Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Robert Boschgmbh

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft

Daimler Chrysler Ag

Freescale Semiconductor,inc.

Nxp B.v.

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Motorola Corporation

Decomsys—dependable Computer Systems, Hardware Und Software Entwicklung Gmbh

Arnold W Millsap

Thomas M Forest

Thomas E Fuhrman

Miroslawa A Supal

Peter Fuhrmann

Martin Peller

Christopher Temple

Josef Berwanger

Anton Schedl

Bernd Hedenetz

Thomas Führer

Florian Hartwich

Robert Hugel

Christian Ebner

Florian Bogenberger

Manfred Bruno Zinke

Bernd Elend

Mathias Rausch

Bernd Müller

Harald Eisele

Ralf Belschner

Jörn Ungermann

Harald Weiler

Peter Lohrmann

Thomas Wuerz

Patrick Willem Heuts

Matthias Kühlewein

Anthony Anderson

Gregor Pokorny

Ing Ralf Belschner

George D Nakis

Peter H G Hansson

A computer program product includes a storage medium that stores instructions for execution by a processing circuit for practicing a method for synchronous communication in a control system. Within a first time interval, a first source task is executed to broadcast a first destination task, within a second sequential time interval, the first destination task is communicated over a channel to a first destination, and within a third sequential time interval, the first destination task is consumed. Within the first time interval, a second source task may be executed to broadcast a second destination task, within the second sequential time interval, the second destination task may be communicated over the channel to a second destination, and within the third sequential time interval, the second destination task may be consumed. The first source task is allowed to be scheduled ahead of the second source task, and the second source task is allowed to be scheduled ahead of the first source task.

Method and apparatus for communication within control systems

A drive-by-communication-signal vehicle includes a driver interface subsystem having a sensor responsive to an operational characteristic of the driver interface subsystem, a controller responsive to the sensor, a vehicle subsystem responsive to the controller, and a communication channel in signal communication with the driver interface subsystem, the controller, and the vehicle subsystem. The controller includes a storage medium, a processing circuit, and a clock synchronization mechanism defining synchronous communication cycles, with each communication cycle defining at least one time interval. The storage medium, being readable by the processing circuit, stores instructions for execution by the processing circuit for executing and communicating ordered tasks within defined time intervals with flexible task scheduling.

A method and apparatus for synchronous communication in a control system is disclosed. Within a first time interval, a first source task is executed to broadcast a first destination task, within a second sequential time interval, the first destination task is communicated over a channel to a first destination, and within a third sequential time interval, the first destination task is consumed. Within the first time interval, a second source task may be executed to broadcast a second destination task, within the second sequential time interval, the second destination task may be communicated over the channel to a second destination, and within the third sequential time interval, the second destination task may be consumed. The first source task is allowed to be scheduled ahead of the second source task, and the second source task is allowed to be scheduled ahead of the first source task.

Controller with communication of multi-source tasks

The invention refers to a method for monitoring a communication media access schedule of a communication controller () of a communication system () by means of a bus guardian (). The communication system () comprises a communication media () and nodes () connected to the communication media (). Each node () comprises a communication controller () and a bus guardian () assigned to the communication controller (). Messages are transmitted among the nodes () across the communication media () based on a cyclic time triggered communication media access scheme. In order to provide a mechanism which allows the bus guardian () to monitor the communication media access scheme of the communication controller () even during startup of the communication it is suggested, that the bus guardian () has a priori knowledge about possible deviations from the communication media access schedule during startup of the communication and that the bus guardian () during startup makes use of the a priori knowledge to distinguish between an allowed deviation and a forbidden deviation caused by a failure of the communication controller ().

Method for monitoring a communication media access schedule of a communication controller of a communication system

The invention concerns a network comprising an interconnecting network and several network nodes that are coupled to said interconnecting network and are designed to adapt their local communication time schedule to the communication time schedule of at least one other network mode, prior to being integrated as active network nodes. A network node to be integrated checks the activity of other network nodes and if no activity is identified, sends out positional messages for other network nodes, said message being fixed by predetermination in its communication time schedule. If a network node cannot be integrated as a reference node, it can only be integrated as an active node if it adapts its local communication time schedule to that of the reference node after receiving positional messages and if a check as to whether its own communication time schedule agrees with the communication time schedules of at least some of the active network nodes proves positive.

Network comprising an interconnecting network and several network nodes that are coupled to said interconnecting network

A method and a bit stream decoding unit for bit stream decoding has a bit stream comprising a number of consecutive samples. In order to provide for rapid and, in particular, reliable decoding of the bit stream, a detection window comprising a number of samples is defined and the detection window is positioned at certain positions on the bit stream in order to comprise certain samples with respective sample values. A majority voting is applied to the sample values in the detection window and, in dependence on the result of the majority voting, the bit stream is decoded and respective bit values are generated.

Method and bit stream decoding unit using majority voting

A network management approach for use in a vehicle to control activation of electronic control units (ECUs) networked together throughout the vehicle. The ECUs are grouped together by function into virtual networks, with each virtual network including those ECUs used in carrying out a particular control task, such as controlling power windows or automatic headlights. The virtual networks are activated using a messaging protocol that specifies which virtual network is being activated. Periodic messages specifying the virtual network are also used to maintain it active. This permits the ECUs to be maintained in a low power quiescent state when the control functions are not needed, while allowing only those needed for a particular control task to be awakened and maintained in an activated state to carry out their associated control task. An ECU can activate one of the virtual networks by transmitting a wake-up signal followed by a message identifying the virtual network. Each of the ECUs receive this message and, if it is a member of the virtual network being initialized, maintains itself in an active state to carry out the control task associated with the virtual network. The other ECUs return to the quiescent state. Using this approach, an ECU is able to activate only the necessary ECUs for a particular control task without having to know which or how many ECUs are involved in performing the task.

In-vehicle network management using virtual networks

Growing community of inventors

Leonard, MI, United States of America

Arnold W Millsap