Mobile unit communication apparatus

• US 6,788,964 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2000
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Tsuchida, Hirotatsu, Asami, Ken, Satomura, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US09/558,073
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 455/73, 455/456, 455/457, 455/96, 455/95, 455/99, 455/113, 455/118, 455/123, 455/124, 455/575.9, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995, 340/902, 340/992, 340/993, 340/994, 701/200, 701/201, 701/206, 701/207, 701/209, 701/210, 701/213, 701/214, 701/300, 342/357
• US Class Current: 455/575.9
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

There is provided a mobile unit communication apparatus which is to be mounted on a mobile unit to intermittently transmit an information signal of the mobile unit. The apparatus has detecting means for detecting various statuses of the mobile unit and a periphery of the mobile unit, as status data. Further, the apparatus also has transmission frequency controlling means, wherein a transmission frequency of an information signal which is intermittently transmitted is changed in accordance with the status data. Hence, in each of the mobile units, the load of processing information obtained from received radio waves can be reduced. Further, the driver can efficiently obtain adequate status information, so that the driving load on the driver can be reduced.

Claims

1. A mobile unit communication apparatus installed in a mobile unit comprising:

a detecting means for detecting status information of said mobile unit and peripheral information of a subject in periphery of or external to said mobile unit, both as status data; and

score generating means for generating a plurality of scores based on said status data; and

a transmission frequency controlling means for changing a transmission frequency of information signals in accordance with a sum of said plurality of scores based on said status data, wherein said information signals are intermittently transmitted.

2. The mobile unit communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mobile unit is a vehicle.

3. The mobile unit communication apparatus according to claim 2, comprising:

an own-position detection section being configured by a GPS device connected to an antenna, for receiving a radio wave transmitted from an artificial satellite and to detect own-position information;

a position and status judgment section connected to said own-position detection section, for calculating a distance and an arrival time period to a predetermined position of an intersection on the basis of said own-position detection section;

a vehicle driving status sensor;

a vehicle driving status judgment section connected to said vehicle driving sensor, for determining own-vehicle running status on the basis of sensor outputs, said sensor outputs being obtained from said vehicle driving status sensor;

an inter-vehicle radio communication device for transmitting and receiving said information signals via said antenna;

a peripheral status judgement section connected to an output of said inter-vehicle radio communication device, for determining peripheral status data on the basis of said information signals of other vehicles, said information signals being received by said inter-vehicle radio communication device;

a transmitted information judgement section for calculating an own-vehicle information sending frequency; and

a notified information judgement section for detecting vehicles having a dangerous relative relationship with said own vehicle, and controlling a display device to display information of said vehicles.

4. The mobile unit communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said own-vehicle running status comprising at least an own vehicle speed, a course or a running state.

5. The mobile unit communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said peripheral status data comprising at least one of a vehicle type, a response demand, and a sending frequency per unit time.

6. The mobile unit communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said status data includes at least one of data of:

(1) Distance from an own vehicle to a predetermined position in an intersection;

(2) intersection arrival time period;

(3) speed of said own vehicle;

(4) course of said own vehicle;

(5) running state of said own vehicle;

(6) vehicle attribute of said own vehicle;

(7) own vehicle'"'"'s order in vehicle group;

(8) scale of vehicle group;

(9) response demand;

(10) category of road; and

(11) communication frequency per unit time.

7. The method for transmitting information signals of a mobile unit according to claim 1, wherein said mobile unit information sending frequency is calculated as the number of transmissions is to be performed during a time being set up at will.

8. A mobile unit communication apparatus installed in a mobile unit comprising:

a detecting means for detecting various statuses of said mobile unit and a periphery of said mobile unit, as status data; and

a transmission frequency controlling means for changing a transmission frequency of information signals in accordance with said status data, wherein said information signals are intermittently transmitted;

means for judging whether or not a predetermined time period for transmitting the information signal is elapsed;

means for calculating a mobile unit information sending frequency based on said status data when said predetermined time period is elapsed;

means for judging whether or not the information signal is transmitted based on the mobile unit information sending frequency and a time period, said time period being elapsed after the previous transmission;

means for producing the information signal to be transmitted at predetermined time period corresponding to the mobile unit information sending frequency;

means for judging whether or not a received radio wave from other mobile unit exists; and

means for transmitting said information signal when no received radio wave exists in said means for judging existence of said received wave,

wherein the mobile unit is a vehicle.

9. The mobile unit communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said step of calculating a mobile unit information sending frequency further comprising:

means for reading a judgment criteria according to said status data;

means for reading a degree according to said judgment criteria; and

means for reading a weighting coefficient for calculating said own-vehicle information sending frequency according to said judgment criteria,

wherein said judgment criteria, said degree and said weighting coefficient are stored in the form of a data table according to a status data.

10. A method for transmitting information signals of a mobile unit comprising a steps of:

(a) judging whether or not a predetermined time period for transmitting the information signal is elapsed;

(b) calculating a mobile unit information sending frequency based on a status data when said predetermined time period is elapsed;

(c) judging whether or not the information signal is transmitted based on the mobile unit information sending frequency and a time period elapsed after the previous transmission;

(d) producing the information signal to be transmitted at predetermined time period corresponding to the mobile unit information sending frequency;

(e) judging whether or not a received radio wave from other mobile unit exists; and

(f) transmitting said information signal when no received radio wave exists in said judging step for an existence of said received wave.

11. The method for transmitting information signals of a mobile unit according to claim 10, a mobile unit is a vehicle.

12. The method for transmitting information signals of a mobile unit according to claim 10, wherein said calculating step for a mobile unit information sending frequency further includes a step of:

reading a judgment criteria according to said status data;

reading a degree according to said judgment criteria; and

reading a weighting coefficient for calculating said own-vehicle information sending frequency according to said judgment criteria,

wherein said judgment criteria, said degree and said weighting coefficient are stored in the form of a data table according to a status data.

13. The method for transmitting information signals of a mobile unit according to claim 10, wherein said mobile unit information sending frequency is calculated as the number of transmissions is to be performed during a time being set up at will.

14. The method for transmitting information signals of a mobile unit according to claim 10, wherein said status data includes at least one of data of:

(1) Distance from an own vehicle to a predetermined position in an intersection;

(2) Intersection arrival time period;

(3) Speed of said own vehicle;

(4) Course of said own vehicle;

(5) Running state of said own vehicle;

(6) Vehicle attribute of said own vehicle;

(7) Own vehicle'"'"'s order in vehicle group;

(8) Scale of vehicle group;

(9) Response demand;

(10) Category of road; and

(11) Communication frequency per unit time.

15. A mobile unit communication apparatus installed in a mobile unit comprising:

a status detector for detecting status information of said mobile unit and peripheral information of a subject in periphery of or external to said mobile unit, both as status data;

a score generator for generating a plurality of scores based on said status data; and

a transmission frequency controller for changing the elapsed time between transmission of information signals based on a sum of said plurality of scores.