Providing wireless internet access using autonomous vehicles

• US 10,305,576 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald R., Atchley, Michael D., O'Brien, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Frank
• Application Number:
  US15/486,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20170302362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18502 Airborne stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Autonomous vehicles such as UAVs or cars provide network access points. User devices connect to the network access points and network access is monitored. User location data is also monitored. A profile of the user is generated from the gathered data. Advertisements are selected based on a profile of the user and the current location of the user. The autonomous vehicles may be distributed geographically to provide a network access to a geographic area. In response to detecting that a user device is moving out of a coverage area of an autonomous vehicle, nearby autonomous vehicles are identified. If the user device is in the coverage area of a nearby autonomous vehicle, the network connection to the user device is transferred to that vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for providing internet access comprising:

providing a plurality of autonomous vehicles distributed geographically, each having a wireless transceiver and coupled wirelessly to a wired network;

establishing, by a first autonomous vehicle of the plurality of autonomous vehicle, a first connection to a user device with the transceiver of the first autonomous vehicle;

routing, by the first autonomous vehicle, network traffic between the wired network and the user device over the first connection using the transceiver of the first autonomous vehicle;

detecting, by the first autonomous vehicle through the wireless transceiver of the first autonomous vehicle, weakening of a wireless signal from the user device; and

in response to detecting weakening of the wireless signal;

(a) detecting, by the first autonomous vehicle a second autonomous vehicle of the plurality of autonomous vehicles that is closer to the user device than the first autonomous vehicle;

(b) establishing, by the first autonomous vehicle, a second connection to the user device with the transceiver of the second autonomous vehicle; and

(c) transitioning, by the first autonomous vehicle, routing of the network traffic to the second connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of autonomous vehicles include a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of autonomous vehicles include a plurality of road vehicles.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transitioning routing of the network traffic to the second connection is performed without perceptible interruption of the network traffic on the user device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of autonomous vehicles are distributed over a geographic area such that the transceivers of the plurality of autonomous vehicles provide network access to at least 90 percent of the geographic area.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the second autonomous vehicle through the wireless transceiver of the second autonomous vehicle, loss of a wireless signal from the user device;

determining, by the second autonomous vehicle, that no other autonomous vehicle of the plurality of autonomous vehicles is sufficiently close to the user device to connect to the user device;

in response to determining that no other autonomous vehicle of the plurality of autonomous vehicles is sufficiently close to the user device to connect to the user device, transmitting, by the second autonomous vehicle, a list of locations of one or more autonomous vehicles of the plurality of autonomous vehicle closest to the user device to enable a user of the user device to move within a coverage area of at least one of the one or more autonomous vehicles on the list.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second connections are WI-FI connections.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by a server system coupled to the transceivers of the first and second autonomous vehicles, the network traffic;

identifying, by the server system, advertisements relating to content in the network traffic; and

transmitting, by the server system, the advertisements to the user device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by a server system coupled to the transceivers of the first and second autonomous vehicles, a location of the user device;

identifying, by the server system, advertisements relating to the location of the user device; and

transmitting, by the server system, the advertisements to the user device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by a server system coupled to the transceivers of the first and second autonomous vehicles, the network traffic;

determining, by the server system, from the network traffic one or more preferences of a user associated with the user device;

identifying, by the server system, advertisements relating to the one or more preferences; and

transmitting, by the server system, the advertisements to the user device.

11. A system for providing internet access comprising:

a plurality of autonomous vehicles distributed geographically, each having a wireless transceiver coupled wirelessly to a wired network and a controller coupled to each wireless transceiver and programmed to;

establish a first connection to a user device with the transceiver of a corresponding autonomous vehicle of the plurality of autonomous vehicle;

route network traffic between the wired network and the user device over the first connection using the transceiver of the corresponding autonomous vehicle; and

if weakening of a wireless signal from the user device is detected

(a) detect a second autonomous vehicle of the plurality of autonomous vehicles that is closer to the user device than the corresponding autonomous vehicle;

(b) invoke establishment of a second connection between the user device and the second autonomous vehicle; and

(c) transition routing of the network traffic to the second connection.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of autonomous vehicles include a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of autonomous vehicles include a plurality of road vehicles.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further programmed to transition routing of the network traffic to the second connection without perceptible interruption of the network traffic on the user device.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of autonomous vehicles are distributed over a geographic area such that the transceivers of the plurality of autonomous vehicles provide network access to at least 90 percent of the geographic area.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further programmed to:

if loss of a wireless signal from the user device is detected and if

no other autonomous vehicle of the plurality of autonomous vehicles is sufficiently close to the user device to connect to the user device, transmit a list of locations of one or more autonomous vehicles of the plurality of autonomous vehicle closest to the user device to enable a user of the user device to move within a coverage area of at least one of the one or more autonomous vehicles on the list.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the first and second connections are WI-FI connections.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising a server system in data communication with the controllers of the autonomous vehicles, the server system programmed to:

monitor the network traffic;

identify advertisements relating to content in the network traffic; and

transmit the advertisements to the user device.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising a server system in data communication with the controllers of the autonomous vehicles, the server system programmed to:

monitor a location of the user device;

identify advertisements relating to the location of the user device; and

transmit the advertisements to the user device.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising a server system in data communication with the controllers of the autonomous vehicles, the server system programmed to:

monitor the network traffic;

determine from the network traffic one or more preferences of a user associated with the user device;

identify advertisements relating to the one or more preferences; and

transmit the advertisements to the user device.