System, method and computer program product for sharing information in a distributed framework

• US 8,209,705 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2008
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stragent, LLC (Oso IP, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Stragent, LLC (Oso IP, LLC)
• Inventors: Fuchs, Axel, Andrews, Scott Sturges
• Primary Examiner(s): Anya, Charles E
• Application Number:
  US12/182,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20080288954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 718/104, 719/313
• US Class Current: 719/313
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/547 Messaging middleware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/545 where tasks reside in different layers, e.g. user- and kernel-space
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/102 Gateways arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product are provided for sharing information in a distributed system. After information is received, it is stored on a bulletin board. In use, the information is shared, in real-time, among a plurality of heterogeneous processes.

Claims

1. A method for sharing information, the method comprising:

allowing receipt of information associated with a message, utilizing a first network protocol associated with a first network;

causing a determination as to whether a storage resource is available;

in the event the storage resource is not available, determining whether a timeout has been reached and causing a re-request in connection with the storage resource if the timeout has not been reached;

in the event the timeout has been reached, causing an error notification to be sent;

in the event the storage resource is available, causing storage of the information utilizing the storage resource; and

causing the information to be shared by;

in real-time, sharing the information utilizing at least one message format corresponding to a second network protocol associated with a second network which is different from the first network protocol;

wherein the method is associated with an electronic control unit with at least one gateway function, and a plurality of interface portions including;

a first interface portion for interfacing with the first network, the first interface portion including a first interface-related first layer part for receiving first interface-related first layer messages and a first interface-related second layer part, the first interface-related first layer messages being processed after which first interface-related second layer messages are provided, where the first network is at least one of a Controller Area Network, a Flexray network, or a Local Interconnect Network; and

a second interface portion for interfacing with the second network, the second interface portion including a second interface-related first layer part for receiving second interface-related first layer messages and a second interface-related second layer part, the second interface-related first layer messages being processed after which second interface-related second layer messages are provided, where the second network is different from the first network and is at least one of the Controller Area Network, the Flexray network, or the Local Interconnect Network.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information is replicated among a plurality of the storage resources.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information is extracted from the message received by a storage resource manager.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information is converted from a signal received by a storage resource manager.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information is shared in a single task.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information is shared according to a schedule.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program product for sharing information, the computer program product comprising:

computer code for allowing receipt of information associated with a message, utilizing a first network protocol associated with a first network;

computer code for causing a determination as to whether a storage resource is available;

computer code for, in the event the storage resource is not available, determining whether a timeout has been reached and causing a re-request in connection with the storage resource;

computer code for, in the event the storage resource is available and the timeout has not been reached, causing storage of the information utilizing the storage resource;

computer code for, in the event the timeout has been reached, causing an error notification to be sent; and

computer code for causing the information to be shared by;

in real-time, sharing the information utilizing at least one message format corresponding to a second network protocol associated with a second network which is different from the first network protocol;

wherein the computer program product is associated with an electronic control unit with at least one gateway function, and a plurality of interface portions including;

a first interface portion for interfacing with the first network, the first interface portion including a first interface-related first layer part for receiving first interface-related first layer messages and a first interface-related second layer part, the first interface-related first layer messages being processed after which first interface-related second layer messages are provided, where the first network is at least one of a Controller Area Network, a Flexray network, or a Local Interconnect Network; and

a second interface portion for interfacing with the second network, the second interface portion including a second interface-related first layer part for receiving second interface-related first layer messages and a second interface-related second layer part, the second interface-related first layer messages being processed after which second interface-related second layer messages are provided, where the second network is different from the first network and is at least one of the Controller Area Network, the Flexray network, or the Local Interconnect Network.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the storage resource includes a bulletin board.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the first interface-related second layer part carries out the processing of the first interface-related first layer messages.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that at least one of the different processes process the information in a manner that is isolated from temporal characteristics associated with at least one of a plurality of heterogeneous networks.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the information is shared with an operating system.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that objects are generated based on a change of state of the information stored on the storage resource.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the objects include at least one of flags, events, signals, and interrupts.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the real-time involves a response time that is measured in milliseconds.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the real-time involves a response time that is measured in microseconds.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the real-time involves a response time that is less than 1 second.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the computer program product is part of an apparatus including a plurality of layers including at least two of an application layer, a middleware layer, a real-time operating system layer, a device driver layer, and a hardware abstraction layer.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that multiple modes of operation are enabled, wherein at least one of the modes includes a diagnostic mode.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the computer program product is operable such that at least a portion of the message is processed at each of a plurality of layers.

20. A system for sharing information, the system comprising:

processor and memory, the memory storing;

logic for allowing receipt of information associated with a message, utilizing a first network protocol associated with a first network;

logic for causing a determination as to whether a storage resource is available;

logic for, in the event the storage resource is not available, determining whether a timeout has been reached and causing a re-request in connection with the storage resource;

logic for, in the event the storage resource is available and the timeout has not been reached, causing storage of the information utilizing the storage resource;

logic for, in the event the timeout has been reached, causing an error notification to be sent; and

logic for causing the information to be shared by;

in real-time, sharing the information utilizing at least one message format corresponding to a second network protocol associated with a second network which is different from the first network protocol;

wherein the system is associated with an electronic control unit with at least one gateway function, and a plurality of interface portions including;

a first interface portion for interfacing with the first network, the first interface portion including a first interface-related first layer part for receiving first interface-related first layer messages and a first interface-related second layer part, the first interface-related first layer messages being processed after which first interface-related second layer messages are provided, where the first network is at least one of a Controller Area Network, a Flexray network, or a Local Interconnect Network; and

a second interface portion for interfacing with the second network, the second interface portion including a second interface-related first layer part for receiving second interface-related first layer messages and a second interface-related second layer part, the second interface-related first layer messages being processed after which second interface-related second layer messages are provided, where the second network is different from the first network and is at least one of the Controller Area Network, the Flexray network, or the Local Interconnect Network.