Collision avoidance among vehicles

1. A method of collision avoidance among vehicles, each vehicle comprising a management module coupled, for data communications, to other management modules and to a central database manager, the method comprising:

establishing, by management modules of a set of traveling vehicles having a location within a predefined area, a collision zone comprising a data communications network of the management modules of the traveling vehicles, wherein each management module of a traveling vehicle is included in at least one collision zone and a particular management module of one of the traveling vehicles is included in a plurality of collision zones;

sharing, amongst the management modules of the collision zone, dynamic information describing the traveling vehicles;

retrieving, by each of the management modules of the collision zone from the central database manager, static information describing the traveling vehicles;

detecting, by a management module of a first traveling vehicle in the collision zone, a potential collision with a second traveling vehicle in the collision zone in dependence upon the dynamic and static information describing the first and second traveling vehicle; and

controlling, by the management module of the first traveling vehicle, the first traveling vehicle to take action in dependence upon the dynamic and static information describing the first and second traveling vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing, by the particular management module, dynamic information describing vehicles of a first collision zones to one or more vehicles of a second collision zone.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting, by one or more management modules, at least one of the traveling vehicles exiting the predefined area;

establishing, by management modules of traveling vehicles maintaining a location within the predefined area, a new collision zone comprising a data communications network of the management modules of the traveling vehicles, wherein the new collision zone does not include the management module of the traveling vehicle that exited the predefined area.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein controlling the first traveling vehicle to take action further comprises one of:

controlling the first traveling vehicle to avoid a collision with the second traveling vehicle;

controlling the first traveling vehicle to alert a driver of the first traveling vehicle of the potential collision; and

controlling the first traveling vehicle to reduce effects of a collision with the second traveling vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

registering, by each management module, the management module's vehicle with the central database manager;

maintaining, by the central database manager, static information describing each registered vehicle; and

collecting, in real-time by each management module of a travelling vehicle, dynamic information describing the management module's vehicle.

6. An apparatus for collision avoidance among vehicles, each vehicle comprising a management module coupled, for data communications, to other management modules and to a central database manager, the apparatus comprising a computer processor and a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to:

establish, by management modules of a set of traveling vehicles having a location within a predefined area, a collision zone comprising a data communications network of the management modules of the traveling vehicles, wherein each management module of a traveling vehicle is included in at least one collision zone and a particular management module of one of the traveling vehicles is included in a plurality of collision zones;

share, amongst the management modules of the collision zone, dynamic information describing the traveling vehicles;

retrieve, by each of the management modules of the collision zone from the central database manager, static information describing the traveling vehicles;

detect, by a management module of a first traveling vehicle in the collision zone, a potential collision with a second traveling vehicle in the collision zone in dependence upon the dynamic and static information describing the first and second traveling vehicle; and

control, by the management module of the first traveling vehicle, the first traveling vehicle to take evasive action in dependence upon the dynamic and static information describing the first and second traveling vehicle.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to provide, by the particular management module, dynamic information describing vehicles of a first collision zones to one or more vehicles of a second collision zone.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to:

detect, by one or more management modules, at least one of the traveling vehicles exiting the predefined area;

establish, by management modules of traveling vehicles maintaining a location within the predefined area, a new collision zone comprising a data communications network of the management modules of the traveling vehicles, wherein the new collision zone does not include the management module of the traveling vehicle that exited the predefined area.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein controlling the first traveling vehicle to take action further comprises one of:

controlling the first traveling vehicle to avoid a collision with the second traveling vehicle;

controlling the first traveling vehicle to alert a driver of the first traveling vehicle of the potential collision; and

controlling the first traveling vehicle to reduce effects of a collision with the second traveling vehicle.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to:

register, by each management module, the management module's vehicle with the central database manager;

maintain, by the central database manager, static information describing each registered vehicle; and

collect, in real-time by each management module of a travelling vehicle, dynamic information describing the management module's vehicle.

11. A computer program product for collision avoidance among vehicles, each vehicle comprising a management module coupled, for data communications, to other management modules and to a central database manager, the computer program product disposed upon a computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a signal, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the steps of:

establishing, by management modules of a set of traveling vehicles having a location within a predefined area, a collision zone comprising a data communications network of the management modules of the traveling vehicles, wherein each management module of a traveling vehicle is included in at least one collision zone and a particular management module of one of the traveling vehicles is included in a plurality of collision zones;

sharing, amongst the management modules of the collision zone, dynamic information describing the traveling vehicles;

retrieving, by each of the management modules of the collision zone from the central database manager, static information describing the traveling vehicles;

detecting, by a management module of a first traveling vehicle in the collision zone, a potential collision with a second traveling vehicle in the collision zone in dependence upon the dynamic and static information describing the first and second traveling vehicle; and

controlling, by the management module of the first traveling vehicle, the first traveling vehicle to take evasive action in dependence upon the dynamic and static information describing the first and second traveling vehicle.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the step of providing, by the particular management module, dynamic information describing vehicles of a first collision zones to one or more vehicles of a second collision zone.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the steps of:

detecting, by one or more management modules, at least one of the traveling vehicles exiting the predefined area;

establishing, by management modules of traveling vehicles maintaining a location within the predefined area, a new collision zone comprising a data communications network of the management modules of the traveling vehicles, wherein the new collision zone does not include the management module of the traveling vehicle that exited the predefined area.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein controlling the first traveling vehicle to take action further comprises one of:

controlling the first traveling vehicle to avoid a collision with the second traveling vehicle;

controlling the first traveling vehicle to alert a driver of the first traveling vehicle of the potential collision; and

controlling the first traveling vehicle to reduce effects of a collision with the second traveling vehicle.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the steps of:

registering, by each management module, the management module's vehicle with the central database manager;

maintaining, by the central database manager, static information describing each registered vehicle; and

collecting, in real-time by each management module of a travelling vehicle, dynamic information describing the management module's vehicle.