Cellular network coverage using a vehicle-based data transmission extender

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11140748-B2
Application number	US-202016927738-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2020
Priority date	Nov 29, 2018
Publication date	Oct 5, 2021
Grant date	Oct 5, 2021

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, and methods for improving cellular network coverage using a vehicle-based data transmission extender. One such generalized method includes establishing communication between a fixed base station of a cellular network and a first wireless device, which includes a data transmission module that is part of a first vehicle. Data is relayed between the fixed base station and a second wireless device using the first wireless device to extend geographic coverage of the cellular network to the second wireless device. The method also includes at least one of: detecting, using a signal detector, a signal emitted from the second wireless device, the signal detector being part of the first vehicle; and tracking, using a data meter, an amount of data relayed via the first wireless device between the fixed base station and the second wireless device over the cellular network, the data meter being part of the first vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A first vehicle, comprising:
a first data transmission module that:
establishes communication with a second data transmission module that is part of a second vehicle, the second data transmission module being in communication with a fixed base station of a cellular network; and
relays data between the second data transmission module of the second vehicle and a mobile device located in or around the first vehicle to extend geographic coverage of the cellular network to the mobile device;

a data meter that tracks an amount of data relayed via the first data transmission module of the first vehicle between the second data transmission module of the second vehicle and the mobile device; and
a signal detector that detects a signal emitted from the mobile device;
wherein the first data transmission module relays the data between the second data transmission module of the second vehicle and the mobile device in response to the signal detector detecting the signal emitted from the mobile device.

2. The first vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first data transmission module further communicates the amount of data tracked by the data meter of the first vehicle to a central server.

3. The first vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the cellular network is a 5G cellular network.

4. The first vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second data transmission module of the second vehicle is in communication with the fixed base station of the cellular network via one or more additional data transmission modules that is/are part of one or more additional vehicles, respectively.

5. A method, comprising:
establishing, using a first data transmission module that is part of a first vehicle, communication with a second data transmission module that is part of a second vehicle, the second data transmission module being in communication with a fixed base station of a cellular network; and
relaying, using the first data transmission module of the first vehicle, data between the second data transmission module of the second vehicle and a mobile device located in or around the first vehicle to extend geographic coverage of the cellular network to the mobile device;
tracking, using a data meter that is part of the first vehicle, an amount of data relayed via the first data transmission module of the first vehicle between the second data transmission module of the second vehicle and the mobile device; and
detecting, using a signal detector that is part of the first vehicle, a signal emitted from the mobile device;
wherein the first data transmission module relays the data between the second data transmission module of the second vehicle and the mobile device in response to the signal detector detecting the signal emitted from the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
communicating, using the first data transmission module of the first vehicle, the amount of data tracked by the data meter of the first vehicle to a central server.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
billing a provider of the cellular network based on the amount of data tracked by the data meter of the first vehicle and communicated to the central server.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the cellular network is a 5G cellular network.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second data transmission module of the second vehicle is in communication with the fixed base station of the cellular network via one or more additional data transmission modules that is/are part of one or more additional vehicles, respectively.

10. An apparatus, comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium; and
a plurality of instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by one or more processors, wherein, when the instructions are executed by the one or more processors, the following steps are executed:
establishing, using a first data transmission module that is part of a first vehicle, communication with a second data transmission module that is part of a second vehicle, the second data transmission module being in communication with a fixed base station of a cellular network;
relaying, using the first data transmission module of the first vehicle, data between the second data transmission module of the second vehicle and a mobile device located in or around the first vehicle to extend geographic coverage of the cellular network to the mobile device;
tracking, using a data meter that is part of the first vehicle, an amount of data relayed via the first data transmission module of the first vehicle between the second data transmission module of the second vehicle and the mobile device; and
detecting, using a signal detector that is part of the first vehicle, a signal emitted from the mobile device;

wherein the first data transmission module relays the data between the second data transmission module of the second vehicle and the mobile device in response to the signal detector detecting the signal emitted from the mobile device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein, when the instructions are executed by the one or more processors, the following step is also executed:
communicating, using the first data transmission module of the first vehicle, the amount of data tracked by the data meter of the first vehicle to a central server.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein, when the instructions are executed by the one or more processors, the following step is also executed:
billing a provider of the cellular network based on the amount of data tracked by the data meter of the first vehicle and communicated to the central server.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the cellular network is a 5G cellular network.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second data transmission module of the second vehicle is in communication with the fixed base station of the cellular network via one or more additional data transmission modules that is/are part of one or more additional vehicles, respectively.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor North America Inc

Inventors

• Edwards Michael C
• Senthilkumar Gopal Kalaimani
• Dutta Neil

Classifications

• H04M15/8214

  Data or packet based · CPC title

• H04W4/02

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• H04W4/027

  using movement velocity, acceleration information · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04M15/12

  Discriminative metering {, charging or billing} · CPC title