Vehicle electrical system

• US 6,326,704 B1
• Filed: 07/16/1999
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Breed, David S., Johnson, Wendell C., Duvall, Wilbur E.
• Primary Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US09/356,314
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/42, 307/155, 340/825.07, 340/825.06, 340/870.16, 340/310.01, 701/49
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

Electrical system in a vehicle including a plurality of devices used in the operation of the vehicle, a single communication bus to which the devices are connected and a single power bus to which the devices are connected. The devices include at least one accelerometer and/or at least one airbag initiator. The power bus provides power to the devices while the communication bus provides communications to and from the devices to, e.g., a control module. The devices are preferably provided with individual device addresses such that each device will respond only to its device address. Each bus may include a pair of wires and a single pair of wires may constitute both buses.

Claims

1. An electrical system in a vehicle, comprising

a plurality of devices used in the operation of the vehicle comprising at least one accelerometer, and

a single bus consisting of a pair of wires, said devices being connected to said bus and being supplied with power by said bus and communication through said bus,

each of said devices connected to said bus being assigned an address,

said bus being arranged to transfer data in the form of messages each having an address of at least one of said devices such that only said at least one of said devices assigned to said address is responsive to said message having said address,

each of said devices including means for determining whether said messages of said communication bus include said address assigned to said device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said devices is connected to both of said wires.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said devices are selected from a group consisting of actuators, sensors, lights and switches.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said means comprise a microprocessor.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communications protocol selected from the Ethernet, token ring, token slot, CAN or spread spectrum protocols.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said devices is arranged to acknowledge receipt of a communication via said bus and indicate operability of said device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one said devices includes a pair of electrical contacts each having a contact portion coated with abrasive particles and a conductive matrix.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said devices is an airbag inflator initiation device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said airbag inflator initiation device includes circuitry having a diagnostic capability.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said airbag inflator initiation device includes circuitry having a backup power supply capability.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said pair of wires each run in a loop.

12. An electrical system in a vehicle, comprising

a plurality of devices used in the operation of the vehicle comprising at least one accelerometer, and

a single network coupled to said devices and constituting both a power distribution and a communication/information bus for said devices, said single network having no more than two wires,

each of said devices being assigned an address, said single network being arranged to transfer data in the form of messages each having an address of at least one of said devices such that only said at least one of said devices assigned to said address is responsive to said message having said address,

each of said devices including means for determining whether each of said messages includes said address assigned to said device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said devices are selected from a group consisting of actuators, sensors, lights and switches.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of said devices is an airbag inflator initiation device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said airbag inflator initiation device includes circuitry having a diagnostic capability.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said airbag inflator initiation device includes circuitry having a backup power supply capability.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein said means comprise a microprocessor.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein said network is a time multiplex network.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein said network consists of a single wire connecting all of said devices, each of said devices being ground to an adjacent part of the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein any of the wires of said network each run in a loop.

21. An electrical system in a vehicle, comprising

a plurality of sensors, each detecting a physical characteristic of the vehicle,

a bus, some of said sensors being connected to said bus, and

a module connected to said bus and arranged to receive signals from said sensors and process said signals to provide information derived from the physical characteristics detected by said sensors, said module being arranged to process the information derived from the physical characteristics detected by said sensors to determine whether a component in the vehicle other than said sensors is operating normally or abnormally.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising

a display coupled to said module for displaying the information derived from the physical characteristics detected by said sensors.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising

a telecommunications device coupled to said module for communicating with a remote station to provide the remote station with the information derived from the physical characteristics detected by said sensors.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein said sensors generate signals containing information as to whether the component is operating normally or abnormally, said module comprising pattern recognition means for receiving said signals and ascertaining whether said signals contain patterns representative of normal or abnormal operation of the component.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein said bus consists of a pair of wires which provide both power and communication for said sensors.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein said bus comprises a pair of wires each running in a loop.

27. An electrical system in a vehicle, comprising

a plurality of devices used in the operation of the vehicle, at least one of said devices being an airbag initiator, and

a single bus consisting of a pair of wires, said devices being connected to said bus and being supplied with power by said bus and communicating through said bus,

each of said devices connected to said bus being assigned an address,

said bus being arranged to transfer data in the form of messages each having an address of at least one of said devices such that only said at least one of said devices assigned to said address is responsive to said message having said address,

each of said devices including means for determining whether said messages of said communication bus include said address assigned to said device.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said pair of wires each run in a loop.

29. An electrical system in a vehicle, comprising

a plurality of devices used in the operation of the vehicle comprising at least one of an accelerometer and an airbag initiator, and

a single bus comprising at least two wires each running in a loop, said devices being connected to said bus and receiving at least one of power and communications through said bus.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said devices and said bus are arranged such that said devices receive both power and communications through said bus.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein said bus consists of two wires.