VEHICLE-BASED MOBILE NODE FLEET FOR NETWORK SERVICE DEPLOYMENT

• US 20170311228A1
• Filed: 04/21/2016
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zavesky, Eric, Liu, Zhu, Begeja, Lee, Mu, Yadong, Gibbon, David Crawford, Renger, Bernard S., Gopalan, Raghuraman, Shahraray, Behzad
• Granted Patent: US 10,405,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• 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 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

Devices, computer-readable media, and methods are disclosed for assigning a service to a vehicle-based mobile node. For example, a processor deployed in a communication network may receive a request for the service from a mobile endpoint device, determine a route of the mobile endpoint device, determine a route of the vehicle-based mobile node, and assign the service to the vehicle-based mobile node when the route of the mobile endpoint device and the route of the vehicle-based mobile node coincide.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processor deployed in a communication network; and

a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a request for a service from a first mobile endpoint device;

determining a route of the first mobile endpoint device;

determining a route of a first vehicle-based mobile node; and

assigning the service to the first vehicle-based mobile node when the route of the first mobile endpoint device and the route of the first vehicle-based mobile node coincide.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the assigning the service to the first vehicle-based mobile node comprises transmitting a configuration code for the service to the first vehicle-based mobile node.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the configuration code is transmitted when the first vehicle-based mobile node is in a stationary position or when a speed of the first vehicle-based mobile node is below a threshold.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the assigning the service to the first vehicle-based mobile node comprises transmitting an instruction to the first vehicle-based mobile node to retrieve a configuration code for the service from a repository device in the communication network.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting an instruction to the first mobile endpoint device to connect to the first vehicle-based mobile node for the service.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a route of a second vehicle-based mobile node; and

assigning the service to the second vehicle-based mobile node when the route of the first mobile endpoint device and the route of the second vehicle-based mobile node coincide.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting an instruction to the first mobile endpoint device to connect to the first vehicle-based mobile node and the second vehicle-based mobile node for the service.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the assigning the service to the first vehicle-based mobile node further comprises assigning the service to the first vehicle-based mobile node only when the route of the first mobile endpoint device includes at least a portion of the route that is outside a wireless coverage area of the communication network.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the determining the route of the first mobile endpoint device is based upon one of:

a route calculated by a global positioning system associated with the first mobile endpoint device, a trajectory of the first mobile endpoint device, an electronic calendar entry, a social media posting, or historic location information of the first mobile endpoint device.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle-based mobile node includes a secondary communication link, and wherein the first mobile endpoint device does not include the secondary communication link.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the service that is requested involves a second mobile endpoint device; and

determining a route of the second mobile endpoint device, wherein the service is assigned to the first vehicle-based mobile node when the route of the first mobile endpoint device, the route of the second mobile endpoint device, and the route of the first vehicle-based mobile node coincide.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the service comprises:

a voice call service;

a video call service;

a teleconference service;

an Internet access service;

a media delivery service;

or

a data service.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the route of the first mobile endpoint device and the route of the first vehicle-based mobile node coincide when a position of the first mobile endpoint device along the route of the first mobile endpoint device at a projected time and a position of the first vehicle-based mobile node along the route of the first vehicle-based mobile node at the projected time are within a wireless communication range.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor deployed in a communication network, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a request for a service from a mobile endpoint device;

determining a route of the mobile endpoint device;

determining a route of a vehicle-based mobile node; and

assigning the service to the vehicle-based mobile node when the route of the mobile endpoint device and the route of the vehicle-based mobile node coincide.

15-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor deployed in a communication network, a request for a service from a first mobile endpoint device;

determining, by the processor, a route of the first mobile endpoint device;

determining, by the processor, a route of a first vehicle-based mobile node; and

assigning, by the processor, the service to the first vehicle-based mobile node when the route of the first mobile endpoint device and the route of the first vehicle-based mobile node coincide.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

transmitting an instruction to the first mobile endpoint device to connect to the first vehicle-based mobile node for the service.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining a route of a second vehicle-based mobile node; and

assigning the service to the second vehicle-based mobile node when the route of the first mobile endpoint device and the route of the second vehicle-based mobile node coincide.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

transmitting an instruction to the first mobile endpoint device to connect to the first vehicle-based mobile node and the second vehicle-based mobile node for the service.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining that the service that is requested involves a second mobile endpoint device; and

determining a route of the second mobile endpoint device, wherein the service is assigned to the first vehicle-based mobile node when the route of the first mobile endpoint device, the route of the second mobile endpoint device, and the route of the first vehicle-based mobile node coincide.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the service comprises:

a voice call service;

a video call service;

a teleconference service;

an Internet access service;

a media delivery service;

or

a data service.