Vehicular Device and Bike-Aware-System The invention refers to a Vehicular Device according to claim 1 and Bike-Aware-System according to claim 8.

In order to decrease the carbon footprint emission and traf ^¬ fic jams in cities, private and public communities are en- couraging people to use bicycles. This is achieved by modern ^¬ izing the infrastructure and planning deducted lanes for cy ^¬ clists. Moreover, cities offer nowadays multiple bike-sharing services that make the use of a bicycle not only the cheaper transport solution, but also the more adequate one in terms of easy pick-up, drop and easy park. For these reasons the number cyclists in cities is increasing.

As more and more people are using two wheels to e.g., commute to work, the number of accidents is increasing. Most of the serious incidents with cyclists (that were killed or injured) were riding straight ahead and a vehicle turned into them.

So far increasing the safety of cyclist has been realized by the following solutions:

A . Increasing the visibility of a cyclist:

(1) Mounting lights on a bike or reflected clothing that cy ^¬ clists wear in order to draw the attention of driver in the night. Though, these solutions fail to increase the visibil- ity of the cyclist, when for example the latter is riding in the dead visual angle of a car.

(2) Mounting a lamp that projects a laser image 5 meters in front of a bicycle to let motorists know that a cyclist is coming . The Blaze-solution (http : //www . blaze. cc/) for example might increase the visibility of a cyclist in the night, though it fails during day time, when multiple other sources of light and colors distract the attention of a driver. B . Making a car more intelligent:

Some high-end cars include an array of expensive sensors that are able to detect bikes and pedestrians when doing a turn. Unfortunately, the detection range and resolution of such systems mean that with vehicles moving at normal speeds, an alert would come too late. A similar approach requires all pedestrians and bikers to carry a specialized tag with them, as well as several advanced sensors mounted in the car, which will measure the relative position of the tag.

It is an object of the invention to propose a Vehicular De ^¬ vice to improve the running safety of vehicles and to propose a Bike-Aware-System to improve the cycling safety of bikes.

This object is solved relating to a Vehicular Device by the features of claim 1.

This object is further solved relating to a Bike-Aware-System by the features of claim 8.

The main idea of the invention is to propose a Vehicular De ^¬ vice being constructed to a multi-component "Collision- Avoidance-Tool (CAT) " for the usage in Moving Vehicles, wherein the CAT-components of the Vehicular Device are de- signed to avoid a collision of at least two "Moving Vehicles" in so far as the Vehicular Device is used each in the Moving Vehicles of which in one the CAT-components of the Vehicular Device are implemented at least partially. If the Vehicular Device is used in a Moving Car and a Moving Bike a Bike- Aware-System or a Bike-Collision-Avoidance-System is formed (cf. claim 8) . The Vehicular Device includes as CAT- components :

(a) A "Wireless Local Communication (WLC) "-Unit communicating in a short range, in particular between 10 to 100 meters, re- ceives Rx-Radio Signals from at least one other Vehicular De ^¬ vice, which receives via the Rx-Radio Signal in a dedicated Time Interval, in particular with a duration of some seconds at most, each a "Time Interval-related"-Position Information of the other Vehicular Device in so far as it is used in another Moving Vehicle and which is designed such that the on the Rx-Radio Signal modulated "Time Interval-related"- Position Information is demodulated,

(b) a "Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) "-Unit sup ^¬ ported and extended by "Real Time Kinematic (RTK) "- or "Pre ^¬ cise Point Positioning (PPP) "-Means, which is designed such that for a relative real-time centimeter-level accuracy the position of the Vehicular Device in so far as it is used in a Moving Vehicle is determined and corresponding "Up-To-Date"- Position Information is provided and

(c) a Processing Unit including a Processor with a processor- assigned Storage Media and a Prediction-Program-Module run ^¬ ning on the Processor and stored in the processor-assigned Storage Media is designed such, is connected with the WLC- Unit and the GNSS-Unit and forms with the WLC-Unit and the GNSS-Unit a Functional Unit that based on the "Up-To-Date"- Position Information and each "Time Interval-related"- Position Information

(cl) distances between the Vehicular Device respectively the Moving Vehicle and the other Vehicular Device respectively the other Moving Vehicle are calculated,

(c2) trajectories of the Vehicular Device respectively the Moving Vehicle and the other Vehicular Device respectively the other Moving Vehicle as well as Moments of Time of an im ^¬ minent collision of the Moving Vehicles are predicted and

(c3) an Alarm Signal for warning of the imminent collision is outputted, if in a dedicated predicted Moment of Time the predicted trajectories intersect or overlap.

Operated by the Vehicular Device and the Bike-Aware-System respectively the Bike-Collision-Avoidance-System the cycling safety is improved. The improvement consists in:

Localizing a cyclist with accuracy up to a centimeter- level

Alarming the driver in time in order to avoid the colli ^¬ sion with a bicycle Offering a cheap off-the-shelf hardware that can be pur ^¬ chased and used in the car and on the bicycle.

The proposed solution has many advantages. First, it can be implemented with commercial off-the-shelf hardware. The capa ^¬ bilities are not only real time, but also work predictively, advising of a possible collision before it happens. Also, as the proposed system only uses the phase of the carrier wave GNSS signals instead of the data contents of the signal, it would not be severely affected by buildings in the environ ^¬ ment .

Another advantage in comparison to the state-of-the-art is the predictive power. While an existing solution can detect the bike using proximity sensors, due to the moving speed of the vehicles it would deliver an alarm too late. In legal cases, the allowed human reaction time is 1 second, which with typical vehicle moving speeds would mean that both vehi ^¬ cles would have already moved several meters. This is why the proposed predictive solution would be an important advantage.

The same principle of the presented solution can be used for platoon navigation of cars in a highway, or to avoid colli ^¬ sions between vehicles when parking or changing lanes. For this case, it is useful for each vehicle to provide infor ^¬ mation about its make and model, so that the dimensions of the vehicle can be known, and as such the danger of a colli ^¬ sion can be calculated beforehand (this could be useful in the bike scenario too) .

Regarding the Bike-Aware-System or the Bike-Collision- Avoidance-System, when the Vehicular Device is used each in a Moving Car and a Moving Bike, the components of the multi- component "Collision-Avoidance-Tool (CAT) " respectively the Vehicular Device together with the needed features each being used in the Moving Vehicle are different and not inevitably the same. In the claim 8 options for providing with the Moving Car respectively the Moving Bike are given. In a preferred embodiment the following features/components of the Vehicular Device are implemented in or assigned to A Moving Car:

( i ) A "Wireless Local Communication (WLC) "-Unit with a typi ^¬ cal range of 20 meters. A larger range would also work, but a too short range (e.g. 2m) would have too many problems. ( ii ) A "Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) "-Unit (i.e. GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, COMPASS) which will be able to obtain the position of the moving car, with a typical accuracy of 3- 10 meters. A mandatory extension of the GNSS-Unit in the moving car will be the support of "Real Time Kinematic (RTK) "-Means . The RTK- Means use measurements of the phase of the signal's carrier wave, instead of the information content of the signal, to provide relative real-time centimeter-level accuracy. It is only required the carrier wave to provide the centimeter- level accuracy and not the information contained in the sig ^¬ nal, the GNSS-Unit may be replaced by a simpler system. This absolute accuracy means that the GNSS accuracy will still be between 3-10 meters, but this GNSS-Unit in the moving car can work as a reference station to provide a very accurate rela ^¬ tive position to another device in the centimeter range.

RTK-capabilities of GNSS-Receivers are getting to be more common every day. An alternative to the RTK-Means is the use of or "Precise

Point Positioning (PPP) "-Means . However, this will require a constant data connection to centralized equipment that pro ^¬ vides the centimeter accurate positioning capabilities as well as monthly payments for this service.

( iii ) An "intelligent/smart unit" constructed preferably as a Processing Unit including a Processor with a processor- assigned Storage Media and a "Prediction-Program-Module" run- ning on the Processor and stored in the processor-assigned Storage Media, which will calculate the distance between the moving car and the moving bike. Another task of this "intelligent/smart unit" is to estimate the trajectory of both ve- hides (car and bike) and generate an alarm for a possible collision .

As an option, this "intelligent/smart unit" may have access to the turning lights of the moving car so that a turn can be predicted before the actual change in trajectory takes place ( cf. claim 5) .

Another option would be to have access to a Road Topology, to provide support for prediction algorithms in the "Prediction- Program-Module" (cf. claim 6).

A further option is to brake the moving car automatically if a collision is imminent [cf. claim 7) . A Bike or belongs to a biker:

(i) A "Wireless Local Communication (WLC) "-Unit with the same features as the WLC-Unit in the moving car.

(ii ) A "Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) "-Unit (i.e. GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, COMPASS) which will be able to obtain the position of the moving bike, with a typical accuracy of 3-10 meters.

A mandatory extension of the GNSS-Unit in the moving bike will be the support of "Real Time Kinematic (RTK) "-Means . The RTK-Means will allow a very accurate real time positioning relative to the moving car, with an error of a few centime ^¬ ters. While the absolute position will still have the typical 3-10 meters of error, the position relative to the moving car will be very accurate. The RTK-enabled GNSS-Unit may be a mo- bile phone of the biker.

An alternative to the RTK-Means is the use of or "Precise Point Positioning (PPP) "-Means . However, this will require a constant data connection to centralized equipment that pro ^¬ vides the centimeter accurate positioning capabilities as well as monthly payments for this service. Optionally, an "intelligent/smart unit" constructed prefera ^¬ bly as a Processing Unit including a Processor with a processor-assigned Storage Media and a "Prediction-Program-Module" running on the Processor and stored in the processor-assigned Storage Media, which is similar to the one used in the moving car. Alternatively the biker may have such an "intelli ^¬ gent/smart unit", which could be again the mobile phone of the biker and which is also similar to the one used in the moving car . Other expedient improvements of the invention are stated in the dependent claims.

Moreover advantageous further developments of the invention arise out of the following description of a preferred embodi- ment of the invention according to the FIGURES 1 and 2. They show :

FIGURE 1 an image extract of a road junction for which a Bike-Aware-System (BAS) including a Moving Car and a Moving Bike (BAS-Scenario) is applicable.

FIGURE 2 based on block diagram a setup of a Vehicular Device used in a Moving Car as part of the Bike-Aware-System (BAS) according to FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 1 shows an extract of a Crossroad CRR, where a single movement direction of a Main Road and both movement direc ^¬ tions of a Side Road crossing each other are depicted. For reasons of traffic safety in general and especially in cross- road areas when a Moving Vehicle VHD in the form of a Moving Car MOC and a further or other Moving Vehicle MOV in the form of a Moving Bike MOB come closer or they are adjacent it is useful or it makes sense to have a Bike-Aware-System BAS, which encompasses in the depicted scenario the Moving Car MOC and the Moving Bike MOB. In the depicted extract of the

Crossroad CRR both, a biker of the Moving Bike MOB and a driver of the Moving Car MOC, head for the Crossroad CRR in separate lanes, a Bike Lane BLA on the right of the Main Road MRO and an adjacent Car Lane CLA. While according to depicted arrows showing the movement direction the biker wants to go straight ahead over the crossroad, the car driver is going to turn right in the crossroad area from the Main Road MRO to the Side Road SRO. This is a normal traffic situation or sce ^¬ nario an accident occurs potentially, unless the drivers do not pay attention.

Thus in order to improve the safety of road users in general, to support them when they do not always pay attention and to protect especially the most vulnerable road user, e.g. the biker of the Moving Bike MOB, both the Moving Car MOC and the Moving Bike MOB of the Bike-Aware-System BAS comprise a Vehicular Device VHD, VHD ' constructed to a multi-component "Collision-Avoidance-Tool (CAT) " for the usage in the cited Moving Vehicles MOV, MOV , wherein the CAT-components of the Vehicular Device VHD, VHD' are designed to avoid a collision of the two Moving Vehicles MOV, MOV such as the Moving Car MOC and the Moving Bike MOB. The technical shaping or the technical characteristics respectively the CAT-components of the Vehicular Device VHD in the Moving Car MOC and the other respectively further Vehicular Device VHD' in the Moving Bike MOB can be the same or can differ from each other in that extent that one of the two Vehicular Devices VHD, VHD' forming the Bike-Aware-System BAS includes all necessary CAT- components for avoiding a collision of the two Moving Vehicles MOV, MOV . It will be described later on, after having described the technical shaping or technical characteristics respectively the CAT-components of the Vehicular Device VHD according the FIGURE 2, in which extent the two Vehicular Devices VHD, VHD' can differ from each other. Saying this, according to the depiction in the FIGURE 1 the Vehicular Device VHD in the Moving Car MOC is embedded for enabling the Bike-Aware-System BAS and correspondingly for controlling purposes in a Technical System TSY of the Moving Car MOC. The Technical System comprises for the cited purpose preferably at least one of a Light-Control-Unit LCU control ^¬ ling Turning lights TLI of the Moving Car MOC, a "Vehicle-On- Board"-Unit VOBU for having access to Road Topology Data be ^¬ ing used in the Bike-Aware-System BAS and a Brake-Control- Unit BCU, which, provided that the Brake-Control-Unit BCU re ^¬ ceives an input signal, can be used for braking the Moving Car MOC automatically. The Vehicular Device VHD embedded in the Technical System TSY of the Moving Car MOC is connected with all of the cited units BCU, LCU, VOBU.

On the other hand the other or further Vehicular Device VHD' , which is preferably integrated in a handheld device such as smart-phone, a mobile phone or a personal navigation device, etc., is mounted on the Moving Bike MOB by a normal mounting facility.

For enabling the Bike-Aware-System BAS the Vehicular Device VHD in the Moving Car MOC receives in a dedicated Time Inter ^¬ val, in particular with a duration of some seconds at most, each a Rx-Radio Signal Rx-RS being transmitted from the other Vehicular Device VHD' on the Moving Bike MOB. On this Rx- Radio Signal Rx-RS is modulated each a "Time Interval- related"-Position Information TIPI of the other Vehicular Device VHD' mounted on the Moving Bike MOB (in other words: the "Time Interval-related"-Position Information TIPI contains the position of the Moving Bike MOB) , which is demodulated by the Vehicular Device VHD of the Moving Car MOC.

In addition to the "Time Interval-related"-Position Infor- mation TIPI an Additional Information ADI including first Vehicle Dimension Data VDDl representing the dimensions of the Moving Bike MOB is modulated on the Rx-Radio Signal Rx-RS and received as well as demodulated besides the "Time Interval- related"-Position Information TIPI by the Vehicular Device VHD of the Moving Car MOC .

Moreover for enabling the Bike-Aware-System BAS the Vehicular Device VHD in the Moving Car MOC transmits in a dedicated further Time Interval, in particular with a further duration of some seconds at most, each a Tx-Radio Signal Tx-RS to the other Vehicular Device VHD' on the Moving Bike MOB. By the way the Tx-Radio Signal Tx-RS is transmitted also to further Vehicular Devices on further Moving Vehicles not shown explicitly in the FIGURE 1. On the Tx-Radio Signal Tx-RS is modulated each a further "Time Interval-related"-Position Information TIPI' of the Vehicular Device VHD in the Moving Car MOC (in other words: the "Time Interval-related"-Position In- formation TIPI contains the position of the Moving Car MOC) , which after being received by the other Vehicular Device VHD' on the Moving Bike MOB is demodulated by the same.

In addition to the further "Time Interval-related"-Position Information TIPI' a further Additional Information ADI' including second Vehicle Dimension Data VDD2 representing the dimensions of the Moving Car MOC is modulated besides the further "Time Interval-related"-Position Information TIPI' on the Tx-Radio Signal Tx-RS and transmitted to the other Vehic- ular Device VHD' of the Moving Bike MOB.

FIGURE 2 shows based on a block diagram a setup of the Vehic ^¬ ular Device VHD used in the Moving Car MOC as part of the Bike-Aware-System BAS according to FIGURE 1. The technical shaping or the technical characteristics respectively the

CAT-components of the Vehicular Device VHD in the Moving Car MOC are as follows:

The first CAT-component is a "Wireless Local Communication (WLC) "-Unit WLCU communicating in a short range, in particu ^¬ lar between 10 to 100 meters, which receives the Rx-Radio Signals Rx-RS from the other Vehicular Device VHD' on the Moving Bike MOB. It is also possible that the WLC-Unit WLCU receives Rx-Radio Signals from further Vehicular Devices not explicitly shown in the FIGURE 1. The WLC-Unit WLCU receives via the Rx-Radio Signal Rx-RS in a dedicated Time Interval, which is calculated preferably in a duration of some seconds at most, each the "Time Interval-related"-Position Information TIPI of the other Vehicular Device VHD' on the Moving Bike MOB. It is further designed such that the on the Rx- Radio Signal Rx-RS modulated "Time Interval-related"-Position Information TIPI is demodulated.

Furthermore the Additional Information ADI including the first Vehicle Dimension Data VDDl representing the dimensions of the Moving Bike MOB is received besides the "Time Inter- val-related"-Position Information TIPI via the Rx-Radio Sig- nal Rx-RS, which is demodulated correspondingly.

The second CAT-component is a "Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) "-Unit GNSSU supported and extended by "Real Time Kinematic (RTK) "- or "Precise Point Positioning (PPP) "- Means, which is designed such that for a relative real-time centimeter-level accuracy the position of the Vehicular De ^¬ vice VHD in the Moving Car MOC is determined and correspond ^¬ ing "Up-To-Date"-Position Information UTDPI is provided. In order that the WLC- Unit WLCU can transmit the Tx-Radio Signals Tx-RS the GNSS-Unit GNSSU and the WLC-Unit WLCU are connected to each other and designed such that for the dedi ^¬ cated further Time Interval, which is calculated preferably in a further duration of some seconds at most, each the fur- ther "Time Interval-related"-Position Information TIPI' of the Vehicular Device VHD in the Moving Car MOC is modulated on at least one of the Tx-Radio Signals Tx-RS.

In addition the further Additional Information ADI' including the second Vehicle Dimension Data VDD2 representing the di ^¬ mensions of the Moving Car MOC is transmitted besides the further "Time Interval-related"-Position Information TIPI' via the Tx-Radio Signal Tx-RS and modulated correspondingly. The third CAT-component is a Processing Unit PRCU including a Processor PRC with a processor-assigned Storage Media STM and a Prediction-Program-Module PPM running on the Processor PRC and stored in the processor-assigned Storage Media STM, which is designed such, connected with the WLC-Unit WLCU and the GNSS-Unit GNSSU and thereby forming a Functional Unit FTU with the WLC-Unit WLCU and the GNSS-Unit GNSSU that based on the "Up-To-Date"-Position Information UTDPI and each "Time Interval-related"-Position Information TIPI

( i ) distances between the Vehicular Device VHD in the Moving Car MOC respectively the Moving Car MOC and the other Vehicu ^¬ lar Device VHD' on the Moving Bike MOB respectively the Mov ^¬ ing Bike MOB are calculated,

( ii ) trajectories of the Vehicular Device VHD in the Moving

Car MOC respectively the Moving Car MOC and the other Vehicu ^¬ lar Device VHD' on the Moving Bike MOB respectively the Mov ^¬ ing Bike MOB as well as Moments of Time of an imminent colli ^¬ sion of the Moving Car MOC with the Moving Bike MOB are pre- dieted and

( iii ) an Alarm Signal ASI for warning of the imminent colli ^¬ sion is outputted, if in a dedicated predicted Moment of Time the predicted trajectories intersect or overlap. Outputting of the Alarm Signal ASI means preferably that the driver of the Moving Car MOC is alerted acoustically and/or optically via known facilities available in the car.

If the other Vehicular Device VHD' on the Moving Bike MOB in- eludes all the aforementioned first to third CAT-components the biker is alerted also acoustically and/or optically.

However, if the other Vehicular Device VHD' on the Moving Bike MOB differs from the Vehicular Device VHD in the Moving Car MOC such that the other Vehicular Device VHD' on the Mov ing Bike MOB includes only the first and second CAT- component, which are necessary self-evidently due to the aforementioned explanation of the CAT-components and their functional collaboration for realizing the Bike-Aware-System BAS, the biker can't be alerted acoustically and/or optical ^¬ ly, because the other Vehicular Device VHD' generates no Alarm Signal ASI. The same statement would be valid, if the Vehicular Device VHD in the Moving Car MOC differs from the other Vehicular Device VHD' on the Moving Bike MOB such that the Vehicular Device VHD in the Moving Car MOC includes only the first and second CAT-component . Further to the description of the FIGURE 1 that the Vehicular Device VHD in the Moving Car MOC is embedded for enabling the Bike-Aware-System BAS and correspondingly for controlling purposes in the Technical System TSY of the Moving Car MOC comprising at least one of the Light-Control-Unit LCU con- trolling the Turning lights TLI of the Moving Car MOC, the

"Vehicle-On-Board"-Unit VOBU for having access to Road Topol ^¬ ogy Data being used in the Bike-Aware-System BAS and the Brake-Control-Unit BCU, which, provided that the Brake- Control-Unit BCU receives an input signal, can be used for braking the Moving Car MOC automatically the FIGURE 2 shows that

(a) the Processing Unit PRCU with the Prediction-Program- Module PPM is connected with the Light-Control-Unit LCU con ^¬ trolling the Turning Lights TLI, which are designed such that a turn of the Moving Car MOC is predicted before the actual change of the predicted trajectory takes place,

(b) the Processing Unit PRC with the Prediction-Program- Module PPM is connected with the "Vehicle-On-Board"-Unit VOBU to have access to Road Topology Data being used in the Pre- diction-Program-Module PPM, and/or

(c) the Processing Unit PRCU with the Prediction-Program- Module PPM is connected with the Brake-Control-Unit BCU, which are designed such that the Alarm Signal ASI is used for braking the Moving Car MOC automatically.

Considering both FIGURES, the FIGURE 1 and the FIGURE 2, and assuming that the third CAT-component referring to an "intel ^¬ ligent/smart unit" and comprising the Processing Unit PRCU including the Processor PRC with the processor-assigned Stor ^¬ age Media STM and the Prediction-Program-Module PPM running on the Processor PRC and stored in the processor-assigned Storage Media STM is only located in the Vehicular Device VHD in the Moving Car MOC, the proposed Bike-Aware-System BAS may work as follows:

The other Vehicular Device VHD' will constantly broadcast in ^¬ formation about its current position by using RTK and/or PPP to any device in a wireless range. For example the range will be 50m. When a car with the Vehicular Device VHD moves inside this range, it will start logging this information with the intention predicting the trajectory of movement. A similar prediction will take place using the car's own position.

Whenever the potential for collision is detected, the Alarm Signal ASI is outputted preferably such that the driver is alerted acoustically and/or optically via known facilities available in the car.

An example of a potential collision would be when the car triggers a right turning light. The "intelligent/smart unit" predicts the car's trajectory including the potential turn to the right. If an overlap is detected with the bike's trajec ^¬ tory and time is detected, the Alarm Signal ASI will be out- putted .