Autonomous ready vehicle
AssigneePolaris Industries Inc.
InventorsAmber P. Malone, David J. Koenig, Kevin P. Blair, Patrick D. Weldon, Cole A. Sytsma
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for interfacing an autonomous or remote control drive-by-wire controller with a vehicle's control modules. Vehicle functions including steering, braking, starting, etc. are controllable by wire via a control network. A CAN architecture is used as an interface between the remote/autonomous controller and the vehicle's control modules. A CAN module interface provides communication between a vehicle control system and a supervisory, remote, autonomous, or drive-by-wire controller. The interface permits the supervisory control to control vehicle operation within pre-determined bounds and using control algorithms.
Claims20
A vehicle gateway module installed on a vehicle including:
- an autonomous controller device interface operable to couple with an autonomous controller module device located external to the vehicle, the autonomous controller device interface configured to receive commands from the autonomous controller module device and provide the sole communication path for the autonomous controller module device to communicate with a Controller Area Network (CAN) of the vehicle;
- a physical CAN interface operable to communicate with an engine control module over the CAN;
- a command translator operable to cause commands received from the autonomous controller module device via the autonomous controller device interface to be translated into commands operable with the engine control module;
- and
- an authenticator device operable to authenticate the autonomous controller module device providing the commands to the autonomous controller device interface.
A method of operating a vehicle gateway module device installed on a vehicle including:
- sending, by the vehicle gateway device, an authentication request containing a seed value to an autonomous controller module device located external to the vehicle using a sole communication path for the vehicle gateway device to the autonomous controller module, the vehicle gateway module device configured to receive one or more control signals from the autonomous controller module device;
- receiving an authentication key value from the autonomous controller module device;
- determining, by the vehicle gateway device, if the received authentication key value is a valid value;
- when the received key value is a valid value, transmitting one or more control signals received from the autonomous controller module device to a Controller Area Network (CAN);
- and
- when the received key value is not a valid value, preventing transmitting of control signals received from the autonomous controller module device to the Controller Area Network (CAN).
A method of operating a vehicle gateway module device installed on a vehicle including:
- providing an autonomous controller device interface operable to couple with an autonomous controller module device located external to the vehicle, the autonomous controller device interface configured to receive one or more commands from the autonomous controller module device;
- providing a CAN interface device operable to communicate with an engine control module over a CAN;
- providing, via the autonomous controller device interface, the sole communication path between the autonomous controller and the CAN interface;
- providing a command translator located logically between the autonomous controller device interface and the CAN interface,
- providing an authenticator device located logically between the autonomous controller device interface and the CAN interface device,
- authenticating an autonomous controller device coupled to the autonomous controller interface device and located external to the vehicle;
- translating authenticated commands received from the autonomous controller module device via the autonomous controller device interface to be operable with the engine control unit;
- and
- providing translated commands to the CAN interface device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.