Pedestrian Unit Communication Activity Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pedestrian-to-vehicle communication networks face challenges in reducing transmission and reception activity while maintaining low cost and power consumption, particularly due to the need for accurate positioning and risk assessment without increasing processing power or memory, and to avoid false alerts and network load.
Innovation Solution
Methods for reducing activity in pedestrian communication units include determining if a pedestrian is inside a vehicle, adjusting transmission based on risk assessment from vehicles, and using dedicated channels or messages to control communication activity, allowing for low-cost, low-power operation with or without a GPS receiver.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS receiver and processing power are included in PU for accurate positioning and risk assessment, then positioning accuracy and safety assessment capability are improved, but device cost and complexity increase beyond acceptability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces vehicles as intermediary units that perform the complex risk assessment and positioning analysis. Instead of equipping each PU with GPS receivers and processing power, the vehicle units act as mediators that receive location information from PUs, perform the computationally intensive risk assessment using their own resources, and then communicate activity recommendations back to the PUs. This resolves the contradiction by shifting the complexity burden from the constrained PU to the more capable vehicle unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the traditional architecture where the pedestrian device performs risk assessment. Instead, the vehicle units perform the risk assessment and inversionally control the PU activity. The vehicle units analyze the situation and determine when PUs should transmit or remain silent, rather than each PU independently making these decisions. This inversion allows accurate risk assessment without requiring complex PUs.
2Reliability
If PU transmission activity is increased to improve safety monitoring, then safety assessment capability is improved, but power consumption and network load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic transmission activity control where PUs adjust their transmission behavior based on real-time risk conditions. During low-risk periods, PUs reduce or suspend transmission to conserve battery power. During high-risk conditions identified by vehicle units, PUs increase transmission activity to improve safety monitoring. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making transmission activity variable rather than constant, optimizing the balance between safety and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the transmission parameter (activity level) based on the risk assessment results. The vehicle units determine appropriate transmission parameters and communicate them to PUs, which then adjust their transmission activity accordingly. This parameter change approach allows the system to achieve reliable safety monitoring only when necessary, rather than continuous transmission, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining safety capability.
3Reliability
If all PUs transmit continuously to ensure network visibility, then network load and safety coverage are improved, but network congestion and battery life deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by having only certain PUs transmit at certain times based on risk assessment, rather than all PUs transmitting continuously. The vehicle units identify which PUs need to be visible to the network for safety reasons and instruct only those PUs to transmit. This partial transmission approach maintains necessary safety coverage while significantly reducing overall network load and improving network efficiency compared to universal continuous transmission.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for pedestrian unit (PU) communication activity reduction in pedestrian-to-vehicle communication networks include obtaining safety risk information for a pedestrian at risk for involvement in an accident and using the risk information to adjust a PU communication activity. In some embodiments, the activity reduction is achieved without implementing understanding of surroundings. In other embodiments, the activity reduction is based on risk assessment provided by vehicles. In some embodiments, the activity reduction includes PU transmission reduction. In some embodiments the transmission activity reduction may be followed by reception activity reduction for overall power consumption reduction.