Broadcasting real-time short range RF real-time information to motor vehicles moving along a highway via a sequence of short range RF broadcasting stations along the highway broadcasting to all vehicle transceivers within said range

• US 7,215,925 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2003
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Holloway, Lane Thomas, Quiller, Marques Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord; Marceau
• Application Number:
  US10/727,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20050124292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/3.01, 455/186.1, 455/344, 455/296, 455/297, 455/345, 342/357.1, 342/463, 701/213, 701/301, 340/466, 340/905
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks

Abstract

A simple region-specific broadcasting system for broadcasting information pertinent to motor vehicles in sequential regions of a roadway or highway directly to such vehicles when the vehicles are passing through such sequential regions. Existing cellular facilities and resources may be advantageously used in the implementation of the system. A system for broadcasting short range RF real-time information to motor vehicles traveling along a roadway implemented through a sequence of transceiving short range broadcast stations along said highway, the stations spaced so that the broadcast ranges of said stations tangentially overlap each other. Each of the sequence of motor vehicles moving along this roadway should include a transceiver for the short range RF signals. There is in each of the motor vehicles with said transceivers, an implementation for transmitting data that is specific to the transmitting motor vehicle, together with means in the broadcast stations for broadcasting the data specific to the transmitting motor vehicle to all of said motor vehicle transceivers.

Claims

1. A system for broadcasting short range RF real-time information to motor vehicles traveling along a roadway comprising:

a sequence of transceiving short range broadcast stations at fixed positions along said highway, said stations spaced so that the broadcast ranges of said stations tangentially overlap each other;

a sequence of motor vehicles moving along said roadway, each vehicle including a transceiver for said short range RF signals;

means in each of said motor vehicles with said transceivers for transmitting data specific to said transmitting motor vehicle; and

means in said broadcast stations, receiving said data specific to said motor vehicle, for broadcasting said data specific to said transmitting motor vehicle to all of said motor vehicle transceivers within the broadcasting range of said broadcasting stations.

2. The short range RF broadcasting system to motor vehicles of claim 1 wherein said short range frequency is in the range of 824–

892 Mhz.

3. The short range RF broadcasting system to motor vehicles of claim 2 wherein:

said broadcast stations are cellular broadcast towers spaced on said roadway; and

said transceivers in said motor vehicles are cellular telephones.

4. The short range RF broadcasting system to motor vehicles of claim 1 further including:

means associated with each of the broadcast stations for providing information zones along said roadway respectively defined by the broadcast range of the closest broadcast station, and

said means for broadcasting in each zone include means for broadcasting information of particular interest to all motor vehicles in each zone.

5. The short range RF broadcasting system to motor vehicles of claim 4 wherein said broadcast information is of particular interest to all motor vehicles in each zone, includes said data specific to a transmitting vehicle in the respective zone.

6. The short range RF broadcasting system to motor vehicles of claim 5 wherein said broadcast information relates to a breakdown of the transmitting vehicle.

7. The short range RF broadcasting system to motor vehicles of claim 5 wherein said broadcast information relates to road hazards in the respective zone as noted by the transmitting vehicle.

8. The short range RF broadcasting system to motor vehicles of claim 5 wherein said broadcast information relates to traffic conditions in the respective zone as noted by the transmitting vehicle.

9. The short range RF broadcasting system to motor vehicles of claim 5 wherein said broadcast information relates to traffic conditions in zones other than the broadcast zone as noted by a transmitting vehicle.

10. The short range RF broadcasting system to motor vehicles of claim 1 further including display means in each of said motor vehicles associated with said transceivers for displaying received broadcast data.

11. In a system for broadcasting short range RF real-time information to motor vehicles traveling along a roadway comprising a sequence of transceiving short range broadcast stations at fixed positions along said highway, said stations spaced so that the broadcast ranges of said stations tangentially overlap each other, a short range RF broadcasting method comprising:

moving a sequence of motor vehicles along said roadway, each vehicle including a transceiver for said short range RF signals;

enabling the transmission from each of said motor vehicles with said transceivers of data specific to said transmitting motor vehicle; and

enabling each of said broadcast stations, receiving said data specific to said motor vehicle, to broadcast said data specific to said transmitting motor vehicle to all of said motor vehicle transceivers within the broadcasting range of said broadcasting stations.

12. The short range RF broadcasting method to motor vehicles of claim 11 wherein said short range frequency is in the range of 824–

892 Mhz.

13. The short range RF broadcasting method to motor vehicles of claim 12 wherein:

said broadcasts are cellular communications; and

said transceivers in said motor vehicles are cellular telephones.

14. The short range RF broadcasting method to motor vehicles of claim 11 further including the steps of:

providing information zones along said roadway respectively associated with each of the broadcast stations, each of said zones defined by the broadcast range of the closest broadcast station, and

broadcasting information of particular interest to all motor vehicles in each zone.

15. The short range RF broadcasting method to motor vehicles of claim 14 wherein said broadcast information is of particular interest to all motor vehicles in each zone and includes said data specific to a transmitting vehicle in a the respective zone.

16. The short range RF broadcasting method to motor vehicles of claim 15 wherein said broadcast information relates to a breakdown of the transmitting vehicle.

17. The short range RF broadcasting method to motor vehicles of claim 15 wherein said broadcast information relates to road hazards in the respective zone as noted by the transmitting vehicle.

18. The short range RF broadcasting method to motor vehicles of claim 15 wherein said broadcast information relates to traffic conditions in the respective zone as noted by the transmitting vehicle.

19. The short range RF broadcasting method to motor vehicles of claim 15 wherein said broadcast information relates to traffic conditions in zones other than the broadcast zone as noted by a transmitting vehicle.

20. The short range RF broadcasting method to motor vehicles of claim 11 further including the step of displaying received broadcast data in association with said transceivers in each motor vehicle.