METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPLEMENTING A MOBILE SERVER

• US 20090077266A1
• Filed: 09/17/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: CATSBURG, THOMAS M. P., ALRABADY, ANSAF I.
• Granted Patent: US 7,849,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/249
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for transmitting data from remote server device to a computer module in a vehicle. A request for data is transmitted from the computer module over an in-vehicle network to an in-vehicle communications gateway module. The request for data from the computer module is destined for a remote server device. A request for a software component is transmitted from a standard port of the in-vehicle communications gateway module to the remote server device. The software component comprises a non-standard transfer protocol module. The in-vehicle communications gateway module loads the non-standard transfer protocol module, and the remote server device transmits the requested data to the in-vehicle communications gateway module according to the non-standard transfer protocol. The in-vehicle communications gateway module then transmits the requested data (provided from the remote server device) to the computer module over the in-vehicle network.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data from remote server device to a computer module in a vehicle, the method comprising:

transmitting a request for data from the computer module over an in-vehicle network to an in-vehicle communications gateway module, wherein the request for data from the computer module is destined for a remote server device;

transmitting, from a standard port of the in-vehicle communications gateway module, a request for a software component to the remote server device, wherein the software component comprises a non-standard transfer protocol module;

loading the non-standard transfer protocol module at the in-vehicle communications gateway module;

transmitting the requested data from the remote server device to the in-vehicle communications gateway module according to the non-standard transfer protocol; and

transmitting the requested data provided from the remote server device, from the in-vehicle communications gateway module, to the computer module over the in-vehicle network.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending, in response to the request, the software component from the remote server device to the in-vehicle communications gateway module.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a connection between the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the remote server device according to the non-standard transfer protocol.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

closing the standard port of the in-vehicle communications gateway module and a standard port of the remote server device.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step of closing the standard port of the in-vehicle communications gateway module and a standard port of the remote server device, comprises:

closing the standard port at the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the remote server device so that standard internet protocols are not used for the subsequent exchange of information between a browser application hosted at the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the remote server device.

6. A method according to claim 3, further comprising:

closing the connection between the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the remote server device according to the non-standard transfer protocol.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the software component is used to establish the non-standard transfer protocol module for communications between a browser application hosted at the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the remote server device, and wherein the software component comprises:

an executable program which includes the non-standard transfer protocol module which allows the browser application hosted at the in-vehicle communications gateway module to communicate with the remote server device according to the non-standard transfer protocol module.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the browser application executes the executable program to enable communication between the browser application and the remote server device in accordance with the non-standard transfer protocol module.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the software component comprises at least one of:

a compiled program;

a Java applet; and

an active X control.

10. A vehicle, comprising:

a computer module designed to generate a request for data from a remote server device;

an in-vehicle network; and

an in-vehicle communications gateway module designed to receive the request for data from the computer module over the in-vehicle network, and in response to the request for data, to transmit, from a standard port of the in-vehicle communications gateway module, a request for a software component to the remote server device, wherein the software component comprises a non-standard transfer protocol module,

wherein the in-vehicle communications gateway module is further designed to load the non-standard transfer protocol module, and receive the requested data from the remote server device according to the non-standard transfer protocol, and

wherein the in-vehicle communications gateway module is further designed to exchange the requested data provided from the remote server device with the computer module over the in-vehicle network.

11. A vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the in-vehicle communications gateway module is further designed to receive the software component from the remote server device.

12. A vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the in-vehicle communications gateway module is further designed to establish a connection to the remote server device according to the non-standard transfer protocol.

13. A vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the in-vehicle communications gateway module is further designed to close the standard port of the in-vehicle communications gateway module before exchanging the data with the remote server device according to the non-standard transfer protocol so that standard internet protocols are not used for the subsequent exchange of information between the remote server device and a browser application hosted at the in-vehicle communications gateway module.

14. A vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the in-vehicle communications gateway module is further designed to close the connection between the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the remote server device after exchanging the data with the remote server device according to the non-standard transfer protocol.

15. A vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the software component is used to establish the non-standard transfer protocol module for communications between a browser application hosted at the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the remote server device, and wherein the software component comprises:

an executable program which includes the non-standard transfer protocol module which allows the browser application hosted at the in-vehicle communications gateway module to communicate with the remote server device according to the non-standard transfer protocol.

16. A vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the browser application executes the executable program to enable communication between the browser application and the remote server device in accordance with the non-standard transfer protocol.

17. A vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the software component comprises at least one of:

a compiled program;

a Java applet; and

an active X control.

18. An in-vehicle communications gateway module designed to:

receive, over an in-vehicle network, a request for data generated by a computer module, wherein the data is to be provided from a remote server device;

transmit, from a standard port of the in-vehicle communications gateway module in response to the request for data, a request for a software component to the remote server device, wherein the software component comprises a non-standard transfer protocol module;

receive the software component from the remote server device;

close the standard port of the in-vehicle communications gateway module before transmitting the request for data to the remote server device so that standard internet protocols are not used during the subsequent exchange of the requested data between the remote server device and a browser application hosted at the in-vehicle communications gateway module;

load the non-standard transfer protocol module;

establish a connection to the remote server device according to the non-standard transfer protocol; and

receive the requested data from the remote server device according to the non-standard transfer protocol.

19. An in-vehicle communications gateway module according to claim 18, wherein the in-vehicle communications gateway module is further designed to:

exchange the requested data provided from the remote server device with the computer module over the in-vehicle network.

20. An in-vehicle communications gateway module according to claim 18, wherein the software component is used to establish the non-standard transfer protocol module for communications between a browser application hosted at the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the remote server device, and wherein the software component comprises:

an executable program which includes the non-standard transfer protocol module which allows the browser application hosted at the in-vehicle communications gateway module to communicate with the remote server device according to the non-standard transfer protocol, wherein the browser application executes the executable program to enable communication between the browser application hosted at the remote client device and the server application hosted at the in-vehicle communications gateway module in accordance with the non-standard transfer protocol.