| US 7,486,202 B2 | ||
| Vehicle communication device | ||
| Yoshichika Konishi, Obu (Japan); Eiji Niwa, Nagoya (Japan); and Yasumasa Yamamoto, Kariya (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Kariya-Shi, Aichi-Ken (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Feb. 15, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/353,996. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2005-038693 (JP), filed on Feb. 16, 2005. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0192687 A1, Aug. 31, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. G08B 1/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 340—932 [340/901; 340/995.1; 455/11.1; 455/22; 701/117] | 13 Claims |
| 1. A vehicle communication device mounted to a vehicle for sending and receiving information among plural vehicles which each
have the vehicle communication device, comprising:
a traveling lane detecting means for detecting a detection result based on one of whether a road is crossed, forked, or merged;
and
an appropriateness of relay determining means for determining an appropriateness of relay on the basis of the detection result
detected by the traveling lane detecting means,
wherein, when one of whether the road is either crossed, forked or merged is detected by the traveling lane detecting means
of one vehicle and the appropriateness of relay determining means determines that one vehicle is appropriate to relay the
signal, the vehicle communication device of another vehicle assigns the one vehicle to relay the information as an assigned
vehicle, and the vehicle communication device sends the information to the assigned vehicle.
|