Data bus for vehicles with a plurality of subscribers

• US 6,320,685 B1
• Filed: 04/16/1998
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BMW AG (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG)
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Bachmaier, Peter, Griessbach, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Leslie
• Assistant Examiner(s): SEDIGHIAN, REZA
• Application Number:
  US09/060,962
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 359/142, 359/143, 359/147, 359/148, 359/158, 359/177, 375/257
• US Class Current: 398/25
• 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

In a data bus for vehicles with a plurality of subscribers, said subscribers operating through peripheral S/E modules and an optical transmission line on a central bus, said bus having associated S/E bus modules connected to one another, said modules receiving a light signal emitted by a peripheral S/E module and passing it as a control signal to the other S/E bus modules and through these modules as a light signal to the corresponding peripheral S/E modules, the S/E bus modules switch off the corresponding peripheral S/E module when they receive a light signal over the transmission line that is longer than the maximum admissible signal length.

Claims

1. Data bus communication system for a vehicle with a plurality of subscribers, each subscriber operating through an S/E peripheral module via an optical transmission pathway, said data bus system comprising:

a central bus; and

a plurality of associated S/E bus modules connected with one another via the central bus, which S/E bus modules are adapted to receive a light signal communicated by a peripheral S/E module and pass it as a control signal to other S/E bus modules, and through said other S/E bus modules as a light signal to associated peripheral S/E modules;

wherein the S/E bus modules shut off communication from the corresponding peripheral S/E module when they receive a light signal over the transmission pathway whose length is greater than a maximum admissible signal length.

2. Data bus according to claim 1, wherein the central bus has a bus master which emits synchronization pulses at regular intervals.

3. Data bus according to claim 1 wherein the S/E bus modules detect when they no longer receive light signals longer than the maximum admissible signal length, and reactivate communication from S/E peripheral modules associated therewith.

4. A control system for controlling a plurality of peripheral systems on board a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of S/E peripheral modules, each coupled to control a respective peripheral system;

a central bus having a transmission medium coupling a plurality of S/E bus modules, each bus module being coupled to an associated S/E peripheral module for receiving a light signal communicated thereby and passing it via said transmission medium to other S/E bus modules as a control signal to S/E peripheral modules associated therewith; and

means for causing an S/E bus module to disable communication from an S/E peripheral module associated therewith when said S/E peripheral module generates a light signal that exceeds a predetermined length.

5. A method of operating a data bus system for a vehicle having a plurality of S/E peripheral modules, each coupled to control a respective peripheral system;

a central bus having a transmission medium coupling a plurality of S/E bus modules, each bus module being coupled to an associated S/E peripheral module for receiving a light signal communicated thereby and passing it via said transmission medium to other S/E bus modules as a control signal to S/E peripheral modules associated therewith, said method comprising;

detecting length of light signals received by S/E bus modules;

upon receipt by an S/E bus module of a light signal which exceeds a predetermined length, said S/E bus module shutting down communication from an S/E peripheral module associated therewith.