METHOD FOR IMPROVING TRAFFIC SAFETY BY MEANS OF USING BEACONS

• US 20080291007A1
• Filed: 12/26/2007
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Original Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Inventors: Touset Rios, Miguel Angel, Cajigas Bringas, Guillermo, Sendra Alcina, Jose Carlos
• Granted Patent: US 8,907,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for improving traffic safety by means of using beacons, using for each vehicle (3) participating in the accident prevention TAP service means (1) of determining the speed of the vehicle and a terminal TE (2) connected to said means (1) and with access to a wireless access network (4). It further uses positioning beacons (6) located at different points of the road network (8), communicating through radio with the vehicles circulating close to them. By knowing the position of the vehicle (3) when it passes close to a beacon (6), the network (4) warns the terminal TE (2) of the safety parameters (maximum speed allowed, safety distance with the vehicle in front of it) at the point of the road network (8) in which the vehicle (3) circulates. The terminal (2) warns driver of said safety parameters so that he or she can take the appropriate actions.

Claims

1. A method for improving traffic safety by means of using beacons, wherein each vehicle circulating in the road network and subscribed to a traffic accident prevention by beacons service, TAPB service, provided by said method has a terminal TE which can access a wireless access network managing the service, wherein said TAPB service has positioning beacons located at different points of the road network transmitting by radio their identifier ID_B and the TAPB service identifier ID_TAPB that they provide, and in that said method comprises the following steps for each vehicle participating in the TAPB service;

a) the terminal TE of the vehicle sends a request to the wireless access network to subscribe to the TAPB service, sending the following data with said request;

the TAPB service identifier being requested;

and optionally;

the number of points that the driver of the vehicle has in the event that the country in which the vehicle is located uses a driver'"'"'s license point system;

b) the wireless access network optionally checks the subscription validation of the terminal TE;

c) the wireless access network sends to the terminal TE;

a temporary identifier ID_TE of the terminal TE; and

optionally

an update of the number of points that the driver of the vehicle has;

d) the terminal TE is placed in listen mode, to receive information from the positioning beacons in the communication channel used by said beacons to communicate with the vehicles using the TAPB service;

e) once a message broadcast by a positioning beacon has been received, the terminal TE checks that the service provided by said beacon corresponds with the TAPB service, in which case the terminal TE sends to the wireless access network;

the identifier ID_B of the beacon,

its identifier ID_TE, and optionally

safety parameters SP_MEAs of the vehicle measured therein;

in the event that the terminal TE does not send said safety parameters SP_MEAs, the network calculates the safety parameters SP_MEAs of the vehicle based on the register times of the different data sent by the terminal TE to the network;

f) the wireless access network sends to the terminal TE safety parameters SP_RNs that the vehicle must observe at the point of the road network in which it is currently located and optionally an update of the number of points;

g) the terminal TE communicates the current SP_RNs to at least one of the following;

to at least one of the occupants of the vehicle,

to an external system;

h) in the event that SP_MEA>

SP_RN for any of the safety parameters that are considered, the terminal TE warns of said situation so that the vehicle observes the SP_RNs.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein each vehicle circulating in the road network and subscribed to the, TAPB service provided by said method additionally has means of determining the speed of the vehicle connected to a terminal TE, the latter having access to the information provided by said means.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein SP_MEA is the speed of the vehicle, whereas SP_RN is the speed allowed for said vehicle at the point of the road network in which it is located.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle subscribed to the TAPB service has means of detecting the distance D_S to the vehicle in front of it, characterized in that SP_MEAs are the speed of the vehicle and the distance D_S, whereas SP_RNs is the speed allowed for said vehicle at the point of the road network in which it is located and the safety distance that it must maintain with the vehicle in front of it at said point of the road.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the safety parameters SP_MEAs of the vehicle are measured therein, characterized in that in the event that SP_MEA>

SP_RN is met in a predetermined number of times, the terminal TE sends a message to the wireless access network to communicate the violation of the established safety parameters.

6. A method according to any of claims 1, wherein the safety parameters SP_MEAs of the vehicle are calculated by the network, wherein in the event that SP_MEA>

SP_RN is met in a predetermined number of times, the wireless access network sends a message to the terminal TE to communicate the violation of the established safety parameters and/or a fine for the violation committed.

7. A method for improving traffic safety by means of using beacons, wherein each vehicle circulating in the road network and subscribed to a traffic accident prevention by beacons service TAPB service, provided by said method has a terminal TE which can access a wireless access network managing the service, wherein said TAPB service has positioning beacons located at different points of the road network, said beacons transmitting by radio their identifier ID_B and the TAPB service identifier ID_TAPB that they provide and optionally a time mark, and in that said method comprises the following steps for each vehicle participating in the TAPB service:

a) the terminal TE of the vehicle sends a request to the wireless access network to subscribe to the TAPB service, sending the following data with said request;

the TAPB service identifier being requested;

and optionally;

the number of points that the driver of the vehicle has in the event that the country in which the vehicle is located uses a driver'"'"'s license point system;

b) the wireless access network optionally checks the subscription validation of the terminal TE;

c) the wireless access network sends to the terminal TE;

a temporary identifier ID_TE of the terminal TE; and

optionally

an update of the number of points that the driver of the vehicle has;

d) the terminal TE is placed in listen mode to receive information from the positioning beacons, in the communication channel used by said beacons to communicate with the vehicles using the TAPB service;

e) once a message broadcast by a positioning beacon has been received, the terminal TE checks that the service provided by said beacon corresponds with the TAPB service, in which case the terminal TE sends to the positioning beacon;

its identifier ID_TE,

and optionally

the identifier ID_B and the time mark of the previous beacon with which the vehicle has communicated in the event that the terminal TE stores the identifiers ID_B and the time marks of the beacons through which it passes;

f) the beacon through which the vehicle passes sends to the wireless access network the identifier ID_TE and its identifier ID_B and optionally safety parameters SP_MEAs in the event that the beacon measures them;

in the event that the beacon does not send said safety parameters SP_MEAs, the network calculates the safety parameters SP_MEAs of the vehicle based on the register times of the different data sent by the beacon to the network;

g) the wireless access network sends to the terminal TE safety parameters

SP_RNs that the vehicle must observe at the point of the road network in which it is currently located and optionally an update of the number of points;

h) the terminal TE communicates the current SP_RNs to at least one of the following;

to at least one of the occupants of the vehicle,

to an external system;

i) in the event that the wireless access network detects that SP_MEA>

SP_RN for any of the safety parameters that are considered, the network warns the terminal TE of said situation.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the positioning beacons have means of determining the speed of the vehicles passing through the points of the road network in which said beacons are located.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein SP_MEA is the speed of the vehicle, whereas SP_RN is the speed allowed for said vehicle at the point of the road network in which it is located.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein the beacon has means of detecting the distance D_S between the vehicle and the vehicle in front of it, characterized in that SP_MEAs are the speed of the vehicle and the distance D_S, whereas SP_RNs is the speed allowed for said vehicle at the point of the road network in which it is located and the safety distance that it must maintain with the vehicle in front of it at said point of the road.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein in the event that SP_MEA>

SP_RN is met in a predetermined number of times, the wireless access network sends a message to the terminal TE to communicate the violation of the established safety parameters and/or a fine for the violation committed.