Method for transmitting data packets between motor vehicles

• US 20020030611A1
• Filed: 08/22/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Vogel, Peter, Nuesser, Rene
• Granted Patent: US 6,870,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/992
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/092 Coding or decoding of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365

Abstract

A method for transmitting data packets between motor vehicles includes transmitting individual data packets including vehicle data and generation data for the individual data packets. Other motor vehicles may combine the individual data packets into combined data packets and transmit them. The data packets may include fields, each of which may include data-packet generation data and vehicle data. To allow processing to be performed in the transmitting/receiving stations in motor vehicles. Permanently installed radio stations allow a main station to supply information columns at clearly defined points with traffic information to inform users outside of the roads.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a data packet between motor vehicles, comprising:

transmitting the data packet as at least one of an individual data packet having vehicle data and data-packet generation data, and a combined data packet having a plurality of individual data packets;

receiving the data packet at one of the motor vehicles; and

combining the data packet into a new combined data packet at the one of the motor vehicles.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing at least one of a number of received individual data packets and a number of combined data packets to a first threshold value;

wherein the new combined data packet is generated in response to exceeding the first threshold value in the comparing.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing one of;

individual transmitting at least one of received individual data packets and received combined data packets; and

combining the at least one of the received individual data packets and the received combined data packets into the new combined data packet and transmitting the new combined data packet;

wherein a generation time of the new combined data packet one of exceeds and does not exceed a second threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ascertaining the vehicle data and the data-packet generation data from a received data packet to generate traffic information; and

transmitting the traffic information in the new combined data packet.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

combining the traffic information at various locations into the new combined data packet.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a message number, a vehicle number, generation-time information, and priority information as the data-packet generation data; and

generating a current vehicle speed, an average speed over a time interval, a travel direction, a road number and a vehicle location as the vehicle data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the new combined data packet includes a number of individual data packets and combined data packets that form the new combined data packet.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting the new combined data packet, wherein the new combined data packet includes an average current vehicle speed, an average vehicle speed over a time interval, and an average age of at least one of individual data packets and combined data packets that form the new combined data packet.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein a random number generator one of permanently assigns and generates a vehicle number of the data-packet generation data for a specific vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

signaling by the data packet to indicate whether the data packet includes the individual data packet or the combined data packet.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the combined data packet indicates whether the combined data packet originated from at least one other combined data packet.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein how often at least one of the motor vehicles may retransmit the data packet is set.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

restarting a system time measurement at a fixed time; and

setting a system time counter to zero;

wherein the data packet includes a generation time set by the system time counter during a data-packet generation time.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the data packet includes a count of a counter;

the count is incremented in predetermined time cycles in response to the data packet being transmitted by another motor vehicle; and

the counter is set to zero when the data packet is generated.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a permanently located radio station at least receives the data packet.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the permanently located radio station transmits a received data packet to a main station coupled to at least one of an information column and an Internet.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the data packet is emitted periodically by at least one of the motor vehicles.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein a transmission frequency of the data packet is a function of data traffic around at least one of the motor vehicles.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein a transmission frequency of the data packet is a function of priority information in the data-packet generation data.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the individual data packet includes an all-clear packet indicating a traffic situation improvement.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the all-clear packet is assigned a high priority.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ascertaining a statistical reliability of traffic information item using at least one of;

the data-packet generation data of received data packets, and

a number of the received data packets; and

indicating the statistical reliability to a user of a receiving motor vehicle.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein the permanently located radio station transmits the data packet.

28. The device of claim 23, wherein the locator device includes a navigation device.

23. A device for transmitting and processing traffic information in a motor vehicle, comprising:

a processor;

a transmitting and receiving station;

a memory; and

at least one of an acoustic output arrangement and an optical output arrangement;

wherein;

the device is connected to a locator device; and

the device performs at least one of;

transmitting a data packet that includes traffic information as at least one of an individual data packet having vehicle data and data-packet generation data, and a combined data packet having a plurality of individual data packets; and

receiving the data packet and combining the data packet into a new combined data packet.

24. A transmitting/receiving station for at least one of transmitting and receiving traffic information in a motor vehicle, comprising:

an antenna;

a switch;

a high-frequency receiver;

a digital part;

a processor;

a memory;

a coder; and

a transmitting part;

wherein the transmitting/receiving station performs at least one of;

transmitting the data packet as at least one of an individual data packet having vehicle data and data-packet generation data, and a combined data packet having a plurality of individual data packets; and

receiving the data packet and combining the data packet into a new combined data packet.

25. A main station for at least one of transmitting and receiving traffic information to and from a motor vehicle, comprising:

a transmitting arrangement to transmit a data packet as at least one of an individual data packet having vehicle data and data-packet generation data, and a combined data packet having a plurality of individual data packets;

a receiving arrangement to receive the data packet;

a combining arrangement to combine the data packet into a new combined data packet;

an arrangement to ascertain a statistical reliability of traffic information using at least one of;

the data-packet generation data of received data packets, and

a number of the received data packets; and

an indicating arrangement to indicate the statistical reliability to a user of a receiving motor vehicle.

26. An information column for use in at least one of transmitting and receiving traffic information to and from a motor vehicle, comprising:

a transmitting arrangement to transmit a data packet including the traffic information as at least one of an individual data packet having vehicle data and data-packet generation data, and a combined data packet having a plurality of individual data packets;

a receiving arrangement to receive the data packet; and

a combining arrangement to combine the data packet into a new combined data packet;

wherein the information column is permanently located and is operable to receive the data packet and to transmit a received data packet to a main station coupled to at least one of the information column and an Internet.