Facilitating mesh networks of connected movable objects

• US 10,334,404 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Corp.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baldwin, Christopher, Marathe, Nikhil S
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Christine
• Application Number:
  US15/588,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20170245194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0226 based on location or mobility handoff or reselection H04W36/00; mobile application services making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/026 Route selection considering the moving speed of individual devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Wireless communication via a mesh network of connected movable objects is described. A method includes determining, by a device including a processor, a value of a characteristic of a first movable object of movable objects communicatively coupled to a wireless network, wherein the movable objects are automated vehicles, and wherein the determining the value is based on a likelihood of receipt of a message transmitted from the first movable object to a second movable object of the movable objects. The method also includes generating information usable to move the first movable object in a manner that satisfies a defined condition associated with the value. The information can be strength of a wireless communication channel between the first movable object and a second movable object of the movable objects.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a device comprising a processor, a value of a characteristic of a first movable object of movable objects communicatively coupled to a wireless network, wherein the value comprises a speed of the first movable object, wherein the determining the value is based on a likelihood of receipt, by a second movable object of the movable objects, of a message transmitted from the first movable object to the second movable object, wherein the first movable object received the message from a stationary wireless access point device, and wherein the message is transmitted to the second movable object in response to the message being determined to have been received by the first movable object from the stationary wireless access point device, wherein the determining the value further comprises;

determining a distance between the stationary wireless access point device and the first movable object; and

generating, by the device, information usable to facilitate moving the first movable object to result in satisfying a defined condition associated with the value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the value further comprises:

determining the value based on the distance between the stationary wireless access point device and the first movable object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is first information, wherein the stationary wireless access point device transmits content to the first movable object, and wherein the message comprises second information indicative of the content.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the device, a communication path, via wireless network devices associated with respective ones of the movable objects, wherein the communication path is from the first movable object to the second movable object of the movable objects, and wherein the determining the communication path is based on a result of a determination of a measured power of a signal comprising the message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the device, a communication path, via wireless network devices associated with respective ones of the movable objects, wherein the communication path is from the first movable object to the second movable object of the movable objects, and wherein the determining the communication path is based on a result of a determination of a defined factor associated with the movable objects.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the information usable to facilitate the moving of the first movable object comprises strength information indicative of strength of a wireless communication channel between the first movable object and the second movable object.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the defined factor is a physical arrangement of the movable objects within the wireless network.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the defined factor is a velocity of the first movable object.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the defined factor is a specified future velocity of the first movable object.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the defined factor is a first defined factor, and wherein the determining the communication path is further based on a determination of a second defined factor associated with the movable objects, and wherein the second defined factor comprises a future anticipated environmental constraint for the first movable object.

11. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

determining a value of a characteristic of a first movable object of movable objects communicatively coupled to a wireless network, wherein the determining the value is based on a likelihood of receipt, by a second movable object of the movable objects, of a message transmitted from the first movable object to the second movable object, wherein the first movable object received the message from a stationary wireless access point device, and wherein the message is transmitted to the second movable object in response to the message being received from the stationary wireless access point device, wherein the determining the value further comprises;

determining a distance between the stationary wireless access point device and the first movable object; and

generating information usable to enable movement of the first movable object in order to satisfy a defined condition associated with the value, and wherein the value comprises a speed of the first movable object.

12. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the determining the value further comprises:

determining the value based on the distance between the stationary wireless access point device and the first movable object.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the information is first information, wherein the stationary wireless access point device transmits content to the first movable object.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the message comprises second information indicative of the content.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a communication path, via wireless network devices associated with respective ones of the movable objects, wherein the communication path is from the first movable object to the second movable object of the movable objects, and wherein the determining the communication path is based on a determination of a measured power of a signal comprising the message.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a communication path, via wireless network devices associated with respective ones of the movable objects.

17. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the communication path is from the first movable object to the second movable object of the movable objects.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the determining the communication path is based on a determination of a first defined factor associated with the movable objects.

19. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

determining a value of a property of a first movable object of movable objects communicatively coupled to a wireless network, wherein the determining the value is based on a likelihood of receipt, by a second movable object of the movable objects, of a message transmitted from the first movable object to the second movable object, wherein the first movable object received the message from a stationary wireless access point device, wherein the determining the value further comprises;

determining a distance between the stationary wireless access point device and the first movable object; and

generating information usable to move the first movable object in a manner that satisfies a defined condition associated with the value, and wherein the property comprises a speed of the first movable object.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the determining the value further comprises:

determining the value based on the distance between the stationary wireless access point device and the first movable object.