System and method applicable to vehicles for communicating between data processing stations
First Claim
1. A communication system, comprising:
- a) a plurality of subordinate data processing stations;
b) a master data processing station; and
c) a communication circuit interconnected between the master station and the plurality of subordinate stations, the master data processing station transmitting a command and at least two information signals related to said command to any selected one of the subordinate data processing stations via the communication circuit,a selected subordinate data processing station, when in communication with the master station, transmitting a first echoback signal to the master station to inform the master station of the receipt of said command and transmitting a second and third echoback signals to the master station to inform the master station of the receipt of said command and said first and second information signals;
first means for determining the bit contents of said command and said two information signals, and second means for establishing the bit contents of said first echoback signal being logically opposite to the bit contents of said command when the bit contents of said second and third echoback signals are respectively identical to the bit contents of said two information signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An off-board diagnostic device (master station) communicates with a plurality of electronic control units (subordinate stations) applicable to a vehicle. An initializing command (INIT) is transmitted by the diagnostic device to all electronic control units via a communication circuit. The master station (diagnostic device), then, transmits a system call command to the communication circuit to select a particular electronic control unit to be communicated with the master station. The selected electronic control unit returns a first echoback signal to the master station to inform the master station of the receipt of the system call command. Then, the master station transmits a control command (parameter set command) to the selected control unit to perform a predetermined control operation for a controlled obejct (e.g., vehicular engine). The selected control unit returns a second echoback signal to the master station in response to the control command. The master station, then, successively transmits at least two information signals to the selected control unit, the information signals being related to the control command. The selected control unit returns third and fourth echoback signals in response to the information signals to inform the master station of the receipt of each information signal. At this time, bit contents of the third and fourth echoback signals are determined depending on whether the bit contents of the first and second echoback signals are respectively the same as or logically opposite to those of the system call and control commands.
39 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A communication system, comprising:
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a) a plurality of subordinate data processing stations; b) a master data processing station; and c) a communication circuit interconnected between the master station and the plurality of subordinate stations, the master data processing station transmitting a command and at least two information signals related to said command to any selected one of the subordinate data processing stations via the communication circuit, a selected subordinate data processing station, when in communication with the master station, transmitting a first echoback signal to the master station to inform the master station of the receipt of said command and transmitting a second and third echoback signals to the master station to inform the master station of the receipt of said command and said first and second information signals; first means for determining the bit contents of said command and said two information signals, and second means for establishing the bit contents of said first echoback signal being logically opposite to the bit contents of said command when the bit contents of said second and third echoback signals are respectively identical to the bit contents of said two information signals. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A data communication system, comprising:
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a) a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs), each control unit carrying out a predetermined control operation to a controlled object; b) an off-board diagnostic device; c) a communication circuit interconnected between the diagnostic device and each control unit; d) first means, provided in the diagnostic device, for transmitting an initializing command via the communication circuit to the plurality of electronic control units to initialize the plurality of electronic control units by placing the electronic circuit units in a receipt wait state for a system call command, said first means further transmitting the system call command via the communication circuit to select a desired one of the electronic control units to establish communication between the selected control unit and the diagnostic device, and transmitting a control command to the selected control unit, said selected control unit including means for execution of the predetermined control operation to be carried out by said selected control unit and, said first means thereafter transmitting at least two information signals, being a first and a second information signal, related to the control command and indicating parameters related to the predetermined control operation; and e) second means, provided in each control unit, for allowing the control unit selected in response to the system call command, to transmit a first echoback signal to the diagnostic device in response to the system call command, a second echoback signal to the diagnostic device in response to the control command, at least a third and fourth echoback signals to the diagnostic device respectively in response to said first and second information signals, and f) establishing means for establishing the bit contents of at least one predetermined echoback signal, the data of the third and fourth echoback signals having respectively the same bit contents as the first and second information signals when the data of at least the second echoback signal is logically opposite to that of the control command. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A communication system, comprising:
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a) a plurality of subordinate data processing stations; b) a master data processing station; and c) a communication circuit interconnected between the master station and the plurality of subordinate stations, the master data processing station transmitting various commands and at least two information signals on a predetermined operation of any one of the subordinate data processing stations which is assigned to communicate with the master station to the communication circuit, one of the subordinate data processing stations transmitting a first echoback signal to the master station to inform the master station of the receipt of each of the commands and transmitting a second echoback signal to the master station of the receipt of each information signal, including means for establishing bit contents of the second echoback signals to be respectively the same as those of the information signals when the bit contents of the first echoback signal is logically opposite to that of the corresponding command, and to be respectively opposite to those of the information signals when the bit contents of the first echoback signal is the same as that of the corresponding command.
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25. A communication method, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a plurality of subordinate data processing stations; b) providing a master data processing station; c) providing a communication circuit interconnected between the master station and the plurality of subordinate stations; d) causing the master station to transmit various commands and to transmit at least two information signals to the communication circuit, the information signals being related to a predetermined operation for any one of the subordinate data processing stations which is assigned to communicate with the master station; and e) causing the subordinate station to return a first echoback signal to the master station to inform the master station of the receipt of each command and to return a second echoback signal to the master station to inform the master station of the receipt of each information signal, bit contents of each second echoback signal being determined depending on whether the bit contents of each first echoback signal is the same as or logically opposite to that of the corresponding command, wherein the bit contents of the second echoback signal are the same as those of the information signal when the bit contents of the first echoback signal are logically opposite to those of the corresponding command. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A communication method, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a plurality of subordinate data processing stations; b) providing a master data processing station; c) providing a communication circuit interconnected between the master station and the plurality of subordinate stations; d) causing the master station to transmit various commands and to transmit at least two information signals to the communication circuit, the information signals being related to a predetermined operation for any one of the subordinate data processing stations which is assigned to communicate with the master station; and e) causing the subordinate station to return a first echoback signal to the master station to inform the master station of the receipt of each command and to return a second echoback signal to the master station to inform the master station of the receipt of each information signal, bit contents of each second echoback signal being determined depending on whether the bit contents of each first echoback signal is the same as or logically opposite to that of the corresponding command, said step of causing the subordinate station to return said first and second echoback signals to the master station comprising the further steps of; i) establishing first and second logical relationships between the echoback signals and the commands and information signals, said first logical relationship defining a logical relationship between said first echoback signal and a command, said second logical relationship defining a logical relationship between said second echoback signal and an information signal, and ii) defining said first and second logical relationships to be logically opposite to one another, said defining step comprising the further step of defining said first logical relationship to provide said first echoback as a logical opposite of a command transmitted from the master station and defining said second logical relationship to provide said second echoback signal the same as the information signal. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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Specification