Light control system and working method thereof

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses a light control system and a working method thereof, the system comprises a light control unit and a light driving module, and the light control unit is connected with the light driving module through a hard wire. By implementing the system provided by the embodiment of the invention, the consistency of the high-low configuration LDM software can be ensured, the software development and maintenance cost is remarkably reduced, high-low configuration vehicle models can use the same software platform, and thus the development process is simplified.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of lighting control systems, and in particular to a lighting control system and a working method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Current automotive lighting control technology relies on the LED Driver Module (LDM), which sends controller area network messages to achieve basic lighting and some advanced functions such as light shows. These advanced functions are usually limited to high-end models, while low-end models cannot enjoy the same functions. In addition, there are differences in the LDM software versions of high-end and low-end models, resulting in the need for independent maintenance of different versions during the development process, which increases development costs and complexity.

[0003] This separate development model requires manufacturers to invest more resources in software maintenance and updates, significantly increasing the overall development and maintenance costs. At the same time, the existing technology embeds the execution logic of the light show into the LDM, resulting in the headlights and taillights being controlled by different LDMs. The decentralized nature of this control method results in poor synchronization of the lighting effects, and it is easy to have a time difference between the lights, affecting the overall visual effect. In addition, the control of the lights is carried out through CAN signals, which has a certain execution delay. This delay not only affects the smoothness of the light show, but may also pose a hidden danger to vehicle safety when a quick response is required. Finally, when the microcontroller unit (MCU) is initialized, if a fault occurs, the existing system cannot ensure that the lamps are lit according to the functional safety state, which may cause safety issues.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to design a new system to ensure the consistency of high-end and low-end LDM software, significantly reduce software development and maintenance costs, and enable high-end and low-end models to use the same software platform, thereby simplifying the development process. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art and provide a lighting control system and a working method thereof.

[0006] To solve the above technical problems, the objective of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions: providing a lighting control system, comprising: a lighting control unit and a lighting driving module, wherein the lighting control unit is connected to the lighting driving module via a hard line.

[0007] A further technical solution is: it also includes a body control module, and the body control module communicates with the lighting control unit using the CAN FD protocol.

[0008] A further technical solution is: the body control module is connected to the light control unit and the light driving module.

[0009] A further technical solution is as follows: the light control unit comprises a controller and a high-side driver chip, the controller is connected to the high-side driver chip, and the high-side driver chip is connected to the light driving module via a hard line.

[0010] A further technical solution is: the lighting control unit further includes a switch circuit, and the switch circuit is connected to the high-side driver chip.

[0011] Its further technical solution is: the lighting control unit also includes an SBC module, the SBC module is connected to the controller, and the SBC module is used to monitor the wake-up conditions of the controller, send and receive CAN FD messages, supply power to the controller, transmit data, monitor the status of the controller, and reset the controller and pull down the specified terminal pin in case of a fault.

[0012] A further technical solution is as follows: the light control unit further comprises an anti-reflection filter module, and the anti-reflection filter module is respectively connected to the body control module.

[0013] A further technical solution is: the switch circuit includes a triode.

[0014] In addition, in order to overcome the defects of the prior art, the present invention also provides a working method performed by the above-mentioned lighting control system, comprising:

[0015] The lighting control unit receives messages sent from the body control module via the CAN FD protocol;

[0016] The lighting control unit determines the function according to the message and writes it into the high-side driver chip register through SPI. If the message involves complex functions, it is disassembled into basic lighting operations. The high-side driver chip activates the channel according to the register value and sends a valid signal to the lighting driver module;

[0017] The light driver module is awakened and initialized when it receives a valid signal for the first time. If no valid signal is received within a set time period, it enters a dormant state.

[0018] Its further technical solution is: also includes:

[0019] When the SBC module in the lighting control unit detects that the controller is not working properly, it resets the controller through RESET and pulls down the specified end pin, causing the high-side driver chip to enter limp mode, activating the low beam and brake light channels, while other channels remain closed.

[0020] The beneficial effects of the present invention compared with the prior art are: the present invention introduces a lighting control unit to concentrate complex lighting control algorithms in the lighting control unit, thereby ensuring the consistency of high-end and low-end LDM software, significantly reducing software development and maintenance costs, and enabling high-end and low-end vehicle models to use the same software platform, thereby simplifying the development process.

[0021] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without paying any creative work.

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of a lighting control system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic block diagram of a lighting control unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Description of the symbols in the figure:

[0026] 10. Lighting control unit; 11. Controller; 12. High-side driver chip; 13. Switching circuit; 14. SBC module; 15. Anti-reflection filter module; 20. Lighting driver module; 30. Body control module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] It should be understood that when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms "include" and "comprises" indicate the presence of described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0029] It should also be understood that the terms used in this specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used in the specification of the present invention and the appended claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include plural forms.

[0030] It should be further understood that the term "and / or" used in the present description and the appended claims refers to any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes these combinations.

[0031] Current automotive lighting control technology relies on lighting driver modules, which implement basic lighting functions and advanced functions such as light shows through controller area network messages. High-end models can enjoy more functions, while low-end models cannot experience them, resulting in different versions of LDM software that need to be maintained independently, increasing development costs and complexity. This separate development model also requires manufacturers to invest more resources in software updates, increasing overall development and maintenance costs. Existing technologies embed light show logic into different LDMs, resulting in poor synchronization between front and rear lights, affecting visual effects, and affecting the smoothness of the light show due to execution delays, which may pose a hidden danger to vehicle safety. Finally, if a fault occurs during the initialization of the control unit, the system cannot ensure that the lamps are lit according to the functional safety state, which may cause safety issues.

[0032] To this end, an embodiment of the present invention provides a lighting control system and a working method thereof to ensure the consistency of high-end and low-end LDM software, significantly reduce software development and maintenance costs, and enable high-end and low-end vehicle models to use the same software platform, thereby simplifying the development process.

[0033] Specifically, the lighting control system includes a lighting control unit and a lighting driver module, which are connected by hard wires. The body control module uses the CAN FD protocol to communicate with the lighting control unit and is connected to both. The lighting control unit consists of a controller, a high-side driver chip and a switching circuit, and the switching circuit can use a triode. The system monitors the controller status through the SBC module and resets the controller in case of failure.

[0034] In order to better understand the above technical solution, the above technical solution will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0035] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of a lighting control system provided by an embodiment of the present invention; a lighting control system comprises: a lighting control unit and a lighting driving module, wherein the lighting control unit is connected to the lighting driving module via a hard line.

[0036] In one embodiment, see Figure 1 The above-mentioned lighting control system also includes a body control module, and the body control module communicates with the lighting control unit using the CAN FD protocol.

[0037] In this embodiment, the lighting control unit is responsible for controlling and managing the vehicle's lighting system to ensure the normal operation of various lighting functions. It communicates with the body control module via the CAN FD protocol, ensuring efficient and real-time data transmission. The KL30 power supply ensures that the LCU can operate stably after startup.

[0038] The lighting driver module is responsible for executing the control signals sent by the lighting control unit to drive various functions of the headlights and taillights, such as high beam, low beam, position lights, turn signals, etc.

[0039] Each lighting driver module is independently controlled for different lighting functions and is connected to the lighting control unit via hard-wired signals, which enhances the reliability of the system.

[0040] The lighting control unit and the lighting driver module are connected via high-side outputs to transmit control commands in the form of hard-wired signals. This connection method has lower resistance and better anti-interference ability, ensuring the stability of the lighting system.

[0041] In this embodiment, the headlight functions implemented by this system include: high beam, low beam, position light, turn signal and daytime running light can all be controlled individually through LDM, so that the lighting status can be adjusted according to needs.

[0042] The taillight functions implemented by this system include: position lights, brake lights and turn signals. Each function also has an independent control signal, which increases the flexibility of light control.

[0043] The system of this embodiment uses the CAN FD protocol, which makes the information transmission speed faster and the data capacity larger, meeting the increasingly complex electronic control requirements of modern automobiles.

[0044] Independent hard-wired control allows the lighting system to be easily expanded or modified as needed, and adding new lighting functions or modules will not affect the operation of the overall system.

[0045] The design of hard-wire connection and high-side output improves signal reliability and reduces the risk of failure due to electromagnetic interference or other environmental factors.

[0046] The clear modular design facilitates detection and maintenance, allowing engineers to quickly locate the source of the fault, saving maintenance time and costs.

[0047] The integration of the lighting control unit and the body control module enables the system to automatically respond to different driving conditions and driving needs, such as automatically adjusting the switching of low beam and high beam according to ambient light, thereby improving driving safety.

[0048] Through the above explanation, the lighting control system provides an efficient, flexible and reliable solution to meet the diverse needs of modern automobiles for lighting control.

[0049] In one embodiment, see Figure 1 The body control module is connected to the light control unit and the light driving module, so that the body control module can be used to supply power to the light control unit and the light driving module.

[0050] In one embodiment, see Figure 2 The above-mentioned lighting control unit includes a controller and a high-side driver chip. The controller is connected to the high-side driver chip, and the high-side driver chip is connected to the lighting driver module through a hard line.

[0051] In this embodiment, the controller is responsible for parsing the received message to determine the on or off status of the lighting function, and opens the high-side channel of the corresponding function through SPI communication.

[0052] The controller can control the on and off of the lights in real time according to the received instructions, which improves the intelligence level of the system. Through the SPI communication method, it can quickly respond to different control commands, improving the response speed and processing ability of the system. Integrating multiple functions into one reduces the need for external components and optimizes space utilization.

[0053] The high-side driver chip is responsible for lighting or extinguishing the corresponding lamp according to the control signal, and has a LimpHome mode. When the LimpHome pin is pulled high, the opening and closing of the channel is completely controlled by the corresponding input (IN) pin, which is turned on when the high level is turned on and turned off when the low level or high resistance is turned off.

[0054] The high-side driver technology improves the control efficiency of the lamps and reduces power consumption. The LimpHome mode ensures that the lights can still operate with basic functions in the event of a fault, ensuring vehicle driving safety. The control and drive functions are integrated into one chip, reducing the complexity of the external circuit.

[0055] In one embodiment, see Figure 2 The above-mentioned lighting control unit also includes a switch circuit, and the switch circuit is connected to the high-side driver chip.

[0056] In one embodiment, see Figure 2 , the above-mentioned switching circuit includes a transistor.

[0057] In this embodiment, the switching circuit is a circuit composed of triodes, which is turned on when the LimpHome pin outputs a low level, and the LimpHome pin of the high-side driver chip and the IN pin of the high-side channel whose corresponding functional safety state is lit are pulled high, so that the lamp is lit according to the functional safety state.

[0058] The use of transistors improves the reliability and response speed of the circuit, ensuring that the lamps can be reliably lit when needed. It can ensure that in LimpHome mode, the lights can work normally according to the safety status, improving the driving safety of the vehicle. The use of a simple transistor switch design reduces the need for complex circuits and reduces production costs.

[0059] In one embodiment, see Figure 2 The above-mentioned lighting control unit also includes an SBC module, which is connected to the controller. The SBC module is used to monitor the wake-up conditions of the controller, send and receive CAN FD messages, supply power to the controller, transmit data, monitor the status of the controller, and reset the controller and pull down the specified terminal pin when a fault occurs.

[0060] In this embodiment, the model of the SBC module is but not limited to UJA1169; the model of the high-side driver chip is but not limited to BTS710xx.

[0061] In this embodiment, the SBC module is responsible for monitoring the wake-up condition of the controller, sending and receiving CAN FD messages, and providing 5V power to the controller. It is also responsible for transmitting the received CAN FD messages, monitoring the working status of the controller, resetting the controller in case of failure, and pulling down the LimpHome pin.

[0062] Through CAN FD messages, fast and efficient information transmission is achieved, supporting multiple functions; real-time monitoring of controller status and timely reset in case of failure to ensure that the system quickly resumes normal operation. Provide a stable 5V power supply for the controller to ensure its reliable operation.

[0063] In one embodiment, see Figure 2 The above-mentioned lighting control unit also includes an anti-reflection filtering module, and the anti-reflection filtering module is respectively connected to the body control module.

[0064] Specifically, the anti-reverse filter module is responsible for preventing the input KL30 power supply from being reversed. Specifically, anti-reverse refers to the use of diodes or MOS tubes to achieve the function of one-way conduction of the circuit to prevent the power supply from being reversed. This prevents electrostatic discharge (ESD) from damaging the controller and other modules. This protection measure can effectively prevent the impact of high-voltage static electricity on the circuit and ensure the stability and reliability of the system. By protecting the power input, the risk of failure caused by electrostatic interference is reduced. Prevent static electricity from damaging circuit components and improve the overall durability of the system. It can adapt to various external environments to ensure that the system still works normally under different circumstances.

[0065] The workflow of the lighting control system of this embodiment includes a lighting process and a process executed when the controller fails. Specifically, the lighting process includes:

[0066] The SBC module receives the CAN FD message:

[0067] The SBC module receives messages from the vehicle network (CAN FD). The messages may contain various control commands, including lighting control instructions.

[0068] The task of the SBC module is to effectively transmit this information to the controller for subsequent processing.

[0069] The controller determines the function and sends control instructions:

[0070] After receiving the CAN FD message transmitted by the SBC module, the controller first parses the message to determine the corresponding lighting function (such as on, off, light show, etc.).

[0071] If a complex function instruction such as a light show is received, the MCU will break the instruction down into a series of basic lighting operations. For example, a light show may include the sequential turning on and off of different lights, so the controller will control each channel in turn according to the effect timing.

[0072] The controller writes the corresponding control instructions into the register of the high-side driver chip through SPI communication to control the switching state of the light.

[0073] High-side driver chip controls the lighting channel:

[0074] The high-side driver chip determines which channels need to be turned on or off based on the values ​​written into the register by the controller. The working principle of the high-side driver chip is to convert the controller's instructions into actual high-level or low-level signals.

[0075] When the high-side driver chip detects that the corresponding bit in the register is set to a high level, the high-side driver chip turns on the corresponding high-side channel and outputs a high-valid hard-line signal.

[0076] The corresponding functions of the lighting driver module are as follows:

[0077] When the light driver module detects a high effective signal from the high-side driver chip, it will light up the corresponding lamp. At this time, the light driver module will execute the initialization procedure.

[0078] After the light driver module receives a high valid signal from the light control unit for the first time, it will complete its own initialization process, which may include self-test and function setting steps.

[0079] If the light driver module does not receive a high-valid signal from the light control unit within a period of time, it will enter sleep mode to reduce power consumption. This design ensures that when the light control unit is working normally, the light driver module can also respond quickly to the lighting request, thereby shortening the delay of lighting.

[0080] The process executed when the MCU fails includes: The SBC module monitors the controller status:

[0081] When the SBC module detects that the controller's "feeding dog" mechanism fails (that is, the controller fails to respond to the heartbeat signal in time), the SBC module will try to reset the controller through the RESET pin. This is a common fault recovery mechanism designed to ensure system reliability.

[0082] At the same time, the SBC module will pull the LimpHome pin low, indicating that the current system is in a fault state.

[0083] Operations in LimpHome state:

[0084] When the LimpHome pin is pulled low, the transistor in the switch circuit will be turned on. This action will cause the LimpHome pin of the high-side driver chip to be pulled high, indicating that the high-side driver chip enters the limp home mode.

[0085] In limp home mode, the IN pins of the high-side chips corresponding to low beam and braking are also pulled high by the switching circuit, and the IN pins of the other channels that are shut down are pulled low to ensure that the limp home mode is triggered and is in the shut-down state, ensuring that the vehicle can still maintain basic lighting and safety functions when the controller fails.

[0086] The remaining channels remain closed to avoid unnecessary energy consumption and erroneous operation in fault conditions.

[0087] The above logic ensures that under normal working conditions, the lighting system can efficiently respond to various instructions and realize complex lighting control functions; at the same time, in the event of MCU failure, the system can also enter limp mode to ensure the basic lighting functions of the vehicle and improve driving safety. This design reflects the comprehensive consideration of functionality, reliability and safety of modern automotive electronic systems.

[0088] It can be seen that this system, by introducing the lighting control unit, separates the advanced function algorithms in high-end models from the lighting driver module and transfers them to the lighting control unit. In this way, the lighting control unit controls the headlights and taillights through hard-wired connections, ensuring the consistency of software and hardware between high-end and low-end models. At the same time, the lighting control unit can synchronously control the headlights and taillights to achieve lighting coordination, and the hard-wired control method effectively shortens the lighting delay.

[0089] In terms of functional safety, the system uses the SBC module to monitor the controller and combines it with an external switch circuit to ensure that the failure of the controller can be detected at any time, so that the lamp can quickly enter the functional safety state. This design ensures the safety and reliability of the vehicle in various situations.

[0090] The above-mentioned lighting control system, by introducing a lighting control unit, concentrates the complex lighting control algorithm in the lighting control unit, ensures the consistency of high-end and low-end LDM software, significantly reduces software development and maintenance costs, and enables high-end and low-end models to use the same software platform, thereby simplifying the development process.

[0091] In one embodiment, a working method performed by the above-mentioned lighting control system is also provided, including:

[0092] The lighting control unit receives messages sent from the body control module via the CAN FD protocol;

[0093] The lighting control unit determines the function according to the message and writes it into the high-side driver chip register through SPI. If the message involves complex functions, it is disassembled into basic lighting operations. The high-side driver chip activates the channel according to the register value and sends a valid signal to the lighting driver module;

[0094] The light driver module is awakened and initialized when it receives a valid signal for the first time. If no valid signal is received within a set time period, it enters a dormant state.

[0095] The working method also includes:

[0096] When the SBC module in the lighting control unit detects that the controller is not working properly, it resets the controller through RESET and pulls down the specified end pin, causing the high-side driver chip to enter limp mode, activating the low beam and brake light channels, while other channels remain closed.

[0097] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the specific implementation process of the working method executed by the above-mentioned lighting control system can refer to the corresponding description in the above-mentioned lighting control system embodiment, and for the convenience and brevity of description, it will not be repeated here.

[0098] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of various equivalent modifications or replacements within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, and these modifications or replacements should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A lighting control system, characterized in that: include: A light control unit and a light driving module, wherein the light control unit is connected to the light driving module via a hard line.

2. A lighting control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A body control module is also included, and the body control module communicates with the lighting control unit using a CAN FD protocol.

3. A lighting control system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The vehicle body control module is connected to the light control unit and the light driving module.

4. A lighting control system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The light control unit includes a controller and a high-side driver chip. The controller is connected to the high-side driver chip, and the high-side driver chip is connected to the light driving module via a hard line.

5. A lighting control system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The light control unit further comprises a switch circuit, and the switch circuit is connected to the high-side driver chip.

6. A lighting control system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lighting control unit also includes an SBC module, which is connected to the controller. The SBC module is used to monitor the wake-up conditions of the controller, send and receive CAN FD messages, supply power to the controller, transfer data, monitor the status of the controller, and reset the controller and pull down the specified terminal pin in case of a fault.

7. A lighting control system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The light control unit further comprises an anti-reflection filter module, and the anti-reflection filter module is respectively connected to the body control module.

8. A lighting control system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The switch circuit includes a transistor.

9. A working method executed by the lighting control system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: include: The lighting control unit receives messages sent from the body control module via the CAN FD protocol; The lighting control unit determines the function according to the message and writes it into the high-side driver chip register through SPI. If the message involves complex functions, it is disassembled into basic lighting operations. The high-side driver chip activates the channel according to the register value and sends a valid signal to the lighting driver module; The light driver module is awakened and initialized when it receives a valid signal for the first time. If no valid signal is received within a set time period, it enters a dormant state.

10. A working method of a lighting control system according to claim 9, characterized in that: Also includes: When the SBC module in the lighting control unit detects that the controller is not working properly, it resets the controller through RESET and pulls down the specified end pin, causing the high-side driver chip to enter limp mode, activating the low beam and brake light channels, while other channels remain closed.

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