Systems and methods for distributing content in a vehicle-based wireless network

• US 10,420,013 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2016
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unium, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: CoCo Communications, Corp.
• Inventors: Eller, A. Riley
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hanh N
• Application Number:
  US15/285,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20180018159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/106 Packet or message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• 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 40/38 adapting due to varying relative distances between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/23 Manipulation of direct-mode connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Techniques for distributing content to mobile computing devices, such as in the context of a vehicle-based wireless network, are described. In some examples, a content provider uses a cellular network to initially transmit a content item to a multi-network communication device in a first vehicle. The first vehicle device then uses a local Wi-Fi network to further transmit randomly selected portions of the content item to devices on nearby vehicles, which may also further propagate the content item portions to other vehicles. Vehicle devices may also specifically request content portions by broadcasting requests to neighboring vehicle devices via local Wi-Fi communication and/or communicating with the content provider via the cellular network. Upon the occurrence of a condition, such as a passage of time, the content provider may also initiate communication with devices in the network in order to assure complete distribution of the content item.

Claims

1. A system for distributing content in a vehicle-based wireless network, the system comprising:

a first vehicle-based communication device in a first vehicle;

a second vehicle-based communication device in a second vehicle;

wherein the first vehicle-based communication device is configured to;

receive, via a cellular network, a content item from a content distributor;

transmit, via a Wi-Fi network, a first portion of the content item to the second vehicle-based communication device, wherein the first portion is randomly selected by the first vehicle-based communication device;

receive, via the Wi-Fi network, a request for a second portion of the content item from the second vehicle-based communication device; and

in response to the received request, transmit, via the Wi-Fi network, the second portion of the content item to the second vehicle-based communication device;

wherein the second vehicle-based communication device is configured to;

in response to receipt of the first portion of the content item via the Wi-Fi network from the first vehicle-based communication device, transmit via the Wi-Fi network a request for the announcement to the first vehicle-based communication device;

receive the announcement from the first vehicle-based communication device via the Wi-Fi network;

request, via the cellular network, a third portion from the content distributor;

receive, via the cellular network, the third portion; and

wherein the content distributor is configured to;

transmit, via the cellular network, an announcement to the first vehicle-based communication device, the announcement identifying the content item;

in response to the announcement, receive from the first vehicle-based communication device a request for the identified content item;

transmit, via the cellular network, proofs to the first vehicle-based communication device, the proofs configured to authenticate the content item; and

transmit, via the cellular network, the content item to the first vehicle-based communication device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle-based communication device is further configured to:

authenticate a source and contents of the content item based on the proofs received from the content distributor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the content distributor is further configured to:

transmit, via the cellular network, the announcement to the second vehicle-based communication device; and

transmit, via the cellular network, portions of the content items to the second vehicle-based communication device, wherein the transmitted portions are portions that the second vehicle-based communication device has not received via the Wi-Fi network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the content distributor is further configured to:

transmit, via the cellular network, an announcement, proofs, and a content item to a first subset of devices in the vehicle-based wireless network, wherein the announcement identifies a content item, and wherein the proofs are configured to authenticate a source of the content item and the content item;

cause devices in the first subset of devices to transmit, via the Wi-Fi network, portions of the content item to devices in a second subset of devices in the vehicle-based wireless network; and

transmit, via the cellular network, remaining portions to the devices in the second subset of devices, wherein each remaining portion is one that has not been received by a device in the second subset of devices from any of the devices in the first subset of devices, thereby assuring that each of the devices in the second subset receives the entire content item.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle-based communication device is further configured to:

transmit, via the Wi-Fi network, randomly selected portions of the content item to the second vehicle-based communication device; and

respond to requests received from the second vehicle-based communication device for specified portions of the content item by transmitting, via the Wi-Fi network, the specified portions to the second vehicle-based communication device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle-based communication device is further configured to:

repeatedly transmit, via the Wi-Fi network, randomly selected portions of the content item, wherein the transmission is a broadcast transmission that reaches multiple other vehicle-based communication devices that are part of the Wi-Fi network.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one roadside communication device that is located in a fixed position about a roadway and that is configured to;

receive, via the Wi-Fi network, a content portion from the first vehicle-based communication device; and

transmit, via the cellular network, the content portion to the second vehicle-based communication device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the Wi-Fi network is an 802.11p network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the content item is a software update for a computing system in a vehicle.

10. A method in a first vehicle-based communication device in a first vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving from the content distributor an announcement that identifies a content item, the announcement received via a cellular network;

in response to the announcement, transmitting a request via the cellular network to the content distributor for the identified item;

receiving from the content distributor proofs configured to authenticate the content item, the proofs received via the cellular network;

receiving, via the cellular network, the content item from the content distributor;

transmitting, via a Wi-Fi network, a first portion of the content item to a second vehicle-based communication device in a second vehicle, wherein the first portion is randomly selected by the first vehicle-based communication device;

receiving from the second vehicle-based communication device a request for the announcement, the request transmitted via the Wi-Fi network by the second vehicle-based communication device in response to receipt of the first portion of the content item; and

transmitting via the Wi-Fi network the announcement to the second vehicle-based communication device;

receiving, via the Wi-Fi network, a request for a second portion of the content item from the second vehicle-based communication device; and

in response to the received request, transmit, via the Wi-Fi network, the second portion of the content item to the second vehicle-based communication device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

authenticating a source and content of the content item based on the proofs received from the content distributor.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting, via the Wi-Fi network, randomly selected portions of the content item to the second vehicle-based communication device; and

responding to requests received from the second vehicle-based communication device for specified portions of the content item by transmitting, via the Wi-Fi network, the specified portions to the second vehicle-based communication device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting portions of the content item until all portions of the content item have been transmitted to the second vehicle-based communication device, the transmitted portions selected randomly or based on requests received from the first vehicle-based communication device.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

repeatedly transmitting, via the Wi-Fi network, randomly selected portions of the content item, wherein the transmission is a broadcast transmission that reaches multiple other vehicle-based communication devices that are part of the Wi-Fi network.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the cellular network is a 3G/4G network.