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In-vehicle network management using virtual networks
| Details |
Inventors: Millsap, Arnold W.; Forest, Thomas Michael; Hansson, Peter H. G.; Anderson, Anthony; Nakis, George D;
Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Detroit, MI)
Primary Examiner: Louis-Jacques; Jacques H.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Marra; Kathryn A.
A network management approach for use in a vehicle to control activation of electronic control units (ECUs) networked together throughout the vehicle. The ECUs are grouped together by function into virtual networks, with each virtual network including those ECUs used in carrying out a particular control task, such as controlling power windows or automatic headlights. The virtual networks are activated using a messaging protocol that specifies which virtual network is being activated. Periodic messages specifying the virtual network are also used to maintain it active. This permits the ECUs to be maintained in a low power quiescent state when the control functions are not needed, while allowing only those needed for a particular control task to be awakened and maintained in an activated state to carry out their associated control task. An ECU can activate one of the virtual networks by transmitting a wake-up signal followed by a message identifying the virtual network. Each of the ECUs receive this message and, if it is a member of the virtual network being initialized, maintains itself in an active state to carry out the control task associated with the virtual network. The other ECUs return to the quiescent state. Using this approach, an ECU is able to activate only the necessary ECUs for a particular control task without having to know which or how many ECUs are involved in performing the task. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention provides an on-board vehicle network and method for operating the network which permits an ECU to activate the other ECUs used for a particular vehicle control task without having to know in advance what ECUs are utilized in performing the control task.
The network comprises a plurality of on-board vehicle electronic control units (ECUs) connected together via at least one network bus, with the network being arranged into a plurality of virtual networks that each comprise a group of the ECUs that together perform a vehicle control task.
Thus, the ECUs that together comprise a first one of the virtual networks are operable together to perform a first control task and are each identified using a first code that is associated with the first virtual network.
Similarly, the ECUs that comprise the second virtual network are operable together to perform a second control task and are each identified using a second code that is associated with the second virtual network.
The first and second virtual networks can be activated using respective first and second messages that they receive over the vehicle bus.
Once activated a virtual network is then operable to perform its associated control task.
Preferably, the messages include one or more of the codes used to identify the ECUs in a particular virtual network.
In this way, an ECU can wake-up other ECUs out of their standby mode without having to know which ECUs are a part of the virtual network used to implement a particular control task.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of managing an on-board vehicle network that utilize ECUs that can be switched between and active state and a low power quiescent state.
The network includes at least one group or subset of the ECUs on the network, with the group of ECUs being operable together to perform a particular vehicle control task.
The method includes the steps of: receiving a signal request for activating a control task; waking up the ECUs out of the low power quiescent state; and sending a message to the ECUs that includes a code associated with the control task
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