IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,647,300
Granted Patent B2
US 12,647,300 · App. 18/556,134 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Vehicle-mounted communication system, relay device, and relay method

Inventors: Tomohiro Otsu (Yokkaichi, JP); Takeshi Hagihara (Yokkaichi, JP); Hirofumi Urayama (Yokkaichi, JP); Darmawan Go (Yokkaichi, JP); Yoshitaka Kikuchi (Yokkaichi, JP); Hideyuki Tanaka (Osaka, JP); Tatsuya Izumi (Osaka, JP); Yusuke Yamamoto (Osaka, JP)
Assignees: AutoNetworks Technologies, Ltd.; Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.; Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
H04L12/46B60R16/023
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,647,300
App. No.
18/556,134
Granted
Jun 2, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle-mounted communication system includes: a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices; and a relay device, wherein a first vehicle-mounted device of the vehicle-mounted devices transmits a frame addressed to a second vehicle-mounted device of the vehicle-mounted devices to the relay device, the frame being a frame for transmission and reception of information between the first vehicle-mounted device and the second vehicle-mounted device, and the relay device determines whether or not relay of the frame to the second vehicle-mounted device is permissible based on a result of comparison between a required safety level and a system safety level, the required safety level being a level of safety required for communication between the first vehicle-mounted device and the second vehicle-mounted device, the system safety level being at least based on function safety levels of the first vehicle-mounted device and the second vehicle-mounted device regarding safety of a vehicle.

Claims (33)

1 . A vehicle-mounted communication system comprising:

a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices; and

a relay device,

wherein a first vehicle-mounted device of the vehicle-mounted devices transmits a frame addressed to a second vehicle-mounted device of the vehicle-mounted devices to the relay device, the frame being a frame for transmission and reception of information between the first vehicle-mounted device and the second vehicle-mounted device, and

the relay device determines whether or not relay of the frame to the second vehicle-mounted device is permissible based on a result of comparison between a required safety level and a system safety level, the required safety level being a level of safety required for communication between the first vehicle-mounted device and the second vehicle-mounted device, the system safety level being at least based on function safety levels of the first vehicle-mounted device and the second vehicle-mounted device regarding safety of a vehicle; wherein the first vehicle-mounted device transmits the frame in which a message that is in accordance with SOME/IP (Scalable service-Oriented MiddlewarE over IP) is stored to the relay device, and

the relay device determines whether or not relay of the frame to the second vehicle-mounted device is permissible based on a result of comparison between the required safety level corresponding to a service ID included in the message and the system safety level, and when the relay device has determined not to relay the frame to the second vehicle-mounted device, the relay device notifies the first vehicle-mounted device of a condition that needs to be satisfied to relay the frame to the second vehicle-mounted device.

2 . The vehicle-mounted communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the relay device determines whether or not relay of the frame to the second vehicle-mounted device is permissible based on a result of comparison between the required safety level and the system safety level that is further based on data for a safety mechanism added to the frame.

3 . The vehicle-mounted communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the relay device includes a storage unit in which a system management list showing correspondence between a pair of the vehicle-mounted devices and the system safety level is stored,

each of the vehicle-mounted devices notifies the relay device of the function safety level of the vehicle-mounted device, and

the relay device updates the system management list stored in the storage unit based on the function safety levels that the relay device is notified of by the vehicle-mounted devices.

4 . The vehicle-mounted communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the relay device includes a storage unit in which a service management list showing correspondence between a type of information transmitted between the vehicle-mounted devices and the required safety level is stored,

each of the vehicle-mounted devices notifies the relay device of the required safety level required for communication between the vehicle-mounted device and other vehicle-mounted devices included in the vehicle-mounted communication system, and

the relay device updates the service management list stored in the storage unit based on the required safety levels that the relay device is notified of by the vehicle-mounted devices.

5 . The vehicle-mounted communication system according to claim 1 , wherein, when the relay device has determined not to relay the frame to the second vehicle-mounted device, the relay device notifies the first vehicle-mounted device of a condition that needs to be satisfied to relay the frame to the second vehicle-mounted device.

6 . A relay device to be used in a vehicle-mounted communication system including a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices, the relay device comprising:

a setting unit that performs setting relating to permission and prohibition of relay of a frame for transmission and reception of information between the vehicle-mounted devices based on a result of comparison between a required safety level and a system safety level, the required safety level being a level of safety required for communication between the vehicle-mounted devices, the system safety level being at least based on function safety levels of the respective vehicle-mounted devices regarding safety of a vehicle; and

a relay unit that performs processing for relaying the frame in accordance with content of the setting performed by the setting unit; and

wherein a transmitted frame, having a message, is transmitted by one of the plurality of vehicle-mounted devices is stored to the relay device, and

the relay device determines whether or not relay of the transmitted frame to another one of the plurality of vehicle-mounted devices is permissible based on a result of comparison between the required safety level corresponding to a service ID included in the message and the system safety level, and when the relay device has determined not to relay the transmitted frame to the one of the plurality of vehicle-mounted devices, the relay device notifies the one of the plurality of vehicle-mounted devices that transmitted the transmitted frame of a condition that needs to be satisfied to relay the frame to the other one of the plurality of vehicle-mounted devices.

7 . A relay method performed by a relay device that is used in a vehicle-mounted communication system including a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices, the relay method comprising:

a step of performing setting relating to permission and prohibition of relay of a frame for transmission and reception of information between the vehicle-mounted devices based on a result of comparison between a required safety level and a system safety level, the required safety level being a level of safety required for communication between the vehicle-mounted devices, the system safety level being at least based on function safety levels of the respective vehicle-mounted devices regarding safety of a vehicle; and

storing a transmitted frame on the relay device;

a step of performing processing for relaying the frame in accordance with content of the setting;

wherein the relay device determines whether or not relay of the transmitted frame is permissible based on a result of comparison between the required safety level corresponding to a service ID included in the message and the system safety level, and when the relay device has determined not to relay the frame, the relay device notifies the vehicle-mounted device that transmitted the transmitted frame of a condition that needs to be satisfied to relay the frame.

8 . The vehicle-mounted communication system according to claim 2 , wherein the relay device includes a storage unit in which a system management list showing correspondence between a pair of the vehicle-mounted devices and the system safety level is stored,

each of the vehicle-mounted devices notifies the relay device of the function safety level of the vehicle-mounted device, and

the relay device updates the system management list stored in the storage unit based on the function safety levels that the relay device is notified of by the vehicle-mounted devices.

9 . The vehicle-mounted communication system according to claim 2 , wherein the relay device includes a storage unit in which a service management list showing correspondence between a type of information transmitted between the vehicle-mounted devices and the required safety level is stored,

each of the vehicle-mounted devices notifies the relay device of the required safety level required for communication between the vehicle-mounted device and other vehicle-mounted devices included in the vehicle-mounted communication system, and

the relay device updates the service management list stored in the storage unit based on the required safety levels that the relay device is notified of by the vehicle-mounted devices.

10 . The vehicle-mounted communication system according to claim 3 , wherein the relay device includes a storage unit in which a service management list showing correspondence between a type of information transmitted between the vehicle-mounted devices and the required safety level is stored,

each of the vehicle-mounted devices notifies the relay device of the required safety level required for communication between the vehicle-mounted device and other vehicle-mounted devices included in the vehicle-mounted communication system, and

the relay device updates the service management list stored in the storage unit based on the required safety levels that the relay device is notified of by the vehicle-mounted devices.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 19, 2023
From: OTSU, TOMOHIRO; HAGIHARA, TAKESHI; URAYAMA, HIROFUMI; GO, DARMAWAN; KIKUCHI, YOSHITAKA; TANAKA, HIDEYUKI; IZUMI, TATSUYA; YAMAMOTO, YUSUKE
To: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.; SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD.; SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 065277/0479 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-077516 · Apr 30, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240223400A1 · Jul 4, 2024
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