Granted Patent B2

US 12,289,180 · App. 17/899,783 · Granted Apr 29, 2025

Inventors: Stephen Paul McFarland, Jr. (Allen, TX); Mark R. Klausner (San Diego, CA)

Assignees: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.; TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA

H04L12/40H04L67/12H04L67/2869H04L2012/40273

Abstract

Claims (75)

1. A method, comprising:

providing a message from a processor of a vehicle to a data communication module (DCM) in the vehicle to send to an external system;

determining the DCM is unable to send the message when a response is not received from the DCM within a predetermined period of time;

measuring a signal strength of at least one device detachably connected to the vehicle based on a radio frequency signal meter of the vehicle;

selecting a device detachably connected to the vehicle from the at least one device detachably connected to the vehicle based on the measured signal strength;

routing the message from the processor to the device detachably connected to the vehicle with a destination of the external system in a field of the message; and

sending, by the device detachably connected to the vehicle, the routed message to the external system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the DCM is unable to send the message comprises:

polling the DCM after providing the message to the DCM; and

not receiving a response to the polling within the predetermined period of time.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein routing the message to the device detachably connected to the vehicle comprises:

determining a plurality of devices configured to route the message; and

identifying a best-configured device of the plurality of devices based on signal strengths of the plurality of devices;

wherein the identified best-configured device is the device detachably connected to the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the routed message comprises:

obtaining the destination of the external system from the field of the message; and

sending the message to the destination.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

detecting the device detachably connected to the vehicle is unavailable;

identifying another vehicle with a DCM that is able to send the message; and

requesting a DCM from another vehicle to route the message to the device external to the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising writing contact information of the device detachably connected to the vehicle in a memory of the vehicle during a registration process, wherein the routing comprises routing the message to the device detachably connected to the vehicle based on the contact information written to the memory of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

setting a timer after providing the message to the DCM,

wherein the determining the DCM is unable to send the message comprises detecting that the timer expires without receiving the response from the DCM.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, coupled to the processor, comprising instructions that when executed by the processor are configured to:

provide a message from a processor of a vehicle to a data communication module (DCM) in the vehicle to send to an external system;

determine the DCM is unable to send the message when a response is not received from the DCM within a predetermined period of time;

measure a signal strength of at least one device detachably connected to the vehicle based on a radio frequency signal meter of the vehicle;

select a device detachably connected to the vehicle from the at least one device detachably connected to the vehicle based on the measured signal strength;

route the message to processor to the device detachably connected to the vehicle with a destination of the external system in a field of the message; and

send, by the device detachably connected to the vehicle, the routed message to a device external to the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to:

poll the DCM after providing the message to the DCM; and

not receive a response to the polling within the predetermined period of time.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to:

determine a plurality of devices configured to route the message; and

identify a best-configured device of the plurality of devices based on signal strengths of the plurality of devices,

wherein the identified best-configured device is the device detachably connected to the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to:

obtain the destination of the device external to the vehicle system from the field of the message; and

send the message to the destination.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions are configured to:

detect the device detachably connected to the vehicle is unavailable;

identify another vehicle with a DCM that is able to send the message; and

request a DCM from another vehicle to route the message to the device external to the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to write contact information of the device detachably connected to the vehicle in a memory of the vehicle during a registration process, wherein the processor routes the message to the device detachably connected to the vehicle based on the contact information written to the memory of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions are processor is configured to:

set a timer after providing the message to the DCM; and

determine the DCM is unable to send the message in response to detecting that the timer expires without receiving the response from the DCM.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions, that when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform:

providing a message from a processor of a vehicle to a data communication module (DCM) in the vehicle to send to an external system;

determining the DCM is unable to send the message when a response is not received from the DCM within a predetermined period of time;

measuring a signal strength of at least one device detachably connected to the vehicle based on a radio frequency signal meter of the vehicle;

selecting a device detachably connected to the vehicle from the at least one device detachably connected to the vehicle based on the measured signal strength;

routing the message from the processor to the device detachably connected to the vehicle with a destination of the external system in a field of the message; and

sending, by the device detachably connected to the vehicle, the routed message to the external system.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein determining the DCM is unable to send the message comprises:

polling the DCM after providing the message to the DCM; and

not receiving a response to the polling within the predetermined period of time.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein routing the message to the device detachably connected to the vehicle comprises:

determining a plurality of devices configured to route the message; and

identifying a best-configured device of the plurality of devices based on signal strengths of the plurality of devices,

wherein the identified best-configured device is the device detachably connected to the vehicle.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein sending the routed message comprises:

obtaining the destination of the device external to the vehicle from the message; and

sending the message to the destination.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

detecting the device detachably connected to the vehicle is unavailable;

identifying another vehicle with a DCM that is able to send the message; and

requesting a DCM from another vehicle to route the message to the device external to the vehicle.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

writing contact information of the device detachably connected to the vehicle in a memory of the vehicle during a registration process, wherein the routing comprises routing the message to the device detachably connected to the vehicle based on the contact information written to the memory of the vehicle.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (26)