Control apparatus for electrical generator apparatus of motor vehicle
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorFuyuki Maehara
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A generator control apparatus, for controlling electrical generation operation of a vehicle alternator, has a LAN circuit and a dedicated communication circuit, respectively communicating with an external control apparatus (e.g., engine ECU) via a LAN and via a dedicated signal line. When a selection signal is transmitted from the external control apparatus, designating a specific signal to be transmitted to or from the generator control apparatus, communication of that signal is performed via the dedicated signal line, enabling TDM communication of plural signals via the LAN concurrent with direct communication of a specific signal via the dedicated signal line.
Claims16
A generator control apparatus for controlling an electric power generating condition of a vehicle-use electric generator apparatus by repetitive on/off switching control of a field current of a field coil of an alternator of said electrical generator apparatus and for communicating with an external control apparatus for exchange of respective ones of a plurality of specific signals, said specific signals including signals relating to a status of said control of said electric power generating condition and signals relating to control commands, said generator control apparatus comprising:
- a LAN (Local Area Network) terminal connected for communication with said external control apparatus through a LAN, and a LAN circuit connected to said LAN terminal for transmitting and receiving said specific signals via said LAN terminal;
- and
- a dedicated communication terminal connected for communication with said external control apparatus through a dedicated signal line, and a dedicated communication circuit connected to said dedicated communication terminal and to said LAN circuit, for transmitting or receiving via said dedicated communication terminal a one of said specific signals that is designated by a selection signal transmitted from said external control apparatus via said LAN terminal to said LAN circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.