Darwin patents its vehicle communications technology

Darwin was founded with the goal of combining terrestrial and satellite communications; you can read the story of our founding here. We’ve made huge strides in the intervening time, and we’re pleased to report a new landmark: we’ve been granted a patent for our vehicle communications technology.

In a moving vehicle, it can be difficult to remain connected to terrestrial networks. If you’ve ever tried to use the internet while travelling through the countryside in a car or train, you’ll probably know this all too well. It’s common to move into areas that aren’t currently covered by terrestrial networks, or to experience brief interruptions in service as your device switches from one network to another.

Darwin’s technology, patented under the name ‘Routing vehicle-to-everything communications’, enables vehicles to stay reliably connected on the move. Our technology monitors the quality of available terrestrial and satellite networks and, when the current network becomes unreliable or unavailable, it seamlessly routes the connection through the best available alternative.

By using satellites to supplement terrestrial networks, we enable vehicles to remain connected almost anywhere. In addition, by switching seamlessly between networks, we avoid the interruptions in service that devices might otherwise experience when making network changes.

The patent number is GB2588373, and you can view the details of the patent on the Intellectual Property Office’s website. The Certificate of Grant of Patent is also available here.

If you’re a vehicle manufacturer or you operate a large fleet or transport service that could benefit from improved connectivity, get in touch and we’d be happy to discuss your needs.

Darwin Innovation Group is a UK-based company that provides services related to autonomous vehicles and communications. If you’re interested in working with us, take a look at our careers page. If you’d like to know how we can help your organisation make use of autonomous vehicles, contact us. You can also follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.