WO2016111213A1

WO2016111213A1 - In-vehicle relay device and relay method

Info

Publication number: WO2016111213A1
Application number: PCT/JP2015/086445
Authority: WO
Inventors: 正志渡部
Original assignee: 株式会社オートネットワーク技術研究所; 住友電装株式会社; 住友電気工業株式会社
Priority date: 2015-01-06
Filing date: 2015-12-26
Publication date: 2016-07-14
Also published as: JP2016124455A

Abstract

Provided are an in-vehicle relay device and a relay method that enable switching between a low-power-consumption operation and a high-throughput operation in accordance with an operating state of a vehicle. A gateway transmits data received via each communication bus to other communication buses to relay communication between the communication buses. The gateway determines an operating state of the vehicle on the basis of data received via the respective communication buses during the relay processing. The gateway determines, in accordance with the determined operating state, an execution condition for a processor to execute a control program and switches to processing to be performed under the determined execution condition.

Description

In-vehicle relay device and relay method

The present invention relates to an in-vehicle relay device that relays communication between a plurality of communication lines to which in-vehicle devices are connected, and a relay method using the in-vehicle relay device.

Conventionally, with the increase of in-vehicle devices mounted on vehicles, in-vehicle networks for transmitting and receiving information between in-vehicle devices are becoming large-scale. For this reason, in-vehicle networks are divided into a plurality of parts, and information transmission / reception between the in-vehicle networks is relayed using an in-vehicle relay device such as a gateway.

By the way, each vehicle-mounted device is supplied with electric power generated by the engine while the vehicle engine is operating, but is supplied with electric power stored in the battery while the engine is stopped. Therefore, while the engine is stopped, power consumption by the in-vehicle device is reduced by stopping unnecessary in-vehicle devices. Moreover, the structure which reduces the power consumption by a vehicle-mounted apparatus is proposed by lowering | hanging the clock frequency in a vehicle-mounted apparatus and reducing the processing speed in a vehicle-mounted apparatus during an engine stop (for example, refer patent document 1). In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the operation to the on state or the operation to the off state is performed on the ignition switch, the clock frequency in the in-vehicle device is increased or decreased.

JP 2009-40280 A

However, gateways that relay between multiple in-vehicle networks often do not have an ignition switch. In a vehicle-mounted device such as a gateway that does not include an ignition switch, the clock frequency cannot be changed in accordance with an operation on the ignition switch. Therefore, such an in-vehicle device has a limit in reducing power consumption.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances. And the place made into the objective is to provide the vehicle-mounted relay apparatus and the relay method which can further reduce the power consumption in a vehicle-mounted apparatus.

The in-vehicle relay device according to the present invention includes a processor having a plurality of processor cores and executing a control program at a predetermined clock frequency in at least one of the processor cores, and at least one in-vehicle device is connected thereto. In an in-vehicle relay device that relays communication between a plurality of communication lines, an acquisition unit that acquires information via the communication line, and an operation state of a vehicle on which the device is mounted is determined based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit. A detecting unit for detecting, a determining unit for determining a core number and / or a clock frequency of a processor core used when the processor executes a control program according to an operation state detected by the detecting unit; A processor core having the determined number of cores and / or an execution control unit that instructs the processor to execute a control program at a clock frequency. And wherein the door.

According to the present invention, an in-vehicle relay device that relays communication between a plurality of communication lines includes a processor having a plurality of processor cores. The in-vehicle relay device detects the operation state of the vehicle based on the information acquired through the communication line, and the number of cores and / or the clock of the processor core when the processor executes the control program according to the detected operation state Switch the frequency. When the number of processor cores to be used is small or the clock frequency is low, the power consumption by the in-vehicle relay device can be reduced. Further, when there are many processor cores to be used or when the clock frequency is high, the processing capability of the in-vehicle relay device is high, so that the control program can be reliably executed. Therefore, according to the operation state of the vehicle, it is possible to switch between giving priority to power saving and giving priority to execution of the control program.

The detection unit of the in-vehicle relay device according to the present invention is characterized in that the operation state of the vehicle is detected based on information related to the operation state of the in-vehicle device.

According to the present invention, the in-vehicle relay device relays transmission / reception of information related to the operation state of the in-vehicle device between a plurality of communication lines. The in-vehicle relay device detects the operation state of the vehicle based on such information. Therefore, the in-vehicle relay device can switch between the operation with low power consumption and the operation with high processing capacity according to the operation state of the vehicle detected based on the operation state of the in-vehicle device.

The detection unit of the in-vehicle relay device according to the present invention is configured to detect an operation state of the vehicle based on information related to an operation on an ignition switch, a brake pedal, or a shift lever of the vehicle. To do.

According to the present invention, the in-vehicle relay device relays transmission / reception of information related to an operation of an ignition switch, a brake pedal, or a shift lever of a vehicle between a plurality of communication lines. The in-vehicle relay device detects the operation state of the vehicle based on such information. When an operation is performed on the ignition switch, the brake pedal, or the shift lever, the power state (power supply state) of the vehicle changes. For example, when the ignition switch is turned on while the brake pedal is depressed while the engine is stopped, the engine is driven. In addition, when the ignition switch is turned on while the brake pedal is not depressed while the engine is stopped, power is supplied to in-vehicle devices such as a car audio and a car navigation device. Therefore, it is possible to switch between the operation with low power consumption and the operation with high processing capacity in accordance with the operation state including the power supply state of the vehicle.

The in-vehicle relay device according to the present invention further includes a connection unit capable of connecting an output device that outputs a rewriting program for rewriting a control program executed in the in-vehicle device, and the detection unit outputs the output to the connection unit. When the apparatus is connected, it is detected that the control program executed by the in-vehicle device is being rewritten.

According to the present invention, the in-vehicle relay device can be connected to an output device that outputs a rewriting program for rewriting a control program executed in the in-vehicle device. When the output device is connected to the connection unit, the in-vehicle relay device detects that the control program is being rewritten and switches to the number of processor cores and / or the clock frequency according to the detected operation state. . Therefore, when the control program is rewritten, it is possible to perform processing with the number of cores and / or the clock frequency suitable for the rewriting processing.

The relay method according to the present invention includes a plurality of processor cores, and an in-vehicle relay device including a processor that executes a control program at a predetermined clock frequency in at least one of the processor cores. In the relay method for relaying communication between a plurality of connected communication lines, the on-vehicle relay device detects an operation state of a vehicle on which the device is mounted based on information acquired via the communication line; The step of determining the number of cores and / or the clock frequency of the processor core used when the processor executes the control program according to the detected operating state, and the vehicle-mounted relay device determines A processor instructing the processor to execute a control program at the number of processor cores and / or clock frequency. Tsu, characterized in that it comprises a flop.

According to the present invention, it is possible to switch between an operation with low power consumption and an operation with high processing capability in the in-vehicle relay device according to the operation state of the vehicle.

In the present invention, power consumption can be reduced even in an in-vehicle relay device that relays communication between a plurality of communication lines. Further, it is possible to realize an in-vehicle relay device that can switch between an operation with low power consumption and an operation with high processing capacity in accordance with the operation state of the vehicle.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the vehicle-mounted communication system containing the vehicle-mounted relay apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structural example of an execution condition table. It is a block diagram which shows the function structural example of a gateway. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the process which a gateway performs.

Hereinafter, an in-vehicle relay device and a relay method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing embodiments thereof. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an in-vehicle communication system including an in-vehicle relay device according to the present invention. The in-vehicle communication system according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of communication buses (communication lines) 2 to 5 and a plurality of ECUs (Electronic Control Units) 2a to 2c, 3a to 3c, and 4a to each of the communication buses 2 to 5. 4c, 5a to 5c, and a gateway (on-vehicle relay device) 1 that relays communication between the communication buses 2 to 5 and the like. In the example shown in FIG. 1, four communication buses 2 to 5 are provided, and each of the communication buses 2 to 5 has three ECUs (vehicle equipment) 2a to 2c, 3a to 3c, 4a to 4c, and 5a to 5c. Is connected. However, the number of communication buses is not limited to four if the number is two or more, and is not limited to three if the number of ECUs connected to each of the communication buses 2 to 5 is one or more. Hereinafter, the ECUs 2a to 2c, 3a to 3c, 4a to 4c, and 5a to 5c may be simply referred to as ECUs.

Communication via the communication buses 2 to 5 is performed based on communication standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or LIN (Local Interconnect Network). Each of the communication buses 2 to 5 is classified according to the type of control target of the connected ECU. For example, each of the communication buses 2 to 5 includes a control system ECU that controls an engine control mechanism, a transmission mechanism, and the like, a chassis ECU that controls a power control mechanism, a travel control mechanism, a door lock mechanism, a power ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance 制御 System) for controlling advanced driver assistance systems such as body ECUs for controlling windows, lamp control mechanisms, etc., information system ECUs for controlling car audio and car navigation systems, and collision avoidance mechanisms ) System ECU or the like is connected. The ECUs connected to the respective communication buses 2 to 5 implement various processes by exchanging data with each other via the communication buses 2 to 5. Each communication bus 2 to 5 may be connected not only to the ECU but also to in-vehicle devices such as various motors, actuators, and sensors.

Each ECU includes a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as a microcomputer) and a communication interface (not shown), and is connected to the communication buses 2 to 5 through the communication interface. The microcomputer of each ECU includes a processor such as an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) or a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory or the like (not shown) that stores a control program for the processor to realize an operation as each ECU. Prepare. The processor of each microcomputer implement | achieves operation | movement as each ECU by running the control program memorize | stored in memory.
The microcomputer of each ECU has a communication controller function, and receives data transmitted via the communication buses 2 to 5 and transmits data to be transmitted. Each ECU may be connected to a sensor or an actuator (not shown). In this case, the microcomputer of each ECU transmits data including information acquired by the sensor or the like to the communication buses 2 to 5, and based on the information included in the data received via the communication buses 2 to 5, Control the behavior.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, an ignition switch (IG switch) 6 is connected to the ECU 5a, a brake pedal 7 is connected to the ECU 5b, and a shift lever 8 is connected to the ECU 5c. As for the brake pedal 7 and the shift lever 8, a sensor for detecting an operation on the brake pedal 7 is actually connected to the ECU 5b, and a sensor for detecting an operation on the shift lever 8 is connected to the ECU 5c. When the vehicle includes a parking switch (parking button) instead of the parking position of the shift lever 8, the parking switch is also connected to the ECU 5c. In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, for example, when the ECU 5 a detects that an operation has been performed on the ignition switch 6, the ECU 5 a transmits data indicating that the ignition switch 6 has been operated to the communication bus 5. The ECU 5b detects whether the brake pedal 7 is operated, and transmits data indicating whether the brake pedal 7 is operated (whether the brake pedal 7 is depressed) to the communication bus 5. When a sensor capable of detecting the amount of depression of the brake pedal 7 is connected to the ECU 5b, the ECU 5b may transmit data indicating the amount of depression of the brake pedal 7 to the communication bus 5. When the ECU 5 c detects that the operation has been performed on the shift lever 8, the ECU 5 c transmits data indicating the shift position of the shift lever 8 after the operation to the communication bus 5.

The ignition switch 6 is, for example, a push button type switch, and is a switch for starting a vehicle engine. The ignition switch 6 is configured to allow stepwise operation. For example, when the ignition switch 6 is operated (pressed) while the ignition switch 6 is off (engine stopped), the engine does not start and power is supplied to in-vehicle devices such as a car audio and a car navigation device mounted on the vehicle. Transitions to a state in which is supplied and activated. When the ignition switch 6 is operated again from this state, the engine is not started, and a transition is made to a state in which electric power is supplied to in-vehicle devices such as an air conditioner and a power window. Further, when the ignition switch 6 is operated with the brake pedal 7 being depressed, the engine is started. The ignition switch 6, the brake pedal 7, and the shift lever 8 are not limited to the configuration connected to the ECUs 5a to 5c connected to the same communication bus 5, but may be connected to ECUs connected to different communication buses 2 to 5, respectively. Good.

The gateway 1 includes a control unit 10, a storage unit 15, a communication interface 16, and the like, and each unit is connected via a bus.
The control unit 10 includes a processor 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a clock generation unit 14, and the like. The processor 11 is configured by an MPU, a CPU, or the like, and is a multiprocessor having a plurality of processor cores. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the processor 11 of the present embodiment has three processor cores of the first core to the third core, but the number of processor cores included in the processor 11 is not limited to three.

The processor 11 reads out the control program stored in the ROM 12 or the storage unit 15 to the RAM 13 and executes it using at least one of the three processor cores. Thereby, the processor 11 controls the operation of each part of the gateway 1 to realize the operation as the gateway 1.
The ROM 12 is a non-volatile memory such as a mask ROM or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), and stores in advance a control program and various data for the processor 11 to realize the operation as the gateway 1. The RAM 13 is a rewritable memory such as DRAM (Dynamic RAM) or SRAM (Static RAM), and temporarily stores data generated when the processor 11 executes the control program.

The clock generation unit 14 includes, for example, an oscillation circuit that uses a crystal resonator or a ceramic resonator, and a frequency dividing circuit that divides a clock signal generated by the oscillation circuit. The clock generation unit 14 supplies the clock signal frequency-divided to a predetermined clock frequency by the frequency dividing circuit to each unit of the gateway 1. In FIG. 1, only the clock signal supply path from the clock generator 14 to the processor 11 is shown. The processor 11 executes the control program according to the clock signal supplied from the clock generation unit 14.
The clock generation unit 14 can change the clock frequency of the output clock signal in accordance with an instruction from the processor 11. The clock frequency is changed, for example, by changing the frequency division number of the clock signal by the frequency dividing circuit.

The storage unit 15 is an EEPROM or a flash memory, and stores various data such as a control program to be executed by the processor 11 and an execution condition table 15a. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of the execution condition table 15a. In the execution condition table 15a, the number of processor cores and the clock frequency used when the processor 11 executes the control program in association with the operation state of the vehicle on which the in-vehicle communication system of this embodiment is mounted (the two are combined). Are called execution conditions). In the example shown in FIG. 2, as the operation state of the vehicle, the ignition switch 6 is in an off state (IG-OFF), a state in which electric power is supplied to in-vehicle devices such as a car audio and a car navigation device (ACC), and an air conditioner In addition, a state in which electric power is supplied to an in-vehicle device such as a power window (IG-ON), a state in which the engine is driven (START), and a control program executed by each ECU or the processor 11 of the gateway 1 is rewritten. There is a state (during program rewriting). The operation state of the vehicle is not limited to these states, and for example, various states with different types or number of in-vehicle devices to which power is supplied may be used. The clock frequency can be switched, for example, in three stages. In the example shown in FIG. 2, each operation state has a low level (for example, less than 4 MHz), a medium level (for example, 4 MHz or more and less than 20 MHz), and a high level (for example, 20 MHz or more). ) Is associated. Further, in the present embodiment, the processor 11 has three processor cores. Therefore, in the example illustrated in FIG. 2, one, two, or three is associated as the number of cores corresponding to each operation state. Note that the clock frequency is not limited to the configuration switched in three stages, and each clock frequency is not limited to the above frequency. The execution condition table 15a is stored in the storage unit 15 in advance, but may be rewritten by an external device that can be connected to the gateway 1, for example.

The communication interface 16 has a connection part to which each of the communication buses 2 to 5 is connected, and transmits / receives data to / from each ECU via the connected communication buses 2 to 5. The communication interface 16 sends the data received via the communication buses 2 to 5 to the control unit 10 (processor 11), and the data given from the control unit 10 (processor 11) is one of the communication buses 2 to 5 ( Transmit to at least one communication bus 2-5). Accordingly, the gateway 1 relays communication between the respective communication buses 2 to 5 by transmitting information received via any of the communication buses 2 to 5 to the other communication buses 2 to 5. For example, the gateway 1 receives the information transmitted by the ECU 2a via the communication bus 2 and transmits it to the communication bus 3 as necessary. In this case, communication (information transmission / reception) between the ECU 2a connected to the communication bus 2 and the ECUs 3a to 3c connected to the communication bus 3 becomes possible.

The communication interface 16 is connected to an external device connection unit (connection unit) 17 capable of connecting an external device. The external device connection unit 17 can connect an external device via a connection cable, for example. The external device is, for example, a rewriting device (output device) 9 that outputs a rewriting program for rewriting a control program stored in the storage unit 15 of the gateway 1 or the memory of each ECU. The rewriting device 9 is, for example, a personal computer, and includes a connection unit connected to the external device connection unit 17 via a connection cable, a control unit such as an MPU or a CPU, a storage unit that stores a rewriting program, and the like. When the rewrite device 9 is connected to the gateway 1 (external device connection unit 17) via the connection cable, data is transmitted and received between the control unit of the rewrite device 9 and the control unit 10 of the gateway 1. Thereby, the gateway 1 can detect that the rewriting device 9 is connected to the external device connection unit 17. The rewriting device 9 outputs a rewriting program to the storage unit 15 of the gateway 1 or the memory of each ECU via the external device connection unit 17 and the communication interface 16, and is stored in the storage unit 15 or the memory of each ECU. Rewrite. The gateway 1 may be configured to rewrite the control program in the storage unit 15 when the processor 11 executes the rewrite program acquired from the rewrite device 9. Similarly, each ECU may be configured to rewrite the memory control program by executing the rewrite program acquired from the rewrite device 9 by the processor of the microcomputer.
The gateway 1 and the rewriting device 9 are not limited to being connected via a connection cable, and may be configured to perform wireless communication.

Hereinafter, in the gateway 1 having the above-described configuration, functions realized by the processor 11 executing a control program stored in the ROM 12 or the storage unit 15 will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of the gateway 1. The processor 11 of the gateway 1 implements the functions of the relay processing unit 11a, the operation state determination unit 11b, and the execution condition switching unit 11c by executing the control program.
The processor 11 uses the RAM 13 as a reception buffer 13a and a transmission buffer 13b. The processor (acquisition unit) 11 acquires data received by the communication interface 16 via the communication buses 2 to 5 and stores the data in the reception buffer 13a.

The relay processing unit 11a generates data to be transmitted to the communication buses 2 to 5 from the data stored in the reception buffer 13a, and stores the data in the transmission buffer 13b. The data stored in the transmission buffer 13b is transmitted to any one of the communication buses 2 to 5 (at least one communication bus 2 to 5) at a predetermined timing. Therefore, the data received via the communication buses 2 to 5 and stored in the reception buffer 13a is stored as transmission data in the transmission buffer 13b and transmitted to the communication buses 2 to 5, so that each communication bus 2 to 5 Communication between them is relayed. The relay processing unit 11a performs processing for storing the data received through one of the communication buses 2 to 5 and stored in the reception buffer 13a as it is in the transmission buffer 13a, and via a plurality of different communication buses 2 to 5, respectively. A process of storing a plurality of received data in the transmission buffer 13b as one transmission data is performed. Further, the relay processing unit 11a has a configuration in which the data stored in the reception buffer 13a is processed according to the communication buses 2 to 5 or the ECU of the transmission destination, and the processed data is stored in the transmission buffer 13b. May be.

The operation state determination unit (detection unit) 11b determines the operation state of the vehicle based on the data stored in the reception buffer 13a. Specifically, the operation state determination unit 11b determines the operation state to be changed from now on, based on the current vehicle state and data received via any one of the communication buses 2-5. The operation state determination unit 11b according to the present embodiment determines which of the operation states stored in the execution condition table 15a illustrated in FIG. For example, when data indicating that the ignition switch 6 has been operated is received when the ignition switch 6 of the vehicle is in an off state (engine stop state), the operation state determination unit 11b transmits the data to the car audio, the car navigation device, and the like. It determines with changing to the state (ACC) in which electric power is supplied. Further, when data indicating that the ignition switch 6 is further operated is received in the ACC state, the operation state determination unit 11b is in a state in which electric power is supplied to the air conditioner and the power window (IG-ON). It is determined that the transition to When the data indicating that the brake pedal 7 is operated (depressed) and the data indicating that the ignition switch 6 is operated are received, the operation state determination unit 11b causes the engine to drive. It is determined that the current state (START) is transitioned to. Further, when data indicating that the shift lever 8 has been operated to the parking position is received, the operation state determination unit 11b determines to shift to the engine stop state (parking state).

The data received by the communication interface 16 includes data transmitted from the rewriting device 9 connected to the external device connection unit 17. Therefore, when the operation state determination unit 11b receives the data transmitted from the rewrite device 9, that is, when it is detected that the rewrite device 9 is connected, the rewrite device 9 performs a rewrite process of the control program. It is determined that the transition is made. In addition, when the rewriting process of the control program is completed (specifically, when the transmission of the rewriting program is completed), the control unit of the rewriting device 9 transmits data indicating the end of the rewriting process to the gateway 1. Thereby, the gateway 1 can detect that the rewriting process of the control program by the rewriting device 9 is completed.
The operation state determination unit 11b notifies the determined operation state to the execution condition switching unit 11c.

The execution condition switching unit (determination unit) 11c determines an execution condition (clock frequency and number of cores) corresponding to the operation state determined by the operation state determination unit 11b based on the contents of the execution condition table 15a. The execution condition switching unit (execution control unit) 11c reads the determined execution condition from the execution condition table 15a, and relays the control program to execute the control program according to the read clock signal of the clock frequency using the number of cores read. The processing unit 11a is instructed. Specifically, the execution condition switching unit 11c instructs the clock generation unit 14 to generate a clock signal having the clock frequency read from the execution condition table 15a. Thereby, not only the relay processing unit 11a but also each unit of the gateway 1 starts processing according to the clock signal of the clock frequency switched by the execution condition switching unit 11c. Further, the relay processing unit 11a starts executing the control program using the number of cores instructed by the execution condition switching unit 11c. For example, the processor 11 is configured to operate each function of the relay processing unit 11a, the operation state determination unit 11b, and the execution condition switching unit 11c using the number of cores instructed by the execution condition switching unit 11c. Have. Specifically, when the execution condition switching unit 11c is instructed to switch to processing using two processor cores, the processor 11 uses two processor cores, for example, a first core and a second core. Switch to the configuration that performs the function. In addition, the processor 11 performs the operation of the operation state determination unit 11b and the execution condition switching unit 11c, for example, using the first core, and uses the number of cores instructed by the execution condition switching unit 11c to use the relay processing unit. The structure which performs operation | movement of 11a may be sufficient. In this case, only the operation of the relay processing unit 11a is switched to processing using the number of cores instructed by the execution condition switching unit 11c.

Below, the process which the gateway 1 of this embodiment performs is explained in full detail based on a flowchart. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure of processing performed by the gateway 1. The gateway 1 performs the following processing while performing the relay processing between the communication buses 2 to 5. Further, it is assumed that the gateway 1 knows the current operation state of the vehicle.
The control unit 10 of the gateway 1 determines whether or not the communication interface 16 has received data via any one of the communication buses 2 to 5 (S1), and determines that the data has not been received (S1: NO), wait until receiving.

When it is determined that the communication interface 16 has received data (S1: YES), the control unit 10 stores the received data in the reception buffer 13a. Then, the control unit 10 (operation state determination unit 11b) determines the operation state of the vehicle based on the data stored in the reception buffer 13a (S2). The operation state determination unit 11b determines an operation state to be changed from now on based on the current operation state of the vehicle and the received data. The control unit 10 determines whether or not the vehicle operation state transitions based on the vehicle operation state (current operation state) ascertained in advance and the operation state determined in step S2 (S3). . When it is determined that the operation state does not change (S3: NO), the control unit 10 returns the process to step S1.

When it is determined that the operation state transitions (S3: YES), the control unit 10 determines whether or not the operation state after the transition is a state in which a rewriting process of the control program by the rewriting device 9 is performed (S4). . When it is determined that the operation state after the transition is not a state in which the rewriting process is performed (S4: NO), the control unit 10 (execution condition switching unit 11c) sets the execution condition corresponding to the operation state determined in step S2. Based on the execution condition table 15a, the process is switched to the process under the determined execution condition (S5). Then, the control part 10 returns to the process of step S1. When it is determined that the operation state after the transition is a state in which the rewriting process is performed (S4: YES), the control unit 10 (execution condition switching unit 11c) executes the execution condition corresponding to the state in which the rewriting process is performed. Based on the condition table 15a, the process is switched to the process under the determined execution condition (S6).

The control unit 10 (operation state determination unit 11b) determines whether or not the rewriting process of the control program by the rewriting device 9 has been completed (S7). For example, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the rewriting process by the rewriting device 9 is completed based on the data received from the rewriting device 9. For example, when the control unit 10 detects that the connection (communication) between the external device connection unit 17 and the rewriting device 9 via the connection cable has been interrupted, the control unit 10 determines that the rewriting process by the rewriting device 9 has ended. Also good. If it is determined that the rewriting process has not ended (S7: NO), the control unit 10 waits until the rewriting process ends. When it is determined that the rewriting process has been completed (S7: YES), the control unit 10 returns the execution condition switched in step S6 to the execution condition before switching (S8), and then returns to the process of step S1. When the transition to the state where the rewriting process is performed by the rewriting device 9 is detected, the control unit 10 stores the operation state before the transition or the execution condition corresponding to this operation state in the RAM 13. Thereby, after the rewriting process is completed, it is possible to return to the process under the original execution condition.

As described above, the gateway 1 relays communication between the communication buses 2-5 by transmitting the data received via the communication buses 2-5 to the other communication buses 2-5. The gateway 1 determines the operation state of the vehicle (specifically, the operation state to be shifted from now on) based on the data received via the communication buses 2 to 5 when relaying communication. And the gateway 1 switches the execution conditions (the number of cores of a processor core, and a clock frequency) when the processor 11 of the control part 10 performs a control program according to the operation state of a vehicle.
When the operation state of the vehicle transitions, the number of in-vehicle devices that operate by supplying power is different. For example, in the ACC state, power is supplied to in-vehicle devices such as car audio and car navigation devices, and in the IG-ON state, power is further supplied to in-vehicle devices such as air conditioners and power windows. As the number of in-vehicle devices operating increases, the amount of data that the gateway 1 should relay increases. Therefore, when the number of in-vehicle devices that operate is large, the processor 11 of the gateway 1 increases the number of processor cores used when the control program is executed, and the processing of the gateway 1 is performed by increasing the clock frequency. Increase ability. Therefore, the control program can be reliably executed. Further, in a state where the number of in-vehicle devices that operate is small, the number of processor cores used when the processor 11 of the gateway 1 executes the control program is small, and the consumption by the gateway 1 is reduced by lowering the clock frequency. Reduce power. Therefore, the gateway 1 can reduce unnecessary power consumption while maintaining the relay performance between the communication buses 2 to 5, and can contribute to improving the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. In this way, by switching the execution conditions when the processor 11 of the gateway 1 executes the control program in accordance with the operation state of the vehicle, the processor 11 can be operated under conditions optimal for the operation state of the vehicle. .

In this embodiment, not only the clock frequency is increased but also the number of processor cores to be used is increased or decreased, so that the gateway 1 can operate with higher processing capacity and with lower power consumption. . The gateway 1 may be configured to increase or decrease only the clock frequency according to the operation state of the vehicle, or may be configured to increase or decrease only the number of processor cores to be used.

In this embodiment, when the control program is rewritten by the rewriting device 9, the processor 11 of the gateway 1 executes the control program under an appropriate execution condition, so that the control program can be rewritten more reliably. . Further, the gateway 1 may further include a configuration for switching the execution condition at the time of the rewriting process by the rewriting device 9 according to the data amount of the rewriting program output from the rewriting device 9. In this case, the control unit 10 of the gateway 1 acquires the data amount of the rewriting program from the rewriting device 9, and switches to the execution condition according to the data amount. As a result, the gateway 1 (processor 11) can operate with a processing capability corresponding to the data amount of the rewriting program output from the rewriting device 9. The gateway 1 may be configured to perform processing under an execution condition that considers not only the data amount of the rewrite program but also the operation state of the vehicle at this time.

For example, when the gateway 1 according to the present embodiment receives data indicating that the ignition switch 6 has been operated, the gateway 1 has detected the transition to the ACC state or the IG-ON state. The gateway 1 includes not only data indicating whether or not the ignition switch 6 has been operated, but also data indicating whether or not the brake pedal 7 has been operated and / or data indicating whether or not the shift lever 8 has been operated. Based on this, the operating state of the vehicle may be determined. Further, the gateway 1 may determine the operation state of the vehicle based on data indicating whether any of the in-vehicle devices has been operated. For example, in an ACC state in which power can be supplied to in-vehicle devices such as a car audio and a car navigation device, different operations are performed depending on whether or not an operation start instruction is performed on the car audio or the car navigation device. You may determine with a state. Thereby, even in the same ACC state, the execution condition in the gateway 1 (processor 11) can be switched depending on whether the car audio or the car navigation device is operating or not operating. Further, the gateway 1 determines the operation state of the vehicle based on data indicating whether any in-vehicle device is operating instead of data indicating whether any in-vehicle device has been operated. May be. Since the in-vehicle device starts the operation when the operation start instruction is performed, the execution condition in the gateway 1 (processor 11) can be switched similarly even when such data is used. Become.

In addition, the vehicle automatically switches to the ACC state when the vehicle has an idling stop function that automatically stops the engine when it is stopped due to a signal, or when the door is unlocked while the door is locked. Some vehicles have a function to In the case of such a vehicle, for example, the gateway 1 can detect that the vehicle transitions to the engine stop state based on data indicating that the engine has been stopped by the idling stop function. Further, the gateway 1 can detect that the vehicle transitions to the ACC state based on the data indicating that the unlock operation has been performed or the data indicating that the unlock operation has been performed. Therefore, even if the operation state of the vehicle is automatically changed, the execution condition in the gateway 1 (processor 11) can be switched according to the changed operation state of the vehicle.

In the above-described embodiment, the rewrite device 9 is connected to the external device connection unit 17 of the gateway 1, but is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the external device connection unit 17 may be provided in any one of the communication buses 2 to 5, and the rewriting device 9 may be connected to any one of the communication buses 2 to 5 via the external device connection unit 17. In addition, an external device connection unit 17 is provided in any ECU, and the rewriting device 9 is connected to any ECU through the external device connection unit 17, and any communication bus 2 is connected through the connected ECU. It may be configured to be connected to .about.5.

It should be considered that the embodiment disclosed this time is illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined not by the above-described meaning but by the scope of claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

1 Gateway (on-vehicle relay device)
2-5 Communication bus (communication line)
9 Rewriting device (output device)
11 processor (acquisition part)
11b Operation state determination unit (detection unit)
11c execution condition switching unit (determination unit, execution control unit)
17 External device connection (connection)
2a-2c, 3a-3c, 4a-4c, 5a-5c ECU (on-vehicle equipment)

Claims

It has a processor having a plurality of processor cores, and at least one of the processor cores executes a control program at a predetermined clock frequency, and relays communication between a plurality of communication lines to which at least one in-vehicle device is connected. In-vehicle relay device
An acquisition unit for acquiring information via the communication line;
Based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, a detection unit that detects an operation state of a vehicle equipped with the device,
A determination unit that determines a core number and / or a clock frequency of a processor core used when the processor executes a control program according to an operation state detected by the detection unit;
An in-vehicle relay device comprising: a processor core of the number of cores determined by the determination unit and / or an execution control unit that instructs the processor to execute a control program at a clock frequency.
The in-vehicle relay device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects an operation state of the vehicle based on information related to an operation state of the in-vehicle device.
The on-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects an operation state of the vehicle based on information related to an operation on an ignition switch, a brake pedal, or a shift lever of the vehicle. Relay device.
A connection unit capable of connecting an output device that outputs a rewriting program for rewriting a control program executed by the in-vehicle device;
The detection unit detects that the control program executed in the in-vehicle device is being rewritten when the output device is connected to the connection unit. The in-vehicle relay device according to any one of Items 1 to 3.
An in-vehicle relay device having a plurality of processor cores and having a processor that executes a control program at a predetermined clock frequency in at least one of the processor cores, between a plurality of communication lines to which at least one in-vehicle device is connected In the relay method to relay the communication of
The vehicle-mounted relay device detects an operation state of a vehicle equipped with the device based on information acquired through the communication line;
Determining the number of cores and / or the clock frequency of the processor core used when the processor executes the control program according to the detected operating state of the in-vehicle relay device;
A relay method comprising: instructing the processor to execute a control program at a determined number of processor cores and / or clock frequency.