Communication equipment and communication systems

Abstract

To provide a multi-communication mode method that enables a plurality of sensors using the SENT communication protocol to connect and communicate with one receiving unit.SOLUTION: A method, a system, and a device for a single edge nibble communication (SENT) multi-communication mode are described. In one example, the system can include a transmitting unit and a receiving unit connected to each other. The transmitting unit can encode the device's identifier in a sync nibble of a SENT signal. The transmitting unit can further transmit the SENT signal having the encoded identifier to the receiving unit. The receiving unit may receive the SENT signal from the transmitting unit. The receiving unit can decode the identifier from the sync nibble of the SENT signal in order to further identify the communication device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device and a communication system for a sensor using the SENT (Single Edge Nibble Transmission) protocol. More specifically, the present invention relates to a multi-communication mode that allows a plurality of sensors to connect to and communicate with a single receiving unit. [Background Art]

[0002] Sensors can be used to provide feedback information in various types of systems. In some examples, a sensor can operate as a standalone sensor connected to an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) via a sensor interface. As an exemplary interface that a sensor can use to transmit data to an ECU, the SENT digital communication protocol (also known as SAE J2716) can be used. The SENT protocol is a unidirectional point-to-point connection that allows sensors to transmit data to an ECU. Data communication using the SENT protocol is serial data communication, and a specific hardware unit in the ECU is required to interpret and decode the communicated data. The SENT protocol can be limited to one hardware unit per sensor. Therefore, connecting additional sensors to the ECU requires available SENT ports on the ECU and additional hardware units for the additional sensors. These additional ports and hardware units can be costly and can furthermore occupy additional space within the ECU. [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0003] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a multi-communication mode method that allows a plurality of sensors using the SENT communication protocol to connect to and communicate with a single receiving unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In some examples of the present invention, a communication device for operating a multi-communication mode of the SENT protocol is generally described. The communication device may include a controller. The controller may be configured to encode the identifier of the communication device in the synchronization nibble of the SENT signal.

[0005] In some examples of the present invention, a communication device for operating a multi-transmit mode of the SENT protocol is generally described. The communication device may include a controller. The controller may be configured to receive SENT signals. The controller may be further configured to decode an identifier from the synchronous nibble of the received SENT signal in order to identify the communication device.

[0006] In some examples of the present invention, a communication system configured to implement a multi-transmit mode of the SENT protocol is generally described. The communication system may include a receiver and a transmitter connected to each other. The transmitter may be configured to encode an identifier of a device in a synchronous nibble of the SENT signal. The transmitter may be further configured to transmit a SENT signal having the encoded identifier to the receiver. The receiver may be configured to receive the SENT signal transmitted from the transmitter. The receiver may be further configured to decode an identifier from the synchronous nibble of the SENT signal in order to identify a communication device. In the following, the present invention will be further described with respect to embodiments shown in the accompanying figures. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This figure shows a communication system that implements a multi-communication mode of SENT communication according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of a SENT signal that implements the multi-transmission mode of SENT communication according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows different sensor identifiers that can be encoded in the SENT signal according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of initializing a communication system for implementing a multi-communication mode of SENT communication according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating the process for implementing the multi-communication mode of SENT communication according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Figure 1 shows an exemplary system capable of implementing a multi-communication mode in SENT communication in an embodiment. The communication system 100 may be a vehicle sensor system in a vehicle. The communication system 100 may include an ECU 102, a communication bus or sensor bus (or sensor interface) 106, and one or more sensors such as sensors 110, 120, 130. Although three sensors are shown in the example in Figure 1, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the communication system 100 can be implemented for any number of sensors and / or based on the desired implementation and / or performance of the communication system 100. The ECU 102 may be a computer connected to one or more parts of the vehicle, such as a motor, engine, transmission, user interface (e.g., car infotainment system), control mechanisms such as buttons, and / or other parts of the vehicle that can be controlled by the ECU 102. The ECU 102 may connect to sensors 110, 120, 130 via the sensor bus 106 and may receive data from sensors 110, 120, 130 via the sensor bus 106.

[0009] Each of the sensors between sensors 110, 120, and 130 may include a transmit (TX) module 140. The TX module 140 may be a device that can operate as a SENT communication interface or module configured to output a SENT signal 108 (for example, a signal having a format defined by the SENT protocol). Furthermore, sensors 110, 120, and 130 may each include sensor elements 112, 122, and 132, respectively. Sensor elements 112, 122, and 132 may include, but are not limited to, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, airflow sensors, acceleration sensors, speed sensors, infrared sensors, and / or other types of sensors that can sense various parameters (e.g., physical parameters) of the environment around or inside a vehicle implementing the communication system 100. One of each of the sensor elements 112, 122, and 132 may be connected to the TX module 140 in its corresponding sensor. The parameters sensed by the sensor elements 112, 122, and 132 can be provided to the TX module 140, which can convert the sensed parameters into a SENT signal.

[0010] The ECU 102 may include a receiver (RX) module 150 and a microcontroller unit (MCU) 160. The MCU 160 may include processing components such as a processor 162 and a storage unit 164 such as memory or a processor cache memory. The storage unit 164 may be configured to store instructions, such as executable code, which may be executable by the processor 162 to perform one or more of the embodiments described in accordance with this disclosure. The RX module 150 may be a device that can operate as a SENT receiver interface or module configured to receive SENT signals from the TX module 140 of sensors 110, 120, and 130 via the sensor bus 106. The RX module 150 (or a controller of the RX module 150) may be configured to interpret and decode data and messages encoded in the SENT signal 108, and can convert the decoded data into a digital signal having a format that can be processed by the processor 162 of the MCU 160. The processor 162 of the MCU160 can use the digital signals provided by the RX module 150 to generate control signals that can control and / or operate various components connected to the ECU102 (e.g., various parts of the vehicle).

[0011] The TX module 140 in sensors 110, 120, and 130, and the RX module 150 in ECU 102, can facilitate one-way data transmission from sensors 110, 120, and 130 to ECU 102 using the SENT protocol. The SENT protocol is a unidirectional, asynchronous voltage interface. Communication of SENT signals can be performed using three wires: 1) a signal line (Low state < 0.5V, High state > 4.1V), 2) a power supply voltage line (5V), and 3) a ground line, and these three wires can reside within the sensor bus 106. The TX module 140 and RX module 150 can be configured to facilitate the communication of SENT signals, such as SENT signals 108, from sensors 110, 120, and 130 to ECU 102 using one port 109 on ECU 102. Port 109 can be connected to the RX module 150. To use one port (e.g., port 109) to receive SENT signals from two or more sensors (e.g., sensors 110, 120, and 130), the identifier (ID) 107 in the SENT signal 108 can be encoded to identify the sensor that sent the SENT signal 108 by its ID 107. The TX module 140 of each sensor among sensors 110, 120, and 130 can be configured to encode its respective ID in the corresponding SENT message. For example, if sensor 110 is the sensor that sends the SENT signal 108, the TX module 140 of sensor 110 can encode the ID 107 of sensor 110 in the SENT signal 108.

[0012] Figure 2 shows an exemplary message frame of a SENT signal 108 that can implement a multi-transmission mode in SENT communication in the embodiment. Note that the message frame of the SENT signal 108 shown in Figure 2 is an example for illustrative purposes. The message frame of the SENT signal 108 can have a high-speed channel format or a low-speed channel format, and each of the high-speed channel format and the low-speed channel format can have multiple message frame formats. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be applied to any format of the SENT signal 108.

[0013] The basic unit of time in the SENT protocol is called a tick, and the duration of a tick can be variable, for example, between 3 and 90 microseconds (μs). For example, the duration of a tick can be defined by dividing a clock cycle (e.g., a 4 megahertz (MHz) clock) by a tick parameter defined for the communication system 100. The smallest unit of data is called a nibble. A nibble is 4 bits of data encoded using pulse-width modulation (PWM), encoded with a combination of pulse timings consisting of an initial fixed-width Low period followed by a variable-width High period. In the exemplary message frame shown in Figure 2, each nibble of the SENT signal 108 may begin with a logic 0 (logic Low) for a fixed width of, for example, 5 ticks or more, followed by a logic 1 (logic High) with a variable duration. Therefore, the duration of a nibble can be the sum of a fixed logical zero duration and a variable logical one duration, resulting in a variable nibble duration within a data nibble (e.g., S1D1, S1D2, ..., S2D3), which can have 12 to 27 ticks (e.g., nibble values ​​from 0 to 15, or binary "0000" to "1111"). Other nibbles, such as status or communication nibbles and cyclic redundancy check (CRC) nibbles, may have variable tick counts or durations to represent different information.

[0014] The message frame of a SENT signal begins with a synchronous nibble (SN) containing a calibration pulse (CP), which is used by the receiver (e.g., the RX module 150 shown in Figure 1) to measure the tick timing of the transmission. For example, the synchronous nibble (SN) has a unit duration of 56 ticks, and as a result, the receiver can obtain the tick timing unit by dividing the duration of the synchronous nibble by 56. A status or communication nibble (S / C) may follow the synchronous nibble in the message frame. The status or communication nibble may be the first nibble after the synchronous nibble and may communicate status and / or slow channel data bits depending on the SENT format used in the communication system 100. The message frame may end with a CRC or checksum nibble, and sometimes an optional pause pulse (OP). The optional pause pulse (OP) may be variable and may be used to maintain a uniform tick count. Thus, as shown in the example in Figure 2, the message frame of a SENT signal may range from the synchronous nibble to the CRC or OP.

[0015] In the example shown in Figure 2, the SENT signal 108 can carry two 12-bit data words. The first 12-bit word includes nibbles S1D1, S1D2, and S1D3, each of which encodes 4 bits of data. Nibble S1D1 may have 27 ticks representing the 4-bit data "1111", or the value 15. Nibble S1D2 may have 17 ticks representing the 4-bit data "0101", or the value 5. Nibble S1D3 may have 22 ticks representing the 4-bit data "1010", or the value 10. The second 12-bit word includes nibbles S2D1, S2D2, and S2D3, each of which encodes 4 bits of data. Nibble S2D1 may have 14 ticks representing the 4-bit data "0010", or the value 2. Nibble S2D2 can have 4-bit data of "1000" or 20 ticks representing the value 8. Nibble S2D3 can have 4-bit data of "0000" or 12 ticks representing the value 0. Note that the SENT signal 108 shown in Figure 2 is an example for illustrative purposes. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the SENT signal 108 can carry data words of various lengths, such as 16-bit words and 8-bit words.

[0016] As described above, in order to receive SENT signals from multiple sensors (e.g., sensors 110, 120, and 130 shown in Figure 1) using a single port (e.g., port 109 shown in Figure 1), ID 107 may be encoded in the SENT signal 108, where ID 107 identifies the sensor that sent the SENT signal 108. The TX module 140 (shown in Figure 1) or the controller of TX module 140 of each sensor among sensors 110, 120, and 130 can be configured to encode ID 107 in the SENT message 108. In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 2, ID 107 may be encoded in the synchronous nibble (SN) of the SENT signal 108. To encode ID 107, the TX module 140 or the controller of TX module 140 may set the tick position 201 to initiate a transition from logic 0 (or logic Low) to logic 1 (logic High) in the synchronous nibble (SN) and initiate a calibration pulse (CP). For example, before encoding ID 107, the calibration pulse (CP) may have a logic high signal spanning X ticks (for example, if there are 5 ticks of fixed logic lows to initiate all nibbles in the SENT signal 108, then X may be 51). In response to the TX module 140 encoding ID 107 into the calibration pulse (CP), the calibration pulse (CP) with the encoded ID 107 may have a logic high signal spanning X' ticks, where X' is less than X. The width of the calibration pulse (CP), i.e., the tick position 201 in the synchronous nibble after encoding is performed, i.e., X' in this example, can represent ID 107. The RX module 150 shown in Figure 1 can receive the SENT signal 108 from the TX module 140 via the sensor bus 106. The RX module 150 can be configured to decode ID 107 from the synchronous nibble of the received SENT signal 108.

[0017] In one embodiment, ID 107 can be encoded in another nibble of the SENT signal 108. For example, ID 107 can be encoded in a CRC nibble instead of a synchronous nibble (SN). In another example, ID 107 can be encoded in one of the 12-bit words that may be unused (e.g., not encoded in any data). For example, if a second 12-bit word is not used, ID 107 can be encoded in one or more of the nibbles S2D1, S2D2, S2D3 of the second 12-bit word. By encoding ID 107 in one or more nibbles (e.g., a synchronous nibble, a CRC nibble, and / or a data nibble), the SENT signal 108 can include identification of the sensor that transmitted the SENT signal 108. In one example, encoding ID 107 in a CRC nibble or a data nibble can include defining a number tick within the nibble. For example, a 12-tick CRC nibble can represent the 4-bit word "0000" or ID#0, and a 15-tick CRC nibble can represent the 4-bit word "0011" or ID#3.

[0018] In another example, ID107 can be encoded into multiple nibbles for the RX module 150 to check the correctness of the decoded ID received. For example, ID107 can be encoded in both a synchronous nibble and a CRC nibble, so that the processor 162 of the MCU 160 can compare both encoded copies of ID107 to verify the accuracy of ID107. If the two encoded copies of ID107 do not match, the processor 162 can determine that there may be an anomaly such as an error in the operation of the sensor having ID107, or a potential security issue (e.g., a man-in-the-middle attack).

[0019] For example, to decode ID 107, the RX module 150 can identify a tick position 201 in the synchronization nibble to determine the tick position at which the transition of the calibration pulse (CP) from a logical Low state to a logical High state begins. The RX module 150 can provide the identified tick position 201 to the MCU 160, and the storage unit 164 can store the correspondence between the sensor ID and the tick position. For example, tick position 201 can be assigned to sensor 110, and another tick position can be assigned to sensor 120. Thus, the MCU 160 can use the tick position 201 decoded by the RX module 150 to identify the sensor that transmitted the SENT signal 108.

[0020] In another example, to decode ID 107, the RX module 150 can determine the tick count of the calibration pulse (CP) in the SENT signal 108. For example, the RX module 150 can determine a first timestamp when the logical High state of the calibration pulse (CP) begins (or when the transition from Low to High occurs) and a second timestamp when the logical High state of the calibration pulse (CP) ends (or when the transition from High to Low occurs). The RX module 150 can determine the difference between the first and second timestamps and obtain the tick count of the calibration pulse (CP) by dividing the time difference by the tick units of the SENT message (for example, by dividing the total time duration of the synchronization nibble by 56). The tick count of the calibration pulse (CP) can represent ID 107. The RX module 150 can provide the tick count of the High logical state to the MCU 160, and the storage unit 164 can store the correspondence between the sensor ID and the tick count. For example, a tick count X' can be assigned to sensor 110, and another tick count can be assigned to sensor 120. Thus, the MCU 160 can identify the sensor that sent the SENT signal 108 using either the tick position where the calibration pulse (CP) starts (e.g., tick position 201) or the tick count of the calibration pulse (CP) (e.g., X').

[0021] It should be noted that the exemplary SENT signal 108 shown in Fig. 2 is a SENT signal having a fast channel format (e.g., transmitted with an option to simultaneously transmit secondary data over a slow channel). Other formats of SENT signals can include: fast channel formats: 12-bit single secure message and fast channel high-speed; and slow channel formats: short serial message format for 8-bit messages and extended serial message format for either 12-bit or 16-bit messages. The fast channel format for a 12-bit single secure message can transmit one 12-bit data message, an 8-bit incremental counter, and the inverse of the most significant data nibble. The fast channel high-speed format can transmit 12-bit data in four nibbles; for 4 bits encoded by nibble width, the most significant bit is always logic "0", so only the least significant 3 bits are transmitted data. The slow channel format is normally limited per fast channel message frame because it limits data to be transmitted only 2 bits at a time. The 2 bits of slow channel data can be included in bit 3 and bit 2 of the status nibble. The slow channel format is called a "slow" message because it requires multiple fast channel message frames to complete transmission of a single value via slow channel data carried in the status nibble of a fast channel data frame. For example, transmitting 8-bit slow channel data requires 16 fast channel data frames. However, slow channel communication enables continuous monitoring of information such as temperature, diagnostics and production codes, which typically do not change, or change at a slower rate, than the physical parameter sensed by the sensor. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be applied to any format of SENT signals.

[0022] Figure 3 shows different sensor identifiers that can be encoded in the SENT signal in the embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 3, six different sensors can be connected to port 109 of the ECU 102 shown in Figure 1. The synchronous nibbles and corresponding calibration pulses (CPs) for these six sensors are shown in Figure 3 and are labeled as synchronous nibbles 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, and 306. Each of the synchronous nibbles 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, and 306 can have a tick count of 56 ticks (from tick position 0 to tick position 55). The first five ticks from tick positions 0 to 4 are fixed tick counts to a logical Low state before initiating the calibration pulse (CP). The calibration pulse (CP) can be initiated at a tick count where a transition from Low to High occurs. The tick position R at tick position 46 may indicate a reset that can be used by the ECU 102 to request a system reset and a reset of the initialization process (described later with respect to Figure 4).

[0023] Each pulse shown in FIG. 3 is encoded with the respective ID of the corresponding sensor. For example, a first sensor can transmit a SENT message including a synchronization nibble 301 having an encoded ID of X1, where X1 can be defined by the tick position (e.g., tick position 10) at which a low-to-high transition occurs to start transmission of pulse 301. A second sensor can transmit a SENT message including a synchronization nibble 302 having an encoded ID of X2, where X2 can be defined by the tick position (e.g., tick position 16) at which a low-to-high transition occurs to start transmission of pulse 302. The example shown in FIG. 3 can use tick positions 10, 16, 22, 28, 34, 40 to decode six different IDs for six different sensors. Other tick positions are possible, for example 16, 22, 28, 34, 40, 46 (R is defined at another tick position), or 5, 11, 17, 23, 29, 35, 41. Tick positions for encoding IDs are assigned to each sensor before normal operation. Once assigned to a specific tick position, each sensor can encode its ID at the assigned tick position for each SENT signal transmitted to the ECU 102.

[0024] The example shown in FIG. 3 uses tick positions spaced 6 ticks apart from each other to encode a plurality of sensor IDs. The 6-tick spacing can, for example, be based on a maximum tick time error of 20%. This maximum tick time error can be based on various factors such as temperature and power supply voltage dependence of the resistive-capacitive (RC) oscillation circuit used by the sensor. Other spacings are possible depending on the desired implementation and design constraints of components within the communication system 100. Also, regardless of the SENT format, the synchronization nibble in a SENT message is fixed at 56 ticks, so the spacing between tick positions that can be used to encode sensor IDs can vary the number of sensors that can be connected to the ECU 102.

[0025] Figure 4 shows an exemplary initialization of the system of Figure 1 for implementing a multi-communication mode in single-edge nibble communication (SENT) in an embodiment. To enable multiple sensors connected to port 109 to transmit data to the ECU 102 in an orderly manner, the TX module 140 in each sensor may be configured to perform an initialization process. The initialization process may be performed by the TX module 140 of each sensor in response to power-on of the communication system 100, or in response to a reset signal output by one of the connected sensors or the ECU 102. The initialization process may include obtaining information about the number of sensors connected to the ECU 102 and the addresses of the connected sensors. For example, the TX module 140 may include a controller 402 configured to listen to traffic 406 on the sensor bus 106 in order to obtain information such as the number of sensors connected to the sensor bus 106 and the addresses of the connected sensors.

[0026] During the initialization process, the TX module 140 of each sensor between sensors 110, 120, and 130 can listen to traffic 406 on the sensor bus 106. For example, traffic 406 may include a structure frame of SENT signals being transmitted on the sensor bus 106. If multiple SENT signals initiate a Low-to-High transition with a synchronous nibble having the same tick position, the controller 402 can determine that one sensor is connected to the sensor bus 106 and can decode one of the synchronous nibbles of the multiple sensor signals to extract the ID of the connected sensor. If the multiple SENT signals are two SENT signals with a synchronous nibble having a Low-to-High transition starting at two different tick positions, traffic 406 can indicate that there are two sensors assigned to the transmission position, and the controller 402 can decode the synchronous nibbles to extract the IDs of the two connected sensors. If there is no SENT signal on the sensor bus 106 (according to traffic 406), the TX module 140 may wait for a certain amount of time (e.g., a number of time cycles) before sending a SENT signal to the sensor bus 106. For example, if the TX module 140 for sensor 120 (assigned to ID#1) is listening to traffic 406 and sees no SENT signal on the sensor bus, sensor 120 may wait one time cycle before sending its own SENT signal with a tick position representing ID#1 in its synchronous nibble. If the TX module for a sensor is assigned to ID#6 and traffic 406 indicates that no SENT signal has been sent on the sensor bus, this sensor may wait five time cycles before the tick position representing ID#6 sends its own SENT signal in its synchronous nibble. In some examples, the TX module 140 on each sensor may encode a reset signal at the R tick position (shown in Figure 3) instead of its ID in the synchronous nibble.Traffic 406 can be updated with a reset signal signal detected by one of the signals on the sensor bus 106, and the TX module 140 of all sensors can start the initialization process again.

[0027] The controller 402 can further be configured to activate or deactivate the multi-transmission mode by configuration bit 404. Depending on the design and implementation of the communication system 100 and the TX module 140, configuration bit 404 can be, for example, a hardware switching element, a parameter that can be defined using software, a value stored in a register, or a bit configured in the sensor's non-volatile memory (NVM). Configuration bit 404 can have two values, such as binary 0 and binary 1. In one example, configuration bit 404 being binary 0 (or binary 1) can indicate deactivation of the multi-communication mode, and configuration bit 404 being binary 1 (or binary 0) can indicate activation of the multi-communication mode. Activation of the multi-transmission mode allows the TX module 140 to encode ID 107 in the SENT signal 108 to facilitate transmission from multiple sensors to the ECU. Deactivation of the multi-transmission mode allows the TX module 140 to function as a normal SENT communication without encoding the sensor ID in the SENT signal 108. Therefore, the TX module 140 may be compatible with existing systems that use the SENT protocol without sensor ID coding.

[0028] In response to the completion of the initialization process, the operation of the communication system 100 in multi-transmit mode can be initiated by the sensors transmitting their own SENT signals under their assigned transmit positions. For example, the TX module 140 can continue listening to traffic 406 to determine if it is an appropriate time to transmit a signal. For example, the transmission order of multiple sensors can be predefined. For instance, each NVM of the three sensors 110, 120, and 130 shown in Figure 4 can store instructions or rules indicating their respective communication IDs. The stored communication IDs can represent the communication positions within the communication order. For example, sensor 110 may store communication ID #0, sensor 120 may store communication ID #1, and sensor 130 may store communication ID #2.

[0029] To perform communication under multi-communication mode, the controller 402 can use traffic 406 to determine whether the corresponding sensor should communicate its SENT signal to the sensor bus 106 or wait for its turn to be communicated. For example, the TX module 140 can obtain traffic 406 containing the frame structure and / or synchronous nibble of the most recent SENT signal on the sensor bus 106. The TX module 140 can decode the synchronous nibble in traffic 406 to identify or extract the coded ID of the sensor that sent the most recent SENT signal. If the most recent SENT signal is sent by sensor 130, the TX module 140 of sensor 110 can determine that sensor 110 can perform SENT signal transmission to the sensor bus 106 based on the transmission order stored in sensor 110 (e.g., #0, #1, #2, #0, #1, etc.) and transmission position (e.g., sensor 110 assigned to #0 and sensor 130 assigned to #2). When the latest SENT signal is transmitted by sensor 130, the TX module 140 of sensor 120 can determine, based on the transmission order (e.g., #0, #1, #2, #0, #1, etc.) and transmission position (e.g., sensor 120 assigned to #1 and sensor 130 assigned to #2) stored in sensor 110, that sensor 120 is prohibited from performing the SENT signal transmission to sensor bus 106. Thus, the ECU 102 can receive SENT signals in an orderly manner and avoid conflicting traffic on sensor bus 106.

[0030] In another example, sensors 110, 120, and 130 can be configured to transmit SENT signals in the order of ID#1, #3, and #4, respectively. Thus, sensor 120 can wait for ID#1 to appear in traffic 406 and transmit its SENT signal, sensor 130 can wait for ID#3 to appear in traffic 406 and transmit its SENT signal, and sensor 110 can wait for ID#4 to appear in traffic 406 and transmit its SENT signal. If an error occurs in traffic 406 indicating the transmission order of #1, #2, sensor 130 can initiate a wait event and wait for a certain amount of time before transmitting its SENT signal, since traffic 406 does not indicate ID#3. For example, the time between each communication of SENT signals from different sensors is T. In response to traffic 406 indicating that the most recent communication was from ID#2, sensor 130 may wait for a time T to ensure, for example, that there is sufficient time for the sensor with ID#3 to communicate a SENT signal before sensor 130 communicates. ECU 102 may also know the waiting time T, and if ECU 102 does not receive a SENT signal from the sensor after the waiting time T, or if it detects that it has waited for the waiting time T in the case of a large number of sensors (e.g., during N repetitions of sequence #1, #3, #4), ECU 102 may issue a reset request on the sensor bus 106 (e.g., send, broadcast). In other words, ECU 102 can detect whether there is a potential error based on the order in which the SENT signals are received and the timing in which the SENT signals are received. Traffic 406 may indicate a reset request, and sensors 110, 120, and 130 can listen to traffic 406, detect the reset request, and use ECU 102 to reset the initialization process.

[0031] By encoding the sensor ID in the synchronous nibble (SN) of the SENT message, multiple sensors can be connected to a single ECU without the need to add additional ports and hardware that would occupy space and increase size. Furthermore, since the synchronous nibble is typically used only for synchronization purposes and does not contain data or information, the tick position between the start and end ticks of the calibration pulse (CP) within the synchronous nibble can be used to decode the sensor ID. The use of the synchronous nibble (SN) enables ID encoding without adding ticks or nibbles to the SENT protocol and without affecting the data or information carried by the SENT signal. Moreover, the encoding performed by the transmitter and the decoding performed by the receiver can be implemented with relatively simple modifications to the hardware, software, or firmware without affecting the normal operation of the communication system 100. In addition, by having each sensor encode its ID within each transmitted SENT message, no additional communication is required between the transmitter and receiver before or after sending SENT messages.

[0032] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing a process 500 for implementing a multi-communication mode in SENT communication in an embodiment. The process may include one or more operations, actions, or functions, as indicated by one or more of steps S501, S502, S503, and / or S504. Although shown as individual steps, the various steps can be divided into additional steps, combined into fewer steps, deleted, or executed in parallel, depending on the desired implementation.

[0033] Process 500 can be performed by a transmitter in a system that implements the SENT communication protocol. The system may include a receiver connected via a sensor bus to one or more transmitters (including the transmitter that performs process 500). The transmitter may be part of a sensor including a sensor element, memory, and processing element. The receiver may be part of an electronic control unit including a memory device and a processing unit such as a microcontroller.

[0034] Process 500 can begin in step S501. In step S501, the transmitter can enable the multi-transmit mode. For example, the transmitter can enable the multi-transmit mode by setting configuration bits stored in the transmitter. The multi-transmit mode allows multiple transmitters in the system to connect and transmit SENT signals to the receiver. Process 500 can proceed from step S501 to S502. In step S502, under the multi-transmit mode, the transmitter can listen to traffic on the sensor bus. The traffic obtained by the transmitter may include, for example, the frame structure of the SENT signal transmitted to the receiver via the sensor bus.

[0035] Process 500 can proceed from step S502 to S503. In step S503, the transmitter can use the traffic obtained from step S502 to determine whether the most recent SENT signal on the sensor bus is output in transmission order or sequence by another sensor assigned as a previous sensor. For example, the system may include three sensors assigned to transmission positions #0, #1, and #2. The transmission order for the three sensors to send SENT signals can be a predetermined order such as #0, #1, #2, #0, #1, #2, etc. In one example, the transmitter performing process 500 may be assigned to transmission position #2. In response to the most recent SENT signal on the sensor bus output by the sensor assigned to #0, process 500 can return to step S502, where the transmitter can continue listening to the traffic on the sensor bus. In response to the most recent SENT signal on the sensor bus output by the sensor assigned to #1, process 500 can proceed to step S504, where the transmitter can transmit that SENT signal to the receiver via the sensor bus.

[0036] The subjects described herein may include different components that are contained within or connected to other different components. The architectures described herein are illustrative, and it should be understood that in practice, many other architectures can be implemented to achieve the same functionality. Conceptually, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” in such a way that the desired functionality is achieved. Thus, any two components combined herein to achieve a particular function can be considered “associated” with each other, regardless of the architecture or intermediate components, in such a way that the desired function is achieved. Similarly, any two components thus associated can be considered “operably connected” or “operably coupled” with each other to achieve the desired function, and any two components that can be associated in such a way can be considered “operably coupled” with each other to achieve the desired function. Specific examples of operatically coupled components include, but are not limited to, physically coupled and / or physically interacting components, and / or wirelessly interactable and / or wirelessly interacting components, and / or logically interactable and / or logically interacting components.

[0037] With regard to the use of plural and / or singular terms herein, those skilled in the art can translate from plural to singular and / or singular to plural as appropriate to the context and / or use. Various singular / plural substitutions may be explicitly stated herein for clarity.

[0038] Those skilled in the art will generally understand that the terms used herein, in particular the appended claims (e.g., the body of the appended claims), are generally intended to be “open” terms (for example, the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but not limited to,” the term “has” should be interpreted as “has at least,” and the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but not limited to,” and so on).

[0039] While the figures and descriptions may show the steps in the method in a specific order, the order of such steps may differ from that shown and described above unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, two or more steps may be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously unless otherwise specified above. Such variations may depend, for example, on the selected software and hardware systems, as well as the designer's choice. All such variations are within the scope of this disclosure. Similarly, software implementations of the described methods can be achieved by standard programming techniques with rule-based logic and other logic to accomplish various connection steps, processing steps, comparison steps, and decision steps.

[0040] It will be further understood by those skilled in the art that if a specific number of introduced claims enumeration is intended, such intent is explicitly enumerated in the claims, and if such enumeration is absent, such intent does not exist. For example, to aid understanding, the attached claims below may include the use of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce the description of the claims. Furthermore, even if a specific number of introduced claim enumerations is explicitly enumerated, those skilled in the art will recognize that such enumeration should typically be interpreted as meaning at least the number enumerated (for example, the bare enumeration of “two enumerations” without other modifiers typically means at least two enumerations, or two or more enumerations).

[0041] Furthermore, when a term similar to "at least one of A, B, and C" is used, such a structure is generally intended to be understood by those skilled in the art (for example, "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" includes, but is not limited to, systems having A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B alone, A and B alone, A and C alone, A and C alone, B and C alone, and / or A, B and C alone, etc.). When a term similar to "at least one of A, B, or C" is used, such a structure is generally intended to be understood by those skilled in the art (for example, "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" includes, but is not limited to, systems having A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B and C together, etc.). Furthermore, it will be further understood by those skilled in the art that substantially any disjunctive word and / or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms in the description, claims, or drawings should be understood as construing the possibility of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both of the terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" is understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B".

[0042] Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the use of terms such as "approximately," "about," "about," and "substantial" implies a plus or minus 10 percent.

[0043] The foregoing description of exemplary embodiments is presented for illustrative and explanatory purposes only. It is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting with respect to the exact forms disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or can be obtained from the practice of the disclosed implementations. The scope of the invention is intended to be defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 100 Communication Systems 102 ECU 106 Sensor Bus 107 Identifier (ID) 108 SENT signal 109 ports 110, 120, 130 sensors 112, 122, 132 sensor elements 140 TX module 150 RX Module 160 MCU 162 processors 164 Storage section 402 Controller 404 Configuration Bits 406 Traffic 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306 Synchronized Nibble

Claims

1. Includes a controller that encodes the identifier of the communication device in the synchronization nibble of the SENT signal, The aforementioned controller, Check the traffic on the communication bus, In response to traffic indicating that the communication device is authorized to transmit the SENT signal to another communication device, the SENT signal is output to the communication bus. The communication device is configured to continue checking traffic on the communication bus in response to traffic indicating that it is prohibited from transmitting the SENT signal to other communication devices. The aforementioned communication device is connected to the communication bus, The controller detects a reset request in the traffic on the communication bus, Determine the number of communication devices connected to the communication bus to initiate the reset process. A communication device configured to encode a reset signal in the synchronization nibble in order to determine the identifier of the communication device.

2. In order to encode the identifier, the controller, The communication device according to claim 1, which sets the tick position in the synchronization nibble in order to initiate a transition from a logical Low state to a logical High state.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the controller further encodes the identifier in the CRC nibble of the SENT signal.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the controller further encodes the identifier in the data nibble of the SENT signal.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the controller outputs the SENT signal to the electronic control unit (ECU) using the encoded identifier, and the communication device and the ECU are part of an in-vehicle sensor system.

6. A communication system comprising a receiving unit and a transmitting unit connected to the receiving unit, The transmitting unit encodes the identifier of the communication device in the synchronous nibble of the SENT signal, and transmits the SENT signal to the receiving unit using the encoded identifier. The receiving unit receives the SENT signal transmitted from the transmitting unit and, in order to identify the communication device, decodes the identifier of the communication device from the synchronization nibble of the SENT signal. The aforementioned transmitting unit checks the traffic on the communication bus, In response to traffic indicating that the communication device is authorized to transmit the SENT signal to another communication device, the SENT signal is output to the communication bus. In response to traffic indicating that the communication device is prohibited from transmitting the SENT signal to other communication devices, the system continues to monitor traffic on the communication bus. The transmitting unit is connected to the communication bus, A communication system comprising: a transmitting unit that encodes a reset signal in the synchronous nibble in order to initiate a process of detecting a reset request in the traffic of the communication bus, determining the number of communication devices connected to the communication bus, and determining the identifier of the communication device.

7. The communication system according to claim 6, wherein the transmitting unit sets a tick position on the synchronization nibble of the SENT signal in order to start a transition from a logical Low state to a logical High state in order to encode the identifier.

8. The receiving unit identifies the tick position in the synchronization nibble of the SENT signal in order to decode the identifier, The communication system according to claim 6, wherein the tick position is the starting position for the transition of the synchronization nibble of the SENT signal from a logical Low state to a logical High state.

9. The communication system according to claim 6, wherein the transmitting unit further encodes the identifier in the CRC nibble of the SENT signal.

10. The communication system according to claim 6, wherein the transmitting unit further encodes the identifier in the data nibble of the SENT signal.

11. The transmitting unit is part of the communication device, The aforementioned receiving unit is part of the electronic control unit (ECU), The communication system according to claim 6, wherein the communication device and the ECU are part of an in-vehicle sensor system.

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