Device, method, and computer program for providing traffic jam information via a vehicle-to-vehicle interface

• US 10,380,885 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Biehle, Thomas, Schultz, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): Rushing, Mark S
• Application Number:
  US15/758,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20190043347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 340905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

Devices, methods, and computer programs for providing traffic jam information via a vehicle-to-vehicle interface. The device for a transportation vehicle includes a device for obtaining traffic jam indicators. The traffic jam indicators include at least one element of the group consisting of the speed of the transportation vehicle or of transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle and a traffic jam warning. The device also includes a device for determining traffic jam information based on the traffic jam indicators. The traffic jam information indicates whether the transportation vehicle is located in a traffic jam. The device also includes a vehicle-to-vehicle interface to provide the traffic jam information to one or more additional transportation vehicles via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication connection.

Claims

1. A device for a transportation vehicle, the device comprising:

a system for obtaining traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam indicator data comprise at least one of speed of the transportation vehicle, speed of transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle, and a traffic jam warning;

a device for determining traffic jam information based on the traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam information indicates whether the transportation vehicle is located in a traffic jam, wherein the device for determining traffic jam information includes a calculation module configured to calculate a probability that the determined traffic jam information is accurate by comparing traffic jam indicators with threshold values or calculate a probability that traffic jam information is available; and

a vehicle-to-vehicle interface to provide the traffic jam information to one or more other transportation vehicles via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link subsequent to the calculation module determining that the traffic jam information is accurate.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the system obtains the traffic jam warning via a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication link, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link, or via a mobile communication system included in the transportation vehicle.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the system obtains the traffic jam warning via a Decentralized Environmental Notification Message via the vehicle-to-vehicle interface of the transportation vehicle.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the system obtains the speed of the transportation vehicles in the area surrounding the transportation vehicle via a video sensor or a time-of-flight sensor coupled to and part of the transportation vehicle, and/or

wherein the system obtains the speed of the transportation vehicles in the area surrounding the transportation vehicle via the vehicle-to-vehicle interface of the transportation vehicle.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the system obtains the speed of the transportation vehicles in the area surrounding the transportation vehicle via Cooperative Awareness Messages over the vehicle-to-vehicle interface of the transportation vehicle.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the system detects that the transportation vehicle is in a traffic jam in response to an average speed of the transportation vehicle during a measurement period being above a lower threshold and below an upper threshold value.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the system detects that the transportation vehicle is in a traffic jam in response to the transportation vehicle being stopped during a measurement period, and another traffic jam indicator indicating a traffic jam.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the system detects that the transportation vehicle is in a traffic jam in response to:

the transportation vehicle being stopped during a measurement period, and

the system obtaining a traffic jam warning via the system and/or an average speed of transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle being below an upper threshold value.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the measurement period has a duration of between 60 s and 300 s, and/or the lower threshold value is between 3 and 10 km/h, and/or the upper threshold value is between 20 and 40 km/h.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle interface is designed for vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the system provides the traffic jam information to a transport infrastructure via the vehicle-to-vehicle interface.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the system provides the traffic jam information as a Cooperative Awareness Message via the vehicle-to-vehicle interface.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a sensor module and/or an input interface for producing traffic jam indicator data.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the system obtains the traffic jam warning via:

a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication link, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link, or via a mobile communication system included in the transportation vehicle.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the system obtains the traffic jam warning via a Decentralized Environmental Notification Message via the vehicle-to-vehicle interface of the transportation vehicle.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the system obtains the speed of the transportation vehicles in the area surrounding the transportation vehicle via a video sensor or a time-of-flight sensor coupled to and part of the transportation vehicle, and/or

wherein the system obtains the speed of the transportation vehicles in the area surrounding the transportation vehicle via the vehicle-to-vehicle interface of the transportation vehicle.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the system obtains the speed of the transportation vehicles in the area surrounding the transportation vehicle via Cooperative Awareness Messages over the vehicle-to-vehicle interface of the transportation vehicle.

14. A method for determining traffic jam information for a transportation vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam indicator data comprise at least one of speed of the transportation vehicle, speed of transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle, and a traffic jam warning;

determining traffic jam information based on the traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam information indicates whether the transportation vehicle is located in a traffic jam, wherein the determining traffic jam information includes calculating a probability that the determined traffic jam information is accurate by comparing traffic jam indicators with threshold values or calculate a probability that traffic jam information is available; and

providing the traffic jam information to one or more transportation vehicles via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link subsequent to the calculation module determining that the traffic jam information is accurate.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising detecting that the transportation vehicle is in a traffic jam in response to an average speed of the transportation vehicle during a measurement period being above a lower threshold and below an upper threshold value.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising detecting that the transportation vehicle is in a traffic jam in response to the transportation vehicle being stopped during a measurement period, and another traffic jam indicator indicating a traffic jam.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising detecting that the transportation vehicle is in a traffic jam in response to:

the transportation vehicle being stopped during a measurement period, and

the system obtaining a traffic jam warning via the system and/or an average speed of transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle being below an upper threshold value.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the measurement period has a duration of between 60 s and 300 s, and/or the lower threshold value is between 3 and 10 km/h, and/or the upper threshold value is between 20 and 40 km/h.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle communication link is designed for vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.

25. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing the traffic jam information to a transport infrastructure via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication link or as a Cooperative Awareness Message via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication link.

26. The method of claim 14, further comprising producing traffic jam indicator data using a sensor module and/or an input interface included in the transportation vehicle.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a program with a program code for implementing a method when the program code is executed on a computer, a processor, a control module or a programmable hardware component, the method comprising:

obtaining traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam indicator data comprise at least one of speed of a transportation vehicle, speed of transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle, and a traffic jam warning;

determining traffic jam information based on the traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam information indicates whether the transportation vehicle is located in a traffic jam, wherein the determining traffic jam information includes calculating a probability that the determined traffic jam information is accurate by comparing traffic jam indicators with threshold values or calculate a probability that traffic jam information is available; and

providing the traffic jam information to one or more transportation vehicles via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link subsequent to the calculation module determining that the traffic jam information is accurate.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises detecting that the transportation vehicle is in a traffic jam in response to an average speed of the transportation vehicle during a measurement period being above a lower threshold and below an upper threshold value.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises detecting that the transportation vehicle is in a traffic jam in response to the transportation vehicle being stopped during a measurement period, and another traffic jam indicator indicating a traffic jam.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the method further comprises detecting that the transportation vehicle is in a traffic jam in response to:

the transportation vehicle being stopped during a measurement period, and

the system obtaining a traffic jam warning via the system and/or an average speed of transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle being below an upper threshold value.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the measurement period has a duration of between 60 s and 300 s, and/or the lower threshold value is between 3 and 10 km/h, and/or the upper threshold value is between 20 and 40 km/h.

31. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle communication link is designed for vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises providing the traffic jam information to a transport infrastructure via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication link or as a Cooperative Awareness Message via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication link.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises producing traffic jam indicator data using a sensor module and/or an input interface included in the transportation vehicle.