Switch unit, ethernet network, and method for activating components in an ethernet network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10243887-B2
Application number	US-201715437652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2017
Priority date	Aug 19, 2014
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A switch unit for an Ethernet network having a switch and a microprocessor, the switch including at least three ports, which are connected to inputs and outputs of the switch unit, a signal detector and generator for detecting and initiating a bus activity being arranged in each case between the ports and the inputs and outputs of the switch unit. For each input and output an allocation rule to the other inputs and outputs of the switch unit is stored in a memory, the switch unit being designed such that when a bus activity is detected at a signal detector and generator, the assigned inputs and outputs of this input and output are read out from the memory and the associated signal detectors and generators are woken up so that they generate a bus activity at their inputs and outputs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A switch unit for an Ethernet network, the switch unit comprising:
a switch having at least three ports that are connected to inputs and outputs of the switch unit;
a microprocessor;
a signal detector and generator that is adapted to detect and initiate a bus activity and that is arranged between the at least three ports and the inputs and outputs of the switch unit; and
a memory,
wherein, for each input and output, an allocation rule to the other inputs and outputs of the switch unit is stored in the memory,
wherein the switch unit is configured such that, when a bus activity is detected at the signal detector and generator, assigned inputs and outputs of an input and output of the signal detector and generator are read out from the memory so that the signal detector and generator generates a bus activity at the assigned inputs and outputs.

2. The switch unit according to claim 1 , wherein the memory is configured by the microprocessor.

3. The switch unit according to claim 1 , wherein the signal detector and generator and the memory are continuously supplied with voltage.

4. The switch unit according to claim 1 , wherein a second switch is assigned to the switch and the microprocessor, which is adapted such that it is switched at least as a function of the signals at the signal detector and generator.

5. An Ethernet network comprising at least one switch unit that is connected to control units and/or additional switch units, the at least one switch unit comprising:
a switch having a microprocessor, the switch having at least three ports that are connected to inputs and outputs of the at least one switch unit;
a signal detector and generator adapted to detect and initiate a bus activity, the signal detector and generator being arranged between the at least three ports and the inputs and outputs of the at least one switch unit; and
a memory, wherein, for each input and output, an allocation rule to the other inputs and outputs of the at least one switch unit is stored in the memory,
wherein the at least one switch unit is configured such that, when a bus activity is detected at the signal detector and generator, assigned inputs and outputs of an input and output of the signal detector and generator are read out from the memory so that the signal detector and generator generates a bus activity at the assigned inputs and outputs.

6. The Ethernet network according to claim 5 , wherein all switch units of the Ethernet network comprise at least one memory in which the allocation rule is stored.

7. The Ethernet network according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one switch unit is configured such that all control units and/or switch units connected to the at least one switch unit are woken up in one operating mode.

8. The Ethernet network according to claim 5 , wherein all switch units are configured such that a step-by-step wakeup operation is carried out in another operating mode.

9. A method for activating a component in the Ethernet network according to claim 5 , the method comprising:
detecting a bus activity of a control unit setting up a data connection in the at least one switch unit, the bus activity of the control unit being detected in the at least one switch unit via the signal detector and generator; and
generating a bus activity at the assigned inputs and outputs so that the control units and/or switch units connected thereto are woken up.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the microprocessor is started up in parallel to a wakeup operation.

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Krieger Olaf
• Claus Lothar
• Hoffmann Christoph

Classifications

• H04L49/351 Primary

  for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches · CPC title

• H04L49/253

  using establishment or release of connections between ports · CPC title

• H04L12/4625

  Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge · CPC title

• H04L12/12 Primary

  Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof · CPC title

• G06F13/14

  Handling requests for interconnection or transfer · CPC title