Communication system in a motor vehicle, and method for setting up a wireless ad-hoc radio network

• US 8,232,889 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Radtchenko, Andrei
• Primary Examiner(s): Rego, Dominic E
• Application Number:
  US12/086,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20100255866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,087 Days
• Field of Search: 455/500, 455/41.2, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 4554561-457, 455/9, 455/345, 340901-905, 340/441, 340/447, 340/686.1, 701/96, 701/1, 701/207
• US Class Current: 340/686.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Presented is a communication system in a motor vehicle which is designed to participate in a chain-like ad-hoc radio network comprising a number of traveling motor vehicles. The system includes a control unit, a transmission/reception unit in communication with the control unit, and an orientation unit configured to determine an orientation of the motor vehicle relative to a reference direction, the orientation unit being in communication with the control unit. The control unit is configured to determine the orientation of the motor vehicle with respect to an orientation of at least one other motor vehicle which is received by the transmission/reception unit.

Claims

1. A method for setting up a wireless ad-hoc radio network including a plurality of traveling motor vehicles, the method comprising:

determining an orientation of a first vehicle with respect to a reference direction and initializing the setting up of the ad-hoc network;

wirelessly communicating the orientation of the first motor vehicle to a least a second motor vehicle;

determining in the second motor vehicle an orientation of the second motor vehicle with respect to the reference direction;

determining in the second motor vehicle a relative orientation of the second motor vehicle with respect to the first motor vehicle;

evaluating in the second motor vehicle the relative orientation of the first motor vehicle with respect to the second motor vehicle; and

deciding whether the second motor vehicle becomes a participant in the ad-hoc radio network based on the relative orientation of the first motor vehicle with respect to the second motor vehicle.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly communicating the orientation of the first motor vehicle and the orientation of the second motor vehicle to at least a third motor vehicle;

determining in the third vehicle a relative orientation of the third motor vehicle with respect to the first motor vehicle and the second motor vehicle;

evaluating in the third vehicle the relative orientation of the first motor vehicle with respect to the third motor vehicle and the relative orientation of the second motor vehicle with respect to the third motor vehicle; and

deciding whether the third motor vehicle becomes a participant in the ad-hoc radio network based on the evaluation.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising:

wirelessly communicating the orientation of the first motor vehicle and the orientation of the third motor vehicle to at least a fourth motor vehicle;

determining in the fourth vehicle a relative orientation of the fourth motor vehicle with respect to the first motor vehicle and the third motor vehicle;

evaluating in the fourth the relative orientation of the first motor vehicle with respect to the fourth motor vehicle and the relative orientation of the third motor vehicle with respect to the fourth motor vehicle; and

deciding whether the fourth motor vehicle becomes a participant in the ad-hoc radio network based on the evaluation.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the orientation of at least one of the motor vehicles is determined by an electronic compass.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reference direction comprises a compass point.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the reference direction is North.

7. A method of adding an (n+1)th traveling motor vehicle to an ad-hoc radio network including n traveling motor vehicles, the method comprising the step of:

receiving, by a transmission/reception unit of the (n+1)th motor vehicle, an inquiry from the nth motor vehicle in the ad-hoc radio network;

determining in the (n+1)th motor vehicle a first relative orientation of the (n+1)th motor vehicle with respect to the reference direction;

determining in the (n+1)th motor vehicle a second relative orientation of the (n+1)th motor vehicle with respect to the nth motor vehicle;

determining in the (n+1)th motor vehicle a third relative orientation of the (n+1)th motor vehicle with respect to the first motor vehicle in the chain of motor vehicles in the ad-hoc network;

determining whether the (n+1)th motor vehicle becomes a participant in the ad-hoc radio network based on the second and third relative orientations.

8. A method for setting up a wireless chain-type ad-hoc radio network between motor vehicles with communication systems for communication from motor vehicle to motor vehicle, comprising:

determining an orientation of a first motor vehicle with respect to a reference direction initializing the setting-up of the ad-hoc radio network;

communicating the orientation of the first motor vehicle wirelessly by a respective communication system for the communication from motor vehicle to motor vehicle of the first motor vehicle to a respective communication system for the communication from motor vehicle to motor vehicle of a second motor vehicle;

determining, in the second motor vehicle, an orientation of the second motor vehicle with respect to the reference direction;

determining in the second motor vehicle a relative orientation of the second motor vehicle with respect to the first motor vehicle using the orientation with respect to the reference direction of the first and the second motor vehicle;

evaluating, in the second motor vehicle, the relative orientation of the first motor vehicle with respect to the second motor vehicle is carried out and on the basis of a result of the evaluation, a decision is made whether the second motor vehicle becomes a participant in the ad-hoc radio network by the communication system for the communication from motor vehicle to motor vehicle;

wirelessly communicating by the second motor vehicle by its respective communication system for the communication from motor vehicle to motor vehicle to a communication system for the communication from motor vehicle to motor vehicle of at least one third motor vehicle, the orientation with respect to the reference direction of the first motor vehicle and of the second motor vehicle;

determining in the third motor vehicle an orientation of the third motor vehicle with respect to the reference direction;

determining in the third motor vehicle with the use of the orientation with respect to the reference direction of the first to the third vehicle a relative orientation of the third motor vehicle with respect to the first motor vehicle and the second motor vehicle;

evaluating in the third motor vehicle the relative orientation of the first motor vehicle with respect to the third one and of the second motor vehicle with respect to the third one based on a result of the evaluation; and

deciding whether the third motor vehicle becomes a participant in the ad-hoc radio network by the communication system for the communication from motor vehicle to motor vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

the third motor vehicle wirelessly communicates by the communication system for the communication from motor vehicle to motor vehicle to a communication system for the communication from motor vehicle to motor vehicle of at least one fourth motor vehicle, the orientation with respect to the reference direction of the first and the third motor vehicle, and wherein,

in the fourth motor vehicle, an orientation of the fourth motor vehicle with respect to the reference direction is determined;

in the fourth motor vehicle with the use of the orientation with respect to the reference direction of the first, third and fourth vehicle, a relative orientation of the fourth motor vehicle with respect to the first motor vehicle and the third one is determined;

in the fourth motor vehicle, an evaluation of the relative orientation of the first motor vehicle to the fourth one and of the third motor vehicle with respect to the fourth motor vehicle is carried out and based on a result of the evaluation; and

deciding whether the fourth motor vehicle becomes a participant in the ad-hoc radio network by the communication system for the communication from motor vehicle to motor vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the orientation with respect to the reference direction of at least one of the motor vehicles is determined by an electronic compass.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the reference direction is a compass point.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the compass point is North.