COMMUNICATION AND RELAY SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES
Methods and systems are provided to facilitate information sharing between vehicles. A relay vehicle may be provided which is in communication with a first group of remote vehicles over a first network and a second group of remote vehicles over a second network.
1 . A communication system of a relay vehicle for relaying information, comprising:
a first communication platform of a relay vehicle operable to receive a first communication signal from a first network, the first communication signal including remote vehicle transmission data associated with a remote vehicle, the first communication platform operable to generate an update notification including the remote vehicle transmission data;
a second communication platform of the relay vehicle operable to communicate with a second network, the second communication platform operable to receive the remote vehicle transmission data, the second communication platform operable to generate a second communication signal for the second network, the second communication signal including the remote vehicle transmission data; and
an electronic controller of the relay vehicle operable to communicate with the first communication platform and the second communication platform, operable to receive the update notification from the first communication platform, and operable to cause the remote vehicle transmission data to be provided to the second network.
2 . The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first communication platform is operable to associate the remote vehicle transmission data to a remote vehicle profile.
3 . The communication system of claim 2 , wherein the update notification includes the remote vehicle profile and the second communication signal includes the remote vehicle profile.
4 . The communication system of claim 3 , wherein a master remote vehicle profile associated with the remote vehicle is maintained for the second network, the remote vehicle profile is associated with the master remote vehicle profile.
5 . The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the second communication signal includes relay vehicle transmission data.
6 . The communication system of claim 5 , wherein the second communication platform is operable to store the remote vehicle transmission data at least until the second communication platform prepares the second communication signal for transmission.
7 . The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first communication platform is operable to receive a third communication signal including updated remote vehicle transmission data.
8 . The communication system of claim 7 , wherein the first communication platform is operable to generate a second update notification including the updated remote vehicle transmission data, wherein the electronic controller is operable to receive the second update notification.
9 . The communication system of claim 8 , wherein the electronic controller is operable to periodically cause the second communication platform to provide the updated remote vehicle transmission data to the second network.
10 . The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first communication signal is a radio signal and the first network is a vehicle-to-vehicle network.
11 . The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the second communication platform communicates with the second network that is a web-based network.
12 . The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the remote vehicle transmission data includes at least one of a remote vehicle identifier, a name, a position, a speed, and a fuel level.
13 . A relay vehicle having a gateway communication system for a network of vehicles, the vehicle comprising:
a data collection device to determine relay vehicle transmission data relating to a relay vehicle;
a first communication platform, the first communication platform operable to receive a first signal from a remote vehicle of a first network, the first signal including remote vehicle transmission data relating to the remote vehicle;
a second communication platform operable to receive the relay vehicle transmission data and the remote vehicle transmission data provided by the first communication platform, the second communication platform operable to store the remote vehicle transmission data and communicate a second signal to a second network, the second signal including the relay vehicle transmission data and the remote vehicle transmission data.
14 . The relay vehicle of claim 13 , further comprising an electronic controller operable receive the remote vehicle transmission data from the first communication platform and provide the remote vehicle transmission data to the second communication platform.
15 . The relay vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the electronic controller is operable to receive notification from the first communication platform that remote vehicle transmission data has changed.
16 . The relay vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the second communication platform is operable to receive a third signal from the second network, the second network including a second network remote vehicle, the third signal including second network remote vehicle transmission data for the second network remote vehicle.
17 . The relay vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the remote vehicle transmission data includes a remote vehicle first network identifier associated with the remote vehicle.
18 . The relay vehicle of claim 17 , wherein, when the second signal is communicated to the second network and the second network includes a second network remote vehicle identifier associated with the remote vehicle, the second network associates the remote vehicle transmission data with the second network remote vehicle identifier.
19 . The relay vehicle of claim 17 , wherein, when the second signal is communicated to the second network.
20 . The relay vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the first communication signal is a radio signal and the first network is a radio network.