Methods and systems for vehicle data upload

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10791439-B2
Application number	US-201815896743-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2018
Priority date	Feb 14, 2018
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

Embodiments provide a vehicle that can establish a network of nearby vehicles in order to upload large amounts of data. An example vehicle includes a sensor, a communication system, and a processor. The processor is configured to establish a network comprising a plurality of nearby vehicles having respective data upload rates, separate data gathered by the sensor into segments based on the respective data upload rates, and transmit to the plurality of nearby vehicles using the communication system (i) the segments, and (ii) instructions for uploading the segments to a server.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a sensor;
a communication system; and
a processor configured to:
establish a network comprising a plurality of nearby vehicles having respective data upload rates;
separate data gathered by the sensor into segments based on the respective data upload rates;
determine that an upload time for the data gathered by the sensor is greater than a threshold duration; and
responsively establish the network comprising the plurality of nearby vehicles; and
transmit to the plurality of nearby vehicles using the communication system (i) the segments, and (ii) instructions for uploading the segments to a server.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a camera, and wherein the data comprises video captured by the camera.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to establish the network by selecting a subset of the plurality of nearby vehicles having the highest upload rates.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to establish the network by selecting a subset of the plurality of nearby vehicles based on a comparison of planned routes of the plurality of nearby vehicles.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein selecting the subset of the plurality of nearby vehicles comprises selecting the subset based on the plurality of nearby vehicles having a longest common route.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to establish the network by selecting a subset of the plurality of nearby vehicles such that a combined data upload rate is above a threshold upload rate.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to establish the network by selecting a subset of the plurality of nearby vehicles such that a total upload time is below the threshold duration.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the instructions for uploading the segments comprise a command to upload via a cellular network.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine that a selected segment transmitted to a first nearby vehicle has failed to be received by the server; and
responsively transmit the selected segment to a second nearby vehicle.

10. A method for vehicle data upload comprising:
establishing a network comprising a plurality of nearby vehicles having respective data upload rates;
establishing the network by selecting a subset of the plurality of nearby vehicles having the highest upload rates;
separating data gathered by a sensor into segments based on the respective data upload rates; and
transmitting to the plurality of nearby vehicles using communication system (i) the segments, and (ii) instructions for uploading the segments to a server.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sensor comprises a camera, and wherein the data gathered by the sensor comprises video captured by the camera.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining that an upload time for the data gathered by the sensor is greater than a threshold duration; and
responsively establishing the network comprising the plurality of nearby vehicles.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
establishing the network by selecting a subset of the plurality of nearby vehicles based on a comparison of planned routes of the plurality of nearby vehicles.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein selecting the subset of the plurality of nearby vehicles comprises selecting the subset based on the plurality of nearby vehicles having a longest common route.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
establishing the network by selecting a subset of the plurality of nearby vehicles such that a combined data upload rate is above a threshold upload rate.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
establishing the network by selecting a subset of the plurality of nearby vehicles such that a total upload time is below a threshold duration.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the instructions for uploading the segments comprise a command to upload via a cellular network.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining that a selected segment transmitted to a first nearby vehicle has failed to be received by the server; and
responsively transmitting the selected segment to a second nearby vehicle.

19. A method for vehicle data upload comprising:
establishing a network comprising a plurality of nearby vehicles having respective data upload rates;
establishing the network by selecting a subset of the plurality of nearby vehicles based on a comparison of planned routes of the plurality of nearby vehicles;
separating data gathered by a sensor into segments based on the respective data upload rates; and
transmitting to the plurality of nearby vehicles using communication system (i) the segments, and (ii) instructions for uploading the segments to a server.

20. A method for vehicle data upload comprising:
establishing a network comprising a plurality of nearby vehicles having respective data upload rates;
establishing the network by selecting a subset of the plurality of nearby vehicles such that a combined data upload rate is above a threshold upload rate;
separating data gathered by a sensor into segments based on the respective data upload rates; and
transmitting to the plurality of nearby vehicles using communication system (i) the segments, and (ii) instructions for uploading the segments to a server.

21. A method for vehicle data upload comprising:
establishing a network comprising a plurality of nearby vehicles having respective data upload rates;
establishing the network by selecting a subset of the plurality of nearby vehicles such that a total upload time is below a threshold duration;
separating data gathered by a sensor into segments based on the respective data upload rates; and
transmitting to the plurality of nearby vehicles using communication system (i) the segments, and (ii) instructions for uploading the segments to a server.

22. A method for vehicle data upload comprising:
establishing a network comprising a plurality of nearby vehicles having respective data upload rates;
separating data gathered by a sensor into segments based on the respective data upload rates;
transmitting to the plurality of nearby vehicles using communication system (i) the segments, and (ii) instructions for uploading the segments to a server;
determining that a selected segment transmitted to a first nearby vehicle has failed to be received by the server; and
responsively transmitting the selected segment to a second nearby vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Makled Daniel A
• Ferack Jeremy
• Mcquillen Michael
• Wolski Brian
• Affeldt Matthew

Classifications

• H04W4/44 Primary

  for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H] · CPC title

• H04W4/40

  for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] · CPC title

• H04W4/46 Primary

  for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V] · CPC title

• H04W84/005

  Moving wireless networks · CPC title

• H04W4/38

  for collecting sensor information · CPC title