Collaborative environmental reporting

• US 7,825,824 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2007
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shrum, Edgar Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/857,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20090072997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 340/902, 340/933, 340/501, 340/506, 340/941, 340/540, 340/601, 340/603, 340/605, 340/903, 340905-907, 340/910, 701/117, 701/1
• US Class Current: 340/902
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for the reporting of an environmental condition to vehicles prior to encountering the environmental condition. According to various embodiments described herein, local environment data corresponding to the environmental condition is collected from sensors on a vehicle. The local environment data is used to determine that the environmental condition exists at the current location of the vehicle. A notification that includes the geographic location of the environmental condition is created and provided to one or more other vehicles in the vicinity of the environmental condition.

Claims

1. A method for providing a notification of an environmental condition, comprising:

collecting vehicle data corresponding to a first vehicle from a vehicle sensor of the first vehicle operative to monitor a system of the first vehicle and collecting environment data from an environment sensor of the first vehicle operative to measure an atmospheric characteristic;

combining the vehicle data and the environment data to create local environment data associated with the first vehicle;

analyzing the local environment data to determine whether an anomaly exists in the local environment data indicating that an environmental condition exists at a geographic location of the first vehicle;

creating the notification comprising the geographic location of the environmental condition; and

providing the notification to at least a second vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the notification comprising the geographic location of the environmental condition comprises:

determining whether the anomaly satisfies a threshold for creating the notification, and

creating the notification only if the anomaly satisfies the threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold comprises a pre-determined minimum number of similar anomalies within a pre-determined distance from the geographic location of the first vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental condition comprises a driving hazard.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting vehicle data corresponding to a first vehicle from a vehicle sensor of the first vehicle operative to monitor a system of the first vehicle and collecting environment data from an environment sensor of the first vehicle operative to measure an atmospheric characteristic comprise receiving the vehicle data and the environment data from the first vehicle via a wireless network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the wireless network comprises a cellular telecommunications network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting vehicle comprises vehicle data corresponding to a first vehicle from a vehicle sensor of the first vehicle operative to monitor a system of the first vehicle and collecting environment data from an environment sensor of the first vehicle operative to measure an atmospheric characteristic comprise receiving the vehicle data and the environment data at a local environmental analysis engine residing within the first vehicle, and wherein providing the notification to at least the second vehicle comprises broadcasting the notification over a short-range wireless network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the notification to at least the second vehicle comprises transmitting the notification to a plurality of vehicles within a pre-determined distance from the geographic location of the first vehicle.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

collect vehicle data corresponding to a first vehicle a first vehicle from a vehicle sensor of the first vehicle operative to monitor a system of the first vehicle and collect environment data from an environment sensor of the first vehicle operative to measure an atmospheric characteristic;

combine the vehicle data and the environment data to create local environment data associated with the first vehicle;

analyze the local environment data to determine whether an anomaly exists in the local environment data indicating that an environmental condition exists at a geographic location of the first vehicle

create a notification comprising the geographic location of the environmental condition; and

provide the notification to at least a second vehicle.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein causing the computer to create the notification comprising the geographic location of the environmental condition comprises causing the computer to:

determine whether the anomaly satisfies a threshold for creating the notification; and

create the notification only if the anomaly satisfies the threshold.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the threshold comprises a pre-determined minimum number of similar anomalies within a pre-determined distance from the geographic location of the first vehicle.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein causing the computer to collect vehicle data corresponding to a first vehicle from a vehicle sensor of the first vehicle operative to monitor a system of the first vehicle and collecting environment data from an environment sensor of the first vehicle operative to measure an atmospheric characteristic comprise causing the computer to receive the vehicle data and the environment data from the first vehicle via a cellular telecommunications network.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein causing the computer to collect vehicle data corresponding to a first vehicle from a vehicle sensor of the first vehicle operative to monitor a system of the first vehicle and collecting environment data from an environment sensor of the first vehicle operative to measure an atmospheric characteristic comprise causing the computer to receive the vehicle data and the environment data at a local environmental analysis engine residing within the first vehicle, and wherein causing the computer to provide the notification to at least the second vehicle comprises causing the computer to broadcast the notification over a short-range wireless network.

14. A system for providing a notification of an environmental condition, comprising:

memory for storing a program containing code for providing notification of an environmental condition; and

a processor functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program and configured to;

collect vehicle data corresponding to a first vehicle from a vehicle sensor of the first vehicle operative to monitor a system of the first vehicle and collect environment data from an environment sensor of the first vehicle operative to measure an atmospheric characteristic,

combine the vehicle data and the environment data to create local environment data associated with the first vehicle,

analyze the local environment data to determine whether an anomaly exists in the local environment data indicating that an environmental condition exists at a geographic location of the first vehicle,

create the notification comprising the geographic location of the environmental condition, and

provide the notification to at least a second vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to

determine whether the anomaly satisfies a threshold for creating the notification and to create the notification only if the anomaly satisfies the threshold.