Wireless networks for vehicles

• US 7,974,251 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2007
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Ghirnikar, Avinash, Gercekci, Anil
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung; Min
• Application Number:
  US11/868,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20080253317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A system for a vehicle including a first user interface to generate a first command to receive audio/video data from a server in the vehicle, a first wireless client station to transmit a first packet including the first command, and a first wireless access point to (i) receive the first packet transmitted from the first wireless client and (ii) transmit the first packet to a wireless router. The wireless router routes the first packet to the server and routes, to the first wireless access point, packets received from the server in response to the first command, where the packets include the audio/video data. The first wireless access point transmits the packets to the first wireless client station. A media player (i) generates audio/video signals based on the packets received from the first wireless client station and (ii) outputs the audio/video signals to the first user interface.

Claims

1. A system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a first user interface configured to generate a first command to receive audio/video data from a server in the vehicle;

a first wireless client station configured to transmit a first packet including the first command;

a first wireless access point configured to (i) receive the first packet transmitted from the first wireless client and (ii) transmit the first packet to a wireless router;

the wireless router, wherein the wireless router is configured to

route the first packet received from the first wireless access point to the server, and

route, to the first wireless access point, packets received from the server in response to the first command,

wherein the packets received from the server include the audio/video data, and

wherein the first wireless access point is configured to transmit the packets to the first wireless client station; and

a media player configured to (i) generate audio/video signals based on the packets received from the first wireless client station and (ii) output the audio/video signals to the first user interface.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to control an operation of the vehicle;

a second wireless client station configured to communicate with the controller; and

a second wireless access point configured to communicate with the second wireless station,

wherein the first user interface is configured to generate a second command to control the operation of the vehicle,

wherein the first wireless client station is configured to transmit a second packet including the second command,

wherein the first wireless access point is configured to (i) receive the second packet and (ii) transmit the second packet,

wherein the wireless router is configured to route the second packet received from the first wireless access point to the second wireless access point,

wherein the second wireless access point is configured to transmit the second packet to the second wireless client station, and

wherein the controller is configured to (i) generate a control signal based on the second command included in the second packet received from the second wireless client station and (ii) control the operation of the vehicle based on the control signal.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second user interface configured to generate a second command to control an operation of the vehicle;

a controller configured to control the operation of the vehicle according to the second command;

a second wireless client station configured to communicate with the controller; and

a second wireless access point configured to communicate with the second wireless station,

wherein the wireless router is configured to route a second packet including the second command to the second wireless access point,

wherein the second wireless access point is configured to transmit the second packet to the second wireless client station,

and wherein the controller is configured to (i) generate a control signal based on the second command included in the second packet received from the second wireless client station and (ii) control the operation of the vehicle based on the control signal.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor configured to sense a condition of the vehicle;

a second wireless client station configured to transmit a second packet including an indication of the condition sensed by the sensor;

a second wireless access point configured to transmit the second packet received from the second wireless station to the wireless router; and

a second user interface configured to (i) generate a display signal based on the second packet received from the wireless router and (ii) generate a display indicating the condition based on the display signal.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor configured to sense a condition of the vehicle;

a second wireless client station configured to transmit a second packet including an indication of the condition sensed by the sensor; and

a second wireless access point configured to transmit the second packet received from the second wireless station,

wherein the wireless router is configured to route the second packet received from the second wireless access point to the first wireless access point,

wherein the first wireless access point is configured to transmit the second packet to the first wireless client station, and

wherein the first user interface is configured to (i) generate a display signal based on the second packet received from the wireless router and (ii) generate a display indicating the condition based on the display signal.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to control an operation of the vehicle;

a second wireless client station configured to communicate with the controller; and

a second wireless access point configured to communicate with the second wireless station,

wherein the wireless router is configured to

receive a second packet including a second command to control the operation of the vehicle from a wireless device external to the vehicle, and

route the second packet to the second wireless access point,

wherein the second wireless access point is configured to transmit the second packet to the second wireless client station, and

wherein the controller is configured to (i) generate a control signal based on the second command included in the second packet received from the second wireless client station and (ii) control the operation of the vehicle based on the control signal.

7. A method for a vehicle, the method comprising:

generating, using a first user interface, a first command to receive audio/video data from a server in the vehicle;

transmitting a first packet including the first command from a first wireless client station;

receiving the first packet at a first wireless access point;

transmitting the first packet from the first wireless access point to a wireless router;

routing the first packet from the wireless router to the server via a wireless router, and

routing packets received from the server in response to the first command to the first wireless access point via the wireless router, wherein the packets include the audio/video data;

transmitting the packets from the first wireless access point to the first wireless client station;

generating audio/video signals based on the packets received from the first wireless client station at a media player; and

outputting the audio/video signals to the first user interface.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating, using the first user interface, a second command to control an operation of the vehicle;

transmitting a second packet including the second command from the first wireless client station,

receiving the second packet at the first wireless access point;

transmitting the second packet from the first wireless access point;

routing the second packet received from the first wireless access point to a second wireless access point via the wireless router;

transmitting the second packet from the second wireless access point to a second wireless client station;

generating a control signal based on the second command included in the second packet in response to receiving the second packet from the second wireless client station at a controller; and

controlling the operation of the vehicle based on the control signal using the controller.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating, using a second user interface, a second command to control an operation of the vehicle;

routing a second packet including the second command to a second wireless access point;

transmitting the second packet from the second wireless access point to a second wireless client station;

generating a control signal based on the second command included in the second packet in response to receiving the second packet from the second wireless client station at a controller; and

controlling the operation of the vehicle based on the control signal using the controller.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sensing a condition of the vehicle;

transmitting a second packet including an indication of the condition from a second wireless client station;

receiving the second packet at a second wireless access point;

transmitting the second packet from the second wireless access point to the wireless router;

generating a display signal based on the second packet in response to receiving the second packet from the wireless router at a second user interface; and

generating a display indicating the condition based on the display signals.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sensing a condition of the vehicle;

transmitting a second packet including an indication of the condition from a second wireless client station;

receiving the second packet at a second wireless access point;

transmitting the second packet from the second access point;

routing the second packet received from the second wireless access point to the first wireless access point via the wireless router;

transmitting the second packet from the first wireless access point to the first wireless client station;

generating a display signal based on the second packet in response to receiving the second packet from the wireless router at the first user interface; and

generating a display indicating the condition based on the display signal.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a second packet including a second command to control an operation of the vehicle from a wireless device external to the vehicle;

routing the second packet to a second wireless access point via the wireless router;

transmitting the second packet from the second wireless access point to a second wireless client station;

generating a control signal based on the second command included in the second packet in response to receiving the second packet from the second wireless client station at a controller; and

controlling the operation of the vehicle based on the control signal using the controller.