Vehicle Central Computer with Abstract Actuator Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control units are task-specific and lack the flexibility to integrate multiple functionalities, leading to increased complexity and difficulty in standardizing development and hardware characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle central computer system with a specification module and control module, allowing for the definition of abstract vehicle target behavior independent of specific actuators, enabling centralized control and separate development of functionalities, with the specification module defining target behavior offline and the control module determining actuator control behavior based on this abstraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional task-specific control units are used for different vehicle functions, then each control unit can be optimized for its specific task, but the overall system complexity increases and development standardization becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple task-specific control units into a single vehicle central computer that can execute different software modules for various vehicle functions (vehicle dynamics, drive, steering, braking). This consolidation reduces the number of separate control units while maintaining specialized functionality through software partitioning, thereby reducing system complexity while preserving task-specific optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle central computer is designed as a universal computing platform capable of performing multiple different tasks through loading and executing different software modules. The control unit can function as different types of controllers (vehicle dynamics controller, steering controller, brake controller) depending on which software module is active, achieving multi-functionality without requiring multiple dedicated hardware units.
2Measurement precision
If actuator-specific knowledge is integrated into the control unit, then control precision is improved, but adaptability to different actuator configurations decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameter-based configuration where the software modules contain actuator-specific control strategies and parameters that can be adjusted or changed without modifying the hardware. The vehicle central computer can load different parameter sets for different actuator configurations, allowing precise control adapted to specific actuators while maintaining versatility across different vehicle setups through software parameter changes rather than hardware redesign.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for operating a vehicle central computer for controlling one or more actuators of a vehicle. A specification module and a control module are implemented in the vehicle central computer. The specification module provides a parameterizable target behavior for controlling the one or more actuators. The target behavior is passed from the specification module to the control module via an internal interface. The control module determines and provides, in particular outputs, control variables for the one or more actuators based on the target behavior and within the framework of a control.