# US 10,485,037 B2 · Method and apparatus for distributed connectivity vehicle management > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,485,037 B2 - Document ID: US10485037B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/955,669 - Filed: 2015-12-01 - Published: 2017-06-01 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-01 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Basavaraj Tonshal; Anthony Mark Phillips; Ylldes Zeneli; Florian Frischmuth; Julius Marchwicki; Ritesh Pandya; Charles J. King, II; Yifan Chen; Panduranga Kondoju - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10485037B2 ## CPC - H04W 76/14: Direct-mode setup - H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks - H04L 67/51: Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04W 72/542: using measured or perceived quality - H04W 88/06: adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A system includes a processor configured to determine available vehicular connectivity options in response to a data transfer request. The processor is further configured to determine a preferred option from the available connectivity options based on previously stored connectivity policies, if multiple connectivity options exist which can be utilized to fulfill the request, and utilize the preferred option to fulfill the request. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a processor configured to: determine available vehicular connectivity options in response to a data transfer request; determine a preferred option from the available vehicular connectivity options based on previously stored connectivity policies defined and saved with respect to the vehicular connectivity options, defining at least data types to be serviced with a given option, responsive to determining that multiple available vehicular connectivity options exist, wherein the connectivity policies associated with a vehicle are determined on a driver-by-driver basis, a driver identifiable by a vehicle computing system, and wherein if the driver is not identified, a generic pre-set list of policies associated with the vehicle is used; and utilize the preferred option to fulfill the data transfer request. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the connectivity policies include public/private network utilization policies. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the connectivity policies include power-utilization policies. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the connectivity policies include a general ordering of connectivity options, to be used when multiple options remain after any other policy constraints are met. ### Claim 5 A computer implemented method comprising: determining available connectivity options in response to a data transfer request; limiting the available connectivity options based on policies associated with data to be transferred by the data transfer request; limiting the available connectivity options based on the policies defined and saved with respect to the connectivity options, defining at least data types to be serviced with a given option, responsive to determining that multiple available connectivity options exist, wherein the policies associated with a vehicle are determined on a driver-by-driver basis, a driver identifiable by a vehicle computing system, and wherein if the driver is not identified, a generic pre-set list of policies associated with the vehicle is used; selecting an option from the available connectivity options limited by the policies; and utilizing the selected connectivity option to fulfill the data transfer request. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the policies associated with data include public/private network utilization policies. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the policies associated with the vehicle include quality-of-connection policies. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the quality-of-connection policies includes-bandwidth of the available connectivity options. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the quality-of-connection policies includes-signal strength. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the policies associated with the vehicle include power-utilization policies. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the selecting further includes selecting based on a stored general order of the connectivity options, ordering the available connectivity options when other policy constraints are met. ### Claim 12 A system comprising: a processor configured to: determine available vehicular connectivity options in response to a data transfer request; if multiple vehicular connectivity options exist, limit a list of options based on connectivity policies associated with data to be transferred by the data transfer request; if the limited list has multiple options, further limit the list of options based on the connectivity policies associated with a vehicle, defined and saved with respect to the vehicular connectivity options, defining at least data types to be serviced with a given option, responsive to determining that multiple available connectivity options exist, wherein the connectivity policies associated with the vehicle are determined on a driver-by-driver basis, a driver identifiable by a vehicle computing system, and wherein if the driver is not identified, a pre-set list of policies associated with the vehicle is used; if the further limited list has multiple options, select an option based on a pre-set ordering of policies defining a general preference for certain options over others if all constraints are met; and utilize the selected option or an only remaining option to fulfill the data transfer request.