Nxp B.v.

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Robert Boschgmbh

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft

Daimler Chrysler Ag

Freescale Semiconductor,inc.

Motorola Corporation

Signify Holding B.v.

Philips Lighting Holding B.v.

Decomsys—dependable Computer Systems, Hardware Und Software Entwicklung Gmbh

Peter Fuhrmann

Wolfgang Otto Budde

Manfred Bruno Zinke

Jörn Ungermann

Markus Baumeister

Matthias Wendt

Thomas M Forest

Martin Peller

Christopher Temple

Josef Berwanger

Anton Schedl

Arnold W Millsap

Bernd Hedenetz

Thomas Führer

Florian Hartwich

Robert Hugel

Christian Ebner

Florian Bogenberger

Bernd Elend

Mathias Rausch

Bernd Müller

Harald Eisele

Patrick Willem Hubert Heuts

Ralf Belschner

Harald Weiler

Peter Lohrmann

Patrick Willem Heuts

Thomas Wuerz

Matthias Kühlewein

Andries Van Wageningen

Peter Deixler

Hendrik Boezen

Marc Aoun

Klaus Peter May

Robert Mores

Joern Ungermann

Gregor Pokorny

Ing Ralf Belschner

Anthony Robert Andre Schoofs

The invention provides a lighting device for determining and conveying an intelligibility of an audio signal, wherein the audio signal comprises a plurality of occurrences of a repeating audio feature, wherein each occurrence of the repeating audio feature comprises a respective value of an acoustic characteristic, wherein the lighting device comprises: a light source; a microphone for detecting the audio signal; a processor configured to: receive the audio signal from the microphone, determine a baseline value based on said audio signal, determine a positive intelligibility of the audio signal if the last occurrence of the repeating audio feature comprises a respective value of the acoustic characteristic being at least equal to the baseline value, or determine a negative intelligibility of the audio signal if the last occurrence of the repeating audio feature comprises a respective value of the acoustic characteristic being less than the baseline value, and control the light source to convey the determined positive and/or negative intelligibility of the audio signal via a lighting characteristic.

Lighting device

The present invention relates to a method of controlling a lighting system, the lighting system being arranged as a wireless network comprising a controller and a plurality of operating nodes arranged to communicate with each other, wherein the method comprises the steps of synchronizing the operating nodes with the controller, determining, from the plurality of operating nodes, a set of operating nodes that are located within a predetermined operating area, estimating a state-shift delay based on a maximum communication delay between the controller and the set of operating nodes located within the predetermined operating area, communicating the estimated state-shift delay to the plurality of operating nodes, and communicating a state-shift command to the plurality of operating nodes. An advantage with the invention is that the visual artifact of the state-shift may be essentially removed as the time synchronization and timer interrupt alignment together with the estimated state-shift delay allows for the plurality of nodes to shift state at essentially the same time.

Method of controlling a lighting system

The present invention relates to a clock supervision unit () and an electronic system clocked by at least one clock (c*) and using the clock supervision unit (). The clock supervision unit () analyzes the at least one clock (c*) based on a monitor clock (m*) provided together with the at least one clock (c*) or separately to the clock supervision unit (). The clock supervision unit () at least comprises an activity unit (), a deviation unit () and an auxiliary clock generator (). The auxiliary clock generator () outputs an auxiliary clock (a*). The activity unit () detects the presence of the monitor clock (m*) based on the auxiliary clock (a*) and the presence of the auxiliary clock (a*) based on the monitor clock (m*). The deviation unit () detects clock faults in the monitor clock (m*) based on the auxiliary clock (a*). With the clock supervision unit () according to the present invention, the at least one clock (c*) can be supervised in more detail and it is possible to react on different clock faults in the at least one clock c* with different error handling procedures, e.g. by initiating a shutdown of the devices controlled by the electronic system.

Clock supervision unit

To provide a method of transmitting messages, using a transmission protocol having time-slots, that allows the messages to be transmitted in a flexible way, it is proposed that each message has a message identifier assigned to it, that the messages are placed in order in a queue, and that the queue has a set of slot identifiers assigned to it.

Method of transmitting messages

The invention relates to a time triggered network used in particular in an automotive network having a plurality of clusters. Each cluster (A-X) includes a plurality of nodes (). For saving time during startup a cluster coupler unit () in a time triggered network is proposed, wherein the network comprises a plurality of communication clusters (A-X) each having a plurality of nodes (), the communication clusters (A-X) are compatible to each another in cycle length, slot length and frame length, wherein a cluster coupler unit () being connected to at least two communication clusters (A-X), the cluster coupler unit () includes as many protocol engines () as communication clusters are connected, each protocol engine () having at least one receiving input (RXD) and one transmitting output (TXD), wherein a synchronization logic () is connected to at least one of the receiving inputs (RXD) and/or the transmitting outputs (TXD) of the protocol engines (), wherein the synchronization logic () distributes information from incoming/outgoing signals, which is used for synchronizing the connected communication clusters (A-X) during startup.

Cluster coupler unit and method for synchronizing a plurality of clusters in a time-triggered network

The present invention relates to a node in distributed communication system operating under a time triggered protocol, further it relates to distributed communication system and to a monitoring device coupled to such node of a communication system. To provide a node in a distributed communication system, a distributed communication system and a monitoring device increasing the error detection and reducing complexity for providing a high availability for systems which require a non 100% fail safe solution a node is proposed comprising: a communication controller () coupled to a receiving and a transmission path, a host () for performing an application, and a monitoring device () coupled at least to one of a transmission path of the communication controller (), an interface () between communication controller () and the host (), and to internal lines of the communication controller (), wherein the monitoring device () is provided for evaluating information provided by the communication controller () to monitor at least one state of the communication controller (), wherein in case of detecting a non-defined state the host () is informed for performing predetermined actions in respect to the state of the communication controller (). Thereby, an easy cost reduced solution is provided adapted to detect a predetermined number of faults in a distributed communication system.

Node of a distributed communication system, node and monitoring device coupled to such communication system

A system and method for providing fault detection capability is provided which comprises a first node (). The first node () comprises a first processing subsystem () generating data () to be transmitted. The first node () has a fault supervisor unit () adapted to gather and process fault indications arising in the first node (). The first processing subsystem () and the fault supervisor unit are both integrated in the first node (). The first node () is structured such that, when no fault indications are detected by the fault supervisor unit (), the fault supervisor unit () provides a first key () as a validity key, and, when at least one fault indication is detected by the fault supervisor unit (), the fault supervisor unit () provides a second key () as the validity key, and the data () to be transmitted are encrypted by overlaying the respective validity key () on the data.

System and method providing fault detection capability

A network node () with a communication unit (), which is provided for the implementation of a communication protocol for the purpose of communication with other network nodes via a communication medium (), and with a bus monitor (), which, mutually independently, each implement an access time schedule contained in a configuration data record, and which each make available, in accordance with the access time schedule, a release signal for a bus driver () provided in the network node (), which evaluates these two signals and, in the event that the two release signals do not coincide, blocks the access of the network node () to the communication medium ().

Error detection and suppression in a TDMA-based network node

The invention describes a method for the monitoring and management of data traffic in a communication system with several communication nodes which communicate via interfaces monitored by a bus monitor, comprising the following steps: a) provision of a predefined communication time schedule for all communication nodes, b) initialization of the bus monitor, c) synchronization of the communication time schedule of the bus monitor with the predefined communication time schedule executed by the communication nodes in a distributed arrangement, the synchronization taking place on the basis of activities observed at the interfaces, d) monitoring of the activities of the communication nodes by the bus monitor, e) comparison of the activities with the predefined communication time schedule, and f) deactivation of the interface for any communication node for which an activity not compatible with the predefined communication time schedule has been detected. A circuit arrangement and its use are also described.

Method and circuit arrangement for the monitoring and management of data traffic in a communication system with several communication nodes

Receiver for receiving a data stream via a data bus, which receiver samples the bits of the data stream in an over-sampling process, in which n bit strobe offsets are used and n data sets with i bits are sampled,&#x2014;applies a decision criterion for identifying those data sets with correct bit values. This decision uses checksum CRC,&#x2014;selects one of the identified data sets with correct bit values and&#x2014;uses the bit strobe offset, which was used for receiving the selected data streams, for receiving the data stream. In this way the multiphase clock with optimal phase shifts is selected.

Receiver with adaptive strobe offset adjustment

A message memory () with a flexible association between the message-object memories of the message memory () and the segments of a physical memory (). The association is made through configuration, wherein one or more memory segments form a cluster as a function of the length of the message content to be stored.

Message memory for a communication protocol and method

A time-triggered communication system in a dual-channel network of singlechannel architecture, wherein in each case one communication controller () is assigned to one channel, and two corresponding communication controllers () communicate with one another via an inter-channel interface (). Said inter-channel communication contains information about limiting points (GG. . . G) of a time path. A limiting point (GG. . . G) is, for example, the point in time when a cycle starts. The interchange of limiting points enables the temporal offset of the two channels to be determined as well as a correction value. After every two cycles also the rate error of the local clocks can be ascertained and a suitable correction value determined. The reliability of safety-relevant networks is increased by the time-triggered communication system described hereinabove.

Time-triggered communication system and method for the synchronization of a dual-channel network

The invention relates to active star coupler based network handling of redundancy in the physical layer by transmitting a message to both regular and redundant links. In an error free case, the message is forwarded by the regular interface, while the redundant link, is blocked. Each interface is equipped with link failure detection logic. If a link failure is detected, an incoming message is blocked and the affected interface controls the interface connected to the redundant link to take over message forwarding. If the link recovers, the regular interface takes over forwarding responsibility and the redundant link is disabled.

Dedicated redundant links in a communicaton system

The invention relates to a network comprising a plurality of network nodes. At least part of the network nodes are directly coupled to each other via at least one star node. The star node comprises a plurality of star interfaces which are assigned to at least one network node. In dependence on a respective pilot signal, a star interface conveys a message from the assigned network node to the other star interfaces, or from another star interface to at least one of the assigned network nodes. Also, in the event of simultaneous arrival of at least two pilot signals at the respective star interfaces, a decision circuit releases one star interface for the transmission of data.

Data communication in networks comprising a plurality of network nodes and at least one star node

The invention relates to a communication system with at least two communication nodes for the transmission of information via a common transmission medium in a time division multiplex process. During the system start, at least one node is provided for monitoring whether a first signal which utilizes at least one slot in a regular manner is already present in the transmission medium. If a first signal is present, said node is designed for testing this first signal as to its integrity and said node is designed for sending a second signal in the case of an incorrect integrity of the first signal, and a programmable position within the time frame given by the second signal is allocated to the time slot utilized by the first signal.

TDMA communication system

Growing community of inventors

Aachen, Germany

Peter Fuhrmann