Vehicle Sensor Exchange Circuit Emulating Bus Topology
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current parking assistance systems using ultrasonic sensors often employ the star topology with three-pin connectors, which increases manufacturing costs and design changes, whereas the bus topology with six-pin connectors is more reliable but costly to implement, necessitating a method to maintain reliable communication with a three-pin connector while reducing the number of pins and connection length.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle sensor system that includes a processor with first to sixth pins connected via a three-pin connector using an exchange circuit to emulate the six-pin bus topology, allowing address designation through pin arrangement and logic circuits to ensure reliable LIN communication, enabling compatibility with both three-pin and six-pin connectors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bus topology with six-pin connector is used, then communication reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The exchange circuit enables a single three-pin connector to perform multiple functions: it provides power supply, ground, and LIN communication signals while also enabling address designation through pin arrangement, replacing the need for separate address pins in traditional six-pin configurations
Solution Approach 2:
The exchange circuit acts as an intermediary component that translates between the three-pin connector interface and the six-pin bus topology communication protocol, allowing sensors with three-pin connectors to communicate reliably on a LIN bus without requiring physical six-pin connectors
2Device complexity
If star topology with three-pin connector is used, then device complexity is reduced, but communication reliability and address designation capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the operational parameters of the three-pin connector by utilizing different pin arrangements (permutations of Vsup, GND, and LIN pin assignments) to encode address information, transforming a simple power/communication connector into an addressable bus interface
Solution Approach 2:
The exchange circuit pre-configures the pin arrangements during system initialization or manufacturing to establish address designation before LIN communication begins, enabling the three-pin connector to function as an addressable bus interface from the start
3Adaptability or versatility
If six-pin connector is used for bus topology, then address designation capability is improved, but connection length and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the address designation function from the physical connector structure (separate address pins) and implements it through logical pin arrangement combinations in the exchange circuit, eliminating the need for additional connection pins
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a processor including first to sixth pins; first to third input pins connected with a connector; and an exchange circuit including first to third pins connected with the processor and the first to third input pins, and fourth to sixth pins connected with the processor, and a vehicle according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a plurality of sensors for a vehicle, each of which includes: a processor including first to sixth pins; first to third input pins connected with a connector; and an exchange circuit including first to third pins connected with the processor and the first to third input pins, and fourth to sixth pins connected with the processor; and an electronic control unit (ECU) connected with the plurality of sensors for a vehicle by a bus topology method.