Patent ID: 6862508

Claim:
A vehicle communication system in which one or more basic systems of a vehicle are provided with respectively corresponding data communication networks, each said network comprising a plurality of electronic control apparatuses linked by a communication line which is dedicated to said each network, wherein one of said electronic control apparatuses of said each network is adapted to operate as a supervisory control apparatus, said supervisory control apparatus performing supervisory control of other electronic control apparatuses of the network in which said supervisory control apparatus is connected, by transmitting information and control target values to said other electronic control apparatuses of said network, and respective supervisory control apparatuses of said networks are connected for mutual data communication via a high-level communication line which is separate from each of said dedicated communication lines of said networks, and wherein said supervisory control apparatus of said each network receives information from said other electronic control apparatuses of its network via the dedicated communication line of that network, and further receives information via said high-level communication line, and derives said information and control target values to be transmitted to said other electronic control apparatuses based upon said information received via said high-level communication line and upon internal processing of received information which is performed by said supervisory control apparatus itself.