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    • 专利摘要:
    A method and system for wireless communication between a mobile router in a moving vehicle, such as a train, and one or several external server(s) via at least two types of external wireless networks, a first external wireless network type, trackside network, comprising a plurality of trackside base stations, such as access points, for communication in compliance with a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standard, said trackside base stations being arranged in the vicinity of a vehicle path of travel, and a second external wireless network type, cellular network, communicating via cellular network standard(s), such as in accordance with 3G, 4G or 5G standards, wherein the mobile router is arranged, at least periodically, to simultaneously communicate with the two types of external wireless networks thereby providing at least two concurrently useable external wireless networks. When good availability of such trackside wireless network(s) has been determined, communication is allowed through this trackside network(s) for all different data communication types with no or limited restrictions, and when it has been determined that such trackside wireless network(s) is not available, communication is allowed through cellular external network based on prioritization, wherein data communication types of highest priority is allowed with no restrictions, whereas data communication types of lower priority is restricted or prohibited.
    公开号:SE1651081A1
    申请号:SE1651081
    申请日:2016-07-22
    公开日:2018-01-23
    发明作者:Karlsson Mats
    申请人:Icomera Ab；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES USING BOTHTRACKSIDE WLAN AND CELLULAR NETWORK COMMUNICATION Technical field of the invention The present invention relates to a wireless communication method andsystem for moving vehicles, such as trains, and in particular a method/systemallowing more efficient communication to and from the moving vehicle, and inparticular a method/system for wireless communication between a movingvehicle and remote servers through at least one external mobile network.
    BackgroundThe demands on wireless communication capabilities in today's society are increasing rapidly. ln particular, fast and easily accessible communicationis desired through hand-held devices over large areas. lt is particularlychallenging to achieve such communication for mobile devices which aremoving, e.g. when moving over large distances with poor network coverageor when affected by unknown sources of noise interrupting a signal forcommunication, such as clients moving on e.g. trains, airplanes, and othertypes of moving vehicles. ln particular, if a client, such as a mobile phone,moves over large areas the client has to connect to several base stations inorder to maintain a sufficient connection for communication.
    Further, e.g. train carriages are made of metal, and even the windowsare normally covered with a metal film. Accordingly, train carriages areshielded compartments, and direct communication between terminalantennas within the carriages and externally located antennas is difficult toobtain.
    The mobile nature of a client with respect to the base stations may alsointroduce several potential sources of communication performancedegradation. Such sources may derive from complex terrain, competition foravailable channels, or the source may be an unknown source of noise relatedto e.g. radio-frequency interference.
    At the same time, there is today an increasing demand frompassengers to be able to communicate through mobile phones and otherhandheld terminals when travelling on e.g. trains, and also to be able to getaccess to the lnternet with laptops, PDAs etc. Further, with the newsmartphones, and the way these are used, with e.g. continuously operatingapplications, many phones are active at all times, meaning that manyhandovers are required when the train moves. Even though this problem iscommon for all moving vehicles, it is especially pronounced for vehiclesmoving at high speed, such as trains and airplanes, and trains are in additionfacing problems with poor line-of-sight between the base stations and thetrain. This puts a strain on the wireless network infrastructure, leading to poorperformance.
    To this end, it is known to provide a mobile access router for datacommunication, also connected both to an external antenna and an internalantenna, in each carriage, in order to provide lnternet access on board thevehicle. Such mobile access router solutions are e.g. commercially availablefrom the applicant of the present application, lcomera AB, of Gothenburg,Sweden, and are also disclosed in EP 1 175 757 and WO 15/169917 by thesame applicant. This method has greatly improved the reliability of high-bandwidth wireless communication for trains and other large vehicles.However, this solution may still be insufficient to obtain an optimaltransmission performance, especially for large data volumes. Trains and othermoving vehicles often pass through areas with bad radio coverage, andpresent solutions are often unable to handle the required traffic. Further, thedata traffic using cellular network communication, such as over 3G or 4G, isrelatively costly.
    Further, it is known to communicate with trains and other vehiclesthrough dedicated base stations arranged sequentially along the rail track,and with a certain distance apart. Such base stations are generally referred toas trackside base stations or trackside access points, and typically operateswith e.g. WLAN. However, trackside base stations may also operate inaccordance with other protocols or standards, such as unlicensed LTE,licensed LTE, GSM-R, etc.. However, trackside networks are extremely costly to implement, since the base stations need to be very close to each other,thereby requiring a very large number of base stations arranged close to therailway or road, and relatively evenly distributed. Thus, on the one handtrackside base stations cannot be arranged too far away from each other,since the performance deteriorates rapidly when the distance increases,however, on the other hand, closely arranged trackside base stations interferewith each other, making efficient communication problematic. Thus,implementation of trackside networks requires huge investments, and takesvery long time. Despite this, it may still be difficult to obtain good coverageover the entire railway or road, and the communication performance may stillbe poorly and inadequate. The high costs are primarily related to the closearrangement of the base stations/access points, costs for building rather highradio towers, power to operate the base stations/access points and provisionof fiber/radio link connections to the trackside network, such as the internet ora company specific networks. Thus, known trackside communication systemsare very costly both to install and to operate.
    There is therefore a need for an improved method and system forcommunicating with moving vehicles, and in particular trains, allowingincreased capacity, capacity utilization, quality and/or cost-efficiency. Eventhough the above discussion is focused on trains, similar situations andproblems are encountered in many other types of moving vehicles, and in particular moving passenger vehicles, such as buses, ships and airplanes.
    Summary of the invention lt is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method forwireless communication and a wireless communication system for movingvehicles, and in particular a train, which alleviates all or at least some of theabove-discussed drawbacks of the presently known systems.
    This object is achieved by means of a wireless communication methodand system for a moving vehicle, such as a train as defined in the appendedclaims.
    According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided amethod for wireless communication between a mobile router in a moving vehicle, such as a train, and one or several external server(s) via at least twotypes of external wireless networks, a first external wireless network typecomprising a plurality of trackside base stations, such as access points, forcommunication in compliance with a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN),said trackside base stations being arranged in the vicinity of a vehicle path oftravel, such as a train route, and a second external wireless network typecommunicating via cellular network standard(s), such as in accordance with3G, 4G or 5G standards, wherein the mobile router is arranged, at leastperiodically, to simultaneously communicate with the two types of externalwireless networks thereby providing at least two concurrently useableexternal wireless networks, the method comprising: identifying for data streams to or from said mobile router a datacommunication type for said data stream, said data communication typebeing selected from a set of at least two different data communication types,each data communication type being associated with a specific prioritization; determining, preferably in real-time, the availability of external wirelessnetwork(s) of the first of said external wireless network types, and, when goodavailability of such external wireless network(s) has been determined,allowing communication through this external wireless network(s) for alldifferent data communication types with no or limited restrictions, and when ithas been determined that such an external wireless network(s) of the firstexternal wireless network type is not available, allowing communicationthrough external wireless network(s) of said second external network typebased on prioritization, wherein data streams of highest priority are allowedwith no restrictions, whereas data streams of lower priority are restricted orprohibited.
    The present invention is based on the understanding that whileproviding WLAN access or the like with trackside base stations over entireroutes is extremely cumbersome and expensive, it is relatively inexpensive toprovide WLAN access or the like with trackside base stations over part ofmost routes, such as covering between 1-90%, such as 5-70%, 5-50% or 5-25%. By means of the present invention, data streams with high priority, suchas voice communication (VoIP and the like), are allowed with limited or no restrictions also over the second external wireless network typecommunicating via cellular network standard(s). Hence, the high priority datacommunication will work well over the entire route, with high bandwidth, lowlatency, etc. Data communication of lower or low priority will mostly beforwarded on the trackside network, whereas communication over the cellularnetwork will be restricted or even prohibited. Data communication of lowerpriority may e.g. be streaming video, downloading of web pages, etc. Suchlow priority data communication normally amounts to the greater part of thetotal amount of data communication, but is less sensitive to higher latencyand the like. Further, the low priority data communication may also bebuffered at the router, making short interruptions in the data communicationessentially unnoticeable for the user.
    Hence, in this way, a trackside network which does not cover the entireroute, and which may even have a relatively poor coverage, may still forwarda significant amount of the overall data communication to and from themoving vehicle. This makes the data communication very cost-effective, andsaves the resources and capacity of the cellular network to where it is reallyneeded. Thus, the LTE network is not choked with streaming video and thelike, and the capacity is saved for prioritized data communication, such asvoice communication. Further, drawbacks for the clients onboard the train, interms of e.g. longer latency, are hardly noticeable, and are insignificant.
    When building trackside networks, the costs increase exponentiallytowards the end when attempting to provide 100% coverage. lt has beenfound that when building a trackside network with 100% coverage, the last20% will cost 80% of the total costs for the trackside network. By means ofthe present invention, it becomes possible to build trackside networks only inareas where it is reasonable and affordable, in a very cost-effective way, andstill use this trackside network for the bulk of the data traffic, and with no orvery limited negative consequences for the user compared to if a tracksidenetwork with 100% coverage had been provided.
    Such trackside networks with limited coverage can also be built andset-up very quickly compared to trackside networks with full coverage, andcan also easily be complemented further over time, to provide better coverage, if there is need for such better coverage. Thus, the hurdles toimplement the present invention are very low, since trackside networks ofpoor but adequate coverage are already present along many railways androads, such as in the vicinity of railway stations, or can alternatively be builtquickly and to a very low cost. Trackside base stations can e.g. easily andadvantageously be located in positions where there is already access tooptical fibers or the like, and a suitable distance from the railway or road, suchas within a distance of 0-1 km from the railway/road, and preferably within adistance of 0-0.5 km. For railways and roads extending over areas with muchpopulation, there will already be a plethora of such suitable positions. lt is alsopossible to connect trackside base stations positioned within close range fromthe railway/road to optical fibers or the like being farther away by e.g. radiolink connections. ln this way, trackside base stations may be connected tooptical fibers which are e.g. within a range of 0.5-10 km or more from therailway or road.
    At the same time, areas where it is difficult to build trackside network,such as where the terrain makes it difficult, where it is difficult to obtainbuilding permits, where it is far to the closest optical backbone connection,etc, can by means of the present invention be left without trackside networkcoverage, since the prioritized data communication will anyway be allowedover the cellular network.
    A dedicated trackside network gives a very high capacity/bandwidth tothe train/vehicle. When the initial investment is done the train/vehicle hasmore capacity than the onboard customers and services can use. You don'tneed to have any bandwidth restrictions to the customers or applications.Thus, the trackside network has a high initial investment, but when built, highdata volume, high bandwidth usage does not increase the running cost for thetrackside network. When the train/vehicle are connected to the tracksidenetwork it is of advantage to use this as much as possible. By means of thepresent invention, the majority of the data streams can be forvvarded throughthe trackside network, with very limited noticeable drawbacks for the users.
    Cellular network, such as 4G and 5G networks, on the other hand havelow initial investment, since the system is using the commercially available cellular networks, but high data volume, high bandwidth is available to asubstantial cost since the cost is normally dependent on the volume, and thecellular network capacity is normally lower than for dedicated tracksidenetwork.
    By means of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently restrictthe usage of the cellular networks in an optimal way, but without lowering theonboard Internet service too much. This is lowers the overall costs, and alsoensures that the limited available capacity of the cellular networks is usedwhere it is most needed.
    Building 100% coverage on the trackside network is normallyexpensive, some tower installations are cheap, have easy access to fiber andpower, on other locations fiber/network and power access are impossible orcosts are very high, with need for radio links and solar/diesel poweredsystem and the like. These remote areas in most cases have adequatecellular network coverage and capacity. By only building trackside networkswhere it's cheap and easy or as a complement where there is no cellularnetwork coverage at all (even if, at those places, it may be quite costly) andby efficiently distributing the data streams between these network types inaccordance with the invention, it is possible to combine the strengths of bothnetworks. This is done by limiting the maximum bandwidth per passenger andor per application and blocking certain bandwidth demanding services whenonly in cellular coverage, and allowing high bandwidth to all types of datastreams when in coverage of the trackside network. Hereby, high bandwidthinternet access is allowed to the passengers and also all bandwidthdemanding services.
    A combined solution with partially trackside coverage that is builtwhere it's cheap give a big advantage, when utilized in accordance with thepresent invention. When in trackside coverage your bandwidth demandingservices will be updated regularly, but when only in cellular coverage theseservices will be blocked. The onboard service for a passenger/onboardapplications will be seen nearly as good as a high bandwidth unrestrictednetwork. Your Windows update, iCloud, Dropbox etc will be downloaded andupdated when in trackside coverage.
    This solution by only building partially coverage will lower theinvestment costs and the cost for cellular data and increase the systemperformance. lf you e.g. build 50% trackside coverage you might download90% of the data to the train/vehicle over the trackside network. This combinednetwork solution can lower overall system investment and running cost andincrease the system performance.
    The control of the data transfer in accordance with the presentinvention may be implemented e.g. as software in the router onboard thevehicle, that dynamically can change service and networkpreferences/settings depending on what network technology that is used.
    The “router” or “mobile router” is a networking router, which is amachine that forwards data packets between computer networks, on at leastone data link in each direction. The router may be a mobile access router,and preferably a mobile access and applications router. The router preferablycomprises means for determining the data communication type of a stream ofwireless data packets received by the router, such as if the data streamcorresponds to a prioritized VoWlFl call, the means being for exampleappropriate hardware and/or software, from here on referred to as a controlunit. The identification step can be performed on a stream of wireless datapackets received from a client onboard the public transport vehicle, or from aremote server outside the vehicle.
    An internal LAN may be provided inside the public transport vehicle forproviding wireless communication between the router and at least one clientonboard. The at least one client onboard may accordingly be connected tosaid router via a LAN (local area network) provided by one or more wirelessaccess points within the public transport vehicle. Preferably, at least one suchwireless access point is provided in each carriage. All wireless access pointsmay be connected to a single, central router, arranged in one of the carriagesof a train. However, each carriage in the train may also be provided with aseparate router connected to at least one wireless access point, where thewireless access point may be external to the router or an integrated functionof the router.
    The method is preferably executed by a controller, being part of orconnected to mobile router on-board the train, or alternatively being part of orconnected to the exterior mobile network(s), and in communication with thetrackside base stations. The method can be implemented and realized solelyor to a large extent in software, but may also, to some extent or evencompletely be realized in hardware. ln a preferred embodiment, the vehicle route/path is predeterminedand the external wireless network comprising a plurality of trackside basestations, such as trackside access points, distributed along a vehicle path oftravel, and located along the predetermined route. The coverage of eachtrackside base station is inter alia dependent on the height of the antenna ofthe cell, the height of the vehicle, the maximum, minimum or averagedistance between the vehicle and the antenna, and the frequency ofcommunication. Preferably, the trackside base stations are operated at about5 GHz but can operate in any frequency available, 2,4 GHz, 3,5 GHz andothers.
    The system may comprise a plurality of masts, each mast having atleast one antenna structure or construction mounted thereupon. Eachantenna structure or construction may be coupled to a respective, separatebase station/access point for communication with the vehicle-based mobilerouter, although in some embodiments, multiple antenna structures orconstructions on the same mast may be coupled to the same basestation/access point, or provide two or more base stations/access points. Thebase stations/access points may be connected to each other, to a networkbackhaul using e.g. an optical fiber system.
    The communication between the trackside base stations and themobile router is preferably made in compliance with a WLAN standard, andmost preferably in compliance with the IEEE 802.11 standard (which mayalso be referred to as WiFi). However, it is also possible to use other wirelesscommunication protocols/technologies. For example, trackside base stationsmay also operate in accordance with other protocols or standards, such asunlicensed LTE, licensed LTE, GSM-R, etc.
    The determining, preferably in real-time, of the availability of externalwireless network(s) of the first of external wireless network types, i.e. thetrackside, WLAN network, corresponds to determining whether the mobilerouter is within the access area of any of the trackside base stations. This canbe made by signal detection in the trackside base stations and/or in themobile router, and by forwarding information regarding this to the controller.However, alternatively or additionally, this determination can also be madebased on GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals, such as GPSsignals, received by the mobile router. ln this case, exact position data can becommunicated to the controller, and by knowing the positioning and coverageareas of the trackside base stations, the controller can determine in whichcoverage area(s) the mobile router is present. Further, the controller maypredict this based on the timing and sequence of base stations in which themobile router has been previously.
    Similarly, the direction of travel for the vehicle may be determined invarious ways. For example, the positioning data received by GNSS/GPSsignals in the mobile router may be used to this end, the sequence oftrackside base stations in the coverage areas of which the mobile router hasbeen may be used, etc. ln a preferred embodiment, the mobile routers are arranged to receiveGNSS/GPS data, and communicate this to the external mobile network, saidGNSS/GPS data being useable to detect the presence of the mobile routerwithin the access area of any of said plurality of trackside base stations.
    Preferably, the controller comprises or is connected to a databasecomprising data at least about the identity of the trackside base stations andthe positioning of the trackside base stations, and optionally also about thecoverage area of the trackside base stations in relation to the vehicle path.
    The trackside base stations/access points may at least at somelocations be arranged so that there is at least some overlap between thecoverage areas for neighboring trackside base stations. When a vehicletravels through this overlap area, a conventional handover may be performedfrom the previously passed trackside base stations to the trackside basestations ahead of the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the overlapping 11 coverage areas can be used to enable simultaneous communication withmore than one trackside base stations. Thus, the mobile router can preferablybe arranged to simultaneously communicate with the external tracksidenetwork through at least two trackside base stations when more than onetrackside base stations is accessible for the mobile router, thereby providingat least two concurrently useable external wireless networks. This enhancesthe communication performance significantly, and also alleviates theproblems related to handovers.
    The mobile router may be arranged to communicate with the cellularnetwork, i.e. the second external wireless network, only when there is noaccess to the trackside network, i.e. the first external wireless network.However, the mobile router may alternatively simultaneously communicatewith at least one second external wireless network, thereby providing at leastone further concurrently useable data link.
    When several external wireless networks of the same type areavailable, the mobile router is preferably arranged to evaluate the quality ofsaid external wireless networks, e.g. on a host layer and e.g. by repeatedlysending requests arranged to trigger a determinable automated response tosaid stationary communication server via said external wireless network andmeasure the time until the triggered automated responses are received; andassigning data streams to said external wireless network at least partly basedon said evaluated quality.
    Further, the mobile router in the moving vehicle may be arranged toreceive and transmit wireless data packets to and from a stationarycommunication server outside the moving vehicle through the at least oneexterior mobile network via at least one antenna, and to and from at least oneclient onboard the moving vehicle.
    When the router is arranged to communicate with the communicationserver on at least two different external wireless networks (communicationroutes) having different characteristics, the router may be arranged toautomatically separate the communication traffic between said externalwireless networks based on an evaluation of the quality. The data streamsmay then be forwarded on one or several links to and from a dedicated 12 external server, which may be referred to as an aggregation server orgateway. The different links thereby form a single virtual link between therouter and the gateway.
    The communication can be automatically optimized based on theevaluation, and also optionally on other conditions, such as price, speed,latency, etc. Thus, in addition to the evaluation, prioritizing and assignmentsmay be made based on other static or dynamic parameters, such as signalstrength and the like. Such further optimizations are per se known from EP1 175 757 and WO 15/169917 by the same applicant, said documents herebybeing incorporated by reference. An automatic selection is then made amongthe available external wireless netvvorks to use the most efficient combination.Hence, a seamless distribution of the data among the different externalwireless networks is obtained.
    The router may, in addition to the trackside, WLAN (or other protocolused for the communication with the trackside base stations), use anyavailable external wireless netvvorks, such as GSM, Satellite, DVB-T, HSPA,EDGE, 1X RTT, EVDO, LTE, Wi-Fi and WiMAX; and optionally combinethem into one virtual network connection. ln particular, it is preferred to useexternal wireless networks provided through wireless wide-area network(WWAN) communication technologies.
    The selection of links is preferably made once for each data stream.However, re-selection for data streams that have failed may also be made.Further, data streams may also be split among two or more external wirelessnetvvorks, e.g. by transferring a first part of a data stream on one data link tobegin with, and then continue the transfer of the rest of the data stream onanother data link, based on a re-assignment decision. Re-selection and/or re-assignment may also be made based on other criteria than complete failure ofthe presently used data link, such as when the evaluated quality of the linkpresently used is significantly deteriorated, falls below a certain threshold, orthe like.
    The step of identifying a data communication type for datacommunication is preferably made for each data stream. The datacommunication types may be only two - prioritized and non-prioritized - but 13 three or more data communication types may also be used, such as highpriority, medium priority and low priority.
    Data streams corresponding to voice traffic would typically fall underthe category “prioritized” or “high priority”, whereas streaming video wouldtypically fall under the category “non-prioritized” or “low priority”. VPN datastreams may be assigned to “prioritized” or “high priority” or “middle priority”,whereas http data streams may be assigned to “non-prioritized” or “middlepriority” or “low priority”.
    Thus, the step of identification of data type may involve determinationof if a stream of wireless data packets received by said router corresponds toat least one of a VolP (Voice over IP) stream and a VoWlFl (Voice over Wi-Fi)stream. VoWlFl may also be referred to as Wi-Fi calling, or GAN/UMA(Generic Access Network or Unlicensed Mobile Access). VoWlFl is in thepresent context to be understood as a solution whereby mobile serviceproviders can deliver the same set of mobile voice and messaging servicesthey currently offer over their macro cellular network, over any Wi-Fi network,globally. ln short, it can be said that the cellular world has two separate corenetworks, called CS (circuit switched) that was used for voice and PS (packetswitched) for data. As operators moved more and more voice communicationover to the PS part two new terms evolved, Voice over HSPA/3G (VoHSPA)and Voice over LTE/4G (VoLTE), and subsequently it was realized that onecan use WiFi to access the PS part of the network, hence, VoWlFl.
    The VoWlFl is preferably used in accordance with the IEEE 802.11standard, and may also be referred to as voice over WLAN (VoWLAN), butother wireless internet networks may also be used. ln more detail, VoWlFl enables the user to make standard phone callsover Wi-Fi. This is done by routing the call traffic through the Wi-Ficonnection, instead of over the air to a cell tower. ln VoWlFl the user dials thenumber, and places the call in a conventional way, just like in a circuitswitched environment. However, the difference is that the call connects overWi-Fi, and is transferred in data packets, and is subsequently injected backinto the cellular network as if the call had been beamed over the air.Furthermore, an increasing number of smart phone providers are providing 14 built-in support for Evolved Packet Core (EPC) integrated Wi-Fi callingsupport as part of their device fleet. This provides users with native Wi-Ficalling experience without any need to download a specific softwareapplication, but instead users can continue to use the built-in phone dialerand continue to be reached on their phone number. Unlike services likeSkype, Viber, WhatsApp and other Over the Top (OTT) Voice over IP (VoIP)applications, which place calls using call forwarding or an internet-basedinterface, VoWlFl lets the user use the ordinary carrier phone number overthe internet. VoWlFl is also distinct from VoIP technology in that VoIPtransfers the voice over the internet to the switched telephone network,whereas VoWlFl connects the voice traffic to the mobile carrier's networkusing the internet instead of cell towers. A wireless communication systemcapable of transferring voice communication via VoWlFl between at least onemobile terminal and an exterior mobile network is disclosed in the pendingand still unpublished Swedish patent application No. 1451302-2, by thepresent applicant, said document incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.
    Therefore, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention the step of determining, in the router, if a stream of wirelessdata packets from the at least one client on board the public transport vehiclecorresponds to at least one of a VoIP stream and a VoWlFl streamcomprises: determining at least one of a source, a destination, a size and patternof the stream of wireless data packets, and using this for identification if thestream of wireless data packets corresponds at least one of a VoIP streamand a VoWlFl stream. ln addition to, or as an alternative, the step ofdetermining if a stream of wireless data packets from the at least one clienton board the public transport vehicle corresponds to at least one of a VoIPstream and a VoWlFl stream comprises identification of a data packet type ordata stream type for the stream of wireless data packets based on deeppacket inspection.
    The concept of analyzing packet size and shape of various packetstreams in order to identify and determine the data stream type, as such, is per se known, and often utilized in traffic shaping or packet shaping. Trafficshaping techniques can be found in e.g. US2005/0172008, EP1912385,US7061860, US2004/0111461, AdaptibandTN' by XRoads Networks,Radware's Deep Flow lnspectionTM, and NAVL by Procera Networks, all ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference. However, as far as is presentlyknown, this has never been used on public transport vehicles, and inparticular not for the same purposes as in the present invention. lt has nowbeen realized by the present inventors that these various ways of determininga type of data stream can be used to improve the travelling experience andincrease passenger satisfaction on public transport vehicles. Furthermore thepresent invention enables communication networks onboard public transportvehicles to be much more compatible with on-going technological trends suchas VoLTE, VoWlFl, etc.
    The present invention is based on the realization that datacommunication of different types have different needs, which varies greatly,and by treating such data communication differently, great savings and muchincreased performance can be obtained. For example, an individual HTTPrequest is relatively insensitive to latency. Furthermore, HTTP trafficconstitutes a large portion of passenger traffic. Therefore, excluding orrestricting all HTTP traffic from the cellular network is highly beneficial. At theother end of the spectrum, a VPN connection is likely to be lengthy andsensitive to perturbations. VPN connection data streams would therefore beamong the prioritized types of data communication.
    The automatic analysis of data streams, for the purpose of identifyingthe data communication type can take place by a variety of means, asdiscussed below.
    Identification of data communication type may comprise determiningwhether the data communication involves a HTTP communication, and toassign this to a data communication type having a low or moderate priority.Additionally or alternatively, the identification may comprise determiningwhether the requested resource involves a TCP communication a destinationport of 80, and to assign this to a data communication type having a low ormoderate priority. The same may apply to HTTPS communication, using a 16 destination port of 443, and this data communication type may also beassigned low or moderate priority. Additionally or alternatively, theidentification may comprise determining whether the requested resourceinvolves a VPN communication, and to assign this to a data communicationtype having high priority.
    Preferably, the identification comprises determining if the datacommunication is at least one of voice-over-IP (VOIP) and VPN, and toassign this to a data communication type with high priority. The data streamtype may e.g. be determined based on deep packet inspection.
    However, the identification of a data communication type can be madein many different ways, such as based on packet size and pattern of a packetstream. Additionally the match may depend on a source and a destination ofthe wireless data packets. For example, it is possible to determining if thepacket stream is related to web browsing, e-mailing, computer gaming,media-streaming, such as video, voice over IP (VolP), VPN communication,etc. For example, a stream of small packets every 15-25 milliseconds in bothdirections can with high probability be recognized as a VolP call.
    Thus, the step of identifying a data communication type preferablycomprises determining at least one of a source, a destination, a size andpattern of the wireless data packets, and using this for identification of a datacommunication type. ln particular, it is of interest to identify if the data packetis a video data packet, and to assign such data communication to a datacommunication type having low priority. Since video, e.g. in streamingservices, is normally responsible for a very large part of the data traffic,restricting or prohibiting such data communication over the cellular network ishighly beneficial. lt may, additionally or alternatively, be of great interest toidentify data communication types which are most in need for good qualityand high bandwidth at all times, and to grant access for such communicationvia the cellular network. Such packet types to be prioritized are e.g. voice-over-IP (VOIP) data packets and a VPN data packets.
    The availability of the external wireless network(s) of the first type, i.e.the trackside, WLAN network(s), can be determined to be either on or off. lnthis case, all data communication types will be allowed in the “on” state, with 17 no or limited restrictions, whereas only data communication of highest prioritywill be allowed with no restrictions in the “ofF' state, data communication oflower priority being restricted or prohibited.
    However, the availability of the trackside, WLAN network(s) can alsobe determined more finely, e.g. in three or more states. E.g. the “on” statemay comprise “on with low capacity” and “on with high capacity”. Forexample, “on with low capacity” may be where the throughput is less than 100Mb/s, and “on with high capacity” may be where the throughput is more than100 Mb/s. ln such cases, data communication for data communication typeshaving lower priority may be more restricted in the “on with low capacity” statethan in the “on with high capacity” state. ln a quick and relatively simple, but yet highly efficient, embodiment,the step of identifying a data communication type comprises comparing atleast one of a destination address of said data stream and an output port ofsaid data stream with a whitelist comprising at least one predefined addressor port, and assigning a higher priority to said data streams in case of amatch. This provides an alternative or additional means for determining if astream of wireless data packets corresponds to a prioritized datacommunication type, such as at least one of a VoIP stream and a VoWlFlstream, as compared to analyzing size and/or shape of the stream. A whitelistis in the present context to be interpreted as a defined list of IP-addressesand/or ports, where data streams associated with these IP-addresses/portsare assigned the highest priority. Such highly prioritized data streams will beallowed with no restrictions, or as few restrictions as possible, both fortrackside networks and cellular networks. Preferably the whitelist comprisesat least one IP-address associated with e.g. VoWlFl and/or VoIP protocols,e.g. a destination address. The whitelist may also be dynamically andperiodically updated. Alternatively, or in addition to IP-addresses and/or ports,the whitelist may comprise a list of web addresses, enabling prioritizingstreams when an attempt is made to contact certain web addresses via e.g. aDNS server.
    Alternatively, or preferably in addition, the step of identifying a datacommunication type may comprise comparing at least one of a destination 18 address of said data stream and an output port of said data stream with ablacklist comprising at least one predefined address or port, and assigning alower priority to said data streams in case of a match. This provides foralternative or additional means for determining if a stream of wireless datapackets corresponds to data communication types of lowest priority. Ablacklist is in the present context to be interpreted as a defined list of IP-addresses and/or ports, where data streams associated with these IP-addresses/ports are assigned lowest priority. Such data streams may e.g. beblocked when only cellular networks are available, and may also besomewhat restricted on trackside networks. Preferably the blacklist comprisesat least one IP-address associated with e.g. streaming video, downloading offiles, etc, e.g. a destination address. The blacklist may also be dynamicallyand periodically updated. Alternatively, or in addition to IP-addresses and/orports, the blacklist may comprise a list of web addresses, enabling blocking ofstreams when an attempt is made to contact certain web addresses.
    Data communication to be prioritized/whitelisted, may e.g. be voicecalls, VPN data streams, etc. Prioritized/whitelisted data streams will beallowed to be transferred over both trackside networks and cellular networks,and preferably without any restrictions.
    Data communication of lowest priority, i.e. blacklisted communication, can e.g. be:O Operating system autoupdate services like: - Windows update - Android update - Apple update O Automatic cloud storage synchronization services like: - Automatic file synchronization with Apple iCloud - Automatic file synchronization with Microsoft OneDrive - Automatic file synchronization with Google Drive - Automatic file synchronization with Dropbox Such blacklisted communication is allowed on trackside networks, but possibly with some limitations in bandwidth, but are preferably completelyblocked from cellular networks. 19 Data communication of medium priority, i.e. neither being blacklistednor whitelisted, may be transferred over trackside networks wheneveravailable, but may also be allowed to some degree on cellular networks, butwith restricted, throttled bandwidth. Such data communication can e.g. be: O Cloud storage services like:- Manual access of files on Apple iCloud- Manual access of files on Microsoft OneDrive- Manual access of files on Dropbox- Manual access of files on Google DriveO Video streaming services like: - Youtube- Netfl ix - HBO - Vimeo - Twitch According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided acomputer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for executing ina wireless device the instructions, when executed, performing the above-discussed method.
    With this aspect of the invention, similar advantages and preferredfeatures are present as in the previously discussed first aspect of theinvenfion.
    Thus, when it has been determined that external wireless network(s) ofthe first of said external wireless network types is available, but with limitedcapacity, communication through this external wireless network(s) ispreferably for all different data communication types, but with restrictions fordata communication types having lower priority.
    When good availability of such external wireless network(s) has beendetermined, the external wireless network(s) of said first external networktype are preferably primarily or solely used for communication for all differentdata communication types with no or limited restrictions.
    According to a second aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a wireless communication system for wireless communication with amobile router in a moving vehicle, such as a train, via at least tvvo types ofexternal wireless networks, a first external wireless network type comprising aplurality of trackside base stations, such as access points for communicationin compliance with a Wireless Local Area Network(WLAN), said tracksidebase stations being arranged in the vicinity of a vehicle path of travel, such asa train route, and a second external wireless network type communicating viacellular network standard(s), such as in accordance with 3G, 4G or 5Gstandards, wherein the mobile router is arranged, at least periodically, tosimultaneously communicate with the two types of external wireless networksthereby providing at least two concurrently useable external wirelessnetworks, the system comprising a controller, including a processor, andbeing connected to the mobile router and/or a remote server connected tosaid external wireless networks, the controller being arranged to: identify for data communication to or from said mobile router, andpreferably for each occurrence of such data communication, a datacommunication type for said data communication, said data communicationtype being selected from a set of at least two different data communicationtypes, each data communication type being associated with a specificprioritization; determine, preferably in real-time, the availability of external wirelessnetwork(s) of the first of said external wireless network types, and, when goodavailability of such external wireless network(s) has been determined,allowing communication through this external wireless network(s) for alldifferent data communication types with no or limited restrictions, and when ithas been determined that such external wireless network(s) of the firstexternal wireless network type is not available, allowing communicationthrough external wireless network(s) of said second external network typebased on prioritization, wherein data communication of highest priority isallowed with no restrictions, whereas data communication of lower priority isrestricted or prohibited. 21 Also with this aspect of the invention, similar advantages and preferredfeatures are present as in the previously discussed first aspect of theinvenfion.
    These and other features and advantages of the present invention willin the following be further clarified with reference to the embodimentsdescribed hereinafter.
    Brief description of the drawinqs For exemplifying purposes, the invention will be described in closerdetail in the following with reference to embodiments thereof illustrated in theattached drawings, wherein: Fig 1 is a schematic illustration of a train having a wirelesscommunication system in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention; Fig 2 is a schematic illustration of a train being associated with twotrackside base stations of an external mobile network, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention; Fig 3 is a flow chart illustrating the method in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention; Fig 4 is a flow chart illustrating the method in accordance with anotherembodiment of the present invention; and Fig 5 is a schematic illustration of a train being associated with both atrackside network and a cellular network during travel, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.
    Detailed description of preferred embodiments ln the following detailed description, preferred embodiments of thepresent invention will be described. However, it is to be understood thatfeatures of the different embodiments are exchangeable between theembodiments and may be combined in different ways, unless anything else isspecifically indicated. Even though in the following description, numerousspecific details are set forth to provide a more thorough understanding of thepresent invention, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present 22 invention may be practiced without these specific details. ln other instances,well known constructions or functions are not described in detail, so as not toobscure the present invention. ln the detailed embodiments described in thefollowing are related to trains. However, it is to be acknowledged by theskilled reader that the method and system are correspondingly useable onother moving vehicles, such as buses, ferries, airplanes and the like. ln Fig. 1 a schematic illustration of a vehicle 1, such as a train, havinga communication system is provided. The communication system comprisesa data communication router 2 for receiving and transmitting data between aninternal local area network (LAN) 3, and one or several external wide areanetworks (WANs) 4a, 4b, 4c, including two types of external wirelessnetworks, a first external wireless network type comprising a plurality oftrackside base stations, such as access points, for communication incompliance with a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), the trackside basestations being arranged in the vicinity of a vehicle path of travel, such as atrain route - in the following referred to as WLAN or trackside network - and asecond external wireless network type communicating via cellular networkstandard(s), such as in accordance with 3G, 4G or 5G standards -in thefollowing referred to as cellular network. The trackside network preferablycomprises a plurality of trackside base stations/access points distributedalong a vehicle path of travel, preferably for communication in compliancewith a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standard, such as an 802.11standard.
    Communication to and from the WANs is provided through one orseveral antennas 5 a-n arranged on the train, the antennas may be arrangedon the roof of the train, on window panes of the train, etc. Two or moreexternal wireless networks are preferably available, either between the trainand one of the WANs, and/or by using several WANs simultaneously.
    The LAN is preferably a wireless network, using one or several internalantennas to communicate with terminal units 6 within the vehicle. lt is alsopossible to use a wired network within the vehicle. The LAN may be set-up aswireless access point(s). The client(s) 6 may be computing devices such aslaptops, mobiles telephones, PDAs, tablets and so on. 23 The data communication router further preferably comprises a pluralityof modems 21 a-n. Assignment of data streams to different WANs and/or todifferent data links on one WAN is controlled by a router controller 23. Therouter controller 23 is preferably realized as a software controlled processor.However, the router controller may alternatively be realized wholly or partly inhardware.
    The system may also comprise a receiver for receiving GNSS (GlobalNavigation Satellite System) signals, such as a global positioning system(GPS) receiver 7 for receiving GPS signals, indicative of the current positionof the vehicle, and wherein the controller may be arranged to control inparticular the performance of the communication with the trackside basestations in accordance with the vehicle position determined based on theGNSS/GPS signals.
    The data communication router may also be denominated MAR(Mobile Access Router) or MAAR (Mobile Access and Applications Router). ln Fig. 2, the trackside network a plurality of trackside base stations,such as trackside access points, are provided, distributed along a vehiclepath of travel, i.e. the rail, for communication in compliance with a WirelessLocal Area Network (WLAN) standard, such as an 802.11 standard, isillustrated in more detail. The external mobile network comprises a plurality oftrackside base stations 11, 12, arranged along the vehicle path. The basestations have coverage areas 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b extending in both directionsalong the vehicle path. The coverage areas on the two sides of the basestations may be related to the same base station/access point, or to differentbase stations/access points. Thus, coverage area 11a and 11b may berelated to the same base station/access point, or be operated independently,as different base stations/access points, and the same applies to coverageareas 12a and 12b, etc.
    The base stations/access points are connected to a controller 9, via awired or wireless connection, such as via a fiber connection. The controller ispreferably realized on a processor, and at least partly in software. However,the controller may also be realized on several processors, in a distributed 24 fashion. Further, the controller may alternatively be arranged in, or connectedto, the mobile router 2.
    The mobile router is also connected to other external networks, inparticular cellular networks, and may consequently simultaneously distributethe communication also over these networks.
    The data communication router is preferably arranged to communicateon at least two different communication routes having different characteristics,such as on two or more trackside networks, two or more cellular networks, orat least one trackside network in combination with at least one cellularnetwork. Hereby, the communication can be automatically optimized basedon specific conditions, such as price, speed, etc. Such data communicationrouters operating on multiple simultaneous links are e.g. known from EP1 175 757 by the same applicant, said document hereby incorporated byreference. Such routers are also commercially available from the applicant,lcomera AB. Hereby, the router may use all available data channels, such astwo or more of e.g. Satellite, DVB-T, HSPA, EDGE, 1X RTT, EVDO, LTE,LTE-A, WiFi (802.11), Ethernet and WiMAX; and combine them into onevirtual network connection. An automatic selection may be made among theavailable channels to use the most cost effective combination that fulfils theusers' availability, bandwidth and reliability requirements. Hence, a seamlessdistribution of the data among said different channels can be obtained.
    Fig 3 is a schematic illustration of a simplified embodiment of thepresent invention. Here, a data communication type is first determined foreach data stream to be transmitted, as illustrated in step S1. The datacommunication types are associated with various prioritization, so that certaindata communication types are considered prioritized, i.e. having high priority,whereas other are considered non-prioritized, i.e. having low priority. Themethods to identify and distinguish various types of data communication, andthe rules to assign prioritization are per se known. For example, it is possibleto identify voice communication, and to assign such data communication to ahigh priority. The same may apply to VPN communication. Non-identified datacommunication may, as a default, be assigned to a low priority. Alternatively,low priority data communication types may be identified, such as http communication, video communication, gaming communication and the like,and remaining, unidentified data communication types may, as a default, beassigned to high priority. lt is also possible to identify data communicationtypes of both high and low priority, and to assign unidentified datacommunication to either high or low priority. ln the illustrative example, data communication types are assignedeither to high or low priority. However, further levels of prioritization may alsobe provided, such as three, four, five or more levels. ln case a low priority data communication type has been determined,the next step S2a determines whether a trackside network is available. lf so,the data communication is allowed without restrictions over the tracksidenetwork, step S3, and may also be used for buffering and the like, which ise.g. useable when streaming video data. lf the data communication has low priority and trackside networks arenot available, the request is returned to step S1, possibly after a certainwaiting time, and the process is repeated until a trackside network has beendetermined to be available. ln case a high priority data communication type has been determined,the next step S2b similarly determines whether a trackside network isavailable. lf so, the data communication is allowed without restrictions, andpreferably partly or solely over the trackside network, step S3. lf the datacommunication has high priority and trackside networks are not available, thedata communication will be made over the cellular network, step S4. ln the above-illustrated embodiment, the low priority datacommunication is allowed without restrictions over the trackside network,when available, and prohibited over the cellular network. However, it is alsopossible to allow some or all low priority data communication also over thecellular network, but with restricted bandwidth or the like. Similarly, the highpriority data communication is in the illustrative example forvvarded over thetrackside network when available, and otherwise over the cellular network.However, the high priority data may alternatively be forwarded only over the cellular network, or by any combination of the cellular and trackside networks. 26 Further, in the illustrative example, the method first identifies the datacommunication type, and its associated priority, and thereafter determines theavailability of the trackside network. However, these steps may also beperformed in the opposite order.
    Fig 4 is a schematic illustration of another simplified embodiment of thepresent invention. ln this illustrative example, data communication types areassigned either to high priority (“whitelisted”), normal or low priority(“blacklisted”). However, further levels of prioritization may also be provided,such as four, five or more levels. Further, the whitelist and blacklist need notbe used in combination -it is also possible to use only a whitelist, to providethe two data communication types “whitelisted” and normal, or only ablacklist, to provide the two data communication types normal and“blacklisted”.
    Here, it is first determined whether the stream has a destinationaddress, output port, or the like, included on a whitelist, step S1 '. lf this is thecase, the data stream is identified as whitelisted, i.e. a highly prioritized datacommunication type. lf it is also determined that a trackside network isavailable, step S2a, the data stream is forvvarded via this trackside networkwithout any restrictions, step S3a. lf no trackside network is available, thedata stream is instead forvvarded over the cellular network, again without anyrestrictions, step S4a. lf it is determined that the destination address, output port, or the like,is not included on the whitelist in step S1', it is then determined whether thestream has a destination address, output port, or the like, included on ablacklist, step S1”. lf this is the case, the data stream is identified asblacklisted, i.e. a data communication type of lowest priority. lf the data stream has not been blacklisted, it is determined whether atrackside network is available, step S2b, and if so, the data stream isfon/varded via this trackside network without any restrictions, step S3b, or withlimited restrictions. lf no trackside network is available, the data stream isinstead forvvarded over the cellular network, but with restrictions, such asrestricted bandwidth, step S4b. 27 lf the data stream has been blacklisted, it is determined whether atrackside network is available, step S2c, and if so, the data stream isfon/varded via this trackside network, step S3c. However, there may be somerestrictions on this data transfer, such as limitations in bandwidth. lf notrackside network is available, the blacklisted data stream is not allowed tocommunicate over the cellular network. lnstead, the process is held in awaiting loop, awaiting the next time a trackside network is available.
    As before, other restrictions etc may be assigned to the different typesof data (normal, whitelisted and blacklisted), the steps may be performed indifferent order, etc.
    An exemplary embodiment for communicating with the trackside basestations/access points will now be described with reference to Fig. 5.
    Here, a train 1 travels on a railway track, along which a plurality oftrackside base stations 111-116 are located. ln the position of the train asindicated in Fig 4, the train is within the coverage area of base station 111.The position and direction of travel for the train may be determined by thecontroller 9, for example based on information, such as GNSS/GPSinformation, received from the mobile router on the train, and/or informationreceived from the trackside base stations.
    Here, it is determined by the controller that the train is in the coveragearea of trackside base station 111, and travelling towards trackside basestation 112. As a result, the controller sends control instructions to the basestation 112 to continue with the data transmission. ln this state, all datacommunication, regardless of priority, is allowed, and takes place over thetrackside network.
    As the train moves fon/vard, it will leave the coverage area of tracksidebase station 112, and enter into an area without access to a tracksidenetwork. ln this area, only a cellular network is available, based on thecoverage area 201 from cellular base station 200. ln this area, only prioritizeddata communication will be forvvarded.
    After a while, the train will enter into the coverage area of tracksidebase station 113, and again data transmission will be allowed for allrequested data communication, regardless of priority. 28 ln case the train is within the coverage area of several trackside basestations, the data communications may be divided between these tracksidebase stations. Similarly, in case the train is within the coverage area ofseveral cellular base stations, the data communication may be dividedbetween these cellular base stations. lt is also possible to allow some highpriority data communication over the ce|u|ar network even when the train hasaccess to a trackside network.
    The invention has now been described with reference to specificembodiments. However, several variations of the communicationsystem/method are feasible. For example, the present invention has herebeen disclosed in relation to trains, where it is considered to be particularlyadvantageous. However, it may also be implemented and used on othermoving vehicles, and in particular vehicles intended for passenger traffic,such as buses, ferries, airplanes, etc. Further, the examples are mostlyrelated to the 802.11 standard, but other WLAN protocols may also be usedin the same or similar ways, and it is also possible to use the same methodand system for communication in compliance with other communicationprotocols and standards, such as unlicensed LTE, licensed LTE, GSM-R,etc..
    Further, the above-described embodiments of the present inventioncan be implemented in any of numerous ways. For example, theembodiments may be implemented using hardware, software or acombination thereof. When implemented in software, the software code canbe executed on any suitable processor or collection of processors, whetherprovided in a single computer or distributed among multiple computers.
    Also, the various methods or processes outlined herein may be codedas software that is executable on one or more processors that employ anyone of a variety of operating systems or platforms. Additionally, such softwaremay be written using any of a number of suitable programming languagesand/or conventional programming or scripting tools, and also may becompiled as executable machine language code. ln this respect, the invention may be embodied as a computer readablemedium (or multiple computer readable media) (e.g., a computer memory, 29 one or more floppy discs, compact discs, optical discs, magnetic tapes, etc.)encoded with one or more programs that, when executed on one or morecomputers or other processors, perform methods that implement the variousembodiments of the invention discussed above. The computer readablemedium or media can be transportable, such that the program or programsstored thereon can be Ioaded onto one or more different computers or otherprocessors to implement various aspects of the present invention asdiscussed above.
    The terms "program" or "software" are used herein in a generic senseto refer to any type of computer code or set of computer-executableinstructions that can be employed to program a computer or other processorto implement various aspects of the present invention as discussed above.Additionally, it should be appreciated that according to one aspect of thisembodiment, one or more computer programs that when executed performmethods of the present invention need not reside on a single computer orprocessor, but may be distributed in a modular fashion amongst a number ofdifferent computers or processors to implement various aspects of thepresent invention.
    Such and other obvious modifications must be considered to be withinthe scope of the present invention, as it is defined by the appended claims. ltshould be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather thanlimit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design manyalternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appendedclaims. ln the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shallnot be construed as limiting to the claim. The word "comprising" does notexclude the presence of other elements or steps than those listed in theclaim. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude thepresence of a plurality of such elements.
    权利要求:
    Claims (14)
    [1] 1. A method for wireless communication between a mobile routerin a moving vehicle, such as a train, and one or several external server(s) viaat least two types of external wireless networks, a first external wirelessnetwork type comprising a plurality of trackside base stations, such as accesspoints, for communication in compliance with a Wireless Local Area Network(WLAN) standard, said trackside base stations being arranged in the vicinityof a vehicle path of travel, such as a train route, and a second externalwireless network type communicating via cellular network standard(s), suchas in accordance with 3G, 4G or 5G standards, wherein the mobile router isarranged, at least periodically, to simultaneously communicate with the twotypes of external wireless networks thereby providing at least twoconcurrently useable external wireless networks, the method comprising: identifying for data streams to or from said mobile router a datacommunication type, said data communication type being selected from a setof at least two different data communication types, each data communicationtype being associated with a specific prioritization; determining, preferably in real-time, the availability of external wirelessnetwork(s) of the first of said external wireless network types, and, when goodavailability of such external wireless network(s) has been determined,allowing communication through this external wireless network(s) for alldifferent data communication types with no or limited restrictions, and when ithas been determined that such an external wireless network(s) of the firstexternal wireless network type is not available, allowing communicationthrough external wireless network(s) of said second external network typebased on prioritization, wherein data communication types of highest priorityis allowed with no restrictions, whereas data communication types of lowerpriority is restricted or prohibited.
    [2] 2. The method of claim 1, wherein, when good availability of suchexternal wireless network(s) of said first external wireless network type hasbeen determined, using primarily or solely said external wireless network(s) of 31 said first external network type for communication for all different datacommunication types with no or limited restrictions.
    [3] 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, when it has beendetermined that external wireless network(s) of the first of said externalwireless network types is available, but with limited capacity, allowingcommunication through this external wireless network(s) for all different datacommunication types, but with restrictions for data communication typeshaving lower priority.
    [4] 4. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the firstexternal wireless network type operates in compliance with at least one of aWireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standard, and in particular the IEEE802.11 standard, unlicensed LTE and licensed LTE.
    [5] 5. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein themobile routers are arranged to receive GNSS data, such as GPS data, andcommunicate this to the external wireless network, said GNSS data beinguseable to determining, preferably in real-time, the availability of externalwireless network(s) of the first of said external wireless network types.
    [6] 6. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein thetrackside base stations are arranged to, preferably continuously orrepeatedly, send information to a control server about mobile routers beingdetermined to be within their access area.
    [7] 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the control server is arranged todetermine the direction of travel of each mobile router based on the positiondata from each mobile router.
    [8] 8. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein themobile router is arranged to simultaneously communicate with the externalwireless network through external wireless networks of both the first andsecond of said external wireless network types.
    [9] 9. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein themobile router is arranged to simultaneously communicate with the external wireless network through two or more external wireless networks of the first type. 32 10.step of identifying a data communication type is based on a determination
    [10] 10. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the based on at least one of a source, a destination, a size and pattern of thewireless data packets, and using this for identification of a datacommunication type. 11.step of identifying a data communication type comprises identification of
    [11] 11. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the whether the data stream is at least one of voice-over-IP (VOIP) and VPN, and the assigning the data stream to a data communication type of high priority.12. step of identifying a data communication type comprises determining whether
    [12] 12. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the the data stream involves a HTTP or HTTPS communication, and if so toassign the data stream to a data communication type of low priority.
    [13] 13. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein themoving vehicle is a train.
    [14] 14. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the step of identifying a data communication type comprises comparing at leastone of a destination address of said data stream and an output port of saiddata stream with a whitelist comprising at least one predefined address orport, and assigning a higher priority to said data streams in case of a match.15.step of identifying a data communication type comprises comparing at least The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one of a destination address of said data stream and an output port of saiddata stream with a blacklist comprising at least one predefined address orport, and assigning a lower priority to said data streams in case of a match.16.with a mobile router in a moving vehicle, such as a train, via at least two types A wireless communication system for wireless communication of external wireless networks, a first external wireless network typecomprising a plurality of trackside base stations, such as access points forcommunication in compliance with a Wireless Local Area Network(WLAN),said trackside base stations being arranged in the vicinity of a vehicle path oftravel, such as a train route, and a second external wireless network typecommunicating via cellular network standard(s), such as in accordance with 33 3G, 4G or 5G standards,wherein the mobile router is arranged, at least periodically, tosimultaneously communicate with the two types of external wireless networksthereby providing at least two concurrently useable external wirelessnetworks , the system comprising a controller, including a processor, andbeing connected to the mobile router and/or a remote server connected tosaid external wireless networks, the controller being arranged to:identify for data stream to or from said mobile router a datacommunication type for said data stream, said data communication typebeing selected from a set of at least two different data communication types,each data communication type being associated with a specific prioritization;determine, preferably in real-time, the availability of external wireless network(s) of the first of said external wireless network types, and, when goodavailability of such external wireless network(s) has been determined,allowing communication through this external wireless network(s) for alldifferent data communication types with no or limited restrictions, and when ithas been determined that such external wireless network(s) of the firstexternal wireless network type is not available, allowing communicationthrough external wireless network(s) of said second external network typebased on prioritization, wherein data streams of highest priority is allowedwith no restrictions, whereas data stream of lower priority is restricted orprohibited.
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    法律状态:
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    SE1651081A|SE542673C2|2016-07-22|2016-07-22|Wireless communication system for vehicles using both trackside wlan and cellular network communication|SE1651081A| SE542673C2|2016-07-22|2016-07-22|Wireless communication system for vehicles using both trackside wlan and cellular network communication|
    EP17178444.0A| EP3273746A1|2016-07-22|2017-06-28|Wireless communication system for vehicles using both trackside wlan and cellular network communication|
    US15/649,016| US10616813B2|2016-07-22|2017-07-13|Wireless communication system for vehicles using both trackside WLAN and cellular network communication|
    CA2973452A| CA2973452A1|2016-07-22|2017-07-14|Wireless communication system for vehicles using both trackside wlan and cellular network communication|
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