Vehicle-onboard ETC apparatus

• US 7,567,919 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2000
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Koga, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): MEINECKE DIAZ, SUSANNA M
• Application Number:
  US09/688,834
• Time in Patent Office: 3,206 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/7, 705/13, 705/417, 340/933, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 362/553
• US Class Current: 705/13
• 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 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P

Abstract

A vehicle-onboard ETC apparatus capable of conducting ETC information communication includes a vehicle speed detector for detecting a speed of a motor vehicle which passes through a toll gate station equipped with an ETC system, a communication unit for exchanging ETC information for settlement of toll charge/payment with the toll gate station upon passing therethrough, a measuring unit for measuring reception field intensity of the received ETC information within a communication coverage area, and a decision unit for making decision on the basis of the detected vehicle speed and the measured reception field intensity as to a location within the communication coverage area where ETC information communication can be started while sustaining favorable field intensity for signal reception at the detected vehicle speed, to thereby allow the communication means to perform communication processing on the basis of the result of the above decision.

Claims

1. A vehicle-onboard electronic toll collection apparatus, comprising:

(a) vehicle speed detecting means for detecting a speed of a motor vehicle which passes through a toll gate station equipped with an electronic toll collection system;

(b) communication means for exchanging electronic toll collection information for settlement of toll charge/payment transaction with said toll gate station upon passing through said toll gate station;

(c) measuring means for measuring reception field intensity of the received electronic toll collection information within a communication coverage area; and

(d) decision means for making decision on the basis of said detected vehicle speed and said measured reception field intensity as to a location within said communication coverage area where electronic toll collection information communication can be started while sustaining favorable reception field intensity at said detected vehicle speed, to thereby allow said communication means to perform communication processing on the basis of result of said decision,

wherein said vehicle-onboard electronic toll collection apparatus comprises elements (a)-(d), and

wherein said elements (a)-(d) are provided on a vehicle.

2. An vehicle-onboard electronic toll collection apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said decision means is so designed as to sample distance data which ensure more favorable reception field intensity than the reception field intensity at an entrance location of said communication coverage area on the basis of speed at which said motor vehicle enters said communication coverage area, to thereby generate distance-versus-reception field intensity data.

3. An vehicle-onboard electronic toll collection apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein said decision means is so designed as to determine said distance data which can ensure favorable reception field intensity through statistical processing on the basis of speed at which said motor vehicle enters said communication coverage area.

4. An vehicle-onboard electronic toll collection apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein said decision means is so designed as to convert the distance data to time data based on area entering speed.

5. An vehicle-onboard electronic toll collection apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said decision means is so designed as to convert the distance data to time data based on area entering speed.

6. An vehicle-onboard electronic toll collection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

image display means for displaying the electronic toll collection information exchanged through said communication means as an image while stopping display of the electronic toll collection information in dependence on a vehicle speed signal outputted from said vehicle speed detecting means.

7. An vehicle-onboard electronic toll collection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

voice output means for generating a synthesized voice message signal for promoting change of speed of the motor vehicle in dependence on a vehicle speed signal outputted from said vehicle speed detecting means, for thereby outputting said message in voice.