Abstract: A wired and wireless vehicle communication network includes network node modules, switch modules, bridge-routing modules, and a network manager. The network manager is operable to determine a wired packet communication mode and/or a wireless packet communication mode. When the network is in the wireless packet communication mode, the network manager coordinates wireless communication of packets among the network node modules, the switch modules, and the bridge-routing modules based on individual content of the packets and wireless channel mapping. When the network is in the wired packet communication mode, the network manager coordinates wired communication of packets among the network node modules, the switch modules, and the bridge-routing modules based on the individual content of the packets and in accordance with a global vehicle network communication protocol.

Abstract: Aspects of methods and systems for determination and exchange of network timing information are provided. In one such method, a propagation delay of a network physical link is determined using a plurality of time stamps. The time stamps are provided by one or more sending nodes traversed by a packet along the network physical link. The length of the network physical link is calculated, utilizing the determined propagation delay. The determined propagation delay and/or the length of the network physical link is appended to the packet.

Abstract: A vehicle network link module includes network fabric ports, a port, a switching circuit, and a link manager. The network fabric ports are operable for coupling to corresponding network fabric ports of another vehicle network fabric link module. The port is operable for coupling to a port of a vehicle network module. The switching circuit is operable to connect an active network fabric port to the port. The link manager determines whether vehicle network packet conveyance via the active network fabric port has degenerated below a threshold. When the vehicle network packet conveyance has degenerated below a threshold, the link manager determines use mode of the active network fabric port. The link manager processing module then selects a new active network fabric port based on the use mode. The link manager then activates the new active network fabric port for coupling via the switching circuit to the port.

Abstract: Hypervisor functions, which may control operations of one or more virtual machines, may be distributed across a plurality of network devices. State information may be stored for the virtual machines on network devices for fault tolerance and resilience. The virtual machines may retrieve stored state information to recover from a fault. The hypervisor may control the storage of the state information. Resources of the network devices may be allocated for fault tolerance and resilience of the virtual machines based on network device parameters, which may include storage capacity, processor usage, access time, communication bandwidth, and/or latency. The state information may include program content, cache content, memory content, and/or register content information, may be stored on a continuous, periodic, or an aperiodic basis, and may be shared among the network devices to enable the processing of data by the virtual machines when a fault occurs, and may be incrementally updated.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for customized data delivery and network configuration via aggregation of device attributes are provided. In this regard, a first network device may receive device attributes from a plurality of devices that are communicatively coupled to the first network device. The first network device may aggregate the received device attributes and communicate the aggregate attributes to a source network device. The first network device may receive customized content from the source network device, wherein the customization is based on the aggregate device attributes. The first network device may communicate the customized content to the plurality of devices. The first network device may comprise, for example, a set-top box, a wired access point, and/or wireless access point. The device attributes of a device may comprise settings, capabilities, and/or user preferences of the device.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for packetizing data for servicing traffic end-to-end are provided. In this regard, a networking subsystem may receive, from an application, one or more values of one or more parameters associated with data generated by the application. The networking subsystem may packetize the data into one or more packets. The networking subsystem may translate the received one or more values into one or more corresponding OSI layer 2 tags. The networking subsystem may tag the one or more packets with the corresponding OSI layer 2 tags and transmit the tagged packet(s) to one or more link partners. The link partners may thus process and forward the tagged packet(s) by inspecting only OSI layer 2 information of the tagged packet(s). The one or more corresponding OSI layer 2 tags may indicate, for example, quality of service required by, and/or protocols associated with, the data.

Abstract: Fault tolerant and redundant grand master clock scheme may reduce or eliminate precision time transition caused by a network link or device failure. A primary synchronization message may be sent by a primary grandmaster clock and one or more backup synchronization message may be sent by respective backup grandmaster clocks. The primary and backup grandmaster clocks may be concurrently operated. The primary and backup synchronization messages may be sent to an end station over a network. The end station may derive a local clock based on one, some, or all of the received messages. The end station may or may not distinguish between the messages based on the clock source. The end station may validate messages received from a particular clock source.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for network communications utilizing shared scalable resources are provided. In this regard, networking state information for one or more of a plurality of communication devices may be communicated to a network management device. The network management device may be operable to aggregate the networking state information. The plurality of communication devices may receive aggregated networking state information from the network management device. The plurality of communication devices may route packets based on the received aggregated networking state information. The network management device may be dynamically or manually selected from the plurality of communication devices. The plurality of communication devices may be associated with a sharing domain, and one or more communication devices may be dynamically added to and/or removed from the sharing domain.

Abstract: A network management module includes a network interface module, memory, and a processing module. The network interface module is operable for coupling the network management module to a vehicle communication network. The processing module is operable to manage a global vehicle network communication protocol that includes instituting a content-based network packet processing protocol and managing the vehicle communication network to support the network packet processing protocol. The content-based network packet processing protocol includes determining content type of a packet, determining a processing requirement of the packet, and prioritizing execution of the processing requirement based on the content type.

Abstract: A network node module includes a processing module and memory. The processing module is operable to generate a header section of a frame for transmission within a unified vehicle communication network. The header section includes a preamble, routing information, and a vehicle network field, which includes information that identifies a type of the frame. The processing module is further operable to generate a payload section of the frame. The payload section includes data payload and an integrity check field. The processing module is further operable to transmit the frame to the unified vehicle communication network in accordance with a global vehicle network communication protocol.

Abstract: A power distribution system within a vehicle operates to provide power over Ethernet to a plurality of network node modules coupled to a vehicular communication network of the vehicle.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for implementing redundancy for streaming data in audio video bridging networks are provided. Network resources may be reserved over a plurality of network paths. Reserved resources may be utilized for the transmission and/or reception of a corresponding plurality of data streams, wherein one or more of the streams may comprise redundant data. A plurality of data streams may be transmitted and/or received by a plurality of network interface hardware devices. Similarly, a plurality of data streams may be transmitted and/or received by a plurality of ports integrated into a single network interface hardware device. Each of the plurality of data streams may be assigned a unique identifier and the identifier of a first data stream may differ by one bit from an identifier of a data stream comprising data redundant to the first data stream.

Abstract: A bridge routing module can be incorporated into a closed network fabric, such as a vehicular network. The bridge routing module includes an interface circuit to be coupled to other elements of the closed network fabric, for example other bridge routing modules or switch modules. The bridge routing module includes memory to store information associating packet content types with packet routing parameters, among other things. A processing module included in the bridge routing module analyzes packets to identify the type of content carried by the packets, and determines packet routing parameters based on the packet's content type. Ingress and egress of the packet are controlled in accordance with the packet routing parameters determined by the processing module.

Abstract: A gateway network device may establish secure connections to a plurality of remote network devices using tunneling protocols to distribute to the remote network devices multimedia content received from one or more content providers. The consumption of the multimedia content may originally be restricted to local network associated with the gateway network device. The secure connections may be set up using L2TP protocol, and the L2TP tunneling connections may be secured using IPSec protocol. Use of multimedia content may be restricted based on DRM policies of the content provider. DRM policies may be implemented using DTCP protocol, which may restrict use of the multimedia content based on roundtrip times and/or IP subnetting. Each content provider may use one or more VLAN identifiers during communication of the multimedia content to the gateway network device, and the gateway network device may associate an additional VLAN identifier with each secure connection.

Abstract: A data bridge controls the transfer of packets between different priority network fabrics of a closed network, e.g. high and low priority network fabrics a vehicular network. Processing circuitry determines first priority routing of a first packet from the first network fabric to the second network fabric based on packet content type of the first packet and priority conditions of the second network fabric. A determination is also made regarding whether a second packet is to be delivered from the second network fabric to the first network fabric. If the second packet is to be delivered, second priority routing of the second packet is made based on packet content type of the second packet and priority conditions of the first network fabric.

Abstract: A network management module includes a network interface module, memory, and a processing module. The network interface module is operable for coupling the network management module to a vehicle communication network. The processing module is operable to manage a global vehicle network communication protocol that includes instituting a content-based network packet processing protocol and managing the vehicle communication network to support the network packet processing protocol. The content-based network packet processing protocol includes determining content type of a packet, determining a processing requirement of the packet, and prioritizing execution of the processing requirement based on the content type.

Abstract: Power management within a vehicle is achieved by maintaining individual and/or power island power saving options for each of a plurality of devices coupled to a vehicular communication network of the vehicle. Upon determining that power savings should be enabled for a device, at least one of the power saving options for the device is selected and applied.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for determining and securing proximity information over a network are provided. In this regard, data transmitted over a network may be time-stamped upon entering and/or exiting a network node. By taking the total time to travel between two network nodes and subtracting out any latency internal to one or more intermediate nodes, the time to traverse the physical links (the propagation time) between the two network nodes may be determined. Accordingly, if the speed at which data propagates over each link of the network is known, then a distance from the source node to the destination node may be determined. Additionally, aspects of the invention may enable one or more of authentication, validation, and encryption of timing and/or proximity information transmitted over a network.

Abstract: A bridge routing module can be incorporated into a closed network fabric, such as a vehicular network. The bridge routing module includes an interface circuit to be coupled to other elements of the closed network fabric, for example other bridge routing modules or switch modules. The bridge routing module includes memory to store information associating packet content types with packet routing parameters, among other things. A processing module included in the bridge routing module analyzes packets to identify the type of content carried by the packets, and determines packet routing parameters based on the packet's content type. Ingress and egress of the packet are controlled in accordance with the packet routing parameters determined by the processing module.

Abstract: In various embodiments of a method and system for utilizing native Ethernet as a virtual memory interconnect, a first networking device may be operable to transcode a memory read command and/or a memory write command to memory access information and encapsulate the memory access information within in one or more fields of an Ethernet frame. The memory access information may be communicated over an Ethernet link to a second networking device where it may be utilized to access memory that is associated with the memory read command and/or the memory write command. For example, the memory access information may indicate an address of the memory to be accessed, whether a read operation and/or a write operation is to be performed, whether the frame comprises data to be written to the memory, and/or whether a locally administered address space is utilized.