Methods for activity reduction in pedestrian-to-vehicle communication networks

• US 8,738,280 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2012
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autotalks Ltd. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Autotalks Ltd. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Haran, Onn
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US13/468,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20120316768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/2, 701/37, 701/70, 701/117, 701/201, 701/204, 701/300, 701/301, 704/258, 704/260, 707/2, 703/27, 713/320, 455/69, 455/410, 455/414.2, 455/418, 455/435.1, 455/456, 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 342/360, 382/287, 340/5.72, 340/436, 340/438, 340/443, 340/539.22, 340/925, 345/582, 527/491, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

Methods for pedestrian unit (PU) communication activity reduction in pedestrian-to-vehicle communication networks include obtaining safety risk information for a pedestrian at risk for involvement in an accident and using the risk information to adjust a PU communication activity. In some embodiments, the activity reduction is achieved without implementing understanding of surroundings. In other embodiments, the activity reduction is based on risk assessment provided by vehicles. In some embodiments, the activity reduction includes PU transmission reduction. In some embodiments the transmission activity reduction may be followed by reception activity reduction for overall power consumption reduction.

Claims

1. A method for communication activity reduction in a pedestrian-to-vehicle communication network comprising steps of:

a) obtaining pedestrian safety risk information related to a particular person; and

b) based on the obtained pedestrian safety risk information, adjusting the communication activity of a personal communication unit (PU) associated with the particular person.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining pedestrian safety risk information includes determining whether the particular person is located inside a vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining whether the particular person is located inside a vehicle includes obtaining a pedestrian speed based on global positioning system (GPS) data and comparing the pedestrian speed to a predetermined speed value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, if the pedestrian speed is higher than the predetermined speed value, the determining further includes detecting a vehicle closest to the particular person and monitoring a distance deviation between the particular person and the closest vehicle over a predetermined time period.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, if the distance deviation is smaller than a first deviation threshold, the particular person is determined to be inside the closest vehicle, and wherein the step of adjusting a communication activity includes reducing PU transmission.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining whether the particular person is located inside a vehicle is based on monitoring received signal strength indications (RSSI) of vehicles surrounding the particular person.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of using the monitoring to determine a most stable RSSI and a particular vehicle associated therewith, wherein the particular person is determined to be inside the particular vehicle with the most stable RSSI.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of adjusting a communication activity includes reducing PU transmission.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining pedestrian safety risk information includes determining that the particular person is not inside a vehicle and receiving at the PU a message with information on at least one risk factor, and wherein the step of adjusting the communication activity includes adjusting the communication activity based on the at least one risk factor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the adjusting the communication activity based on the at least one risk factor includes using the at least one risk factor to calculate an activity factor and using the calculated activity factor to set the communication activity.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the message is an activity control message sent by a vehicle having a respective vehicle speed.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of obtaining pedestrian safety risk information further includes:

by the vehicle, positioning all pedestrians within range on a map, using the positioning of each pedestrian and the respective vehicle speed to identify at least one pedestrian at risk including at least one risk factor related to the at least one risk in the activity control message.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining pedestrian safety risk information includes determining that the particular pedestrian is not inside a vehicle and waiting for an activity control message, and wherein, if such a message is not received within a predetermined time period, the step of adjusting the communication activity includes stopping the activity until a next check for activity control message arrival.

14. A method for communication activity reduction in a pedestrian-to-vehicle communication network (PVCN) comprising steps of:

a) determining whether a particular person is located inside a vehicle by obtaining a pedestrian speed based on global positioning system (GPS) data, by establishing, that the pedestrian speed is higher than a predetermined speed value, and by detecting a vehicle closest to the particular person and monitoring a distance deviation between the particular person and the closest vehicle over a predetermined time period; and

b) if the particular person is determined to be located inside a vehicle, disabling personal communication unit (PU) associated with the particular person, thereby reducing communication activity in the PVCN.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the particular person is determined to be inside the closest vehicle if the distance deviation is smaller than a first deviation threshold.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining whether the particular person is located inside a vehicle is based on monitoring received signal strength indications (RSSI) of vehicles surrounding the particular person.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of using the monitoring to determine a most stable RSSI and a particular vehicle associated therewith, wherein the particular person is determined to be inside the particular vehicle with the most stable RSSI.