System and method for enabling a vehicular access network in a vehicular environment

• US 8,514,825 B1
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Addepalli, Sateesh K., Dai, Lillian Lei, Bonomi, Flavio, Monclus, Pere, Milito, Rodolfo A., Sudhaakar, Raghuram S., Casas, Christian Ibars
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Frank
• Application Number:
  US13/118,024
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370312-315, 370328-350
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/008 where the control data relates to payload of a different packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0858 One way delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/12 Shortest path evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2592 using tunnelling or encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 : Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0009 : for a plurality of users or terminals, e.g. group communication or moving wireless networks user group management H04W4/08; processing of subscriber group data H04W8/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 : Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 : Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 : Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 : based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 : Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 : based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 : Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 : in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 : where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0264 : by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/12 : Outer and inner loops
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 : Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/225 : Calculation of statistics, e.g. average, variance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/241 : taking into account channel quality metrics, e.g. SIR, SNR, CIR, Eb/lo
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/346 : distributing total power among users or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/53 : based on regulatory allocation policies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 : for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 : Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 : Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 : Data link layer protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 : Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 : between terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/60 : Planning or developing urban green infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method includes joining a vehicular access network (VAN) comprising cooperative communication between a plurality of on-board units (OBU) in respective vehicles, scanning the VAN to pick up a coverage of at least one infrastructure access point (IAP), which operates on a control channel in a radio access tree (RAT) comprising a plurality of cells, listening to a channel allocation information from the IAP that includes a request for a mobile cell gateway (MCG) at a nominal location in the RAT, and sending a candidacy message to the at least one IAP to become an MCG. Certain embodiments include establishing the VAN in a highway, and in urban areas, aggregating traffic in a cell and transmitting to the IAP via the MCG, and other features.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

joining a vehicular access network (VAN) in a location, the VAN facilitating communication between a plurality of on-board units (OBU) in respective vehicles;

scanning the VAN for coverage of at least one infrastructure access point (IAP), wherein the at least one IAP operates on a control channel in a radio access tree (RAT) comprising a plurality of cells;

receiving channel allocation information from the at least one IAP, wherein the channel allocation information comprises at least one request for a mobile cell gateway (MCG) at a nominal location in the RAT; and

sending a candidacy message to the at least one IAP to become an MCG.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing functions of the at least one IAP and establishing the control channel in the RAT if the coverage cannot be identified.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one OBU in the plurality of OBUs is mobile.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one IAP is a roadside unit (RSU) operating on at least one short-range wireless channel.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least two cells in the plurality of cells overlap with each other.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the nominal location is at an edge between two cells in the plurality of cells.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cells are covered by at least two non-overlapping channels.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

locating in a first cell in the plurality of cells, a first MCG that aggregates a first traffic from at least one node in the first cell;

locating the IAP in a second cell; and

transmitting the first traffic to the IAP.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

locating in a third cell a second MCG that aggregates a second traffic from at least one node in the third cell;

transmitting the first traffic to the second MCG; and

transmitting the first traffic and the second traffic to the IAP.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

locating a vehicular mobile router (VMR) in the first cell that aggregates end-node traffic from end nodes; and

transmitting the end-node traffic to the first MCG.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the VMR is an OBU in the plurality of OBUs and performs functions of a femtocell.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is a highway.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is an urban area.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises maximizing a capacity of the RAT by implementing a frequency reuse method.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the VAN comprises a plurality of IAPs located within a geographical area, and a capacity of the VAN increases with an increasing number of IAPs within the geographical area.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises:

implementing an iterative power control algorithm, comprising;

retrieving a stored signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR);

calculating an updated SINR for a node in the RAT;

storing the updated SINR; and

calculating an individual power component for the node.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises:

implementing a utility power control algorithm, comprising;

randomly selecting a node in the RAT;

updating a power level for the node; and

maximizing a utility function corresponding to the power level independently for each node.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a network access credential comprising a globally unique phone number from a service provider selected from a group comprising vehicle manufacturers, cellular wireless service providers, and road-side unit operators;

associating at least one virtual subscriber identity module with the globally unique phone number; and

establishing a network connection with the VAN using the network access credential.

19. Logic encoded in non-transitory media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor is operable to perform operations comprising:

joining a vehicular access network (VAN) in a location, the VAN comprising communication between a plurality of on-board units (OBU) in respective vehicles;

scanning the VAN to pick up a coverage of at least one infrastructure access point (IAP), wherein the at least one IAP operates on a control channel in a radio access tree (RAT) comprising a plurality of cells;

listening to a channel allocation information from the at least one IAP, wherein the channel allocation information comprises at least one request for a mobile cell gateway (MCG) at a nominal location in the RAT; and

sending a candidacy message to the at least one IAP to become an MCG.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a memory element configured to store data;

a network interface; and

a computing processor operable to execute instructions associated with the data, wherein the network interface, computing processor and the memory element cooperate such that the apparatus is configured for;

joining a vehicular access network (VAN) in a location, the VAN comprising cooperative communication between a plurality of on-board units (OBU) in respective vehicles;

scanning the VAN to pick up a coverage of at least one infrastructure access point (IAP), wherein the at least one IAP operates on a control channel in a radio access tree (RAT) comprising a plurality of cells;

listening to a channel allocation information from the at least one IAP, wherein the channel allocation information comprises at least one request for a mobile cell gateway (MCG) at a nominal location in the RAT; and

sending a candidacy message to the at least one IAP to become an MCG if the apparatus is within a range of the nominal location in the RAT.