Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing mobile ad hoc cooperative communication systems and related devices

• US 20080089298A1
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: El Houmaidi, Mounire, Anschutz, Thomas Arnold
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/18 based on predicted events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method of operating a mobile electronic device includes detecting at least one other mobile electronic device within a predetermined distance of the mobile electronic device, and determining a spatial relationship of the at least one other mobile electronic device relative to the mobile electronic device. An ad hoc wireless connection is established with the at least one other mobile electronic device based on the determined spatial relationship. Data may be transmitted to and/or received from the at least one other mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection based on the determined spatial relationship. Related systems, devices, and computer program products are also discussed.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting a second mobile electronic device within a predetermined distance of a first mobile electronic device;

determining a spatial relationship of the second mobile electronic device relative to the first mobile electronic device; and

establishing an ad hoc wireless connection with the second mobile electronic device based on the determined spatial relationship.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the spatial relationship further comprises:

determining a traveling vector for the second mobile electronic device based on a signal provided by the second mobile electronic device,

wherein establishing the ad hoc wireless connection comprises establishing the ad hoc wireless connection with the second mobile electronic device based on the determined traveling vector.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting data to the second mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection based on the determined spatial relationship.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein transmitting data to the second mobile electronic device comprises:

transmitting vehicle dynamics data to the second mobile electronics device based on the determined spatial relationship.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determined spatial relationship indicates that the second mobile electronic device is traveling in a same direction as the first mobile electronic device, and wherein transmitting the vehicle dynamics data comprises:

transmitting vehicle speed data for a vehicle associated with the first mobile electronic device to the second mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the determined spatial relationship indicates that the second mobile electronic device is traveling behind and/or adjacent to the first mobile electronic device in a same direction as the first mobile electronic device, and wherein transmitting the vehicle dynamics data comprises:

transmitting vehicle braking, stability, and/or lane-change data for a vehicle associated with the first mobile electronic device to the second mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data from the second mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection based on the determined spatial relationship.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving data from the second mobile electronic device comprises:

receiving vehicle dynamics data from the second mobile electronics device based on the determined spatial relationship.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a control signal to alter vehicle speed, direction of travel, and/or safety systems of a vehicle associated with the first mobile electronic device based on the received vehicle dynamics data from the second mobile electronic device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the determined spatial relationship indicates that the second mobile electronic device is in front of and/or adjacent to the first mobile electronic device, and wherein receiving the vehicle dynamics data comprises:

receiving vehicle braking, stability, and/or lane-change data for a vehicle associated with the second mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection; and

providing a visible and/or audible alert signal responsive to receiving the vehicle braking, stability, and/or lane-change data for the vehicle associated with the second mobile electronic device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a third mobile electronic device within the predetermined distance of the first mobile electronic device;

determining a spatial relationship of the third mobile electronic device relative to the first mobile electronic device; and

establishing a second ad hoc wireless connection with the third mobile electronic device based on the determined spatial relationship thereto.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting first data to the second mobile electronic device over the first ad hoc wireless connection based on the determined spatial relationship thereto; and

transmitting second data to the third mobile electronic device over the second ad hoc wireless connection based on the determined spatial relationship thereto.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second data comprise first and second data packets corresponding to a data file, and wherein transmitting the first data packet to the second mobile electronic device and transmitting the second data packet to the third mobile electronic device comprises:

transmitting the first and second data packets in parallel to provide increased transmission bandwidth.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving data from the third mobile electronic device over the second ad hoc wireless connection based on the determined spatial relationship to the third mobile electronic device; and

relaying the data to the second mobile electronic device over the first ad hoc wireless connection based on the determined spatial relationship to the second mobile electronic device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the received data comprises vehicle dynamics data associated with the third mobile electronic device, and further comprising:

aggregating the vehicle dynamics data associated with the third mobile electronic device and vehicle dynamics data associated with the first mobile electronic device to provide aggregate vehicle data,

wherein relaying the data comprises relaying the aggregate vehicle data to the second mobile electronic device over the first ad hoc wireless connection.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data including addressing information for a destination device at the first mobile electronic device,

wherein establishing the ad hoc wireless connection comprises establishing the ad hoc wireless connection with the second mobile electronic device based on the determined spatial relationship indicating a location of the second mobile electronic device relative to a location of the destination device specified by the addressing information.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a wireless connection with a fixed network access point; and

relaying data between the fixed network access point and the second mobile electronic device over the wireless data connection and the ad hoc wireless data connection.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the ad hoc wireless connection with the second mobile electronic device further comprises:

selectively establishing the ad hoc wireless connection with the second mobile electronic device or establishing a wireless connection with a fixed network access point based on current network conditions.

19. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

a controller configured to detect at least one other mobile electronic device within a predetermined distance of the mobile electronic device and to determine a spatial relationship of the at least one other mobile electronic device relative to the mobile electronic device; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to the controller and configured to establish an ad hoc wireless connection with the at least one other mobile electronic device based on the determined spatial relationship.

20. A computer program product for operating a mobile electronic device, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium including computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code configured to detect at least one other mobile electronic device within a predetermined distance of the mobile electronic device;

computer readable program code configured to determine a spatial relationship of the at least one other mobile electronic device relative to the mobile electronic device; and

computer readable program code configured to establish an ad hoc wireless connection with the at least one other mobile electronic device based on the determined spatial relationship.