GATEWAY DEVICE, NETWORK SYSTEM AND DATA CONVERTING METHOD APPLIED TO VEHICLE USING PLURALITY OF NETWORK PROTOCOL DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER

• US 20080304499A1
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sungkyunkwan University Foundation For Corporate Collaboration (SungKyunKwan University)
• Original Assignee: Sungkyunkwan University Foundation For Corporate Collaboration (SungKyunKwan University)
• Inventors: Kim, Jin Ho, Seo, Suk Hyun, Jeon, Jae Wook, Moon, Tae Yoon
• Granted Patent: US 7,801,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gateway device, a network system and a data converting method using a plurality of network protocols different from each other. A gateway device includes a first communication controller connected to first device via a first bus in accordance with a first network protocol to exchange data with the first device in accordance with the first network protocol, a second communication controller connected to second device via a second bus in accordance with a second network protocol different from the first network protocol to exchange the data with the second device in accordance with the second network protocol, and a control unit interconverting the data in accordance with the first network protocol and the data in accordance with the second network protocol into each other so that the data is exchanged between the first device and the second device.

Claims

1. A gateway device applied to a vehicle using a plurality of network protocols different from each other, comprising:

a first communication controller connected to at least one first device via a first bus in accordance with a first network protocol to exchange data with the first device in accordance with the first network protocol;

a second communication controller connected to at least one second device via a second bus in accordance with a second network protocol different from the first network protocol to exchange the data with the second device in accordance with the second network protocol; and

a control unit interconverting the data in accordance with the first network protocol and the data in accordance with the second network protocol into each other so that the data is exchanged between the first device and the second device.

2. The gateway device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third communication controller connected to at least one third device via a third bus in accordance with at least one third network protocol different from each other and different from the first network protocol and the second network protocol to exchange data with the third device in accordance with the third network protocol;

wherein the control unit interconverts the data in accordance with the first network protocol, the data in accordance with the second network protocol and the data in accordance with the third network protocol into each other so that the data is exchanged among the first device, the second device and the third device.

3. The gateway device according to claim 2, wherein each of the first network protocol, the second network protocol and the third network protocol includes any one of a LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol, a CAN (Control Area Network) protocol and a FlexRay protocol.

4. The gateway device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit includes:

a LIN/CAN converting unit interconverting data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol and data in accordance with the CAN (Control Area Network) protocol into each other;

a CAN/FlexRay converting unit interconverting the data in accordance with the CAN (Control Area Network) protocol and data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol into each other; and

a FlexRay/LIN converting unit interconverting the data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol and the data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol into each other.

5. The gateway device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a LIN control unit outputting the data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol, which is converted by the LIN/CAN converting unit and the FlexRay/LIN converting unit through one of the first communication controller, the second communication controller and the third communication controller, and analyzing the data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol, which is inputted through one of the first communication controller, the second communication controller and the third communication controller to output the analyzed data to the one of the LIN/CAN converting unit and the FlexRay/LIN converting unit;

a CAN control unit outputting the data in accordance with the CAN (Control Area Network) protocol, which is converted by the LIN/CAN converting unit and the CAN/FlexRay converting unit through another of the first communication controller, the second communication controller and the third communication controller, and analyzing the data in accordance with the CAN (Control Area Network) protocol, which is inputted through another of the first communication controller, the second communication controller and the third communication controller to output the analyzed data to one of the LIN/CAN converting unit and the CAN/FlexRay converting unit; and

a FlexRay control unit for outputting the data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol, which is converted by the CAN/FlexRay converting unit and the FlexRay/LIN converting unit through the other of the first communication controller, the second communication controller and the third communication controller, and analyzing the data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol, which is inputted through the other of the first communication controller, the second communication controller and the third communication controller to output the analyzed data to one of the CAN/FlexRay converting unit and the FlexRay/LIN converting unit.

6. The gateway device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit further includes:

a LIN/CAN buffer in which the data converted by the LIN/CAN converting unit is temporarily stored;

a CAN/FlexRay buffer in which the data converted by the CAN/FlexRay converting unit is temporarily stored; and

a FlexRay/LIN buffer in which the data converted by the FlexRay/LIN converting unit is temporarily stored.

7. The gateway device according to claim 5, wherein the first communication controller and the at least one first device, the second communication controller and the at least one second device, the third communication controller and the at least one third device each constitute a network having a plurality of nodes,

wherein the control unit further includes a network management which checks operation states of nodes of each network, and stores and manages information on the checked operation states of the nodes, and

wherein the LIN control unit, the CAN control unit and the FlexRay control unit delay the transmission of data to a node having an error or conversion of the data to be transmitted to the node having the error on the basis of the operation states of the nodes stored in the network management in conjunction with the network management.

8. The gateway device according to claim 5, wherein the LIN control unit includes:

a LIN stack in which the data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol to be converted into the data in accordance with the CAN (Control Area Network) protocol or the data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol by the LIN/CAN converting unit or the FlexRay/LIN converting unit is sequentially stored; and

a LIN scheduler that determines a conversion order of the data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol stored in the LIN stack on the basis of a predetermined degree of importance for the data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol,

wherein the CAN control unit includes;

a CAN stack in which the data in accordance with the CAN (Control Area Network) protocol to be converted into the data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol or the data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol by the LIN/CAN converting unit or the CAN/FlexRay converting unit is sequentially stored; and

a CAN scheduler that determines a conversion order of the data in accordance with the CAN (Control Area Network) protocol stored in the CAN stack on the basis of a predetermined degree of importance for the data in accordance with the CAN (Control Area Network) protocol, and

wherein the FlexRay control unit includes;

a FlexRay stack in which the data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol to be converted into the data in accordance with CAN (Control Area Network) protocol or the data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol by the CAN/FlexRay converting unit or the FlexRay/LIN converting unit is sequentially stored; and

a FlexRay scheduler that determines a conversion order of the data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol stored in the FlexRay stack on the basis of a predetermined degree of importance for the data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol.

9. The gateway device according to claim 5, further comprising a log information storing unit in which information on the data exchanged through the LIN control unit, the CAN control unit and the FlexRay control unit is recorded.

10. A network system of a vehicle using a plurality of network protocols different from each other, comprising:

at least one first device connected to a bus in accordance with a first network protocol;

at least one second device connected to a second bus in accordance with a second network protocol different form the first network protocol; and

a gateway device exchanging data in accordance with the first network protocol via the first bus with the first device, exchanging data in accordance with the second network protocol vial the second bus with the second device, and interconverting the data in accordance with the first network protocol and the data in accordance with the second network protocol into each other so that the data is exchanged between the first device and the second device.

11. The network system according to claim 10, further comprising:

at least one third device connected to a third bus in accordance with at least one third network protocol different from each other and different from the first network protocol and the second network protocol,

wherein the gateway device interconverts the data in accordance with the first network protocol, the data in accordance with the second network protocol and the data in accordance with the third network protocol so that the data is exchanged among the first device, the second device and the third device.

12. The network system according to claim 11, wherein the gateway device includes:

a first communication controller exchanging the data in accordance with the first network protocol with the first device via a first bus;

a second communication controller exchanging the data in accordance with the second network protocol with the second device via a second bus;

a third communication controller for exchanging the data in accordance with the third network protocol with the third device via a third bus; and

a control unit interconverting the data in accordance with the first network protocol, the data in accordance with the second network protocol and the data in accordance with the third network protocol exchanged through the first communication controller, the second communication controller and the third communication controller into each other so that the data is exchanged among the first device, the second device and the third device.

13. The network system according to claim 12, wherein the first network protocol includes a LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol, the second network protocol includes a CAN (Control Area Network) protocol and the third network protocol include a FlexRay protocol.

14. The network system according to claim 13, wherein the control unit includes:

a LIN/CAN converting unit interconverting data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol and data in accordance with the CAN (Control Area Network) protocol into each other;

a CAN/FlexRay converting unit interconverting the data in accordance with the CAN (Control Area Network) protocol and data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol into each other; and

a FlexRay/LIN converting unit interconverting the data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol and the data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol.

15. The network system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a LIN control unit outputting the data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol, which is converted by the LIN/CAN converting unit and the FlexRay/LIN converting unit through one of the first communication controller, the second communication controller and the third communication controller, and analyzing the data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol, which is inputted through one of the first communication controller, the second communication controller and the third communication controller to output the analyzed data to the one of the LIN/CAN converting unit and the FlexRay/LIN converting unit;

a CAN control unit outputting the data in accordance with the CAN (Control Area Network) protocol, which is converted by the LIN/CAN converting unit and the CAN/FlexRay converting unit through another of the first communication controller, the second communication controller and the third communication controller, and analyzing the data in accordance with the CAN (Control Area Network) protocol, which is inputted through another of the first communication controller, the second communication controller and the third communication controller to output the analyzed data to one of the LIN/CAN converting unit and the CAN/FlexRay converting unit; and

a FlexRay control unit outputting the data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol, which is converted by the CAN/FlexRay converting unit and the FlexRay/LIN converting unit through the other of the first communication controller, the second communication controller and the third communication controller, and analyzing the data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol, which is inputted through the other of the first communication controller, the second communication controller and the third communication controller to output the analyzed data to one of the CAN/FlexRay converting unit and the FlexRay/LIN converting unit.

16. The network system according to claim 15, wherein the control unit further includes:

a LIN/CAN buffer in which the data converted by the LIN/CAN converting unit is temporarily stored;

a CAN/FlexRay buffer in which the data converted by the CAN/FlexRay converting unit is temporarily stored; and

a FlexRay/LIN buffer in which the data converted by the FlexRay/LIN converting unit is temporarily stored.

17. The network system according to claim 15, wherein the first communication controller and at least one first device, the second communication controller and at least one second device, the third communication controller and at leate one third device each constitutes a network having a plurality of nodes;

the control unit further includes a network management which checks operation states of nodes of each network, and stores and manages information on the checked operation states of the nodes; and

the LIN control unit, the CAN control unit and the FlexRay control unit delay the transmission of data to a node occurring an error or the conversion of the data to be transmitted to the corresponding node on the basis of the operation states of each of the nodes stored in the network management in conjunction with the network management.

18. The network system according to claim 15, wherein the LIN control unit includes:

a LIN stack in which the data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol to be converted into the data in accordance with the CAN (Control Area Network) protocol or the data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol by the LIN/CAN converting unit or the FlexRay/LIN converting unit is sequentially stored; and

a LIN scheduler for determining a conversion order of the data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol stored in the LIN stack on the basis of a predetermined degree of importance for the data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol,

wherein the CAN control unit includes;

a CAN stack in which the data in accordance with the CAN (Control Area Network) protocol to be converted into the data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol or the data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol by the LIN/CAN converting unit or the CAN/FlexRay converting unit is sequentially stored; and

a CAN scheduler for determining a conversion order of the data in accordance with the CAN (Control Area Network) protocol stored in the CAN stack on the basis of a predetermined degree of importance for the data in accordance with the CAN (Control Area Network) protocol, and

wherein the FlexRay control unit includes;

a FlexRay stack in which the data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol to be converted into the data in accordance with CAN (Control Area Network) protocol or the data in accordance with the LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol by the CAN/FlexRay converting unit or the FlexRay/LIN converting unit is sequentially stored; and

a FlexRay scheduler for determining a conversion order of the data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol stored in the FlexRay stack on the basis of a predetermined degree of importance for the data in accordance with the FlexRay protocol.

19. The gateway device according to claim 15, further comprising a log information storing unit in which information on the data exchanged through the LIN control unit, the CAN control unit and the FlexRay control unit is recorded.

20. A data conversion method capable of exchanging data in accordance with a plurality of network protocols different from each other, comprising:

receiving first data in accordance with a first network protocol via a first bus in accordance with the first network protocol;

analyzing a destination node of the first data by analyzing a data frame structure of the received first data;

converting the first data into second data in accordance with a second network protocol by determining the second network protocol which the destination node uses; and

transmitting the converted second data to the destination node via a second bus in accordance with the second network protocol.

21. The data conversion method according to claim 20, wherein the first network protocol and the second network protocol include any one of a LIN (Local Interconnect Network) protocol, a CAN (Control Area Network) protocol and a FlexRay protocol.