IP Library Granted Patent US 12711814
Granted Patent B2
US 12711814 · App. 18/060,357 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Virtualized test environment for vehicle topologies with multiple electronic vehicle control units

Inventor: Blaise Lengrand (Heidelberg, DE)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
G07C5/008G07C5/085
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12711814
App. No.
18/060,357
Granted
Aug 18, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device may receive a vehicle topology and may generate predefined processes for components of the vehicle topology. The device may provide, to a user device, data identifying the predefined processes, and may receive, from the user device, user-defined processes and a selection of particular predefined processes for execution of a test. The device may identify containers to be created for the user-defined processes and the particular predefined processes, and may identify virtual networks to interconnect the containers. The device may identify an order of execution for the user-defined processes and the particular predefined processes, and may generate a file that defines the containers, the virtual networks, and the order of execution. The device may cause the file to be implemented in a virtualized environment, and may orchestrate the test. The device may generate results based on orchestration of the test, and may perform actions based on the results.

Claims (94)

1 . A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, a vehicle topology associated with a vehicle;

generating, by the device, predefined processes for components of the vehicle topology;

providing, by the device and to a user device, data identifying the predefined processes for the components of the vehicle topology;

receiving, by the device and from the user device, one or more user-defined processes and a selection of one or more of the predefined processes for execution of a test;

identifying, by the device, one or more containers to be created for the one or more user-defined processes and the one or more of the predefined processes;

identifying, by the device, one or more virtual networks to interconnect the one or more containers;

identifying, by the device, an order of execution for the one or more user-defined processes and the one or more of the predefined processes;

generating, by the device, a file that defines the one or more containers, the one or more virtual networks, and the order of execution;

causing, by the device, the file to be implemented in a virtualized environment;

orchestrating, by the device, the test via the one or more containers, the one or more virtual networks, and the order of execution;

generating, by the device, results based on orchestration of the test; and

performing, by the device, one or more actions based on the results.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle topology includes one or more of:

a power system of an on-board system of the vehicle,

one or more sensors of the on-board system of the vehicle,

one or more controllers of the on-board system of the vehicle, or

an on-board computing device of the on-board system of the vehicle.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the predefined processes for the components of the vehicle topology comprises:

utilizing rules that simulate the components of the vehicle topology generate to the predefined processes.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the data identifying the predefined processes for the components of the vehicle topology comprises:

storing the data identifying the predefined processes for the components of the vehicle topology in a library; and

providing, to the user device, the data identifying the predefined processes for the components of the vehicle topology based on the user device accessing the library.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the user-defined processes simulate one or more of the components of the vehicle topology.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the one or more containers to be created for the one or more user-defined processes and the one or more of the predefined processes comprises:

analyzing requirements for the user-defined processes;

identifying one or more containers in the virtualized environment capable of handling the requirements for the user-defined processes;

analyzing requirements for the predefined processes; and

identifying one or more additional containers in the virtualized environment capable of handling the requirements for the predefined processes.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the one or more virtual networks to interconnect the one or more containers comprises:

analyzing the vehicle topology to identify networks of the vehicle topology;

determining requirements for the networks; and

identifying the one or more virtual networks in the virtualized environment capable of handling the requirements for the networks.

8 . A device, comprising:

one or more memories; and

one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, configured to:

provide, to a user device, data identifying predefined processes for components of a vehicle topology associated with a vehicle;

receive, from the user device, one or more user-defined processes and a selection of one or more of the predefined processes for execution of a test;

identify one or more containers to be created for the one or more user-defined processes and the one or more of the predefined processes;

identify one or more virtual networks to interconnect the one or more containers;

identify an order of execution for the one or more user-defined processes and the one or more of the predefined processes;

generate a file that defines the one or more containers, the one or more virtual networks, and the order of execution;

cause the file to be implemented in a virtualized environment;

orchestrate the test via the one or more containers, the one or more virtual networks, and the order of execution;

generate results based on orchestration of the test; and

perform one or more actions based on the results.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors, to identify the order of execution for the one or more user-defined processes and the one or more of the predefined processes, are configured to:

analyze the one or more user-defined processes and the one or more of the predefined processes; and

identify the order of execution based on analyzing the one or more user-defined processes and the one or more of the predefined processes.

10 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the file includes instructions that cause the virtualized environment to create the one or more containers, create the one or more virtual networks, and execute the test based on the order of execution and via the one or more containers and the one or more virtual networks.

11 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the results include information identifying one or more of:

outputs of simulation of the components of the vehicle topology, or

errors generated by simulation of the components of the vehicle topology.

12 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors, to perform the one or more actions, are configured to:

provide the results for display to the user device; or

validate the one or more user-defined processes and/or the one or more of the predefined processes based on the results.

13 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors, to perform the one or more actions, are configured to:

recommend a modification to one of the one or more user-defined processes based on the results; or

recommend a modification to one of the one or more of the predefined processes based on the results.

14 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors, to perform the one or more actions, are configured to:

modify the test based on the results to generate a modified test; and

cause the modified test to be executed to generate additional results.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the device to:

receive a vehicle topology associated with a vehicle;

generate predefined processes for components of the vehicle topology;

provide, to a user device, data identifying the predefined processes for the components of the vehicle topology;

receive, from the user device, one or more user-defined processes and a selection of one or more of the predefined processes for execution of a test;

identify one or more containers to be created for the one or more user-defined processes and the one or more of the predefined processes;

identify one or more virtual networks to interconnect the one or more containers;

identify an order of execution for the one or more user-defined processes and the one or more of the predefined processes;

cause the one or more containers, the one or more virtual networks, and the order of execution to be implemented in a virtualized environment;

orchestrate the test via the one or more containers, the one or more virtual networks, and the order of execution;

generate results based on orchestration of the test; and

perform one or more actions based on the results.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the device to generate the predefined processes for the components of the vehicle topology, cause the device to:

utilize rules that simulate the components of the vehicle topology generate to the predefined processes.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the device to provide the data identifying the predefined processes for the components of the vehicle topology, cause the device to:

store the data identifying the predefined processes for the components of the vehicle topology in a library; and

provide, to the user device, the data identifying the predefined processes for the components of the vehicle topology based on the user device accessing the library.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the device to identify the one or more containers to be created for the one or more user-defined processes and the one or more of the predefined processes, cause the device to:

analyze requirements for the user-defined processes;

identify one or more containers in the virtualized environment capable of handling the requirements for the user-defined processes;

analyze requirements for the predefined processes; and

identify one or more additional containers in the virtualized environment capable of handling the requirements for the predefined processes.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the device to identify the one or more virtual networks to interconnect the one or more containers, cause the device to:

analyze the vehicle topology to identify networks of the vehicle topology;

determine requirements for the networks; and

identify the one or more virtual networks in the virtualized environment capable of handling the requirements for the networks.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the device to perform the one or more actions, cause the device to one or more of:

provide the results for display to the user device;

validate the one or more user-defined processes and/or the one or more of the predefined processes based on the results;

recommend a modification to one of the one or more user-defined processes based on the results; or

recommend a modification to one of the one or more of the predefined processes based on the results.