Radio communication system, radio communication apparatus and radio communication method

• US 8,433,247 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2009
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Fujita, Masayuki, Nakagawa, Gen
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIEH, PING Y
• Application Number:
  US12/437,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20090275288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/455, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/457, 455/458, 455/464, 455/24, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/500, 455/501, 455/505, 455/509, 455/516, 455/521, 455/518, 701/207, 701/214, 340/988, 340/991, 340/992, 340/993, 340/438
• US Class Current: 455/41.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/825 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9329 cooperating with reflectors or transponders

Abstract

In a radio communication system, a first radio communication station transmits a radio signal including information for designating a condition for a radio communication counterpart. A second radio communication station which receives the radio signal transmitted by the one radio communication station, and transmits a response radio signal when a situation of the second radio communication station meets the condition designated by the information included in the radio signal. The condition for a radio communication counterpart is whether the radio communication counterpart moves, and the second radio communication station transmits the response radio signal when the second radio communication station meets the condition that the radio communication counterpart moves.

Claims

1. A radio communication system comprising:

a first radio communication station configured to transmit a radio signal; and

a plurality of second radio communication stations configured to receive the radio signal transmitted by the first radio communication station,

wherein the radio signal transmitted by the first radio communication station includes information for designating a condition for selecting a radio communication counterpart of the first radio communication station from the second radio communication stations, the condition for selecting the radio communication counterpart including whether the radio communication counterpart is moving and communication experiences with the first radio communication station, and

each of the second radio communication stations is configured to transmit a response radio signal when the second radio communication station determines that the second radio communication station meets the condition that the radio communication counterpart is moving and has the communication experiences with the first radio communication station within a past predetermined time.

2. The radio communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the condition for selecting the radio communication counterpart further includes a type of the radio communication counterpart, and

each of the second radio communication stations is configured to transmit the response radio signal when the second radio communication station determines that the second radio communication station meets the condition that the radio communication counterpart is moving, has the communication experiences with the first radio communication station within the past predetermined time, and meets the condition concerning the type of the radio communication counterpart.

3. The radio communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

each of the second radio communication stations is configured to transmit the response radio signal in a time determined according to past communication experiences with the first radio communication station, and

each of the second radio communication stations is configured to transmit the response radio signal in a time which is earlier as the number of the communication experiences with the first radio communication station is larger.

4. The radio communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first radio communication station is mounted in a first vehicle, and each of the second radio communication stations is mounted in a second vehicle or comprises a predetermined fixed station, and

the first radio communication station is configured to specify one or more of the second radio communication stations which one or more transmit the response radio signal in response to the information transmitted by the first radio communication station, and the first radio communication station is configured to transmit information notifying the specified one or more of the second radio communication stations of a driving state of the first vehicle.

5. A radio communication apparatus comprising:

a transmitting part configured to transmit a radio signal including information for designating a condition for selecting a radio communication counterpart of the radio communication apparatus from a plurality of other radio communication apparatuses, the condition for selecting the radio communication counterpart including whether the radio communication counterpart is moving and communication experiences with the radio communication apparatus, so that one or more of the other radio communication apparatuses transmit a response radio signal in response to reception of the radio signal transmitted by the radio communication apparatus when the one or more of the other radio communication apparatuses determine that the one or more of the other radio communication apparatuses meet the condition that the radio communication counterpart is moving and have the communication experiences with the radio communication apparatus within a past predetermined time.

6. A radio communication apparatus comprising:

a receiving part configured to receive a radio signal transmitted from another radio communication apparatus, the radio signal including information for designating a condition for selecting a radio communication counterpart of the other radio communication apparatus from a plurality of radio communication apparatuses, the condition for selecting the radio communication counterpart including whether the radio communication counterpart is moving and communication experiences with the other radio communication apparatus having transmitted the radio signal; and

a transmitting part configured to transmit a response radio signal if the radio communication apparatus determines that the radio communication apparatus meets the condition that the radio communication counterpart is moving and has the communication experiences with the other radio communication apparatus within a past predetermined time.

7. The radio communication apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

the transmitting part is configured to transmit the response radio signal in a time determined according to past communication experiences with the other radio communication station, and

the transmitting part is configured to transmit the response radio signal in a time which is earlier as the number of the communication experiences with the other radio communication station is larger.

8. A radio communication method comprising:

a first radio communication station transmitting a radio signal including information for designating a condition for selecting a radio communication counterpart of the first radio communication station from a plurality of second radio communication stations, the condition for selecting the radio communication counterpart including whether the radio communication counterpart is moving and communication experiences with the first radio communication station; and

one or more of the second radio communication stations transmitting a response radio signal in response to reception of the radio signal transmitted by the first radio communication station when the one or more of the second radio communication stations determine that the one or more of the second radio communication stations meet the condition that the radio communication counterpart is moving and have the communication experiences with the radio communication apparatus within a past predetermined time.