# US 12,119,883 B2 · Variable bandwidth free-space optical communication system for autonomous or semi-autonomous passenger vehicles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,119,883 B2 - Document ID: US12119883B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/084,159 - Filed: 2022-12-19 - Published: 2023-04-27 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-10 - Assignees: Glydways Inc. - Applicants: Glydways Inc. - Inventors: Nathan Leefer; Gregory A. Springer; Mark E. Seeger - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12119883B2 ## CPC - H04B 10/1149: {Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information} - H04B 10/80: Optical aspects relating to the use of optical transmission for specific applications, not provided for in groups H04B10/03 - H04B10/70, e.g. optical power feeding or optical transmission through water - G05D 1/0293: {Convoy travelling} - H04B 10/1143: {Bidirectional transmission} - H04W 4/46: for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V] - G05D 1/0088: {characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00)} - G05D 1/81: Handing over between on-board automatic and on-board manual control - H04B 10/502: {LED transmitters} - H04B: TRANSMISSION - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A passenger vehicle optical communication system includes a source vehicle including a light source and an endpoint vehicle including a camera. The source vehicle transmits a series of patterns using the light source to communicate, as one example, state information to the endpoint vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a vehicle communication system, comprising: at a first vehicle of a platoon of vehicles traveling on a roadway: sending first information to a second vehicle via a first line-of-sight communication system configured to communicate with the second vehicle using a first communication scheme; detecting, with a sensing system, a condition affecting communications between the first vehicle and the second vehicle; and in response to detecting the condition, sending second information to the second vehicle via a second line-of-sight communication system configured to communicate with the second vehicle using a second communication scheme different from the first communication scheme. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first information is different from the second information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the first line-of-sight communication system has a first bandwidth; and the second line-of-sight communication system has a second bandwidth that is lower than the first bandwidth. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the condition affecting communications between the first vehicle and the second vehicle comprises detecting that a distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is above a threshold distance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the condition affecting communications between the first vehicle and the second vehicle comprises detecting that a visibility condition of an environment between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is below a threshold visibility. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the first line-of-sight communication system is a first optical communication system; and the second line-of-sight communication system is a second optical communication system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the first line-of-sight communication system comprises a display element configured to produce a two-dimensional optical pattern; and the second line-of-sight communication system comprises a plurality of discrete light elements. ### Claim 8 A vehicle system, comprising: a first vehicle comprising: a first line-of-sight communication system configured to communicate using a first communication scheme; a second line-of-sight communication system different from the first line-of-sight communication system and configured to communicate using a second communication scheme different from the first communication scheme; a sensing system configured to detect a condition affecting communications between the first vehicle and a second vehicle; and a vehicle controller configured to: send first information to the second vehicle via the first line-of-sight communication system; detect, with the sensing system, the condition affecting line-of-sight communications between the first vehicle and the second vehicle; and in response to detecting the condition, send second information to the second vehicle via the second line-of-sight communication system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein the first communication scheme has a higher bandwidth than the second communication scheme. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein the second information includes information about a braking event. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vehicle system of claim 10, wherein the first information includes information about a change in vehicle speed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein the sensing system is an optical sensing system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein detecting the condition affecting communications between the first vehicle and the second vehicle comprises detecting that a distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is above a threshold distance. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein: the first vehicle defines a first end and a second end; the first line-of-sight communication system is positioned at the first end of the first vehicle and is configured to transmit first communication signals along a first travel direction of the first vehicle; and the second line-of-sight communication system is positioned at the first end of the first vehicle and is configured to transmit second communication signals along the first travel direction of the first vehicle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The vehicle system of claim 14, wherein the first vehicle further comprises: a third line-of-sight communication system positioned at a second end of the first vehicle opposite the first end and configured to transmit along a second travel direction opposite the first travel direction, the third line-of-sight communication system configured to communicate with a third vehicle using the first communication scheme; and a fourth line-of-sight communication system positioned at the second end of the first vehicle and configured to transmit along the second travel direction, the fourth line-of-sight communication system configured to communicate with the third vehicle using the second communication scheme. ### Claim 16 A vehicle configured to autonomously travel along a roadway, comprising: a first line-of-sight communication system configured to communicate with a trailing vehicle using a first communication scheme; a second line-of-sight communication system different from the first line-of-sight communication system and configured to communicate with the trailing vehicle using a second communication scheme different from the first communication scheme; a sensing system configured to detect a condition affecting communications between the vehicle and the trailing vehicle; and a vehicle controller configured to: send first information to the trailing vehicle via the first line-of-sight communication system; and in accordance with a determination that the sensing system detected the condition affecting communications between the vehicle and the trailing vehicle, send second information to the trailing vehicle via the second line-of-sight communication system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the first information and the second information are the same information. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The vehicle of claim 16, wherein: the vehicle defines a first end and a second end; the first line-of-sight communication system is positioned at the first end of the vehicle and is configured to transmit first communication signals along a first travel direction of the vehicle; and the second line-of-sight communication system is positioned at the first end of the vehicle and is configured to transmit second communication signals along the first travel direction of the vehicle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the first line-of-sight communication system has a greater bandwidth than the second line-of-sight communication system. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The vehicle of claim 16, wherein detecting the condition affecting communications between the vehicle and the trailing vehicle comprises detecting that a visibility condition of an environment between the vehicle and the trailing vehicle is below a threshold visibility.