Discovery process in a vehicle network

• US 20040258001A1
• Filed: 06/18/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Jordan, Patrick, Remboski, Donald, Levenson, Samuel M., Reinold, Jurgen, Dong, Hai, Johnson, Hugh, Fehr, Walton
• Granted Patent: US 7,570,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks
• 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 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/433 with asynchronous transmission, e.g. token ring, register insertion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40208 characterized by the use of a particular bus standard
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/247 using M:N active or standby paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/34 Source routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/72 using reservation actions during connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/746 Reaction triggered by a failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/803 : Application aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 : QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/908 : Local area network

Abstract

A method of configuring a network within a vehicle, wherein the network includes a plurality of network elements and a plurality of communication links communicatively coupling the plurality of network elements for point-to-point communication, includes storing a last known configuration state of the network. Then, the network is monitored to determine a change in the configuration state of the network to establish a current configuration state. The current configuration state is then point-to-point propagated through the network via the communication links, and is stored at each of the plurality of network elements.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a network within a vehicle, the network including a plurality of network elements and a plurality of communication links communicatively coupling the plurality of network elements for point-to-point communication, the method comprising:

storing a last known configuration state of the network;

determining a change in the configuration state of the network to establish a current configuration state;

point-to-point propagating the current configuration state through the network via the communication links; and

storing the current configuration state at each of the plurality of network elements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of storing the last known configuration state and the current configuration state comprise storing a neighbor table and routing table at each of the network elements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a change in the configuration state of the network to establish a current configuration state comprises sending a message from each network element on each communication port of the network element having a communication link coupled thereto.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the message comprises a neighbor table.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the message comprises a changed neighbor table.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a change in the configuration state of the network to establish a current configuration state comprises listening at a network element of the plurality of network elements for a message on each communication port of the network element coupled to the network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the message comprises a neighbor table for at least one other network element of the plurality of network elements, and the step of determining a change in the configuration state of the network to establish a current configuration state comprises comparing the neighbor table to a previously stored neighbor table.

8. A vehicle comprising:

a plurality of network elements and a plurality of communication links communicatively coupling the plurality of network elements for point-to-point communication;

means for storing a last known configuration state of the network;

means for determining a change in the configuration state of the network to establish a current configuration state;

means for point-to-point propagating the current configuration state through the network via the communication links; and

means for storing the current configuration state at each of the plurality of network elements.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the means for storing the last known configuration state and the current configuration state comprise means for storing a neighbor table and routing table at each of the network elements.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the means for determining a change in the configuration state of the network to establish a current configuration state comprises means for sending a message from each network element on each communication port of the network element having a communication link coupled thereto.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the message comprises a neighbor table.

12. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the message comprises a changed neighbor table.

13. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein means for determining a change in the configuration state of the network to establish a current configuration state comprises means for listening at a network element of the plurality of network elements for a message on each communication port of the network element coupled to the network.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the message comprises a neighbor table for at least one other network element of the plurality of network elements, and the means for determining a change in the configuration state of the network to establish a current configuration state comprises means for comparing the neighbor table to a previously stored neighbor table.

15. A vehicle comprising:

a plurality of network elements and a plurality of communication links communicatively coupling the plurality of network elements for point-to-point communication;

a controller including a memory, the network elements being responsive to the operation of the controller;

a first software program stored in the memory for directing operation of the controller such that each of the network elements stores a last known configuration state of the network;

a second software program stored in the memory for directing operation of the controller such that each of the network elements determines a change in the configuration state of the network to establish a current configuration state;

a third software program stored in the memory for directing the operation of the controller such that each of the network elements point-to-point propagates the current configuration state through the network via the communication links; and

a fourth software program stored in the memory for directing the operation of the controller such that each of the network elements stores the current configuration state at each of the plurality of network elements.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein each of the last known configuration state and the current configuration state comprise a neighbor table and routing table stored at each of the network elements.

17. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the second software program comprises a software routing for causing each network element to send a message on each communication port of the network element having a communication link coupled thereto.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the message comprises a neighbor table.

19. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the message comprises a changed neighbor table.

20. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein second software program comprises a software routine for listening at each network element of the plurality of network elements for a message on each communication port of the network element coupled to the network.

21. The vehicle of claim 20, wherein the message comprises a neighbor table for at least one other network element of the plurality of network elements, and the software routine causes each network element to compare the neighbor table to a previously stored neighbor table.

22. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the controller comprises a control entity disposed in at least one of the plurality of network elements.

23. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the controller comprises controller entities disposed in a portion of the plurality of network elements.