Patent ID: 11968639
Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 17:
18. A vehicular control system, the vehicular control system comprising:
a first electronic control unit (ECU) disposed at a vehicle equipped with the vehicular control system;
a second ECU disposed at the equipped vehicle, wherein the second ECU generates a first output for at least one driving assist system of the equipped vehicle;
wherein the first ECU and the second ECU are in digital communication with one another via an Ethernet communication link, wherein the digital communication via the Ethernet communication link comprises communication of a first frame and communication of a second frame;
wherein the first ECU transmits the first frame to the second ECU via the Ethernet communication link, wherein the first frame comprises a first bit pattern having a first sequence of binary digits;
wherein the second ECU, responsive to receiving the first frame from the first ECU, transmits the second frame to the first ECU via the Ethernet communication link, wherein the second frame comprises a second bit pattern having a second sequence of binary digits;
wherein the first ECU, responsive to receiving the second frame from the second ECU, determines a propagation delay based on a time interval between (i) when the first ECU transmits the first frame to the second ECU and (ii) when the first ECU receives the second frame from the second ECU;
wherein the first ECU transmits a time synchronization frame to the second ECU via the Ethernet communication link, and wherein the time synchronization frame comprises (i) the determined propagation delay and (ii) a timestamp indicative of a point in time when the frame synchronization frame is transmitted by the first ECU; and
wherein the second ECU, at least partially responsive to receiving the time synchronization frame, generates a second output for the at least one driving assist system of the equipped vehicle.