Wireless, especially mobile, communication device for communicating with communication devices in vehicles

• US 20040053651A1
• Filed: 07/17/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EFKON GmbH (Strabag Se)
• Original Assignee: Efkon AG (Strabag Se)
• Inventors: Rieder, Helmut, Pammer, Raimund
• Granted Patent: US 7,447,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.9
• 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 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence

Abstract

A wireless, in particular mobile, communication device (8) for communicating with communication units (9) in vehicles (5, 6, 7), comprising a transmitter (26) and a receiver (29) for information-containing electromagnetic waves, as well as a control unit (25) for controlling the transmitter (26), a directional characteristic (10, 10′) being provided for the receiver (29) and/or for the transmitter (26), for a selective communication with communication units (9) in vehicles (5, 6, 7) at distances (D) of more than 10 m, preferably in the order of from 20 m to 200 m, e.g. in the order of approximately 100 m, in particular with a receiving angle, or a radiation angle, respectively, of from 0.5° to 4°, preferably 0.8° to 2.5°, and a sighting unit (13) as well as an indication unit (16, 18) being provided, the indication unit being connected with the receiver (29) via a processing unit.

Claims

1. A wireless, in particular mobile, communication device (8) for communicating with communication units (9) in vehicles (5, 6, 7), comprising a transmitter (26) and a receiver (29) for information containing electromagnetic waves, as well as a control unit (25) for controlling the transmitter (26), characterized in that for the receiver (29) and/or for the transmitter (26), a directional characteristic (10, 10′

) for a selective communication with communication units (9) in vehicles (5, 6, 7) at distances (D) of more than 10 m is provided, and that a sighting unit (13) as well as an indication unit (16, 18) is provided, the indication unit being connected to the receiver (29) via a processing unit.

2. A communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the directional characteristic for a selective communication is defined for distances of from 20 m to 200 m.

3. A communication device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the directional characteristic for a selective communication is defined for distances in the order of approximately 100 m.

4. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the receiver is provided with a receiving angle of from 0.5°

to 4°

.

5. A communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that the receiving angle is from 0.8°

to 2.5°

.

6. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the transmitter is provided with an angle of radiation of from 0.5°

to 4°

.

7. A communication device according to claim 6, characterized in that the angle of radiation is from 0.8°

to 2.5°

.

8. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that in case of an optic communication, in particular in the infrared range, the light receiver (29) and/or the light transmitter (26), respectively, has an associated optics (14, 15) for achieving the narrow directional characteristic.

9. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the indication unit (16, 18) comprises a display, in particular an LCD display (16).

10. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the indication unit (16, 18) has an acoustic indicating means, e.g. a buzzer (18).

11. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the processing unit is formed by a processor (25).

12. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the control unit for the transmitter is formed by a processor, preferably by the same processor (25) that forms the processing unit.

13. A communication device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the processor (25) is provided with a memory (27, 28) for information to be transmitted and received, respectively.

14. A communication device according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the processor (25) is connected to an input unit (17), in particular keys, for inputting information and instructions.

15. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the control unit (25) for the transmitter (26) has an associated trigger-like switch (19) for triggering the transmitter (26) for radiating electromagnetic waves.

16. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the control unit (25) for the transmitter (26), optionally the processor, has an associated memory (28) for predetermined transmission signal information, with a wake-up signal for the vehicle communication unit (9) and with command signals for the vehicle communication unit (9) so as to cause the latter to identify itself and deliver stored information, in particular status information and information regarding toll transactions.

17. A communication device according to any one of claims 11 to 16, characterized in that a date and time indication fed by a clock signal generator of the processor (25) is provided.

18. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized by a memory (27) for storing a toll site identification.