Vehicle ECU Segmentation by ASIL Level for Safety Processing

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle systems face challenges in managing different safety standards for various software components, leading to potential performance mismatches and excessive resource allocation when executing software with lower safety levels.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle system is designed with multiple devices and controllers, each allocated to specific safety standards (ASIL levels), where controllers execute processing only related to their allocated safety level, preventing unnecessary high-level processing and performance mismatches.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a single controller handles multiple safety levels, then device versatility is improved, but manufacturing cost and performance matching deteriorate due to excessive performance requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontroller versatilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The controller is divided into multiple single-level controllers, each dedicated to a specific safety level (ASIL A, B, C, or D). This segmentation allows each controller to be optimized for its specific safety level requirements, avoiding the need to manufacture high-performance controllers for all safety levels, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining versatility across the system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each single-level controller is designed with quality characteristics matched to its specific safety level requirements. Lower safety level controllers use simpler, less expensive components and processing capabilities, while higher safety level controllers use more robust components. This local quality approach ensures each controller meets its specific requirements without unnecessary overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Device complexity

If a single controller handles multiple safety levels, then device integration is improved, but performance matching deteriorates due to excessive performance allocation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontroller integrationVSAvoidperformance allocation efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The controller is divided into multiple single-level controllers, each dedicated to a specific safety level (ASIL A, B, C, or D). This segmentation allows each controller to be optimized for its specific safety level requirements, avoiding the need to manufacture high-performance controllers for all safety levels, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining versatility across the system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each single-level controller performs only the processing necessary for its specific safety level, avoiding excessive processing capabilities. This partial action approach ensures that controllers do not waste resources on unnecessary high-level safety processing when handling lower safety level tasks, improving overall performance allocation efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple safety level software are mixed in the same controller, then system reusability is improved, but safety assurance deteriorates due to potential interference between different safety levels

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesoftware reusabilityVSAvoidsafety assurance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The controller is divided into multiple single-level controllers, each dedicated to a specific safety level (ASIL A, B, C, or D). This segmentation allows each controller to be optimized for its specific safety level requirements, avoiding the need to manufacture high-performance controllers for all safety levels, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining versatility across the system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a gateway as an intermediary component that manages communication and data exchange between controllers of different safety levels. The gateway ensures that interactions between different safety levels are controlled and monitored, maintaining safety assurance while enabling software reusability across the distributed controller architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20240227787A9Vehicle system

Publication Date: 2024.07.11 YAZAKI CORP

AI summary

A vehicle system includes a plurality of devices and a controller. The plurality of devices are mounted on the vehicle, and each of the devices implements a function having a safety standard of a predetermined level set therein. The controller is capable of executing processing related to the safety standard on the devices, and includes a plurality of ECUs respectively allocated for the levels of the safety standards. The plurality of ECUs are respectively connected to the devices in which the safety standards of the allocated levels are set without being connected to the devices in which the safety standards of different levels are set, and execute, on the connected devices, processing related to the safety standards according to the allocated levels. Accordingly, the vehicle system can appropriately construct a system that secures safety.