Automotive telemetry protocol

• US 9,922,557 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2017
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Drivepath, LLC
• Original Assignee: Drivepath, LLC
• Inventors: Nathanson, Martin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US15/495,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20170221357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: 340901-905, 3404255
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/091 Traffic information broadcasting broadcasting communication H04H
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency 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 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/048 mobile agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 : Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 : Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 : Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 : Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/327 : in the session layer [OSI layer 5]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 : from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Apparatus whereby one or more vehicle nodes are configured for use in a vehicular communications network which provides for exchange of data between a plurality of vehicle nodes, the vehicle node comprising at least one on-board computing unit which is operable to broadcast identity messages to, and to receive identity messages from the plurality of neighboring vehicle nodes on at least one roadway and the at least one on-board computing unit further comprising a transmitter and a receiver, transmitting operational vehicle event messages notifying the plurality of neighboring vehicle nodes of impending operational vehicle events that includes at least one of acceleration, brake application, lane mergers, turn or lane changes, or passing of neighboring vehicles.

Claims

1. A vehicle node configured for use in a vehicular communications network which provides for exchange of data between a plurality of vehicle nodes, said vehicle node comprising:

at least one on-board computing unit which is operable to broadcast identity messages to, and to receive identity messages from the plurality of neighboring vehicle nodes on at least one roadway, the received identity messages enabling said vehicle node to identify, to locate, and to list the plurality of neighboring vehicle nodes, the at least one on-board computing unit also being operable over a radio frequency band, compliant with IEEE 802.11 medium access control (MAC) protocol specification for ad-hoc networking, the identity messages being broadcast from said at least one on-board computing unit on an assigned channel common to the plurality of neighboring vehicle nodes and at an interval of at least several times per second;

said at least one on-board computing unit further comprising a transmitter and a receiver, transmitting operational vehicle event messages, said operational vehicle event messages notifying the plurality of neighboring vehicle nodes of impending operational vehicle events; and

wherein the operational vehicle event includes at least one of acceleration, brake application, lane mergers, turn or lane changes, or passing of neighboring vehicles.

2. The vehicle node as set forth in claim 1, wherein said vehicle node is operable to broadcast a unicast message addressed to a specific one of the plurality of neighboring vehicle nodes.

3. The vehicle node as set forth in claim 2, wherein said vehicle node broadcasts said unicast message when it anticipates that it will overtake a slower one of the neighboring vehicle nodes in an adjacent roadway lane.

4. The vehicle node as set forth in claim 1, wherein said unicast message is acknowledged by said specific one of the plurality of neighboring vehicle nodes to confirm to the vehicle node that said specific one of the plurality of neighboring vehicle nodes is aware of an impending operational vehicle event.

5. The vehicle node as set forth in claim 1, wherein said at least one on-board computing unit is operable to broadcast identity messages including GPS location and heading.

6. The vehicle node as set forth in claim 1, wherein said vehicle node is operable to broadcast identity messages over a predetermined discovery time period that is substantially equal to a time period required to allow said vehicle node to recognize the plurality of neighboring vehicle nodes, wherein both a length of a discovery period and a geographic size of the vehicle neighborhood are adjustable according to an average speed of the plurality of neighboring vehicles nodes in the vehicle neighborhood.

7. The vehicle node as set forth in claim 1, wherein said vehicle node is operable to broadcast periodic announcements of services, including those which utilize a video camera mounted on board the vehicle.

8. A vehicle node as set forth in claim 1, wherein the operational vehicle event includes a passing maneuver intention and said vehicle node transmits notification of the passing maneuver intention to the plurality of neighboring vehicle nodes, as determined by said vehicle node when it anticipates that it will overtake a slower one of the plurality of neighboring vehicle nodes in an adjacent roadway lane.

9. A vehicle node as set forth in claim 1, wherein the operational vehicle event includes a lane change maneuver intention and said vehicle node transmits notification of the lane change maneuver to the plurality of neighboring vehicle nodes, as indicated by use of a turn indicator on the vehicle of said vehicle node.

10. A vehicle node as set forth in claim 1, wherein the operational vehicle event includes at least one of yield and merge maneuver intention and said vehicle node transmits notification of the yield and merge maneuver intention to the plurality of neighboring vehicle nodes, wherein said vehicle node uses information corresponding to location and speed of at least one of said plurality of neighboring vehicle nodes to provide at least one signal to a driver of the vehicle corresponding to the vehicle node.

11. A vehicle node as set forth in claim 1, wherein the operational vehicle event is transmitted using a UDP/IP stack transport mechanism.

12. A vehicle node as set forth in claim 11, wherein the operational vehicle event is further defined as being transmitted using a simple network management protocol (SNMP).