Communication control method for a vehicle

• US 20080046135A1
• Filed: 07/26/2006
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Farrow, Daniel W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,689,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A remote call center utilizes both cell phone and satellite communication networks to transmit data messages to a vehicle equipped with both a telematics module and a SDAR module. The telematics module and the SDAR module are both coupled to a vehicle data bus, and a software communication token containing a current budget is assigned to a selected module in response to a vehicle turn-off event. The module possessing the communication token determines the available signal strength on its respective communication network. If the available signal strength is adequate for reliable data communication with the call center, the module retains possession of the token and periodically wakes-up to check for incoming messages from the call center. If the available signal strength is inadequate, the module possessing the token passes the token to the other module, after which that module periodically wakes-up to check for incoming messages from the call center.

Claims

1. A method of controlling communications between a message transmission facility and a vehicle having a first wireless module that receives messages from said facility by way of a cell communication network and a second wireless module that receives messages from said facility by way of a satellite communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing an initial communication receiving mode at turn-off of said vehicle by passing a software token to a selected one of said first and second wireless modules;

detecting an available communication signal strength for the selected wireless module, and passing said software token from the selected wireless module to the other of said first and second wireless modules if said available communication signal strength is less than a threshold;

transmitting a message from said facility to said first and second wireless modules; and

identifying which of said wireless modules possesses said software token and periodically activating the identified wireless module to check for messages transmitted from said facility.

2. The method of claim 1, including the steps of:

assigning a current budget to said software token, said current budget having an initial value indicative of a power consumption allowance for a period of inactivity following the turn-off of said vehicle;

reducing the value of said current budget based on a power consumption of the wireless module that possesses said software token; and

discontinuing the periodic activation of the identified wireless module when said current budget has been reduced to a reference value.

3. The method of claim 2, where the value of said current budget is reduced by the wireless module that possesses said software token.

4. The method of claim 1, where the message transmitted from said facility to said first and second wireless modules includes a control command for said vehicle, and the method includes the step of:

initiating a vehicle control function corresponding to said control command when the identified wireless module confirms receipt of said message.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, including the step of:

detecting an available communication signal strength for the identified wireless module, and passing said software token from the identified wireless module to the other of said first and second wireless modules if the available communication signal strength for the identified wireless module is less than a threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, where said first wireless module is a telematics module and said second wireless module is a SDAR module.