Mobile device for road user communication

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to transportation technology. In particular, the present disclosure relates to road user communication, e.g., for increasing road safety. Further in particular, the present disclosure relates to a mobile device and methods for road user communication. Accordingly, there is provided a mobile device (10), comprising a communication element (12), and a situational status acquisition element (14), wherein the mobile device (10) is associated with and / or travels with a first road user (26), wherein the situational status acquisition element (14) is adapted for acquiring situational status data of the mobile device (10) and / or the first road user (26), and wherein the communication element (12) is adapted to transmit the situational status data to at least one second road user (28) arranged in the vicinity of the mobile device (10).

Description

Mobile device for road user communicationTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to transportation technology. In particular, the present disclosure relates to road user communication, e.g., for increasing road safety. Further in particular, the present disclosure relates to a mobile device and methods for road user communication.BACKGROUND

[0002] In the rapidly evolving landscape of modern transportation, specialised communication technologies are reshaping the way we interact with vehicles and the road. One such advancement is Vehicle to X or Car-to-X communication, often referred to as V2X, Car2X or C2X. V2X aims to improve the safety, efficiency and overall driving experience of road users. Here, a road user may be any type of traffic participant including vehicles, persons etc.

[0003] V2X communication, refers to the exchange of information between vehicles (Vehicle-to- Vehicle or C2C) or more generally between road users and infrastructure. V2X communication is facilitated by wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi or cellular networks, allowing road users to exchange data with each other and with various road users or elements of the transport ecosystem, including traffic signals and road signs.

[0004] V2X is a component of the broader concept of connected and autonomous vehicles and a building block on the way to intelligent, networked transport systems. The benefits of V2X communication include improved road user safety, traffic efficiency, environmental benefits and comfort.

[0005] One of the benefits of V2X communication is its potential to significantly improve road safety. By exchanging real-time information about their location, speed and trajectory, vehicles or other road users may anticipate and respond to potential hazards more effectively. For example, a vehicle approaching a blind intersection may receive a warning from another vehicle already in the intersection, helping to avoid a collision. Or if a vehicle ahead suddenly brakes or hits an obstacle, it may send a warning to nearby vehicles, reducing the risk of rear-end collisions. V2X is not limited to vehicle-to-vehicle communication, but also extends to vehicle-to-pedestrian or, more generally, road-user-to-road-user communication. This means that those road users may communicate their general location and intentions to nearby road users equipped with V2X technology, making it safer for them to navigate intersections and pedestrian crossings.

[0006] V2X also enables vehicles to communicate with infrastructure elements, such as traffic lights, to optimise traffic flow, reducing the likelihood of congestion -related accidents and ensuring smoother traffic transitions. As a result, V2X technology promises to reduce traffic congestion and commute times. Vehicles may communicate with each other and with traffic management systems to receive real-time traffic updates and recommended alternative routes. This may not only minimise congestion, but also reduce fuel consumption and emissions, contributing to a greener and more sustainable urban environment. In addition, the data collected by V2X may be used to develop more efficient urban planning and transport policies, further reducing the environmental impact of the transport sector.

[0007] In addition to safety and efficiency, V2X technology enhances the driving experience. Vehicles may receive real-time updates on parking availability, traffic conditions and nearby amenities, helping drivers make informed decisions and streamline their journeys. In addition, V2X may facilitate vehicle-to-infrastructure services such as remote diagnostics and predictive maintenance, ensuring that vehicles are well maintained and safe on the road.

[0008] Conventionally, V2X technology is integrated in a vehicle by the manufacturer of the vehicle. In order to realize V2X technology, factory installed electronic components are provided and utilized, for example integrated in a navigation system of a vehicle and using components already available in the vehicle, e.g., electronics for determining a global position of the vehicle, and communication equipment used by the vehicle for communicating with the OEM or for providing services to the vehicle user. Thus, the components required to provide V2X functionality are inextricably linked with the vehicle components.

[0009] Thus, there may be a need to provide V2X functionality for a road user also in the case that a vehicle lacks the required components.

[0010] Further, there may be a need to allow retrofitting V2X functionality to a vehicle.

[0011] Still further, there may be a need to provide V2X functionality access for all road users by providing a vehicle independent V2X solution.SUMMARY

[0012] At least one such need may be met by the subject-matter of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments are provided in the dependent claims and are explained in detail in the following description.

[0013] According to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a mobile device, comprising a communication element, and a situational status acquisition element. In some examples the mobile device is associated with and / or travels with a first road user, the situational status acquisition element is adapted for acquiring situational status data of the mobile device and / or the first road user, and the communication element is adapted to transmit the situational status data to at least one second road user arranged in the vicinity of the mobile device.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method, comprising the steps of acquiring situational status data of a mobile device and / or a first road user, and transmitting the situational status data to at least one second road user arranged in the vicinity of the mobile device.

[0015] According to a third aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method, comprising the steps of acquiring global position data of a mobile device and / or a first road user, transmitting anonymously the global position data to at least one second road user arranged in the vicinity of the mobile device, wherein the transmission is employing a Vehicle2X communication topology.

[0016] According to a fourth aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a computer program product or a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of the method according to the present disclosure.

[0017] The present invention relates to road user communication.

[0018] In order to provide a flexible solution to provide V2X capability to road users, the present disclosure proposes to implement V2X functionality using a mobile device. Such a mobile device may be a portable device that can be easily carried by a person, e.g ., a mobile computing platform like a smart phone. In such a mobile device, V2X functionality may be implemented in hardware and / or software. For example, the mobile device may comprise dedicated hardware for communicating with the devices or entities and an acquisition element for acquiring a situational status of the mobile device and / or a road user associated with the mobile device, like for example a global position of the mobile device / road user. Additionallyor alternatively, the mobile device may be arranged to execute one or more applications that substitute or complement the beforementioned hardware.

[0019] An app running on a mobile computing platform such as a smart phone may employ the available hardware of the smart phone to provide and implement V2X functionality for a road user traveling with the smart phone. For example, the smart phone user may be an occupant of a vehicle, e.g. a car or motorbike, so that the smart phone may provide V2X functionality for the driving of the vehicle. Here, the vehicle itself is not required to have V2X functionality on its own, as at least the majority of relevant V2X functions may be provided by the smart phone. Indeed, a smart phone traveling with a road user on board of a vehicle and providing V2X functionality to other road users in the vicinity of the road user may be largely indistinguishable from the vehicle having genuine V2X functionality provided by the manufacturer of the vehicle. For example, for V2X functionality, it may be largely irrelevant whether the smart phone traveling with a road user on board of a vehicle or the vehicle itself is the source of V2X messages sent to other road users in the vicinity of the vehicle / road user / smart phone / mobile device.

[0020] Providing V2X functionality detached from a specific vehicle but rather associated to a road user traveling with a vehicle provides numerous benefits. Thereby, the road user may retain V2X functionality for any vehicle or a traffic situation. E.g., the road user may benefit from V2X functionality regardless which vehicle they are riding in and regardless of whether the vehicle already provides V2X functionality. This would also allow to provide V2X functionality in trouble scenarios where conventional vehicle mounted devices would not be able to provide V2X functionality, like when the road user is riding a bicycle or moving by foot. The mobile device may be a smart phone, a smart watch or a separate location aware tag, e.g., one around the rest of a road user. Still further, the mobile device may be associated with a vehicle rather than a human road user so to retrofit a vehicle V2X functionality that may have lacked V2X functionality from the factory.

[0021] The most basic V2X functionality may be the localized announcement of the presence of the road user. For example, the mobile device may employ a global position information as a situational status or situational status information and / or travel information, e.g., velocity information and a direction of travel, and may transmit said information to other road users in the vicinity of the mobile device. By receiving such a V2X message, a further road user may compare the provided global position information and / or further travel information with their own position and / or travel information, and may determine therefrom whether the travel of the road user sending the V2X message is potentially impacting the travel of the road user receiving the V2X message. In case the mobile device determines that thetravel of the road user sending the V2X message indeed is impacting its travel, the mobile device may provide an according indication to the road user associated with the mobile device. E.g., the mobile device may present a notification to the road user, where the intensity of the notification may depend on the relevance of the indication. For example, an indication regarding a traffic situation that is directly impacting the immediate travel path of the road user may be presented with high intensity, e.g., by providing an alarm signal, while an indication with a low impact may be presented by the mobile device with low intensity.

[0022] Another type of V2X message may relate to the type of travel of the road user. E.g., the message may include an indication whether the road user is riding in a car, on a motorbike, on a bicycle or is indeed a pedestrian thereby walking. Such an indication may be used to determine whether a road user is a potential danger to oneself in the current travel situation. E.g., a V2X message indicating that a vehicle is situated invisibly around a road bend may result in a different reaction than indication that a pedestrian is situated invisibly around a road bend. In the case of a vehicle, the mobile device may indicate the presence of the other road user with high intensity to the road user associated with the mobile device as this scenario may be indicative of an imminent accident. In case of the road user being a pedestrian, in particular in case the mobile device has determined that the road user is located not on the road but on a nearby pedestrian walkway, the mobile device may indicate the presence of the pedestrian road user with a lower intensity to the road user associated with the mobile device as in this scenario, an accident is less likely. For safety reasons, a mobile device may of course be arranged to indicate such a closeness of a further road user with high intensity regardless of the type of travel.

[0023] One a particular aspect of the present disclosure may be to provide anonymous location information from the mobile device, e.g., a smartphone, to the V2X network in order to make the road your seller associated with the mobile device visible to other road users with V2X capability.

[0024] Some road users but also autonomous vehicles may already be using cameras, sensors and V2X data from other road users to capture their environment. Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcycle riders and vehicles without V2X technology, which are out of the sight of the sensors and cameras of the V2X capable road user are out of their scope. E.g., a cyclist is approaching an intersection while out of sight of a V2X capable road user. An accident may happen with the cyclist because the autonomous vehicle is unable to determine the presence of the cyclist even when they are, e.g., ringing the bicycle bell or are yelling. By making a mobile device / a road user associated with the mobile device visible to the V2X network andsharing anonymously their location data, the V2X network / other V2X capable road users would be aware of the cyclist and an accident may be prevented.

[0025] A transmission to close by road users may employ short range or medium range broadcast transmission of V2X messages, so that road users in the vicinity of the mobile device may receive such a V2X message and thereby learn of the present of the mobile device / road user. Such a communication scheme may use a decentralized communication network, in particular an ad hoc network between road users. It is noted that in the context of the present disclosure, road or city infrastructure may also be subsumed under road users. Such an ad hoc communication scheme may employ the IEEE 802.11 p (dedicated Short-Range Communication - DSRC) standard.

[0026] Alternatively or additionally, the mobile device may use a communication network like a cellular network to communicate with a back end implementing a V2X network to which road users with V2X functionality are connected to in order to send and receive V2X communication, i.e., V2X messages. Such a mobile communication network or cellular network may employ any suitable communication technology like 3G, 4G, LTE, 5G or 6G. For example, such a V2X network may be based on the 3GPP C-V2X standard. Initially defined as LTE in 3GPP Release 14, C-V2X is designed to operate in various modes such as device -to-device (V2V or V2I) and / or device-to-network (V2N).

[0027] In order to provide relevant information on its situational status / the situational status of the road user the mobile device is associated to, the mobile device may not only employ an own situational status acquisition element. Alternatively or additionally, the mobile device may be acquiring information from further entities or sensors and may employ said information when determining a situational status. E.g., the mobile device may be in communicative connection with the vehicle the road user the mobile device is associated with is traveling in and may employ an element or entity, in particular a sensor, of the vehicle, to acquire further information in order to determine the situational status. For example, the mobile device may employ a GPS sensor and / or an acceleration sensor of the vehicle, for determining a global or relative position, an acceleration or deceleration and / or a travel vector, in particular a plurality of travel vectors acquired over time, to establish a position and / or travel path of the vehicle. By employing external sensors, the functionality and thus the complexity and cost of the mobile device may be reduced while maintaining the acquisition of a required level of information for maintaining determination of the situational status of the mobile device / the road user associated with the mobile device / the vehicle the road user is traveling in to be transmitted to other V2X users / road users arranged in the vicinity of the mobile device.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmission of the situational status data may be a transmission from the mobile device to the at least one second road user using a mobile communication network, and / or wherein the transmission of the situational status data to the second road user may be a direct short-range or medium-range communication transmission between the mobile device and the at least one second road user, and / or wherein the transmission of the situational status data may be a broadcast transmission to any road user in the vicinity of the mobile device

[0029] Using a mobile communication network may allow to establish a communicative connection between the mobile device of the first road user and the at least one second road user even in a case where there is no direct communication connection possible between the mobile device and the second road user. In one such scenario, the distance between the mobile device and a second road user may be too large to be covered by a communication transmission originating from the mobile device. Alternatively or additionally, the position and / or orientation of the mobile device relative to a second road user may be such that it interferes with the transmission. E.g., the mobile device may have a somewhat directional transmission pattern with a reduced range in the direction of a second road user. Further, using a mobile communication connection allows communicating with second road users which are outside of the direct communication range of the mobile device. Here, the mobile communication network extends the range and provides a more reliable communication connection between the mobile device and the second road users in its vicinity.

[0030] Using a direct communication connection between the mobile device and a second road user, which may in particular be a specific second road user, allows to establish a low latency communication connection between the mobile device and the second road user. This in turn enables a bidirectional communication between the mobile device and the second road user. Alternatively, instead of a direct communication connection in between the mobile device and a particular second road user, the mobile device may use a broadcast transmission so that the situational status data is transmitted from the mobile device to all second road users in transmission range of the mobile device. A broadcast transmission may speed up transmission of the situational status data to all second road users in the vicinity of the mobile device, since at best, a single broadcast transmission is sufficient to transmit the situational status data to the second road users within transmission range.

[0031] A direct communication connection may be understood as any communication connection that is not using a back end, network, relay service or further intermediary entity. Direct communication connections may use e.g., IEEE 802.11 p, DSRC, WLan or WiFi connections.

[0032] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the situational status data may be one or more of position data of the mobile device, presence data of the mobile device, type data of the first road user, travel type data of the first road user, road condition data, weather data, road hazard data, emergency service data, behavioural data of the first road user, accident data, traffic data.

[0033] Further specifying the situational status data allows a second road user receiving the transmission comprising the situational status data from the mobile device to determine the relevance of the situational status data and thus determine whether the current travel behaviour of the second road user needs to be changed. E.g., if it is determined from the position data of the mobile device that the distance between the mobile device and the road user is such the presence of the mobile device / the first road user is irrelevant to the travel of the second road user, the received situational status data may be discarded. On the other hand, receiving presence data of the mobile device, which specifies the presence of the mobile device in the vicinity of the second road user may trigger a change in a travel behaviour, e.g., the second road user may reduce the velocity and / or may increase attention to its traffic surroundings. The indication of the presence of a mobile device may be combined with a short- range communication method, so that the second road user may deduce that only a mobile device in the immediate vicinity of the second road user would be able to transmit presence information that is received by the second road user. In other words, only a second road user in the immediate vicinity of a mobile device using such a short-range communication method would be able to receive the transmitted presence information. In reaction to receiving such presence information, the current travel behaviour may immediately be influenced. Road or weather condition data may indicate the road or weather condition at the position of the mobile device / the first road user and may warn second road users about a particular hazardous road or weather situation. Accident data or traffic data may inform the second road user about a traffic situation at the position of the mobile device / the first road user.

[0034] Type data of the first road user may indicate the type of traffic participant this first road user presents, e.g., whether the first road user is a pedestrian, a cyclist, riding a motorcycle or a car etc. a travel type data may indicate the type of travel the first road user is currently conducting. E.g., a pedestrian may walk or run, a cyclist may cycle or push the bicycle while a motorcycle or car may indicate a particular current velocity. In particular the situational status data may be absolute position data, global position data, sensor data of the mobile device, position and direction of travel, acceleration data, sound and / or visual data received by the mobile device at or around the position of the first road user.

[0035] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the mobile device may be adapted to acquire environmental data of the environment and / or the surroundings of the mobile device and / or the road user, and the mobile device may be adapted to transmit the environmental data together with or alternative to the situational status data.

[0036] The environmental data may e.g. be the velocity of the mobile device, or the mobile device may itself acquire weather data for transmission to second road users. Alternatively or additionally, the mobile device may acquire three-dimensional acceleration data, which may occur related to a particular road situation. E.g. acceleration information indicating a "bumpy ride" may be a sign that the mobile device / the first road user is traveling on uneven pavement which may indicate off road traffic or a road construction site.

[0037] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the environmental data may be acquired by the situational status acquisition element, a further sensor element of the mobile device and / or a sensor element associated with the first road user.

[0038] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the mobile device may be communicatively connected to the first road user, and may be arranged to receive sensor data or environmental data from the first road user.

[0039] The mobile device may comprise additional sensor elements, e.g. a dedicated accelerometer for determining a three-dimensional orientation and acceleration in space. Alternatively or additionally, the first road user themselves may comprise a sensor element, e.g. embedded in a wearable electronics like a smart watch which is in communicative connection with the mobile device. The sensor element may be arranged to acquire environmental data and / or data of the surroundings of the mobile device and / or data acqu ired from the first road user themselves. E.g., such data may be physiological data like heart rate, respiration frequency, blood pressure, brain activity and the like. For example in case of an accident, the mobile device may transmit such data to second road users in the vicinity so that in case of a medical emergency, appropriate measures may be initiated like e.g., informing emergency medical services.

[0040] In case the second road user is a vehicle, the sensor element may be associated with the vehicle. In other words, the sensor element may be a sensor element present in the vehicle.

[0041] A communication connection between the mobile device and a sensor element associated with the first road user may in particular be a short range or near fieldcommunication connection, e.g. based on Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy, NFC or RFID technology.

[0042] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the situational status may be dependent on the travel type performed by the first road user.

[0043] Depending on the travel type performed by the first road user, different information on the situational status may be relevant. In particular, some information on the situational status may be more relevant in case of a dedicated travel type. E.g., in case a pedestrian is running, or a cyclist is riding the bicycle, a velocity of the first road user may be more relevant than in a situation where the pedestrian is walking or standing or the cyclist is pushing the bicycle.

[0044] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the mobile device may be adapted to verify the type of travel performed by the road user by analysing the situational status data, analysing the situational status data over time and / or analysing sensor data of the further sensor element of the mobile device and / or the sensor element associated with the road user.

[0045] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may further comprise the step of verifying the type of travel performed by the road user by analysing the situational status data over time and / or analysing sensor data of the further sensor element of the mobile device and / or the sensor element associated with the road user.

[0046] A road user may select a specific type of travel, e.g. may indicate to the mobile device that they are a pedestrian walking or a cyclist riding a bike stop the mobile device in turn may acquire the situational status data, optionally including sensor data, and may determine from the acquired data whether the specified type of travel is indeed the type of travel performed. E.g., a global position over time or acceleration data may be employed to determine the velocity of the mobile device and thus of the first road user. Such information may be verified against the specified type of travel. For example, in case the type of travel is indicated as a pedestrian walking but then a travel velocity significantly exceeding a normal walking pace is detected, the mobile device may determine that the indicated type of travel is not the actual type of travel. Depending on the verified type of travel or a detected discrepancy between the specified type of travel and the detected type of travel, the mobile device may adapt the transmitted situational status data accordingly.

[0047] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the mobile device may be adapted to receive situational status data and / or environmental data from a further mobile device associated with and / or traveling with a further road user.

[0048] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the mobile device may further comprise an indication element, wherein the mobile device may be adapted to provide an indication dependent on the received situational status data and / or environmental data from further mobile device associated with and / or traveling with a further road user to the first road user.

[0049] In other words, the mobile device is not only sending but also capable of receiving situational status information from a further traffic participant. Depending on the received information or data and its current traffic behaviour, the mobile device may determine that information about the received situational status data and / or environmental data from a further mobile device may need to be brought to the attention of the first road user. In this case, the first road user may receive an indication from the mobile device indicative of the received situational status data and / or environmental data from further mobile device associated with and / or traveling with a further road user. The indication in turn may trigger a certain behaviour of the first road user. For example, in case the first road user receives accident information about an accident occurring at a certain point along its own travel path, the first road user adapt its traffic participation accordingly e.g., the first road user may decelerate and / or may choose a different path altogether. In particular beneficial is such an indication if it is received at a time that the first road user is not aware of the necessity to change its traffic participation, e.g., in case the accident is not visible to the first road user like behind a curve or over a hill while an immediate adaptation, for example deceleration is required to itself avoid an accident.

[0050] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the mobile device may be adapted to generate verification and / or authentication data for verifying the authenticity of the situational status data and / or environmental data, and wherein the mobile device may be transmitting the verification data together with or subsequently to the situational status data and / or environmental data.

[0051] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may further comprise the steps of generating verification and / or authentication data for verifying the authenticity of the situational status data and / or environmental data, and transm itting the verification data together with or subsequently to the situational status data and / or environmental data.

[0052] Such verification and / or authentication data may allow a recipient of the transmitted situational status data verify that the transmitted data is correct and authentic. E.g., by authenticating a position of the mobile device that is included in the situational status data, a recipient may rely on such information. At the same time, unverified and / or unauthenticated data and thus unreliable data may be discarded. Thereby, it is e.g. avoided that a malicious device is negatively influencing second road users by feeding false information. E.g., such verification or authentication may be incorporated using block chain technology so that the verification and / or authentication stems at least in part from the fact that a certain mobile device / first road user has been and transmitting (reliable) situational status data for an extended period of time that can be tracked through the block chain. This in turn avoids and allows discarding malicious devices that "suddenly" appear in the received data. Alternatively or additionally, received data may only be accepted as verified and / or authenticated in case a certain history of current transmitted data can be found in / verified via the block chain.

[0053] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the mobile device may be adapted to provide an indication only if the authenticity of the situational status data and / or environmental data has been verified, e.g. positively verified.

[0054] This allows to avoid that unverified and / or unauthenticated data transmission triggers false alarms.

[0055] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the situational status data and / or environmental data may be transmitted anonymously.

[0056] The situational status data may thus be transmitted to other road users without disclosing the identity of the sender. In such a scenario, it may be particularly relevant that the transmitted data is verified and / or authenticated before transmission so to avoid that a malicious device is arbitrarily influencing a particular traffic situation at a location. Even in case the transmission is anonymous, verification and / or authentication may allow to determine that the transmission originated from a genuine device and not a malicious device.

[0057] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may further comprise the steps of acquiring environmental data of the environment and / or the surroundings of the mobile device and / or the road user, and transmitting the environmental data together with or alternative to the situational status data.

[0058] T ransmitting the environmental data together with or alternative to the situational status data may allow to tailor the transmission to the specific requirement of the situation. E.g., in case the transmitted data is unrelated to the mobile device and / or the first road user,inclusion of irrelevant situational status data and / or environmental data complicates the transmission of data as it increases the required bandwidth and / or amount of data transmitted without providing a particular benefit to the recipient, the second road user.

[0059] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the mobile device may be arranged to detect that a vehicle the road user associated with the mobile device is traveling in also comprises V2X functionality, and the mobile device may be arranged, upon such detection, to stop providing V2X functionality and / or stop transmitting V2X messages.

[0060] In case the vehicle provides V2X functionality and additionally the mobile device associated with the road user separately provides V2X functionality, the mobile device may be arranged to detect that both the vehicle the road user is traveling in (a vehicle in close proximity or traveling with a travel pattern coinciding with the travel pattern of the road user) and the mobile device associated and traveling with the road user relate to the same travel pattern (i.e., the travel patterns coincide). Thereby, the mobile device may determine that the road user the mobile device is associated with is indeed traveling with the vehicle, which also provides V2X functionality. In this case, the mobile device may be arranged to stop providing V2X functionality, e.g., automatically, to avoid that to traffic participants, the vehicle and the road user in said vehicle, are providing V2X messages in parallel, while those V2X messages related to the same travel. The mobile device may be in a preferred position to detect such a coinciding travel pattern, as regularly, V2X messages are anonymous messages. A third party road user receiving V2X messages from both the vehicle the road user associated with the mobile device is traveling in and the mobile device associated with said road user may thus not be enabled to determine that the coinciding travel patterns indeed originate from the same travel. To a third party road user, the coinciding travel patterns may appear to be simply coinciding by chance. The mobile device may continue to detect, e.g., at defined intervals, whether the travel pattern of a further road user, i.e., the vehicle the road user associated with the mobile device is traveling in, coincides with the travel pattern of the mobile device and may deactivate its V2X functionality or at least stop sending V2X messages for the duration such a coinciding travel pattern is detected. Once the mobile device determines that the travel pattern of the further road user does not coincide with the travel pattern of the mobile device anymore, e.g., the road user the mobile device is associated to has disembarked from the vehicle, the other road user, the V2X functionality and / or the V2X messaging may be resumed. In case the mobile device has stopped its V2X functionality, such may in particular be simply stopping transmitting V2X messages while maintaining V2X functionality for received V2X messages from other road users. For detection that the road user of the mobile device is associated withis not traveling with the vehicle anymore, it may be beneficial to maintain receiving V2X messages.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0062] Fig. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a mobile device according to the present disclosure.

[0063] Fig. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a communication scenario of a mobile device / first road user with a second road user according to the present disclosure.

[0064] Fig. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a mobile device / first road user travelling in a vehicle according to the present disclosure.

[0065] Fig. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment of a communication method according to the present disclosure.

[0066] Fig. 5 shows an exemplary embodiment of an operation of mobile device according to the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0067] Now referring to Fig. 1 , which shows an exemplary embodiment of a mobile device according to the present disclosure.

[0068] The mobile device 10 of figure 1 comprises a processing element 16, to which a communication element 12 and a situational status acquisition element 14 are connected to. The communication element 12 may be embodied as a communication element using cellular communication technology and / or a direct communication connection to further road users and / or broadcast communication capability. In figure 1 , communication element 12 is connected to antenna 18, which in turn is in communicative connection 32 with a communication network 22. Other road users may in turn be in communication connection with said communication network 22.

[0069] The situational status acquisition element 14 is connected to a positional information receiver 20, which receives the position information, e.g., local or global position information, from a positional information transmitter 24. In figure 1 , the positional informationtransmitter 24 is exemplarily depicted as a satellite. The received positional information may e.g. be using GPS or Galileo technology.

[0070] A further sensor element 38 is depicted as part of the mobile device 10, connected to processing element 16. The further sensor element 38 may be an environmental sensor element for acquiring environmental data. For example, the environmental data may be data originating from an accelerometer, e.g., a three-dimensional accelerometer to ascertain a movement of the mobile device in 3D space. Thereby, the mobile device may determine acceleration, deceleration, velocity and relative movement in 3D space. This information may be employed to determine a defined travel type of the first road user 26 the mobile device 10 is associated with.

[0071] Alternatively or additionally, the further sensor element 38 or another further sensor element may be arranged outside of the mobile device 10. Such an external further sensor element may be arranged with the road user. E.g., in case the road user is a person, the external further sensor element may be associated with a further electronic device, e.g., a smart watch or the like. In case the road user is a vehicle, the external further sensor element may be associated with the vehicle, in particular be present within the vehicle. In other words, in the scenario, the mobile device 10 may be reusing a sensor element of the vehicle, like an accelerometer, and environmental sensor element, e.g. for determining a weather condition like rain, snow, or temperature, road condition or the like.

[0072] In case the further sensor element is an external further sensor element, communication element 12 may be arranged to provide a communication connection with said external further sensor element and / or with a vehicle in general. Alternatively, the mobile device 10 may comprise a separate communication element, not depicted for communicating with the further sensor element. Such a communication connection may in particular be a short range or near field communication connection, like Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy or a using NFC or RFID technology.

[0073] The mobile device 10 may further comprise an indication element 42 connected to the processing element 16 for providing an indication to the first road user 26 associated with the mobile device 10. The indication may be dependent on received data, received via the communication element 12 and / or positional information receiver 20, in particular received from a further second road user 28. The indication element 42 may be a display as commonly used in mobile devices, e.g. mobile phones or smart phones, or may be a simple illumination element like an LED and being arranged to indicate a dedicated number of statuses.

[0074] Now referring to Fig. 2, which shows an exemplary embodiment of a communication scenario of a mobile device / first road user with a second road user according to the present disclosure.

[0075] In figure 2, the first road user 26 is exemplarily a pedestrian holding a mobile device 10 as depicted in figure 1 . The second road user 28 is a vehicle traveling in the direction of the first road user 26. The first road user 26 is about to cross a street at an intersection of road 30. As indicated by the black horizontal error, the second road user 28 is intending to use the same road section of road 30. The distance between the first road user 26 and the second road user 28 might be such that the road users are unable to see the respective other road user.

[0076] Mobile device 10 is receiving positional information from positional information transmitter 24. Subsequently, the mobile device 10 is transmitting situational status information, e.g., a position and / or a velocity and / or a type of travel and / or a direction of travel to its surroundings. In order to communicate the situational status information to other road users, the mobile device 10 is arranged to transmit the situational status data exemplarily via a transmission 32 to a communication network 22, and / or directly to the second road user 28 via a direct communication transmission 34, and / or generally around its position by a broadcast transmission 36.

[0077] The second road user 28 is receiving at least one of the transmissions 32, 34, 36 and thereby receives the situational status information of the mobile device 10 and thus of the first road user 26 from the transmitted situational status data. Further, the second road user 28 is aware of its own position by receiving positional information from positional information transmitter 24. By comparing and / or correlating its position with received situational status data from the mobile device 10, the second road user may ascertain that a first road user 26 is participating in traffic in the vicinity of its future path of travel. The second road user 28 may thus adapt is driving behaviour to accommodate the crossing of the street 30 by the first road user 26. E.g., the second road user 28 may decide to decelerate to avoid a dangerous situation with the first road user 26.

[0078] At the same time, the mobile device 10 may receive information, e.g. situational status information by a transmission of situational status data from the second road user 28. Thereby, the mobile device 10 is made aware of the approaching second road user 28 crossing its path of travel. The mobile device 10 in turn may provide an indication to the first your road user 26 by using indication element 42. The first road user 26 is thus made aware of theapproaching second road user 28 and may adapt its participation in traffic accordingly, to avoid a dangerous situation with the second road user 28.

[0079] Depicted exemplarily in figure 2, the first road user accommodates a sensor element associated with the road user 40, which may be a further sensor element, by wearing a wearable electronic device, e.g., a smart watch. The sensor element 40 associated with the first road user 26 may be in communicative connection with the mobile device 10 to receive sensor data from the sensor element 40 associated with the first road user 26

[0080] Now referring to Fig. 3, which shows an exemplary embodiment of a mobile device / first road user travelling in a vehicle according to the present disclosure.

[0081] In the scenario of figure 3, the first road user 26 is on board of the second road user 28, which is a vehicle in figure 3. The mobile device 10 associated with the first road user is arranged to detect 46 a V2X functionality of the second road user 28. E.g., the mobile device may detect the V2X functionality by receiving near field or short-range communication from the second road user 28 indicative of V2X functionality. Alternatively or additionally, the mobile device may be receiving repeated transmission of situational status data from the second road user 28. By correlating the received situational status data the with its own situational status data, the mobile device may determine that the second road user 28 is essentially traveling along the same path and / or having the same position and velocity. Thereby, without a direct communication connection between the mobile device 10 and the second road user 28, the mobile device 10 may determine that the mobile device 10 / the first road user 26 is on board the second road user 28. Since the mobile device was able to determine this, the mobile device 10 can determine that the second road user must be comprising V2X functionality. Upon such determination, the mobile device 10 may be arranged to deactivate 44 is a communication element and / or deactivate transmission of its situational status data. Such a deactivation may avoid the duplication of situational status data within the local V2X environment.

[0082] Now referring to Fig. 4, which shows an exemplary embodiment of a communication method according to the present disclosure.

[0083] Communication method 50 in figure 4 communicates situational status data between a first road user 26 to a second road user 28. The first road user 26 may be a pedestrian, a bicycle rider, a motorcycle rider or a vehicle with car 2X / V2X functionality. The second road user 28 is exemplarily a vehicle with car 2X / V2X functionality, however, generally may be any type of applicable road user. The first road user 26, e.g. by using a mobile device 10, acquires 52 situational status data, for example its own position information. This acquisition is not depicted in figure 4. Subsequently, the first road user 26 / the mobile device10 may transmit 54 the situational status data, e.g. position information like GPS data, optionally anonymous situational status data. The transmission may be performed as a transmission 32 using a communication network 22. Alternatively or additionally, the communication connection may be a direct transmission 34 or a broadcast transmission 36 received by the second road user 28. Upon receiving the situational status data, the second road user 28 may decide to act upon the received information as described previously.

[0084] Now referring to Fig. 5, which shows an exemplary embodiment of an operation of mobile device according to the present disclosure.

[0085] Figure 5 shows an exemplary embodiment of an application running on the mobile device 10 to be used by the first road user 26. Essentially, the application allows selecting the travel type 60 by pressing one of four buttons within the app. The graphical user interface of the application is presented on indication element 42 of mobile device 10 and provides the option to select a travel type 60 as a pedestrian, a cyclist, riding a motorcycle or a car. Further functionality may be implemented, which is not depicted in figure 5.

[0086] It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and improvements may be made without deviating from the concepts described here. Any of the features described above and below may be used separately or in combination with any other features described herein, provided they are not mutually exclusive, and the disclosure extends to and includes all combinations and subcombinations of one or more features described herein.

[0087] Finally, it should be noted that the term "comprising" not exclude other elements or steps, and that "a" or "one" does not exclude the plural. Elements that are described in relation to different types of embodiments can be combined. Reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of a claim.LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS10 Mobile device12 communication element14 situational status acquisition element16 processing element18 antenna20 positional information receiver22 communication network24 positional information transmitter26 first road user28 second road user30 road / street32 transmission to communication network34 direct transmission36 broadcast transmission38 further sensor element40 sensor element associated with the road user42 indication element44 deactivated communication element46 detect V2X functionality50 Method52 acquire situational status data54 transmit situational status data60 travel type

Claims

CLAIMS1 . Mobile device (10), comprising a communication element (12), and a situational status acquisition element (14), wherein the mobile device (10) is associated with and / or travels with a first road user (26), wherein the situational status acquisition element (14) is adapted for acquiring situational status data of the mobile device (10) and / or the first road user (26), and wherein the communication element (12) is adapted to transmit the situational status data to at least one second road user (28) arranged in the vicinity of the mobile device (10).

2. The mobile device according to the preceding claim, wherein the transmission of the situational status data is a transmission (32) from the mobile device (10) to the at least one second road user (28) using a mobile communication network (22), and / or wherein the transmission of the situational status data is a direct short-range or mediumrange communication transmission (34) between the mobile device (10) and the at least one second road user (28), and / or wherein the transmission of the situational status data is a broadcast transmission (36) to any road user in the vicinity of the mobile device (10).

3. The mobile device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the situational status data is one or more of position data of the mobile device, presence data of the mobile device, type data of the first road user, travel type data of the first road user, road condition data, weather data, road hazard data, emergency service data, behavioural data of the first road user, accident data, traffic data.

4. The mobile device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile device (10) is adapted to acquire environmental data of the environment and / or the surroundings of the mobile device (10) and / or the first road user (26), and wherein the mobile device (10) is adapted to transmit the environmental data together with or alternative to the situational status data.

5. The mobile device according to the preceding claim, wherein the environmental data is acquired by the situational status acquisition element (14), a further sensor element (38) of the mobile device (10) and / or a sensor element (40) associated with the road user.

6. The mobile device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the situational status is dependent on the travel type (50) performed by the first road user (26).

7. The mobile device according to the preceding claim, wherein the mobile device is adapted to verify the type of travel performed by the road user by analysing the situational status data, analysing the situational status data over time and / or analysing sensor data of the further sensor element (38) of the mobile device and / or the sensor element (40) associated with the road user.

8. The mobile device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile device (10) is adapted to receive situational status data and / or environmental data from a further mobile device associated with and / or traveling with a further road user.

9. The mobile device according to the preceding claim, further comprising an indication element (42), wherein the mobile device is adapted to provide an indication dependent on the received situational status data and / or environmental data from further mobile device associated with and / or traveling with a further road user to the first road user.

10. The mobile device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile device is adapted to generate verification and / or authentication data for verifying the authenticity of the situational status data and / or environmental data, and wherein the mobile device is transmitting the verification data together with or subsequently to the situational status data and / or environmental data.1 1 . The mobile device according to the preceding claim, wherein the mobile device is adapted to provide an indication only if the authenticity of the situational status data and / or environmental data has been verified.

12. The mobile device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the situational status data and / or environmental data is transmitted anonymously.

13. The mobile device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile device is communicatively connected to the first road user, and is arranged to receive sensor data or environmental data from the first road user.

14. The mobile device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile device is arranged to detect (46) that a vehicle the road user associated with and the mobile device is traveling in also comprises V2X functionality, and wherein the mobile device is arranged, upon such detection, to stop providing V2X functionality (44) and / or stop transmitting V2X messages (44).

15. Method (50), comprising the steps of acquire (52) situational status data of a mobile device and / or a first road user, and transmit (54) the situational status data to at least one second road user arranged in the vicinity of the mobile device.

16. The method according to the preceding claim, further comprising the steps of acquiring environmental data of the environment and / or the surroundings of the mobile device and / or the road user, and transmitting the environmental data together with or alternative to the situational status data.

17. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising the step of verifying the type of travel performed by the road user by analysing the situational status data over time and / or analysing sensor data of the further sensor element of the mobile device and / or the sensor element associated with the road user.

18. The method according to any one of the preceding method claims, further comprising the steps of generating verification and / or authentication data for verifying the authenticity of the situational status data and / or environmental data, and transmitting the verification data together with or subsequently to the situational status data and / or environmental data.

19. Method, comprising the steps of acquire global position data of a mobile device and / or a first road user, and transmit anonymously the global position data to at least one second road user arranged in the vicinity of the mobile device, wherein the transmission is employing a Vehicle2X communication topology.

0. Computer program product or computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processing element (16), cause the processing element (16) to carry out the steps of the method according to one of the preceding claims.

Images