Patent ID: 7609174

Claim:
A vehicle onboard unit comprising: a vehicle probe data collecting section configured to collect host vehicle probe data relating to external traveling conditions of a first vehicle having the onboard unit; and a vehicle communication section, the vehicle onboard unit being configured to operate in a host vehicle mode in which the vehicle communication section communicates with the vehicle probe data collecting section to receive the host vehicle probe data of the first vehicle, prepares a host vehicle common message set by associating the host vehicle probe data with host vehicle identifying information of the first vehicle, communicates with at least one surrounding vehicle onboard unit disposed in at least one surrounding vehicle to collect at least one surrounding vehicle common message set which includes surrounding vehicle probe data associated with corresponding surrounding vehicle identifying information, and transmits at least one of the host vehicle common message set and the at least one surrounding vehicle common message set to a vehicle onboard unit disposed in a different vehicle from the first vehicle, the different vehicle operating in a carrier vehicle mode of the vehicle onboard unit of the different vehicle; and a carrier vehicle mode in which the vehicle communication section communicates with a vehicle onboard unit of a second vehicle operating in a host vehicle mode to receive at least one of a host vehicle common message set of the second vehicle and at least one surrounding vehicle common message set of at least one vehicle surrounding the second vehicle, disassociates host vehicle identifying information associated with the second vehicle and surrounding vehicle identifying information associated with the at least one vehicle surrounding the second vehicle to isolate host vehicle probe data and surrounding vehicle probe data after receiving the at least one of the host vehicle common message set and the at least one surrounding vehicle common message set, and transmits at least one of the isolated host vehicle probe data and the isolated surrounding vehicle probe data to an external communication device.