Intelligent vehicle systems and control logic for cellular link monitoring and failure detection

Abstract

Intelligent vehicle communication systems for cellular link monitoring and failure detection, methods for manufacturing / using such systems, and vehicles equipped with such systems are presented. A method for operating a wireless-enabled vehicle component of a motor vehicle includes a cellular communication device of the vehicle component detecting an uplink (or downlink) network packet transmitted by (or to) the vehicle. An electronic vehicle controller then establishes an observation period based on a time of transmission of the network packet. A relative downlink (or uplink) of the wireless-enabled vehicle component is monitored to determine whether a downlink (or uplink) network packet is received within the observation period, thereby indicating detection of a cellular link failure. In response to the detected cellular link failure, the vehicle controller performs a supplemental evaluation of the relative link and / or a corrective measure to reestablish a data link for the relative link.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] introduction

[0002] This disclosure generally relates to cellular communication systems. More specifically, aspects of this disclosure relate to wirelessly enabled motor vehicles with the capability to monitor and detect cellular link failures. Background Technology

[0003] Currently manufactured motor vehicles (such as Hyundai cars) are equipped with networks of onboard electronic control units (ECUs) and wireless communication devices that provide autonomous driving capabilities and navigation assistance. With improvements in vehicle processing, communication, and sensing capabilities, manufacturers are committed to providing more autonomous driving capabilities, aspiring to produce fully autonomous "self-driving" vehicles capable of navigating diverse vehicle types in both urban and rural scenarios. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are moving towards more advanced vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) "talking" cars with higher levels of driving automation, employing autonomous control systems for vehicle routing and steering, lane changes, scene planning, and more. Automated path planning systems, for example, utilize vehicle status and dynamic sensors, geolocation information, map and road condition data, and path prediction algorithms to provide path derivation with automatic lane centering and lane change prediction.

[0004] To provide telecommunications and information technology capabilities to occupants, many vehicle passenger compartments now feature a centrally stacked telematics unit (TMU) that uses wireless connectivity to send, receive, and store information. The TMU can wirelessly connect to cellular networks for purposes such as real-time navigation, customer support, vehicle tracking, system monitoring, traffic data, and fleet management. Generally, the TMU functions as a two-way radio transceiver capable of simultaneously transmitting and receiving data in the form of network data packets. Data packets can be transmitted from the cell tower to a cellular-enabled vehicle via downlink (or download) via UHF radio signals, and conversely, from the vehicle to the cell tower via uplink (or upload). Interference with uplink or downlink signals in the cellular network can cause weak or intermittent signals, leading to interruptions in telematics functionality. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This document presents an intelligent vehicle communication system for cellular link monitoring and failure detection, along with accompanying control logic, methods for manufacturing such a system, methods for using such a system, and a motor vehicle equipped with such a system. For example, a cellular-enabled vehicle equipped with a telematics unit is presented, which provides cellular link monitoring by evaluating uplink and downlink transmissions at the vehicle node to identify link failures. Upon detecting a link failure, improved measures can be taken to re-establish the failed cellular link. For example, the telematics unit can automatically respond to a detected cellular link failure by power cycling, reattaching the cellular link, updating operator settings, etc., to reconnect to established services and applications (e.g., OnStar® back office, internet applications, etc.) without user intervention. Current technologies typically rely on mobile devices to “ping” remote servers to establish end-to-end connections. In contrast, the disclosed technology passively monitors data packets initiated by the vehicle (uplink data) and data packets destined for the vehicle (downlink data) for established and ongoing applications. For each given (uplink data) packet, for example, the corresponding link (downlink data service) is checked within a predefined time interval before the (uplink) packet transmission and extended by the same predefined time interval after the (uplink) packet transmission. If no packet is observed at the corresponding link during the duration of this observation period, an error state counter is incremented. When the error state counter exceeds a calibrated threshold for a predetermined number (M) of consecutive packets, the system declares a link failure (downlink fault) and initiates further link assessment and / or link recovery techniques.

[0006] At least some of the disclosed concepts offer additional benefits, including intelligent vehicle communication systems that accurately predict cellular link failures without requiring proactive measures such as “pinging” remote servers and without unnecessarily incurring excessive cellular data charges. Additional benefits may include the ability to independently monitor and assess each cellular-enabled vehicle component and IP address within the vehicle (e.g., monitoring telematics services and taking corrective action independently of in-vehicle application traffic or Wi-Fi hotspot services). Beyond accurate link failure detection, the disclosed systems and methods can also help reduce telematics interruptions caused by weak or intermittent cellular signals.

[0007] This disclosure relates to system control logic, closed-loop feedback control techniques, and computer-readable media (CRM) for operating and / or manufacturing any of the disclosed vehicles, systems, and / or devices. In the examples, a method for controlling the operation of wirelessly enabled vehicle components, such as in-vehicle telematics units, multimedia entertainment systems, digital instrument clusters, V2X communication kits, internet access points, battery cell monitoring units (CMUs), and other enabled devices, is presented. This representative method, in any order and in any combination with any of the options and features disclosed above and below, includes: detecting uplink (or downlink) network packets transmitted by (to the vehicle) from a cellular communication device of a wirelessly enabled vehicle component, for example; determining an observation period in real time, for example, via a resident or remote electronic vehicle controller, based on the transmission time of the uplink data packets; monitoring the relative downlink (or uplink) port of the wirelessly enabled vehicle component, for example, via a vehicle controller cooperating with the cellular communication device, to determine whether the relative downlink (or uplink) network packets were not received during the observation period, thereby indicating that a cellular link failure was detected; and, in response to the detected cellular link failure, performing supplementary evaluation of the downlink (or uplink) and / or corrective actions aimed at re-establishing the data link for the downlink (or uplink), for example, via the vehicle controller.

[0008] The document also presents a non-transitory CRM for storing instructions that can be executed by one or more processors of one or more resident / remote vehicle controllers of the motor vehicle. The vehicle also includes one or more wirelessly enabled vehicle components attached to the vehicle. When executed by at least one of the processors, these instructions cause at least one of the controllers to perform operations including: receiving a signal from a cellular communication device of a wirelessly enabled vehicle component indicating the detection of network data packets transmitted to or from the wirelessly enabled vehicle component of the motor vehicle; determining an observation period based on the transmission time of the transmitted network data packets; monitoring the relative link of the wirelessly enabled vehicle component to determine whether a relative network data packet was not received during the observation period, thereby indicating a detected cellular link failure; and, in response to the detection of a cellular link failure, performing a supplementary evaluation of the relative link and / or pre-determined corrective actions to re-establish a data link for the relative link.

[0009] Additional aspects of this disclosure relate to intelligent vehicle communication systems that provide cellular link monitoring and failure detection. As used herein, the terms "vehicle" and "motor vehicle" may be used interchangeably and synonymously to include any relevant vehicle platform, such as passenger vehicles (ICE, HEV, FEV, fuel cell, fully and partially autonomous, etc.), commercial vehicles, industrial vehicles, tracked vehicles, off-road and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), motorcycles, farm equipment, boats, aircraft, etc. In the example, a motor vehicle includes a vehicle body having multiple wheels, a passenger compartment, and other standard primitive equipment. A prime mover (such as an electric traction motor and / or an internal combustion engine assembly) drives one or more of the wheels to propel the vehicle. Also mounted to the vehicle are wirelessly enabled vehicle components that employ cellular communication devices for exchanging data across cellular networks.

[0010] Continuing the discussion of the above example, one or more resident or remote electronic vehicle controllers connect to the cellular communication devices of vehicle components to receive one or more signals indicating the detection of uplink / downlink network packets transmitted by or to wirelessly enabled vehicle components. The vehicle controller(s) then calculate an observation period based on the transmission time of the uplink / downlink data packets. The relative downlink / uplink of the wirelessly enabled vehicle components is monitored to determine whether the relative downlink / uplink network packets were not received during the observation period, indicating a cellular link failure. In response to the detection of a cellular link failure, the vehicle controller(s) perform supplementary evaluation of the relative link and / or pre-determined corrective actions to re-establish the data link for the relative link.

[0011] For any disclosed vehicle, system, and method, determining the observation period may include a front-end time interval defined before the transmission time of network packets and a back-end time interval defined after the transmission time. For example, the start time of the front-end time interval may be calculated as follows: And the end time of the backend time interval can be calculated as In this example, It represents the transmission time of the uplink (or downlink) data packet, and n is the link packet counter number associated with the observed uplink (or downlink) network data packet. It is the first time constant, and It is the second time constant, which may be the same as or different from the first time constant.

[0012] For any disclosed vehicle, system, and method, an error detection counter is incremented responsively whenever a corresponding downlink (or uplink) data packet is not received at the corresponding link during the observation period of the corresponding uplink (or downlink) data packet. Upon detecting a link error, the vehicle controller determines whether the error detection counter exceeds a system-calibrated threshold for "detected errors" (e.g., five detected errors within 25 uplink transmissions). In this case, a cellular link failure is declared when the error detection counter exceeds the predefined threshold for detected errors. If the error detection counter does not exceed the threshold for detected errors, the system responsively continues to monitor the cellular communication devices of the vehicle components for the transmission of another uplink (or downlink) data packet. Alternatively, if a corresponding downlink (or uplink) data packet is received at the downlink (or uplink) during the observation period, the system may responsively determine: (1) whether a system-calibrated threshold number (e.g., 25) of uplink (or downlink) data packets has been transmitted by (or to) the vehicle, and (2) whether the error detection counter is less than the threshold for detected errors. In response to the number of calibrated network packets already transmitted, and when the error detection counter is less than the detected error threshold, the error detection counter can be reset to zero.

[0013] For any disclosed vehicle, system, and method, the vehicle controller may receive a link trigger that causes a wirelessly enabled vehicle component to connect to a cellular network, such as a "Key On" event of the vehicle or a "Power On" event of a telematics unit. In this case, monitoring and detection of uplink and downlink network packets may be performed in response to the receipt of the link trigger. Upon receiving a link trigger, a link packet counter may be reset to, for example, zero or one. The link packet counter is incremented by one whenever a corresponding downlink (or uplink) packet is received within an observation period associated with the received uplink (or downlink) packet. After incrementing the link packet counter, the system returns to monitoring the wirelessly enabled vehicle component for the transmission of another network packet. Upon receiving a link trigger, the system responsively determines whether any network packet has been transmitted to or from the wirelessly enabled vehicle component of the motor vehicle. If no network packet has been transmitted, the system continues to monitor the cellular communication devices of the wirelessly enabled vehicle component for the transmission of new uplink / downlink network packets.

[0014] For any disclosed vehicle, system, and method, corrective actions may include disabling and subsequently reactivating the cellular data link associated with the Access Point Name (APN) of the wireless-enabled vehicle component. Alternatively, corrective actions may include performing cellular network decoupling (i.e., a device-triggered decoupling protocol) followed by network registration with the cellular network serving the wireless-enabled vehicle component (i.e., a device-initiated attachment protocol). Yet another option, supplementary evaluation may include assessing the signal strength and / or signal quality at the failed downlink (or uplink) port of the wireless-enabled vehicle component.

[0015] For any disclosed vehicle, system, and method, wirelessly enabled vehicle components may include an in-vehicle telematics unit with an electronic display installed in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle. In this case, the vehicle controller may respond to the detection of a cellular link failure by commanding the display of the telematics unit to show a notification of cellular link failure to the vehicle occupants. Alternatively, the vehicle controller may transmit the notification of cellular link failure to a non-vehicle host service or other third-party entity that can track and / or serve such cellular link failure.

[0016] Option 1. A method for controlling the operation of wirelessly enabled vehicle components of a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

[0017] Detect network data packets transmitted to or from the motor vehicle via the cellular communication device of the wirelessly enabled vehicle component;

[0018] The observation period is determined by the electronic vehicle controller based on the transmission time of the network data packets.

[0019] Monitor the relative link of the wireless-enabled vehicle component to determine whether a relative network data packet was not received during the observation period, thereby indicating a detected cellular link failure; and

[0020] In response to the detection of the cellular link failure, the vehicle controller performs a supplementary assessment of the corresponding link and / or pre-determined corrective measures to re-establish the data link for the corresponding link.

[0021] Option 2. According to the method of Option 1, wherein determining the observation period includes a front-end time interval defined before the transmission time of the network data packet and a back-end time interval after the transmission time.

[0022] Option 3. The method according to Option 2, wherein the backend time interval is limited to And the front-end time interval is limited to ,in It is the transmission time. n It is the link packet counter number associated with the network data packet. It is the first time constant, and It is a second time constant that is different from the first time constant.

[0023] Option 4. The method according to Option 1, further comprising:

[0024] In response to determining that no relative network data packet was received at the relative link during the observation period, the error detection counter is incremented; and

[0025] Determine whether the error detection counter exceeds the detected error threshold.

[0026] Detecting the cellular link failure includes the error detection counter exceeding the detected error threshold.

[0027] Option 5. According to the method of Option 4, the method further includes: in response to the error detection counter not exceeding the detected error threshold, monitoring the cellular communication device of the wirelessly enabled vehicle component to transmit another network data packet.

[0028] Option 6. The method according to Option 4, wherein the method further comprises:

[0029] In response to receiving the relative network data packet at the relative link during the observation period, determine both of the following: (1) whether the calibrated threshold number of the network data packet has been transmitted to or from the vehicle, and (2) whether the error detection counter is less than the detected error threshold; and

[0030] In response to the number of calibrated network packets already transmitted, and at the same time the error detection counter is less than the detected error threshold, the error detection counter is reset to zero.

[0031] Solution 7. The method according to Solution 1, the method further comprising: receiving a link trigger via the vehicle controller, the link trigger causing the wirelessly enabled vehicle component to connect to a cellular network, wherein detecting the network data packet is performed in response to receiving the link trigger.

[0032] Option 8. The method according to Option 7, wherein the method further comprises:

[0033] In response to receiving the link trigger, the link packet counter is reset to zero;

[0034] In response to determining that the corresponding network data packet was received at the corresponding link during the observation period, the link packet counter is incremented; and

[0035] After incrementing the link packet counter, the cellular communication device of the wireless-enabled vehicle component is monitored to transmit another network data packet.

[0036] Option 9. The method according to Option 7, wherein the method further comprises:

[0037] In response to receiving the link trigger, determine whether no network packets are being transmitted to or from the wirelessly enabled vehicle component of the motor vehicle; and

[0038] In response to determining that no network data packets are being transmitted, the cellular communication device of the wireless-enabled vehicle component is monitored in order to transmit new network data packets.

[0039] Option 10. The method according to Option 1, wherein the corrective measures include:

[0040] Deactivate and subsequently reactivate the cellular data link associated with the Access Point Name (APN) of the wireless-enabled vehicle component; and / or

[0041] Cellular network decoupling is performed, followed by cellular network registration with the cellular network serving the wireless-enabled vehicle components.

[0042] Option 11. The method according to Option 1, wherein the supplementary evaluation includes evaluating the signal strength and / or signal quality of the relative link of the wirelessly enabled vehicle component.

[0043] Option 12. The method according to Option 1, wherein the wireless-enabled vehicle component includes an in-vehicle telematics unit with an electronic display device installed in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle, the method further comprising: in response to detecting the cellular link failure, transmitting a command signal to the telematics unit to display a notification of the cellular link failure via the display device.

[0044] Option 13. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a vehicle controller of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle including wirelessly enabled vehicle components attached to the motor vehicle, the instructions, when executed, causing the vehicle controller to perform operations including:

[0045] Signals are received from the cellular communication device of the wirelessly enabled vehicle component, the signals indicating the detection of network data packets transmitted to or from the wirelessly enabled vehicle component of the motor vehicle.

[0046] The observation period is determined based on the transmission time of the network data packets.

[0047] Monitor the relative link of the wireless-enabled vehicle component to determine whether a relative network data packet was not received during the observation period, thereby indicating a detected cellular link failure; and

[0048] In response to the detection of the cellular link failure, supplementary assessment of the corresponding link and / or corrective measures pre-determined to re-establish the data link for the corresponding link are performed.

[0049] Option 14. A motor vehicle, the motor vehicle comprising:

[0050] Vehicle body;

[0051] Multiple drive wheels, the drive wheels being mounted to the vehicle body;

[0052] A prime mover, which is mounted to the vehicle body and operable to drive one or more of the drive wheels to propel the motor vehicle.

[0053] A wirelessly enabled vehicle component, said vehicle component being mounted to the vehicle body; and

[0054] Electronic vehicle controller, the electronic vehicle controller being programmed to:

[0055] Signals are received from the cellular communication device of the wirelessly enabled vehicle component, the signals indicating the detection of network data packets transmitted to or from the wirelessly enabled vehicle component of the motor vehicle.

[0056] The observation period is determined based on the transmission time of the network data packets.

[0057] Monitor the relative link of the wireless-enabled vehicle component to determine whether a relative network data packet was not received during the observation period, thereby indicating a detected cellular link failure; and

[0058] In response to the detection of the cellular link failure, supplementary assessment of the corresponding link and / or corrective measures pre-determined to re-establish the data link for the corresponding link are performed.

[0059] Option 15. The motor vehicle according to Option 14, wherein determining the observation period includes a front-end time interval defined before the transmission time of the network data packet and a back-end time interval after the transmission time.

[0060] Option 16. The motor vehicle according to Option 14, wherein the vehicle controller is further programmed to:

[0061] In response to determining that no relative network data packet was received at the relative link during the observation period, the error detection counter is incremented; and

[0062] Determine whether the error detection counter exceeds the detected error threshold.

[0063] Detecting the cellular link failure includes the error detection counter exceeding the detected error threshold.

[0064] Option 17. The motor vehicle according to Option 16, wherein the vehicle controller is further programmed to: monitor the cellular communication device of the wirelessly enabled vehicle component in order to transmit another network data packet in response to the error detection counter not exceeding the detected error threshold.

[0065] Option 18. The motor vehicle according to Option 14, wherein the vehicle controller is further programmed to: receive a link trigger that causes the wirelessly enabled vehicle component to connect to a cellular network, wherein detecting the network data packet is performed in response to receiving the link trigger.

[0066] Option 19. The motor vehicle according to Option 14, wherein the corrective measures include:

[0067] Deactivate and subsequently reactivate the cellular data link associated with the Access Point Name (APN) of the wireless-enabled vehicle component; and / or

[0068] Cellular network decoupling is performed, followed by cellular network registration with the cellular network serving the wireless-enabled vehicle components.

[0069] Option 20. The motor vehicle according to Option 14, wherein the supplementary assessment includes assessing the signal strength and / or signal quality of the relative link.

[0070] The foregoing summary is not intended to represent every embodiment or aspect of this disclosure. Rather, the foregoing summary provides only illustrative examples of some of the novel concepts and features set forth herein. The foregoing features and advantages, as well as other features and accompanying advantages, will readily become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrated examples and representative modes for carrying out this disclosure when understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and appended claims. Furthermore, this disclosure expressly includes any and all combinations and sub-combinations of the elements and features presented above and below. Attached Figure Description

[0071] Figure 1 The present disclosure is a partial schematic, side view illustration of a representative motor vehicle having a network of in-vehicle controllers, sensing devices, and communication devices for passive cellular link monitoring and failure detection.

[0072] Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a flowchart of a representative cellular data link monitoring algorithm for link failure detection in a motor vehicle, based on various aspects of the disclosed concept. This cellular data link monitoring algorithm may correspond to memory-stored instructions that can be executed by a resident or remote controller, control logic circuit, programmable control unit, or other integrated circuit (IC) device or network of devices.

[0073] This disclosure is readily adaptable to various modifications and alternatives, and some representative embodiments are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the novel aspects of this disclosure are not limited to the specific forms illustrated in the drawings listed above. Rather, this disclosure is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, combinations, sub-combinations, arrangements, groupings, and alternatives that fall within the scope of this disclosure as covered, for example, by the appended claims. Detailed Implementation

[0074] This disclosure allows for many different forms of embodiments. Representative embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood that these embodiments are provided as examples illustrating the principles disclosed and are not intended to limit the broad aspects of this disclosure. To a certain extent, elements and limitations described, for example in the abstract, introduction, summary, and detailed description sections but not expressly set forth in the claims should not be incorporated into the claims individually or collectively by means of implication, inference, or otherwise.

[0075] For the purposes of this specific embodiment, unless explicitly waived, the following shall apply: the singular includes the plural and vice versa; both the words “and” and “or” shall be combined and uncombined; both the words “any” and “all” shall mean “any and all”; and the words “including,” “containing,” “comprising,” “having,” etc., shall each mean “including but not limited to.” Furthermore, for example, approximate words such as “about,” “almost,” “basically,” “approximately,” etc., may be used herein in the sense of “for…,” “close to…,” or “close to…” or “within 0% to 5% of…” or “within acceptable manufacturing tolerances” or any logical combination thereof. Finally, directional adjectives and adverbs (such as front, rear, inside, outside, starboard, port, vertical, horizontal, up, down, front, rear, left, right, etc.) may be relative to a motor vehicle, such as the forward driving direction of the vehicle when it is operatively oriented on a level driving surface.

[0076] Referring now to the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference numerals are used throughout several views to indicate similar features. Figure 1 A representative vehicle is illustrated herein, generally designated 10 and depicted as a sedan-type electric passenger vehicle for the purposes of discussion. The illustrated vehicle 10 (also referred to herein as a “motor vehicle” or simply “vehicle”) is merely an exemplary application, utilizing which novel aspects of this disclosure can be practiced. Similarly, incorporating this concept into an all-electric vehicle powertrain should be understood as a non-limiting implementation of the disclosed features. Thus, it will be understood that aspects and features of this disclosure are applicable to other powertrain configurations, can be implemented for any logically related type of vehicle, and can be provided by other communication system architectures. Furthermore, only selected components of the motor vehicle and communication system are shown and described in additional detail herein. Nevertheless, the vehicles and systems discussed below may include numerous additional and alternative features, as well as other available peripheral components, for implementing the various methods and functions of this disclosure.

[0077] Figure 1 The representative vehicle 10 is initially equipped with a vehicle telecommunications and information (“telematics”) unit 14, which wirelessly communicates with a remotely located computing host service 24 (e.g., OnStar®) via, for example, cellular towers, base stations, mobile switching centers, satellite services, etc. Figure 1Some of the other vehicle hardware components 16 shown include, as non-limiting examples, the following: an electronic video display device 18, a microphone 28, an audio speaker 30, and a variety of user input controls 32 (e.g., buttons, knobs, pedals, switches, touchpads, joysticks, touchscreens, etc.). These hardware components 16 partially serve as a human-machine interface (HMI) to enable a user to communicate with the telematics unit 14 and other components within the vehicle 10. The microphone 28 provides a means for vehicle occupants to input auditory commands; the vehicle 10 may be equipped with an embedded voice processing unit utilizing audio filtering, editing, and analysis modules. Conversely, the speaker 30 provides auditory output to vehicle occupants and may be a separate speaker dedicated to use with the telematics unit 14 or may be part of an audio system 22. The audio system 22 is operatively connected to a network connection interface 34 and an audio bus 20 to receive analog information via one or more speaker components and present it as sound.

[0078] The telematics unit 14 is communicatively connected to a network interface 34, suitable examples of which include a twisted-pair / fiber Ethernet switch, a parallel / serial communication bus, a local area network (LAN) interface, a controller area network (CAN) interface, a media-oriented system transmission (MOST) interface, a local interconnect network (LIN) interface, etc. Other suitable communication interfaces may include communication interfaces conforming to ISO, SAE, and IEEE standards and specifications. The network interface 34 enables the vehicle hardware 16 to send and receive signals to each other and to various systems and subsystems within or "resident" to the vehicle body 12, as well as outside or "away" from the vehicle body 12. This allows the vehicle 10 to perform a wide variety of vehicle functions, such as adjusting powertrain output, controlling power transmission operation, selectively engaging the braking system, controlling vehicle steering, regulating the charging / discharging of the vehicle battery pack, and other autonomous driving functions. For example, the telematics unit 14 receives signals and data from and transmits signals and data to the following: powertrain control module (PCM) 52, advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) module 54, electronic battery control module (EBCM) 56, steering control module (SCM) 58, brake system control module (BSCM) 60, and various other vehicle ECUs, such as transmission control module (TCM), engine control module (ECM), sensor system interface module (SSIM), etc.

[0079] Continue to refer to Figure 1The telematics unit 14 is an in-vehicle computing device that provides services both independently and through communication with other networked devices. The telematics unit 14 typically includes one or more processors 40, each of which may be embodied as a discrete microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a dedicated control module. The vehicle 10 may provide centralized vehicle control via a central processing unit (CPU) 36, which is operatively coupled to a real-time clock (RTC) 42 and one or more electronic memory devices 38, each of which may take the form of a CD-ROM, disk, IC device, flash memory, semiconductor memory (e.g., various types of RAM or ROM), etc.

[0080] Long-range vehicle communication capabilities with remotely networked devices can be provided via one or more of a cellular chipset / component, a navigation and positioning chipset / component (e.g., a Global Positioning System (GPS) transceiver) and / or a wireless modem (all of which are collectively represented at 44). Short-range wireless connectivity can be provided via a short-range wireless communication device 46 (e.g., a Bluetooth® unit or a Near Field Communication (NFC) transceiver), a dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) component 48, and / or dual antennas 50. It should be understood that vehicle 10 may be implemented without one or more of the components listed above, or alternatively, may include additional components and functions desired for a particular end use. The various communication devices described above may be operable to exchange data as part of periodic broadcasts in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication systems or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems (e.g., vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P), vehicle-to-device (V2D), etc.).

[0081] CPU 36 receives sensor data from one or more sensing devices that use, for example, optical detection, radar, laser, ultrasonic, optical, infrared, or other suitable technologies (including short-range communication technologies such as DSRC or ultra-wideband (UWB) radio technology) to perform autonomous driving operations or vehicle navigation services. According to the illustrated example, vehicle 10 may be equipped with one or more digital cameras 62, one or more distance sensors 64, one or more vehicle speed sensors 66, one or more vehicle dynamic sensors 68, and any necessary filtering, classification, fusion, and analysis hardware and software for processing the raw sensor data. Using data from these sensing devices 62, 64, 66, and 68 allows CPU 36 to identify surrounding driving conditions, determine road characteristics and surface conditions, identify target objects within the vehicle's detectable range, determine the target object's attributes (such as size, relative position, orientation, distance, approach angle, relative speed, etc.), and perform automated control maneuvers based on these actions.

[0082] To propel the electric-drive vehicle 10, the electrified powertrain is operable to generate traction torque and deliver it to one or more of the vehicle's wheels 26. The powertrain typically... Figure 1 The term "rechargeable energy storage system" (RESS) is used to represent this, which may have the property of a chassis-mounted traction battery pack 70 operatively connected to an electric traction motor 78. The traction battery pack 70 typically consists of one or more battery modules 72, each having a stack of battery cells 74, such as pouch, can, or prism-type lithium-ion, lithium-polymer, or nickel-metal hydride battery cells. One or more motors (such as traction motor / generator (M) units 78) draw power from and optionally deliver power to the battery pack 70 of the RESS. A dedicated power inverter module (PIM) 80 electrically connects the battery pack 70 to the motor / generator (M) units(M) 78 and regulates the current transfer therebetween. The disclosed concept is similarly applicable to powertrain architectures based on ICE and HEV.

[0083] The battery pack 70 can be configured such that module management, cell sensing, and module-to-module or module-to-host communication functions are directly integrated into each battery module 72 and wirelessly executed via a wirelessly enabled cell monitoring unit (CMU) 76. The CMU 76 can be a microcontroller-based, printed circuit board (PCB) mounted sensor array. Each CMU 76 may have a GPS transceiver and RF capabilities and may be packaged on or within the battery module housing. The battery module cells 74, CMU 76, housing, coolant lines, busbars, etc., collectively define the cell module assembly.

[0084] Figure 1 The diagram also illustrates a Mobile Vehicle Communication (MVC) system 82, which enables wireless communication between one or more moving and stationary vehicles 10 and remotely located computing nodes. The MVC system 82 is represented herein by a constellation of GPS satellites 84, a wireless service satellite 86, an uplink transmitter 88, a cellular transceiver tower 90, and a switching center (MSC) 92. The GPS transceiver 44 exchanges radio signals (e.g., 1.58 GHz (L1 signal) or 1.23 GHz (L2 signal)) with the constellation of GPS satellites 84 to obtain real-time or near real-time geographic location data and time information for the vehicle 10, which can be used, for example, to provide navigation and other related services to vehicle occupants. The wireless service satellite 86 provides one-way or two-way communication with the vehicle 10 through cooperative operation with the uplink transmitter 88, such as satellite radio and media services (e.g., music, news, video, etc.) and satellite telephone services (e.g., to supplement or replace cellular telephone services). Although shown as a single vehicle 10 communicating with multiple GPS satellites 84, a single radio service satellite 86, a single uplink station 88, a single cell tower 90, and a single MSC 92, the MVC system 82 can incorporate any number and combination of the aforementioned elements, as well as other available and subsequently developed communication hardware.

[0085] The mobile vehicle communication system 82 can also operate within a cellular communication system 96, which in turn... Figure 1 The cellular communication system 96 is represented by one or more cellular towers 90, one or more mobile switching centers 72, and any other networking components required to connect the cellular communication system 96 to a terrestrial network (e.g., host service 24). Each cellular tower 90 may be equipped with a corresponding set of transmit and receive antennas for exchanging radio signals (e.g., 1.8–2.1+ GHz frequencies), and a dedicated base station. Base stations of different cellular towers may be connected to the MSC 72 directly or via an intermediate device (e.g., a base station controller (not shown)). The cellular communication system 96 may implement any suitable communication technology, including early cellular protocols (e.g., Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) 2G technology) or modern cellular protocols (e.g., 4G-LTE 5G-Advanced technology). The vehicle telematics unit 14 may be used as a cellular-enabled mobile component registered with a cellular operator to transmit network packets to and from the cellular communication system 96. It should be understood that System 96 can present countless tower / site / MSC arrangements. To name just a few possible arrangements, these include positioning base stations and cell towers at the same site, positioning base stations and cell towers remotely to each other, a single base station serving a single cell tower, a single cell serving multiple cell towers, and connecting multiple base stations to a single MSC.

[0086] Next reference Figure 2 The flowchart, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is for use against the main vehicle (such as, Figure 1 An improved method or control strategy for cellular link monitoring and failure detection of a vehicle 10) is generally described as 100, the main vehicle being wirelessly connected to a mobile network (such as a cellular communication system 96). Figure 2 Some or all of the operations illustrated and further described in detail below may represent algorithms corresponding to processor-executable instructions stored, for example, in main, secondary, or remote memory (e.g., ...). Figure 1 The functions described above and below in connection with the disclosed concept are performed in the memory device 38 and / or database 98, and are executed, for example, by an electronic controller, processing unit, logic circuit, or other module or device or module / device (e.g., CPU 36 and / or host computing service 24) via a network, to perform any or all of them. It should be appreciated that the execution order of the illustrated operation blocks may be changed, additional blocks may be added, and some of the described operations may be modified, combined, or eliminated.

[0087] Method 100 begins at start terminal block 101, where memory-stored processor-executable instructions cause the programmable controller or control module, or a similarly suitable processor, to invoke an initialization procedure for the cellular link verification protocol. This routine can be executed in real-time, near real-time, continuously, systematically, intermittently, and / or at regular intervals (e.g., every 10 or 100 milliseconds during normal and continuous operation of the vehicle 10). Alternatively, terminal block 101 can be initialized in response to user command prompts, resident vehicle controller prompts, or broadcast prompts received from a “non-vehicle” centralized vehicle service system (e.g., host computing service 24). For example, method 100 can be automatically initialized in response to the electronic system controller receiving a communication link trigger, such as the vehicle CPU 36 receiving a notification that the vehicle ignition is on, the vehicle telematics unit 14 entering a power-on state, the activation of a cellular data connection, or the activation of cellular-dependent applications or services. Activation of a cellular data connection may include the telematics unit 14 performing a cellular attachment (3G or 4G) or registration process with the serving cellular network (5G) after power-on or reset, and successful activation of packet data network connection (3G or 4G) or Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session establishment (5G) to establish a data connection with external networks, such as the Internet or a restricted private data network. Upon completion... Figure 2 When performing the control operation presented in the diagram, method 100 may proceed to END terminal box 121 and temporarily terminate, or alternatively, it may return to terminal box 101 and run continuously in a loop.

[0088] After link monitoring initialization, method 100 proceeds from terminal box 101 to link monitoring data input / output box 103 to begin monitoring the wireless-enabled vehicle components of the master vehicle in order to output uplink network packets or input downlink network packets. See again... Figure 1 A representative application is the use of cellular chipsets / components 44 in cellular communication devices to monitor telematics units 14 or other wirelessly enabled in-vehicle components to sense when network packets are transmitted to or from the vehicle 10. Method 100 is described below as detecting cellular link errors and declaring link failures by monitoring the downlink port used to receive downlink packets simultaneously with the delivery of uplink packets by the vehicle; however, link failure detection can also be performed by monitoring the uplink port used to output uplink packets simultaneously with the receipt of downlink packets by the vehicle.

[0089] When link monitoring begins at box 103, the link packet counter is reset at box 105 in the COUNTER RESET procedure. According to the illustrated example, CPU 36 can run an uplink packet counter that acts as a construct describing the sequence, packet-by-packet verification. Initially, the uplink packet counter can be set to zero; thereafter, it can be sequentially incremented each time an uplink packet is output from the master vehicle. The uplink packet counter can also be reset in response to a power cycle of a wirelessly enabled vehicle component or a disconnect / attachment operation of a component's cellular link.

[0090] After resetting the link packet counter, method 100 executes link transit decision box 107 to determine whether network packets are transmitted to or from the master vehicle. As shown in the figure, whenever the following occurs... Figure 1 The CPU 36 receives data from the cellular chipset / component 44: (1) the output of the telematics unit 14 generates uplink data packets to the cellular tower 90; and (2) the telematics unit 14 receives downlink data packets from the cellular tower 90. For at least some implementations, uplink packets are transmitted by the telematics unit 14 on the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), while downlink packets are received by the telematics unit 14 on the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH). If in time t(n) If no uplink data packet is sent (box 107 = No), then method 100 loops through the link detection process box 109 and waits for a new uplink data packet to be transmitted by the master vehicle.

[0091] In time t(n)When transmitting uplink data packets (box 107 = Yes), method 100 responsively proceeds to link receive decision box 111 to determine whether a “relative” downlink data packet has been received on the “relative” downlink channel of the wireless-enabled vehicle component within a predefined observation period. When decision box 111 is executed, the resident or remote system controller can determine the uplink data packet detected by the master vehicle transmission based on the data packet received. n Transmission time t(n) This allows for the proactive, real-time determination of observation periods or "time windows." These observation periods can be determined by the uplink data packets. n Transmission time t(n) Previous front-end time interval and transmission time t(n) The subsequent backend time interval is defined by both. The start time of the frontend time interval. t s It can be calculated as This limits the front-end time interval to The end time of the backend time interval t e It can be calculated as This limits the backend time interval to And the observation period was limited to In this example, t a It is the backend (first) time constant, and t b It is the front-end (second) time constant, which can be compared with the first time constant. t a Same or different.

[0092] If the process residing in the vehicle receives at least one downlink packet during the observation period (box 111 = Yes) (thus implying no link error), method 100 executes the COUNTERINCREMENTER procedure box 113 and increments the link packet counter (n = n + 1). From there, method 100 loops back to the LINK DETECTION procedure box 109, and this process resumes by waiting for the next transmission of an uplink packet to continue the error condition detection process. If the process residing in the vehicle does not receive a downlink packet during the observation time window (box 111 = No) (thus implying a link error), the process marks this as an error condition and accordingly increments the error detection counter at the ERROR STATE COUNTER procedure box 115. You can also set a timestamped error detection flag in memory to mark each occurrence of an error condition, for example, for future reference during system repair.

[0093] Continue to refer to Figure 2 Method 100 executes an error threshold decision box 117 to determine whether the number of detected error conditions exceeds the system-calibrated "detected error" threshold. Based on the illustrated example, the in-vehicle process determines whether... In other words, a pre-defined time window before the transmission of uplink data packets. All detected link error conditions during the period ( The mathematical expression and whether the error count exceeds a predetermined error count threshold (e.g., As an example, if the monitored vehicle component encounters five (5) or more error conditions within a 15-second time window, the logic may declare a link failure. As an alternative to the time evaluation window, the logic may employ a correlation evaluation window, which declares a link failure if the monitored vehicle component encounters five or more error conditions during 25 uplink packets output by the vehicle component. If the total number of errors detected during the error detection window does not exceed a predetermined threshold (box 117 = No), method 100 loops back to the LINK DETECTION process box 109 and then to the LINK TRANSMISSION decision box 107.

[0094] In response to an affirmative link failure declaration (box 117 = Yes) output in the error threshold decision box 117, method 100 may automate one or more improvement actions at the link failure process box 119, such as assessing the cause of the link failure or attempting to correct it. For example, if a link failure is declared, the CPU 36 of vehicle 10 may perform a supplementary link assessment of the failed downlink port of telematics unit 14 and / or take corrective actions to re-establish the cellular link for the downlink port. The supplementary link assessment action may include assessing the link signal strength and / or link signal quality of the downlink port. By comparison, failed link remediation measures for re-establishing a data link may include: (1) disabling and reactivating a cellular data link associated with an APN (e.g., 3GPP radio specification terminology – Access Point Name) or DNN (e.g., 3GPP radio specification terminology – Data Network Name) on which the data connection has experienced failure; and / or (2) performing a cellular decoupling from or deregistering with the serving cellular network, followed by a cellular reattachment to or registration with the serving cellular network, along with reactivating the APN or DNN associated with the failed cellular data link. Alternatively, the CPU 36 may instruct the display device 18 of the telematics unit 14 to display a notification of cellular link failure to the (multiple) occupants of the vehicle 10.

[0095] When performing secondary evaluation and corrective actions at link failure procedure box 119, the error detection counter can be reset to zero. Alternatively, the error detection counter can be reset as a result of modem reset, telematics module power cycling, or ignition on / off. Despite these options, resetting the error detection counter is unnecessary because, as described above regarding decision box 117, the algorithm examines the increase in the error detection counter within the observation window and determines whether that increase exceeds a threshold. More specifically, box 117 is looking at the change in the error detection counter—not its absolute value.

[0096] In some embodiments, aspects of this disclosure may be implemented via computer-executable instructions (such as program modules), generally referred to as a software application or application executed by any of the controllers or variations thereof described herein. In non-limiting examples, the software may include routines, programs, objects, components, and data structures that perform specific tasks or implement specific data types. The software may form an interface to allow a computer to respond to an input source. The software may also cooperate with other code segments to initiate various tasks in response to data received from a source incorporating received data. The software may be stored on any of a variety of memory media, such as CD-ROMs, magnetic disks, and semiconductor memories (e.g., various types of RAM or ROM).

[0097] Furthermore, various computer system and network configurations, including multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronic devices, minicomputers, mainframes, etc., can be utilized to implement aspects of this disclosure. Additionally, aspects of this disclosure can be implemented in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by resident and remote processing devices linked via communication networks. In distributed computing environments, program modules can reside on both local and remote computer storage media, including memory storage devices. Therefore, various hardware, software, or combinations thereof can be combined in computer systems or other processing systems to implement aspects of this disclosure.

[0098] Any of the methods described herein may include machine-readable instructions for execution by (a) a processor, (b) a controller, and / or (c) any other suitable processing device. Any algorithm, software, control logic, protocol, or method disclosed herein may be embodied as software stored on a tangible medium such as flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) memory, hard disk drive (HDD) memory, CD-ROM, digital versatile optical disc (DVD), or other memory devices. Complete algorithms, control logic, protocols, or methods and / or portions thereof may alternatively be executed by devices other than controllers and / or embodied in firmware or dedicated hardware (e.g., implemented by application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable logic devices (FPLDs), discrete logic, etc.). Furthermore, while specific algorithms may be described with reference to the flowcharts and / or workflow diagrams depicted herein, many other methods may alternatively be used to implement the example machine-readable instructions.

[0099] Various aspects of this disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments; however, those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications can be made thereto without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is not limited to the precise construction and composition disclosed herein; any and all modifications, alterations, and variations apparent from the foregoing description are within the scope of this disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, this concept expressly includes any and all combinations and sub-combinations of the foregoing elements and features.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the operation of a wirelessly enabled vehicle component of a motor vehicle, the method comprising: Detecting uplink or downlink network data packets transmitted to or from the motor vehicle via the cellular communication device of the wirelessly enabled vehicle component. The observation period is determined by the electronic vehicle controller based on the transmission time of the uplink or downlink network data packets. Monitor the relative downlink or uplink of the wireless-enabled vehicle component, the relative downlink or uplink being relative to the uplink or downlink, to determine whether no relative downlink or uplink network data packets are received during the observation period, thereby indicating that a cellular link failure has been detected. as well as In response to the detection of the cellular link failure, the vehicle controller performs a supplementary assessment of the corresponding downlink or uplink and / or pre-determined corrective measures to re-establish the data link for the corresponding downlink or uplink. The observation period is defined as a front-end time interval before the transmission time of the uplink or downlink network data packets and a back-end time interval after the transmission time. The backend time interval is limited to: And the front-end time interval is limited to ,in It is the transmission time. n It is the link packet counter number associated with the uplink or downlink network data packet. It is the first time constant, and It is a second time constant that is different from the first time constant.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: In response to determining that no network data packet was received at the relative downlink or uplink during the observation period, the error detection counter is incremented; as well as Determine whether the error detection counter exceeds the detected error threshold. Detecting the cellular link failure includes the error detection counter exceeding the detected error threshold.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises: In response to the error detection counter not exceeding the detected error threshold, the cellular communication device of the wireless-enabled vehicle component is monitored to transmit another network data packet.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises: In response to receiving the relative downlink or uplink network data packet at the relative downlink or uplink during the observation period, determine both of the following: (1) whether the calibrated threshold number of the network data packet has been transmitted to or from the vehicle, and (2) whether the error detection counter is less than the detected error threshold. as well as In response to the number of calibrated network packets already transmitted, and at the same time the error detection counter is less than the detected error threshold, the error detection counter is reset to zero.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: The vehicle controller receives a link trigger that causes the wirelessly enabled vehicle component to connect to the cellular network, wherein detecting the uplink or downlink network data packet is performed in response to receiving the link trigger.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises: In response to receiving the link trigger, the link packet counter is reset to zero; In response to determining that a relative downlink or uplink network data packet was received at the relative downlink or uplink during the observation period, the link packet counter is incremented; as well as After incrementing the link packet counter, the cellular communication device of the wireless-enabled vehicle component is monitored to transmit another network data packet.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises: In response to receiving the link trigger, determine whether no network data packets are being transmitted to or from the wireless-enabled vehicle component of the motor vehicle. as well as In response to determining that no network data packets are being transmitted, the cellular communication device of the wireless-enabled vehicle component is monitored in order to transmit new network data packets.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The corrective measures include: Deactivate and subsequently reactivate the cellular data link associated with the access point name of the wireless-enabled vehicle component; and / or Cellular network decoupling is performed, followed by cellular network registration with the cellular network serving the wireless-enabled vehicle components.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The supplementary assessment includes evaluating the relative downlink or uplink signal strength and / or signal quality of the wirelessly enabled vehicle components.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The wireless-enabled vehicle component includes an in-vehicle telematics unit with an electronic display device installed in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle, and the method further includes: in response to detecting the cellular link failure, transmitting a command signal to the telematics unit to display a notification of the cellular link failure via the display device.

11. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a vehicle controller of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle including wirelessly enabled vehicle components attached to the motor vehicle, the instructions, when executed, causing the vehicle controller to perform operations including: Signals are received from the cellular communication device of the wirelessly enabled vehicle component, the signals indicating the detection of uplink or downlink network data packets transmitted to or from the wirelessly enabled vehicle component of the motor vehicle. The observation period is determined based on the transmission time of the uplink or downlink network data packets. Monitor the relative downlink or uplink of the wireless-enabled vehicle component, the relative downlink or uplink being relative to the uplink or downlink, to determine whether no relative downlink or uplink network data packets are received during the observation period, thereby indicating that a cellular link failure has been detected. as well as In response to the detection of the cellular link failure, supplementary evaluation of the corresponding downlink or uplink and / or corrective measures pre-determined to re-establish the data link for the corresponding downlink or uplink are performed. The observation period is defined as a front-end time interval before the transmission time of the uplink or downlink network data packets and a back-end time interval after the transmission time. The backend time interval is limited to: And the front-end time interval is limited to ,in It is the transmission time. n It is the link packet counter number associated with the uplink or downlink network data packet. It is the first time constant, and It is a second time constant that is different from the first time constant.

12. A motor vehicle, the motor vehicle comprising: Vehicle body; Multiple drive wheels, the drive wheels being mounted to the vehicle body; A prime mover, which is mounted to the vehicle body and operable to drive one or more of the drive wheels to propel the motor vehicle. A wirelessly enabled vehicle component, said vehicle component being mounted to the vehicle body; and Electronic vehicle controller, the electronic vehicle controller being programmed to: Signals are received from the cellular communication device of the wirelessly enabled vehicle component, the signals indicating the detection of uplink or downlink network data packets transmitted to or from the wirelessly enabled vehicle component of the motor vehicle. The observation period is determined based on the transmission time of the uplink or downlink network data packets. Monitor the relative downlink or uplink of the wireless-enabled vehicle component, the relative downlink or uplink being relative to the uplink or downlink, to determine whether no relative downlink or uplink network data packets are received during the observation period, thereby indicating that a cellular link failure has been detected. as well as In response to the detection of the cellular link failure, supplementary evaluation of the corresponding downlink or uplink and / or corrective measures pre-determined to re-establish the data link for the corresponding downlink or uplink are performed. The observation period is defined as a front-end time interval before the transmission time of the uplink or downlink network data packets and a back-end time interval after the transmission time. The backend time interval is limited to: And the front-end time interval is limited to ,in It is the transmission time. n It is the link packet counter number associated with the uplink or downlink network data packet. It is the first time constant, and It is a second time constant that is different from the first time constant.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein, The vehicle controller is further programmed to: In response to determining that no network data packet was received at the relative downlink or uplink during the observation period, the error detection counter is incremented; as well as Determine whether the error detection counter exceeds the detected error threshold. Detecting the cellular link failure includes the error detection counter exceeding the detected error threshold.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein, The vehicle controller is further programmed to monitor the cellular communication device of the wirelessly enabled vehicle component in order to transmit another network data packet in response to the error detection counter not exceeding the detected error threshold.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein, The vehicle controller is further programmed to receive a link trigger that causes the wirelessly enabled vehicle component to connect to a cellular network, wherein detecting the uplink or downlink network data packet is performed in response to receiving the link trigger.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein, The corrective measures include: Deactivate and subsequently reactivate the cellular data link associated with the access point name of the wireless-enabled vehicle component; and / or Cellular network decoupling is performed, followed by cellular network registration with the cellular network serving the wireless-enabled vehicle components.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein, The supplementary assessment includes evaluating the signal strength and / or signal quality of the relative downlink or uplink.

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