Information Gathering System Using Multi-Radio Telematics Devices

• US 20120158820A1
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Bai, Fan, Grimm, Donald K., Correia, John J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for intelligent procurement of data from a plurality of vehicles in a data-aggregation region using long-range communications, short-range communications, and group leader vehicles. The method includes a central server defining a plurality of data-aggregation areas and identifying at least one group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area. The method also includes the group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area collecting data from other vehicles in the data-aggregation area using short-range communications and the group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area determining to cease collecting data from the other vehicles in the data-aggregation area. The method further includes the group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area generating a consensus report using the data collected from the other vehicles in its data-aggregation area.

Claims

1. A method for intelligent procurement of data from a plurality of vehicles in a data-aggregation region using long-range communications, short-range communications, and group leader vehicles, the method comprising:

a central server defining a plurality of data-aggregation areas;

identifying at least one group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area;

the group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area collecting data from other vehicles in the data-aggregation area using short-range communications;

the group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area determining to cease collecting data from the other vehicles in the data-aggregation area; and

the group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area generating a consensus report using the data collected from the other vehicles in its data-aggregation area.

2. The method for intelligent procurement of data of claim 1, further comprising:

the central server identifying a data-aggregation region;

wherein the central server defining the plurality of data-aggregation areas includes dividing the data-aggregation region into the data-aggregation areas.

3. The method for intelligent procurement of data of claim 1, further comprising:

the group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area transmitting the generated consensus report to the central server.

4. The method for intelligent procurement of data of claim 3, wherein the group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area transmits the consensus report that it generated to the central server via a long-range communication.

5. The method for intelligent procurement of data of claim 1, wherein the short-range communications are performed via at least one of:

dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), WI-FI, BLUETOOTH, infrared, infrared data association (IRDA), and near field communications (NFC).

6. The method for intelligent procurement of data of claim 1, wherein the group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area collecting data from other vehicles in the data-aggregation area includes the group leader vehicle querying the other vehicles for the data.

7. The method for intelligent procurement of data of claim 1, wherein identifying the group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area includes vehicles in each data-aggregation area communicating according to a data-aggregation protocol to identify the group leader vehicle.

8. The method for intelligent procurement of data of claim 7, wherein the vehicles in each data-aggregation area communicating according to the data-aggregation protocol to identify the group leader includes identifying the group leader vehicle according to a distinguishing arbitrary characteristic.

9. The method for intelligent procurement of data of claim 8, wherein identifying the group leader vehicle according to the distinguishing arbitrary characteristic includes identifying the group leader vehicle as a vehicle being associated with a most-extreme unique identification number, being a highest or lowest identification number.

10. The method for intelligent procurement of data of claim 7, wherein the vehicles in each data-aggregation area communicating according to the data-aggregation protocol to identify the group leader vehicle includes identifying the group leader vehicle according to a strategic characteristic selected to obtain a pre-determined benefit.

11. The method for intelligent procurement of data of claim 10, wherein identifying the group leader vehicle according to the strategic characteristic includes identifying the group leader vehicle as a vehicle having a most-extreme communications-plan usage quality.

12. The method for intelligent procurement of data of claim 11, wherein identifying the group leader vehicle as the vehicle having a most-extreme communications quality includes identifying the group leader vehicle as the vehicle having one of:

a highest number of minutes remaining on account in a long-range communications plan associated with the vehicle;

a lowest use of an allocation in the long-range communications plan associated with the vehicle; and

a lowest percentage or ratio of use in the long-range communications plan associated with the vehicle.

13. The method for intelligent procurement of data of claim 1, wherein the group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area determining to cease collecting data includes the group leader vehicle determining that a pre-determined threshold value has been met.

14. The method for intelligent procurement of data of claim 13, wherein the group leader vehicle determining that the pre-determined threshold value has been met includes the group leader vehicle determining that a relative standard error (RSE) calculation has been lower than an RSE threshold.

15. The method for intelligent procurement of data of claim 14, wherein the relative standard error (RSE) calculation is given by:

16. The method for intelligent procurement of data of claim 13, wherein the group leader vehicle determining that the pre-determined threshold value has been met includes the group leader vehicle determining:

that data has been received from a pre-determined number of vehicles;

or

that a pre-set amount of time has passed.

17. A data-aggregation protocol stored on a tangible non-transient, computer-readable medium as instructions that:

when executed by a processor of a central server cause the processor of the central server to define a plurality of data-aggregation areas;

when executed by processors of vehicles in each data-aggregation area cause the processors to communicate to identify at least one group leader vehicle for the data-aggregation area; and

when executed by a processor of the identified group leader vehicle in each data-aggregation area causes the processor of the identified group leader vehicle to;

collect data from processors of other vehicles in the data-aggregation area using short-range communications;

determine to cease collecting data from the other vehicles in the data-aggregation area; and

generate a consensus report using the data collected from the other vehicles in its data-aggregation area.

18. The data-aggregation protocol of claim 17, wherein the instructions, in causing the processor of the group leader vehicle to determine to cease collecting data includes causing the processor of the group leader vehicle to determine that a pre-determined threshold value has been met.

19. The data-aggregation protocol of claim 18, wherein the instructions, in causing the processor of the group leader vehicle to determine that a pre-determined threshold value has been met, causes the processor of the group leader vehicle to determine that a relative standard error (RSE) calculation has exceeded an RSE threshold, wherein the RSE calculation is given by:

20. The data-aggregation protocol of claim 17, wherein the instructions, in causing the processors of vehicles in each data-aggregation area to communicate to identify at least one group leader vehicle for the data-aggregation area, cause the processor of the vehicles in each data-aggregation area to identify the group leader according to at least one of:

a distinguishing arbitrary characteristic; and

a strategic characteristic selected to obtain a pre-determined benefit.