System and method for detecting a vehicle in the vicinity by using wireless communication

• US 8,604,918 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Jun, Chan Seok
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US13/172,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20120112895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/436, 340/425.5
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0247 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and a method for detecting whether one more vehicles are in the vicinity of a first vehicle using wireless communication. More specifically, a plurality of transmitters generate a wireless signal and plurality of receivers receive the wireless signal generated in a nearby vehicle. A first unit calculates a distance to the nearby vehicle according to a strength of the received wireless signal. A second estimation unit estimates a location of the nearby vehicle by using a distance between the plurality of the wireless signal receiving units and the calculated distance to the nearby vehicle. A third unit estimates a driving speed of the nearby vehicle based on a travel distance per a unit time of the nearby vehicle by using the location of the nearby vehicle. Subsequently, a fourth unit estimates a driving direction of the nearby vehicle by using the location of the nearby vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for detecting whether one more vehicles are in the vicinity of a first vehicle using wireless communication, the system comprising:

a plurality of wireless signal transmitting units configured to generate a wireless signal;

a plurality of wireless signal receiving units configured to receive the wireless signal generated within a nearby vehicle;

a nearby vehicle distance calculation unit configured to calculate a distance to the nearby vehicle according to a strength of a received wireless signal from the nearby vehicle;

a nearby vehicle location estimation unit configured to estimate a location of the nearby vehicle by using a distance between the plurality of the wireless signal receiving units and the calculated distance to the nearby vehicle;

a nearby vehicle driving speed estimation unit configured to estimate a driving speed of the nearby vehicle based on a travel distance per a unit of time of the nearby vehicle by using the location of the nearby vehicle; and

a nearby vehicle driving direction estimation unit configured to estimate a driving direction of the nearby vehicle by using the location of the nearby vehicle.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the nearby vehicle location estimation unit determines a point where lines are drawn from two the wireless signal receiving units respectively and the lines meet as a location of the wireless signal transmitting unit of the nearby vehicle by using the distance between the plurality of the wireless signal receiving units and the calculated distance to the nearby vehicle.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the nearby vehicle location estimation unit is configured to connect the respective wireless signal transmitting units to form a triangle and determine a actual originator of the wireless signal based on a shape of the triangle formed.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the nearby vehicle driving direction estimation unit is configured to estimate the driving direction of the nearby vehicle based on a location of one of the plurality of the wireless signal transmitting units.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the nearby vehicle driving speed estimation unit is configured to estimate the driving speed of the nearby vehicle based on the travel distance per the unit time of the nearby vehicle by using the location of the nearby vehicle.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display a subject vehicle and the nearby vehicle on a screen, wherein the driving direction of the nearby vehicle is displayed.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless signal transmitting units are configured to form a right angled triangle by connecting the plurality of wireless transmitting units therebetween.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless signal receiving units and the plurality of wireless signal transmitting units are configured to form a triangle by connecting the plurality of wireless signal receiving units and the plurality of wireless signal transmitting units.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a collision risk level calculation unit configured to calculate a collision risk level of the nearby vehicle by using the location of the nearby vehicle, the driving direction of the nearby vehicle, and the driving speed of the nearby vehicle.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the collision risk level calculation unit is configured calculate the collision risk level of the nearby vehicle by using a first proximity probability and a first shortest stopping distance of a first nearby vehicle having a primary collision risk and calculate a relative collision risk level of a second nearby vehicle having a secondary collision risk with respect to the first nearby vehicle having the primary collision risk by using a second proximity probability and a second shortest stopping distance of the second nearby vehicle.

11. A method of detecting whether one more vehicles are in the vicinity of a first vehicle, the method comprising:

calculating a distance to an originating point of a wireless signal according to a strength of the wireless signal when the wireless signal is received from a nearby vehicle;

estimating a location of the nearby vehicle by calculating a location of the originating point based on a distance to the originating point and a distance between wireless signal receiving units; and

estimating a driving speed and a driving direction of the nearby vehicle based on the location of the nearby vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, when the originating point includes multiple originating points, estimating a location of the nearby vehicle comprises:

connecting the multiple originating points to form a triangle and determining an actual originating point based on a shape of the triangle formed to estimate a location of the actual originating point with respect to a subject vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein estimating a driving speed and a driving direction comprises:

estimating the driving direction of the nearby vehicle based on a location of one of the multiple originating points of the wireless signal.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein estimating a driving speed and a driving direction comprises:

estimating the driving speed of the nearby vehicle based on a travel distance per a unit time of the nearby vehicle by using the location of the nearby vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

calculating a proximity probability and a shortest stopping distance of a first nearby vehicle having a primary collision risk by using the location of the first nearby vehicle, the driving direction of the first nearby vehicle, and the driving speed of the first nearby vehicle.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

calculating a second proximity probability and a second shortest stopping distance of a second nearby vehicle having a secondary collision risk in a case where a brake or steering is applied to avoid the primary collision risk.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

calculating a collision risk level by using a first proximity probability and a first shortest stopping distance of the first nearby vehicle having the primary collision risk; and

calculating a relative collision risk level of a second nearby vehicle having a secondary collision risk with respect to the first nearby vehicle having the primary collision risk by using a second proximity probability and a second shortest stopping distance of the second nearby vehicle.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

displaying a collision risk level, the driving direction and the driving speed of each nearby vehicle on a screen.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the collision risk level, the driving direction, and the driving speed of the nearby vehicle are represented by a length, a an arrow displayed to a driver.

20. A system for detecting whether one more vehicles are in the vicinity of a first vehicle using wireless communication, the system comprising:

a plurality transmitters configured to generate a wireless signal;

a plurality receivers configured to receive the wireless signal generated by one or more of the transmitters within a nearby vehicle;

a first unit configured to calculate a distance to the nearby vehicle according to a strength of a received wireless signal from the nearby vehicle;

a second unit configured to estimate a location of the nearby vehicle by using a distance between the plurality receivers and the calculated distance to the nearby vehicle;

a third unit configured to estimate a driving speed of the nearby vehicle based on a travel distance per a unit of time of the nearby vehicle by using the location of the nearby vehicle; and

a fourth unit configured to estimate a driving direction of the nearby vehicle by using the location of the nearby vehicle.