Network node with integrated power distribution
First Claim
1. A network node for use in a control network, comprising:
- a pair of housing shellplates adapted to form an outer housing shell when attached together with a hollow interior region defined within the outer housing shell, wherein said housing shellplates further define at least one narrow recess where the shellplates meet, with each housing shellplate constituting a top or bottom wall of the recess;
a circuitboard oriented transversely within the hollow interior region of the outer housing shell with respect to the recess; and
a power transistor disposed within a package and mounted on said circuitboard, said package having a distal end furthest away from said circuit board, wherein the distal end of the power transistor package resides within the recess so as to contact at least one of the housing shellplates defining the recess.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A control network comprises a plurality of network nodes arranged in a plurality of tiers, with first-tier nodes and lower tier nodes. A master control bus interconnects the first-tier nodes, which are also connected to a power source. Lower-tier buses interconnect groups of the lower tier nodes. The lower-tier buses include both data lines and a power source line derived from the power source, allowing the lower tier nodes to selectively distribute power to local loads. A first-tier node may be embodied as a hub controller configured to be connected to one or more of said lower-tier buses. The hub controller may comprise a plurality of internal hub nodes (including a hub master node and hub slave nodes) integrated within the same physical unit.
-
Citations
50 Claims
-
1. A network node for use in a control network, comprising:
-
a pair of housing shellplates adapted to form an outer housing shell when attached together with a hollow interior region defined within the outer housing shell, wherein said housing shellplates further define at least one narrow recess where the shellplates meet, with each housing shellplate constituting a top or bottom wall of the recess; a circuitboard oriented transversely within the hollow interior region of the outer housing shell with respect to the recess; and a power transistor disposed within a package and mounted on said circuitboard, said package having a distal end furthest away from said circuit board, wherein the distal end of the power transistor package resides within the recess so as to contact at least one of the housing shellplates defining the recess. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A network node for a control network within a vehicle, the network node comprising:
-
an outer housing; a circuitboard disposed within the housing; a first bus connector coupled to one or more data lines from an upstream network node and for receiving a high power input signal derived from a vehicle battery; a second bus connector coupled via control lines to one or more external local devices associated within the vehicle under control of the network node; and at least one processor disposed on said circuitboard for communicating with the upstream network node by transmitting and receiving signals over the data lines coupled to the first bus connector, and for controlling the external local devices through commands transmitted over the control lines. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A method for constructing a network node for use in a control network, comprising:
-
attaching a pair of housing shellplates to form an outer housing shell with a hollow interior region defined therein, wherein said housing shellplates further define at least one narrow recess where the shellplates meet, with each housing shellplate constituting a top or bottom wall of the recess; disposing a circuitboard transversely within the hollow interior region of the outer housing shell with respect to the recess; and mounting a power transistor package on said circuitboard, said power transistor package having a distal end furthest away from said circuit board, such that the distal end of the power transistor package resides within the recess so as to contact at least one of the housing shellplates defining the recess. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
-
-
39. A method for control and power distribution via a network node in a vehicle control network, comprising:
-
coupling one or more data lines from an upstream source to a first bus connector of the network node; coupling a high power input signal to the first bus connector; coupling one or more control lines from a second bus connector of the network node to local devices in a vehicle; controlling or monitoring the local devices in the vehicle by generating and transmitting commands from the network node to the local devices via the control lines, in response to upstream commands received via the data lines, and receiving electrical signals from the local devices; and providing high power to at least one of the local devices in the vehicle by selectively coupling the high power input signal to the local device through a high power switch. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
-
Specification