US 11,057,239 B2Granted

Vehicular network device

AssigneeYazaki Corporation

InventorTerumitsu Sugimoto

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Abstract

Two communication ECUs which can be disposed in different areas on a vehicle are equipped with respective communication relays which are connected to each other by an interarea connection unit. The functions of each of the communication relays are simplified and separated from the functions of a router. When receiving a signal, the communication relays outputs the signal to another, belonging to the same system as the communication line from which the signal has been received, of communication lines and to the router. The router controls a route of a signal to be transmitted between different systems of communication lines that are one of the communication lines and one of the communication lines. Since the communication relays are low in cost and can operate at high speed and the number of routers is decreased, the components cost can be lowered.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A vehicular network device installed on a vehicle, comprising:

a communication relay which is connected to at least two sets of plural communication lines;
and
a router which controls a communication route of a signal to pass through the communication relay,
wherein a plural communication lines of a first set of the at least two sets belong to respective predetermined systems and are independent of each other, and a plural communication lines of a second set of the at least two sets belong to the respective predetermined systems and are independent of each other, such that a first connection line of the plural communication lines of the first set and a first communication line of the plural communication lines of the second set belong to a first predetermined system, and a second connection line of the plural communication lines of the first set and a second communication line of the plural communication lines of the second set belong to a second predetermined system;
wherein, in a first case when receiving a first signal from a communication line of the first set of plural communication lines, the communication relay sends the first signal to a communication line of the second set, belonging to the same predetermined system as the communication line of the first set from which the signal has been received;
wherein, in a second case when the communication relay receives a second signal from a communication line of the first set of plural communication lines, the communication relay sends the second signal to the router and the router sends, via the communication relay, the second signal to a communication line of the second set, belonging to a different predetermined system, of the predetermined systems, than the communication line of the first set from which the signal has been received,
wherein, in the first case, the communication relay sends the first signal to both the communication line of the second set, belonging to the same predetermined system as the communication line of the first set, and to the router,
wherein, in the second case, the communication relay sends the second signal to both the communication line of the second set, belonging to the same predetermined system as the communication line of the first set, and to the router,
wherein, in the first case, an instance of the first signal is sent from the communication relay to the communication line of the second set, belonging to the same predetermined system as the communication line of the first set, without passing through the router, and
wherein, in the second case, an instance of the second signal is sent from the communication relay to the communication line of the second set, belonging to the same predetermined system as the communication line of the first set, without passing through the router.

7 more elements

A vehicular network device, comprising:

plural communication relays which can be disposed in different areas on a vehicle, the plural communication relays including a first communication relay and a second communication relay;
a router which controls a communication route of a signal to pass through two of the plural communication relays;
an interarea connection unit that includes a communication line that connects the first communication relay and the second communication relay to each other;
a connection unit including a communication line that connects the first communication relay and the router to each other;
a first device connection unit connected to the first communication relay and having plural communication lines;
a second device connection unit connected to the second communication relay and having plural communication lines;
wherein the plural communication lines of the first device connection unit belong to respective predetermined systems and are independent of each other, and plural communication lines of the second device connection unit belong to the respective predetermined systems and are independent of each other, such that a first communication line of the plural communication lines of the first device connection unit and a first communication line of the plural communication lines of the second device connection unit belong to a first predetermined system, and a second communication line of the plural communication lines of the first device connection unit and a second communication line of the plural communication lines of the second device connection unit belong to a second predetermined system,
wherein the communication line of the interarea connection unit has transmission lines which are independent of each other, belong to the respective systems, and that are at least equal in number as the plural communication lines of the first device connection unit,
wherein, in a first case when receiving a first signal from a communication line belonging to the first predetermined system, the first communication relay outputs the first signal to the first communication line of the first device connection unit belonging to the first predetermined system, and the second communication relay outputs the first signal to the first communication line of the second device connection unit belonging to the first predetermined system, and
wherein, in a second case when the first communication relay receives a second signal from the first communication line of the first device connection unit belonging to the first predetermined system, the router sends, via the first communication relay, the second signal to one of the transmission lines of the interarea connection unit which belongs to a different predetermined system, of the predetermined systems, than the first communication line of the first device connection unit that belongs to the first predetermined system.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/121,061Filed 4 Sep 2018
Priority: JP JP2017-17760415 Sep 2017
Published: US 2019/0089555 A121 Mar 2019
Granted: 6 Jul 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

H04L 12/40
Characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]: bus networks
H04B 3/36
Details: repeater circuits
H04L 12/40182
Involving redundancy: by using a plurality of communication lines
H04L 12/4625
LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone: single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge