CONTROL DEVICE FOR A VEHICLE NETWORK AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A VEHICLE NETWORK

• US 20120042186A1
• Filed: 03/22/2010
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Schanze, Carsten, Rott, Alexander, Speh, Jörg
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4208 being a system bus, e.g. VME bus, Futurebus, Multibus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40039 Details regarding the setting of the power status of a node according to activity on the bus
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A control device (21) for a vehicle network, having a microprocessor (30) and a transceiver (40). The control device (21) can be switched off or switched to a sleep mode during a previously defined state or event during the operation of the motor vehicle and/or the control device (21) can be awakened from the sleep mode during a previously defined state or event during the operation. The disclosed embodiments also relate to a method for operating a vehicle network.

Claims

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16. A control device for a vehicle network, comprising:

a microprocessor, and

a transceiver,

wherein the control device can be switched off or can be switched into a sleep mode in the case of a previously defined state or event during the operation of the motor vehicle, or the control device can be awakened from the sleep mode in the case of a previously defined state or event during the operation.

17. The control device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the event for switching the control device into the sleep mode or for switching off or for awakening is at least one network message.

18. The control device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the control device comprises a module for detecting network messages, which module controls the switching on or the switching off of the sleep mode.

19. The control device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the module is connected on the input side to the output of a receiver of the transceiver and on the output side to the microprocessor or a control logic of the transceiver or a driver of the transceiver.

20. The control device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the module is integrated into the transceiver or into the microprocessor or is embodied as a separate component.

21. The control device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the module is integrated into the microprocessor and a coprocessor function of the microprocessor can be executed by means of the module if a sleep mode of the microprocessor is activated, wherein in the coprocessor function the module carries out a transmitting operation or a receiving operation or an evaluation of reception messages or a changeover of operating mode.

22. The control device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the module comprises at least one data mask (M_data) or at least one DLC mask (M_DLC) or at least one identifier mask (M_id1, M_id2, M_idn).

23. The control device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the module comprises at least one input and output interface (I/O) wherein external signals can be received or transmitted by means of the input and output interface (I/O).

24. The control device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the module comprises at least one output interface (DA1) for outputting signals to external voltage controllers or at least one output interface (DA2) for outputting signals for controlling the transceiver.

25. The control device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the module comprises at least one time out timer (T1, T2, T3), wherein an operating mode can be switched over by means of the module if the time out timers (T1, T2, T3) reach a predetermined value or 0.

26. The control device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the module comprises at least one counter (C), wherein an operating mode can be switched over by means of the module if the counter (C) reaches a predetermined value.

27. The control device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the module comprises at least one reception buffer (EB1, EB2, EBn) or at least one transmission buffer (SB1, SBn), wherein messages can be received by means of the reception buffer (EB1, EB2, EBn) or messages can be transmitted by means of the transmission buffer (SB1, SBn).

28. A method for operating a vehicle network, wherein the vehicle network comprises a plurality of control devices which each comprise a microprocessor and a transceiver, wherein at least one control device is switched off or switched into a sleep mode in the case of a previously defined state or event during operation of the motor vehicle and/or a control device is awoken from the sleep mode in the case of a previously defined state or event during operation.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein a master control device transmits as an event a network message as a function of which at least one control device is switched off or switched into the sleep mode or awakened.

30. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the previously defined state is the vehicle velocity V, wherein in the case of V>

Vlimit at least one control device is switched off or switched into the sleep mode or awakened.