Cellular network coverage using a vehicle-based data transmission extender

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020344845-A1
Application number	US-202016927738-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 13, 2020
Priority date	Nov 29, 2018
Publication date	Oct 29, 2020
Grant date	—

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 vehicle, comprising:
a data transmission module that:
establishes communication with another data transmission module that is part of another vehicle, the another data transmission module being in communication with a fixed base station of a cellular network; and
relays data between the another data transmission module of the another vehicle and a mobile device located in or around the vehicle to extend geographic coverage of the cellular network to the mobile device;
and a data meter that tracks an amount of data relayed via the data transmission module of the vehicle between the another data transmission module of the another vehicle and the mobile device.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a signal detector that detects a signal emitted from the mobile device.

3 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the data transmission module relays the data between the another data transmission module of the another vehicle and the mobile device in response to the signal detector detecting the signal emitted from the mobile device.

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

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

6 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the another data transmission module of the another 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.

7 . A method, comprising:
establishing, using a data transmission module that is part of a vehicle, communication with another data transmission module that is part of another vehicle, the another data transmission module being in communication with a fixed base station of a cellular network; and relaying, using the data transmission module of the vehicle, data between the another data transmission module of the another vehicle and a mobile device located in or around the vehicle to extend geographic coverage of the cellular network to the mobile device; and tracking, using a data meter that is part of the vehicle, an amount of data relayed via the data transmission module of the vehicle between the another data transmission module of the another vehicle and the mobile device.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
detecting, using a signal detector that is part of the vehicle, a signal emitted from the mobile device.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the data transmission module relays the data between the another data transmission module of the another vehicle and the mobile device in response to the signal detector detecting the signal emitted from the mobile device.

10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
communicating, using the data transmission module of the vehicle, the amount of data tracked by the data meter of the vehicle to a central server.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
billing a provider of the cellular network based on the amount of data tracked by the data meter of the vehicle and communicated to the central server.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the cellular network is a 5G cellular network.

13 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the another data transmission module of the another 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.

14 . 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 data transmission module that is part of a vehicle, communication with another data transmission module that is part of another vehicle, the another data transmission module being in communication with a fixed base station of a cellular network; and
relaying, using the data transmission module of the vehicle, data between the another data transmission module of the another vehicle and a mobile device located in or around the vehicle to extend geographic coverage of the cellular network to the mobile device; and
tracking, using a data meter that is part of the vehicle, an amount of data relayed via the data transmission module of the vehicle between the another data transmission module of the another vehicle and the mobile device.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein, when the instructions are executed by the one or more processors, the following step is also executed:
detecting, using a signal detector that is part of the vehicle, a signal emitted from the mobile device.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the data transmission module relays the data between the another data transmission module of the another vehicle and the mobile device in response to the signal detector detecting the signal emitted from the mobile device.

17 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein, when the instructions are executed by the one or more processors, the following step is also executed:
communicating, using the data transmission module of the vehicle, the amount of data tracked by the data meter of the vehicle to a central server.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , 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 vehicle and communicated to the central server.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the cellular network is a 5G cellular network.

20 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the another data transmission module of the another 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

• H04M15/12

  Discriminative metering {, charging or billing} · CPC title

• H04W88/04 Primary

  adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user · CPC title

• H04W4/44

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

• H04W16/26

  Cell enhancers {or enhancement}, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow · CPC title

• H04W76/14 Primary

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title