EP2466549A1 - Vehicle device for a road toll system - Google Patents

Abstract

The vehicle device (5) has transceiver for short range radio communication (4,11) selectively to toll beacons (2) with respect to lower-lying control beacons (9). The transceiver has an antenna system having different radio coverage areas (8,12) relative to vehicle device. The vehicle device is configured, such that radio communication is performed with respective beacons. An antenna system is connected with evaluation device, so that start of radio communication with beacon (2) is detected.

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle device for a road toll system, with a transceiver for short-range radio communication optionally with toll beacons or with respect to these deeper control beacons.

Road toll systems with onboard units (OBUs) that work with roadside short range radio beacons allow locating the OBUs based on the beacon locations and their spatially limited radio coverage areas. As a result, local uses of the OBU can be charged, for example in the form of tolls, entrance fees or parking tolls.

To increase the locating accuracy and to prevent disturbances caused by third-party vehicles, the shortest possible range of the radio communication is advantageous, which is only limited by the minimum time for a radio communication. For this purpose, OBUs are currently equipped with an upwardly radiating directional antenna, which cooperates with over the roadway arranged toll beacons in a narrow radio coverage area.

In order to control such road toll systems, increasingly use is being made of mobile control beacons which, for control purposes, have the functionality of a fixed toll beacon and are carried by a control vehicle in order to control OBU beacon communications of vehicles in flowing traffic. Here, the short radio range of conventional OBUs is a problem, especially when vehicles of oncoming traffic are to be controlled, because due to the high relative speed and short radio range, the time for a wireless communication may be too short. In addition, control vehicles usually do not reach the mounting height of stationary toll beacons, which further complicates communication.

The invention has for its object to provide a vehicle device for a road toll system, which overcomes the described problems of the prior art.

This object is achieved with a vehicle device of the aforementioned type, which according to the invention is characterized in that the transceiver has an antenna system with at least two adjustable antenna characteristics, of which the first has a higher and the second a deeper radio coverage area with respect to the vehicle unit, wherein the vehicle unit is further adapted to set the first antenna in the radio communication with a toll beacon and the second antenna characteristic in the radio communication with a control beacon.

In this way, an OBU with an adapting to the location and thus the function of their respective communication partner radio coverage area created: For the Verortungsfunktion of usually stationary toll beacons is set upwards or obliquely upward-forward antenna radiation characteristic, and for the Control option by usually mobile control beacons of the surrounding flow traffic is set a lateral or "flatter", preferably around laterally directed or omnidirectional antenna characteristics. As a result, a high positioning accuracy in one position can be combined with a good control response in the other position.

In a first preferred embodiment of the invention, the vehicle device has a device for determining its own position, a database with stored locations of toll beacons, as well as a connected to these two and the antenna system controlling evaluation, which, if the own position within a predetermined range to a stored location that sets the first antenna characteristic, and if not, adjusts the second antenna characteristic. As a result, the vehicle device can autonomously determine whether it is in the vicinity of a stationary toll beacon, and automatically align its antenna characteristics to it, while otherwise lapsing into an "ambient" mode easily accessible to control beacons from surrounding traffic flow or oncoming traffic.

Basically, the OBU can determine its position in any manner known in the art. However, the position determining device is preferably a satellite navigation receiver, which gives the OBU the greatest possible independence.

In general, a road toll system has a relatively small, manageable number of fixed toll beacons, for example, about 2500 pieces in the Austrian DSRC road toll system. Moreover, the places of toll banners are hardly changeable; Essentially, new beacons are only added to new or expanded toll infrastructure. The effort to maintain the database with the locations of the toll beacons is therefore very low in practice. For example, the database may only be stored once upon delivery of an OBU.

Alternatively, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the database may be updatable via the transceiver from the toll beacons so that any changes can be incorporated into the OBUs themselves via the roadside infrastructure. Since such changes rarely occur, as discussed, the additional traffic in the road toll system is low.

A second preferred embodiment of the invention is that the antenna system periodically alternates between the two antenna characteristics prior to the start of a radio communication and the vehicle unit has an evaluation device connected to the antenna system, by means of which the antenna characteristic present at the beginning of a radio communication can be detected, in order then to This radio communication set this antenna characteristics. In this embodiment, the OBU recognizes on which "receive channel" - Which antenna characteristic - they receive a contact for a wireless communication, from which it can be deduced from which place the contact was made: If the wireless communication was initiated by a stationary tollbake, the contact will usually succeed if the OBU after upwardly directed antenna characteristic occupies; if the radio communication has been picked up by a mobile control beacon of the surrounding traffic, this will generally be successful if the OBU is taking on the deeper or flatter, more forward and / or side-facing antenna characteristics. In this way it is possible to indirectly conclude the location or the identity of the communication partner and thus set the correct antenna characteristic for the further radio communication.

Alternatively, this functionality can be achieved with a further embodiment of the vehicle device, in which the antenna system for each antenna characteristic has its own parallel antenna and the vehicle device has an evaluation device connected thereto, by means of which the antenna which receives the beginning of a radio communication, is detectable to then to set this antenna for this radio communication. Again, the OBU "hears" on which receive channel a contact is made, thus closing again on the location or the identity of its communication partner to adjust their antenna characteristics accordingly.

According to a further alternative embodiment of the invention, the vehicle device has an evaluation device connected to the antenna system, by means of which an identifier of a toll beacon received as the beginning of a radio communication can be detected in order to set the first antenna characteristic in the case of detection for this radio communication. As a result, the OBU learns when contacting a toll or Kontrollbake of their identity and can on basis Set the appropriate antenna characteristics for this information.

For the use of the OBU in a DSRC road toll system (dedicated short range communication), it is particularly advantageous if the said identifier is a BST message (beacon service table message) according to the DSRC standard, as they are the first contact of toll beacons DSRC standards. Such a BST message may also wake an OBU from a low power standby mode, for example.

Preferably, the OBU is set to the second antenna characteristic before starting a radio communication in order to be readily addressable for control beacons at any time.

The vehicle device of the invention is suitable for all types of road toll systems based on short-range radio beacons, for example according to the WLAN or WAVE standard. Its use is particularly favorable in a DSRC road toll system, in which case the transceiver is a DSRC transceiver, preferably according to the CEN or WAVE standard.

• Fig. 1 die Funktionsweise eines erfindungsgemäßen Fahrzeuggeräts schematisch in einem beispielhaften Straßenmautsystem; und
• Fig. 2 ein Blockschaltbild eines Fahrzeuggeräts gemäß der Erfindung.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings shows

• Fig. 1 the operation of a vehicle device according to the invention schematically in an exemplary road toll system; and
• Fig. 2 a block diagram of a vehicle device according to the invention.

According to Fig. 1 For example, a road toll system 1 includes a plurality of toll beacons 2 distributed over a geographical area, only one of which is shown as representative. The toll beacons 2 are each stationarily mounted on a road 3. The term "stationary" used here includes both permanently anchored and transportable toll bollards 2 set up only temporarily on a road 3. In each case, the location O of its installation in the road toll system 1 is known.

The toll beacons 2 are short-range radio beacons, preferably according to the DSRC standard (dedicated short range communication standard), and serve to perform short-range or DSCR radio communications 4 with vehicle units 5 (onboard units, OBUs) of passing vehicles 6. For this purpose, the OBUs 5 in turn have short range or DSCR transceivers 7, which will be described later in more detail with reference to Fig. 2 be explained. On the basis of the radio communications 4, tolling transactions are subsequently generated by the tolling beacons 2 and, for example, deposited via a data connection to a (not shown) control center of the road tolling system 1.

The stationary toll beacons 2 are arranged next to or above the road 3 at a certain height, for example on a bridge supporting the road 3, a mast arranged next to the road 3 or the like. For precise localization of the OBUs 5 to the surroundings of a beacon 2, the transceiver 7 of an OBU 5 assumes a first antenna characteristic in a short-range radio communication 4 with a toll beacon 2, which is directed to an area 8 above the OBU 5. The region 8 is, for example, a cone-shaped or club-shaped upward or obliquely upward ("skyward") or in particular obliquely forward and upward aligned transceiver region.

On the other hand, this orientation of the radio coverage area of the OBU 5, which is advantageous for the toll-beacon radio communications 4, is disadvantageous if the OBU 5 is to be interrogated by mobile control beacons 9. The check beacons 9 are carried, for example, by a control vehicle 10 which moves on the road 3, for example in the same or opposite direction of travel to the vehicle 6. But the check beacons 9 can also be stationary, for example, placed on the roadside, for example, at driveways to parking garages. The check beacons 9 are comparatively lower than the toll beacons 2 with respect to the OBU 5.

In order for the control beacons 9 to be able to perform short-range radio communications 11 with the OBU 5 of a controlled vehicle 6, the OBU 5 assumes a second antenna characteristic for this purpose, which has a radio coverage area 12 which surrounds the area before, possibly also adjacent to or around the vehicle 6 or the OBU 5 includes, as in Fig. 1 shown. The area 12 may include the area 8. Preferably, the radio coverage area 12 approximately horizontally in front of the vehicle 6, possibly even slightly laterally club-shaped in front of the vehicle 6. The radio coverage area 12 is thus relatively "deeper" than the radio coverage area. 8

The OBU 5 is thus able to assume two different antenna characteristics and thus radio coverage areas 8, 12, u.zw. depending on whether it carries out a radio communication 4 with a tollbaket 2 or a radio communication 11 with a control beacon 9, in particular of the surrounding flow or oncoming traffic. This will now be based on Fig. 2 explained in more detail.

According to Fig. 2 the transceiver 7 of the OBU 5 has an antenna system 13, which is switchable between two antenna characteristics, u.zw. once for the radio coverage area 8 and once for the radio coverage area 12. The respective antenna characteristics can be adjusted via a control line 14 of the antenna installation 13, for example.

For example, the antenna system 13 may comprise two antennas 15, 16 which can be switched over by a switch 17, which is to be understood schematically, by a signal from the control line 14. The antenna system 13 could also be formed by a switchable antenna arrangement, as shown in the US 2010/0045536 A1 or by a controllable phase array of individual antennas as known to those skilled in the art.

In a first embodiment, the antenna characteristic of the OBU 5 or the antenna system 13 is dependent on the Controlled position at which the OBU 5 is located in the road toll system 1 relative to the locations of toll beacons 2. In this embodiment, the OBU 5 has a position determination device 18 with which it determines its own position P in the road toll system 1. The position determination device 18 can, for example, detect known terrain marks in the vicinity of the OBU 5 in order to determine their position in a digital map, or determine their location by means of radio triangulation or cell recognition evaluation in a cellular mobile radio network etc. Preferably, the position determination device 18 is a satellite navigation receiver, in particular a GPS receiver. Receiver, which independently determines the position P of the OBU 5 in a global navigation satellite system.

To the position-determining device 18, an evaluation device 19 is connected, which may be formed for example by a microprocessor control of the OBU 5. The evaluation device 19 is further supplied to the output of a database 20 in which the known locations O of all stationary toll beacons 2 of the road toll system 1 are stored. The database 2 can for example be included in the production of the OBU 5 as firmware, or it can be loaded and / or updated via the transceiver 7 from a tollbake 2 of the road toll system 1 ago.

The evaluation device 19 in each case compares the current position P of the OBU 5, as determined by the device 18, with the locations O of the toll beacons 2 from the database 20. If the position P is within a predetermined range 21 around one of the known toll-bill locations O The passage of a toll-bake 2 is detected: In this case, the evaluation device 19 controls the antenna system 13 via the control line 14 in such a way that the first antenna characteristic is set for the uplink receiving area 8. The radio communication 4 with the toll beacon 2 is then performed with this antenna characteristic. When the OBU 5 leaves the area 21, the antenna system 13 becomes the second antenna characteristic for the surrounding radio coverage area 12 so that the OBU 5 is ready and responsive for any control by passing control vehicles 10 with control beacons 9.

In a second alternative embodiment of the OBU 5, the position determination device 18 and the database 20 are omitted. The evaluation device 19 instead switches the antenna system 13 periodically between the two antenna characteristics for the regions 8 and 12. Once the start of a radio communication 4 or 11 in one of the two switching states, i. in one of the two areas 8, 12, is detected by the evaluation device 19, the periodic switching is suspended and this radio communication continued with exactly this antenna characteristic and brought to an end. Thus, the evaluation device 19 detects the location of the communication partner of the OBU 5, i. whether it is a toll tower 2 located in area 8 or a control beacon 9 located in area 12, it adjusts the antenna characteristics accordingly.

The same functionality can also be achieved if the evaluation device 19 evaluates the received signals of an antenna system 13 with two separate antennas 15, 16 in parallel and then carries out the radio communication via those antenna 15 or 16, via which the beginning of a radio communication 4, 11, i. the contact was received from a toll-bake 2 or control beacon 9.

A further alternative embodiment of the OBU 5 is that in the context of a radio communication 4 or 11 of the toll beacon 2 and the control beacon 9, an identifier is received, which provides information about whether it is a toll beacon 2 or a control beacon 9 , For example, in radio communications according to the DSRC standard for establishing contact, a BST message (beacon service table message) is emitted by a tollbaket 2 or a control beacon 9 which, as a service overview, informs the beacon whether it is a stationary tollbake 2 or a mobile control beacon 9 acts. The evaluation device 19 can evaluate this identifier and accordingly set the appropriate antenna characteristic for the area 8 for communication with a tollbaket 2 or for the area 12 for communication with a control beacon 9 in the antenna system 13 of the transceiver 7.

It is understood that the embodiments presented here can be modified accordingly within the scope of the inventive concept. The invention accordingly includes all variants, modifications and combinations of the features described which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (10)

Vehicle device for a road toll system (1), comprising a transceiver (7) for short-range radio communication (4, 11) optionally with toll beacons (2) or with lower control beacons (9), characterized in that the transceiver (7) has a Antenna system (13) having at least two tunable antenna characteristics, the first of which has a higher radio coverage area (8) and the second one a lower radio coverage area (12) relative to the vehicle unit (5), the vehicle unit (5) being adapted for Radio communication (4) with a toll beacon (2) the first and in the radio communication (11) with a control beacon (9) to set the second antenna characteristic. Vehicle device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means (18) for determining its own position (P), a database (20) with stored locations (O) of toll beacons (2), and one connected to these two and the antenna system (13) controlling evaluation device (19) which, when the own position (P) within a predetermined range (21) to a stored location (O), adjusts the first antenna characteristic, and if not adjusts the second antenna characteristic. Vehicle device according to claim 2, characterized in that the position determining means (18) is a satellite navigation receiver. Vehicle device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the database (20) via the transceiver (7) from the toll beacons (2) is updatable. Vehicle device according to claim 1, characterized in that the antenna system (13) periodically alternates between the two antenna characteristics before the start of a radio communication (4, 11) and the vehicle device (5) has an evaluation device (19) connected to the antenna system (13), by means of that antenna characteristic at the beginning a radio communication (4, 11) is present, is detectable, in response to this radio communication (4, 11) to adjust this antenna characteristic. Vehicle device according to claim 1, characterized in that the antenna system (13) has for each antenna characteristic its own parallel-connected antenna (15, 16) and the vehicle device (5) has an evaluation device (19) connected thereto, by means of which antenna (15, 16) , which receives the beginning of a radio communication (4, 11), is detectable, and then set for this radio communication (4, 11) this antenna (15, 16). Vehicle device according to Claim 1, characterized in that it has an evaluation device (19) which is connected to the antenna system (13) and by means of which an identifier of a toll-bake (2) received as the beginning of a radio communication (4, 11) can be detected in order to be detected in the detection case This radio communication (4) to set the first antenna characteristic. Vehicle device according to claim 7, characterized in that the identifier is a BST message according to the DSRC standard. Vehicle device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that it is set before the start of a radio communication (4, 11) to the second antenna characteristic. Vehicle device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the transceiver (7) is a DSRC transceiver.

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