Granted Patent B2

US 12,314,210 · App. 18/320,184 · Granted May 27, 2025

Inventors: Benjamin T. Lindow (Plano, TX); James Andrew Mialkowski (Plano, TX); Jan Paul Reguero-Inserni (Plano, TX); Nathan Humpal (San Antonio, TX)

Assignees: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.; TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA

G06F13/4282H04L12/40H04L69/08G06F2213/0042H04L2012/40215

Abstract

Claims (62)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a hardware interface;

a network interface; and

a processor configured to:

establish a network channel between the network interface and a network interface of a remote computing system coupled to an electronic control unit (ECU),

assign the ECU a network address of a virtual private network (VPN) via a virtual bus, wherein the VPN is established via the virtual bus,

receive, via the hardware interface, a CAN message from a hardware element that is coupled to the hardware interface,

convert the CAN message into an Ethernet packet message, and forward the Ethernet packet message to the ECU on the remote computing system via an established network channel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

receive the CAN message from another ECU coupled to the hardware interface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

convert data received via a universal serial bus (USB) interface within the CAN message into an Ethernet packet configured to be transmitted over the Internet to the network interface of the remote computing system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

convert one or more of Bluetooth data and High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) data within the CAN message into the Ethernet packet message.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

convert USB data within the CAN message into the Ethernet packet message via a message broker within the virtual bus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

receive the CAN message from another ECU coupled to a local CAN bus of the apparatus, and

forward the Ethernet packet message to a local CAN bus on a remote computing system.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

embed status information into the Ethernet packet message, which indicates that the ECU and the another ECU are coupled to a same network.

8. A method comprising:

establishing a network channel between a network interface of a computing system and a network interface of a remote computing system coupled to an electronic control unit (ECU);

assigning the ECU a network address of a virtual private network (VPN) via a virtual bus, wherein the VPN is established via the virtual bus;

receiving, via a hardware interface of the computing system, a CAN message from a hardware element that is coupled to the hardware interface;

converting the CAN message into an Ethernet packet message; and

forwarding the Ethernet packet message to the ECU on the remote computing system via the established network channel.

9. A method comprising:

establishing a network channel between a network interface of a computing system and a network interface of a remote computing system coupled to an electronic control unit (ECU);

assigning the ECU a network address of a virtual private network (VPN) via a virtual bus, wherein the VPN is established via the virtual bus;

receiving, via a hardware interface of the computing system, a CAN message from a hardware element that is coupled to the hardware interface;

converting the CAN message into an Ethernet packet message; and

forwarding the Ethernet packet message to the ECU on the remote computing system via the established network channel.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the converting comprises:

converting data received via a universal serial bus (USB) interface of the computing system into an Ethernet packet configured to be transmitted over the Internet to the network interface of the remote computing system.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the converting comprises:

converting one or more of Bluetooth data and HDMI data within the CAN message into the Ethernet packet message.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the converting comprises:

converting USB data within the CAN message via a message broker within the virtual bus.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the receiving comprises:

receiving the CAN message from another ECU coupled to a local CAN bus of the computing system, and

the forwarding comprises:

forwarding the Ethernet packet message to a local CAN bus on the remote computing system.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:

embedding status information into the Ethernet packet message, which indicates that the ECU and the another ECU are coupled to a same network.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform:

establishing a network channel between a network interface of a computing system and a network interface of a remote computing system coupled to an electronic control unit (ECU);

assigning the ECU a network address of a virtual private network (VPN) via a virtual bus, wherein the VPN is established via the virtual bus;

receiving, via a hardware interface of the computing system, a CAN message from a hardware element that is coupled to the hardware interface;

converting the CAN message into an Ethernet packet message; and

forwarding the Ethernet packet message to the ECU on the remote computing system via the established network channel.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the receiving comprises:

receiving the CAN message from another ECU coupled to the hardware interface of the computing system.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform:

establishing a network channel between a network interface of a computing system and a network interface of a remote computing system coupled to an electronic control unit (ECU);

assigning the ECU a network address of a virtual private network (VPN) via a virtual bus, wherein the VPN is established via the virtual bus;

receiving, via a hardware interface of the computing system, a CAN message from a hardware element that is coupled to the hardware interface;

converting the CAN message into an Ethernet packet message; and

forwarding the Ethernet packet message to the ECU on the remote computing system via the established network channel.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the establishing comprises:

establishing a virtual private network (VPN) via a virtual bus, and

assigning the ECU on the remote computing system a network address of the VPN via the virtual bus.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (64)