Method for activating a network component of a motor vehicle network system

• US 9,413,549 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2011
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Balbierer, Norbert, Nbauer, Josef, Rath, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Chu, Wutchung
• Application Number:
  US13/580,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20120320793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,995 Days
• Field of Search: 701/32.7, 701/34.4, 370/401, 370389-392, 370/362, 370/256
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40039 Details regarding the setting of the power status of a node according to activity on the bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40045 Details regarding the feeding of energy to the node from the bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/462 LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A method and system for activating at least one temporarily inactive network component of a network system for a vehicle central network device of the network system is connected via signals to the network component by a path inside the network system extending at least partially across a network segment of the network system. The network segment connecting, via signals, the network component and a first activation device associated therewith to a switch device arranged in the path and to a second activation device associated therewith in an unbranched manner. The central network device responds to the first activation device by the switch device by sending a network function control signal.

Claims

1. A method for activating at least one temporarily inactive network component of a network system for a vehicle, comprising:

connecting, for signal communication, a central network device of the network system to the at least one temporarily inactive network component via a path inside the network system, which leads at least partially across a network segment of the network system;

connecting, for signal communication, the at least one temporarily inactive network component and its associated first activation device via the network segment, the first activation device being directly connected in an unbranched configuration to only a switch device and an associated second activation device, wherein the switch device is arranged between the central network device and the at least one temporarily inactive network component;

addressing, by the central network device, the first activation device by the switch device by sending a network function control signal;

activating the at least one temporarily inactive network component by the first activation device in response to the network function control signal; and

sending, by the first activation device subsequent to activation, a further network function control signal to a second activation device that confirms the activation.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

supplying electrical power at least during the activation from the central network device to at least one of the at least one temporarily inactive network component and the first activation device by the switch device via at least one signal line of the network segment.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the electrical power is supplied simultaneously with two-way alternate signal transmission between the first activation device and the second activation device via the at least one signal line.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second activation device brings the switch device into a transmitting/receiving state after receipt of the further network function control signal.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network system is an Ethernet network.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network system has a tree topology formed by the central network device, the switch device, and the at least one temporarily inactive network component.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one temporarily inactive network component and the central network device is at least part of a control device of a vehicle component.

8. A network system of a vehicle, configured to activate at least one temporarily inactive network component, comprising:

a path within the network system, the path leading at least partially across a network segment of the network system;

a switch device;

a central network device connected directly to the at least one temporarily inactive network component for signal communication via the path within the network system;

a first activation device associated with the at least one temporarily inactive network component and directly connected via the network segment for signal communication unbranched to only the switch device and configured to be addressed by the central network device by a network function control signal sent by the switch device; and

a second activation device associated with the switch device,

wherein the switch device is arranged between the central network device and the at least one temporarily inactive network component, and

wherein the first activation device is configured to send a further network function control signal to the second activation device for confirming the activation.

9. The network system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one temporarily inactive network component and its associated first activation device are supplied with electrical power by the central network device by the switch device via at least one signal line of the network segment.

10. The network system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising means for supplying the switch device, the at least one temporarily inactive network component, the first activation device, the second activation device, and the at least one signal line with electrical power supplied simultaneously with two-way alternate signal transmission between the first activation device and the second activation device via the at least one signal line.

11. The network system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the network system is an Ethernet network.

12. The network system as claimed in claim 8, configured as a tree topology formed by the central network device, the switch device and the at least one temporarily inactive network component.

13. The network system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first activation device comprises:

a differential amplifier coupled to the at least one signal line; and

at least one amplifier stage coupled to an output of the differential amplifier and configured to increase a pulse width of an output of the differential amplifier;

wherein the first activation device has a low idle current demand.

14. The network system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first activation device comprises:

a transformer coupled to the at least one signal line;

a bridge rectifier coupled to an output of the transformer;

a filter coupled to an output of the bridge rectifier; and

an amplifier coupled to an output of the filter;

wherein the first activation device has no idle current demand above a drift current.

15. The network system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first activation device comprises:

a MOSFET with a low threshold voltage coupled to the at least one signal line;

a resistor having a voltage drop across it that is induced by communication activity on the at least one signal line; and

an amplifier configured to amplify the voltage drop across the resistor;

wherein the first activation device has no idle current demand above a drift current.