Patent ID: 8762482

Claim:
A wireless communication method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: identifying a location of a dead spot region in response to the vehicle having a loss of wireless connectivity within the dead spot region; recording the location of the dead spot region; recognizing the dead spot region within an expected route of the vehicle; estimating a length of time before the vehicle will arrive at the dead spot region; estimating a length of time before the vehicle will exit the dead spot region; accessing audio content and/or video content from at least one source inside the vehicle and/or at least one source outside the vehicle such that playing of the content is uninterrupted while the vehicle is within the dead spot region, the accessing being dependent upon the two estimating steps; determining respective time durations of a plurality of items of the content that are available from the at least one source outside the vehicle; and selecting at least one of the items of content that are available from the at least one source outside the vehicle such that playback within the vehicle of the selected at least one item of content can be completed before the vehicle arrives at the dead spot region, wherein the accessing step includes: determining respective time durations of a plurality of items of the content that are available from the at least one source outside the vehicle; selecting at least one of the items of content that are available from the at least one source outside the vehicle; ascertaining that playback within the vehicle of the selected at least one item of content cannot be completed before the vehicle arrives at the dead spot region if the at least one item of content is received within the vehicle as a real time broadcast; and in response to the ascertaining step, downloading the at least one item of content to the vehicle before the vehicle arrives at the dead spot region.