Inter-vehicle alert system with nagable video look ahead

1. An apparatus comprising:

a video encoder operatively coupled to a camera;

radio frequency modulation circuitry, operatively coupled to the video encoder, the radio frequency modulation circuitry operative to modulate a radar signal to include video data;

a radar transmitter, operatively coupled to the radio frequency modulation circuitry, the radar transmitter operative to transmit a radar signal including the video data; and

inter-vehicle control logic, operatively coupled to a radar receiver and to the camera, the inter-vehicle control logic operative to control the camera to initiate capturing the video data, the video data including at least one video data frame.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:

radio frequency demodulation circuitry, operatively coupled to a radar receiver; and

a video decoder, operatively coupled to the radio frequency demodulation circuitry, the video decoder operative to decode video data contained in a radar signal demodulated by the radio frequency demodulation circuitry.

3. A vehicle including the apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the radar transmitter is coupled to a first antenna array oriented to transmit a radar signal from a rear of a vehicle; and

wherein the radar receiver is coupled to a second antenna array oriented to receive an incoming radar signal directed to a front of the vehicle.

4. A vehicle including the apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the radar transmitter is coupled to a first antenna array oriented to transmit a radar signal from a rear of a vehicle.

5. A method comprising:

encoding a video signal in response to detecting an obstruction in the path of a moving vehicle using an on-board radar system having an antenna array oriented at the moving vehicle's front;

modulating a radar signal to include a portion of the video signal; and

transmitting the radar signal to a second vehicle via another antenna array oriented to transmit from the moving vehicle's rear.

6. The method of claim 5 , comprising;

receiving a second radar signal from the second vehicle; determining a distance of the second vehicle;

determining an available transmission time based on the distance of the second vehicle and a time characteristic of the second radar signal; and

transmitting the radar signal to the second vehicle during the available transmission time.

7. The method of claim 5 , comprising:

demodulating a radar signal intercepted at the antenna array oriented at the moving vehicle's front to obtain at least a portion of a second video signal transmitted from a third vehicle;

decoding the portion of the second video signal; and

displaying the portion of the decoded video signal on an on-board display system.

8. The method of claim 7 , comprising:

decoding information related to an obstruction detected by the third vehicle, the information decoded as metadata contained in the portion of the video signal; and

displaying the information on the on-board display system.

9. The method of claim 8 , comprising:

displaying an alert on the on-board display system, the alert related to the detected obstruction, detected by the second vehicle.

10. The method of claim 7 comprising:

modulating a radar signal to include at least a portion of the video signal captured in response to detecting the obstruction, and at least a portion of the second video signal; and

transmitting the radar signal to the second vehicle via the antenna array oriented at the moving vehicle's rear.

11. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

detecting, a radar signal sent from the second vehicle; and

adjusting the modulated radar signal power level to be proportional to a power level of the radar signal sent from the second vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

adjusting the modulated radar signal power level based on a radar cross section of the moving vehicle's rear.

13. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

detecting a distance of the second vehicle from the moving vehicle's rear via the radar signal; and

adjusting the power of the radar signal to be proportional to the distance of the second vehicle.

14. An apparatus comprising:

radio frequency modulation circuitry, operatively coupled to a video encoder, a video decoder, and at least one radar transceiver, the radio frequency modulation circuitry operative to modulate a radar signal to include video data and to demodulate a radar signal to obtain video data; and

view navigation control logic operatively coupled to a camera and to the radio frequency modulation circuitry, the view navigation control logic operative to send and receive control signals and video data to and from a plurality of vehicles, and to control video data displayed on a vehicle on-board display system, the video data obtained from the plurality of vehicles.

15. A method comprising:

sending a request for video data as a request signal contained in a first modulated radar signal modulated by the request signal, from a first vehicle radar transceiver to a second vehicle radar transceiver;

receiving, in response to the request, a second modulated radar signal from the second vehicle radar transceiver, the video data contained in the second modulated radar signal; and

demodulating the second modulated radar signal to obtain the video data.

16. The method of claim 15 , comprising:

receiving a third modulated radar signal from a third vehicle radar transceiver;

demodulating the third modulated radar signal to obtain a second request for video data as a second request signal;

modulating a radar signal using the second request signal; and

transmitting the radar signal from the first vehicle radar transceiver to a third vehicle radar transceiver.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein transmitting the radar signal from the first vehicle radar transceiver to a third vehicle radar transceiver further comprises:

transmitting the radar signal from a front facing antenna array of the first vehicle.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

modulating the radar signal using the second request signal and video data obtained from a vehicle camera.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

displaying the video data on a vehicle on-board display system.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a video encoder operatively coupled to a camera;

radio frequency modulation circuitry, operatively coupled to the video encoder, the radio frequency modulation circuitry operative to modulate a radar signal to include video data;

a radar transmitter, operatively coupled to the radio frequency modulation circuitry, the radar transmitter operative to transmit a radar signal including the video data;

radio frequency demodulation circuitry, operatively coupled to a radar receiver; and

a video decoder, operatively coupled to the radio frequency demodulation circuitry, the video decoder operative to decode video data contained in a radar signal demodulated by the radio frequency demodulation circuitry,

wherein the radar transmitter is coupled to a first antenna array oriented to transmit a radar signal from a rear of a vehicle, and

wherein the radar receiver is coupled to a second antenna array oriented to receive an incoming radar signal directed to a front of the vehicle.