# US 12,192,807 B2 · Method and device for predicting a connection quality to a cellular network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,192,807 B2 - Document ID: US12192807B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/603,889 - Filed: 2020-04-02 - Published: 2022-07-07 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2019-04-15 - Assignees: Continental Automotive GmbH - Applicants: Continental Automotive GmbH - Inventors: Simon Piriou; Grégory Vial - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12192807B2 ## CPC - H04L 41/147: for predicting network behaviour - G06N 3/0499: Feedforward networks - G06N 3/08: Learning methods - G06N 3/09: Supervised learning - H04B 17/309: Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters - H04L 43/0811: by checking connectivity - H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds} - H04W 4/029: Location-based management or tracking services - H04W 4/23: for mobile advertising - H04W 24/08: Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A method for predicting a value representative of a quality of connection of a vehicle to a cellular network from a target location on a road network including: training a prediction model on the basis of a determined characteristic of propagation between an access point and the position of a training vehicle and on the basis of a value representative of a quality of the connection of the vehicle to said access point; and predicting a second value representative of a quality of connection to a cellular network at the target location on a road network on the basis of a second characteristic of propagation of a radio signal between the target location and an identified target access point by applying the trained model. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for predicting a value representative of a quality of connection of a vehicle to a cellular network from a target location on a road network, the method comprising: a phase of training a prediction model comprising the following steps: receiving, from at least one training vehicle connected to a particular access point, a location datum of the training vehicle, an identifier of the access point to which the training vehicle is connected, and a value representative of a quality of the connection of the training vehicle to said access point, determining a characteristic of propagation of a radio signal between the received location and the identified access point, comprising at least one length of a rectilinear propagation path of the signal from the identified access point to the received location, the signal being transmitted through a first topographic element, and at least one characteristic of the first topographic element, training the prediction model on the basis of the determined characteristic of propagation associated with the value representative of a quality of the received connection; and a phase of predicting a second value representative of a quality of connection to a cellular network at the target location on a road network, comprising the following steps: identifying a target cellular access point accessible from the target location, determining a second characteristic of propagation of a radio signal between the target location and the identified target access point, comprising at least one length of a rectilinear propagation path of the signal from the identified access point to the target location, the signal being transmitted through a first topographic element, and at least one characteristic of the first topographic element, predicting a value representative of a quality of connection to the target cellular access point from the target location by applying the model to the second characteristic of propagation; and wherein a vector of characteristics that is determined for a given location and an identified access point comprises: a length of a reflected propagation path of a signal from the access point to the given location, the signal being reflected from a second topographic element, the length of the reflected propagation path being a sum of a distance from the access point to the second topographic element and a distance from the second topographic element to the given location, and an angle of reflection of the signal from the second topographic element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vector of characteristics that is determined for a given location and an identified access point further comprises a datum representative of the physical nature of the second topographic element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a vector of characteristics that is determined for a given location and an identified access point further comprises a radio configuration of the identified access point. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a vector of characteristics that is determined for a given location and an identified access point further comprises a value representative of the amount of moisture in the air. ### Claim 5 A device for predicting a value representative of a quality of connection of a vehicle to a cellular network from a target location, the device comprising a memory in which are stored instructions, a communication module and a computer suitable for implementing, when it is configured by the instructions: a phase of training a prediction model comprising the following steps: receiving, via the communication module, from at least one training vehicle connected to a particular access point, a location datum of the training vehicle, an identifier of the access point to which the training vehicle is connected, and a value representative of a quality of the connection of the training vehicle to said access point, determining, via a characteristic-extracting module, a characteristic of propagation of a radio signal between the received location and the identified access point, comprising at least one length of a rectilinear propagation path of the signal from the identified access point to the received location, the signal being transmitted through a first topographic element, and at least one characteristic of the first topographic element, training the prediction model on the basis of the determined characteristic of propagation associated with the value representative of a quality of the received connection; and a phase of predicting a second value representative of a quality of connection to a cellular network at the target location on a road network, comprising the following steps: identifying a target cellular access point accessible from the target location, determining, via the characteristic-extracting module, a second characteristic of propagation of a radio signal between the target location and the identified target access point, comprising at least one length of a rectilinear propagation path of the signal from the identified access point to the target location, the signal being transmitted through a first topographic element, and at least one characteristic of the first topographic element, predicting a value representative of a quality of connection to the target cellular access point from the target location by applying the prediction model to the second characteristic of propagation; and wherein a vector of characteristics that is determined for a given location and an identified access point comprises: a length of a reflected propagation path of a signal from the access point to the given location, the signal being reflected from a second topographic element, the length of the reflected propagation path being a sum of a distance from the access point to the second topographic element and a distance from the second topographic element to the given location, and an angle of reflection of the signal from the second topographic element. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device for predicting a quality of connection as claimed in claim 5, wherein the device is a server. ### Claim 7 A non-transitory data medium containing computer-program instructions that, when executed by a processor, are configured to implement operations for predicting a value representative of a quality of connection of a vehicle to a cellular network from a target location on a road network, the operations comprising: a phase of training a prediction model comprising the following steps: receiving, from at least one training vehicle connected to a particular access point, a location datum of the training vehicle, an identifier of the access point to which the training vehicle is connected, and a value representative of a quality of the connection of the training vehicle to said access point, determining a characteristic of propagation of a radio signal between the received location and the identified access point, comprising at least one length of a rectilinear propagation path of the signal from the identified access point to the received location, the signal being transmitted through a first topographic element, and at least one characteristic of the first topographic element, training the prediction model on the basis of the determined characteristic of propagation associated with the value representative of a quality of the received connection; and a phase of predicting a second value representative of a quality of connection to a cellular network at the target location on a road network, comprising the following steps: identifying a target cellular access point accessible from the target location, determining a second characteristic of propagation of a radio signal between the target location and the identified target access point, comprising at least one length of a rectilinear propagation path of the signal from the identified access point to the target location, the signal being transmitted through a first topographic element, and at least one characteristic of the first topographic element, predicting a value representative of a quality of connection to the target cellular access point from the target location by applying the model to the second characteristic of propagation; and wherein a vector of characteristics that is determined for a given location and an identified access point comprises: a length of a reflected propagation path of a signal from the access point to the given location, the signal being reflected from a second topographic element, the length of the reflected propagation path being a sum of a distance from the access point to the second topographic element and a distance from the second topographic element to the given location, and an angle of reflection of the signal from the second topographic element. ### Claim 8 A road map comprising at least, for a location on the map, a value representative of a quality of connection to a cellular network, said value being obtained using a method comprising: a phase of training a prediction model comprising the following steps: receiving, from at least one training vehicle connected to a particular access point, a location datum of the training vehicle, an identifier of the access point to which the training vehicle is connected, and a value representative of a quality of the connection of the training vehicle to said access point, determining a characteristic of propagation of a radio signal between the received location and the identified access point, comprising at least one length of a rectilinear propagation path of the signal from the identified access point to the received location, the signal being transmitted through a first topographic element, and at least one characteristic of the first topographic element, training the prediction model on the basis of the determined characteristic of propagation associated with the value representative of a quality of the received connection; and a phase of predicting a second value representative of a quality of connection to a cellular network at the target location on a road network, comprising the following steps: identifying a target cellular access point accessible from the target location, determining a second characteristic of propagation of a radio signal between the target location and the identified target access point, comprising at least one length of a rectilinear propagation path of the signal from the identified access point to the target location, the signal being transmitted through a first topographic element, and at least one characteristic of the first topographic element, predicting a value representative of a quality of connection to the target cellular access point from the target location by applying the model to the second characteristic of propagation; and wherein a vector of characteristics that is determined for a given location and an identified access point comprises: a length of a reflected propagation path of a signal from the access point to the given location, the signal being reflected from a second topographic element, the length of the reflected propagation path being a sum of a distance from the access point to the second topographic element and a distance from the second topographic element to the given location, and an angle of reflection of the signal from the second topographic element. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the vector of characteristics that is determined for a given location and an identified access point further comprises a datum representative of the physical nature of the second topographic element. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein a vector of characteristics that is determined for a given location and an identified access point further comprises a radio configuration of the identified access point. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein a vector of characteristics that is determined for a given location and an identified access point further comprises a value representative of the amount of moisture in the air. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The non-transitory data medium as claimed in claim 7, wherein the vector of characteristics that is determined for a given location and an identified access point further comprises a datum representative of the physical nature of the second topographic element. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The non-transitory data medium as claimed in claim 7, wherein a vector of characteristics that is determined for a given location and an identified access point further comprises a radio configuration of the identified access point. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The non-transitory data medium as claimed in claim 7, wherein a vector of characteristics that is determined for a given location and an identified access point further comprises a value representative of the amount of moisture in the air. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The road map as claimed in claim 8, wherein the vector of characteristics that is determined for a given location and an identified access point further comprises a datum representative of the physical nature of the second topographic element. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The road map as claimed in claim 8, wherein a vector of characteristics that is determined for a given location and an identified access point further comprises a radio configuration of the identified access point. ### Claim 17 (depends on 8) The road map as claimed in claim 8, wherein a vector of characteristics that is determined for a given location and an identified access point further comprises a value representative of the amount of moisture in the air.