Abstract:
A relay connector unit for communicating an electronic control unit with a plurality of electronic devices includes: a first connecting unit connected to the electronic control unit; a second connecting unit having a plurality of circuits connected to the electronic devices respectively; and a transferring unit connected to the first connecting unit and the second connecting unit. The transferring unit transmits first information received by the first connecting unit from the electronic control unit to at least one of the electronic devices through a corresponding circuit, on the basis of circuit identifying data included in first information, the circuit identifying data indicating the corresponding circuit to be transferred to or from. The transferring unit appends the circuit identifying data to second information received from one of the electronic devices through the corresponding circuit to transmit the second information to the electronic control unit through the first connecting unit.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a relay connector unit and an electronic device control system for controlling plural electronic devices by a single electronic control unit. 
         [0002]    A vehicle such as a passenger car or a track incorporates a great variety of electric devices such as a motor constituting an air conditioner, a wiper and a power window. In order to transmit electric power and control signals, wire harnesses are arranged. The wire harness has plural electric wires and a connector for housing terminal metal fittings connected to the terminals of the electric wires. The electric wire is a “sheathed wire” provided with a conductive core and an insulating sheath for covering the core. 
         [0003]    As the connector for the wire harness described above, used is a connector with a built-in electronic component (e.g. see Patent Reference 1), which incorporates circuit elements and others, in order to connect, via a network by data communication, an electronic device such as various actuators and an electronic control unit (ECU) such as a computer. Such a kind of connector with a built-in electronic component incorporates within its housing a lead frame with the circuit element. 
         [0004]    The connector with built-in electronic component disclosed in Patent Reference 1 is supplied with a power source for driving the electronic element. To this end, in order that it is surely supplied with the power source by a simple configuration, it is attached to the middle position of the electric wire in a longitudinal direction so that the electric wires are derived from both ends in this direction to connect the connector to the electric wires. Further, plural connectors with built-in electronic component are attached apart from one another along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire so that they are fit to the various electronic devices to be connected to the network. 
         [0005]    [Patent Reference 1] JP-A-2003-134720 
         [0006]    However, in the case of using the connectors with a built-in electronic component described above, they must be matched with mating connector shapes different for the respective electronic devices. So, it is difficult to standardize the connectors with a built-in electronic component. In addition, most of the connectors on the side of the electronic devices are a male type so that the connectors with a built-in electronic component must be realized as a female type. The female type is very complicate in structure, and so disadvantageous in cost. 
         [0007]    In order to obviate such inconvenience, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the wire harnesses  130  connected to plural electronic devices  110 , respectively are directly connected to an ECU  120  so that the ECU  120  individually controls each electronic device  110 . To a second ECU  121 , the electronic devices  110  such as a park brake switch and a brake oil level switch are connected so that the information relative thereto is supplied to the ECU  120 . In this way, the plural wire harnesses  130  are connected to the ECU  120  so that with an increase in the number of the electronic devices  110  to be controlled by the ECU  120 , the ECU  120  is disadvantageously upsized. 
         [0008]    Further, if the number of the electronic devices  110  loaded on a vehicle  5  increases, regardless of the processing capability of the ECU  120 , plural ECUs must be mounted on the vehicle  5  and the plural electronic devices  110  are grouped to be connected to each ECU. This results in an increase in cost. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    Accordingly, in view of the above problems, an object of this invention is to provide a relay connector unit and an electronic device control system for controlling plural electronic devices, without upsizing the electronic control unit (ECU). 
         [0010]    In order to attain the above object, the invention provides a relay connector unit for communicating an electronic control unit with a plurality of electronic devices, including: 
         [0011]    a first connecting unit connected to the electronic control unit; 
         [0012]    a second connecting unit having a plurality of circuits connected to the electronic devices respectively; and 
         [0013]    a transferring unit connected to the first connecting unit and the second connecting unit, 
         [0014]    wherein the transferring unit transmits first information received by the first connecting unit from the electronic control unit to at least one of the electronic devices through a corresponding circuit connected to the at least one of the electronic devices, on the basis of circuit identifying data included in first information, the circuit identifying data indicating the corresponding circuit to be transferred to or from; and 
         [0015]    wherein the transferring unit appends the circuit identifying data to second information received from one of the electronic devices through the corresponding circuit to transmit the second information to the electronic control unit through the first connecting unit. 
         [0016]    In the relay connector unit, the electronic control unit is connected to the first connecting unit; and the plural electronic devices are connected to the circuits of the second connecting unit, respectively. The transferring unit, when it receives the first information from the electronic control unit through the first connecting unit, transfers the first information to the pertinent electronic device through the corresponding circuit  43  of the second connecting unit indicated by the circuit identifying data contained in the first information. The transferring unit, when it receives the second information from the electronic device through the circuit of the second connecting unit, transfers the second information, after appending the circuit identifying data indicative of the circuit, to the electronic control unit through the first connecting unit. 
         [0017]    Preferably, the transferring unit appends address data assigned to the relay connector unit to the second information. 
         [0018]    In accordance with the relay connector unit, the transferring unit, when it receives the second information from the electronic device through the circuit of the second connecting unit, transmits the second information supplemented with the circuit identifying data and the address data to the electronic control unit through the first connecting unit. 
         [0019]    Preferably, the first connecting unit is connected to the electronic control unit through a first wire harness; and the circuits are connected to the electronic devices through a plurality of corresponding second wire harnesses respectively. 
         [0020]    In the relay connector unit, the first wire harness is connected to the first connecting unit of the relay connector unit; and the second wire harness connected to each of the plural electronic devices is connected to any circuit of the second connecting unit. Further, since the first wire harness is connected to the electronic control unit and the second wire harnesses are connected to the electronic devices, respectively, the transferring unit transmits the first information from the electronic control unit to the pertinent electronic device and transmits the second information from the electronic device to the electronic control unit. 
         [0021]    The invention to solve the above problem provides an electronic device control system, comprising: 
         [0022]    a relay connector unit which includes:
       a first connecting unit;   a second connecting unit having a plurality of circuits; and   a transferring unit connected to the first connecting unit and the second connecting unit;       
 
         [0026]    a plurality of electronic devices; 
         [0027]    an electronic control unit which controls the electronic devices; 
         [0028]    a first wire harness which connects the first connecting unit to the electronic control unit; and 
         [0029]    a plurality of second wire harnesses which connects the circuits to the electronic devices, respectively, 
         [0030]    wherein the transferring unit transmits first information received by the first connecting unit from the electronic control unit to at least one of the electronic devices through a corresponding circuit connected to the at least one of the electronic devices, on the basis of circuit identifying data included in first information, the circuit identifying data indicating the corresponding circuit to be transferred to or from; 
         [0031]    wherein the transferring unit appends the circuit identifying data to second information received from one of the electronic devices through the corresponding circuit to transmit the second information to the electronic control unit through the first connecting unit; and 
         [0032]    wherein the electronic control unit includes a transmitting and receiving unit which transmits the first information to the first connecting unit and receives the second information from the first connecting unit. 
         [0033]    In the electronic device control system, the first connecting unit of the relay connector unit and the electronic control unit are connected by the first wire harness, and the plural electronic devices are connected to the second connecting unit by the second wire harnesses. When the transmitting/receiving unit of the electronic control unit transmits the first information to the first connecting unit, the transferring unit of the relay connector unit transmits the first information to the pertinent electronic device. The transferring unit of the relay connector unit transmits the second information from the electronic device to the electronic control unit and the transmitting/receiving unit of the electronic control unit receives the second information. 
         [0034]    As descried above, the relay connector unit according to this invention includes a first connecting unit to which a first wire harness connected to the electronic control unit is connected; a second connecting unit to which second wire harnesses connected to the plural electronic devices, respectively are connected; and a transferring unit which transfers the information received by each of these connecting unit to the pertinent unit/device. For this reason, even when the electronic control unit collectively controls the plural electronic devices, only the first wire harness may be connected to the electronic control unit, thereby simplifying the connecting structure such as the number of circuits in the electronic control unit. Further, the relay connector unit, which is located among the wire harnesses remote from the electronic devices, is advantageous from the viewpoint of strength as compared with a conventional relay connector unit connected to the electronic devices. This prevents the electronic control unit from being upsized, permits the plural electronic devices to be controlled, and contributes the cost reduction. Further, since the relay connector unit according to this invention can easily deal with an increase in the number of the electronic devices to be controlled by the electronic control unit, the system structuring can be facilitated. Further, even where the connecting structure of the electronic device has a peculiar shape, it has only to be connected to the second connecting unit by the second wire harness, thereby permitting the relay connector units to be standardized. 
         [0035]    Further, since the relay connector unit transmits the second information from the electric device, after supplemented with the address data, to the electronic control unit, multiplex communication between the plural relay connector units and the electronic control unit can be realized through the first wire harness. Thus, even if the number of the relay connector units is increased, the common first wire harness has only to be connected to the electronic control unit. Thus, upsizing of the electronic control unit is prevented and a larger number of electronic devices can be collectively controlled. 
         [0036]    As described above, in the relay connector unit and electronic device control system according to this invention, the first wire harness is connected to the first connecting unit of the relay connector unit, the plural second wire harnesses are connected to the second connecting unit of the relay connector unit, the electronic control unit is connected to the first wire harness and the plural electronic devices are connected to the second wire harnesses, respectively. For this reason, only the first wire harness may be connected to the electronic control unit so that the connecting structure such as the number of circuits in the electronic control unit can be simplified. Further, since the plural second wire harnesses can be collectively connected to the relay connector unit, the plural electronic devices can be easily established at different places, thereby greatly facilitating the system structuring. Further, if the relay connector unit is prepared in the form of the wire harness assembly, the electronic control unit and the electronic devices have only to be connected to the wire harnesses of the wire harness assembly so that the production efficiency can be improved. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0037]    The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
           [0038]      FIG. 1  is a view showing the basic configuration of a relay connector unit, a wire harness assembly and an electronic device control system according to this invention; 
           [0039]      FIG. 2  is a view showing the schematic configuration of a relay connector unit, a wire harness assembly and an electronic device control system according to this invention; 
           [0040]      FIG. 3  is a view showing an example of the system configuration of a relay connector unit, a wire harness assembly and an electronic device control system according to this invention; and 
           [0041]      FIG. 4  is a view showing an example of a conventional system configuration in a vehicle. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0042]    Now referring to  FIGS. 2 to 4 , an explanation will be given of a detailed description of a relay connector unit, a wire harness assembly and an electronic device control system according to this invention. 
         [0043]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , an electronic device control system  1  is loaded on a vehicle  5 . The electronic device control system  1  includes plural electronic devices  10  dottedly located on the vehicle  5 , an electronic control unit (ECU)  20  for controlling the plural electronic devices  10  and a wire harness assembly  30  for communicatably connecting the plural electronic devices  10  and the ECU  20 . 
         [0044]    The plural electronic devices  10  are, for example, a door switch, a trunk switch, a door lock status switch, a door key control unit, a fuse junction box, a card slot unit, various status switches, a shift position switch, etc. 
         [0045]    In this description, for simplicity of explanation, the explanation will be given of only electronic devices  10 A,  10 B and  10 C shown in  FIG. 3  among the plural electronic devices  10  shown in  FIG. 2 . Each of the electronic device  10 A to  10 C includes electronic components  11  intrinsic to the device and a connector  12  electrically connected to the terminals of the electronic components  11 . It should be noted that the electronic components  11  is connected to the connector  12  via a wiring pattern of a board and electric wires. 
         [0046]    In the case of the electronic device  10 A,  10 C, the electronic components  11  are e.g. a motor and a display or displays. In the case of the electronic device  10 B, the electronic components  11  are a fan and others. The connector  12  is a male type connector which has a peculiar shape corresponding to the number of terminals in the electronic device  10 , for example, five terminals in the electronic device  10 A, four terminals in the electronic device  10 B and eight terminals in the electronic device  10 C. 
         [0047]    The ECU  20  includes, as shown in  FIG. 3 , a microprocessor (MPU)  21  which operates according to a predetermined program. The MPU  21 , as well known, includes a central processing unit (CPU)  21   a  which performs various kinds of processing or control according to a predetermined program, a ROM  21   b  which is a read-only-memory storing a program for the CPU  21   a  and others, and a RAM  21   c  which is a readable/writable memory storing various data and having an area necessary for the processing operation of the CPU  21   a.    
         [0048]    The ECU  20  further includes a storage unit  22  which is an EEPROM capable of holding various stored data even when power supply is interrupted and has various kinds of storage areas necessary for the processing operation of the CPU  21   a . The MPU  21  is connected to the storage unit  22  to write on and read from the storage unit  21 . 
         [0049]    The ECU  20  has an external connecting unit  23  serving as a transmitting/receiving unit. The external connecting unit  23  has plural (three in  FIG. 3 ) terminals  23   a  which are electrically connected to electric wires  51 ,  52 ,  53  in such a manner that a connector  54  provided at the end of a first wire harness  50  described later is fitted to the external connecting unit  23 . The first information from the MPU  21  is transmitted to a relay connector unit  40  through a signal line  51  of the first wire harness  50 . The second information is transmitted to the MPU  21  from the relay connector unit  40  through the signal line  51 . 
         [0050]    The wire harness assembly  30 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , includes plural (five in  FIG. 2 ) relay connector units  40 , a single first wire harness  50  for the ECU  20  and plural second wire harnesses  60 . 
         [0051]    The relay connector unit  40  serves as a unit for communicatably connecting the plural electronic devices  10  to the single ECU  20  for controlling these plural electronic devices  10 . The relay connector unit  40  includes a first connecting unit  41 , a second connecting unit  42  and a transferring unit  44 . 
         [0052]    The first connecting unit  41  has plural crimping terminals (not shown) crimped to the respective electric wires of the first wire harness  50 . The crimping terminal has a pair of crimping blades. By only crimping each electric wire  51  to  53  in between the pair of crimping blades, the blades cut into the covering of the electric wire  51  to  53  to come in contact with the core thereof. Thus, the first connecting unit  41  is electrically connected to the first wire harness  50 . 
         [0053]    The second connecting unit  42  has plural terminals  43  (corresponding to circuits) formed like a rod extended linearly. The second connecting unit  42  is formed as a male type connector having a shape corresponding to a connector  61  to which the arranged plural second wire harnesses  60  are connected. The plural terminals  43  are electrically connected to a lead frame of the transferring unit  44  through coupling units  45 , respectively. The number of the terminals  43  in the second connecting unit  42  is optionally determined, for example can be set according to the number of the connected electronic devices  10 . 
         [0054]    In this description, an explanation will be given of the case where the second connecting unit  42  is constructed of a single connector will be explained. However, this invention should not be limited to this. As long as the second wire harnesses  60  connected to the plural electronic devices  10  can be connected to the terminals  43 , the second connecting unit  42  can be realized in various embodiments in which it is divided into plural connectors, or the crimping terminals are used like the first connecting unit  41 . 
         [0055]    The transferring unit  44  can be realized in any configuration such as an integrated circuit, plural discrete components, a microprocessor, a DSP (digital signal processor) or an ASIC (application specific IC). The transferring unit  44  is connected to the respective coupling units  45  by e.g. bonding wires. The transferring unit  44  transfers the first information received by the first connecting unit  41  to the pertinent electronic device  10  through the terminal  43  of the second connecting unit indicated by the circuit identifying data contained in the first information, and transfers the second information to the ECU  20  through the first connecting unit  41  after supplemented with the above circuit identifying data indicative of the pertinent terminal  43  to the second information received at the terminals  43  of the second connecting unit  42 . 
         [0056]    The relay connector unit  40  described above has a resin sealing body (not shown) made of synthetic resin and having a flat box shape so that the respective terminals are externally protruded in a state where the first connecting unit  41  and the second connecting unit  42  are connected to the transferring unit  44  through the coupling units  45 . The resin sealing body is housed in a housing case to constitute a connector. Namely, the relay connector unit  40  communicatably connect the first wire harness  50  and the plural second wire harnesses  60 . 
         [0057]    The first wire harness  50  ties three electric wires  51 ,  52 ,  53  in a bundle. For example, the electric wire  51  serves as a signal line; the electric wire  52  serves as a power source line and the electric wire  53  serves as a grounding line. Each of the electric wires  51  to  53  is a “sheathed electric wire” consisting of a conductive core and an insulating sheath with which the core is sheathed. The one side of the first wire harness  50  is electrically connected to the first connecting unit  41  of the relay connector unit  40  by crimping. On the other side thereof, the connector  54  of a female type corresponding to the external connecting unit  23  of the ECU  20  is mounted. 
         [0058]    The first wire harness  50 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , connects the plural relay connector units  40  to the single ECU  20  to structure a vehicle-loaded network in the vehicle  1 . The communication protocol in the electric wire (control line)  51  of this network may be any of various communication protocols such as LIN (Local Interconnect Network), CAN (Controller Area Network). Unique addresses are assigned to the respective relay connector units  40  connected to the first wire harness  50  at any timing such as the timing of starting. 
         [0059]    In this way, the first wire harness  50  is connected between the ECU  20  and the relay connector unit  40  so that the communication (input/output) between the ECU  20  and the relay connector unit  40  can be done. 
         [0060]    Each of the second wire harnesses  60 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , bundles the electric wires  63  with the number thereof corresponding to the electronic device  10  to be connected, for example, five electric wires if the five electric wires  63  are required like the electric device  10 A; four electric wires if the four electric wires  63  are required like the electric device  10 B and eight electric wires if the eight electric wires  63  are required like the electric device  10 C. The configuration of the second wire harnesses  60  should not be limited to such a configuration, but may be realized in a various embodiments in which for example, of the second wire harnesses  60  with a predetermined number of electric wires bundled, only the electric wires optionally determined for the electronic device  10  are used. 
         [0061]    The one side of the second wire harness  60  is connected to the one side connector  61  so that the pertinent second wire harness  60  is bundled with the other plural second wire harnesses  60 . The one side connector  61  can be realized with any shape and size according to a connecting format as shown in  FIG. 2 , and is not necessarily required to be a single connector. Namely, the one side connector  61  may be a collection of connectors connected to the second connecting unit  42  of the relay connector unit  40 . Further, without using the one side connector  61 , the second wire harnesses  60  can be connected to the second connecting unit  42  by the crimping terminals like the first connecting unit  41 . 
         [0062]    The other side of the second wire harness  60  is connected to the other side connectors  62 . The other side connector  62  is a connector corresponding to each of the electronic devices  10 . As the other side connectors, connectors peculiar to the electronic devices  10  can be employed so that they can be employed in various vehicle-loaded system. Thus, the relay connector units  40  can be standardized. 
         [0063]    Since the one side connector  61  is connected to the second connecting unit  42  of the relay connector unit  40 , the electric wires  63  of the second wire harness  60  are electrically connected to the terminals  43  of the second connecting unit  42 , respectively. Further, since the other side connector  62  is connected to the connector  12  of the electric device  10 , the electric wires  63  of the second wire harness  60  are electrically connected to the terminals (not shown) of the connector  12 , respectively. 
         [0064]    In this way, since the second wire harnesses  60  are connected between the relay connector unit  40  and the plural electronic devices  10 , communication (input/output) between the relay connector unit  40  and the plural electronic devices  10  can be done. 
         [0065]    Next, an explanation will be given of an example of a transferring processing of the first information and second information in the transferring unit  44 . 
         [0066]    First, at the second connecting unit  42 , it is determined whether or not the second information has been received. If it is determined that the second information has been received, the terminal  43  having received is specified. The second information is supplemented with the circuit identifying data indicative of the pertinent terminal  43 . The second information is also supplemented with the address data of the relay connector unit  40  previously assigned by the ECU  20 . Thereafter, the second information thus created is transmitted to the ECU  20  through the electric wire  51  of the first connecting unit  41 . 
         [0067]    On the other hand, if it is determined that the second information has not been received, at the first connecting unit  41 , it is determined whether or not the first information has been received. If it is determined that the first information has not been received, the series of processing operations described above are repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the first information has been received, a circuit identifying data is extracted from the first information, and the terminal  43  of the second connecting unit  42  corresponding to the circuit identifying data is specified. After the first information is transmitted from the terminal  43  specified to the electronic device  10  through the second wire harness  60 , the series of processing operations are repeated. 
         [0068]    Further, the transferring unit  44 , at every predetermined sampling, receives the second information from all the terminals  43  corresponding to the respective electronic devices  10 , supplements the second information with the circuit identifying data and address data, and transfers the second information to the ECU  20  through the electric wire  51  of the first connecting unit  41 . Such a configuration is suited to the case where plural items of the second information are received from the electronic devices  10  through the plural terminals  43 . 
         [0069]    The circuit identifying data are the data indicative of one or plural terminals  43  of the second connecting unit  42 . Thus, by correlatively managing the circuit identifying data and the terminals of the electronic devices  10  connected to the pertinent terminals  43 , the ECU  20  can control the electronic devices  10 . In this description, the explanation has been given of the case where each terminal  43  constitutes a circuit. This invention should not be limited to such a case, but can be realized in various embodiments in which plural terminals  43  corresponding to the electronic device  10  constitute the circuit, or any optionally determined terminal  43  constitutes the circuit. 
         [0070]    An explanation will be given of an exemplary method for assembling the wire harness assembly  30  and the relay connector unit  40 . 
         [0071]    First, the one side of the plural second wire harnesses  60  is assembled with the one side connector  61  and the other side connector  62  is assembled with the other side of each of the second wire harnesses  60 . Thereafter, the one side connector  61  is connected to the second connecting unit  42  of the relay connector unit  40 . Further, the first wire harness  50  is connected to the first connecting unit  41  of the relay connector unit  40 . Thus, the wire harness assembly  30  is constructed. 
         [0072]    When the wire harness assembly  30  is arranged in assembling the vehicle  5 , the other side connector  62  of the second wire harness  60  is connected to the connector  12  of each of the electronic devices  10  loaded on the vehicle  5 . Thus, the relay connector unit  40  and the electronic devices  10  can be communicatably connected to each other. Further, the connector  54  of the first wire harness  50  is connected to the external connecting unit  23   a  of the ECU  20  so that the ECU  20  and the relay connector unit  40  are communicatably connected to each other. 
         [0073]    Next, an explanation will be given of an example of the operation (action) of an electronic device control system  1  having the wire harness assembly  30  described above. 
         [0074]    When electric power is supplied to the relay connector units  40  through the electric wire  52  of the ECU  20 , the relay connector units  40  are actuated and unique address data are assigned to the relay connector units  40  by the ECU  20 . When the relay connector unit  40  receives the second information from the electronic device  10  at the second connecting unit  42 , it transmits, to the ECU  20  through the first connecting unit  41 , the second information supplemented with the circuit identifying data indicative of the terminal  43  having received the second information and the address data. 
         [0075]    When the ECU  20  receives the second information at the external connecting unit  23 , it specifies the relay connector unit  40  on the basis of the address data contained in the second information and further specifies the pertinent terminal  43  of the second connecting unit  42  in the relay connector unit specified. The ECU  20  specifies the electronic device  10  on the basis of the pertinent terminal  43  and a correlation table previously stored in the storage unit  22 . The ECU  20  executes various programs corresponding to the electronic device  10  specified, thereby creating the first information for the terminal of the electronic device  10  to be controlled. Then, on the basis of the above correlation table, the ECU  20  supplements the first information with the address data and the circuit identifying data indicative of the terminal  43  of the second connecting unit  42  of the relay connector unit  40  connected to the terminal of the pertinent electronic device  10 . The ECU  20  transmits the first information thus created from the external connecting unit  23  to the relay connector unit  40 . 
         [0076]    When the relay connector unit  40  receives the first information having the identical address data at the first connecting unit  41 , it transmits the pertinent first information to the electronic device  10  through the terminal  43  of the second connecting unit  42  indicated by the circuit identifying data contained in the first information. The electronic device  10  having received the first information executes various controls based on the first information. 
         [0077]    As understood from the description hitherto made, in the electronic device control system  1 , the first wire harness  50  is connected to the first connecting unit  41  of the relay connector unit  40 , the plural second wire harnesses  60  are connected to the second connecting unit  42 , the ECU  20  is connected to the first wire harness  50 , and the plural electronic devices  10  are connected to the second wire harnesses  60 , respectively. Thus, the first wire harness  50 , i.e. only three electric wires  51  to  53  are connected to the ECU  20  so that the connecting structure such as the number of terminals of the ECU  20  can be simplified. Further, since the plural second wire harnesses  60  may be collectively connected to the relay connector unit  40 , the plural electronic devices  10  can be easily established at different places, thereby greatly facilitating the system structuring. Further, if the relay connector unit  40  is prepared in the form of the wire harness assembly  30 , the ECU  20  and the electronic devices  10  are only connected to the wire harnesses of the wire harness assembly  30  so that the production efficiency can be improved. 
         [0078]    Further, since the relay connector unit  40  transmits the second information from the electric devices  10 , after supplemented with the address data, to the ECU  20 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , multiplex communication between the plural relay connector units  40  and the ECU  20  can be realized through the first wire harness  50 . Thus, even if the number of the relay connector units  40  is increased, the common first wire harness  50  are merely connected to the ECU  20 . Thus, upsizing of the ECU  20  is prevented and a larger number of electronic devices  10  can be collectively controlled by the single ECU  20 . 
         [0079]    Additionally, in the electronic device control system  1  described above, the plural relay connector units  40  were employed. However, this invention should not be limited to such a system, but can be realized in various embodiments such as using only a single relay connector  40 . 
         [0080]    The embodiment described above is only representative of this invention. This invention should not be limited to this embodiment, but can be carried out in various modifications without departing from the gist of this invention.