Method for Controlling a Workload of a Bus System of a Means of Transport, and Bus System and Means of Transport

Abstract

A method, a bus system, and a transportation means control a utilization of the bus system. The method includes determining a first piece of information representing a current and/or a future utilization of the bus system, and determining a second piece of information representing respective data transmission time periods for a plurality of bus subscribers which transmit data by means of the bus system, as a function of the first piece of information. The method also includes transmitting the second piece of information to the plurality of bus subscribers, and adjusting respective data transmission time periods for the plurality of bus subscribers by the respective bus subscribers, as a function of the second piece of information, and transmitting data by the plurality of bus subscribers within the respective adjusted data transmission time periods by means of the bus system.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A method for controlling a utilization of a bus system of a transportation means, comprising the steps of: determining a first piece of information representing a current and/or a future utilization of the bus system, determining a second piece of information representing respective data transmission time periods for a plurality of bus subscribers which transmit data by means of the bus system, as a function of the first piece of information, adjusting respective data transmission time periods for the plurality of bus subscribers by the respective bus subscribers, as a function of the second piece of information, and transmitting data by the plurality of bus subscribers within the respective adjusted data transmission time periods using the bus system.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bus system is an automotive bus system.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second piece of information comprises a piece of information about at least one of the group consisting of: a start time point and/or an end time point for a data transmission time period; a start time point and/or an end time point for a time period without a data transmission; a category of data which are transmitted within the adjusted data transmission time periods; an identifier for a bus subscriber and/or a group of bus subscribers; a maximum permissible data volume for a data transmission; and a mandatory or an optional execution of the data transmission within the suitable data transmission time periods.

14. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second piece of information for each bus subscriber of the plurality of bus subscribers: is identical; or is determined individually and/or transmitted individually to said bus subscriber.

15. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the determination of the first piece of information takes place on the basis of: a predefined bus configuration; and/or a measurement of the current utilization of the bus system.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second piece of information for each bus subscriber of the plurality of bus subscribers: is identical; or is determined individually and/or transmitted individually to said bus subscriber.

17. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the determination of the second piece of information take place on the basis of at least one of the group consisting of: future bus usage time periods of respective bus subscribers; future driving situations of the transportation means; a current route of the transportation means; future environmental conditions relating to transportation means; and a future data transmission requirement of respective bus subscribers.

18. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determination of the first piece of information takes place on the basis of: a predefined bus configuration; and/or a measurement of the current utilization of the bus system.

19. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determination of the second piece of information take place on the basis of at least one of the group consisting of: future bus usage time periods of respective bus subscribers; future driving situations of the transportation means; a current route of the transportation means; future environmental conditions relating to transportation means; and a future data transmission requirement of respective bus subscribers.

20. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determination of the second piece of information is carried out on the basis of a self-learning system.

21. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a data packet to be transmitted is divided, as a function of the second piece of information, into suitable partial data packets which are transmitted sequentially by means of the bus system in accordance with the adjusted data transmission time periods.

22. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bus system is an automotive bus system, the automotive bus system comprising an Ethernet bus system.

23. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the Ethernet bus system comprises a CAN bus system.

24. A bus system for controlling a utilization of the bus system of a transportation means, comprising: a bus load manager comprising a first evaluation unit, and a first bus interface of the bus system; a plurality of bus subscribers, each of the plurality of bus subscribers including a second evaluation unit, and a second bus interface of the bus system; wherein the first evaluation unit is configured, in connection with the first bus interface, to determine a first piece of information representing a current and/or a future utilization of the bus system, to determine a second piece of information representing respective data transmission time periods for the plurality of bus subscribers which transmit data by means of the bus system, as a function of the first piece of information, and in connection with the first bus interface, to transmit the second piece of information to the plurality of bus subscribers; the respective second evaluation unit is configured to adjust data transmission time periods as a function of the second piece of information, and in connection with the respective second bus interface, to transmit data within the respective adjusted data transmission time periods by means of the bus system.

25. A transportation means comprising a bus system as claimed in claim 14.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Further details, features, and advantages will become apparent from the following description and the figures. The following are depicted:

[0024] FIG. 1 depicts a flow chart illustrating steps of an exemplary embodiment of a method controlling a utilization of a bus system;

[0025] FIG. 2 depicts a schematic overview of components of a CAN bus system according to a first embodiment in connection with a transportation means;

[0026] FIG. 3 depicts a schematic overview of components of a CAN bus system according to a second embodiment; and

[0027] FIG. 4 depicts an example of a plurality of data transmissions by means of a CAN bus system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] FIG. 1 depicts a flow chart illustrating steps of an exemplary embodiment of a method for controlling a utilization of a CAN bus system of a transportation means. In step 100, a first piece of information representing a future utilization of the CAN bus system is determined by means of a first evaluation unit (here, a microcontroller) of a bus load manager of the CAN bus system. For this purpose, by means of the first evaluation unit, a predefined CAN bus configuration is read out, in the form of a database representing the CAN bus configuration, from a memory unit which is connected in terms of information technology to the first evaluation unit. In step 200, the first evaluation unit determines, as a function of the first piece of information, a second piece of information representing respective suitable data transmission time periods for a plurality of bus subscribers which transmit data by means of the CAN bus system. In step 300, the first evaluation unit transmits the second piece of information, using a CAN broadcast message, simultaneously to the plurality of bus subscribers by means of the CAN bus system. In this exemplary embodiment, the plurality of bus subscribers and the bus load manager are a component of a partial on-board electrical system of the transportation means, which comprises control units for a drivetrain of the transportation means. In the fourth step 400, the plurality of bus subscribers adjusts respective data transmission time periods for future event-controlled data transmissions by the respective bus subscribers, as a function of the second piece of information. In this way, it is ensured that the event-controlled data transmissions of the respective bus subscribers take place in time periods in which only a small proportion of cyclic messages of the respective bus subscribers is transmitted on the CAN bus system. In step 500, the plurality of bus subscribers transmits event-controlled data within the respective individually adjusted data transmission time periods by means of the CAN bus system.

[0029] FIG. 2 depicts a schematic overview of components of a CAN bus system 30 according to a first embodiment, in connection with a transportation means 80. The CAN bus system 30 of the first embodiment comprises a bus load manager 40, a first bus subscriber 50, and a second bus subscriber 55. The bus load manager 40 comprises a first evaluation unit 10 in the form of a microcontroller, said first evaluation unit 10 being connected in terms of information technology to the CAN bus system 30 via a first CAN bus interface 12. The first bus subscriber 50 and the second bus subscriber 55 respectively comprise a second evaluation unit 20, which is also respectively configured in the form of a microcontroller. The respective second evaluation units 20 are connected to the CAN bus system 30 in terms of information technology via the respective second CAN bus interfaces 22. The bus load manager 40, the first bus subscriber 50, and the second bus subscriber 55 are configured to carry out the method steps described above, on the basis of respective computer programs.

[0030] FIG. 3 depicts a schematic overview of components of a CAN bus system 30 according to a second embodiment. The components of the CAN bus system 30 depicted in the second embodiment essentially correspond to the components described in the first embodiment (without the depiction of the transportation means 80); therefore, only the differences from the first embodiment are to be described here. In this second embodiment, the bus load manager 40 is a component of a gateway control unit of the transportation means 80, said gateway control unit being configured to connect a first CAN sub-bus 32 and a second CAN sub-bus 34 to one another in terms of information technology. Here, the first bus subscriber 50 is assigned to the first CAN sub-bus 32, while the second bus subscriber 55 is assigned to the second CAN sub-bus 34. In addition to the first CAN bus interface 12 which is connected to the first CAN sub-bus 32 in terms of information technology, the first evaluation unit 10 comprises an additional third CAN bus interface 14 which is connected to the second CAN sub-bus 34 in terms of information technology. In this way, the evaluation unit 10 of the bus load manager 40 is able to determine respective first pieces of information about a utilization of the first CAN sub-bus 32 and the second CAN sub-bus 34 independently of one another, in order to be able to control a future utilization of the respective CAN sub-buses 32, 34 independently of one another, on the basis of the respective first pieces of information.

[0031] FIG. 4 depicts an example of a plurality of data transmissions by means of a CAN bus system according to some embodiments. Along the time axis t in FIG. 4, a plurality of data transmissions is depicted in the form of vertical lines which represent transmission time points for respective CAN messages 70, 75. On the one hand, the plurality of data transmissions comprises cyclic CAN messages 70, and on the other hand, event-controlled CAN messages 75. On the basis of exemplary methods described herein, time periods in which respectively high and respectively low utilizations of the CAN bus system exist are determined by means of a first evaluation unit of a bus load manager of the CAN bus system, on the basis of a measurement of bus communication. The respective determined time periods are summarized in a second piece of information, in the form of recommended time periods 60 for a data transmission, and in the form of recommended time periods 65 without data transmission. The respective time periods 60, 65 represented by the second piece of information are subsequently used for carrying out or for preventing data transmissions of a plurality of CAN bus subscribers.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0032] 10 First evaluation unit [0033] 12 First CAN bus interface [0034] 14 Third CAN bus interface [0035] 20 Second evaluation unit [0036] 22 Second CAN bus interface [0037] 30 CAN bus system [0038] 32 First CAN sub-bus [0039] 34 Second CAN sub-bus [0040] 40 Bus load manager [0041] 50 First bus subscriber [0042] 55 Second bus subscriber [0043] 60 Recommended time period for a data transmission [0044] 65 Recommended time period without data transmission [0045] 70 Cyclic CAN messages [0046] 75 Event-controlled CAN messages [0047] 80 Transportation