Proactive Network Switching for Connected Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Connected vehicles with multiple network interfaces typically switch to a backup network only after losing connectivity, leading to potential data loss and suboptimal communication performance due to their reactive nature, failing to leverage available networks for improved connectivity and performance.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a proactive system that uses performance data to determine the optimal network switch before disconnection occurs, leveraging machine learning models to analyze network performance and application needs, allowing vehicles to switch between networks based on location-specific data and shared information from other vehicles or supervisory services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vehicle uses a single network interface or reactive backup switching, then device complexity is reduced, but communication reliability deteriorates when network connectivity is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by proactively selecting a target communication network before the current network connection is lost. The vehicle determines switching criteria and identifies alternative networks in advance, so that when disconnection occurs, the transition to the backup network is immediate and seamless, eliminating communication gaps while maintaining manageable complexity through automated decision-making
2Reliability
If a vehicle proactively switches between communication networks using performance data, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple interfaces and switching logic
Solution Approach 1:
The network switching system operates autonomously by self-evaluating communication performance data and automatically determining when and which network to switch to. The vehicle's system monitors its own network connections, applies switching criteria, and executes transitions without external intervention, thereby improving reliability while keeping the system manageable through self-contained decision-making logic
3Reliability
If a vehicle maintains multiple active network connections, then communication reliability is improved through redundancy, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains a ready state by preliminarily identifying potential target networks and pre-establishing connection parameters, but does not maintain full active connections to all networks simultaneously. This allows the vehicle to have backup options immediately available while conserving energy by activating additional network interfaces only when switching is required
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial action by monitoring and evaluating multiple networks but maintaining full connectivity to only the current active network. The evaluation of alternative networks is performed selectively based on switching criteria, and full connection establishment occurs only when a switch is determined to be necessary, balancing redundancy with energy efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a vehicle having a plurality of network interfaces communicates with a first communication network via a first one of the network interfaces. The vehicle receives performance data regarding the first communication network and one or more other communication network, wherein the received performance data is associated with a particular location. The vehicle determines in advance of arriving at the particular location that the vehicle should switch from communicating with the first communication network to communicating with a selected one of the one or more other communication network, based on the received performance data. At the particular location, the vehicle switches from communicating with the first communication network via the first network interface to communicating with the selected communication network via a second one of the plurality of network interfaces.