System and method for integrating a vehicle subnetwork into a primary network

• US 6,754,183 B1
• Filed: 06/14/1999
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Razavi, Behfar, Densmore, Owen M., Martin, Guy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang Bin
• Application Number:
  US09/332,347
• Time in Patent Office: 1,835 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/338, 370/328, 370/329, 370/400, 370/401, 370/465, 370/254, 370/257, 370/258, 370/349, 370/395.52, 455/66, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/224, 709/249, 709/250, 709/252, 709/253, 709/203
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• 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 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A system for communicating between a first network and a second network, wherein the first network may alternately communicate through one of a plurality of communication devices, each having a different IP address. In one embodiment, the first network is contained in a vehicle. The first network initiates communications through one of the communication devices and communicates the IP address of this currently-used device to a proxy server. If communications are lost, the first network attempts to establish communications through another of the communication devices. In a first mode, the first network communicates with the second network directly, using the IP address of the currently-used communication device for return communications. In a second mode, the first network communicates with the second network directly, but return communications are routed through the proxy server, which forwards them to the first network. When the second network is expected to quickly respond to the communications of the first network, the first mode is normally used since the current communication device is expected to maintain communication over the short term. If return communications are expected to be slow, the second mode is normally used since the current communication device is expected to lose communication at some point over the long term. In some situations, a hybrid of the first and second modes is used.

Claims

1. A system for communicating between a sub-network and a primary network comprising:

a sub-network in a vehicle, said sub-network having one or more communication devices, each said communication device having a corresponding IP address, wherein each of the communications devices is coupled to a transmission medium including a Java ring reader, wherein the sub-network further includes a plurality of network devices, and wherein the sub-network further includes a compute platform configured to run a Java virtual machine application;

a proxy server having a corresponding IP address, wherein said proxy server is coupled to the primary network;

wherein said sub-network is configured to select a first one of said communication devices, to communicate with said proxy server and the primary network via said selected communication device, and to notify said proxy server of said IP address of said selected communication device; and

wherein in a first mode said sub-network is configured to identify said IP address of said proxy server as a return address of said sub-network.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said sub-network is configured to retrieve said IP address corresponding to said proxy server and to identify transmissions to the primary network as originating from said IP address corresponding to said proxy server.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said sub-network is configured to detect said first one of said communication devices losing communications with one or more of said proxy server and the primary network and to initiate communications with a second one of said communication devices

when a first one of said communication devices loses communications with said primary network.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said sub-network is configured to communicate with said proxy server and the primary network via an internet service provider.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said proxy server is configured to periodically query said sub-network and thereby determine whether said sub-network is in communication with said proxy server.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said sub-network is configured to periodically transmit a notification signal to said proxy server, wherein said notification signal indicates that said sub-network is in communication with said proxy server.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said proxy server is configured in one mode to buffer packets targeted to said sub-network.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said proxy server is land-based.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein in a second mode, said sub-network is configured to join a LAN to which said proxy server is coupled.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said direct communications link to said proxy server is established using a wireless ethernet link.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein in a second mode, said sub-network is configured to identify said IP address of said sub-network as said return address of said sub-network.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein in a hybrid mode, said sub-network is configured to identify said IP address of said sub-network as said return address of said sub-network for a first subset of communications with said primary network and to identify said IP address of said proxy server as said return address of said sub-network for a second subset of communications with said primary network.

13. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the Java ring reader provides a password function.

14. A method for communicating between a sub-network and a primary network comprising:

in a first mode,

said sub-network establishing communications with said primary network,

said sub-network including a plurality of communications devices coupled by a transmission medium, wherein the transmission medium is further coupled to a Java ring reader, wherein said sub-network is located in a vehicle, wherein said sub-network is configured to run a Java virtual machine application,

transmitting first data from said sub-network to said primary network, and

transmitting second data from said primary network to said sub-network,

in a second mode,

said sub-network establishing communications with said primary network and a proxy server,

transmitting said first data from said sub-network to said primary network,

transmitting said second data from said primary network to said proxy server, and

transmitting said second data from said proxy server to said sub-network.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

in a hybrid mode,

said sub-network establishing communications with said primary network and said proxy server,

transmitting said first data from said sub-network to said primary network,

transmitting said second data from said primary network to said sub-network

transmitting third data from said primary network to said proxy server, and

transmitting said third data from said proxy server to said sub-network.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

in a third mode,

said sub-network establishing communications with said proxy server,

transmitting said first data from said sub-network to said said proxy server,

transmitting said first data from said proxy server to said primary network,

transmitting said second data from said primary network to said proxy server, and

transmitting said second data from said proxy server to said sub-network.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said sub-network establishing communications with said proxy server comprises said sub-network joining a wireless LAN to which said proxy server is coupled.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein establishing communications comprises a first communication device which has a first IP address establishing communications, further comprising said first communication device breaking communications and a second communication device which has a second IP address establishing communications.

19. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the Java ring reader provides a password function.

20. A system for communicating between a sub-network and a primary network comprising:

a sub-network in a vehicle, said sub-network having one or more communication devices, each said communication device having a corresponding IP address, wherein said corresponding IP address is dynamically assigned, wherein each of the communications devices is coupled to a transmission medium including a Java ring reader;

a proxy server having a corresponding IP address, wherein said proxy server is coupled to the primary network;

wherein said sub-network is configured to select a first one of said communication devices, to communicate with said proxy server and the primary network via said selected communication device, and to notify said proxy server of said IP address of said selected communication device; and

wherein in a first mode said sub-network is configured to identify said IP address of said proxy server as a return address of said sub-network.

21. A method for communicating between a sub-network and a primary network comprising:

in a first mode,

said sub-network establishing communications with said primary network, said sub-network including a plurality of communications devices coupled by a transmission medium, each said communication device having a corresponding IP address, wherein said corresponding IP address is dynamically assigned, wherein the transmission medium is further coupled to a Java ring reader, wherein said sub-network is located in a vehicle,

transmitting first data from said sub-network to said primary network, and

transmitting second data from said primary network to said sub-network;

in a second mode,

said sub-network establishing communications with said primary network and a proxy server,

transmitting said first data from said sub-network to said primary network,

transmitting said second data from said primary network to said proxy server, and

transmitting said second data from said proxy server to said sub-network.