Patent ID: 7983841
Filing Date: 2011-07-19
Classification: G08G,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of vehicular wireless communication over a Dedicated Short Range Communication service band using a group manager, said method comprising the steps of: dividing the service band into a control channel for transmitting a safety communication, and a service channel for transmitting a non-safety communication; defining a group manager operating on the control channel that transmits and receives messages on the control channel; subdividing the control channel into intervals of time, wherein one interval is a safety exchange interval during a contention-free period of time and each registered vehicle transmits a safety communication at predetermined time during the safety exchange interval, and the predetermined time is determined by the group manager; defining a service access point that transmits and receives non-safety communications on the service channel; assigning a vehicle to a group, by the group manager; determining if the vehicle is within communications range of the service access point: determining if the vehicle is registered with the group manager, if the vehicle is within the communications range of the group manager, wherein the group manager maintains a list of registered vehicles, and registering the vehicle with the group manager if not registered; determining if a current time is within the safety exchange interval in the contention-free period of time in the control channel, and transmitting the safety communication by each registered vehicle during the safety exchange interval at the predetermined time for each registered vehicle, if the current time is within the safety exchange interval of the contention-free period; determining if the safety communication exchange by every registered vehicle is completed, and permitting the vehicle to leave the control channel if the safety communication exchange is complete; and determining if a current time is within a contention period, and transmitting the non-safety communication if the current time is within the contention period.