernet frame including various information from the in-vehicle relay device 101, the TCU 202A transmits a radio signal including the various information to the radio base station device 171.

[0052] When the wireless base station device 171 receives a wireless signal from the TCU 202A, it transmits various information contained in the received wireless signal to the server 150 via an external network 161 such as the Internet.

[0053] Furthermore, when the wireless base station device 171 receives an IP packet from the server 150 via the external network 161, the wireless base station device 171 transmits the received IP packet in a wireless signal to the TCU 202A.

[0054] When TCU202A receives a radio signal including an IP packet from server 150 from radio base station device 171, it acquires the IP packet from the received radio signal, stores the acquired IP packet in one or more frames, and transmits it to vehicle relay device 101A.

[0055] [New Network] In the following description, the in-vehicle device 202 newly added to the in-vehicle network 401 is also referred to as a "new device," and the in-vehicle network 401 including the new device is also referred to as a "new network." In addition, the in-vehicle device 202 included in the in-vehicle network 401 before the new device is added is also referred to as an "existing device."

[0056] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a new network in the in-vehicle system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, in which a new in-vehicle device 202F is added to the in-vehicle network 401 illustrated in FIG.

[0057] 3, the in-vehicle device 202F is connected to the in-vehicle relay device 101A via an Ethernet cable 51, for example.

[0058] More specifically, the in-vehicle device 202F includes a communication port 20D, which is the communication port 20. The communication port 10D of the in-vehicle relay device 101A and the communication port 20D of the in-vehicle device 202F are connected via an Ethernet cable 51.

[0059] [Message Priority] A priority is assigned to each type of message transmitted in the in-vehicle network 401. Specifically, for example, one of "high," "medium," and "low" priorities is assigned to each type of message.

[0060] In the following description, a message with a "high" priority will also be referred to as a message Ma, and a message with a "medium" priority will also be referred to as a message Mb. Message Ma is an example of a first message, and message Mb is an example of a second message.

[0061] [On-vehicle repeater] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an on-vehicle repeater according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4 shows the configuration of an on-vehicle repeater 101A.

[0062] 4, the vehicle-mounted relay device 101 includes a relay unit 11, a processing unit 12, and a storage unit 13. The processing unit 12 includes a detection unit 21, a network management unit 22, and a setting unit 23. One or both of the relay unit 11 and the processing unit 12 are realized by, for example, a processing circuit including one or more processors. The storage unit 13 is, for example, a non-volatile memory included in the processing circuit.

[0063] (Relay Unit) The relay unit 11 performs a relay process to relay messages transmitted and received between the in-vehicle devices 202. More specifically, when the relay unit 11 receives a frame containing a message from a certain in-vehicle device 202, it transmits the received frame to the destination in-vehicle device 202.

[0064] The storage unit 13 stores an address table indicating the correspondence between the port number P of the communication port 10 and the MAC (Media Access Control) address of the device connected to the communication port 10. The relay unit 11 uses the address table in the storage unit 13 to perform relay processing.

[0065] Furthermore, when the relay unit 11 receives a frame addressed to its own in-vehicle relay device 101 from an in-vehicle device 202 , it outputs the received frame to the processing unit 12 .

[0066] The processing unit 12 creates a frame addressed to the in-vehicle relay device 101B and outputs the created frame to the relay unit 11. Upon receiving the frame from the processing unit 12, the relay unit 11 transmits the frame to the in-vehicle relay device 101B.

[0067] (Detection Unit) The detection unit 21 detects the addition of a new device to the in-vehicle network 401. Here, the detection unit 21 detects the addition of an in-vehicle device 202F connected to the communication port 10D of its own in-vehicle relay device 101A.

[0068] More specifically, for example, when the in-vehicle device 202F is connected to the communication port 10D of the in-vehicle relay device 101A, the in-vehicle device 202F transmits connection request information for requesting a communication connection in the in-vehicle network 401 to the in-vehicle relay device 101A.

[0069] When the detection unit 21 receives connection request information from the in-vehicle device 202F via the relay unit 11, the detection unit 21 performs authentication processing of the in-vehicle device 202F using an ID (Identifier) ​​and an authentication password included in the received connection request information.

[0070] When the detection unit 21 has successfully authenticated the in-vehicle device 202F, the detection unit 21 transmits authentication success information indicating that the authentication process has been successful to the in-vehicle device 202F via the relay unit 11.

[0071] Furthermore, when the detection unit 21 succeeds in authenticating the in-vehicle device 202F, it outputs detection information indicating the ID of the new device to the network management unit 22.

[0072] The detection unit 21 may be configured to periodically broadcast a search message for detecting a new device via the relay unit 11. In this case, the new device receives the search message and transmits connection request information as a response to the received search message.

[0073] Furthermore, the detection unit 21 is not limited to a configuration that detects the addition of new devices to the in-vehicle network 401, but may also be configured to detect the addition of applications installed in the in-vehicle device 202, and detect updates to software built into the in-vehicle device 202, etc.

[0074] (Network Management Unit) The network management unit 22 acquires device information including information about the configuration of the new network.

[0075] More specifically, when the network management unit 22 receives the detection information from the detection unit 21, it acquires the device information of the new device indicated by the detection information, and also acquires the device information of the existing devices.

[0076] For example, the network management unit 22 acquires, as the device information, topology information that allows the topology of the new network to be recognized, and message information that allows the specifications of messages in the new network to be recognized.

[0077] For example, the topology information is information that includes the ID of the vehicle-mounted relay device 101 to which the new or existing device is connected, and the port number Q of the communication port 20 in the new or existing device that is connected to the vehicle-mounted relay device 101.

[0078] For example, the message information includes the type of message, the ID of the in-vehicle device 202 that sent the message (hereinafter also referred to as the "source device"), the ID of the in-vehicle device 202 to which the message is sent (hereinafter also referred to as the "destination device"), the priority assigned to the message, and the communication bandwidth (hereinafter also referred to as the "required bandwidth") that must be secured in the in-vehicle relay device 101 to perform message relay processing.

[0079] In addition, the message information may include at least one of the following instead of or in addition to the ID of the sending device, the ID of the destination device, the priority, and some or all of the required bandwidth: message size, transmission interval, functional safety level assigned to the sending device, security level, transport layer communication protocol used in sending and receiving messages between the in-vehicle devices 202, transmission conditions, transmission timing, allowable delay time, and allowable loss rate.

[0080] When the network management unit 22 receives detection information from the detection unit 21, it sends an information request notification C1 requesting the transmission of topology information and an information request notification C2 requesting the transmission of message information to the new device and the existing device.

[0081] When the new device and the existing device receive the information request notification C1 from the vehicle-mounted relay device 101A, they transmit their own topology information to the vehicle-mounted relay device 101A in response to the information request notification C1.

[0082] Furthermore, when the new device and the existing device receive the information request notification C2 from the in-vehicle repeater 101A, they transmit their own message information to the in-vehicle repeater 101A in response to the information request notification C2. In this case, the new device and the existing device transmit message information indicating their own ID as the ID of the sending device to the in-vehicle repeater 101A.

[0083] (Connected Device Information) FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of connected device information held by the vehicle-mounted relay device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0084] Referring to Figures 4 and 5, in the vehicle-mounted relay device 101A, the network management unit 22 acquires connected device information T11 indicating the devices (hereinafter also referred to as "connected devices") connected to each vehicle-mounted relay device 101.

[0085] For example, the connected device information T11 indicates the correspondence between the vehicle-mounted relay device 101, the port number P of the communication port 10, the device connected to the vehicle-mounted relay device 101, and the port number of the connected device.

[0086] For example, when the network management unit 22 receives topology information from new devices and existing devices via the relay unit 11, it creates connected device information T11 based on the received topology information. Then, the network management unit 22 stores the created connected device information T11 in the storage unit 13.

[0087] (Specification Information) FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of specification information held by the vehicle-mounted relay device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0088] 4 and 6, network management unit 22 acquires specification information T12 indicating the specification of messages transmitted and received between in-vehicle devices 202.

[0089] For example, the specification information T12 indicates the correspondence between the type of message, the source device, the destination device, the priority assigned to the message, and the required bandwidth.

[0090] For example, when the network management unit 22 receives message information from a new device and an existing device via the relay unit 11, the network management unit 22 creates specification information T12 based on the received message information. Then, the network management unit 22 stores the created specification information T12 in the storage unit 13.

[0091] In the specification information T12 shown in FIG. 6 , the priority and required bandwidth of a message M1 transmitted from the source device "on-vehicle device 202A" to the destination device "on-vehicle device 202C" are "high" and "1 Mbps," respectively. The priority and required bandwidth of a message M2 transmitted from the source device "on-vehicle device 202E" to the destination device "on-vehicle device 202C" are "low" and "20 Mbps," respectively. The priority and required bandwidth of a message M3 transmitted from the source device "on-vehicle device 202B" to the destination device "on-vehicle device 202A" are "medium" and "10 Mbps," respectively. The priority and required bandwidth of a message M4 transmitted from the source device "on-vehicle device 202F" to the destination device "on-vehicle device 202B" are "low" and "10 Mbps," respectively.

[0092] The priority and required bandwidth of message M5 transmitted from source device "on-vehicle device 202F" to destination device "on-vehicle device 202D" are "high" and "2 Mbps", respectively. The priority and required bandwidth of message M6 transmitted from source device "on-vehicle device 202D" to destination device "on-vehicle device 202C" are "high" and "1 Mbps", respectively. The priority and required bandwidth of message M7 transmitted from source device "on-vehicle device 202E" to destination device "on-vehicle device 202F" are "medium" and "5 Mbps", respectively. The priority and required bandwidth of message M8 transmitted from source device "on-vehicle device 202C" to destination device "on-vehicle device 202A" are "medium" and "1 Mbps", respectively.

[0093] In addition, the network management unit 22 is not limited to a configuration that creates the connection device information T11 and the specification information T12, but may also be configured, for example, to periodically monitor the memory unit 13, and when the connection device information T11 and the specification information T12 are updated by the dealer of the vehicle 1, etc., to obtain the latest connection device information T11 and the latest specification information T12 from the memory unit 13.

[0094] (Transmission of Connected Device Information and Specification Information) For example, the storage unit 13 stores identification information for identifying the vehicle 1 (hereinafter also referred to as a “vehicle ID”).

[0095] The network management unit 22 monitors the storage unit 13 to detect updates to the connected device information T11 and the specification information T12.

[0096] For example, if the time difference between the time when the network management unit 22 detects an update to the connected device information T11 and the specification information T12 and the detection time indicated by the detection information received from the detection unit 21 is less than a predetermined value, the network management unit 22 transmits the latest connected device information T11 and the latest specification information T12 to the server 150.

[0097] Specifically, for example, the network management unit 22 creates in-vehicle network information including the latest connection device information T11 and the latest specification information T12, as well as the vehicle ID stored in the memory unit 13, and transmits the created in-vehicle network information to the server 150 via the relay unit 11 and the TCU 202A.

[0098] [Server] Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 7, server 150 manages settings related to a plurality of messages transmitted in in-vehicle network 401. Server 150 includes a communication unit 31, a selection unit 32, a generation unit 33, a verification unit 34, and a storage unit 35. Some or all of communication unit 31, selection unit 32, generation unit 33, and verification unit 34 are realized, for example, by a processing circuit including one or more processors. Storage unit 35 is, for example, a non-volatile memory included in the processing circuit. Selector 32 is an example of a first setting unit, and generation unit 33 is an example of a second setting unit.

[0099] The communication unit 31 communicates with the TCU 202A by transmitting and receiving various information via the external network 161 and the wireless base station device 171, for example.

[0100] When the communication unit 31 receives the in-vehicle network information from the in-vehicle relay device 101A via the TCU 202A, the communication unit 31 outputs the received in-vehicle network information to the selection unit 32.

[0101] (Connection Configuration Table) FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a connection configuration table held by the server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0102] Referring to Figure 8, the memory unit 35 stores a connection configuration table Tb1 that shows the correspondence between identification information (hereinafter also referred to as "connection configuration ID") for identifying the connection configuration of the in-vehicle network 401 and connection device information T11.

[0103] The connection configuration IDs registered in the connection configuration table Tb1 shown in Fig. 8 are "ID-C1" and "ID-C2", etc. The connection device information T11 corresponding to the connection configuration ID "ID-C1" is the connection device information T11 shown in Fig. 5. The connection device information T11 corresponding to the connection configuration ID "ID-C2" differs from the connection device information T11 shown in Fig. 5 in that the on-board device 202 connected to the communication port 10A of port number P1 in the on-board relay device 101A and the on-board device 202 connected to the communication port 10A of port number P1 in the on-board relay device 101B are different.

[0104] When the selection unit 32 receives the in-vehicle network information from the communication unit 31, the selection unit 32 refers to the connection configuration table Tb1 in the storage unit 35 to identify the connection configuration ID corresponding to the connection device information T11 included in the in-vehicle network information.

[0105] (Message Table) FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a message table held by the server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0106] Referring to FIG. 9, the storage unit 35 stores a message table Tb2 for identifying a message group Gm including a plurality of messages Ma with a "high" priority.

[0107] Specifically, for example, message table Tb2 indicates the correspondence between identification information for identifying message group Gm (hereinafter also referred to as "message group ID"), message type, sending device, destination device, priority, and required bandwidth.

[0108] The message group IDs registered in the message table Tb2 shown in FIG. 9 are "ID-G1" and "ID-G2", etc. The message group Gm with the message group ID "ID-G1" includes messages M1, M5, and M6 registered in the specification information T12 shown in FIG. 6. The message group Gm with the message group ID "ID-G2" includes messages M11 and M13. The source device, destination device, and required bandwidth of the message M11 are "on-vehicle device 202B," "on-vehicle device 202D," and "3 Mbps," respectively. The source device, destination device, and required bandwidth of the message M13 are "on-vehicle device 202A," "on-vehicle device 202B," and "1 Mbps," respectively.

[0109] When the selection unit 32 receives the in-vehicle network information from the communication unit 31, it refers to the message table Tb2 in the memory unit 35 to identify a message group ID corresponding to one or more messages Ma having a priority of "high" from among the multiple messages indicated by the specification information T12 included in the in-vehicle network information.

[0110] (Network Table) FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a network table held by the server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0111] Referring to Figure 10, the memory unit 35 stores identification information for identifying the configuration of the in-vehicle network 401 (hereinafter also referred to as "network configuration ID") and a network table Tb3 that shows the correspondence between a set of connection configuration ID and message group ID.

[0112] 10, the network configuration ID corresponding to the combination of connection configuration ID "ID-C1" and message group ID "ID-G1" is "ID-N1." The network configuration ID corresponding to the combination of connection configuration ID "ID-C1" and message group ID "ID-G2" is "ID-N2." The network configuration ID corresponding to the combination of connection configuration ID "ID-C2" and message group ID "ID-G1" is "ID-N3."

[0113] When the selection unit 32 identifies the connection configuration ID and the message group ID, the selection unit 32 refers to the network table Tb3 in the storage unit 35 to identify the network configuration ID corresponding to the pair of the connection configuration ID and the message group ID.

[0114] (Setting Table) FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting table held by the server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0115] 11 , for example, storage unit 35 stores a setting table Tb4 indicating a correspondence relationship between a network configuration ID and a setting pattern (hereinafter also referred to as “setting pattern S”) required for setting the message Ma. Setting pattern S is an example of a first setting pattern.

[0116] 11, the setting pattern S corresponding to the network configuration ID "ID-N1" is "setting pattern S1." The setting pattern S corresponding to the network configuration ID "ID-N2" and the setting pattern S corresponding to the network configuration ID "ID-N3" are "setting pattern S2."

[0117] (Selection Process and Generation Process) The selection unit 32 performs a selection process to select a setting pattern S from a plurality of setting patterns designed in advance.

[0118] The generator 33 performs a generation process to dynamically generate a setting pattern (hereinafter also referred to as a "setting pattern R") required for setting the message Mb. The setting pattern R is an example of a second setting pattern.

[0119] For example, the selection unit 32 performs the selection process before the generation process by the generation unit 33. Specifically, for example, when the selection unit 32 identifies a network configuration ID, the selection unit 32 refers to the setting table Tb4 in the storage unit 35 to identify the setting pattern S corresponding to the network configuration ID.

[0120] 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of setting patterns stored in the server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, showing setting pattern S1.

[0121] 12, the storage unit 35 stores a plurality of setting patterns. The setting pattern indicates a correspondence relationship between the in-vehicle relay device 101 to be set, the port number P of the communication port 10 to be set, the priority of the message, and the upper limit value of the transfer rate W1 necessary to ensure the communication quality of the message Ma.

[0122] In the example shown in Figure 12, in the vehicle-mounted relay device 101A, the upper limit of the transfer rate W1 set for a message Ma having a "high" priority and transmitted from communication port 10A of port number P1 is "5 Mbps". The upper limit of the transfer rate W1 set for a message Ma having a "high" priority and transmitted from communication port 10B of port number P2 is "20 Mbps". The upper limit of the transfer rate W1 set for a message Ma having a "high" priority and transmitted from communication port 10C of port number P3 is "10 Mbps". The upper limit of the transfer rate W1 set for a message Ma having a "high" priority and transmitted from communication port 10D of port number P4 is "25 Mbps".

[0123] 12, in the vehicle-mounted relay device 101B, the upper limit of the transfer rate W1 set for a message Ma having a "high" priority and transmitted from the communication port 10A of port number P1 is "10 Mbps." The upper limit of the transfer rate W1 set for a message Ma having a "high" priority and transmitted from the communication port 10B of port number P2 is "15 Mbps." The upper limit of the transfer rate W1 set for a message Ma having a "high" priority and transmitted from the communication port 10C of port number P3 is "15 Mbps." The upper limit of the transfer rate W1 set for a message Ma having a "high" priority and transmitted from the communication port 10D of port number P4 is "20 Mbps."

[0124] When the selection unit 32 identifies the setting pattern S, it acquires the setting pattern S from the storage unit 35. Then, the selection unit 32 outputs the acquired setting pattern S and the in-vehicle network information received from the communication unit 31 to the generation unit 33.

[0125] For example, the generation unit 33 performs the generation process in accordance with a combination of the connection configuration of the in-vehicle network 401 and the specifications of the messages in the in-vehicle network 401 .

[0126] More specifically, for example, when the generation unit 33 receives in-vehicle network information from the selection unit 32, the generation unit 33 performs a generation process according to a combination of the connection device information T11 included in the in-vehicle network information and the specifications of the message Mb having a priority of "medium" indicated by the specification information T12 included in the in-vehicle network information.

[0127] 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a generation process performed by the server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 13 illustrates a case in which a message Mb transmitted through the in-vehicle network 401 is a message M3, M7, or M8 registered in the specification information T12 illustrated in Fig. 6 .

[0128] Referring to Figures 7 and 13, the generation unit 33 confirms the specifications of message Mb, i.e., the specifications of each of messages M3, M7, and M8, by referring to the specification information T12 included in the in-vehicle network information received from the communication unit 31.

[0129] After confirming the specifications of each of messages M3, M7, and M8, the generation unit 33 refers to the connection device information T11 contained in the in-vehicle network information received from the communication unit 31 to confirm the communication ports 10 to which each of the destination devices of message M3, message M7, and message M8 is connected.

[0130] Then, the generation unit 33 calculates a theoretical value of the transfer rate W2 required to ensure the communication quality of the message Mb at each communication port 10 of the vehicle-mounted relay devices 101A and 101B.

[0131] Specifically, the generation unit 33 calculates a theoretical value E11 of the transfer rate W2 at the communication port 10A of the in-vehicle relay device 101A to which the in-vehicle device 202A, which is the destination device of the message M3 and the destination device of the message M8, is connected. In the example shown in Fig. 13, the generation unit 33 calculates the total value of the required bandwidth for the message M3 and the required bandwidth for the message M8, i.e., "11 Mbps," as the theoretical value E11.

[0132] In addition, the generation unit 33 calculates a theoretical value E12 of the transfer rate W2 at the communication port 10D of the in-vehicle relay device 101A to which the in-vehicle device 202F, which is the destination device of the message M7, is connected. In the example shown in Fig. 13, the generation unit 33 calculates the required bandwidth for the message M7, i.e., "5 Mbps," as the theoretical value E12.

[0133] In addition, since no destination device for message Mb is connected to communication ports 10B and 10C of the vehicle-mounted relay device 101A, the generation unit 33 sets the theoretical value E13 of the transfer rate W2 at communication port 10B and the theoretical value E14 of the transfer rate W2 at communication port 10C to zero.

[0134] Furthermore, the generation unit 33 calculates a theoretical value E21 of the transfer rate W2 at the communication port 10B of the in-vehicle relay device 101B, to which the in-vehicle relay device 101A that relays messages M7 and M8 is connected. In the example shown in Fig. 13, the generation unit 33 calculates the theoretical value E21 to be the sum of the required bandwidth for message M7 and the required bandwidth for message M8, i.e., "6 Mbps."

[0135] In addition, since the vehicle-mounted relay device 101A is not connected to the communication ports 10A, 10C, and 10D of the vehicle-mounted relay device 101B, the generation unit 33 sets the theoretical value E22 of the transfer rate W2 at communication port 10A, the theoretical value E23 of the transfer rate W2 at communication port 10C, and the theoretical value E24 of the transfer rate W2 at communication port 10D to zero.

[0136] After calculating the theoretical values ​​E11, R12, R13, R14, R21, R22, R23, and R24, the generation unit 33 calculates the upper limit of the transfer rate W2 for each communication port 10.

[0137] Specifically, for example, the generation unit 33 multiplies each theoretical value by a predetermined value A to calculate the upper limit of the transfer rate W2 for each communication port 10. The predetermined value A is, for example, a value greater than 1. In this embodiment, the predetermined value A is "1.2". If the calculated upper limit value includes a decimal point, the generation unit 33 rounds up the digits after the decimal point to make the upper limit value an integer.

[0138] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting pattern generated by the generation process of the server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0139] Referring to FIG. 14, for example, setting pattern R indicates the correspondence between the target vehicle relay device 101, the port number P of the target communication port 10, the priority of the message, and the upper limit value of the transfer rate W2.

[0140] 14, in the vehicle-mounted relay device 101A, the upper limit of the transfer rate W2 at the communication port 10A of port number P1 is 14 Mbps. The upper limit of the transfer rate W2 at the communication port 10B of port number P2 and the upper limit of the transfer rate W2 at the communication port 10C of port number P3 are 0 Mbps. The upper limit of the transfer rate W2 at the communication port 10D of port number P4 is 6 Mbps.

[0141] In the vehicle-mounted relay device 101B, the upper limit value of the transfer rate W2 for each of the communication port 10A with port number P1, the communication port 10C with port number P3, and the communication port 10D with port number P4 is "0 Mbps." The upper limit value of the transfer rate W2 for the communication port 10B with port number P2 is "8 Mbps."

[0142] For example, the generation unit 33 performs the generation process using the result of the selection process by the selection unit 32. More specifically, for example, the generation unit 33 sets the upper limit value of the transfer rate W2 for each communication port 10 so that the sum of the upper limit value of the transfer rate W1 and the upper limit value of the transfer rate W2 for that communication port 10 is less than a predetermined value N. In this embodiment, for example, the predetermined value N is "100 Mbps."

[0143] Upon completing the generation process, the generation unit 33 outputs the in-vehicle network information and setting pattern S received from the selection unit 32 and the generated setting pattern R to the verification unit 34 .

[0144] (Verification Unit) For example, the verification unit 34 performs a verification process to verify the setting pattern S selected by the selection unit 32 and the setting pattern R generated by the generation unit 33 .

[0145] More specifically, for example, when the verification unit 34 receives the in-vehicle network information, the setting pattern S, and the setting pattern R from the generation unit 33, the verification unit 34 simulates a new network using the in-vehicle network information.

[0146] For example, the verification unit 34 makes various setting changes to the vehicle-mounted relay devices 101A and 101B in the simulated new network according to setting pattern S and setting pattern R, and calculates the communication delay time for each message transmitted in the new network.

[0147] If the communication delay time of each message Ma is less than the threshold value Th1 and the communication delay time of each message Mb is less than the threshold value Th2, the verification unit 34 determines that the verification process is successful. Then, the verification unit 34 outputs to the communication unit 31 the setting information received from the generation unit 33, including the setting pattern S and the setting pattern R, and the vehicle ID included in the in-vehicle network information received from the generation unit 33.

[0148] On the other hand, if the communication delay time of at least one of the multiple messages Ma is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th1, the verification unit 34 determines that the verification of the setting pattern S has failed. Then, the verification unit 34 outputs verification failure information L1 indicating that the verification of the setting pattern S has failed to the communication unit 31.

[0149] Furthermore, if the communication delay time of at least one of the multiple messages Mb is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th2, the verification unit 34 determines that the verification of the setting pattern R has failed. Then, the verification unit 34 outputs verification failure information L2 indicating that the verification of the setting pattern R has failed to the communication unit 31.

[0150] (Communication unit) Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 7, when the communication unit 31 receives setting information from the verification unit 34, it transmits an IP packet (hereinafter also referred to as a "setting packet") including the setting information to the vehicle relay device 101A.

[0151] Specifically, for example, communication unit 31 creates a setting packet including the setting information received from verification unit 34, the setting packet including, as a source IP address and a destination IP address, the IP address of its own server 150 and the IP address of vehicle 1 corresponding to the vehicle ID included in the setting information. Then, communication unit 31 transmits the created setting packet to TCU 202A via external network 161.

[0152] The communication unit 31 also communicates with a terminal device 181 owned by a user of the server 150 via an external network 161 .

[0153] The communication unit 31 transmits one or both of the verification failure information L1 and verification failure information L2 received from the verification unit 34 to the terminal device 181 via the external network 161 .

[0154] When the terminal device 181 receives the verification failure information from the server 150 via the external network 161, the terminal device 181 displays a screen indicating the contents of the received verification failure information on its own monitor, etc. For example, when a screen indicating that the verification of the setting pattern S has failed is displayed, the user changes the setting table Tb4, etc., stored in the server 150.

[0155] (Setting Change) Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 4, when TCU 202A receives a setting packet from server 150, it transmits the setting information included in the received setting packet to in-vehicle relay device 101A.

[0156] In the in-vehicle relay device 101A, when the setting unit 23 receives setting information from the TCU 202A via the relay unit 11, the setting unit 23 changes the setting of the transfer rate W1 at each communication port 10 of the in-vehicle relay device 101A according to the setting pattern S included in the received setting information. The setting unit 23 also changes the setting of the transfer rate W2 at each communication port 10 of the in-vehicle relay device 101A according to the setting pattern R included in the received setting information.

[0157] The setting unit 23 also transmits the received setting information to the vehicle-mounted relay device 101B via the relay unit 11 .

[0158] When the on-board relay device 101B receives setting information from the on-board relay device 101A, it changes the settings of the transfer rates W1 and W2 at each of its communication ports 10 in accordance with the setting patterns S and R contained in the received setting information, just like the on-board relay device 101A.

[0159] (Classification of messages to be configured) For example, messages to be configured by server 150 are classified into message Ma or message Mb based on at least one of the communication requirements of the message, the method for determining the configuration pattern, and the design time required to design the configuration pattern.

[0160] For example, there may be an error in the algorithm used by server 150 for the generation process, or a bug in the program for the generation process. Therefore, the setting pattern for a message with strict communication requirements is determined by the selection process, not the generation process. In other words, the message is classified as message Ma.

[0161] On the other hand, the setting pattern for a message with lenient communication requirements is determined by the generation process, i.e., the message is classified as message Mb.

[0162] Furthermore, for example, when a setting pattern for a message to be set is designed by an inductive method, sufficient verification of the setting pattern is required, which increases the time required to complete the design. Therefore, the setting pattern for the message is determined by a selection process that selects from multiple setting patterns designed in advance. In other words, the message is classified as message Ma.

[0163] On the other hand, when the setting pattern of the message to be set is designed by a deductive method, the setting pattern of the message is determined by the generation process, i.e., the message is classified as message Mb.

[0164] Furthermore, for example, if a setting pattern for a message requiring a long design time is determined by a generation process, the usability of the system may be impaired. Therefore, a setting pattern for a message requiring a long design time is determined by a selection process, which has a smaller processing load than a generation process. In other words, the message is classified as message Ma.

[0165] On the other hand, the setting pattern for a message with a short design time is determined by the generation process, that is, the message is classified as message Mb.

[0166] [Operation Flow] Next, the operation of each device in the communication system 501 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0167] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure when the vehicle-mounted relay device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure performs a setting process.

[0168] 15, first, the in-vehicle relay device 101A waits for the addition of a new device to the in-vehicle network 401 (NO in step ST101), and when it detects the addition of a new device (YES in step ST101), it acquires the connected device information T11. For example, as described above, the in-vehicle relay device 101A collects topology information from the new device and the existing devices, and creates the connected device information T11 based on the collected topology information (step ST102).

[0169] Next, the in-vehicle relay device 101A acquires the specification information T12. For example, as described above, the in-vehicle relay device 101A collects message information from the new device and the existing device, and creates the specification information T12 based on the collected message information (step ST103). Note that steps ST102 and ST103 may be executed in reverse order or in parallel.

[0170] Next, the in-vehicle relay device 101A transmits the acquired connection device information T11, specification information T12, and in-vehicle network information including the vehicle ID of the vehicle 1 to the server 150 (step ST104).

[0171] Next, the vehicle-mounted relay device 101A waits for reception of setting information from the server 150 (NO in step ST105).

[0172] Then, when the vehicle-mounted relay device 101A receives setting information from the server 150 (YES in step ST105), it changes the settings of the transfer rates W1 and W2 of its own communication port 10 according to the setting patterns S and R contained in the received setting information (step ST106).

[0173] Next, the in-vehicle relay device 101A transmits the setting information received from the server 150 to the in-vehicle relay device 101B (step ST107). Note that steps ST106 and ST107 may be executed in reverse order or in parallel.

[0174] FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure when the server according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure performs the selection process and the generation process.

[0175] Referring to FIG. 16, first, the server 150 waits for reception of in-vehicle network information from the in-vehicle relay device 101A (NO in step ST201).

[0176] Then, when the server 150 receives the in-vehicle network information from the in-vehicle relay device 101A (YES in step ST201), it uses the received in-vehicle network information to identify the network configuration ID as described above (step ST202).

[0177] Next, the server 150 performs a selection process to select a setting pattern S required for setting the message Ma from a plurality of pre-designed setting patterns (step ST203).

[0178] Next, the server 150 performs a generation process to dynamically generate a setting pattern R required for setting the message Mb (step ST204).

[0179] Next, the server 150 performs a verification process to verify the setting patterns S and R (step ST205).

[0180] Next, if the server 150 successfully verifies the setting patterns S and R (YES in step ST206), it transmits setting information including the setting patterns S and R and the vehicle ID of vehicle 1 to the vehicle relay device 101A (step ST207) and waits to receive new vehicle network information from the vehicle relay device 101A (NO in step ST201).

[0181] On the other hand, if the verification of at least one of the setting patterns S and R fails (NO in step ST206), the server 150 transmits one or both of the verification failure information L1 and the verification failure information L2 to the terminal device 181 (step ST208), and waits to receive new in-vehicle network information from the in-vehicle relay device 101A (NO in step ST201).

[0182] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing sequence of each device in the communication system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0183] Referring to FIG. 17, first, when the in-vehicle relay device 101A detects the addition of a new device to the in-vehicle network 401 (step ST301), it acquires the connected device information T11 as described above (step ST302).

[0184] Next, the vehicle-mounted relay device 101A acquires the specification information T12 as described above (step ST302). Note that steps ST302 and ST303 may be executed in reverse order or in parallel.

[0185] Next, the in-vehicle relay device 101A transmits the acquired connection device information T11, specification information T12, and in-vehicle network information including the vehicle ID of the vehicle 1 to the server 150 (step ST304).

[0186] Next, when the server 150 receives the in-vehicle network information from the in-vehicle relay device 101A, it uses the received in-vehicle network information to identify the network configuration ID as described above (step ST305).

[0187] Next, the server 150 performs a selection process to select a setting pattern S required for setting the message Ma from a plurality of setting patterns designed in advance (step ST306).

[0188] The server 150 performs a generation process to dynamically generate a setting pattern R required for setting the message Mb (step ST307).

[0189] Next, the server 150 performs a verification process to verify the setting patterns S and R (step ST308). Here, it is assumed that the server 150 has succeeded in the verification process.

[0190] Next, the server 150 transmits the setting information including the setting patterns S and R and the vehicle ID of the vehicle 1 to the vehicle-mounted relay device 101A (step ST309).

[0191] Next, when the in-vehicle relay device 101A receives the setting information from the server 150, it changes the settings of the transfer rates W1 and W2 of its own communication port 10 according to the setting patterns S and R included in the received setting information (step ST310).

[0192] Furthermore, when the in-vehicle relay device 101A receives the setting information from the server 150, it transmits the received setting information to the in-vehicle relay device 101B (step ST311).

[0193] Next, when the in-vehicle relay device 101B receives the setting information from the in-vehicle relay device 101A, it changes the settings of the transfer rates W1 and W2 of its own communication port 10 according to the setting patterns S and R contained in the received setting information (step ST312).

[0194] In the communication system 501 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the server 150 is configured to perform the selection process before the generation process and to perform the generation process using the result of the selection process, but this is not limiting. The server 150 may be configured to perform the selection process after the generation process.

[0195] In addition, in the communication system 501 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the server 150 is configured to perform the generation process in accordance with a combination of the connection configuration of the in-vehicle network 401 and the message specifications, but this is not limiting. The server 150 may be configured to perform the generation process in accordance with, for example, either the connection configuration of the in-vehicle network 401 or the message specifications, regardless of the combination.

[0196] In addition, in the communication system 501 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the server 150 is configured to perform a verification process for verifying the setting patterns S and R, but this is not limiting. The server 150 may be configured not to perform the verification process.

[0197] In addition, in the communication system 501 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the message to be set is classified into message Ma or message Mb based on at least one of the communication requirements, the determination method, and the required design time, but this is not limitative. The message to be set may also be classified into message Ma or message Mb based on other conditions.

[0198] Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the server 150 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided by cloud computing, i.e., the server 150 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure may be a cloud server configured by a plurality of servers.

[0199] Next, other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and their description will not be repeated.

[0200] Second Embodiment In the above-described first embodiment of the present disclosure, the server 150 performs the selection process, the generation process, and the verification process in the communication system 501. In contrast, in the second embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle-mounted relay device 102A performs the selection process, the generation process, and the verification process. The contents other than those described below are the same as those of the communication system 501 according to the first embodiment.

[0201] Fig. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle relay device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 18, an in-vehicle relay device 102A manages settings related to a plurality of messages transmitted in an in-vehicle network 401. Compared to the in-vehicle relay device 101A shown in Fig. 4, the in-vehicle relay device 102A includes a processing unit 12A instead of the processing unit 12. Compared to the processing unit 12 shown in Fig. 4, the processing unit 12A further includes a selection unit 32, a generation unit 33, and a verification unit 34.

[0202] After creating the connected device information T11 and the specification information T12, the network management unit 22 outputs the created connected device information T11 and specification information T12 to the selection unit 32.

[0203] The storage unit 13 stores a connection configuration table Tb1 shown in FIG. 8, a message table Tb2 shown in FIG. 9, a network table Tb3 shown in FIG. 10, and a setting table Tb4 shown in FIG.

[0204] When the selection unit 32 receives the connected device information T11 and the specification information T12 from the network management unit 22, the selection unit 32 identifies the connection configuration ID corresponding to the connected device information T11 by referring to the connection configuration table Tb1 in the storage unit 13. The selection unit 32 also identifies the message group ID corresponding to the specification information T12 by referring to the message table Tb2 in the storage unit 13.

[0205] When the selection unit 32 identifies the connection configuration ID and the message group ID, the selection unit 32 refers to the network table Tb3 in the storage unit 13 to identify the network configuration ID corresponding to the pair of the connection configuration ID and the message group ID.

[0206] When the selection unit 32 identifies the network configuration ID, it identifies the setting pattern S corresponding to the network configuration ID by referring to the setting table Tb4 in the storage unit 13. Then, the selection unit 32 outputs the connection device information T11 and specification information T12 received from the network management unit 22, as well as the identified setting pattern S, to the generation unit 33.

[0207] The generating unit 33 dynamically generates a setting pattern R when it receives the connected device information T11, the specification information T12, and the setting pattern S from the selecting unit 32.

[0208] If the verification process is successful, the verification unit 34 outputs the setting patterns S and R to the setting unit 23 .

[0209] The setting unit 23 changes the settings of the transfer rates W1 and W2 in each communication port 10 of its own vehicle-mounted relay device 102A in accordance with the setting patterns S and R received from the verification unit 34, respectively.

[0210] On the other hand, if the verification process fails, the verification unit 34 transmits one or both of verification failure information L1 and verification failure information L2 via the relay unit 11 to a navigation device (not shown).

[0211] When the navigation device receives the verification failure information from the in-vehicle relay device 102A, the navigation device performs notification processing based on the received verification failure information. Specifically, for example, the navigation device displays a screen on its display unit showing the content of the verification failure information received from the in-vehicle relay device 102A.

[0212] FIG. 19 is a flowchart defining an example of an operation procedure when the vehicle-mounted relay device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure changes settings.

[0213] 19, the processes from step ST401 to step ST403 are the same as the processes from step ST101 to step ST103 shown in FIG.

[0214] Next, the vehicle-mounted relay device 102A uses the acquired connection device information T11 and specification information T12 to identify the network configuration ID as described above (step ST404).

[0215] Next, the vehicle-mounted relay device 102A performs a selection process to select a setting pattern S required for setting the message Ma from a plurality of predesigned setting patterns (step ST405).

[0216] Next, the vehicle-mounted relay device 102A performs a generation process to dynamically generate a setting pattern R required for setting the message Mb (step ST406).

[0217] Next, the vehicle-mounted relay device 102A performs a verification process to verify the setting patterns S and R (step ST407).

[0218] Next, if the verification of the setting patterns S and R is successful (YES in step ST408), the vehicle-mounted relay device 102A changes the settings of the transfer rates W1 and W2 in each of its communication ports 10 according to the setting patterns S and R (step ST409).

[0219] On the other hand, if the verification of at least one of the setting patterns S and R fails (NO in step ST408), the vehicle relay device 102A transmits one or both of the verification failure information L1 and the verification failure information L2 to the navigation device (step ST410).

[0220] In the in-vehicle system 301 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, the in-vehicle relay device 102A is configured to include the selection unit 32, the generation unit 33, and the verification unit 34, but this is not limited to this. A device other than the in-vehicle relay device 102A in the in-vehicle network 401 may be configured to include some or all of the selection unit 32, the generation unit 33, and the verification unit 34. Furthermore, multiple devices may be configured to include the selection unit 32, the generation unit 33, and the verification unit 34 as an in-vehicle network management system. For example, the in-vehicle relay device 102A may include some of the units of the selection unit 32, the generation unit 33, and the verification unit 34, and the server 150 may include the remaining units.

[0221] The above-described embodiments should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0222] Each process (each function) in the above-described embodiments is realized by a processing circuit including one or more processors. The processing circuit may be configured as an integrated circuit or the like that combines one or more memories, various analog circuits, and various digital circuits in addition to the one or more processors. The one or more memories store programs (instructions) that cause the one or more processors to execute each of the processes. The one or more processors may execute each of the processes according to the program read from the one or more memories, or may execute each of the processes according to a logic circuit designed in advance to execute each of the processes. The processor may be any of various processors suitable for computer control, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Note that the physically separated processors may cooperate with each other to execute the processes. For example, the processors installed in the physically separated computers may cooperate with each other via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or the Internet to execute the processes. The program may be installed into the memory from an external server device or the like via the network, or may be distributed in a state stored on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), or a semiconductor memory, and then installed into the memory from the recording medium.

[0223] The above description includes the following additional features: [Supplementary Note 1] An in-vehicle network management system that manages settings related to a plurality of messages, comprising: a processing circuit, wherein the processing circuit performs a selection process to select a first setting pattern from a plurality of pre-designed setting patterns required for the settings, and performs a generation process to dynamically generate a second setting pattern, wherein the plurality of messages are transmitted in an in-vehicle network mounted on a vehicle, the plurality of messages include a first message and a second message, the first setting pattern is the setting pattern required for the settings related to the first message, and the second setting pattern is the setting pattern required for the settings related to the second message.

[0224] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Vehicle 10, 20 Communication port 11 Relay unit 12, 12A Processing unit 13, 35 Storage unit 21 Detection unit 22 Management unit 23 Setting unit 31 Communication unit 32 Selection unit 33 Generation unit 34 Verification unit 51, 52 Ethernet cable 101, 101A, 102A, 101B Vehicle relay device 150 Server 161 External network 171 Wireless base station device 202, 202A, 202B, 202C, 202D, 202E, 202F Vehicle equipment 301 Vehicle system 401 Vehicle network 501 Communication system

Claims

1. An in-vehicle network management system that manages settings related to a plurality of messages, comprising: a first setting unit that performs a selection process to select a first setting pattern from a plurality of pre-designed setting patterns required for the settings; and a second setting unit that performs a generation process to dynamically generate a second setting pattern, wherein the plurality of messages are transmitted in an in-vehicle network mounted on a vehicle, the plurality of messages include a first message and a second message, the first setting pattern is the setting pattern required for the settings related to the first message, and the second setting pattern is the setting pattern required for the settings related to the second message.

2. The in-vehicle network management system of claim 1, wherein the first setting unit performs the selection process before the generation process by the second setting unit, and the second setting unit performs the generation process using the result of the selection process by the first setting unit.

3. An in-vehicle network management system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the second setting unit performs the generation process according to a combination of the connection configuration of the in-vehicle network and the specifications of the message.

4. The in-vehicle network management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an external device outside the vehicle, the external device including the second setting unit.

5. The in-vehicle network management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a verification unit that verifies the first setting pattern selected by the first setting unit and the second setting pattern generated by the second setting unit.

6. The in-vehicle network management system according to claim 5, further comprising an external device outside the vehicle, the external device including the verification unit.

7. An in-vehicle network management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the message to be configured is classified into the first message or the second message based on at least one of the communication requirements of the message to be configured, the method for determining the configuration pattern, and the time required to design the configuration pattern.

8. An in-vehicle network management method in an in-vehicle network management system that manages settings related to a plurality of messages, comprising: a step of performing a selection process to select a first setting pattern from a plurality of pre-designed setting patterns required for the settings; and a step of performing a generation process to dynamically generate a second setting pattern, wherein the plurality of messages are transmitted in an in-vehicle network mounted on a vehicle, the plurality of messages include a first message and a second message, the first setting pattern is the setting pattern required for the settings related to the first message, and the second setting pattern is the setting pattern required for the settings related to the second message.

9. An in-vehicle network management program used in an in-vehicle network management system that manages settings related to multiple messages, the program causing a computer to function as: a first setting unit that performs a selection process to select a first setting pattern from multiple pre-designed setting patterns required for the settings; and a second setting unit that performs a generation process to dynamically generate a second setting pattern, wherein the multiple messages are transmitted in an in-vehicle network mounted on a vehicle, the multiple messages include a first message and a second message, the first setting pattern is the setting pattern required for the settings related to the first message, and the second setting pattern is the setting pattern required for the settings related to the second message.

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