Communication system and relay apparatus

• US 8,755,387 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2008
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Hisada, Toshiya
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Eric P
• Application Number:
  US12/678,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20100215043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,080 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/393
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40215 Controller Area Network CAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle

Abstract

A trunk line topology network is configured with an electronic control units being communication apparatuses transmitting and receiving data, and gateway apparatuses and a distribution apparatus being a specific gateway apparatus that are connected to a communication line being a trunk line, for relaying, through the gateway apparatuses, data transmitted among the electronic control units. The distribution apparatus includes a storage region utilized for a database. The data transmitted from the electronic control units are relayed by the gateway apparatuses and then aggregated by the distribution apparatus. The relayed data are stored once on the database. When transmitting data to the electronic control units, the distribution apparatus reads out data from the database and transmits the data at the adjusted transmission timing. The gateway apparatuses relay the transmitted data.

Claims

1. A communication system that transmits data by utilizing a plurality of relay apparatuses each of which is connected to a plurality of communication apparatuses, wherein

each relay apparatus comprises:

a communication apparatus data communication unit that performs transmission of data with a connected communication apparatus;

a relay apparatus data communication unit that performs transmission of data with another relay apparatus;

a determination unit that determines whether or not the data received by the relay apparatus data communication unit is for said each relay apparatus comprising the determination unit and receiving the data;

a control unit that transmits the data received by the relay apparatus data communication unit toward the connected communication apparatus when the determination unit determines positive, and to discard the data received by the relay apparatus data communication unit when the determination unit determines negative; and

an address information additional unit that adds address information indicating a transmission destination onto the data transmitted by the relay apparatus data communication unit, and allows the determination unit to determine in accordance with the additional information added by the address information additional unit; and

one relay apparatus further comprises;

a storage unit that stores data received by the communication apparatus data communication unit and relay apparatus data communication unit of said one relay apparatus; and

a storage control unit that stores on the storage unit the data received by the relay apparatus data communication unit of said one relay apparatus, when the determination unit of said one relay apparatus determines positive,

wherein

said each relay apparatus further comprises a candidacy generation unit that generates candidacy information for declaring to be said one relay apparatus, and allows said each relay apparatus data communication unit to add said each identification information on the candidacy information generated by the candidacy generation unit and then to transmit the added candidacy information toward another relay apparatus,

said each relay apparatus further comprises;

a comparison unit that performs a comparison between the identification information added on the candidacy information generated by said each candidacy generation unit and the identification information added on the candidacy information which is generated by another relay apparatus but received by said each relay apparatus data communication unit; and

a withdrawal unit that withdraws, on the bases of the comparison performed by the comparison unit, the candidacy information generated by said each candidacy generation unit, and

a relay apparatus finally holding said each candidacy information without withdrawing becomes said one relay apparatus.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the storage unit further stores a transmission information table that associates, with each other, apparatus identification information for identifying the plurality of communication apparatuses and data identification information for identifying data type,

when a new communication apparatus is connected and then transmits data, the storage control unit stores, on the storage unit, apparatus identification information about the new connected communication apparatus and data identification information about the new connected communication apparatus, and

the communication apparatus data communication unit and the relay apparatus data communication unit of said one relay apparatus transmit data based on the transmission information table stored by the storage unit.

3. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein

the transmission information table further associates the data identification information with transmission timing information indicating a transmission timing of data.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

said each relay apparatus further comprises a plurality of communication ports that allows said each relay apparatus data communication unit to communicate with another relay apparatus,

said one relay apparatus further comprises a logical tree information unit that generates a logical tree notification utilized for selecting a transmission path of data in the communication system,

the relay apparatus data communication unit of said one relay apparatus transmits the logical tree notification generated by the logical tree information unit toward another relay apparatus, and

when a relay apparatus has a first communication port through which the logical tree notification having transmitted by the said one relay apparatus is firstly received and a second communication port through which the logical tree notification having transmitted by the said one relay apparatus is secondly received, the second communication port is set to be unavailable.

5. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein

the logical tree notification contains useful life information indicating useful life span for information.

6. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein

the plurality of relay apparatuses are connected in a ring topology or in a mesh topology.

7. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the communication system is for a motor vehicle.

8. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

said each relay apparatus further comprises a plurality of communication ports that allows said each relay apparatus data communication unit to communicate with another relay apparatus,

said one relay apparatus further comprises a logical tree information unit that generates a logical tree notification utilized for selecting a transmission path of data in the communication system,

the relay apparatus data communication unit of said one relay apparatus transmits the logical tree notification generated by the logical tree information unit toward another relay apparatus,

when a relay apparatus has a first communication port through which the logical tree notification having transmitted by the said one relay apparatus is firstly received and a second communication port through which the logical tree notification having transmitted by the said one relay apparatus is secondly received, the second communication port is set to be unavailable,

in a case that a relay apparatus finally holding said each candidacy information becomes said one relay apparatus and then another relay apparatus newly becomes said one relay apparatus, the second communication port is changed from unavailable to available, and said another relay apparatus newly becoming said one relay apparatus transmits the logical tree notification.

9. A relay apparatus that is connected to a plurality of communication apparatuses and performs data communication with the plurality of communication apparatuses and another plurality of relay apparatuses, comprising:

a communication apparatus data communication unit that performs transmission of data with the plurality of communication apparatuses;

a relay apparatus data communication unit that performs transmission of data with said another plurality of relay apparatuses;

a determination unit that determines whether or not the data received by the relay apparatus data communication unit is for said each relay apparatus;

a control unit that transmits the data received by the relay apparatus data communication unit toward the connected communication apparatus when the determination unit determines positive, and that discards the data received by the relay apparatus data communication unit when the determination unit determines negative;

a storage unit that stores data received by the communication apparatus data communication unit and the relay apparatus data communication unit;

a storage control unit that stores on the storage unit the data received by the relay apparatus data communication unit, when the determination unit determines positive;

an address information additional unit that adds address information indicating a transmission destination onto the data transmitted by the relay apparatus data communication unit, wherein the determination unit performs the determination in accordance with the additional information added by the address information additional unit;

a candidacy generation unit that generates candidacy information for declaring to be a distribution apparatus, wherein the relay apparatus data communication unit adds said each identification information on the candidacy information generated by the candidacy generation unit and then transmits the added candidacy information toward the plurality of relay apparatuses;

a comparison unit that performs a comparison between the identification information added on the candidacy information generated by said each candidacy generation unit and the identification information added on the candidacy information which is generated by another relay apparatus but received by said each relay apparatus data communication unit; and

a withdrawal unit that withdraws, on the basis of the comparison performed by the comparison unit, the candidacy information generated by said each candidacy generation unit, wherein when the relay apparatus finally holds the candidacy information without withdrawing, the relay apparatus becomes the distribution apparatus.

10. The relay apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the storage unit further stores a transmission information table that associates, with each other, apparatus identification information for identifying the plurality of communication apparatuses and data identification information for identifying data type,

when a new communication apparatus is connected and then transmits data, the storage control unit stores, on the storage unit, apparatus identification information about the new connected communication apparatus and data identification information about the new connected communication apparatus, and

the communication apparatus data communication unit and the relay apparatus data communication unit transmit data based on the transmission information table stored by the storage unit.

11. The relay apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the transmission information table further associates the data identification information with transmission timing information indicating a transmission timing of data.

12. The relay apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the relay apparatus is for a motor vehicle.

13. The relay apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a plurality of communication ports that allows the relay apparatus data communication unit to communicate with said another plurality of relay apparatuses; and

a logical tree information unit that generates a logical tree notification utilized for selecting a transmission path of data, wherein

when the relay apparatus becomes the distribution apparatus, the replay apparatus data communication unit transmits the logical tree notification generated by the logical tree information unit toward another relay apparatus that is connected to the relay apparatus through a communication port,

when the relay apparatus, without becoming the distribution apparatus, receives a logical tree notification transmitted from said connected another relay apparatus through a first communication port and then re-receives the logical tree notification through a second communication port, the relay apparatus makes the second communication port be unavailable.

14. The relay apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

when the relay apparatus newly becomes the distribution apparatus after once becoming the distribution apparatus, the logical tree information unit generates a new logical tree notification,

when the relay apparatus newly becomes the distribution apparatus after never becoming the distribution apparatus, the relay apparatus changes the second communication port from unavailable to available and the logical tree information unit generates the new logical tree notification,

when the relay apparatus, once becoming the distribution apparatus but not newly becoming the distribution apparatus, receives the logical tree notification transmitted from said connected another relay apparatus through the first communication port and then re-receives the logical tree notification through the second communication port, the relay apparatus makes the second communication port be unavailable, and

when the relay apparatus, without newly becoming the distribution apparatus after never becoming the distribution apparatus, the relay apparatus changes the second communication port from unavailable to available, and makes the second communication port be unavailable in response to receiving the new logical tree notification transmitted from said connected another relay apparatus through the first communication port and then re-receiving the new logical tree notification through the second communication port.

15. The relay apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the logical tree notification contains useful life information indicating useful life span for information.

16. The relay apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the relay apparatus is connected with said another plurality of relay apparatuses in a ring topology or in a mesh topology.