IP Library Granted Patent US 12,450,138
Granted Patent B2
US 12,450,138 · App. 18/464,913 · Granted Oct 21, 2025

Turning on switches based on apparatus connection setting a hardware-in-loop test system

Inventors: Hui Wang (Shanghai, CN); Yunfei Dong (Shanghai, CN); Jiacai Sui (Shanghai, CN); Yan Wang (Shanghai, CN)
Assignee: SHENZHEN YINWANG INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
G06F11/2733G06F11/221
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,450,138
App. No.
18/464,913
Granted
Oct 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

This application relates to a signal transfer apparatus. In the apparatus, one of a plurality of switches is connected in series between a first end of each of first terminals in a first terminal group and a first end of each of second terminals in a second terminal group; a control module determines, from the plurality of switches based on apparatus connection setting, a plurality of target switches that need to be turned on, and sends a control signal for turning on the plurality of target switches to a drive circuit; and the drive circuit is connected to both the plurality of switches and the control module, and drives, based on the received control signal, the plurality of target switches to be turned on, so that signal paths between the first terminals and the second terminals that are connected to the target switches are connected.

Claims (54)

1. A signal transfer apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises: a first terminal group, a second terminal group, a plurality of switches, a controller, and a drive circuit; wherein

the first terminal group comprises a plurality of first terminals, the second terminal group comprises a plurality of second terminals, and one of the plurality of switches is connected in series between a first end of each of the first terminals and a first end of each of the second terminals;

the controller is configured to: determine, from the plurality of switches based on an apparatus connection setting, a plurality of target switches that need to be turned on, and send a control signal for turning on the plurality of target switches to the drive circuit; and

the drive circuit is connected to both the plurality of switches and the controller, and is configured to drive, based on the control signal, the plurality of target switches to be turned on, so that signal paths between the first terminals and the second terminals that are connected to the target switches are connected, wherein

the apparatus connection setting indicates a hardware-in-loop test system and a to-be-tested apparatus that are connected to the signal transfer apparatus, the first terminals connected to the hardware-in-loop test system, and the second terminals connected to the to-be-tested apparatus.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a storage, configured to store at least one signal configuration list, wherein each of the at least one signal configuration list records a switch that needs to be turned on in the plurality of switches, under a different apparatus connection setting;

the controller is further configured to obtain a target signal configuration list corresponding to the apparatus connection setting from the storage, and buffer the target signal configuration list; and

wherein the determining, from the plurality of switches based on apparatus connection setting, a plurality of target switches that need to be turned on comprises: determining, from the plurality of switches based on the target signal configuration list and the apparatus connection setting, the plurality of target switches that need to be turned on.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the controller is further configured to replace, according to a received list switching instruction, a currently buffered target signal configuration list with a signal configuration list in the storage that is indicated by the list switching instruction.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a communications circuit, configured to: communicate with a terminal device, and forward, to the controller, the list switching instruction received from the terminal device.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein

the communications circuit is further configured to receive a newly added signal configuration list from the terminal device, and forward the newly added signal configuration list to the storage; and

the storage is further configured to store the received newly added signal configuration list.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein

the communications circuit is further configured to receive a list deletion instruction from the terminal device, and forward the list deletion instruction to the storage; and

the storage is further configured to delete, according to the received list deletion instruction, a signal configuration list that the list deletion instruction instructs to delete.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

the communications circuit is further configured to receive the apparatus connection setting from the terminal device, and forward the apparatus connection setting to the controller.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of switches comprise at least one of a diode, a transistor, a field-effect transistor, or a circuit breaker.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the controller comprises a plurality of control sub-circuits, the plurality of switches are divided into a plurality of switch groups, the control sub-circuits control turn-on/turn-off of switches in different switch groups, and each of the plurality of control sub-circuits is connected to the drive circuit; and

each of the plurality of control sub-circuits is configured to: when it is determined, based on the apparatus connection setting, that a controlled switch group comprises at least one target switch that needs to be turned on, send a control signal for turning on the at least one target switch to the drive circuit.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the drive circuit comprises a plurality of drive sub-circuits, and each of the plurality of drive sub-circuits is connected to at least one of the plurality of switches and the control sub-circuits that control the at least one target switch; and

wherein the sending a control signal for turning on the at least one target switch to the drive circuit comprises: sending the control signal for turning on the at least one target switch to drive sub-circuits connected to the target switches.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein all switches connected to the plurality of drive sub-circuits belong to a same switch group.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of drive sub-circuits comprises a transistor and a resistor.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of switches are arranged in an array, a quantity of rows of the switches in the array is the same as a quantity of the first terminals, and a quantity of columns of the switches in the array is the same as a quantity of the second terminals;

the first end of each of the first terminals is connected to each of the plurality of switches in a corresponding row in the array, and

the first end of each of the second terminals is connected to each of the plurality of switches in a corresponding column in the array.

14. A test system, comprising:

a signal transfer apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a first terminal group, a second terminal group, a plurality of switches, a controller, and a drive circuit; wherein

the first terminal group comprises a plurality of first terminals, the second terminal group comprises a plurality of second terminals, and one of the plurality of switches is connected in series between a first end of each of the first terminals and a first end of each of the second terminals;

the controller is configured to: determine, from the plurality of switches based on an apparatus connection setting, a plurality of target switches that need to be turned on, and send a control signal for turning on the plurality of target switches to the drive circuit; and

the drive circuit is connected to both the plurality of switches and the controller, and is configured to drive, based on the control signal, the plurality of target switches to be turned on, so that signal paths between the first terminals and the second terminals that are connected to the target switches are connected, wherein

the apparatus connection setting indicates a hardware-in-loop test system and a to-be-tested apparatus that are connected to the signal transfer apparatus, the first terminals connected to the hardware-in-loop test system, and the second terminals connected to the to-be-tested apparatus; and

a hardware-in-loop test system, connected to the signal transfer apparatus through an I/O interface.

15. A signal transfer control method, comprising:

determining, from a plurality of switches of a first apparatus based on an apparatus connection setting, a plurality of target switches that need to be turned on, wherein one of the plurality of switches is connected in series between a first end of each of a plurality of first terminals in a first terminal group of the first apparatus and a first end of each of a plurality of second terminals in a second terminal group of the first apparatus; and

generating a control signal for turning on the plurality of target switches, wherein

the apparatus connection setting indicates a hardware-in-loop test system and a to-be-tested apparatus that are connected to the first apparatus, the first terminals connected to the hardware-in-loop test system, and the second terminals connected to the to-be-tested apparatus.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

driving, based on the control signal, the plurality of target switches to be turned on, so that signal paths between the first terminals and the second terminals that are connected to the target switches are connected.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining, from at least one signal configuration list stored in a storage, a target signal configuration list corresponding to the apparatus connection setting, and buffering the target signal configuration list, wherein each of the at least one signal configuration list records a switch that needs to be turned on, in the plurality of switches, under a different apparatus connection setting; and

wherein the determining, from a plurality of switches of a first apparatus based on apparatus connection setting, a plurality of target switches that need to be turned on comprises: determining, from the plurality of switches based on the target signal configuration list and the apparatus connection setting, the plurality of target switches that need to be turned on.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:

replacing, according to a received list switching instruction, a currently buffered target signal configuration list with a signal configuration list in the storage that is indicated by the list switching instruction.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises:

communicating with a terminal device, and receiving the list switching instruction from the terminal device.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a newly added signal configuration list from the terminal device, and forwarding the newly added signal configuration list to the storage to cause the storage to store the received newly added signal configuration list.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 28, 2026
From: SHENZHEN YINWANG INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
To: YINWANG INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 075492/0796 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2024
From: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
To: SHENZHEN YINWANG INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 069336/0125 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2024
From: WANG, HUI; DONG, YUNFEI; SUI, JIACAI; WANG, YAN
To: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 069190/0600 →