Relay device, communication system and communication method

• US 8,832,053 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2008
• 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: Yamamoto, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hwa, Shyue Jiunn
• Application Number:
  US12/811,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20100281010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,015 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40013 Details regarding a bus controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle

Abstract

Provided is a relay device in which when data read from a database is transmitted to external devices, the transmission and reception of the data between the external devices is relayed. Data required by in-vehicle devices must be generated from data. The relay device does not send the data that is calculation source data for generating the data to each of the in-vehicle devices, but generates the data that is a calculation result, stores the data in the database, and sends the data to the in-vehicle devices as required. In addition, the relay device determines whether data needed to be generated is required to be regenerated or not and, only when it is determined that the already stored data is old and regeneration of the data is needed, regenerates the data using the data that is calculation source data.

Claims

1. A relay device being connected to a plurality of external devices through communication lines and relaying repeated sending and receiving of data between the external devices, the relay device being a computer and comprising:

a communication section for sending and receiving data to and from the external devices;

a storage section for storing the received data; and

a controller for;

generating first additional data by computation based on one or a plurality of items in the received data, the first additional data being different from the received data and being a first computation result;

storing the first additional data, which is the first computation result, in the storage section;

determining, based on time information, whether or not regeneration by computation of the first additional data stored in the storage section is necessary;

regenerating second additional data by computation based on the one or the plurality of items in the received data when it is determined that regeneration is necessary, the second additional data being different from the received data and being a second computation result;

storing the second additional data, which was obtained by regeneration and which is the second computation result, in the storage section; and

retrieving the second additional data or the received data from the storage section and causing the communication section to send the retrieved second additional data or the retrieved received data to an external device that requires the second additional data or the received data;

wherein

when the one or the plurality of items is newly received from the external device and contents of the one or the plurality of items have changed from contents of corresponding past data, the controller determines that regeneration of additional data generated using the past data is necessary.

2. The relay device according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving section for receiving a send request for data from the external device, wherein

when the send request is received, the controller determines whether or not data corresponding to the send request is the additional data, and

the controller determines whether or not regeneration of the additional data is necessary when it is determined that the data corresponding to the send request is the additional data.

3. The relay device according to claim 1, wherein

when the controller stores data received from the external device in the storage section and also when the controller generates additional data, the controller stores the time information in the storage section, the time information, the received data and the additional data being stored together, and

the controller determines, based on the time information, whether or not regeneration of the additional data stored in the storage section is necessary.

4. The relay device according to claim 1, wherein the computer is based on a stored program system or a wired logic system.

5. A communication system, comprising:

a plurality of communication devices for repeatedly sending and receiving data; and

a relay device which is connected to the communication devices through communication lines and relays sending and receiving of data between the communication devices, wherein

the relay device is a computer and comprises;

a communication section for sending and receiving data to and from the communication devices;

a storage section for storing the received data;

a controller for;

generating first additional data by computation based on one or a plurality of items in the data received from the communication devices, the first additional data being different from the received data and being a first computation result; and

storing the first additional data, which is the first computation result, in the storage section; and

a receiving section for receiving a send request for data from the communication devices, and wherein

when data corresponding to the received send request is the first additional data, the controller determines, based on time information, whether or not regeneration by computation of the first additional data is necessary,

the controller regenerates second additional data by computation based on the one or the plurality of items in the received data when it is determined that regeneration is necessary, the second additional data being different from the received data and being a second computation result,

the controller stores the second additional data, which was obtained by regeneration and which is the second computation result, in the storage section, and

the controller retrieves the second additional data or the received data corresponding to the send request from the storage section, and causes the communication section to send the retrieved second additional data or the retrieved received data to the communication device;

wherein

when the one or the plurality of items is newly received from a communication device and contents of the one or the plurality of items have changed from contents of corresponding past data, the controller determines that regeneration of additional data generated using the past data is necessary.

6. The communication system according to claim 5, wherein the computer is based on a stored program system or a wired logic system.

7. A communication method for a relay device, which is connected to a plurality of external devices through communication lines and relays sending and receiving of data between the external devices, the method being performed by a computer and comprising:

receiving data repeatedly sent from the external devices;

storing the received data in a storage section;

generating first additional data by computation based on one or a plurality of items in the received data, the first additional data being different from the received data and being a first computation result;

storing the first additional data, which is the first computation result, in the storage section;

determining, based on time information, whether or not regeneration by computation of the first additional data stored in the storage section is necessary;

regenerating second additional data by computation based on the one or the plurality of items in the received data when it is determined that regeneration is necessary, the second additional data being different from the received data and being a second computation result;

storing the second additional data, which was obtained by regeneration and which is the second computation result, in the storage section; and

retrieving the second additional data or the received data from the storage section and sending the retrieved second additional data or the retrieved received data to an external device that requires the second additional data or the received data;

wherein

when the one or the plurality of items is newly received from the external device and contents of the one or the plurality of items have changed from contents of corresponding past data, it is determined that regeneration of additional data generated using the past data is necessary.

8. The communication method according to claim 7, wherein the computer is based on a stored program system or a wired logic system.