Network management module for a vehicle communication network

• US 8,750,306 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yousefi, Nariman, Kim, Yongbum, Walley, John, Chen, Sherman (Xuemin), Diab, Wael W., Ilyadis, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aung, Sai
• Application Number:
  US13/171,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20120106549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 370452-457, 370/410, 370/503, 370/254, 370/218, 370/386, 370/389, 370/392, 370/395.5, 370/400, 370/908, 701/210, 701/29, 701/33, 701/48, 701/15, 701/152, 709/238, 709/222, 340/902, 340/905, 340/995.13
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/00 Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle with power supply from force of nature, e.g. sun or wind, B60L8/00; for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/03 characterised by material, e.g. composite B60R19/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/76 Arrangements for rearranging, permuting or selecting data according to predetermined rules, independently of the content of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/46 Interconnection of networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/56 Packet switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6275 : based on priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/76 : using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation requested by the user or requested by the network in response to changing network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/821 : Prioritising resource allocation or reservation requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 : Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• 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 69/08 : Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 : Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/102 : characterised by the element, parameter or selection affected or controlled by the adaptive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/08 : Load balancing or load distribution transferring a connection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 : for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 : for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 : Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 : using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 : based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 : Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A network management module includes a network interface module, memory, and a processing module. The network interface module is operable for coupling the network management module to a vehicle communication network. The processing module is operable to manage a global vehicle network communication protocol that includes instituting a content-based network packet processing protocol and managing the vehicle communication network to support the network packet processing protocol. The content-based network packet processing protocol includes determining content type of a packet, determining a processing requirement of the packet, and prioritizing execution of the processing requirement based on the content type.

Claims

1. A network management module comprises:

a network interface module operable for providing data packet communication with a vehicle communication network;

memory operable to store a processing requirement database that includes vehicle operation processing requirement information; and

a processing module operably coupled to the network interface module, wherein the processing module executes a set of instructions stored in the memory to manage a global vehicle network communication protocol that includes;

instituting a content-based network packet processing protocol;

managing the vehicle communication network to support the content-based network packet processing protocol, wherein the content-based network packet processing protocol includes;

determining content type of a packet;

when the content type of the packet corresponds to vehicle operation content;

determining a processing requirement of the packet based on the vehicle operation processing requirement information; and

prioritizing execution of the processing requirement.

2. The network management module of claim 1, the managing the vehicle communication network comprises one or more of:

managing resources of a network fabric of the vehicle communication network;

managing devices coupled to the network fabric; and

managing configuration of the network fabric.

3. The network management module of claim 1, wherein the memory is further operable to store:

a network fabric configuration database that includes one or more of;

predetermined network topologies;

resource allocation information;

load balancing information; and

traffic information;

the processing requirement database further includes one or more of;

mission critical processing requirement information;

infotainment processing requirement information; and

security information;

a content-based network packet processing database that includes one or more of;

packet forwarding information;

packet routing information;

packet filtering information; and

packet prioritization information; and

a resource database that includes one or more of;

link status information; and

link performance information.

4. The network management module of claim 1, wherein the content type further comprises one of:

mission critical content;

network data content;

and

infotainment content.

5. The network management module of claim 1 further comprises:

determining the content type to be mission critical content;

determining the processing requirement of the packet including;

determining mission critical task of the packet;

determining priority of the packet based on the mission critical task; and

determining one or more destinations of the packet.

6. The network management module of claim 1 further comprises:

determining the content type to be network data content;

determining the processing requirement of the packet including;

determining a network task of the packet;

determining whether the network task includes memory access;

when the network task includes the memory access;

facilitating memory access; and

facilitating a memory access response.

7. The network management module of claim 1 further comprises:

determining the content type to be network data content;

determining the processing requirement of the packet including;

determining a network task of the packet; and

determining that the network task includes a network configuration adjustment.

8. The network management module of claim 1 further comprises:

determining content type of the packet to be a mission critical input;

determining the processing requirement of the packet including;

determining whether a mission critical output will be generated in response to the mission critical input;

when the mission critical output will be generated, pre-queuing the mission critical output.

9. The network management module of claim 1, wherein the global vehicle network communication protocol comprises at least one of:

information regarding a network fabric formatting of the packets;

information regarding packet transmission prioritization schemes;

information regarding network management processing; and

information regarding vehicle network operation parameters.

10. A network management module comprises:

a network interface module operable for providing data packet communication with a vehicle communication network;

memory; and

a processing module operably coupled to the network interface module, wherein the processing module executes a set of instructions stored in the memory to;

manage packet routing within the vehicle communication network based on a content-based priority scheme and a configuration of the network fabric, wherein the content-based priority scheme comprises a priority ordering for vehicle operation content packets;

select the configuration of the network fabric from one of a plurality of predetermined configurations of the network fabric based on vehicle communication network information; and

manage the vehicle communication network information.

11. The network management module of claim 10, wherein the content-based priority scheme further comprises:

a priority ordering for mission critical content packets, network data content packets, and infotainment content packets.

12. The network management module of claim 11, wherein the content-based priority scheme further comprises:

a first sub-content type priority ordering for the mission critical content packets;

a second sub-content type priority ordering for the network data content packets;

a third sub-content type priority ordering for the vehicle operation content packets; and

a fourth sub-content type priority ordering for the infotainment content packets.

13. The network management module of claim 10, wherein the vehicle communication network information comprises one or more of:

network resources;

vehicle devices;

routing options within the network fabric between a packet source and a packet destination;

network fabric configuration information;

processing requirement information; and

content-based network packet processing information.

14. The network management module of claim 13, wherein the memory is operable to store:

a network fabric configuration database operable to store the network fabric information that includes one or more of;

predetermined network topologies;

resource allocation information;

load balancing information; and

traffic information;

a processing requirement database operable to store the processing requirement information that includes one or more of;

mission critical processing requirement information;

vehicle operation processing requirement information;

infotainment processing requirement information; and

security information;

a content-based network packet processing database operable to store the content-based network processing information that includes one or more of;

packet forwarding information;

packet routing information;

packet filtering information; and

packet prioritization information; and

a resource database operable to store information regarding the network resources and information regarding the vehicle devices, wherein the information regarding the network resources includes one or more of;

identity, link status information, and link performance information and wherein the information regarding the vehicle devices includes identity and use mode.

15. The network management module of claim 10, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

perform a spanning tree function to produce the plurality of predetermined configurations.

16. A network management module comprises:

a network interface module operable for providing data packet communication with a vehicle communication network;

memory; and

a processing module operably coupled to the network interface module, wherein the processing module executes a set of instructions stored in the memory to;

manage packet routing within the vehicle communication network based on a content-based priority scheme and a configuration of the network fabric wherein the content-based priority scheme includes;

a first sub-content type priority ordering for mission critical content packets;

a second sub-content type priority ordering for network data content packets;

a third sub-content type priority ordering for vehicle operation content packets;

and

a fourth sub-content type priority ordering for infotainment content packets;

select the configuration of the network fabric from one of a plurality of predetermined configurations of the network fabric based on vehicle communication network information; and

manage the vehicle communication network information.

17. The network management module of claim 16, wherein the vehicle communication network information comprises one or more of:

network resources;

vehicle devices;

routing options within the network fabric between a packet source and a packet destination;

network fabric configuration information;

processing requirement information; and

content-based network packet processing information.

18. The network management module of claim 17, wherein the memory is operable to store:

a network fabric configuration database operable to store the network fabric information that includes one or more of;

predetermined network topologies;

resource allocation information;

load balancing information; and

traffic information;

a processing requirement database operable to store the processing requirement information that includes one or more of;

mission critical processing requirement information;

vehicle operation processing requirement information;

infotainment processing requirement information; and

security information;

a content-based network packet processing database operable to store the content-based network processing information that includes one or more of;

packet forwarding information;

packet routing information;

packet filtering information; and

packet prioritization information; and

a resource database operable to store information regarding the network resources and information regarding the vehicle devices, wherein the information regarding the network resources includes one or more of;

identity, link status information, and link performance information and wherein the information regarding the vehicle devices includes identity and use mode.

19. The network management module of claim 16, wherein the processing module is further operable to:

perform a spanning tree function to produce the plurality of predetermined configurations.