On-board unit, communication method, and recording medium

• US 9,660,705 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machinery Systems, Ltd. (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mechatronics Systems, Ltd. (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nagata, Takeshi, Hayakawa, Yoshifumi, Takeuchi, Hisaji, Yasui, Jun, Murata, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Sam, Phirin
• Application Number:
  US14/652,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20150326283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0404 the mobile station comprising multiple antennas, e.g. to provide uplink diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication

Abstract

An on-board unit includes a first antenna and a second antenna, a traffic data service communicating section corresponding to a traffic data service; a billing service communicating section corresponding to a billing service, a switch which switches a connection relation between each of the first antenna and the second antenna and the traffic data service communicating section and the billing service communicating section, a control section which controls the switch. When the operation mode is switched from the traffic data service mode to the billing service mode, the on-board unit is set to a switching communication mode in which one of the first antenna and the second antenna is connected with the traffic data service communicating section and the other is connected with the billing service communicating section.

Claims

1. An on-board unit comprising:

a first antenna and a second antenna;

a first service communicating section corresponding to a first service;

a second service communicating section corresponding to a second service;

a switch configured to switch a connection relation of each of the first antenna and the second antenna with the first service communicating section and the second service communicating section; and

a control section configured to control the switch,

wherein the first service communicating section is configured to carry out a communication for the first service with a first communication device at a communication speed within a first communication speed range,

wherein the second service communicating section is configured to carry out a communication for the second service with a second communication device at a communication speed within a second communication speed range,

wherein the first communication speed range is different from the second communication speed range,

wherein the on-board unit has first to third operation modes,

wherein when the on-board unit is set to the first operation mode, the switch connects both of the first antenna and the second antenna with the first service communicating section, and the first service communicating section carries out the communication for the first service with the first communication device at the communication speed within the first communication speed range,

wherein when the on-board unit is set to the first operation mode, and when the first service communicating section detects a reception of a radio signal for the communication for the second service from the second communication device, the on-board unit is switched to the second operation mode,

wherein when the on-board unit is set to the second operation mode, the switch connects one of the first antennas and the second antennas with the first service communicating section, and connects the other with the second service communicating section, the first service communicating section carries out the communication for the first service with the first communication device at the communication speed within the first communication speed range, and the second service communicating section carries out the communication for the second service with the second communication device at the communication speed within the second communication speed range,

wherein when the on-board unit is set to the second operation mode and when the control section completes disconnection processing to disconnect the communication for the first service, the on-board unit is switched to the third operation mode,

wherein when the on-board unit is set to the third operation mode, the switch connects both of the first antenna and the second antenna with the second service communicating section, and the second service communicating section carries out the communication for the second service with the second communication device at the communication speed within the second communication speed range, and

wherein an upper limit of the second communication speed range is lower than an upper limit of the first communication speed range.

2. The on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein the second service is a billing service in which processing of a fee charged on a user of the on-board unit is electronically carried out, and

wherein the first service is a traffic data service in which traffic data is provided to the on-board unit.

3. The on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein, when the on-board unit is set to the first operation mode, the first service communicating section carries out the communication for the first service with the first communication device while carrying out diversity using the first antenna and the second antenna.

4. The on-board unit according to claim 1, wherein, when the on-board unit is set to the third operation mode, the second service communicating section carries out the communication for the second service with the second communication device while carrying out diversity using the first antenna and the second antenna.

5. A communication method by an on-board unit which comprises:

a first antenna and a second antenna;

a first service communicating section corresponding to a first service;

a second service communicating section corresponding to a second service; and

a switch configured to switch a connection relation of each of the first antenna and the second antenna with the first service communicating section and the second service communicating section,

wherein the first service communicating section is configured to carry out a communication for the first service with a first communication device at a communication speed within a first communication speed range,

wherein the second service communicating section is configured to carry out a communication for the second service with a second communication device at a communication speed within a second communication speed range, and

wherein the first communication speed range is different from the second communication speed range,

the communication method comprising;

carrying out the communication for the first service with the first communication device at the communication speed within the first communication speed range by the first service communicating section, in a state that both of the first antenna and the second antenna are connected with the first service communicating section by the switch, when the on-board unit is set to a first operation mode;

switching the on-board unit to a second operation mode, when the first service communicating section detects a reception of a radio signal for the communication for the second service from the second communication device, in case where the on-board unit is set to the first operation mode;

carrying out the communication for the first service with the first communication device at the communication speed within the first communication speed range by the first service communicating section, and the communication for the second service with the second communication device at the communication speed within the second communication speed range by the second service communicating section, in a state that one of the first antenna and the second antenna is connected with the first service communicating section and the other is connected with the second service communicating section by the switch, in case where the on-board unit is set to a second operation mode;

carrying out disconnection processing to disconnect the communication for the first service when the on-board unit is set to the second operation mode;

switching the on-board unit to a third operation mode after the disconnection processing is completed; and

carrying out the communication for the second service with the second communication device at the communication speed within the second communication speed range by the second service communicating section in a state that both of the first antenna and the second antenna are connected with the second service communicating section by the switch when the on-board unit is set to the third operation mode,

wherein an upper limit of the second communication speed range is lower than an upper limit of the first communication speed range.

6. A non-transitory storage medium on which a program is stored for execution by a processing unit of an on-board unit, the on-board unit comprising:

a first antenna and a second antenna;

a first service communicating section corresponding to a first service;

a second service communicating section corresponding to a second service; and

a switch configured to switch a connection relation of each of the first antenna and the second antenna with the first service communicating section and the second service communicating section,

wherein the first service communicating section is configured to carry out a communication for the first service with a first communication device at a communication speed within a first communication speed range,

wherein the second service communicating section is configured to carry out a communication for the second service with a second communication device at a communication speed within a second communication speed range, and

wherein the first communication speed range is different from the second communication speed range,

the program, when executed by the processing unit of the on-board unit, causing the on-board unit to achieve the functions of;

carrying out the communication for the first service with the first communication device at the communication speed within the first communication speed range by the first service communicating section, in a state that both of the first antenna and the second antenna are connected with the first service communicating section by the switch, when the on-board unit is set to a first operation mode;

switching the on-board unit to a second operation mode, when the first service communicating section detects a reception of a radio signal for the communication for the second service from the second communication device, in case where the on-board unit is set to the first operation mode;

carrying out the communication for the first service with the first communication device at the communication speed within the first communication speed range by the first service communicating section and the communication for the second service with the second communication device at the communication speed within the second communication speed range by the second service communicating section, in a state that one of the first antenna and the second antenna is connected with the first service communicating section and the other is connected with the second service communicating section by the switch, in case where the on-board unit is set to the second operation mode;

carrying out disconnection processing to disconnect the communication for the first service when the on-board unit is set to the second operation mode;

switching the on-board unit to a third operation mode after the disconnection processing is completed; and

carrying out the communication for the second service with the second communication device at the communication speed within the second communication speed range by the second service communicating section in a state that both of the first antenna and the second antenna are connected with the second service communicating section by the switch when the on-board unit is set to the third operation mode,

wherein an upper limit of the second communication speed range is lower than an upper limit of the first communication speed range.