Redundant Vehicle Sensor Coupling for Controller Handover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle systems with redundant sensor arrangements face challenges in ensuring sensor availability and cost-effectiveness, particularly when one controller fails, and require duplicate sensors for each controller, which is inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A method for a redundant sensor arrangement in a vehicle system that couples sensors to two controllers, allowing them to be checked and switched between primary and secondary controllers during initialization, ensuring seamless operation and reducing the need for duplicate sensors by using a data connection for handover and monitoring between controllers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If duplicate sensors are kept available for each controller, then sensor availability is ensured, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a sensor arrangement where a single sensor can be coupled to and serve multiple controllers (primary and secondary). The sensor is designed with universal coupling capability, allowing it to be shared between controllers through switching mechanisms. This multi-functionality enables one sensor to replace what would traditionally require duplicate sensors for each controller, reducing the total number of sensors while maintaining availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic switching mechanisms that allow the sensor coupling to change between controllers based on operational mode. During initialization, the sensor can be coupled to the secondary controller for testing, then switched to the primary controller for normal operation. This dynamic reconfiguration enables a single sensor to serve multiple purposes and multiple controllers without requiring physical duplication.
2Reliability
If sensors are coupled to both controllers simultaneously, then sensor availability is increased, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sensor coupling into distinct operational phases: initialization phase where the sensor is coupled to the secondary controller for testing, and normal operation phase where it is coupled to the primary controller. This temporal segmentation allows the sensor to be effectively associated with both controllers without requiring simultaneous complex connections, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary coupling of the sensor to the secondary controller during initialization before normal operation begins. This preliminary action allows the sensor to be tested and verified with the secondary controller in advance, ensuring availability if the primary controller fails, without requiring permanent or simultaneous complex coupling to both controllers during normal operation.
3Reliability
If comprehensive checking is performed during initialization, then reliability is improved, but initialization time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs comprehensive checking during initialization by coupling the sensor to the secondary controller and executing full diagnostic routines. This excessive action (beyond minimal checking) ensures high reliability by verifying sensor functionality with both controllers before normal operation. The time cost is accepted during initialization rather than during operation, ensuring thorough verification without impacting operational performance.
Data Source
AI summary
An operating method is for a redundant sensor arrangement of a vehicle system. The sensor arrangement includes two controllers and multiple sensors. Individual sensors of the multiple sensors, in a normal mode of the vehicle system, are each coupled to a controller embodied as a primary controller and, in an emergency mode of the vehicle system, are each coupled to a controller embodied as a secondary controller and are supplied with power. The corresponding controller coupled to the sensors receives and evaluates signals from the individual sensors. Initialization of the sensor arrangement involves an operating voltage being applied to both controllers and a check on the sensor arrangement being performed. The sensors, in a first checking step, are coupled to a first controller and are checked by the latter and decoupled from a second controller, and the first controller subsequently hands over the sensors to the second controller.