Patent ID: 7380023

Claim:
A vehicular communication device that executes, by using a plurality of buffers having ring buffer structure, at least one of reception of request and transmission of response with an external tool, the vehicular communication device comprising: attaching means for attaching each of a plurality of state signs to each of the plurality of the buffers based on a varying state for which each of the plurality of the buffers is used; and selecting means for selecting and using, when at least one of the reception of the request and the transmission of the response is executed, a given buffer from the plurality of the buffers based on a given state sign of the plurality of the states, wherein the given state sign is attached to the given buffer by the attaching means; wherein the plurality of the state signs include an idling sign indicating that each of the plurality of the buffers is used for no operation, a receiving sign indicating that each of the plurality of the buffers is used for the reception of the request, and a transmitting sign indicating that each of the plurality of the buffers is used for the transmission of the response; wherein the selecting means, when the reception of the request from the external tool is executed, includes: request writing means for selecting the given buffer, where the request is to be written, based on the given state sign, and then writing the request to the given buffer, wherein the attaching means attaches the receiving sign to the given buffer during a period from a time when the given buffer is selected to a time when the request starts to be written in the given buffer; generating means for reading the request written in the given buffer and then generating the response; response writing means for writing in the given buffer the response generated by the generating means, wherein the attaching means attaches the transmitting sign to the given buffer before the response starts to be written in the given buffer; and response transmitting means for reading, for transmitting, the response written in the given buffer, wherein the attaching means attaches the idling sign to the given buffer during a period from a time when the response is completely read to a time when the response is completely transmitted.