System for integrating a plurality of modules using a power/data backbone network

• US 7,940,673 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Veedims, LLC
• Original Assignee: Veedims, LLC
• Inventors: Ballard, Claudio R., Sargent, Andrew P., Seward, Jeffrey N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferris; Derrick W
• Assistant Examiner(s): YEUNG, MANG HANG
• Application Number:
  US12/134,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20090016216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370241-253
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A Virtual Electrical and Electronic Device Interface and Management System (VEEDIMS) is provided. In one example, the VEEDIMS includes a backbone network formed by cables that are configured to simultaneously carry digital data and power. A controller is coupled to the backbone network and configured to execute control instructions. A plurality of modules are coupled to the controller via the backbone network and receive data and power via the backbone network. The modules receive control signals from the controller based on the control instructions. At least one device is coupled to one of the modules via a direct input/output (I/O) interface positioned in the module. A device specific driver contained in the module provides a communications interface between the device and a generic VEEDIMS controller driver in the controller.

Claims

1. A Virtual Electrical and Electronic Device Interface and Management System (VEEDIMS) for a vehicle comprising:

a backbone network formed by a plurality of cables, wherein each cable is configured to simultaneously carry digital data and power;

a controller coupled to the backbone network and configured to execute a plurality of control instructions;

a plurality of modules coupled to the controller via the backbone network and configured to receive data and all power needed by the modules via the backbone network, wherein the modules are configured to receive control signals from the controller based on the plurality of control instructions; and

at least one device coupled to a first module of the plurality of modules via a direct input/output (I/O) interface positioned in the first module, wherein a device specific driver contained in the first module provides a communications interface between the device and a generic VEEDIMS controller driver in the controller, wherein the first module is configured to determine if the device is specifically configured for communication with the first module and, if the device is not specifically so configured and unable to communicate with the first module, the first module is configured to monitor a behavior pattern of the device to create a profile of the device for use by the controller, and if the device is specifically so configured the first module is configured to obtain the profile of the device directly from the device by communicating with the device, and wherein the profile is used to prevent short circuits and other problems of the device.

2. The VEEDIMS of claim 1 further comprising a switch positioned in the backbone network between the controller and the first module, wherein the switch is configured to pass the needed power from a power source to the first module and to transfer communications between the first module and the controller.

3. The VEEDIMS of claim 2 wherein the backbone network is Ethernet based and wherein the controller and first module each include a transmission control protocol (TCP) driver for communications between the first module and the controller.

4. The VEEDIMS of claim 2 wherein the switch includes an Ethernet switch.

5. The VEEDIMS of claim 1 wherein the first module further comprises a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) server.

6. The VEEDIMS of claim 5 wherein the first module further comprises a diagnostics component configured to obtain diagnostics data about the first module and the device and to make the diagnostics data accessible via the HTTP server.

7. The VEEDIMS of claim 5 wherein the first module further includes a documentation set containing a service history of the first module, and wherein the documentation set is configured to be accessible via the HTTP server.

8. The VEEDIMS of claim 1 wherein the first module further comprises a configuration component configured to set operational parameters for at least one of the first module and the device.

9. The VEEDIMS of claim 1 wherein the first module further comprises a data acquisition component configured to acquire data about at least one of the first module and the device.

10. The VEEDIMS of claim 9 wherein the data acquisition component includes an Embedded Component Historian Object (ECHO) coupled to an ECHO driver for sending the acquired data from the first module to the controller.

11. The VEEDIMS of claim 9 wherein the acquired data is stored in a register map in the first module prior to being transferred to a database in the controller.

12. The VEEDIMS of claim 1 wherein the first module is integrated with the device.

13. The VEEDIMS of claim 1 wherein the first module is further configured to run at least one test on the device to determine a level of power used by the device.

14. The VEEDIMS of claim 1 wherein the first module is configured to allocate a defined level of power to the device prior to monitoring the behavior pattern of the device, wherein the first module is configured to allocate the power only if allowed by the controller.

15. A Virtual Electrical and Electronic Device Interface and Management System (VEEDIMS) for a vehicle comprising:

a first controller having a first power interface configured to receive a first connector of a first cable configured to carry only power, a first network/power interface configured to receive a first single cable connector of a third cable adapted configured to simultaneously carry both power and data, a first processor coupled to the first power and first network/power interfaces, and a first memory containing a plurality of instructions executable by the first processor, the instructions including controller instructions configured to control a plurality of modules;

a battery coupled directly to the first power interface via a second connector of the first cable configured to carry only power;

a first switch having a second power interface configured to receive a first connector of a second cable configured to carry only power and coupled directly to the battery via the second cable, and a second network/power interface configured to receive a second single cable connector of the third cable and configured to receive a first single cable connector of a fourth cable configured to simultaneously carry both power and data, wherein the first switch is coupled directly to the first network/power interface via the third cable configured to simultaneously carry both power and data, and wherein the first switch is configured to act as a data conduit between the first controller and the plurality of modules and as a power conduit between the battery and the plurality of modules;

a first module of the plurality of modules having a third network/power interface configured to receive a second single cable connector of the fourth cable and coupled directly to the second network/power interface via the fourth cable configured to simultaneously carry both power and data, a device input/output (I/O) port, a second processor coupled to the third network/power interface and the device I/O port, and a second memory containing a plurality of instructions executable by the second processor, the instructions including driver instructions configured to enable communications between the first module and a device coupled to the first module via the device I/O port, wherein the first module is configured to provide a communication interface between the device and the first controller via the switch.

16. The VEEDIMS of claim 15 further comprising a second controller coupled to the first controller via a fifth cable configured to simultaneously carry both power and data, wherein the first memory contains a plurality of instructions executable by the first processor for balancing a load caused by the plurality of modules between the first and second controllers.

17. The VEEDIMS of claim 15 further comprising a second switch having a third power interface and a fourth network/power interface coupled directly to the second network/power interface via a fifth cable configured to simultaneously carry both power and data, wherein the second switch is configured to obtain its power from the first switch rather than the battery.

18. The VEEDIMS of claim 17 wherein the first and second switches are configured to pass power from the first switch to the second switch via the fifth cable and to simultaneously pass data from the second switch to the first switch via the fifth cable.

19. The VEEDIMS of claim 15 further comprising a second module having a fourth network/power interface coupled directly to the third network/power interface via a fifth cable configured to simultaneously carry both power and data, wherein the second module is configured to obtain its power from the first module.

20. The VEEDIMS of claim 15 wherein the second memory further includes instructions for sending a query to the device when the device is first coupled to the first module and sending data resulting from the query to the first controller.

21. The VEEDIMS of claim 15 wherein at least one of the first module and device includes an optical indicator configured to indicate whether the first module or device is operational after being coupled to the first switch or first module, respectively.

22. The VEEDIMS of claim 15 wherein the second memory further includes instructions for sending data describing functionality of the first module to the first controller when the first module is first coupled to the first switch.

23. The VEEDIMS of claim 15 wherein the first switch includes a third processor coupled to the second network/power interface and a third memory containing a plurality of instructions executable by the third processor, the instructions including instructions for determining a power requirement of the device when the device is first coupled to the first module and for determining whether enough power is available to the first switch to meet the power requirement of the device.

24. The VEEDIMS of claim 15 wherein the first module and the device are integrated into a single unit.

25. The VEEDIMS of claim 15 wherein a plurality of devices are coupled to the first module.