Vehicle communications interface

• US 7,334,041 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2004
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Teradyne Incorporated
• Inventors: Roberts, Christopher, Swindells, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong; Oanh
• Application Number:
  US10/787,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20050193087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218, 709/230, 709/249, 709/250, 710/315, 701/29, 701/33
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An improved vehicle communications interface (VCI) is both economical and readily adaptable for running new software. The improved VCI includes a server coupled to a bank of processors. The server can communicate with a host, and the processors can communicate with different vehicle networks. Each processor includes a state machine and a media access controller for a particular vehicle network. The state machine identifies incoming messages that require real time responses and provides the requisite responses directly back to the network, without involvement of the server. Real time requirements of the server are thus relieved, allowing the server to run a non-real time, mainstream operating system for which new product software is readily available.

Claims

1. A device for communicating between a host computer and different types of vehicle networks via different vehicle network protocols, the device comprising:

a server, capable of being networked to the host computer, for preparing network messages to be sent to and reading messages from a plurality of processors;

the plurality of processors, coupled to the server, each of the plurality of processors is constructed and arranged to exchange the messages with each of the vehicle networks in accordance with each of the different vehicle network protocols, wherein the each of the plurality of processors includes a controller for monitoring the messages received from the each of the vehicle networks and providing a real time response to the messages that require the real time response without intervention of the server;

a queue for accumulating the messages received from the each of the vehicle networks; and

the controller for uploading the accumulated messages from the queue to a memory, coupled to the server via the bus interface, in response to a predetermined event without intervention of the server.

2. A device as recited in claim 1, further comprising the memory coupled to the bus interface, wherein the memory is accessible by any of the plurality of processors without intervention of the server.

3. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein the bus interface is a PCI bus interface.

4. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein each processor further comprises a media access controller (MAC) for enabling communication in a native protocol of a vehicle network.

5. A device as recited in claim 4, wherein the controller is coupled between the MAC and the server for conveying messages between the MAC and the server.

6. A device as recited in claim 5, wherein the digital circuit further comprises an incoming message buffer coupled between the controller and the server for accumulating messages received from a vehicle network.

7. A device as recited in claim 5, wherein the digital circuit further comprises an outgoing message buffer coupled between the server and the controller for receiving data from the server.

8. A device as recited in claim 5, wherein the digital circuit further comprises a timer, coupled to the controller, for providing an indication that a designated interval of time has elapsed.

9. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein the server is loaded with an operating system other than a real time operating system (RTOS).

10. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of processors is realized as at least one Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).

11. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein the server and the plurality of processors are realized together in a single Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).

12. A device for communicating with different types of vehicle computer networks in a vehicle, the device comprising:

a server for preparing network messages to be sent to and reading messages from a plurality of processors;

the plurality of processors, coupled to the server, different ones of the plurality of processors constructed and arranged to exchange the messages with the different types of vehicle computer networks according to different vehicle network protocols, wherein each of the plurality of processors includes;

means for identifying the messages arriving from each of the vehicle computer networks that require a real time response;

means, operative in response to an identification to the identifying step that the messages require the real time response, for providing the real time response without intervention of the server; and

means for uploading the messages from a queue to a memory, coupled to the server via a bus interface, in response to a predetermined event without intervention of the server.

13. A device as recited in claim 12, wherein the real time response comprises an acknowledgement transmitted to the vehicle that a message has been received.

14. A device as recited in claim 12, wherein the means for providing a real time response comprises means for providing a response within a predetermined interval of time.

15. A device as recited in claim 12, wherein the means for providing a real time response comprises means for providing a response within a predetermined number of received messages.

16. A device as recited in claim 12, wherein the server is one of a laptop computer, a computer workstation, and a personal data assistant.

17. A device as recited in claim 12, wherein the server and the plurality of processors are realized together in a single Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).

18. A method for communicating between a device and a plurality of vehicle networks of computers in a vehicle via different vehicle network protocols, the method comprising:

connecting the device to the plurality of vehicle networks;

receiving messages, by each of a plurality of processors of the device, from the each of the vehicle networks in each of the different vehicle network protocols;

identifying, by the each of the plurality of processors the messages arriving from the each of the vehicle networks that require a real time response;

in response to the identifying step that the messages require the real time response, providing, by the each of a plurality of processors, the real time response;

accumulating, by a queue, the messages received from the each of the vehicle networks;

uploading, by a controller of the each of the plurality of processors, the accumulated, received messages from the queue to a memory, coupled to a server included in the device via a bus interface, responsive to a predetermined event without intervention of the server; and

reading the message by the server of the device.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the predetermined event is a detection of an error on the network.

20. A method as recited in claims 18, wherein the predetermined event is an indication that a network transmission is complete.

21. A method as recited in claims 18, wherein the predetermined event is an indication that available memory for storing messages has reached its capacity.