# US 2021/0344787 A1 · Method and apparatus for cellular network backup connectivity > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0344787 A1 - Document ID: US20210344787A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/372,873 - Filed: 2021-07-12 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-14 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Oliver LEI; Allen R. MURRAY - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210344787A1 ## CPC - H04M 1/72412: using two-way short-range wireless interfaces - H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds} - H04W 4/024: Guidance services - H04W 4/44: for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H] - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information - H04W 64/003: {locating network equipment} - H04W 4/48: for in-vehicle communication - H04W 36/1446: {wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed} - H04W 88/06: adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A system includes a processor configured to detect the presence of a wireless network access point usable for vehicular communication. The processor is also configured to connect to the wireless access point and report connection information relating to the connected wireless access point to an entity capable of establishing direct cellular connection with a vehicle, identifying the connected wireless access point as an alternative communication method if cellular communication is unavailable. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a processor, remote from a vehicle, configured to: receive a first indicator from the vehicle that a cellular network is unusable for vehicle communication; receive identification, from the vehicle, of a wireless access point usable for vehicle communication based on identification of the wireless access point by the vehicle; receive requests to remotely access vehicle functionality of the vehicle; utilize the wireless access point to relay the received requests to the vehicle, by sending the requests over a network accessible by the vehicle through the wireless access point, until a second indicator is received from the vehicle that the cellular communication network is usable for vehicle communication; and revert to relaying the received requests via a cellular network responsive to the second indicator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless access point is a dedicated short range communication access point. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless access point is a Wi-Fi access point. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: determine, for each request received while the cellular communication network is unusable for vehicle communication, whether the request is transmittable according to restrictions associated with the wireless access point; and queue requests determined to be untransmittable until the second indicator is received. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to: determine if each request can be configured to render the request transmittable as part of the determination of whether the request is transmittable; and responsive to a determination that the request can be configured to render the request transmittable, configure the request to render the request transmittable. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to configure the request into one or more packets sized below a maximum packet-size restriction associated with the wireless access point. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to configure the request into a total transmission size below a maximum aggregate transmission amount restriction associated with the wireless access point. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: receiving a first indicator from a vehicle that a cellular network is unusable for vehicle communication; receiving identification, from the vehicle, of a wireless access point usable for vehicle communication based on identification of the wireless access point by the vehicle; receiving requests to remotely access vehicle functionality of the vehicle; utilizing the wireless access point to relay the received requests to the vehicle, by sending the requests over a network accessible by the vehicle through the wireless access point, until a second indicator is received from the vehicle that the cellular communication network is usable for vehicle communication; and revert to relaying the received requests via a cellular network responsive to the second indicator. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the wireless access point is a dedicated short range communication access point. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the wireless access point is a Wi-Fi access point. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: determining, for each request received while the cellular communication network is unusable for vehicle communication, whether the request is transmittable according to restrictions associated with the wireless access point; and queuing requests determined to be untransmittable until the second is received. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: determining if each request can be configured to render the request transmittable as part of the determination of whether the request is transmittable; and responsive to a determination that the request can be configured to render the request transmittable, configuring the request to render the request transmittable. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising configuring the request into one or more packets sized below a maximum packet-size restriction associated with the wireless access point. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising configuring the request into a total transmission size below a maximum aggregate transmission amount restriction associated with the wireless access point. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor remote from a vehicle, cause the processor to perform a method comprising: receiving a first indicator from the vehicle that a cellular network is unusable for vehicle communication; receiving identification, from the vehicle, of a wireless access point usable for vehicle communication based on identification of the wireless access point by the vehicle; receiving requests to remotely access vehicle functionality of the vehicle; utilizing the wireless access point to relay the received requests to the vehicle, by sending the requests over a network accessible by the vehicle through the wireless access point, until a second indicator is received from the vehicle that the cellular communication network is usable for vehicle communication; and revert to relaying the received requests via a cellular network responsive to the second indicator. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the wireless access point is a dedicated short range communication access point or a Wi-Fi access point. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The storage medium of claim 15, the method further comprising: determining, for each request received while the cellular communication network is unusable for vehicle communication, whether the request is transmittable according to restrictions associated with the wireless access point; and queuing requests determined to be untransmittable until the second is received. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The storage medium of claim 17, the method further comprising: determining if each request can be configured to render the request transmittable as part of the determination of whether the request is transmittable; and responsive to a determination that the request can be configured to render the request transmittable, configuring the request to render the request transmittable. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The storage medium of claim 18, the method further comprising configuring the request into one or more packets sized below a maximum packet-size restriction associated with the wireless access point. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The storage medium of claim 18, the method further comprising configuring the request into a total transmission size below a maximum aggregate transmission amount restriction associated with the wireless access point.