Vehicle Communication Path Selection for Tunnel Connectivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for providing Internet connectivity to moving vehicles, such as trains, face challenges in making effective use of available resources, leading to performance disadvantages due to incomplete geographic coverage and low bandwidth, especially when vehicles traverse areas with signal loss, like tunnels.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for determining suitable communication paths between a first device on a vehicle and multiple third devices along its route, which involves obtaining information about communication characteristics and data quality to select the most appropriate device for data transmission, ensuring optimal routing and reducing latency and connection losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If mobile telephone networks are used for Internet connectivity in vehicles, then geographic coverage is improved, but bandwidth is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple communication paths (wireless connections to multiple devices) into a single optimized communication route. The system evaluates multiple third devices and selects the best path for data transmission, merging the advantages of wide geographic coverage with high bandwidth by intelligently combining available communication resources.
2Device complexity
If direct connection to individual users via mobile telephone network is used, then device complexity is reduced, but service quality and bandwidth are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary communication control unit on the vehicle that manages connections between multiple users and the external network. This intermediary evaluates communication characteristics of multiple third devices and selects optimal paths, thereby improving service quality and bandwidth without significantly increasing end-user device complexity.
3Device complexity
If a single communication path is used for data transmission, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability is reduced due to signal loss in areas like tunnels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic path selection where the communication control unit continuously evaluates communication characteristics of multiple available paths and adapts the selected route based on current conditions. This dynamic approach maintains simple device architecture while improving reliability by automatically switching to alternative paths when signal quality deteriorates, such as when entering tunnels.
4Productivity
If multiple third devices are evaluated for data transmission, then communication performance is improved, but computational requirements and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial evaluation by assessing communication characteristics of multiple third devices but selecting only the single best path for data transmission. This partial action approach improves communication performance by considering multiple options while avoiding the excessive computational burden of evaluating and maintaining all possible paths simultaneously, thus reducing processing time and resource requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of determining suitable communication paths between a first device and a second device, the first device being connected to a plurality of third devices to which the second device is also connected. The method comprises, at the first device: for each of the third devices, obtaining first information indicating a characteristic of communications between the first device and the second device via the third device, obtaining second information associated with first data to be transmitted from the first device to the second device, and determining, based upon the first and second information, whether any of the third devices should receive the first data for communication of the first data to the second device.