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US006772248B1

(12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 6,772,248 B1


McClure et al. (45) Date of Patent: Aug. 3, 2004

(54) PROTOCOL ADAPTER FOR IN-VEHICLE 6,122,684 A * 9/2000 Sakura ..................... .. 358/450
NETWORKS 6,195,359 B1 * 2/2001 Eng et al. ................. .. 370/401

* cited by examiner
(75) Inventors: Robert McClure, Danville, IN (US);
David Such, Greenwood, IN (US) Primary ExaminerJeffrey Gaffin
Assistant ExaminerHarold Kim
(73) Assignee: Dearborn Group, Inc., Farmington (74) Attorney, Agent, or FirmWarn, Hoffmann, Miller &
Hills, MI (US) LaLone, RC.
(*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this (57) ABSTRACT
patent is extended or adjusted under 35
U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. An apparatus for in-vehicle electronic control module
(ECM) development in which network protocol control
parameters are varied. The apparatus includes an adapter,
(21) Appl. No.: 09/532,718 which consists of a microprocessor subassembly and an
(22) Filed: Mar. 22, 2000 interface subassembly, and computer based (client) software
with two parts: the host communication level and the API
Related US. Application Data (DLL). The apparatus provides a pass-through interface
(60) Provisional application No. 60/126,588, ?led on Mar. 26, such that various compliant applications from various devel
1999. opers can use a common adapter. The apparatus provides a
(51) Int. Cl.7 .............................................. .. G06F 13/12 pass-through interface such that all compliant adapters
(52) US. Cl. ........................... .. 710/72; 710/62; 701/24; from various developers can use any of the unique developer
701/29 applications. This makes all compliant software applications
and hardware interface adapters interchangeable. The
(58) Field of Search ..................... .. 710/72, 62; 701/24,
improved protocol adapter is designed to perform the fol
701/29, 33 lowing functions: ECM emulation, analysis of network
(56) References Cited message loading, simulation of message traf?c loading of an
in-vehicle network, inventory management, ECM code
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS testing, a gateway between networks, and to provide vehicle
maintenance status checks.
5,541,840 A * 7/1996 Gurne et al. ................ .. 701/33
5,870,573 A * 2/1999 Johnson ....... . . . .. 710/107

5,896,569 A * 4/1999 Butler et al. .............. .. 455/423 2 Claims, 32 Drawing Sheets

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