Autonomous Vehicle eSIM Toggling for Persistent Network Connectivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) face challenges in maintaining reliable and persistent network connectivity with back-office systems due to varying network operator performance, leading to potential disruptions and increased costs with redundant network access devices, and manual user selection is not feasible.
Innovation Solution
Implementing dual-subscriber-identity-module (DS-DS) network access devices with embedded SIMs (eSIMs) and an intelligent algorithm to toggle connectivity between active and standby modes based on network quality measurements and back-office system instructions, ensuring redundancy and efficient network switching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundant network access devices are deployed to ensure persistent connectivity, then reliability of network connection is improved, but device complexity and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic eSIM toggling where the system automatically switches between active and standby eSIMs based on real-time network quality measurements. This dynamic adaptation allows a single network access device to maintain reliable connectivity without requiring multiple permanent network access devices, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational state parameter of eSIMs by toggling between active and standby modes based on network quality conditions. This parameter change enables the system to maintain connection reliability while using a single network access device instead of multiple devices, reducing device complexity
2Reliability
If multiple network access devices are used to maintain connectivity, then reliability is improved, but operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic eSIM toggling mechanism allows the system to maintain reliable network connectivity using a single network access device by automatically switching between different eSIMs based on network quality. This eliminates the need to deploy and manage multiple network access devices, thereby reducing operational costs while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses virtual copies of network credentials through multiple eSIMs within a single network access device instead of deploying multiple physical network access devices. This virtualization approach maintains connectivity reliability while reducing the quantity of physical devices required, thereby lowering operational costs
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual user selection of network operators is implemented, then adaptability to network conditions is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to unavailability of manual input in autonomous vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by automatically measuring network quality, determining the optimal eSIM to activate, and toggling between eSIMs without any manual user input. The autonomous vehicle's system independently adapts to network conditions by monitoring signal strength and automatically switching eSIMs, thereby maintaining adaptability while eliminating the need for manual operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors network quality metrics and uses this feedback to automatically determine when to toggle between eSIMs. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the system to adapt to changing network conditions autonomously, maintaining adaptability without requiring manual user input, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and ease of operation
Data Source
AI summary
Loss of connectivity between an AV with the back-office system may cause the vehicle to enter a degraded state, which may result in manual retrieval of the vehicle. The AV can maintain two redundant network data connections with two network operators using two dual-SIM, dual-standby network access devices. An algorithm can be implemented to select which two network operators to connect with using four different eSIMs. The algorithm can utilize locally measured network operator quality measurement data to make swapping decisions. The algorithm can utilize network operator connectivity quality information aggregated from network operator quality measurement data collected by many AVs.