System for sending events between vehicles

• US 7,821,381 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2008
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Curtis, Bryce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phung
• Application Number:
  US12/173,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20080266135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/426.32, 340/438, 340/463, 340/465, 340/446, 340/447, 340/901, 340/903, 340/436, 701/1
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered

Abstract

The illustrative embodiments provide a method, a system, a computer program code, and a computer implemented method for sending events between vehicles. A vehicle detects an event, wherein the event is for a user action that indicates an intent to change movement of the vehicle. The vehicle determines whether the event should be sent to another vehicle. If the event should be sent to another vehicle, then the vehicle sends the event to the another vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for sending events between vehicles, the system comprising:

a detector in a vehicle, wherein the detector identifies an event within the vehicle, and wherein the event indicates an intent to change movement of the vehicle;

an encoder within the vehicle, wherein the encoder determines whether the event should be sent to another vehicle by configuring the vehicle to decode encoded messages to form a list of identified messages, wherein the list of identified messages are preprogrammed by a user of the another vehicle, and wherein the encoder creates an encoded message in response to determining whether the event should be sent to the another vehicle; and

a transmitter connected to the encoder, wherein the transmitter sends the encoded message to the another vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the encoded message includes the event, and wherein the system further comprises:

a translator connected to the detector and the encoder, wherein the translator converts the event into an electrical signal, and wherein the translator sends the electrical signal to the encoder to create the encoded message.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is any of an in infrared, laser, sonic, or wireless transmitter.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver on the another vehicle that receives the encoded message from the vehicle; and

an indicator alerting the user of the another vehicle of the event.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a decoder connected to the receiver, wherein the decoder converts the encoded message into an electrical signal; and

a translator for converting the electrical signal to an input for the indicator.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the indicator is any of a visual, an audio, and a tactile indicator in the another vehicle.

7. A computer program product stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer program product comprising a computer usable program code for sending events between vehicles, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code for detecting an event within a vehicle, wherein the event is for a user action that indicates an intent to change movement of the vehicle;

computer usable program code for determining whether the event should be sent to another vehicle by configuring the vehicle to decode encoded messages to form a list of identified messages, wherein the list of identified messages are preprogrammed by a user of the another vehicle; and

responsive to determining whether the event should be sent to the another vehicle, computer usable program code for sending the event to the another vehicle.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer usable program code for sending the event to the another vehicle comprises:

computer usable program code for generating an encoded message, wherein the encoded message includes the event; and

computer usable program code for transmitting the encoded message to the another vehicle.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer usable program code for transmission of the encoded message are computer usable program code for any of an infrared, a laser, a sonic, or wireless transmission.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving the encoded message from the vehicle by the another vehicle

responsive to receiving the encoded message from the vehicle, computer usable program code for alerting the user of the another vehicle of the event.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer usable program code for alerting the user of the event comprises:

computer usable program code for decoding the encoded message;

computer usable program code for translating the encoded message to an indicator; and

computer usable program code for sending the indicator to the user of the another vehicle.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the indicator is any of a visual, an audio, and a tactile indicator.