Vehicle thermal management system and method for vehicle thermal management

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle thermal management system based on a service-oriented architecture and to a method for vehicle thermal management by means of a vehicle thermal management system according to the invention.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle thermal management system based on a service-oriented architecture and a method for performing vehicle thermal management by means of the vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of intelligent vehicles, traditional automotive architectures are no longer sufficient. Under the concept of software-defined vehicles, service-oriented architecture (SOA) is becoming increasingly popular. Through SOA, vehicle functions are designed as distinct service components, allowing users to customize vehicle functions in a personalized, user-friendly, and differentiated manner. This improves intelligent driving capabilities and user experience, such as rapid feature updates and upgrades.

[0003] Automobiles are composed of numerous components and assemblies, each with its own unique operating temperature and material tolerance. Ensuring these components operate at appropriate temperatures ensures safe, efficient, and stable operation. Therefore, vehicle thermal management presents significant challenges amidst the rapid development of the automotive industry.

[0004] SOME / IP, short for Scalable Service-Oriented Middleware over IP, is a communication middleware for automotive Ethernet networks. It enables service subscription and publishing. Starting with AUTOSAR 4.1, SOME / IP is part of the AUTOSAR (Automotive Open System Architecture) specification. SOME / IP defines the following communication methods:

[0005] 1.Request&Response Method: The client sends a request and the server responds.

[0006] 2. Fire & Forget Method: The client sends a request and the server does not need to respond.

[0007] 3.Event: The client subscribes to an event group. When at least one event in the event group occurs, the server notifies the client via a Notification message.

[0008] 4. Field: The client subscribes to an event group. When at least one event in the event group occurs, the server notifies the client via a Notification message. The difference between a Field and an Event is that a Field is a persistent variable, while an Event refers to a single occurrence. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present invention aims to implement a vehicle thermal management system based on a service-oriented architecture and a method for performing vehicle thermal management using the vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention. This allows for a flexible, loosely coupled, and scalable architecture that can meet complex system integration and functional requirements.

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a vehicle thermal management system based on a service-oriented architecture is proposed, wherein the vehicle thermal management system includes at least one functional domain controller and at least one regional controller, the functional domain controller and the regional controller respectively include at least an application layer module and a basic software layer module, the basic software layer module includes at least a communication middleware, the application layer module of the first functional domain controller among the functional domain controllers includes at least one first application for vehicle thermal management, wherein at least one first hardware is connected to the regional controller, and the first hardware can be used to collect thermodynamically related parameters and / or execute control instructions issued by the first application, wherein the first hardware can subscribe to and publish services for vehicle thermal management with the first application through the communication middleware.

[0011] According to an improved form of the system, the application layer module of the regional controller further includes at least one second application for vehicle thermal management, and the second application can subscribe to or publish services for vehicle thermal management with the first hardware through the communication middleware.

[0012] According to another improved form of the system, at least one third application is also included on the first functional domain controller, and / or at least one fourth application can be provided on other functional domain controllers. The third application and / or the fourth application can subscribe to the service of the first hardware through the communication middleware for vehicle thermal management.

[0013] According to another improved form of the system, at least one second hardware is connected to the functional domain controller, and the second hardware can subscribe to or publish services for vehicle thermal management with any of the applications through the communication middleware.

[0014] According to another improved form of the system, the communication middleware includes SOME / IP or DDS.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for performing vehicle thermal management with the aid of a vehicle thermal management system according to any one of the above claims is proposed, the method being applied to a regional controller of the vehicle thermal management system, the method comprising the following steps: the regional controller subscribes to a service of an application on the functional domain controller and / or regional controller with the aid of first hardware connected thereto, the service being a control instruction for thermal management; the regional controller receives the control instruction issued by the application with the first hardware connected thereto; optionally, the regional controller executes the control instruction with its first hardware.

[0016] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method for performing vehicle thermal management with the aid of a vehicle thermal management system according to any one of the above claims is proposed, the method being applied to a regional controller of the vehicle thermal management system, the method comprising the following steps: the regional controller accepts service subscriptions of applications on the functional domain controller and / or regional controller with a first hardware connected thereto, the service being to send data related to thermal management, and the regional controller publishes services to applications subscribing to its services with a first hardware connected thereto.

[0017] In a development of the method according to the invention, before subscribing to a service, a communication middleware on the regional controller or the functional domain controller performs a service discovery.

[0018] In an improved form of the method according to the present invention, the publication of the service can be triggered by an event group, which includes at least one event. When at least one event in the event group occurs, the service publisher automatically publishes data or control instructions to the service subscriber; and / or the publication of the service can be triggered at a specified time. Every time the specified time is reached, the service publisher automatically publishes data or control instructions to the service subscriber.

[0019] In an improved form of the method according to the second aspect of the present invention, before the step of the regional controller receiving the control instructions issued by the application with the first hardware connected thereto, the regional controller publishes a service to the application with the first hardware connected thereto, wherein the service is to send data related to thermal management.

[0020] The vehicle thermal management system and the method for performing vehicle thermal management with the aid of the vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention allow the vehicle thermal management system to be divided into multiple independent services by using the SOA architecture (Service-Oriented Architecture), each service representing a specific functional module, such as in-vehicle temperature control, engine cooling, battery temperature management, etc. This modular design of the vehicle thermal management system makes the system easier to maintain, upgrade and expand. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing a system embodiment of a vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing a functional domain controller and a regional controller and their communication connections in an embodiment of a device of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 A flow chart showing an embodiment of a method for performing vehicle thermal management by means of a vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 A flow chart showing another method embodiment of a method for vehicle thermal management by means of a vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 A flow chart shows a further method embodiment of the method according to the present invention for vehicle thermal management by means of a vehicle thermal management system.

[0026] Reference numerals

[0027] 1. Vehicle thermal management system 2. Regional controller 3. Vehicle domain controller 4. Intelligent driving domain controller 5. Intelligent cockpit domain controller 6. Heater 7. Air conditioning compressor 8. Sensor 9. Vehicle thermal management module 10. Battery management module 11. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning module 12. Advanced driving assistance module DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In this specification, it will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element, the element may be directly disposed on, directly connected to, or directly coupled to the element, or a third element may be present intervening. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element, no intervening element is disposed therebetween.

[0029] The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which various embodiments are shown. However, the present disclosure can be implemented in many different ways and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be exhaustive and complete and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. Throughout, the same reference numerals represent the same elements. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the thicknesses, ratios, and sizes of components are exaggerated for clarity. At the same time, in the drawings illustrating the methods, the order in which the steps are shown is exemplary only and does not exclude other orders.

[0030] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, as used herein, "a," "an," "the," and "at least one" do not represent a limitation on quantity, but are intended to include both the singular and the plural. For example, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, "an element" has the same meaning as "at least one element." "At least one" should not be interpreted as being limited to the quantity "one." "Or" means "and / or." The term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0031] Furthermore, “lower,” “below,” “above,” “upper,” etc. are used to describe the positional relationship of components shown in the drawings. These terms may be relative concepts and are described based on the directions presented in the drawings.

[0032] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having the same meanings as in the relevant technical context, and unless expressly defined in the specification, these terms should not be interpreted as having formal meanings in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0033] The meaning of “include” or “comprising” specifies properties, quantities, steps, operations, elements, parts or their combinations, but does not exclude other properties, quantities, steps, operations, elements, parts or their combinations.

[0034] Embodiments are described herein with reference to schematic diagrams that are idealized embodiments. Thus, variations in shape relative to the illustrated embodiments are anticipated as a result of, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Therefore, the embodiments described herein should not be construed as limited to the specific shapes of the regions as shown herein, but rather should include deviations in shape that result from, for example, manufacturing. For example, a region shown or described as flat may typically have rough and / or nonlinear features. Furthermore, sharp angles shown may be rounded. Therefore, the regions shown in the figures are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of the regions and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0035] Thermal management in today's new energy vehicles presents significant challenges. From fuel-powered vehicles to new energy vehicles, thermal management systems have shifted from mechanical to electric propulsion and have gradually upgraded to high-efficiency thermal management systems with waste heat recovery. Diverse operating conditions have necessitated the addition of numerous components requiring higher control precision, as well as increasingly complex piping systems and connector wiring harnesses. Vehicle interiors lack sufficient space to accommodate all these systems and wiring harnesses, leading to wiring saturation issues. Furthermore, the increasing number of components requiring cooling within the system has led to increasing system complexity, with all functions integrated into one system. This has hindered development, expansion, and maintenance, and slowed down version iterations. Furthermore, vehicles are comprised of numerous components and assemblies, each with varying operating temperatures and material tolerances. Ensuring that these complex components and assemblies operate at optimal temperatures is challenging. Consequently, existing vehicle thermal management systems present significant challenges in terms of thermal efficiency, system control precision, spatial layout, scalability, ease of maintenance, and rapid version iterations.

[0036] In order to solve the above technical problems, embodiments of the present application provide a vehicle thermal management system based on a service-oriented architecture and a method for performing vehicle thermal management with the help of the vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention.

[0037] The vehicle thermal management system and vehicle thermal management method according to the present invention divide the vehicle thermal management system into multiple independent services by using SOA architecture (Service-Oriented Architecture). Each service represents a specific functional module, such as in-vehicle temperature control, engine cooling, battery temperature management, etc. This modular design makes the system easier to maintain, upgrade and expand. Loose coupling is achieved by clearly defining the interface and communication between services. This means that different thermal management services can be developed and deployed independently without relying too much on the implementation details of other services, making the system more flexible and reliable. In addition, because the services can be deployed and run independently, if a service fails, other services can still work normally. This improves the fault tolerance and reliability of the system and ensures that the vehicle thermal management system continues to operate in the event of partial failures. In summary, the present invention provides a flexible, loosely coupled, and scalable architecture to meet complex system integration and functional requirements, while greatly simplifying the wiring of the entire vehicle.

[0038] First, according to the first aspect of the present invention, an embodiment of the vehicle thermal management system based on a service-oriented architecture of the present invention is introduced.

[0039] See also Figure 1 In a system embodiment of the vehicle thermal management system of the present invention, a vehicle thermal management system 1 based on a service-oriented architecture includes at least one functional domain controller and at least one regional controller, wherein the functional domain controller and the regional controller respectively include at least an application layer module and a basic software layer module, wherein the basic software layer module includes at least a communication middleware, and the application layer module of the first functional domain controller among the functional domain controllers includes at least one first application for vehicle thermal management, wherein at least one first hardware is connected to the regional controller, and the first hardware can be used to collect parameters related to thermodynamics and / or execute control instructions issued by the first application, wherein the first hardware can subscribe to and publish services for vehicle thermal management with the first application through the communication middleware.

[0040] The functional domain controller for vehicle thermal management provided by the first system embodiment of the present invention is preferably a vehicle domain controller (English: Vehicle Domain Controller, hereinafter may also be referred to as VDC or vehicle domain controller VDC or vehicle domain controller VDC) 3. The vehicle domain controller 3 has an application layer module for vehicle thermal management, in particular a vehicle thermal management module 9 (English: Thermal Management Module, hereinafter may also be referred to as TMM or vehicle thermal management module TMM). The vehicle thermal management module TMM, for example, mainly includes three components: motor and electronic control thermal management, battery thermal management, and cabin thermal management. The vehicle thermal management module TMM is constructed to, from a system perspective, coordinate the heat of the entire vehicle and the heat of the environment, adopt comprehensive means to control and optimize heat transfer, keep each component working in the optimal temperature range, ensure vehicle safety, while improving economy, power, energy saving and environmental protection performance. Connected to the zone controller are first hardware components for vehicle thermal management, particularly cabin thermal management hardware, such as a heater 6 (Positive Temperature Coefficient, hereinafter also referred to as PTC or heater PTC), an electrical air controller 7 (EAC or EAC), and a sensor 8 for collecting parameters related to thermal management. Preferably, the heater 6, air conditioner compressor 7, and sensor 8 connected to the zone controller 2 can subscribe to services from the vehicle thermal management module TMM on the vehicle domain controller 3 via communication middleware. These services, for example, are control commands. Furthermore, the vehicle thermal management module TMM on the vehicle domain controller 3 can subscribe to services from the heater 6, air conditioner compressor 7, and sensor 8 connected to the zone controller 2 via communication middleware. These services, for example, are data-related services, such as the operating status of each first hardware component (e.g., whether it is heating / cooling or in standby mode), its current temperature, voltage, current, and abnormal conditions.

[0041] Preferably, the application layer module of the regional controller 2 also includes a second application for vehicle thermal management, such as a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module 11 (hereinafter referred to as HVAC). This second application can subscribe to or publish vehicle thermal management services with the first hardware through communication middleware. The HVAC module is a key component of the vehicle's thermal management system. Users use the HVAC module to manage cabin thermal conditions, such as adjusting cabin heating, cooling, ventilation, and air conditioning.

[0042] It should be noted that the vehicle thermal management module (TMM) preferably coordinates and controls vehicle and ambient heat from a system and vehicle perspective, maintaining each component within an optimal operating temperature range. Therefore, the TMM preferably functions as a coordinating module, and control commands issued for vehicle thermal management optionally have a higher priority than those issued by the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module. These control commands include, but are not limited to, starting seat cooling / heating, starting cabin cooling / heating, switching to a different temperature control mode, setting a target temperature, performing defogger and dehumidification, and timing the start or stop of cooling / heating functions and cabin heating / cooling functions.

[0043] This approach, according to the present invention, advantageously separates the different functional units of a vehicle's thermal management system, encapsulating the smallest functional logic into services. By invoking service interfaces, these functional logic modules can interact with each other and separate control from computation. The inventors have discovered that this modular thermal management system design, particularly for cabin thermal management systems, distributes hardware and software resources across regional controllers and functional domain controllers, improving the thermal management system's control accuracy and flexibility while significantly simplifying wiring.

[0044] Preferably, the functional domain controller 3 also includes at least one third application, and / or other functional domain controllers can have at least one fourth application, and the third application and / or the fourth application can subscribe to the service of the first hardware through the communication middleware for vehicle thermal management.

[0045] In particular, the third application includes but is not limited to thermal management functions, such as a battery management module 10 (English: Battery Management System, hereinafter also referred to as BMS or battery management module BMS), which contains a battery thermal management module for thermal management of the battery itself. The battery management module can also establish a subscription / publish service relationship with the first hardware through the communication middleware. For example, assuming that the PTC is heating the interior of the car, the PTC will publish its current operating status (heating) and current temperature (for example, 45 degrees Celsius) to the vehicle's data bus. The battery management module BMS, as a subscriber, will receive this data. The battery management module BMS uses this data to make battery management decisions. For example, if the temperature of the PTC is too high, the battery management module BMS may decide to reduce the output power of the battery to prevent the battery from overheating. For example, if the PTC is consuming a lot of energy for heating, the battery management module BMS may decide to optimize the battery's charging and discharging strategies to ensure that the battery has enough power for the heater.

[0046] Advantageously, the vehicle thermal management module TMM preferably controls the battery temperature based on a coordinated perspective. For example, when the battery temperature rises to an unsafe level (such as 60 degrees Celsius), the vehicle thermal management module TMM will issue a control instruction to the EAC to start cooling the battery. The control instruction may include: a command to start cooling, a target battery temperature (such as cooling the battery to 40 degrees Celsius), and a cooling mode (such as "high-speed cooling" mode). The EAC will then execute the control instruction and start the cooling process until the battery temperature drops to the target battery temperature. The vehicle thermal management module TMM is preferably used as a coordinated module, and the control instructions it issues have a higher priority.

[0047] The inventors have found that the modular design of the present invention advantageously optimizes the management of battery temperature, improves the control accuracy and flexibility of the battery thermal management system, and greatly simplifies wiring.

[0048] Preferably, the vehicle also has other functional domain controllers, such as the intelligent driving domain controller 4 and the intelligent cockpit domain controller 5, each of which can have another fourth application. In particular, the fourth application includes but is not limited to thermal management functions. For example, the intelligent driving domain controller 4 can have an advanced driving assistance module 12 (English: Advanced Driving Assistance System, hereinafter also referred to as ADAS or advanced driving assistance module ADAS). The advanced driving assistance module ADAS can also establish a subscription / publish service relationship with the first hardware, such as EAC, PTC or sensor, through the communication middleware. For example, assuming that the EAC is cooling the interior of the car, the EAC will publish its current operating status (cooling) and current temperature (for example, 18 degrees Celsius) to the vehicle's data bus. The advanced driving assistance module ADAS will receive this data as a subscriber. The advanced driving assistance module ADAS uses this data to make automatic climate control decisions. On the other hand, the first hardware on the regional controller, such as EAC or PTC, can also subscribe to the services of the advanced driving assistance module ADAS. For example, if the EAC temperature is too low, the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) will adjust its automatic climate control strategy, such as raising the target interior temperature or using PTC for heating. For another example, if the EAC is cooling, the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) will adjust the EAC's operating intensity or mode based on the interior temperature and passenger settings to provide the most comfortable interior environment.

[0049] The inventors have discovered that, with the vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention, some common services can advantageously be shared and reused by multiple applications or subsystems, such as the first, second, third, and / or fourth applications described above. For example, a temperature sensor data acquisition service can be subscribed to by one or more applications in the vehicle thermal management module (TMM), heating, ventilation, and air conditioning module (HVAC), advanced driver assistance module (ADAS), and battery management module (BMS), thereby avoiding the duplication of development of the same functionality.

[0050] Preferably, the functional domain controller, preferably the vehicle domain controller 3, is also equipped with a second hardware component capable of subscribing to or publishing vehicle thermal management services with any of the applications via the communication middleware. This second hardware component can be any component related to or unrelated to thermal management, such as an engine starter / stop. Similarly, applications on the functional domain controller and the vehicle domain controller can subscribe to the second hardware component's services as needed, such as publishing thermal management-related data. This advantageously enables the encapsulation of minimal functional logic into services, enabling interaction between different functional logic modules and the separation of control and computation by invoking service interfaces.

[0051] Preferably, the communication middleware is a standard communication protocol, such as SOME / IP or DDS. The subscription and publication of services between each subscriber controller and the service provider controller are all implemented through the communication middleware. For example, the first hardware publishes data to SOME / IP on the local area controller, and SOME / IP sends the data directly to the local application subscribed to the service, and sends it to the remote functional domain controller with the application subscribed to the service. The communication middleware on the remote functional domain controller receives the data and then sends the data to the application subscribed to the service on the remote functional domain controller. The vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention can advantageously interoperate with other vehicle subsystems, on-board equipment and external systems due to the use of standard communication protocols and interfaces. Such cross-platform interoperability helps to achieve the overall intelligence and connectivity of the vehicle, thereby improving scalability.

[0052] For example, the PTC connected to the regional controller 2 publishes data to the SOME / IP on the local regional controller. The SOME / IP sends the data directly to the local application HVAC that subscribes to the service; and also sends the data to the remote vehicle domain controller 3 with the application TMM that also subscribes to the service. The SOME / IP on the vehicle domain controller 3 receives the data and then sends the data to the application TMM on the remote vehicle domain controller 3 that subscribes to the service.

[0053] Preferably, the functional domain controller and the regional controller further include a hardware layer module respectively, and the hardware layer module preferably includes at least an Ethernet interface.

[0054] Preferably, the functional domain controller and the regional controller communicate via Ethernet. Furthermore, preferably, the regional controller communicates with connected actuators and sensors via an automotive bus, such as CAN, LIN, or FlexRay, or via Ethernet. Preferably, the functional domain controller communicates with connected second hardware via an automotive bus, such as CAN, LIN, or FlexRay, or via Ethernet.

[0055] A regional controller is an advanced controller that integrates multiple functional modules. In addition to data forwarding, it also has more advanced functions such as data processing, security management, system monitoring, and fault diagnosis.

[0056] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the functional domain controller and the regional controller and their communication connection in the first device embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0057] according to Figure 2 The functional domain controller, preferably the vehicle domain controller 3 and the regional controller 2, all include application layer modules and basic software layer modules. The application layer modules of the vehicle domain controller 3 include, for example, the vehicle thermal management module TMM, and the application layer modules of the regional controller 2 include, for example, the heating, ventilation and air conditioning module HVAC. In addition, the regional controller 2 is connected to, for example, the heater PTC, air conditioning compressor EAC, valves, sensors, etc., and the vehicle domain controller 3 is connected to, for example, the engine starter and stop device. Preferably, Figure 2 The functional domain controller and regional controller in are developed based on AUTOSAR. Figure 2 The functional domain controller and the regional controller in the application layer module may also include other software control modules, and the basic software module may also include system services, service discovery (SD), communication services, complex drivers, hardware abstraction, etc. Preferably, Figure 2 The functional domain controller and regional controller may include a microcontroller in addition to the application layer module and basic software module.

[0058] For example, the application TMM on the vehicle domain controller 3 sends a control instruction to the SOME / IP on the vehicle domain controller 3 itself, and the SOME / IP sends the control instruction to the SOMP / IP on the regional controller 2, and the SOME / IP sends the control instruction to the hardware connected to the regional controller 2, such as the PTC.

[0059] It should be noted here that Figure 1 and Figure 2 The allocation of hardware on each controller is only exemplary. Preferably, the hardware is allocated according to the functional domain and / or spatial domain, and factors such as hardware interface resources and wiring harnesses need to be comprehensively considered.

[0060] Next, according to the second aspect of the present invention, an embodiment of the method for vehicle thermal management provided by the present invention is introduced.

[0061] Figure 3 A flow chart showing a method for performing vehicle thermal management by means of a vehicle thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The method is applied to a zone controller of the vehicle thermal management system, and the method includes the following steps:

[0062] In step 301 , the regional controller subscribes to a service applied on the functional domain controller and / or the regional controller by means of first hardware connected thereto, wherein the service is a control instruction for thermal management.

[0063] In step 302, the regional controller receives the control instruction issued by the application via the first hardware connected thereto.

[0064] In step 303, optionally, the regional controller executes the control instruction using its first hardware.

[0065] Preferably, the method for vehicle thermal management according to this method embodiment is based on Figure 1 The vehicle thermal management system of the system embodiment is implemented. With this method embodiment, remote control and local control of the first hardware can be achieved. The following describes this embodiment in detail with the help of specific examples.

[0066] Example 1:

[0067] With the aid of the method according to this example, a remote service call can be implemented.

[0068] For example, the PTC connected to the regional controller 2 subscribes to the TMM application on the vehicle domain controller 3 for heating control instructions, and / or the EAC connected to the regional controller 2 subscribes to the TMM application on the vehicle domain controller 3 for cooling control instructions. Preferably, the subscription is performed using the Request & Response Method (also abbreviated as R&R Method) or the Fire & Forget Method (also abbreviated as F&F Method) communication method.

[0069] Preferably, the control instructions created by TMM include but are not limited to: starting to cool / heat seats, starting to cool / heat the cabin, switching to different temperature control modes, setting target temperature, defogger, dehumidifier, timing to start or stop cooling / heating function, timing to start or stop cabin heating / cooling function, cooling battery, etc.

[0070] For example, when the battery temperature rises to an unsafe level (e.g., 60 degrees Celsius), the thermal management module (TMM) issues a cooling control instruction, optionally via a Notify message, to the SOME / IP on the vehicle domain controller 3. Subsequently, the SOME / IP on the domain controller receives the cooling control instruction and sends it to the EAC, requesting the EAC to begin cooling the battery. Preferably, the cooling control instruction may include: a command to start cooling, a target battery temperature (e.g., cooling the battery to 40 degrees Celsius), and a cooling mode (e.g., "high-speed cooling" mode). The EAC then executes the cooling control instruction, initiating the cooling process until the battery temperature drops to the target battery temperature.

[0071] For another example, when the interior temperature falls below the passenger comfort level (e.g., 18 degrees Celsius), the TMM issues a heating control instruction, preferably via a Notify message, to the communication middleware (e.g., SOME / IP) on the vehicle domain controller 3. SOME / IP on the regional controller 2 then receives the heating control instruction and sends it to the PTC, requesting it to begin heating the cabin. Preferably, the heating control instruction may include: a command to start heating, a target interior temperature (e.g., raising the interior temperature to 22 degrees Celsius), and a heating mode (e.g., "rapid heating" mode). The PTC then executes the heating control instruction, initiating the heating process until the interior temperature reaches the target interior temperature.

[0072] Example 2:

[0073] With the method according to this example, a local service call can be implemented.

[0074] Preferably, the PTC and / or EAC on the regional controller 2 can subscribe to the HVAC control instructions of the local application of the regional controller 2 through the SOME / IP on the regional controller 2. Preferably, the control instructions include but are not limited to: heating, cooling, ventilation, and air conditioning of the cabin.

[0075] Example 3:

[0076] With the method according to this example, remote service calls and local service calls can be implemented simultaneously.

[0077] Preferably, the PTC and / or EAC can subscribe to control instructions from the local HVAC application on the zone controller 2 and to control instructions from the TMM application on a remote functional domain controller, such as the vehicle domain controller 3. Preferably, control instructions issued by the vehicle thermal management module (TMM), acting as a coordinating module, take precedence over those issued by the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module.

[0078] It should be noted that the events triggering service publication in the above example, such as the battery temperature rising to an unsafe level and the vehicle interior temperature falling below passenger comfort, are provided for clarity only. It should be understood that in this embodiment, the regional controller's subscription and reception of services can also be implemented independently without introducing an event-triggered publication mechanism.

[0079] The inventors have discovered that, advantageously, the modular thermal management design of the present invention achieves loose coupling by clearly defining interfaces and communication between services. Whether used locally or remotely, thermal management-related hardware can subscribe to its control instructions based on actual needs. This means that different thermal management services can be developed and deployed independently without excessive reliance on the implementation details of other services, making the system more flexible and reliable, and easier to maintain, upgrade, and expand.

[0080] According to a modified form of the first method embodiment of the present invention, the regional controller's communication middleware performs service discovery before subscribing to a service. For example, before the PTC and / or EAC connected to regional controller 2 subscribes to a control instruction, regional controller 2's communication middleware performs service discovery. For example, regional controller 2's communication middleware may be SOME / IP. The SD (Service Discovery) protocol in SOME / IP provides a mechanism for automatically discovering and dynamically updating services. The method according to the present invention also allows for static service configuration without using the SD protocol.

[0081] According to an improved form of the first method embodiment of the present invention, as already explained in the previous specific examples, the release of the service can be triggered by an event in an event group, and the event group includes at least one event. When at least one event in the event group occurs, the service publisher automatically issues a control instruction to the service subscriber; and / or the release of the service can be triggered at a specified time. Every time the specified time is reached, the service publisher automatically issues a control instruction to the service subscriber.

[0082] Preferably, service publishing can be triggered by an event in an event group, which includes at least one event. When at least one event in the event group occurs, the application on the functional domain controller and / or regional controller, acting as the service publisher, automatically issues control instructions to the first hardware, acting as the service subscriber. For example, when the battery temperature rises to an unsafe level, the thermal management module TMM issues a cooling control instruction, optionally via a Notify message, to the SOME / IP on the vehicle domain controller 3. Subsequently, the SOME / IP on the regional controller receives the cooling control instruction and sends it to the EAC, requesting the EAC to initiate battery cooling.

[0083] Preferably, the events in the event group include two categories: state change updates and exceeding thresholds, including but not limited to: battery temperature is too high, vehicle interior temperature is too high or too low, the driver or passenger turns on defogger / rapid cooling functions, and changes in target battery temperature, cooling mode, target vehicle interior temperature and / or heating mode.

[0084] Alternatively, an application acting as a service publisher on a functional domain controller and / or regional controller can automatically issue control instructions to service subscribers on a regular basis, such as hourly or daily. For example, the TMM application on the vehicle domain controller 3 can automatically issue a battery cooling control command to the EAC every two hours to prevent battery overheating.

[0085] Alternatively, service publishing can be triggered by an event in an event group, which includes at least one event. When at least one event in the event group occurs, the application on the functional domain controller and / or regional controller, acting as the service publisher, automatically publishes control instructions to the first hardware, acting as the service subscriber. Furthermore, the service publisher on the functional domain controller and / or regional controller can automatically publish control instructions to the service subscriber periodically, for example, hourly or daily. For example, the EAC subscribes to cooling control instructions from the TMM application on the vehicle domain controller 3. When the subscribed event is triggered, the TMM publishes battery cooling control instructions to the EAC. The TMM also automatically publishes battery cooling control commands to the EAC every two hours to prevent battery overheating.

[0086] Figure 4 A flow chart of a method for performing vehicle thermal management using a vehicle thermal management system according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. The method is applied to a zone controller of the vehicle thermal management system and includes the following steps:

[0087] In step 401 , the regional controller accepts a service subscription of an application on the functional domain controller and / or the regional controller through a first hardware connected thereto, wherein the service is to send data related to thermal management.

[0088] In step 402 , the regional controller publishes services to applications subscribing to its services using first hardware connected to the regional controller.

[0089] Preferably, the method for vehicle thermal management according to this method embodiment is based on Figure 1 The vehicle thermal management system of the system embodiment is implemented. The embodiment is described in detail below with the help of specific examples.

[0090] Example 4:

[0091] This example method enables atomic services and on-demand push notifications for vehicle thermal management. Specifically, in-vehicle hardware resources such as the PTC heater, EAC compressor, and sensors can be atomized to provide atomic services, advantageously encapsulating minimal functional logic into services. Any application or component within the vehicle can subscribe to the data-related services it needs.

[0092] Preferably, data-related services for vehicle thermal management can be created in the regional controller 2, and the data can preferably include the operating status of each first hardware (such as whether it is heating / cooling or in standby state), its current temperature, voltage, current, current abnormal state, etc.

[0093] For example, a running status service for the connected heater PTC (e.g., whether it is heating / cooling or in standby mode) is created on regional controller 2. Preferably, the TMM application on the vehicle domain controller 3 subscribes to this running status service from the PTC, preferably using Event communication. The HVAC application on the local regional controller 2 also preferably subscribes to this running status service from the PTC. In this case, there are no subscribers on the intelligent driving domain controller 4 and the intelligent cockpit domain controller 5. Therefore, when the PTC starts heating, its running status is only sent to the local HVAC application and the TMM application on the vehicle domain controller 3 that have subscribed to this running status service, and not to the intelligent driving domain controller 4 and the intelligent cockpit domain controller 5.

[0094] Example 5:

[0095] With the method according to this example, in-vehicle shared services can be implemented. For example, in-vehicle hardware resources such as heater PTC, air conditioning compressor EAC and sensors can publish data to all applications or components in the vehicle based on subscription.

[0096] Preferably, in addition to the regional controller 2 and vehicle domain controller 3 mentioned in Example 4, applications on other functional domain controllers, preferably the intelligent driving domain controller 4 and the intelligent cockpit domain controller 5, can also subscribe to services from the first hardware on the regional controller 2.

[0097] For example, regional controller 2 creates an indoor and outdoor temperature service using sensor 8 connected to it. All applications on all regional controllers and / or functional domain controllers in the vehicle can subscribe to this indoor and outdoor temperature service. Preferably, the HVAC application on regional controller 2, the TMM and BMS applications on vehicle domain controller 3, and the ADAS application on intelligent driving domain controller 4 all subscribe to this indoor and outdoor temperature service, preferably using Event communication. Preferably, when at least one event in the event group occurs, for example, when sensor 8 connected to regional controller 2 detects that the temperature exceeds a certain threshold, sensor 8 publishes the temperature data to the communication middleware on regional controller 2, such as SOME / IP. The SOME / IP on the regional controller 2 sends the temperature data to the local HVAC application; and also sends it to the remote vehicle domain controller 3 and the intelligent driving domain controller 4 that have subscribed to the vehicle interior and exterior temperature service. The SOME / IP on the vehicle domain controller 3 and the SOME / IP on the intelligent driving domain controller 4 respectively receive the temperature data and then publish the temperature data to the TMM and BMS applications on the vehicle domain controller 3 that subscribe to the vehicle interior and exterior temperature service, and the ADAS application on the intelligent driving domain controller 4 that subscribes to the vehicle interior and exterior temperature service.

[0098] According to the method of the present invention, some common services in the thermal management system can be advantageously shared and reused by multiple applications or subsystems, thereby avoiding repeated development of the same functions.

[0099] According to an improved form of the second method embodiment of the present invention, before subscribing to a service, the communication middleware on the functional domain controller performs service discovery.

[0100] Preferably, before the HVAC application on the regional controller 2, the TMM and BMS applications on the vehicle domain controller 3, and the ADAS application on the intelligent driving domain controller 4 subscribe, the communication middleware of the regional controller 2, the vehicle domain controller 3, and the intelligent driving domain controller 4 perform service discovery. The communication middleware is, for example, SOME / IP. The SD (Service Discovery) protocol in SOME / IP provides a mechanism for automatically discovering and dynamically updating services. The method according to the present invention can also statically configure services without using the SD protocol.

[0101] According to an improved form of the second method embodiment of the present invention, similar to what has been explained in the previous specific examples, the release of the service can be triggered by an event in an event group, and the event group includes at least one event. When at least one event in the event group occurs, the service publisher automatically publishes data to the service subscriber; and / or the release of the service can be triggered at a specified time, and every time the specified time is reached, the service publisher automatically publishes data to the service subscriber.

[0102] Preferably, service publishing can be triggered by an event in an event group, which includes at least one event. When at least one event in the event group occurs, the first hardware, acting as the service publisher, automatically publishes data to applications on the functional domain controller and / or regional controller, acting as service subscribers. For example, when the PTC begins heating, its operating status is published to the TMM application on the vehicle domain controller 3 that has subscribed to the operating status service.

[0103] Preferably, the events in the event group include two categories: state change update and threshold exceeding, including but not limited to: PTC starts heating, EAC starts cooling, or the temperature of PTC or EAC exceeds a certain threshold.

[0104] Alternatively, the first hardware, acting as a service publisher, automatically publishes data to applications on the functional domain controller and / or regional controller, acting as service subscribers, on a regular basis, such as hourly or daily. For example, sensor 8 connected to regional controller 2 automatically publishes vehicle interior and exterior temperature data every two hours to the TMM, HVAC, BMS, and / or ADAS applications subscribed to the sensor service on regional controller 2, vehicle domain controller 3, intelligent driving domain controller 4, and / or intelligent cockpit domain controller 5.

[0105] Alternatively, the publication of the service can be triggered by an event in an event group, wherein the event group includes at least one event. When at least one event in the event group occurs, the first hardware serving as the service publisher automatically publishes data to the application on the functional domain controller and / or regional controller serving as the service subscriber. Furthermore, the first hardware serving as the service publisher automatically publishes data to the application on the functional domain controller and / or regional controller serving as the service subscriber on a regular basis, such as every hour or every day. For example, when the PTC begins heating, its operating status is published to the application TMM on the vehicle domain controller 3 that has subscribed to the operating status service. Furthermore, the PTC automatically publishes its operating status to the application TMM on the vehicle domain controller 3 every two hours.

[0106] Figure 5A method for vehicle thermal management using a vehicle thermal management system according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. The method is applied to a zone controller and includes the following steps:

[0107] In step 501, the regional controller accepts a service subscription of an application on the functional domain controller and / or the regional controller through a first hardware connected thereto, wherein the service is to send data related to thermal management.

[0108] In step 502, the regional controller subscribes to a service applied on the functional domain controller and / or the regional controller by means of a first hardware connected thereto, wherein the service is a control instruction for thermal management.

[0109] In step 503, the regional controller publishes services to applications subscribing to its services using the first hardware connected to the regional controller.

[0110] In step 504, the regional controller receives the control instruction issued by the application through the first hardware connected thereto.

[0111] In step 505, optionally, the regional controller executes the control instruction using its first hardware.

[0112] Preferably, the method for vehicle thermal management according to this method embodiment is based on Figure 1 The embodiment of the system is implemented by a vehicle thermal management system. The embodiment is described in detail below with the help of specific examples.

[0113] Example 6:

[0114] Regional controller 2 creates an indoor / outdoor temperature service using sensor 8 connected to it. The TMM application on the vehicle domain controller 3 subscribes to this service with regional controller 2. Preferably, this subscription utilizes Event communication. For example, the PTC connected to regional controller 2 subscribes to heating control instructions from the TMM application on the vehicle domain controller 3. Preferably, this subscription utilizes a Request & Response method or an F&F method. Preferably, when sensor 8 connected to regional controller 2 detects a temperature below a certain threshold (e.g., 18 degrees Celsius), sensor 8 publishes the temperature data to the communication middleware on regional controller 2, such as SOME / IP. SOME / IP on regional controller 2 then sends the temperature data to the remote vehicle domain controller 3, which has subscribed to this service. SOME / IP on vehicle domain controller 3 receives the temperature data and then publishes it to the TMM application on the vehicle domain controller 3, which has subscribed to this service. The TMM then issues a heating control instruction, preferably via a Notify message, to the SOME / IP on the vehicle's domain controller 3. The SOME / IP on the regional controller 2 then receives the heating control instruction and sends it to the PTC, requesting it to begin heating the vehicle cabin. Preferably, the heating control instruction may include: a command to start heating, a target interior temperature (e.g., raising the interior temperature to 22 degrees Celsius), and a heating mode (e.g., "rapid heating" mode).

[0115] According to a modified form of the third method embodiment of the present invention, before subscribing to a service, the communication middleware on the regional controller or functional domain controller performs service discovery. For example, before the PTC on regional controller 2 subscribes to a heating control instruction, the communication middleware on regional controller 2 performs service discovery, and / or before the application TMM on vehicle domain controller 3 subscribes to the vehicle interior and exterior temperature service, the communication middleware on vehicle domain controller 3 performs service discovery. Preferably, both of these communication middlewares are SOME / IP.

[0116] According to an improved form of the third method embodiment of the present invention, similar to what has been explained in the previous specific examples, the release of the service can be triggered by an event in an event group, the event group includes at least one event, and when at least one event in the event group occurs, the service publisher automatically releases data or control instructions to the service subscriber; and / or the release of the service can be triggered at a specified time, and every time the specified time is reached, the service publisher automatically releases data or control instructions to the service subscriber. For this, please refer to the description of the first method embodiment and the second method embodiment above, and will not be repeated here.

[0117] Preferably, the events in the event group that triggers data release include two types: state change update and threshold exceeding, including but not limited to: PTC starts heating, EAC starts cooling, or the temperature of PTC or EAC exceeds a certain threshold.

[0118] Preferably, the events in the event group that triggers the issuance of control instructions include two categories: state change update and exceeding threshold value, including but not limited to: battery temperature is too high, vehicle interior temperature is too high or too low, the driver or passenger turns on defogger, rapid cooling and other functions, target battery temperature, cooling mode, target vehicle interior temperature and / or heating mode, etc. change.

[0119] Overall, the SOA-based vehicle thermal management system is a flexible, scalable, and maintainable architecture that helps vehicle manufacturers better integrate different functional modules and provide more efficient and reliable thermal management functions.

Claims

1. A vehicle thermal management system based on service-oriented architecture, It is characterized in that The thermal management system includes at least one functional domain controller and at least one regional controller, The functional domain controller and the regional controller respectively include at least an application layer module and a basic software layer module, and the basic software layer module includes at least a communication middleware. The application layer module of the first functional domain controller in the functional domain controller includes at least one first application for vehicle thermal management, At least one first hardware is connected to the zone controller, and the first hardware can be configured to collect parameters related to thermodynamics and / or execute received control instructions. The first hardware and the first application can subscribe to or publish services for vehicle thermal management through the communication middleware.

2. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The application layer module of the regional controller also includes at least one second application for vehicle thermal management, and the second application can subscribe to or publish services for vehicle thermal management with the first hardware through the communication middleware.

3. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The first functional domain controller also includes at least one third application, and / or There can be at least one fourth application on the other functional domain controller, The third application and / or the fourth application can subscribe to the service of the first hardware through the communication middleware for vehicle thermal management.

4. The vehicle thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that At least one second hardware is connected to the functional domain controller, and the second hardware can subscribe to or publish services for vehicle thermal management with any of the applications through the communication middleware.

5. A vehicle thermal management system according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The communication middleware is SOME / IP or DDS.

6. A method for vehicle thermal management by means of a vehicle thermal management system according to any one of the preceding claims, the method being applied to a zone controller of the vehicle thermal management system, the method comprising the following steps: The regional controller subscribes to a service of an application on the functional domain controller and / or the regional controller by means of a first hardware connected thereto, wherein the service is a control instruction for thermal management. The regional controller receives the control instruction issued by the application through the first hardware connected thereto, Optionally, the regional controller executes the control instruction using its first hardware.

7. A method for vehicle thermal management by means of a vehicle thermal management system according to any one of the preceding claims, the method being applied to a zone controller of the vehicle thermal management system, the method comprising the following steps: The regional controller receives a service subscription from an application on the functional domain controller and / or the regional controller with a first hardware connected thereto, wherein the service is to send data related to thermal management. The regional controller publishes services to applications subscribing to its services through first hardware connected to the regional controller.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, It is characterized in that Before subscribing to a service, the communication middleware on the regional controller or functional domain controller performs service discovery.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, It is characterized in that The publishing of the service can be triggered by an event in an event group, the event group includes at least one event, and when at least one event in the event group occurs, the service publisher automatically publishes data or control instructions to the service subscriber; and / or The release of services can be triggered at a specified time. Every time the specified time is reached, the service publisher automatically publishes data or control instructions to the service subscriber.

10. The method according to claim 6, It is characterized in that Before the step of receiving the control instruction issued by the application through the first hardware connected to the regional controller, The regional controller publishes a service to the application through first hardware connected to the regional controller, and the service is sending data related to thermal management.

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