Shared resistive sensor measurement with FPGA based collision avoidance protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11117686-B2
Application number	US-201916365261-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2019
Priority date	Mar 26, 2019
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

Providing collision avoidance protection to controllers sharing the same sensor. Each of a pair of asynchronous controllers changes the period of a sync pulse transmitted to the other controller to indicate to the other controller it is synchronized. When one of the controllers begins reading data from the shared sensor, the other controller waits to receive another sync pulse for indicating when the controller is finished reading data from the shared sensor. Thus, the asynchronous controllers avoid accessing the same sensor at the same time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing collision avoidance protection to controllers sharing the same sensor, the method comprising:
sending a first sync pulse via a primary controller to a secondary controller;
sending a second sync pulse via the secondary controller to the primary controller;
in response to receiving the second sync pulse at the primary controller, the primary controller changing a period of the first sync pulse to the secondary controller to indicate to the secondary controller that the primary controller is synced to the secondary controller;
in response to receiving the first sync pulse at the secondary controller, the secondary controller changing a period of the second sync pulse to the primary controller to indicate to the primary controller that the secondary controller is synced to the primary controller;
reading, via the primary controller, data from a shared sensor while the secondary controller waits for another sync pulse from the primary controller, wherein the other sync pulse indicates that the primary controller is no longer reading data from the shared sensor; and
in response to the secondary controller receiving the other sync pulse from the primary controller indicating the primary controller is no longer reading data from the shared sensor, reading, via the secondary controller, data from the shared sensor and the primary controller waiting for another sync pulse from the secondary controller, wherein the other sync pulse from the secondary controller indicates the secondary controller is no longer reading data from the shared sensor;
wherein each of the primary and secondary controllers defaults to a dedicated sensor when communication between the primary and secondary controllers is lost.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the shared sensor is one of a pair of sensors shared between the primary and secondary controllers and one of the sensors of the pair of sensors is dedicated to the primary controller and the other sensor of the pair of sensors is dedicated to the secondary controller.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein changing a period of the first sync pulse to the secondary controller to indicate to the secondary controller that the primary controller is synced to the secondary controller comprises lengthening the period of the first sync pulse to the secondary controller to indicate to the secondary controller that the primary controller is synced to the secondary controller and wherein changing the period of the second sync pulse to the primary controller to indicate to the primary controller that the secondary controller is synced to the primary controller comprises lengthening the period of the second sync pulse to the primary controller to indicate to the primary controller that the secondary controller is synced to the primary controller.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the primary and secondary controllers sharing a communication channel to the shared sensor and wherein receipt of the sync pulses indicate when each of the primary and secondary controllers is done reading data from the shared sensor over the shared communication channel.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the second controller reading data from a dedicated sensor while waiting to receive the other sync pulse from the primary controller in order to begin reading data from the shared sensor.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the primary controller reading data from a dedicated sensor while waiting to receive the other sync pulse from the secondary controller in order to begin reading data from the shared sensor.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the primary and secondary controllers are independent controllers that operate asynchronously relative to one another, and wherein the primary and secondary controllers synchronize use of a shared communication channel to the shared sensor.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein receipt of the synched pulse by either of the primary and secondary controllers indicates when the other of the primary and secondary controllers is finished utilizing a shared communication channel to the shared sensor.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein receipt of the synched pulse by either of the primary and secondary controllers indicates a status of asynchronicity of the other of the primary and secondary controllers.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the primary and secondary controllers waiting prior to receiving the second and first sync pulses, respectively, in order to begin reading data from the shared sensor across a shared communication channel and the primary and secondary controllers reading data from respective dedicated sensors while waiting for the first and second sync pulses.

11. A method for providing collision avoidance protection to controllers sharing the same sensor, the method comprising:
sending a first sync pulse via a primary controller to a secondary controller;
sending a second sync pulse via the secondary controller to the primary controller;
in response to receiving the second sync pulse at the primary controller, the primary controller changing a period of the first sync pulse to the secondary controller to indicate to the secondary controller that the primary controller is synced to the secondary controller;
in response to receiving the first sync pulse at the secondary controller, the secondary controller changing a period of the second sync pulse to the primary controller to indicate to the primary controller that the secondary controller is synced to the primary controller;
reading, via the primary controller, data from a shared sensor while the secondary controller waits for another sync pulse from the primary controller, wherein the other sync pulse indicates that the primary controller is no longer reading data from the shared sensor; and
in response to the secondary controller receiving the other sync pulse from the primary controller indicating the primary controller is no longer reading data from the shared sensor, reading, via the secondary controller, data from the shared sensor and the primary controller waiting for another sync pulse from the secondary controller, wherein the other sync pulse from the secondary controller indicates the secondary controller is no longer reading data from the shared sensor;
wherein the shared sensor is one of a pair of sensors shared between the primary and secondary controllers and one of the sensors of the pair of sensors is dedicated to the primary controller and the other sensor of the pair of sensors is dedicated to the secondary controller;
wherein either of the primary and secondary controllers defaults to its own dedicated sensor when a status of the other of the primary and secondary controllers is unknown.

12. A system for providing collision avoidance protection to controllers sharing the same sensor, the system comprising:
a first field programmable gate array (FPGA) comprising a primary controller;
a second FPGA comprising a secondary controller, wherein the primary and secondary controllers are asynchronous relative to one another, and wherein the primary and secondary controllers synchronize communications for receiving sensor data; and
a pair of shared sensors, wherein each of the sensors of the pair of sensors is shared between the primary and secondary controllers, one of the sensors of the pair of sensors is dedicated to the primary controller, and the other sensor of the pair of sensors is dedicated to the secondary controller,
wherein in response to receiving a first sync pulse from the primary controller at the secondary controller, the secondary controller changes a period of a second sync pul

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Wichowski Robert P
• Sears Patrick J
• Roberts Timothy A

Classifications

• G05D1/0077

  using redundant signals or controls · CPC title

• G08C13/00

  Arrangements for influencing the relationship between signals at input and output, e.g. differentiating, delaying · CPC title

• G05D1/10

  Simultaneous control of position or course in three dimensions (G05D1/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B64G1/36 Primary

  using sensors, e.g. sun-sensors, horizon sensors · CPC title

• H04Q9/04 Primary

  Arrangements for synchronous operation · CPC title