System and method for exchange of information amongst peers in a peer to peer wireless network

• US 20060235967A1
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NeoMedia Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: NeoMedia Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Fritz, Charles W.
• Application Number:
  US11/406,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20060235967A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724098 Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method and system for exchanging information amongst a plurality of peers. A first peer collects environment data related to an environment proximate to the first peer, which may for example be associated with a traffic or weather condition proximate to the first peer. The first peer transmits the environment data into a first region associated with the first peer, and a second peer receives the environment data transmitted by the first peer. The second peer then processes the received environment data. This process would likely occur in an iterative manner; i.e. the second peer retransmits the information to other peers in its operating range, and may add its own collected environment data as well.

Claims

1. A method for exchanging information amongst a plurality of peers comprising the steps of:

a first peer collecting environment data related to an environment proximate to the first peer;

the first peer transmitting said environment data into a first region associated with the first peer;

a second peer receiving the environment data transmitted by the first peer; and

the second peer processing the received environment data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

the second peer transmitting a request for environment data;

the first peer receiving the request for environment data transmitted by the second peer; and

the first peer transmitting said environment data into the first region associated with the first peer in response to the request for environment data received by the first peer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first peer collects environment data from at least one sensor.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first peer collects environment data from a user input device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first peer collects environment data from a remotely located data source.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first peer collects environment data from another peer.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the environment data collected by the first peer is associated with a weather condition proximate to the first peer.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the environment data collected by the first peer is associated with a traffic condition proximate to the first peer.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the environment data collected by the first peer comprises peer location data.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the peer location data comprises GPS coordinate information of the first peer obtained from an associated GPS receiver.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the peer location data comprises GPS coordinate information of at least one other peer obtained from a wireless transmission from another peer.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the GPS coordinate information of at least one other peer comprises GPS coordinate information of a plurality of peers, and wherein the second peer processes the GPS coordinate information to determine if a congested traffic condition exists in proximity to the plurality of peers.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the second peer makes a change in an intended route based on the determination if a congested traffic condition exists in proximity to the plurality of peers.

14. A wireless peer to peer information exchange system comprising a plurality of peer computing devices, each of said peer computing devices comprising:

means for collecting environment data related to an environment proximate to the peer computing device;

means for transmitting said environment data into a region associated with the peer computing device;

means for receiving environment data transmitted by another peer computing device; and

means for processing the environment data.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for collecting environment data comprises an environmental sensor.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein a peer computing device further comprises a memory for storing environment data.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein a peer computing device further comprises means for determining the location of the peer computing device.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the means for determining the location of the peer computing device comprises a GPS receiver.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein a peer computing device further comprises a user interface.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein a peer computing device further comprises a wireless network connection.