Mower Control Network With Redundant Communication Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mower and all-terrain vehicle systems face communication failures due to wire harness or bus communication issues, making it difficult to determine the cause of failures and affecting normal operation of functional devices.
Innovation Solution
Implement a communication system with a first channel for normal operation and a second channel for redundancy, allowing re-planning of communication paths when the first channel fails, and utilizing control modules to determine failure positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single communication channel (first channel) is used for data interaction between control modules, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates due to communication failures from wire harness or bus issues
Solution Approach 1:
The communication system is segmented into multiple independent channels: a first communication channel for normal operation and a second communication channel for redundancy. This segmentation allows the system to isolate failures to specific channels while maintaining overall communication functionality through alternative paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The second communication channel is established in advance as a backup pathway before any failure occurs. When the first channel experiences wire harness or bus communication failures, the system can immediately switch to the pre-prepared second channel, cushioning against communication interruptions and maintaining system reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If wire harness and bus communication systems are used for connecting functional devices, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring failure positions increases
Solution Approach 1:
Control modules serve as intermediaries between functional devices and the communication channels. These intermediaries facilitate standardized connections that are easier to manufacture while enabling systematic failure detection and positioning through the structured communication architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication system incorporates feedback mechanisms where control modules monitor communication status and can identify failure positions. When communication failures occur, the system provides feedback information that helps locate the specific failure point in the wire harness or bus, reducing the difficulty of detection and measurement.
3Reliability
If functional devices are connected through a single communication path, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates when failures occur affecting normal operation
Solution Approach 1:
The communication architecture is designed to be dynamic, automatically switching between the first and second communication channels based on operational status. This dynamic adaptability ensures that the system maintains reliable operation by selecting the functional communication path, while the underlying complexity is managed through automated control logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by switching active communication channels based on detected failure conditions. When the first channel fails, the system changes the active communication parameter to use the second channel, maintaining operational reliability without requiring permanent complex architecture activation.
Data Source
AI summary
A mower includes: a vehicle frame and multiple functional devices. The multiple functional devices include at least: a traveling assembly including traveling wheels for driving the mower to travel on the ground and a traveling motor for driving the traveling wheels; an operation assembly configured to be operated by a user to control the mower; and a power supply assembly configured to supply energy to the traveling assembly. The mower further includes a communication system, where the communication system includes control modules connected to the multiple functional devices, and the multiple control modules are capable of communicating with each other through a first channel. The communication system further includes a second channel, and the second channel is configured to transmit communication information between at least two control modules.