Vehicle Communication Relay for Mobile Coverage Gaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile telephone technologies face challenges in providing adequate coverage in topographically difficult areas, such as regions with poor coverage due to radio shadows from buildings or capacity-limited base stations.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle is equipped with a communication device that acts as an intermediary base station, receiving data wirelessly from mobile devices and transmitting it wiredly to an external base station, utilizing existing antennae and mobile radio modules to enhance coverage, especially when stationary, and forming mesh networks with other vehicles for improved connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mobile telephone masts are installed to improve coverage in topographically difficult areas, then coverage is improved, but device complexity and infrastructure cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The motor vehicle acts as an intermediary base station between mobile devices in coverage zones and the external base station network. The communication device in the vehicle receives data packets wirelessly from mobile devices and transmits them wired to the external base station, thereby extending coverage to difficult-to-reach areas without requiring permanent infrastructure installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes existing resources (motor vehicles with communication capabilities, charging stations with wired connections) to provide base station functionality. Vehicles that are already stationary for charging or parking are put to additional use as communication relays, eliminating the need for dedicated infrastructure in difficult terrain areas.
2Productivity
If base stations operate at full capacity to handle traffic, then network capacity is maximized, but coverage availability decreases in regions where new connections cannot be established
Solution Approach 1:
The network capacity is segmented between the external base station (handling full-capacity traffic) and the vehicle-based communication device (handling connection establishment in capacity-limited regions). This segmentation allows the external base station to operate at full capacity while the vehicle acts as an additional access point for areas where direct connections are unavailable.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution adds a spatial dimension to network capacity by deploying mobile communication relays in vehicles that can physically access difficult-to-reach areas. This creates a multi-dimensional network architecture where fixed base stations handle high-capacity urban areas while mobile vehicle-based relays provide connectivity in remote or topographically challenging regions.
3Reliability
If femtocells or picocells are deployed in multi-story car parks to increase mobile phone network availability, then coverage is improved, but device complexity and infrastructure cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The motor vehicle serves multiple functions: its primary transportation function and an additional communication relay function. The communication device in the vehicle can operate as a base station when the vehicle is stationary, providing network availability in locations like multi-story car parks without requiring dedicated femtocell or picocell infrastructure installation.
4Reliability
If motor vehicles are equipped with communication devices to act as intermediary base stations, then coverage in difficult areas is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication device operates periodically rather than continuously - activating as an intermediary base station when the vehicle is stationary (e.g., during charging or parking) and deactivating when moving. This periodic operation significantly reduces energy consumption compared to continuous transmission, while still providing coverage improvement during the stationary periods when coverage gaps are most problematic.
Data Source
AI summary
A motor vehicle includes a communication device for transmitting and receiving data packages. The communication device has at least one wired interface for transmitting a first data package to a base station external to the motor vehicle and at least one receiving device for wirelessly receiving a second data package. The receiving device is designed to receive the second data package from at least one mobile device external to the motor vehicle. The communication device is designed to transmit the wirelessly received second data package as the first data package in a wired manner.