Hierarchical floating car data network

• US 20040230373A1
• Filed: 05/12/2003
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dash Navigation (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Tzamaloukas, Assimakis
• Granted Patent: US 7,188,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A hierarchical floating car data network comprises a central server, an egress point network, and a participating vehicle network. The egress point network is in communication with the central server. The egress point network comprises a plurality of egress points. The participating vehicle network comprises a plurality of participating vehicles. At least some of the plurality of participating vehicles are in direct communication with each other. At least some of the plurality of participating vehicles are in communication with at least some of the plurality of egress points. Furthermore, at least some of the plurality of participating vehicles may be in communication with the central server. A geographic database is formed from content communicated between the elements of the hierarchical floating car data network.

Claims

1. to 45. (Cancelled).

46. Egress point equipment in a hierarchical floating car data network, the egress point equipment comprising:

a microprocessor;

a memory;

a storage device;

a communication module;

antennas connected to said communication module; and

a bus interconnecting said microprocessor, said memory, said storage device, and said communication module.

47. The invention of claim 46 wherein said communication module comprises a wireless local are network radio.

48. The invention of claim 46 wherein said communication module comprises a wireless wide area network radio.

49. The invention of claim 46 wherein said communication module comprises a wireline connection.

50. The invention of claim 46 wherein said memory comprises egress point software which when executed by said microprocessor causes the egress point equipment to operate in the hierarchical floating car data network, said egress point software comprising:

a geographic database;

navigation module means for searching said geographic database for location and direction information;

routing module means for determining turn-by-turn direction;

cartographic module means for displaying a portion of said geographic database;

maneuver module means for calculating a path;

processor module means for running an operating system, interfaces, and an application;

interface module means for interfacing between said processor module means and said navigation module means, said routing module means, said cartography means, and said maneuver module means;

wireless communication module means for communication according to a communication protocol;

wireline communication module means for communicating according to a wireline connection; and

cache means for storing data from said wireless communication module means and said wireline module means.

51. The hierarchical floating car data network of claim 8, wherein each egress point comprises:

a microprocessor;

a memory;

a storage device;

a communication module;

antennas connected to said communication module; and

a bus interconnecting said microprocessor, said memory, said storage device, and said communication module.

52. The hierarchical floating car data network of claim 51, wherein the memory comprises egress point software which when executed by the microprocessor causes the egress point equipment to operate in the hierarchical floating car data network, the egress point software comprising:

a geographic database;

navigation module means for searching the geographic database for location and direction information;

routing module means for determining turn-by-turn direction;

cartographic module means for displaying a portion of said geographic database;

maneuver module means for calculating a path;

processor module means for running an operating system, interfaces, and an application;

interface module means for interfacing between said processor module means and the navigation module means, the routing module means, the cartography means, and the maneuver module means;

wireless communication module means for communication according to a communication protocol; and

cache means for storing data from said wireless communication module means and said wireline module means.

53. The hierarchical floating car data network of claim 52, wherein each fixed egress point further comprises wireline communication module means for communicating according to a wireline connection.

54. The hierarchical floating car data network of claim 51 wherein the communication module comprises a wireless local area network.

55. The hierarchical floating car data network of claim 51 wherein the communication module comprises a wireless wide area network.

56. A hierarchical floating car data network, comprising:

a central server;

at least a first fixed egress point, the first egress point comprising a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio and a communication link to the central server; and

a participating vehicle network, the participating vehicle network comprising on-board equipment carried in at least a first and a second vehicle, the on-board equipment in the first and the second vehicles comprising a WLAN radio and a locate position module, the WLAN radio in the first vehicle communicating via an enhanced ah-hoc mode with the WLAN radio in the second vehicle, the first and/or the second vehicle WLAN radio communicating via an infrastructure mode with the first fixed egress point WLAN radio, and wherein the enhanced ad-hoc and infrastructure communication modes each comprise a location-based adaptive data-rate control method.

57. The hierarchical floating car data network of claim 56, further comprising:

at least one mobile egress point, the mobile egress point comprising on-board equipment carried in at least a third vehicle in the participating vehicle network, the mobile egress point on-board equipment comprising a WLAN radio, a locate position module, and a wireless wide area network (WWAN) radio for communication with the central server, the mobile egress point WLAN radio communicating via an enhanced ah-hoc mode with the WLAN radio in the first and/or the second vehicle.

58. The hierarchical floating car data network of claim 56 or claim 57, wherein:

the first and/or the second vehicle WLAN radio are operated in the enhanced ad-hoc mode by default; and

the first and/or the second vehicle WLAN radio automatically transitions to the infrastructure mode when the locate position module indicates that the first and/or second vehicle is within range of the first egress point.

59. The hierarchical floating car data network of claim 56 or claim 57, wherein the location-based adaptive data-rate control method comprises an automated transmit power control mechanism based on the location of the first and/or second vehicle as determined by the locate position module.

60. The hierarchical floating car data network of claim 56 or claim 57, wherein the WLAN radio in the first vehicle transmits at a variable transmit power level, and the automated transmit power control mechanism comprises the steps of:

reducing the transmit power level as the first vehicle approaches the location of the first fixed egress point; and

increasing the transmit power level as the first vehicle approaches the location of the first fixed egress point.

61. The hierarchical floating car data network of claim 56 or claim 57, wherein the locate position module determines the position of the first and/or second vehicle by a global positioning system and/or an enhanced dead reckoning method.

62. The hierarchical floating car data network of claim 56 or claim 57, further comprising at least a second fixed egress point, the second fixed egress point comprising a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio and a communication link to the central server, the first fixed egress point communicating with the second fixed egress point.

63. The hierarchical floating car data network of claim 56 or claim 57, wherein the communication link to the central server is selected from a wireline connection and a wireless wide area network (WLAN) radio.

64. The hierarchical floating car data network of claim 56 or claim 57, wherein the first egress point comprises means for receiving data transmitted from the WLAN radio in the first and/or the second vehicle, means for processing the data, and means for updating a geographic database with the processed data.

65. The hierarchical floating car data network of claim 56 or claim 57, wherein the first egress point comprises means for reading a database, means for performing calculations on the database to produce data, and means for transmitting the data to WLAN radio in the first and/or the second vehicles.

66. The hierarchical floating car data network of claim 65, further comprising channel frequency allocation map means for assigning frequency channels to the WLAN radio in the first egress point and to the WLAN radios in the first and/or the second vehicles such that the WLAN radio in the first egress point and the WLAN radios in the first and/or the second vehicles communicate over frequency channels assigned by the central server.

67. The hierarchical floating car data network of claim 66, wherein the channel frequency allocation map means further comprises scanning means for locating frequency channels.

68. The hierarchical floating car data network of claim 56 or claim 57, wherein the on-board equipment further comprises on-board software, and wherein the on-board software receives automatic updates from the central server and/or the first egress point.

69. A hierarchical floating car data network method comprising the steps of:

communicating data between a first participating vehicle and a first fixed egress point in a hierarchical floating car data network according to an infrastructure mode of communication, wherein the infrastructure mode of communication further comprises a location-based adaptive rate control method that uses an automated transmit power control mechanism to vary a transmit power from a wireless local area network radio (WLAN) in the first vehicle as a function of proximity of the first vehicle to the first egress point;

accumulating content data from the first vehicle at the first egress point;

transmitting the accumulated content data from the first egress point to a central server;

and relaying data stored at the first egress point and/or the centrals server to the first vehicle and/or a wireless local area network radio (WLAN) in a second vehicle according to the infrastructure mode of communication.

70. The hierarchical floating car data network method of claim 69, further comprising the step of:

communicating data between the WLAN radios in the first and the second vehicles via an enhanced ad-hoc mode of communication, wherein the enhanced ad-hoc mode of communication further comprises a location-based adaptive rate control method that uses an automated transmit power control mechanism to vary the transmit power from the WLAN radios in the first and the second vehicles as a function of proximity of the first vehicle to the second vehicle.

71. The hierarchical floating car data network method of claim 69 or claim 70, further comprising the steps of:

communicating state information from WLAN radios in the first and/or the second vehicle to the WLAN in the first egress point; and

sharing the state information between the first egress point and a second egress point.

72. The hierarchical floating car data network method of claim 69 or claim 70, further comprising the steps of:

exchanging content between the first egress point and a second egress point.

73. The hierarchical floating car data network method of claim 72, wherein:

the content comprises a beacon service table

74. The hierarchical floating car data network method of claim 72, wherein:

the content comprises a vehicle service table.