IP Library Granted Patent US 12,015,524
Granted Patent B2
US 12,015,524 · App. 17/570,125 · Granted Jun 18, 2024

System, method, and apparatus to support mixed network communications on a vehicle

Inventors: Yu Fang (Palo Alto, CA); Yixiang Chen (Palo Alto, CA); Xuanran Zong (Sunnyvale, CA); Robin Reed (Redwood City, CA)
Assignee: Sonatus, Inc.
H04L41/0893G07C5/008H04L41/28H04L43/0876H04L47/20H04L61/3025H04L61/4511H04L63/0236H04W4/40H04L2012/40215H04L2012/40273
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,015,524
App. No.
17/570,125
Granted
Jun 18, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

An example system includes a vehicle having a first network and a second network of a different type than the first network; and a communication device interposed between the first network and the second network and structured to: generate network status data by monitoring communications of one or more devices on the first and/or the second networks; and transmit the network status data to a sensor device external to the vehicle.

Claims (61)

1. A system comprising:

a vehicle having a first network and a second network of a different type than the first network; and

a communication device interposed between the first network and the second network and structured to:

generate network status data by monitoring communications of one or more devices on the first and/or the second networks; and

transmit the network status data to a sensor device external to the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the communication device comprises a plurality of ports on the first network; and

the communication device is further structured to configure at least a first port of the plurality to mirror at least a second port of the plurality.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein:

the communication device comprises a plurality of ports on the first network; and

the communication device is further structured to:

assign a first device, of a plurality of devices, on the second network to a port of the plurality; and

transmit the network status data to the sensor device on the first network via at least one port of the plurality.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the second network is arranged in a bus topology and the first network is arranged in a star topology.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication device is further structured to determine a statistical value based at least in part on the monitored communications of the one or more devices on the first and/or the second networks and including the statistical value in the network status.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication device is further structured to determine an event value based at least in part on the monitored communications of the one or more devices on the first and/or the second networks and including the event value in the network status.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the event value is based at least in part on an error condition.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication device is further structured to:

modify the network status data.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the communication device is further structured to:

selectively modify the network status data in response to a data selection command value; and

include data in the network status data that corresponds to at least one device, on the first or second network, identified by the data selection command value.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the communication device is further structured to:

selectively modify the network status data in response to a data selection command value; and

include data in the network status data that corresponds to one or more systems of the vehicle identified by the data selection command value.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the communication device is further structured to:

selectively modify the network status data in response to a data selection command value; and

include data in the network status data that corresponds to at least one protocol identified by the data selection command value.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one protocol comprises a controller area network (CAN) or an on-board diagnostic (OBD).

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first network and/or the second network is controller area network (CAN) based.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first network and/or the second network is Ethernet based.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first network or the second network is controller area network (CAN) based, and the other of the first network and the second network is Ethernet based.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a first network interface circuit structured to interpret first communications data of a first network onboard a vehicle;

a second network interface circuit structured to interpret second communications data of a second network onboard the vehicle, the second network of a different type than the first network; and

a network status circuit structured to generate network status data by monitoring the interpreted first and/or the second communications data;

wherein the first and/or the second network interface circuit is further structured to transmit the network status data.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first network interface circuit has a plurality of ports and the apparatus further comprises:

a configuration circuit structured to configure at least a first port of the plurality to mirror at least a second port of the plurality.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first network interface circuit has a plurality of ports and the apparatus comprises:

a configuration circuit structured to:

interpret a port assignment command value that identifies both a selected port, of the plurality of ports, and a device on the second network;

identify portions of the second communications data corresponding to the identified device; and

transmit the identified portions of the second communications data via the selected port.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising:

a configuration circuit structured to modify the network status data.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the configuration circuit is further structured to:

selectively modify the network status data in response to a data selection command value, and

include data in the network status data that corresponds to at least one device identified by the data selection command value.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the configuration circuit is further structured to:

selectively modify the network status data in response to a data selection command value; and

include data in the network status data that corresponds to one or more systems of the vehicle identified by the data selection command value.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the configuration circuit is further structured to:

selectively modify the network status data in response to a data selection command value; and

include data in the network status data that corresponds to at least one protocol identified by the data selection command value.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the identified protocol comprises one of a controller area network (CAN) or an on-board diagnostic (OBD).

24. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the network status circuit is structured to determine a statistical value based at least in part on the monitored interpreted first and/or the second communications data and including the statistical value in the network status data.

25. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the network status circuit is structured to determine an event value based at least in part on the monitored interpreted first and/or the second communications data and including the event value in the network status data.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the event value is based at least in part on an error condition.

27. The system of claim 15 , wherein the communication device is structured to translate communications from the CAN based network or the Ethernet based network to the other of the CAN based network or the Ethernet based network.

28. The system of claim 15 , wherein the communication device is structured to regulate communications from the CAN based network or the Ethernet based network to the other of the CAN based network or the Ethernet based network.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 23, 2025
From: SONATUS, INC.; SONATUS INTERNATIONAL HOLDING INC.; SONATUS IRELAND, LIMITED
To: TRIPLEPOINT CAPITAL LLC
Reel/Frame 074052/0671 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 15, 2022
From: FANG, YU; CHEN, YIXIANG; ZONG, XUANRAN; REED, ROBIN
To: SONATUS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059010/0932 →
Continuity (7)
Continuation 17027167 · Sep 21, 2020
Provisional Application 63024383 · May 13, 2020
Provisional Application 62986444 · Mar 6, 2020
Provisional Application 62911249 · Oct 5, 2019
Provisional Application 62911248 · Oct 5, 2019
Provisional Application 62903462 · Sep 20, 2019
Related Publication 20220131752A1 · Apr 28, 2022