US-12623617-B1 - Automotive applications of waveguide confined signal and power radio frequency connection system

US12623617B1US 12623617 B1US12623617 B1US 12623617B1US-12623617-B1

Abstract

A vehicle, a communication system of the vehicle, and a method of operating the vehicle. The communication system includes a radio frequency waveguide for propagating a radio frequency signal through the vehicle, a first device, a first signal transducer associated with the first device, a second device and a second signal transducer associated with the second device. The first device senses a parameter of the vehicle and generates data. The first signal transducer generates a radio frequency signal indicative of the data into the waveguide. The second signal transducer receives the radio frequency signal from the waveguide and communicates the data to the second device. The second device controls an operation at the vehicle based on the data.

Inventors

Sharbel Elias Azzi
Joseph V. Mantese
Joseph Zacchio
Gurkan Gok
William Richard Shaw
Jonathan J. Gilson
Andre M. Ajami
Coy B. WOOD

Assignees

RTX CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230314

Claims (18)

1 . A method of operating a vehicle, comprising: measuring a parameter of the vehicle at a first device of the vehicle; generating a radio frequency signal at a first signal transducer associated with the first device, the radio frequency signal indicative of the parameter; propagating a power signal and the radio frequency signal through a radio frequency waveguide to a second transducer, wherein the radio frequency waveguide is one of a hollow waveguide and a waveguide filled with dielectric material; activating the second transducer based on a power level of the power signal; communicating the parameter from the second transducer to a second device in response to the radio frequency signal; and controlling an operation at the vehicle using the second device based on the parameter.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating the parameter to the first signal transducer via a first control unit associated with the first device and communicating the parameter from the second transducer to a second control unit associated with the second device.
3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising converting between an analog signal and a digital signal using at least one of the first control unit and the second control unit.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the radio frequency signal uses a CANBUS protocol.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the parameter is indicative of at least one of: (i) a braking system; (ii) a lighting system; (iii) an extra-vehicular communication system; (iv) a traction control system; (v) a ride system (vi) a handling system; (vii) a safety system; (viii) an entertainment system.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device is a processor and the second device is a motor, further comprising controlling a speed of the motor using the radio frequency signal.
7 . A communication system for a vehicle, comprising: a radio frequency waveguide for propagating a power signal and a radio frequency signal through the vehicle, wherein the radio frequency waveguide is one of a hollow waveguide and a waveguide filled with dielectric material; a first device configured to sense a parameter of the vehicle and generate data; a first signal transducer associated with the first device configured to generate the power signal and the radio frequency signal into the waveguide, the radio frequency signal being indicative of the data; a second device configured to control an operation at the vehicle based on the data; and a second signal transducer associated with the second device configured to be activated based on a power level of the power signal, receive the radio frequency signal from the waveguide and provide the data to the second device.
8 . The communication system of claim 7 , further comprising a first control unit for communicating between the first device and the first signal transducer and a second control unit for communicating between the second device and second signal transducer.
9 . The communication system of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first control unit and the second control unit is configured to convert between an analog signal and a digital signal.
10 . The communication system of claim 8 , wherein the first device and the second device are configured to operate using a CANBUS protocol.
11 . The communication system of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first device and the second device is a component of at least one of: (i) a braking system; (ii) a lighting system; (iii) an extra-vehicular communication system; (iv) a traction control system; (v) a ride system (vi) a handling system; (vii) a safety system; (viii) an entertainment system.
12 . The communication system of claim 8 , wherein the first device is a processor, the second device is a motor, and the processor is configured to control the motor via the radio frequency signal.
13 . A vehicle, comprising: a radio frequency waveguide for propagating a power signal and a radio frequency signal through the vehicle, wherein the radio frequency waveguide is one of a hollow waveguide and a waveguide filled with dielectric material; a first device configured to sense a parameter of the vehicle and generate data; a first signal transducer associated with the first device configured to generate the power signal and the radio frequency signal into the waveguide based on the data; a second device configured to control an operation at the vehicle based on the data; and a second signal transducer associated with the second device configured to be activated based on a power level of the power signal, receive the radio frequency signal from the waveguide and provide the data to the second device.
14 . The vehicle of claim 13 , further comprising a first control unit for communicating between the first device and the first signal transducer and a second control unit for communicating between the second device and second signal transducer.
15 . The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first control unit and the second control unit is configured to convert between an analog signal and a digital signal.
16 . The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the first device and the second device are configured to operate using a CANBUS protocol.
17 . The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the first device and the second device is a component of at least one of: (i) a braking system; (ii) a lighting system; (iii) an extra-vehicular communication system; (iv) a traction control system; (v) a ride system (vi) a handling system; (vii) a safety system; (viii) an entertainment system.
18 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the second device is one of: (i) a node; and (ii) an actuator.

Description

BACKGROUND Exemplary embodiments pertain to the art of automobiles and, in particular, to a system and method for operating the vehicle using guided wireless communication. Automobiles, trucks and other land vehicles include many electronic devices that are operated from a central computer or processor. The processor sends an electronic signal to the electronic device or receives an electronic signal from the electronic device, depending on whether the device is an actuator being controlled by the processor or a sensor that provides data to the processor. The electronic signal is currently sent over wires extending between the processor and the electronic devices. The number of electronic devices being integrated into land vehicles has grown over the years, resulting in the need for greater numbers of wires and thus adding undesirable weight to the vehicle. Accordingly, there is a need to provide electronic signals wirelessly through the vehicle in order to reduce wires and thus weight of the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION Disclosed is a method of operating a vehicle. The method includes measuring a parameter of the vehicle at a first device of the vehicle, generating a radio frequency signal at a first signal transducer associated with the first device, the radio frequency signal indicative of the parameter, propagating the radio frequency signal through a radio frequency waveguide to a second transducer, communicating the parameter from the second transducer to a second device in response to the radio frequency signal, and controlling an operation at the vehicle using the second device based on the parameter. In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the method further includes communicating the parameter to the first signal transducer via a first control unit associated with the first device and communicating the parameter from the second transducer to a second control unit associated with the second device. In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the method further includes converting between an analog signal and a digital signal using at least one of the first control unit and the second control unit. In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the the radio frequency signal uses a CANBUS protocol. In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the parameter is indicative of at least one of: (i) a braking system; (ii) a lighting system; (iii) an extra-vehicular communication system; (iv) a traction control system; (v) a ride system (vi) a handling system; (vii) a safety system; (viii) an entertainment system. In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the first device is a processor and the second device is a motor and the method further includes controlling a speed of the motor using the radio frequency signal. In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the method further includes propagating the radio frequency signal to transmit a power through the radio frequency waveguide and activating at least one of: (i) a node; and (ii) an actuator using the power. Also disclosed is a communication system for a vehicle. The communication system includes a radio frequency waveguide for propagating a radio frequency signal through the vehicle, a first device configured to sense a parameter of the vehicle and generate data, a first signal transducer associated with the first device configured to generate the radio frequency signal into the waveguide, the radio frequency signal being indicative of the data, a second device configured to control an operation at the vehicle based on the data, and a second signal transducer associated with the second device configured to receive the radio frequency signal from the waveguide and provide the data to the second device. In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the communication system further includes a first control unit for communicating between the first device and the first signal transducer and a second control unit for communicating between the second device and second signal transducer. In addition to one or more of the features described herein, at least one of the first control unit and the second control unit is configured to convert between an analog signal and a digital signal. In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the first device and the second device are configured to operate using a CANBUS protocol. In addition to one or more of the features described herein, at least one of the first device and the second device is a component of at least one of: (i) a braking system; (ii) a lighting system; (iii) an extra-vehicular communication system; (iv) a traction control system; (v) a ride system (vi) a handling system; (vii) a safety system; (viii) an entertainment system. In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the first device is a processor, the second device is a motor, and the processor is conf