COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20110013522A1
• Filed: 07/16/2010
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: KISHIGAMI, Tomohisa
• Application Number:
  US12/837,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20110013522A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A communication system is provided, as one aspect, which includes a communication line and a plurality of nodes connected to the communication line, and has a network which is activated based on specific signals sent from two nodes of the plurality of nodes to the communication line. The system includes: a first cold start node and a second cold start node which are connected to the communication line, and activate the network by sending the specific signals to the communication line; and a third cold start node which is connected to the communication line so as to be positioned between the first and second cold start nodes, activates the network by sending the specific signal together with the first or second cold start node, and determines whether or not communication failure has occurred between the plurality of nodes based on a signal transmitted through the communication line.

Claims

1. A communication system which includes a communication line and a plurality of nodes connected to the communication line, and has a network which is activated based on specific signals sent from two nodes of the plurality of nodes to the communication line, comprising:

a first cold start node and a second cold start node which are connected to the communication line, and activate the network by sending the specific signals to the communication line; and

a third cold start node which is connected to the communication line so as to be positioned between the first cold start node and the second cold start node, activates the network by sending the specific signal together with the first cold start node or the second cold start node, and determines whether or not communication failure has occurred between the plurality of nodes based on a signal transmitted through the communication line.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the third cold start node sends the determination result externally to the network.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the nodes which activate the network by sending the specific signal are exclusively the first, second, and third cold start nodes.

4. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein

the communication line includes a pair of signal transmission lines, and

the nodes connected to the communication line use the signal transmission lines and transmit/receive signals to/from each other by using a differential signaling scheme.

5. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a non-cold start node which is connected to the communication line, and enters the network when the network is activated, wherein

the third cold start node is connected to the communication line in a state where the non-cold start node is not positioned between the first cold start node and the second cold start node.

6. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the communication system is installed in a vehicle, and

the third cold start node includes a connector which transmits the determination result externally to the network and to which an external unit is connected.

7. The communication system according to claim 6, wherein

the third cold start node transmits information indicating operating conditions of the nodes collected from the nodes via the communication line externally to the network via the connector.

8. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the network is a time-triggered network in which two of the first to third cold start nodes transmit/receive the specific signals to/from each other via the communication line, whereby synchronization between the nodes is established, and the network is activated.

9. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the third cold start node is connected to a first communication line which is the communication line and to which the first and second cold start node are connected, and is connected to a second communication line, whereby the third cold start node is configured as a gateway unit which relays communication between the node connected to the first communication line and the node connected to the second communication line.