Vehicle active network topologies

• US 20030043779A1
• 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: Temic Automotive of North America, Incorporated (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Remboski, Donald J., Reinold, Juergen
• Granted Patent: US 7,170,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/42 Loop networks
• 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, wherein the active network is configured to provide a plurality of communication paths between the first device and the second device, and wherein a communication path of the plurality of communication paths includes a loop.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active network comprises a plurality of active network elements coupled by connection media.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein at least one of the active network elements comprises switches.

4. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein at least one of the active network elements comprises bridges.

5. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein at least one of the active network elements comprises routers.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active network is a packet data network.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the loop couples a first active network element of the plurality of active network elements to a second active network element of the plurality of active network elements.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the loop has a loop data rate different than a path data rate of the communication paths.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the loop comprises an active network element.

10. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the loop comprises a plurality of active network elements.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the loop connects the first device and the second device.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active network comprises a multi-drop topology.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active network comprises a ring topology.