Priority communication protocol for a distributed electrohydraulic system having multiple controllers
AssigneeHUSCO International, Inc.
InventorJoseph Pfaff
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A distributed hydraulic system having a plurality of hydraulic functions each including a hydraulic actuator, a valve assembly that controls flow of fluid to the hydraulic actuator, and a function controller which operates the valve assembly. The function controllers exchange messages over a communication network which has a finite bandwidth. Access to the network is controlled by determining which function controllers govern high priority operations and allowing those function controllers to send messages as often as once every first interval of time. The other function controllers are limited to sending messages no more often than once every second interval of time, which is longer than the first interval of time.
Claims14
In a hydraulic system having a plurality of hydraulic functions on a vehicle which receive fluid under pressure from a source, wherein each hydraulic function includes a hydraulic actuator, a valve assembly that controls flow of fluid to the hydraulic actuator, and an electronic function controller that operates the valve assembly, and each function controller sends messages over a communication network, a method for controlling the hydraulic system comprising:
- acquiring data indicating a dynamically varying operating condition for each of the plurality of hydraulic functions;
- in response to the dynamically varying operating conditions, enabling a first electronic function controller to send messages over the communication network once every first time interval;
- and
- limiting other electronic function controllers to sending messages over the communication network less often than once every first time interval.
In a hydraulic system having a plurality of hydraulic functions at different locations on a vehicle which receive fluid under pressure from a source, wherein each hydraulic function includes a hydraulic actuator, a valve assembly that controls flow of fluid to the hydraulic actuator, and an electronic function controller that operates the valve assembly, and each function controller sends messages over a communication network in the vehicle, a method for controlling the hydraulic system comprising:
- in response to a instantaneous operating condition of at least one of the plurality of hydraulic functions, determining a given electronic function controller on the vehicle as generating messages which have a higher priority than messages from other electronic function controllers;
- enabling the given electronic function controller to send messages over the communication network once every first time interval;
- and
- limiting other electronic function controllers on the vehicle to sending messages over the communication network no more often than once every second time interval that is longer than the first time interval.
In a hydraulic system having a plurality of hydraulic functions on a vehicle which receive fluid under pressure from a source, wherein each hydraulic function includes a hydraulic actuator, a valve assembly that controls flow of fluid to the hydraulic actuator, and an electronic function controller that operates the valve assembly, and each function controller sends messages over a communication network in the vehicle, a method for controlling the hydraulic system comprising:
- acquiring data indicating a dynamically varying operating condition for each of the plurality of hydraulic functions;
- determining, in response to the dynamically varying operating conditions, a given electronic function controller as generating messages which have a higher priority than messages from other electronic function controllers;
- enabling the given electronic function controller to send messages over the communication network once every first time interval;
- and
- limiting other electronic function controllers to sending messages over the communication network less often than once every first time interval.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.