Method and apparatus for facilitating two-way communications between vehicles

Abstract

An in-vehicle system ( 10 ) having a radio ( 12 ) sends and receives messages that include an identifier that uniquely identifies the vehicle and that further includes affinities as correspond to the vehicle and/or occupants of the vehicle. The messages can constitute requests for information ( 43 ), offers to provide information ( 44 ), and other representations. Such requests and offers can correlate to an information payload contained within the message and/or to the affinities set forth in the message identifier.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method to facilitate two-way communications between at least two vehicles, comprising: 
 providing an identifier that includes at least a unique identifier for a first one of the vehicles and an affinity selection;    transmitting a short range message that includes at least a portion of the identifier.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the identifier further includes present location information for the first vehicle.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the identifier further includes present heading information for the first vehicle.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the identifier further includes a plurality of affinity selections.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the affinity selection corresponds to at least one attribute of the first vehicle.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the at least one attribute of the first vehicle pertains to a manufacturer of the first vehicle.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the affinity selection corresponds to at least one occupant of the first vehicle.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the affinity selection corresponds to a personal interest of at least one occupant of the first vehicle.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the affinity selection corresponds to an intended destination of the vehicle.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the affinity selection corresponds to an activity that involves at least one occupant of the vehicle.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the affinity selection corresponds to a fleet affiliation of the vehicle.  
     
     
         12  . The method of  claim 1  wherein the affinity selection includes a plurality of affinity selections, wherein at least one affinity selection corresponds to one occupant of the vehicle and another affinity selection corresponds to a different occupant of the vehicle.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein providing an identifier that includes at least a unique identifier for a first one of the vehicles and an affinity selection includes automatically identifying the affinity selection as based, at least in part, upon an entertainment selection in the first vehicle.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein automatically identifying the affinity selection as based, at least in part, upon an entertainment selection in the first vehicle includes identifying an entertainment broadcast channel as is presently selected in the first vehicle.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the short range message includes a request for information.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the short range message includes an offer to provide information.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the short range message comprises a present and available notification.  
     
     
         18 . A method to facilitate communications between at least two vehicles, comprising: 
 providing an identifier that includes at least a unique identifier for a first one of the vehicles and an affinity selection; - transmitting one of: - a first short range message that includes at least a portion of the identifier; - a second short range message that does not include at least a portion of the identifier.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the first short range message comprises one of a request for information and a present and available notification.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the second short range message comprises a general broadcast containing information.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the second short range message includes location data.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the location data corresponds to the information.  
     
     
         23 . A method to facilitate communications between at least two vehicles, comprising: at a first vehicle: 
 detecting an occupant's assertion of a first load of operation;    providing an identifier that includes at least a unique identifier for the first vehicle;    transmitting a short range message that includes at least a portion of the identifier and that includes a previously configured informational payload.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the short range message further includes location data.  
     
     
         25 . A method to facilitate two-way communications between at least two vehicles, comprising: 
 providing an identifier that includes at least a unique identifier for a first one of the vehicles and a plurality of affinity selections, wherein at least one of the affinity selections is part of a first class of affinity selections and at least one of the affinity selections is part of a second class of affinity selections;    when transmitting at least a first category of short range message, always including at least the unique identifier and the affinity selections that are part of the first class of affinity selections and optionally including as determined by an occupant of the first vehicle at least one of the affinity selections that is part of the second class of affinity selections.    
     
     
         26 . A method, comprising: 
 at a vehicle, receiving a digital short range radio frequency-based message;    identifying a temporal resource conflict between the digital short range radio frequency-based message and at least one other digital short range radio frequency-based message;    identifying correspondence between the digital short range radio frequency- based messages and previous affinity selections for at least one of the vehicle and at least one occupant of the vehicle;    acting first upon whichever of the digital short range radio frequency-based messages corresponds to a highest priority affinity selection.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein acting first upon whichever of the digital short range radio frequency-based messages corresponds to a highest priority affinity selection includes rendering at least a part of a first acted upon message audible.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26  wherein acting first upon whichever of the digital short range radio frequency-based messages corresponds to a highest priority affinity selection includes rendering at least a part of a first acted upon message visually discernible.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26  wherein acting first upon whichever of the digital short range radio frequency-based messages corresponds to a highest priority affinity selection includes determining a previously assigned priority for at least one of the affinity selections.  
     
     
         30 . A digital short range two-way radio adapted and configured to be vehicularly mounted and to communicate compatibly with a radio frequency- based roadside information service, the radio including a memory that has stored therein an identifier that includes at least a unique identifier for a vehicle in which the radio is mounted and at least one affinity selection, wherein the at least one affinity selection comprises one of a manufacturer of the vehicle, a personal interest of at least one occupant of the vehicle, and an intended destination of the vehicle.  
     
     
         31 . The digital short range two-way radio of  claim 30  and further comprising an input for receiving location information.  
     
     
         32 . The digital short range two-way radio of  claim 30  and further comprising an input for receiving vehicular sensor information.