Vehicle-mounted millimeter-wave communication device and communication method

• US 10,296,011 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2018
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sai, Seii
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US15/914,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20180284804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 340902, 340903, 340905, 342374, 342368, 342147, 342175, 4552771, 4552772
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3283 side-mounted antennas, e.g. bumper-mounted, door-mounted mounted on windscreens H01Q1/1271
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/005 Control of transmission; Equalising
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted millimeter-wave communication device for performing communication while temporally changing a communication direction by using an antenna unit capable of changing directivity includes: a detection unit configured to detect a direction of a communication partner present around a host vehicle; and a communication control unit configured to perform control such that communication is performed, in which a longer communication time is set for the direction of the communication partner than another direction. The communication control unit preferably performs control that sets a long communication time for the direction of the communication partner in the case where the type of the content of communication with the communication partner is related to control of a vehicle, and in the case where the volume of the communication with the communication partner is not less than a threshold value.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted millimeter-wave communication device for performing communication while temporally changing a communication direction, the communication device comprising:

an antenna capable of changing directivity and communicating with only one communication direction at a time;

a detection unit configured to detect a direction of a communication partner present around a host vehicle, wherein the direction is given as a direction from the host vehicle to the communication partner; and

a communication control unit configured to determine an allocation of the communication direction in a predetermined period, and perform control such that communication is performed, in which a longer communication time is allocated for the direction of the communication partner than another direction.

2. The vehicle-mounted millimeter-wave communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication type acquisition unit configured to acquire a type of a content of communication with the communication partner,

wherein the communication control unit performs control that sets a long communication time for the direction of the communication partner in a case where the type of the content of the communication with the communication partner is related to control of a vehicle.

3. The vehicle-mounted millimeter-wave communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication volume acquisition unit configured to acquire a volume of communication with the communication partner,

wherein the communication control unit performs control that sets a long communication time for the direction of the communication partner in a case where the volume of the communication with the communication partner is not less than a threshold value.

4. The vehicle-mounted millimeter-wave communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication control unit performs control such that communication, in which a long communication time is set for the direction of the communication partner, and communication, in which equal communication times that are set for all directions, are performed alternately in a case where the communication partner is present around the host vehicle.

5. The vehicle-mounted millimeter-wave communication device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects the direction of the communication partner, based on a communication direction when communication by millimeter wave communication is established.

6. The vehicle-mounted millimeter-wave communication device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects the direction of the communication partner, based on position information on the communication partner received through communication.

7. The vehicle-mounted millimeter-wave communication device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects the direction of the communication partner, based on sensor information obtained from a sensor mounted on the host vehicle.

8. The vehicle-mounted millimeter-wave communication device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects the direction of the communication partner, based on pre-stored installation information including an installation position and a communication direction of a roadside communication device.

9. The vehicle-mounted millimeter-wave communication device according to claim 1, wherein:

the antenna has a plurality of fixed antennas directed in different directions, and

the communication control unit changes setting of a communication time of each direction by adjusting a selection time period when the plurality of fixed antennas are switchably used.

10. The vehicle-mounted millimeter-wave communication device according to claim 1, wherein:

the antenna has a rotary antenna, and

the communication control unit changes setting of a communication time of each direction by adjusting a rotation speed of the rotary antenna.

11. A communication control method in a vehicle-mounted millimeter-wave communication device for performing communication while temporally changing a communication direction by using an antenna capable of changing directivity and communicating with only one communication direction at a time, the communication control method comprising:

detecting a direction of a communication partner present around a host vehicle, wherein the direction is given as a direction from the host vehicle;

determining an allocation of the communication direction in a predetermined period; and

performing control such that communication is performed, in which a longer communication time is allocated for the direction of the communication partner than another direction.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the steps of the method according to claim 11.