US-20260126312-A1 - SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SYNCHRONIZATION OF PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL ELEMENTS OF AN ANALOG/DIGITAL INSTRUMENT OF A VEHICLE

US20260126312A1US 20260126312 A1US20260126312 A1US 20260126312A1US-20260126312-A1

Abstract

A synchronization system for synchronization of at least one physical element and at least one digital element of an analog/digital instrument of a vehicle is described, which envisages: a first driving sub-system, for driving the digital element and including a first digital processing unit operatively coupled to the digital element; a second driving sub-system, for driving the physical element and including a second digital processing unit operatively coupled to the physical element. The first and second digital processing units of the first and second driving sub-systems implement a synchronization algorithm to determine a synchronism between an operation of the first driving sub-system and a corresponding operation of the second driving sub-system, said synchronization algorithm including operations that are independent of the use of a common reference clock and are based on a set of predefined signals exchanged between the first and second digital processing units.

Inventors

Paolo Massimino
Alfredo ASCRIZZI
Andrea DI STEFANO
Gianluigi DI ZANNI
Lucia Novelli

Assignees

FERRARI S.P.A.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251028
Priority Date: 20241106

Claims (15)

1 . A synchronization system for synchronization of at least one physical element and at least one digital element of an analog/digital instrument of a vehicle, comprising: a first driving sub-system, configured to drive said digital element and including a first digital processing unit operatively coupled to said digital element; a second driving sub-system, configured to drive said physical element and including a second digital processing unit operatively coupled to said physical element, wherein said first and second digital processing units of said first and second driving sub-systems are configured to implement a synchronization algorithm to determine a synchronism between an operation of said first driving sub-system and a corresponding operation of said second driving sub-system, said synchronization algorithm including operations that are independent of the use of a common reference clock and are based on a set of predefined signals exchanged between said first and second digital processing units.
2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said synchronization algorithm is based on a verification, continuous over time during operation of said analog/digital instrument, of round-trip times of said predefined signals, designed to estimate a time shift between the operation of the first driving sub-system and the operation of the second driving sub-system.
3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said synchronization algorithm is configured to implement a latency estimation between the operation of the first driving sub-system and the operation of the second driving sub-system; wherein said latency estimation is used to adapt accordingly movements of said physical element relative to said digital element.
4 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein said synchronization algorithm comprises a first step configured to implement a first latency estimation (ΔT 1 ) due to a communication channel between the first and second driving sub-systems, which envisages the exchange of at least one latency estimation signal between said first and second digital processing units and the evaluation of a round trip time associated with said exchange.
5 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein said first step is performed at start-up and thereafter is repeated periodically with a first repetition interval.
6 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein said synchronization algorithm further comprises a second step configured to implement a second latency estimation (ΔT 2 ) during transmission of data and/or commands between said first and second driving sub-systems, relating to an entire chain, software and hardware, involved in the operation of said analog/digital instrument in response to said data and/or commands.
7 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein said second step is periodically repeated with a second repetition interval of a duration shorter than said first repetition interval.
8 . The system according to claim 6 , configured to estimate a computational load associated with said first and/or second processing units; wherein said second repetition interval, or an instant of execution of said second step of latency estimation, is determined as a function of said computational load.
9 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein said digital element comprises a display screen; and wherein said first driving sub-system comprises a digital content generation stage, controlled by said first digital processing unit and configured to generate digital content representations on said display screen.
10 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein said physical element comprises a pointer configured to overlap said display screen and said analog/digital instrument further comprising an actuator device configured to move said pointer relative to said display screen; wherein said second digital processing unit is configured to drive said actuator device.
11 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein said second digital processing unit is configured to drive said actuator device so that it moves to a position relative to the display screen that is a function of a target position (Pos Target) and a position deviation (Δpos) associated with said estimated latency (ΔT).
12 . An analog/digital instrument of a vehicle, having at least one physical element and at least one digital element, comprising the synchronization system according to claim 1 .
13 . The instrument according to claim 12 , wherein said analog/digital instrument is part of a dashboard or instrument panel of the vehicle.
14 . A vehicle comprising the analog/digital instrument according to claim 12 .
15 . A method of synchronization of at least one physical element and at least one digital element of an analog/digital instrument of a vehicle, comprising: driving said digital element by means of a first driving sub-system, including a first digital processing unit operatively coupled to said digital element; driving said physical element by means of a second driving sub-system, including a second digital processing unit operatively coupled to said physical element, further comprising implementing a synchronization algorithm to determine a synchronism between an operation of the first driving sub-system and a corresponding operation of the second driving sub-system, said synchronization algorithm including operations that are independent of the use of a common reference clock and are based on a set of predefined signals exchanged between said first and second digital processing units.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application no. 102024000024927 filed on Nov. 6, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present solution relates to a system and method for synchronization of mechanical and digital elements, in particular for an analog and digital instrument of a vehicle. PRIOR ART As is known, technological development has led in various areas to the creation of so-called “phygital” systems (a term obtained as a blending of “physical” and “digital”), which combine digital and physical elements within a single instrument or device. In particular, in order to improve the so-called “user experience” and the immediacy of use of technological contents, analog/digital instruments and user interfaces have been created, which comprise, in addition to a digital display element, one or more mechanical or physical elements coupled to, typically overlapping, the same display. In this type of instruments or interfaces, digital and physical elements cooperate to contribute to a more immediate and usable provision of contents for the user. For example, EP 4 365 002 A2 describes a digital and analog instrument for a vehicle comprising a digital display, a pointer (a needle, a pointing device or other similar physical element), which can be arranged above the digital display and is mounted movably so as to move over the digital display, and an actuator device configured to move the pointer. For example, this digital and analog instrument can be used in a dashboard or instrument panel of the vehicle, for a more immediate indication of the value of physical quantities that change over time (for example, speed or engine revolutions), suitably combining the graphic display and a movement of the physical pointer in combination with the same graphic display. In these instruments, and in general in the aforesaid “phygital” systems, the integration between physical and digital elements requires a strict and controlled synchronization between the same physical and digital elements to obtain a content consistent with the evolving state of the system. For example, a graphical representation on the display of an increment on a graduated scale has to correspond to a synchronized movement of the pointer (in terms of its displacement and speed of displacement). In particular, given that the digital and physical elements are generally driven by different portions of the system or sub-systems, for example including respective and distinct digital processing units, appropriate synchronization between the parts involved has to be provided. This synchronization can be implemented by means of a common reference clock (so-called “master clock”); however, this solution involves a rather high implementation cost and can sometimes be difficult or even impossible to implement, due to limitations and costs of the hardware or architecture available. AIM OF THE INVENTION Aim of this solution is generally to provide a system for implementing the aforesaid synchronization between mechanical and digital elements, which can overcome or in any case limit the problems previously highlighted. In view of the above stated aim, according to the present solution a system and a method as defined in the appended claims are provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, which show non-limiting embodiment thereof, wherein: FIG. 1 schematically shows a portion of a motor vehicle provided with a digital and analog instrument and a synchronization system for synchronization of mechanical and digital elements in the same digital and analog instrument; FIGS. 2A and 2B are perspective views, with parts removed for clarity, of a possible implementation of the digital and analog instrument of FIG. 1; and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the synchronization system, according to an embodiment of the present solution. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FORMS OF IMPLEMENTATION As will be described below, one aspect of the present solution generally envisages implementing a synchronization system for synchronization of mechanical and digital elements, in particular for an analog and digital instrument of a vehicle, which does not require the use of a common time reference (i.e. a common reference clock for the respective sub-systems driving the mechanical and digital elements). FIG. 1 shows a portion of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle 1 (which can indifferently be of a traditional or thermal type, or of a hybrid or electric type), having a passenger compartment 2 and a dashboard 4, which constitutes a front wall of the passenger compartment 2, positioned below the windscreen. The dashboard 4 carries an instrument panel 5, which is arranged in front of a driver of the motor vehicle 1, usually immediately behind a steering wheel 6 of the same motor vehicle 1. In particu