Method of controlling electronic controller units

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10126797-B2
Application number	US-201715716277-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2017
Priority date	May 20, 2009
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

Power supply of ECUs connected to a communication network is optimally controlled so that power consumption is reduced. A transceiver/receiver converts a message of a differential signal received via a CAN bus into a digital signal. A select circuit determines whether the converted message is in a CAN format or a UART format. If it is in the UART format, the select circuit outputs a message to the UART circuit. A UART circuit determines whether the message matches a UART format. If matched, an ID determination circuit determines whether the input message is specifying a CAN ID of its own ECU. If it is the CAN ID of the ECU, the ID determination circuit outputs an enable signal to turn on a regulator and supply power to an MCU and an actuator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling electronic controller units comprising the step of:
connecting a plurality of electronic controller units which has a first electronic controller unit, a second electronic controller unit, and a third electronic controller unit to a communication bus;
when the first electronic controller unit is in a low consumption mode, outputting a first message and a second message via the communication bus in this order by the second electronic controller unit;
when the third electronic controller unit receives the first message, stopping output of messages from the third electronic controller to the communication bus for a predetermined time;
when the first electronic controller unit receives the second message, determining whether an ID included in the second message identifies the first electronic controller unit or not, and shifting a mode of the first electronic controller unit from the low consumption mode to an active mode when the ID identifies the first electronic controller unit; and
shifting the mode of the first electric controller unit from the active mode to the low consumption mode after another predetermined time from a completion of a power on sequence.

2. The method of controlling electronic controller units according to the claim 1 ,
wherein, after elapse of the predetermined time, a mode of the third electronic controller unit shifts to a mode capable of outputting the messages to the communication bus.

3. The method of controlling electronic controller units according to the claim 1 ,
wherein the third electronic controller unit has:
a communication interface unit; and
a controller unit,

when the third electronic controller unit receives the first message, a mode of the controller unit shifts to the low consumption mode, and a mode of the communication interface unit shifts to a reception idle mode of the massage from the communication bus.

4. The method of controlling electronic controller units according to the claim 1 ,
wherein the mode of the first electronic controller unit shifts from the active mode to the low consumption mode after elapse of the another predetermined time from a state in which a power supply voltage has been supplied from a battery of an automobile.

5. The method of controlling electronic controller units according to claim 1 ,
wherein the communication bus is a control area network (CAN) bus, and
each of the plurality of electronic controller units includes an interface unit corresponding to the CAN bus.

6. A method of controlling a first electronic controller unit, a second electronic controller unit, and a third electronic controller unit, that are connected to a control area network (CAN) bus of an automobile, comprising the steps of:
(a) outputting a first message to the CAN bus by the second electronic controller unit;
(b) when the third electronic controller unit receives the first message, stopping output of messages from the third electronic controller to the CAN bus for a predetermined time;
(c) after the step (b), outputting a second message to the CAN bus by the second electronic controller unit;
(d) when the first electronic controller unit receives the second message, determining whether an ID included in the second message identifies itself the electronic controller unit or not, and shifting a mode of the first electronic controller unit from the low consumption mode to an active mode when the ID identifies the first electronic controller unit; and
(e) shifting the mode of the first electric controller unit from the active mode to the low consumption mode after another predetermined time from a completion of a power on sequence.

7. The method of controlling electronic controller units according to the claim 6 ,
wherein, after elapse of the predetermined time, a mode of the third electronic controller unit shifts to a mode capable of outputting the messages to the CAN bus.

8. The method of controlling electronic controller units according to the claim 6 ,
wherein the third electronic controller unit has:
a communication interface unit; and
a controller unit,

when the third electronic controller unit receives the first message, a mode of the controller unit shifts to the low consumption mode, and a mode of the communication interface unit shifts to a reception idle mode of the massage from the CAN bus.

9. The method of controlling electronic controller units according to the claim 6 ,
wherein the mode of the first electronic controller unit shifts from the active mode to the low consumption mode after elapse of the another predetermined time from a state in which a power supply voltage has been supplied from a battery of an automobile.

10. The method of controlling electronic controller units according to claim 2
wherein the communication bus is a control area network (CAN) bus, and
each of the plurality of electronic controller units includes an interface unit corresponding to the CAN bus.

11. The method of controlling electronic controller units according to claim 3 ,
wherein the communication bus is a control area network (CAN) bus, and
each of the plurality of electronic controller units includes an interface unit corresponding to the CAN bus.

12. The method of controlling electronic controller units according to claim 4 ,
wherein the communication bus is a control area network (CAN) bus, and
each of the plurality of electronic controller units includes an interface unit corresponding to the CAN bus.

Assignees

• Renesas Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Asano Masahiro
• Nishihara Yuriko

Classifications

• H04L12/40013 Primary

  Details regarding a bus controller · CPC title

• Y02D10/14

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02D50/20

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G06F1/26 Primary

  Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) · CPC title

• G06F1/3234

  Power saving characterised by the action undertaken · CPC title