Wireless communication method and vehicle-mounted wireless communication system
By using the control unit to receive driving parameters and judging the idle state in the vehicle Wi-Fi sharer, the problem of channel interference changes when the vehicle Wi-Fi sharer moves is solved, achieving more efficient channel selection and lower power consumption.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202311764726.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-12-20
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-20
AI Technical Summary
In vehicle Wi-Fi sharers, it is difficult for the prior art to effectively utilize the automatic channel selection (ACS) function, especially when channel interference is constantly changing when the vehicle moves, resulting in inefficient channel selection.
The driving parameters of the vehicle are received by the control unit on the vehicle, and determine whether a specific condition is satisfied (such as the vehicle is in an idle state) based on these parameters, the wireless connection module is activated to execute the ACS.
Starting the ACS when the vehicle is idle can find channels that maintain stable low interference/high transmission speeds for a period of time in the future, avoid unnecessary ACS execution, reduce power consumption and improve user experience.
Smart Images
Figure CN120186581A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a wireless communication method, and more particularly to a method for an in-vehicle wireless communication system. Background Art
[0002] Many modern vehicles are equipped with Wi-Fi access points that can provide a hotspot to supply the network for passengers and in-vehicle systems. Home Wi-Fi access points have an Automatic Channel Selection (ACS) function. ACS is a function / process of scanning all available channels and selecting a channel with less interference for use. However, in the scenario where a Wi-Fi access point is installed in a vehicle, the Wi-Fi access point will receive interference from the vehicle's surrounding environment. Refer to Figure 1 , vehicle A1 will receive interference I1 from vehicle A2, interference I2 from vehicle A3, interference I3 from building B1, and interference I4 from building B2. Interferences I1-I4 are, for example, co-channel interferences caused by user equipment (UE) or access points (AP) in vehicles A2, A3 and buildings B1, B2. In addition, in the scenario where a Wi-Fi access point is installed in a vehicle, the interference received by the Wi-Fi access point will continuously change as the vehicle moves. However, the existing design of Wi-Fi access points does not take the above factors into consideration, and it is also difficult to manually set the Wi-Fi access point to find a relatively stable channel in the case where users lack relevant professional knowledge.
[0003] Therefore, how to activate the ACS function of the in-vehicle Wi-Fi access point at an appropriate time has become one of the problems to be solved in this field.
[0004] Therefore, a wireless communication method and an in-vehicle wireless communication system are needed to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention
[0005] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a wireless communication method. The method includes receiving at least one driving parameter of the vehicle by a control unit on the vehicle. The method further includes determining, by the control unit, whether a condition is satisfied according to the at least one driving parameter, and causing a wireless connection module on the vehicle to perform Automatic Channel Selection (ACS) when the control unit determines that the condition is satisfied. Wherein, the condition includes that the vehicle is in an idle state.
[0006] In some embodiments, at least one of the driving parameters includes the speed, acceleration, or engine speed of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the condition further includes that the vehicle transitions from a driving state to an idle state.
[0007] In some embodiments, when the control unit determines that at least one driving parameter is less than a threshold for a specific period of time and the vehicle is not turned off, the control unit determines that the vehicle is in an idle state. When the control unit determines that at least one driving parameter is greater than the threshold, the control unit determines that the vehicle is in a driving state.
[0008] In some embodiments, the control unit determines whether the vehicle has switched from a driving state to an idle state based on a previous state stored in the memory. The previous state is the state of the vehicle some time ago, and the previous state is either a driving state or an idle state.
[0009] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an in-vehicle wireless communication system installed on a vehicle. The in-vehicle wireless communication system includes: a wireless connection module and a control unit. The control unit is configured to receive at least one driving parameter of the vehicle. The control unit is further configured to determine whether a condition is satisfied based on the at least one driving parameter, and when the control unit determines that the condition is satisfied, cause the wireless connection module to perform automatic channel selection (ACS). The condition includes that the vehicle is in an idle state.
[0010] In some embodiments, the control unit receives at least one driving parameter from an on-board diagnostic system or a global positioning system.
[0011] Embodiments of the present invention start ACS when the vehicle switches from a driving state to an idle state. This can avoid continuously repeating ACS when the vehicle remains in an idle state for a long time. Therefore, the present invention can start ACS at an appropriate time to ensure that the executed ACS brings positive benefits and improves the user experience. In other words, the present invention can avoid performing unnecessary or low-expected-benefit ACS, thus reducing power consumption. Description of the Drawings
[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary scenario.
[0013] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the in-vehicle wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0014] Figure 3 is a flowchart of the wireless communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0015] Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B is a graph according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0016] Figure 5 is a flowchart of the wireless communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0017] Description of the Main Component Symbols:
[0018] 100 In-vehicle wireless communication system
[0019] 110 Control Unit
[0020] 111 Memory
[0021] 120 Wireless Connection Module
[0022] 130 On-Board Diagnostic System (OBD)
[0023] 200, 300 Wireless Communication Method (Method)
[0024] A1 - A3 Vehicles
[0025] B1, B2 Buildings
[0026] I1 - I4 Interferences
[0027] S1 - S5 Signals
[0028] 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 301, 302, 303: Operations Detailed Implementation Manner
[0029] To make the objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention are hereinafter given, and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the detailed description is as follows.
[0030] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 2 is a block diagram of the vehicle-mounted wireless communication system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle-mounted wireless communication system 100 includes a control unit 110, a wireless connection module 120, and an on-board diagnostic system 130. The vehicle-mounted wireless communication system 100 is installed on a vehicle VE (not shown in the figure). The vehicle VE is, for example but not limited to, a bus, a sedan, etc.
[0031] The control unit 110 provides the ability to calculate and process data. The control unit 110 can be used to execute programs, software, firmware, and modules. In addition, the control unit 110 is used to control the wireless connection module 120 (for example, by instructions). For example, the control unit 110 may include a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a central processing unit, and / or a microcontroller unit. In some embodiments, the control unit 110 is a vehicle-mounted computer.
[0032] The control unit 110 includes a memory 111. The memory 111 stores data required for the operation of the control unit 110. The control unit 110 can access / write to the memory 111. In some embodiments, program codes are stored in the memory 111 and can be read and executed by the control unit 110, causing the control unit 110 to implement the methods described below (such as the wireless communication methods 200 and 300). The memory 111 may include non-volatile memories such as read-only memory and flash memory. The memory 111 may also include volatile memories such as dynamic random access memory and static random access memory.
[0033] The wireless connection module 120 provides the ability to connect to a wireless network. The wireless connection module 120 can connect to at least one user device (such as a mobile device, a mobile phone, a notebook computer, etc.). The user device can be connected to the Internet via the wireless connection module 120. In addition, the wireless connection module 120 can perform automatic channel selection (ACS). The wireless connection module 120 is, for example, a chip or integrated circuit including a network card and / or a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM). In some embodiments, the wireless connection module 120 applies Wi-Fi technology. In some embodiments, the wireless connection module 120 is installed in the vehicle VE in a pre-installed manner. That is, the wireless connection module 120 is installed in the vehicle VE during the production stage of the vehicle VE. In other embodiments, the wireless connection module 120 is installed in the vehicle VE in a post-installed manner. That is, the wireless connection module 120 is externally connected to the vehicle VE after the vehicle VE leaves the factory. The wireless connection module 120 is, for example, a Wi-Fi router, a Wi-Fi hotspot, a Wi-Fi dongle, or a wireless network access point. Although Figure 2 it is shown that the wireless connection module 120 and the control unit 110 are separate, the wireless connection module 120 can also be integrated into the control unit 110 as one of the modules / chip sets of the control unit 110.
[0034] The On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) system 130 is used to provide driving parameters of the vehicle VE to the control unit 110. The driving parameters include, for example, the speed, acceleration, engine speed, and / or position of the vehicle VE, but are not limited thereto. The OBD 130 can receive driving parameters from corresponding sensors respectively. The sensors are, for example, a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor (G-sensor), and a tachometer, but are not limited thereto.
[0035] It should be noted that the in-vehicle wireless communication system 100 may further include Figure 2Other components not shown in the figure, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS), a display device, and / or a user interface device. In some embodiments, the control unit 110 receives driving parameters from other interfaces other than the OBD 130. For example, the control unit 110 receives driving parameters of the vehicle VE from the GPS on the vehicle VE, where the driving parameters may include position and / or speed, etc., but are not limited thereto. In addition, the control unit 110 may also directly receive driving parameters from sensors.
[0036] In some embodiments, the in-vehicle wireless communication system 100 is a mobile base station for providing a wireless network connection for user devices within the vicinity of the vehicle VE (i.e., outside the vehicle VE). In this embodiment, the in-vehicle wireless communication system 100 may further include an antenna tower or an antenna array.
[0037] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 3 is a flowchart of a wireless communication method 200 (also simply referred to as method 200) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method 200 may be implemented in the in-vehicle wireless communication system 100. The method 200 starts from operation 201. In operation 201, the wireless connection module 120 starts to provide a network connection (for user equipment inside the vehicle). Operation 201 may be executed in response to the vehicle VE being started, and / or the wireless connection module 120 being activated. Optionally, the wireless connection module 120 performs an ACS once in operation 201. Then, the method 200 proceeds to operation 202.
[0038] In operation 202, the control unit 110 obtains driving parameters of the vehicle VE. As described above, the control unit 110 may receive driving parameters of the vehicle VE from the OBD 130, GPS, and / or other interfaces. Then, the method 200 proceeds to operation 203. In operation 203, the control unit 110 determines whether the driving parameters of the vehicle VE are less than (or equal to) a threshold for a specific period of time. As described above, the driving parameters include the speed, acceleration, engine speed, and / or position of the vehicle VE. Different driving parameters correspond to different thresholds. For example, the threshold corresponding to the engine speed is 500 revolutions per minute (RPM). The threshold corresponding to the speed is 5 kilometers per hour (km / hr). The threshold corresponding to the acceleration is 0.5 meters per second squared (m / s 2 ). In addition, the specific period of time is, for example, 5 seconds. Therefore, in operation 203, the control unit 110 determines whether the engine speed is less than 500 RPM for more than 5 seconds, whether the speed is less than 5 km / hr for more than 5 seconds, and / or whether the acceleration is less than 0.5 m / s 2Exceeding 5 seconds. In some embodiments, in operation 203, the control unit 110 determines whether the position of the vehicle VE remains the same for a specific period of time. If not, method 200 proceeds to operation 204. If so, method 200 proceeds to operation 205. It should be noted that the above values are only examples and are not intended to limit the present invention.
[0039] In operation 204, the control unit 110 determines whether the driving parameter of the vehicle VE is greater than a threshold value. If so, method 200 proceeds to operation 206. If not, method 200 returns to operation 202. Similarly, different driving parameters correspond to different threshold values. In addition, the threshold value used in operation 204 is the same as the threshold value used in operation 203. In some embodiments, in operation 204, the control unit 110 determines whether the position of the vehicle VE has changed. In operation 206, the control unit 110 determines that the vehicle VE is in a driving state. Thereafter, method 200 returns to operation 202. In the present invention, the driving state means that the vehicle is in motion (moving), and / or the driving speed exceeds the threshold value.
[0040] In operation 205, the control unit 110 determines whether the vehicle VE has stalled. If so, method 200 proceeds to operation 207. If not, method 200 proceeds to operation 208. The control unit 110 can obtain information about the engine via the OBD 130 and determine whether the vehicle VE has stalled based on this information, but is not limited thereto. In the present invention, stalling means that the vehicle engine stops running. However, when the vehicle has stalled, the electronic products in the vehicle can still operate relying on other power sources, such as a battery. In operation 207, in response to the vehicle VE having stalled, the wireless connection module 120 stops providing network connection. In some embodiments, in operation 207, the control unit 110 instructs the wireless connection module 120 to turn off by an instruction.
[0041] In operation 208, the control unit 110 determines that the vehicle VE is in an idle state. In the present invention, the idle state means that the vehicle is not moving (not traveling), and the engine remains running. The engine speed in the idle state is lower than that in the traveling state. Thereafter, method 200 proceeds to operation 209. In operation 209, the control unit 110 determines whether the vehicle VE has switched from the traveling state to the idle state. If so, method 200 proceeds to operation 210. If not, method 200 returns to operation 202. In some embodiments, the control unit 110 periodically stores the state (traveling state or idle state) of the vehicle VE in the memory 111. In operation 209, the control unit 110 reads the previous state from the memory 111 to determine whether the vehicle VE has switched from the traveling state to the idle state based on the previous state. The previous state is the state of the vehicle VE some time ago (from the execution of operation 209), and the time period can be, for example, 5 seconds, 30 seconds, or 1 minute. Since in operation 209, the control unit 110 has determined that the current state of the vehicle VE is the idle state, when the previous state is the traveling state, the control unit 110 determines that the vehicle VE has switched from the traveling state to the idle state. In other embodiments, the control unit 110 periodically stores the driving parameters of the vehicle VE in the memory 111, and in operation 209, determines whether the vehicle VE has switched from the traveling state to the idle state based on the previous driving parameters. The previous driving parameters are the driving parameters of the vehicle VE some time ago (from the execution of operation 209), and the time period can be, for example, 5 seconds, 30 seconds, or 1 minute.
[0042] In operation 210, the control unit 110 controls the wireless connection module 120 to perform ACS. For example, the wireless connection module 120 can select a channel from all available channels based on the interference intensity on each channel, the number of UEs, the frequency of data transmission / reception by the UEs, and the size of data transmission / reception by the UEs. However, the wireless connection module 120 can perform ACS according to any known algorithm in the art. Since ACS is a known technology in the art, it will not be elaborated herein. In some embodiments, when the vehicle VE is in the traveling state, the control unit 110 controls the wireless connection module 120 not to perform ACS.
[0043] In some embodiments, after performing ACS (after operation 210), the wireless connection module 120 changes the channel used. Refer to Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B , Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B are diagrams of embodiments of the present invention. Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B The vertical axis of Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B represents the signal strength (in decibels (dB)), Figure 4A, Figure 4B Among them, the signal S1 represented in bold is the signal of the wireless connection module 120, and the signals S2-S5 are signals from other devices. Refer to Figure 4A , Figure 4A which illustrates the situation before executing the ACS. In Figure 4A , the wireless connection module 120 transmits / receives data using Channel 11. Since the signal S2 also transmits / receives data on Channel 11, the signal S2 is co-channel interference for the wireless connection module 120. Refer to Figure 4B , Figure 4B which illustrates the situation after executing the ACS. After executing the ACS, the wireless connection module 120 changes to use Channel 6 to transmit / receive data. Since no other device uses Channel 6 (there is no other signal), the signal strength of the wireless connection module 120 increases compared with that before executing the ACS.
[0044] Therefore, the embodiment of the present invention starts the ACS when it is determined that the vehicle is in an idle state. When the vehicle is driving, the surrounding environment changes rapidly and continuously, and the received interference also changes continuously. At this time, even if the ACS is started and the used channel is changed, the replaced channel may also have a low data transmission rate due to new interference. In other words, when the vehicle is driving, it is difficult to find a channel that can stably maintain low interference / high transmission speed for a long time even if the ACS is performed. In contrast, when the vehicle is in an idle state, the surrounding environment is stable. At this time, starting the ACS can find a channel that stably maintains low interference / high transmission speed for a period of time in the future. In addition, the embodiment of the present invention starts the ACS when the vehicle switches from the driving state to the idle state. This can avoid repeatedly executing the ACS when the vehicle remains in the idle state for a long time. Therefore, the present invention can start the ACS at an appropriate time to ensure that the executed ACS brings positive benefits and improves the user experience. In other words, the present invention can avoid executing unnecessary or low-benefit ACS, so the power consumption can be reduced.
[0045] Refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 is a flowchart of the wireless communication method 300 (also simply referred to as method 300) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method 300 can be implemented in the vehicle-mounted wireless communication system 100. The method 300 starts from operation 301. In operation 301, the control unit 110 receives at least one driving parameter of the vehicle VE. In operation 302, the control unit 110 determines whether the condition is satisfied according to at least one driving parameter. In some embodiments, the condition includes that the vehicle VE is in an idle state. In some embodiments, the condition further includes that the vehicle VE switches from the driving state to the idle state. In operation 303, when the control unit 110 determines that the condition is satisfied, the wireless connection module 120 is caused to execute the ACS.
[0046] Although the present invention has been disclosed as above by way of examples, the above examples are not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and refinements based on the above examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be determined by the scope defined in the appended claims.
Claims
1. A wireless communication method, the wireless communication method comprising: Receiving at least one driving parameter of the vehicle by a control unit on the vehicle; Judging whether a condition is established by the control unit according to the at least one driving parameter; and When the control unit judges that the condition is established, causing a wireless connection module on the vehicle to perform automatic channel selection; Wherein, the condition includes that the vehicle is in an idle state.
2. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one vehicle parameter includes the speed, acceleration, or engine speed of the vehicle.
3. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein the condition further includes the vehicle transitioning from a driving state to an idle state.
4. The wireless communication method according to claim 3, wherein when the control unit determines that the at least one vehicle parameter is less than a threshold for a specific time and the vehicle has not stalled, the control unit determines that the vehicle is in the idle state; Wherein, When the control unit judges that the at least one driving parameter is greater than the threshold, the control unit judges that the vehicle is in the driving state.
5. The wireless communication method according to claim 3, wherein the control unit determines whether the vehicle has transitioned from the driving state to the idle state based on a previous state stored in a memory; Wherein, The previous state is the state of the vehicle some time ago; Wherein, the previous state is the driving state or the idle state.
6. An in-vehicle wireless communication system, the in-vehicle wireless communication system being installed on a vehicle, the in-vehicle wireless communication system comprising: A wireless connection module; And A control unit, the control unit is configured to: Receive at least one driving parameter of the vehicle; Judge whether a condition is established according to the at least one driving parameter; and When the control unit judges that the condition is established, cause the wireless connection module to perform automatic channel selection; Wherein, the condition includes that the vehicle is in an idle state.
7. The in-vehicle wireless communication system according to claim 6, wherein the at least one vehicle parameter includes the speed, acceleration, or engine speed of the vehicle.
8. The in-vehicle wireless communication system according to claim 6, wherein the condition further includes the vehicle transitioning from a driving state to an idle state.
9. The in-vehicle wireless communication system according to claim 8, wherein when the control unit determines that the at least one vehicle parameter is less than a threshold for a specific time and the vehicle has not stalled, the control unit determines that the vehicle is in the idle state; Wherein, When the control unit judges that the at least one driving parameter is greater than the threshold, the control unit judges that the vehicle is in the driving state.
10. The in-vehicle wireless communication system according to claim 6, wherein the control unit receives the at least one driving parameter from a vehicle diagnostic system, a sensor, or a global positioning system.