DESC:TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present subject matter relates generally to a vehicle. More particularly but not exclusively the present subject matter relates to a control switch actuation system. The present invention is filed as a patent of addition and thus is an improvement and/or modification of the invention titled “Throttle actuation system” as claimed in the complete specification filed in the Indian Patent Office vide application no. 202241010776.

BACKGROUND
[0001] Generally, a vehicle includes one or more electrical load to facilitate easy and hassle-free navigation of the vehicle. A few examples of electrical loads may include a headlamp, a turn indicator, a horn, and the like. Also, with the advancement in the technology, a vehicle is constantly added with a lot of new features. These features can be the design of the vehicle or related to the control of the vehicle by different advanced means. Many times, the advanced features on the vehicle can be controlled by a controller in the vehicle, or a portable device. To operate the above-mentioned electrical loads and many other loads, a plurality of switches is provided on the vehicle for enabling or controlling the features. Generally, the plurality of switches is provided at a handlebar of the vehicle for activating or controlling certain features of the vehicle, either at the time of starting the vehicle or at the time of riding the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0002] The details are described with reference to an embodiment of a vehicle along with the accompanying diagrams. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference similar features and components:
[0003] Figure 1 illustrates a control switch actuation transmitter system for a vehicle in accordance with an example implementation of the present subject matter;
[0004] Figure 2 illustrates an electrical load actuation receiver system for the vehicle in accordance with an example implementation of the present subject matter;
[0005] Figure 3 illustrates a wireless environment comprising a control switch actuation system, in accordance with an example implementation of the present subject matter;
[0006] Figure 4 illustrates a control switch actuation transmitting method, in accordance with an example implementation of the present subject matter; and
[0007] Figure 5 illustrate an electrical load actuation receiving method, in accordance with another example implementation of the present subject matter; and
[0008] Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and the size of some parts may be exaggerated to more clearly illustrate the example shown. Moreover, the drawings provide examples and/or implementations consistent with the description; however, the description is not limited to the examples and/or implementations provided in the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0009] Conventionally, one or more switches are used to actuate one or more electrical loads on a vehicle for facilitating in operation of the vehicle. It is known that by operating a switch, a circuit board having the required circuitry, connected to that switch for the corresponding electrical load, closes the link between the circuit board and the switch, either by grounding the electrically powered load or by actuating a relay which in-turn powers the electrical load by grounding or powering the load. In high current applications or switching between load applications, the relay is used which actuates under electromagnetic load. The connection between the circuit and the switch is made by means of an insulated copper strands termed as “wires”.
[00010] In a known art, to solve the problem, an improvised functional applications SMD (Surface Mount Device) signal relay embedded on a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) are in practice, replacing the conventional switching relays. Improvisation in replacing the conventional switches which are to be physically operated either by sliding a slider or pushing a push button which establish contact between a metallic contact point. The metallic contact points serve as connecting ends upon which the slider or the push button connects the other end hence successfully connecting the contact points. The switches are connected by means of insulated copper strands which carries current/ connection to the ground terminals. The wires run throughout the vehicle connecting switches to their respective electrical operating loads.
[00011] Traditionally, to overcome such disadvantages associated with the mechanical linkage, a ride-by-wire system is employed, which does not have any direct mechanical linkages between the switch and the electrical load. In the ride-by-wire system, when a rider of the vehicle, pushes the switch, a sensor reads the movement of the switch from ON to OFF position and vice-versa, and communicates the same to the circuit board of the corresponding electrical load to operate the load by means of the relays accordingly.
[00012] However, the ride-by-wire system is not completely wireless and thus involves physical wires which run between the switches to the circuit board. The wires used in the ride-by-wire system are subjected to wear due to friction arising between mating parts or a frame of the vehicle. These wires are prone to electric shorting when subjected to wet environments and also due to operational errors at the cost of system malfunction or failure of other components of the vehicle. Additionally, a sleeve protects the wire from the outside environment, keeping it safe from any physical damage. However, the sleeve is surrounded by moisture, which may damage the sleeve, leaving the wire exposed to the environment. Moreover, a reduction in the mechanical aspect of the process incurs more dependency on trained mechanics and specialized machines to not only troubleshoot but also to rectify the problem as it comes in the ride-by-wire system.
[00013] The conventional system of switches connected to loads at the other end by huge bunch of wires which run throughout the span of the vehicle raises safety concerns, as the setup poses risk of fire and internal shorting. Wrongly positioning the bunch of wires, though insulated by means of a protective sleeve to avoid friction against the surrounding elements/moisture/chemical influence is subjected to stress and strain over its cross sections. The practice of positioning the insulated bunches of wire by means of a plastic or a metallic positionings housed over a vehicle frame or as an addon adds to the strain at the coupler ends which connect to the electrical loads. The insulated wires are also prone to snapping or loosing their insulative protection exposing the copper strands which leads to internal shorting resulting in failure of components. The task of repairing such failure is laborious and involves time and labour costs, when repair is preferred over replacement. Over preference of replacement, the task involves disassembly of the complete harness and remounting it over the same surface which further adds to the time of serviceability and adds to an ownership expense.
[00014] In yet another known prior art, aims at eliminating the mechanically moving or sliding switches by use of a voice command to actuate certain loads/features, but the physical linkages between the loads remains intact. Also, implementation of a touch screen where loads are actuated by means of a single touch also includes a physical connection between the loads and the command lines. Such systems have application limitations as such systems cannot be operated over longer physical span. The voice command application/touch screen load actuation can actuate loads placed over the same printed circuit boards or which has physical connections. Due to the above-mentioned reasons, the operation of the switches may get hindered on an application of the wire system for actuation of the electrical load and a user may not get the desired result. Thus, a technique is needed to eliminate the physical linkage between the switches and the corresponding electrical loads, without compromising the functionality of the throttle body.
[00015] An objective of the present subject matter is to provide a wireless switch actuation system that permits establishing completely wireless communication between the one or more switches and the corresponding electrical loads, thereby eliminating the physical linkage without compromising the operational need, and the drawbacks of the prior art systems set forth above. The present subject matter is described using an exemplary two-wheeled vehicle, whereas the claimed subject matter can be used in any other vehicle, with required changes and without deviating from the scope of invention.
[00016] As per an aspect of the present invention, a control switch actuation transmitter system comprising a position sensing module, and a position determination module. The position sensing module senses a position of the control switch. The position determination module is electrically coupled to the position sensing module to determine, based on the control switch position, an operation of one or more electrical loads and to wirelessly transmit the control switch position to activate/deactivate the one or more electrical loads in accordance with the position of the control switch.
[00017] As per an aspect of the present invention, the position determination module includes a first controller to determine the operation of the control switch based on the position of the control switch and a first transceiver interfaced with the first controller, to transmit a data communication having the position of the control switch to one or more electrical load receiver system to activate/deactivate the one or more electrical loads.
[00018] As per an aspect of the present invention, an electrical load actuation receiver system comprising an electrical load control module to wirelessly receive a position of a control switch and an actuation relay electrically coupled to the electrical load control module, to activate/deactivate the one or more electrical loads in accordance with a position of a control switch.
[00019] As per an aspect of the present invention, the electrical load control module comprises includes a second transceiver to wirelessly communicate with a control switch actuation transmitter system to receive a data communication comprising the position of the control switch, and a second controller interfaced with the second transceiver, to cause the actuation relay to activate/deactivate the one or more electrical loads in accordance with the position of the control switch.
[00020] As per an aspect of the present invention, the second transceiver is coupled to a first transceiver over a wireless link. The second transceiver is paired with the first transceiver using Media Access Control (MAC) protocol.
[00021] As per an aspect of the present invention, a control switch actuation transmitting method comprising: sensing, by a position sensing module, a position of the control switch; determining, by a position determination module, an operation of one or more electrical loads; and wirelessly transmitting, by the position determination module, a data communication comprising the control switch position to activate/deactivate the one or more electrical loads in accordance with the position of the control switch.
[00022] As per an aspect of the present invention, an electrical load actuation receiving method comprising wirelessly receiving, by an electrical load control module, a data communication comprising a position of a control switch; and actuating, by an electrical load control module, an actuation relay in accordance with the position of the control switch.
[00023] As per an aspect of the present invention, the electrical load actuation receiving method further comprising establishing a wireless communication link between a second transceiver of the electrical load control module and a first transceiver of a position determination module.
[00024] As per an aspect of the present invention, the electrical load actuation receiving method further comprising pairing the second transceiver to the first transceiver.
[00025] The above-described wireless switch actuation system is further described with reference to figures 1 to 5. It should be noted that the description and figures merely illustrate the principles of the present subject matter along with examples described herein and should not be construed as a limitation to the present subject matter. It is thus noted that various arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, describe the principles of the present subject matter. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and examples of the present subject matter, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof. However, the present invention is not limited to the present embodiments. The present subject matter is further described with reference to accompanying figures. It should be noted that the description and figures merely illustrate principles of the present subject matter. Various arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, encompass the principles of the present subject matter. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and examples of the present subject matter, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.
[00026] Figure 1 exemplarily illustrates a control switch actuation transmitter system 100 for a vehicle 110 (shown in fig.2) in accordance with an example implementation of the present subject matter. The illustrated one or more control switch 106 may be disposed on a handlebar assembly 102. The one or more control switches 106 are series of switches positioned at reach of a rider of the vehicle 110, aiming at ease of operation for the rider, is placed on one of the right and left end of the handlebar assembly 102. In the present embodiment, the one or more switches 106 are positioned at a right side of a handlebar gripper 104. The one or more control switches 106 control the one or more electrical load 108 of the vehicle 110 like Lighting loads (includes all illuminous elements of the vehicle), horn or any other sound or alerting loads, starting loads which enables user to crank the vehicle 110, turn on the ignition or connect the DC/AC loads by moving a key (metallic or non-metallic) or by turning on a knob by rotating it around its axis. The control switch actuation transmitter system 100 connected to the one or more switches 106 positioned on the handlebar assembly 102 may be disposed on the handlebar itself. In another embodiment, the control switch actuation transmitter system 100 is positioned inside an instrument cluster 120 (shown in fig.2) of the vehicle 110. However, the control switch actuation transmitter system 100 can be placed anywhere in the vehicle 110 in the proximity of the one or more control switches 106. Also, the one or more control switches 106 being actuated can be placed anywhere in the vehicle 110 which is reachable by the rider of the vehicle 110 for its operation. Although the present example of the invention has been explained considering the vehicle 110 to be a two-wheeled vehicle, it may also be implemented in any vehicle which has one or more switches 106 to be operated to control the one or more electrical loads 108.
[00027] The control switch actuation transmitter system 100 comprises a position sensing module 112 that senses a position of the control switch 106. The position sensing module 112 includes one or more sensors to detect one of the ON or OFF position of the one or more switches 106. The control switch actuation transmitter system 100 further comprises a position determination module 114 that is electrically coupled to the position sensing module 112. The position determination module 114 determines an operation of the control switch 106, based on the one of the detected ON or OFF position of the control switch 106. Thereafter, based on the status of the control switch 106, a first controller 116 of the position determination module 114 identifies whether to actuate the switch from OFF to ON position to activate the electrical load 108 (shown in fig.2) or to actuate the switch from ON to OFF position to deactivate the electrical load 108. The position determination module 114 further includes a first transceiver 118 that may be electrically interfaced with the first controller 116. The first transceiver 118 wirelessly transmits a data communication that comprises the control switch status.
[00028] Figure 2 exemplarily illustrates the electrical load actuation receiver system 200 for a vehicle 110 in accordance with an example implementation of the present subject matter. The electrical load actuation receiver system 200 communicates wirelessly with the control switch actuation transmitter system 100 to receive the data communication that comprises the position of the control switch 106 and its related operation to be performed. The electrical load actuation receiver system 200 comprises an electrical load control module 202 that is attached to the vehicle frame (not shown). The electrical load 108 also includes an actuation relay 122 to make and break connection between the control switch 106 and the electrical load 108, thereby activating or deactivating the electrical load 108.
[00029] As shown in Figure 2, the electrical load actuation receiver system 200 comprises a second transceiver 204. The second transceiver 204 wirelessly receives the data communication consisting of the operation from the first transceiver 118 (shown in fig.1). The data communication received by the second transceiver 204 is then fed to a second controller 206 with which the second transceiver 204 may be electrically interfaced. The second controller 206, based on the control switch position, commands and controls the actuation relay 122 to activate or deactivate the electrical load 108.
[00030] In an example embodiment, both the devices, i.e., the first transceiver 118 and the second transceiver 204 may be paired using their media access control (MAC). The pairing is done so that the first transceiver 118 and the second transceiver 204 communicate only with each other, thus preventing the hijacking of connection or interference from other similar systems, or other systems of the same kind.
[00031] In another example embodiment, the first transceiver 118 and the second transceiver 204 both may be at least one of a ZIGBEE module, a BLUETOOTH module, a power line communication (PLC) module, or other wired or wireless communication modules, for example. In yet another example embodiment, the first controller 116 and the second controller 206 may be configured to communicate using BLUETOOTH, ZIGBEE, power line communication (PLC), or other communication protocols with the help of the first and second transceivers 118, 204. In an example implementation, the ZIGBEE protocol may be used to wirelessly transmit and receive data through a noisy environment which is common in industrial applications. Unlike other wireless protocols, ZIGBEE survives on low-duty cycles and may operate with minimum power consumption if kept connected for life. The ZIGBEE protocol provides secure data and fast connection because ZIGBEE security and data encryption is based on security defined in 802.15.4 protocol. The encryption algorithm used in ZIGBEE is AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) with a 128-bit key length (16 Bytes). The AES algorithm not only encrypts the information but also validates the data which is sent.
[00032] Moreover, low latency in the ZIGBEE protocol allows crisp and quick data transfer ensuring that the user’s control switch 106 being in ON or OFF position data is transmitted quickly to the electrical load control module 202 and there is no delay in the actuation relay 122 response. The instantaneous response at the electrical load control module 202 provides a quick response. In an example, both the controllers 116, 206 integrated with the ZIGBEE modules may be powered by a 12V DC supply. In another example embodiment, both the controllers 116, 206 may be at least one of an Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Intel Galileo, or Beagle Bone Black.
[00033] Figure 3 exemplarily illustrates a wireless environment comprising a switch actuation system 300, in accordance with an example implementation of the present subject matter. The control switch actuation transmitter system 100 and the electrical load actuation receiver system 200 as explained previously with respect to Figs. 1 and 2, are a part of the switch actuation system 300, wherein they communicate with each other over a wireless link 302. The wireless link 302 is a local wireless connection that is established by the first transceiver 118 and the second transceiver 204. The first transceiver 118 and the second transceiver 204 each may include a wireless communication interface that supports wireless communication over a local area utilizing an industry-standard wireless communication protocol. For example, the wireless communication interfaces of the first and second transceivers 118, 204 may support wireless communication based on the IEEE 802.15.4-2003 protocol such as a ZIGBEE, as discussed previously.
[00034] An example scenario is explained herein to elaborate on the working of the switch actuation system 300. In an example, as the control switch 106 is pressed to activate or deactivate the electrical load 108, the first controller 116 determines the position of the control switch 106 either in ON or OFF position. Thereafter, data comprising the control switch 106 position and corresponding operation is transmitted wirelessly over the wireless link 302 from the first transceiver 118 and the same is received at the electrical load actuation receiver system 200 by the second transceiver 204. As the second transceiver 204 and the second controller 206 are coupled electrically to each other, the data received by the second transceiver 204 is read by the second controller 206. The second controller 206 ensures that the electrical load 108 is either activated or deactivated based upon the intended operation corresponding to the position of the control switch 106 in either in ON or OFF position by controlling the actuation relay 122.
[00035] As there is no use of the wires between the control switch 106 and the electrical load 108 in the switch actuation system 300, its handling becomes easy, and complexity is reduced. Also, in case of the failure of a module, the entire module may be replaced without requiring tedious and lengthy rework. Additionally, fault diagnosis becomes easy due to the elimination of wires.
[00036] Figures 4 and 5 exemplarily illustrate the control switch actuation transmitting method 400 and the electrical load actuation receiving method 500, respectively, to transmit data comprising the control switch position 106 from one or more sensor to the electrical load 108 without requiring any physical linkage between the control switch 106 and the electrical load 108 to ensure a safe switch actuation operation, in accordance with an example of the present subject matter.
[00037] Although methods 400 and 500 may be implemented in a variety of transmitter and receiver systems similar to systems 100 or 200, for ease of explanation, the present description of the example methods 400 and 500 are provided in reference to the above-described system 300.
[00038] The orders in which the methods 400 and 500 are described are not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks may be combined in any order to implement the methods 400 and 500, or an alternative method.
[00039] Referring to Figure 4, at block 402, the control switch position is sensed by one or more sensors is sensed by the position sensing module 112. At block 404, the ON or OFF condition of the control switch 106 is determined by the first controller 116 based on the control switch position. In an example, the first controller 116 may be pre-programmed to determine the control switch position for each position sensed by the position sensing module 112. At block 406, the data comprising the control switch position is transmitted by the first transceiver 118 to the second transceiver 204. However, no data transmission takes place if the first controller 116 determines that the switch position is in OFF condition.
[00040] Referring to Figure 5, at block 502, the data comprising the control switch position is wirelessly received by the second transceiver 204 from the first transceiver 118. As explained earlier, the data transfer between the first transceiver 118 and the second transceiver 204 may take place over a local area network such as the wireless link 302 (shown in fig.3). At block 504, the second controller 206, based on control switch position, electrically passes a signal to the actuation relay 122 to activate or deactivate the electrical load 108.
[00041] Thus, the present switch actuation system and method of the present invention provide a wireless means of connectivity between the control switch 106 and the electrical load 108 using a wireless protocol, thereby eliminating the need for conventional metal-braided cables and also the insulated wired connection to open or close the actuation relay 122. Also, the use of the controller and the transceiver at the electrical load 108 end facilitates the actuation of the actuation relay 122 in response to the wireless input from the transceiver provided at the control switch 106 end.
[00042] Implementations of the present system of actuation facilitate easy operation in short-distance high radiofrequency (RF) environments and also avoid human interference.
[00043] In an embodiment, the sensor data that are transmitted over wireless may also be transmitted to a cloud network for real-time data analysis and study. The sensor data may be recorded without requiring a separate data logger.
[00044] Although examples for the present disclosure have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methods, it should be understood that the appended claims are not necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described. Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed and explained as examples of the present disclosure. Many other improvements and modifications may be incorporated herein without deviating from the scope of the invention.

List of Reference numerals

100: Control switch actuation transmitter system
102: Handlebar assembly
104: Handlebar gripper
106: One or more control switches
108: One or more electrical load
110: vehicle
112: Position sensing module
114: Position determination module
116: First controller
118: First transceiver
120: Instrument cluster
122: Actuation relay
200: Electrical load actuation receiver system
202: Electrical load control module
204: Second transceiver
206: Second controller
300: Switch actuation system
302: Wireless link
400: Control switch actuation transmitting method
500: Electrical load actuation receiving method
,CLAIMS:We Claim:

1. A control switch actuation transmitter system (100) comprising:
a position sensing module (112) to sense a position of the control switch (106); and
a position determination module (114) electrically coupled to the position
sensing module (112), to:
determine, based on the control switch (106) position, an operation of one or more electrical loads (108); and
wirelessly transmit the control switch (106) position to activate/deactivate the one or more electrical loads (108) in accordance with the position of the control switch (106).
2. The control switch actuation transmitter system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position determination module (114) comprises:
a first controller (116) to determine the operation of the control switch (106) based on the position of the control switch (106); and
a first transceiver (118) interfaced with the first controller (116), to transmit a data communication comprising the position of the control switch (106) to one or more electrical load actuation receiver system (200) to activate/deactivate the one or more electrical loads (108).
3. An electrical load actuation receiver system (200) comprising:
an electrical load control module (202) to wirelessly receive a position of a control switch (106); and
an actuation relay (122) electrically coupled to the electrical load control module (202), to activate/deactivate the one or more electrical loads (108) in accordance with a position of a control switch (106).

4. The electrical load actuation receiver system (200) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the electrical load control module comprises:
a second transceiver (204) to wirelessly communicate with a control switch actuation transmitter system (100) to receive a data communication comprising the position of the control switch (106); and
a second controller (206) interfaced with the second transceiver (204), to
cause the actuation relay (122) to activate/deactivate the one or more electrical loads (108) in accordance with the position of the control switch (106).
5. The electrical load actuation receiver system (200) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second transceiver (204) being coupled to a first transceiver (118) over a wireless link (302).
6. The electrical load actuation receiver system (200) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second transceiver (204) being paired with the first transceiver (118) using Media Access Control (MAC) protocol.
7. A control switch actuation transmitting method (400), said method comprising steps of:
sensing (402), by a position sensing module (112), a position of the control switch (106);
determining (404), by a position determination module (114), an operation of one or more electrical loads (108); and
wirelessly transmitting (406), by the position determination module (114), a data communication comprising the control switch (106) position to activate/deactivate the one or more electrical loads (108) in accordance with the position of the control switch (106).
8. An electrical load actuation receiving method (500) comprising:
wirelessly receiving (502), by an electrical load control module (202), a data communication comprising a position of a control switch (106); and
actuating (504), by an electrical load control module (202), an actuation relay (122) in accordance with the position of the control switch (106).

9. The electrical load actuation receiving method (500) as claimed in claim 8, further comprising establishing a wireless communication link (302) between a second transceiver (204) of the electrical load control module (202) and a first transceiver (118) of a position determination module (114).

10. The electrical load actuation receiving method (500) as claimed in claim 9, further comprising pairing the second transceiver (204) to the first transceiver (118).