Multi-network control system for a vehicle

• US 20050114007A1
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
• Original Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
• Inventors: Pillar, Duane R., Frampton, Dale E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,254,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/82
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 27/00 Fire-fighting land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/043 with additional means for keeping the receptacle substantially vertical during raising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/10 Waste collection, transportation, transfer or storage, e.g. segregated refuse collecting, electric or hybrid propulsion

Abstract

A vehicle is described herein which includes a first communication network, a second communications network and a router which is used to facilitate communication between the first and second networks.

Claims

1. An electric traction vehicle comprising:

a vehicle platform;

a first communication network;

a second communication network;

a power source mounted on the vehicle platform;

a plurality of drive wheels rotatably mounted on the vehicle platform;

a plurality of electric motors which are used to drive the drive wheels;

a router coupled between the first communication network and the second communication network, the router being used to facilitate communication between the first communication network and the second communication network.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first communication network and the second communication network use the same network communication protocol.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the network communication protocol consists essentially of J1939 network communication protocol.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a third communication network, wherein the router is coupled to the third communication network and is used to facilitate communication between the first, second, and third communication networks.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the router is used to prevent at least substantially all of the messages transmitted by a device on one of the first or second networks from being communicated to the other one of the first or second networks.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the router may be selectively configured to prevent or allow at least substantially all of the messages originating from a device on one of the first or second networks to be communicated to the other one of the first or second networks.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the router prevents messages having a particular source address from being communicated between the first and second networks.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the router is used to filter and/or forward messages between the first and second networks.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the router is used to communicate messages between the first and second networks, and wherein the messages include an identifier field and a data field, at least a portion of the data field being used by the router to determine how to handle the messages.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein a first module is coupled to the first network and is used to control output devices coupled to the first network and a second module is coupled to the second network and is used to control output devices coupled to the second network.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first network is primarily used to communicate information related to the operation of chassis devices of the vehicle and the second network is primarily used to communicate information related to the operation of the drivetrain of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the vehicle comprises a third communication network coupled to the router, the router being used to facilitate communication between the first, second, and third communication networks, and wherein the third communication network is primarily used to communicate information related to the operation of a load handling system.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the load handling system is a refuse load handling system.

14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the load handling system is a palletized load handling system.

15. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the power source includes a generator coupled to an engine, the generator being used to provide power to operate the motors.

16. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the power source provides AC power and is connected to the plurality of interface modules by way of an AC bus assembly.

17. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a tactical military vehicle, refuse vehicle, concrete vehicle, or fire fighting vehicle.

18. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle with the power source comprising a diesel engine coupled to an electric generator.

19. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a fuel cell coupled to an inverter, the inverter converting DC power from the fuel cell to AC power for the AC bus assembly.

20. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a plurality of auxiliary drive modules, and wherein the vehicle has a reconfigurable drive capacity, the reconfigurable drive capacity being achieved by way of the auxiliary drive modules, each of the plurality of auxiliary drive modules comprising, an additional electric motor, and an additional drive wheel, the auxiliary drive modules being capable of being added to and removed from the vehicle as a unit to achieve a corresponding increase or decrease in the drive capacity of the vehicle.

21. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a power storage unit.

22. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein each of the electric motors are used to regenerate power back to at least one of the principal power unit and the power storage unit.

23. The vehicle of claim 1, the vehicle comprising a backup router which is used to facilitate communication of at least critical messages between the first communication network and the second communication network if the router fails.

24. A vehicle comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

a vehicle platform;

a plurality of drive wheels rotatably coupled to the vehicle platform;

a first communication network;

a second communication network;

a router coupled between the first communication network and the second communication network, the router being used to prevent at least substantially all of the messages transmitted by a device on one of the first or second networks from being communicated to the other one of the first or second networks.

25. The vehicle of claim 24, wherein the first communication network and the second communication network use the same network communication protocol.

26. The vehicle of claim 25, wherein the network communication protocol consists essentially of J1939 network communication protocol.

27. The vehicle of claim 24, wherein the vehicle comprises a third communication network, wherein the router is coupled to the third communication network and is used to prevent at least substantially all of the messages transmitted by a device on one of the first, second, or third networks from being communicated to the remaining ones of the first, second, or third networks.

28. The vehicle of claim 24, wherein the router may be selectively configured to prevent or allow messages originating from a device on one of the first or second networks to be communicated to the other one of the first or second networks.

29. The vehicle of claim 24, wherein the router prevents messages having a particular source address from being communicated between the first and second networks.

30. The vehicle of claim 29, wherein the router is used to filter and/or forward messages between the first and second networks.

31. The vehicle of claim 24, wherein the router is used to communicate messages between the first and second networks, and wherein the messages include an identifier field and a data field, at least a portion of the data field being used by the router to determine how to handle the messages.

32. The vehicle of claim 24, wherein the first network is primarily used to communicate information related to the operation of chassis devices of the vehicle and the second network is primarily used to communicate information related to the operation of the drivetrain of the vehicle.

33. The vehicle of claim 32, wherein the vehicle comprises a third communication network coupled to the router, the router being used to facilitate communication between the first, second, and third communication networks, and wherein the third communication network is primarily used to communicate information related to the operation of a load handling system.

34. The vehicle of claim 33, wherein the load handling system is a refuse load handling system, palletized load handling system, or fire apparatus handling system.

35. A vehicle comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

a vehicle platform;

a plurality of drive wheels rotatably coupled to the vehicle platform;

a first communication network;

a second communication network;

a router coupled between the first communication network and the second communication network, the router being used to communicate messages between the first and second networks;

wherein at least a portion of the messages include an identifier field and a data field, at least a portion of the data field being used by the router to determine where to forward the messages between the first and second networks and/or whether to forward the messages between the first and second networks.

36. The vehicle of claim 35, wherein the first communication network and the second communication network use the same network communication protocol.

37. The vehicle of claim 36, wherein the network communication protocol consists essentially of J1939 network communication protocol.

38. The vehicle of claim 35, wherein the vehicle comprises a third communication network coupled to the router, wherein the router uses the at least a portion of the data field to determine where to forward the messages between the first, second, or third networks and/or whether to forward the messages between the first, second, or third networks.

39. The vehicle of claim 35, wherein the router is used to prevent at least substantially all of the messages transmitted by a device on one of the first or second networks from being communicated to the other one of the first or second networks.

40. The vehicle of claim 35, wherein the first network is primarily used to communicate information related to the operation of chassis devices of the vehicle and the second network is primarily used to communicate information related to the operation of the drivetrain of the vehicle.

41. The vehicle of claim 40, wherein the vehicle comprises a third communication network coupled to the router, the router being used to facilitate communication between the first, second, and third communication networks, and wherein the third communication network is primarily used to communicate information related to the operation of a load handling system.

42. The vehicle of claim 41, wherein the load handling system is a refuse load handling system, palletized load handling system, or fire apparatus handling system.

43. An electric traction vehicle comprising:

a vehicle platform;

a first communication network;

a second communication network;

a third communication network;

a power source mounted on the vehicle platform;

a plurality of drive wheels rotatably mounted on the vehicle platform;

a plurality of electric motors which are used to drive the drive wheels;

a router coupled between the first, second, and third networks, the router being used to filter and/or forward messages between the first, second, and third networks.

44. The vehicle of claim 43, wherein the vehicle is a tactical military vehicle, refuse vehicle, concrete vehicle, or fire fighting vehicle.