# US 12,007,919 B2 · In-vehicle communication device and vehicle communication method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,007,919 B2 - Document ID: US12007919B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/755,513 - Filed: 2020-08-13 - Published: 2022-11-24 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-10-31 - Assignees: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd.; Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.; Sumitomo Electric Industires, Ltd. - Applicants: AutoNetworks Technologies, Ltd.; Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.; Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. - Inventors: Yuanjun Xian; Takeshi Hagihara; Makoto Mashita; Nobuyuki Kobayashi; Takehiro Kawauchi; Tatsuya Izumi; Akihito Iwata; Yusuke Yamamoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007919B2 ## CPC - G06F 13/24: using interrupt (G06F13/32 takes precedence) - H04L 9/40: Network security protocols - H04W 4/48: for in-vehicle communication - H04L 49/351: for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract An in-vehicle communication device for transmitting and receiving a signal by a predetermined communication protocol related to Ethernet® (registered trademark), the in-vehicle communication device comprising: a control circuit configured to generate transmission data including interrupt data inserted into an inter-frame gap between Ethernet frames; and a PHY unit having a communication circuit configured to convert the transmission data generated by the control circuit into a signal and transmit the signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An in-vehicle communication device for transmitting and receiving a signal by a predetermined communication protocol related to Ethernet®, the in-vehicle communication device comprising: a control circuit configured to generate transmission data including at least two Ethernet frames and interrupt data inserted into an inter-frame gap between the at least two Ethernet frames, the inter-frame gap being a gap between a transmission of the at least two Ethernet frames; and a PHY unit having a communication circuit configured to convert the transmission data generated by the control circuit into a signal for transmission along a bus and transmit the signal along the bus, wherein the interrupt data includes information for managing relay of the Ethernet frames included in the transmission data, and the information includes a priority for determining whether or not to relay the Ethernet frames before another Ethernet frame when relaying the Ethernet frames to another in-vehicle communication device via a relay device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein the interrupt data is data of 96 bits or less. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein the interrupt data includes data indicating start of interrupt and data for error detection. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined communication protocol is 100Base-T1. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein the interrupt data includes information indicating a state of the PHY unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein the Ethernet frame includes data generated by a first application program and data generated by a second application program, and the interrupt data includes information indicating life and death of the operating first application program and the operating second application program. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein information for managing relay of the Ethernet frame contained in the transmission data is included. ### Claim 8 A vehicle communication method using an in-vehicle communication device for transmitting and receiving a signal by a predetermined communication protocol related to Ethernet®, the vehicle communication method comprising: generating transmission data including at least two Ethernet frames and interrupt data inserted into an inter-frame gap between the at least two Ethernet frames, the inter-frame gap being a gap between a transmission of the at least two Ethernet frames, the interrupt data including information for managing relay of the Ethernet frames included in the transmission data, and the information including a priority for determining whether or not to relay the Ethernet frames before another Ethernet frame when relaying the Ethernet frames to another in-vehicle communication device via a relay device; and converting the generated transmission data into a signal for transmission along a bus and transmitting the signal along the bus.