DE102010062052A1 - Vehicle train and method for storing addresses - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle train (100) is described, comprising: at least two vehicles (110, 120, 130, 140) that can be arranged one behind the other in a sequence, each vehicle having an electronic memory (112, 122, 132, 142) for storing an address of the vehicle wherein a first vehicle in the sequence is configured to store a predetermined value as its address in its memory, each vehicle (110, 120, 130) except for a last vehicle in the sequence being configured one determined based on its address to transmit further value to a next vehicle in the sequence, and wherein each vehicle (120, 130, 140) except for the first vehicle is designed to store the further value transmitted to it as its address in its memory. A method for storing addresses is also described.

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle train having vehicles and a method for storing addresses of vehicles of a vehicle train. More particularly, the present invention relates to a vehicle train having vehicles configured to perform dynamic addressing. More particularly, the present invention relates to a vehicle platoon having vehicles each equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and communicating tire pressure related data to a driver of the vehicle platoon. Further, the present invention relates to a vehicle train composed of a plurality of vehicles, wherein data of trailers are sent to a truck in a first position of an order of the vehicles.

Direct tire pressure monitoring (TPMS) systems consist of wheel units (WUs) installed inside the tires of a vehicle.

There may be a need for a vehicle train, particularly a truck trailer, and for a method of storing addresses of vehicles, which circumvents or mitigates at least some of the above problems. In particular, there may be a need for a vehicle train of a plurality of vehicles arranged in an order, wherein data transmitted from the vehicles to a first vehicle in order can be more easily assigned to the individual vehicles, particularly when the order is changed or Truck is often reassembled. Further, there may be a need for a method of storing addresses of vehicles, which method is simplified compared to conventional methods. Further, it is an object to provide such a vehicle platoon.

This object is solved by the subject matters of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the present invention are described in the dependent claims.

According to the invention, there is provided a vehicle train, in particular a truck, comprising at least two (or three, or four, or five, or six or even more) vehicles in an order which is definable by a sequence of the vehicles; In this case, an arrow pointing from the last vehicle to the first vehicle can define an ordinary direction of movement of the vehicle train when driving forward; wherein one vehicle is disposed in front of another vehicle when the vehicle is displaced along the direction of travel relative to the other vehicle and one vehicle is disposed behind another vehicle when the vehicle is offset from the direction of movement with respect to the other vehicle) (in particular arranged) vehicles (such as vehicles, each having at least four wheels, with or without a motor for driving the wheels), each vehicle having an electronic memory (which may be, for example, in an ECU) for storing an address of the vehicle. Here, a first vehicle in the order (for example, a towing vehicle equipped with a motor) is configured to have a predetermined value (such as a predetermined bit pattern, a numeric number, an alphanumeric character, a character string) as its address (which is particularly unique to identify the vehicle) in its memory. Further, each vehicle except one last vehicle is arranged in the order (which is arranged at one end of the order, at which end not the first vehicle is arranged), a further value determined based on its address (the further value is thus dependent on its address, or can be derived from its address or calculable) to a next (ie directly behind) vehicle in the order to submit. Furthermore, each vehicle is formed except for the first vehicle (which does not exclude that the first vehicle may also be designed) to store the further value transmitted to it as its address in its memory.

According to one embodiment, a generic solution is provided for addressing an infinite number of trailers of a truck and dynamically assigning the trailers a unique address. Thus, each vehicle part does not have to be assigned a unique serial number, which is fixed. Thus, data sent to the first vehicle from the vehicles behind it together with their vehicle addresses can be uniquely assigned to a particular vehicle in the order without having to manually input the individual fixed serial numbers of the trailers into a control unit, as is conventional Procedure required. The dynamic addressing of the vehicles can be used for any kind of diagnostic message (brake wear, hydraulic oil level, etc) and thus also outside the TPMS context, ie. H. Tire pressure measurement, to be used.

According to an embodiment, the first vehicle is in the order of a truck, which may be a vehicle with drive motor. In particular, in a collapsed vehicle train, the trailers coupled behind the truck may receive data relating to Transmit tire pressure to the truck. In this transmission of data also the respective addresses of the coupled to the truck trailer are transmitted. From the addresses transmitted together with the data, the lorry (in particular a control unit) can determine from which trailer in the sequence the data has been sent in order to be able to determine in particular which tire of which trailer has an undesired tire pressure.

According to one embodiment, at least the last vehicle in the order (or in particular all vehicles except the first vehicle in the order) is a trailer (which may be for example a vehicle without a drive motor). In particular, two, three, four, five or more trailers may be coupled or coupleable to the truck placed first in the order.

According to one embodiment, each vehicle is equipped with an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), wherein the ECU is configured to communicate with the memory of the respective vehicle (that is, the vehicle in which the ECU is included). In this case, the memory may also be formed integrally with the ECU or the ECU may comprise the memory. In this case, conventional ECUs can be used. Thus, the cost of the system or the vehicle platoon can be reduced.

According to one embodiment, the ECU of each vehicle, except for that of the last vehicle, is configured to periodically transmit the further value based on its address to the next vehicle. This allows a dynamic addressing of the vehicles, which is particularly advantageous when the vehicle platoon is assembled in a changed order or the vehicle platoon is composed of a changing amount of vehicles. For example, the recurrent transmission may occur at a time interval of one second, five seconds, ten seconds, thirty seconds, sixty seconds, one minute or five minutes. This enables fast, automatic addressing in a dynamic way.

According to an embodiment, the ECU of each vehicle except that of the first vehicle is arranged to store as its address the predetermined value in its memory, if for a longer than a predetermined period of time (for example, thirty seconds, one minute, five minutes, or another value ) no further value from the previous (before) vehicle in the order (that is, the vehicle which is arranged in front of the vehicle in question) is transmitted to the (relevant) vehicle. The first vehicle can also be designed in this way. This can ensure that in the event that no further value is transmitted from a previous vehicle to the vehicle arranged behind it, the vehicle is nevertheless assigned an address.

According to one embodiment, the ECU of each vehicle, with the exception of the last vehicle, can be coupled (or coupled) to the ECU of the next vehicle (that is to say the vehicle arranged behind it) via a data line, by means of which the further value can be transmitted from the vehicle to the next vehicle is (or is being transmitted). As a data line, a conventional data line may be used, which conventionally couples ECUs located in different vehicles with each other for communicating communication signals.

According to one embodiment, the predetermined one value is an integer, that is, for example, a negative integer or a positive integer such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or any larger integer. This simplifies the addressing.

According to one embodiment, the further value determined based on the address of the vehicle is the address of the vehicle increased by the number one. For example, if the address of the first vehicle is 3, the address of the vehicle coupled to the first vehicle is 4 and the address of the following vehicle is 5.

According to one embodiment, the predetermined value is the number one. In this case, for example, the address of the first trailer 2 may be, the address of the second trailer may be 3 and the address of the third trailer may be 4, etc. Receives, for example, the driver of the vehicle train a pressure measurement telegram, which is associated with the address 3, so the driver of the vehicle knows that the pressure measurement was sent from the second trailer.

According to an embodiment, the vehicles which can be arranged in succession (or arranged) can be arranged in a further order (which is different from the order), the address of the vehicle being changed in its memory, the position of which is compared in the further order Order changes. Furthermore, a trailer or several other trailers can be coupled to the rear of the vehicle train, these other trailers are dynamically assigned their addresses in the manner described above. Due to the dynamic addressing (which in particular is carried out recurrently) reflects the Order of addresses always the order of the vehicles.

All features (individually or in any combination) that have been disclosed, described, illustrated, or mentioned with respect to a vehicle platoon are also applicable to a method of storing addresses (individually or in any combination), as appreciated by those skilled in the art the technology is easily recognized.

According to one embodiment, a method is provided for storing addresses of at least two vehicles of a vehicle train that can be arranged in succession in succession, each vehicle having an electronic memory for storing an address of the vehicle. The method comprises storing, from a first vehicle in the order, a predetermined value as its address in its memory; Transmitting, from each vehicle to a last vehicle in the order, a further value determined based on the address of the vehicle to a next vehicle in the order; and storing, from each vehicle except the first vehicle, the transmitted further value as its address in its memory.

It should be noted that embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to different subject matters. In particular, some embodiments of the invention are described with apparatus claims and other embodiments of the invention with method claims. However, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this application that, unless explicitly stated otherwise, in addition to a combination of features belonging to a type of subject matter, any combination of features that may result in different types of features is also possible Subject matters belong.

Further advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following exemplary description of presently preferred embodiments. The individual figures of the drawing of this application are merely to be regarded as schematic and not necessarily to scale.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

The figure shows a vehicle train 100 , in particular a truck, according to an embodiment, in which a method for storing addresses according to an embodiment is performed.

Direct tire pressure monitoring (TPMS) systems according to one embodiment consist of wheel units (WUs) installed within the tires of a vehicle, a number of antennas or receivers, and a central control unit. Pressure sensors within the wheel units measure the tire pressure and transmit the data via radio frequency (RF) transmission to the central control unit. The control unit obtains and processes the data and generates warnings to the driver of the vehicle in the event of tires having no predetermined tire pressure or having a tire pressure less than a predetermined threshold. In order to tell the driver of the vehicle which tire of the vehicle has an undesirable tire pressure, the tire pressure monitoring system must know the position of each individual tire unit (also called wheel unit).

Therefore, the tire pressure monitoring system is capable of discriminating various wheel unit telegrams via unique wheel unit identification information (WU ID) sent in each wheel unit (RF) message. In order to be able to warn the driver of the vehicle that the vehicle has a tire with undesirable tire pressure, the corresponding function is transferred from the vehicle with the defective tire to a towing vehicle or a truck in front in an order of the vehicles Communication line transmitted. In particular, in the case of a lorry, which consists of several vehicles (in particular a truck at a first location in the order of vehicles and one or more trailers, which are coupled one behind the other on the truck), the driver of the vehicle or the vehicle train must Information is transmitted, which tire of which vehicle (in particular which trailer) has the unwanted tire pressure.

A unique serial number of an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of a vehicle is assigned as its address (for example, factory). This unique serial number is used as the fixed (absolute) address of this vehicle. For example, if a lorry is assembled from a truck and several trailers, the respective unique serial numbers of the trailers must be manually entered into the control unit. It must also be entered at which point in the vehicle train a trailer with a specific serial number is positioned. This is error prone and requires effort, time and expense.

In the following, improved methods and devices will be described.

The vehicle train shown schematically in the figure 100 includes a truck 110 , a first trailer coupled behind it 120 , one behind the trailer 120 coupled second trailer 130 and one at the very end of the truck 100 coupled last trailer 140 , Each of the vehicle 110 . 120 . 130 and 140 includes a tire pressure monitoring system to measure and monitor a pressure of the tires installed on each vehicle, respectively. The truck 110 has tires, for example 111 on, the first trailer 120 has tires 121 on, the second trailer 130 has tires 131 on and the last trailer 140 has tires 141 on. Each vehicle may have four tires, six tires, eight tires, ten tires or even more tires. The trailer 100 For example, it may have a trailer, two trailers, three trailers, four trailers, or even more trailers.

Each vehicle has an ECU, where the truck is the ECU 112 , the first trailer the ECU 122 , the second trailer the ECU 132 and the last trailer is the ECU 142 having. Each ECU has a memory in which an address of the respective vehicle can be stored. The ECU 112 of the truck has a master port 114 which allows, based on the address of the truck 110 specific value to a slave port 123 the ECU 122 of the first trailer 120 to convey.

In particular, the truck can 110 be assigned the address 1 and the address to the first trailer 120 transmitted value, which is based on the address of the truck, is the increased by one value of the address of the truck 110 , Thus, the first trailer gets to the slave port 123 the number 2, which is the ECU 122 as the address of the first trailer 120 stores.

The ECU 122 has a master port 124 by which the ECU 122 a further value based on its address (ie two) (in this case the number 3) to a slave port 133 the ECU 132 of the second trailer 130 transmitted. The ECU 132 stores the number 3 thus obtained as its address in a memory. The transmission of further values based on the respective address of the vehicle will continue until the last trailer 140 via a slave connection 143 a certain value is transmitted, which is stored in the memory of the ECU 142 as the address of the last trailer 140 is stored.

The assignment of addresses from a vehicle to a vehicle located behind or coupled to it is activated as soon as a trailer is added or removed (hot plugg feature). Specifically, each ECU (except for those of the first vehicle and the last vehicle) has a slave port and a master port. A master terminal of an ECU of a vehicle is connected to a slave terminal of an ECU of the next vehicle of the order. Also the ECU 112 of the towing vehicle 110 may have a slave port, but this is not used for the addressing process. In particular, a data flow can be unidirectional, as by the arrow on the data line 150 indicated or bidirectionally from a master terminal of an ECU to a slave terminal of a subsequent or next ECU.

In particular, the ECUs 112 . 122 . 132 and 142 is formed similar. The address of each vehicle can be stored in an EEPROM. In particular, a data exchange or a data transmission from one ECU to another ECU can take place with a defined frequency. Each ECU can check its slave port to determine if data has been transferred there. If no data has been communicated there, the ECU may set its address (or the address of the vehicle in which the ECU is included) to one or any other predetermined value.

According to another embodiment, dynamic addressing takes place in an opposite direction (that is not from the front to the rear in the truck, but from back to front), the last trailer transmits an address to the penultimate trailer, etc. until the first vehicle Address received from the immediately behind it coupled first trailer.

The ECUs of two adjacent vehicles are each connected by a data line 150 connected to the transmission of data. There may also be bidirectional data communication between the ECUs. After a successful dynamic addressing of the vehicles, data transmitted via RF technology, which relate to tire pressures, can be assigned to this vehicle on the basis of the communicated address of the respective vehicle.

It should be noted that the embodiments described herein represent only a limited selection of possible embodiments of the invention. Thus, it is possible to suitably combine the features of individual embodiments with one another, so that for the person skilled in the art with the variants of embodiment that are explicit here, a multiplicity of different embodiments are to be regarded as obviously disclosed.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

100

vehicle train

110

Lorry

120, 130, 140

pendant

112, 122, 132, 142

ECUs

111, 121, 131, 141

tires

123, 133, 143

Slave terminals

114, 124, 134

Master ports

150

signal line

Claims (12)

Vehicle train ( 100 ), comprising: • at least two vehicles which can be arranged one behind the other in an order ( 110 . 120 . 130 . 140 ), each vehicle having an electronic memory ( 112 . 122 . 132 . 142 ) for storing an address of the vehicle, wherein a first vehicle is arranged in order to store a predetermined value as its address in its memory, each vehicle ( 110 . 120 . 130 ) is arranged to transmit a further value determined based on its address to a next vehicle in the order except one last vehicle in the order, and wherein each vehicle ( 120 . 130 . 140 ) is configured, except for the first vehicle, to store the value transmitted to it as its address in its memory. A vehicle train according to claim 1, wherein the first vehicle is in the order of a truck ( 110 ). Vehicle train according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least the last vehicle ( 140 ) is a follower in the order. Vehicle train according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each vehicle has an ECU ( 112 . 122 . 132 . 142 ) configured to communicate with the memory of the vehicle. A vehicle train according to claim 4, wherein the ECU ( 112 . 122 . 132 ,) of each vehicle except that of the last vehicle is adapted to transmit based on its address certain further value to the next vehicle recurrently. A vehicle train according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the ECU ( 122 . 132 . 142 ) of each vehicle except that of the first vehicle is configured to store as its address the predetermined value in its memory if no further value from the previous vehicle is transmitted in the order to the vehicle for a time longer than a predetermined period of time. Vehicle train according to one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the ECU ( 112 . 122 . 132 ) of each vehicle except the one of the last vehicle with the ECU of the next vehicle via a data line ( 150 ), by means of which the further value can be transmitted from the vehicle to the next vehicle. A vehicle train according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the predetermined value is an integer. A vehicle train according to claim 8, wherein the further value determined based on the address of the vehicle is the address of the vehicle increased by the number one. A vehicle train according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the predetermined value is the number one. A vehicle train according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the vehicles which can be arranged one after another in the order can be arranged one after the other in a further order which is different from the order, the address of the vehicle in its memory being changed whose position is compared in the further order changes to the order. Method for storing addresses of at least two vehicles which can be arranged one behind the other in an order ( 110 . 120 . 130 . 140 ) of a vehicle train, each vehicle having an electronic memory ( 112 . 122 . 132 . 142 ) for storing an address of the vehicle, the method comprising: • storing, from a first vehicle ( 110 ) in the order of a predetermined value as its address in its memory; • transmitting, from each vehicle ( 110 . 120 . 130 ) except for one last vehicle in the order, one further value determined based on the address of the vehicle to a next vehicle in the order; and • saving from each vehicle ( 120 . 130 . 140 ) except for the first vehicle, of the transmitted further value as its address in its memory.

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