Method and Apparatus for Vehicle to Vehicle Communication and Information Relay

• US 20150310740A1
• Filed: 04/24/2014
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Elzein, Hadi, Ostrowski, Jeffrey Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 9,305,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle

Abstract

A system includes a processor configured to detect a primary vehicle emergency-state. The processor is also configured to determine that emergency-services communication through an on-board device is not possible. Further, the processor is configured to search for a secondary vehicle having vehicle-to-vehicle communication capabilities. The processor is additionally configured to send an emergency-services request to the secondary vehicle to establish communication with the secondary vehicle and send prioritized emergency data to the secondary vehicle.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

detect a primary vehicle emergency-state;

determine that emergency-services communication through an on-board device is not possible;

search for a secondary vehicle having vehicle-to-vehicle communication capabilities;

send an emergency-services request to the secondary vehicle to establish communication with the secondary vehicle; and

send prioritized emergency data to the secondary vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to send the prioritized emergency data until no data remains to be sent.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive confirmation from the secondary vehicle that an emergency request has been sent to request assistance for the primary vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to terminate emergency-service requests to additional secondary vehicles once confirmation is received.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to send instructions to terminate emergency requests from additional secondary vehicles once confirmation is received.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to search for and send requests and data to a plurality of secondary vehicles.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to prioritize emergency data and send a single packet containing highest priority data first.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the highest priority data includes a primary vehicle location.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the highest priority data includes primary vehicle emergency mitigation system activation.

10. A system comprising:

a vehicle-based processor configured to;

receive an emergency-services request from a primary vehicle in an emergency state;

establish vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the primary vehicle;

receive emergency data from the primary vehicle; and

send a communication requesting emergency services on behalf of the primary vehicle.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to receive emergency data from the primary vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the emergency data is prioritized.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to send a first communication once a predefined threshold level of information has been received.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to send a secondary communication with additional emergency information after the first communication has already been sent.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication includes an SMS message.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to ignore a do-not-communicate state of a secondary vehicle in which the processor resides, if the request is an emergency services request.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to send a confirmation to the primary vehicle after the communication requesting emergency services has been sent.

18. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive an emergency communication from a secondary vehicle, sent on behalf of a primary vehicle;

compare an emergency communication identifier to any previously received emergency communication identifiers to determine if the emergency communication is duplicative; and

send a request to an emergency-services provider, based on a non-duplicate emergency communication, including emergency data received as part of the communication that is not duplicative of already sent emergency data.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the emergency communication identifier includes a primary vehicle identification number.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the emergency communication identifier includes an emergency event location.