Patent ID: 11951917
Assignee: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  H | IPC B  H

Claim 0:
1. An in-vehicle communication system comprising:
a first switching device and a second switching device each configured to relay information between a plurality of function devices mounted to a vehicle, wherein
upon being supplied with a first power source voltage via a power-source-dedicated line from a power source device mounted to the vehicle, the first switching device (i) supplies a second power source voltage via a first transmission path to a first function device of the plurality of function devices or a first plurality of function devices of the plurality of function devices that are connected to the first switching device and (ii) supplies a third power source voltage via a second transmission path to the second switching device,
the second switching device extracts the third power source voltage from the second transmission path, and supplies a fourth power source voltage via a third transmission path to at least one second function device of the plurality of function devices that is connected to the second switching device,
the second switching device is capable of switching whether or not to supply the fourth power source voltage, for each of the plurality of function devices connected to the second switching device, and
when a new function device has been connected to the second switching device, the second switching device:
transmits a request for a media access control (MAC) address and authentication information to the new function device,
receives the MAC address and the authentication information transmitted by the new function device in accordance with the request,
updates an address table using the MAC address received from the new function device,
transmits, to the first switching device, the authentication information received from the new function device,
receives, from the first switching device, power source control information indicating whether or not to supply a fifth power source voltage to the new function device, and
switches whether or not to supply the fifth power source voltage to the new function device, in accordance with the power source control information received.