Vehicle Module Communication via Power Cable Redundancy

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle communication systems face reliability issues due to single data bus failures, leading to potential safety hazards and functional losses, with dual-channel bus solutions being costly and difficult to implement.

Innovation Solution

Utilizing the vehicle's power cable for redundant information transmission alongside the data bus, allowing electronic modules to operate based on information from both channels, ensuring continuous communication even in data bus failures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a dual-channel bus is set up to transmit redundant communication data, then communication reliability is improved, but hardware cost and implementation complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidhardware complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The power cable is designed to serve dual purposes: delivering electrical power to electronic modules and transmitting communication data. By integrating communication functionality into the existing power delivery infrastructure, the system achieves redundant communication paths without adding separate hardware channels, thus improving reliability while avoiding increased hardware complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The existing power cable infrastructure is utilized to provide both power and communication functions. Instead of requiring additional dedicated communication cables or channels, the system makes the power cable serve itself by enabling data transmission through the same medium already present in the vehicle architecture

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If a dual-channel bus is set up to transmit redundant communication data, then communication reliability is improved, but implementation difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidimplementation ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The power cable is designed to serve dual purposes: delivering electrical power to electronic modules and transmitting communication data. By integrating communication functionality into the existing power delivery infrastructure, the system achieves redundant communication paths without adding separate hardware channels, thus improving reliability while avoiding increased hardware complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines power delivery and data communication functions into a single cable system. By merging these two functions that were previously handled by separate infrastructure (power cable and data bus), the system simplifies implementation while providing redundant communication paths for improved reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Device complexity

If a single data bus is used for communication, then hardware cost is reduced, but communication reliability deteriorates due to single point of failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehardware simplicityVSAvoidcommunication reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The power cable is designed to serve dual purposes: delivering electrical power to electronic modules and transmitting communication data. By integrating communication functionality into the existing power delivery infrastructure, the system achieves redundant communication paths without adding separate hardware channels, thus improving reliability while avoiding increased hardware complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The power cable acts as an intermediary medium that carries both power and communication signals. By using the existing power cable infrastructure as a mediator for data transmission, the system creates an additional communication path that improves reliability without requiring separate dedicated communication hardware

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20250392492A1Method for Operating Multiple Electronic Modules of a Vehicle, Vehicle Communication System, and Computer Program Product

Publication Date: 2025.12.25 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH

AI summary

A method for operating a plurality of electronic modules of a vehicle is disclosed. The plurality of electronic modules are connected to a vehicle data bus for communication and the plurality of electronic modules are connected to a power cable for power. The method includes (1) transmitting first information from a first electronic module of a plurality of electronic modules through a vehicle data bus to a second electronic module, (ii) transmitting second information from a first electronic module through a power cable to a second electronic module, the second information including redundant information of the first information or negated information of the first information, and (iii) at the second electronic module, operating the second electronic module based on the first information obtained from the vehicle data bus and/or the second information obtained from the power cable. An in-vehicle communication system and a computer program product are also disclosed.