Vehicle communication system and method for operating such a system

• US 10,044,418 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Fikar, Stefan, Kaindl, Markus, Khan, Sajjad
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Chieh M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hailegiorgis, Fitwi
• Application Number:
  US15/166,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20160277079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 375267, 4555621, 455517
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0608 Antenna selection according to transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A communication system is provided for a vehicle having multiple antennas and multiple transmitting and/or receiving interfaces. At least one first antenna is arranged in the interior of the vehicle, and at least one second antenna is arranged on the outside of the vehicle. The first antenna is designed to wirelessly establish at least one part of a data connection between a first communication unit which is located in the interior of the vehicle and at least one first network base unit which is located outside of the vehicle via a first transmitting and/or receiving interface. The second antenna is designed to wirelessly establish at least one part of a data connection between a second communication unit which is located in the interior of the vehicle and the first and/or a second network base unit which is located outside of the vehicle via a second transmitting and/or receiving interface. The communication system is designed such that a data connection can be established within the vehicle between the second communication unit and the first antenna via the second transmitting and/or receiving interface.

Claims

1. A communication system for a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of antennas; and

a plurality of transmitting and/or receiving interfaces, wherein

at least one first antenna is arranged in an interior of the vehicle, and

at least one second antenna is arranged on an exterior of the vehicle,

the first antenna arranged in the interior of the vehicle can transmit and receive both wireless local area network (WLAN) signals and mobile radio signals and is designed to wirelessly establish via a first transmitting and/or receiving interface component via WLAN signals at least one part of a data connection between a mobile terminal situated in the interior of the vehicle and at least one first network base unit situated outside the vehicle,

the second antenna can transmit and receive mobile radio signals and is designed to wirelessly establish via a second transmitting and/or receiving interface component at least one part of a data connection between a mobile radio unit that is fixed in the interior of the vehicle and the first and/or a second network base unit situated outside the vehicle via the mobile radio signals, and

the communication system is designed such that a data connection is establishable between the mobile radio unit that is fixed in the interior of the vehicle and the first and/or the second network base unit situated outside the vehicle via the second transmitting and/or receiving interface component and the first antenna and the mobile radio signals, wherein the first antenna communicates directly with the first and/or the second network base unit situated outside the vehicle for this data connection.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a switching arrangement, by which optionally a data connection to the first antenna or to the second antenna is establishable by the second transmitting and/or receiving interface component, and/or the first transmitting and/or receiving interface component is switchable between the two antennas.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first transmitting and/or receiving interface component and the first antenna are arranged in the interior of the vehicle in a transmitting/receiving unit.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first transmitting and/or receiving interface component is a WLAN interface control component, and the second transmitting and/or receiving interface component is a mobile radio interface control component.

5. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the second and a third antenna are, in each case, arranged on the roof of a vehicle and are surrounded by a common enclosure.

6. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electronic controller and a sensor assembly for detecting an accident of the vehicle, wherein

in the case of a detected accident event, a check is automatically made to ascertain whether for a predefined communication unit, a data connection via at least one of the antennas fitted to the exterior of the vehicle to a network base station can be effected and,

if no such connection can be effected, the electronic controller automatically causes the connection between said predefined communication unit and the first antenna.

7. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile radio signals are Long Term Evolution (LTE) signals or Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) signals.

8. A method for establishing an at least partly wireless communication connection between at least one communication unit situated in a vehicle and a central network base station, wherein

at least one first antenna is arranged in an interior of the vehicle, wherein the first antenna can transmit and receive both wireless local area network (WLAN) signals and mobile radio signals, and

at least one second antenna is arranged on an exterior of the vehicle, wherein the second antenna can transmit and receive mobile radio signals,

wherein the method comprises the acts of:

using the first antenna to wirelessly establish via a first transmitting and/or receiving interface component via WLAN signals at least one part of a data connection between a mobile terminal situated in the interior of the vehicle and at least one first network base unit situated outside the vehicle, and

using the second antenna to wirelessly establish via a second transmitting and/or receiving interface component at least one part of a data connection between a mobile radio unit that is fixed in the interior of the vehicle and the first and/or a second network base unit situated outside the vehicle via the mobile radio signals, and

establishing a data connection within the vehicle between the mobile radio unit that is fixed in the interior of the vehicle and the first and/or the second network base unit situated outside the vehicle via the second transmitting and/or receiving interface component and the first antenna and the mobile radio signals, wherein the first antenna communicates directly with the first and/or the second network base unit situated outside the vehicle for this data connection.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the connection between the mobile radio unit and the first antenna is established automatically when at least one predefined condition occurs.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the predefined condition comprises one or more of a failure of the second antenna or an accident of the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the connection between the mobile radio unit and the first antenna is established via a cross-connection which is provided between at least two antennas and two communication units and by which at least the mobile radio unit is connectable optionally to the first antenna or to the second antenna for the data connection.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the mobile radio signals are Long Term Evolution (LTE) signals or Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) signals.

13. A controller for a vehicle communication system having at least one first antenna arranged in an interior of the vehicle and at least one second antenna arranged on an exterior of the vehicle, wherein the first antenna can transmit and receive both wireless local area network (WLAN) signals and mobile radio signals and wherein the second antenna can transmit and receive mobile radio signals, the controller comprising a computer that executes a program to:

use the first antenna to wirelessly establish via a first transmitting and/or receiving interface component via WLAN signals at least one part of a data connection between a mobile terminal situated in the interior of the vehicle and at least one first network base unit situated outside the vehicle, and

use the second antenna to wirelessly establish via a second transmitting and/or receiving interface component at least one part of a data connection between a mobile radio unit that is fixed in the interior of the vehicle and the first and/or a second network base unit situated outside the vehicle via the mobile radio signals, and

establish a data connection between the mobile radio unit that is fixed in the interior of the vehicle and the first and/or the second network base unit situated outside the vehicle via the second transmitting and/or receiving interface component and the first antenna and the mobile radio signals, wherein the first antenna communicates directly with the first and/or the second network base unit situated outside the vehicle for this data connection.

14. The controller according to claim 13, wherein the computer executes a program to automatically establish the connection between the mobile radio unit and the first antenna when at least one predefined condition occurs.

15. The controller according to claim 14, wherein the predefined condition comprises one or more of a failure of the second antenna or an accident of the vehicle.

16. The controller according to claim 13, wherein the computer executes the program to establish the connection between the mobile radio unit and the first antenna via a cross-connection provided between at least two antennas and two communication units and by which at least the mobile radio unit is connectable optionally to the first antenna or to the second antenna for the data connection.

17. The controller according to claim 13, wherein the mobile radio signals are Long Term Evolution (LTE) signals or Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) signals.