Shared Resistive Sensor Sync Pulses for Controller Collision Avoidance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles like aircraft and spacecraft, limited space restricts the number of sensors available for controllers, leading to data corruption when multiple controllers share the same sensor, as existing designs cannot accommodate pairs of sensors for each controller.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize sync pulses to synchronize data access between primary and secondary controllers, allowing them to share a sensor without data corruption, where each controller changes the period of a sync pulse to indicate readiness and completion of data reading, ensuring asynchronous communication and preventing simultaneous access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple controllers share the same sensor to reduce sensor quantity, then space utilization improves, but data corruption occurs due to simultaneous access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic synchronization pulses that alternately grant access to the shared sensor between primary and secondary controllers. Each controller reads the sensor only during its designated time window defined by the sync pulse timing, ensuring periodic, non-overlapping access that prevents data corruption while enabling sensor sharing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If controllers operate asynchronously to maintain independence, then system modularity improves, but coordination for shared resource access deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces synchronization pulses as an intermediary mechanism that mediates access to the shared sensor between asynchronous controllers. The sync pulses provide a standardized coordination protocol that allows independent controllers to seamlessly share the sensor resource without requiring complex inter-controller communication or synchronization logic.
3Reliability
If a pair of sensors are allocated to each controller for redundancy, then system reliability improves, but space requirements increase beyond available volume
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sensor resources of the primary and secondary controllers by implementing a shared sensor architecture. Instead of requiring separate dedicated sensors for each controller, the system combines sensor access into a single shared resource that both controllers can utilize through time-division multiplexing controlled by synchronization pulses.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared sensor becomes a universal resource that serves multiple functions - it can be used by either the primary controller or the secondary controller depending on which controller currently has access granted via the sync pulse mechanism. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for redundant dedicated sensors while maintaining system reliability.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Providing collision avoidance protection to controllers sharing the same sensor. Each of a pair of asynchronous controllers changes the period of a sync pulse transmitted to the other controller to indicate to the other controller it is synchronized. When one of the controllers begins reading data from the shared sensor, the other controller waits to receive another sync pulse for indicating when the controller is finished reading data from the shared sensor. Thus, the asynchronous controllers avoid accessing the same sensor at the same time.