Apparatus for driving electrical loads provided at a vehicle

• US 5,808,371 A
• Filed: 09/05/1996
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Car Engineering Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Car Engineering Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Saito, Hiroyuki, Kon'i, Mitsuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ganjian, Peter
• Application Number:
  US08/708,564
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/10.6, 307/10.8, 370/212, 370/216, 370/228, 370/241, 370/242, 370/251, 370/252, 370/357, 370/407, 370/425, 370/445, 370/458, 370/462, 370/464, 370/467, 370/498, 364/423.098, 364/424.045, 364/424.059, 340/825.05, 340/825.06, 340/825.07, 340/825.16, 701/1, 701/36, 701/49
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0185 for failure detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/08 Failure or malfunction detecting means
• 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: B60R 2021/0104 Communication circuits for data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01061 between the airbag system and other vehicle electronic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01115 specific data frames
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/02 Suppression of vibrations of non-rotating, e.g. reciprocating systems; Suppression of vibrations of rotating systems by use of members not moving with the rotating systems F16F15/005 takes precedence ; layered products B32B; suppression of vibration in ships B63; relieving load on bearings, using magnetic means F16C39/06

Abstract

An apparatus for driving electrical loads provided at a vehicle by feeding power to the electrical loads, includes a power source for feeding power to a plurality of the electrical loads provided at a vehicle. The plurality of electrical loads are divided into more than one group. Each of the groups is driven by each of a plurality of load drive circuits by feeding power to each of the load drive circuits from the power source, provided at the vicinity of each of set places in the vehicle at which a group of the electrical loads are concentratedly arranged. A power line is connected to the battery, wherein each of the load drive circuits has a pair of power input terminals, and the power line connected to the battery is branched into two branch power wires. Each of the branch power wires is connected to a power input terminal of each of a first two load drive circuits of the load drive circuits. Another input terminal of each of the first two load drive circuits is connected to a power input terminal of a neighboring load drive circuit by a mutual connection power wire, respectively. One of two power input terminals of one of the neighboring two remaining load drive circuits is connected to one input terminal of the other load drive circuit. The branch power wires, the load drive circuits and the mutual connection power wires compose an electrical connection loop.

Claims

1. An apparatus for driving electrical loads provided at a vehicle by feeding power to said electrical loads, comprising:

a power source for feeding power to a plurality of electrical loads provided at a vehicle, said plurality of electrical loads being divided into more than one group,

a plurality of load drive circuits, each of the groups being driven by one of said load drive circuits by feeding power to said load drive circuits from said power source, each of said load drive circuits being provided in a vicinity of set places in the vehicle at which a group of electrical loads are concentratedly arranged; and

a power line connected to the power source;

wherein each of said load drive circuits has a pair of power input terminals, and said power line connected to said power source is branched into two branch power wires, each of said two branch power wires being connected to a power input terminal of each of a first two of said load drive circuits, another input terminal of each of said first two load drive circuits being connected to a power input terminal of a neighboring load drive circuit by a mutual connection power wire, respectively, and a power input terminal of one of a neighboring two remaining load drive circuits exclusive of said first two load drive circuits, being connected to a power input terminal of the other one of said neighboring two load drive circuits by another mutual connection power wire,

and, said branch power wires, said load drive circuits and said mutual connection power wires compose an electrical connection loop.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said load drive circuits includes switching means for selecting one of two connection states, at one of which a group of electrical loads driven by one of said load drive circuits are connected to one of said power wires via either of two power input terminals of said load drive circuit, and at another one of which said group of electrical loads driven by said load drive circuit are connected to two of said power wires via both of said two power input terminals of said load drive circuit,

and said apparatus further including:

detection means for detecting one of an open circuit and a short circuit occurring at least at one of said wire connected to each of said load drive circuits, said branch power wires and said mutual connection power wires; and

control means for controlling said switching means, which sends such a command signal to said switching means that one of the two power input terminals of each of the two load drive circuits, connected to one power wire of said branch power wires and said mutual connection power wires, at which one of an open circuit and a short circuit occurs, is disconnected from said one power wire, if said detection means detects said one of an open circuit and a short circuit occurring at said one power wire, and sends such a command to said switching means such that both of two power input terminals of each of said load drive circuits continue to be connected to two power wires if said detection means does not detect any one of an open circuit and a short circuit at two of the power wires connected to said load drive circuit.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a constant potential is applied to a conductive layer covering one of said branch power wires and said mutual connection power wires,

and said detection means includes potential change determining means provided in each of said load drive circuits, for determining which one of:

two conductive layers of two power wires connected to said load drive circuit, or each of said two conductive layers covering a power wire connected to one of two power input terminals of said load drive circuit, has a lower potential than the other conductive layer, and for sending a result of said determination to said control means.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising alarming means for generating an alarm that an anomaly occurs at least at one of said power wires, if one of an open circuit and a short circuit is detected by said detection means.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprises transmission wires connecting said load drive circuits and said control means;

wherein each of said load drive circuits has a pair of signal input terminals, and one of said transmission wires is branched at said control means, into two branch transmission wires, each of said two branch transmission wires being connected to a signal input terminal of each of the first two of said load drive circuits, another signal input terminal of each of said first two load drive circuits being connected to a signal input terminal of a neighboring load drive circuit by a mutual connection transmission wire, respectively, and a signal input terminal of one of a neighboring two remaining load drive circuits exclusive of said first two load drive circuits, being connected to a signal input terminal of the other one of said neighboring two load drive circuits by another mutual connection transmission wire,

and, said branch transmission wires, said load drive circuits and said mutual connection transmission wires compose an electrical connection loop.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a pair of each of said branch power wires and each of said branch transmission wires are united into a cable by covering said pair of two wires with an outer sheath, and a pair of each of said mutual connection power wires and each of said mutual connection transmission wires are also united into a cable by covering said pair of two wires with an outer sheath.

7. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the load drive circuits, to which a group of electrical loads are connected, includes a group of load drive elements, each of said load drive elements feeding power to an electrical load when said load drive element receives a control signal for driving said electrical load, power supply interrupting means for interrupting power fed to a load drive element from two power input terminals of said load drive circuit, and terminal side control means for sending a load drive signal to each of said group of load drive elements and a power supply interruption signal to said power supply interrupting means,

and said control means determines whether each of the electrical loads connected to each of the load drive circuits is to be driven, and sends a load drive command signal to drive an electrical load to said terminal side control means in a corresponding load drive circuit connected to said electrical load if it is determined that said electrical load is to be driven, and sends a power supply interruption command signal to stop driving said electrical load to the terminal side control means in a corresponding load drive circuit connected to said electrical load if it is determined that said electrical load is to be stopped.

8. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the load drive circuits, to which a group of electrical loads are connected, includes a group of load drive elements, each of the group of load drive elements feeding power to an electrical load when said load drive element receives a control signal for driving said electrical load, power supply interrupting means for interrupting power fed to a load drive element from two power input terminals of said load drive circuit, terminal side control means for sending a load drive signal to each of said group of load drive elements and a power supply interruption signal to said power supply interrupting means, and load drive element diagnosing means for detecting an anomaly occurring in each of said group of load drive elements,

wherein said control means sends a power supply interruption command signal to stop operating a load drive element to the terminal side control means in a corresponding load drive circuit connected to said load drive element if an anomaly occurrence in said load drive element of said load drive circuit is detected by said load drive element diagnosing means in said terminal side control means,

and if any anomaly occurring in a load drive element of a load drive circuit is not detected by load drive element diagnosing means of terminal side control means in said load drive circuit, said control means determines whether said electrical load controlled by said terminal side control means is to be driven, and sends a load drive command signal to drive said electrical load to a corresponding terminal side control means controlling said electrical load if it is determined that said electrical load is to be driven.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising alarming means for generating an alarm that an anomaly occurs in one of said load drive elements, if an anomaly is detected by one of said load element diagnosing means.

10. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the load drive circuits, to which a group of electrical loads are connected, includes a group of load drive elements, each of said group of load drive elements feeding power to an electrical load when said load drive element receives a control signal for driving said electrical load, terminal side control means for sending a load drive signal to each of said group of load drive elements of said load drive circuit, and load diagnosing means for detecting an electrical anomaly occurring between a load drive element and an electrical load connected to said load drive element,

and said control means sends a command signal to stop driving an electrical load to terminal side control means in a corresponding load drive circuit connected to said electrical load if an electrical anomaly occurring between a load drive element connected to said electrical load and said electrical load is detected by load diagnosing means in a load drive circuit connected to said electrical load, and if any anomaly occurrence between a load drive element and said electrical load connected to said load drive element is not detected by the load diagnosing means in said load drive circuit connected to said electrical load, said control means determines whether said electrical load is to be driven, and sends a load drive command to drive said electrical load to a corresponding terminal side control means in said load drive circuit if it is determined that said electrical load is to be driven.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising alarming means for generating an alarm that an electrical anomaly occurs at least in one of said electrical loads, if one of an open circuit and a short circuit is detected by said load diagnosing means.

12. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the load drive circuits, to which a group of electrical loads are connected, includes a group of load drive elements, each of the group of load drive elements feeding power to an electrical load when said load drive element receives a control signal for driving said electrical load, power supply interrupting means for interrupting power fed to a load drive element from two power input terminals of said load drive circuit, terminal side control means for sending a load drive signal to each of said group of load drive elements and a power supply interruption signal to said power supply interrupting means, load drive element diagnosing means for detecting an anomaly occurring in each of said group of load drive elements, and load diagnosing means for detecting an electrical anomaly occurring between a load drive element and an electrical load connected to said load drive element,

wherein said control means sends a power supply interruption command to stop driving a load drive element to the terminal side control means in a corresponding load drive circuit containing said load drive element if an anomaly occurrence in said load drive element of said load drive circuit is detected by the load drive element diagnosing means of the terminal side control means in said load drive circuit, and sends a command signal to stop driving an electrical load to the terminal side control means in a corresponding load drive circuit connected to said electrical load if an electrical anomaly occurring between a load drive element connected to said electrical load and said electrical load is detected by the load diagnosing means of the terminal side control means in said load drive circuit,

and if any anomaly occurrence in a load drive element of a load drive circuit is not detected by the load drive element diagnosing means of the terminal side control means in said load drive circuit,

said control means determines whether said electrical load controlled by said terminal side control means is to be driven, and sends a load drive command signal to drive said electrical load to a corresponding terminal side control means of said load drive circuit if it is determined that said electrical load is to be driven, and sends a power supply interruption command to stop driving an electrical load to the terminal side control means in a corresponding load drive circuit connected to said electrical load if it is determined that said electrical load is not to be driven.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising alarming means for generating an alarm that an anomaly occurs at a power distribution system, if it is detected by one of said load drive element diagnosing means and said load diagnosing means that an electrical anomaly occurs at one of said electrical loads and said load drive elements.

14. An apparatus for driving electrical loads provided at a vehicle, comprising:

a power source for generating power fed to said electrical loads;

load drive units, each of said load drive units feeding power to one of said electrical loads connected to said load drive unit from said power source if a driving command signal for said one of said electrical loads is input to a load drive unit connected to said one of said electrical loads;

power wires for electrically connecting said power source and said load drive units;

power supply interrupting means provided at each of said power wires, for interrupting power fed to a load drive unit if a power supply interruption command signal to said load drive unit is input to said power supply interrupting means; and

control means for determining whether an electrical load connected to each of the load drive units is to be driven, and sending a load drive command signal to drive an electrical load to a corresponding load drive unit connected to said electrical load if it is determined that said electrical load is to be driven, and sending a power supply interruption command signal to stop driving an electrical load to the power supply interruption means in a corresponding load drive unit connected to said electrical load if it is determined that said electrical load is to be stopped.

15. An apparatus for driving electrical loads at a vehicle by feeding power to said electrical loads, comprising:

a power source for feeding power to a plurality of electrical loads provided at a vehicle, said plurality of electrical loads being divided into more than one group;

load drive circuits, each of said load drive circuits provided at each of places set in said vehicle, at which each group of electrical loads are concentratedly arranged, for driving each of said groups of electrical loads by receiving power from said power source,

power wires for connecting said power source and each of a first two of said load drive circuits, and a neighboring two of said load drive circuits exclusive of said first two, and for feeding power to each of said load drive circuits from said power source;

control means connected to said first two load drive circuits for controlling each of said load drive circuits;

transmission wires electrically connecting between the control means and each of said first two of the load drive circuits, and said neighboring two of said load drive circuits, and for transmitting signals between each of said load drive circuits and said control means;

two power input terminals and two signal input terminals provided at each of said load drive circuits;

switching means for selecting one of connection states, at one of which a group of electrical loads driven by one of said load drive circuits are connected to one of said power wires via either of two power input terminals of said load drive circuit, and at another of which a group of electrical loads driven by one of said load drive circuits are connected to two of said power wires via both of two power input terminals of said load drive circuit, and

detection means for detecting one of an open circuit and a short circuit at said power wires;

wherein a power line connected to said power source is branched into two branch power wires of said power wires, each of said branch power wires being connected to a power input terminal of each of a first two of said load drive circuits, another input terminal of each of said first two load drive circuits being connected to a power input terminal of a neighboring load drive circuit by a mutual connection power wire of said power lines, respectively, and a power input terminal of one of a neighboring two remaining drive circuits exclusive of said first two load drive circuits, being connected to a power input terminal of the other one of said neighboring two load drive circuits by another mutual connection power wire of said power wires,

wherein said branch power wires, said load drive circuits and said mutual connection power wires compose an electrical connection loop,

a transmission line branched at said control means into two branch transmission wires of said transmission wires, each of said branch transmission wires being connected to a signal input terminal of each one of said first two of said load drive circuits, another input terminal of each of said first two load drive circuits being connected to a signal input terminal of a neighboring load drive circuit by a mutual connection transmission wire, respectively, and a signal input terminal of one of the neighboring two remaining drive circuits exclusive of said first two load drive circuits, being connected to a signal input terminal of the other one of said neighboring two load drive circuits by another mutual connection transmission wire,

wherein said branch transmission wires, said load drive circuits and said mutual connection transmission wires compose an electrical connection loop,

wherein said control means sends such a command signal to said switching means such that, in each of the load drive circuits including a power input terminal connected to an anomalous wire of said power wires, at which one of an open circuit and a short circuit occurs, each of said power input terminals connected to said anomalous wire is disconnected from said anomalous wire if said detection means detects said one of an open circuit and a short circuit at said anomalous one, and sends such a command signal to said switching means such that both of the two power input terminals of each of said load drive circuits continue to be connected to two of said power wires if the detection means of each of said load drive circuits does not detect any one of an open circuit and a short circuit at the two power wires connected to said load drive circuit.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a constant potential is applied to a conductive layer covering each of said power wires,

and said detection means includes potential change determining means provided in each of said load drive circuits, for determining which one of:

two conductive layers of two power wires connected to each of said load drive circuits and each of said two conductive layers, has a lower potential than the other conductive layer, and for sending a result of said determination to said control means.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a pair of each of said branch power wires and each of said branch transmission wires are united into a cable by covering said pair of two wires with an outer sheath, and a pair of each of said mutual connection power wires and each of said mutual connection transmission wires are also united into a cable by covering said pair of two wires with an outer sheath.