Communication message conversion apparatus and communication message conversion method

• US 20070140294A1
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukui, Satoshi, Nishihashi, Susumu, Noumi, Kaoru, Kasame, Tomohide, Ishikawa, Yukio, Hayashi, Kokoro, Takatori, Tsuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,801,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40032 Details regarding a bus interface enhancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40215 Controller Area Network CAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40241 Flexray
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle

Abstract

A communication conversion apparatus achieve efficient conversion without conversion delay and converts messages that effect communication with different communication protocols and schedules. In a message conversion apparatus that performs message conversion of different communication protocols, a routing circuit and a scheduler circuits that perform scheduling of the different communication protocols are separately provided. And time-triggered scheduling and event-triggered scheduling are separately performed. Conversion of FlexRay and CAN messages can be efficiently implemented.

Claims

1. A communication message conversion apparatus connected with communication paths of different communication protocols, that converts a message of one communication protocol to a message of another communication protocol and communicates the converted message with a designated address, comprising:

a reception circuit that receives a message of the one communication protocol from a first communication path;

a transmission circuit that transmits a message of another communication protocol to a second communication path in accordance with a schedule of another communication protocol; and

a routing circuit that retrieves an address identifier of a communication path of another protocol from an identifier included in the message received by the reception circuit, and converts the message of the reception circuit to a format of another protocol.

2. A communication message conversion apparatus that converts a message of an event-triggered communication protocol into a message of a time-triggered communication protocol and communicates with a designated address, comprising:

reception unit that receives a message of the event-triggered communication protocol;

a transmission buffer that stores the time-triggered message;

a transmission unit that transmits the message of the transmission buffer to a communication path with a time-triggered schedule; and

a routing unit that stores the event-triggered message in a designated address storage location of the transmission buffer and stores updating history thereof,

wherein the transmission unit transmits the message that the event-triggered message is attached with the updating history.

3. A communication message conversion apparatus that converts a message of an event-triggered communication protocol into a message of a time-triggered communication protocol and communicates with a designated address, comprising:

reception unit that receives a message of the event-triggered communication protocol;

a transmission buffer that stores the time-triggered message;

a transmission unit that transmits the message of the transmission buffer to a communication path with a time-triggered schedule in accordance with network idle time information of the time-triggered communication protocol; and

a routing unit that stores the event-triggered message in a designated address storage location of the transmission buffer.

4. A message conversion method of converting a FlexRay frame pattern to a CAN frame pattern, comprising the steps of:

receiving the FlexRay frame pattern comprising an identifier indicating a CAN ID, data length, and CAN data; and

converting the FlexRay frame pattern to the CAN frame pattern by using an identifier indicating the CAN ID of the received FlexRay frame, and with the data length and CAN data.

5. A message conversion method for converting a FlexRay frame pattern to a CAN frame pattern, comprising the steps of:

receiving the FlexRay frame pattern comprising an identifier indicating a FlexRay ID and CAN data; and

converting the FlexRay frame pattern to the CAN frame pattern by converting the identifier of the received FlexRay frame to a CAN ID, and with CAN data to which the data length has been attached.

6. A communication message conversion apparatus connected with communication paths of different communication protocols, that converts a message of one communication protocol to a message of another communication protocol and effects communication with a designated address, comprising:

a reception circuit that receives a message of the one communication protocol from a first communication path;

a transmission circuit that transmits a message of another communication protocol to a second communication path;

a routing circuit that retrieves an address identifier of the second communication path of another protocol from an identifier included in the message of the reception circuit, and converts the message of the reception circuit to a format of another protocol; and

a scheduler circuit that performs control such that a message from the routing circuit is transmitted from the transmission circuit with a schedule of another communication protocol,

wherein the routing circuit and the scheduler circuit are integrally formed.

7. A communication message conversion apparatus connected with communication paths of different communication protocols, that converts a message of one communication protocol to a message of another communication protocol and effects communication with a designated address, comprising:

a reception circuit that receives a message of the one communication protocol from a first communication path;

a transmission circuit that transmits a message of another communication protocol to a second communication path with a schedule of another communication protocol;

a routing circuit that retrieves an address identifier of the second communication path of another protocol from an identifier included in the message of the reception circuit, and converts the message of the reception circuit to a format of another protocol; and

a communication control circuit that controls communication between the reception circuit and the routing circuit and communication between the routing circuit and the transmission circuit.

8. A communication message conversion apparatus connected with communication paths of different communication protocols, that converts a message of one communication protocol to a message of another communication protocol and effects communication with a designated address, comprising:

a reception circuit that receives a message of the one communication protocol from a first communication path;

a transmission circuit that transmits a message of another communication protocol to a second communication path;

a gateway circuit that retrieves an address identifier of the communication path of another protocol from an identifier contained in the message of the reception circuit, converts the message of the reception circuit to a format of another protocol and performs control such that the message after conversion to another protocol is transmitted from the transmission circuit with a schedule of another communication protocol; and

a communication control circuit that controls communication between the reception circuit and the gateway circuit and communication between the gateway circuit and the transmission circuit.