Vehicle communication device

• US 7,486,202 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2006
• Issued: 02/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Konishi, Yoshichika, Niwa, Eiji, Yamamoto, Yasumasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees; Edny
• Application Number:
  US11/353,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20060192687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 340/903, 340/901, 340/902, 340/995.1, 340/995.11, 340/995.12, 340/932.2, 455/11.1, 455/15, 455/22, 455/23, 455/24, 701/117, 701/118
• US Class Current: 340/932
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

A vehicle communication device mounted to each of vehicles for sending and receiving information among plural vehicles includes a traveling lane detecting device for detecting a vehicle traveling lane on a road surface and an appropriateness of relay determining device for determining an appropriateness of relay on the basis of the vehicle traveling lane detected by the traveling lane detecting device, wherein the vehicle communication device assigns a vehicle to be requested to relay the information on the basis of the result determined by the appropriateness of relay determining device and sends the information to the assigned vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle communication device mounted to a vehicle for sending and receiving information among plural vehicles which each have the vehicle communication device, comprising:

a traveling lane detecting means for detecting a detection result based on one of whether a road is crossed, forked, or merged; and

an appropriateness of relay determining means for determining an appropriateness of relay on the basis of the detection result detected by the traveling lane detecting means,

wherein, when one of whether the road is either crossed, forked or merged is detected by the traveling lane detecting means of one vehicle and the appropriateness of relay determining means determines that one vehicle is appropriate to relay the signal, the vehicle communication device of another vehicle assigns the one vehicle to relay the information as an assigned vehicle, and the vehicle communication device sends the information to the assigned vehicle.

2. A vehicle communication device mounted to a vehicle for sending and receiving information among plural vehicles which each have the vehicle communication device, comprising:

a traveling lane detecting means for detecting a detection result based on one of whether a road is crossed, forked, or merged;

an appropriateness relay determining means for determining an appropriateness of relay on the basis of the detection result detected by the traveling lane detecting means;

a first sending process means for sending a first signal including information indicating a vehicle condition and the detection result determined by the appropriateness of relay determining means;

a first receiving process means for receiving the first signal sent by the first sending process means and memorizing the first signal in a memorizing means;

a second sending process means for determining the appropriateness for relaying on the basis of the first signal memorized in the memorizing means, and sending a second signal including information of a vehicle assigned to relay the signal when the traveling lane detecting means detects the road is either crossed, forked, or merged; and

a second receiving process means for receiving the second signal sent by the second sending process means, the second receiving process means determining whether or not the relay request exists, and relaying the signal to the assigned vehicle, wherein one of the plural vehicles sends the first signal to each of the other plural vehicles by way of the first sending process means, each of the other plural vehicles receives the first signal by way of the first receiving process means and memorizes the first signal in their respective memorizing means, the second sending process means of each of the other plural vehicles determines the appropriateness for relaying on the basis of the first signal memorized in their respective memorizing means, the second sending process means of each of the other plural vehicles sends the second signal to the second receiving process means of the one of the plural vehicles, and the second receiving process means of the one of the plural vehicles determines whether or not the relay request exists and relays the signal.

3. The vehicle communication device according to claim 2 further including a wireless transceiver, in which the first sending process means, the second sending process means, the first receiving process means and the second receiving process means are mounted.

4. The vehicle communication device according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle condition includes a location, a traveling direction and a traveling condition of a user'"'"'s vehicle.

5. The vehicle communication device according to claim 2, wherein the traveling lane detecting means includes an optical sensor, a magnetometric sensor and a camera, the optical sensor and the magnetometric sensor being provided at the front portion of the vehicle and the camera being attached at the rear portion of the vehicle and used for assisting a parking operation.

6. The vehicle communication device according to claim 2, wherein the appropriateness of relay determining means determines an appropriateness of relay at the processing device, which is connected to a navigation device and a displaying device.

7. The vehicle communication device according to claim 4, wherein an vehicle ID and a data serial number is assigned to data of the location and the traveling direction of the user'"'"'s vehicle and the data is sent as the first signal by the first sending process means to vehicles around the user'"'"'s vehicle.

8. The vehicle communication device according to claim 2, wherein a vehicle located at the front of the user'"'"'s vehicle is assigned to be requested to relay the signal.

9. The vehicle communication device according to claim 2, wherein the traveling lane detecting means includes at least one of an optical sensor, a magnetometric sensor and a camera.

10. The vehicle communication device according to claim 9, wherein the traveling lane detecting means comprises an optical sensor provided at the front portion of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle communication device according to claim 9, wherein the traveling lane detecting means comprises a magnetometric sensor provided at the front portion of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle communication device according to claim 9, wherein the traveling lane detecting means comprises a camera provided at the rear portion of the vehicle and used for assisting a parking operation.

13. The vehicle communication device according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle communication device assigns a vehicle positioned/traveling on any of the crossed road, the forked road or the merged road as the relay requested vehicle for relaying the information.