Method for making available route information by means of at least one motor vehicle

• US 9,368,030 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2013
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Hainzlmaier, Andre, Streit, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): LITTLEJOHN JR, MANCIL H
• Application Number:
  US14/442,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20150339921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/441, 340/901, 340/902, 340990-992, 3409951-99523, 340/825.52, 701 23- 28, 701/70, 701/96, 701/98, 701/117, 701/408, 701/409, 701/468, 701/521, 701/522, 701/532, 701/533, 701/538, 701/539, 701/540, 709/218, 709/219, 455/414.1, 455/41, 455/456.1, 455/466.6, 455/457, 455/557
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• 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: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

Current route information about a traffic situation and/or the state of the route itself is made available. A communication link to a peer-to-peer network is set up by a communication device of a motor vehicle, and the motor vehicle is signed on to said peer-to-peer network as a subscriber of the peer-to-peer network, with the result that a communication address of the motor vehicle can be determined by at least one other subscriber of the peer-to-peer network. Furthermore, in each case an interrogation relating to the route information is received by the communication device from the at least one other subscriber. The route information itself is determined by a sensing device of the motor vehicle and is then transmitted to the interrogating subscriber by the communication device.

Claims

1. A method for making available current route information, comprising:

setting up a communication link to a peer-to-peer network by a communication device of a motor vehicle;

signing in the motor vehicle to the peer-to-peer network as a first subscriber of the peer-to-peer network, the motor vehicle being signed in so that a communication address of the motor vehicle can be determined by a second subscriber of the peer-to-peer network;

receiving an interrogation relating to the route information, the interrogation being received by the communication device from the second subscriber;

determining the route information by a sensing device of the motor vehicle, the route information including at least one of a route report and operating data of the motor vehicle, wherein

the route report is produced from an input of a route section received as a speech signal from a person located in the motor vehicle, the input being received by the sensing device and converted into text data for the route report using speech-to-text technology,

the operating data is dependent on a driving behavior of the motor vehicle and is determined by an analysis device of the motor vehicle, the operating data including at least one of road quality information and traffic information,

the road quality information is produced from active chassis control signals from the sensing device, which are analyzed to draw conclusions about road quality, the road quality information being more compact, and requiring a smaller bandwidth than would be necessary to transmit individual active chassis control signals, and

the traffic information is an indication of a traffic jam or backed-up traffic and is produced if the sensing device detects that a frequency of braking maneuvers within a predetermined time is greater than a limiting value; and

transmitting the route information to the second subscriber from the communication device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

description data of the motor vehicle is transmitted by the communication device to the peer-to-peer network at least once, and

the description data identifies a current position of the motor vehicle and/or identifies whether the route information includes a route report, operating data including road quality information and/or operating data including traffic information.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the route information includes sensor data relating to surroundings of the motor vehicle, the sensor data being sensed by the sensing device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sensor data includes at least one of image information from a camera sensing device, rain information from a rain sensing device, temperature information from a thermometer sensing device, distance information from a distance sensing device, and speed information from a speed sensing device.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the route information comprises at least one camera image, and

a predetermined object is located in the camera image and made unidentifiable by an image processing device.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the predetermined object is a vehicle number plate and/or a face of a person.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the motor vehicle outputs an outgoing interrogation to another motor vehicle,

incoming route information is received from the other vehicle, and

the incoming route information is output to the person located in the motor vehicle.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the outgoing interrogation is produced based on a request input by the person located in the motor vehicle.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the request is input via a display device of the motor vehicle.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein

incoming route information is received from a plurality of other vehicles, and

the incoming route information is compiled to produce a compilation report, which is output to the person located in the motor vehicle.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the motor vehicle outputs an outgoing search interrogation and an outgoing data interrogation,

the outgoing search interrogation specifies the type of data being sought from other motor vehicles, and

the outgoing data interrogation requests data from at least one other motor vehicle identified by the peer-to-peer network as possessing the type of data.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the outgoing search interrogation specifies the conditions under which the person located in the motor vehicle wishes to receive incoming route information.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein

the outgoing search interrogation specifies a desire for a camera image, and

the outgoing data interrogation requests the camera image from another motor vehicle identified by the peer-to-peer network as possessing the camera image.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the route information is transmitted directly to the second subscriber.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the route information includes the route report, and

the route report is a verbal assessment from the person located in the motor vehicle describing specific road conditions.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out the method as claimed in claim 1.

15. The method as claimed in claimed in 1, wherein

the route information includes a route report, and

the route report includes a personal assessment of a traffic situation from a point of view of the person located in the motor vehicle.

18. An Internet server device, comprising:

a communication processor to;

set up a communication link to a communication device of a first motor vehicle;

sign in the first motor vehicle to a peer-to-peer network as a first subscriber of the peer-to-peer network, the first motor vehicle being signed in so that a communication address of the motor vehicle can be determined by a second subscriber of the peer-to-peer network;

transmit an interrogation relating to the route information, the interrogation being transmitted to the communication device and originating from the second subscriber;

receive the route information from the first motor vehicle, the route report being determined by a sensing device of the first motor vehicle, the route information including at least one of a route report and operating data of the first motor vehicle, wherein

the route report is produced from an input of a route section received as a speech signal from a person located in the first motor vehicle, the input being received by the sensing device and converted into text data for the route report using speech-to-text technology,

the operating data is dependent on a driving behavior of the first motor vehicle and is determined by an analysis device of the first motor vehicle, the operating data including at least one of road quality information and traffic information,

the road quality information is produced from active chassis control signals from the sensing device, which are analyzed to draw conclusions about road quality, the road quality information being more compact, and requiring a smaller bandwidth than would be necessary to transmit individual active chassis control signals, and

the traffic information is an indication of a traffic jam or backed-up traffic and is produced if the sensing device detects that a frequency of braking maneuvers within a predetermined time is greater than a limiting value; and

a transmitter to transmit a response to the second subscriber as a function of all route information received, wherein

the server device is configured to transmit interrogations to a plurality of motor vehicles, to receive respective route information therefrom and to compile the received route information according to a predetermined processing rule to form the response,

the server device is additionally configured to determine a value relating to an urgency of the response and to transmit the response to the second subscriber only if the value satisfies a predetermined urgency criterion.

19. A motor vehicle to make available current route information, comprising:

a communication device;

to set up a communication link to a peer-to-peer network

to sign in the motor vehicle to the peer-to-peer network as a first subscriber of the peer-to-peer network, the motor vehicle being signed in so that a communication address of the motor vehicle can be determined by a second subscriber of the peer-to-peer network;

to receive an interrogation relating to the route information, the interrogation being received by from the second subscriber; and

to transmit the route information to the second subscriber; and

a sensing device to determine the route information, the route information including at least one of a route report and operating data of the motor vehicle, wherein

the route report is produced from an input of a route section received as a speech signal from a person located in the motor vehicle, the input being received by the sensing device and converted into text data for the route report using speech-to-text technology,

the operating data is dependent on a driving behavior of the motor vehicle and is determined by an analysis device of the motor vehicle, the operating data including at least one of road quality information and traffic information,

the road quality information is produced from active chassis control signals from the sensing device, which are analyzed to draw conclusions about road quality, the road quality information being more compact, and requiring a smaller bandwidth than would be necessary to transmit individual active chassis control signals, and

the traffic information is an indication of a traffic jam or backed-up traffic and is produced if the sensing device detects that a frequency of braking maneuvers within a predetermined time is greater than a limiting value.

20. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 19, wherein

the motor vehicle outputs an outgoing interrogation to another motor vehicle,

incoming route information is received from the other vehicle, and

the incoming route information is output as an acoustic speech signal to the person located in the motor vehicle.