Wireless communication system for at least one control unit in a vehicle

• US 7,450,972 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Vogt, Ralf, Wojcik, Jacek-Christoph, Rech, Wolf-Henning, Klausner, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh; Sonny
• Application Number:
  US10/636,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20040125780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,923 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/310, 370/385, 340/438, 340/439, 340/425.5, 340/539.1, 340/539.24, 455/41.2, 455/39, 455/73, 455/91, 455/569.2, 455/575.9, 701/29, 701/33
• US Class Current: 455/569.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A wireless communication system for control units in a vehicle, where a Gateway controller is provided, which may be linked via a first interface to least one microcontroller of a control unit of the vehicle, and which may be connected via a second interface to a wireless communications connection, the second interface encompassing at least one interface element which allows the broadband transmission of data via the wireless communications interface.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system for at least one control unit in a vehicle, comprising:

a gateway controller, which is linked by a first interface to least one microcontroller of the at least one control unit of the vehicle, and which is connected by a second interface to a wireless communications connection, wherein the second interface includes an interface component that provides a broadband connection via a wireless communications interface, wherein the gateway is connected to the at least one microcontroller, and wherein the gateway controller includes a gateway microcontroller and the simulation is performed by the gateway microcontroller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway controller, the interface component, and the at least one microcontroller are integrated in one of the at least one control units.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the gateway controller and the microcontroller of the control unit are in a shared control unit, and the gateway controller and the interface component are on a separate printed circuit board which is arranged at a second position in the housing of the control unit.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the control unit and the gateway controller is in the engine compartment of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a computer, wherein the gateway controller communicates via the second interface with the computer, wherein the computer includes an interface component for the wireless communications interface and at least one of a measuring computer and a laptop.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer is in one of a passenger compartment and the cargo space of the motor vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway controller collects data from the least one microcontroller, converts the data for transmission purposes via an Internet protocol to provide converted data, and transmits the converted data by at least one of triggering the interface component of the second interface and receiving the converted data via the second interface.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface to the interface component is configured by simulating an interface of a PC using hardware and software.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface component is a component for implementing a standardized wireless protocol.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the broadband connection includes a transmission rate of at least one Mbits/second.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the broadband connection includes a transmission rate of at least several Mbits/second.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway controller includes software to convert data, from the at least one control unit, for transmission via the wireless communications interface using an Internet protocol.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the conversion of the data by the gateway controller includes re-formatting the data for transmission via the Internet protocol.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the conversion of the data by the gateway controller includes re-segmenting the data for transmission via the Internet protocol.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the transmission using the Internet protocol includes using at least one of:

TCP or UDP.

16. A wireless communication system for a control unit in a vehicle, comprising:

a gateway controller, which is linked by a first interface to a microcontroller of the control unit of the vehicle, and which is connected by a second interface to a wireless communications connection, wherein the second interface includes an interface component that provides a broadband connection via a wireless communications interface,

wherein the gateway controller includes software to convert data, from the control unit, for transmission via the wireless communications interface using an Internet protocol, and

wherein the gateway controller includes a gateway microcontroller and the simulation is performed by the gateway microcontroller.

17. A wireless communication system for a control unit in a vehicle, comprising:

a gateway controller, which is linked by a first interface to a microcontroller of the control unit of the vehicle, and which is connected by a second interface to a wireless communications connection, wherein the second interface includes an interface component that provides a broadband connection via a wireless communications interface,

wherein the gateway controller includes software to convert data, from the control unit, for transmission via the wireless communications interface using an Internet protocol,

wherein the conversion of the data by the gateway controller includes at least one of;

re-formatting the data for transmission via the Internet protocol, or

re-segmenting the data for transmission via the Internet protocol, and

wherein the gateway controller includes a gateway microcontroller and the simulation is performed by the gateway microcontroller.