Inter-vehicle communication feature awareness and diagnosis system

• US 8,169,338 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Mudalige, Upali Priyantha
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORTELL, JOHN F
• Application Number:
  US12/179,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20100019891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901
• US Class Current: 340/901
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A method is provided for sharing data between a host vehicle and remote entity in an inter-vehicle communication system. Wireless messages are transmitted between the remote entity and the host vehicle. The wireless messages include data relating to sensor information used to enhance environmental awareness of surrounding conditions of the host vehicle. A received wireless message includes sensor information transmitted from the remote entity to the host vehicle. The wireless message further includes an uncertainty indicator relating to the remote vehicle'"'"'s assessment of an uncertainty of the sensor information transmitted by the remote vehicle. The uncertainty affecting an accuracy of the sensor information is assessed for determining a degree for which the sensor information is to be used in evaluating environmental awareness conditions affecting the host vehicle. Environmental awareness features of the host vehicle are selectively activated in response to assessing the uncertainty affecting the accuracy of sensor information.

Claims

1. A method of sharing data between a host vehicle and a remote entity in an inter-vehicle communication system, wherein wireless messages are transmitted between the remote entity and the host vehicle, the wireless messages transmitted by the remote entity including data relating to sensor information collected by the remote entity that is used by the host vehicle to enhance environmental awareness of surrounding conditions of the host vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a wireless message that includes the sensor information transmitted from the remote entity to the host vehicle, the wireless message further including an uncertainty flag relating to the remote entity'"'"'s assessment of an uncertainty of the sensor information transmitted by the remote entity;

assessing the uncertainty affecting an accuracy of the sensor information for determining a degree for which the sensor information is to be used in evaluating environmental awareness conditions affecting the host vehicle; and

selectively modifying environmental awareness features of the host vehicle in response to assessing the uncertainty affecting the accuracy of sensor information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote entity is a remote vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 remote entity is a remote communication infrastructure.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless message includes real time status information from the remote entity.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensor information includes global positioning status information from the remote entity.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensor information includes sensed data relating to environmental awareness conditions.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensor information includes an assessment of collision threats.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein selectively modifying environmental awareness features includes selectively enabling respective features of the host vehicle that can operate at the respective level of accuracy as assessed.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein selectively modifying environmental awareness features includes disabling respective features of the host vehicle in response to the respective level of accuracy as assessed.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein selectively modifying environmental awareness features includes selectively adjusting respective features of the host vehicle for operation that conforms with the respective level of accuracy as assessed.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the uncertainty flag includes at least one uncertainty indicator, wherein each respective uncertainty indicator relates to the uncertainty of a respective portion of sensor information contained in the wireless message.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the uncertainty indicator relates to positioning errors in the global positioning system of the remote entity.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the uncertainty indicator relates to faults in a respective module of the remote entity.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the uncertainty indicator relates to faults in a communication bus of the remote entity.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the uncertainty indicator relates to faults in a PPS time synchronization signal.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless message is the transmitted as a standard periodic beacon message.

17. An inter-vehicle data sharing system between a remote entity and a host vehicle, the system comprising:

a remote entity transmitter for transmitting a wireless message, the wireless message including sensor information and an uncertainty indicator relating to the remote entity'"'"'s assessment of an uncertainty of the sensor information;

a host vehicle receiver for receiving the wireless message that includes the sensor information transmitted from the remote entity to the host vehicle;

an on-board computing unit for processing the sensor information and uncertainty indicator that is used to enhance environmental awareness of surrounding vehicles of the host vehicle, the processor assessing an uncertainty affecting an accuracy of the sensor information for determining a degree for which the sensor information is to be used in evaluating environmental awareness conditions affecting the host vehicle; and

wherein the controller selectively modifies environmental awareness features of the host vehicle in response to assessing the uncertainty affecting the accuracy of sensor information.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising a global positioning system for determining a positioning of the host vehicle.

19. The system of claim 17 further comprising a human machine interface unit for communicating the selective modification of environment awareness features of the host vehicle to a driver.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising a dedicated short range communication protocol and a PPS time synchronization signal used to facilitate the communication of the wireless message between the remote transmitter and the host receiver.