Control method for a collective wiring system

• US 4,969,082 A
• Filed: 06/28/1989
• Issued: 11/06/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Akira, Matsumoto, Masahiro, Shibata, Takanori, Oho, Shigeru, Hirayama, Takeshi, Hamano, Fumio
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruggiero, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US07/372,698
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 364/140-147, 364/138, 364/139, 364/425, 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 364/424.01, 364/424.05, 371/29.1, 340/825.06, 340/825.07, 340/825.15, 340/825.17, 361/428
• US Class Current: 700/9
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A collective wiring system for an automobile provides a central control unit which communicates with a plurality of terminal control units each connected to one or more input or output devices, such as switches, sensors, motors and the like. The control over output devices in response to the status of input devices is performed by the central control unit on the basis of tables of data stored in memory. A scan table controls the order in which data communications are made to the terminal control units to obtain their status and provide them with control commands. A monitor table stores the current status of the terminal control units and a control table stores the control data for the terminal control units. A connection table stores the relationship between the terminal control unit for an input device and the terminal control unit for the output device to be controlled thereby. Thus, connection control between input and output devices is effected by software.

Claims

1. A method of control of vehicle accessory devices using a collective wiring system for an automobile in which data is transmitted via a series data transmission system between a plurality of vehicle input terminals, connected to input devices, and a plurality of vehicle output terminals, connected to said vehicle accessory devices, under control of a central control unit of a stored control program and having a memory for storing data, comprising the steps performed by said central control unit of:

(a) storing in memory a scan table of addresses of all of said vehicle input terminals and said vehicle output terminals in a predetermined order in which said terminals are to be periodically accessed;

(b) periodically checking the operation status of each of said input devices connected to said vehicle input terminals in accordance with the order of addresses provided in said scan table;

(c) storing in memory the result of said checking of the operation status of said input devices in the form of a status table;

(d) storing in memory a desired control condition of each of said vehicle accessory devices in the form of a control table;

(e) updating the control condition information for said vehicle accessory devices in said control table under control of said stored control program on the basis of said operation status of said input devices in said status table using connection information indicating a relationship between said vehicle input terminals and said vehicle output terminals; and

(f) sending control command signals from said central control unit via said series data transmission system to said vehicle output terminals in accordance with said stored control program and the order of addresses in said scan table to control the operating condition of said vehicle accessory devices on the basis of said control condition information in said control table.

2. A method of control of vehicle accessory devices according to claim 1, wherein said step (b) includes generating in said central control unit a request message requesting operating status information, applying said request message as parallel data to said series data transmission system, converting parallel data to series data in said series data transmission system using a shift register, and sending said series data to an input terminal via said series data transmission system.

3. A method of control of vehicle accessory devices according to claim 2, wherein said step (b) further includes receiving via said series data transmission system a reply message as series data from an input terminal, converting said series data to parallel data in said series data transmission system using said shift register and sending said parallel data to said central control unit.

4. A method of control of vehicle accessory deices according to claim 1, wherein said step (f) includes generating control command signals as parallel data in said central control unit, applying said generated control command signals to said series transmission system, converting parallel data to series data in said series data transmission system using a shift register, and sending said series data to an output terminal via said series data transmission system in accordance with said scan table.

5. A method of control of vehicle accessory devices according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle accessory devices include lamps, motors and switches.