Networking of Control Devices of a Motor Vehicle

• US 20090299548A1
• Filed: 06/11/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Wende, Frank, SIEFERMANN, Otmar
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40097 Interconnection with other networks LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; single bridge functionality H04L12/462
• 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 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• 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

Abstract

A process is provided for the networking of control devices in a motor vehicle, having first sequence-controlled control devices being connected to a first data bus and second sequence-controlled control devices being connected to a second data bus. The first control devices exchange messages on the basis of a routing default with second control devices by way of at least one gateway device. A first control device of the first or second control devices sends a first message via the gateway device into the at least two data buses. At least a second control device of the first or second control devices receives the first message and checks whether the receiving and/or the processing of the first message is required for the corresponding control device in order to be able to carry out the tasks intended for it by way of its sequence control during the operation of the motor vehicle. The second control device sends out a response message, which at least indicates whether the second control device has a corresponding need to receive and/or process the first message. In the event of such a need, a routing default is established and/or an existing routing default is changed such that it causes the first message to arrive at the second control device from the first control device by way of the gateway device.

Claims

1. A process for networking control devices in a motor vehicle, having at least two data buses, of which first sequence-controlled control devices are connected to a first data bus and second sequence-controlled control devices are connected to a second data bus, the first control devices exchanging messages with the second control devices via at least one gateway device based on a routing default, the method comprising the acts of:

sending a first message from a first control device of the first or second control devices via the gateway device into the at least two data buses, the first message being a message normally emitted by the first control device during operation of the motor vehicle;

receiving the first message by a second control device of the first or second control devices, and checking whether the received first message is required for the second control device to carry out intended tasks of the second control device during operation of the motor vehicle;

sending a response message by the second control device indicating at least whether the second control device has a corresponding need to receive the first message; and

upon determining the corresponding need, affecting a routing default that causes the first message to arrive at the second control device from the first control device by way of the gateway device.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the act of affecting the routing default is performed by at least one of establishing a routing default and changing an existing routing default.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein each control device of the first and second control devices determines whether it has a corresponding need to receive the first message.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the determining of the corresponding need to receive the first message is made substantially for every message of a respective control device capable of generating said message.

5. The process according to claim 3, wherein the determining of the corresponding need to receive the first message is made substantially for every message of a respective control device capable of generating said message.

6. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

sending the response message from the second control device to at least the first control device; and

affecting the routing default by way of at least one of the first control device, the second control device, and the gateway device.

7. The process according to claim 3, further comprising the acts of:

sending the response message from the second control device to at least the first control device; and

affecting the routing default by way of at least one of the first control device, the second control device, and the gateway device.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the first control device sends out the first message again during operation of the motor vehicle only when at least one other control device has informed the first control device of a corresponding need.

9. The process according to claim 3, wherein the inquiry concerning need is made after completion of a networking of the control device during a manufacture of the motor vehicle.

10. The process according to claim 9, wherein the inquiry concerning need is made again after at least one of an exchange of a control device, an expansion of the networking via an additional control device, and a change of sequence control of at least one control device, whereby the routing default is adapted correspondingly.

11. The process according to claim 1, wherein the routing default is stored in the gateway device, the routing default comprising a routing table.

12. The process according to claim 11, wherein the routing default is stored in a non-volatile, re-writable memory.

13. The process according to claim 12, wherein said memory is an NV-RAM.

14. A data bus system of a motor vehicle having networked control devices, first sequence-controlled control devices being connected to a first data bus and second sequence-controlled control devices connected to a second data bus, and first control devices exchanging messages on the basis of a routing default with second control devices by way of at least one gateway device;

and

wherein at least one of the data bus system, the first and/or second control devices, and a vehicle-external initialization device, comprises a computer-readable medium having stored thereon program code segments that;

send a first message from a first control device of the first or second control devices via the gateway device into the at least two data buses, the first message being a message normally emitted by the first control device during operation of the motor vehicle;

receive the first message by a second control device of the first or second control devices, and check whether the received first message is required for the second control device to carry out intended tasks of the second control device during operation of the motor vehicle;

send a response message by the second control device indicating at least whether the second control device has a corresponding need to receive the first message; and

upon determining the corresponding need, affect a routing default that causes the first message to arrive at the second control device from the first control device by way of the gateway device.

15. A computer program product for networked control devices of a data bus system of a motor vehicle, the computer program product comprising at least one sequence control stored on a computer-readable medium having program segments that:

send a first message from a first control device of first or second control devices via a gateway device into the at least two data buses, the first message being a message normally emitted by the first control device during operation of the motor vehicle;

receive the first message by a second control device of the first or second control devices, and check whether the received first message is required for the second control device to carry out intended tasks of the second control device during operation of the motor vehicle;

send a response message by the second control device indicating at least whether the second control device has a corresponding need to receive the first message; and

upon determining the corresponding need, affect a routing default that causes the first message to arrive at the second control device from the first control device by way of the gateway device.