Method for Determining an Address of a Component of a Vehicle

• US 20120054340A1
• Filed: 08/30/2011
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Kicherer, Max, Schlichter, Torsten, Voelker, Lars
• Granted Patent: US 10,536,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/659 Internet protocol version 6 [IPv6] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• 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 method is provided for determining an address of a component of a vehicle, wherein a vehicle identification is determined and stored in a first field of the address, and wherein an identification of the component is stored in a second field of the address. Furthermore, a method for accessing a component of a vehicle, in particular, a control unit of the vehicle, by use of the determined address of the component is provided, as well as a vehicle with at least one such component is also proposed.

Claims

1. A method for determining an address of a component of a vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

determining a vehicle identification;

storing the vehicle identification in a first field of an address; and

storing an identification of the component in a second field of the address.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

storing additionally at least one of the following in the first field of the address;

a global identification corresponding to at least one of the vehicle and a manufacturer of the vehicle;

a brand of the manufacturer; and

a vehicle model.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle identification is an unambiguous identification of the vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle identification is an unambiguous identification of the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first field is a network field of an IPv6 address, and the second field is a host field of the IPv6 address.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first field is a network field of an IPv6 address, and the second field is a host field of the IPv6 address.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first field is a network field of an IPv6 address, and the second field is a host field of the IPv6 address.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of determining the vehicle identification utilizes a communication unit present in the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the act of determining the vehicle identification utilizes a communication unit present in the vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

connecting the component to a network of the vehicle; and

storing the vehicle identification in the component after the component has been connected to the network of the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the acts of:

connecting the component to a network of the vehicle; and

storing the vehicle identification in the component after the component has been connected to the network of the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the acts of:

connecting the component to a network of the vehicle; and

storing the vehicle identification in the component after the component has been connected to the network of the vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the component of the vehicle is a control unit.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identification of the component is associated with a model of the component.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the identification of the component is associated with a model of the component.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the address of the component is an IP address.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the address of the component is an IP address.

18. A method for accessing a component of a vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

obtaining an address of the component of the vehicle; and

accessing the component of the vehicle via the address, the address having a vehicle identification stored in a first field of the address and a component identification stored in a second field of the address.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the accessing act is carried out via a hardwired or wireless communication connection.

20. A vehicle, comprising:

at least one component having an IP address; and

wherein said IP address is created by determining a vehicle identification, storing the vehicle identification in a first field of the IP address and storing an identification of the at least one component in a second field of the address.