Vehicular communication systems

With Car-to- Car Communication ( Car2Car or C2C) - in the English language under Vehicle-to - Vehicle ( V2V) familiar - is defined as the exchange of information and data between vehicles with the background, the driver to register early critical and dangerous situations. There are various projects in Europe that ultimately all aspire to increase traffic safety and traffic flow.

The frequently cited example: A car comes to a confusing road to avoid an obstacle just to stand still. Seconds later, a subsequent approaching vehicle is automatically alerted by the buzzer and with a roadside icon appears in the windshield, facing the situation. The driver can reduce the speed of time because the preceding vehicle has sent a warning. How accidents can be avoided.

Technology

The vehicles in question are data such as response of the ABS, steering angle, position, direction and speed, collect, evaluate, and via radio ( WLAN, UMTS ... ) to pass on to other road users. The " visibility " of the driver is to be extended by electronic means. The system could report, for example, within a radius of 300 m emergency braking, ice and aquaplaning, help when changing lanes and threading, warning of emergency vehicles with flashing lights and show accidents and construction sites.

The Rhine-Main Region in Hesse became the testing ground for the pilot project in 2007 - determined " Safe Intelligent Mobility Test Field Germany SIM -TD". The project was initiated by the VDA, the German automotive industry. In addition to the communication of cars with each other and the data exchange is to be tested with the traffic infrastructure such as traffic signals and traffic control centers. This is called Car-to- Infrastructure ( C2I ) or in the English language as a vehicle-to -roadside ( V2R ) refers. In the long term, there is the goal of developing European and global standards for car- to-x technology.

Another research project in the field Car2Car is the research initiative Ko - FAS. Here explore 17 partner technologies, components and systems that provide road users a comprehensive picture of the traffic environment. On the basis of which it is possible to identify critical traffic situations early, the consequences of accidents can be greatly reduced so avoided with preventive measures or accident situations. The above technologies are based on the cooperation of sensors of different road users ( cooperative vehicle safety ) and use the latest methods of communication technologies for the exchange of this information.

Challenges regarding the launch

The main challenge in the market introduction of these techniques is here based on network effects chicken and egg problem: A potential equipment of a vehicle with a (about Wi- based ) Car2Car technology ( among others for antennas, WLAN module, control unit, ads for the driver ) is not at all cheap. The first customers of this technique but find no or hardly any other vehicles that can communicate in an emergency with them, so that this investment for the first customers will never pay off if necessary. Studies in the field of Car2Car bodies and vehicle manufacturers (VDA Congress ) have shown that often at least 10-15 percent of all vehicles must be equipped with the traffic Car2Car technology to ensure that the system can be used effectively at all. An alternative to the usual Car2Car technology, which is still itself in the development in the area of ​​research could be the SOTIS process. Ultimately, however, are the costs of the system in a possibly critical to an appraisal relation to the potential benefits, if only the accident preventive applications are considered alone.

Multiple benefits of Car2Car technology

The toll industry is interested in the Car2Car communication on IEEE 802.11 base. It is believed that it will be possible also for the transmission of toll data or vehicle detection using the system at toll booths. Toll - boxes are unnecessary if you can draw the necessary infrastructure for Car2Car applications ( among others for antennas, WLAN module, controller, view for the driver ) to share. Together with the introduced possibly by eCall GSM-based infrastructure in the car many new applications in the field of toll collection and billing would be possible.

It is also conceivable that the Car2Car specific wireless transmitting device in the vehicle not only supports the 802.11p standard, but 802.11 in the variants a, b ​​and g. This could then mobile devices (mobile phone, PDA, notebook, etc.) to access the infotainment system of a car or be involved, such as a UPnP streaming server, which would also correspond to the scenarios of DLNA.

Criticism of the accident prevention applications

The main criticism with a view to accident prevention Car2Car applications is that irritation can be caused by the new techniques, because if a driver receives no warning, it does not mean that there is on the front of him driving distance is no danger. Even if the Car2Car technology would be introduced mandatory as of a specific date on a legal basis, even after more than ten years, less than 70 % of all motor vehicle would have in Germany about this technique. Even if in the unlikely event would occur that all vehicle are equipped with this technology, even old-timers, then so would not all problems are solved, because then cyclists and pedestrians would possibly belong to the new vulnerable. This is because leaders of automobile could incorrectly assume that there is no danger are on routes for which there is no warning while crossing pedestrians or cyclists fallen but were not included in the scheme. Similar arguments are advanced against the daytime running lights - the perception of the car under each other is increased, but unlit pedestrians and cyclists are likely to be overlooked.

Privacy and Security

In order to prevent willful tampering with or manipulating the emitted warnings would have the messages sent have an electronic signature and received messages should be checked for a valid signature. It should, however the anonymity of the car users are safeguarded. As the abuse of Car2Car transmitter units to be prevented from older car without any car has its own digital certificate, which can also be revoked in case of doubt, is not yet clear. A solution similar to the cash card would be possible, but would mean that authorities ultimately still able to establish the identity of the sending vehicle.

In the current method, which are used in the project Network On Wheels, sends each vehicle a cyclic message every few seconds, which includes a vehicle ID and information about speed, direction and position. Based on this information electronic traffic ticket could be created for speeding or crossing a red light driving profiles as well. Like is possible if there are reception facilities in traffic lights or in (police ) vehicles Car2Car data field. The transmission of this cyclic messages, also known as " beacons" is, therefore, considered critical. In this context, a vehicle-related signature of the transmitted messages is critical to evaluate. To address these problems, pseudonym exchange procedures are used in many research models used.

Since a Car2Car -enabled automotive publicly broadcast messages packets possibly receives and processes of unknown origin, the motor vehicle or a designated control unit must be protected against malicious message packets and based thereon attacks of various kinds.