WO2020129911A1 - Supervisory ecu, control method, control system, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a supervisory ECU that supervises a plurality of ECUs that control onboard devices installed in a vehicle, the supervisory ECU being provided with: a determining unit that determines whether or not the time needed for processing relating to the onboard devices exceeds a prescribed time; and a requesting unit that issues a request for the processing to another supervisory ECU when the determining unit has determined that the prescribed time is exceeded.

Description

Centralized ECU, control method, control system and program

The present invention relates to a general ECU, a control method, a control system and a program.
This application claims priority based on Japanese application No. 2018-236601 filed on December 18, 2018, and incorporates all the contents described in the Japanese application.

Conventionally, a vehicle is equipped with multiple ECUs (Electronic Control Units) that control the operation of each on-vehicle device in the vehicle. Further, a vehicle may be equipped with a control system in which each ECU is divided into, for example, a driving system, a body system, an information system, and the like and is controlled by a centralized ECU that controls the respective systems (for example, Patent Document 1). 1).

JP, 2005-067187, A

An overall ECU according to an aspect of the present disclosure is an overall ECU that integrates a plurality of ECUs that control an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle, and determines whether or not the time required for processing related to the in-vehicle device exceeds a predetermined time. A determination unit that determines whether or not the determination unit and a request unit that requests the other integrated ECU to perform the process when the determination unit determines that the predetermined time is exceeded.

A control method according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a method for controlling an in-vehicle device in a vehicle, which includes a plurality of ECUs that control an in-vehicle device and a plurality of integrated ECUs that control the plurality of ECUs by dividing them into a predetermined system. The respective centralized ECUs determine whether or not the time required for the process related to the vehicle-mounted device exceeds a predetermined time, and when it is determined that the predetermined time is exceeded, a request for the process to another centralized ECU. I do.

A control system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of ECUs that control an in-vehicle device that is mounted on a vehicle, and a plurality of generalized ECUs that divide the plurality of ECUs into predetermined systems and control them. The ECU determines a determination unit that determines whether or not the time required for the process related to the vehicle-mounted device exceeds a predetermined time, and if the determination unit determines that the predetermined time is exceeded, the process to another centralized ECU is performed. And a request unit for making the request.

A program according to an aspect of the present disclosure determines to a general ECU that controls a plurality of ECUs that control an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle, whether a time required for processing related to the in-vehicle device exceeds a predetermined time. However, if it is determined that the predetermined time is exceeded, the process for requesting the process to another centralized ECU is executed.

An integrated ECU according to an aspect of the present disclosure is an integrated ECU that is communicatively connected to each of the individual ECUs connected to each of a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices mounted on a vehicle. On the basis of the above, a control unit that generates and outputs control data of the vehicle-mounted device is provided, and the control unit shares processing load information including information regarding a processing load for generating the control data with another centralized ECU. According to the processing load information, the self-integrated ECU directly performs a process of generating control data based on data obtained from an individual ECU connected to the self-integrated ECU, or requests the other integrated ECU. Decide what to do.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control system which concerns on embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a centralized ECU. It is an explanatory view showing an example of a record layout of a priority table. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure of request processing performed by the general ECU. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure of request processing performed by the general ECU. It is a flow chart which shows the procedure of the confirmation processing which general ECU performs. It is explanatory drawing of the division aspect of image data. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system according to a second embodiment. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which illustrated the processing load information in the table format (processing load table). It is explanatory drawing which illustrated the control ECU management information in the table format (control ECU master table). 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process of a control unit of the overall ECU.

[Problems to be solved by the present disclosure]
In the above control system, since the processing amount required for the integrated ECU of each system is non-uniform, it is necessary to design each integrated ECU differently, and there is a problem that the design becomes complicated.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a centralized ECU, a control method, a control system, and a program that can be easily designed.

[Effect of the present disclosure]
According to the above, the design can be easily performed.

[Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure]
First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. Further, at least a part of the embodiments described below may be arbitrarily combined.

(1) An overall ECU according to an aspect of the present disclosure is an overall ECU that integrates a plurality of ECUs that control an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle, and a time required for processing by the in-vehicle device exceeds a predetermined time. A determination unit that determines whether or not to perform the determination, and a determination unit that requests the other integrated ECU to perform the process when the determination unit determines that the predetermined time is exceeded.

If the time required for the processing related to the in-vehicle device exceeds the predetermined time, the processing amount can be set within the range of its own processing capacity by requesting the processing to another integrated ECU having a small processing amount. Therefore, when a vehicle is equipped with a plurality of integrated ECUs that control the ECUs for each system, the processing capacity of each integrated ECU should be designed to be the same, and the entire processing should be completed within the range of the processing capacity of all the integrated ECUs. You can Therefore, it is possible to easily design the integrated ECU that controls the ECU.

(2) The overall ECU according to one aspect of the present disclosure has a determining unit that determines whether or not to accept the request when the request is made from another overall ECU.

In this mode, the integrated ECU that has been requested to process can make a decision not to accept the request, so that it is possible to prevent a situation in which the processing exceeds the range of its own processing capacity.

(3) In the overall ECU according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the determining unit determines whether to accept the request for the process, using the priority order determined for the process.

In this mode, it is possible to prioritize and execute a process with a high priority.

(4) The integrated ECU according to one aspect of the present disclosure suspends the process being executed when the determining unit determines to accept a process having a higher priority than the process being executed.

In this mode, it is possible to prioritize and execute a process with a high priority.

(5) In the overall ECU according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the request unit requests a part of the divided processes in one process.

In this mode, by requesting execution of a part of the processing, the processing can be shared with other centralized ECUs, and processing with a large processing amount can be completed successfully.

(6) In the overall ECU according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the processing is image data analysis.

According to this aspect, the analysis of the image data of the camera mounted on the vehicle can be favorably completed even if the processing amount is large.

(7) A control method according to an aspect of the present disclosure is the vehicle-mounted device in a vehicle, which includes a plurality of ECUs that control the vehicle-mounted device and a plurality of integrated ECUs that divide the plurality of ECUs into predetermined systems and control them. In the control method, each centralized ECU determines whether or not the time required for the process related to the vehicle-mounted device exceeds a predetermined time. Make a processing request.

In this aspect, when the processing amounts of the centralized ECUs that control the ECUs of the respective systems are non-uniform, the centralized ECUs that have a large processing amount request the processing to the centralized ECU that has a small processing amount. The processing amount of the ECU can be within the range of its own processing capacity. Therefore, it is possible to design the processing capacities of the respective centralized ECUs to be the same and complete the entire processing within the range of the processing capacities of all the centralized ECUs. Therefore, it is possible to easily design the integrated ECU that controls the ECU.

(8) A control system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of ECUs that control an in-vehicle device that is mounted on a vehicle, and a plurality of generalized ECUs that control the plurality of ECUs by dividing them into a predetermined system. , Each of the centralized ECUs determines to a determination unit that determines whether or not the time required for the process related to the vehicle-mounted device exceeds a predetermined time, and if the determination unit determines that the time exceeds the predetermined time, the other generalized ECUs And a request unit for making a request for the above processing.

In this aspect, when the time required for the processing related to the in-vehicle device in each centralized ECU exceeds the predetermined time, the processing amount of each centralized ECU is controlled by requesting the processing to the centralized ECU having a small processing amount. It can be within the processing capacity. Therefore, it is possible to design the processing capacities of the respective centralized ECUs to be the same and complete the entire processing within the range of the processing capacities of all the centralized ECUs. Therefore, it is possible to easily design the integrated ECU that controls the ECU.

(9) A program according to an aspect of the present disclosure is configured to allow a centralized ECU that controls a plurality of ECUs that control an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle to determine whether a time required for a process related to the in-vehicle device exceeds a predetermined time. If it is determined that the predetermined time is exceeded, a process for requesting the process to another centralized ECU is executed.

When the time required for the processing related to the vehicle-mounted device exceeds the predetermined time, the centralized ECU may request the processing to another centralized ECU that has a small amount of processing, so that the processing amount falls within the range of its own processing capacity. it can. Therefore, in the case where the vehicle is equipped with a general ECU that supervises the ECU for each system, the processing capacities of the general ECUs can be designed to be the same, and the entire processing can be completed within the range of the processing capacities of all the general ECUs. .. Therefore, it is possible to easily design the integrated ECU that controls the ECU.

(10) An overall ECU according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an overall ECU that is communicatively connected to each individual ECU connected to each of a plurality of in-vehicle devices mounted on a vehicle,
A control unit for generating and outputting control data of the in-vehicle device based on the data acquired from the individual ECU,
The control unit is
Sharing the processing load information including the information about the processing load for generating the control data with another centralized ECU,
According to the processing load information, the self-control ECU directly performs a process of generating control data based on data obtained from an individual ECU connected to the control ECU, or requests the control ECU to another control ECU. Decide

In this aspect, the centralized ECU shares the processing load information with other centralized ECUs, and the processing load information includes a processing load for generating control data based on the data acquired from each individual ECU. Contains information about. When the control ECU generates control data based on the data acquired from any of the individual ECUs, the control ECU performs a process of generating the control data on its own control ECU based on the processing load information shared with other control ECUs. Whether or not the control is performed by another centralized ECU or the request is issued to another centralized ECU, even if the processing load of itself (the local centralized ECU) is high, it is possible to suppress a delay in the process of generating the control data. can do. As described above, since one of the overall ECUs is responsible for the process of generating control data based on the processing load information shared by the own overall ECU and the other overall ECUs, a program for performing the basic specifications and processing of these overall ECUs Can be standardized or standardized, and the design of the overall ECU can be performed easily or efficiently.

(11) In the overall ECU according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the processing load information includes information regarding a processing load in the own overall ECU and the other overall ECU.
The control unit is
When there is the other overall ECU having a processing load lower than that of the own overall ECU, it is determined that the process for generating the control data is requested to the other overall ECU,
If there is no other overall ECU having a processing load lower than that of the own overall ECU, it is determined that the process of generating control data is performed by the own overall ECU.

In this aspect, the control unit refers to the processing load information, and if another centralized ECU having a lower processing load than the own centralized ECU exists, requests the processing for generating control data to the other centralized ECU, When there is no other centralized ECU having a processing load lower than that of the own centralized ECU, the processing for generating control data is performed by the own centralized ECU. Therefore, it is possible to equalize the processing loads in the own control ECU and other control ECUs, and it is possible to efficiently generate control data based on the data acquired from each individual ECU.

(12) In the overall ECU according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the processing load information includes an estimated required time required to generate the control data, which is derived based on data acquired from the individual ECU,
The control unit is
If the derived estimated time does not exceed the required time required to generate the control data, the process of generating the control data is determined to be performed by the self-control ECU.
If the derived estimated required time exceeds the required time required to generate the control data, it is determined to request the process for generating the control data to the other centralized ECU.

In this aspect, the control unit refers to the processing load information, and if the estimated required time required to generate the control data does not exceed the required time required to generate the control data, the control unit generates the control data. Is performed by the own centralized ECU, and when the required time is exceeded, a request is made to another centralized ECU for processing to generate control data. Therefore, even if the processing load of the self-control ECU is high and the control data cannot be generated within the required time depending on the processing of the self-control ECU, the control data is requested by requesting the process to another control ECU. It is possible to meet the required time for the generation of

(13) In the overall ECU according to the aspect of the present disclosure, the processing load information includes information regarding a priority order in processing for generating the control data,
When the control unit performs the process of generating the control data, the control unit determines whether or not to interrupt the process that is already being executed, based on the information regarding the priority order.

In this aspect, when the control unit performs the process of generating the control data in the own control ECU, the control unit determines whether or not to interrupt the process that is already being executed based on the information regarding the priority order. It is possible to efficiently deal with high processing.

(14) In the overall ECU according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit is
Performing processing relating to relay control of data transmitted and received between the individual ECU directly connected to the self-control ECU and the individual ECU directly connected to the other control ECU,
The process related to the relay control is performed with priority over the process of generating the control data.

In this aspect, the control unit performs the process for generating the control data, and connects between the individual ECU directly connected to the own integrated ECU and the individual ECU directly connected to the other integrated ECU. Performs processing related to relay control of data transmitted and received. The control unit, for example, when the process for generating the control data and the process for relay control of the data between the individual ECUs occur within a predetermined period, the control unit generates the control data. Data relay control between individual ECUs is given priority over processing. Therefore, the control data is generated while reliably ensuring the relay of the data transmitted and received between the individual ECU directly connected to the own ECU and the individual ECU directly connected to the other overall ECU. The processing for performing it can be performed efficiently.

(15) A control method according to an aspect of the present disclosure obtains data from an individual ECU connected to each of a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices mounted on a vehicle in a computer,
Refer to the processing load information shared by multiple control ECUs,
A process of determining whether to perform control processing of the vehicle-mounted device based on the acquired data in the own control ECU or to request another control ECU is executed.

In this aspect, the computer can be made to function as a centralized ECU.

(16) A control system according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a control system that includes a plurality of centralized ECUs that are communicatively connected to individual ECUs that are respectively connected to a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices mounted on a vehicle,
Any one of the plurality of general ECUs includes a control unit that generates and outputs control data of the vehicle-mounted device based on the data acquired from the individual ECU.
The control unit of any one of the general ECUs is
Sharing the processing load information including the information about the processing load for generating the control data with another centralized ECU,
According to the processing load information, the self-control ECU directly performs a process of generating control data based on data obtained from an individual ECU connected to the control ECU, or requests the control ECU to another control ECU. Decide

In this aspect, it is possible to standardize or standardize a plurality of centralized ECUs capable of performing load balancing with each other, and a basic specification of the plurality of centralized ECUs and a program implementation mode for performing processing. Therefore, it is possible to provide the control system configured by the centralized ECU that can be designed easily or efficiently.

[Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure]
The present disclosure will be specifically described based on the drawings showing the embodiments. The overall ECU and the like according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to these exemplifications, and is shown by the claims, and is intended to include meanings equivalent to the claims and all modifications within the scope.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be specifically described based on the drawings illustrating the embodiments. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system according to the embodiment. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a control system, and the control system 1 is mounted on a vehicle. The control system 1 includes a first overall ECU 10, a second overall ECU 20, and a third overall ECU 30.

The first overall ECU 10, the second overall ECU 20, and the third overall ECU 30 are connected to a plurality of ECUs that control each on-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle, and these are divided into a predetermined system and are integrated respectively. The system is, for example, an operating system, a body system, and an information system.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first overall ECU 10 is connected to operation-system ECUs such as the camera ECU 11, the steering ECU 12, and the brake ECU 13, and controls the control of these ECUs. The second integrated ECU 20 is connected to body-based ECUs such as the light ECU 21, the door lock ECU 22, and the wiper ECU 23, and controls the control of these ECUs. Further, the third overall ECU 30 is connected to the information ECUs such as the communication ECU 31, the navigation ECU 32, and the display ECU 33, and controls the control of these ECUs.

The camera ECU 11 controls the operation of the camera mounted on the vehicle, the steering ECU 12 controls the vehicle steering mechanism, and the brake ECU 13 controls the vehicle braking system.

The light ECU 21 controls lighting of lights provided in the vehicle, the door lock ECU 22 controls a lock mechanism of a vehicle door, and the wiper ECU 23 controls operation of the wiper.

The communication ECU 31 controls communication with another vehicle or an external server via an antenna provided in the vehicle. The navigation ECU 32 controls the operation of the navigation system mounted on the vehicle, and the display ECU 33 controls the operation of the head mounted display mounted on the vehicle.

The first overall ECU 10, the second overall ECU 20, and the third overall ECU 30 have the same configuration and can communicate with each other. The first overall ECU 10, the second overall ECU 20, and the third overall ECU 30 have the same processing capacity and are capable of performing the same processing, and the first overall ECU 10, the second overall ECU 20, and the third overall ECU 30 allow the vehicle to operate. Even if the required processing capacity and processing speed are the maximum, it is designed to be able to handle it.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the overall ECU. Although the configuration of the first overall ECU 10 is shown in FIG. 2, the second overall ECU 20 and the third overall ECU 30 also have the same configuration. The first overall ECU 10 has a control unit 14, a storage unit 15, a first communication unit 16, a second communication unit 17, and an input/output unit 18. The control unit 14 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and the like. The storage unit 15 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random access memory), and the like, and stores a control program 15a and a priority table 15b. The control unit 14 reads the control program 15a from the storage unit 15 to perform control of each connected ECU and request processing and confirmation processing described below.

The first communication unit 16 and the second communication unit 17 respectively communicate with other integrated ECUs (the second integrated ECU 20 and the third integrated ECU 30 in FIG. 2, respectively) wirelessly or by wire. The first communication unit 16 and the second communication unit 17 may be configured as one communication unit. The input/output unit 18 is connected to an ECU (in FIG. 2, an operation system such as a camera ECU 11, a steering ECU 12, a brake ECU 13, and the like) of a system controlled by each generalized ECU, and outputs information to the connected ECUs. I/O is performed.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the record layout of the priority order table 15b. The priority order table 15b defines the priority order of the processing related to each ECU mounted on the vehicle. The priority order is determined, for example, in consideration of safety during driving, and is determined based on ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level) of ISO26262. In the priority order table 15b, the level of ASIL and the type of ECU corresponding to this are stored in association with the priority order. Each centralized ECU gives priority to the process related to the ECU having a higher priority.

ASIL levels are classified into QM, ASIL-A, ASIL-B, ASIL-C, and ASIL-D levels. The QM level is a normal quality control that does not require the functional safety according to ISO26262. At the levels from ASIL-A to D, the application of functional safety by ISO26262 is required, and the functional safety requirements become stricter from ASIL-A to ASIL-D. The priority order in the control system 1 is set corresponding to the ASIL level, the QM level priority order is the lowest (priority order “5” in FIG. 3), and the order of priority is from ASIL-A to D. (The priorities “4” to “1” in FIG. 3) are increased, and the priority of the ASIL-D level (priority “1” in FIG. 3) is set to the highest.

As an ECU corresponding to each ASIL level, for example, an ECU corresponding to the QM level is an information system ECU such as the navigation ECU 32. The ECU corresponding to the ASIL-A level is a body system ECU such as the wiper ECU 23. The ECU corresponding to the ASIL-B level is an operation ECU related to drive control of an engine ECU (not shown) and the like. The ECU corresponding to the ASIL-C level is a driving ECU related to the steering ECU 12, the brake ECU 13, and the like. The ECU 30 corresponding to the ASIL-D level is an automatic driving system ECU 30 related to automatic driving control. The automatic driving system ECU in FIG. 3 corresponds to, for example, the camera ECU 11 and the like in the case where the vehicle in which the control system 1 is mounted is a vehicle in which automatic driving is performed.

As described above, the priority of the safety of the vehicle in each ECU is the highest priority in the autonomous driving system ECU, and the ECU that controls the turning (turning) or stopping of the vehicle has the second highest priority. The ECU that controls the traveling (running) of the vehicle has the second highest priority. Then, the ECUs that perform controls other than these are given low priority.

4 and 5 are flowcharts showing the procedure of request processing performed by the general ECU. The centralized ECU performs the following request processing when the ECU connected to the input/output unit 18 requests processing. In the following description, the overall ECU that performs the request process will be described as the first overall ECU 10, but other overall ECUs also perform the same request process. The first centralized ECU 10 acquires process information regarding a process performed by the ECU from the ECU via the input/output unit 18 (S1). The processing performed by the ECU is analysis of image data of a camera controlled by the camera ECU 11.

The first overall ECU 10 calculates the processing time required for the processing based on the acquired processing information (S2). At this time, the processing data or the like related to the processing information may be divided, and the processing time may be calculated for each of the divided pieces. The control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 determines whether or not the calculated processing time exceeds a predetermined required time required for the processing (S3). When the processing data or the like related to the processing information is divided, it is determined whether or not the required time is exceeded for each. When the control unit 14 of the first centralized ECU 10 determines that the required time is not exceeded (S3: NO), the process is executed (S4), and the request process ends.

When the first overall ECU 10 determines that the required time is exceeded (S3: YES), the first overall ECU 10 transmits a request signal requesting the processing status of another overall ECU via the first communication unit 16 and the second communication unit 17 ( S5). The other overall ECU receives the request signal (S6) and transmits the processing status to the first overall ECU 10 that is the transmission source (S7). Here, the processing status is, for example, the ratio of the processing amount of the processing executed by the processing unit to the processing capacity of the processing unit itself and the allowable processing amount.

The first centralized ECU 10 receives the processing statuses of the other centralized ECUs (S8), and transmits the requested processing information to the centralized ECU having the highest allowable processing amount (S9). At this time, the processing information may be a part of the processing related to the processing information divided as described above. In this case, regarding the remaining processing, the processing is performed by the requesting first overall ECU 10 itself. The other centralized ECU receives the process information (S10), performs the confirmation process described later (S11), and determines whether or not the process related to the process information can be accepted. The other centralized ECU transmits the acceptance/non-permission information of the processing request to the first overall ECU 10 (S12), and the first overall ECU 10 receives the availability information (S13). At this time, if the other centralized ECU can accept the process, it transmits the processing time calculated in the following confirmation process together with the availability information.

The control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 determines whether or not the processing request can be accepted based on the availability information of the other overall ECU (S14). When determining that the process cannot be requested (S14: NO), the first overall ECU 10 returns the process to step S3. When the control unit 14 determines that the processing can be requested (S14: YES), the control unit 14 determines whether the processing time when the other centralized ECU as the reception destination receives the processing time exceeds the required time (S15). ..

If the first overall ECU 10 determines that the required time is exceeded (S15: YES), the process returns to step S3. When it is determined that the required time has not been exceeded (S15: NO), the first overall ECU 10 sends a process start signal to the other overall ECU that is the reception destination via the first communication unit 16 or the second communication unit 17. It is transmitted (S16). The other centralized ECU receives the start signal (S17), executes the received processing (S18), and transmits the processing result to the requesting first centralized ECU 10 (S19). The first overall ECU 10 receives the processing result (S20), and ends the request processing. In addition, when a part of the divided processing is requested to another centralized ECU, the received processing result and its own processing result are combined.

In the above request processing, the general ECU that receives other processing information performs the following confirmation processing. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the confirmation process performed by the centralized ECU. The control unit 14 of the centralized ECU refers to the priority order table 15b and confirms the priority order of the process related to the received process information and the process currently owned by itself (S111). The control unit 14 determines whether the total processing amount when the processing is requested exceeds its own processing capacity (S112).

When determining that the processing capacity is not exceeded (S112: NO), the control unit 14 determines to accept the request (S113), calculates the processing time (S114), and returns. When the centralized ECU determines that the processing capacity is exceeded (S112: YES), the overall ECU determines whether or not the priority of the processing related to the processing information is the lowest among the processing that the own ECU has (S115).

When the control unit 14 determines that the priority order is the lowest (S115: YES), the control unit 14 determines that the request cannot be accepted (S116), and returns. When determining that the priority order is not the lowest (S115: NO), the control unit 14 interrupts the process having the lowest priority order among the processes that the control unit 14 has (S117) and returns the process to step S112. The interrupted processing is executed when there is a margin in the processing amount of the processing capacity. It should be noted that without using the priority order, it may be possible to decide to accept the request when the processing capacity of the device itself is not exceeded, and to decide not to accept the request when the processing capacity of the request is exceeded.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a division mode of image data. When requesting the image data analysis of the camera ECU 11 to another centralized ECU as a requesting process, the first overall control ECU 10 divides the image data and performs the above requesting process for a part of the divided analysis process. Good. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, the image 5 captured by the camera is divided into, for example, three regions, that is, a right region 50, a central region 51, and a left region 52, and the right region 50 is analyzed by itself, and the central region is analyzed. For 51 and the left region, the above-described request processing is performed to request the second integrated ECU 20 or the third integrated ECU 30 to perform analysis, and the entire image 5 is analyzed. In this case, the first overall ECU 10 combines the processing result received from the second overall ECU 20 or the third overall ECU 30 with its own processing result to obtain the image data analysis result.

With the above configuration, when the time required for the processing related to the in-vehicle devices of the first general ECU 10, the second general ECU 20, and the third general ECU 30 that supervises the ECUs of the respective systems exceeds the predetermined time, the total ECU having a small processing amount is selected. By requesting processing, the processing amount of each centralized ECU can be kept within the range of its own processing capacity. Therefore, the processing capacities of the first general ECU 10, the second general ECU 20, and the third general ECU 30 may be designed to be the same, and the processing of the entire vehicle-mounted device mounted on the vehicle may be completed within the range of the processing capacities of all the general ECUs. it can. Therefore, it is possible to easily design the first overall ECU 10, the second overall ECU 20, and the third overall ECU 30 that control the ECU, and it is possible to reduce the design cost.

The centralized ECU that has been requested to perform processing related to the ECU by the requesting processing of another centralized ECU can refuse to accept the requested processing in the confirmation processing, thereby executing a processing that exceeds its own processing capacity. Can be prevented. Further, in the confirmation processing, the priority table 15b is used to give priority to each processing, and it is determined whether or not to accept the processing, so that the processing with the higher priority can be preferentially executed.

By requesting the execution of some of the divided processes in the request process, each integrated ECU can share the process even with a large amount of processing, and the process can be completed successfully. Further, the analysis of the image data of the camera mounted on the vehicle can be shared by the respective centralized ECUs by request processing, and can be favorably completed even when the processing amount is large.

Note that the number of integrated ECUs is not limited to three. The ECU system is not limited to the operation system, the body system, and the information system. Furthermore, the above-mentioned ECU is an example, and may be configured to include other ECUs.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system 1 according to the second embodiment. The control system 1 according to the second embodiment is mounted on a vehicle similarly to the control system 1 according to the first embodiment, and includes a plurality of integrated ECUs.

As illustrated, the plurality of integrated ECUs included in the control system 1 are, for example, three (the first integrated ECU 10, the second integrated ECU 20, and the third integrated ECU 30), and these multiple integrated ECUs can communicate with each other. A loop-shaped backbone network is formed by being connected to. Each of the overall ECUs (the first overall ECU 10, the second overall ECU 20, and the third overall ECU 30) is communicatively connected to the individual ECU 100 that is directly connected to the vehicle-mounted device 101 by a wire harness such as a serial cable. ..

By connecting each general ECU and the individual ECU 100 via the input/output unit 18 of the general ECU, for example, a bus-shaped or star-shaped branch line network is formed. The backbone network and the branch line network constitute an in-vehicle network, and the centralized ECU and the individual ECU 100 connected to the in-vehicle network are communicably connected to each other.

As described above, the integrated ECUs are connected via the first communication unit 16 and the second communication unit 17, for example, by an Ethernet (registered trademark) cable or the like. That is, the first communication unit 16 and the second communication unit 17 of the overall ECU have, for example, the functions of the Ethernet PHY unit and the layer 2 switch or the layer 3 switch. The integrated ECU configured as described above is an Ethernet switch that relays data transmitted and received between the integrated ECUs or data transmitted from the individual ECU 100 that is directly connected to its own integrated ECU (own integrated ECU). It functions as an in-vehicle relay device such as a CAN gateway.

As described above, each centralized ECU is communicatively connected to the individual ECU 100 that is directly connected to its own centralized ECU (self-organized ECU) via the input/output unit 18 by, for example, a CAN bus or an Ethernet cable. .. That is, the input/output unit 18 functions as an Ethernet PHY unit or a CAN transceiver, for example.

A plurality of individual ECUs 100 are directly connected to each central ECU, and as described above, the plurality of individual ECUs 100 are connected to the central ECU by, for example, a CAN bus or an Ethernet cable. Each of these individual ECUs 100 uses, for example, an image pickup device such as a COMS camera, an in-vehicle device 101 of a detection system such as an infrared sensor or LiDAR, or an in-vehicle device 101 of an operation system such as a drive motor, a power storage device, and a steering device by a wire harness. It is directly connected. The individual ECU 100 directly connects itself (the individual ECU 100) with the detection data or the image data output from the vehicle-mounted device 101 of the detection system such as a sensor (first integrated ECU 10, second integrated ECU 10). It outputs to integrated ECU20 or 3rd integrated ECU30).

Based on the data such as the detection data or the image data transmitted from the individual ECU 100, the overall ECU generates control data for controlling any on-vehicle device 101 to be controlled, and directly connects to the on-vehicle device 101. It is transmitted to the individual ECU 100 that is being operated.

The individual ECU 100, which has acquired (received) the control data transmitted from the centralized ECU, generates a signal for operating or driving the vehicle-mounted device 101 directly connected to the own individual ECU 100 based on the control data. Output to the in-vehicle device 101. The signal for operating or driving the in-vehicle apparatus 101 is, for example, a signal for turning on or off a relay included in the in-vehicle apparatus 101, a duty signal for rotating a motor included in the in-vehicle apparatus 101, or a pulse signal. Including equal sign. The individual ECU 100 configured as described above may function as a device driver or a BIOS (Basic Input Output System) for operating or driving the in-vehicle apparatus 101. The individual ECU 100 includes the camera ECU 11, the steering ECU 12, the brake ECU 13, the light ECU 21, the door lock ECU 22, the wiper ECU 23, the communication ECU 31, the navigation ECU 32, and the display ECU 33 described in the first embodiment.

The centralized ECU may function as a domain controller that controls a functional domain including the plurality of individual ECUs 100 configured as described above. That is, each of the control ECUs controls a functional domain including a plurality of individual ECUs 100 directly connected to the control ECUs. Based on the data transmitted from each of the individual ECUs 100, for example, a process regarding recognition and determination is performed. As a result of the processing, control data for controlling the in-vehicle device 101 connected to the individual ECU 100 is generated. The overall ECU substantially controls the vehicle-mounted device 101 by directly outputting (transmitting) the generated control data to the individual ECU 100 connected to the vehicle-mounted device 101 to be controlled.

The integrated ECUs (three integrated ECUs including the first integrated ECU 10, the second integrated ECU 20, and the third integrated ECU 30 in the present embodiment) generate control data based on the data transmitted from each individual ECU 100. The common control program 15a for this purpose or the mutually compatible control program 15a is mounted. That is, any of the integrated ECUs (the first integrated ECU 10, the second integrated ECU 20, or the third integrated ECU 30) can similarly perform the process of generating control data based on the data transmitted from each individual ECU 100.

The processing capacity of each of the overall ECUs (the first overall ECU 10, the second overall ECU 20, and the third overall ECU 30), that is, the processing clock of a processor such as a CPU that configures the control unit 14, or hardware such as a storage capacity of the storage unit 15 Although it has been described that the resources are the same, the present invention is not limited to this, and general ECUs having different processing capabilities may be mixed. Even if the processing capacities of the plurality of centralized ECUs are different, by normalizing the processing loads of the respective centralized ECUs according to a performance index described later, the difference in the processing capacities of the respective centralized ECUs is absorbed, The allocation of the process that produces the control data can be determined.

As will be described later in detail, each of the general ECUs performs a process of generating control data based on the data transmitted from the individual ECU 100 directly connected to the own ECU, and the processes of the own ECU and other general ECUs. By referring to the processing load information including the information regarding the load, it is determined whether the processing for generating the control data is performed by the own control ECU or is requested (requested) to another control ECU. Each of the centralized ECUs shares information regarding a process of generating control data performed by itself (the own centralized ECU), that is, processing load information, with other centralized ECUs. Therefore, each centralized ECU can always confirm not only the processing load of itself (the own centralized ECU) but also the processing loads of other centralized ECUs, and therefore the processing for generating the control data is performed by the centralized ECU. It is possible to efficiently determine whether to make a request (request) to another centralized ECU.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the processing load information in a table format (processing load table). FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the overall ECU management information in a table format (overall ECU master table). As described above, the respective centralized ECUs (the first centralized ECU 10, the second centralized ECU 20, and the third centralized ECU 30) provide information relating to the process of generating control data performed by the self-generalized ECU and the other centralized ECUs, that is, the processing load information. It is shared and the processing load information can be referred to.

The processing load information is stored, for example, in the storage unit 15 of each of the general ECUs, and the processing load information stored in the storage unit 15 of each of the general ECUs is stored by constantly communicating between the general ECUs. It may be matched. Alternatively, the processing load information may be a predetermined storage device (not shown) mounted in the vehicle, or a server outside the vehicle such as a cloud server communicatively connected via a wireless device, or the like, which is accessible from each centralized ECU. It may be stored in the storage area. The processing load information may be stored in the storage unit 15 of the overall ECU in a table format, for example. The processing load information is, for example, a processing load table that stores and manages items related to each processing in a table format, and a centralized ECU that stores and manages a total load value corresponding to a CPU usage rate in each centralized ECU in a table format. It may include a master table.

The processing load table, which exemplifies the processing load information in a table format, includes, as management items (fields), for example, a processing ID, a priority order, a processing reception time, an estimated required time, a state, a general ECU to be executed, a start time, and a load value. including. The following items are stored in each of these fields.

The process ID is a number issued each time a process for generating control data occurs, and is a management number for uniquely confirming the process.

The priority order is a priority order (priority level) determined by, for example, the above-described ASIL based on the process of generating control data or the data transmitted from the individual ECU 100.

The processing acceptance time is the time when the data transmitted from the individual ECU 100 directly connected to the own control ECU is acquired.

The estimated required time is the estimated time required for the process of generating the control data based on the data transmitted from the individual ECU 100.

The state is a state related to the execution of the process that generates the control data, and includes, for example, being executed (RUN) or being interrupted (suspended/PEND).

The overall ECU to be executed is an overall ECU that executes a process of generating control data, and is any of the overall ECUs included in the control system 1 (first overall ECU 10, second overall ECU 20, or third overall ECU 30). Is shown.

The start time is the time when the control ECU executes the process of generating control data.

The load value indicates the load value generated in the overall ECU that executes the process when the process that generates the control data is executed. The processing load table may further include a field of required time which is predetermined in each processing.

The general ECU master table, which illustrates the general ECU management information in a table format, includes, for example, a general ECU name, an IP address, a performance index, and a total load value as management items (fields).

The general ECU name indicates the name or number of the general ECU, and is an ID for confirming the general ECU. The IP address is an IP address set in each centralized ECU.

The performance index is an index value for normalizing the performance in each of the overall ECUs. For example, the overall ECU having a performance index of 15 has a processing capacity of 1.5 times that of the overall ECU having a performance index of 10. .. By setting the performance index for each of the overall ECUs in this manner, it is possible to derive each estimated required time that is suitable for each of the overall ECUs with respect to the estimated required time for the same process.

The total load value is the total value of the load values of the processes executed in each individual ECU, and corresponds to, for example, the usage rate of the CPU configuring the control unit 14. As shown in the figure, for example, in the ECU-2, when two processes with process IDs 002 and 004 are executed in parallel, a load value of process ID: 002: 60 and a load value of process ID: 004 The total value of 70: 70 is the total load value of the ECU-2.

As described above, since the centralized ECU supervises the processing in the functional domain configured by the plurality of individual ECUs 100 directly connected to the own centralized ECU, it is assumed that the plurality of processing are executed in parallel. As described above, even when a plurality of processes are executed in parallel in any one of the general ECUs, the total load value, which is the sum of the load values of the individual processes, is managed to manage the total ECU. It is possible to efficiently acquire each load status. Since the processing load information including the information stored in the processing load table and the general ECU master table is shared by all the general ECUs included in the control system 1, each general ECU has its own general ECU and other ECUs. It is possible to efficiently acquire information on the load status of the centralized ECU and the status of processing being executed.

For example, when the data transmitted from the individual ECU 100 is acquired (received), each centralized ECU detects that a process of generating control data based on the data has occurred, and determines the process reception time. Then, the overall ECU derives an estimated required time, which is a time required for the process of generating the control data, according to, for example, the data size (capacity) of the data, the type of the data, or the distinction of the individual ECU 100 that has transmitted. When deriving the estimated required time, the overall ECU may derive the estimated required time by taking into consideration the total load value of each of the integrated ECUs.

Based on the confirmed processing acceptance time and the derived estimated required time, and the total load value of the own overall ECU and other overall ECUs, the overall ECU performs the processing on its own or performs the processing on another overall ECU. Decide whether to make a request (request). In deciding whether to perform the processing by the own centralized ECU or request (request) the processing to another centralized ECU, the centralized ECU determines, for example, the load (total load value) of each centralized ECU included in the processing load information. If the overall ECU having the lowest total load value is the own overall ECU, it may be determined to be performed by the own overall ECU. Alternatively, the centralized ECU refers to the loads (total load values) of the respective centralized ECUs included in the processing load information, and if the centralized ECU having the lowest total load value is not its own centralized ECU, the other centralized ECUs have the lowest total load value. The processing may be requested (requested) to the ECU. Alternatively, when the overall ECU performs the processing in the same manner as in the first embodiment, when it is determined that the estimated required time required for the processing exceeds the predetermined required time in the processing, Alternatively, the processing may be requested (requested) to another centralized ECU. Alternatively, the centralized ECU refers to the priority order (priority) of the processing (processing being executed) performed by each of the centralized ECUs, which is included in the processing load information, and refers to the priority order (priority level) of the processing targeted for the determination. If there is a general ECU that is performing a process with a lower priority (priority) than the above), the process may be requested (requested) to the general ECU.

When executing the process, the own general ECU that performs the process or the other general ECU that has requested the process determines the start time, and the state of the process is from the process wait (WAIT) RUN). The centralized ECU reflects the processing acceptance time, the estimated required time, the decision regarding the processing, and the matters related to the execution of the processing, which are derived and determined, in the processing load information (the field of the total load value of the processing load table and the centralized ECU master table). .. Since the processing load information (processing load table) in which these items are reflected is shared by all the centralized ECUs, each centralized ECU acquires information about the processing load in each centralized ECU including its own centralized ECU. be able to.

As described above, the general ECU may function as an in-vehicle relay device that relays data transmitted/received between other general ECUs or relays data transmitted/received between individual ECUs 100. When performing the process (relay control process) related to the control of relay of these data, the centralized ECU may preferentially execute the relay control process over the process of generating the control data.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the process of the control unit 14 of the overall ECU. The control unit 14 of the overall ECU (the first overall ECU 10, the second overall ECU 20, and the third overall ECU 30) constantly operates, for example, when the vehicle C is in an activated state (ignition switch is on) or in a stopped state (ignition switch is off). The following processing is performed. In the present embodiment, as an example, the first overall ECU 10 will be described as its own overall ECU, and the second overall ECU 20 will be described as another overall ECU.

The control unit 14 of the general ECU (first general ECU 10) acquires data from the individual ECU 100 (S201). The control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 acquires the data transmitted from the individual ECU 100 directly connected to the own overall ECU via the input/output unit 18.

The control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 derives the estimated required time required to generate the control data of the in-vehicle apparatus 101 based on the acquired data (S202). The control unit 14 of the first centralized ECU 10 is the time required for the process of generating control data according to, for example, the data size (capacity) of the data acquired from the individual ECU 100, the type of the data, or the distinction of the transmitted individual ECU 100. Derive the estimated time required.

The control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 refers to the processing load information (S203). The processing load information is shared by all the control ECUs (the first control ECU 10, the second control ECU 20, and the third control ECU 30), and the load (load value) of the processing currently executed by each of the control ECUs (current load value). ), or information about the load (total load value) of each of the centralized ECUs. Therefore, the control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 can acquire the load statuses of the own overall ECU and other overall ECUs by referring to the processing load information.

The control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 determines whether to perform the operation in the own overall ECU or to request the other overall ECU (S204). Whether the control unit 14 of the first centralized ECU 10 performs the process in its own centralized ECU based on the estimated required time, the predetermined required time in each process, and the load status in the own centralized ECU and other centralized ECUs. Alternatively, it is determined whether to make a request to another centralized ECU. The control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 refers to, for example, the loads (total load value) of the overall ECUs included in the processing load information, and if the overall ECU having the lowest total load value is the own overall ECU, the own integrated ECU is performed. It may be determined that the process is performed by the ECU. Alternatively, when the control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 determines that the estimated required time required for the processing by the own overall ECU exceeds the predetermined required time in the processing, as in the first embodiment. Alternatively, the processing may be requested (requested) to another centralized ECU. Alternatively, the control unit 14 of the first centralized ECU 10 determines the priority order (priority level) of the processing being executed by the other centralized ECU even if there is another centralized ECU having a higher total load value than the self-generalized ECU. ) Is lower than the priority (priority) of the process being executed by the own centralized ECU, it may be determined to request the other centralized ECU.

When it is determined to be performed by the own control ECU (S204: YES), the control unit 14 of the first control ECU 10 performs a process of generating and outputting control data of the in-vehicle device 101 (S205). When the control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 determines to perform the operation by the own overall ECU, the control unit 14 generates control data of the in-vehicle device 101 to be controlled based on the data acquired from the individual ECU 100, and causes the in-vehicle device 101 to perform the control data. The control data is directly output to the connected individual ECU 100. When the individual ECU 100 directly connected to the vehicle-mounted device 101 is the individual ECU 100 directly connected to the own overall ECU via the input/output unit 18 of the own overall ECU, the control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 Outputs (transmits) the control data from the input/output unit 18 of the self-control ECU.

When the individual ECU 100 directly connected to the vehicle-mounted device 101 is the individual ECU 100 directly connected to the other integrated ECU, the control unit 14 of the first integrated ECU 10 sends the control data to the first communication unit 16. Alternatively, it outputs (transmits) to the other overall ECU via the second communication unit 17. The other overall ECU outputs (transmits) the control data acquired (received) from the first overall ECU 10 from the input/output unit 18 to the individual ECU 100 directly connected to the in-vehicle device 101 to be controlled, It functions as an in-vehicle relay device that relays the control data.

For example, the individual ECU 100 that outputs the data is the individual ECU 100 directly connected to the in-vehicle device 101 of the detection system such as the imaging device or the LiDAR, and the in-vehicle device 101 of the control target is the operation system of the drive motor or the steering device. In the case of the individual ECU 100 directly connected to the in-vehicle device 101, the first overall ECU 10 generates control data based on the data acquired from the individual ECU 100 connected to the in-vehicle device 101 of the detection system, and operates as the control target. The control data is output (transmitted) to the individual ECU 100 connected to the in-vehicle device 101 of the system.

If it is determined that the own overall ECU does not perform (S204: NO), that is, if it is determined to request the other overall ECU, the control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 determines the other overall ECU to request (S2040). ). When it is determined that the self-control ECU does not perform the control, the control unit 14 of the first control ECU 10 refers to the processing load information shared by all the control ECUs, and determines, for example, the control ECU having a low total load value. It may be determined as another integrated ECU that makes a request (request). Alternatively, the control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 refers to the processing load information and determines, for example, the overall ECU that is executing the process with the lowest priority (priority) as another overall ECU that requests (requests). It may be one that does. The control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 derives the estimated required time in each of the overall ECUs based on the performance index and the total load value of each of the other overall ECUs when determining as the other overall ECU to request (request). The overall ECU that has the shortest estimated required time may be determined as another overall ECU that requests (requests).

The control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 requests another overall ECU for a process of generating control data (S2041). When the control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 determines, for example, as the other overall ECU that requests (requests) the second overall ECU, the control unit 14 requests the second overall ECU to perform a process of generating control data for the overall ECU. In the series of processes described above, the control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 generates the time when the data is acquired from the individual ECU 100 (process reception time), the process priority order (priority), the derived estimated required time, and the control data. The integrated ECU name determined as the integrated ECU that performs the processing is reflected in the processing load information.

The control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 transmits the data acquired from the individual ECU 100 to another overall ECU (S2042). The control unit 14 of the first overall ECU 10 obtains, via the first communication unit 16 or the second communication unit 17, from the individual ECU 100 to the second overall ECU 20 that has been determined as another overall ECU that requests (requests) processing. Output (send) data.

In the present embodiment, when the control unit 14 of the first general ECU 10 requests (requests) a process to another general ECU, the control unit 14 performs two steps of requesting the process and outputting data, but the present invention is not limited to this. Not done. When requesting (requesting) a process to another centralized ECU, the control unit 14 of the first centralized ECU 10 outputs (transmits) the data acquired from the individual ECU 100 to the other centralized ECU to request the process. It may be done. That is, the other overall ECU obtains (receives) the data output (transmitted) from the first overall ECU 10 (data transmitted from the individual ECU 100 directly connected to the first overall ECU 10), thereby It may be one that receives a request for processing from the first integrated ECU 10.

As described above, the first centralized ECU 10 refers to the processing load information to determine whether to perform the process of generating the control data in its own centralized ECU or to request (request) another centralized ECU. In performing the process, the most suitable centralized ECU can be determined or selected. That is, the integrated ECU that has been requested to perform processing becomes the optimal integrated ECU for load distribution in the multiple integrated ECUs (the first integrated ECU 10, the second integrated ECU 20, and the third integrated ECU 30) included in the control system 1. The load of the plurality of processes (generation of control data) that occur when the vehicle is operated can be efficiently distributed in the plurality of centralized ECUs, and the control system 1 can be stably operated.

The other integrated ECU (second integrated ECU 20) acquires the data transmitted from the integrated ECU (S211). The second overall ECU 20 determined by the first overall ECU 10 accepts the processing request from the first overall ECU 10 and acquires the data transmitted from the first overall ECU 10.

The second control ECU refers to the processing load information (S212). The second overall ECU refers to the processing load information and acquires information regarding the processing being executed by the own overall ECU (second overall ECU).

The second centralized ECU determines whether or not there is a process that can be interrupted and is being executed (S213). For example, when a process having a lower priority than the process requested by the first general ECU 10 is being executed, the second overall ECU determines that the process having a lower priority is an ongoing process that can be interrupted. , It is determined that there is an ongoing process that can be interrupted. The second overall ECU is, for example, interruptible during execution of a process having the same priority as the process requested (requested) from the first overall ECU 10 or a process higher than the priority. It is determined that there is no processing of. It goes without saying that the second overall ECU determines that there is no interruptible process being executed when there is no process being executed at the time when the process is requested by the first general ECU 10.

If there is an ongoing process that can be interrupted (S213: YES), the second overall ECU interrupts the ongoing process that can be interrupted (S214). When there is a process under execution that can be interrupted, the second centralized ECU interrupts the process under execution that can be interrupted, and changes the state in the process ID of the process included in the process load information from "running" to "running". Change to suspended (PEND). The second overall ECU executes the process requested (requested) by the first overall ECU 10 after interrupting the process that can be interrupted, as in S215 described below.

If there is no process that can be interrupted (S213: NO), the second overall ECU performs a process of generating and outputting control data of the in-vehicle apparatus 101 (S215). Similar to the processing S205 by the first overall ECU 10, the second overall ECU, based on the data relayed by the first overall ECU 10, that is, the data transmitted from the individual ECU 100, controls the in-vehicle device 101 to be controlled. Is generated and the control data is output to the individual ECU 100 directly connected to the vehicle-mounted device 101. After performing the process of generating and outputting the control data, the second control ECU restarts the interrupted process and interrupts the state in the process ID of the process if there is an interrupted (PEND) process. Change from Medium (PEND) to Running (RUN).

In the present embodiment, the overall ECU (first overall ECU 10) derives the estimated required time required to generate the control data based on the data acquired from the individual ECU 100, but the present invention is not limited to this. When the integrated ECU obtains the data from the individual ECU 100, the integrated ECU refers to the processing load information without deriving the estimated required time, and generates the control data based on the data of the integrated ECU having the lowest total load value, for example. It may be determined as the centralized ECU that performs the processing. The overall ECU refers to the processing load information without deriving the estimated required time and determines the overall ECU that executes the process, thereby shortening the processing time due to the derivation of the estimated required time and reducing the load on the entire control system 1. Dispersion can be performed.

According to the present embodiment, the plurality of integrated ECUs (the first integrated ECU 10, the second integrated ECU 20, and the third integrated ECU 30) included in the control system 1 share the processing load information. The process of generating control data based on the data acquired from the individual ECU 100 can be performed by distributing the loads among the plurality of centralized ECUs. Since the control programs 15a including the program modules corresponding to the respective processes that generate the control data based on the individual data are installed in the plurality of centralized ECUs, and the implementation mode of the programs is standardized or standardized. It is possible to standardize or standardize design specifications such as functional specifications and hardware configurations in a plurality of integrated ECUs, and to design the integrated ECUs easily or efficiently.

According to the present embodiment, the plurality of integrated ECUs (the first integrated ECU 10, the second integrated ECU 20, and the third integrated ECU 30) included in the control system 1 have data transmitted or received between the integrated ECUs or different integrated ECUs. Functions as an in-vehicle relay device that relays data transmitted and received between the individual ECUs 100 that are directly connected to each other. Since the centralized ECU performs the relay control processing such as the processing relating to the control of the relay with priority over the processing for generating the control data, the centralized ECU directly connects to the individual ECU 100 directly connected to the centralized ECU and other centralized ECUs. , It is possible to efficiently perform the process for generating the control data by distributing the load in the control system 1 while reliably ensuring the relay of the data transmitted/received to/from the connected individual ECU 100. it can.

The embodiments disclosed this time are to be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above meaning but by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include meanings equivalent to the scope of the claims and all modifications within the scope.

1 Control System 10 First Integrated ECU (Overall ECU)
11 camera ECU
12 Steering ECU
13 Brake ECU
14 Control unit (determination unit, request unit, determination unit)
15 storage unit 15a control program 15b priority order table 16 first communication unit 17 second communication unit 18 input/output unit 20 second integrated ECU (unified ECU)
21 Light ECU
22 Door lock ECU
23 Wiper ECU
30 Third control ECU (control ECU)
31 Communication ECU
32 Navi ECU
33 Display ECU
50 right area 51 central area 52 left area 100 individual ECU
101 In-vehicle device (ACT)

Claims (16)

1. An integrated ECU that controls a plurality of ECUs that control an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle,
   A determination unit that determines whether or not the time required for the process related to the vehicle-mounted device exceeds a predetermined time,
   When the determination unit determines that the predetermined time has been exceeded, a request unit that requests the other process ECU to perform the process, and the general ECU.
2. The integrated ECU according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit that determines whether to accept the request when the request is made from another integrated ECU.
3. The integrated ECU according to claim 2, wherein the determining unit determines whether or not to accept a request for the process using a priority order determined for the process.
4. The integrated ECU according to claim 3, wherein when the determining unit determines to accept a process having a higher priority than the process being executed, the process being executed is interrupted.
5. The integrated ECU according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the requesting unit requests a part of the divided processing in one processing.
6. The integrated ECU according to claim 5, wherein the processing is analysis of image data.
7. A method for controlling an in-vehicle device in a vehicle, comprising: a plurality of ECUs for controlling the in-vehicle device; and a plurality of integrated ECUs for controlling the plurality of ECUs by dividing them into a predetermined system,
   Each integrated ECU is
   Judge whether the time required for the processing related to the vehicle-mounted device exceeds a predetermined time,
   A control method in which, when it is determined that the predetermined time is exceeded, a request for the processing is made to another centralized ECU.
8. A plurality of ECUs for controlling an in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle,
   The plurality of ECUs are provided with a plurality of integrated ECUs that divide the plurality of ECUs into predetermined systems,
   Each integrated ECU is
   A determination unit that determines whether or not the time required for the process related to the vehicle-mounted device exceeds a predetermined time,
   A control system comprising: a request unit that requests the other integrated ECU to perform the process when the determination unit determines that the predetermined time is exceeded.
9. A general ECU that supervises a plurality of ECUs that control in-vehicle devices mounted on the vehicle,
   Judge whether the time required for the processing related to the vehicle-mounted device exceeds a predetermined time,
   A program that, when it is determined that the predetermined time is exceeded, performs a process of requesting the process to another centralized ECU.
10. An individual ECU connected to each of a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices mounted on the vehicle, and a general ECU that is communicatively connected,
    A control unit for generating and outputting control data of the in-vehicle device based on the data acquired from the individual ECU,
    The control unit is
    Sharing the processing load information including the information about the processing load for generating the control data with another centralized ECU,
    According to the processing load information, the self-control ECU directly performs a process of generating control data based on data obtained from an individual ECU connected to the control ECU, or requests the control ECU to another control ECU. General ECU that decides whether.
11. The processing load information includes information regarding processing loads in the self-control ECU and the other control ECU,
    The control unit is
    When there is the other overall ECU having a processing load lower than that of the own overall ECU, it is determined that the process for generating the control data is requested to the other overall ECU,
    The overall ECU according to claim 10, wherein when the other overall ECU having a processing load lower than that of the own overall ECU does not exist, it is determined that the process of generating control data is performed by the own overall ECU.
12. The processing load information includes an estimated required time required to generate the control data, which is derived based on data acquired from the individual ECU,
    The control unit is
    If the derived estimated time does not exceed the required time required to generate the control data, the process of generating the control data is determined to be performed by the self-control ECU.
    The said estimated required time is determined to request|require the process which produces|generates the said control data to the said other generalized ECU, when the required time required in producing the said control data exceeds. The overall ECU of.
13. The processing load information includes information regarding a priority order in processing for generating the control data,
    When the control unit performs the process of generating the control data, the control unit determines whether or not to interrupt the process that is already being executed, based on the information regarding the priority order. Item 13. The integrated ECU according to any one of items 12.
14. The control unit is
    Performing processing relating to relay control of data transmitted and received between the individual ECU directly connected to the self-control ECU and the individual ECU directly connected to the other control ECU,
    The overall ECU according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the process related to the relay control is performed with priority over the process of generating the control data.
15. The data is acquired from the individual ECUs connected to each of the plurality of vehicle-mounted devices mounted on the vehicle in the computer,
    Refer to the processing load information shared by multiple control ECUs,
    A control method for executing the process of determining whether to perform the process of generating the control data of the vehicle-mounted device based on the acquired data, in the own control ECU or to request another control ECU.
16. A control system including a plurality of integrated ECUs communicatively connected to respective individual ECUs connected to a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices mounted on a vehicle,
    Any one of the plurality of general ECUs includes a control unit that generates and outputs control data of the vehicle-mounted device based on the data acquired from the individual ECU.
    The control unit of any one of the general ECUs is
    Sharing the processing load information including the information about the processing load for generating the control data with another centralized ECU,
    According to the processing load information, the self-control ECU directly performs a process of generating control data based on data obtained from an individual ECU connected to the control ECU, or requests the control ECU to another control ECU. Control system that decides.

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