Vehicle Interface Element for Decentralized Retrofit Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing commercial vehicle systems lack the ability to easily retrofit electronic systems, add redundancies, and improve control and regulation without being limited by the initial development status, as they are often fixed and centralized.
Innovation Solution
A decentralized interface element with integrated electronics and a data interface for measurement and control, allowing easy installation at any location on the vehicle, independent of the central control system, and enabling redundant systems and network formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If centralized control and regulation systems are used in commercial vehicles, then control functions can be consolidated into fewer control units, but the vehicle electronics and control systems become fixed to the status quo at the time of development and cannot be easily retrofitted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the control system into decentralized interface elements that can be independently installed and removed. Each interface element contains electronic components with measurement and control units that can operate autonomously or in coordination with other elements, allowing the system to be segmented into modular units rather than a fixed centralized architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface elements are designed to be dynamically configurable through software that can be updated and adapted after installation. The electronic components can be reprogrammed to perform different control functions, allowing the system to evolve and adapt to new requirements without physical replacement of the entire control system.
2Reliability
If additional control and regulation electronics are added to commercial vehicles, then redundant systems and improved control can be achieved, but installation space and integration complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The interface elements are designed as universal modules that can perform multiple functions including measurement, control, regulation, and data communication. Each element can serve different control purposes depending on its configuration, allowing a single type of interface element to provide various control functions and redundancies without requiring specialized components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines measurement units, control units, and communication interfaces into integrated interface elements. This merging of functions into single modular units reduces the overall number of separate components needed and simplifies installation and integration compared to adding separate discrete control systems.
3Ease of manufacture
If decentralized interface elements are installed at various locations on the vehicle, then easy retrofitting and flexible installation are enabled, but the structure and wiring complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The interface elements serve as intermediary devices that connect local sensors and actuators to the central vehicle control system through standardized communication protocols. These intermediaries simplify the overall system architecture by providing a uniform interface layer between decentralized components and central control, reducing the complexity of direct point-to-point wiring and integration.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an interface element (60; 60') for a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle (N), comprising electronic components, wherein the electronic components have at least one connection (62; 62') to at least one data interface of a vehicle (N), wherein the connection (62; 62') is suitable and configured for exchanging measurement data and/or control and/or regulation data for controlling electronic components, wherein the electronic components further comprise at least one integrated measurement and/or control and/or regulation unit, wherein the interface element (60; 60') does not include a sensor and/or an actuator.