DEVICE, METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR PROVIDING TRAFFIC JAM INFORMATION VIA A VEHICLE-TO-VEHICLE INTERFACE

• US 20190043347A1
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Published: 02/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: BIEHLE, Thomas, SCHULTZ, Holger
• Granted Patent: US 10,380,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

Devices, methods, and computer programs for providing traffic jam information via a vehicle-to-vehicle interface. The device for a transportation vehicle includes a device for obtaining traffic jam indicators. The traffic jam indicators include at least one element of the group consisting of the speed of the transportation vehicle or of transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle and a traffic jam warning. The device also includes a device for determining traffic jam information based on the traffic jam indicators. The traffic jam information indicates whether the transportation vehicle is located in a traffic jam. The device also includes a vehicle-to-vehicle interface to provide the traffic jam information to one or more additional transportation vehicles via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication connection.

Claims

1. A device for a transportation vehicle, the device comprising:

a system for obtaining traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam indicators comprise at least one of speed of the transportation vehicle, speed of transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle, and a traffic jam warning;

a device for determining traffic jam information based on the traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam information indicates whether the transportation vehicle is located in a traffic jam; and

a vehicle-to-vehicle interface to provide the traffic jam information to one or more other transportation vehicles via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the system obtains the traffic jam warning via a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication link, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link, or via a mobile communication system.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the system obtains the traffic jam warning via a Decentralized Environmental Notification Message via the vehicle-to-vehicle interface.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the system obtains the speed of the transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle via a video sensor or a time-of-flight sensor, and/or

wherein the system obtains the speed of the transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle via the vehicle-to-vehicle interface.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the system obtains the speed of the transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle via Cooperative Awareness Messages over the vehicle-to-vehicle interface.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the system detects that the transportation vehicle is in a traffic jam in response to an average speed of the transportation vehicle during a measurement period being above a lower threshold and below an upper threshold value.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the system detects that the transportation vehicle is in a traffic jam in response to the transportation vehicle being stopped during a measurement period, and another traffic jam indicator indicating a traffic jam.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the system detects that the transportation vehicle is in a traffic jam in response to the transportation vehicle being stopped during a measurement period, and

wherein the system obtains a traffic jam warning via the system and/or wherein an average speed of transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle is below an upper threshold value.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the measurement period has a duration of between 60 s and 300 s, and/or wherein the lower threshold value is between 3 and 10 km/h, and/or wherein the upper threshold value is between 20 and 40 km/h.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle interface is designed for vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the system provides the traffic jam information to a transport infrastructure via the vehicle-to-vehicle interface.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the system provides the traffic jam information as a Cooperative Awareness Message via the vehicle-to-vehicle interface.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a sensor module and/or an input interface, and/or wherein the system comprises a calculation module and/or is equivalent to a calculation module.

14. A method for a transportation vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam indicators comprise at least one of speed of the transportation vehicle speed of transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle, and a traffic jam warning;

determining traffic jam information based on the traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam information indicates whether the transportation vehicle is located in a traffic jam; and

providing the traffic jam information to one or more transportation vehicles via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link.

15. A program with a program code for implementing the method if when the program code is executed on a computer, a processor, a control module or a programmable hardware component, the method comprising:

obtaining traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam indicators comprise at least one of speed of the transportation vehicle, speed of transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle, and a traffic jam warning;

determining traffic jam information based on the traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam information indicates whether the transportation vehicle is located in a traffic jam; and

providing the traffic jam information to one or more transportation vehicles via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link.