Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing mobile ad hoc cooperative communication systems and related devices

• US 8,280,308 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2010
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Houmaidi, Mounire El, Anschutz, Thomas Arnold
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cosme, Natasha
• Application Number:
  US12/885,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20110009062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/18 based on predicted events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method of operating a mobile electronic device includes detecting at least one other mobile electronic device within a predetermined distance of the mobile electronic device, and determining a spatial relationship of the at least one other mobile electronic device relative to the mobile electronic device. An ad hoc wireless connection is established with the at least one other mobile electronic device based on the determined spatial relationship. Data may be transmitted to and/or received from the at least one other mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection based on the determined spatial relationship. Related systems, devices, and computer program products are also discussed.

Claims

1. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

a controller operable to detect a plurality of mobile electronic devices including a second mobile electronic device within a predetermined distance of the mobile electronic device and to determine respective directions of the plurality of mobile electronic devices relative to the mobile electronic device; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is operable to selectively establish an ad hoc wireless connection with the second mobile electronic device rather than with at least one other of the plurality of mobile electronic devices via the wireless transceiver responsive to determining the direction of the second mobile electronic device relative to the mobile electronic device, wherein the transceiver is operable to receive data from the second mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection based on the direction of the second mobile electronic device relative to the mobile electronic device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to transmit a subset of a plurality of vehicle dynamics data to the second mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection based on the direction of the second mobile electronic device relative to the mobile electronic device, wherein the subset of the plurality of vehicle dynamics data differs according to the respective directions of the plurality of mobile electronic devices relative to the mobile electronic device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to determine a traveling vector indicating a relative speed and direction of movement of the second mobile electronic device based on a signal provided by the mobile electronic device, and wherein the controller is operable to selectively establish the ad hoc wireless connection with the second mobile electronic device rather than with the at least one other of the plurality of detected mobile electronic devices based on the traveling vector.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the traveling vector indicates that the second mobile electronic device is approaching the mobile electronic device, and wherein the controller is operable to transmit emergency data for a vehicle associated with the mobile electronic device to the second mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection via the wireless transceiver.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the traveling vector indicates that the second mobile electronic device is traveling behind the mobile electronic device and in a same direction as the mobile electronic device, and wherein the controller is operable to associated with the mobile electronic device to the second mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection via the wireless transceiver.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is operable to receive a subset of a plurality of vehicle dynamics data from the second mobile electronic device responsive to selectively establishing the ad hoc wireless connection with the second mobile electronic device, wherein the subset of the plurality of vehicle dynamics data differs according to the direction of the second mobile electronic device relative-to the mobile electronic device.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the controller is operable to provide a control signal to alter at least one of vehicle speed, direction of travel, and safety systems of a vehicle associated with the mobile electronic device based on the received vehicle dynamics data from the second mobile electronic device.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the direction of the second mobile device indicates that the second mobile electronic device is in front of the mobile electronic device, wherein the transceiver is operable to receive at least one of vehicle braking, stability, and lane-change data for a vehicle associated with the second mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection, and wherein the controller is operable to provide a visible alert signal via a user interface of the mobile electronic device responsive to receiving the at least one of the vehicle braking, stability, and lane-change data for the vehicle associated with the second mobile electronic device.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the ad hoc wireless connection comprises a first ad hoc wireless connection, and wherein the controller is operable to detect a third mobile electronic device among the plurality of mobile electronic devices within the predetermined distance of the mobile electronic device, determine a direction of the third mobile electronic device relative to the mobile electronic device, and selectively establish a second ad hoc wireless connection with the third mobile electronic device rather than with the at least one other of the plurality of detected mobile electronic devices based on the direction of the third mobile electronic device relative to the first mobile electronic device.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the controller is operable to transmit first data to the second mobile electronic device over the first ad hoc wireless connection based on the direction of the second mobile electronic device relative to the mobile electronic device, and to transmit second data to the third mobile electronic device over the second ad hoc wireless connection based on the direction of the third mobile electronic device relative to the mobile electronic device, wherein the second data is different than the first data.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the first and second data comprise first and second data packets corresponding to respective portions of a same data file, and wherein the controller is operable to transmit the first and second data packets to the second and third mobile electronic devices, respectively, in parallel to provide increased transmission bandwidth.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the transceiver is operable to receive data from the third mobile electronic device over the second ad hoc wireless connection based on the direction of the third mobile electronic device relative to the mobile electronic device, and to relay the data received from the third mobile electronic device to the second mobile electronic device over the first ad hoc wireless connection based on the direction of the second mobile electronic device relative to the mobile electronic device.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the received data comprises vehicle dynamics data associated with the third mobile electronic device, and wherein the controller is operable to aggregate the vehicle dynamics data associated with the third mobile electronic device and vehicle dynamics data associated with the mobile electronic device to provide aggregate vehicle data, and to relay the aggregate vehicle data from the mobile electronic device to the second mobile electronic device over the first ad hoc wireless connection.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is operable to receive data including addressing information for a destination device, wherein the destination device is different than the mobile electronic device and is beyond a transmission range of the mobile electronic device, and wherein the controller is operable to selectively establish the ad hoc wireless connection with the second mobile electronic device based on the direction of the second mobile electronic device relative to the mobile electronic device indicating a location of the second mobile electronic device relative to a location of the destination device specified by the addressing information.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to establish a wireless connection with a fixed network access point that is beyond a communication range of the second mobile electronic device via the transceiver, and to relay data between the fixed network access point and the second mobile electronic device over the wireless connection and the ad hoc wireless data connection.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein, based on current network conditions, the controller is operable to selectively establish the ad hoc wireless connection with at least one selected from a group consisting of the second mobile electronic device and a fixed network access point.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to selectively transmit data to the second mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection rather than to at least one other of the plurality of detected mobile electronic devices via the wireless transceiver based on the direction of the second mobile electronic device relative to the mobile electronic device.

17. A method of operating a mobile electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting, within a predetermined distance of a first mobile electronic device, a plurality of mobile electronic devices including a second mobile electronic device;

determining respective directions of the plurality of mobile electronic devices relative to the first mobile electronic device; and

then selectively establishing an ad hoc wireless connection with the second mobile electronic device rather than with at least one other of the plurality of mobile electronic devices based on the direction of the second mobile electronic device relative to the first mobile electronic device, and receiving data from the second mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection based on the direction of the second mobile electronic device relative to the mobile electronic device.

18. A computer readable storage medium, the computer readable storage medium not being a transient signal, the computer readable storage medium including computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code used to detect within a predetermined distance of a first mobile electronic device, a plurality of mobile electronic devices including a second mobile electronic device;

computer readable program code used to determine respective directions of the plurality of mobile electronic devices relative to the first mobile electronic device; and

computer readable program code used to selectively establish an ad hoc wireless connection with the second mobile electronic device rather than with at least one other of the plurality of mobile electronic devices based on the direction of the second mobile electronic device relative to the first mobile electronic device; and

computer readable program code used to receive data from the second mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection based on the direction of the second mobile electronic device relative to the mobile electronic device.