# US 12,113,665 B2 · Relay device, vehicle communication system, vehicle, communication method, and communication program

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- Number: US 12,113,665 B2
- Document ID: US12113665B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/622,892
- Filed: 2020-07-03
- Published: 2022-07-21
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2019-08-01
- Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.; Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.; Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd.
- Applicants: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.; Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.; Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd.
- Inventors: Yojiro Suyama; Hideyuki Tanaka; Tatsuya Izumi; Yusuke Yamamoto; Takeshi Hagihara; Darmawan Go; Yosuke Shimizu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12113665B2

## CPC

- H04L 12/4641: {Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272)}
- H04L 41/0806: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
- B60R 16/023: for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
- H04L 12/46: Interconnection of networks
- H04L 41/0816: the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
- H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
- H04L 41/0853: by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

An information of a network to which a new function unit has been added is easily acquired. A relay device installed in a vehicle includes: a detection unit configured to detect a new function unit being a function unit that is newly added to a network including an existing function unit being one or a plurality of function units; a relay unit configured to relay a frame between the function units; and an acquisition unit configured to acquire, from the frame, relayed by the relay unit, between the new function unit detected by the detection unit and the existing function unit, function unit information that includes information regarding a network configuration of a layer of a lower order than an application layer, the function unit information being of at least one of the new function unit and the existing function unit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A relay device installed in a vehicle, the relay device comprising:
a detection unit configured to detect a new function unit being a function unit that is newly added to a network including an existing function unit being one or a plurality of function units;
a relay unit configured to relay a frame between the function units; and
an acquisition unit configured to acquire, from the frame, relayed by the relay unit, between the new function unit detected by the detection unit and the existing function unit, function unit information that includes information regarding a network configuration of a layer of a lower order than an application layer, the function unit information being of at least one of the new function unit and the existing function unit, wherein
the function unit information includes at least one of:
information that allows recognition of a topology of a new network and the specifications of a hardware device in the new network, the new network being the network that further includes the new function unit;
a restriction regarding disposition of an application in the hardware device in the new network; and
a restriction of a communication method in the new network.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The relay device according to claim 1, wherein
the function unit information is information that is to be used in generation of configuration information of a new network being the network that further includes the new function unit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The relay device according to claim 1, wherein
the acquisition unit acquires the function unit information from the frame transmitted by the new function unit and relayed to the existing function unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The relay device according to claim 1, wherein
the acquisition unit acquires the function unit information from the frame transmitted by the existing function unit and relayed to the new function unit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The relay device according to claim 1, wherein
without changing transmission destination information and transmission source information that are included in the frame received from the function unit, the relay unit relays the frame to another function unit, and
the acquisition unit acquires the function unit information from the frame relayed by the relay unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The relay device according to claim 1, wherein
the relay unit changes at least one of transmission destination information and transmission source information that are included in the frame received from the function unit, and relays the frame after having been changed, to another function unit, and
the acquisition unit acquires the function unit information from the frame relayed by the relay unit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The relay device according to claim 1, further including
a generation unit configured to generate configuration information of a new network being the network that further includes the new function unit, on the basis of the function unit information acquired by the acquisition unit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The relay device according to claim 1, wherein
the function unit information is information that is not to be processed in a function unit that should receive the frame.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The relay device according to claim 1, wherein
the detection unit: detects, as the new function unit, at least one of an application included in an in-vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that is newly added to the network, an application that is newly installed into an in-vehicle ECU in the network, and an application included in an external device that is newly added, outside the vehicle, to the network; performs an authentication process regarding the new function unit detected; and
notifies the new function unit of a result of the authentication process.

### Claim 10

A vehicle communication system comprising:
a relay device installed in a vehicle;
an existing function unit being one or a plurality of function units forming a network; and
a new function unit being a function unit that is newly added to the network, wherein the relay device detects addition of the new function unit to the network, the new function unit or the existing function unit transmits a frame that is addressed to another function unit and that has stored therein function unit information that includes information regarding a network configuration of a layer of a lower order than an application layer, and
the relay device acquires the function unit information from the frame transmitted by the new function unit or the existing function unit, wherein
the function unit information includes at least one of:
information that allows recognition of a topology of a new network and the specifications of a hardware device in the new network, the new network being the network that further includes the new function unit;
a restriction regarding disposition of an application in the hardware device in the new network; and
a restriction of a communication method in the new network.

### Claim 11

A communication method to be performed in a relay device, the relay device installed in a vehicle and configured to relay a frame between function units, the communication method comprising the steps of:
detecting a new function unit being a function unit that is newly added to a network including an existing function unit being one or a plurality of the function units; and
acquiring, from the frame that should be relayed between the new function unit detected and the existing function unit, function unit information that includes information regarding a network configuration of a layer of a lower order than an application layer, the function unit information being of at least one of the new function unit and the existing function unit, wherein
the function unit information includes at least one of:
information that allows recognition of a topology of a new network and the specifications of a hardware device in the new network, the new network being the network that further includes the new function unit;
a restriction regarding disposition of an application in the hardware device in the new network; and
a restriction of a communication method in the new network.

### Claim 12

A communication method to be performed in a vehicle communication system, the vehicle communication system including a relay device installed in a vehicle, an existing function unit being one or a plurality of function units forming a network, and a new function unit being a function unit that is newly added to the network,
the communication method comprising the steps of:
detecting, performed by the relay device, addition of the new function unit to the network;
transmitting, performed by the new function unit or the existing function unit, a frame that is addressed to another function unit and that has stored therein function unit information that includes information regarding a network configuration of a layer of a lower order than an application layer; and
acquiring, performed by the relay device, the function unit information from the frame transmitted by the new function unit or the existing function unit, wherein
the function unit information includes at least one of:
information that allows recognition of a topology of a new network and the specifications of a hardware device in the new network, the new network being the network that further includes the new function unit;
a restriction regarding disposition of an application in the hardware device in the new network; and
a restriction of a communication method in the new network.

### Claim 13

A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein a communication program to be used in a relay device installed in a vehicle, the communication program being for causing a computer to function as:
a detection unit configured to detect a new function unit being a function unit that is newly added to a network including an existing function unit being one or a plurality of function units;
a relay unit configured to relay a frame between the function units; and
an acquisition unit configured to acquire, from the frame, relayed by the relay unit, between the new function unit detected by the detection unit and the existing function unit, function unit information that includes information regarding a network configuration of a layer of a lower order than an application layer, the function unit information being of at least one of the new function unit and the existing function unit, wherein
the function unit information includes at least one of:
information that allows recognition of a topology of a new network and the specifications of a hardware device in the new network, the new network being the network that further includes the new function unit;
a restriction regarding disposition of an application in the hardware device in the new network; and
a restriction of a communication method in the new network.