AUTO-METER SYSTEM WITH CONTROLLER AREA NETWORK BUS

• US 20110072123A1
• Filed: 12/07/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: I-Sheng Liu
• Original Assignee: I-Sheng Liu
• Inventors: Wu, Chien-Nan, Tsai, Hung-Yih, Tsao, Wang-Chang, Hsu, Yuan-Yong
• Application Number:
  US12/632,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20110072123A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/42 Circuit board features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/46 Electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/20 Output arrangements, i.e. from vehicle to user, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/215 characterised by the combination of multiple visual outputs, e.g. combined instruments with analogue meters and additional displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/08 Arrangements of scales, pointers, lamps or acoustic indicators, e.g. in automobile speedometers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40006 Architecture of a communication node current supply arrangements H04L12/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40215 Controller Area Network CAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

An auto-meter system includes a CAN-Bus for transmitting a CAN-Bus signal, and a first CAN module coupled to the CAN-Bus. The first CAN module is for receiving the CAN-Bus signal transmitted from the CAN-Bus and for transforming the CAN-Bus signal to a message signal. The auto-meter system further includes a display and a processor coupled to the CAN module and the display. The processor is for receiving the message signal and for controlling the display to show information corresponding to the message signal.

Claims

1. An auto-meter system comprising:

a controller area network bus (CAN-Bus) for transmitting a CAN-Bus signal;

a first controller area network module coupled to the CAN-Bus for receiving the CAN-Bus signal transmitted from the CAN-Bus and for transforming the CAN-Bus signal into a message signal;

an instrument panel; and

a processor coupled to the first controller area network module and the instrument panel for receiving the message signal and for controlling the instrument panel to show information corresponding to the message signal.

2. The auto-meter system of claim 1 further comprising:

a vehicle communication protocol network; and

a second controller area network module coupled to the vehicle communication protocol network and the CAN-Bus for transforming a signal transmitted from the vehicle communication protocol network into the CAN-Bus signal and for transmitting the CAN-Bus signal to the CAN-Bus.

3. The auto-meter system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle communication protocol network comprises a media oriented system transport (MOST) network.

4. The auto-meter system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle communication protocol network comprises an X-by-Wire network.

5. The auto-meter system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle communication protocol network comprises a local interconnect network (LIN).

6. The auto-meter system of claim 1 further comprising:

a vehicle wireless system module; and

a third controller area network module coupled to the vehicle wireless system module and the CAN-Bus for transforming a signal transmitted from the vehicle wireless system module into the CAN-Bus signal and for transmitting the CAN-Bus signal to the CAN-Bus.

7. The auto-meter system of claim 6, wherein the vehicle wireless system module comprises a global position system (GPS) unit.

8. The auto-meter system of claim 6, wherein the vehicle wireless system module comprises a Zigbee wireless network unit.

9. The auto-meter system of claim 1 further comprising:

an on board diagnostics module; and

a fourth controller area network module coupled to the on board diagnostics module and the CAN-Bus for transforming a signal transmitted from the on board diagnostics module into the CAN-Bus signal and for transmitting the CAN-Bus signal to the CAN-Bus.

10. The auto-meter system of claim 1 further comprising:

a signal slot coupled to a sensor for receiving a signal of the sensor and for transmitting the signal of the sensor to the processor.

11. The auto-meter system of claim 1 further comprising:

a memory module coupled to the processor for storing vehicle driving data.

12. The auto-meter system of claim 1 further comprising:

a communication interface module connected to the processor and an external processing unit for transmitting a datum transmitted from the external processing unit to the processor.

13. The auto-meter system of claim 1 further comprising:

an auxiliary power connected to the processor for supplying electricity to the processor after a main power failure has occurred.

14. The auto-meter system of claim 1, wherein the first controller area network module is electrically connected to the CAN-Bus in a wire transmission manner.

15. The auto-meter system of claim 1, wherein the first controller area network module is electrically connected to the CAN-Bus in a wireless transmission manner.

16. The auto-meter system of claim 1, wherein the instrument panel comprises a screen for displaying a graph or a numeral so as to represent the information corresponding to the message signal.

17. The auto-meter system of claim 1, wherein the instrument panel comprises an indicator mechanism driven by a stepping motor.

18. The auto-meter system of claim 17, wherein the indicator mechanism utilizes a pulse width modulation signal to drive the stepping motor.

19. The auto-meter system of claim 17, wherein the processor is utilized for controlling an input/output port to simulate the pulse width modulation signal so as to drive the stepping motor.

20. The auto-meter system of claim 1, wherein the instrument panel comprises an electric induced indicator mechanism.

21. The auto-meter system of claim 1, wherein the instrument panel comprises an electromagnetic induced indicator mechanism.

22. The auto-meter system of claim 1, wherein the instrument panel comprises a light emitting diode unit for showing the information corresponding to the message signal by varying intensity of colors.

23. The auto-meter system of claim 1, wherein the first controller area network module is a combination of a universal medium/high speed controller area network receiver/transmitter and a controller area network controller.

24. The auto-meter system of claim 1, wherein the first controller area network module is a combination of a fault tolerant low speed controller area network receiver/transmitter and a controller area network controller.