Antenna apparatus and electronic toll collection system and electronic toll collection method using the same

• US 20010052880A1
• Filed: 06/13/2001
• Published: 12/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kuramoto, Akio
• Granted Patent: US 6,683,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/713
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3233 particular used as part of a sensor or in a security system, e.g. for automotive radar, navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/325 characterised by the location of the antenna on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array

Abstract

In an antenna apparatus and the electronic toll collection (hereinafter, abbreviated to an ETC) system using it, an antenna apparatus (2) is provided in a space over a lane (3) through which an automobile (1) having ETC on-vehicle equipment (10) passes. An antenna which the antenna apparatus has radiates a radio wave having a radio beam emitted area (21) of a radio wave to communicate with the ETC on-vehicle equipment and, thereby, electronic toll collection is performed for the passing automobile. It is an object of the present invention to provide an antenna apparatus which is controllable so that the ETC on-vehicle equipment is in the center of the radio beam emitted area of the antenna apparatus, and also to provide an ETC system using it. The antenna apparatus integrates an antenna and a light emitting unit. The light emitting unit emits a visible light (31) to the radio beam emitted area for communicating with the ETC on-vehicle equipment 10 mounted on the automobile along the center line within the radio beam emitted area. A sensor (40) can detect the automobile and can determine an emitted period of the visible light.

Claims

1. An antenna apparatus characterized by comprising:

an antenna through which a radio beam is emitted to have a predetermined directionality; and

a light emitting unit having an emitted area of visible light in the center of a radio beam emitted area of said antenna.

2. An antenna apparatus according to

claim 1

, characterized in that the visible light emitted from a light source of said light emitting unit has a shape which is substantially circular when said visible light is emitted to a wall opposed to said antenna apart therefrom by a predetermined distance in said emitted area.

3. An antenna apparatus according to

claim 2

, characterized in that said light source is provided at least on one of an upper side, a lower side, a right side, and a left side in said antenna.

4. An antenna apparatus according to

claim 2

, characterized in that said antenna apparatus is rectangular-shaped, and said light source is provided for at least one of four corners of a radio wave radiating surface of said antenna.

5. An antenna apparatus according to

claim 2

, characterized in that said antenna apparatus is rectangular-shaped, said light source is provided for at least one of four corners of a radio wave radiating surface of said antenna, and said shape is substantially rectangular in said emitted area of the visible light.

6. An antenna apparatus according to

claim 1

, characterized in that the visible light emitted from a light source of said light emitting unit has one of a laterally long shape and a vertically long shape when said visible light is emitted to a wall opposed to said antenna apart therefrom by a predetermined distance in said emitted area.

7. An antenna apparatus according to

claim 6

, characterized in that said light source of the laterally long shape is provided at least on the upper side and on the lower side of said antenna.

8. An antenna apparatus according to

claim 6

, characterized in that said light source of the vertically long shape is provided at least on the upper side and on the lower side in said antenna.

9. An antenna apparatus according to

claim 6

, characterized in that said light sources having the laterally long shape are provided on the upper side and the lower side of said antenna apparatus respectively, said light sources having the vertically long shape are provided on the right side and the left side in said antenna respectively, and a shape in said emitted area of the visible light is rectangular.

10. An antenna apparatus according to

claim 1

, characterized in that said antenna has a horn-type antenna and a sub-reflector which is held by a supporter in a parabola reflection mirror and a light source of said light emitting unit is positioned substantially in the center of said sub-reflector.

11. An electronic toll collection system using the antenna apparatus according to any one of

claims 1

to

10

, characterized in that said antenna apparatus is held over a lane through which an automobile passes and, when a radio beam emitted area of an antenna which said antenna apparatus has is directed to on-vehicle equipment for electronic toll collection, the light source of said light emitting unit emits visible light to the center in said radio beam emitted area.

12. An electronic toll collection system according to

claim 11

, characterized by further comprising:

a sensor for detecting an entering direction of said automobile which enters the lane in front of said antenna, for driving said light emitting unit when the entrance of the automobile is detected, and for emitting the visible light from the light source in said light emitting unit.

13. An electronic toll collection system using the antenna apparatus according to any one of

claims 1

to

10

, characterized in that said antenna apparatus is provided for a crossing gate which is held to a column to cross the lane through which said automobile passes at the position to prevent the passage of said automobile and, when the radio beam emitted area of the antenna which said antenna apparatus is directed to on-vehicle equipment for electronic toll collection which is mounted on said automobile, the light source of said light emitting unit emits visible light to the center of said radio beam emitted area.

14. An electronic toll collection system according to

claim 13

, characterized by further comprising:

a sensor for detecting that the automobile enters the lane, for driving said light emitting unit when the entrance of the automobile is detected, and for emitting the visible light from the light source in said light source emitting unit.

15. An antenna apparatus according to

claim 1

, characterized in that said antenna apparatus is a handy-type apparatus which is connected to one end of an arm portion having therein a coaxial cable and a power source cable.

16. An electronic toll collection method, characterized in that said method uses said antenna apparatus according to

claim 15

, when the emitted area of the visible light which is emitted by the light emitting unit that said antenna apparatus has is directed to the on-vehicle equipment for electronic toll collection on the automobile entering the lane for collecting a toll, electronic toll collection is performed by using the radio beam emitted through the antenna.