System Architecture For An Active Chassis System On A Motor Vehicle

Abstract

A system architecture for an active chassis system in a motor vehicle has a vehicle electrical system with a first subsystem and a second subsystem. The first subsystem has a first voltage level that is lower than a second voltage level of the second subsystem (14). At least one electric assembly unit for an active chassis element and at least one control device are provided. The electric assembly unit and the control device are supplied with the second voltage level. A vehicle having a system architecture of this kind is also described.

Claims

1. -10. (canceled)

11. A system architecture for an active chassis system in a motor vehicle, comprising: a vehicle electrical system having: a first subsystem having a first voltage level; a second subsystem having a second voltage level, wherein the first voltage level is lower than a second voltage level; at least one electric assembly unit that is supplied with the second voltage level for an active chassis element; and at least one control device supplied with the second voltage level.

12. The system architecture according to claim 11, further comprising: a voltage converter that connects the first subsystem to the second subsystem.

13. The system architecture according to claim 12, further comprising: an intermediate electric energy storage, which is operatively connected to the voltage converter, is formed in the second subsystem.

14. The system architecture according to claim 11, further comprising: a central control device and at least one satellite control device formed in the second subsystem, wherein the satellite control device is associated with a respective electronics assembly unit and a respective active chassis element.

15. The system architecture according to claim 11, wherein exclusively satellite control devices, which are associated with the respective electric assembly unit of a corresponding active chassis element, are formed in the second subsystem as control devices.

16. The system architecture according to claim 11, wherein each active chassis element has its own second subsystem with a respective control device and a respective electric assembly unit.

17. The system architecture according to claim 14, further comprising: at least one sensor is connected to the active chassis element and at least one of the central control device and the satellite control device.

18. The system architecture according to claim 14, further comprising: a further electric element arranged inside one of the first subsystem and the second subsystem, the further electric element connected to at least one of the central control device and the satellite control device.

19. The system architecture according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the central control device and the satellite control device is galvanically decoupled from the electric element of the first subsystem, wherein the galvanic decoupling is formed at the control device.

20. A vehicle with a system architecture comprising: a vehicle electrical system having: a first subsystem having a first voltage level; a second subsystem having a second voltage level, wherein the first voltage level is lower than a second voltage level; at least one electric assembly unit that is supplied with the second voltage level for an active chassis element; and at least one control device supplied with the second voltage level.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The system architecture according to the invention and the vehicle according to the invention will be explained by way of example in the following referring to two figures. The drawings show:

[0027] FIG. 1 is a system architecture with a central control device and with a plurality of satellite control devices; and

[0028] FIG. 2 is a system architecture with a plurality of satellite control devices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle electrical system 10. This vehicle electrical system 10 includes a first subsystem 12 and a second subsystem 14 with corresponding electronics elements 15. The electric subsystem 12 is not shown or described in detail because it can be constructed in accordance with already known vehicle electrical systems 10 with corresponding electronics elements thereof.

[0030] The first subsystem 12 and the second subsystem 14 are connected to one another via a voltage converter 16. This voltage converter 16, which is formed as a DC converter 16, transforms a voltage or voltage level of the first subsystem 12, which is 12 volts in particular, into a second voltage level of the second subsystem 14 which, in this case, is 48 volts in particular. The first voltage level of the first subsystem 12 is accordingly lower than or less than the second voltage level of the second subsystem 14. Further, an intermediate energy storage 18 is arranged at, and is operatively connected to, the voltage converter 16. The intermediate energy storage 18 is directly connected to the voltage converter 16. The intermediate energy storage 18 is constructed in this instance as a lithium-ion battery or as a capacitor, for example. The energy storage 16 can supply the electronics elements 15 of the second subsystem 14 with energy and absorb energy generated by the electronics elements 15 of the second subsystem 14 in order to prevent an overloading of the first subsystem 12.

[0031] FIG. 1 further shows a plurality of active chassis elements 20 which, in this instance, are in the form of vibration dampers 20. A sensor 22 is arranged at the vibration damper 20 in each instance. This sensor 22 can detect a deflection state of the vibration damper 20, for example. The values measured by the sensors 22 are conveyed to a control device 26, in this instance a central control device 28, or possibly to a satellite control device 30 via signal lines 24. The central control device 28 communicates with the control devices 26 of the vibration dampers 20 which are formed as satellite control devices 30. The satellite control devices 30 are formed at or in an electric assembly unit 32 of the respective vibration damper 20. This electric assembly unit 32 and, in particular, also the satellite control device 28 is arranged in spatial proximity to, or directly at, the vibration damper 20. The electric assembly unit 32 comprises a plurality of electronics elements 15, in particular the satellite control device 28, a voltage converter 34 and a motor 36 for adjusting the vibration damper. The electric motor 36 is constructed as a three-phase motor and is supplied by the voltage converter 34 arranged inside the second subsystem 14 and operated at the second voltage level. The voltage converter 34 is controlled via the satellite control device 30 that determines and specifies the adjustment of the vibration damper 20. The data determined by the sensor 22 can be transmitted to the central control device 30 and/or to the central control device.

[0032] Further, additional electronics elements 38 of the first subsystem 12 are formed at the vehicle electrical system 10. In this regard, electric element 38a can be a vehicle control device 38a. Further sensors 38b and 38c which are operated at the first voltage level are provided with electric elements 38b and 38c, for example, in the vehicle electrical system 10. In particular, this can be a vehicle body acceleration sensor. The vehicle control device 38a is also operated at the first voltage level. In so doing, the electric elements 38 are galvanically decoupled from the control device 26 and the main control device 28. This decoupling can be formed, for example, inside of the central control device 28. This can prevent transmission of voltage spikes. This makes it possible to communicate with the electric elements 38 of the first subsystem 12 via signal lines 40. The galvanic decoupling can be carried out between the central control device 28 and the respective electric element 38 or even at the respective electric element 38.

[0033] The central control device 28 is further connected to a wake-up/switch-off line 42. In this way, the central control device and the associated satellite control devices are woken up or switched off by the vehicle control device. A life-hold signal can be generated by the respective control device 26. The life-hold signal keeps the respective control device operating until it completely writes the error memory, for example, and has possibly completely transmitted corresponding data, for example, the error memory, to another control device, particularly central control device 30 or vehicle control device 38a. The control devices 26 can likewise be switched off individually one after the other or also collectively by the life-hold signal which can be generated by the central control device 30, for example.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a further vehicle electrical system 10. Substantially, the ways in which it differs from the previous constructional variants will be addressed. The reference numerals for identical or identically functioning components have been adopted from the previous constructions.

[0035] The vehicle electrical system 10 and second subsystem 14 have only satellite control devices 30 as control devices 26. These satellite control devices 26 are in a star connection with one another via communications lines 44. Alternatively, the satellite control devices 26 can also be connected to one another in a ring-shaped manner. In case of the star-shaped arrangement, each of the satellite control devices 30 is directly connected to each of the other satellite control devices 30 such that they can communicate with one another directly, for example, via a bus system, and in particular can receive or request the sensor data of the other respective satellite control devices 30. When using the ring-shaped topology, the data are routed from one satellite control device 30 to the next.

[0036] Further, each vibration damper 20 has a plurality of sensors 22 that can measure still further states of the vibration damper 20. These states are transmitted via the corresponding signal lines 24 to the satellite control device 30 associated with the respective vibration damper 20. A plurality of sensors 22 for an active chassis element 20 can also be used in the embodiment example in FIG. 1.

[0037] It is also possible that the vehicle control device 38a is connected to the satellite control devices 30. Sensor information, particularly of electric elements 38b and 38c, can be transmitted by the vehicle control device 38a to the satellite control devices 30, or data can be received by the satellite control devices 30, for example, error memory or sensor data of sensors 22. In addition, adjustments which are undertaken, for example, by the driver of the motor vehicle can be stored or processed in the vehicle control element 38a and can be transmitted to the satellite control devices 30 if necessary. In this regard, the satellite control devices 30 and the electric assembly units thereof form a common second subsystem 16. The wake-up/switch-off line 42 is connected to the individual satellite control devices 30 directly via a bus system.

[0038] In a further constructional variant in FIG. 2, each of the active chassis elements 20 can have its own second subsystem 14, for example. In this case, an electric assembly unit comprising a voltage converter, an energy storage, a control device, a motor and possibly a voltage converter associated with the motor is advantageously provided at each vibration damper 20. In so doing, each active chassis element 20 along with the associated electric assembly units forms an independent system which can be operated with a conventional vehicle electrical system. The transmission of sensor information can take place, for example, centrally via the vehicle control device 38 in one of the above-described constructional variants, or sensor information can also be transmitted directly between satellite control devices 30. For the transmission of information between electric elements of different subsystems, corresponding electric elements are galvanically isolated from one another.