Patent ID: 11936500
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 1:
2. A method of controlling a network system deployed in a vehicle including a plurality of first nodes belonging to a first network and configured to perform an operation relevant to a first function in the vehicle, a plurality of second nodes belonging to a second network different from the first network and configured to perform an operation relevant to a second function different from the first function in the vehicle, and a relay device configured to relay communication between a node in the first network and a node in the second network, the method comprising:
starting, by a switch circuit in the relay device, the relay of the communication within the first network at a time of startup of the relay device based on a routing table that is stored;
reading and starting up, by a microcomputer in the relay device, an application program for relaying the communication from the first network to the second network by executing the application program that is stored; and
starting, by the switch circuit and the microcomputer, the relay of the communication between the first network and the second network when the microcomputer determines that a startup of the application program has been completed,
wherein, the relay device includes a first relay unit and a second relay unit,
the second relay unit is configured to perform the relay of the communication between the first network and the second network using a function of performing the relay of the communication within the first network in the first relay unit,
the first relay unit is configured to start the relay of the communication within the first network regardless of a startup situation of the second relay unit, and
wherein, the first relay unit is configured to perform the relay of the communication within the first network using hardware, the hardware including the switch unit, and, the second relay unit is configured to perform the relay of the communication between the first network and the second network using software, the software including the application program.