SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VEHICLE BASED CELLULAR OFFLOAD

• US 20130078945A1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Scheim, Kobi Jacob, Rotstein, Ron, LAVI, Nadav
• Granted Patent: US 8,995,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks

Abstract

One or more vehicle communication systems associated with one or more vehicles may be activated. The one or more vehicles may, for example, include a gateway vehicle. A backhaul connection between a vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle and a cellular infrastructure may be established. Signals from the cellular infrastructure may be received at the vehicle communication system associated with gateway vehicle. Using the vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle, the signals received from the cellular infrastructure may be transmitted. Signals from one or more mobile devices may be received using the vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle. The signals received from the one or more mobile devices may be transmitted to the cellular infrastructure using the vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

activating one or more vehicle communication systems associated with one or more vehicles, wherein the one or more vehicles comprise a gateway vehicle;

establishing a backhaul connection between a vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle and a cellular infrastructure;

receiving signals from the cellular infrastructure at the vehicle communication system associated with gateway vehicle;

transmitting, using the vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle, the signals received from the cellular infrastructure;

receiving signals from one or more mobile devices at the vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle; and

transmitting, using the vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle, to the cellular infrastructure the signals received from the one or more mobile devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

transmitting, using the vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle, the signals received from the cellular infrastructure comprises;

transmitting signals from the vehicle communication system associated with gateway vehicle to vehicle communication systems associated with one or more network vehicles;

receiving, at one or more mobile devices, signals transmitted by the gateway vehicle via one or more vehicle communication systems associated one or more network vehicles; and

receiving signals from the one or more mobile devices at the vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle comprises;

receiving, at vehicle communication system associated with gateway vehicle, signals from one or more mobile devices transmitted via one or more vehicle communication systems associated with one or more network vehicles.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting, using the vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle, to the cellular infrastructure the signals received from the one or more mobile devices comprises:

aggregating the signals from the one or more mobile devices; and

transmitting the aggregated signals from the vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle to the cellular infrastructure.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the one or more vehicle communication systems associated with one or more vehicles comprises:

determining, by a network management system, based on one or more vehicle policies associated with the one or more vehicle communication systems whether to activate the one or more vehicle communication systems; and

activating, if the one or more vehicle owner policies would not be violated, the one or more vehicle communication systems.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the one or more vehicle communication systems associated with one or more vehicles comprises activating, if operator network capacity and load necessitate additional coverage, the one or more vehicle communication systems.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the one or more vehicle communication systems associated with one or more vehicles comprises determining based on one or more vehicle battery levels whether to activate the one or more vehicle communication systems.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle communication systems associated with one or more vehicles comprise a self organizing network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more vehicle communication systems associated with one or more vehicles comprises:

a radio access system to transmit signals to and receive signals from mobile devices and vehicle communication systems associated with one or more vehicles; and

a backhaul system to provide a backhaul connection to the cellular infrastructure and to transmit signals to and receive signals from the cellular infrastructure.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the radio access system comprises one or more femto cells.

10. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor to;

activate one or more vehicle communication systems associated with one or more vehicles, wherein the one or more vehicles comprise a gateway vehicle;

establish a backhaul connection between a vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle and a cellular infrastructure;

receive signals from the cellular infrastructure at the vehicle communication system associated with gateway vehicle;

transmit, using the vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle, the signals received from the cellular infrastructure;

receive signals from one or more mobile devices at the vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle; and

transmit, using the vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle, to the cellular infrastructure the signals received from the one or more mobile devices.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein to:

transmit, using the vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle, the signals received from the cellular infrastructure the processor is to;

transmit signals from the vehicle communication system associated with gateway vehicle to vehicle communication systems associated with one or more network vehicles; and

receive, at one or more mobile devices, signals transmitted by the gateway vehicle via one or more vehicle communication systems associated one or more network vehicles;

receive signals from the one or more mobile devices at the vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle the processor is to;

receive, at vehicle communication system associated with gateway vehicle, signals from one or more mobile devices transmitted via one or more vehicle communication systems associated with one or more network vehicles.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein to transmit signals from the vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle to the cellular infrastructure the processor is to:

aggregate the signals from the one or more mobile devices transmitted via vehicle communication systems associated one or more network vehicles; and

transmit the aggregated signals from the vehicle communication system associated with the gateway vehicle to the cellular infrastructure.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein to activate the one or more vehicle communication systems associated with one or more vehicles, wherein the one or more vehicles comprises the gateway vehicle the processor is to activate, if an operator network capacity and load necessitates additional coverage, the one or more vehicle communication systems.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein to activate the one or more vehicle communication systems associated with one or more vehicles, wherein the one or more vehicles comprises the gateway vehicle the processor is to determine based on one or more vehicle battery levels whether to activate the one or more vehicle communication systems.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is to deactivate one or more vehicle communications systems if a battery level associated with the one or more vehicle communication systems is below a pre-defined threshold.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more vehicle communication systems associated with the one or more vehicles comprise:

a radio access system to transmit signals to and receive signals from mobile devices and one or more vehicle communication systems associated with one or more vehicles; and

a backhaul system to establish a backhaul connection to a cellular infrastructure and to transmit signals to and receive signals from the cellular infrastructure.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the cellular infrastructure comprises a dedicated communication hub.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the radio access system comprises one or more wireless access points.

19. A method comprising:

activating a vehicle communication system associated with a vehicle;

establishing a connection between the vehicle communication system associated with the vehicle and a base station;

receiving information from the base station at the vehicle communication system associated with the vehicle;

transmitting, using the vehicle communication system associated with the vehicle, the information received from the base station to one or more mobile devices;

receiving, using the vehicle communication system associated with the vehicle, information from the one or more mobile devices; and

transmitting to the base station, using the vehicle communication system associated with the vehicle, the information received from the one or more mobile devices.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

receiving information from the base station at the vehicle communication system associated with the vehicle comprises receiving the information using multiple antennas associated with the vehicle communication system, wherein the information is transmitted from the base station using a multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) approach; and

transmitting to the base station, using the vehicle communication system associated with the vehicle, the information received from the one or more mobile devices comprises transmitting the information received from the one or more mobile devices using the multiple antennas associated with the vehicle communication system, wherein the information is transmitted to the base station using the MIMO approach.