Mobile unit support system and mobile unit detection device and a system

• US 6,130,626 A
• Filed: 07/24/1997
• Issued: 10/10/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1996
• 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: Yoshida, Takashi, Nomura, Noboru, Kane, Joji
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US08/899,483
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/928, 340/901, 340/903, 340/904, 340/933, 340/988, 340/991, 340/994, 235/384, 701/1, 701/117, 455/517, 455/456
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09 Arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions railroad crossing signals B61L; reflectors E01F, G08B; indicating arrangements for variable information by selection or combination of individual elements G09F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

A mobile unit support system has a mobile unit and a plurality of sources to be detected installed along a route of movement of said mobile unit, characterized in that said mobile unit includes a storage section for storing in advance the information on the arrangement of said plurality of the sources to be detected, a detection section for detecting said sources to be detected, and an arithmetic processing section for producing predetermined information on the basis of said detection information detected and said arrangement information stored.

Claims

1. A mobile unit support system for use with a mobile unit, comprising:

a plurality of radiating sources installed along a route of movement of said mobile unit, said radiating sources transmitting information to each other in a predetermined relay chain along said route of movement, wherein said information propagates along said route of movement,

a memory in said mobile unit for storing the predetermined relay chain of the radiating sources,

a receiver in said mobile unit for receiving the information from at least one of said plurality of radiating sources, and

a processor in said mobile unit for producing further information based upon the information received from said one of said plurality of radiating sources.

2. A mobile unit support system as described in claim 1, further comprising an information collection unit, characterized in that said mobile unit includes a transmission section for transmitting said predetermined information obtained by said processor, and said information collection unit includes a receiving section for receiving the information transmitted from said transmission section of said mobile unit and a movement information processing section for producing the moving conditions of said mobile unit on the basis of the information thus received.

3. A mobile unit support system as described in claim 1, further comprising an information supply unit for transmitting the mobile unit information on the mobile unit, characterized in that said mobile unit includes a receiving section for receiving said mobile unit information transmitted from said information supply unit, and said processor uses said received mobile unit information in order to obtain said further information.

4. A mobile unit support system according to claim 1 wherein said mobile unit includes a display for displaying said further information from said processor.

5. A mobile unit support system according to claim 1 wherein said mobile unit includes mobile unit control means for controlling the movement of said mobile unit based upon said predetermined information from said processor.

6. A mobile unit support system according to claim 1 wherein said mobile unit or calculates a distance between mobile units based upon said information detected by said detection means.

7. A mobile unit support system for use with at least two mobile units, comprising:

a plurality of sources radiating information installed in a predetermined arrangement along a route of movement of said mobile units,

storage means in each of said mobile units for storing an arrangement of said plurality of sources,

detection means in each of said mobile units for detecting said information from at least one of said sources,

arithmetic processing means in each of said mobile units for producing predetermined information based upon said information detected and said stored arrangement;

information collection means characterized in that one of said mobile units includes a transmitter for transmitting said predetermined information, and another of said mobile units includes a receiver for receiving said predetermined information, and

movement information processing means for determining moving conditions of each of said mobile units on the basis of said detected information.

8. A mobile unit support system as described in claim 7, wherein said mobile unit calculates a distance between mobile units on the basis of said detection information detected by said detection means.

9. A mobile unit support system for use with at least a first and a second mobile unit, comprising:

a plurality of sources radiating information installed in a predetermined arrangement along a route of movement of said first and second mobile units,

storage means in each of said first and second mobile units for storing an arrangement of said plurality of sources,

detection means in each of said first and second mobile units for detecting information from at least one of said sources,

arithmetic processing means in each of said first and second mobile units for producing predetermined information based upon said information detected and said stored arrangement; and

information supply means in said first mobile unit for transmitting first predetermined information to one of said sources characterized in that said second mobile unit includes a receiving section for receiving said first predetermined information transmitted from said one of said sources and said arithmetic processing means in said second mobile unit uses said first predetermined information to produce second predetermined information.

10. A mobile unit support system for use with a mobile unit, comprising:

a plurality of sources to be detected installed in a predetermined arrangement along a route of movement of said mobile unit,

a storage means in said mobile unit for storing an arrangement of said plurality of sources to be detected,

detection means in said mobile unit for detecting at least one of said sources,

arithmetic processing means in said mobile unit for producing predetermined information based upon information from said detected sources and said stored arrangement, and

mobile unit control means for controlling the movement of said mobile unit based upon said predetermined information from said arithmetic processing means.

11. A mobile unit support system for use with a mobile unit, comprising:

a plurality of sources to be detected installed in a predetermined arrangement along a route of movement of said mobile unit,

storage means in said mobile unit for storing an arrangement of said plurality of sources to be detected,

detection means in said mobile unit for detecting at least one of said sources, and

arithmetic processing means in said mobile unit for producing predetermined information based upon information from said detected sources and said stored arrangement,

wherein said mobile unit determines a distance to another mobile unit based upon said information detected by said detection means.

12. A mobile unit support system for use with a plurality of mobile units comprising:

a plurality of radiating sources installed along a route of movement of said plurality of mobile units, said radiating sources transmitting information to each other in a predetermined relay chain along said route of movement, wherein said information propagates along said route of movement,

storage means in each of said mobile units for storing an arrangement of said plurality of radiating sources,

a receiver in each of said mobile units for receiving said information from at least one of said radiating sources,

a processor in each of said mobile units for generating predetermined information based upon said received information,

a transmitter in each of said mobile units for transmitting said predetermined information to the at least one of said radiating sources, and

movement information processing means in each of said mobile units for generating moving conditions along said route of movement,

wherein said predetermined information is (a) received by at least one of said radiating sources, and then transmitted as information to a successive radiating source in said predetermined relay chain, (b) said information is received by another receiver in another mobile unit further along said route of movement, and (c) said movement processing means in the other mobile unit generates a moving condition from said received information.