Automatic Software Matching for Embedded Control Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current control systems face challenges due to heterogeneity and complexity, leading to long development times and high costs, particularly in embedded systems like motor vehicle control units, where software components are often tailored to specific hardware and require laborious matching or re-specification upon hardware changes.
Innovation Solution
The process involves replacing control unit network-independent communication commands in program code with control unit network-dependent commands, allowing for automatic matching and generation of software components during development, thereby eliminating the need for middleware at runtime and reducing hardware and software resource usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If software components are tailored to specific hardware control unit networks, then communication compatibility is ensured, but development time increases and adaptability decreases when hardware changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a code generator as an intermediary tool that automatically translates hardware-independent communication commands into hardware-specific commands. This mediator enables software components to adapt to different control unit networks without manual re-specification, resolving the contradiction between ensuring communication compatibility and maintaining adaptability to hardware changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The code generator performs preliminary automatic translation of communication commands during the development phase. By pre-generating hardware-specific code from hardware-independent specifications, the system eliminates the need for laborious manual matching when hardware changes occur, thus improving both compatibility and adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If middleware is used to abstract control unit network interfaces, then software reuse is enabled, but additional communication structures and resource usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the code generation functionality from the traditional middleware runtime environment and places it in the development phase. By removing the need for runtime middleware and generating all necessary hardware-specific code beforehand, the solution enables software reuse while eliminating additional communication structures and reducing resource usage at runtime.
Solution Approach 2:
All interface abstraction and translation work is performed preliminarily during code generation rather than at runtime through middleware. This preliminary action eliminates the need for additional runtime communication structures while maintaining software reuse capabilities.
3Reliability
If manual matching of software to hardware is performed, then communication compatibility is achieved, but development time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of matching software to hardware with an automated code generation system. The code generator automatically translates hardware-independent communication commands into hardware-specific commands, eliminating laborious manual matching while ensuring communication compatibility, thus significantly improving development productivity.
4Reliability
If hardware-specific code is included in software components, then communication functionality is ensured, but software flexibility and reusability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication code into two parts: hardware-independent communication commands (stored in the software component) and hardware-specific implementation code (generated automatically). This segmentation allows software components to maintain flexibility and reusability while ensuring communication functionality through automatic code generation for each target hardware platform.
Data Source
AI summary
A remote camera positioning and control system is disclosed that permits a sole operator to use and support a camera out of arm's reach. The system can include a handle module that incorporates, for example, an axially and rotationally moveable grip and a proximal handle grip ring and control cage for surrounding a camera control, such as a joystick.