METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DYNAMIC CONFIGURATION OF MULTIPROCESSOR SYSTEM

• US 20100332357A1
• Filed: 09/13/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micropairing Technologies Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Medius Inc
• Inventors: Preston, Dan Alan, Lutter, Robert Pierce
• Granted Patent: US 8,630,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2035 without idle spare hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2046 where the redundant components share persistent storage G06F11/2043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40169 Flexible bus arrangements arrangements for maintenance or administration involving management of faults; events, alarms H04L41/06; automatic restoration of network faults H04L41/0654
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• 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 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0809 Plug-and-play configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols

Abstract

A multiprocessor system used in a car, home, or office environment includes multiple processors that run different real-time applications. A dynamic configuration system runs on the multiple processors and includes a device manager, configuration manager, and data manager. The device manager automatically detects and adds new devices to the multiprocessor system, and the configuration manager automatically reconfigures which processors run the real-time applications. The data manager identifies the type of data generated by the new devices and identifies which devices in the multiprocessor system are able to process the data.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a transaction using a vehicle'"'"'s multiprocessor system, the method including:

operating multiple processors that communicate through a network in the vehicle'"'"'s multiprocessor system, wherein the multiple processors operate as a distributed processing system, and wherein the system is configured to;

a. monitor for wireless signals from a new device not currently coupled to the multiprocessor system and moved into the vehicle, wherein the new device runs a first software application that processes a first type of data,

b. wirelessly connect the new device to the multiprocessor system,

c. identify data codes in the wireless signals from the new device and use the data codes to identify the first type of data processed by the first software application running on the new device,

d. responsive to identifying the data codes from the new device, select a second software application from among multiple different software applications contained within memory in the multiprocessor system, wherein the second software application is configured to process the first type of data processed by the new device,

e. download a copy of the second software application selected from the memory to a particular one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system, wherein the second software application is not currently loaded in the particular one of the multiple processors,

f. reconfigure the particular one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system to run the second software application downloaded from the memory and take over control and operation of the new device with the second software application now running on the particular one of the multiple processors, wherein control and operation includes processing data from the new device,

using the second application to display a list of icons available;

selecting an icon from the list of icons available, wherein the selected icon displays a user interface that has at least one of an electronic menu and multiple electronic menus for conducting a transaction;

receiving user input through the electronic menu instructing transaction initiation;

generating a transaction selection from the electronic menu;

transmitting the selection through the new device;

processing an amount of the selection from the user and transmitting the amount back to the particular one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system in the vehicle; and

providing directions to the user for moving to a location for picking up the transmitted selection.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the new device not currently coupled to the multiprocessor system is a cellular phone connected to a wireless telecommunications network, and wherein the wireless telecommunications network is at least one of data communication and voice communication.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the new device includes an integrated display screen.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising a display in the vehicle and communicating at least a portion of content displayed on the integrated display screen of the new device to the display in the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 including:

operating the device manager to monitor for wireless signals from at least a second new device not currently coupled to the network;

determining whether a wireless communication interface used by the second new device is compatible with at least one protocol used in the multiprocessor system;

adding the second new device to the multiprocessor system; and

using the second new device in the mobile vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5 further including operating the first and second new devices to communicate with the multiprocessor system using Bluetooth signals.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the packet switched network comprises different communication links and wherein the different communication links comprise at least one of IEEE 802.11 link, a Bluetooth link, a packet based hardwired link, a satcom link, and a cellular link

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least two of the multiple autonomous processors are equivalently aggregated into a single logic device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the single logical device has unclear boundaries between the processors.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the data codes contain a security field for conducting secure transactions.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface is the interaction between a human and the multiprocessor system for at least one of operation, control and feedback.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the interaction is one of touch, visual or audio, wherein the visual is at least one of graphical or text display, and wherein the audio interface is at least one of audio signals and voice.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the transaction is money for the exchange of at least one of goods and services.

14. A system for making a transaction from a vehicle, comprising:

multiple processors that operate and communicate through a network in the vehicle'"'"'s multiprocessor system, wherein the multiple processors operate as a distributed processing system, and wherein the system is configured to;

a. monitor for wireless signals from a new device not currently coupled to the multiprocessor system and moved into the vehicle, wherein the new device runs a first software application that processes a first type of data,

b. wirelessly connect the new device to the multiprocessor system,

c. identify data codes in the wireless signals from the new device and use the data codes to identify the first type of data processed by the first software application running on the new device,

d. responsive to identifying the data codes from the new device, select a second software application from among multiple different software applications contained within memory in the multiprocessor system, wherein the second software application is configured to process the first type of data processed by the new device,

e. download a copy of the second software application selected from the memory to a particular one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system, wherein the second software application is not currently loaded in the particular one of the multiple processors,

f. reconfigure the particular one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system to run the second software application downloaded from the memory and take over control and operation of the new device with the second software application now running on the particular one of the multiple processors, wherein control and operation includes processing data from the new device,

a display for displaying a list of icons available from the second application;

a user interface for selecting an icon from the list of icons available, wherein the selected icon has at least one of an electronic menu and multiple electronic menus for conducting a transaction, and wherein the electronic menu is configured to;

a. receive user input for instructing transaction initiation;

b. generate a transaction selection from the electronic menu;

c. transmit the selection through the new device;

d. process an amount of the selection from the user and transmitting the amount back to the particular one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system in the vehicle; and

e. provide directions to the user for moving to a location for picking up the transmitted selection.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the new device not currently coupled to the multiprocessor system is a cellular phone connected to a wireless telecommunications network, and wherein the wireless telecommunications network is at least one of data communication and voice communication.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the new device includes an integrated display screen.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a display in the vehicle and communicating at least a portion of content displayed on the integrated display screen of the new device to the display in the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the packet switched network comprises different communication links and wherein the different communication links comprise at least one of IEEE 802.11 link, a Bluetooth link, a packet based hardwired link, a satcom link, and a cellular link

19. The system of claim 14 wherein at least two of the multiple processors are equivalently aggregated into a single logic device with unclear boundaries.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the single logical device has unclear boundaries between the processors.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the data codes contain a security field for conducting secure transactions.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein the user interface is the interaction between a human and the multiprocessor system for at least one of operation, control and feedback.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the interaction is one of touch, visual or audio, wherein the visual is at least one of graphical or text display, and wherein the audio interface is at least one of audio signals and voice.

24. The system of claim 14 wherein the transaction is money for the exchange of at least one of goods and services.

25. A method for conducting a transaction using a multiprocessor system, the method including:

operating multiple processors that communicate through a network in the multiprocessor system, wherein the multiple processors operate as a distributed processing system, and wherein the system is configured to;

a. monitor for wireless signals from a new device not currently coupled to the multiprocessor system, wherein the new device runs a first software application that processes a first type of data,

b. wirelessly connect the new device to the multiprocessor system,

c. identify data codes in the wireless signals from the new device and use the data codes to identify the first type of data processed by the first software application running on the new device,

d. responsive to identifying the data codes from the new device, select a second software application from among multiple different software applications contained within memory in the multiprocessor system, wherein the second software application is configured to process the first type of data processed by the new device,

e. download a copy of the second software application selected from the memory to a particular one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system, wherein the second software application is not currently loaded in the particular one of the multiple processors,

f. reconfigure the particular one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system to run the second software application downloaded from the memory and take over control and operation of the new device with the second software application now running on the particular one of the multiple processors, wherein control and operation includes processing data from the new device,

using the second application to display a list of icons available;

selecting an icon from the list of icons available, wherein the selected icon displays a user interface that has at least one of an electronic menu and multiple electronic menus for conducting a transaction;

receiving user input through the electronic menu instructing transaction initiation;

generating a transaction selection from the electronic menu;

transmitting the selection through the new device;

processing an amount of the selection from the user and transmitting the amount back to the particular one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system; and

providing directions to the user for moving to a location for picking up the transmitted selection.