EP2394255A1

EP2394255A1 - Voice connection to an infrastructure facility after an event

Info

Publication number: EP2394255A1
Application number: EP10703259A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ulrich STÄHLIN; Marc Menzel
Original assignee: Continental Teves AG and Co OHG
Current assignee: Continental Teves AG and Co OHG
Priority date: 2009-02-03
Filing date: 2010-02-02
Publication date: 2011-12-14
Anticipated expiration: 2030-02-02
Also published as: DE102010001514A1; US20120034905A1; EP2394255B1; CN102369562B; WO2010089299A1; CN102369562A; US9014677B2

Abstract

The invention relates to a communication system for a vehicle for communicating with nearby vehicles, wherein the communication system comprises a control unit and a communication unit. After a triggering event occurs, an inquiry into whether a communication voice connection should be established is sent to nearby vehicles. The nearby vehicles can thereupon offer the establishment of the voice connection. Said establishment can be accepted or rejected by the communication system.

Description

Voice connection after an event to an infrastructure facility

Field of the invention

The invention relates to communication between a vehicle and an infrastructure facility. In particular, the invention relates to a communication system for a vehicle for communication with an infrastructure device, a communication system for an infrastructure device, a vehicle having a communication system, a method for communicating a vehicle with an infrastructure device, a program element and a computer-readable medium.

Technological background

The field of application of the invention relates to a so-called vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, which is also referred to as "Car-to-Infrastructure-Communication", and manages entirely without stationary communication nodes.

Summary of the invention

It is an object of the invention to provide improved communication between vehicles and infrastructures.

There are a communication system for a vehicle for communicating with an infrastructure facility

Communication system for an infrastructure device, a vehicle with a communication system, a method for communication between vehicles and an infrastructure device, a program element and a computer-readable medium according to the features of the independent Claims specified. Further developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

It should be noted at this point that the features described below with regard to the communication system for the vehicle can also be implemented in the communication system for the infrastructure device and in the method as method steps, and vice versa. This also applies to the program element and the computer-readable medium.

According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, a communication system for a vehicle for communication with an infrastructure device is provided, which has a control unit for controlling the communication and a communication unit for transmitting data to the infrastructure device and for receiving data from the infrastructure device.

The control unit is further configured to reject a structure of a communication voice connection between the vehicle and the infrastructure device if a message sent by the infrastructure device does not satisfy a required criterion.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the control unit and the communication unit are designed to transmit a request to the infrastructure device as to whether a communication voice connection is to be established between the vehicle and the infrastructure device. In other words, in the communication system of an infrastructure device, the communication system may inquire whether a communication voice connection should be established. The communication unit of the infrastructure receives this request and can then the

Offer communication unit of the original vehicle to establish a voice connection. This offer may be rejected by the communication system of the original vehicle if the data sent with the offer does not meet a required criterion.

In this way, it is possible to prevent infrastructures from participating in communications that are undesirable.

The vehicles may be, for example, motor vehicles or motorcycles.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the criterion is met when the infrastructure device is registered in a corresponding list of the communication system of the original vehicle.

This list can, according to a further embodiment of the invention, be maintained by the driver of the vehicle. For this purpose, the communication system is equipped with an input and output unit, which is designed to process the list by the driver of the vehicle. The driver can thus put together a certain group of vehicles and / or infrastructures in a list, which can then communicate with each other via a communication voice connection. All other vehicles and / or infrastructures will be rejected. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the communication system further comprises a vehicle sensor system. The request to the infrastructure device and / or the neighboring vehicles is transmitted only if the vehicle sensor system has detected a specific triggering event.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, this triggering event is the

Disability of the vehicle, to an accident of the vehicle, the dropping of an Ecalls by a communication unit of the vehicle (for example, the same communication unit that also sends the request) to a so-called. Ghost driver, so driving on a lane for oncoming traffic, or a Triggers from the driver.

If the vehicle sensor system detects such an event, then the request is sent to the infrastructure facility and / or the other vehicles. These may then, if the drivers of the other vehicles or the infrastructure manager so desire, or fully automatically, depending on the setting, send back an offer to establish a communication voice connection. This offer can then be accepted or rejected, for example, depending on whether the adjacent vehicle is registered in a corresponding list or not.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the control unit for automatically accepting or automatically rejecting the structure of the

Communication language connection is executed, depending on whether the criterion is met or not. An intervention of the driver is not required. If the criterion is fulfilled, the communication voice connection to the infrastructure device or the neighboring vehicle is established automatically.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the request comprises an identification of the transmitting vehicle. Thus, vehicle-specific data is sent along with the request so that the infrastructure facility or the neighboring vehicles can identify the sending vehicle. In this way, the communication systems in the infrastructure facility or the neighboring vehicles can decide whether to offer the establishment of a communication voice connection or not.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the request contains information about the triggering event. In this way, the communication systems of the infrastructure facility or the neighboring vehicles may decide (automatically or by user intervention) whether to offer the establishment of a communication voice connection or not.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the communication system is designed to receive a request from a corresponding communication system of the neighboring vehicle. Furthermore, it is executed for the user-side selection of a type of triggering event for which the request is to be displayed.

In this way it can be avoided that all requests to establish a communication voice connection are displayed become. Rather, only requests associated with selected events are displayed.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the communication system for automatically offering a

Communication voice connection when receiving the request executed when a preset condition is met.

In this way, it is possible to automate the construction of the communication voice connection.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, instead of the request, the offer for setting up a voice connection is sent directly by the first vehicle and the infrastructure device or the second vehicle can accept it directly and thereby directly establish the voice connection. There are also other forms of construction of the voice connection conceivable, but always follow the basic scheme that the first vehicle sends the desire to communicate and the second vehicle decides whether it meets this desire or not.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, a vehicle is specified with a communication system described above and below.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, a communication system for an infrastructure device for communication with a vehicle is specified, the communication system comprising: a control unit for

Controlling communication and a communication unit for communicating data from the infrastructure device to the vehicle and for receiving data from the vehicle. The Control unit is configured to make a request to set up a communication voice connection with the vehicle, wherein the creation of the request is triggered by a transmission of data from the vehicle to the infrastructure device.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method for communication of a vehicle with an infrastructure device is specified, in which a transmission of data from the vehicle to the infrastructure device takes place. This is followed by a request for the establishment of a communication voice connection by the infrastructure device, whereupon the structure of the communication voice connection is rejected by the vehicle if the request sent by the infrastructure device does not satisfy a required criterion.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the request for setting up the communication voice connection is triggered by the transmission of the data.

According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a program element which, when executed on a processor of a communication system as described above, instructs the communication system to perform the method steps described above.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, a computer-readable medium is indicated on which a program element stored, which, when executed on a processor of a communication system described above, instructs the processor to perform the method steps described above.

For example, the program element may be part of a software that is stored on a processor of the vehicle management. The processor can also be the subject of the invention. Furthermore, this embodiment of the invention comprises a program element which already uses the invention from the beginning, as well as a program element which causes by an update an existing program for use of the invention.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, in order to initiate a communication between adjacent vehicles, in a first step, for example on a general radio channel, identification information for forming a communication network is exchanged via radio link, which is input in the communication system of each participating vehicle in a second step Final acknowledgment by at least one other already belonging to the communication network vehicle in the same enter.

In this way, there is a departure from the broadcast approach described above, in which all vehicles are connected to all communication devices located in range. Rather, a closed group formation between the individual communication systems (and thus between the individual vehicles) is possible, in which a completely closed Radio communication can take place from vehicle to vehicle. Disruption of non-group communication systems are omitted and it is thus a safe and effective information exchange within the vehicle group possible. Entry into this closed communication loop is achieved, for example, by the initiation procedure described above, which, in terms of communication technology, represents a so-called handshake between the communication systems to be connected. The prerequisite for this is that the vehicles can contact the respective other vehicles of the group by radio after the occurrence of a triggering event, in order subsequently to be able to accept or reject an offer from another vehicle to set up a communication voice connection. This process may involve an exchange of identifiers (so-called handshake). After this handshake, each communication system recognizes whether information is coming from a group vehicle or from a foreign vehicle.

In the following, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the figures.

Brief description of the figures

Fig. 1 shows a communication system according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 shows two vehicles according to an embodiment of the invention.

3 shows a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the invention. Detailed description of embodiments

The illustrations in the figures are schematic and not to scale. In the following description of the figures, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar elements.

Fig. 1 shows a communication system 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. The communication system 100 has a central control unit (CPU) 101, which is connected to a communication unit 102, a vehicle sensor system 103 and an input and output unit 104.

The vehicle sensor system 103 has, for example, a camera 105, an ESP sensor 106 and a satellite navigation unit (GPS unit) 107.

It should be noted that in the context of the present invention, GPS is representative of all Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as e.g. GPS,

Galileo, GLONASS (Russia), Compass (China), IRNSS (India),

Of course, other sensors may be provided to detect the events to be triggered.

Furthermore, FIG. 1 shows a communication system 206 for an infrastructure, which is connected to the

Vehicle communication system 100 can communicate. The system 206 has a control unit 109, a communication unit 208 and possibly a

Communication interface 110 for connection to a central office. When a particular event occurs, an infrastructure facility is given the option to establish a voice connection to trigger the event. Will now build a voice connection through the

Inquired infrastructure, the trigger gets this request displayed including an identification of the infrastructure that wants to record the voice connection and can accept or reject. Events for the voice connection can be:

A vehicle remains lying and is no longer roadworthy; a vehicle has an accident; - a vehicle has dropped off an ecall; a vehicle drives against the direction of travel

(Ghost driver); a vehicle got lost or needed

Orientation (event triggered by vehicle occupants); a vehicle needs medical help for

Vehicle occupants (event triggered by the vehicle occupant).

FIG. 2 shows a first vehicle 201 and a second vehicle 202, each having a communication system 100. There is a radio connection 203 between the two communication systems 100.

The vehicle 201 triggers the event and the vehicle 202 or the infrastructure 204, 205 with corresponding communication systems 206 is given the option for voice connection. Each driver can specify whether, on the occurrence of a specific, definable event, other vehicles or infrastructures should be given the opportunity to request a voice connection. Even if such a voice connection is offered by another vehicle 202 or the infrastructure device 204 or 205, the driver (or communication system 100) of the triggering vehicle 201 still has to accept the voice connection. The activation of the voice connection option can generally take place for all events or only for selected events. For example, a driver of a first vehicle may specify that only if other vehicles are offered the option to establish a voice connection when the first vehicle is left lying.

Advantageously, the option to establish the communication voice connection is therefore sent as a message with the event, eg. B. as a "language establishment flag".

There are several ways in which the language structure can be regulated:

The second vehicle 202 and / or the infrastructure 204, 205 gets the option for voice connection. The driver of the second vehicle 202 or the infrastructure device then offers the establishment of the voice connection, whereupon the first vehicle 201 can reject this setup.

The first vehicle 201 has set to "automatically accept" for an event type. "" The second vehicle 202 or the infrastructure provides for such Event a voice connection, this is then accepted directly.

The second vehicle 202 and / or the infrastructure device is included in a list of "desired helpers" (eg friends, colleagues, rescue control center, etc.) This list can be influenced (ie edited) by the driver of the first vehicle 201. The second vehicle 202 or the infrastructure device offers a voice connection after the event in the first vehicle 201 and the voice connection is then automatically established.

Preferably, when displaying the option for voice communication in the second vehicle 202 and / or the

The infrastructure also has the reason for this indicated (for example, "broken-down vehicle") and the location where the vehicle has been left to locate the GPS unit 107. The first vehicle 201 indicates who wants to offer the voice connection.

For this purpose, the second vehicle 202 and / or the infrastructure device can unlock that, in addition to the position, further information about the second vehicle is released, which can then be displayed in the first vehicle. This may be, for example, vehicle type, vehicle color, driver's name, license plate, etc.

The adjacent vehicles 202 may adjust for which

Events you want to have the voice connection option displayed. Restrictions can be: Event type;

Distance to the event;

Sending the event.

For example, the option to establish a voice connection is only displayed if it is a "desired" call partner.

In addition, you can specify whether events or senders of events (eg friends,

Colleagues, ...) a voice connection is offered automatically. The first vehicle 201 takes these

Communication voice connection also automatically (for this event type and / or this vehicle 202 or this infrastructure), so a voice connection is automatically established at an event.

As technologies for the voice connection are direct communication connections, such. B. WLAN (802. lla / b / g / n, but also Automotive WLAN 802.11p), UWB, Bluetooth, WiMax, etc. provided. Also GSM, UMTS, LTE, etc. can be used. The voice connection then takes place, for example, in the form of Voice over IP (VoIP).

The option to establish a voice connection after an event makes it easy and straightforward to get help or offer help.

3 shows a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the invention. In step 301, an event is detected by the vehicle sensor system of the first vehicle. Upon detection of this event, in step 302, the transmission of a request to an adjacent vehicle and / or an infrastructure facility. In other words, the neighboring vehicle or infrastructure receives the option to establish a communication voice connection. In step 303 then offers the second vehicle or the

Infrastructure device to the first vehicle to establish the communication language connection. In step 304, the first vehicle is given the opportunity to decline the establishment of the communication voice connection.

Additionally or alternatively to the possibility of rejecting the structure of the communication voice connection, the final establishment of the communication voice connection may be through the initiation procedure described above, which in this case would replace step 304 or join or precede that step.

These method steps could be performed fully automatically (except for the input of the identification information, if necessary), if the corresponding criteria for this are stored in the communication system. Optionally, for example, accepting or denying the establishment of the communication voice connection or offering the establishment of the communication voice connection by the second vehicle may be triggered by a user.

As already stated, the communication system according to the invention can be used to set up a voice connection to infrastructure units. This will be described below with reference to FIG. 2:

If a vehicle 201 (F1) remains due to eg damage, it is responsible for those responsible for the road Infrastructure 205 (traffic management center) to know what has happened, if necessary, to take appropriate action or to estimate the duration of the disability can. Therefore, it makes sense to have a voice connection between Fl and the

Build Traffic Management Center 205. For this purpose, roadside units (RSU) 204 are used (if present), which are the stationary equivalent of the communication unit in the vehicle.

Similar cases are:

- Left-over vehicle and roadside assistance by an auxiliary vehicle. Here, a switching of the voice connection from the control center to the auxiliary vehicle can be applied. As RSU, this may be e.g. on highways serve the (in Germany oranges) rescue telephones on the roadside.

- Rescue Coordination Centers (PSAP) after an accident that did not trigger an emergency call.

- The traffic center can specifically record voice connections to vehicles of a traffic jam to find out the exact cause. For this purpose, the driver of the vehicle must have this option enabled. If a vehicle released in this way receives a traffic jam message and recognizes that it is in the traffic jam, it sends out an identifier that allows the traffic control center to contact the driver (idea of the traffic jam detector).

For the preparation of the speech connection, the procedure according to the invention and described above be applied. There is no additional hardware necessary.

In the following, further embodiments are described:

1st example:

A vehicle will remain on the highway due to a defect. Therefore, it sends via vehicle-to-vehicle

Infrastructure communication or vehicle-to-vehicle

Vehicle communication (C2X) a warning off. This alert is received and displayed by an RSU of the traffic control center. Thereupon, the traffic center establishes a voice connection to the vehicle, which is also accepted by the vehicle, and the traffic center can inform itself more precisely about the situation and give assistance to the driver of the vehicle.

2nd example:

Two vehicles have a rear-end collision (Fl drives on F2). The Ecall of the vehicles is not triggered and both drivers are too excited to activate it manually. However, they both activate the hazard warning lights. This is also transmitted via C2X. An RSU receives this information and forwards it to a rescue center. There it is recognized that it is not a traffic jam, as all other vehicles continue. Then the rescue center establishes a communication link to the vehicles. If this is accepted by the vehicles, the rescue center can provide assistance. 3. At game:

A traffic jam is detected by an RSU, as the vehicles only drive at very low speeds or come to a complete standstill. Then a traffic jam message will be sent. A vehicle registered as a traffic jam receives this traffic jam message and detects that it is in the jam. It then sends its ID and the traffic center can record a voice connection to the vehicle. Via this voice connection, e.g. be told what is the reason for the congestion.

Also, the communication system according to the invention can be used to establish a voice connection with emergency vehicles by C2X communication. This is described below:

Emergency vehicles often have to make their way through traffic. Often the drivers do not know where to drive their vehicles.

This is where this embodiment of the invention begins. If a vehicle drives with a deployment signal (blue light), it also sends this information via C2X communication. In addition, the ID of a voice channel is also sent, via which the occupants of the emergency vehicle can talk to other vehicles via broadcast. If a vehicle receives the warning in front of the emergency vehicle, it also establishes a voice connection to it via the specified channel. The technique does not have to use the C2X technique, but it can be avoided to another more suitable technology (eg because of the higher Available bandwidth). For example, the voice communication is handled via Voice over IP.

Since the vehicles themselves build the voice connection and not the emergency vehicle, it is up to each vehicle to decide whether or not to use it. Optionally, it may be controlled by the occupants of the vehicle to establish a voice connection by giving them the option (e.g., by an icon on a touchscreen).

In addition, an emergency vehicle may still force the vehicles to output their voice messages to the occupants of the vehicles within a defined perimeter or range. As a result, e.g. Warnings are more easily disseminated.

The voice messages from the emergency vehicle need not be spoken by the occupants of the emergency vehicle. Band announcements ("Please keep to the left") can also be used or the emergency vehicle can be used as a relay station for the voice radio of a control center.

Again, no additional hardware is necessary.

Description of embodiments of this embodiment:

1st example:

An ambulance 202 approaches an accident site. On the multi-lane road there is high traffic. The ambulance activates its blue light and transmits simultaneously the warning by DSRC. This warning also contains the identification of the voice channel, which is handled via normal WLAN via Voice over IP. Other vehicles receive the warning, display it to the driver and at the same time open the voice channel. This can be the passenger of the

Ambulance now direct all vehicles on the left side of the street, so that the ambulance can drive right by.

2nd example:

The 205 rescue center wants to contact vehicles in a region to warn of a fire with heavy smoke. There are no infrastructure units 204 in the region. Therefore, emergency vehicles will be sent to the region. These force via DSRC via C2X that other vehicles output the voice channel of the emergency vehicle to the driver. This voice channel is mapped via WiMax. Via this channel, the emergency vehicles now send the language directly from the operations center, with the connection between the operations center and the emergency vehicle being implemented by the authorities.

In addition, it should be noted that "comprising" and "having" does not exclude other elements or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. It should also be appreciated that features or steps described with reference to any of the above embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above. Reference signs in the claims are not to be considered as limitations.

Claims

Claims:

A communication system for a vehicle (201) for communicating a vehicle with an infrastructure, the communication system (100) comprising: a control unit (101) for controlling the communication; a communication unit (102) for communicating data from the vehicle to the infrastructure device and for receiving data from the infrastructure device; wherein the control unit (101) is further adapted to reject a communication voice connection establishment between the vehicle and the infrastructure device when a message sent from the infrastructure device does not satisfy a required criterion.

2. Communication system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (101) and the

Communication unit (102) for transmitting a request to the infrastructure, whether a structure of a

Communication language connection between the vehicle and the infrastructure to take place are executed.

3. Communication system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the criterion is satisfied when the

Infrastructure is registered in a corresponding list of the communication system (100).

The communication system according to one of claims 2 or 3, further comprising: a vehicle sensor (103); wherein the request is transmitted only when the vehicle sensor has detected a triggering event.

5. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein the triggering event is selected from the group consisting of non-driving ability of the vehicle (201), accident of the vehicle, settling of an Ecalls by a

Communication unit of the vehicle, driving on a lane for oncoming traffic, triggering by the driver.

6. Communication system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (101) is designed for automatically accepting or automatically rejecting the structure of the communication voice connection, depending on whether the criterion is met or not.

The communication system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the request comprises information about the triggering event.

A communication system according to any one of the preceding claims, adapted to receive a request from a corresponding communication system of an adjacent vehicle (202); and executed to user-select a type of triggering event for which the request is to be displayed.

9. Communication system according to claim 8, designed to automatically offer a

Communication voice connection upon receipt of the request when a preset condition is met.

10. vehicle with a communication system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A communication system for an infrastructure device (205) for communication with a vehicle, the communication system (206) comprising: a control unit (109) for controlling the communication; a communication unit (108) for communicating data from the infrastructure device to the vehicle and for receiving data from the vehicle; wherein the control unit (101) is further configured to make a request to establish a communication voice connection with the vehicle, wherein the creation of the request is triggered by a transmission of data from the vehicle to the infrastructure device.

12. A method of communicating a vehicle (201) with an infrastructure, the method comprising the steps of:

Transmission of data from the vehicle to the infrastructure facility;

Request to establish a communication voice connection by the infrastructure device; Rejecting the establishment of the communication voice connection if the request sent by the infrastructure does not satisfy a required criterion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the request to build the

Communication voice connection is triggered by the transmission of the data.

14. A program element that, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to perform the following steps:

Transmission of data from the vehicle to the infrastructure facility;

Request to establish a communication voice connection by the infrastructure device;

Rejecting the establishment of the communication voice connection if the request sent by the infrastructure does not satisfy a required criterion.

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a program element that, when executed on a processor, directs the processor to perform the following steps:

Transmission of data from the vehicle to the

Infrastructure facility;