Real-time flexible vehicle control apparatus

• US 8,447,438 B1
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Mobility
• Original Assignee: Scaleo chip
• Inventors: Douzane, Khaled, Jullien, Pascal, Le Merdy, Stephane, Vezier, Loic
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US13/306,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20130138263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/2, 701/16, 701/22, 701/23, 701/51, 701/53, 701/87, 701/110, 701/114, 700/176, 700/184, 700/193, 219/69.12, 653/189.05
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0005 Processor details or data handling, e.g. memory registers or chip architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0047 Digital-analogue (D/A) or analogue-digital (A/D) conversion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/281 between sensors and control unit
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/285 the sensor having a signal processing unit external to the engine control unit
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/286 comprising means for signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/266 the computer being backed-up or assisted by another circuit, e.g. analogue
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/28 Interface circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17736 Structural details of routing resources

Abstract

An apparatus on an integrated circuit provides a real-time flexible interface between inputs from a vehicle components and outputs to the vehicle control components. The functions comprises of a programmable interconnection matrix, engine sensors and a control interface. Both engine sensors and control functions comprise of fixed hardwired functions and a customization hardware area. The apparatus therefore provides means for flexible powertrain events control target for the next generation of low-polluting power trains of vehicles.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a power train comprising:

a programmable interconnections matrix (PIM);

a plurality of power train sensors or power train actuators connected to the PIM;

a plurality of control functions connected to the PIM, each control function controlling at least a power train function;

a dual-port random access memory having direct memory access to control power train functions or programmable control functions by a central processing unit;

a dual-port random access memory having direct memory access to share data between a central processing unit and a programmable function;

wherein the PIM enables real-time programmable connection of the plurality of at least power train sensors or at least power train actuators to the plurality of control functions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensors or actuators comprises at least one of:

a programmable sensor, a programmable actuator, a hardwired sensor, a hardwired actuator.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of control functions comprises at least one of:

a programmable control function, a hardwired control function.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one of:

a programmable input/output (I/O) bank, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a digital-to-analog converter (DAC).

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the PIM is programmable in at least one of:

power on, run-time.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the programmable PIM is programmed from one of:

volatile memory, non-volatile memory.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein programmable PIM is able to multiplex triggers from the plurality of power train sensors or power train actuators connected to the PIM.