Upper Level Controller for Vehicle CAN Bus Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous vehicle control systems require substantial modifications to hardware and software, which can lead to safety issues and malfunctions due to complexity and error susceptibility.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus featuring an upper level controller that connects to the vehicle's CAN bus for controlling both CAN bus-supported and non-CAN bus-supported elements via hardwired connections, allowing for autonomous driving without altering the original vehicle hardware or software structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If substantial changes are made in hardware and software to achieve autonomous driving control, then autonomous driving functionality is improved, but safety and system reliability deteriorate due to complexity and error susceptibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control system into an upper level controller for autonomous driving decisions and existing vehicle control units for execution. This segmentation allows autonomous functionality to be added without fundamentally altering the proven reliable existing control systems, thereby maintaining safety while achieving automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper level controller acts as an intermediary that interfaces with the existing vehicle CAN bus system. It translates autonomous driving decisions into standard CAN bus commands that the existing control units can execute, avoiding direct modification of the core vehicle control systems and preserving their reliability.
2Extent of automation
If substantial changes are made in hardware and software to achieve autonomous driving control, then autonomous driving functionality is improved, but device complexity increases leading to more potential error sources
Solution Approach 1:
The control architecture is segmented into a higher-level autonomous driving controller and lower-level existing vehicle controllers. This segmentation isolates the complexity of autonomous driving algorithms in the upper level controller while leaving the existing vehicle control software unchanged, thereby adding functionality without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper level controller is designed as a universal interface that can control multiple different vehicle control units through the standard CAN bus protocol. This multi-functionality allows a single added component to provide autonomous control across various vehicle systems without requiring proportional modifications to each individual control unit.
3Extent of automation
If the entire vehicle system is controlled by a CAN bus with revising the logic of internal program of ECU or VCU, then autonomous driving control is achieved, but ease of manufacture and implementation deteriorate due to complex modifications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the autonomous driving control logic from the existing ECU/VCU internal programs and places it in a separate upper level controller. This extraction avoids the need to revise the internal programs of existing control units, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving autonomous control through additive rather than subtractive modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper level controller serves as an intermediary layer between the autonomous driving algorithm and the existing vehicle control units. It communicates with existing ECUs/VCUs through standard CAN bus protocols without requiring modification of their internal programs, thereby simplifying implementation while achieving integrated autonomous control.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for controlling a vehicle, comprising: an upper level controller connected to a vehicle CAN (Controller Area Network) bus communication network by using a CAN bus communication mode, configured: to control a first control element connected to a vehicle CAN bus via the CAN bus communication network; and to control a second control element connected to a non-vehicle CAN bus via a hardwired connection.