Radio communication system for controlling a vehicle

• US 7,894,947 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2009
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoshimura, Kentaro, Shimura, Takanori, Morita, Yuichiro, Miyazaki, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US12/565,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20100010690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/42 Loop networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/121 by minimising delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A radio control system for controlling a vehicle includes a transmission node for transmitting vehicle control data, the vehicle control data including at least one of a measured value of a vehicle state or a driver'"'"'s manipulated variable and a control target value of a control actuator in the vehicle, a reception node for receiving the vehicle control data, and a plurality of radio communication routes between the transmission node and the reception node. A radio communication route that satisfies communication limit time of transmission data including the vehicle control data and satisfies lowest required reliability of the transmission data is selected from among the radio communication routes.

Claims

1. A vehicle controller with communication system, comprising:

a transmission controller for transmitting vehicle control data, the vehicle control data including at least one of a measured value of a vehicle state, a driver manipulated variable, and a control target value of a control actuator in the vehicle;

a reception controller for receiving the vehicle control data, the communication system including a plurality of radio communication routes between the transmission controller and the reception controller; and

load distribution means for selecting a radio communication route that satisfies both communication limit time of transmission data including the vehicle control data, with individually assigned required reliability levels, and a lowest required reliability of the transmission data, from among the radio communication routes.

2. The vehicle controller with communication system according to claim 1, wherein the required reliability of the transmission data is specified as a required success rate or an allowable failure rate.

3. The vehicle controller with communication system according to claim 1, wherein, if a communication route satisfying the required reliability of the transmission data is not present, a radio communication route is generated so as to satisfy the required reliability of the transmission data.

4. The vehicle controller with communication system according to claim 1, wherein, if a communication route satisfying the required reliability of the transmission data is not present, a radio communication route satisfying the required reliability of the transmission data is generated by altering a protocol for radio communication to a protocol having higher reliability.

5. The vehicle controller with communication system according to claim 1, wherein, if a communication route satisfying the required reliability of the transmission data is not present, a radio communication route satisfying the required reliability of the transmission data is generated by enhancing signal strength at time of radio communication.

6. The vehicle controller with communication system according to claim 1, wherein, if a communication route satisfying the required reliability of the transmission data is not present, the required reliability of the transmission data is lowered and a radio communication route is selected so as to satisfy the lowered required reliability, data provided with information indicating that the required reliability of the transmission data has been lowered is transmitted, and a notice to that effect is sent to a transmission request origin of the transmission data.

7. The vehicle controller with communication system according to claim 6, wherein the reception controller that has received transmission data lowered in required reliability of the transmission data receives the transmission data lowered in required reliability a plurality of times and conducts reliability evaluation of the transmission data.

8. The vehicle controller with communication system according to claim 1, wherein said radio communication routes include at least one communication controller for relaying data transmission from said transmission controller to said reception controller, and wherein if reliability of said communication controller is lowered, reliability of a radio communication route including the communication controller having lowered reliability is reevaluated, and the radio communication route is reestablished, according to the required reliability of the transmission data.

9. The vehicle controller with communication system according to claim 1, wherein, when a first controller of said communication routes has found reliability lowering in a second controller of said communication routes different from the first controller, the first controller sends a notice of the reliability lowering information to a third controller of said communication routes that is different from the first and second controllers.

10. The vehicle controller with communication system according to claim 1, wherein communication between the transmission and reception controllers is conducted by jointly using electric power line carrier communication via an electric power supply line.

11. The vehicle controller with communication system according to claim 10, wherein communication between the transmission and reception controllers is conducted by said electric power line carrier communication at a time of abnormality in radio communication.

12. The vehicle controller with communication system according to claim 1, wherein said load distribution means select a radio communication route leading from the transmission controller to the reception controller based on the required reliability of the transmission data and reliability of the radio communication routes.

13. The vehicle controller with communication system according to claim 12, wherein said load distribution means select a radio communication route candidate having a lower value regarding reliability of radio communication route candidates as long as the radio communication route satisfies the required reliability of the transmission data.

14. The vehicle controller with communication system according to claim 12, wherein reliability of the radio communication routes and the required reliability of the transmission data are classified based on previously evaluated thresholds.

15. The vehicle controller with communication system according to claim 12, further comprising a relay controller disposed in said radio communication route between the transmission controller and the reception controller, wherein the reliability of the radio communication routes is calculated on the basis of at least one of a failure rate of the relay controller and a communication parameter including a communication protocol or communication strength.

16. The vehicle controller with communication system according to claim 12, wherein reliability of the radio communication routes and the required reliability of transmission data are classified into a plurality of groups, a reliability group of selectable radio communication routes is associated with a required reliability group of transmission data, and the radio communication route from said transmission controller to said reception controller is selected.

17. The vehicle controller with communication system according to claim 12, wherein, when the radio communication route from said transmission controller to said reception controller is to be selected on the basis of the required reliability of the transmission data and reliability of the radio communication routes, an evaluation calculation expression for evaluating a communication route based on a required communication time and reliability of the radio communication route is set so as to be associated with transmission data, and a communication route having a high evaluation mark calculated by using the evaluation calculation expression is selected.