Modular seat actuation control system and communication method

Abstract

A seat actuation control system includes at least one seat having a plurality of seat devices and a plurality of control modules interconnected over a communication bus. Each module is associated with a corresponding seat control device and is configured to control its corresponding seat device. Each module includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor and storing program instructions therein which include receiving a status packet from each of the other control modules over the communication bus, processing the status packet for updating the overall system status, and actuating the seat device based on the overall system status. The program instructions further include determining status of the corresponding seat device, generating a status packet including the status information, and broadcasting the status packet to the other modules over the communication bus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for peer-to-peer communication between a plurality of modules of a vehicle seat network, each module being configured to control a corresponding seat device, the method comprising:
 monitoring by each of the plurality of modules a transmit sequence for determining whether the module is a next module in the sequence;   in response to determining by one of the modules that the module is the next module in the transmit sequence, generating by the module a status packet including status information of the corresponding seat device;   monitoring by the module expiration of a rest period; and   in response to expiration of the rest period, broadcasting by the module the generated status packet over the vehicle seat network for receipt by other ones of the plurality of modules for actuating one or more seat devices.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating by the broadcasting module an asynchronous packet;   determining whether the rest period has expired; and   in response to determining that the rest period has not expired, broadcasting the asynchronous packet during the rest period.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a priority assigned to the asynchronous packet is higher than a priority assigned to the heartbeat packet. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating by the broadcasting module a plurality of staggered packets, wherein a priority assigned to a staggered packet is lower than a priority assigned to the heartbeat packet;   transmitting one or more of the staggered packets over the vehicle network;   monitoring a timeout period; and   suspending transmission of the one or more staggered packets in response to reaching a portion of the timeout period.