Transmission of vehicle-relevant data of a vehicle via mobile communication

• US 8,280,583 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Stählin, Ulrich, Menzel, Marc, Baier, Robert, Erdem, Bettina, Gee, Robert, Möller, Ulrich, Schäfer, Maik, Bauer, Oleg, Aunkofer, Markus, Willnecker, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US12/747,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20110098877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/19, 701/23, 701/24, 701/28, 701/29, 701/33, 701/36, 701/117, 701/118, 701/200, 701/208, 701/301, 340/870.18, 340/853.1, 340/853.2, 340/853.3, 340/853.9, 340/855.3, 340/855.4, 34087001-87044, 340901-905, 340/426.16, 340/435, 340/436, 340445-448, 340502-540, 340825-82502, 340 21- 39, 340/825.36, 340/825.39, 340 71- 763, 340/825.49, 340/825.53, 340/5.62, 340/5.64, 340/5.72, 340/10.5, 340/426.28, 340/438, 340/928, 340/933, 340/937, 340/988, 700/304, 455462-466, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/500, 455/90.2, 4551791-2001, 370/342, 370/343, 398/125, 180/168, 180/272, 318/587, 307/10.1, 307/10.5, 705/13, 235/375, 235/384
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A device, method, computer program and computer readable medium allowing for vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to infrastructure communication. An ignition key radio technology may used in addition to WLAN-based communication in a vehicle in order to communicate with other vehicles or infrastructure. The ignition key radio technology is used to send only selected data which have been altered significantly. The remaining data are not sent or kept for the WLAN communication.

Claims

1. A communication device for a vehicle for wirelessly transmitting vehicle-related data to another vehicle or infrastructure, said communication device comprising:

a first communication unit for transmitting first vehicle-related data to the other vehicle or infrastructure; and

a second communication unit for transmitting selected second vehicle-related data to the other vehicle or infrastructure,

wherein the first vehicle-related data are transmitted at a first band-limited frequency, and

wherein the second vehicle-related data are transmitted at a second band-limited frequency, which is lower than the first band-limited frequency.

2. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the second communication unit is in the form of a wireless access and driving authorization unit.

3. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the second vehicle-related data are basic information, selected from the group comprising a vehicle identification, a position of the vehicle, a speed of the vehicle and a direction of movement of the vehicle.

4. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the second vehicle-related data transmitted are only data which have altered significantly from the last transmission.

5. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the first vehicle-related data and second vehicle-related data respectively have a vehicle identification;

wherein the first vehicle-related data are associated with the second vehicle-related data by means of said vehicle identification.

6. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the first vehicle-related data and the second vehicle-related data are transmitted in the same format.

7. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the communication device is configured for junction assistance.

8. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the communication device transmits the second vehicle-related data only if the engine of the vehicle is running, the hazard lights have been activated or an accident has been detected.

9. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the second communication unit uses carrier sense multiple access for congestion control in the communication.

10. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the second communication unit is used for transmitting only prioritized data.

11. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the second communication unit is configured for communication between the communication device and an infrastructure.

12. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the second communication unit is configured for periodically transmitting a search command to a pedestrian.

13. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the second communication unit is configured for providing redundancy for a safety application in the vehicle.

14. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the communication device is configured for fusing measurement data from a simple ambient sensor with data received from another vehicle or an infrastructure for the purpose of situation interpretation.

15. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the first communication unit is configured for selecting a communication partner and stipulating which communication device and possibly which communication channel is intended to be used for the further communication between the vehicle and the communication partner.

16. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the second communication unit is configured to enable a communication link to be set up to the outside and/or to enable a communication link to be accepted.

17. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the communication device is configured for warning an adjacent vehicle following an accident involving its own vehicle via the second communication unit.

18. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the communication device is configured for transmitting a notification upon receipt of an inherent identification number for theft prevention.

19. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the communication device has a sleep mode;

and

wherein the communication device is configured to be able to decide, in sleep mode, whether a received message is a message specifically for the vehicle or is a general C2X message for a large number of vehicles.

20. The communication device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the communication device is configured for the receipt of messages from a road sign by the second communication unit and for the further use of the received message by a driver assistance system.

21. A driver assistance system having a communication device as claimed in claim 1.

22. A vehicle having a communication device as claimed in claim 1.

24. A method for using a communication device as claimed in claim 1 in a vehicle.

23. A communication device for a vehicle for wirelessly transmitting vehicle-related data to another vehicle or infrastructure, said communication device comprising:

a first communication unit for transmitting first vehicle-related data to the other vehicle or infrastructure; and

a second communication unit for transmitting selected second vehicle-related data to the other vehicle or infrastructure,

wherein the first communication unit is configured to transmit the first vehicle-related data on the basis of WLAN.

25. A method for transmitting vehicle-related data from a vehicle to another vehicle or infrastructure by means of mobile communication, said method having the following steps:

transmitting, by a processor, first vehicle-related data to the other vehicle by a first communication unit; and

transmitting, by the processor, selected second vehicle-related data to the other vehicle by a second communication unit,

wherein the first vehicle-related data are transmitted at a first band-limited frequency, and

wherein the second vehicle-related data are transmitted at a second band-limited frequency, which is lower than the first band-limited frequency.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25,

wherein the second communication unit is in the form of a wireless access and driving authorization unit;

and

wherein the first communication unit is configured for transmitting the first vehicle-related data on the basis of WLAN.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable medium which stores a computer program product which, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to perform the following steps:

transmit first vehicle-related data to the other vehicle by a first communication unit; and

transmit selected second vehicle-related data to the other vehicle by a second communication unit,

wherein the first vehicle-related data are transmitted at a first band-limited frequency, and

wherein the second vehicle-related data are transmitted at a second band-limited frequency, which is lower than the first band-limited frequency.