BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to technology to handle an unauthorized frame in a case of having detected an unauthorized frame transmitted in an onboard network where an electronic control unit performs communication.

2. Description of the Related Art

In recent years, a great number of electronic control units (ECU) have been placed in systems in automobiles. A network connecting these ECUs is referred to as an onboard network. Many standards exist for onboard networks. The most mainstream of these is a standard called CAN (Controller Area Network), that is stipulated in ISO11898-1.

A CAN is configured using two busses, and each ECU connected to the buses is called a node. Each node connected to a bus transmits/receives messages called frames. A transmitting node that transmits a frame applies voltage to the two busses, and generates potential difference between the busses, thereby transmitting a value “1” called recessive, and a value “0” called dominant. In a case where multiple transmitting nodes transmit recessive and dominant at exactly the same timing, the dominant is transmitted with priority. In a case where there is an abnormality in the format a received frame, a receiving node transmits a frame called an error frame. An error frame is a continuous transmission of six bits, thereby notifying the transmitting node and other receiving nodes that there is a frame abnormality.

No identifiers indicating the transmission destination or transmission source exist in CAN, with the transmitting node attaching an ID called a message ID to each frame and transmitting (i.e., sending out signals to the bus), and the receiving nodes only receiving frames of a predetermined message ID (i.e., reading signals from the bus). The CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance) format is employed, so when multiple nodes transmit at the same time, arbitration by message ID is performed, with frames having a smaller message ID value being transmitted with higher priority.

Now, there is a risk of an unauthorized ECU transmitting an unauthorized message on the bus, and unauthorizedly controlling the vehicle in which the onboard network is installed. In a case where one vehicle is unauthorizedly controlled, an accident may occur such as a collision involving other vehicles nearby.

Also, in recent years, automobiles have come to exchange information with various devices and the like over networks, in what is called connected cars. For example, using inter-vehicle communication where information is exchanged among vehicles proactively prevents accidents, and enables realization of a safer traffic system. A system that distinguishes whether or not a moving object situated near its the vehicle in which it is installed is a danger factor, and notifies other vehicles, is known as a technology using an inter-vehicle communication system (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-310457). While this technology distinguishes whether or not a moving object situated near a vehicle is a danger factor, it does not notify vehicles following behind of abnormalities within the vehicle. However, in a case where the vehicle is unauthorizedly controlled within the vehicle, an accident such as a collision or the like may occur.

SUMMARY

One non-limiting and exemplary embodiment provides an anomaly handling method where, in a case where the possibility that a vehicle is going to be unauthorizedly controlled is high, this is suitably handled to suppress the effects thereof. The present disclosure also provides an electronic control unit (ECU) that, in a case where the possibility is high that a vehicle is going to be unauthorizedly controlled, suitably handles this.

In one general aspect, the techniques disclosed here feature an anomaly handling method used in one or a plurality of electronic control units installed in one vehicle,wherein, when an unauthorized frame is detected by an onboard network installed in another vehicle, an anomaly detection notification transmitted from a device installed in the other vehicle is received,and wherein an anomaly handling processing is selected from a plurality of predetermined anomaly handling processing in accordance with a content of the anomaly detection notification that has been received, and the selected anomaly handling processing is executed.

According to the present disclosure, in a case where an unauthorized frame is detected in an onboard network of one vehicle, other vehicles are notified to that effect, so even in a case where one vehicle is unauthorizedly controlled, effects on other vehicles nearby the one vehicle can be suppressed.

It should be noted that general or specific embodiments may be implemented as a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, a storage medium, or any selective combination thereof.

Additional benefits and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent from the specification and drawings. The benefits and/or advantages may be individually obtained by the various embodiments and features of the specification and drawings, which need not all be provided in order to obtain one or more of such benefits and/or advantages.

