Abstract: A method of adding a device to a vehicle communications network. The method is used to announce a device added to the vehicle communications network to the other devices already connected to the vehicle communications network and to make the newly added device controllable for other devices via a driver. Either a default driver or a special driver is used, the special driver being loaded from the device itself or via a telecommunications network or by the user. The device recognized is entered into a database together with the particular driver. The newly added device is recognized either by a message from the newly added device to the bus manager or by an initialization phase triggered by the newly added device. If the database for entries is exhausted, the entries for devices not connected to the vehicle communications network for the longest period of time are deleted. A bus according to IEEE 1394 may be used as the vehicle communications network.

Abstract: A method of controlling access to devices in a vehicle communications network and regulating access of an application to devices required for the application. Priorities are issued for this access. A driver manager makes the required drivers for operating and controlling the individual devices available to the application. A resource manager allocates or assigns the devices to a requesting application in accordance with their priority and availability.

Abstract: A process, a control center, and a terminal device are proposed for transmitting messages to terminal devices in a, in particular, wireless, telecommunications system with a control center and with terminal devices. The transmission protocol is frame structured in the time domain. In the transmission protocol, the terminal devices ignore messages from the control center during a single frame, or several consecutive frames. The following steps are carried out in order to transmit a message to one terminal device or to a plurality of terminal devices: First, a number of terminal device groups which includes the majority of the terminal devices are formed by the control center. Each terminal device belongs to exactly one terminal device group and all terminal devices of a terminal device group are ready to receive messages during the same frame. Second, the message that is to be sent is transmitted to each of at least one terminal device group during one possible frame.

Abstract: A method for operating a navigation system and a navigation system for a vehicle, a motor vehicle in particular, data concerning geographic positions of the vehicle being determined by a position-finding system and transmitted to an electronic data processing device having access to a database and a digital road map. Based on this data, the location of the vehicle on the digital road map is determined and route guidance instructions are output to the driver of the vehicle acoustically and/or visually. Also, information from the navigation system may be used for traveling routes selected by the driver himself before the start of the trip and to which the navigation system does not output any route guidance instructions. Routes selected by the driver himself are entered into the navigation system and stored by a route memory of the navigation system.

Abstract: A method of allocating transmission resources to respective terminals in a centrally controlled communication system in which the transmission resource allocation to the terminal is performed by a central unit includes allocating the transmission resources for at least one frame-oriented connection of a deterministic kind, particularly such that operates with a substantially constant data rate, independently of any previously issued resource requests for non-deterministic connections; providing a special designation for such a deterministic connection to distinguish the same from other connections; and correcting non-synchronous timing between the central unit and the affected terminals particularly for such a deterministic connection.

Abstract: To control links in a communication system, a message having information about the transmission format is transmitted in response to a link request. After the determination of if sufficient transmission capacity is available for this transmission format, link data and priority attributes are used to check if an existing link can be stopped in favor of the desired link.

Abstract: To control access to elements within a bus system or network, an external device (100) identifies itself with a bus manager or network manager (300) via a device-specific identifier. After authentication on the basis of a digital key, access is granted to the external device in accordance with its membership in a certain class of elements of the bus system or network.

Abstract: A method for controlling devices in a communications network in a motor vehicle and a device in a communications network in a motor vehicle are proposed, which are used to control newly added devices. To that end, a generic control module and data stored in the device are used to generate a device-specific control component, which can be used to control the device. The device-specific control component can either be added to the generic control module or can be stored independently of the generic control module in the respective device. The generic control module is used in a gateway or a system manager of the communications network. The human-machine interface is adapted by means of the device-specific control component. A bus system, preferably embodied according to IEEE 1394, is used as the technology for the communications network. The essential advantage of the invention is the self-configurability of the communications network and its devices.

Abstract: A method for handling a faulty device in a vehicle communication network is provided, which is used to identify devices that are either faulty, were removed from the vehicle communication network or were switched off, and to automatically initiate a fault-remedying measure. An expanded, device-specific driver having diagnostic functions is loaded by another device of the network to send a test signal to the faulty device. Either the faulty device is restarted or the faulty device is switched off depending on the reaction to the test signal. If a device is removed from the network, this is indicated in a database. A bus manager will inform other devices connected to the network that this device was removed from the network. Due to a classification of the individual devices connected to the network, not every device is able to perform the fault handling, but rather only suitably classified devices. Misuse is thereby prevented.

Abstract: In order to operate a communications network in a power-saving mode, a central processing unit (2) decides, on the basis of activities and/or states, if it is possible to switch network elements (1) to the power-saving mode. A forthcoming switch to the power-saving mode is announced to the network elements (1).

Abstract: A method of controlling access to devices in a vehicle communications network and regulating access of an application to devices required for the application. Priorities are issued for this access. A driver manager makes the required drivers for operating and controlling the individual devices available to the application. A resource manager allocates or assigns the devices to a requesting application in accordance with their priority and availability.

Abstract: A method of adding a device to a vehicle communications network. The method is used to announce a device added to the vehicle communications network to the other devices already connected to the vehicle communications network and to make the newly added device controllable for other devices via a driver. Either a default driver or a special driver is used, the special driver being loaded from the device itself or via a telecommunications network or by the user. The device recognized is entered into a database together with the particular driver. The newly added device is recognized either by a message from the newly added device to the bus manager or by an initialization phase triggered by the newly added device. If the database for entries is exhausted, the entries for devices not connected to the vehicle communications network for the longest period of time are deleted. A bus according to IEEE 1394 may be used as the vehicle communications network.

Abstract: A method a method of accessing a device in a communications network in a motor vehicle via an external device (1) is described, a software element being transmitted to the external device in the case of authorized access to a device in the communications network to permit control of the device in the communications network by the external device. A gateway checks on whether access is possible, either checking directly with the device requested or via the system manager. Security in communication between the external device and the device to be controlled is achieved by an additional encryption and/or a specified validity period of the software element transcribed to the external device. If there is no software element for a device to be controlled, such a software element is created by using a control module and data stored in the device. A bus system, preferably according to IEEE 1394, is used as the communications network. This method increases security while at the same time using a less complex gateway.

Abstract: A method of operating a device which is connected to a vehicle communications network is described, a switched-off device being reactivated by the bus manager via a frequency pulse transmitted over a power supply line. The device may be switched off by the bus manager or by itself if there is no data communication with the device for a predetermined period of time. The frequency pulse is analyzed by an analyzer circuit of the switched-off device, the analyzer circuit having a frequency-selective filter and a threshold detector. The frequency pulse may be transmitted at a frequency which is valid for only one device or at a frequency for a group of devices or at a frequency for all devices. If the devices are arranged in branches, then all the devices downstream from a switched-off device are also switched off or reactivated.

Abstract: The electronic system, especially a security system, includes a number of different units that access a network according to a multiple access protocol, which is designed to minimize collisions between frames while reducing bandwidth requirements. The units may monitor different spatial regions according to several different criteria. Respective units that monitor according to correspondingly different criteria in a given spatial region may be assembled into one group and units that monitor different spatial regions but according to the same criterion may be assembled into another group. Each of the units of the one group are provided access to the network in one concurrent time slot, while the units of the other group are provided access to the network in a different concurrent time slot.

Abstract: The device for data transmission has a main station (3) and a number of terminals (1) and is provided with a device for coordinating operation in respective signaling data phases for downlink (42) and uplink (52) and corresponding useful signal data phases (41, 51). Each transmission frame (5) has a first data field (4211) that is fixed in length and is for required, time-critical, data and at least one other data field (4212) which is flexible in length and for only sporadically required data using various information elements (6), such as announcements of frequency changes, status information, additions to manufacture-specific information, warnings and/or information regarding the capabilities of the main station.

Abstract: A bus station for an optical bus system includes an input stage and an address detection device. The address detection device is deactivated in a first rest state.