# US 12,015,524 B2 · System, method, and apparatus to support mixed network communications on a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,015,524 B2 - Document ID: US12015524B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/570,125 - Filed: 2022-01-06 - Published: 2022-04-28 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2019-09-20 - Assignees: Sonatus, Inc. - Applicants: Sonatus, Inc. - Inventors: Yu Fang; Yixiang Chen; Xuanran Zong; Robin Reed - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12015524B2 ## CPC - H04L 41/0893: Assignment of logical groups to network elements - G07C 5/008: {communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C)} - H04L 41/28: Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration - H04L 43/0876: Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level - H04L 47/20: Traffic policing - H04L 61/3025: {Domain name generation or assignment} - H04L 61/4511: using domain name system [DNS] - H04L 63/0236: {Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL} - H04W 4/40: for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] - H04L 2012/40215: {Controller Area Network CAN} - H04L 2012/40273: {the transportation system being a vehicle} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## 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 ### Claim 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) 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. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) 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. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the event value is based at least in part on an error condition. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the communication device is further structured to: modify the network status data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) 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. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) 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. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) 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. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one protocol comprises a controller area network (CAN) or an on-board diagnostic (OBD). ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first network and/or the second network is controller area network (CAN) based. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first network and/or the second network is Ethernet based. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 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. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) 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. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) 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. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising: a configuration circuit structured to modify the network status data. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) 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. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) 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. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) 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. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the identified protocol comprises one of a controller area network (CAN) or an on-board diagnostic (OBD). ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) 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. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) 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. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the event value is based at least in part on an error condition. ### Claim 27 (depends on 15) 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. ### Claim 28 (depends on 15) 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.