WO2024095681A1

WO2024095681A1 - Setting device and in-vehicle equipment

Info

Publication number: WO2024095681A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/036309
Authority: WO
Inventors: 康広山崎; 英樹後藤; 生祥大武; 祐輔山本; 遼山根; 賢太小方; 達也泉; 秀幸田中; ダルマワン呉; 慶剛菊地; 博史浦山
Original assignee: トヨタ自動車株式会社; 住友電気工業株式会社; 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
Priority date: 2022-11-01
Filing date: 2023-10-05
Publication date: 2024-05-10
Also published as: JP2024066144A

Abstract

When new in-vehicle equipment (14A) is connected to an in-vehicle network, an SDN controller (15) updates the communication setting of each SDN switch (12) on the basis of setting information acquired from the new in-vehicle equipment (14A).

Description

Setting device and in-vehicle equipment

This disclosure relates to a setting device and an in-vehicle device.

Patent Document 1 describes an SDN (Software Defined Networking) system that can change the configuration and settings of an in-vehicle network without changing the hardware configuration by controlling communication devices with software. The SDN system includes multiple SDN switches and an SDN controller that updates the communication settings of each SDN switch.

JP 2017-169044 A

The above-mentioned SDN system can be used for in-vehicle networks. Meanwhile, new in-vehicle devices may be added to the in-vehicle network in order to add functions, etc. When the configuration of the in-vehicle network changes due to the connection of new in-vehicle devices, the settings of the SDN switch must be updated appropriately.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a setting device is provided that, when an in-vehicle device performing frame communication is connected to an in-vehicle network provided with multiple communication devices performing frame communication, updates the communication settings of the multiple communication devices based on setting information acquired from the in-vehicle device.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, an in-vehicle device is provided that is connected to an in-vehicle network in which multiple communication devices that perform frame communication are provided, and that performs frame communication. The in-vehicle device has a storage unit that stores setting information that is information on the communication settings of the multiple communication devices.

In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a setting device is provided that, when an in-vehicle device that performs message communication is connected to an in-vehicle network provided with multiple communication devices that perform message communication, updates the communication settings of the multiple communication devices based on setting information acquired from the in-vehicle device.

In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, an in-vehicle device is provided that is connected to an in-vehicle network in which multiple communication devices that perform message communication are provided, and that performs the message communication, and that has a memory unit that stores setting information that is information on the communication settings of the multiple communication devices.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an in-vehicle network in which a setting device and an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment are provided; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an in-vehicle device. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of an update operation of communication settings of an in-vehicle network. 13 is a sequence diagram showing another example of the operation of updating the setting of the communication device in the setting device. FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a setting device and an in-vehicle device will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
<In-vehicle network configuration>
First, the configuration of an in-vehicle network 10 to which the present embodiment is applied will be described with reference to FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the in-vehicle network 10 installed in a vehicle 11 includes a plurality of SDN switches 12. The SDN switches 12 are communication devices that perform frame forwarding. The SDN switches 12 are connected to each other through a network line 13. The SDN switches 12 are connected to in-vehicle devices 14, respectively. The in-vehicle devices 14 are devices that are mounted on the vehicle 11 and transmit and receive frames via the in-vehicle network 10. The in-vehicle devices 14 include various ECUs (Electronic Control Units), sensors, car navigation systems, and the like mounted on the vehicle 11. The SDN switches 12 and the in-vehicle devices 14 are communication devices that perform frame communication. The frame communication here refers to performing at least one of frame forwarding, frame transmission, and frame reception.

An SDN controller 15 is connected to one of the SDN switches 12. The SDN controller 15 is a setting device that controls the communication settings of each SDN switch 12. The communication settings define the rules for frame forwarding, such as the communication paths for frames between the in-vehicle devices 14, restrictions on the communication paths for security purposes, and adjustments to the forwarding order and amount of forwarding for quality of service (QoS). For example, the communication settings include a routing table that specifies the forwarding destination of frames for each destination.

The SDN controller 15 is also connected to a display device 16 capable of outputting images. An example of the display device 16 is the display of a car navigation system. In this embodiment, a device capable of input operations such as touch operations in addition to image output is used as the display device 16. A wireless communication device 17 is also connected to the SDN controller 15. The wireless communication device 17 establishes data communication with a data center 19 outside the vehicle via a wireless communication network 18 such as a mobile communication network. The data center 19 has a database that stores setting information of the SDN switches 12 in the in-vehicle networks 10 of various configurations. In the case of FIG. 1, the display device 16 and the wireless communication device 17 are directly connected to the SDN controller 15, but they may also be connected to the SDN controller 15 via the in-vehicle network 10.

<Connecting new in-vehicle devices to the in-vehicle network>
In order to add a function to the vehicle 11, a new in-vehicle device 14 may be connected to the in-vehicle network 10. The connection of the new in-vehicle device 14 to the in-vehicle network 10 here includes the following two cases in addition to the case where the new in-vehicle device 14 is additionally installed in the vehicle 11.

First, one is the case of activating an in-vehicle device 14 installed in the vehicle 11 in a disabled state. Currently, in-vehicle devices for implementing functions that are prohibited by regulations may be installed in the vehicle 11 in a disabled state in advance, in anticipation of future changes to regulations. In-vehicle devices in a disabled state are treated by the in-vehicle network 10 as not existing, even if they are physically connected to the in-vehicle network 10. Then, when such in-vehicle devices are activated, they are treated as newly connected to the in-vehicle network 10. In this embodiment, a connection by activating an in-vehicle device 14 installed in a disabled state is also included in the connection of a new in-vehicle device 14 to the in-vehicle network 10.

The other is when reconnecting the in-vehicle device 14 after a software update. A software update may add new functions to the in-vehicle device 14 already connected to the in-vehicle network 10. The addition of functions through a software update may require updating the communication settings of each SDN switch 12. The in-vehicle device 14 undergoing a software update is temporarily disconnected from the in-vehicle network 10. After the software update is completed, the in-vehicle device 14 is reconnected to the in-vehicle network 10. In this embodiment, such reconnection after a software update is also included in the connection of the new in-vehicle device 14 to the in-vehicle network 10. When updating the software, the setting information stored in the memory 23 is also updated.

<Configuration of network connection part of in-vehicle device>
When a new in-vehicle device 14 is connected, the communication settings of each SDN switch 12 of the in-vehicle network 10 may be changed from the settings at the time of manufacture. In this embodiment, in order to automate the work of updating such communication settings, the in-vehicle device 14 that is expected to be newly connected to the in-vehicle network 10 after the shipment of the vehicle 11 is configured as follows. In the following description, the in-vehicle device 14 that is newly connected to the in-vehicle network 10 is referred to as a new in-vehicle device 14A.

Next, the configuration of the network connection unit 20 of the new in-vehicle device 14A will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The new in-vehicle device 14A is connected to the in-vehicle network 10 via the network connection unit 20. The new in-vehicle device 14A then performs frame communication via the network connection unit 20.

The network connection unit 20 of the new in-vehicle device 14A is provided with a connector 21, a CPU 22, and a memory 23. The connector 21 is connected to a communication wiring 21A for connecting the SDN switch 12 and the new in-vehicle device 14A. The CPU 22 executes processing related to the reception and transmission of frames of the new in-vehicle device 14A. The memory 23 stores programs and data used in the processing of the CPU 22. The memory 23 also stores setting information of the in-vehicle network 10 to which the new in-vehicle device 14A is connected. The setting information is information indicating the communication setting of each SDN switch 12 in a state in which the new in-vehicle device 14A is connected to the in-vehicle network 10. In this embodiment, the memory 23 corresponds to the storage unit of the new in-vehicle device 14A. The in-vehicle device 14 is set with identification information (ID) for each model. The memory 23 of the new in-vehicle device 14A also stores its own identification information in advance.

One example of the new in-vehicle device 14A is an ECU or a sensor equipped with the network connection unit 20 in FIG. 2. Another example of the new in-vehicle device 14A is a unit having one or more ECUs, one or more sensors, and an SDN switch to which they are connected. In that case, one of the constituent devices of the unit is configured to have the network connection unit 20.

<Update communication settings>
Next, the update of the communication settings of the in-vehicle network 10 accompanying the connection of the new in-vehicle device 14A will be described with reference to FIGS.

Figure 3 shows an example of the operation of each device related to updating the communication settings of the in-vehicle network 10. Figure 3 shows the operation that occurs after a new in-vehicle device 14A is physically connected to one of the SDN switches 12 installed in the in-vehicle network 10 and a connection is established between the SDN switch 12 and the new in-vehicle device 14A. Figure 3 shows two of the SDN switches 12 installed in the in-vehicle network 10 and one of the in-vehicle devices 14 already connected to the in-vehicle network 10 as representatives of each.

When a new in-vehicle device 14A is connected to the in-vehicle network 10, it transmits the identification information (ID) and setting information stored in its memory 23 to the SDN controller 15 (S1). The SDN controller 15 stores the identification information of each in-vehicle device 14 already connected to the in-vehicle network 10. The SDN controller 15 then recognizes the connection of the new in-vehicle device 14A to the in-vehicle network 10 by receiving new identification information that has not been stored. The SDN controller 15 then instructs each SDN switch 12 installed in the in-vehicle network 10 to update the communication settings based on the received setting information (S2). Each SDN switch 12 updates the communication settings based on the instruction from the SDN controller 15 (S3). Then, when each SDN switch 12 completes the update, it notifies the SDN controller 15 of the completion (S4). When the SDN controller 15 receives notification of update completion from all SDN switches 12, it notifies each connected in-vehicle device 14 and the new in-vehicle device 14A that the update of the communication settings of the entire in-vehicle network 10 has been completed (S5). In response to this notification, each connected in-vehicle device 14 starts frame communication (S6). In addition, the new in-vehicle device 14A is enabled in response to the notification and starts frame communication (S6).

However, there are cases where no setting information is stored in the new in-vehicle device 14A. Also, there are cases where the setting information stored in the new in-vehicle device 14A does not match the configuration of the connected in-vehicle network 10.

FIG. 4 shows the operation of each device related to updating the communication settings of the in-vehicle network 10 in such a case. In FIG. 4, the new in-vehicle device 14A does not store any setting information.

In this case, after connecting to the in-vehicle network 10, the new in-vehicle device 14A transmits only its own identification information to the SDN controller 15 (S10). The SDN controller 15 recognizes that it has not been able to obtain appropriate configuration information from the new in-vehicle device 14A because it has only received the identification information and not the configuration information (S11). If the new in-vehicle device 14A transmits configuration information that is not compatible with the configuration of the in-vehicle network 10, the SDN controller 15 recognizes from the contents of the received configuration information that it has not been able to obtain appropriate configuration information.

When the SDN controller 15 recognizes that it has been unable to obtain setting information suitable for the in-vehicle network 10, it instructs the display device 16 to output the image below. The image that is instructed to be output here notifies the user of the occurrence of an update error in the communication settings of the in-vehicle network 10, and is an image for confirming whether or not it is possible to obtain setting information from outside the vehicle. The display device 16 outputs the image instructed by the SDN controller 15 (S13). Then, when an operation is performed to permit the acquisition of setting information from outside the vehicle (S14), the display device 16 notifies the SDN controller 15 that permission has been granted.

Receiving this notification, the SDN controller 15 requests the data center 19 outside the vehicle to send configuration information (S15). At this time, the SDN controller 15 sends information indicating the configuration of the in-vehicle network 10 to which it is connected, and identification information of the new in-vehicle device 14A to the data center 19. The data center 19 sends the configuration information selected based on the received information to the SDN controller 15 (S16). Once the SDN controller 15 has obtained the appropriate configuration information in this way, the communication settings of the in-vehicle network 10 are updated through S2 to S6 in Figure 2.

<Effects of the embodiment>
When the new in-vehicle device 14A is connected to the in-vehicle network 10, it transmits the setting information stored in the memory 23 to the SDN controller 15. The setting information includes information on the setting of the frame transport route, the setting of the service quality of the frame transport, and the setting of the communication route restriction for security. The SDN controller 15 updates the communication setting of each SDN switch 12 installed in the in-vehicle network 10 based on the received setting information. As a result, the setting of the frame transport route, the service quality, and the communication route restriction of each SDN switch 12 is updated. Then, when the SDN controller 15 confirms that the update of the communication setting of all the SDN switches 12 is completed, it notifies each in-vehicle device 14 already connected to the in-vehicle network 10 and the new in-vehicle device 14A of the completion of the update. When each in-vehicle device 14 and the new in-vehicle device 14A receive this notification, they start frame notification.

On the other hand, if the SDN controller 15 is unable to obtain appropriate setting information from the new in-vehicle device 14A, it displays an error on the display device 16. In this case, the SDN controller 15 also obtains setting information from a data center 19 outside the vehicle and updates the communication settings of each SDN switch 12.

The present embodiment described above provides the following advantageous effects.
(1) The following setting information is stored in advance in the memory 23 of the new in-vehicle device 14A, which is an in-vehicle device 14 that is newly connected to the in-vehicle network 10. The setting information is information that indicates appropriate communication settings of each SDN switch 12 in a state in which the new in-vehicle device 14A is connected to the in-vehicle network 10. When connecting the new in-vehicle device 14A to the in-vehicle network 10, the SDN controller 15 acquires the setting information from the new in-vehicle device 14A and updates the communication settings of each SDN switch 12 based on the acquired setting information. Therefore, the communication settings of each SDN switch 12 can be updated without externally instructing the communication settings to be updated.

(2) When the new in-vehicle device 14A is connected to the in-vehicle network 10, it sends configuration information to the SDN controller 15. Therefore, even if there is no external instruction, the SDN controller 15 can update the communication settings of each SDN switch 12 when the new in-vehicle device 14A is connected to the in-vehicle network 10.

(3) The setting information that the SDN controller 15 acquires from the new in-vehicle device 14A includes information on setting the quality of service for frame communication and information on setting communication path restrictions for security. Therefore, in response to changes in the configuration of the in-vehicle network 10 due to the connection of the new in-vehicle device 14A, advanced communication control such as setting the quality of service for frame transport and setting communication path restrictions for security can be implemented.

(4) The SDN controller 15 updates the communication settings of each SDN switch 12 in the above manner when enabling an in-vehicle device 14 that was installed in a disabled state, or when reconnecting the in-vehicle device 14 after a software update. Therefore, the communication settings of the SDN switch 12 can be appropriately updated in response to the activation of the in-vehicle device 14 or a software update.

(5) If the SDN controller 15 is unable to obtain appropriate setting information from the new in-vehicle device 14A, it displays an error on the display device 16 mounted on the vehicle 11. This allows the operator connecting the new in-vehicle device 14A to accurately grasp the situation and respond accordingly.

(6) If the SDN controller 15 is unable to obtain appropriate setting information from the new in-vehicle device 14A, the SDN controller 15 obtains the setting information from the data center 19 outside the vehicle. Therefore, even if appropriate setting information is not stored in the new in-vehicle device 14A, the communication settings of each SDN switch 12 can be appropriately updated.

(7) Acquiring setting information from the data center 19 outside the vehicle may take longer than acquiring the setting information from the new in-vehicle device 14A. In response to this, the SDN controller 15 acquires setting information from the data center 19 outside the vehicle only after obtaining permission from the operator. This allows the communication settings of each SDN switch 12 to be updated at an appropriate time when there is sufficient time.

(8) When the SDN controller 15 completes updating the communication settings of the SDN switch 12 based on the setting information, it notifies the other in-vehicle devices 14 already connected to the in-vehicle network 10 of the completion of the communication setting update. Therefore, the other in-vehicle devices 14 already connected to the in-vehicle network 10 can confirm the time when the communication setting update is completed and frame communication can be started.

(9) When the SDN controller 15 has completed updating the communication settings of the SDN switch 12 based on the setting information, it notifies the new in-vehicle device 14A that the communication settings have been updated. The new in-vehicle device 14A then waits for the notification that the update has been completed and starts frame communication. Therefore, the new in-vehicle device 14A connected to the in-vehicle network 10 can be enabled when the communication settings have been updated and can start frame communication.

<Other embodiments>
This embodiment can be modified as follows. This embodiment and the following modified examples can be combined with each other to the extent that they are not technically inconsistent. In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

(Processing when appropriate configuration information cannot be obtained)
The setting information may be obtained from the data center 19 via a vehicle diagnosis terminal, such as a diagnostic tool, that is connected by wire to the in-vehicle network 10. In this case, the wireless communication device 17 may be omitted.

- An error may be displayed on a display device outside the vehicle, such as a terminal for fault diagnosis. Also, a terminal outside the vehicle may be used to check whether or not the setting information can be obtained from the data center 19.

The SDN controller 15 may obtain the setting information from the data center 19 without displaying an error on the display device 16 or performing a confirmation operation on the display device 16 .
If appropriate setting information cannot be obtained from the new in-vehicle device 14A, the SDN controller 15 may not obtain setting information from the data center 19 outside the vehicle, but may update the communication settings in another manner, for example manually.

(Notification of update completion)
The SDN controller 15 may notify only the connected in-vehicle device 14 or only the new in-vehicle device 14A of the completion of the update of the communication settings of the SDN switch 12. Also, the SDN controller 15 may not notify either the connected in-vehicle device 14 or the new in-vehicle device 14A of the completion of the update of the communication settings.

(others)
After being connected to the in-vehicle network 10 , the new in-vehicle device 14</b>A may transmit setting information in response to a request from the SDN controller 15 .

After connecting to the in-vehicle network 10, the new in-vehicle device 14A may transmit only the setting information to the SDN controller 15 without transmitting the identification information.
The configuration of the in-vehicle network 10, such as the number of SDN switches 12 and the network topology, is not limited to that illustrated in FIG. 1 and may be changed as appropriate.

- Some or all of the multiple SDN switches 12 installed in the in-vehicle network 10 may be replaced with other communication devices that forward frames, such as routers, and that can update communication settings using software.

- In the above embodiment, the in-vehicle network 10 is configured so that the in-vehicle devices 14 communicate at the data link layer (L2). The in-vehicle network 10 may be configured so that message communication between the in-vehicle devices 14 is performed at a layer other than the data link layer. In other words, the SDN controller 15 in the above embodiment may be configured as a device that updates the communication settings of each communication device in an in-vehicle network provided with multiple communication devices that perform message communication.

- When connecting a new in-vehicle device 14A, the SDN controller 15 may update the communication settings of each of the already connected in-vehicle devices 14 along with the communication settings of the SDN switch 12.

The SDN controller 15 may be configured in any manner that functions as a setting device that updates the communication settings of multiple communication devices installed in the in-vehicle network 10. For example, any of the ECUs may have the function of the SDN controller 15 in the above embodiment. That is, the setting device that updates the communication settings of the communication devices may be configured as a circuit (circuitry) including one or more processors that execute various processes according to a computer program (software). The setting device may be configured as a circuit including one or more dedicated hardware circuits, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), that execute at least some of the various processes, or a combination thereof. The processor includes a CPU and memory such as RAM and ROM. The memory stores program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute processes. The memory, i.e., computer-readable medium, includes any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer.

Claims

A setting device that updates the communication settings of a plurality of communication devices that perform frame communication based on setting information acquired from an in-vehicle device when the in-vehicle device that performs frame communication is connected to an in-vehicle network in which the plurality of communication devices that perform frame communication are provided.
The setting device according to claim 1, wherein the connection of the in-vehicle device includes reconnecting the in-vehicle device to the in-vehicle network after a software update of the in-vehicle device.
The setting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the setting information includes information on setting the quality of service of the frame communication and information on setting communication path restrictions for security.
The setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which acquires the setting information from a data center outside the vehicle when the appropriate setting information cannot be acquired from the in-vehicle device.
The setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which displays an error on a display device mounted on the vehicle if the appropriate setting information cannot be acquired from the in-vehicle device.
The setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which notifies the in-vehicle device of the completion of updating the communication settings when the update of the communication settings based on the setting information is completed.
The setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which notifies other in-vehicle devices connected to the in-vehicle network of the completion of updating the communication settings based on the setting information when the communication settings have been updated.
An in-vehicle device that is connected to an in-vehicle network in which multiple communication devices that perform frame communication are provided, and that performs the frame communication, and that has a memory unit that stores setting information that is information on the communication settings of the multiple communication devices.
The in-vehicle device according to claim 8, which transmits the setting information when connected to the in-vehicle network.
The in-vehicle device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the setting information includes information on setting the quality of service of the frame communication and information on setting communication path restrictions for security.
The in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the in-vehicle network is provided with a setting device that updates the communication settings of the communication device based on the setting information stored in the storage unit, and the in-vehicle device, after connecting to the in-vehicle network, waits for a notification of completion of the update of the communication settings from the setting device before starting the frame communication.
A setting device that updates the communication settings of a plurality of communication devices that perform message communication based on setting information acquired from an in-vehicle device when the in-vehicle device that performs message communication is connected to an in-vehicle network provided with the plurality of communication devices that perform message communication.
The setting device according to claim 12, wherein the connection of the in-vehicle device includes reconnecting the in-vehicle device to the in-vehicle network after a software update of the in-vehicle device.
The setting device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the setting information includes information on setting the quality of service of the message communication and information on setting communication path restrictions for security.
The setting device according to any one of claims 12 to 14, which acquires the setting information from a data center outside the vehicle when the appropriate setting information cannot be acquired from the in-vehicle device.
The setting device according to any one of claims 12 to 15, which displays an error on a display device mounted on the vehicle if the appropriate setting information cannot be acquired from the vehicle-mounted device.
The setting device according to any one of claims 12 to 16, which notifies the in-vehicle device of the completion of updating the communication settings when the update of the communication settings based on the setting information is completed.
The setting device according to any one of claims 12 to 17, which notifies other in-vehicle devices connected to the in-vehicle network of the completion of updating the communication settings based on the setting information when the communication settings have been updated.
An in-vehicle device that is connected to an in-vehicle network in which multiple communication devices that perform message communication are provided, and that performs the message communication, and that has a memory unit that stores setting information that is information on the communication settings of the multiple communication devices.
The in-vehicle device according to claim 19, which transmits the setting information when connected to the in-vehicle network.
The in-vehicle device according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the setting information includes information on setting the quality of service of the message communication and information on setting communication path restrictions for security.
The in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein the in-vehicle network is provided with a setting device that updates the communication settings of the communication device based on the setting information stored in the storage unit, and the in-vehicle device, after connecting to the in-vehicle network, waits for a notification of completion of the update of the communication settings from the setting device before starting the message communication.