JP6888554B2 - Electronic control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic control device. The present invention particularly relates to an electronic control device mounted on a vehicle and capable of communicating with another electronic control device and having an operation mode for suppressing power consumption.

The vehicle is equipped with a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) for controlling a plurality of in-vehicle devices. The plurality of ECUs are connected to the communication line so that signals can be transmitted and received to each other via the communication line. As a protocol used for communication related to this transmission / reception, for example, there is a CAN (Controller Area Network) protocol.

The number of ECUs mounted on vehicles is increasing in order to improve the functionality and safety of in-vehicle devices. Therefore, there is known one having an operation mode for suppressing the power consumption of the ECU when it is not necessary to control the in-vehicle device which is the control target of the ECU.

As an example of such an ECU, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a communication processing control unit which is a CAN controller that controls communication by the CAN protocol, and a microcomputer (microcomputer) that controls the operation of the communication processing control unit. It is provided between the control unit, the communication processing control unit, and the communication path (communication line), and transmits the signal input from the communication processing control unit to the communication line and outputs the signal received from the communication line to the communication processing control unit. An ECU comprising a transmitting / receiving unit is shown. Further, the ECU shown in Patent Document 1 has a control unit between a normal mode for controlling an in-vehicle device to be controlled and a sleep mode (power saving mode) for stopping the operation of the control unit itself. The operation mode of is configured to be transitionable.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-165257 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-158995

By the way, some in-vehicle devices have an operation mode in which communication with other in-vehicle devices, sensors, etc. connected to the communication line is not required, but control of the in-vehicle device itself is necessary. For example, the vehicle instrument shown in Patent Document 2 can control the liquid crystal display panel and the light source to perform an ending effect when the ignition switch of the vehicle changes from the on state to the off state. That is, in the vehicle instrument shown in Patent Document 2, communication with other in-vehicle devices, sensors, etc. is performed during the execution of the ending effect performed when the ignition switch of the vehicle changes from the on state to the off state. While not necessary, controlling the vehicle instrument itself is a necessary mode of operation.

Assuming that the operation of such an in-vehicle device is controlled by an ECU as shown in Patent Document 1, communication with other in-vehicle devices, sensors, etc. is not required, but control of the in-vehicle device itself is necessary. The inventor has recognized that the operation mode of the control unit cannot be changed to the power saving mode while the in-vehicle device is operating in the operation mode. As described above, the present inventor has recognized that in the ECU shown in Patent Document 1, there is room for improvement in suppressing the power consumption related to the control of the in-vehicle device to be controlled.

One object of the present invention is to suppress power consumption while the in-vehicle device is operating in an operation mode in which the in-vehicle device does not need to communicate with other in-vehicle devices, etc., while the in-vehicle device itself needs to be controlled. It is to provide an electronic control device capable of providing an electronic control device. Other objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the embodiments and preferred embodiments exemplified below, as well as the accompanying drawings.

A first aspect according to the present invention includes a communication processing control unit that controls communication according to a predetermined protocol, and a control unit that controls the operation of the communication processing control unit and the operation of at least one in-vehicle device.
Transmission / reception provided between the communication processing control unit and the communication line to transmit a signal input from the communication processing control unit to the communication line and output the signal received from the communication line to the communication processing control unit. Department and
It is an electronic control device equipped with
The communication processing control unit operates between a normal mode in which the signal received from the communication line is output to the control unit and a power saving mode in which the signal received from the communication line is not output to the control unit. Mode transition is possible,
The control unit shifts the operation mode of the communication processing control unit from the normal mode to the power saving mode in response to a first signal received from the outside of the electronic control device.
In the power saving mode of the communication processing control unit, when the communication processing control unit receives the second signal from the communication line, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit does not shift to the normal mode, and the control unit does not shift to the normal mode. This is the second power saving mode in which the operation mode of the communication processing control unit shifts to the normal mode when the operation mode is set by.
The control unit has a processing unit that controls the operation.
The processing unit has an interrupt input terminal capable of inputting the second signal by being connected to the transmitting / receiving unit without going through the communication processing control unit.

In the electronic control device of the first aspect, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit can shift to the power saving mode instead of the entire control unit (microcomputer) of the electronic control device. Therefore, the electronic control device of the first aspect can control the operation of the in-vehicle device to be controlled even after the operation mode of the communication processing control unit is shifted to the power saving mode.

For example, the in-vehicle device to be controlled by the electronic control device of the first aspect does not need to communicate with other in-vehicle devices, sensors, etc. connected to the communication line, but needs to control the in-vehicle device itself. It is assumed that it operates in a certain operation mode. At this time, the electronic control device of the first aspect can reduce the power consumption of the electronic control device as compared with, for example, an electronic control device capable of shifting the operation mode of only the entire control unit to the power saving mode.

In a second aspect according to the present invention, in the first aspect, the protocol is a CAN protocol.
The communication processing control unit is a CAN controller.
The control unit is a microcomputer.
The transmitter / receiver is a CAN transceiver.
After the transition to the normal mode, the communication processing control unit does not output the signal to the control unit until the terminal frame among the frames constituting the signal is input.

It is a block diagram which shows the example of the structure of the vehicle-mounted network to which the electronic control device of 1st Embodiment of this invention is connected. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the electronic control device when the operation mode of the communication processing control unit of the electronic control device shown in FIG. 1 shifts from the normal mode to the sleep mode. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the electronic control device when the operation mode of the communication processing control unit of the electronic control device shown in FIG. 1 shifts from the sleep mode to the normal mode. It is a block diagram which shows the example of the structure of the vehicle-mounted network to which the electronic control device of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention is connected. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the electronic control device when the operation mode of the communication processing control unit of the electronic control device shown in FIG. 4 shifts from the normal mode to the stop mode. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the electronic control device when the operation mode of the communication processing control unit of the electronic control device shown in FIG. 4 shifts from the stop mode to the normal mode.

The preferred embodiments described below are used to facilitate understanding of the present invention. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art should note that the present invention is not unreasonably limited by the embodiments described below.

<< First Embodiment >>
The first embodiment of the electronic control unit (ECU) 10 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. FIG. 1 shows an example of a CAN (Controller Area Network) network configuration as an example of an in-vehicle network to which the ECU 10 of the first embodiment of the present invention is connected. The communication line 60 in the example of the vehicle-mounted network shown in FIG. 1 is composed of CAN-H line 60-H and CAN-L line 60-L.

A plurality of ECUs 10 (10-1, 10-2, 10-3) are connected to the communication line 60. The plurality of ECUs 10 can transmit and receive signals to and from other ECUs 10 (for example, ECUs 10-2 and 10-3 with respect to ECU 10-1) via the communication line 60. For example, the plurality of ECUs 10 can share the control data of the corresponding in-vehicle device 40 and the like to be controlled with other ECUs 10.

As a configuration of a plurality of ECUs 10, an example of the configuration of ECU 10-1 is shown. The ECU 10 includes a control unit 20 and a transmission / reception unit 30. The control unit 20 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer, and includes at least a processing unit 21 which is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a communication processing control unit 26 which is a CAN controller, for example. Further, the control unit 20 includes a rewritable RAM (Random Access Memory), a read-only ROM (Read Only Memory), an non-erasable program read-only EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), and a non-volatile memory (not shown). A storage unit composed of one or a plurality of memories capable of storing a program such as a flash memory which is a sex memory and / or data may be further provided.

The processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 can control the operation of at least one in-vehicle device 40 to be controlled. Examples of the in-vehicle device 40 include safety devices such as meters, air conditioners, audio devices, navigation devices, and electronic stability control (ESC). Further, the processing unit 21 can control the operation of the communication processing control unit 26.

The communication processing control unit 26 has a transmission terminal TX and a reception terminal RX, and controls communication by the CAN protocol. The communication processing control unit 26 can output the signal generated by the processing unit 21 to the transmission / reception unit 30 from the transmission terminal TX, for example, according to the control of the processing unit 21. Further, the communication processing control unit 26 can output, for example, a signal received from the transmission / reception unit 30 to the processing unit 21.

Further, the communication processing control unit 26 communicates between the normal mode in which the signal received from the transmission / reception unit 30 is output to the processing unit 21 and the power saving mode in which the signal received from the transmission / reception unit 30 is not output to the processing unit 21. The operation mode of the processing control unit 26 can be changed. When the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 is the power saving mode, for example, the operation clock generated by the clock generation circuit (not shown) of the control unit 20 is not supplied to the communication processing control unit 26. That is, when the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 is the power saving mode, the ECU 10 (10-1) communicates with another ECU 10 (10-2, 10-3) via the communication line 60. The communication function is stopped.

The transmission / reception unit 30 is, for example, a CAN transceiver provided between the communication processing control unit 26 and the communication line 60. The transmission / reception unit 30 converts the signal received from the control unit 20, that is, the communication processing control unit 26, into an electric signal conforming to the standard of the physical layer of the CAN protocol, and transmits it as a CAN message to the communication line 60. Further, the transmission / reception unit 30 converts the CAN message received from the communication line 60 into an electric signal and outputs the CAN message to the control unit 20, that is, the communication processing control unit 26.

Further, the transmission / reception unit 30 has a standby pin STB, and the operation mode of the transmission / reception unit 30 shifts between the normal mode and the standby mode according to the standby signal received from the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20. That is, when the transmission / reception unit 30 receives the standby signal Hi from the processing unit 21 on the standby pin STB, the operation mode shifts from the normal mode to the standby mode. Similarly, when the transmission / reception unit 30 receives the standby signal Lo from the processing unit 21 on the standby pin STB, the operation mode shifts from the standby mode to the normal mode.

When the operation mode of the transmission / reception unit 30 is the standby mode, the power consumption of the transmission / reception unit 30 can be suppressed as compared with the case of the normal mode. On the other hand, when the operation mode of the transmission / reception unit 30 is the standby mode, the time required for electrical signal conversion in the transmission / reception unit 30, for example, is longer than that in the normal mode.

The ECU 10 can shift the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 to the power saving mode instead of the entire control unit 20. Therefore, the ECU 10 can control the operation of the in-vehicle device 40 to be controlled even after the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 is shifted to the power saving mode.

For example, in an operation mode in which the in-vehicle device 40 to be controlled by the ECU 10 does not need to communicate with other in-vehicle devices, sensors, etc. connected to the communication line 60, while the in-vehicle device 40 itself needs to be controlled. Suppose it works. At this time, the ECU 10 can reduce the power consumption of the ECU 10 as compared with an ECU capable of shifting the operation mode of only the control unit 20 (or the processing unit 21) to the power saving mode, for example.

The operation of the ECU 10 in the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. First, with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 2, an example of an operation in which the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 of the ECU 10 in the first embodiment shifts from the normal mode to the power saving mode will be described. In the first embodiment, the sleep mode (first power saving mode) is adopted as the power saving mode. The sleep mode will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In step S101 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 2, the transmission / reception unit 30 of the ECU 10 receives the CAN message including the first signal from the communication line 60. The first signal is, for example, a signal including a command for shifting the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 of one or more ECUs 10 from the normal mode to the power saving mode (sleep mode). Further, the first signal may be, for example, a signal including the change of the ignition switch (not shown) from the on state to the off state.

In step S102, the transmission / reception unit 30 outputs the first signal included in the CAN message received in step S101 to the reception terminal RX of the communication processing control unit 26 of the control unit 20.

In step S103, the communication processing control unit 26 outputs the first signal received in step S102 to the control unit 20, specifically, the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20.

In step S104, the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 switches the standby signal output to the standby pin STB of the transmission / reception unit 20 from the standby signal Lo to the standby signal Hi in response to the first signal received in step S103.

In step S105, the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 shifts the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 from the normal mode to the sleep mode in response to the first signal received in step S103. Rewrite the setting register of.

In step S106, the operation mode of the transmission / reception unit 30 shifts from the normal mode to the standby mode according to the standby signal Hi received by the transmission / reception unit 30 in step S104.

In step S107, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts from the normal mode to the sleep mode because the setting register of the communication processing control unit 26 is rewritten in step S105.

In the flowchart shown in FIG. 2, the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 receives the first signal received from the communication line 60 by the transmission / reception unit 30 via the communication processing control unit 26 (step S101, step. S102 and step S103). However, instead, the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 may receive the first signal directly from, for example, an ignition switch (not shown).

Further, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 2, the order of the process of step S104 and the process of step S105 may be changed. Similarly, the order of the process of step S106 and the process of step S107 may be changed.

Subsequently, with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, an example of the operation in which the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 of the ECU 10 in the first embodiment shifts from the power saving mode (sleep mode) to the normal mode will be described. To do. In the description with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, the description will be given as a continuation of the flowchart shown in FIG. That is, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 is the sleep mode, and the operation mode of the transmission / reception unit 30 is the standby mode.

In step S108 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, the transmission / reception unit 30 of the ECU 10 receives the first frame of the CAN message including the second signal from the communication line 60. The second signal is, for example, a signal including a command for shifting the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 of one or more ECUs 10 from the power saving mode (sleep mode) to the normal mode. Further, the second signal may be, for example, control data of an in-vehicle device controlled by another ECU transmitted from another ECU connected to the communication line 60. Further, the second signal may be, for example, a signal including the change of the ignition switch (not shown) from the off state to the on state.

In step S109, the transmission / reception unit 30 outputs the second signal received in step S108 to the reception terminal RX of the communication processing control unit 26 of the control unit 20.

In step S110, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts from the sleep mode to the normal mode by the second signal received by the communication processing control unit 26. That is, in the sleep mode, which is the first power saving mode, when the communication processing control unit 26 receives the second signal, for example, the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 does not need to rewrite the setting register of the communication processing control unit 26. , The operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts from the sleep mode to the normal mode.

In step S111, the communication processing control unit 26 outputs, for example, a wake-up signal indicating that the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 has changed from the sleep mode to the normal mode to the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20.

In step S112, the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 switches the standby signal output to the standby pin STB of the transmission / reception unit 20 from the standby signal Hi to the standby signal Lo in response to the wakeup signal received in step S111.

In step S113, the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 rewrites the setting register of the communication processing control unit 26 so that the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts from the normal mode to the initialization mode.

In step S114, the operation mode of the transmission / reception unit 30 shifts from the standby mode to the normal mode according to the standby signal Lo received by the transmission / reception unit 30 in step S112.

In step S115, the transmission / reception unit 30 receives the end frame of the CAN message including the second signal from the communication line 60. In step S116, the transmission / reception unit 30 outputs to the reception terminal RX of the communication processing control unit 26 of the control unit 20 that the end frame of the CAN message including the second signal has been received in step S115.

In step S117, the communication processing control unit 26 waits until one frame of the CAN message including the second signal ends, and then the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts from the normal mode to the initialization mode. In step S118, after the initialization process by the initialization mode of the communication processing control unit 26 is completed, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts from the initialization mode to the normal mode.

Here, by shifting the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 from the normal mode to the initialization mode in step S117, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 changes from the power saving mode (first power saving mode) to the normal mode. It is possible to guarantee the normal operation of the communication processing control unit 26 after returning. For example, even if the setting register of the communication processing control unit 26 changes due to some trouble or failure while the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 is the power saving mode, the initialization processing by the initialization mode causes the setting register of the communication processing control unit 26 to change. This incident is resolved.

However, the initialization process in the initialization mode is not always essential, and the initialization process in the initialization mode may be omitted. In this case, for example, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, the processes of step S113, step S117, and step S118 may be omitted.

<< Second Embodiment >>
A second embodiment of the ECU 10 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. The second embodiment of the ECU 10 of the present invention is a modification of the above-mentioned first embodiment. Therefore, in the description of the second embodiment, only the parts different from those of the first embodiment will be described, and the description of the same parts will be omitted. Further, as the components common to the first embodiment, the same reference numerals as those used in the description of the first embodiment are used.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of the CAN network to which the ECU 10 of the second embodiment of the present invention is connected. In the second embodiment, the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 of the ECU 10 further has an interrupt terminal 23. Then, communication processing control with the transmission / reception unit 30 so that the signal output from the transmission / reception unit 30 to the reception terminal RX of the communication processing control unit 26 is also output to the interrupt terminal 23 of the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20. The connection line connecting the reception terminal RX of the unit 26 is branched and connected to the processing unit 21.

The operation of the ECU 10 in the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. First, with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 5, an example of an operation in which the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 of the ECU 10 in the second embodiment shifts from the normal mode to the power saving mode will be described. In the second embodiment, the stop mode (second power saving mode) is adopted as the power saving mode. The stop mode will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, only the parts different from the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 will be described, and the corresponding parts will be shown and the description thereof will be omitted.

Step S201 shown in FIG. 5 corresponds to step S101 shown in FIG. Step S202 corresponds to step S102. Step S203 corresponds to step S103. Step S204 corresponds to step S104. Step S205 corresponds to step S105. Step S206 corresponds to step S106. Step S207 corresponds to step S107.

In step S208, the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 further rewrites the setting register of the communication processing control unit 26 so that the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts from the sleep mode to the stop mode.

In step S209, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts from the sleep mode to the stop mode because the setting register of the communication processing control unit 26 is rewritten in step S208.

In the flowchart shown in FIG. 5, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts from the normal mode to the sleep mode, and then further shifts from the sleep mode to the stop mode. However, depending on the specifications of the control unit (microcomputer) 20, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 may shift from the normal mode to the stop mode directly. In this case, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 5, for example, the process of step S208 may be executed instead of the process of step S205, and the process of step S209 may be executed instead of the process of step S207.

Subsequently, with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, an example of the operation in which the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 of the ECU 10 in the second embodiment shifts from the power saving mode (stop mode) to the normal mode will be described. To do. In the description with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, the description will be given as a continuation of the flowchart shown in FIG. That is, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 is the stop mode, and the operation mode of the transmission / reception unit 30 is the standby mode.

Step S210 shown in FIG. 6 corresponds to step S108 shown in FIG. Step S211 corresponds to step S109.

However, in the ECU 10 of the second embodiment, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 does not shift from the stop mode to the normal mode in response to the output of the second signal to the communication processing control unit 26 in step S211. That is, in the ECU 10 of the second embodiment, the stop mode of the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 is continued at the stage where the second signal is output to the communication processing control unit 26 in step S211.

In step S212, the second signal output from the transmission / reception unit 30 to the reception terminal RX of the communication processing control unit 26 in step S211 is input to the interrupt terminal 23 of the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20. That is, the second signal output in step S211 passes through the connection line branched from the connection line connecting the transmission / reception unit 30 and the reception terminal RX of the communication processing control unit 26, and is processed by the control unit 20. It is input to the interrupt terminal 23 of the unit 21.

Step S213 corresponds to step S112. However, in step S213, the standby signal output to the standby pin STB of the transmission / reception unit 20 is output from the standby signal Hi in response to the second signal received from the transmission / reception unit 30 in step S212, not in response to the wakeup signal. Switch to standby signal Lo. Step S215 corresponds to step S114.

In step S214, the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 sets the setting register of the communication processing control unit 26 so that the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 returns from the stop mode, that is, shifts from the stop mode to the sleep mode. Rewrite. In step S216, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts from the stop mode to the sleep mode because the setting register of the communication processing control unit 26 is rewritten in step S214.

In step S217, the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 sets the setting register of the communication processing control unit 26 so that the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 returns from the sleep mode, that is, shifts from the sleep mode to the normal mode. Is further rewritten. In step S218, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts from the sleep mode to the normal mode because the setting register of the communication processing control unit 26 is rewritten in step S217.

Step S219 corresponds to step S113. Step S220 corresponds to step S115. Step S221 corresponds to step S116. Step S222 corresponds to step S117. Step S223 corresponds to step S118.

In the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts from the stop mode to the sleep mode, and then further shifts from the sleep mode to the normal mode. However, depending on the specifications of the control unit (microcomputer) 20, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 may directly shift from the stop mode to the normal mode. In this case, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, for example, the process of step S217 may be executed instead of the process of step S214, and the process of step S218 may be executed instead of the process of step S216.

As described above, in the stop mode, which is the second power saving mode, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts from the stop mode to the normal mode by outputting the second signal to the communication processing control unit 26. is not it. That is, in the stop mode, which is the second power saving mode, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 is changed from the stop mode to the normal mode by rewriting the setting register of the communication processing control unit 26 by the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20. It is a transition.

Further, in the stop mode, the stop mode is continued at the stage when the second signal is output to the communication processing control unit 26, so that the communication processing control unit 26 is the first frame of the CAN message including the second signal in step S211. Does not recognize. As a result, the communication processing control unit 26 does not recognize the frames after the first frame of the CAN message including the second signal, so that the entire CAN message including the second signal is from the communication processing control unit 26 to the control unit 20. It is not output to the processing unit 21. That is, after the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts to the stop mode, the CAN message received by the transmission / reception unit 30 remains until the end frame of the CAN message including the second signal is output to the communication processing control unit 26. It is not output from the communication processing control unit 26 to the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20.

In this way, after the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts to the stop mode, the CAN message received by the communication processing control unit 26 from the transmission / reception unit 30 is output to the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 in FIG. After executing the process of step S223 in the flowchart shown. Even if the CAN message received by the transmission / reception unit 30 is output to the communication processing control unit 26 in an inaccurate state due to the transmission / reception unit 30 being in the standby mode, the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 is this accurate. The CAN message in the other state is not received from the communication processing control unit 26. Therefore, even if such a state occurs, the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 does not recognize that some abnormal state has occurred in the ECU 10.

Further, in the ECU 10 of the second embodiment, since the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 has the interrupt terminal 23, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 is the stop mode which is the second power saving mode. Occasionally, the processing unit 21 can grasp that the second signal has been received from the communication line 60. As a result, when the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 is the stop mode, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts from the stop mode to the normal mode by the second signal received from the communication line 60 by the transmission / reception unit 30. can do.

Further, in the ECU 10 of the second embodiment, the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 outputs a signal from the transmission / reception unit 30 only when the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 is the stop mode which is the second power saving mode. May be configured to be receivable from the interrupt terminal 23. That is, when the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 is the sleep mode which is the first power saving mode or the normal mode, the processing unit 21 may prohibit the input to the interrupt terminal 23.

Further, in both the ECU 10 in the first embodiment and the ECU 10 in the second embodiment, not only the communication processing control unit 26 of the control unit 20 of the ECU 10 but also the entire control unit 20 or the operation mode of the processing unit 21 is set to the normal mode. It may be configured so that it can be migrated to the power saving mode. For example, after the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts from the normal mode to the power saving mode, the in-vehicle device 40 to be controlled communicates with other in-vehicle devices, sensors, etc. connected to the communication line 60. On the other hand, after the operation in the operation mode in which the control of the in-vehicle device 40 itself is necessary is completed, the operation mode of the entire control unit 20 or the processing unit 21 may shift from the normal mode to the power saving mode. ..

Specifically, for example, when a predetermined time elapses after the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 receives the first signal, the operation mode of the entire control unit 20 or the processing unit 21 changes from the normal mode to the power saving mode. You may migrate. For example, during this predetermined time, the in-vehicle device 40 to be controlled does not need to communicate with other in-vehicle devices, sensors, etc. connected to the communication line 60, while the in-vehicle device 40 itself needs to be controlled. It is preferable that a sufficient time is set for the operation in the operation mode to be completed. Further, for example, when a predetermined signal is received from the in-vehicle device 40, the operation mode of the entire control unit 20 or the processing unit 21 may shift from the normal mode to the power saving mode. For example, this predetermined signal does not need to communicate with other in-vehicle devices, sensors, etc. of the in-vehicle device 40 to be controlled, which is connected to the communication line 60, but needs to control the in-vehicle device 40 itself. When the operation in a certain operation mode is completed, it may be output to the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 by the in-vehicle device 40.

After the operation mode of the communication processing control unit 26 shifts from the normal mode to the power saving mode, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the operation mode of the entire control unit 20 or the processing unit 21 changes from the normal mode to the power saving mode. By shifting, the power consumption of the ECU 10 can be further suppressed. Further, by shifting to the power saving mode at the timing when the entire control unit 20, the processing unit 21, and the communication processing control unit 26 can shift to the power saving mode, the degree of suppression of the power consumption of the entire ECU 10 is suppressed. Can be increased step by step.

Further, in the first embodiment, when the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 receives a wakeup signal from the communication processing control unit 26, or the like, in the second embodiment, the interrupt terminal 23 of the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 is used. When the second signal is input or the like, the operation mode of the entire control unit 20 or the processing unit 21 may shift from the power saving mode to the normal mode. In addition, when the processing unit 21 of the control unit 20 receives a predetermined signal from the in-vehicle device 40 to be controlled, the operation mode of the entire control unit 20 or the processing unit 21 shifts from the power saving mode to the normal mode. You may. Further, the in-vehicle device 40 may generate a predetermined signal in response to a predetermined operation input from the user of the in-vehicle device 40, for example.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned exemplary embodiments, and those skilled in the art will be able to easily modify the above-mentioned exemplary embodiments to the extent included in the claims. ..

The present invention is suitable for an electronic control device that controls a vehicle display device mounted on a vehicle.

10 (10-1, 10-2, 10-3) ... Electronic control unit (ECU), 20 ... Control unit, 21 ... Processing unit, 23 ... Interrupt terminal of processing unit, 26 ... communication processing control unit, 30 ... transmission / reception unit, 60 ... communication line, 60-H ... CAN-H line, 60-L ... CAN-L line, TX ... communication processing Transmission terminal of control unit, RX: Reception terminal of communication processing control unit, STB: Standby pin of transmission / reception unit.

Claims (2)

A control unit that has a communication processing control unit that controls communication according to a predetermined protocol, and controls the operation of the communication processing control unit and the operation of at least one in-vehicle device.
Transmission / reception provided between the communication processing control unit and the communication line to transmit a signal input from the communication processing control unit to the communication line and output the signal received from the communication line to the communication processing control unit. Department and
It is an electronic control device equipped with
The communication processing control unit operates between a normal mode in which the signal received from the communication line is output to the control unit and a power saving mode in which the signal received from the communication line is not output to the control unit. Mode transition is possible,
The control unit shifts the operation mode of the communication processing control unit from the normal mode to the power saving mode in response to a first signal received from the outside of the electronic control device.
In the power saving mode of the communication processing control unit, when the communication processing control unit receives the second signal from the communication line, the operation mode of the communication processing control unit does not shift to the normal mode, and the control unit does not shift to the normal mode. This is the second power saving mode in which the operation mode of the communication processing control unit shifts to the normal mode when the operation mode is set by.
The control unit has a processing unit that controls the operation.
An electronic control device having an interrupt input terminal capable of inputting the second signal by connecting the processing unit to the transmitting / receiving unit without going through the communication processing control unit. The protocol is a CAN protocol.
The communication processing control unit is a CAN controller.
The processing unit is a microcomputer.
The transmitter / receiver is a CAN transceiver.
The electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the communication processing control unit does not output the signal to the control unit after the transition to the normal mode until the terminal frame of the frames constituting the signal is input. ..

Images