System and method for antenna switching for vehicle

Abstract

Embodiments of an example telematics system for a vehicle are disclosed. An example telematics system includes: a plurality of antennas capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals; and a telematics unit configured to select an antenna from the plurality of antennas based on network information and dynamic vehicle information, and connect the selected antenna to the telematics unit to transmit and / or receive wireless signals via the selected antenna.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of vehicle communication systems, and more particularly to antenna systems for vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] A Telematics Control Unit (TCU), or telematics unit, is a system in a vehicle that wirelessly connects the vehicle to various network services via various types of networks, such as cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. For example, such systems can also control wireless tracking, diagnostics, and communication to and from the vehicle. In some examples, the TCU can collect telemetry data from various subsystems, such as location, speed, engine data, and connectivity quality, via data and control buses. Such TCU systems can use an antenna connected to the TCU to collect and transmit signal data. Summary of the Invention

[0003] An implementation scheme of an example telematics system for a vehicle is disclosed. The example telematics system includes: a plurality of antennas capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals; and a telematics unit configured to select an antenna from the plurality of antennas based on network information and dynamic vehicle information, and to connect the selected antenna to the telematics unit to transmit and / or receive wireless signals via the selected antenna.

[0004] A method for a vehicle telematics system is also disclosed. An example method for a vehicle telematics system includes: obtaining network information and dynamic vehicle information related to the current and / or predicted signal quality of wireless signals transmitted from and / or received at the vehicle; determining the shape of a radiation pattern of a plurality of antennas of the vehicle based on the network information and the dynamic vehicle information; and shaping the radiation pattern of the plurality of antennas according to the determined shape. Attached Figure Description

[0005] This disclosure can be better understood by referring to the following description of non-limiting embodiments, in which:

[0006] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example vehicle-to-vehicle communication system depicting one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0007] Figure 2 An example partial view of a vehicle compartment according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0008] Figure 3 An example in-vehicle computing system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0009] Figure 4 and Figure 5 This is a block diagram depicting an example antenna control system; and

[0010] Figure 6 and Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating an example process for antenna selection and / or control. Detailed Implementation

[0011] As described above, telematics systems are used to provide telecommunications and cellular connectivity for vehicles. This disclosure describes a telematics system for vehicles that establishes communication between the vehicle and external services or other vehicles in the same or similar geographical area via a relay tower or base station. Communication systems (such as...) Figure 1 The system depicted in the document illustrates one such example of a system capable of providing communication between a vehicle and external services. Furthermore, as described herein, the telematics unit can be capable of connecting to multiple antennas.

[0012] These situations exist in automotive radio applications where it may be possible to expect or require modification of the antenna radiation pattern to suit the specific location of the vehicle in order to maintain optimal quality of service parameters. An example of this is an urban canyon, where it may be desirable to focus the antenna radiation pattern of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antenna along the canyon rather than using an omnidirectional pattern. This would increase the visibility of satellites near the horizon and avoid the multipath problem of utilizing satellite signals reflected from nearby tall buildings.

[0013] There are other cases where focusing the radiation pattern of a cellular antenna toward the serving cell is beneficial, particularly in 5G, where the network allows beamforming from the mobile side. The same concept also applies to non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) and Satcom networks utilizing beamforming.

[0014] The radiation pattern varies considerably depending on the antenna's location within the vehicle. Having multiple antennas at different locations within the vehicle and using software to switch different antennas to the Telematics Control Unit (TCU) is beneficial when it's necessary to adapt the antenna radiation pattern based on the vehicle's position relative to a base station or satellite to improve signal reception and thus achieve better antenna performance. While phased array antennas (PSA) can be used to reshape the antenna radiation pattern as discussed above, PSAs are narrowband and cannot cover the entire frequency range of interest for the automotive TCU.

[0015] Therefore, according to the embodiments disclosed herein, multiple antennas with radiation patterns optimized for different fixed directions can be included in the vehicle. A smart antenna manager can be used to switch antennas to the TCU as needed. The smart antenna manager can select appropriate antennas based on the vehicle's current position / situation determined by various vehicle information (e.g., camera data, GNSS location data, serving cell ID / physical location). In some examples, the smart antenna manager may include an artificial intelligence / machine learning model (such as a neural network) to select appropriate antennas based on vehicle information. This allows the antenna radiation pattern to be shaped to suit the situation in which the vehicle finds itself. Furthermore, in some examples, the antennas may be phased array antennas, and the smart antenna manager can be configured to control the phase and gain of the RF signal output by each antenna / element to shape the antenna radiation pattern based on the vehicle situation.

[0016] refer to Figure 1 This illustrates an exemplary operating environment for a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system 10 that can be used to implement the methods disclosed herein. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication system 10 typically includes one or more vehicles 12 equipped with telematics, one or more wireless carrier systems 14, and one or more remote servers 16. In some examples, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication system 10 may also include various personal wireless devices 22 and a Short Message Service Center (SMSC) 24. It should be understood that references below... Figure 6 and Figure 7 The disclosed process can be used with any number of different systems and is not particularly limited to the operating environment shown herein. Therefore, the following paragraphs simply provide a brief overview of one possible configuration for providing wireless communication between each vehicle in vehicle 12 and between vehicle 12 and remote server 16. However, it should be understood that other systems not shown herein can also be used to perform the disclosed method.

[0017] In the illustrated embodiment, vehicle 12 is depicted as a passenger car, but it should be understood that any other vehicle may be used, including motorcycles, trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), recreational vehicles (RVs), boats, airplanes, etc. Figure 1 The image shows some of the vehicle's electronic devices 28 in general. See below for reference. Figures 2 to 5A more detailed description of example vehicle electronics that may be included in vehicle 12 is shown. Vehicle electronics 28 may include one or more of the following: a telematics unit 30 (also known as a TCU), a microphone 32, one or more buttons or other control inputs 34, an audio system 36, a visual display 38, and a navigation module 40, as well as multiple vehicle system modules (VSMs) 42. Some of these devices may be directly connected to the telematics unit 30, such as, for example, the microphone 32 and buttons 34, while others may be indirectly connected using one or more network connections, such as a communication bus 44 or an entertainment bus 46. Examples of suitable network connections include a controller area network (CAN), a media-oriented system transport (MOST), a local interconnect network (LIN), a local area network (LAN), and other suitable connections such as Ethernet or other connections conforming to known ISO, SAE, and IEEE standards and specifications, to name just a few.

[0018] The telematics unit 30 is an OEM-installed or aftermarket device that enables vehicle 12 to receive and / or transmit wireless signals corresponding to voice, text, and / or other data. Therefore, the telematics unit 30 can send and / or receive wireless signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio, cellular, etc. The telematics unit 30 can therefore be referred to as a transceiver 30 because it is capable of both sending and receiving wireless signals. Wireless signals generated by the telematics unit 30 of vehicle 12 can be sent to and received by one or more vehicles in vehicle 12 and a remote server 16. Thus, each vehicle in vehicle 12 can wirelessly communicate with each other to send and / or receive information between them via the telematics unit 30. Furthermore, each vehicle in vehicle 12 can wirelessly communicate with the remote server 16 to send and / or receive information between them.

[0019] By including relay towers 70, wireless communication between the remote server 16 and the vehicle 12 can be maintained even at greater distances. Each tower in the towers 70 may include a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna for relaying wireless signals between the remote server 16 and the vehicle 12.

[0020] However, it should be understood that in some examples, the relay tower 70 may not be included in the communication system 10, and the vehicles 12 may communicate wirelessly directly with the remote server 16. Furthermore, if one or more of the vehicles 12 are separated from the remote server 16 by a sufficient distance, and / or terrain (e.g., mountains) obstructs the transmission of wireless signals between them, then one or more vehicles 12 may not communicate wirelessly with the remote server 16.

[0021] Alternatively, communication system 10 may utilize satellite communication to provide one-way or two-way communication between one or more vehicles in vehicle 12 and remote server 16. This can be accomplished using one or more communication satellites 62 and uplink transmission station 64. One-way communication could be, for example, a satellite radio service, where program content (news, music, etc.) is received by transmission station 64, packaged for uploading, and then sent to satellite 62, which broadcasts the program to subscribers. Furthermore, in some examples, each vehicle in vehicle 12 may wirelessly transmit information to satellite 62, which then broadcasts the information to server 16.

[0022] Thus, each of the vehicles 12 can communicate with one or more of the following: the remote server 16, other vehicles 12 equipped with telematics, or other entities or devices capable of transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals. The telematics unit 30 enables the vehicles to provide a variety of different services, including those related to messaging, navigation, telephone communication, emergency assistance, diagnostics, infotainment, etc. Data can be transmitted via a data connection using techniques known in the art, such as via a packet-switched connection or via a voice channel. For services involving a combination of voice and data communication, the system can utilize a single call on the voice channel and switch between voice and data transmission on the voice channel as needed, and this can be accomplished using techniques known to those skilled in the art.

[0023] According to one implementation, the telematics unit 30 utilizes a wireless modem 50 for data transmission, an electronic processing device 52, one or more digital memory devices 54, and one or more antennas 56. It should be understood that the modem can be implemented in software, or it can be a separate hardware component located inside or outside the telematics unit 30. The modem can operate using any number of different standards or protocols (such as EVDO, CDMA, GPRS, and EDGE). The telematics unit 30 can also be used to implement wireless networking between the vehicle 12 and other networked devices. For this purpose, the telematics unit 30 can be configured to conduct wireless communication according to one or more wireless protocols (such as IEEE 802.11, WiMAX, or Bluetooth). When used for packet-switched data communication (such as TCP / IP), the telematics unit 30 can be configured with a static IP address, or it can be set to automatically receive an assigned IP address from another device on the network (such as a router) or from a network address server.

[0024] Processor 52 can be any type of device capable of processing electronic instructions, including microprocessors, microcontrollers, host processors, controllers, vehicle communication processors, and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The processor can be a dedicated processor for the telematics unit 30 only, or it can be shared with other vehicle systems. Processor 52 executes various types of digitally stored instructions, such as software or firmware programs stored in memory 54, which enable the telematics unit 30 to provide a wide variety of services. For example, processor 52 can execute programs or process data to implement at least a portion of the methods discussed herein.

[0025] The telematics unit 30 can be used to provide a wide range of vehicle services involving wireless communication to and from vehicle 12. Such services may include: remote control of certain vehicle features using VSM 42; segmented direction and other navigation-related services provided by navigation module 40; airbag deployment notifications and other emergency or roadside assistance-related services provided by one or more collision sensor interface modules (such as a body control module (not shown)); diagnostic reports using one or more diagnostic modules; and infotainment-related services, where music, web pages, movies, television programs, video games, and / or other information are downloaded and stored by an infotainment module (not shown) for current or later playback. The services listed above are by no means an exhaustive list of all capabilities of the telematics unit 30, but merely an example of some services that an exemplary telematics unit can provide. Furthermore, it should be understood that at least some of the aforementioned modules can be implemented as software instructions stored inside or outside the telematics unit 30. These can be hardware components located inside or outside the telematics unit 30, or they can be integrated and / or shared with each other, or integrated and / or shared with other systems located throughout the vehicle 12, to name just a few possibilities. In the case where the modules are implemented as a VSM 42 located outside the telematics unit 30, they can use the communication bus 44 to exchange data and commands with the telematics unit 30.

[0026] In some examples, the antenna 56 of the telematics unit 30 includes two or more antennas positioned at different locations on the vehicle. For example, one or more antennas may be positioned in a shark fin antenna on the roof of the vehicle. Other antennas may be positioned in the windshield and / or rear window. In further examples, one or more antennas may be in the form of a flexible printed circuit board with antenna traces. In such examples, the antennas may be positioned on a glass surface, such as the windshield, rear window, glass roof, and / or other glass windows of the vehicle. In some examples, antenna 56 may include a phased array antenna, such as an array of eight or 16 antennas spaced at appropriate intervals (e.g., this may depend on the lowest frequency supported by the antenna). For example, antenna 56 may be configured for various signal networks, such as cellular, Wi-Fi, and / or Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals. Antenna 56 may be configured for terrestrial networks, Satcom networks, and / or NTN. Narrowband NTN (NB-NTN) networks use geostationary satellites. The frequencies used are in the L and S bands. UE devices supporting NB-NTN use the same cellular antennas used for terrestrial networks (TN). The same terrestrial network antenna switching disclosed herein can be used for NB-NTN. Future NTNs may use Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and require separate phased array antennas that allow beamforming and tracking of satellite movement. The proposed frequencies for these are in the FR2 band from 17 GHz to 30 GHz. It should be understood that, at least in some examples, antenna 56 may include two or more antennas for each different signal network.

[0027] Antenna 56 can be coupled to telematics unit 30 via cable routing, via antenna matching circuitry, and / or directly. For example, telematics unit 30 or antenna matching circuitry can be mounted on the inner surface of a vehicle's metal surface (e.g., a metal roof), adjacent to an interface with the glass surface to which the antenna is attached, allowing the antenna to be directly coupled to the telematics unit or antenna matching circuitry without cable routing. Antenna matching circuitry can be coupled to telematics unit via cable routing. Antennas can be spaced apart from each other at any suitable distance. Antenna matching circuitry can include a rigid printed circuit board with impedance matching capabilities.

[0028] Navigation module 40 can be configured to support any suitable navigation system, such as GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, IRNSS, etc. In an example where navigation module 40 is a GPS navigation module, module 40 receives signals from the constellation of GPS satellites 60. Based on these signals, module 40 can determine the vehicle's location for providing navigation and other location-related services to the vehicle's driver. Navigation information can be presented on display 38 (or other displays within the vehicle) or can be presented verbally, as is done when providing segmented navigation. Navigation services can be provided using a dedicated in-vehicle navigation module (which may be part of navigation module 40), or some or all of the navigation services can be performed via telematics unit 30, where location information is sent to a remote location to provide the vehicle with navigation maps, map annotations (points of interest, restaurants, etc.), route calculations, etc. Location information can be supplied to remote server 16 for other purposes, such as fleet management.

[0029] In addition to the audio system 36 and navigation module 40, vehicle 12 may also include other vehicle system modules (VSMs) 42 in the form of electronic hardware components, located throughout the vehicle and typically receiving input from one or more sensors and using the sensed input to perform diagnostic, monitoring, control, reporting, and / or other functions. Each VSM 42 is preferably connected to other VSMs and telematics unit 30 via communication bus 44 and can be programmed to run vehicle system and subsystem diagnostic tests and perform other functions. For example, one VSM 42 may be an engine control module (ECM) that controls various aspects of engine operation, such as fuel ignition and ignition timing; another VSM 42 may be a powertrain control module that regulates the operation of one or more components of the vehicle's powertrain; and yet another VSM 42 may be a body control module that manages various electrical components located throughout the vehicle, such as the vehicle's power door locks. According to one implementation, the ECM is equipped with on-board diagnostics (OBD) features, which provide a large amount of real-time data, such as data received from various sensors (including vehicle emission sensors), and provide a set of standardized diagnostic fault codes (DTCs) that allow technicians to quickly identify and resolve faults within the vehicle. As those skilled in the art will understand, the VSM described above is only an example of some of the modules that can be used in vehicle 12, as many other modules are also possible.

[0030] Vehicle electronics 28 may also include multiple vehicle user interfaces that provide vehicle occupants with means of providing and / or receiving information, such as microphone 32, button 34, audio system 36, and visual display 38. As used herein, the term "vehicle user interface" broadly includes any suitable form of electronic device, including both hardware and software components, located on vehicle 12 and enabling vehicle users to communicate with or through components of vehicle 12. In the description herein, vehicle users may also be referred to simply as users and / or vehicle operators. Microphone 32 provides audio input to telematics unit 30 to enable the driver or other occupants to provide voice commands and make hands-free calls. For this purpose, it can utilize human-machine interface (HMI) technologies known in the art to connect to an onboard automated voice processing unit. Button 34 allows manual input to the user in telematics unit 30 to provide data, response, or control input. An emergency call can be initiated using a separate button, unlike a regular service assistance call. Audio system 36 provides audio output to vehicle occupants and may be a dedicated standalone system or part of the main vehicle audio system. According to the specific implementation shown here, the audio system 36 is operatively coupled to both the vehicle bus 44 and the entertainment bus 46, and can provide AM, FM and satellite radio, CD, DVD and other multimedia functionality. This functionality can be provided in conjunction with or independently of the aforementioned infotainment module. The visual display 38 is preferably a graphic display, such as a touchscreen on the dashboard, a pop-up visual display, or a head-up display reflected from the windshield, and can be used to provide a variety of input and output functions. Various other vehicle user interfaces can also be utilized, because... Figure 1 The interface is merely an example of a specific implementation.

[0031] The remote server 16 can take the form of a mainframe computer, server computer, desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, home entertainment computer, network computing device, mobile computing device, mobile communication device, gaming device, etc.

[0032] The remote server 16 may include a logical subsystem 82 and a data retention subsystem 84. The remote server 16 may optionally include a display subsystem 86, a communication subsystem 88, and / or... Figure 1 Other components not shown. For example, the remote server 16 may optionally include user input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, game controller, camera, microphone, and / or touchscreen.

[0033] The logic subsystem 82 may include one or more physical devices configured to execute one or more instructions. For example, the logic subsystem 82 may be configured to execute one or more instructions that are part of one or more application programs, services, programs, routines, libraries, objects, components, data structures, or other logical constructs. Such instructions may be implemented to perform tasks, implement data types, change the state of one or more devices, or otherwise achieve desired results.

[0034] The logic subsystem 82 may include one or more processors configured to execute software instructions. Alternatively or additionally, the logic subsystem 82 may include one or more hardware or firmware logic machines configured to execute hardware or firmware instructions. The processor of the logic subsystem 82 may be single-core or multi-core, and the program executing on it may be configured for parallel or distributed processing. The logic subsystem 82 may optionally include individual components distributed across two or more devices, which may be remotely located and / or configured for coordinated processing. For example, the logic subsystem 82 may include several engines for processing and analyzing data. These engines may be wirelessly connected to one or more databases for processing data received from one or more vehicles in vehicle 12. One or more aspects of the logic subsystem 82 may be virtualized and executed by a remotely accessible networked computing device configured in a cloud computing configuration.

[0035] The data retention subsystem 84 may include one or more physical, non-transitory means configured to retain data and / or instructions that can be executed by the logic subsystem 82 to implement the methods and processes described herein. When implementing such methods and processes, the state of the data retention subsystem 84 may be changed (e.g., to retain different data).

[0036] The data retention subsystem 84 may include removable media and / or built-in devices. The data retention subsystem 84 may include optical storage devices (e.g., CD, DVD, HD-DVD, Blu-ray disc, etc.) and / or magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, magnetic tape drives, MRAM, etc.). The data retention subsystem 84 may include devices having one or more of the following characteristics: volatile, non-volatile, dynamic, static, read / write, read-only, random access, sequential access, location-addressable, file-addressable, and content-addressable. In some embodiments, the logic subsystem 82 and the data retention subsystem 84 may be integrated into one or more common devices (such as application-specific integrated circuits or system-on-a-chip).

[0037] It should be understood that the data retention subsystem 84 includes one or more physical non-transitory means. In contrast, in some embodiments, aspects of the instructions described herein can be propagated transiently by a pure signal (e.g., an electromagnetic signal) that is not held by a physical means for at least a finite duration. Furthermore, data and / or other forms of information relating to this disclosure can be propagated by a pure signal.

[0038] The remote server 16 may include one or more databases 85 in the data retention subsystem 84 for storing processed assistance requests, vehicle location data, and vehicle operator preferences.

[0039] When included, the display subsystem 86 can be used to present a visual representation of the data held by the data holding subsystem 84. Because the methods and processes described herein change the data held by the data holding subsystem 84, and thus transform the state of the data holding subsystem 84, the state of the display subsystem 86 can be similarly transformed to visually represent the change in the underlying data. The display subsystem 86 may include one or more display devices that utilize virtually any type of technology. Such display devices may be combined with the logic subsystem 82 and / or the data holding subsystem 84 within a shared housing, or such display devices may be peripheral display devices.

[0040] When included, the communication subsystem 88 can be configured to communicatively couple the remote server 16 to one or more other computing devices (such as vehicle 12). The communication subsystem 88 may include wired and / or wireless communication devices compatible with one or more different communication protocols. As a non-limiting example, the communication subsystem 88 can be configured to communicate via wireless telephone networks, wireless local area networks, wired local area networks, wireless wide area networks, wired wide area networks, etc. In some embodiments, the communication subsystem 88 may allow the remote server 16 to send messages to and / or receive messages from other devices via a network such as the public Internet.

[0041] In some examples, the relay tower 70 may be configured as part of a wireless cellular network. In such examples, the communication system 10 may include a personal wireless device 22, which may be, for example, a cellular phone or other personal portable device capable of wireless communication, including SMS messaging capabilities for the illustrated embodiment. Device 22 may communicate with the relay tower 70 to send and receive voice calls, SMS messages, and possibly other communications, such as non-voice data for purposes such as providing internet access, weather information, stock information, etc. Furthermore, the telematics unit 30 of each vehicle in vehicle 12 may be able to send and / or receive SMS messages and telephone calls via the cellular network provided by the relay tower 70.

[0042] Thus, the telematics unit 30 can utilize cellular communication according to GSM or CDMA standards, and therefore may include a standard cellular chipset for voice communication, such as hands-free calling.

[0043] Furthermore, the communication system may include one or more Mobile Switching Centers (MSCs) 72, and any other networking components required to connect the radio carrier system 14 to the remote server 16. Thus, each relay tower in the relay towers 70 may include transmit and receive antennas and a base station, wherein base stations from different cellular towers are connected to the MSC 72 directly or via an intermediate device such as a base station controller. The radio carrier system 14 can implement any suitable communication technology, including analog technologies such as AMPS, or newer digital technologies such as CDMA (e.g., CDMA2000) or GSM / GPRS. As those skilled in the art will understand, various cellular tower / base station / MSC arrangements are possible and can be used with the radio carrier system 14. For example, base stations and cellular towers may coexist in the same location, or they may be remotely positioned relative to each other; each base station may be responsible for a single cellular tower, or a single base station may serve various cellular towers, and various base stations may be coupled to a single MSC, to name just a few possible arrangements.

[0044] The Short Message Service Center (SMSC) 24 preferably communicates with the relay tower 70 and participates in the communication of SMS messages. The SMSC 24 can operate according to a store-and-forward principle; that is, when a first user sends an SMS message intended for a second user, the SMS message is stored at the SMSC until the second user can receive it. In other embodiments, the SMSC employs a store-and-forget method, where the SMSC only attempts to deliver the SMS message once. These types of methods allow users to send and receive SMS messages at any time, even if they are currently on a voice call. It should be understood, of course, that the exemplary representation of the SMSC 24 is merely one example of a suitable arrangement, as the SMSC can alternatively be provided according to some other configurations known in the art. Typically, SMS messages sent to or from vehicle 12 or wireless mobile device 22 are received and / or transmitted by the relay tower 70 and passed through MSC 72 and SMSC 24 for processing and routing to the remote server 16.

[0045] The following text is for reference only. Figure 2 An example interior of the carriage of one of the vehicles 12 is shown.

[0046] Figure 2A partial view of an example environment for a communication system used for data synchronization is shown: the interior of the passenger compartment 100 of vehicle 102, where the driver and / or one or more passengers may be seated. Vehicle 102 may be referenced above. Figure 1 The vehicle described is the same as or similar to vehicle 12. Figure 2 Vehicle 102 may be a motor vehicle including drive wheels (not shown) and an internal combustion engine 104. The internal combustion engine 104 may include one or more combustion chambers that receive intake air via an intake passage and exhaust combustion gases via an exhaust passage. Vehicle 102 may be a road vehicle or other types of vehicle. In some examples, vehicle 102 may include a hybrid propulsion system including an energy conversion device operable to absorb energy from vehicle motion and / or the engine and convert the absorbed energy into a form suitable for storage by an energy storage device. Vehicle 102 may include an all-electric vehicle incorporating a fuel cell, solar capture elements, and / or other energy storage systems for powering the vehicle.

[0047] As shown, the dashboard 106 may include various displays and controls accessible to the driver (also known as the user) of the vehicle 102. For example, the dashboard 106 may include a touchscreen 108 of an in-vehicle computing system 109 (e.g., an infotainment system), an audio system control panel, and an instrument cluster 110. Although Figure 2 The example system shown includes audio system controls executable via a user interface (such as touchscreen 108) of the in-vehicle computing system 109, without a separate audio system control panel. However, in other embodiments, the vehicle may include an audio system control panel that may include controls for conventional vehicle audio systems (such as radios, CD / DVD players, MP3 players, etc.). The audio system controls may include features for controlling one or more aspects of audio output via speakers 112 of the vehicle speaker system. For example, the in-vehicle computing system or audio system controls may control the volume of the audio output, the sound distribution between individual speakers of the vehicle speaker system, the equalization of the audio signal, and / or any other aspect of the audio output. In a further example, the in-vehicle computing system 109 may adjust radio station selection, playlist selection, audio input source (e.g., from radio or CD or MP3), etc., based on user input received directly via touchscreen 108 or based on data about the user (such as the user's physical condition and / or environment) received via external device 150 and / or mobile device 128.

[0048] In some embodiments, one or more hardware components of the in-vehicle computing system 109, such as touchscreen 108, display screen, various control dials, knobs and buttons, memory, processor, and any interface components (e.g., connectors or ports), may form an integrated head unit mounted in the vehicle's dashboard 106. The head unit may be fixedly or removably attached to the dashboard 106. In additional or alternative embodiments, one or more hardware components of the in-vehicle computing system may be modular and may be installed in multiple locations within the vehicle.

[0049] The passenger compartment 100 may include one or more sensors for monitoring the vehicle, the user, and / or the environment. For example, the passenger compartment 100 may include: one or more seat-mounted pressure sensors configured to measure pressure applied to the seat to determine the presence of a user; a door sensor configured to monitor door activity; a humidity sensor for measuring the humidity level in the passenger compartment; and a microphone for receiving user input in the form of voice commands to enable the user to make telephone calls and / or measure ambient noise in the passenger compartment 100, etc. It should be understood that the aforementioned sensors and / or one or more additional or alternative sensors may be located in any suitable location within the vehicle. For example, sensors may be located in the engine compartment, on the exterior surface of the vehicle, and / or other suitable locations to provide information about vehicle operation, surrounding conditions, the user of the vehicle, etc. Information about the surrounding conditions, vehicle status, or the vehicle driver may also be received from sensors located outside the vehicle or sensors separate from the vehicle (i.e., not part of the vehicle system) such as sensors coupled to external devices 150 and / or moving devices 128.

[0050] The vehicle compartment 100 may also include one or more user objects, such as mobile devices 128, stored in the vehicle before, during, and / or after travel. Mobile devices 128 may include smartphones, tablets, laptops, portable media players, and / or any suitable mobile computing device. Mobile devices 128 may be connected to an in-vehicle computing system via a communication link 130. Communication link 130 may be wired (e.g., via Universal Serial Bus [USB], Mobile High Definition Link [MHL], High Definition Multimedia Interface [HDMI], Ethernet, etc.) or wireless (e.g., via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Near Field Communication [NFC], cellular connectivity, etc.) and configured to provide bidirectional communication between the mobile device and the in-vehicle computing system. Mobile devices 128 may include one or more wireless communication interfaces for connecting to one or more communication links (e.g., one or more of the example communication links described above). The wireless communication interface may include: one or more physical devices, such as antennas or ports, coupled to data lines to carry transmitted or received data; and one or more modules / drivers for operating the physical devices in accordance with other devices within the mobile device. For example, communication link 130 can provide sensor and / or control signals from various vehicle systems (such as vehicle audio systems, climate control systems, etc.) and touchscreen 108 to mobile device 128, and can provide control and / or display signals from mobile device 128 to in-vehicle systems and touchscreen 108. Communication link 130 can also provide power from the vehicle's power supply to mobile device 128 to charge the mobile device's internal battery.

[0051] The in-vehicle computing system 109 can also be communicatively coupled to additional devices, such as one or more external devices 150, that are operated and / or accessed by a user but located outside the vehicle 102. In the depicted embodiments, the external devices are located outside the vehicle 102; however, it should be understood that in alternative embodiments, the external devices may be located inside the vehicle compartment 100. External devices may include server computing systems, personal computing systems, portable electronic devices, electronic wristbands, electronic headbands, portable music players, electronic activity trackers, pedometers, smartwatches, GPS systems, etc. External devices 150 may be connected to the in-vehicle computing system via a communication link 136 (which may be wired or wireless, as discussed with reference to communication link 130) and are configured to provide bidirectional communication between the external device and the in-vehicle computing system. For example, external device 150 may include one or more sensors, and communication link 136 may transmit sensor output from external device 150 to the in-vehicle computing system 109 and touchscreen 108. External device 150 can also store and / or receive information about background data, user behavior / preferences, operating rules, etc., and can transmit such information from external device 150 to in-vehicle computing system 109 and touch screen 108.

[0052] The in-vehicle computing system 109 can analyze input received from external devices 150, mobile devices 128, and / or other input sources, select settings for various in-vehicle systems (such as climate control systems or audio systems), provide output via touchscreen 108 and / or speaker 112, communicate with mobile devices 128 and / or external devices 150, and / or perform other actions based on evaluation. In some embodiments, all or part of the evaluation can be performed by mobile devices 128 and / or external devices 150.

[0053] In some implementations, one or more of the external devices 150 may be communicatively coupled to the in-vehicle computing system 109 via mobile device 128 and / or another external device 150. For example, communication link 136 may communicatively couple external device 150 to mobile device 128, such that output from external device 150 is relayed to mobile device 128. Data received from external device 150 may then be aggregated at mobile device 128 with data collected by mobile device 128, and the aggregated data may then be transmitted to in-vehicle computing system 109 and touchscreen 108 via communication link 130. Similar data aggregation may occur at a server system and then be transmitted to in-vehicle computing system 109 and touchscreen 108 via communication links 136 / 130.

[0054] Figure 3A block diagram of an onboard computing system 200 configured and / or integrated within a vehicle 201 is shown. In some embodiments, the onboard computing system 200 may be... Figure 2 Examples of the in-vehicle computing system 109 and / or the system may perform one or more of the methods described herein. In some examples, the in-vehicle computing system may be a vehicle infotainment system configured to provide information-based media content (audio and / or visual media content, including entertainment content, navigation services, etc.) to vehicle users to enhance the operator's in-vehicle experience. The vehicle infotainment system may include or be coupled to various vehicle systems, subsystems, hardware components, and software applications and systems integrated into or capable of being integrated into the vehicle 201 to enhance the in-vehicle experience for the driver and / or passengers.

[0055] The in-vehicle computing system 200 can be configured to detect accidents, collisions, or mechanical failures of the vehicle 201 based on inputs received from various sensors of the vehicle 201. Furthermore, in some examples, the vehicle user can be able to signal the occurrence of a collision, accident, or mechanical failure via user input (such as buttons, a touchscreen, etc.) through the user interface 218.

[0056] The in-vehicle computing system 200 may include one or more processors, including an operating system processor 214 and an interface processor 220. The operating system processor 214 can execute an operating system on the in-vehicle computing system and control the input / output, display, playback, and other operations of the in-vehicle computing system. The interface processor 220 can interface with the vehicle control system 230 via an inter-vehicle system communication module 222.

[0057] The inter-vehicle system communication module 222 can output data to other vehicle systems 231 and vehicle control elements 261, and also receive data input from other vehicle components and systems 231, 261, for example, via the vehicle control system 230. When outputting data, the inter-vehicle system communication module 222 can provide signals via a bus corresponding to any state of the vehicle, the vehicle's surrounding environment, or the output of any other information source connected to the vehicle. Vehicle data outputs may include, for example, analog signals (such as current speed), digital signals provided by individual information sources (such as clocks, thermometers, position sensors such as GPS sensors, etc.), and digital signals transmitted via vehicle data networks (such as the engine controller area network [CAN] bus through which engine-related information can be transmitted, the climate control CAN bus through which climate control-related information can be transmitted, and the multimedia data network through which multimedia data is transmitted between multimedia components in the vehicle). For example, the onboard computing system can retrieve the vehicle's current speed estimated by wheel sensors, the vehicle's power status via the vehicle's battery and / or power distribution system, the vehicle's ignition status, etc., from the engine CAN bus. Alternatively, other interfacing methods such as Ethernet may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0058] A non-volatile storage device 208 may be included in the in-vehicle computing system 200 to store data, such as instructions executable by processors 214 and 220, in a non-volatile form. Storage device 208 may store application data to enable the in-vehicle computing system 200 to run applications for connecting to and / or collecting data for use with cloud-based servers (e.g., [example server name]). Figure 1 Information transmitted by the remote server 16 shown. Applications can retrieve information collected by vehicle systems / sensors, input devices (e.g., user interface 218), devices communicating with the in-vehicle computing system (e.g., mobile devices connected via Bluetooth links), etc. The in-vehicle computing system 200 may also include volatile memory 216. Volatile memory 216 may be random access memory (RAM). Non-transitory storage devices, such as non-volatile storage device 208 and / or volatile memory 216, may store instructions and / or code that, when executed by a processor (e.g., operating system processor 214 and / or interface processor 220), control the in-vehicle computing system 200 to perform one or more of the actions described in this disclosure.

[0059] Microphone 202 may be included in the in-vehicle computing system 200 to receive voice commands from a user, measure ambient noise in the vehicle, determine whether to tune audio from the vehicle's speakers according to the vehicle's acoustic environment, etc. Voice processing unit 204 may process voice commands, such as those received from microphone 202. In some embodiments, the in-vehicle computing system 200 may also be able to use a microphone included in the vehicle's audio system 232 to receive voice commands and sample ambient vehicle noise.

[0060] One or more additional sensors may be included in the sensor subsystem 210 of the in-vehicle computing system 200. For example, the sensor subsystem 210 may include cameras, such as a rearview camera for assisting a user in parking the vehicle and / or a cabin camera for recognizing a user (e.g., using facial recognition and / or user gestures). The sensor subsystem 210 of the in-vehicle computing system 200 may communicate with and receive input from various vehicle sensors, and may also receive user input. For example, input received by the sensor subsystem 210 may include transmission gear position, transmission clutch position, accelerator pedal input, brake input, transmission selector position, vehicle speed, engine speed, mass airflow through the engine, ambient temperature, intake air temperature, etc., as well as inputs from climate control system sensors (such as heat transfer fluid temperature, antifreeze temperature, fan speed, passenger compartment temperature, desired passenger compartment temperature, ambient humidity, etc.), inputs from audio sensors that detect voice commands issued by the user, inputs from a key fob sensor that receives commands from the vehicle's key fob and optionally tracks the location / proximity of the vehicle's key fob. While some vehicle system sensors can only communicate with sensor subsystem 210, others can communicate with both sensor subsystem 210 and vehicle control system 230, or indirectly with sensor subsystem 210 via vehicle control system 230. The navigation subsystem 211 of the onboard computing system 200 can generate and / or receive navigation information, such as location information (e.g., via GPS sensors and / or other sensors from sensor subsystem 210), route guidance, traffic information, point of interest (POI) identification, and / or provide other navigation services to the driver.

[0061] The external device interface 212 of the in-vehicle computing system 200 may be capable of coupling to and / or communicating with one or more external devices 240 located outside the vehicle 201. Although external devices are shown as being located outside the vehicle 201, it should be understood that they may be temporarily housed within the vehicle 201, such as when a user is operating the external device while operating the vehicle 201. In other words, the external devices 240 are not integrated with the vehicle 201. External devices 240 may include mobile devices 242 (e.g., connected via Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi Direct, or other wireless connections) or alternatively, Bluetooth-enabled devices 252. Mobile devices 242 may be mobile phones, smartphones, wearable devices / sensors, or other portable electronic devices capable of communicating with the in-vehicle computing system via wired and / or wireless communication. Other external devices include external services 246. For example, external devices may include off-vehicle devices that are separate from and located outside the vehicle. Other external devices include external storage devices 254, such as solid-state drives, pen drives, USB drives, etc. For example, external storage device 254 may include the above reference. Figure 1 Server 16 is described.

[0062] Therefore, external storage device 254 can receive assistance requests from the onboard computing system 200. Operating system processor 214 can determine whether a collision, accident, mechanical and / or electrical failure, occupant medical emergency, or other type of emergency has occurred based on output received from vehicle sensors. Alternatively or additionally, the vehicle driver or passengers can transmit an assistance request to operating system processor 214 via user interface 218. In response to the determination that a collision, accident, mechanical failure, or other emergency has occurred, operating system processor 214 can transmit an assistance request to external storage device 254.

[0063] External storage device 254 can process requests and determine the intended recipient of the assistance request. In some embodiments, storage device 254 can transmit the assistance request to vehicles located in the same geographic area, or to vehicles within a threshold distance from the vehicle from which the assistance request was received, such that nearby vehicles can assist the vehicle transmitting the assistance request. Furthermore, storage device 254 can contact external services 246, such as ambulances, tow trucks, police, etc., to provide the desired assistance to the vehicle.

[0064] Without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the external device 240 may communicate with the vehicle computing system 200 wirelessly or via a connector. For example, the external device 240 may communicate with the vehicle computing system 200 via the external device interface 212 through network 260, Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection, direct wired connection, direct wireless connection and / or other communication links.

[0065] External device interface 212 may provide a communication interface enabling the in-vehicle computing system to communicate with mobile devices associated with the driver's contacts. For example, external device interface 212 may enable the establishment of telephone calls and / or (e.g., via a cellular communication network) the sending of text messages (e.g., SMS, MMS, etc.) to mobile devices associated with the driver's contacts. External device interface 212 may additionally or alternatively provide a wireless communication interface enabling the in-vehicle computing system to synchronize data with one or more devices in the vehicle (e.g., the driver's mobile device) via Wi-Fi Direct, as described in more detail below.

[0066] One or more applications 244 may be operable on the mobile device 242. As an example, the mobile device application 244 may be operated to aggregate user data regarding user interactions with the mobile device. For example, the mobile device application 244 may aggregate data regarding: music playlists listened to by the user on the mobile device, telephone call records (including the frequency and duration of telephone calls received by the user), location information (including frequently visited locations and the amount of time spent at each location), etc. The collected data may be transmitted by the application 244 to the external device interface 212 via network 260. Additionally, specific user data requests may be received at the mobile device 242 from the in-vehicle computing system 200 via the external device interface 212. Specific data requests may include requests to determine the user's geographical location, ambient noise levels and / or music genres at the user's location, ambient weather conditions (temperature, humidity, etc.) at the user's location, etc. The mobile device application 244 may send control commands to components of the mobile device 242 (e.g., microphone, etc.) or other applications (e.g., navigation applications) to enable the collection of the requested data on the mobile device. The mobile device application 244 can then relay the collected information back to the in-vehicle computing system 200.

[0067] Similarly, one or more applications 248 may be capable of operating on external service 246. As an example, external service application 248 may be operated to aggregate and / or analyze data from multiple data sources. For instance, external service application 248 may aggregate data from one or more social media accounts of a user, data from an in-vehicle computing system (e.g., sensor data, log files, user input, etc.), data from internet queries (e.g., weather data, POI data), etc. The collected data may be transmitted to another device and / or analyzed by the application to determine the context of the driver, vehicle, and environment, and actions may be performed based on the context (e.g., requesting / sending data to other devices).

[0068] The vehicle control system 230 may include controls for controlling aspects of various vehicle systems 231 involved in different in-vehicle functions. These may include, for example, aspects of controlling the vehicle audio system 232 for providing audio entertainment to vehicle occupants, aspects of the climate control system 234 for meeting the cooling or heating needs of the vehicle occupants' cabin, and aspects of the telecommunications system 236 for enabling vehicle occupants to establish telecommunications connections with others.

[0069] The audio system 232 may include one or more acoustic reproduction devices, which may include electromagnetic transducers such as loudspeakers. The vehicle audio system 232 may be passive or active, such as by including a power amplifier. In some examples, the in-vehicle computing system 200 may be the only audio source for the acoustic reproduction devices, or other audio sources (e.g., external devices such as mobile phones) may be connected to the audio reproduction system. The connection of any such external device to the audio reproduction devices may be analog, digital, or any combination of analog and digital technologies.

[0070] The climate control system 234 can be configured to provide a comfortable environment within the passenger compartment or cabin of the vehicle 201. The climate control system 234 includes components for controlled ventilation, such as vents, heaters, air conditioners, integrated heaters, and air conditioning systems. Other components connected to the heating and air conditioning equipment may include a windshield defrosting and defogging system capable of cleaning the windshield, and a ventilation air filter for cleaning outside air entering the passenger compartment through fresh air inlets.

[0071] The vehicle control system 230 may also include: controls for adjusting settings of various vehicle controls 261 (or vehicle system control elements) related to auxiliary elements within the engine and / or vehicle cabin, such as steering wheel controls 262 (e.g., steering wheel-mounted audio system controls, cruise control, windshield wiper controls, headlight controls, turn signal controls, etc.); instrument panel controls; microphones; accelerator / brake / clutch pedals; gear shift levers; door / window controls located in the driver's or passenger's door; seat controls; cabin light controls; audio system controls; cabin temperature controls, etc. Vehicle controls 261 may also include internal engine and vehicle operation controls (e.g., engine controller module, actuators, valves, etc.), configured to receive commands via the vehicle's CAN bus to change the operation of one or more of the engine, exhaust system, transmission, and / or other vehicle systems. Control signals may also control audio output at one or more speakers of the vehicle's audio system 232. For example, control signals can adjust audio output characteristics such as volume, equalization, audio image (e.g., the configuration of audio signals to produce an audio output that appears to the user to originate from one or more defined locations), and audio distribution among multiple speakers. Similarly, control signals can control the vents, air conditioning, and / or heaters of the climate control system 234. For example, control signals can increase the delivery of cooling air to a specific section of the passenger compartment.

[0072] Control elements located outside the vehicle (e.g., controls for safety systems) may also be connected to the computing system 200, for example, via communication module 222. The control elements of the vehicle control system may be physically and permanently located on and / or within the vehicle for receiving user input. In addition to receiving control commands from the onboard computing system 200, the vehicle control system 230 may also receive input from one or more external devices 240 operated by the user (such as from mobile device 242). This allows for control of various aspects of the vehicle system 231 and vehicle controls 261 based on user input received from external devices 240.

[0073] The in-vehicle computing system 200 may also include an antenna 206. Antenna 206 is shown as a single antenna, but in some embodiments, it may include one or more antennas. The in-vehicle computing system can obtain broadband wireless internet access via antenna 206 and can also receive broadcast signals such as radio, television, weather, traffic, etc. The in-vehicle computing system can receive location signals such as GPS signals via one or more antennas 206. The in-vehicle computing system can also receive wireless commands via RF (such as via antenna 206) or via infrared or other means through a suitable receiving device. In some embodiments, antenna 206 may be included as part of audio system 232 or telecommunications system 236. Additionally, antenna 206 may provide AM / FM radio signals to external device 240 (such as to mobile device 242) via external device interface 212. Antenna 206 is a non-limiting example of an antenna in antenna 56.

[0074] One or more components of the in-vehicle computing system 200 can be controlled by a user via a user interface 218. The user interface 218 may be included in a touchscreen (such as...). Figure 2 The user interface 218 presents a graphical user interface and / or user-actuated buttons, switches, knobs, dials, sliders, etc. For example, user-actuated elements may include steering wheel controls, door and / or window controls, dashboard controls, audio system settings, climate control system settings, etc. The user can also interact with one or more applications of the in-vehicle computing system 200 and the mobile device 242 via the user interface 218. In addition to receiving the user's vehicle setting preferences on the user interface 218, the user interface 218 can also display the vehicle settings selected by the in-vehicle control system to the user. Notifications and other messages (e.g., received messages) and navigation assistance can be displayed to the user on the user interface's display. User preferences / information and / or responses to presented messages can be executed via user input to the user interface.

[0075] It should be understood that, as mentioned above, Figure 1 The described telematics unit 30 may be formed by multiple components of the vehicle computing system 200, including but not limited to the antenna 206 and the external device interface 212.

[0076] As an illustrative example, Figure 4A block diagram is shown depicting an example antenna control system 400 including a telematics processing unit 402 (e.g., TCU), an antenna controller 404, and multiple antennas 406. For example, the telematics processing unit 402 can be implemented as a telematics processing unit 30 in vehicle 12. The telematics processing unit 402 includes multiple hardware components housed within a housing, such as a printed circuit board (PCB) for mechanically supporting and electrically connecting electronic components (such as radios) of the telematics processing unit 402. Furthermore, the PCB may also support the above-mentioned... Figure 1 The described components include a wireless modem 50, an electronic processing device 52, and one or more digital storage devices 54. The telematics unit 402 also includes multiple connectors for coupling the telematics unit 402 to other elements or components of an in-vehicle computing system (such as in-vehicle computing system 200).

[0077] Antenna controller 404 may include one or more switches that can be adjusted (e.g., actuated) to select an antenna from a plurality of antennas 406 for receiving and / or transmitting wireless signals (e.g., the selected antenna may electronically communicate with telematics unit 402 to transmit / receive signals indicated by telematics unit 402). Antenna controller 404 may be incorporated into telematics unit 402, or may be separate from but operatively coupled to telematics unit 402. Telematics unit 402 may include instructions that can be executed to select an antenna based on known / predicted signal information (e.g., mobile network operator base station location and coverage; satellite network operator base station location and coverage) and current vehicle information, as will be discussed below. Figure 6 In more detail, one or more switches in the antenna controller 404 can be adjusted accordingly. Figure 4 In the example shown, antenna controller 404 includes two switches (or two sets of switches), each switch coupled between telematics unit 402 and a corresponding subset of antennas 406. However, when the plurality of antennas 406 includes more than two subsets, antenna controller 404 may include more than two switches.

[0078] Multiple antennas 406 are configured to support the transmission and reception of wireless signals according to one or more different protocols. As shown, the multiple antennas 406 may include two subsets of antennas. Each subset may include n antennas, including a first antenna E1, a second antenna E2, and so on up to the nth antenna En. In some examples, the multiple antennas 406 may include: a first subset of antennas, each antenna supporting the transmission and reception of wireless signals according to a first protocol (e.g., cellular, such that each antenna in the first subset may include a 5G or LTE antenna); and a second subset of antennas, each antenna supporting the transmission and reception of wireless signals according to a second different protocol (such as GNSS). The antennas in the first subset may have radiation patterns optimized for different fixed directions (e.g., up, left, right, front, rear, all relative to the driver of the vehicle). For example, the first antenna (e.g., E1) may have a first radiation pattern optimized for a first fixed direction (e.g., up), and the second antenna (e.g., E2) may have a second radiation pattern optimized for a second fixed direction (e.g., left). The antennas in the second subset may have radiation patterns optimized for different fixed directions (e.g., up, left, right, front, and rear, all relative to the vehicle's driver), similar to the antennas in the first subset. As shown, the antenna controller 404 may include a first switch and a second switch, the first switch being adjustable to select an antenna from the first antenna subset, and the second switch being adjustable to select an antenna from the second antenna subset. Furthermore, the telematics unit 402 may include a main antenna interface capable of transmitting / receiving signals via the first switch (and thus via the first antenna subset) and a diversity antenna interface capable of transmitting / receiving signals via the second switch (and thus via the second antenna subset). However, other configurations are possible without departing from the scope of this disclosure, such as each switch being coupled between the telematics unit 402 and each of the plurality of antennas.

[0079] As another illustrative example, Figure 5 A block diagram depicting an example antenna control system 500 includes a telematics processing unit 502 (e.g., TCU), an antenna controller 504, and a plurality of antennas 506. The telematics processing unit 502 may be the same as a non-limiting example of a telematics processing unit 502 or a telematics processing unit 402. Figure 5 In the example, the multiple antennas 506 may include two phased array antennas, each of which consists of an array of AxB antenna elements. It should be understood that more or fewer phased array antennas may be included without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0080] Antenna controller 504 may include components for controlling the phase and / or amplitude of each antenna element of the phased array antenna based on commands received from telematics unit 502. For example, antenna controller 504 is configured to divide a transmitted (Tx) or received (Rx) radio signal from telematics unit 502 into n parts and set the amplitude and phase of the RF signal at each of the n antenna elements. To achieve this, antenna controller 504 may include a first power divider 508 and corresponding attenuators and phase shifters (such as attenuator 510 and phase shifter 512 for the first element E1) for each element of the first phased array antenna. The first power divider 508 may divide the radio signal from telematics unit 502 into n parts (corresponding to the number of elements in the first phased array antenna), and each attenuator and phase shifter may respectively set the amplitude and phase of the corresponding RF signal for that element. Antenna controller 504 may include a second power divider 505 and attenuators and phase shifters (such as attenuator 510 and phase shifter 512 for the first element E1) for each element of the second phased array antenna. In the example shown, the first power divider 508 may receive radio signals from the main antenna interface, and the second power divider 505 may receive radio signals from the diversity antenna interface, but other configurations are possible.

[0081] It should be understood that in some examples, antenna control system 400 and antenna control system 500 may be incorporated into a single overall antenna control system. For example, multiple antennas may include both multiple antennas 406 and multiple antennas 506, and the antenna controller may include both switches for selecting appropriate antennas and components (e.g., power dividers, attenuators, and phase shifters) for adjusting the phased array antennas.

[0082] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating a process 600 for antenna selection / control via a smart antenna manager 602 according to an embodiment disclosed herein. The smart antenna manager 602 may be incorporated into a telematics unit (such as telematics units 30, 402 and / or 502).

[0083] The smart antenna manager 602 can receive multiple inputs 604 and can perform deterministic antenna parameter selection or neural network-based antenna parameter selection based on the inputs. The smart antenna manager 602 can then control antenna controllers (e.g., antenna controllers 404 and / or 504) to perform phase control and gain control (e.g., for phased array antennas) or antenna selection and / or switching for multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 56, 406, and / or 506). The multiple inputs 604 may include network information (static and historical), vehicle dynamic information, and R18 / 5G-Advanced (and above) related information (or heterogeneous data or other information).

[0084] Network information may include mobile network operator (MNO) base station maps, coverage maps, and spectrum / band maps. Using this information, a vehicle (e.g., smart antenna manager 602) can determine the direction, spectrum, and signal strength of available nearby MNO base stations. Network information may also include satellite network operator (SNO) constellation maps, coverage maps, and spectrum / band maps. Using this information, a vehicle (e.g., smart antenna manager 602) can determine the direction, spectrum, and signal strength of available satellite network operator satellite stations. Network information may also include network coverage predictions, which may be based on historical data as well as federated learning and machine learning. Using the history of network and wireless channels (including available base stations, spectrum, signal strength and quality, and handover at different times, traffic, weather, etc.), a vehicle (e.g., smart antenna manager 602) can predict network and channel conditions in advance for similar situations, and the vehicle can use this prediction to try to use the best network to ensure connectivity quality. Federated learning and machine learning can be used for various inputs and situations, leveraging available network history and statistics to perform network predictions to obtain the best predictions. As used herein, the term “situation” may refer to the vehicle’s current parameters, including date / time, location, orientation, route, road conditions, and / or weather.

[0085] Dynamic vehicle information can include the current signal quality from the serving network. In addition to the pre-available information mentioned above, the signal quality under current conditions (e.g., signal quality at the current time, which may be affected by the vehicle's surrounding environment and other factors) can also be used for smart antenna configuration. This signal quality can have relevant information, including available spectrum, direction, signal strength, etc. For example, MNO base station maps, coverage maps, and spectrum / band maps can define the expected direction, spectrum, and signal strength of available nearby mobile network operator base stations, while the current signal quality can indicate the actual spectrum, direction, signal strength, etc., of the signal currently communicating with the mobile network operator base station.

[0086] Dynamic vehicle information may also include current vehicle information, such as vehicle position, orientation, signal angle of arrival, speed, and nearby terrain information. Based on the vehicle's current position, orientation, and route, the relative orientation to the desired base station (MNO or SNO) can change. Based on the vehicle's current speed and route, the vehicle (e.g., smart antenna manager 602) can determine how to properly hand over within the same network (e.g., which antenna to use from a selected subset) or between different networks (e.g., switching from one network to another). Utilizing terrain information and MNO / SNO base station information, the vehicle (e.g., smart antenna manager 602) can determine how to obtain better signal and avoid any signal congestion caused by natural interference.

[0087] Dynamic vehicle information can also include sensor data. Sensor data can indicate / identify tall buildings, trees, etc. In addition to the data and information available above, sensors such as cameras (e.g., camera 209), radar, and lidar (including those received on the vehicle or from a remote device, another vehicle, etc.) can detect trees, buildings, any other (or temporary) obstacles between the vehicle and the MNO / SNO base station (which may cause signal quality problems, such as a stalled truck), etc.

[0088] Other information that can be included in multiple inputs 604 may include other data, such as the location of the mobile MNO base station. It can also be used for network connectivity where any mobile or portable MNO base station that can be used for connection relay exists. If another protocol can be used for network extension, such as Wi-Fi, private networks, D2D connectivity, etc., then its use for network connectivity can also be considered.

[0089] Based on this information, the smart antenna manager 602 can determine the appropriate antenna selection to obtain the best quality of service. The smart antenna manager 602 can employ deterministic selection or neural network-based selection. In the case of future NTNs using LEO satellites, the same smart antenna manager can also have software for controlling phased array antennas (e.g., performing beamforming) to track the satellite. The smart antenna manager 602 can store information about each of the multiple antennas, such as type (e.g., whether it is a phased array, network compatibility / spectrum and band compatibility) and location or directivity. Based on the above information, the smart antenna manager 602 can determine the desired radiation pattern for transmitting / receiving radio signals and shape the radiation pattern by selecting appropriate antennas (based on the stored antenna information) and / or performing phase and gain control (when the antenna is a phased array antenna).

[0090] Figure 7A more detailed example of a process 700 for antenna selection / control via a smart antenna manager 602 is shown. Multiple inputs 604 may include an input set 702, which may be fed into a deterministic model 701 or a neural network model 703 of the smart antenna manager 602. The input set 702 may include processed and / or unprocessed versions of the multiple inputs 604. The smart antenna manager 602 is configured to process, such as... Figure 7 The various inputs shown include network information parameters (α, β), current signal quality parameters (γ), vehicle parameters (ε), and sensor detection parameters (δ). These inputs are processed by a deterministic algorithm or a neural network-based algorithm to determine the optimal beam direction coordinates (azimuth x, elevation y) for antenna control.

[0091] Input set 702 may include current MNO base station spectrum data (α) and historical MNO base station spectrum data (α). The MNO spectrum estimate 704 generated by the current SNO constellation spectrum data (β) and historical SNO constellation spectrum data (β) is used as a basis for the calculation. The generated SNO spectrum estimate 706. Current MNO base station spectrum data (α) and historical MNO base station spectrum data can be combined in a suitable manner. This can be used to generate MNO spectrum estimates, such as by adding, multiplying, or otherwise modifying current MNO base station spectrum data with historical MNO base station spectrum data. Current SNO constellation spectrum data (β) and historical SNO constellation spectrum data can be combined in a suitable manner. This is used to generate SNO spectrum estimates, such as by adding, multiplying, or otherwise modifying the current SNO constellation spectrum data with historical SNO constellation spectrum data. It should be understood that the selection of antenna configurations via the smart antenna manager can be specific to the current wireless connectivity protocol, thus determining a specific configuration for cellular or satellite connectivity. Therefore, one of the MNO spectrum estimate 704 and the SNO spectrum estimate 706 can be input to the deterministic model 701 and / or the neural network model 703. In some examples, the corresponding expected beam direction can be determined for each of cellular and satellite connectivity, and therefore each of the MNO spectrum estimate 704 and the SNO spectrum estimate 706 can be input in a separate iteration.

[0092] Input set 702 also includes a current signal quality parameter indicating the signal strength and quality of each of one or more wireless channels (e.g., cellular signals). This current signal quality parameter may include a reference received power (RSRP (γ1)), a reference received quality (RSRQ (γ2)), and other parameters including, but not limited to, a received signal strength indicator (RSSI (γm)). RSRP may indicate the strength of a specific cellular signal (e.g., LTE and 5G) excluding noise and interference, RSRQ may indicate the cellular signal quality (e.g., indicating the level of interference relative to a desired signal strength), and RSSI may indicate the total received power within the bandwidth of the wireless channel.

[0093] Input set 702 also includes current vehicle / vehicle parameters that may affect signal quality / connectivity, including driving direction (ε1), position (ε2), and other parameters including but not limited to terrain (εp). Additionally, input set 702 includes detected objects that may affect signal quality / connectivity detected by sensors via the vehicle, including a first estimated object (δ1), a second estimated object (δ2), and other objects up to the final estimated object (δp). Each estimated object can be defined by object type or size (e.g., tree, building) and the object's relative position (e.g., relative to the vehicle). It should be understood that in some scenarios, no objects that may affect signal quality may be detected, or only one or two objects may be detected. Finally, input set 702 may include a mobile base station relay point map (ρ).

[0094] Input set 702 can be processed by smart antenna manager 602 to determine the expected beam direction. The expected beam direction can be a prediction of the directionality of the incoming radio signal that is best suited for the current conditions. The expected beam direction can be indicated in the x and y directions (e.g., azimuth x and elevation y) relative to a fixed reference point of the vehicle.

[0095] The desired beam direction can be output using a deterministic model 701 and / or a neural network model 703 based on the input set 702. The deterministic model 701 can be a rule-based model that assumes all input variables are deterministically known (e.g., no randomness) and that the relationships between the input variables are fixed while outputting the desired beam direction. In the example, the deterministic model can generate the desired beam direction based on the following equation:

[0096]

[0097] Therefore, using the deterministic model 701, the expected beam direction can be a function of the MNO spectrum estimate or SNO spectrum estimate, each signal quality parameter (e.g., a sum of functions of each signal quality parameter), each current vehicle parameter (e.g., a sum of functions of each current vehicle parameter), and each detected object (e.g., a sum of functions of each detected object). Although not shown, in some examples, the deterministic model 701 can also determine the expected beam direction based on a function of the mobile base station relay map. In some examples, the corresponding expected beam direction can be determined for each radio protocol (e.g., TN / cellular and NTN / satellite). The deterministic model 701 can process various input parameters through mathematical formulas that may include weighted summations, trigonometric functions, and coordinate transformation operations to determine the azimuth and elevation coordinates of the beam direction.

[0098] A neural network model 703 can be trained to process the input set 702 in order to output a desired beam direction. Therefore, using the neural network model 703, the desired beam direction can be a function of the MNO or SNO spectrum estimate, each signal quality parameter, each current vehicle parameter, each detected object, and the mobile base station relay map. In some examples, the neural network model 703 can output a corresponding desired direction for each radio protocol (e.g., TN / cellular and NTN / satellite). In some examples, the neural network model 703 can be configured to output a confidence level for each output desired beam direction. In the various cases where a corresponding training input set is collected from a vehicle at a given time point, the neural network model 703 can be trained using multiple training datasets of historical / previously collected inputs matched with the input set 702 of multiple vehicles (e.g., historical MNO / SNO spectrum estimates, historical signal quality parameters, historical vehicle parameters, historical object detection, historical mobile base station relay maps). For training, the ground situation can include the corresponding measured signal strength of each antenna of each vehicle at each time point of collecting the training input set, where each antenna is defined by its directivity and matched with the radio network protocol. The measured signal strength can be used to determine the direction of the ground-based beam.

[0099] As previously explained, the phase / gain of an antenna or antenna element can be selected based on the expected beam direction using phase / gain control and / or antenna selection or switching to match the antenna radiation pattern with the expected beam direction. The smart antenna manager 602 may include a selector that receives each expected beam direction as input and determines the phase / gain of the selected antenna or antenna element based on each expected beam direction and a confidence level for each expected beam direction when available. For example, the selector may receive a first expected beam direction determined using a deterministic model 701 based on an MNO spectrum estimate 704 (in addition to other inputs to the input set 702), and a second expected beam direction determined using a deterministic model 701 based on an SNO spectrum estimate 706 (in addition to other inputs to the input set 702). Alternatively, the selector may receive a third expected beam direction determined by neural network model 703 based on MNO spectrum estimation 704 (in addition to other inputs to input set 702), and a fourth expected beam direction determined by neural network model 703 based on SNO spectrum estimation 706 (in addition to other inputs to input set 702). The selector may select a specific antenna configuration based on the received expected beam directions, which may include switching antennas or antenna directivity within the same network (e.g., cellular) or switching to a different network (e.g., from cellular to satellite or vice versa).

[0100] In addition to the expected beam direction, the selector can utilize further information when selecting a specific antenna configuration. Specifically, when multiple expected beam directions are received, the selector can select a specific antenna configuration based on the confidence level of each expected beam direction (e.g., selecting a specific antenna configuration based on the expected beam direction with the highest confidence level). Alternatively, the selector can select a specific antenna configuration based on a predefined mapping between the expected beam direction and the antenna configuration. Alternatively, the selector can consider upcoming conditions when selecting a specific antenna configuration (e.g., upcoming changes in vehicle trajectory, upcoming changes in objects near the vehicle, upcoming changes in data / call status, etc., as determined from navigation data, user history, weather information, etc.). For example, if the expected beam direction output by the deterministic model 701 differs from the expected beam direction output by the neural network model 703 by more than a threshold amount, upcoming conditions can be considered to select a specific antenna configuration that can be expected to remain stable even when upcoming conditions change. In a further example, when the expected beam directions differ (e.g., there is conflict), the selector can follow predefined rules for selecting a specific antenna configuration, where the predefined rules can be based on current and / or upcoming conditions. For example, a predefined rule could specify that TN should be used if upcoming conditions indicate that a vehicle is about to be driven through a thunderstorm. In some examples, when selecting whether to switch networks, the predefined rules can consider MNO spectrum estimate 704, SNO spectrum estimate 706, and current signal quality parameters. For example, if the current signal quality parameters of the TN connection are low, and the SNO spectrum estimate 706 is higher / stronger than the MNO spectrum estimate 704, the predefined rule could indicate that a switch from TN to NTN should be performed.

[0101] In some examples, the smart antenna manager 602 can utilize trajectory, location, and topographic information (such as input set 702) along with data / call status and user profiles to determine the optimal timing for handover between terrestrial networks (TN) and non-terrestrial networks (NTN). The system can preemptively switch from TN to NTN during periods of low communication activity, delay handover during active calls or selected navigation sessions, and provide user alerts when a network transition is recommended.

[0102] Therefore, in some examples, the smart antenna manager 602 can utilize data / call status and user profile data 705 to identify the ideal time to switch from TN to NTN (or from NTN to TN) during ongoing communication. For example, using expected beam directions (e.g., a first expected beam direction for TN and a second expected beam direction for NTN) and data / call status and user profile data 705, the smart antenna manager 602 can preemptively switch from TN to NTN when no important communication (e.g., a telephone call) is in progress, utilizing driver profile settings or prompts. Furthermore, when making a handover from NTN back to TN, the smart antenna manager 602 can check the data / call status and user profile data 705 to determine what communication is in progress, and if the communication is important (e.g., a telephone call, navigation), it can delay a drop-before-responder to allow for extended productivity, or enable buffering to avoid dropping during important communication. As another example, if a phone call is in progress, and if the smart antenna manager 602 determines, based on current conditions and historical data, that it is best to switch from the TN to the NTN (or from the NTN to the TN), the smart antenna manager 602 can enable handover / network switching only if the network allows the handover, and / or the smart antenna manager 602 can alert the user (e.g., the driver) to suggest a switch to or from the NTN (in which case, the user can enter input to instruct the handover if necessary).

[0103] For a narrowband NTN (NB-NTN) operating at FR1 frequency, the smart antenna manager 602 controls antenna switching between different antennas among multiple antennas. For a wideband NTN (WB-NTN) operating at FR2 / 3 frequency, the smart antenna manager 602 determines the beam direction parameters provided to the phase and gain control system to configure the phased array antenna elements. NB-NTN uses the same FR1 frequency as TN. For FR1, antenna switching between different antennas can be controlled by the smart antenna manager 602, which will cause the antenna selection / switching block to perform the actual antenna switching, as described above. Figure 4 As explained above. WB-NTN uses the FR2 / 3 frequency of a phased array antenna. In such an example, the smart antenna manager 602 sends the beam direction to the phase and gain control block, which configures the gain and phase of the different elements of the phased array antenna, as described above. Figure 5 The explanation given.

[0104] In some examples, a mobile base station relay point map (ρ) is dynamically maintained through real-time updates from network operator feeds, crowdsourced data from other vehicles, and periodic scans of available relay infrastructure. For instance, a smart antenna manager 602 can assess relay point utilization by calculating a composite quality score based on signal strength (e.g., RSRP threshold), latency requirements for different application types, and historical reliability metrics. When multiple relay points are available, a deterministic model can apply a weighted score, where current signal quality receives the first weight, historical performance data receives the second weight, predicted trajectory alignment receives the third weight, and user profile preferences receive the fourth weight. In some examples, the first weight can be higher than the second, third, and fourth weights to prioritize real-time conditions over historical data. The mathematical formula combines these inputs as: Score = W1 × (Signal_Quality_normalized) + W2 × (Historical_Reliability) + W3 × (Trajectory_Match) + W4 × (User_Preference), where W1, W2, W3, and W4 represent the corresponding weights, and the values ​​are normalized to a predetermined scale. In a specific example, W1 could be 0.4, W2 could be 0.3, W3 could be 0.2, and W4 could be 0.1, normalized to a 0-1 scale, but other weights and scales are possible. An antenna switching decision can be triggered to prevent oscillations between antennas when the score difference between the current antenna and the alternative antenna exceeds a hysteresis threshold (such as 0.15 in some implementations).

[0105] Neural network implementations can utilize various architectures, including feedforward neural networks, recurrent neural networks, or convolutional neural networks. In one implementation, the neural network model includes a multi-layer feedforward architecture having: an input layer with a first number of nodes corresponding to preprocessed sensor inputs; one or more hidden layers, each having a second number of nodes with a selected activation function; and an output layer with a third number of nodes representing coordinate parameters. Input preprocessing may include normalizing signal quality values ​​to a predetermined range, encoding categorical variables, and temporal analysis of measurement samples over a selected time window. In a particular implementation, the network may include 64 input nodes, two hidden layers with 32 and 16 nodes respectively using ReLU activation functions, and two output nodes representing azimuth and elevation coordinates. The network output can be converted to beam coordinates using trigonometric functions, such as: azimuth = arctan2(output_1, output_2) × conversion_factor, elevation = arcsin(output_2) × conversion_factor, where for degree conversion, conversion_factor can be 180 / π, and the coordinates are referenced to the chosen vehicle reference frame. Training can employ various learning methods, including supervised learning, reinforcement learning, or federated learning, and the model can be updated via a continuous learning mechanism when connectivity permits.

[0106] The smart antenna manager 602 can interface with the vehicle system via a standardized communication protocol, which may include the CAN bus protocol, Ethernet, or other suitable vehicle communication standards. In some implementations, CAN 2.0B frames can be used for real-time data exchange at a selected data rate, where antenna switching commands are prioritized using a predetermined message ID range. Processing delay constraints can require antenna selection decisions within a specified time threshold of a triggering event, which is achieved through dedicated processing resources and optimization techniques, such as pre-computed lookup tables for common scenarios. For a phased array antenna operating within the selected frequency range, phase control calculations can utilize mathematical formulas based on wavelength, element spacing, desired beam angle, and element positioning. In one example, the phase calculation can follow: Where λ represents wavelength and d represents element spacing (which can be...) θ represents the desired beam angle, and n represents the number of components. System robustness can include various fallback mechanisms, where sensor degradation triggers an automatic switch to a backup configuration, and performance verification can employ continuous monitoring of key performance indicators, including handover success rate (which can be targeted at a value above a first threshold, such as 95%), beam pointing accuracy (which can maintain a tolerance within a second threshold, such as ±2°), and connection establishment time (which can be targeted at values ​​below a third and fourth threshold, such as 3 seconds for NTN and 1 second for terrestrial networks, respectively).

[0107] The implementation scheme has been described for illustrative and descriptive purposes. Suitable modifications and changes to the implementation scheme can be made in light of the foregoing description, or suitable modifications and changes can be obtained through practical methods. For example, unless otherwise indicated, one or more of the described methods can be performed by suitable means and / or combinations of means, such as those referenced in [reference to...]. Figure 1 The described telematics unit 30 can execute the method by utilizing a combination of one or more logical devices (e.g., a processor) and one or more additional hardware elements, such as storage devices, memories, hardware network interfaces / antennas, switches, actuators, clock circuits, etc. The described method and associated actions can also be executed in various orders other than those described in this application, in parallel, and / or simultaneously. The described system is exemplary in nature and may include additional elements and / or omit elements. The subject matter of this disclosure includes all innovative and non-obvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various systems and configurations disclosed with other features, functions, and / or properties.

[0108] As used in this application, elements or steps described in the singular and preceded by the words "an" or "a" should be understood to not exclude multiple said elements or steps, unless such exclusion is specified. Furthermore, references to "an embodiment" or "an example" in this disclosure are not intended to exclude the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the described features. The terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used merely as illustrative marks and are not intended to impose numerical requirements or a particular order on their objects. The following claims specifically point to subject matter deemed novel and not obvious from the foregoing disclosure.

Claims

1. A telematics system for a vehicle, the telematics system comprising: Multiple antennas, which are capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals; A telematics unit is configured to select an antenna from the plurality of antennas based on network information and dynamic vehicle information, and to connect the selected antenna to the telematics unit to transmit and / or receive wireless signals via the selected antenna.

2. The telematics system according to claim 1, wherein the network information includes static and / or historical information about the mobile network and / or satellite network to which the vehicle is configured to connect.

3. The remote information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the dynamic vehicle information includes current wireless signal quality, vehicle driving direction, vehicle route, current vehicle position, sensor output and / or information indicating nearby terrain.

4. The remote information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the sensor output includes camera data, radar data, and / or lidar data.

5. The remote information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas includes a first antenna subset and a second antenna subset.

6. The telematics system of claim 5, wherein the telematics unit includes an antenna controller, the antenna controller including a first switch and a second switch, the first switch being configured to connect the telematics unit to a selected switch in a subset of the first switches, and the second switch being configured to connect the telematics unit to a selected switch in a subset of the second switches, such that the first switch or the second switch is actuated to connect the selected antenna to the telematics unit.

7. The telematics system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of antennas has a radiation pattern optimized for different fixed directions.

8. The telematics system of claim 1, wherein the telematics unit includes a smart antenna manager configured to process the network information and the dynamic vehicle information using a deterministic model or a neural network-based model to determine one or more antenna selection parameters, and wherein the telematics unit is configured to select the antenna based on the one or more antenna selection parameters.

9. The remote information processing system according to claim 8, wherein the one or more antenna selection parameters include beam direction coordinates, and the beam direction coordinates include azimuth and elevation values.

10. A method for a telematics system for a vehicle, the method comprising: Obtain network information and dynamic vehicle information relating to the current and / or predicted signal quality of wireless signals transmitted from and / or received at the vehicle; The shape of the radiation pattern of the vehicle's multiple antennas is determined based on the network information and the dynamic vehicle information. as well as The radiation patterns of the plurality of antennas are shaped according to the determined shape.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein shaping the radiation pattern comprises: Based on the network information and the dynamic vehicle information, an antenna is selected from multiple antennas of the vehicle, and wireless signals are transmitted and / or received via the selected antenna.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of antennas comprises a phased array antenna, the phased array antenna comprising an array of antenna elements, and wherein shaping the radiation pattern comprises adjusting the phase and / or gain of each RF signal output by each antenna element of the phased array antenna.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the shape of the radiation pattern of the plurality of antennas of the vehicle based on the network information and the dynamic vehicle information comprises: The shape of the radiation pattern is determined based on the expected beam direction determined based on the network information and the dynamic vehicle information, such that the shape of the radiation pattern matches the expected beam direction.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the expected beam direction is determined from the network information and the dynamic vehicle information using a deterministic model or a neural network model.

15. A method for antenna control in a vehicle telematics system for a vehicle, the method comprising: Obtain network information including base station maps and satellite constellation data; Obtain dynamic vehicle information, including current signal quality and vehicle parameters; A smart antenna manager is used to process the network information and the dynamic vehicle information to determine the selected antenna configuration; as well as The antenna selection or beam direction of one or more antennas of the vehicle is controlled based on the selected antenna configuration.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein processing the network information and the dynamic vehicle information comprises processing the network information and the dynamic vehicle information using a deterministic model, the deterministic model applying a weighted score to combine the network information and the dynamic vehicle information.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein processing the network information and the dynamic vehicle information comprises using a neural network having multiple layers to process the network information and the dynamic vehicle information to determine beam direction coordinates.

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