Method and system for communication with vehicles

• US 8,843,553 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Christie, Cameron, Appelboum, Yuval, Meissner, Gantimur
• Primary Examiner(s): Whipple, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US12/636,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

In a method and a system for communicating between motor vehicles, the method provides for a repeated sending of an initialization message by a first transceiver arranged in a first motor vehicle, wherein the initialization message includes an identification code of the first transceiver and its geographic position.

Claims

1. A method for communicating between motor vehicles, the method comprising the steps of:

sending an initialization message by means of a first transceiver of a first portable three-dimensional corporal figure removably arranged in a first motor vehicle, the initialization message intended for direct receipt by a second transceiver of a second portable three-dimensional corporal figure removably arranged in a second motor vehicle, each of the first and second portable three-dimensional corporal figures being configured to provide visual and speech feedback to the passengers of the respective motor vehicle;

wherein the initialization message comprises an identification code of the first transceiver and its geographic position;

repeating the initialization message at least a plurality of times;

directly receiving the initialization message by the second transceiver of the second portable three-dimensional corporal figure removably arranged in the second motor vehicle, such that the initialization message is communicated directly from the first transceiver of the first portable three-dimensional corporal figure to the second transceiver of the second portable three-dimensional corporal figure;

the second portable three-dimensional corporal figure communicating the geographic position of the first transceiver to a display device integrated with the second motor vehicle via a wireless communication interface separate from the second transceiver that communicates with the first portable three-dimensional corporal figure; and

displaying the geographic position of the first transceiver by the display device integrated with the second motor vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising the step of outputting an information message in the second portable three dimensional corporal figure arranged in the second motor vehicle, wherein the information message specifies that an initialization message of the transceiver arranged in the first motor vehicle first has been received.

3. The method according to claim 1, the method flintier comprising the step of offering an input function for sending a friendship request.

4. The method according to claim 3, the method further comprising the step of sending the friendship request.

5. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising the step of sending a friendship request from the second transceiver to the first transceiver.

6. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising the step of offering an input function in the second motor vehicle for sending a friendship request from the second transceiver to the first transceiver.

7. The method according to claim 6, the method further comprising the step of sending a friendship request from the second transceiver to the first transceiver.

8. The method according to claim 5, the method further comprising the step of receiving the friendship request by the first transceiver.

9. The method according to claim 8, the method further comprising the step of accepting the friendship request.

10. The method according to claim 9, the method further comprising the step of accessing a personal data profile dedicated to the second transceiver.

11. The method according to claim 9, the method further comprising the step of accessing a personal data profile dedicated to the first transceiver.

12. The method according to claim 4, the method further comprising the step of receiving the friendship request.

13. The method according to claim 12, the method further comprising the step of accepting the friendship request.

14. The method according to claim 13, the method further comprising the step of accessing a personal data profile dedicated to the second transceiver.

15. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising the step of receiving the friendship request by the first transceiver.

16. The method according to claim 8, the method further comprising the step of accepting the friendship request.

17. The method according to claim 12, the method further comprising the step of accessing a personal data profile dedicated to the second transceiver.

20. The method according to claim 1, comprising the first motor vehicle recording a photographic image of a vicinity of the first motor vehicle, and

wherein the initialization message transmitted by the first transceiver of the first portable three-dimensional corporal figure comprises the recorded photographic image of the vicinity of the first motor vehicle.

18. A system for communicating between motor vehicles, the system comprising:

a first transceiver of a first portable three-dimensional corporal figure removably arranged in a first motor vehicle for repeated sending of an initialization message directly to a second transceiver of a second portable three-dimensional corporal figure removably arranged in a second motor vehicle, each of the first and second portable three-dimensional corporal figures being configured to provide visual and speech feedback to the passengers of the respective motor vehicle;

wherein the initialization message comprises an identification code of the first transceiver and position information regarding the its geographic position of the first transceiver;

the second transceiver of a second portable three-dimensional corporal figure removably arranged in the second motor vehicle being configured to receive the initialization message directly from the first transceiver of the first portable three-dimensional corporal figure; and

the second portable three-dimensional corporal figure including a wireless communication interface configured to communicate the position information of the first transceiver to a display device integrated with the second motor vehicle, such that the position information of the first transceiver is displayed by the display device integrated with the second motor vehicle, wherein the wireless communication interface of the second portable three-dimensional corporal figure for communicating with the display device of the second motor vehicle is separate from the second transceiver of the second portable three-dimensional corporal figure for communicating with the first portable three-dimensional corporal figure.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the second portable three-dimensional corporal figure is further configured for outputting an input function for sending a friendship request from the second transceiver to the first transceiver.

21. The system according to claim 18, wherein:

the first motor vehicle comprises a camera configured to record a photographic image of a vicinity of the first motor vehicle, and

wherein the initialization message transmitted by the first transceiver of the first portable three-dimensional corporal figure comprises the recorded photographic image of the vicinity of the first motor vehicle.