On-board device, information processing method, and computer program

An information processing method comprising:

• providing a control unit of an on-board device, the control unit including a plurality of computation devices, each of the computation devices functioning as a management unit or a virtual device and periodically switching between a period in which the computation device functions as the management unit and a period in which the computation device functions as the virtual device, and periods in which different computation devices function as the management unit do not overlap;
• generating a plurality of virtual devices that serve as operation environments for a plurality of programs, in an on-board device;
• when each virtual device communicates with another virtual device, writing communication data addressed to the other virtual device, to a communication buffer that is included in the virtual device and to which the communication data that is exchanged through communication between the plurality of virtual devices is to be written;
• reading out the communication data written to the communication buffer of the virtual device, during a period in which the virtual device is not operating;
• writing the communication data thus read out, to a storage area;
• writing the communication data written to the storage area, to the communication buffer of the other virtual device, during a period in which the other virtual device that is a transmission destination of the communication data is not operating;
• and
• reading out the communication data transmitted from the virtual device, written to the communication buffer of the other virtual device.

A computer program for enabling a computer mounted on a vehicle the computer including a control unit having a plurality of computation devices, each of the computation devices functioning as the management unit or the virtual device, the computer program enabling the computer to carry out processing to:

• periodically switch between a period in which the computation device functions as the management unit and a period in which the computation device functions as the virtual device, and periods in which different computation devices function as the management unit do not overlap;
• generate a plurality of virtual devices that serve as operation environments for a plurality of programs;
• when each virtual device communicates with another virtual device, write communication data addressed to the other virtual device, to a communication buffer that is included in the virtual device and to which the communication data that is exchanged through communication between the plurality of virtual devices is to be written;
• read out the communication data written to the communication buffer of the virtual device, during a period in which the virtual device is not operating;
• write the communication data thus read out, to a storage area;
• write the communication data written to the storage area, to the communication buffer of the other virtual device, during a period in which the other virtual device that is a transmission destination of the communication data is not operating;
• and
• read out the communication data transmitted from the virtual device, written to the communication buffer of the other virtual device.