DYNAMIC THREADING GATEWAY FOR EMBEDDED HEALTH MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

• US 20130282921A1
• Filed: 04/24/2012
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Tran, My, Salinas, Al
• Granted Patent: US 9,247,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/122 by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for obtaining information via a plurality of platforms communicatively linked together via a communication network. Each of the plurality of platforms comprising a dynamically threaded gateway comprising a transceiver and a processor. The transceiver is configured to communicate with other of the plurality of platforms along a communication link. The processor is coupled to the transceiver, and is configured to identify a plurality of paths among the plurality of platforms for obtaining requested information, select a desired path of the plurality of paths based on a cost index for the plurality of paths, and obtain the information via the desired path using the transceiver.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining information on a system comprising a plurality of platforms coupled via a communication link, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a plurality of paths among the plurality of platforms for obtaining the information;

selecting a desired path of the plurality of paths based on a cost index for the plurality of paths using a processor of a dynamically threaded gateway; and

obtaining the information via the desired path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of platforms comprises a vehicle in a formed network group; and

the step of identifying the plurality of paths comprises identifying the plurality of paths such that a host vehicle in the group can obtain the information from another vehicle in the group along each of the plurality of paths via the communication link.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a peer connectivity list for the plurality of platforms representing a listing of which platforms are directly communicatively linked together; and

calculating the cost index using the peer connectivity list.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of maintaining the peer connectivity list comprises maintaining a record of which of the plurality of platforms are in line of sight and within communication range with one another.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving a request for the information on a host platform of the plurality of platforms;

wherein the step of identifying the plurality of paths comprises;

identifying a plurality of destination platforms of the plurality of platforms that can provide the information; and

identifying the plurality of paths such that each path of the plurality of paths communicatively connects the host platform with one of the plurality of destination platforms.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the host platform can communicate directly with a first subset of the plurality of platforms but not with a second subset of the plurality of platforms, such that communications between the host platform and one of the second subset requires one or more intermediate platforms; and

the step of selecting the desired one of the plurality of paths comprises selecting the desired one of the plurality of paths based on a total number of platforms required for communication between the host platform and a closest one of the destination platforms along the path.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

generating a command for obtaining the information;

forwarding the command along each platform in the desired path from the host platform to the destination platform;

generating a response message with the information; and

forwarding the response message along each platform in the desired path from the destination platform to the host platform.

8. A system comprising a dynamically threaded gateway comprising:

a transceiver residing on a host platform of a plurality of platforms, the transceiver configured to communicate with other of the plurality of platforms along a communication link; and

a processor residing on the host platform, the processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to;

identify a plurality of paths among the plurality of platforms for obtaining requested information;

select a desired path of the plurality of paths based on a cost index for the plurality of paths; and

obtain the information via the desired path using the transceiver.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the host platform comprises a host vehicle in a formed network group of vehicles; and

the processor is configured to identify the plurality of paths such that the host vehicle can obtain the requested information from another vehicle in the group along each of the plurality of paths via the communication link.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

maintain a peer connectivity list for the plurality of platforms representing a listing of which platforms are directly communicatively linked together; and

calculate the cost index using the peer connectivity list.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to maintain the peer connectivity list by maintaining a record of which of the plurality of platforms are in line of sight with one another.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a request for the information from within the host platform;

identify a plurality of destination platforms of the plurality of platforms that can provide the information; and

identify the plurality of paths such that each path of the plurality of paths communicatively connects the host platform with one of the plurality of destination platforms.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the host platform can communicate directly with a first subset of the plurality of platforms but not with a second subset of the plurality of platforms, such that communications between the host platform and one of the second subset requires one or more intermediate platforms; and

the processor is configured to select the desired path of the plurality of paths based on a total number of platforms required for communication between the host platform and a closest one of the destination platforms along the path.

14. A system comprising:

a communication network;

a plurality of platforms coupled together via the communication network, each of the plurality of platforms comprising a dynamically threaded gateway comprising;

a transceiver configured to communicate with other of the plurality of platforms along a communication link; and

a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to;

identify a plurality of paths among the plurality of platforms for obtaining requested information;

select a desired path of the plurality of paths based on a cost index for the plurality of paths; and

obtain the information via the desired path using the transceiver.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of platforms comprises a fleet of vehicles.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

maintain a peer connectivity list for the plurality of platforms representing a listing of which platforms are directly communicatively linked together; and

calculate the cost index using the peer connectivity list.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to maintain the peer connectivity list by maintaining a record of which of the plurality of platforms are in line of sight with one another.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor of a respective host platform is further configured to:

receive a request for the information from within the host platform;

identify a plurality of destination platforms of the plurality of platforms that can provide the information; and

identify the plurality of paths such that each path of the plurality of paths communicatively connects the host platform with one of the plurality of destination platforms.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the host platform can communicate directly with a first subset of the plurality of platforms but not with a second subset of the plurality of platforms, such that communications between the host platform and one of the second subset requires one or more intermediate platforms; and

the processor of the host platform is configured to select the desired path of the plurality of paths based on a total number of platforms required for communication between the host platform and a closest one of the destination platforms along the path.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the host platform is further configured to;

generate a command for obtaining the information; and

forward the command along the desired path toward the destination platform; and

the destination platform is further configured to;

generate a response message with the information; and

forward the response message along the desired path toward the host platform.