Data communication method using unambiguous vehicle identification information

• US 8,677,019 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Electric Company Limited (Fuji Electric Systems Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Bruenner, Guenter, Baumgartner, Martin, Rebhan, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Dung B
• Application Number:
  US12/209,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• 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

Abstract

A data communication method between a first communication user arranged at a motor vehicle and a second communication user arranged outside the motor vehicle is provided. The first communication user can be addressed by the second communication user by way of a network address. The network address of the first communication user is defined by an address management unit arranged outside the motor vehicle and is transmitted to the first communication user.

Claims

1. A method for data communication between a first communication user situated in a motor vehicle and a second communication user situated outside the motor vehicle, the first communication user being addressable by the second communication user via a network address, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving, by an address management unit from the first communication user, a network address request message containing an unambiguous vehicle identification of the motor vehicle;

defining, in response to receiving the network address request message containing the unambiguous vehicle identification, the network address of the first communication user by the address management unit situated outside the motor vehicle, wherein the network address is defined, based at least in part, on the unambiguous vehicle identification of the motor vehicle;

transmitting the defined network address of the first communication user to the first communication user; and

converting, by a vehicle access application at the first communication user situated in the motor vehicle, an input data stream transmitted from the second communication user into a diagnostic data stream having a data format of a conventional diagnostic communication, wherein assignment data for an assignment between the unambiguous vehicle identification received and the subsequently defined network address are stored at the address management unit, from which the network address pertaining to a vehicle identification can be queried by other communication users, and wherein communication between the first and the second communication user takes place by way of an Ethernet interface and a TCP/IP standard protocol.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second communication user is a diagnostic tester.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the address management unit is constructed as a DHCP server and/or that the address exchange unit is constructed as a DNS server.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the unambiguous vehicle identification is a vehicle chassis number.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle access application is implemented by a central communication gateway of the motor vehicle.

6. A method for data communication between a first communication user situated in a motor vehicle and a second communication user situated outside the motor vehicle, the first communication user being addressable by the second communication user via a network address, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving, by an address management unit situated outside the motor vehicle from the first communication user, a network address request containing an unambiguous vehicle identification of the motor vehicle;

allocating, in response to receiving the network address request containing the unambiguous vehicle identification, the network address to the first communication user by the address management unit, wherein the network address is allocated based at least in part on an unambiguous vehicle identification of the motor vehicle;

transmitting the defined network address of the first communication user to the first communication user; and

converting, by a vehicle access application at the first communication user situated in the motor vehicle, an input data stream transmitted from the second communication user into a diagnostic data stream having a data format of a conventional diagnostic communication, wherein assignment data for an assignment between the unambiguous vehicle identification received and the subsequently defined network address are stored at the address management unit, from which the network address pertaining to a vehicle identification can be queried by other communication users, and wherein communication between the first and the second communication user takes place by way of an Ethernet interface and a TCP/IP standard protocol.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the unambiguous vehicle identification is a vehicle chassis number of the motor vehicle.