Wireless Actuator Control Protocol for Automotive Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automotive network architectures face issues with reliability, long communication delays, limited modularity, and scalability due to hierarchical wired communication systems, which can lead to system failures and inefficiencies when controlling actuators.
Innovation Solution
Implementing novel wireless protocols that allow decentralized wireless distributed peripheral modules (wDPMs) to communicate directly with actuators, eliminating the need for centralized ECUs and using a wireless communication system for actuator control, with protocols that prioritize actuator operations and manage time slots efficiently across channels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hierarchical wired communication systems are used with centralized ECUs, then system reliability is maintained through structured architecture, but device complexity and cable harness complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wired cable harness system with a wireless communication system. wDPMs communicate with actuators wirelessly, eliminating the need for physical cables connecting each actuator to centralized ECUs. This substitution maintains system reliability through structured architecture while dramatically reducing cable harness complexity and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the communication function from the centralized ECU architecture and distributes it to wireless nodes. By taking out the requirement for physical cable connections and implementing wireless communication, the system eliminates cable harness complexity while maintaining structured communication through protocol-based architecture.
2Ease of operation
If centralized ECU architecture is used, then control authority is maintained, but communication delays increase and modularity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized ECU control architecture into distributed wireless nodes. Each wDPM operates as an independent control unit with its own actuator, eliminating the need for signals to traverse through multiple centralized ECUs. This segmentation reduces communication delays while maintaining control authority at the local level.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having centralized ECUs control actuators through hierarchical signal routing, the patent inverts the architecture by enabling direct wireless control from distributed nodes. The control flow goes from the wireless network directly to the actuator, eliminating intermediate routing steps and reducing communication delays.
3Reliability
If wired field bus systems are used, then communication reliability is maintained through physical connections, but system weight and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wired field bus system with wireless communication technology. wDPMs use wireless transceivers to communicate with actuators, eliminating the need for physical cable harnesses throughout the vehicle. This substitution significantly reduces system weight while maintaining communication reliability through protocol-based error checking and retransmission mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
A wireless transmission method includes providing a commanding node and a plurality of sub-networks. Each of the sub-networks includes at least one responding node. Time slots are assigned to the sub-networks such that time slots assigned to each sub-network are interleaved in time with time slots assigned to at least one other sub-network. Within each time slot, at least one acknowledgement packet is transmitted from the at least one responding node before a command packet is sent from the commanding node within the time slot. Each at least one acknowledgement packet indicates whether or not a most recent command packet from the commanding node was correctly received by the responding node, whereby a command packet comprises a selection bit and a direction bit providing operational information to a responding node.