On-board-unit for use in vehicle identification

• US 9,543,759 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2012
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Q-Free ASA
• Original Assignee: Q-Free ASA
• Inventors: Hagen, Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUKHARI, AQEEL H
• Application Number:
  US14/118,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20140103743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/186 Vibration harvesters

Abstract

A system and method for automatic identification and recording of vehicles passing a road user charging point or location. A system and method for powering an on-board-unit (OBU) that can be mounted in a vehicle by including an energy harvester capable of providing at least a part of the energy required to operate the on-board-unit.

Claims

1. An on-board unit (10) for automatic identification of a vehicle on a road user charging system, the on-board unit (10) including an identification module and a power unit (12), energy storage unit (14) being a capacitive device, power management unit (15), main components (17), and an antenna (18) for communication with a reader unit of roadside equipment (100) proximate a road in a road charging system, comprising an energy harvester (11) connected to the power unit (12) via an impedance and voltage matching module (13), the energy harvester (11) comprising at least one tunable resonant mechanical device in a material capable of generating electrical power when subjected to mechanical influence and being configured for providing at least a portion of energy required to operate the antenna (18) and main components (17) of the on-board-unit (10) for communication with the reader unit of roadside equipment (100).

2. The on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein the energy harvester (11) is a part of an energy supply unit (12) for supplying the on-board-unit (10) with voltage and current levels required for operation.

3. The on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein the energy harvester (11) includes a device configured for transforming vibration energy into electric energy.

4. The on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein the energy storage unit (14) is coupled to the energy harvester (11) for storing harvested energy.

5. The on-board unit according to claim 2, wherein the energy storage unit (14) is coupled to the energy harvester (11) for storing harvested energy.

6. The on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein the energy harvester (11) is coupled to the energy storage unit (14) in the form of a chargeable device.

7. The on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein the energy harvester (11) is electromagnetic based on a conductor moving in relation to a magnetic field in response to an external mechanical influence.

8. The on-board unit according to claim 2, wherein the energy harvester (11) is electromagnetic based on a conductor moving in relation to a magnetic field in response to an external mechanical influence.

9. The on-board unit according to claim 6, wherein the energy harvester (11) is electromagnetic based on a conductor moving in relation to a magnetic field in response to an external mechanical influence.

10. The on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein the energy harvester (11) is electrostatic based on a capacitance changing as a result of at least one electrode or a portion of a dielectric material moving in relation to other capacitance parts in response to an external mechanical influence.

11. The on-board unit according to claim 6, wherein the energy harvester (11) is electrostatic based on a capacitance changing as a result of at least one electrode or a portion of a dielectric material moving in relation to other capacitance parts in response to an external mechanical influence.

12. The on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one mechanically resonant device has a resonance frequency within the range of 5-30 Hz.

13. The on-board unit according to claim 6, wherein the at least one mechanically resonant device has a resonance frequency within the range of 5-30 Hz.

14. The on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein the energy harvester (11) includes multiple tunable resonant mechanical devices.

15. The on-board unit according to claim 14, wherein the tunable resonant mechanical devices are tuned to have resonance peaks within the frequency range of 5-30 Hz.

16. The on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one tunable resonant mechanical device is tuned to harvest energy from different frequency ranges.

17. The on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one tunable resonant mechanical device is tuned to a resonance an approximate frequency of vibration of an engine or wheel.

18. The on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one tunable resonant mechanical device is a piezoelectric device.

19. The on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one tunable resonant mechanical device is a conductor that moves in relation to a magnetic field in response to an external mechanical influence.

20. The on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one tunable resonant mechanical device changes capacitance as a result of at least one electrode or a portion of a dielectric material moving in relation to other capacitance parts in response to an external mechanical influence.