Infrastructure system for a vehicle

• US 9,827,997 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2015
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Lindstrand, Hannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/107,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20160339925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0005 Processor details or data handling, e.g. memory registers or chip architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0006 Digital architecture hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0016 State machine analysis
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0045 using databus protocols
• 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: B60W 50/04 Monitoring the functioning of the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/045 Monitoring control system parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4265 on a point to point bus G06F13/4247, G06F13/4282 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4498 Finite state machines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40039 Details regarding the setting of the power status of a node according to activity on the bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40215 Controller Area Network CAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• 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: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

An electrical infrastructure system and method of use of the system for a vehicle. There are several electronic control units (ECU) for one or several functional units (30n) for the vehicle. The ECUs are connected through a network (32). The infrastructure system is configured to implement a state map including various operational states Sn that the vehicle can adopt. These operational states are connected by one or several transitions Tn, where the transition from one operational state to another depends on predetermined transition conditions being satisfied. The infrastructure system is configured to receive one or several input signals (34) to at least one ECU, comprising parameter values that represent events. The at least one ECU is configured to analyze the input signals with the aid of the transition conditions, to determine an operational state, and to make the operational state that has been determined available on the network (32).

Claims

1. An electrical infrastructure system for a vehicle, the vehicle having at least one functional unit for the vehicle, the system comprising:

a plurality of electronic control units (ECU) for one or several functional units for the vehicle, and a network connecting the ECUs;

the infrastructure system is configured to implement a state map comprising various operational states of the vehicle, one or several predetermined transition conditions connecting these operational states such that a transition from one operational state of the operational states to another operational state of the generated states depends on whether at least one predetermined transition condition of the predetermined transition conditions is satisfied;

the infrastructure system is configured to receive at least one input signal to at least one ECU, the input signal comprising a parameter value that represents an event, and the at least one ECU is configured to process the input signal, with the aid of the predetermined transition conditions, to determine a current operational state of the operational states for the vehicle based on the result of the processing, and the at least one ECU is configured to make the current operational state that has been determined available on the network;

wherein the operational states for the vehicle have different priorities, from a lowest priority to a highest priority, and in case a conflict arises as to which operational state is to be determined as the current operational state, an operational state with a higher priority is preferred to one with a lower priority; and

each of the ECUs comprises a state module that comprises a unique set of state rules for each one of the operational states, the state module is configured to identify the current operational state of the vehicle based solely on the state rules, and to apply at the ECU the state rules that are associated with the operational state that has been identified,

wherein the state rules comprise control parameters for the ECU.

2. The infrastructure system according to claim 1, wherein one of the ECUs is structured to function as a supervisory control unit for the network and is configured to receive the input signal or the input signals, and to determine the operational state of the vehicle.

3. The infrastructure system according to claim 1, wherein each of the state modules comprises a control unit and a memory unit,

wherein the memory unit is configured to store the state rules and the control parameters.

4. The infrastructure system according to claim 1, wherein the network is a CAN network.

5. The infrastructure system according to claim 1, wherein the network is an Ethernet network.

6. The infrastructure system according to claim 1, wherein the event comprises at least one of a person is detected, a regulator is influenced, and a temperature is exceeded or not reached.

7. The infrastructure system according to claim 1, wherein the state rules in selected ones of the ECUs are adapted and operative to determine whether the ECU is to be activated, depending on the operational state of the selected ECUs that has been identified.

8. A method of operation of an electrical infrastructure system for a vehicle, wherein the infrastructure system comprises several electronic control units ECUs for one or several functional units for the vehicle, the ECUs connected through a network implementing a state map comprising a plurality of operational states of the vehicle,

wherein the operational states are connected by one or several predetermined transition conditions, such that a transition from one operational state to another operational state depends on whether a predetermined transition condition is satisfied, the method comprising:

receiving, in at least one of the ECUs, at least one input signal comprising a parameter value that represents an event;

automatically processing the input signal with the aid of the predetermined transition conditions for determining a current operational state for the vehicle, based on the results of the processing;

making the determined current operational state available on the network,

wherein the operational states for the vehicle have different priorities, from lowest priority to highest priority, and in case a conflict arises as to which operational state is to be determined as the current operational state an operational state with a higher priority is preferred to one with a lower priority;

in a state module for each one of the ECUs wherein the state module comprises a unique set of state rules for each one of the operational states, performing the steps;

identifying the current operational state of the vehicle based solely on the state rules; and

applying at the ECU the state rules that are associated with the operational state that has been identified, wherein the state rules comprise control parameters for the ECU.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein one of the ECUs is structured to function as a supervisory control unit for the network, is configured to receive the input signal or the input signals, and to determine the current operational state of the vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein each of the state modules comprises a control unit and a memory unit,

wherein the memory unit is configured to store the state rules and control parameters.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the network is a CAN network.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the network is an Ethernet network.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the events comprise a person is detected, a regulator is influenced, a temperature is exceeded or not reached.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the state rules in selected ones of the ECUs are adapted and operative to determine whether the ECU is to be activated, depending on the operational state of the selected ones of the ECUs that have been identified.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium, and a computer program stored on the medium, wherein the computer program comprises a program code configured to cause an infrastructure system, or a computer connected to the infrastructure system, to carry out the steps of the method according to claim 8.