System for using non-standard transfer protocol from software received at client device for exchanging data with in-vehicle communications gateway

• US 7,818,403 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2007
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Catsburg, Thomas M. P., Alrabady, Ansaf I.
• Primary Examiner(s): LUU, LE HIEN
• Application Number:
  US11/856,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20090077267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/227, 709/228, 709/237, 370/310
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for transmitting data between a client device and a vehicle. A server hosted at an in-vehicle communications gateway module sends a software component comprising a non-standard transfer protocol module to a browser application hosted at the client device in response to a request from the client device. Standard ports at the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the client device are closed, and data is exchanged between the server and the browser application according to the non-standard transfer protocol. Optionally, the received data can then be transmitted from the in-vehicle communications gateway module to a computer module in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data from a computer module in a vehicle to a client device, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a software component transmitted in accordance with a standard transfer protocol from the client device via a standard port at the in-vehicle communications gateway module, wherein the software component comprises a non-standard transfer protocol module that enables the in-vehicle communications gateway module to communicate data generated by the computer module to the client device;

sending, in response to the request, the software component from the standard port of in-vehicle communications gateway module to the client device;

loading the non-standard transfer protocol module at the client device so that the in-vehicle communications gateway module is capable of communicating the data to the client device according to the non-standard transfer protocol; and

after the client device has loaded the non-standard transfer protocol, establishing a connection between the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the client device according to the non-standard transfer protocol, and then exchanging the data generated by the computer module between the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the client device according to the non-standard transfer protocol.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

exchanging the data between the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the computer module; and

delaying transmission of the data to the client device at the in-vehicle communications gateway module until the client device has loaded the non-standard transfer protocol.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the step of sending, in response to the request, the software component from the standard port of in-vehicle communications gateway module to the client device, comprises:

sending, in response to the request, the software component from a server hosted at the in-vehicle communications gateway module via the standard port to a browser application hosted at the client device.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

closing the standard port of the in-vehicle communications gateway module and a standard port of the client device so that standard transfer protocols are not used for the subsequent exchange of information between the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the client device.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step of closing the standard port of the in-vehicle communications gateway module and a standard port of the client device, comprises:

closing the standard port at the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the client device so that standard internet protocols are not used for the subsequent exchange of information between the server application hosted at the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the browser application hosted at the client device.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending, in response to the request, a download request from a server hosted at the in-vehicle communications gateway module to a browser application hosted at the client device, wherein the download request requests that the client device download a software component from an on-line server;

sending, from the client device in response to the download request, a software component request message for the software component to the on-line server; and

sending, from the on-line server in response to the software component request message, the software component to a browser application hosted at the client device.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the software component is used to establish the non-standard transfer protocol for communications between the server hosted at the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the browser application hosted at the remote client device, and wherein the software component comprises:

an executable program which includes the non-standard transfer protocol module which allows the browser application hosted at the remote client device to communicate with the server hosted at the in-vehicle communications gateway module according to the non-standard transfer protocol.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the browser application designed to execute the executable program to enable communication between the remote client device and the in-vehicle communications gateway module in accordance with the non-standard transfer protocol.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the software component comprises at least one of:

a compiled program;

a Java applet; and

an active X control.

10. An in-vehicle communication gateway module, comprising:

a server designed to;

receive, at a standard port, a request for a software component, wherein the request is transmitted from a browser application hosted at a client device in accordance with a standard transfer protocol, and to transmit, in response to the request, the software component to a client device via the standard port, wherein the software component comprises a non-standard transfer protocol module that enables the in-vehicle communications gateway module to communicate data generated by the computer module to the client device;

send, in response to the request for the software component, the software component from the standard port of in-vehicle communications gateway module to the client device;

establish a connection between the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the client device according to the non-standard transfer protocol, after the client device has loaded the non-standard transfer protocol so that the in-vehicle communications gateway module is capable of communicating the data to the client device according to the non-standard transfer protocol; and

then exchange the data generated by the computer module between the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the client device according to the non-standard transfer protocol.

11. An in-vehicle communication gateway module according to claim 10, wherein the server is further designed to:

exchange the data received from the client device with a computer module in the vehicle; and

delay transmission of the data to the client device at the in-vehicle communications gateway module until the client device has loaded the non-standard transfer protocol.

12. An in-vehicle communication gateway module according to claim 11, wherein the in-vehicle communication gateway module is designed to close the standard port after transmitting the software component so that standard transfer protocols are not used for subsequent exchange of information between the server application hosted at the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the browser application hosted at the client device.

13. An in-vehicle communication gateway module according to claim 10, wherein the in-vehicle communication gateway module is designed to establish the connection between the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the client device according to the non-standard transfer protocol before the in-vehicle communications gateway module exchanges data with the client device according to the non-standard transfer protocol.

14. An in-vehicle communication gateway module according to claim 13, wherein the in-vehicle communication gateway module is designed to close the connection between the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the client device according to the non-standard transfer protocol after the in-vehicle communications gateway module exchanges data with the client device according to the non-standard transfer protocol.

15. An in-vehicle communication gateway module, comprising:

a server designed to;

receive, at a standard port, a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) request from a browser application hosted at a client device, and to transmit in accordance with a standard transfer protocol, in response to the request, a download request via the standard port which requests that the client device download a software component from an on-line server, wherein the software component comprises a non-standard transfer protocol module that enables the in-vehicle communications gateway module to communicate data generated by the computer module to the client device;

establish a connection between the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the client device according to the non-standard transfer protocol, after the client device has loaded the non-standard transfer protocol so that the in-vehicle communications gateway module is capable of communicating the data to the client device according to the non-standard transfer protocol; and

then exchange the data generated by the computer module between the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the client device according to the non-standard transfer protocol.

16. An in-vehicle communication gateway module according to claim 15, wherein the server is further designed to:

exchange the data received from the client device with a computer module in the vehicle; and

delay transmission of the data to the client device at the in-vehicle communications gateway module until the client device has loaded the non-standard transfer protocol.

17. An in-vehicle communication gateway module according to claim 16, wherein the in-vehicle communication gateway module is designed to close the standard port after transmitting the download request so that standard internet protocols are not used for subsequent exchange of information between the server application hosted at the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the browser application hosted at the client device.

18. An in-vehicle communication gateway module according to claim 15, wherein the in-vehicle communication gateway module is designed to establish the connection between the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the client device according to the non-standard transfer protocol before the in-vehicle communications gateway module exchanges data with the client device according to the non-standard transfer protocol, and wherein the in-vehicle communication gateway module is designed to close the connection between the in-vehicle communications gateway module and the client device according to the non-standard transfer protocol after the in-vehicle communications gateway module exchanges data with the client device according to the non-standard transfer protocol.

19. An in-vehicle communication gateway module according to claim 15, wherein the server is designed to transmit in accordance with a standard transfer protocol, in response to the request, the download request via the standard port to the browser application hosted at the client device, wherein the download request requests that the client device download the software component from the on-line server by sending a software component request message to the on-line server which requests that the on-line server transmit the software component to the browser application hosted at the client device.