Method and apparatus for jointly controlling multiple devices

• US 8,301,340 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Ghoneim, Youssef
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan Q
• Application Number:
  US12/532,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20100145577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41, 701/36, 701/48, 701/1, 717/168
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2231 Master slave
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2637 Vehicle, car, auto, wheelchair

Abstract

A method is provided for jointly controlling a plurality n, n being an integer greater than 1, of devices connected to a same communication channel, each of said devices D_l, l=1, . . . , n, being capable of assuming a number m_l of states. The method includes, but is not limited to unambiguously assigning to each combination of states of said n devices an integer code number M, wherein

$M\in [x,x+\prod _{l=1}^n{m}_l[,$
x being an arbitrary number, for a combination of states to be set in the devices, selecting the code number M assigned to said combination (m5), broadcasting (m2) said code number M to all devices D_l, l=1, . . . , n via said communication channel; decoding (s2), in each device, the state to be set in that device from said code number M; setting (s3) the decoded state in each device.

Claims

1. A method for jointly controlling a plurality n, n being an integer greater than 1, of devices connected to a same communication channel, each of said devices D_l, l=1, . . . , n, being capable of assuming a number m_l of states, the method comprising the steps of:

unambiguously assigning to each combination of states of said n devices an integer code number M, wherein

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the number m_l of states of at least one of said devices is divisible by a prime number larger than 2.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the states of all devices D_l, l=1, . . . , n are assigned integer indices S_l,jl=0, 1, . . . , m_l, and in step a), each combination {S_1,j1, S_2,j2, S_n,jn} is assigned a code number

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a device D_l in said decoding step decodes (s2) a received code word M by calculating according to:

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising an initializing step of transmitting (m1) to each device D_l the state numbers of at least each other device D₁, . . . , D_l−

1, D_l+1, . . . , D_n.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the initializing step (m1) comprises broadcasting the state numbers m_l of all devices D₁, . . . , D_n.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein a device D_l in said decoding step decodes (s2) a received code word M by calculating according to:

8. The method of claim 3, wherein a device D_l in said decoding step decodes (s2) a received code word M by calculating according to:

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the devices is a vehicle subcontrol unit.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle control unit is an all wheel drive controller, at least one state of which corresponds to an all-wheel drive mode being on, and at least one state of which corresponds to the all-wheel drive mode being off.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle control unit is a shock absorber controller, states of which correspond to different degrees of shock damping.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle control unit is a power steering controller, states differ by the degree of provided driver assistance.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle control unit is a steering controller, states of which have different relations between steering wheel and front wheel turning angles.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle control unit is a powertrain controller, states of which have different gear shifting characteristics.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle control unit is a load controller for controlling motor load according to an accelerator pedal position, states of which correspond to different pedal position/load characteristics.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle control unit is a brake controller.

17. A vehicle control unit for controlling a plurality of subcontrol units D_l, l=1, . . . , n, comprising a selector means for selecting, for each of said subcontrol units a state from a plurality of states supported by said subcontrol unit the states of all subcontrol units D_l, l=1, . . . , n having integer indices S_l,jl, jl=0, 1, . . . , m_l, assigned to them, and for determining a code number according to:

18. The vehicle control unit of claim 17, further comprising a transmitter to transmit to a subcontrol unit the number of states supported by at least all other subcontrol units.

19. The vehicle control unit of claim 18, wherein the means for transmitting are broadcasting means for broadcasting the number of states supported by all subcontrol units.

20. A vehicle subcontrol unit, comprising:

a receiver means for receiving a code number M;

a decoder for calculating a state number according to;

21. The vehicle subcontrol unit of claim 20, in which the receiver is further adapted to receive the parameters m_k.

22. A computer readable medium embodying a computer program product, said computer product comprising:

a control program, the control program configured to jointly control a plurality n, n being an integer greater than 1, of devices connected to a same communication channel, each of said devices D_l, l=1, . . . , n, being capable of assuming a number m_l of states, the control program further configured to;

unambiguously assign to each combination of states of said n devices an integer code number M, wherein