Inter-vehicle wireless communication and warning system

• US 6,707,378 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2002
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: MacNeille, Perry Robinson, Miller, Ronald Hugh
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US10/064,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20030234720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/436, 340/903, 340/905, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/517, 455/99, 342/457, 342/357.08, 342/357.06, 342/450, 701/1, 701/117, 701/300, 701/301, 701/207, 701/1.18, 701/119
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

An inter-vehicle wireless communication and warning system (50) for a host vehicle (52) within a wireless communication network is provided. The system includes a first variable antenna (54) that receives a vehicle discovery signal and a variable amplifier (56) that is electrically coupled to the first variable antenna (54), which modifies the vehicle discovery signal. A smart transmission antenna (62) focuses and transmits a pattern signal to at least another vehicle in the wireless communication network. A smart antenna amplifier (66) is electrically coupled to the smart antenna (62) and modifies the pattern signal. A main controller (58) is electrically coupled to the variable amplifier (56), the smart antenna amplifier (66), and a vehicle network (60). The main controller (58) generates the pattern signal in response to the vehicle discovery signal and a vehicle network signal.

Claims

1. An inter-vehicle wireless communication and warning system for a host vehicle within a wireless communication network comprising:

a first variable antenna receiving a vehicle discovery signal;

a variable amplifier electrically coupled to said first variable antenna and modifying said vehicle discovery signal;

a smart transmission antenna focusing and transmitting a pattern signal to at least another vehicle in the wireless communication network;

a smart antenna amplifier electrically coupled to said smart antenna and modifying said pattern signal; and

a main controller electrically coupled to said variable amplifier, said smart antenna amplifier, and a vehicle network, said controller generating said pattern signal in response to said vehicle discovery signal and a vehicle network signal.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein said main controller utilizes ad hoc communication techniques.

3. A system as in claim 1 wherein said controller comprises:

a wireless network communication device electrically coupled to said variable amplifier and said network controller and storing one or more vehicle proximity parameters relative to the host vehicle and generating a vehicle proximity signal in response to said vehicle discovery signal;

a network controller generating a pattern scheduling signal and a pattern signal in response to a vehicle network signal and a vehicle proximity signal; and

a smart antenna controller electrically coupled to said wireless network communication device and said network controller and generating a smart antenna control signal in response to said vehicle proximity signal and said pattern scheduling signal.

4. A system as in claim 1 wherein said variable amplifier is an omni-directional amplifier or a smart antenna amplifier.

5. A system as in claim 1 wherein said first variable antenna is an omni-directional antenna or a smart antenna.

6. A system as in claim 1 wherein said smart transmission antenna comprises said first variable antenna.

7. A system as in claim 1 further comprising:

a vehicle direction prediction device predicting changes in road curvature and generating a prediction signal;

said main controller generating said pattern signal in response to said prediction signal.

8. A system as in claim 1 further comprising a global positioning system electrically coupled to a second variable antenna and said main controller, said global positioning system generating a global positioning signal and said main controller generating said pattern signal in response to said global positioning signal.

9. A system as in claim 7 wherein said global positioning signal comprises information related to at least one of:

a global positioning system clock, vehicle proximity information relative to the host vehicle, vehicle velocity information relative to the host vehicle, and vehicle mapping data.

10. A system as in claim 7 wherein said global position system generates a global clock signal and said main controller generates said pattern scheduling signal and said pattern signal in response to said global clock signal.

11. A system as in claim 7 wherein said smart transmission antenna comprises said second variable antenna.

12. A system as in claim 7 wherein said main controller generates a mapping signal in response to said global positioning signal and determines at least one vehicle proximity parameter relative to the host vehicle in response to said mapping signal and generates a vehicle mapping proximity signal.

13. A system as in claim 12 wherein said main controller generates said pattern signal in response to said vehicle mapping proximity signal.

14. A system as in claim 1 wherein said main controller alternates between patterns to implement communication functions.

15. An inter-vehicle wireless communication and warning system for a host vehicle within a wireless communication network comprising:

a smart transmission antenna receiving a vehicle discovery signal;

a first antenna amplifier electrically coupled to said smart transmission antenna and modifying said vehicle discovery signal;

a wireless network communication device electrically coupled to said first antenna amplifier and said network controller and storing one or more vehicle proximity parameters relative to the host vehicle and generating a vehicle proximity signal in response to said vehicle discovery signal;

a global positioning system electrically coupled to said smart transmission antenna and generating a global positioning signal;

a network controller electrically coupled to a vehicle network and said global positioning system and generating a pattern scheduling signal and a pattern signal in response to a vehicle network signal, said vehicle proximity signal, and said global positioning signal;

a smart antenna controller electrically coupled to said wireless network communication device, said network controller, and said global positioning system and generating a smart antenna control signal in response to said vehicle proximity signal, said pattern scheduling signal, and said global positioning signal; and

a smart antenna amplifier electrically coupled to said smart antenna controller and modifying said pattern signal;

said smart transmission antenna focusing and transmitting said pattern signal to one or more vehicles in the wireless communication network.

16. A system as in claim 15 wherein said global position system generates a global clock signal and said network controller generates said pattern scheduling signal and said pattern signal in response to said global clock signal.

17. A method of communicating between a plurality of vehicles within a close proximity of each other comprising:

receiving a vehicle discovery signal at a host vehicle;

modifying said vehicle discovery signal;

generating a vehicle proximity signal in response to said vehicle discovery signal;

generating a pattern scheduling signal and a pattern signal in response to a vehicle network signal and said vehicle proximity signal;

generating a smart antenna control signal in response to said pattern scheduling signal and said vehicle proximity signal;

modifying said pattern signal; and

focusing and transmitting said pattern signal to at least one other vehicle.

18. A method as in claim 17 further comprising:

generating a global positioning signal; and

generating said pattern signal in response to said global positioning signal.

19. A method as in claim 18 further comprising:

generating a mapping signal in response to said global positioning signal;

determining one or more vehicle proximity parameters relative to the host vehicle in response to said mapping signal and generating a vehicle mapping proximity signal; and

generating said pattern signal in response to said vehicle mapping proximity signal.

20. A method as in claim 17 further comprising:

generating a global clock signal; and

generating said pattern scheduling signal and said pattern signal in response to said global clock signal.