Communications system for managing messages across a vehicle data bus

A communications system for a work vehicle, comprising:

• a data bus supported by the work vehicle for communicating messages;
• a plurality of control units coupled to the data bus, each control unit configured to control a function of the work vehicle, each control unit including a processor configured to control communications with at least one other control unit on the data bus, the communications including transmission of first messages onto the data bus and reception of second messages from the data bus;
• wherein the processor of each control unit is further configured to schedule the transmission of only a predefined number of the first messages on the data bus during a predefined time period, the predefined number selected so that each control unit can transmit its scheduled messages within the predefined time period;
• each of the first messages transmitted by each control unit being assigned a transmission update rate, and the processor of each control unit is also configured to schedule the transmission of the first messages to meet the respective assigned update rates;
• the processor of each control unit being further configured to perform an expedited transmission scheduling operation wherein, in response to a predetermined condition, one of the first messages is made available for transmission before the time the one of the first messages would otherwise be transmitted based upon its assigned transmission update rate;
• and
• wherein the processor of each control unit is also configured to perform a request to transmit a scheduled operation wherein, in response to the a request made by the processor, a requested message corresponding to the request is made available for immediate transmission.

A communications system for a work vehicle, comprising:

• a data bus supported by the work vehicle for communicating messages;
• and
• a plurality of control units coupled to the data bus, each control unit configured to control a function of the work vehicle, each control unit including a processor for controlling communications with a at least one other control unit on the data bus, the communications including transmission of first messages onto the data bus and reception of second messages from the data bus, the second messages including both undesired messages and a set of desired messages;
• wherein the processor of each control unit is further configured to sort the second messages in reference to a plurality of lookup tables to distinguish between the undesired messages and the set of desired messages, and to save each of the desired messages in a memory location defined to store the respective message.

A communications system for a work vehicle, comprising:

• a data bus supported by the work vehicle for communicating messages;
• and
• a plurality of control units coupled to the data bus, each control unit configured to control a function of the work vehicle, each control unit including a processor configured to control communications with at least one other control unit on the data bus, the communications including transmission of first messages onto the data bus and reception of second messages from the data bus, the second messages including both undesired messages and a set of desired messages;
• wherein the processor of each control unit is further configured to schedule the transmission of only a predefined number of the first messages on the data bus during a predefined time period, the predefined number selected so that each control unit can transmit its scheduled messages within the predefined time period;
• and wherein the processor of each control unit is further configured to sort the second messages in reference to a plurality of lookup tables to distinguish between the undesired messages and the set of desired messages, and to save each of the desired messages in a memory location defined to store the respective message.