Vehicle proxying

Abstract

Device, system and method, in a vehicle communication system, to transmit wirelessly the position, heading and speed of a vehicle or other moving object. In a key embodiment the vehicle is other than the transmitting vehicle. Some embodiment use local sensors on a first vehicle, such as cameras, sonar, radar or LIDAR to identify the relative position, heading and speed of a second vehicle relative to the first, transmitting, vehicle. An embodiment uses the location of the vehicle whose information is being transmitted as the identification of the same vehicle. Embodiments also receive these messages. Embodiments use this information as warning and safety information to avoid or minimize vehicle collisions. A unique feature of some embodiments is that the messages are free of IP and MAC addresses.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system comprising:
 a basic time interval, of predetermined length, which repeats continuously; wherein the basic time interval is comprised of predetermined, consecutive, enumerated timeslots;   a plurality of vehicles, each equipped with an associated V2V transponder;   wherein a first vehicle with a first V2V transponder is configured to accept as input the first vehicle's position and heading; and the first V2V transponder uses a first protocol to obtain a first transmit timeslot; and the first V2V transponder broadcasts real-time vehicle information for the first vehicle in the first transmit timeslot, repetitively, once per basic time interval;   a non-equipped second vehicle, free of a compatible V2V transponder;   vehicle sensors located on the first vehicle, wherein the vehicle sensors identify the relative position of the second vehicle from the first vehicle;   wherein the first V2V transponder broadcasts real-time vehicle information for the second vehicle, repetitively, once per basic time interval;   wherein the broadcasts information for the second vehicle is marked as a proxy message;   wherein the V2V communication system does not require fixed location, road-side units.   
     
     
         17 . The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the broadcasts are in unencrypted cleartext. 
 
     
     
         18 . The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the V2V communication system is free of required acknowledgments. 
 
     
     
         19 . The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the first protocol to obtain a transmit timeslot is free of pre-assignment; and is free of a centralized assignment; and is free of assignment by a road-side unit. 
 
     
     
         20 . The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the V2V transponder broadcasts are free of pre-assigned vehicle identification. 
 
     
     
         21 . The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the V2V transponder, prior to broadcasting information for the second vehicle, uses again the first protocol to obtain a second transmit timeslot; and the first V2V transponder transmits real-time vehicle information for the second vehicle in the second timeslot; repetitively, once per basic time interval; 
 
     
     
         22 . The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the real-time vehicle information comprises a relative vehicle location which is relative to a nearest grid point on a predetermined global grid; and wherein the V2V communication system is free of identification of the nearest grid point. 
 
     
     
         23 . The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the real-time vehicle information comprises a relative vehicle location which is relative to a nearest grid point on a predetermined global grid; and wherein the V2V communication system is free of identification of the nearest grid point; and wherein the relative vehicle location is provided in units of distance; and wherein the predetermined global grid is defined in units of latitude degrees and longitude degrees. 
 
     
     
         24 . The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the V2V communication system is free of pre-defined roadway segments. 
 
     
     
         25 . The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the V2V communication system is free of a requirement for a pre-defined map database. 
 
     
     
         26 . The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the repetitive broadcast by the first V2V transponder of real-time vehicle information for the second vehicle continues until the accuracy of the real-time vehicle information determined by the vehicle sensors is less than a predetermined threshold. 
 
     
     
         27 . The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the repetitive broadcast by the first V2V transponder of real-time vehicle information for the second vehicle continues until the first V2V transponder receives a messages from a third vehicle, wherein the received message comprises real-time vehicle information for the second vehicle; and wherein the location of the third vehicle is closer to the second vehicle than the first vehicle. 
 
     
     
         28 . The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the repetitive broadcast by the first V2V transponder of real-time vehicle information for the second vehicle initiates when a basic time interval contains no message comprising real-time vehicle information for the second vehicle. 
 
     
     
         29 . The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the repetitive broadcast by the first V2V transponder of real-time vehicle information for the second vehicle initiates when a timeslot that previously contained a message comprising real-time vehicle information for the second vehicle no longer comprises a transmitted message. 
 
     
     
         30 . The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the first V2V transponder broadcasts comprising real-time vehicle information for the first vehicle are free of MAC addresses and free of IP addresses. 
 
     
     
         31 . The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the V2V system uses the physical location of a vehicle to uniquely identify a vehicle. 
 
     
     
         32 . The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the marking of a broadcast message as comprising real-time vehicle information about the second vehicle comprises a single bit in the header of the message; 
 and wherein the broadcast message comprising real-time vehicle information about the second vehicle comprises the second vehicle's position, heading and speed. 
 
     
     
         33 . The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system of  claim 16  wherein:
 the effective time at which the vehicle information in a message is valid is a pre-determined time relative to the start of the basic time interval in which the message is broadcast. 
 
     
     
         34 . A method of communicating vehicle-to-vehicle comprising:
 repeating continuously a basic time interval, wherein the basic time interval is comprised of predetermined, consecutive, enumerated timeslots;   accepting as input a first vehicle's position and heading to a V2V transponder associated with the first vehicle; wherein the V2V transponder is not dependent on communication from fixed infrastructure;   using a first protocol by the V2V transponder to obtain a first timeslot;   broadcasting messages in the first timeslot repetitively in each basic time interval; wherein at least one message comprises real-time information about the first vehicle;   accepting as input a second vehicle's position relative to the first vehicle to the V2V transponder;   broadcasting a message comprising information about the second vehicle.   
     
     
         35 . A device of manufacture that implements the method in  claim 34 .