Method and apparatus for detecting magnetostrictive resonator and traffic system

• US 6,097,312 A
• Filed: 11/30/1998
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshioka, Toshihiro, Yasui, Keiji, Tanji, Yoshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Application Number:
  US09/201,285
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/436, 340/933, 340/939, 340/905
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/042 using inductive or magnetic detectors

Abstract

While transmitting an electromagnetic wave from a transmitting antenna to, for example, a magnetostrictive resonator, buried in a road, a reception section composed of a reception amplifier and signal processor is inactivated. After stopping transmission of the electromagnetic wave, the reception section is activated and a receiving antenna detects an electromagnetic wave radiated by the magnetostrictive resonator. In this method, a magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus having a sufficient directivity and detection distance can be presented. The magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus applying this detecting method is mounted aboard a vehicle, and a plurality of magnetostrictive resonators are buried in the road. By sequentially transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves at different resonance frequencies thereof, and judging the configuration of the road and the vehicle, a safe traffic system is presented.

Claims

1. A detecting method for a magnetostrictive resonator, comprising the steps of:

a) inactivating a reception section while transmitting an electromagnetic wave at a frequency for generating an intrinsic mechanical resonance to the magnetostrictive resonator,

b) activating the reception section after stopping transmission of said electromagnetic wave, and

c) detecting the electromagnetic wave radiated by said magnetostrictive resonator resonating mechanically.

2. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus comprising:

a transmission section for transmitting an electromagnetic wave at a frequency for generating an intrinsic mechanical resonance to a magnetostrictive resonator, and

a reception section having a function of making said reception section inactive while said transmission section is transmitting the electromagnetic wave, and for detecting the electromagnetic wave radiated by said magnetostrictive resonator resonating mechanically after said transmission of said electromagnetic wave is stopped.

3. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of claim 2, wherein the reception section comprises a signal processor for measuring the frequency of the electromagnetic wave radiated from the magnetostrictive resonator.

4. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of claim 2, wherein the reception section comprises a waveform shaper and a counter, and the frequency is measured by counting the number of cycles of the electromagnetic waves radiated by the magnetostrictive resonator in each unit time.

5. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of claim 2, wherein the reception section comprises a waveform shaper and a frequency-voltage converter, and the electromagnetic wave radiated by the magnetostrictive resonator in unit time is converted from frequency to voltage, and is measured.

6. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein a discharge resistance is connected between the transmission frequency output unit and the antenna for transmitting electromagnetic wave in the air, and the discharge resistance is activated when changing over from transmission to reception.

7. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the transmission section comprises an oscillator for transmitting electromagnetic waves of plural frequencies, and a reception section for receiving plural frequencies corresponding to the frequencies transmitted from the transmission section.

8. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the transmission section comprises a capacitor for tuning at every one of plural different resonance frequencies and a function for selecting said capacitor according to the oscillated resonance frequency, and the reception section comprises a capacitor tuning at every one of plural different frequencies transmitted from the transmission section and a function for selecting the capacitor according to the received resonance frequency.

9. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein after transmission and reception of electromagnetic wave of one resonance frequency out of plural different resonance frequencies, the electromagnetic wave of a different resonance frequency from said one resonance frequency is transmitted and received.

10. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of any one of claims 2 to 5, further comprising a display unit for specifying the magnetostrictive resonator, and displaying its detection level by a bar graph.

11. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein a magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus is affixed to a vehicle.

12. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of claim 11, wherein magnetostrictive resonators having road information assigning mutually different resonance frequencies are continuously buried in a road at specific intervals at each resonance frequency.

13. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of claim 11, wherein the vehicle travels automatically by detecting the magnetostrictive resonators.

14. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of claim 11, wherein magnetostrictive resonators are buried in a road.

15. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a display unit for displaying the road and vehicle information, wherein the vehicle position on the road is displayed.

16. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of claim 12, wherein the vehicle travels automatically by detecting the magnetostrictive resonators.

17. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a display unit for displaying the road and vehicle information, wherein the vehicle position on the road is displayed.

18. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a display unit for displaying the road and vehicle information, wherein the vehicle position on the road is displayed.

19. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of claim 12, wherein magnetostrictive resonators are buried in a road.

20. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of claim 13, wherein magnetostrictive resonators are buried in a road.

21. A magnetostrictive resonator detection apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a display unit for displaying the road and vehicle information, wherein the vehicle position on the road is displayed.