System for real-time control performed on time-dependent data transmitted/received in vehicle

• US 20050159870A1
• Filed: 01/19/2005
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Suganuma, Takeshi, Fukui, Ryusuke, Kobayashi, Masayuki, Tohdo, Tetsuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/48
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0043 Signal treatments, identification of variables or parameters, parameter estimation or state estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces

Abstract

In a vehicle control system which requires a plurality of ECUs (electronic control units) to control in real time states of the vehicle using time-dependent data transmitted and received among the ECUs. The time-dependent data reflecting the vehicle states is detected or produced. A transmitting ECU, one of the plural ECUs, transmits the time-dependent data with a degree of newness thereof to a receiving ECU, another one of the plural ECUs, which takes part in the real-time control. The receiving ECU determines whether or not the time-dependent data has expired for the real-time control based on the degree of newness of the time-dependent data and performs processing with the time-dependent data based on determined results of the expiration, the processing having the time-dependent data adapted to the real-time control. Thus the real-time control can be performed based on only the adaptive time-dependent data to the real-time control.

Claims

1. A system for controlling in real time states of a vehicle, in which the real-time control is performed based on time-dependent data transmitted and received among a plurality of ECUs (electronic control units) dedicated to the control of the states of the vehicle, the system comprising:

a determination unit determining whether or not the time-dependent data has expired for the real-time control based on a degree of newness of the time-dependent data to be received; and

a processing unit performing processing with the time-dependent data based on results of the expiration determined by the determination unit, the processing having the time-dependent data adapted to the real-time control.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein both the determination unit and the processing unit are incorporated in a first ECU of the plurality of ECUs, the first ECU receiving the time-dependent data.

3. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a sensor detecting information about the states of the vehicle as the time-dependent data to be given to a second ECU of the plurality of ECUs, the second ECU transmitting the time-dependent data to the first ECU either directly or indirectly.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the degree of newness of the time-dependent data is a time instant at which the detector has detected the time-dependent data.

5. The system according to claim 3, further comprising means providing the time-dependent data with a valid period showing that the time-dependent data is valid for the real-time control,

wherein the determination unit is configured to perform the determination on both of the basis of the degree of newness of the time-dependent data and the valid period to the time-dependent data.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein the degree of newness of the time-dependent data is a time instant at which the time-dependent data is transmitted from a second ECU of the plurality of ECUs to the first ECU.

7. The system according to claim 6, further comprising means providing the time-dependent data with a valid period showing that the time-dependent data is valid for the real-time control,

wherein the determination unit is configured to perform the determination on both of the basis of the degree of newness of the time-dependent data and the valid period to the time-dependent data.

8. The system according to claim 2, wherein the degree of newness of the time-dependent data is a valid time instant at which the time-dependent data expires.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the determination unit is configured to perform the determination on both of the basis of the valid time instant at which the time-dependent data expires and a current time instant.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to correct the time-dependent data based on both of the degree of newness and a current time instant, when it is determined by the determination unit that the time-dependent data has expired.

11. The system according to claim 5, wherein the valid period of the time-dependent data depends on what kinds of real-time control is performed using the time-dependent data.

12. The system according to claim 7, wherein the valid period of the time-dependent data depends on what kind of real-time control is performed using the time-dependent data.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the valid time instant depends on what kind of real-time control is performed using the time-dependent data.

14. The system according to claim 3, further comprising addition means adding information indicative of the degree of newness to the time-dependent data.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the addition means is incorporated in the second ECU.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein

the first ECU has a memory memorizing information indicative of a valid period showing that the time-dependent data is valid for the real-time control and

the determination unit is configured to perform the determination based on the information indicative of both the degree of newness added by the addition means to the time-dependent data and the valid period memorized by the memory.

17. The system according to claim 3, wherein

the second ECU comprises addition means adding, to the time-dependent data, information indicative of both of the degree of newness and a valid period showing that the time-dependent data is valid for the real-time control, and

the determination unit is configured to perform the determination based on the information indicative of both the degree of newness and the valid time which are added by the addition means.

18. The system according to claim 17, comprising a sensor detecting information about the states of the vehicle, the information being given as the time-dependent data to the second ECU,

wherein the valid period for the time-dependent data depends on a type of the sensor.

19. The system according to claim 3, further comprising providing means providing the time-dependent data with data of a valid period showing that the time-dependent data is valid for the real-time control, the providing means being incorporated in either the first or second ECU,

wherein the determination unit is configured to use, in addition to the degree of newness of the time-dependent data, the valid period to perform the determination.

20. A system for controlling in real time states of a vehicle, in which the real-time control is performed based on time-dependent data transmitted and received among a plurality of ECUs (electronic control units) dedicated to the control of the states of the vehicle, the system comprising:

determination means determining whether or not the time-dependent data has expired for the real-time control based on a degree of newness of the time-dependent data to be received; and

processing performing processing with the time-dependent data based on results of the expiration determined by the determination means, the processing having the time-dependent data adapted to the real-time control.

21. A receiving electronic control unit (ECU), which belongs to a plurality of ECUs in charge of controlling in real time states of a vehicle based on time-dependent data in which the states of the vehicle is reflected, receives the time-dependent data transmitted from an ECU of the plurality of ECUs, the receiving electronic control unit comprising:

determination means determining whether or not the time-dependent data that has been received has expired for the real-time control based on a degree of newness of the time-dependent data; and

processing means performing processing with the time-dependent data based on results of the expiration determined by the determination means, the processing having the time-dependent data adapted to the real-time control.

22. A transmitting electronic control unit (ECU), which belongs to a plurality of ECUs in charge of controlling in real time states of a vehicle based on time-dependent data in which the states of the vehicle is reflected, transmits the time-dependent data to an ECU of the plurality of ECUs, the transmitting electronic control unit comprising:

means for either receiving the time-dependent data from a sensor to detect the states of the vehicle or producing the time-dependent data;

means for adding information indicative of a degree of newness of the time-dependent data to the received or produced time-dependent data; and

means for transmit the time dependent data with the information indicative of the degree of newness.

23. A method of preparing time-dependent data used for controlling in real time states of a vehicle, in which the real-time control is performed based on the time-dependent data transmitted and received among a plurality of ECUs (electronic control units) dedicated to the control of the states of the vehicle, the method comprising steps of:

making a specified ECU among the plurality of ECUs

(i) either receive the time-dependent data from a sensor to detect the states of the vehicle or produce the time-dependent data by calculation,

(ii) add information indicative of a degree of newness of the time-dependent data to the received or produced time-dependent data, and

(iii) transmit the time dependent data with the information indicative of the degree of newness to a further specified ECU among the plurality of ECUs; and

making the further specified ECU

(iv) determine whether or not the time-dependent data that has been received has expired for the real-time control based on the degree of newness added to the time-dependent data; and

(v) perform processing with the time-dependent data based on determined results of the expiration, the processing having the time-dependent data adapted to the real-time control.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising a step of providing the time-dependent data with data of a valid period showing that the time-dependent data is valid for the real-time control,

wherein the determination step is configured to use, in addition to the degree of newness of the time-dependent data, the valid period to perform the determination.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the data of the valid period is provided in either the specified or further specified ECU.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the valid time depends on what kinds of real-time control is performed using the time-dependent data.

27. The method according to claim 23, wherein the degree of newness is any one of a time instant at which the time-dependent data is detected, a time instant at which the time-dependent data is transmitted from the specified ECU, or a valid time instant at which the time-dependent data expires.