Network management module for a vehicle communication network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016198485-A1
Application number	US-201615070356-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 15, 2016
Priority date	Nov 3, 2010
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A network management module includes a network interface module, memory, and a processing module. The network interface module is operable for coupling the network management module to a vehicle communication network. The processing module is operable to manage a global vehicle network communication protocol that includes instituting a content-based network packet processing protocol and managing the vehicle communication network to support the network packet processing protocol. The content-based network packet processing protocol includes determining content type of a packet, determining a processing requirement of the packet, and prioritizing execution of the processing requirement based on the content type.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A network management module comprises:
a network interface module operable for providing data packet communication with a vehicle communication network; a memory operable to store a processing requirement database that includes mission critical processing requirement information and infotainment processing requirement information; and a processing module operably coupled to the network interface module, wherein the processing module executes a set of instructions stored in memory to manage a vehicle communication network by:
determining content type of a first packet as corresponding to infotainment content;
determining a processing requirement of the first packet based on the infotainment processing requirement information;
determining content type of a second packet as corresponding to mission critical operation content;
determining a processing requirement of the second packet based on the mission critical processing requirement information;
prioritizing execution of the processing requirement of the second packet above the processing requirement of the first packet; and
wherein the second packet is processed in accordance with the mission critical processing requirement information.

2 . The network management module of claim 1 wherein determining the processing requirement of the second packet includes determining whether a mission critical output will be generated in response to mission critical input.

3 . The network management module of claim 2 wherein managing the vehicle communication network further includes:
when the mission critical output will be generated, pre-queuing the mission critical output.

4 . The network management module of claim 1 , wherein managing the vehicle communication network comprises one or more of:
managing resources of a network fabric of the vehicle communication network; managing devices coupled to the network fabric; or managing configuration of the network fabric.

5 . The network management module of claim 1 , wherein the memory is further operable to store a network fabric configuration database that includes at least one of:
predetermined network topologies; resource allocation information; load balancing information; or traffic information.

6 . The network management module of claim 1 , wherein the processing requirement database further includes security information associated with the second packet.

7 . The network management module of claim 1 , wherein the content type of a third packet comprises network data content.

8 . The network management module of claim 7 wherein the processing requirement database further includes network data processing requirement information for association with the third packet.

9 . The network management module of claim 1 , wherein the memory is further operable to store a content-based network packet processing database that includes one or more of:
packet forwarding information; packet routing information; packet filtering information; or packet prioritization information.

10 . The network management module of claim 1 , wherein the memory is further operable to store a resource database that includes at least one of:
link status information; or link performance information.

11 . A method comprises:
storing mission critical processing requirement information and infotainment processing requirement information in a processing requirement database; and managing a vehicle communication network by:
determining content type of a first packet as corresponding to infotainment content;
determining a processing requirement of the first packet based on the infotainment processing requirement information;
determining content type of a second packet as corresponding to mission critical operation content;
determining a processing requirement of the second packet based on the mission critical processing requirement information;
prioritizing execution of the processing requirement of the second packet above the processing requirement of the first packet; and
wherein the second packet is processed in accordance with the mission critical processing requirement information.

12 . A network management module comprises:
a network interface module operable for providing data packet communication with a vehicle communication network; a memory operable to store a processing requirement database that includes mission critical processing requirement information and infotainment processing requirement information; and a processing module operably coupled to the network interface module, wherein the processing module executes a set of instructions stored in memory to manage a network fabric of a vehicle communication network by:
determining content type of a first packet as corresponding to infotainment content;
determining a processing requirement of the first packet based on the infotainment processing requirement information;
determining content type of a second packet as corresponding to mission critical operation content;
determining a processing requirement of the second packet based on the mission critical processing requirement information;
prioritizing execution of the processing requirement of the second packet above the processing requirement of the first packet; and
managing devices coupled to the network fabric to process the second packet in accordance with the mission critical processing requirement information.

13 . The network management module of claim 12 wherein determining the processing requirement of the second packet includes determining whether a mission critical output will be generated in response to mission critical input.

14 . The network management module of claim 13 wherein managing the vehicle communication network further includes:
when the mission critical output will be generated, pre-queuing the mission critical output.

15 . The network management module of claim 12 , wherein the memory is further operable to store a network fabric configuration database that includes at least one of:
predetermined network topologies; resource allocation information; load balancing information; or traffic information.

16 . The network management module of claim 12 , wherein the processing requirement database further includes security information associated with the second packet.

17 . The network management module of claim 12 , wherein the content type of a third packet comprises network data content.

18 . The network management module of claim 17 wherein the processing requirement database further includes network data processing requirement information for association with the third packet.

19 . The network management module of claim 12 , wherein the memory is further operable to store a content-based network packet processing database that includes one or more of:
packet forwarding information; packet routing information; packet filtering information; or packet prioritization information.

20 . The network management module of claim 12 , wherein the memory is further operable to store a resource database that includes at least one of:
link status information; or link performance information.

Assignees

• Broadcom Corp

Inventors

• Yousefi Nariman
• Kim Yongbum
• Walley John
• Chen Sherman Xuemin
• Diab Wael W
• Ilyadis Nicholas

Classifications

• H04W4/44

  for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H] · CPC title

• G07C5/008

  communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C) · CPC title

• G07C5/085

  using electronic data carriers · CPC title

• H04W4/46

  for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V] · CPC title

• H04W72/56

  based on priority criteria · CPC title