Communication system for a motor vehicle

• US 8,634,968 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2005
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Wille, Frank-Martin, Esser, Holger, Vassen, Heinz-Willi, Ammler, Tobias, Ammler, Norbert, Lebmeier, Helmut, Jung, Hans-Christian, Leinfelder, Rudolf, Ktz, Jens, Krmke, Carsten, Anderlik, Stefan, Penshorn, Christian, Wenzel, Matthias, Gross, Yvonne
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US10/593,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20070208469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,238 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The invention relates to a communication system for a motor vehicle for transmitting an information relating to the operation of the motor vehicle from a transmitting control device to a receiving control device. The communication system comprises an interface for the input or output of the information relating to the operation of the motor vehicle. Communication can be established via the interface by means of a protocol which comprises an operation field for identifying a task to be carried out using the information relating to the operation of the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. Communications system for a motor vehicle for transmission of information relating to operation of the vehicle from a sending control device to a receiving control device, the communications system comprising an interface for input or output of the information relating to operation of the motor vehicle, wherein communications is possible by way of the interface by means of a protocol which comprises

an operation field identifying a task to be performed by means of the information relating to operation of the vehicle,

a data field with a value for the information relating to operation of the vehicle, and

an ID field comprising

a first region designating a logic control device to which the information relating to operation of the motor vehicle is assigned, and

a second region identifying the information relating to operation of the motor vehicle, and

wherein the information is transmitted when a predetermined repetition time has passed since the last transmission, and

the predetermined repetition time is different for different information relating to the operation of the vehicle.

2. The communications system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operation field comprises information which indicates whether the protocol relates to a message to be sent or a received message.

3. The communications system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operation field comprises an information field for identifying a message to be sent or a received message.

4. The communications system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the protocol comprises at most the operation field, a data field with a value for the information relating to operation of the vehicle, an ID field for identification of the information relating to operation of the vehicle, and the information field.

5. The communications system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ID field designates a function which is assigned to the information relating to operation of the vehicle or from which the information relating to operation of the vehicle is produced or processed.

6. The communications system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protocol does not comprise a designation of the sending control device.

7. The communications system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protocol does not comprise a designation of the receiving control device.

15. The communications system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operation field comprises a request for sending of a current value of the information relating to operation of the vehicle.

16. The communications system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operation field comprises a prompt for changing the information relating to operation of the vehicle.

17. The communications system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operation field comprises a prompt for confirming a change of the information relating to operation of the vehicle.

18. The communications system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operation field comprises an identification of sending of the current value of the information relating to operation of the vehicle.

19. The communications system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operation field comprises identification of a restart of a function assigned to information relating to operation of the vehicle.

20. The communications system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operation field comprises an identification of an error to be assigned to the information relating to operation of the vehicle.

21. The communications system as claimed in claim 1, comprising an information memory for storage of the information relating to operation of the vehicle.

29. Motor vehicle, comprising a communications system as claimed in claim 1.

8. Communications system for a motor vehicle for transmission of information relating to operation of the vehicle from a sending control device to a receiving control device, the communications system comprising a bus system,

wherein the communications system comprises an interface which is independent of the configuration of the bus system for input of the information relating to operation of the vehicle transmitted by way of the bus system and/or output of the information relating to operation of the vehicle to be transmitted by way of the bus system,

wherein by way of the bus system a bus protocol is transmitted which is composed essentially of an interface protocol of the interface and data which are specific to the bus system, and

wherein the interface protocol comprises

an operation field identifying a task to be performed by means of the information relating to operation of the vehicle,

a data field with a value for the information relating to operation of the vehicle, and

an ID field comprising

a first region designating a logic control device to which the information relating to operation of the motor vehicle is assigned, and

a second region identifying the information relating to operation of the motor vehicle, and

wherein the information is transmitted when a predetermined repetition time has passed since the last transmission, and

the predetermined repetition time is different for different information relating to the operation of the vehicle.

9. The communications system as claimed in claim 8, wherein by way of the bus system a bus protocol is transmitted which is composed of an interface protocol of the interface and prefixed data which are specific to the bus system.

10. The communications system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the operation field comprises information which indicates whether the protocol relates to a message to be sent or a received message.

11. The communications system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the interface protocol comprises an information field for identifying a message to be sent or a received message.

12. The communications system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the ID field designates a function which is assigned to the information relating to operation of the vehicle or from which the information relating to operation of the vehicle is produced or processed.

13. The communications system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the interface protocol does not comprise a designation of the sending control device.

14. The communications system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the interface protocol does not comprise a designation of the receiving control device.

22. Communications system for a motor vehicle for transmission of the information relating to operation of the vehicle from a first control device to a second control device, the communications system comprising an interface for input and/or output of the information relating to operation of the motor vehicle, wherein communications is possible by way of the interface by means of a protocol which comprises

an ID field identifying a function which is assigned to the information relating to operation of the vehicle, the contents of the ID field being independent of whether transmission takes place from the first control device to the second control device or from the second control device to the first control device,

an operation field identifying a task to be performed by means of the information relating to operation of the vehicle, and

a data field with a value for the information relating to operation of the vehicle, and

wherein the information is transmitted when a predetermined repetition time has passed since the last transmission, and

the predetermined repetition time is different for different information relating to the operation of the vehicle.

23. Control module for control of a function of the motor vehicle, the control module comprising an interface for input and/or output of the information relating to operation of the vehicle, wherein communications is possible by way of an interface, especially only by means of a protocol which comprises

an operation field identifying the task to be performed by means of the information relating to operation of the vehicle

a data field with a value for the information relating to operation of the vehicle, and

an ID field comprising

a first region designating a logic control device to which the information relating to operation of the motor vehicle is assigned, and

a second region identifying the information relating to operation of the motor vehicle, and

wherein the information is transmitted when a predetermined repetition time has passed since the last transmission, and

the predetermined repetition time is different for different information relating to the operation of the vehicle.

24. The control module as claimed in claim 23, wherein the operation field comprises information which indicates whether the protocol relates to a message to be sent or a received message.

25. The control module as claimed in claim 23, wherein the protocol comprises an information field for identification of a message to be sent or a received message.

26. The control module as claimed in claim 23, wherein the ID field designates a function which is assigned to the information relating to operation of the vehicle or from which the information relating to operation of the vehicle is produced or processed.

27. The control module as claimed in claim 23, wherein the control module is implemented on a control device, the protocol not comprising a designation of the control device.

30. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 29, comprising a control module as claimed in claim 23.

31. The motor vehicle of claim 29, comprising a control module as claimed in claim 23.

28. Control module for control of a function of the motor vehicle or for output of the information relating to operation of the vehicle, the control module comprising an interface for input and/or output of the information relating to operation of the vehicle, wherein communications is possible by way of an interface by means of a protocol which comprises

an ID field identifying the function which is assigned to the information relating to operation of the vehicle, the contents of the ID field being independent of whether the information from the control module is being sent or received,

an operation field identifying a task to be performed by means of the information relating to operation of the vehicle, and

a data field with a value for the information relating to operation of the vehicle, and

wherein the information is transmitted when a predetermined repetition time has passed since the last transmission, and

the predetermined repetition time is different for different information relating to the operation of the vehicle.

32. A method of transmitting information in a motor vehicle through a communication system, the method comprising:

transmitting the information from a sending control device;

receiving the transmitted information in a receiving control device;

wherein;

the information is inputted into and/or outputted by the communication system through an interface by operating a protocol; and

the protocol comprises

identifying an operation field, the operation field corresponding to a task to be performed in response to the information,

identifying a data field with a value corresponding to the operation field, and

identifying an ID field comprising

a first region designating a logic control device to which the information relating to operation of the motor vehicle is assigned, and

a second region identifying the information relating to operation of the motor vehicle, and

wherein the information is transmitted when a predetermined repetition time has passed since the last transmission, and

the predetermined repetition time is different for different information relating to the operation of the vehicle.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the protocol comprises a field indicating whether the protocol relates to inputted and/or outputted information.

34. The method of claim 32, comprising varying a display depending upon the information.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the inputted information relates to a condition of at least one selected from the group consisting of air conditioning, navigation system, music module, telephone module, and acoustic output device.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the outputted information relates to a condition of at least one selected from the group consisting of engine rpm, oil pressure, coolant temperature, vehicle tilt, distance to an obstacle, interior temperature, geographical location of the vehicle, vehicle doors, time, telephone book entry, and music title.