Managing Devices Within A Vehicular Communication Network

• US 20120106446A1
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yousefi, Nariman, Kim, Yongbum, Walley, John, Chen, Sherman (Xuemin), Diab, Wael William, Ilyadis, Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 8,467,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/00 Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle with power supply from force of nature, e.g. sun or wind, B60L8/00; for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/03 characterised by material, e.g. composite B60R19/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/76 Arrangements for rearranging, permuting or selecting data according to predetermined rules, independently of the content of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/46 Interconnection of networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/56 Packet switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6275 : based on priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/76 : using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation requested by the user or requested by the network in response to changing network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/821 : Prioritising resource allocation or reservation requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 : Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• 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 69/08 : Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 : Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/102 : characterised by the element, parameter or selection affected or controlled by the adaptive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/08 : Load balancing or load distribution transferring a connection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 : for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 : for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 : Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 : using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 : based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 : Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A network node module within a vehicle operates to manage devices coupled to a vehicular communication network of the vehicle based on a use mode defining rights and privileges for operating in the vehicular communication network. Upon being configured in accordance with a particular use mode of a set of use modes, the network node module can identify a device coupled to the vehicular communication network and enable the device to operate within the vehicular communication network in accordance with the use mode. The network node module is securely reconfigurable to any use mode in the set of use modes.

Claims

1. A network node module within a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle network interface operable to couple to a vehicular communication network;

a memory containing a set of use modes, each defining rights and privileges for operating in the vehicular communication network; and

a processing module configured in accordance with a use mode of the set of use modes and further for;

identifying a device coupled to the vehicular communication network; and

enabling the device to operate within the vehicular communication network in accordance with the use mode;

wherein the processing module is securely reconfigurable to any use mode in the set of use modes.

2. The network node module of claim 1, wherein the memory further maintains contact information for a remote source and the processing module operates in accordance with the use mode to:

detect a new device coupled to the vehicular communication network via the vehicle network interface;

assign a restricted use network address to the new device that allows the new device to communicate via the vehicular communication network for setup of the new device;

authenticate the new device with the remote source using the contact information; and

convert the restricted use network address into a network address upon authentication of the new device.

3. The network node module of claim 2, wherein the processing module further discards any packets received from the new device unrelated to setup of the new device.

4. The network node module of claim 2, wherein the processing module further obtains authentication information from the new device and provides the authentication information to the remote source to authenticate the new device.

5. The network node module of claim 1, wherein the processing module further receives verification information from the remote source indicating whether the new device is authenticated.

6. The network node module of claim 5, wherein, when the verification information indicates that the new device is authenticated, the processing module converts the restricted use network address to the network address and updates the vehicular communication network with the network address of the new device.

7. The network node module of claim 5, wherein, when the verification information indicates that the new device is not authenticated, the processing module denies the new device access to the vehicular communication network.

8. The network node module of claim 5, wherein, when the verification information indicates that the new device is not authenticated, the processing module disables power to the new device.

9. The network node module of claim 7, wherein the processing module disables a switch coupling power to the new device via a power line or a power over Ethernet (POE) when the new device is not authenticated.

10. The network node module of claim 2, wherein the new device is within the network node module.

11. The network node module of claim 2, wherein the processing module communicates with the remote source via a wireless connection.

12. The network node module of claim 1, wherein the memory contains expected consumption information and the processing module operates in accordance with the use mode to:

monitor actual consumption of a device coupled to the vehicular communication network via the vehicular network interface, the actual consumption including at least one of data consumption and power consumption; and

compare the actual consumption to the expected consumption information to determine whether the device is damaged.

13. The network node module of claim 12, wherein, when the actual consumption deviates from the expected consumption by more than a standard deviation, the processing module flags the device as damaged and reduces access by the device to the vehicular communication network.

14. The network node module of claim 13, wherein the processing module uses a sliding scale based on type of device to reduce access to the vehicular communication network.

15. The network node module of claim 12, wherein, when the actual consumption deviates from the expected consumption by more than a standard deviation, the processing module flags the device as damaged and disables access by the device to the vehicular communication network.

16. The network node module of claim 15, wherein the processing module disables power to the device to disable access to the vehicular communication network.

17. The network node module of claim 12, wherein, when the actual consumption deviates from the expected consumption by more than a standard deviation, the processing module determines whether a valid reason exists for the deviation.

18. The network node module of claim 17, wherein, when a valid reason is found for the deviation, the processing module continues to monitor the actual consumption of the device.

19. The network node module of claim 17, wherein, when a valid reason is not found for the deviation, the processing module flags the device as damaged.

20. The network node module of claim 17, wherein, when a valid reason is not found for the deviation, the processing module generates a service indication regarding the device.