Vehicle to infrastructure information conveyance system and method

1. A system for conveying information from a first vehicle to a second vehicle through a fixed structure as the first and second vehicles travel along a road, comprising:

a plurality of transceivers arranged to enable wireless communications with the first and second vehicles using a long range system as the first and second vehicles travel along the road and to provide a ubiquitous Internet along a network of roads along which the first and second vehicles may travel;

a data generating system arranged on the first vehicle to generate information about external conditions around the first vehicle;

a first communications system arranged on the first vehicle, coupled to said data generating system and that communicates with at least one of said transceivers; and

a second communications system arranged on the second vehicle and that communicates with at least one of said transceivers, such that the information about the conditions around the first vehicle that is generated by said data generating system is transmitted from said first communications system on the first vehicle to said second communications system on the second vehicle via at least one of said transceivers using the Internet.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said data generating system is arranged to generate information about at least one of a road on which the first vehicle is traveling, environmental conditions around the first vehicle, traffic in the vicinity of the first vehicle, and construction in the vicinity of the first vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first communications system is arranged to establish an Internet link between the first vehicle and a traffic control station or other base station constituting a fixed structure without manual intervention and send the output of said data generating system to the station, the output of said data generating system being transmitted from said first communications system directly to the station via the Internet.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a position determining system that determines the position of the first vehicle, said first communications system being coupled to said position determining system and arranged to transmit the determined position of the first vehicle via the Internet to said second communications system in association with the information about the conditions around the first vehicle that is generated by said data generating system.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein said first communications system is arranged to establish an Internet link between the first vehicle and a traffic control station or other base station constituting a fixed structure and said station includes a data storage element that stores the information about the conditions around the first vehicle that is generated by said data generating system in association with the location of the first vehicle when that information is communicated from said first communications system such that said data storage element contains data about conditions of an area traveled by the first vehicle in association with the location of that area, said station being arranged to direct such data from said data storage element to other vehicles in that area including the second vehicle when in that area.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first communications system is arranged to establish an Internet link between the first vehicle and a traffic control station or other base station constituting a fixed structure and said station is a traffic monitoring facility which is arranged to analyze the information generated by said data generating system and at least one of:

generate traffic reports based on the analysis of the information generated by said data generating system,

perform traffic control actions based on the analysis of the information generated by said data generating system, and

notify additional vehicles about the information generated by said data generating system including the second vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a position determining system arranged in the first vehicle that determines the position of the first vehicle, said first communications system being coupled to said position determining system and arranged to transmit the determined position of the first vehicle via the Internet to said station in conjunction with additional information obtained or generated by said data generating system about the conditions around the first vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein said first communications system is arranged to establish an Internet link between the first vehicle and a traffic control station or other base station constituting a fixed structure and said station is a traffic monitoring facility arranged to set speed limits for an area including the position from which the first vehicle generated the information about the conditions around the first vehicle and which speed limits are based on the generated information, and convey the set speed limits to the second or other vehicles or signs on or alongside roads in that area.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein said station is a maintenance facility arranged to dispatch personnel to an area including the position from which the first vehicle generated the information to take action in that area.

10. A method for conveying information from a first vehicle to a second vehicle through a fixed structure as the first and second vehicles travel along a road, comprising:

generating information about external conditions around the first vehicle using a vehicle-based data generating system; and

using at least one of a plurality of transceivers that use a long range system to wirelessly communicate with the first and second vehicles as the first and second vehicles travel along the road and that provide a ubiquitous Internet along a network of roads along which the first and second vehicles may travel and a first communications system on the first vehicle to transmit the generated information about conditions around the first vehicle from the first vehicle to a second communications system on the second vehicle via at least one of the transceivers using the Internet.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of generating information comprises generating information about at least one of a road on which the first vehicle is traveling, environmental conditions around the first vehicle, traffic in the vicinity of the first vehicle, and construction in the vicinity of the first vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising using a processor to establish an Internet link between the first and second vehicles via a traffic control station or other base station constituting a fixed structure and the at least one transceiver without manual intervention.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

using a processor to determine the position of the first vehicle; and

transmitting the determined position of the first vehicle via the Internet to the second communications system in association with the generated information about the conditions around the first vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

storing, in a data storage element, the generated information about the conditions around the first vehicle in association with the location of the first vehicle when that information is transmitted from the first vehicle; and

directing such information to other vehicles in that area including the second vehicle when in that area.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising using a processor to establish an Internet link between the first and second vehicles via a traffic control station or other base station constituting a fixed structure and the at least one transceiver, wherein the station is a traffic monitoring facility, further comprising:

using a processor to perform an analysis of the generated information at the traffic monitoring facility; and then at least one of:

generating traffic reports based on the analysis of the generated information;

performing traffic control actions based on the analysis of the generated information; and

notifying additional vehicles about the generated information.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

using a processor to determine the position of the first vehicle; and

transmitting the determined position of the first vehicle via the Internet to the second communications system in conjunction with additional obtained or generated information.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising using a processor to establish an Internet link between the first and second vehicles via a traffic control station or other base station constituting a fixed structure and the at least one transceiver, wherein the station is a traffic monitoring facility, further comprising:

setting speed limits at the traffic monitoring facility for an area including the position from which the first vehicle generated the information about the conditions around the first vehicle and which speed limits are based on the generated information; and

conveying the set speed limits to the second or other vehicles or signs on or alongside roads in that area.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising using a processor to establish an Internet link between the first and second vehicles via a traffic control station or other base station constituting a fixed structure and the at least one transceiver, wherein the station is a maintenance facility, further comprising dispatching personnel to an area including the position from which the first vehicle generated the information about the conditions around the first vehicle to take action in that area.

19. A vehicle, comprising:

a data generating system arranged on the vehicle to generate information about external conditions around the vehicle;

an ISP detection system that detects the existence of an available and useable wireless Internet service provider that is accessible via at least one of a plurality of transceivers that use a long range system to wirelessly communicate with the vehicle as the vehicle travels along the road and that provide a ubiquitous Internet along a network of roads along which the vehicle may travel;

a communications system coupled to said data generating system and said ISP detection system and arranged to enable the information generated by said data generating system to be transmitted to a remote site in one of a plurality of different communications techniques based on the availability of a wireless ISP as determined by said ISP detection system such that whenever a wireless ISP is detected by said ISP detection system, said communications system communicates directly with the detected wireless ISP via at least one of the transceivers to provide the generated information about the conditions around the vehicle to the remote site via the Internet, the communication by said communications system directly with the detected wireless ISP via the Internet being one of the plurality of communications techniques; and

a position determining system arranged in the vehicle that determines the position of the vehicle, said communications system being coupled to said position determining system and arranged to transmit the determined position of the vehicle via the Internet to the remote site in conjunction with additional information obtained or generated by said data generating system about the conditions around the vehicle,

the remote site being a roadway maintenance facility arranged to dispatch personnel to an area including the position from which the vehicle generated the information to take action in that area.

20. The vehicle of claim 19 , wherein said data generating system is arranged to generate information about at least one of a road on which the vehicle is traveling, environmental conditions around the vehicle, traffic in the vicinity of the vehicle, and construction in the vicinity of the vehicle.