Virtual ECU Test Environment for Multi-Topology Vehicle Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current techniques for testing vehicle topologies with multiple ECUs are inefficient, consuming resources and failing to detect software issues early, leading to potential safety and reliability issues due to the need for expensive and unnecessary hardware-based testing.
Innovation Solution
A virtualized test environment is created to emulate vehicle topologies, allowing for the execution of user-defined and predefined processes within virtual containers and networks, enabling orchestration and result-based actions without the need for physical hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hardware-based testing is used for vehicle topologies, then testing can be performed with physical ECUs, but resources are consumed and software issues cannot be detected early
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the vehicle topology that replicates the behavior of physical ECUs. This virtual model allows software to be tested in a simulated environment before deployment to actual hardware, enabling early detection of software issues without requiring physical ECU availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary testing of software in a virtualized environment before the software is deployed to physical hardware. By executing tests in advance on virtual replicas of the vehicle topology, potential software issues are identified and resolved before they reach the production stage.
2Reliability
If hardware-based testing is used for vehicle topologies, then physical ECUs can be tested, but expensive and unnecessary hardware testing is required
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of testing on expensive physical hardware, the patent creates virtual copies of the ECU environment. These virtual instances replicate the functional behavior of physical ECUs at a fraction of the resource cost, eliminating the need for expensive hardware while maintaining testing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses lightweight virtual container instances that can be rapidly created and destroyed for testing purposes. These disposable virtual environments are much cheaper than physical hardware and can be spun up only when needed for specific test scenarios, then terminated to free resources.
3Loss of energy
If virtualized testing is implemented, then computing resources are conserved, but complex virtualization infrastructure is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal virtualization platform that can host multiple different ECU types and vehicle topology configurations within the same infrastructure. This multi-functional system can simulate various hardware platforms using standardized virtual containers, reducing the need for specialized testing environments for each ECU type.
Data Source
AI summary
A device may receive a vehicle topology and may generate predefined processes for components of the vehicle topology. The device may provide, to a user device, data identifying the predefined processes, and may receive, from the user device, user-defined processes and a selection of particular predefined processes for execution of a test. The device may identify containers to be created for the user-defined processes and the particular predefined processes, and may identify virtual networks to interconnect the containers. The device may identify an order of execution for the user-defined processes and the particular predefined processes, and may generate a file that defines the containers, the virtual networks, and the order of execution. The device may cause the file to be implemented in a virtualized environment, and may orchestrate the test. The device may generate results based on orchestration of the test, and may perform actions based on the results.