Location device for locating secondary nodes of a vehicle

A location method for locating secondary nodes of a vehicle,

• the vehicle comprising a plurality of nodes, including a main node and n secondary nodes, linked together via a vehicle network, with n=1 to N integers,
• wherein each secondary node has a unique network identifier indicating whether it is inside or outside the vehicle,
• the vehicle network comprising two sub-networks each independently powered by an electrical power supply,
• wherein each sub-network comprises m secondary nodes, with m=1 to M integers,
• wherein the method comprises:
• activating, by the main node, the electrical power supply of a first sub-network;
• sending, by the m secondary nodes of the first sub-network, the main node their unique network identifier;
• identifying and locating, by the main node, a reference secondary node in the first sub-network by means of its unique network identifier;
• if n=2:
• activating, by the main node, the electrical power supply of the second sub-network;
• sending, by the secondary node of the second sub-network, the main node its unique network identifier;
• identifying and locating, by the main node, the secondary node in the second sub-network as a function of the architecture of the vehicle network,
• wherein the architecture of the vehicle network is known to the main node;
• if n=3:
• activating, by the main node, the power supply of the second sub-network;
• sending, by the main node, a command to the reference secondary node to measure a distance between itself and each other secondary node of the second sub-network;
• measuring, by the reference secondary node, a distance between itself and each other secondary node and returning it to the main node;
• receiving, by the main node, the distances and comparing them with each other;
• locating, by the main node, the other secondary nodes in the second sub-network as a function of the architecture of the vehicle network and of the comparison;
• if n=6 or n=7:
• sending, by the main node, a command to the reference secondary node to measure a distance between itself and each other secondary node of the first sub-network;
• measuring, by the reference secondary node, a distance between itself and each other secondary node and returning it to the main node;
• receiving, by the main node, the distances and comparing them with each other;
• locating, by the main node, the other secondary nodes in the first sub-network as a function of the architecture of the vehicle network and of the comparison;
• activating the electrical power supply of the second sub-network;
• sending, by the m secondary nodes of the second sub-network, the main node their unique network identifier;
• if n=6:
• identifying and locating, by the main node, a reference secondary node in the second sub-network by means of its unique network identifier;
• repeating the steps of sending a command, of measuring distance, of returning the distances, of receiving the distances, of comparing the distances, and of locating the other secondary nodes for the second sub-network;
• if n=7:
• identifying, by the main node, two reference secondary nodes in the second sub-network by means of their unique network identifier;
• and,
• for each of the two reference secondary nodes:
• sending, by the main node, a command to the reference secondary nodes to measure a distance between themselves and each other secondary node of the second sub-network;
• measuring, by the reference secondary nodes, a distance between themselves and each other secondary node and returning them to the main node;
• receiving, by the main node, primary distances originating from one of the two reference secondary nodes, and secondary distances originating from the other one of the two reference secondary nodes;
• comparing each primary distance with each secondary distance corresponding to the same other secondary node;
• locating the two reference secondary nodes as a function of the architecture of the vehicle network and of the comparison;
• comparing the primary distances with each other and the secondary distances with each other;
• and
• locating the other secondary nodes of the second sub-network as a function of the architecture of the vehicle network and of the comparison.