Establishment of Communications Connections Between Vehicles

• US 20100015963A1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Company HG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Hesse, Michael, Stählin, Ulrich
• Granted Patent: US 8,180,297 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for setting up communication links between a first vehicle and at least one second vehicle using telematics units, wherein the telematics unit is activated by the respective driver, and the driver of the first vehicle uses the telematics unit to input registration identifiers into the telematics unit in the first vehicle, and the telematics unit in the first vehicle sets up a communication link to at least one second telematics unit in a second vehicle, and the registration identifier is checked by the telematics unit in the second vehicle via the communication link, and the registration identifier of the first vehicle is output to the driver of the second vehicle via the telematics unit in the vehicle, with setup of a communication link to the first vehicle being confirmed by an input, requested by the driver of the second vehicle, using the telematics unit in the second vehicle.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A method for setting up communication links between a first vehicle and at least one second vehicle using telematics units located in the vehicles,

wherein the telematics unit is activated by the respective driver, and the driver of the first vehicle uses a man-machine interface on the telematics unit located in the first vehicle in order to input registration identifiers, representing the vehicle to be called, into the telematics unit located in the first vehicle,

and the telematics unit in the first vehicle sets up a communication link to at least one second telematics unit in a second vehicle,

and the registration identifier is checked by the telematics unit in the second vehicle via the communication link which has been set up, and the registration identifier of the first vehicle is output to the driver of the second vehicle via the telematics unit on a man-machine interface connected to the telematics unit in the vehicle, with setup of a communication link to the first vehicle being confirmed by an input, requested by the driver of the second vehicle, using the man-machine interface connected to the telematics unit and located in the second vehicle.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10,

wherein the communication link involves the use of short-range communication.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10,

wherein communication link is set up in unicast mode, multicast mode, broadcast mode, geocast mode, or any combination thereof.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10,

wherein the drivers are identified and authenticated by the respective telematics unit using an interface on which captured data from an automatic environment recognition unit for registration identifiers are provided.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10,

wherein a man-machine interface is used to display the registration identifier of the first vehicle in a reproduction unit in the second vehicle.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14,

wherein the man-machine interface and the reproduction unit are integrated in an electronic display.

15. An apparatus for setting up communication links between vehicles which have interfaces for the input and output of data, further comprising means for activating the telematics unit, means for inputting and storing a registration identifier, means for setting up a communication link and means for confirming the communication link.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15,

wherein the means for inputting and storing a registration identifier are used to input a registration identifier multimodally.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15,

wherein the apparatus is incorporated as a module in a telematics unit.

19. A method for setting up communication links between a first vehicle and at least one second vehicle using telematics units located in the vehicles, said method comprising the steps of:

activating the telematics units in the vehicles;

inputting registration identifiers into the telematics units of the first vehicle representing a vehicle to be called;

establishing a communication link between the telematics unit in the first vehicle and the telematics unit in the second vehicle;

checking the registration identifier in the telematics units of the second vehicle via the communication link;

outputting the registration identifier of the first vehicle to a driver of the second vehicle via the telematics unit of the second vehicle; and

confirming the establishment of the communication link to the telematics unit in the second vehicle.