Systems and methods for optimizing data gathering in a network of moving things

• US 9,741,183 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2016
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nexar Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Veniam Inc.
• Inventors: Matos, Ricardo, Barros, Joao, Azevedo, Joao, Condeixa, Tiago, Ameixieira, Carlos
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, LUAT T
• Application Number:
  US15/337,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20170132853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 701 315, 701117-119, 4554561, 340988
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• 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 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for optimizing data gathering in a network of moving things. As non-limiting examples, various aspects of this disclosure provide systems and methods for operating sensor systems and collecting data from sensor systems in a network resource-efficient manner.

Claims

1. A communication network mobile access point (MAP) comprising:

a wireless transceiver; and

at least one module comprising a processor and memory, wherein the at least one module is operable to, at least;

provide Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Access Point services;

determine a first data collection plan comprising a list of sensors from which to collect data during a travel route, wherein the list of sensors comprises a list of sensors that are predicted to be positioned along the travel route;

implement the first data collection plan while traveling along the travel route by, at least in part, operating to utilize the wireless transceiver to collect sensor data while the MAP is traveling along the travel route; and

while implementing the first data collection plan, at least;

detect a condition;

determine, based at least in part on the detected condition, a second data collection plan; and

switch from the first data collection plan to the second data collection plan.

2. The MAP of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operable to determine the first data collection plan by, at least in part, operating to receive the first data collection plan from a central controller.

3. The MAP of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operable to determine the first data collection plan by, at least in part, operating to receive the first data collection plan from another mobile access point.

4. The MAP of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operable to determine the first data collection plan by, at least in part, operating to negotiate with at least one other mobile access point.

5. The MAP of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operable to detect the condition by, at least in part, operating to interact with an autonomous vehicle control system.

6. The MAP of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operable to determine the second data collection plan by, at least in part, operating to modify the list of sensors to remove a sensor from which another MAP has collected data.

7. The MAP of claim 1, wherein the detected condition comprises a vehicle condition.

8. The MAP of claim 1, wherein the detected condition comprises a weather condition.

9. The MAP of claim 1, wherein the detected condition comprises a road condition.

10. The MAP of claim 1, wherein the detected condition comprises a communication resource condition comprising a detected shortage of communication resources.

11. The MAP of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operable to determine the second data collection plan by, at least in part, operating to modify the list of sensors to include a sensor from which another MAP failed to collect data.

12. The MAP of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operable to determine the second data collection plan by, at least in part, operating to adjust a data resolution associated with a sensor of the list of sensors.

13. The MAP of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operable to determine the second data collection plan by, at least in part, operating to adjust a priority associated with a sensor of the list of sensors.

14. The MAP of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is operable to report information regarding the MAP switching to the second data collection plan to another network node.

15. A communication network mobile access point (MAP) comprising:

a wireless transceiver; and

at least one module comprising a processor and memory, wherein the at least one module is operable to, at least;

provide Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Access Point services;

determine a first data collection plan comprising a list of sensors from which to collect data during a travel route;

implement the first data collection plan while traveling along the travel route by, at least in part, operating to utilize the wireless transceiver to collect sensor data while the MAP is traveling along the travel route;

while implementing the first data collection plan, at least;

communicate information with a second MAP regarding the ability of the MAP and/or the second MAP to collect sensor data from a sensor; and

based at least in part on the communicated information, modify the list of sensors by adding or removing the sensor.

16. The MAP of claim 15, wherein:

prior to communicating the information with the second MAP, the sensor was not on the list of sensors;

the communicated information indicates that the second MAP failed to collect data from the sensor; and

based at least in part on the communicated information, the at least one module is operable to modify the list of sensors by adding the sensor to the list of sensors.

17. The MAP of claim 15, wherein:

prior to communicating the information with the second MAP, the sensor was on the list of sensors;

the communicated information indicates that the MAP failed to collect data from the sensor; and

based at least in part on the communicated information, the at least one module is operable to modify the list of sensors by removing the sensor from the list of sensors.

18. The MAP of claim 15, wherein the at least one module is operable to modify the list of sensors by, at least in part, operating to modify the list of sensors based only on the information communicated with the second MAP, without approval from a central controller.

19. The MAP of claim 15, wherein the communicated information comprises information of resource utilization for the MAP and/or the second MAP, the information of resource utilization comprising information of remaining resource capacity.

20. The MAP of claim 15, wherein the communicated information comprises information indicating whether the second MAP has collected data from a sensor on the list of sensors.

21. A communication network node comprising:

at least one module operable to, at least;

control operation of a plurality of mobile access points (MAPs) of a vehicle communication network;

determine a first data collection plan for a first mobile access point (MAP) of the plurality of MAPs, the first data collection plan comprising a first list of sensors from which to collect data during a first travel route, wherein the first list of sensors comprises a list of sensors that are predicted to be positioned along the first travel route;

communicate the first data collection plan to the first MAP; and

while the first MAP is implementing the first data collection plan, at least;

receive information;

based, at least in part, on the received information, modify the first data collection plan; and

communicate the modified first data collection plan to the first MAP.

22. The communication network node of claim 21, wherein the at least one module is operable to:

determine a second data collection plan for a second mobile access point (MAP) of the plurality of MAPs, the second data collection plan comprising a second list of sensors from which to collect data during a second travel route, wherein the second list of sensors comprises a list of sensors that are predicted to be positioned along the second travel route;

communicate the second data collection plan to the second MAP;

based, at least in part, on the received information, modify the second data collection plan; and

communicate the modified second data collection plan to the second MAP.

23. The communication network node of claim 22, wherein the at least one module is operable to:

modify the first data collection plan by removing a sensor from the first list of sensors; and

modify the second data collection plan by adding the removed sensor to the second list of sensors.

24. The communication network node of claim 21, wherein the at least one module is operable to receive the information by, at least in part, receiving the information from a control system of an autonomous vehicle.

25. The communication network node of claim 21, wherein the received information comprises data collected from the first list of sensors.

26. The communication network node of claim 21, wherein the at least one module is operable to modify the first data collection plan by, at least in part, operating to modify the first list of sensors to remove a sensor from which another MAP has collected data.

27. The communication network node of claim 21, wherein the received information comprises information of weather and/or road conditions.

28. The communication network node of claim 21, wherein the received information comprises vehicle location and velocity information.