Vehicle control system, electronic control device, and communication method

• US 8,630,749 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2012
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Company Limited (Nidec Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takayuki, Kawashima, Hidemitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kim T
• Application Number:
  US13/543,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20130013129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/537, 701/538, 701/541
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

A vehicle control system has a radio wave transmitting body that transmits information using a radio signal, a first electronic control device that receives the radio signal from the radio wave transmitting body, and a second electronic control device that receives the radio signal from the radio wave transmitting body. The first electronic control device includes a first transmitting/receiving unit that transmits and receives the radio signal, a first information acquisition unit that acquires the information, which is transmitted from the radio wave transmitting body, from the radio signal received by the first transmitting/receiving unit, and an information repeater that passes the information acquired by the first information acquisition unit to the second electronic control device by transmitting the radio signal from the first transmitting/receiving unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system comprising:

a radio wave transmitting body that transmits information using a radio signal;

a first electronic control device that receives the radio signal from the radio wave transmitting body; and

a second electronic control device that receives the radio signal from the radio wave transmitting body,

wherein the first electronic control device includes;

a first transmitting/receiving unit that transmits and receives the radio signal;

a first information acquisition unit that acquires the information, which is transmitted from the radio wave transmitting body, from the radio signal received by the first transmitting/receiving unit;

a determination unit that determines whether a content of the radio signal received by the first transmitting/receiving unit is the information transmitted from the radio wave transmitting body, a content relating to processing of the first electronic control device, or a content that does not relate to the first electronic control device;

an information repeater that passes the information acquired by the first information acquisition unit to the second electronic control device by transmitting the radio signal from the first transmitting/receiving unit, and

wherein the second electronic control device includes;

a second transmitting/receiving unit that receives the radio signal from the radio wave transmitting body and the first electronic control device;

a second information acquisition unit that acquires the information, which is transmitted from the radio wave transmitting body, from the radio signal received by the second transmitting/receiving unit;

a third information acquisition unit that acquires the information, which is passed by the first electronic control device, from the radio signal received by the second transmitting/receiving unit; and

a controller that controls a device of a vehicle based on the information acquired by the second information acquisition unit or the third information acquisition unit.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicle includes a plurality of the first electronic control devices that conduct radio communication with each other.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 2,

wherein the second electronic control device further includes a reply request signal generator that transmits a reply request signal to the radio wave transmitting body, and

wherein the controller controls the device of the vehicle based on the information when the second information acquisition unit or the third information acquisition unit acquires the information within a predetermined time after the reply request signal generator transmits the reply request signal.

4. The vehicle control system according to claim 1,

wherein the second electronic control device further includes a reply request signal generator that transmits a reply request signal to the radio wave transmitting body, and

wherein the controller controls the device of the vehicle based on the information when the second information acquisition unit or the third information acquisition unit acquires the information within a predetermined time after the reply request signal generator transmits the reply request signal.

5. An electronic control device, comprising:

a first electronic control device that has a repeating function disposed in a vehicle; and

a second electronic control device disposed in the vehicle that controls a device of the vehicle based on information transmitted from a radio wave transmitting body,

wherein the information is passed from the radio wave transmitting body to the second electronic control device by transmitting and receiving a radio signal between the second electronic control device and the radio wave transmitting body in the repeating function,

wherein the second electronic control device includes;

a transmitting/receiving unit that transmits and receives the radio signal to and from the radio wave transmitting body and the first electronic control device;

a first information acquisition unit that acquires the information, which is transmitted from the radio wave transmitting body and received by the second electronic control device, from the radio signal received by the transmitting/receiving unit;

a second information acquisition unit that acquires the information, which is transmitted from the radio wave transmitting body, received by the first electronic control device, and passed to the second electronic control device, from the radio signal received by the transmitting/receiving unit; and

a controller that controls the device of the vehicle based on the information acquired by the first information acquisition unit or the second information acquisition unit,

wherein the second electronic control device further includes a reply request signal generator that transmits a reply request signal to the radio wave transmitting body, and

wherein the controller controls the device of the vehicle based on the information when the first information acquisition unit or the second information acquisition unit acquires the information within a predetermined time after the reply request signal generator transmits the reply request signal.

6. An electronic control device comprising:

a plurality of first electronic control devices that control a device of a vehicle based on information transmitted from a radio wave transmitting body; and

a second electronic control device disposed in the vehicle,

wherein each of the plurality of first electronic control devices includes;

a transmitting/receiving unit that transmits and receives a radio signal to and from the radio wave transmitting body, another of the plurality of first electronic control devices, and the second electronic control device;

a determination unit that determines whether a content of the radio signal received by the transmitting/receiving unit is the information transmitted from the radio wave transmitting body, a content relating to processing of the own first electronic control device, or a content that does not relate to the first electronic control device;

an information acquisition unit that acquires the information, which is transmitted from the radio wave transmitting body, from the determination unit; and

an information repeater that passes the information acquired by the information acquisition unit to the second electronic control device by transmitting the radio signal from the transmitting/receiving unit.

7. A communication method in a vehicle comprising:

conducting radio communication between a plurality of electronic control devices,

conducting radio communication between a radio wave transmitting body that transmits information in order to control a device provided in the vehicle using a radio signal and a second electronic control device that controls the device based on the information in the plurality of electronic control devices,

passing the information included in the radio signal to the second electronic control device via a first electronic control device when receiving the radio signal transmitted from the radio wave transmitting body,

receiving via the second electronic control device the radio signal including the information, which is transmitted from the radio wave transmitting body and directly received by the second electronic control device, or the information, which is transmitted from the radio wave transmitting body, received by the first electronic control device, and passed to the second electronic control device,

transmitting via the second electronic control device a reply request signal to the radio wave transmitting body using the radio signal, and

sending back via the radio wave transmitting body the radio signal including the information to the reply request signal.

8. The communication method according to claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting via the second electronic control device to the first electronic control device an asking signal asking whether the radio signal transmitted from the radio wave transmitting body is received, and

sending back via the first electronic control device the radio signal including the information in response to the asking signal when receiving the radio signal transmitted from the radio wave transmitting body within a predetermined time.

9. The communication method according to claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting via the second electronic control device to the first electronic control device an asking signal asking whether the radio signal transmitted from the radio wave transmitting body is received, and

sending back via the first electronic control device the radio signal including the information in response to the asking signal when receiving the radio signal transmitted from the radio wave transmitting body within a predetermined time.