Determining wireless network availability for connected vehicles

• US 10,154,501 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2017
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2017
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meredith, Sheldon, Cottrill, William, Hilliard, Brandon
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US15/462,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20180270831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 455419
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0226 based on location or mobility handoff or reselection H04W36/00; mobile application services making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A more efficient network can be achieved using over the air (OTA) software updates for connected vehicles. Based on a connected vehicles batter power, OTA updates can be performed in accordance with base station devices while the base station devices are not at or near a capacity. Other factors that can determine when and where an OTA software push is performed can comprise vehicle speed, base station communication range, traffic density, etc. Analysis of historical route data for vehicles and historical capacity data for base station devices can also help facilitate determining a wireless network availability for connected vehicles.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a wireless network device comprising a processor, network capacity data representing a network capacity of a base station device of a wireless network, wherein the network capacity data indicates that the wireless network is off-peak based on a current network load being determined to be less than a previous network load;

receiving, by the wireless network device, vehicle location data associated with a location of a vehicle in relation to the base station device of the wireless network;

receiving, by the wireless network device, battery data associated with a battery charge of the vehicle connected to the base station device of the wireless network;

receiving, by the wireless network device, traffic data representative of a traffic pattern; and

based on the network capacity data, the location of the vehicle, the traffic data, and the battery data, deferring sending, by the wireless network device, firmware data associated with firmware deliverable by the base station device to be sent to a radio of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the wireless network device, time data related to an amount of time that the radio of the vehicle has been connected to the base station device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sending comprises sending the firmware data at a delayed time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle location data comprises vehicle route data associated with a route taken by the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending comprises sending the firmware data during an off-peak time associated with a first network capacity of the base station greater than a second network capacity of the base station.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on assessing the battery data, configuring, by the wireless network device, the radio for receipt of the firmware data.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

in response to the sending the firmware data, terminating, by the wireless network device, the radio to preserve the battery charge.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving network capacity data of a base station device of a wireless network, wherein the network capacity data is indicative of the wireless network being determined to be off-peak based on a current network load being determined to be less than a previous network load;

receiving vehicle location data associated with a location of a vehicle in relation to the base station device;

receiving battery data representative of a battery charge of the vehicle connected to the base station device;

receiving traffic data representative of a traffic pattern; and

based on the network capacity data, the vehicle location data, the traffic data, and the battery data, delaying sending firmware data associated with firmware deliverable by the base station device to be sent to a radio of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the network capacity data comprises overload data indicative of the base station device being overloaded.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the base station device is a first base station device, and wherein the operations further comprise:

based on a current location of the vehicle, facilitating sending a portion of the firmware from a second base station device to the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the delaying the sending the firmware is based on a speed of the vehicle in relation to a current location of the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the base station device is a first base station device, and wherein the operations further comprise:

based on the previous network load of the first base station device, facilitating the sending the firmware from a second base station device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the base station device is a first base station device, and wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to an indication that the vehicle is closer to a second base station device than the first base station device, sending the firmware to the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

based on assessing the battery data, configuring the radio for receipt of the firmware.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving location data associated with a current location of a vehicle in relation to a base station device associated with a wireless network;

receiving battery charge data associated with a battery charge of the vehicle;

receiving traffic data representative of a traffic pattern;

based on a current network load of the base station device being determined to be less than a previous network load of the base station device, receiving network load data representative of a network load of the base station device, wherein the network load data indicates that the wireless network is in an off-peak state; and

in response to a condition associated with the current location, the battery charge, the network load, and the traffic pattern being determined to have been satisfied, deferring sending firmware to the vehicle.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

assessing the battery charge data to facilitate determining the battery charge of the vehicle.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the base station device is a first base station device and wherein the condition comprises an indication that the vehicle is closer to the first base station device than a second base station device.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the network load data comprises overload data indicative of the base station device being overloaded.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the base station device is a first base station device, and wherein the condition comprises an indication that the vehicle is closer to a second base station device that the first base station device.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to the indication that the vehicle is closer to the second base station device that the first base station device, sending of the firmware to the vehicle.