EP2733688B1 - Vehicle information device and method for transmitting road traffic information which is useful in a given area - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a vehicle information device for transmitting information useful for road traffic in a spatial area.

The invention further relates to a vehicle communication unit for use in a vehicle and a method for transmitting information useful for road traffic in a spatial area.

To improve the vehicle in terms of traffic load, safety, resources and the environment, driver assistance systems are known in which individual vehicles communicate wirelessly with neighboring vehicles or the infrastructure, such as traffic lights.

For example, in DE 10 32 761 A1 described to transmit bid or prohibit content of traffic signs wirelessly to the motor vehicle, so that their contents are visual and / or audible representable to the driver. In addition, control functions can be intervened on existing cruise control devices.

DE 10 2010 053 155 A1 describes a warning triangle for a vehicle with a transmitter for wireless transmission of data, such. B. the geographical Position of the warning triangle, to a receiver installed in a vehicle. This allows the driver of vehicles to be automatically warned of danger spots at a very early stage, at which the warning triangle with the activated transmitter is located.

DE 41 16 786 A1 describes an emergency signal device, which are installed in guide posts at the roadside and connected to a control unit of a Autobahnmeisterei. In an emergency, the triggering and signaling devices can be activated in the guide post, in which case a warning light is triggered on the guide post.

Also known are emergency pillars, which are located on highways and highways at regular intervals. Such an emergency call system with emergency telephones is for example in DE 101 11 188 A1 described.

DE 10 2010 056 548 A1 discloses a system for alerting road users to ghost riders. For this purpose, a display on a gantry with an alarm means, such as an emergency call, connected. By activating an alarm on the emergency call column, a warning can be triggered by the driver on the display.

Furthermore, it is off DE 199 62 620 A1 a device for detecting, displaying and evaluating measured data described, the z. B. recorded with a datalogger on an emergency call and stored there and sent via a wireless modem wirelessly via a mobile phone service to a laboratory for evaluation.

DE 10 2004 035 856 A1 shows an electrical accessory for traffic facilities, which has a data receiver for receiving radio signals to identify passing motor vehicles and a data transmitter.

DE 31 29 094 A1 discloses a pre-warning device for motor vehicle traffic. Transmitters are set up in the opposite direction of motorway exits in order to trigger a warning signal "Stop" on a display device in the event of a wrong-way ticket. Pulse generators with a sustain pulse are set up at the exits, which send in the wrong entry direction, thus allowing a vehicle to detect the wrong entry into a stretch of road.

DE 94 07 473 U1 describes a traffic warning and reporting system where substations are installed in the distress pillars. In the vehicles receiving devices are installed, which receive the information disseminated by means of the transmitting device to the emergency call.

EP 1 280 118 A1 describes a method for detecting road traffic conditions, in which already existing microphones are used by emergency call stations for detecting the traffic noise. Traffic conditions are then derived from the traffic noise.

In WO 2007/121707 A1 is a vehicle crash warning for installation in a motor vehicle with a radio transmitter in the motor vehicle and radio receivers for detecting an accident signal and forwarding described.

DE 42 27 337 A1 discloses a method for informing a road user, in which a vehicle recognizes the driving of a road section in the wrong direction by means of a reading direction-dependent barcode. For this purpose, barcodes are applied to the roadway, which are read and evaluated by a barcode reader of the vehicle.

Object of the present invention is to realize a simple way with a large cover a vehicle information system, exchanged in the useful information between vehicles and a central office can be detected and a detection of and warnings of wrong-way drivers is ensured.

The object is achieved by the vehicle information device with the features of claim 1 and by the method for transmitting information useful for road traffic in a spatial area with features of claim 10, advantageous embodiments are described in the subclaims.

It is proposed to use the available emergency telephones, which are set up on roads and set up to record emergency calls and connectable to an emergency call center via a communication network, for the transmission of information useful for road traffic in a spatial area. For this purpose, the emergency call pillars are equipped with a vehicle information device, which are installed in the emergency call pillars or attached to the emergency call pillars.

The vehicle information facility of an emergency call tower then has a radio to wirelessly transmit useful information to vehicles within radio range of the emergency call column and / or to receive useful information from such vehicles. With the radio, the emergency pillars can also exchange useful information and control commands with each other.

The vehicle information device is used according to the invention for detecting the inadmissible use of roads, in particular for detecting wrong-way driving and warning the road users. For this purpose, the vehicle information device coupled to an emergency call center receives at least the current position data of the vehicles located in the radio reception range of the emergency call column or the radio information device. From these position data in connection with the well-known road progressions and the permissible directions in which the roads may be traveled, can be detected by continuous evaluation of the position data, the direction of travel of the respective vehicle and an illegal driving on road sections. It is conceivable here that the speed and direction of travel of the individual vehicles is determined by the information device itself on the basis of the continuously received position data of the vehicles located in radio reception range. It is also conceivable, however, for the vehicles to communicate not only the position data but also the current speed and the direction of travel of the vehicle information device as useful information.

Usually located at the exits of a highway always on both sides in each case an emergency call, so that the highway entrance of a highway side can be monitored autonomously by an associated emergency call.

If a wrong trip is detected, the vehicles located within the radio range of the emergency call column will be notified immediately. By integrating the vehicle information device in a larger network, other vehicles and deployment sites, such as the police, can be informed about the existence of a wrong-way.

A vehicle communication unit provided for use in a vehicle thus has a radio unit for wireless communication with a vehicle information unit of an emergency call column described above.

The emergency call columns are so far for road sections in lines via local gateways z. B. in Autobahnmeistereien and connected via public communication networks with an emergency call center. Some of the emergency call stations are already set up to exchange data with the emergency call center. In any case, it is technically relatively easy, even not equipped for data transmission emergency call columns, for example, by communication modules, the to provide bi-directional data exchange over a multi-frequency method from the emergency call pillars to the line termination groups of the local emergency call gateways in the motorway masteries. The DTMF signals used in this case can then encoded the emergency call column addresses containing status messages and control characters and additional useful information to be transmitted.

To equip an emergency call tower with a vehicle information facility, this vehicle information facility only needs to have a radio device for broadcasting useful information and / or receiving such useful information from vehicles, which radio should have control and interface with a communication unit in the emergency call center the useful information on the communication network of the emergency call center z. B. forward to a message center or to receive useful information from such a message center for sending to vehicles.

The equipment of already available and interconnected distress pillars with such vehicle information device has the advantage that in an existing networked infrastructure with a high degree of coverage in a simple and fast way a telematics system can be built, which for driver assistance systems in vehicles in a simple and inexpensive way a great benefit can offer. The emergency call column assigned to a vehicle information device can be connected to a message center via the communication network of the emergency call column. The message center is set up to receive useful information from the connected emergency call pillars or their vehicle information device and for forwarding useful information to the emergency call pillars and their vehicle information devices for forwarding to located in radio range vehicles.

It is particularly advantageous if the vehicle information devices have at least one sensor unit for measuring environmental information. This makes it possible to record environmental information locally at the emergency call point, which has a regional influence on road traffic.

The vehicle information device is then set up for forwarding this environmental information to a message center connected via the communication network or to vehicles located within the radio range of the emergency call column. It is conceivable that in a useful for a spatial area environmental information that are measured on at least one emergency call on the vehicle information device this emergency call and the other located in the spatial area distress signals are sent to the there in the radio range vehicles there. Such measured environmental information may be, for example, temperature, wind, air quality or sound data. So can be concluded from the temperature on the road conditions and smoothness. From a sound measurement z. As the traffic density, the flow of traffic and vehicle types are estimated.

Useful information may include, for example, information such as weather conditions, construction site indications, permitted speeds, detour hints, parking lot information, distance limits for successive vehicles, vehicle lane restrictions such as vehicle lane lockout or clearance, point of interest (POI) information, or advertising information be.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if the vehicle information device is set up to receive emergency call signals from vehicles located within radio range. It is conceivable that the built in an emergency call vehicle information device for receiving e-call data messages of the future emergency call information system is set up. The Radio information device of an emergency call center is then set up for the wireless reception of emergency call information from the vehicles within radio range and for automatic forwarding to an emergency call center connected via the communication network.

It is particularly advantageous if the vehicle information device has a position receiving unit for determining the location positions of the assigned emergency call column and for determining the current deviation of the determined location position from the known location position of the emergency call column. The vehicle information device is then set up to forward a differential position signal, which is dependent on the deviation of the positional position, to the vehicles within radio range as useful information for increasing the accuracy of the vehicle position determined in the vehicle. In this case, the vehicle information device can also be set up to determine the errors in the individual distance measurements to the satellites (raw signals) with regard to the different satellite systems. The position receiving unit may use one or more of the available systems for location, such as one or more in combination. As satellite-based systems (GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, EGNOS, etc.), mobile systems (eg., GSM) and / or wireless networks (eg., WLAN). It is thus proposed selected emergency call columns as reference stations for a differential location system use and determine the differential position signal determined by the vehicle information device of the emergency call column the vehicles located within radio range available. This significantly increases the positioning accuracy, availability and integrity of navigation systems in vehicles.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if vehicle information devices of emergency call columns are set up as repeaters for the wireless reception of useful information from neighboring vehicle information devices and for re-sending of these received information. This allows the radio coverage without the use of the wired communication network Easily improve the emergency call pillars. In addition, the repeater function can also be used to transmit useful information received from a vehicle information device of an emergency call column wirelessly with the aid of the repeaters to a gateway, from where the information is then transferred via a suitable interface to a wired communication network. Correspondingly, information useful to the repeaters from a gateway may be forwarded wirelessly over a line of emergency call columns so that all addressed emergency call centers or selected emergency call points with their vehicle information facility will send these useful information relayed to the repeater function to vehicles within radio range.

It is particularly advantageous if the radio unit of the vehicle information device for radio data communication with a corresponding radio unit of at least one vehicle within radio range is set up according to the WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) communication protocol. The WLAN standard enables wireless communication with a range of more than one kilometer and is therefore suitable for use in conjunction with emergency call pillars, which are also located at a distance of about one kilometer. It should be noted that for the vehicle information system no complete coverage is required and distress pillars are often offset on opposite sides of the road, which reduces the distance between two adjacent distress pillars.

The use of the WLAN communication protocol has the advantage that it is possible to communicate with a large number of existing devices equipped with WLAN communication units by default, such as smartphones. These can then be provided with a suitable software or application as vehicle communication unit for use in a vehicle to receive useful information from a vehicle information device of an emergency call column or such useful data to send to a vehicle information device an emergency call column.

The transmission of information useful for road traffic in a geographic area is accomplished by wirelessly transmitting useful information to and / or receiving useful information from vehicles located within the radio range of an emergency pillar through a vehicle information device installed in an emergency pillar or attached to an emergency call tower.

The vehicle information device can be retrofitted as a complete separate device or factory already integrated into the emergency call.

In the transmission method, a repeater function can also be realized by forwarding useful information received by a first vehicle information device of an emergency call column to at least one further vehicle information device connected to the emergency call column to a communication network or to a reporting center connected to the vehicle information device of the emergency call column via the communication network and / or by receiving useful information from other vehicle information devices or from a reporting center and transmitting this information with at least one vehicle information device of an emergency call center.

Figur 1

- Skizze eines Informationssystems mit Fahrzeuginformationseinrichtungen an Notrufsäulen, die mit Fahrzeugkommunikationseinheiten in Fahrzeugen, kommunizieren und über ein Kommunikationsnetzwerk mit einer Notruf- und Meldezentrale verbunden sind;

Figur 2

- Blockdiagramm einer Notrufsäule mit daran angeschlossener Fahrzeuginformationseinrichtung;

Figur 3

- Skizze eines Fahrzeugs mit eingebauter Fahrzeugkommunikationseinheit;

Figur 4

- Skizze einer Autobahnauffahrt mit einer Notrufsäule zur Falschfahrererkennung.

The invention will be explained in more detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

FIG. 1

- Sketch of an information system with vehicle information devices on emergency telephones, which communicate with vehicle communication units in vehicles, and are connected via a communication network with an emergency call and reporting center;

FIG. 2

Block diagram of an emergency call column with vehicle information device connected thereto;

FIG. 3

- Sketch of a vehicle with built-in vehicle communication unit;

FIG. 4

- Sketch of a motorway ramp with an emergency call point for wrong-way driver recognition.

FIG. 1 lets recognize an information system in which the already existing conventionally distress pillars 1 are used. In particular, on highways and highways are at regular intervals of z. B. one kilometer distress pillars 1 on a street side or on the opposite sides of the street. The emergency call pillars 1 can be connected via a communication network 2 to an emergency call center 3. For this purpose, a sequence of distress pillars 1 via a bidirectional line network 4 via a gateway 5 z. B. with a public telephone / data network 6, such as the Internet coupled. A central gateway 7 of the emergency call center 3 is connected via the public telephone and data network 6 with the gateway 5 of the road authorities.

It is proposed, in addition to the emergency call center 3 to provide at least one message center 8, the z. B. can communicate via the central gateway 7 or a private gateway via the telephone and / or data network 6 with the gateways 5 of the road authorities. This can be useful information from the reporting center 8 via the gateways 5 and the line connection Send 4 to the emergency services 1, or receive from them.

It is now proposed that emergency call columns 1 are equipped with a vehicle information device 9. The vehicle information devices 9 have an antenna 10 and a radio unit for broadcasting useful information to vehicles 11 located in radio reception range of the vehicle information device 9. The vehicles 11 each have a vehicle communication unit 12 coupled to an antenna 13 such as a vehicle antenna for useful information to receive or to send to the vehicle information devices 9.

The system is exploited that the operation z. As a telecommunications network as well as the technical operation of emergency call 1 including the technical facilities in tram authorities is performed. All distress pillars of a road section, such as a motorway section, are connected in parallel to line lines 4 in lines of lengths up to 65 km. Simultaneous conversations of several distress pillars 1 on a line are not possible. For the transmission of data and languages from and to distress pillars 1 an analog transmission technique is used as a rule. However, there are also newly installed distress pillars 1, some of which also use new digital data transmission methods, such as the voice over IP technology with the TCP / IP standard. The signal transmission is generally bidirectional via a multi-frequency method from the emergency call pillars 1 to the gateways 5, d. H. to the line startup groups of the local emergency call gateways in the streetcar master. The DTMF signals used encoded the distress column addresses, status messages and control characters.

It is also exploited in the system that determines the exact locations of all emergency call 1 as part of a central surveying action were and are known. The coordinates and other important information about the sites are stored in an emergency pillar master database, which is updated.

By upgrading the existing emergency call 1 on federal motorways and highways with a vehicle information device, an innovative service for vehicles in the field of car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communication can now be realized. In this case, there is a communication with passing vehicles by sending or receiving useful information by a radio unit of a vehicle information device of an emergency call. The vehicles are currently and in the future usually equipped with an on-board unit for wireless data communication. The WLAN standard should be used. By equipping the emergency call column with a vehicle information device, vehicles having geographically defined specified useful information can communicate between an emergency pillar 1, a message center 8, and vehicles 11.

The system allows fast and easy nationwide coverage on federal highways and federal highways, without the need for extensive construction and approval procedures for new infrastructures. The existing infrastructure and cabling of more than 16,000 emergency telephones on the German motorways in Germany significantly reduces the need for upgrading and the costs to be calculated. Based on the in FIG. 1 Infrastructure can be set up services in the entire environment of traffic management, which were previously only possible through the use and payment of a mobile network operator.

So can the vehicles z. B. information about the weather, construction site information, information on touring sites, speed limits, detour instructions, parking information, current distance requirements based on the detected traffic density, vehicle lane restrictions or Release of z. B. parking lanes or the like can be passed to the vehicles. Depending on their spatial scope, this useful information can only be transmitted by the emergency call pillars in the relevant spatial area. Thus, the spatial area in which useful information in this regard is output from vehicle information devices to vehicles, eg. B. in moving construction vehicles with the hiking site with change.

The messaging center 8 can also be provided to control the emergency call columns 1 and to provide them with information originating from other data sources. These can be: Dangerous goods data and movements of dangerous goods transports, information from local and / or transregional traffic management centers, general information, timetable information for connection security in intermodal traffic, logistical information, toll collection for motorways and federal roads (tolling) etc.

It is also conceivable that useful information can be detected by sensors of the vehicle information device on emergency call pillars and emitted directly in the spatial area of the emergency call pillars or initially transmitted to a message center for generating useful information to be passed on vehicles.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a vehicle information device 9, which is coupled to an emergency pillar 1. The vehicle information device 9 has a radio unit 14 for receiving and transmitting useful information via the antenna 10. In the wireless communication with the radio unit 14, the WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) standard is preferably used. However, other communication standards are also conceivable, provided that they allow sufficient transmission and reception power with which information between emergency call stations and vehicles can be safely exchanged. The radio unit 14 is with a control unit 15 which controls on the one hand the connection to the emergency call pillar 1 and its communication port to the communication network 2 and on the other hand, the control of the radio unit 14. The control unit 15 may optionally continue to have a repeater function z. B. in hardware and / or software, with which wirelessly received useful information is forwarded to other vehicle information devices 9 of distress pillars 1 in the reception range. In this way, it is also conceivable to transmit the useful information wirelessly first in the line of distress pillars 1 to a suitable gateway and to feed from there into the communication network 2 and vice versa.

Furthermore, the vehicle information device 9 may have at least one sensor unit 16 for detecting environmental data. Such environmental data may be, for example, temperature, wind, air quality or sound. The detection of the road users by means of sound analysis of the sound frequency has the advantage that no personal characteristics, such as license plates, are detected and an anonymous detection is ensured. It is also conceivable, however, a sensor unit 16 in the form of a z. B. satellite-based position receiving unit 17, with the current location position of the emergency call column 1, where the vehicle information device 9 is arranged, is determined and connected to the known location position. In this way, a current positioning error can be determined, which can be forwarded as a differential position signal to vehicles 11 located in the reception range of the vehicle information device 9. In this case, the vehicle information device can also be set up as useful information for determining the errors in the individual distance measurements to the satellites (raw signals) with regard to the different satellite systems and possibly forwarding. With the help of this differential position signal, the accuracy of the satellite-based position determinations can be improved by satellite-based position receiver, the z. GPS (Global Positioning System), GLONASS, EGNOS, the Chinese Compass or the future Use Galileo system. Alternatively or additionally in combination, and the detection of GSM / WLAN level systems for location via mobile radio and / or the use of differential GSM location method is conceivable.

The emergency call pillars 1 with their vehicle information device 9 can be supplied in addition or completely with the energy required for the operation of self-sufficient, supporting systems such as wind turbines, solar panels and batteries.

FIG. 3 lets a motor vehicle 11 recognize that has an internal data bus 18 in a conventional manner. Such a data bus 18 may, for. B. a CAN bus to the units of the vehicle, such as a control unit 19, a navigation unit 20 and a speed control unit 21 are connected. Furthermore, in the vehicle 11 z. B. permanently installed vehicle communication unit 12 is connected to the data bus 18. The vehicle communication unit 12 is further coupled to a vehicle antenna 13 for receiving or transmitting useful information from vehicle information devices 9 to distress pillars 1.

Thus, the useful information received by the vehicle communication unit 12 may be e.g. B. displayed on the display of the navigation unit 20 or used by the navigation unit 20 for route optimization. It is conceivable that useful information z. B. in the form of traffic jam messages from the navigation unit 20 further processed. However, it is also possible, for example, to output advertising information on offers available in the spatial area as well as information on destinations in the surroundings (point of interest).

The useful information can also be used to influence a speed control device 21 to z. B. influenced by congestion warnings, site warnings or information on increased traffic, which are emitted as useful information from the vehicle information devices 9 of the emergency call pillars 1 in the spatial area of validity, to influence the speed of the vehicle 11.

Furthermore, useful information can be further utilized by the control unit 19 or information of the vehicle and the surroundings of the vehicle 11 detected by the control unit 19 can be output as useful information with the vehicle communication unit 12 to vehicle information devices 9 within the radio range of the vehicle 11.

FIG. 4 makes a sketch of a motorway entrance with an emergency call 1 and an arranged thereon vehicle information device 9 detect the wrong driver. It is clear that a highway 22 has two road sections 22a, 22b. The lower road section 22a has a traffic direction indicated by the dashed arrow from left to right, while the road section 22b separated therefrom has a predetermined traffic direction from left to right (see dashed arrow). A first vehicle 23a moves in the permissible traffic direction on the second road section 22b of the motorway. It is also clear that the highway 22 is crossed by a main road 24 and a motorway entrance 25a and a motorway exit 25b is provided to get from the main road 24 to the highway 22 and vice versa. The highway entrance 25a has a traffic direction indicated by the dashed arrow from the main road 24 to the second road section 22b. The highway exit has an also sketched by the dashed arrow allowable traffic direction from the road section 22b of the highway 22 on the main road 24th

It is clear that a second vehicle 23b is driving in the permitted traffic direction on the motorway entrance 25a. A third vehicle 23c, however, moves in an inadmissible manner contrary to the predetermined direction of traffic and reaches the highway 22 as a wrong-way driver.

The vehicles 23a, 23b and 23c each have a vehicle communication unit 12, indicated in each case with the antenna, in connection with FIG FIG. 3 The vehicle communication units 12 in the vehicles 23a, 23b, 23c have in particular a position locating unit, such as a GPS receiver, to determine the current position of the respective vehicle 23a, 23b, 23c. It is furthermore advantageous if the vehicle communication units 12 are furthermore set up to determine the direction of travel and possibly to transmit the current speed of the respective vehicle 23a, 23b, 23c, which is known via the tachometer.

This can be done for example by suitable programming of a microprocessor or microcontroller.

The vehicle communication units 12 of the vehicles 23a, 23b, 23c regularly (eg at a repetition rate of 5-10 Hz, ie 5 to 10 times per second) transmit their vehicle states as useful information, in particular positions, heading angle and speed, to the closest vehicle information device 9 In the respective vehicle information devices 9, the time behavior of a vehicle 23a, 23b, 23c is then analyzed on the basis of the physical limits of the movement. This can be done for example by means of a vehicle model and an estimation filter (Kalman filter) by the vehicle information device. For the purposes of this invention, "regular" means the transmission of the respectively current information "following a rule", e.g. upon reaching a corresponding program command section of a program loop of a program executable on a data processing device or in the case of repetitive events (interrupt-controlled).

The vehicle information devices 9 are installed in the existing emergency call pillars 1 and communicate wirelessly, for example via WLAN 802.11 P with the vehicles 23a to 23c in radio reception range. The position data supplied by the vehicles 23a to 23c, the speed and the direction of travel of the vehicles 23a, 23b, 23c are continuously evaluated in order to detect wrong-way driving. The same is done with the opposite distress call 1 'on the other side of the highway, as a rule, the exits opposite and possibly on both sides of the trip an emergency call 1 is installed.

If a wrong drive is detected, the connected vehicles 23a to 23c are notified. A disclosure of the information to neighboring vehicle information devices 9 and to a reporting center 8 is also possible to distribute the warning directly in the regional structure.

A vehicle communication unit 12, which transmits the current vehicle position to the vehicle information device 9 as a control unit (electronic control unit), is installed in the vehicles 23a to 23c. As soon as a wrong-way driver notification is received from a vehicle information device 9, a corresponding warning is issued. Instead of a separate control unit, the main unit of an infotainment system (head unit) of a vehicle 23a to 23c can be used, which already exists in the vehicle 23a to 23c. It only has to do with the functionality described above, e.g. be extended by appropriate programming. Position errors in the location data can be largely compensated by the vehicle information devices 9 by using the relative position history for the recognition.

For the wrong-driver identification by means of the vehicle information devices 9 on emergency call columns 1 and by means of the vehicle communication units 12 in the vehicles 23a to 23c, a radio communication protocol is required, which involves registering vehicles via a unique identification code, logging off vehicles, transmitting position data from a vehicle to a vehicle information device on an emergency call, transmitting warnings from a vehicle information device 9 to a vehicle communication unit 12 in a vehicle, explicitly warning the wrong driver and reporting wrong-way drivers via the vehicle information device 9 as "broadcast" to as many adjacent, affected Vehicles allowed.

The vehicle information device 9 preferably accepts incoming TCP / IP connections over a freely selectable port. It accepts the position data of the vehicles 23a to 23c for evaluation and determines based on the course of the position ("track") whether a wrong drive is present. This can be done computer-aided by an algorithm that builds on an estimation filter model (Kalman filter), which uses as model a car, truck and motorcycle. Once a wrong-way is detected, all connected vehicles that are not the wrong-way driver are warned. As soon as a wrong-way is detected, the wrong-way driver is notified separately.

The vehicle communication unit 12 in the vehicle or its application connects to a vehicle information device 9 (server) via TCP / IP as soon as the corresponding preconfigured WLAN network is entered. For the registration a unique identification (eg the IMEI) is used. The current position is transmitted to the vehicle information device 9 regularly (eg 5 to 10 times per second or at intervals of 5 to 10 hearts). As soon as a wrong-way warning (no own wrong-turn) or a wrong-way notification (own wrong-way) is received by the vehicle information device 9, a conspicuous visual and / or audible warning is issued. The warnings remain in effect until they are actively acknowledged by the user. Thus, it is also possible to report a wrong-way driver by the vehicle information device 9 to other adjacent vehicle information devices 9 of the network and / or to a reporting center 8.

A wrong-way journey will take place at the latest when "entering" the main carriageway in the opposite direction, i. detected in an invalid direction. For this purpose, the vehicle information device 9 contains route information about the route sections in the spatial vicinity of the vehicle information device 9, including the permissible traffic directions. The wrong-way driver warning can react very quickly by monitoring and reporting in the immediate vicinity, so that the sending of warnings or notifications is completed no later than one second after recognition or notification of the wrong-way driver.

Claims (11)

1. Vehicle information device (9) for transmitting information that is useful for road traffic in a physical area, wherein the vehicle information device (9) is installed in an emergency callbox (1), which is erected on roads and is set up to take emergency calls and is connected to an emergency call centre via a communication network (2) for the purpose of forwarding to said emergency call centre, or is an add-on to the emergency callbox (1) and has a radio unit for transmitting the useful information to and/or for receiving useful information from vehicles (11) that are within radio reception range of the emergency callbox (1), the radio unit being connected to the communication network (2) of the emergency callbox,
   characterized in that the vehicle information device (9) is set up to ascertain illegitimate use of the roads that are in the region of the emergency callbox (1) by the vehicles that are within radio reception range of the emergency callbox (1) on the basis of the useful information from the vehicles (11) that are within radio reception range of the emergency callbox (1) and, in the event of identification of wrong-way driving, to wirelessly transmit a wrong-way driver warning message to the vehicles (11) that are within radio range.
2. Vehicle information device (9) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the associated emergency callbox (1) is connected to a reporting centre (8) via the communication network (2) that is in place, wherein the reporting centre (8) receives useful information from the connected emergency callboxes (1) or transmits such information to the emergency callboxes (1) for forwarding to vehicles (11) that are within radio range.
3. Vehicle information device (9) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized by at least one sensor unit (16) for measuring environmental information, wherein the vehicle information device (9) is set up to forward the environmental information to a reporting centre (8) that is connected via the communication network (2) that is in place and/or to vehicles (11) that are within radio range of the emergency callbox (1).
4. Vehicle information device (9) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vehicle information device (9) is set up to wirelessly receive emergency call information from vehicles (11) that are within radio range and to automatically forward such information to an emergency call centre (3) that is connected via the communication network (2).
5. Vehicle information device (9) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vehicle information device (9) has a position reception unit (17) for determining the local positions of the associated emergency callbox (1) and for ascertaining the current discrepancy between the ascertained local position and the known local position of the emergency callbox (1), wherein the vehicle information device (9) is set up to forward a differential position signal that is dependent on the discrepancy in the local position to the vehicles (11) that are within radio range as useful information to increase the accuracy of the vehicle position ascertained in the vehicle (11).
6. Vehicle information device (9) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that useful information is measured information for temperature, wind, air quality or sound.
7. Vehicle information device (9) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that useful information is weather, advice of roadworks, legitimate speeds, advice of diversions, car park information, distance guidelines for the distance between successive vehicles, vehicle lane restrictions, information about destinations in the surroundings (POI) or advertising information.
8. Vehicle information device (9) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vehicle information device (9) is set up as a repeater for wirelessly receiving useful information from adjacent vehicle information devices (9) and retransmitting this received information.
9. Vehicle information device (9) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the radio unit (14) is set up for radio data communication with a corresponding radio unit of at least one vehicle that is within radio range according to the WLAN communication protocol.
10. Method for transmitting information that is useful for road traffic in a physical area by wirelessly transmitting useful information to and/or receiving useful information from vehicles that are within radio reception range of an emergency callbox (1) using a vehicle information device (9) that is installed in an emergency callbox (1) or is an add-on to an emergency callbox (1), according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by ascertainment of illegitimate use of the roads that are in the region of the emergency callbox (1) by the vehicles that are within radio reception range of the emergency callbox (1) on the basis of the useful information from the vehicles (11) that are within radio reception range of the emergency callbox (1) and by the
    identification of wrong-way driving by virtue of reception of position data for the current position of the vehicles (11, 23a, 23b, 23c) that are within radio reception range of the emergency callbox (1), and of the direction of travel of the respective vehicles (11, 23a, 23b, 23c), wherein wrong-way driving in proximity to the emergency callbox (1) is detected on the basis of the position and the direction of travel of the respective vehicle (11, 23a, 23b, 23c) that is within radio range of the emergency callbox (1) and the known road profile, and,
    in the event of identification of wrong-way driving,
    a wrong-way driver warning message is wirelessly transmitted to the vehicles (11, 23a, 23b, 23c) that are within radio range.
11. Method according to Claim 10, characterized by forwarding of useful information received by a first vehicle information device (9) of an emergency callbox (1) to at least one further vehicle information device (9), which is connected to a communication network (2) by means of the emergency callbox (1), or to a reporting centre (8) that is connected to the vehicle information device (9) of the emergency callbox (1) via the communication network (2) and/or reception of useful information from other vehicle information devices (9) or from a reporting centre (8) and transmission of this information to at least one vehicle information device (9) of an emergency callbox (1).

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