IP Library Granted Patent US 12,730,767
Granted Patent B2
US 12,730,767 · App. 18/763,421 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Control arrangement for a vehicle electrical system

Inventor: Michael Wortberg (Dorfen, DE)
Assignee: Lisa Dräxlmaier GmbH
G06F13/20G06F13/4282
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,730,767
App. No.
18/763,421
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control arrangement for a vehicle electrical system includes a central control unit and a plurality of decentralized input-output entities connected with the central control unit via a serial communication bus. Each input-output entity includes: a plurality of configurable input-output pins that are associated with at least one sensor and/or at least one actuator; an input-output interface; and a peripheral I/O storage for the storing of a configuration and of physical states of the plurality of configurable input-output pins. The input-output interface generates a sensor record in the peripheral I/O storage based on a physical state of one of the input-output pins associated with the sensor. The input-output interface controls a physical state of an input-output pin, associated with the actuator, corresponding to an actuator entry, present in the peripheral I/O storage. The central computing platform reads the sensor record, and/or writes the actuator record, via the serial communications bus.

Claims (24)

1 . A control arrangement for a vehicle electrical system, comprising:

a central computing platform; and

a plurality of decentralized input-output modules that are connected with the central computing platform via a serial communication bus, with the plurality of decentralized input-output modules including:

a first input-output module of the plurality of decentralized input-output modules that includes a plurality of first configurable input-output pins that are associated with a sensor a first input-output interface, and a first peripheral input/output (I/O) storage configured to store a configuration and physical states of the plurality of first configurable input-output pins, wherein the first input-output interface is configured to generate a sensor record in the peripheral I/O storage based on a physical state of one of the plurality of first configurable input-output pins associated with the sensor,

a second input-output module of the plurality of decentralized input-output modules that includes a plurality of second configurable input-output pins that are associated with an actuator, a second input-output interface, and a second peripheral input/output (I/O) storage configured to store a configuration and physical states of the plurality of second configurable input-output pins, wherein the second input-output interface is configured to control a physical state of one of the plurality of second configurable input-output pins associated with the actuator that corresponds to an actuator entry, present in the second peripheral I/O storage, for the actuator, and

the central computing platform, via the serial communication bus, is configured to read the sensor record in the first peripheral I/O storage of the first input-output module, and write an actuator record in the second peripheral I/O storage of the second input-output module.

2 . The control arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the central computing platform includes a DMA interface for direct memory access to a respective one of the first input-output module and the second input-output module of the plurality of decentralized input-output modules.

3 . The control arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein the central computing platform includes a central I/O storage configured to store the sensor record of the first peripheral I/O storage and the actuator record of the second peripheral I/O storage and the central computing platform is configured to compare the central I/O storage with the first peripheral I/O storage and the second peripheral I/O storage via a serial point-to-point interface and direct storage access mechanisms.

4 . The control arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the serial communication bus is configured to produce a serial point-to-point communication via a peripheral component interconnect bus.

5 . The control arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of decentralized input-output modules are connected with the central computing platform via an unshielded twisted-pair cable.

6 . The control arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of decentralized input-output modules are connected with the central computing platform via two shielded twisted-pair cables.

7 . The control arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the second input-output interface is configured to cyclically transmit storage states of at least one actuator input present in the second peripheral I/O storage to physical states of the plurality of second configurable input-output pins corresponding to the at least one actuator input.

8 . The control arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first configurable input-output pins are at least one of binary inputs/outputs, ADC inputs, DAC outputs, SPI inputs/outputs, and RX/TX inputs/outputs.

9 . The control arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first input-output interface is configured to convert the sensor record received from the one of the plurality of first configurable input-output pins associated with the sensor into a digital value, and to store the digital value as a sensor input in the first peripheral I/O storage.

10 . The control arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the second input-output interface is configured to configure a dedicated input-output pin, according to the configuration present in the second peripheral I/O storage, as a binary output pin, and to control a physical state of the dedicated input-output pin according to the actuator record present in the second peripheral I/O storage.

11 . The control arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the second peripheral I/O storage further comprises a storage region in which the actuator record to control a safe state of the actuator is stored.

12 . A method for controlling of sensors and actuators in a vehicle electrical system with a control arrangement, the method comprising:

connecting a decentralized first input-output module with a central computing platform of the control arrangement via a serial communication bus, with the first input-output module comprising a plurality of first configurable input-output pins that are associated with a sensor, a first input-output interface and a first peripheral I/O storage configured to store a configuration of physical state data of the plurality of first configurable input-output pins;

connecting a decentralized second input-output module with a central computing platform of the control arrangement via a serial communication bus, with the second input-output module comprising a plurality of second configurable input-output pins that are associated with an actuator, a second input-output interface and a second peripheral I/O storage configured to store a configuration of physical state data of the plurality of second configurable input-output pins;

generating a sensor input in the first peripheral I/O storage based on a physical state of one input-output pin of the plurality of first configurable input-output pins associated with the sensor;

controlling a physical state of one input-output pin of the plurality of second configurable input-output pins associated with the actuator, corresponding to an actuator record, present in the second peripheral I/O storage, for the actuator;

performing:

reading a sensor record in the first peripheral I/O storage of the first input-output module by the central computing platform via the serial communication bus; and

writing the actuator record in the second peripheral I/O storage of the second input-output module by the central computing platform via the serial communication bus.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 19, 2024
From: WORTBERG, MICHAEL
To: LISA DRÄXLMAIER GMBH
Reel/Frame 068995/0669 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 27, 2024
From: WORTBERG, MICHAEL
To: LISA DRÄXLMAIER GMBH
Reel/Frame 068792/0908 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2022 100 107.5 · Jan 4, 2022 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTEP2022085884 · Dec 14, 2022
Related Publication 20240414023A1 · Dec 12, 2024
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