Integrated circuit chip for a vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a chip, an electronic assembly, a vehicle and a method for generating control signals. The chip comprises a mesh bus and a ring bus. The mesh bus is coupled to each sensor to receive and transmit perception data. The ring bus is coupled to a processor and the mesh bus. The processor receives different types of perception data from different sensors such as cameras and lidar, and performs data fusion to generate control signals for controlling execution devices. In the present disclosure, by coupling a large number of perception sensors to the mesh bus and a smaller number of controllers to the ring bus within a single chip, the advantages of each bus can be utilized respectively, reducing cost and resource consumption. Furthermore, by fusing different types of data, the hardware cost requirement can be reduced and at the same time the safety level of the chip and the vehicle using the chip can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of electronics, and more specifically to integrated circuit chips and electronic components for use in vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of information technology, intelligent transportation tools such as smart cars are becoming increasingly common. For intelligent transportation tools, features such as autonomous driving, voice interaction, and driver detection have become core competitive advantages. The realization of these features often relies on corresponding hardware, such as onboard chips, cameras, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), sonar, radar, and microphones.

[0003] On the other hand, autonomous driving is directly related to personal safety, so the safety of the chips used to implement it is of particular concern. Some conventional autonomous driving solutions improve safety specifications through redundant dual-chip designs. However, dual-chip designs are often costly and resource-intensive. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, embodiments of this disclosure aim to provide a chip, electronic component, vehicle, and method for generating control signals for controlling the vehicle in a low-cost manner.

[0005] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a chip is provided. The chip includes a first bus, a second bus, and a processor. The first bus is configured to transmit first sensing data. The second bus is coupled to the first bus. The type of the second bus is different from the type of the first bus. The second bus is configured to transmit second sensing data and first sensing data from the first bus. The type of the second sensing data is different from the type of the first sensing data. The processor is coupled to the second bus and is configured to generate control signals for controlling an actuator based on the first and second sensing data. By coupling the various functional circuits to different buses based on their functional types (e.g., sensing and decision-making), sensing data can be transmitted on the first bus and decision data can be transmitted on the second bus. This allows for the effective utilization of the advantages of each bus, such as the low latency and efficient data transmission of a ring bus and the scalability, high bandwidth, and low latency of a mesh bus, while reducing resource consumption and latency.

[0006] In one implementation, the first bus is selected from the group consisting of mesh buses, fully connected buses, and star buses. The second bus is selected from the group consisting of ring buses, linear buses, and tree buses.

[0007] In one implementation, the chip further includes a first processing circuit. The first processing circuit is coupled to a first bus and receives first sensing data from a first sensor coupled to the first bus. The first processing circuit processes the first sensing data to generate first sensing data. By processing the sensing data locally, the transmission of raw sensing data with large data volumes can be avoided, thereby saving bandwidth and cost.

[0008] In one implementation, the first processing circuit is selected from the group consisting of artificial intelligence vector circuits and artificial intelligence core circuits. The first sensor is selected from the group consisting of cameras, optical radar, sonar, and radar.

[0009] In one implementation, the chip further includes a third bus. The third bus is coupled to the first bus. The type of the third bus is the same as the second bus. The third bus is configured to transmit first auxiliary data corresponding to the first sensing data and second auxiliary data corresponding to the second sensing data from the first bus. The processor is coupled to the third bus and is further configured to generate control signals based on the first sensing data, the first auxiliary data, the second sensing data, and the second auxiliary data. By using a third bus of the same type as the second bus to transmit auxiliary data, the integrity or correctness of the sensing data transmitted on the second bus can be verified to improve the security of data transmission, thereby enhancing the chip's security performance.

[0010] In one implementation, the auxiliary data includes cyclic redundancy check (CRC) data. In another implementation, the chip further includes a second processing circuit. The second processing circuit is coupled to a first bus or a second bus and receives second sensing data from a second sensor coupled to the first bus or the second bus. The second processing circuit processes the second sensing data to generate second sensing data. By processing the sensing data locally, the transmission of large amounts of raw sensing data can be avoided, thereby saving bandwidth and cost.

[0011] In one implementation, the second processing circuit is selected from the group consisting of artificial intelligence vector circuits and artificial intelligence core circuits. The second sensor is selected from the group consisting of cameras, optical radar, sonar, and radar.

[0012] In one implementation, the processor is further configured to determine first environmental data representing the environmental condition based on first sensing data and first auxiliary data; determine second environmental data representing the environmental condition based on second sensing data and second auxiliary data; and generate a control signal based on the first and second environmental data. By using different types of environmental data, the correctness of the environmental data can be interactively verified. For example, if the first environmental data indicates that there is a pedestrian ahead, and different types of second environmental data also indicate that there is a pedestrian ahead, a corresponding control signal can be generated based on the consistent result.

[0013] In one implementation, the processor is further configured to fuse first environmental data and second environmental data to generate fused data; and to generate control signals based on the fused data. In another implementation, the processor is further configured to fuse first sensing data and second sensing data to generate fused data; and to generate control signals based on the fused data. By fusing different types of sensing data, such as camera data and LiDAR data, the correctness of the sensing data can be verified, ensuring that the correct environmental objects are sensed and generating corresponding decision or control signals, so that actuators of the vehicle can perform the correct operations. This improves the safety level of the vehicle.

[0014] In one implementation, the chip further includes: a first cross-site circuit located on the first bus and configured to transmit data; and a first processing circuit coupled to the first cross-site circuit and configured to generate first sensing data based on first sensing data from a first sensor, the first sensor being coupled to the first cross-site circuit. By coupling the sensor and the processing circuit to the same cross-site circuit, long-distance transmission of large amounts of sensing data over the first bus can be avoided, thereby reducing bandwidth congestion and improving processing speed.

[0015] In one implementation, the chip further includes a second cross-site circuit located on the second bus and configured to transmit data; and a second processing circuit coupled to the second cross-site circuit and configured to generate second sensing data based on second sensing data from a second sensor coupled to the second cross-site circuit. By coupling the sensor and the processing circuit to the same cross-site circuit, long-distance transmission of large amounts of sensing data on the first bus can be avoided, thereby reducing bandwidth congestion and improving processing speed.

[0016] In one implementation, the first bus includes a mesh bus, the second bus includes a ring bus, and the third bus includes a ring bus.

[0017] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, an electronic component is provided. The electronic component includes a circuit board and a chip according to the first aspect. The chip is mounted on the circuit board. By coupling the various functional circuits in the chip to different buses based on functional types (e.g., sensing and decision-making), sensing data can be transmitted on a first bus and decision data can be transmitted on a second bus. This allows for the effective utilization of the advantages of each bus, such as the low latency and efficient data transmission of a ring bus and the scalability, high bandwidth, and low latency of a mesh bus, while reducing resource consumption and latency.

[0018] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a power supply; and electronic components according to a second aspect. The electronic components are powered by the power supply. By coupling various functional circuits in a chip within the vehicle to different buses based on their functional type (e.g., sensing and decision-making), sensing data can be transmitted on a first bus and decision data on a second bus. This allows for the effective utilization of the advantages of each bus, such as the low latency and efficient data transmission of a ring bus and the scalability, high bandwidth, and low latency of a mesh bus, while reducing resource consumption and latency.

[0019] In one implementation, the vehicle further includes a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor is coupled to a first bus via a first interface and configured to generate first sensor data and transmit the first sensor data to the first bus. The second sensor is coupled to a second bus via a second interface and configured to generate second sensor data and transmit the second sensor data to the second bus.

[0020] According to a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a method for generating control signals is provided. The method includes transmitting first sensing data via a first bus; transmitting second sensing data and the first sensing data from the first bus via a second bus, wherein the type of the second bus is different from the type of the first bus, and the type of the second sensing data is different from the type of the first sensing data; and generating control signals for controlling an actuator based on the first sensing data and the second sensing data acquired from the second bus. By coupling the various functional circuits in the chip to different buses based on their functional type (e.g., sensing and decision-making), sensing data can be transmitted on the first bus, and decision data can be transmitted on the second bus. This allows for the effective utilization of the advantages of each bus, such as the low latency and efficient data transmission of a ring bus and the strong scalability, high bandwidth, and low latency of a mesh bus, while reducing resource consumption and latency.

[0021] In one implementation, the method further includes transmitting first auxiliary data corresponding to the first sensing data and second auxiliary data corresponding to the second sensing data from the first bus via a third bus, wherein the third bus is coupled to the first bus and the type of the third bus is the same as that of the second bus; and generating control signals based on the first sensing data, the first auxiliary data, the second sensing data, and the second auxiliary data. By using a third bus of the same type as the second bus to transmit auxiliary data, the integrity or correctness of the sensing data transmitted on the second bus can be verified to improve the security of data transmission, thereby enhancing the security performance of the chip.

[0022] In one implementation, generating a control signal for controlling the actuator based on first and second sensing data acquired from a second bus includes determining first environmental data representing the environmental condition based on the first sensing data and first auxiliary data; determining second environmental data representing the environmental condition based on the second sensing data and the second auxiliary data; and generating the control signal based on the first and second environmental data. By using different types of environmental data, the correctness of the environmental data can be interactively verified. For example, if the first environmental data indicates that there is a pedestrian on the road ahead, and different types of second environmental data also indicate that there is a pedestrian on the road ahead, a corresponding control signal can be generated based on the consistent result.

[0023] In one implementation, generating a control signal based on first environmental data and second environmental data includes fusing the first environmental data and second environmental data to generate fused data; and generating a control signal based on the fused data. By using different types of environmental data, the correctness of the environmental data can be interactively verified. For example, if the first environmental data indicates that there is a pedestrian on the road ahead, and different types of second environmental data also indicate that there is a pedestrian on the road ahead, a corresponding control signal can be generated based on the consistent result.

[0024] It should be understood that the description in the Summary of the Invention is not intended to limit the key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to restrict the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The above and other features, advantages, and aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements, wherein:

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an environment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 A schematic block diagram of an electronic component according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0028] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a chip according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a ring bus crossover station according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0030] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a mesh bus crossover station according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0031] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of data transmission via a mesh bus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0032] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating data transmission via a ring bus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0033] Figure 8 A schematic flowchart of a method for generating control signals according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0035] In the description of embodiments of this disclosure, the term "comprising" and similar terms should be understood as open-ended inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "an embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects. The term "and / or" indicates at least one of the two items associated therewith. For example, "A and / or B" means A, B, or A and B. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0036] It should be understood that the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application may not be repeated in the following description of specific embodiments, but it should be regarded as that there are mutual references between these specific embodiments and they can be combined with each other.

[0037] The safety performance of chips used in transportation vehicles is of particular importance. The ISO 26262 standard classifies functional safety into four safety levels: A, B, C, and D (Automotive Safety Integrity Level, ASIL), with ASIL-D being the highest level, representing the most stringent safety requirements. In some conventional solutions, safety is enhanced by using a redundant dual-chip design. Each chip typically integrates numerous functional circuits, such as processors, memory, buffers, artificial intelligence vector (AIV) circuits, artificial intelligence core (AIC) circuits, and interface circuits, with one or more of each type. These functional circuits are coupled to multiple cross-station (CS) circuits located on a bus, and these CS circuits are interconnected via the bus. Because the frequencies of the various circuits on the bus are not identical, the CS circuits on the bus receive and transmit data in a frequency-based, beat-like manner. For example, a CS circuit can receive data transmitted via the bus and transmit it to connected functional circuits in a tiered manner, or transmit data from functional circuits to other functional circuits on the bus in a tiered manner. When the CS circuit is not directly coupled to the source and destination circuits, it can relay data on the bus in a tiered manner. The CS circuit enables functional circuits to exchange instructions and data with each other via the bus. For architectures using dual-chip redundancy, this requires each chip to have essentially the same configuration to achieve redundant, identical functionality. Furthermore, each chip typically has identical master and slave buses, such as mesh buses, to ensure data security between circuits within each chip, such as ensuring data is not lost or corrupted during internal chip transmission. Therefore, in some conventional schemes, a dual-chip architecture with identical four buses is actually used to ensure security.

[0038] A common bus type is the ring bus, where each CS (Concurrent Switch) circuit can couple two functional circuits. When the number of functional circuits on a conventional ring bus is relatively small, it offers low latency and fast, efficient data transmission. However, as the number of functional circuits in a chip system increases, leading to an increase in CS circuits, the transmission delay between these functional circuits becomes larger. Furthermore, due to the limited bandwidth of the ring bus, when there are significant data transmission demands between functional circuits, it can cause congestion and bandwidth limitations on the ring circuit.

[0039] Another common bus type is the mesh bus, where each CS circuit can couple four functional circuits. A mesh bus is a two-dimensional bus network formed by multiple horizontal and vertical ring buses intersecting each other. Mesh buses offer high scalability, and functional circuits on a mesh bus can have high bandwidth and low latency. However, when all functional circuits are coupled to the mesh bus via CS circuits, the mesh bus structure becomes overly complex, consuming significant resources and exhibiting high latency. Furthermore, the use of dual-chip redundancy in conventional designs further increases cost and resource consumption.

[0040] In some embodiments of this disclosure, by coupling each functional circuit to a first bus, such as a mesh bus, and a second bus, such as a ring bus, within a single chip based on its functional type (e.g., sensing and decision-making), sensing data can be transmitted on the first bus and decision data on the second bus. This allows for the effective utilization of the advantages of each bus, such as the low latency and efficient data transmission of the ring bus and the scalability, high bandwidth, and low latency of the mesh bus, while reducing resource consumption and latency. Furthermore, by fusing different types of sensing data, such as camera data and LiDAR data, the correctness of the sensing data can be verified, ensuring the correct environmental objects are sensed and generating corresponding decision or control signals so that actuators in the vehicle can perform the appropriate actions. This improves the safety level of the vehicle, for example, achieving ASIL-D level.

[0041] Figure 1 A schematic environmental diagram according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In this environmental diagram, a vehicle 100 includes an electronic component 20. In one embodiment, the vehicle 100 is, for example, an automobile. Alternatively, the vehicle 100 may be other vehicles, such as motorcycles, air vehicles, or water vehicles. The vehicle 100 also includes other components, such as various sensors and actuators. The various sensors and actuators may be electrically coupled to the electronic component 20. Sensors may include, for example, cameras, LiDAR, sonar, radar, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, etc., to sense environmental data and transmit the sensed data to a chip in the electronic component 20. The chip in the electronic component 20 analyzes, computes, and processes the received data and generates decision signals or control signals, such as vehicle start signals, braking signals, steering signals, and air conditioning start signals. Actuators such as actuators, brakes, and vehicle air conditioning units may receive decision signals or control signals from the chip in the electronic component 20 to perform various operations, such as starting, braking, steering, and air conditioning start.

[0042] Figure 2 A schematic block diagram of an electronic component 20 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The electronic component 20 includes a circuit board 21 and a plurality of electronic components mounted on the circuit board. The circuit board 21 includes at least one of a printed circuit board (PCB) and a flexible printed circuit (FPC). The plurality of electronic components include a communication chip 22, a matching circuit 24, a power management chip 26, and a chip 30, wherein the communication chip 22 is used to communicate with external devices or other electronic devices, the matching circuit 24 is used to match the various electronic components, and the power management chip 26 may be coupled to a power source, for example, to manage the received power and distribute power to the various electronic components. The chip 30 is used to receive sensing data from the aforementioned sensors to generate perception data and to generate control signals based on the perception data. The sensing data represents raw data representing environmental conditions detected by the sensors, while the perception data represents processed data characterizing or describing the environmental conditions after processing the sensing data. For example, the raw image or video data captured by a camera is sensor data, but the data that processes the image or video and uses AI algorithms to identify and determine the presence of pedestrians in the captured image or video, and then characterizes or describes this, is perceptual data. Although in Figure 2 Four electronic components are shown, but it will be understood that electronic component 20 may include more or fewer electronic components, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0043] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a chip 30 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In one embodiment, the chip 30 includes a first bus M1, a second bus R1, and a third bus R2. The chip 30 also includes a plurality of first CS circuits on the first bus M1, a plurality of second CS circuits on the second bus R1, and a plurality of third CS circuits on the third bus R2. The chip 30 also includes a bridge circuit B1 coupled between the first bus M1 and the second bus R1, and a bridge circuit B2 coupled between the first bus M1 and the third bus R2. The chip 30 also includes a first node circuit 371, a second node circuit 372, and other circuits not shown. Although in Figure 3 The illustration shows one specific configuration of chip 30, but it is understood that chip 30 may include more or fewer circuits, and this disclosure is not limiting in this regard. Furthermore, although a bridge circuit is used to couple different buses, this disclosure is not limiting in this regard. Other methods for coupling different buses are possible. For example, some functional circuitry, such as memory, acts as the coupling circuit. Sensing data on the first bus M1 is stored in memory, and the processor on the second bus R1 retrieves sensing data from memory.

[0044] In one embodiment, the first bus M1 is, for example, a mesh bus. Figure 3 In this configuration, the first bus M1 is formed by the intersection of three horizontal ring buses and four vertical ring buses, with a CS circuit at each intersection point. For example, CS circuits 311, 312, 313, and 314 are located at the intersection points of the first horizontal ring bus and the four vertical ring buses, and CS circuits 311, 321, and 331 are located at the intersection points of the first vertical ring bus and the three horizontal ring buses. Although in Figure 3 A specific mesh bus configuration is shown in 3×4, but this is merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. The number of horizontal and vertical buses can be more or less, and the number of horizontal and vertical buses can be the same or different. Alternatively, the first bus M1 can also be other types of buses, such as a fully connected bus.

[0045] Each CS circuit on the first bus M1 is substantially identical, and therefore will be described below as a single CS circuit. It is understood that the description of this single CS circuit can be applied to other CS circuits on the first bus M1. In the case where the first bus M1 is a mesh bus, each CS circuit can be coupled to four node circuits. Node circuits represent different functional circuits that can be coupled to the CS circuits on the bus, such as AIC circuits, AIV circuits, interface circuits, buffers, etc. This disclosure does not impose any limitations on the node circuits. Some external electronic devices, such as LiDAR, cameras, sonar, etc., can be coupled to the CS circuits via interface circuits. In the case of a mesh circuit, since there are multiple communication lines between the nodes, the shortest available communication path can be selected as needed to transmit data on the mesh bus, thereby saving transmission time and providing efficiency. Although various functional circuits are coupled to the bus using CS circuits, this disclosure does not limit this. Other methods of coupling various functional circuits to the bus are possible.

[0046] Vehicle 100 typically has multiple environmental condition sensors to sense the surrounding environment from multiple dimensions. For example, vehicle 100 may have 12 cameras, 4 LiDARs, 12 radars, and 4 sonars. In one embodiment, the respective interface circuits corresponding to the aforementioned multiple sensors can be coupled to respective CS circuits on a mesh circuit. Chip 30 may have multiple processing circuits, such as AIVs and / or AICs, respectively coupled to the multiple CS circuits located on the first bus M1. Compared to a ring bus, this avoids the congestion and bandwidth limitations that are prone to occur with ring buses when multiple access circuits are connected.

[0047] Real-time sensed data can be stored in memory, and then processed by processing circuitry such as AIV and / or AIC to read the data from memory for preliminary processing to generate sensing data characterizing environmental conditions. By having multiple processing circuits preprocess the sensed data in parallel to generate sensing data characterizing environmental conditions, all sensed data can be avoided from piling up in the back-end processor, thereby reducing the performance requirements of the processor and the amount of processing operations. In one embodiment, the corresponding memory and processing circuitry can be set in the CS circuit coupled to or adjacent to the interface circuit of the sensor, so that sensed data from the sensor can be transmitted to the processing circuitry with a shorter transmission path. Compared to the case where multiple sensor interfaces and multiple processing circuitry are coupled to the CS circuitry on a ring bus, this reduces the time consumed by transmission and processing and reduces bus network congestion. Alternatively, the sensed data can also be provided directly to the processing circuitry.

[0048] exist Figure 3 In this embodiment, the first bus M1 transmits first sensing data. For example, a camera coupled to a first CS circuit 311 on the first bus M1 transmits the captured sensing data to a first processing circuit coupled to a first CS circuit 312 on the first bus M1. Alternatively, the first processing circuit may also be coupled to other CS circuits. After processing the image or video data, the first processing circuit generates the first sensing data and transmits it to the CS circuit 333 via the first bus M1, and then to the second bus R1 via the bridge circuit B1. In addition, other sensing data, such as sonar sensing data corresponding to sonar sensing data from a sonar sensor, may also be transmitted to the second bus R1 via the first bus M1 and the bridge circuit B1.

[0049] In one embodiment, the type of the second bus R1 is different from the type of the first bus M1; for example, the second bus R1 is a ring bus. This disclosure does not impose any limitations on the nodes. Some external electronic devices, such as radars, can be coupled to the CS circuitry on the second bus R1 via an interface circuit. Alternatively, the second bus R1 can also be a star or linear bus.

[0050] The second bus R1 has multiple CS stations, each of which can couple two node circuits. A node represents a different functional circuit that can be coupled to the CS circuits on the bus, such as a processor, interface circuit, etc. Figure 3 As shown, the second CS circuit 35 on the second bus R1 is coupled to the first node circuit 371 and the second node circuit 372. In one embodiment, the first node circuit 371 is a processor, and the second node circuit 372 is an interface circuit. In one embodiment, the second bus R1 may have more than Figure 3The diagram shows five CS circuits, with more or fewer CS circuits. The second bus R1 receives first sensing data from the first bus M1 via bridge circuit B1, such as image or video sensing data characterizing environmental conditions based on image or video sensing data captured by a camera, and transmits it to a node circuit, such as a memory, coupled to the CS circuits on the second bus R1. Another node circuit, such as a processor, coupled to the CS circuits on the second bus R1, can retrieve the sensing data from the memory and process it to generate control instructions for controlling the actuators. Alternatively, the sensing data can be transmitted directly to the processor without passing through the memory.

[0051] In addition, other types of sensing data can also be transmitted via the second bus R1. For example, a sorna sensor coupled to a CS circuit on the first bus M1 can transmit sorna sensing data to a processing circuit coupled to the first bus M1, and the processing circuit processes the sensing data to generate sorna sensing data. The sorna sensing data is transmitted to a processor coupled to the second bus R1 via a bridge circuit B1. In another embodiment, a radar sensor coupled to the second bus R1 can transmit the sensed sensing data to the second bus R1 via an interface circuit, and the processing circuit coupled to the second bus R1 generates radar sensing data after processing the sensing data. The radar sensing data is transmitted to a processor coupled to the second bus R1 via the second bus R1. This disclosure does not limit the source of the second sensing data transmitted on the second bus R1; it can originate from a sensor coupled to the first bus M1 or from a sensor coupled to the second bus R1.

[0052] After receiving image or video sensing data and sorna sensing data, the processor coupled to the second bus R1 can generate control instructions for controlling the actuators based on different types of sensing data. For example, if the image or video sensing data indicates that a pedestrian is present in the center of the environment ahead, and the sorna sensing data also indicates that a pedestrian is present in the center of the environment ahead, the processor can generate a braking instruction accordingly to cause the vehicle 100's braking device to brake suddenly to avoid a collision with the pedestrian. By using different types of sensing data for data fusion, such as mutual verification, the accuracy of the sensing data can be ensured and the safety of the vehicle can be improved. Furthermore, since different types of sensing data are used for data fusion, redundant configuration of hardware devices (e.g., doubling the number of cameras, sorna, or radar) is not required, thereby reducing hardware costs. Alternatively, the processor can also use other types of sensing data to comprehensively determine the environmental conditions and generate corresponding control instructions. For example, the processor can use the fusion of image or video sensing data and radar sensing data, or the fusion of sorna sensing data and radar sensing data, to generate control instructions for controlling the actuators. More types of sensory data, such as the three types mentioned above, can be used to fuse data and further improve the accuracy of environmental perception, thereby improving the correctness and safety of decision-making.

[0053] exist Figure 3 In this embodiment, circuitry used solely for decision-making, such as the processor, is configured to be coupled to the ring bus via a CS circuit, thereby reducing resource consumption and transmission latency. Alternatively, based on bus load or performance optimization needs, some sensors, such as radar sensors, may be coupled to the CS circuit on the second bus R1 via an interface circuit. If the number of such sensors is small, arranging a small number of sensors on the ring bus will not cause traffic congestion in the ring circuit. Furthermore, since they are arranged in nodes adjacent to the processor, transmission latency can be further reduced and a correspondingly fast response can be provided. For example, radar sensors are typically used to detect environmental conditions near vehicles (e.g., within a few meters or 1 meter). By placing them on the same loop closer to the processor making the decision, a rapid response can be achieved, preventing vehicle collisions.

[0054] In some embodiments, since the first bus M1 and the second bus R1 may operate with asynchronous clocks and have different data bit widths (e.g., the data bit width transmitted on the first bus M1 is 1024 bits, while the data bit width transmitted on the second bus R1 is 256 bits), the bridging circuit B1 is configured to perform asynchronous processing and to splice and split data packets.

[0055] In other embodiments, chip 30 may further include a third bus R2, the configuration of which is substantially the same as or similar to that of the second bus R1. Therefore, the aspects described above for the second bus R1 can be applied to the third bus R2. For example, the type of the third bus R2 is the same as that of the second bus R1, such as both being ring buses. The third bus R2 may be a copy of the second bus R1. Figure 6 As shown, the first node circuit 371 and the second node circuit 372 are also coupled to a CS circuit on the third bus R2, and the third bus R2 is coupled to the first bus M1 through the second bridge circuit B2. By setting up a replica bus, the security of the chip 30 can be further improved, for example, to meet ASIL-D requirements.

[0056] Sensing data may be lost or erroneous during transmission from the transmitting device (e.g., AIV circuit or AIC circuit) on the first bus M1 to the receiving device (e.g., processor) on the second bus R1. By fusing different types of data, these problems can be overcome to some extent, allowing the processor to still make correct decisions. To further improve vehicle safety, in one embodiment, an auxiliary bus or replica bus, such as a third bus R2, is provided. Sensing data transmitted by the transmitting device on the first bus M1 can be transmitted via different paths, where the sensing data reaches a first node 371, such as a processor, via bridge circuit B1 and the second bus R1, while the auxiliary data reaches the first node 371 via bridge circuit B2 and the third bus R2. By using two different transmission paths, the received sensing data and auxiliary data can be verified at the processor to ensure that the received sensing data is correct, as described below for... Figure 7 and Figure 4 Further details to follow.

[0057] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a CS circuit 35 on a ring bus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. It will be understood that other CS circuits on the second bus R1 have the same configuration as CS circuit 35, and therefore only CS circuit 35 will be described here as an example. CS circuit 35 may be coupled to two node circuits, such as a first node circuit 371 and a second node circuit 372, and CS circuit 35 includes a timing circuit 351, an upper ring buffer SP1, an upper ring buffer SP2, a lower ring buffer ME1, and a lower ring buffer ME2. The upper ring buffer is configured to buffer data packets to be transmitted, while the lower ring buffer is configured to buffer data packets received from the bus. The timing circuit 351 is configured to route commands and data transmissions.

[0058] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a mesh bus CS circuit 311 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. It will be understood that other CS circuits on the first bus M1 have the same configuration as CS circuit 311, and therefore only CS circuit 311 will be described here as an example. CS circuit 311 may be coupled to four node circuits N1, N2, N3, and N4, and CS circuit 311 includes four slap circuits P1, P2, P3, and P4, four upper loop buffers SP1, SP2, SP3, and SP4, four lower loop buffers ME1, ME2, ME3, and ME4, and four ring-exchange buffers TR1, TR2, TR3, and TR4. The slap circuits are configured on the loop bus to upload, download, or relay data in a slap manner according to frequency. The upper loop buffers are configured to buffer data packets to be transmitted to the horizontal ring bus, the lower loop buffers are configured to buffer data packets received from the vertical ring bus, and the ring-exchange buffers are configured to buffer data packets transmitted from the horizontal ring bus to the vertical ring bus. The beat circuit is configured to route commands and data.

[0059] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of data transmission via a mesh bus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Data is transmitted from node circuit N5 to node circuit N6 via a first bus M1. In one embodiment, node circuit N5 is, for example, an interface circuit coupled to a camera, and node circuit N6 is, for example, a memory. Node circuits N5 and N6 can also be other devices, such as AIV circuits, AIC circuits, etc. Since both node circuits N5 and N6 are coupled to the first bus M1 via CS circuits, the data is transmitted on the first bus M1. In one embodiment, the transmitted data includes control data, payload data, and verification data for verifying the payload data, such as cyclic redundancy check (CRC) data. The verification data is used to verify whether the payload data is complete and correct. By using data verification, data transmission on the first bus M1 can substantially achieve the ASIL-B security level. Different types of ASIL-B level sensing data are further fused on the second bus R1, which can further achieve the ASIL-D security level.

[0060] Figure 8A schematic diagram of data transmission via a ring bus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Data is transmitted from node circuit N7 to node circuit N8 via a second bus R1. In one embodiment, node circuit N7 is, for example, a memory, and node circuit N8 is, for example, a processor. The memory stores at least one of first sensing data and second sensing data, and also stores at least one of first auxiliary data and second auxiliary data. The first sensing data is transmitted, for example, from a processing circuit on a first bus M1 via the first bus M1, bridge circuit B1, and second bus R1 to a memory on the second bus R1. The first auxiliary data is transmitted, for example, from a processing circuit on the first bus M1 via the first bus M1, bridge circuit B2, and third bus R2 to a memory on a third bus R1, wherein the memory is located on both the second bus R1 and the third bus R2. The first auxiliary data is, for example, CRC data for the first sensing data. Alternatively, the first auxiliary data may be a copy of the same sensing data as the first sensing data, or other verification data. The auxiliary data may be used to verify the integrity or correctness of the corresponding sensing data to obtain correct environmental data, or combined with the sensing data to form correct environmental data. Environmental data describes the conditions inside or around the vehicle where the chip is located. These conditions include, for example, lane conditions, surrounding buildings, weather conditions, interior temperature, and the movement of nearby pedestrians. The processor can also retrieve other data, such as control data, from memory via the second bus R1, which is not limited in this disclosure.

[0061] Similarly, second sensing data may be transferred, for example, from processing circuitry on the first bus M1 via the first bus M1, bridge circuit B1, and second bus R1 to memory on the second bus R1. Second auxiliary data may be transferred, for example, from processing circuitry on the first bus M1 via the first bus M1, bridge circuit B2, and third bus R2 to memory on the third bus R2. Alternatively, second sensing data may be transferred, for example, from another processing circuitry on the second bus R1 to memory on the second bus R1. Second auxiliary data may be transferred, for example, from another processing circuitry on the third bus R2 to memory on the third bus R2, wherein this other processor circuitry is located on both the second bus R1 and the third bus R2. The processor may also retrieve other data from memory via the third bus R2, such as copies of control data; this disclosure is not limiting in this regard.

[0062] The processor can then determine first environmental data representing the environmental condition based on the first sensing data and the first auxiliary data. For example, the processor uses CRC data to verify whether the first sensing data is complete and correct. If the first sensing data is complete and correct, it can be used as the first environmental data representing the environmental condition. For example, the first environmental data could indicate that there is a pedestrian a certain distance ahead of the vehicle, or that there is a traffic sign ahead. Similarly, the processor can determine second environmental data representing the environmental condition based on second sensing data and second auxiliary data. The transmission paths of the second sensing data and the second auxiliary data can be similar to those of the first sensing data and the first auxiliary data, respectively, and will not be described in detail here.

[0063] The second sensing data and the first sensing data are of different types. For example, the first sensing data may be image or video data from a camera, while the second sensing data may be data from LiDAR measurements. The processor can then fuse the different types of sensing data and determine the environmental conditions. For example, when both the first and second sensing data indicate the presence of a pedestrian in the middle of the road ahead, the processor can generate fused data based on the first and second sensing data and generate control signals for controlling actuators, such as controlling the braking device to perform emergency braking. Furthermore, the processor can also use the fused data to display the pedestrian in the road ahead on the vehicle's display screen. Alternatively, the processor can directly generate control signals for controlling actuators based on the first and second sensing data.

[0064] After generating control signals, the processor also transmits these signals to the interface circuit coupled to the actuator via the second bus R1 and the third bus R2, respectively. This interface circuit also acts as a node circuit coupled to the second bus R1 and the third bus R2. Alternatively, the processor can transmit control signals to the actuator via dedicated connection lines. By transmitting decision-making data to the processor via the second bus R1 and the third bus R2, the processor can ensure the integrity and accuracy of the received sensing data, thereby further improving the accuracy of decisions made by the intelligent chip in the vehicle and correspondingly enhancing the vehicle's safety performance. For example, by fusing different types of data and transmitting sensing data and control signals via different second and third buses, the chip 30 can achieve the ASIL-D safety level overall.

[0065] ​A schematic flowchart of a method 800 for generating control signals according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Method 800 can be implemented by the chip 30 described above. Therefore, the various aspects described above with respect to chip 30 can be applied to method 800, and will not be repeated here. At 802, first sensing data is transmitted via a first bus. The first bus is, for example, a mesh bus, and the first sensing data is, for example, camera data. An interface circuit coupled to the first bus receives raw image or video data from a camera, which is transmitted, for example, via the first bus to processing circuitry on the first bus, such as an AIV or AIC. The processing circuitry processes the raw image or video data to obtain the first sensing data. The first sensing data is transmitted to a second bus via the first bus and a bridging circuit.

[0066] At 804, second sensing data and first sensing data from the first bus are transmitted via a second bus. The type of the second bus is different from that of the first bus, and the type of the second sensing data is also different from that of the first sensing data. The second bus is, for example, a ring bus, and the second sensing data is, for example, LiDAR data. The LiDAR can be coupled to either the first or second bus via an interface circuit. When coupled to the first bus, the processing and transmission of the LiDAR data are similar to those of camera data, and will not be described further here. When the LiDAR is coupled to the second bus, the LiDAR transmits the raw LiDAR data via the second bus to a processing circuit, such as an AIV or AIC, to generate the second sensing data. The second sensing data is then transmitted to a processor on the second bus. At 806, a control signal for controlling the actuator is generated based on the first and second sensing data obtained from the second bus. The processor can generate this control signal based on the first and second sensing data, for example, using the previously described method. For example, the processor can fuse the first and second sensing data to generate the control signal. In one embodiment, the processor may further determine first environmental data based on first sensing data and first auxiliary data, and determine second environmental data based on second sensing data and second auxiliary data. The first environmental data and second environmental data are then fused to determine the environmental condition, and a corresponding control signal is generated based on the determined environmental condition. Alternatively, the processor may directly determine the control signal based on the first environmental data and the second environmental data.

[0067] Although the subject matter has been described using language specific to structural features and / or methodological logic, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are merely illustrative examples of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A chip, comprising: The first bus is configured to transmit the first sensing data; A second bus, coupled to the first bus, is of a different type than the first bus. The second bus is configured to transmit second sensing data and the first sensing data from the first bus, and the type of the second sensing data is different from the type of the first sensing data. as well as A processor, coupled to the second bus, is configured to generate control signals for controlling an actuator based on the first sensing data and the second sensing data. The first and second sensing data are data that characterize the environmental conditions.

2. The chip according to claim 1, further comprising: A third bus, coupled to the first bus, is of the same type as the second bus and is configured to transmit first auxiliary data corresponding to the first sensing data and second auxiliary data corresponding to the second sensing data from the first bus; The processor is coupled to the third bus and is further configured to generate the control signal based on the first sensing data, the first auxiliary data, the second sensing data, and the second auxiliary data.

3. The chip according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to: Based on the first sensed data and the first auxiliary data, first environmental data is determined to represent the environmental condition; Based on the second sensed data and the second auxiliary data, second environmental data is determined to represent the environmental condition; and The control signal is generated based on the first environmental data and the second environmental data.

4. The chip of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to: The first environmental data and the second environmental data are fused to generate fused data; and The control signal is generated based on the fused data.

5. The chip of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to fuse the first sensing data and the second sensing data to generate fused data; and The control signal is generated based on the fused data.

6. The chip according to any one of claims 1-5, further comprising: A first crossover station circuit is located on the first bus and configured to transmit data; as well as A first processing circuit, coupled to the first cross-site circuit, is configured to generate the first sensing data based on first sensing data from a first sensor coupled to the first cross-site circuit.

7. The chip according to any one of claims 1-5, further comprising: The second crossover station circuit is located on the second bus and is configured to transmit data; as well as A second processing circuit, coupled to the second cross-site circuit, is configured to generate the second sensing data based on second sensing data from a second sensor coupled to the second cross-site circuit.

8. The chip according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the first bus comprises a mesh bus, and The second bus includes a ring bus.

9. An electronic component, comprising: Circuit board; as well as The chip according to any one of claims 1-8 is mounted on the circuit board.

10. A means of transport, comprising: power supply; as well as The electronic component according to claim 9 is powered by the power source.

11. The means of transport according to claim 10, further comprising: A first sensor is coupled to a first bus via a first interface and configured to generate first sensor data and transmit the first sensor data to the first bus; as well as The second sensor is coupled to the second bus via the second interface and is configured to generate second sensor data and transmit the second sensor data to the second bus.

12. A method for generating control signals, comprising: The first sensing data is transmitted via the first bus; The second sensing data and the first sensing data from the first bus are transmitted through the second bus, wherein the type of the second bus is different from the type of the first bus, and the type of the second sensing data is different from the type of the first sensing data. Based on the first sensing data and the second sensing data acquired from the second bus, a control signal for controlling the actuator is generated. The first and second sensing data are data that characterize the environmental conditions.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: A third bus transmits first auxiliary data corresponding to the first sensing data and second auxiliary data corresponding to the second sensing data from the first bus. The third bus is coupled to the first bus and the type of the third bus is the same as that of the second bus. as well as The control signal is generated based on the first sensing data, the first auxiliary data, the second sensing data, and the second auxiliary data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein generating a control signal for controlling the actuator based on the first sensing data and the second sensing data acquired from the second bus comprises: Based on the first sensed data and the first auxiliary data, first environmental data is determined to represent the environmental condition; Based on the second sensed data and the second auxiliary data, second environmental data is determined to represent the environmental conditions. as well as The control signal is generated based on the first environmental data and the second environmental data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the control signal based on the first environmental data and the second environmental data comprises: The first environmental data and the second environmental data are fused to generate fused data; as well as The control signal is generated based on the fused data.

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