Distributed vehicle safety system having fault protection
First Claim
1. A distributed vehicle safety system comprising:
- a plurality of control/device arrangements for accomplishing a function associated with safety at a vehicle;
bus means for conveying communication to said control/device arrangements; and
a plurality of bus connector means for connecting said plurality of control/device arrangements to said bus means, each bus connector means including switch means for enabling communication between a respective control/device arrangement and said bus means and for disabling communication between said respective control/device arrangement and said bus means in response to a fault condition at a component associated with said respective control/device arrangement; and
a plurality of electronic switches, interposed along a line of said bus connector means, each associated with a respective one of said control/device arrangements and for enabling or disabling passage of communication on said bus means beyond the respective electronic switch in response to a fault condition at a component associated with a control/device arrangement located beyond the respective electronic switch.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A distributed vehicle safety system (10) includes a plurality of devices (16), each of which performs a function associated with safety at a vehicle (12). A bus (18) conveys communication regarding the devices (16). An isolation device (28) is associated with each device (16) and electronically isolates one of the devices from the bus (18) upon occurrence of a fault condition. Preferably, the system (10) includes a plurality of control circuitries (26), each for controlling a respective one of the devices (16), and the control circuitry is isolated with the associated device (i.e., each control circuitry/device arrangement is isolated). In one embodiment, a plurality of bus connector/bus plug mated pairs (20 and 22) connects the plurality of control circuitry/device arrangements (26 and 16) to the bus (18). Each connector/bus plug pair (20 and 22) includes a switch (e.g., 60) for enabling communication between a respective control circuitry/device arrangement (26 and 16) and the bus (18), and for disabling communication between the respective control/device arrangement and the bus in response to a fault condition.
45 Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A distributed vehicle safety system comprising:
-
a plurality of control/device arrangements for accomplishing a function associated with safety at a vehicle;
bus means for conveying communication to said control/device arrangements; and
a plurality of bus connector means for connecting said plurality of control/device arrangements to said bus means, each bus connector means including switch means for enabling communication between a respective control/device arrangement and said bus means and for disabling communication between said respective control/device arrangement and said bus means in response to a fault condition at a component associated with said respective control/device arrangement; and
a plurality of electronic switches, interposed along a line of said bus connector means, each associated with a respective one of said control/device arrangements and for enabling or disabling passage of communication on said bus means beyond the respective electronic switch in response to a fault condition at a component associated with a control/device arrangement located beyond the respective electronic switch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A distributed vehicle safety system comprising:
-
a plurality of devices, each for performing a function associated with safety at a vehicle;
bus means for conveying communication regarding said devices;
means, associated with a first one of said devices, for determining the occurrence of a fault condition at a component associated with said first device;
means, associated with said first device, for electronically isolating said first device from said bus means upon determination of the fault condition at the component associated with said first device;
means, associated with said first device, for determining the occurrence of a fault condition at a component associated with another of said devices; and
means, associated with said first device, for electronically isolating said another device from said bus means upon determination of the fault condition at the component associated said another device. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A distributed vehicle safety system comprising:
-
a plurality of devices, each for performing a function associated with safety at a vehicle;
a plurality of control means, each for controlling a respective one of said devices;
bus means for conveying communication regarding said devices to said control means;
means, associated with a first one of said control means, for determining the occurrence of a fault condition at a component associated with said first control means;
means, associated with said first control means, for electronically isolating said first control means from said bus means upon determination of the fault condition at the component associated with said first control means;
means, associated with said first control means, for determining the occurrence of a fault condition at a component associated with another of said control means; and
means, associated with said first control means, for electronically isolating said another control means from said bus means upon determination of the fault condition at the component associated said another control means. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
Specification