JP2024047989A - In-vehicle device, information processing method, and in-vehicle system - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an in-vehicle device etc. capable of controlling the cutting off of power supply to a communication unit of an in-vehicle ECU that does not need to be started. [Solution] The in-vehicle device is communicably connected to a plurality of in-vehicle ECUs connected to an in-vehicle network, and includes a control unit that performs processing related to communication with the in-vehicle ECUs, and the in-vehicle ECUs have a communication unit for connecting to the in-vehicle network, and the control unit acquires information about an in-vehicle ECU to be started, identifies the in-vehicle ECU to be started based on the acquired information, controls the cutting off of power supply to the communication unit of in-vehicle ECUs other than the in-vehicle ECU to be started, and outputs a start signal to the in-vehicle ECU to be started via the in-vehicle network. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an in-vehicle device, an information processing method, and an in-vehicle system.

Patent Document 1 discloses an in-vehicle system in which multiple ECUs (Electronic Control Units) are connected to a communication bus. Each ECU communicates with the other ECUs via the communication bus.

JP 2021-182679 A

However, the in-vehicle system described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that no consideration is given to the power consumption of multiple ECUs.

The present disclosure aims to provide an in-vehicle device that can control the cutting off of power supply to the communication unit of an in-vehicle ECU that does not need to be started.

An in-vehicle device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle device communicatively connected to a plurality of in-vehicle ECUs connected to an in-vehicle network, and includes a control unit that performs processing related to communication with the in-vehicle ECUs, and the in-vehicle ECUs have a communication unit for connecting to the in-vehicle network, and the control unit acquires information about the in-vehicle ECU to be started, identifies the in-vehicle ECU to be started based on the acquired information, performs control to cut off power supply to the communication unit of the in-vehicle ECUs other than the in-vehicle ECU to be started, and outputs a start signal to the in-vehicle ECU to be started via the in-vehicle network.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an in-vehicle device that performs control to cut off power supply to a communication unit of an in-vehicle ECU that does not need to be started.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an in-vehicle system including an in-vehicle device according to a first embodiment (signal control+CAN power supply IC). FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an internal configuration of an in-vehicle device; FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of an in-vehicle ECU. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process of a control unit of an in-vehicle device. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a connection configuration table showing the connection configuration of vehicle-mounted ECUs; FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of an in-vehicle ECU according to a second embodiment (signal control+other circuit power supply IC). FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an in-vehicle system including an in-vehicle device according to a third embodiment (power supply+CAN power supply IC). 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an internal configuration of an in-vehicle device; FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an internal configuration of an in-vehicle ECU. FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an internal configuration of an in-vehicle ECU according to a fourth embodiment (power supply+other circuit power supply IC). FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an in-vehicle system including an in-vehicle device according to a fifth embodiment (cost-conscious type). 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process of a control unit of an in-vehicle device. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a connection configuration table showing the connection configuration of vehicle-mounted ECUs; FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an in-vehicle system including an in-vehicle device according to a sixth embodiment (cost-first type).

[Description of the embodiments of the present invention]
First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. In addition, at least some of the embodiments described below may be arbitrarily combined.

(1) An in-vehicle device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle device communicatively connected to a plurality of in-vehicle ECUs connected to an in-vehicle network, and includes a control unit that performs processing related to communication with the in-vehicle ECUs, and the in-vehicle ECUs have a communication unit for connecting to the in-vehicle network, and the control unit acquires information about an in-vehicle ECU to be started, identifies the in-vehicle ECU to be started based on the acquired information, performs control to cut off power supply to the communication unit of in-vehicle ECUs other than the in-vehicle ECU to be started, and outputs a start-up signal to the in-vehicle ECU to be started via the in-vehicle network.

In this aspect, multiple on-board ECUs mounted on a vehicle connected to an on-board network are communicatively connected to an on-board device, and transition to a wake-up state (activated state) or a sleep state (stopped or standby state) upon receiving a wake-up signal or a sleep signal transmitted from the on-board device. Each of the multiple on-board ECUs has a communication unit that serves as a connection interface to the on-board network. The communication unit corresponds to a protocol used in the on-board network, and when the protocol is, for example, CAN (Controller Area Network) or CAN-FD, the communication unit corresponds to a CAN transceiver or a CAN controller. The communication unit of the on-board ECU is configured to be able to cut off power supply to the communication unit, that is, corresponds to a power supply cut-off configuration. The power supply cut-off configuration includes, for example, a relay or a switching circuit arranged in a power supply line connected to the communication unit, or a cut-off circuit corresponding to a cut-off signal transmitted via a signal line connected to the communication unit. In the on-board ECU having a communication unit corresponding to the power supply cutoff configuration, power supply to the communication unit is cut off by a control unit of the on-board device (power supply cutoff control), so that connection to the on-board network, i.e., communication with the on-board device, etc. via the on-board network is impossible. In the on-board ECU having a communication unit corresponding to the power supply cutoff configuration, power is supplied to the communication unit by a control unit of the on-board device (power supply execution control), so that connection to the on-board network, i.e., communication with the on-board device, etc. via the on-board network is possible. In this way, the communication unit of the on-board ECU transitions between a state in which power supply from the power supply device is cut off (non-power supply state) and a state in which power is supplied (power supply state) according to the control by the control unit of the on-board device. When the control unit of the on-board device outputs a start-up signal such as a wake-up signal to the on-board ECU to be started, for example, to execute a specific service, the control unit of the on-board device controls the communication unit of the on-board ECU to be started to a state in which power is supplied (power supply state). At this time, the communication units of the on-board ECUs other than the on-board ECU to be started that are affected by the startup signal (wake-up signal) are controlled (power supply cut-off control) to maintain a power cut-off state (non-powered state). Therefore, even if a startup signal is output via the on-board network, the on-board ECUs having communication units in a non-powered state will not start up because they are not connected to the on-board network and cannot receive the startup signal. This starts up only the on-board ECU that performs processing related to the service that needs to be executed, and prevents (avoids) the startup of other on-board ECUs that are not involved in the execution of the service, thereby suppressing unnecessary consumption of power by these other on-board ECUs.

(2) In one embodiment of the in-vehicle device of the present disclosure, the in-vehicle network is configured with multiple communication lines, and the control unit identifies other in-vehicle ECUs connected to the same communication line as the in-vehicle ECU to be started, and performs control to cut off power supply to the communication unit of the identified other in-vehicle ECUs.

In this embodiment, when communication is performed in accordance with a communication protocol such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or CAN-FD in an in-vehicle network, the physical layer of the in-vehicle network is composed of multiple communication lines such as a CAN bus. In this case, multiple in-vehicle ECUs are connected to a single communication line (the same communication line), and a start signal (wake-up signal) for starting (waking up) any of the multiple in-vehicle ECUs is output (transmitted) to all in-vehicle ECUs connected to the same communication line. Even in such a case, the control unit of the in-vehicle device identifies other in-vehicle ECUs connected to the same communication line as the in-vehicle ECU to be started, and controls the communication unit of the identified other in-vehicle ECU to cut off the power supply to the communication unit. Therefore, the communication unit such as a CAN transceiver or CAN driver of the in-vehicle ECU that is not the target to be started (other in-vehicle ECU) is in a state in which power supply is cut off (non-power supply state) by the control unit of the in-vehicle device. As a result, the vehicle ECUs that are not the target of activation (other vehicle ECUs) cannot receive the activation signal (wake-up signal) and do not activate (wake up) because the communication unit is not powered. Therefore, the stopped state of the vehicle ECUs that are not the target of activation can be maintained, and power consumption by these vehicle ECUs that are not the target of activation can be suppressed. In addition, compared to the case where an ECU with a partial function that can individually respond to the state transition of activation (wake-up) or standby (sleep) is used, an in-vehicle system can be constructed using an in-vehicle ECU that is relatively cheaper than an ECU with the partial function. In other words, in an in-vehicle system including an in-vehicle network in which multiple ECUs are connected to the same communication line, selective activation of the in-vehicle ECUs can be achieved using the communication unit drive power supply operation method (CAN drive power supply operation method), thereby reducing product costs and suppressing an increase in dark current due to in-vehicle ECUs that do not need to be activated.

(3) In one embodiment of the in-vehicle device of the present disclosure, the in-vehicle ECU and the in-vehicle device are connected by a signal line, and the control unit performs control to cut off the power supply to the communication unit of the in-vehicle ECU by sending a cutoff signal via the signal line.

The on-board ECU and the on-board device are connected by a signal line in addition to communication lines such as a CAN bus that constitute the on-board network. The signal line is connected to the communication unit of the on-board ECU, or to a switching circuit or power supply IC arranged in the power supply path to the communication unit. When the control unit of the on-board device controls the power supply to be cut off to the communication unit of the on-board ECU, the control unit transmits a cutoff signal via the signal line to the on-board ECU that is the target of the power supply cutoff. The cutoff signal from the control unit of the on-board device is input to the communication unit of the on-board ECU, etc., and the communication unit, or the switching circuit or power supply IC arranged in the power supply path to the communication unit, places the communication unit in a state in which the power supply is cut off (non-power supply state) in response to the input cutoff signal. By transmitting the cutoff signal via the signal line in this manner, it is possible to efficiently control the power supply to be cut off to the communication unit of the on-board ECU.

(4) In one embodiment of the in-vehicle device of the present disclosure, a power supply line for supplying power to the communication unit is connected to the in-vehicle ECU, and the control unit performs control to cut off the power supply to the communication unit of the in-vehicle ECU by turning off a relay arranged on the power supply line.

In this embodiment, the vehicle-mounted ECU is connected to a power supply line for supplying power to the communication unit, and power is supplied from a power supply device composed of a lead battery, an alternator, a secondary battery, or the like to the communication unit via the power supply line. Alternatively, a power distribution device such as a fuse box may be interposed in the power supply path between the power supply device and the vehicle-mounted ECU. Alternatively, if the vehicle-mounted device is a PLB (Power Lan Box) that also functions as a relay device such as a CAN gateway and a power distribution device, the vehicle-mounted ECU may be connected to the vehicle-mounted device (PLB) via a power supply line. A relay such as a semiconductor relay, a mechanical relay, or an open/close switch is arranged in the power supply line. Power is supplied to the communication unit of the vehicle-mounted ECU from the vehicle-mounted device that functions as a PLB, for example, via the power supply line, and the communication unit may be supplied with power in a system separate from the power supply to the control unit of the vehicle-mounted ECU. The control unit of the vehicle-mounted device controls the power supply to the communication unit of the vehicle-mounted ECU to be cut off by turning off a relay placed in the power supply line, so that the power supply cutoff control for the communication unit of the vehicle-mounted ECU can be performed with a relatively simple configuration.

(5) In one embodiment of the in-vehicle device disclosed herein, the multiple in-vehicle ECUs include an in-vehicle ECU having the communication unit that supports control to cut off power supply, and an in-vehicle ECU having the communication unit that does not support control to cut off power supply.

In this embodiment, the multiple on-board ECUs connected to the on-board network include an on-board ECU having a communication unit that supports the control to cut off the power supply, and an on-board ECU having a communication unit that does not support the control to cut off the power supply. Therefore, for example, an on-board ECU that is activated relatively frequently is connected to an on-board network such as a CAN bus by a communication unit that does not support the control to cut off the power supply. It is expected that the communication unit that supports the control to cut off the power supply will have higher functionality or more complex product specifications than a communication unit that does not support the control to cut off the power supply, and the product cost will increase. In addition, when a relay is placed on a power supply line connected to a communication unit that supports the control to cut off the power supply, the relay increases the number of parts, and the product cost will increase. In contrast, for example, by mixing an on-board ECU having a communication unit that supports the control to cut off the power supply and an on-board ECU having a communication unit that does not support the control to cut off the power supply among multiple on-board ECUs connected to the same CAN bus, the product cost of the entire vehicle can be reduced.

(6) In one embodiment of the in-vehicle device of the present disclosure, the in-vehicle network is configured with a plurality of communication lines, and among the plurality of in-vehicle ECUs connected to any of the communication lines, the in-vehicle ECUs other than the in-vehicle ECU whose power consumption is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold have the communication unit that supports control to cut off the power supply.

In this aspect, when the in-vehicle network is composed of multiple CAN buses, it is assumed that the power consumption of multiple in-vehicle ECUs connected to the same CAN bus is different. In this case, among the multiple in-vehicle ECUs connected to the same CAN bus, only the in-vehicle ECUs other than the in-vehicle ECU with power consumption equal to or less than a predetermined threshold may have a communication unit that corresponds to the control to cut off the power supply. Alternatively, among the multiple in-vehicle ECUs connected to the same CAN bus, the in-vehicle ECU with the lowest power consumption may be set as the in-vehicle ECU with power consumption equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. In this case, the in-vehicle ECU with the lowest power consumption has a communication unit that does not correspond to the control to cut off the power supply. Among the multiple in-vehicle ECUs connected to the same CAN bus, the other in-vehicle ECUs other than the in-vehicle ECU with the lowest power consumption have a communication unit that corresponds to the control to cut off the power supply. In this way, an on-board ECU that consumes power below a certain threshold, particularly an on-board ECU with the lowest power consumption, can reduce product costs by having a communication unit that does not support control to cut off the power supply, and by allowing power consumption by the on-board ECU with the lowest power consumption, a cost-conscious on-board system can be constructed.

(7) In one embodiment of the in-vehicle device of the present disclosure, the in-vehicle network is configured with a plurality of communication lines, and among the plurality of in-vehicle ECUs connected to any of the communication lines, an in-vehicle ECU whose power consumption is greater than a predetermined threshold has the communication unit that supports control to cut off the power supply.

In this aspect, when the in-vehicle network is composed of multiple CAN buses, it is assumed that the power consumption of multiple in-vehicle ECUs connected to the same CAN bus is different. In this case, only the in-vehicle ECU with a power consumption greater than a predetermined threshold may have a communication unit that supports control to cut off the power supply among multiple in-vehicle ECUs connected to the same CAN bus. Alternatively, the in-vehicle ECU with the highest power consumption among multiple in-vehicle ECUs connected to the same CAN bus may be set as the in-vehicle ECU with a power consumption greater than a predetermined threshold. In this case, only the in-vehicle ECU with the highest power consumption has a communication unit that supports control to cut off the power supply. Among multiple in-vehicle ECUs connected to the same CAN bus, the other in-vehicle ECUs other than the in-vehicle ECU with the highest power consumption have a communication unit that does not support control to cut off the power supply. By having only the in-vehicle ECU with the highest power consumption have a communication unit that supports control to cut off the power supply in this way, it is possible to further reduce product costs and configure a cost-priority in-vehicle system.

(8) An in-vehicle device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a storage unit that stores connection form information indicating whether each of the multiple in-vehicle ECUs is an in-vehicle ECU having a communication unit that supports control to cut off power supply, or an in-vehicle ECU having a communication unit that does not support control to cut off power supply, and the control unit refers to the connection form information stored in the storage unit to identify an in-vehicle ECU that is to be subject to control to cut off power supply to the communication unit.

In this embodiment, connection form information indicating the connection form related to the communication unit of each of the on-board ECUs is stored, for example, in a table format (connection form table) in a storage area accessible to the control unit, such as the storage unit of the on-board device. The control unit of the on-board device refers to the connection form information stored in the storage unit to identify the on-board ECU that is the target of cutting off the power supply to the communication unit, i.e., the on-board ECU having the communication unit that is the target of the control to cut off the power supply, by referring to the connection form information stored in the storage unit. Therefore, even if the on-board ECUs connected to the on-board network are a mixture of on-board ECUs having communication units that support the control to cut off the power supply and on-board ECUs having communication units that do not support the control to cut off the power supply, the control unit of the on-board device can efficiently identify the on-board ECU that is the target of cutting off the power supply to the communication unit.

(9) An information processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes having a computer communicatively connected to a plurality of vehicle ECUs connected to an in-vehicle network acquire information about the vehicle ECU to be started, identify the vehicle ECU to be started based on the acquired information, perform control to cut off power supply to the communication units of the vehicle ECUs other than the vehicle ECU to be started, and execute a process of outputting a start-up signal to the vehicle ECU to be started via the in-vehicle network.

In this aspect, an information processing method can be provided that causes a computer to function as an in-vehicle device that controls the cutting off of power supply to a communication unit of an in-vehicle ECU that does not need to be started.

(10) An in-vehicle system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle system including a plurality of in-vehicle ECUs and an in-vehicle device connected to an in-vehicle network, the in-vehicle ECUs having a communication unit for connecting to the in-vehicle network, the in-vehicle device acquiring information about the in-vehicle ECU to be started, identifying the in-vehicle ECU to be started based on the acquired information, controlling to cut off power supply to the communication unit of the in-vehicle ECUs other than the in-vehicle ECU to be started, and outputting a start-up signal to the in-vehicle ECU to be started via the in-vehicle network.

In this embodiment, an in-vehicle system can be provided that includes an in-vehicle device that performs control to cut off power supply to the communication unit of an in-vehicle ECU that does not need to be started.

[Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure]
The present disclosure will be specifically described with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments. An in-vehicle device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an in-vehicle system S including an in-vehicle device 1 according to the first embodiment (signal control + CAN power supply IC). FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the internal configuration of the in-vehicle device 1. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the internal configuration of an in-vehicle ECU 2. The in-vehicle system S is composed of an in-vehicle device 1 and an in-vehicle ECU 2 mounted on a vehicle C, and an in-vehicle network 3 that communicatively connects them. The in-vehicle network 3 is composed of a plurality of communication lines 31. When communication in the in-vehicle network 3 is performed according to a communication protocol such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or CAN-FD, the communication line 31 corresponds to a CAN bus.

The vehicle C is equipped with a power supply device 4 consisting of a lead battery, an alternator, a secondary battery, or the like. The power supply device 4 and each of the on-board ECUs 2 are connected by a power line 41. That is, the power line 41 extending from the power supply device 4 is branched according to the number of on-board ECUs 2 mounted on the vehicle C, and each of the branched power lines 41 is connected to each of the on-board ECUs 2. The branched power line 41 is also connected to the on-board device 1. The power supply device 4 and each of the on-board ECUs 2 are further connected (grounded) by a ground (GND) such as a common ground provided on the vehicle C. In this way, the negative electrode of the power supply device 4 is connected (grounded) to the ground (GND), and the DC voltage (power) applied (output) from the power supply device 4 is applied (supplied) to each of the on-board ECUs 2.

Each of the on-board ECUs 2 and the on-board device 1 are connected by a signal line 140 extending from the on-board device 1 to each of the on-board ECUs 2. The on-board device 1 outputs (transmits) a cutoff signal to each of the on-board ECUs 2 via the signal line 140. The on-board ECU 2 that acquires (receives) the cutoff signal cuts off the power supply to the communication unit 23 of the on-board ECU 2. In this manner, each of the on-board ECUs 2 is configured to cut off the power supply to the communication unit 23 in response to the cutoff signal output (transmitted) from the on-board device 1, that is, each of the on-board ECUs 2 has a communication unit 23 that corresponds to the control of cutting off the power supply. When the power supply to the communication unit 23 is cut off, the communication unit 23 is in a non-powered state, and when the connection between the on-board ECU 2 and the communication line 31 is cut off, the on-board ECU 2 cannot receive communication data transmitted to the on-board network 3.

The in-vehicle device 1 is, for example, a relay device such as a CAN gateway. Alternatively, the in-vehicle device 1 may be an integrated ECU (vehicle computer) that controls the entire vehicle C in an integrated manner and has a relay function. Alternatively, the in-vehicle device 1 may be configured as a body ECU that controls body actuators of the vehicle C. Alternatively, the in-vehicle device 1 may be a PLB (Power Lan Box) that functions as a power distribution device that distributes and relays power output from a power supply device 4 such as a secondary battery and supplies power to in-vehicle devices such as actuators, in addition to relaying communication. The in-vehicle device 1 may be connected to in-vehicle devices such as various switches, sensors, or actuators.

The in-vehicle device 1 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, and an input/output I/F 14. The control unit 11 is configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and performs various control processes and calculation processes by reading and executing a control program P (program product) and data pre-stored in the storage unit 12.

The storage unit 12 is configured with a volatile memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a non-volatile memory element such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM) or a flash memory, or a combination of these storage devices, and stores a control program P (program product) and data to be referenced during processing in advance. The control program P (program product) stored in the storage unit 12 may be a control program P (program product) read from a recording medium M readable by the in-vehicle device 1. Alternatively, the control program P (program product) may be downloaded from an external computer (not shown) connected to a communication network (not shown) and stored in the storage unit 12.

The communication unit 13 is an input/output interface that uses a communication protocol such as CAN, CAN-FD, or Ethernet (registered trademark), and the control unit 11 communicates with the in-vehicle ECU 2 connected to the in-vehicle network 3 via the communication unit 13. In the in-vehicle device 1, multiple communication units 13 are provided, and a communication line 31 such as a CAN bus is connected to each communication unit 13. The in-vehicle device 1, which functions as a relay device, relays communication data transmitted and received between these multiple communication units 13 (communication lines 31 such as a CAN bus).

The input/output I/F 14 is, for example, a communication interface for serial communication. The input/output I/F 14 includes a plurality of terminals (output terminals), and each of the terminals is connected to a signal line 140 that is extended to each of the power supply ICs 231 for the communication unit of the vehicle ECU 2. The signal line 140 is, for example, a serial cable, a wire harness, or a conductive cable (direct wire) that transmits only one signal. Furthermore, the input/output I/F 14 may be connected to an IG switch 141 that starts and stops the vehicle C. Furthermore, the input/output I/F 14 may be connected to various devices and various sensors that are operated by the operator of the vehicle C.

The vehicle-mounted ECU 2 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23, similar to the vehicle-mounted device 1. The vehicle-mounted ECU 2 executes programs stored in the storage unit 22 to perform processing for executing various functions or services. Vehicle loads such as actuators to be driven when executing these functions or services are connected to the vehicle-mounted ECU 2. The vehicle-mounted ECU 2 is connected to a power supply device 4 consisting of a lead battery, an alternator, a secondary battery, or the like, via a power supply line 41. The vehicle-mounted ECU 2 is supplied with power from the power supply device 4 via the power supply line 41. The vehicle-mounted ECU 2 transitions to a wake-up state (activated state) or a sleep state (stopped or standby state) by receiving a wake-up signal or a sleep signal transmitted from the vehicle-mounted device 1.

The vehicle-mounted ECU 2 further includes a power supply IC 211 for the control unit and a power supply IC 231 for the communication unit. A power supply line 41 extending from the power supply device 4 to the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 branches inside the vehicle-mounted ECU 2, and each of the branched power supply lines 41 is connected to the power supply IC 211 for the control unit and the power supply IC 231 for the communication unit. The power supply IC 211 for the control unit functions as a microcomputer power supply IC that supplies drive power to the microcomputer and other components that make up the control unit 21. The power supply IC 231 for the communication unit supplies drive power to the communication unit 23, and functions as a CAN power supply IC when the communication unit 23 is configured, for example, with a CAN transceiver or a CAN controller.

The communication unit 23 of the in-vehicle ECU 2 is communicatively connected to the control unit 21 via an internal bus or the like, and is also connected to the communication unit power supply IC 231 via a power supply line 41. The communication unit power supply IC 231 is connected to the in-vehicle device 1 via a signal line 140. In other words, the in-vehicle device 1 and the in-vehicle ECU 2 are connected by the communication line 31 that constitutes the in-vehicle network 3, and are also connected by the signal line 140.

The power supply IC 231 for the communication unit transitions between a power supply state in which power is supplied to the communication unit 23 and a non-power supply state in which power is not supplied to the communication unit 23 in response to a signal output (transmitted) from the in-vehicle device 1. That is, the power supply IC 231 for the communication unit transitions to a non-power supply state when it receives a cutoff signal from the in-vehicle device 1, and transitions to a power supply state when it receives a supply signal from the in-vehicle device 1. In this way, the communication unit 23 corresponds to the control to cut off the power supply by being connected to the power supply IC 231 for the communication unit.

The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 outputs (transmits) a supply signal to the communication unit power supply IC 231 provided in the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started, thereby causing the ECU 2 to transition to a power supply state (power supply state in which power is supplied to the communication unit 23). The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 outputs a startup signal such as a wake-up signal via the in-vehicle network 3 while maintaining a power supply state (power supply state) in which the communication unit power supply IC 231 provided in the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started does not cut off the power path (non-power supply state). The in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started that receives the startup signal (wake-up signal) transitions from a sleep state (standby state) to a wake-up state (startup state).

At this time, the in-vehicle device 1 performs control to cut off the power supply (sends a cutoff signal) to the communication unit power supply IC 231 equipped in the in-vehicle ECU 2 other than the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started, and power is not supplied from the communication unit power supply IC 231 (power supply device 4) to the communication unit 23 connected to the communication unit power supply IC 231. Therefore, even if a start signal (wake-up signal) is sent via the in-vehicle network 3, an in-vehicle ECU 2 having a communication unit 23 in a cut-off state (non-powered state) cannot receive the start signal and does not start (wake up), so power consumption by these in-vehicle ECUs 2 can be prevented.

The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 functions as a power transition manager by executing a program, and has (includes) a power supply cutoff control function (power supply cutoff control unit) and a communication WU/SLP control function (communication WU/SLP control unit). WU indicates wake-up, and SLP indicates sleep. The power transition manager outputs a wake-up signal or sleep signal to the in-vehicle ECU 2 to transition the in-vehicle ECU 2 to a wake-up state (activated state) or a sleep state (stopped or standby state). By transitioning states in this way, the in-vehicle ECU 2 is powered by the power supply device 4 in the wake-up state (activated state), and is not powered by the power supply device 4 or consumes less power in the sleep state (stopped or standby state). When the power supply transition manager outputs a wake-up signal to one of the vehicle-mounted ECUs 2, it executes control to cut off the power supply to the communication unit 23 of the other vehicle-mounted ECU 2 (communication unit power supply IC 231) that is affected by the wake-up signal. Details regarding the control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 that functions as the power supply transition manager will be described in the flowchart below.

Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1. The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 steadily performs the following processing when the vehicle C is started (IG switch 141 is on) or stopped (IG switch 141 is off).

The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 acquires information about the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started (S101). For example, the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 acquires a signal from a switch connected to the input/output I/F 14, or acquires communication data such as a CAN message via the communication unit 13, and then analyzes information about the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started that is included in the signal or communication data.

The in-vehicle device 1 is configured as, for example, a BCU (body ECU) that drives and controls body actuators in the vehicle C, and is constantly powered by the power supply device 4. The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 acquires (receives) various signals (input signals) output from switches or sensors connected to the input/output I/F 14 via the input/output I/F 14. Alternatively, the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 acquires (receives) communication data such as a CAN message transmitted from the in-vehicle ECU 2 via a communication unit 13 such as a CAN transceiver and the in-vehicle network 3. These signals or communication data include, for example, information on various functions or services to be executed as the vehicle C. These functions or services are defined in advance as being performed by the processing of a predetermined in-vehicle ECU 2, and correspond to information on the in-vehicle ECU 2 that is to be started when the service or the like is executed. Alternatively, these signals or communication data may include the information itself on the in-vehicle ECU 2 that is to be started. The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 uses the acquired signal or communication data as a trigger to determine which in-vehicle ECU 2 (device) requires power supply or startup as follows, and based on the determination result, performs control processing including power supply control, communication control, communication cutoff control, and power supply cutoff control.

The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 identifies the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started based on the acquired information (S102). If the acquired information, i.e., the received signal or communication data, includes information related to the requested function or service, the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 identifies the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started, which performs processing related to the service, based on the information related to the service. The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 may identify the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started, for example, by referring to a connection form table stored in the memory unit 12.

The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 identifies other in-vehicle ECUs 2 connected to the same communication line 31 as the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started (S103). If the in-vehicle network 3 is configured, for example, with multiple communication lines 31 (CAN buses), it is assumed that multiple in-vehicle ECUs 2 are connected to each CAN bus. The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 may, for example, refer to a connection form table stored in the memory unit 12 to identify other in-vehicle ECUs 2 other than the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started that are connected to the same communication line 31 (CAN bus) as the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started.

Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of a connection configuration table showing the connection configuration of the on-board ECU 2. In a storage area accessible by the control unit 11 of the on-board device 1, such as the storage unit 12 of the on-board device 1, connection configuration information showing the connection configuration of each on-board ECU 2 is stored, for example, in table format (connection configuration table). When the on-board device 1 functions as a relay device such as a CAN gateway, the connection configuration table may be configured as part of route information (routing table) that the on-board device 1 refers to when performing relay processing (routing processing). The connection configuration table includes ECU ID, bus number, terminal number, and service name as management items (fields).

The ECU ID management item stores an identification number (ID) that uniquely identifies all on-board ECUs 2 connected to the on-board network 3. The identification number (ID) may be the serial number (SN) of the on-board ECU 2. If the communication protocol in the on-board network 3 is TCP/IP, the identification number (ID) may be the IP address or MAC address of the on-board ECU 2. The control unit 11 of the on-board device 1 can uniquely identify each on-board ECU 2 by using the ECU ID.

The bus number management item stores the number of the communication line 31 (CAN bus) to which the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 identified by the ECU ID in the same record is connected. The bus number corresponds to the device number of each communication unit 13 provided in the vehicle-mounted device 1. The control unit 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 1 can use the bus number to identify multiple vehicle-mounted ECUs 2 connected to the same communication line 31 (CAN bus).

The terminal number management item stores the terminal number of the input/output I/F 14 connected to the communication unit power supply IC 231 of the in-vehicle ECU 2 identified by the ECU ID in the same record. Each signal line 140 extending from the input/output I/F 14 of the in-vehicle device 1 is connected to each communication unit power supply IC 231 of the in-vehicle ECU 2. The input/output I/F 14 includes multiple terminals, and each signal line 140 extending to each communication unit power supply IC 231 is connected to an individual terminal. By using the terminal number, the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 can identify the in-vehicle ECU 2 having the communication unit 23 to which power supply is to be cut off.

The service name management item stores the name of the service performed by the in-vehicle ECU 2 identified by the ECU ID in the same record. The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 can use the service name to identify the in-vehicle ECU 2 that corresponds to (performs) the service or function to be executed.

The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 outputs a shutoff signal to the identified other in-vehicle ECU 2 (S104). The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 identifies the other in-vehicle ECU 2 that is connected to the same communication line 31 (CAN bus) as the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started, for example by referring to a connection form table, and identifies the terminal number of the input/output I/F 14 that corresponds to the communication unit power supply IC 231 of the other in-vehicle ECU 2.

The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 outputs a cutoff signal to the power supply IC 231 for the communication unit from the terminal of the specified terminal number (terminal of the input/output I/F 14). If the power supply IC 231 for the communication unit is configured, for example, as a semiconductor relay or a mechanical relay, the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 outputs an off signal (cutoff signal) that turns off the semiconductor relay or the like from the terminal of the specified terminal number. The power supply IC 231 for the communication unit may, for example, be one that is always on (powered). Then, upon receiving the cutoff signal from the in-vehicle device 1, the power supply IC 231 for the communication unit cuts off the power supply to the communication unit 23. As a result, the communication unit 23 becomes unpowered and stops operating, and the in-vehicle ECU 2 is disconnected from the communication line 31 (in-vehicle network 3). Therefore, even if a wake-up signal or other start-up signal output from the in-vehicle device 1 is transmitted through the communication line 31, the wake-up signal does not reach the in-vehicle ECU 2.

Although the communication unit power supply IC 231 has been described as being constantly on (power supplying), this is not limiting. The communication unit power supply IC 231 may be constantly off (shut off). In this case, the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 may output a supply signal (on signal) to the communication unit power supply IC 231 connected to the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started, transitioning the communication unit 23 to a power supply state, and putting the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started into a state in which it can receive a start signal (wake-up signal).

The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 outputs a start signal (wake-up signal) to the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started via the in-vehicle network 3 (S105). The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 outputs a disconnection signal to the communication unit power supply IC 231 of the in-vehicle ECU 2 to the other in-vehicle ECU 2 connected to the same communication line 31 (CAN bus) as the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started, thereby disconnecting the other in-vehicle ECU 2 from the communication line 31 (in-vehicle network 3). While maintaining the disconnected state, the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 outputs a start signal (wake-up signal) to the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started via the in-vehicle network 3. As a result, the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started transitions from a sleep state (stopped or standby state) to a wake-up state (started state) and starts processing to perform the service or function to be executed.

When the in-vehicle network 3 uses, for example, a CAN protocol, the in-vehicle network 3 is composed of multiple communication lines 31 (CAN buses). In this case, when a wake-up signal is transmitted in any of the CAN buses, all the in-vehicle ECUs 2 connected to the CAN buses transition from a sleep state to a wake-up state. For example, when a specific function or service is used only when the vehicle C is parked (stopped), it is necessary to start the in-vehicle ECU 2 that handles the processing related to the service, that is, transition to a wake-up state. In this case, when a wake-up signal is transmitted to the CAN bus to which the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started is connected, all the in-vehicle ECUs 2 connected to the CAN bus receive the wake-up signal and start up (transition to a wake-up state). In this case, power is supplied not only to the in-vehicle ECU 2 corresponding to the service to be used, but also to all the in-vehicle ECUs 2 connected to the same CAN bus as the in-vehicle ECU 2, which consumes more power (current increases) than the service, etc. that is originally intended to be used.

In contrast, by using the in-vehicle device 1 of this embodiment, the power supply to the communication unit 23 of the other in-vehicle ECU 2 other than the in-vehicle ECU 2 corresponding to the service being used is cut off. As a result, the communication unit 23 of the other in-vehicle ECU 2 is put into a non-powered state and stops operating, and the connection (communication path) between the in-vehicle ECU 2 and the communication line 31 (CAN bus) is cut off and becomes disconnected. This allows these other in-vehicle ECUs 2 to maintain a sleep state without receiving a startup signal (wake-up signal), and it is possible to suppress power consumption by these in-vehicle ECUs 2 that are not to be started.

(Embodiment 2)
6 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of an in-vehicle ECU 2 according to embodiment 2 (signal control + other circuit power supply IC). The in-vehicle ECU 2 according to embodiment 2 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, and a control unit power supply IC 211, as in embodiment 1. The in-vehicle ECU 2 further includes a switching circuit 232. The communication unit 23 is connected to the switching circuit 232, and power is supplied from the power supply device 4 to the communication unit 23 via the switching circuit 232.

The power line 41 extending from the power supply device 4 to the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 is connected to the power supply IC 211 for the control unit. The power supply IC 211 for the control unit supplies drive power to the control unit 21 and also supplies drive power to the communication unit 23 via the switching circuit 232. That is, the power line 41 connected to the power supply IC 211 for the control unit is branched inside the power supply IC 211 for the control unit, and each of the branched power lines 41 is connected to the control unit 11 and the switching circuit 232. The power supply IC 211 for the control unit may function as a regulator or the like that reduces the voltage applied from the power supply device 4 to a drive voltage for the microcomputer constituting the control unit 11, etc., and also to a drive voltage for the communication unit 23, such as a CAN transceiver.

The switching circuit 232 is composed of, for example, a semiconductor relay or a mechanical relay, and is connected to the in-vehicle device 1 by a signal line 140 so as to be able to communicate with the in-vehicle device 1 in the same manner as the communication unit power supply IC 231 in the first embodiment. The switching circuit 232 switches the current path (semiconductor relay, etc.) in the circuit in response to a signal output (transmitted) from the in-vehicle device 1, and transitions between a power supply state in which power from the control unit power supply IC 211 is supplied to the communication unit 23 and a non-power supply state in which power from the control unit power supply IC 211 is not supplied to the communication unit 23 and is cut off. That is, the switching circuit 232 is in a non-power supply state when a cut-off signal is received from the in-vehicle device 1, and is in a power supply state when a supply signal is received from the in-vehicle device 1. In this way, the communication unit 23 corresponds to the control of cutting off the power supply by being connected to the switching circuit 232.

(Embodiment 3)
Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an in-vehicle system S including an in-vehicle device 1 according to embodiment 3 (power supply + CAN power supply IC). Fig. 8 is a block diagram illustrating the internal configuration of an in-vehicle device 1. Fig. 9 is a block diagram illustrating the internal configuration of an in-vehicle ECU 2. The in-vehicle system S of embodiment 3 is configured with an in-vehicle device 1 and an in-vehicle ECU 2 mounted on a vehicle C, as in embodiment 1, and an in-vehicle network 3 that communicatively connects them. The in-vehicle device 1 and the in-vehicle ECU 2 are connected to a power supply device 4 by a power supply line 41, and power is supplied from the power supply device 4 via the power supply line 41.

The vehicle-mounted device 1 and the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 are connected by a power supply line 151, and power is supplied to the communication unit 23 of the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 by the vehicle-mounted device 1 via the power supply line 151. The vehicle-mounted device 1 transitions the communication unit 23 of the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 to a powered state or a non-powered state by supplying or cutting off power via the power supply line 151.

The in-vehicle device 1 includes a control unit 11, a memory unit 12, a communication unit 13, and an input/output I/F 14, as in the first embodiment, and further includes a power output unit 15. A power line 41 extending from the power supply device 4 branches inside the in-vehicle device 1, and each of the branched power lines 41 is connected to the control unit 11 and the power output unit 15. The power output unit 15 has a plurality of power output terminals, and outputs input power from each of the power output terminals. Each of the power output terminals is connected to a power supply line 151 extending to each of the in-vehicle ECUs 2, and a relay 152 is disposed on each of these power supply lines 151.

The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 controls the on/off of the relay 152 arranged on the power supply line 151 to transition the communication unit 23 of the in-vehicle ECU 2 connected to the power supply line 151 to a power supplying state or a non-power supplying state. In other words, the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 controls the state (power supplying state or non-power supplying state) of the communication unit 23 of the in-vehicle ECU 2 by controlling the output (power supply) or stop (cut-off) of power from each power output terminal. In this case, the terminal number management item of the connection form table stores the terminal number of the power output terminal of the power output unit 15, or the number of the relay 152 connected to the power output terminal.

In this embodiment, the relays 152 are provided outside the power output unit 15, but this is not limited thereto, and the relays 152 may be provided inside the power output unit 15. Also, the power output unit 15 is provided with a power output terminal, but this is not limited thereto, and the input/output I/F 14 may be provided with a power output terminal. In this case, a power supply line 151 is connected to the power output terminal provided on the input/output I/F 14, and power is supplied from the in-vehicle device 1 to the communication unit 23 of each in-vehicle ECU 2 via the power supply line 151.

As in the first embodiment, the in-vehicle ECU 2 includes a control unit 21, a memory unit 22, a communication unit 23, a power supply IC 211 for the control unit, and a power supply IC 231 for the communication unit. The power supply IC 231 for the communication unit is not connected to the power supply line 41 that extends from the power supply device 4 to the in-vehicle ECU 2, i.e., the power supply line 41 that is connected to the power supply IC 211 for the control unit, but is connected to a power supply line 151 that extends from the in-vehicle device 1. In the in-vehicle ECU 2, the power supply path to the microcomputer that constitutes the control unit 21 and the memory unit 22, etc., and the power supply path to the communication unit 23 are configured as separate systems.

The communication unit power supply IC 231 operates using power supplied from the in-vehicle device 1 via the power supply line 151 as driving power, and may further function as a regulator that reduces the supplied power to a driving voltage of the communication unit 23 such as a CAN transceiver. The communication unit power supply IC 231 transitions between a power supply state in which power is supplied to the communication unit 23 and a non-power supply state in which power is not supplied to the communication unit 23, depending on whether or not power is supplied from the in-vehicle device 1. The communication unit 23 of the in-vehicle ECU 2 is driven by power supplied from the communication unit power supply IC 231 as in the first embodiment. The communication unit 23 of the in-vehicle ECU 2 transitions between a power supply state and a non-power supply state depending on whether or not power is supplied to the communication unit power supply IC 231 from the in-vehicle device 1. In this way, the communication unit 23 corresponds to the control of cutting off the power supply by being connected to the communication unit power supply IC 231.

(Embodiment 4)
10 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of an in-vehicle ECU 2 according to a fourth embodiment (power supply + other circuit power supply IC). The in-vehicle ECU 2 according to the fourth embodiment includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, and a power supply IC 211 for the control unit, as in the third embodiment. The communication unit 23 of the in-vehicle ECU 2 is connected to the power output unit 15 of the in-vehicle device 1 via a power supply line 151, and is supplied with power from the in-vehicle device 1. That is, in the in-vehicle ECU 2, the power supply path to the microcomputer constituting the control unit 21, the storage unit 22, etc. and the power supply path to the communication unit 23 are configured as separate systems.

The power output unit 15 of the in-vehicle device 1 reduces the voltage applied from the power supply device 4 to a drive voltage for the communication unit 23 of the in-vehicle ECU 2, and may have the same function as the communication unit power supply IC 231 of embodiment 3. The communication unit 23 of the in-vehicle ECU 2 is driven by power supplied from the power output unit 15 of the in-vehicle device 1 via a power supply line 151. The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 controls the state (power supply state or non-power supply state) of the communication unit 23 of the in-vehicle ECU 2 by controlling the output (power supply) or stop (cut-off) of power from each power output terminal. In this way, the communication unit 23 corresponds to the control to cut off the power supply by being connected to the in-vehicle device 1 via the power supply line 151.

(Embodiment 5)
11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an in-vehicle system S including an in-vehicle device 1 according to a fifth embodiment (cost-conscious type). The in-vehicle system S of this embodiment is configured with an in-vehicle device 1, an in-vehicle ECU 2, and an in-vehicle network 3 that communicatively connects them, as in the first embodiment. In the in-vehicle system S of this embodiment, an in-vehicle ECU 2 having a communication unit 23 that supports control to cut off power supply and an in-vehicle ECU 2 having a communication unit 23 that does not support control to cut off power supply are mixed.

In each of the multiple communication lines 31 (CAN bus) that make up the in-vehicle network 3, only the in-vehicle ECUs 2 other than the in-vehicle ECUs 2 whose power consumption is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold have a communication unit 23 that supports control to cut off power supply. Therefore, the in-vehicle ECUs 2 whose power consumption is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold have a communication unit 23 that does not support control to cut off power supply, and the in-vehicle ECUs 2 are configured to be able to constantly receive a wake-up signal transmitted from the in-vehicle device 1. The signal line 140 or power supply line 151 extending from the in-vehicle device 1 is not connected to the in-vehicle ECUs 2 that have a communication unit 23 that does not support control to cut off power supply in this way.

In such a connection form, among multiple vehicle-mounted ECUs 2 connected to the same CAN bus, the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 with the smallest power consumption may be set as the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 with power consumption equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. For example, when three vehicle-mounted ECUs 2 (A, B, C) are connected to the same CAN bus, the power consumption (W) is assumed to be smallest in the order of ECU (A), ECU (B), and ECU (C) (ECU (A) > ECU (B) > ECU (C)). In this case, the product cost can be reduced by having only the ECU (C) with the smallest power consumption have a communication unit 23 that does not correspond to the control to cut off the power supply. In other words, by allowing the power consumption by the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 with the smallest power consumption, it is possible to eliminate the need for the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 (the vehicle-mounted ECU 2 with the smallest power consumption) to have a communication unit 23 that corresponds to the control to cut off the power supply, which is relatively expensive, and further, the power supply line 151 or the signal line 140 connected to the vehicle-mounted device 1 can also be eliminated. This allows the manufacturing costs of the vehicle C to be reduced, and a cost-conscious in-vehicle system S can be constructed.

Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1. The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 steadily performs the following processing when the vehicle C is started (IG switch 141 is on) or stopped (IG switch 141 is off).

The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 acquires information about the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started (S201). The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 identifies the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started based on the acquired information (S202). The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 performs the processes S201 to S202 in the same manner as the processes S101 to S102 of the first embodiment.

The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 identifies other in-vehicle ECUs 2 that are connected to the same communication line 31 as the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started and have a communication unit 23 that supports the control to cut off the power supply (S203). In this embodiment, not all in-vehicle ECUs 2 connected to the in-vehicle network 3 have a communication unit 23 that supports the control to cut off the power supply, and in-vehicle ECUs 2 that have a communication unit 23 that supports the control to cut off the power supply are mixed. It is assumed that the power consumption of the multiple in-vehicle ECUs 2 connected to the same communication line 31 (CAN bus) is different. In this case, among the multiple in-vehicle ECUs 2 connected to the same CAN bus, only the in-vehicle ECUs 2 other than the in-vehicle ECUs 2 that consume less than a predetermined threshold may have a communication unit 23 that supports the control to cut off the power supply. Furthermore, among multiple on-board ECUs 2 connected to the same communication line 31 (CAN bus), the on-board ECU 2 with the lowest power consumption may have a communication unit 23 that does not support control to cut off the power supply, and the communication unit 23 may be connected in a manner that allows it to be constantly powered (capable of receiving a wake-up signal at all times).

In such a connection configuration, the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 identifies the other in-vehicle ECU 2 that is connected to the same communication line 31 as the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started and has a communication unit 23 that supports control to cut off the power supply. The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 may identify the other in-vehicle ECU 2, for example, by referring to a connection configuration table stored in the memory unit 12.

Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram of a connection form table showing the connection form of the in-vehicle ECU 2. The connection form table includes, as management items (fields), the ECU ID, bus number, terminal number, and service name, as in embodiment 1, and further includes the connection form. The management items of the ECU ID, bus number, terminal number, and service name store the same items as in embodiment 1.

The connection type management item stores, for an on-board ECU 2 identified by the ECU ID in the same record, whether the on-board ECU 2 has a communication unit 23 that supports control to cut off power supply, i.e., whether or not the on-board ECU 2 has a communication unit 23 that supports control to cut off power supply. An on-board ECU 2 with a connection type has a communication unit 23 that supports control to cut off power supply. An on-board ECU 2 with a connection type does not have a communication unit 23 that supports control to cut off power supply, and has a communication unit 23 that does not support control to cut off power supply. An on-board ECU 2 with a connection type that does not have a communication unit 23 that supports control to cut off power supply corresponds to an on-board ECU 2 with the lowest power consumption among multiple on-board ECUs 2 connected to the communication line 31 (CAN bus) to which the on-board ECU 2 is connected.

By referring to the connection form table, the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 can efficiently identify other in-vehicle ECUs 2 (connection form: yes) that are connected to the same communication line 31 as the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started and have a communication unit 23 that supports control to cut off the power supply. In this embodiment, among multiple in-vehicle ECUs 2 connected to each communication line 31 (CAN bus), the in-vehicle ECU 2 that consumes the least amount of power does not need to have a relatively expensive communication unit 23 that supports control to cut off the power supply, thereby reducing product costs.

The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 outputs a cutoff signal to the identified other in-vehicle ECU 2 (S204). The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 outputs a cutoff signal to the communication unit power supply IC 231 or the switching circuit 232 connected to the communication unit 23 according to the connection form of the communication unit 23 in the identified other in-vehicle ECU 2. As a result, the communication unit 23 of the identified other in-vehicle ECU 2 is in a non-powered state. Alternatively, if the in-vehicle device 1 is in a form in which power is supplied to the communication unit 23 or the communication unit power supply IC 231 of the in-vehicle ECU 2, the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 cuts off (stops) the power supply to the communication unit 23, etc. As a result, the communication unit 23 of the identified other in-vehicle ECU 2 is in a non-powered state. The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 outputs a start signal (wake-up signal) to the in-vehicle ECU 2 to be started via the in-vehicle network 3 (S205). The control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 performs the processes from S204 to S205 in the same manner as the processes from S104 to S105 in the first embodiment.

(Embodiment 6)
14 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an in-vehicle system S including an in-vehicle device 1 according to a sixth embodiment (cost-first type). The in-vehicle system S of this embodiment is configured with an in-vehicle device 1, an in-vehicle ECU 2, and an in-vehicle network 3 that communicatively connects them, as in the first embodiment. In the in-vehicle system S of this embodiment, an in-vehicle ECU 2 having a communication unit 23 that supports control to cut off power supply and an in-vehicle ECU 2 having a communication unit 23 that does not support control to cut off power supply are mixed.

On each of the multiple communication lines 31 (CAN bus) constituting the in-vehicle network 3, only the in-vehicle ECUs 2 whose power consumption is greater than a predetermined threshold have a communication unit 23 that supports control to cut off the power supply. Therefore, the in-vehicle ECUs 2 whose power consumption is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold have a communication unit 23 that does not support control to cut off the power supply, and the in-vehicle ECUs 2 are configured to be able to constantly receive a wake-up signal transmitted from the in-vehicle device 1. The signal line 140 or power supply line 151 extending from the in-vehicle device 1 is not connected to the in-vehicle ECUs 2 having a communication unit 23 that does not support control to cut off the power supply in this manner.

In such a connection configuration, the vehicle ECU 2 with the highest power consumption among multiple vehicle ECUs 2 connected to the same CAN bus may be set as the vehicle ECU 2 with power consumption greater than a predetermined threshold. For example, when three vehicle ECUs 2 (A, B, C) are connected to the same CAN bus, the power consumption (W) is set to be smallest in the order of ECU (A), ECU (B), and ECU (C) (ECU (A) > ECU (B) > ECU (C)). In this case, only ECU (A), which consumes the most power, has a communication unit 23 that supports control to cut off the power supply, and ECU (B) and ECU (C) can have a communication unit 23 that does not support control to cut off the power supply, which is relatively inexpensive.

In this way, by having a communication unit 23 that supports control to cut off the power supply only to the in-vehicle ECU 2 with the highest power consumption, a cost-prioritized in-vehicle system S that aims to further reduce product costs can be configured. In the in-vehicle system S of this embodiment, the control unit 11 of the in-vehicle device 1 may control the communication unit 23, the power supply IC 231 for the communication unit, or the switching circuit 232 according to a flowchart similar to that of embodiment 5.

The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered limiting. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the meaning described above, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims.

The claims may be combined with each other regardless of the form of reference. The claims may contain multiple dependent claims that depend on multiple claims. Multiple dependent claims that depend on multiple dependent claims may be contained. If multiple dependent claims that depend on multiple dependent claims are not contained, this does not limit the description of multiple dependent claims that depend on multiple dependent claims.

C Vehicle
S: in-vehicle system; 1: in-vehicle device; 11: control unit; 12: storage unit; M: recording medium; P: control program (program product);
13 Communication unit 14 Input/output I/F
140 Signal line 141 IG switch 15 Power output unit 151 Power supply line 152 Relay 2 On-board ECU
21 Control unit 211 Power supply IC for control unit (microcomputer power supply IC)
22 Memory section 23 Communication section 231 Power supply IC for communication section
232 Switching circuit 3 In-vehicle network 31 Communication line 4 Power supply device 41 Power line

Claims (10)

An in-vehicle device communicably connected to a plurality of in-vehicle ECUs connected to an in-vehicle network,
A control unit that performs processing related to communication with the in-vehicle ECU,
The in-vehicle ECU has a communication unit for connecting to the in-vehicle network,
The control unit is
Obtaining information about the in-vehicle ECU to be activated;
Identifying the in-vehicle ECU to be started based on the acquired information;
performing control to cut off power supply to the communication unit of the in-vehicle ECU other than the activation target in-vehicle ECU;
an in-vehicle device that outputs a start signal to the in-vehicle ECU to be started via the in-vehicle network; The in-vehicle network is configured with a plurality of communication lines,
The control unit is
Identifying another vehicle-mounted ECU connected to the same communication line as the vehicle-mounted ECU to be started;
The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a control for cutting off power supply to the communication unit of the identified other in-vehicle ECU. The in-vehicle ECU and the in-vehicle device are connected by a signal line,
The in-vehicle device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit performs control to cut off power supply to the communication unit of the in-vehicle ECU by transmitting a cutoff signal via the signal line. a power supply line for supplying power to the communication unit is connected to the on-board ECU,
The in-vehicle device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit performs control to cut off power supply to the communication unit of the in-vehicle ECU by turning off a relay disposed in the power supply line. 5. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of in-vehicle ECUs include an in-vehicle ECU having the communication unit that corresponds to a control to cut off power supply, and an in-vehicle ECU having the communication unit that does not correspond to a control to cut off power supply. The in-vehicle network is configured with a plurality of communication lines,
The in-vehicle device according to claim 5 , wherein among the plurality of in-vehicle ECUs connected to any of the communication lines, an in-vehicle ECU other than an in-vehicle ECU whose power consumption is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold has the communication unit that supports control to cut off power supply. The in-vehicle network is configured with a plurality of communication lines,
The in-vehicle device according to claim 5 , wherein an in-vehicle ECU having a power consumption greater than a predetermined threshold among the plurality of in-vehicle ECUs connected to any one of the communication lines has the communication unit that supports control to cut off power supply. a storage unit in which connection form information indicating whether each of the plurality of on-board ECUs is an on-board ECU having the communication unit corresponding to a control for cutting off power supply, or an on-board ECU having the communication unit not corresponding to a control for cutting off power supply, is stored;
The in-vehicle device according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit refers to the connection form information stored in the storage unit to identify an in-vehicle ECU that is to be subjected to control for cutting off power supply to the communication unit. A plurality of vehicle-mounted ECUs connected to an in-vehicle network and a computer connected to the in-vehicle network in a communicable manner,
Obtaining information about the in-vehicle ECU to be activated;
Identifying the in-vehicle ECU to be started based on the acquired information;
performing control to cut off power supply to a communication unit of an in-vehicle ECU other than the in-vehicle ECU to be started;
an information processing method for causing the in-vehicle ECU to execute a process of outputting a start signal via the in-vehicle network to the in-vehicle ECU to be started. An in-vehicle system including a plurality of in-vehicle ECUs and in-vehicle devices connected to an in-vehicle network,
The in-vehicle ECU has a communication unit for connecting to the in-vehicle network,
The in-vehicle device includes:
Obtaining information about the in-vehicle ECU to be activated;
Identifying the in-vehicle ECU to be started based on the acquired information;
performing control to cut off power supply to the communication unit of the in-vehicle ECU other than the activation target in-vehicle ECU;
an in-vehicle system that outputs a start signal to the in-vehicle ECU to be started via the in-vehicle network;

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