Method and system for controlling behaviors of vehicle

• US 20050159869A1
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Fukui, Ryusuke, Tohdo, Tetsuya, Kobayashi, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,512,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/48
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/413 Plausibility monitoring, cross check, redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0006 Digital architecture hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/045 Monitoring control system parameters

Abstract

A system for controlling behaviors of a vehicle is provided. The system comprises a first transmission device (for example, an ABS ECU), a second transmission device (for example, an engine ECU), and a reception/processing unit (i.e., a superior control unit). The first transmission device transmits a first time-dependent data to be used for controlling behaviors of the vehicle, while the second transmission device transmits a second time-dependent data to be used for controlling behaviors of the vehicle. The reception/processing unit receives both of the first and second time-dependent data and performs processing to ensure simultaneity between the first and second time-dependent data that have been received. The reception/processing unit also produces parameters for controlling the behaviors of the vehicle using both of the first and second time-dependent data which have been subjected to the simultaneity-ensuring processing.

Claims

1. A system for controlling behaviors of a vehicle, comprising:

a first transmission device transmitting a first time-dependent data to be used for controlling behaviors of the vehicle;

a second transmission device transmitting a second time-dependent data to be used for controlling behaviors of the vehicle; and

a reception/processing unit comprising

a reception device receiving both of the first time-dependent data transmitted from said first transmission device and the second time-dependent data transmitted from said second transmission device,

a first processing device performing processing to ensure simultaneity between the received first time-dependent data and the received second time-dependent data, and

a second processing device producing parameters for controlling the behaviors of the vehicle using both of the first time-dependent data and the second time-dependent data which have been subjected to the simultaneity-ensuring processing performed by the first processing device.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the first transmission device is configured to attach, to the first time-dependent data to be transmitted, data showing a first reference time at or before which the first time-dependent data is transmitted,

the second transmission device is configured to attach, to the second time-dependent data to be transmitted, data showing a second reference time at or before which the second time-dependent data is transmitted, and

the first processing device includes

a comparison member making a comparison between the first and second reference times shown by the data attached to the first and second time-dependent data and

a processing-performing member performing the processing to ensure the simultaneity between the first time-dependent data and the second time-dependent data in response to a particular compared result coming from the comparison member.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein

the first reference time is a time instant at which the first transmission unit transmits the first time-dependent data and

the second reference time is a time instant at which the second transmission unit transmits the second time-dependent data.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the comparison member includes

determining means determining whether or not a difference between the first and second reference times is less than a predetermined period of time and

allowing means allowing the processing-performing member to perform the processing to ensure the simultaneity, when it is determined that the difference is less than the predetermined period of time.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein

the first transmission device is configured to repeatedly transmit the first time-dependent data to which data showing a first reference time defined at or before which the first time-dependent data is transmitted is attached,

the second transmission device is configured to repeatedly transmit the second time-dependent data to which data showing a second reference time at or before which the second time-dependent data is transmitted is attached, and

the first processing device includes

a reception member repeatedly receiving both of the first and second time-dependent data,

a comparison member making a comparison between the first and second reference times shown by the data attached to the first and second time-dependent data currently received,

a determination member determining whether or not a difference between the first and second reference times is less than a predetermined interval of time, and

a processing member performing processing which compensates a result obtained when the determination member determines that the difference is equal to or longer than the predetermined interval of time.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the processing member includes

replacing means for replacing, every type of data, either the first or second time-dependent data with an old first or second time-dependent data received last time,

determining means for determining whether or not a difference between a reference time attached to replaced time-dependent data of the first and second time-dependent data, which is subjected to the replacement, and a reference time attached to non-replaced time-dependent data of the first and second time-dependent data, which is not subjected to the replacement is less than a predetermined interval of time, and

allowing means for allowing the processing-performing member to perform the processing to ensure the simultaneity using the replaced time-dependent data and the non-replaced time-dependent data, in cases where the determining means determines that the difference is less than the predetermined interval of time.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined interval of time is set based on contents of the control of the behaviors of the car carried out based on the first and second time-dependent data.

8. The system according to claim 4, wherein the comparison member further includes determining means for determining whether at least one of the first and second time-dependent data expires or is valid,

wherein the allowing means is configured to allow the processing-performing member to perform the processing to ensure the simultaneity, when it is determined that the difference is less than the predetermined period of time and it is determined any of the first and second time-dependent data is valid.

9. The system according to claim 2, wherein

the first transmission device is configured to repeatedly transmit the first time-dependent data to which data showing a first reference time defined at or before which the first time-dependent data is transmitted is attached,

the second transmission device is configured to repeatedly transmit the second time-dependent data to which data showing a second reference time at or before which the second time-dependent data is transmitted is attached, and

the first processing device includes

a reception member repeatedly receiving both of the first and second time-dependent data,

a comparison member making a comparison between the first and second reference times shown by the data attached to the first and second time-dependent data currently received,

a determination member determining whether or not a difference between the first and second reference times is less than a predetermined interval of time, and

a processing member performing processing which compensates a result obtained when the determination member determines that the difference is equal to or longer than the predetermined interval of time.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the processing member includes

replacing means for replacing, every type of data, either the first or second time-dependent data with an old first or second time-dependent data received last time,

determining means for determining whether or not a difference between a reference time attached to replaced time-dependent data of the first and second time-dependent data, which is subjected to the replacement, and a reference time attached to non-replaced time-dependent data of the first and second time-dependent data, which is not subjected to the replacement is less than a predetermined interval of time, and

allowing means for allowing the processing-performing member to perform the processing to ensure the simultaneity using the replaced time-dependent data and the non-replaced time-dependent data, in cases where the determining means determines that the difference is less than the predetermined interval of time.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined interval of time is set based on contents of the control of the behaviors of the car carried out based on the first and second time-dependent data.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the comparison member further includes determining means for determining whether at least one of the first and second time-dependent data expires or is valid,

wherein the allowing means is configured to allow the processing-performing member to perform the processing to ensure the simultaneity, when it is determined that the difference is less than the predetermined period of time and it is determined any of the first and second time-dependent data is valid.

13. The system according to claim 2, wherein

the comparison member is configured to determine whether or not a difference between the first and second reference times attached to the first and second time-dependent data, respectively, is less than a predetermined interval of time,

the system further comprising an exclusion member excluding both the first and second time-dependent data from producing the parameters for controlling the behaviors of the vehicle, in cases where it is determined that the difference is less than the predetermined interval of time.

14. The system according to claim 2, wherein the comparison member includes

determining means determining whether or not a difference between the first and second reference times is less than a predetermined period of time and

allowing means allowing the processing-performing member to perform the processing to ensure the simultaneity, when it is determined that the difference is less than the predetermined period of time.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined interval of time is set based on contents of the control of the behaviors of the car carried out based on the first and second time-dependent data.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the comparison member further includes determining means for determining whether at least one of the first and second time-dependent data expires or is valid,

wherein the allowing means is configured to allow the processing-performing member to perform the processing to ensure the simultaneity, when it is determined that the difference is less than the predetermined period of time and it is determined any of the first and second time-dependent data is valid.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the reception/processing unit is equipped with a computer executing a program stored in a memory of the computer,

wherein the program includes a first-layer program in which a first type of processing for controlling the behaviors of the vehicle is described, the first type of processing dependent on a hardware configuration of the reception/processing unit and a second-layer program in which a second type of processing for controlling the behaviors of the vehicle is descried, the second type of processing independent of the hardware configuration of the reception/processing unit and being executed by using a result resulting from executing the first-layer program,

wherein the first type of processing is described to functionally provides the first processing device when the computer executes the first type of processing.

18. A system for controlling behaviors of a vehicle, comprising:

a first control unit controlling behaviors of the vehicle based on a first control parameter produced from first time-dependent data detected, wherein the first control unit includes a first transmission member transmitting the first time-dependent data to a line to which the first control unit is communicably connected;

a second control unit controlling behaviors of the vehicle based on a second control parameter produced from second time-dependent data, wherein the second control unit includes a second transmission member transmitting the second time-dependent data to the line to which the second control unit is communicably connected; and

a processing unit comprising

reception means receiving through the line both of the first time-dependent data and the second time-dependent data,

first processing means performing processing to ensure simultaneity between the received first time-dependent data and the received second time-dependent data,

second processing means producing the first and second control parameters from the first time-dependent data and the second time-dependent data which have been subjected to the simultaneity-ensuring processing, respectively, and

retuning means returning the first and second control parameters to the first and second control unit through the line, respectively.

19. A method for controlling behaviors of a vehicle, comprising steps of:

receiving both of first time-dependent data and second time-dependent data,

performing processing to ensure simultaneity between the received first time-dependent data and the received second time-dependent data, and

producing parameters for controlling the behaviors of the vehicle using both of the first time-dependent data and the second time-dependent data which have been subjected to the simultaneity-ensuring processing performed.