System and method for internal networking, data optimization and dynamic frequency selection in a vehicular environment

• US 8,705,527 B1
• Filed: 05/10/2011
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Addepalli, Sateesh K., Bonomi, Flavio, Thubert, Pascal, Moghe, Ashok K., Girardot, Marc Jean-Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Jr., Otis L
• Application Number:
  US13/104,737
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/392, 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/008 where the control data relates to payload of a different packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0858 One way delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/12 Shortest path evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2592 using tunnelling or encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• 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 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 : Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0009 : for a plurality of users or terminals, e.g. group communication or moving wireless networks user group management H04W4/08; processing of subscriber group data H04W8/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 : Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 : Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 : Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 : based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 : Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 : based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 : Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 : in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 : where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0264 : by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/12 : Outer and inner loops
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 : Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/225 : Calculation of statistics, e.g. average, variance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/241 : taking into account channel quality metrics, e.g. SIR, SNR, CIR, Eb/lo
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/346 : distributing total power among users or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/53 : based on regulatory allocation policies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 : for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 : Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 : Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 : Data link layer protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 : Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 : between terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/60 : Planning or developing urban green infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system includes an on-board unit (OBU) in communication with an internal subsystem in a vehicle on at least one Ethernet network and a node on a wireless network. A method in one embodiment includes receiving a message on the Ethernet network in the vehicle, encapsulating the message to facilitate translation to Ethernet protocol if the message is not in Ethernet protocol, and transmitting the message in Ethernet protocol to its destination. Certain embodiments include optimizing data transmission over the wireless network using redundancy caches, dictionaries, object contexts databases, speech templates and protocol header templates, and cross layer optimization of data flow from a receiver to a sender over a TCP connection. Certain embodiments also include dynamically identifying and selecting an operating frequency with least interference for data transmission over the wireless network.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an internal subsystem in a vehicle comprising a plurality of sensors, actuators and vehicle controllers adapted to control the vehicle; and

an on-board unit (OBU) in communication with the internal subsystem on a first network, and a node on a second network, wherein;

the first network comprises at least one Ethernet network including a first Ethernet switch coupled to the OBU, wherein the first Ethernet switch is adapted to facilitate communication between the plurality of sensors, actuators and vehicle controllers in the internal subsystem, wherein the internal subsystem further comprises a second Ethernet switch coupled to the first Ethernet switch and adapted to facilitate communication in the internal subsystem; and

the second network comprises a wireless network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one vehicle controller in the plurality of sensors, actuators and vehicle controllers includes an electronic control unit (ECU) comprising at least one processing element and at least one logic.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the ECU is coupled to the first Ethernet switch.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least two vehicle controllers in the plurality of sensors, actuators and vehicle controllers include virtualized electronic control units hosted on a single physical device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second Ethernet switch is adapted to facilitate communication with at least one vehicle controller in the plurality of sensors, actuators and vehicle controllers in the internal subsystem.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal subsystem further comprises a plurality of Ethernet switches coupled to the first Ethernet switch and adapted to facilitate communication between the plurality of vehicle controllers.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal subsystem further comprises a gateway device adapted to translate a protocol selected from a group of protocols comprising Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol, Local Interconnect Network (LIN) protocol, FlexRay protocol, MOST protocol to an Ethernet protocol.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the node is an in-vehicle device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the node is a remote node.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a message in a first protocol from a first in-vehicle device on an Ethernet network in a vehicle, wherein the message is received at an Ethernet switch in the Ethernet network, wherein the message comprises destination information;

identifying, at the Ethernet switch, a second in-vehicle device on the Ethernet network corresponding to the destination information;

determining if the first protocol corresponds to Ethernet protocol;

if the first protocol does not correspond to Ethernet protocol, encapsulating the message to facilitate translation from the first protocol to Ethernet protocol at the Ethernet switch; and

transmitting the message in Ethernet protocol to the second in-vehicle device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first protocol is selected from a group comprising CAN, LIN, FlexRay, Ethernet and MOST.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first in-vehicle device comprises a sensor in an internal subsystem, wherein the internal subsystem comprises a plurality of sensors, actuators and vehicle controllers for controlling the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the destination information corresponds to a first electronic control unit (ECU) comprising at least one processing element and at least one processing logic, wherein the first ECU is operable to perform at least one function.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining if the first ECU can perform the at least one function;

if the first ECU cannot perform the at least one function, identifying a second ECU on the Ethernet network, wherein the second ECU comprises at least one processing element and at least one processing logic, wherein the second ECU can substantially perform the at least one function of the first ECU; and

assigning the second ECU as the second in-vehicle device corresponding to the destination information, wherein the first ECU and second ECU are virtualized to perform the at least one function.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

identifying a second ECU on the Ethernet network, wherein the second ECU comprises at least one processing element and at least one processing logic, wherein the second ECU can substantially perform the at least one function of the first ECU; and

sending at least one data packet in the message to the first ECU and at least one other data packet in the message to the second ECU.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying an Ethernet switch on the Ethernet network with a first link to a third in-vehicle device; and

transmitting the message to the second in-vehicle device through a second link from the Ethernet switch, wherein the first and second links are virtualized.

17. An Ethernet switch inside a vehicle comprising:

a memory element configured to store data;

a routing processor operable to route data packets according to suitable Ethernet routing protocols; and

a computing processor operable to execute instructions associated with the data, wherein the routing processor, computing processor and the memory element cooperate such that the Ethernet switch is configured for;

receiving a message in a first protocol from a first in-vehicle device on an Ethernet network in the vehicle, wherein the message comprises destination information;

identifying a second in-vehicle device on the Ethernet network corresponding to the destination information;

determining if the first protocol corresponds to Ethernet protocol;

if the first protocol does not correspond to Ethernet protocol, encapsulating the message to facilitate translation from the first protocol to Ethernet protocol; and

transmitting the message in Ethernet protocol to the second in-vehicle device.

18. Logic encoded in non-transitory media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor is operable to perform operations comprising:

receiving a message in a first protocol from a first in-vehicle device on an Ethernet network in a vehicle, wherein the message comprises destination information, wherein the message is received at an Ethernet switch in the Ethernet network;

identifying, at the Ethernet switch, a second in-vehicle device on the Ethernet network corresponding to the destination information;

determining if the first protocol corresponds to Ethernet protocol;

if the first protocol does not correspond to Ethernet protocol, encapsulating the message to facilitate translation from the first protocol to Ethernet protocol at the Ethernet switch; and

transmitting the message in Ethernet protocol to the second in-vehicle device.