WO2010100722A1

WO2010100722A1 - On-vehicle communication device and inter-vehicle communication method

Info

Publication number: WO2010100722A1
Application number: PCT/JP2009/053970
Authority: WO
Inventors: 浩之青野
Original assignee: トヨタ自動車株式会社
Priority date: 2009-03-03
Filing date: 2009-03-03
Publication date: 2010-09-10

Abstract

It is possible to reduce possibility of a signal conflict in an inter-vehicle communication by setting a communication timing corresponding to a relative position of a local vehicle against the other vehicle. Provided is an on-vehicle communication device including: an inter-vehicle communication unit (3) for performing an inter-vehicle communication between the local vehicle and the other vehicle; a relative position information acquisition unit (5) for acquiring relative position information concerning the relative position of the local vehicle against the other vehicle; and a communication timing management unit (8) which sets a communication timing in an inter-vehicle communication unit (3). The communication timing management unit (8) sets a communication timing corresponding to the relative position.

Description

In-vehicle communication device and inter-vehicle communication method

The present invention relates to an in-vehicle communication device and an inter-vehicle communication method.

Conventionally, as a technique in such a field, there is JP-A-2006-261742. In the inter-vehicle communication system described in this publication, in the inter-vehicle communication between a plurality of vehicles using the CSMA / CA method, the time corresponding to the distance between the own vehicle and the other vehicle from the time when the position information of the other vehicle is received. By performing transmission at the elapse of time, it is possible to reduce the possibility of radio signals colliding due to overlapping communication timings, thereby avoiding prolonged communication time and deterioration of communication information due to radio signal collisions. be able to.

JP 2006-261742 A

However, in the above-described conventional inter-vehicle communication system, when there are a plurality of vehicles having the same distance from the own vehicle, there is a possibility that a radio signal collision occurs because communication timing overlaps with these vehicles. There was a problem that there was.

The present invention provides an in-vehicle communication device and an inter-vehicle communication method that can reduce the possibility of a radio signal collision in inter-vehicle communication by setting communication timing corresponding to the relative position between the host vehicle and another vehicle. The purpose is to do.

An in-vehicle communication device according to the present invention includes an inter-vehicle communication unit that performs inter-vehicle communication between the host vehicle and another vehicle, and a relative position information acquisition unit that acquires relative position information regarding the relative position of the other vehicle with respect to the position of the host vehicle. A communication timing setting unit for setting a communication timing in the inter-vehicle communication unit, wherein the communication timing setting unit sets a communication timing corresponding to the relative position.

According to this in-vehicle communication device, in the inter-vehicle communication with a plurality of other vehicles, the communication timing corresponding to the relative position between each other vehicle and the host vehicle is set, so that the communication timing of each other vehicle is prevented from overlapping. Therefore, the possibility of radio signal collision can be reduced. Therefore, according to this in-vehicle communication device, it is possible to avoid a long communication time and deterioration of communication information due to collision of radio signals.

In addition, it has a slot map composed of a plurality of communication time slots, and further includes a map management unit for setting a slot use area corresponding to the relative position in the slot map, and the communication timing setting unit is adapted to communicate timing according to the slot use area. Is preferably set.

According to this in-vehicle communication device, in the inter-vehicle communication with a plurality of other vehicles, the slot use areas corresponding to the relative positions of the other vehicles and the host vehicle are set in the slot map, respectively, and according to these slot use areas Setting the communication timing realizes the setting of the communication timing corresponding to the relative position. As a result, it is possible to prevent duplication of communication timings of other vehicles, so that the possibility of radio signal collision can be reduced.

In addition, a host vehicle traveling information acquisition unit that acquires host vehicle traveling direction information related to the traveling direction of the host vehicle, and another vehicle traveling direction information acquisition unit that acquires other vehicle traveling direction information related to the traveling direction of the other vehicle through the inter-vehicle communication unit. It is preferable that the map management unit sets the slot use area based on the own vehicle traveling direction information and the other vehicle traveling direction information.

According to this in-vehicle communication device, in the inter-vehicle communication with another vehicle, the possibility of a collision with the own vehicle is calculated from the relative position information between the own vehicle and the other vehicle, the own vehicle traveling direction information, and the other vehicle traveling direction information. It is possible to determine whether the vehicle is a certain other vehicle. For example, since there is almost no possibility that the other vehicle heading in the direction opposite to the own vehicle behind the own vehicle will come into contact with the own vehicle, it is less necessary to perform inter-vehicle communication related to collision prediction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unnecessary vehicle-to-vehicle communication by determining whether the vehicle is a vehicle that may collide with the host vehicle.

Further, it is preferable that a road alignment information acquisition unit for acquiring road alignment information around the host vehicle is further provided, and the map management unit sets the slot use area based on the road alignment information. Depending on the road alignment such as a crossroad or a T-shaped road, the positions where other vehicles that may come into contact with the communication target vehicle appear are limited. Therefore, in this in-vehicle communication device, based on the road alignment information, the time axis of the slot map is arranged so that a time margin is generated between the slot use areas of each other vehicle in inter-vehicle communication with a plurality of other vehicles. By changing, it is possible to avoid duplication of communication timing, thereby reducing the possibility of radio signal collision.

In addition, a map usage information acquisition unit that acquires map usage information related to the usage status of the slot map of other vehicles through the inter-vehicle communication unit, and the communication timing setting unit sets the communication timing based on the map usage information. Is preferred. According to this in-vehicle communication device, an empty communication time slot can be recognized based on the map usage information of other vehicles, so that the possibility of radio signal collision in the communication time slot in use is reduced. Can do.

The vehicle further includes: a host vehicle vehicle speed information acquisition unit that acquires host vehicle vehicle speed information related to the vehicle speed of the host vehicle; and another vehicle vehicle speed information acquisition unit that acquires other vehicle vehicle speed information related to the vehicle speed of the other vehicle through the inter-vehicle communication unit. The communication timing setting unit preferably determines the communication timing with other vehicles and vehicles other than the own vehicle based on the own vehicle vehicle speed information and the other vehicle vehicle speed information.

According to this in-vehicle communication device, the communication timing is determined so that the inter-vehicle communication is performed in the order of the vehicle speed in the inter-vehicle communication between the communication target vehicle that may collide with the own vehicle and a plurality of vehicles including the own vehicle. can do. Even if it is difficult to clearly distinguish the position of multiple vehicles that are close to each other due to problems such as detection accuracy, it is considered that a vehicle with a higher vehicle speed will approach a communication target vehicle such as a preceding vehicle sooner. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication is performed in preference to the vehicle having a short time until the collision with the target vehicle, so that the collision between the vehicles can be prevented.

In addition, the own vehicle intersection distance information acquisition unit that acquires the own vehicle intersection distance information on the distance between the own vehicle and the intersection closest to the own vehicle in front of the own vehicle, and the other vehicle and the intersection heading to the intersection through the inter-vehicle communication unit, An other vehicle intersection distance information acquisition unit that acquires other vehicle intersection distance information related to the distance of the vehicle, and the communication timing setting unit is configured to determine whether the other vehicle and the own vehicle based on the own vehicle intersection distance information and the other vehicle intersection distance information. It is preferable to determine the communication timing with a vehicle other than the vehicle.

According to this in-vehicle communication device, in inter-vehicle communication between a communication target vehicle that may collide with the host vehicle and a plurality of vehicles including the host vehicle, the distance from the nearest intersection to the nearest vehicle is short in front of each vehicle. The communication timing can be determined so that the vehicles communicate with each other in order. Even if it is difficult to clearly distinguish the positions of a plurality of vehicles that are close to each other due to problems such as detection accuracy, the vehicle that is closer to the intersection closest to the vehicle in front of the vehicle will approach the communication target vehicle sooner. Therefore, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication is preferentially performed from the vehicle having a short time until the collision with the communication target vehicle, thereby preventing the collision between the vehicles.

The inter-vehicle communication method according to the present invention includes a relative position information acquisition step of acquiring relative position information related to a relative position of another vehicle with respect to the position of the host vehicle, and a communication timing setting that sets a communication timing corresponding to the relative position in inter-vehicle communication. And a process.

According to this inter-vehicle communication method, in the inter-vehicle communication with a plurality of other vehicles, the communication timing corresponding to the relative position between each other vehicle and the host vehicle is set, so that the communication timing of each other vehicle is prevented from overlapping. It is possible to reduce the possibility of radio signal collision. Therefore, according to this in-vehicle communication device, it is possible to avoid a long communication time and deterioration of communication information due to collision of radio signals.

Further, it is preferable to further comprise a map management step for setting a slot use area corresponding to a relative position in a slot map composed of a plurality of communication time slots, and in the communication timing setting step, the communication timing is set according to the slot use area. .

According to this inter-vehicle communication method, in the inter-vehicle communication with a plurality of other vehicles, the slot use areas corresponding to the relative positions of each other vehicle and the host vehicle are set in the slot map, and the slot use areas are set according to these slot use areas. By setting the communication timing, communication timing setting corresponding to the relative position is realized. As a result, it is possible to prevent duplication of communication timings of other vehicles, so that the possibility of radio signal collision can be reduced.

In addition, the map management step further includes a traveling direction information acquisition step of acquiring own vehicle traveling direction information regarding the traveling direction of the own vehicle and acquiring other vehicle traveling direction information regarding the traveling direction of the other vehicle by inter-vehicle communication. It is preferable to set the slot use area based on the own vehicle traveling direction information and the other vehicle traveling direction information.

According to this inter-vehicle communication method, in the inter-vehicle communication with other vehicles, the possibility of collision with the own vehicle from the relative position information between the own vehicle and the other vehicle, the own vehicle traveling direction information, and the other vehicle traveling direction information. It is possible to determine whether or not the vehicle is another vehicle having a problem. For example, since there is almost no possibility that the other vehicle heading in the direction opposite to the own vehicle behind the own vehicle will come into contact with the own vehicle, it is less necessary to perform inter-vehicle communication related to collision prediction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unnecessary vehicle-to-vehicle communication by determining whether the vehicle is a vehicle that may collide with the host vehicle.

Further, it is preferable to further include a road alignment information acquisition step of acquiring road alignment information around the host vehicle, and in the map management step, the slot use area is set based on the road alignment information. Depending on the road alignment such as a crossroad or a T-shaped road, the positions where other vehicles that may come into contact with the communication target vehicle appear are limited. Therefore, in this inter-vehicle communication method, the time axis of the slot map is arranged so that a time margin is generated between the slot use areas of each other vehicle in the inter-vehicle communication with a plurality of other vehicles based on the road alignment information. By changing the communication timing, it is possible to avoid duplication of communication timing, thereby reducing the possibility of radio signal collision.

In addition, a map usage information acquisition step of acquiring map usage information related to the usage status of the slot map of other vehicles by inter-vehicle communication may be further provided, and the communication timing may be set based on the map usage information in the communication timing setting step. preferable. According to this inter-vehicle communication method, an empty communication time slot can be recognized based on the map use information of other vehicles, so that the possibility of radio signal collision in the communication time slot in use is reduced. be able to.

The vehicle further includes a vehicle speed information acquisition step of acquiring own vehicle vehicle speed information related to the vehicle speed of the own vehicle and acquiring other vehicle vehicle speed information related to the vehicle speed of the other vehicle by inter-vehicle communication, and in the communication timing setting step, the own vehicle vehicle speed information It is preferable to determine the communication timing with other vehicles and vehicles other than the own vehicle based on the other vehicle speed information.

According to this inter-vehicle communication method, in the inter-vehicle communication between the communication target vehicle that may collide with the own vehicle and a plurality of vehicles including the own vehicle, the communication timing is set so that the inter-vehicle communication is performed with priority in the order of the vehicle speed. Can be determined. Even if it is difficult to clearly distinguish the position of multiple vehicles that are close to each other due to problems such as detection accuracy, it is considered that a vehicle with a higher vehicle speed will approach a communication target vehicle such as a preceding vehicle sooner. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication is performed in preference to the vehicle having a short time until the collision with the target vehicle, so that the collision between the vehicles can be prevented.

In addition to acquiring the own vehicle intersection distance information regarding the distance between the own vehicle and the intersection closest to the own vehicle in front of the own vehicle, the other vehicle intersection distance information regarding the distance between the intersection and the other vehicle is acquired through inter-vehicle communication. It is preferable to further include an intersection distance information acquisition step, and in the communication timing setting step, based on the own vehicle intersection distance information and the other vehicle intersection distance information, the communication timing with other vehicles and vehicles other than the own vehicle is determined.

According to this inter-vehicle communication method, in the inter-vehicle communication between a communication target vehicle that may collide with the own vehicle and a plurality of vehicles including the own vehicle, the distance between the vehicle and the intersection closest to the vehicle is determined in front of each vehicle. The communication timing can be determined so that communication between vehicles is given priority in the short order. Even if it is difficult to clearly distinguish the positions of a plurality of vehicles that are close to each other due to problems such as detection accuracy, the vehicle that is closer to the intersection closest to the vehicle in front of the vehicle will approach the communication target vehicle sooner. Therefore, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication is preferentially performed from the vehicle having a short time until the collision with the communication target vehicle, thereby preventing the collision between the vehicles.

According to the present invention, by setting the communication timing corresponding to the relative position between the host vehicle and the other vehicle, it is possible to reduce the possibility of a radio signal collision in inter-vehicle communication.

It is a block diagram which shows the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the positional relationship of the some vehicle provided with the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus of FIG. (A) It is a figure which shows a slot map. (B) It is a figure which shows the slot map of the vehicle B with respect to the vehicle A. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of ECU of FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a slot map of a vehicle C with respect to a vehicle A. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a slot map in vehicle A. It is a block diagram which shows the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a slot map in vehicle A. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of ECU of FIG. It is a top view which shows the positional relationship of the some vehicle provided with the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus of FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a slot map in vehicle A. It is a block diagram which shows the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the positional relationship of the some vehicle provided with the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus of FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a slot map in vehicle A. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a usage situation of a slot map in a vehicle A. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating determination of communication timing in the slot map of FIG. 15. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of ECU of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the positional relationship of the some vehicle provided with the vehicle-mounted communication apparatus of FIG.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of an in-vehicle communication device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same part and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

(First embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 1, an in-vehicle communication device 1 according to the first embodiment is provided in a vehicle and performs inter-vehicle communication with other vehicles, and an ECU that comprehensively controls the in-vehicle communication device 1 [ Electric Control Unit] 2.

Vehicles A to C shown in FIG. 2 are vehicles equipped with the in-vehicle communication device 1 according to the present embodiment. The vehicle A is a vehicle that travels toward a T-shaped intersection P1 on a one-way road. The vehicle B is a succeeding vehicle of the vehicle A, and the vehicle C is a vehicle that travels toward the intersection P on a road orthogonal to the road on which the vehicles A and B travel. A large building H exists between the vehicle B and the vehicle C. The vehicles B and C can communicate with each other with the vehicle A, but the communication between the vehicles B and C is blocked by the building H existing between them, and the vehicles cannot communicate with each other. Hereinafter, a case where the vehicle B is the own vehicle, the vehicles A and C are other vehicles, and the own vehicle B performs inter-vehicle communication with the other vehicle A will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ECU 2 includes a CPU [Central Processing Unit] that performs arithmetic processing, a ROM [Read Only Memory] and a RAM [Random Access Memory] that are storage units, an input signal circuit, an output signal circuit, and a power supply circuit. Etc. The ECU 2 is electrically connected to an inter-vehicle communication unit (inter-vehicle communication unit) 3 and a GPS [Global Positioning System] receiving unit 4.

The inter-vehicle communication unit 3 performs inter-vehicle communication using a CSMA / CA [Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance] method with other vehicles having inter-vehicle communication functions. The inter-vehicle communication unit 3 is controlled by the ECU 2 at the communication timing in the inter-vehicle communication. The inter-vehicle communication unit 3 receives other vehicle position information regarding the position of the other vehicle A and other vehicle traveling direction information regarding the traveling direction of the other vehicle A through inter-vehicle communication. In addition, the inter-vehicle communication unit 3 acquires collision information related to a collision between the wireless signal transmitted by the host vehicle B using a collision signal and the wireless signal of another vehicle. The inter-vehicle communication unit 3 transmits other vehicle position information, other vehicle traveling direction information, and collision information to the ECU 2. The inter-vehicle communication unit 3 transmits to the other vehicle A GPS information related to the position of the own vehicle, information on collision prediction with respect to the other vehicle A of the own vehicle B, and the like.

The GPS receiver 4 obtains GPS information by receiving signals from a plurality of GPS satellites. The GPS information includes host vehicle position information regarding the position of the host vehicle B and host vehicle traveling direction information regarding the traveling direction of the host vehicle B. The GPS receiving unit 4 transmits GPS information to the ECU 2.

The ECU 2 includes a relative position information acquisition unit (relative position information acquisition unit) 5, a traveling direction information acquisition unit (own vehicle traveling direction information acquisition unit, other vehicle traveling direction information acquisition unit) 6, and a map management unit (map management unit) 7. And a communication timing management unit (communication timing setting unit) 8.

The relative position information acquisition unit 5 acquires other vehicle position information by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 3 and acquires own vehicle position information by transmission from the GPS reception unit 4. The relative position information acquisition unit 5 acquires relative position information related to the relative position between the own vehicle B and the other vehicle A based on the acquired other vehicle position information and the own vehicle position information.

The traveling direction information acquisition unit 6 acquires other vehicle traveling direction information by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 3 and also acquires own vehicle traveling direction information by transmission from the GPS receiving unit 4. The traveling direction information acquisition unit 6 is based on the other vehicle traveling direction information, the own vehicle traveling direction information, and the relative position information acquired by the relative position information acquisition unit 5 to determine whether the other vehicle A may collide with the own vehicle B. It is determined whether the vehicle is a certain vehicle. Specifically, with respect to the other vehicle that travels away from the own vehicle B in a direction different from the traveling direction of the own vehicle B behind the own vehicle B in the direction opposite to the own vehicle B, the own vehicle B It is determined that the vehicle has no possibility of collision.

The map management unit 7 has a slot map M that is used to determine the communication timing with other vehicles in inter-vehicle communication (see FIG. 3). The slot map M is a map representing communication timing for a predetermined time in inter-vehicle communication, and is composed of a plurality of communication time slots T0 to T23 arranged in accordance with the communication timing. These communication time slots correspond to a minimum unit time determined so that a collision of radio signals can be detected in inter-vehicle communication. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, the slot map M is represented by a two-dimensional image in which communication time slots T0 to T23 shown as rectangular frames are arranged so as to form a larger rectangle. In this slot map M, one communication time slot is required for each other vehicle that transmits data. The number of communication time slots constituting the slot map M is not particularly limited, but may be set according to, for example, the transmission output or reception sensitivity of inter-vehicle communication.

In addition, when the traveling direction information acquisition unit 6 determines that the other vehicle A is a vehicle that may collide with the own vehicle B, the map management unit 7 determines whether the other vehicle A and the other vehicle A are based on the relative position information. The slot use area RB corresponding to the relative position to the vehicle A is set in the slot map M (see FIG. 3B). Specifically, the map management unit 7 sets the central communication time slot T12 in the slot map M as the communication time slot used by the other vehicle A that is the communication target vehicle (see FIG. 3A). And the map management part 7 sets the slot use area | region RB of the own vehicle B which drive | works the right side of the other vehicle A in FIG. 2 to the area | region on the right side of the communication time slot T12. Here, the slot use area indicates an area of the slot map M on the other vehicle side where the own vehicle B can be used in inter-vehicle communication between the own vehicle B and another vehicle, and at least one communication time or more. Set to include slots.

The communication timing management unit 8 selects one communication time slot used for transmission to the other vehicle A from among the communication time slots in the slot use area RB set by the map management unit 7, so that the inter-vehicle communication unit 3 The communication timing with the other vehicle A is determined.

Next, the operation of the ECU 2 in the in-vehicle communication device 1 will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 4, in step S <b> 1, the relative position information acquisition unit 5 of the ECU 2 acquires other vehicle position information and own vehicle position information by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 3 and the GPS reception unit 4. The relative position information acquisition unit 5 acquires relative position information related to the relative position between the own vehicle B and the other vehicle A based on the acquired other vehicle position information and the own vehicle position information. The traveling direction information acquisition unit 6 acquires other vehicle traveling direction information and own vehicle traveling direction information by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 3 and the GPS receiving unit 4.

Subsequently, the traveling direction information acquisition unit 6 collides with the own vehicle B based on the other vehicle traveling direction information, the own vehicle traveling direction information, and the relative position information acquired by the relative position information acquisition unit 5. It is determined whether the vehicle has a possibility (S2). When the traveling direction information acquisition unit 6 determines that the other vehicle A is a vehicle that is not likely to collide with the host vehicle B, the process related to the other vehicle A ends.

When the traveling direction information acquisition unit 6 determines that the other vehicle A is a vehicle that may collide with the host vehicle B, the map management unit 7 sets the slot use area RB corresponding to the relative position in the slot map M. (S3).

The communication timing management unit 8 selects one communication time slot used for transmission to the other vehicle A from among the communication time slots in the slot use area RB set by the map management unit 7, so that the inter-vehicle communication unit 3 The communication timing with the other vehicle A is determined (S4).

Subsequently, a case where another vehicle C performs inter-vehicle communication with another vehicle A will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, in the map management unit 7 in the in-vehicle communication device 1 of the other vehicle C, the slot use area RC corresponding to the relative position between the other vehicle C and the other vehicle A is set in the slot map M. Is done. Specifically, the map management unit 7 sets the central communication time slot T12 in the slot map M as the communication time slot used by the other vehicle A that is the communication target vehicle. And the map management part 7 sets the slot use area | region RC of the other vehicle C which drive | works the lower left of the other vehicle A in FIG. 2 to the lower left area of the communication time slot T12 in FIG. Then, the communication timing management unit 8 selects one communication time slot used for transmission to the other vehicle A from among the communication time slots in the slot use area RB set by the map management unit 7. The communication timing with the other vehicle A in 3 is determined.

According to the in-vehicle communication device 1 described above, as shown in FIG. 2, even when the vehicles B and C cannot communicate with each other and are not recognizing the existence of each other, The possibility that radio signals collide due to overlapping communication timings can be reduced. Specifically, in the in-vehicle communication device 1, as shown in FIG. 6, the slot use areas RB and RC corresponding to the relative positions of the vehicles B and C with the other vehicle A to be communicated are set in the slot map M, respectively. Then, the vehicles B and C select the communication time slots in the slot use areas RB and RC, respectively, and determine the communication timing, whereby it is possible to prevent duplication of the communication timing for the other vehicle A. As a result, the in-vehicle communication device 1 can reduce the possibility of collision of radio signals, so that it is possible to avoid a long communication time and deterioration of communication information due to radio signal collision.

Moreover, according to this vehicle-mounted communication apparatus 1, the own vehicle B and the other vehicle A collide from the relative position information of the own vehicle B and the other vehicle A, the own vehicle traveling direction information, and the other vehicle traveling direction information. It becomes possible to determine whether or not there is a possibility. For example, since there is almost no possibility of collision with the own vehicle B with respect to other vehicles heading in the opposite direction to the own vehicle behind the own vehicle B, it is less necessary to perform inter-vehicle communication relating to collision prediction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unnecessary vehicle-to-vehicle communication by determining whether the vehicle is a vehicle that may collide with the host vehicle.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the ECU 11 has a road alignment information acquisition unit (road alignment information acquisition unit) 12 and a map management unit 13. Are different from each other in function (see FIG. 7). Hereinafter, a case where the vehicle B shown in FIG. 2 is the own vehicle, the vehicles A and C are other vehicles, and the own vehicle B performs inter-vehicle communication with the other vehicle A will be described.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the second embodiment, the ECU 11 has a road alignment information acquisition unit 12. The road alignment information acquisition unit 12 stores road map information including road alignment information related to road alignment. The road alignment information acquisition unit 12 acquires road alignment information around the other vehicle A to be communicated based on the other vehicle position information acquired by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 3 and the stored road map information. To do.

The map management unit 13 recognizes the road alignment around the other vehicle A based on the road alignment information acquired by the road alignment information acquisition unit 12. The map management unit 13 sets a slot use area RB corresponding to the relative position between the host vehicle B and the other vehicle A in the slot map M based on the recognized road alignment.

Specifically, the map management unit 13 recognizes the direction in which a vehicle that may collide with the other vehicle A as seen from the other vehicle A appears based on the road alignment. Here, in the T-shaped road as shown in FIG. 2, the position where the vehicle that may collide with the other vehicle A appears is the right direction of the other vehicle A (that is, the direction of the other vehicle B) in FIG. 2 is limited to the lower left direction of the other vehicle A (that is, the direction of the other vehicle C). In this case, the slot use area RB corresponding to the relative position between the host vehicle B and the other vehicle A is located on the right side of the slot map M with a vertical column including the communication time slot T12 located in the center of the slot map M as a boundary. It is set (see FIG. 8). Therefore, the map management unit 13 uses the slots for the slot map M so that the numbers of the communication time slots T0 to T23 are continuous in the vertical direction of the slot map M, that is, the time flow is continuous in the vertical direction. Region RB is set. As a result, even when there are other vehicles B and C that may collide with other vehicle A (when there are all vehicles in a direction that may collide with other vehicle A), the slot map M , The slot use area is set so that a time margin is formed between the slot use area RB of the other vehicle B and the slot use area RC of the other vehicle C, so that duplication of communication timing can be avoided. It becomes possible.

Next, the operation of the ECU 11 in the in-vehicle communication device 10 will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 9, in step S <b> 11, the relative position information acquisition unit 5 of the ECU 11 acquires other vehicle position information and own vehicle position information by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 3 and the GPS reception unit 4. The relative position information acquisition unit 5 acquires relative position information related to the relative position between the own vehicle B and the other vehicle A based on the acquired other vehicle position information and the own vehicle position information. The traveling direction information acquisition unit 6 acquires other vehicle traveling direction information and own vehicle traveling direction information by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 3 and the GPS receiving unit 4. Furthermore, the road alignment information acquisition unit 12 acquires the road alignment information around the other vehicle A based on the other vehicle position information acquired by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 3 and the stored road map information.

Subsequently, the traveling direction information acquisition unit 6 collides with the own vehicle B based on the other vehicle traveling direction information, the own vehicle traveling direction information, and the relative position information acquired by the relative position information acquisition unit 5. It is determined whether the vehicle has a possibility (S12). When the traveling direction information acquisition unit 6 determines that the other vehicle A is a vehicle that is not likely to collide with the host vehicle B, the process related to the other vehicle A ends.

When the traveling direction information acquisition unit 6 determines that the other vehicle A is a vehicle that may collide with the host vehicle B, the map management unit 13 is based on the road alignment information acquired by the road alignment information acquisition unit 12. The slot use area RB is set in the slot map M so that a time margin is formed between the plurality of slot use areas when there is a vehicle that may collide with the other vehicle A (S13). .

The communication timing management unit 8 selects one communication time slot used for transmission to the other vehicle A from among the communication time slots in the slot use area RB set by the map management unit 7, so that the inter-vehicle communication unit 3 The communication timing with the other vehicle A is determined (S14).

Similarly, in the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the second embodiment, even when the other vehicle C performs inter-vehicle communication with respect to the other vehicle A, the other is based on the road alignment information acquired by the road alignment information acquisition unit 12. The slot use area at the lower left of the communication time slot T12 in the slot map M is formed so that a time margin is formed between the plurality of slot use areas when there are all vehicles in a direction that may collide with the vehicle A. RC is set (see FIGS. 2 and 8).

Subsequently, the case of a crossroad with a traffic light S as shown in FIG. 10 will be described. Vehicles A to C shown in FIG. 10 are vehicles equipped with the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the second embodiment. The vehicle A is a vehicle that travels toward the intersection P2 of the crossroads. The vehicle B is a succeeding vehicle of the vehicle A, and the vehicle C is a vehicle that is about to turn right from the opposite lane of the vehicle A at the intersection P2. The vehicle B is located above the vehicle A in FIG. 10, and the vehicle C is located below the vehicle A in FIG. Hereinafter, a case where the vehicle B is the own vehicle, the vehicles A and C are other vehicles, and the own vehicle B communicates with the other vehicle A between vehicles will be described.

The road alignment information acquisition unit 12 of the in-vehicle communication device 10 is based on the road alignment information around the other vehicle A based on the other vehicle position information acquired by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 3 and the stored road map information ( Linear information of intersection P2 of the crossroad) is acquired.

The map management unit 13 recognizes the road alignment around the other vehicle A to be communicated based on the road alignment information acquired by the road alignment information acquisition unit 12. Here, in the crossroad with a traffic light S as shown in FIG. 10, the position where a vehicle that may collide with the other vehicle A appears when the traffic light S ahead is in blue is the upward direction of the other vehicle A in FIG. 11. (That is, the direction of the own vehicle B) and the downward direction of the other vehicle A in FIG. 11 (that is, the direction of the other vehicle C). In this case, the slot use area RB corresponding to the relative position with respect to the other vehicle A is set on the upper side of the slot map M with the horizontal row including the communication time slot T12 located in the center as a boundary (FIG. 11). reference). Therefore, the map management unit 13 assigns the slot use area RB to the slot map M so that the numbers of the communication time slots T0 to T23 are continuous in the horizontal direction of the slot map M, that is, the time flow is continuous in the horizontal direction. Set to. As a result, even when there are other vehicles B and C that may collide with other vehicle A (when there are all vehicles in a direction that may collide with other vehicle A), the slot map M , The slot use area is set so that a time margin is formed between the slot use area RB of the other vehicle B and the slot use area RC of the other vehicle C, so that duplication of communication timing can be avoided. It becomes possible.

Similarly, in the in-vehicle communication device 10 according to the second embodiment, even when the other vehicle C performs inter-vehicle communication with respect to the other vehicle A, the other is based on the road alignment information acquired by the road alignment information acquisition unit 12. In the slot map M, the slot use area RC is located at the lower left of the communication time slot T12 so that a time margin is formed between the plurality of slot use areas when there is a vehicle that can possibly collide with the vehicle A. It is set (see FIG. 11).

In this embodiment, a time margin is formed between the slot use areas by matching the direction in which the numbers of the communication time time slots T0 to T23 are continuous with the direction that becomes the boundary of the plurality of slot use areas. In addition, a time margin may be formed between a plurality of slot use areas by limiting each slot use area according to road alignment.

According to the vehicle-mounted communication device 10 described above, it is possible to recognize the road alignment around the other vehicle A to be communicated and collide with the other vehicle A based on the road alignment information acquired by the road alignment information acquisition unit 12. The slot use area can be set in the slot map M so that there is a time margin between the plurality of slot use areas in the case where there are all vehicles in the directional direction. As a result, in this in-vehicle communication device 10, it is possible to avoid duplication of communication timing and reduce the possibility of radio signal collision.

(Third embodiment)
Next, an in-vehicle communication device 20 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Compared with the second embodiment, the in-vehicle communication device 20 according to the third embodiment includes a vehicle speed sensor 23, and the ECU 21 has a vehicle speed information acquisition unit (own vehicle vehicle speed information acquisition unit, other vehicle vehicle speed information acquisition). A unit) 24 and a map usage information acquisition unit (map usage information acquisition unit) 26, and the functions of the inter-vehicle communication unit 22, the map management unit 25, and the communication timing management unit 27 are different. (See FIG. 12).

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, a case will be described in which a plurality of vehicles B1 to Bn (n is a natural number) are close to the position of the vehicle B in FIG. 2 of the first embodiment. Vehicles A, C, and B1 to Bn are vehicles each including the in-vehicle communication device 20 according to the third embodiment. The plurality of vehicles B1 to Bn can communicate with each other, but the plurality of vehicles B1 to Bn and the vehicle C are blocked by the large building H and cannot communicate with each other. Hereinafter, the vehicle Bx (x is any natural number from 1 to n) is the own vehicle, the vehicles A, C, and B1 to Bn (excluding Bx) are other vehicles, and the own vehicle Bx and the other vehicles B1 to Bn are A case where inter-vehicle communication is performed with respect to the other vehicle A will be described.

The inter-vehicle communication unit 22 has the same function as the inter-vehicle communication unit 3 according to the first embodiment, and other vehicle position information related to the position of the other vehicle and other vehicle traveling direction information related to the traveling direction of the other vehicle by inter-vehicle communication. And receive. In addition, the inter-vehicle communication unit 3 acquires collision information related to a collision between the wireless signal transmitted by the host vehicle B using a collision signal and the wireless signal of another vehicle. Furthermore, the inter-vehicle communication unit 22 receives other vehicle vehicle speed information related to the vehicle speed of the other vehicle by inter-vehicle communication. Further, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 22 receives map usage information related to the usage status of the slot map M in the other vehicle A (that is, vacant information in the communication time slots T0 to T23) by inter-vehicle communication (see FIG. 15). Note that in the slot map M shown in FIG. 15, communication time slots in which hatched portions are empty are shown, and the other vehicle C uses the communication time slot located in the lower left corner of the slot map M. The inter-vehicle communication unit 22 transmits the received other vehicle position information, other vehicle traveling direction information, collision information, other vehicle speed information, and map usage information to the ECU 21.

The vehicle speed sensor 23 is provided, for example, on the wheel of the host vehicle Bx, and detects the vehicle speed from the rotational speed of the wheel. The vehicle speed sensor 23 transmits host vehicle vehicle speed information related to the detected vehicle speed to the ECU 21.

The vehicle speed information acquisition unit 24 acquires other vehicle vehicle speed information by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 22 and also acquires own vehicle vehicle speed information by transmission from the vehicle speed sensor 23. Similar to the map management unit 13 according to the second embodiment, the map management unit 25 sets the slot use area RB used for inter-vehicle communication with the other vehicle A in the slot map M (see FIG. 14). Further, the map usage information acquisition unit 26 acquires the map usage information of the other vehicle A by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 22.

The communication timing management unit 27 recognizes an empty communication time slot based on the map usage information of the other vehicle A acquired by the map usage information acquisition unit 26 (see FIG. 15). Based on the collision information acquired by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 22, the communication timing management unit 27 determines whether or not the slot use area RB is in a communication waiting state (a state in which all communication time slots are in use). to decide. Specifically, the communication timing management unit 27 determines that the slot use area RB is in a communication waiting state when, for example, a radio signal collision is detected a predetermined number of times or more.

When the communication timing management unit 27 determines that the inside of the slot use area RB is in a communication waiting state, the communication timing management unit 27 determines the own vehicle Bx and the other vehicles B1 to Bn from the other vehicle vehicle speed information and the own vehicle vehicle speed information acquired by the vehicle speed information acquisition unit 24. The vehicle is ranked from the vehicle with the highest vehicle speed. The communication timing management unit 27 determines the communication timing with priority from the highest priority. Specifically, the communication timing management unit 27 sets a shorter standby time in the CSMA / CA method (a time until a radio signal is transmitted again after a radio signal collides) for a vehicle with a higher rank, A free communication time slot is used preferentially, whereby a communication timing is determined preferentially from a vehicle with a high vehicle speed.

Next, the operation of the ECU 21 in the in-vehicle communication device 20 will be described with reference to the drawings.

17, in step S21, the relative position information acquisition unit 5 of the ECU 21 acquires the other vehicle position information and the own vehicle position information by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 22 and the GPS receiving unit 4. The relative position information acquisition unit 5 acquires relative position information regarding the relative position between the host vehicle Bx and the other vehicle A based on the acquired other vehicle position information and the own vehicle position information. Further, the traveling direction information acquisition unit 6 acquires the other vehicle traveling direction information and the own vehicle traveling direction information by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 22 and the GPS receiving unit 4. Further, the road alignment information acquisition unit 12 acquires road alignment information around the other vehicle A based on the other vehicle position information acquired by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 22 and the stored road map information. The vehicle speed information acquisition unit 24 acquires the other vehicle vehicle speed information and the own vehicle vehicle speed information by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 22 and the vehicle speed sensor 23. Further, the vehicle speed information acquisition unit 24 acquires other vehicle position information and other vehicle traveling direction information by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 22. Further, the map usage information acquisition unit 26 acquires the map usage information of the other vehicle A by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 22.

Subsequently, the traveling direction information acquisition unit 6 collides with the own vehicle Bx based on the other vehicle traveling direction information, the own vehicle traveling direction information, and the relative position information acquired by the relative position information acquisition unit 5. It is determined whether the vehicle has a possibility (S22). When the traveling direction information acquisition unit 6 determines that the other vehicle A is not a vehicle that may collide with the host vehicle Bx, the process related to the other vehicle A ends.

When the traveling direction information acquisition unit 6 determines that the other vehicle A is a vehicle that may collide with the host vehicle Bx, the map management unit 25 is based on the road alignment information acquired by the road alignment information acquisition unit 12. The slot use area RB is set in the slot map M so that a time margin is formed between the plurality of slot use areas when there are all vehicles that may collide with the other vehicle A (S23). .

The communication timing management unit 27 recognizes an empty communication time slot based on the map usage information of the other vehicle A acquired by the map usage information acquisition unit 26. The communication timing management unit 27 determines whether or not the inside of the slot use area RB is in a communication waiting state based on the collision information acquired by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 22 (S24). If the communication timing management unit 27 determines that the inside of the slot use area RB is not in a communication waiting state, for example, the communication timing management unit 27 determines the communication timing in accordance with the normal method shown in the second embodiment (S25).

On the other hand, when the communication timing management unit 27 determines that the inside of the slot use area RB is in a communication waiting state, the communication timing management unit 27 based on the other vehicle vehicle speed information and the own vehicle vehicle speed information acquired by the vehicle speed information acquisition unit 24, and The other vehicles B1 to Bn are ranked from the vehicle with the highest vehicle speed (S26). Thereafter, the communication timing management unit 27 determines the communication timing with priority from the highest ranking (S27).

According to the on-vehicle communication device 20 described above, an available communication time slot can be recognized based on the map use information of another vehicle, so that there is a possibility of a radio signal collision in the communication time slot in use. Can be reduced.

Further, in the vehicle communication device 20, in the inter-vehicle communication between the communication target vehicle A that may collide with the own vehicle Bx and the plurality of vehicles B1 to Bn including the own vehicle Bx, the inter-vehicle communication is preferentially performed in the order of the vehicle speed. Determine the communication timing to do. For example, even if it is difficult to clearly distinguish the positions of the plurality of vehicles B1 to Bn that are close to each other due to problems such as detection accuracy, it is considered that a vehicle with a higher vehicle speed approaches the communication target vehicle A sooner. Therefore, in the vehicle communication device 20, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication is performed with priority from the vehicle having a short time until the collision with the communication target vehicle A, thereby preventing the collision between the vehicles.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, an in-vehicle communication device 30 according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Compared with the third embodiment, the in-vehicle communication device 30 according to the fourth embodiment includes a road-vehicle communication unit 33 instead of the vehicle speed sensor 23, and the ECU 31 has an intersection distance information acquisition unit (own vehicle intersection). The difference is that it has a distance information acquisition unit, another vehicle intersection distance information acquisition unit) 34, and the functions of the inter-vehicle communication unit 32 and the communication timing management unit 35 are different (see FIG. 12). Hereinafter, the vehicle Bx shown in FIG. 13 is the own vehicle, the vehicles A, C, and B1 to Bn (excluding Bx) are other vehicles, and the own vehicle Bx and the other vehicles B1 to Bn perform inter-vehicle communication with the other vehicle A. The case where it performs is demonstrated.

The inter-vehicle communication unit 32 has the same function as the inter-vehicle communication unit 3 according to the first embodiment, and other vehicle position information related to the position of the other vehicle and other vehicle traveling direction information related to the traveling direction of the other vehicle by inter-vehicle communication. And receive. Further, the inter-vehicle communication unit 32 detects a collision of radio signals when a radio signal transmitted by the host vehicle Bx collides with a radio signal of another vehicle. Further, the inter-vehicle communication unit 32 receives other vehicle intersection distance information regarding the distances L1 to Ln between the intersection P and the other vehicle closest to the other vehicle in front of the other vehicle by inter-vehicle communication.

Further, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 32 receives the map usage information regarding the usage status of the slot map M in the other vehicle A (that is, the vacant information of the communication time slots T0 to T23) by the communication between vehicles (see FIG. 15). The inter-vehicle communication unit 32 transmits the received other vehicle position information, the collision information related to the detected collision of the radio signal, the other vehicle traveling direction information, the other vehicle intersection distance information, and the map usage information to the ECU 31.

The road-to-vehicle communication unit 33 obtains own vehicle intersection distance information regarding the distance Lx between the intersection P1 closest to the own vehicle Bx and the own vehicle Bx in front of the own vehicle Bx by road-to-vehicle communication with a roadside communication device such as an optical beacon. Receive. The road-vehicle communication unit 33 transmits the received own vehicle intersection distance information to the ECU 31.

The intersection distance information acquisition unit acquires other vehicle intersection distance information by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 32 and acquires own vehicle intersection distance information by transmission from the road-to-vehicle communication unit 33. Similar to the map management unit 13 according to the second embodiment, the map management unit 25 sets the slot use area RB used for inter-vehicle communication with the other vehicle A in the slot map M (see FIG. 14). Further, the map usage information acquisition unit 26 acquires the map usage information of the other vehicle A by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 22.

The communication timing management unit 35 recognizes an empty communication time slot based on the map usage information of the other vehicle A acquired by the map usage information acquisition unit 26 (see FIG. 15). Based on the collision information acquired by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 32, the communication timing management unit 35 determines whether or not the slot use area RB is in a communication waiting state. Specifically, the communication timing management unit 35 determines that the inside of the slot use area RB is in a communication waiting state when a radio signal collision is detected a predetermined number of times or more.

When the communication timing management unit 35 determines that the inside of the slot use area RB is waiting for communication, the communication timing management unit 35 determines the own vehicle Bx based on the other vehicle intersection distance information and the own vehicle intersection distance information acquired by the intersection distance information acquisition unit 34. In addition, each of the other vehicles B1 to Bn is ranked from the vehicle having the smallest distance to the intersection P1. The communication timing management unit 35 determines the communication timing with priority from the highest ranking. Specifically, the communication timing management unit 35 preferentially uses a vacant communication time slot by setting the standby time in the CSMA / CA method to be shorter for vehicles with higher ranks, and thereby the intersection with the intersection P1. The communication timing is determined with priority from a vehicle with a small distance.

Next, the operation of the ECU 31 in the in-vehicle communication device 30 will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 17, in step S <b> 21, the relative position information acquisition unit 5 of the ECU 31 acquires the other vehicle position information and the own vehicle position information by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 32 and the GPS receiving unit 4. The relative position information acquisition unit 5 acquires relative position information regarding the relative position between the host vehicle Bx and the other vehicle A based on the acquired other vehicle position information and the own vehicle position information. Further, the traveling direction information acquisition unit 6 acquires other vehicle traveling direction information and own vehicle traveling direction information by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 32 and the GPS receiving unit 4. Furthermore, the road alignment information acquisition unit 12 acquires road alignment information around the other vehicle A based on the other vehicle position information acquired by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 32 and the stored road map information. Further, the intersection distance information acquisition unit 34 acquires the other vehicle intersection distance information and the own vehicle intersection distance information by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 32 and the road-to-vehicle communication unit 33. Further, the map usage information acquisition unit 26 acquires the map usage information of the other vehicle A by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 32.

The communication timing management unit 35 recognizes an empty communication time slot based on the map usage information of the other vehicle A acquired by the map usage information acquisition unit 26. Based on the collision information acquired by transmission from the inter-vehicle communication unit 32, the communication timing management unit 35 determines whether or not the slot use area RB is in a communication waiting state (S24). When the communication timing management unit 35 determines that the inside of the slot use area RB is not in a communication waiting state, the communication timing management unit 35 determines the communication timing, for example, according to the normal method shown in the second embodiment (S25).

On the other hand, when the communication timing management unit 35 determines that the inside of the slot use area RB is in a communication waiting state, the communication timing management unit 35 determines whether the communication timing management unit 35 is based on the other vehicle intersection distance information and the own vehicle intersection distance information acquired by the intersection distance information acquisition unit 34. The vehicle Bx and the other vehicles B1 to Bn are ranked from the vehicle with the smallest distance to the intersection P1 (S26). Thereafter, the communication timing management unit 35 determines the communication timing with priority from the highest order of ranking (S27).

According to the vehicle-mounted communication device 30 described above, in the inter-vehicle communication between the communication target vehicle A that may collide with the host vehicle Bx and the plurality of vehicles B1 to Bn including the host vehicle Bx, the front of each vehicle B1 to Bn. Thus, it is possible to determine the communication timing so that the inter-vehicle communication is preferentially performed in the shortest order of the distances L1 to Ln with the intersection P1 closest to the vehicle. For example, even when it is difficult to clearly distinguish the positions of a plurality of vehicles B1 to Bn that are close to each other due to problems such as detection accuracy, a vehicle that is closer to the intersection P1 closest to the vehicle in front of the vehicle is a communication target vehicle. It is thought that A is approached sooner. Therefore, in this in-vehicle communication device 30, vehicle-to-vehicle communication is performed preferentially from a vehicle having a short time until a collision with the communication target vehicle A, thereby preventing a collision between the vehicles.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. For example, the slot use area is set mainly corresponding to the direction among the relative positions of the own vehicle and the other vehicle, but more strictly, the slot map M corresponds to the relative distance between the own vehicle and the other vehicle. It may be an aspect set to.

Further, the inter-vehicle communication unit 3 is not limited to the one using the CSMA / CA method, and may be one using the CDSA / CD [Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection] method, for example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF

SYMBOLS

1,10,20,30 ... Vehicle-mounted communication apparatus, 2, 11, 21,31 ... ECU, 3, 22, 32 ... Inter-vehicle communication part (inter-vehicle communication unit), 5 ... Relative position information acquisition part (relative position information) Acquisition unit), 6 ... Travel direction information acquisition unit (own vehicle travel direction information acquisition unit, other vehicle travel direction information acquisition unit), 7 ... Map management unit (map management unit), 8, 27, 35 ... Communication timing management unit (Communication timing setting unit), 12 ... road alignment information acquisition unit (road alignment information acquisition unit), 24 ... vehicle speed information acquisition unit (own vehicle vehicle speed information acquisition unit, other vehicle vehicle speed information acquisition unit), 26 ... map use information acquisition Unit (map use information acquisition unit), 34 ... intersection distance information acquisition unit (own vehicle intersection distance information acquisition unit, other vehicle intersection distance information acquisition unit).

Claims

An inter-vehicle communication unit that performs inter-vehicle communication between the host vehicle and another vehicle;
A relative position information acquisition unit for acquiring relative position information regarding the relative position of the other vehicle with respect to the position of the host vehicle;
A communication timing setting unit for setting a communication timing in the inter-vehicle communication unit,
The communication timing setting unit sets the communication timing corresponding to the relative position.
A map management unit having a slot map composed of a plurality of communication time slots, and setting a slot use area corresponding to the relative position in the slot map;
The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication timing setting unit sets the communication timing according to the slot use area.
A host vehicle traveling information acquisition unit that acquires host vehicle traveling direction information related to the traveling direction of the host vehicle;
An other vehicle traveling direction information acquisition unit that acquires other vehicle traveling direction information related to the traveling direction of the other vehicle through the inter-vehicle communication unit;
The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 2, wherein the map management unit sets the slot use area based on the own vehicle traveling direction information and the other vehicle traveling direction information.
A road alignment information acquisition unit for acquiring road alignment information around the host vehicle;
The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 3, wherein the map management unit sets the slot use area based on the road alignment information.
A map usage information acquisition unit for acquiring map usage information regarding the usage status of the slot map of the other vehicle through the inter-vehicle communication unit;
The in-vehicle communication device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the communication timing setting unit sets the communication timing based on the map usage information.
A host vehicle vehicle speed information acquisition unit for acquiring host vehicle vehicle speed information related to the vehicle speed of the host vehicle;
An other vehicle vehicle speed information acquisition unit for acquiring other vehicle vehicle speed information related to the vehicle speed of the other vehicle through the inter-vehicle communication unit;
The in-vehicle communication device according to claim 5, wherein the communication timing setting unit determines a communication timing with the other vehicle and a vehicle other than the own vehicle based on the own vehicle vehicle speed information and the other vehicle vehicle speed information.
A host vehicle intersection distance information acquisition unit that acquires host vehicle intersection distance information related to the distance between the host vehicle and the intersection closest to the host vehicle in front of the host vehicle;
An other vehicle intersection distance information acquisition unit for acquiring other vehicle intersection distance information related to the distance between the other vehicle heading for the intersection and the intersection through the inter-vehicle communication unit;
The in-vehicle communication according to claim 5, wherein the communication timing setting unit determines a communication timing with the other vehicle and a vehicle other than the own vehicle based on the own vehicle intersection distance information and the other vehicle intersection distance information. apparatus.
A relative position information acquisition step of acquiring relative position information regarding the relative position of the other vehicle with respect to the position of the host vehicle;
A communication timing setting step of setting a communication timing corresponding to the relative position in the inter-vehicle communication.
A map management step of setting a slot use area corresponding to the relative position in a slot map comprising a plurality of communication time slots;
The inter-vehicle communication method according to claim 8, wherein, in the communication timing setting step, the communication timing is set according to the slot use area.
The vehicle further includes a traveling direction information acquisition step of acquiring own vehicle traveling direction information related to the traveling direction of the own vehicle, and acquiring other vehicle traveling direction information related to the traveling direction of the other vehicle by inter-vehicle communication,
The inter-vehicle communication method according to claim 9, wherein, in the map management step, the slot use area is set based on the own vehicle traveling direction information and the other vehicle traveling direction information.
A road alignment information acquisition step of acquiring road alignment information around the host vehicle,
The inter-vehicle communication method according to claim 10, wherein in the map management step, the slot use area is set based on the road alignment information.
A map usage information acquisition step of acquiring map usage information related to the usage status of the slot map of the other vehicle by inter-vehicle communication;
The inter-vehicle communication method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein, in the communication timing setting step, the communication timing is set based on the map usage information.
A vehicle speed information acquisition step of acquiring own vehicle vehicle speed information related to the vehicle speed of the own vehicle, and acquiring other vehicle vehicle speed information related to the vehicle speed of the other vehicle by inter-vehicle communication,
The inter-vehicle communication method according to claim 12, wherein in the communication timing setting step, communication timing with the other vehicle and a vehicle other than the own vehicle is determined based on the own vehicle vehicle speed information and the other vehicle vehicle speed information. .
Other vehicle intersection distance information related to the distance between the intersection and the other vehicle is obtained by inter-vehicle communication while acquiring the own vehicle intersection distance information related to the distance between the own vehicle and the intersection closest to the own vehicle in front of the own vehicle. Further comprising an intersection distance information acquisition step of acquiring
The inter-vehicle communication according to claim 12, wherein in the communication timing setting step, communication timing with the other vehicle and a vehicle other than the own vehicle is determined based on the own vehicle intersection distance information and the other vehicle intersection distance information. Communication method.