Vehicle communication system with forward viewing camera and integrated antenna

• US 10,419,723 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2016
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Koravadi, Krishna, Salomonsson, Ove J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yenke, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US15/189,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20160381571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A communication system for a vehicle includes an antenna array for transmitting data to at least one other vehicle or structure. A control is operable to adjust a beam transmission of the antenna array responsive to determination of a driving condition of the vehicle. The control may adjust the beam transmission from an omnidirectional beam to a directed beam to enhance the transmission range of the beam. The control may adjust the beam transmission to the directed beam directed rearward of the vehicle responsive to a determination of a highway driving condition. The control may adjust the beam transmission responsive to a determination of at least one of (i) a highway driving condition, (ii) a high traffic driving condition, (iii) an intersection driving condition and (iv) a weather condition at the vehicle.

Claims

1. A communication system for a vehicle, said communication system comprising:

an antenna array disposed at a vehicle equipped with said communication system, wherein said antenna array transmits data to at least one other vehicle or structure;

a forward viewing camera disposed at a windshield of the vehicle and viewing forward of the vehicle through the windshield;

an image processor that processes image data captured by said camera;

a control;

wherein said control, responsive at least in part to processing by said image processor of image data captured by said camera, determines a driving condition of the vehicle;

wherein said control adjusts a beam transmission of said antenna array responsive to determination of the driving condition of the vehicle;

wherein said control adjusts the beam transmission from an omnidirectional beam to a directed beam to enhance the transmission range of the transmitted beam; and

wherein the determined driving condition comprises a condition selected from the group consisting of (i) a highway driving condition, (ii) a high traffic driving condition, (iii) an intersection driving condition and (iv) a weather condition.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein said control adjusts the beam transmission to the directed beam directed rearward of the vehicle responsive to determination of a highway driving condition.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein said antenna array is associated with a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) radio of the vehicle and wherein said control adjusts a power output of said DSRC radio responsive to determination of the driving condition.

4. The communication system of claim 3, wherein said control adjusts the power output of said DSRC radio responsive to determination of an adverse weather condition at the vehicle.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein said antenna array is disposed at said camera of the vehicle.

6. The communication system of claim 1, wherein said antenna array is associated with a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) radio of the vehicle and wherein said control adjusts a power output of said DSRC radio responsive to processing by said image processor of image data captured by said camera.

7. The communication system of claim 1, comprising two antenna arrays, wherein said control is operable to adjust a beam transmission of one of said antenna arrays independent of the beam transmission of the other of said antenna arrays.

8. The communication system of claim 7, wherein said control is operable to adjust the beam transmission of said one of said antenna arrays to an omnidirectional beam and to adjust the beam transmission of the other of said antenna arrays to a directional beam.

9. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the determined driving condition comprises a weather condition.

10. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the determined driving condition comprises a highway driving condition.

11. A communication system for a vehicle, said communication system comprising:

an antenna array disposed at a vehicle equipped with said communication system, wherein said antenna array transmits data to at least one other vehicle or structure;

a forward viewing camera disposed at a windshield of the vehicle and viewing forward of the vehicle through the windshield;

an image processor that processes image data captured by said camera;

a control;

wherein said control, responsive at least in part to processing by said image processor of image data captured by said camera, determines a driving condition of the vehicle;

wherein said control adjusts a beam transmission of said antenna array responsive to determination of the driving condition of the vehicle;

wherein said control adjusts the beam transmission from an omnidirectional beam to a directed beam to enhance the transmission range of the transmitted beam;

wherein the determined driving condition comprises a condition selected from the group consisting of (i) a highway driving condition, (ii) a high traffic driving condition, (iii) an intersection driving condition and (iv) a weather condition; and

wherein said antenna array is associated with a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) radio of the vehicle and wherein said control adjusts a power output of said DSRC radio responsive to determination of a weather condition at the vehicle, and wherein said control increases the power output of said DSRC radio responsive to a determination of adverse weather at the vehicle.

12. The communication system of claim 11, wherein said antenna array is disposed at said camera of the vehicle.

13. The communication system of claim 11, wherein said control adjusts the power output of said DSRC radio responsive to processing by said image processor of image data captured by said camera.

14. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the determined driving condition comprises a weather condition.

15. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the determined driving condition comprises a highway driving condition.

16. A communication system for a vehicle, said communication system comprising:

first and second antenna arrays disposed at a vehicle equipped with said communication system, wherein said antenna arrays transmit data to at least one other vehicle or structure;

a forward viewing camera disposed at a windshield of the vehicle and viewing forward of the vehicle through the windshield;

an image processor that processes image data captured by said camera;

a control;

wherein said control, responsive at least in part to processing by said image processor of image data captured by said camera, determines a driving condition of the vehicle;

wherein said control adjusts a beam transmission of each of said first and second antenna arrays responsive to determination of the driving condition of the vehicle;

wherein said control adjusts the beam transmission of said first antenna array independent of the beam transmission of said second antenna array;

wherein said control adjusts the beam transmission of said first antenna array to an omnidirectional beam and adjusts the beam transmission of said second antenna array to a directional beam; and

wherein the determined driving condition comprises a condition selected from the group consisting of (i) a highway driving condition, (ii) a high traffic driving condition, (iii) an intersection driving condition and (iv) a weather condition.

17. The communication system of claim 16, wherein said antenna array is associated with a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) radio of the vehicle and wherein said control adjusts a power output of said DSRC radio responsive to determination of an adverse weather condition at the vehicle.

18. The communication system of claim 16, wherein at least one of said first and second antenna arrays is disposed at said camera of the vehicle, and wherein said camera comprises a forward viewing camera disposed at a windshield of the vehicle, and wherein said control adjusts the beam transmissions of said first and second antenna arrays at least in part responsive to processing by said image processor of image data captured by said camera.

19. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the determined driving condition comprises a weather condition.

20. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the determined driving condition comprises a highway driving condition.