Vehicle communication unit and vehicle auxiliary driving system

Abstract

The utility model provides a vehicle communication unit and a vehicle auxiliary driving system, and the vehicle communication unit comprises a housing (101) which is hollow so as to limit an accommodation space, a printed circuit board (102) located in the accommodation space, and an electronic component (103) installed on the printed circuit board (102), so as to form an integrated circuit; wherein a connector interface (1013) is arranged on a side of the housing (101), the connector interface (1013) being configured to be able to connect the printed circuit board (102) to the vehicle control unit (300), and wherein the connector interface (1013) comprises a plurality of contacts, the plurality of contacts being arranged in an in-line arrangement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a vehicle communication unit. In addition, the present application also relates to a vehicle assisted driving system, which includes the vehicle communication unit. Background Art

[0002] As the development of vehicle intelligence continues to deepen, in order to improve various needs such as driving safety and riding comfort, on the one hand, it is necessary to wirelessly transmit relevant vehicle data to, for example, a remote service center. On the other hand, it is also necessary to wirelessly transmit relevant data such as road conditions and weather information to the vehicle for use. In order to meet this demand, a new type of Internet of Things product called a vehicle communication unit has been developed, which can be configured in an assisted driving system for use. The vehicle communication unit is usually installed on or near the surface of the relevant vehicle components, and through the vehicle communication unit, such relevant vehicle components and remote centers and / or network clouds can be connected to each other in communication. This not only enables the realization and further development of various intelligent technologies of vehicles, but also leads the trend of vehicle technology in the new era.

[0003] However, there are still some problems with the vehicle communication units involved in the prior art. For example, the volume of the vehicle communication unit is still relatively too large. It is known that the space inside the vehicle environment is limited, and the number of various components installed and carried in the vehicle is considerable and may further increase in future developments. Therefore, it is urgent to reduce the volume of the vehicle communication unit to meet the miniaturization requirements. On the other hand, when the vehicle communication unit is in working state, the frequent operations of calculation and communication may cause the temperature of the vehicle communication unit itself to rise. This temperature increase is undesirable, especially when the vehicle is in a relatively high temperature environment (for example, unshaded areas in summer and / or the Gobi Desert, etc.), and may even cause the life of the vehicle communication unit to be reduced or short-circuited and damaged. These are all hoped to be avoided.

[0004] Considering but not limited to the above-mentioned situations, it is desirable to provide a more advanced and more robust vehicle communication unit and / or vehicle assisted driving system. Utility Model Content

[0005] The present application aims to provide a vehicle communication unit which is advantageous in at least one aspect over the prior art.

[0006] To this end, the present application provides, in one aspect, a vehicle communication unit, characterized in that it includes: a shell, the interior of which is hollow to define a accommodating space, and a printed circuit board located in the accommodating space and electronic components mounted on the printed circuit board to form an integrated circuit; wherein a connector interface is arranged on the side of the shell, the connector interface is configured to be able to connect the printed circuit board to the vehicle control unit, and wherein the connector interface includes a plurality of contacts, and the plurality of contacts are arranged in a straight line.

[0007] In a feasible exemplary embodiment, the shell includes: an upper shell and a lower shell, the upper shell is connected to the lower shell to form the accommodating space, wherein the plane of the connection interface between the upper shell and the lower shell is parallel to the extension plane of the printed circuit board.

[0008] In a possible exemplary embodiment, the vehicle communication unit further includes a satellite navigation antenna attached to an inner wall of the upper housing without employing a frame in the accommodation space to receive the satellite navigation antenna.

[0009] In a possible exemplary embodiment, the satellite navigation antenna is fixed to the inner wall of the upper housing by bonding.

[0010] In a possible exemplary embodiment, a snap-fit ​​structure is formed on the inner wall of the upper shell, and the satellite navigation antenna can be fixed to the inner wall of the upper shell through the snap-fit ​​structure.

[0011] In a possible exemplary embodiment, the satellite navigation antenna is fixed to the inner wall of the upper housing by both snap-fitting and bonding.

[0012] In a possible exemplary embodiment, a positioning element is provided on the inner wall of the upper shell for positioning and installing the satellite navigation antenna on the inner wall of the upper shell.

[0013] In a feasible exemplary embodiment, the vehicle communication unit also includes: a mobile communication and information processing module, which is arranged below the printed circuit board and contacts the lower shell; wherein, the lower shell and the portion of the mobile communication and information processing module are configured as a heat dissipation element formed as a metal sheet, through which the heat generated by the mobile communication and information processing module during operation is conducted to the atmospheric environment outside the vehicle communication unit.

[0014] In a feasible exemplary embodiment, a thermal conductive material layer is filled between the mobile communication and information processing module and the heat dissipation element to cover the microscopic uneven surface between the mobile communication and information processing module and the heat dissipation element.

[0015] In a feasible exemplary embodiment, the thermal conductive material layer is a heat dissipating silica gel layer.

[0016] In another aspect, the present application provides a vehicle assisted driving system, comprising: the vehicle communication unit as described above, and a vehicle control unit, wherein the vehicle communication unit is configured to enable the vehicle control unit to communicate with an external communication device.

[0017] The vehicle communication unit and / or vehicle assisted driving system according to the present application is more advanced and more robust than the existing technology. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing a vehicle in which a vehicle communication unit is installed according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing a cross section of the structure of a vehicle communication unit according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a side view of the structure of a vehicle communication unit with an interface according to one embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0021] Figure 4 The invention shows a manufacturing process of a vehicle communication unit according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Some possible embodiments of the present application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are not drawn to scale. Some details may be enlarged for clarity, and some non-essential details may be omitted.

[0023] like Figure 1 FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of a vehicle 200 equipped with a vehicle communication unit 100 according to one embodiment of the present application. The vehicle communication unit 100 is installed in the vehicle 200. The vehicle 200 can be any suitable vehicle, including a new energy vehicle, such as an electric vehicle, including but not limited to pure electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and extended-range electric vehicles. It is understood that in some cases, the vehicle 200 can also be a traditional fuel-powered vehicle.

[0024] The vehicle communication unit 100 can be arranged to be associated with the vehicle control unit 300. For example, for convenience, the vehicle communication unit 100 can be arranged adjacent to the vehicle control unit 300. A common approach is to mount the vehicle communication unit 100 on an external surface of the vehicle control unit 300 to facilitate wireless communication, such as communication with an off-vehicle communication device 400 (e.g., the cloud).

[0025] The vehicle communication unit 100 can be configured to wirelessly communicate with an off-vehicle device via the vehicle communication unit 100, such as a vehicle control unit 300 installed in the vehicle 200. For example, the vehicle communication unit 100 can be connected to an information center, such as a telematics control station and / or a network cloud platform. In this manner, field data in the vehicle control unit can be communicated with the off-vehicle device, thereby achieving data exchange.

[0026] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 , which shows a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle communication unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0027] The vehicle communication unit 100 includes a housing 101. The housing 101 may define an accommodation space therein for receiving and accommodating various functional components associated with vehicle communication.

[0028] The housing 101 includes an upper housing 1011 and a lower housing 1012. The upper housing 1011 can be connected to the lower housing 1012 to form the housing space. The plane of the connection interface between the upper housing 1011 and the lower housing 1012 can be substantially parallel to the plane extending from the printed circuit board 102 of the vehicle communication unit 100. In this manner, the printed circuit board 102 can be easily placed inside the housing 101.

[0029] The upper housing 1011 is configured to form the top and side surfaces of a rectangular parallelepiped, and the lower housing 1012 is configured to form the bottom surface of the rectangular parallelepiped. To facilitate manufacturing and processing, another possibility is that the upper housing 1011 is configured to form a first portion of the top and side surfaces of the rectangular parallelepiped, and the lower housing 1012 is configured to form the remaining, second portion of the bottom and side surfaces of the rectangular parallelepiped, with the volume of the second portion being smaller than the first portion.

[0030] Generally, the housing 101 may have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, wherein the upper housing 1011 constitutes the top surface and four side surfaces of the rectangular parallelepiped, and the lower housing 1012 constitutes the bottom surface of the rectangular parallelepiped.

[0031] A connector interface 1013 may be arranged on one side of the housing 101. The connector interface 1013 connects internally to a printed circuit board within the housing 101 and is configured externally to connect to the vehicle's ECU. The connector interface 1013 may include multiple contacts arranged in an inline arrangement. This reduces the area occupied by the side compared to the double-row arrangement used in the prior art, thereby reducing the height of the vehicle communication unit 100 and the overall size of the vehicle communication unit 100.

[0032] For example, the upper housing 1011 has an upper alignment element, and correspondingly, the lower housing 1012 has a lower alignment element. The cooperation of the upper and lower alignment elements facilitates proper alignment between the upper housing 1011 and the lower housing 1012. Such corresponding alignment elements can be implemented as mutually engaging alignment steps and / or mutually cooperating alignment protrusions and recesses.

[0033] The upper shell 1011 and the lower shell 1012 may also have a pair of fastening elements that cooperate with each other, for example Figure 3 1 and 10. The upper shell fastening element 1011a and the corresponding lower shell fastening element 1012a are shown in FIG. For example, this fastening method can be achieved by spring buckles and / or by interference fit.

[0034] To meet dustproof and / or waterproof requirements, the connection interface between the upper housing 1011 and the lower housing 1012 may also have a sealing feature. For example, a sealant may be applied to the connection interface between the upper housing 1011 and / or the lower housing 1012 so that when the upper housing 1011 and the lower housing 1012 are connected to each other, the sealant can seal the connection interface, thereby isolating the internal storage space of the vehicle communication unit 100 from the external environment, thereby protecting the safety and robustness of the internal electronic components 103.

[0035] The vehicle communication unit 100 may further include a printed circuit board 102 located within the housing 101 and electronic components 103, with the electronic components 103 positioned and mounted on the printed circuit board 102. The printed circuit board 102 may be secured to the housing 101, for example, by soldering and / or screwing. The combination of the printed circuit board 102 and the electronic components 103 may form an integrated circuit, thereby enabling various operations such as computing, registering, and / or storing data.

[0036] The vehicle communication unit 100 may also include a satellite navigation antenna 104, such as a GPS antenna. The satellite navigation antenna 104 can be directly attached to the inner wall of the upper housing 1011. This eliminates the need for an internal frame structure, typically used in the prior art, to accommodate the satellite navigation antenna, thereby reducing the overall weight and volume of the vehicle communication unit 100.

[0037] The satellite navigation antenna 104 can be fixed to the inner wall of the upper housing 1011 via a non-detachable connection. Alternatively, a detachable connection can be employed. One possible method is to form a snap-fit ​​structure 1011b on the inner wall of the upper housing 1011. This snap-fit ​​structure 1011b can secure the satellite navigation antenna 104 to the inner wall of the upper housing 1011. It will be appreciated that, additionally or alternatively, a combination of mechanical and adhesive connections can be used to secure the satellite navigation antenna 104.

[0038] The inner wall of the upper housing 1011 may also be provided with a positioning element 1011c. The positioning element 1011c may be a simple positioning indicator, such as a line and / or a block. The positioning element may also be a concave-convex surface structure, such as a protrusion and / or a depression. This facilitates the positioning and installation of the satellite navigation antenna 104 on the inner wall of the upper housing 1011, particularly in automated factories employing robots.

[0039] Then, a special adhesive can be used to bond the satellite navigation antenna 104 to the upper housing 1011 to strengthen the connection between the two. In this way, the satellite navigation antenna 1014 can be prevented from falling off the upper housing 1011 (for example, due to bumpy road conditions during driving) and the buckle can be prevented from being frequently hit by the satellite navigation antenna 104 and causing fatigue fracture of the buckle.

[0040] The vehicle communication unit 100 may further include a mobile communication and information processing module 105. The mobile communication and information processing module 105 may be disposed below the printed circuit board 102. For example, the top surface of the mobile communication and information processing module 105 may be attached to the bottom surface of the printed circuit board 102. The bottom surface of the mobile communication and information processing module 105 contacts the inner side of the lower housing 1012.

[0041] The vehicle communication unit 100 may also include a heat dissipation element 1012a. The heat dissipation element 1012a may constitute at least the portion of the lower housing 1012 that contacts the mobile communication and information processing module 105. The heat dissipation element 1012a may be, for example, a sheet of metal that easily conducts heat. This facilitates heat generated by the mobile communication and information processing module 105 during operation to be conducted to the atmosphere outside the vehicle communication unit 100 via the heat dissipation element 1012a. This allows passive heat dissipation as air flows during vehicle operation, thereby reducing the risk of overheating and shortening the lifespan of the mobile communication and information processing module 105, or even damaging it. This is particularly beneficial for the safety and robustness of vehicle operation in high-temperature environments.

[0042] A thermally conductive material layer 106 may be placed between the mobile communication and information processing module 105 and the heat dissipation element 1012a. By placing the thermally conductive material layer 106 between the mobile communication and information processing module 105 and the heat dissipation element 1012a, the microscopically uneven surfaces in contact between the two can be covered, allowing the two to fully contact each other, thereby improving heat conduction efficiency and effectiveness.

[0043] like Figure 4 As shown, a manufacturing process of the vehicle communication unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown, which may specifically include the following steps.

[0044] Step S101: providing a lower housing 1012, opening a through hole in the lower housing 1012, and covering the through hole with a heat dissipation element 1012a.

[0045] Step S102: coating the heat dissipation element 1012a with a heat conductive material layer 106. The heat conductive material layer may be heat dissipation silicone.

[0046] Step S103 : arranging the mobile communication and information processing module 105 on the heat dissipation element 1012 coated with the thermal conductive material layer 106 .

[0047] Step S104 : mounting the electronic components 103 on the printed circuit board 102 ; and then positioning the printed circuit board 102 with the electronic components 103 above the mobile communication and information processing module 105 .

[0048] Step S105 : Install a satellite navigation antenna 104 , such as a GPS antenna, on the inner wall of the upper housing 1011 .

[0049] Step S106 : fastening the printed circuit board 102 to the housing 101 .

[0050] Step S107 : Install the upper shell 1011 to the lower shell 1012 , and seal the connection interface between the upper shell 1011 and the lower shell 1012 .

[0051] In the above manner, the vehicle communication unit 100 can be obtained. Details not described in detail here can be easily understood by referring to other parts of this application, so they are not repeated here.

[0052] The vehicle communication unit 100 disclosed in this application can be configured for use in a vehicle assisted driving system. This application also relates to a vehicle assisted driving system, which includes the vehicle communication unit 100 disclosed in this application and a vehicle control unit 300, wherein the vehicle communication unit 100 is configured to enable communication between the vehicle control unit 300 and an external communication device 400 (e.g., a cloud).

[0053] The vehicle communication unit 100 and / or the vehicle assisted driving system disclosed in this application may be configured to be used for (e.g., mounted on) a vehicle. The present application also relates to a vehicle comprising the vehicle communication unit 100 disclosed in this application. The vehicle may be an electric vehicle, such as a pure electric vehicle. The vehicle may also be a hybrid vehicle, such as an extended-range electric vehicle. The vehicle may also be other types of new energy vehicles, such as a fuel cell vehicle, specifically a hydrogen-powered vehicle.

[0054] As used herein, the term "comprising" is open ended and includes one or more stated features, elements, components, or functions, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, functions, or combinations thereof.

[0055] The above description of the embodiments of the present application has been provided for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Within the scope of the present application, it will be appreciated that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives listed in the preceding paragraphs, claims and / or in the specification and drawings, in particular their individual features, may be used independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and / or features of any embodiment may be used in any manner and / or combination unless such features are incompatible. It will be appreciated that many modifications and variations are available to those skilled in the art. The embodiments are selected and described in order to appropriately explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, so that other persons skilled in the art can understand the various embodiments of the invention and the various modifications suitable for the intended specific use. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally submitted claim or to submit any new claim accordingly, including amending any originally submitted claim to be subordinate to and / or incorporate any features of any other claim, even if not originally required in this manner.

Claims

1. A vehicle communication unit (100), characterized in that include: The housing (101) is hollow inside to define a receiving space, and A printed circuit board (102) located in the accommodation space and electronic components (103) mounted on the printed circuit board (102) to form an integrated circuit; A connector interface (1013) is arranged on a side of the housing (101), the connector interface (1013) being configured to connect the printed circuit board (102) to the vehicle control unit (300), and the connector interface (1013) comprising a plurality of contacts arranged in series.

2. The vehicle communication unit (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that The housing (101) comprises an upper housing (1011) and a lower housing (1012), wherein the upper housing (1011) is connected to the lower housing (1012) to form the accommodating space, wherein the plane where the connection interface between the upper housing (1011) and the lower housing (1012) is located is parallel to the extension plane of the printed circuit board (102).

3. The vehicle communication unit (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that Also includes: A satellite navigation antenna (104) is attached to the inner wall of an upper housing (1011) without employing a frame in an accommodation space to receive the satellite navigation antenna (104).

4. The vehicle communication unit (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that The satellite navigation antenna (104) is fixed to the inner wall of the upper shell (1011) by bonding.

5. The vehicle communication unit (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that A buckle structure (1011b) is formed on the inner wall of the upper shell (1011), and the satellite navigation antenna (104) can be fixed to the inner wall of the upper shell (1011) through the buckle structure (1011b).

6. The vehicle communication unit (100) according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that: A positioning element is provided on the inner wall of the upper shell (1011) for positioning and installing the satellite navigation antenna (104) on the inner wall of the upper shell (1011).

7. The vehicle communication unit (100) according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that Also includes: a mobile communication and information processing module (105), the mobile communication and information processing module (105) being arranged below the printed circuit board (102) and contacting the lower housing (1012); Part of the lower housing (1012) and the mobile communication and information processing module (105) is configured as a heat dissipation element (1012a) formed as a metal sheet, and heat generated by the mobile communication and information processing module (105) during operation is conducted to the atmospheric environment outside the vehicle communication unit (100) through the heat dissipation element (1012a).

8. The vehicle communication unit according to claim 7, wherein: A heat-conducting material layer (106) is filled between the mobile communication and information processing module (105) and the heat dissipation element (1012a) to cover the microscopic uneven surface between the mobile communication and information processing module (105) and the heat dissipation element (1012a).

9. The vehicle communication unit according to claim 8, characterized in that The heat-conducting material layer (106) is a heat-dissipating silica gel layer.

10. A vehicle assisted driving system, characterized in that: include: The vehicle communication unit (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and A vehicle control unit (300), wherein the vehicle communication unit (100) is configured to enable the vehicle control unit (300) to communicate with an off-vehicle communication device (400).

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