Methods, devices, and computer programs for providing information about a dangerous situation on a vehicle-to-vehicle interface

• US 10,453,342 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Biehle, Thomas, Schultz, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Toan N
• Application Number:
  US16/075,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20190043358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 340435, 340902, 340903, 3404255, 340436
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• 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: H04W 4/46 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]

Abstract

Methods, devices, and computer programs for a transportation vehicle including receiving information about a triggering of one or more functions of the transportation vehicle, determining a dangerous situation based on the one or more triggered functions of the transportation vehicle based on an actual activity of the driver of the transportation vehicle, and providing information about the dangerous situation to a vehicle-to-vehicle interface.

Claims

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

obtaining information about a triggering of one or more functions of the transportation vehicle;

determining a dangerous situation, based on the one or more triggered functions of the transportation vehicle, and depending on a current activity of a driver of the transportation vehicle; and

providing information about the dangerous situation via a vehicle-to-vehicle interface;

wherein the information about the triggering of one or more functions of the transportation vehicle comprises one or more indicators about a deployment of the transportation vehicle as a special response transportation vehicle, and

wherein determining the dangerous situation comprises determining information about the deployment of the transportation vehicle as the special response transportation vehicle indicating that the transportation vehicle is securing a hazard site as the special response transportation vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the current activity of the driver of the transportation vehicle corresponds to a control of the transportation vehicle, and wherein the one or more functions comprise at least one active safety system of the group comprising:

safety system for triggering a flashing light based on emergency braking, safety system for autonomous braking intervention, and safety system for a reversible transportation vehicle occupant restraint system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information about the triggering of one or more functions of the transportation vehicle comprises information about a triggering of the at least one active safety system, and

wherein the information about the triggering of the at least one active safety system is based on a detection of an impending accident,

or wherein the obtaining of the information about the triggering of one or more functions of the transportation vehicle takes place before an impending accident,

or wherein the active safety system provides the information about the triggering of the active safety system before an impending accident.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the provision is carried out when the information about the triggering of the at least one active safety system indicates a triggering of the safety system,

or wherein the method also comprises obtaining information about a transportation vehicle speed, wherein the provision is carried out when the information about the speed of the transportation vehicle indicates a sharp braking of the transportation vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the deployment of the special response transportation vehicle indicates that the transportation vehicle is securing the hazard site as the special response transportation vehicle in response to the one or more indicators about the deployment of the transportation vehicle as the special response transportation vehicle indicating a triggering of a rotating beacon of the transportation vehicle, in response to information about a driving status of the transportation vehicle indicating that the transportation vehicle is stationary, and in response to the current activity of the driver corresponding to that of securing a scene of an accident.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the current activity of the driver corresponds to that of securing the scene of an accident in response to a door of the transportation vehicle being open, a tailgate of the transportation vehicle is open, or a driver'"'"'s seat of the transportation vehicle is occupied.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising information about the driving status of the transportation vehicle, wherein the driving status indicates whether or not the transportation vehicle is driving or stationary.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the determination determines the information about the deployment of the special response transportation vehicle so the information about the deployment of the special response transportation vehicle indicates that the transportation vehicle is driving as a special response transportation vehicle and is in service, in response to the one or more indicators showing that a siren of the transportation vehicle is activated and that the rotating beacon of the transportation vehicle is activated, and in response to the information about the driving status indicating that the transportation vehicle is driving.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the determination determines the information about the deployment of the special response transportation vehicle so the information about the deployment of the special response transportation vehicle indicates that the transportation vehicle is securing a danger area as the special response transportation vehicle, in response to the information about the driving status indicating that the transportation vehicle is stationary and the one or more indicators indicate that the rotating beacon of the transportation vehicle is activated, and

the information about the driving status also indicates that a transportation vehicle ignition is activated,

or the one or more indicators indicate that a hazard warning unit of the transportation vehicle is activated and a parking brake functionality of the transportation vehicle is activated,

or the one or more indicators indicate that a hazard warning unit of the transportation vehicle is activated and a timer indicates that the transportation vehicle has been stationary for longer than a first time threshold.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the transportation vehicle corresponds to a towing or breakdown rescue transportation vehicle, and wherein the determining operation determines the information about the deployment of the special response transportation vehicle so the information about the deployment of the special response transportation vehicle indicates that the transportation vehicle is a stationary towing or breakdown rescue transportation vehicle,

in response to the information about the driving status indicating that the transportation vehicle is stationary and the one or more indicators indicating that the rotating beacon of the transportation vehicle is activated and that a hazard warning unit of the transportation vehicle is activated, and

a parking brake functionality of the transportation vehicle is activated,

or a timer indicates that the transportation vehicle has been stationary for longer than a first time threshold.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein the provision operation comprises providing a Decentralized Environmental Notification Message,

or wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle interface communicates in accordance with vehicle-to-vehicle communication standard IEEE 802.11p,

or wherein the provision operation complies with a direct provision for transportation vehicles in an environment of the vehicle-to-vehicle interface.

12. A method for a transportation vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining information about a dangerous situation from another transportation vehicle via a vehicle-to-vehicle interface, wherein the information about the dangerous situation is based on information about a triggering of one or more functions of the transportation vehicle and on an activity of a driver of the transportation vehicle;

determining a warning notification based on the information about the dangerous situation; and

providing the warning notification via an output module;

wherein the information about the triggering of one or more functions of the transportation vehicle comprises one or more indicators about a deployment of the transportation vehicle as a special response transportation vehicle, and

wherein the information about the dangerous situation comprises information about the deployment of the transportation vehicle as the special response transportation vehicle indicating that the transportation vehicle is securing a hazard site as the special response transportation vehicle.

13. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, in response to being executed, cause a device to:

obtain information about a triggering of one or more functions of a transportation vehicle;

determine a dangerous situation, based on the one or more triggered functions of the transportation vehicle and depending on a current activity of a driver of the transportation vehicle; and

provide information about the dangerous situation via a vehicle-to-vehicle interface;

wherein the information about the triggering of one or more functions of the transportation vehicle comprises one or more indicators about a deployment of the transportation vehicle as a special response transportation vehicle, and

wherein determining the dangerous situation comprises determining information about the deployment of the transportation vehicle as the special response transportation vehicle indicating that the transportation vehicle is securing a hazard site as the special response transportation vehicle.

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

at least one interface to obtain information about a triggering of one or more functions of the transportation vehicle; and

a control module to;

determine a dangerous situation, based on the one or more triggered functions of the transportation vehicle, and depending on a current activity of a driver of the transportation vehicle, and

provide information about the dangerous situation via a vehicle-to vehicle interface,

wherein the information about the triggering of one or more functions of the transportation vehicle comprises one or more indicators about a deployment of the transportation vehicle as a special response transportation vehicle, and

wherein determining the dangerous situation comprises determining information about the deployment of the transportation vehicle as the special response transportation vehicle indicating that the transportation vehicle is securing a hazard site as the special response transportation vehicle.

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

a vehicle-to-vehicle interface to obtain information about a dangerous situation from another transportation vehicle, wherein the information about the dangerous situation is based on information about a triggering of one or more functions of the transportation vehicle and on an activity of a driver of the other transportation vehicle; and

a control module to;

determine a warning notification, based on the information about the dangerous situation, and

provide the warning notification via an output module,

wherein the information about the triggering of one or more functions of the transportation vehicle comprises one or more indicators about a deployment of the transportation vehicle as a special response transportation vehicle, and

wherein the information about the dangerous situation comprises information about the deployment of the transportation vehicle as the special response transportation vehicle indicating that the transportation vehicle is securing a hazard site as the special response transportation vehicle.