Zone Control Unit Radar Processing for Lower Vehicle Network Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing use of electronic control units (ECUs) in electrified vehicles leads to a significant increase in wire harness weight due to conventional distributed electrical and electronic architectures, necessitating a more efficient network configuration.
Innovation Solution
A zone control unit with a system-on-chip (SoC) that processes radar signals, utilizing a first processor for generating point cloud data from radar raw data and a second processor for transmitting this data over different network links, optimizing communication methods to reduce network load and enhance data processing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional distributed electrical and electronic architecture is used with multiple ECUs, then each ECU can be independently controlled, but the weight of wire harnesses increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple ECU functions into a single zone control unit that integrates a first processor for radar signal processing and a second processor for network communication. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate ECUs and their associated wire harnesses, significantly reducing overall wiring weight while maintaining independent control capabilities through virtualization and software-defined functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The zone control unit is designed as a universal platform that can perform multiple functions: radar raw data processing, point cloud generation, network frame creation, and communication over different network protocols. This multi-functional design replaces multiple specialized ECUs, reducing wire harness requirements while preserving operational independence through software modularization.
2Loss of information
If radar raw data is transmitted over the network without processing, then all data is available for processing, but network bandwidth requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The first processor performs preliminary processing of radar raw data by generating point cloud data before transmission over the network. This preprocessing step extracts essential information from raw radar signals, reducing the data volume that needs to be transmitted while ensuring that the most relevant information is preserved for further processing by external processors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts essential features from radar raw data to create point cloud representations, removing redundant information while retaining critical spatial and object data. This extraction process reduces network bandwidth requirements by transmitting only the most valuable processed information rather than complete raw datasets.
3Device complexity
If a single processor handles both radar processing and network communication, then device complexity is reduced, but processing speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments processing functions into two specialized processors: a first processor dedicated to radar signal processing and point cloud generation, and a second processor dedicated to network communication and data transmission. This segmentation allows each processor to optimize for its specific function, maintaining high processing speeds while managing complexity through clear functional separation within a single zone control unit.
Data Source
AI summary
A system-on-chip according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first processor and a second processor that controls the first processor and controls transmission/reception data through a first network link and a second network link, and the first processor processes radar raw data to generate point cloud data, and the first network link receives the radar raw data from a radar sensor based on a first communication method under control of the second processor, and the second network link transmits the point cloud data to an external processor based on a second communication method different from the first communication method under control of the second processor.