Military vehicle having cooperative control network with distributed I/O interfacing

A multipurpose modular vehicle system for providing a multipurpose vehicle, comprising:

• (A) a wrecker variant module, said wrecker variant module including a tow mechanism capable of towing another vehicle to provide said vehicle with a first type of functionality;
• (B) a pumper variant module, said pumper variant module including a pump capable of pumping fluid to provide said vehicle with a second type of functionality;
• (C) a chassis, said chassis being capable of removably receiving said wrecker variant module and supporting the weight of said wrecker variant module to provide a first vehicle with wrecker functionality, and said chassis being capable of removably receiving said pumper variant module and supporting the weight of said pumper variant module to provide a second vehicle with pumper functionality;
• (D) a power source;
• (E) a power transmission link;
• (F) a communication network;
• (G) a first connector;
• (H) a first plurality of input devices, said first plurality of input devices being mounted on said chassis;
• (I) a first plurality of output devices, said first plurality of output devices being mounted on said chassis;
• (J) a first microprocessor-based interface module, said first interface module being mounted on said chassis, said first interface module being coupled to said communication network, said first interface module being coupled to said power source by way of said power transmission link, said first interface module being coupled to said first plurality of input devices and said first plurality of output devices by way of a first set of respective dedicated communication links, and said first interface module receiving power from said power source and controlling distribution of power to said first plurality of output devices based at least in part on signals received by way of said communication network;
• (K) a second connector;
• (L) a second plurality of input devices, said second plurality of input devices being mounted on said wrecker variant module;
• (M) a second plurality of output devices, said second plurality of output devices being mounted on said wrecker variant module;
• (N) a second microprocessor-based interface module, said second interface module being mounted on said wrecker variant module, said second interface module being capable of being coupled to said communication network by way of said first and second connectors when said wrecker variant module is mounted on said chassis, said second interface module being capable of being coupled to said power source by way of said first and second connectors when said wrecker variant module is mounted on said chassis, said second interface module being coupled to said second plurality of input devices and said second plurality of output devices by way of a second set of respective dedicated communication links, and said second interface module being capable of receiving power from said power source and controlling distribution of power to said second plurality of output devices based at least in part on signals received by way of said communication network;
• (O) a third connector;
• (P) a third plurality of input devices, said third plurality of input devices being mounted on said pumper variant module;
• (Q) a third plurality of output devices, said third plurality of output devices being mounted on said pumper variant module;
• (R) a third microprocessor-based interface module, said third interface module being mounted on said pumper variant module, said third interface module being capable of being coupled to said communication network by way of said first and third connectors when said pumper variant module is mounted on said chassis, said third interface module being capable of being coupled to said power source by way of said first and third connectors when said wrecker variant module is mounted on said chassis, said third interface module being coupled to said third plurality of input devices and said third plurality of output devices by way of a third set of respective dedicated communication links, and said third interface module being capable of receiving power from said power source and controlling distribution of power to said third plurality of output devices based at least in part on signals received by way of said communication network;
• (S) a plurality of additional microprocessor-based interface modules, said plurality of additional interface modules being mounted on said chassis, said plurality of additional interface modules being coupled to said power source by way of said power transmission link, said plurality of additional interface modules being interconnected to each other and to said first interface module by way of said communication network, and each of said plurality of additional interface modules being coupled to respective ones of a plurality of additional input devices and a plurality of additional output devices by way of respective dedicated communication links;
• and
• (T) a plurality of operator input devices, said plurality of operator input devices having different functionality depending on whether said wrecker variant module or said pumper variant module is mounted on said chassis;
• wherein, if said wrecker variant module is mounted on said chassis, said second interface module communicates configuration information pertaining to said wrecker variant module to said first interface module and said first interface module communicates configuration information pertaining to said chassis to said second interface module;
• and
• wherein, if said pumper variant module is mounted on said chassis, said third interface module communicates configuration information pertaining to said pumper variant module to said first interface module and said first interface module communicates configuration information pertaining to said chassis to said third interface module.

A military vehicle comprising:

• a power distribution and control system, the power distribution and control system further including
• (A) a power source;
• (B) a power transmission link;
• (C) a plurality of input devices;
• (D) a plurality of output devices;
• (E) a communication network;
• (F) a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules, said plurality of interface modules being coupled to said power source by way of said power transmission link, said plurality of interface modules being interconnected to each other by way of said communication network, each of said plurality of interface modules being coupled to respective ones of said plurality of input devices and to said plurality of output devices by way of respective dedicated communication links;
• wherein said plurality of interface modules cooperate to control said plurality of output devices based on input status information from said plurality of input devices;
• wherein said military vehicle is a multipurpose modular vehicle and comprises a chassis and a variant module, said variant module being mounted on said chassis and the weight of said variant module being supported by said chassis, said variant module including a mechanical drive device capable of imparting motion to solid or liquid matter that is not part of said vehicle to provide said vehicle with a first type of functionality, said variant module being removable and replaceable with other variant modules having other different types of mechanical drive devices to form other vehicles with other different types of functionality;
• wherein said plurality of interface modules includes a first subplurality of interface modules at front locations of said vehicle and a second subplurality of interface modules at rear locations of said vehicle, with at least one of said plurality of interface modules being located on said variant module, such that said plurality of interface modules are distributed throughout said vehicle;
• and
• wherein each respective interface module is locally disposed with respect to the respective input and output devices to which said respective interface module is coupled so as to permit, by way of said respective dedicated communication link, distributed data collection from said respective input devices to said respective interface module and distributed power distribution from said respective interface module to said respective output devices.

A multipurpose modular vehicle comprising:

• a chassis and a variant module, said variant module being mounted on said chassis and the weight of said variant module being supported by said chassis, said variant module including a mechanical drive device capable of imparting motion to solid or liquid matter that is not part of said vehicle to provide said vehicle with a first type of functionality, and said variant module being removable and replaceable with other variant modules having other different types of mechanical drive devices to form other vehicles with other different types of functionality, and wherein said chassis and said variant module in combination include a power distribution and control system, said power distribution and control system further including
• (A) a power source;
• (B) a power transmission link;
• (C) a plurality of input devices;
• (D) a plurality of output devices;
• (E) a communication network;
• (F) a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules, said plurality of interface modules being coupled to said power source by way of said power transmission link, said plurality of interface modules being interconnected to each other by way of said communication network, and each of said plurality of interface modules being coupled to respective ones of said plurality of input devices and to said plurality of output devices by way of respective dedicated communication links;
• wherein said plurality of interface modules cooperate to control said plurality of output devices based on input status information from said plurality of input devices,
• wherein said plurality of interface modules includes a first subplurality of interface modules at front locations of said vehicle and a second subplurality of interface modules at rear locations of said vehicle, such that said plurality of interface modules are distributed throughout said vehicle;
• and
• wherein each respective interface module is locally disposed with respect to the respective input and output devices to which said respective interface module is coupled so as to permit, by way of said respective dedicated communication link, distributed data collection from said respective input devices to said respective interface module and distributed power distribution from said respective interface module to said respective output devices.

A method of operating a military vehicle comprising:

• (A) providing a vehicle power distribution and control system, said system comprising a plurality of input and output devices and a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules that collect data from said plurality of input devices and distribute power to said plurality of output devices, said plurality of interface modules including a first subplurality of interface modules at front locations of said vehicle and a second subplurality of interface modules at rear locations of said vehicle, such that said plurality of interface modules are distributed throughout said vehicle and are locally placed with respect to said plurality of input and output devices;
• (B) configuring said power distribution and control system, including configuring each of said plurality of interface modules, each of said plurality of interface modules being configured after power-up during an initialization sequence and according to a location of each said interface module on said military vehicle;
• and
• wherein said military vehicle is a multipurpose modular vehicle and comprises a chassis and a variant module, said variant module being mounted on said chassis and the weight of said variant module being supported by said chassis, said variant module including a mechanical drive device capable of imparting motion to solid or liquid matter that is not part of said vehicle to provide said vehicle with a first type of functionality, and said variant module being removable and replaceable with other variant modules having other different types of mechanical drive devices to form other military vehicles with other different types of functionality, and
• wherein said configuring step includes determining which type of variant module is mounted to said chassis, and configuring after power-up during an initialization sequence an interface module disposed on said chassis in accordance with said type of variant module, said interface module being one of said plurality of interface modules.

A multipurpose modular vehicle system for providing a multipurpose vehicle, comprising:

• (A) a power source;
• (B) a power transmission link;
• (C) a communication network;
• (D) a chassis;
• (E) a first plurality of input devices, said first plurality of input devices being mounted on said chassis;
• (F) a first plurality of output devices, said first plurality of output devices being mounted on said chassis;
• (G) a first microprocessor-based interface module, said first interface module being mounted on said chassis, said first interface module being coupled to said communication network, said first interface module being coupled to said power source by way of said power transmission link, said first interface module being coupled to said first plurality of input devices and said first plurality of output devices by way of a first set of respective dedicated communication links, and said first interface module receiving power from said power source and controlling distribution of power to said first plurality of output devices based at least in part on signals received by way of said communication network;
• (H) a plurality of means for providing said vehicle with particular types of functionality, said plurality of means for providing being removable and replaceable with each other to form vehicles with different types of functionality, at least one of said means for providing being mounted on said chassis;
• (I) a second plurality of input devices, said second plurality of input devices being mounted on said at least one means for providing;
• (J) a second plurality of output devices, said second plurality of output devices being mounted on said at least one means for providing;
• (K) a second microprocessor-based interface module, said second interface module being coupled to said communication network, said second interface module being coupled to said power source by way of said power transmission link, said second interface module being coupled to said second plurality of input devices and said second plurality of output devices by way of a second set of respective dedicated communication links, and said second interface module receiving power from said power source and controlling distribution of power to said second plurality of output devices based at least in part on signals received by way of said communication network;
• and
• (L) a plurality of additional microprocessor-based interface modules, said plurality of interface modules being coupled to said power source by way of said power transmission link, said plurality of additional interface modules being interconnected to each other and to said first and second interface modules by way of said communication network, and each of said plurality of additional interface modules being coupled to respective ones of a plurality of additional input devices and a plurality of additional output devices by way of respective dedicated communication links.

A method comprising:

• (A) providing a multipurpose modular vehicle comprising a chassis and a variant module, said variant module being mounted on said chassis and the weight of said variant module being supported by said chassis, said variant module including a mechanical drive device capable of imparting motion to solid or liquid matter that is not part of said vehicle to provide said vehicle with a first type of functionality, said variant module being removable and replaceable with other variant modules having other different types of mechanical drive devices to form other vehicles with other different types of functionality, said vehicle further comprising a power distribution and control system, said power distribution and control system further including a power source, a power transmission link, a plurality of input devices, a plurality of output devices, a communication network, and a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules, said plurality of interface modules being coupled to said power source by way of said power transmission link, said plurality of interface modules being interconnected to each other by way of said communication network, and each of said plurality of interface modules being coupled to respective ones of said plurality of input devices and to said plurality of output devices by way of respective dedicated communication links;
• (B) configuring said power distribution and control system, including
• (1) accessing a plurality of unique codes, said accessing step being performed by said plurality of interface modules, wherein each respective one of said plurality of interface modules accesses a unique code that is a function of a location of said respective interface module on said vehicle, and configuring each of said plurality of interface modules based in part on which unique code is accessed, and
• (2) exchanging configuration information pertaining to said chassis and said variant module, said exchanging step being performed by first and second ones of said plurality of interface modules, said first one of said plurality of interface modules being located on said chassis and said second one of said plurality of interface modules being located on said variant module, wherein said first one of said plurality of interface modules provides said second one of said plurality of interface modules with configuration information pertaining to said chassis, and wherein said second one of said plurality of interface modules provides said first one of said plurality of interface modules with configuration information pertaining to said variant module;
• and
• (C) controlling said plurality of output devices based on input status information from said plurality of input devices, said controlling step being performed by said plurality of interface modules;
• wherein said plurality of interface modules includes a first subplurality of interface modules at front locations of said vehicle and a second subplurality of interface modules at rear locations of said vehicle, with at least one of said plurality of interface modules being located on said variant module, such that said plurality of interface modules are distributed throughout said vehicle;
• and
• wherein each respective interface module is locally disposed with respect to the respective input and output devices to which said respective interface module is coupled so as to permit, by way of said respective dedicated communication link, distributed data collection from said respective input devices to said respective interface module and distributed power distribution from said respective interface module to said respective output devices.