In-Vehicle Gateway Flash Storage Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicle networks, when a large number of electronic control units are connected to a switching device, the memory usage of the flash ROM can increase, leading to a risk of running out of free space, making it difficult to manage data updates efficiently.
Innovation Solution
An in-vehicle communication system is implemented, featuring a gateway that performs communication protocol conversion and switching devices that do not, where the gateway transmits update data to switching devices connected under it, allowing them to manage data updates without holding the data itself after completion, thus preventing storage area overflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the gateway holds update data for all target devices connected through switching devices, then data update management can be performed, but the storage area of the gateway will be consumed and may run out of free space
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the data update management function by device connection type. The gateway holds update data only for target devices connected directly to it, while switching devices hold update data for target devices connected through them. This segmentation distributes storage responsibility and prevents the gateway from consuming excessive storage space.
Solution Approach 2:
Switching devices act as intermediaries that can hold and manage update data for target devices connected through them. This allows the gateway to offload storage responsibility for certain devices to the switching devices, reducing the gateway's storage burden while maintaining comprehensive update management capability.
2Extent of automation
If update data is held in the gateway for all devices, then centralized control is maintained, but the gateway's storage capacity is limited and may overflow
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments storage responsibility between the gateway and switching devices based on device connection topology. The gateway maintains centralized control by managing update data for directly connected devices, while switching devices independently manage update data for devices in their respective networks, achieving distributed storage with centralized coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-dimensional centralized storage model to a multi-dimensional distributed storage model. Update data is stored at multiple levels (gateway level and switching device level) according to the network topology, effectively expanding the storage capacity without requiring a single large storage resource.
3Ease of operation
If switching devices hold update data for all connected target devices, then local update management is enabled, but storage space may be insufficient in devices with many connections
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the burden of holding update data by connection type. Switching devices hold update data only for target devices connected through them, not for all devices in the network. This segmentation prevents switching devices with many connections from consuming excessive storage space while maintaining local update management capability for their connected devices.
Data Source
AI summary
An in-vehicle communication system is an in-vehicle communication system to be mounted on a vehicle, and includes: a gateway performing relay processing involving communication protocol conversion; and one or a plurality of switching devices performing relay processing not involving the communication protocol conversion, the gateway or the switching device manages data update of a target device mounted on the vehicle, the gateway receives update data for the target device from an external device disposed outside the vehicle, transmits, to the switching device connected thereunder, the update data for the target device, which is connected to the switching device, not holding the update data at least after completing the update, and holds the update data for the target device, which is connected thereto, also after completing the update not through the switching device.