Method and apparatus for time synchronizing an in-vehicle network
First Claim
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1. A vehicle network comprising:
- a plurality of network elements joined by communication links for a transmission of data there between;
each network element of the vehicle network including a local clock, a processor, and a memory, the memory adapted for storing and retaining an updatable time reference;
a receiver disposed within each network element, the receiver for receiving a time reference signal from a time source within a vehicle and external to a node carried by a medium independent of the communication links and for communicating an absolute time reference signal to the processor; and
the processor being operated upon receipt of the absolute time reference signal to update the absolute time reference stored within the memory, wherein each network element is couple to a power distribution feed, and wherein the updatable time reference is substantially simultaneously communicated via the power distribution feed to each network element.
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Abstract
An independent, broadcast medium (32) is used to communicate an time reference to each element: switch element (36), active element (14-20) or passive element, of an in-vehicle network (30). Each element (36) in the network accepts the time information, i.e., a time reference from the source. The time reference is then used by each element (36) to adjust an internal clock of the element. Commands may then be sent to the elements to occur at a particular time.
15 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A vehicle network comprising:
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a plurality of network elements joined by communication links for a transmission of data there between; each network element of the vehicle network including a local clock, a processor, and a memory, the memory adapted for storing and retaining an updatable time reference; a receiver disposed within each network element, the receiver for receiving a time reference signal from a time source within a vehicle and external to a node carried by a medium independent of the communication links and for communicating an absolute time reference signal to the processor; and the processor being operated upon receipt of the absolute time reference signal to update the absolute time reference stored within the memory, wherein each network element is couple to a power distribution feed, and wherein the updatable time reference is substantially simultaneously communicated via the power distribution feed to each network element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A vehicle network comprising:
a plurality of network elements joined by communication links for a transmission there between of data packets; each network element of the vehicle network including a local clock, a processor and a memory, the memory for storing and retaining an updatable absolute time reference; a receiver coupled to the network at one of the network elements, the receiver for receiving an absolute time reference signal from a time reference source external to a vehicle and for communicating the absolute time reference signal to the processor of the coupled network element; the processor being operated upon receipt of the absolute time reference signal to update the absolute time reference stored within the memory of the network element and to communicate a time reference signal to each of the remaining network elements of the network; and the processors of the remaining network elements of the network being operated upon receipt of the absolute time reference signal to update the absolute time reference stored within the memory of the network element, wherein the absolute time reference comprises an alteration of a characteristic of a power delivered via the power distribution feed. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. In an in-vehicle network having a plurality of network elements joined by communication links for a transmission of data packets there between, a method of time synchronizing the network elements comprising the steps of:
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receiving a time signal from a time signal source external to the network; determining an absolute time reference from the time signal; and updating a time reference stored in each of the network elements based upon the absolute time reference, wherein the step of receiving a time signal from a time signal source comprises receiving via a power distribution feed at each network element a time signal form a time signal source. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification