Method for Facilitating On-Demand Wireless Connection and Data Aggregation for Utilizing Resources Among Vehicle Platoons and Utilization Devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for facilitating on-demand wireless connection and data aggregation with a vehicle platoon. The method includes: requesting a vehicle to detect a vehicle platoon within a predetermined radius; sending a request message to a potential master vehicle to request to join the potential master vehicle in the vehicle platoon, and executing an application (APP) by utilizing the mobile edge computing (MEC) capability of the vehicle platoon; the potential master vehicle sending a reply message to the potential master vehicle joining the platoon; the requesting vehicle joining the potential master vehicle in the vehicle platoon; and wirelessly transmitting to the potential master vehicle by aggregating application data and utilizing the MEC capability of the master vehicle. The vehicle platoon is equipped with advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) wireless communication and MEC functions. An MEC module is provided in at least one platoon vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for facilitating wireless connection with a vehicle platoon, and more particularly to a method for facilitating on-demand wireless connection and data pooling using resources between devices with a vehicle platoon. Background Art

[0002] Vehicles equipped with an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) are capable of wirelessly connecting with other vehicles equipped with ADAS and exchanging information to achieve coordinated movement between these vehicles. An example of such coordinated movement is the platooning of vehicles equipped with ADAS, also known as a vehicle platoon. Vehicle platooning improves the aerodynamic efficiency and performance of the moving vehicles, thereby increasing the road capacity and providing a more stable traffic flow.

[0003] Vehicles equipped with ADAS typically use vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication based on dedicated short-range communication (DSC) to wirelessly transmit and receive data with other vehicles equipped with ADAS that join the platoon. The leading vehicle uses V2V communication to monitor the following vehicles in the platoon and send instructions to them. The following vehicles respond to the movement and / or instructions of the leading vehicle by precisely matching the steering, braking, and acceleration of the leading vehicle in the same driving direction, and communicate with the leading vehicle using V2V communication.

[0004] When the vehicles are platooning, the ADAS controls these vehicles so that vehicle operators and passengers can freely engage in work or leisure activities. Examples of work activities include, but are not limited to, conducting conference calls using voice and / or video streams, retrieving and sending emails, searching for information online, etc. Examples of leisure activities include, but are not limited to, video calls, online video games, streaming movies, etc.

[0005] The data usage required for these activities is typically transmitted over a cellular network via a remote base station using a personal electronic device (such as a smartphone and a cellular-connected computer or tablet), or via the vehicle's telematics system. Activities such as graphics-intensive online games and video streams are data-intensive and processing-power-intensive, which may lead to overuse of cellular data, degraded performance, and shortened device battery life.

[0006] Therefore, although current wireless connection methods (such as V2V and cellular communication used in platooning vehicles) are sufficient to meet most requirements, there is still a need for a more efficient method for facilitating wireless connection and data management between platooning vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0007] A method for facilitating on-demand wireless connection and data aggregation with a vehicle platoon is disclosed in several aspects. The method includes: requesting a vehicle to detect a vehicle platoon within a predetermined radius, where the vehicle platoon includes a plurality of participating vehicles configured to communicate wirelessly with each other and perform data aggregation; sending a request message to the vehicle platoon, where the request message includes a request to join the vehicle platoon; receiving a reply message from the vehicle platoon, where the reply message includes permission to join the vehicle platoon; joining the vehicle platoon; and using device-to-device (D2D) communication to communicate with the participating vehicles in the vehicle platoon.

[0008] In an additional aspect of the present disclosure, the request message includes a list of software applications, and the reply message includes confirmation that at least one vehicle among the participating vehicles is configured to execute at least one software application in the software application (APP) list. The method further includes: using D2D communication to perform data aggregation of APP data with the vehicle platoon to execute at least one APP.

[0009] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the vehicle platoon includes mobile edge computing (MEC) capabilities. The MEC capabilities include an MEC module disposed on one of the plurality of participating vehicles. The method includes using the MEC capabilities to execute at least one APP.

[0010] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the reply message from the vehicle platoon includes confirmation that the vehicle platoon has at least one application in a list of software applications that can be downloaded using D2D communication.

[0011] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the reply message from the vehicle platoon includes verification that the vehicle platoon is capable of providing a predetermined level of quality of service and quality of experience for executing at least one application.

[0012] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes: before joining the vehicle platoon, using cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) communication to communicate with the vehicle platoon to execute at least one APP.

[0013] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes: after joining the vehicle platoon, switching to one of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication and D2D communication to communicate with the vehicle platoon to execute at least one APP.

[0014] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes: sending a departure intention message to the vehicle platoon, where the departure intention message includes the intention to maintain communication with the vehicle platoon to continue executing at least one application; leaving the vehicle platoon; and after leaving the platoon, switching from one of V2V communication and D2D communication to C-V2X communication to maintain communication with the vehicle platoon to continue executing at least one APP.

[0015] In another aspect of the present disclosure, at least one APP is one of an advanced driver assistance system application and a game application.

[0016] According to several aspects, a method for facilitating on-demand wireless connection between vehicles is disclosed. The method includes: a requesting vehicle detecting potential master vehicles within a predetermined radius of the requesting vehicle, wherein the potential master vehicles are configured with advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), wireless communication, and mobile edge computing (MEC) capabilities; the requesting vehicle sending a request message to the potential master vehicles requesting to join the potential master vehicles in a vehicle queue and executing an application program (APP) by utilizing the MEC capabilities of the master vehicle; the potential master vehicles sending a reply message to the requesting vehicle to join the potential master vehicles in the vehicle queue; the requesting vehicle joining the potential master vehicles in the vehicle queue; and the requesting vehicle wirelessly transmitting APP data to the potential master vehicles by utilizing the MEC capabilities of the master vehicle.

[0017] In an additional aspect of the present disclosure, wirelessly transmitting information to the potential master vehicles includes employing device-to-device (D2D) communication.

[0018] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the vehicle queue includes a plurality of participating vehicles that transmit data pools defining data pipelines among themselves using D2D communication.

[0019] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the APP includes an application program that operates components of the ADAS; and further includes the potential master vehicle requesting and evaluating the platooning capabilities of the requesting vehicle before sending a reply message to the requesting vehicle to join the potential master vehicles in the vehicle queue.

[0020] According to several aspects, a method for facilitating on-demand wireless connection with a vehicle queue is provided. The method includes: a requesting vehicle detecting a vehicle queue within a predetermined radius, wherein the vehicle queue includes a plurality of participating vehicles configured to wirelessly exchange information with each other; the requesting vehicle sending a request message to the vehicle queue, wherein the request message includes a request to join the vehicle queue; the requesting vehicle receiving a reply message from the vehicle queue, wherein the reply message includes permission to join the queue; the requesting vehicle joining the vehicle queue; after joining the vehicle queue, the requesting vehicle using one of device-to-device (D2D) communication and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication to exchange APP data with the vehicle queue in order to execute at least one APP; and the vehicle queue utilizing mobile edge computing to execute at least one APP.

[0021] In an additional aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes: before joining the vehicle queue, the requesting vehicle using cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) communication to exchange information with the vehicle queue to execute at least one APP.

[0022] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes: requesting the vehicle to send a departure intention message to the vehicle queue, where the departure intention message includes the intention to maintain communication with the vehicle queue to continue executing at least one APP; and requesting the vehicle to leave the vehicle queue.

[0023] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes: after leaving the vehicle queue, requesting the vehicle to switch from one of V2V communication and D2D communication to C-V2X communication to maintain communication with the vehicle queue to continue executing at least one APP.

[0024] Based on the description provided herein, other applicable fields will become apparent. It should be understood that this description and specific examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

[0026] Figure 1 A vehicle queue utilizing wireless communication and data aggregation capabilities according to an exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 is a functional diagram of a vehicle equipped with an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) according to an exemplary embodiment, the vehicle having wireless communication and mobile edge computing capabilities for data aggregation;

[0028] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a method for facilitating on-demand wireless connection and data aggregation with a vehicle queue;

[0029] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method for requesting a vehicle to join the data pipeline of a vehicle queue before actually joining the queue;

[0030] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a method for requesting a vehicle to maintain a connection with the data pipeline of a vehicle queue when the vehicle is requested to leave the vehicle queue;

[0031] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a method for selecting a vehicle queue that meets the on-demand wireless connection and data aggregation requirements of a requesting vehicle; and

[0032] Figure 7 is a flowchart of a method for forming a vehicle queue that meets the on-demand wireless connection and data aggregation requirements of a game application of a requesting vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or use. Illustrated embodiments are disclosed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent corresponding components in several of the drawings. These drawings are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be enlarged or reduced to show details of particular features. The specific structural and functional details disclosed are not to be construed as limiting, but rather as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to practice the disclosed concepts.

[0034] Figure 1 An example queue 100 of vehicles (also referred to as vehicle queue 100) is shown traveling in a single file in the forward direction 102 within a driving lane 104 defined between two lane markers 106a, 106b. Queue 100 includes a lead vehicle 108 and a plurality of following vehicles 110 (also referred to as participating vehicles 108, 110). Each of the participating vehicles 108, 110 is equipped with an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) configured to operate in a series of modes ranging from a partially autonomous mode that requires driver / operator input to a fully autonomous mode that requires minimal or even no driver / operator input. The term "operator" describes a person responsible for directing the operation of a vehicle (either actively participating in controlling one or more vehicle functions or directing the operation of an autonomous vehicle). An ADAS configured for a partially or fully autonomous operating mode is also referred to as an Autonomous Driving System (ADS). For the purposes of the present disclosure, ADAS and ADS may be used interchangeably.

[0035] The lead vehicle 108 sends instructions / commands to the following vehicles 110 using vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication 112. The following vehicles 110 can communicate with each other and with the lead vehicle by utilizing V2V communication. V2V communication 112 typically utilizes dedicated short-range communication (DSRC), which is a Wi-Fi for sending data containing messages and safety-related information within a short distance (a radius of approximately less than 1000 feet) for queue 100 to coordinate safe operation. Information shared using V2V communication within vehicle queue 100 can include queue heading, road conditions and traffic ahead, weather, and other information required for the safe operation of vehicle queue 100. One or more of the lead and following vehicles 108, 110 can also use V2V communication 112 to communicate with a roadside unit 113. The roadside unit 113 can collect information such as the location and heading of queue 100 and forward this information to other remote vehicles 114, 116 configured for V2V communication and to a remote server or third-party service provider (not shown).

[0036] An unparticipating first remote vehicle 114 close to platoon 100 within the V2V communication range can utilize V2V communication 112 to communicate with platoon vehicles 108, 110, electronic devices within platoon vehicles 108, 110, and roadside unit 113. An unparticipating second remote vehicle 116 outside the V2V communication range can utilize device-to-device (D2D) communication 118 to communicate with platoon vehicles 108, 110 and electronic devices within platoon vehicles 108, 110. The first remote vehicle 114 and the second remote vehicle 116 are referred to as requesting vehicles if they request to join platoon 100 or the datapool of platoon 100.

[0037] D2D communication 116 is defined as the communication in which two or more personal electronic devices (also referred to as user equipment (UE) devices) directly send and receive radio signals. The radio signals include electromagnetic waves with frequencies between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). D2D is a component of third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), and fifth-generation (5G) cellular networks and allows UE devices to use radio resources to send data signals to each other through a direct link / connection instead of through a base station 118 or other network infrastructure. Examples of UE devices include, but are not limited to, vehicle telematics and infotainment systems, smart phones, tablets, laptop computers, electronic gaming devices, and any electronic device capable of connecting to a cellular network. D2D communication enables high data rate, high coverage, and low latency for data exchange between participating vehicles 108, 110 in platoon 100 and unparticipating remote vehicles 114, 116 outside platoon 100.

[0038] The data flow between participating vehicles 114, 116 in platoon 100 using V2V and / or D2D communication defines data pipeline 111. Before being transmitted via base station 118 to its final destination, such as a server in the cloud, the data can be aggregated and processed through mobile edge computing (MEC). MEC is a network architecture that allows cloud computing capabilities and computing services to be executed at the edge of a cellular network. MEC provides a mechanism that allows data-intensive software applications (APPS) to be executed and relevant processing tasks to be performed closer to cellular network users.

[0039] By adopting MEC, cellular network congestion can be reduced, and APPS and UE devices can have better performance. MEC can be processed by an MEC module 117 located near roadside unit 113 or an MEC module 119 located near base station 118. Although only one roadside unit 113 and one base station 118 are shown, it should be recognized that multiple roadside units 113 and base stations 118 and associated MEC modules 117, 119 can be set up and accessed along the path of platoon 100.

[0040] One or more of the participating vehicles 108, 110 in the queue 100 may have an on-vehicle mobile edge module 206 configured to perform mobile edge computing (MEC). By providing the mobile edge module 206 on at least one of the participating vehicles 108, 110, the queue 100 can maintain MEC capabilities when traveling through areas where the roadside units 113 and base stations 118 are not equipped with MEC modules. The mobile edge module 206 can receive data from the vehicle ADAS system and UE devices via V2V and / or D2D communication. The mobile edge module 206 then processes the data and sends the processed data back to the ADAS system and UE devices, and sends the processed data to a remote server or end user via cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X).

[0041] Streaming video and online games typically require large amounts of data, thus quickly consuming cellular data and increasing the demand for the processing capabilities of personal electronic devices, which may result in processing delays and shorten the battery life of personal electronic devices. In response to the increase in data traffic in the cellular network due to the increase in data usage, V2V and D2D communication can be used to offload data to the mobile edge modules 117, 119, 206. V2V or D2D communication can be utilized to offload high-data-usage applications (APPS) from the cellular network to the data pipeline 111 of the queue for processing in the mobile edge modules 117, 119, 206, thereby reducing resource consumption and processing load on the cellular network.

[0042] Figure 2 A vehicle 200 equipped with ADAS according to one aspect of the present disclosure is shown. The vehicle 200 equipped with ADAS is configured to perform a level of driving automation sufficient to participate in a vehicle queue from a partially autonomous mode to a fully autonomous mode. Driving automation can include a series of dynamic driving and vehicle operations, including a certain degree of automatic control or intervention related to the simultaneous automatic control of multiple vehicle functions (such as steering, acceleration, and braking), where the driver has full control of the vehicle. Driving automation can also include the simultaneous automatic control of all vehicle driving functions (including steering, acceleration, and braking), where the driver relinquishes control of the vehicle for a period of time during the journey.

[0043] In this exemplary embodiment, vehicle 200 includes an ADAS control module 202; a communication module 204 configured to perform V2V, D2D, and C-V2X communications; and a mobile edge module 206. As used herein, the term "module" may refer to a part of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) (or may include, but is not limited to, an application specific integrated circuit); a digital, analog, or hybrid analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or hybrid analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a (shared, dedicated, or clustered) processor circuit that executes code; a (shared, dedicated, or clustered) memory circuit that stores code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the function; or a combination of some or all of the above circuits and hardware components in a system on a chip. As used above, the term "code" may include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and may refer to programs, APPS, routines, functions, classes, data structures, and / or objects.

[0044] The ADAS control module 202 may include one or more processors 224, a non-transitory memory 226, and other components typically present in a computing device. The non-transitory memory 226 stores information accessible by one or more processors 224, including instructions and data that may be executed or otherwise used by the processor 224. The ADAS control module 202 communicates with various vehicle control systems 208 (such as a deceleration system, an acceleration system, a steering system, a signal system, a navigation system, a positioning system, a detection system, and other systems) to control the movement, speed, etc. of the vehicle 200.

[0045] The communication module 204 may include a chipset 212 configured for a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) protocol for Wi-Fi communication with other vehicles equipped with a similar communication system, roadside units equipped with vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, and UE devices. The communication module 204 may also include a wireless cellular chipset 214 for cellular communication (C-V2X) with a base station and a global positioning satellite (GPS) navigation unit 216 for D2D communication. An antenna 220 may be provided on the vehicle 102 for serving the DSRC chipset 212, the wireless cellular chipset 214, and the navigation unit 216.

[0046] The mobile edge module 206 may include one or more processors 222, non-transitory memory 224, and other components typically present in a computing device. The non-transitory memory 224 stores information and algorithms that may be accessed by the one or more processors 222, including data and software applications that may be executed by the processors 222 or otherwise used. The applications may be downloaded from a remote network server by leveraging C-V2X, or from vehicles 108, 110 participating in the queue 100, or uploaded from a portable local storage device (not shown). The applications may include any software application that may process data offloaded from the UE device and / or enhance the operation of the UE device or the ADAS.

[0047] Although the ADAS control module 202, communication module 204, and mobile edge module 206 are shown as separate discrete modules, it should be appreciated that, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the components providing the functionality of modules 202, 204, 206 may be provided within a single module or distributed among several modules located at different positions within the vehicle 202.

[0048] Communication between one or more of the modules 202, 204, 206, 208, antenna 220, and various vehicle systems and sensors may be implemented using direct wired point-to-point links, network communication bus links, wireless links, or another suitable communication link 226. Communication includes exchanging data signals in an appropriate form, including, for example, electrical signals via a conductive medium, electromagnetic signals via air, optical signals via an optical waveguide, etc. The data signals may include discrete, analog, or digitized analog signals representing inputs from sensors, actuator commands, and inter-controller communication.

[0049] Figure 3 A flowchart of a method 300 for facilitating on-demand wireless connection and data aggregation with a vehicle queue is shown. The method 300 begins at block 302 when a vehicle (requesting vehicle) equipped with an ADAS needs on-demand mobile edge computing and wishes to save its cellular data allowance by requesting to join the queue 100. Proceeding to block 304, the requesting vehicle may search for a vehicle queue within a predetermined radius of the requesting vehicle using one or more of V2V communication, D2D communication, and C-V2X. The predetermined radius may extend for several miles, such as a 3-mile radius.

[0050] Proceeding to block 306, if no vehicle queue is detected within the predetermined radius, the method 300 proceeds to block 308, where the requesting vehicle continues to search within the predetermined radius at a predetermined time interval (e.g., every 3 minutes) until a vehicle queue is found or the operator of the requesting vehicle stops the search, ending at block 320.

[0051] Referring again to block 306, if a vehicle queue is detected within a predetermined radius, method 300 proceeds to block 310. At block 310, the requesting vehicle sends a request to the vehicle queue (preferably the leading vehicle 108), while also sending the health status of the requesting vehicle's ADAS system and communication system and other predetermined vehicle information required to join the queue 100. The requesting vehicle also sends a list of the required applications (APPS) that the requesting vehicle is to use.

[0052] Proceed to block 312, where the leading vehicle 108 of queue 100 verifies the wireless quality of service (QoS) and quality of experience (QoE) capabilities of the queue and the availability of the APPS required by the requesting vehicle. Proceed to block 314, if the queue does not meet the on-demand QoS and QoE requirements predetermined by the requesting vehicle, method 300 proceeds to block 308, where the requesting vehicle continues to search within the predetermined radius at a predetermined time interval until another vehicle queue is found or the operator ends the method at block 320.

[0053] Referring again to block 314, if the queue is able to meet the on-demand QoS and QoE requirements of the requesting vehicle, method 300 proceeds to block 316, where the leading vehicle sends an "allow to join" to the requesting vehicle with platooning parameters and a join position number. The method then proceeds to block 318, where the requesting vehicle joins the queue, and the APP of the requesting vehicle can be offloaded from the cellular network to the data pipeline 111 of the queue using V2V or D2D communication for mobile edge computing, thereby reducing resource consumption and processing load on the cellular network.

[0054] Figure 4 Method 400 is provided for a requesting vehicle to join the data pipeline 111 of a vehicle queue before actually joining the vehicle queue. When the requesting vehicle requires on-demand mobile edge computing to run an APP and desires to conserve its cellular data allowance, the method begins at block 402, where the requesting vehicle uses C-V2X communication to connect to a remote vehicle queue, but it has not actually joined the queue.

[0055] Proceed to block 404, where the requesting vehicle monitors the remote vehicle queue and determines whether the vehicle queue is within the range of either V2V communication or D2D communication. If the queue is not within the range of D2D or V2V communication, method 400 proceeds to block 406, where the requesting vehicle continues to communicate with the vehicle queue using C-V2X. Referring again to block 404, if the vehicle queue is within the range of D2D or V2V communication, the method proceeds to block 408, where the requesting vehicle sends a request message to join the queue to the leading vehicle. The request message includes mandatory platooning parameters and application radio / data requirements.

[0056] Proceed to block 410 where the leading vehicle verifies the required credentials from the requesting vehicle. Proceed to block 412 where the leading vehicle determines whether the requesting vehicle meets the predetermined minimum platooning and wireless requirements. If not, the method proceeds to block 406 where the requesting vehicle continues to communicate with the vehicle platoon using C-V2X. Otherwise, the method proceeds to block 414 where the requesting vehicle actually joins the platoon. After joining the platoon, the APP of the requesting vehicle 200 can be offloaded from the cellular network to the platoon's data pipeline 111 using V2V or D2D communication for mobile edge computing, thereby reducing resource consumption and processing load on the cellular network.

[0057] Figure 5 Method 500 is provided for the requesting vehicle to maintain a connection with the platoon's data pipeline 111 when the requesting vehicle leaves the vehicle platoon. Method 500 begins at block 502 when the requesting vehicle has decided to actually leave the platoon.

[0058] Proceed to block 504 where the requesting vehicle sends a message to the leading vehicle notifying the leading vehicle of the decision of the requesting vehicle to leave or detach from the platoon. Proceed to block 506 where the leading vehicle acknowledges receipt of the leave message and sends instructions to the following vehicles to prepare for the departure of the requesting vehicle and fill the space left by the requesting vehicle leaving the platoon.

[0059] Proceed to block 508 where the requesting vehicle sends a message to the leading vehicle notifying the leading vehicle of the intention of the requesting vehicle to continue application communication with the platoon's data pipeline 111 even after actually leaving the platoon. Proceed to block 510 where the leading vehicle acknowledges receipt of the intention of the requesting vehicle to continue application communication with the platoon's data pipeline 111 even after the requesting vehicle has actually left the platoon.

[0060] Proceed to block 512 where the requesting vehicle actually leaves the platoon and continues to communicate with the platoon by switching from V2V or D2D communication to cellular data (C-V2X). The method ends at block 514.

[0061] Figure 6 A flowchart of an exemplary method 600 for facilitating on-demand wireless connectivity and data aggregation by joining a vehicle platoon with wireless communication and MEC capabilities is shown. Method 600 begins at block 602 where a requesting vehicle requires on-demand mobile edge computing to meet the operational requirements of ADAS components (such as driver assistance mode, safety video sharing, etc.), as well as intelligent vehicle APPS.

[0062] Proceed to block 604, where the requesting vehicle is requested to search for potential master vehicles equipped with ADAS, wireless communication, and MEC capabilities within a 3-mile parameter at 3-minute intervals. The wireless communication includes V2V, D2D, and C-V2X communication. The MEC capabilities include the ability to connect to an MEC module located near a roadside unit or base station, or having an on-vehicle MEC module.

[0063] Proceed to block 606. If there are no potential master vehicles, method 600 proceeds to block 608, where the requesting vehicle continues to search for potential master vehicles within a predetermined radius at intervals. Referring back to block 606, if a potential master vehicle is detected, method 600 proceeds to block 610, where the requesting vehicle sends a request to join the potential master vehicle.

[0064] Proceeding from block 610 to block 612, if the potential master vehicle is not interested, method 600 proceeds to block 608, where the requesting vehicle continues to search for potential master vehicles within a predetermined radius at intervals. Referring back to block 612, if the potential master vehicle is interested, method 600 proceeds to block 614.

[0065] In block 614, the potential master vehicle requests the platooning capabilities of the requesting vehicle. Proceed to block 616, where, in response, the requesting vehicle sends its platooning capabilities to the potential master vehicle. Proceed to block 618, where the potential master vehicle determines whether the requesting vehicle meets the predetermined criteria for participating in the platoon. If the requesting vehicle does not meet the predetermined criteria for participating in the platoon, method 600 proceeds to block 608, where the requesting vehicle is denied joining the potential master vehicle and continues to search for other potential master vehicles within a predetermined radius at intervals. If the requesting vehicle meets the predetermined criteria for participating in the platoon, the method proceeds to block 620.

[0066] In block 620, the requesting vehicle requests the wireless QoS / QoE metrics of the ADAS APPS and intelligent vehicle APPS of the potential master vehicle. Proceed to block 622, where the requesting vehicle receives the wireless QoS / QoE metrics of the potential master vehicle. Proceed to block 624, where the requesting vehicle determines whether the wireless QoS / QoE metrics of the potential master vehicle meet the predetermined minimum requirements for operating the ADAS and intelligent vehicle APPS. For example, the minimum requirements could be 5G QoS for auxiliary vehicle video buffering, i.e., a guaranteed bit rate (BR) with a packet budget rate of 75ms and a packet error rate (PER) of 10-2. In the case where V2X messages are used for platooning, the PER is 10-2 and the BR is 50ms.

[0067] According to block 624, if the minimum requirements are not met, the method proceeds to block 626, where the requesting vehicle sends a wireless QoS / QoE rejection to the potential master vehicle and returns to block 608. If the minimum requirements are met, the method proceeds to block 628, where the requesting vehicle joins the queue. The method ends at block 630.

[0068] Figure 7 A flowchart of an exemplary method 700 for facilitating on-demand wireless connectivity and data aggregation to meet the operating parameters required for online gaming by forming a vehicle queue is shown. The method begins at block 702.

[0069] Proceed to block 704, where the requesting vehicle searches for potential master vehicles equipped with ADAS, wireless communication, and gaming capabilities within a 3-mile parameter at 3-minute intervals.

[0070] The gaming capabilities include applicable gaming applications (game APPS) and the ability to connect to an MEC module near a roadside unit or base station, or having an in-vehicle MEC module for processing game APPS. The requesting vehicle broadcasts its intention to create a queue and run a large number of pre-determined game APPS.

[0071] Proceed to block 706. If no potential master vehicle is available, method 700 proceeds to block 708, where the requesting vehicle continues to search for potential master vehicles within a predetermined radius at intervals. Referring again to block 706, if there is a potential master vehicle with gaming capabilities, method 700 proceeds to block 710, where the requesting vehicle sends a request to the potential master vehicle to form a queue.

[0072] From block 710, proceed to block 712. If the potential master vehicle is not interested, method 700 proceeds to block 708, where the requesting vehicle continues to search for potential master vehicles within a predetermined radius at intervals. Referring again to block 712, if the potential master vehicle is interested, method 700 proceeds to block 714.

[0073] In block 714, the requesting vehicle requests the potential vehicle capabilities. In block 716, in response, the potential master vehicle sends the queuing capabilities of the potential vehicle. Proceed to block 718, where the requesting vehicle determines whether the queuing capabilities of the potential master vehicle meet a predetermined minimum standard. Proceed to block 720. If no potential master vehicle meets the predetermined minimum standard, the method proceeds to block 708, where the requesting vehicle continues to search for potential vehicles within a predetermined radius at intervals. If the potential master vehicle meets the predetermined minimum capabilities for queuing, the method proceeds to block 722.

[0074] In block 722, the requesting vehicle requests the wireless QoS / QoE metrics of the game APPS of the potential master vehicle and a preference list of the game APPS. Proceeding to block 724, the requesting vehicle receives the wireless QoS / QoE metrics of the potential master vehicle. Proceeding to block 726, the requesting vehicle determines whether the potential master vehicle meets all game capabilities. If the minimum requirements are not met, the method proceeds to block 728, where the requesting vehicle sends a game preference rejection to the potential master vehicle.

[0075] Referring again to block 726, if the minimum requirements are met, the method proceeds to block 730, where the requesting vehicle determines whether the wireless QoS / QoE of the selected game is equal to or greater than the minimum requirements. For example, the minimum requirements could be 5G QoS for auxiliary vehicle video buffering, i.e., a GBR with a packet budget rate of 75 ms and a PER of 10 - 2, and in the case where V2X messages are used for queuing, the PER is 10 - 2 and the BR is 50 ms

[0076] According to block 730, if the wireless QoS / QoE of the selected game APP is not equal to or greater than the minimum requirements of the game, the method proceeds to block 732, where the requesting vehicle sends a wireless QoS / QoE rejection to the potential master vehicle. If the minimum requirements are equal to or greater than the minimum requirements of the game, the method proceeds to block 734, where the requesting vehicle sends a confirmation to the potential master vehicle to join the requesting vehicle. The method ends at block 736.

[0077] The foregoing disclosure is an exemplary method for facilitating on - demand wireless connection and data aggregation using V2V / D2D radio resources with a vehicle queuing system. Vehicles requiring a higher quality of experience can better achieve shared radio and data resources by joining a vehicle queue to meet mobile edge computing demands and time - sensitive data applications. The exemplary method provides an uninterrupted data pipeline for auxiliary vehicle and intelligent vehicle applications, reducing the packet error rate, forward error coding deficiency, and data pipeline cost and reducing latency.

[0078] The description of the present disclosure is substantially exemplary only, and changes that do not depart from the general meaning of the present disclosure are included within the scope of the present disclosure. These changes should not be regarded as departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating on-demand wireless connection and data aggregation with a vehicle platoon, comprising: Detect a vehicle queue within a predetermined radius, where the vehicle queue includes a plurality of participating vehicles configured for wireless communication and data aggregation among the plurality of participating vehicles; Send a request message to the vehicle queue, where the request message includes a request to join the vehicle queue; Receive a reply message from the vehicle queue, where the reply message includes permission to join the vehicle queue; Join the vehicle queue; And Communicate with the participating vehicles in the vehicle queue using device-to-device (D2D) communication; Where the request message includes a list of software applications, and where the reply message includes confirmation that at least one of the participating vehicles is configured to execute at least one software application (APP) in the list of software applications; and further includes: Perform data aggregation of application data (APP data) with the vehicle queue using the D2D communication to execute the at least one APP; Where the vehicle queue includes mobile edge computing (MEC) capabilities, and further includes using the MEC capabilities to execute the at least one APP; where the MEC capabilities include an MEC module provided on one of the plurality of participating vehicles; The method further includes: offloading the at least one APP from a cellular network to a data pipeline in the vehicle queue using the D2D communication for processing in the MEC module, where the data pipeline is defined by the D2D communication; The method further includes: Send a leave-intention message to the vehicle queue, where the leave-intention message includes the intention to maintain communication with the vehicle queue to continue executing the at least one APP; Leave the vehicle queue; and After leaving the queue, switch from D2D communication to C-V2X communication to maintain communication with the vehicle queue to continue contacting the data pipeline of the vehicle queue, and thus continue to execute the at least one APP using the MEC capabilities.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reply message from the vehicle platoon includes confirmation that the vehicle platoon has at least one APP in the list of software applications that can be downloaded using the D2D communication.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reply message from the vehicle platoon includes verification that the vehicle platoon can provide a predetermined level of quality of service and quality of experience for executing the at least one APP.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Before joining the vehicle queue, communicate with the vehicle queue using cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) communication to execute the at least one APP.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: After joining the vehicle queue, switch to one of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication and D2D communication to communicate with the vehicle queue to execute the at least one APP.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one APP is one of an advanced driver assistance system application and a game application.

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