Vehicle Data Prefetching via Buffering Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Connected vehicles experience disruptions in internet-based entertainment and information services due to poor network connectivity, particularly when traveling through areas with low signal strength such as tunnels or mountainous regions, leading to degraded user experiences.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that uses a decision engine integrated with the vehicle's IVI system to analyze the travel route and network connectivity, pre-fetching data in areas with high signal strength (buffering zones) and switching to stored content when connectivity is low (dead zones), ensuring uninterrupted data streams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data is streamed in real-time over the network, then the user experience is responsive and up-to-date, but the service is disrupted when the vehicle enters dead zones with poor signal strength
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-fetching data before the vehicle enters dead zones. The decision engine identifies upcoming dead zones using signal strength predictions and pre-loads content into local storage while the vehicle is still in areas with good connectivity, ensuring service continuity when real-time streaming becomes unavailable.
Solution Approach 2:
The route is segmented into different zones based on predicted signal strength - buffering zones with good connectivity and dead zones with poor connectivity. The system switches between streaming from network and playing from local buffer depending on which zone the vehicle is in, maintaining service quality across varying conditions.
2Reliability
If data is pre-fetched in buffering zones, then service continuity is maintained during dead zones, but network bandwidth is consumed in advance
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by selectively pre-fetching data only in buffering zones where signal strength is sufficient, rather than continuously streaming. The decision engine monitors signal strength and only initiates pre-fetching when conditions are favorable, avoiding unnecessary bandwidth consumption in poor signal areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from signal strength monitoring to dynamically control pre-fetching behavior. The decision engine continuously monitors network connectivity and signal strength predictions, adjusting pre-fetching rates and decisions based on current conditions to optimize bandwidth usage while ensuring service continuity.
3Reliability
If the system monitors signal strength and pre-fetches data proactively, then disruptions are minimized, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The decision engine operates autonomously to manage pre-fetching decisions without requiring manual user input. It self-monitors signal strength, self-determines when to pre-fetch data, and self-manages the switching between streaming and buffer playback, reducing the need for complex user interface controls and manual interventions.
Solution Approach 2:
The decision engine merges multiple functions into a single component - signal strength monitoring, route analysis, pre-fetching decision-making, and playback management. This consolidation reduces overall system complexity by coordinating these functions through a centralized intelligent controller rather than requiring separate independent systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a computer implemented method of receiving data at a vehicle having control circuitry configured to wirelessly couple a processor system of the vehicle to a network. The method includes determining, using the processor system, a route that is expected to be traveled by the vehicle. The method further includes determining, using the processor system, a portion of the route that includes a buffering zone, wherein the buffering zone comprises an area in which the strength of signals transmitted over the network meets a predetermined criterion. The method further includes, based at least in part on a determination that the vehicle is within the buffering zone, pre-fetching data from a source over the network.