Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-18
2002-06-25
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3663)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
C701S036000, C455S149000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06411866
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND—FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a digital transmission and control system for vehicles, and more specifically such a system which replaces the traditional analog system employing cable harnesses in vehicles such as automobiles, agricultural equipment, and the like.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
The traditional analog system employing wire harnesses is an essential design feature in transportation and construction vehicles, agricultural and manufacturing equipment, and other devices where:
(1) electro-mechanical, electric, and/or electronic devices
1
are connected to instrument panels that allow human or computer operators to monitor and control their operation through the generation and transmission of electrical or electronic signals and/or
(2) electro-mechanical, electric, and/or electronic devices
2
are connected together into systems in which the devices communicate with and control one another and react to changes in the external environment through the generation and transmission of electrical or electronic signals.
1
The electro-mechanical, electric, and/or electronic devices referenced in this patent application include: (1) transducers, (2) indicating devices, such as lights and meters, (3) control devices, such as switches, buttons, and levers, (4) electric motors, (5) electrically and/or electronically controlled mechanical devices such as hydraulic systems, and (5) all other such devices as are currently incorporated within systems that utilize wire-harnesses.
Currently these systems employ wire harnesses, typically comprising hundreds of individual conductors, each dedicated to controlling and/or communicating with one of many different devices. Thus, for example, in an automobile, one set of wires in a harness might indicate whether certain lights are operating, another set of wires might indicate the level of illumination the lights are providing (high beam/low beam), and additional sets of wires might provide power for power controllers that turn the lights on or off and/or control the level of the lights. Even in automobiles, the large number of devices that must be monitored and controlled results in complex and bulky wire harnesses comprising dozens of individual wires. In aircraft and other more complex systems, wire harnesses frequently comprise thousands of individual wires.
These complex wire harnesses create many design, engineering, and construction problems. Their geometry and weight must be taken into account when designing the total system of which they are a part. For example, in aircraft design, certain structural members may have to be modified or moved to allow for the installation of bulky wire harnesses comprising hundreds of individual wires. Furthermore, because these harnesses are so large, the harness design must frequently be modified to take account of limitations imposed by the total structure. Wire harnesses must frequently have complex topologies, e.g., splits and branches involving bundles of hundreds of individual wires, because the harnesses must fit within pre-designated places and individual wires in the harness must connect to the appropriate devices.
After the wire harnesses for a particular system have been designed they must be constructed. This involves the design and construction of complex templates and/or armatures. After these templates and/or armatures are built, either workers must be instructed in how to load wires into them and splice appropriate bundles of wire together, or complex machinery must be programmed for the same task. The sheer number of wires involved leaves large latitude for errors to occur. Therefore each harness must be frequently tested, to determine that wires are appropriately bundled and directed within the harness.
During construction, large wire harnesses may weigh enough that they require considerable effort to move. They may also require effort to install into the systems of which they become apart. In extreme instances this may involve ad hoc modifications during the construction process, e.g., the widening of a hole in a structural member. The prior art teaches a plethora of inventions to deal with the problem of wire harness and installation. Typical among these is the patent by Gold, U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,942.
Wire harnesses are also subject to problems during use. Friction between insulated wires in the same harness may abrade insulation. This can lead to the failure of wire harness components. In extreme cases, such problems have resulted in short circuits, electrical fires, and even total system failure.
It may be necessary, on occasion, to alter wire harnesses during the operational lifetime of the systems within which they are incorporated. For example, such alterations might be required for reasons of safety, economy, or improved technology. Changing the configuration of wire harnesses after they have been incorporated into an operating system, e.g., a ship, aircraft, or automobile, is expensive and difficult.
To summarize, the current technology for wire harnesses results in bulky bundles of wires that often have complex topologies. These harnesses create design and engineering constraints. They must be manufactured and incorporated into the systems of which they are a part by using complex and expensive procedures that may be prone to error. Wire harnesses are also subject to wear during use that can result in system failure. It is difficult to change the configuration or operating characteristics of a wire harness after it has been incorporated into the system of which it forms a part.
The wire harness is well adapted to the basically analog system which communicates between transducers, switch closures, and voltage levels as input devices, and analog meters, indicators, and annunciators as outputs. This analog system has been the only economically feasible system available since the development of the vehicles in which they are used. However, the current state of the digital technology now makes it possible to replace the analog system with a digital one.
They key to the use of a digital system is the central computer bus, which replaces the wire harness. The bus make be one of many different types: arrays multi-conductor lines, optical bundles, waveguides are all applicable for this purpose. Furthermore, serial transmission may be used in the main bus, so that a single coaxial cable, or dual twisted pair cables, may form the central spine of this system.
The electrical system may be thought of as the analog of a computer network, in which the remote inputs and outputs form network nodes. The nodes require several devices for their operation: first, there must be a local bus which communicates between the main bus and the node. Next there must be a digital controller, with addressing capability to isolate data intended for the node, and, in the case of serial data transmission, to convert it to parallel data for further processing. A converter is also usually necessary to convert the digital data to analog, and vice versa. And finally, there must be data processing capability, either at the node itself, or via a central microprocessor which collects data from all the inputs, processes the data, and produces outputs accordingly.
Because of continuing miniaturization and increase in computing power of modern microprocessor technology, the cost of the elements required at the node is now sufficiently low to make such a system economically feasible. Installation costs will be reduced, as traditional cables are expensive to fabricate, install, and test. Modularization of the elements will further reduce construction costs. The digital system lends itself to self-testing, reducing maintenance. And the resulting system will have a reduced weight and complexity.
Advantages of the Digital System
This invention will, in many cases, be able to replace an extremely heavy, bulky, and topologically complex analog system with its attendant wire harness comprising hundreds of individual wires with one bi-directional or unidirectional signal bus, an optional power bus and i
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Donnelly Arthur D.
White Mark P.
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