5886results about "Vehicle infrastructure communication" patented technology

Systems and methods may calibrate an indicator of speed of an autonomous vehicle. In one implementation, a system may include at least one processor programmed to: receive from a camera at least a plurality of images representative of an environment of the vehicle; analyze the plurality of images to identify at least two recognized landmarks; determine, based on known locations of the two recognized landmarks, a value indicative of a distance between the at least two recognized landmarks; determine, based on an output of at least one sensor associated with the autonomous vehicle, a measured distance between the at least two landmarks; determine a correction factor for the at least one sensor based on a comparison of the value indicative of the distance between the at least to recognized landmarks and the measured distance between the at least two landmarks.

Methods and systems are provided for monitoring use of a vehicle having one or more autonomous (and / or semi-autonomous) operation features to determine and respond to incidents, such as collisions, thefts, or breakdowns. According to certain aspects, operating data from sensors within or near the vehicle may be used to determine when an incident has occurred and determine an appropriate response. The responses may include contacting a third party to provide assistance, such as local emergency services. In some embodiments, occurrence of the incident may be verified by automated communication with the vehicle operator.

Methods and systems are described for generating a vehicle-to-vehicle traffic alert. Various aspects may include detecting that an abnormal traffic condition exists in an operating environment of a vehicle and generating a related electronic message. The electronic message may be transmitted via the vehicle's transceiver using a wireless communication to a nearby vehicle to alert the nearby vehicle of the abnormal traffic condition and to allow the nearby vehicle to avoid the abnormal traffic condition.

A system for performing multi-level video processing within a vehicle includes a pre-processing module for determining an encoding mode and enabling one or more levels of encoding based on the encoding mode. The pre-processing module further receives a video stream from a camera attached to the vehicle via a vehicular communication network and encodes the video stream based on the encoding mode to produce a packet stream output. The system further includes a video decoder for receiving the packet stream output and decoding the packet stream output in accordance with the encoding mode to produce a decoded video output.

A system, method, and computer program product for determining lane information in a road segment to drive a first vehicle to minimize travel time. According to an embodiment, navigation data of the first vehicle and at least one other vehicle in a road segment is sent to a computer server system via their respective clique leaders through a communication network. The lane information may include whether a change of lane is required, a lane to avoid, an optimum lane, and rank order of drivable lanes according to increasing order of travel time for the first vehicle to minimize travel time. The determined lane information is sent to the appropriate user device through its clique leader. The user device presents the lane information to a human driver and / or autonomous vehicle driving system of the first vehicle appropriately.

A system and method for providing position information of a transit object to a computing device is provided. Global positioning satellite (GPS) information of a transit object can be periodically received. For each of some of the GPS information, one or more candidate points of a transit system can be identified based on the GPS information. Using the one or more candidate points, a most likely path of travel can be determined. Additional position points along the most likely path of travel can be extrapolated and transmitted to a computing device.

A wireless communications system and method adapted for use in automotive applications for enabling automatic, high-speed, wireless voice and / or data communications link to be established between a wide variety of external devices and various electronic subsystems of a vehicle. The apparatus includes first and second RF transceivers which are operated in accordance with a communications specification to enable a seamless, automatic communications link to be created when the two RF transceivers come within a pre-determined proximity of one another, for example, within up to 100 meters of one another. Information from one device is then automatically transmitted over the wireless communications link to the other device. In various implementations the apparatus is used to obtain information from a home PC, a work PC, a notebook PC and various other electronic devices, as well as information from the Internet, which is displayed and / or played back for the user by various subsystems of the vehicle while traveling in the vehicle. Other applications involving retail and manufacturing applications are disclosed by which the apparatus is used to facilitate and / or expedite manufacturing processes or retail transactions via one or more high-speed, secure, wireless communications links which are created automatically and seamlessly between the RF transceivers of the apparatus of the invention.

Systems and methods are provided for authorizing a user to access an access-controlled environment. The system includes a system server platform that communicates with mobile devices (e.g., smartphones) and on-board vehicle computing devices accessed by users. The embodiments enable a series of operations whereby a user accessing a vehicle is prompted to biometrically authenticate using the user's smartphone or on-board vehicle computer. In addition, the system can further authorize the user and electronically facilitate access to the vehicle as well as perform other authorized operations relating to the use of the vehicle. In addition the vehicle access system integrates with various computing devices and computer-based services accessible to the user. The systems and methods also facilitate active monitoring of the vehicle occupants and environmental conditions using optical sensors and the like so as to enhance security, convenience and safety of the occupants during use of the vehicle.

Methods and systems for monitoring use, determining risk, and pricing insurance policies for an autonomous vehicle having one or more autonomous operation features are provided. According to certain aspects, accident risk factors may be determined for autonomous operation features of the vehicle using information regarding the autonomous operation features of the vehicle or other accident related factors associated with the vehicle. The accident risk factors may indicate the ability of the autonomous operation features to avoid accidents during operation, particularly without vehicle operator intervention. The accident risk levels determined for a vehicle may further be used to determine or adjust aspects of an insurance policy associated with the vehicle.

The present invention concerns a novel form of communication within a cellular wireless communication network. One aspect of the invention concerns a User Equipment for a cellular network, wherein the UE inter alia includes a first interface for UE-to-Basestation communication configured to communicate with a base station of the cellular network and a second interface for UE-to-UE communication configured to communicate with one or more other UEs of a UE-Group to which the UE belongs. According to the invention the UE is configured to receive via its first interface configuration data for configuring its second interface, and to coordinate, via the second interface, a communication within the UE Group.

Methods and systems are described for providing vehicular alerts. In various aspects, a vehicle environment may be monitored using one or more sensors associated with a vehicle located in the vehicle environment. One or more pedestrians or cyclists within the vehicle environment may be identified based upon sensor data obtained from the one or more sensors. At least one of the pedestrians or cyclists may be determined to meet predetermined alert criteria based upon the sensor data. An alert indicating a presence of the pedestrians or cyclists may be generated and presented to an output device associated with the vehicle.

Power management within a vehicle is achieved by maintaining individual and / or power island power saving options for each of a plurality of devices coupled to a vehicular communication network of the vehicle. Upon determining that power savings should be enabled for a device, at least one of the power saving options for the device is selected and applied.

The invention provides a system and a method for cell phone restriction. In at least one embodiment, a vehicle system comprising a vehicle communication module is provided. The vehicle communication module is configured to receive first global positioning system (GPS) data indicative of a location of a vehicle and to receive a first signal indicative of the vehicle being in a drive state. The vehicle communication module is further configured to transmit the first GPS data to an occupant communication device (OCD) in response to the first signal to restrict at least a portion of the operation of the OCD and to reduce power consumption of the OCD.

Disclosed are an apparatus and a method of requesting an emergency call (E-Call) for a vehicle accident, which request an E-Call for a vehicle accident by using driving information obtained during travelling of a vehicle. An apparatus for requesting an E-Call for a vehicle accident according to the present invention includes: a travelling information detecting unit configured to detect travelling information about a vehicle for each predetermined time; a vehicle accident determining unit configured to determine whether an accident occurs in the vehicle based on the travelling information; and an E-Call signal transmitting unit configured to transmit an E-Call signal for the vehicle accident with a current location of the vehicle when it is determined that the accident occurs in the vehicle.

In an automobile, communications to and from the automobile are in the form of messages. Such messages are referred to as “electronic car-mail” or “C-mail” messages as each message has a destination or origination address which includes an identifier, e.g., a vehicle identification number (VIN), identifying the automobile. The messages may be delivered to the automobile from a remote server through a communications network, e.g., the Internet. One such message may contain a recall notice to the automobile. Another message may contain just-in-time map information for navigation, depending on the current location of the automobile. Yet another message may contain advertising information concerning selected entities, e.g., restaurants, gas stations, department stores, etc., also depending on the current location of the automobile. The messages transmitted from the automobile to the remote server may contain, e.g., GPS information identifying the location of the automobile, dynamic data furnished by sensors in the automobile for analysis, an odometer reading and a speedometer reading for records, etc.

Vehicle Communications using IEEE 802.11p WAVE functionality includes structure and method whereby a smart phone (SP) linked to an On Board Unit (OBU) having WAVE functionality, and incorporating Automotive Telemetry Protocol (ATP), has at least one processor to configure the SP as a GUI for the OBU, and to enable WAVE authentication of the SP through a networked Road Side Unit. Preferably, the OBU opens, after a command from an ATP Client, a virtual connection for streaming data between the vehicle data bus and a remote server providing an automotive scan tool. Also preferably, the SP may use either cellular or IEEE 802.11 control signals to trialaterate its geographic position with greater accuracy than GPS, and to hand off the geo-position fixes to the OBU. Accumulated geo-location information may be reported to a remote server, providing a centralized geographic trend analysis of plural SPs operating with OBUs.

The invention discloses an intelligent network-connected automobile operation system based on vehicle-road collaboration. The intelligent networked automobile operation system comprises a high-precision map platform, a cloud control platform, a vehicle-mounted terminal platform, a vehicle-mounted computing platform and an information security platform. The high-precision map platform provides a real-time dynamic high-precision map; the cloud control platform and the vehicle-mounted terminal platform are subjected to cooperative management and control through a communication network; the cloudcontrol platform executes data storage, cloud computing and standardized data interconnection; the vehicle-mounted terminal platform executes information reporting; wherein the vehicle-mounted computing platform is connected with the vehicle-mounted terminal platform through the vehicle-mounted Ethernet, over-the-horizon perception data, map data, environment data and the like are obtained, a vehicle driving scheme is formulated through fusion calculation, and the cloud control platform, the vehicle-mounted terminal platform, the vehicle-mounted computing platform and the map platform are allprovided with safety monitors. Common basic services are provided for operation of the intelligent network connection automobile, and national and industrial development requirements are met.

A method and system using blockchains for distributing event information related to vehicle operation between a plurality of entities. The method includes executing blockchain agreements between the plurality of entities participating in a blockchain exchange for distributing event information related to the vehicle operation, where the blockchain exchange includes a plurality of databases having blockchains of data blocks for storing the event information. Next, generating by a particular entity of the plurality of entities the event information related to vehicle operation and validating the event information by a consensus of the plurality of entities participating in the blockchain exchange. Then, appending, upon validating by the consensus, a blockchain within the blockchain database for enabling each entity to have access to a same replicated block data with the event information to enable enhanced vehicle operations of multiple vehicles based on the same replicated block data.

A vehicle control module includes a vehicle device and a vehicle network interface. The vehicle device is operable to perform a vehicle function. The vehicle network interface facilitates communication regarding the vehicle function between the vehicle device and a vehicle network fabric in accordance with a global vehicle network communication protocol.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for determining an optimal warning distance for a vehicle. For example, the geographic location of the vehicle is received along with a reaction profile of the operator of the vehicle. Based on the geographic location, a roadway condition is determined. An optimal warning distance is then determined based on a braking distance of the vehicle and the reaction profile of the operator of the vehicle. The operator of the vehicle, or a navigation system of the vehicle itself, is alerted to the roadway condition when the vehicle is located at the optimal warning distance.

A method of processing vehicle crash data includes the steps of receiving vehicle data obtained at a vehicle during a vehicle crash, determining the identity of the vehicle, estimating the severity of the vehicle crash using the determined vehicle identity and the received vehicle data, and providing the estimated severity to an emergency responder.

A power distribution system within a vehicle operates to provide power over Ethernet to a plurality of network node modules coupled to a vehicular communication network of the vehicle.

An infrastructure of Bluetooth and / or Wi-Fi enabled RF tags or beacons deployed within a structure, an urban environment, a residence, buildings, real estate property, in a parking area, etc. The deployed beacons can be integrated with sensors to initiate or trigger an application. The infrastructure being used to recognize a presence of a user within the area to trigger activities, initiate Location Based Services (LBS), provide navigation, provide mapping, convey of information, initiate a link to a server or software, provide support during an emergency, provide assist to E-911 services, trigger an automation function, provide real estate information, and the like.

Systems and methods of processing crowdsourced navigation information for use in autonomous vehicle navigation are disclosed. A method may include processing, by a mapping server, crowdsourced navigation information from a plurality of vehicles obtained by sensors coupled to the plurality of vehicles, wherein the navigation information describes road lanes of a road segment; collecting data about landmarks identified proximate to the road segment, the landmarking including a traffic sign; generating, by the mapping server, an autonomous vehicle map for the road segment, wherein the autonomous vehicle map includes a spline corresponding to a lane in the road segment and the landmarks identified proximate to the road segment; and distributing, by the mapping server, the autonomous vehicle map to an autonomous vehicle for use in autonomous navigation over the road segment.

Systems and methods are provided for self-aware adaptive navigation. In one implementation, a navigation system for a vehicle may include at least one processor. The at least one processor may be programmed to determine a navigational maneuver for the vehicle based, at least in part, on a comparison of a motion of the vehicle with respect to a predetermined model representative of a road segment. The at least one processor may be further programmed to receive, from a camera, at least one image representative of an environment of the vehicle. The at least one processor may be further programmed to determine, based on analysis of the at least one image, an existence in the environment of the vehicle of an navigational adjustment condition, cause the vehicle to adjust the navigational maneuver based on the existence of the navigational adjustment condition, and store information relating to the navigational adjustment condition.

A content delivery system includes a remote data center in wireless communication with a vehicle telematics system. The remote data center includes a content server, an automated voice recognition system, and a database. The remote data center utilizes combinations of GPS information, voice automation technology, and preconfigured vehicle operator preferences to deliver content to vehicles over a wireless link. The content delivery system includes a web portal at which vehicle operators configure personal profiles, including information regarding personal preferences and / or information pertaining to application access. The web portal feeds the profile information to the remote data center over a remote Internet connection. The remote data center stores the preconfigured vehicle operator profiles in the database, which is later accessed in response to vehicle operator commands recognized by the voice recognition system.

Autonomous and manually operated vehicles are integrated into a cohesive, interactive environment, with communications to each other and to their surroundings, to improve traffic flow while reducing accidents and other incidents. All vehicles send / receive messages to / from each other, and from infrastructure devices, enabling the vehicles to determine their status, traffic conditions and infrastructure. The vehicles store and operate in accordance with a common set of rules based upon the messages received and other inputs from sensors, databases, and so forth, to avoid obstacles and collisions based upon current and, in some cases, future or predicted behavior. Shared vehicle control interfaces enable the AVs to conform to driving activities that are legal, safe, and allowable on roadways. Such activities enable each AV to drive within safety margins, speed limits, on allowed or legal driving lanes and through allowed turns, intersections, mergers, lane changes, stops / starts, and so forth.

A method for delivering a criteria-based message to a vehicle occupant includes establishing a wireless communication session between a mobile device integral with a vehicle and a data center remote from the vehicle. Next, identifier of the vehicle and at least one criteria from the mobile device is communicated to the remote data center. The at least one criteria includes a statistic of the vehicle and / or a statistic of a user of the mobile device. Based on the at least one criteria, an advertisement message for communication to the mobile device is determined. Then, the determined advertisement message is communicated from the remote data center to the mobile device. In a further step, the advertisement message is output with a speaker fixed within the vehicle carrying the mobile device.