Vehicle communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12307830-B2
Application number	US-202218076737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2022
Priority date	Dec 22, 2021
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle communication system includes a relay device that relays communication and a first communication bus and a second communication bus that connect between the relay device and vehicle control ECUs, and the relay device and the vehicle control ECUs perform communication of control data relating to a control operation for a vehicle by using the first communication bus and perform communication of the control data and/or communication of non-control data by using the second communication bus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle communication system comprising:
a relay device that relays data communication between a plurality of vehicle control ECUs mounted in a vehicle; and
two communication buses that connect between the relay device and each of the vehicle control ECUs,
wherein the relay device and the vehicle control ECUs:
perform communication of control data relating to a control operation for the vehicle by using a first communication bus that is one of the two communication buses, and
perform communication of the control data and/or communication of non-control data excluding data relating to a control operation for the vehicle by using a second communication bus that is another one of the two communication buses, and

wherein data to be communicated between the relay device and the vehicle control ECUs is assigned a priority level,
the relay device and the vehicle control ECUs communicate data to which a higher priority level is assigned in priority to other pieces of data,
the control data is assigned a higher priority level than that of the non-control data, and
a communication band of communication via the second communication bus to be performed between the relay device and the vehicle control ECUs is narrower than a communication band of communication via the first communication bus;
wherein the relay device has a priority level management unit that manages assignment of the priority level to the non-control data, and
while the vehicle stops, the priority level management unit assigns a higher priority level to the non-control data compared to a time when the vehicle is not stopped.

2. The vehicle communication system according to claim 1 , wherein
the non-control data includes diagnosis data to be communicated between a vehicle diagnosis device connected to the relay device externally to the vehicle and the vehicle control ECUs, and
when the vehicle diagnosis device is connected to the relay device, the priority level management unit assigns a higher priority level to the non-control data compared to a time when the vehicle diagnosis device is not connected.

3. The vehicle communication system according to claim 1 , wherein
the relay device and the vehicle control ECUs includes a first communication management unit and a second communication management unit, respectively, that manage the communication via the second communication bus, and
the first communication management unit and second communication management unit perform the communication of the non-control data via the second communication bus when there is not the control data to be transmitted via the second communication bus.

4. The vehicle communication system according to claim 1 , wherein
the relay device and the vehicle control ECUs includes a first communication management unit and a second communication management unit, respectively, that manage the communication via the second communication bus, and
the first communication management unit and second communication management unit do not perform the communication of the non-control data via the second communication bus when there is the control data to be transmitted via the second communication bus.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tomimatsu Shuji
• Kitano Tomoya
• Saitoh Tatsuroh
• Nomura Takumi
• Nishigaki Sora

Classifications

• H04L12/40

  Bus networks · CPC title

• H04L2012/40273

  the transportation system being a vehicle · CPC title

• H04L2012/40215

  Controller Area Network CAN · CPC title

• G07C5/0808

  Diagnosing performance data (testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005) · CPC title

• H04L12/40143

  involving priority mechanisms (hybrid switching fabrics H04L12/6402; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90; time-division multiplex systems H04J3/00) · CPC title