Inter-vehicle communication device for communicating other vehicles and method for communicating between vehicles

• US 8,130,092 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Shiraki, Hidenao
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US12/378,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20090212934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 340/902, 340/903, 340/904, 340/933, 340/935, 340/436
• US Class Current: 340/466
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

An inter-vehicle communication device for a vehicle includes: a transmission element for transmitting information about the vehicle to other vehicles with a predetermined period; a transmission controller for controlling the transmission element; and a detector for detecting a state of an indicator in the vehicle. The indicator informs a person around the vehicle about a state and existence of the vehicle, and the transmission controller controls the transmission element to transmit the information with a period shorter than the predetermined period when the detector detects that the indicator functions.

Claims

1. An inter-vehicle communication device mounted on a vehicle comprising:

a transmission device for transmitting information about the vehicle to other vehicles around the vehicle with a predetermined transmission period; and

a transmission control device for controlling the transmission device, wherein the inter-vehicle communication device further comprises;

a speed detection device for detecting a speed of the vehicle;

a transmission period calculation device for calculating the transmission period in such a manner that the transmission period is shorter as the speed of the vehicle becomes larger;

a warning element state detection device for detecting an operation state of a warning element, which is mounted on the vehicle in order to inform a person around the vehicle of a state of the vehicle and existence of the vehicle; and

a speed determination device for determining whether the speed of the vehicle detected by the speed detection device is larger than a predetermined speed,

wherein the transmission control device controls the transmission device to transmit the information with a period shorter than the transmission period calculated by the transmission period calculation device according to the speed of the vehicle when the speed determination device determines that the speed of the vehicle detected by the speed detection device is equal to or smaller than the predetermined speed, and it is determined on the basis of a detection result of the warning element state detection device that the warning element functions.

2. The inter-vehicle communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a brake element state detection device for detecting an operation state of a brake element in the vehicle,

wherein the transmission control device controls the transmission device to transmit the information with the period shorter than the transmission period calculated by the transmission period calculation device according to the speed of the vehicle when the speed determination device determines that the speed of the vehicle detected by the speed detection device is equal to or smaller than the predetermined speed when it is determined on the basis of a detection result of the warning element state detection device that the warning element functions, and when it is determined on the basis of a detection result of the brake element state detection device that the brake element generates a braking force.

3. The inter-vehicle communication device according to claim 1,

wherein the transmission control device controls the transmission device to transmit the information of the vehicle with the transmission period calculated by the transmission period calculation device according to the speed of the vehicle when the speed determination device determines that the speed of the vehicle detected by the speed detection device is larger than the predetermined speed, and when it is determined on the basis of a detection result of the warning element state detection device that the warning element functions.

4. The inter-vehicle communication device according to claim 1,

wherein the transmission control device controls the transmission device to transmit the information of the vehicle with the transmission period calculated by the transmission period calculation device when it is determined on the basis of a detection result of the warning element state detection device that the warning element stops functioning.

5. The inter-vehicle communication device according to claim 2,

wherein the transmission control device controls the transmission device to transmit the information of the vehicle with the transmission period calculated by the transmission period calculation device according to the speed of the vehicle when the speed determination device determines that the speed of the vehicle detected by the speed detection device is larger than the predetermined speed, when it is determined on the basis of a detection result of the warning element state detection device that the warning element functions, and when it is determined on the basis of a detection result of the brake element state detection device that the brake element generates the braking force.

6. The inter-vehicle communication device according to claim 2,

wherein the transmission control device controls the transmission device to transmit the information of the vehicle with the transmission period calculated by the transmission period calculation device when it is determined on the basis of a detection result of the warning element state detection device that the warning element stops functioning, or when it is determined on the basis of a detection result of the brake element state detection device that the brake element stops functioning and does not generate the braking force.

7. The inter-vehicle communication device according to claim 1,

wherein the warning element is a blinker for informing a person around the vehicle of a traveling direction of the vehicle.

8. The inter-vehicle communication device according to claim 1,

wherein the warning element is a hazard indicator of the vehicle.

9. The inter-vehicle communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first obtaining element for obtaining information about a first intersection, at which the vehicle approaches, wherein the first intersection is the nearest intersection to the vehicle and disposed along a traveling direction of the vehicle;

a receiving element for receiving information about the other vehicles, which is transmitted from the other vehicles;

a second obtaining element for obtaining information about a second intersection, at which the other vehicle approaches, wherein the second intersection is the nearest intersection to the other vehicle and disposed along a traveling direction of the other vehicle; and

a determining element for determining whether the second intersection coincides with the first intersection,

wherein the transmission control device controls the transmission device to transmit the information with the period shorter than the transmission period calculated by the transmission period calculation device when it is determined on the basis of the detection result of the warning element state detection device that the warning element functions, and the determining element determines that the second intersection coincides with the first intersection.

10. The inter-vehicle communication device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a first obtaining element for obtaining information about a first intersection, at which the vehicle approaches, wherein the first intersection is the nearest intersection to the vehicle and disposed along a traveling direction of the vehicle;

a receiving element for receiving information about the other vehicles, which is transmitted from the other vehicles;

a second obtaining element for obtaining information about a second intersection, at which the other vehicle approaches, wherein the second intersection is the nearest intersection to the other vehicle and disposed along a traveling direction of the other vehicle; and

a determining element for determining whether the second intersection coincides with the first intersection,

wherein the transmission control device controls the transmission device to transmit the information with the period shorter than the transmission period calculated by the transmission period calculation device when it is determined on the basis of a detection result of the warning element state detection device that the warning element functions, when it is determined on the basis of a detection result of the brake element state detection device that the brake element generates a braking force, and when the determining element determines that the second intersection coincides with the first intersection.