Method for transmitting data packets between motor vehicles

• US 6,870,487 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2001
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Vogel, Peter, Nuesser, Rene
• Primary Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US09/935,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20020030611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901, 340/902, 340/903, 340/905, 340/907, 340/904, 340/928, 340/995.12, 340/995.13, 324/244, 324/207.13, 701/117, 701/2, 701/118, 701/119, 455/11.1, 455/466, 370/229, 370/389, 370/230, 370/230.1
• US Class Current: 340/901
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/092 Coding or decoding of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365

Abstract

A method for transmitting data packets between motor vehicles includes transmitting individual data packets including vehicle data and generation data for the individual data packets. Other motor vehicles may combine the individual data packets into combined data packets and transmit them. The data packets may include fields, each of which may include data-packet generation data and vehicle data. To allow processing to be performed in the transmitting/receiving stations in motor vehicles. Permanently installed radio stations allow a main station to supply information columns at clearly defined points with traffic information to inform users outside of the roads.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a data packet between motor vehicles, comprising:

transmitting the data packet as at least one of;

an individual data packet having a vehicle data and a data-packet generation data, and

a combined data packet comprised of more than one individual data packet;

receiving the data packet by the motor vehicles;

combining the data packet into a new combined data packet by the motor vehicles subsequently; and

signaling by the data packet to indicate that the data packet is one of the individual data packet and the combined data packet.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing at least one of a number of the data packet and a number of the combined data packet from the motor vehicles to a first threshold value; and

generating the new combined data packet from the data packet received in response to exceeding the first threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

effecting at least one of;

transmitting the data packet received further, and

combining the data packet received into a second new data packet and transmitting the second new data packet;

wherein a generation time of the second new data packet is one of exceeded and fallen below a second threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ascertaining the vehicle data and the data-packet generation data from the data packet received for generating traffic information; and

transmitting the traffic information in a second combined data packet for transmission.

5. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

combining the traffic information for various locations into a second combined data packet.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating and transmitting the data-packet generation data with the data packet, wherein the data-packet generation data includes a message number, a vehicle number, a generation-time information, and a priority information; and

generating and transmitting the vehicle data with the data packet, wherein the vehicle data includes a current vehicle speed, an average speed over a time interval, a travel direction, a road number and a vehicle location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein in a new combined data packet, a number of the individual data packet and the combined data packet were combined to form the new combined data packet is indicated.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting the new combined data packet, wherein the new combined data packet includes an average current vehicle speed of the data packet, an average vehicle speed over a time interval of the data packet and an average age of the data packet.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the vehicle number for a specific vehicle is permanently assigned or generated by a random number generator.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting how often the motor vehicle retransmits the data packet.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

restarting a system time measurement at a fixed time;

setting a system time counter to zero,

wherein the system time counter in the data-packet generation time sets when the data packet transmits a generation time.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a counter in the data packet; and

incrementing the counter in predetermined time cycles in response to being transmitted by another motor vehicle,

wherein the counter is set to zero upon generation of the data packet.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the data packet by a radio station, wherein the radio station is permanently located.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

forwarding by the radio station the data packet received to a main station, the main station being associated with at least one of an information column and an Internet.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

emitting periodically the data packet by a motor vehicle.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein a frequency of transmission of the data packet is a function of data traffic around the motor vehicle.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein a frequency of transmission of the data packet is a function of a priority information in a data-packet generation data.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein an all-clear packet is transmitted as an individual data packet, the all-clear packet indicating any improvement of a traffic situation.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the all-clear packet is assigned a high priority.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ascertaining a statistical reliability of a traffic information item using at least one of;

the data-packet generation data of the data packet received, and

a number of the data packet received; and

indicating the statistical reliability to a user of a receiving motor vehicle.

27. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting the data packet by the radio station.

11. A method for transmitting a data packet between motor vehicles, comprising:

transmitting the data packet as at least one of;

an individual data packet having a vehicle data and a data-packet generation data, and

a combined data packet comprised of more than one individual data packet;

receiving the data packet by the motor vehicles; and

combining the data packet into a new combined data packet by the motor vehicles subsequently;

wherein the combined data packet indicates whether the combined data packet originated from at least one additional, combined data packet.

10. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

signaling by the data packet to indicate that the data packet is one of the individual data packet and the combined data packet.

29. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

comparing at least one of a number of the data packet and a number of the combined data packet from the motor vehicles to a first threshold value; and

generating the new combined data packet from the data packet received in response to exceeding the first threshold value.

30. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

effecting at least one of;

transmitting the data packet received further, and

combining the data packet received into a second new data packet and transmitting the second new data packet;

wherein a generation time of the second new data packet is one of exceeded and fallen below a second threshold value.

31. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

ascertaining the vehicle data and the data-packet generation data from the data packet received for generating traffic information; and

transmitting the traffic information in a second combined data packet for transmission.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

combining the traffic information for various locations into a second combined data packet.

33. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating and transmitting the data-packet generation data with the data packet, wherein the data-packet generation data includes a message number, a vehicle number, a generation-time information, and a priority information; and

generating and transmitting the vehicle data with the data packet, wherein the vehicle data includes a current vehicle speed, an average speed over a time interval, a travel direction, a road number and a vehicle location.

34. The method of claim 11, wherein in a new combined data packet, a number of the individual data packet and the combined data packet were combined to form the new combined data packet is indicated.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

transmitting the new combined data packet, wherein the new combined data packet includes an average current vehicle speed of the data packet, an average vehicle speed over a time interval of the data packet and an average age of the data packet.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the vehicle number for a specific vehicle is permanently assigned or generated by a random number generator.

37. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

setting how often the motor vehicle retransmits the data packet.

38. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

restarting a system time measurement at a fixed time;

setting a system time counter to zero,

wherein the system time counter in the data-packet generation time sets when the data packet transmits a generation time.

39. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting a counter in the data packet; and

incrementing the counter in predetermined time cycles in response to being transmitted by another motor vehicle,

wherein the counter is set to zero upon generation of the data packet.

40. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving the data packet by a radio station, wherein the radio station is permanently located.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

transmitting the data packet by the radio station.

42. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

forwarding by the radio station the data packet received to a main station, the main station being associated with at least one of an information column and an Internet.

43. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

emitting periodically the data packet by a motor vehicle.

44. The method of claim 11, wherein a frequency of transmission of the data packet is a function of data traffic around the motor vehicle.

45. The method of claim 11, wherein a frequency of transmission of the data packet is a function of a priority information in a data-packet generation data.

46. The method of claim 11, wherein an all-clear packet is transmitted as an individual data packet, the all-clear packet indicating any improvement of a traffic situation.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the all-clear packet is assigned a high priority.

48. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

ascertaining a statistical reliability of a traffic information item using at least one of;

the data-packet generation data of the data packet received, and

a number of the data packet received; and

indicating the statistical reliability to a user of a receiving motor vehicle.

23. A device for transmitting and processing traffic information in a motor vehicle, comprising:

a processor;

a transmitting/receiving station;

a memory; and

at least one of an acoustic output, an optical output, and an acoustic/optical output;

wherein the device is associated with a locator device and wherein the transmitting/receiving station at least one of transmits and receives a data packet, the memory and the processor being configured to combine the data packet into a new combined data packet, the transmitting/receiving station being assisted by the at least one of an acoustic output, an optical output and an acoustic/optical output, and

wherein at least one the following is satisfied;

the combined data packet indicates whether the combined data packet originated from at least one additional, combined data packet, and

signaling by the data packet occurs to indicate that the data packet is the combined data packet.

28. The device of claim 23, wherein the locator device is a navigation device.

24. A transmitting/receiving station for at least one of transmitting and receiving traffic information in a motor vehicle, comprising:

an antenna;

a switch;

a high-frequency receiver;

a digital part;

a processor;

a memory;

a coder; and

a transmitting part,

wherein the antenna, the switch, the high-frequency receiver, the digital part, the processor, the memory, the coder and the transmitting part are used to effect a transmission of at least one data packet between two or more motor vehicles so that the at least one data packet having a vehicle data and a data-packet generation data is transmitted and combined into a new combined data packet by the two or more motor vehicles output, and

wherein at least one the following is satisfied;

the combined data packet indicates whether the combined data packet originated from at least one additional, combined data packet, and

signaling by the data packet occurs to indicate that the data packet is the combined data packet.

25. A main station for implementing a method for transmitting a data packet between motor vehicles, comprising:

means for transmitting the data packet as at least one of;

an individual data packet having a vehicle data and a data-packet generation data, and

a combined data packet comprised of more than one individual data packet;

means for receiving the data packet by the motor vehicles; and

means for combining the data packet into a new combined data packet by the motor vehicles subsequently,

wherein a statistical reliability of a traffic information item is ascertained, using the data-packet generation data of the at least one of the data packet received and a number of the data packet received, the statistical reliability being indicated to a user of the motor vehicle receiving the data packet, and

wherein at least one the following is satisfied;

the combined data packet indicates whether the combined data packet originated from at least one additional, combined data packet, and

signaling by the data packet occurs to indicate that the data packet is the combined data packet.

26. An information column for implementing a method for transmitting a data packet between motor vehicles, comprising:

means for transmitting the data packet as at least one of;

an individual data packet having a vehicle data and a data-packet generation data, and

a combined data packet comprised of more than one individual data packet;

means for receiving the data packet by the motor vehicles;

means for combining the data packet into a new combined data packet by the motor vehicles;

receiving the data packet by a radio station, wherein the radio station is permanently located; and

forwarding by the radio station the data packet received to a main station, the main station being associated with at least one of an information column and an Internet;

wherein at least one the following is satisfied;

the combined data packet indicates whether the combined data packet originated from at least one additional, combined data packet, and

signaling by the data packet occurs to indicate that the data packet is the combined data packet.