Vehicle Protocol Conversion Agent for Internet Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Developing vehicle applications that can send messages to the internet or off-vehicle endpoints is complex, time-consuming, and prone to errors due to the diversity of physical communication channels and protocols used in modern vehicles, requiring extensive code rewrites for network architecture changes.
Innovation Solution
A system that automatically converts messages from disparate communication protocols to enable vehicle applications to access remote destinations via the internet, using an agent installed on vehicle computing devices to map and convert protocols, allowing messages to be sent through a gateway agent for further processing and transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If vehicle applications directly communicate with internet endpoints using multiple communication protocols (CAN, Ethernet), then communication functionality is achieved, but development complexity and time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a protocol conversion system that acts as an intermediary between vehicle applications and internet endpoints. This converter receives messages from applications using various protocols (CAN, Ethernet, FlexRay) and automatically converts them to a unified protocol for internet transmission, eliminating the need for applications to handle multiple protocol complexities directly.
Solution Approach 2:
The protocol conversion system provides universal communication capability by supporting multiple input protocols (CAN, Ethernet, FlexRay) and a single output protocol for internet communication. This multi-functional approach allows a single system to handle diverse communication requirements without requiring separate communication stacks for each protocol.
2Adaptability or versatility
If vehicle applications are developed to support multiple communication protocols, then communication flexibility is improved, but code maintenance and updates become time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The protocol converter serves as a mediator that isolates applications from protocol complexity. When protocol changes or updates are needed, only the converter requires modification, not the entire application codebase. This significantly improves development efficiency while maintaining communication flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication system is segmented into distinct layers: the application layer that generates messages, the protocol conversion layer that handles protocol translation, and the transmission layer that sends data to internet endpoints. This segmentation allows independent development and maintenance of each layer, improving overall productivity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If applications are rewritten to adapt to network architecture changes, then system adaptability is improved, but development time and error risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protocol converter acts as a buffer that absorbs network architecture changes. When the network architecture changes, only the converter needs to be updated to handle new protocols or routing requirements, while existing applications remain unchanged. This isolation significantly reduces error rates during system updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The protocol conversion system performs preliminary protocol translation and validation before messages are transmitted to the internet. This pre-processing ensures that messages meet the required format and protocol requirements, reducing transmission errors and improving reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An agent is installed on a computing device of a vehicle (e.g., an ECU); the agent receives messages from an application installed on the same computing device. The computing device is connected to a gateway computing device via a physical communication channel (e.g., CAN bus or Ethernet cable). When the gateway agent receives a message from the application, it converts the message into a different protocol based on a mapping of the protocols to physical communication channels. The message is sent to a gateway agent at the gateway device, where it is converted back to the original protocol so the message can be processed/transmitted to the internet. By using an agent, the in-vehicle application does not need to know about the vehicle's network architecture or changes to it in order to access the internet.