Method and system for integrating and controlling components and subsystems

• US 7,681,201 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lectronix
• Original Assignee: Lectronix
• Inventors: Bayerl, Thomas, Mahaney, Craig, Dale, Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao; Diem K
• Application Number:
  US11/834,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20080034379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/2, 701/29, 701/200, 717100-161, 719311-320, 719/313, 709/227, 709/238
• US Class Current: 719/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/545 where tasks reside in different layers, e.g. user- and kernel-space

Abstract

A method and system for integrating and controlling a hardware device having one or more embedded systems including one or more hardware components configurable for use with the hardware device and one or more operating systems for use with the one or more hardware components. A control module configurable for use with the one or more hardware components and one or more operating systems accesses and controls the one or more hardware components with the hardware device. The control module generates and displays access and control commands on the hardware device to allow user to operate and manage the embedded system.

Claims

1. A method for use within a vehicle to control a vehicle infotainment server according to user inputs received through each of a first user interface client, a second user interface client, and a voice recognition client, the method comprising:

establishing two-socket, client-server connections between the server and each client, each two-socket connection establishing separate first and second, duplex communication channels sufficient to support message communications between the server and each client;

communicating commands from each client receiving user inputs to the server, the commands reflecting the user inputs and being communicated only over the associated first socket of the clients;

intercepting each of the commands with an abstraction layer, the abstraction layer being configured to convert the commands to at least one of a first protocol and a second protocol depending on whether an operating system is one of a first type and a second type, the abstraction layer supporting commands independently of the operating system such that the operating system can be changed between at least the first and second type without requiring corresponding changes in the commands;

communicating acknowledgements from the server to each client that communicates the commands, the server communicating only one acknowledgement for each command, the server only communicating the acknowledgement over the associated first socket of the clients and after the command has been accepted by the server for further processing;

blocking each of the command communicating clients from communicating further commands to the server and from executing additional operations dependent on a response of the server to the command until that client receives the acknowledgement from the server; and

communicating the response of the server to each command over only the second socket connection of the client that communicated the command, the communication of the response over the second socket freeing the first socket for use by the client in communicating a subsequent command prior to receipt of the response;

wherein the blocking further comprising the abstraction layer issuing blocking instructions to each of the clients that transmit commands, the blocking instructions preventing the receiving clients from executing additional operations dependent on the response of the server to the command until that client receives the acknowledgement from the server.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising each client transmitting the command re-transmitting the command if the server fails to send that client the acknowledgement within a predefined period of time.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the server, for at least one of the responses, instructing a device driver to execute an operation specific to the response.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the operation specific to the response includes instructing the device driver of a radio to tune from a first frequency to a second frequency.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising each of the clients that transmitted the command resulting in tuning of the radio from the first frequency to the second frequency, the server, and the device driver independently communicating calls to the operating system to request resources necessary to executing the associated commands.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising an operating system used to control operations of the server and the clients issuing blocking instructions to each of the clients that transmit commands, the blocking instructions preventing the receiving clients from executing additional operations dependent on the response of the server to the command until that client receives the acknowledgement from the server.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating an update from the server for each response, the update being communicated to each of the clients except for the client that necessitated the response, the update informing the clients with respect to the response and only being communicated over the second socket connection of each client.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising each client receiving responses communicating a related acknowledgment over the same second socket connection used to communicate the response.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the acknowledgements indicating receipt of the corresponding command and not that the command was successfully processed by the server.

10. A method for use within a vehicle wherein a server issues instructions to devices drivers of a number of vehicle subsystems in order to control the subsystems to perform specific vehicle operations, the method comprising:

associating each vehicle subsystem with a server, each server logically executing processes related to operations to be performed by the associated vehicle subsystem and issuing instructions that are used by the associated driver to implement the operations;

associating the servers with one or more clients, each client having a user interface through which user inputs used to control one or more of the vehicle subsystems are communicated;

establishing a communication channel between each client and the server associated with the vehicle subsystem that is to be controlled by that client, wherein the establishing comprising establishing two-socket, client-server connections between each server and client, each two-socket connection establishing separate first and second sockets sufficient to support message communications therebetween;

communicating commands from each client receiving user inputs to the associated servers over the established communication channel, the commands reflecting operations of the vehicle subsystems to be performed according particulars of the user inputs;

communicating acknowledgements from the servers to each client that communicated the commands, each server communicating only one acknowledgement per command;

blocking each of the command communicating clients from communicating further commands to the same server and from executing additional operations dependent on a response of the server to the communicated command until that client receives the acknowledgement from the server;

allocating resources to each of the servers, clients, and device drivers necessary to implement the vehicle subsystem operations prompted by the user input according to instructions received from a vehicle operation system, the vehicle operating system allocating the resources as a function of calls received from the servers, clients, and device drivers;

after the calls are issued from the servers, clients, and device drivers, and prior to receipt of the calls by the operating system, processing the calls with an abstraction layer, the abstraction layer being configured to convert the calls according to protocols of the operating system and the servers, clients, and device drivers, the abstraction layer to converting the calls to at least one of a first protocol and a second protocol depending on whether the operating system is one of a first type and a second type; and

limiting transmission of the commands and the acknowledgments to each of the first sockets and transmission of the responses to the second sockets.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the abstraction layer issuing blocking instructions to each of the clients that transmits commands, the blocking instructions preventing the command communicating clients from communicating further commands to the same server and from executing additional operations dependent on a response of the server to the communicated command until that client receives the acknowledgement from the server.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising each commanded server issuing a response to the commanding client upon corresponding implementation of the vehicle subsystem operation prompted by the associated user input.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising each commanded server issuing an update to each of the non-commanding clients in communication therewith, the updates indicating a change in status of the device driver used to implement the vehicle subsystem operation.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising each commanded server issuing the response only after the operating system allocates the resources necessary to implement the vehicle subsystem operation and after communicating the associated acknowledgement.