Data distribution method and system for vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses a data distribution method for vehicles. The method comprises the following steps: determining a target vehicle set for data distribution; selecting a seed vehicle from the target vehicle set; distributing the data to the seed vehicles via an online distribution mechanism; enabling the seed vehicles to distribute the data to non-seed vehicles in the target vehicle set through a V2V distribution mechanism; determining whether the number of the vehicles receiving the data or the proportion of the vehicles in the target vehicle set is greater than a preset threshold; and when the number or the proportion of the vehicles receiving the data is greater than a preset threshold value, switching to distribute the data to non-seed vehicles not receiving the data through an online distribution mechanism. An associated data distribution system and vehicle are also disclosed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of data distribution, and more specifically, to a data distribution method and system for vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, common vehicle data distribution solutions employ a cloud-based mechanism, also known as an online mechanism. This mechanism requires the construction of servers and mobile network infrastructure to achieve data transmission. More specifically, the online mechanism requires setting up cloud servers to store data and distribute it to end users (vehicles). Simultaneously, mobile network infrastructure is also needed to enable end users to download data from the server.

[0003] However, the operation and maintenance of servers and mobile network infrastructure require significant energy and resources. Furthermore, when server and / or network capabilities (e.g., network bandwidth) are limited, if the amount of data to be distributed is large, or the number of end users to be distributed to is large, it will take a considerable amount of time to complete the data distribution to all end users. Some end users may need to wait in long queues before the server distributes their data, impacting user experience.

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, it is desirable to provide an improved method and system for data distribution in vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This summary is provided to introduce, in a simplified form, some concepts that will be further described in the following detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to help determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an improved data distribution scheme that combines an online distribution mechanism with a V2V distribution mechanism. Specifically, the data distribution scheme of this invention first selects a subset of vehicles as seed vehicles and distributes data to them via an online distribution mechanism. Subsequently, these seed vehicles distribute data to non-seed vehicles via a V2V distribution mechanism when they are within V2V communication range. When the number or percentage of vehicles receiving data reaches a certain threshold, the system switches to an online distribution mechanism to complete the remaining data distribution.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a data distribution method for vehicles is provided, comprising: determining a target vehicle set for data distribution; selecting seed vehicles from the target vehicle set; distributing data to the seed vehicles via an online distribution mechanism; distributing data from the seed vehicles to non-seed vehicles in the target vehicle set via a V2V distribution mechanism; determining whether the number of vehicles receiving data or their proportion in the target vehicle set is greater than a preset threshold; and when the number of vehicles receiving data or their proportion is greater than the preset threshold, switching to distributing data to non-seed vehicles that have not yet received data via the online distribution mechanism.

[0008] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: making the non-seed vehicle that received the data a seed vehicle and further sending the data to the non-seed vehicles in the target vehicle set via a V2V distribution mechanism.

[0009] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, enabling a seed vehicle to distribute data to non-seed vehicles in a target vehicle set via a V2V distribution mechanism further includes: enabling the seed vehicle to distribute data to one or more non-seed vehicles via V2V communication when the seed vehicle is within V2V communication range of one or more non-seed vehicles.

[0010] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the data is distributed to the one or more non-seed vehicles via unicast, broadcast, or ensemble broadcast.

[0011] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, determining whether the number or proportion of vehicles receiving data is greater than a preset threshold further includes: determining whether a preset time period has elapsed since the data was distributed to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism; and when it is determined that the preset time period has elapsed since the data was distributed to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism, determining whether the number or proportion of vehicles receiving data is greater than a preset threshold.

[0012] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: determining whether a preset time has been reached for distributing data to non-seed vehicles via a V2V distribution mechanism; and when it is determined that the preset time has been reached for distributing data to non-seed vehicles via a V2V distribution mechanism, switching to distributing data to non-seed vehicles that have not yet received data via an online distribution mechanism.

[0013] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: ending data distribution when the number of vehicles receiving data is equal to the total number of target vehicles or the data distribution task schedule duration is reached.

[0014] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: determining a first vehicle set from a target vehicle set based on one or more preset conditions; and distributing data to vehicles in the first vehicle set only via an online distribution mechanism.

[0015] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, one or more preset conditions include: the frequency with which the vehicle was within V2V communication range with other vehicles in a specific past time period was lower than a first threshold frequency; the frequency with which the vehicle passed through a specific location in a specific past time period was lower than a second threshold frequency; and the proportion of the vehicle being within a predetermined area in a specific past time period was higher than a threshold ratio.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, a data distribution system for vehicles is provided, comprising: a storage unit configured to store data to be distributed to vehicles; a communication unit configured to communicate with the vehicles; and a control unit configured to: determine a target set of vehicles for data distribution; select seed vehicles from the target set of vehicles; instruct the communication unit to distribute data to the seed vehicles via an online distribution mechanism; instruct the seed vehicles to distribute data to non-seed vehicles in the target set of vehicles via a V2V distribution mechanism; determine whether the number of vehicles receiving data or their proportion in the target set is greater than a preset threshold; and when the number of vehicles receiving data or their proportion is greater than the preset threshold, instruct the communication unit to switch to distributing data to non-seed vehicles that have not yet received data via the online distribution mechanism.

[0017] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the control unit is further configured to: determine whether a preset time period has elapsed since data was distributed to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism; and when it is determined that the preset time period has elapsed since data was distributed to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism, determine whether the number or proportion of vehicles receiving the data is greater than a preset threshold.

[0018] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the control unit is further configured to: determine whether a preset time has elapsed since data was distributed to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism; and when it is determined that the preset time has elapsed since data was distributed to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism, instruct the communication unit to switch to distributing data to non-seed vehicles that have not yet received data via the online distribution mechanism.

[0019] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the control unit is further configured to: determine a first vehicle set from a target vehicle set based on one or more preset conditions; and the instruction communication unit distributes data to vehicles in the first vehicle set only via an online distribution mechanism.

[0020] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, one or more preset conditions include: the frequency with which the vehicle was within V2V communication range with other vehicles in a specific past time period was lower than a first threshold frequency; the frequency with which the vehicle passed through a specific location in a specific past time period was lower than a second threshold frequency; and the proportion of the vehicle being within a predetermined area in a specific past time period was higher than a threshold ratio.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle is provided, comprising: a first communication unit configured to communicate with the aforementioned data distribution system via a mobile communication network to receive data or instructions distributed by the data distribution system; and a second communication unit configured to receive data forwarded from other vehicles or forward received data to other vehicles via V2V communication.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the data distribution scheme of the present invention has the following advantages:

[0023] (1) Save energy and resource consumption on the server side. By adding a V2V distribution mechanism to the traditional, single online data distribution mechanism, the data transmission bandwidth, load and energy consumption on the server side can be transferred and distributed to vehicles with V2V communication capabilities;

[0024] (2) Improve the overall efficiency of data distribution tasks. By combining the online mechanism with the V2V distribution mechanism and flexibly setting different mechanism selection and switching conditions, the queuing time previously caused by server bandwidth limitations can be significantly reduced, thereby enabling data distribution tasks to be completed in a shorter time and improving the user experience;

[0025] (3) Easy to deploy. The V2V data distribution mechanism can utilize the existing V2V infrastructure and the vehicle's own V2V communication capabilities, without the need to build and maintain other dedicated infrastructure.

[0026] These and other features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description and with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are illustrative only and do not limit the scope of the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The features, essence, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent when understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which provide a detailed description. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are consistently used. It should be noted that the described drawings are schematic and non-limiting. Some components in the drawings may be enlarged and are not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes.

[0028] Figure 1This is a schematic flowchart of a data distribution method for vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a data distribution system for vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and its features will become further apparent from the following detailed description. Throughout this specification, the term "vehicle" refers to any type of motor vehicle, including but not limited to cars, vans, trucks, buses, etc. The term "A or B" as used in this specification means "A and B" and "A or B," and does not imply that A and B are exclusive, unless otherwise stated.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of a data distribution method 100 for vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, method 100 begins at step 102. In step 102, the target set of vehicles for data distribution is determined.

[0034] The data distributed to vehicles can be of various types and purposes, distributed to vehicles via a server. As a non-limiting example, the data could be an over-the-air (OTA) software update for an in-vehicle system. Other examples of data may include, but are not limited to, traffic information, weather information, news, advertisements, etc. For ease of description, this disclosure uses the application scenario of distributing OTA data to vehicles as an example, but it is understood that the embodiments of the present invention are also applicable to the distribution of other types of data.

[0035] The target vehicle set refers to the collection of all vehicles to which data is to be distributed. For example, for an OTA (Over-The-Air) update, it can be determined which vehicles are within the scope of this OTA push, for example, based on vehicle model, region, or the vehicle's current software version. Therefore, the vehicles within the push scope can be considered as target vehicles, and these target vehicles constitute the target vehicle set for data distribution.

[0036] In step 104, seed vehicles are selected from the target vehicle set.

[0037] After determining the target vehicle set, a subset of vehicles (e.g., a predetermined number of vehicles, a predetermined proportion of vehicles, etc.) can be selected as seed vehicles. As will be further described later, seed vehicles refer to the earliest batch of vehicles in the target vehicle set to receive data to be distributed from the cloud server. These vehicles then further distribute the data to other vehicles on behalf of the server. In practice, seed vehicles can be randomly selected, or alternatively, they can be selected based on some preset criteria to make the entire data distribution task more efficient.

[0038] In step 106, the data is distributed to the seed vehicles via an online distribution mechanism.

[0039] Specifically, the data to be distributed can be stored on a cloud server. After selecting a seed vehicle in step 104, the selected seed vehicle can be communicated to the server. Subsequently, the server can communicate with the seed vehicle through traditional online distribution mechanisms, such as via mobile networks (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G mobile networks, etc.) to transmit the data to the seed vehicle.

[0040] In step 108, the seed vehicle distributes data to non-seed vehicles in the target vehicle set via a V2V distribution mechanism.

[0041] V2V (Vehicle-to-Vehicle) is a vehicle-to-vehicle communication method. Today, an increasing number of vehicles support V2V communication. Furthermore, it is understood that V2V as used in the context of this disclosure also encompasses communication between vehicles and roadside units (RSUs) or other road entities, i.e., V2X, and is not limited to specific communication protocols such as DSRC or C-V2X.

[0042] Once a seed vehicle receives data via an online distribution mechanism such as a mobile network, it can distribute the data to other non-seed vehicles via a V2V distribution mechanism.

[0043] For example, when a seed vehicle travels to a point where it is within V2V communication range of a non-seed vehicle, the seed vehicle and the non-seed vehicle can communicate via V2V. At this time, the seed vehicle can send data previously received via the online distribution mechanism to the non-seed vehicle through V2V communication.

[0044] During data distribution, data can be distributed to one or more non-seed vehicles via unicast, broadcast, or multicast. Therefore, if a seed vehicle is within V2V communication range of one or more non-seed vehicles while in motion, the seed vehicle can distribute data to one or more non-seed vehicles within the V2V communication range.

[0045] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a non-seed vehicle can become a new seed vehicle after receiving the data, and further send the data to other non-seed vehicles in the target vehicle set via a V2V distribution mechanism.

[0046] For example, suppose a non-seed vehicle A receives data and becomes a seed vehicle. When it is within V2V communication range of another non-seed vehicle B, vehicle A can send the data to B via the V2V distribution mechanism. Similarly, vehicle B can then become a seed vehicle and, when within V2V communication range of another non-seed vehicle C, send data to C. In this way, as the data distribution process progresses, the number of seed vehicles increases, thereby continuously expanding the scope of V2V data distribution and improving its efficiency.

[0047] In step 110, it is determined whether the number of vehicles receiving data or their proportion in the target vehicle set is greater than a preset threshold.

[0048] While V2V distribution mechanisms can significantly reduce server-side energy and resource consumption, V2V communication itself is geographically limited; two vehicles can only communicate with each other when they are within each other's V2V communication range. Therefore, some vehicles, due to their limited activity range and frequency, may never encounter other vehicles during data distribution tasks, thus failing to receive V2V data from other vehicles and ultimately requiring the traditional online distribution mechanism to deliver data to these vehicles. Therefore, certain conditions need to be set to switch back to the online distribution mechanism in a timely manner, ensuring the completion of data distribution tasks while simultaneously improving overall distribution efficiency.

[0049] As an example, the number or percentage of vehicles receiving data can be used as a marker.

[0050] As mentioned earlier, due to the limited range of vehicle travel, some non-seed vehicles may never encounter other vehicles and will find it difficult to receive data through the V2V distribution mechanism. Therefore, the total number or proportion of vehicles receiving data will tend to stabilize after a period of time. At this point, it can be considered that the V2V distribution mechanism is difficult to cover non-seed vehicles that have not yet received data, so switching the distribution mechanism can be considered.

[0051] Therefore, a number or proportion threshold can be preset, and during the data distribution process, it can be determined whether the number or proportion of vehicles receiving data is greater than the preset threshold. When the number or proportion of vehicles receiving data is greater than the threshold, the distribution mechanism can be switched.

[0052] In practical implementation, those skilled in the art can set the specific value of the preset threshold based on various factors (e.g., actual application scenario, server capabilities, network bandwidth capabilities, time requirements, etc.). For example, if the server capability is strong, the preset threshold can be set to a relatively small value to switch to the online distribution mechanism as quickly as possible. Conversely, if the server capability is weak, the preset threshold can be set to a relatively large value to switch to the online distribution mechanism later, utilizing V2V methods for data distribution as much as possible.

[0053] In step 112, when the number or proportion of vehicles that have received data exceeds a preset threshold, the system switches to distributing the data to non-seed vehicles that have not yet received data via an online distribution mechanism.

[0054] When the number or percentage of vehicles receiving data exceeds a preset threshold, it indicates that the period of high efficiency for data distribution via V2V has passed. At this point, the distribution mechanism can be switched from V2V to online distribution, allowing the server to distribute data to non-seed vehicles that have not yet received data. By switching the distribution mechanism, data distribution can cover all vehicles in the target vehicle set, ensuring that all target vehicles can receive the distributed data and improving the overall efficiency of data distribution.

[0055] Additionally or alternatively, the time factor can be considered when determining when to switch data distribution mechanisms. Specifically, since the number or proportion of vehicles receiving data increases gradually, reaching the preset threshold often takes time. Therefore, when determining whether the preset threshold has been reached, it can first be determined whether the preset time period has elapsed since data was distributed to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism. Before the preset time period has been reached, it is not necessary to determine whether the number or proportion of vehicles receiving data exceeds the preset threshold. Once it is determined whether the preset time period has elapsed since data was distributed to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism, then it is further determined whether the number or proportion of vehicles receiving data exceeds the preset threshold. This approach avoids prematurely switching back to the online distribution mechanism, thereby conserving server resources as much as possible.

[0056] In another embodiment, the number or percentage of vehicles receiving data may consistently fail to reach a preset threshold (e.g., due to an unreasonable preset threshold setting, limited driving range of vehicles in the target vehicle concentration area, or other specific or accidental circumstances). In such cases, it can be determined whether a preset time has elapsed for distributing data to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism. If it is determined that the preset time has elapsed for distributing data to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism, the system switches to distributing data to non-seed vehicles that have not yet received data via the online distribution mechanism, regardless of whether the number or percentage of vehicles receiving data has reached the preset threshold. For example, if the data distribution task is planned to take 15 days, and the preset threshold has not been reached after 10 days, the system switches back to the online distribution mechanism. This approach avoids the inability to switch distribution mechanisms due to consistently failing to reach the preset threshold, thus preventing the timely completion of the data distribution task.

[0057] Additionally or alternatively, method 100 may further include: determining a first vehicle set from a target vehicle set based on one or more preset conditions; and distributing data to vehicles in the first vehicle set only via an online distribution mechanism.

[0058] Based on historical vehicle data, the likelihood of a vehicle being within V2V communication range with other vehicles can be determined. Therefore, those vehicles in the target vehicle set that are unlikely to be within V2V communication range with other vehicles (i.e., the first vehicle set) can be identified. For vehicles in the first vehicle set, since they are unlikely to be within V2V communication range with other vehicles (for data distribution via the V2V distribution mechanism), data can be distributed to them solely via the online distribution mechanism. For the remaining vehicles in the target vehicle set other than the first vehicle set, a combination of the aforementioned online distribution mechanism and the V2V distribution mechanism can be used for data distribution. In this case, most vehicles are waiting for the V2V distribution mechanism to receive data, resulting in a lighter server load, thus fully utilizing the surplus server resources during this period. This approach makes data distribution more flexible and further improves the overall efficiency of data distribution.

[0059] According to another embodiment of the present invention, one or more preset conditions may include: the frequency with which the vehicle is within V2V communication range with other vehicles in a specific past time period is lower than a first threshold frequency; the frequency with which the vehicle passes through a specific location in a specific past time period is lower than a second threshold frequency; and the proportion of the vehicle being within a predetermined area in a specific past time period is higher than a threshold ratio.

[0060] Similarly, the less frequently a vehicle has been within V2V communication range of other vehicles within a specific time period, the lower the probability of the vehicle encountering other vehicles, making it less likely to receive data from or distribute received data to other vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism. Therefore, when a vehicle has been within V2V communication range of other vehicles less than a first threshold frequency (e.g., 3 times) within a specific time period (e.g., one month), the online distribution mechanism can be used for that vehicle without the V2V distribution mechanism. Thus, data can be distributed to that vehicle solely via the online distribution mechanism.

[0061] If a vehicle passes through a specific location infrequently within a specific time period, it indicates that the vehicle is unlikely to have traveled through that location. For data distributed at or near that location, the vehicle is unlikely to receive data from or distribute received data to other vehicles via V2V distribution mechanisms (because the vehicle is unlikely to pass through that location). Therefore, for data distributed at or near that location, if the vehicle passes through that location less than a second threshold frequency (e.g., 2 times) within a specific time period (e.g., one month), the data can be distributed to the vehicle solely via online distribution mechanisms.

[0062] A higher percentage of a vehicle's activity within a predetermined area over a specific time period indicates that the vehicle's activity is highly likely limited to that area. Therefore, for data to be distributed in other areas, the vehicle is unlikely to receive data from or distribute received data to other vehicles via V2V distribution mechanisms (because the vehicle is unlikely to be located in other areas). Thus, for data to be distributed in areas different from the predetermined area, when the percentage of a vehicle's activity within that predetermined area over a specific time period (e.g., one month) exceeds a threshold ratio (e.g., 98%), the data can be distributed to the vehicle solely via online distribution mechanisms.

[0063] It should be noted that the preset conditions listed above and the associated values ​​of the first threshold frequency, second threshold frequency, and threshold ratio are merely exemplary and not restrictive. In specific implementations, those skilled in the art can set the specific values ​​of the first threshold frequency, second threshold frequency, and threshold ratio according to actual circumstances, and can also set other suitable preset conditions.

[0064] Finally, the data distribution task can be terminated when the number of vehicles that have received data equals the total number of target vehicles (i.e., all vehicles in the target vehicle set have received data) or when the planned duration of the data distribution task is reached.

[0065] As can be seen from method 100, the data distribution method of the present invention can effectively combine online distribution mechanism and V2V distribution mechanism to distribute data, making data distribution more flexible and efficient, and saving resource consumption.

[0066] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a data distribution system 200 for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] like Figure 2 As shown, the data distribution system 200 may include a storage unit 202, a communication unit 204, and a control unit 206. One or more of these units may be directly or indirectly connected to or communicate with each other.

[0068] Storage unit 202 is configured to store data to be distributed to vehicles.

[0069] The communication unit 204 is configured to communicate with the vehicle.

[0070] The control unit 206 is configured to: determine the target vehicle set for data distribution; select seed vehicles from the target vehicle set; the command communication unit 204 distributes data to the seed vehicles via an online distribution mechanism; instruct the seed vehicles to distribute data to non-seed vehicles in the target vehicle set via a V2V distribution mechanism; determine whether the number of vehicles receiving data or their proportion in the target vehicle set is greater than a preset threshold; when the number of vehicles receiving data or their proportion is greater than the preset threshold, the command communication unit 204 switches to distributing data to non-seed vehicles that have not yet received data via an online distribution mechanism.

[0071] In one embodiment, the control unit 206 may be further configured to: determine whether a preset time period has elapsed since data was distributed to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism; and when it is determined that the preset time period has elapsed since data was distributed to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism, determine whether the number or percentage of vehicles receiving the data is greater than a preset threshold.

[0072] In one embodiment, the control unit 206 may be further configured to: determine whether a preset time has elapsed since data was distributed to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism; and when it is determined that the preset time has elapsed since data was distributed to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism, instruct the communication unit 204 to switch to distributing data to non-seed vehicles that have not yet received the data via the online distribution mechanism.

[0073] In one embodiment, the control unit 206 may be further configured to: determine a first vehicle set from a target vehicle set based on one or more preset conditions; and the command communication unit 204 distributes data to the vehicles in the first vehicle set only via an online distribution mechanism. In this embodiment, the one or more preset conditions include: the frequency with which a vehicle was within V2V communication range with other vehicles in a specific past time period was lower than a first threshold frequency; the frequency with which a vehicle passed through a specific location in a specific past time period was lower than a second threshold frequency; and the proportion of vehicles within a predetermined area in a specific past time period was higher than a threshold ratio.

[0074] Although Figure 2 Three specific units of the data distribution system 200 are shown, but it should be understood that this is exemplary and not restrictive. In a specific implementation, one or more of these units may be combined or split, or additional units may be added.

[0075] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] like Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle 300 may include a first communication unit 302 and a second communication unit 304.

[0077] The first communication unit 302 is configured to communicate with a data distribution system (such as data distribution system 200) via a mobile communication network to receive data or instructions from the data distribution system.

[0078] For example, the first communication unit 302 can communicate with the data distribution system via a mobile communication network to receive data from the data distribution system via an online distribution mechanism, or to receive instructions from the data distribution system, wherein the instructions instruct the vehicle 300 to distribute the received data to other vehicles.

[0079] The second communication unit 304 is configured to receive data forwarded from other vehicles via V2V communication or to forward received data to other vehicles.

[0080] In other words, the first communication unit 302 participates in mobile communication with the data distribution system, while the second communication unit 304 participates in V2V communication with other vehicles.

[0081] Although Figure 3 The diagram shows two separate units 302 and 304 of vehicle 300, but the invention is not limited thereto. In practical implementations, the first communication unit 302 and the second communication unit 304 may also be integrated into a single unit / module. Additionally, vehicle 300 may include other units.

[0082] The detailed description above, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, describes examples but does not represent all examples that can be implemented or fall within the scope of the claims. The terms "example" and "exemplary" are used in this specification to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration" and do not imply "superiority or superiority over other examples."

[0083] Throughout this specification, the terms "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Therefore, the use of these phrases may refer to more than one embodiment. Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0084] The preceding description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will readily be understood by those skilled in the art, and the universal principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be granted the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, wherein references to the singular form of an element, unless specifically stated otherwise, are not intended to mean “one and only one,” but rather “one or more.” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. All structural and functional equivalents of the various aspects of the invention described throughout are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be covered by the claims.

[0085] It should also be noted that these embodiments may be described as processes depicted as flowcharts, flow diagrams, structure diagrams, or block diagrams. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of these operations can be executed in parallel or concurrently. Furthermore, the order of these operations can be rearranged.

[0086] While various embodiments have been described and illustrated, it should be understood that the embodiments are not limited to the precise configurations and components described above. Various modifications, substitutions, and improvements that will be apparent to those skilled in the art can be made to the arrangement, operation, and details of the apparatus disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A data distribution method for vehicles, comprising: Determine the target vehicle set for data distribution; Select seed vehicles from the target vehicle set; The data is distributed to the seed vehicles via an online distribution mechanism; The seed vehicle distributes the data to non-seed vehicles in the target vehicle set via a V2V distribution mechanism. Determine whether the number of vehicles receiving the data or their proportion in the target vehicle set is greater than a preset threshold. When the number or proportion of vehicles receiving the data exceeds the preset threshold, the system switches to distributing the data to non-seed vehicles that have not yet received the data via an online distribution mechanism.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The non-seed vehicles that receive the data become seed vehicles, and the data is further sent to the non-seed vehicles in the target vehicle set via a V2V distribution mechanism.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distribution of data from the seed vehicle to non-seed vehicles in the target vehicle set via a V2V distribution mechanism further includes: When the seed vehicle is within V2V communication range of one or more of the non-seed vehicles, it distributes the data to the one or more non-seed vehicles via V2V communication.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The data is distributed to the one or more non-seed vehicles via one of unicast, broadcast, or ensemble broadcast.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining whether the number or percentage of vehicles receiving the data is greater than the preset threshold further includes: Determine whether the preset time period has elapsed since the data was distributed to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism; and When it is determined that the data has been distributed to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism for the preset time period, it is determined whether the number or proportion of vehicles that received the data is greater than the preset threshold.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Determine whether the preset time has been reached for distributing data to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism; and When it is determined that the preset time has been reached for distributing data to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism, the system switches to distributing the data to non-seed vehicles that have not yet received the data via the online distribution mechanism.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Data distribution ends when the number of vehicles receiving the data equals the total number of target vehicles or when the planned duration of the data distribution task is reached.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: A first vehicle set is determined from the target vehicle set based on one or more preset conditions; and The data is distributed to vehicles in the first vehicle set only via an online distribution mechanism.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The one or more preset conditions include: The frequency with which the vehicle was in V2V communication range with other vehicles within a specific time period was lower than the first threshold frequency; The frequency with which a vehicle passes through a specific location within a specific time period is lower than the second threshold frequency; and The percentage of vehicles that were within a predetermined area during a specific time period was higher than the threshold ratio.

10. A data distribution system for vehicles, comprising: A storage unit configured to store data to be distributed to vehicles; A communication unit configured to communicate with a vehicle; as well as Control unit, the control unit being configured to: Determine the target vehicle set for data distribution; Select seed vehicles from the target vehicle set; The instruction states that the communication unit distributes data to the seed vehicle via an online distribution mechanism; The instruction states that the seed vehicle distributes the data to non-seed vehicles in the target vehicle set via a V2V distribution mechanism; Determine whether the number of vehicles receiving the data or their proportion in the target vehicle set is greater than a preset threshold. When the number or proportion of vehicles receiving the data exceeds the preset threshold, the communication unit is instructed to switch to distributing the data to non-seed vehicles that have not yet received the data via an online distribution mechanism.

11. The system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The control unit is further configured to: Determine whether the preset time period has been reached when data is distributed to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism; When it is determined that the data has been distributed to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism for the preset time period, it is determined whether the number or proportion of vehicles that received the data is greater than the preset threshold.

12. The system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The control unit is further configured to: Determine whether the preset time has been reached for distributing data to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism; and When it is determined that the preset time has been reached for distributing data to non-seed vehicles via the V2V distribution mechanism, the communication unit is instructed to switch to distributing the data to non-seed vehicles that have not yet received the data via the online distribution mechanism.

13. The system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The control unit is further configured to: A first vehicle set is determined from the target vehicle set based on one or more preset conditions; and The communication unit described in the instruction distributes the data to vehicles in the first vehicle set only via an online distribution mechanism.

14. The system according to claim 13, characterized in that, The one or more preset conditions include: The frequency with which the vehicle was in V2V communication range with other vehicles within a specific time period was lower than the first threshold frequency; The frequency with which a vehicle passes through a specific location within a specific time period is lower than the second threshold frequency; and The percentage of vehicles that were within a predetermined area during a specific time period was higher than the threshold ratio.

15. A vehicle comprising: A first communication unit is configured to communicate with a data distribution system as described in any one of claims 10-14 via a mobile communication network to receive data or instructions distributed by the data distribution system. as well as The second communication unit is configured to receive data forwarded from other vehicles via V2V communication or to forward received data to other vehicles.

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