IP Library Granted Patent US 10,212,081
Granted Patent B2
US 10,212,081 · App. 15/363,964 · Granted Feb 19, 2019

Systems and methods for implementing a time-stamped controller area network (CAN) bus message

Inventors: Biing Long Shu (Singapore, SG); Dehuan Meng (Beijing, CN); Hugh Walsh (Los Gatos, CA); Fei Wu (Beijing, CN)
Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
H04L45/745H04L12/40H04L12/40143H04L12/40163H04L12/4625H04L12/4633H04L12/4662H04L12/66H04L43/106H04L45/021H04L45/16H04L45/54H04L47/28H04L2012/40215
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,212,081
App. No.
15/363,964
Granted
Feb 19, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided herein for time-stamping a Controller Area Network (“CAN”) bus message. Control circuitry (e.g., of a network bridge) may receive a CAN message, and may, in response to receiving the CAN message, generate a time stamp. The control circuitry may add an entry to a lookup table stored in memory, wherein the entry correlates a CAN message Identifier (“ID”) corresponding to the CAN message with the time stamp. The control circuitry may encapsulate the CAN message and the time stamp, and may transmit the CAN message according to the time stamp.

Claims (54)

1. A method for time-stamping a Controller Area Network (“CAN”) bus message, the method comprising:

receiving a CAN message at a network bridge;

in response to receiving the CAN message, generating a time stamp;

adding an entry to a lookup table stored in memory of the network bridge, wherein the entry correlates a CAN message Identifier (“ID”) corresponding to the CAN message with the time stamp;

determining that a message with the CAN message ID is to be transmitted over an Ethernet network;

determining the time stamp associated with the CAN message ID by looking up the CAN message ID in the lookup table;

scheduling the CAN message for transmission over the Ethernet network based on the time stamp; and

transmitting the CAN message over the Ethernet network according to the time stamp of the entry.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the time stamp indicates a time in which a Start-of-Frame (“SOF”) of the CAN message is received by the network bridge.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises determining the CAN message ID by, in response to the network bridge receiving the SOF of the CAN message:

monitoring a CAN bus of the CAN for a CAN frame corresponding to the CAN message;

detecting, from the monitoring, the CAN frame; and

identifying the CAN message ID from an arbitration field of the CAN frame.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein adding the entry to the lookup table comprises adding the entry to the lookup table in response to receiving a last bit of an End-of-Frame corresponding to the CAN message.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lookup table comprises a finite amount of entries, wherein each entry of the finite amount of entries comprises an associated age, and wherein adding the entry to the lookup table comprises:

deleting an oldest entry in the lookup table;

increasing the age of each entry remaining in the lookup table; and

assigning the added entry an age that is youngest relative to each other entry of the lookup table.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the time stamp comprises adding an amount of latency to a time at which the CAN message is received.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the time stamp associated with the CAN message ID by looking up the CAN message ID in the lookup table comprises:

detecting, when looking up the CAN message ID in the lookup table, a plurality of entries that each correspond to the CAN message ID;

determining a time stamp for each entry of the plurality of entries; and

selecting the time stamp of the entry of the plurality of entries with a smallest corresponding age.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the CAN message according to the time stamp of the entry comprises:

packaging the time stamp and the CAN message into an Ethernet frame; and transmitting the Ethernet frame over the Ethernet network.

9. A system for time-stamping a Controller Area Network (“CAN”) bus message, the system comprising:

a network bridge comprising:

memory; and

control circuitry configured to:

receive a CAN message;

in response to receiving the CAN message, generate a time stamp;

add an entry to a lookup table stored in the memory of the network bridge, wherein the entry correlates a CAN message Identifier (“ID”) corresponding to the CAN message with the time stamp;

determine that a message with the CAN message ID is to be transmitted over an Ethernet network;

determine the time stamp associated with the CAN message ID by looking up the CAN message ID in the lookup table;

schedule the CAN message for transmission over the Ethernet network based on the time stamp; and

transmit the CAN message over the Ethernet network according to the time stamp of the entry.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the time stamp indicates a time in which a Start-of-Frame (“SOF”) of the CAN message is received by the network bridge.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine the CAN message ID by, in response to the network bridge receiving the SOF of the CAN message:

monitoring a CAN bus of the CAN for a CAN frame corresponding to the CAN message;

detecting, from the monitoring, the CAN frame; and

identifying the CAN message ID from an arbitration field of the CAN frame.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when adding the entry to the lookup table, to add the entry to the lookup table in response to receiving a last bit of an End-of-Frame corresponding to the CAN message.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the lookup table comprises a finite amount of entries, wherein each entry of the finite amount of entries comprises an associated age, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when adding the entry to the lookup table, to:

delete an oldest entry in the lookup table;

increase the age of each entry remaining in the lookup table; and

assign the added entry an age that is youngest relative to each other entry of the lookup table.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when generating the time stamp, to add an amount of latency to a time at which the CAN message is received.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when determining the time stamp associated with the CAN message ID by looking up the CAN message ID in the lookup table, to:

detect, when looking up the CAN message ID in the lookup table, a plurality of entries that each correspond to the CAN message ID;

determine a time stamp for each entry of the plurality of entries; and

select the time stamp of the entry of the plurality of entries with a smallest corresponding age.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when transmitting the CAN message according to the time stamp of the entry, to:

package the time stamp and the CAN message into an Ethernet frame; and

transmit the Ethernet frame over the Ethernet network.

Assignments (13)
MERGER Recorded Sep 5, 2025
From: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES US NEWCO LLC
To: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AMERICAS CORP.
Reel/Frame 072563/0971 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 22, 2025
From: MARVELL ASIA PTE LTD
To: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES US NEWCO LLC
Reel/Frame 072558/0700 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2020
From: CAVIUM INTERNATIONAL
To: MARVELL ASIA PTE, LTD.
Reel/Frame 053475/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2020
From: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
To: CAVIUM INTERNATIONAL
Reel/Frame 052918/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 29, 2020
From: MARVELL WORLD TRADE LTD.
To: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
Reel/Frame 051778/0537 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2017
From: MARVELL TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) LTD.
To: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
Reel/Frame 040975/0767 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2017
From: MARVELL SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
Reel/Frame 040970/0059 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2017
From: MENG, DEHUAN; WU, FEI
To: MARVELL TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) LTD.
Reel/Frame 041354/0726 →
LICENSE Recorded Jan 12, 2017
From: MARVELL WORLD TRADE LTD.
To: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
Reel/Frame 040993/0224 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2017
From: MARVELL ASIA PTE, LTD. (REGISTRATION NO. 199702379M)
To: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
Reel/Frame 040970/0088 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2017
From: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
To: MARVELL WORLD TRADE LTD.
Reel/Frame 040970/0098 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2017
From: WALSH, HUGH
To: MARVELL SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 040971/0855 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2017
From: SHU, BIING LONG
To: MARVELL ASIA PTE, LTD. (REGISTRATION NO. 199702379M)
Reel/Frame 040974/0186 →
Continuity (4)
Provisional Application 62261611 · Dec 1, 2015
Provisional Application 62261629 · Dec 1, 2015
Provisional Application 62261583 · Dec 1, 2015
Related Publication 20170155586A1 · Jun 1, 2017