METHODS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN ELEMENTS IN A HIERARCHICAL FLOATING CAR DATA NETWORK

• US 20040230345A1
• Filed: 05/12/2003
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dash Navigation, Inc.
• Inventors: Tzamaloukas, Assimakis
• Granted Patent: US 6,862,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• 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 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Participating vehicles and egress points communicate with each other according to an infrastructure mode. Participating vehicles communicate with other participating vehicles according to an ad-hoc mode. In an infrastructure mode packet transmitting method for a participating vehicle, beacon service table packets, vehicle service table packets, or packet bursts are created and transmitted. In an infrastructure mode packet receiving method for a participating vehicle, beacon service table packets, vehicle service table packets, packet bursts, or negative acknowledgement packets are received. In an infrastructure mode packet transmitting method for an egress point, an enhanced beacon packet or a negative acknowledgement packet is created and transmitted. In an infrastructure mode packet receiving method for an egress point, beacon service table packets, vehicle service table packets, or packets bursts are received. In an ad-hoc mode packet transmitting method for a participating vehicle, beacon service table packets, vehicle service table packets, packet bursts, or positive acknowledgement packets are created and transmitted. In an ad-hoc mode packet receiving method for a participating vehicle, beacon service table packets, vehicle service table packets, packet bursts, or positive acknowledgement packets are received.

Claims

1. An infrastructure mode packet transmitting method for a participating vehicle in a hierarchical floating car data network, the method comprising:

(a) determining if a beacon timer has expired;

(b) if the beacon timer has expired creating a beacon service table or vehicle service table packet;

(c) determining if a memory threshold is exceeded;

(d) if the memory threshold is exceeded, creating a packet burst;

(e) sending the packet in (b) and the packet burst in (d) to a radio;

(f) queuing the packet sent in (e);

(g) transmitting the packet; and

(h) transitioning to a receive mode.

2. An infrastructure mode packet receiving method for an egress point in a hierarchical floating car data network, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a packet wherein the packet comprises a beacon service table, a vehicle service table packet, or a packet burst;

(b) sending the packet in (a) to an application;

(c) determining if a memory threshold is exceeded;

(d) if the memory threshold is exceeded, rejecting the packet sent in (b) and transitioning to a transmit mode; and

(e) if the memory threshold is not exceeded, accepting the packet sent in (b) and transitioning to a receive mode.

3. An infrastructure mode packet receiving method for a participating vehicle in a hierarchical floating car data network, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a packet wherein the packet comprises a beacon service table, a vehicle service table packet, a packet burst, or a negative acknowledgement packet;

(b) sending the packet in (a) to an application;

(c) processing the packet sent in (b);

(d) determining if the packet should be retransmitted;

(e) if the packet should be retransmitted, transitioning to a transmit mode; and

(f) if the packet should not be retransmitted, transitioning to a receive mode.

4. The invention of claim 3 further comprising:

(g) determining if a communication link used for the receiving in (a) is lost;

(h) if the communication link is lost determining if the negative acknowledgement packet was received in (a);

(f) if the negative acknowledgement was received, transitioning to the receive mode; and

(g) if the negative acknowledgement was not received flagging previously transmitted packets, and transitioning to the receive mode.

5. An infrastructure mode packet transmitting method for an egress point in a hierarchical floating car data network, the method comprising:

(a) determining if an enhanced beacon timer has expired;

(b) if the enhanced beacon timer has expired, creating an enhanced beacon packet;

(c) if received packet burst is rejected, creating a negative acknowledgement packet;

(d) sending the packets in (b) and (c) a radio;

(e) queuing the packet sent in (e);

(f) transmitting the queued packet; and

(g) transitioning to a receive mode.

6. An ad-hoc mode packet transmitting method for a participating vehicle in a hierarchical floating car data network, the method comprising:

(a) if a beacon timer is expired, creating a beacon service table or a vehicle service table packet;

(b) if a memory threshold is exceeded, creating a packet burst;

(c) if a positive acknowledgement is required, creating a positive acknowledgement packet;

(d) sending the packets in (a), (b), and (c) to a radio;

(e) queuing the packet sent in (d);

(f) transmitting the queued packet; and

(g) transitioning to a receive mode;

7. An ad-hoc mode packet receiving method for a participating vehicle in a hierarchical floating car data network, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a packet wherein the packet comprises a beacon service table, a vehicle service table packet, or a packet burst;

(b) sending the packet in (a) to an application;

(c) processing the packet sent in (b);

(d) determining if the packet should be rejected, accepted, or if the packet is a positive acknowledgment packet;

(e) if the packet is rejected, transitioning to a receive mode;

(f) if the packet is accepted, setting a timer and transitioning to the receive mode;

(g) if the packet is a positive acknowledgement packet, resetting the timer and transitioning to the receive mode; and

(h) if the timer expires before the packet is received in (a), creating a positive acknowledgement signal and transitioning to a transmit mode.