Patent ID: 7978600
Filing Date: 2011-07-12
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An electronic control unit comprising: a bus transceiver communicable to an external communication bus external to the electric control unit, the external communication bus allowing data with an electrical dominant level to be asserted thereon in priority to data with an electrical recessive level different from the electrical dominant level, the electrical dominant level being higher in priority than the electrical recessive level; a first control circuit for control of a first target, the first control circuit working to generate first data for transfer via the external communication bus and transmit the generated first data; a second control circuit for control of a second target, the second control circuit working to generate second data for transfer via the external communication bus and transmit the generated second data, the first data and second data generated by the first and second control circuits each having any one of a first electric level and a second electric level, the first and second electric levels being used in the electronic control unit, the electric dominant level and electric recessive level being used in the external communication bus, the first and second electric levels corresponding to the electric dominant and recessive levels, respectively; and a level adjusting circuit communicable to the first and second control circuits and the bus transceiver and configured to: the bus transceiver being configured to transmit the merged data via the external communication line by converting the first electric level and the second electric level of the merged data into the electrical dominant level and the electrical recessive level, respectively, wherein the level adjusting circuit includes a disabling circuit coupled to at least one communication route between the level adjusting circuit and each of the individual first control circuit, the second control circuit, and the bus transceiver, the disabling circuit working to disable at least one of the communication routes upon establishment of a predetermined disabling condition by controlling a level of data to be transmitted through the at least one of the communication routes, the predetermined disabling condition being associated with a corresponding at least one of the communication routes.