Advanced V2X event dissemination

1. A host vehicle comprising:

a sensor to detect a traffic event; and

processor(s) to:

package the traffic event into a unit;

determine whether a vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) connection is active or inactive;

if active, append a TRUE flag to the unit and transmit the unit via the V2I connection and a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) connection; and

if inactive, append a FALSE flag to the unit and transmit the unit via the V2V connection.

2. The host vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor(s) are configured to:

receive a second unit from another vehicle via the V2V connection;

determine whether the second unit includes a TRUE flag or a FALSE flag;

if the second unit includes a FALSE flag, transmit the second unit to a server via the V2I connection; and

if the second unit includes a TRUE flag, not transmit the second unit to the server via the V2I connection.

3. The host vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the processor(s) are configured to compare a unit timestamp of the second unit to a map timestamp of a virtual map of the host vehicle prior to determining whether the second unit includes a FALSE flag or a TRUE flag.

4. The host vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the processor(s) are configured to discard at least a portion of the second unit if the unit timestamp precedes the map timestamp.

5. The host vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the processor(s) are configured to forward the second unit via the V2V connection.

6. The host vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor(s) are configured to:

unpack a received message into subunits, each subunit including attributes of a single object and a timestamp; and

match each subunit with a previously stored object resident in a memory.

7. The host vehicle of claim 6 , wherein each previously stored object includes a timestamp and the processor(s) are configured to:

compare the timestamps of the previously stored objects with the timestamps of the subunits;

mark each subunit as fresh or stale based on the comparison;

discard stale subunits; and

update attributes of the previously stored objects based on the attributes of fresh subunits.

8. The host vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:

the traffic event includes a dynamic object and attributes of the dynamic object; and

the processor(s) are configured to include a unit ID and a timestamp in the unit.

9. The host vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the unit includes a request to perform a sensor scan of the dynamic object.

10. The host vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the processor(s) are configured to:

select an external vehicle from a plurality of external vehicles within vehicle-to-vehicle broadcast range of the host vehicle; and

direct the request to the selected external vehicle.

11. The host vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor(s) are configured to update a virtual map of the host vehicle with the traffic event.

12. The host vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the processor(s) are configured to autonomously drive the host vehicle based on the virtual map.

13. The host vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the processor(s) are configured to enable a server to update the virtual map via the V2I connection.

14. The host vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the TRUE flag instructs another vehicle not to transmit the unit to a server and the FALSE flag instructs the other vehicle to transmit the unit to the server.

15. A method of controlling a host vehicle, which comprises memory, sensor(s), processor(s), the method comprising:

detecting a traffic event via the sensor(s);

updating, via the processor(s), a virtual map that is stored in the memory with the traffic event;

packaging the traffic event into a first unit;

determining whether a vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) connection is active or inactive;

if active, appending a TRUE flag to the first unit and transmitting the first unit via the V2I connection and a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) connection; and

if inactive, appending a FALSE flag to the first unit and transmitting the first unit via the V2V connection.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

receiving a second unit from another vehicle via the V2V connection;

determining whether the second unit includes a TRUE flag or a FALSE flag;

if the second unit includes a FALSE flag, transmitting the second unit to a server via the V2I connection; and

if the second unit includes a TRUE flag, not transmitting the second unit to the server via the V2I connection.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising comparing a unit timestamp of the second unit with a map timestamp of the virtual map stored on the host vehicle prior to determining whether the second unit includes a FALSE flag or a TRUE flag.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising discarding at least a portion of the second unit if the unit timestamp precedes the map timestamp.

19. The host vehicle of claim 18 , further comprising forwarding the second unit via the V2V connection.

20. The method of claim 15 , further including autonomously driving the host vehicle, via the processor(s), based on the virtual map.