Method and apparatus for varied-host shared vehicular remote connectivity
A system includes a processor configured to wirelessly broadcast connection credentials including host identification, responsive to a group-creation instruction. The processor is also configured to receive a request from a joining vehicle to join a group. The processor is further configured to exchange available cellular connectivity options between a group-creating vehicle and the joining vehicle. Also, the processor is configured to establish a connection with the joining vehicle. The processor is additionally configured to select a connectivity option to provide cellular connectivity for the group and instruct a vehicle corresponding to the connectivity option to serve as a connectivity-host.
1. A system comprising:
a processor configured to:
wirelessly broadcast connection credentials including host identification, responsive to a group-creation instruction;
select a connectivity option, from available connectivity options provided by each vehicle of a group established by the group-creation instruction, to provide cellular connectivity, for the group, based on an amount of group data already transferred by each of the connectivity options; and
set a connectivity-host to a vehicle corresponding to the selected connectivity option.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the host identification identifies a group-creating vehicle as the host.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the host identification identifies a member vehicle already grouped with a group-creating vehicle as the host.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to select the connectivity option corresponding to a connectivity option having a highest signal strength, which has not already transferred a predetermined threshold amount of data.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor receives aggregate amounts of group data already transferred by each of the connectivity options from vehicles participating in the group.
6. A computer-implemented method comprising:
responsive to wirelessly receiving cellular signal strength associated with a plurality of different cellular connectivity options from a group of vehicles connected together in a local wireless network, selecting a cellular connectivity option both associated with a signal strength above a predetermined threshold and which has also not yet handled cellular transfer of at least a predefined threshold amount of data; and
instructing, over the local wireless network, a vehicle providing the selected cellular connectivity option to serve as a cellular host for the group vehicles.