We saw DSRC a couple of times in the news recently and decided to find out more about it. See our News page: June 1, 2005 TollCollect, November 7, 2005 Navteq and Transcore.
In 1997 ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) America petitioned the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to allocate 75MHz of spectrum in the 5.9GHz band for ITS, in particular for DSRC. In October 1999 the FCC allocated the 5.9GHz band for DSRC-based ITS applications and adopted basic technical rules for DSRC operations.
On December 17, 2003 the Commission adopted a Report and Order establishing licensing and service rules for the Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) Service in the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Radio Service in the 5.850-5.925 GHz band (5.9 GHz band). The DSRC Service involves vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications, helping to protect the safety of the traveling public. It can save lives by warning drivers of an impending dangerous condition or event in time to take corrective or evasive actions. The band is also eligible for use by non-public safety entities for commercial or private DSRC operations.
Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) is a general purpose rf communications link between the vehicle and the roadside. More specifically, it is a short to medium range communications service that supports both Public Safety and Private operations in roadside to vehicle and vehicle to vehicle communication environments. DSRC is meant to be a complement to cellular communications by providing very high data transfer rates in circumstances where minimizing latency in the communication link and isolating relatively small communication zones are important.
Some characteristics of DSRC:
- Range: 1000 meters
- Data Rates: 6 - 27 Mbps
- Directionality: line of sight
Typical RTTT (Road Traffic & Transport Telematics) services, that require communication between vehicles and the roadside, together with accurate localization information are:
- Automatic Fee Collection
- Traveler & Traffic Information
- Dynamic Route Guidance
- Fleet Management
- Access Control
- Parking Management
Recent DSRC developments
June 2005: DaimlerChrysler research engineers demonstrated a broadband car-to-car communication between a Mercedes-Benz E-Class and a Dodge Durango. The demo showcased a new wireless communications technology, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), which enables real-time communication between a vehicle and roadside stations and from one vehicle to another.
Those support systems, said DaimlerChrysler, can help optimize traffic flow and enhance traffic safety. For example, if a vehicle encounters a critical situation such as congestion, fog, ice or an accident, it can pass the information on to road users in the immediate vicinity of the danger spot. Traffic approaching from further away may be given ample warning and can respond to the situation.
Cars equipped with DSRC, said DaimlerChrysler, can communicate directly with one another, making it possible to transmit braking signals back over several vehicles, giving drivers early warning that they might soon have to brake. Each vehicle with DSRC can be a sender, receiver or router of information.
October 2005: General Motors Corp. demonstrated a fleet of cars featuring vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication-capabilities. With V2V, a vehicle can detect the position and movement of other vehicles up to a quarter of a mile away. In a world where vehicles are equipped with a simple antenna, a computer chip and GPS (Global Positioning System) technology your car will know where the other vehicles are, additionally other vehicles will know where you are too - whether it is in blind spots, stopped ahead on the highway but hidden from view, around a blind corner or blocked by other vehicles.
The vehicles can anticipate and react to changing driving situations and then instantly warn the drivers with chimes, visual icons and seat vibrations. If the driver doesn't respond to the alerts, the car can bring itself to a safe stop, avoiding a collision.
November 2005: TransCore, manufacturer of transportation-based RFID products, will develop a combined dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) and long-range GPS and satellite communications modem for automobile safety products. Moving from multiple in-vehicle components to a highly integrated device will lower cost and provide ubiquitous coverage.
The modem will also provide a more immediate means to support critical safety applications while the nationwide short-range communications (DSRC) infrastructure network is built out over the next few decades. As DSRC infrastructure becomes available, the system will take advantage of its low usage costs and tailored communication capabilities. In areas without DSRC, either the satellite communications capability or a conventional cellular link can be used to connect to the vehicle.
November 2005: Members of the Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) Industry Consortium, including MARK IV, Raytheon, Sirit Inc. and TransCore, demonstrated units of next generation 5.9 GHz DSRC communications technology at the ITS World Congress, held in San Francisco Nov. 7-10, 2005.
5.9 GHz DSRC is a powerful new communication medium between moving vehicles and the roadway as well as directly among moving vehicles. DSRC uses an allocation of radio frequency spectrum established by the FCC to enable a broad slate of public and private safety applications that promise to enhance the productivity of the nation's transportation system. The development of 5.9 GHz DSRC is a critical milestone toward introduction of numerous applications such as intersection collision warning, curve speed warning, rollover warning, emergency electronic brake lights, nationally interoperable electronic toll collection and many others, some of which have not yet been conceived. Focusing on safety applications is part of the federal government's commitment to reducing vehicle fatalities by 50 percent in 10 years.
Government and vehicle manufacturers plan to make a collaborative decision on deployment of DSRC in the year 2008 that could signal the beginning of the deployment process in the auto industry and public agencies.
November 2005: At the same ITS World Congress in San Francisco NAVTEQ and DaimlerChrysler demonstrated a new technology prototype that showcased wireless delivery of digital map data from wireless hot spots to in-vehicle navigation systems.
Currently, in-vehicle navigation systems use CDs, DVDs or hard disk drives to store map data. Due to the complexity and cost of the updating process, most automobile manufacturers release updated maps on CD or DVD media only on a semiannual or an annual basis, creating a need for a faster, more frequent updating process.
This research prototype illustrated how, through the use of DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication) technology, wireless map updates would allow drivers to drive by a designated DSRC road side access point and download updates to their DSRC enabled navigation system. The server-based wireless delivery technology uses the commercial service channel of DSRC to transmit information at up to 27 megabytes per second over a distance of up to 1000 meters. This system which operates in real time is able to determine what new pre-processed map data the specific vehicle's navigation system needs and then prompts the driver to update their map.
