Configurable Status Processing Unit for Sensor-Actuator Bandwidth Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems in motor vehicles require significant bandwidth for transmitting status information, which can impact operational reliability and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An electronic communication unit with a masking memory unit and interface unit that selectively processes and transmits status data using a logic circuit and bit mask, allowing for efficient bandwidth usage and fail-safe operation by generating short status data and adjusting the selection of status types, while also incorporating redundant modules for enhanced reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If all status information is transmitted in sensor-actuator systems, then complete status information is available, but bandwidth requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and transmits only the relevant status information by using a status mask to select specific status bits. Instead of transmitting all status data, the system identifies and transmits only those status parameters that are currently relevant to the actuator's operation, thereby reducing bandwidth requirements while maintaining information completeness for critical functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The status mask is dynamically configurable, allowing the system to adapt which status information is transmitted based on operational conditions. The interface unit can change the status mask to adjust the selection of status types, enabling the system to optimize bandwidth usage in real-time while ensuring that the most relevant status information is always available.
2Quantity of substance
If status information is selectively processed using masking memory unit, then bandwidth requirements are reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a status mask as an intermediary element that mediates between the full status information and the transmitted data. This mask acts as a filter that selectively enables or disables specific status bits, simplifying the processing logic while achieving efficient bandwidth usage. The mask serves as a configurable intermediary that can be adjusted without changing the underlying status information structure.
3Reliability
If redundant status information processing modules are added, then operational reliability is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing redundancy selectively in critical components while maintaining simplicity in non-critical areas. The status information processing modules are configured with specific responsibilities, where certain modules handle critical status parameters with redundant processing, while other less critical parameters use simpler processing paths. This localized approach to redundancy enhances reliability where needed without unnecessarily increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electronic communication unit (1) is disclosed that is designed as a sensor unit and/or actuator unit and includes at least one first status information processing module (8) comprising a status storage unit (10), in which status information of said communication unit (1) is stored in the form of a status date (stat). The first status information processing module (8) additionally comprises a masking storage unit (11) that is connected to the status storage unit (10), and a status processing element (12) that is connected to said masking storage unit (11). The first status information processing module (8) is designed in such a way that the masking storage unit (11) selects at least one piece of status information of the status date (stat), and the status processing element (12) processes the resulting selective status date (sel-stat) in such a way that the masking storage unit (11) outputs a short status date (k-stat) which has a shorter data word length than the selective status date (sel-stat).