Vehicular Cellular Connectivity Sharing via Dynamic Host Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles equipped with telematics systems often face sub-optimal cellular connectivity due to reliance on a single provider, limiting signal strength and availability, especially in areas where different carriers offer stronger signals.
Innovation Solution
A system allowing multiple vehicles to share cellular connectivity by wirelessly broadcasting and selecting the strongest available signal, with one vehicle acting as a host to provide connectivity to others in the group, using a processor to manage and switch hosts based on signal strength and data usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a vehicle uses a single cellular provider for connectivity, then device complexity is reduced, but signal strength and connectivity reliability deteriorate in areas where other carriers offer stronger signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cellular connectivity sources (on-board modem with SIM profile, user device connectivity, and group vehicle connectivity) into a unified system that automatically selects the strongest available signal, resolving the contradiction between system simplicity and connectivity reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between different connectivity hosts based on real-time signal strength evaluation, allowing the vehicle to adapt to changing cellular coverage conditions and maintain reliable connectivity without manual intervention
2Reliability
If a vehicle leverages connectivity from multiple devices with different service providers, then signal strength and connectivity options improve, but device complexity and system management increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs signal strength evaluation, host selection, and connectivity switching without requiring user intervention, managing the complexity of multiple connectivity sources through autonomous operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors signal strength from multiple connectivity sources and uses this feedback to automatically select and switch between the optimal host, simplifying the management of multiple devices through closed-loop control
3Reliability
If the vehicle encounters areas with sub-optimal signals from available vehicle connection options, then connectivity reliability deteriorates, but adding more connectivity devices increases device complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The system makes the vehicle's on-board modem multi-functional by enabling it to utilize SIM profiles from multiple sources (vehicle-mounted SIM, user device SIM, or group member vehicle SIM), allowing a single device to perform multiple connectivity functions and access different cellular networks
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a processor configured to wirelessly broadcast connection credentials including host identification, responsive to a group-creation instruction. The processor is also configured to receive a request from a joining vehicle to join a group. The processor is further configured to exchange available cellular connectivity options between a group-creating vehicle and the joining vehicle. Also, the processor is configured to establish a connection with the joining vehicle. The processor is additionally configured to select a connectivity option to provide cellular connectivity for the group and instruct a vehicle corresponding to the connectivity option to serve as a connectivity-host.