Power and data center (PDC) for automotive applications

A method comprising:

• distributing, from a plurality of power source or source systems each coupled to a different power supply ring and through a power interface of a power and data center (PDC) included in a vehicle, power to one or more sensors of the vehicle;
• receiving, through a sensor interface of the PDC, sensor data from the one or more sensors;
• transmitting, by output ports of the PDC and according to a ring topology of a multi-ring data network of the vehicle that is separate from each different power supply ring coupled to the PDC and to at least one computing platform the sensor data into the multi-ring data network of the vehicle;
• determining, by the at least one computing platform for the vehicle that is coupled to the multi-ring data network of the vehicle, at least one operation associated with autonomous driving of the vehicle, the at least one operation determined at least in part based on the sensor data that is transmitted into the multi-ring data network of the vehicle;
• and
• causing, by the at least one computing platform, the vehicle to perform the at least one operation associated with autonomous driving of the vehicle.

An automotive data routing ring network, comprising:

• at least one compute ring network of a vehicle, the at least one compute ring network including two or more processors for a vehicle and coupled together in a ring topology of the at least one compute ring network of the vehicle;
• at least one sensor ring network of the vehicle, the at least one sensor ring network comprising two or more data distribution devices for the vehicle, each data distribution device coupled to at least one sensor and to the at least one compute ring network, each data distribution device monitoring for failure of at least one segment of the at least one sensor ring network, and configured to:
• in accordance with detection of a first failure by a first data distribution device in the sensor ring network, redirect data traffic to a second data distribution device in the sensor ring network;
• and
• in accordance with detecting a second failure of at least one segment of the compute ring network, redirect data traffic from a first processor in the compute ring network to a second processor in the compute ring network;
• and
• at least one power ring of the vehicle, the at least one power ring being separate from the at least one compute ring network and the at least one sensor ring network, the at least one power ring including two or more data distribution devices and two or more power supplies, the at least one power ring configured to supply power from the two or more power supplies through the two or more data distribution devices, and to at least one sensor and to the compute ring network.

A power and data center (PDC) for an automotive electrical and electronic (E/E) system, the PDC comprising:

• a sensor interface including redundant sensor data ports for coupling to at least one sensor of a vehicle;
• a data network interface including redundant network data ports for coupling to a ring network of the vehicle;
• a processor coupled to the sensor interface and the data network interface, the processor configured to:
• receive sensor data from the redundant sensor data ports, process the sensor data, and output the processed sensor data to the ring network of the vehicle and in accordance with a ring topology on the redundant network data ports;
• and
• a power switch coupled to redundant network power supply rails, redundant sensor power supply rails, and the processor, the processor configured to cause the power switch to disconnect a first network power supply rail couples coupled to a first power supply ring configured to supply power from a first power source or source system and to connect a second network power supply rail coupled to a second power supply ring configured to supply power from a second power source or source system.

A system comprising:

• a plurality of computing platforms for a vehicle and coupled together in a ring topology in a ring network of the vehicle;
• a plurality of power and data centers (PDCs) coupled together and to the computing platforms in the ring topology of the ring network of the vehicle, the PDCs each including at least one sensor interface and at least one data interface, the sensor interface configured to receive sensor data from one or more sensors, the data interface configured to transmit the sensor data into the ring network for input to at least one of the computing platforms or the PDCs, wherein at least one PDC of the plurality of PDCs is configured to establish a transparent data link through the ring network with at least one computing platform;
• and
• a plurality of power supply rings separate from the ring network, each power supply ring being configured to distribute power from a different power source or source system and to the computing platforms and the PDCs.

An automotive electrical and electronic system comprising:

• a first power and data center (PDC) including a first sensor interface configured to receive sensor data from one or more sensors and a first data interface configured to transmit the sensor data according to a ring topology onto a first ring network of a vehicle;
• a first computing platform for the vehicle;
• a first data platform for the vehicle, wherein:
• the first PDC is connected to the first computing platform via a first path of the first ring network of the vehicle that is configured to transmit the sensor data, the first path including the first data platform,
• the first PDC is connected to the first computing platform via a second path of the first ring network of the vehicle, the second path being different from the first path and does not include the first data platform, and
• the first data interface of the first PDC is configured to transmit the sensor data according to the ring topology to the first computing platform via the first path and the second path;
• and
• a plurality of power supply rings separate from the first ring network, each power supply ring being configured to distribute power from a different power source or source system and to the first computing platform and the first PDC.

An automotive electrical and electronic system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

• a sensor ring network of a vehicle;
• a plurality of sensors coupled to the sensor ring network of the vehicle;
• a server ring network of the vehicle;
• one or more computing platforms of the vehicle coupled to the server ring network of the vehicle, the one or more computing platforms configured to control mobility functions of the vehicle through the sensor ring network of the vehicle;
• a plurality of power and data centers (PDCs) of the vehicle coupled to the sensor ring network of the vehicle and configured to aggregate sensor data from one or more of the plurality of sensors;
• a gateway coupled to the server ring network of the vehicle and the plurality of PDCs through individual bus connections, the gateway configured to control body-control functions of the vehicle based on sensor data received according to a ring topology and through one or more of the individual bus connections of the server ring network of the vehicle;
• and
• a plurality of power supply rings separate from the sensor ring and separate from the server ring network of the vehicle, each power supply ring being configured to distribute power from a different power source or source system and to the one or more computing platforms and the plurality of PDCs.