UNIFIED VEHICLE NETWORK FRAME PROTOCOL

1 . A vehicle module, comprising:

a network port configured to support communications between a plurality of vehicle devices and a vehicular communication network in accordance with a communication protocol of the vehicular communication network, the plurality of vehicle devices comprising one or more sensors, actuators, or electronic control units (ECUs);

a wireless unit configured to communicate wirelessly and with the plurality of vehicle devices;

a network buffer coupled to the network port; and

processing circuitry configured to cause the vehicle module to operate in a wireless mode, a wired mode and a concurrent mode, wherein in the wireless mode the network buffer and the network port are inactive and the wireless unit is active, wherein in the wired mode the wireless unit is inactive and the network buffer and the network port are active, and in the concurrent mode the wireless unit, the network buffer and the network port are active.

2 . The vehicle module of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of vehicular network interfaces, each of the plurality of vehicular network interfaces operably coupled to a respective one of the plurality of vehicle devices.

3 . The vehicle module of claim 2 , wherein in the wireless mode the wireless unit communicates with the plurality of vehicle devices via the vehicle network interfaces.

4 . The vehicle module of claim 2 , wherein the wireless mode the wireless unit communicates with the plurality of vehicle devices wirelessly without using the vehicle network interfaces.

5 . The vehicle module of claim 2 , wherein the wireless mode comprises a first mode where the wireless unit communicates with the plurality of vehicle devices via the vehicle network interfaces and a second mode where the wireless unit communicates with the plurality of vehicle devices wirelessly without using the vehicle network interfaces.

6 . The vehicle module of claim 2 , wherein the network port supports wireless inter-vehicular communications.

7 . The vehicle module of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of vehicular network interfaces; and

a switching circuit coupled between the network buffer and the plurality of vehicular network interfaces, each of the plurality of vehicular network interfaces operably coupled to the switching circuit and a respective one of the plurality of vehicle devices.

8 . The vehicle module of claim 6 , further comprising:

a synchronization unit configured to synchronize transmission and reception of concurrent packets and coordinates concurrent transmission of the same packet and concurrent transmission of different packets for the wireless unit and the network buffer in the concurrent mode.

9 . The vehicle module of claim 1 , wherein the network port comprises an Ethernet Physical Interface.

10 . The vehicle module of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of vehicle devices is configured to communicate with an analog sensor.

11 . The vehicle module of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vehicle devices comprise at least one digital sensor.

12 . The vehicle module of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vehicle devices, the network port, the network buffer, and the processing circuitry are implemented on at least two integrated circuits.

13 . The vehicle module of claim 1 , wherein the network port, the network buffer, and the processing circuitry are implemented on a single integrated circuit.

14 . The vehicle module of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry and the network port are further configured to translate the communications between an Ethernet format and a differing vehicle communication format.

15 . The vehicle module of claim 14 , wherein the differing vehicle communication format comprises one of:

J1850 format;

OBDII format;

Intellibus format;

Controller Area Network (CAN) format;

FlexRay format;

Bosch-Siemens-Temic format;

Motorola® interconnect (MI) format;

Mobile Media Link (MML) format;

Domestic Digital Data (D2B) format;

smartwireX format;

inter-equipment bus (IEBus) format; or

media oriented systems transport (MOST) format.

16 . A vehicle module comprising:

a plurality of vehicular network interfaces configured to support communications between a plurality of vehicle devices and a vehicular communication network;

a network port;

a wireless unit configured to communicate wirelessly and with the plurality of vehicle devices;

a network buffer coupled to the network port;

a switching circuit coupled to the network buffer and the plurality of vehicular network interfaces, the switching circuit configured to facilitate communication of packets between the plurality of vehicle devices and the vehicular communication network via the network port; and

processing circuitry coupled to the switching circuit and the network buffer, the processing circuitry configured to cause the vehicle module to operate in a wireless mode, aa wired mode and a concurrent mode, wherein in the wireless mode the network buffer and the network port are inactive and the wireless unit is active, wherein in the wired mode the wireless unit is inactive and the network buffer and the network port are active, and in the concurrent mode the wireless unit, the network buffer and the network port are active.

17 . The vehicle module of claim 16 , wherein the wireless mode comprises a first mode where the wireless unit communicates with the plurality of vehicle devices via vehicle network interfaces and a second mode where the wireless unit communicates with the plurality of vehicle devices wirelessly without using the vehicle network interfaces.

18 . The vehicle module of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of vehicular network interfaces is operably coupled to the switching circuit and a respective one of the plurality of vehicle devices.

19 . A method of operating a network module comprising a network port configured to support communications between a plurality of vehicle devices and a vehicular communication network in accordance with a communication protocol of the vehicular communication network, the plurality of vehicle devices comprising one or more sensors, actuators, or electronic control units (ECUs), a wireless unit configured to communicate wirelessly and with the plurality of vehicle devices, a network buffer coupled to the network port, the method comprising:

selectively operating in a wireless mode where the network buffer and the network port are inactive and the wireless unit is active; and

selectively operating in a wired mode where the wireless unit is inactive and the network buffer and the network port are active.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

selectively operating in a concurrent mode where the wireless unit, the network buffer and the network port are active.