Method and apparatus for vehicle-to-vehicle communication

• US 7,133,767 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kimura, Takuji, Okubo, Hitomi, Takahashi, Hideki, Kodama, Satoshi, Ogino, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thu V.
• Application Number:
  US10/671,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20040128062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701300-302, 340/425.5, 340463-464, 340/500, 340/502, 340/505, 340 101- 103, 340988-989, 340/996
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for vehicle-to-vehicle communication between vehicles having vehicle-to-vehicle communication apparatuses. When a vehicle transmits a request, a network is formed including the vehicle that has transmitted the request and the vehicles that should respond to the request. The vehicles included in the network respond to the request or take action in response to the request.

Claims

1. A method for vehicle-to-vehicle communication between a first vehicle and a second vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

providing an interrupt point;

providing a first vehicle;

providing a second vehicle, wherein second vehicle is located behind the interrupt point;

providing a vehicle-to-vehicle communication apparatus in the first vehicle and in the second vehicle;

transmitting an interrupt request from the first vehicle to the second vehicle;

forming a network incorporating the first vehicle and the second vehicle;

receiving the interrupt request;

responding to the interrupt request;

automatically flashing an external light on the second vehicle before the interrupt point if the interrupt request is acknowledged; and

wherein the interrupt request is a request to enter a road segment, the road segment comprising a first end and a second end and lacking sufficient width to accommodate two directions of traffic, in which the first vehicle seeks to travel from the first end to the second end and the second vehicle seeks to travel from the second end to the first end.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle communication apparatus is connected to a navigation apparatus via an interface.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of displaying the interrupt request and a positional relationship between the first vehicle and the second vehicle in the second vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of displaying acknowledgement of the interrupt request and data for identifying the second vehicle in the first vehicle.

5. A vehicle-to-vehicle communication apparatus for communication between a first vehicle and a second vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a communication unit operable to transmit a request from a first vehicle to a second vehicle and receive another request from the second vehicle to the first vehicle; and

a vehicle-to-vehicle control unit operable to form a predetermined network with the second vehicle and respond to the request after the communication unit receives the request from the second vehicle;

an automatic flashing unit operable to instruct an external light on the first vehicle to flash before an interrupt point if the request is acknowledged;

wherein the communication unit is operable to receive a request to interrupt sent from the first vehicle to the second vehicle on a main road when the second vehicle being located behind an interrupt point; and

wherein the request to interrupt is a request to enter a road segment, the road segment comprising a first end and a second end and lacking sufficient width to accommodate two directions of traffic, in which the first vehicle seeks to travel from the first end to the second end and the second vehicle seeks to travel from the second end to the first end.

6. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus of the second vehicle is operable to display the received interrupt request and a positional relationship between the first vehicle and the second vehicle on a display unit.

7. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication apparatus of claim 6, wherein the display unit is located in a navigation apparatus connected to the vehicle-to-vehicle communication apparatus via an interface.

8. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication apparatus of claim 7, wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle control unit of the first vehicle is operable to display acknowledgement of the interrupt request and data for identifying the second vehicle on the display unit.

9. A method for vehicle-to-vehicle communication between a first vehicle and a second vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

providing an interrupt point;

providing a first vehicle;

providing a second vehicle, wherein second vehicle is located behind the interrupt point;

providing a vehicle-to-vehicle communication apparatus in the first vehicle and in the second vehicle;

transmitting an interrupt request from the first vehicle to the second vehicle;

forming a network incorporating the first vehicle and the second vehicle;

receiving the interrupt request; and

responding to the interrupt request;

wherein the interrupt request is a request to enter a road segment, the road segment comprising a first end and a second end and lacking sufficient width to accommodate two directions of traffic, in which the first vehicle seeks to travel from the first end to the second end and the second vehicle seeks to travel from the second end to the first end.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the act of automatically flashing an external light on the second vehicle before the interrupt point if the interrupt request is acknowledged.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle communication apparatus is connected to a navigation apparatus via an interface.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the act of displaying the interrupt request and a positional relationship between the first vehicle and the second vehicle in the second vehicle.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising the act of displaying acknowledgement of the interrupt request and data for identifying the second vehicle in the first vehicle.

14. A vehicle-to-vehicle communication apparatus for communication between a first vehicle and a second vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a communication unit operable to transmit a request from a first vehicle to a second vehicle and receive another request from the second vehicle to the first vehicle; and

a vehicle-to-vehicle control unit operable to form a predetermined network with the second vehicle and respond to the request after the communication unit receives the request from the second vehicle;

wherein the communication unit is operable to receive a request to interrupt sent from the first vehicle to the second vehicle on a main road when the second vehicle being located behind an interrupt point; and

wherein the request to interrupt is a request to enter a road segment, the road segment comprising a first end and a second end and lacking sufficient width to accommodate two directions of traffic, in which the first vehicle seeks to travel from the first end to the second end and the second vehicle seeks to travel from the second end to the first end.

15. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus of the second vehicle is operable to display the received interrupt request and a positional relationship between the first vehicle and the second vehicle on a display unit—

and wherein the apparatus of the second vehicle, if acknowledging the interrupt request, automatically flashes a light using an automatic light-flashing unit immediately before the interrupt point.

16. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication apparatus of claim 14, wherein the display unit is located in a navigation apparatus connected to the vehicle-to-vehicle communication apparatus via an interface.

17. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication apparatus of claim 14, wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle control unit of the first vehicle is operable to display acknowledgement of the interrupt request and data for identifying the second vehicle on the display unit.