Reliability for wireless data communications

• US 7,949,375 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Kortge, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CAI, WAYNE HUU
• Application Number:
  US11/166,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20060293040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,160 Days
• Field of Search: 455/461, 455418-419, 455/404.2, 455/336.2, 455/432.3, 455/437, 455/370.3, 455/569.2, 455/425, 4554352-4353, 455/448, 455/369.2, 455/404.1, 455/436
• US Class Current: 455/569.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• 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

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for using a proxy communication module within a vehicle telematics unit to provide external data connectivity for vehicle applications. The method comprises receiving a request from one or more vehicle applications to retrieve data from a server on an external network. In response to the request, a wireless proxy data communication channel is established between the proxy communication module in the vehicle telematics system and the server. The requested data is received from the server via the wireless proxy data communication channel and communicated from the proxy communication module to the one or more vehicle applications.

Claims

1. A data communication method for a vehicle telematics system, the method comprising:

receiving a request from one or more vehicle applications to retrieve data from a server on an external network;

selecting a preferred wireless data communication channel from a plurality of available wireless data communication channels between the vehicle telematics system and the server for use as a wireless proxy data communication channel;

establishing, in response to the request, the wireless proxy data communication channel between a proxy communication module in the vehicle telematics system and the server;

receiving requested data from the server via the wireless proxy data communication channel;

monitoring a download status for the requested data; and

if the download status is incomplete;

incrementing a retry count by one;

re-establishing communication with the server over the selected wireless proxy data communication channel;

continuing to receive the requested data; and

if a maximum retry count is reached for the wireless proxy data communication channel;

selecting another wireless proxy data communication channel from the plurality of available wireless data communication channels for use as a secondary wireless proxy data communication channel;

establishing the secondary wireless proxy data communication channel between the proxy communications module and the server; and

receiving the requested data from the server via the secondary wireless proxy data communication channel; and

communicating the received requested data from the proxy communication module to the one or more vehicle applications.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a download status for the requested data; and

collecting the requested data until the download status is complete before communicating the received requested data from the proxy communication module to the one or more vehicle applications.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each wireless data communication channel of the plurality of available wireless data communication channels comprises an available path, connection, route or link that includes at least one wireless segment between the proxy communication module in the vehicle telematics system and the server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred wireless data communication channel is selected from the group consisting of a WiFi channel, a high-speed circuit switched cellular channel, a low-speed circuit switched cellular channel, and a Bluetooth channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each wireless data communication channel of the plurality of available wireless data communication channels comprises a channel for sending/retrieving data that includes at least one wireless segment between the proxy communication module and the server.

6. A data communication method for a vehicle telematics system, the method comprising:

receiving a request from one or more vehicle applications to retrieve data from a server on an external network;

selecting, in response to the request, a preferred wireless data communication channel from a plurality of available wireless data communication channels between the vehicle telematics system and the server for use as a wireless proxy data communication channel for the vehicle telematics system; and

establishing the wireless proxy data communication channel between a proxy communication module in the vehicle telematics system and the server;

receiving requested data from the server via the preferred wireless proxy data communication channel;

monitoring a download status for the requested data;

if the download status is incomplete;

incrementing a retry count by one;

if a maximum retry count is reached for the wireless proxy data communication channel, the method further comprising;

selecting another wireless proxy data communication channel from the plurality of available wireless data communication channels for use as a secondary wireless proxy data communication channel;

establishing the secondary wireless proxy data communication channel between the proxy communications module and the server; and

receiving the requested data from the server via the secondary wireless proxy data communication channel;

re-establishing communication with the server over the selected wireless proxy data communication channel;

continuing to receive the requested data; and

communicating the received requested data from the proxy communication module to the one or more vehicle applications.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the preferred wireless proxy data communication channel comprises a data-capable cellular communications link.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the preferred wireless proxy data communication channel comprises a WiFi communications link.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the preferred wireless proxy data communication channel comprises a Bluetooth communications link.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

collecting the requested data until the download status is complete before communicating the received requested data from the proxy communication module to the one or more vehicle applications.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein selecting the preferred wireless data communication channel comprises selecting a high-speed packet data cellular channel from the plurality of available wireless data communication channels for use as the wireless proxy data communication channel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein selecting another wireless proxy data communication channel from the plurality of available wireless data communication channels for use as the secondary wireless proxy data communication channel comprises selecting a low-speed circuit-switched data cellular channel for use as the secondary wireless proxy data communication channel.

13. A data communication method for a vehicle telematics system, the method comprising:

receiving a request from one or more vehicle applications to retrieve data from a server on an external network;

selecting, in response to the request, a high-speed packet data cellular channel from a plurality of available wireless data communication channels between the vehicle telematics system and the server for use as a wireless proxy data communication channel for the vehicle telematics system;

establishing the wireless proxy data communication channel between a proxy communication module in the vehicle telematics system and the server; and

when a maximum retry count is reached for the high-speed packet data cellular channel;

selecting a low-speed circuit-switched data cellular channel for use as a secondary wireless proxy data communication channel;

establishing the secondary wireless proxy data communication channel between the proxy communications module and the server; and

receiving the requested data from the server via the secondary wireless proxy data communication channel.