Limp-up mode control device, vehicle lighting system, and vehicle area controller

Abstract

The invention relates to a limping mode control device based on a domain controller, which comprises an executing mechanism and a single chip microcomputer, and further comprises a system basic chip which is configured to supply power to the single chip microcomputer and monitor the operation condition of the single chip microcomputer in real time, when it is monitored that an abnormal condition occurs in the single-chip microcomputer, the system basic chip sends a reset signal to the single-chip microcomputer and the latch circuit, and the latch circuit is configured to trigger the execution mechanism to enter a limping mode when receiving the reset signal from the system basic chip and / or an enable signal from the single-chip microcomputer. Wherein the actuator is configured to perform a predefined vehicle function in a limp mode. The invention further relates to a vehicle lighting system comprising the limping mode control device and a vehicle domain controller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of vehicle lamp control. More specifically, the present invention relates to a limp home mode control device based on a domain controller, a vehicle lighting system including the limp home mode control device, and a vehicle domain controller including the limp home mode control device. Background Art

[0002] With the development of vehicle electronics and intelligence, the traditional distributed architecture is difficult to meet higher-level intelligent functions, thus evolving into a vehicle domain controller (Zonal Control Unit, abbreviated as "ZCU") that can manage multiple vehicle functions simultaneously. As a core component of the vehicle electronic control system, the vehicle domain controller is of great significance for improving the driving safety, comfort, and intelligence level of the vehicle.

[0003] The vehicle domain controller is an electronic control unit integrating multiple functions, used to manage and control various systems of the vehicle. Currently, the vehicle's electronic and electrical architecture can include several domain controller products such as the power domain, body domain, chassis domain, cockpit domain, and autonomous driving domain. Different functional applications have different performance requirements for domain controller products. Among them, the body domain controller is mainly responsible for controlling various body functions such as internal / external vehicle lamps, wipers, and windows.

[0004] Currently, a matching limp home mode control device has not been developed for domain controller products. For example, for the body domain controller, when the main control chip inside it undergoes an abnormal reset, the vehicle lamps cannot enter the limp home control mode; or when the user's usage requirements for the vehicle lamps change, flexible vehicle lamp configuration cannot be provided based on the body domain controller. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To solve the above defects existing in the existing domain controller products, the present invention proposes a limp home mode control device based on a domain controller. This device adds a limp home mode to the body domain controller product, so that when the main control chip fails, certain basic functions within the body domain network can still be maintained, thereby ensuring that the vehicle can still travel at the minimum required performance level. For example, when the vehicle is driving at night, even if the body domain controller fails, it is necessary to ensure that the vehicle's lighting lamps do not go out so that the driver can drive the vehicle to the repair location.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a limp home mode control device based on a domain controller, the device including an actuator for performing corresponding vehicle functions and a single-chip microcomputer communicatively connected to the actuator, the single-chip microcomputer being configured to send corresponding control instructions to the actuator to control the actuator to perform corresponding vehicle functions, and the device further includes:

[0007] A system basis chip, wherein the system basis chip is configured to supply power to the single-chip microcomputer and monitor the operating status of the single-chip microcomputer in real time, wherein the system basis chip sends a reset signal to the single-chip microcomputer and the latch circuit when an abnormal condition is detected in the single-chip microcomputer,

[0008] A latch circuit includes a first input port connected to the system basis chip, a second input port connected to the microcontroller, and an output port connected to the actuator, the latch circuit is configured to trigger the actuator to enter a limp home mode upon receiving a reset signal from the system basis chip and / or an enable signal from the microcontroller, wherein the actuator is configured to execute a predefined vehicle function in the limp home mode.

[0009] Advantageously, the actuator comprises a light driver for controlling the lighting and extinguishing of a plurality of lights in the vehicle, wherein the light driver is configured as follows:

[0010] In a normal mode, one or more corresponding lights among the plurality of lights are turned on or off according to a control instruction provided by the single chip microcomputer; and

[0011] In the limp home mode, at least one first vehicle lamp among the plurality of vehicle lamps is turned on and at least one second vehicle lamp among the plurality of vehicle lamps is turned off.

[0012] Advantageously, the plurality of vehicle lights include position lights, brake lights, and turn lights, wherein the light driver is configured to light the position lights and the brake lights and turn off the turn lights in the limp home mode.

[0013] Advantageously, the latch circuit comprises a power supply module and a reset module, wherein the power supply module is configured to selectively supply power to the latch circuit under the control of the single-chip microcomputer, and the reset module is configured to cause the latch circuit to perform a reset operation to release its latched state under the control of the single-chip microcomputer.

[0014] Advantageously, the latch circuit further comprises a logic OR gate and a trigger, the trigger comprising an input port, a reset port and an output port, the logic OR gate comprising two input ports respectively connected to the single-chip microcomputer and the system basis chip, the output port of the logic OR gate being connected to the input port of the trigger, the output port of the trigger being connected to the limp home control port of the actuator, and the reset port of the trigger being connected to the reset module.

[0015] Advantageously, the latching circuit is configured to set the output port of the flip-flop to a high level when receiving a reset signal from the system base chip and / or an enable signal from the microcontroller, wherein the actuator is configured to start the limp mode when receiving a high-level signal via the limp control port.

[0016] Advantageously, the microcontroller is further configured to monitor the output current of the actuator and adjust the control instruction output to the actuator based on the output current of the actuator.

[0017] Advantageously, SPI communication is performed between the system base chip and the microcontroller and / or between the microcontroller and the actuator.

[0018] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a vehicle lighting system, which includes:

[0019] a plurality of vehicle lamps; and

[0020] the limp mode control device as described above.

[0021] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a vehicle domain controller. Advantageously, the vehicle domain controller includes the limp mode control device as described above.

[0022] The limp mode control device based on the domain controller according to the present invention adds a limp mode (Limp home) to the body domain controller product, so that when the main control chip fails, certain basic functions within the body domain network can still be maintained, thereby ensuring that the vehicle can still travel at the minimum required performance level. In particular, for the body domain controller product, when the MCU is abnormally reset or a functional safety event is detected, the control device of the present invention can be used to make the ZCU enter the limp mode to ensure that the left rear position lamp, right rear position lamp, left rear brake lamp, brake lamp, and high-mounted brake lamp are lit, while the turn signal lamp is extinguished. This device can meet the requirements of functional safety levels ASIL_B and ASIL_D. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] By incorporating the drawings herein and the following specific embodiments used to illustrate certain principles of the present invention, other features and advantages of the method of the present invention will become clear or be more specifically illustrated. Figure 1 illustrates a structural diagram of a limp mode control device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the latching circuit in

[0025] Figure 2 illustrates Figure 1 the latching circuit in Detailed implementation mode

[0026] The limp mode control device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through embodiments. In the following description, many specific details are set forth in order to enable those skilled in the art to more fully understand the present invention. However, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that some of these specific details may not be required for the implementation of the present invention. On the contrary, the present invention can be implemented by considering any combination of the following features and elements, regardless of whether they relate to different embodiments. Therefore, the following aspects, features, embodiments, and advantages are for illustrative purposes only and should not be regarded as elements or limitations of the claims.

[0027] For a conventional domain controller (abbreviated as "ZCU") product, when the main control chip (e.g., a single-chip microcomputer) inside it fails, the entire vehicle electronic control network will fail, which seriously affects the driving experience of the driver and even poses a safety hazard to the driver. In particular, in terms of headlight control, there are still many defects in the current body domain controller products, including:

[0028] > When the vehicle KL30 is powered on for the first time, there is a problem of lamp flashing;

[0029] > When the single-chip microcomputer in the ZCU is abnormally reset, it cannot enter the limp mode. For example, it cannot ensure that the left rear position lamp, right rear position lamp, left rear brake lamp, right rear brake lamp, and high-mounted brake lamp are in the lit state, thus unable to ensure nighttime driving safety;

[0030] > When the user's needs change, the headlights cannot be flexibly configured. For example, it is impossible to configure the left rear position lamp to be off and the left and right brake lamps to be on; and

[0031] > When the single-chip microcomputer in the ZCU is in normal operation, if the ZCU encounters a functional safety event, it cannot trigger to enter the limp mode.

[0032] Based on the above background, the present invention proposes a limp mode control device based on a domain controller. This device adds a limp mode (Limp home) to the body domain controller product, so that when the main control chip fails, certain basic functions within the body domain network can still be maintained, thereby ensuring that the vehicle can still travel at the minimum required performance level. For example, when the vehicle is driving at night, even if the body domain controller fails, it is necessary to ensure that the vehicle's lighting lamps do not go out so that the driver can drive the vehicle to the repair location.

[0033] Figure 1The structure diagram of a limp mode control device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. The device may include an actuator and a microcontroller unit (MCU) communicatively connected to the actuator (e.g., Serial Peripheral Interface - abbreviated as SPI communication). The MCU is intended to send corresponding control instructions to control the actuator to perform corresponding vehicle functions. In Figure 1 In the example, the actuator is shown as a lighting driver for controlling the lighting and extinguishing of multiple vehicle lights. However, it can be understood that the actuator can also be an institution for performing other vehicle functions, such as a wiper driver, a window driver, and so on.

[0034] To implement the limp mode control function, the device may further include a system base chip (abbreviated as "SBC") and a latch circuit. SPI communication can be performed between the SBC and the MCU. The SBC can be responsible for supplying power to the MCU and, for example, can monitor the operating status of the MCU in real time with the help of a watchdog. Among them, when an abnormal condition occurs in the MCU, the SBC can send a reset signal P_NDIS to the MCU, and this reset signal P_NDIS can also be sent to the latch circuit.

[0035] The latch circuit may include a first input port connected to the SBC, at least one second input port connected to the MCU, and an output port connected to the lighting driver. The latch circuit is configured to trigger the lighting driver to enter the limp mode when receiving the reset signal P_NDIS from the system base chip and / or the enable signal from the MCU. Among them, the lighting driver can perform predefined vehicle functions in the limp mode.

[0036] That is to say, the lighting driver involves two working modes, namely the normal mode and the waveform mode. In the normal mode, the lighting driver can turn on or off one or more corresponding vehicle lights among multiple vehicle lights according to the control instructions provided by the MCU (which can be transmitted via the SPI communication protocol). For example, when the driver wants to turn, the corresponding turn signal is turned on according to the corresponding operation instruction.

[0037] The limp mode can be activated by a trigger signal provided at the limp control port P_limp. In the limp mode, the lighting driver can turn on some of the vehicle lights (e.g., position lights and brake lights) and turn off some other vehicle lights (e.g., turn signals) in a predefined driving manner. For example, in the limp mode, the lighting driver sets the output pin OUTx corresponding to the input pin Inx at a high level to turn on the corresponding position light and brake light; sets the output pin OUTy corresponding to the input pin Iny grounded at a low level to turn off the corresponding turn signal.

[0038] In addition, the MCU can also monitor the output current of the light driver and adjust the control instructions output to the light driver in real time based on the output current.

[0039] exist Figure 1 In the example, there are three communication channels PIN1 to PIN3 between the MCU and the latch circuit. Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the latch circuit in FIG. Figure 2 The working principle of the latch circuit and the control relationship between these communication channels PIN1~PIN3 and the latch circuit are introduced in detail.

[0040] First, the latch circuit includes a power module and a reset module. The power module can selectively supply power to the latch circuit (for example, provide power output VDD for limp mode) under the control of the MCU. The reset module can reset the latch circuit to release its latch state under the control of the MCU.

[0041] The latch circuit also includes a logic OR gate and a trigger, wherein the trigger includes an input port, a reset port, and an output port, the logic OR gate includes two input ports connected to the MCU and the SBC respectively, the output port of the logic OR gate is connected to the input port of the trigger, the output port of the trigger is connected to the limp control port of the light driver, and the reset port of the trigger is connected to the reset module. The trigger can provide a latch memory function, which can memorize the last limp mode state and maintain the state output until it receives a reset signal from the reset module.

[0042] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG, the power module, the reset module and the logic OR gate are controlled by the communication channels PIN1, PIN2 and PIN3 from the MCU respectively.

[0043] As an example, the latch circuit can be configured to set the output port of the flip-flop high upon receiving a reset signal from the SBC and / or an enable signal from the MCU. Figure 1 The light driver can start the limp mode only when receiving a high level signal via its limp control port P_limp, which is connected to the output port of the flip-flop in the latch circuit.

[0044] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention further provides a vehicle lighting system, the system comprising a plurality of vehicle lamps and the limp mode control device described in the above embodiment.

[0045] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention further provides a vehicle domain controller, which includes the limp mode control device described in the above embodiment.

[0046] The limp home mode control device based on a domain controller according to the present invention adds a limp home mode to the body domain controller product, so that when the main control chip fails, certain basic functions within the body domain network can still be maintained, thereby ensuring that the vehicle can still travel at the minimum required performance level. In particular, for the body domain controller product, when the MCU is abnormally reset or a functional safety event is detected, the control device of the present invention can be used to make the ZCU enter the limp home mode to ensure that the left rear position lamp, the right rear position lamp, the left rear brake lamp, the brake lamp, and the high-level brake lamp are lit, while the turn signal lamp is extinguished. This device can meet the requirements of functional safety levels ASIL_B and ASIL_D.

[0047] It should be noted that in this text, the terms "at least one", "one or more", or similar expressions indicating that a feature or element may exist once or more than once are generally used only once when introducing the corresponding feature or element. As further used herein, in most cases, when referring to the corresponding feature or element, the expressions "at least one" or "one or more" are not reused, but this does not exclude the corresponding feature or element from existing once or more than once.

[0048] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, makes various changes and modifications, which should all be included within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be subject to the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A limp mode control device based on a domain controller, the device comprising an actuator for performing corresponding vehicle functions and a single-chip microcomputer communicatively connected to the actuator, the single-chip microcomputer being configured to send corresponding control instructions to the actuator to control the actuator to perform corresponding vehicle functions, characterized in that, The device further comprises: A system basis chip, wherein the system basis chip is configured to supply power to the single-chip microcomputer and monitor the operating status of the single-chip microcomputer in real time, wherein the system basis chip sends a reset signal to the single-chip microcomputer and the latch circuit when an abnormal condition is detected in the single-chip microcomputer, A latch circuit includes a first input port connected to the system basis chip, a second input port connected to the microcontroller, and an output port connected to the actuator, the latch circuit is configured to trigger the actuator to enter a limp home mode upon receiving a reset signal from the system basis chip and / or an enable signal from the microcontroller, wherein the actuator is configured to execute a predefined vehicle function in the limp home mode.

2. The limping mode control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The actuator includes a light driver for controlling the lighting and extinguishing of a plurality of vehicle lights in the vehicle, wherein the light driver is configured as follows: - in normal mode, turning on or off corresponding one or more of the plurality of vehicle lights according to the control instruction provided by the single chip microcomputer; and - In the limp home mode, at least one first vehicle lamp among the plurality of vehicle lamps is turned on and at least one second vehicle lamp among the plurality of vehicle lamps is turned off.

3. The limping mode control device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The plurality of vehicle lights include position lights, brake lights, and turn lights, wherein the light driver is configured to light the position lights and the brake lights and turn off the turn lights in a limp home mode.

4. The limping mode control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The latch circuit includes a power module and a reset module. The power module is configured to selectively supply power to the latch circuit under the control of the single-chip microcomputer, and the reset module is configured to enable the latch circuit to perform a reset operation to release its latch state under the control of the single-chip microcomputer.

5. The limping mode control device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The latch circuit also includes a logic OR gate and a trigger, the trigger includes an input port, a reset port and an output port, the logic OR gate includes two input ports respectively connected to the single-chip microcomputer and the system basis chip, the output port of the logic OR gate is connected to the input port of the trigger, the output port of the trigger is connected to the limp home control port of the actuator, and the reset port of the trigger is connected to the reset module.

6. The limping mode control device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The latch circuit is configured to place the output port of the trigger at a high level upon receiving a reset signal from the system basis chip and / or an enable signal from the microcontroller, wherein the actuator is configured to start the limp mode when a high level signal is received via the limp control port.

7. The limping mode control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The single chip microcomputer is further configured to monitor the output current of the actuator and adjust the control instruction output to the actuator based on the output current of the actuator.

8. The limping mode control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that SPI communication is performed between the system basis chip and the single-chip microcomputer and / or between the single-chip microcomputer and the actuator.

9. A vehicle lighting system, characterized in that, The system includes: Multiple headlights; and A limp home mode control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A vehicle domain controller, characterized in that, The vehicle domain controller comprises a limp home mode control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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