Extensible controller architecture based on core control

Abstract

The utility model discloses an extensible controller architecture based on core control, and relates to the technical field of vehicle circuit design, and the architecture comprises a control unit which can be connected with at least one driving unit in series in a splicing manner, and the control unit is used for sending a driving instruction to the corresponding driving unit; and the controlled units are in one-to-one correspondence with the driving units and are in communication connection with the driving units, and the driving units are used for controlling the controlled units to be in corresponding working states according to the received driving instructions. The control unit and the driving units which are independent are designed, the control unit and the driving units are connected in series in a splicing mode, the driving units are connected with the controlled unit to form an overall architecture structure, the corresponding driving units are connected in series based on different requirements of users, and the control unit is used for sending driving instructions to the corresponding driving units. Therefore, the controlled unit is controlled to be in a corresponding working state, the expandability and reusability of the architecture are improved, and the system is more flexible and high in verification speed in the early development stage of a vehicle circuit.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application generally relates to the technical field of vehicle circuit design, and particularly relates to an extensible controller architecture based on core control. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the continuous improvement of people's living standards, the demand for intelligent level of automobiles is getting higher and higher. The controller of the existing vehicle is mainly an integrated control scheme architecture. In this architecture, all control and drive circuits are integrated on a circuit board, and control and drive are connected using a parallel control bus. This architecture is relatively complex in design. It lacks flexibility for different needs of different users, and it is difficult to meet the needs of different customers with limited design schemes. Therefore, we propose an extensible controller architecture based on core control to solve the above problems. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0003] In view of the above defects or deficiencies in the prior art, it is desirable to provide an extensible controller architecture based on core control, which has high flexibility, strong scalability, enhanced reusability, simple structure and is easy to implement.

[0004] The present application provides an extensible controller architecture based on core control, comprising:

[0005] A control unit, which is connected in series with at least one drive unit, is used to send drive instructions to the corresponding drive unit;

[0006] A controlled unit, which is arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the drive unit and is communicatively connected, is used to control the corresponding working state of the controlled unit according to the received drive instructions.

[0007] According to the technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the present application, when the control unit is connected in series with multiple drive units,

[0008] The drive instructions sent by the control unit are transmitted to the corresponding drive unit via the drive unit and / or the communication module to control the working state of the corresponding controlled unit.

[0009] According to the technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the present application, the communication module is a connection harness, a connector or a surface mount resistor.

[0010] According to the technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the present application, the communication interface of the drive unit is an SPI communication interface or an IIC communication interface.

[0011] According to the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application, adjacent drive units are connected via a LIN bus for communication.

[0012] According to the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application, the controlled unit includes multiple lumbar support solenoid valves or multiple massage solenoid valves;

[0013] The lumbar support solenoid valve or the massage solenoid valve is electrically connected to the corresponding drive unit.

[0014] According to the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application, the control unit includes: a communication PCBA board, a processing module and a transmission module that are communicatively connected to the communication PCBA board;

[0015] The transmission module is used to receive external control signals and transmit them to the processing module;

[0016] The processing module is used to generate drive instructions based on the external control signals and send the drive instructions to the communication PCBA board;

[0017] The communication PCBA board is used to send the driving instructions to the corresponding driving unit.

[0018] According to the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application, the control unit further includes:

[0019] A voltage regulator module is communicatively connected to the communication PCBA board and is used to maintain the voltage stability of the communication PCBA board, the processing module, and the transmission module.

[0020] According to the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application, the control unit further includes:

[0021] A power supply module is electrically connected to the communication PCBA board and is used to supply power to the communication PCBA board, the processing module, and the transmission module.

[0022] According to the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application, the control unit is an addressable control unit.

[0023] As can be seen from the above technical solution, this application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0024] This application discloses a scalable controller architecture based on core control. The architecture includes: a control unit, which can be spliced ​​and connected in series with at least one drive unit, the control unit being used to send drive commands to the corresponding drive unit; and the architecture also includes a controlled unit, the controlled unit being configured one-to-one with the drive unit and communicatively connected, the drive unit being used to control the controlled unit to be in a corresponding working state according to the received drive command.

[0025] This application designs independent control units and drive units, which are connected in series in a modular manner. The drive unit is also connected to the controlled unit to form an overall architecture. Based on the different needs of different users, the corresponding drive units are connected in series. The control unit sends drive commands to the corresponding drive units to control the corresponding controlled units to be in the corresponding working state. It is easy to disassemble and assemble, which can improve the scalability and reusability of the architecture, reduce the design difficulty, and make it more flexible and faster to verify in the early stage of vehicle circuit development. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Other features, objects, and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the first architecture of a scalable controller based on core control.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the second architecture of a scalable controller based on core control.

[0029] Figure 3 This is an example diagram of a scalable controller architecture.

[0030] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure when using a cascading approach for a scalable controller architecture.

[0031] The following are the labels in the diagram: 1. Control unit; 2. Drive unit; 3. Controlled unit; 31. Waist support solenoid valve; 32. Massage solenoid valve; 10. Communication PCBA board; 11. Processing module; 12. Transmission module; 13. Voltage regulator module; 14. Power supply module. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0033] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0034] To make the scalable controller architecture based on core control provided in this application clearer and easier to understand, the method is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 As shown in the figure, this is a schematic diagram of a first structure of a scalable controller architecture based on core control provided in an embodiment of this application. The architecture includes:

[0035] Control unit 1, which can be connected in series with at least one drive unit 2, is used to send drive commands to the corresponding drive unit 2;

[0036] The controlled unit 3 is configured and communicates with the driving unit 2 in a one-to-one correspondence. The driving unit 2 is used to control the controlled unit 3 to be in the corresponding working state according to the received driving instructions.

[0037] It should be noted that the control unit 1 is used to receive external control signals input from external devices, including but not limited to: an operation panel and a computer that are communicatively connected to the control unit 1; and manual input of corresponding external control signals through the operation panel, or manual input of the computer or the computer's built-in setting program to control the computer's internal central processing unit (CPU) to generate external control signals. Here, the external control signals carry information on activating a certain driving unit 2 and information on controlling the working state of a certain controlled unit 3.

[0038] The control unit 1 analyzes the received external control signals to obtain all the information carried by the external control signals. It can determine the driving unit 2 to be started and the working state of a certain controlled unit 3. Based on this information, the control unit 1 locates the corresponding driving unit 2. Since the communication interface of the driving unit 2 is an SPI communication interface or an IIC communication interface, which has an address function, each driving unit 2 has unique address information. The driving command generated by the control unit 1 includes information on the working state of a certain controlled unit 3 and the address data packet of the corresponding driving unit 2. This allows the driving command to accurately reach the specific driving unit 2, thereby responding to the driving command and controlling the corresponding controlled unit 3.

[0039] Here, the type of driver unit 2 is, for example, a PCBA circuit board. The SPI communication interface has high-speed communication capabilities and is suitable for application scenarios that require fast data transmission; the IIC communication interface is suitable for lower-speed communication application scenarios, and the appropriate communication interface can be matched to driver unit 2 according to actual needs.

[0040] Controlled unit 3 refers to components in the vehicle field that experience state changes, such as components in seat heating, ventilation, pneumatic systems, vibration control, and controllers for Hands-Off Detection (HOD). For example, a seat heating controller can adjust the heating level, such as low, medium, and high. Seat ventilation systems typically offer multiple ventilation intensity levels, such as weak, medium, and strong ventilation. Seat pneumatic systems are commonly used for functions such as lumbar support and seat height adjustment. For example, in the lumbar support function, the degree of lumbar support is changed by controlling the inflation and deflation of the airbag. The controller can change the airbag from a fully deflated state (weak lumbar support) to a partially inflated state, and then to a fully inflated state (providing strong lumbar support). Seat vibration functions can be used for purposes such as massage or alerts. Vibration control controllers can adjust the vibration frequency, ranging from low-frequency vibration (e.g., 60 vibrations per minute for soothing massage) to high-frequency vibration (e.g., 120 vibrations per minute for stronger massage or emergency alerts). The detection sensitivity of the HOD system is adjustable. The controller can change the detection sensitivity from high sensitivity (able to detect slight hand removal) to low sensitivity (only triggering an alarm when the hand is visibly removed from the steering wheel for a certain period of time).

[0041] Furthermore, within the same architectural structure, the controlled unit 3 can be of the same type of component or of different types. For example, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the controlled unit 3 includes multiple lumbar support solenoid valves 31 or multiple massage solenoid valves 32; the lumbar support solenoid valves 31 or massage solenoid valves 32 are electrically connected to the corresponding drive unit 2.

[0042] Furthermore, when the control unit 1 is connected in series with multiple drive units 2, two adjacent drive units 2 are connected through a communication module. The drive commands issued by the control unit 1 are transmitted to the corresponding drive units 2 via the drive units 2 and / or the communication module to control the working state of the corresponding controlled unit 3.

[0043] If the drive unit 2 that is to receive the drive command and the control unit 1 are separated by a communication module and at least one drive unit 2, then the drive command can be transmitted to the corresponding drive unit 2 via the drive unit 2 and the communication module; if the drive unit 2 that is to receive the drive command is adjacent to the control unit 1 and is only connected by the communication module, then the drive command can be transmitted to the drive unit 2 via the communication module.

[0044] Here, the communication module is a connecting harness, connector, or surface mount resistor. The connecting harness can be a separate wire harness or wires from the PCBA circuit board; the connector has connection terminals that connect to the corresponding control unit 1 or drive unit 2; the surface mount resistor is, for example, a thick film bridging resistor.

[0045] Furthermore, there are at least two layout configurations for the control unit 1, the drive unit 2, and the controlled unit 3.

[0046] The first layout is as follows:

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the control unit 1 and the drive unit 2 are independently set and connected in series. Each drive unit 2 is connected to a corresponding controlled unit 3. Adjacent drive units 2 and drive units 2 and control unit 1 are connected by communication modules.

[0048] As can be seen from the above layout, the control unit 1 is completely independent of the drive unit 2 and the controlled unit 3, which can greatly reduce the resource requirements of the control unit 1. According to the different needs of different users, the drive unit 2 carrying the controlled unit can be connected in series to the control unit 1, thereby improving the scalability and reusability of the entire architecture.

[0049] The second layout is as follows:

[0050] like Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the control unit 1 and the drive unit 2 are independently set and connected in series. The control unit 1 is connected to a controlled unit 3, and the drive unit 2 is also connected to a corresponding controlled unit 3. Adjacent drive units 2 and drive units 2 and control unit 1 are connected by communication modules.

[0051] As can be seen from the above layout, the control unit 1 is also connected to the controlled unit 3. When the user's requirement is only to control the controlled unit 3 connected to the control unit 1, there is no need to generate drive commands. Based on the external control signals, the controlled unit 3 connected to it can be directly controlled to be in the corresponding working state, which can accelerate the verification work. Furthermore, based on the current architecture structure, the circuits in the vehicle space can be reasonably laid out, the vehicle interior space can be optimized, and the problem of interfering with the assembly and maintenance of other components in the vehicle can be avoided.

[0052] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 As shown, the control unit 1 includes: a communication PCBA board 10, a processing module 11 and a transmission module 12 that are communicatively connected to the communication PCBA board 10; wherein, the communication PCBA board 10 is a printed circuit board, which serves as the supporting structure and signal transmission path for the processing module 11 and the transmission module 12.

[0053] The transmission module 12 is used to receive external control signals and transmit them to the processing module 11; the type of the transmission module 12 is, for example, a CAN bus or a LIN bus.

[0054] The processing module 11 is used to generate drive instructions based on external control signals and send the drive instructions to the communication PCBA board 10; the type of the processing module 11 is, for example, an MCU chip.

[0055] The communication PCBA board 10 is used to send drive commands to the corresponding drive unit 2.

[0056] In addition, control unit 1 also includes:

[0057] A voltage regulator module 13 is communicatively connected to the communication PCBA board 10. The voltage regulator module 13 is used to maintain the voltage stability of the communication PCBA board 10, the processing module 11, and the transmission module 12. The type of voltage regulator module 13 is, for example, an LDO chip.

[0058] like Figure 3 As shown, this figure is an example of a certain scalable controller architecture; it mainly takes the lumbar support solenoid valve 31 and the massage solenoid valve 32 as examples. In the figure, PCBA core represents the communication PCBA board 10, PCBA Drive1 represents the first drive unit 2, and PCBA Drive2 represents the second drive unit 2. The two are only for the convenience of describing the two drive units 2, and are not intended to limit the drive units 2.

[0059] The system receives external control signals via CAN bus or LIN bus and transmits them to the MCU chip. The MCU chip generates drive instructions based on the external control signals and sends the drive instructions to the PCBA core. From the PCBA core, the instructions are sent to the corresponding controlled unit 3 via the communication module and the SPI / IIC communication interface, controlling the start and stop of the corresponding massage solenoid valve 32 or lumbar support solenoid valve 31, thus realizing the verification of lumbar support and massage in the early stage of vehicle assembly.

[0060] Furthermore, the control unit 1 also includes:

[0061] Power module 14 is electrically connected to communication PCBA board 10 and is used to supply power to communication PCBA board 10, processing module 11 and transmission module 12.

[0062] Furthermore, control unit 1 is an addressable control unit, which is a control unit that can be individually identified and accessed. In a control system, each addressable control unit has its own unique address. Through this address, the master control device or other control units can accurately locate and communicate with it to perform specific operations, such as reading status information and sending control commands.

[0063] This application also provides an embodiment, which differs from the above solution in that adjacent drive units 2 are connected via a LIN bus for communication. Figure 4 As shown, functional modules 1 to n represent modules that implement different functions. Figure 4 In this context, "LININ" represents the line input terminal of the LIN bus, and "LIN OUT" represents the line output terminal of the LIN bus.

[0064] Specifically, when Figure 4 In operation, the control unit 1 first generates drive commands and sends them to the corresponding drive unit 2 via the LIN bus. The drive unit 2 also communicates and collaborates with other drive units 2 via the LIN bus, controlling the corresponding controlled unit 3 according to the received commands, causing the controlled unit 3 to exhibit corresponding working states such as seat heating, ventilation, or vibration. This architecture is scalable because the control unit 1 can be connected in series with multiple drive units 2, allowing for easy addition or removal of controlled components (i.e., the components corresponding to the controlled unit 3) according to actual needs, flexibly adapting to different application scenarios, such as in vehicles with different seat configurations or functional combinations.

[0065] This application designs an independent control unit 1 and a drive unit 2, which are connected in series in a modular manner. The drive unit 2 is also connected to a controlled unit 3, forming an overall architecture. Based on the different needs of different users, the corresponding drive units 2 are connected in series. The control unit 1 sends drive commands to the corresponding drive units 2, thereby controlling the corresponding controlled units 3 to be in the corresponding working state. It is easy to disassemble and assemble, which can improve the scalability and reusability of the architecture, reduce the design difficulty, and make it more flexible and faster to verify in the early stage of vehicle circuit development.

[0066] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and an explanation of the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the invention involved in this application is not limited to technical solutions formed by specific combinations of the above-described technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by arbitrary combinations of the above-described technical features or their equivalents without departing from the inventive concept. For example, technical solutions formed by substituting the above features with (but not limited to) technical features with similar functions disclosed in this application.

Claims

1. A scalable controller architecture based on core control, characterized in that, include: Control unit (1), which can be spliced ​​and connected in series with at least one drive unit (2), the control unit (1) is used to send drive commands to the corresponding drive unit (2); The controlled unit (3) is configured and communicated with the driving unit (2) in a one-to-one correspondence. The driving unit (2) is used to control the controlled unit (3) to be in the corresponding working state according to the received driving instructions.

2. The scalable controller architecture based on core control according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the control unit (1) is connected in series with multiple drive units (2), The two adjacent drive units (2) are connected by a communication module. The drive command issued by the control unit (1) is transmitted to the corresponding drive unit (2) via the drive unit (2) and / or the communication module to control the working state of the corresponding controlled unit (3).

3. The scalable controller architecture based on core control according to claim 2, characterized in that, The communication module is a connecting harness, connector, or surface mount resistor.

4. A scalable controller architecture based on core control according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The communication interface of the driving unit (2) is either an SPI communication interface or an IIC communication interface.

5. A scalable controller architecture based on core control according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The adjacent drive units (2) are connected via a LIN bus for communication.

6. The scalable controller architecture based on core control according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controlled unit (3) includes multiple lumbar support solenoid valves (31) or multiple massage solenoid valves (32). The lumbar support solenoid valve (31) or the massage solenoid valve (32) is electrically connected to the corresponding drive unit (2).

7. A scalable controller architecture based on core control according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit (1) includes: a communication PCBA board (10), a processing module (11) and a transmission module (12) that are communicatively connected to the communication PCBA board (10). The transmission module (12) is used to receive external control signals and transmit them to the processing module (11). The processing module (11) is used to generate a drive command according to the external control signal and send the drive command to the communication PCBA board (10). The communication PCBA board (10) is used to send the driving command to the corresponding driving unit (2).

8. A scalable controller architecture based on core control according to claim 7, characterized in that, The control unit (1) further includes: A voltage regulator module (13) is connected to the communication PCBA board (10) for maintaining the voltage stability of the communication PCBA board (10), the processing module (11), and the transmission module (12).

9. A scalable controller architecture based on core control according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The control unit (1) further includes: The power module (14) is electrically connected to the communication PCBA board (10) and is used to supply power to the communication PCBA board (10), the processing module (11), and the transmission module (12).

10. A scalable controller architecture based on core control according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit (1) is an addressable control unit.

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