In-vehicle communication apparatuses, methods, and programs

• US 20090070026A1
• Filed: 09/04/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Kubota, Tomoki
• Application Number:
  US12/230,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070026A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

In-vehicle communication apparatuses, methods, and programs store a database including a plurality of points set within the vicinity of an intersection and a plurality of frequencies associated with a each of the points. The apparatuses, methods, and programs receive a signal and detect a frequency of the received signal. The apparatuses, methods, and programs generate content of a warning about the intersection based on the stored database and the detected frequency and communicate the generated content of the warning.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle communication apparatus, comprising:

a memory storing a database including a plurality of points set within the vicinity of an intersection and a plurality of frequencies associated with each of the points; and

a controller that is specifically configured to;

receive a signal;

detect a frequency of the received signal;

generate content of a warning about the intersection based on the database and the detected frequency; and

communicate the generated content of the warning.

2. The in-vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is specifically configured to:

receive a detected current position of a vehicle in which the in-vehicle communication apparatus is provided, the detected current position detected by a current position detector;

determine candidate frequencies for received signals when the detected vehicle position indicates that the vehicle is approaching one of the plurality of points; and

generate the content of the warning when one of the candidate frequencies matches the detected frequency.

3. The in-vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is specifically configured to determine the candidate frequencies based on the database and the detected current position.

4. The in-vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is specifically configured to:

receive a plurality of signals;

detect a plurality of frequencies of the received plurality of signals;

increase a level of the generated warning if the detected plurality of frequencies match a plurality of the candidate frequencies.

5. The in-vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is specifically configured to:

generate and communicate the content of the warning every time one of the candidate frequencies matches the detected frequency.

6. The in-vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is specifically configured to:

set transmissible frequencies based on the database and the detected position of the vehicle;

determine one of the transmissible frequencies that is not currently being used as a transmission frequency; and

transmit a signal having the determined transmission frequency.

7. The in-vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the controller is specifically configured to exclude any frequency of the received signal from the transmissible frequencies.

8. A navigation apparatus comprising the in-vehicle communication apparatus according to claim 2.

9. The navigation apparatus of claim 8, further comprising the current position detector.

10. An in-vehicle communication method, comprising:

storing a database including a plurality of points set within the vicinity of an intersection and a plurality of frequencies associated with each of the points;

receiving a signal;

detecting a frequency of the received signal;

generating content of a warning about the intersection based on the database and the detected frequency; and

communicating the generated content of the warning.

11. The in-vehicle communication method according to claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a detected current position of a vehicle in which the in-vehicle communication apparatus is provided;

determining candidate frequencies for received signals when the detected vehicle position indicates that the vehicle is approaching one of the plurality of points; and

generating the content of the warning when one of the candidate frequencies matches the detected first frequency.

12. The in-vehicle communication method according to claim 11, further comprising determining the candidate frequencies based on the database and the detected current position.

13. The in-vehicle communication method according to claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of signals;

detecting frequencies of the received plurality of signals;

increasing a level of the generated warning if the detected frequencies match a plurality of the candidate frequencies.

14. The in-vehicle communication method according to claim 11, further comprising generating and communicating the content of the warning every time one of the candidate frequencies matches the detected frequency.

15. The in-vehicle communication method according to claim 11, further comprising:

setting transmissible frequencies based on the database and the detected position of the vehicle;

determining one of the transmissible frequencies that is not currently being used as a transmission frequency; and

transmitting a signal having the determined transmission frequency.

16. The in-vehicle communication method according to claim 15, further comprising excluding the first frequency from the transmissible frequencies.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program usable for in-vehicle communication, the program comprising:

instructions for storing a database including a plurality of points set within the vicinity of an intersection and a plurality of frequencies associated with each of the points;

instructions for receiving a signal;

instructions for detecting a frequency of the received signal;

instructions for generating content of a warning about the intersection based on the stored database and the detected frequency; and

instructions for communicating the generated content of the warning.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the program further comprising:

instructions for receiving a detected current position of a vehicle in which the in-vehicle communication apparatus is provided;

instructions for determining candidate frequencies for received signals when the detected vehicle position indicates that the vehicle is approaching one of the plurality of points; and

instructions for generating the content of the warning when one of the candidate frequencies matches the detected frequency.