Dead spot mitigation methods for media applications in vehicular environments

• US 8,762,482 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2010
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Raghunathan, Badri, Jain, Vivek
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B
• Application Number:
  US12/683,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20110167128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709223-224, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/02 Buffering or recovering information during reselection ; Modification of the traffic flow during hand-off

Abstract

A wireless communication method has computer-implemented steps including identifying a location of a dead spot region within an expected route of a vehicle. The vehicle has a loss of wireless connectivity within the dead spot region. Lengths of time before the vehicle will arrive at the dead spot region and before the vehicle will exit the dead spot region are estimated. Audio content and/or video content are accessed from at least one source inside the vehicle and/or at least one source outside the vehicle such that playing of the content is uninterrupted while the vehicle is within the dead spot region, the accessing being dependent upon the estimated lengths of time.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

identifying a location of a dead spot region in response to the vehicle having a loss of wireless connectivity within the dead spot region;

recording the location of the dead spot region;

recognizing the dead spot region within an expected route of the vehicle;

estimating a length of time before the vehicle will arrive at the dead spot region;

estimating a length of time before the vehicle will exit the dead spot region;

accessing audio content and/or video content from at least one source inside the vehicle and/or at least one source outside the vehicle such that playing of the content is uninterrupted while the vehicle is within the dead spot region, the accessing being dependent upon the two estimating steps;

determining respective time durations of a plurality of items of the content that are available from the at least one source outside the vehicle; and

selecting at least one of the items of content that are available from the at least one source outside the vehicle such that playback within the vehicle of the selected at least one item of content can be completed before the vehicle arrives at the dead spot region, wherein the accessing step includes;

determining respective time durations of a plurality of items of the content that are available from the at least one source outside the vehicle;

selecting at least one of the items of content that are available from the at least one source outside the vehicle;

ascertaining that playback within the vehicle of the selected at least one item of content cannot be completed before the vehicle arrives at the dead spot region if the at least one item of content is received within the vehicle as a real time broadcast; and

in response to the ascertaining step, downloading the at least one item of content to the vehicle before the vehicle arrives at the dead spot region.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the downloading is performed by use of a plurality of threads.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the downloading is performed by use of a plurality of wireless technologies and a plurality of simultaneous connections to an application server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one source outside the vehicle comprises a radio station.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of providing feedback to a user within the vehicle, the feedback informing the user of at least one of:

an estimated length of time before the vehicle enters a dead spot region;

an estimated travel distance before the vehicle enters a dead spot region;

an estimated length of time that the vehicle will travel through a dead spot region; and

an estimated distance that the vehicle will travel through a dead spot region.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the accessing step includes using a connectionless protocol while the vehicle is within the dead spot region, and a connection-oriented protocol while the vehicle is not within the dead spot region.

7. A wireless communication method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

identifying a location of a dead spot region in response to the vehicle having a loss of wireless connectivity within the dead spot region;

recording the location of the dead spot region;

estimating a length of time before the vehicle will again arrive at the dead spot region;

estimating a length of time before the vehicle will exit the dead spot region;

accessing audio content and/or video content from at least one source inside the vehicle and/or at least one source outside the vehicle such that playing of the content is uninterrupted while the vehicle is within the dead spot region, the accessing being dependent upon the two estimating steps; and

providing feedback to a user within the vehicle, the feedback informing the user of at least one of;

an estimated length of time before the vehicle enters a dead spot region;

an estimated travel distance before the vehicle enters a dead spot region;

an estimated length of time that the vehicle will travel through a dead spot region; and

an estimated distance that the vehicle will travel through a dead spot region, wherein the accessing step includes;

determining respective time durations of a plurality of items of the content that are available from the at least one source outside the vehicle;

selecting at least one of the items of content that are available from the at least one source outside the vehicle;

ascertaining that playback within the vehicle of the selected at least one item of content cannot be completed before the vehicle arrives at the dead spot region if the at least one item of content is received within the vehicle as a real time broadcast; and

in response to the ascertaining step, downloading the at least one item of content to the vehicle before the vehicle arrives at the dead spot region.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the accessing step includes:

wherein the selecting at least one of the items of content includes such that playback within the vehicle of the selected at least one item of content can be completed before the vehicle arrives at the dead spot region, the selecting being dependent upon the time durations of the items of content.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the downloading is performed by use of a plurality of threads.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the downloading is performed by use of a plurality of wireless technologies and a plurality of simultaneous connections to an application server.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the at least one source outside the vehicle comprises a radio station.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the accessing step includes using a connectionless protocol while the vehicle is within the dead spot region, and a connection-oriented protocol while the vehicle is not within the dead spot region.