Vehicle with mobile router

• US 8,605,698 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2011
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Autonet Mobile, Inc.
• Inventors: Moeller, Douglas S, Pashby, Ronald W
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Wesley
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DINH
• Application Number:
  US13/373,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20120163361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/328, 370/331, 370/332, 370/338, 370/346, 370/359, 370/401, 370/419, 370/463, 455/3.01, 455/11.1, 455/41.2, 455/403, 455/422.1, 455/432.1, 455/435.1, 455/436, 455/445, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0695 the faulty arrangement being the maintenance, administration or management system
• 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: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A vehicle, comprises a vehicle network bus and a mobile router. The mobile router comprises a local area network interface comprising a first wireless transceiver of a first predetermined type to provide a link to first a local area network and a wide area network interface comprising a second wireless transceiver of a second predetermined type to provide a link to a wide area network. One of the wide area network interface and the local area network interface is selectively operable to establish a wireless communication link with a network management system comprising a communication server. The router further comprises an application executable by the at least one processor to selectively acquire predetermined data from the vehicle network bus. The communication agent is operable to upload the predetermined data to the network management system.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle network bus;

a mobile router comprising;

a local area network interface comprising a first wireless transceiver of a first predetermined type to provide a link to a local area network comprising a first client device;

a wide area network interface comprising a second wireless transceiver of a second predetermined type to provide a link to a wide area network;

at least one processor to control operation of said local area network interface and said wide area network interface;

one of said wide area network interface and said local area network interface selectively operable to establish a wireless communication link with a network management system separate from said wide area network and said local area network, said network management system comprising a communication server, said network management system being operable to monitor, administer and manage acquired data from and an operation of each router in a network of mobile routers comprising said mobile router;

an application executable by said at least one processor to selectively acquire predetermined data from said vehicle network bus;

a communication agent operable to upload said predetermined data to said network management system communication server;

said at least one processor is operable to assign a priority selected from a plurality of priorities to said predetermined data;

said at least one processor is operable to control upload of said predetermined data having a first one priority at a first data rate; and

said at least one processor is operable to control upload of said predetermined data having a predetermined second priority at a second predetermined data rate, said second predetermined data rate being slower than said first predetermined data rate.

2. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

said at least one processor is operable to acquire said predetermined data during time periods that said wide area network interface is not communicating with said network management system; and

said communication agent is operable to upload said predetermined data to said network management system upon occurrence of a predetermined event.

3. A vehicle in accordance with claim 2, wherein:

said predetermined event comprises a predetermined time period.

4. A vehicle in accordance with claim 3, wherein:

said predetermined time period is the time that said wide area network interface is in communication with said network management system.

5. A vehicle in accordance with claim 3, wherein:

said predetermined event is determined by the predetermined data.

6. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said router comprises a memory, and

said predetermined data is stored in said memory.

7. A vehicle in accordance with claim 6, comprising:

said at least one processor provides a time stamp for said predetermined acquired data at the time said predetermined acquired data is acquired.

8. A vehicle in accordance with claim 7, comprising:

said time stamp is stored in said memory in association with said predetermined data.

9. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

said at least one processor is operable to assign a priority for said predetermined data;

said at least one processor is operable to execute a predetermined action to take with said predetermined data.

10. A vehicle in accordance with claim 9, comprising:

said at least one processor is operable to initiate immediate upload of said predetermined data having a predetermined one priority of said plurality of priorities to said network management system.

11. A vehicle in accordance with claim 10, comprising:

said at least one processor is operable to control upload of said predetermined data having said predetermined one priority at a first data rate.

12. A vehicle in accordance with claim 2, comprising:

said communication agent is operable to determine if uploading of said predetermined data is interrupted.

13. A vehicle in accordance with claim 12, comprising:

said communication agent is operable in cooperation with said communication server to restore uploading of said predetermined data to said network management system from the point of interruption when a communication link between said network management system communication server and said communication agent is restored.

14. A vehicle in accordance with claim 6, comprising:

said at least one processor is operable to process said predetermined data prior to said data being uploaded; and

said at least one processor is operable to store said processed predetermined data as said predetermined data in said memory.

15. A vehicle in accordance with claim 14, comprising:

a time stamp for said predetermined acquired data, said time stamp identifying time said predetermined acquired data is acquired.

16. A vehicle in accordance with claim 15, comprising:

said time stamp is stored in said memory in association with the corresponding said processed predetermined data.

17. A vehicle in accordance with claim 2, comprising:

said communication agent is operable to determine when said uploading occurs.

18. A vehicle in accordance with claim 2, comprising:

said predetermined data comprises statistical data.

19. A vehicle in accordance with claim 2, wherein:

said predetermined data comprises diagnostic data.

20. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

an interface between said at least one processor and said vehicle network bus.

21. A vehicle in accordance with claim 20, wherein:

said predetermined data comprises diagnostic data obtained via said vehicle interface.

22. A vehicle in accordance with claim 20, comprising:

said at least one processor is operable to process said diagnostic data to generate a message data.

23. A vehicle in accordance with claim 22, comprising:

said communication agent is operable to upload said message data to said network management system.

24. A vehicle in accordance with claim 23, comprising:

said communication agent is operable to upload said message data via one of said local area network interface and said wide area network interface.

25. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, comprising:

said application is downloaded to said vehicle via one of said wide area network interface and said local area network interface.

26. A vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle network bus;

a local area network interface comprising a first wireless transceiver of a first predetermined type to provide a wireless communications data link to a first a local area network;

a wide area network interface comprising a second wireless transceiver of a second predetermined type to provide a communications data link to a wide area network;

at least one processor to control operation of said local area network interface and said wide area network interface;

one of said wide area network interface and said local area network interface selectively operable to establish a wireless communication link via said wide area network or via said local area network with a network management system for a data network comprising a plurality of vehicles including said vehicle, said network management system comprising a communication server, said network management system being separate from said wide area network and said local area network;

an application executable by said at least one processor to selectively acquire predetermined data from said vehicle network bus;

a communication agent operable in cooperation with said communication server to upload said predetermined data to said network management system;

said at least one processor is operable to assign one priority selected from a plurality of priorities to said predetermined data;

said at least one processor is operable to control upload of said predetermined data having a first one assigned priority at a first data rate;

said at least one processor is operable to control upload of said predetermined data having a predetermined second one assigned priority at a second predetermined data rate, said second predetermined data rate being slower than said first predetermined data rate.

27. A vehicle in accordance with claim 26, comprising:

said at least one processor is operable to acquire said predetermined data during time periods that said wide area network interface is not communicating with said network management system; and

said communication agent is operable to upload said predetermined data to said network management system upon occurrence of a predetermined event.

28. A vehicle in accordance with claim 27, wherein:

said predetermined event comprises a predetermined time period.

29. A vehicle in accordance with claim 28, wherein:

said predetermined time period is the time that said wide area network interface is in communication with said network management system.

30. A vehicle in accordance with claim 28, wherein:

said predetermined event is determined by the predetermined data.

31. A vehicle in accordance with claim 26, comprising:

a memory, and

said predetermined data is stored in said memory.

32. A vehicle in accordance with claim 31, comprising:

said at least one processor provides a time stamp for said predetermined acquired data at the time said predetermined acquired data is acquired.

33. A vehicle in accordance with claim 32, comprising:

said time stamp is stored in said memory in association with said predetermined data.

34. A vehicle in accordance with claim 26, comprising:

said at least one processor is operable to execute a predetermined action to take with said predetermined data.

35. A vehicle in accordance with claim 34, comprising:

said at least one processor is operable to initiate immediate upload of said predetermined data having a predetermined one assigned priority to said network management system.

36. A vehicle in accordance with claim 35, comprising:

said at least one processor is operable to control upload of said predetermined data having said predetermined one assigned priority at a first data rate.

37. A vehicle in accordance with claim 36, comprising:

said at least one processor is operable to control upload of said predetermined data having a predetermined second assigned priority at a second predetermined data rate, said second predetermined data rate being slower than said first predetermined data rate.

38. A vehicle in accordance with claim 27, comprising:

said communication agent is operable to determine if uploading of said predetermined data is interrupted.

39. A vehicle in accordance with claim 38, comprising:

said communication agent is operable in cooperation with said communication server to restore uploading of said predetermined data to said network management system from the point of interruption when a communication link between said network management system communication server and said communication agent is restored.

40. A vehicle in accordance with claim 31, comprising:

said at least one processor is operable to process said predetermined data prior to said data being uploaded; and

said at least one processor is operable to store said processed predetermined data as said predetermined data in said memory.

41. A vehicle in accordance with claim 40, comprising:

a time stamp for said predetermined acquired data, said time stamp identifying time said predetermined acquired data is acquired.

42. A vehicle in accordance with claim 41, comprising:

said time stamp is stored in said memory in association with the corresponding said processed predetermined data.

43. A vehicle in accordance with claim 27, comprising:

said communication agent is operable to determine when said uploading occurs.

44. A vehicle in accordance with claim 27, comprising:

said predetermined data comprises statistical data.

45. A vehicle in accordance with claim 27, wherein:

said predetermined data comprises diagnostic data.

46. A vehicle in accordance with claim 28, comprising:

an interface between said at least one processor and said vehicle network bus.

47. A vehicle in accordance with claim 46, wherein:

said predetermined data comprises diagnostic data obtained via said vehicle interface.

48. A vehicle in accordance with claim 46, comprising:

said at least one processor is operable to process said diagnostic data to generate a message data.

49. A vehicle in accordance with claim 48, comprising:

said communication agent is operable to upload said message data to said network management system.

50. A vehicle in accordance with claim 49, comprising:

said communication agent is operable to upload said message data via one of said local area network interface and said wide area network interface.

51. A vehicle in accordance with claim 26, comprising:

said application is downloaded to said vehicle via one of said wide area network interface and said local area network interface.