Context aware synchronization methods for decentralized V2V networks

• US 10,420,051 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2018
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Merwaday, Arvind, Chen, Kuilin Clark, Ding, Zongrui, Zhang, Yi, Alam, S M Iftekharul, Rahman, Mehnaz, Li, Qian, Lu, Lu
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Parth
• Application Number:
  US15/936,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20190053178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0025 synchronizing potentially movable access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

In one example a system to manage inter-vehicle communication in a decentralized vehicle-to-vehicle network comprises a plurality of sensors to detect context information about driving conditions proximate a first vehicle; a communication interface to manage communications between the first vehicle and a second vehicle; and a controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors and the communication interface and comprising processing circuitry, to receive context information from the plurality of sensors; determine, from the context information, when the first vehicle is approaching a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost; and in response to a determination that the first vehicle is approaching a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost, to activate a synchronization frame broadcast module to broadcast a synchronization frame via the communication interface. Other examples may be described.

Claims

1. A system to manage inter-vehicle communication in a decentralized vehicle-to-vehicle network, comprising:

a plurality of sensors to detect context information about driving conditions proximate a first vehicle;

a communication interface to manage communications between the first vehicle and a second vehicle; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors and the communication interface and comprising processing circuitry, to;

receive context information from the plurality of sensors;

determine, from the context information, when the first vehicle is approaching a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost; and

in response to a determination that the first vehicle is approaching a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost, to activate a synchronization frame broadcast module to broadcast a synchronization frame via the communication interface, wherein synchronization frame comprises;

a synchronization frame header;

a time stamp;

a standard deviation of the time stamp with respect to a standard time reference;

a location coordinate; and

a synchronization frame transmission end time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least one of a video sensor, a RADAR sensor, or a LIDAR sensor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller comprises processing circuitry to:

receive context information from a remote vehicle management system; and

determine, from the context information, when the first vehicle is approaching a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the context information received from the remote vehicle management system comprises a proximity indicator that the first vehicle is within a threshold proximity of a physical object capable to create a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising processing circuitry to:

determine, from the context information, when the first vehicle is entering a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost; and

in response to a determination that the first vehicle is entering a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost, to activate the synchronization frame broadcast module to broadcast a synchronization frame request via the communication interface.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein synchronization frame request comprises:

a synchronization frame request header;

synchronization start duration;

a synchronization end duration; and

a synchronization periodicity.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising processing circuitry to:

receive, in response to the synchronization frame request, a synchronization frame; and

use the synchronization frame to synchronize communication with the second vehicle.

8. A vehicle control system comprising:

a communication interface to manage communications between the first vehicle and a second vehicle; and

processing circuitry to;

receive context information from the plurality of sensors;

determine, from the context information, when the first vehicle is approaching a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost; and

in response to a determination that the first vehicle is approaching a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost, to activate a synchronization frame broadcast module to broadcast a synchronization frame via the communication interface, wherein synchronization frame comprises;

a synchronization frame header;

a time stamp;

a standard deviation of the time stamp with respect to a standard time reference;

a location coordinate; and

a synchronization frame transmission end time.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least one of a video sensor, a RADAR sensor, or a LIDAR sensor.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller comprises processing circuitry to:

receive context information from a remote vehicle management system; and

determine, from the context information, when the first vehicle is approaching a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the context information received from the remote vehicle management system comprises a proximity indicator that the first vehicle is within a threshold proximity of a physical object capable to create a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising processing circuitry to:

determine, from the context information, when the first vehicle is entering a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost; and

in response to a determination that the first vehicle is entering a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost, to activate the synchronization frame broadcast module to broadcast a synchronization frame request via the communication interface.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein synchronization frame request comprises:

a synchronization frame request header;

synchronization start duration;

a synchronization end duration; and

a synchronization periodicity.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising processing circuitry to:

receive, in response to the synchronization frame request, a synchronization frame; and

use the synchronization frame to synchronize communication with the second vehicle.

15. A method to manage inter-vehicle communication in a decentralized vehicle-to-vehicle network, comprising:

receiving context information from a plurality of sensors;

determining, from the context information, when the first vehicle is approaching a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost; and

in response to a determination that the first vehicle is approaching a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost, activating a synchronization frame broadcast module to broadcast a synchronization frame via the communication interface, wherein synchronization frame comprises;

a synchronization frame header;

a time stamp;

a standard deviation of the time stamp with respect to a standard time reference;

a location coordinate; and

a synchronization frame transmission end time.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least one of a video sensor, a RADAR sensor, or a LIDAR sensor.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving context information from a remote vehicle management system; and

determining, from the context information, when the first vehicle is approaching a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the context information received from the remote vehicle management system comprises a proximity indicator that the first vehicle is within a threshold proximity of a physical object capable to create a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, from the context information, when the first vehicle is entering a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost; and

in response to a determination that the first vehicle is entering a dead zone in which contact with a communication network may be lost, activating the synchronization frame broadcast module to broadcast a synchronization frame request via the communication interface.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein synchronization frame request comprises:

a synchronization frame request header;

synchronization start duration;

a synchronization end duration; and

a synchronization periodicity.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving, in response to the synchronization frame request, a synchronization frame; and

using the synchronization frame to synchronize communication with the second vehicle.