Electronic control device, control board

Abstract

A zone ECU (1) is provided with: a first board (6) installed with a function for distributing power to a load; and a second board (7) on which a deserializer (73) and serializer (74) for low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) communication are installed. The deserializer (73) is connected, by a coaxial cable, to each among a plurality of cameras (5) mounted on a vehicle, converts LVDS signals received from the cameras (5) into parallel data, and provides the parallel data to the serializer (74). The serializer (74) re-converts the parallel data received from the deserializer (73) into LVDS signals of an arbitrary protocol, and transmits the LVDS signals to a HPC (3).

Description

Electronic control device, control board Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-221874 filed in Japan on December 18, 2024, and the contents of the base application are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an electronic control device and a control board used in connection with a plurality of sensors.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic control unit (ECU: Electronic Control Unit) used in connection with a plurality of cameras.

[0004] Japanese Patent No. 7372784

[0005] There are various communication methods between the sensor and the ECU. For example, for communication between a camera and an ECU, LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling) may be adopted from the viewpoints of high data rate and ease of adjusting the shutter timing. However, specific protocols of LVDS (hereinafter also referred to as communication methods) include GVIF (registered trademark, Gigabit Video Interface), GMSL (Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link), and FPD-LINK (registered trademark).

[0006] The ECU needs to have a communication circuit corresponding to the communication method of the sensor, but the communication method of the sensor may vary depending on the vehicle model. Therefore, the communication circuit that the ECU should have may vary depending on the vehicle model. In addition, the number and combination of sensors connected to the ECU may also vary. And the change of the communication circuit affects the EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) performance, etc. Redesigning the entire ECU along with the change of the communication method may lead to an increase in development man-hours and, ultimately, an increase in manufacturing costs.

[0007] This disclosure is based on the above considerations or insights, and one of its purposes is to provide an electronic control device and control board that can flexibly adapt to changes in vehicle configuration.

[0008] One electronic control device disclosed herein is used in cable connection to a target device and a sensor, and comprises a first board on which a control circuit for controlling a load is mounted, and a second board on which a communication circuit for communicating with the sensor is mounted, wherein the communication circuit is configured to transmit sensor data received from the sensor to the target device, and the second board is electrically connected to the first board by a board-to-board connector, a card edge connector, a flexible printed circuit board, or soldering.

[0009] Furthermore, the control board included in this disclosure is a first control board for an electronic control device used in cable connection to the target device and the sensor, respectively, and is equipped with a control circuit for controlling the load, a connector for connecting to a second board on which a communication circuit for LVDS communication is mounted, and a plurality of signal lines for electrically connecting the control circuit and the connector.

[0010] With the above-described electronic control device, the communication method supported by the electronic control device can be changed by changing the configuration of the second board, which is assembled on the first board. Even if the communication method of the sensor or target device changes due to a vehicle model change or the like, the electronic control device can be adapted to the new communication method without changing the configuration of the first board. Thus, with the above configuration, the first board can be reused even if the vehicle configuration changes, so there is no need to redesign the entire electronic control device, and development man-hours or manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0011] The control board is a board used as the first board of the electronic control device described above, and by being equipped with a connector, it is possible to replace the second board. Such a control board provides the same effects as the electronic control device.

[0012] The symbols in parentheses in the claims indicate a correspondence with the specific means described later in the embodiments, and do not limit the technical scope of this disclosure.

[0013] This is a block diagram of an in-vehicle system including a zone ECU. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the second board provided by the zone ECU. This is a diagram showing the cover of the second board. This is a diagram showing a modified version of the cover. This is a diagram showing the second board equipped with two power supply lines. This is a diagram showing the second board with an IPD introduced. This is a diagram showing a configuration in which the power supply circuit for the second board is mounted on the first board. This is a flowchart showing an example of the controller's operation in response to camera replacement. This is a diagram showing an example of the type of second board. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the second board corresponding to camera output using the second method. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the second board equipped with six LVDS inputs. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the second board equipped with only one LVDS output. This is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the second board equipped with only one LVDS output. This is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the second board equipped with only one LVDS output.

[0014] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below. The configurations disclosed below may be implemented with various modifications without departing from the gist of the invention. Various modifications may be combined as appropriate, without causing any technical inconsistencies. This disclosure also includes configurations that are not explicitly stated, which are combinations of multiple modifications. In the following description, components having the same function may be denoted by the same reference numeral and their specific description may be omitted. Also, components having the same function may be denoted by the same or similar names and their specific description may be omitted. If only a part of a configuration is referred to, the description of the other parts may be applied elsewhere.

[0015] <Overall Configuration> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the in-vehicle system of the present disclosure. The in-vehicle system of this embodiment includes a zone ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 1, which is one of a plurality of electronic control devices mounted on the vehicle. The zone ECU 1 is connected to a power supply system 2, an HPC (High Performance Computer) 3, one or more loads 4, and a plurality of cameras 5. The following describes the case where the vehicle is an electric vehicle (EV). The vehicle may be a hybrid vehicle (HEV) or a gasoline-powered vehicle.

[0016] Power supply system 2 is a system that supplies power to zone ECU 1. Power supply system 2 may include a main battery, an isolated DC-DC converter, and a power manager. The main battery is a battery used to run the vehicle. The main battery is configured to output a high voltage of, for example, 200V or more. The main battery may be a lithium-ion battery or an all-solid-state battery. The isolated DC-DC converter converts the output voltage of the main battery to 48V and supplies it to zone ECU 1. The isolated DC-DC converter is a DC-DC converter in which the input and output sides are electrically isolated using a transformer. The DC-DC converter is a circuit that converts direct current (DC) to direct current (DC).

[0017] The power manager is a computer that controls the isolated DC-DC converter. The power manager drives the isolated DC-DC converter and starts supplying power to the zone ECU 1, etc., in response to, for example, a user's startup operation of the vehicle. The startup operation may be, for example, pressing a power switch located on the instrument panel. The power manager may be configured to enable data communication with the zone ECU 1. The power system 2 and the zone ECU 1 described above may be connected by one or more cables. For example, the power system 2 and the zone ECU 1 may be connected by a power cable for supplying power and a communication cable for data communication. The power system 2 is also configured to supply power to components other than the zone ECU 1, such as the powertrain system including the drive motor.

[0018] HPC3 is an ECU with high computing power. HPC3 may be an ECU that integrally controls multiple zone ECUs 1 installed in the vehicle. HPC3 may also be a central ECU, mobility controller, autonomous driving ECU, ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) ECU, etc. HPC3 controls zone ECUs 1. Since HPC3 is an ECU positioned above zone ECUs 1, it can also be called a higher-level ECU. HPC3 and zone ECUs 1 are connected by any type of LAN (Local Area Network) cable and can communicate data with each other. As described later, HPC3 is also connected to zone ECUs 1 by coaxial cable or STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) in addition to the LAN cable. HPC3 receives video captured by camera 5 via zone ECUs 1.

[0019] Load 4 may be another ECU, actuator, or sensor. Load 4 may be multiple loads. Multiple loads may include 48V loads and 12V loads. A 48V load is a load that operates at a voltage around 48V (e.g., 36V to 52V). A 12V load is a load that operates at a voltage around 12V (e.g., 6V to 18V).

[0020] Load 4 may include at least one of the following: a radiator fan, a battery cooling fan, an air conditioning fan (so-called blower), a power window motor, a lock motor, a side mirror motor, wipers, headlights, hazard lights, an audio system, a navigation system, a meter display, and an anchor. The anchor may be an in-vehicle communication device for performing distance measurement communication with the user's mobile device. The mobile device is a communication device carried by the user and may be a smartphone, tablet, wearable device, key fob, smart key, etc.

[0021] Load 4 may be a non-visual type object detection sensor. Non-visual type object detection sensors include millimeter-wave radar, sonar, and infrared sensors. In contrast, a typical example of a visual type object detection sensor is a camera. LiDAR may also be included in the category of visual type object detection sensors. Load 4 may be a sensor connected to the first board 6 of the zone ECU 1. The object detection sensor connected to the first board 6 may be a sensor that outputs a smaller size (capacity) of data to the zone ECU 1 compared to the camera 5. Load 4 may also be a state detection sensor such as a temperature sensor, seat occupancy sensor, seat belt sensor, or rain sensor.

[0022] Load 4 is connected to Zone ECU 1 by a power cable and receives power from Zone ECU 1. Load 4 is also configured to communicate with Zone ECU 1. Load 4 operates according to drive commands input from Zone ECU 1. Load 4 and Zone ECU 1 may be connected by a single cable (e.g., a coaxial cable) using PoC (Power Over Coax or Power Over Cable) technology.

[0023] All of the cameras 5 are in-vehicle cameras. The cameras 5 include cameras 5a, 5b, 5c, and 5d. Cameras 5a to 5d may differ in their mounting position, field of view, etc. The uses of the cameras 5 may be diverse, such as surrounding area monitoring, collision prevention, and driver monitoring. Cameras 5 may also be considered part of the load 4 for the zone ECU 1.

[0024] Multiple cameras 5 are connected to the second board 7 of the zone ECU 1. The cameras 5 and the second board 7 are connected by a cable that supports LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling), i.e., a coaxial cable or a twisted-pair cable.

[0025] LVDS is a type of serial transmission method, a digital video interface that can transmit data over coaxial or STP cables. LVDS can be understood as a differential serial interface that, in one phase, is driven by a constant current of 3.5 mA and transfers data with an amplitude of 350 mV when terminated at 100 Ω. In this disclosure, data communication using LVDS is also referred to as LVDS communication.

[0026] LVDS is implemented using a serializer and deserializer, known as SERDES. The serializer is a circuit that converts parallel signals into LVDS-compatible serial signals. The serializer may be a circuit that converts multi-lane signals into serial signals, for example, compliant with MIPI CSI-2. MIPI stands for Mobile Industry Processor Interface. CSI-2 stands for Camera Serial Interface 2. The deserializer is a circuit that converts serial signals into parallel signals. The parallel signals may be other types of interfaces, such as CMOS, DVD-D, or openLDI. Here, the serial signal may be understood as a data signal transmitted via serial communication. Similarly, the parallel signal may be understood as a data signal transmitted via parallel communication.

[0027] According to LVDS technology, output-side equipment including a serializer and receiving-side equipment including a deserializer can communicate via I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) or SPI (serial peripheral interface) through an LVDS cable. For example, if the controller 63 of the zone ECU 1 is the I2C master, the controller 63 can access the deserializer 73, serializer 74, and camera 5 via I2C. The serializer and deserializer (in other words, camera 5 and zone ECU 1) can also virtually communicate via GPIO.

[0028] Thus, data transmission from camera 5 to zone ECU 1 is performed using LVDS, that is, serial high-speed low-voltage differential communication of 1 Gbps or more. For example, large-capacity sensor data such as video data and point cloud data are transmitted at high speed and with low noise using differential communication. Furthermore, camera 5 and zone ECU 1 are configured to communicate bidirectionally using a single-ended method. Zone ECU 1 can transmit data to camera 5 using relatively low-speed single-ended signals. Camera 5 may also transmit data to zone ECU 1 using single-ended communication, separate from high-speed differential communication.

[0029] Generally, the communication speed of single-ended communication considering the EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) limit may be at most around 10 Mbps. Single-ended communication may have a communication speed of less than 1 / 100th of differential communication used for transmitting sensor data. Due to its low speed, single-ended communication between camera 5 and zone ECU 1 may be used for transmitting and receiving control data, rewriting the camera 5's registers by zone ECU 1, or referencing (reading) values / data stored in the registers.

[0030] On the other hand, differential high-speed communication used for transmitting sensor data can only be applied in one direction. When differential communication is applied to transmit data from camera 5 to zone ECU 1, differential communication cannot be applied to transmit data from zone ECU 1 to camera 5. However, differential serial communication makes it possible to achieve communication speeds of 1 Gbps or more while meeting the EMI standard.

[0031] Camera 5 includes a chip with serializer functionality and transmits video data to Zone ECU 1 via LVDS communication. The video data corresponds to sensor data. The sensor data may be a video stream. Specific LVDS protocols include GVIF (registered trademark, Gigabit Video Interface), GMSL (Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link), and FPD-LINK (registered trademark, Flat Panel Display Link). Hereafter, GVIF will also be referred to as the first method, GMSL as the second method, and FPD-LINK as the third method. The specific LVDS protocols corresponding to the first, second, and third methods may be replaced as appropriate. The term "method" in the terms first to third methods may be replaced with protocol, format, or type.

[0032] In this embodiment, all cameras 5 are configured to transmit LVDS signals of the first type. Furthermore, the following describes the case where the camera 5 and the zone ECU 1, and the zone ECU 1 and the HPC 3 are configured to perform LVDS communication using a coaxial cable. In other embodiments, the term "coaxial cable" may be replaced with any LVDS-compatible cable, such as an STP cable, as appropriate. The coaxial cable used for LVDS may be, for example, a FAKRA cable. Regardless of the cable type, the camera 5 and the zone ECU 1 may be capable of performing serial communication that does not require clock synchronization.

[0033] In the figure, 91 indicates a coaxial cable connecting camera 5 and zone ECU 1 (specifically, second board 7). Multiple cameras 5 are connected to the second board 7 by coaxial cables 91. Note that some of the four cameras 5 may be daisy-chained using serializers built into the cameras 5. The number of coaxial cables 91 connected to the second board 7 may be three or less. In Figure 1, 92 indicates a coaxial cable connecting the second board 7 and HPC 3.

[0034] The video data captured by camera 5 is transmitted to zone ECU 1 using LVDS. Camera 5 transmits high-speed serial data as video data to zone ECU 1 using a coaxial cable. Zone ECU 1 also sends control commands to camera 5 via I2C / SPI communication. Camera 5, zone ECU 1, and HPC 3 may each support Proof of Concept (PoC). Zone ECU 1 supplies power to camera 5 using coaxial cable 91. Coaxial cable 91 corresponds to a communication cable on which power can be superimposed.

[0035] The Zone ECU 1 is located in each of a plurality of pre-set zones in the vehicle. The plurality of zones may be, for example, a front zone, a rear zone, a right zone, and a left zone. The combination of loads and sensors connected to the Zone ECU may differ for each zone. The Zone ECU 1 described in this embodiment may be located in any zone. The configuration of this disclosure may be applied to any Zone ECU 1.

[0036] The Zone ECU 1 is connected to the power supply system 2 by a power cable. The Zone ECU 1 converts the voltage input from the power supply system 2 (hereinafter also referred to as the power supply voltage) into a voltage suitable for the operation of the load 4 and supplies power to the load 4. This power distribution function is also referred to as the power distribution function in this disclosure. The Zone ECU 1 also controls the operation of the load 4. For example, the Zone ECU 1 controls the operation of the load 4 based on instructions from the HPC 3 or the vehicle status.

[0037] Zone ECU 1 is connected to HPC 3 by a communication cable such as an Ethernet cable, and exchanges data related to the control of load 4 with HPC 3. Zone ECU 1 is also connected to HPC 3 by a coaxial cable 92, and transmits video data from camera 5 to HPC 3. In other words, Zone ECU 1 relays the video transmission from camera 5 to HPC 3. Camera 5 corresponds to a sensor, and HPC 3 corresponds to the target device.

[0038] Here, Zone ECU 1 also plays the role of restoring the video signal received from camera 5 before transferring it to HPC 3. Signal restoration means adjusting the signal waveform, specifically compensating for signal attenuation and distortion. The function of correcting and retransmitting the received signal is also called a repeat function or repeater.

[0039] Furthermore, Zone ECU 1 provides a so-called protocol conversion function, which converts the first-type video data input from camera 5 into second-type video data and transmits it to HPC 3. In addition, Zone ECU 1 may have a cable type conversion function, not only for LVDS protocol conversion such as conversion from the first type to the second type. Cable type refers to the type of cable, such as coaxial cable or STP cable. Zone ECU 1 may be configured to output the LVDS signal received via coaxial cable to a differential type cable (for example, an STP cable). If Zone ECU 1 has a cable-level conversion function in this way, Zone ECU 1 can absorb the difference between the cable type that can be connected to HCU 3 and the cable type of camera 5. The designer of HCU 3 does not need to worry about the cable type of camera 5 when designing HCU 3. The details of Zone ECU 1 will be explained next.

[0040] <Zone ECU> The Zone ECU 1 includes a first board 6 and a second board 7. The first board 6 and the second board 7 are electrically connected by a connector 8. The connector 8 may be a board-to-board connector (hereinafter also referred to as a B2B connector) or a card edge connector. In this embodiment, the second board 7 is configured to be detachable from the first board 6.

[0041] In other embodiments, the connector 8 may be a flexible printed circuit board or a solder joint. The second substrate 7 may be electrically connected to the first substrate 6 using a flexible printed circuit board as the connector 8. Also, the second substrate 7 may be soldered to the first substrate 6 at multiple locations. A plurality of electrical connection points may be formed between the second substrate 7 and the first substrate 6 by soldering. For example, a ball grid array (BGA) may be formed on the back surface of the second substrate 7, and the second substrate 7 may be soldered to the first substrate 6 by reflow. The connector 8 may include a plurality of signal lines as described later.

[0042] On the first substrate 6, a power distribution circuit 61, a communication circuit 62, and a controller 63 are mounted. In addition, a plurality of signal lines for electrically connecting components are formed on the first substrate 6. The first substrate 6 may be a through-hole multilayer substrate capable of handling a large current of 40 A or more, as will be described separately later. The first substrate 6 may be referred to as a main substrate, a basic substrate, a control substrate, or a power distribution substrate.

[0043] The power distribution circuit 61 is a circuit module that provides a power distribution function. The power distribution circuit 61 is configured to be able to distribute power to each of the plurality of loads 4. The power distribution circuit 61 includes a DC-DC converter and a PMIC (Power Management Integrated Circuit) for reducing the power supply voltage (e.g., 48 V) input from the power supply system 2.

[0044] The power distribution circuit 61 may include a plurality of DC-DC converters with different output voltages. The power distribution circuit 61 is configured to be able to generate a plurality of voltages such as 5 V, 12 V, and 48 V. The operation of the power distribution circuit 61, such as driving the DC-DC converter, is controlled by the controller 63.

[0045] A load relay may be provided at the connection portion between the power distribution circuit 61 and the load 4. The load relay may be a mechanical switch or a semiconductor switch for switching the supply and cutoff of power. The on / off (or opening / closing, in other words) of the load relay is also controlled by the controller 63.

[0046] The power generated by the power distribution circuit 61 is also supplied to a plurality of electronic components mounted on the first substrate 6, such as the communication circuit 62 and the controller 63, via signal lines formed on the first substrate 6. Further, the power distribution circuit 61 supplies power to the second substrate 7 via the connector 8. The signal line for power supply may be referred to as a power feed line or a power supply line. A part of the signal line for power supply may be thicker than the signal lines for control or data communication so as to withstand a large current.

[0047] The communication circuit 62 is a circuit module for the controller 63 to perform data communication with the HPC 3 and the load 4. The communication circuit 62 is connected to the controller 63, the HPC 3, and the load 4. The communication circuit 62 inputs the data received from the HPC 3 or the load 4 to the controller 63. The communication circuit 62 transmits the data received from the controller 63 to the designated destination. The communication circuit 62 may include a PHY chip or the like that conforms to the communication method with the HPC 3. The communication circuit 62 may include an Ethernet switch.

[0048] The controller 63 includes a computer that controls the operation of the zone ECU 1. The controller 63 may be hardware such as a system-on-chip (SoC) or a microcontroller (MCU). Some functions of the controller 63 may be realized using an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The controller 63 corresponds to a control circuit for controlling the load 4 and the like.

[0049] The controller 63 includes a processor, a memory, and a communication interface. The processor may be a CPU, a GPU, or a DFP, etc. The memory may be a RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory may include multiple types of storage media. The memory may also include a non-volatile storage media such as a flash memory. A program to be executed by the processor may be stored in the memory.

[0050] The controller 63 performs drive control of the load 4 and processing related to power distribution. The controller 63 may change the combination of loads 4 to which power is supplied by controlling the opening and closing of load relays. The controller 63 may also perform processing based on data received from the loads 4. For example, the controller 63 may perform temperature adjustment / airflow adjustment of the air conditioning system.

[0051] The controller 63 is connected to the connector 8 by several signal lines. The signal lines may be patterned on the surface or an internal layer of the printed circuit board. The signal lines may be microstrips or striplines in one plane. The signal lines may include jumper wires or vias. The term "signal lines" may be replaced with "lines," "conductive wires," or "conductive paths," etc.

[0052] The controller 63 includes multiple I2C terminals, multiple SPI terminals, and multiple GPIO (General-purpose input / output) terminals as terminals for electrically connecting to other electronic components. The multiple I2C terminals are terminals for I2C communication and may include multiple terminals with different uses (e.g., SDA, SCL). The multiple SPI terminals are terminals for SPI communication and may include multiple terminals with different uses (e.g., SCLK, MOSI, MISO, SS).

[0053] Multiple GPIO terminals are general-purpose input / output terminals, some of which are used as control terminals for the second board 7. These control terminals are used for inputting and outputting control signals to control electronic components (e.g., deserializer 73) mounted on the second board 7. For example, the multiple control terminals may include enable output terminals and sync signal output terminals. The enable output terminal is a terminal for outputting a signal to switch the deserializer 73, etc., on or off. The sync signal output terminal is a frame sync signal, which is a signal for synchronizing frames.

[0054] The controller 63 controls the operation of the camera 5 via the connector 8 and the second board 7. Furthermore, the controller 63 controls the operation of circuits (including electronic components) mounted on the second board 7, such as the deserializer 73 and serializer 74. The controller 63 may be able to communicate with each camera 5 via the deserializer 73, as will be described separately later.

[0055] The second circuit board 7 has an input section 71, an output section 72, a deserializer 73, a serializer 74, a PMIC 75, a level shifter 76, and a DC-DC converter 77 mounted on it. Signal lines for electrically connecting components are also formed on the second circuit board 7. The second circuit board 7 may be a build-up board, as will be described separately later. The second circuit board may also be referred to as a sub-board, an add-on board, a communication board, a relay board, or an expansion board.

[0056] The input unit 71 is configured to receive an LVDS signal from an external device. The input unit 71 may include one or more connection terminals. In this embodiment, a coaxial cable connected to the camera 5 is connected to the input unit 71. In one aspect, the input unit 71 may be understood as a video input unit or a camera connector. The input unit 71 is compatible with the plug shape of the coaxial cable 91. The input unit 71 may be a FAKRA connector with four terminals.

[0057] The input unit 71 is equipped with four connection terminals 711 to 714, each connected to a different camera 5. The first connection terminal 711 is connected to camera 5a, the second connection terminal 712 is connected to camera 5b, the third connection terminal 713 is connected to camera 5c, and the fourth connection terminal 714 is connected to camera 5d.

[0058] The four connection terminals 711 to 714 are connected to the LVDS input terminals 731 to 734 of the deserializer 73 via capacitors. The capacitors are configured to block the DC component. The deserializer 73 in this embodiment supports the first method. Therefore, the connection terminals 711 to 714 in this embodiment may be understood as terminals for receiving the LVDS signal of the first method. In addition, the connection terminals 711 to 714 are connected to the output terminal 772 of the DC-DC converter 77 via the noise filter circuit 200.

[0059] The noise filter circuit 200 is a so-called PoC filter. Power from the DC-DC converter 77 is superimposed on the coaxial cable 91. The noise filter circuit 200 is introduced to prevent communication data from flowing into the power supply circuit and to prevent power supply noise from disrupting the communication signal waveform. The noise filter circuit 200 may be composed of one or more inductors, one or more capacitors, and one or more resistors. The inductors may be wound coils or ferrite beads, etc. NFC in the figure represents the noise filter circuit.

[0060] The DC-DC converter 77 and the circuit connecting the DC-DC converter 77 to the connection terminals 711 to 714 constitute the supply circuit. The supply circuit may also include the IPD 130, which will be described later, either in place of the DC-DC converter 77 or together with the DC-DC converter 77.

[0061] In Figure 2, etc., "DES" means deserializer, and "SER" means serializer. Also, "STD1" means the first method (also called the first protocol / standard), and "STD2" means the second method (also called the second protocol / standard). For example, the notation STD1 can be replaced with GVIF, and the notation STD2 can be replaced with GMSL. As mentioned above, the specific protocol corresponding to STD1 may be any LVDS format, and STD2 may be any LVDS protocol different from STD1. In the figure, 73a indicates that it is a deserializer corresponding to the first method. Also, 74b indicates that it is a serializer corresponding to the second method.

[0062] The output unit 72 is configured to output an LVDS signal to an external device. The output unit 72 may include one or more terminals (also called ports). A coaxial cable connected to the HPC3 is connected to the output unit 72. The output unit 72 is compatible with the type of coaxial cable 92.

[0063] The output unit 72 is provided with two output terminals, namely a first output terminal 721 and a second output terminal 722. On the second board 7, the first output terminal 721 is connected to the integrated output terminal 735 of the deserializer 73. The integrated output terminal 735 is a terminal that outputs an LVDS signal, which is a bundle of data received by the LVDS input terminals 731 to 734, to a single transmission path (in this case, a signal line connected to the first output terminal 721). The integrated output terminal 735 may be referred to as a repeater terminal or the like. The LVDS signal output from the integrated output terminal 735 may be a serial signal superimposed with video data from cameras 5a to 5d, conforming to the first method. The first output terminal 721 corresponds to a terminal that outputs an LVDS signal of the first method.

[0064] On the other hand, the second output terminal 722 is connected to the output terminal 742 of the serializer 74 on the second board 7. As described later, the serializer 74 is hardware (e.g., an IC) that outputs a second-type LVDS signal. The second output terminal 722 corresponds to the terminal that outputs a second-type LVDS signal.

[0065] At least one of the first output terminal 721 or the second output terminal 722 is connected to the video input terminal of the HPC3 using a coaxial cable. If the HPC3 supports the first type of LVDS transmission, the first output terminal 721 may be used to connect the HPC3 to the second board 7. If the HPC3 supports the second type of LVDS transmission, the second output terminal 722 may be used to connect the HPC3 to the second board 7.

[0066] In the actual state of being installed in a vehicle, one of the first output terminal 721 and the second output terminal 722 does not need to be used. Of course, both the first output terminal 721 and the second output terminal 722 may be connected to the HPC3. Also, the first output terminal 721 and the second output terminal 722 may be connected to separate devices. For example, the first output terminal 721 may be connected to the HPC3, and the second output terminal 722 may be connected to a driving recorder. The driving recorder may be a device that records camera images while driving. The driving recorder may be a drive recorder, an EDR (Event Data Recorder), or a DSS-AD (Data Storage System for Automated Driving).

[0067] As mentioned above, the deserializer 73 is a circuit module that converts serial signals into parallel signals. The deserializer 73 functions as a communication circuit for relaying video data from the sensor 5 to the HPC 3, either on its own or in cooperation with the serializer 74. The deserializer 73, or the combination of the deserializer 73 and the serializer 74, corresponds to a communication circuit for communicating with the sensor, or a communication circuit for LVDS communication.

[0068] The deserializer 73 may be mounted on the second board 7 in the form of a chip. The deserializer 73 in this embodiment is a deserializer compatible with the first type of LVDS. The deserializer 73 includes four LVDS input terminals 731 to 734, an integrated output terminal 735, and a parallel communication interface 736.

[0069] The LVDS input terminals 731 to 734 are terminals to which the first type of LVDS signal output from the camera 5 is input. The LVDS input terminals 731 to 734 are connected to the connection terminals 711 to 714 at high frequency. The deserializer 73 converts the video data received from multiple cameras 5 into a parallel signal of a predetermined standard and outputs it to the serializer 74 via the parallel communication interface 736.

[0070] The parallel communication interface 736 may be an interface conforming to any standard. The serializer 74 also includes a corresponding parallel communication interface 741. The number of parallel communication lanes connecting the deserializer 73 and the serializer 74 may be any number, such as 3, 5, or 7. One of the lanes connecting the deserializer 73 and the serializer 74 may be a clock lane, and the other lanes may be used for data communication.

[0071] The deserializer 73 is configured to communicate bidirectionally with the camera 5 via the coaxial cable 91. However, as mentioned above, the main communication is from the camera 5 to the deserializer 73 (in other words, to the zone ECU 1) (hereinafter referred to as uplink communication), and is faster than the communication from the deserializer 73 to the camera 5 (hereinafter referred to as downlink communication). For example, the speed of uplink communication may be 10 times or more than the speed of downlink communication. The uplink communication speed is 1 Gbps or more (for example, several Gbps), while the downlink communication speed may be 10 Mbps or less. Thus, downlink communication is considerably slower than uplink communication.

[0072] The channel for uplink communication may also be called the forward channel, and the channel for downlink communication may also be called the back channel. The forward channel is provided by low-voltage differential serial communication, and the back channel is provided by single-ended communication. The forward channel may include a high-speed channel using LVDS and a low-speed channel based on single-ended communication. The low-speed, single-ended forward channel may be used for transmitting status information of camera 5, etc. In the following, the forward channel basically refers to the high-speed channel using LVDS.

[0073] The deserializer 73 receives the video stream from the camera 5 using the forward channel (particularly the LVDS channel). The deserializer 73 also uses the back channel to send a frame synchronization signal (so-called FSINC), a system clock, and control commands to each camera 5. The control commands may be commands to rewrite the register values ​​of the camera 5. Multiple cameras 5 receive a common frame synchronization signal from the deserializer 73, thereby synchronizing the frames of the video streams of the multiple cameras 5.

[0074] As described separately later, the deserializer 73 is configured to communicate with the controller 63 via any interface such as I2C or SPI, and transmits status information of the camera 5 to the controller 63 based on a request from the controller 63 or spontaneously. In addition, when the deserializer 73 receives data for the camera 5 from the controller 63 (for example, a register rewrite command), it forwards that data to the camera 5.

[0075] The deserializer 73 of this embodiment has a function to combine multiple first-type LVDS signals into a single LVDS signal and output it. For convenience, the function of combining multiple LVDS signals into a single LVDS signal and outputting it is also called the integration function. The LVDS signal generated and output by integration is a signal with a well-formed waveform. In other words, the integration of serial signals may include the recovery of signal degradation, etc. The integration function may include a function to correct and retransmit the received signal, i.e., a repeat function.

[0076] The integrated output terminal 735 is a terminal that outputs the first type LVDS signal generated by the integration function described above. The integrated output terminal 735 outputs the first type LVDS signal, which is a mixture of video data from multiple cameras 5. Any method can be used to integrate multiple types of signals with different sources (in this case, video data from each camera), such as a time-division sequential multiplexing method or a parallel multiplexing method using different codes. The term "integration" may be replaced with expressions such as mixing, multiplexing, superimposing, or aggregating.

[0077] The above integration function enables daisy-chain connection from one perspective. The deserializer 73 may support daisy-chain connection. The aforementioned integrated output terminal 735 may be referred to as a daisy-chain output terminal, etc. Furthermore, the deserializer 73 may have a selective output function. The deserializer 73 may be configured to selectively output video data from some of the multiple camera images received by the multiple LVDS input terminals 731 to 734, specifically from some of the camera images 5. Note that the integration function may be provided by a combination of a deserializer and a serializer, as described separately later.

[0078] The integrated output terminal 735 is connected to the first output terminal 721 via a capacitor. As mentioned above, the first output terminal 721 can be connected to the HPC3 via the coaxial cable 92. In other words, the deserializer 73 can be connected to the HPC3 via the integrated output terminal 735, the first output terminal 721, and the coaxial cable 92. When the deserializer 73 is connected to the HPC3 via the coaxial cable 92, the deserializer 73 also communicates bidirectionally with the HPC3. In this case, communication from the deserializer 73 toward the HPC3 corresponds to the uplink / forward channel, and communication from the HPC3 toward the deserializer 73 corresponds to the downlink / back channel.

[0079] When the integrated output terminal 735 of the deserializer 73 is connected to the HPC3 via a coaxial cable 92 or the like, the deserializer 73 uses the forward channel to transmit a serial signal integrating the video from the four cameras 5 to the HPC3. The deserializer 73 may also be able to receive control commands and the like from the HPC3 using the back channel.

[0080] The deserializer 73 may also include several control terminals and terminals for data communication. The multiple control terminals may include an enable input terminal and a frame synchronization terminal. The enable input terminal is a terminal that switches the deserializer 73 between enabled and disabled. The operating state (enabled / disabled) of the deserializer 73 switches according to the level of the signal input to the enable input terminal. The frame synchronization terminal is a terminal to which a frame synchronization signal is input. The frame synchronization terminal is used to synchronize the starting point of data frames, enabling multiple devices to process data at the same time. The terminal for data communication may be, for example, a terminal for I2C communication.

[0081] The control terminals of the deserializer 73 are connected to the controller 63 via the level shifter 76 and connector 8. The operation of the deserializer 73 is controlled by the controller 63. The exchange of control signals between the deserializer 73 and the controller 63 may be performed on a GPIO basis.

[0082] The data communication terminals on the deserializer 73 are also connected to the controller 63 via the level shifter 76 and connector 8. The controller 63 uses I2C communication to refer to / rewrite the register settings of the camera 5 and check its status (whether or not there are errors). The controller 63 may also use I2C communication to change the operating settings of the deserializer 73 itself or to detect errors in the deserializer 73 / camera 5. Of course, the communication method between the deserializer 73 and the controller 63 is not limited to I2C; it may also be UART or SPI. The operating mode of the deserializer 73 can be changed based on commands received from the controller 63 via I2C or the like.

[0083] The serializer 74 is a circuit module that converts parallel signals into serial signals. The serializer 74 may be mounted on the second board 7 in chip form. The serializer 74 in this embodiment is a serializer 74b that supports the second type of LVDS. The serializer 74 includes a parallel communication interface 741 and one LVDS output terminal 742.

[0084] The parallel communication interface 741 of the serializer 74 is an interface that corresponds to the parallel communication interface 736 of the deserializer 73. The serializer 74 receives video data from multiple cameras 5 in parallel from the deserializer 73 using the parallel communication interface 736. Even if the LVDS methods supported by the deserializer 73 and the serializer 74 are different, video data can be transferred from the deserializer 73 to the serializer 74 by first connecting them via another standard such as MIPI.

[0085] The serializer 74 converts the signal received from the deserializer 73 via the parallel communication interface 741 into a second-form LVDS signal and outputs it from the LVDS output terminal 742. The serializer 74 on the second board 7 converts the converted parallel communication form LVDS signal back into an LVDS signal. The LVDS output terminal 742 is connected to the second output terminal 722 via a capacitor. The second output terminal 722 can be connected to the HPC3 via a coaxial cable 92. In other words, the serializer 74 can be connected to the HPC3 via the LVDS output terminal 742, the second output terminal 722, and the coaxial cable 92.

[0086] When the serializer 74 is connected to the HPC3 via the coaxial cable 92, the serializer 74 can communicate bidirectionally with the HPC3 in a single-ended manner. The serializer 74 can also transmit data to the HPC3 in a differential manner. Communication from the serializer 74 towards the HPC3 corresponds to the uplink / forward channel, and communication from the HPC3 towards the serializer 74 corresponds to the downlink / back channel.

[0087] If the LVDS output terminal 742 of the serializer 74 is connected to the HPC3 via a coaxial cable 92 or the like, the serializer 74 uses the forward channel to transmit a serial signal integrating the video from the four cameras 5, as well as status information of the cameras 5, to the HPC3. The serializer 74 may also be able to receive control commands and the like from the HPC3 using the back channel.

[0088] The serializer 74 may also include multiple control terminals and data communication terminals. The multiple control terminals may include an enable input terminal and a frame synchronization terminal. The data communication terminal may be, for example, an I2C communication terminal. The operating mode of the serializer 74 may be changed based on a command received from the controller 63 via I2C or the like.

[0089] PMIC75 is an IC that manages the power supply voltage on the second board 7. PMIC75 generates multiple voltages, such as 3.3V, 1.8V, and 1.2V, from a voltage (e.g., 5V) supplied from the first board 6 via, for example, the connector 8. The voltages generated by PMIC75 are used to drive components such as the deserializer 73, serializer 74, level shifter 76, and DC-DC converter 77. PMIC75 is not an essential component and may be omitted or simplified as appropriate depending on the specifications of the ICs mounted on the second board 7. PMIC75 may also be located on the first board 6 side.

[0090] The level shifter 76 is a circuit for matching voltage levels between boards / modules. In this embodiment, for example, the high level for the controller 63 is 5.0V, while the high level for the deserializer 73 and serializer 74 is 3.3V. Such differences in signal voltage between devices can cause communication errors or device damage due to voltage mismatch. The level shifter 76 converts the high-level signal output by the controller 63 into a voltage that conforms to the specifications of the deserializer 73, etc., and outputs it to the deserializer 73. It also converts the high-level signal output by the deserializer 73, etc., into a voltage that conforms to the specifications of the controller 63 and outputs it. The level shifter 76 may be applied not only to communication signals but also to control signals such as enable signals.

[0091] Furthermore, multiple level shifters 76 may be provided to accommodate multiple signal lines. Part of the level shifter 76 may be implemented using a voltage divider circuit or the like. The level shifter 76 does not necessarily have to be provided on the second board 7. The level shifter 76 may be provided on the first board 6. The second board 7 may be configured to receive signals whose levels have been adjusted on the first board 6.

[0092] The DC-DC converter 77 generates a voltage suitable for the operation of the camera 5 based on the power supplied from the first circuit board 6. The DC-DC converter 77 has an input terminal 771 and an output terminal 772. The input terminal 771 of the DC-DC converter 77 is electrically connected to the power distribution circuit 61 via a connector 8. The output terminal 772 of the DC-DC converter 77 is connected to a plurality of connection terminals 711 to 714 via a noise filter circuit 200. As a result, power to drive the camera 5 is superimposed on each coaxial cable. The signal line from the connector 8 to the input terminal 771 and the DC-DC converter 77 correspond to a power receiving circuit for receiving DC power from the first circuit board 6.

[0093] Note that the DC-DC converter 77 does not necessarily have to be located on the second board 7. The DC-DC converter 77 may be located on the first board 6. The second board 7 may be configured to receive a power signal whose voltage has been adjusted on the first board 6.

[0094] Furthermore, the second board 7 may also have a drive circuit mounted on it for controlling the switching elements of the DC-DC converter 77. This drive circuit controls the opening and closing of the switching elements of the DC-DC converter 77 in accordance with the PWM (pulse width modulation) signal input from the controller 63. The drive circuit may also be mounted on the first board 6.

[0095] The connector 8 is configured to electrically connect the first board 6 and the second board 7. The connector 8 includes a plurality of signal lines and input / output terminals (i.e., electrical paths) for transmitting signals from the first board 6 to the second board 7. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the connector 8 may include a power line 81, a low-voltage line 82, a communication line 83, and a control line 84.

[0096] The power line 81 is a signal line for supplying power from the first board 6 to the second board 7. The power line 81 includes a first-side power terminal connected to the first board 6 and a second-side power terminal connected to the second board 7. The first-side power terminal is connected to the power distribution circuit 61 and receives 12VA as input. The second-side power terminal is connected to the input terminal 771 of the DC-DC converter 77.

[0097] The low-voltage line 82 is a signal line to which a predetermined low voltage, such as 5V, is applied. The low-voltage line 82 can be understood as a wiring that supplies voltage for driving ICs provided on the second board 7 from the first board 6 to the second board 7. The low-voltage line 82 comprises a first-side low-voltage terminal connected to the first board 6 and a second-side low-voltage terminal connected to the second board 7. The first-side low-voltage terminal is connected to the power distribution circuit 61 and receives a 5V input. The second-side low-voltage terminal is connected to a level shifter 76. The 5V signal drawn into the second board 7 via the low-voltage line 82 is converted to a voltage level according to the specifications of the second board 7 by the level shifter 76 and supplied to each electronic component.

[0098] The communication line 83 is a signal line for the controller 63 to communicate with electronic components on the second board 7, such as the deserializer 73. In this embodiment, the communication line 83 is used for I2C communication. The communication line 83 includes a first-side communication terminal connected to the first board 6 and a second-side communication terminal connected to the second board 7. The first-side communication terminal is connected to the I2C terminal of the controller 63. The second-side communication terminal is connected to the deserializer 73, serializer 74, etc., via a level shifter 76. Multiple sets of the communication line 83 and its corresponding terminals may be provided. For example, the connector 8 may include lines for I2C communication and lines for SPI communication.

[0099] The control line 84 is a signal line through which a control signal flows. In the figure, "CTRL" indicates a control signal. In this embodiment, the control line 84 includes a first-side control terminal connected to the first board 6 and a second-side control terminal connected to the second board 7. The first-side control terminal is connected to the control terminal of the controller 63. The second-side communication terminal is connected to the deserializer 73, etc., via a level shifter 76. Multiple sets of control lines 84 and their corresponding terminals may be provided. For example, the connector 8 may include lines for enable signals, lines for frame synchronization signals, lines for controlling the DC-DC converter 77, etc.

[0100] The second board 7 may be provided with a plurality of terminals (e.g., pins, via holes, or lands) that are electrically connected to the first board 6 via a connector 8. The first board 6 may also be provided with a plurality of terminals that are electrically connected to the second board 7 via a connector 8.

[0101] A board-to-board connector achieves electrical connection between boards by mating a plug module and a receptacle module. When connector 8 is a board-to-board connector, a receptacle module may be placed at a predetermined position on the first board 6. A plug module may be mounted at a predetermined position on the second board 7. Note that the mounting positions of the plug module and the receptacle module may be swapped.

[0102] If connector 8 is a card edge connector, a socket (slot) may be mounted on the surface of the first circuit board 6. The socket includes a plurality of contacts, which are pin-shaped conductive terminals, and a resin housing (also called a shell) that secures them. One end of each contact may be electrically connected to a terminal portion of the second circuit board 7 by pressure, and the other end may be electrically connected to a signal line of the first circuit board 6. An insertion portion for inserting into the socket may be formed on a part of the edge of the second circuit board 7. The insertion portion conforms to the shape of the socket. Multiple leads, which are conductive terminals, may be formed on the insertion portion at positions corresponding to the contacts of the socket.

[0103] If the connector 8 has a soldering structure with multiple points using a BGA, the individual solder balls constituting the BGA form electrical paths such as power lines 81. Multiple pads for connecting to the second board 7 may be formed on the surface of the first board 6 in a predetermined layout. Multiple solder balls may be arranged on the back surface of the second board 7 to form electrical paths such as power lines 81. Multiple solder balls may be formed on the back surface of the second board 7 in a layout corresponding to the pads provided on the first board 6. Note that the solder balls may be formed on the surface of the first board 6, and pads for the solder balls may be formed on the back surface of the second board 7. The first board 6 and the second board 7 may be assembled by reflow soldering.

[0104] If connector 8 is a strip-shaped FPC, both ends of it may have a shape that allows it to be inserted into an FPC connector. Furthermore, both ends of the FPC as connector 8 may have multiple electrode terminals (or exposed signal lines) that electrically connect to the electrode terminals of the FPC connector. FPC connectors may be mounted on both the first substrate 6 and the second substrate 7. The FPC connector may also have a configuration similar to a socket for a card edge connector, with multiple contacts and a resin housing. The FPC connector may have a flip-lock mechanism to increase the retention force of the FPC.

[0105] <Characteristics of the First and Second Substrates> The specifications of the first substrate 6 and the second substrate 7 are different. The specifications here refer to the type of substrate, the number of conductive layers the substrate has, the maximum / minimum thickness of the conductive layers constituting the substrate, the diameter of the vias, etc. The types of substrates may be classified into three types: through-hole multilayer substrates, IVH (Interstitial Via Hole) multilayer substrates, and build-up substrates.

[0106] Generally, when a large current exceeding 40A flows through a thin wiring pattern formed on a build-up substrate, the wiring pattern may burn out. Therefore, substrates that handle high currents need to be able to form signal lines with a large cross-sectional area. On the other hand, the maximum width of a wiring pattern that can be formed on a substrate can be determined by the thickness of the conductor layer. Therefore, the conductor layer of a substrate that handles high currents needs to have a certain thickness, such as 70 μm or 105 μm. The thickness of the conductor layer can be designed according to the rated current handled by the circuit board and the expected maximum current.

[0107] However, if the thickness of the conductor layer is large, high-speed signals such as video streams are more likely to be reflected, which can distort the waveform. In other words, it is technically difficult to handle high-speed signals and large currents on a single substrate. Here, high-speed signals can be understood as, for example, communication signals of several Gbps or more.

[0108] One embodiment included in this disclosure was created in view of the above-mentioned problems and is based on separating a substrate that handles high currents from a substrate that handles high-speed signals. That is, the first substrate 6 handles high currents but does not handle high-speed signals such as video signals. The second substrate 7 handles high-speed signals but does not handle high currents. By separating the functions in this way, the entire zone ECU 1 can achieve both improved current withstand capability and support for high-speed communication.

[0109] The first substrate 6 and the second substrate 7 have specifications according to their respective functions / roles. The first substrate 6 can handle large currents because the power distribution circuit 61 is mounted on it. That is, the first substrate 6 may be a so-called heavy copper PCB with a thickness and via diameter suitable for the current values ​​handled by the power distribution circuit 61. The first substrate 6 may be a through-hole multilayer substrate. On the other hand, the second substrate 7 may be a build-up substrate that allows for high-density mounting of multiple electronic components. The second substrate 7 may be a substrate designed to have a lower maximum current value than the first substrate 6.

[0110] For example, the thickness of the inner conductor layer (also called the inner layer) of the first substrate 6 is set to 70 μm or 105 μm. The thickness of the outer layer of the first substrate 6 may be thinner than the inner layer, such as 35 μm. Here, the outer layer refers to the uppermost conductor layer and the lowermost conductor layer in a multilayer substrate. Of course, the outer layer may also have a thickness similar to that of the inner layer. The thickness of the inner and outer layers of the second substrate 7 may be 18 μm or less. The maximum thickness of the conductor layer of the second substrate 7 may be less than the maximum thickness of the conductor layer of the first substrate 6. Also, the maximum thickness of the conductor layer of the second substrate 7 may be less than the minimum thickness of the conductor layer of the first substrate 6. Here, the maximum thickness refers to the maximum thickness of the multiple conductor layers present in the substrate. The minimum thickness refers to the minimum thickness of the multiple conductor layers present in the substrate.

[0111] The diameter of the via holes in the first substrate 6 may be larger than the diameter of the via holes in the second substrate 7. For example, the diameter of the via holes in the first substrate 6 may be 300 μm or more, such as 1 mm. The diameter of the via holes in the second substrate 7 may be 200 μm or less. The diameter of the via holes in the second substrate 7 may be half (or one-quarter) or less of the diameter of the via holes in the first substrate 6.

[0112] Electronic components are not mounted as densely on the first substrate 6 as they are on the second substrate 7. Therefore, the number of layers on the first substrate 6 can be fewer than the number of layers on the second substrate 7. For example, the first substrate 6 may have a 6-layer structure. On the other hand, the number of layers on the second substrate 7 may be 10, 12, 20, or so.

[0113] The minimum (or average) width of the wiring pattern on the second substrate 7 may be smaller than the minimum (or average) width of the wiring pattern on the first substrate 6. The maximum width of the wiring pattern on the second substrate 7 may be smaller than the maximum width of the wiring pattern on the first substrate 6.

[0114] As described above, the first substrate 6 may be designed to have a larger maximum current (in other words, a higher allowable current) than the second substrate 7. Also, the second substrate 7 may be designed to allow for higher density mounting than the first substrate 6 and to have specifications suitable for relaying high-speed communication. Note that the first substrate 6 is not limited to a through-layer substrate, but may be an IVH multilayer substrate or a build-up substrate. The second substrate 7 may also be an IVH multilayer substrate. In one aspect, the second substrate 7 is used for relaying high-speed data communication between the camera and the HPC, so it does not need to be equipped with an MCU or the like.

[0115] Furthermore, due to the circumstances described above, the second substrate 7 may have a higher mounting density of electronic components than the first substrate 6. A high mounting density can be understood as a substrate configuration with a large number of components per unit area or a narrow distance between components. The mounting density can be expressed as the ratio of the area occupied by electronic components to the surface area of ​​the substrate.

[0116] <Noise Countermeasures> The second substrate 7 may be covered by a cover 110 that provides electromagnetic shielding, as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 illustrates the case where the second substrate 7 is mounted on the surface of the first substrate 6 by a BGA. "101" in the figure represents the solder that makes up the BGA. Many components are omitted from the illustration in Figures 3 and 4.

[0117] The cover 110 may be a metal case such as aluminum. The cover 110 may have a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open bottom. The cover 110 may have holes on its side for exposing a plurality of connectors that serve as input and output sections 71 and 72. The cover 110 may be joined to the first substrate 6 by adhesive, adhesive tape, or solder. The cover 110 and the first substrate 6 may be joined via a cushioning shielding material (also called a soft shield). The soft shield may be a structure in which a wire mesh is incorporated into urethane foam, or rubber mixed with conductive or magnetic fillers.

[0118] Because the second substrate 7 handles high-speed signals, it can emit relatively large amounts of electromagnetic noise. By covering the second substrate 7 with a metal cover 110, noise radiation can be reduced. Therefore, the risk of noise radiated from the second substrate 7 affecting the operation of the first substrate 6 or other devices can be reduced.

[0119] Furthermore, the cover 110 may also play a role in improving the heat dissipation of the second substrate 7. For example, the cover 110 may have a heat-absorbing portion 111 that contacts at least a part of a heat-generating element such as a deserializer 73 or a serializer 74. The heat-absorbing portion 111 propagates the heat received from the heat-generating element to other areas of the cover 110 and also dissipates the heat to the outside. The cover 110 may also have heat-dissipating fins 112 to enhance the heat dissipation effect. The heat-dissipating fins 112 may be formed near the heat-absorbing portion 111. With this configuration in which the cover 110 has a heat dissipation mechanism, the risk of the deserializer 73 or serializer 74 malfunctioning due to heat can be reduced. In other embodiments, the cover 110 may be configured solely for the purpose of improving heat dissipation.

[0120] The cover 110 may be made of a magnetic material. The cover 110 may also be constructed by coating a resin base member with an electromagnetic wave shielding material. Furthermore, the cover 110 may not be a rigid body but rather a metal mesh or a shielding sheet. The cover 110 may not cover the entire second substrate 7, but may be configured to partially cover the area around the components that are noise sources.

[0121] <Power supply redundancy> The second board 7 may be configured to receive power not only from the first board 6 but also from the HPC 3. For example, as shown in Figure 5, the first output terminal 721 and the second output terminal 722 of the output unit 72 connected to the HPC 3 may be electrically connected to the input terminal 771 of the DC-DC converter 77 via the coil 121 and the diode 122. The current path including the coil 121 and the diode 122 that connects the output unit 72 and the input terminal 771 of the DC-DC converter 77 corresponds to a power receiving circuit for receiving DC power from the target device (in this case, the HPC 3).

[0122] In the configuration shown in Figure 5, the HPC3 may superimpose power onto the coaxial cable 92 connected to the first output terminal 721 or the second output terminal 722. The power supplied from the HPC3 via the coaxial cable 92 is input to the DC-DC converter 77. That is, the DC-DC converter 77 is supplied with power from the first board 6 and power from the HPC3 in parallel. The DC-DC converter 77 generates a voltage suitable for driving the camera 5 based on the power received from the first board 6 and / or the HPC3, and supplies it to the camera 5 via the PoC. With this configuration in which the power supply of the second board 7 is duplicated, the camera 5 can be driven by power from the HPC3 even when the first board 6 is stopped.

[0123] Furthermore, the DC-DC converter 77 may be configured to generate power not only for the camera 5 but also for other components of the second board 7, such as the deserializer 73. The output terminal 772 of the DC-DC converter 77 may be input to the PMIC 76. The PMIC 76 may be configured to generate and supply voltages to the deserializer 73 and serializer 74 for their operation. The deserializer 73 and serializer 74 may be configured to relay video data based on the input of a drive voltage from the PMIC 76. The relay of video data may include converting the received serial signal into a parallel signal in a standardized format as described above, and then converting it back into a serial signal.

[0124] In addition, HPC3 may send commands to serializer 74 via I2C / SPI communication using coaxial cable 92. Serializer 74 may be configured to perform processing according to the commands received from HPC3. If serializer 74 receives a command from HPC3 for deserializer 73 or camera 5, it may forward the command to deserializer 73. If deserializer 73 receives a command from serializer 74 for camera 5, it may forward the command to camera 5. Thus, the second board 7 may be configured to be driveable by the control of HPC3.

[0125] The second board 7 may be configured to prioritize instructions from the controller 63 over instructions from the HPC 3 while the controller 63 is running, or vice versa. The second board 7 may also be configured to operate according to instructions from the HPC 3 only when the controller 63 is malfunctioning or stopped.

[0126] As described above, the second board 7 may be configured to be powered by the power supply from the HPC3. In such a configuration, the second board 7 and the camera 5 can continue to operate even when the controller 63 is stopped or in sleep mode, or when the power supply from the first board 6 to the second board 7 is stopped.

[0127] <Control of Input Voltage to Cameras> The output of the DC-DC converter 77 may be distributed to multiple cameras 5 via an IPD (Intelligent Power Device) 130, as shown in Figure 6. The IPD 130 is a semiconductor power switch with built-in protection functions against overcurrent and overheating. The IPD 130 may have a power input terminal 131 and multiple voltage output terminals 132 to 135. The power input terminal 131 is a terminal to which the source voltage is input and is connected to the output terminal 772 of the DC-DC converter 77. The voltage output terminals 132 to 135 are all terminals that output voltage. The voltage output terminals 132 to 135 are each connected to connection terminals 711 to 714 via a noise filter circuit 200. In other words, the voltage output terminals 132 to 135 function as terminals for supplying power to the cameras 5.

[0128] The output voltages of the multiple voltage output terminals 132 to 135 may be individually changeable. The IPD 130 may be configured to change the output voltages of the voltage output terminals 132 to 135 in multiple stages based on control data input from the controller 63. For example, the output voltages of the voltage output terminals 132 to 135 may be set to 5V, 9V, or 12V. The IPD 130 may be configured, for example, to have multiple DC-DC converters connected in multiple stages internally. The IPD 130 corresponds to a voltage conversion module.

[0129] The IPD 130 may also be able to individually switch the voltage output terminals 132 to 135 on or off based on control signals input from the controller 63. For example, the IPD 130 may have multiple input terminals corresponding to the voltage output terminals 132 to 135. The IPD 130 may disable the voltage output terminal 132 when the input voltage at the input terminal corresponding to the voltage output terminal 132 is low level, and enable the voltage output terminal 132 when the input voltage at the input terminal corresponding to the voltage output terminal 132 is high level. An enabled voltage output terminal is a state in which it outputs a voltage suitable for the operation of the camera 5, and an disabled voltage output terminal is a state in which it cuts off the power supply to the camera 5.

[0130] Furthermore, the IPD 130 may be equipped with a communication terminal 136 for data communication with the controller 63, and may be configured to enable / disable / change the output voltage for each voltage output terminal based on commands received at the communication terminal 136.

[0131] As shown in Figure 7, the functional module that generates power to drive the camera 5 may be integrated on the first board 6. The power distribution circuit 61 may include a circuit module as a DC-DC converter 77, and the IPD 130 may be provided on the first board 6. The IPD 130 may be configured to supply power for multiple cameras 5 to connection terminals 711 to 714 via the connector 8. The circuit configuration shown in Figure 7 simplifies the configuration of the second board 7.

[0132] <Confirmation of camera connection by controller> The controller 63 may be configured to detect the installation (also called connection) and removal of the camera 5. Here, the connection of the camera 5 means that the camera 5 is connected to an available port via the cable 91. An available port is a connection terminal among the multiple connection terminals 711 to 714 to which the camera 5 is not connected (i.e., unused).

[0133] The controller 63 may detect the connection / disconnection of the camera 5 from changes in the current level flowing through the signal line connected to the input unit 71. For example, when the controller 63 recognizes that the connection terminal 711 is an empty port, the controller 63 may detect that a camera has been newly connected to the connection terminal 711 when the current level flowing through the connection terminal 711 or the signal line connected thereto exceeds a predetermined value. Alternatively, the controller 63 may detect that the camera 5 connected to the connection terminal 711 has been disconnected when no current flows even when a voltage is applied to the connection terminal 711. In order to implement these detection functions, the second board 7 may be provided with current sensors that detect the amount of current flowing through each of the connection terminals 711 to 714, or the total amount of current flowing through multiple connection terminals.

[0134] In addition, the controller 63 may have a memory for storing connection management data. The connection management data indicates the connection status of the camera 5 for each connection terminal. The connection management data may also include device information for the cameras 5 that should be connected to each connection terminal 711 to 714. The connection management data may be data for the cameras 5 that were connected when the zone ECU 1 was last operating.

[0135] Device information includes the device address and operating voltage. The device address is an identifier used to identify the source and specify the destination. The device address corresponds to identification information. The device address may be a register address. A default value corresponding to the model number of camera 5 may be applied to the device address. The device address of camera 5 may be dynamically set by the controller 63. In actual operation, a different device address will be applied to each camera 5. The device address for each camera 5 may be set and registered by an operator. In addition to the device address and operating voltage, the device information may include the model number or individual identification number.

[0136] The registration of data for connected cameras to the controller 63 (hereinafter referred to as camera registration) may be performed at a repair shop or dealership. In other words, connection management data may be registered to the controller 63 at the time of factory shipment or inspection. The data for connected cameras may also be automatically registered / updated after the operating voltage investigation process described later.

[0137] Furthermore, connection candidate data may be stored in the memory of the controller 63. Connection candidate data is data indicating the specifications of camera devices that may be mounted on the vehicle. Connection candidate data may be registered at the time of factory shipment, or it may be updated as needed via wireless distribution using OTA (Over The Air) technology. The connection candidate data may include default values ​​for the device address of each camera.

[0138] The controller 63 may be configured to flexibly respond to the replacement of the camera 5. For example, when the controller 63 detects the installation of the camera 5 (in other words, a new connection), it may execute S1 to S9 as shown in Figure 8. Hereinafter, the connection terminal where the connection of the camera 5 is detected will be referred to as the terminal of interest. The current flowing through the terminal of interest or the signal line connected thereto will be referred to as the current of interest. A newly connected camera means a camera that has been newly connected, and the voltage supplied to the newly connected camera by the PoC will also be referred to as the provisional supply voltage.

[0139] When the controller 63 detects a new connection of camera 5, it performs an operating voltage check process in S1 to S3. The operating voltage check process is a process of gradually increasing the provisional supply voltage from a predetermined initial voltage. For example, the operating voltage check process may be a process of increasing the provisional supply voltage in the order of 5V, 9V, and 12V. In this example, the initial voltage is 5V. In S1, the controller 63 sets the provisional supply voltage to the initial voltage. Then, in S2, it determines whether the value of the current of interest has increased by a predetermined value or more compared to before the voltage change. If the value of the current of interest has increased by a predetermined value or more (S2 YES), it is determined that the newly connected camera has started to operate, and the process proceeds to S4 and beyond.

[0140] On the other hand, if no significant change occurs in the current of interest when the provisional supply voltage is applied (S2 NO), the controller 63 increases the provisional supply voltage by one step in S3. For example, the controller 63 increases the provisional supply voltage from 5V to 9V. When the provisional supply voltage is changed, S2 is executed again. By repeating S2 and S3, the voltage at which the newly connected camera can operate is roughly searched.

[0141] In addition, during the operating voltage investigation process, the provisional supply voltage may be set in increments of 1V or 2V. An upper limit may be set for the provisional supply voltage, and if there is no change in current even when the maximum value is applied, the controller 63 may be configured to give up on driving the newly connected camera. If the controller 63 gives up on driving the newly connected camera, it may return the provisional supply voltage to 0V and stop supplying power to the newly connected camera.

[0142] When the controller 63 detects that the newly connected camera has started operating due to an increase in the current of interest, it attempts to communicate with the newly connected camera in S4. The device address used for the communication attempt in S4 may be any value set in advance. In S5, the controller 63 determines whether communication with the newly connected camera was successful. If a response is received from the newly connected camera, or if predetermined data from the newly connected camera can be accessed (S5 YES), the process proceeds to S7. On the other hand, if communication with the newly connected camera fails (S5 NO), the controller 63 changes the device address specified as the destination in S6 to a different device address and attempts to communicate with the newly connected camera again.

[0143] Steps S4 to S6 are processes that attempt to communicate with the newly connected camera by sequentially applying multiple pre-registered device address patterns using a brute-force method. The controller 63 may have multiple device address patterns registered for communication attempts. These multiple device address patterns may be multiple device addresses registered in the connection candidate data. If communication with the newly connected camera 5 is unsuccessful using any of the pre-prepared device addresses, the controller 63 may be configured to give up on communicating with the newly connected camera. If the controller 63 gives up on communicating with the newly connected camera, it may output an image or warning sound using the vehicle's display or buzzer to indicate that an unknown device is connected to the zone ECU 1.

[0144] If communication with the newly connected camera is successful, the controller 63 acquires the device information of the newly connected camera in S7 and reflects the correct operating voltage in the operating settings of the DC-DC converter 77 / IPD130 (S8). The controller 63 may acquire the device information from the newly connected camera via communication. Alternatively, the controller 63 may acquire the device information of the newly connected camera by searching and extracting the device information associated with the device address used for communication from the connection candidate data.

[0145] If the controller 63 can determine the operating voltage of the newly connected camera, it updates the connection management data in S9. Even if the controller 63 decides against driving the newly connected camera, it may still register in the connection management data that a camera device with unknown specifications is connected.

[0146] With the above configuration, even if the camera 5 connected to the zone ECU 1 is replaced, the controller 63 can identify the specifications of the newly connected camera 5 through communication. As a result, it becomes possible to properly control the camera 5. For example, the supply voltage to the newly connected camera 5 can be automatically set to an appropriate level.

[0147] In another embodiment, when the controller 63 identifies a device address that can communicate with a newly connected camera, it may perform a process in S7 to query a predetermined server for the specifications of the camera corresponding to that device address. The process of querying the server for the camera specifications may be performed in cooperation with the wireless communication module and may include sending an inquiry message.

[0148] The inquiry message is a communication packet requesting the return of the camera specifications. The inquiry message may include the device address of the newly connected camera. The wireless communication module may be a module capable of performing cellular communication such as 4G or 5G, or a wireless LAN module such as Wi-Fi. In one aspect, the wireless communication module may be a DCM (Data Communication Module). When the controller 63 receives specification information for the newly connected camera from the server, it may reflect the operating voltage of the newly connected camera in the operating settings of the DCDC converter 77 / IPD130 based on that specification information.

[0149] In relation to the above, the controller 63 may query the server only if it is unable to obtain the specifications of the connected camera from the locally stored connection candidate data. Such a configuration can reduce the frequency of communication between the controller 63 and the server. The query to the server is an optional element and does not need to be implemented.

[0150] The controller 63 may detect the replacement of the camera 5 not only by the level or change in the current flowing through the connection terminals, but also by a failure in communication with the camera. The controller 63 starts up when power is supplied from the power supply system 2 or when it receives instructions from the HPC 3. When the controller 63 starts up, it supplies the operating voltage registered in the connection management data to each connection terminal. Then it attempts to communicate with the camera 5 using I2C or the like. This communication may be for the purpose of referencing or rewriting a specific register. The communication between the controller 63 and the camera 5 may also be for authentication purposes.

[0151] Here, if camera 5 connected to zone ECU 1 is replaced with another camera, communication will not be established because the device addresses will be different. Therefore, if communication with camera 5 fails, controller 63 may determine that the connected camera has been replaced and execute processes S1 to S9, including the operating voltage investigation process.

[0152] Furthermore, when the controller 63 starts up, it begins supplying voltage to each of the multiple connection terminals according to the connected camera, based on the connection management data. However, as mentioned above, if the camera 5 is removed, the corresponding connection terminal becomes an open end and no current flows. If the controller 63 detects that the camera 5 has been removed with respect to a certain connection terminal, it may update the connection management data. That is, it may register in memory that the connection terminal is an empty port. Note that if removal is detected, the operating voltage investigation process, etc., will not be executed because there is no connected camera.

[0153] Changes in the connection status of camera 5 include camera replacement at a dealer shop or vehicle repair shop, and replacement by the user. Also, the camera 5 connected to Zone ECU 1 may differ depending on the vehicle model. If Zone ECU 1 (especially the second board) is used for multiple vehicle models, the registration process (in other words, registration work) for connected cameras, as illustrated in Figure 8, may occur during the vehicle manufacturing process.

[0154] <Variations of the Second Board> The second board 7 may be provided in various variations depending on the format of the LVDS signal output by the camera 5, the number of cameras 5, and the signal format that the HPC 3 can receive. As shown in Figure 9, multiple types of second boards 7 may be manufactured and sold. In the manufacturing process of the zone ECU 1, a type of second board 7 corresponding to the vehicle configuration / specifications may be selected and assembled onto the first board 6. For convenience, the second board 7 exemplified in Figure 2 will also be referred to as the first type of second board 7a.

[0155] Figure 10 shows a second board 7 (hereinafter referred to as the second type second board 7b) configured to receive a second type LVDS signal, as one of several types of second boards 7. This second type second board 7b may be used when the output format of the camera 5 is the second type. For cases where the output format of the camera 5 is the second type, the deserializer 73 provided on the second board 7b may be a deserializer 73b that corresponds to the second type.

[0156] Figure 10 shows, as an example, a case where the second-type deserializer 73b itself does not have an integration function and does not have an integrated output terminal 735. In such a case, a second-type serializer 74b may be provided. The integration function for the second-type LVDS may be realized using two IC chips, the deserializer 73b and the serializer 74b.

[0157] Furthermore, the second board 7b may be equipped with both a serializer 74b for the second method and a serializer 74b for the first method. This allows the second board 7b to output LVDS signals for both the first and second methods in parallel.

[0158] Figure 11 shows a second board 7 (hereinafter referred to as the third type of second board 7c) as one of several types of second boards 7, configured to be connectable to six sensors (e.g., a camera 5) via LVDS. The third type of second board 7c has six connection terminals 711 to 716. IN1, IN2, ..., IN6 in Figure 11 indicate LVDS input terminals. As shown in Figure 11, the number of LVDS input terminals on the second board 7 is not limited to four. The number of LVDS input terminals on the second board 7 may be two, six, or more.

[0159] The number of LVDS output terminals is not limited to two. As illustrated in Figure 12, the second board 7 may have only one LVDS output terminal. For convenience, the second board 7 with only one LVDS output terminal, as shown in Figure 12, is also referred to as the fourth type of second board 7d. Figure 12 shows an example configuration where the input corresponds to the first method and the output is only the second method.

[0160] In the configuration shown in Figure 12, the LVDS signal received by the first-type deserializer 73a may be converted back to a parallel signal, then reserialized by the second-type serializer 74b and output from the output terminal 721. Thus, the second board 7 may have a conversion function (also called a protocol conversion function) that converts the protocol of the LVDS signal.

[0161] In LVDS protocol conversion, the received parallel signal is first converted back to a parallel signal, and then a serial signal is reconstructed. The reconstructed serial signal has a well-defined waveform. Thus, the conversion function can include a signal waveform restoration function, or in other words, a repeat function.

[0162] The serializer 74b shown in Figure 12 may be replaced with the first-type serializer 74a as shown in Figure 13. The deserializer 73 and serializer mounted on the second board 7 may support the same type of LVDS. For convenience, the second board 7, which has only the first-type input and output as shown in Figure 12, will also be referred to as the fifth type of second board 7. The first-type LVDS signal may also be integrated using two chips, the deserializer 73a and the serializer 74a. The integration function may be realized by the cooperation of the deserializer and the serializer, that is, using two chips. Figure 2, etc., shows the case where the deserializer 73a corresponding to the first type has an integration function, but it is not limited to this. The deserializer 73a corresponding to the first type does not necessarily have an integration function.

[0163] Of course, if the deserializer 73a has an integrated function and the required output format is the first method, the serializer 74a may be omitted as shown in Figure 14. The output terminal 721 of the second board 7 may be connected to the integrated output terminal 735.

[0164] Furthermore, the second board 7 may support multiple input formats. For example, it may have connection terminals for the first format LVDS and connection terminals for the second format LVDS. Accordingly, the second board 7 may include both a deserializer 73a for the first format and a deserializer 73b for the second format.

[0165] The second board 7 may have different types of ports in its input section 71 and output section 72 in order to provide a cable-type conversion function. The second board 7 may have a port suitable for coaxial cables and a port suitable for STP as the input section 71. Also, the second board 7 may have multiple types of ports as the output section 72. There may be a variety of combinations of input and output types.

[0166] <Supplement> The above describes an example of use in which multiple cameras 5 are connected to the second board 7. However, the sensors connected to the second board 7 via LVDS (hereinafter also referred to as connected sensors) are not limited to cameras. One or more of the connected sensors may be LiDARs. The connected sensors may be monitoring sensors that require relatively large capacity and high-speed communication and may be connected to the zone ECU 1 via LVDS. Also, the device to which the second board 7 transmits the LVDS signal (hereinafter referred to as the destination device) is not limited to HPC3. The destination device may be a video recording device or the like.

[0167] <Effects / Advantages> In LVDS, which handles high-speed signals, communication quality is easily degraded by reflection and noise superposition. In particular, at high-speed communications of several Gbps or more, the effects of reflection at the circuit board and relay points are significant. EMC is one of the major challenges in LVDS, and it is preferable to avoid introducing relay connectors that cause reflection as much as possible.

[0168] On the other hand, in LVDS, signal waveform degradation (loss) during the transmission process can also be one of the challenges. If no relay connector is provided, the practical limit distance for performing several Gbps LVDS communication using STP may be less than 10m (for example, 8m). Many external sensors such as cameras are located on the outside of the vehicle, and the cables may be routed in a roundabout way to avoid the cabin. Therefore, depending on the mounting location, the cable length connecting the HPC3 and the sensor may be close to 10m. The further the HPC3 and the sensor are, the more signal degradation and, consequently, the lower the communication quality will be. Furthermore, even with a cable length of 5m, it is conceivable that the signal waveform may be distorted by superimposed external noise, making it difficult to achieve the required communication quality.

[0169] To address such practical challenges, the second board 7 provides a repeat function, which repairs the LVDS signal received from the sensor and transfers it to another device such as the HPC 3. By equipping the zone ECU 1 with such a function, the quality of LVDS communication between the sensor and the HPC can be maintained. In other words, the second board 7 can contribute to extending the communication distance and improving the communication quality between the sensor and the HPC. By introducing the technology of this disclosure, the risk of communication failure between the sensor and the HPC 3 can be reduced even when the sensor and the HPC 3 are far apart. Furthermore, since the zone ECU 1 itself has an LVDS signal relay function, there is no need to separately provide a relay device between the sensor and the HPC. Therefore, the efficiency of vehicle assembly work can also be increased.

[0170] Furthermore, the second board 7 may have not only a repeat function that resends the LVDS data received from the sensor as data of the same protocol, but also a conversion function that resends it as data of a different protocol. By intervening the zone ECU 1 between the HPC 3 and the sensor, which support different LVDS formats, LVDS communication between the two becomes possible.

[0171] Furthermore, the second board 7 may be equipped with an integration function that bundles LVDS data received from multiple cables into fewer cables than the number of cables that received the data and outputs them. By equipping the second board 7 with this integration function, the number of cables, or the overall cable length of the vehicle, can be reduced. In one configuration, the integration function is realized through the cooperation of a deserializer that converts the manufacturer's proprietary LVDS data into parallel data of a standard specification (e.g., MIPI) and a serializer that converts the said parallel data into LVDS data of a specific specification. Also, if a deserializer equipped with the integration function is available, the integration function may be provided on a single chip.

[0172] In one embodiment, the second substrate 7 that handles high-speed signals is equipped with a cover 110. With the cover 110 provided, the amount of noise radiation can be reduced. The cover 110 may also have a heat dissipation function to release heat from the deserializer 73 and other components to the outside. In that case, the risk of the deserializer 73 and other components malfunctioning due to heat can also be reduced.

[0173] With the configuration described above, the controller 63 can control the operation of sensors connected to the second board 7 using the back channel. For example, the controller 63 can synchronize the shutter timing / frame timing of multiple cameras 5. Synchronizing the time information of multiple cameras 5 can improve environmental recognition performance and the appearance of the composite image.

[0174] In one embodiment, the second board 7 can receive power from the HPC 3 via a Proof of Concept (PoC). Thus, the second board 7 may be powered by both the first board 6 and the HPC 3. By duplicating the power source, the camera 5 can continue to operate even if a malfunction such as a disconnection occurs in either of the two power sources. In other words, the risk of the camera 5 stopping due to power supply problems can be reduced. The second board 7 contributes to improving the redundancy of the power supply path to the connected sensors.

[0175] With the above configuration, the LVDS method supported by the zone ECU 1 and the number of connected sensors can be changed by changing the type of second board 7 that is assembled to the first board 6. The configuration of this disclosure allows for flexible adaptation to a variety of vehicle models. The number of cameras mounted and the LVDS input / output format may differ depending on the vehicle model. For example, when applying to a vehicle model that only requires two connected sensors, a second board 7 with only two LVDS input terminals may be selected. Also, for a vehicle model where connection to up to six sensors is expected, a second board 7 with six LVDS input terminals may be selected. Differences between the sensor output format and the HPC input format are absorbed by the second board 7.

[0176] In the design and manufacturing of vehicle systems, a second circuit board 7 may be selected according to the vehicle model. This allows the first circuit board 6 to be reused for various vehicle configurations. Therefore, it becomes unnecessary to design a zone ECU 1 from scratch for each vehicle configuration, which can lead to improved design efficiency and reduced manufacturing costs. For vehicle manufacturers, this can increase the degree of freedom in selecting on-board sensors.

[0177] Furthermore, the connector 8 may be a board-to-board connector or a card edge connector, and the second board 7 may be configured to be detachable from the first board 6. A configuration in which the second board 7 is replaceable allows for flexible handling of additional in-vehicle cameras or replacement of in-vehicle cameras. Of course, the second board 7 may be assembled to the first board 6 in a manner that prevents its removal. For example, the second board 7 may be soldered to the first board 6.

[0178] In one embodiment, the second board 7 includes a level shifter 76. High-speed communication ICs, such as Ethernet and LVDS, are expected to have a 3.3V or 1.8V interface. On the other hand, the IC on the first board 6 that provides power distribution functionality may have a 5V interface. By including the level shifter 76 on the second board 7, the level gap between the first board 6 and the second board 7 can be absorbed without changing the configuration of the first board 6. The level shifter 76 may also be located near the connector 8 on the first board 6.

[0179] <Addendum (1)> This specification discloses several technical concepts and several combinations thereof, as listed below. Furthermore, the description of an electronic control unit used in cable connection to the subject device and the sensor may be replaced with the description of an electronic control unit having the function of relaying data transmitted from the sensor to the subject device. The subject device and the sensor may be mounted on a vehicle. The electronic control unit may be a device used in connection with the subject device and the sensor in a vehicle. However, the subject device, sensor, and electronic control unit may be used not only in vehicles but also in other types of mobile bodies such as airplanes and ships, or in roadside units and security systems. The term "technical concept" in this section of the addendum may be replaced with the term "clause."

[0180] [Technical Concept 1] An electronic control device used in connection with a target device and a sensor via cables, comprising: a first board (6) on which a control circuit (63) for controlling the load is mounted; and a second board (7) on which a communication circuit (73, 74) for communicating with the sensor (5) is mounted, wherein the communication circuit is configured to transmit sensor data received from the sensor to the target device, and the second board is electrically connected to the first board by a board-to-board connector, a card edge connector, a flexible printed circuit board, or soldering.

[0181] [Technical Concept 2] The electronic control device according to Technical Concept 1, wherein the communication circuit is configured to communicate bidirectionally with the sensor in a single-ended manner and to receive data transmitted from the sensor in a differential manner.

[0182] [Technical Concept 3] The electronic control device according to technical concept 1 or 2, wherein the communication circuit provided on the second substrate includes a deserializer that converts the sensor data transmitted from the sensor via serial communication into a parallel signal, and a serializer that re-converts the parallel signal output by the deserializer into a serial signal and transmits it to the target device.

[0183] [Technical Concept 4] The electronic control device according to any one of Technical Concepts 1 to 3, wherein the communication circuit is a circuit for performing LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling) communication with the sensor. The communication circuit according to Technical Concept 4 may be a circuit configured to perform LVDS communication with the target device as well. The communication circuit may be a circuit that transfers sensor data received from the sensor via LVDS to the target device using the same or different LVDS protocols.

[0184] [Technical Concept 5] The electronic control device according to any one of Technical Concepts 1 to 4, wherein the second substrate is equipped with a power receiving circuit for receiving DC power from the first substrate, and the communication circuit is configured to be driven using the power received by the power receiving circuit.

[0185] [Technical Concept 6] The electronic control device according to any one of Technical Concepts 1 to 5, wherein the second circuit board is connected to the target device by a communication cable capable of superimposing power, the second circuit board includes a power receiving circuit for receiving DC power supplied from the target device via the communication cable, and the communication circuit is configured to be driveable by the DC power supplied from the target device received by the power receiving circuit.

[0186] [Technical Concept 7] The electronic control device according to any one of Technical Concepts 1 to 6, wherein the second substrate is a substrate that has more layers, a smaller maximum thickness of the conductor layer, a smaller maximum current value, or a smaller via hole diameter than the first substrate.

[0187] [Technical Concept 8] An electronic control device according to any one of Technical Concepts 1 to 7, wherein the first substrate is a through-layer substrate and the second substrate is a build-up substrate.

[0188] [Technical Concept 9] An electronic control device according to any one of Technical Concepts 1 to 8, wherein at least a portion of the second substrate is covered with a cover (110) for blocking electromagnetic noise.

[0189] [Technical Concept 10] The electronic control device according to any one of technical concepts 1 to 9, wherein the second substrate is provided with a power supply circuit for supplying power to the sensor, the control circuit has a function for determining the voltage level of the power supplied to the sensor, the control circuit is configured to detect when a new sensor is connected to the second substrate, and when it detects that a new sensor has been connected to the second substrate, it uses the power supply circuit to perform an operating voltage investigation process in which it gradually increases the voltage supplied to the sensor from a predetermined initial voltage, and determines the voltage supplied to the sensor based on the result of the operating voltage investigation process.

[0190] [Technical Concept 11] The electronic control device according to any one of Technical Concepts 1 to 10, wherein the sensor includes a plurality of sensors, a voltage conversion module (130) for generating a voltage according to the specifications of each of the plurality of sensors is mounted on the first substrate or the second substrate, and the control circuit is configured to supply power to the plurality of sensors according to the operating voltage using the voltage conversion module.

[0191] [Technical Concept 12] The control circuit is configured to acquire identification information of the sensor connected to the second board via the communication circuit, acquire specification information of the sensor based on the identification information, and control the sensor based on the specification information, as described in any one of Technical Concepts 1 to 11.

[0192] [Technical Concept 13] The electronic control device according to any one of Technical Concepts 1 to 12, wherein the communication circuit includes a circuit configured to perform LVDS communication in the same manner as the sensor and the target device, and the communication circuit has a repeat function that retransmits the sensor data received from the sensor via LVDS communication to the target device via LVDS communication.

[0193] [Technical Concept 14] The electronic control device according to any one of Technical Concepts 1 to 13, wherein the communication circuit has a protocol conversion function that converts sensor data received from the sensor in accordance with a predetermined first protocol into data in accordance with a second protocol different from the first protocol and outputs it to the target device, or a cable type conversion function that outputs data input from a first type cable to a second type cable.

[0194] [Technical Concept 15] The electronic control device according to any one of Technical Concepts 1 to 14, wherein the sensor includes a plurality of sensors, and the communication circuit has an integration function that aggregates sensor data received from the plurality of sensors and outputs it to a single transmission line.

[0195] [Technical Concept 16] A control board as a first board for an electronic control device, the control board having a control circuit (63) for controlling a load, a connector (8) for connecting to a second board on which communication circuits (73, 74) for LVDS communication are mounted, and a plurality of signal lines for electrically connecting the control circuit and the connector.

[0196] [Technical Concept 17] A circuit board used by being assembled into a control board of an electronic control device that is used by being connected to a target device and a sensor by cables, the circuit board having on which a plurality of conductor terminals electrically connected to the control board, a power receiving circuit for receiving power input from the control board via one of the plurality of conductor terminals, a communication circuit (73, 74) for performing LVDS communication with the sensor, and a plurality of signal lines for communication between a control circuit provided on the control board and the communication circuit.

[0197] <Addendum (2)> The above description regarding the configuration of a zone ECU may be applied not only to zone ECUs but also to other ECUs, devices, or sensors. The various flowcharts shown in this disclosure are all examples, and the number of steps constituting the flowchart and the execution order of the processes can be changed as appropriate. The controls shown in each flowchart may be combined and executed in parallel to the extent that they do not contradict each other. Expressions such as acquisition, determination, detection, generation, and calculation may be used interchangeably. When a device acquires certain data, it also includes when that device generates that data based on signals input from other devices / sensors.

[0198] The devices, systems, and methods described in this disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated computer comprising a processor programmed to perform one or more functions embodied by a computer program. The devices and methods described in this disclosure may be implemented using dedicated hardware logic circuits. The devices and methods described in this disclosure may be implemented by one or more dedicated computers comprising a combination of a processor that executes a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. The processor may be any arithmetic core, such as a CPU, MPU, GPU, or DFP (Data Flow Processor). Some or all of the functions of the controller may be implemented as hardware. Some or all of the functions of the controller may be implemented using an SoC, IC, or FPGA.

[0199] A computer program includes instructions that are executed by a computer. A computer program may be stored on a computer-readable, non-transitory tangible storage medium. The storage medium for a computer program may be a variety of media, such as an HDD (Hard-disk drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or flash memory.

Claims

An electronic control unit used in which the target device and the sensor are connected by cables, A first circuit board (6) on which a control circuit (63) for controlling the load is mounted, The system includes a second circuit board (7) on which communication circuits (73, 74) for communicating with the sensor (5) are mounted, The communication circuit is configured to transmit sensor data received from the sensor to the target device. The second board is an electronic control device that is electrically connected to the first board by a board-to-board connector, a card edge connector, a flexible printed circuit board, or soldering. 　 The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the communication circuit is configured to communicate bidirectionally with the sensor in a single-ended manner and to receive data transmitted from the sensor in a differential manner. 　 The communication circuit provided on the second substrate is A deserializer that converts the sensor data transmitted from the sensor via serial communication into a parallel signal, The electronic control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a serializer that converts the parallel signal output by the deserializer back into a serial signal and transmits it to the target device. 　 The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the communication circuit is a circuit for performing LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling) communication with the sensor. 　 The second substrate includes a power receiving circuit for receiving DC power from the first substrate. The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the communication circuit is configured to be driven using the power received by the power receiving circuit. 　 The second circuit board is connected to the target device by a communication cable capable of superimposing power, The second substrate includes a power receiving circuit for receiving DC power supplied from the target device via the communication cable, The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the communication circuit is configured to be driven by DC power supplied from the target device received by the power receiving circuit. 　 The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the second substrate has a larger number of layers, a smaller maximum thickness of the conductive layer, a smaller maximum current value, or a smaller via hole diameter than the first substrate. 　 The first substrate is a through-layer substrate, The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the second substrate is a build-up substrate. 　 The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the second substrate is covered with a cover (110) for blocking electromagnetic noise. 　 The second substrate includes a power supply circuit for supplying power to the sensor, The control circuit includes a function for determining the voltage level of the power supplied to the sensor. The aforementioned control circuit is The system detects that a new sensor has been connected to the second circuit board. When it is detected that a new sensor has been connected to the second substrate, the supply circuit is used to perform an operating voltage investigation process in which the voltage supplied to the sensor is gradually increased from a predetermined initial voltage. The electronic control device according to claim 1, which is configured to determine the voltage to be supplied to the sensor based on the results of the operating voltage investigation process. 　 The sensor includes multiple sensors, The first or second substrate is equipped with a voltage conversion module (130) for generating voltages corresponding to the specifications of each of the multiple sensors. The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to supply power to a plurality of sensors according to their operating voltage using the voltage conversion module. 　 The aforementioned control circuit is The identification information of the sensor connected to the second board is acquired via the communication circuit. Based on the aforementioned identification information, the specification information of the sensor is obtained. The electronic control device according to claim 1, configured to control the sensor based on the aforementioned specification information. 　 The communication circuit includes a circuit configured to perform LVDS communication using the same method as the sensor and the target device, respectively. The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the communication circuit has a repeat function that retransmits the sensor data received from the sensor via LVDS communication to the target device via LVDS communication. 　 The aforementioned communication circuit is The electronic control device according to claim 1, comprising: a protocol conversion function that converts sensor data received from the sensor in accordance with a predetermined first protocol into data in accordance with a second protocol different from the first protocol and outputs it to the target device; or a cable type conversion function that outputs data input from a first type cable to a second type cable. 　 The sensor includes multiple sensors, The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the communication circuit has an integration function that aggregates sensor data received from multiple sensors and outputs it to a single transmission line. 　 A control board, as a first board, for an electronic control device used in which the target device and the sensor are connected by cables, A control circuit (63) for controlling the load, A connector (8) for connecting to a second board on which communication circuits (73, 74) for LVDS communication are mounted, A control board on which a plurality of signal lines electrically connecting the control circuit and the connector are mounted.

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