Optical Coupler Layout for Bidirectional In-Vehicle Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing in-vehicle communication systems struggle to enable multiple in-vehicle devices to perform various communications using optical signals efficiently.
Innovation Solution
An in-vehicle communication system utilizing an optical coupler to connect two groups of in-vehicle devices, allowing bidirectional communication through a common transmission path, enabling time synchronization and dynamic time slot assignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a common optical fiber is used for uplink communication from multiple slave function units to the master function unit, then the number of communication channels is reduced, but bidirectional communication between different slave function units becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines uplink and downlink communication functions into a single optical fiber by introducing an optical circulator. The circulator merges the transmission and reception paths, allowing multiple slave function units to communicate bidirectionally through the same optical fiber without requiring separate channels, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical circulator acts as an intermediary device that enables bidirectional communication on a unidirectional transmission medium. It mediates between the master function unit and multiple slave function units, allowing optical signals to travel in different directions through the same optical fiber by controlling the signal flow path.
2Productivity
If optical signals are transmitted between in-vehicle devices, then communication bandwidth is increased, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines transmission and reception functions into a single optical fiber using an optical circulator, allowing slave function units to share the same communication channel for both uplink and downlink. This reduces the total number of optical channels required, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining high communication bandwidth through optical signals.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration allows for efficient communication among multiple in-vehicle devices, improving time synchronization and data transmission reliability, while reducing power consumption and increasing communication bandwidth.
Implementation Method 1
transmitting optical signals from the in-vehicle devices in the first in-vehicle device group to the in-vehicle devices in the second in-vehicle device group via the optical coupler
Data Source
AI summary
An in-vehicle communication system includes: an optical coupler; a first in-vehicle device group composed of a plurality of in-vehicle devices connected to a first end of the optical coupler; and a second in-vehicle device group composed of a plurality of in-vehicle devices connected to a second end of the optical coupler. The in-vehicle devices in the first in-vehicle device group are communicable with the in-vehicle devices in the second in-vehicle device group via a common transmission path in the optical coupler. The in-vehicle devices in the second in-vehicle device group are communicable with the in-vehicle devices in the first in-vehicle device group via a common transmission path in the optical coupler.