LIN Bus Backbone Tunneling for Cable Harness Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing number of LIN buses in motor vehicles leads to a larger cable harness, making it difficult to accommodate in limited vehicle spaces.

Innovation Solution

A system with a central electronic control unit containing LIN masters and local electronic control units connected via a faster data connection, allowing for efficient transmission of header and response information, thereby reducing the need for multiple LIN bus cables.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple LIN buses are used to control various units, then the control capability increases, but the cable harness size increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol capabilityVSAvoidcable harness size
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple LIN buses are merged into a single physical cable by using a LIN bridge that consolidates multiple LIN bus signals onto one communication line, reducing the cable harness size while maintaining control capability for multiple units

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

A LIN bridge acts as an intermediary device that connects multiple LIN buses to a single cable, enabling signal routing and communication between different LIN bus domains without requiring separate physical cables for each bus

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If data is transmitted via LIN bus, then device complexity is reduced, but data transmission speed is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem complexityVSAvoiddata transmission speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The system is segmented into different communication domains: high-speed CAN bus for time-critical data transmission and LIN bus for standard control signals, allowing each protocol to operate at its optimal speed while maintaining overall system simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12316476B2LIN bus via backbone bus tunneling
Publication Date: 2025.05.27 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG
  • US12316476B2 patent drawing
  • US12316476B2 patent drawing
  • US12316476B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Embodiments relate to a system for transmitting data in a motor vehicle. A central electronic control unit comprises at least one LIN master, and at least one local controller, which is coupled to the central controller by means of a first data connection. The local controller is additionally coupled to a LIN bus, which is paired with the LIN master and to which at least one LIN slave is connected. The data transmission speed of the first data connection between the central controller and the local controller is faster than the data transmission speed of the LIN bus. Methods for actuating a LIN slave connected to a LIN bus and to a motor vehicle are also provided.