Electronic Control Unit Network Availability Data Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic control units in automobiles are unable to transmit data when the network is unavailable, resulting in data discard.
Innovation Solution
An electronic control unit with a determination part to assess network availability and a transmission part that stores data in a storage medium when the network is unavailable, allowing for later transmission when the network becomes available.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the communication control unit transmits data only when the network is available, then network transmission reliability is improved, but data loss occurs when the network is unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by storing data in advance in a storage medium (RAM or ROM) when the network is unavailable, so that the data is ready for transmission once the network becomes available. This prevents data loss by preparing the data beforehand rather than discarding it.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a storage medium (RAM or ROM) as an intermediary between the data generation unit and the network transmission unit. This intermediary holds data temporarily when the network is unavailable, allowing seamless transmission once connectivity is restored, thus maintaining data integrity without direct network dependency.
2Loss of information
If the communication control unit stores data when the network is unavailable, then data loss is prevented, but device complexity increases due to additional storage functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the existing RAM or ROM serve multiple functions: it continues to store control parameters and operational data while also functioning as a temporary storage buffer for data awaiting network transmission. This multi-functionality avoids adding dedicated storage hardware, thereby limiting complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit uses its own existing resources (internal RAM or ROM) to store data temporarily, rather than requiring external or dedicated storage devices. This self-service approach leverages already-present components, minimizing additional complexity while enabling data preservation.
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to avoid the situation where data to be transmitted have to be discarded, even when a network to which the data is to be transmitted is unavailable. The electronic control unit has: a determination part that executes a first determination process for determining whether a network to which data is to be transmitted is available or not; and a transmission part that executes a first transmission process for transmitting the data to the network when it is determined that the network is available, and executes a storage process for storing the data in a storage medium when it is determined that the network is unavailable. The electronic control unit executes the same processes for another network as well.