In-vehicle communications system, in-vehicle communication method, and device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022006669-A1
Application number	US-202117481507-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 22, 2021
Priority date	May 13, 2019
Publication date	Jan 6, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

This application provides an in-vehicle communications system used in a vehicle. The in-vehicle communications system includes a control device, a plurality of gateway devices, and a plurality of communication endpoints. Each gateway device is communicatively coupled to the control device, and each gateway device is communicatively coupled to at least two other gateway devices. Each gateway device is further communicatively coupled to at least one communication endpoint. A gateway device or a controller is configured to: when receiving communication data of end-to-end communication, route the communication data by using a first communication link indicated by a local routing policy, and if the first communication link is abnormal, route a part or all of the communication data by using a second communication link. The system may be used in the field of assisted driving and self-driving.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An in-vehicle communications system, comprising:
at least one control device; a plurality of gateway devices; and a plurality of communication endpoints, wherein each gateway device is communicatively coupled to the control device and at least two other gateway devices of the plurality of gateway devices, each gateway device is further communicatively coupled to at least one communication endpoint, and the plurality of gateway devices include a first gateway device. wherein the first gateway device is configured to: when receiving first communication data of end-to-end communication, route the first communication data by using a first communication link indicated by a local routing policy, and when the first communication link is abnormal, route a part or all of the first communication data by using a second communication link indicated by the local routing policy, and wherein the end-to-end communication includes at least one of the following: communication between at least two communication endpoints of a plurality of communication endpoints coupled to the plurality of gateway devices, communication between at least two gateway devices of the plurality of gateway devices, communication between any communication endpoint of the plurality of communication endpoints and the control device, or communication between any gateway device of the plurality of gateway devices and the control device.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the communication endpoints comprises at least one of a sensor or an electric control unit of an actuator.

3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein each gateway device of the plurality of gateway devices is coupled in series to an adjacent gateway device to form a ring communications network.

4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein each gateway device of the plurality of gateway devices is communicatively coupled to all other gateway devices to form a mesh communications network.

5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the local routing policy is determined based on a network topology of the in-vehicle communications system.

6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein that the first communication link is abnormal specifically comprises at least one of the following:
the first communication link fails, the first communication link is congested, or some functions of the first communication link fail.

7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least two communication endpoints of a plurality of communication endpoints coupled to the plurality of gateway devices having a same function or overlapped functions, wherein
the at least two communication endpoints are separately communicatively coupled to different gateway devices, or at least one communication endpoint of the at least two communication endpoints is communicatively coupled to at least one gateway device in the plurality of gateway devices, and another communication endpoint of the at least two communication endpoints is communicatively coupled to at least one control device.

8 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the at least two communication endpoints are located at a same area of a vehicle, and the same area is one of the following: a left front area of the vehicle, a right front area of the vehicle, a left rear area of the vehicle, a right rear area of the vehicle, a front area of the vehicle, a middle area of the vehicle, a rear area of the vehicle, a left area of the vehicle, or a right area of the vehicle.

9 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one communication endpoint of a plurality of communication endpoints coupled to the plurality of gateway devices is communicatively coupled to at least two gateway devices in the plurality of gateway devices separately, or
at least one communication endpoint of the plurality of communication endpoints is communicatively coupled to at least one gateway device in the plurality of gateway devices, and is also communicatively coupled to at least one control device.

10 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first gateway device is further configured to:
when receiving second communication data of the end-to-end communication, route a part or all of the second communication data by using a third communication link indicated by the local routing policy, and route a part or all of the second communication data by using a fourth communication link indicated by the local routing policy.

11 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device and one gateway device of the plurality of gateway devices are coupled as a same physical entity or deployed at a same physical position.

12 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of control devices, wherein each control device and a different gateway device of the plurality of gateway devices are coupled as a same physical entity or deployed at a same physical position.

13 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein all of the plurality of gateway devices are deployed in the vehicle, or some of the plurality of gateway devices are deployed in the vehicle.

14 . An in-vehicle communications system, comprising:
a plurality of gateway devices; and a plurality of communication endpoints, wherein each gateway device is communicatively coupled to at least two other gateway devices of the plurality of gateway devices, and each gateway device is communicatively coupled to at least one communication endpoint, wherein N types of functional entities are deployed on at least two gateway devices of the plurality of gateway devices in a distributed manner, at least one of the N types of functional entities is deployed on each gateway device of the at least two gateway devices, a sum of types of functional entities deployed on the at least two gateway devices covers the N types of functional entities, N≥2, and the plurality of gateway devices include a first gateway device, wherein the first gateway device is configured to: when receiving first communication data of end-to-end communication, route the first communication data by using a first communication link indicated by a local routing policy, and when the first communication link is abnormal, route a part or all of the first communication data by using a second communication link indicated by the local routing policy, and wherein the end-to-end communication includes at least one of the following: communication between at least two communication endpoints in a plurality of communication endpoints coupled to the plurality of gateway devices, communication between at least two gateway devices of the plurality of gateway devices, communication between any communication endpoint of the plurality of communication endpoints and any functional entity on the at least two gateway devices, or communication between any gateway device of the plurality of gateway devices and any functional entity on the at least two gateway devices.

15 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein each communication endpoint comprises at least one of a sensor or an electric control unit of an actuator.

16 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein each gateway device of the plurality of gateway devices is coupled in series to an adjacent gateway device to form a ring communications network, or
each gateway device is communicatively coupled to all other gateway devices to form a mesh communications network.

17 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein the local routing policy is determined based on a network topology

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Xuehuan
• Zhang Xingxin

Classifications

• H04L2012/445

  with switching in a hub, e.g. ETHERNET switch · CPC title

• H04L12/44

  Star or tree networks · CPC title

• H04L2012/40273

  the transportation system being a vehicle · CPC title

• H04L12/40182

  by using a plurality of communication lines · CPC title

• H04L12/437

  Ring fault isolation or reconfiguration {(for SDH/SONET ring networks H04J3/085)} · CPC title