Vehicle control system and apparatus therefor

• US 20050004726A1
• Filed: 06/09/2003
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.), CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Paquet, Bert J. F.
• Granted Patent: US 6,907,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0004 In digital systems, e.g. discrete-time systems involving sampling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/12 related to parameters of the vehicle itself , e.g. tyre models
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/04 Monitoring the functioning of the control system
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/062 for starting F02D41/061 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/263 the program execution being modifiable by physical parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23212 Store entered data, program status, reread regularly, against data loss
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24182 Redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25032 CAN, canbus, controller area network bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for a vehicle control system comprising electronic modules used for the automatic control of vehicle operation. The method for automatic storing of configuration file data of at least three electronic modules for the automatic control of vehicle operation, the electronic modules being coupled in a network. Automatically collecting a value of a parameter stored in the electronic modules, deciding which of the collected values should be maintained as being a correct value of the parameter, and sending and/or storing the correct value of the parameter to electronic modules which did not send this value for the parameter during the collection step. A corresponding device is also provided.

Claims

1. - A method for automatic storing of configuration file data of at least three electronic modules for the automatic control of vehicle operation, the electronic modules being coupled in a network, the method comprising the steps of, at start-up of the vehicle:

collecting automatically via the network a value of a parameter stored in the electronic modules,

deciding which of the collected values should be maintained as being a correct value of the parameter,

sending and/or storing , the correct value of the parameter to electronic modules which did not send this value for the parameter during the collection step.

2. - A method according to claim 1, wherein the deciding step is based on a majority decision obtained by voting on the collected values.

3. - A method according to claim 1, furthermore comprising a step of releasing the network for engine startup after the sending step.

4. - A method according to claim 2, furthermore comprising a step of releasing the network for engine startup after the sending step.

5. - A method according to claim 1, wherein the collecting step is carried out by sending messages over the network.

6. - A method according to claim 4, wherein the collecting step is carried out by sending messages over the network.

7. - A method according to claim 1, wherein the collecting step includes reading from an EEPROM.

8. - A method according to claim 4, wherein the collecting step includes reading from an EEPROM.

9. - A method according to claim 6, wherein the collecting step includes reading from an EEPROM.

10. - A method according to claim 1, wherein the collecting step includes reading from a RAM.

11. - A method according to claim 2, wherein the collecting step includes reading from a RAM.

12. - A method according to claim 4, wherein the collecting step includes reading from a RAM.

13. - A method according to claim 5, wherein the collecting step includes reading from a RAM.

14. - A method according to claim 7, wherein the collecting step includes reading from a RAM.

15. - A method according to claim 1, wherein the storing step includes writing the correct value into a RAM.

16. - A method according to claim 2, wherein the storing step includes writing the correct value into a RAM.

17. - A method according to claim 4, wherein the storing step includes writing the correct value into a RAM.

18. - A method according to claim 5, wherein the storing step includes writing the correct value into a RAM.

19. - A method according to claim 7, wherein the storing step includes writing the correct value into a RAM.

20. - A method according to claim 14, wherein the storing step includes writing the correct value into a RAM.

21. - A method according to claim 1, there being no synchronisation between the different modules.

22. - A method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration file data includes at least one of:

configuration data concerning the configuration of the vehicle, calibration data which control outputs of the vehicle, settings data concerning vehicle parameters chosen by the user.

23. - A method according to claims 1, wherein the sending step comprises the sending of the correct value of the parameter to electronic modules via the network.

24. - A storing device for automatic storing of configuration file data of a plurality of electronic modules for the automatic control of vehicle operation, the electronic modules each comprising a memory, the electronic modules and the storing device being coupled in a network, the storing device comprising:

collecting means for automatically collecting values via the network of a parameter retrieved from the memories of the electronic modules,

a decision taking means for deciding which of the collected values should be maintained as a correct value,

a distribution and/or storing means for sending and/or storing the correct value to electronic modules which do not have that value for said parameter.

25. - A device according to claim 24, wherein the decision taking means decides based on a majority decision in accordance with a voting algorithm using the collected values.

26. - A device according to claim 24, furthermore comprising means for releasing the network for engine startup.

27. - A device according to claim 25, furthermore comprising means for releasing the network for engine startup.

28. - A device according to claim 24, wherein the memory is an EEPROM.

29. - A device according to claim 24, wherein the memory is a RAM.

30. - A device according to claim 28, wherein the memory is a RAM.

31. - A device according to claim 24, the modules not being provided with synchronisation means.

32. - A device according to claim 24, wherein the distribution and/or storing means include means for sending the correct value via the network to electronic modules which do not have that value for said parameter.