Method and system for IP train inauguration

• US 20060180709A1
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vliegen, Hugo J.W., Breton, Luc, Brunetti, Domenico
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 246/1.C
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0036 Conductor-based, e.g. using CAN-Bus, train-line or optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0054 Train integrity supervision, e.g. end-of-train [EOT] devices
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/028 Determination of vehicle position and orientation within a train consist, e.g. serialisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40293 the transportation system being a train
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2535 Multiple local networks, e.g. resolving potential IP address conflicts
• 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: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

A method and system for train inauguration over an internet protocol (IP) based communication network. The present invention describes a method of train inauguration that includes identifying a leading car of a plurality of cars that form a train. The train includes at least one unit of cars such that a first unit includes the leading car. Network and configuration information is discovered for cars in the train using a discovery protocol. The network and configuration information is broadcast to units in the train. Car and unit topology of the train is generated based on the network and configuration information and the leading car that is identified. NAT translation addresses are generated for fixed IP addresses of devices in the plurality of cars. Routing information is exchanged between routers to enable communication between devices in the train using the NAT translation addresses.

Claims

1. A method of train inauguration, comprising:

identifying a leading car of a plurality of cars that form a train, wherein said train comprises at least one unit comprising at least one car such that a first unit comprises said leading car;

discovering network and configuration information for cars in said train;

broadcasting said network and configuration information to said units in said train;

generating car and unit topology of said train based on said network and configuration information and said leading car that is identified;

generating NAT translation addresses for fixed internet protocol (IP) addresses of devices in said plurality of cars; and

exchanging routing information between routers for communication using said NAT translation addresses.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said discovering network and configuration information further comprises:

performing a CISCO™

Discovery Protocol (CDP) on devices in said plurality of cars.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said network information comprises MAC addresses for devices in said plurality of cars, and wherein said generating car and unit topology comprises:

matching a MAC address of a device associated with a first car and discovered as a neighboring device of a neighbor car to said first car to link said first car and said neighbor car in said train.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a discovery protocol is performed to discover said network and configuration information over unit wide Ethernet VLAN networks and a train wide Ethernet VLAN network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said IP addresses that are NAT translated are used for communication between devices in separate cars over a train-wide Ethernet VLAN network and associated car VLAN Ethernet networks.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said exchanging routing information further comprises:

determining router topology within said car and unit topology of said train; and

assigning static IP addresses to routers in said train.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said broadcasting said car information further comprises:

broadcasting said network and configuration information over a train-wide Ethernet VLAN network.

8. A vehicle control unit (VCU) that is capable of train inauguration, comprising:

a discovery module for discovering network and configuration information for cars in a unit of cars of a train, wherein said train comprises a plurality of units;

a topology generator for receiving network and configuration information for cars in other units in said train from other VCUs in said train to generate a car and unit topology for said train using said network configuration information and an identified leading car of said train; and

a NAT translator for generating NAT translation addresses for fixed IP addresses of devices in said plurality of cars to enable communication between devices in separate cars over a train-wide IP communication network and associated car IP communication networks.

9. The vehicle control unit of claim 8, further comprising:

a broadcaster for broadcasting said network and configuration information for cars in said unit to said plurality of units in said train over said train-wide IP communication network.

10. The vehicle control unit of claim 8, wherein said network and configuration information comprises network information for a neighboring car.

11. The vehicle control unit of claim 10, wherein said neighboring car is in a neighboring unit.

12. The vehicle control unit of claim 8, further comprising:

a communication module for communicating with an associated router in said unit of cars to determine router topology within said car and unit topology of said train.

13. The vehicle control unit of claim 12, wherein said communication module enables communication between a switch in said vehicle control unit, said associated router, and associated devices communicatively coupled on a car-wide Ethernet VLAN network.

14. The vehicle control unit of claim 8, wherein said discovery module performs a discovery protocol on devices in said unit of cars to discover said network and configuration information over a unit-wide IP communication network.

15. The vehicle control unit of claim 14, wherein said train-wide IP communication network, said associated car IP communication networks, and said unit-wide IP communication network are Ethernet virtual local area networks (VLANs).

16. The vehicle control unit of claim 8, wherein said topology generator matches a MAC address of a device associated with a first car and discovered as a neighboring device of a neighbor car to said first car to link said first car and said neighbor car in said train.

17. The vehicle control unit of claim 8, wherein said discovery module determines orientations of cars with respect to an orientation of said identified leading car.

18. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable memory coupled to said processor and containing program instructions that, when executed, implement a method of train inauguration, comprising;

identifying a leading car of a plurality of cars that form a train, wherein said train comprises at least one unit comprising at least one car such that a first unit comprises said leading car;

discovering network and configuration information for cars in said train;

broadcasting said network and configuration information to said units in said train;

generating car and unit topology of said train based on said network and configuration information and said leading car that is identified;

generating NAT translation addresses for fixed internet protocol (IP) addresses of devices in said plurality of cars; and

exchanging routing information between routers for communication using said NAT translation addresses.

19. A computer readable medium containing executable instructions which, when executed in a processing system, causes the system to perform the steps for train inauguration, comprising:

identifying a leading car of a plurality of cars that form a train, wherein said train comprises at least one unit comprising at least one car such that a first unit comprises said leading car;

discovering network and configuration information for cars in said train;

broadcasting said network and configuration information to said units in said train;

generating car and unit topology of said train based on said network and configuration information and said leading car that is identified;

generating NAT translation addresses for fixed internet protocol (IP) addresses of devices in said plurality of cars; and

exchanging routing information between routers for communication using said NAT translation addresses.

20. A system of train inauguration, comprising:

means for identifying a leading car of a plurality of cars that form a train, wherein said train comprises at least one unit comprising at least one car such that a first unit comprises said leading car;

means for discovering network and configuration information for cars in said train;

means for broadcasting said network and configuration information to said units in said train;

means for generating car and unit topology of said train based on said network and configuration information and said leading car that is identified;

means for generating NAT translation addresses for fixed internet protocol (IP) addresses of devices in said plurality of cars; and

means for exchanging routing information between routers for communication using said NAT translation addresses.