Distributed network management system and method for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10120715-B2
Application number	US-201514965883-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2015
Priority date	Dec 10, 2015
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A distributed network management method for a vehicle is provided. The distributed network management method includes a first step, a second step, a third step and a fourth step. The first step is for preforming a re-configuring action and a pre-defining action to a plurality of network messages transmitted through a plurality of nodes. The second step is for defining a leading node form the nodes. The third step is for detecting a failed node from the nodes. The fourth step is for defining at least one idle node by the leading node according to a task load of each of the nodes, thereby assigning a task of the failed node to the idle node.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A distributed network management system for a vehicle, the distributed network management system being disposed on a plurality of electronic control units that are inter-connected by a distributed network, wherein each of the electronic control units is selectable as a leading node or an idle node in the distributed network, the distributed network management system comprising:
a plurality of data configuration modules, wherein each of the data configuration modules is disposed on each of the electronic control units, and each of the data configuration modules is configured for performing a re-configuring action to a plurality of network messages;
a plurality of data definition modules, wherein each of the data definition modules is disposed on each of the electronic control units and is connected to each of the data configuration modules, and each of the data definition modules is configured for performing a pre-defining action corresponding to the network messages;
a plurality of distributed node status broadcast modules, wherein each of the distributed node status broadcast modules is disposed on each of the electronic control units, and each of the distributed node status broadcast module is configured for selecting one of the electronic control units to perform a task assigning action;
a plurality of task transformation modules, wherein each of the task transformation modules is disposed on each of the electronic control units, and each of the task transformation modules is configured for selecting one of the electronic control units to perform a task transferring action;
a plurality of task overload modules, wherein each of the task overload modules is disposed on each of the electronic control units, and each of the task overload modules is configured for selecting one of the electronic control units to perform a task overloading action; and
a plurality of task load balance modules, wherein each of the task load balance modules is disposed on each of the electronic control units, and each of the task overload modules is configured for selecting one of the electronic control units to perform a task load balancing action;
wherein the electronic control unit selected as the leading node performs the task assigning action to order the other of the electronic control units through one of the distributed node status broadcast modules; when one of the electronic control units is failed and cannot perform any tasks, the electronic control unit selected as the leading node performs the task transferring action, the task overloading action and the task balancing action to order the the electronic control unit selected as the idle node to perform the tasks of the failed electronic control unit through the task transformation modules, the task overload modules and the task balance modules of the electronic control unit selected as the leading node.

2. The distributed network management system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic control units are communicated with each other through a Token Passing network protocol.

3. The distributed network management system of claim 1 , wherein the re-configuring action of each of the data configuration modules is to define a source and a target of each of the network messages.

4. The distributed network management system of claim 1 , wherein the data pre-defining action of each of the data definition modules is to define a type and a message ID of each of the network messages.

5. The distributed network management system of claim 1 , wherein the distributed network management system comprises a sensing end and a processing end, some electronic control units are disposed on the sensing end for executing order data of the network messages and receiving sensing data of the network messages; other electronic control units are disposed on the processing end for processing the sensing data and outputting the order data.

6. A distributed network management system for a vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of electronic control units, wherein the electronic control units are inter-connected by a distributed network;
a portable electronic control unit detachably connected to the electronic control units by the distributed network;
a plurality of data configuration modules, wherein each of the data configuration modules is disposed on each of the electronic control units and the portable electronic control unit, and each of the data configuration modules is configured for performing a re-configuring action to a plurality of network messages;
a plurality of data definition modules, wherein each of the data definition modules is disposed on each of the electronic control units and the portable electronic control unit and is connected to each of the data configuration modules, and each of the data definition modules is configured for performing a pre-defining action corresponding to the network messages;
a plurality of distributed node status broadcast modules, wherein each of the distributed node status broadcast modules is disposed on each of the electronic control units and the portable electronic control unit, and each of the distributed node status broadcast module is configured for enabling the portable electronic control unit to perform a task assigning action;
a plurality of task transformation modules, wherein each of the task transformation modules is disposed on each of the electronic control units and the portable electronic control unit, and the portable electronic control unit performs a task transferring action through one of the electronic control units;
a plurality of task overload modules, wherein each of the task overload modules is disposed on each of the electronic control units and the portable electronic control unit, and the portable electronic control unit performs a task overloading action through one of the task overload modules; and
a plurality of task load balance modules, wherein each of the task load balance modules is disposed on each of the electronic control units and the portable electronic control unit, and the portable electronic control unit performs a task load balancing action through one of the task load balance modules;
wherein the portable electronic control unit is selectable as a leading node to perform the task assigning action to order the electronic control units through one of the distributed node status broadcast modules; when one of the electronic control units is failed and cannot perform any tasks, the portable electronic control unit selected as the leading node performs the task transferring action, the task overloading action and the task balancing action to order the electronic control unit selectable as an idle node to execute the tasks of the failed electronic control unit through the task transformation modules, the task overload modules and the task balance modules of the portable electronic control unit selected as the leading node.

7. The distributed network management system of claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of portable electronic control units.

8. The distributed network management system of claim 6 , wherein the portable electronic control unit is a smart phone, a tablet PC or a smart watch.

9. The distributed network management system of claim 6 , wherein the electronic control units and the portable electronic control unit are communicated with each other through a Token Passing network protocol.

10. The distributed network management system of claim 6 , wherein the data re-configuring action of each of the data configuration modules is to define a source and a target of each of the network messages.

11. The distributed network management system of claim 6 , wherein the data pre-def

Assignees

• Automotive Res & Testing Ct

Inventors

• Chang Che-Cheng
• Lee Chao-Yang
• Lu Yi-Chen

Classifications

• H04L67/1034

  Reaction to server failures by a load balancer · CPC title

• H04L67/125

  involving control of end-device applications over a network · CPC title

• H04L41/0654

  using network fault recovery (ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437) · CPC title

• H04L67/10

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title

• H04L67/12

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title