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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.

Inventors: Donald Remboski, Jurgen Reinold, Patrick Jordan, Walton Fehr, Samuel M. Levenson, Hai Dong, Hugh Johnson
Current U.S. Classification: 370/254
International Classification: H04L012/28

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Referenced by

Citing PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US7593344Dec 17, 2004Sep 22, 2009Temic Automotive of North America, Inc.System and method for reprogramming nodes in an automotive switch fabric network
US7593429Dec 17, 2004Sep 22, 2009Temic Automotive of North America, Inc.System and method for time synchronizing nodes in an automotive network using input capture
US7599377Dec 17, 2004Oct 6, 2009Temic Automotive of North America, Inc.System and method for tunneling standard bus protocol messages through an automotive switch fabric network
US7599772Jun 10, 2004Oct 6, 2009Temic Automotive of North America, Inc.Automotive switch fabric with improved resource reservation
US7613190Dec 17, 2004Nov 3, 2009Temic Automotive of North America, Inc.System and method for streaming sequential data through an automotive switch fabric
US7623552Dec 17, 2004Nov 24, 2009Temic Automotive of North America, Inc.System and method for time synchronizing nodes in an automotive network using input capture
US7733841May 10, 2005Jun 8, 2010Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.Vehicle network with time slotted access and method

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.

Drawings