Method and system for data communications using synchronizing signals of different data length

• US 6,275,552 B1
• Filed: 02/05/1998
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ando, Toshihide
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Shuwang
• Application Number:
  US09/019,362
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 375/368, 375/273, 375/365, 375/364, 370/273, 370/321, 370/324, 370/350, 370/513, 340/928, 340/905, 340/937, 455/447
• US Class Current: 375/368
• 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 1/092 Coding or decoding of the information
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0605 Special codes used as synchronising signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0085 detecting a given structure in the signal

Abstract

A road side communication equipment is provided crossing over lanes of an expressway, so that a communication processing for toll collection is executed between the road side equipment and an on-board equipment passing a communication area. The road side equipment sends signals using a 32-bit synchronizing signal for the start slot of each frame and a 16-bit synchronizing signal for subsequent slots of the frame. The on-board equipment receives this to perform signal receiving processing. The received communication signals are then digital-demodulated and entered to a shift register, so that the bit pattern is compared in two comparators to detect the synchronizing signal. According to the output from AND circuits, the synchronizing signal is distinguished from the synchronizing signal to determine the received data and receive subsequent data.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

on-board communication equipment mounted in a vehicle and used to execute a communication processing according to communication signals received when passing a specified communication area;

wherein the on-board communication equipment includes;

a receiver configured to (i) detect at least two synchronizing signals when receiving the communication signals and (ii) execute a subsequent communication by setting a communication timing according to the detected synchronizing signals; and

wherein each synchronizing signal includes a predetermined bit pattern and a predetermined data length defined by a number of bits in the bit pattern, the data length of one of the synchronizing signals being longer than the data length of the other synchronizing signal, and a portion of the bit pattern of the one synchronizing signal having the longer data length matching an entirety of the bit pattern of the other synchronizing signal;

a first detecting circuit in which the bit pattern of a comparator is set so as to detect the synchronizing signal having the shorter data length from among the synchronizing signals; and

a second detecting circuit configured for comparing another portion of the bit pattern of the synchronizing signal having the longer data length than that of the detected synchronizing signal, the other portion being undetected by the first detecting circuit, comparing in order to detect the synchronizing signal having the longer data length.

2. A communication system comprising:

on-board communication equipment mounted in a vehicle and used to execute a communication processing according to communication signals received when passing a specified communication area;

wherein the on-board communication equipment includes;

a receiver configured to (i) detect at least two synchronizing signals when receiving the communication signals and (ii) execute a subsequent communication by setting a communication timing according to the detected synchronizing signals; and

wherein each synchronizing signal includes a predetermined bit pattern and a predetermined data length defined by a number of bits in the bit pattern, the data length of one of the synchronizing signals being longer than the data length of the other synchronizing signal, and a portion of the bit pattern of the one synchronizing signal having the longer data length matching an entirety of the bit pattern of the other synchronizing signal;

received data storage means for storing the synchronizing signals in a digital form;

a first comparator for comparing a bit pattern of a first plurality of bits of the synchronizing signals stored in the received data storage means with a first reference bit pattern; and

a second comparator for comparing a bit pattern of a second plurality of bits of the synchronizing signals stored in the received data storage means with a second reference bit pattern.

3. The communication system as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the first and second plurality of bits are upper and lower bits of the synchronizing signal having the longer data length;

the received data storage means is a shift register, respectively; and

the first and second comparators are connected to upper and lower bit sides of the shift register.

4. The communication system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the receiver further includes:

a receiving start determination circuit for receiving outputs of the comparators indicative of coincidence of both bit patterns to determine a start of receiving subsequent data.

5. A method for data communications comprising:

transmitting and receiving communication signals so as to exchange communication data, the communication signals including at least two synchronizing signals, each synchronizing signal including a predetermined bit pattern and a predetermined data length defined by a number of bits in the bit pattern, wherein (i) the data length of one of the synchronizing signals is longer than the data length of the other synchronizing signal, and (ii) a portion of the bit pattern of the one synchronizing signal having the longer data length matches an entirety of the bit pattern of the other synchronizing signal;

adding an identification bit pattern including a specified number of bits to each of the synchronizing signals; and

setting the identification bit pattern of the synchronizing signal having the shorter data length differently from the bit pattern of the synchronizing signal having the longer data length.

6. A method for data communications comprising:

transmitting and receiving communication signals so as to exchange communication data, the communication signals including at least two synchronizing signals, each synchronizing signal including a predetermined bit pattern and a predetermined data length defined by a number of bits in the bit pattern, wherein (i) the data length of one of the synchronizing signals is longer than the data length of the other synchronizing signal, and (ii) a portion of the bit pattern of the one synchronizing signal having the longer data length matches an entirety of the bit pattern of the other synchronizing signal;

wherein the transmitting and receiving further comprise receiving communication signals and detecting the synchronization signals from the received communication signals, and when detecting the synchronizing signal having the longer data length from received communication signals, starting a communication processing according to the detected synchronizing signal and, when detecting the synchronizing signal having the shorter data length, continuing the processing according to the synchronizing signal.

7. A communication system comprising:

on-board communication equipment mounted in a vehicle and used to execute a communication processing according to communication signals received when passing a specified communication area;

wherein the on-board communication equipment includes;

a receiver configured to (i) detect at least two synchronizing signals when receiving the communication signals and (ii) execute a subsequent communication by setting a communication timing according to the detected synchronizing signals; and

wherein each synchronizing signal includes a predetermined bit pattern and a predetermined data length defined by a number of bits in the bit pattern, the data length of one of the synchronizing signals being longer than the data length of the other synchronizing signal, and a portion of the bit pattern of the one synchronizing signal having the longer data length matching an entirety of the bit pattern of the other synchronizing signal; and

wherein the synchronizing signal has the longer data to indicate a start of a new communication, and the synchronizing signal has the shorter data length to indicate continuation of a communication for sending subsequent data.

8. The communication system as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

each of the communication signals has a plurality of slots; and

the synchronizing signals are placed at heads of the slots.

9. A communication system comprising:

on-board communication equipment mounted in a vehicle and used to execute a communication processing according to communication signals received when passing a specified communication area;

wherein the on-board communication equipment includes;

a receiver configured to (i) detect at least two synchronizing signals when receiving the communication signals and (ii) execute a subsequent communication by setting a communication timing according to the detected synchronizing signals; and

wherein each synchronizing signal includes a predetermined bit pattern and a predetermined data length defined by a number of bits in the bit pattern, the data length of one of the synchronizing signals being longer than the data length of the other synchronizing signal, and a portion of the bit pattern of the one synchronizing signal having the longer data length matching an entirety of the bit pattern of the other synchronizing signal; and

road side communication equipment configured to communicate with the on-board communication equipment by sending communication signals to the specified communication area;

wherein the road side communication equipment includes a transmitter configured to transmit the communication signals to the receiver of the on-board communication equipment; and

wherein the transmitter transmits based upon selection of one of the synchronizing signals when starting a communication.

10. A communication system comprising:

on-board communication equipment mounted in a vehicle and used to execute a communication processing according to communication signals received when passing a specified communication area;

wherein the on-board communication equipment includes;

a receiver configured to (i) detect at least two synchronizing signals when receiving the communication signals and (ii) execute a subsequent communication by setting a communication timing according to the detected synchronizing signals; and

wherein each synchronizing signal includes a predetermined bit pattern and a predetermined data length defined by a number of bits in the bit pattern, the data length of one of the synchronizing signals being longer than the data length of the other synchronizing signal, and a portion of the bit pattern of the one synchronizing signal having the longer data length matching an entirety of the bit pattern of the other synchronizing signal;

wherein the synchronizing signal having the shorter data length includes identification code bits; and

the receiver further has;

received data storage means for storing the synchronizing signals in a digital form;

a first comparator for comparing a bit pattern of a first plurality of bits of the synchronizing signals stored in the received data storage means with a first reference bit pattern;

a second comparator for comparing a bit pattern of a second plurality of bits of the received data storage means with a second reference bit pattern;

a decoder for decoding the identification code; and

a receiving start determination circuit for receiving outputs of the comparators and the decoder to determine a start of receiving subsequent data.

11. The communication system as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

the identification code bits are the lowest bits of the synchronizing signal having the shorter data length.

12. The communication system as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

the identification code bits are middle bits of the synchronizing signal having the shorter data length.

13. A method for data communications, the method comprising:

transmitting and receiving communication signals so as to exchange communication data, the communication signals including at least two synchronizing signals, each synchronizing signal including a predetermined bit pattern and a predetermined data length defined by a number of bits in the bit pattern, wherein (i) the data length of one of the synchronizing signals is longer than the data length of the other synchronizing signal, and (ii) a portion of the bit pattern of the one synchronizing signal having the longer data length matches an entirety of the bit pattern of the other synchronizing signal; and

processing subsequent communication data in accordance with the at least two synchronizing signals;

wherein the transmitting and receiving further comprise transmitting the communication signals including the synchronizing signal having the longer data length in order to indicate a start of a new communication, and transmitting the communication signals including the synchronizing signal having the shorter data length in order to indicate continuation of a communication for sending subsequent data.

14. The method for data communications as claimed in claim 13, further comprising configuring the synchronizing signals to have a plurality of bits.

15. The method for data communications as claimed in claim 13, further comprising configuring the synchronizing signals such that a start bit of the synchronizing signal having the shorter data length matches a particular bit of the bit pattern of the synchronizing signal having the longer data length.

16. The method for data communications as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

providing each communication signal with a plurality of slots; and

placing the synchronizing signals at heads of the slots.

17. A communication system comprising:

on-board communication equipment mounted in a vehicle and used to execute a communication processing according to communication signals received when passing a specified communication area, the on-board communication equipment including;

a receiver configured to (i) detect synchronizing signals when receiving the communication signals and (ii) execute a subsequent communication by setting a communication timing according to the detected synchronizing signals, the receiver further including;

received data storage means for storing the synchronizing signals in a digital form;

a first comparator for comparing a bit pattern of a first plurality of bits of the synchronizing signals stored in the received data storage means with a first reference bit pattern;

a second comparator for comparing a bit pattern of a second plurality of bits of the synchronizing signals stored in the received data storage means with a second reference bit pattern;

a decoder for decoding the identification code; and

a receiving start determination circuit for receiving outputs of the comparators and the decoder to determine a start of receiving subsequent data;

wherein the synchronizing signals include at least two types of bit patterns having a data length different from each other, and a bit pattern of the synchronizing signal having a longer data length includes a bit pattern of the synchronizing signal having a shorter data length; and

wherein the synchronizing signal having the shorter data length includes identification code bits.

18. The communication system as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

the identification code bits are the lowest bits of the synchronizing signal having the shorter data length.

19. The communication system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the identification code bits are middle bits of the synchronizing signal having the shorter data length.