Vehicle Communication System with Dual Controller Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle communication systems face challenges in maintaining data relay functionality even when the CPU in the relay device experiences abnormalities, leading to potential disruptions in information transfer.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle communication system is designed with a control circuit and an external controller that has higher information processing capabilities, allowing it to perform transfer and security processes. The internal controller monitors the external controller and takes over if it becomes abnormal, ensuring continuous data transfer and security by disabling external controller functions and prioritizing transfer processes over security processes when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the external controller is used to perform transfer order process and security process, then information processing capability and security are improved, but system reliability deteriorates when the external controller becomes abnormal
Solution Approach 1:
The controller is divided into two independent parts: an external controller for high-capacity information processing and security management, and an internal controller for basic transfer operations and monitoring. This segmentation allows the system to maintain critical functions even when one controller fails, thereby improving reliability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal controller continuously monitors the external controller's operation status in advance. When an abnormality is detected, the internal controller is already prepared to take over the transfer order process, ensuring seamless continuity and preventing system failure.
2Reliability
If the internal controller takes over the transfer order process when the external controller is abnormal, then system continuity is improved, but security process capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
When the external controller becomes abnormal, the internal controller performs only the essential transfer order process while temporarily suspending the security process. This partial action ensures that critical data transmission continues, accepting a temporary security capability reduction to maintain system continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system design anticipates the loss of security process capability during takeover scenarios. By preparing the internal controller to handle transfer operations independently and accepting the security capability limitation as a predetermined trade-off, the system ensures continuity is maintained even with reduced security functionality.
3Productivity
If the external controller performs both transfer order process and security process, then information processing efficiency is improved, but system vulnerability increases when external controller fails
Solution Approach 1:
The controller functions are segmented between external and internal controllers, with the external controller handling high-capacity information processing for improved efficiency, while the internal controller maintains basic transfer capabilities and monitoring functions to reduce system vulnerability.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal controller acts as an intermediary backup system that monitors the external controller and can intervene when abnormalities occur, preventing complete system failure and reducing vulnerability while allowing the external controller to maintain high processing efficiency during normal operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle communication system includes a switching hub incorporated in a vehicle and including a switch IC and an external CPU. The switch IC includes an internal CPU and performs a transfer process of transferring information to a communication device. The external CPU is provided outside the switch IC and connected to the switch IC, and has higher information processing capability than the internal CPU. The external CPU can perform a transfer order process of ordering to transfer information to the communication device and perform a security process of securing the security of the information to be transferred when the transfer order process is performed. The internal CPU monitors the operation of the external CPU and when the external CPU is abnormal, performs the transfer order process instead of the external CPU.