Multilane Communication Interface for Seamless Asymmetric Data Transfer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional high-speed automotive Ethernet standards using single twisted pair cables face bandwidth limitations, leading to unreliable communication links in autonomous vehicles, especially when one lane fails, causing communication disruptions and potential safety issues due to cable congestion and weight concerns.

Innovation Solution

A communication interface that dynamically manages multiple communication lanes by designating one lane as 'awake' for data transmission while others are in a sleep mode, allowing seamless data transfer even in case of lane failure by switching to a new awake lane and using buffers and gates to control data flow based on lane status.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple cables are used to connect sensors and switches, then communication reliability is improved, but cable congestion and vehicle weight increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidcable weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple communication lanes are merged into a single multilane communication interface, allowing multiple data streams to share the same physical cable infrastructure. This reduces the total number of cables needed while maintaining communication reliability through lane aggregation and failover capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The multilane communication interface provides multi-functionality by enabling both high-speed data transmission and failure recovery mechanisms through the same cable infrastructure. The interface can dynamically allocate lanes for different data streams and switch between lanes upon failure, making the single cable serve multiple communication purposes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Speed

If all communication lanes are kept active, then data transmission speed is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transmission speedVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The communication interface dynamically adjusts the operational state of individual lanes based on real-time performance monitoring. When a lane fails or degrades, the system dynamically reallocates traffic to healthy lanes and powers down inactive lanes, optimizing the balance between transmission speed and power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters by transitioning lanes between active and sleep states based on communication requirements. This parameter adjustment allows the interface to maintain high-speed transmission when needed while reducing power consumption during normal operation or when fewer lanes are required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If conventional buffers are used to maintain communication during lane failure, then communication continuity is improved, but additional latency is introduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication continuityVSAvoidcommunication latency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring alternate lanes and establishing failover pathways before failures occur. This allows for rapid lane switching without the need for large buffers to hold data during transition, thereby maintaining communication continuity while minimizing latency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the failover functionality from the buffer domain and implements it at the lane management level. Instead of using large buffers to absorb delays during lane failure, the system directly switches to alternate lanes, removing the source of additional latency while maintaining communication continuity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Productivity

If multilane technology is used for high-speed communication, then bandwidth is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovebandwidthVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The communication interface acts as an intermediary that manages the complexity of multilane operations. It provides a simplified interface for higher-layer protocols while handling lane allocation, monitoring, and failover internally. This mediator approach enables high bandwidth utilization without exposing the full complexity of multilane management to the rest of the system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20240097936A1Communication interface and method for seamless asymmetric communication over multilane communication link

Publication Date: 2024.03.21 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD

AI summary

A communication interface is used at a first end of a communication link and includes a number of communication lanes. The communication interface includes a logic configured to cooperate with another communication interface at a second end of the communication link to send data to the second end over the communication lanes. The logic is configured to store a communication lane status for an awake communication lane, and upon detecting that the communication lane status for the awake communication lane is changed to a first determined status: to stop sending data over the awake communication lane, change an asleep communication lane into a new awake communication lane, and inform the communication interface at the second end.