Communication system for vehicle, vehicle, and communication device for vehicle

• US 7,548,172 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2003
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsumura, Kenji, Shinada, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland; Donnie L
• Application Number:
  US10/515,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20060119489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,205 Days
• Field of Search: 340/903
• US Class Current: 340/903
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/5035 electronic displays
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/092 Coding or decoding of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

The present invention is directed to vehicle communication equipment capable of transferring information using light without adding new light emitting means, and further, between a stationary apparatus and a vehicle or between vehicles. A light emitted from a signal lamp (11) of a stationarily installed traffic signal (10) or a head lamp (35) or a tail lamp (36) of a vehicle (20) is superimposed with a signal by a modulator (13), the modulated light is received by a light receiving unit (21) of the vehicle (20) side, and the received modulated light is demodulated by a decoder (22) to be displayed on a display panel (24).

Claims

1. A vehicle communication system, comprising:

a light emitting apparatus installed stationarily and configured to emit a visible light to communicate with an operator of a vehicle;

a modulator configured to modulate the light emitted from said light emitting apparatus by superimposing a predetermined signal thereon;

a light receiving apparatus installed on a vehicle side and configured to receive a plurality of lights emitted from light emitting apparatuses of other vehicles and superimposed with signals;

a plurality of phase-locked loops arranged in parallel and each locked at a different frequency such that the plurality of phase-locked loops discriminate between a plurality of the signals which are simultaneously received from the other vehicles;

a decoder configured to read out the signals superimposed on the lights received by said light receiving apparatus;

a comparison unit configured to compare an identification of the signals with a predetermined identification such that only data with permission is extracted; and

notifying means for notifying information based on a signal which is read out by said decoder.

2. The vehicle communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light emitting apparatus is a signal lamp of a traffic signal.

3. The vehicle communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light emitting apparatus is a street lighting lamp.

4. The vehicle communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light emitting apparatus is a warning lamp at a railroad crossing.

5. The vehicle communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light emitting apparatus is an embed type signal lamp embedded in a vehicle lane.

6. The vehicle communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light emitting apparatus is a signal lamp of a traffic signal installed along a railroad track.

7. The vehicle communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said decoder is configured to demodulate a drive current of said light emitting apparatus by superimposing a coded pulse thereon.

8. A vehicle, comprising:

a light emitting apparatus configured to emit a visible light outwardly to assist an operator of the vehicle;

a modulator configured to superimpose a predetermined signal on the light emitted from said light emitting apparatus;

a light receiving apparatus configured to receive a plurality of lights emitted from light emitting apparatuses of other vehicles and superimposed with signals;

a plurality of phase-locked loops arranged in parallel and each locked at a different frequency such that the plurality of phase-locked loops discriminate between a plurality of the signals which are simultaneously received from the other vehicles;

a decoder configured to read the signals superimposed on the lights received by said light receiving apparatus;

a comparison unit configured to compare an identification of the signals with a predetermined identification such that only data with permission is extracted; and

output means for outputting a signal read out by said decoder.

9. The vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein said light emitting apparatus is a head lamp.

10. The vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein said light emitting apparatus is a tail lamp.

11. The vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein said light emitting apparatus is a brake lamp.

12. The vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein said light emitting apparatus is a turn indicator lamp.

13. The vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein said light emitting apparatus is installed on the vehicle to cast illumination lights or warning lights to external directions.

14. The vehicle as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

discrimination means for discriminating a type of a signal received by said decoder and carrying out a signal processing in dependence on the type thereof.

15. The vehicle as claimed in claim 14, wherein said discrimination means discriminates the type of signal depending on a category signal attached to the signal.

16. The vehicle as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

key operation means, wherein, in response to a single operation of the key operation means, a different signal is superimposed on a respective light shed from a plurality of light emitting apparatuses installed in said vehicle and the light is emitted from each of the light emitting apparatuses.

17. The vehicle as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

an input unit configured to allow an operator of the vehicle to input a command to be superimposed by the modulator on the light emitted from the light emitting apparatus.