Operational efficiency in a vehicle-to-vehicle communications system

• US 9,031,089 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zetta Research and Development LLC - FORC Series, Zetta Research and Development LLC (Zetta Research, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Zetta Research and Development LLC - FORC Series
• Inventors: Rubin, Kim T, Betts-Lacroix, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hanh N
• Application Number:
  US13/936,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20130293394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/326, 370/330, 370/390, 370/395.42, 370/445, 370/448, 370/347, 340/903, 340/436, 340/901, 340/902, 340/904, 340/463
• US Class Current: 370/445
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3822 Road feature data, e.g. slope data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09 Arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions railroad crossing signals B61L; reflectors E01F, G08B; indicating arrangements for variable information by selection or combination of individual elements G09F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/142 external to the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 9/02 : Anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1694 : Allocation of channels in TDM/TDMA networks, e.g. distributed multiplexers Passive Optical Networks H04Q11/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0091 : Signaling for the administration of the divided path
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 : Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 : for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 : for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0035 : detecting errors in frequency or phase
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 : with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 : Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 : with collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 : for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

A vehicle communication system providing, in one embodiment, wirelessly transmitting and receiving messages regarding the status of parking spaces, such as empty or occupied. Only vehicles belonging to a predetermined set are able to decrypt such messages, in one embodiment. Message formats to comprise a group of parking spaces are described. An embodiment includes a communication mode specific for vehicles in a parking lot. An embodiment includes messages describing the shape and size of vehicle entering or leaving a parking space. Efficient methods of coding vehicle type are described. Methods of improving the operational efficiency of a vehicle communication system, including passive RF reflectors, audio and video messages, safety, courtesy and social messages, and compliance with vehicle restrictions are in some embodiments.

Claims

1. A vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system comprising:

a V2V transmitter configured to operate in a transmitting vehicle;

wherein the V2V transmitter is configured to accept as input subject vehicle position and subject vehicle heading;

wherein the V2V transmitter broadcasts V2V messages comprising;

(i) the subject vehicle position;

(ii) the subject vehicle heading; and

(iii) subject vehicle speed; and

a parking space detector configured to determine, for a parking space close to the subject vehicle, the full-versus-empty state of the parking space;

wherein the V2V transmitter is further configured to comprise a motion mode and a parking lot mode wherein transmissions by the V2V transmitter occur at a first regular time interval in the motion mode and occur at a second regular time interval in the parking lot mode and the second regular time interval is longer than the first regular time interval.

2. The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of claim 1 further comprising:

a V2V receiver configured to receive a V2V receive message wherein the receive message comprises location information; and

wherein the V2V transmitter is further configured to enter motion mode when the V2V receiver receives a receive message wherein the location information in the receive message indicates a vehicle adjacent to the transmit vehicle.

3. The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of claim 1 wherein:

the V2V transmitter is further configured to transmit a vehicle shape message, wherein the vehicle shape message comprises;

(i) vehicle length, (ii) vehicle width, and (iii) at least one vehicle corner radius.

4. The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of claim 3 wherein:

the V2V transmitter is further configured to transmit the vehicle shape message upon entering a parking space.

5. The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of claim 3 wherein:

the vehicle shape further comprises;

(i) the radii of the corners of the vehicle, and (ii) the side mirror projection distance.

6. A vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system comprising:

a V2V transmitter configured to operate in a transmitting vehicle;

wherein the V2V transmitter is configured to accept as input subject vehicle position and subject vehicle heading;

wherein the V2V transmitter broadcasts V2V messages comprising;

(i) the subject vehicle position;

(ii) the subject vehicle heading; and

(iii) subject vehicle speed; and

a parking space detector configured to determine, for a parking space close to the subject vehicle, the full-versus-empty state of the parking space;

a vehicle type code list;

wherein the V2V transmitter is further configured to transmit a message comprising a vehicle type code wherein the type code is contained in the type code list;

wherein the type code list comprises;

(i) a pedestrian type, and (ii) a bicycle type.

7. A vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system comprising:

a V2V transmitter configured to operate in a transmitting vehicle;

wherein the V2V transmitter is configured to accept as input subject vehicle position and subject vehicle heading;

wherein the V2V transmitter broadcasts V2V messages comprising;

(i) the subject vehicle position;

(ii) the subject vehicle heading; and

(iii) subject vehicle speed; and

a parking space detector configured to determine, for a parking space close to the subject vehicle, the full-versus-empty state of the parking space;

a vehicle type code list;

wherein the V2V transmitter is further configured to transmit a message comprising a vehicle type code wherein the type code is contained in the type code list; and

wherein the type code list comprises a plurality of vehicle size type codes wherein each vehicle size type code is associated with a set of vehicle parameters comprising;

(i) a predetermined maximum vehicle width;

(ii) a maximum predetermined vehicle length; and

(iii) a predetermined maximum vehicle weight.

8. A vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system comprising:

a V2V transmitter configured to operate in a transmitting vehicle;

wherein the V2V transmitter is configured to accept as input subject vehicle position and subject vehicle heading;

wherein the V2V transmitter broadcasts V2V messages comprising;

(i) the subject vehicle position;

(ii) the subject vehicle heading; and

(iii) subject vehicle speed; and

a parking space detector configured to determine, for a parking space close to the subject vehicle, the full-versus-empty state of the parking space;

a passive reflector, wherein the passive reflector reflects radio frequency (RF) signals in a V2V communication frequency band, the “

V2V band”

; and

the passive reflector is positioned near a first road segment and near a second road segment such that there is no V2V band line-of-sight between the first road segment and the second road segment; and

there is V2V band line-of-sight between the first road segment and the passive reflector; and

there is a V2V band line-of-sight between the passive reflector and the second road segment.