METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR PROVIDING REDUNDANCY IN A VEHICLE ELECTRICAL CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20180046161A1
• Filed: 03/24/2016
• Published: 02/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: YHR, Hamid
• Granted Patent: US 10,942,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/023 Avoiding failures by using redundant parts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0425 Safety, monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24175 Redundant communication channel, if one fails use the other
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2637 Vehicle, car, auto, wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/03 with multiple-channel loop, i.e. redundant control systems

Abstract

An arrangement is provided for providing redundancy in a vehicle electrical control system, including a plurality of electronic control units connected to each other through a first data bus, and where each electronic control unit is connected to one or more I/O-units through a separate second data bus, where each second data bus is provided with a separate transceiver which allows communication between an electronic control unit and an I/O-unit, and where the arrangement includes a programmable switch arranged between the electronic control units and the transceivers, where the programmable switch is adapted to interconnect each transceiver with a selected electronic control unit. A transceiver may be reconnected to a new ECU in an easy way, when the ECU to which the transceiver was originally connected to breaks down, which allows the new ECU to access the I/O-units of the broken ECU and which in turn provides an effective redundancy for the electrical control system.

Claims

1. An arrangement for providing redundancy in a vehicle electrical control system, comprising

at least a first and a second electronic control unit connected to each other through a first data bus, wherein the first electronic control unit is adapted to perform a functionality A and the second control unit is adapted to perform a functionality B, the functionality A being different from the functionality B,

at least a first and a second transceive each connected to one or more I/O-units through a separate second data bus, and

a programmable switch arranged between the electronic control units and the transceivers and configured to selectively interconnect the first and the second electronic control unit with the first and the second transceiver, wherein the programmable switch is initialized to interconnect the first and the second electronic control unit with the first and the second transceiver, respectively, thereby allowing communication between an electronic control unit and an I/O-unit,

wherein a further selective reconnection provided b the programmable switch is controlled by the first and the second electronic control unit based on a fault status of each of the first and the second electronic control unit and the ability of the second electronic control unit to perform a functionality previously provided by a presently defective first electronic control unit,

wherein the fault status of each of the first and the second electronic control unit is based on a control signal received from each of the first and the second electronic control unit, wherein a missing control signal from the first electronic control unit is indicative of a faulty first electronic control unit and used by the programmable switch for interconnecting the first transceiver to the second electronic control unit, the second electronic control unit adapted to also perform at least a selected portion of the functionality A previously provided by the first electronic control unit by activating, depending on from which electronic control unit the control signal is missing, a previously inactive program code corresponding to functionality B.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the second electronic control unit comprises a complete set of program code adapted to functionality of the first electronic control unit.

3. The arrangement according to any one of claims 1, wherein the second electronic control unit comprises a reduced set of program code adapted to perform a reduced functionality of the first electronic control unit.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the I/O-units (15) are connected to the transceivers through a CAN bus or LIN bus.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second transceivers and the programmable switch are integrated into one electronic component.

6. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each electronic control unit comprises program code adapted to perform the functionality of any of the electronic control units.

7. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each electronic control unit comprises program code adapted to perform a reduced functionality of any of the electronic control units.

8. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein an electronic control unit comprises program code adapted to perform the functionality of a predefined number of electronic control units.

9. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein programmable switch comprises a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

10. A vehicle comprising an arrangement according to claim 1.

11. A method for providing redundancy in a vehicle electrical control system, the vehicle electrical control system comprising:

at least a first and a second electronic control unit connected to each other through a first data bus,

at least a first and a second transceiver each connected to one or more I/O-units (15) through a separate second data bus, and

a programmable switch arranged between the electronic control units and the transceivers and configured to selectively interconnect the first and the second electronic control unit with the first and the second transceiver, the programmable switch controlled by the first and the second electronic control unit, wherein the method comprising;

initializing the vehicle electrical control system by interconnecting the first and the second electronic control unit with the first and the second transceiver, respectively, thereby allowing communication between an electronic control unit and an I/O-unit, and

selectively reconnecting the first transceiver with the second electronic control unit based on a fault status of each of the first and the second electronic control unit and the ability of the second electronic control units to perform a functionality previously provided by a presently defective first electronic control unit,

wherein the fault status of each of the first and the second electronic control unit is based on a control signal received from each of the first and the second electronic control unit, wherein a missing control signal from the first electronic control unit is indicative of a faulty first electronic control unit and used by the programmable switch for interconnecting the first transceiver to the second electronic control unit, the second electronic control unit adapted to also perform at least a selected portion of the functionality A previously provided by the first electronic control unit by activating, depending on from which electronic control unit the control signal is missing, a previously inactive program code corresponding to functionality B.

12. A computer comprising a computer program for performing all the steps of claim 11 when the program is run on the computer.

13. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium for performing all the steps of claim 11 when the program product is run on a computer.

14. (canceled)