SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RESTRICTING ACCESS TO VEHICLE SOFTWARE SYSTEMS

• US 20100312433A1
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MicroPairing Technologies LLC (Micropairing Technologies Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Medius Inc
• Inventors: Preston, Dan Alan, Lutter, Robert Pierce
• Granted Patent: US 8,583,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2035 without idle spare hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2046 where the redundant components share persistent storage G06F11/2043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• 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 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0809 Plug-and-play configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• 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 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols

Abstract

A multiprocessor system used in a car, home, or office environment includes multiple processors that run different real-time applications. A dynamic configuration system runs on the multiple processors and includes a device manager, configuration manager, and data manager. The device manager automatically detects and adds new devices to the multiprocessor system, and the configuration manager automatically reconfigures which processors run the real-time applications. The data manager identifies the type of data generated by the new devices and identifies which devices in the multiprocessor system are able to process the data.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A system of multiple processors used in a vehicle, wherein one of the processors is configured to allow access to vehicle software systems, comprising:

(a) one or more of the multiple on-board processors coupled together through multiple links into a multiprocessor network;

(b) a dynamic configuration system that enables new processors or devices to be automatically added and removed from the car multiprocessor system and automatically reconfigures applications running on different processors according to user inputs, monitored conditions or system processing requirements that includes;

(i.) a device manager that automatically detects and establishes communications with new devices that are to be incorporated into the multiprocessor system and adds new hardware devices to the on-board system of multiple processors,

(ii.) a configuration manager that dynamically moves applications between different processors according to user inputs and monitored conditions in the multiprocessor system, and

(iii.) a data manager that identifies a type of data input or output by a new processor and identifies other processors or devices in the multiprocessor system that can output data to the new device or input data from the new device;

(c) a car interface manager that operates as an application interface to new applications for the vehicle and allows for the development of new software applications for installation and execution on one of the processors in the vehicle multiprocessor system;

(d) a display processor showing new hardware devices detected or added to the system of multiple processors and that further includes a user input system configured to allow the user to direct the operation of multiple processors;

(e) a processor in the multiprocessor system operating the dynamic configuration system configured to;

(i.) use the device manager to operate a transceiver configured to detect and establish communication between at least one processor in the multiprocessor network and at least one new device brought into or next to the vehicle, and selectively connect the new device to the multiprocessor network,

(ii.) use the data manager to identify a particular type of data used in the new device and processed with a first software application controlled and operated by the new device,

(iii) use the car interface manager to identify and allow basic processing and data transfer commands needed to transfer data and messages between vehicle applications and new software applications, and prevent an unauthorized device or unauthorized application from accessing different car applications,

(iv) use the configuration manager to identify a second software application from among multiple different software applications located in a memory in the multiprocessor network, wherein the second software application is currently not loaded in or operated by any of the on-board processors, and the second software application is also configured to process the same particular type of data processed by the first software application controlled and operated by the new device,

(v.) use the configuration manager to select a particular one of the on-board processors for operating the second software application selected from the memory and automatically move the second software application from the memory in the multiprocessor network to the particular one of the on-board processors selected by the configuration manager;

(vi.) use the configuration manager to configure the particular one of the on-board processors to run the second software application moved from the memory, wherein running the second software application causes the particular one of the on-board processors to take over control and operation of the new device, and

(vii.) initiate transfer of the data from the new device to the particular one of the on-board processors and initiate processing of the particular type of data received from the new device with the second software application running on the particular one of the on-board processors.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein:

one of the detected new devices is a data source that generates streaming audio or video data; and

the software application is configured to output the streaming audio data to an in-vehicle speaker or output the video data to display.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the multiprocessor network is configured to:

detect a first and second one of the new devices that generate streaming audio data;

disconnect the streaming audio data generated from the first one of the detected new devices currently connected to the speakers; and

connect streaming audio data generating from the second one of the detected new devices to the speakers according to the inputs received from a display coupled to the multiprocessor network.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein one of the detected new devices has an integrated display screen.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein at least a portion of content displayed on the display screen of one of the detected new devices is communicated to a display processor in the multiprocessor network for display and generation of information on a display processor display.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein one of the detected new devices includes a data storage device selected from the group of a hard disk drive, solid state device, or compact disk.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein one of the detected new devices is a wired or wireless audio output device.

9. The system of claim 2 wherein one of the detected new devices includes wireless speakers or wireless headphones.

10. The system of claim 2 wherein a data storage coupled to the multiprocessor network includes a readable and writeable data storage media selected from the group of solid state device, hard disk drive, or compact disk.

11. The system of claim 2 wherein a display processor in the multiprocessor network is coupled to an internal car radio system.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the car radio system receives signals from multiple RF transmitters.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the car radio system is wired to internal vehicle speakers.

14. The system of claim 2 wherein one of the detected new devices runs a global positioning system application.

15. The system of claim 2 including an external memory, and wherein one of the multiple on-board processors is configured to:

detect a data source when the new device is connected to one of the multiple on-board processors;

identify the detected data source; and

communicate the identity of the detected data source to a display processor in the multiprocessor network for indication on the display.

16. The system of claim 2 wherein a display in the multiprocessor network includes a user interface that includes a touch screen.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the user interface initiates control operations carried out by one or more of the on-board processors in the multiprocessor network.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the user interface generates feedback to a user of the vehicle, which feedback is derived from information displayed on the display.

19. The system of claim 2 wherein the car interface manager restricts the level of access to vehicle systems and data while the software application is being executed on one of the processors in the multiprocessor system.

20. A method for configuring real-time vehicle applications in a distributed multiprocessor system operating in a vehicle, wherein the real-time vehicle applications are managed through a protected application program interface, comprising:

(a) operating a wireless device manager in one of the multiple processors in the multi-processor system, the wireless device manager configured to;

(i) monitor for wireless signals from a new device not currently coupled to the multiprocessor system and moved into the vehicle, wherein the new device runs a first software application that processes a first type of data,

(ii) wirelessly connect the new device to the multiprocessor system;

(b) using a car interface manager to operate as an application interface to the first software application operating on the new device, configured to;

(i.) allow development of the first software application for installation and execution on the new device added to the multiprocessor system,

(ii.) allow basic processing and data transfer commands needed to transfer data and messages between a vehicle application and an authorized first software application, and

(iii.) prevent an unauthorized first application from accessing the vehicle application;

(c) operating a configuration manager to monitor the operation of the different processors in the system and reassign or reconfigure an application to different processors according to what processors and applications have been configured into the system, configured to;

(i) use the data manager to identify data codes in the wireless signals from the new device and use the data codes to identify the first type of data processed by the first software application running on the new device,

(ii) responsive to identifying the data codes from the new device, select a second software application from among the multiple different software applications contained within memory in the multiprocessor system, wherein the second software application is associated with the first type of data processed by the new device and is not currently loaded into the first one of the processors in the multiprocessor system,

(iii) download a copy of the second software application selected from the memory to a particular one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system,

(iv) reconfigure the particular one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system to run the second software application downloaded from the memory and take over control and operation of the new device with the second software application now running on the particular one of the multiple processors, and

(v) process data from the new device with the second software application operating in and controlled by the particular one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system in the vehicle.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the new device is an audio device, and further comprising streaming audio data from the audio device to the other one of the processors.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the new device is a cellular telephone.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the new device is an audio device that includes an integrated display screen.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising a display in the vehicle, and communicating at least a portion of content displayed on the integrated display screen of the new device to the display in the vehicle.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein the new device includes a data storage device selected from the group of a hard disk drive, solid state device, or compact disk, and further comprising wirelessly communicating data from the data storage device to the other one of the processors in the adhoc network.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein the new device is a wireless speaker, and further comprising communicating audio signals from one of the other processors in the adhoc network to the speaker.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the display in the vehicle communicates with a vehicle radio system.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising receiving at the vehicle radio system signals from multiple RF transmitters.

29. The method of claim 20 wherein the new device comprises a global positioning device, and further comprising receiving with the global positioning device data from a satellite network.

30. The method of claim 24 wherein the vehicle includes a plurality of speakers, and further comprising;

(i) displaying at least some of the speakers on the display in the vehicle, and

(ii) operating one of the multiple processors to route audio signals from the detected audio device to selected speakers shown on the display.

31. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

operating the device manager to monitor for wireless signals from at least a second new device not currently coupled to the network;

determining whether the wireless communication interface used by the second new device is compatible with at least one protocol used in the multiprocessor system;

adding the second new device to the multiprocessor system; and

using the second new device in the vehicle.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising operating the first and second new devices to communicate with the adhoc network using Bluetooth signals.