Vehicle-mounted communication system and vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle-mounted communication system and a vehicle. The vehicle-mounted communication system comprises a first control device and N switches. The first control device is in communication connection with the N switches, and any one switch i1 in the N switches is in communication connection with the first vehicle-mounted device. N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. The first control device communicates with each of the N switches based on the optical signal. The vehicle-mounted communication system is large in communication bandwidth, good in communication quality and high in applicability and practicability in a vehicle-mounted communication scene.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle communication technology, and in particular to a vehicle communication system and vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional in-vehicle communication systems are typically based on Controller Area Network (CAN) buses or Local Interconnect Network (LIN) buses. However, due to the ever-increasing demands for autonomous driving and smart cockpits, the number of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) and the required computing power have exploded, leading to a growing need for real-time information transmission. In particular, data transmission between in-vehicle sensors and the in-vehicle control center has become a bottleneck restricting the development of automotive intelligence and urgently needs to be addressed. The limited bandwidth of traditional in-vehicle communication systems is gradually failing to meet the demands of vehicle use. Therefore, improving the communication bandwidth of in-vehicle communication systems has become one of the most pressing technical problems to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides an in-vehicle communication system and a vehicle. By using this in-vehicle communication system, the problems of low communication bandwidth and poor applicability of existing in-vehicle communication systems can be solved.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a vehicle-mounted communication system, comprising a first control device and N switches. The first control device is communicatively connected to each of the N switches, and any one of the N switches, i1, is communicatively connected to the first vehicle-mounted device. N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. The first control device communicates with each of the N switches based on optical signals.

[0005] In the above implementation, the first control device and the switch in the vehicle-mounted communication system are based on optical communication technology. This not only utilizes the high-speed data stream formed by the optical carrier to meet the high-bandwidth communication requirements, but also avoids the communication quality degradation caused by electromagnetic interference. Therefore, the vehicle-mounted communication system provided in this application has a large bandwidth and good communication quality. Thus, using the vehicle-mounted communication system provided in this application can effectively solve the problem of poor applicability caused by the low communication bandwidth of traditional vehicle-mounted communication systems.

[0006] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, the first control device includes N first optical modules, each of which is connected to one of the N switches.

[0007] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, the first control device is connected to the switch i1 through the first optical module i1 among the N first optical modules; the first control device is used to generate a first optical signal based on the first optical module i1 and send the first optical signal to the switch i1; the switch i1 is used to convert the first optical signal into a first electrical signal and send the first electrical signal to the first vehicle-mounted device.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, the switch i1 is used to generate a second optical signal based on the second electrical signal provided by the first vehicle-mounted device, and send the second optical signal to the first optical module i1; the first control device is used to convert the second optical signal into the second electrical signal through the first optical module i1.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, the vehicle communication system further includes a wavelength division multiplexer, the first control device includes a second optical module connected to the wavelength division multiplexer, and the wavelength division multiplexer is connected to the N switches respectively.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, the N switches correspond to N different first operating wavelengths, and the switch i1 corresponds to the first operating wavelength i1 among the N first operating wavelengths; the first control device is used to generate a third optical signal through the second optical module, wherein the third optical signal includes a fourth optical signal with wavelengths of M of the M first operating wavelengths among the N first operating wavelengths, where M is a positive integer less than or equal to N; the wavelength division multiplexer is used to select the fourth optical signal i1 from the third optical signal and send the fourth optical signal i1 to the switch i1, wherein the wavelength of the fourth optical signal i1 is the first operating wavelength i1; the switch i1 is used to receive the fourth optical signal i1, convert the fourth optical signal i1 into a third electrical signal, and send the third electrical signal to the first vehicle-mounted device.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, N1 of the N switches are further configured to generate N1 fifth optical signals based on N1 fourth electrical signals, and sequentially transmit the N1 fifth optical signals to the wavelength division multiplexer at N1 different preset times, where N1 is a positive integer less than or equal to N; the wavelength division multiplexer is further configured to transmit the fifth optical signal i1 received at any of the N1 preset times to the second optical module; the first control device is configured to convert the fifth optical signal i1 into a fourth electrical signal i1 through the second optical module, wherein the fourth electrical signal i1 is included in the N1 fourth electrical signals.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, the vehicle communication system further includes a beam splitter, the first control device includes a second optical module connected to the beam splitter, and the beam splitter is also connected to the N switches respectively.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, the first control device is used to generate a sixth optical signal based on a fifth electrical signal via the second optical module; the beam splitter is used to decompose the sixth optical signal into N seventh optical signals, and send the N seventh optical signals to the N switches respectively; the switch i1 is used to receive the seventh optical signal i1 among the N seventh optical signals, convert the seventh optical signal i1 into the fifth electrical signal, and send the fifth electrical signal to the first vehicle-mounted device.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, N2 of the N switches are further configured to generate N2 eighth optical signals based on N2 sixth electrical signals, and sequentially send the N2 eighth optical signals to the optical splitter at N2 different preset times, where N2 is a positive integer less than or equal to N; the optical splitter is configured to send the eighth optical signal i1 received at any of the N2 preset times to the second optical module; the first control device is configured to convert the eighth optical signal i1 into a sixth electrical signal i1 through the second optical module, wherein the sixth electrical signal i1 is included in the N2 sixth electrical signals.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, the N switches further include switch i2, which is connected to switch i1; the first control device is further configured to convert the seventh electrical signal into a ninth optical signal and send the ninth optical signal to switch i1; switch i1 is further configured to send the ninth optical signal to switch i2; switch i2 is configured to convert the ninth optical signal into a seventh electrical signal and send the seventh electrical signal to a second vehicle-mounted device connected to switch i2.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, the switch i2 is further configured to generate a tenth optical signal based on the eighth electrical signal provided by the second vehicle-mounted device, and send the tenth optical signal to the switch i1; the switch i1 is further configured to send the tenth optical signal to the first control device, so that the first control device can convert the tenth optical signal to obtain the eighth electrical signal.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, the first control device is a domain controller or a central controller; and / or, the first on-board device is an actuator or a sensor.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, the switch i1 communicates with the first vehicle-mounted device based on electrical signals.

[0019] In the above implementation, the switch and the vehicle equipment still maintain electrical signal transmission instead of optical signal transmission, which can also avoid the high cost problem caused by adopting an all-optical network architecture.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, the vehicle communication system further includes one or more fiber optic ring networks, with the first control device connected to the one or more fiber optic ring networks and the N switches connected to the one or more fiber optic ring networks.

[0021] Secondly, this application provides a vehicle that includes the in-vehicle communication system as described in the first aspect and any one of the first aspects above.

[0022] By implementing the embodiments of the present invention, the vehicle communication system can achieve a large communication bandwidth and good communication quality, and its applicability and practicality in vehicle communication scenarios are also strong. Therefore, the vehicle communication system provided in this application can effectively solve the problem of poor applicability caused by the low communication bandwidth of traditional vehicle communication systems. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a vehicle-mounted communication system provided in this application;

[0025] Figure 2 This is yet another structural schematic diagram of an in-vehicle communication system provided in this application;

[0026] Figure 3 This is yet another structural schematic diagram of an in-vehicle communication system provided in this application;

[0027] Figure 4 This is yet another structural schematic diagram of an in-vehicle communication system provided in this application;

[0028] Figure 5 This is yet another structural schematic diagram of an in-vehicle communication system provided in this application;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] The system architecture used in the embodiments of this application is described below. It should be noted that the system architecture and business scenarios described in this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this application and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in this application. It should be understood that as system architectures evolve and new business scenarios emerge, the technical solutions provided in this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0032] Traditional vehicle communication systems have limited bandwidth, which is gradually failing to meet the needs of vehicle use. Therefore, the technical problem to be solved in this application is: how to improve the communication bandwidth of vehicle communication systems.

[0033] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a vehicle-mounted communication system. This system may include a first control device and one or more switches. The first control device is communicatively connected to these switches, and any one of these switches is communicatively connected to a first vehicle-mounted device. The first control device and each switch can communicate based on optical signals. Since the communication between the first control device and the switches in the vehicle-mounted communication system provided by this application is based on optical communication technology, it not only utilizes the high-speed data stream formed by optical carriers to meet high-bandwidth communication requirements but also avoids communication quality degradation caused by electromagnetic interference. Therefore, the vehicle-mounted communication system provided by this application has a large bandwidth and good communication quality. Thus, using the vehicle-mounted communication system provided by this application can effectively solve the problem of poor applicability caused by the low communication bandwidth of traditional vehicle-mounted communication systems.

[0034] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a vehicle-mounted communication system provided in this application. Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle communication system 100 may include a first control device 10 and N switches. Here, N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. For example, the N switches may specifically include, as shown below... Figure 1 The switches shown are 1 to N. The first control device 10 is communicatively connected to each of these N switches, and any one of these N switches i1 is communicatively connected to the first vehicle-mounted device 20.

[0035] It should be understood that more than one of the aforementioned N switches may be connected to vehicle-mounted devices, and each switch may connect to one or more vehicle-mounted devices. Since the communication process between each switch and its connected vehicle-mounted device is identical, to avoid redundancy, this application embodiment will use a scenario where any one of the aforementioned N switches i1 is connected to the first vehicle-mounted device 20 as an example to illustrate the structure and working principle of the vehicle-mounted communication system 100 provided in this application.

[0036] In practical operation, the first control device 10 can communicate with each of the N switches based on optical signals. In other words, the first control device 10 and each switch use optical signal transmission technology. That is, the first control device 10 is optically connected to each switch. Alternatively, the first control device 10 and each switch are connected via optical transmission media such as optical waveguides.

[0037] It should be further noted that the first control device 10 provided in this application can refer to a control platform formed by integrating the vehicle's central computing center, vehicle control, smart cockpit, and driver assistance systems. This architecture can also be referred to as a centrally integrated electronic and electrical architecture. Alternatively, the first control device 10 can also be a vehicle's domain controller or central controller, etc. This application does not limit the specific implementation form of the first control device 10.

[0038] In the above scheme, the design enables the first control device 10 to communicate with each switch based on optical signals, while the switch i1 and the first vehicle-mounted device 20 communicate based on electrical signals. On the one hand, since the communication between the first control device 10 and the switch is based on optical communication technology, this not only utilizes the high-speed data stream formed by the optical carrier to meet the high-bandwidth communication requirements but also avoids the degradation of communication quality caused by electromagnetic interference. On the other hand, the switch and the vehicle-mounted device still maintain electrical signal transmission, which avoids the high cost problem caused by adopting an all-optical network architecture. Therefore, the vehicle-mounted communication system 100 provided in this application has a large transmission bandwidth, good communication quality, and low cost. Therefore, using the vehicle-mounted communication system 100 provided in this application can effectively solve the problem of poor applicability caused by the low communication bandwidth of traditional vehicle-mounted communication systems.

[0039] In some feasible implementations, the switch i1 is electrically connected to the first vehicle-mounted device 20. Alternatively, the switch i1 and the first vehicle-mounted device 20 communicate based on electrical signals. Or, the switch i1 and the first vehicle-mounted device 20 are connected via a medium for transmitting electrical signals, such as a cable.

[0040] In the above implementation, the switch and the vehicle equipment still maintain electrical signal transmission instead of optical signal transmission. This can also avoid the high cost problem caused by using an all-optical network architecture, and reduce the cost of the vehicle communication system by 100%.

[0041] It should be noted that, in actual implementation, the switch of the vehicle communication system 100 provided in this application can also communicate with the vehicle-mounted equipment based on optical signals, or in other words, the two can be optically connected. For example, the switch i1 and the first vehicle-mounted equipment 20 can also communicate based on optical signals. This application does not limit the connection method or communication method between the switch and the vehicle-mounted equipment. Since the structure and function of the vehicle communication system 100 are similar regardless of whether the communication between the switch and the vehicle-mounted equipment is based on optical signals or electrical signals, the only difference lies in the connection method between the switch and the vehicle-mounted equipment and the type of signal transmitted. To avoid redundancy, the following description will uniformly use the method of communication between the switch and the vehicle-mounted equipment 20 based on electrical signals.

[0042] In some feasible implementations, the optical channel / optical communication link between the first control device 10 and each switch can be completely independent. For example, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is yet another structural schematic diagram of a vehicle-mounted communication system provided in this application. (See diagram below.) Figure 2 As shown, the first control device 10 may include N first optical modules, namely... Figure 2 The first optical modules 1 to N are shown in the diagram. These N first optical modules are connected to N switches respectively. Each first optical module is connected to only one switch. It should be understood that the optical channel or optical communication link described in this application mainly refers to the collection of media used for transmitting optical signals between two devices / modules. For example, the optical channel or optical communication link between the first control device 10 and switch i1 includes the first optical module i1 among the aforementioned N first optical modules, and the optical module on the switch i1 side (…). Figure 2 (not shown in the image) and the optical waveguide for connecting the first optical module i1 and the optical module on the i1 side of the switch (not shown in the image) Figure 2 (Not shown in the image). It should be understood that the optical module on the i1 side of the switch is mainly used by the i1 switch to convert optical signals into electrical signals, and / or to convert electrical signals into optical signals.

[0043] In practical operation, the first control device 10 can be connected to the switch i1 via the aforementioned first optical module i1. In practice, the first control device 10 can generate a first optical signal based on the first optical module i1 and send the first optical signal to the switch i1 via the first optical module i1. Furthermore, the switch i1 can convert the first optical signal into the aforementioned first electrical signal via its optical module and send the first electrical signal to the first vehicle-mounted device. It should be understood that the first electrical signal can carry first information; through the above implementation, the first control device 10 can transmit the first information to the first vehicle-mounted device.

[0044] It should be further noted that the first control device 10 can also generate optical signals through other first optical modules besides the first optical module i1, and send the optical signals to other switches besides switch i1. For details, please refer to the process described above of the first control device 10 sending the first optical signal to switch i1, which will not be repeated here. Furthermore, the wavelengths of the optical signals sent by the first control device 10 to each switch can be the same or different; this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0045] In practical operation, the aforementioned first vehicle-mounted device is also used to provide a second electrical signal to the switch i1. The aforementioned switch i1 is also used to generate a second optical signal based on the second electrical signal using an optical module on the switch i1 side, and to send the second optical signal to the first optical module i1. The first control device 10 is also used to convert the second optical signal into the aforementioned second electrical signal using the first optical module i1. It should be understood that the second electrical signal can carry second information; through the above implementation, the first vehicle-mounted device can transmit the second information to the first control device 10. Similarly, the wavelengths of the optical signals sent by the first control device 10 to each switch can be the same or different; this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0046] In the above implementation, the first control device 10 is independently connected to each switch. The solution is simple and easy to implement, which can reduce the structural complexity of the vehicle communication system 100.

[0047] For some feasible implementation methods, please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is yet another structural schematic diagram of a vehicle-mounted communication system provided in this application. (See diagram below.) Figure 3As shown, the vehicle-mounted communication system 100 may further include a wavelength division multiplexer 30, and the first control device 10 may include a second optical module 101. The first control device 10 can be connected to the wavelength division multiplexer 30 via the second optical module 101, and the wavelength division multiplexer 30 is also connected to the aforementioned N switches. Specifically, the second optical module 101 is connected to the wavelength division multiplexer 30 via an optical waveguide, and the wavelength division multiplexer 30 is connected to the optical modules on the switch side of each of the aforementioned N switches via N optical waveguides. For example, the wavelength division multiplexer is connected to the optical module on the switch i1 side via a waveguide. Here, the aforementioned N switches correspond to N different first operating wavelengths. Or, in other words, the wavelengths of the optical signals received or transmitted by the N optical switches are respectively the aforementioned N first operating wavelengths. For example, switch i1 corresponds to the first operating wavelength i1 among the aforementioned N first operating wavelengths.

[0048] In practical operation, the first control device 10 is used to generate a third optical signal through the second optical module 101. Specifically, the first control device can provide an electrical signal to the second optical module 101, which then converts the electrical signal into a third optical signal. The third optical signal includes a fourth optical signal whose wavelength is M of the M first operating wavelengths among the aforementioned N first operating wavelengths, where M is a positive integer less than or equal to N. That is, the third optical signal sent by the first control device 10 may include the fourth optical signals at the first operating wavelengths corresponding to some or all of the aforementioned N switches. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the aforementioned third optical signal may include a fourth optical signal 1 with a wavelength of the first operating wavelength 1 sent to switch 1, a fourth optical signal with a wavelength of the first operating wavelength i1 sent to switch i1, and a fourth optical signal N with a wavelength of the first operating wavelength N sent to switch N. The wavelength multiplexer 30 is used to decompose the third optical signal into the aforementioned M fourth optical signals according to wavelength, and to send these M fourth optical signals to M of the aforementioned N switches respectively. It should be understood that these M switches correspond to the aforementioned M first operating wavelengths. Accordingly, each of the aforementioned M switches receives the corresponding fourth optical signal, processes the received fourth optical signal, and transmits the processed electrical signal to its respective connected vehicle-mounted equipment. For example, the wavelength division multiplexer 30 can be used to select the fourth optical signal i1 from the third optical signal and send the fourth optical signal i1 to switch i1. Here, the wavelength of the fourth optical signal i1 is the first operating wavelength i1 corresponding to switch i1. The switch i1 can receive the fourth optical signal i1 through the optical module on the switch i1 side, convert the fourth optical signal i1 into a corresponding third electrical signal, and send the third electrical signal to the first vehicle-mounted device 20. It should be understood that the third electrical signal can carry third information. Through the above implementation, the first control device 10 can transmit the third information to the first vehicle-mounted device 20.

[0049] Alternatively, in actual operation, some or all of the above N switches can be used to generate optical signals at their respective first working wavelengths, and the generated optical signals can be sent to the first control device 10 in a time-division manner through the wavelength multiplexer 30.

[0050] Specifically, N1 of the aforementioned N switches can also be used to generate N1 fifth optical signals based on N1 fourth electrical signals, and sequentially transmit these N1 fifth optical signals to the wavelength division multiplexer 30 at N1 different preset times. Here, N1 is a positive integer less than or equal to N. The wavelength division multiplexer 30 is also used to transmit the fifth optical signals received at each of the aforementioned N1 preset times to the second optical module 101. The second optical module 101 can be used to convert the fifth optical signals received at different preset times into corresponding fourth electrical signals, so that the first control device 10 can acquire the fourth electrical signals corresponding to each fifth optical signal.

[0051] For example, assuming N1 equals 2, and the two switches include switch 1 and switch N1. Switch 1 can generate a fifth optical signal 1 based on a fourth electrical signal 1. Similarly, switch N1 can generate a fifth optical signal i1 based on the fourth electrical signal i1. Then, switch 1 can send the fifth optical signal 1 to wavelength division multiplexer 30 at a preset time 1. Wavelength division multiplexer 30 can then send the fifth optical signal 1 to second optical module 101. First control device 10 can then convert the fifth optical signal into a fourth electrical signal 1 through second optical module 101. Similarly, switch 1 can send the fifth optical signal i1 to wavelength division multiplexer 30 at a preset time i1 different from the preset time 1. Wavelength division multiplexer 30 can then send the fifth optical signal i1 to second optical module 101. First control device 10 can then convert the fifth optical signal i1 into a fourth electrical signal i1 through second optical module 101. It should be understood that the fourth electrical signal can carry fourth information, and through the above implementation, first vehicle-mounted device 20 can transmit the fourth information to first control device 10.

[0052] It should be further noted that since each switch sends its generated fifth optical signal to the first control device 10 using time-division multiplexing, the wavelengths of the fifth optical signals generated by each switch may be the same or different, and this application does not impose any specific restrictions on this.

[0053] It should also be noted that the aforementioned N1 fourth electrical signals can be provided by the on-board equipment connected to each of these N1 switches. For example, the fourth electrical signal i1 corresponding to switch i1 can be provided by the first on-board equipment 20.

[0054] In the above implementation, the first control device 10 is connected to each switch via a wavelength division multiplexer 30, which can save the number of optical modules required for the first control device 10 and reduce the cost of the vehicle communication system 100.

[0055] For some feasible implementation methods, please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is yet another structural schematic diagram of a vehicle-mounted communication system provided in this application. (See diagram below.) Figure 4 As shown, the vehicle-mounted communication system 100 may further include an optical splitter 40, and the first control device 10 may include a second optical module 101. The first control device 10 can be connected to the optical splitter 40 via the second optical module 101, and the optical splitter 40 is also connected to the aforementioned N switches respectively. Specifically, the second optical module 101 is connected to the optical splitter 40 via an optical waveguide, and the optical splitter 40 is connected to the optical modules on the switch side of each of the aforementioned N switches via N optical waveguides. For example, the optical splitter 40 is connected to the optical module on the switch i1 side via a waveguide.

[0056] In practical operation, the first control device 10 can transmit information to each switch via broadcast. Specifically, the first control device 10 is used to generate a sixth optical signal through the second optical module 101. Specifically, the first control device can provide a fifth electrical signal to the second optical module 101, which then converts the fifth electrical signal into a sixth optical signal. The splitter 40 can decompose the sixth optical signal into N seventh optical signals and send these N seventh optical signals to the aforementioned N switches respectively. It should be understood that these N seventh optical signals have the same wavelength and different optical powers. Correspondingly, each of the aforementioned N switches will receive the corresponding seventh optical signal and process the received seventh optical signal to obtain the aforementioned fifth electrical signal. Then, each switch can determine whether the fifth electrical signal belongs to the electrical signals it should receive according to preset filtering conditions. If it is determined that the preset filtering conditions are met, the fifth electrical signal is transmitted to the connected vehicle-mounted equipment. If it is determined that the preset filtering conditions are not met, the fifth electrical signal is filtered out. For example, the preset filtering condition can be: the fifth electrical signal carries corresponding switch identification information. In a specific implementation, if a switch determines that the fifth electrical signal carries its corresponding switch identification information, then it determines that the fifth electrical signal is the electrical signal that it should receive, and it can further transmit the fifth electrical signal to the vehicle-mounted equipment connected to it.

[0057] The following example uses switch i1. Splitter 40 can send a seventh optical signal i1 to switch i1. Switch i1 can convert this seventh optical signal i1 into a fifth electrical signal through its corresponding optical module. Then, switch i1 can determine whether the fifth electrical signal carries the switch identification information corresponding to switch i1. If it is determined to be yes, the fifth electrical signal can be transmitted to the first vehicle-mounted device 20. If it is determined not to be yes, the fifth electrical signal can be eliminated.

[0058] It should be understood that the fifth electrical signal can carry fifth information, and through the above implementation, the first control device 10 can transmit the fifth information to the first vehicle-mounted device 20.

[0059] Alternatively, in actual operation, some or all of the above N switches can be used to generate their own optical signals, and the generated optical signals can be sent to the first control device 10 in a time-division manner through the optical splitter 40.

[0060] Specifically, N2 of the aforementioned N switches can also be used to generate N2 eighth optical signals based on N2 sixth electrical signals, and sequentially send these N2 eighth optical signals to the optical splitter 40 at N2 different preset times. Here, N2 is a positive integer less than or equal to N. The optical splitter 40 is also used to send the eighth optical signals received at each of the aforementioned N2 preset times to the second optical module 101. The second optical module 101 can be used to convert the eighth optical signals received at different preset times into corresponding sixth electrical signals, so that the first control device 10 can acquire the sixth electrical signal corresponding to each eighth optical signal.

[0061] For example, assuming N1 equals 2, and the two switches include switch 1 and switch N1. Switch 1 can generate an eighth optical signal 1 based on the sixth electrical signal 1. Similarly, switch i1 can generate an eighth optical signal i1 based on the sixth electrical signal i1. Then, switch 1 can send the eighth optical signal 1 to the optical splitter 40 at a preset time 1. The optical splitter 40 can then send the eighth optical signal 1 to the second optical module 101. The first control device 10 can then convert the eighth optical signal into the sixth electrical signal 1 through the second optical module 101. Similarly, switch i1 can send the eighth optical signal i1 to the optical splitter 40 at a preset time i1 that is different from the preset time 1. The optical splitter 40 can then send the eighth optical signal i1 to the second optical module 101. The first control device 10 can then convert the eighth optical signal i1 into the sixth electrical signal i1 through the second optical module 101. It should be understood that the sixth electrical signal i1 can carry sixth information, and through the above implementation, the first vehicle-mounted device 20 can transmit the sixth information to the first control device 10.

[0062] It should be noted that since each switch sends its own generated fifth optical signal to the first control device 10 using time-division multiplexing, the wavelengths of the eighth optical signals generated by each switch may be the same or different, and this application does not impose any specific restrictions on this.

[0063] It should also be noted that the aforementioned N2 sixth electrical signals can be provided by the on-board equipment connected to each of these N2 switches. For example, the sixth electrical signal i1 corresponding to switch i1 can be provided by the first on-board equipment 20.

[0064] In the above implementation, the first control device 10 is connected to each switch via an optical splitter, which can save the number of optical modules required for the first control device 10 and reduce the cost of the vehicle communication system 100.

[0065] In some feasible implementations, an optical path can be established between two of the N switches mentioned above, thereby achieving redundancy in the optical communication link between these two switches and the first control device.

[0066] The following example uses any two switches i1 and i2 from the aforementioned N switches. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is yet another structural schematic diagram of a vehicle-mounted communication system provided in this application. (See diagram below.) Figure 5 As shown, switch i1 and switch i2 are connected via an optical waveguide. Specifically, switch i1 and switch i2 can be connected via two optical modules and one waveguide. Here, the aforementioned N first optical modules also include first optical module i2, and the first control device 10 connects to switch i2 through first optical module i1. Switch i2 can be used to connect to the second vehicle-mounted device 50.

[0067] In practical operation, the first control device 10 is also used to convert the seventh electrical signal into a ninth optical signal through the first optical module i1, and send the ninth optical signal to the switch i1. The switch i1 is also used to send the ninth optical signal to the switch i2. The switch i2 is used to convert the ninth optical signal into a seventh electrical signal through the optical module on the switch i2 side, and send the seventh electrical signal to the second vehicle-mounted device 50 connected to the switch i2. It should be understood that the seventh electrical signal can carry seventh information. In the above implementation, the first control device 10 can send the seventh information to the second vehicle-mounted device 50 through the switches i1 and i2.

[0068] Alternatively, the aforementioned switch i2 may also be used to generate a tenth optical signal based on the eighth electrical signal provided by the second vehicle-mounted device 50, and send the tenth optical signal to switch i1. Switch i1 may also be used to send the tenth optical signal to the first optical module i1, so that the first control device 10 can convert the tenth optical signal into the aforementioned eighth electrical signal based on the first optical module i1. It should be understood that the seventh electrical signal may carry the eighth information. In the above implementation, the second vehicle-mounted device 50 can send the eighth information to the first control device 10 through switch i1 and switch i2.

[0069] It should be noted that, as Figure 5 As shown, there are two optical communication links between the first control device 10 and the switch i2, which are assumed to be the first optical communication link and the second optical communication link. The first optical communication link includes the first optical module i1, switch i1, and switch i2, while the second optical communication link includes the second optical module i1 and switch i2. In actual implementation, the first control device 10 can communicate with the switch i2 simultaneously through both the first and second optical communication links, or it can communicate with the switch i2 through only one of them. For example, an optical switch can be set on the optical path between switch i1 and switch i2. By default, the second optical communication link is used preferentially for communication. In this case, the optical switch is used to disconnect the optical connection between switch i1 and switch i2, and the first optical communication link is interrupted. When the first control device 10 determines that the second communication link has been interrupted, it can control the optical switch to establish an optical connection between switch i1 and switch i2 to enable the first optical communication link to continue, thus allowing the first control device 10 to communicate with the switch i2 through the first optical communication link.

[0070] In the above implementation, an optical channel is set up between any two switches to achieve redundancy of the optical communication link with the first control device 10. When the optical communication link between one of the two switches and the first control device 10 is interrupted, it can be replaced by the optical communication link between the other switch and the first control device 10, thereby ensuring reliable communication between the first control device 10 and the switches.

[0071] In some feasible implementations, the vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication system 100 may further include one or more fiber optic ring networks, with the first control device 10 connected to these ring networks and N switches also connected to them. It should be understood that when the V2X communication system 100 includes one fiber optic ring network, both ends of the ring network are connected to the first control device 10, and the N switches are each connected to the ring network. When the V2X communication system 100 includes multiple fiber optic ring networks, both ends of each ring network are connected to the first control device 10, and each ring network is connected to a portion of the N switches.

[0072] It should be understood that the preceding text only uses any two switches i1 and i2 as an example for illustration. In actual implementation, a similar implementation method can be used between any two of the above N switches. The specific implementation process can be derived without any doubt based on the redundancy of the optical communication link between any two switches i1 and i2 as described above. To avoid redundancy, it will not be listed here.

[0073] It should also be noted that, Figure 5 Therefore Figure 2 The structure of the vehicle communication system 100 shown is based on the illustration. In actual implementation, when the vehicle communication system 100 adopts... Figure 3 or Figure 4 In the aforementioned configuration, any two of the N switches can still employ the optical communication link redundancy implementation method described earlier. The specific implementation is similar to that described above and will not be repeated here.

[0074] It should also be noted that the connection between the first control device 10 and each switch can be a single-fiber bidirectional connection. In this case, the wavelength of the optical signal sent by the first control device 10 to each switch is different from the wavelength of the optical signal sent by the switches to the first control device. Of course, the connection between the first control device 10 and each switch can also be a two-wire unidirectional connection. In this case, the wavelength of the optical signal sent by the first control device 10 to each switch and the wavelength of the optical signal sent by the switches to the first control device can be the same or different; this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0075] The optical switch involved in this application can be a thermally modulated switch or an electrically modulated optical switch, and this application does not limit it in this regard.

[0076] It should be understood that the vehicle-mounted devices provided in this application (such as the first vehicle-mounted device 20 or the second vehicle-mounted device 50, etc.) can be actuators or sensors on a vehicle. For example, they can be cameras, displays, LiDAR, audio systems, vehicle navigation systems, dashcams, smart sensors, etc. This application does not impose specific limitations on the implementation form of the vehicle-mounted devices.

[0077] It should be understood that Figure 1 The example shown is an in-vehicle communication system 100 including a first in-vehicle device 20. In actual implementation, the in-vehicle communication system 100 may also include one or more other in-vehicle devices besides the first in-vehicle device, which may be connected to one or more other switches besides switch i1. Furthermore, the functional implementation between these one or more in-vehicle devices and one or more switches is similar to the functional implementation between the first in-vehicle device and switch i1 described above; therefore, to avoid redundancy, it will not be repeated here.

[0078] It should be understood that the data format transmitted between the switch and the vehicle-mounted equipment can use the Ethernet protocol. When the vehicle-mounted equipment is a sensor, and the data it generates is a non-Ethernet data stream, the data stream can be converted to the Ethernet protocol and transmitted to the switch via Ethernet over cable. However, when the vehicle-mounted equipment is an actuator, and it uses a non-Ethernet protocol or interface, such as CAN or LIN, then a relevant structure needs to be configured on the switch to implement Ethernet framing for transmission.

[0079] It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, the communication bandwidth between the first control device 10 and each switch may be the same or different. Furthermore, the wavelength range of the optical signal involved in this application may be 850–1650 nm.

[0080] This application also provides a vehicle; please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the vehicle 200 may include the in-vehicle communication system 100 described in the above embodiments. The vehicle 200 can achieve internal communication through the in-vehicle communication system 100.

[0081] It should be understood that in actual implementation, the vehicle 200 may also include multiple wheels, seats, on-board power supply, electrical equipment, the first control device 10 mentioned above, the first on-board equipment 20, etc.

[0082] In this embodiment, some devices or functional modules in the vehicle communication system 100 can be connected via waveguides. Optionally, the waveguide can be an optical fiber. For example, the optical fiber can be a specially designed optoelectronic composite cable, which can simultaneously provide communication and power supply functions in the vehicle communication system 100. The optical fiber can be single-mode fiber, multimode fiber, plastic fiber, etc. This embodiment does not impose specific limitations on the implementation form of the waveguide.

[0083] In this embodiment, some devices or functional modules in the vehicle communication system 100 can also be electrically connected via lines. Optionally, the line can be a circuit integrated on a circuit board or a communication cable. This embodiment does not impose specific limitations on the implementation form of the line.

[0084] The terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps is not limited to the steps listed, but may optionally include steps not listed, or may optionally include other steps inherent to these processes, methods, products, or apparatuses.

[0085] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0086] Although this application has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art, by reviewing the accompanying drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims, will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments in carrying out this application. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple instances. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not imply that these measures cannot be combined to produce a good effect.

[0087] The embodiments of this application have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principle and implementation of an in-vehicle communication system and vehicle provided by this application. The descriptions of the embodiments above are intended to help understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation and application scope based on the idea of ​​an in-vehicle communication system and vehicle provided by this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0088] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of this application. It should be understood that the above descriptions are merely specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made based on the technical solution of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

[0089] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of this application. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made on the basis of the technical solution of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted communication system, characterized in that, The vehicle communication system includes a first control device and N switches. The first control device is communicatively connected to each of the N switches. Any one of the N switches, i1, is communicatively connected to the first vehicle device. N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. The first control device communicates with each of the N switches based on optical signals.

2. The vehicle-mounted communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first control device includes N first optical modules, and the N first optical modules are respectively connected to the N switches.

3. The vehicle-mounted communication system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first control device is connected to the switch i1 through the first optical module i1 among the N first optical modules; The first control device is used to generate a first optical signal based on the first optical module i1 and send the first optical signal to the switch i1; The switch i1 is used to convert the first optical signal into a first electrical signal and send the first electrical signal to the first vehicle-mounted device.

4. The vehicle-mounted communication system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The switch i1 is used to generate a second optical signal based on the second electrical signal provided by the first vehicle-mounted device, and send the second optical signal to the first optical module i1; The first control device is used to convert the second optical signal into the second electrical signal through the first optical module i1.

5. The vehicle-mounted communication system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The vehicle-mounted communication system further includes a wavelength division multiplexer. The first control device includes a second optical module, which is connected to the wavelength division multiplexer. The wavelength division multiplexer is connected to the N switches respectively.

6. The vehicle-mounted communication system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The N switches correspond to N different first working wavelengths, and the switch i1 corresponds to the first working wavelength i1 among the N first working wavelengths; The first control device is used to generate a third optical signal through the second optical module, wherein the third optical signal includes a fourth optical signal whose wavelength is M of M of the N first working wavelengths, where M is a positive integer less than or equal to N; The wavelength division multiplexer is used to select a fourth optical signal i1 from the third optical signal and send the fourth optical signal i1 to the switch i1, wherein the wavelength of the fourth optical signal i1 is the first operating wavelength i1; The switch i1 is used to receive the fourth optical signal i1, convert the fourth optical signal i1 into a third electrical signal, and send the third electrical signal to the first vehicle-mounted device.

7. The vehicle-mounted communication system according to claim 6, characterized in that, N1 of the N switches are also used to generate N1 fifth optical signals based on N1 fourth electrical signals, and to send the N1 fifth optical signals to the wavelength division multiplexer at N1 different preset times, where N1 is a positive integer less than or equal to N. The wavelength division multiplexer is also used to transmit the fifth optical signal i1 received at any of the N1 preset times to the second optical module; The first control device is used to convert the fifth optical signal i1 into a fourth electrical signal i1 through the second optical module, wherein the fourth electrical signal i1 is included in the N1 fourth electrical signals.

8. The vehicle-mounted communication system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The vehicle-mounted communication system further includes a beam splitter, the first control device includes a second optical module, the second optical module is connected to the beam splitter, and the beam splitter is also connected to the N switches respectively.

9. The vehicle-mounted communication system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first control device is used to generate a sixth optical signal based on a fifth electrical signal via the second optical module; The optical splitter is used to decompose the sixth optical signal into N seventh optical signals, and send the N seventh optical signals to the N switches respectively; The switch i1 is used to receive the seventh optical signal i1 among the N seventh optical signals, convert the seventh optical signal i1 into the fifth electrical signal, and send the fifth electrical signal to the first vehicle-mounted device.

10. The vehicle-mounted communication system according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, N2 of the N switches are also used to generate N2 eighth optical signals based on N2 sixth electrical signals, and to send the N2 eighth optical signals to the splitter at N2 different preset times, where N2 is a positive integer less than or equal to N; The beam splitter is used to send the eighth optical signal i1 received at any of the N2 preset times to the second optical module; The first control device is used to convert the eighth optical signal i1 into a sixth electrical signal i1 through the second optical module, wherein the sixth electrical signal i1 is included in the N2 sixth electrical signals.

11. The vehicle-mounted communication system according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The N switches also include switch i2, which is connected to switch i1; The first control device is also used to convert the seventh electrical signal into a ninth optical signal and send the ninth optical signal to the switch i1; The switch i1 is also used to send the ninth optical signal to the switch i2; The switch i2 is used to convert the ninth optical signal into a seventh electrical signal and send the seventh electrical signal to the second vehicle-mounted device connected to the switch i2.

12. The vehicle-mounted communication system according to claim 11, characterized in that, The switch i2 is also used to generate a tenth optical signal based on the eighth electrical signal provided by the second vehicle-mounted device, and send the tenth optical signal to the switch i1; The switch i1 is also used to send the tenth optical signal to the first control device, so that the first control device can convert the tenth optical signal into the eighth electrical signal.

13. The vehicle-mounted communication system according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, The first control device is a domain controller or a central controller; and / or, The first on-board device is an actuator or a sensor.

14. The vehicle-mounted communication system according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, The switch i1 communicates with the first vehicle-mounted device based on electrical signals.

15. The vehicle-mounted communication system according to any one of claims 1-14, characterized in that, The vehicle-mounted communication system further includes one or more fiber optic ring networks, the first control device is connected to the one or more fiber optic ring networks, and the N switches are connected to the one or more fiber optic ring networks.

16. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicle includes the vehicle communication system as described in any one of claims 1-15.

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