Sensor interface that provides a long package crc to improve functional safety

Abstract

A data transmission system comprising an Automotive Sensor Network System (ASNS) connected to a plurality of source locations via a common bus, wherein the ASNS is configured to ascertain the source from which the data-frames and first package checksum are received and based on the ascertainment of the source, appropriate decoding methods are used to calculate the ASNS location data-frame checksums and the ASNS location package checksums. A higher order redundancy check is done over a series of data-frames to detect errors in the reception caused by temporary high interference that may exist in the transmission path.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automotive sensor network system comprising:
 a transceiver configured to receive at least one data-frame and a first package checksum from a source location, wherein the at least one data-frame includes a first data-frame checksum calculated at the source location;   a source component configured to generate a determination of the source location from which the at least one data-frame is received;   a data-frame decoder component configured to calculate a second data-frame checksum for the at least one data-frame based on the determination of the source and compare the second data-frame checksum with the first data-frame checksum; and   a package decoder component configured to calculate a second package checksum for a plurality of the data-frames received from the transceiver based on the source location and compare the second package checksum with the first package checksum.   
     
     
         2 . The automotive sensor network system of  claim 1 , wherein the package decoder component is further configured to update the second package checksum on receiving at least one data-frame from the transceiver. 
     
     
         3 . The automotive sensor network system of  claim 1 , further comprising a look-up table configured to output a data-frame decoding instruction set and a package decoding instruction set based on the determination of the source location by the transceiver. 
     
     
         4 . The automotive sensor network system of  claim 3 , wherein the look-up table comprises of polynomial checksums or non-polynomial checksums for the data frame decoding and package decoding instructions sets. 
     
     
         5 . The automotive sensor network system of  claim 4 , wherein the data-frame decoder component generates the second data-frame checksum via decoding based on information within the at least one data-frame received at the transceiver. 
     
     
         6 . The automotive sensor network system of  claim 5 , wherein the data-frame decoder component generates the second data-frame checksum via decoding using a cyclic redundancy check (CRC), wherein the decoding used to generate the second data-frame checksum is the data-frame decoding obtained from the look-up table based on the determination of the source location of the at least one received data-frame. 
     
     
         7 . The automotive sensor network system of  claim 4 , wherein the package decoder component generates a second package checksum via decoding based on information within a plurality of data-frames received at the transceiver. 
     
     
         8 . The automotive sensor network system of  claim 7 , wherein the package decoder generates the second package checksum using a cyclic redundancy check (CRC),
 wherein the length of the second package checksum is greater than the length of the second data-frame checksum.   
     
     
         9 . The automotive sensor network system of  claim 8 , wherein the decoding used to generate the second package checksum is the package decoding obtained from the look-up table based on the determination of the source location of the at least one received data-frame. 
     
     
         10 . The automotive sensor network system of  claim 7 , wherein the package decoder component is further configured to output a message based on the results of the comparison within a fault tolerant time of the Automotive Sensor Network System. 
     
     
         11 . The automotive sensor network system of  claim 3 , wherein the package decoding is configured to detect higher order multi-bit faults in comparison to the data-frame decoding. 
     
     
         12 . The automotive sensor network system of  claim 11 , wherein the package decoding is configured to use a checksum which is Low Density Parity Check, Turbo Code or Reed Solomon code. 
     
     
         13 . The automotive sensor network system of  claim 11 , wherein the data-frame decoding is configured to use a checksum which is either Cyclic Redundancy Check or Hamming Code. 
     
     
         14 . The automotive sensor network system of  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is configured to receive the package checksum from the source location on sending a request to the source location. 
     
     
         15 . A method for a communication device comprising:
 receiving at least one data-frame and a first package checksum from a source location, wherein the at least one received data-frame includes a first data-frame checksum calculated at the source location;   generating a determination of the source location from which the at least one data-frame is received;   calculating a second data-frame checksum for the at least one received data-frame based on the determination of the source location and comparing the calculated second data-frame checksum with a first data-frame checksum; and   calculating a second package checksum for a plurality of data-frames received based on the determination of the source location and comparing the calculated second package checksum with the first package checksum.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein generating the determination of the source location based on a time slot during which them data-frame is received. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein generating the determination of the source location based on a plurality of source identification bits attached to the at least one data-frame received. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 obtaining a data-frame decoding method and a package decoding method from a look-up table based on the determination of the source location.