Method and apparatus for dynamic configuration of multiprocessor system

• US 8,346,186 B1
• Filed: 12/27/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MicroPairing Technologies LLC (Micropairing Technologies Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Eagle Harbor Holdings, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Lutter, Robert Pierce, Preston, Dan Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUONGCHAU BA
• Application Number:
  US12/979,186
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 370/313, 370/329, 370/338, 370/349, 370/389, 370/392, 370/401, 370/465, 370/466, 701/29, 701/33, 701/36, 701/213, 713/168, 713/200, 713/201, 709/201, 709/202, 709/205, 709/217, 709/230, 709/310, 709/311, 709/313, 455/67.1, 455/72, 455/99, 455/410, 455/456
• US Class Current: 455/99
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2035 without idle spare hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2046 where the redundant components share persistent storage G06F11/2043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40169 Flexible bus arrangements arrangements for maintenance or administration involving management of faults; events, alarms H04L41/06; automatic restoration of network faults H04L41/0654
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0809 Plug-and-play configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• 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 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols

Abstract

A multiprocessor system used in a car, home, or office environment includes multiple processors that run different real-time applications. A dynamic configuration system runs on the multiple processors and includes a device manager, configuration manager, and data manager. The device manager automatically detects and adds new devices to the multiprocessor system, and the configuration manager automatically reconfigures which processors run the real-time applications. The data manager identifies the type of data generated by the new devices and identifies which devices in the multiprocessor system are able to process the data.

A communication system for a mobile vehicle, home, or office environment includes multiple processors. The multiple processors each run an Open Communication system that controls how data is transferred between processors based on data content as opposed to the links that connect the processors together. The open communication system enables data or messages to be effectively transferred and processed for real-time applications or other server based applications that may be running on the multiple processors in a secure environment regardless of processors, locations, or data links.

Claims

1. A system of multiple processors for an automobile, comprising:

(a) multiple on-board processors that run automobile applications, at least one of which on-board processors is a processor that is embedded in the automobile;

(b) a communication system that couples the multiple processors together; and

(c) a dynamic configuration system operating on multiple of the on-board processors and including software resident in memory that is executable to;

(i) automatically detect and incorporate new hardware devices into the system of multiple processors for communication with one or more of the multiple on-board processors, and

(ii) automatically reconfigure the system of multiple processors in real-time to run at least a specified portion of one of the automobile applications normally run on a first one of the on-board processors on a second one of the on-board processors in the system of multiple processors by executing on the second one of the on-board processors the specified portion of the one of the automobile applications normally run by the first one of the on-board processors,

wherein the dynamic configuration system is configured to;

monitor the automobile applications operating in the multiple on-board processors;

identify a high priority one of the automobile applications on the first one of the on-board processors;

identify a lower priority one of the automobile applications operating on the second one of the multiple on-board processors; and

reconfigure the multiple on-board processors to run the high priority one of the automobile applications on the second one of the multiple on-board processors.

2. The system of multiple processors according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) the dynamic configuration system includes a device manager operating on the multiple on-board processors, and

(b) the device manager includes software resident in memory that is executable to;

(i) detect communication signals generated by a new hardware device that is within range of the automobile, and

(ii) incorporate the new hardware device into the system of multiple processors when the detected communication signals conform with a communication protocol used by any of the multiple processors.

3. A system of multiple processors for an automobile, comprising:

multiple on-board processors that run automobile applications, at least one of which on-board processors is a processor that is embedded in the automobile;

a communication system that couples the multiple processors together; and

a dynamic configuration system operating on multiple of the on-board processors and including software resident in memory that is executable to;

automatically detect and incorporate new hardware devices into the system of multiple processors for communication with one or more of the multiple on-board processors, and

automatically reconfigure the system of multiple processors in real-time to run at least a specified portion of one of the automobile applications normally run on a first one of the on-board processors on a second one of the on-board processors in the system of multiple processors by executing on the second one of the on-board processors the specified portion of the one of the automobile applications normally run by the first one of the on-board processors, wherein;

the dynamic configuration system includes a configuration manager, and

the configuration manager includes software resident in memory that is executable to;

monitor the automobile applications operating in multiple of the on-board processors;

identify a high priority automobile application that has failed on the first one of the on-board processors;

identify a lower priority automobile application operating on the second one of the on-board processors; and

reconfigure the system of multiple processors to run the failed high priority automobile application on the second one of the on-board processors.

4. The system of multiple processors according to claim 3 wherein the configuration manager includes software resident in memory that is executable to:

store a copy of the automobile application that has failed on the first one of the on-board processors in a memory on a third one of the on-board processors that is currently running another automobile application,

download the copy of the automobile application from its stored location on the third one of the on-board processors to the second one of the on-board processors, and

run the downloaded copy of the automobile application on the second one of the on-board processors when the failure in the first one of the on-board processors is detected.

5. The system of multiple processors according to claim 4 wherein:

the dynamic configuration systems includes a data manager, and

the data manager includes software resident in memory that is executable to;

store critical data generated by the failed automobile application running on the first one of the on-board processors, and

download and run the stored critical data along with the copy of the high priority automobile application on the second one of the on-board processors when the failure in the first one of the on-board processors is detected.

6. The system of multiple processors according to claim 5 further comprising a display device that includes a user interface and that is configured to display

at least one icon representing an application running on an one of the on-board processors that has failed, and

icons representing applications running on other on-board processors that can be replaced by the failed application.

7. The system of multiple processors according to claim 6 wherein the data manager is configured to identify different types of data transferred by the different on-board processors, and the display device is configured to display an icon representing the on-board processors in the system of multiple processors that can process each of the identified different types of data.

8. The system of multiple processors in a car according to claim 7 wherein the automobile applications are configured to perform a plurality of the following applications:

automatic brake control;

audio player control;

video player control;

airbag deployment monitoring;

display control;

navigation control; and

sensor monitoring.

9. A system of multiple processors for an automobile, comprising:

multiple on-board processors that run automobile applications, at least one of which on-board processors is a processor that is embedded in the automobile;

a communication system that couples the multiple processors together; and

a plurality of dynamic configuration systems, each dynamic configuration system operating on one of the on-board processors and including software resident in memory that is executable to;

automatically detect and incorporate new hardware devices into the system of multiple processors for communication with one or more of the multiple on-board processors, and

automatically reconfigure the system of multiple processors in real-time to run at least a specified portion of one of the automobile applications normally run on a first one of the on-board processors on a second one of the on-board processors in the system of multiple processors by executing on the second one of the on-board processors the specified portion of the one of the automobile applications normally run by the first one of the on-board processors, wherein the dynamic configuration system is configured to;

monitor the automobile applications operating in the multiple on-board processors;

identify a high priority one of the automobile applications on the first one of the on-board processors;

identify a lower priority one of the automobile applications operating on the second one of the on-board processors; and

reconfigure the multiple on-board processors to run the high priority one of the automobile applications on the second one of the on-board processors.

10. The system of multiple processors according to claim 9 wherein:

a plurality of the dynamic configuration systems each include a device manager, and

a plurality of the device managers include software resident in memory that is executable to;

detect communication signals generated by a new hardware device that is within range of the automobile, and

incorporate the new hardware device into the system of multiple processors when the detected signals conform with a communication protocol used by any of the multiple processors.

11. A system of multiple processors for an automobile, comprising:

multiple on-board processors that run automobile applications, at least one of which on-board processors is a processor that is embedded in the automobile;

a communication system that couples the multiple processors together; and

a plurality of dynamic configuration systems, each dynamic configuration system operating on one of the on-board processors and including software resident in memory that is executable to;

automatically detect and incorporate new hardware devices into the system of multiple processors for communication with one or more of the multiple on-board processors, and

automatically reconfigure the system of multiple processors in real-time to run at least a specified portion of one of the automobile applications normally run on a first one of the on-board processors on a second one of the on-board processors in the system of multiple processors by executing on the second one of the on-board processors the specified portion of the one of the automobile applications normally run by the first one of the on-board processors, wherein;

a plurality of the dynamic configuration systems includes a configuration manager, and

a plurality of the configuration managers include software resident in memory that is executable to;

monitor the automobile applications operating in multiple of the on-board processors;

identify a high priority automobile application that has failed on the first one of the on-board processors;

identify a lower priority automobile application operating on the second one of the on-board processors; and

reconfigure the system of multiple processors to run the failed high priority automobile application on the second one of the on-board processors.

12. The system of multiple processors according to claim 11 wherein a plurality of the configuration managers include software resident in memory that is executable to:

store a copy of the application that has failed on the first one of the on-board processors in the memory on a third one of the on-board processors that is currently running another automobile application,

download the application from its stored location on the third one of the on-board processors to the second one of the on-board processors, and

run the downloaded copy of the automobile application on the second one of the on-board processors when the failure in the first one of the on-board processors is detected.

13. The system of multiple processors according to claim 12 wherein:

a plurality of the dynamic configuration systems includes a data manager, and

a plurality of the data managers include software resident in memory that is executable to

store critical data generated by the failed application running on the first one of the on-board processors, and

download and run the copy of the application along with the stored critical data on the second one of the on-board processors when the failure in the first one of the on-board processors is detected.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

multiple on-board processors configured to run automobile applications;

a communication system configured to couple the multiple processors together; and

a dynamic configuration system configured to operate on the multiple on-board processors and including software resident in memory configured to;

monitor the automobile applications operating in the multiple on-board processors;

identify a high priority one of the automobile applications on a first one of the multiple on-board processors;

identify a lower priority one of the automobile applications operating on a second one of the multiple on-board processors; and

reconfigure the multiple on-board processors to run the high priority one of the automobile applications on the second one of the multiple on-board processors.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the dynamic configuration system is configured to:

detect communication signals generated by a new hardware device that is within range of the vehicle, and

incorporate the new hardware device into the system of multiple processors when the detected signals conform with a communication protocol used by any of the multiple processors.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the dynamic configuration system is further configured to:

upload the high priority one of the automobile applications to the second one of the multiple on-board processors; and

configure the second one of the multiple on-board processors to take over operation of the high priority one of the automobile applications for the first one of the multiple on-board processors.