Integrated controller and vehicle control method

Abstract

This integrated controller 1 comprises an RT core 10 and an AP core 20. The integrated controller 1 executes a first task process and transmits a startup command to the AP core 20 in accordance with the process result of the first task process. Upon receiving the startup command, the AP core 20 transitions from a stopped state to a startup state, and executes a second task process having a greater load than that of the first task process after having transitioned to the startup state.

Description

Integrated Controller and Vehicle Control Method

[0001] The present invention relates to an integrated controller and a vehicle control method.

[0002] Conventionally, an in-vehicle network system in which in-vehicle control devices and a plurality of ECUs are connected to a network bus conforming to the CAN communication standard is known. For example, in the in-vehicle network system described in Patent Document 1, a plurality of ECUs are connected to communication buses corresponding to the systems (control system, body system, safety system, information system, etc.) to which they belong, and each forms an in-vehicle network.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-159661

[0004] In the in-vehicle network system described in Patent Document 1, the processing of various functions of the vehicle is executed by a plurality of ECUs. When trying to aggregate and arrange the functions processed by the plurality of ECUs in the in-vehicle control device, a microcomputer with high processing power is used in the microcomputer included in the in-vehicle control device. Generally, there is a trade-off relationship between the processing power of the microcomputer and the startup time. Therefore, if all the processing of vehicle functions is to be executed only by a microcomputer with high processing power, there is a problem that the startup time of the microcomputer becomes long.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an integrated controller and a vehicle control method with a shortened startup time of the core.

[0006] The present invention includes an RT core 10 and an AP core 20, executes first task processing, transmits a startup command to the AP core 20 according to the processing result of the first task processing, and when the AP core 20 receives the startup command, it changes from the stopped state to the startup state, and after becoming the startup state, it executes second task processing with a larger load than the second task processing to solve the above problem.

[0007] According to the present invention, the startup time of the core can be shortened.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the integrated controller according to the present embodiment and a diagram for explaining the processing sequence of vehicle functions.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the integrated controller according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the integrated controller 1 according to this embodiment, and a diagram illustrating the processing sequence of vehicle functions. The integrated controller 1 is mounted on a vehicle and executes task processing included in multiple vehicle functions. The vehicle is a hybrid vehicle or electric vehicle equipped with an engine and a motor. The integrated controller 1 may also be mounted on a vehicle that obtains power from an engine (ICE vehicle).

[0011] A vehicle has multiple control groups, each divided according to its basic configuration; these control groups are also called domains. Domains include the vehicle drivetrain domain, the vehicle driving assistance system domain, the body domain, the multimedia domain, the powertrain domain which controls the engine, etc., and the chassis domain which controls the steering mechanism, etc. Each domain includes an ECU as a control unit; for example, the vehicle drivetrain domain has a VCM (Vehicle Control Module), and the vehicle driving assistance system domain has an ADCU (Assisted Driving Control Unit). The ECUs belonging to each domain are connected by a vehicle communication network such as CAN.

[0012] Conventional vehicle network systems have numerous ECUs connected to them, and these ECUs can communicate with each other via gateways that have relay functions. Therefore, in conventional vehicle network systems, vehicle functions are distributed and located across each ECU.

[0013] In this embodiment, in order to consolidate multiple vehicle functions into the integrated controller 1, the integrated controller 1 has multiple cores, and the vehicle functions are arranged on multiple cores 11-13 and 21-23. The vehicle functions include functions that should be started in a short time, functions that should be executed by a processor with high processing power, and functions necessary for starting the vehicle, depending on the content of the function and the processing load of the task processing. For this reason, the integrated controller 1 is equipped with a real-time core (hereinafter also referred to as "RT core") 10 as a core with a fast startup time, and an application core (hereinafter also referred to as "AP core") 20 as a core with high processing power.

[0014] The RT core 10 includes multiple cores 11 to 13, and the AP core 20 includes multiple cores 21 to 23. Cores 11 to 13 and cores 21 to 23 are control units that process programs (software), such as microcontrollers or processors.

[0015] Furthermore, the RT core 10 and AP core 20 have memory for storing programs, etc., not limited to the multiple cores 11-13 and cores 21-23. The memory may be built into each of the multiple cores 11-13 and cores 21-23, or it may be built into the RT core 10 and AP core 20 in a configuration that allows access from multiple cores. The RT core 10 and AP core 20 also have a communication network connecting each of the multiple cores 11-13 and cores 21-23 so that commands can be sent and received from each core. The communication network can also communicate between cores 11-13 and cores 21-23.

[0016] The RT core 10 is driven by a processing sequence that completes task processing included in the vehicle functions within a predetermined period. Vehicle functions are functions installed in the vehicle, such as powertrain control functions, chassis system control functions, body system control functions, and communication system control functions. As an example, task processing included in the powertrain control functions corresponds to the processing sequence executed by the core when controlling the torque of the motor. Task processing is executed for each of the multiple cores 11-13 and cores 21-23.

[0017] When RT core 10 performs a task, such as controlling torque to a predetermined value, it completes the task within a predetermined period (for example, a predetermined period of several tens to 100 ms). Furthermore, in RT 10, if cores 11 to 13 are executing one task within a predetermined period, they will not execute other tasks within the same core and period. For example, if one of the multiple cores 12 is executing a task that controls torque to a predetermined value, and a command to control the torque to a different value is input to the same core 12, core 12 will complete the currently executing task within the predetermined period and execute the other task (the task of setting the torque to a different value) after the predetermined period has elapsed. In other words, cores 11 to 13 execute task processing according to an arbitration rule that the currently executing task processing will be completed within a predetermined period, and other task processing will not be executed while a task processing task is in progress.

[0018] The AP core 20 is not required to complete task processing within a predetermined cycle. For example, when a vehicle calculates a route to its destination, it obtains real-time information such as road congestion from a server to provide optimal route guidance. Obtaining information from a server is performed as a task process included in the functions of the vehicle communication system (CCS). For example, in AP 20, core 22 communicates with a server and executes task processing related to data acquisition. Since core 22 has no periodic limit on terminating task processing, the timing of task completion varies depending on the processing time of the task. In other words, the processing cycle of task processing in AP core 20 is random. Also, for example, if a command to execute another task process is input while core 22 is executing task processing related to data acquisition via external communication, it will select which task process to execute according to the processing load of the competing task processes. For example, if the load of the data acquisition task processing is smaller than the load of the input task processing, core 22 will interrupt the data acquisition task processing or slow down the processing speed to prioritize the input task processing. In other words, if a core 22 included in AP20 is executing a task and an interrupt command for another task is input to the same core 22, the core 22 will execute the other task if the processing load (computational load) of the other task is greater than the processing load of the task currently being executed. That is, the AP core 20 does not have a predetermined order for executing tasks, and in the event of a task conflict, the AP core 20 will execute the task with the highest priority. The priority may be determined according to the processing load of the task, or it may be pre-set by the system according to the type of task.

[0019] The cores 21-23 included in the AP core 20 are higher processing power cores compared to the cores 11-13 included in the RT core 10. Therefore, the AP core 20 can perform processing-intensive tasks such as image processing compared to the RT 10. Also, because the AP core 20 uses the higher processing power cores 21-23, each core 21-23 included in the AP core 20 can determine priority for conflicting task processing and execute conflicting task processing in parallel. On the other hand, the RT core 10 uses cores 11-13 with lower processing power than the AP core 20, so the RT core 10 simplifies the task processing arbitration rules and executes task processing with the cores 11-13 with reduced processing power. Furthermore, cores 11-13 do not process conflicting task processing in parallel, but instead execute task processing so that one task processing is completed within a predetermined cycle.

[0020] As described above, the AP core 20 uses a core with high processing power and can execute demanding tasks, but its startup speed is slower than that of the RT core 10. On the other hand, the RT core 10 uses a core with lower processing power, so its startup speed is faster than that of the AP core 20, and the RT core 10 can ensure real-time performance.

[0021] Furthermore, the amount of software processed by the RT core 10 and the amount of software processed by the AP core 20 are both small. Cores 11-13 and 21-23 execute task processing by unpacking the software stored in memory. Cores 11-13 can unpack small-capacity software quickly, thus further shortening the startup time of the RT core 10.

[0022] Cores 11-13 and 21-23 are grouped in predetermined numbers, and vehicle functions are assigned to each grouped core. The multiple cores included in RT core 10 and AP core 20 may be grouped in units of cores corresponding to the processing load of task processing, or they may not necessarily be grouped. Of the multiple vehicle functions, the basic vehicle driving function and the parking start function that maintains the activated state when the vehicle is parked are assigned to RT core 10. The basic vehicle driving function includes at least the basic functions necessary for driving a vehicle, such as "driving, turning, and stopping" (hereinafter also referred to as "driving, turning, and stopping functions"). The basic vehicle driving function may also include driver assistance functions (such as AEB). The parking start function maintains the activated state of the core when the vehicle is parked, and when a trigger is input, task processing is executed without time lag. The parking-start function includes features such as a function to monitor the surroundings outside the vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as the "external monitoring function") and a door unlock function that unlocks the doors when it detects the approach of a user.

[0023] Furthermore, at least some of the vehicle functions that are different from the basic driving function and the parking start function are located in the AP core 20. Examples of functions located in the AP core 20 include autonomous driving (AD), CCS, road surface detection function, image processing function, voice recognition function, gesture recognition function, etc. It should be noted that all of the other vehicle functions that are different from the basic driving function and the parking start function may be located in the AP core 20, or some of the vehicle functions that are different from the basic driving function and the parking start function may be located in the AP 20 and the other functions may be located in the RT core 10.

[0024] In Figure 1, the AEB 31, driving / turning / stopping function 32, and external monitoring function 33 are arranged in the RT core 10 as an example of basic driving functions and parking / starting functions. In addition, the AD 41, CCS 42, and image processing function 43 are arranged in the AP core 20 as an example of other vehicle functions other than basic driving functions and parking / starting functions.

[0025] The AEB 31 is located on core 11, the driving / stopping function 32 is located on core 12, and the external monitoring function 33 is located on core 13.

[0026] The AEB 31 detects obstacles ahead and activates the emergency brake. Task processing included in basic driving functions such as the AEB 31 or the driving / turning / stopping function 32 requires real-time performance. For example, in a scenario where an obstacle ahead is detected and the emergency brake is activated while the vehicle is in motion, the AEB 31 needs to be activated before the vehicle starts moving. Also, while the vehicle is in motion, the AEB 31 needs to execute task processing such as detecting obstacles ahead in a short amount of time. In this embodiment, since the AEB 31 is located on the core 11, the time it takes for the AEB 31 to be activated after the vehicle starts can be shortened, and the software can be deployed quickly when executing task processing. As a result, the functions of the AEB 31 can be operated in a short amount of time after the vehicle starts.

[0027] For example, after a user gets into the vehicle and presses the power switch (also called the ignition switch or main switch), the vehicle goes through a starting state before becoming drivable. However, the time spent in the starting state (starting time) should be shortened. The driving / turning / stopping function 32 operates in response to the power switch ON command. After receiving the trigger input, the core 12 deploys the software to activate the driving / turning / stopping function 32. In this embodiment, since the driving / turning / stopping function 32 is located in the core 12, the time from when the vehicle starts until the driving / turning / stopping function 32 is activated can be shortened, and the software can be deployed faster when executing task processing. This allows for faster vehicle startup.

[0028] The external monitoring function 33 detects objects around the vehicle using sonar mounted on the vehicle while the vehicle is parked. The sonar emits radio waves around the vehicle, and if, for example, a suspicious person approaches the vehicle, the external monitoring function 33 can detect from the reflected waves that the object has entered the monitoring range. The external monitoring function 33 does not include high-load processing such as the image processing function 43 described later, and does not identify objects. Furthermore, the external monitoring function 33 does not need to be able to identify whether the detected object is a person or an object. The external monitoring function 33 needs to operate while the vehicle is parked and can be enabled with relatively low-load processing. For this reason, the external monitoring function 33 is located in the core 13.

[0029] Core 13 is in an activated state while the vehicle is parked. Core 13 executes the dusk processing included in the external monitoring function 33 to determine whether or not an object has entered from outside the monitoring range while the vehicle is parked. If an object has entered, Core 13 sends an activation command to Core 23. On the other hand, if there is no object intrusion, Core 13 does not send an activation command to Core 23. In other words, the result of the determination of whether or not an object has entered corresponds to the processing result of the task processing, and Core 13 sends an activation command to Core 23 according to the processing result of the task processing. To put it another way, if the processing result of the task processing indicates that it is necessary to activate Cores 21 to 23 included in AP Core 20, Core 13 sends an activation command to Cores 21 to 23.

[0030] Furthermore, the RT core 10 may be equipped with other vehicle functions, such as a power generation function, in addition to the AEB 31, the driving / stopping function 32, and the external monitoring function 33. The power generation function supplies operating power to cores 11-13 and 21-23 based on the power from the onboard battery. For example, if the power generation function is located in core 13, when the vehicle is parked, core 13 executes a task to supply power to the other cores 13 equipped with the external monitoring function 33, thereby maintaining the running state of core 13.

[0031] AD41 is located in core 21, CCS42 is located in core 22, and image processing function 43 is located in core 23. AD41 is an autonomous driving function, which, for example, allows the system to perform accelerator, brake, and steering operations while driving on a highway. For example, the navigation system determines the vehicle's current position and sets a driving route to the destination. When the vehicle's current position approaches a highway on the driving route, AD41 is activated and performs autonomous vehicle control.

[0032] The CCS 42 is a function that communicates with external devices such as servers or communication terminals. For example, if a suspicious person approaches the vehicle while it is parked, the image processing function 43 detects the suspicious person from the images captured by the onboard camera, and the CCS 42 transmits the image of the suspicious person to the communication terminal of a registered user, such as the vehicle owner. The image processing function 43 acquires images from the onboard camera that captures the area around the vehicle, and identifies the person included in the image by performing image processing on the acquired image.

[0033] Since AD41 is a function used after the vehicle starts moving, it only needs to be enabled after the vehicle starts up. Also, CCS42 and image processing function 43 include processing of high-load tasks. For this reason, AD41, CCS42, and image processing function 43 are located in the AP core 20, which has high processing power.

[0034] Since AD41 is a function used after the vehicle starts moving, the core 21 on which AD41 is located only needs to be activated after the vehicle starts. CCS42 may communicate with the outside of the vehicle, for example, by transmitting images, while the vehicle is parked. Image processing function 43 may perform image processing, such as detecting suspicious persons, while the vehicle is parked. Cores 21 to 23 included in AP core 20 are normally kept in a stopped state while parked in order to reduce power consumption. On the other hand, in unusual cases, such as when a suspicious person approaches the vehicle, cores 22 and 23 will be activated even while parked, and the functions on which they are located will be enabled. When cores 22 and 23 receive an activation command from core 13, they switch from a stopped state to an activated state and execute task processing. The load of task processing performed by cores 22 and 23 is greater than the load of task processing performed by core 13.

[0035] For example, if an object enters the sonar-based monitoring range while the vehicle is parked, core 23 receives an activation command from core 13. Core 23 switches from a stopped state to an activated state and executes task processing included in the image processing function to acquire images from the in-vehicle camera, perform image processing, and determine whether the detected object is a suspicious person. If the detected object is a suspicious person, core 23 sends an image transmission command to core 22 to send the captured image to the outside of the vehicle. If core 22 is in a stopped state, core 23 may send an activation command to core 22 along with the image transmission command. Upon receiving the image transmission command, core 22 transmits the captured image of the suspicious person to the outside of the vehicle. Note that if an object enters the sonar-based monitoring range while the vehicle is parked, core 13 may also send an activation command to core 22 in addition to core 23. Furthermore, if core 23 determines that the detected object is a suspicious person, it may execute task processing to store the captured image of the suspicious person. Furthermore, if the image processing function 43 does not include an image storage function, the core 23 may send a start command to a core that has an image storage function.

[0036] In this embodiment, if the processing result of the task processing performed by the RT core 10 indicates that it is necessary to control the in-vehicle device using the vehicle functions located in the AP 20, the RT core 10 sends an activation command to the AP 20. For example, while the vehicle is parked, the core 13 executes a task processing included in the external monitoring function 33 to determine whether or not an object has entered the monitoring range. If an object has entered the monitoring range, it is necessary to control the in-vehicle device, such as the in-vehicle camera, communication device, and cores 21-23 included in the AP core 20, using the in-vehicle functions located in the AP core 20, in order to determine whether the object is a suspicious person. For this reason, the core 13 sends an activation command to the core 22 and / or core 23.

[0037] Next, the processing sequence of the vehicle function will be explained with reference to Figure 1. In Figure 1, "Parking" indicates the vehicle's parked state, "Object Detection" indicates the state in which an object that has entered the monitoring range is detected, "Alert" indicates the state in which it is determined whether the detected object is a suspicious object, and "Warning" indicates the state in which an alarm is issued. Furthermore, the vehicle state is assumed to change in the order of "Parking," "Object Detection," "Alert," "Warning," and "Parking."

[0038] When the vehicle is in the "parked" state, core 13 is in the activated state, while the other cores 11, 12, 21-23 are in the deactivated state. When core 13 is activated, the external monitoring function 33 is enabled, and core 13 detects the presence or absence of a trigger input (step S1). That is, core 13, which is equipped with the parking activation function, controls the sonar to maintain the activated state and transmit signals while the vehicle is parked. When the vehicle is in the "object detection" state, core 13 uses the reception of reflected waves as a trigger to determine whether or not an object has entered the monitoring range (step S2). If it is determined that an object has entered, core 13 sends an activation command to core 23 (step S3). Core 23 starts task processing to change from the deactivated state to the activated state (step S4).

[0039] When core 23 is activated, it executes task processing included in the image processing function to acquire images from the in-vehicle camera, perform image processing, and determine whether the detected object is a suspicious person (step S5). If it determines that the detected object is a suspicious person, core 23 sends an activation command to core 22. Core 23 also sends an image transmission command to core 22 (step S6). Upon receiving the activation command, core 22 starts task processing to change from the stopped state to the activated state (step S7). Upon receiving the image transmission command, core 22 transmits the captured image (image data) of the suspicious person to the outside of the vehicle (step S8).

[0040] If the detected object is determined to be a suspicious person, core 23 sends an alarm output command to core 13 to output an alarm (step S9). Core 22 sends a transmission completion command to core 23 indicating that the transmission of the captured image is complete (step S10).

[0041] The external monitoring function 33 includes a function to sound a horn. When core 13 receives an alarm output command from core 22, it performs a task to sound the horn, thereby issuing an alarm (step S11). Core 13 maintains its running state even after issuing an alarm. When core 23 receives a transmission completion command from core 22, it starts a task to change from the running state to the stopped state (step S12). When core 22 sends a transmission completion command, it starts a task to change from the running state to the stopped state (step S13).

[0042] As described above, in this embodiment, the integrated controller 1 includes an RT core 10 and an AP core 20. The RT core 10 executes a first task process and sends a start command to the AP core 20 according to the processing result of the first task process. Upon receiving the start command, the AP core 20 switches from a stopped state to a started state, and after entering the started state, executes a second task process which is more computationally intensive than the second task process. In other words, in this embodiment, when multiple cores included in the integrated controller 1 execute the first and second task processes, the first task process is executed by the RT core 10, and the AP core 20 is put into a started state according to the processing result of the first task process. Then, the AP core 20 executes the second task process. This shortens the startup time of the cores 11-13 and 21-23 included in the integrated controller 1 when controlling an in-vehicle device using an in-vehicle function that includes the first and second task processes. In addition, cores 11, 12, and 21 that do not execute task processes remain in a stopped state, thus reducing power consumption. The first task corresponds to task processing executed on core 13, and the second task corresponds to task processing executed on core 22 and / or core 23.

[0043] Also, in the present embodiment, the first vehicle function is arranged in the RT core 10, the second vehicle function is arranged in the AP core 20, and when it is necessary to control the in-vehicle device using the second vehicle function based on the processing result of the first task processing included in the first vehicle function, the RT core 10 transmits a startup command to the AP core 20. Thereby, the startup times of the cores 11 to 13 and 21 to 23 included in the integrated controller 1 can be shortened. Note that the first vehicle function corresponds to the external monitoring function 33, and the second vehicle function corresponds to the CCS 42 and / or the image processing function 43.

[0044] Also, in the present embodiment, the capacity of the software processed by the RT core 10 is smaller than the capacity of the software processed by the AP core 20. Thereby, the startup time of the RT core 10 can be shortened.

[0045] Also, in the present embodiment, among the plurality of cores 21 to 23 included in the AP core 20, the cores 22 and 23 in which the vehicle functions used during parking of the vehicle are arranged are in the startup state during parking of the vehicle. For example, when an object enters the monitoring range of the sonar during parking, the image processing function 43 is used to determine whether the detected object is a suspicious person. Also, when the detected object is a suspicious person, the CCS 42 is used to transmit the captured image outside the vehicle. And in the processing sequence shown in FIG. 1, during the execution of the processing sequences corresponding to "alert" and "alarm", the core 22 is in the startup state, and during the execution of the processing sequences corresponding to "object detection", "alert" and "alarm", the core 23 is in the startup state. Thereby, during parking of the vehicle, the cores 22 and 23 can be started in accordance with the timing of using the in-vehicle functions arranged in the AP core 20, and as a result, power consumption can be suppressed.

[0046] In this embodiment, the vehicle control method executed by the integrated controller 1 involves the RT core 10 executing a first task process so that the task processing included in the vehicle function is completed within a predetermined cycle, and transmitting a start command to the second core according to the processing result of the first task process. When the AP core 20 receives the start command, it changes the stopped state to an activated state, and after becoming activated, executes the second task process. The process of executing the first task process corresponds to the processing sequence of step S2, the process of transmitting the start command to the second core corresponds to the processing sequence of step S3, the process of the AP core 20 changing from a stopped state to an activated state upon receiving the start command corresponds to the processing sequence of step S4, and the process of executing the second task process corresponds to the processing sequence of step S5. As a result, when controlling an in-vehicle device using an in-vehicle function that includes the first and second task processes, the startup time of the cores 11-13 and 21-23 included in the integrated controller 1 can be shortened.

[0047] Although the above description used the example of a suspicious person approaching a vehicle to explain this embodiment, this embodiment can also be applied to remote parking assistance and door lock unlocking using facial recognition.

[0048] Hereinafter, an example of applying this embodiment to remote parking support will be described. In remote parking support, when the vehicle is parked, the user operates a communication terminal from outside the vehicle, and the communication terminal transmits a remote operation command for the vehicle to drive out of the parking space in autonomous driving to the vehicle. Then, the vehicle that has received the remote operation command travels a predetermined distance in autonomous driving by the turning and stopping function 32 and the AD 41. An approach detection function for detecting the approach of the user is arranged in the RT 10. The approach detection function receives a signal emitted by a communication terminal (hereinafter also referred to as a "user terminal") owned by the user or a key, and detects the approach of the user. Since the approach detection function needs to be operated in the parked state of the vehicle, the core (hereinafter also referred to as the "approach detection core") where the approach detection function is arranged maintains the activated state during the parking of the vehicle. The approach detection core is arranged in the RT 10 and detects the approach of the user by executing task processing included in the approach detection function. The approach detection core transmits an activation signal to the core 22 according to the processing result of the task processing. That is, when the approach detection core detects the approach of the user as the processing result of the task processing, it transmits an activation signal to the core 22.

[0049] When the core 22 receives the activation signal, it changes from the stopped state to the activated state and becomes communicable with the user terminal. When the core 22 receives a remote operation command from the user terminal, it transmits an activation signal to the core 21. When the core 21 receives the activation signal, it changes from the stopped state to the activated state and the AD 41 becomes effective.

[0050] During the parking of the vehicle, when the cores 21 and 22 become activated, the AD 41 and the CCS 42 become effective. After the cores 21 and 22 become activated, they execute the task processing included in the AD 41 and the CCS 42 so as to travel in autonomous driving based on the transmission command of the user terminal. Since the external monitoring function 33 is in the activated state during the travel by autonomous driving, it is also possible to detect obstacles around the vehicle. When using the turning and stopping function 32 when performing autonomous driving, the core 22 may transmit an activation signal to the core 12.

[0051] As described above, in this embodiment, the proximity detection core located in the RT core 10 executes a first task process and sends a start command to the AP core 20 according to the processing result of the first task process. Upon receiving the start command, the AP core 20 changes from a stopped state to a started state, and after entering the started state, executes a second task process which is more computationally intensive than the second task process. The first task corresponds to a task process included in the proximity detection function, and the second task corresponds to a task process included in AD 41 and / or CCS 42. This makes it possible to shorten the start time of the proximity detection core, cores 21 and 22 included in the integrated controller 1 when controlling an in-vehicle device using an in-vehicle function that includes the first and second task processes.

[0052] Next, an example of applying this embodiment to door unlocking will be described. The door unlocking system is linked to the keyless entry system and performs facial recognition on a user approaching the vehicle. If the detected user is confirmed to be a registered user, the door lock is unlocked. The RT core 10 is equipped with a door unlocking function, which unlocks the door lock mechanism in conjunction with user detection by the proximity detection function. The proximity detection function is the same as described above. The RT core 10 also has a core equipped with the door unlocking function (hereinafter also referred to as the "door unlocking core"). When the vehicle is parked, the door unlocking core is activated based on an activation signal transmitted from the proximity detection core. The door unlocking core also unlocks the door based on a control command from the core 23 equipped with an image processing function 43.

[0053] While the vehicle is parked, the proximity detection core detects a user approaching by executing the task processing included in the proximity detection function and sends an activation signal to core 23. If the door lock release core is in a stopped state, the proximity detection core also sends an activation signal to the door lock release core. Core 23 then switches from a stopped state to an activated state and executes the task processing included in the image processing function to acquire images from the in-vehicle camera, perform image processing, and determine whether the detected user is a registered user.

[0054] Then, if the detected user is a registered user, core 23 sends a control command to unlock the door to the door unlock command. The door unlock core then executes the task processing to unlock the door.

[0055] As described above, the proximity detection core located in the RT core 10 executes a first task process and sends a start command to the AP core 20 according to the processing result of the first task process. Upon receiving the start command, the AP core 20 changes from a stopped state to a started state, and after entering the started state, executes a second task process, which is more computationally intensive than the second task process. The first task corresponds to the task process included in the proximity detection function, and the second task corresponds to the task process included in AD 43. This makes it possible to shorten the startup time of the proximity detection core and core 23 included in the integrated controller 1 when controlling an in-vehicle device using an in-vehicle function that includes the first and second task processes. Note that when this embodiment is applied to door lock release or remote parking assistance, the external monitoring function 33 may be used instead of the proximity detection function.

[0056] In this embodiment, the processing sequence shown in Figure 1 does not necessarily have to include all of steps S1 to S11, and some steps may be omitted. For example, steps S9 to S11 may be omitted if no alarm is issued, and steps S6 to S8 may be omitted if no image transmission is performed. Furthermore, the processing order of each step in the processing sequence may be changed as appropriate.

[0057] In this embodiment, the RT core 10 corresponds to the "first core" of the present invention, and the AP core 20 corresponds to the "second core" of the present invention.

[0058] 1. Integrated Controller 10. Real-time (RT) Cores 11-13 Cores 20. Application (AP) Cores 21-24 Cores

Claims

1. An integrated controller mounted on a vehicle, comprising: a first core that completes task processing included in the vehicle's functions within a predetermined period; and a second core that does not need to complete the task processing within the predetermined period and has higher processing capacity than the first core, wherein the first core executes a first task process, transmits a start command to the second core according to the processing result of the first task process, and, upon receiving the start command, the second core changes from a stopped state to a started state, and after entering the started state, executes a second task process that is more demanding than the first task process.

2. An integrated controller according to claim 1, wherein a first vehicle function is located in the first core, a second vehicle function is located in the second core, and the first core transmits a start command to the second core when it is necessary to control an in-vehicle device using the second vehicle function based on the processing result of the first task processing included in the first vehicle function.

3. An integrated controller according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an external monitoring function for monitoring the outside of the vehicle is located in the first core, and an image processing function is located in the second core.

4. An integrated controller according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the capacity of the software processed by the first core to perform the task processing is smaller than the capacity of the software processed by the second core.

5. An integrated controller according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, among a plurality of cores included in the second core, the core on which the vehicle functions used while the vehicle is parked are arranged is in an activated state while the vehicle is parked.

6. A vehicle control method executed by an integrated controller mounted on a vehicle, wherein a first core included in the integrated controller executes a first task process so as to complete the task processing included in the vehicle function within a predetermined period, transmits a start command to the second core according to the processing result of the first task process, the second core included in the integrated controller does not need to complete the task processing within the predetermined period, has higher processing capacity than the first core, and upon receiving the start command, changes from a stopped state to a started state, and after being in the started state, executes a second task process which has a higher load than the first task process.

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