FR3101163A1 - Vehicle computer and vehicle computer control method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling a vehicle computer. To this end, the computer switches from one operating state to another operating state as a function of a signal (1) received by the computer, and more particularly as a function of the presence of one or more rising edges (11 , 12) and the characteristics associated with this or these rising edge (s), for example high voltage level reached at the end of the rising edge and / or duration of maintenance at the high voltage level after the rising edge. The different operating states taken by the computer belong to a set of states comprising 3 or more operating states. Figure for the abstract: Figure 1

Description

Vehicle computer and vehicle computer control method

The invention relates to a method for controlling a computer on board a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle. The invention relates more particularly to the control of an operating state of the computer. The invention also relates to the computer controlled via the method.

Technology background

Contemporary vehicles carry a number of computers, each performing one or more functions, such as, for example, the management of driving assistance, traction control, electronic brake distribution or even the control of actuators to ensure the operation optimal for a combustion engine. These computers are also called UCE ("Unit of Electronic Control" or in English ECU "Electronic Control Unit"). These computers embed software which is executed to ensure the functions for which they are responsible.

These computers can be in several operating states, for example in a standby or active operating state which makes it possible to save energy by reducing the number of activated functions or, on the contrary, to allow a normal operating mode of the computer, with maximum power consumption.

The transition from one state to another requires the transmission of dedicated messages on the communication interface (for example to a CAN-type wired network (from English "Controller Area Network" or in French "Réseau de Contrôleurs") )) connecting the computers of the vehicle's on-board system, which involves waking up the computer to interpret and execute these messages, which generates high consumption of the computers and an increase in data traffic on the communication interface.

An object of the present invention is to propose a solution making it possible to control the transition between different states of a computer by reducing the requirements for the necessary resources.

According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a method for controlling a vehicle computer, the method comprising a step of switching the computer from one operating state to another operating state as a function of at least one rising edge in voltage of a signal received by the computer, the operating state and the other operating state belonging to a set comprising at least 3 operating states.

Alternatively:

- the computer switches from a so-called deep standby state to a so-called standby state when the signal presents a rising edge causing the signal to pass from a low voltage level to a first high voltage level for a determined duration, and/ Or

- the computer switches to a so-called awake state when the signal presents a rising edge causing the signal to switch from the low voltage level to a second high voltage level for a determined duration, the second voltage level being higher than the first voltage level tension.

Another variation:

- the computer switches from a so-called standby state to a so-called deep standby state when the signal has a plurality of successive rising edges each causing the signal to pass from a low voltage level to a first high voltage level for a duration determined; and or

- the computer switches from a so-called awake state to a so-called deep sleep state when the signal has a plurality of successive rising edges each causing the signal to pass from the low voltage level to a second high voltage level for a determined duration, the second voltage level being higher than the first voltage level.

According to an additional variation:

- the computer switches from a so-called deep standby state to a so-called standby state when the signal presents a rising edge causing the signal to pass from a low voltage level to a high voltage level for a first determined duration, and/ Or

- the computer switches to a so-called awake state when the signal presents a rising edge causing the signal to pass from the low voltage level to the high voltage level for a second determined duration, the second determined duration being different from the first determined duration, and/ Or

- the computer switches from the so-called standby state or from the so-called awake state to the so-called deep sleep state when the signal presents a rising edge causing the signal to pass from the low voltage level to the high voltage level for a third fixed duration, the third fixed duration being different from the first fixed duration and from the second fixed duration.

According to yet another variant, the second determined duration is greater than the first determined duration and the third determined duration is greater than the second determined duration.

According to an additional variation:

- the computer switches from a so-called deep standby state to a so-called standby state when the signal presents a rising edge causing the signal to pass from a low voltage level to a high voltage level for a determined duration, and/or

- the computer switches to a so-called awake state when the signal has two rising edges each causing the signal to pass from the low voltage level to the high voltage level for the determined duration, and/or

- the computer changes from the so-called standby state or from the so-called awake state to the so-called deep standby state when the signal has three rising edges each causing the signal to pass from the low voltage level to the high voltage level for the determined time.

According to another variant, the computer remains in an initial state called deep standby as long as the voltage level of the signal received is at a low level.

According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a vehicle computer, the computer comprising means for processing a signal configured for the implementation of the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the invention.

According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising the computer as described above according to the second aspect of the invention.

According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a computer program which comprises instructions adapted for the execution of the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the invention, this in particular when the computer program is executed by at least one processor.

Such a computer program can use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or intermediate code between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

According to a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a computer program comprising instructions for the execution of the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the invention.

On the one hand, the recording medium can be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium may comprise a storage means, such as a ROM memory, a CD-ROM or a ROM memory of the microelectronic circuit type, or even a magnetic recording means or a hard disk.

On the other hand, this recording medium can also be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, such a signal being able to be conveyed via an electrical or optical cable, by conventional or hertzian radio or by self-directed laser beam or by other ways. The computer program according to the invention can in particular be downloaded from an Internet-type network.

Alternatively, the recording medium may be an integrated circuit in which the computer program is incorporated, the integrated circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of the method in question.

Brief description of figures

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description of the non-limiting embodiments of the invention below, with reference to the appended figures 1 to 6, in which:

schematically illustrates the profile of a control signal from a vehicle computer, according to a first particular embodiment of the present invention;

schematically illustrates the profile of a control signal from a vehicle computer, according to a second particular embodiment of the present invention;

schematically illustrates the profile of a control signal from a vehicle computer, according to a third particular embodiment of the present invention;

schematically illustrates the profile of a control signal from a vehicle computer, according to a fourth particular embodiment of the present invention;

schematically illustrates a vehicle computer receiving the signal from at least one of FIGS. 1 to 4, according to a particular embodiment of the present invention;

illustrates a flowchart of the different steps of a method for controlling the computer of FIG. 5, according to a particular embodiment of the present invention.

A vehicle computer and a method for controlling such a computer will now be described in the following with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. The same elements are identified with the same reference signs throughout the description which go follow.

According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a method for controlling a vehicle computer comprises a transition (or a passage), for the computer, from one operating state to another operating state depending on a signal received by the computer, and more particularly depending on the presence of one or more rising edges and the characteristics associated with this or these rising edges, for example high voltage level reached at the end of the edge rising and/or duration of maintenance at the high voltage level after the rising edge. The different operating states taken by the computer advantageously belong to a set of states comprising 3 or more operating states.

The set of states includes for example:

- a so-called deep standby state of the computer corresponding to a state during which the electrical consumption of the computer is reduced to a minimum while allowing monitoring of certain events on waking, to the detriment of a longer wake-up time than when the computer is in the so-called standby state, this time being equal to or close to the complete initialization time of the computer;

- a so-called standby state of the computer corresponding to a state during which most of the functions provided by the computer are temporarily stopped to reduce the computer's electricity consumption; And

- a so-called awake state of the computer corresponding to a state during which all of the functions provided by the computer are operational, with normal electrical consumption of the computer.

Switching the computer from one state to another on simple reception of a signal having a determined profile makes it possible to simplify the communication network between a master computer and the slave computers controlled by the master computer, with the possibility of switching from one state to another only via the wired interface connecting these computers, without network communication, i.e. without a message transmitted by the master computer to the slave computer(s) for the slave computer(s) to change state .

Furthermore, passing the computer from one state to another on simple reception of a signal having a determined profile makes it possible to simplify the state machine of the electronic computer and its implementation, from the components external to the control unit main part of the computer (usually called a microcontroller) that can process the signal and distinguish between different signal profiles to implement the transition from one state to another.

Such a computer can also switch from the so-called deep standby state to the so-called standby state without waking up the main control unit of the computer, since no message is to be interpreted to change state.

Finally, the processing of such a signal is simple and fast, which makes it possible to accelerate the transition between the states because it is not necessary to process the communication network to know the operating state of the computer, only the processing of a 3-state wired interface being necessary to switch the computer from one state to another.

schematically illustrates a first example of a signal triggering the transition from one state to another for a computer receiving this signal, according to a first particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1 illustrates a first example of the profile 1 of a signal received by a computer, for example a so-called slave computer, via a communication network of the wired network type CAN type (from the English "Controller Area Network" or in French "Réseau de Contrôleurs"), CAN FD (from English "Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate" or in French "Réseau de Contrôleurs à Flow de Data Flexible") (according to ISO 11898), FlexRay (according to the ISO 17458 standard) or Ethernet (according to ISO/IEC 802-3 standard). Such a network for example connects a master computer to one or more slave computers, the master computer transmitting the signal to one or more of the slave computers. All of the computers connected via the communication network are part of the on-board system of a vehicle, for example a motor vehicle.

Profile 1 of the signal represents the voltage variations of the signal (in ordinates) as a function of time (in abscissa). In a first part (from a chronological point of view), the voltage of the signal is at a low level U1, such a voltage U1 being for example comprised in an interval of voltages comprised between a minimum value U _min1 and a maximum value U _max1 . Such a DC voltage at a low level U1 stipulates for example that the computer receiving the signal remains in an initial state corresponding to the so-called deep standby state.

When the computer receives the signal and detects the presence of a single rising edge 11 causing the voltage of the signal to pass from the low level U1 to a first high level U2 to remain at the first high level U2 for a determined duration (for example a few milliseconds) before dropping back down to the low level U1 (via a falling edge), the computer interprets this voltage variation as a command to switch from the deep standby state to the standby state (or according to a variant of the so-called awake state in standby state). The first high voltage level U2 is advantageously comprised in a voltage interval comprised between a minimum value U _min2 and a maximum value U _max2 , U _min2 being greater than U _max1 , U2 therefore being greater than U1. Such a signal profile 1 thus has the general shape of a square wave with a plateau 110 during which the voltage remains equal to U2.

When the computer receives the signal and detects the presence of a single rising edge 12 causing the signal voltage to pass from the low level U1 to a second high level U3 to remain at the second high level U3 for a determined duration (for example a few milliseconds) before dropping back down to the low level U1 (via a falling edge), the computer interprets this voltage variation as a command to go from the standby state to the so-called awake state (or according to a variant of the deep standby state in the waking state). The second high voltage level U3 is advantageously comprised in a voltage interval comprised between a minimum value U _min3 and a maximum value U _max3 , U _min3 being greater than U _max2 , U3 therefore being greater than U2 and U1. Such a signal profile 1 thus has the general shape of a crenel with a plateau 120 during which the voltage remains equal to U3.

schematically illustrates a second example of a signal triggering the transition from one state to another for a computer receiving this signal, according to the first particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 illustrates a second example of profile 2 of the signal received by a computer, such as the computer of Figure 1.

Profile 2 of the signal represents the voltage variations of the signal (in ordinates) as a function of time (in abscissa). In a first part (from a chronological point of view), the signal voltage is at the low level U1 and the computer is considered to be in the so-called standby state (triggered for example by the detection of the rising edge 11 of the figure 1).

When the computer receives the signal and detects the presence of several, for example 2, successive rising edges 21 and 22 (from a chronological point of view) each causing the signal voltage to pass from the low level U1 to the first high level U2 to remain at the first high level U2 for a determined duration (for example a few milliseconds) before dropping back down to the low level U1 (via a falling edge), the computer interprets this voltage variation as a command to switch from the standby state to the deep wakefulness. Such a profile 2 thus has the general shape of a double crenel with a first plateau 210 during which the voltage remains equal to U2 after the first rising edge 21 before falling back to U1 and with a second plateau 220 during which the voltage remains equal to U2 after the first rising edge 22 before dropping back to U1.

Of course, the number of rising edges can be different from 2, for example equal to 3, 4 or 5 rising edges.

schematically illustrates a third example of a signal triggering the transition from one state to another for a computer receiving this signal, according to the first particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 illustrates a third example of the profile 3 of the signal received by a computer, such as the computer of Figure 1 and Figure 2.

Profile 3 of the signal represents the voltage variations of the signal (in ordinates) as a function of time (in abscissa). In a first part (from a chronological point of view), the signal voltage is at the low level U1 and the computer is considered to be in the so-called awake state (triggered for example by the detection of the rising edge 12 of the figure 1).

When the computer receives the signal and detects the presence of several, for example 2, successive rising edges 31 and 32 (from a chronological point of view) each causing the signal voltage to pass from the low level U1 to the second high level U3 to remain at the second high level U3 for a determined duration (for example a few milliseconds) before dropping back down to the low level U1 (via a falling edge), the computer interprets this voltage variation as a command to switch from the so-called awake state to the deep wakefulness. Such a profile 3 thus has the general shape of a double crenel with a first plateau 310 during which the voltage remains equal to U3 after the first rising edge 31 before falling back to U1 and with a second plateau 320 during which the voltage remains equal at U3 after the first rising edge 32 before dropping back down to U1.

Of course, the number of rising edges can be different from 2, for example equal to 3, 4 or 5 rising edges.

schematically illustrates an example of a signal triggering the transition from one state to another for a computer receiving this signal, according to a second particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 illustrates an example of profile 4 of a signal received by a computer, such as the computer of one or more of Figures 1 to 3.

Profile 4 of the signal represents the voltage variations of the signal (in ordinates) as a function of time (in abscissa). In a first part (from a chronological point of view), the signal voltage is at the low level U1. Such a DC voltage at the low level U1 stipulates for example that the computer receiving the signal remains in an initial state corresponding to the so-called deep standby state.

When the computer receives the signal and detects the presence of a single rising edge 41 causing the voltage of the signal to pass from the low level U1 to the first high level U2 to remain at the first high level U2 for a duration equal to t1 (for example a few milliseconds ) before dropping back down to the low level U1 (via a falling edge), the computer interprets this voltage variation as a command to switch from the deep standby state to the standby state (or according to a variant of the so-called awake to awake state). Such a signal profile 4 thus has the general shape of a crenel with a plateau 410 during which the voltage remains equal to U2 for a duration t1.

When the computer receives the signal and detects the presence of a single rising edge 42 causing the voltage of the signal to pass from the low level U1 to the first high level U2 to remain at the second high level U2 for a duration equal to t2 (for example proportional to t1, for example t2 = X.t1 with X corresponding to a positive integer or a positive real number) before dropping back down to the low level U1 (via a falling edge), the computer interprets this voltage variation as a command to switch from the waking state to the so-called awake state (or according to a variant from the deep waking state to the so-called awake state). Such a signal profile 4 thus has the general shape of a crenel with a plateau 420 during which the voltage remains equal to U2 for a duration t2 greater than t1.

When the computer receives the signal and detects the presence of a single rising edge 43 causing the voltage of the signal to pass from the low level U1 to the first high level U2 to remain at the second high level U2 for a duration equal to t3 (for example proportional to t1, for example t3 = Y.t1 with Y corresponding to a positive integer or a positive real number) before dropping back down to the low level U1 (via a falling edge), the computer interprets this voltage variation as a command to switch from the so-called awake state to the deep wakefulness state or to pass from the so-called wakefulness state to the so-called deep wakefulness state. Such a signal profile 4 thus has the general shape of a crenel with a plateau 430 during which the voltage remains equal to U2 for a duration t3 greater than t2.

According to a third particular embodiment of the invention, when the computer receives the signal and detects the presence of a single rising edge causing the voltage of the signal to pass from the low level U1 to the first high level U2 to remain at the first high level U2 for a duration equal to t1 (for example a few milliseconds) before dropping back down to the low level U1 (via a falling edge), the computer interprets this voltage variation as a command to switch from the deep standby state to the day before. When the computer receives the signal and detects the presence of 2 successive rising edges (from a chronological point of view) each causing the signal voltage to pass from the low level U1 to the first high level U2 to remain at the first high level U2 for a duration equal to t1 before dropping back down to the low level U1 (via a falling edge), the computer interprets this voltage variation as a command to switch to the so-called awake state. Finally, when the computer receives the signal and detects the presence of 3 successive rising edges (from a chronological point of view) each causing the signal voltage to pass from the low level U1 to the first high level U2 to remain at the first high level U2 for a duration equal to t1 before dropping back down to the low level U1 (via a falling edge), the computer interprets this voltage variation as a command to switch to the so-called deep standby state (for example from the awake state or the standby state).

schematically illustrates a computer 5 configured to switch from one state to another depending on a signal received, for example from another computer, according to a particular and non-limiting example embodiment of the present invention. The computer 5 corresponds for example to a computer of an on-board system of a vehicle.

The computer 5 is for example configured for the implementation of the operations described with regard to FIGS. 1 to 4 and/or of the steps of the method described with regard to FIG. 6. Examples of such a computer 5 include, without being limited, on-board electronic equipment such as a vehicle's on-board computer, an electronic computer such as an ECU or a Telematic Control Unit (TCU). The elements of the computer 5, individually or in combination, can be integrated in a single integrated circuit, in several integrated circuits, and/or in discrete components. The computer 5 can be made in the form of electronic circuits or software (or computer) modules or else a combination of electronic circuits and software modules. According to various particular embodiments, the computer 5 is coupled in communication with other similar devices or systems, for example via a communication bus or via dedicated input/output ports.

The computer 5 comprises one (or more) processor(s) 50 configured to execute instructions for carrying out the steps of the method and/or for executing the instructions of the software or software embedded in the computer 5. The processor 50 can include integrated memory, an input/output interface, and various circuits known to those skilled in the art. The computer 5 further comprises at least one memory 51 corresponding for example to a volatile and/or non-volatile memory and/or comprises a memory storage device which can comprise volatile and/or non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM, ROM, PROM, RAM, DRAM, SRAM, flash, magnetic or optical disk.

The computer code of the on-board software or software comprising the instructions to be loaded and executed by the processor is for example stored on the memory 51.

According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment, the computer 5 comprises a block 52 of interface elements for communicating with external devices, for example a remote server or the "cloud", other devices similar to the computer 5 and embedded in vehicles other than the one on board the computer 5. The interface elements of block 52 include one or more of the following interfaces:

- RF radiofrequency interface, for example of the Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi® type, LTE (from English "Long-Term Evolution" or in French "Evolution à long terme"), LTE-Advanced (or in French LTE-avanced );

- USB interface (from English "Universal Serial Bus" or "Bus Universel en Série" in French);

- HDMI interface (from the English "High Definition Multimedia Interface", or "Interface Multimedia Haute Definition" in French);

- LIN interface (from English "Local Interconnect Network", or in French "Réseau interconnecté local").

Data are for example loaded to the computer 5 via the interface of block 22 using a Wi-Fi® network such as according to IEEE 802.11, an ITS G5 network based on IEEE 802.11p or a mobile network such as a 4G network (or LTE Advanced according to 3GPP release 10 – version 10) or 5G, in particular an LTE-V2X network.

The computer 5 advantageously comprises signal reception and/or processing means corresponding, for example, to a communication interface 53 which makes it possible to receive and/or interpret the signal described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 via a communication channel 530. The communication interface 53 corresponds for example to a transmitter configured to transmit and receive information and/or data via the communication channel 530. The communication interface 53 corresponds for example to a CAN-type wired network ( from English "Controller Area Network" or French "Réseau de Contrôleurs"), CAN FD (from English "Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate" or French "Réseau de Contrôleurs à Flow de Data Flexible") ( according to ISO 11898), FlexRay (according to ISO 17458) or Ethernet (according to ISO/IEC 802-3).

According to an additional particular embodiment, the computer 5 can provide output signals to one or more external devices, such as a display screen, one or more loudspeakers and/or other peripherals respectively via interfaces output not shown.

illustrates a flowchart of the different steps of a method for controlling a computer, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The method is advantageously implemented in the computer 5.

In a first step 61, a signal such as for example the signal described with regard to FIGS. 1 to 4 is received.

In a second step 62, the computer switches from one operating state to another operating state, depending on the signal received in step 61. The computer detects for example the presence of one or more rising edges to determine at which state it must pass from among a set of states comprising 3 or more operating states.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above but extends to a method for receiving (respectively transmitting) a signal such as the signal described with respect to one of FIGS. 1 to 4 , and to the device configured for the implementation of such a method.

The invention also relates to an on-board system comprising the computer 5.

The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising the computer 5 or the on-board system.

Claims (10)

Method for controlling a vehicle computer, said method comprising a step of switching (62) of the computer (5) from one operating state to another operating state as a function of at least one rising edge (11, 12 21, 22; 31, 32; 41, 42, 43) in voltage of a signal received by said computer (5), said operating state and said other operating state belonging to a set comprising at least 3 operating states . Process according to Claim 1, in which:
- said computer (5) switches from a so-called deep standby state to a so-called standby state when said signal has a rising edge (11) causing said signal to pass from a low voltage level to a first high voltage level for a fixed term, and/or
- said computer switches to a so-called awake state when said signal presents a rising edge (12) causing said signal to pass from the low voltage level to a second high voltage level for a determined duration, the second voltage level being higher than the first voltage level. Process according to Claim 1, in which:
- said computer (5) passes from a so-called standby state to a so-called deep standby state when said signal presents a plurality of successive rising edges (21, 22) each causing said signal to pass from a low voltage level to a first high voltage level for a determined duration; and or
- - said computer (5) changes from a state called awake to a state called deep sleep when said signal has a plurality of rising edges (31, 32) successive each causing said signal to pass from the low voltage level to a second level voltage high for a determined duration, the second voltage level being higher than the first voltage level. Process according to Claim 1, in which:
- said computer (5) switches from a so-called deep standby state to a so-called standby state when said signal has a rising edge (41) causing said signal to pass from a low voltage level to a high voltage level for a first fixed term, and/or
- said computer (5) switches to a so-called awake state when said signal presents a rising edge (42) causing said signal to pass from the low voltage level to the high voltage level for a second determined duration, said second determined duration being different from said first fixed term, and/or
- said computer (5) switches from the so-called standby state or from the so-called awake state to the so-called deep sleep state when said signal has a rising edge (43) causing said signal to pass from the low voltage level to said level high voltage for a third determined duration, said third determined duration being different from said first determined duration and from said second determined duration. A method according to claim 4, wherein said second determined duration is greater than said first determined duration and said third determined duration is greater than said second determined duration. Process according to Claim 1, in which:
- said computer (5) switches from a so-called deep standby state to a so-called standby state when said signal presents a rising edge causing said signal to pass from a low voltage level to a high voltage level for a determined duration, and or
- said computer (5) switches from a so-called deep standby state to a so-called awake state when said signal has two rising edges each causing said signal to pass from the low voltage level to the high voltage level for the said determined duration, and/or
- said computer (5) switches from the so-called standby state or from the so-called awake state to the so-called deep sleep state when said signal has three rising edges each causing said signal to pass from the low voltage level to the high voltage level voltage for said determined duration. Method according to claim 1, for which said computer (5) remains in an initial state called deep standby as long as the voltage level of said received signal is at a low level. Vehicle computer (5), said computer (5) comprising means (53) for processing a signal configured for the implementation of the steps of the method according to any one of Claims 1 to 7. Motor vehicle comprising the computer (5) according to claim 8. Computer program product comprising instructions adapted for the execution of the steps of the method according to one of Claims 1 to 7, when the computer program is executed by at least one processor.