Validating synchronized local times of at least a first and a second control unit

A method for validating synchronized local times of at least a first control unit and a second control unit of a vehicle, the method comprising:

• receiving, at the first control unit and the second control unit, a first synchronization message including a master time;
• synchronizing, at the first control unit and the second control unit, a local time of one of the first control unit and the second control unit to the received master time;
• communicating the synchronized local time from the first control unit to the second control unit;
• and
• comparing, at the second control unit, the communicated local time of the first control unit to the synchronized local time of the second control unit for validating the synchronized local times of the first control unit and the second control unit;
• wherein the communicating the synchronized local time from the first control unit to the second control unit comprises:
• sending a second synchronization message from the first control unit to the second control unit;
• wherein the second synchronization message includes a first local time corresponding to the synchronized local time of the first control unit at the time of sending the synchronization message.

A communication network comprising a first control unit and a second control unit that are connected to each other, wherein:

• the first control unit and the second control unit are configured to receive a first synchronization message including a master time, respectively;
• the first control unit and the second control unit are configured to synchronize their local time to the received master time, respectively;
• the first control unit is configured to communicate the synchronized local time to the second control unit;
• and
• the second control unit is configured to compare the communicated local time of the first control unit to the synchronized local time of the second control unit for validating the synchronized local times of the first control unit and the second control unit;
• wherein for comparing the communicated local time of the first control unit to the synchronized local time of the second control unit, the second control unit is configured to:
• determine a difference between the communicated local time of the first control unit and the synchronized local time of the second control unit;
• and
• raise an error flag if the determined difference is larger than a predefined threshold.

A communication network comprising a first control unit and a second control unit that are connected to each other, wherein:

• the first control unit and the second control unit are configured to receive a first synchronization message including a master time, respectively;
• the first control unit and the second control unit are configured to synchronize their local time to the received master time, respectively;
• the first control unit is configured to communicate the synchronized local time to the second control unit;
• and
• the second control unit is configured to compare the communicated local time of the first control unit to the synchronized local time of the second control unit for validating the synchronized local times of the first control unit and the second control unit;
• wherein, for communicating the synchronized local time from the first control unit to the second control unit, the first control unit is configured to:
• send a second synchronization message to the second control unit;
• wherein the second synchronization message includes a first local time corresponding to the synchronized local time of the first control unit at the time of sending the second synchronization message.

The communication network according to 11, wherein, for determining the communicated local time, the second control unit is configured to:

• determine a first local time corresponding to the synchronized local time of the second control unit at the time of receiving the second synchronization message;
• determine a second local time corresponding to the synchronized local time of the second control unit at the time of receiving the follow-up message;
• determine a difference between the first local time corresponding to the synchronized local time of the first control unit at the time of sending the synchronization message and the first local time corresponding to the synchronized local time of the second control unit at the time of receiving the synchronization message;
• and
• determine a sum of the difference and the second local time corresponding to the synchronized local time of the second control unit at the time of receiving the follow-up message for determining the communicated local time.