DRSC car-mounted equipment and DRSC apparatus using the same

• US 6,181,023 B1
• Filed: 05/11/1999
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US09/309,268
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.1, 307/9.1, 342/4, 340/905, 340/539, 340/825.72, 340/988, 455/70
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/015 with provision for distinguishing between two or more types of vehicles, e.g. between motor-cars and cycles

Abstract

A DSRC car-mounted equipment which automatically drives a receiver circuit only when it is necessary to suppress the consumption of an electric power. A DSRC car-mounted equipment comprises a receiver circuit 3 driven upon being supplied with an electric power from a battery 6A, a receiver circuit drive means 4 for driving said receiver circuit, and a drive condition judging means 10 for judging the drive conditions of said receiver circuit drive means, wherein said drive condition judging means includes vibration data detecting means 12, 15 for detecting the vibration data B, F of said vehicle, and vibration data judging means 14, 17 for comparing the vibration data of said vehicle with reference values Cb, Cf, and wherein when said vibration data satisfy predetermined conditions for said reference values, judgement signals Da, Df for driving said receiver circuit are output to said receiver circuit drive means.

Claims

1. A DSRC car-mounted equipment for executing a dedicated short-range communication with an on-the-road equipment installed on a path along which the vehicle travels, comprising:

a receiver circuit driven upon being supplied with an electric power from a battery;

a receiver circuit drive means for driving said receiver circuit; and

a drive condition judging means for judging the drive conditions of said receiver circuit drive means;

wherein said drive condition judging means includes;

vibration data detecting means for detecting the vibration data of said vehicle; and

vibration data judging means for comparing the vibration data of said vehicle with reference values; and

wherein when said vibration data satisfy predetermined conditions for said reference values, judgement signals for driving said receiver circuit are output to said receiver circuit drive means.

2. A DSRC car-mounted equipment according to claim 1, wherein said vibration data is a vibration level, said reference value corresponds to a vibration level of said vehicle under predetermined traveling conditions of said vehicle, and said drive condition judging means outputs a judgement signal when said vibration level is greater than said reference value.

3. A DSRC car-mounted equipment according to claim 1, wherein said vibration data is a vibration frequency, said reference value corresponds to a vibration frequency band under predetermined traveling conditions of said vehicle, and said drive condition judging means outputs said judgement signal when said vibration frequency represents said reference value.

4. A DSRC car-mounted equipment according to claim 1, wherein said vibration data include a vibration level and a vibration frequency, said reference value includes a first reference value corresponding to a vibration level under predetermined traveling conditions of said vehicle and a second reference value corresponding to a vibration frequency band under predetermined traveling conditions of said vehicle, and said drive condition judging means outputs said judgement signal when said vibration level is larger than said first reference value and when said vibration frequency represents said second reference value.

5. A DSRC car-mounted equipment according to claim 1, wherein said vibration data include a vibration level and a vibration frequency, said reference value includes a first reference value corresponding to a vibration level under predetermined traveling conditions of said vehicle and a second reference value corresponding to a vibration frequency band under predetermined traveling conditions of said vehicle, and said drive condition judging means outputs said judgement signal when said vibration level is larger than said first reference value or when said vibration frequency represents said second reference value.

6. A DSRC car-mounted equipment according to claim 1, wherein said drive condition judging means includes a filter means for filtering said vibration data, and compares the vibration data after filtered with said reference value.

7. A DSRC car-mounted equipment according to claim 1 wherein said drive condition judging means includes an external input switch, and said reference value is variably set depending upon an operation signal output from said external input switch when said external input switch is operated.

8. A DSRC car-mounted equipment according to claim 7, wherein said reference value is set being changed-over to a plurality of steps depending upon said operation signal.

9. A DSRC car-mounted equipment according to claim 7, wherein said reference value is updated and is set based upon the vibration data detected when said external input switch is operated.

10. A DSRC car-mounted equipment according to claim 1, wherein said drive condition judging means includes a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the speed of said vehicle, and said reference value is variably set depending upon said vehicle speed.

11. A DSRC car-mounted equipment according to claim 1, wherein said drive condition judging means includes:

a memory means for storing vibration data over a predetermined period;

a communication end signal-forming means for forming a communication end signal when the communication with the on-the-road equipment has ended; and

a reference value-setting means which reads, from said memory means, the vibration data of just before the communication has started with the on-the-road equipment in response to the communication end signal and operates a reference value, and stores said reference value.

12. A DSRC apparatus using a DSRC car-mounted equipment according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of dents and bumps formed maintaining a predetermined distance and a predetermined width on a predetermined region of the path along which the vehicles travels, wherein said drive condition judging means outputs said judgement signal in response to the result of comparison of a reference value corresponding to said dents and bumps with said vibration data.

13. A DSRC apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said dents and bumps are formed on a region just preceding a communication region where there is installed an on-the-road equipment with which the communication is executed from the receiver circuit.

14. A DSRC apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said dents and bumps are formed on a region just preceding a curved region of said traveling path.

15. A DSRC apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said dents and bumps are formed on a region just preceding a sleep warning region of said traveling path.

16. A DSRC apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the distance and the width of said dents and bumps are variably set depending upon different regions of said traveling path.