Vehicle communication link auto detection

• US 6,334,081 B1
• Filed: 05/24/2000
• Issued: 12/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Stewart, James H., Robinson, Timothy Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US09/578,025
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 701/48, 701/36, 701/55, 701/29, 701/32, 701/33, 701/35
• US Class Current: 701/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A vehicle controller including communication hardware for receiving data transmissions from an automotive communication network, control software to control an automotive system, the control software requiring process data from at least one of a plurality of controllers linked to the automotive communication network to control the automotive system, the plurality of controllers broadcasting the process data over the automotive communication network, calibration software containing constants for the operation of the control software, communication software used in conjunction with the communication hardware for polling the automotive communication network for the required process data and identifying a source controller of the required process data, and memory in the vehicle controller for storing the source ID of the source controller, wherein upon identification of the source controller of the required process data, the communication software will read the required process data from the source controller.

Claims

1. A method of establishing communication and transferring data between a plurality of controllers in a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

a first controller polling an automotive communication network linking the first controller to the remaining plurality of controllers for messages broadcast by the remaining plurality of controllers over the automotive communication network;

determining which of the remaining plurality of controllers contains required data as a source controller by the first controller;

learning a device ID of the source controller; and

the first controller communicating with the source controller to access the required data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing the calibration software for the vehicle controller.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of providing the calibration software with data for a plurality of vehicle platforms.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of controlling an automotive transmission with the first controller.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of shifting the automotive transmission in response to data received from at least one of the remaining plurality of controllers.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of identifying at least one control system of the vehicle controlled by at least one of the remaining plurality of controllers.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of identifying at least one control system of the vehicle comprises analyzing the messages broadcast on the automotive communication network for control system identifying data.

8. A vehicle controller comprising:

communication hardware for receiving data transmissions from an automotive communication network;

control software to control an automotive system, the control software requiring process data from at least one of a plurality of controllers linked to the automotive communication network to control the automotive system, the plurality of controllers broadcasting the process data over the automotive communication network;

calibration software containing constants for the operation of the control software;

communication software used in conjunction with the communication hardware for polling the automotive communication network for the required process data and identifying a source controller of the required process data; and

memory in the vehicle controller for storing the device ID of the source controller, wherein upon identification of the source controller of the required process data, the communication software will read the required process data from the source controller.

9. The vehicle controller of claim 8, wherein the calibration software is capable of being used with multiple vehicle platforms.

10. The vehicle controller of claim 8 wherein the automotive network is operated under the J1939 protocol.

11. The vehicle controller of claim 8 wherein the vehicle controller is an automotive transmission controller.

12. The vehicle controller of claim 8 wherein the plurality of vehicle controllers include an engine controller and a brake controller.

13. The vehicle controller of claim 8 wherein the process data includes engine retarder brake torque data.

14. The vehicle controller of claim 8 wherein the vehicle controller identifies specific vehicle control system and associated vehicle controllers by monitoring the automotive communication network.

15. An automotive communication network comprising:

a plurality of communicating vehicle controllers, at least one of the vehicle controller being an automotive transmission controller;

control software in the transmission controller to control an automotive transmission, the control software requiring process data from at least one of the plurality of controllers;

calibration software in the transmission controller containing constants for the operation of the control software;

communication software used in the transmission controller for polling the plurality of communicating vehicle controllers for the required process data and identifying a device ID for a source controller of the required process data; and

memory in the vehicle controller for storing the device ID of the source controller, wherein upon identification of the source controller of the required process data, the transmission controller will read the required process data from the source controller.

16. The automotive communication network of claim 15, wherein the calibration software is capable of being used with multiple vehicle platforms.

17. The automotive communication network of claim 15, wherein the automotive network is operated under the J1939 protocol.

18. The automotive communication network of claim 15 further comprising a virtual input system.

19. The automotive communication network of claim 18 further comprising a communication layer communicating with said virtual input system, wherein communicated data is generic and may be used by a plurality of communication protocols.