Wireless communication for vehicle based node

A wireless modem for a communication system supporting communication between an end node of a vehicle and a remote correspondent node via a fixed network, the communication system comprising:

• a plurality of wireless access points of the fixed network, each wireless access point having a directional antenna arrangement for mm wave radio communication using directional beams, each of the plurality of wireless access points being arranged to transmit a beacon signal in a mm wave frequency channel allocated to the wireless access point;
• wherein the wireless modem is arranged to establish mm wave radio communication links to wireless access points of the plurality of wireless access points, the mm wave radio communication links supporting a data session between the end node and the remote correspondent node, the wireless modem being located on the vehicle and employing electronically steerable beamforming directional antennas for establishing the mm wave radio communication links,
• the wireless modem further comprising:
• a first search circuit arranged to search for a beacon transmission in a first frequency channel;
• a first data receiver arranged to extract data from a detected beacon signal, the first data receiver being arranged to extract from the detected beacon signal:
• an indication of a first wireless access point of the plurality of wireless access points transmitting the beacon signal;
• a first load value indicative of a loading of the first wireless access point;
• an indication of a second wireless access point having overlapping coverage with the first wireless access point;
• a second data receiver arranged to extract data from a second beacon signal transmitted by the second wireless access point in a second frequency channel being different from the first frequency channel;
• the second data receiver being arranged to determine the second beacon signal in response to the indication of the second wireless access point and to extract from the second beacon signal a second load value indicative of a loading of the second wireless access point;
• a selection circuit arranged to select a target wireless access point from a set of wireless access points of the plurality of wireless access points dependent on the first load value and the second load value, the set of wireless access points comprising the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point;
• and
• a circuit arranged to initialize a mm wave link setup with the target wireless access point;
• wherein the first load value is indicative of at least one number selected from the group of:
• a first number of wireless modems having mm wave links established with the first wireless access point;
• and
• a second number of vehicles having mm wave links established with the first wireless access point.

A method of operation for a communication system supporting communication between an end node of a vehicle and a remote correspondent node via a fixed network, the communication system comprising:

• a plurality of wireless access points of the fixed network, each wireless access point having a directional antenna arrangement for mm wave radio communication using directional beams, each of the plurality of wireless access points being arranged to transmit a beacon signal in a mm wave frequency channel allocated to the wireless access point;
• at least a first wireless modem arranged to establish mm wave radio communication links to wireless access points of the plurality of wireless access points, the mm wave radio communication links supporting a data session between the end node and the remote correspondent node, the first wireless modem being located on the vehicle and employing electronically steerable beamforming directional antennas for establishing the mm wave radio communication links, and
• wherein the method comprises the first wireless modem:
• searching for a beacon transmission in a first frequency channel;
• extracting data from a detected beacon signal, the first data receiver being arranged to extract from the detected beacon signal:
• an indication of a first wireless access point of the plurality of wireless access points transmitting the beacon signal;
• a first load value indicative of a loading of the first wireless access point;
• an indication of a second wireless access point having overlapping coverage with the first wireless access point;
• extracting data from a second beacon signal transmitted by the second wireless access point in a second frequency channel being different from the first frequency channel, the extracting data including determining the second beacon signal in response to the indication of the second wireless access point and extracting from the second beacon signal a second load value indicative of a loading of the second wireless access point;
• selecting a target wireless access point from a set of wireless access points of the plurality of wireless access points dependent on the first load value and the second load value, the set of wireless access points comprising the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point;
• and
• initializing a mm wave link setup with the target wireless access point;
• wherein the first load value is indicative of at least one number selected from the group of:
• a first number of wireless modems having mm wave links established with the first wireless access point;
• and
• a second number of vehicles having mm wave links established with the first wireless access point.

A method of operation for a wireless modem of a communication system supporting communication between an end node of a vehicle and a remote correspondent node via a fixed network, the communication system comprising:

• a plurality of wireless access points of the fixed network, each wireless access point having a directional antenna arrangement for mm wave radio communication using directional beams, each of the plurality of wireless access points being arranged to transmit a beacon signal in a mm wave frequency channel allocated to the wireless access point;
• wherein the wireless modem is arranged to establish mm wave radio communication links to wireless access points of the plurality of wireless access points, the mm wave radio communication links supporting a data session between the end node and the remote correspondent node, the wireless modem being located on the vehicle and employing electronically steerable beamforming directional antennas for establishing the mm wave radio communication links,
• the method comprising:
• searching for a beacon transmission in a first frequency channel;
• extracting data from a detected beacon signal, the first data receiver being arranged to extract from the detected beacon signal:
• an indication of a first wireless access point of the plurality of wireless access points transmitting the beacon signal;
• a first load value indicative of a loading of the first wireless access point;
• an indication of a second wireless access point having overlapping coverage with the first wireless access point;
• extracting data from a second beacon signal transmitted by the second wireless access point in a second frequency channel being different from the first frequency channel, the extracting data including determining the second beacon signal in response to the indication of the second wireless access point and extracting from the second beacon signal a second load value indicative of a loading of the second wireless access point;
• selecting a target wireless access point from a set of wireless access points of the plurality of wireless access points dependent on the first load value and the second load value, the set of wireless access points comprising the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point;
• and
• initializing a mm wave link setup with the target wireless access point;
• wherein the first load value is indicative of at least one number selected from the group of:
• a first number of wireless modems having mm wave links established with the first wireless access point;
• and
• a second number of vehicles having mm wave links established with the first wireless access point.