Apparatus and method for detecting nearby vehicles through inter-vehicle communication

1. An apparatus for detecting surrounding vehicles, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a first detecting message comprising information comprising a detected vehicle that is broadcasted from a first vehicle; a location determining unit configured to detect a location of the first vehicle with reference to a personal vehicle when the detecting vehicle is determined as a personal vehicle using the first detecting message, wherein the first detecting message comprises absolute location information of the first vehicle and relative location information of the first vehicle with reference to the detecting vehicle.

2. The apparatus for detecting surrounding vehicles of claim 1 , further comprising: a display unit configured to display the location of the first vehicle that is determined through the location determining unit.

3. The apparatus for detecting surrounding vehicles of claim 1 ,

wherein the first detecting message further comprises, estimated location information of the detecting vehicle, identification information of the detecting vehicle, vehicle model information of the detecting vehicle, vehicle size information of the detecting vehicle, speed information of the detecting vehicle, lane information that the detecting vehicle is driving.

4. The apparatus for detecting surrounding vehicles of claim 1 , further comprising: a first sensor unit configured to collect a detecting information regarding a second vehicle, a second sensor unit configured to collect a detecting information regarding the personal information, a message generator configured to generate a second detecting message using sensing information that is collected through the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit, and a transmitter configured to broadcast the second detecting message to the second vehicle.

5. The apparatus for detecting surrounding vehicles of claim 4 , wherein the first sensor unit comprises at least one of selected from camera, radar, ultrasonic wave sensor, and signal processing device.

6. The apparatus for detecting surrounding vehicles of claim 4 , wherein the second sensor unit comprises a GPS receiver.

7. The apparatus for detecting surrounding vehicles of claim 4 , wherein the second detecting message comprises at least one of selected from relative location information of a second vehicle with reference to the personal vehicle, estimated location information of the second vehicle, identification information of the second vehicle, vehicle model information of the second vehicle, size information of the second vehicle, speed information of the second vehicle, driving lane information of the second vehicle.

8. The apparatus for detecting surrounding vehicles of claim 4 , wherein a method of receiving and transmitting the first and second detecting message through the transmitter and receiver based on WAVE communication standard of IEEE 802.11p.

9. A method for detecting surrounding vehicles comprising:

(A) receiving a first detecting message comprising information regarding detected vehicle that is broadcasted from a first vehicle,

(B) determining the location of the first vehicle with reference to a personal vehicle when the detected vehicle is determined as a personal vehicle using the first detecting message that is received through the step (A),

wherein the first detecting message comprises absolute location information of the first vehicle and relative location information of the first vehicle with reference to the detecting vehicle.

10. The method for detecting surrounding vehicles of claim 9 , further comprising (C) displaying the location of the first vehicle that is determined through the step (B).

11. The method for detecting surrounding vehicles of claim 9 , wherein the first detecting further message comprising at least one of, estimated location information of the detecting vehicle, identification information of the detecting vehicle, vehicle model information of the detecting vehicle, vehicle size information of the detecting vehicle, speed information of the detecting vehicle, driving lane information of the detecting vehicle.

12. The method for detecting surrounding vehicles of claim 9 , further comprising, (D) first sensing that is collecting detecting information regarding a second vehicle, (E) a second sensing that is collecting detecting information regarding the personal vehicle, (F) message generating that is generating a second detecting message using sensing information collected through the step (D) and (E), and (G) transmitting that is broadcasting the second detecting message to the second vehicle.

13. The method for detecting surrounding vehicles of claim 12 , wherein the step (D) collects sensing information using at least one of selected from camera, radar, ultrasonic wave sensor, signal processing device.

14. The method for detecting surrounding vehicles of claim 12 , wherein the step (E) collects location information of the personal vehicle using a GPS receiver.

15. The method for detecting surrounding vehicles of claim 12 , wherein the second detecting message comprises at least one of selected from relative location information of a second vehicle with reference to the personal vehicle, estimated location information of the second vehicle, identification information of the second vehicle, vehicle model information of the second vehicle, size information of the second vehicle, speed information of the second vehicle, driving lane information of the second vehicle.

16. The method for detecting surrounding vehicles of claim 12 , wherein a method for receiving and transmitting a first and second detecting message through the step (A) and (G) is based on WAVE communication standard of IEEE 802.11p.