Method for communication between two automotive electronic control units and associated device

A method of communication between two automotive electronic control units (1, 2), comprising two communication interfaces (3, 4) between the electronic control units (1, 2) enabling messages to be sent via one or the other of the communication interfaces (3, 4), said electronic control units (1, 2) each further comprising i) a microcontroller (5) linked to the communication interfaces (3, 4) managing the sending and receiving of the messages via these communication interfaces (3, 4) according to a given priority level, transmission speed and recurrence, ii) a diagnostic system (8) for checking the functionality of the communication interfaces (3, 4), iii) a message scheduler (6), and iv) a logic switch (7) connected to the microcontroller (5), controlled by the message scheduler (6), and connected to the communication interfaces (3, 4), enabling one or the other of the communication interfaces (3, 4) to be selected, said method comprising:

• a first step (100) of the diagnostic system (8) checking that neither of the two communication interfaces (3, 4) is defective;
• a second step (210, 110, 110a, 110b) of the message scheduler (6) scheduling sending of the messages in succession via at least one of the two communication interfaces (3, 4), wherein, i) in a first situation the message scheduler (6) schedules (110, 110a, 110b, 210) the sending of all the messages only over one of the two the communication interfaces, and ii) in a second situation the message scheduler (6) schedules (210) the sending of the messages over both of the two communication interfaces (3, 4);
• a third step (220, 120) of the logic switch (7) selecting at least one of the two communication interfaces (3, 4) in order to send the messages as scheduled by the message scheduler (6);
• and
• a fourth step of sending each of messages over a currently selected of the two communication interfaces (3, 4).

A communication device, comprising:

• two automotive electronic control units (1, 2), each of said electronic control units (1, 2) comprising
• i) two communication interfaces (3, 4), the two communication interfaces (3, 4) enabling messages to be sent between the two electronic control units (1, 2) by the messages being sent via one or the other of the communication interfaces (3, 4) of each of the two electronic control units (1, 2),
• ii) a microcontroller (5) linked to the communication interfaces (3, 4) managing the sending and receiving of the messages via these communication interfaces (3, 4) according to a given priority level, transmission speed and recurrence,
• iii) a diagnostic system (8) that checks the functionality of the communication interfaces (3, 4),
• iv) a message scheduler (6), and
• iv) a logic switch (7) connected to the microcontroller (5), controlled by the message scheduler (6), and connected to the communication interfaces (3, 4), the logic switch (7) enabling one or the other of the communication interfaces (3, 4) to be selected, wherein,
• the diagnostic system (8) checks that neither of the two communication interfaces (3, 4) is defective,
• the message scheduler (6), responsive to the diagnostic system, schedules sending of the messages in succession via at least one of the two communication interfaces (3, 4), i) in a first situation the message scheduler (6) schedules (110, 110a, 110b, 210) the sending of all the messages only over one of the two the communication interfaces, and ii) in a second situation the message scheduler (6) schedules (210) the sending of the messages over both of the two communication interfaces (3, 4);
• the logic switch (7), under control of the message scheduler (6), selects at least one of the two communication interfaces (3, 4) in order to send the messages as scheduled by the message scheduler (6);
• and
• the two communication interfaces (3, 4) sending each of messages to the other automotive electronic control units (1, 2).