WO2000077621A2

WO2000077621A2 - System and method for providing services to a vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2000077621A2
Application number: PCT/US2000/016497
Authority: WO
Inventors: Behfar Razavi; Owen M. Densmore; Guy W. Martin
Original assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Priority date: 1999-06-14
Filing date: 2000-06-14
Publication date: 2000-12-21
Also published as: WO2000077621A3; EP1187741A2; AU5741200A

Abstract

In one embodiment, a network (10) is installed in the vehicle, wherein the network comprises a transmission medium (12) and one or more network devices coupled thereto. The network devices (13, 14) are addressable using IP addresses or object terminology. The network devices may be configured to determine the capabilities of other devices, or they may be configured to look up the services provided by devices on the network, and they may utilize these services and capabilities themselves. The network devices are not constrained to use predetermined designs or interfaces which may be necessitated by the use of proprietary buses or connections. The network devices may be automatically integrated into the network using a discover-and-join protocol and may easily be removed from the network. In a further embodiement, a service device is coupled to a network in a vehicle wherein service data is transmitted from an external source to a communication device on the network and then directed through the network to the service device. The service device and communication device are individually addressable network devices which may be modified, replaced or upgraded. The devices may therefore support services which are provided in modified formats for which may be completely different from services which were previously provided. The network may use network address translation so that all of the devices coupled to the network are hidden behind the IP address of the communication device, but data may still be directed to selected ones of the devices.

Description

TITLE: SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SERVICES TO A VEHICLE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1 Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to the field of computerized systems for automobiles and other vehicles and more particularly to a vehicle component architecture m which vehicle components are network devices coupled to an m-vehicle network

2 Description of the Related Art

Automobiles play an important role in the lives of millions of people They provide a mode of transportation which allows people to cover great distances quickly and easily and are a convenience which many people could not do without. For example, many people commute to and from work every day in their automobiles and some may spend an hour or more in traffic each way Despite the freedom with which automobiles allow people to move about, the substantial amount of time which people spend in their automobiles may also be an inconvenience. For instance, a person who commutes an hour each way to and from work typically cannot make productive use of that time. That is, time which is spent in the automobile might have instead been spent working, playing or in some other useful manner. Although some people may be able to make use of cellular phones to conduct business from their automobiles, they make up a relatively small percentage of the drivmg population. Tune spent in an automobile is more typically an interruption of the driver's normal activities. The inconvenience and anxiety resultmg from this interruption may be magnified by problems such as traffic jams, vehicle malfunctions and driver confusion.

Automobile designers may attempt to lessen the inconvenience of time spent in automobile by making it as comfortable as possible and by providing certain services to the occupants of the vehicle. For example, the ergonomics of the automobile are studied to ensure that it provides both a physically comfortable environment and a user-fπendly interface to the automobile's functions. The designers may also incorporate into the vehicle the delivery of services that may assist the driver, thereby reducing the driver's workload and anxiety level Such services may include providing computerized maps, navigation aids and emergency assistance signaling.

One of the difficulties faced by designers, however, is that the designs for automobiles must be finalized long before the vehicles themselves actually go into production. The designers must therefore anticipate needs which drivers will have several years in the future. Since a typical design cycle for an automobile is four years long, the designers must create an automobile design which is four years ahead of its time. Then, after the automobile is in production, even services which designers may have accurately anticipated may quickly become outdated or obsolete. Because a person may own an automobile for ten years or more, it is not at all unusual for the design of an automobile to be outdated for a substantial portion of its useful life

While it may be desirable to upgrade the components of automobiles, they are often difficult, if not impossible, to upgrade. The components typically have unique physical and functional characteristics, including then: size, shape and interface to the automobile, which prevent them from bemg replaced with similar, but not identical parts. Further, the replacement of the components can be very labor-intensive, and it is not unusual for the cost of the labor to install the components to be on the same order as the cost of the components themselves. There is therefore no practical way in the prior art for an automobile which is already in production to be upgraded to maintain state-of-the-art components and/or functionality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One or more of the problems described above may be solved by a system for integrating components into a vehicle wherein the components comprise devices coupled to an in-car network. The network provides for easy re-configuration and upgrading of the vehicle, as well as improved communication of information between the vehicle's systems and integration of the vehicle network into external networks.

The network may include one or more devices which are addressable using IP addresses or object terminology. The devices may include various servers and clients, such as microphones, cameras, GPS receivers, interfaces to on-board diagnostic systems, communication devices, displays, CD players, radios, speakers, security devices and LANs (local are networks,) to name only a few. Devices may easily be connected or disconnected to upgrade or reconfigure the vehicle's systems, and software and services can easily be provided to the various devices through the network. The network can enable the interaction of various network devices to increase the capabilities or utility of devices which may otherwise be limited. The system therefore provides an easy and inexpensive means to improve or otherwise modify the functionality of the vehicle.

In one embodiment, the in-vehicle network comprises an ethernet, although other embodiments can be implemented in any other type of network. Communication devices such as wireless modems and wireless ethernet allow communications with devices and networks external to the in-vehicle network so that data, software, services and other information can be downloaded from or uploaded to these external sources. The in- vehicle network can also be coupled to an external network through these communication devices so that it can function as a device (a sub-network) on the external network.

In one embodiment, some traditional vehicle components maybe replaced by network devices, thereby providing extended functionality to the driver. For example, the vehicle's dashboard maybe replaced by a monitor which displays images of dashboard instruments, vehicle data and other information to the driver. Graphics generated by a server on the network may be designed to emulate digital or analog gauges which are normally found on a dashboard. The graphics may be varied to suit the preferences of different drivers, or the driver may be able to select different information to be displayed (for example, tabbing from vehicle data to location information, to a radio display, and so on.) Additional embodiments are described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of an in-car sub-network.

Fig. 2 is a detailed block diagram of one embodiment of an in-car sub-network. Fig. 3 is a diagram of one embodiment of the operating environment of a server.

Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of one embodiment of an in-car sub-network in conjunction with a land-based proxy server and external networks. While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling withm the spirit and scope of the present mvention as defined by the appended claims

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

One embodiment of the mvention will be described in detail below It should be noted that many modifications of the described embodiment are possible and will be obvious to a person of ordinary skill upon readmg this disclosure While some of these modifications will also be descπbed below, all of the various embodiments of the invention are intended to be encompassed by this disclosure and the appended claims One embodiment of the invention comprises an automobile which incorporates its own network A group of components within the automobile comprise network devices which are coupled to the in-car network Thus, rather than bemg directly and independently coupled to the automobile, these components are citizens of the in-car network and may be installed, disconnected, upgraded or replaced with different devices They may increase or decrease the functionality of the automobile, or they may function cooperatively with other network devices Thus, the components are not limited by outdated designs or the constraints of proprietary buses or connections

As used herein, "network" refers to a group of computers or other devices (e g , servers, displays, modems, etc ) which are interconnected by a transmission medium, and which are addressable using IP addresses or object termmology A network may be one of many different types, several of which are defined m the standards of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE ) For example, one embodiment of the invention employs an ethernet (as defined IEEE 802 3 ) Because network types such as ethernet, token ring and others are well known and understood in the art of the mvention, they will not be explamed in detail here Suitable transmission media (e g , twisted pairs of wires, coaxial cables, optical fibers, free space or even the connections between devices and their peripherals) can be selected according to the selected network architecture A wide variety of network devices can be coupled to a network and the network can typically be dynamically reconfigured through connection and/or disconnection of these devices

IP (Internet Protocol) is a protocol which is typically used in conjunction with TCP (Transport Control Protocol) as a protocol suite for passing data from applications to networks and then from the networks to other applications The IP portion of the protocol suite is used in transporting packets from the transmitting device to the receiving device IP addresses are, of course, the means by which the packets are directed to the target device Because IP addresses are well-known in the data-processing arts, they will not be explamed in further detail here It is sufficient to note that IP addressing allows data to be directed to devices which are not part of a predetermined, hard- wired design "Object terminology," as used in this disclosure, refers to software language which handles devices in an object-oπented manner That is, the devices and their functions can be used m a manner which is not dependent upon the specific implementation of the device, but instead upon the type and functions of the device For instance, as will be explamed below in regard to Jim software, a device which joms a network may register its services with a lookup server so that other devices which need these services can request them without regard to the specific device that provides them In contrast, prior art on-board diagnostic buses have specific, predetermmed devices which provide specific, predetermmed services and which transmit/receive data over a specific, predetermined path By usmg IP addressmg and object termmology to provide communication between devices on the network, the mvention eliminates the constraints which are inherent m bus systems. (Communication, as used here, mcludes data transfer and any other mteraction between the devices.)

For the purposes of this disclosure, a network is distmct from the various buses which may monitor the functions of an automobile and provide diagnostic information, but which can be coupled only to specific monitoring devices These buses may be referred to as "on-board diagnostic" (OBD) systems. Because the Environmental Protection Agency has adopted standards for such systems from the standards of the society of automotive engmeers (SAE), most of the diagnostic buses use command sets and protocols defined by SAE standards (e g. SAE J2979 and SAE J. 2850 VPW PWM ) OBD systems do not provide IP addressability Consequently, they do not, m the absence of the invention, support the wide variety of devices that can be coupled to a network The utility of OBD system buses is limited to specific diagnostic functions which are designed into the automobile It is contemplated, however, that embodiments of the invention may be implemented by adding an IP layer on top of the OBD buses. Thus, while the proprietary buses are distinct from the networks descπbed herein, these buses may be converted to network uses, or they may be coupled to the networks through appropriate interfaces (i.e., the buses themselves can function as devices on the networks.) In another embodiment of the invention, an automobile having an m-car network may be coupled to an external network. That is, the in-car network may appear to the external network to have a single IP address. (In this context, the in-car network may be referred to as a "sub-network," while they external network may be referred to as the "primary" network.) The automobile sub-network may include a variety of communication devices through which it may be coupled to the pπmary network. These devices may include a wireless modem, a cellular packet data (CDPD) modem, a pager or other communication devices. The m-car sub-network operates m cooperation with a land -based proxy server. Because the m-car sub-network uses several different communication devices, it has several different IP addresses (one for each of the communications devices.) These addresses may be dynamically assigned by a service provider. The m-car sub-network communicates to the land- based proxy server of the IP address of the currently-used communication device. Packets which originate on the pπmary network and which are addressed to the m-car sub-network are directed to the land-based proxy server, which then directs the packets to the in-car sub-network at the appropriate IP address. The land-based proxy server additionally acts as a buffer when the in-car sub-network is disconnected from the primary network. The land-based proxy server forwards packets which are destmed for the disconnected m-car sub-network and delivers the packets when the m-car sub-network is reconnected to the primary network. The goals of the system can be grouped into three broad categories: hardware independence, service delivery; and software upgradabihty The hardware independence of the system is related to the mterchangeabihty of the components of the automobile's sub-network. If, for example, the sub-network includes a graphical display, this display should be replaceable with several different displays, each having unique charactenstics The several displays only need to be able to interface with the sub-network in order to be exchanged. The goal of service delivery relates to the ability to provide new and different services to the vehicle through the sub-network. Although automobiles m the prior art may provide one or two services to the driver, e g driver assistance via automatic telephone communications, the equipment for providing these services are dedicated to their respective services and cannot provide distinctly different services. The present system, on the other hand, allows new components or new software to be added to the automobile sub-network and thereby enables new services to be provided to the driver. Finally, software upgradeabi ty relates to the ease with which software systems m the automobile may be upgraded via the automobile sub-network. Rather than manually replacmg memory modules or CDs (e.g contaming map data,) the automobile sub-network enables the downloading of new applications or data, as well as the uploading of vehicle diagnostic data or other information, through the network communication devices.

This disclosure is directed generally to sub-network implementations within vehicles "Vehicles" may include automobiles, boats, airplanes, trailers, buses, trams and the like. For the sake of brevity, the detailed description herein descnbes an implementation m an automobile The scope of the mvention, however, is intended to encompass any type of vehicle, and references to automobiles or cars apply equally to other vehicles Additionally, at least portions of the system are also applicable to land-based implementations of sub-networks, rather than bemg limited to vehicle-based implementations. Referring to Fig. 1, an m-car sub-network 10 in one embodiment of the invention is shown. In-car subnetwork 10 comprises a utility box 11, network devices 13 and 14, communication device 15 and network cabling 12 These components are installed m vehicle 18 Utility box 11 and network devices 13 and 14 are coupled to cablmg 12 Communication device 15 is connected to utility box 11 Each of these devices is addressable on network 10. Although communication device 15 is not directly connected to cablmg 12, utility box 11 is configured to recognize packets on the network which are addressed to communication device 15 and to forward these packets to the device. Network 10 can be coupled to an external network through internet service provider 17. In the embodiment depicted in Fig. 1, communication device 15 is a wireless device and is coupled to internet service provider 17 by wireless transmissions 16.

In one embodiment, the m-car sub-network is installed in a General Motors EVl. The EVl is an electric car which General Motors markets through its Saturn dealerships. The EVl was selected for this embodiment m part because of the energy requirements of the devices connected to the in-car sub-network. Although many vehicles can provide sufficient power to run the devices, the EVl has large batteries for providing energy to the car's oπginal equipment. These batteπes can power the devices of the m-car sub-network for a longer period of time than the smaller batteries which are found m most vehicles. Thus, the m-car sub-network can be installed in essentially any type of vehicle.

Referπng to Fig. 2, a more detailed block diagram of in-car sub-network 20 is shown. Fig. 2 illustrates some of the components that may be coupled to the network. In-car sub-network 20 is built around an on-board compute platform 22. Compute platform 22 consists of a SparcStation UPN server (a prototype Sparc 5-based system.) All of the components of the in-car sub-network are either directly plugged mto the compute platform or coupled to do it via an ethernet connection.

Compute platform 22 mcludes some type of readable/wπteable storage media 25, such as a hard disk or flash memory. As mentioned above, the manufacturer's on-board diagnostic system bus 23 can be coupled to the m-car sub-network On-board diagnostic system bus 23 is connected to compute platform 22 via an RS-232 connector. The in-car sub-network can also be coupled to an m-car ethernet LAN 24 via the ethernet itself. The in-car sub-network can also be connected to external networks via a set of communication devices. These communication devices include wireless modem 26, CDPD modem 27, cellular phone 29 and wireless ethernet 28. Dependmg upon the circumstances in which the in-car sub-network is operating, the external network connection may be provided by any one of these communication devices. The m-car sub-network is configured to select one of the devices accordmg to the prevailing operating conditions. The communication devices identified above (i.e., wireless modems and ethernet transceivers) are typical for network communications In addition to these devices, however, the m-car sub-network may utilize devices that provide "last-hop" service. Communications from a node on a first network to a node on a second network are typically routed through a number of mtermediate networks. Packets may "hop" from the first network to an mtermediate network, and then to another network before arnving at the second network. Last hop service is the service that transmits the packets over the last segment of this data path Because any one of the communication devices of the m-car sub-network may lose communications with the ISP (or other external device,) it is advantageous to have as many possible means for communicatmg as possible The in-car sub-network may therefore employ last hop service comprising paging or similar types of communications These services will typically be used by transmitting packets to a last hop service transmitter, which will convert the packet data as necessary to make the last hop (e g., convert the data to text for an alphanumeric pager,) then transmit the data to the in-car sub-network.

In-car sub-network 20 can also communicate with external systems such as global positioning systems (GPS) and traffic information systems A GPS receiver 30 is coupled to m-car sub-network 20 for providing automobile location information. GPS receiver 30 is capable of collecting information from GPS satellites to determine the position of the automobile. This information is converted to a format appropnate for other uses within the m-car sub-network, such as map retrieval for the area around the automobile A Cue traffic information receiver 31 is also coupled to in-car sub-network 20 Receiver 31 obtams traffic information (e.g , information on traffic jams) which can be used, for example, by navigation systems running on m-car subnetwork 20 to determine the best route for the automobile to take. Both GPS receiver 30 and traffic information receiver 31 are connected to compute platform 22 by RS-232 connectors. In one embodiment, in-car sub-network 20 includes video camera 32. Video camera 32 provides visual information from the automobile's surroundings to m-car sub-network 20. Video camera 32 provides a good example of the utility of a network device. Because video camera 32 is a network device, other devices on the m- car sub-network, or even devices on external networks which are coupled to the m-car sub-network, can request this visual information. For example, the video produced by video camera 32 may be displayed by LCD panel 35 or by a web browser coupled to the m-car sub-network through PDA dock 33 A person browsmg the internet on an external network could also request images from video camera 32

In one embodiment, in-car sub-network 20 also includes PDA (personal digital assistant) dock 33, Java Rmg reader 34, LCD panel 35, microphone 36 and speakers 37 PDA dock 33 provides a means for passengers m the automobile to connect a PDA to the m-car sub-network. Other embodiments of the invention may include a dock for a laptop computer instead of, or m addition to, PDA dock 33. Java Ring reader 34 is coupled to in-car sub-network 20 to provide a means for controlling access to the network and the functions of the automobile itself. Java Ring reader 34 essentially performs a password function That is, it identifies a user of the in-car subnetwork and provides a particular level of access to network components accordmg to the pπvilege level of the user For example, the owner of the automobile may be allowed to access substantially all of the components and functions of the in-car sub-network except for detailed vehicle diagnostic information A mechanic, on the other hand, may be allowed to access this detailed diagnostic information, but may only be allowed to drive the automobile a limited distance This mechanism may also be used to personalize the operation of the automobile, adjustmg seat positions, radio stations and the like accordmg to the preferences of different drivers. The extent to which this mechanism controls the various functions of the automobile depends, of course, upon the couplmg of the related automobile components to the m-car sub-network. Microphone 36 and speakers 37 are coupled to in-car sub-network 20 in order to provide, among other thmgs, a mechanism for speech communications between the driver and the network. In one embodiment, compute platform 22 mcludes a speech engine for converting speech to text or commands. The driver of the automobile may therefore control vanous functions of the network and/or the automobile usmg spoken commands. For example, the driver may simply recite the appropriate command for determining the location of the automobile, whereupon compute platform 22 might query GPS receiver 30 for location information, then retrieve a map from a web site and display the map to the driver Compute platform 22 may also mclude a text-to- speech engme for use in delivering information to the driver. For example, the in-car sub-network may retrieve the driver's email or other documents, convert the text to speech and then "read" the document to the driver It is contemplated that the vehicle's OBD (on-board diagnostic) system (e g., item 23 in Fig. 2) will be connected to in-car sub-network 20 The OBD system, as indicated above, is typically of a propπetary design which was not originally intended to be connected to a network The OBD system may therefore be connected to the network by an mterface which is designed as a network device With the OBD system coupled to the network via the mterface device, other devices on the network can query the OBD system for diagnostic information and/or provide information to the OBD system

Although the in-car sub-network depicted m Fig. 2 includes the particular network devices descπbed above, the enumerated devices are intended to be illustrative rather than limiting. In other embodiments, the network may include printers, compact disk (CD) drives, storage devices, digital video disk (DVD) players, video games, monitors or other devices. The network may mclude any type of network devices that may be installed m the automobile or remotely connected to the network through its communication devices. Because the network supports any network device, components which were not designed, nor even conceived, when the network itself was installed can be easily coupled to the network and operated cooperatively with the remamder of the network devices.

As indicated above, compute platform 22 is at the center of in-car sub-network 20. In one embodiment, compute platform 22 is a Java platform (Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.) In other words, compute platform 22 uses the Java programming language to provide an environment in which Java applications can be executed The use of a Java environment m compute platform 22 allows the software that will be executed on the compute platform to be hardware independent

The organization of the operating environment of compute platform 22 is shown in Fig 3 At the lowest level of the diagram shown in Fig. 3 is hardware 41 Hardware 41 comprises the physical server (or other processor) on which the software is executed Hardware 41 may compπse a SparcStation as in the above- described embodiment, or any other suitable computer, such as a StrongARM, PowerPC, Intel, MIPS or Mitsubishi system Hardware 41 executes an operating system 42 which provides the basic functionality of the compute platform. The particular operating system selected to be used with hardware 41 will depend upon the type of processor upon which hardware 41 is built, and may also depend upon the network's requirements, if more than one operating system is available for the chosen hardware. A few of the operating systems which may be available are Vx Works, PSOS, OS9, Chorus and Lmux Operatmg system 42 supports Transport Control Protocol /Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) 43. Each of the devices connected to the in-car sub-network can therefore be addressable as a network device. Compute platform 22 runs Java virtual machine 44 Java virtual machine 44 is a software application that executes in the environment of the native operatmg system and provides a common environment for applications wπtten m the Java prograrnrmng language In other words, Java virtual machme 44 provides a layer of abstraction between an operatmg system and an executable program, essentially providmg a Java-to-operatmg system interface so that programs written m the Java programmmg language can be executed on a platform running an operatmg system which would not otherwise support execution of the program. Because Java virtual machines exist for many different compute platforms, the same Java language program can be executed on each of these different platforms In this manner, the hardware/operating system portion of the system is made a commodity. As a result, the remainder of the system is no longer tied to the original hardware, the original operatmg system, or the oπgmal supplier thereof

In the embodiment shown m Fig 3, compute platform 22 executes Personal Java 45 on Java virtual machine 44 (Personal Java 45 also interfaces to some extent with operating system 42 ) Personal Java is an application environment which was specifically designed for consumer devices such as PDAs, set-top boxes, smart phones and other mobile, hand-held devices These consumer devices differ from desktop computers in that they typically use different interface technologies, they have much smaller memories, they use embedded processors and they have tight constraints on power consumption, among other things. Personal Java is designed to provide an environment which eliminates these constraints and which facilitates the use of network-connectable applications for these consumer devices. Personal Java is therefore well-suited to operate within the constraints of the in-car sub-network. Personal Java includes a subset of core Java application programrmng interfaces (APIs) and a set of APIs which are directed specifically to features required by consumer applications in resource-limited environments. (Personal Java implementations often include a Java virtual machine, so Java virtual machine 44 may therefore be considered part of Personal Java 45.)

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3, several APIs are made available in the environment provided by Personal Java 45. These APIs mclude Java card 46, Java telephony 47, Java media 48, Java communications 49, Java speech 50, Java automotive 51, Jmi 52 and Java embedded server 53. These applications are exemplary of the applications and applets that can be employed and many others can be used with, or mstead of, these applications. Applications 46-51 will be described in more detail below m connection with the operation of the system. A virtual dashboard application 54 operates cooperatively with these applications and provides an interface between the applications and the vehicle's driver Virtual dashboard 54 may also interface directly with Personal Java 51 and with native code 55 Native code 55 may include native (rather than Java) equivalents of applications 46-51. The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig 3 incorporates Jim software 52. Jim is a technology developed by Sun Microsystems to allow devices to form impromptu communities on networks (Jim is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.) In other words, the devices can become aware of each other and share each other's services even though they do not have any pnor knowledge of each other. Jim software 52 is an apphcation which implements the Jim technology Using Ji technology, devices can spontaneously form network communities through a discovery-and-join protocol When a device using a discovery-and-join protocol is plugged mto a network, the device polls the network for a Jim lookup service The device then registers itself with the lookup service. Once the device has registered itself with the lookup service, any other device on the network may query the network server to determine whether desired services are available. Because this process is automatic, users need not perform complicated installation procedures to couple Jim-enabled devices to the network and enable the devices to function cooperatively with other devices on network. Jim technology also employs a concept known as "leasing " Whenever a device registers with a lookup server, the device can be thought of as havmg a "lease" which must be periodically renewed If the "lease" is not renewed within a predetermmed period, the lookup server assumes that the device has been disconnected and removes the information associated with the device Disconnection of devices is therefore also automatic, so that the user is not required to perform any de-installation procedures Although Jim technology is used in the embodiment descnbed above, other embodiments may not include a Jim application Embodiments which do not implement Jim technology may, if desired, implement similar functionality (e g , a discover-and-join protocol) through other means For example, a device may include an on-board memory which contains information on the services it provides or the services it needs to be able to perform all of its functions The memory may also contain a web address at which this type of information may be found The network server may then look up the mformation on the device usmg this web address The device and/or its services may thereby be registered m a manner similar to that of a Jmi network

The embodiment of Fig 3 uses Java embedded server 53 to provide services to the m-car sub-network Java embedded server 53 is a "small footprint" server which requires only a limited amount of memory Java embedded server 53 includes a set of APIs for management of "plug and play" services and applications, and a set of services which are managed, such as HTTP, SNMP, loggmg, thread management, remote administration and servlet support (A "servlet" is an applet designed to provide a service to the network ) More complex services such as email and facsimile can be built on top of the embedded server's services Because of the small footprint of Java embedded server 53, it is well-suited for use in the m-car sub-network Java embedded server 53 allows the services which are provided to be upgraded or otherwise modified, whereas services provided by many embedded servers are "hard wired" into them, thereby limiting their capabilities and their upgradabihty

Java speech module 50 (and possibly native code 55) provide a speech interface between the user and the m-car sub-network Because the user may also be the driver of the vehicle, it may be important to focus the user's attention on driving rather than providmg input to one or more network devices Providmg this input through speech is both safe and convenient The user's spoken input can be converted to textual (or equivalent) input by speech engmes m either module 50 or native code 55 Similarly, output of one more network devices may be converted to speech so that the user can hear the output rather than havmg to look at a display device The m-car sub-network may also be configured to provide information to the user as a combination of speech and other types of information (e g , graphics )

Virtual dashboard application 54 is an application that generates a graphical display similar to a conventional automobile dashboard Virtual dashboard application 54 is used m conjunction with a monitor which is coupled to the m-car sub-network (e g , LCD panel 35 shown in Fig. 2 ) The monitor and associated software may be referred to as a "virtual dashboard" or a "software dashboard " In one embodiment, the monitor of the virtual dashboard is mounted directly in front of the vehicle's driver (I e , where the speedometer would normally be located ) The graphics generated by virtual dashboard application 54 may include images of a speedometer, odometer, fuel gauge and or other instrumentation It should be noted that the graphics generated by virtual dashboard application 54 define the manner in which the mformation is presented (e g , analog vs digital readouts, color schemes, etc ) rather than simply generating a value (e g , speed) which is then displayed in a predetermmed manner (e g , two-digit speedometer display ) The virtual dashboard is therefore distinct from prior art digital displays Because these graphics are generated by virtual dashboard application 54, they may be customized m a number of ways They may display a particular subset of available mformation or they may display the information accordmg to a particular style to match the vehicle's u tenor The graphics generated by virtual dashboard application 54 may also be customized for different users so that, when a first person is drivmg, the information is displayed m a first arrangement and, when a second person is drivmg, the information is displayed in a second arrangement. These different display modes (corresponding to the different sets of information or the different styles) can be user-selectable The user can select one of the modes using voice commands or by manually selecting a mode (e.g , by using a touch-sensitive screen.)

In other embodiments, similar software applications and monitors can be used to generate graphics for other equipment such as console displays, radio controls, air conditioning controls and the like. Other embodiments may also utilize mdependent processors and memones to generate graphics for the monitors rather than havmg the graphics generated by an application executing on the server

Referring to Fig. 4, the operation of the m-car sub-network in connection with a primary network is illustrated In-car sub-network 60 is in communication with both land-based proxy server 61 and internet service provider (ISP) 64. ISP 64 is in turn connected to the internet and, consequently, all networks connected thereto (which will be collectively referred to herein as pπmary network 62.) Communications between in-car sub- network 60 and primary network 62 may be routed directly between the two networks (via ISP 64,) or they may be routed through land-based proxy server 61, dependmg on the circumstances surrounding the communications. (It should be noted that, although the proxy server m this embodiment is land-based, this is not a requirement of the system. The proxy server is intended provide a communications link to the primary network which is less likely to be disconnected than the communication devices of the m-car sub-network.) As descπbed above, in-car sub-network 60 may include several different devices (e.g., a wireless modem) for communications external to the m-car sub-network. In-car sub-network 60 can switch between these devices as necessary to maintain communications. That is, the network is configured to establish communications usmg one of the devices and, if at some pomt communications usmg this device are no longer possible, to switch to another one of the devices and attempt to re-establish communications usmg the new device. Because each of these communication devices has a different IP address associated with it, some action must be taken to allow devices in the pπmary network to properly address packets which are targeted for the in-car sub-network This can be handled in several different ways.

If communications are expected to take place quickly, the in-car sub-network can operate in a first mode in which it can communicate directly to the primary network, and the primary network can respond directly to the in-car sub-network. In other words, packets origmating at the in-car sub-network can be addressed using the IP address of the target node on the primary network, and packets origmating at the primary network can be addressed usmg the IP address of the m-car sub-network (i.e., the IP address of the currently-used communication device.) Just as with a typical, land-based network connection, the transmissions between the in-car sub-network and the primary network are routed to the internet through the ISP These direct communications should be sufficient because, over the short term, the communication device which is currently being used by the m-car subnetwork is not expected to lose contact with the primary network. Over the long term, however, it is expected that communications will occasionally be lost, and that they will subsequently have to be re-established.

As an example of a long-term situation, it may be desirable for the m-car sub-network to have a single email address. Because of the fact that the in-car sub-network may use several different IP addresses (each correspondmg to a different communication device,) that email address cannot be associated with an IP address correspondmg to one of the m-car sub-network's communication devices. In this situation, the system operates m a second mode m which communications from the pπmary network to the m-car sub-network are routed through the land-based proxy server, which has a smgle IP address that can be associated with the email address The land-based proxy server, which keeps track of the current IP address of the m-car sub-network, can buffer email messages (if necessary) and forward them to the m-car sub-network when the land-based proxy server is in communication with it

There may also be situations in which it is desirable to use a hybnd scheme to communicate between the m-car sub-network and the primary network For example, when a device on the m-car sub-network is retπeving web pages, the communications are relatively short-term and may proceed directly between the in-car subnetwork and the web site It may be desirable, however, to employ some means for transforming the communicated data (e g , web pages) to make more efficient use of the bandwidth of the m-car sub-network (e g , by removing advertisements or images from some of the pages ) This function can be performed by the land- based proxy server Thus, m a hybnd mode of operation, some of the communications are direct while others are routed through the land-based proxy server

Whenever the in-car sub-network establishes communications with the ISP or land-based proxy server, it identifies the IP address of the currently-used communication device to the land-based proxy server When the m- car sub-network becomes disconnected from the external network (e g , when the currently-used communication device loses service,) the land-based proxy server becomes aware of the fact that the m-car sub-network is disconnected and cannot receive packets The land-based proxy server maintains an awareness of whether the ui- car sub-network is connected through peπodic communications between the two The m-car sub-network peπodically sends messages to the land-based proxy server m the same manner that devices renew their "leases" on a Jim-enabled network It is further contemplated that the land-based proxy server may periodically query the m-car sub-network As explained above, when the in-car sub-network is not in communication with the land- based proxy server and primary network, the land-based proxy server may act as a buffer and store the packets targeted for the in-car sub-network for later delivery When the in-car sub-network is able to re-establish communications through one of its communication devices, the land-based proxy server identifies the IP address of the device with which communications were re-established and delivers the stored packets to the in-car subnetwork using this address

It should also be noted that the in-car sub-network can operate in a third mode in which it can communicate with the land-based proxy server directly rather than through the ISP As indicated above, one embodiment of mvention includes a wireless ethernet communication device When the m-car sub-network is withm range of the land-based proxy server, a wireless ethernet connection may be established between the two When it joms the land-based proxy server's LAN, the in-car sub-network can communicate directly to the land- based proxy server on the LAN, or it can communicate with other networks through the LAN's connection to the internet As will be explamed in more detail below, the in-car sub-network can join other networks as well using the wireless ethernet device

In order to make full use of the devices connected to the m-car sub-network, they must be able to communicate with devices on other networks The in-car sub-network's devices must therefore have IP addresses to which the other devices can send packets Several factors, however, make it impractical to assign an IP address to each device that is connected to the m-car sub-network First, there is a large number of devices which may be connected to the m-car sub-network (it is contemplated that virtually all of a vehicle's components may m time be configured as network devices,) and this number must be multiplied by the number of vehicles in which m-car sub-networks may be installed. Further, as mdicated above, one device which may be connected to an m-car subnetwork is another sub-network (see Fig. 2, item 24 ) Thus, the m-car sub-network, which is a sub-network relative to the primary network, may in turn have sub-networks connected to it so that there are networks within networks, within networks (and so on ) These nested networks are sometimes referred to as fractal networks because a device on a network may, upon closer exammation, itself be a network (and so on.)

It is therefore useful to employ a technique known as network address translation In network address translation, one device on a first network serves as a proxy through which devices on the first network communicate with other networks. To the other networks, the first network therefore appears to be a single device (the proxy device ) Relative to the other networks, only one IP address is needed for the first network because it appears to be a single device Although devices on the first network have IP addresses within the network, packets which are directed outside the first network are conveyed to the proxy device, which wraps them in another packet havmg the IP address which is represented to the other networks The first-network IP addresses are translated to port numbers which are used in the externally represented IP address. Just as the networks themselves can be nested within each other, network address translation can be used recursively to wrap IP addresses within IP addresses (and so on.)

As mdicated above, the configuration of the vehicle components as network devices on an in-car subnetwork simplifies installation and removal of the devices, hence re-configuration of the vehicle. This system thereby makes it possible to remove outdated components and replace them with new components, even though the new components may have different features or require different data or other signals from the vehicle or its components. Similarly, components which execute associated software, display data or provide services can be upgraded by downloading new software, data or services ("upgrade data") to the components through the m-car sub-network. This software may be quickly and easily retneved from sources external to the m-car sub-network, such as web pages or LANs which can be accessed through the communication devices on the m-car sub-network. The software can be retneved by one device (e.g., a wireless modem,) conveyed through the network and installed in a second device (e.g., a GPS locator) as easily as downloading a web page The system thereby provides a great deal of flexibility in the hardware and software configurations of the vehicle. In contrast, pnor art systems for providmg m-car services are tightly coupled to the car manufacturer's choice of hardware and operating system. Changes to the hardware require substantial time, labor and expense. Changes to the software require the original software supplier to provide modified code. The use of Personal Java m the in-car sub-network provides platform independence and also eliminates a substantial portion of the labor, time and costs involved in replacmg and upgradmg the vehicle's components and functionality.

In addition to increasmg the upgradabihty of the vehicle, the m-car sub-network extends the capabilities of individual components coupled to the network While network devices are often configured with their own processors, the m-car sub-network can eliminate the need for these processors and thereby reduce the cost of the individual components. Further, devices which may only be capable of acceptmg mformation and displaying that mformation may be coupled to the in-car sub-network and allowed to utilize the processmg power of other components on the network Still further, devices which are not IP-addressable (or object-terminology- addressable) in a stand-alone configuration can appear to be IP-addressable (or object-terminology-addressable) to other devices or networks (It should be noted that, for the purposes of this disclosure, devices which appear to be IP-addressable or object-terminology-addressable are considered to actually be IP-addressable or object- terminology-addressable, respectively ) As an example, a simple digital display may be configured to receive a signal defining a value (e g., the speed of the vehicle) and to display the digits corresponding to that value. Although this display may not be capable of querying the vehicle for the value to be displayed or recognizing packets on the m-car sub-network which contam the information, a piece of software may be executed on a server's processor to perform this function. The software may cause of the server to recognize packets which contain the appropπate mformation and redirect this information to the display, which only needs to receive and display the information.

It is contemplated that a component that utilizes the capabilities of other devices on the network (such as the display) could include a memory which stores the software which enables the component to function m this manner and passes it on to the server when the component is coupled to the network The memory may alternately store a location, such as a web site, from which the server may retneve the software. The component, which utilizes the processing power of the server, is enabled to function as a stand-alone component with its own processor, and is addressed in the same manner in this the other devices coupled to the in-car sub-network The system thereby allows inexpensive components to be used in place of components which incorporate their own processors and may be considered prohibitively expensive The operation of the m-car sub-network as a component in an external network can be illustrated in several examples. In one scenario, an automobile having an in-car sub-network is driven to a particular city. In the city, a LAN or MAN (metropolitan area network) is set up to establish a wireless connection to a communication device such as a wireless ethernet device. When the automobile drives within range of the LAN/MAN, a connection is established between the m-car sub-network and the LAN/MAN The in-car sub- network functions as a single IP device coupled to the LAN/MAN and can retπeve mformation about the city or otherwise interact with devices on the LAN/MAN. Although the in-car sub-network appears to the LAN/MAN as a single device, nodes on the LAN/MAN can exchange packets with devices within the m-car sub-network as a result of network address translation which is bemg performed within the in-car sub-network.

In another scenario, a service station may have a wireless LAN so that a vehicle equipped with a network and wireless communication device can establish a connection with the LAN as the vehicle pulls into the station Once the connection is established, the m-car sub-network and LAN can function as a smgle network The service station may be configured to request the service records of the vehicle so that any necessary service may be performed. If a software maintenance update is required by one of the components in the vehicle, a server on the LAN may automatically download this information to the appropriate component. Alternately, the user of the vehicle may request information or services For example, the user may request that music (e g., in MP3 format) or videos (e.g., in MPEG-2 format) be downloaded for the passengers' entertainment. The user may also have mformation he or she wishes to have prmted, in which case the mformation could be transmitted to a printer on the service station's LAN, where it could be picked up by the user.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An upgradable component architecture for a vehicle compπsmg: a vehicle; a network transmission medium coupled to said vehicle; and one or more vehicle components coupled to said network transmission medium, wherein said vehicle components comprise addressable network devices.

2. The upgradable component architecture of claim 1 wherein said one or more network devices are addressable using IP addresses.

3. The upgradable component architecture of claim 1 wherein said one or more network devices are addressable using object terminology.

4 The upgradable component architecture of claim 1 wherein at least one of said network devices is a server.

5. The upgradable component architecture of claim 1 wherein said one or more network devices are each configured to transmit and receive data accordmg to a predetermined network protocol.

6. The upgradable component architecture of claim 5 wherein said predetermmed network protocol is defined by IEEE standard 802.

7. The upgradable component architecture of claim 1 further comprising a lookup server, wherein said lookup server is configured to register services conesponding to said one or more network devices.

8. The upgradable component architecture of claim 7 wherein said one or more network devices are configured to look up services registered on said lookup server and to request one or more of said services registered on said lookup server.

9. The upgradable component architecture of claim 7 wherein when each of said one or more network devices is coupled to said network transmission medium, one or more services correspondmg to said each network device are automatically registered on said lookup server.

10. The upgradable component architecture of claim 7 wherein said network devices are configured to periodically transmit a notification signal to said lookup server, wherein said notification signal is indicative that said network devices are coupled to said network transmission medium

11. The upgradable component architecture of claim 7 wherein each said network device provides data to said lookup server indicating a location extemal to said network from which said lookup server can retneve information regarding services correspondmg to said each network device

12. The upgradable component architecture of claim 1 wherem said transmission medium compnses one or more of the media consistmg of: coaxial cable; twisted pairs of wires; free space; optical fibers; and penpheral connections.

13 A method for changmg vehicle components comprising- providmg a vehicle havmg a network installed therein, wherem said network compnses a transmission medium, a server connected to said transmission medium and a first vehicle component connected to said transmission medium, and wherem said server and said first vehicle component comprise addressable network devices, disconnecting said first vehicle component from said transmission medium, and connecting a second vehicle component to said transmission medium, wherem said second vehicle component is distmct from said first vehicle component and wherein said second device is an addressable network device

14. The method of claim 13 further compπsing said network automatically integratmg said second vehicle component into said network

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said network automatically integrating said second vehicle component into said network is performed using a discover-and-join protocol.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said network automatically integratmg said second vehicle component mto said network is implemented usmg Ji .

17. The method of claim 13 wherein said transmission medium is selected from the group consisting of coaxial cable; twisted pairs of wires; optical fibers; free space, and peripheral connections.

18 The method of claim 13 further comprising coupling said network to an onboard diagnostic system

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said onboard diagnostic system comprises a dedicated bus and wherem couplmg said network to said onboard diagnostic system compnses coupling said network to said dedicated bus

20. A method for providmg services to a vehicle compnsmg: providmg a source of services external to the vehicle; providmg a sub-network internal to the vehicle; establishing a communications link between said source of services and said sub-network; and transmitting service data from said source of services to said sub-network.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said source of services comprises a primary network

22. The method of claim 21 further compnsmg automatically establishing said communications link between said primary network and said sub-network when said sub-network is withm range of said primary network

23 The method of claim 22 wherein automatically establishing said communications link compnses said sub-network transmittmg a notification signal to said primary network and transmittmg said service data from said primary network to said sub-network in response to receivmg said notification signal.

24 The method of claim 20 wherem said sub-network compnses a communication device, further comprising said communication device establishing said communications link between said source of services and said sub-network.

25. The method of claim 24 wherem said communication device has a correspondmg IP address, further comprising directing communications from said source of services to said sub-network via said IP address corresponding to said communication device

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said sub-network comprises one or more network devices in addition to said communication device, further compnsmg said communication device performing network address translation to direct communications from said source of services to individual ones of said one or more network devices.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein said communication device comprises a wireless ethernet device and wherein establishing a communications link between said source of services and said sub-network compnses said sub-network jommg a LAN to which said source of service is coupled.

28. The method of claim 20 further compnsmg said source of services querying said vehicle for information.

29 The method of claim 28 wherem said information comprises vehicle diagnostic information.

30 The method of claim 28 wherein said information comprises user preference information

31. The method of claim 28 wherein said transmitting service data from said source of services to said subnetwork is performed m response to said information

32 The method of claim 20 further comprising said source of services presenting one or more service options to a user of said vehicle

33. A system for providing a service to a vehicle compnsmg a vehicle, a primary network external to said vehicle; and a sub-network internal to said vehicle; wherem a first device coupled to said sub-network is individually addressable; and wherem said first device is configured to receive service data from said primary network, said service data bemg addressed to said first device.

34. The system of claim 33 further compnsmg a communication device coupled to said sub-network, wherem said communication device is configured to receive said service data from said pπmary network and to forward said service data to said first device.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the system is configured to translate a first IP address to which said service data is addressed using network address translation to produce an internal IP address of said first device.

36. The system of claim 33 wherein said first device coupled to said sub-network is individually addressable usmg IP addressmg.

37. The system of claim 36 wherem said first device coupled to said sub-network is individually addressable usmg network address translation.

38 The system of claim 33 wherein said first device coupled to said sub-network is individually addressable using object termmology.