Communication network for an automobile

• US 20030080619A1
• Filed: 10/23/2002
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Berneis, Paul Allen, Bray, Thomas J., Matson, Jeff, Melnyk, Borys Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 6,865,460 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40006 Architecture of a communication node current supply arrangements H04L12/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4135 using bit-wise arbitration
• 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 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming

Abstract

A “segmented” CAN bus is disclosed. The “segmented” CAN bus extends the cabling scheme of a CAN network to permit isolation of individual nodes of identical type when needed and the ability for a host to determine the network topology. In addition, the CAN bus cabling scheme automatically assigns unique addresses to nodes and guarantees that the network will always be properly terminated. This eliminates the need for jumpers, DIP switches, pre-installation programming, or other hardware means requiring human intervention to uniquely identify the nodes on the network. Furthermore, because the physical node topology is determinable, equipment installation and anomaly diagnostics are facilitated. The present invention contemplates that this technique can be applied to various local area networking schemes.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a plurality of electronic devices in an automobile, the system comprising:

a processor;

a communication medium in communication with the processor, the communications medium being divided into a plurality of segments, each of the plurality of segments is connected to the processor; and

a plurality of interface modules, each of the plurality of interface modules connected to the central processor by at least one of the plurality of segments, and

wherein the plurality of interface modules communicate control messages to the plurality of electronic devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of interface modules is a serial driver interface module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of interface modules is a relay output interface module.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of interface modules is a vehicle status interface module for monitoring the operating status of the automobile.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor assigns a segment identifier to uniquely identify each of the plurality of segments.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor assigns a module identifier to uniquely identify each of the plurality of interface modules.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications medium is a segmented controller area network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of interface modules further comprises a controller area network transceiver and a computer memory.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer memory further comprises EEPROM.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a human machine interface in communication with the processor.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the human machine interface is a switch module.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the human machine interface is a fingerprint reader.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the human machine interface is a head up display.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the human machine interface is a liquid crystal display.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications medium further comprise a hub for connecting the plurality of segments to each other.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the hub is a multi-segmented repeater in communication with the processor.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a database in communication with the processor for communicating device specific control information to the plurality of interface modules.

18. A method for controlling a plurality of electronic devices in an automobile, the method comprising:

generating control signals using a processor;

transmitting the control signals over a communications medium in communication with the processor;

receiving the control signals with a plurality of interface modules in communication with the communications medium, the communications medium being divided into a plurality of segments, each of the plurality of segments is connected to the processor and each of the plurality of interface modules is connected to the central processor by at least one of the plurality of segments; and

controlling the plurality of electronic devices by communicating the control signals through the plurality of interface modules in communicate with each of the plurality of electronic devices.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a serial driver interface module for controlling a serial device.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a relay output interface module for controlling a plurality of electronic devices having relays.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising monitoring the operating status of the automobile using a vehicle status interface module.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising assigning a segment identifier to uniquely identify each of the plurality of segments.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising assigning a module identifier to uniquely identify each of the plurality of interface modules.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising communicating device specific control information to the plurality of interface modules wherein the device specific control information is stored in a database in communication with the processor.

25. A system for controlling a plurality of electronic devices in an automobile, the system comprising:

a processor;

a communications means in communication with the processor, the

communications means being divided into a plurality of segments, each of the plurality of segments is connected to the processor; and

a plurality of interface modules, each of the plurality of interface modules connected to the central processor by at least one of the plurality of segments, and

wherein the plurality of interface modules communicate control messages to the plurality of electronic devices.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein at least one of the plurality of interface modules is a serial driver interface module.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein at least one of the plurality of interface modules is a relay output interface module.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein at least one of the plurality of interface modules is a vehicle status interface module for monitoring the operating status of the automobile.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the processor assigns a segment identifier to uniquely identify each of the plurality of segments.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the processor assigns a module identifier to uniquely identify each of the plurality of interface modules.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the communications means is a segmented controller area network.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein the plurality of interface modules further comprises a controller area network transceiver and a computer memory.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the computer memory further comprises EEPROM.

34. The system of claim 25, further comprising a human machine interface in communication with the processor.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the human machine interface is a switch module.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the human machine interface is a fingerprint reader.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the human machine interface is a head up display.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein the human machine interface is a liquid crystal display.

39. The system of claim 34, wherein the communications means further comprise a hub for connecting the plurality of segments to each other.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the hub is a multi-segmented repeater in communication with the processor.

41. The system of claim 25, further comprising a database in communication with the processor for communicating device specific control information to the plurality of interface modules.