Method and system for line-of-sight-independent data transmission

• US 8,928,468 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2012
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Ullrich, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): NWUGO, OJIAKO K
• Application Number:
  US13/369,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20130038433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340928-930, 455/19, 455/120, 455/502, 455/575
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/00 Devices for reflection, refraction, diffraction or polarisation of waves radiated from an antenna, e.g. quasi-optical devices variable for purpose of altering directivity H01Q3/00; arrangements of such devices for guiding waves H01P3/20; variable for purpose of modulation H03C7/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/166 sector shaped
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/18 comprising plurality of mutually inclined plane surfaces, e.g. corner reflector H01Q15/16 takes precedence

Abstract

In a method for line-of-sight-independent data transmission in a car-to-car or a car-to-infrastructure communication system, electromagnetic radiation having encoded data is transmitted from a transmitter located in a first vehicle or in a traffic infrastructure object, and a reflector system is provided for at least partially reflecting the transmitted electromagnetic radiation, wherein the reflector system is arranged so that the transmitted electromagnetic radiation arrives at a receiver located in a second vehicle or in the traffic infrastructure object. The reflected electromagnetic radiation having the encoded data can then be received by the receiver even when line-of-sight communication between the vehicles is impossible.

Claims

1. A method for line-of-sight-independent data transmission in a car-to-car or a car-to-infrastructure communication system, comprising the steps of:

transmitting electromagnetic radiation having encoded data from a transmitter located in a first vehicle or in a traffic infrastructure object;

providing a reflector system in form of a square pyramid or a cube, said square pyramid or cube having at least three passive reflector elements arranged such that the reflector elements form outside surfaces of the square pyramid or the cube and configured to at least partially reflect the transmitted electromagnetic radiation incident on the outside surfaces;

arranging the reflector system with respect to traffic routes that intersect at right angles so that edges of the pyramid or the cube point in a direction of the traffic routes and the transmitted electromagnetic radiation arrives at a receiver located in a second vehicle or in the traffic infrastructure object; and

receiving the reflected electromagnetic radiation having the encoded data with the receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reflector system is arranged at a location selected from a building bordering a traffic route, a traffic light system, a curve of a traffic route and an intersection of several traffic routes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reflector system is arranged at an intersection of a first and a second traffic route so as to reflect the electromagnetic radiation transmitted substantially in a direction of the first traffic route substantially in a direction of the second traffic route.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation has a frequency in a range 4 to 7 GHz.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the electromagnetic radiation has a frequency in a range 5.8 to 6 GHz.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the electromagnetic radiation has a frequency between 5.85 to 5.925 GHz.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the reflector elements forming outside elements of a pyramid have a convex curvature.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the reflector system formed as a pyramid has a tip pointing vertically toward the road surface.

7. A system for line-of-sight-independent data transmission in road traffic, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit electromagnetic radiation comprising encoded data, said transmitter disposed in a first vehicle or in a traffic infrastructure project,

a receiver configured to receive the electromagnetic radiation, said receiver disposed in a second vehicle or in the traffic infrastructure object,

a reflector system in form of a square pyramid or a cube, said square pyramid or cube having at least three reflector elements arranged such that the reflector elements form outside surfaces of the square pyramid or the cube and further arranged with respect to traffic routes that intersect at right angles so that edges of the pyramid or the cube point in a direction of the traffic routes and configured so that the outside surfaces at least partially reflect the transmitted electromagnetic radiation, said reflector system arranged such that the electromagnetic radiation transmitted from the transmitter reaches the receiver.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the reflector elements is a two-dimensional reflector element made of metal.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the two-dimensional reflector element is made from sheet metal.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the reflector elements forming outside elements of a pyramid have a convex curvature.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the reflector system formed as a pyramid has a tip pointing vertically toward the road surface.