Method for assisting movement of networked vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for assisting the movement of a networked vehicle (V) able to travel on a road network and able to communicate via a communication network (N) with a variable network coverage level, said method being characterised in that it comprises the following steps: on a path to an area (Z) with a network coverage level below a given level; at least one piece of information relating to a driving command intended for the networked vehicle (V) in the relevant area (Z) is transmitted in advance.

Description

[0001] The technical field is that of networked motor vehicles.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for assisting the movement of a networked vehicle capable of traveling on a road network and capable of communicating via a communication network having a variable level of network coverage.

[0003] A networked vehicle is a vehicle with an onboard terminal or communication device that enables it to be connected to a mobile telecommunications network. Connecting to the network allows the networked vehicle to provide conventional telecommunications services to its passengers. This connection can also be used to transmit data transmitted by a recent networked vehicle to a supervisory device in a standardized form. These data transmitted by the networked vehicle include, for example, the location, speed, or information related to an emergency (there is an accident or dangerous deceleration) of the networked vehicle. This connection can also be used to enhance vehicle-specific functions, such as autonomous or non-autonomous driving of the vehicle, by providing the vehicle with a whole set of information about the environment and possible driving instructions. Then, the networked vehicle can have several driving modes. In the simplest mode, the vehicle is driven by the driver on the vehicle, and the network connection enables the driver to receive several driver assistance information. In a more complex mode, the vehicle is autonomously driven by the artificial intelligence on the vehicle with the assistance of information about the environment from sensors of the vehicle or transmitted through a communication network. In another mode, the vehicle is remotely controlled by a human or manual operator. According to the various levels of autonomy of the vehicle, and therefore according to the driving tasks undertaken by the vehicle and the driving tasks undertaken by the remote control, there may be several variants. Driving instructions as well as information about the environment are then transmitted over the communication network, which enables an external operator to steer the vehicle. In addition to the ability to communicate directly between vehicles over short distances, the communication network can also be used to send messages between connected vehicles to facilitate autonomous or non-autonomous driving. Background Art

[0004] As the power of 5G mobile networks increases and mobile communication bit rates increase, new services can be provided to connected vehicles. In addition to the conventional communication services that can be provided to vehicle passengers, the connection of the vehicle makes it possible to facilitate driver assistance services for the vehicle. These services may simply provide assistance for human driving, or actually provide assistance for autonomous driving of the vehicle by an on-board system. High-speed mobile communication networks make it possible for connected vehicles to obtain information, such as information about maps and navigation planned in the case of fixed routes, or information about movement around the connected vehicle. The communication network also makes it possible for connected vehicles to send messages to other connected vehicles in order to facilitate driver assistance systems or autonomous driving systems again by allowing vehicles to warn each other when they are approaching each other. An international patent application published by the same applicant as the present patent application under the number WO 2019 / 002734 A1 proposes a method for indicating driving advice for connected vehicles.

[0005] It may be noted that it is envisaged that the driver assistance service of the vehicle may be extended to a service for remotely controlling the vehicle. In this case, the mobile communication network will transmit to the vehicle driving instructions defined by the automatic control system or the remote human driver. The vehicle must then transmit to the automatic remote operator or the human remote operator via the mobile communication network data that enables it to perform such remote control, such as information about the lane conditions around the vehicle and possible video, radar or lidar feedback.

[0006] In this context, the importance of high-performance, high-speed mobile communication networks can be clearly understood. In fact, the safety of current driver assistance services may rely on the performance of the mobile communication networks used by connected vehicles.

[0007] The first point is to ensure that the latency of the mobile communication network is appropriate for the driver assistance service that is envisaged to be able to be performed safely. Latency is the incompressible minimum time measured between the start of sending a message and the start of receiving the same message. This delay is caused by the operation of the network to transmit the message. If the latency of the network is too high, information messages useful to the driver assistance service will not arrive in a time that is useful to the vehicle concerned.

[0008] In addition to the latency of the mobile communication network, another shortcoming of the current situation is that there are areas in the road network called "white spaces", i.e. areas with low or zero network coverage. Even though the coverage of high-speed mobile networks is often improving, it may not be sufficient to cover remote control applications on the entire road network. Instead of white spaces, there will be areas with low network coverage where connected vehicles have few network resources at their disposal.

[0009] Typically, networked vehicles require network resources. These resources are first of all the accessibility of communication services, such as the possibility of obtaining authentication, the possibility of sending and receiving messages, the possibility of having a data link or other possibilities. Once the accessibility of the services is established, the network resources will be described by measurable quantities, such as the latency already discussed, and also the bit rate of the communication (which is measured in MB / s (megabytes per second)). The presence of several networked vehicles may reduce the network resources at the disposal of the vehicles and, for example, reduce the bit rate available to each vehicle.

[0010] Situations resulting from the presence of areas with poor network coverage pose obvious safety risks. In fact, the lack of network connectivity could prevent services that remotely control connected vehicles, or degrade the quality of autonomous driving or driver assistance services by preventing connected vehicles from sending and receiving information.

[0011] The present invention aims to improve this situation. Summary of the invention

[0012] According to a first functional aspect, the present invention relates to a method for assisting the movement of a networked vehicle capable of travelling on a road network and of communicating via a communication network with a variable level of network coverage, the method being characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: on a route to an area where the level of network coverage is below a given level, pre-transmitting at least one piece of information relating to driving instructions intended for the networked vehicle in the relevant area.

[0013] By means of the present invention, a connected vehicle will not suddenly enter an area with low network coverage. Determining an area with low network coverage will make it possible to detect a vehicle that may experience a loss of network connectivity and to take adaptive measures based on at least one piece of information received about driving instructions of the connected vehicle in order to ensure good mobility even in an area with low network coverage.

[0014] The information related to the driving instructions may take a variety of forms. The information may be instructions, such as instructions to cause the vehicle to change driving modes. The information may be changes to parameters of a driving mode that remains unchanged, such as a change in a target speed in a driving mode that remains unchanged. Finally, the information may provide one or more parameters related to the driving mode, such as providing information about one or more upcoming encounters. Finally, the information may simply be information that network communications will degrade to some extent when a low network coverage area is subsequently entered.

[0015] It should be noted that the order in which the method steps are performed may vary depending on the conditions under which the method is implemented. The network coverage level of an area may be determined once and for all, even though this is not a preferred embodiment, and the other steps may be performed without updating this determination.

[0016] According to another first particular mode of implementation of the invention, at least one piece of information relating to driving instructions intended for said vehicle is transmitted before said vehicle enters an area of ​​low network coverage.

[0017] By means of this first mode, the method ensures that the necessary instructions are transmitted to the networked vehicle in fact before the networked vehicle enters an area with low network coverage.

[0018] According to a second particular mode of implementation of the invention (which can be implemented as an alternative or in addition to the previous modes), the network coverage level on the path is determined using information about coverage level measurements performed in the past. Preferably, the measurement information used is information about measurements performed recently, for example measurements performed less than a quarter of an hour or half an hour ago, depending on the traffic situation in the area that is the subject of these measurements; the duration chosen will depend on the use scenario. They are generally measurements performed by vehicles that have just entered the area in question and can detect network incidents that have just occurred.

[0019] It should be explicitly pointed out here that the measurement of the coverage level may be performed by a communication device, which may be an autonomous mobile terminal present in the vehicle or even carried by a pedestrian, but also any other device for communicating with a mobile network on board a vehicle.

[0020] With this second mode, the network coverage level is determined based on the most recently performed network coverage assessment. The communication device (mobile phone or onboard device of a connected vehicle) can transmit information about the network coverage it observes at any time. These data make it possible to determine the network coverage level based on the most recent data and provide more accurate results.

[0021] According to a third particular mode of implementation of the invention (which may be implemented as an alternative or in addition to the previous modes), said given value is obtained as a function of the demand of the networked vehicles for network capacity.

[0022] In this mode, a network area will be considered to have low coverage for a subset of communication devices or terminals that are likely to enter this area. In particular, areas with low network coverage are determined based on the needs in terms of network capacity necessary for each vehicle, these needs being expressed as given values. Thus, areas with low network capacity will be defined for vehicles with greater needs in terms of network capacity (for example for remote control vehicles for which the transmission of video captured by one or more cameras of the vehicle is necessary for remote control), while for other vehicles that only require low-capacity network devices (for example to periodically transmit their position, trajectory, speed or other parameters of the same type representing a low amount of data), this area will not be determined as having low network coverage.

[0023] The advantage of this mode is that it refines the determination of areas with low network coverage by limiting them to the actual needs of the connected vehicle. In this way, if the connected vehicle only needs to transmit a small amount of data, the method will not determine areas where the connected vehicle can move according to its driving pattern as areas with low network coverage.

[0024] According to a fourth particular mode of implementation of the invention, which may be implemented as an alternative or in addition to the previous modes, the at least one piece of information relating to the driving instruction comprises a request to change the driving speed.

[0025] By means of this particular mode of implementation of the invention, it will be possible to regulate the arrival of networked vehicles in areas with low network coverage. In this way, by staggering the passage of networked vehicles, it is possible to maintain sufficient network capacity for each vehicle, but with the risk of delaying the entry of a given vehicle into the area. In addition, the change in driving speed can make it possible for the relevant vehicles to reduce potential encounters of networked vehicles with other vehicles or obstacles. This type of instruction is also transmitted to networked vehicles in the absence of areas with low network coverage. The advantage of the method is then that the information is transmitted before the networked vehicle enters an area with low network coverage.

[0026] According to a fifth specific implementation mode of the invention (which may be implemented as a complement to the previous modes), at least one piece of information related to the driving instruction comprises providing a new route.

[0027] By virtue of this particular mode of implementation of the invention, the connected vehicle will avoid areas of low network coverage by following an alternative route along which the connected vehicle's demand for network capacity to maintain a particular driving pattern will be met.

[0028] According to a sixth specific implementation mode of the invention, which may be implemented in addition to the previous modes, at least one piece of information related to driving instructions comprises instructions for a networked vehicle related to a driving mode that reduces the networked vehicle's demand for network capacity.

[0029] By means of this particular mode of implementation of the invention, when a connected vehicle passes through an area of ​​low network capacity, it will follow a driving mode adapted to the network capacity of said area. In practice, depending on the available communication capacity, the connected vehicle will receive one or more instructions to change the driving mode so as to reduce its demand on network capacity. Thus, autonomous driving functions can be activated or deactivated, or parameters can be changed. For example, on a route to an intersection located in an area of ​​low network coverage, the autonomous driving mode can be deactivated, since this mode makes it necessary to transmit a list of vehicles that are likely to be encountered at the intersection, and transmitting this list will use network capacity.

[0030] According to a first hardware aspect, the invention relates to a management entity managing a method for assisting the mobility of a networked vehicle capable of travelling on a road network and capable of communicating via a communication network with a variable level of network coverage, said management entity being characterized in that it comprises the following modules:

[0031] A detection module capable of detecting when a connected vehicle approaches an area where the level of network coverage is below a given level;

[0032] A transmission module capable of pre-transmitting at least one piece of information related to driving instructions intended for said networked vehicle in said relevant area.

[0033] According to another hardware aspect, the invention relates to a computer program capable of being implemented by a management entity, the program comprising code instructions for performing the steps of the management method defined above when the program is executed by a processor.

[0034] According to another hardware aspect, the invention relates to a data medium on which is recorded a computer program comprising a series of instructions for implementing the management method defined above.

[0035] The data medium can be any entity or device capable of storing a program. For example, the medium can include a storage device, such as a ROM (e.g., a CD-ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM), or a magnetic recording device (e.g., a hard disk). On the other hand, the medium can be a transmissible medium, such as an electrical signal or an optical signal, which can be routed via a cable or optical cable, by radio or other means. In particular, the program according to the present invention can be downloaded from the Internet. Alternatively, the data medium can be an integrated circuit combined with a program, which is suitable for executing or for executing the method in question. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The invention will be better understood by reading the following description, given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0037] [ Figure 1 ] depicts a management entity that communicates with a networked vehicle according to the present invention.

[0038] [ Figure 2 ] depicts possible driver assistance modalities for a connected vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Figure 1 A management entity 100 is depicted. The management entity communicates with the networked vehicles V via a communication network N. Figure 1 In FIG, vehicle V is on the path to area Z, that is, it is about to enter area Z with low network coverage.

[0040] A low network coverage level is a level that is insufficient for the vehicle V to communicate via this network and to be able to transmit or receive the amount of data required to move according to a given driving mode. The low network coverage level is determined relative to a given level that expresses the needs of one or more connected vehicles according to their driving mode.

[0041] In the method according to the present invention, an area Z where the network coverage level is lower than a given level will be determined. Such an area will also be referred to as an area with low network coverage.

[0042] In the example of embodiment depicted in the figures, the management entity 100 comprises four modules, namely:

[0043] Optional module 101, which is used to determine the area Z with low network coverage in the road network;

[0044] A detection module 102 capable of detecting when a networked vehicle V approaches an area Z where the level of network coverage is below a given level;

[0045] An optional module 103 for evaluating the capacity of the network N to transmit data necessary for the movement of the networked vehicle V when the networked vehicle V moves in the area Z with low network coverage;

[0046] A transmission module 104 capable of transmitting in advance at least one piece of information related to a driving instruction intended for said vehicle V in said zone of interest Z.

[0047] For example, the management entity 100 may be included in a server SRV or a server group implementing the method according to the invention. The management entity has the hardware architecture of a conventional computer, in particular including a processor, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM) (such as a flash memory) (not depicted in the figure) and input / output devices that will in particular allow it to communicate with the networked vehicle V via the mobile communication network N.

[0048] In this example, the first step (a) of the method comprises, for the management entity 100, determining an area Z of the road network where network coverage is low. Such an area is an area where network resources are not widely accessible to the networked vehicles V. For example, a measure of the capacity of the network N makes it possible to decide that resources are not widely accessible when the measure is below a certain threshold. An example of a measure is a measure of the bit rate, which is expressed in MB / s.

[0049] This step will be performed by the determination module 101. In the area Z, the capacity of the mobile communication network N is reduced, which may cause the driving mode used by the networked vehicle V to malfunction.

[0050] The determination step (a) will determine the area Z with low network coverage based on several information elements. These information elements can be location maps of antennas of the mobile communication network, and simulations of network coverage can be performed based on these maps. These simulations make it possible to determine (a) the area Z with low mobile communication network coverage in the road network. These simulations can be supplemented or improved by measuring activities of mobile network coverage measurements at precise points in the road network. In one embodiment, one way to determine (a) the area Z with low network coverage includes using coverage measurements made by mobile communication devices connected to the network by users. These communication devices may be just mobile terminals of users, whether or not they are in the vehicle, but can also be communication systems on networked vehicles moving on the road network. If the user agrees to transmit information, these communication devices can transmit geo-location information about the quality of network coverage during their movement. Then, the transmission of this information makes it possible to enrich the network coverage map in real time and detect possible events that degrade network coverage in advance. The transmission of information originating from networked vehicles will be advantageous because, by its nature, this transmission sends out information related to the network capacity on the road network rather than in its vicinity. Preferably, the measurements used will be the latest measurements to ensure that these measurements are always up to date.

[0051] The determination (a) of the area Z with low network coverage takes into account the communication needs of the connected vehicle V, which are necessary for each driving mode that may be implemented on a part of the road network through which the connected vehicle will pass, regardless of the network capacity actually available. In this example, the determination (a) also takes into account the number of connected vehicles V that are required to move in the area Z with low network coverage. Based on these two constraints, it can be determined that a certain location in the road network may be covered by the mobile communication network with a certain quality level, which coverage will be sufficient for the connected vehicle V to implement certain communication services, but not enough for other services. In particular, remote control driving services require a lot of network resources. In fact, this type of remote driving makes it necessary to transmit data that requires a lot of bandwidth, such as and at least the view of the vehicle's opposite road transmitted by at least one panoramic imaging device, and this transmission must be carried out in real time in order to ensure the remote driving of the vehicle V. Therefore, these transmissions require both a very large bandwidth and extremely low latency. Therefore, if a management entity predicts that one or more connected vehicles V will pass through an area where there is a certain network coverage, then based on the network capacity required to implement the driving patterns that these vehicles may potentially use in each part of the area to be passed through, and based on the number of vehicles required to pass through area Z, the area where there is a certain network coverage can be determined (a) as an area Z with low network coverage.

[0052] The prediction of the management entity 100 that the connected vehicle V will pass through the zone Z will be based on several items of data. This prediction can be a direct communication from the connected vehicle V to the management entity 100 of the route that the connected vehicle V plans to follow, as well as the network communication needs that the connected vehicle V predicts for the various parts of its journey. Thus, the management entity 100 can have the information that the vehicle V to which the route has been transmitted should be located in the zone Z at such and such a moment, and that it predicts such and such a need for network capacity on each part of said zone.

[0053] In addition, the management entity 100 may also obtain other mobility information. For example, the information may be a mobility history and a network resource consumption history, which enables periodic detection of areas Z with low network coverage. The networked vehicle V may transmit information about its observed movement in real time to the management entity 100 in order to refine the prediction using the mobility history. Other real-time mobility information, for example from cameras arranged on the road network, may also be used. These mobility predictions may be used to predict network resource consumption by assuming that a certain proportion of the moving vehicles are networked vehicles (even if these vehicles are not communicating with the management entity 100).

[0054] In this example, for the management entity 100 , the second step (b) of the method comprises detecting that the networked vehicle V will be required to move in the area Z with low network coverage determined in the previous step (a). This step is implemented by the detection module 102 .

[0055] Once (a) the area Z with low network coverage is determined, in this example, the management entity 100 will use the route provided to it by the connected vehicle V to detect whether the vehicle V must pass through the area Z with low network coverage.

[0056] It has been seen that the determination step (a) is performed using route predictions provided by the networked vehicle V to the management entity 100. The detection step (b) is performed using these same predictions. Therefore, the order of the determination step (a) and the detection step (b) is not mandatory; the detection step (b) will usually be performed during the determination step (a).

[0057] In the event that the connected vehicle V does not traverse its predicted route, the management entity 100 may rely on the periodic transmission of the geolocation of the connected vehicle V and its current speed in order to predict its most likely next movement and therefore its likely passage through an area Z with low network coverage.

[0058] In this example, for the management entity 100 , the third step (c) of the method will include evaluating the capacity of the network N to transmit data necessary for the movement of the networked vehicle V when the networked vehicle V moves in the area Z with low network coverage. This step is implemented by the evaluation module 103 .

[0059] The coverage level of the communication network N in the area Z with low network coverage is generally not zero. It is not a blank area without any communication capabilities. However, the low network coverage in the area Z will prevent the connected vehicle V from using the driving mode that consumes the most network resources. It has been seen that the driving mode that consumes a lot of network resources is remote control, which makes it necessary to transmit data collected by sensors of the connected vehicle V (such as at least one on-board camera) in real time. Therefore, the evaluation step (c) will include evaluating whether the driving mode of the connected vehicle V is compatible with the network resources that should be available when the connected vehicle V enters the area Z with low network coverage.

[0060] The evaluation step (c) will also take into account the results of determining (a) the area Z with low network coverage as well as the location and trajectory parameters such as the speed and direction of the connected vehicle V.

[0061] In this example, for the management entity 100, the fourth step (d) of the method comprises transmitting at least one piece of information related to the driving instructions intended for said vehicle V, the transmission moment being a function of the evaluation result of the capacity of the network N. The step (d) of transmitting at least one instruction is implemented by the transmission module 104 of the management entity 100. The at least one piece of information transmitted during step (d) may make it possible to ensure that the demand for network resources by the driving mode of the networked vehicle V does not exceed the capacity of the network N in the area Z with low network coverage.

[0062] In one variant, at least one piece of information (d) transmitted will enable vehicle V to adjust its driving at an appropriate moment relative to other vehicles, said information providing an indication of these other vehicles regarding a moment in the near future and a portion of a lane in zone Z, said moment and said portion of the lane depending on driving parameters of vehicle V and on assumptions about the driving speeds and trajectories of the other vehicles assessed in said zone Z.

[0063] In one embodiment, the moment of transmitting (d) at least one instruction related to the driving mode of the vehicle occurs before the vehicle V enters the area Z with low network coverage. In this way, it can be determined that the instruction is indeed transmitted before the availability of network resources decreases after the vehicle V enters the area Z.

[0064] In one embodiment, at least one piece of information transmitted to a networked vehicle V that is required to move in an area Z with low network coverage includes a request to change the driving speed of the networked vehicle V. In this way, the management entity 100 will attempt to regulate the arrival of networked vehicles that consume a large amount of network resources in areas Z with low network coverage. In extreme cases, this instruction to change the speed may be extended to an instruction to stop the networked vehicle V. In this way, the management entity 100 can ensure that the networked vehicle V does not enter the area Z with low network coverage. The instruction to change the speed may also be accompanied by an implementation delay. In this case, the instruction is not implemented immediately after transmission, but when the provided delay has passed. This embodiment makes it possible to apply the instruction to change the speed at the most appropriate time, even if the instruction occurs when the networked vehicle V is located in an area Z with low network coverage.

[0065] In another embodiment, at least one piece of information related to the driving instruction transmitted (d) to the connected vehicle V required to move in the area Z with low network coverage includes providing a new route that makes it possible to avoid the area Z with low network coverage. In this way, the method implemented by the management entity 100 will again ensure that the connected vehicle V will not enter the area Z with low network coverage.

[0066] In another embodiment, at least one piece of information related to driving instructions transmitted (d) to a connected vehicle V required to move in an area Z with low network coverage includes instructions for the connected vehicle V to change a driving mode so as to reduce the connected vehicle's demand for network capacity.

[0067] As has been seen, one driving mode that consumes a lot of network resources is the remote control mode. This mode makes it necessary to transmit in real time the data collected by at least one front camera and other sensors of the networked vehicle V. Therefore, the method implemented by the management entity 100 will, for example, give instructions to the networked vehicle V to abandon this driving mode in order to, for example, enter an autonomous driving mode that will consume fewer network resources. The method can also give instructions to the networked vehicle V to enter a mode driven by its driver in order to avoid any driving failure after moving into an area Z with low network coverage.

[0068] The information related to the instruction may also include a command not to change the driving mode when the networked vehicle V is in an area Z with low network coverage. In this way, if the current driving mode of the networked vehicle V is sufficiently economical in terms of network resources, the current driving mode will not be degraded when the vehicle V moves into an area Z with low network coverage; however, the driving mode cannot be changed to a mode that consumes more resources.

[0069] The information related to the instruction to transmit (d) may also relate to a driving mode that does not change the driving mode. The information may include an instruction to reduce the quality of the transmitted data, or to sample the transmitted data. In this way, the network resources consumed by the driving mode will be reduced without changing the driving mode itself. However, in order to maintain the ability to move in areas (Z) with low network coverage, the quality of the driving mode will be reduced.

[0070] Typically, recalling the information related to the driving instructions transmitted during step (d) can take a variety of forms. The information can be an instruction, such as an instruction to cause the vehicle to change the driving mode. The information can be a change in a parameter of a driving mode that remains unchanged, such as a change in the target speed in a driving mode that remains unchanged. Finally, the information can provide one or more parameters related to the driving mode, such as providing information about one or more upcoming encounters. Finally, the information can simply be information that network communications will be degraded to a certain extent when entering an area with low network coverage next, which information may be transmitted to the driver of the connected vehicle V, or will be used by the connected vehicle V to adapt its autonomous driving mode to pass through an area with low network coverage Z in the future.

[0071] Figure 2An example of a possible use of the management entity 100 for improving the driving of a networked vehicle V is depicted. The management entity 100 will determine a list of obstacles that the vehicle V is likely to encounter when passing through an area Z where the network coverage level is below a given level (in other words, the network coverage is low). These obstacles may be fixed obstacles O present in the area Z, or indeed another vehicle V', whose management entity 100 can determine the route and the vehicle V should encounter when passing through the area Z. Note that the vehicle V' may be a networked vehicle, or indeed a non-networked vehicle, whose position and trajectory parameters will be determined according to existing techniques, for example by other networked vehicles V. The management entity 100 may obtain information about the presence of obstacles O in the area Z through information transmission by a road maintenance service, or indeed by a camera photographing the road network, or indeed by networked vehicles V, which transmit information about the obstacles they encounter inside the area Z if they have the network capacity necessary to transmit said information, or as long as they have the ability to do so. In this case, the information transmitted about these obstacles previously encountered is transmitted with reference to both their detection moment and the geolocation of said detection moment. At this point, additional information such as the estimated speed and trajectory of the obstacles encountered can also be transmitted. As far as vehicle V' is concerned, it has been seen that the management entity 100 uses predictions of the movement of connected vehicles or non-connected vehicles during the determination phase (a). This information can be used to predict that when a connected vehicle V passes through an area Z with low network coverage, the connected vehicle should encounter a vehicle V', whether the latter is connected to the network or not.

[0072] Thus, the management entity 100 can transmit to the connected vehicle V a list of predicted obstacles, each of which can be associated with a series of additional information, such as the predicted trajectory of the obstacle (if it is traveling), its predicted speed and position at the time, or any other relevant information, which can be associated with a probability of occurrence. The information about the predicted obstacles O or vehicles V' that the connected vehicle V is likely to encounter can be transmitted in the form of a series of consecutive GPS geolocation points, with information given as a function of the probability of the presence of the obstacle O or vehicle V' at the geolocation point in the near future being associated with the geolocation point. This information can be limited by transmitting only the GPS geolocation points and the upcoming moments at which the connected vehicle V is most likely to encounter the vehicle V' or the obstacle O.

[0073] The predicted obstacle list may be transmitted before the vehicle V reaches the area Z with low network coverage, so as to ensure that the transmission is not hampered by a decrease in network resources provided by the network N in the area Z with low coverage.

[0074] Then, if the network capacity allows, the vehicle V can send information to the management entity 100 when leaving the area Z with low network coverage. This information will make it possible to confirm or deny the presence of the fixed obstacle O in the area Z with low network coverage, and whether the networked vehicle V actually encountered the vehicle V'. In fact, this vehicle V' may have changed direction after being detected as moving towards the area Z, or actually stopped. Therefore, the networked vehicle V will have to confirm or deny that it encountered the vehicle V' in order to improve the prediction of the management entity 100. This sending of confirmation or denial information can be done when leaving the area Z with low network coverage, in order to benefit from the good recovery of the network resource capacity of the part of the network N.

[0075] Finally, it should be noted here that in this document the term "module" may correspond equally to a software component or a hardware component or a set of software components and hardware components, the software component itself corresponding to one or more computer programs or subroutines, or more generally, to any element of a program capable of implementing a function or a set of functions such as described for the relevant module. In the same way, a hardware component corresponds to any element of a hardware assembly (integrated circuit, chip card, memory card, etc.) capable of implementing a function or a set of functions for the relevant module.

Claims

1. A method for assisting the movement of a networked vehicle (V), which is capable of traveling on a road network and of communicating via a communication network (N) with a variable level of network coverage, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: On a route to an area (Z) where the network coverage level is below a given level, at least one piece of information related to a driving instruction intended for the networked vehicle (V) in the relevant area (Z) is transmitted in advance.

2. The management method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Determining the level of network coverage on the path uses information about previously performed network coverage measurements.

3. The management method according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that: The given value is obtained as a function of the demand of the networked vehicle (V) for network capacity.

4. The management method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The at least one piece of information related to the driving instructions includes a request to change a travel speed.

5. The management method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The at least one piece of information related to the driving instructions includes providing a new route.

6. The management method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The at least one piece of information relating to the driving instructions comprises instructions for the connected vehicle (V) relating to a driving mode for reducing the connected vehicle's demand for network capacity.

7. A management entity (100) managing a method for assisting the mobility of a networked vehicle (V) capable of traveling on a road network and capable of communicating via a communication network (N) with a variable level of network coverage, the management entity (100) being characterized in that it comprises the following modules: a detection module (102) capable of detecting when a connected vehicle (V) approaches an area (Z) where the level of network coverage is below a given level; A transmission module (104) capable of transmitting in advance at least one piece of information related to a driving instruction intended for said networked vehicle (V) in said relevant zone (Z).

8. A computer program capable of being implemented by a management entity (100), the program comprising code instructions for executing the steps of the management method as defined in claim 1 when the program is executed by a processor.

9. A data medium having a computer program recorded thereon, the computer program comprising a series of instructions for implementing the management method according to claim 1 when the computer program is loaded into a processor and executed by the processor.

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