Vehicle Actuator Control Bus Without Relay ECUs
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing control systems for vehicles with numerous electronically controlled actuators result in complex communication structures, high costs, and increased power consumption due to the large number of ECUs and wires, leading to decreased responsiveness in actuator control.
Innovation Solution
A control system that employs a digital signal transmission path without relay ECUs, utilizing a controller with a calculator and signal bus control IC to generate and transmit digital signals directly to actuators, which are then converted into control signals by ICs attached to the actuators, simplifying the structure and reducing the need for full-time communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dedicated ECU is provided for each actuator in a vehicle, then the control precision and responsiveness of individual actuators is improved, but the number of ECUs, wires, and connectors increases enormously, leading to increased system complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple ECU functions into a single integrated control unit that can manage multiple actuators through a serial communication bus. Instead of having separate ECUs for each actuator, one central controller handles coordination and control signals for all actuators, significantly reducing the number of control units while maintaining individual actuator control precision through digital communication protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional parallel wiring architecture (mechanical/electrical connections) with a serial digital communication bus. Control signals are transmitted digitally through a single communication pathway instead of requiring separate physical wires and connectors for each ECU, thereby reducing physical system complexity while preserving control functionality.
2Reliability
If multiple ECUs are layered in the communication path from the integrated control unit to individual in-vehicle devices, then coordination and collaboration between different control functions is improved, but cost and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the coordination and collaboration functions from intermediate relay ECUs and consolidates them into a single integrated control unit. The central controller directly manages all actuators through the communication bus, eliminating the need for multiple intermediate ECUs that would otherwise be required to coordinate between different control domains, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining coordination capability.
3Device complexity
If the functions of individual ECUs are simply integrated into one calculation device, then the number of ECUs and wires is reduced, but the communication control between actuators and the calculation device becomes complicated and the amount of communication becomes enormous, causing degradation of responsiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control architecture into a hierarchical structure with a central integrated control unit that manages high-level coordination and individual actuator control modules that handle real-time local control. This segmentation allows the central unit to reduce communication overhead by making autonomous decisions at the actuator level, thereby maintaining responsiveness while reducing the overall number of ECUs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring control parameters and communication protocols in the integrated control unit before actual actuator operation. The central controller prepares control strategies and anticipates coordination requirements in advance, reducing the need for complex real-time communication and calculations during actuator operation, thereby maintaining responsiveness with reduced communication burden.
Data Source
AI summary
A controller causes a calculation device to perform calculation that determines an operation of a moving object and generates digital signals that define the operations of actuators. The generated digital signals are output to a digital signal transmission path by a signal bus control IC. ICs attached to the actuators obtain digital signals that define the operations of the actuators from the digital signal transmission path and generate control signals for the actuators based on the operations defined by the digital signals.