Systems and methods for supporting mobility of users with seamless connectivity in a network of moving things

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11910352-B2
Application number	US-201916593194-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2019
Priority date	Apr 22, 2016
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for supporting mobility of users with seamless connectivity in a network of moving things. A controller may be used to manage mobility of a plurality of end-user devices in a network of moving things. A request to establish a wireless connection with a network of moving things may be received from an end-user device, via a first access point of the network. A communication parameter for the end-user device may be determined, with the communication parameter configured for use in enabling wireless communication via the network. The determining includes assigning the communication parameter to the end-user device if the end-user device is not known to the controller, and retrieving the communication parameter if the end-user device is known to the controller. The communication parameter is then sent to the end-user device that transmitted the request.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a controller that manages mobility of a plurality of end-user devices in a network of moving things, the method comprising:
receiving, from an end-user device of the plurality of end-user devices via a first access point of the network, a request to establish a wireless connection with the network;
determining a communication parameter associated with the end-user device, wherein the communication parameter is configured for use in enabling wireless communication via the network, wherein the determining comprises:
if the end-user device is not known to the controller, assigning the communication parameter to the end-user device; and
if the end-user device is known to the controller, retrieving the communication parameter; and

sending the communication parameter to the end-user device.

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising arranging the first access point to couple the end-use device to the controller via a second wireless network connection.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the second wireless network connection employs a communication protocol different from a communication protocol employed by the end-user device.

4. The method according to claim 1 , comprising storing in the controller identification information associated with one or more end-user devices of the plurality of end-user devices.

5. The method according to claim 4 , comprising determining whether the end-user device is known to the controller based on presence of stored identification information associated with the end-user device.

6. The method according to claim 4 , comprising storing, when the end-user device is not known to the controller, identification information associated with the end-user device.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from a second controller of the network, notification of a wireless connection of the end-user device with a second access point of the network; and
forwarding, to the end-user device via the second access point and the second controller of the network, data traffic for the end-user device.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more code sections, each code section comprising one or more instructions executable by one or more processors of a controller that performs actions of a method for managing mobility of a plurality of end-user devices in a network of moving things, the actions of the method comprising:
receiving, from an end-user device of the plurality of end-user devices via a first access point of the network, a request to establish a wireless connection with the network;
determining a communication parameter associated with the end-user device, wherein the communication parameter is configured for use in enabling wireless communication via the network, wherein the determining comprises:
if the end-user device is not known to the controller, assigning the communication parameter to the end-user device; and
if the end-user device is known to the controller, retrieving the communication parameter; and

sending the communication parameter to the end-user device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 8 , wherein the actions of the method further comprises arranging the first access point to couple the end-use device to the controller via a second wireless network connection.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the second wireless network connection employs a communication protocol different from a communication protocol employed by the end-user device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 8 , wherein the actions of the method further comprises storing in the controller identification information associated with one or more end-user devices of the plurality of end-user devices.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 11 , wherein the actions of the method further comprises determining whether the end-user device is known to the controller based on presence of stored identification information associated with the end-user device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 11 , wherein the actions of the method further comprises storing, when the end-user device is not known to the controller, identification information associated with the end-user device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 8 , wherein the actions of the method further comprises:
receiving, from a second controller of the network, notification of a wireless connection of the end-user device with a second access point of the network; and
forwarding, to the end-user device via the second access point and the second controller of the network, data traffic for the end-user device.

15. A system for managing mobility of a plurality of end-user devices in a network of moving things, the system comprising:
one or more storage circuits configured for storing of instructions and data; and
at least one processing circuit configured to, based on one or both of the instructions and data stored in the one or more storage circuits:
receive, from an end-user device of the plurality of end-user devices via a first access point of the network, a request to establish a wireless connection with the network;
determine a communication parameter associated with the end-user device, wherein the communication parameter is configured for use in enabling wireless communication via the network, wherein the determining comprises:
if the end-user device is not known to the controller, assign the communication parameter to the end-user device; and

if the end-user device is known to the controller, retrieve the communication parameter; and
send the communication parameter to the end-user device.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to arrange the first access point to couple the end-use device to the controller via a second wireless network connection.

17. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to store in at least one of the one or more storage circuits, identification information associated with one or more end-user devices of the plurality of end-user devices.

18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to determine whether the end-user device is known to the controller based on presence of stored identification information associated with the end-user device.

19. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to store, when the end-user device is not known to the controller, identification information associated with the end-user device.

20. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to:
receiving, from a second controller of the network, notification of a wireless connection of the end-user device with a second access point of the network; and
forwarding, to the end-user device via the second access point and the second controller of the network, data traffic for the end-user device.

21. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the system is implemented in a mobile access point of a vehicle.

Assignees

• Veniam Inc

Inventors

• Lopes Diogo Miguel Augusto
• Condeixa Tiago Silvestre
• Magalhães De Matos Ricardo Jorge

Classifications

• H04W64/006 Primary

  with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination · CPC title

• H04W4/40

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

• H04W8/26 Primary

  Network addressing or numbering for mobility support · CPC title

• H04W76/11

  Allocation or use of connection identifiers · CPC title

• H04W84/005

  Moving wireless networks · CPC title