Method and apparatus for previewing conditions on a highway
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus associated with a host vehicle, the apparatus providing information related to the host vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- a sensor, the sensor providing a sensor output related to a vehicle parameter;
an electronic circuit, receiving the sensor output, and determining if the host vehicle provides a hazardous condition to other vehicles using the sensor output, and providing an output signal if the hazardous condition exists; and
a communication unit, the communication unit transmitting an advisory message on receiving the output signal from the electronic circuit, the advisory message including information related to the vehicle parameter,the electronic circuit being further operable to determine if the host vehicle is on a highway,the advisory message being transmitted only if the host vehicle is on the highway,the advisory message further including transmitted power data related to the transmitted power of the advisory message,whereby a receiving system associated with another vehicle can estimate proximity to the host vehicle using a received signal strength and the transmitted power data.
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Abstract
Apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an advisory system that transmits information regarding the status of the host vehicle to drivers of other vehicles, in particular when the status of the host vehicle presents a hazardous condition to other vehicles. An advisory system may also receive information from other vehicles, and provide an alert to the driver of the host vehicle if a hazard to the host vehicle exists. Methods of providing such information are also described.
116 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus associated with a host vehicle, the apparatus providing information related to the host vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
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a sensor, the sensor providing a sensor output related to a vehicle parameter; an electronic circuit, receiving the sensor output, and determining if the host vehicle provides a hazardous condition to other vehicles using the sensor output, and providing an output signal if the hazardous condition exists; and a communication unit, the communication unit transmitting an advisory message on receiving the output signal from the electronic circuit, the advisory message including information related to the vehicle parameter, the electronic circuit being further operable to determine if the host vehicle is on a highway, the advisory message being transmitted only if the host vehicle is on the highway, the advisory message further including transmitted power data related to the transmitted power of the advisory message, whereby a receiving system associated with another vehicle can estimate proximity to the host vehicle using a received signal strength and the transmitted power data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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6. An apparatus associated with a host vehicle, the apparatus providing information related to the host vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
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a sensor, the sensor providing a sensor output related to a vehicle parameter; an electronic circuit, receiving the sensor output, and determining if the host vehicle provides a hazardous condition to other vehicles using the sensor output, and providing an output signal if the hazardous condition exists; and a communication unit, the communication unit transmitting an advisory message on receiving the output signal from the electronic circuit, the advisory message including information related to the vehicle parameter, the electronic circuit being further operable to determine if the host vehicle is on a highway, the advisory message being transmitted only if the host vehicle is on the highway, wherein the advisory message includes a seat occupancy status of the host vehicle.
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13. An apparatus associated with a host vehicle, the apparatus providing an alert to the driver of the host vehicle related to a hazard, the apparatus comprising:
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a communication unit, the communication unit operable to receive a received advisory message, the received advisory message including information related to a second vehicle; an electronic circuit, receiving signals from the communication unit, the electronic circuit determining if a hazard to the host vehicle exists using the information in the received advisory message, the electronic circuit providing an alert signal if the hazard is present, the electronic circuit using a received signal strength of the received advisory message to determine a distance to a source of the received advisory message; and a human-machine interface, providing an alert to the driver of the host vehicle when the alert signal is received from the electronic circuit. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 21)
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16. A method of providing information related to a host vehicle to other vehicles so as to warn of a hazardous condition;
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determining if the host vehicle is on a highway; sensing at least one vehicle parameter of the host vehicle; determining if the host vehicle provides a hazardous condition to other vehicles; and transmitting an advisory message if the vehicle parameters are correlated with a hazardous condition to other vehicles, the advisory message including the vehicle parameters, the advisory message providing information related to the host vehicle to other vehicles, the advisory message only being transmitted when the host vehicle is on a highway, wherein determining if the host vehicle provides a hazardous condition includes determining if an occupant of the host vehicle has left the host vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification