Connectivity-Aware Vehicle Navigation Using Geo-Tagged Network Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional navigation systems prioritize distance and travel time over wireless connectivity, failing to provide routes that ensure consistent network quality, call reliability, and service availability, which is crucial for users needing reliable communication and data services during travel.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a user interface, a local database for geotagged wireless connectivity data, and a route determination engine within a vehicle, allowing users to input connectivity preferences and determine optimal routes based on factors like signal strength, call drops, and service availability, using both local and remote data sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional navigation systems prioritize distance and travel time, then route efficiency is improved, but wireless connectivity reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the routing parameters from traditional distance and time-based metrics to include wireless connectivity quality metrics. The system collects geotagged wireless connectivity data (signal strength, call drops, data rates) and uses these parameters to determine optimal routes that satisfy user-specified connectivity preferences while maintaining reasonable travel efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension to route selection by incorporating wireless connectivity quality as a routing criterion alongside traditional distance and time. This transforms the routing problem from a two-dimensional optimization (distance-time tradeoff) to a three-dimensional problem that includes connectivity reliability, allowing users to prioritize communication quality during travel.
2Reliability
If navigation systems collect and process geotagged wireless connectivity data, then connectivity reliability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary data collection by gathering wireless connectivity information (signal strength, call drop statistics, data rates) at various geolocations before route determination is needed. This pre-collected geotagged data is stored locally, enabling fast route calculation without real-time data collection during navigation, thus reducing operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a specialized route determination engine that acts as an intermediary between traditional navigation systems and wireless connectivity data. This engine processes connectivity preferences and geotagged data to generate routes that satisfy connectivity requirements, isolating the complexity of connectivity analysis from the core navigation functionality.
3Reliability
If users specify detailed wireless connectivity preferences, then service quality is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows users to specify connectivity preferences at different levels of detail. Users can provide minimal preferences (e.g., priority network type) for simple operation, or detailed preferences (signal strength thresholds, maximum call drop rates, data rate requirements) when service quality is paramount. The route determination engine handles both levels gracefully.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where users can review proposed routes with their connectivity characteristics and adjust preferences based on actual experience. The system learns from user corrections and preferences, adapting to provide better default recommendations over time, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining service quality.
Data Source
AI summary
In embodiments, an apparatus for providing wireless connectivity based routing for a vehicle may include a user interface to receive one or more wireless connectivity preferences and a navigation request from a user and to display a recommended route to a destination for the user, the recommended route to meet the one or more wireless connectivity preferences while the vehicle follows the recommended route to the destination. The apparatus may further include a local database to store geotagged wireless connectivity data for various geolocations, collected by one or more geotagged wireless connectivity scanners of the vehicle, and a route determination engine coupled to the user interface and to the local database to determine the recommended route, wherein the user interface, the local database and the route determination engine are disposed in the vehicle.