Vehicle active network

• US 8,116,205 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2010
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Reinold, Juergen, Remboski, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): HYUN, SOON D
• Application Number:
  US12/712,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20100149968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/30 Routing of multiclass traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/566 Routing instructions carried by the data packet, e.g. active networks

Abstract

A vehicle active network (12) communicatively couples devices (14-20) within a vehicle (10). Device operation is independent of the interface (22-28) of the device (14-20) with the active network (12). Additionally, the architecture of the active network (12) provides one or more levels of communication redundancy. The architecture provides for the total integration of vehicle systems and functions, and permits plug-and-play device integration and upgradeability.

Claims

1. In a vehicle comprising a first device and a second device, an active network for communicatively coupling first and second vehicle devices to each other, the active network comprising:

a fabric of active network elements, each active network element interconnected to a plurality of other active network elements of the fabric via point-to-point connections, each point-to-point connection connecting no more than two active network elements to one another,

wherein the active network elements and point-to-point connections between them are configured to route data packets between the first and second vehicle devices via a first set of active network elements and single point-to-point connections established between each network element of the first set to form thereby, a single communication path between the first vehicle device and the second vehicle device.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active network is additionally configured to route data packets between third and fourth vehicle devices via a second set of active network elements and single point-to-point connections established between each network element of the second set to form thereby, a single communication path between the third vehicle device and the fourth vehicle device, the single communication path between the first and second vehicle devices being different than the single communication path between the third and fourth vehicle devices.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active network complies with an Internet protocol standard.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active network complies with asynchronous transfer mode protocol.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the active network elements comprises a router.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the active network elements are linked electronically.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the active network elements are linked by radio frequency.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active network elements are arranged in an array topology.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the active network communicatively couples at least one additional device to the first and second devices.

10. An apparatus comprising:

an active network of an automobile configured to communicatively couple a first device of the automobile and a second device of the automobile, the active network comprising;

a fabric of active network elements, each active network element is connected to a plurality of other active network elements of the fabric via point-to-point connections, each of which connects no more than two active network elements to one another, the active network elements being configured to provide a first, single communication path through the fabric of active network elements, the single communication path extending between the first device and the second device, and being selected from multiple potential single communication paths.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the active network supports multiple, simultaneous communication paths between the first device and the second device and wherein the active network elements are configured to simultaneously provide a second, single communication path through the fabric of active network elements, the second, single communication path extending between a third device and a fourth device, the first and second single paths being different from each other and selected from multiple potential single communication paths.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the active network complies with an Internet protocol standard.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the active network complies with asynchronous transfer mode protocol.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one of the active network elements comprises a router.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the active network elements are linked electronically.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the active network elements are linked by radio frequency.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the active network elements are arranged in an array topology.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the active network communicatively couples at least one additional device to the first and second devices.

19. A method comprising:

forming a first, single communication path through a fabric of active network elements, the fabric of active network elements being comprised of a plurality of active network elements connected to each other via point-to-point connections, each point-to-point connection connecting no more than two active network elements to each other, the first, single communication path being comprised of a first set of active network elements and point-to-point connections between them, the active network elements of the first set being and the point-to-point connections between them being configured to route data between only first and second devices that are coupled to corresponding active network elements of the fabric of active network elements; and

routing data between the first and second devices via the first single communication path.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

routing data between third and fourth devices via a second, single communication path, the second, single communication path being comprised of a second set of active network elements and point-to-point connections between them, the second set of active network elements and the point-to-point connections between them being configured to route data between only third and fourth devices that are coupled to corresponding active network elements of the fabric of active network elements.