Vehicle Shared Storage Management Across Mixed In-Vehicle Networks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle systems face challenges in managing diverse and rapidly changing network configurations, data security, and cost-sensitive environments with varying device capabilities, necessitating efficient and flexible shared data storage solutions.

Innovation Solution

A system with a network shared storage (NSS) server manager and client managers, configured to interpret shared storage schemes and manage access to a shared data storage, allowing for flexible allocation and management of storage resources across multiple entities in a vehicle, including ECUs and smart sensors, with support for cloud integration and policy-based adjustments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If each controller has its own dedicated storage, then data access speed is fast and reliable, but system cost and complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata access reliabilityVSAvoidstorage system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple controllers' storage resources are merged into a unified shared storage pool, managed by a centralized storage manager that allocates and manages storage space for all controllers, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining data access reliability through centralized control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

A storage manager intermediary is introduced between controllers and physical storage devices, managing storage allocation, data placement, and access coordination, thereby simplifying the system architecture while ensuring reliable data access for multiple controllers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If high capability memory is allocated to all devices, then computing performance is maximized, but system cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomputing performanceVSAvoidsystem cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Storage resources are allocated with local quality variations, where critical applications receive high-capability storage while less demanding applications use lower-capability storage, optimizing overall system performance while reducing total cost

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

A universal shared storage pool serves multiple controllers and applications with different performance requirements, allowing dynamic allocation of storage resources based on actual needs rather than providing uniform high-capability storage to all devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If storage configuration is changed via software updates, then storage management is flexible, but validation and testing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage configuration flexibilityVSAvoidvalidation and testing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The storage manager provides self-service configuration capabilities, allowing storage parameters and policies to be adjusted dynamically without requiring full software updates, thereby maintaining flexibility while reducing validation and testing burden

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Storage configuration is made dynamic and reconfigurable at runtime through the storage manager, allowing flexible adjustment of storage parameters without fixed software update cycles, reducing the need for extensive re-validation and testing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Reliability

If distributed storage is used across multiple controllers, then system redundancy is improved, but data management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem redundancyVSAvoiddata management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A centralized storage manager intermediary coordinates data management across distributed storage resources, handling redundancy, data placement, and access coordination, thereby maintaining system redundancy while simplifying data management for individual controllers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20260044269A1System, method, and apparatus to implement a shared storage for end points on a vehicle

Publication Date: 2026.02.12 SONATUS INC

AI summary

A system may include a plurality of network shared storage (NSS) client managers associated with a respective plurality of share entities in the vehicle. The system may include an NSS server manager communicatively coupled to the plurality of share entities and configured to manage access of the plurality of share entities to a shared data storage, wherein the NSS server manager is further configured to manage access of the plurality of share entities by configuring at least one of the plurality of NSS client managers to manage access to the shared data storage of an associated one of the respective plurality of share entities, wherein the NSS server manager is communicatively coupled to the plurality of share entities over a mixed in-vehicle network (IVN) including a plurality of different network types.