Device, method, and computer program for providing traffic jam information via a vehicle-to-vehicle interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10380885-B2
Application number	US-201615758950-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2016
Priority date	Sep 17, 2015
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

Devices, methods, and computer programs for providing traffic jam information via a vehicle-to-vehicle interface. The device for a transportation vehicle includes a device for obtaining traffic jam indicators. The traffic jam indicators include at least one element of the group consisting of the speed of the transportation vehicle or of transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle and a traffic jam warning. The device also includes a device for determining traffic jam information based on the traffic jam indicators. The traffic jam information indicates whether the transportation vehicle is located in a traffic jam. The device also includes a vehicle-to-vehicle interface to provide the traffic jam information to one or more additional transportation vehicles via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication connection.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for a transportation vehicle, the device comprising:
a system for obtaining traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam indicator data comprise at least one of speed of the transportation vehicle, speed of transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle, and a traffic jam warning;
a device for determining traffic jam information based on the traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam information indicates whether the transportation vehicle is located in a traffic jam, wherein the device for determining traffic jam information includes a calculation module configured to calculate a probability that the determined traffic jam information is accurate by comparing traffic jam indicators with threshold values or calculate a probability that traffic jam information is available; and

a vehicle-to-vehicle interface to provide the traffic jam information to one or more other transportation vehicles via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link subsequent to the calculation module determining that the traffic jam information is accurate.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the system obtains the traffic jam warning via a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication link, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link, or via a mobile communication system included in the transportation vehicle.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the system obtains the traffic jam warning via a Decentralized Environmental Notification Message via the vehicle-to-vehicle interface of the transportation vehicle.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the system obtains the speed of the transportation vehicles in the area surrounding the transportation vehicle via a video sensor or a time-of-flight sensor coupled to and part of the transportation vehicle, and/or
wherein the system obtains the speed of the transportation vehicles in the area surrounding the transportation vehicle via the vehicle-to-vehicle interface of the transportation vehicle.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the system obtains the speed of the transportation vehicles in the area surrounding the transportation vehicle via Cooperative Awareness Messages over the vehicle-to-vehicle interface of the transportation vehicle.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the system detects that the transportation vehicle is in a traffic jam in response to an average speed of the transportation vehicle during a measurement period being above a lower threshold and below an upper threshold value.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the system detects that the transportation vehicle is in a traffic jam in response to the transportation vehicle being stopped during a measurement period, and another traffic jam indicator indicating a traffic jam.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the system detects that the transportation vehicle is in a traffic jam in response to:
the transportation vehicle being stopped during a measurement period, and
the system obtaining a traffic jam warning via the system and/or an average speed of transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle being below an upper threshold value.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the measurement period has a duration of between 60 s and 300 s, and/or the lower threshold value is between 3 and 10 km/h, and/or the upper threshold value is between 20 and 40 km/h.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle-to-vehicle interface is designed for vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the system provides the traffic jam information to a transport infrastructure via the vehicle-to-vehicle interface.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the system provides the traffic jam information as a Cooperative Awareness Message via the vehicle-to-vehicle interface.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a sensor module and/or an input interface for producing traffic jam indicator data.

14. A method for determining traffic jam information for a transportation vehicle, the method comprising:
obtaining traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam indicator data comprise at least one of speed of the transportation vehicle, speed of transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle, and a traffic jam warning;
determining traffic jam information based on the traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam information indicates whether the transportation vehicle is located in a traffic jam, wherein the determining traffic jam information includes calculating a probability that the determined traffic jam information is accurate by comparing traffic jam indicators with threshold values or calculate a probability that traffic jam information is available; and
providing the traffic jam information to one or more transportation vehicles via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link subsequent to the calculation module determining that the traffic jam information is accurate.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a program with a program code for implementing a method when the program code is executed on a computer, a processor, a control module or a programmable hardware component, the method comprising:
obtaining traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam indicator data comprise at least one of speed of a transportation vehicle, speed of transportation vehicles in an area surrounding the transportation vehicle, and a traffic jam warning;
determining traffic jam information based on the traffic jam indicator data, wherein the traffic jam information indicates whether the transportation vehicle is located in a traffic jam, wherein the determining traffic jam information includes calculating a probability that the determined traffic jam information is accurate by comparing traffic jam indicators with threshold values or calculate a probability that traffic jam information is available; and
providing the traffic jam information to one or more transportation vehicles via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link subsequent to the calculation module determining that the traffic jam information is accurate.

16. The device of claim 13 , wherein the system obtains the traffic jam warning via:
a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication link, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication link, or via a mobile communication system included in the transportation vehicle.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the system obtains the traffic jam warning via a Decentralized Environmental Notification Message via the vehicle-to-vehicle interface of the transportation vehicle.

18. The device of claim 13 , wherein the system obtains the speed of the transportation vehicles in the area surrounding the transportation vehicle via a video sensor or a time-of-flight sensor coupled to and part of the transportation vehicle, and/or
wherein the system obtains the speed of the transportation vehicles in the area surrounding the transportation vehicle via the vehicle-to-vehicle interface of the transportation vehicle.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the system obtains the speed of the transportation vehicles in the area surrounding the transportation vehicle via Cooperative Awareness Messages over the vehicle-to-vehicle interface of the transportation vehicle.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising detecting that the transportation vehicle is in a traffic jam in response to an average speed of the transportation vehicle during a measurement period being above a lower threshold and below an u

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Biehle Thomas
• Schultz Holger

Classifications

• G08G1/096716

  where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control · CPC title

• G08G1/0141

  for traffic information dissemination · CPC title

• G08G1/0133

  for classifying traffic situation · CPC title

• G08G1/096758

  where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information · CPC title

• G08G1/0112 Primary

  from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD] · CPC title