LAMP APPARATUS, ANTENNA UNIT FOR LAMP APPARATUS, COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLER

• US 20100188301A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamagishi, Suguru, Kishimoto, Kengo
• Granted Patent: US 8,310,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/721
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/045 the sensor receiving a signal from a remote controller
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/02 for roads, paths or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

A lamp apparatus 1 includes an optical unit 2 and a patch antenna 4. The optical unit 2 includes an LED 7 and a substrate 8 having the LED 7 mounted at the front face, and a cover member 9 having visible-light transmittance, spread over the LED 7 at the front. In this optical unit 2 are stored the patch antenna 4 including a patch element 11 and a ground element 12 located at the rear of the patch element 11.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A traffic signal lamp apparatus comprising:

an optical unit including a light emitter, and

an antenna stored in said optical unit.

21. The traffic signal lamp apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

said optical unit further includes a cover member, said cover member having visible-light transmittance and spread over said light emitter at a front,

said antenna includes a patch antenna.

22. The traffic signal lamp apparatus according to claim 21, wherein

said patch antenna includes a patch element situated in a range from said cover member up to a leading end of said light emitter, and a ground element located at a rear of the patch element,

said patch element has visible-light transmittance.

23. The traffic signal lamp apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said ground element is provided at a rear of said patch element and frontward of the leading end of said light emitter, and has visible-light transmittance.

24. The traffic signal lamp apparatus according to claim 22, wherein

said optical unit includes a substrate having said light emitter mounted at a front face, and

said ground element is located at the rear of said patch element, and between said substrate and the leading end of said light emitter in a front-back direction.

25. The traffic signal lamp apparatus according to claim 24, wherein

said optical unit includes a plurality of said light emitters each constituted of a light emitting diode,

said ground element is planar, and has an opening formed for inserting said light emitting diode.

26. The traffic signal lamp apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said patch element is constituted of a conductor having an opening formed for visible-light transmittance.

27. The traffic signal lamp apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said patch element is constituted of a conductor membrane having visible-light transmittance.

28. The traffic signal lamp apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising a sheet member having visible-light transmittance, provided between said cover member and the leading end of said light emitter, wherein said patch element is formed at the sheet member.

29. The traffic signal lamp apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said patch element is formed at said cover member.

30. The traffic signal lamp apparatus according to claim 21, wherein

said patch antenna includes a patch element provided at a rear side of the leading end of said light emitter, and a ground element located at a rear of said patch element,

the patch and ground elements are stored in said optical unit.

31. The traffic signal lamp apparatus according to claim 30, wherein

said optical unit includes a substrate having a light emitter mounted at a front face,

said patch element is located frontward of said substrate, and at a rear side of the leading end of said light emitter.

32. The traffic signal lamp apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said ground element is located at a rear of said patch element, and frontward of said substrate.

33. The traffic signal lamp apparatus according to claim 30, wherein

said optical unit further includes a storage member having said cover member attached at a front portion, and storing said light emitter,

said patch element and said ground element are stored in a storage cavity defined between said cover member and said storage member, said patch element is provided at a rear side of the leading end of said light emitter, and said ground element is located at a rear of said patch element.

34. The traffic signal lamp apparatus according to claim 30, wherein

said optical unit includes a plurality of said light emitters each constituted of a light emitting diode,

said patch element is planar, and has an opening formed to insert said light emitting diode.

37. A traffic signal controller connected to the traffic signal lamp apparatus according to claim 20, said traffic signal controller turning on and off the traffic signal lamp apparatus,

said traffic signal controller configured to transmit, through said antenna, signal information related to display of current and future traffic signal lamp apparatus towards a vehicle running on a road where said traffic signal lamp apparatus is installed.

35. An antenna unit for a traffic signal lamp apparatus incorporated into an optical unit including a light emitter and a cover member having visible-light transmittance, spread over said light emitter at a front, said antenna unit comprising:

a patch element situated in a range from said cover member up to a leading end of said light emitter, and

a ground element located at a rear of the patch element.

36. An antenna unit for a traffic signal lamp apparatus incorporated into an optical unit including a light emitter and a cover member having visible-light transmittance, spread over said light emitter at a front, said antenna unit comprising

a patch element provided at a rear side of the leading end of said light emitter, and

a ground element located at a rear of said patch element.