Patent ID: 6246688
Filing Date: 2001-06-12
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
Computer readable code for using a cellular phone as a network gateway in an automotive network, wherein said cellular phone has a protocol stack embodied therein which is adapted for communicating over an air link to an external network using a communications capability of said cellular phone and wherein said automotive network has one or more electronic information devices attached thereto, said computer readable code being embodied in said cellular phone and in said automotive network and comprising:a subprocess operating in a Media Access Control (MAC) layer encoder/decoder of said cellular phone for receiving incoming packets from said external network over said air link;a subprocess for forwarding said incoming packets which are received by said MAC layer encoder/decoder to an adapter which operably connects said cellular phone to said automotive network, if said cellular phone is connected to said adapter, or through said protocol stack to said cellular phone otherwise;a subprocess operating in said adapter for receiving packets, said received packets comprising (1) first outgoing packets from said cellular phone which have been forwarded from said cellular phone through said protocol stack, (2) second outgoing packets from one or more of said electronic information devices which have been forwarded over said automotive network, and (3) said incoming packets which have been forwarded from said MAC layer encoder/decoder;a subprocess operating in said adapter for routing said received packets to one of (1) said automotive network for delivery to selected ones of said electronic information devices, (2) said protocol stack for delivery to said cellular phone, or (3) said MAC layer for delivery to said external network over said air link based on a destination address of said received packets; anda subprocess for sending to said external network over said air link, operating in said MAC layer encoder/decoder, said packets which are routed from said adapter to said MAC layer encoder/decoder.