Zoned In-Vehicle Power Wiring With Break Detection Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of in-vehicle power systems increases due to long power supply wires, leading to potential high power consumption and challenges in detecting breaks in these wires, especially when they are configured in a ring shape.
Innovation Solution
A break detection wire is routed along the power supply wires to connect adjacent power supply hubs, allowing for reliable detection of breaks and enabling power shutoff at the affected segment by the hubs on either side of the break point.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If power supply wires are routed radially from a power source, then the configuration is simple, but the total length of power supply wires becomes very large, causing increased power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply system is divided into multiple zones with power supply hubs distributed throughout the vehicle. Each hub serves a specific zone, segmenting the originally centralized radial configuration into distributed segments, thereby reducing wire length and power consumption while maintaining manageable complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional radial layout to a three-dimensional distributed network of power supply hubs positioned at multiple locations throughout the vehicle interior, allowing power delivery from multiple spatial directions and reducing overall wire length
2Use of energy by moving object
If a ring-shaped power supply wire is provided to extend around the vehicle, then the total length of power supply wires is drastically shortened, but there arises an issue about the means for shutting off the current in case that a portion of the wires in a ring has broken
Solution Approach 1:
A break detection wire is introduced as an intermediary element routed along the power supply wires to detect breaks. This separate detection mechanism allows the ring-shaped power supply configuration to maintain both short wire length and high reliability by providing dedicated break detection without interfering with power delivery
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical fuse-based protection with an electrical detection system using the break detection wire and control circuitry. This substitution enables more precise break location identification and maintains the ring configuration's advantages while improving reliability
3Length of stationary object
If power supply hubs are provided on a ring-shaped power supply wire at predetermined spacings, then the total length of power supply wires is drastically shortened, but it becomes difficult to detect the position where a break has occurred
Solution Approach 1:
The break detection wire provides continuous feedback about the integrity of power supply wires. When a break occurs, the detection system provides feedback signals to the control unit, which then identifies the break position based on which detection segments are affected, enabling precise localization despite the ring configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The ring-shaped power supply wire is divided into multiple segments by the power supply hubs, and the break detection wire is similarly segmented. This segmentation allows breaks to be localized to specific intervals between hubs, making detection feasible even in the compact ring configuration
Data Source
AI summary
An in-vehicle power supply structure, in which a vehicle is divided into a plurality of zones and a power supply hub for connecting an electronic device is provided in each of the zones, includes a break detection wire routed along a power supply wire, for detecting damage to the power supply wire caused by an external force acting on the vehicle by its own damage. Both ends of the break detection wire are connected to power supply hubs placed adjacent to each other.