Volatile Memory Power Management for Rapid Vehicle System Wake-Up

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current automotive systems require a cold start and lengthy initialization of control units after parking, leading to delayed functionality of vehicle features due to disconnection from power supply during sleep mode.

Innovation Solution

A device for electrical energy management that maintains a volatile computer data memory powered during standby mode, allowing for quick resumption of on-board system components by storing status data and providing optimized power supply for reduced energy consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If control units are disconnected from power supply during sleep mode to minimize energy consumption, then energy saving is improved, but start-up time increases due to cold start requirement

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidstart-up time
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by maintaining the volatile computer data memory in a powered state during standby mode, so that system status data is already loaded and ready. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for cold start initialization, reducing wake-up time from 20-40 seconds to 2-3 seconds while keeping power consumption low through selective memory retention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of time

If volatile computer data memory is kept powered during standby mode to retain system status data, then start-up time is reduced, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestart-up timeVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by selectively maintaining power only to the volatile computer data memory during standby mode, rather than powering the entire control unit. This localized power retention allows the memory to retain system status data while consuming minimal energy, resolving the contradiction between fast wake-up and low power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If all hardware is reinitialized and software is loaded from NAND memory during cold start, then system reliability is ensured, but functionality availability is delayed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem reliabilityVSAvoidfunctionality availability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-loading system status data into volatile memory before the vehicle is switched off. When the vehicle is restarted, this data is already available in fast memory, eliminating the need to load software from slow NAND memory and enabling immediate functionality availability while maintaining system reliability through proper data retention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3558754B1Electrical energy management of a vehicle system of a motor vehicle
Publication Date: 2021.08.04 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG
  • EP3558754B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3558754B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3558754B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a device (200) for electrical energy management of a vehicle system (110) of a motor vehicle (100), said device (200) having: a power supply (210) for supplying energy to the vehicle system (110) of the motor vehicle (100). The power supply (210) has a normal operation mode and a stand-by operation mode. A distributing device (220), which has, on the output side, voltage levels (221) for supplying electrical energy to vehicle system components (111) of the vehicle system (110) of the motor vehicle (100). A state-monitoring device (230) for monitoring the electrical energy supply of the power supply (210) and for controlling the distributing device (220). And a computer device (240), wherein the computer device (240) has an operating system device (241) and a volatile computer data memory (242). The volatile computer data memory (242) is designed to be kept energized even in the stand-by operation mode of the device (200) for energy management, in such a way that the volatile computer data memory does not loose the data stored therein. The invention further relates to a corresponding method and to a corresponding motor vehicle (100).