Vehicle control method and system therefor

• US 5,968,100 A
• Filed: 10/28/1997
• Issued: 10/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Engineering Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Engineering Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Katayama, Hiroshi, Ishii, Junichi, Sasaki, Shoji, Kayano, Mitsuo, Watabe, Mitsuru, Ichihashi, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US08/958,135
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 364/1, 364/36, 364/70, 364/99, 364/102, 364/115, 123/486, 123/488, 123/492, 123/494
• US Class Current: 701/1
• 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 2016/0322 Temporary code for documents to be reclassified to G08C, H04L or H04Q

Abstract

A vehicle control system provided with a plurality of sensors for detecting the condition of the vehicle, a vehicle control unit including a multiplexer, a programmable input signal matching module and a processor, and actuators for operating each part of the vehicle. The multiplexer and matching module are selected and switched in accordance with a sensor signal to be inputted. A plurality of sensor signals can be inputted through the switched multiplexer and matching module to the processor. Furthermore, the processor determines controls of vehicle operation on the basis of the inputted sensor signals and controls actuators in accordance with the determined controls.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system comprising:

a plurality of sensors for detecting conditions of the vehicle and for generating a plurality of sensor signals;

a vehicle control unit including a multiplexer, a programmable input signal matching module and a processor; and

actuators for operating parts of the vehicle;

wherein said multiplexer and said matching module each include switches, and wherein said switches are set in accordance with selected ones of said sensor signals, wherein a plurality of said selected sensor signals are inputted through the multiplexer and matching module to said processor, and wherein said processor determines controls of vehicle operation on the basis of the inputted sensor signals and controls the actuators in accordance with the determined controls.

2. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein said multiplexer is located outside said vehicle control unit.

3. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein a surge withstand circuit is provided at an input part of said multiplexer.

4. A vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein said processor is a microcomputer.

5. A vehicle control system comprising:

a plurality of sensors for detecting conditions of the vehicle and for generating a plurality of sensor signals;

a vehicle control unit including a programmable input signal matching module and a processor; and

actuators for operating parts of the vehicle;

wherein said matching module includes switches that are set in accordance with selected ones of said sensor signals, wherein a plurality of said selected sensor signals are inputted through the matching module to said processor, and wherein said processor determines controls of vehicle operation on the basis of the inputted sensor signals and controls the actuators in accordance with the determined controls.

6. A vehicle control system according to claim 5, wherein said processor is a microcomputer.

7. A vehicle control apparatus comprising a vehicle control unit including a multiplexer and a programmable input signal matching module for inputting a plurality of sensor signals from sensors mounted on the vehicle, and further including a processor for determining controls of vehicle operation on the basis of the inputted sensor signals, wherein the multiplexer and said matching module each include switches that are set in accordance with selected ones of the sensor signals to be inputted, a plurality of sensor signals being inputted through the multiplexer and matching module to said processor.

8. A vehicle control method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of sensors to provide a plurality of sensor signals representative of vehicle operation parameters respectively used for a plurality of mutually distinct control operations;

selecting one of the plurality of sensor signals;

setting switches in a programmable input signal matching circuit in accordance with the selected sensor signal;

inputting the selected sensor signal through the matching circuit;

determining a control operation to be executed by a processor on the basis of the selected sensor signal; and

controlling at least one of a plurality of actuators in accordance with the determined control operation.

9. A vehicle control system comprising:

a plurality of sensors for detecting conditions of a vehicle and generating sensor signals;

a plurality of actuators to respectively perform a control operation for a corresponding part of the vehicle; and

a vehicle control unit including a multiplexer, a programmable input signal matching module and a processor;

said multiplexer and matching module each including switches which are set in accordance with a selected one of said sensor signals so that the selected sensor signal is inputted through the multiplexer and matching module to said processor, and said processor determining a control operation of vehicle operation on the basis of the selected sensor signal and controlling at least one of the actuators in accordance with the determined control operation.

10. A vehicle control system according to claim 9, wherein said multiplexer is located outside said vehicle control unit.

11. A vehicle control system according to claim 9, wherein a surge withstand circuit is provided at an input part of said multiplexer.

12. A vehicle control system according to claim 9, wherein said processor is a microcomputer.

13. A vehicle control system comprising:

a plurality of sensors for detecting conditions of a vehicle and generating sensor signals;

a plurality of actuators to respectively perform a control operation for a corresponding part of the vehicle; and

a vehicle control unit including a programmable input signal matching module and a processor;

said matching module including switches which are set in accordance with a selected one of said sensor signals so that the selected sensor signal is inputted through the matching module to said processor, and said processor determining a control operation of vehicle operation on the basis of the inputted sensor signal and controlling at least one of the actuators in accordance with the determined control operation.

14. A vehicle control system according to claim 13, wherein said processor is a microcomputer.