Intelligent vehicle pass-by information sharing

A device associated with a focus vehicle, comprising:

• a sensor that senses area information about an information area usable to assist the focus vehicle and an oncoming vehicle to pass each other;
• a transmitter that broadcasts the area information via a vehicle-to-vehicle network (V2VN) protocol;
• a controller that is configured to:
• collect, store, and share, via the V2VN, area information comprising:
• passing information when on a narrow road, wherein:
• the passing information comprises a location and a time of detection of passing areas;
• and
• the passing areas are areas selected from the group consisting of areas in which two vehicles are able to pass by each other, and areas where two vehicles have detected that they have passed each other in a normally narrow road;
• obstacle information when on a wide road, wherein:
• the obstacle information comprises a location and a time of detection of obstacle areas;
• and
• the obstacle areas are road areas on a normally wide road in which a lane in one direction is blocked by a temporary obstacle;
• and
• passing obstacle information when on the narrow road, wherein:
• the passing obstacle information comprises a location and a time of detection of passing-obstacle areas;
• and
• the passing-obstacle areas are areas normally designated as a passing areas but that are currently obstructed and do not permit passing;
• and
• produce an assisting result from the area information and vehicle information related to the focus vehicle and the oncoming vehicle;
• and
• a display that displays virtual traffic information representing at least stopping and proceeding of the focus vehicle onto a windshield of the vehicle;
• wherein:
• the controller is further configured to perform merge processing upon receipt of broadcast area information to update its stored area information;
• and
• each area information item has a valid period based on an attribute of the area information item.

A computer-implemented method for operating a focus vehicle device, comprising:

• sensing area information with a sensor about an information area usable to assist the focus vehicle and an oncoming vehicle to pass each other;
• broadcasting with a transmitter the area information via a vehicle-to-vehicle network (V2VN) protocol;
• using a controller, collecting, storing, and sharing via the V2VN, area information comprising:
• passing information when on a narrow road;
• obstacle information when on a wide road;
• and
• passing obstacle information when on the narrow road;
• and
• producing, with the controller, an assisting result from the area information and vehicle information related to the focus vehicle and the oncoming vehicle;
• and
• displaying, with a display, virtual traffic information representing at least stopping and proceeding of the focus vehicle onto a windshield of the vehicle.

A computer-implemented method for operating a focus vehicle device, comprising:

• sensing area information with a sensor about an information area usable to assist the focus vehicle and an oncoming vehicle to pass each other;
• broadcasting with a transmitter the area information via a vehicle-to-vehicle network (V2VN) protocol;
• using a controller, collecting, storing, and sharing via the V2VN, area information comprising:
• passing information when on a narrow road, wherein:
• the passing information comprises a location and a time of detection of passing areas;
• and
• the passing areas are areas selected from the group consisting of areas in which two vehicles are able to pass by each other, and areas where two vehicles have detected that they have passed each other in a normally narrow road;
• obstacle information when on a wide road, wherein:
• the obstacle information comprises a location and a time of detection of obstacle areas;
• and
• the obstacle areas are road areas on a normally wide road in which a lane in one direction is blocked by a temporary obstacle;
• and
• passing obstacle information when on the narrow road, wherein:
• the passing obstacle information comprises a location and a time of detection of passing-obstacle areas;
• and
• the passing-obstacle areas are areas normally designated as a passing areas but that are currently obstructed and do not permit passing;
• producing an assisting result from the area information and vehicle information related to the focus vehicle and the oncoming vehicle;
• displaying, with a display, virtual traffic information representing at least stopping and proceeding of the focus vehicle onto a windshield of the vehicle;
• and
• merging, upon receipt of broadcast area information, the broadcast area information to update its stored area information;
• wherein each area information item has a valid period based on an attribute of the area information item.

A computer program product for operating a focus vehicle device, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith to, when executed on a processor:

• sense area information about an information area usable to assist the focus vehicle and an oncoming vehicle to pass each other;
• broadcast the area information via a vehicle-to-vehicle network (V2VN) protocol;
• collect, store, and share, via the V2VN, area information comprising:
• passing information when on a narrow road;
• obstacle information when on a wide road;
• and
• passing obstacle information when on the narrow road;
• and
• produce an assisting result from the area information and vehicle information related to the focus vehicle and the oncoming vehicle;
• and
• a display that displays virtual traffic information representing at least stopping and proceeding of the focus vehicle onto a windshield of the vehicle.