Vehicle Data Logger Transmission Control for Poor Wireless Links
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Long range wireless data links, such as cellular or satellite links, often experience poor quality, leading to increased costs due to repeated failed data transmissions when confirmations are not received, as data packets are resent multiple times before successful reception.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that changes the data transmission logic by imposing a time out for subsequent transmissions if confirmations are not received within predetermined periods and learning from repeated failures to create a database of poor data link locations to avoid data transmission in those areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data packets are transmitted multiple times when confirmations are not received, then data reliability is improved, but airtime consumption and transmission costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by implementing a timeout mechanism that prevents subsequent transmission attempts after a certain period without confirmations. This preliminary timeout action stops the cycle of repeated failed transmissions, thereby reducing airtime consumption while maintaining data reliability through selective retransmission only when necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission logic is made dynamic by adjusting the timeout period based on link quality assessments. When poor link quality is detected, the timeout period is extended or transmission is suspended entirely, allowing the system to adapt to changing conditions and avoid wasteful retransmissions during periods of consistently poor connectivity.
2Productivity
If data transmission is attempted continuously, then data collection frequency is improved, but transmission costs increase due to failed transmissions in poor quality areas
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from confirmation receipts to assess link quality and adjust transmission behavior. When confirmations are not received within the timeout period, the system learns from this feedback that the current link quality is poor and suspends transmissions, thereby reducing costs while maintaining productivity during periods of good connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
By implementing a timeout mechanism as a preliminary action, the system prevents costly failed transmissions before they occur. This preliminary suspension of transmissions based on previous failure patterns reduces transmission costs while allowing data collection to continue accumulating for later transmission when conditions improve.
3Loss of energy
If timeout periods are extended to avoid failed transmissions, then transmission costs are reduced, but data latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The timeout period is made dynamic rather than fixed, allowing the system to adjust the timeout duration based on assessed link quality. When link quality is poor, longer timeouts or transmission suspensions are applied to reduce costs. When link quality improves, the timeout period is reduced, allowing more frequent transmissions and reducing data latency, thus balancing cost reduction with timely data delivery.
Data Source
AI summary
System and method for reducing data transfer rates when a quality of the cellular or satellite link (i.e., a long range wireless data link) is poor. Such a concept is particularly well suited to embodiments where the vehicle data being logged or collected includes position data, because consumers of vehicle data that includes position data often desire to have such data exported from the vehicle on frequent basis, so that the physical location of fleet vehicles can be tracked in real-time. In one embodiment, before transmitting data a current location of the vehicle is checked against known bad locations, and no data is sent when the current location is known to be bad. In another embodiment, if successful data transmission is not confirmed during a first time period, additional transmission attempts are delayed for a second time period.