Transmission system and coding communication method for a transmission system

• US 7,031,655 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2001
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• 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): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOBUTKA, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US09/953,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20030050082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/7, 455/9, 455/11.1, 455/524, 455/569.2, 455/525.9, 455/90.1, 455/90.2, 455/90.3
• US Class Current: 455/7
• 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) receiving means of receiving an input signal containing information,

ii) transmission means of transmitting an output signal based on said input signal in accordance with a predetermined radio scheme,

iii) mobile unit detection means of detecting the presence of the mobile unit along said predetermined route;

wherein said output signal from each of the plurality of modules contains at least a portion of the information contained in said input signal and said output signal is transmitted along at least a portion of said predetermined route through two or more of the plurality of modules.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the mobile unit detection means includes a weight measuring section for measuring weight of the mobile unit moving along said predetermined route;

and

a decision section for determining that the mobile unit is present if the measured weight is one of (1) exceeds a predetermined threshold value and (2) within a predetermined range of values.

3. The system of claim 1 in which a module identifier of a respective module is included in the information contained in said signal transmitted along said predetermined route, if the respective module detects the presence of the mobile unit.

4. The system of claim 1 in which the mobile unit detection means includes a magnetic field generating section for generating a magnetic field along said predetermined route;

and

a magnetic field change detection section for detecting a change in the magnetic field, when the mobile unit moves along the predetermined route to pass through the magnetic field.

5. The system of claim 1 in which the mobile unit detection means includes a laser radiation section for transmitting a laser beam toward the mobile unit moving along said predetermined route;

and

a laser detection section for detecting the laser beam reflected from the mobile unit.

6. The system of claim 1 in which the mobile unit detection means includes a receiving section for receiving a first identifier transmitted from the mobile unit moving along said predetermined route, and

a module identifier generating unit for generating a second identifier and adding the second identifier to the information contained in said signal transmitted along said predetermined route, when the first identifier is received by the receiving section.

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) detecting if the mobile unit is moving along said predetermined route,

b) receiving an input signal containing information asynchronously or synchronously 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

C) transmitting an output signal containing at least a portion of the information contained in said signal through two or more of the plurality of modules along at least a portion of said predetermined route asynchronously or synchronously using transmission means contained in the two or more modules in accordance with the predetermined radio scheme;

wherein each of the plurality of modules includes at least one of (i) a weight measuring section for measuring weight of the mobile unit moving along said predetermined route, (ii) a magnetic field generating section for generating a magnetic field along said predetermined route, or (iii) a laser radiation section for transmitting a laser beam toward the mobile unit moving along said predetermined route.

8. In a transmission system having a plurality of modules installed at different positions along a predetermined route, a method of communicating a presence of a mobile unit moving along the predetermined route comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving in a respective one of the plurality of modules a first input signal containing first information from another module installed along the route;

(b) receiving in the respective one of the modules a second input signal containing second information from a mobile unit moving along the route; and

(c) receiving in the respective one of the modules a third input signal containing third information indicating the presence of the mobile unit moving along the route, the third input signal separate and independent from the first and second input signals and the third information separate and independent from the first and second information;

wherein the respective one of the modules includes at least one of (i) a weight measuring section for measuring weight of the mobile unit moving along said predetermined route, (ii) a magnetic field generating section for generating a magnetic field along said predetermined route, or (iii) a laser radiation section for transmitting a laser beam toward the mobile unit moving along said predetermined route.

9. The method of claim 8 in which step (c) of receiving the third input signal includes:

(i) generating a magnetic field along the predetermined route;

(ii) detecting, by the respective one of the modules, a change in the magnetic field;

(iii) deciding, by the respective one of the modules, the presence of the mobile unit based on the detection of the change in the magnetic field in step (ii); and

(iv) forming the third input signal after the decision in step (iii).

10. The method of claim 8 in which step (c) of receiving the third input signal includes:

(i) transmitting a laser beam from the respective one of the modules;

(ii) receiving, by the respective one of the modules, the laser beam reflected from the mobile unit;

(iii) deciding, by the respective one of the modules, the presence of the mobile unit based on the received laser beam in step (ii); and

(iv) forming the third input signal after the decision in step (iii).

11. The method of claim 8 in which step (c) of receiving the third input signal includes:

(i) weighing, by the respective one of the modules, a unit moving along the route;

(ii) determining, by the respective one of the modules, that the weight of the unit moving along the route in step (i) is one of (1) exceeds a predetermined threshold value and (2) within a predetermined range of values;

(iii) deciding, by the respective one of the modules, that the unit moving along the route is a mobile unit based on the determination of step (ii); and

(iv) forming the third input signal after the decision in step (iii).

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

(d) transmitting an output signal from the respective one of the modules to another module installed along the route, the output signal containing a portion of the first, second and third information.

13. 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) receiving means of receiving an input signal containing information,

ii) transmission means of transmitting an output signal based on said input signal in accordance with a predetermined radio scheme,

iii) mobile unit detection means of detecting the presence of the mobile unit along said predetermined route;

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

wherein each of the mobile units have a length and wherein said plurality of modules are spaced such that the distance between adjacent modules is less than the length of each of the mobile units.

14. 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) receiving means of receiving an input signal containing information,

ii) transmission means of transmitting an output signal based on said input signal in accordance with a predetermined radio scheme,

iii) mobile unit detection means of detecting the presence of the mobile unit alone said predetermined route;

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

wherein a minimum following distance is established for mobile units along the predetermined route and wherein the plurality of modules are spaced such that adjacent modules are separated by less than the minimum following distance.