Vehicle communications interface

• US 20050193087A1
• Filed: 02/26/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Christopher Roberts, Robert J. Swindells
• Inventors: Roberts, Christopher, Swindells, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,334,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An improved vehicle communications interface (VCI) is both economical and readily adaptable for running new software. The improved VCI includes a server coupled to a bank of processors. The server can communicate with a host, and the processors can communicate with different vehicle networks. Each processor includes a state machine and a media access controller for a particular vehicle network. The state machine identifies incoming messages that require real time responses and provides the requisite responses directly back to the network, without involvement of the server. Real time requirements of the server are thus relieved, allowing the server to run a non-real time, mainstream operating system for which new product software is readily available.

Claims

1. A device for communicating between a host computer and different types of computer networks found in transportation vehicles, comprising:

a server capable of being networked to the host computer; and

a plurality of processors, coupled to the server, each processor constructed and arranged to exchange messages in accordance with a particular vehicle network protocol,

wherein each of the plurality of processors includes a controller for monitoring messages received from a vehicle network and providing a real time response to messages that require a real time response without intervention of the server.

2. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein different ones of the plurality of processors are constructed and arranged to exchange messages in accordance with different vehicle network protocols.

3. A device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a bus interface coupled to the server and each of the plurality of processors, for allowing bus communication between each of the plurality of processors and the server.

4. A device as recited in claim 3, further comprising a memory coupled to the bus interface, wherein the memory is accessible by any of the plurality of processors without intervention of the server.

5. A device as recited in claim 3, wherein the bus interface is a PCI bus interface.

6. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein each processor further comprises a media access controller (MAC) for enabling communication in a native protocol of a vehicle network.

7. A device as recited in claim 6, wherein the controller is coupled between the MAC and the server for conveying messages between the MAC and the server.

8. A device as recited in claim 7, wherein the digital circuit further comprises an incoming message buffer coupled between the controller and the server for accumulating messages received from a vehicle network.

9. A device as recited in claim 7, wherein the digital circuit further comprises an outgoing message buffer coupled between the server and the controller for receiving data from the server.

10. A device as recited in claim 7, wherein the digital circuit further comprises a timer, coupled to the controller, for providing an indication that a designated interval of time has elapsed.

11. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein the server is loaded with an operating system other than a real time operating system (RTOS).

12. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of processors is realized as at least one Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).

13. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein the server and the plurality of processors are realized together in a single Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).

14. A device for communicating with different types of computer networks in a vehicle, comprising:

a server;

a plurality of processors, coupled to the server, different ones of the plurality of processors constructed and arranged to exchange messages according to different vehicle network protocols,

wherein each of the plurality of processors includes—

means for identifying messages arriving from a vehicle that require a real time response; and

means, operative in response to an identification that a message requires a real time response, for providing a real time response without intervention of the server.

15. A device as recited in claim 14, wherein the real time response comprises an acknowledgement transmitted to the vehicle that a message has been received.

16. A device as recited in claim 14, wherein the means for providing a real time response comprises means for providing a response within a predetermined interval of time.

17. A device as recited in claim 14, wherein the means for providing a real time response comprises means for providing a response within a predetermined number of received messages.

18. A device as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

a memory coupled to the server;

a bus coupled to the memory and to the plurality of processors; and

means for storing messages from the vehicle in the memory without intervention of the server.

19. A device as recited in claim 14, wherein the server is one of a laptop computer, a computer workstation, and a personal data assistant.

20. A device as recited in claim 14, wherein the server and the plurality of processors are realized together in a single Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).

21. A method of communicating with a network of computers in a vehicle, comprising:

connecting a device to an access port of the network;

receiving messages from the vehicle in a native protocol of the network, by the device via the access port;

identifying, by the device, messages arriving from the vehicle that require a real time response;

for messages so identified, providing a real time response;

accumulating received messages; and

uploading the accumulated, received messages to a server responsive to a predetermined event.

22. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the predetermined event is a detection of an error on the network.

23. A method as recited in claims 21, wherein the predetermined event is an indication that a network transmission is complete.

24. A method as recited in claims 21, wherein the predetermined event is an indication that available memory for storing messages has reached its capacity.