Communications device and method of communications

Abstract

Embodiments of a device and method are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method includes receiving, by an electronic control unit of the IVN and from a first communications device of the IVN, a first operations, administration, and management (OAM) notification packet indicating that the first communications device erroneously received a data packet. The first OAM notification packet identifies a first communications protocol type associated with the data packet. The method includes determining that the first communications protocol type matches a second communications protocol type stored in a first incoming stream register table of the electronic control unit, and determining, based on the first communications protocol type matching the second communications protocol type, that a first communication link between the electronic control unit and the first communications device is not an erroneous communication link.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of detecting a communications link failure in an in-vehicle network (IVN), the method comprising:
 receiving, by an electronic control unit of the IVN and from a first communications device of the IVN, a first operations, administration, and management (OAM) notification packet indicating that the first communications device erroneously received a data packet, wherein the first OAM notification packet identifies a first communications protocol type associated with the data packet;   determining that the first communications protocol type matches a second communications protocol type stored in a first incoming stream register table of the electronic control unit; and   determining, based on the first communications protocol type matching the second communications protocol type, that a first communication link between the electronic control unit and the first communications device is not an erroneous communication link.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first incoming stream register table identifies a plurality of communications protocol types and determining that the first communications protocol type matches the second communications protocol type stored in the first incoming stream register table includes determining that the first communications protocol type is included in the plurality of communications protocol types. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first OAM notification packet includes a first packet counter value and further comprising determining that the first packet counter value matches a second packet counter value stored in the first incoming stream register table. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a second OAM notification packet to a third communications device, wherein the second OAM notification packet identifies the first communications protocol type. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the third communications device, a first indication that the first communications protocol type does not match a third communications protocol type stored in a second incoming stream register table of the third communications device; and   determining that a second communications link between the third communications device and the electronic control unit is the erroneous communication link.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the third communications device, a second indication that the first communications protocol type matches a third communications protocol type stored in a second incoming stream register table of the third communications device;   determining that a second communications link between the third communications device and the electronic control unit is not the erroneous communication link; and   transmitting a third OAM notification packet to a fourth communications device, wherein the third OAM notification packet identifies the first communications protocol type.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein transmitting the second OAM notification packet to the third communications device comprises transmitting the second OAM notification packet to an automotive sensor device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the IVN is an asymmetrical communications network such that communications in a first direction of a network connection within the IVN occur at a first rate that is higher than a second rate at which communications in a second direction of the network connection occurs, and wherein the first direction is opposite to the second direction. 
     
     
         9 . A method of detecting a communications link failure in an in-vehicle network (IVN), the method comprising:
 receiving, by an electronic control unit of the IVN and from a first communications device of the IVN, a first operations, administration, and management (OAM) notification packet indicating that the first communications device erroneously received a data packet, wherein the first OAM packet includes a first communications protocol type, wherein the electronic control unit stores a first incoming stream register table that includes a second communications protocol type;   determining, by the electronic control unit, that the first communications protocol type matches the second communications protocol type;   determining, by the electronic control unit, that a first communication link between the electronic control unit and the first communications device, is not an erroneous communication link;   transmitting, by the electronic control unit, a second OAM notification packet to a third communications device, wherein the second OAM notification packet identifies the first communications protocol type;   receiving, by the electronic control unit and from the third communications device, an indication that the first communications protocol type does not match a third communications protocol type stored in a second incoming stream register table of the third communications device; and   determining, by the electronic control unit, that a second communications link between the third communications device and the electronic control unit is the erroneous communication link.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first incoming stream register table identifies a plurality of communications protocol types and determining that the first communications protocol type matches the second communications protocol type stored in the first incoming stream register table includes determining that the first communications protocol type is included in the plurality of communications protocol types. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first OAM notification packet further identifies a first packet counter value, the method further comprising determining, by the electronic control unit, that the first packet counter value matches a second packet counter stored in the first incoming stream register table of the electronic control unit. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the IVN is an asymmetrical communications network such that communications in a first direction of a network connection within the IVN occur at a first rate that is higher than a second rate at which communications in a second direction of the network connection occurs, and wherein the first direction is opposite to the second direction. 
     
     
         13 . A communications system, comprising:
 a first communications device; and   an electronic control unit connected to the first communications device by a wired communications network, the electronic control unit including a first packet error detection unit and a first incoming stream register table, wherein the first packet error detection unit is configured to perform steps including:
 receiving, from the first communications device, a first operations, administration, and management (OAM) notification packet indicating that the first communications device erroneously received a data packet, wherein the first OAM packet identifies a first communications protocol type associated with the data packet; 
 determining that the first communications protocol type matches a second communications protocol type stored in the first incoming stream register table; and 
 determining that a first communication link between the electronic control unit and the first communications device, is not an erroneous communication link. 
   
     
     
         14 . The communications system of  claim 13 , wherein the first incoming stream register table identifies a plurality of communications protocol types and the first packet error detection unit is configured to perform the step of determining that the first communications protocol type is included in the plurality of communications protocol types. 
     
     
         15 . The communications system of  claim 13 , wherein the first OAM notification packet includes a first packet counter value and the first packet error detection unit is configured to perform the step determining that the first packet counter value matches a second packet counter value stored in the first incoming stream register table. 
     
     
         16 . The communications system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a third communications device including:
 a second packet error detection unit; and 
 a second incoming stream register table, wherein the first packet error detection unit is configured to perform the step of transmitting a second OAM notification packet to the third communications device, wherein the second OAM notification packet identifies the first communications protocol type. 
   
     
     
         17 . The communications system of  claim 16 , wherein the second packet error detection unit is configured to perform the steps of:
 determining that the first communications protocol type does not match a third communications protocol type stored in the second incoming stream register table; and   transmitting, to the electronic control unit, a first indication that the first communications protocol type does not match the third communications protocol type.   
     
     
         18 . The communications system of  claim 16 , wherein the third communications device is an automotive sensor device. 
     
     
         19 . The communications system of  claim 13 , wherein the wired communications network is an in-vehicle network (IVN). 
     
     
         20 . The communications system of  claim 19 , wherein the IVN is an asymmetrical communications network such that communications in a first direction of a network connection within the IVN occur at a first rate that is higher than a second rate at which communications in a second direction of the network connection occurs, and wherein the first direction is opposite to the second direction.