Zonal architecture for vehicle
AssigneesToyota Motor North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsImad Zahid, Joshua C. Batie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An example operation includes one or more of dividing a vehicle into a plurality of zones based on operations performed by vehicle, assigning a different subset of electronic control units (ECUs) from among a plurality of ECUs of the vehicle to each zone based on functions performed by the plurality of ECUs with respect to the plurality of zones, determining an operation to perform for the vehicle, identifying a zone from among the plurality of zones for controlling the operation, and pooling data input by and output by a subset of ECUs included in the zone during the operation and storing the pooled data in a storage device.
Claims17
A method comprising:
- dividing a vehicle into a plurality of zones based on operations performed by vehicle;
- assigning a different subset of electronic control units (ECUs) from among a plurality of ECUs of the vehicle to each zone based on functions performed by the plurality of ECUs with respect to the plurality of zones;
- determining an operation to perform for the vehicle;
- identifying a zone from among the plurality of zones for controlling the operation;
- pooling data input by and output by a subset of ECUs included in the zone during the operation and storing the pooled data in a storage device;
- and
- transferring the pooled data from the subset of ECUs assigned to the zone to the different subset of ECUs assigned to a different zone among the plurality of zones based on a hierarchy among the zone and the different zone.
An apparatus comprising:
- a memory;
- and
- a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to:
- divide a vehicle into a plurality of zones based on operations performed by vehicle,
- assign a different subset of electronic control units (ECUs) from among a plurality of ECUs of the vehicle to each zone based on functions performed by the plurality of ECUs with respect to the plurality of zones,
- determine an operation to perform for the vehicle,
- identify a zone from among the plurality of zones for controlling the operation,
- pool data input by and output by a subset of ECUs included in the zone during the operation and storing the pooled data in a storage device;
- and
- transfer the pooled data from the subset of ECUs assigned to the zone to the different subset of ECUs assigned to a different zone among the plurality of zones based on a hierarchy among the zone and the different zone.
A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform:
- dividing a vehicle into a plurality of zones based on operations performed by vehicle;
- assigning a different subset of electronic control units (ECUs) from among a plurality of ECUs of the vehicle to each zone based on functions performed by the plurality of ECUs with respect to the plurality of zones;
- determining an operation to perform for the vehicle;
- identifying a zone from among the plurality of zones for controlling the operation;
- and
- pooling data input by and output by a subset of ECUs included in the zone during the operation and storing the pooled data in a storage device;
- and
- transferring the pooled data from the subset of ECUs assigned to the zone to the different subset of ECUs assigned to a different zone among the plurality of zones based on a hierarchy among the zone and the different zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.