Military vehicle having cooperative control network with distributed I/O interfacing
First Claim
1. A control method for a military vehicle having a plurality of input devices and a plurality of output devices, comprising:
- (A) determining desired output states of a first subset of said plurality of output devices based on I/O status information stored in an I/O status table, said determining step being performed by an interface module that comprises said I/O status table, said interface module being coupled to a first subset of said plurality of input devices and said first subset of said plurality of output devices, said interface module being further coupled to a plurality of additional interface modules by way of a communication network, said plurality of additional interface modules being coupled to a second subset of said plurality of input devices and a second subset of said plurality of output devices, said I/O status information stored in said I/O status table including input status information pertaining to input states of said first subset of said plurality of input devices and input status information pertaining to input states of said second subset of said plurality of input devices;
(B) controlling said first subset of said plurality of output devices in accordance with said desired output states, said controlling step being performed by said interface module; and
(C) maintaining said I/O status table, said maintaining step being performed by said interface module, said maintaining step including (1) acquiring said input status information pertaining to said input states of said first subset of said plurality of input devices, (2) storing said input status information pertaining to said input states of said first subset of said plurality of input devices in said I/O status table, (3) acquiring, from said plurality of additional interface modules by way of said communication network, said input status information pertaining to said input states of said second subset of said plurality of input devices, and (4) storing said input status information pertaining to said input states of said second subset of said plurality of input devices.
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Abstract
A power distribution and control system for a military vehicle comprises a power source, a power transmission link, a plurality of input and output devices, a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules, and a communication network that interconnects the interface modules. The interface modules are also each coupled to respective local subsets of the input and output devices so as to permit distributed data collection from the input devices and distributed power distribution to the output devices. Each of the interface modules collects input status information from the respective local subset of the input devices and broadcasts the input status information over the communication network to each of the remaining ones of the interface modules. Each of the remaining ones of the interface modules receive the input status information and locally store the input status information.
198 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A control method for a military vehicle having a plurality of input devices and a plurality of output devices, comprising:
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(A) determining desired output states of a first subset of said plurality of output devices based on I/O status information stored in an I/O status table, said determining step being performed by an interface module that comprises said I/O status table, said interface module being coupled to a first subset of said plurality of input devices and said first subset of said plurality of output devices, said interface module being further coupled to a plurality of additional interface modules by way of a communication network, said plurality of additional interface modules being coupled to a second subset of said plurality of input devices and a second subset of said plurality of output devices, said I/O status information stored in said I/O status table including input status information pertaining to input states of said first subset of said plurality of input devices and input status information pertaining to input states of said second subset of said plurality of input devices;
(B) controlling said first subset of said plurality of output devices in accordance with said desired output states, said controlling step being performed by said interface module; and
(C) maintaining said I/O status table, said maintaining step being performed by said interface module, said maintaining step including (1) acquiring said input status information pertaining to said input states of said first subset of said plurality of input devices, (2) storing said input status information pertaining to said input states of said first subset of said plurality of input devices in said I/O status table, (3) acquiring, from said plurality of additional interface modules by way of said communication network, said input status information pertaining to said input states of said second subset of said plurality of input devices, and (4) storing said input status information pertaining to said input states of said second subset of said plurality of input devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 28)
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6. A military vehicle comprising:
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a power distribution and control system, the power distribution and control system further including (A) a power source;
(B) a power transmission link;
(C) a plurality of input devices;
(D) a plurality of output devices;
(E) a communication network;
(F) a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules, said plurality of interface modules being coupled to said power source by way of said power transmission link, said plurality of interface modules being interconnected to each other by way of said communication network, and said plurality of interface modules being coupled to said plurality of input devices and to said plurality of output devices by way of respective dedicated communication links, and said plurality of interface modules including (1) a first microprocessor-based interface module, said first interface module being coupled to a first subset of said plurality of input devices and to a first subset of said plurality of output devices, said first interface module having a first data memory that stores input status information for substantially all of said plurality of input devices, and said first interface module including a first control program that is executable by said first interface module to control said first subset of said plurality of output devices based on input status information from said plurality of input devices stored in said first data memory, (2) a second microprocessor-based interface module, said second interface module being coupled to a second subset of said plurality of input devices and to a second subset of said plurality of output devices, said second interface module having a second data memory that stores input status information for substantially all of said plurality of input devices, said second interface module including a second control program that is executable by said second interface module to control said second subset of said plurality of output devices based on input status information from said plurality of input devices stored in said second data memory, and (3) a plurality of additional microprocessor-based interface modules, said plurality of additional interface modules each being coupled to a respective additional subset of said plurality of input devices and to a respective additional subset of said plurality of output devices, said plurality of additional interface modules each including an additional control program that is executable to control said respective additional subset of said plurality of output devices based on input status information from said plurality of input devices;
wherein said plurality of interface modules, said plurality of input devices, and said plurality of output devices are distributed throughout said military vehicle; and
wherein each respective interface module is locally disposed with respect to the respective input and output devices to which said respective interface module is coupled so as to permit distributed data collection from said plurality of input devices and distributed power distribution to said plurality of output devices. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26)
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13. A control method for a military vehicle comprising:
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(A) providing a vehicle power distribution and control system, (1) wherein said vehicle power distribution and control system comprises (a) a first plurality of input devices, a second plurality of input devices, and a plurality of additional input devices, (b) a first plurality of output devices, a second plurality of output devices, and a plurality of additional output devices, and (c) a first interface module, a second interface module, and a plurality of additional interface modules, (2) wherein said first interface module, said second interface module, and said plurality of additional interface modules are connected by way of a communication network, (3) wherein said first interface module, said second interface module, and said plurality of additional interface modules are distributed throughout said vehicle and are locally placed with respect to respective ones of said plurality of input and output devices, (4) wherein said first interface module collects data from said first plurality of input devices and distributes power to said first plurality of output devices, (5) wherein said second interface module collects data from said second plurality of input devices and distributes power to said second plurality of output devices, and (6) wherein said first I/O interface module comprises a first I/O status table and said second I/O interface module comprises a second I/O status table;
(B) repetitively performing the following steps at said first interface module during operation of said first interface module, including (1) acquiring input status information from said first plurality of input devices, said input status information pertaining to input states of said first plurality of input devices, (2) storing said input status information from said first plurality of input devices in said first I/O status table, (3) determining desired output states for said first plurality of output devices, (4) storing output status information pertaining to said desired output states for said first plurality of output devices in said first I/O status table, (5) controlling said first plurality of output devices in accordance with said desired respective output states, (6) broadcasting, over said communication network, said input status information pertaining to said input states of said first plurality of input devices to said second interface module and said plurality of additional interface modules, (7) broadcasting, over said communication network, said output status information pertaining to said desired output states of said first plurality of output devices to said second interface module and said plurality of additional interface modules, (8) acquiring, by way of said communication network, input status information pertaining to input states of said second plurality of input devices and output status information pertaining to output states of said second plurality of output devices, (9) storing, in said first I/O status table, said input status information pertaining to said input states of said second plurality of input devices and said output status information pertaining to said output states of said second plurality of output devices, (10) acquiring, by way of said communication network, input status information pertaining to input states of said additional plurality of input devices and output status information pertaining to output states of said additional plurality of output devices, and (11) storing, in said first i/0 status table, said input status information pertaining to said input states of said additional plurality of input devices and said output status information pertaining to said output states of said additional plurality of output devices; and
(C) repetitively performing the following steps at said second interface module during operation of said second interface module, including (1) acquiring said input status information from said second plurality of input devices, said input status information pertaining to input states of said second plurality of input devices, (2) storing said input status information from said second plurality of input devices in said second I/O status table, (3) determining desired output states for said second plurality of output devices, (4) storing said output status information in said second I/O status table, said output status information pertaining to said desired output states for said second plurality of output devices, (5) controlling said second plurality of output devices in accordance with said desired respective output states, (6) broadcasting, over said communication network, said input status information pertaining to said input states of said second plurality of input devices to said second interface module and said plurality of additional interface modules, (7) broadcasting, over said communication network, said output status information pertaining to said desired output states of said second plurality of output devices to said second interface module and said plurality of additional interface modules, (8) acquiring, by way of said communication network, said input status information pertaining to said input states of said first plurality of input devices and output status information pertaining to output states of said first plurality of output devices, (9) storing, in said second I/O status table, said input status information pertaining to said input states of said first plurality of input devices and said output status information pertaining to said output states of said first plurality of output devices, (10) acquiring, by way of said communication network, input status information pertaining to input states of said additional plurality of input devices and output status information pertaining to output states of said additional plurality of output devices, and (11) storing, in said second I/O status table, said input status information pertaining to said input states of said additional plurality of input devices and said output status information pertaining to said output states of said additional plurality of output devices.
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23. A multipurpose modular vehicle comprising:
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a chassis and a variant module, said variant module being mounted on said chassis, said chassis and said variant module cooperating to provide said vehicle with a first type of functionality, and said variant module being removable and replaceable with other variant modules to form other vehicles with other different types of functionality, and wherein said chassis and said variant module in combination include a power distribution and control system, said power distribution and control system further including (A) a power source;
(B) a power transmission link;
(C) a plurality of input devices;
(D) a plurality of output devices;
(E) a communication network;
(F) a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules, said plurality of interface modules being coupled to said power source by way of said power transmission link, said plurality of interface modules being interconnected to each other by way of said communication network, and said plurality of interface modules being coupled to said plurality of input devices and to said plurality of output devices by way of respective dedicated communication links, and said plurality of interface modules including (1) a first microprocessor-based interface module, said first interface module being coupled to a first subset of said plurality of input devices and to a first subset of said plurality of output devices, said first interface module having a first data memory that stores input status information for substantially all of said plurality of input devices, and said first interface module including a first control program that is executable by said first interface module to control said first subset of said plurality of output devices based on input status information from said plurality of input devices stored in said first data memory, (2) a second microprocessor-based interface module, said second interface module being coupled to a second subset of said plurality of input devices and to a second subset of said plurality of output devices, said second interface module having a second data memory that stores input status information for substantially all of said plurality of input devices, said second interface module including a second control program that is executable by said second interface module to control said second subset of said plurality of output devices based on input status information from said plurality of input devices stored in said second data memory, and (3) a plurality of additional microprocessor-based interface modules, said plurality of additional interface modules each being coupled to a respective additional subset of said plurality of input devices and to a respective additional subset of said plurality of output devices, said plurality of additional interface modules each including an additional program that is executable to control said respective additional subset of said plurality of output devices based on input status information from said plurality of input devices;
wherein said plurality of interface modules, said plurality of input devices, and said plurality of output devices are distributed throughout said military vehicle; and
wherein each respective interface module is locally disposed with respect to the respective input and output devices to which said respective interface module is coupled so as to permit distributed data collection from said plurality of input devices and distributed power distribution to said plurality of output devices.
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27. A military vehicle comprising:
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a power distribution and control system, the power distribution and control system further including (A) a power source;
(B) a power transmission link;
(C) a plurality of input devices;
(D) a plurality of output devices;
(E) a communication network;
(F) a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules, said plurality of interface modules being coupled to said power source by way of said power transmission link, said plurality of interface modules being interconnected to each other by way of said communication network, and said plurality of interface modules being coupled to said plurality of input devices and to said plurality of output devices by way of respective dedicated communication links, and said plurality of interface modules including (1) a first microprocessor-based interface module, (2) a second microprocessor-based interface module, and (3) a plurality of additional microprocessor-based interface modules; and
wherein said plurality of interface modules, said plurality of input devices, and said plurality of output devices are distributed throughout said military vehicle;
wherein each of said plurality of interface modules are coupled to a respective local subset of said plurality of input devices and to a respective local subset of said plurality of output devices so as to permit distributed data collection from said plurality of input devices and distributed power distribution to said plurality of output devices; and
wherein each of said plurality of interface modules collects input status information from said respective local subset of said plurality of input devices and broadcasts said input status information over said communication network to each of the remaining ones of said plurality of interface modules, each of said remaining ones of said plurality of interface modules receiving said input status information and locally storing said input status information.
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Specification