In-car consumer device charging network

Abstract

An integrated circuit is described for dynamically adapting power supplied by at least one node in a network. This integrated circuit may include a control circuit (or control logic) that performs operations, which include receiving charge information associated with one or more nodes in the network, determining dynamic power supplied to an electronic device by at least one node in one or more nodes, at least in part, based on the charge information, and issuing a command to at least one node specifying or indicating the dynamic power of at least one node at a given time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to techniques for dynamically adjusting power on nodes within a bus or network.

Background Art

[0002] To provide improved connectivity and power distribution options, many automotive manufacturers are equipping vehicles with additional sensors and / or features. For example, autonomous vehicles typically include a variety of sensors such as acoustic and / or electromagnetic sensors that monitor the surrounding environment to detect other vehicles, people, animals, or obstacles. Additionally, many vehicles include sensors that monitor vehicle operations (such as parking sensors or seat adjustment sensors), and more generally, components that provide features or functions (such as interior lighting). In addition, vehicles are beginning to include more ports, such as universal serial bus (USB) ports, to enable passengers to charge electronic devices and / or connect electronic devices to the vehicle's multimedia system.

[0003] Each of these sensors and components may include one or more integrated circuits, and connecting each to a vehicle is often difficult. In particular, sensors and components installed in existing vehicles are often in quite different arrangements. Further, sensors and components installed in existing vehicles are often electrically connected using separate wiring. However, as the number of sensors and components continues to increase, the wiring becomes increasingly complex, and installation and maintenance are costly and cumbersome tasks.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] In a first group of embodiments, an integrated circuit is described. This integrated circuit includes an interface circuit that communicates with one or more nodes in a vehicle network. Furthermore, this integrated circuit includes a control circuit (or control logic or processor) that performs operations, which include receiving charge information associated with one or more nodes, determining dynamic power supplied to an electronic device by at least a first node in one or more nodes, at least based on the charge information, and issuing a command to at least a first node specifying or pointing to the dynamic power of at least a first node at a given time.

[0005] It should be noted that a network may include a bus. For example, a bus may include a Local Interconnected Network (LIN) bus, a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a Control Area Network (CAN) bus, an Ethernet bus, or a wireless bus (such as a bus in which one or more nodes communicate using a wireless communication protocol such as Bluetooth®, or a communication protocol compatible with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers standards, i.e., IEEE 802.11 standards, e.g., IEEE 802.11ax, IEEE 802.11be, or IEEE 802.11bn).

[0006] Furthermore, the electronic device may be electrically coupled to the first node via a wired connection. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the electronic device may be coupled to the first node wirelessly.

[0007] Furthermore, one or more nodes may include a charging device.

[0008] In addition, one or more nodes may include multiple nodes, and the integrated circuit may be included in the second node among the multiple nodes. Alternatively, the integrated circuit may be separate from one or more nodes. For example, the integrated circuit may include a controller for one or more nodes. Note that the integrated circuit may include a USB hub or a head unit for a network.

[0009] In some embodiments, one or more nodes may include multiple nodes, and the instruction indicates that at least one node supplies different power from at least two of the multiple nodes.

[0010] Furthermore, the charging information may indicate an identifier for an electronic device or the type of electronic device.

[0011] Furthermore, the instruction may indicate the maximum power supplied by at least the first node. Note that the integrated circuit is used in a vehicle, and the maximum power may differ from the maximum power available in the vehicle.

[0012] In addition, one or more nodes may include multiple nodes, and the dynamic power may be determined at least in part based on the power supplied by the multiple nodes.

[0013] In some embodiments, dynamic power may be determined at least in part on predefined preferences. For example, predefined preferences may include user preferences for a vehicle including integrated circuits, desired charging characteristics, or the vehicle's driving range. It should be noted that dynamic power may be determined at least in part on environmental conditions (such as the battery temperature inside the vehicle) or the distance to be traveled in a vehicle including integrated circuits. Furthermore, dynamic power may be determined at least in part on subscription characteristics (such as software-defined subscription characteristics that may be defined or specified by the user).

[0014] Furthermore, the operation may include receiving usage information associated with one or more nodes. Note that one or more nodes may include multiple nodes, and the usage information may include problem reports associated with at least two of the multiple nodes.

[0015] Another embodiment provides an electronic device.

[0016] Another embodiment provides a vehicle including an integrated circuit.

[0017] Another embodiment provides a system including an integrated circuit.

[0018] Another embodiment provides a method for dynamically adjusting the power of one or more nodes in a network. This method includes at least some operations performed by an integrated circuit.

[0019] In a second group of embodiments, a system is described. The system includes a plurality of network devices that are communicatively coupled within a network, and at least a subset of the network devices supply power to a given electronic device. Furthermore, the system includes a control device (such as a controller) that is communicatively coupled within the network, and the control device supplies power information to a subset of the network devices via the network.

[0020] Note that the control device supplies power to a given electronic device.

[0021] Furthermore, the control device may include a gateway device coupled between the network and the vehicle bus. For example, the gateway device may include a USB hub or a wireless charger. In some embodiments, the gateway device may include a vehicle head unit.

[0022] Furthermore, the network may be directly coupled to the vehicle bus.

[0023] In addition, the given network device may be a USB charger or a wireless charger.

[0024] In some embodiments, the power information includes at least one of the following: maximum power budget, current power budget, or power availability.

[0025] It should be noted that the control device may determine the maximum power budget, which is the maximum power that can be supplied by the network devices at a given time; determine the current power budget, which is the instantaneous power supplied by one or more network devices; determine power availability; and communicate power availability to at least one of the network devices.

[0026] Furthermore, the control device may determine revised power availability in response to a personal device being coupled to a network device, a personal device being disconnected from a network device, or a change in the maximum power budget, and may communicate the revised power availability to at least one of the network devices.

[0027] Another embodiment provides an apparatus comprising: a plurality of charging devices, each configured to supply power to a given personal device; and a controller communicating with the plurality of charging devices, the controller being configured to determine a maximum power budget, a current power budget, power availability, and to communicate the determined power availability to a set of charging devices that are not currently supplying power to a given electronic device. Furthermore, the apparatus may include a LIN bus coupled between the plurality of charging devices and the controller.

[0028] Furthermore, the controller may determine power availability based at least in part on detecting an electronic device coupled to a given charging device.

[0029] In addition, the controller may determine a maximum power budget based at least in part on a fixed power level.

[0030] Note that the controller may determine the maximum power budget based at least in part on the battery temperature of the vehicle.

[0031] In some embodiments, the controller may determine the maximum power budget based at least in part on the battery charge level of the vehicle.

[0032] Furthermore, the controller may at least in part determine the maximum power budget based on whether the vehicle's engine is engaged.

[0033] Furthermore, the device may include at least one of a USB hub, a USB charger, or a wireless charger coupled to the controller.

[0034] Furthermore, the device may include a display coupled to the controller. The display may display at least one of a maximum power budget, a current power budget, power availability, or a personal device vendor. In some embodiments, the display may receive an input for power limiting. The controller may limit the power supplied by a given charging device based at least in part on the received input.

[0035] Note that the charging device may include at least one of a USB port or a wireless charger.

[0036] Furthermore, the controller may calculate a revised maximum power budget based at least in part on a change in status.

[0037] Furthermore, the controller can determine power adjustments and communicate these power adjustments to a given charging device via communication.

[0038] Another embodiment provides a method that can be performed by a system. During operation, the system supplies power to a plurality of charging devices. A controller in the system then determines the maximum power budget (such as the maximum power to each of the charging devices or nodes), determines the current power budget, determines power availability, and communicates the power availability to at least one of the charging devices.

[0039] Furthermore, during operation, the system may determine revised power availability based at least in part on the detection of a new personal device coupled to a given charging device, and communicate the revised power availability to at least one of the charging devices. Note that the revised power availability may be determined based at least in part on the detection that a personal device has been decoupled from a given charging device. The system may then communicate the revised power availability to at least one of the charging devices.

[0040] Furthermore, determining the maximum power budget can be based at least partially on fixed power levels.

[0041] In addition, determining the maximum power budget can be based at least partially on the maximum power level received from the vehicle's processor.

[0042] In some embodiments, communication is performed by a LIN bus coupled between multiple charging devices and a controller.

[0043] During operation, the system may display at least one of the following on the display: the maximum power budget, the current power budget, or power availability.

[0044] Furthermore, during operation, the system may receive a power limiting input on the display and limit the power supplied by a given charging device based at least in part on the received input.

[0045] Furthermore, during operation, the controller may calculate a revised maximum power budget based at least in part on changes in the status of the vehicle's engine (such as battery charging in an electric vehicle).

[0046] In addition, during operation, the controller can calculate a revised maximum power budget based at least partially on changes in the battery temperature within the vehicle.

[0047] In some embodiments, during operation, the system may determine power adjustments based at least in part on signals (or inputs) from a personal device. The system may then communicate the power adjustments to a given charging device based at least in part on the signals.

[0048] The outline of this invention is presented to illustrate several exemplary embodiments in order to aid in a basic understanding of some aspects of the subject matter described herein. It will be understood that the features described above are illustrative and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein. Other features, embodiments, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following embodiments, figures, and claims for carrying out the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0049] [Figure 1] This drawing illustrates an example of a vehicle equipped with a power supply charger according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram illustrating an example of a power supply system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram illustrating an example of a private local interconnect network (LIN) bus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram illustrating an example of a private bus or network architecture or configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram illustrating an example of a private bus or network architecture or configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram illustrating an example of a public bus or network architecture or configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] This flowchart illustrates an example of a method for dynamically adjusting the power of one or more nodes in a network according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0050] Note that similar reference numbers indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing. Furthermore, multiple instances of the same part are designated by a common prefix separated from the instance number by a dash.

[0051] An integrated circuit is described. This integrated circuit may include (or be coupled with) an interface circuit that communicates with one or more nodes in a network. Furthermore, this integrated circuit may include a control circuit (or control logic or processor) that performs operations, which include receiving charge information associated with one or more nodes, determining dynamic power supplied to an electronic device by at least a first node in one or more nodes, at least based on the charge information, and issuing a command to at least a first node specifying or pointing to the dynamic power of at least a first node at a given time.

[0052] By determining and issuing commands for dynamic power, circuit technology can enable networks to dynamically adapt to different conditions. For example, circuit technology can enable different nodes (or charging devices) in a network to have different maximum power. Furthermore, circuit technology can enable dynamic power to be adapted based at least partially on the charging information of one or more nodes. Moreover, circuit technology can enable dynamic power to be adapted based at least partially on environmental conditions, travel length (or estimated travel distance), or user preferences (such as predefined user preferences, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) preferences, or software-defined subscription characteristics). As a result, by enhancing the intelligent functionality and flexibility of nodes or charging devices in the network, circuit technology can improve network performance according to different criteria. Therefore, circuit technology can increase the adoption of networks in a variety of applications, such as automotive applications. Furthermore, by improving network performance, circuit technology can improve user satisfaction with the network.

[0053] In the following description, "vehicle" may include automobiles, sports utility vehicles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, trains, aircraft, boats, or other types of transport vehicles. However, in the following description, automobiles are used as an illustrative example of vehicles.

[0054] Furthermore, in the following description, a vehicle may use one or more types of power supply chargers to power various arrangements throughout the vehicle. A wide variety of power supply chargers may be used, but in the following description, USB chargers and wireless chargers (such as wireless chargers operating under the Qi wireless charging standard) are used as exemplary examples. Power supply chargers may be configured to supply power to electronic devices coupled to them and may be connected together using a bus. In some embodiments, a private bus, such as a LIN bus, is used to communicate between various power supply chargers. Furthermore, the bus may be connected to a controller device such as a USB hub, the vehicle's head unit, or other electronic devices that can communicate commands and / or other data to power supply chargers coupled to the bus. More generally, a wide variety of electrical components may be used in a vehicle, such as AC inverters, generators, transformers, and power supplies (e.g., switch-mode power supplies).

[0055] Furthermore, in the following discussion, the phrases “approximately” or “substantially” mean that the values ​​are expected to be close to the stated values. However, there may be small variations that prevent the values ​​from being accurately stated. As a result, expected variations, such as a 10% difference, are known to be reasonable variations that may occur and are acceptable with respect to the described or ideal targets for one or more embodiments of this disclosure. In addition, the phrases “first,” “second,” “next,” “last,” “previous,” “after,” and other similar phrases are used solely for explanatory and reference purposes and are not intended to be limitations on any configuration or sequence of operation of elements relating to the various embodiments of this disclosure. It should be noted that the phrases “combined,” “connected,” or any other phrases are not intended to limit such interactions and signal transmissions between two or more devices, systems, components, or anything else to direct interactions, and indirect coupling and connection may also occur.

[0056] Next, we will describe embodiments of the circuit technology. Figure 1 shows an example of a vehicle 110 equipped with a radar antenna array, which includes an antenna 112 for short-range sensing (e.g., for parking assistance), an antenna 114 for medium-range sensing (e.g., for monitoring traffic congestion and interruption events), and an antenna 116 for long-range sensing (e.g., for adaptive cruise control and collision warning), each of which may be located behind the front bumper cover. An antenna 118 for short-range sensing (e.g., for backup assist) and an antenna 120 for medium-range sensing (e.g., for rear collision warning) may be located behind the rear bumper cover. Furthermore, an antenna 122 for short-range sensing (e.g., for blind spot monitoring and side obstacle detection) may be located behind the fender. Each antenna and each set of antennas may be grouped into one or more arrays. Furthermore, each array may be controlled by a radar array controller 205 (Figure 2). The types, number, and configurations of sensors in sensor placement configurations for vehicles with driver assistance and autonomous driving functions vary. Vehicles may employ sensor placement configurations to detect and measure the distance / direction to objects in various detection zones, enabling the vehicle to navigate while avoiding other vehicles and obstacles. While the above description illustrates a vehicle 110 equipped with radar sensors, in other embodiments, vehicle 110 may be equipped with additional types of sensors such as LiDAR, ultrasonic sensors, and cameras.

[0057] Furthermore, the vehicle 110 may be equipped with charging devices 124 (such as USB or wireless chargers) in the passenger seats, on the dashboard, in the rear console, and / or in the rear seat area. In other examples, the charging devices may be located in other places, such as in the trunk of the vehicle. The charging device arrangement shown in Figure 1 is presented as one possible example of a charging device arrangement configuration.

[0058] Figure 2 presents a block diagram illustrating an example of a driver assistance system and a charging system. This driver assistance system may have an electronic control unit (ECU) 210 coupled to various sensors 212 and a radar array controller 214 as the center of a star topology. However, other topologies may include series, parallel, and hierarchical (tree) topologies.

[0059] The radar array controller 214 may couple a radio frequency (RF) front end (for example, in antenna 114) to the transmitting and receiving antennas to transmit electromagnetic waves, receive reflections, and determine the spatial relationship of the vehicle with its surroundings. Furthermore, the radar array controller 214 may be coupled to a carrier signal generator. In some embodiments, the radar array controller 214 may control the timing and sequence of operation of multiple carrier signal generators.

[0060] To provide automatic parking assistance, the ECU 210 may be coupled to a set of actuators such as a turn signal actuator 216, a steering actuator 218, a braking actuator 220, and / or a throttle actuator 222. Furthermore, the ECU 210 may be coupled to an interactive user interface 224 for receiving user input and displaying various measurements and system status. In some examples, the ECU 210 may be coupled to the vehicle's data bus. The data bus is configured to allow the ECU 210 to communicate with various modules and / or sensors coupled to the ECU 210.

[0061] Using the user interface 224, sensors, and actuators, the ECU 210 may provide automatic parking, parking assist, lane change assist, obstacle and blind spot detection, autonomous driving, and / or other desirable features. During operation of the vehicle 110 (Figure 1), sensor measurements may be acquired by the ECU 210 and used by the ECU 210 to determine the status of the vehicle 110. Furthermore, the ECU 210 may operate based on the status and input information to activate signal transmission and control transducers to coordinate and maintain the operation of the vehicle 110. For example, operations that may be provided by the ECU 210 include driver assistance functions such as automatic parking, lane following, automatic braking, and autonomous driving.

[0062] Furthermore, to obtain the measurements, the ECU210 may employ a MIMO radar system. The radar system operates by emitting electromagnetic waves that propagate outward from a transmitting antenna, and then being reflected back toward a receiving antenna. The reflector may be any moderately reflective object in the path of the emitted electromagnetic waves. By measuring the propagation time of the electromagnetic waves from the transmitting antenna to the reflector and back toward the receiving antenna, the radar system may determine the distance to the reflector. In addition, by measuring the Doppler shift of the electromagnetic waves, the radar system may determine the velocity of the reflector relative to the vehicle 110 (Figure 1). When multiple transmitting or receiving antennas are used, or when multiple measurements are taken at different locations, the radar system may determine the direction toward the reflector and thereby track the position of the reflector relative to the vehicle 110 (Figure 1). With more advanced processing, multiple reflectors may be tracked. In some embodiments, the radar system may employ array processing to "scan" the directional beam of electromagnetic waves and construct an image of the environment around the vehicle 110 (Figure 1). Generally, pulsed and / or continuous wave implementations of radar systems can be implemented.

[0063] In addition, the ECU 210 may be connected to or coupled to a charging device 226, such as a USB or wireless charger, located in the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

[0064] Next, we will further discuss circuit technology. As previously mentioned, charging solutions are becoming more widespread throughout vehicles. In the future, it will not be uncommon to have vehicles with multiple charging devices throughout the vehicle. In some examples, a vehicle may have at least a wireless charger and / or a wired charging device (either of which may be referred to as a “charging device”) for some or all of the passenger seats in the vehicle. In some examples, the wired charging device may include a USB port configured for charging. In other examples, the wired charging device may be another form of wired charging. The vehicle may also have additional wireless chargers, USB ports, and / or other wireless chargers in the trunk area, footwell, dashboard, rear console, or other non-seat-related locations. These chargers may be used by the occupants of the vehicle to charge / operate personal electronic devices or other electronic devices. In addition, these chargers or charging devices may be used to charge other vehicle accessories or electronic devices. In this disclosure, the term “personal device” means an electronic device that is powered or electrically coupled to one of the chargers. Furthermore, in some examples, the charging device may also include a power supply device, such as an AC converter, configured to supply a voltage higher than the voltage supplied by the wired charging device. The AC converter may include a conventional power plug, such as those found in homes, configured to supply 120 or 220 volts through a power plug. The system may control and / or limit the power supplied from the AC converter coupled to the charging network.

[0065] The USB specification for Power Delivery (PD) 3.1 includes a maximum charging rate of 240 watts (48 volts at 5 amps) per USB-C port. Therefore, the power requirements of a charging system to supply maximum power to each charging port in a vehicle can easily reach the order of several hundred watts. The electronic device that supplies power (e.g., a charger) is sometimes referred to as the “source device,” and the electronic device that receives power (e.g., a personal device) is sometimes referred to as the “sink device.”

[0066] Depending on the electrical system of a given vehicle, the theoretical maximum power supplied by all possible charging devices may exceed the power that the vehicle's electrical system can supply at a given time. Furthermore, the amount of power that a vehicle can supply may change over time. For example, at low temperatures, an electric vehicle may supply less power than the same vehicle at high temperatures. Similarly, a gasoline-powered vehicle may supply more power when the engine is running than when the engine is stopped.

[0067] In the disclosed integrated circuit technology, a control system or control logic (such as a control circuit or software executed by a processor within an integrated circuit, a component, a subcircuit, or a module within an integrated circuit) may determine how much power is available to a device charging system, how much power is currently being used by the device charging system, and / or how much power a new electronic device connected to the device charging system will use. In some examples, the control system does not have to make all of these decisions. For example, in some embodiments, the maximum power availability may be a predefined or fixed value (such as 100W). In other embodiments, the control system may be one of the electronic devices on a bus or network. In this disclosure, “bus” is an electrical path (such as a wire or connector) having one or more nodes (such as charging devices and more generally devices) that transmit power and / or data or information. Furthermore, in this disclosure, “network” is an interconnected group of nodes (such as charging devices and more generally devices) that transmit power and / or data or information. The coupling between components in a bus or network may be direct (e.g., wired) or indirect (e.g., wireless). In this disclosure, a bus is understood to be a specific type of network. Furthermore, in this disclosure, circuit technology applies to buses and / or networks, and “bus” or “network” should be understood to be interchangeable terms. It should be noted that a bus or network is not essential to the operation of a vehicle and may therefore be used to charge or operate a wide variety of electronic devices (such as consumer-friendly charging devices and / or power supply devices) that have or can provide a variable amount of power.

[0068] In other examples, a bus or network may be a standalone network in which the electronic devices of the network can communicate with each other without using a control system. Electronic devices may share information such as the presence or absence of connected electronic devices, the instantaneous power consumption of connected electronic devices, the possible available power levels for connected electronic devices, data related to connected electronic devices (such as electronic device identifiers), and / or other information that can be transmitted by communication. In addition, one or more electronic devices of the bus or network may communicate with other systems in the vehicle. For example, an electronic device may communicate with the vehicle to receive commands, provide diagnostic information, and / or transmit other information by communication.

[0069] It should be noted that information may be shared within a network or bus, between charging devices themselves, or with control devices (such as control systems or control logic). The shared information may include the supplied (e.g., instantaneous) charging power, the contracted charging power, the maximum charging power for a given electronic device coupled to the charger, the device temperature, and / or either the charging device or the electronic device coupled to the charger, and the battery voltage of the electronic device coupled to the charger. (It should be noted that in this disclosure, connection or coupling may include DC electrical coupling or AC electrical coupling). In addition, in some embodiments, other information, such as the maximum battery capacity of the electronic device coupled to the charger and the approximate remaining charging time, may also be shared. In some examples, a personal device may share vendor information of the electronic device with the charger.

[0070] Each charging device (e.g., a wireless charger, a USB port, and a USB hub) may be electrically coupled to or connected to both a power source and a data bus (e.g., a network). In some embodiments, the power source may be a voltage (e.g., 12V) directly supplied by one or more batteries in the vehicle. For example, a given charging device may convert the vehicle battery voltage to a voltage supplied by the given charging device. In some examples, a data bus may allow each charging device to communicate with a control system or control logic. A charging device may communicate to the control system or control logic the amount of power it is currently consuming and / or the amount of power currently supplied to the charging device. In addition, the control system or control logic may communicate to each charging device the maximum power available, at least in part, based on the amount of power available. In some cases, the control system or control logic may communicate power adjustments to a given charging device. Power adjustments may indicate to a given charging device an increase or decrease in the amount of power that the charging device can supply to electronic devices electrically coupled to or connected to the charging device. In some examples, the data bus may be a LIN bus. In other examples, the bus or network may be a USB bus, another type of electric bus, an optical bus, or another data bus. The power supply for each charging device may be a direct electrical connection to the vehicle's voltage source. However, in other embodiments, the connection to the vehicle's power supply may be indirect (e.g., AC coupling). In other examples, the power supply may be a USB bus that also functions as a data bus. In some examples, various devices in the system may include firmware and / or software that can be flashed (e.g., updated) using firmware or software transmitted by communication over the bus. Furthermore, in some examples, the vehicle may have a processor, e.g., an ECU210 (Figure 2), that acts as a master processor for some (a subset, etc.) or all of the vehicle systems.This processor may also transmit instructions via communication to control some or all of the functions of the charging system or control logic. For example, some processing and / or decisions may be performed by a processor within the vehicle and communicated to the charging system or control logic.

[0071] The control system or control logic may take the form of a USB hub, a vehicle's head unit, a dedicated control device, or an electronic device coupled to or connected to a network or bus, and / or all of the devices together may perform control functions. Thus, at least some of the operations in the circuit technology may be performed in a centralized or distributed manner. In some examples, the controller or control logic may be a combination of a head unit and a USB hub. The control system or control logic may communicate with the head unit using a USB bus such as USB 2.0, USB 3.0, or other USB buses. In some examples, the head unit may have a display such as a display in the vehicle's infotainment system (e.g., the display and user interface 224 in Figure 2). The display may show or indicate various parameters of the charging system. In some examples, the display may show a given power budget for the USB system and / or the power consumption of various charging devices in the system. In some further examples, the display may be able to show device identification for each of the electronic devices coupled to the charging system. The display may also show the location in the vehicle where each of the electronic devices is coupled to or connected to the charging system. In yet another example, the display may include controls for limiting and / or adjusting the power supplied to a given charging device or an electronic device connected to or coupled to a charging device. In addition, the display may allow a person in the vehicle to control various parameters of electronic devices connected to a network or bus. For example, via the display (such as a touch sensor display or a human interface system such as a keyboard, mouse, or voice recognition system), the user may be able to configure the charging configuration. Note that the charging port may be configured to be always on instead of being turned off when the vehicle is turned off. In yet another example, the user may be able to set charging priorities, such as ensuring that the driver's mobile phone receives the maximum charging power requested.In another example, charging priority may be set so that all connected devices receive at least the minimum power level necessary to operate. This can be beneficial in situations where the power level required to charge all devices exceeds the maximum power output of the charging system, and the system thus controls the power supplied so as not to exceed the system's maximum power, while ensuring that all devices are operational (even if not being charged). In some other examples, the display may also show vendor information for personal devices connected to the charger or charging device. Thus, by looking at the display, one can know which personal devices are connected to or coupled to a given charger in the vehicle.

[0072] In some embodiments, the disclosed system may include a private bus. The private bus is a bus that does not communicate with electronic devices that are not part of the disclosed system (for example, electronic devices on the private bus may only communicate with other electronic devices connected to or coupled to the charging system bus). In this example, the vehicle may have a primary bus that communicates with modules throughout the vehicle, such as window controllers, radar sensors, and camera sensors. The charging system may have a charging system bus (i.e., a private bus or private network) that does not communicate with the primary bus. In some embodiments, the controller or control logic circuit of the charging system may be coupled to both the charging system bus and the primary bus. In other embodiments, the bus may include more devices than those described with respect to the charging system. In some embodiments, the private bus may support one to sixteen (or more) client devices. In addition, the private bus may allow electronic devices coupled to or connected to the bus to communicate with each other. For example, in some modes, the controller or control logic may be a master charging device that communicates with other charging devices.

[0073] In some embodiments, the system may be able to determine faults or problems in the charging system and / or provide usage statistics. The system may determine faults or problems based on charging devices reporting information to the system. In some examples, a fault may be a charging device that has lost its function. In other examples, a fault may be a short circuit, overcurrent fault, overheating fault, etc., in a charging device. Other faults may include a charging device not responding to a communication signal from a controller. In one example, a fault detection routine may be performed as a diagnostic operation during vehicle assembly. This diagnostic operation may ensure that the charger is properly connected and can supply power to personal devices before the vehicle is delivered to the customer. Usage statistics may include instantaneous power usage of connected devices and / or possible available power levels for connected devices. In some examples, based at least in part on usage statistics, a control system, control logic, or another network device may adjust the power supplied to a given electronic device being charged by the network. In some cases, usage statistics may include the number of charging hours, the number and / or types of personal devices charged, a given charging power supplied to the electronic device, etc. Usage statistics may be recorded and reported for each trip, and / or recorded and reported on an aggregate basis.

[0074] In addition, diagnostic information from buses or networks can be used for vehicle fleet management, customer service, marketing, repair and maintenance, subscription services, and more. In another example, the system may be able to run a diagnostic test each time a vehicle is started (or powered on). This diagnostic test may determine whether each charger or charging device is functioning correctly each time the vehicle is used. When a fault is detected, a given faulty charger or charging device may be disabled, and a fault alert may be sent to the vehicle driver. In addition, faults may be detected and / or reported while the vehicle and charger or charging device are in use. In yet another example, a fleet administrator may be able to configure and / or remotely control the charging system. For example, a fleet administrator may be able to remotely enable or disable the charging system.

[0075] In some further embodiments, the vehicle, of which this disclosure is part, may include a wireless communication system. The wireless communication system may be part of or communicate with the head unit. In another embodiment, the wireless communication system may communicate with a bus of the disclosed system. The wireless communication system may transmit data by communication from a device on the bus or network to a mobile device, computing device, or vehicle key associated with the vehicle. The user may be able to determine the device charging status, whether a device is connected to or coupled to a charger, or other information relating to a device on the bus. In some embodiments, a device may transmit various power levels of the device by communication. For example, a device may transmit the minimum power level required to charge the device and / or the minimum power level required to operate the device by communication. When the system makes a decision regarding the power levels to transmit by communication to each charging device, these power levels may be used as part of the decision. In another embodiment, an alert may be sent when an electronic device is still coupled to a charging device when the vehicle is turned off, after a certain period of time has elapsed since the vehicle was turned off, or after a mobile device (such as a cell phone or mote) has left the vehicle. This alert may prevent electronic devices from being left inside the vehicle while connected to or coupled to a charging device. Wireless communication may be performed using Bluetooth®, an IEEE 802.11 compatible protocol, or other wireless protocols.

[0076] Figure 3 presents a block diagram illustrating an example of a private bus. In this example, the private bus may be a LIN bus. In this example, four USB PD chargers and two wireless chargers are connected to a USB hub using a private LIN bus. The USB hub communicates with the vehicle's head unit using a USB 2.0 connection. As mentioned above, the private LIN bus can enable the four USB PD chargers and two wireless chargers to communicate with each other and with the USB hub. Note that Figure 3 is an example of a layout for use with this disclosure.

[0077] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a private bus architecture or configuration. In particular, network 400 in Figure 4 represents a standalone network. This network can be considered a private network because it is not directly connected to or coupled to the vehicle bus. A private network is a network in which electrical signals of the bus or network are transmitted only by communication between devices in the network. In a standalone network, devices in the network can share information and manage charging collectively and automatically. In some embodiments, each node of the standalone network (such as a given charging device) may report its charging needs or current charging capacity to other nodes. When necessary, a node may responsively change the power that a given node can supply to an electronic device to which it is connected or coupled. Network 400 is sometimes referred to as a “peer-to-peer network,” where each device may also communicate with other devices in the network and negotiate the power supplied. The private bus in Figure 4 may include wired or wireless connections between one or more charging devices and a controller. In some examples, the controller may include a wired or wireless connection to the vehicle bus. Therefore, the controller can communicate directly with charging devices on the private network and control the operation of those charging devices.

[0078] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a private bus or network architecture or configuration. In particular, network 500 in Figure 5 represents a network of nodes, one of which communicates with the vehicle bus. In some examples, the node communicating with the vehicle bus may be the vehicle's head unit, the vehicle's USB hub, and / or one of the network's chargers (or charging devices). Since network 500 is connected to or coupled with the vehicle bus, the vehicle (or the vehicle's user) may configure some aspect of network 500 to receive diagnostic information from network 500 and / or usage information from network 500. Since network 500 is not directly connected to or coupled with the vehicle bus, network 500 can also be considered a private network, as electrical signals transmitted on network 500 can only be transmitted to network nodes, and one of the nodes acts as an interface to the vehicle's bus (or another communication system of the vehicle). The private bus in Figure 5 may include wired or wireless connections between one or more charging devices and a controller. In some examples, the controller may include a wired or wireless connection to the vehicle's bus. Thus, the controller may communicate with charging devices on a private network using the vehicle bus coupled to one or more charging devices, and control the operation of the charging devices on the private network.

[0079] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the architecture or configuration of a public bus or network. In particular, network 600 in Figure 6 shows a network of nodes, and the bus, or network of nodes, communicates directly with the vehicle bus. This type of network is a public (e.g., not private) network because the signals transmitted by communication between nodes are also on the vehicle bus. While this style of network may be used in this disclosure, there may be cases where it is preferable to use a private network rather than a public network. Public networks may have stricter cybersecurity requirements than private networks. In addition, public networks may have messaging specifications defined by the network. Therefore, public networks may impose limitations on the flexibility of messaging between charging nodes of the network due to the messaging characteristics of the public network. The public bus in Figure 6 may include wired or wireless connections between one or more charging devices and a controller. In some examples, the controller may include a wired or wireless connection to the vehicle bus. Therefore, the controller may communicate with charging devices on the public network using a vehicle bus coupled to the public network to control the operation of the charging devices.

[0080] Figures 4 to 6 illustrate a configuration where the controller is isolated from the vehicle node; however, in other embodiments, the controller may be implemented on one or more network nodes.

[0081] In some embodiments, the integrated circuit, network, or bus may include fewer or additional components, the position of one or more components may be changed, two or more components may be combined into a single component, and / or a single component may be split into two or more components.

[0082] Next, embodiments of the method will be described. Figure 7 shows a flowchart illustrating an example of a method 700 for dynamically adjusting the power of one or more nodes in a network using an integrated circuit, such as an integrated circuit in a USB hub or head unit in Figure 3. During operation, the integrated circuit may receive charging information related to one or more nodes in the network (operation 710). The integrated circuit may then determine, at least in part, the dynamic (varying as a function of time) power supplied to an electronic device by at least a first node (or charging device) in one or more nodes (operation 712). The integrated circuit may then provide an instruction (operation 714) to at least the first node specifying or pointing to the dynamic power.

[0083] In some embodiments of Method 700, there may be additional or fewer operations. Furthermore, the order of operations may be changed, and / or two or more operations may be combined into a single operation. In some examples, the system may determine a regulated power (i.e., a power level different from a default power level) in operation 712, rather than determining dynamic power, and in operation 714, communicate the regulated power to the first node.

[0084] For example, method 700 may include an initial state in which each charging device is configured to supply a predetermined amount of power. When a device is coupled to each charging device of the system, the system may responsively provide an amount of power up to a predetermined amount of power. The system may receive the maximum possible charging power from the device when coupled. In some examples, the system may issue a command in operation 714 only if the maximum power level to the device exceeds a predetermined amount of power provided by each charging device.

[0085] In another example, method 700 may include an initial state in which each charging device is configured to supply a predetermined amount of power and the system has a maximum total charging power. In some examples, the system may issue a command in operation 714 only when the power level of the devices coupled to the charging devices would exceed the maximum total charging power.

[0086] In some further examples, the power determined in operation 712 does not have to be dynamic power. The power determined in operation 712 may be static power that updates the power level that can be supplied by a given charger.

[0087] In other examples, Method 700 may perform some of the other functions and make some of the other decisions, as disclosed herein. In addition, Method 700 (or a subset of Method 700) may be performed periodically, such as every minute while the vehicle power is on. In other examples, Method 700 (or a subset of Method 700) may be performed in response to changes in the charging system, such as when a new device is connected, a charging device is disconnected, a charger reports a failure, a device reports a full charge, or the charging rate to the device decreases (such as when the device is fully charged), although there are other possible reasons why the system may perform Method 700.

[0088] The disclosed integrated circuits and circuit technologies may be (or may be included in) any electronic device or system. For example, an electronic device may include a mobile phone or smartphone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a personal computer or desktop computer, a netbook computer, a media player device, an ebook device, a MiFi® device, a smartwatch, a wearable computing device, a portable computing device, a consumer electronic device, an access point, a router, a switch, communication equipment, test equipment, a vehicle, a ship, an aircraft, an automobile, a truck, a bus, a motorcycle, manufacturing equipment, agricultural machinery, construction machinery, or another type of electronic device.

[0089] While specific components are used to describe embodiments of integrated circuits and / or integrated circuits containing integrated circuits, in alternative embodiments, different components and / or subsystems may be present within the integrated circuits and / or integrated circuits containing integrated circuits. Thus, embodiments of integrated circuits and / or integrated circuits containing integrated circuits may include fewer components, additional components, different components, two or more components may be combined into a single component, a single component may be separated into two or more components, the positions of one or more components may be changed, and / or different types of components may be present.

[0090] Furthermore, the circuits and components in the integrated circuit and / or embodiments of the integrated circuit including the integrated circuit may be implemented using any combination of analog circuits and / or digital circuits, including bipolar, PMOS and / or NMOS gates or transistors. Furthermore, the signals in these embodiments may include digital signals with approximately discrete values ​​and / or analog signals with continuous values. In addition, the components and circuits may be single-ended or differential, and the power supply may be unipolar or bipolar. It should be noted that the electrical coupling or connection in the embodiments described above may be direct or indirect. In the embodiments described above, a single line corresponding to a route may point to one or more single lines or routes.

[0091] As mentioned above, an integrated circuit can implement some or all of the functions of circuit technology. This integrated circuit may include hardware and / or software mechanisms used to implement functions related to circuit technology.

[0092] In some embodiments, the output of a process for designing an integrated circuit, or a part of an integrated circuit, including one or more of the circuits described herein, may be on a computer-readable medium, such as magnetic tape or optical or magnetic disk. The computer-readable medium may be encoded with data structures or other information describing the integrated circuit or circuits that can be physically instantiated as part of an integrated circuit. Various formats may be used for such encoding, but these data structures are generally described in Caltech Intermediate Format (CIF), Calma GDS II Stream Format (GDSII), Electronic Design Interchange Format (EDIF), OpenAccess (OA), or Open Artwork System Interchange Standard (OASIS). A person skilled in the art of integrated circuit design can develop such data structures from the types of wiring diagrams and corresponding descriptions detailed above and encode the data structures onto a computer-readable medium. A person skilled in the art of integrated circuit manufacturing can use such encoded data to manufacture an integrated circuit including one or more of the circuits described herein.

[0093] While some of the operations in the embodiments described above were implemented in hardware or software, in general, the operations in the embodiments described above can be implemented in a wide variety of configurations and architectures. Therefore, some or all of the operations in the embodiments described above can be performed in hardware, software, or both. For example, at least some of the operations in circuit technology can be implemented using program instructions executed by a processor or in firmware within an integrated circuit.

[0094] Furthermore, while numerical examples are provided in the preceding description, different numerical values ​​may be used in other embodiments. Consequently, the numerical values ​​provided are not intended to be limiting.

[0095] In the explanation given earlier, we refer to “several embodiments.” Note that “several embodiments” describes a subset of all possible embodiments, but does not always specify the same subset of embodiments.

[0096] The foregoing description is intended to enable those skilled in the art to construct and use the disclosure and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Furthermore, the foregoing description of embodiments of the disclosure is presented for illustrative and illustrative purposes only. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the forms disclosed. Accordingly, many modifications and variations will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may also apply to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. In addition, the previously stated descriptions of embodiments are not intended to limit the disclosure. Accordingly, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the illustrated embodiments, but rather to apply in the broadest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0097] 110 vehicles 112 Antennas for short-range sensing 114 Antennas for medium-range sensing 116 Antennas for long-range sensing 118 Antennas for short-range sensing 120 Antennas for medium-range sensing 122 Antennas for short-range sensing 124 Charger Devices 205 Radar Array Controller 210 Electronic Control Unit (ECU) 212 sensors 214 Radar Array Controller 216 Turn signal actuator 218 Steering Actuator 220 Brake Actuator 222 Throttle Actuator 224 Interactive User Interfaces 226 Charger Devices 400 Networks 500 Networks 600 Networks

Claims

1. An interface circuit configured to communicate with one or more nodes in the network, A control circuit, Receiving charging information associated with one or more of the aforementioned nodes, Based at least partially on the charging information, determine the dynamic power supplied to the electronic device by at least a first node in the one or more nodes, and To issue an instruction to at least a first node specifying or indicating the dynamic power of at least the first node at a given time, A control circuit configured to perform the operation of, An integrated circuit, including

2. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the network includes a bus.

3. The integrated circuit according to claim 2, wherein the bus includes a local interconnect network (LIN) bus, a universal serial bus (USB), a control area network (CAN) bus, an Ethernet bus, or a wireless bus.

4. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is electrically or wirelessly coupled to a first node.

5. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein one or more nodes include a charging device.

6. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the one or more nodes include a plurality of nodes, and the integrated circuit is included in a second node among the plurality of nodes.

7. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the one or more nodes include a plurality of nodes, and the integrated circuit is separated from the one or more nodes.

8. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the one or more nodes include a plurality of nodes and the integrated circuit.

9. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit includes a controller for one or more nodes.

10. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit includes a head unit for a Universal Serial Bus (USB) hub or network.

11. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the one or more nodes include a plurality of nodes, and the instruction indicates that at least the first node supplies power different from at least the second node among the plurality of nodes.

12. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the charging information indicates an identifier of the electronic device or the type of the electronic device.

13. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the instruction refers to the maximum power supplied by at least the first node.

14. The integrated circuit according to claim 13, wherein the integrated circuit is included in a vehicle, and the maximum power is different from the maximum power available in the vehicle.

15. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the one or more nodes include a plurality of nodes, and the dynamic power is determined at least in part on the power supplied by the plurality of nodes.

16. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the dynamic power is determined at least in part on predefined preferences.

17. The integrated circuit according to claim 16, wherein the predefined preferences include the preferences of a user of the vehicle including the integrated circuit, desired charging characteristics, or the driving range of the vehicle.

18. The integrated circuit according to claim 16, wherein the dynamic power is determined at least in part on environmental conditions, the distance of travel in the vehicle including the integrated circuit, or software-defined subscription characteristics.

19. It is an integrated circuit, An interface circuit configured to communicate with one or more nodes in the network, A control circuit, Receiving charging information associated with one or more of the aforementioned nodes, Based at least partially on the charging information, determine the dynamic power supplied to the electronic device by at least a first node in the one or more nodes, and To issue an instruction to at least a first node specifying or indicating the dynamic power of at least the first node at a given time, A control circuit configured to perform the operation of, A system comprising an integrated circuit.

20. A method for dynamically adjusting the power supplied by one or more nodes in a network, Integrated circuits The steps include receiving charging information associated with one or more nodes, A step of determining the dynamic power supplied to an electronic device by at least a first node in the one or more nodes, based at least in part on the charging information; The steps of issuing an instruction to at least a first node specifying or indicating the dynamic power of at least the first node at a given time, Methods that include...

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