Transmission system and coding communication method for a transmission system

• US 6,310,561 B1
• Filed: 07/25/1997
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• 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:
  US08/901,017
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/928, 340/933, 340/932, 340/435, 340/903, 340/994, 455/517, 701/117
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/825 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• 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

The conventional combination cannot realize an efficient road traffic system as a whole. A transmission system has a plurality of modules installed at different positions along a predetermined road. Each of the plurality of the modules includes a receiving section for receiving an input signal and a transmission section for transmitting an output signal on the basis of the input signal according to a predetermined radio scheme. Each of the plurality of the modules receives and transmits a signal, whereby the whole or part of the information contained in the signal is transmitted along the whole or part of the predetermined road. This transmission system can construct an efficient integrated road traffic system as a whole.

Claims

1. A transmission system for use with a mobile unit along a predetermined route comprising:

a plurality of modules installed at different positions along the predetermined route, each of the plurality of modules includes

i) first receiving means for receiving a first input signal containing information from a further module of said plurality of modules;

ii) first transmission means for transmitting a first output signal based on said first input signal in accordance with a first radio scheme, and

iii) at least one of a) second receiving means for receiving a second input signal from said mobile unit moving along said predetermined route, and b) a second transmission means for transmitting a second output signal to said mobile unit in accordance with a second radio scheme;

wherein said first output signal from each of the plurality of modules contains at least a portion of the information contained in said first input signal and said first output signal is transmitted along at least a portion of said predetermined route;

said mobile unit includes a transmission means and a receiving is means for communication with one of the modules located between a forward end and a rear end of said mobile unit;

said mobile unit further includes an extraction means for extracting the information addressed to said mobile unit from the second output signal;

the second input signal transmitted from the transmission means of said mobile unit contains the extracted information;

the first transmission means of each of the plurality of said modules further transmits said first output signal based on said extracted information;

each of the plurality of said modules further includes a priority information detection means for detecting predetermined priority information from at least one of the first input signal and the second input signal received by at least one of the first receiving means and the second receiving means, respectively, of said module; and

the first transmission means of said module further transmits said first output signal based on a detection result of said priority information detection means.

2. A transmission system for use with a mobile unit along a predetermined route comprising:

a plurality of modules installed at different positions along the predetermined route, each of the plurality of modules includes

i) first receiving means for receiving a first input signal containing information from a further module of said plurality of modules,

ii) first transmission means for transmitting a first output signal based on said first input signal in accordance with a first radio scheme, and

iii) at least one of a) second receiving means for receiving a second input signal from said mobile unit moving along said predetermined route, and b) a second transmission means for transmitting a second output signal to said mobile unit in accordance with a second radio scheme;

said first output signal from each of the plurality of modules contains at least a portion of the information contained in said first input signal and said first output signal is transmitted along at least a portion of said predetermined route;

wherein each of the plurality of modules includes mobile unit detection means for detecting presence or absence of said mobile unit within a predetermined range from said module; and

each of the plurality of modules or said mobile unit includes an inter-mobile unit distance measuring section for measuring distance between said mobile unit and another mobile unit based on detection result of said mobile unit detection means.

3. A communication coding method for a relay-type transmission system for use with a mobile unit along a predetermined route, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a first input signal containing first information in accordance with a first radio scheme using receiving means contained in one of a plurality of modules from a first module of said plurality of modules;

b) transmitting a first output signal containing at least a portion of the information contained in said first input signal along at least a portion of said predetermined route;

at least one of

c) receiving a second input signal containing second information from the mobile unit in accordance with a second radio scheme, and

d) transmitting a second output signal to said mobile unit using a second transmission means in said module in accordance with the second radio scheme, said second output signal containing at least a portion of the first information; and

e) extracting in the mobile unit the information from the second output signal wherein the second input signal transmitted from the mobile unit to said module contains the extracted information and each of said plurality of the modules further transmits said first output signal including said extracted information;

wherein the first receiving means of each of said plurality of the modules receives as said first input signals the first output signal transmitted from a first transmission means of another module adjacent to said first module having said first receiving means, and the first output signal transmitted from the first transmission means of at least one still another module adjacent to said first module and different from said another module; and

the first transmission means of each of said plurality of the modules transmits said first output signal in such a manner as to be received by the first receiving means of at least one still another module adjacent to said first module having said first transmission means and different from said another module having the first transmission means that has transmitted said first output signal received as the first input signal by said first receiving means of said first module.

4. A communication coding method for a relay-type transmission system for use with a mobile unit along a predetermined route, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a first input signal containing first information in accordance with a first radio scheme using receiving means contained in one of a plurality of modules from a first module of said plurality of modules;

b) transmitting a first output signal containing at least a portion of the information contained in said first input signal along at least a portion of said predetermined route;

at least one of

c) receiving a second input signal containing second information from the mobile unit in accordance with a second radio scheme, and

d) transmitting a second output signal to said mobile unit using a second transmission means in said module in accordance with the second radio scheme, said second output signal containing at least a portion of the first information; and

e) extracting in the mobile unit the information from the second output signal wherein the second input signal transmitted from the mobile unit to said module contains the extracted information and each of said plurality of the modules further transmits said first output signal including said extracted information;

whereby the second transmission means of each of said plurality of the modules transmits said second output signal based on the first input signal received by the first receiving means of said first module; and

the first transmission means of each of said plurality of the modules transmits said first output signal on the basis of the first and second input signals received by said first and second receiving means, respectively, of said first module.

5. A communication coding method for a relay-type transmission system for use with a mobile unit along a predetermined route, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a first input signal containing first information in accordance with a first radio scheme using receiving means contained in one of a plurality of modules from a first module of said plurality of modules;

b) transmitting a first output signal containing at least a portion of the information contained in said first input signal along at least a portion of said predetermined route;

at least one of

c) receiving a second input signal containing second information from the mobile unit in accordance with a second radio scheme, and

d) transmitting a second output signal to said mobile unit using a second transmission means in said module in accordance with the second radio scheme, said second output signal containing at least a portion of the first information; and

e) extracting in the mobile unit the information from the second output signal wherein the second input signal transmitted from the mobile unit to said module contains the extracted information and each of said plurality of the modules further transmits said first output signal including said extracted information;

whereby each of said plurality of modules further includes a priority information detection means for detecting predetermined priority information from at least one of the first and second input signals received by at least one of said first and second receiving means, respectively, of said module; and

at least one of the first and second transmission means of said module further transmits at least one of said first and second output signals, respectively, on the basis of the detection result of said priority information detection means.

6. A communication coding method for a relay-type transmission system for use with a mobile unit along a predetermined route, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a first input signal containing first information in accordance with a first radio scheme using receiving means contained in one of a plurality of modules from a first module of said plurality of modules;

b) transmitting a first output signal containing at least a portion of the information contained in said first input signal along at least a portion of said predetermined route;

at least one of

c) receiving a second input signal containing second information from the mobile unit in accordance with a second radio scheme, and

d) transmitting a second output signal to said mobile unit using a second transmission means in said module in accordance with the second radio scheme, said second output signal containing at least a portion of the first information; and

e) extracting in the mobile unit the information from the second output signal wherein the second input signal transmitted from the mobile unit to said module contains the extracted information and each of said plurality of the modules further transmits said first output signal including said extracted information;

wherein said mobile unit includes an extraction means for extracting the information destined for said mobile unit from the second output signal transmitted from said second transmission means and received by said receiving means of said mobile unit;

the second input signal transmitted from the transmission means of said mobile unit to said second receiving means contains the extracted information capable of identifying the information extracted by said extraction means; and

the first transmission means of each of said plurality of the modules further transmits said first output signal on the basis of said extracted information.

7. A communication coding method for a transmission system for use with a mobile unit along a predetermined route, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving an input signal containing information in accordance with a predetermined radio scheme using receiving means contained in one of a plurality of modules installed at different positions along the predetermined route, and

b) transmitting an output signal containing at least a portion of the information contained in said input signal along at least a portion of said predetermined route using transmission means contained in said module in accordance with the predetermined radio scheme;

wherein information is transmitted first from one of a predetermined number of said plurality of modules formed within a zone and constituting a transmitting end of said information, followed by a second transmission of further information within said zone from another module constituting the next transmitting end of said further information to be transmitted, further followed by a third transmission of still other information within said zone from yet another module, and

a period of synchronous communication is included having a communication time segment for communication between said mobile unit and said plurality of modules and a transfer time segment for transfer between said plurality of modules.

8. A communication coding method as described in claim 7, characterized in that the communication includes a predetermined number of data slots corresponding to a predetermined number of modules constituting one frame unit.

9. A communication coding method as described in claim 8, characterized in that each of said data slots has at least a module identifier, a mobile unit identifier and data containing information on a mobile unit.

10. A communication coding method as described in claim 8, characterized in that each of said data slots includes a first slot used for communication from a mobile unit to said module and a second slot used for communication from said module to said mobile unit, said first slot having at least a module identifier, a mobile unit identifier and the data transmitted from said module to said mobile unit, said second slot having at least the data transmitted from said mobile unit to said module.

12. A communication coding method according to claim 7 wherein a sync clock for synchronizing communication is supplied from a clock generating means included in said mobile unit and said plurality of modules for generating the same clock to said mobile unit and said plurality of modules, respectively.

13. A communication coding method according to claim 7 wherein a sync clock for synchronizing communication is transmitted from a predetermined module to remaining ones of said plurality of modules and to said mobile unit.

14. A communication coding method according to claim 7 wherein data contained in a data slot is any one of information on an external infrastructure service, traffic control, navigation, movement support, safe movement support and automatic drive or a combination of any of such information.

15. A communication coding method according to claim 7 wherein data contained in a data slot has an identifier of a faulty module.

16. A communication coding method according to claim 7 wherein data contained in a data slot has an identifier for setting an emergency information from a module.

11. A communication coding method for a relay-type transmission system for use with a mobile unit along a predetermined route, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a first input signal containing first information in accordance with a first radio scheme using receiving means contained in one of a plurality of modules from a first module of said plurality of modules,

b) transmitting a first output signal containing at least a portion of the information contained in said first input signal using first transmission means in said module along at least a portion of said predetermined route, and at least one of

c) receiving a second input signal containing second information from the mobile unit in accordance with a second radio scheme, and

d) transmitting a second output signal to said mobile unit using a second transmission means in said module in accordance with the second radio scheme, said second output signal containing at least a portion of the first information,

wherein the first output signal transmitted by said first transmission means of each of said plurality of the modules contains a module identifier for identifying said module that has transmitted said first output signal, and

wherein a predetermined number of said plurality of modules form a zone as a unit and information is transmitted in data slots by being relayed between a plurality of zones, and each of said data slots has a zone identifier.