Vehicle active network with fault tolerant devices

• US 20030043739A1
• Filed: 08/31/2001
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Remboski, Donald J., Reinold, Juergen
• Granted Patent: US 8,194,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/30 Routing of multiclass traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/566 Routing instructions carried by the data packet, e.g. active networks

Abstract

A vehicle active network (12) communicatively couples devices (14-20) within a vehicle (10). Device operation is independent of the interface (22-28) of the device (14-20) with the active network (12). Additionally, the architecture of the active network (12) provides one or more levels of communication redundancy. The architecture provides for the total integration of vehicle systems and functions, and permits plug-and-play device integration and upgradeability.

Claims

1. In a vehicle comprising a first device and a second device and an active network communicatively coupling the first device and the second device, the first device having a first communication coupling to the active network and a second communication coupling to the active network.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active network comprises a plurality of active network elements coupled by connection media and wherein the first communication coupling couples to a first active network element and the second communication coupling couples to a second active network element.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a device active network element, and wherein the first communication coupling and the second communication coupling each couple to the device active network element.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a first device active network element and a second device active network element, and wherein the firs t communication coupling couples to the first device active network element and the second communication coupling couples to the second device active network element.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the first device active network element and the second device active network element are communicatively coupled by connection media.

6. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the first device active network element and the second device active network element are communicatively coupled by connection media.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a first device active network element and a second device active network element, and wherein the first communication coupling and the second communication coupling each couples to the first device active network element and the second device active network element.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the device has a first device element coupled to the first coupling and a second device element coupled to the second coupling.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein active network comprises a packet data network.

10. In a vehicle comprising an active network for communications within the vehicle, a method of coupling a device to the active network comprising:

providing a first communication coupling from the device to the active network at a first location on the active network; and

providing a second communication coupling from the device to the active network at a second location on the active network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the active network comprises a plurality of active network elements coupled by connection media, and wherein the step of providing a first communication coupling comprises coupling the device to a first active network element of the plurality of active network elements and the step of providing a second communication coupling comprises coupling the device to a second active network element of the plurality of active network elements.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the active network comprises a plurality of active network elements coupled by connection media, and wherein the step of providing a first communication coupling comprises coupling the device to an active network element of the plurality of active network elements and the step of providing a second communication coupling comprises coupling the device to the active network element.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the active network comprises a plurality of active network elements coupled by connection media and the device comprises a device active network element, and wherein the step of providing a first communication coupling comprises coupling the device active network element to a first active network element of the plurality of active network elements and the step of providing a second communication coupling comprises coupling the device active network element to a second active network element of the plurality of active network elements.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the active network comprises a plurality of active network elements coupled by connection media and the device comprises a first device active network element and a second device active network element, and wherein the step of providing a first communication coupling comprises coupling the first device active network element to a first active network element of the plurality of active network elements and the step of providing a second communication coupling comprises coupling the second device active network element to a second active network element of the plurality of active network elements.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the active network comprises a plurality of active network elements coupled by connection media and the device comprises a first device active network element and a second device active network element, and wherein the step of providing a first communication coupling comprises coupling the first device active network element and the second device active network element to a first active network element of the plurality of active network elements and the step of providing a second communication coupling comprises coupling the first device active network element and the second device active network element to a second active network element of the plurality of active network elements.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the active network comprises a plurality of active network elements coupled by connection media and the device comprises a first device active network element and a second device active network element, and wherein the step of providing a first communication coupling comprises coupling the first device active network element and the second device active network element to an active network element of the plurality of active network elements and the step of providing a second communication coupling comprises coupling the first device active network element and the second device active network element to the active network element.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the steps of providing a first communication coupling and a second communication coupling comprises coupling the first device active network element to the second device active network element.