METHOD AND DEVICE FOR VALIDATING VEHICLE-TO-X MESSAGES IN ORDER TO REGULATE THE TRAFFIC FLOW

Abstract

A method for validating vehicle-to-X messages by a computing apparatus of a vehicle comprises receiving at least one vehicle-to-X message comprising information for regulating the traffic flow, and validating the at least one message, wherein, within the framework of the validation, at least a part of the message content comprised by the at least one message is checked for the consistency thereof. A device for validating vehicle-to-X messages and a vehicle are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for validating vehicle-to-X messages by a computing apparatus of a vehicle, having the steps of: receiving at least one vehicle-to-X message comprising information for regulating the traffic flow; and validating the at least one message, wherein, within the framework of the validation, at least a part of the message content comprised by the at least one message is checked for the consistency thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a reception rate of at least two consecutively received messages, the comprised information of which displays the same transmitter, is established and the reception rate is compared with a threshold value.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message content comprises signal status information for describing an authorization to proceed for a multiplicity of lanes of a roadway, wherein the consistency of the signal status information of at least a part of the multiplicity of lanes is examined.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message content comprises signal status information, wherein the signal status information is examined with a light detection system of the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message content comprises topological definitions of lanes, wherein the consistency of the topological definitions of the lanes with features of the infrastructure detected by environment sensors of the vehicle is examined.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a reception direction of the signal transmitting the received message is established and it is examined whether the established reception direction of position information for describing a position of the transmitter, which is comprised by the message content, is inconsistent.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a reception power (RSSI) of the signal transmitting the received message is established and it is examined whether the established reception power of position information for describing a position of the transmitter, which is comprised by the message content, is inconsistent.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, on the basis of the established reception power, a transmission power is established with which the signal transmitting the received message was sent out by the transmitter and it is examined whether the established transmission power is inconsistent with a transmission power according to the specifications.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein objects which can influence the reception power of the signal transmitting the received message are taken into account during the establishment of the transmission power.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the transmission power is established if the received message corresponds to a message type which is excluded from a reduction of the transmission power, and/or if the vehicle receiving the message is in an area in which sending out messages having a transmission power according to the specifications is not permitted.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the message content comprises information for describing a transmission power of the signal transmitting the message, wherein it is examined whether the established reception power is inconsistent with the information for describing the transmission power, which is comprised by the message content, and/or whether the established transmission power is inconsistent with information for describing the transmission power, which is comprised by the message content.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message content is checked by utilizing information for describing features concerning the transmitter, and the information for describing features concerning the transmitter is stored in a data memory of the vehicle and/or is provided by a data processing apparatus not belonging to the vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message content of at least two received messages displaying the same transmitter is utilized for checking at least one item of this message content of the at least two received messages.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the message content of the at least two received messages comprises traffic control signals which are examined in their temporal sequence and/or timing for inconsistencies.

15. A device for validating vehicle-to-X messages, wherein the device is configured to: receive at least one vehicle-to-X message comprising information for regulating traffic flow; and validate the at least one vehicle-to-X message, wherein, within the framework of the validation, at least a part of the message content comprised by the at least one message is checked for consistency.

16. A vehicle comprising: a device for validating vehicle-to-X messages, wherein the device is configured to: receive at least one vehicle-to-X message comprising information for regulating traffic flow; and validate the at least one vehicle-to-X message, wherein, within the framework of the validation, at least a part of the message content comprised by the at least one message is checked for consistency.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0045] FIG. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of a method for validating vehicle-to-X messages according to this disclosure; and

[0046] FIG. 2 schematically shows an embodiment of the device according to this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the method 100 for validating vehicle-to-X messages by a computing apparatus of a vehicle, wherein, in a step 102, at least one vehicle-to-X message comprising information for regulating a traffic flow is received and, in a step 104, the at least one message is validated, wherein, within the framework of the validation, at least a part of the message content comprised by the at least one message is checked for the consistency thereof.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of an electronic control unit 200 for validating vehicle-to-X messages, which is configured to carry out the steps according to at least one embodiment of the described method. The electronic control unit is also carried along by a vehicle 230 or is mounted therein.

[0049] In this embodiment of the electronic control unit 200, the indicated device has a processor 202 and a memory 204. The indicated method is stored in the memory 204 in the form of a computer program and the device 200 is provided for carrying out the method when the computer program is loaded from the memory into the processor 202.

[0050] The electronic control unit is configured to receive at least one vehicle-to-X message 212, which comprises information for regulating a traffic flow, by a vehicle-to-X (V2X) communication device 210 and to validate the at least one message by a validation apparatus 206, wherein, within the framework of the validation, at least a part of the message content comprised by the at least one message 212 is checked for the consistency thereof. The V2X communication device 210 may be designed, for example, as an antenna device to receive V2X messages, wherein the messages or message content is/are processed by the electronic control unit 200. The consistency is checked in accordance with at least one embodiment, utilizing sensor data 216 of at least one sensor 214 of the vehicle 230.

[0051] In accordance with at least one embodiment, if no consistency of the message content is ascertained, the received message or the message content thereof is discarded and/or the transmitter of the message is classified as not being trustworthy and/or at least a part of the message content, for example a part of the message content which is consistent, or the entire message content is marked with a correspondingly low level of trust and is output to an evaluation apparatus 218 which takes account of the level of trust accordingly.

[0052] In principle, it may be provided, in particular in the event that no consistency of one or more messages has been ascertained, that a warning signal 220 is output to an evaluation apparatus 218, for example in order to warn a driver of the vehicle by a man-machine interface or for processing by a (semi-)autonomous vehicle system. Other road users and/or an external central data processing apparatus may also be informed about this by a wireless interface such as, for example, of the V2X communication device 210 or a telematics interface.

[0053] In accordance with one embodiment, if the consistency of the message content is ascertained, the message content or information 220 based on this is at least partially output to an evaluation apparatus 218 and/or the transmitter of the message is classified as being trustworthy and/or at least a part of the message content is marked with a correspondingly high level of trust and is further processed, taking into account the level of trust.

[0054] If in the course of the proceedings it transpires that a feature or a group of features is not absolutely necessary, then the applicant here and now seeks a wording of at least one independent claim no longer having the feature or the group of features. This may, for example, involve a sub-combination of a claim existing as at the application date or a sub-combination of a claim existing as at the application date restricted by further features. Such claims or combinations of features, which are to be newly worded, are understood to also be covered by the disclosure of this application.

[0055] It is further pointed out that configurations, features and variants of the invention, which are described in the various embodiments or exemplary embodiments and/or shown in the figures, may be combined with one another as desired. Individual or multiple features are interchangeable as desired. Resulting combinations of features are understood to also be covered by the disclosure of this application.

[0056] Back references in dependent claims should not be construed as a waiver of the right to independent, objective protection for the features of the subclaims referred back to. These features may also be used in any combination with other features.

[0057] Features which are only disclosed in the description or features which are disclosed in the description or a claim only in conjunction with other features may, in principle, be of independent inventive relevance. They may therefore also be included separately in claims to distinguish from the prior art.

[0058] It should be pointed out in general that vehicle-to-X communication means, in particular, a direct communication between vehicles and/or between vehicles and infrastructure facilities, wherein the term does not imply the direction of the communication such that this term should be construed to mean, for example, vehicle-to-infrastructure communication (V2I) and infrastructure-to-vehicle communication (I2V). For example, therefore, vehicle-to-vehicle communication or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication may be involved. Where communication between vehicles is referred to within the framework of this application, this may essentially, for example, take place within the framework of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, which typically takes place without the intermediary of a mobile network or a similar external infrastructure and which is therefore to be distinguished from other solutions which, for example, are based on a mobile network. For example, vehicle-to-X communication may take place using the standards IEEE 802.11p or IEEE 1609.4. Vehicle-to-X communication may also be referred to as C2X communication or V2X communication. The sub-areas may be referred to as C2C (Car-to-Car), V2V (Vehicle-to-Vehicle) or C2I (Car-to-Infrastructure), V2I (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure). The invention expressly does not, however, exclude vehicle-to-X communication with the intermediary of, for example, a mobile network.