Vehicle Communication System Access Point Priority Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle communication systems experience decreased communication quality due to high congestion levels, particularly when vehicles connect to access points with high usage rates, leading to delayed communications.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle communication system that prioritizes access points based on congestion degrees, using a management server to select and set priorities among candidate access points based on the vehicle's position and traveling direction, allowing the in-vehicle communication device to connect to access points with lower congestion, thereby dispersing data traffic and maintaining communication quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the vehicle connects to access points with high congestion degrees to maintain connection availability, then connection coverage is improved, but communication quality deteriorates due to delayed communications

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection coverageVSAvoidcommunication quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The management server performs preliminary actions by acquiring congestion degrees of multiple access points in advance, selecting candidate access points with lower congestion degrees before the vehicle actually needs to connect, and setting priorities. This allows the vehicle to connect to optimal access points proactively, avoiding communication delays while maintaining connection availability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The management server acts as an intermediary between the vehicle and access points. It collects congestion degree information from access points, processes this information to determine optimal connections, and provides priority settings to the vehicle. This intermediary role enables intelligent routing of communication traffic away from congested access points, improving overall communication quality while maintaining coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the vehicle frequently switches between access points to avoid congestion, then communication quality is improved, but connection time increases due to repeated connection establishment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication qualityVSAvoidconnection time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The management server performs preliminary selection of candidate access points and sets priorities before the vehicle needs to connect. By having access point priorities pre-determined based on congestion degrees, the vehicle can quickly establish connections without needing to frequently evaluate and switch between access points during communication, thereby reducing connection time while maintaining communication quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the system manages multiple access points with priority settings to disperse traffic, then communication quality is improved, but system complexity increases due to additional management functions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication qualityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The management server serves as a centralized intermediary that handles the complexity of managing multiple access points and their priorities. Instead of distributing complex management functions across multiple components, the management server consolidates the logic for acquiring congestion degrees, selecting candidate access points, and setting priorities in one place. This centralization improves communication quality through intelligent traffic dispersion while keeping the overall system architecture relatively simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3758395B1Vehicle communication system
Publication Date: 2024.06.05 YAZAKI CORP
  • EP3758395B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3758395B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3758395B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vehicle communication system (1) includes a management server (20) and an in-vehicle communication device (30). The management server (20) manages the plurality of access points (10) for communication relay. The in-vehicle communication device (30) is mounted on a vehicle and is capable of wireless communication to the access point (10). The in-vehicle communication device (30) transmits position information indicating a traveling position of the vehicle to the management server (20). The management server (20) transmits, to the in-vehicle communication device (30), access point information in which the priority is set on one or more candidate access points (10) selected from among the plurality of access points (10) based on the position information transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device (30). The in-vehicle communication device (30) connects to an access point (10) determined from among the candidate access points (10) based on the priority in the access point information transmitted from the management server (20).