In-vehicle communication system, and communication control method in in-vehicle communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023261975-A1
Application number	US-202318153545-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 12, 2023
Priority date	Feb 15, 2022
Publication date	Aug 17, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

An in-vehicle communication system includes: electronic control devices; communication transmission paths; a transmission path switch; and a network control device, the network control device includes: a control communication unit performing a control communication with the transmission path switch; and a control communication management unit managing an operation of the control communication in the control communication unit, each of the electronic control device includes: a data communication unit performing a data communication with another of the electronic control devices; and a data communication management unit managing an operation of the data communication in the data communication unit, and the control communication management unit and the data communication management unit manage the respective operations of the control communication unit and the data communication unit, such that the control communication and the data communication are performed on the communication transmission paths in different time periods.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An in-vehicle communication system including: a plurality of electronic control devices equipped in a vehicle; a plurality of communication transmission paths; a transmission path switch that switches connection of the communication transmission paths; and a network control device that manages an operation of the transmission path switch,
the network control device including: a control communication unit that executes a control communication with the transmission path switch through the communication transmission paths, the control communication being a communication for an operation control of the transmission path switch; and a control communication management unit that manages an operation of the control communication in the control communication unit, each of the electronic control devices including: a data communication unit that performs a data communication with another of the electronic control devices through the communication transmission paths, the data communication being a communication for a data exchange for an operation of the vehicle; and a data communication management unit that manages an operation of the data communication in the data communication unit, wherein the control communication management unit and the data communication management unit manage the respective operations of the control communication unit and the data communication unit, such that the control communication and the data communication are performed on the communication transmission paths in different time periods.

2 . The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 1 , wherein
the control communication management unit and the data communication management unit manage the respective operations of the control communication unit and the data communication unit, such that the control communication and the data communication on the communication transmission paths are executed in mutually different time slots within a frame, the frame being a time period having a predetermined length.

3 . The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 2 , wherein
the data communication includes a communication of service data, the communication of the service data being performed for the plurality of electronic control devices to provide a predetermined service relevant to the operation of the vehicle, and the data communication management unit manages the operation of the data communication unit, such that the communication of the service data is executed in a time slot that is assigned for each kind of the service.

4 . The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 3 , wherein
the time slot used for the communication of the service data in the data communication includes a single-purpose time slot and a plural-purpose time slot, the single-purpose time slot being used exclusively for a single kind of the service, the plural-purpose time slot being shared for plural kinds of the service.

5 . The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 4 , wherein
the time slot used in the data communication includes a general-purpose time slot used for a communication of arbitrary data.

6 . The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 4 , wherein
the network control device includes a slot management unit that instructs the electronic control devices to change the kind of the service for which the single-purpose time slot or the plural-purpose time slot is used, or to change a number of time slots that are included in the single-purpose time slot or the plural-purpose time slot, depending on a traveling state of the vehicle.

7 . The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 6 , wherein
when the vehicle has stopped, the slot management unit instructs the electronic control devices to increase the number of time slots that are included in the plural-purpose time slot, compared to when the vehicle is traveling.

8 . The in-vehicle communication system according to claim 6 , wherein
the slot management unit instructs the electronic control devices to change the kind of the service for which the single-purpose time slot or the plural-purpose time slot is used, or to change the number of time slots that are included in the single-purpose time slot or the plural-purpose time slot, depending on a state of a peripheral environment of the vehicle.

9 . A communication control method in an in-vehicle communication system, the in-vehicle communication system including: a plurality of electronic control devices equipped in a vehicle; a plurality of communication transmission paths; a transmission path switch that switches connection of the communication transmission paths; and a network control device that manages an operation of the transmission path switch,
the communication control method comprising: a control communication step in which a first computer included in the network control device executes a control communication with the transmission path switch through the communication transmission paths, the control communication being a communication for an operation control of the transmission path switch; a control communication management step in which the first computer manages an operation of the control communication in the control communication step; a data communication step in which a second computer included in each of the electronic control devices performs a data communication with another of the electronic control devices through the communication transmission paths, the data communication being a communication for a data exchange for an operation of the vehicle; and a data communication management step in which the second computer manages an operation of the data communication in the data communication step, wherein in the control communication management step and the data communication management step, the respective operations of the control communication and the data communication are managed, such that the control communication and the data communication are performed on the communication transmission paths in different time periods.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nomura Takumi

Classifications

• H04L67/12 Primary

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• H04J3/1694

  Allocation of channels in TDM/TDMA networks, e.g. distributed multiplexers (Passive Optical Networks H04Q11/0062) · CPC title

• H04L45/24 Primary

  Multipath · CPC title