1. A method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle with a drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem comprising:
inputting a drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal into the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem, the drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal requesting a drive train and brakes behavior modification;
determining first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem;
outputting a first capability signal from the first actuator control subsystem to the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem, the first capability signal communicating the first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem;
calculating a first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal; and
outputting the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal from the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem to the first actuator control subsystem and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal to at least one second actuator control subsystem;
wherein both the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal are calculated according to the first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem; and
wherein the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal provide directions for the first actuator control subsystem and the at least one second actuator control subsystem, respectively, to perform the drive train and brakes behavior modification of the drive train and brakes demand signal.
2. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein:
the first and at least one second actuator control subsystems include at least three of a brake control subsystem, an engine control subsystem, a transmission control subsystem, a integrated startergenerator control subsystem and a battery management control subsystem.
3. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 2, further including:
controlling brakes of the vehicle with the brake control subsystem;
controlling an engine of the vehicle with the engine control subsystem;
controlling a transmission of the vehicle with the transmission control subsystem;
controlling an integrated startergenerator with the integrated startergenerator control subsystem; and
managing a battery with the battery management control subsystem.
4. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 1, further including:
inputting vehicle state measurements and first actuator state measurements into the first actuator control subsystem;
wherein the step of determining first capabilities of the first actuator subsystem and is made with regard to the vehicle state measurements and the first actuator state measurements.
5. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 1, further including:
inputting vehicle state measurements and second actuator state measurements into the at least one second actuator control subsystem;
determining second capabilities of the at least one second actuator control subsystem with regard to the vehicle state measurements and the at least one second actuator state measurements; and
outputting at least one second capability signal from the at least one second actuator control subsystem to the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem, the second capability signal communicating the second capabilities of the at least one second actuator control subsystem.
6. A method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle comprising:
providing a drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem configured to modify the drive train and brakes of the vehicle and at least one accompanying coordinator controller configured to modify other components of the vehicle that affect vehicle motion;
outputting an output signal from at least one accompanying coordinator controller;
calculating a demand signal;
inputting the demand signal into the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem; and
modifying the drive train and brakes of the vehicle according to the demand signal;
wherein the demand signal is calculated in response to the output signal from the at least one accompanying coordinator controller.
7. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 6, wherein:
the output signal carries information about a capability of the at least one accompanying subsystem coordinator controller for implementing a vehicle behavior modification with the at least one accompanying coordinator controller.
8. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 7, wherein:
a drive train and brakes behavior modification of the drive train and brakes according to the demand signal and the capability of the at least one accompanying coordinator controller, in combination, allow the vehicle to perform the vehicle behavior modification.
9. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 6, wherein:
the step of modifying the drive train and brakes includes:
outputting a control subsystem signal from the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem to at least one actuator control subsystem.
10. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 9, further including:
inputting vehicle state measurements and actuator state measurements into the at least one actuator control subsystem;
determining the capabilities of each at least one actuator control subsystem according to the vehicle state measurements and the actuator state measurements; and
outputting the capabilities of each at least one actuator control subsystem to the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem.
11. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 10, wherein:
the demand signal does not request more from the drive train and brakes coordinator than the at least one actuator control subsystem is capable of providing as determined by a combination of all the capabilities of the at least one actuator control subsystem.
12. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 11, wherein:
the control subsystem signal does not request more from a particular actuator control subsystem than the particular actuator control subsystem is capable of providing as determined by the capabilities of the particular actuator control subsystem.
13. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 9, wherein:
the at least one subsystem controller includes at least three of a brake control subsystem, an engine control subsystem, a transmission control subsystem, a integrated startergenerator control subsystem and a battery management control subsystem.
14. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 13, wherein:
the step of modifying the drive train and brakes further includes at least one of:
controlling brakes of the vehicle with the brake control subsystem;
controlling an engine of the vehicle with the engine control subsystem; and managing a battery with the battery management control subsystem.
15. The method of controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle of claim 6, further including:
providing a vehicle motion control subsystem;
wherein the step of outputting includes outputting the output signal into the vehicle motion control subsystem;
wherein the step of calculating includes calculating the demand signal with the vehicle motion subsystem; and
outputting the demand signal from the vehicle motion control subsystem.
16. A drive train and brakes control system for controlling a drive train and brakes of a vehicle comprising:
a drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem including at least one subsystem input for receiving a drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and a subsystem output, the drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal requesting a drive train and brakes behavior modification;
a first actuator control subsystem including a first actuator input and a first actuator output; and
at least one second actuator control subsystem including a second actuator input;
wherein the first actuator control subsystem determines first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem and outputs a first capability signal out of the first actuator output to the at least one subsystem input of the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem, the first capability signal communicating the first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem;
wherein the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem calculates a first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal;
wherein the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem outputs, through the subsystem output, the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal into the first actuator input of the first actuator control subsystem and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal into the second actuator input of the at least one second actuator control subsystem;
wherein both the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal are calculated according to the first capabilities of the first actuator control subsystem; and
wherein the first partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal and the at least one second partial drive train and brakes behavior modification demand signal provide directions for the first actuator control subsystem and the at least one second actuator control subsystem, respectively, to perform the drive train and brakes behavior modification of the drive train and brakes demand signal.
17. The drive train and brakes control system of claim 16, wherein:
the first and at least one second actuator control subsystems includes at least three of a brake control subsystem, an engine control subsystem, a transmission control subsystem, a integrated startergenerator control subsystem and a battery management control subsystem.
18. The drive train and brakes control system of claim 17, further including:
brakes of the vehicle controlled by the brake control subsystem;
an engine of the vehicle controlled by the engine control subsystem;
a transmission of the vehicle controlled by the transmission control subsystem;
an integrated startergenerator controlled by the integrated startergenerator control subsystem; and
a battery controlled by the battery management control subsystem.
19. The drive train and brakes control system of claim 16, wherein:
the first actuator control subsystem receives vehicle state measurements and first actuator state measurements; and
the first capabilities of the first actuator subsystem are determined with regard to the vehicle state measurements and the first actuator state measurements.
20. The drive train and brakes control system of claim 19, wherein:
the at least one second actuator receives the vehicle state measurements and second actuator state measurements;
the at least one second actuator control subsystem determines its second capabilities with regard to the vehicle state measurements and the second actuator state measurements; and
the at least one second actuator control subsystem outputs a second capability signal from a second actuator output to the at least one subsystem input of the drive train and brakes coordinator subsystem, the second capability signal communicating the second capabilities of the at least one second actuator control subsystem.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A laser diode management apparatus decides a time to replace a laser diode, comprising:
an operating-current value acquiring unit that acquires a value of an operating current of the laser diode;
a laser intensity acquiring unit that acquires a value of intensity of laser light output from the laser diode; and
a replacement period determining unit that determines a replacement period of the laser diode based on the value of the operating current and the values intensity of the laser light, and outputs at least one of a first notification that indicates that the laser diode needs replacement and a second notification that indicates that the laser diode needs replacement in near future, based on a result of the determination.
2. The laser diode management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the replacement period determining unit outputs a plurality of the second notification at a predetermined time interval.
3. The laser diode management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the replacement period determining unit makes comparison of the value of the operating current with a current threshold and the value of the intensity of the laser light with an intensity threshold and makes determination about the replacement period of the laser diode based on the comparison.
4. The laser diode management apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the replacement period determining unit outputs the second notification when the value of the operating current is equal to or greater than the current threshold.
5. The laser diode management apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the replacement period determining unit outputs the second notification when the value of intensity of the laser light is equal to or less than the intensity threshold.
6. The laser diode management apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the replacement period determining unit outputs the first notification when the value of intensity of the laser light is equal to or less than the intensity threshold.
7. The laser diode management apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:
an initial-status storage unit that stores a value of the operating current and an intensity of the laser light in an initial status of the laser diode, wherein the current threshold is calculated from the value of the operating current and the intensity threshold is calculated from the value of intensity of the laser light stored in the initial-status storage unit.
8. The laser diode management apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the value of the operating current and the value of intensity of the laser light stored in the initial-status storage unit are equal to a value of the operating current and an intensity of the laser light respectively obtained after the laser diode is continuously emitted for a prescribed time.
9. The laser diode management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature measuring unit that measures temperature of the laser diode, wherein
the replacement period determining unit corrects the value of the operating current acquired by the operating-current value acquiring unit based on the temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit.
10. A laser diode management apparatus decides a time to replace a laser diode, comprising:
an operating-current value acquiring unit that acquires a value of an operating current of the laser diode;
a laser intensity acquiring unit that acquires a value of intensity of laser light output from the laser diode; and
a replacement period determining unit that determines a replacement period of the laser diode based on the value of the operating current and the values intensity of the laser light, and outputs at least one of a first notification that indicates that the laser diode needs replacement and a second notification that indicates that the laser diode needs replacement in near future, based on a result of the determination.
11. A method of management of a time to replace a laser diode, comprising:
acquiring a value of an operating current of the laser diode;
acquiring a value of intensity of laser light output from the laser diode; and
determining when the laser diode need replacement based on the value of the operating current and the values intensity of the laser light acquired.