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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9599480-B2
Application number	US-201514640228-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2015
Priority date	Mar 6, 2015
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

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.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

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.

Assignees

• Univ Umm Al Qura

Inventors

• Felemban Emad
• Sheikh Adil Amjad Ashraf

Classifications

• G01C21/3691

  Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions (arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09) · CPC title

• G08G1/161

  Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication · CPC title

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title

• G08G1/096844

  where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data · CPC title

• G01S19/17

  Emergency applications · CPC title