Ad-hoc mobile IP network for intelligent transportation system

• US 8,938,353 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2013
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Labhesh, Kumar, Sanjeev, Shaffer, Shmuel, Jain, Mukul, Ethier, Randall Paul Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US14/095,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20140095058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 701117-119, 701/400, 701/1
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A method and system for intelligently managing a transportation network are provided. The method includes dynamically establishing an ad hoc data communications network that includes vehicle nodes provided by respective vehicles in a transportation network. Behavior of one or more of the vehicles can be controlled remotely in response to automated traffic analysis performed based on real-time information received via the ad hoc network. Remote control of the one or more vehicles can include controlling vehicle motion by controlling vehicle subsystems via real-time command data transmitted to the respective vehicles via the ad hoc network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

dynamically establishing an ad hoc data communications network that comprises a plurality of vehicle nodes provided by a corresponding plurality of vehicles within a particular geographic area;

performing traffic analysis based at least in part on real-time information received via the data communications network from one or more of the plurality of vehicle nodes; and

based on the traffic analysis, controlling a behavior of a particular one of the plurality of vehicles remotely by controlling one or more vehicle subsystems of the particular vehicle via real-time command data transmitted to the corresponding one of the plurality of vehicle nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the behavior of the particular vehicle is performed while the particular vehicle is in motion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the controlling of the behavior of the particular vehicle comprises controlling motion of the particular vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, based at least in part on the traffic analysis, controlling behavior of a further one of the plurality of vehicles remotely by controlling one or more vehicle subsystems of the further vehicle via real-time command data transmitted to the corresponding one of the plurality of vehicle nodes, such that respective behaviors of the particular vehicle and the further vehicle are simultaneously controlled remotely via the ad hoc data communications network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the simultaneous control of respective behaviors of the particular vehicle and the further vehicle comprises speed control and/or direction control for collision avoidance.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the simultaneous control of respective behaviors of the particular vehicle and the further vehicle comprises speed control and/or direction control for synchronized movement of the particular vehicle and the first vehicle along a roadway.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, by transmission of real-time command data via the ad hoc data communications network, continuously controlling respective speeds and directions of multiple vehicles providing respective vehicle nodes forming part of the ad hoc data communications network, to cause synchronized movement of the multiple vehicles along a roadway as a vehicle platoon.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle subsystems include a throttle subsystem of the particular vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle subsystems include a steering subsystem of the particular vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle subsystems include a braking subsystem of the particular vehicle.

11. A system comprising:

a communication module configured to dynamically establish an ad hoc data communications network that comprises a plurality of vehicle nodes provided by a corresponding plurality of vehicles within a particular geographic area;

a traffic analysis module configured to perform traffic analysis based at least in part on real-time information received via the data communications network from one or more of the plurality of vehicle nodes; and

a control module configured to control, based on the traffic analysis, a behavior of a particular one of the plurality of vehicles remotely by controlling one or more vehicle subsystems of the particular vehicle via real-time command data transmitted to the corresponding one of the plurality of vehicle nodes.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the control module is configured to control motion of the particular vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the control module is further configured to control behavior of a further one of the plurality of vehicles remotely by controlling one or more vehicle subsystems of the further vehicle via real-time command data transmitted to the corresponding one of the plurality of vehicle nodes, such that respective behaviors of the particular vehicle and the further vehicle are simultaneously controlled remotely via the ad hoc data communications network.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the control module is configured to simultaneously control respective behaviors of the particular vehicle and the further vehicle by controlling respective vehicle speeds and/or vehicle directions for collision avoidance.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the simultaneous control of respective behaviors of the particular vehicle and the further vehicle comprises speed control and/or direction control for synchronized movement of the particular vehicle and the first vehicle along a roadway.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the control module is further configured to continuously control, by transmission of real-time command data via the ad hoc data communications network, respective speeds and directions of multiple vehicles providing respective vehicle nodes forming part of the ad hoc data communications network, to cause synchronized movement of the multiple vehicles along a roadway as a vehicle platoon.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more vehicle subsystems include a throttle subsystem of the particular vehicle.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more vehicle subsystems include a steering subsystem of the particular vehicle.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more vehicle subsystems include a braking subsystem of the particular vehicle.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

dynamically establish an ad hoc data communications network that comprises a plurality of vehicle nodes provided by a corresponding plurality of vehicles within a particular geographic area;

perform traffic analysis based at least in part on real-time information received via the data communications network from one or more of the plurality of vehicle nodes; and

based on the traffic analysis, control a behavior of a particular one of the plurality of vehicles remotely by controlling one or more vehicle subsystems of the particular vehicle via real-time command data transmitted to the corresponding one of the plurality of vehicle nodes.