System for integrating a plurality of modules using a power/data backbone network

Abstract

A Virtual Electrical and Electronic Device Interface and Management System (VEEDIMS) support architecture is provided. In one example, the VEEDIMS support architecture includes a vehicle layer and a shop layer. The vehicle layer has a module and a controller positioned in a vehicle. The module is configured to couple to a device via an input/output (I/O) interface compatible with the device and configured to couple to the controller via a cable adapted to simultaneously carry bi-directional data and uni-directional power to the module. The shop layer is separate from the vehicle layer and has a browser configured to communicate with an HTTP server in the module and an analysis tool configured to receive and analyze event driven and time series data from the controller.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for integrating a plurality of modules using a power/data backbone network, the backbone network formed by a plurality of cables, wherein each cable is configured to simultaneously carry digital data and power, the system comprising:
 a controller coupled to a backbone network and configured to execute a plurality of control instructions;   a module coupled to the controller via the backbone network and configured to receive data and power via the backbone network, wherein the module is configured to receive control signals from the controller based on the plurality of control instructions; and   at least one device coupled to the module via a direct input/output (I/O) interface positioned in the module, wherein a device specific driver contained in the module provides a communications interface between the device and a generic controller driver in the controller, wherein the module is configured to determine if the device is specifically configured for communication with the module and, if the device is not specifically so configured and unable to communicate with the module, the module is configured to monitor a behavior pattern of the device to create a profile of the device for use by the controller, and if the device is specifically so configured, the module is configured to obtain the profile of the device directly from the device by communicating with the device, and wherein the profile is used to prevent short circuits and other problems of the device.   
     
     
         2 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a switch positioned in the backbone network between the controller and the module, wherein the switch is configured to pass the needed power from a power source to the module and to transfer communications between the module and the controller. 
     
     
         3 . A system in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the backbone network is Ethernet based and wherein the controller and module each include a transmission control protocol (TCP) driver for communications between the module and the controller. 
     
     
         4 . A system in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the switch includes an Ethernet switch. 
     
     
         5 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the module further comprises a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) server. 
     
     
         6 . A system in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the module further comprises a diagnostics component configured to obtain diagnostics data about the module and the device and to make the diagnostics data accessible via the HTTP server. 
     
     
         7 . A system in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the module further includes a documentation set containing a service history of the module, and wherein the documentation set is configured to be accessible via the HTTP server. 
     
     
         8 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the module further comprises a configuration component configured to set operational parameters for at least one of the module and the device. 
     
     
         9 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the module further comprises a data acquisition component configured to acquire data about at least one of the module and the device. 
     
     
         10 . A system in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the data acquisition component includes an Embedded Component Historian Object (ECHO) coupled to an ECHO driver for sending the acquired data from the module to the controller. 
     
     
         11 . A system in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the acquired data is stored in a register map in the module prior to being transferred to a database in the controller. 
     
     
         12 . A system in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the module is integrated with the device.