VIEW SELECTION IN A VEHICLE-TO-VEHICLE NETWORK

• US 20090231432A1
• Filed: 03/17/2008
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Grigsy, Travis M., Seacat, Lisa Anne, Nesbitt, Pamela Ann, Miller, Steven Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,043,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/149
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/00 Details of viewing arrangements using cameras and displays, specially adapted for use in a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/50 characterised by the display information being shared, e.g. external display, data transfer to other traffic participants or centralised traffic controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/70 characterised by an event-triggered choice to display a specific image among a selection of captured images
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

In V2V or other networks in which multiple video cameras can share video data, a network participant ordinarily has the option of selecting a particular video data stream (either generated by local cameras or received from other network participants. To facilitate the process of selecting a video data stream for presentation, the user'"'"'s vehicle (in a V2V network) receives video data streams generated by other network participants along with identifiers indicating the video data stream actually being presented to the sender. The receiving system identifies the received video data stream by the greatest number of network participants and displays the identified video data stream on the user'"'"'s in-vehicle video display.

Claims

1. A method for determining which video data stream is to be presented on a video display used by a first participant in a network in which multiple participants produce video data streams that may be shared among other participants, said method comprising:

receiving video data streams currently being presented on video displays used by a plurality of other participants;

identifying which of said received video data streams is currently being presented on displays used by the greatest number of participants;

presenting the identified video data stream on the video display used by said first participant.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the video data stream currently being presented on the video display used by said first participant is different than said identified video data stream;

providing an indicator to the first participant that the video data stream currently being presented is not said identified video data stream;

in response to an input from said first participant, switching the video data stream being presented to said identified video data stream.

3. A method according to claim 1 further comprising automatically switching the video data stream currently being presented on the video display used by said first participant when the video data stream currently being presented on displays used by the greatest number of participants changes from the video data stream currently being presented.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said method is performed as the first participant joins the network.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said network is a vehicle-to-vehicle network and at least some of said video data streams are produced by vehicle-mounted video cameras.

6. A method according to claim 5 further comprising:

receiving an override video data stream produced by another network participant; and

replacing the video data stream currently being presented with the received override video data stream.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein said override video data stream is received from a source outside the vehicle-to-vehicle network.

8. A computer program product for determining which video data stream is to be presented on a video display used by a first participant in a network in which multiple participants produce video data streams that may be shared among other participants, said computer product including a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, said computer usable program code comprising:

computer usable program code configured to receive video data streams currently being presented on video displays used by a plurality of other of participants;

computer usable program code configured to identify which of said received video data streams is currently being presented on displays used by the greatest number of participants;

computer usable program code configured to present the identified video data stream on the video display used by said first participant.

9. A computer program product according to claim 8 further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to determine whether the video data stream currently being presented on the video display used by said first participant is different than said identified video data stream;

computer usable program code configured to provide an indicator to the first participant that the video data stream currently being presented is not said identified data stream;

computer usable program code configured to, in response to an input from said first participant, switch the video data stream being presented to said identified video data stream.

10. A computer program product according to claim 8 further comprising computer usable program code configured to automatically switch the video data stream currently being presented on the video display used by said first participant when the video data stream currently being presented on displays used by the greatest number of participants changes from the video data stream currently being presented.

11. A computer program product according to claim 8 further comprising computer usable program code configured to initiate execution of the other computer usable program code as the first participant joins the network.

12. A computer program product according to claim 8 for use in a vehicle-to-vehicle network in which at least some of said video data streams are produced by vehicle-mounted video cameras.

13. A computer program product according to claim 12 further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to receive an override video data stream produced by another network participant; and

computer usable program code configured to replace the video data stream currently being presented with the received override data stream.

14. A computer program product according to claim 13 wherein said override video data stream is received from a source outside the vehicle-to-vehicle network.

15. A system comprising a video display and a controller for selecting a video to be presented on said video display being used by a first network participant, said controller comprising:

a video input system for receiving video data streams from other participants in the network;

a video storage module for storing received video data streams;

a popularity logic module for determining which of the received video data streams is currently being viewed by the greatest number of other participants in the network; and

a video output system for directing the received video stream currently being viewed by the greatest number of other participants to the video display being used by the first network participant.

16. A system according to claim 15 further comprising a user input module for receiving user input identifying a particular video data stream to be presented on the video display, said video output system being responsive to received user input identifying a particular video data stream to direct the user-identified video data stream to the video display.

17. A system according to claim 16 further comprising detector logic for detecting a received video data stream having an override priority, said video output system being responsive to detection of a received video data stream having an override priority to direct said video data stream to the video display.

18. A system according to claim 17 wherein the network is a vehicle-to-vehicle network and at least some of said video data streams are produced by vehicle-mounted video cameras.

19. A system according to claim 18 wherein at least one video data stream originates outside the vehicle-to-vehicle network.