Communication method, device and associated motor vehicle.

Abstract

Communication method, implemented in a first motor vehicle (100) comprising a first radiofrequency device (120) capable of being configured to communicate on a channel, comprising the following steps: Reception, from a second motor vehicle (200) comprising a second radiofrequency device (220) capable of being configured to communicate on a channel: A geographical location (loc200) of the second vehicle (200), An identifier of a second channel among the plurality of radio frequency channels, the second radiofrequency device being configured to communicate on the second channel, Obtaining an identifier of a first channel, from the geographical location (loc200) of the second vehicle (200) and the identifier of the second channel, Configuring the first radiofrequency device (120) to communicate on the first channel, Transmitting: A geographical location (loc200) of the first vehicle (100),From the identifier of the first channel. Figure for the abstract: figure 1,

Description

Title of the invention: Communication method, device and associated motor vehicle.

[0001] The invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a radiofrequency communication device capable of being configured to communicate on one channel among a plurality of radio frequency channels, for example in accordance with a so-called “WIFI” protocol.

[0002] There is a need to improve the throughput and limit the interference of such communication.

[0003] For this purpose, the invention relates to a communication method, implemented in a first motor vehicle comprising a first radiofrequency (in other words: wireless) communication device capable of being configured to communicate on one (in other words: via one) channel (in other words: a frequency range) among a plurality of radio frequency channels (in other words: a plurality of radio frequency ranges), the communication method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: • First reception of second data, via a radio communication interface of the first motor vehicle (in other words; wireless) (in other words: via radio communication), from a second motor vehicle comprising a second radio frequency communication device capable of being configured to communicate on one channel among the plurality of radio frequency channels, the second data comprising: • A geographical location of the second motor vehicle, and • An identifier of a second channel (in other words: of a second frequency range) among the plurality of radio frequency channels, the second radio frequency communication device (in other words: wireless) being configured to communicate on the second channel (in other words: via the second channel) (an electronic device of the second vehicle can store or read, in the memory of the second radio frequency communication device, the identifier of the second channel and send it via the radio communication interface), • Then, obtaining (in other words: determining) an identifier of a first channel (in other words: of a first radio frequency range) among the plurality of radio frequency channels, from the geographical location graph of the second motor vehicle and the second channel identifier, then • Configuring the first radio frequency communication device to communicate (i.e.: so that it communicates) (i.e.: so that the first radio frequency communication device communicates) on the first channel (i.e.: via the first channel), and • Transmission (for example to the second vehicle) via the radio communication interface (in other words: wireless) (in other words: via radio communication), of first data comprising: • A geographical location of the first motor vehicle, and • The ID of the first channel.

[0004] Thus, thanks to the invention, potential radio interference between the communications of two radiofrequency communication devices of geographically close motor vehicles can be limited, which in particular makes it possible to improve the throughput of radiofrequency communications.

[0005] According to one embodiment, the steps of the method comprise: • Prior to the first reception step, and repeatedly, until the implementation of the transmission step (included), a repetition of the sending of information indicating that the first vehicle is master, and • And after the transmission step (and after the repetition step), sending information indicating that the first vehicle is no longer master, the implementation of the steps of the method (including the repetition step) being conditioned on no information indicating that another vehicle is master being received until the repetition step.

[0006] If information is received indicating that another vehicle is master, the following data is sent (to the second vehicle in particular): • A geographical location of the first motor vehicle, • An identifier of a channel (in other words: a second range) among the plurality of radio frequency channels, the first radio frequency (in other words: wireless) communication device being configured to communicate on the channel (in other words: a radio frequency range) (in other words: via the channel) (an electronic device of the first vehicle can store or read, in the memory of the first radio frequency communication device, the identifier of the channel and send it via the radio communication interface).

[0007] This embodiment is one of the solutions that can be implemented to avoid deadlocks or collisions. The skilled person will of course be able to implement other solutions.

[0008] For example, the steps of the method may be repeated.

[0009] The radio communication interface is configured to communicate according to a so-called “V2V” protocol. This may be a mobile telephone communication (for example based on a so-called “LTE”, “4G” or “5G” network) or a communication on a frequency band between 5.85 GigaHertz and 5.925 GigaHertz based, for example, on the so-called “IEEE 802.1 Ip” standard.

[0010] For example, the geographical location of the second motor vehicle can be obtained by a geolocation module of the second motor vehicle, for example of the so-called “GPS” type.

[0011] For example, the geographical location of the first motor vehicle can be obtained by a geolocation module of the first motor vehicle, for example of the so-called “GPS” type.

[0012] The geographical location may include a latitude, a longitude and an elevation. Alternatively, these are coordinates, in a reference frame of the road infrastructure, in polar coordinates.

[0013] The configuration step may for example comprise writing the identifier of the first channel into a memory of the first radiofrequency communication device, and / or sending, to the first radiofrequency communication device, a message comprising the identifier of the first channel.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the method comprises the following steps: • Calculation (in other words: determination) of a first distance, the first distance being a (geographic) distance (for example, Euclidean) between the geographical location of the second motor vehicle and the geographical location of the first motor vehicle, and • Comparison of a first threshold with the first distance, the identifier of the first channel, determined during the step of obtaining the identifier of the first channel, being different (in other words: disjoint) from the identifier of the second channel if the first distance is less than the first threshold.

[0015] This avoids using the same channel for two nearby motor vehicles.

[0016] The step of obtaining the identifier of the first channel can be implemented in several ways. For example, the identifier of the first channel can be the first encountered, by browsing the plurality of radio frequency channels, which has not been received from another vehicle located at a distance less than the threshold, for example stored and updated in a memory of the first vehicle.

[0017] Alternatively, for example, the identifier of the first channel may be: • The one received least often from another motor vehicle, located at a distance below the threshold, for a period, or • The one received for the longest time from another motor vehicle located at a distance less than the threshold, or • The one received from the vehicle furthest from the first motor vehicle, during a period.

[0018] According to one embodiment: • The first radio frequency communication device is configured to communicate on a current radio frequency channel (in other words via the current channel), before the step of obtaining the identifier of the first channel, and • The step of configuring the first radiofrequency communication device, and possibly the step of obtaining the identifier of the first channel, is conditional on the current channel being the second channel (or, more generally, on the first channel and the second channel overlapping).

[0019] Alternatively, these steps are implemented in all cases.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the method comprises the following steps: • For each channel (in other words: frequency range) of the plurality of radio frequency channels: • Reception, via the radio communication interface of the first motor vehicle from a motor vehicle comprising a radiofrequency communication device (in other words: wireless) capable of being configured to communicate on a channel (in other words: a frequency range) among the plurality of radiofrequency channels: • A geographical location of the motor vehicle, and • An identifier of said each channel, the radiofrequency communication device being configured to communicate on said each channel (in other words via said each channel), • Then, determining that a distance between the geographical location of the motor vehicle and the geographical location of the first motor vehicle is less than a first threshold, the identifier of the first channel obtained during the step of obtaining the first channel identifier being that received from the motor vehicle whose geographical location is the furthest from the geographical location of the first motor vehicle (In other words; the furthest geographically from the first motor vehicle) (by a distance, for example Euclidean) among those coming from from which a geographical location (located at a distance less than the first threshold) was received during the reception stage (in other words: during the reception stages) (for each channel).

[0021] For example, the first radiofrequency communication device and / or the second radiofrequency communication device is able to be configured to communicate on one of a plurality of radiofrequency channels in accordance with the so-called "WIFI" protocol, i.e. in accordance with one of the standards called "IEEE 802.lin", "IEEE 802.1 lac" or "IEEE 802.1 lax"). For example, the first radiofrequency communication device and / or the second radiofrequency communication device is in a so-called "Ad hoc" mode according to one of these standards.

[0022] For example, the plurality of radio frequency channels consists of or comprises channels 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 50, 64, 68, 96, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 120, 124, 128, 132, 136, 140 of the so-called “IEEE 802.lin” or “IEEE 802.1 lac” standards. Alternatively, or in combination, for example, the plurality of radio frequency channels consists of or comprises channels 1, 6, 11 (or 2, 7, 12 or 3, 8, 13 or 4, 9, 14 or 5, 10, 14) of the so-called “IEEE 802.lin” standard.

[0023] For example, the geographical location of the motor vehicle can be obtained by a motor vehicle geolocation module, for example of the so-called “GPS” type.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the first threshold is between 15 meters and 100 meters.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the first data comprises a geographical location of a first destination of a journey for which guidance instructions are returned (by, for example, a screen, a projector and / or a loudspeaker of the first vehicle) to a driver of the first motor vehicle, and the second data comprises a geographical location of a second destination of a journey for which guidance instructions are returned (by, for example, a screen, a projector and / or a loudspeaker of the second vehicle) to a driver of the second vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: • Calculation (in other words: determination) of a second distance, the second distance being a (geographic) distance (for example, Euclidean) between the geographical location of the second motor vehicle and the geographical location of the first motor vehicle, and of a third distance, the third distance being a (geographic) distance (for example, Euclidean or a shortest path in a road network) between the geographical location of the second destination and the geographical location of the first destination, then • Comparison of a first threshold and a second threshold with the second distance and a third threshold with the third distance, the identifier of the first channel, determined during the step of obtaining the identifier of the first channel, being different from the identifier of the second channel if the second distance is less than the second threshold and greater than the first threshold and if the third distance is less than the third threshold.

[0026] For example, in this case, the identifier of the first channel is the first encountered in a path of the plurality of radio frequency channels which, during a period of time, has not been received from a motor vehicle for which the second distance is less than the second threshold and greater than the first threshold and the third distance is less than the third threshold.

[0027] Alternatively, for example, the identifier of the first channel may be: • That received, least often, from a motor vehicle for which the second distance is less than the second threshold and greater than the first threshold and the third distance is less than the third threshold, during a period, or • The one received, for the longest time, from a motor vehicle for which the second distance is less than the second threshold and greater than the first threshold and the third distance is less than the third threshold or • That received from the vehicle furthest from the first motor vehicle (or for which the second distance and / or the third distance is maximum), during a period.

[0028] For example, the first threshold is between 15 meters and 100 meters.

[0029] For example, the third threshold is between 80 meters and 150 meters.

[0030] For example, the fourth threshold is between 1 kilometer and 50 kilometers.

[0031] The invention also relates to a computer program comprising instructions executable by a microprocessor or a microcontroller or a computer, to implement the steps of the method according to the invention, when it is executed by the microprocessor or the microcontroller or the computer.

[0032] The method according to the invention can be implemented by an electronic device (or a motor vehicle). The invention therefore also relates to an electronic device (or a motor vehicle) configured to implement the steps of the method according to the invention, as well as a motor vehicle comprising the electronic device.

[0033] The characteristics and advantages of the computer program, the electronic device, and the vehicle are identical to those of the method according to the invention (without it being necessary to repeat them here).

[0034] When the electronic device, motor vehicle, (or other element) is “ configured to” (or “capable of”) performing or implementing a step or operation, this implies, for example, that the element comprises means for performing the step or operation. The means preferably comprise electronic means, for example a computer program, data in memory, specialized electronic circuits, wired or wireless connections, a microprocessor and / or a microcontroller.

[0035] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the detailed description which follows, comprising embodiments of the invention given as non-limiting examples and illustrated by the appended drawings, in which: • [Fig.l] represents an electronic device and a motor vehicle, according to embodiments of the invention, in top view, • [Fig.2] represents an implementation of the method according to the invention, according to a exemplary embodiment, by the electronic device and the motor vehicle of [Fig.l].

[0036] In [Fig.l], certain elements are, of course, seen through transparency.

[0037] Detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention, with reference to figures 1 and 2.

[0038] [Fig.l] represents a vehicle 100 which is a motor vehicle. The vehicle 100 comprises a microprocessor 110 connected to a transceiver 130 of the so-called “WIFI” type of the vehicle 100 and to a communication module 120 of the so-called “V2V” type.

[0039] [Fig.l] also represents: • A vehicle 200 which is a motor vehicle. The vehicle 200 is located at a distance d2 of 7.50 meters from the vehicle 100, and comprises a microprocessor 210 connected to a transceiver 230 of the so-called “WIFI” type of the vehicle 200 and to a communication module 220 of the so-called “V2V” type, • A vehicle 300 which is a motor vehicle. The vehicle 300 is located at a distance d3 of 4.70 meters from the vehicle 100, and comprises a microprocessor 310 connected to a transceiver 330 of the so-called “WIFI” type of the vehicle 300 and to a communication module 320 of the so-called “V2V” type, • A vehicle 400 which is a motor vehicle. The vehicle 400 is located at a distance d4 of 15.75 meters from the vehicle 100, and comprises a microprocessor 410 connected to a transceiver 430 of the so-called “WIFI” type of the vehicle 400 and to a communication module 420 of the so-called “V2V” type.

[0040] The transceivers 130, 230, 330 and 430 are capable of being configured to communicate on channels 1, 6 and 11 according to the standard known as “802.11g”.

[0041] Vehicles 100, 200, 300 and 400 travel for example at low speed (for example 5 kilometers per hour) on a track.

[0042] For example: • The transceiver 130 is initially configured to communicate on channel 1, • The transceiver 230 is initially configured to communicate on channel 1, • The 330 transceiver is initially configured to communicate on channel 11, • The 430 transceiver is initially configured to communicate on channel 6,

[0043] [Fig.2] represents a first embodiment of the method according to the invention

[0044] According to a first embodiment in step S00: • The 210 microprocessor: • Receives the location loc200 of the vehicle 200 from a geolocation module of the vehicle 200, for example of the so-called “GPS” type, • Reads from a memory of the transceiver 230 an identifier of channel 1, • And sends this information via the communication module 220, • The microprocessor 110 receives, via the communication module 120: • The geographic location loc200 of vehicle 200, • Channel ID 1. • The 310 microprocessor: • Receives the location loc300 of the vehicle 300 from a geolocation module of the vehicle 300, for example of the so-called “GPS” type, • Reads from a memory of the transceiver 330 an identifier of channel 11, • And sends this information via the communication module 320 • The microprocessor 110 receives, via the communication module 120: • The geographic location loc300 of vehicle 300, • Channel ID 11. • The 410 microprocessor: • Receives the location loc400 of the vehicle 400 from a geolocation module of the vehicle 400, for example of the so-called “GPS” type, • Reads from a memory of the transceiver 430 an identifier of the channel 6, • And sends this information via the communication module 420 • The microprocessor 110 receives, via the communication module 120: • The geographic location loc400 of vehicle 400, • The channel identifier 6.

[0045] In step S10, the microprocessor 100 calculates the distance d2 which is 7.5 meters between the location loc100 of the vehicle 100 (which can be received by a geolocation module of the vehicle 100, for example of the so-called “GPS” type) and the location loc200.

[0046] In step S20, the microprocessor 110 compares the distance d2 with a threshold of 15 meters, and determines that d2 is less than the threshold of 15 meters.

[0047] In step S30, the microprocessor 110 determines that the transceiver 130 must be configured with the identifier of channel 6, to communicate on channel 6 (different from the identifier of channel 1 used by the transceiver 230), by scanning a list comprising the identifiers of channels 1, 6 and 11 in the memory of the microprocessor 110. The distance d2 being less than the threshold of 15 meters, the identifier of channel 1 must be excluded, during this determination. The identifier of channel 6 is thus the first encountered in the scanning of this list, since the identifier of channel 1 used by the transceiver 230.

[0048] In step S40, the microprocessor 110 configures the transceiver 130 so that the transceiver 130 communicates on channel 6. Step S30 may comprise, for example, a writing of the identifier of channel 6 in a memory of the transceiver 130 by the microcontroller 110.

[0049] In step S50, since the transceiver 330 is configured to communicate on channel 11, different from channel 6, and since the distance d4 between the location loc400 of the vehicle 400 and the location loc100 is greater than the threshold of 15 meters, the microprocessor 110 determines that there is no need to configure the transceiver 130 again to take into account the channels used by the transceiver 330 and the transceiver 430. However, in a systematic approach, which is of course possible, nothing prevents the microprocessor 110 from writing the identifier of channel 6 again in the memory of the transceiver 130.

[0050] In step S60, the microprocessor 110 transmits, via the radio communication interface 120, first data (for example received by the microprocessors 210, 310 and 410) comprising: • A geographical location loc200 of the first motor vehicle 100, • The channel identifier 6.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the steps of the method comprise: • Prior to step S00, and repeatedly, up to and including the implementation of step S60, a repetition of the sending of information indicating that the vehicle 100 is master, • And after step S60, sending of information indicating that the vehicle 100 is no longer master, the implementation of steps S00 and S60 (and of the repetition) being conditioned on no information indicating that another vehicle is master being received until step S60.

[0052] According to a second embodiment, in step S30, channel 6 is determined by directly taking into account the fact that channel 1 is used by transceiver 230, that channel 11 is used by transceiver 330, and that distance d4 is greater than the threshold of 15 meters. Step S50 is then deleted, and the other steps would be unchanged.

[0053] According to this second embodiment, for example, if, instead of being 15 meters the threshold was 20 meters, then: • In step S20, the microprocessor 110 could calculate the distances d1, d2, d3 and d4, and determine that all of these distances are less than the threshold of 20 meters. • And according to a variant, in step S30, the microprocessor 110 could determine that it is necessary to configure the transceiver 130 to communicate on channel 6 because it corresponds to the vehicle 400 whose geographical location loc400 is the furthest from the vehicle 100 among the geographical locations loc100, loc200, loc300 and loc400, and • The other steps would be unchanged.

[0054] According to a third embodiment: • We assume the distances dl, d2, d3 and d4 multiplied by 11, • In step S00, a location of a second destination of a journey for which guidance instructions are returned, by a screen of the vehicle 200, to a driver of the vehicle 200, is sent, in addition (in addition to the geographical location loc200 of the vehicle 200 and the identifier of the channel 1). • In step S10, the microprocessor 110 calculates the distance d2 between the vehicle 100 and the vehicle 200 which is then 82.5 meters • In step S10, the microprocessor 110 also calculates a second distance between: • The second destination received in step S00, and • A first destination of a journey for which guidance instructions are returned, by a screen of the vehicle 100, to a driver of the vehicle 100. • Assume that the second distance is equal to 800 meters. • In step S20, the microprocessor 110 compares: • The distance d2 with a threshold of 15 meters and with a threshold of 80 meters, and determines that the distance d2 is greater than the threshold of 15 meters and less than the threshold of 80 meters, and • The second distance with a threshold of 1 kilometer, and determines that the second distance is less than 1 kilometer. • In step S30, the microprocessor 110 determines that the transceiver 130 must be configured with the identifier of channel 6, to communicate on channel 6 (different from the identifier of channel 1 used by the transceiver 230), by scanning a list comprising the identifiers of channels 1, 6 and 11. The distance d2 being greater than the threshold of 15 meters and less than the threshold of 80 meters and the second distance being less than 1 kilometer, channel 1 must be excluded during this determination. The identifier of channel 6 is thus the first encountered in scanning this list, from the identifier of channel 1 used by the transceiver 230. • During step S60, the first data includes the first destination. • The other steps remain unchanged.

[0055] According to one embodiment, the microprocessors 210, 310 and 410 implement the same method as that of [Fig. 1].

Claims

Claims

1. Communication method, implemented in a first motor vehicle (100) comprising a first radiofrequency communication device (120) capable of being configured to communicate on one channel among a plurality of radio frequency channels, the communication method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: • First reception (S00) of second data, via a radio communication interface (130) of the first motor vehicle (100), coming from a second motor vehicle (200) comprising a second radio frequency communication device (220) capable of being configured to communicate on one channel among the plurality of radio frequency channels, the second data comprising: • A geographical location (loc200) of the second motor vehicle (200), and • An identifier of a second channel among the plurality of radio frequency channels, the second radio frequency communication device being configured to communicate on the second channel, • Obtaining (S30) an identifier of a first channel among the plurality of radio frequency channels, from the geographical location (loc200) of the second motor vehicle (200) and the identifier of the second channel, then • Configuring (S40) the first radio frequency communication device (120) to communicate on the first channel, and • Transmission (S60), via the radio communication interface (120), of first data comprising: • A geographical location (loc200) of the first motor vehicle (100), and • The ID of the first channel.

2. A radio frequency communication method, according to claim 1, comprising the following steps: Calculation (S 10) of a first distance (d2), the first distance (d2) being a distance between the geographical location (loc200) of the second motor vehicle (200) and the geographical location (loclOO) of the first motor vehicle (100), and Comparison (S20) of a first threshold with the first distance (d2), the identifier of the first channel, determined during the step of obtaining (S30) the identifier of the first channel, being different from the identifier of the second channel if the first distance (d2) is less than the first threshold.

3. A radio frequency communication method, according to claim 1, comprising the following steps: • For each channel of the plurality of radio frequency channels: • Reception, via the radio communication interface (130) of the first motor vehicle (100) from a motor vehicle (300, 400) comprising a radiofrequency communication device (320, 420) capable of being configured to communicate on one channel among the plurality of radiofrequency channels: • A geographical location (loc300, loc400) of the motor vehicle (300, 400), and • An identifier of said each channel, the radiofrequency communication device (320, 420) being configured to communicate on said each channel, • Determining that a distance (dl, d2, d3) between the geographical location (loc200, loc300, loc400) of the motor vehicle (200, 300, 400) and the geographical location (100) of the first motor vehicle (100) is less than a first threshold, The identifier of the first channel obtained during the step of obtaining the first channel identifier being that received from the motor vehicle whose the geographical location is the furthest from the geographical location of the first motor vehicle (100) among those from which a geographical location was received during the reception step.

4. A radio frequency communication method according to claim 2 or 3 wherein the first threshold is between 15 meters and 100 meters.

5. A radiofrequency communication method according to claim 1 wherein the first data comprises a geographical location of a first destination of a journey for which guidance instructions are returned to a driver of the first motor vehicle (100), and the second data comprises a geographical location of a second destination of a journey for which guidance instructions are returned to a driver of the second vehicle (200), the method comprising the following steps: • Calculating a second distance, the second distance being a distance between the geographical location of the second motor vehicle (200) and the geographical location of the first motor vehicle (100), and a third distance, the third distance being a distance between the geographical location of the second destination and the geographical location of the first destination,• Comparison of a first threshold and a second threshold with the second distance and a third threshold with the third distance, the identifier of the first channel, determined during the step of obtaining the identifier of the first channel, being different from the identifier of the second channel if the second distance is less than the second threshold and greater than the first threshold and if the third distance is less than the third threshold.,

6. Radiofrequency communication method according to the preceding claim in which the second threshold is between 80 meters and 150 meters.

7. A radio frequency communication method according to claim 5 or 6 wherein the third threshold is between 1 kilometer and 50 kilometers.

8. Computer program comprising instructions, executable by

9. a microprocessor or microcontroller, for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, when executed by the microprocessor or microcontroller. Electronic device (110) configured to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. Motor vehicle (100) comprising the electronic device (110) according to the preceding claim.

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