Method and system for vehicular communications and information reporting

• US 7,417,559 B1
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Strategic Design Federation W Incorporated
• Inventors: Janke, Garth
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US11/906,431
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/902, 340/904, 340/988, 340/993, 340/995.1, 340/995.13, 340/995.27, 701/1, 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 701/211
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

A method for vehicular communications and information reporting. First and second wireless Internet connections between respective first and second vehicles and a web-server are provided. First and second event information is transmitted, to the web-server, from the first and second vehicles. The first and second event information relates to the same event in visual range, respectively, of occupants of the first and second vehicles. The web server may transmit, to the first and second vehicles, confirmed event information derived from the first and second event information.

Claims

1. A method for information reporting and dissemination for use in vehicles, comprising the steps of:

providing first and second wireless Internet connections between respective first and second vehicles to a web server;

transmitting, to said web server, over the first connection, first event information about an event as represented by an occupant of said first vehicle;

determining, by said web server, whether to report said first information to said second vehicle over said second connection; and

responsive to said step of determining, either (a) transmitting, to said second vehicle, from said web server, over said second connection, second information about said event, or (b) not transmitting any information about said event to said second vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting, by said occupant, a type indication of the event from among a plurality of predetermined choices, wherein said first event information includes the selected type indication.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising selecting, by said occupant, an importance indication of the event from among a plurality of predetermined choices, wherein said first event information includes the selected importance indication.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting, by said occupant, an importance indication of the event from among a plurality of predetermined choices, wherein said first event information includes the selected importance indication.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an event location corresponding to location of the event.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of transmitting includes transmitting said event location to said web server.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting, to said web server, from said second vehicle, a location of said second vehicle, and not transmitting any information about said event to said second vehicle if the location of said second vehicle is outside a predetermined range of said event location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of transmitting further includes transmitting the identity of at least one of (a) an occupant of said first vehicle, and (b) said first vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of determining includes evaluating information associated with said identity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining evaluates whether said first event information is current, and wherein, if said first event information is not current, the method includes said step (b).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes step (a), wherein said second vehicle comes into visual range of said first event and an occupant of said second vehicle notes a discrepancy between said second information and said event, the method further comprising transmitting, to said web server, over the second connection, third event information about said event.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising analyzing, by said web server, said third event information and transmitting fourth event information that represents a modification of said second event information as a result of said analyzing.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said second event information is substantially the same as said first event information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said second vehicle comes into visual range of said first event, the method further comprising transmitting, to said web server, over the second connection, third event information about said first event, wherein said step of determining includes comparing at least one corresponding aspect of said first and third event information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of comparing includes averaging said at least one corresponding aspect of said first and third event information.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of comparing includes comparing at least one corresponding aspect of said first and third event information along with the same said aspect of additional event data associated with said first event that are transmitted from sources other than said first and second vehicles.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes step (a), the method further comprising displaying, in at least one of said first and second vehicles, said second event information.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising selecting, by said occupant, a type indication of the first event from among a plurality of predetermined choices, wherein said first event information includes the selected type indication, determining an event location corresponding to location of the first event, and wherein said step of displaying includes providing an icon representative of said type on a map based on said location.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the method includes step (a), wherein said second vehicle comes into visual range of said first event and an occupant of said second vehicle notes a discrepancy between said second information and said event, the method further comprising transmitting, to said web server, over the second connection, third event information about said event.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said second vehicle comes into visual range of said first event, the method further comprising transmitting, to said web server, over the second connection, third event information about said first event, wherein said step of determining includes comparing at least one corresponding aspect of said first and third event information.