Managing signaling of hazardous events by a motor vehicle when a fifth generation mobile communication network is unavailable

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing, by a computer device on board a motor vehicle (1), the signaling of hazardous events, the vehicle comprising a communication system (3) configured to transmit and receive data by means of a fifth generation mobile communication network (5). The invention also relates to a computer device (100) carrying out such a method as well as to a motor vehicle (1) comprising such a device.

Description

DESCRIPTION TITLE: Management of the signaling of dangerous events by a motor vehicle when a fifth-generation mobile communication network is unavailable The present invention claims priority from French application 2308467 filed on 04.08.2023, the content of which (text, drawings and claims) is incorporated herein by reference. Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of motor vehicle navigation systems. The invention relates in particular to a method for managing, by a computer device on board a motor vehicle, the signaling of dangerous events, the vehicle comprising a communication system configured to transmit and receive data by means of a fifth-generation mobile communication network. The invention also relates to a device implementing such a method, as well as a motor vehicle comprising such a device. The invention applies to motor vehicles such as land motor vehicles, in particular cars. State of the prior art

[0002] The latest automotive navigation systems interact with on-board communication systems in vehicles to transmit and receive data via mobile communication networks, including fifth-generation mobile communication networks, in order to enable the implementation of connected navigation functionalities that, among other things, support autonomous driving. This is particularly the case for collaborative reporting functionalities of dangerous events occurring near vehicles (e.g., accidents, slowdowns, road infrastructure defects, etc.) implemented within intelligent transport systems. In fact, mobile communication network coverage is therefore necessary for such functionalities to be provided, as vehicles must be able to constantly exchange data with remote communicating entities (other vehicles, roadside units, pedestrians, etc.). However, there are places where mobile communication network coverage is non-existent (e.g. tunnel, underground parking, etc.). In these places, known navigation systems are therefore not able to implement connected navigation functionalities, in particular for collaborative reporting of dangerous events within intelligent transport systems. Summary of the invention

[0003] The invention aims to solve this problem. In particular, it aims to provide a method and a device that allow a navigation system of a motor vehicle connected to a fifth-generation mobile communication network to be able to provide a collaborative signaling functionality for dangerous events in the event of network unavailability. In this way, the invention aims to contribute to an improvement in driving safety by allowing a broader capacity for implementing collaborative signaling of dangerous events within intelligent transport systems.

[0004] In order to achieve these objectives, the invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a method for managing, by a computer device on board a first motor vehicle, the signaling of dangerous events, the first vehicle comprising a first communication system configured to transmit and receive data by means of a fifth generation mobile communication network, said method comprising the steps of: i) determining whether data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event are generated or received; ii) determining whether communication by means of said network is possible at the current time; and iii) causing, in the event of unavailability of said network at the current time, the transmission of data characterizing at least one location of the dangerous event to a second communication system configured to transmit and receive data by means of said network which is on board a second motor vehicle located in the vicinity of the first vehicle.

[0005] According to a variant, the data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event can be generated in response to an input made by a user by means of an input interface of a navigation system of the first vehicle.

[0006] According to another variant, the data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event can be generated by means of a detection device of a driving assistance system of the first vehicle.

[0007] According to yet another variant, the data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event can be received from a third communication system configured to transmit and receive data by means of said network which is on board a third motor vehicle located in the vicinity of the first vehicle.

[0008] According to yet another variant, step iii) may comprise a step of identifying a motor vehicle which, at the current time, is located directly in front of the first vehicle.

[0009] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a device for managing the signaling of dangerous events, the device comprising an information processing unit, with one or more processors, and a data storage medium, which are configured to implement a method as described above.

[0010] According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method as described above when said program is executed by at least one processor.

[0011] According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a computer-readable medium on which a program as described above is recorded.

[0012] According to a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle which has a device as described above. Brief description of the drawings

[0013] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the appended drawings, in which:

[0014] [Fig- 1] is a schematic illustration of the invention;

[0015] [Fig. 2] is a functional diagram of a device according to the invention;

[0016] [Fig. 3] is a flowchart of the steps of a method according to the invention; and

[0017] [Fig. 4] is a schematic illustration of the implementation of at least one step of the method according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0018] Figure 1 shows a schematic illustration of the invention in which we see in particular a first motor vehicle 1 according to the invention. This comprises a navigation system 2, which interacts in an ordinary manner with a satellite positioning system (e.g. GPS) in order to be able to calculate routes for journeys based on a map, and which comprises an input interface, using for example a touch screen, to allow a user to make entries, in particular entries specifying the presence of dangerous events. Indeed, the navigation system 2 also interacts with a communication system 3 of the vehicle 1 in order to implement connected navigation functionalities, in particular a functionality for collaborative signaling of dangerous events within an intelligent transport system.The communication system 3 therefore makes it possible to send and receive data by means of conventional mobile communication networks and protocols, in particular, advantageously, by means of a fifth generation mobile communication network 5. Consequently, the communication system 3 is advantageously adapted to be able to exchange data also with an equivalent communication system on board a second 6 or a third motor vehicle 7 according to the invention which are located nearby (e.g. a few tens or even hundreds of meters). The vehicle 1 according to the invention finally comprises a driving assistance system 4, which is equipped with at least one detection device (e.g. radar, lidar, camera, etc.), and which is configured to provide a functionality for monitoring dangerous events which occur in the vicinity of the vehicle 1.

[0019] Advantageously, the vehicle 1 according to the invention also carries a device 100 for managing the signaling of dangerous events within the meaning of the present invention, as described below, which implements a method for managing the signaling of dangerous events within the meaning of the present invention, as briefly summarized below and described in detail below.

[0020] When implementing the method, the device 100 according to the invention monitors whether data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event are generated or received. And when such data are available, it then determines whether communication by means of the mobile communication network 5 is possible at the current time. If it establishes that this is not the case, i.e. that the communication channel that it uses in a preferred manner is unavailable, the device 100 according to the invention then controls the transmission of the location of the dangerous event by means of a secondary communication channel, namely to another vehicle equipped with the same means of communication which is located nearby, possibly just in front.As will be seen below, this is how the device 100 according to the invention allows the implementation of a collaborative signaling functionality for dangerous events within an intelligent transport system even in cases where a fifth generation communication network is unavailable.

[0021] Figure 2 illustrates in more detail the device 100 for managing the signaling of dangerous events according to the invention. It is essentially a computer device, which comprises at least one information processing unit 101, comprising one or more processors, a data storage medium 102, on which is recorded in particular a program which comprises program code instructions for executing the steps of the method according to the invention described below, and an input and output interface 103 allowing the reception and transmission of data.

[0022] Preferably, the device 100 according to the invention is integrated into an independent computer and it interacts via its input and output interface 103 and by means of a wired communication network of the vehicle (eg CAN, Ethernet, MOST) - shown in Figure 1 by the two-way arrows - with the navigation system 2, with the communication system 3 and with the system driving assistance system 4. Alternatively, the device 100 according to the invention is partially or fully part of the navigation system 2. Whatever the embodiment of the invention, the device 100 according to the invention can, in particular, determine whether data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event are generated or received, it can determine whether communication by means of the mobile communication network 5 is possible at a current time and it can cause the transmission of data to a second on-board communication system on board a second motor vehicle located nearby.

[0023] According to the invention, all the elements described above contribute to enabling the implementation, on board a first motor vehicle 1, of a method for managing the signaling of dangerous events, as described below in connection with figures 1, 3 and 4.

[0024] Figure 3 illustrates by means of a flowchart the steps of the method according to the invention. According to a first step 201 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention determines whether data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event are generated or received. In other words, the device 100 according to the invention constantly monitors whether the presence of a dangerous event is identified.

[0025] To do this, it firstly interacts with the navigation system 2 in order to determine whether an entry specifying the presence of a dangerous event is made by a user of the vehicle 1. Indeed, as mentioned above, the navigation system 2 of the vehicle 1 according to the invention is configured to allow a user to make an entry specifying the presence of a dangerous event. In other words, a user can therefore conventionally specify the presence of a dangerous event that he witnesses by operating the entry interface of the navigation system 2. And when this happens, data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event near the vehicle 1 are generated by the navigation system 2 and advantageously used by the device 100 according to the invention during this first step 201 of the method.

[0026] Secondly, the device 100 according to the invention also interacts with the driving assistance system 4 in order to determine whether such data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event are generated by the latter. Indeed, as mentioned above, the driving assistance system 4 of the vehicle 1 according to the invention is configured in a traditional manner to carry out monitoring of the driving environment of the vehicle by means of its detection device(s) in order to determine, for example by means of an artificial neural network trained for this purpose, whether a dangerous event occurs in the driving environment of the vehicle 1. And when it establishes that this is the case, the driving assistance system 4 then generates data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event, which are advantageously used by the device 100 according to the invention during this first step 201 of the method.

[0027] Thirdly, the device 100 according to the invention also interacts during this first step 201 of the method with the communication system 3 in order to determine whether data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event are received. Indeed, as will be seen below, such data can be transmitted by another vehicle which has a communication system equivalent to the communication system 3 which is on board the vehicle 1 according to the invention, i.e. a communication system which can communicate by means of a fifth generation mobile communication network. Indeed, the communication systems which use such networks are capable of being able to exchange data directly between them without going through the mobile communication network, as in an ad-hoc network. This is why the device 100 according to the invention also interacts with the communication system 3. communication 3 to monitor whether it receives data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event which, as will be seen below, may therefore advantageously have been transmitted by another vehicle located nearby.

[0028] And when it establishes that data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event are generated or received, the device 100 according to the invention proceeds by carrying out the following step of the method according to the invention described below.

[0029] According to a second step 202 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention determines whether communication by means of the mobile communication network 5 is possible at the current time. For this purpose, it interacts with the communication system 3, which, in a completely conventional manner, is able to determine the current state of its connectivity with the mobile communication network 5. And when it establishes that the mobile communication network 5 is unavailable, the device 100 according to the invention then carries out the following step of the method according to the invention described below.

[0030] According to a third step 203 of the method according to the invention, the device 100 according to the invention causes the transmission of data characterizing at least one location of the dangerous event to a second communication system configured to transmit and receive data by means of said network which is on board a second motor vehicle 6 located in the vicinity of the first vehicle 1. To do this, the device 100 according to the invention first interacts with the navigation system 2 in order to determine the current location of the vehicle. It then interacts with the communication system 3 to identify a motor vehicle which is nearby at the current time, for example just in front. Indeed, here too, advantage is taken of a functionality of fifth-generation communication networks, which allows to a communication system using such a network to be able to determine an equivalent communication system which is nearby, without needing to consult the mobile communication network for this purpose. In other words, the communication system 3 of the first vehicle 1 according to the invention can advantageously determine the connection information of the second communication system 7 on board the second vehicle 6 or of the third communication system 9 on board the third vehicle 8 according to the invention.

[0031] Thus, if we now refer to Figure 4, in which vehicles according to the invention AE have been schematically illustrated, some of which are in a tunnel extending between T1 and T2, as well as zones 1-4 covered by a fifth-generation mobile communication network, we understand that vehicle B according to the invention is the one that signals the presence of a dangerous event. However, the mobile communication network being unavailable at this location, it transmits the location of the dangerous event to vehicle C. The latter, which also carries a device 100 according to the invention, in turn transmits data to vehicle D, which in turn transmits to vehicle E.However, since the latter is outside the tunnel, it can communicate with the mobile communication network, so that the signaling of the dangerous event can at this stage be entered into an intelligent transport system to be possibly retransmitted to an entire fleet of vehicles for the purposes of information or implementation of autonomous driving functions. Thus, by advantageously allowing this type of communication from one place to another, the signaling of dangerous events is indeed possible even in the case where a fifth-generation mobile communication network is temporarily unavailable.

[0032] Furthermore, it is better understood here why, during the first step 201 of the method, the device 100 according to the invention is attached to determine whether data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event are received. Indeed, in the case of vehicles A, C and D of the illustrated example, it is on the basis of data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event which are received that they in turn implement the steps of the method according to the invention and that they thus participate in the routing of data characterizing at least the location of the dangerous event which occurs in the vicinity of vehicle B so that these are finally transmitted to vehicle E. The latter being connected to the mobile communication network, it can transmit such data so that they can then be distributed within an intelligent transport system.

[0033] Therefore, by means of the method and device according to the invention described above, it is possible for a navigation system of a motor vehicle to enable the implementation of a collaborative signaling functionality of dangerous events within an intelligent transport system even when a fifth generation mobile communication network is unavailable. The invention thus offers a broader capacity for implementing collaborative signaling of dangerous events within intelligent transport systems, which enables an improvement in driving safety.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Method for managing, by a computer device (100) on board a first motor vehicle (1), the signaling of dangerous events, the first vehicle (1) comprising a first communication system (3) configured to transmit and receive data by means of a fifth generation mobile communication network (5), characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: i) determining whether data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event are generated or received; ii) determining whether communication by means of said network (5) is possible at the current time;and iii) cause, in the event of unavailability of said network (5) at the current time, the transmission of data characterizing at least one location of the dangerous event to a second communication system (7) configured to transmit and receive data by means of said network which is on board a second motor vehicle (6) located in the vicinity of the first vehicle (1).; 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event are generated in response to an input made by a user by means of an input interface of a navigation system (2) of the first vehicle (1).

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event are generated by means of a detection device of a driving assistance system (4) of the first vehicle (1).

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data characterizing the presence of a dangerous event are received from a third communication system (9) configured to transmit and receive data by means of said network (5) which is on board a third motor vehicle (8) located near the first vehicle (1).

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that step iii) comprises a step consisting of identifying a motor vehicle which, at the current time, is located just in front of the first vehicle.

6. Device (100) for managing the signaling of dangerous events, characterized in that said device comprises an information processing unit (101), with one or more processors, and a data storage medium (102), which are configured to implement a method according to any one of the preceding claims.

7. Computer program comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 when said program is executed by at least one processor.

8. Computer-readable medium, characterized in that a program according to claim 7 is recorded therein.

9. Motor vehicle (1), characterized in that said vehicle carries a device (100) according to claim 6.

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