Arrangement for distributed measurement system for measurement and simulation in distributed control systems

• US 7,987,002 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Longhorn Automotive Group LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC), Kvaser Consultant Aktiebolag
• Original Assignee: Xinshu Management LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Fredriksson, Lars-Berno
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady; Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rapp; Chad
• Application Number:
  US11/420,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20060241784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 700/275, 700/276, 700/277, 700/278, 700/299, 700/300, 700/9
• US Class Current: 700/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A first unit (200, 303, 304) works with analog and digital signals in physical sequences referring to one or several measurement objects (200′, 305, 307), which work with one or several functions (200″, 211, 302, 308, 309) and detectors (201, 202, 205) and/or control devices (212/214) detecting these functions. A distributed control system (206) works with a first protocol (218). The first unit (200) is connected to the control system (206) and is arranged, through its compatibility with the first protocol (218), to receive and/or send messages from/to the control system. The first unit (200) receives and sends physical signals for measurement and/or control of various types and combinations of functions and/or detectors or control devices, and processes the physical signals. The first unit is connected to a second connection (209) working with a second protocol (418). The second connection is in a link in a tool arrangement. The first unit communicates with a second unit (450 and/or 201, 221) via the second connection (209). The first unit van be set up via a connection that works with the first and/or the second protocol(s) or variant(s) thereof. In this way, more complex and simpler tasks can be dealt with separately, and can be divided up between different pieces of equipment and different people.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor device configured to communicate with an interface unit through a data connection using a first protocol, wherein the interface unit is configured to communicate with a distributed control system using a second protocol;

wherein the processor device is configured to provide simulated measurement signals configured to replace input data generated by at least one module configured to communicably connect to the distributed control system;

wherein the processor device is configured to provide control signals configured to replace control signals generated by at least one control device configured to communicably connect to the distributed control system and configured to operate at least one controlled object;

wherein the processor device is configured to send the simulated measurement signals and the control signals to the distributed control system using the second protocol via the interface unit, via the data connection using the first protocol.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interface unit comprises a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) module configured for communication over a telecommunication data network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first protocol comprises a variant of one of Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP/IP), Universal Serial Bus (USB), or Bluetooth.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second protocol comprises Controller Area Network (CAN).

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second protocol comprises a variant of one of Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standard J1939, Time Triggered CAN (TTCAN), or CAN Kingdom.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor device is configured to request a measurement signal and wherein the interface unit communicates the request by using CAN Calibration Protocol (CCP).

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor device is further configured to analyze at least one physical state of at least one measurement object through the measurement signals generated by the at least one detector.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor device is further configured to generate programmatic instructions configured to cause a second processor device configured to run the programmatic instructions to store a subset of measurement signals generated by at least one detector in a log.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor device is further configured to receive a log generated by the second processor device and to evaluate the log as part of evaluating the response of the distributed control system to the simulated measurement signals.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor device further comprises a pass or fail status indicator configured to output a pass or fail status based on the response of the distributed control system to the simulated measurement signals.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor device is configured to generate at least one control signal in response to receiving the measurement signals generated by at least one detector and wherein the processor device is configured to send the at least one control signal to the distributed control system via the interface unit, through the data connection and the first protocol.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor device is further configured to generate programmatic instructions that define the simulated measurement signals.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data connection is a wireless link.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first protocol is Bluetooth.

15. A monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of monitoring units configured to communicate with at least one interface unit using a first protocol, wherein the at least one interface unit is communicably connected to a distributed control system, and the at least one interface unit is further configured to receive data values from the distributed control system using a second protocol;

wherein the plurality of monitoring units comprises at least one complex monitoring unit and at least one basic monitoring unit;

wherein the at least one complex monitoring unit is configured to receive a plurality of data values from the at least one interface unit using the first protocol and to generate programmatic instructions for the at least one basic monitoring unit;

wherein the at least one basic monitoring unit is configured to receive the programmatic instructions and in response thereto to receive a subset of the plurality of data values from the at least one interface unit using the first protocol.

16. The monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of monitoring units are further configured to receive data values from an associated detector and are further configured to analyze at least one physical state of at least one measurement object through the data values from the associated detector.

17. The monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the at least one basic monitoring unit is further configured to generate a log of the subset of the plurality of data values in response to the programmatic instructions.

18. The monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the complex monitoring unit is further configured to analyze logs from a plurality of basic monitoring units, wherein an individual log represents the subset of the plurality of data values received from a unique distributed control system.

19. The monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the programmatic instructions are configured to cause the basic monitoring unit to simulate an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) within the distributed control system.

20. The monitoring system of claim 19, wherein the programmatic instructions are further configured to cause the basic monitoring unit to evaluate performance of the distributed control system and to generate a log of a predetermined subset of the plurality of data values in response to predetermined aspects of the performance of the distributed control system.

21. The monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of monitoring units further comprise a wireless transmitter and receiver configured to communicate with the at least one interface unit using a wireless link.

22. The monitoring system of claim 21, wherein the first protocol is Bluetooth.

23. The monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the at least one complex monitoring unit is a Personal Computer (PC).

24. The monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the at least one basic monitoring unit is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

25. A method comprising:

receiving data values from a first distributed control system at a complex monitoring unit by connecting the complex monitoring unit through a first data connection using a first protocol to an interface unit connected to the first distributed control system, wherein the interface unit communicates with the first distributed control system using a second protocol through a second data connection;

analyzing the data values received from the first distributed control system at the complex monitoring unit to identify a subset of data values;

generating programmatic instructions using the complex monitoring unit, wherein the programmatic instructions will cause a basic monitoring unit running the programmatic instructions to collect a corresponding subset of data values in response to connecting to a second distributed control system having similar architecture as the first distributed control system.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

applying the programmatic instructions to a basic monitoring unit configured to connect to the second distributed control system;

executing the programmatic instructions on the basic monitoring unit causing the basic monitoring unit to identify the corresponding subset of data values;

receiving the corresponding subset of data values from the second distributed control system at the basic monitoring unit, by connecting the basic monitoring unit through a first data connection using a first protocol to an interface unit connected to the second distributed control system, wherein the interface unit communicates with the distributed control system using a second protocol through a second data connection;

logging the corresponding subset of data values in the basic monitoring unit;

receiving the corresponding subset of data values from the basic monitoring unit at the complex monitoring unit.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the logging occurs in response to receiving at least one of the corresponding subset of data values from the second distributed control system, wherein the at least one of the corresponding subset of data values indicates a preselected operation point specified by the programmatic instructions.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the executing the programmatic instructions further causes the basic monitoring unit to simulate the performance of an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) connected to the second distributed control system and to evaluate the corresponding subset of data values to test the second distributed control system.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising in response to determining with the basic control unit that the second distributed control system failed the test, evaluating the second distributed control system with the complex monitoring unit by connecting the complex monitoring unit to the second distributed control system to identify a reason that the second distributed control system failed the test.