Mobile communication method

• US 5,640,156 A
• Filed: 11/01/1995
• Issued: 06/17/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Okuda, Takehiko, Yagi, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US08/551,735
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 340/933, 340/928, 340/942, 340/937, 340/825.34, 340/825.31, 340/825.69, 340/825.54, 364/401, 342/42, 342/44, 342/50, 342/51, 235/384, 235/380, 235/379, 380/23, 380/24, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/33.1
• US Class Current: 340/928
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence

Abstract

A mobile communication method wherein a pilot signal is repeatedly transmitted toward a communication zone. As an IU on a vehicle arrives at the communication zone, it transmits a pilot response signal in reply to the pilot signal. When the confirmation antenna receives the pilot response signal, a procedure relating to the confirmation of debiting is executed. When a given time period has passed after this procedure has terminated, the IU transmits an existence-in-second-gantry-zone signal in response to the pilot signal, if the vehicle still exists in the communication zone. By receiving the existence-in-second-gantry-zone signal, it can be ascertained that the vehicle having a confirmed debiting associated therewith exists in the communication zone. Even if a plurality of vehicles are running in the same lane side-by-side, each of these vehicles can be distinguished from one another. The mobile communication method may be similarly applied to any other moving body, as well as to a road vehicle.

Claims

1. A mobile communication method for communicating between a fixed station disposed adjacent to a road on which a plurality of moving bodies are moving and mobile stations respectively installed on the moving bodies, the method comprising:

a first step of repeatedly and wirelessly transmitting a solicitation signal from the fixed station toward a communication zone for soliciting a communication of information between the fixed station and one of said plurality of moving bodies;

a second step of wirelessly transmitting one of a first response signal representing a willingness to participate in the communication of information and a second response signal indicating that information has already been communicated from a mobile station located in the communication zone in response to the solicitation signal, the first response signal being transmitted from a mobile station which has not yet participated in the communication of information, the second response signal being transmitted from a mobile station, which has already participated in the communication of information; and

a third step of wirelessly communication information between a fixed station which transmitted the solicitation signal and a mobile station which transmitted the first response signal.

2. A mobile communication method according to claim 1, wherein the second step includes a step of causing any mobile station that previously communicated information with the fixed station from among the mobile stations existing in the communication zone to wirelessly transmit the second response signal in reply to the solicitation signal when a given time period has passed after the communication of information has terminated.

3. A mobile communication method for communicating between a fixed station disposed adjacent to a road on which a plurality of moving bodies are moving and mobile stations respectively installed on the moving bodies, the method comprising:

a first step of repeatedly and wirelessly transmitting a solicitation signal from the fixed station toward a communication zone for soliciting a communication of information between the fixed station and one of said plurality of moving bodies;

a second step of wirelessly transmitting one of a first response signal representing a willingness to participate in the communication of information and a second response signal indicating that information has already been communicated from a mobile station located in the communication zone in response to the solicitation signal, the first response signal being transmitted from a mobile station which has not yet participated in the communication participated in the communication of information, the second response signal being transmitted from a mobile station, which has already participated in the communication of information;

a third step of wirelessly communicating information between a fixed station which transmitted the solicitation signal and a mobile station which transmitted the first response signal;

a fourth step of causing the fixed station to detect times at which the first response signal and the second response signal are received by the fixed station;

a fifth step of causing the fixed station to detect that a moving body has passed through a given point on the road and a time at which this occurs in parallel to the execution of the first to fourth steps; and

a sixth step of causing the fixed station to detect a moving body having a mobile station that did not exactly execute the second step from among the moving bodies whose passage is detected in the fifth step by matching the time of reception detected in the fourth step with the time of passage detected in the fifth step.

4. A mobile communication method according to claim 3, wherein the given point is within the communication zone.

5. A mobile communication method for communicating between a fixed station disposed adjacent to a road on which a plurality of moving bodies are moving and mobile stations respectively installed on the moving bodies, the method comprising:

a first step of repeatedly and wirelessly transmitting a solicitation signal from the fixed station toward a communication zone for soliciting a communication of information between the fixed station and one of said plurality of moving bodies;

a second step of wirelessly transmitting one of a first response signal representing a willingness to participate in the communication of information and a second response signal indicating that information has already been communicated from a mobile station located in the communication zone in response to the solicitation signal, the first response signal being transmitted from a mobile station which has not yet participated in the communication participated in the communication of information, the second response signal being transmitted from a mobile station, which has already participated in the communication of information, wherein the second step includes a step of causing any mobile station that previously communicated information with the fixed station from among the mobile stations existing in the communication zone to wirelessly transmit the second response signal in reply to the solicitation signal when a given time period has passed after the communication of information has terminated;

a third step of wirelessly communicating information between a fixed station which transmitted the solicitation signal and a mobile station which transmitted the first response signal;

a fourth step of causing the fixed station to detect timings at which the first response signal and the second response signal are received by the fixed station;

a fifth step of causing the fixed station to detect that a moving body has passed through a give point on the road and a time at which this occurs in parallel to the execution of the first to fourth steps;

a sixth step of causing the fixed station to detect a moving body having a mobile station that does not exactly execute the second step from among the moving bodies whose passage is detected in the fifth step by matching the time of reception detected in the fourth step with the time of passage detected in the fifth step; and

a seventh step of, prior to the sixth step, excluding selective response signals of the first response signals and the second response signals from being used to carry out the matching operation in the sixth step, the selective response signals being the first and second response signals whose time of reception have been detected in the fourth step as being not later than the given time period that has been passed after the time of passage detected in the fifth step.

6. A mobile communication method according to claim 5, wherein the selective response signals of the seventh step are first response signals and second response signals whose time of reception have been detected in the fourth step as being not later than the given time period plus a margin time that has been passed after the time of passage detected at the fifth step.

7. A mobile communication method according to claim 5, wherein the given point is within the communication zone.