METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR HANDLING A ROAD-USE-DEPENDENT VEHICLE COMMUNICATION

• US 20130151412A1
• Filed: 12/07/2012
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Spahl, Robert, Gerhardt, Torsten
• Application Number:
  US13/708,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20130151412A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

A system and method for handling a road-use-dependent communication, such as a financial transaction, the execution of an overtaking maneuver is sensed and on the basis of the overtaking maneuver which has been performed a financial transaction is executed by an overtaking road user for an overtaken road user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending a request from a first vehicle to a second vehicle to concede a right-of-way to the first vehicle;

in response to the request, receiving from the second vehicle a request approval for conceding the right-of-way; and

in response to the request approval, transferring a fee to an account associated with the second vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending a request comprises sending to the second vehicle a first vehicle identification code, a first vehicle position, and a first vehicle direction of travel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein sending the request is initiated automatically when a send request condition is met.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the send request condition comprises the first vehicle approaching the second vehicle within a threshold distance.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving at the first vehicle a request approval from the second vehicle for conceding the right-of-way, the request approval comprising a second vehicle identification code, a second vehicle position, and a second vehicle direction of travel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein sending the request further comprises sending conditions for transferring the fee, the conditions comprising a fee amount and a payment date.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein transferring the fee comprises transferring the fee amount using the identification code of the first vehicle and the identification code of the second vehicle before the payment date.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein transferring the fee amount comprises transferring a predetermined fee amount, the predetermined fee amount determined based on one or more of a traffic condition in the first vehicle lane, a traffic condition in a second vehicle lane, roadway speed limit, the first vehicle speed, and the second vehicle speed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transferring the fee before the payment date comprises transferring the fee amount immediately after the right-of-way is conceded.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the first vehicle sending the request, receiving the request approval, and transferring the fee via a vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communications network.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein the threshold distance is determined based on the relative speeds of the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a request from another vehicle at the first vehicle to concede the right-of-way to the other vehicle;

in response to the request from the other vehicle, sending to the other vehicle a request approval from the first vehicle for conceding the right-of-way; and

receiving the fee amount from the other vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein conceding the right-of-way comprises performing a maneuver, the maneuver comprising one or more of changing lanes to a slower-moving lane, and remaining in a slower-moving lane.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein conceding the right-of-way comprises automatically performing the maneuver using one or more of an adaptive cruise control system, a lane keeping assist system, and a navigation system onboard the first vehicle, based on the first vehicle position and the first vehicle direction of travel and a position of the other vehicle and a direction of travel of the other vehicle.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein sending the request approval from the first vehicle comprises sending the first vehicle identification code, the first vehicle position, and the first vehicle direction of travel.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein sending the request approval from the first vehicle comprises automatically sending the request approval when an accept request condition is met.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the accept request condition is based one or more of the predetermined fee, the roadway speed limit, the first vehicle speed, and a speed of the other vehicle.

18. A vehicle, comprising:

an engine;

vehicle presence sensors;

a controller, with instructions executable to;

send a request from a first vehicle to a second vehicle to concede a right-of-way;

receive a request approval from the second vehicle to concede the right-of-way; and

perform a road-use-dependent financial transaction based on the request approval, the controller comprising a communications module configured to communicate over a vehicle-to-vehicle communications network.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the controller further comprises instructions executable to:

receive a request from the second vehicle to concede the right-of-way;

send a request approval to the second vehicle to concede the right-of-way; and

perform a road-use-dependent financial transaction based on the request approval.

20. A mobile device, comprising:

a computer readable medium, with instructions executable to;

send a request from a first vehicle to a second vehicle to concede a right-of-way;

receive a request approval from the second vehicle to concede the right-of-way; and

perform a road-use-dependent financial transaction based on the request approval,

the mobile device comprising a communications module configured to communicate over a vehicle-to-vehicle network.

21. A method, comprising:

generating a communication between a first vehicle and a second vehicle; and

in response to the communication and in response to a concession of right-of-way by a second vehicle, generating a financial transaction in favor of the second vehicle.