Data conversion system and method for converting data that is distributed in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9229963-B2
Application number	US-201313932255-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2013
Priority date	Jun 13, 2011
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

A data conversion system for a vehicle includes an interface gateway device that is configured to be communicatively coupled with a data acquisition module and a client module. The data acquisition module obtains a value of a data parameter related to operation of the vehicle and communicates the value to the interface gateway device in a first message provided in a first format. The interface gateway device is configured to convert the first format of the first message into a different, second format to form a second message and to communicate the second message to the client module. The client module uses the second message to perform a function for the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data conversion system for a vehicle, the system comprising:
an interface gateway device configured to be communicatively coupled with a data acquisition module and a client module, the data acquisition module configured to obtain a value of a data parameter related to operation of the vehicle and to communicate the value to the interface gateway device in a first message provided in a closed format, the closed format having rules of syntax that are not publicly available;
wherein the interface gateway device is configured to determine that the first message is provided in the closed format by extracting one or more set of bits of the first message and comparing the one or more sets of bits to different identification sets of bits that are associated with different formats of message, the interface gateway device being further configured to convert the closed format of the first message into an open format to form a second message, the open format having rules of syntax that are publicly available, the interface gateway device further configured to communicate the second message to the client module for the client module to use the second message to perform a function for the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the client module uses the open format and is unable to read the first message that is provided in the closed format, and wherein the interface gateway device is configured to convert the first message to the second message provided in the open format so that the client module is able to read and use the value of the data parameter included in the second message to control the at least one of tractive effort or braking effort provided by the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interface gateway device is configured to convert the closed format of the first message into the open format of the second message by at least one of applying a multiplier or divisor to the value in the first message, applying a bias to the value in the first message, converting a first data parameter identification in the first message into a different, second data parameter identification, moving a decimal point in the value of the first message, or extracting a subset of data included in the first message.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interface gateway device is configured to download conversion information from at least one of an on-board source of the vehicle or an off-board source, the conversion information configured to be used to convert the closed format of the first message into the open format of the second message.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the client module, wherein the client module is a first client module and is configured to publish the value of the data parameter for communication of the value to one or more second client modules for use by the one or more second client modules in performing the function for the vehicle or another function, the one or more second client modules configured to communicate indirectly with the interface gateway device via the first client module.

6. A data conversion system for a vehicle, the system comprising:
an interface gateway device configured to be communicatively coupled with a data acquisition module and a client module, the interface gateway device configured to receive a first message provided in an open format from the data acquisition module, the first message including a value of a data parameter related to operation of the vehicle, the open format having rules of syntax that are publicly available;
wherein the interface gateway device is configured to determine that the first message is provided in the open format by extracting one or more set of bits of the first message and comparing the one or more sets of bits to different identification sets of bits that are associated with different formats of messages, the interface gateway device being further configured to convert the open format of the first message into a closed format to form a second message and to communicate the second message to the client module for use in performing a function for the vehicle, the closed format having rules of syntax that are not publicly available.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the value of the data parameter in the first message includes a numerical value, the interface gateway device configured to change the numerical value in the first message to a different numerical value in the second message.

8. A data conversion system for a vehicle, the system comprising:
a first client module configured to be communicatively coupled with an interface gateway device and one or more second client modules, me one or more second client modules configured to communicate indirectly with the interface gateway device via the first client module,
wherein the first client module is configured to receive a data parameter from the interface gateway device in a first message having a first format, the data parameter related to operation of the vehicle, the data parameter previously received by the interface gateway device from a data acquisition module in a second message having a different, second format; and
wherein the first client module is configured to periodically publish the data parameter for communication of the data parameter at regular, repeated time intervals to the one or more second client modules for use by the one or more second client modules in performing a function for the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising the interface gateway device, wherein the first format of the first message is an open format having rules of syntax that are publicly available, the second format of the second message is a closed format having rules of syntax that are not publicly available, and the interface gateway device is configured to convert the second message to the first message and to communicate the first message to the first client module.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first format of the first message is a first closed format having rules of syntax that are not publicly available, and the first client module is configured to change the first closed format to at least one of a different, second closed format or an open format having rules of syntax that are publicly available, the first client module further configured to communicate the data parameter to the one or more second client modules in a third message provided in the at least one of the second closed format or the open format.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle is one vehicle that is configured to be interconnected to other vehicles in a vehicle consist.

12. The system of claim 8 , further comprising the interface gateway device, wherein the interface gateway device includes multiple ports and the data acquisition module couples to the interface gateway device via one of the ports, the interface gateway device being configured to determine whether the second format of the second message received from the data acquisition module is an open format or a closed format based on the port to which the data acquisition module is coupled.

13. The system of claim 8 , further comprising the interface gateway device, wherein the interface gateway device is configured to communicate with the data acquisition module over one or more communication channels and is configured to determine whether the second format of the second message received from the data acquisition module is an open format or a closed format based on the communication channel used to convey the second message to the interface gateway device.

14. A method for converting data for a vehicle, the method compri

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Desanzo David Joseph
• Schroeck David
• Goodermuth Todd
• Mudiam Veni
• Joseph Matthew
• Madhavan Sethu
• Torres Enrique David

Classifications

• H04L67/125 Primary

  involving control of end-device applications over a network · 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

• H04L69/08

  Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion · CPC title

• G06F17/30292 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F16/211 Primary

  Schema design and management · CPC title