Method and System for Controlling Timing of Vehicle Transmissions

• US 20090043506A1
• Filed: 04/03/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Breed, David S.
• Application Number:
  US12/061,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20090043506A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/214
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

Method and system for controlling timing of wireless transmissions from vehicles to other vehicles or to infrastructure includes arranging a clock on each vehicle, transmitting positioning signals including a time, arranging a receiver on the vehicle to receive the positioning signals, recalibrating the clock based on the positioning signals to obtain an accurate time, and controlling transmissions from a transmitter on the vehicle based on the accurate time provided by the clock after recalibration. The clock may be recalibrated after each reception of a positioning signal or only at specific timed intervals or based on specific occurrences.

Claims

1. A method for controlling timing of wireless transmissions from vehicles to other vehicles or to infrastructure, comprising:

arranging a clock on each vehicle;

transmitting positioning signals including a time;

arranging a receiver on the vehicle to receive the positioning signals;

recalibrating the clock based on the positioning signals to obtain an accurate time; and

controlling transmissions from a transmitter on the vehicle based on the accurate time provided by the clock after recalibration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning signals are GPS positioning signals and the receiver on the vehicle is a receiver capable of receiving GPS signals.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising arranging a receiver on the vehicle to receive DGPS correction signals, wherein the DGPS correction signals are used to correct errors in the GPS signals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the control of the transmissions from the vehicle comprises designating a time at which each vehicle can transmit, the designated times for vehicles being different from one another, and transmitting only at the designated times.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmissions are electromagnetic signals.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

arranging a processor on the vehicle;

coupling the processor the receiver and the transmitter; and

providing the processor with an algorithm to determine when each transmitter should transmit based on its position.

7. A system for controlling timing of wireless transmissions from vehicles to other vehicles or to infrastructure, comprising:

a clock arranged on the vehicle;

a receiver arranged on the vehicle to receive positioning signals including a time, said clock being recalibrated based on the positioning signals to obtain an accurate time;

a transmitter arranged on the vehicle; and

a processor coupled to said clock, said receiver and said transmitter and arranged to control transmissions from said transmitter based on the accurate time provided by said clock after recalibration.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the positioning signals are GPS positioning signals and said receiver is arranged to receive GPS signals.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising a DGPS receiver arranged on the vehicle to receive DGPS correction signals, said DGPS receiver being coupled to said processor and said processor being arranged to use the DGPS correction signals to correct errors in the GPS signals.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said processor is arranged to designating a time at which each vehicle can transmit, the designated times for vehicles being different from one another, and direct said transmitter to transmit only at the designated times.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein said transmitter is arranged to transmit electromagnetic signals.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein said processor is provided with an algorithm to determine when each transmitter should transmit based on its position.