A wired-wireless hybrid communication method performed in a wired-wireless hybrid communication system including a first communication device and a second communication device, the first communication device at least including a controller, a storage unit, a first wired communication interface, and a first wireless communication interface, the second communication device being connected to be able to communicate with the first communication device by wire and wirelessly, the second communication device at least including a controller, a storage unit, a second wired communication interface, and a second wireless communication interface,
- the storage unit of the first communication device and the storage unit of the second communication device each including a data priority information storage unit configured to store therein data priority information defining priority for each type of communication data transmitted and received between the first communication device and the second communication device provided in a vehicle,
- the wired-wireless hybrid communication method comprising:
- a data type determining step performed by the controller of the first communication device configured to determine a type of the communication data to be transmitted from the first communication device to the second communication device;
- a transmission data priority identifying step performed by the controller of the first communication device configured to refer to the data priority information stored in the data priority information storage unit of the first communication device and to identify the priority associated with the type of the communication data determined at the data type determining step;
- a data dividing step performed by the controller of the first communication device configured to make a division into communication data having high priority and communication data having low priority, based on the priority identified at the transmission data priority identifying step;
- a wired communication data generating step performed by the controller of the first communication device configured to generate the communication data having high priority divided at the data dividing step, as wired communication data transmittable by wire;
- a wireless communication data generating step performed by the controller of the first communication device configured to generate the communication data having low priority divided at the data dividing step, as wireless communication data transmittable wirelessly;
- a wired transmission controlling step performed by the controller of the first communication device configured to transmit the wired communication data generated at the wired communication data generating step to the second communication device through the first wired communication interface;
- a wired reception controlling step performed by the controller of the second communication device configured to receive the wired communication data transmitted from the first communication device at the wired transmission controlling step, through the second wired communication interface;
- a wireless transmission controlling step performed by the controller of the first communication device configured to transmit the wireless communication data generated at the wireless communication data generating step to the second communication device through the first wireless communication interface;
- a wireless reception controlling step performed by the controller of the second communication device configured to receive the wireless communication data transmitted from the first communication device at wireless transmission controlling step, through the second wireless communication interface;
- a received data priority identifying step performed by the controller of the second communication device configured to refer to the data priority information stored in the data priority information storage unit of the second communication device and to identify the priority associated with each of the wired communication data received at the wired reception controlling step and the wireless communication data received at the wireless reception controlling step;
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- a data combining step configured to reconstruct the communication data by combining the wired communication data and the wireless communication data together, based on the priority of the wired communication data and the priority of the wireless communication data identified at the received data priority identifying step;
- a remaining data volume estimating step performed by the controller of the first communication device configured to estimate a remaining data volume transmittable to the second communication device through the first wired communication interface, based on a data volume of the communication data having high priority divided at the data dividing step;
- and
- a data volume determining step performed by the controller of the first communication device configured to determine whether a data volume of the communication data having low priority divided at the data dividing step is smaller than the remaining data volume estimated at the remaining data volume estimating step, wherein
- at the wired communication data generating step, when it is determined at the data volume determining step that the data volume of the communication data having low priority is smaller than the remaining data volume estimated at the remaining data volume estimating step, both of the communication data having high priority and the communication data having low priority divided at the data dividing step are generated as the wired communication data.