V2V antenna from Continental

In a recent press-release Continental presents a new antenna solution that integrates multiple antennas for various carriers together with their control electronics, from the press release:

"The new Intelligent Antenna Module is designed to integrate multiple antennas as well as the corresponding transmission and reception electronics into one unit. It enables wireless communication between the vehicle and its outside environment as well as inside the passenger compartment for applications like telephone, GPS, remote keyless entry, tire pressure monitoring system, WLAN, radio, TV or future car-to-car communication. The antenna module links via a digital bus to various control units in the vehicle, which process the data and make applications available to the user.

Continental and Kathrein, the world’s oldest antenna manufacturer, have designed the Intelligent Antenna Module to solve several challenges currently presented by wireless mobile communication. It lowers complexity, reduces costs and improves performance. Since the electronics are located directly at the antenna, less wiring than today is required. The system uses a single data bus connection to shuttle reception and transmission data between the antenna module and the end devices instead of up to ten coaxial cables required by conventional solutions. The concept is highly scalable. Tailored to the needs of the car manufacturer, any mixture of coaxial and databus connections is possible which will reduce the number of cables, connectors and elaborate intermediate amplifiers. With fewer components, the cost and weight of the vehicle can be substantially reduced."

The concept of adding more intelligence at the antenna end sounds similar to what is being done by Q-Free for the second-generation CVIS antenna.

Patents, patents

A good way to keep in the loop when it comes to which ideas in your research field that are commercializeable is to check patent databases.

Looks like Continental has a patent from April this year on transmitting messages between vehicles using cellular infrastructure:

"The device (14) has a wireless data communication interface e.g. General packet radio service interfaceor Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS)interface, for installation in a vehicle (1) i.e. car, and for communication of messages e.g. multicast messages, with other vehicles (2-4). A transmitting and receiving unit transmits and receives the messages over a server (12) e.g. relay server. The data communication interface uses different technologies for transmitting and receiving the messages. An independent claim is also included for a method for providing communication between vehicles."

Another great patent that I found really says something about how original we think our ideas are today without considering what has been done in the past.

The following patent was published in 1926(!), it seems to pretty much cover vehicle-to-vehicle communication as we define it today :)

"The present invention relates to radio warning systems for use on vehicles intended to permit a vehicle to signal its presence by means of .electric waves to other vehicles in its more or less immediate vicinity, equipped with similar or equivalent apparatus and devices, particularly to such vehicles located in front or on the side of the vehicle signalling its presence and facing in the approximate direction of said signalling vehicle."

I spy ice spy

Continental Corporation introduced "Ice Spy" in a recent press release. From the press release:

"Hanover, February 2009 – In the cold months of the year, black ice surprises motorists time and again. This is clearly reflected in the accident statistics. According to the Federal Office of Statistics, black ice and snow or ice were at the root of 5,230 accidents involving personal injury in 2007. To prevent drivers from being caught unawares by the danger, the international automotive supplier Continental is working on bringing an intelligent early-warning system to production readiness. The system will warn drivers following behind a vehicle so equipped of icy road conditions up ahead"

Although a bit vague on the details, the system utilizes temperature sensors to detect ice when the vehicle passes over it. Black ice is especially tricky for motorists as it is highly transparent which makes it hard to detect as this video illustrates.



The press release mentions that slippery conditions can already today be detected by analyzing the vehicle dynamics, I assume for example wheel slip. Coincidentally, today I also read a paper from the Finnish technical research center VTT on the topic of ice and water detection:

Kutila, M. "Road State Monitoring for Cooperative Traffic Safety System." Scientific activities in transport telematics 2008, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. p. 24-27. Download report

Their approach is based on the fact that light reflected off of ice or water has less horizontal polarization. Using near-infrared cameras and image analysis they show that ice and water can be detected in front of the vehicle.

Detecting slippery conditions before passing over them is of course preferable to detecting it when you're on top of it, Continental's sensors does not provide this by themselves. However this is where car-to-car communication comes in:

"In the future, car-to-car (C2C) systems will provide valuable service in enabling vehicles to communicate with other vehicles and with the traffic infrastructure. It will make it possible for a vehicle detecting black ice to inform the vehicle behind it of this danger.”

Both Continental and VTT are part of the SAFESPOT project that investigates cooperative safety services.