System and method for vehicle module wake up in response to communication activity

• US 7,289,830 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Rudnick, Kenan R., Harwood, Jody K., Bauman, Jason G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Pablo N.
• Application Number:
  US10/907,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20060211400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569.2, 455/575.9, 455/420, 455/343.1, 455/343.3, 455/343.4, 455344-345, 455/401, 455/9, 455/522, 455/67.11, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/525.1, 455/99, 455346-347
• US Class Current: 455/569.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C

Abstract

A method for establishing communication between a communication protocol controller and a main controller including the steps of monitoring a communication bus using a power management device wherein the bus is electrically coupled to the protocol controller, the power management device, and the main controller residing in an initial low power mode, determining when the protocol controller is attempting to communicate with the main controller, generating a wake-up signal in response to the attempted communication, presenting the wake-up signal to the processor of the main controller, wherein the main controller enters a wake-up mode in response to the wake-up signal, reading at least one communication protocol configuration parameter from the data storage device, and initiating communication between the main controller and the protocol controller using the at least one communication protocol configuration parameter such that communication between the protocol controller and a communication protocol enabled device is maintained.

Claims

1. A method for establishing communication between a communication protocol controller and a main controller, the method comprising:

monitoring a communication bus using a power management device wherein the communication bus is electrically coupled to a communication protocol controller, the power management device, and a main controller residing in an initial low power mode and having a processor and a data storage device;

determining when the communication protocol controller is attempting to communicate with the main controller;

generating a wake-up signal in response to the attempted communication;

presenting the wake-up signal to the processor of the main controller, wherein the main controller enters a wake-up mode in response to the wake-up signal;

reading at least one communication protocol configuration parameter from the data storage device, wherein the at least one configuration parameter is read by the main controller in response to the wake-up signal; and

initiating communication between the main controller and the communication protocol controller using the at least one communication protocol configuration parameter such that communication between the communication protocol controller and a communication protocol enabled device is maintained.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the wake-up signal is generated in response to the attempted communication only when the main controller is in a low power mode.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of writing at least one communication protocol configuration parameter to the data storage device when the main controller enters a low power mode.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication protocol controller is a Bluetooth controller.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the main controller is a Vehicle System Controller.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the main controller is implemented in connection with a vehicle and is electrically coupled to a vehicle bus.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the vehicle bus is a Controller Area Network.

8. A system for establishing communication between a communication protocol controller and a main controller, the system comprising:

a communication protocol controller electrically coupled to a communication bus;

a main controller electrically coupled to the communication bus and having a processor and a data storage device including at least one communication protocol configuration parameter, wherein the main controller is in an initial low power mode; and

a power management device electrically coupled to the communication bus, wherein the power management device monitors the communication bus, determines when the communication protocol controller is attempting communication with the main controller, generates a wake-up signal in response to the attempted communication, and presents the wake-up signal to the processor of the main controller, and in response to the wake-up signal the main controller enters a wake-up mode, reads the at least one communication protocol configuration parameter from the data storage device, and implements the at least one communication protocol configuration parameter such that communication between the main controller and the communication protocol controller is established while maintaining a communication link between the communication protocol controller and a communication protocol enabled device.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the power management device generates the wake-up signal in response to the attempted communication only when the main controller is in a low power mode.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the main controller writes at least one Communication protocol configuration parameter to the data storage device when the main controller enters a low power mode.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the communication protocol controller is a Bluetooth controller.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the main controller is a Vehicle System Controller.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the main controller is implemented in connection with a vehicle and is electrically coupled to a vehicle bus.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the vehicle bus is a Controller Area Network.

15. A main controller for communicating with a communication protocol controller, the main controller comprising:

a processor;

a data storage device;

a first bidirectional communication port electrically coupled to a communication protocol controller via a communication bus; and

an input port configured to receive a wake-up signal from a power management device, wherein the main controller enters a wake-up mode in response to the wake-up signal and reads at least one communication protocol configuration parameter from the data storage device such that communication between the main controller and the communication protocol controller is established while communication between the communication protocol controller and a communication protocol enabled device is maintained.

16. The main controller of claim 15 wherein the processor writes at least one communication protocol configuration parameter to the data storage device when the main controller enters a low power mode.

17. The main controller of claim 15 wherein the communication protocol controller is a Bluetooth controller.

18. The main controller of claim 15 wherein the main controller is a Vehicle System Controller.

19. The main controller of claim 15 further comprising a second bidirectional communication port electrically coupled to a vehicle bus.

20. The main controller of claim 19 wherein the vehicle bus is a Controller Area Network.