METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DATA TRANSFER CONNECTION MANAGEMENT

• US 20180132173A1
• Filed: 11/04/2016
• Published: 05/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: MIRAMONTI, Allan, MAKKIYA, Aziz, VIJAYAN, Rajesh Balaji, ZAKARIA, Tony
• Granted Patent: US 10,638,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

A system includes a processor configured to receive a data transfer request including a priority designation. The processor is also configured to determine whether a wireless connection, having a predefined characteristic associated with the priority designation, is available. The processor is further configured to handle the request using the connection, if available and queue the request for later handling if the connection is not available

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a data transfer request including a priority designation;

determine whether a wireless connection, having a predefined characteristic associated with the priority designation, is available;

handle the request using the connection, if available; and

queue the request for later handling if the connection is not available.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a connection is available on a plurality of modules connected in a wireless network, each module having independent wireless communication capabilities provided thereto.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the connection includes a cellular connection.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the connection includes a Wi-Fi connection.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the connection includes a BLUETOOTH connection.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the priority designation includes a high priority designation and the predefined characteristic is any available connection also having a lowest latency if a plurality of connections are available.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the priority designation includes a medium priority designation and the predefined characteristic is any available connection also having a highest bandwidth if a plurality of connections are available.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the priority designation includes a low priority designation and the predefined characteristic is any available connection for which transfer costs for handling the request will not exceed a predefined maximum cost, also having a highest bandwidth if a plurality of connections, for which transfer costs for handling the request will not exceed a predefined maximum cost, are available.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the priority designation includes a free-only designation and the predefined characteristic is any available connection for which there are no transfer costs for handling the request.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the request also includes an expiration designation, wherein the processor is configured to redesignate a free-only designated request to be handled by a non-free available connection if an amount of time defined by the expiration designation passes and the request has not yet been handled.

11. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a data transfer request, including a priority designation, from an application executing on a first vehicle module including the processor;

query an interface monitoring process of a second vehicle module to determine if the second vehicle module has an available wireless connection having a predefined characteristic associated with the priority designation;

instruct the second vehicle module to handle the request using the connection, if available; and

queue the request for later handling if the connection is not available.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the priority designation includes a high priority designation and the predefined characteristic is any available connection also having a lowest latency if a plurality of connections are available.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the priority designation includes a medium priority designation and the predefined characteristic is any available connection also having a highest bandwidth if a plurality of connections are available.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the priority designation includes a low priority designation and the predefined characteristic is any available connection for which transfer costs for handling the request will not exceed a predefined maximum cost, also having a highest bandwidth if a plurality of connections, for which transfer costs for handling the request will not exceed a predefined maximum cost, are available.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the priority designation includes a free-only designation and the predefined characteristic is any available connection for which there are no transfer costs for handling the request.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the request also includes an expiration designation, wherein the processor is configured to redesignate a free-only designated request to be handled by a non-free available connection if an amount of time defined by the expiration designation passes and the request has not yet been handled.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the connection includes a cellular connection.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the connection includes a Wi-Fi connection.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the connection includes a BLUETOOTH connection.

20. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a data transfer request including a free-only designation and an expiration designation;

determine whether a wireless connection, having free data transfer, becomes available for use in handling the request during a time period defined by the expiration designation;

handle the request using the connection, if the connection becomes available; and

redesignate the request as a non-free request, to be handled by a non-free available connection, once an amount of time defined by the expiration designation passes and the request has not yet been handled.