CONTROLLING VEHICLE TELEMATICS UNIT SELECTION OF RADIO ACCESS TECHNOLOGY

• US 20170238230A1
• Filed: 02/17/2016
• Published: 08/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2016
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: CHEN, Bonnie
• Application Number:
  US15/046,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20170238230A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies

Abstract

A system and method of controlling the Radio Access Technology selected by a vehicle telematics unit includes receiving a request to initiate a voice call from a vehicle occupant at the vehicle telematics unit; ending any existing data connection that is using a latest-technology RAT to communicate with a cell tower, wherein simultaneous voice and data (SVD) communications are not possible using the latest-technology RAT; ending the data connection with the cell tower using a latest-technology RAT; establishing the voice call via a cell tower using an older-technology RAT; detecting the end of the voice call; commanding the vehicle telematics unit to end use of the older-technology RAT in response; and establishing data communications with a cell tower via the latest-technology RAT.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a Radio Access Technology (RAT) selected by a vehicle telematics unit, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a request to initiate a voice call from a vehicle occupant at the vehicle telematics unit;

(b) ending any existing data connection that is using a latest-technology RAT to communicate with a cell tower in response to the request, wherein simultaneous voice and data (SVD) communications are not possible using the latest-technology RAT;

(c) establishing the voice call via a cell tower using an older-technology RAT;

(d) detecting the end of the voice call;

(e) commanding the vehicle telematics unit to end use of the older-technology RAT in response to step (d); and

(f) establishing data communications with a cell tower via the latest-technology RAT.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the latest-technology RAT comprises a 4G LTE or beyond 4G cellular protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the older-technology RAT comprises a 2G/GSM or CDMA cellular protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of establishing the data connection at the vehicle telematics unit with a cell tower using a latest-technology RAT prior to step (a).

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the data connection is established in response to an ignition on event at a vehicle.

6. A method of controlling a Radio Access Technology (RAT) selected by a vehicle telematics unit, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a request for vehicle telematics services at the vehicle telematics unit from a vehicle occupant;

(b) initiating a voice call at the vehicle telematics unit in response to the request;

(c) ending use of a latest-technology RAT at the vehicle telematics unit in response to the request, wherein the latest-technology RAT does not support simultaneous voice and data (SVD);

(d) establishing a voice call to a central facility that provides telematics services using an older-technology RAT;

(e) detecting the end of the voice call;

(f) in response to step (e), commanding the vehicle telematics unit to end use of the older-technology RAT; and

(g) communicating telematics service data between the vehicle telematics unit and the central facility using the latest-technology RAT.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the latest-technology RAT comprises a 4G LTE or beyond 4G cellular protocol.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the older-technology RAT comprises a 2G/GSM or CDMA cellular protocol.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of establishing a data connection at the vehicle telematics unit with a cell tower using the latest-technology RAT prior to step (a).

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the data connection is established in response to an ignition on event at a vehicle.