Electronic toll collection system adapted to plural types of protocols employed by various on-vehicle units

• US 20030109223A1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Toyama, Kazumasa
• Granted Patent: US 7,349,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/39
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G

Abstract

An electronic toll collection (ETC) system comprises an on-vehicle unit mounted on a vehicle and a stationary-station communication system. This communication system operates to perform communication for accounting processing toward the on-vehicle unit mounted on the vehicle that passes a predetermined communication area. The stationary-station communication system comprises a controller and an antenna unit. The controller includes a protocol controller configured to produce a protocol selection signal and a communication controller configured to control the communication based on the produced communication protocol selection signal. The antenna unit includes a modem unit configured to selectively have a plurality of types of modulation/demodulation techniques corresponding to a plurality of types of protocols for the communication and control means configured to selectively allow the modem unit to be switched into a particular modulation/demodulation technique specified by the protocol selection signal.

Claims

1. A stationary-station communication system for performing accounting processing through communication with an on-vehicle unit mounted on a vehicle passing a predetermined communication area, the system comprising:

a controller including a protocol controller configured to produce a protocol selection signal and a communication controller configured to control the communication based on the produced communication protocol selection signal; and

an antenna unit including a modem unit configured to selectively have a plurality of types of modulation/demodulation techniques corresponding to a plurality of types of protocols for the communication and control means configured to selectively allow the modem unit to be switched into a particular modulation/demodulation technique specified by the protocol selection signal.

2. The stationary-station communication system of claim 1, wherein the modem unit is provided with a plurality of modem circuits operating on the plurality of types of protocols, respectively.

3. The stationary-station communication system of claim 1, wherein the protocol controller is configured to produce the protocol selection signal that allows the plurality of types of protocols to be selected by turns every period of time during which at least one time of communication processing is performed with the on-vehicle unit.

4. The stationary-station communication system of claim 3, wherein

the protocol controller is configured to produce the protocol selection signal for one time of the communication processing correspondingly to the plurality of types of protocols to be handled in one slot and

the control means of the antenna unit is configured to perform the accounting processing through the communication processing over a plurality of slots when receiving a response from the on-vehicle unit that is present in the communication area.

5. The stationary-station communication system of claim 3, wherein the protocol controller is configured to have

means for determining the type of protocol of the on-vehicle unit mounted on the vehicle that is present in the communication area,

means for producing the protocol selection signal corresponding to the determined protocol type continuously until the communication processing for the on-vehicle unit is completed, and

means for producing the protocol selection signal for the next protocol type.

6. The stationary-station communication system of claim 3, wherein the protocol controller is configured to have

means for producing the protocol selection signal for one time of the communication processing correspondingly to the plurality of types of protocols to be handled in one slot,

means for determining whether or not a response has been received during the slot from the on-vehicle unit that is present in the communication area, and

means for repeatedly producing, in cases where the response has been received, the same protocol selection signal that enables the communication processing to be performed on the protocol of the on-vehicle unit that responded, until the communication processing is completed.

7. The stationary-station communication system of claim 6, wherein the protocol controller is configured to have means for repeatedly producing, in cases where the response received is composed of two or more responses, the same protocol selection signal that enables the communication processing to be performed on the two protocols of the two on-vehicle units that responded, until the communication processing is completed for the two on-vehicle units.

8. An electronic toll collection system comprising:

an on-vehicle unit mounted on a vehicle; and

a stationary-station communication system performing communication for accounting processing toward the on-vehicle unit mounted on the vehicle that passes a predetermined communication area, wherein

the stationary-station communication system comprises;

a controller including a protocol controller configured to produce a protocol selection signal and a communication controller configured to control the communication based on the produced communication protocol selection signal; and

an antenna unit including a modem unit configured to selectively have a plurality of types of modulation/demodulation techniques corresponding to a plurality of types of protocols for the communication and control means configured to selectively allow the modem unit to be switched into a particular modulation/demodulation technique specified by the protocol selection signal.

9. The electronic toll collection system of claim 8, wherein the protocol controller is configured to produce the protocol selection signal that allows the plurality of types of protocols to be selected by turns every period of time during which at least one time of communication processing is performed with the on-vehicle unit.

10. The electronic toll collection system of claim 8, wherein

the protocol controller is configured to produce the protocol selection signal for one time of the communication processing correspondingly to the plurality of types of protocols to be handled in one slot and

the control means of the antenna unit is perform the accounting processing through the communication processing over a plurality of slots when receiving a response from the on-vehicle unit that is present in the communication area.

11. The electronic toll collection system of claim 8, wherein the protocol controller is configured to have

means for producing the protocol selection signal that allows the plurality of types of protocols to switch over by turns,

means for determining the type of protocol of the on-vehicle unit mounted on the vehicle that is present in the communication area, means for producing the protocol selection signal corresponding to the determined protocol type continuously until the communication processing for the on-vehicle unit is completed, and

means for producing the protocol selection signal for the next protocol type.

12. The electronic toll collection system of claim 8, wherein the protocol controller is configured to have

means for producing the protocol selection signal for performing, by turns, one time of the communication processing correspondingly to each of the plurality of types of protocols to be handled in one slot,

means for determining whether or not a response has been received during the slot from the on-vehicle unit that is present in the communication area, and

means for repeatedly producing, in cases where the response has been received, the same protocol selection signal that enables the communication processing to be performed on the protocol of the on-vehicle unit that responded, until the communication processing is completed.

13. The electronic toll collection system of claim 12, wherein the protocol controller is configured to have means for repeatedly producing, in cases where the response received is composed of two or more responses, the same protocol selection signal that enables the communication processing to be performed on the two protocols of the two on-vehicle units that responded, until the communication processing is completed for the two on-vehicle units.

14. A communication method for electrically collecting a toll, in which accounting processing is performed through communication between an on-vehicle unit mounted on a vehicle and a stationary-station communication system when the vehicle passes a predetermined communication area, the stationary-station communication system being provided with a modem unit capable of communicating on a plurality of modulation/demodulation techniques corresponding to a plurality of protocols, the communication method comprising the steps of:

producing a protocol selection signal that allows the plurality of types of protocols to be selected by turns every period of time during which at least one time of communication processing is performed with the on-vehicle unit, and

providing the protocol selection signal to the modem unit so that the modem unit communicates on a particular modulation/demodulation technique corresponding to a particular protocol specified by the protocol selection signal.

15. The communication method of claim 14, wherein the producing step is configured such that the protocol selection signal is produced for one time of the communication processing correspondingly to the plurality of types of protocols to be handled in one slot,

the communication method further comprising the step of performing the accounting processing through the communication processing over a plurality of slots when receiving a response from the on-vehicle unit that is present in the communication area.

16. The communication method of claim 14, wherein the producing step is configured such that the protocol selection signal is produced so as to allow the plurality of types of protocols to switch over by turns,

the communication method further comprising the steps of

determining the type of protocol of the on-vehicle unit mounted on the vehicle that is present in the communication area,

producing the protocol selection signal corresponding to the determined protocol type continuously until the communication processing for the on-vehicle unit is completed, and

producing the protocol selection signal for the next protocol type.

17. The communication method of claim 14, wherein the producing step is configured such that the protocol selection signal is produced for performing, by turns, one time of the communication processing correspondingly to each of the plurality of types of protocols to be handled in one slot,

the communication method further comprising the steps of

determining whether or not a response has been received during the slot from the on-vehicle unit that is present in the communication area and

repeatedly producing, in cases where the response has been received, the same protocol selection signal that enables the communication processing to be performed on the protocol of the on-vehicle unit that responded, until the communication processing is completed.

18. The communication method of claim 17, wherein the producing step is configured such that, in cases where the response received is composed of two or more responses, the same protocol selection signal that enables the communication processing to be performed on the two protocols of the two on-vehicle units that responded is repeatedly produced, until the communication processing is completed for the two on-vehicle units.