Abstract: A communication method for a communication network of a vehicle includes a master data processing unit and a slave data processing unit connected to the master data processing unit via a synchronous serial communication interface. The slave data processing unit is connected to the master data processing unit via a slave select line for indicating that data is being sent from the master data processing unit to the slave data processing unit. The data sent from the master data processing unit to the slave data processing unit and/or from the slave data processing unit to the master data processing unit is framed by a start bit as a first bit and a stop bit as a last bit of the sent data.

Abstract: Provided is a method for time distribution in a communication network of a vehicle. The method includes: sending, from a grandmaster to a first slave, a first time stamp taken from a grandmaster clock; generating, at the first slave, a first time tuple including the first time stamp and a second time stamp taken from a first slave clock at the time of receiving the first time stamp; sending, from the first slave to a second slave a third time stamp taken from the first slave clock, a fourth time stamp calculated based on the third time stamp and the first time tuple using a predefined calculation method, and the first time tuple; calculating, at the second slave, a fifth time stamp based on the third time stamp and the first time tuple; and comparing, at the second slave, the fifth time stamp to the fourth time stamp.

Abstract: Provided is a method for monitoring a time distribution via a network switch to be used in a communication network of an automated vehicle. The method includes receiving, a first synchronized time, at a first port of the network switch, receiving, a second synchronized time, at a second port of the network switch, comparing the received first synchronized time to the received second synchronized time, and output a control signal if a result of the comparing is that a difference between the received first synchronized time and the received second synchronized time exceeds a predefined threshold.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses are provided for sequence monitoring of multiple threads being executed at least partly in parallel on an electronic control unit of an automated vehicle. A first timestamp generated at a first predefined time during execution of a first thread to be monitored is provided to a first monitoring thread of the multiple threads. A second timestamp generated at a second predefined time during execution of a second thread to be monitored is provided to the first monitoring thread. The first monitoring thread checks whether the first timestamp is provided before the second timestamp.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for checking an integrity of data stored in an electronic control unit of a vehicle. A first hash value is determined based on the stored data using a hash function at the electronic control unit triggered by a request of a boot loader of the electronic control unit. A second hash value is determined based on the stored data using the hash function at the electronic control unit triggered by a request of an external computing device connected to the electronic control unit. The integrity of the stored data is checked by comparing the determined first hash value to the determined second hash value.

Abstract: Provided is a method for monitoring a time schedule of a first thread running on a control unit of an automated vehicle. The method includes a step of providing, to a second thread, a first timestamp corresponding to a starting time of the first thread, and a step of providing, to the second thread, a second timestamp corresponding to an end time of the first thread. The method further includes a step of computing, by use of the second thread, a difference between the first timestamp and the second timestamp, and a step of comparing, by use of the second thread, the computed difference to a predefined threshold for monitoring the time schedule of the first thread.

Abstract: Provided is a method for validating synchronized local times of at least a first control unit and a second control unit of a vehicle, wherein the method includes receiving, at each one of the at least two control units, a synchronization message including a master time; synchronizing, at each one of the at least two control units, a local time of the respective one of the at least two control units to the received master time; communicating the synchronized local time from the first control unit to the second control unit; and comparing, at the second control unit, the communicated local time of the first control unit to the synchronized local time of the second control unit for validating the synchronized local times of the at least two control units.

Abstract: A method for validating time synchronization in a communication network of an automated vehicle includes sending a time synchronization message from a master clock to two control units of a first communication network, respectively, wherein the time synchronization message includes a master time; synchronizing a local time of the two control units of the first communication network to the received master time, respectively; sending the synchronized local times of the two control units of the first communication network to a central validator of the first communication network, respectively; comparing, at the central validator of the first communication network, the received synchronized local times of the two control units of the first communication network to each other; and, if a difference between the received synchronized local times is larger than a predefined first threshold, outputting an error message from the central validator of the first communication network to the automated vehicle.

Abstract: Provided is a method for determining a correctness of image data, the image data being captured by at least two cameras of a camera system installed at a vehicle. The method includes detecting at least one feature in the image data captured by a first one of the at least two cameras, determining if the at least one feature can be detected in the image data captured by a second one of the at least two cameras, and if the at least one feature can be detected in the image data captured by the second one of the at least two cameras, determining the correctness of the image data.

Abstract: A method includes sending, from the master controller to the slave controller, a follow up message in response to a pull of a predefined pin, wherein the follow up message includes a global time of the master controller when the predefined pin was pulled; sending, from the slave controller to the master controller, a validation message in response to the received follow up message, wherein the validation message includes a global time of the slave controller when the pull of the predefined pin is detected by the slave controller; and validating the time synchronization by checking, at the master controller and/or the slave controller, if a difference between the global time of the master controller when the predefined pin was pulled and the global time of the slave controller when the pull of the predefined pin is detected by the slave controller is smaller than a predefined first threshold.

Abstract: A method for determining a correctness of an actually received timestamp is provided. A communication network includes a master clock, a first ECU having a first slave clock, a validator having a second slave clock, and a first communication bus. The first ECU uses a first communication standard having a deterministic scheme. The method includes synchronizing, at the first ECU, a time of the first slave clock to a global time of the master clock, synchronizing, at the validator, a time of the second slave clock to the global time of the master clock, predicting, at the validator, a timestamp to be received in an actual communication cycle from the first ECU based on the deterministic scheme of the communication standard used by the first ECU, and comparing, at the validator, the predicted timestamp with the actually received timestamp from the first ECU.

Abstract: A method for performing time-synchronization between a master clock of a master unit and a plurality of slave clocks of a corresponding plurality of slave units includes sending a forward time-synchronization message indicative of the master clock from the master unit to the plurality of slave units, in order to enable the plurality of slave units to time-synchronize their respective slave clocks with the master clock. The method also includes receiving a reverse time-synchronization message indicative of the respective slave clock from each of the plurality of slave units at a first validator. The method also includes time-synchronizing a plurality of validator clocks of the first validator to the corresponding plurality of slave clocks using the reverse time-synchronization messages from the plurality of slave units, and validating the time-synchronization between the plurality of slave clocks at the first validator based on the plurality of validator clocks.

Abstract: A method performs time-synchronization between a master clock and a plurality of slave clocks. The method performs a forward time-synchronization from the master clock to the plurality of slave clocks. Further, the method performs a reverse time-synchronization from the plurality of slave clocks to a corresponding plurality of validator clocks. In addition, the method validates the time-synchronization between the plurality of slave clocks, notably between the master clock and the plurality of slave clocks, based on the plurality of validator clocks.