Data packet for a vehicle active network

• US 20030045972A1
• 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: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Remboski, Donald J., Reinold, Juergen, Bruner, John David
• Granted Patent: US 6,885,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

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, the first device and the second device being communicatively coupled by an active network, a data packet for communication of data between the first device and the second device, the data packet comprising a header portion, a data portion, a trailer portion and an active portion.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active portion provides active data related to the configuration of the active network.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active portion provides active data related to the operation of one of the first device and the second device.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active portion is integrated with the header portion.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active portion is integrated with the data portion.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active portion is integrated with the trailer portion.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active network comprises a plurality of active network elements coupled by connection media, and wherein the active portion contains active data related to the configuration of the active network elements.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the active portion represents a state of an active network element of the plurality of active network elements and wherein the active network is operable to communicate the data packet corresponding to the state.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein at least one of the active network elements comprises a switch.

10. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein at least one of the active network elements comprises a bridge.

11. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein at least one of the active network elements comprises a router.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active portion contains active network timing information.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active portion represents a packet state and wherein the active network is operable to communicate the data packet corresponding to the packet state.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the packet state represents a priority state.

15. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the packet state represents an error state.

16. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the packet state represents a normal state.

17. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active portion comprises information relating to the data packet origin.

18. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active portion comprises a receipt acknowledgement message.