Infrastructure-to-vehicle communication system and method

• US 9,930,120 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2016
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Enrique Gutierrez
• Original Assignee: Enrique Gutierrez
• Inventors: Gutierrez, Enrique
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US15/185,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20170018179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 340905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/10 between terminal device and access point, i.e. wireless air interface

Abstract

The system and methods according to the present invention advantageously provide redundant, confirmatory or control signals or information or data capture, for motorist and/or autonomous or driverless vehicles. These control, confirmatory or redundant signals or information may be used by driverless vehicles, trucks, motorist, pedestrians and cyclist to navigate roadways or receive or validate infrastructure information or make decisions based on conditions. The signals may also be used by motorists, pedestrians and electronic devices to gather data and make decisions. The redundant, confirmatory or control signals or information communication may be done via visible, non-visible or radio-frequency spectrum. The system may be implemented by embedding hardware or electronics or optics into or on luminous sign systems, traditional sign systems or mounted onto infrastructure such as guard rails, bridges or other fixed or temporary systems for the purpose of transmitting and/or receiving signals/messages or communication using visible and non-visible light spectrum.

Claims

1. A roadway and transportation communication system comprising:

a. a device coupled to or embedded in a vehicle, pedestrian, or roadway infrastructure configured to store data pertaining to the vehicle, pedestrian, or roadway infrastructure and further configured to transmit the data or receive multiple concurrent data streams and store new data wirelessly via the non-visual spectrum of light;

b. at least a second device coupled to a second vehicle, second pedestrian, or second roadway infrastructure configured to store data pertaining to the second vehicle, second pedestrian, or second roadway infrastructure and further configured to transmit the data pertaining to the second vehicle, second pedestrian, or second roadway infrastructure or receive multiple concurrent data streams and store new data wirelessly via the non-visual spectrum of light;

c. the device further configured to transmit data to or receive data from the at least second device only when the vehicle, pedestrian or roadway infrastructure is within the line of sight of the second device; and

d. the at least second device further configured to transmit to or receive data from the device only when the vehicle, pedestrian or roadway infrastructure is within the line of sight of the device.

2. The roadway and transportation communication system of claim 1, wherein the device or the at least second device is further configured to encode the data and to transmit the data through a modulated or a pulsed data bit stream of visible or non-visible light spectrum;

further wherein the device or at least second device is configured to receive transmitted data through any one of the following line of sight sensors;

an optical camera, an IR camera, or receiving sensors that perform in the spectrum; and

further wherein the device or at least second device is configured to decode the transmitted data.

3. The roadway and transportation communication system of claim 2 wherein the device and the at least second device are further configured to receive and store updated data pertaining to the vehicle, pedestrian, or roadway infrastructure or data pertaining to the second vehicle, second pedestrian, or second roadway infrastructure wirelessly via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio or cellular modem from a cloud server.

4. The roadway and transportation communication system of claim 3 wherein the roadway infrastructure is comprised of any one of the following:

road signs, guard rails, bridges, roads, rail crossings, traffic lights, barricades, barriers, walls, and curbs or any traffic device.

5. The roadway and transportation communication system of claim 4 wherein the device is coupled to a road sign and the device is further configured to continuously transmit at least one item of data pertaining to the road sign including:

identifying information, GPS location, traffic direction, road hazard information, mile marker, curve ahead, bus stop, school zone, weather information, construction information, exit information, timing, phase or basic safety messages; and

further wherein the at least one second device is coupled to a vehicle and is further configured to receive the at least one item of data pertaining to the road sign or is further configured to is further configured to receive the at least one item of data pertaining to the road sign and transmit the at least one item of data pertaining to the road sign to a driver notification system within the vehicle.

6. The roadway and transportation communication system of claim 4 wherein the device is coupled to a railway crossing and the device is further configured to continuously transmit at least one item of data pertaining to the railway crossing including:

identifying information, GPS location, crossing gate position, nearest train position; and

further wherein the at least one second device is coupled to a vehicle and is further configured to receive the at least one item of data pertaining to the railway crossing or is further configured to is further configured to receive the at least one item of data pertaining to the railway crossing and transmit the at least one item of data pertaining to the railway crossing to a driver notification system within the vehicle.

7. The roadway and transportation communication system of claim 4 wherein the device is coupled to a traffic light and the device is further configured to continuously transmit at least one item of data pertaining to the traffic light including:

identifying information, GPS location, traffic direction, signal phase, and signal timing; and

further wherein the at least one second device is coupled to a vehicle and is further configured to receive the at least one item of data pertaining to the traffic signal or is further configured to is further configured to receive the at least one item of data pertaining to the traffic signal and transmit the at least one item of data pertaining to the road sign to a driver notification system within the vehicle.

8. The roadway and transportation communication system of claim 1 wherein the non-visual spectrum of light is any one of the following:

infrared, microwave spectrum, and audio spectrum.

9. The roadway and transportation communication system of claim 2 wherein the device or the at least second device are further configured to receive a transmitted data signal and further transmit the data signal to an additional notification system including a mobile application configured for a mobile computing device, a back-end cloud server, or a vehicle console system.

10. A method for vehicle, pedestrian and roadway infrastructure roadway communication comprising:

a. providing a device coupled to the vehicle, pedestrian, or roadway infrastructure configured to store data pertaining to the vehicle, pedestrian, or roadway infrastructure and further configured to transmit the data and receive multiple concurrent data streams wirelessly via the non-visual spectrum of light;

b. providing at least a second device coupled to a second vehicle, second pedestrian, or second roadway infrastructure configured to store data pertaining to the second vehicle, second pedestrian, or second roadway infrastructure and further configured to transmit the data pertaining to the second vehicle, second pedestrian, or second roadway infrastructure and receive multiple concurrent data streams wirelessly via the non-visual spectrum of light;

c. transmitting the data from the device coupled to the vehicle, pedestrian, or roadway infrastructure to the at least second device only when the vehicle, pedestrian or roadway infrastructure is within the line of sight of the second device; and

d. receiving the data transmitted by the device onto the at least second device.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of the at least second device transmitting the received data to a notification system.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the notification system is a vehicle console unit or mobile application for a mobile computing device or cloud server.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the data signal is confirmatory and the notification system further alerts a driver via the vehicle console unit or mobile application of data pertaining to the vehicle, pedestrian, or roadway infrastructure including one of the following:

object identifying information, GPS location, traffic direction, road hazard information, mile marker, curve ahead, bus stop, school zone, weather information, construction information, exit information, traffic direction, light state, time to light change, crossing gate position, and nearest train position;

or

further wherein the data signal is confirmatory and redundant and comprising the additional step of validating the data received with an additional communication system.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the data signal is a control signal and further comprising the step of the at least second device transmitting the received data to a vehicle control system configured to interpret the data signal and autonomously control the vehicle without driver interaction.