Inter-vehicle communication system and method

• US 20060015242A1
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshida, Ichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,653,473 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

An inter-vehicle communication control system, inter-vehicle communication control method, an on-vehicle communication system and a communication state display, usable in an inter-vehicle communication control system, and on-vehicle communication and communication state display methods that enable on-vehicle communication devices to perform inter-vehicle communication, to reduce or prevent collision or intervention with other inter-vehicle communication or road-vehicle communication.

Claims

1. An inter-vehicle communication control system for controlling inter-vehicle communication between a first on-vehicle communication device mounted on a first vehicle and a second on-vehicle communication device mounted on a second vehicle, the inter-vehicle communication control system comprising:

a communication state display mounted on the second vehicle for displaying information representing a communication state of the second on-vehicle communication device; and

an on-vehicle communication system mounted on the first vehicle for receiving the information representing the communication state of the second on-vehicle communication device and for analyzing the received information to determine the communication state of the second on-vehicle communication device and a positional relationship between the first and second vehicles,

the on-vehicle communication system specifying an inter-vehicle communication method between the first and second on-vehicle communication devices that does not affect other inter-vehicle communication or road-vehicle communication of the second vehicle based on the determined communication state of the second communication device and positional relationship between the first and second vehicles and controlling the first and second on-vehicle communication devices to perform the inter-vehicle communication in accordance with the specified communication method.

2. The inter-vehicle communication control system as in claim 1, wherein:

the communication state display displays a busy state of at least one communication medium of the second on-vehicle communication device; and

the on-vehicle communication system receives the information displayed on the communication state display and analyzes the received information to determine the busy state of the at least one communication medium of the second on-vehicle communication device.

3. The inter-vehicle communication control system as in claim 1, wherein:

the communication state display displays a busy state of at least one communication channel of the second on-vehicle communication device; and

the on-vehicle communication system receives the information displayed on the communication state display and analyzes the received information to determine the busy state of the at least one communication channel of the second on-vehicle communication device.

4. The inter-vehicle communication control system as in claim 1, wherein the on-vehicle communication system analyzes the received information to detect a present position of the second vehicle and the positional relationship between the first and second vehicles.

5. The inter-vehicle communication control system as in claim 1, wherein the information representing a communication state of the second on-vehicle communication device is visual information and the on-vehicle communication system mounted on the first vehicle includes a camera for capturing the visual information.

6. The inter-vehicle communication control system as in claim 1, wherein the specified communication method includes at least one communication method and at least one communication channel.

7. The inter-vehicle communication control system as in claim 6, wherein the at least one communication method includes emission and reception of electromagnetic radiation.

8. The inter-vehicle communication control system as in claim 7, wherein the electromagnetic radiation includes radio, millimeter wave, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, x-rays, gamma rays, and/or supersonic wave.

9. The inter-vehicle communication control system as in claim 7, wherein the on-vehicle communication system mounted on the first vehicle determines an emission direction of the electromagnetic radiation emitted from the first on-vehicle communication device based on the positional relationship between the first and second vehicles so that the second on-vehicle communication device captures the electromagnetic radiation and the first on-vehicle communication device emit the electromagnetic radiation along the determined emission direction to begin the inter-vehicle communication between the first and second on-vehicle communication devices.

10. The inter-vehicle communication control system as in claim 9, wherein:

the on-vehicle communication system, after the first on-vehicle communication device begins emission of the electromagnetic radiation, generates a prediction image frame corresponding to an image after a given period elapses; and

the on-vehicle communication system compares the image, which corresponds to the prediction image frame produced from a previous image, with a present image, which is received, and predicts a proceeding direction of the second vehicle in order to adjust the emission direction of the electromagnetic radiation emitted from the first on-vehicle communication device.

11. A method for performing inter-vehicle communication between a first vehicle and a second vehicle, the method comprising:

displaying information representing a communication state of the second vehicle; and

receiving the information representing the communication state of the second vehicle at the first vehicle and for analyzing the received information to determine the communication state of the second vehicle and a positional relationship between the first and second vehicles;

determining the communication state of the second vehicle at the first vehicle;

determining a positional relationship between the first and second vehicles;

specifying an inter-vehicle communication method between the first and second vehicles that does not affect other inter-vehicle communication or road-vehicle communication of the second vehicle; and

controlling the first and second vehicles to perform the inter-vehicle communication in accordance with the specified communication method.

12. An on-vehicle communication system of an inter-vehicle communication control system that controls inter-vehicle communication performed between a first on-vehicle communication device mounted on a first vehicle and a second on-vehicle communication device mounted on a second vehicle, wherein the on-vehicle communication system is mounted on the first vehicle;

the on-vehicle communication system receiving information representing a communication state of the second on-vehicle communication device and analyzing the received information to determine the communication state of the second on-vehicle communication device and a positional relationship between the first and second vehicles,

the on-vehicle communication system specifying an inter-vehicle communication method between the first and second on-vehicle communication devices that does not affect other inter-vehicle communication or road-vehicle communication of the second vehicle, based on the determined communication state of the second communication device and positional relationship between the first and second vehicles and controlling the first and second on-vehicle communication devices to perform the inter-vehicle communication in accordance with the specified communication method.

13. The on-vehicle communication system as in claim 12, wherein the information representing a communication state of the second on-vehicle communication device is visual information and the on-vehicle communication system mounted on the first vehicle includes a camera for capturing the visual information.

14. The on-vehicle communication system as in claim 12, wherein the specified communication method includes at least one communication method and at least one communication channel.

15. The on-vehicle communication system as in claim 14, wherein the at least one communication method includes emission and reception of electromagnetic radiation.

16. The on-vehicle communication system as in claim 15, wherein the electromagnetic radiation includes radio, millimeter wave, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, x-rays, gamma rays, and/or supersonic wave.

17. A method for performing inter-vehicle communication between a first vehicle and a second vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving information representing a communication state of the second vehicle at the first vehicle and for analyzing the received information to determine the communication state of the second vehicle and a positional relationship between the first and second vehicles;

determining the communication state of the second vehicle at the first vehicle;

determining a positional relationship between the first and second vehicles;

specifying an inter-vehicle communication method between the first and second vehicles that does not affect other inter-vehicle communication or road-vehicle communication of the second vehicle; and

controlling the first and second vehicles to perform the inter-vehicle communication in accordance with the specified communication method.

18. A communication state display of an inter-vehicle communication control system that controls inter-vehicle communication performed between a first on-vehicle communication device mounted on a first vehicle and a second on-vehicle communication device mounted on a second vehicle, wherein the communication state display is mounted on the second vehicle for displaying a communication state of the second on-vehicle communication device, the communication state of the second on-vehicle communication device indicating any inter-vehicle communication between the second vehicle and other vehicles or any road-vehicle communication between the second vehicle and a roadside device.

19. The communication state display as in claim 18, wherein information representing the communication state of the second on-vehicle communication device is visual information.

20. A method for providing information for performing inter-vehicle communication between a first vehicle and a second vehicle, the method comprising:

displaying information representing a communication state of the second vehicle to the first vehicle, wherein the information identifies any inter-vehicle communication between the second vehicle and other vehicles or any road-vehicle communication between the second vehicle and a roadside device.