Gateway apparatus and data transfer control method

• US 20080101394A1
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation), Fujitsu Limited, Renesas Technology Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishihashi, Susumu, Fujisawa, Yukio, Shimauchi, Hiroaki, Katou, Tomoyuki, Koide, Shigeo, Umezaki, Yasuyuki, Noumi, Kaoru, Ebeshu, Hidetaka, Ishikawa, Yukio
• Granted Patent: US 8,265,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4135 using bit-wise arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• 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 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle

Abstract

A gateway apparatus for performing transfer control of frame data between communication channels includes a routing map that stores ID information about the frame data and information about a communication channel that uses the ID information, and a search engine unit that routes the frame data to a transfer destination on the basis of the ID information of the frame data received and the routing map. The search engine unit does not transfer the frame data to the transfer destination when the ID information about the frame data received is ID information that is not used in the communication channel through which the frame data is received.

Claims

1. A gateway apparatus for performing transfer control of frame data between communication channels, the gateway apparatus comprising:

a routing map that stores ID information about the frame data and information about a communication channel that uses the ID information; and

a search engine unit that routes the frame data to a transfer destination on the basis of the ID information of the frame data received and the routing map,

wherein the search engine unit does not transfer the frame data to the transfer destination when the ID information about the frame data received is ID information that is not used in the communication channel through which the frame data is received.

2. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the routing map is common to the communication channels.

5. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a first part that has memory areas for the respective communication channels and stores the frame data routed by the search engine unit;

a second part that temporarily stores the frame data read from the first part;

a select unit that selects one of the communication channels through which the frame data is transferred; and

a read unit that reads the frame data from one of the memory areas of the first part associated with the one of the communication channel selected by the select unit and supplies the frame data to the second part.

7. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the select unit selects another one of the communication after the frame data is completely read from the first part through said one of the communication channels.

9. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a rearrangement unit that rearranges data in the frame data stored in the first part and read therefrom.

11. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame data received conforms to a protocol of CAN (Controller Area Network).

13. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein information for identifying the one of the communication channels through which the frame data is received by the search engine unit is added to the frame data after the frame data is received.

3. A gateway apparatus for performing transfer control of frame data between communication channels, the gateway apparatus comprising:

a search engine unit that routes frame data received to a transfer destination,

wherein, when a communication channel through which the frame data is received coincides with a communication channel involved in the transfer destination of the frame data, the search engine unit does not transfer the frame data to the transfer destination.

4. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a memory that stores predetermined information about routing, wherein the search engine unit determines whether the frame data received through the communication channel that is also involved in the transfer destination should be discarded or not in accordance with the predetermined information stored in the memory.

6. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a first part that has memory areas for the respective communication channels and stores the frame data routed by the search engine unit;

a second part that temporarily stores the frame data read from the first part;

a select unit that selects one of the communication channels through which the frame data is transferred; and

a read unit that reads the frame data from one of the memory areas of the first part associated with the one of the communication channel selected by the select unit and supplies the frame data to the second part.

8. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the select unit selects another one of the communication after the frame data is completely read from the first part through said one of the communication channels.

10. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a rearrangement unit that rearranges data in the frame data stored in the first part and read therefrom.

12. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the frame data received conforms to a protocol of CAN (Controller Area Network).

14. The gateway apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein information for identifying the one of the communication channels through which the frame data is received by the search engine unit is added to the frame data after the frame data is received.

15. A method for performing transfer control of frame data between communication channels, comprising:

acquiring ID information inserted into the frame data upon receiving the frame data;

referring to the ID information and information about a communication channel that uses the ID information, and determining whether the frame data is received through a communication channel allowed to receive frame data; and

routing the frame data to a transfer destination when the frame data is received through the communication channel allowed to receive frame data.

16. A method for performing transfer control of frame data between communication channels, comprising:

comparing one of the communication channels used to receive the frame data with a communication channel through which the frame data should be transferred to a destination; and

discarding the frame data when the one of the communication channels coincides with the communication channel through which the frame data should be transferred to the destination.