CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE

• US 20160304038A1
• Filed: 04/20/2015
• Published: 10/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Heming, McCune, Donald J., Phatak, Sujit, Xiao, Yuan
• Granted Patent: US 9,694,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems

Abstract

A control system for a vehicle having a plurality of subsystems in which each subsystem includes a sensor and/or actuator. A general purpose processor is programmed with a plurality of software applications in which each software application is associated with one of the vehicle subsystems. The subsystems and processor communicate with each other through an electrical bus and each subsystem includes a communication interface to receive commands from the processor as well as to send task signals to the processor. A task arbitrator prioritizes the order of execution of multiple task signals received by the processor during a preset time period. The general purpose processor then initiates execution of the software application associated with the subsystem of the sensor signal received from the task arbitrator and thereafter transmits a control signal to one or more of the subsystems via the bus as a result of execution of the associated software application.

Claims

1. For use in conjunction with an automotive vehicle, a control system for the vehicle comprising:

a plurality of subsystems, each subsystem having a sensor which detects a vehicle condition and/or an actuator which, when actuated, performs a vehicle function,

a general purpose processor programmed with a plurality of software applications, each software application associated with the operation of an associated vehicle subsystem,

a bus electrically connected to said general purpose processor and said vehicle subsystems which provides communication between said general purpose processor units and said subsystems,

wherein each subsystem includes a communication interface to receive commands from said general purpose processor and/or to send subsystem task to said general purpose processor via said bus, and

a task arbitrator which prioritizes the order of execution of multiple subsystem tasks received by the general purpose processor during a preset time period,

wherein said general purpose processor initiates execution of the software application associated with the subsystem of the subsystem task received from said task arbitrator and thereafter transmits a control signal to one or more subsystems via said bus as a result of the execution of said associated software application.

2. The control system as defined in claim 1 wherein said general purpose processor comprises a plurality of processing units.

3. The control system as defined in claim 2 wherein said processing units comprise a multiple core processor.

4. The control system as defined in claim 2 wherein said task arbitrator prioritizes the order of execution of multiple subsystem tasks based on a safety level assigned to each subsystem tasks.

5. The control system as defined in claim 4 wherein said general purpose processor comprises a plurality of processing units and a task distributor which receives said subsystem tasks from said task arbitrator and forwards each said subsystem tasks to a selected processing unit.

6. The control system as defined in claim 5 wherein said task distributor assigns subsystem task to said processing units as a function of the computational load of the processing units.

7. The control system as defined in claim 5 wherein each subsystem task is assigned a safety level and wherein said task distributor assigns subsystem task to said processing units as a function of the safety level of the subsystem tasks.

8. The control system as defined in claim 1 and comprising memory accessible by said general purpose processor and wherein said software applications are maintained in different memory partitions.

9. A method for controlling an automotive vehicle, said vehicle having a plurality of subsystems, each subsystem with a sensor to detect an engine condition and/or an actuator to perform a vehicle function comprising the steps of:

providing a general purpose processor programmed with a plurality of software applications, each software application associated with the operation of an associated vehicle subsystem,

providing a bus electrically connected to said general purpose processor and said vehicle subsystems which provides communication between said general purpose processing units and said subsystems,

wherein each subsystem includes a communication interface to receive commands from said general purpose processor and/or to send subsystem task to said general purpose processor via said bus, and

prioritizing the order of execution of multiple subsystem tasks received by the general purpose processor during a preset time period with a task arbitrator,

initiating execution the software application associated with the subsystem of the subsystem task received from said task arbitrator, and

thereafter transmitting a control signal to one or more subsystems via said bus as a result of the execution of said associated software application.

10. The method as defined in claim 9 wherein said general purpose processor comprises a plurality of processing units.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein said processing units comprise a multiple core processor.

12. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein said task arbitrator prioritizes the order of execution of multiple subsystem tasks based on a safety level assigned to each subsystem tasks.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 wherein said general purpose processor comprises a plurality of processing units and a task distributor which receives said subsystem tasks from said task arbitrator and forwards each said subsystem tasks to a selected processing unit.

14. The method as defined in claim 13 and comprising the step of assigning execution of said subsystem task to said processing units as a function of the computational load of the processing units.

15. The method as defined in claim 13 and comprising the step of assigning a safety level and wherein said task distributor assigns subsystem task to said processing units as a function of the safety level of the subsystem tasks.

16. The method as defined in claim 9 and comprising memory accessible by said general purpose processor and wherein said software applications are maintained in different memory partitions.