Method, V2X device, and computer-readable storage medium for sensor-assisted V2X communications

Abstract

Techniques described herein provide improved determination of V2X communication range based on sensor information acquired at a V2X device. According to embodiments, a V2X device can acquire sensor information regarding a detected object and determine a communication range for a V2X message transmitted by the V2X device based on one or more detected characteristics of the detected object. The V2X message itself may include information regarding one or more detected characteristics of the detected object, as well as information indicating the location of the V2X device and the determined communication range.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to sensor-assisted V2X communication. [Background technology]

[0002] Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) is a communication standard for vehicles and associated entities to exchange information about the traffic environment. V2X may include vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication between V2X-enabled vehicles, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication between vehicles and infrastructure-based devices (e.g., roadside units (RSUs), cellular base stations, WiFi access points, servers, etc.), vehicle-to-person (V2P) communication between vehicles and nearby people (pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users), etc. Additionally, V2X may use any of a variety of wireless radio frequency (RF) communication technologies. Cellular V2X (CV2X) is a form of V2X that uses cellular-based communication, such as, for example, Long Term Evolution (LTE), Fifth Generation New Radio (5G NR), and / or other cellular technologies in a direct communication mode defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®). A component or device on a vehicle, RSU, or other V2X entity used to communicate V2X messages is commonly referred to as a V2X device or V2X user equipment (UE).

[0003] To help ensure efficient use of communications, V2X devices are equipped with the capability to apply distance-based communication control to transmitted V2X messages. That is, a V2X device can determine a communication range for a V2X message and then transmit the V2X message to all V2X entities within the communication range of the transmitting V2X device. However, this communication range determination is currently dictated solely by the time required for a V2X device to react to a particular maneuver or action. This can be problematic in dynamic situations where factors other than reaction time may be important to a V2X entity. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] ZTE: "V2X message transmission / reception using UE type RSU with LTE-Uu and PC5 one-to-all broadcast", 3GPP DRAFT; S2-162422-V2X SEVICES USING UE TYPE RSU WITH LTE-UU AND PC5 DISCUSSION, 3RD GENERATION PARTNERSHIP PROJECT (3GPP), MOBILE COMPETENCE CENTRE; 650, ROUTE DES LUCIOLES; F-06921 SOPHIA-ANTIP vol. SA WG2, no. Nanjing, PR China; 20160523- 20160527, May 23, 2016, XP051109183, Internet: URL:http: / / www.3gpp.org / ftp / Meetings_3GPP SYNC / SA2 / Docs / [Non-Patent Document 2] QUALCOMM INCORPORATED: "Physical layer procedures for HARO operation for groupcast and unicast transmissions", 3GPP DRAFT; 650, ROUTE DES LUCIOL vol. RAN WG1, no. Athens, Greece; 20190225 - 20190301, February 16, 2019, XP051600692, Internet: URL:http: / / www.3gpp.org / ftp / tsg%5Fran / WG1%5FRL1 / TSGR1%5F96 / Docs / R1%2D1902995%2Ezip Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Techniques described herein provide improved determination of V2X communication range based on sensor information acquired at the V2X device. According to an embodiment, the V2X device may acquire sensor information regarding a detected object and determine a communication range for a V2X message transmitted by the V2X device based on one or more detected characteristics of the detected object. The V2X message itself may include information regarding one or more detected characteristics of the detected object, as well as information indicating the location of the V2X device and the determined communication range.

[0006] An example method for sensor-based determination of a communication range for a V2X message according to the present specification includes obtaining, at a V2X device, sensor information regarding one or more properties of an object detected by one or more sensors, determining a communication range for the V2X message based at least in part on the one or more properties of the object, and wirelessly transmitting, from the V2X device, the V2X message comprising information indicative of a location of the V2X device and the determined communication range.

[0007] An example V2X device according to the present specification comprises a wireless communication interface, a memory, and one or more processing units communicatively coupled to the memory and the wireless communication interface. The one or more processing units are configured to obtain sensor information related to one or more properties of an object detected by one or more sensors, determine a communication range for a V2X message based at least in part on the one or more properties of the object, and wirelessly transmit the V2X message via the wireless communication interface. The V2X message comprises information indicative of a location of the V2X device and the determined communication range.

[0008] According to this specification, another example device comprises means for obtaining sensor information regarding one or more properties of an object detected by one or more sensors, means for determining a communication range for a V2X message based at least in part on the one or more properties of the object, and means for wirelessly transmitting the V2X message, the V2X message comprising information indicative of a location of the device and the determined communication range.

[0009] An example non-transitory computer-readable medium according to the present specification has instructions stored therein that, when executed by one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to obtain sensor information regarding one or more properties of an object detected by one or more sensors, determine a communication range for a V2X message based at least in part on the one or more properties of the object, and transmit the V2X message. The V2X message comprises information indicative of a location of the V2X device and the determined communication range. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 provides an overhead view of a traffic intersection. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 provides an overhead view of an intersection and vehicles similar to FIG. 1, but further illustrates how an extended communication range can be determined based on sensor information according to some embodiments. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a basic architecture of components used to determine extended communication range as described herein, according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a V2X device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method in a V2X device of sensor-based determination of communication range for V2X messages, according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system in which a vehicle may communicate over various networks and with various devices, vehicles, and servers, according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle, according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example vehicle capable of communicating using sidelink / CV2X communications in the manner described herein, according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] According to some exemplary implementations, like reference numbers in various figures refer to like elements. In addition, multiple instances of an element may be indicated by following the first number for the element with a letter or a hyphen and a second number. For example, multiple instances of element 110 may be indicated as 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, etc., or as 110a, 110b, 110c, etc. When referring to such an element using only the first number, any instance of that element should be understood (e.g., element 110 in the previous example would refer to elements 110-1, 110-2, and 110-3, or elements 110a, 110b, and 110c).

[0012] Certain exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. Specific embodiments in which one or more aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented are described below, but other embodiments may be used and various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the scope of the present disclosure or the appended claims.

[0013] As referred to herein, "V2X devices," "V2X vehicles," and "V2X entities" refer to devices, vehicles, and entities capable of transmitting and receiving V2X messages, respectively. Similarly, "non-V2X vehicles" and "non-V2X entities" refer to vehicles and entities that do not or cannot be involved in V2X communications. Although numerous embodiments have described "V2X vehicles" and "non-V2X vehicles," it will be understood that numerous embodiments may be expanded to include non-vehicle entities, such as pedestrians, cyclists, road hazards, obstacles, and / or other traffic-related objects. When generally referred to herein, an "object" detected by a sensor as described in the embodiments herein may refer to a detected vehicle or non-vehicle object that may be on or near a road. Additionally, while the embodiments herein are directed to V2X communications, it will be understood that alternative embodiments may be directed to alternative forms of traffic-related communications. Those skilled in the art will appreciate such variations.

[0014] In V2X communications, data transmitted by one V2X device may only be relevant to V2X devices within a certain distance of the transmitting V2X device. For example, a vehicle attempting to cross an intersection may only find relevant data within a certain proximity to the intersection. Similarly, for vehicles participating in cooperative driving, only vehicles affected by the maneuver may find the data relevant.

[0015] As mentioned, V2X (under 5G NR) supports distance-based communication control. More specifically, when a receiving V2X device within a specified distance (referred to herein as a "V2X communication range" or simply "communication range") receives a V2X message from a transmitting V2X device, the receiving V2X device will transmit a negative acknowledgement (NAK) if it is within the specified range but fails to decode the message. This allows the transmitting V2X device to retransmit the message. Through this mechanism, V2X reception reliability is increased for V2X devices within the specified range, improving performance for device operations relying on underlying V2X communications.

[0016] Additionally, V2X-enabled devices may be familiar with the location and motion states of other V2X vehicles, as well as non-V2X vehicles (and other objects) in their vicinity. In the former case, this may be determined by receiving messages or signaling from other V2X devices, e.g., control signaling, Basic Safety Messages (BSMs), or Cooperative Awareness Messages (CAMs), indicating the location of the V2X devices or vehicles. In the latter case, this may be determined by on-board sensors capable of detecting motion states and / or other properties of non-V2X vehicles and other objects.

[0017] The embodiments provided herein leverage this capability of the V2X device to use on-board sensors to determine the nature of non-V2X vehicles and other objects to dynamically determine the communication range for V2X messages. In some embodiments, for example, the V2X device can determine one or more properties of a detected object and, based on the one or more properties, help increase the communication range for V2X messages and inform nearby V2X devices of the one or more properties of the detected object. This additional information can alert nearby V2X devices of any conditions that need to be taken into account to ensure the safety of the user. The embodiments are described below with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram providing an overhead view of a traffic intersection 100 provided to help illustrate how V2X communication can be used by vehicles 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, and 110-4 (collectively and generically referred to herein as vehicles 110) to provide useful information that can be used by the vehicles 110 to help ensure the safety of passengers therein. It will be understood that FIG. 1, as with other diagrams provided herein, is provided as a non-limiting example. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the number of scenarios in which V2X communication can be useful extends well beyond this example. It will be appreciated that the scenarios can include more or fewer vehicles, different types of vehicles, as well as non-vehicle entities (such as RSUs, Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs), road hazards, and other objects that may or may not be V2X communication capable).

[0019] Here, each vehicle 110 is approaching an intersection 100. As the vehicles approach the intersection 100, it may be useful for each vehicle 110 to know the speed, direction, and location of each of the other vehicles to help ensure safe navigation through the intersection 100. Ultimately, the intersection 100 may manage the vehicles' crossing using V2X communications, either with a dedicated RSU or between the vehicles 110 themselves. However, even in the absence of such management, this knowledge of the nature of the other vehicles 110 may help the vehicles (e.g., autonomous and / or semi-autonomous vehicles) and / or their drivers to navigate safely through the intersection 100.

[0020] In FIG. 1, the communication range 120 of a V2X message sent from a transmitting vehicle 110-1 is shown. (It may be noted, however, that the communication range 120 is shown by way of example and not necessarily to scale.) That is, the vehicle 110-1 is equipped with a V2X device capable of transmitting a V2X message (e.g., BSM, CAM, etc.) to alert nearby vehicles 110 of the nature (location, speed, direction, etc.) of the transmitting vehicle 110-1. As noted, the communication range 120 is generally defined by the time required for the device to react to a desired maneuver or action. This reaction time is a function of the speed of the transmitting vehicle 110-1, the distance to the location (e.g., the distance of the transmitting vehicle 110-1 to the intersection 100), and, in the case of cooperative operation with other V2X vehicles, the speed and distance between the vehicles. In some cases, the reaction time may be on the order of a few seconds, while in other cases it may be longer or shorter depending on the circumstances. Thus, the communication range 120 dynamically adapts to each situation.

[0021] The V2X message sent by the transmitting vehicle 110-1 may include an indication of the communication range 120. For example, the communication range may be carried in the message or may be indicated by lower layer signaling accompanying the message transmission. As mentioned, to help ensure that the message is communicated successfully, V2X may implement the use of distance based hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback to allow a vehicle 110 within the communication range 120 to indicate an inability to decode a packet and prompt a retransmission of the V2X message. For example, in FIG. 1, if the receiving vehicle 110-2 includes a V2X device and is able to decode the indication of the communication range 120 (e.g., control signaling for the V2X message sent from the transmitting vehicle 110-1) but is unable to decode the packet of information contained in the V2X message, the receiving vehicle 110-2 may send a NAK to prompt the transmitting vehicle 110-1 to retransmit the V2X message. Other vehicles outside communication range 120 (e.g., vehicles 110-3 and 110-4) that receive the V2X message may choose to ignore the V2X message.

[0022] 2 provides an overhead view of an intersection 100 and a vehicle 110 similar to FIG. 1, but illustrates how an extended communication range 210 may be determined based on sensor information according to some embodiments. The extended communication range 210 may be determined by the transmitting vehicle 110-1 and may be advantageous in any of a variety of scenarios, including when the transmitting vehicle 110-1 obtains sensor information regarding one or more properties of a detected object that may be beneficial for a nearby V2X device to be aware of. V2X-enabled vehicles generally have access to a large amount of sensor data, and therefore the transmitting vehicle 110-1 may be able to determine any of a variety of properties of the detected object.

[0023] 2, the detected object comprises a detected vehicle 110-5. According to some embodiments, the detected vehicle 110-5 may comprise a non-V2X vehicle or may comprise a V2X device that is currently disabled. In either case, the transmitting vehicle 110-1 may be able to use the sensor data to determine that the detected vehicle 110-5 is not transmitting a V2X message. This sensor data may be used by the transmitting vehicle 110-1 to determine an extended communication range 210.

[0024] As a basic example, the transmitting vehicle 110-1 may obtain sensor data regarding one or more properties of the detected vehicle 110-5. Based on the one or more properties (described in more detail below), the transmitting vehicle 110-1 may determine a distance for an extended communication range 210, allowing the receiving vehicle (e.g., 110-3) to have a greater reaction time to an action by the transmitting vehicle 110-1 (and thus an appropriate reaction time to 110-5). In some embodiments, not only may one or more properties of the detected vehicle 110-5 be used by the transmitting vehicle 110-1 to determine the extended communication range 210, but the transmitting vehicle 110-1 may also transmit these properties in a V2X message to alert other V2X devices of these properties. Thus, in such an embodiment, the transmitting vehicle 110-1 may effectively relay V2X-related information of non-V2X vehicles.

[0025] As mentioned, the transmitting vehicle 110-1, being equipped with a V2X device, may have access to a large amount of sensor data. The sensor data may be obtained from one or more sensors located on the transmitting vehicle 110-1 itself, such as one or more cameras, LIDAR, radar, etc. Although, the sensor data may not necessarily be limited to data from sensors on the transmitting vehicle 110-1.

[0026] According to some embodiments, the transmitting vehicle 110-1 may use sensor information received from other V2X devices. For example, the detected vehicle 110-5 may be detected by one or more sensors of another vehicle 110-6, which transmits the sensor information (or the detected nature of the detected vehicle 110-5 derived therefrom) in one or more V2X messages received by the transmitting vehicle 110-1. The transmitting vehicle 110-1 may then use this information to transmit a new message regarding the detected vehicle 110-5 using the extended communication range 210, allowing other V2X devices (e.g., the vehicle 110-3, if V2X-enabled) to receive information regarding the detected vehicle 110-5. Thus, the transmitting vehicle 110-1 relays information regarding the detected vehicle 110-5 to V2X devices that may not have received the message sent from the other vehicle 110-6. It may be noted that the sensor information may not necessarily be limited to on-board sensors. The sensor information may be relayed by non-vehicle V2X devices, such as RSUs, VRUs, etc.

[0027] The properties of the detected vehicle 110-5 are used by the transmitting vehicle 110-1 to determine the extended communication range 210 and may be included in the V2X message sent from the transmitting vehicle 110-1 as previously indicated. These properties may vary depending on the type of sensor used to detect the detected vehicle 110-5. These properties may generally include information regarding the location and motion state of the detected vehicle. More specifically, these may include the absolute and / or relative location of the detected vehicle (e.g., relative to the transmitting vehicle 110-1, the intersection 100, etc.), the speed (or separately the speed and / or direction components), the acceleration, etc. In some embodiments, other detected properties may include the vehicle type, one or more detected visible features, etc.

[0028] In other situations, the transmitting vehicle 110-1 may determine the extended communication range 210 based on sensor information regarding non-vehicle detected objects. These objects may include, for example, VRUs (pedestrians, cyclists, etc.), road hazards, and many more. In such cases, similar information may be used to determine the extended communication range 210 and / or may be included in the V2X message sent from the transmitting vehicle 110-1. Again, this information may include the location and motion status of the detected objects. In some embodiments, other information, such as object type, may be used as well.

[0029] Depending on the desired functionality, the transmitting vehicle 110-1 can use one or more detected properties of the detected vehicle 110-5 in any of a variety of ways to determine the extended communication range 210. In general, the extended communication range 210 can start with an initial communication range (e.g., communication range 120 shown in FIG. 1) based on the location and motion state of the transmitting vehicle 110-1, and then increased based on whether one or more detected properties meet certain conditions.

[0030] The location of the detected vehicle 110-5 may be used, for example, to determine an extended communication range 210 under some conditions. In some embodiments, the extended communication range 210 may be determined solely based on the initial communication range for the transmitting vehicle 110-1 plus the distance 220 between the transmitting vehicle 110-1 and the detected vehicle 110-5. The location of the detected vehicle 110-5 relative to other objects (other than the transmitting vehicle 110-1) may also be a consideration. As noted above, for example, the initial communication range 120 may be based in part on the proximity of the transmitting vehicle 110-1 to an intersection (e.g., the communication range 120 may be expanded to help ensure that other vehicles (110-3 and 110-4) approaching the intersection receive the V2X message). According to an embodiment, the transmitting vehicle 110-1 may take into account the proximity of the detected vehicle 110-5 to the intersection 100 (or construction zones, danger zones, or other traffic features that may also ensure extended communication range) when determining the extended communication range 210. Thus, the transmitting vehicle 110-1 may utilize maps and / or other information regarding the location of the intersection 100 (or other traffic feature). Similarly, the transmitting vehicle 110-1 may take into account the proximity of the detected vehicle 110-5 to the RSU, which can then adjust sensor measurements for the intersection 100 (or other traffic feature) and / or plan for pedestrian crossings, traffic signal changes, etc.

[0031] In some embodiments, speed may also be considered in any of a variety of ways, depending on the desired functionality. For example, if the transmitting vehicle 110-1 and the detected vehicle 110-5 are located as shown in FIG. 2 (traveling in the same direction, with the detected vehicle 110-5 ahead of the transmitting vehicle 110-1), the speed of the detected vehicle 110-5 may not affect the distance of the extended communication range 210 if the detected vehicle 110-5 is traveling at a slower speed than the transmitting vehicle 110-1. On the other hand, if the detected vehicle 110-5 is traveling at a faster speed, the distance of the extended communication range 210 may be increased. Again, the distance 220 between the vehicles may be involved, so that the relative speed and location of the detected vehicle 110-5 may be taken into account. If the detected vehicle 110-5 is moving in the opposite direction from the transmitting vehicle 110-1 and / or away from the intersection 100 (e.g., located and moving like vehicle 110-6), the detected vehicle 110-5 may not affect the distance of the extended communication range 210.

[0032] In some embodiments, the direction of travel of the transmitting vehicle 110-1 and / or the detected vehicle 110-5 may be taken into account when determining the extended communication range 210. For example, if the transmitting vehicle 110-1 or the detected vehicle 110-5 is traveling in a particular direction, the extended communication range 210 may be farther in front of the transmitting vehicle 110-1 or the detected vehicle 110-5 than behind. Thus, the extended communication range 210 may not form a circle around the transmitting vehicle 110-1 (e.g., form an elliptical shape instead) and / or the transmitting vehicle 110-1 may not be located at the center of the extended communication range 210. Moreover, according to some embodiments, the boundaries of this extended communication range 210 may also be communicated in the V2X message and / or beamforming may be performed to ensure proper communication of the V2X message within the communication range.

[0033] 3 is a block diagram of a basic architecture of components used to determine an extended communication range 210 as described herein, according to one embodiment. These components include a V2X device 310 with an application layer 320 and a radio layer 330, a sensor processing unit 340, and one or more sensors 350. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the components shown in FIG. 3 may comprise hardware and / or software components and may be executed by different devices, as illustrated below.

[0034] The V2X device 310 may comprise a device or component used to obtain sensor information, determine an extended communication range based thereon, and transmit a V2X message having an extended communication range. Thus, the V2X device 310 may be located and / or incorporated in a transmitting device (e.g., the vehicle 110-1 of FIGS. 1-2, as previously described). Although, some embodiments may not be limited to vehicular V2X devices. And, thus, the V2X device 310 may comprise a non-vehicular, V2X-enabled device (e.g., in an RSU, VRU, etc.).

[0035] The V2X device 310 may comprise hardware and software components, such as those shown in Figure 4 and described below. These components include components capable of executing the application layer 320 and radio layer 330 shown in Figure 3. For example, the application layer may be implemented by a software application executed by the processing unit 410, the DSP 420, and / or the memory 460 of the V2X device 310, and the radio layer 330 may be implemented by software (e.g., firmware) executed in the wireless communication interface 430 of the V2X device 310.

[0036] Although shown separate from the V2X device 310, the sensor processing unit 340 and / or the sensor 350 may be incorporated into the V2X device 310 according to some embodiments. For example, the sensor 350 may comprise the sensor 440 of the V2X device 310, and / or the sensor processing unit 340 may be implemented by the processing unit 410 and / or the DSP 420 of the V2X device 310. Again, additional description regarding these and other software and hardware components of the V2X device 310 is provided below with respect to FIG.

[0037] In short, the application layer 320 may be a layer in which a sensor-based communication range (e.g., the extended communication range 210 of FIG. 2) may be determined based on input from sensors 350 (e.g., comprising cameras, radar, LIDAR, etc.) provided via the sensor processing unit 340. The sensor processing unit 340 may comprise a general-purpose or dedicated processor that serves as a central hub for sensor data by receiving and processing sensor data from the sensors 350. In some embodiments, for example, the sensor processing unit 340 may be capable of receiving and fusing sensor data from the sensors 350 to determine higher order information. And thus, in some embodiments, the sensor processing unit 340 may provide the application layer 320 of the V2X device 310 with one or more properties of the object detected by the sensor 350 (e.g., object type, location, speed, acceleration, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, raw sensor data may be provided to the V2X device 310, which may make this determination. In some embodiments, therefore, the functionality of sensor processing unit 340 may be integrated into V2X device 310, as noted. In some embodiments, sensor 350 may be located and / or integrated into a vehicle or device separate from V2X device 310, as noted. In some embodiments, sensor processing unit 340 may also be located in a separate vehicle or device. In such cases, communication between sensor 350 and sensor processing unit 340 and / or communication between sensor processing unit 340 and V2X device 310 may be via wireless communication means.

[0038] The application layer 320 serves as an intermediary between the radio layer 330 and the sensors 350. As mentioned, the application layer 320 may determine a communication range for a V2X message sent from the V2X device 310 via the radio layer 330 based on sensor data as provided via the sensor processing unit 340. In the radio layer 330, which comprises a physical layer of hardware and software components configured to transmit the V2X message, the determined communication range may be implemented as a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback distance based on the desired range. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, a parameter indicative of the HARQ feedback distance may be included in the V2X message itself, or a parameter indicative of the HARQ feedback distance may be included in signaling that accompanies or indicates the V2X message, e.g., sidelink control information. Thus, in some embodiments, the determined communication range may be implemented by including a parameter indicative of the HARQ feedback distance in the V2X message or corresponding signaling.

[0039] However, it may be noted that the HARQ feedback distance may not be the same as the determined communication range. In some embodiments, for example, the HARQ feedback distance may be slightly larger than the determined communication range to accommodate a certain margin. Thus, some embodiments may utilize techniques to convert or map the determined communication range to the HARQ feedback distance. These may include, for example, increasing the determined communication range by a certain percentage or a minimum distance. In another example, the indication of the HARQ feedback distance has a restriction (e.g., only a limited number of quantized distances may be indicated), and the determined communication range is mapped to one of the quantized distances.

[0040] According to some embodiments, the radio layer 330 may also be used to determine an appropriate modulation and coding scheme (MCS) based on the communication range determined by the application layer 320 and passed to the radio layer. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the radio layer 330 may use different orders of MCS to transmit V2X messages. Generally speaking, if the desired range is longer, a more basic coding scheme is used, whereas a more complex coding scheme (higher order MCS) may be used at shorter ranges. An appropriate MCS selection may be used to help ensure efficient spectrum usage.

[0041] 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a V2X device 310 that may be utilized as described herein above. In some embodiments, the V2X device 310 may comprise or be integrated into a vehicle computer system used to manage one or more systems related to navigation and / or autonomous driving of the vehicle, and to communicate with other on-board systems and / or other traffic entities. In some embodiments, the V2X device 310 may comprise a standalone device or component on a vehicle (or other V2X entity) that may be communicatively coupled to other components / devices of the vehicle (or entity).

[0042] As mentioned, the V2X device 310 may implement the application layer 320 and radio layer 330 shown in Figure 3 and may also perform one or more of the functions of the method 500 of Figure 5, described below. It should be noted that Figure 4 is intended only to provide a generalized illustration of various components, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate. It should be noted that in some instances, the components illustrated by Figure 4 may be located on a single physical device and / or distributed among various networked devices that may be located, for example, in different physical locations on a vehicle.

[0043] The V2X device 310 is shown to comprise hardware elements that may be electrically coupled (or otherwise in communication, as appropriate) via a bus 405. The hardware elements may include a processing unit 410, which may include, but is not limited to, one or more general-purpose processors, one or more special-purpose processors (such as digital signal processing (DSP) chips, graphic acceleration processors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.), and / or other processing structures or means. As shown in FIG. 4, some embodiments may have a separate digital signal processor (DSP) 420, depending on the desired functionality. In embodiments in which a sensor processing unit 340 (as shown in FIG. 3 and previously described) is integrated into the V2X device 310, the processing unit 410 may comprise the sensor processing unit 340.

[0044] The V2X device 310 may also include one or more input devices 470, which may include devices related to a user interface (e.g., a touch screen, a touch pad, a microphone, buttons, dials, switches, etc.) and / or devices related to navigation, autonomous driving, etc. Similarly, the one or more output devices 415 may be devices related to interacting with a user (e.g., via a display, a light emitting diode (LED), a speaker, etc.) and / or devices related to navigation, autonomous driving, etc.

[0045] The V2X device 310 may also include a wireless communication interface 430, which may comprise, but is not limited to, a modem, a network card, an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device and / or chipset (such as a Bluetooth device, an IEEE 802.11 device, an IEEE 802.15.4 device, a Wi-Fi device, a WiMAX device, a WAN device, and / or various cellular devices), and the like. (An example of such communication is provided in FIG. 6 and described in more detail below.) The wireless communication interface 430 may enable the V2X device 310 to communicate to other V2X devices and may be used to implement the radio layer 330 shown in FIG. 3 and described above (as above) to transmit V2X messages using the determined communication range. Communication using the wireless communication interface 430 may occur via one or more wireless communication antennas 432 that send and / or receive wireless signals 434.

[0046] The V2X device 310 may further include sensors 440. The sensors 440 may comprise, without limitation, one or more inertial sensors and / or other sensors (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes, cameras, magnetometers, altimeters, microphones, proximity sensors, light sensors, barometers, etc.). The sensors 440 may be used to determine certain real-time characteristics of the vehicle, such as, for example, location, speed, acceleration, etc. In instances where the sensor data used to detect objects is received from sensors co-located on the vehicle (or other V2X entity) with the V2X device 310, the sensors 440 shown in FIG. 4 may include sensors 350 (shown in FIG. 3 and described previously).

[0047] An embodiment of the V2X device 310 may also include a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver 480 capable of receiving signals 484 from one or more GNSS satellites using an antenna 482 (which may be the same as antenna 432). Positioning based on GNSS signal measurements may be utilized to determine a current location of the V2X device and may further be used as a basis for determining the location of detected objects. The GNSS receiver 480 may use conventional techniques to extract a position of the V2X device 310 from GNSS satellites of a GNSS system, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) and / or similar satellite systems.

[0048] The V2X device 310 may further comprise and / or be in communication with a memory 460. The memory 460 may include, but is not limited to, local and / or network accessible storage, disk drives, drive arrays, optical storage devices, solid-state storage devices such as random access memory (RAM) and / or read-only memory (ROM) that may be programmable, flash updatable, and the like. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any suitable data store, including, but not limited to, various file systems, database structures, and the like.

[0049] The memory 460 of the V2X device 310 may also comprise software elements (not shown in FIG. 4 ) including other code, such as an operating system, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or one or more application programs, which may comprise computer programs provided by various embodiments and / or may be designed to implement the methods described herein and / or configure the systems described herein. The software applications stored in the memory 460 and executed by the processing unit 410 may be used to implement the application layer 320 shown in FIG. 3 and previously described. Moreover, one or more procedures described with respect to the methods described herein may be implemented as code and / or instructions in the memory 460 executable by the V2X device 310 (and / or the processing unit 410 or DSP 420 in the V2X device 310), including the functions shown in the method 500 of FIG. 5 described below. In one aspect, such code and / or instructions may then be used to configure and / or adapt a general-purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations in accordance with the described methods.

[0050] Figure 5 is a flow diagram of a method 500 in a V2X device of sensor-based determination of communication range for V2X messages, according to an embodiment. Alternate embodiments may vary in functionality by combining, separating, or otherwise varying the functions described in the blocks shown in Figure 5. Means for performing the functions of one or more of the blocks shown in Figure 5 may comprise hardware and / or software components of a V2X device, such as the V2X device 310 shown in Figure 4 and described above.

[0051] At block 510, the function includes obtaining sensor information at the V2X device regarding one or more properties of an object detected by one or more sensors. As shown in the previously described embodiments, the object may comprise any traffic-related object whose properties may inform the judgment of a nearby V2X device. This may include, for example, a second vehicle, a road hazard, or a VRU. Additionally, the one or more properties may include the location of the object, the direction of movement of the object, the acceleration of the object, the speed of the object, or the object type of the object, or any combination thereof.

[0052] The means for performing the functions in block 510 may include one or more software and / or hardware components of the V2X device, such as the bus 405, the processing unit 410, the sensor 440, the memory 460, the wireless communication interface 430, and / or other software and / or hardware components of the V2X device 310 shown in FIG. 3 and described previously.

[0053] At block 520, the function includes determining a communication range for the V2X message based at least in part on one or more properties of the object. As described with respect to FIG. 2, for example, the location and speed of the detected object may be used to determine the communication range (extended communication range 210). As further noted, this determination may be made at the application layer 320 of the V2X device 310. And thus, the means for performing the function at block 520 may include one or more software and / or hardware components of the V2X device, such as the bus 405, the processing unit 410, the memory 460, and / or other software and / or hardware components of the V2X device 310 shown in FIG. 3 and described above.

[0054] At block 530, the function includes wirelessly transmitting a V2X message from the V2X device, where the V2X message comprises information indicative of the location of the vehicle and the determined communication range. In some embodiments, the V2X message may further comprise one or more properties of the object. The location of the vehicle and the determined communication range may enable receiving V2X devices to determine, based on their own locations, whether they are located within the determined range of the transmitting V2X device. The V2X message may be transmitted by a radio layer (e.g., radio layer 330 of FIG. 3) of the V2X device. And, as mentioned, the determined communication range may be reflected in the V2X message or its associated signaling as a HARQ feedback distance. Thus, in some embodiments, the information indicative of the determined communication range comprises a HARQ feedback distance.

[0055] The means for performing the functions in block 530 may include one or more software and / or hardware components of the V2X device, such as the bus 405, the processing unit 410, the memory 460, the wireless communication interface 430, and / or other software and / or hardware components of the V2X device 310 shown in FIG. 3 and described previously.

[0056] Alternative embodiments of method 500 may include additional or alternative functionality, depending on the desired functionality. In some embodiments, there may be an initial determination that the detected object is not transmitting a V2X message, thereby enabling the V2X device to transmit one or more properties of the detected object instead. In such instances, method 500 may further include determining that the object has not transmitted a V2X message within a threshold time period (e.g., a time window during which a V2X message from the object would be expected if the object were V2X capable). Furthermore, in such embodiments, obtaining sensor information regarding one or more properties of the object may be in response to determining that the object has not transmitted a V2X message within the threshold time period.

[0057] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantial modifications may be made according to particular requirements. For example, customized hardware may be used and / or particular elements may be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software such as applets), or both. Further, connection to other computing devices, such as network I / O devices, may be used.

[0058] 6-8 are diagrams of systems, structural devices, vehicle components, and other devices, components, and systems related to V2X communications that may be used to implement techniques provided herein for sensor-based determination of communication range for V2X messages, according to some embodiments.

[0059] 6 is a diagram of a system in which vehicles may communicate with various devices, vehicles, and servers over various networks, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, V2X vehicle A 680 may communicate with V2X or other communications transceiver enabled vehicle B 690 using a V2X or other wireless communications transceiver over link 623 to, for example, in one embodiment, perform relative positioning between the vehicles, negotiation for lane changes, or for traversing intersections, exchange V2X data elements such as GNSS measurements, vehicle status, vehicle location and vehicle capabilities, measurement data, and / or calculated status, and other V2X vehicle status steps that may not be covered in the V2X capabilities data elements. In one embodiment, vehicle A 680 may also communicate with vehicle B 690 through the network, e.g., via wireless signals 622 / 624 to and from base station 620 and / or via wireless signals 632 to and from access point 630, or via one or more communication-enabled RSUs 625, any of which may relay communications, information, and / or convert protocols for use by other vehicles, such as vehicle B 690, especially in an embodiment where vehicle B 690 is not capable of communicating directly with vehicle A 680 in a common protocol. In one embodiment, the RSUs may comprise various types of roadside beacons, traffic and / or vehicle monitors, traffic control devices, and location beacons.

[0060] In one embodiment, the RSU 625 may have a processor 625A configured to operate a wireless transceiver 625E to send and receive wireless messages, e.g., Basic Safety Messages (BSM), or Cooperative Awareness Messages (CAM), or other V2X messages, to and from the base station 620 and / or the access point 630 to vehicle A 680 and / or vehicle B 690. For example, the wireless transceiver 625E may send and / or receive wireless messages in various protocols, such as V2X communications with vehicles (e.g., using sidelink communications) and / or using various wide area network (WAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), and / or personal area network (PAN) protocols to communicate over a wireless communications network. In one embodiment, the RSU 625 may include one or more processors 625A communicatively coupled to a wireless transceiver 625E and a memory, and may include instructions and / or hardware to perform as a traffic control unit 625C and / or to provide and / or process environmental and roadside sensor information 625D, or to act as a location reference for GNSS relative location between it and the vehicle. In one embodiment, the RSU 625 may include a network interface 625B (and / or a wireless transceiver 625E), which in one embodiment may communicate with an external server, such as a traffic optimization server 665, a vehicle information server 655, and / or an environmental data server 640. In one embodiment, the wireless transceiver 625E may communicate over a wireless communication network by transmitting or receiving wireless signals from a wireless base transceiver subsystem (BTS), a Node B, or an evolved Node B (eNodeB), or a next generation Node B (gNodeB) over a wireless communication link. In one embodiment, the wireless transceiver 625E may comprise various combinations of WAN transceivers, WLAN transceivers, and / or PAN transceivers.In one embodiment, the local transceiver may also be a Bluetooth transceiver, a ZigBee transceiver, or other PAN transceiver. The local transceiver, the WAN wireless transceiver, and / or the mobile wireless transceiver may comprise a WAN transceiver, an access point (AP), a femtocell, a home base station, a small cell base station, a home node B (HNB), a home eNodeB (HeNB), or a next generation node B (gNodeB), and may provide access to a wireless local area network (WLAN, e.g., an IEEE 802.11 network), a wireless personal area network (PAN, e.g., a Bluetooth network), or a cellular network (e.g., an LTE network, or other wireless wide area network such as those described in the next paragraph). It should be understood that these are merely examples of networks that may communicate with the RSU 625 over a wireless link, and that claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect.

[0061] The RSU 625 may receive location, status, GNSS and other sensor measurements, and capability information from vehicle A 680 and / or vehicle B 690, such as GNSS measurements, sensor measurements, speed, heading, location, stopping distance, priority or emergency status, and other vehicle-related information. In an embodiment, environmental information such as road surface information / status, weather status, and camera information may be collected and shared with the vehicles via either point-to-point or broadcast messaging. The RSU 625 may utilize information received from vehicle A 680 and / or vehicle B 690 via wireless transceiver 625E, environmental and roadside sensors 625D, and network information and control messages, for example, from traffic control and optimization server 665, to coordinate and direct traffic flow and provide environmental, vehicle, safety, and announcement messages to vehicle A 680 and vehicle B 690.

[0062] The processor 625A may be configured to operate a network interface 625B, which in one embodiment may be connected to a network 670 via a backhaul and may be used in one embodiment to communicate and coordinate with various centralized servers, such as a centralized traffic control and optimization server 665 that monitors and optimizes traffic flow in an area, such as within a city or section of a city, or in a region. The network interface 625B may also be utilized for remote access to the RSU 625 for crowdsourcing of vehicle data, maintenance of the RSU 625, and / or collaboration with other RSUs 625 or other users. The RSU 625 may have a processor 625A configured to operate a traffic control unit 625C, which may be configured to process data received from vehicles, such as vehicle A 680 and vehicle B 690, such as location data, stopping distance data, road condition data, identification data, and other information regarding the status and location of nearby vehicles and the environment. The RSU 625 may have a processor 625A configured to acquire data from environmental and roadside sensors 625D, which may include temperature, weather, cameras, pressure sensors, road sensors (e.g., for car detection), accident detection, movement detection, speed detection, and other vehicle and environmental monitoring sensors.

[0063] In one embodiment, vehicle A 680 may also communicate with mobile device 600 using short-range communications and personal networks such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Zigbee, or via V2X (e.g., CV2X / sidelink communications), or other vehicle-related communications protocols, for example, in one embodiment to access a WAN and / or Wi-Fi network, and / or in one embodiment to obtain sensor and / or location measurements from mobile device 600. In one embodiment, vehicle A 680 may communicate with mobile device 600 through a WAN network, such as via WAN base station 620, using a WAN-related protocol, or using Wi-Fi, either directly peer-to-peer or via a Wi-Fi access point. Vehicle A 680 and / or vehicle B 690 may communicate using a variety of communications protocols. In one embodiment, vehicle A 680 and / or vehicle B 690 may support various modes of wireless communications, such as, for example, using V2X, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access, (CDMA), High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, WiMAX, LTE, 5G New Radio Access Technology (NR) communications protocols, etc.

[0064] In one embodiment, vehicle A may communicate with wireless LAN access point 630 over a WAN network using a WAN protocol, or using a wireless LAN protocol such as Wi-Fi, via base station 620. The vehicle may also support wireless communications using, for example, WLAN, PAN (such as Bluetooth or ZigBee), digital subscriber line (DSL), or packet cable.

[0065] Vehicle A 680 and / or vehicle B 690 may include one or more GNSS receivers, such as GNSS receiver 480 for reception of GNSS signals 612 from GNSS satellites 610, in one embodiment, for location determination, time acquisition, and time keeping. Various GNSS systems may be supported, alone or in combination, using GNSS receiver 480 or other receivers to receive signals from Beidou, Galileo, Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), and / or Global Positioning System (GPS), as well as various regional navigation systems, such as Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) and NavIC or Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). In one example, other wireless systems, such as those that rely on beacons, such as one or more RSUs 625, one or more wireless LAN access points 630, or one or more base stations 620, may be utilized. Various GNSS signals 612 may be utilized in conjunction with vehicle sensors to determine location, speed, and proximity to other vehicles, such as between vehicle A 680 and vehicle B 690.

[0066] In one embodiment, vehicle A and / or vehicle B may have access to GNSS measurements and / or locations determined at least in part using GNSS as provided by mobile device 600, which in one embodiment also has GNSS, WAN, Wi-Fi and other communications receivers and / or transceivers. In one embodiment, vehicle A 680 and / or vehicle B 690 may have access to GNSS measurements (such as pseudorange measurements, Doppler measurements, and satellite IDs) and / or locations determined at least in part using GNSS as provided by mobile device 600 as a fallback in the event that GNSS receiver 480 fails or provides location accuracy below a threshold level.

[0067] Vehicle A 680 and / or vehicle B 690 may access various servers on the network, such as a vehicle information server 655, a route server 645, a location server 660, a map server 650, and an environmental data server 640.

[0068] Vehicle information server 655 may provide information describing various vehicles, such as antenna location, vehicle size, and vehicle capabilities, that may be utilized in making decisions regarding operations involving nearby vehicles, such as whether the nearby vehicles are able to stop or accelerate in a timely manner, whether the nearby vehicles are autonomous, autonomous driving capable, communications capable, etc. In one embodiment, vehicle information server 655 may also provide information regarding vehicle size, shape, capabilities, identification information, ownership, occupancy, and / or determined location points (e.g., GNSS receiver location, etc.), as well as the location of vehicle boundaries relative to the determined location points.

[0069] Route server 645 may receive current location and destination information and provide routing information, map data, alternate route data, and / or traffic and street condition data for vehicles.

[0070] Location server 660, in one embodiment, may provide location determination capabilities, transmitter signal acquisition assistance (such as GNSS satellite orbit prediction information, time information, approximate location information, and / or approximate time information), transceiver almanacs such as those including identification and locations of Wi-Fi access points and base stations, and, in some embodiments, additional information related to the route, such as speed limits, traffic, and road / construction status. Map server 650 may provide map data such as road locations, points of interest along roads, address locations along roads, road sizes, road speed limits, traffic conditions, and / or road conditions (wet, slippery, snowy / icy, etc.), road status (passable, under construction, accidents, etc.). Environmental data server 640, in one embodiment, may provide weather and / or road-related information, traffic information, terrain information, and / or road quality and speed information, and / or other related environmental data.

[0071] 6 may communicate over network 670 via various network access points, such as wireless LAN access point 630 on network 670, or wireless WAN base station 620. Vehicles 680 and 690 and mobile device 600 may also communicate directly between devices, between vehicles, and between devices and vehicles, and between devices and devices, using various short-range communication mechanisms to communicate directly without going over network 670, such as via Bluetooth, Zigbee, and 5G new wireless standards, in some embodiments.

[0072] 7 includes a functional block diagram of a vehicle 700, according to one embodiment. As mentioned, the vehicle 700 may include a V2X device 310. Accordingly, example hardware and / or software components for implementing the blocks illustrated in FIG. 7 are illustrated in FIG.

[0073] 7, vehicle 700 may receive vehicle and environmental information from vehicle external sensors 702, vehicle internal sensors 704, vehicle capabilities 706, external wireless information 708 such as other vehicle location and GNSS measurement information (from the environment, from other vehicles, from RSUs, from a system server), and / or vehicle motion states 710 (representing current and / or future motion states). The received vehicle, sensor, and environmental information may be processed in one embodiment in one or more processors 410, DSPs 420, and memory 460 (shown in FIG. 4), which are connected and configured to provide external object detection and classification, prediction and planning, and maneuver execution, as well as to determine and update V2X or other wireless data element values, including GNSS data element values, and to transmit messaging including determined data elements via wireless communication interface 430. Messaging and data elements may be sent and received via various means, protocols, and standards, such as via SAE or European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) CV2X messages, and / or other wireless V2X protocols supported by wireless communications interface 430.

[0074] The vehicle-to-vehicle relative location determination block 728 may be used to determine the relative locations of the vehicles in the area of ​​interest. In one embodiment, GNSS data is exchanged with vehicles, or other devices, such as RSUs, to determine and / or verify and / or enhance the accuracy of relative locations associated with other vehicles or devices. In one embodiment, determining the vehicles (or other devices) in the area of ​​interest may utilize broadcast location information, such as broadcast latitude and longitude received in messages from other vehicles, other devices, and location information for the vehicle 700 to determine approximate relative locations and / or approximate ranges between the vehicles.

[0075] In one embodiment, other vehicle-related input sources, such as servers 655, 645, 660, 650, and 640, may provide information such as vehicle information, routing, location assistance, map data, and environmental data, and may provide inputs for and / or complement and / or be used with other inputs, e.g., road location data, map data, driving condition data, and other vehicle-related data inputs, used with inter-vehicle operation coordination 724 to determine maneuver execution 726. In one embodiment, map data may include the location of roadside units relative to road locations, where vehicles may utilize relative positioning between RSUs in combination with map data to determine positioning relative to the road surface, especially in situations where other systems may fail due to poor visibility weather conditions (snow, rain, dust storms, etc.), etc. In one embodiment, map data from map server 650 may be utilized with relative and / or absolute data from nearby vehicles and / or from RSU 625 to determine reliable absolute locations for multiple vehicles and relative locations relative to the road / map. For example, if vehicle A 680 has a more accurate / reliable location than other vehicles in communication with vehicle A 680, such as vehicle B 690, vehicle B 690 may determine a precise location for vehicle B 690 using the precise relative location and GNSS information for precise location sent from vehicle A 680 to vehicle B 690, even if vehicle B's system would not otherwise be able to calculate a precise location in a particular situation or environment. In this situation, the presence of vehicle A with its precise location determination system provides a benefit to all surrounding vehicles by sharing one or more precise locations along with ongoing relative location information.Additionally, assuming the map data from the map server 650 is accurate, the ability to propagate precision location data from vehicle A 680 to surrounding vehicles such as vehicle B 690 allows surrounding devices to determine their relative location with respect to the map data with similar accuracy, even in otherwise problematic signal / location environments. The vehicle information server 655 may provide vehicle information such as size, shape, and antenna location that may be utilized, for example, by vehicle A or other vehicles to determine not only the relative location between the GNSS receiver on vehicle A 680 and, for example, vehicle B 690, but also the distance between the closest points of vehicle A 680 and vehicle B 690. In one embodiment, traffic information from the traffic control and optimization server 665 may be utilized to determine overall route selection and rerouting, which is used (in one embodiment) with the route server 645. In one embodiment, the environmental data server 640 may provide input for road conditions, light ice, snow, water on the road, and other environmental conditions that may also affect the decisions and criteria in the vehicle-to-vehicle maneuver coordination block 724 and the maneuver execution block 726. For example, in icy or rainy conditions, vehicle 700 may implement and / or request increased spacing from adjacent vehicles, or may choose route options that avoid road hazard conditions such as thin ice and standing water.

[0076] Block 728 may be implemented using various dedicated or general-purpose hardware and software, such as using processor 410 and / or DSP 420 and memory 460 (again as shown in FIG. 4 ), or in a dedicated hardware block, such as a dedicated sensor processing and / or vehicle messaging core, in one embodiment. According to some embodiments, the location of nearby vehicles may be determined through various means, such as based on signal-based timing measurements, such as round trip time, time of arrival (TOA), signal strength, etc. of the broadcast signal for the vehicle, and / or distance determined based on the broadcast latitude and longitude from neighboring vehicles and the vehicle's current location. Additionally or alternatively, the location of nearby vehicles may be determined from sensor measurements, such as Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR), SONAR, and camera measurements. In one embodiment, some or all of blocks 702, 704, 706, 708, and / or 710 may have dedicated processing cores, for example, to improve performance and reduce measurement latency. In one embodiment, some or all of blocks 702 , 704 , 706 , 708 , and / or 710 may share processing with block 728 .

[0077] Vehicle external sensors 702 may in some embodiments comprise cameras, LIDAR, RADAR, proximity sensors, rain sensors, weather sensors, GNSS receiver 480, and received data used with those sensors, such as map data, environmental data, location, route, and / or other vehicle information, such as may be received from other vehicles, devices, and in one embodiment, servers, such as map server 650, route server 645, vehicle information server 655, environmental data server 640, location server 660, and / or from associated devices, such as mobile device 600, which may be present in or near a vehicle, such as vehicle A 680. For example, in one embodiment, mobile device 600 may provide an additional source of GNSS measurements, may provide an additional source of motion sensor measurements, or may provide network access as a communications portal to a WAN, Wi-Fi, or other network, and as a gateway to various information servers, such as servers 640, 645, 650, 655, 660, and / or 665.

[0078] It should be understood that the vehicle 700 may include one or more cameras. In one embodiment, the cameras may be front, side, back, or adjustable in field of view (such as a rotatable camera). As shown in FIG. 8, there may be multiple cameras 806, for example, facing the same side. For example, cameras 806 and the bumper-mounted camera at 808 may comprise two front cameras, one focused on lower objects and / or a lower viewpoint (such as the bumper-mounted one) for parking, and one focused on a higher viewpoint, such as for tracking traffic, other vehicles, pedestrians, and more distant objects. In one embodiment, the various fields of view may be stitched and / or correlated to other inputs, such as V2X inputs from other vehicles, to optimize tracking of other vehicles and external entities and objects, and / or to calibrate the sensor systems relative to each other. The LIDAR 804 may be roof mounted and rotating or focused on a particular viewpoint (such as the front, back, side). The LIDAR 804 may be solid-state or mechanical. Proximity sensors may be ultrasonic, RADAR-based, light-based (based on infrared distance measurement, etc.), and / or capacitive (surface touch oriented, or capacitive detection of metallic objects). Rain and weather sensors may include various sensing capabilities and technologies, such as air pressure sensors, moisture detectors, rain sensors, and / or light sensors, and / or may leverage other existing sensor systems. The GNSS receiver may be roof mounted, such as in a fin antenna assembly at the rear of the car roof, mounted on the hood or dashboard, or otherwise located within the exterior or interior of the vehicle.

[0079] In one embodiment, the interior vehicle sensors 704 may comprise tire pressure sensors, brake pad sensors, brake status sensors, wheel sensors 812 such as speedometers and other speed sensors, heading and / or orientation sensors such as magnetometers and geomagnetic compasses, distance sensors such as odometers and wheel tick sensors, inertial sensors such as accelerometers and gyros, and inertial positioning results using the above sensors and yaw, pitch, and / or roll sensors, as may be determined individually or using other sensor systems such as accelerometers, gyros, and / or tilt sensors.

[0080] Both the vehicle interior sensors 704 and the vehicle exterior sensors 702 may have shared or dedicated processing capabilities. For example, a sensor system or subsystem may have one or more sensor processing cores that determine vehicle status values ​​such as yaw, pitch, roll, heading, speed, acceleration capabilities and / or distance, and / or stopping distance based on measurements and other inputs from accelerometers, gyros, magnetometers, and / or other sensing systems. Different sensing systems may communicate with each other to determine measurements or send values ​​to block 728 to determine vehicle location. Vehicle status values ​​derived from measurements from the internal and external sensors may be further combined with vehicle status values ​​and / or measurements from other sensor systems using a general purpose or application processor. For example, blocks 728 and / or 724 may be implemented on a dedicated or centralized processor to determine data element values ​​for V2X messaging, which may be sent utilizing wireless communication interface 430 or via other communication transceivers. In one embodiment, the sensors may be separated into associated systems, e.g., LIDAR, RADAR, motion, wheel systems, etc., which are operated by dedicated processing cores for raw results, outputting vehicle status values ​​from each core, which are combined and interpreted to derive combined vehicle status values ​​including capability data elements and status data elements, which may be used to control or otherwise affect vehicle operation and / or as a messaging step shared with other vehicles and / or systems via V2X or other messaging capabilities. These messaging capabilities, in one embodiment, may be based on various wireless-related, optical-related, or other communication standards, such as those supported by wireless communication interface 430 and antenna 432.

[0081] In one embodiment, vehicle capabilities 706 may comprise performance estimates for stopping, braking, acceleration, and turning radius, as well as autonomous and / or non-autonomous driving status and / or capabilities. The capability estimates may be based on stored estimates, which in one embodiment may be loaded into memory. These estimates may be based on either empirical performance numbers for a particular vehicle or for average values ​​across one or more vehicles, and / or one or more models for a given performance figure. When performance estimates for multiple models are averaged or otherwise combined, the performance estimates may be chosen based on similar or common characteristics. For example, vehicles with similar or the same weight and the same or similar drivetrains may share performance estimates for driving performance related estimates, such as braking / stopping distance, turning radius, and acceleration performance. Vehicle performance estimates may also be obtained using external V2X input 708 over the wireless network, for example, from a vehicle data server on the network. This is particularly useful for obtaining information about vehicles that are not wireless-enabled and cannot provide vehicle information directly. In one embodiment, vehicle capabilities 706 may also be affected by car component status, such as tire wear, tire brand capability, brake pad wear, brake brand and capability, and engine status. In one embodiment, vehicle capabilities 706 may also be affected by overall car status, such as speed, heading, and by external factors, such as road surface, road conditions (wet, dry, slippery / traction), weather (windy, raining, snowing, icy, slippery roads, etc.). Often, wear, or other system degradation, and external factors, such as weather, road surface, road conditions, etc., may be utilized to reduce, confirm, or improve performance estimates. In some embodiments, actual measured vehicle performance, such as measuring vehicle stopping distance and / or acceleration time per distance, may be measured and / or estimated based on actual vehicle driving-related performance.In one embodiment, if the measurements are inconsistent, more recently measured performance may be weighted or prioritized more heavily than older measurements. Similarly, in one embodiment, measurements taken during similar conditions, such as in the same type of weather or on the same type of road surface as currently detected by the vehicle, such as via vehicle exterior sensors 702 and / or vehicle interior sensors 704, may be weighted and / or prioritized more heavily in determining capability.

[0082] V2X vehicle detection, prediction, and planning execution 712 handles the receipt and processing of information from blocks 702, 704, 706, 708, and 710 via external object detection and classification block 714, utilizing in part a sensor fusion and object classification block 716 to correlate, corroborate, and / or combine data from input blocks 702, 704, 706, 708, and 710. Block 714 external object detection and classification determines that an object is present and determines the object type (car, truck, bicycle, motorcycle, pedestrian, animal, etc.) and / or object status relative to the vehicle, such as movement status, proximity, heading, and / or location relative to the vehicle, size, threat level, and vulnerability priority (pedestrians will have a higher vulnerability priority than road debris, for example). In one embodiment, block 714 may utilize GNSS measurement messages from other vehicles to determine a relative positioning relative to the other vehicles. This output from block 714 may be provided to a prediction and planning block 718, which determines detected objects and vehicles and their associated trajectories, via block 720, and determines vehicle maneuvers and path plans, via block 722, the output of which is utilized either directly in vehicle maneuver execution, via block 726, or via a V2X vehicle-to-vehicle negotiation block 724, which will integrate and consider maneuver plans, locations, and status received from other vehicles. V2X vehicle-to-vehicle negotiation takes into account the status of nearby vehicles and allows negotiation and coordination between nearby or otherwise affected vehicles based on various conditions, such as vehicle priority, vehicle capabilities (such as the ability to stop, slow down, or accelerate to avoid collisions), and, in some embodiments, weather conditions (rainy, foggy, snowy, windy), road conditions (dry, wet, icy, slippery), etc.These include, for example, negotiations between vehicles approaching an intersection about the timing and order for passing the intersection, negotiations between adjacent vehicles about lane changes, negotiations for parking spaces, negotiations for access to travel in one direction on a one-lane road or to pass another vehicle. Vehicle-to-vehicle negotiations may also involve time- and / or distance-based factors such as the time of the appointment, the distance of the destination, and the estimated route time to reach the destination, as well as, in some embodiments, the type of appointment and the importance of the appointment.

[0083] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an exemplary vehicle 800 according to one embodiment capable of communicating using sidelink / CV2X communications in the manner of the previously described embodiments. Here, some of the components described with respect to FIG. 4 and previous embodiments are shown. As shown and previously described, the vehicle 800 may have cameras such as a rearview mirror mounted camera 806, a front fender mounted camera (not shown), a side mirror mounted camera (not shown), and a rear camera (not shown, but typically on the trunk, hatch, or rear bumper). The vehicle 800 may also have a LIDAR 804 for detecting objects and measuring distances to those objects; the LIDAR 804 is often mounted on the roof, but if there are multiple LIDAR units 804, the LIDAR units 804 may be pointed around the front, back, and sides of the vehicle. The vehicle 800 may have various other location related systems such as a GNSS receiver 480 (typically located in a shark fin unit at the rear of the roof as shown), various wireless communication interfaces (WAN, WLAN, V2X, etc., but typically not necessarily located in the shark fin) 802, a RADAR 808 (typically in the front bumper), and a SONAR 810 (typically located on both sides of the vehicle, if present). Various wheel 812 and drive train sensors may also be present, such as tire pressure sensors, accelerometers, gyros, and wheel rotation detection and / or counters. In one embodiment, distance measurements and relative locations determined via various sensors such as LIDAR, RADAR, cameras, GNSS, and SONAR may be combined with information about the size and shape information of the automobile, as well as the location of the sensors, to determine distances and relative locations between surfaces of different vehicles, such that the distance or vector from a sensor to another vehicle, or between two different sensors (such as two GNSS receivers), is incrementally increased to account for the location of the sensors on each vehicle.Therefore, the accurate GNSS distance and vector between the two GNSS receivers will need to be corrected based on the relative location of various vehicle surfaces with respect to the GNSS receiver. For example, when determining the distance between the front bumper of the following vehicle and the rear bumper of the leading vehicle, the distance will need to be adjusted based on the distance between the GNSS receiver and the front bumper of the following vehicle, and the distance between the GNSS receiver of the preceding vehicle and the rear bumper of the preceding vehicle. For example, the distance between the rear bumper of the preceding vehicle and the front bumper of the following vehicle is the relative distance between the two GNSS receivers minus the distance from the GNSS receiver of the following vehicle to the front bumper minus the distance from the GNSS receiver of the preceding vehicle to the rear bumper. It will be appreciated that this list is not limiting and FIG. 8 provides example locations of various sensors in one embodiment of a vehicle equipped with V2X 400.

[0084] With reference to the accompanying drawings, components that may include memory may include non-transitory machine-readable media. As used herein, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to any storage medium involved in providing data to a machine to operate in a specific manner. In the embodiments provided above, various machine-readable media may be included in providing instructions / code to a processing unit and / or other devices for execution. Additionally or alternatively, machine-readable media may be used to store and / or carry such instructions / code. In many implementations, the computer-readable medium is a physical and / or tangible storage medium. Such media may take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, magnetic media and / or optical media, any other physical media with a pattern of holes, RAM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), flash EPROM, any other memory chip or memory cartridge, carrier waves as described below, or any other medium from which a computer can read instructions and / or code.

[0085] The methods, systems, and devices described herein are examples. Various embodiments may omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components, as appropriate. For example, features described with respect to some embodiments may be combined in various other embodiments. Different aspects and elements of the embodiments may be combined in the same manner. Various components of the diagrams provided herein may be embodied in hardware and / or software. Also, technology evolves, and thus many of the elements are examples that do not limit the scope of the disclosure to those particular examples.

[0086] It has proven convenient at times, primarily for reasons of common usage, to refer to such signals as bits, information, values, elements, symbols, characters, variables, terms, numbers, numeric values, or the like. It is to be understood, however, that all of these or similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels. Unless otherwise indicated, and as is evident from the above description, it should be appreciated that throughout this specification descriptions utilizing terms such as "processing," "computing," "calculating," "determining," "ascertaining," "identifying," "associating," "measuring," "performing," and the like refer to the actions or processes of a particular apparatus, such as a special purpose computer or similar special purpose electronic computing device. Thus, in the context of this specification, a special purpose computer or similar special purpose electronic computing device is capable of manipulating or transforming signals that are commonly represented as physical electronic, electrical, or magnetic quantities in the memory, registers, or other information storage, transmission, or display devices of the special purpose computer or similar special purpose electronic computing device.

[0087] The terms "and" and "or" as used herein may include various meanings that are also expected to depend, at least in part, on the context in which such terms are used. In general, when "or" is used to link a list such as A, B, or C, it shall mean A, B, and C, which is used herein in an inclusive sense, as well as A, B, or C, which is used herein in an exclusive sense. In addition, the term "one or more" as used herein may be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in the singular, or may be used to describe any combination of features, structures, or characteristics. However, it should be noted that this is merely an illustrative example, and claimed subject matter is not limited to this example. Furthermore, the term "at least one of," when used to link a list such as A, B, or C, may be interpreted to mean any combination of A, B, and / or C, such as A, AB, AA, AAB, AABBCCC, etc.

[0088] Although several embodiments have been described, various modifications, alternative configurations, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the above elements may simply be components of a larger system, where other rules may take precedence over or otherwise modify the application of the various embodiments. Also, some steps may be undertaken before, during, or after the above elements are considered. Thus, the above description does not limit the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 100 Traffic intersections, junctions 110, 110-3, 110-4, 700, 800 vehicles 110-1 vehicle, sending vehicle 110-2 Vehicle, receiving vehicle 110-5 Detected vehicles 110-6 Another vehicle 120 Communication range, initial communication range 210 Extended Range 220 distance 310 V2X Devices 320 Application Layer 330 Wireless Layer 340 Sensor Processing Unit 350, 440 Sensor 405 Bus 410 Processing unit, processor 415 Output Device 420 DSP, Digital Signal Processor (DSP) 430 Wireless Communication Interface 432 Wireless communication antennas, antennas 434 Wireless Signal 460 Memory 470 Input Devices 480 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Receiver, GNSS Receiver 482 Antenna 484 Signal 600 Mobile Devices 610 GNSS satellites 612 GNSS signals 620 Base Station, WAN Base Station, Wireless WAN Base Station 622, 624, 632 wireless signals 623 Link 625 Communication-enabled RSU, RSU 625A Processor 625B Network Interface 625C Traffic Control Unit 625D Environmental and roadside sensor information, Environmental and roadside sensors 625E Wireless Transceiver 630 Access Point, Wireless LAN Access Point 640 Environmental Data Server, Server 645 root server, server 650 Map Server, Server 655 Vehicle information server, server 660 Location Server, Server 665 Traffic Optimization Server, Traffic Control and Optimization Server, Server 670 Network 680 V2X Vehicle A, Vehicle A, Vehicle 690 V2X or other communication transceiver-enabled vehicle B, vehicle B, vehicle 702 Vehicle external sensors, blocks, input blocks 704 Vehicle interior sensors, blocks, input blocks 706 Vehicle Capabilities, Blocks, Input Blocks 708 External Wireless Information, Block, External V2X Input, Input Block 710 Vehicle movement state, block, input block 712 V2X Vehicle Detection, Prediction, Planning and Execution 714 Foreign Object Detection and Classification Block, Block 716 Sensor Fusion and Object Classification Block 718 Forecasting and Planning Block 720, 722 blocks 724 Vehicle-to-Vehicle Operation Coordination, Vehicle-to-Vehicle Operation Coordination Block, Block, V2X Vehicle-to-Vehicle Negotiation Block 726 Execute operation, Block execution of operation, Block 728 Inter-vehicle relative location determination block, block 802 Various wireless communication interfaces 804 LIDAR, LIDAR unit 806 Camera, Rearview Mirror Mounted Camera 808 Bumper-mounted camera, RADAR 810 SONAR 812 Wheel sensor, wheel

Claims

1. 1. A method performed by a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) device, comprising: acquiring, at the V2X device, sensor information relating to one or more properties of an object detected by one or more sensors; determining a communication range for a V2X message based at least in part on the one or more properties of the object, the one or more properties including a movement of the object; wirelessly transmitting the V2X message from the V2X device, the V2X message comprising: A location of the V2X device; and the determined communication range; Steps and The method includes:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the sensor information regarding the one or more properties of the object is responsive to determining that no V2X message has been received from the object within a predetermined period of time.

3. the information indicative of the determined communication range includes a distance indicative of a criterion for providing Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback; 2. The method of claim 1, wherein if a V2X message transmitted out of range cannot be decoded, a negative acknowledgement is transmitted.

4. the communication range is determined by an application layer of the V2X device; the determined communication range is provided from the application layer to a radio layer of the V2X device; The method of claim 3, wherein the distance indicating a criterion for performing the HARQ feedback is determined by the radio layer.

5. The one or more properties of the object are: the location of said object; A direction of movement of the object; the acceleration of said object; the speed of said object, or an object type of said object; or any combination thereof 2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

6. A vehicle-to-everything (V2X) device, comprising: A wireless communication interface; Memory, and one or more processing units communicatively coupled to the memory and the wireless communication interface, the one or more processing units comprising: obtaining sensor information regarding one or more properties of the object detected by one or more sensors; determining a communication range for a V2X message based at least in part on the one or more properties of the object, the one or more properties including a movement of the object; and and wirelessly transmitting the V2X message via the wireless communication interface, the V2X message comprising: A location of the V2X device; and the determined communication range; Sending information that indicates 2. A V2X device configured to:

7. 7. The V2X device of claim 6, wherein the one or more processing units are further configured to obtain the sensor information regarding the one or more properties of the object in response to determining that a V2X message has not been received from the object within a predetermined period of time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information indicative of the determined communication range is configured to include a distance indicative of a criterion for providing hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback; 7. The V2X device of claim 6, wherein if a V2X message transmitted from outside the communication range cannot be decoded, a negative acknowledgement will be transmitted.

9. the wireless communication interface is configured to execute a radio layer, and the one or more processing units are configured to execute an application layer; the communication range is determined by the application layer; the determined communication range is provided from the application layer to the radio layer; 9. The V2X device of claim 8, wherein the distance indicating a criterion for performing the HARQ feedback is determined by the radio layer.

10. The one or more properties of the object are: the location of said object; A direction of movement of the object; the acceleration of said object; the speed of said object, or an object type of said object; or any combination thereof 7. The V2X device of claim 6, comprising:

11. 7. The V2X device of claim 6, wherein the one or more processing units are further configured to determine the communication range for the V2X message based at least in part on a heading of the V2X device.

12. The object is The second vehicle, Road hazards, or Vulnerable Road Users (VRU) 7. The V2X device of claim 6, comprising:

13. 7. The V2X device of claim 6, wherein the one or more processing units are further configured to include in the V2X message information indicative of the one or more properties of the object.

14. 7. The V2X device of claim 6, wherein the one or more processing units are configured to determine the communication range for the V2X message further based on one or more properties of the V2X device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to: obtaining sensor information regarding one or more properties of the object detected by one or more sensors; determining a communication range for a V2X message based at least in part on the one or more properties of the object, the one or more properties including a movement of the object; and transmitting the V2X message, the V2X message comprising: The location of the V2X device, the determined communication range; Contains information indicating A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that causes

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