ATSC Broadcast Scheduling for Vehicle OTA Updates
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost of using cellular bandwidth for Over-The-Air (OTA) software updates in vehicles, combined with user data concerns when updates are delivered via Bluetooth, necessitates a more efficient method for broadcasting updates to large volumes of vehicles with varying states of motion and stationarity.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that dynamically and adaptively schedules ATSC broadcasts based on vehicle state data, querying vehicle motion and stationarity to determine optimal time windows for delivering software updates with higher data rate transmission, thereby reducing reliance on one-to-one communication and minimizing data usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cellular technology is used to deliver OTA updates to vehicles, then update delivery completeness and tracking are improved, but the cost of bandwidth consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple communication approaches by integrating ATSC 3.0 broadcast technology with cellular communication systems. The broadcast channel handles bulk update delivery to multiple vehicles simultaneously, while cellular provides supplementary one-to-one communication for tracking and confirmation, merging the advantages of both approaches to reduce overall bandwidth cost while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The ATSC 3.0 broadcast system is designed to serve multiple functions: delivering software updates, transmitting vehicle state queries, and providing acknowledgment channels. This multi-functional approach allows a single broadcast infrastructure to replace multiple separate communication channels, reducing the need for expensive dedicated cellular bandwidth for each function
2Loss of information
If cellular technology is used for one-to-one update delivery to each vehicle, then update tracking and feedback are improved, but the expense across millions of vehicles becomes massive
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges broadcast and unicast communication modes. The ATSC 3.0 broadcast channel delivers updates to multiple vehicles simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate cellular transmissions to each vehicle. Cellular communication is retained only for essential tracking and feedback functions, significantly reducing total bandwidth expense while preserving update tracking capability
Solution Approach 2:
The communication process is segmented into distinct phases: bulk update delivery via ATSC 3.0 broadcast to multiple vehicles simultaneously, followed by individual acknowledgment and tracking via cellular communication. This segmentation allows the system to handle the majority of data transmission through the efficient broadcast channel while using cellular only when necessary for tracking
3Ease of operation
If updates are delivered via Bluetooth using user phones, then direct vehicle update capability is improved, but user data consumption concerns increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ATSC 3.0 broadcast system serves as an intermediary that enables direct vehicle updates without requiring user phone data plans. The broadcast infrastructure acts as a mediator between the update source and vehicles, providing a dedicated communication channel that does not consume user-allocated mobile data, thereby eliminating user data consumption concerns while maintaining ease of operation
4Loss of energy
If ATSC broadcast is used to deliver updates to multiple vehicles, then bandwidth cost efficiency is improved, but the ability to ensure complete transmission to each vehicle decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where vehicles send acknowledgment signals back to the broadcast system after successfully receiving updates. This feedback loop allows the system to track which vehicles have received updates and identify any that may have missed the broadcast, enabling follow-up actions to ensure complete transmission to all target vehicles while maintaining bandwidth cost efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A system broadcasts a vehicle state query to a plurality of vehicles within an ATSC broadcast radius at a plurality of different time windows. The system receives responses to the state query indicating at least vehicle motion data. The system aggregates the data to determine time windows when vehicles are present within the broadcast radius and are not stationary when vehicles are present within the broadcast radius and are stationary. Further, the system determines time windows projected to result in completed delivery above a predefined threshold percentage of a vehicle software update designated for broadcast, chosen for delivering the update to the threshold percentage as quickly as possible with higher data rate transmission relative to other time windows. The system automatically instructs an ATSC transmission point to broadcast the vehicle software update during the determined time windows.