Patent ID: 8495407
Filing Date: 2013-07-23
Classification: G05B,H04J,H04L

Abstract:
1. A node apparatus implemented in an in-vehicle network system in which a plurality of electronic control units are connected via a network in a vehicle and configured to communicate data among the electric control units via the network, the vehicle being provided with a sensor, the electronic control units including a master electronic control unit serving as a master unit and other electronic control units, each of the other electronic control units being the node apparatus comprising: node time producing means that produces a node time locally used as a reference time by the node apparatus; reference time receiving means that receives, from the master unit, via the network, a system reference time used as a reference time by the in-vehicle network system; node time rate calculating means that calculates a node time rate which is a rate-of-change of the node time per predetermined time period; reference time rate calculating means that calculates a reference time rate which is a rate-of-change of the system reference time per the predetermined time period node time controlling means that controls the node time producing means such that the node time producing means produces a node time which makes a difference between (a) the calculated node time rate and (b) the calculated reference time rate smaller; non-time information receiving means for receiving non-time information via the network from the master unit, the non-time information being different from the system reference time and being identifiable so as not to be the system reference time; first correction inhibiting means for inhibiting the node time controlling means from operating when the non-time information receiving means receives the non-time information; error detecting means for detecting an error of the sensor; and error storing means for storing therein both the node time and information identifying the error when the error detecting means detects the error, wherein the node time producing means is configured to produce the node time in accordance with the reference time rate calculated immediately before reception of the non-time information by the non-time information receiving means.