Inter-vehicular communication method

Details Inter-vehicular communication method Inter-vehicular communication method

1998-05-14

2001-06-19

Swarthout, Brent A. (Department: 2632)

Communications: electrical

External condition vehicle-mounted indicator or alarm

Transmitter in another vehicle

C340S905000, C180S167000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06249232

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inter-vehicular or vehicle-to-vehicle communication method which allows a plurality of vehicles to exchange information, such as their vehicle positions and their vehicle speeds, with each other.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, inter-vehicular communication can be performed by using light or radio waves between a preceding traveling vehicle and a succeeding traveling vehicle and allowing the vehicles to exchange on a one-to-one basis the position information and the speed information which are required to keep constant a vehicle-to-vehicle distance.
However, the above-described prior art is a one-to-one communication between two vehicles and has a problem that a plurality of vehicles cannot exchange information when they are traveling in a vehicle group.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problem, and its object is to provide an inter-vehicular communication method which enables a plurality of vehicles to efficiently exchange information.
To achieve the above object, the invention provides an inter-vehicular communication method which assigns identification numbers, in order, to a plurality of vehicles and allows each of the vehicles to transmit information including the identification number of the vehicle itself to other vehicles in order starting from the smallest identification number. The method is characterized in that a vehicle which performs its transmission after a first transmission starts the transmission when a time elapses from the start of the first transmission or the end of the first transmission, which time is determined according to the identification number of the vehicle on the basis of the first transmission starting time or the transmission ending time.
According to the above-described feature, since each of the vehicles starts transmission of information in order at a time assigned according to its identification number, it is possible to prevent occurrence of accidents; for example, when the plurality of vehicles perform transmission at the same time or none of the vehicles performs transmission, whereby it is possible to perform accurate information exchange in a minimum time.
In addition to the above feature, the vehicle which performs its transmission after the first transmission, ends the transmission at a time limit from the first transmission starting time or the first transmission ending time. The time limit is determined according to the identification number of the vehicle on the basis of the first transmission starting time or the first transmission ending time.
According to the above-described feature, even if the transmission of a particular vehicle is delayed for some reason, the transmission is forced to end at the time limit so that the delay is prevented from affecting the transmission of the next vehicle.
In addition to the above feature, the identification number assigning means are installed along a road for the vehicles, and the vehicles which pass the identification number assigning means are assigned to the identification numbers in order, respectively. It is thus possible to automatically and accurately assign the identification numbers.
The information transmitted from one vehicle to another includes, in addition to the identification number of the vehicle itself, at least one of the vehicle position, vehicle speed, acceleration, deceleration, angle of longitudinal vehicle inclination, an operational amount of a brake system, an operational amount of a steering gear, and a gear selected by a transmission. It is thus possible to exchange these various kinds of information through the inter-vehicular communication.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3825897 (1974-07-01), Lawton
patent: 5680122 (1997-10-01), Mio
patent: 5682139 (1997-10-01), Pradeep et al.
patent: 5720455 (1998-02-01), Kull et al.

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