Vehicle-to-vehicle traffic queue information communication system and method

• US 7,973,674 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2008
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Norton, Phillip, Bygrave, Christopher S., Bell, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullen; Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US12/194,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20100045488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 340901-905, 340/988, 340/435, 340/932, 701/300, 701/301
• US Class Current: 340/901
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

Disclosed are embodiments of a vehicle-to-vehicle traffic queue information communication system, a traffic queue information communication device, and method. The system and method embodiments incorporate the use of multiple vehicles. Each vehicle is equipped with a traffic queue information communication device. Each traffic queue information communication device can be used to determine if its corresponding vehicle has entered or exited a queue in a single lane of traffic. When the vehicle is in a queue, the device can communicate with the immediately adjacent vehicles in front and behind. Specifically, it can receive data from the preceding vehicle in the queue and use the received data to determine its position in the queue as well as the estimated time it will take to travel through the queue. Revised data can then be transmitted by the device to the next vehicle in the queue for making the same determinations.

Claims

1. A vehicle-to-vehicle traffic queue information communication device, said device being installed on a specific vehicle and comprising:

a communication apparatus receiving a first signal from a directly preceding vehicle, said directly preceding vehicle being in front of and adjacent to said specific vehicle in a single lane of traffic and said first signal comprising a first set of traffic queue data comprising at least a position of said directly preceding vehicle in a queue and an average speed of said queue; and

a processor determining, based on said first set of traffic queue data, a second set of traffic queue data comprising at least a position of said specific vehicle in said queue and a revised average speed of said queue, said communication apparatus further transmitting a second signal to a directly following vehicle, said second signal comprising said second set of traffic queue data and said directly following vehicle being behind and adjacent to said specific vehicle in said single lane of traffic.

2. The device according to claim 1, said processor further determining, based on said second set of traffic queue data, an estimated time until said specific vehicle reaches a starting position of said queue by multiplying said position of said specific vehicle in said queue by said revised average speed of said queue.

3. The device according to claim 2, further comprising at least one of the following:

a display visually displaying to a user of said specific vehicle at least one of said second set of traffic queue data and said estimated time until said specific vehicle reaches said starting position of said queue; and

a speaker audibly providing to said user of said specific vehicle at least one of said second set of traffic queue data and said estimated time until said specific vehicle reaches said starting position of said queue.

4. The device according to claim 1, said communication apparatus comprising a line-of-sight communication apparatus.

5. The device according to claim 4, said line-of-sight communication apparatus comprising an infrared communication apparatus.

6. A vehicle-to-vehicle traffic queue information communication device, said device being installed on a specific vehicle and comprising:

a speed monitor determining when said specific vehicle enters a queue in a single lane of traffic and further determining when said specific vehicle exits said queue;

a communication apparatus receiving a first signal from a directly preceding vehicle, said directly preceding vehicle being in front of and adjacent to said specific vehicle in said queue in said single lane of traffic and said first signal comprising a first set of traffic queue data comprising at least a position of said directly preceding vehicle in said queue and an average speed of said queue;

a processor determining, based on said first set of traffic queue data, a second set of traffic queue data comprising at least a position of said specific vehicle in said queue and a revised average speed of said queue, said communication apparatus further transmitting a second signal to a directly following vehicle, said second signal comprising said second set of traffic queue data and said directly following vehicle being behind and adjacent to said specific vehicle in said single lane of traffic; and

a signal monitor monitoring receipt of said first signal by said communication apparatus and determining when said communication apparatus stops receiving said first signal in order to determine when said specific vehicle reaches a starting position of said queue.

7. The device according to claim 6, said processor further determining, based on said second set of traffic queue data, an estimated time until said specific vehicle reaches said starting position of said queue by multiplying said position of said specific vehicle in said queue by said revised average speed of said queue.

8. The device according to claim 7, further comprising at least one of the following:

a display visually displaying to a user of said specific vehicle at least one of said second set of traffic queue data and said estimated time until said specific vehicle reaches said starting position of said queue; and

a speaker audibly providing to said user of said specific vehicle at least one of said second set of traffic queue data and said estimated time until said specific vehicle reaches said starting position of said queue.

9. The device according to claim 6, said communication apparatus further comprising a line-of-sight communication apparatus.

10. The device according to claim 9, said line-of-sight communication apparatus comprising an infrared communication apparatus.

11. A vehicle-to-vehicle traffic queue information communication method, said method comprising:

receiving, by a traffic queue information communication device installed on a specific vehicle, a first signal from a directly preceding vehicle, said directly preceding vehicle being in front of and adjacent to said specific vehicle in a single lane of traffic and said first signal comprising a first set of traffic queue data comprising at least a position of said directly preceding vehicle in a queue and an average speed of said queue;

determining, by said traffic queue information communication device, a second set of traffic queue data, based on said first set of traffic queue data, said second set of traffic queue data comprising at least a position of said specific vehicle in said queue and a revised average speed of said queue; and

transmitting, by said traffic queue information communication device, a second signal to a directly following vehicle, said second signal comprising said second set of traffic queue data and said directly following vehicle being behind and adjacent to said specific vehicle in said single lane of traffic.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising, determining, based on said second set of traffic queue data, an estimated time until said specific vehicle reaches a starting position of said queue.

13. The method according to claim 12, said determining of said estimated time comprising multiplying said position of said specific vehicle in said queue by said revised average speed of said queue.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising at least one of the following:

visually displaying to a user of said specific vehicle at least one of said second set of traffic queue data and said estimated time until said specific vehicle reaches said starting position of said queue; and

audibly providing to said user of said specific vehicle at least one of said second set of traffic queue data and said estimated time until said specific vehicle reaches said starting position of said queue.

15. The method according to claim 11, said receiving and said transmitting each being performed at predetermined intervals.

16. The method according to claim 11, said receiving and said transmitting each being performed with a line-of-sight communication apparatus.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising, monitoring, by said traffic queue information communication device, a speed of said specific vehicle to determine when said specific vehicle enters said queue in said single lane of traffic and to further determine when said specific vehicle exits said queue.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising, monitoring, by said traffic queue information communication device, receipt of said first signal and determining when said communication apparatus stops receiving said first signal in order to determine when said specific vehicle reaches a starting position of said queue.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, said computer readable program code causing a computer to perform a method for vehicle-to-vehicle traffic queue information communication, said method comprising:

receiving, by a traffic queue information device of a specific vehicle, a first signal from a directly preceding vehicle, said directly preceding vehicle being in front of and adjacent to said specific vehicle in a single lane of traffic and said first signal comprising a first set of traffic queue data comprising at least a position of said directly preceding vehicle in a queue and an average speed of said queue;

determining, by said traffic queue information device, a second set of traffic queue data, based on said first set of traffic queue data, said second set of traffic queue data comprising at least a position of said specific vehicle in said queue and a revised average speed of said queue; and

transmitting, by said traffic queue information device, a second signal to a directly following vehicle, said second signal comprising said second set of traffic queue data and said directly following vehicle being behind and adjacent to said specific vehicle in said single lane of traffic.