System, methods, and bus controllers for creating and event trigger on a network bus

• US 20040177206A1
• Filed: 10/21/2003
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Konz, Daniel W., Ellerbrock, Philip J., Noll, Christian J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system

Abstract

The present invention provides systems, methods, and bus controllers (12)for monitoring an event of interest via a network bus (14)and creating an asynchronous event trigger on the network bus indicating that the event occurred. Importantly, the systems, methods, and bus controllers (12) of the present invention use either one or several network devices (16, 18) that are connected to the network bus (14) and monitor the occurrence of an event of interest. These network devices (16, 18) are configure through commands from the bus controller (12) to indicate on the network bus (14) typically by a pulse signal, when the event of interest has occurred. The indication from the network device (16, 18) that the event has occurred is used by the bus controller (12) and other network devices (16, 18, 20) on the network bus (14) to configure timing for commands or to perform desired actions in synchronization with the occurrence of the event of interest.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring an event of interest via a network bus, wherein said system comprises:

a bus controller in electrical communication with the network bus for controlling communications on the network bus; and

at least one first network device in electrical communication with the network bus for indicating that the event of interest has occurred,

wherein said bus controller transmits an event command via the network bus commanding said first network device to indicate when the event of interest has occurred, and wherein said first network device, upon determining that the event has occurred, transmits an indication on the network bus.

2. A system according to claim 1 further comprising at least one second network device for performing an associated action based on when the event of interest occurred, wherein said bus controller transmits a trigger on event command via the network bus commanding said first network device to indicate on the network bus when the event of interest has occurred, and wherein the trigger on event command further commands said second network device to perform the associated action when said first network device indicates on the network bus that the event of interest has occurred.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said second network device performs the associated action a selected delay time after the event of interest has occurred, wherein when said first network device indicates that the event of interest has occurred, said second network device performs the associated action after the selected delay time.

4. A system according to claim 1 further comprising at least one second network device for performing an associated action, wherein said bus controller commands said second network device to perform the associated action based on when the event of interest occurs.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said bus controller communicates with said second network device based on an operation schedule outlining commands to be sent to said second network device and timing for sending the commands, wherein when said bus controller receives an indication from said first network device that the event of interest has occurred, said bus controller updates the operation schedule such that the timing for sending commands to said second network device are based on when the event of interest occurs.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the event of interest occurs on a periodic basis, wherein the operation schedule includes commands and timing used by said bus controller to command said second network device to perform the associated action at a specified time period defined between successive occurrences of the event of interest, and wherein when said bus controller receives an indication from said first network device that the event of interest has occurred, said bus controller updates the operation schedule such that the timing for sending commands to said second network device are based on when the event of interest occurs.

7. A system according to claim 4, wherein said bus controller communicates with all network devices based on an operation schedule that outlines all communication on the network bus, wherein when the event of interest occurs, said first network device transmits an indication on the network bus independent of the operation schedule.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said first network device transmits at least one of a pulse and a message on the network bus when the event of interest occurs.

9. A method for monitoring an event of interest via a network bus, wherein said method comprises the steps of:

transmitting an event command from a bus controller that controls communications on the network bus to at least a first network device via the network bus commanding the first network device to indicate when the event of interest has occurred;

determining via the first network device that the event of interest has occurred; and

providing an indication on the network bus.

10. A method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of performing an action via at least one second network device based on when the event of interest occurred, wherein said transmitting step transmits a trigger on event command from the bus controller via the network bus commanding the first network device to indicate when the event of interest has occurred, wherein the trigger on event command further commands the second network device second network device to perform the associated action when the indicating step indicates that the event of interest has occurred.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said performing step performs the associated action a selected delay time after the event of interest has occurred, wherein when said indicating step indicates that the event of interest has occurred, said performing step performs the associated action after the selected delay time.

12. A method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of performing an action via at least one second network device, wherein said transmitting step transmits a trigger on event command via the network bus commanding the second network device to perform the associated action based on when the event of interest occurs.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said transmitting step transmits commands to the second network device based on an operation schedule outlining commands to be sent to the second network device and timing for sending the commands, wherein said method further comprises the step of updating the operation schedule when said indicating step indicates that the event of interest has occurred, such that the timing for sending commands to the second network device are based on when the event of interest occurs.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the event of interest occurs on a periodic basis, wherein the operation schedule includes commands and timing used by said transmitting step to transmit commands to the second network device to perform the associated action at a specified time during a period defined between successive occurrences of the event of interest, and wherein said updating step updates the operation schedule when said indicating step indicates that the event of interest has occurred, such that the tiring for sending commands to the second network device are based on when the event of interest occurs.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein said transmitting step transmits commands to the second network device based on an operation schedule that outlines all communication on the network bus, wherein when the event of interest occurs, said indicating step provides an indication on the network bus independent of the operation schedule.

16. A method according to claim 9, wherein said indicating step provides at least one of a pulse and a message on the network bus when the event of interest occurs.

17. A bus controller for monitoring an event of interest via a network bus, wherein said bus controller is in electrical communication with the network bus and controls communications on the network bus, wherein said bus controller is capable of transmitting event commands via the network bus to at least one first network device connected to the network bus commanding that the network device indicate on the network bus when the event of interest has occurred, and wherein said bus controller is capable of receiving the indication from the first network device that event of interest occurred.

18. A bus controller according to claim 17 further capable of sending a trigger on event command via the network bus to commanding that the network device indicate on the network bus when the event of interest has occurred, wherein the trigger on event command further commands the second network device to perform an associated action when the first network device has indicated that the event of interest has occurred.

19. A bus controller according to claim 18, wherein said bus controller communicates with the second network device based on an operation schedule outlining commands to be sent to the second network device and tiring for sending the commands, wherein when said bus controller receives an indication from the first network device that the event of interest has occurred, said bus controller updates the operation schedule such that the timing for sending commands to the second network device are based on when the event of interest occurs.

20. A bus controller according to claim 19, wherein the event of interest occurs on a periodic basis, wherein the operation schedule includes commands and timing used by said bus controller to command the second network device to perform the associated action at a specified time during the period defined between successive occurrences of the event of interest, and wherein when said bus controller receives an indication from the first network device that the event of interest has occurred, said bus controller updates the operation schedule such that the timing for sending commands to the second network device are based on when the event of interest occurs.

21. A system for monitoring an event of interest in a network system, wherein said system comprises:

a network bus for transporting all communications in the network system;

a bus controller in electrical communication with the network bus for controlling communications on the network bus;

at least one first network device in electrical communication with the network bus for indicating that the event of interest has occurred; and

at least one second network device for performing an associated action based on when the event of interest has occurred,

wherein said bus controller transmits an event command via the network bus commanding said first network device to indicate when the event of interest has occurred, wherein said first network device, upon determining that the event has occurred, transmits an indication on the network bus, and wherein said second network device performs the associated action based on when the event of interest occurred.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein said bus controller transmits a trigger on event command via the network bus commanding said first network device to indicate when the event of interest has occurred, wherein the trigger on event command further commands said second network device to perform the associated action when said first network device indicates that the event of interest has occurred.

23. A system according to claim 21, wherein said bus controller communicates with said second network device based on an operation schedule outlining commands to be sent to said second network device and timing for sending the commands, wherein when said bus controller receives an indication from said first network device that the event of interest has occurred, said bus controller updates the operation schedule such that the timing for sending commands to said second network device are based on when the event of interest occurs.

24. A system according to claim 23, wherein the event of interest occurs on a periodic basis, wherein the operation schedule includes commands and timing used by said bus controller to command said second network device to perform the associated action at a specified time during the period defined between successive occurrences of the event of interest, and wherein when said bus controller receives an indication from said first network device that the event of interest has occurred, said bus controller updates the operation schedule such that the timing for sending commands to said second network device are based on when the event of interest occurs.