Intra-automobile power and communications via fiber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12294416-B2
Application number	US-202318297904-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2023
Priority date	Apr 10, 2023
Publication date	May 6, 2025
Grant date	May 6, 2025

Abstract

An automobile includes an electronic control unit (ECU), at least one fiber optical cable, and a sensor unit. The ECU is operational to generate an optical power signal and a first optical communications signal. The fiber optical cable transports the optical power signal and the first optical communications signal. The sensor unit is operational to convert the optical power signal into an electrical power, convert the first optical communications signal into an electrical control signal, measure a first parameter related to the automobile, and generate a second optical communications signal that conveys the first parameter as measured. The fiber optical transports the second optical communications signal to the electronic control unit. The ECU is further operational to convert the second optical communications signal into a first electrical sensed signal that conveys the first parameter, and take an action based on the first parameter in the first electrical sensed signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automobile comprising:
an electronic control unit operational to generate an optical power signal and a first optical communications signal;
at least one fiber optical cable coupled to the electronic control unit and operational to transport the optical power signal and the first optical communications signal; and
a sensor unit located remote from the electronic control unit and coupled to the at least one fiber optical cable, wherein the sensor unit is operational to:
convert the optical power signal into an electrical power;
convert the first optical communications signal into an electrical control signal;
measure a first parameter related to the automobile with a first sensor based on the electrical control signal and using the electrical power converted from the optical power signal; and
generate a second optical communications signal that conveys the first parameter as measured, wherein:

the at least one fiber optical is further operational to transport the second optical communications signal from the sensor unit to the electronic control unit; and
the electronic control unit is further operational to:
convert the second optical communications signal into a first electrical sensed signal that conveys the first parameter as measured; and
take an action based on the first parameter in the first electrical sensed signal.

2. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit comprises:
a first photovoltaic device operational to convert the optical power signal into the electrical power;
a first optical receiver operational to convert the first optical communications signal into the electrical control signal; and
a control circuit powered by the electrical power, coupled to the first sensor, and operational to receive the electrical control signal.

3. The automobile according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first sensor is operational to generate a first detection signal by measuring the first parameter;
the control circuit is further operational to generate an electrical modulated signal based on the first detection signal and the electrical control signal; and
the sensor unit includes a remote optical transmitter coupled to the control circuit and operational to generate the second optical communications signal in response to the electrical modulated signal.

4. The automobile according to claim 3 , wherein:
the sensor unit is further operational to:
measure a second parameter related to the automobile with a second sensor based on the electrical control signal and using the electrical power converted from the optical power signal; and
generate the second optical communications signal to convey the first parameter as measured and the second parameter as measured; and

the electronic control unit is further operational to convert the second optical communications signal into the first electrical sensed signal that conveys the first parameter as measured, and a second electrical sensed signal that conveys the second parameter as measured.

5. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein:
the electronic control unit includes a first optical multiplexer operational to multiplex the optical power signal and the first optical communications signal into a single channel of the at least one fiber optical cable; and
the sensor unit includes a first beam splitter operational to demultiplex the optical power signal and the first optical communications signal from the single channel of the at least one fiber optical cable.

6. The automobile according to claim 5 , wherein:
the sensor unit includes a second optical multiplexer operational to multiplex the second optical communications signal into the single channel of the at least one fiber optical cable; and
the electronic control unit includes a second beam splitter operational to demultiplex the second optical communications signal from the single channel of the at least one fiber optical cable.

7. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit comprises:
a drive circuit operational to generate a power drive signal and a data control signal;
a first optical transmitter coupled to the drive circuit and operational to generate the optical power signal in response to the power drive signal; and
a second optical transmitter coupled to the drive circuit and operational to generate the first optical communications signal in response to the data control signal.

8. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit comprises:
a drive circuit operational to generate a modulation signal by multiplexing a power drive signal and a data control signal; and
a single optical transmitter coupled to the drive circuit and operational to generate the optical power signal and the first optical communications signal in response to the modulation signal.

9. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one fiber optical cable is a multi-fiber cable having at least a first optical channel and a second optical channel,
the first optical channel is operational to convey the optical power signal; and
the second optical channel is operational to convey the first optical communications signal and the second optical communications signal.

10. The automobile according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one fiber optical cable includes a first fiber optical cable and a second fiber optical cable, wherein the first fiber optical cable is separate from the second fiber optical cable;
the first fiber optical cable is operational to convey the optical power signal; and
the second fiber optical cable is operational to convey the first optical communications signal and the second optical communications signal.

11. The automobile according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first optical transmitter coupled to one end of the at least one fiber optical cable and operational to generate an optical carrier signal that conveys one of the electrical control signal and the first parameter; and
a reflective device coupled to an opposite end of the at least one fiber optical cable and operational to reflect the optical carrier signal to convey an opposite one of the electrical control signal and the first parameter.

12. A method for intra-automobile power and communications via fiber comprising:
generating an optical power signal in an electronic control unit of an automobile;
generating a first optical communications signal in the electronic control unit;
transporting the optical power signal and the first optical communications signal in at least one fiber optical cable to a sensor unit of the automobile, wherein the sensor unit is remote from the electronic control unit;
converting the optical power signal into an electrical power in the sensor unit;
converting the first optical communications signal into an electrical control signal in the sensor unit;
measuring a first parameter related to the automobile with a first sensor of the sensor unit based on the electrical control signal and using the electrical power converted from the optical power signal;
generating a second optical communications signal in the sensor unit, wherein the second optical communications signal conveys the first parameter as measured;
transporting the second optical communications signal in the at least one fiber optical cable from the sensor unit to the electronic control unit;
converting the second optical communications signal into a first electrical sensed signal in the electronic control unit, wherein the first electrical sensed signal conveys the first parameter as measured; and
taking an action in the electronic control unit base

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Philipp Tzvi
• Kotzer Igal

Classifications

• H04B10/079 Primary

  using measurements of the data signal · CPC title

• H04B10/25

  Arrangements specific to fibre transmission · CPC title

• H04B10/807 Primary

  Optical power feeding, i.e. transmitting power using an optical signal · CPC title

• H04W4/40

  for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] · CPC title

• H04B10/2589 Primary

  Bidirectional transmission · CPC title