Surface-Mounted Vehicle Wireless Network for Shielded Geometries
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless vehicle network technologies face challenges in accommodating varying vehicle geometries and are affected by electromagnetic shielding, reflection, and absorption, which hinder reliable data communication across vehicles in combination vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A surface-mounted wireless vehicle network infrastructure with intelligent antenna modules and a mesh-like topology, utilizing different spatial transmit/receive patterns and frequencies, to overcome geometric and electromagnetic challenges and provide Internet connectivity to devices in the vehicle's vicinity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wireless nodes are mounted inside the vehicle body or on wired infrastructure, then electromagnetic shielding, reflection, and absorption occur, but mounting on surface-mounted infrastructure eliminates these electromagnetic interference problems
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless nodes are extracted from the interior vehicle body environment and relocated to the exterior surface-mounted infrastructure. This extraction removes the wireless communication components from the harmful electromagnetic environment created by metallic chassis parts, thereby eliminating shielding, reflection, and absorption effects while maintaining reliable data communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle surface acts as an intermediary mounting platform between the wireless nodes and the vehicle body. By mounting wireless nodes on the surface infrastructure rather than integrating them into the vehicle body or using wired connections, the solution mediates the conflict between reliable wireless communication and electromagnetic interference from metallic structures.
2Ease of manufacture
If standard network components with factory settings are used, then installation is simplified, but they cannot accommodate the variable geometry of vehicles and combination vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless node spacing and positioning are made dynamic rather than fixed. The system adapts to variable vehicle geometries by allowing flexible adjustment of wireless node locations and spacing on the surface-mounted infrastructure, accommodating different vehicle configurations while maintaining relatively simple installation through modular deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the spatial parameters of wireless node deployment to accommodate different vehicle geometries. By adjusting node spacing, positioning, and distribution patterns on the surface infrastructure, the system adapts to various vehicle sizes and configurations without requiring completely different standard components for each case.
3Reliability
If wireless nodes are positioned for optimal coverage, then communication reliability improves, but the complexity of positioning and spacing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle surface infrastructure is segmented into multiple discrete mounting points distributed along the vehicle body. This segmentation allows wireless nodes to be positioned at optimized intervals without requiring complex centralized positioning systems, as each segment can be independently configured to achieve optimal spacing and coverage.
Data Source
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AI summary
A commercial vehicle (100) comprises a plurality of wireless nodes (21, 22, 23) fixed to points on the surface of the vehicle and configured to cooperate to form a vehicle network, wherein lines of sights between adjacent ones of the wireless nodes are sensibly unobstructed and/or sensibly parallel to the surface of the vehicle. The vehicle network may include additional wired links (32). A backhaul port provides Internet connectivity, at least intermittently, to the vehicle network. At least one of the wireless nodes is operable to act as wireless access point (23) for mobile stations in the vehicle's vicinity and is optionally assisted by a wireless communication host (41).