System and method for providing wireless telematics store and forward messaging for peer-to-peer and peer-to-peer-to-infrastructure a communication network

• US 6,580,981 B1
• Filed: 04/16/2002
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MeshNetworks, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Elkington, William C., Masood, Garahi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US10/122,375
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/96, 701/97, 340/425.5, 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 340/463, 340/540
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A system and method for sending and receiving messages, such as status or request-for-help messages, automatically between mobile nodes and ultimately to an appropriate destination via a wireless infrastructure. When a node determines that such infrastructure is not available, the node will communicate the necessary information to another mobile node located in, for instance, a vehicle. In this case, the receiving node stores the information, then transmits the information from that node to the wireless infrastructure equipment, so that the infrastructure can forward the message to an appropriate destination once such equipment is in range of this second node.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a terminal at a location outside a coverage area of infrastructure equipment to communicate with said infrastructure equipment, comprising:

monitoring at least one condition of a first vehicle at which a first terminal is disposed;

preparing a message based on said monitored vehicle condition;

controlling said first terminal to send said message to another vehicle when a lack of infrastructure equipment coverage is detected;

storing said message in a second terminal disposed on said second vehicle; and

sending said message from said second terminal to said infrastructure equipment when said second terminal detects a presence of said infrastructure equipment coverage.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said monitored condition comprises at least one of the following relative to said first vehicle:

geographic location, accident status, speed, fluid levels and discretionary message inputs.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said prepared message comprises information pertaining to said monitored condition.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first terminal is adapted to determine a destination for said prepared message based on said monitored vehicle conditions.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first terminal is adapted to determine a cumulative number of said prepared messages to send.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first terminal is adapted to assign said message one of a plurality of priority levels.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first terminal is adapted to detect infrastructure equipment coverage.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first terminal is adapted to send said message with Doppler effect offsets.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second terminal is adapted to receive and store said message using store-and-forward protocols.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second terminal is adapted to detect infrastructure equipment coverage.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second terminal is adapted to determine whether utilization levels of said infrastructure equipment coverage will allow sending messages of a particular one of a plurality of priority levels.

12. A system of wireless communications between infrastructure equipment and a terminal at a location outside a coverage area of said infrastructure equipment, comprising:

a first terminal, adapted to monitor at least one condition of a first vehicle at which said first terminal is disposed, and to send a message based on said monitored condition to another vehicle when a lack of infrastructure equipment coverage is detected by said first terminal; and

a second terminal, disposed at a second vehicle, and adapted to receive and store said message, and further adapted to send said message from said second terminal to said infrastructure equipment when said second terminal detects a presence of said infrastructure equipment.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said first terminal comprises:

a first transceiver, adapted to transmit said message; and

a first host computer, adapted to monitor said condition and to provide said message to said transceiver.

14. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said monitored condition comprises at least one of the following relative to said first vehicle:

geographic location, accident status, speed, fluid levels and discretionary message inputs.

15. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said prepared message comprises information pertaining to said monitored condition.

16. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said first terminal is further adapted to determine a destination for said prepared message based on said monitored vehicle conditions.

17. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said first terminal is further adapted to determine a cumulative number of said prepared message to send.

18. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said first terminal is further adapted to assign said message one of a plurality of priority levels.

19. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said first terminal is further adapted to detect infrastructure equipment coverage.

20. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said first terminal is further adapted to send said message with Doppler effect offsets.

21. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said second terminal comprises:

a transceiver, adapted to receive said message;

a memory, adapted to store said message; and

a controller, adapted to control said transceiver to retransmit said message to said infrastructure equipment upon detection of said infrastructure equipment.

22. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said second terminal is further adapted to receive and store said message using store-and-forward protocols.

23. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said second terminal is further adapted to detect infrastructure equipment coverage.

24. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said second terminal is further adapted to determine whether utilization levels of said infrastructure equipment coverage will allow sending messages of a certain priority level.

25. A terminal for wireless communication at a location outside a coverage area of infrastructure equipment, comprising:

a transceiver; and

a controller, adapted to monitor at least one condition of a vehicle at which said terminal is disposed, and to control said transceiver to send a message including information pertaining to said monitored condition to another vehicle when said controller detects a lack of presence of said infrastructure equipment.

26. A terminal as claimed in claim 25, wherein:

said transceiver is further adapted to receive and store another message from another terminal; and

said controller is further adapted to control said transceiver to send said stored message to said infrastructure equipment when said controller detects a presence of said infrastructure equipment.