System and method for vehicle wireless connection management

• US 9,992,735 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2017
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Excelfore Corp.
• Original Assignee: Excelfore Corp.
• Inventors: Crosbie, John, Acharya, Shrikant
• Primary Examiner(s): Sivji, Nizar
• Application Number:
  US15/443,401
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A system and method for vehicle wireless connection management is disclosed. Vehicles may provide wireless connectivity to the Internet for associated mobile devices. The vehicle, using a vehicle access point management device, may manage whether to connect to a cellular wireless system or to another wireless system (such as a Wi-Fi access point external to the vehicle). In particular, the vehicle access point management device may access a location-based access point map that correlates potentially available Wi-Fi access points correlated to geographic locations, and using the current location of the vehicle and the location-based access point map, determine whether to attempt to connect to a Wi-Fi access point. In this way, the vehicle access point management device need not initially search for available Wi-Fi access points, which in a single Wi-Fi antenna vehicle, could potentially disrupt the Wi-Fi connection to the associated mobile devices.

Claims

1. A vehicle access point management device comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive information regarding a current location of a vehicle;

a single Wi-Fi radio;

a cellular wireless connection;

mode switcher configured to switch between operating the vehicle access point management device in Wi-Fi access point mode and Wi-Fi client mode, wherein in Wi-Fi access point mode, the vehicle access point management device routes data with one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices via the cellular wireless connection, wherein in the Wi-Fi client mode, the vehicle access point management device routes the data with the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices via the single Wi-Fi radio to an external Wi-Fi access point; and

a controller in communication with the communication interface and configured to;

operate the vehicle access point management device in the Wi-Fi access point mode wherein the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices communicate via the cellular wireless connection;

access a location-based access point map indicative of potentially available Wi-Fi access points correlated to geographic locations;

determine, based on the location-based access point map and the current location of the vehicle, whether the external Wi-Fi access point is potentially available; and

in response to determining that the external Wi-Fi access point is potentially available;

stop Wi-Fi communication with the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices;

after stopping the Wi-Fi communication with the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices, search, using the single Wi-Fi radio, to connect to the external Wi-Fi access point that is potentially available;

connect with the external Wi-Fi access point;

switch, via the mode switcher, to the Wi-Fi client mode; and

resume the Wi-Fi communication with the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices wherein the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices communicate with the external Wi-Fi access point.

2. The vehicle access point management device of claim 1, wherein the location-based access point map is indicative of potentially available Wi-Fi access points correlated to the geographic locations.

3. The vehicle access point management device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to searching to connect to the external Wi-Fi access point that is potentially available:

determine that the external Wi-Fi access point is available to connect; and

responsive to determining that the external Wi-Fi access point is available to connect, determine whether to immediately connect to the external Wi-Fi access point.

4. The vehicle access point management device of claim 3,

wherein the controller is further configured to communicate via Wi-Fi with one or more mobile devices in the vehicle;

and

wherein the controller is configured to determine whether to immediately connect to the external Wi-Fi access point based on at least one aspect associated with the one or more mobile devices in the vehicle.

5. The vehicle access point management device of claim 4, wherein the at least one aspect comprises a priority assigned to the one or more mobile devices in the vehicle;

and

wherein the controller is configured to wait to connect to the external Wi-Fi access point in response to determining that the priority assigned to the one or more mobile devices in the vehicle is greater than a predetermined priority.

6. The vehicle access point management device of claim 4, wherein the at least one aspect comprises whether the one or more mobile devices are currently communicating via Wi-Fi with the single Wi-Fi radio;

and

wherein the controller is configured to wait to connect to the external Wi-Fi access point in response to determining that the one or more mobile devices in the vehicle are currently communicating via Wi-Fi with the single Wi-Fi radio.

7. The vehicle access point management device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the external Wi-Fi access point is potentially available is based on cost incurred to connect to the external Wi-Fi access point;

and

responsive to determining a lowest cost for a respective access point, the controller is configured to connect to the respective access point.

8. A method comprising:

receiving information regarding a current location of a vehicle;

operating a vehicle access point management device in a Wi-Fi access point mode using a mode switcher, wherein the mode switcher is configured to switch between operating the vehicle access point management device in the Wi-Fi access point mode and Wi-Fi client mode, wherein in the Wi-Fi access point mode, the vehicle access point management device routes data with one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices via a cellular wireless connection, wherein in the Wi-Fi client mode, the vehicle access point management device routes the data with the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices via a single Wi-Fi radio to an external Wi-Fi access point;

accessing a location-based access point map indicative of potentially available Wi-Fi access points correlated to geographic locations;

determining, based on the location-based access point map and the current location of the vehicle, whether the external Wi-Fi access point is potentially available; and

in response to determining that the external Wi-Fi access point is potentially available;

stopping Wi-Fi communication with the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices;

after stopping the Wi-Fi communication with the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices, searching, using the single Wi-Fi radio, to connect to the external Wi-Fi access point that is potentially available;

connecting with the external Wi-Fi access point;

switching, via the mode switcher, to the Wi-Fi client mode; and

resuming the Wi-Fi communication with the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices wherein the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices communicate with the external Wi-Fi access point.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the location-based access point map is indicative of potentially available Wi-Fi access points correlated to the geographic locations.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising, responsive to searching to connect to the external Wi-Fi access point that is potentially available:

determining that the external Wi-Fi access point is available to connect; and

responsive to determining that the external Wi-Fi access point is available to connect, determining whether to immediately connect to the external Wi-Fi access point.

11. The method of claim 10,

further comprising:

communicating via the single Wi-Fi radio with one or more mobile devices in the vehicle; and

determining whether to immediately connect to the external Wi-Fi access point based on at least one aspect associated with the one or more mobile devices in the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one aspect comprises a priority assigned to the one or more mobile devices in the vehicle;

and

wherein determining whether to immediately connect to the external Wi-Fi access point comprises waiting to connect to the external Wi-Fi access point in response to determining that the priority assigned to the one or more mobile devices in the vehicle is greater than a predetermined priority.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one aspect comprises whether the one or more mobile devices are currently communicating via Wi-Fi with the single Wi-Fi radio;

and

wherein determining whether to immediately connect to the external Wi-Fi access point comprises waiting to connect to the external Wi-Fi access point in response to determining that the one or more mobile devices in the vehicle are currently communicating via Wi-Fi with the single Wi-Fi radio.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein determining whether the external Wi-Fi access point is potentially available is based on cost incurred to connect to the external Wi-Fi access point;

and

responsive to determining a lowest cost for a respective access point, connecting to the respective access point.

15. A vehicle access point management device comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive information regarding a current location of a vehicle;

a Wi-Fi radio;

mode switcher configured to switch between operating the Wi-Fi radio in Wi-Fi access point mode and Wi-Fi client mode, wherein in Wi-Fi access point mode, the Wi-Fi radio is configured to provide communication to one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices via cellular communication, wherein in Wi-Fi client mode, the Wi-Fi radio is configured to provide communication to the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices via an external Wi-Fi access point, and

a controller in communication with the communication interface and configured to;

operate the Wi-Fi radio in the Wi-Fi access point mode such that the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices communicate via cellular communication;

access a location-based access point map indicative of potentially available Wi-Fi access points correlated to geographic locations;

determine, based on the location-based access point map and the current location of the vehicle, whether the external Wi-Fi access point is potentially available; and

in response to determining that the external Wi-Fi access point is potentially available;

search, using the Wi-Fi radio, to connect to the external Wi-Fi access point that is potentially available;

in response to determining that the external Wi-Fi access point is available, determine whether to wait to connect with the external Wi-Fi access point;

monitor communication with the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices;

determine, based on the monitored communication, to connect with the external Wi-Fi access point; and

in response to determining to connect with the external Wi-Fi access point, switch, via the mode switcher, to the Wi-Fi client mode so that the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices communicate with the external Wi-Fi access point.

16. The vehicle access point management device of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to monitor communication with the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices by determining whether the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices have ceased communicating via Wi-Fi;

and

responsive to determining that the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices have ceased communicating via Wi-Fi, the controller is configured to determine to connect to the external Wi-Fi access point.

17. The vehicle access point management device of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to monitor communication with the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices by determining whether the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices have sent an indication of approval to switch to the external Wi-Fi access point;

and

responsive to determining that the one or more Wi-Fi connected external devices have sent the indication of approval to switch to the external Wi-Fi access point, the controller is configured to determine to connect to the external Wi-Fi access point.