Multiple communication system and apparatus

• US 5,835,020 A
• Filed: 07/01/1996
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shibata, Ken, Miura, Yukio, Mizuta, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US08/673,968
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.06, 340/825.31, 340/825.32, 340/825.22, 340/426, 307/10.2, 307/10.3, 307/10.4, 307/10.1, 395/200.1, 364/424.045, 364/424.059, 315/83, 318/444, 701/36, 701/49
• US Class Current: 340/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00642 Control systems or circuits; Control members or indication devices for heating, cooling or ventilating devices B60H1/3201 - B60H1/3208, B60H1/3225 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/0073 Control systems or circuits characterised by particular algorithms or computational models, e.g. fuzzy logic or dynamic models
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00985 Control systems or circuits characterised by display or indicating devices, e.g. voice simulators characterised by the input of sound using a voice synthesizer B60H1/00757; B60H1/00978 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0818 including control systems responsive to external conditions, e.g. by detection of moisture, dirt or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/00 Circuit arrangements for dc mains or dc distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles

Abstract

A multiple communication system used in an automobile includes miniaturized multi-function electric units. Each electric unit is composed of a CPU and a bus driver, and the CPU is connected to a bus line through the bus driver. The CPU of each of the electric units includes a communication processing program, and communication can be carried out among the electric units through the bus line using the communication processing program. Each CPU can be connected to its associated bus driver through only two data I/O ports. Thus, the number of I/O data ports is reduced as compared with the case in which conventional communication ICs are used. Further, since the bus drivers of small size are used, the electric units can be miniaturized. Further, the communication processing program of each CPU can be rewritten through the bus line.

Claims

1. A multiple communication system for an automobile comprising:

a common bus line; and

a plurality of electric units connected to said common bus line, wherein each of said electric units comprises;

a central processing unit including a rewritable memory for storing a communication processing program, and

a bus driver connected between the central processing unit and the common bus line such that the central processing unit is connected to the common bus line only through the bus driver;

wherein each of the central processing units generates control signals on said common bus line and/or receives control signals from said common bus line according to commands generated by the communication processing program stored in said rewritable memory associated with said central processing unit such that direct communication is carried out among said electric units through said common bus line,

wherein said communication processing program stored in said rewritable memory of each of said central processing units is completely rewritable by electric signals transmitted on said common bus line,

wherein a first unit of the plurality of electric units includes a first central processing unit connected to a shift lever of the automobile for generating a first signal on the common bus line in response to movement of the shift lever into a reverse position, and for generating a second signal on the common bus line when the shift lever is removed from the reverse position, and

wherein a second unit of the plurality of electric units includes a second central processing unit connected to a mirror positioning mechanism for controlling a position of a mirror mounted on the automobile, the second central processing unit controlling the mirror positioning mechanism to position said mirror into a first predetermined position in response to the first signal transmitted on said common bus line indicating that the shift lever of said automobile is entered into a reverse drive position, and for controlling the mirror positioning mechanism to reposition said mirror into an original position in response to the second signal indicating that said shift lever is removed from the reverse drive position.

2. A multiple communication system comprising:

a common bus line; and

a plurality of electric units connected to said common bus line, wherein each of said electric units comprises;

a central processing unit including a rewritable memory for storing a communication processing program, and

a bus driver connected between the central processing unit and the common bus line such that the central processing unit is connected to the common bus line only through the bus driver;

wherein each of the central processing units generates control signals on said common bus line and/or receives control signals from said common bus line according to commands generated by the communication processing program stored in said rewritable memory associated with said central processing unit such that direct communication is carried out among said electric units through said common bus line,

wherein said communication processing program stored in said rewritable memory of each of said central processing units is completely rewritable by electric signals transmitted on said common bus line,

wherein a first unit of the plurality of electric units includes a first central processing unit connected to a power seat unit including a seat sensor for sensing positions of automobile seats, a memory for storing data associated with predetermined positions of said seats, and a seat positioning mechanism for controlling the positions of said automobile seats,

wherein a second unit of the plurality of electric units includes a second central processing unit connected to a door lock unit for generating a door lock release signal when a door lock of the automobile is changed from a locked to an unlocked condition, and

wherein said power seat unit positions said seats into predetermined positions in response to the door lock release signal produced when the door lock is changed from a locked to an unlocked condition, the door lock release signal being transmitted to the power seat unit on said common bus line, and when said seats reach the predetermined positions, said seat sensor transmits a seated signal, and said power seat unit moves said seats to positions designated by the data stored in said memory in response to the seated signal.

3. The multiple communication system according to claim 2, wherein one of the electric units is a receiver for a keyless entry device, the receiver transmitting the door unlock command signal on the common bus line in response to a received signal from the keyless entry device.

4. A multiple communication apparatus, comprising:

common bus line; and

a plurality of electric units connected to said common bus line, wherein each of said electric units comprises;

a central processing unit including a rewritable memory for storing a communication processing program, and

a bus driver connected between the central processing unit and the common bus line such that the central processing unit is connected to the common bus line only through the bus driver;

wherein each of the central processing units generates control signals on said common bus line and/or receives control signals from said common bus line according to commands generated by the communication processing program stored in said rewritable memory associated with said central processing unit such that direct communication is carried out among said electric units through said common bus line,

wherein said communication processing program stored in said rewritable memory of each of said central processing units is completely rewritable by electric signals transmitted on said common bus line,

wherein one of said electric units is an arm rest module includes a door lock switch and a door lock control unit for controlling a door lock in response to actuation of the door lock switch,

wherein the arm rest module further comprises a connector adapted to receive a keyless entry receiver circuit such that the keyless entry receiver circuit is connected to the door lock control unit, and

wherein the door lock control unit is programmable over the common bus line to control the door lock in response to signals generated by the keyless entry receiver circuit.

5. A multiple communication apparatus, comprising:

common bus line; and

a plurality of electric units connected to said common bus line, wherein each of said electric units comprises;

a central processing unit including a rewritable memory for storing a communication processing program, and

a bus driver connected between the central processing unit and the common bus line such that the central processing unit is connected to the common bus line only through the bus driver;

wherein each of the central processing units generates control signals on said common bus line and/or receives control signals from said common bus line according to commands generated by the communication processing program stored in said rewritable memory associated with said central processing unit such that direct communication is carried out among said electric units through said common bus line,

wherein said communication processing program stored in said rewritable memory of each of said central processing units is completely rewritable by electric signals transmitted on said common bus line,

wherein said electric units include a wiper unit and a power window unit,

wherein said wiper unit includes a raindrop sensing means for generating a rain droplet sensing signal in response to sensed rain droplets, and for transmitting the rain droplet sensing signal on said common bus line,

wherein said wiper unit further includes means for operating a wiper in response to said rain droplet sensing signal, and

wherein said power window unit includes means for performing an automatic closing operation in response to said rain droplet sensing signal.