Autonomy Middleware Layer for ECU Complexity and Fault Tolerance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles rely heavily on hardware-based systems, which can impede security, fault-tolerance, and reliability, and increase costs.
Innovation Solution
A middleware software layer is introduced to manage processing and communications in the autonomy stack of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, utilizing a real-time operating system and hardware abstraction layer to translate and abstract data, improve security, fault-tolerance, and reliability, and be scalable for various levels of autonomous driving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hardware-based systems and ECUs are used for managing processing and communications, then processing and communication functions can be performed, but security, fault-tolerance, and reliability are impeded and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces hardware-based ECU systems with a software-based architecture running on a central processing platform. The middleware layer implements communication management, data processing, and control functions through software modules instead of dedicated hardware ECUs, thereby improving security and fault-tolerance while reducing hardware complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal software-based processing platform that can perform multiple functions previously requiring separate ECUs. The middleware layer provides generic communication and data processing capabilities that can serve various autonomous driving functions, reducing the number of specialized hardware components needed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If more ECUs are added to control vehicle functions, then more functions can be controlled, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal software architecture where a single processing platform with middleware can perform multiple vehicle control functions. The modular software design allows the system to handle various autonomous driving functions without requiring proportional increases in hardware ECU count.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent consolidates multiple ECU functions into a unified software-based system. By merging communication management, data processing, and control functions into an integrated middleware layer on a central platform, the system reduces the total number of separate ECUs while maintaining functional versatility.
3Reliability
If hardware-based processing systems are used, then real-time processing can be achieved, but security and fault-tolerance are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces hardware-based real-time processing with a software-based system that uses a real-time operating system (RTOS) on a general-purpose processing platform. This substitution maintains real-time processing capabilities while improving security through software-based access control, isolation mechanisms, and fault-tolerance features that are difficult to implement in hardware ECUs.
Data Source
AI summary
A computing system for a vehicle may include processors to execute instructions to receive, by a middleware software layer of the computing system, messages published by one or more of a plurality of autonomous processing modules, and determine, by the middleware software layer, and based on the published messages, whether a similarity comparison of a first vehicle parameter and a second vehicle parameter satisfy a similarity threshold value. The first vehicle parameter and the second vehicle parameter relate to the messages published by the one or more autonomous processing modules. In response to determining that the similarity comparison of the first vehicle parameter and the second vehicle parameter does not satisfy the similarity threshold value, provide, by the middleware software layer, an instruction to a control system to cause the vehicle to perform an action, and cause, by the control system, the vehicle to perform the action.