Method and system for sending events between vehicles

• US 7,443,284 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2006
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Curtis, Bryce Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phung
• Application Number:
  US11/382,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20070262880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/426.32, 340/438, 340/463, 340/465, 340/446, 340/447, 340/901, 340/903, 340/436, 701/1
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered

Abstract

The illustrative embodiments provide a method, a system, a computer program code, and a computer implemented method for sending events between vehicles. A vehicle detects an event, wherein the event is for a user action that indicates an intent to change movement of the vehicle. The vehicle determines whether the event should be sent to another vehicle. If the event should be sent to another vehicle, then the vehicle sends the event to the another vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for sending events between vehicles, the method comprising:

detecting an event within a vehicle, wherein the event is for a user action that indicates an intent to change movement of the vehicle;

determining whether the event should be sent to another vehicle by configuring the vehicle to decode encoded messages to form a list of identified messages, wherein the list of identified messages are preprogrammed by a user of the another vehicle; and

responsive to determining whether the event should be sent to another vehicle, sending the event to the another vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending the event to another vehicle comprises:

generating an encoded message, wherein the encoded message includes the event; and

transmitting the encoded message to the another vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the transmission of the encoded message is any of an infrared, a laser, a sonic, or wireless transmission.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving the encoded message from the vehicle by the another vehicle;

responsive to receiving the encoded message from the vehicle, alerting the user of the another vehicle of the event.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of alerting the user of the event comprises:

decoding the encoded message;

translating the encoded message to an indicator; and

sending the indicator to the user of the another vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the indicator is any of a visual, an audio, and a tactile indicator.

7. A computer implemented method for sending signals between vehicles, the computer implemented method comprising:

detecting an event within a vehicle, wherein the event is for a user action that indicates an intent to change movement of the vehicle;

determining whether the event should be sent to another vehicle by configuring the vehicle to decode encoded messages to form a list of identified messages, wherein the list of identified messages are preprogrammed by the user of the another vehicle;

responsive to determining that the event should be sent to another vehicle, sending the event to the another vehicle;

receiving the event from the vehicle by another vehicle; and

responsive to receiving the event from the vehicle, alerting the user of the another vehicle of the event.