Vehicle localization and transmission method and system using a plurality of communication methods

• US 9,599,480 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2015
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Umm Al-Qura University
• Original Assignee: Umm Al-Qura University
• Inventors: Felemban, Emad, Sheikh, Adil Amjad Ashraf
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY, JASON R
• Application Number:
  US14/640,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20160258766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/065 by counting the vehicles in a section of the road or in a parking area, i.e. comparing incoming count with outgoing count
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/74 measures in reaction to resource unavailability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0226 based on location or mobility handoff or reselection H04W36/00; mobile application services making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 : Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A vehicle localization system and method uses a hybrid communication layer. The system and method detect a vehicle location and transmit the vehicle location to an application layer using a plurality of communication methods. In addition, the method and system can determine a preferable communication method. The preferable communication method can be dependent on past vehicle locations.

Claims

1. A vehicle localization and transmission method comprising:

detecting, via processing circuitry, a vehicle location;

storing, in a memory, a past transmission log indicating a status of a communication attempt and a corresponding vehicle location;

determining, by the processing circuitry, a preferable communication method based on the transmission log from a plurality of communication methods as a function of a number of successful communication attempts in a predetermined period obtained from the past transmission log; and

transmitting, via communication circuitry, the vehicle location using the preferable communication method to host applications requesting the vehicle location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is based on a preferable communication method of another vehicle located within a predetermined distance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication methods includes at least two of Bluetooth, satellite, WiFi, radio, infrared, 3G/4G and optical based communication methods.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retransmitting the vehicle location using another communication method in response to the preferable communication method resulting in a communication failure.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

incrementing a counter in response to determining a communication failure;

transmitting, via the communication circuitry, the vehicle location using another communication method when the counter exceeds a predetermined number; and

resetting the counter when the vehicle location is transmitted successfully.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a probable vehicle trajectory;

detecting a communication obstacle by comparing the probable vehicle trajectory with maps stored in the memory;

determining the preferable communication method based on the communication obstacle; and

transmitting, via the communication circuitry, the vehicle location using the preferable communication method.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining is based on a look up table to match the communication obstacle with the preferable communication method.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining is based on local terrain.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via the communication circuitry, a status of a communication method;

updating the past transmission log with the status of the communication method; and

determining the preferable communication method based on the status of the communication method.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, via the processing circuitry, the vehicle location using a first localization method;

determining, based on the vehicle location obtained from the first localization method, a second localization method;

obtaining, using the second localization method, the vehicle location; and

refining the vehicle location by combining data obtained from the first localization method and the second localization method.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the vehicle location based on an accuracy level needed by host applications requesting the vehicle location.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to detecting an emergency via a user interface, the communication circuitry transmits the vehicle location using all available communication methods.

13. A hybrid communication system for transmitting the position of a vehicle comprising:

processing circuitry configured to

detect a vehicle location;

store, in a memory, a past transmission log indicating a status of a communication attempt and a corresponding vehicle location;

determine a preferable communication method based on the transmission log from a plurality of communication methods as a function of a number of successful communication attempts in a predetermined period obtained from the past transmission log; and

transmit, via communication circuitry, the vehicle location using the preferable communication method to host applications requesting the vehicle location.