Vehicle communication network

• US 20030102997A1
• Filed: 09/16/2002
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hexagon System Engineering Ltd. (Nice Ltd)
• Original Assignee: Hexagon System Engineering Ltd. (Nice Ltd)
• Inventors: Levin, Moshe, Freedman, Avraham
• Application Number:
  US10/244,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20030102997A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/57
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/006 using shared front-end circuitry, e.g. antennas G01S13/765, G01S13/825 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/023 Interference mitigation, e.g. reducing or avoiding non-intentional interference with other HF-transmitters, base station transmitters for mobile communication or other radar systems, e.g. using electro-magnetic interference [EMI] reduction techniques auxiliary means for detecting or identifying radar signals or the like G01S7/021; means for anti-jamming G01S7/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/0236 Avoidance by space multiplex
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

A vehicle communication system including a combined radar and wireless communication system coupling a plurality of vehicles. Preferably, the system also includes a plurality of access points which are coupled for wireless communication to the vehicles. There is also shown a method for vehicle communication including coupling a plurality of vehicles by means of a combined radar and wireless communication system.

Claims

1. A vehicle communication system comprising a combined radar and wireless communication system coupling a plurality of vehicles.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of access points which are coupled for wireless communication to said plurality of vehicles, where said access points use standard communication protocols and located in a plurality of locations.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said access points communicates with vehicles when they are stationary and in motion.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said access points provides Point of Presence (POP) to the Internet.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said access points provides push/pull information services.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said access points includes a sub-system for providing broadcast services.

7. The system according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said access points or vehicles includes a sub-system for pushing/pulling large information blocks by dividing them into several sub blocks, transitioning/receiving each sub-block in a separate access point, and automatically combining it in the vehicle/access point.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said radar communication system further includes a waveform generator for synthesizing a combined radar and information waveform.

9. The system according to claim 8, further comprising a radar processor coupled to said waveform generator, and a communication processor coupled to said waveform generator, for respectively providing waveforms and information to be transmitted, from which said waveform generator synthesizes a combined waveform.

10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising an RF front end for transmitting said combined waveform.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an RF front end mounted in a vehicle;

at least one antenna mounted on said vehicle and coupled to said RF front end;

a communication/radar splitter coupled to said RF front end for splitting combined radar and information waveforms received in said RF front end;

a communication processor coupled to said communication/radar splitter for processing information received and to be transmitted;

a radar processor coupled to said communication/radar splitter for processing radar waveforms received and to be transmitted;

a waveform generator coupled to said communication processor and said radar processor for synthesizing a combined radar and information waveform and transferring it to said RF front end for transmission.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising

an information processor and data fusion module for receiving information from said radar processor, said communication processor and external sources and processing all said information.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said at least one antenna is an array of antennas.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein said at least one antenna is an array of antennas.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein said external sources include sensors monitoring internal vehicle parameters.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein said external sources include a GPS/GIS information source.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein said external sources include a rate-gyro information source.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein said system is integrated with other sensors within an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS).

19. A method for vehicle communication comprising coupling a plurality of vehicles by means of a combined radar and wireless communication system.

20. The method according to claim 19, including transmitting a combined radar and information waveform between vehicles.

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

providing, to a waveform generator, waveforms from a radar processor and information to be transmitted from a communication processor; and

synthesizing, in said waveform generator, a combined waveform to be transmitted.

22. The method according to claim 19, further comprising fusing data from external sources with said information to be transmitted before said step of synthesizing.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said step of fusing includes data fusion with GPS/GIS information for predicting road curves to improve radar performance.

24. The method according to claim 19, further comprising coordinating operation of at least two vehicles, thereby improving vehicle safety.

25. The method according to claim 19, further comprising coordinating operation of internal vehicle sensors between at least two vehicles.

26. The method according to claim 19, further comprising coordinating the operation of radar sensors to limit mutual interference problems.

27. The method according to claim 19, further comprising sharing sensor information between at least two vehicles.

28. The method according to claim 19, further comprising coupling by wireless communication at least one access point with said plurality of vehicles, and relaying information between at least one vehicle and said access point.