FR3119903A1 - Method and device for controlling a set of computers of a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for controlling a set of computers (10) of a vehicle comprising at least one computer (101, 102, 103). A counter (104) associated with this set of computers (10) is incremented when the reception of a request by this set of computers (10) triggers the wake-up of the set of computers (10) associated with the counter (104). The value taken by the counter after incrementation is compared with a determined threshold value to trigger the implementation of one or more actions when the value taken by the counter is greater than or equal to the threshold value. The action(s) are for example provided to warn of the risk of premature wear of the set of computers (10) and/or to reduce the use of this set of computers (10). Figure for abstract: Figure 1

Description

Method and device for controlling a set of computers of a vehicle

The invention relates to methods and devices for controlling one or more electronic and electrical components, in particular one or more computers, of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle.

Technology background

Contemporary vehicles have several computers on board, each performing one or more functions, such as for example the management of driving assistance, known as ADAS (from the English "Advanced Driver-Assistance System" or in French "Système d'aide à advanced driving”), traction control, electronic brake distribution, battery charge control and actuator control to ensure optimal operation of the vehicle engine. These computers are also called UCE (“Unit of Electronic Control” or in English ECU “Electronic Control Unit”). These computers embed software which is executed to ensure the functions for which they are responsible.

In particular to reduce the electrical consumption of the electrical and electronic components of the vehicle, the computers enter a so-called standby mode when they are not called upon before switching to an off mode for some of them when the ignition system ( also called ignition switch) of the vehicle is switched off. When a computer is requested (for example during a command to unlock the vehicle or a request to know the state of charge of the vehicle battery), the computers in charge of the system(s) are requested and return to an active or activated mode, the passage from standby or off mode to active mode corresponding to the waking up of the computer.

Successive transitions from a standby or off state to an activated state, and vice versa, cause wear of certain electronic components of the computers. The computers used in the vehicles have been developed and designed to have a lifespan corresponding to the lifespan of a vehicle, for example 15 years and/or 240,000 km. These computers have also been designed for a specific use, in particular for use in vehicles with internal combustion engines.

However, the technological evolution of vehicles with the development of electric or hybrid vehicles, or even with the development of connected vehicles, leads to new uses and ever-increasing demands on these computers, increasing the number of transitions, called wake-up, standby or off state to active or on mode. The increase in these transitions leads to premature wear of the computers and a reduction in the life of the computers and other electrical and electronic components, with an increase in the associated risk of failure and reliability problems over the life of the vehicle, which generates potential user dissatisfaction.

An object of the present invention is to ensure a determined lifetime of the computers of a vehicle.

Another object of the present invention is to reduce the wear of the computers and the associated risks of failure.

According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a method for controlling a set of computers of a vehicle, the set comprising at least one computer, the method comprising the following steps:

- receipt of a request by said set of computers;

- incrementing of a counter associated with the set of computers, the increment being triggered when the request triggers a wake-up of the set of computers;

- comparison of the counter with a determined threshold value;

- implementation of at least one action when the counter is greater than or equal to the determined threshold value.

According to a variant, the method further comprises a step of determining a current state of the set of computers following receipt of the request, the request triggering a wake-up of the set of computers when the current state corresponds to a standby state of the set of computers, the request triggering a transition from the standby state to an awake state of the set of computers.

According to another variant, the at least one action belongs to a set of actions comprising:

- transmission of an alert message to at least one device on board the vehicle, the device being configured to restore the alert message;

- transmission of an alert message to at least one mobile communication device;

- limitation of the number of functions provided by the set of computers.

According to an additional variant, the counter is included in the set of computers.

According to yet another variant, the method further comprises a step of transmitting information representative of receipt of the request intended for a remote device via a wireless link.

According to an additional variant, the counter is included in the remote device.

According to another variant, the request corresponds to:

- a request for implementation of at least one service by the set of computers sent by a mobile communication device;

- a request for implementation of at least one service by the set of computers sent by a control unit of the vehicle;

- a request for implementation of at least one service by the set of computers sent by a computer not included in the set of computers; Where

- a request for implementation of at least one service by the set of computers sent by a control device of at least one item of equipment of the vehicle.

According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a device for controlling a set of computers of a vehicle, the device comprising a memory associated with a processor configured for the implementation of the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the invention.

According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a vehicle, in particular autonomous, for example of the automotive type, comprising a device as described above according to the second aspect of the invention.

According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a computer program which comprises instructions adapted for the execution of the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the invention, this in particular when the computer program is executed by at least one processor.

Such a computer program can use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or intermediate code between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

According to a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a computer program comprising instructions for the execution of the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the invention.

On the one hand, the recording medium can be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium may comprise a storage means, such as a ROM memory, a CD-ROM or a ROM memory of the microelectronic circuit type, or even a magnetic recording means or a hard disk.

On the other hand, this recording medium can also be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, such a signal being able to be conveyed via an electrical or optical cable, by conventional or hertzian radio or by self-directed laser beam or by other ways. The computer program according to the invention can in particular be downloaded from an Internet-type network.

Alternatively, the recording medium may be an integrated circuit in which the computer program is incorporated, the integrated circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of the method in question.

Brief description of figures

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description of the non-limiting embodiments of the invention below, with reference to the appended figures 1 to 4, in which:

schematically illustrates a set of computers of a vehicle, according to a first particular embodiment of the present invention;

schematically illustrates a set of computers of a vehicle, according to a second particular embodiment of the present invention;

schematically illustrates a calculator of the set of calculators of the or the , according to a particular embodiment of the present invention;

illustrates a flowchart of the different steps of a method for checking the set of computers of the or the , according to a particular embodiment of the present invention.

A method and a device for checking a set of computers of a vehicle will now be described in the following with reference jointly to FIGS. 1 to 4. The same elements are identified with the same reference signs throughout the description that follows.

According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a set of computers of a vehicle comprises one or more computers. To control this set of computers, and in particular to control the use and/or the lifetime of this set of computers, a counter associated with this set of computers is incremented when the reception of a request by this set of computers ( for example a request requesting the activation of one or more functions associated with one or more services provided by this set of computers) triggers a wake-up call for the set of computers associated with the counter. The value taken by the counter after incrementation is compared with a determined threshold value to trigger the implementation of one or more actions when the value taken by the counter is greater than or equal to the threshold value. The action(s) are for example provided to warn of the risk of premature wear of the set of computers and/or to reduce the use of this set of computers.

A counter is for example associated with a group of several computers (for example when the computers of the group cooperate to provide one or more services). According to another example, a counter is associated with a single computer, a counter being for example associated with each computer of at least part of the computers of the on-board system of the vehicle.

Using a counter to measure the number of times a computer or group of computers wakes up allows you to take the necessary actions to reduce the risk of premature wear by taking the necessary actions when the number of times you wake up reaches a threshold.

schematically illustrates a set 10 of computers of a vehicle, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

The set of computers 10 includes 3 computers according to the example of . Of course, the number of computers is not limited to 3 but extends to any number ranging from 1 computer to several tens or even hundreds of computers.

The vehicle corresponds for example to a vehicle with a heat engine, an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle (combining heat engine and electric motor). The vehicle also corresponds to a land motor vehicle, for example a motor vehicle, a truck or a bus.

According to another example, the vehicle corresponds to an aerial vehicle, for example an airplane, or to a maritime vehicle, for example a boat.

The set of computers 10 is used as an illustrative example of the invention, the invention not being limited to this set 10 but to any set of computers or any set of electrical and electronic components (known as EE components) passing from one a sleep or powered-off state to an activated state through a state transition called a wake-up.

A computer or an EE component advantageously takes on several states, for example:

- a so-called deep standby state of the computer corresponding to a state during which the electrical consumption of the computer is reduced to a minimum while allowing monitoring of certain events on waking, to the detriment of a longer wake-up time than when the computer is in the so-called standby state, this time being equal to or close to the complete initialization time of the computer;

- a so-called standby state of the computer corresponding to a state during which most of the functions provided by the computer are temporarily stopped to reduce the electrical consumption of the computer (and of the vehicle); and

- a so-called awake or activated state of the computer corresponding to a state during which all the functions provided by the computer are operational, with normal electrical consumption of the computer.

The waking up of a computer corresponds for example to the passage from the deep standby state to the standby state, to the passage from the deep standby state to the activated state and/or to the passage from the standby state in activated state.

An example of computer architecture is described next to the .

System 1 of the also includes a mobile communication device 11 in communication with the set of computers 10 via a wireless link. The mobile communication device 11 corresponds for example to an intelligent telephone (“smartphone”), a tablet, a portable computer or a diagnostic device. The communication between the mobile communication device 11 and the computer assembly 10 is established according to a direct communication mode (for example according to a vehicle-to-pedestrian type communication mode, called V2P (from the English “Vehicle-to- Pedestrian") or according to an indirect mode of communication via a cellular network infrastructure for example and one or more remote devices (for example servers) of a "cloud" 12 (or "cloud" in French). The cellular network corresponds for example to a network of the LTE type (from English “Long-Term Evolution” or in French “Evolution à long terme”) or LTE-Advanced (or in French LTE-advanced).

According to the illustrative example of , the set of computers 10 comprises a first computer 101 corresponding for example to a telematics control unit 101, called TCU (from the English “Telematic Control Unit”). The TCU 101 is advantageously connected to one or more antennas of the vehicle and is configured to control the various communication systems of the vehicle, such as for example the GPS-type location system (from the English "Global Positioning System" or in French “Global Positioning System”) and/or the mobile communication system (e.g. GSM, GPRS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE).

The set of computers 10 also includes a second computer 102 corresponding for example to a computer of the VSM type (from the English "Vehicle Supervisor Module" or in French "Vehicle Supervision Module") in charge of coordinating the vehicle electronic functions of the passenger compartment and in charge of providing the interconnection network infrastructure for all the other computers in the vehicle.

The set of computers 10 also includes a third computer 103 corresponding for example to a computer in charge of controlling a BMS system (from the English “Battery Management System” or in French “Battery Control System”) associated with the battery , such a computer controlling for example the state of charge of the battery, called SOC (from the English “State of Charge”) or the depth of discharge, called DOD (from the English “Depth of Discharge”), indicating the vehicle battery charge level.

Of course, the type of computer is not limited to those described above but extends to any type of computer, for example a computer in charge of the IVI system (from the English "In Vehicle Infotainment" or in French “Infotainment in the vehicle”) or a computer in charge of an ADAS system (from English “Advanced Driver-Assistance System” or in French “Advanced Driving Assistance System”)).

The computers 101, 102, 103 for example form a multiplexed architecture for the performance of various useful services for the correct operation of the vehicle and for assisting the driver and/or the passengers of the vehicle in controlling the vehicle. The computers 101, 102 and 103 communicate and exchange data with each other via one or more computer buses, for example a communication bus of the CAN data bus type (from the English “Controller Area Network” or in French “Network of controllers”), CAN FD (from English “Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate” or in French “Network of controllers with flexible data rate”), FlexRay (according to the ISO 17458 standard) or Ethernet ( according to ISO/IEC 802-3).

According to the illustrative example of , a counter 104 is associated with the set of computers 10 and is configured to count the number of times the set of computers 10 is woken following a request or a solicitation. Such a counter corresponds for example to a software module embedded in one of the computers of assembly 10 and executed by this computer.

The set of computers 10 includes for example a group of computers grouped by use or functionalities (for example the computers involved in the charging of the vehicle, the remote control, etc.).

According to a variant embodiment, the counter 104 associated with several computers forming the set 10 is configured to count the number of times the most stressed computer of the set 10 is woken up following a request or a request.

According to another variant embodiment, several counters are associated with the set of computers 10, for example one counter per computer. According to this variant, each computer embeds and implements such a counter to count the number of times each computer is awakened following a request or a solicitation.

A process for checking the set of computers 10 is advantageously implemented by the set 10, for example by one or more computers of the set of computers, for example by the computer 102 embedding the counter 104.

In a first operation, a request is received by the set of computers 10. Such a request corresponds for example to a request for one or more determined services provided by one or more computers of the set of computers 10.

The request is for example sent by the mobile communication device 11, by a "cloud" server 12, by a remote device or device for controlling equipment such as a vehicle locking/unlocking control, by a device control of the vehicle (for example a button on the dashboard or on a screen in the passenger compartment on which a man-machine interface is displayed), by another computer of the on-board system.

The query belongs for example to a set of queries including:

- vehicle locking/unlocking request;

- vehicle engine start/stop request;

- request to connect / disconnect the connection socket used to recharge the battery of an electric vehicle;

- start/end request for charging the battery of an electric vehicle;

- request to start/end preconditioning of the vehicle interior to heat or cool the vehicle interior before the driver enters it;

- request for the state of charge of the battery (SOC), for example from a mobile application;

- request to find the vehicle remotely;

- request to start the vehicle remotely.

The list of requests provided above is not exhaustive, the request received by the set of computers 10 extending to any type of service provision request by a component of the vehicle and requesting the activation of one or several functions of one or more calculators.

The request is advantageously received by the TCU 101 which transmits it to the computer controlling the vehicle's on-board system, for example the computer 102, which relays it to the computer or computers to which the request is addressed, for example the computer 103 for execution of the request. .

According to one example, the request corresponds to a SOC request sent by the mobile communication device 11. Such a request is for example sent by the driver of the vehicle via a mobile application installed on his smartphone to know the state of charge of the battery of his vehicle, for example to determine whether the state of charge is sufficient to complete a journey, in particular when the vehicle is an electric motor vehicle. The request is advantageously intended for the computer in charge of the BMS system, for example the computer 103. Such requests, if they are repeated very regularly, considerably increase the number of times the computer 103 is requested, as well as all the computers involved in the transmission of the request, for example the TCU 101.

In a second operation, the set of computers 10, for example the computer 102 determines the current state of the set of computers 10, for example the current state of each of the computers requested by the request, to determine whether the computers 101 to 103 were in a sleep state or in an activated state.

In a third operation, the counter 104 is incremented (that is to say that the value of the counter is increased by 1) when it is noted in the second operation that the current state corresponds to a standby state and that receipt of the request triggers a wake-up of the set of computers 10.

If it is noted in the second operation that the current state corresponds to the activated state, then the counter 104 is not incremented, that is to say that the value of the counter is not modified.

For example, if the request corresponds to a SOC request and the vehicle is being charged (electric vehicle battery charging in progress), then the set of computers is in the activated state when the request is received and counter 104 is not incremented.

In a fourth operation, the counter 104 (or the value taken by the counter following the third operation) is compared with a determined threshold value. This threshold value corresponds for example to an alert level determined by the manufacturer corresponding to the number of awakenings of the set of computers 10 from which an action must be implemented to guarantee or preserve the life of the set. of calculators. This threshold value is advantageously lower than the number of wake-ups authorized for the set of computers, the number of wake-ups authorized corresponding for example to the number of wake-ups for which it is guaranteed that the set of computers can continue to operate with a failure rate determined to be very low, non-existent or nil.

In a fifth operation, when the result of the comparison implemented in the fourth operation indicates that the counter 104 is greater than or equal to the determined threshold value, then one or more actions are implemented. Otherwise, the fifth operation is not implemented and the process starts again as soon as a new request is received.

The action(s) implemented correspond to one or more of the following actions, in any possible combination:

- transmission of an alert message to at least one device on board the vehicle and suitable for rendering or restoring the message, for example a display screen if the message corresponds to a textual or graphic message and one or multiple speakers if the message matches a voice message. Such a message belongs, for example, to a list of messages determined and stored in the memory of the set of computers 10, the message being selected according, for example, to the type of computer(s) concerned. The message is for example transmitted via the data bus of the multiplexed system to the computer in charge of controlling the on-board device (for example the IVI computer); and or

- transmission of the alert message to at least one mobile communication device, for example the mobile communication device 11. The alert message is for example transmitted via the TCU 104 via a cellular network of 4G or 5G type or according to the V2P communication mode; and or

- limitation of the number of functions provided by the set of computers. Such a limitation corresponds, for example, to the deletion of one or more functions that are not essential for the safety of the vehicle, such deletion being accompanied, for example, by an information message indicating the function or functions that have become unavailable.

The operations described above are advantageously repeated on each receipt of a new request requesting the set of computers 10.

schematically illustrates a set 20 of computers of a vehicle, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

System 2 of the includes elements identical to system 1 of the , the identical elements having the same reference signs, namely the mobile communication device 11 in communication with the set of computers 20, the "cloud" 12, the computers 101, 102 and 103 forming the set of computers 20.

The set of computers 20 thus comprises the computers 101 to 103 described with regard to the . Unlike the set of computers 10 of the , the set of computers 20 does not include or embed a counter.

The counter or counters 202 associated with the set of computers 20 is or are hosted on a remote device, for example a server, of the "cloud" 12. Such a server is advantageously connected in communication with the set of computers 20 via a wireless link, for example on the basis of a connection of the LTE, LTE-Advanced or V2I type (from the English “Vehicle-to-Infrastructure” or in French “Véhicule vers infrastructure”).

According to an optional embodiment variant, the set of computers 20 comprises a buffer memory 201 configured to store a set of information intended for the "cloud" server 12, this information being advantageously stored in memory 201 when the communication between the set of computers 20 and the server is interrupted. The communication is interrupted, for example, when the vehicle is in a geographical area not covered by the cellular network on which the communication is based or when the cellular network is out of service.

A process for controlling the set of computers 20 is advantageously implemented by a system comprising the set 20 and a remote device from the “cloud” 12 connected in communication with the set 20.

In a first operation, a request is received by the set of computers 20. Such a request corresponds for example to a request for one or more determined services provided by one or more computers of the set of computers 20.

The first operation is identical to that described next to the .

In a second operation, the computer assembly transmits, via the wireless link connecting the assembly 20 to the "cloud" 12, at least one piece of information representative of the receipt of the request intended for the "cloud" 12, for example to destination of the server hosting and running the counter(s) 202.

The information(s) transmitted includes all or part of the following data:

- data representative of the type of request received; and or

- data representative of the service(s) requested; and or

- data representative of the computer(s) requested by the request; and or

- data representative of the moment of receipt; and or

- data representative of the sender of the request.

This or these pieces of information are for example generated by the computer 102 and transmitted by the TCU 101.

When the connection with the “cloud” 12 is broken, this or this information is advantageously stored in the memory 201, which acts as a buffer. When the connection with the “cloud” 12 is reestablished, the set of computers 20 transmits the information or information stored in the memory 201 and empties the memory 201 once all the information stored has been transmitted.

In a third operation, the remote device to which the information representing the request is addressed determines the current state of the set of computers 20, for example the current state of each of the computers requested by the request, to determine whether the computers 101 to 103 were in a standby state or in an activated state upon receipt of the request. The determination of the current state is implemented based on the information representative of the request received and from a history of the state taken by the assembly 20 before the determination of the current state. Such a history corresponds for example to a correspondence table, called LUT (from the English “Look-Up Table”), with next to each computer or each set of computers its previous state, that is to say the last state determined before reception of the information or information, with the instant at which each computer or set of computers passed into this previous state. According to a variant, the history includes all of the states previously taken by each computer or set of computers over a determined time interval and preceding the reception of the information or information. Such a LUT is for example stored in the memory of the remote device.

The current state is for example determined by knowing the previous state and one or more rules for switching from one state to another for each computer or set of computers, for example the time interval after which a computer switches from from an activated state to a standby state then to a deep standby state if this computer is not used.

The rule or rules for switching from one state to another are for example stored in the LUT or in another LUT.

For example, if the previous state of the set 20 stored in the LUT corresponded to a standby state and no request was received until the information or information was received, then the remote device in deduces that the current state of the assembly 20 is a state of standby or deep standby.

For example, if the previous state of the assembly 20 stored in the LUT corresponded to an activated state and the standby is performed after a time interval equal to 3 minutes has elapsed, then the remote device determines the current state of the assembly 20 from the time at which the assembly passed to the previous state (activated) and from the time of reception of the request (or from the time of reception of the information or information representative of receipt of a request). If the duration between the two instants is less than 3 minutes then the current state corresponds to an activated state, otherwise the current state corresponds to a standby state.

The counter is for example incremented for only part of the requests of the set above, for example for a minimum number of requests (for example request to lock / unlock the vehicle and request to start / stop the engine of the vehicle ) (corresponding to a so-called minimum count). According to another example, the counter is incremented for each type of request received, that is to say for a maximum number of requests (corresponding to a so-called maximum count) and requiring the activation of a computer or of the set of calculators. According to a variant, the minimum count and the maximum count correspond to a parameter which can be activated according to requirements.

In a fourth operation, the counter 202 (or the value taken by the counter following the third operation) is compared with a determined threshold value.

The fourth operation is identical to the fourth operation described next to the .

In a fifth operation, when the result of the comparison implemented in the fourth operation indicates that the counter 202 is greater than or equal to the determined threshold value, then one or more actions are implemented. Otherwise, the fifth operation is not implemented and the process starts again as soon as a new request is received.

The fifth operation is identical to the fifth operation described next to the .

This fifth operation is for example implemented by the remote device.

The operations described above are advantageously repeated on each receipt of a new request requesting the set of computers 20.

schematically illustrates a device 3 corresponding to a device configured to control a set of computers comprising at least one computer, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The device 3 corresponds for example to a computer 101, 102, 103 embedded in the vehicle or to a “cloud” server 12.

The device 3, or a combination of devices 3, is for example configured for the implementation of the operations described with regard to the and 2 and/or steps of the process described with regard to the . Examples of such a device 3 include, but are not limited to, on-board electronic equipment such as a vehicle's on-board computer, an electronic computer such as an ECU ("Electronic Control Unit"), a TCU (from English “Telematic Control Unit” or in French “Unité de Contrôle Télématique”), a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, a server. The elements of device 3, individually or in combination, can be integrated in a single integrated circuit, in several integrated circuits, and/or in discrete components. The device 3 can be made in the form of electronic circuits or software (or computer) modules or else a combination of electronic circuits and software modules. According to various particular embodiments, the device 3 is coupled in communication with other similar devices or systems and/or with communication devices, for example a TCU (from the English “Telematic Control Unit” or in French “Unité Telematics Control"), for example via a communication bus or through dedicated input/output ports.

The device 3 comprises one (or more) processor(s) 30 configured to execute instructions for carrying out the steps of the method and/or for executing the instructions of the software or software embedded in the device 3. The processor 30 can include integrated memory, an input/output interface, and various circuits known to those skilled in the art. The device 3 further comprises at least one memory 31 corresponding for example to a volatile and/or non-volatile memory and/or comprises a memory storage device which can comprise volatile and/or non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM, ROM, PROM, RAM, DRAM, SRAM, flash, magnetic or optical disk.

The computer code of the onboard software or software comprising the instructions to be loaded and executed by the processor is for example stored on the memory 31.

According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment, the device 3 comprises a block 32 of interface elements for communicating with external devices, for example a remote server or the “cloud”. Block 32 interface elements include one or more of the following interfaces:

- RF radio frequency interface, for example of the Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi® type, LTE (from English "Long-Term Evolution" or in French "Evolution à long terme"), LTE-Advanced (or in French LTE-advanced );

- USB interface (from the English "Universal Serial Bus" or "Universal Serial Bus" in French);

- HDMI interface (from the English “High Definition Multimedia Interface”, or “Interface Multimedia Haute Definition” in French).

Data are for example loaded to the device 3 via the interface of block 32 using a Wi-Fi® network such as according to IEEE 802.11, an ITS G5 network based on IEEE 802.11p or a mobile network such as a 4G network (or LTE Advanced according to 3GPP release 10 – version 10) or 5G.

According to another particular embodiment, the device 3 comprises a communication interface 33 which makes it possible to establish communication with other devices (such as other computers of the on-board system) via a communication channel 330. The interface communication interface 33 corresponds for example to a transmitter configured to transmit and receive information and/or data via the communication channel 330. The communication interface 33 corresponds for example to a wired network of the CAN type (from the English “ Controller Area Network" or in French "Network of controllers"), CAN FD (from English "Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate" or in French "Network of controllers with flexible data rate"), FlexRay (standardized by the ISO 17458 standard) or Ethernet (standardized by ISO/IEC 802-3 standard).

According to an additional particular embodiment, the device 3 can supply output signals to one or more external devices, such as a display screen, one or more loudspeakers and/or other peripherals respectively via interfaces output not shown.

illustrates a flowchart of the different steps of a method for controlling a set of computers, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The method is for example implemented by one or more on-board computers in a vehicle or by one or more devices 3 of the .

In a first step 41, a request is received by the set of computers. The request is for example transmitted by a mobile communication device, by a device for controlling a component or equipment of the vehicle or by a computer of the on-board system of the vehicle not belonging to the set of computers. The request includes for example data requiring the implementation of at least one service or at least one function by the set of computers.

In a second step 42, a counter associated with the set of computers is incremented. This incrementation is advantageously triggered when the request triggers a wake-up of the set of computers.

In a third step 43, the counter is compared with a determined threshold value, advantageously after the incrementation of the second step.

In a fourth step 44, at least one action is implemented or executed when the result of the comparison indicates or shows that the counter is greater than or equal to the determined threshold value.

Steps 41 to 44 are advantageously repeated each time a new request is received.

According to a variant embodiment, the variants and examples of the operations described in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2 apply to the steps of the method of .

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above but extends to a method for monitoring the lifetime of a set of computers comprising one or more computers, as well as to the device configured for the implementation of such a process.

The invention also relates to a remote device (for example a "cloud" server) and a set of computers comprising one or more computers 3, the remote device and the set of computers being connected in communication, for the implementation of the process and method described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 4.

The invention also relates to a vehicle, for example an automobile or more generally a land motor vehicle, comprising the device 3 of the .

Claims (10)

Method for controlling a set of computers (10, 20) of a vehicle, said set comprising at least one computer (101, 102, 103), said method comprising the following steps:
- reception (41) of a request by said set of computers (10, 20);
- incrementing (42) of a counter (104, 202) associated with said set of computers (10, 20), said incrementation being triggered when said request triggers a wake-up of said set of computers (10, 20);
- comparison (43) of said counter (104, 202) with a determined threshold value;
- Implementation (44) of at least one action when said counter (104, 202) is greater than or equal to said determined threshold value. Method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of determining a current state of said set of computers (10, 20) following said reception (41) of the request, said request triggering a wake-up of said set of computers (10, 20 ) when said current state corresponds to a standby state of said set of computers (10, 20), said request triggering a transition from the standby state to an awake state of said set of computers (10, 20). Method according to claim 1 or 2, for which said at least one action belongs to a set of actions comprising:
- transmission of an alert message to at least one device on board said vehicle, said device being configured to restore said alert message;
- transmission of an alert message to at least one mobile communication device (11);
- limitation of a number of functions provided by said set of computers (10, 20). Method according to one of Claims 1 to 3, for which the said counter (104) is included in the said set of computers. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a step of transmitting information representative of receipt of said request to a remote device via a wireless link. A method according to claim 5, wherein said counter (202) is included in said remote device. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 6, for which the said request corresponds to:
- a request for implementation of at least one service by said set of computers (10, 20) sent by a mobile communication device (11);
- a request for implementation of at least one service by said set of computers (10, 20) issued by a control unit of said vehicle;
- a request for implementation of at least one service by said set of computers (10, 20) sent by a computer not included in said set of computers (10, 20); Where
- a request for implementation of at least one service by said set of computers (10, 20) transmitted by a control device of at least one equipment item of said vehicle. Device (3) for controlling a set of computers (10, 20) of a vehicle, said device (3) comprising a memory (31) associated with at least one processor (30) configured for the implementation of the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Vehicle comprising the device (3) according to claim 8. Computer program comprising instructions for implementing the method according to one of Claims 1 to 7, when these instructions are executed by a processor.