Vehicle Relay Device System with Spatial ECU Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle relay device systems face challenges in efficiently managing multiple Electronic Control Units (ECUs) due to limited connectivity and arrangement of wired relay devices, which can hinder self-driving functionality and increase vulnerability to collisions.
Innovation Solution
A relay device system with a wireless relay device and multiple wired relay devices, strategically arranged to minimize collision impact, forming a ring network with two communication paths for redundancy and direct connections to reduce communication hops, ensuring efficient routing and continued self-driving functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single path connection between wireless relay device and wired relay device is used, then the system structure is simple, but the system cannot handle the increase in number of ECUs and has poor reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the relay device functionality into two independent types: wireless relay devices for external communication and wired relay devices for internal ECU communication. This segmentation allows the system to handle multiple ECUs by adding wired relay devices without increasing wireless relay device complexity, thus improving adaptability while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension to the network architecture by strategically positioning wired relay devices in front and rear portions of the vehicle. This dimensional arrangement creates multiple communication paths and enables the system to scale with ECU quantity while maintaining manageable structural complexity through organized spatial distribution.
2Ease of manufacture
If wired relay devices are not strategically arranged, then installation is simple, but collision impact cannot be minimized and communication reliability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different functional roles and positions to wired relay devices based on their connection targets. Wired relay devices connecting to HMI and travel control ECUs are positioned in the front portion, while those connecting to self-driving ECUs are positioned in the rear portion. This localized optimization improves communication reliability under collision conditions while maintaining reasonable installation simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-planning the strategic arrangement of wired relay devices in front and rear portions of the vehicle before deployment. This advance positioning ensures that communication paths are optimized for collision scenarios from the outset, improving reliability without complicating the installation process, as the arrangement follows a clear predetermined pattern.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple communication hops are required, then device connectivity is flexible, but communication efficiency and reliability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces wired relay devices as intermediary nodes between ECUs and the wireless relay device. These intermediaries are strategically positioned close to their connected ECUs (front portion for HMI/travel control, rear portion for self-driving), enabling direct one-hop communication paths. This eliminates multiple communication hops, improving communication efficiency and reliability while maintaining flexible device connectivity through the intermediary relay structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A relay device system is a relay device system to be installed in a vehicle, the relay device system including a wireless relay device configured to wirelessly communicate with a communication device provided outside the vehicle, and a plurality of wired relay devices that are communicably connected to the wireless relay device, the plurality of wired relay devices each including a communication unit configured to communicably connect to an ECU for controlling an on-board device installed in the vehicle, the ECUs including an HMI-related ECU, a travel control-related ECU, and a self-driving-related ECU, the wired relay device that is connected to the HMI-related ECU and the wired relay device that is connected to the travel control-related ECU being arranged in a front portion of the vehicle, and the wired relay device that is connected to the self-driving-related ECU being arranged in a rear portion of the vehicle.