Vehicle data communication system having supervised coordination of networks which control respective basic operating functions of vehicle

• US 6,862,508 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2003
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Tashiro, Tsutomu, Akiyama, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/686,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20040083044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 701/45, 701/48, 701/51, 709/208, 709/220, 709/238, 709/244, 709/253
• US Class Current: 701/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/44 Star or tree networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks

Abstract

A vehicle LAN is formed of networks of ECUs with each network controlling a specific basic system of the vehicle such as the power train, and each network including a supervisory ECU with the supervisory ECUs able to mutually communicate via a high-level communication line. Each supervisory ECU coordinates the control operations of its own network, based on status information from that network and on control requests transmitted from other networks, so that only small amounts of data need be transferred within the system.

Claims

1. A vehicle communication system in which one or more basic systems of a vehicle are provided with respectively corresponding data communication networks, each said network comprising a plurality of electronic control apparatuses linked by a communication line which is dedicated to said each network, wherein

one of said electronic control apparatuses of said each network is adapted to operate as a supervisory control apparatus, said supervisory control apparatus performing supervisory control of other electronic control apparatuses of the network in which said supervisory control apparatus is connected, by transmitting information and control target values to said other electronic control apparatuses of said network, and

respective supervisory control apparatuses of said networks are connected for mutual data communication via a high-level communication line which is separate from each of said dedicated communication lines of said networks,

and wherein said supervisory control apparatus of said each network receives information from said other electronic control apparatuses of its network via the dedicated communication line of that network, and further receives information via said high-level communication line, and derives said information and control target values to be transmitted to said other electronic control apparatuses based upon said information received via said high-level communication line and upon internal processing of received information which is performed by said supervisory control apparatus itself.

2. A vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an electronic control apparatus connected to said high-level communication line, adapted to function as a vehicle supervisory control apparatus for coordinating respective operations of said basic systems of said vehicle, wherein each of said supervisory control apparatuses of said networks transmits to said vehicle supervisory control apparatus information relating to the operating status of said network and information constituting requests for control quantities to be implemented by other ones of said networks, and wherein said vehicle supervisory control apparatus executes processing to mediate between said requests, based on said information relating to operating status, and transmits to said supervisory control apparatuses of said networks information constituting guidance objectives for control target values to be generated by said supervisory control apparatuses, said guidance objectives being derived based upon results of said mediation.

3. A vehicle control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of said supervisory control apparatuses of said networks is adapted to process information received from said other electronic control apparatuses of its network, for selecting therefrom status information which is to be transmitted via said high-level communication line to said vehicle supervisory control apparatus or to respective supervisory control apparatuses of other ones of said networks, and information constituting requests for control operations, which are to be transmitted via said high-level communication line to said vehicle supervisory control apparatus.

4. A vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said networks comprise at least a network for controlling a power train system of said vehicle and a network for controlling a vehicle motion system of said vehicle.