Patent Application
20050164672
According to the preamble of claim 1 the invention relates to a device and method for wireless communication of devices in a vehicle.
The mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic transmissions of the driver's activities, which trigger certain responses, have been and will be replaced for many functions in the vehicle by electric lines combined with electronically controlled units which are located somewhere in the vehicle “on-site” and carry out the responses. In the technical world, this development is described under the expression “x by wire”. As example for this, let it be mentioned that the E-gas function or the electronic Diesel injection designated as “drive by wire”, the substitution of mechanical linkages between a switch lever and the vehicle transmission designated as “shift by wire” or the possibility of electronically controlling decelerating devices of the vehicle for which the designation “brake by wire” has prevailed. Mutual communications between separate devices in the vehicle or, for example, with a central vehicle master, are chiefly effected via a bus line, the CAN bus having already found wide circulation.
Together with the potentialities of functional improvement by uncoupling of the driver's actions and the response of the corresponding device in the vehicle, one other important reason for the development is the space saving, the higher freedom of shapes in the design of the devices and the location thereof and possible improvements of the ergonomics. Electric cables are by nature smaller, lighter, more flexible and, at present, also mostly cheaper than corresponding mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic transmission devices. However, for these electric lines, cables and plugs are needed which demand space and also certain requirements as to relocation and protection from environmental influences.
DE 43 34 595 C1 has disclosed a control for a motor vehicle which via CAN bus transmits the driver's actions to a transmission control and a motor control. The communication between the driver's actions and the responses of the devices in the vehicle such as transmission or motor takes place here by cable.
The problem on which the invention is based is to show, for the communication between the input of driver's actions and the response of vehicle devices, a possibility of communication which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
The problem is solved by a device having the features of claim 1. Developments are object of sub-claims.
For many transmission lines in any case when signals and not outputs are to be transmitted, an optimal solution is represented by wireless communication of information between a transmitter device, operated by the driver and an electronic control unit which controls the desired action. For this purpose is proposed a device for communication on a communication path between control elements which are actuated by a driver of a vehicle and emit control signals and devices of the vehicle which receive control signals and convert the control signals to responses in or on the drives, the transmission of the control signals from the control elements and to the device taking place in wireless manner at least in sections of the communication path.
In an advantageous development, conversion devices are provided in the control elements which, according to a transmission log book, control signals formed from the actions of the driver into control signals transmissible in a wireless manner. In controlled devices of the vehicle conversion devices are, in turn, provided which are suitable for converting according to the transmission log book control signals received which have been transmitted in wireless manner to signals to which the devices respond. Another development provides a direct wireless transmission of the control signals between the control elements and the responding devices on the whole communication path. In one other embodiment, there is provided, upon a first section of the communication path, a wireless transmission of the control signals between the control elements and one interpolated electronic control device adequate for further processing the control signals according to prescribed computation rules and relaying control signals on a second section of the communication path to responding devices of the vehicle. In one development, the second section of the communication path is designed as wireless transmission path, in another development the second section of the communication path is designed as cable path and in still another development the second section of the communication path is designed as bus system, particularly as CAN bus system. Advantageous embodiments of the invention show the controlled and responding device of the vehicle as one transmission control, in one special development as transmission control of an automatic or automated transmission. Finally in one development, the interpolated control device is designed as central vehicle computer.
The invention is explained in detail with reference to a drawing.
For example, now if the driver actuates the kick-down switch 20, there results a worked up signal relay to the transmission control 8 which optionally produces a change of the reduction ratio.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102 02 039.0 | Mar 2002 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP03/02586 | 3/13/2003 | WO |
