Method for controlling access to devices in a vehicle communication network

• US 20040039505A1
• Filed: 11/15/2002
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Vollmer, Vasco, Hofmann, Matthias
• Granted Patent: US 6,859,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40019 Details regarding a bus master
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40084 Bus arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4015 by scheduling the transmission of messages at the communication node
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6464 Priority
• 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 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method of controlling access to devices in a vehicle communications network and regulating access of an application to devices required for the application. Priorities are issued for this access. A driver manager makes the required drivers for operating and controlling the individual devices available to the application. A resource manager allocates or assigns the devices to a requesting application in accordance with their priority and availability.

Claims

1. A method of controlling access to devices in a vehicle communications network, the devices being placed in different locations in the vehicle;

applications being made available for call-up on the specific devices in the vehicle communications network (1),

wherein, when an application is called up on a device, the application creates a list of the devices required for the application;

a driver manager (3) which manages the drivers necessary for the application requests the required devices from a resource manager (2) with a priority defined by the application, using the list created by the application;

the resource manager (2) assigns the necessary devices to the driver manager (3) if the devices necessary for the application are free;

the driver manger (3) allows the application access to the required devices via the respective drivers;

after the end of the application, the devices required for the application are reported by the driver manager (3) as free to the resource manager (2); and

if the required devices are not free, this is reported to the driver manager (3) by the resource manager (2).

2. The method as recited in claim 1,

wherein the resource manager (2) withdraws the devices requested by the application, from the application, after a predefined period of time.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 or 2,

wherein a device occupied by a first application having a first priority is assigned to a second application if the priority of the second application is higher than the first priority.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, 2 or 3,

wherein the application is assigned to an application layer and the driver manager (3) is assigned to the Common Interface for Automotive Networks (CIAN).

5. The method as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein one application calls up another application.

6. The method as recited in claim 5,

wherein the other application is made available on another device.

7. The method as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein a bus system according to IEEE 1394 is used as the vehicle communications network.

8. The method as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the drivers are stored on the device of the application, or they are generated by the driver manager (3) as needed, or they are loaded by the driver manager (3) from another device.

9. A device which has a resource manager for executing the method as recited in one of claims 1 through 8.

10. A device which has a driver manager for executing the method as recited in one of claims 1 through 8.

11. The device for executing the method as recited in one of claims 1 through 8,

wherein an application may be called up by the device.