Vehicle-onboard DSRC apparatus

• US 6,300,882 B1
• Filed: 08/09/2000
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• 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): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US09/635,143
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 340/933, 340/905, 340/928, 340/937, 340/942, 340/941, 340/943, 340/917, 340/932.2, 701/117, 701/32, 701/37, 705/13, 235/384, 235/375, 455/99
• US Class Current: 340/933
• 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 1/015 with provision for distinguishing between two or more types of vehicles, e.g. between motor-cars and cycles

Abstract

A vehicle-onboard DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) apparatus (10A) which can ensure suppression of communication error due to difference in type of motor vehicles. The apparatus includes an antenna (11) and a control unit (20) for receiving/transmitting information from/to an on-road transport managing equipment serving as an electronic toll collection system and installed in association with a road on which motor vehicles are to run, and a receiving sensitivity setting means (14A, 21 to 23, 30) for setting receiving sensitivity of the DSRC apparatus in an area for communication with the on-road transport managing equipment in dependence on vehicle type information indicative of type of the motor vehicle, wherein the receiving sensitivity setting means is so designed as to compensate for difference of electric field intensity of received radio signals due to different types of the motor vehicles with the receiving sensitivity.

Claims

1. A vehicle-onboard DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) apparatus, comprising:

an antenna and a control unit for receiving/transmitting information from/to an on-road transport managing equipment installed in association with a road on which motor vehicles are to run; and

receiving sensitivity setting means for setting receiving sensitivity of said DSRC apparatus in an area for communication with said on-road transport managing equipment in dependence on vehicle type information indicative of type of said motor vehicle,

wherein said receiving sensitivity setting means is designed to compensate for difference of electric field intensity of received radio signals due to different types of said motor vehicles with said receiving sensitivity.

2. A vehicle-onboard DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said vehicle type information includes information concerning at least one of a height of a position at which said DSRC apparatus is mounted on said motor vehicle and a distance between said position and a front end of said motor vehicle, and

wherein said receiving sensitivity setting means is designed to set said receiving sensitivity in dependence on at least one of said height of the position at which said DSRC apparatus is mounted and said the distance between said position and the front end of said motor vehicle.

3. A vehicle-onboard DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said receiving sensitivity setting means is designed to set adjustably said receiving sensitivity by referencing map data prepared in advance on the basis of said vehicle type information.

4. A vehicle-onboard DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said receiving sensitivity setting means is designed to perform interpolation arithmetic for said map data.

5. A vehicle-onboard DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said receiving sensitivity setting means is designed to set adjustably said receiving sensitivity on the basis of an arithmetic formula in accordance with the vehicle type information.

6. A vehicle-onboard DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein said receiving sensitivity setting means is designed to set limit values of said receiving sensitivity.

7. A vehicle-onboard DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

an amplifier for amplifying a received signal supplied from said antenna,

wherein said receiving sensitivity setting means is designed to set variably an amplification factor of said amplifier in accordance with said vehicle type information.

8. A vehicle-onboard DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sensitivity adjusting unit for adjusting the receiving sensitivity on the basis of electric field intensity of a received signal received from said on-road transport managing equipment; and

a received signal processing unit for processing said received signal in response to an output signal of said sensitivity adjusting unit,

wherein said sensitivity adjusting unit includes electric field intensity discriminating means for comparing the electric field intensity of said received signal with a reference value,

said receiving sensitivity setting means being designed to setting variably said reference value in accordance with the said vehicle type information, and

wherein said received signal processing unit is designed to process said received signal when the electric field intensity of said received signal is equal to or exceeds said reference value.

9. A vehicle-onboard DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said receiving sensitivity setting means includes:

mounted position input means for inputting information concerning a mounted position at which said DSRC apparatus is mounted on said motor vehicle;

a DSRC apparatus position storing unit for storing said mounted position of the DSRC apparatus; and

a receiving sensitivity setting unit for setting said receiving sensitivity in dependence on said mounted position of the DSRC apparatus.

10. A vehicle-onboard DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein said mounted position input means is comprised of a display device and a ten key array provided in said control unit.

11. A vehicle-onboard DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein said mounted position input means is comprised of a display device and an increment key or alternatively a decrement key provided in said control unit.

12. A vehicle-onboard DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein said mounted position input means is comprised of voice input means.

13. A vehicle-onboard DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein said mounted position input means is comprised of an IC card dedicated for setting up said DSRC apparatus.

14. A vehicle-onboard DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said receiving sensitivity setting means includes:

a vehicle information storing unit for storing vehicle information;

a vehicle type information discriminating unit for discriminatively deciding the vehicle type information on the basis of said vehicle information; and

a receiving sensitivity setting unit for setting said receiving sensitivity in accordance with the vehicle type information decided discriminatively by said vehicle type information discriminating unit.

15. A vehicle-onboard DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said control unit is designed to transfer information concerning toll collection with on-road transport managing equipment installed in association with a toll road and serving as an electronic toll collection system, whereby toll collection is performed automaticallly on the basis of the information concerning said toll collection.