Communication ECU Failover for Faulty Slave ECU Functions
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Solution Overview
Problem
In autonomous vehicles, a fault in any one of the ECUs can disrupt autonomous driving and pose a risk of accidents, necessitating a solution for a faulty ECU to maintain functionality.
Innovation Solution
A communication ECU is provided to exchange signals with external devices and implement the functions of a slave ECU when a fault occurs, reducing the need for duplicate ECUs and optimizing power consumption through efficient system management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If duplicate ECUs are provided for fault tolerance in autonomous vehicles, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The master ECU is designed to perform multiple functions: its primary communication function and a secondary slave ECU function. When a slave ECU fails, the master ECU can activate the dormant slave ECU function to take over the failed slave's tasks, thereby maintaining system reliability without requiring permanent duplicate hardware for every function
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the master ECU and slave ECU functions into a single communication ECU unit. The processor can execute different software configurations to operate as master, slave, or both roles, reducing the total number of physical ECU units needed while maintaining fault tolerance capabilities
2Reliability
If duplicate ECUs are provided for fault tolerance, then system reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication ECU is designed as a universal unit that can function as master, slave, or both simultaneously through software configuration. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of ECUs needed in the system, directly lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining the ability to provide fault tolerance through role switching
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple ECUs are used for autonomous driving functions, then system functionality is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ECU operates in dynamic modes, switching between active communication master role and dormant slave role based on system needs. When a slave ECU is functioning normally, the master ECU's slave function remains dormant and consumes minimal power. When failure occurs, the function activates to take over, providing adaptive power management while maintaining full system functionality
Solution Approach 2:
By merging master and slave functions into a single communication ECU, the system reduces the total number of active ECUs needed at any given time. The slave function within the master ECU remains dormant until needed, significantly reducing overall power consumption compared to having permanently active duplicate ECUs
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a communication electronic control unit (ECU) provided in a vehicle to be used for exchange of a signal with an external device, the communication ECU including a bus interface configured to exchange signals with a plurality of slave ECUs in the vehicle, a primary processor configured to perform software cloning for at least one of the plurality of slave ECUs, and a secondary processor configured to determine whether to operate, based on whether overload is applied to the primary processor.