Field of the invention

The invention relates to an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) of a vehicle, and, more particularly, to the ECU to receive real time physical data from a portable device corresponding to failed sensors in the vehicle for the operation of the vehicle and to assist a vehicle driver.

Background of the invention

An Electronic Control Unit (ECU) of a vehicle used in conjunction with mobile phones receives information from the mobile phones for assisting a driver of the vehicle. The prior art, US patent Application, 20110185390 discloses providing an automotive driver information system that uses processing power and applications running on mobile phones to extend its own functionality. The prior art discloses a method of operating the automotive driver information system including communicatively coupling a personal electronics device to the automotive driver information system. A user makes input using a automobile's input devices, and the input is transformed to match the input capabilities of the personal electronics device. The application transmits data to the personal electronics device. The personal electronics device processes the data within. A result of the processing is transmitted from the personal electronics device to the automotive driver information system. Information is presented to the user via the automotive driver information system dependent upon the result of the processing.

Object of the invention

The object of the invention is to provide real time physical data to an electronic control unit (ECU) of a vehicle. The ECU generates failure information regarding failure of at least one sensor, for example, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a position sensor, a speed sensor, etc., in the vehicle. The ECU transmits the generated failure information to a portable device. The portable device identifies the failed sensor based on the transmitted failure information. The portable device transmits the real time physical data corresponding to the identified failed sensor to the ECU of the vehicle. The transmitted real time physical data is made use by the in the vehicle to execute some functionalities of the vehicle and also to assist the user of the vehicle during the failure of the sensors present in the vehicle.

Advantages of the invention

During the normal operation of the vehicle, the ECU can communicate with the portable device to receive real time physical data, for example, temperature data, pressure data, positional information, light intensity, speed information, etc., from the portable device to execute some functionalities in the vehicle. The ECU may use the received real time physical data to control the relevant functionalities in the vehicle, thus in some cases eliminating the use of relevant sensors in the vehicle. For example, the ECU controls the air-conditioning system for the vehicle, switching off the headlights of the vehicle based on the respective real time physical data such as temperature details, light intensity information received from the portable device. When at least one sensor in the vehicle fails, the ECU receives the real time physical data relevant to the failed sensor from the portable device capable of providing real time physical data corresponding to the failed sensor. If the failed sensor is critical, the received real time physical data is used by the ECU to activate a limp home mode for the vehicle. The limp home mode enables the user of the vehicle to drive the vehicle to a nearby service station. By using the portable device to receive physical data necessary to drive the vehicle, the complexity of the vehicle and the system price is reduced.

Short description of the drawing

An exemplifying embodiment of the invention is explained in principle below with reference to the drawings. The drawings are,

Figure 1 illustrates an electronic control unit (ECU) and a portable device in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 illustrates a flowchart of the method to provide the real time physical data to the ECU of the vehicle in accordance with this invention.

Description of the invention

The invention relates to providing real time physical data from a portable device to an ECU, the ECU which is located in a vehicle. According to the present invention, this is done by the features of the independent claims. Figure 1 illustrates the ECU (101) in a vehicle to receive real time physical data from a portable device (102) in accordance with this invention. The ECU 101 comprises a failure information generating means (103) and a failure information transmitting means (104). The ECU (101) receives sensor data from different sensors present in the vehicle. The sensors in the vehicle may be pressure sensor, temperature sensor, positional sensor, visibility sensor, speed sensor or the like. Sensors, for example, speed sensor, are critical for the operation of the vehicle. Also, certain other sensors, for example, light sensor, may not be critical for the operation of the vehicle.

When one of the sensors fails, the ECU (101) detects that a particular sensor has failed. Under such scenario, the failure information generating means (103) of the ECU (101) generates failure information regarding failure of the sensor in the vehicle. The failure information transmitting means (104) transmits the generated failure information to a portable device (102). The portable device (102) may be a smart phone, a Personal Digital Assistant, etc. The portable device (102) comprises a failure information receiving means (105) to receive the failure information from the ECU (101) of the vehicle. The portable device (102) comprises an identification means (106) to identify the failed sensors in the vehicle based on the received failure information. The portable device (102) transmits the real time physical data corresponding to the failed sensors to the ECU (101). The portable device (102) may comprise in-built sensors with similar capabilities as that of the sensors present in the vehicle. Alternatively the portable device (102) may access the real time physical data from external sensors. The portable device (102) may also communicate with other devices to transmit the required real time physical data back to the ECU (101) of the vehicle. The ECU (101) receives the real time physical data corresponding to the failed sensors from the portable device (102) in dependence with the transmitted failure data and uses the real time physical data for the operation of the vehicle.

During the normal operation of the vehicle, the ECU (101) can establish a communication with the portable device (102) via the communication medium to receive real time physical data required for executing some functionalities of the vehicle. The ECU (101) adjusts the control parameters of the vehicle based on the received real time physical data from the portable device (102). When at least one sensor in the vehicle fails, the ECU (101) determines whether the sensor is critical for the operation of the vehicle or not. If the sensor is critical for the operation of the vehicle, then the ECU (101) activates a limp home mode for the vehicle in dependence of the received real time physical data. The ECU (101) uses the critical physical real time data from the portable device (102) for the operation of the vehicle. The limp home mode allows the user to drive the vehicle to a reasonable distance, for example, to a nearby service station, When the ECU (101) identifies that the failed sensor is not critical for the operation of the vehicle, then the ECU (101) uses the received real time physical data for the operation of the vehicle, but may not activate the limp home mode.

For example, if there is a function to switch off and switch on the headlights automatically depending upon input from ambient light sensor in the vehicle, then when the ambient light sensor fails, the ECU receives the real time physical data regarding the ambient light, from the portable device and the ECU uses the received real time physical data to switch off and switch on the headlights automatically depending upon ambient light. In this case the vehicle is not put into limp home mode, but the functionality of automatic headlight control is provided to the user without any interruption.

Consider for example, a speed sensor in the vehicle which is critical for the vehicle's operation fails to operate normally. The ECU (101) detects the failure of the speed sensor and generates failure information regarding the failed speed sensor. Further, the ECU (101) detects and connects to a smart phone with a feature of providing relevant speed information required for the operation of the vehicle. The ECU (101) transmits the generated failure information corresponding to the failed speed sensor to the smart phone. The smart phone detects that the speed sensor has failed, based on the received failure information. The smart phone transmits the speed information corresponding to the output of the speed sensor required for the operation of the vehicle to the ECU (101). Since the received speed information is critical for the operation of the vehicle, the ECU (101) activates the limp home mode for the operation of the vehicle. Thus the ECU (101) allows the user of the vehicle to safely reach home or a nearby service station using the limp home mode when the speed sensor required for the operation of the vehicle fails.

The ECU (101) of the vehicle further comprises a means, for example, RF, Blue tooth, GPRS, USB, CAN, etc., to establish a communication between the portable device (102) and the ECU (101) of the vehicle. The ECU (101) checks for the presence of portable device (102), for example, smart phone, and establishes a communication with the portable device using a predefined authentication. The establishment of communication ascertains credibility and authenticity of the devices, capabilities of the portable device, for example, the physical data that the portable device (102) coutd provide, and possible communication medium including redundant communication media. In an embodiment, multiple portable devices could be paired to the ECU (101) of the vehicle to achieve redundancy. The ECU (101) assigns priority of selection of the portable devices based on the capabilities and functionalities provided by the portable devices. For example, by default, smart phone 1 is in communication with the ECU (101). Smart phone 2 provides a redundant option 1 to the ECU (101) and smart phone 3 provides a redundant option 2 with limited functions to the ECU (101). The ECU (101) recognizes the capabilities of the portable devices and assigns the priority to the portable devices and establishes the communication with the portable devices according to the assigned priority.

Figure 2 illustrates a flowchart of the method to provide real time physical data to the ECU (101) of the vehicle in accordance with this invention. At step S1, a communication is established between a portable device (102) and the ECU (101) of the vehicle. At step S2, failure information is generated based on failure of at least one sensor in the vehicle by the ECU (101). At step S3, the generated failure information is transmitted to the portable device (102) by the ECU (101). At step S4, failed sensor is identified based on the transmitted failure information by the portable device (102). At step S5, the physical data relevant to the identified sensor is transmitted by the portable device (102) to the ECU (101) of the vehicle. At step 6

the ECU uses the received physical data either to control the vehicle in a limp home mode or to control some of the functionalities in the vehicle.

It must be understood that the embodiments explained in the above detailed description in only illustrative and does not limit the scope of this invention. The scope of this invention is limited only by the scope of the claims. Many modification and changes in the embodiments aforementioned are envisaged and are within the scope of this invention.

WE CLAIM:

1. A method of providing real time physical data to an electronic control unit (ECU)

(101) of a vehicle, comprising the steps:

generating a failure information regarding failure of at least one sensor in said vehicle by said ECU (101);

transmitting said generated failure information to a portable device (102) by the ECU (101);

identifying said at least one failed sensor based on said transmitted failure information by said portable device (102); and

transmitting said physical data corresponding to said at least one identified sensor by said portable device (102) to said ECU (101) of said vehicle.

2. An electronic control unit (ECU) (101) in a vehicle to receive real time physical data from a portable device (102), the ECU comprising:

a failure information generating means (103) to generate a failure information regarding failure of at least one sensor in said vehicle;

a failure information transmitting means (104) to transmit said generated failure information to a portable device (102); and

a real time physical data receiving means to receive said real time physical data corresponding to said at least one failed sensor from said portable device (102) in dependence with said transmitted failure information.

3. A portable device (102) to transmit real time physical data to an electronic control unit (ECU) (101) of a vehicle, said portable device (102) comprising:

a failure information receiving means (105) to receive a failure information regarding failure of at least one sensor in said vehicle;

ah identification means (106) to identify said failed sensors in said vehicle based on said received failure information; and

a real time physical data transmitting means to transmit said real time physical data to said ECU (101) corresponding to said at least one failed sensor in dependence with said received failure information.

4. The ECU (101) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said ECU (101) further comprises a communication means to establish a communication between a portable device (102) and said ECU (101) of said vehicle.

5. The ECU (101) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said ECU (101) establishes communication with said portable device (102) by one of RF, GPRS, USB, CAN, Bluetooth-based communication and the like.

6. The portable device (102) as claimed in claim 3, is one of a smart phone, a Personal Digital Assistant or the like.

7. The ECU (101) as claimed in claim 2 receiving said real time physical data, wherein said real time physical data is one of temperature data, pressure data, speed data, visibility data or the like.

8. The ECU (101) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said ECU (101) receives sensor data from said sensors located in said vehicle.

9. The ECU (101) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said ECU (101) activates a limp home mode for said vehicle based on said received real time physical data from said portable device (102) on failure of a sensor, said sensor being critical for the operation of the vehicle.