Vehicle Gateway Partial Networking Energy Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles, data buses require all electronic control units (ECUs) to remain awake for communication, leading to unnecessary energy consumption, as ECUs use energy even when not involved in relevant communication.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with control means, storage means, and communication means that determines which buses to maintain in an awake state based on partial networking requests, allowing nodes on unnecessary buses to enter a sleep state while still enabling communication by waking them up when activity is detected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all ECUs are maintained in an awake state for communication, then communication reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network is segmented into multiple buses, and the awake state is segmented to only those buses requiring communication. The gateway controller divides the network into active segments (buses needing communication) and sleep segments (buses not requiring communication), allowing ECUs on sleep buses to enter low-power mode while maintaining communication capability on active buses.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of maintaining all ECUs in the awake state (excessive action), the system applies partial action by keeping only the necessary ECUs awake based on communication requirements. The gateway controller selectively wakes up ECUs on specific buses only when communication is needed, rather than maintaining the entire network in an awake state.
2Use of energy by moving object
If selective sleeping is implemented to save energy, then energy consumption is reduced, but communication responsiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway controller performs preliminary actions by monitoring communication requirements and proactively managing the awake/sleep states of ECUs before communication needs arise. It anticipates communication requirements and prepares the necessary ECUs to be in the awake state, preventing delays that would occur if ECUs had to wake up reactively.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the gateway controller continuously monitors communication traffic patterns and ECU states, adjusting the awake/sleep configuration dynamically. This feedback loop ensures that ECUs are kept awake when communication is anticipated and allowed to sleep when communication is not needed, optimizing both energy consumption and responsiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus 101, a communications network 301, a vehicle 305 and a method are disclosed. The apparatus and method are for providing communications between buses 303A, 303B, 303C 303D within the vehicle 305. The apparatus 101, which preferably is a central gateway, comprises a control means 102, storage means 104 for storing data and communication means 105 for transmitting and receiving signals on the plurality of data buses 303A, 303B, 303C 303D. The control means 102 is configured to determine at least one selected bus 303A, 303B, 303C 303D in respect of a received partial networking request and in dependence on a set of conditions for partial networking being met, cause network management signals to be provided to the at least one selected bus 303A, 303B, 303C 303D for maintaining nodes 201, 302 on the at least one selected bus in an awake state while allowing node(s) on at least one other bus to enter a sleep state. In the present example, three of the buses 303A, 303B and 303C are CAN buses and are connected to ports 107 of a first transceiver 106A, while one bus 303D is a FlexRay bus and it is connected to a port 107 of a second transceiver 106B. The apparatus 101 differs from conventional central gateways in that, it is configured to receive partial networking requests and provide communication in respect of those requests. If the apparatus 101 receives a network management message and a partial networking request from the same node 201, 302, it may allow some buses (that are not required for the communication requested by the partial networking request) to return to the sleep state, while selected buses that are required for the partial networking communication are maintained in an awake state. In this way, the apparatus 101 may enable communication between nodes 201, 302 on different buses, while allowing nodes 201, 302 on buses that are not required for the communication to enter a sleep state. A node 201 may perform several different functions which only require partial networking, and the partial networking request may comprise a message that identifies the function for which communication is required, to enable the gateway 101 to maintain the required buses in an awake state.