Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing mobile ad hoc cooperative communication systems and related devices

• US 8,938,199 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: El Houmaidi, Mounire, Anschutz, Thomas Arnold
• Primary Examiner(s): Magloire, Vladimir
• Assistant Examiner(s): COSME, NATASHA W
• Application Number:
  US13/606,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20130059540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/25, 455/63.4, 455/436, 455/440, 455/441, 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/502, 455/509, 370/252, 370/331, 370/332, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/18 based on predicted events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method of operating a mobile electronic device includes detecting at least one other mobile electronic device within a predetermined distance of the mobile electronic device, and determining a spatial relationship of the at least one other mobile electronic device relative to the mobile electronic device. An ad hoc wireless connection is established with the at least one other mobile electronic device based on the determined spatial relationship. Data may be transmitted to and/or received from the at least one other mobile electronic device over the ad hoc wireless connection based on the determined spatial relationship. Related systems, devices, and computer program products are also discussed.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processor; and

memory comprising executable instructions that when executed cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

detecting, within a predetermined distance of the device, a plurality of mobile devices including a second mobile device;

determining a vector indicating a relative speed and direction of movement of the second mobile device;

selectively establishing, based on the vector, an ad hoc wireless connection with the second mobile device;

determining that the second mobile device is in front of the device;

receiving at least one of vehicle braking, vehicle stability, or lane-change data for a vehicle associated with the second mobile device over the ad hoc wireless connection; and

providing an alert signal responsive to receiving the at least one of the vehicle braking, vehicle stability, or lane-change data for the vehicle associated with the second mobile electronic device.

2. The device of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

providing data to the second mobile device over the ad hoc wireless connection, wherein content of the data is based upon a spatial relationship of the second mobile device relative to the device.

3. The device of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

receiving data from the second mobile device over the ad hoc wireless connection, wherein content of the data is based upon a spatial relationship of the second mobile device relative to the device.

4. The device of claim 3, the operations further comprising:

altering at least one of vehicle speed, direction of travel, or a safety system of a vehicle associated with the device based on the received data from the second mobile electronic device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the vector indicates that the second mobile device is approaching the device, the operations further comprising:

transmitting emergency data for a vehicle associated with the device to the second mobile device over the ad hoc wireless connection.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the vector indicates that the second mobile device is traveling behind the device and in a same direction as the device, the operations further comprising:

transmitting at least one of breaking or deceleration data for a vehicle associated with the second device to the second mobile device over the ad hoc wireless connection.

7. The device of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

detecting a third mobile device among the plurality of mobile devices within the predetermined distance of the mobile electronic device, determine a dynamic spatial relationship of the third mobile device relative to the mobile electronic device; and

selectively establishing a second ad hoc wireless connection with the third mobile electronic rather than with the at least one other of the plurality of detected mobile devices based on a spatial relationship of the third mobile electronic device relative to the first mobile electronic device.

8. A device comprising:

a processor; and

memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

detecting a plurality of mobile devices including a second mobile device;

determining a vector indicating a relative speed and direction of movement of the second mobile device;

selectively establishing, based on the vector, an ad hoc wireless connection with the second mobile device;

determining that the second mobile device is in front of the device;

receiving at least one of vehicle braking, vehicle stability, or lane-change data for a vehicle associated with the second mobile device over the ad hoc wireless connection; and

providing an alert signal responsive to receiving the at least one of the vehicle braking, vehicle stability, or lane-change data for the vehicle associated with the second mobile electronic device.

9. The device of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

providing data to the second mobile device over the ad hoc wireless connection based on the direction of the second mobile device relative to the device, wherein content of the data is based upon the direction of the second mobile device relative to the device.

10. The device of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

receiving data from the second mobile device over the ad hoc wireless connection based on the direction of the second mobile device relative to the device, wherein content of the data is based upon the direction of the second mobile device relative to the device.

11. The device of claim 10, the operations further comprising:

altering at least one of vehicle speed, direction of travel, or a safety system of a vehicle associated with the device based on the received data from the second mobile electronic device.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the vector indicates that the second mobile device is approaching the device, the operations further comprising:

transmitting emergency data for a vehicle associated with the mobile device to the second mobile device over the ad hoc wireless connection via the wireless transceiver.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the vector indicates that the second mobile device is traveling behind the device and in a same direction as the device, the operations further comprising:

transmitting at least one of breaking or deceleration data for a vehicle associated with the second device to the second mobile device over the ad hoc wireless connection.

14. The device of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

detecting a third mobile device among the plurality of mobile devices within the predetermined distance of the mobile electronic device, determine a direction of the third mobile device relative to the mobile electronic device; and

selectively establishing a second ad hoc wireless connection with the third mobile electronic rather than with the at least one other of the plurality of detected mobile devices based on the direction of the third mobile electronic device relative to the first mobile electronic device.

15. A tangible computer readable storage medium that is not a propagating signal, the computer readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:

detecting, within a predetermined distance of a the device, a plurality of mobile devices including a second mobile device;

determining a vector indicating a relative speed and direction of movement of the second mobile device;

selectively establishing, based on the vector, an ad hoc wireless connection with the second mobile device;

determining that the second mobile device is in front of the device;

receiving at least one of vehicle braking, vehicle stability, or lane-change data for a vehicle associated with the second mobile device over the ad hoc wireless connection; and

providing an alert signal responsive to receiving the at least one of the vehicle braking, vehicle stability, or lane-change data for the vehicle associated with the second mobile electronic device.

16. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

providing data to the second mobile device over the ad hoc wireless connection based on a spatial relationship of the second mobile device relative to the device, wherein content of the data is based upon the spatial relationship of the second mobile device relative to the device; and

receiving data from the second mobile device over the ad hoc wireless connection based on the spatial relationship of the second mobile device relative to the device, wherein content of the data is based upon the spatial relationship of the second mobile device relative to the device.