System for distributing road surface information, system for collecting and distributing vehicle information, device for transmitting vehicle information and program for controlling vehicle

• US 6,577,943 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Yoshinaga, Hiroshi, Nakao, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US09/838,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20010045891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 701/80, 701/208, 701/207, 701/23, 701/25, 701/35, 340/988, 340/905, 340/601, 340/602, 340/580, 340/581, 340/901, 340/990, 702/3, 73/9, 731/46, 180/116
• US Class Current: 701/80
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A system for distributing road surface information comprising means for sensing numerical information on slipperiness of a road surface; means for sensing positional information of the travelling vehicle; means for transmitting the numerical information and/or positional information from the vehicle; means for collecting the information transmitted by a plurality of vehicles; means for preparing road surface information of a road on the basis of each information; means for distributing the road surface information also to a vehicle other than the vehicle; and means for receiving the distributed road surface information. By changing a parameter of road surface information in a vehicle movement control system such as an ABS or a VSC, the performance of the control can be improved.

Claims

1. A system for distributing road surface information comprising:

means for sensing numerical information on slipperiness of a road surface while a vehicle is travelling;

means for sensing positional information of the travelling vehicle;

means for transmitting the numerical information and/or positional information from the vehicle;

means for collecting the information transmitted by a plurality of vehicles;

means for preparing road surface information of a road on the basis of each information;

means for distributing the road surface information also to a vehicle other than the vehicle;

means for receiving the distributed road surface information; and

means for correcting the numerical information on the slipperiness of the road surface that the vehicle has received by comparing the numerical information on the slipperiness of the road surface that the vehicle has received with the numerical information on a road surface friction coefficient that the vehicle has sensed while travelling.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes means for warning a driver at needs on the basis of the numerical information on slipperiness of the road surface that the vehicle has received.

3. The system of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the system further includes means for controlling the vehicle on the basis of the numerical information on slipperiness of the road surface that the vehicle has received.

4. The system of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the means for sensing numerical information of slipperiness of the road surface converts level of slipperiness of the road surface into a numerical value on the basis of tire revolution behavior caused by the friction coefficient between the tire of each vehicle and the road surface.

5. A system for collecting and distributing vehicle information characterized by collecting information which is transmitted from a first traveling vehicle and needed in preparing road surface information, and distributing the road surface information to a second traveling vehicle, wherein the second vehicle includes means for correcting the road surface information received from the first vehicle by comparing the information received from the first vehicle with a road surface friction coefficient that the second vehicle has sensed while travelling.

6. A device for transmitting vehicle information comprising:

means for sensing numerical information on slipperiness of a road surface while a vehicle is travelling;

means for sensing positional information of the travelling vehicle;

means for transmitting the numerical information and/or positional information from the vehicle, and

means for correcting the numerical information on the slipperiness of the road surface that the vehicle has received from another vehicle by comparing the numerical information on the slipperiness of the road surface that the vehicle has received with the numerical information on a road surface friction coefficient that the vehicle has sensed while travelling.

7. A program for controlling a vehicle which comprises a computer which functions as means for sensing numerical information on slipperiness of a road surface while the vehicle is travelling, means for controlling the vehicle on the basis of numerical information on slipperiness of a road surface received by the vehicle, and means for correcting the received numerical information on the slipperiness of the road surface by comparing the numerical information on the slipperiness of the road surface received by the vehicle with the numerical information on a road surface friction coefficient performance of driving control of the vehicle on the basis of the road surface information.