Communications involving disparate protocol network/bus and device subsystems

• US 6,430,164 B1
• Filed: 11/01/1999
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cellport Labs Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cellport Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Jones, Marc T., Tibbetts, Michael A., Kennedy, Patrick J., Spaur, Charles W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, CHI HO A
• Application Number:
  US09/430,850
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/392, 370/401, 370/466, 370/329, 370/349, 370/338, 370/313, 370/465, 701/29, 701/33, 701/36, 701/213, 713/168, 713/200, 713/201, 455/456, 455/410, 455/423, 455/67.1, 455/72, 455/99, 709/205, 709/202, 709/217, 709/310, 709/311, 709/313, 709/230, 709/201
• US Class Current: 370/313
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/328 in the presentation layer [OSI layer 6]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A communications apparatus for enabling communications among networks, buses, devices and other subsystems having different communication requirements is provided. The communications apparatus offers an open architecture for interoperability among diverse subsystems. The communications apparatus is particularly applicable in a vehicle. In one embodiment, a portal apparatus located remote from the vehicle facilitates communications with the communications apparatus, particularly where the vehicle is part of a vehicle fleet. The communications apparatus includes a common module that has at least one protocol by which disparate subsystems can communicate with each other. One or more managers can be defined as being part of the common module. The disparate subsystem managers provide the necessary interfacing to enable the disparate subsystems to communicate between and among each other using the common module. Each such manager has dedicated functionalities to facilitate communications. Managers associated with the common module may include managers for use in configuration and diagnostic tasks, encryption/decryption, compression/de-compression, controlling data flow, security regulation, and selecting an acceptable link for outside communications. The common module also includes a base manager for registering disparate subsystem managers including associating a name with each of them.

Claims

1. A method involving the transmission of information, comprising:

providing a communications apparatus located in a vehicle and that includes;

a plurality of common module managers including;

a flow manager that manages data flow using components, a security manager that monitors connections outside said communications apparatus, a configuration manager that performs configuration tasks including downloading applications and also including at least one of;

a compression manager that compresses information and an encryption manager that encrypts information; and

at least first, second, third and fourth disparate subsystem managers;

providing at least first, second, third and fourth disparate subsystems;

conducting a first operation including;

sending a first message from said first disparate subsystem to said first disparate subsystem manager, said first message including identification information of said second disparate subsystem manager and a first request for first information involving said second disparate subsystem manager;

receiving said first request by said first disparate subsystem manager;

providing at least information related to said first request to said second disparate subsystem manager;

accessing said first information from said second disparate subsystem in communication with said second disparate subsystem manager;

transmitting said first information using said second disparate subsystem manager;

wherein said first operation is conducted using at least two of said common module managers and in which each of said at least two common module managers are different from said compression manager;

conducting a second operation including;

sending a second message from said third disparate subsystem to said third disparate subsystem manager, said second message including a second request and identification information of said fourth disparate subsystem manager;

receiving said second request by said third disparate subsystem manager;

providing at least information related to said second request to said fourth disparate subsystem manager;

responding to said second request by said fourth disparate subsystem in communication with said fourth disparate subsystem manager;

wherein said second operation is conducted using at least two of said common module managers and in which each of said at least two common module managers is different from said encryption manager;

wherein said first disparate subsystem is required to communicate with said first disparate subsystem manager related to said first message, said second disparate subsystem is required to communicate with said second disparate subsystem manager related to said first information, said third disparate subsystem is required to communicate with said third disparate subsystem manager related to said second message and said fourth disparate subsystem is required to communicate with said fourth disparate subsystem manager related to responding to said second request and each of said first, second, third and fourth disparate subsystem managers has a native interface that is different from the others to enable communications with said first, second, third and fourth disparate subsystems, respectively, and in which said common module managers are located in the vehicle, said at least four disparate subsystem managers are located in the vehicle and said at least four disparate subsystems are located in the vehicle.

2. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said step of sending said first message includes sending said first message from a site outside of the vehicle and said first disparate subsystem utilizes TCP/IP in communicating over the Internet using wireless technology located in the vehicle.

3. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said first message relates to a configuration packet including packet information related to a destination of said configuration packet from a source, a service related to said second disparate subsystem and said first information relates to data being obtained from said second disparate subsystem.

4. A method, as claimed in claim 1, further including:

receiving at least portions of said first request by said flow manager for managing performance of a first function related to said first information.

5. A method, as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

said managing performance step includes generating a child process that is involved with one of the following;

encryption of said first information by said encryption manager and compression of said first information by said compression manager.

6. A method, as claimed in claim 3, further including:

receiving by said security manager said configuration packet and said security manager for use in determining access availability of the source associated with said configuration packet.

7. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said step of receiving said first request includes checking for a request for service related to at least one of the following;

encryption of information using said encryption manager, compression of information using said compression manager, and access to said communications apparatus related to said first message using said security manager.

8. A method, as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said checking step includes reading a configuration packet associated with said first message.

9. A method, as claimed in claim 1, further including:

producing a child process by said flow manager related to one of;

encrypting said first information using said encryption manager and compressing said first information using said compression manager.

10. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said producing step includes providing a metachild process that is involved in obtaining said first information from said second disparate subsystem and also obtaining second information from a fifth disparate subsystem.

11. A method, as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

said step of providing said metachild process includes creating said metachild process using said flow manager of said communications apparatus.

12. A method, as claimed in claim 1, further including:

creating a first child process that is part of a communications connection related to receiving said first information using said second disparate subsystem manager;

producing a second child process; and

registering said first and second child processes using abase manager and de-registering said first and second child processes.

13. A method, as claimed in claim 1, further including:

registering said first and second disparate subsystems before said step of sending said first message.

14. A method for providing information among a plurality of disparate subsystems using a plurality of managers and a common module, comprising:

registering at least first, second and third disparate subsystem managers using a base manager of said common module, said first disparate subsystem manager being in communication with a first disparate subsystem, said second disparate subsystem manager being in communication with a second disparate subsystem and said third disparate subsystem manager being in communication with a third disparate subsystem, said first, second and third disparate subsystems include;

a wireless communications device, transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) and one of the following;

a security manager that monitors external applications attempting to connect to at least one of said first, second and third disparate subsystem managers, a flow manager that enables communications involving at least one of said disparate subsystem managers, and a configuration manager that performs configuration tasks;

obtaining first information from said first disparate subsystem using said first disparate subsystem manager, said obtaining step includes creating a first child component process using at least said second disparate subsystem manager and registering said first child component process using said base manager;

sending said first information from said first disparate subsystem;

transmitting second information using said third disparate subsystem manager to an external application; and

creating a second child component process and registering said second child component process using said base manager;

wherein each of said registering steps includes associating an identifier with each of said first, second and third disparate subsystem managers and associating an identifier with each of said first and second child component processes.

15. A method, as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

said obtaining step includes requesting said first information from said first disparate subsystem using a first common communications protocol associated with said common module.

16. A method, as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

said sending step includes sending said first information continuously using a stream application programming interface (API) substantially independent of request and response messaging.

17. A method, as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

said second information includes said first information.

18. A method, as claimed in claim 14, further including:

gathering information by a portal apparatus from a number of vehicles associated with a fleet of vehicles operated by a first entity, each of said number of vehicles having a communications apparatus and said portal apparatus communicating with each said communications apparatus using a first communications network and said portal apparatus being located remotely from each of said number of vehicles.

19. A method, as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

said second child component process is related to said second information.

20. A system for providing communications in a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of disparate subsystems located in the vehicle and including a protocol stack, a global positioning system (GPS), voice recognition (VR) and at least one of;

an intelligent transport system data bus (IDB) and a controller area network (CAN); and

a communications apparatus operatively connected to each of said disparate subsystems that enables communications between them, said communications apparatus including;

at least four disparate subsystem managers and each of said disparate subsystems being dedicated to one of said at least four disparate subsystem managers, wherein each of said disparate subsystems communicates with its dedicated disparate subsystem manager and any communication involving a particular one of said disparate subsystems requires communication with said disparate subsystem manager to which said particular one disparate subsystem is dedicated, at least some of said disparate subsystem managers provide messages to others of said disparate subsystem managers, respond to messages from others of said disparate subsystem managers and create connections with others of said disparate subsystem managers; and

at least four common module managers, wherein each of said at least four disparate subsystem managers uses a common communications protocol when communicating with each of said at least four common module managers and each of said disparate subsystems communicates with its dedicated disparate subsystem manager using a native interface that is different from native interfaces of the others of said at least four disparate subsystem managers, and in which each of said at least four disparate subsystem managers, each of said disparate subsystems and each of said at least four common module managers is located with the vehicle.

21. A system, as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

said disparate subsystems further include a plurality of the following;

an analog-to-digital converter in communication with at least one hardware device, a standard serial bus in communication with a plurality of devices located in the vehicle and a universal serial bus (USB) in communication with computer hardware.

22. A system, as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

said at least four common module managers are part of a common module, including a processor core, that is involved with registering components, including said at least four disparate subsystem managers.

23. A system, as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

said common communications protocol includes at least one of the following;

a stream mode of operation in which a stream applications programming interface (API) is used to send data continuously and a request/response mode of operation using a bus applications programming interface (API) in which information is transmitted by responding to a request from at least one of said disparate subsystem managers.

24. A system, as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

said communications apparatus includes a bridge mode of operation in which control of information transfer resides substantially externally of the vehicle and an application mode of operation in which control of information transfer resides substantially within the vehicle.

25. A system, as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

said at least four disparate subsystem managers includes a first disparate subsystem manager and a second disparate subsystem manager and in which a first child component process is created using at least one of said first and second disparate subsystem managers to establish a connection between them.

26. A system, as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

said at least four common module managers include four of the following;

a base manager used in registering said disparate subsystems, said at least four disparate subsystem managers and said a least four common module managers, a security manager for monitoring external applications attempting to connect to said communications apparatus, a link selection manager for providing an acceptable network link for transmitting and/or receiving information wirelessly relative to the vehicle, a flow manager for enabling communications involving three of said at least four disparate subsystem managers, a compression manager for compressing data for transfer, and an encryption manager for encrypting data before transfer.

27. A system, as claimed in claim 20, further including:

a portal apparatus located remotely from the vehicle and in communication with said communications apparatus using wireless technology.

28. A method for communicating with a number of vehicles, comprising:

providing a plurality of communications apparatuses including a first communication apparatus and a second communications apparatus, each of the number of vehicles having a different one of said plurality of communications apparatuses;

providing at least a first fleet management subsystem that manages at least a plurality of the number of vehicles in the fleet;

providing a portal apparatus located remotely from each of said fleet management subsystem and each of said plurality of communications apparatuses;

providing a first communications network by which said portal apparatus communicates with each of said plurality of communications apparatuses and a second communications network by which said portal apparatus communicates with said fleet management subsystem;

maintaining information by said portal apparatus related to an identity of software being used by each of said communications apparatuses and in which said identity of software for said first communications apparatus is different from said identity of software for said second communications apparatus;

updating software in each of said plurality of communications apparatuses by said portal apparatus;

obtaining vehicle operational data from each of said plurality of communications apparatuses by said portal apparatus;

storing said vehicle operational data in memory of said portal apparatus;

gathering diagnostic data from each of said communications apparatuses by said portal apparatus;

storing said diagnostic data in said memory of said portal apparatus;

notifying said first fleet management subsystem by said portal apparatus of said identity of software being used by at least said first and second communications apparatuses; and

sending at least some of said vehicle operational data and said diagnostic data to said first fleet management subsystem by said portal apparatus.

29. A method, as claimed in claim 28, wherein:

at least said first communications network includes the Internet.

30. A method, as claimed in claim 28, further including:

providing a number of fleet management subsystems including said at least first fleet management subsystem and in which said at least first fleet management subsystem is notified related to said software being used by less than all of said plurality of communications apparatuses.