WIRELESS TRAFFIC INFORMATION INDICATING METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20110196580A1
• Filed: 10/10/2009
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Its Limited (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Its Limited (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Huang, Geng, Xu, Fei
• Application Number:
  US13/122,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20110196580A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/48
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/26 using acoustic output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/048 displaying data transmitted between vehicles, e.g. for platooning, control of inter-vehicle distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/14 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/16 using difference in transit time between electrical and acoustic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

A traffic information indicating method, in which: a first vehicle or a front object synchronously transmits two wireless signals directionally. The first wireless signal is for time synchronism and the second wireless signal is for distance measurement. The first and second wireless signals are received directionally by the second vehicle. The distance between the two vehicles or between the front object and the second vehicle is calculated according to the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal. A traffic information indicating system implements the above method.

Claims

1. A wireless traffic information indicating method comprising the following steps:

a first vehicle or a front object synchronously and directionally transmitting a first wireless signal for time synchronization and a second wireless signal for distance measurement; and

a second vehicle directionally receiving the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal, and calculating the distance between the second vehicle and the first vehicle or the front object based on the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first wireless signal is an infrared signal and the second wireless signal is an ultrasound signal.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second vehicle calculates the distance between the second vehicle and the first vehicle or the front object based on the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal, and

the second vehicle calculates the distance between the second vehicle and the first vehicle or the front object based on phase time difference of the received infrared signal and ultrasound signal, the front object being an electronic traffic signal or an electronic traffic road sign device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second vehicle continuously measures the distance between the second vehicle and the first vehicle or the front object, and calculates the relative speed between the second vehicle and the first vehicle or the front object based on the measured data.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first wireless signal or the second wireless signal transmitted from the first vehicle or the front object comprises digital coded information;

and the second vehicle interprets the digital coded information in the received first wireless signal or second wireless signal so as to achieve the transmission of digital information.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal comprise data package ID information, and the second vehicle synchronizes the received first wireless signal and second wireless signal based on the data package ID.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the digital coded information further comprises information on height, and the second vehicle carries out angle correction to the calculation of distance and relative speed based on the information on height.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first vehicle backwardly and directionally transmits the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal, the second vehicle forwardly and directionally receives the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal, and the second vehicle backwardly and directionally transmits the received first wireless signal and second wireless signal so that the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal transmitted by the first vehicle are backwardly and repeatedly retransmitted.

9. A wireless traffic information indicating system characterized in comprising:

a wireless transmitting device installed in a traffic signal light or a traffic road sign or a vehicle traveling in front for directionally transmitting digital coded first wireless signal and second wireless signal having different speeds of transmission; and

a wireless receiving device installed in a traveling vehicle behind for directionally receiving the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal, interpreting coded information in the received first wireless signal and second wireless signal, and calculating the distance between the traveling vehicle and the traffic light or the traffic road sign or the vehicle traveling in front based on phase time difference of the received first wireless signal and second wireless signal.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

the wireless transmitting device comprises;

an infrared transmitting device for directionally transmitting the first wireless signal which is a coded infrared signal;

an ultrasound transmitting device for directionally transmitting the second wireless signal which is a coded ultrasound signal having a known frequency;

the wireless receiving device comprises;

an infrared receiving device for directionally receiving the infrared signal transmitted from the infrared transmitting device and interpreting the coded information in the infrared signal;

an ultrasound receiving device for directionally receiving the ultrasound signal transmitted from the ultrasound transmitting device, interpreting the coded information in the ultrasound signal, and calculating the relative speed between the traveling vehicle and the traffic light, or the traffic road sign, or the vehicle traveling in front based on Doppler effect.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the wireless receiving device further comprises an information display device for displaying corresponding traffic information to a driver through a screen.

12. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the wireless receiving device further comprises an audio prompting device for prompting corresponding traffic information to a driver through sound.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the wireless receiving device further comprises an automatic driving control device so that when the system discovers a potential hazard or a stop traveling information based on the received first wireless signal or the second wireless signal, traveling condition of vehicle can be controlled through the automatic driving control device in order to reduce or eliminate the hazard, or stop the vehicle in front of a stop sign.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein traffic facility in the direction of the transmission of the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal further comprises a relay device,

the relay device receives and retransmits the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal through space, and keeps the code of the original first wireless signal or second wireless signal unchanged;

or

the relay device receives and retransmits in space the first wireless signal or the second wireless signal through an independent third signal channel, and keeps the code of the original first wireless signal or second wireless signal unchanged;

or

the relay device simultaneously receives and retransmits the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal so that the code and phase of the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal are the same as the code and phase of the original first wireless signal and second wireless signal at the relay point;

or

the relay device receives the first wireless signal or the second wireless signal, restores the original first wireless signal and second wireless signal based on the received first wireless signal or second wireless signal so that the code and phase of the first wireless signal, the second wireless signal are the same as the code and phase of the original first wireless signal, the original second wireless signal at the relay point, and then transmits the restored first wireless signal, the restored second wireless signal;

or

an independent third signal channel is provided between the relay device and the transmitting device of the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal, the relay device restores the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal based on the third signal received so that the code and phase of the first wireless signal, the second wireless signal are the same as the code and phase of the original first wireless signal, the original second wireless signal, and then transmits the restored first wireless signal, the restored second wireless signal.

15. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the traveling vehicle further comprises a relay unit,

the relay unit receives the first wireless signal or the second wireless signal through a receiving device at the front of the vehicle, and processes the signal according to the actual condition such that it includes traffic indicating information in front as well as coded information corresponding to the current vehicle condition, and then backwardly and directionally transmits the processed signal through a transmitting device;

or

the relay unit simultaneously received the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal through a receiving device at the front of the vehicle, processes the signals according to the actual condition so that they include traffic indicating information in front as well as coded information corresponding to the current vehicle condition, and then backwardly and directionally transmits the processed signals through a transmitting device;

or

the relay unit receives the first wireless signal or the second wireless signal through a receiving device at the front of the vehicle, restores the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal based on the received first wireless signal or second wireless signal, processes the signals according to the actual condition so that they include traffic indicating information in front as well as coded information corresponding to the current vehicle condition, and then backwardly and directionally transmits the processed signals through a transmitting device.

16. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the digital codes in the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal comprise data package ID and information on height of installation of the wireless transmitting device so that the wireless receiving device can achieve synchronization of data reception and make angle correction to the measured distance data.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the digital coded information is corresponding information on travel light signal of the vehicle, which includes brake light information, hazard signal light information, left turn light information, or right turn light information.

18. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the wireless receiving device further comprises an automatic driving control device so that when the system discovers a potential hazard or a stop traveling information based on the received first wireless signal or the second wireless signal, traveling condition of vehicle can be controlled through the automatic driving control device in order to reduce or eliminate the hazard, or stop the vehicle in front of a stop sign.