Remote sensor communication adaptive synchronization control device for constraint control system

Abstract

An electronic controller for a restraint control system of a vehicle includes an electronic control unit having a first serial interface. The electronic controller also includes a communication controller including a second serial interface and a plurality of PSI5 (Peripheral Sensor Interface 5) digital communication interfaces. Each of the first serial interface and the second serial interface is a serial peripheral interface (SPI) that directly communicates with one another, and the digital communication interfaces are each configured to communicate with remote sensors. The communication controller is configured to transmit a voltage synchronization pulse to each of the remote sensors via the PSI5 digital communication interfaces in response to a synchronization command received from the electronic control unit via the serial interconnection. The voltage synchronization pulses on each of the PSI5 interfaces can be staggered and non-overlapping to reduce EMI generation and reduce current load of the electronic controller.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications This PCT international patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 16 / 892,857, filed on June 4, 2020, entitled “Remote Sensor Communication Adaptive Synchronization Control for Restraint Control System,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0002] Over the past few decades, advancements in automotive safety systems have significantly improved the protection of vehicle occupants. Currently available motor vehicles include a range of such systems, including pneumatic restraint systems to protect occupants from frontal, side, and rollover situations. Advances in restraint straps and in-vehicle energy absorption systems have also contributed to increased safety. Upon detecting a vehicle collision, many of these systems must be deployed or actuated irreversibly to provide their beneficial effects. Many designs for such sensors are currently used to detect collisions or rollovers.

[0003] The PSI5 communication interface is used in many different applications, including constraint control modules for communicating with various sensors in a vehicle. The PSI5 communication interface uses a two-wire interconnect with voltage synchronization pulses for synchronizing signal sampling and communicating with modulated currents to transmit sensor data.

[0004] Electronic controllers used in restraint systems typically include electronic control units such as microprocessors or microcontrollers, and one or more communication controllers configured to communicate with one or more remote sensors via a PSI5 communication interface. The electronic control units in such controllers typically connect to the communication controllers using serial data interconnects and digital input / output (I / O) connections used by the communication controllers to synchronize communication on the PSI5 communication interface. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one or more embodiments, the electronic controller includes an electronic control unit that includes a first serial interface. The electronic controller also includes a communication controller that includes a second serial interface and a digital communication interface. The second serial interface communicates directly with the first serial interface via a serial interconnect, and the digital communication interface is configured to communicate with a remote sensor. The communication controller is configured to transmit voltage synchronization pulses to the remote sensor via the digital communication interface in response to a synchronization command received from the electronic control unit via the serial interconnect.

[0006] According to one or more embodiments, the communication controller includes a serial interface and a digital communication interface configured to communicate with a remote sensor. The communication controller is configured to transmit voltage synchronization pulses to the remote sensor via the digital communication interface in response to a synchronization command received via the serial interface.

[0007] These and other advantages and features will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0008] The subject matter of this disclosure is specifically pointed out and expressly stated in the claims at the end of the specification. The foregoing and other features and advantages of this disclosure will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1A This is a schematic block diagram illustrating a conventional electronic controller for a constraint control system; Figure 1B This is a schematic block diagram illustrating an electronic controller for a constraint control system according to various aspects of this disclosure; Figure 2 This is a timing diagram illustrating signals on a digital communication interface according to various aspects of this disclosure; and Figure 3 The timing diagrams of signals on four different digital communication interfaces are shown according to various aspects of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0009] Referring now to the accompanying drawings, in which this disclosure will be described with reference to specific embodiments without limitation, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely illustrative of the disclosure as it can be embodied in various alternative forms. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show detail of particular components. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for instructing those skilled in the art to employ this disclosure in different ways.

[0010] As used herein, the term "controller" refers to one or more processing circuits, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), electronic circuits, (shared, dedicated, or group) processors, and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, combinational logic circuits, and / or other suitable components that provide the described functionality. As will be understood, the controllers described below can be combined and / or further divided.

[0011] Referring now to the accompanying drawings, the technical solutions will be described with reference to specific embodiments, without limitation, for the purpose of implementing the disclosed embodiments.

[0012] Figure 1A This is a schematic block diagram illustrating a first electronic controller 10 having a conventional design and which can be used, for example, in a constraint control system of a motor vehicle. The first electronic controller 10 includes an electronic control unit 12, such as a microprocessor or microcontroller. Alternatively or additionally, the electronic control unit 12 may include one or more dedicated processing devices, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or processing devices with dedicated configurations such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Alternatively or additionally, the electronic control unit 12 may include a combination of one or more general-purpose processors with dedicated hardware components.

[0013] The electronic control unit 12 includes a processor 14 coupled to a machine-readable storage memory 16. This memory may include memory integrated within the same physical device as one or more processors and / or storage memory located on one or more separate memory devices, such as programmable read-only memory (e.g., flash memory), optical media, and / or magnetic media. The processor 14 is configured to execute instructions stored on the machine-readable storage memory 16 and take an action based on those instructions. The electronic control unit 12 may take the form of a microcontroller unit (MCU). The electronic control unit 12 may include two or more processors 14, which may be integrated into a single device or distributed among two or more physical devices.

[0014] like Figure 1A As shown, the electronic control unit 12 also includes a first serial interface 18, which is coupled to the processor 14 for communication with one or more external devices. The first serial interface 18 may be a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI). Specifically, the first serial interface 18 may employ the SPI serial communication interface specification with a four-wire serial bus. However, the first serial interface 18 may employ another communication interface, which may be a standard-based interface such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) and / or a non-standard interface. The first serial interface 18 may be configured to use a four-wire bus of the SPI specification. However, the first serial interface 18 may be configured to use an interconnect bus with any number of conductors.

[0015] like Figure 1A As shown, the first electronic controller 10 also includes a first communication controller 20 configured to communicate with a plurality of remote sensors 31, 35, 39, and 43, wherein 31 may be a single sensor or a connection of multiple sensors, 35 may be a single sensor or a connection of multiple sensors, 39 may be a single sensor or a connection of multiple sensors, and 43 may be a single sensor or a connection of multiple sensors. The first communication controller 20 may be a conventional design including general-purpose devices and / or special-purpose devices such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The first communication controller 20 includes a second serial interface 22 that communicates directly with the first serial interface 18 via a serial interconnect 26.

[0016] The first communication controller 20 further includes a plurality of digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, and 42, each configured to communicate with a corresponding remote sensor 31, 35, 39, or 43. Specifically, the first communication controller 20 includes: a first digital communication interface 30 configured to communicate with the first remote sensor 31 via a first interface cable 32; a second digital communication interface 34 configured to communicate with the second remote sensor 35 via a second interface cable 36; a third digital communication interface 38 configured to communicate with the third remote sensor 39 via a third interface cable 40; and a fourth digital communication interface 42 configured to communicate with the fourth remote sensor 43 via a fourth interface cable 44. Figure 1A The first communication controller 20 shown includes four digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, and 42. However, the first communication controller 20 may include any number of digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, and 42. Each of the interface cables 32, 36, 40, and 44 is a twisted-pair cable to limit the generation and / or reception of electromagnetic interference (EMI).

[0017] Each of the digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, and 42 is configured to use PSI5-compliant signaling to communicate with a corresponding remote sensor among the remote sensors 31, 35, 39, and 43 using the Peripheral Sensor Interface 5 (PSI5) standard. PSI5 compliance may include timing and / or timing of data transmission, and other characteristics such as current levels. PSI5 is a digital interface standard for sensors employing two-wire interconnects. PSI5 is used to connect peripheral sensors to electronic control devices in multiple different automotive systems. PSI5 supports point-to-point and bus configurations with asynchronous and synchronous communication.

[0018] The PSI5 works by using current interface modulation of the transmitted current for data transmission on the power leads. Due to the relatively high signal current amplitude and the use of Manchester bit encoding, a high level of interference immunity is achieved, demonstrating that economical two-wire cabling is sufficient.

[0019] Sensors with PSI5 interfaces, along with corresponding receivers and transceivers for receiving sensor data, have been used in the automotive industry for many years. Two-way communication can also be achieved via synchronization pulses; the presence or absence of these pulses determines the transmission of data from the control device to the sensor.

[0020] Figure 1A The first electronic controller 10 shown also includes a synchronization interconnect 50 between the electronic control unit 12 and the first communication controller 20. The synchronization interconnect 50 can be connected to a digital output driven by the processor 14 to transmit a timing synchronization signal to the first communication controller 20. The first communication controller 20 is configured to transmit voltage synchronization pulses via digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, and 42 in response to the timing synchronization signal received via the synchronization interconnect 50.

[0021] Figure 1B This is a schematic block diagram illustrating a second electronic controller 10' of a restraint control system according to various aspects of this disclosure. The restraint control system can monitor and / or operate one or more active and / or passive restraint devices in an electric vehicle. The restraint control system can also be configured to communicate with one or more sensors to monitor the status of components of the restraint devices and / or other vehicle parameters related to the operation of the restraint devices. Figure 1B The second electronic controller 10' can be with Figure 1A The first electronic controller 10 shown is similar or identical, but does not have the synchronous interconnect 50. Instead, Figure 1B The second electronic controller 10' includes a second communication controller 20' different from the first communication controller 20, and is configured to transmit voltage synchronization pulses via digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, 42 in response to a synchronization command received from the electronic control unit 12 via serial interconnect 26. Figure 1B As shown, the serial interconnect 26, which lacks synchronous interconnect 50, can provide cost savings and higher reliability by eliminating I / O pins on each of the electronic control unit 12 and the second communication controller 20'. Furthermore, the second electronic controller 10' can have a simpler construction without the need for conductors used for synchronous interconnect 50. In some embodiments, serial interconnect 26 is the only interface between the electronic control unit 12 and the second communication controller 20'. In other words, there may be no other data interconnects besides serial interconnect 26 used for direct and / or indirect transmission of signals between the electronic control unit 12 and the second communication controller 20'.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a first timing diagram 100 illustrating signals on one of the digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, and 42, according to various aspects of this disclosure. In other words, Figure 2 The signals generated by the second electronic controller 10' are shown. Specifically, the first timing diagram 100 includes curves 102, 104, and 106, which illustrate the signals on one of the interface cables 32, 36, 40, and 44. Each curve includes a series of voltage synchronization pulses 112 with fixed time intervals, wherein current-modulated data is transmitted between the voltage synchronization pulses 112, as a current-modulated transmission window 114 and a current-modulated data signal 116. Note that the voltage synchronization pulses 112 are in volts, and the current-modulated data signal 116 is in mA. This is a characteristic of the PSI5 standard.

[0023] Figure 2 The first curve 102 shown illustrates a given digital communication interface among digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, and 42 operating at a data rate of 2 kHz, wherein the voltage synchronization pulses 112 are spaced 500 µs apart. Figure 2 The second curve 104 shown illustrates a given digital communication interface among digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, and 42 operating at a data rate of 4 kHz, wherein the voltage synchronization pulses 112 are spaced 250 µs apart. Figure 2 The third curve 106 shown illustrates a given digital communication interface among the digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, and 42 operating at a data rate of 1 kHz, wherein the voltage synchronization pulses 112 are spaced 1000 µs apart. Curves 102, 104, and 106 shown on the first timing diagram 100 illustrate examples of a variable data rate for a given digital communication interface among the digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, and 42, which can be generated by the second communication controller 20' in response to commands received from the electronic control unit 12 via the serial interconnect 26.

[0024] In some implementations, the second communication controller 20' may transmit a plurality of voltage synchronization pulses 112 at fixed intervals in response to a command received from the electronic control unit 12 via the serial interconnect 26. For example, the second communication controller 20' may generate and transmit voltage synchronization pulses 112 every 250µs on a given digital communication interface of one of the digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, 42 in response to a single command received from the electronic control unit 12 via the serial interconnect 26.

[0025] In some embodiments, the electronic control unit 12 can control the timing of the voltage synchronization pulse 112 by changing the timing of the serial communication message sent to the second communication controller 20' via the serial interconnect 26. For example, the second communication controller 20' can generate the voltage synchronization pulse 112 on a given digital communication interface of digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, 42 immediately after receiving the corresponding information from the electronic control unit 12 via the serial interconnect 26 or at a predetermined time after receiving the corresponding information. In some embodiments, the second communication controller 20' is configured to transmit the voltage synchronization pulse 112 via each of the digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, 42 in response to a single synchronization command received from the electronic control unit 12 via the serial interconnect 26.

[0026] In some embodiments, the second communication controller 20' is configured to change the fixed interval between voltage synchronization pulses 112 in response to a data rate command received from the electronic control unit 12 via the serial interconnect 26. For example, the electronic control unit 12 may send a periodic message to the second communication controller 20' every 250µs. A specific serial communication message may instruct the second communication controller 20' to generate voltage synchronization pulses 112 using the first digital communication interface 30 at each periodic message, thereby causing the first digital communication interface 30 to operate at a data rate of 4kHz. Another data rate command may instruct the second communication controller 20' to generate voltage synchronization pulses 112 using the first digital communication interface 30 at each second periodic message, thereby causing the first digital communication interface 30 to operate at a data rate of 2kHz.

[0027] In some embodiments, the second communication controller 20' is configured to transmit voltage synchronization pulses 112 at different timing intervals via two or more digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, 42 in response to a synchronization command received from the electronic control unit 12 via the serial interconnect 26. For example, and as... Figure 2As shown, the second communication controller 20' can generate a voltage synchronization pulse 112 using the second digital communication interface 34 at each periodic message, and simultaneously generate a voltage synchronization pulse 112 using the first digital communication interface 30 at each second periodic message, thereby enabling the second digital communication interface 34 to operate at a data rate of 4 kHz and the first digital communication interface 30 to operate at a data rate of 2 kHz. A different serial communication message in the serial communication messages can instruct the second communication controller 20' to generate a voltage synchronization pulse 112 using the second digital communication interface 34 at a different rate, such as, for example, every fourth periodic message in the periodic messages, thereby enabling the second digital communication interface 34 to operate at a data rate of 1 kHz. It should be noted that these are merely examples, and different data rates can also be used. Furthermore, the second communication controller 20' can use different timing sources, such as a real-time clock or a clock signal from another source, to generate the voltage synchronization pulse 112.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a second timing diagram 200 illustrating the signals on each of the digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, and 42, according to various aspects of this disclosure. In other words, Figure 3 The signal generated by the second electronic controller 10' is shown.

[0029] Specifically, the second timing diagram 200 includes: a fourth curve 202, which shows the signal on the first interface cable 32; a fifth curve 204, which shows the signal on the second interface cable 36; a sixth curve 206, which shows the signal on the third interface cable 40; and a seventh curve 208, which shows the signal on the fourth interface cable 44.

[0030] In some embodiments, and as shown in the second timing diagram 200, the voltage synchronization pulse 212 on each of the digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, 42 can be transmitted by the second communication controller 20' at different times. More specifically, the second digital communication interface 34 (shown on curve 204) can transmit the voltage synchronization pulse 212 shortly after the corresponding voltage synchronization pulse 212 is transmitted by the first digital communication interface 30 (shown on curve 202). Similarly, the third digital communication interface 38 (shown on curve 206) can transmit the voltage synchronization pulse 212 shortly after the corresponding voltage synchronization pulse 212 is transmitted by the second digital communication interface 34 (shown on curve 204). This short delay can be referred to as the hysteresis time. In some embodiments, and as shown in... Figure 3 As shown, the lag time is approximately equal to the duration of each voltage synchronization pulse 212. This interleaving of voltage synchronization pulses 212 generated during non-overlapping times reduces the peak transient current amplitude requirement and reduces electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated by the second electronic controller 10'.

[0031] This function of generating non-overlapping voltage synchronization pulses can be implemented in either the electronic control unit 12 or the second communication controller 20'. In some embodiments, for example, the electronic control unit 12 can be programmed or otherwise configured to generate commands at staggered intervals corresponding to lag times and send these commands to the second communication controller 20', causing the second communication controller 20' to transmit voltage synchronization pulses 212 at non-overlapping times on different digital communication interfaces among the digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, and 42. Alternatively, the second communication controller 20' can be configured to generate and transmit voltage synchronization pulses 212 at non-overlapping times on different digital communication interfaces among the digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, and 42. For example, the second communication controller 20' can generate staggered voltage synchronization pulses 212 at fixed and non-overlapping times in response to a single command from the electronic control unit 12. Such staggered voltage synchronization pulses 212 generated and transmitted by the second communication controller 20' can be synchronized with... Figure 3 The curves 202, 204, 206, and 208 shown are similar or identical.

[0032] Curves 202, 204, 206, and 208 of the second timing diagram 200 illustrate an exemplary embodiment in which digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, and 42 all operate at the same data rate of 2 kHz. However, non-overlapping voltage synchronization pulses can be executed at any data rate, or digital communication interfaces 30, 34, 38, and 42 can operate at two or more different data rates.

[0033] Although this disclosure has been described in detail with reference to only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that this disclosure is not limited to such embodiments. Rather, this disclosure may be modified to include any number of variations, alterations, substitutions, or equivalent arrangements not previously described but commensurate with the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, while various embodiments of this disclosure have been described, it should be understood that aspects of this disclosure may include only some of the described embodiments or combinations of various embodiments. Therefore, this disclosure should not be considered as limited to the foregoing description.

Claims

1. An electronic controller, the electronic controller comprising: An electronic control unit, the electronic control unit including a first serial interface; A communication controller includes a second serial interface and a digital communication interface, the second serial interface communicating directly with the first serial interface via a serial interconnect, and the digital communication interface being configured to communicate with a remote sensor; The communication controller is configured to transmit voltage synchronization pulses to the sensor via the digital communication interface in response to a synchronization command received from the electronic control unit via the serial interconnect; The voltage synchronization pulse is one of a plurality of voltage synchronization pulses transmitted at fixed intervals by the communication controller in response to a command received from the electronic control unit via the serial interconnect; and The communication controller is configured to transmit the plurality of voltage synchronization pulses at different timing intervals through two or more of the plurality of digital communication interfaces of the communication controller in response to the synchronization command received from the electronic control unit.

2. The electronic controller of claim 1, wherein the digital communication interface is configured to use PSI5 compliant signaling.

3. The electronic controller according to claim 1, wherein the first serial interface and the second serial interface are each a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI).

4. The electronic controller according to claim 1, wherein the serial interconnect is the only interface between the electronic control unit and the communication controller.

5. The electronic controller of claim 1, wherein the communication controller is configured to change the fixed interval in response to a data rate command received from the electronic control unit.

6. The electronic controller according to claim 1, wherein the digital communication interface is one of the plurality of digital communication interfaces of the communication controller; and The communication controller is configured to transmit the voltage synchronization pulse through each of the plurality of digital communication interfaces in response to the synchronization command received from the electronic control unit via the serial interconnect.

7. The electronic controller of claim 6, wherein at least one of the electronic control unit or the communication controller is configured to cause the communication controller to transmit the voltage synchronization pulse through each of the plurality of digital communication interfaces in a non-overlapping time.

8. A constraint control system, the constraint control system comprising the electronic controller according to claim 1.

9. A communication controller, the communication controller comprising a serial interface and a digital communication interface configured to communicate with a remote sensor; and The communication controller is configured to transmit voltage synchronization pulses to the remote sensor via the digital communication interface in response to a synchronization command received via the serial interface; The voltage synchronization pulse is one of a plurality of voltage synchronization pulses transmitted by the communication controller at fixed intervals in response to a command received via the serial interface; and The communication controller is configured to transmit the plurality of voltage synchronization pulses at different timing intervals through two or more of the plurality of digital communication interfaces of the communication controller in response to the received synchronization command.

10. The communication controller according to claim 9, wherein the digital communication interface has PSI5 timing compliance.

11. The communication controller according to claim 9, wherein the serial interface is a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI).

12. The communication controller of claim 9, wherein the serial interface is the only interface configured to enable the communication controller to transmit the synchronization pulse.

13. The communication controller of claim 9, wherein the communication controller is configured to change the fixed interval in response to a data rate command received via the serial interface.

14. The communication controller of claim 9, wherein the digital communication interface is one of a plurality of digital communication interfaces of the communication controller; and The communication controller is configured to transmit the voltage synchronization pulse through each of the plurality of digital communication interfaces in response to the synchronization command received via the serial interface.

15. The communication controller of claim 14, wherein the communication controller is configured to transmit the plurality of voltage synchronization pulses in a non-overlapping time through each of the plurality of digital communication interfaces.

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