V2X Message Relay Apparatus for Heterogeneous Standards

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems face compatibility issues between heterogeneous communication standards, particularly for pedestrian devices that do not support standards like WAVE or LTE-V2X sidelink, leading to barriers in V2X communication and increased costs due to the need for separate modems.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that relay messages by receiving and processing personal safety messages (PSMs) across different communication standards, allowing for batch transmission and decompression, enabling conversion between standards and efficient network use by bundling messages based on urgency and storage limits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If V2X communication standards (WAVE, LTE-V2X sidelink) are used for high-speed vehicle communication, then communication reliability for vehicles is improved, but compatibility with pedestrian devices is lost and terminal cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidcompatibility with pedestrian devices
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a relay device as an intermediary component that receives messages from VRUs via BLE/UWB and forwards them to vehicles via V2X standards. This mediator enables communication between devices using different standards without requiring direct compatibility or separate modems for each device type.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The communication system is segmented into two independent parts: VRU terminals using BLE/UWB for message generation, and relay devices or vehicles using V2X for message reception. This segmentation allows each component to use its own optimal standard without requiring full system-wide standard uniformity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If separate V2X modems are provided to VRU terminals to enable V2X communication, then communication capability is improved, but terminal price increases and dissemination speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveV2X communication capabilityVSAvoidterminal price and complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The relay device serves as an intermediary that performs the V2X communication function externally, allowing VRU terminals to use simpler, cheaper BLE or UWB modems already present in smartphones without requiring expensive dedicated V2X modems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent substitutes the physical V2X modem hardware in VRU terminals with a software-based message relay mechanism using existing BLE/UWB infrastructure, replacing complex hardware requirements with simpler communication protocols.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Loss of time

If messages are transmitted immediately upon receipt, then message freshness is improved, but network efficiency decreases due to lack of batch processing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage transmission delayVSAvoidnetwork efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The relay device implements periodic batch transmission where accumulated messages are transmitted in groups at scheduled intervals rather than individually upon arrival. This periodic action optimizes network resource usage while maintaining acceptable message freshness through controlled delay.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple individual messages are merged into single batch transmissions, combining multiple data packets into one network transmission event. This merging reduces the total number of transmission operations and improves overall network efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4114048B1Method and apparatus for relaying messages
Publication Date: 2024.05.29 ETTIFOS CO
  • EP4114048B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4114048B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4114048B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a road side apparatus configured to relay a message. The apparatus may include a memory, a processor, and a transceiver. The processor may be configured to: check whether an identifier received together with a received message is previously stored; when the identifier is stored, replace a personal safety message (PSM) corresponding to the identifier in a pair of the PSM and the identifier with a PSM included in the received message and the store the PSM; when a timer for batch transmission expires or when a total size of stored PSMs exceeds a predetermined value, generate one batch message including all PSMs in stored pairs of PSMs and identifiers; and transmit the generated batch message. The identifier may be information for identifying a transmitter that transmits the message.