Dynamic beam steering for vehicle communications

1. An apparatus for wireless communications comprising:

a wireless communication system;

an antenna array coupled to the wireless communication system;

a processor configured to run a wireless communication application, wherein the wireless communication application is configured to determine an area of interest based on a comparison of a geographical position of the apparatus with a roadway configuration identified from road map data; and

a pattern controller to adjust a radiation pattern of the antenna array to direct wireless energy toward the area of interest,

wherein the apparatus is deployed in a vehicle and wherein to adjust the radiation pattern of the antenna array comprises increasing a directivity of the antenna array via the vehicle traveling on a bidirectional roadway and decreasing the directivity of the antenna array when the vehicle is traveling on a single-direction roadway.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the area of interest is determined based, based at least in part, on objects detected in the vehicle's surrounding environment.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the area of interest is determined based, at least in part, on position information comprising map coordinates transmitted from a second vehicle and received through the wireless communication system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the roadway configuration describes a path of the roadway identified from the road map data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication application is configured to identify an interference source and instruct the pattern controller to adjust the radiation pattern of the antenna array to direct wireless energy away from the interference source.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a first vehicle and wherein to adjust the radiation pattern of the antenna array comprises to adjust a beam angle of the antenna array to direct the wireless energy to a second vehicle as a relative position between the first vehicle and the second vehicle changes.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the area of interest is based on a predicted position of a second vehicle, wherein the predicted position is based, at least in part, on location, speed, and direction information received from the second vehicle.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication system is a Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) system.

9. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions that are executable by a processor to direct the processor to:

transmit wireless communication messages through a wireless communication system coupled to an antenna array;

determine an area of interest for transmitting the wireless communication messages based on a comparison of a geographical position of the antenna array with a roadway configuration identified from road map data; and

control a radiation pattern of the antenna array to direct wireless energy toward the area of interest,

wherein the computer-readable medium is deployed in a vehicle and wherein to control the radiation pattern of the antenna array comprises increasing a directivity of the antenna array via the vehicle traveling on a bidirectional roadway and decreasing the directivity of the antenna array when the vehicle is traveling on a single-direction roadway.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the area of interest is determined based, at least in part, on objects detected in the vehicle's surrounding environment.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the area of interest is determined based, at least in part, on position information comprising map coordinates transmitted from a second vehicle and received through the wireless communication system.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the roadway configuration describes a path of the roadway identified from the road map data.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , comprising instructions to identify an interference source and control the radiation pattern of the antenna array to direct wireless energy away from the interference source.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle is a first vehicle and wherein to adjust the radiation pattern of the antenna array comprises to adjust a beam angle of the antenna array to direct the wireless energy to a second vehicle as a relative position between the first vehicle and the second vehicle changes.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the area of interest is based on a predicted position of a second vehicle, wherein the predicted position is based, at least in part, on location, speed, and direction information received from the second vehicle.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the wireless communication system is a Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) system.

17. A method of performing wireless communications, comprising

transmitting wireless communication messages through a wireless communication system coupled to an antenna array deployed in a vehicle;

determining an area of interest for transmitting the wireless communication messages based on a comparison of a geographical position of the antenna array with a roadway configuration identified from road map data; and

controlling a radiation pattern of the antenna array to direct wireless energy toward the area of interest, wherein the controlling the radiation pattern of the antenna array comprises increasing a directivity of the antenna array via the vehicle traveling on a bidirectional roadway and decreasing the directivity of the antenna array when the vehicle is traveling on a single-direction roadway.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein determining the area of interest is based, at least in part, on objects detected in a vehicle's surrounding environment.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein determining the area of interest is based, at least in part, on position information comprising map coordinates transmitted from a seconed vehicle and received through the wireless communication system.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the roadway configuration describes a path of the roadway identified from the road map data.

21. The method of claim 17 , comprising identifying an interference source and controlling the radiation pattern of the antenna array to direct wireless energy away from the interference source.