Mobile radio communication system

• US 20090033518A1
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Kenji, Imai, Junji, Muramatsu, Junya, Tadokoro, Yukihiro, Makido, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,804,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

A mobile radio communication system estimates the positional relationship between an own moving terminal and another moving terminal around a view obstruction. If the absolute value of the difference between detected reception power levels is lower than a first power threshold value, the own moving terminal determines that the other moving terminal is positioned within the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance from the own moving terminal to the other moving terminal being shorter than a predetermined distance B_P, or that the other moving terminal is positioned outside thereof, the distance to the visual range of the own moving terminal being shorter than the predetermined distance B_P. Also if the absolute value is higher than or equal to the first power threshold value, the own moving terminal determines in a similar manner.

Claims

1. A mobile radio communication system estimating the positional relationship between the own moving terminal and the other moving terminal around a view obstruction,

wherein the other moving terminal serves as a transmitting station in the mobile radio communication system and includes a transmission antenna having a predetermined transmission power level and a predetermined mounting height,

wherein the own moving terminal serves as a receiving station in the mobile radio communication system and includes

two reception antennas having different mounting heights, the mounting height of one reception antenna being different from that of the other reception antenna by a certain value or higher;

reception power level detecting means for detecting the reception power level of a signal transmitted from the transmission antenna of the other moving terminal for every reception antenna; and

absolute value determining means for determining whether the absolute value of the difference between the detected reception power levels is lower than a first power threshold value,

wherein, if the absolute value is lower than the first power threshold value, the own moving terminal determines that the other moving terminal is positioned within the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance from the own moving terminal to the other moving terminal being shorter than a predetermined distance B_P, or that the other moving terminal is positioned outside the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance to the visual range of the own moving terminal being shorter than the predetermined distance B_P, and

wherein, if the absolute value is higher than or equal to the first power threshold value, the own moving terminal determines that the other moving terminal is positioned within the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance from the own moving terminal to the other moving terminal being longer than or equal to the predetermined distance B_P, or that the other moving terminal is positioned outside the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance to the visual range of the own moving terminal being longer than or equal to the predetermined distance B_P.

2. The mobile radio communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the own moving terminal further includes selected value determining means for determining whether a value selected from the detected reception power levels is higher than or equal to a second power threshold value,

wherein, if the absolute value is lower than the first power threshold value and the selected value is higher than or equal to the second power threshold value, the own moving terminal determines that the other moving terminal is positioned within the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance from the own moving terminal to the other moving terminal being shorter than the predetermined distance B_P, and

wherein, if the absolute value is lower than the first power threshold value and the selected value is lower than the second power threshold value, the own moving terminal determines that the other moving terminal is positioned outside the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance to the visual range of the own moving terminal being shorter than the predetermined distance B_P.

3. The mobile radio communication system according to claim 2,

wherein the own moving terminal further includes alert means for issuing an alert message or an alert tone if the own moving terminal determines that the other moving terminal is positioned outside the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance to the visual range of the own moving terminal being shorter than the predetermined distance B_P.

4. The mobile radio communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the own moving terminal further includes

distance measuring means for measuring the distance from the own moving terminal to an intersection ahead of the own moving terminal on the road on which the own moving terminal is running;

function value calculating means for calculating the value of a power evaluation function used for estimating the reception power level at the intersection of the transmission signal which is supposed to be diffracted at the intersection on the basis of a selected value of the detected reception power levels, the distance from the own moving terminal to the intersection, and a predetermined attenuation characteristic of the diffracted electromagnetic wave; and

function value determining means for determining whether the value of the power evaluation function is higher than or equal to a third power threshold value,

wherein, if the absolute value is higher than or equal to the first power threshold value and the value of the power evaluation function is higher than or equal to the third power threshold value, the own moving terminal determines that the other moving terminal is positioned within the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance from the own moving terminal to the other moving terminal being longer than or equal to the predetermined distance B_P, and

wherein, if the absolute value is higher than or equal to the first power threshold value and the value of the power evaluation function is lower than the third power threshold value, the own moving terminal determines that the other moving terminal is positioned outside the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance to the visual range of the own moving terminal being longer than or equal to the predetermined distance B_P.

9. The mobile radio communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the own moving terminal includes the transmission antenna.

5. A mobile radio communication system estimating the positional relationship between the own moving terminal and the other moving terminal around a view obstruction,

wherein the other moving terminal serves as a transmitting station in the mobile radio communication system and includes a transmission antenna having a predetermined transmission power level and a predetermined mounting height,

wherein the own moving terminal serves as a receiving station in the mobile radio communication system and includes

three or more reception antennas having different mounting heights;

reception power level detecting means for detecting the reception power level of a signal transmitted from the transmission antenna of the other moving terminal for every reception antenna;

distance storing means for storing a predetermined distances B_P corresponding to each of the reception antennas excluding at least the reception antenna having the highest mounting height; and

absolute value determining means for selecting arbitrary two reception antennas from the three or more reception antennas to determine whether the absolute value of the difference between the reception power levels of the selected reception antennas is lower than a first power threshold value,

wherein, if the absolute value is lower than the first power threshold value, the own moving terminal determines that the other moving terminal is positioned within the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance from the own moving terminal to the other moving terminal being shorter than the predetermined distance B_P corresponding to the reception antenna having the lower mounting height among the selected reception antennas, or that the other moving terminal is positioned outside the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance to the visual range of the own moving terminal being shorter than the predetermined distance B_P, and

wherein, if the absolute value is higher than or equal to the first power threshold value, the own moving terminal determines that the other moving terminal is positioned within the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance from the own moving terminal to the other moving terminal being longer than or equal to the predetermined distance B_P, or that the other moving terminal is positioned outside the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance to the visual range of the own moving terminal being longer than or equal to the predetermined distance B_P.

6. The mobile radio communication system according to claim 5,

wherein the own moving terminal further includes selected value determining means for determining whether a value selected from the detected reception power levels is higher than or equal to a second power threshold value,

wherein, if the absolute value is lower than the first power threshold value and the selected value is higher than or equal to the second power threshold value, the own moving terminal determines that the other moving terminal is positioned within the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance from the own moving terminal to the other moving terminal being shorter than the predetermined distance B_P corresponding to the reception antenna having the lower mounting height among the selected two reception antennas, and

wherein, if the absolute value is lower than the first power threshold value and the selected value is lower than the second power threshold value, the own moving terminal determines that the other moving terminal is positioned outside the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance to the visual range of the own moving terminal being shorter than the predetermined distance B_P.

7. The mobile radio communication system according to claim 6,

wherein the own moving terminal further includes alert means for issuing an alert message or an alert tone if the own moving terminal determines that the other moving terminal is positioned outside the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance to the visual range of the own moving terminal being shorter than the predetermined distance B_P corresponding to the reception antenna having the lower mounting height among the selected two reception antennas.

8. The mobile radio communication system according to claim 5,

wherein the own moving terminal further includes

distance measuring means for measuring the distance from the own moving terminal to an intersection ahead of the own moving terminal on the road on which the own moving terminal is running;

function value calculating means for calculating the value of a power evaluation function used for estimating the reception power level at the intersection of the transmission signal which is supposed to be diffracted at the intersection on the basis of a selected value of the detected reception power levels, the distance from the own moving terminal to the intersection, and a predetermined attenuation characteristic of the diffracted electromagnetic wave; and

function value determining means for determining whether the value of the power evaluation function is higher than or equal to a third power threshold value,

wherein, if the absolute value is higher than or equal to the first power threshold value and the value of the power evaluation function is higher than or equal to the third power threshold value, the own moving terminal determines that the other moving terminal is positioned within the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance from the own moving terminal to the other moving terminal being longer than or equal to the predetermined distance B_P corresponding to the reception antenna having the lower mounting height among the selected two reception antennas, and

wherein, if the absolute value is higher than or equal to the first power threshold value and the value of the power evaluation function is lower than the third power threshold value, the own moving terminal determines that the other moving terminal is positioned outside the visual range of the own moving terminal, the distance to the visual range of the own moving terminal being longer than or equal to the predetermined distance B_P.