Smart road system for vehicles

• US 10,051,061 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2017
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Koravadi, Krishna, VanOphem, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US15/670,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20170366614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0125 Traffic data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/02 using treadles built into the road pads or other sensitive devices responsive to passage of vehicles E01F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096708 where the received information might be used to generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A communication system for vehicles includes a plurality of communication devices at respective geographic locations along a road. The communication devices are operable to wirelessly communicate with vehicles traveling on the road. The communication system communicates with a vehicle traveling on the road. At least some of the communication devices along the road communicate location information to the vehicle traveling on the road. The location information is communicated at least during situations where GPS satellite reception at the vehicle is lost or interrupted. The communication system may communicate signals to an automated driving system of an autonomous vehicle to control the autonomous vehicle as it travels on the road. The communication devices may wirelessly communicate with a remote server.

Claims

1. A communication system for vehicles, said communication system comprising:

a plurality of communication devices at respective geographic locations along a road;

wherein said communication devices are operable to wirelessly communicate with vehicles traveling on the road;

wherein said communication system communicates with a vehicle traveling on the road;

wherein at least some of said communication devices along the road communicate location information to the vehicle traveling on the road; and

wherein the location information is communicated at least during situations where GPS satellite reception at the vehicle is lost or interrupted.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle traveling on the road comprises an autonomous vehicle.

3. The communication system of claim 2, wherein said communication system communicates signals to an automated driving system of the autonomous vehicle to control the autonomous vehicle as it travels on the road.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein said communication devices wirelessly communicate with a remote server.

5. The communication system of claim 4, wherein said remote server receives information via at least some of said communication devices pertaining to the vehicle traveling on the road.

6. The communication system of claim 5, wherein, responsive at least in part to the received information, said remote server communicates information to the vehicle traveling on the road.

7. The communication system of claim 6, wherein the communicated information comprises information about a route of the vehicle.

8. The communication system of claim 7, wherein said remote server transmits commands to the vehicle to at least partially control the vehicle along the route.

9. The communication system of claim 7, wherein, responsive to information pertaining to at least one of (i) traffic condition information and (ii) weather information, said remote server communicates information to adjust the route.

10. The communication system of claim 1, wherein, responsive to a hazardous condition of the vehicle traveling on the road, said communication system communicates signals to a vehicle control system of the vehicle to control at least one of the throttle of the vehicle, the brakes of the vehicle and the steering of the vehicle.

11. The communication system of claim 1, wherein said communication devices receive communications from other vehicles traveling on the road.

12. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the communications comprise information pertaining to at least one of (i) at least one sensor of at least one of the other vehicles, (ii) at least one actuator of at least one of the other vehicles and (iii) driver intent information of a driver of at least one of the other vehicles.

13. The communication system of claim 11, wherein said communication devices wirelessly communicate with a remote server of said communication system, and wherein said remote server receives information via at least some of said communication devices pertaining to at least some of the other vehicles traveling on the road and, responsive at least in part to the received information, said remote server communicates information to at least some of the other vehicles traveling on the road, and wherein the information received by said remote server includes driver intent information pertaining to a driver of one of the other vehicles traveling on the road.

14. The communication system of claim 13, wherein, responsive to the driver intent information, said remote server communicates information pertaining to the driver intent information to at least some of the other vehicles in the vicinity of the one of the other vehicles traveling on the road.

15. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the driver intent information is input to driver assistance systems of at least some of the other vehicles.

16. A communication system for vehicles, said communication system comprising:

a plurality of communication devices at respective geographic locations along a road;

wherein said communication devices are operable to wirelessly communicate with vehicles traveling on the road;

wherein said communication system communicates with a vehicle traveling on the road;

wherein at least some of said communication devices along the road communicate location information to the vehicle traveling on the road;

wherein the location information is communicated at least during situations where GPS satellite reception at the vehicle is lost or interrupted;

wherein the vehicle traveling on the road comprises an autonomous vehicle;

wherein said communication system communicates signals to an automated driving system of the autonomous vehicle to control the autonomous vehicle as it travels on the road; and

wherein said communication devices wirelessly communicate with a remote server.

17. The communication system of claim 16, wherein said remote server receives information via at least some of said communication devices pertaining to the vehicle traveling on the road.

18. The communication system of claim 17, wherein said remote server receives information via at least some of said communication devices pertaining to other vehicles traveling on the road and, responsive at least in part to the received information, said remote server communicates information to at least some of the other vehicles traveling on the road.

19. A communication system for vehicles, said communication system comprising:

a plurality of communication devices at respective geographic locations along a road;

wherein said communication devices are operable to wirelessly communicate with vehicles traveling on the road;

wherein said communication system communicates with a vehicle traveling on the road;

wherein at least some of said communication devices along the road communicate location information to the vehicle traveling on the road;

wherein the location information is communicated at least during situations where GPS satellite reception at the vehicle is lost or interrupted;

wherein said communication devices wirelessly communicate with a remote server;

wherein said remote server receives information via at least some of said communication devices pertaining to the vehicle traveling on the road;

wherein, responsive at least in part to the received information, said remote server communicates information to the vehicle traveling on the road; and

wherein said remote server receives information via at least some of said communication devices pertaining to other vehicles traveling on the road and, responsive at least in part to the received information, said remote server communicates information to at least some of the other vehicles traveling on the road.

20. The communication system of claim 19, wherein said remote server transmits commands to the vehicle to at least partially control the vehicle along a route.

21. The communication system of claim 20, wherein, responsive to information pertaining to at least one of (i) traffic condition information and (ii) weather information, said remote server communicates information to adjust the route.

22. The communication system of claim 19, wherein, responsive to a hazardous condition of the vehicle traveling on the road, said communication system communicates signals to a vehicle control system of the vehicle to control at least one of the throttle of the vehicle, the brakes of the vehicle and the steering of the vehicle.