Intelligent transportation system and method for improving road safety

Abstract

The invention relates to an intelligent transportation system (10) and a method for improving road safety. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for a first road user (16) and a method for a second road user (20). It is provided that an event (18) detected by a road user (16) and / or a road infrastructure (14) is broadcasted to the environment via a direct communication signal comprising a cloud upload information indicating whether the event (18) has already been uploaded to a backend server (12). Based on the cloud upload information, surrounding road users (20, 22, 24) receiving the direct communication signal know whether the detected event (18) needs to be uploaded to the backend server (12). Thus, it can be prevented that other road users (20, 22, 24) connected to the backend server (12) or connectable with the backend server (12) upload the detected event (18) to the backend server (12) redundantly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to intelligent transportation systems and methods for improving road safety. Furthermore, this invention relates to methods for a first road user and methods for a second road user. Additionally, this invention relates to electronic devices and computer programs. Background Technology

[0002] Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication has been established as one of the key pillars for improving the safety and efficiency of road transport. Various technologies are available for V2X communication, particularly for exchanging hazard information.

[0003] An example of V2X communication is the concept of direct communication (or ad-hoc communication), where information is transmitted between vehicles only within a very close proximity of the transmitter of the communication signal (e.g., a radius of up to 1 km). If these communication signals and their associated data support direct communication technology, they can only be received by vehicles within that radius, and if the received data is deemed irrelevant to the receiving vehicle, it is discarded by the vehicle.

[0004] Another example of inter-vehicle communication is network communication. In a network-based implementation, vehicles are connected to, for example, a cloud network and exchange data with it. A vehicle that detects an event uploads the event to the cloud network. Other vehicles can then download the event to receive an alert.

[0005] Document FR3100203A1 relates to a method and apparatus for warning vehicles, wherein information representing road conditions in a defined area of ​​road environment is received and compared with historical information representing road conditions associated with the defined area. An alarm is output based on the comparison result.

[0006] Document EP4307269A1 proposes a cooperative intelligent transportation system (C-ITS). In response to the detection of a situation involving an object detected within an area monitored by the ITS, a collective perception message (CPM) is generated and transmitted. The CPM includes a reference to the object and an indication of the object's involvement in the situation.

[0007] Document WO2015 / 133181A1 relates to communication equipment, communication control methods, and procedures. A receiving unit receives messages transmitted from a transmitting source device, indicating information and identifiers of the corresponding transmitting source device. A control unit performs a transmission operation based on the type of message received by the receiving unit, transmitting representational messages indicating the same information as representations of specific messages received from different transmitting source devices identified by different identifiers.

[0008] Document US2018 / 0184245A1 discloses a vehicle, server, and system for preventing the transmission of redundant information by communicating with a vehicle capable of collecting information about another vehicle that cannot communicate with the server. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In direct communication applications, events are shared with everyone via local broadcast, but only within a limited range, such as the immediate vicinity of the broadcaster. While this means that external events can often be collected by receiving vehicles, these vehicles will discard any events deemed irrelevant to the corresponding receiving vehicle. In network-based applications, the focus is on downloading events, and only events detected by the vehicle itself are considered in the upload path.

[0010] Even if vehicles upload received events detected by other vehicles to the cloud, the communication network will become excessively congested, and the cloud will be filled with multiple redundant data about the events, resulting in a slow and congested database. Therefore, there is a general need to further improve road safety.

[0011] This problem is addressed by the intelligent transportation system and method for improving road safety, the method for a first road user, the method for a second user, electronic devices, and computer programs according to the independent claims. Further advantages and embodiments will become apparent from the dependent claims and the following description.

[0012] According to an aspect of the invention, an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) is provided for improving road safety. ITSs may typically use a range of technologies to monitor, evaluate, and manage transportation systems to improve safety and efficiency, such as traffic flow. For example, they use information and communication technologies, computers, electronic devices, and sensors to link transportation infrastructure and vehicles.

[0013] ITS includes backend servers, road infrastructure, and / or first, second, and third road users. Each road user includes an electronic device. The backend server includes at least one remotely located server accessible at any time from any location via a secure and protected internet connection. In other words, the backend server represents a cloud storage location outside the user's location, where data, applications, and computing power can be moved and processed. The road infrastructure can be a roadside unit (RSU). A Roadside Unit (RSU) is a device that can be used with the ITS and the connected vehicle environment. RSUs can be located alongside roads or highways to facilitate communication between vehicles and transport infrastructure, for example, to enable vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and V2X communication. The RSU includes a communication module configured to exchange information with vehicles near the RSU. For example, the communication module can be configured to provide communication such as Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) or Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) communication.

[0014] The first road user's (first) electronic device and / or road infrastructure (each) are configured to detect events in their environment that involve threats to road safety, and to upload at least a portion of information associated with the detected events to a backend server based on the feasibility of a connection to the backend server. In other words, the road infrastructure and / or the first road user's first electronic device may be configured to determine whether a connection between the road infrastructure and / or the first road user's first electronic device and the backend server is possible. If a connection is determined to be possible, the road infrastructure and / or the first road user's first electronic device uploads information associated with the detected events to the backend server; and if a connection is not possible, the road infrastructure and / or the first road user's first electronic device does not upload information associated with the detected events to the backend server.

[0015] The first electronic device of the first road user and / or the road infrastructure (each) are also configured to broadcast (first) road user-to-everything (R2X) and / or infrastructure-to-road user (I2R) direct communication signals, which include information associated with detected events. More specifically, the first electronic device may include an R2X communication module, a sensor unit (such as, for example, at least one camera or panoramic camera system) configured to at least partially scan the environment of the first electronic device in response to events involving threats to road safety, and a processor configured to detect events involving threats to road safety in its environment using the sensor unit (and process the corresponding sensor data) and to broadcast R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals including information associated with the detected events using the R2X communication module. The R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals may include event type, event location, event time when the event was detected, and / or the type of detection component used to detect the event, such as (front and / or rear) cameras or panoramic camera systems. Direct communication enables road users and / or road infrastructure and other road users to communicate directly between them. In other words, communication between road users and / or road infrastructure is not conducted via external communication servers or nodes. For example, some or every road user may be a vehicle equipped with electronic devices, such as being part of the vehicle's control unit and various sensors. In this context, reference is made to vehicle-to-everything (V2X) and infrastructure-to-vehicle (I2V) communication. V2X communication has enabled information exchange between vehicles and other nodes, and / or may include, for example, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-network (V2N), and / or vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P).

[0016] The (broadcast) R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals also include cloud upload information indicating whether an event has been uploaded to the backend server. Cloud upload information may include whether the event has been uploaded to the backend server by the transmitter of the direct communication signal ("Yes"), whether the event has not been uploaded to the backend server ("No"), and / or whether the event has been uploaded to the backend server by any other than the transmitter of the direct communication signal ("No"). This additional cloud upload information included in the direct communication signal prevents unwanted duplicate uploads based on multiple and redundant messages from the received direct communication signals from road users to the backend server, which would normally occur due to the broadcast principle of direct communication. Events from road users and / or road infrastructure that are not connected to the backend server or are currently not connected (no cloud connection, cloud connection currently unavailable) can still be uploaded to the backend server without the risk of congesting the backend server's database with unnecessary and redundant information about detected events. In other words, the backend server's result database is relatively concise and includes a high-quality level of information.

[0017] The second road user's (second) electronic device is configured to receive R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals (broadcast by the first road user and / or road infrastructure) and upload at least a portion (e.g., all) of information associated with detected events to a backend server based on cloud upload information. In other words, the second electronic device is configured to connect to the backend server for data exchange. The second electronic device can typically enrich the backend server's database by providing received information about detected events, rather than (automatically) discarding information about detected events due to (spatial and / or temporal) irrelevance to the second electronic device. The uploaded data may be relevant to other road users. Therefore, the uploading of data received from the environment via direct communication signals can contribute to increased road safety through the existence of a more comprehensive database with more accurate knowledge of the surrounding environment of road users and / or road infrastructure. Advantageously, the number of road user collisions and associated fatalities can be significantly reduced. However, if the cloud upload information indicates that information about the detected event has already been uploaded to the backend server, the second electronic device will not upload information about the received event to the backend server to prevent redundant uploading of the same information about the detected event to the backend server. Advantageously, the backend server's result database is relatively concise and includes a high-quality level of information. Based on information about the event (e.g., event location, orientation of road users and / or road infrastructure, event detection time, event history matching, etc.), the event can be identified as the same or equivalent event. Some or every electronic device and / or road infrastructure disclosed herein can be configured to identify the same or equivalent event based on information about the event, for example, as described above. Due to event matching, redundant uploading of information about the detected same or equivalent events to the backend server can be prevented.

[0018] The third road user's (third) electronic device is configured to download at least a portion of information associated with a detected event from a backend server and determine the relevance of the detected event to the third road user based on the information associated with the detected event. The third electronic device is also configured to output the determined relevance and / or prepare countermeasures based on the determined relevance of the detected event. For example, the downloaded portion of the information may include at least one of the event type, event location, event time when the event was detected, type of detection component used to detect the event, and warnings associated with the detected event. Some or each of the listed information may be used to determine the relevance of the detected event to the third road user. Based on the determined relevance, for example, if the determined relevance exceeds a predetermined threshold, a warning may be output to the third road user. Thus, the third road user may be warned, and in response to the warning, an appropriate reaction may be made to the event, or the prepared countermeasures may mitigate or substantially eliminate the risk associated with the detected event for the third road user. Therefore, the risk of collisions to the third road user due to the event may be reduced, and road safety for the third road user (and surrounding road users) may be advantageously improved.

[0019] According to embodiments, threats to road safety may be related to road hazards, driving conditions, and / or traffic conditions within the environment of road infrastructure and / or the first electronic device. In particular, threats to road safety may be related to abnormal traffic conditions. "Abnormal" may mean that traffic conditions deviate (significantly) from average or expected traffic conditions. Average or expected traffic conditions can be calculated based on historical traffic condition data. Examples of road hazards are slow-moving vehicles, drivers making incorrect movements, people, animals, and / or obstacles on the road or stationary vehicles (e.g., due to malfunction or (illegal) parking). Examples of driving conditions are weather conditions such as snow, rain, glaring sunlight, icy roads, etc. Examples of traffic conditions are traffic congestion, road construction, accidents, or the passage of special emergency vehicles. For example, a specific threat to road safety can be used to determine the type of event. The determined event type can be included in R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals. Therefore, other road users can be aware of the event type to appropriately determine the relevance of the event to the respective road user and / or prepare appropriate countermeasures.

[0020] According to another embodiment, the second electronic device of the second road user can be configured to upload at least a portion of the information associated with the detected event to the backend server if cloud upload information indicates that the event has not yet been uploaded to the backend server. The second electronic device of the second road user can be configured to broadcast a second R2X direct communication signal, which includes the information associated with the detected event and a set of cloud upload information to indicate that the event has been uploaded to the backend server. Advantageously, road users in the environment of the second road user receiving the second R2X direct communication signal (e.g., the first road user) are informed that information associated with the detected event that was not previously uploaded has now been uploaded to the backend server by the second road user, eliminating the need for further uploading by any road user in the second road user's environment. Therefore, redundant uploading of the same information about the detected event to the backend server can be prevented.

[0021] According to another embodiment, a first electronic device of a first road user can be configured to identify that information associated with a detected event is stored in the memory of the first electronic device prior to the detection of the event, and to set cloud upload information included in the R2X and / or I2R direct communication signal to indicate that the event does not need to be uploaded to a backend server. In other words, the event detected by the first road user is already known, for example, due to previous direct communication signals exchanged with road users and / or road infrastructure that detected the event before the first road user, and / or due to communication with a backend server, wherein the detected event already exists in the database of the backend server. Advantageously, redundant uploading of the same information about the detected event to the backend server can be prevented. Additionally or alternatively, a second electronic device of a second road user can be configured to identify that information associated with a detected event is stored in the memory of the second electronic device prior to receiving the R2X and / or I2R direct communication signal, and to broadcast a second R2X direct communication signal including the information associated with the detected event and a set of cloud upload information to indicate that the event does not need to be uploaded to a backend server. Similarly, this can prevent other road users from redundantly uploading the same information about detected events to the backend server.

[0022] According to another embodiment, the R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals may further include cloud reference time information, which indicates the time when an event has been uploaded to the backend server. The cloud reference time information can help identify equivalent events. Furthermore, the cloud reference time information can help determine whether a detected event remains relevant to a particular road user when determining the relevance of the detected event to that user, and / or whether the detected event can be considered terminated. Therefore, the possibility of redundantly uploading the same information about detected events to the backend server can be further reduced.

[0023] According to another embodiment, the second electronic device may be configured to broadcast a third R2X direct communication signal, which includes a Cooperative Awareness Message (CAM) for informing surrounding road users and / or road infrastructure of the presence of the second road user. The CAM is a message generated periodically at a frequency controlled by the originating electronic device of the road user, and the message may include the speed, position, and turning or direction of the road user's (e.g., vehicle's) own electronic device, and optionally include the speed, position, and turning or direction of surrounding road users (e.g., vehicles), as defined in ETSI standard EN 302 637-2 V1.4.1 (2019-04). The CAM may be extended to include cloud connectivity information indicating whether the electronic device is connected to a backend server. Based on the cloud connectivity information, surrounding road users are informed whether and which road users are connected to the backend server (or any backend server). Furthermore, the CAM may be configured to allow forwarding once by a receiver of the third R2X direct communication signal. In other words, the CAM can be forwarded by its receiver within a single hop distance, i.e., hoplimit is 1, to allow indirect communication between the CAM receiver and other road users within the hop distance of the CAM receiver.

[0024] The road infrastructure and / or the first electronic device may be further configured to receive and forward third R2X direct communication signals via broadcast, and to receive and forward one or more R2X direct communication response signals (e.g., a CAM corresponding to the aforementioned CAM (including cloud connectivity information and a hoplimit set to 1)) via broadcast. In other words, the road infrastructure and / or the first electronic device is used as a node for exchanging direct communication signals between road users who may typically not be within direct communication range of each other. Advantageously, information regarding the presence of road users connected to a backend server is distributed among the road users within the direct communication range of the road infrastructure and / or the first electronic device.

[0025] The second electronic device may be further configured to receive one or more R2X direct communication response signals and determine whether multiple road users connected to the backend server exist in the environment of the first road user and / or road infrastructure. If it is determined that multiple road users connected to the backend server exist in the environment of the first road user and / or road infrastructure, information associated with the detected event may be further uploaded (from the second electronic device) to the backend server based on predetermined conditions. If no multiple road users are determined to be connected to the backend server, the second electronic device may upload information associated with the detected event to the backend server. The predetermined conditions may prioritize which of the multiple road users connected to the backend server is eligible to upload information associated with the detected event to the backend server. In other words, a consistent algorithm is provided to determine which of the multiple connected road users should upload information about the detected event. Therefore, even in complex situations where multiple road users are connected to the backend server, information about the detected event can be uploaded to the backend server, while preventing redundant uploading of the same information about the detected event to the backend server.

[0026] According to another embodiment, the predetermined conditions may refer to or correspond to the distance to the first road user and / or the connectivity to the backend server. For example, a road user with the minimum distance to the first road user may be eligible to upload information associated with a detected event to the backend server. Minimum distance ensures that the quality of the direct communication signal is as high as possible, keeping signal degradation as low as possible. Connectivity can be rated based on connection stability and / or connection speed. For example, a road user with the most stable and / or fastest connection to the backend server may be eligible to upload information associated with a detected event. Advantageously, the backend server's results database includes information of a high quality level.

[0027] According to another embodiment, the distance to a first road user and / or road infrastructure is determined based on location information present in the exchanged CAM, such as, for example, Global Navigation Satellite (GPS) coordinates, and / or by time-of-flight measurements of direct communication signals exchanged between road users. Since the distance between road users can be calculated based on the exchanged CAM, it is easy to prioritize road users who are eligible to upload information associated with detected events based on distance, thus providing a low-cost solution.

[0028] According to another embodiment, the broadcast R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals may include or consist of a Distributed Environmental Notification Message (DENM) associated with a detected event, which is extended with cloud-uploaded information. In other words, road infrastructure and / or the first electronic device may be configured to broadcast R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals that include or consist of a DENM associated with a detected event, which is extended with cloud-uploaded information. A DENM is a message exchanged between road users regarding location and traffic data, as well as traffic conditions and hazards, as defined in ETSI standard EN 302 637-3 V1.2.2 (2014-11). A DENM includes information about the road user being sent and events (e.g., hazardous areas) to warn other road users. A DENM extended with cloud-uploaded information can be transmitted as a standalone message. Using independent messaging for (extended) DENMs allows for the use of well-established and standardized protocols, thereby reducing communication effort and increasing the opportunity for other road users receiving DENMs to also process or extract their information accordingly.

[0029] According to another embodiment, the second electronic device may be further configured to broadcast a second R2X direct communication signal, which includes CAM for informing surrounding road users and / or road infrastructure of the presence of a second road user. The road infrastructure and / or the first electronic device may be further configured to receive the second R2X direct communication signal and, in response to the received second R2X direct communication signal, broadcast or rebroadcast R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals including information associated with the detected event. Since the transmitter of the direct communication signal does not receive any response confirming receipt of the communication signal, the transmission or retransmission of the direct communication signal in response to the received CAM message from the second road user provides a high chance that the second road user will remain within the range of direct communication in order to receive the transmitted direct communication signal from the first road user and / or road infrastructure. Therefore, it is highly likely that the information associated with the detected event will be received by the second road user and uploaded to the backend server.

[0030] According to another embodiment, the first R2X and / or I2R direct communication signal, the second R2X direct communication signal, and / or the third R2X direct communication signal (or each of the direct communication signals disclosed herein) can be based on connectionless communication. Uploads from a second road user to a backend server and / or downloads from a third road user to a backend server (or any communication between each electronic device disclosed herein and a backend server) can be based on connection-oriented communication. Advantageously, information about detected events can be exchanged by using or combining different communication technologies, such as connectionless and connection-oriented communication, as well as direct and cloud communication.

[0031] According to another embodiment, the second electronic device can be configured to determine the relevance of the detected event to a second road user based on information associated with the detected event, and output the determined relevance and / or prepare countermeasures based on the determined relevance of the detected event before starting to upload the information associated with the detected event to the backend server. In other words, the receiving electronic device evaluates the relevance of information about the detected received event before uploading the information to the backend server. Advantageously, the second electronic device can prepare and execute countermeasures earlier to mitigate the risks associated with the detected event to the second road user.

[0032] According to another embodiment, the first electronic device and / or road infrastructure of the first road user may not be connected to the backend server or may not support communication with the backend server. In other words, the first electronic device and / or road infrastructure itself cannot upload detected events to the backend server. In this case, the first electronic device and / or road infrastructure is configured to broadcast R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals, which include information associated with the detected event and cloud upload information indicating that the event has not yet been uploaded to the backend server. Advantageously, a second electronic device can upload the detected event, and because the detected event is uploaded via the second electronic device, information about the detected event is not lost (e.g., due to lack of connectivity or lack of relevance given to a particular electronic device), and can be used to warn other road users about the detected event.

[0033] According to another embodiment, the second electronic device can be configured to automatically upload information associated with the detected event to a backend server based on cloud upload information. In other words, the second electronic device uploads received information associated with the detected event to the backend server without any user interaction. Compared to manual cloud input of third-party events (where manually entered location information in the cloud may be inaccurate, such as due to time delays), the automatically uploaded information of the event has a high level of confidence. Due to the high quality of the information, such events do not require additional confirmation from the backend server, thereby significantly reducing the computational load on the database used to populate the backend server.

[0034] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for improving road safety is provided. This method can be used with the aforementioned ITS. The features and advantages of ITS can be similarly applied to the method for improving road safety.

[0035] According to the steps of the method, events involving threats to road safety are detected by road infrastructure and / or the first road user (e.g., by the first road user's first electronic device and / or the road infrastructure of the ITS) in their and / or his environment.

[0036] According to another step of the method, based on whether a connection to a backend server is possible, at least a portion of the information associated with the detected event is uploaded from the road infrastructure and / or the first road user to the backend server.

[0037] According to another step of the method, the road infrastructure and / or the first road user broadcasts a road user-to-everything R2X and / or infrastructure-to-road user I2R direct communication signal including information associated with the detected event. The R2X and / or I2R direct communication signal includes cloud upload information indicating whether the event has been uploaded to the backend server.

[0038] According to another step of the method, the R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals are received by a second road user.

[0039] According to another step, based on the cloud upload information, at least a portion of the information associated with the detected event is uploaded from the second road user to the backend server.

[0040] According to another step of the method, a third road user downloads at least a portion of the information associated with the detected event from the backend server.

[0041] According to another step of the method, the relevance of the detected event to the third road user (e.g., by the third road user) is determined based on the information associated with the detected event.

[0042] According to another step of the method, the determined relevance of the detected event is output and / or countermeasures are prepared based on the determined relevance of the detected event (e.g., by the third road user).

[0043] According to another aspect of the invention, a method for road infrastructure and / or a first road user is provided. The features and advantages of the above-described method for improving road safety can be similarly applied to the method for said road infrastructure and / or the first road user.

[0044] According to the steps of the method for the road infrastructure and / or the first road user, events involving threats to road safety are detected by the road infrastructure and / or the first road user in their and / or his / her environment.

[0045] According to another step of the method for the road infrastructure and / or the first road user, the road infrastructure and / or the first road user upload at least a portion of the information associated with the detected event to the backend server based on whether a connection to the backend server is possible.

[0046] According to another step of the method for the road infrastructure and / or the first road user, the road infrastructure and / or the first road user broadcasts a road user-to-everything R2X and / or infrastructure-to-road user I2R direct communication signal including information associated with the detected event. The R2X and / or I2R direct communication signal includes cloud upload information indicating whether the event has been uploaded to the backend server.

[0047] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for a second road user is provided. The features and advantages of the above-described method for improving road safety can be similarly applied to the method for a second road user.

[0048] According to the steps of the method for a second road user, the second road user receives information including information associated with an event detected by another road user and / or road infrastructure and cloud upload information including an indication of whether the event has been uploaded to a backend server for direct communication between the road user and all R2X and / or infrastructure to road user I2R.

[0049] According to another step of the method for a second road user, based on the cloud upload information, at least a portion of the information associated with the detected event is uploaded from the second road user to the backend server.

[0050] According to another aspect of the invention, an electronic device is provided, configured to perform the aforementioned method for road infrastructure and / or a first road user and / or a second road user. This electronic device can be implemented as part of a vehicle control unit. The control unit can be configured to perform the aforementioned method for road infrastructure and / or a first road user and / or a second road user. The features and advantages of the aforementioned method for road infrastructure and / or a first road user can be similarly applied to the electronic device and the control unit. For example, a road user may include the aforementioned electronic device configured to perform the aforementioned method for road infrastructure and / or a first road user and / or a second road user. The road user may be a vehicle including a V2X communication module and the aforementioned control unit. The features and advantages of the aforementioned electronic device can be similarly applied to the road user.

[0051] Each of the aforementioned electronic devices and / or control units can be implemented using electrical or electronic parts or components (hardware) or firmware (ASIC). Additionally or alternatively, the functionality of the electronic devices and / or control units can be realized when a suitable program (software) is executed. Furthermore, the electronic devices and / or control units can be implemented using a combination of hardware, firmware, and / or software. For example, individual components of the electronic devices and / or control units used to provide individual functionality can be designed as separate integrated circuits or can be arranged on a common integrated circuit.

[0052] Individual components of an electronic device and / or control unit may be designed to run one or more processes on one or more processors in one or more electronic computing devices, and generated during the execution of one or more computer programs. The computing device may be configured to cooperate with other components to achieve the functionality described herein. Instructions for the computer program may be stored in memory, such as RAM elements. However, the computer program may also be stored in a non-volatile storage medium, such as a CD-ROM, flash memory, etc.

[0053] It will be further understood by those skilled in the art that the functionality of multiple computing units (data processing devices) can be combined or integrated into a single device, or the functionality of a particular data processing device can be distributed across multiple devices to realize the functionality of electronic devices and / or control units.

[0054] Another aspect relates to a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer such as an electronic device and / or a control unit, cause the computer to perform any method according to the invention, particularly methods for improving road safety and / or for road infrastructure and / or for first road users and / or for second road users.

[0055] Further preferred embodiments of the invention arise from the additional features mentioned in the dependent claims.

[0056] The various embodiments of the invention mentioned herein can be advantageously combined with each other, unless otherwise stated in individual cases. Attached Figure Description

[0057] Various objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is shown that: Figure 1 An intelligent transportation system in an exemplary traffic situation according to an embodiment is schematically illustrated; Figure 2 An intelligent transportation system in another exemplary traffic situation according to an embodiment is schematically illustrated; Figure 3 A schematic illustration is shown according to another embodiment. Figure 2 Intelligent transportation system; Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method for improving road safety according to an embodiment is shown schematically; and Figure 5 An electronic device for a road user according to an embodiment is illustrated schematically.

[0058] In the following text, repeated and similar features are provided with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions of them are omitted. Detailed Implementation

[0059] Figure 1 An intelligent transportation system (ITS) 10 for improving road safety is schematically illustrated in an exemplary traffic situation according to an embodiment. Figure 2 and Figure 3 ITS 10 is schematically illustrated under another exemplary traffic scenario according to two different embodiments. (Refer to...) Figure 4 Methods for improving road safety, methods for first road user 16, and methods for second road user 20 are explained. For example... Figures 1 to 3 The traffic conditions shown are to be understood as merely representative examples of a large number of potential traffic conditions, and the invention is not limited thereto.

[0060] ITS 10 includes a backend server 12, road infrastructure 14, first road users 16, second road users 20, and third road users 22. Each of road users 16, 20, and 22 includes an electronic device 26, which will be based on... Figure 5 This will be explained in more detail. In the embodiments, such as... Figure 1 As shown, road users 16, 20, and 22 are implemented as vehicles. However, at least one, some, or each of road users 16, 20, and 22 may also be, for example, pedestrians or bicycles carrying electronic devices 26 or any other type of road user.

[0061] Backend server 12 in Figures 1 to 3 The cloud is referred to as the cloud to indicate that backend server 12 provides cloud-based applications. For example, backend server 12 includes multiple remotely located servers that are accessible from any location at any time via a secure and protected internet connection. That is, backend server 12 represents a cloud storage location other than the user's location (e.g., road users 16, 20, 22, 24), where data, applications, and computing power can be moved and processed.

[0062] Road infrastructure 14 is implemented as a roadside unit (RSU). Road infrastructure 14 is set along a road or highway (e.g., Figures 1 to 3 As shown in the diagram, this facilitates communication between road users 16, 20, 22, 24 and any transportation infrastructure, such as enabling vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. For example, the transportation infrastructure may include sensors configured to detect traffic and / or the status of traffic lights on the street. Road infrastructure 14 includes a communication module configured to exchange information with its nearby road users 16, 20, 22, 24 via direct communication. In some embodiments, the communication module of road infrastructure 14 may also be configured to communicate with a backend server 12, for example, to upload data to and / or download data from the backend server 12.

[0063] exist Figure 1In this context, the first road user 16 refers to a vehicle entering the end of a traffic congestion, indicated by a queue of three vehicles ahead of the first road user 16. This situation requires the first road user 16 to slow down to avoid accidents, such as rear-end collisions with vehicles ahead. However, when a road user (e.g., a third road user 22 traveling in the same lane as the first road user 16 with a long gap between them) is unaware of the end of the traffic congestion and is not paying sufficient attention to traffic, the road user may have to perform emergency braking to avoid an accident. However, emergency braking can catch following road users off guard, creating a significant risk of potential accidents.

[0064] exist Figure 1 In the example, road infrastructure 14 and the first road user 16 are not connected to the backend server 12, while the second road user 20 and the third road user 22 are connected to the backend server 12. Therefore, the event 18 detected by road infrastructure 14 and / or the first road user 16 cannot be directly uploaded to the backend server 12, for example, so that the third road user 22 would be able to download the detected event 18 to be aware of the risk associated with the event 18.

[0065] However, road infrastructure 14 is configured to detect events 18 in its environment that involve threats to road safety (e.g., such as...). Figure 1 (As shown in the traffic congestion diagram), and broadcasts an infrastructure-to-road-user (I2R) direct communication signal, which includes information associated with the detected event 18. Furthermore, the electronics of the first road user 16 are also configured to detect event 18 and broadcast a road user-to-everything (R2X) direct communication signal, which includes information associated with the detected event 18. The broadcast direct communication signal is limited in its range, and only road users adjacent to (e.g., within a radius of up to 1 km) of the road infrastructure 14 and the electronics of the first road user 16 can receive the direct communication signal. Figure 1 As shown in the example, a second road user 20 traveling in the opposite lane to the first road user 16 is within the range of the direct communication signal. A third road user 22 is not within the range of the direct communication signal and is too far away to receive it. Because the electronics of the second road user 20 are configured to receive R2X and I2R direct communication signals from the road infrastructure 14 and the first road user 16, the second road user 20 is able to receive and process information about the detected event 18. Instead of discarding the received information about the detected event 18 because it is irrelevant to the second road user 20, the electronics of the second road user 20 upload the received information about the detected event 18 to the backend server 12, thereby enriching its database. Figure 1 As shown, the uploaded data regarding the detected event 18 is related to other road users (e.g., third road user 22). Therefore, the uploading of data received from the environment via direct communication signals can contribute to increased road safety through the existence of a more comprehensive database with more accurate knowledge of the surrounding environment of road user 16 and road infrastructure 14. Advantageously, the number of road user collisions and associated fatalities can be significantly reduced.

[0066] The electronic device of the third road user 22 is configured to download information associated with the detected event 18 from the backend server 12 and determine the relevance of the detected event 18 to the third road user 22 based on the information associated with the detected event 18. The electronic device of the third road user 22 may output the determined relevance to the driver of the vehicle and / or prepare countermeasures based on the determined relevance of the detected event 18. The electronic device of the third road user 22 may determine that it is necessary to smoothly decelerate the vehicle to reduce the risk of a rear-end collision with the first road user 16 and may present an alert to the driver of the vehicle representing the third road user 22. Therefore, the risk of the third road user 22 being struck by the event 18 can be reduced, and road safety for the third road user 22 (and subsequent road users) can be advantageously improved.

[0067] With Figure 1 The traffic situation shown is the opposite, and there may be situations such as... Figure 2 and Figure 3 The traffic situation shown depicts multiple road users 20, 22, and 24 who can receive R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals and each upload information associated with the detected event 18 to the backend server 12. In this scenario, the communication network becomes excessively congested, and the database of the backend server 12 is filled with redundant data regarding event 18, resulting in a slow and congested database for the backend server 12.

[0068] To prevent redundant uploading of the same information about the detected event 18 to the backend server 12, the first electronic device of the road infrastructure 14 and the first user 16 is configured to broadcast R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals, including cloud upload information indicating whether event 18 has been uploaded to the backend server 12.

[0069] Road users receiving R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals (e.g., second road user 20) upload information associated with the detected event 18 to backend server 12 based on cloud upload information. For example, if the cloud upload information indicates that information about the detected event 18 has already been uploaded to backend server 12, for example, by the electronic devices of road infrastructure 14 and / or first road user 16, then the electronic devices of second road user 20 do not upload the received information about the detected event 18 to backend server 12 to prevent redundant uploading of the same information about the detected event 18 to backend server 12. Advantageously, the results database of backend server 12 is relatively concise and includes a high-quality level of information.

[0070] Figure 2 and Figure 3 The traffic conditions shown differ from each other at least in that, Figure 2 The electronic devices of the first road user 16 are connected to the backend server 12, and Figure 3 The electronic device of the first road user 16 is not connected to the backend server 12 or cannot be connected to the backend server 12.

[0071] like Figure 2 As shown, the electronic device of the first road user 16 detects an event 18 (e.g., traffic congestion) that is not present in its memory and uploads information associated with the detected event 18 to the backend server 12. Furthermore, the electronic device of the first road user 16 broadcasts an R2X direct communication signal, which includes cloud upload information (cloud upload: "Yes") indicating that event 18 has been uploaded to the backend server 12.

[0072] The electronic devices of the second road user 20, the third road user 22, and the fourth road user 24 are also connected to the backend server 12 and receive R2X direct communication signals, which include information associated with the detected event 18 and cloud upload information. Due to the cloud upload information (“Yes”), the information associated with the detected event 18 is stored in the corresponding memory of the electronic device, but is not uploaded to the backend server 12.

[0073] For example, a third road user 22 can also detect event 18, i.e., the traffic congestion already reported by the first road user 16. However, since event 18 already exists in the memory of the third road user 22's electronic device, the third road user 22's electronic device does not upload information associated with event 18 to the backend server 12. Furthermore, the third road user 22's electronic device broadcasts an R2X direct communication signal, which includes cloud upload information ("not required") indicating that event 18 has been uploaded to the backend server 12 by another road user. For example, road users not within the range of the first road user 16 and not connected to the backend server 12 will not receive information associated with the detected event 18. However, due to the different location of the third road user 22 relative to the first road user 16, the R2X direct communication signal broadcast by the third road user 22, including the cloud upload information ("not required"), can be received by the road user, so that road users not within the range of the first road user 16 can also be alerted to the detected event 18, and redundant uploading of the detected event 18 can be prevented.

[0074] In such Figure 2 In the case where the third road user 22, shown, is neither connected to the backend server 12 nor receives an R2X direct communication signal including cloud upload information ("Yes") from the first road user 16, the third road user 22 may broadcast an R2X direct communication signal upon detecting event 18 (i.e., traffic congestion), which includes cloud upload information ("No") indicating that information associated with the detected event 18 has not yet been uploaded. Since the fourth road user 24 receives an R2X direct communication signal including cloud upload information ("Yes") from the first road user 16 and an R2X direct communication signal including cloud upload information ("No") from the third road user 22, the fourth road user 24's electronic device matches event 18 and broadcasts a forwarded R2X direct communication signal including cloud upload information ("Yes"). The forwarded R2X direct communication signal, including cloud upload information (“Yes”), is received by the third road user 22, and the third road user 22 broadcasts a duplicate R2X direct communication signal including modified cloud upload information (from “No” to “No”) to prevent any redundant upload of information associated with the detected event 18 to the backend server 12, such as redundant uploads by other road users who received the R2X direct communication signal.

[0075] Furthermore, when the termination of the detected event 18 is detected by the electronic device of the first road user 16, the electronic device of the first road user 16 can upload the termination of the detected event 18 to the backend server 12 and broadcast a termination R2X direct communication signal, which includes information associated with the termination of the detected event 18 and cloud upload information (“Yes”). The electronic devices of the second to fourth road users 20, 22, and 24 can receive the termination R2X direct communication signal, which includes information associated with the termination of the detected event 18 and cloud upload information. Due to the cloud upload information (“Yes”), the information associated with the termination of the detected event 18 is stored in the corresponding memory of the electronic device, but is not uploaded to the backend server 12.

[0076] With Figure 2 The embodiments shown are the opposite, as Figure 3 The electronic device of the first road user 16 shown cannot connect to the backend server 12. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the electronic device of the first road user 16 detects an event 18 (e.g., traffic congestion) that is not present in its memory and broadcasts an R2X direct communication signal including cloud upload information (cloud upload: "No") indicating that event 18 has not yet been uploaded to the backend server 12. The electronic devices of the second to fourth road users 20, 22, and 24 receive the R2X direct communication signal including the cloud upload information ("No").

[0077] In an exemplary case where road infrastructure 14 has detected event 18 and uploaded it to backend server 12 (see...), Figure 3 (The dashed arrow in the image) The electronic devices of the second to fourth road users 20, 22, and 24 may have downloaded the detected event 18 from the backend server 12 and, due to the matching of event 18, decided not to upload the detected event 18 to the backend server 12, even though the received R2X direct communication signal includes cloud upload information (“No”). The electronic devices of the second to fourth road users 20, 22, and 24 may broadcast a forwarded R2X direct communication signal including cloud upload information (“Yes” or “No”) to prevent redundant uploading of information associated with the detected event 18. For example, the first road user 16 may receive at least one broadcast forwarded R2X direct communication signal from one of the second to fourth road users 20, 22, and 24, including the cloud upload information “No”. The first road user 16 may then change the cloud upload information from “No” to “No” in its subsequent(one or more) R2X direct communication signals for event 18 to prevent any redundant uploading of information by other road users receiving the R2X direct communication signal from the first road user 16.

[0078] In different scenarios where road infrastructure 14 neither detects event 18 nor uploads it to backend server 12 (i.e., the detected event 18 is not stored in backend server 12), the electronic devices of the second to fourth road users 20, 22, and 24 do not store the corresponding event 18 in their memory. Therefore, any electronic device of the second to fourth road users 20, 22, and 24 can upload information associated with the detected event 18. To prevent redundant uploading of this information, the electronic devices of the second to fourth road users 20, 22, and 24 can be configured to broadcast a third R2X direct communication signal, including a Cooperative Awareness Message (CAM), to surrounding road users 16, 20, 22, and 24, as well as, for example, road infrastructure 14, to indicate the presence of road users 20, 22, and 24. The CAM is extended to include cloud connectivity information indicating whether the corresponding electronic device is connected to backend server 12.

[0079] Based on cloud connectivity information, surrounding road users 16, 20, 22, and 24 are informed which of road users 20, 22, and 24 are connected to the backend server 12 and whether they are connected. Furthermore, the CAM is configured to allow forwarding once by a receiver of a third R2X direct communication signal to allow indirect communication with other road users 20, 22, and 24 within the hop distance of the first road user 16. For example, based on exchanged CAMs, the first road user 16 can aggregate CAM information received from each of the second to fourth road users 20, 22, and 24 into a list and broadcast CAMs including that list. The second to fourth road users 20, 22, and 24 can receive CAMs including that list, thereby becoming aware of the corresponding other road users. In other words, the electronics of each of the second to fourth road users 20, 22, and 24 can be further configured to determine whether multiple road users 20, 22, and 24 connected to the backend server 12 exist in the environment of the first road user 16 and / or the road infrastructure 14.

[0080] When it is determined that second to fourth road users 20, 22, and 24 are present in the environment of first road user 16 and / or road infrastructure 14, information associated with the detected event 18 is uploaded from a second electronic device of the second road user 20 to a backend server 12 based on predetermined conditions. The predetermined conditions prioritize which of the multiple road users 20, 22, and 24 connected to the backend server 12 is qualified to upload information associated with the detected event 18 to the backend server 12. Figure 3In this context, the predetermined condition is the shortest distance, and because the second road user 20 has the shortest distance to the first road user 16, the second road user 20 is qualified to upload information associated with the detected event 18 to the backend server 12. The second road user 20 broadcasts a forwarded R2X direct communication signal including information associated with the detected event 18 and cloud upload information (“Yes”). Therefore, the third and fourth road users 22 and 24, as well as subsequent road users entering the range of the direct communication signal, are prevented from uploading information associated with the detected event 18 to the backend server 12. For example, the first road user 16 may receive the broadcasted forwarded R2X direct communication signal from the second road user 20, which includes the cloud upload information “Yes”. The first road user 16 may then change the cloud upload information in one or more subsequent R2X direct communication signals for event 18 from “No” to “Yes” to prevent any redundant uploading of information by other road users receiving the first road user 16's R2X direct communication signal.

[0081] Any R2X direct communication signal mentioned in this article may further include at least one or more pieces of information regarding event type, event quality, timestamp, action ID, station ID, location, heading, and hop limit.

[0082] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method for improving road safety according to an embodiment is shown schematically. This method can be used for... Figures 1 to 3 Any of the ITS 10.

[0083] According to the first step 50 of the method, an event 18 involving a threat to road safety is detected by the road infrastructure 14 and / or the first road user 16 (e.g., by the first electronic device of the first road user 16 and / or the road infrastructure 14 of the ITS 10) in its and / or his environment.

[0084] According to the second step 52, based on whether a connection to the backend server 12 is possible, the road infrastructure 14 and / or the first road user 16 upload at least a portion of the information associated with the detected event 18 from the road infrastructure 14 and / or the first road user 16 to the backend server 12.

[0085] According to the third step 54, the road infrastructure 14 and / or the first road user 16 broadcast R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals including information associated with the detected event 18. The R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals include cloud upload information indicating whether the event 18 has been uploaded to the backend server 12.

[0086] According to step 56, the second road user 20 receives the R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals.

[0087] According to the fifth step 58 of the method, based on the cloud upload information, at least a portion of the information associated with the detected event 18 is uploaded from the second road user 20 to the backend server 12.

[0088] According to step 60, the third road user 22 downloads at least a portion of the information associated with the detected event 18 from the backend server 12.

[0089] According to step 7, 62, the relevance of the detected event 18 to the third road user 22 is determined based on the information associated with the detected event 18.

[0090] According to step 8, 64, the determined correlation of the detected event 18 is output and / or countermeasures are prepared based on the determined correlation of the detected event 18 (e.g., by the electronic device of the third road user 22).

[0091] The method steps related to the first road user 16 can be considered as another method according to the invention, and the method steps related to the second road user 20 can be considered as another method according to the invention. That is, Figure 4 Flowcharts of methods for a first road user 16 and methods for a second road user 20 are also schematically shown. The method for the first road user 16 includes first to third steps 50 to 54, and the method for the second user 20 includes fourth and fifth steps 56 and 58.

[0092] Figure 5 An electronic device 26 for a road user according to the present invention is illustrated schematically. The electronic device 26 may correspond to the electronic devices of a first road user 16 and / or a second road user 20. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and as such... Figures 1 to 3 Some or each of the road users 16, 20, 22, 24 shown may each include, as follows: Figure 5 The electronic device 26 shown.

[0093] Electronic device 26 includes an R2X communication module 28, a sensor unit 30, a processor 32, and a memory 34. The sensor unit 30 is configured to scan the environment of electronic device 26 at least in part in response to an event 18 relating to a threat to road safety. The sensor unit 30 may include at least one camera or a camera system including multiple cameras (e.g., a panoramic camera system). The processor 32 is configured to detect the event 18 relating to a threat to road safety in its environment using the sensor unit 30 (and process the corresponding sensor data), and to broadcast and / or receive R2X direct communication signals using the R2X communication module 28, including information associated with the detected event 18, including cloud upload information indicating whether the event 18 has been uploaded to the backend server 12. The R2X direct communication signals may include the event type, event location, the event time when the event 18 was detected, and / or the type of detection component used to detect the event 18.

[0094] Direct communication and / or communication with the backend server 12, as well as communication between road users 16, 20, 22, 24 and / or road infrastructure 14, may be based on exchanged radio frequency (RF) signals, such as Bluetooth, ultra-wideband, wireless LAN, 4G and / or 5G mobile telecommunications technologies. However, the invention is not limited thereto.

[0095] Reference symbol 10 Intelligent Transportation Systems 12 Backend Servers 14 Road infrastructure 16 First Road Users 18. Incidents involving threats to road safety 20 Second Road Users 22 Third-party road users 24. Fourth Road Users 26 Electronic devices 28 Communication Module 30 sensor units 32 processors 34 Memory 50 First Method Step - Event Detection 52 Second Method Steps - Upload Event 54 Third Method Step - Broadcast Direct Communication Signals 56. Fourth Method Step - Receiving Direct Communication Signals 58 Fifth Method Step - Upload Detected Events 60. Sixth Method Step - Download Detected Events 62. Seventh Method Step - Determining the Relevance of Events 64. Eighth Method Step - Output Determined Correlation

Claims

1. An intelligent transportation system (ITS) for improving road safety, comprising: - Backend server (12). - Road infrastructure (14) and / or a first road user (16) including a first electronic device, said road infrastructure (14) and / or the first electronic device being configured to: Detect events in its environment that pose a threat to road safety (18). Based on whether a connection to the backend server (12) is possible, at least a portion of the information associated with the detected event (18) is uploaded to the backend server (12), and The broadcast includes road user-to-everything R2X and / or infrastructure-to-road-user (I2R) direct communication signals associated with the detected event (18), wherein the R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals include cloud upload information indicating whether the event (18) has been uploaded to the backend server (12). - A second road user (20), including a second electronic device, the second electronic device being configured to: Receive the R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals, and Based on the cloud upload information, at least a portion of the information associated with the detected event (18) will be uploaded to the backend server (12). - A third road user (22), including a third electronic device, said third electronic device being configured to: Download at least a portion of the information associated with the detected event (18) from the backend server (12). The relevance of the detected event (18) to the third road user (22) is determined based on the information associated with the detected event (18), and Output the determined correlation and / or prepare countermeasures based on the determined correlation of the detected event (18).

2. The ITS (10) according to claim 1, wherein, The threat to road safety is related to road hazards, driving conditions and / or traffic conditions in the environment of the road infrastructure (14) and / or the first electronic device.

3. The ITS (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The second electronic device of the second road user (20) is configured to: If the cloud upload information indicates that the event (18) has not yet been uploaded to the backend server (12), then at least a portion of the information associated with the detected event (18) will be uploaded to the backend server (12), and The broadcast includes the information associated with the detected event (18) and a second R2X direct communication signal of the cloud upload information set to indicate that the event (18) has been uploaded to the backend server (12).

4. The ITS (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The first electronic device of the first road user (16) is configured to: The information identifying the association with the detected event (18) was stored in the memory of the first electronic device prior to the detection of the event (18), and The cloud upload information included in the R2X and / or I2R direct communication signal is configured to indicate that the event (18) does not need to be uploaded to the backend server (12), and / or The second electronic device of the second road user (20) is configured to: The information identifying the association with the detected event (18) is stored in the memory of the second electronic device before receiving the R2X and / or I2R direct communication signal, and The broadcast includes the information associated with the detected event (18) and a second R2X direct communication signal of the cloud upload information set to indicate that the event (18) does not need to be uploaded to the backend server (12).

5. The ITS (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein, The R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals also include cloud reference time information, which indicates the time when the event (18) has been uploaded to the backend server (12).

6. The ITS (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The second electronic device is also configured to: The broadcast includes a third R2X direct communication signal of the Collaborative Awareness Message (CAM) for informing surrounding road users (16, 22, 24) and / or road infrastructure (14) of the presence of the second road user (20), wherein the CAM is extended to include cloud connectivity information indicating whether the second electronic device is connected to the backend server (12) and is configured to allow forwarding once by the receiver of the third R2X direct communication signal. The road infrastructure (14) and / or the first electronic device are further configured to: The third R2X direct communication signal is received and forwarded via broadcast, and Receive and forward one or more R2X direct communication response signals to the forwarded third R2X direct communication signal via broadcast, and The second electronic device is further configured to: Receive the one or more R2X direct communication response signals, and Determine whether multiple road users (20, 22, 24) connected to the backend server (12) exist in the environment of the first road user (16) and / or the road infrastructure (14), wherein if multiple road users (20, 22, 24) connected to the backend server (12) are determined to exist in the environment of the first road user (16) and / or the road infrastructure (14), the information associated with the detected event (18) is also uploaded to the backend server (12) based on predetermined conditions.

7. The ITS (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein, The predetermined conditions correspond to the distance to the first road user (16) and / or the road infrastructure (14) and / or the connectivity to the backend server (12).

8. The ITS (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein, The distance to the first road user (16) and / or the road infrastructure (14) is determined based on location information present in the exchanged CAM and / or by time-of-flight measurements of direct communication signals exchanged between the road users (16, 20, 22, 24).

9. The ITS (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The broadcast R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals include or consist of distributed environment notification messages (DENMs) associated with the detected event (18) and extended with the cloud upload information.

10. The ITS (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The first R2X and / or I2R direct communication signal, the second R2X direct communication signal and / or the third R2X direct communication signal are based on connectionless communication, and the upload from the second road user (20) to the backend server (12) and / or the download from the third road user (22) to the backend server (12) are based on connection-oriented communication.

11. A method for improving road safety, comprising the following steps: - An event (18) involving a threat to road safety is detected (50) by the road infrastructure (14) and / or the first road user (16) in his and / or his environment. - Based on whether a connection to the backend server (12) is possible, at least a portion of the information associated with the detected event (18) from the road infrastructure (14) and / or the first road user (16) will be uploaded (52) to the backend server (12). - Road user-to-everything R2X and / or infrastructure-to-road-user I2R direct communication signals, broadcast (54) by road infrastructure (14) and / or first road user (16) including information associated with the detected event (18), wherein the R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals include cloud upload information indicating whether the event (18) has been uploaded to the backend server (12). - The R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals described in (56) are received by the second road user (20). - Based on the cloud upload information, at least a portion of the information associated with the detected event (18) is uploaded (58) from the second road user (20) to the backend server (12). - At least a portion of the information associated with the detected event (18) is downloaded (60) from the backend server (12) by the third road user (22). - Determine (62) the relevance of the detected event (18) to the third road user (22) based on the information associated with the detected event (18), and - Output (64) the determined correlation of the detected event (18) and / or prepare countermeasures based on the determined correlation of the detected event (18).

12. A method for use with road infrastructure (14) and / or first road users (16), comprising the following steps: - An event (18) involving a threat to road safety is detected (50) by the road infrastructure (14) and / or the first road user (16) in his and / or his environment. - Whether it is possible for the road infrastructure (14) and / or the first road user (16) to upload (52) at least a portion of the information associated with the detected event (18) to the backend server (12), and - A road user to all R2X and / or infrastructure to road user I2R direct communication signal broadcast (54) by the road infrastructure (14) and / or the first road user (16) including information associated with the detected event (18), wherein the R2X and / or I2R direct communication signal includes cloud upload information indicating whether the event (18) has been uploaded to the backend server (12).

13. A method for a second road user (20), comprising the following steps: - The second road user (20) receives (56) road user-to-all R2X and / or infrastructure-to-road user I2R direct communication including information associated with an event (18) detected by another road user (16) and / or road infrastructure (14), wherein the R2X and / or I2R direct communication signals include cloud upload information indicating whether the event (18) has been uploaded to the backend server (12), and - Based on the cloud upload information, at least a portion of the information associated with the detected event (18) is uploaded (58) from the second road user (20) to the backend server (12).

14. An electronic device (26) configured to perform the method according to claim 12 and / or 13.

15. A computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 11 to 13.

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