JP4333354B2 - Mobile communication device and mobile communication method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a mobile communication device and a mobile communication method, and can be applied to, for example, inter-vehicle communication. The present invention is simple and easy by transmitting an identification code for identifying the device as a communication target in optical communication and notifying the identification code with other mobile objects existing in the communicable range in advance. It is possible to reliably specify a communication target.

  In recent years, various methods for transmitting and receiving messages and the like between traveling vehicles have been proposed for so-called inter-vehicle communication, which is one type of mobile communication. In such inter-vehicle communication, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-98125 proposes a method of processing a license plate imaging result and specifying a communication target.

  According to this method, it is possible to specifically specify the vehicle and notify various information about the vehicle that happens to meet while traveling.

  However, in the case where the communication result is specified by processing the number plate imaging result as described above, it is necessary to image the license plate with a sufficient size and to further process the imaging result. Thus, in this method, there is a problem that the processing becomes complicated.

As one method for solving this problem, when selecting a message, the surrounding vehicle is requested to transmit an identification code for specifying each vehicle, and the identification code of a desired communication target is obtained by the response to the message. Although a method of sending out is also conceivable, in the case of this method, in the case of a vehicle that travels at a high speed, the timing at which communication is possible may be lost.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-293194

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and intends to propose a vehicle-to-vehicle communication and a vehicle-to-vehicle method capable of easily and reliably specifying a communication target.

In order to solve such a problem, in the invention of claim 1, a message is transmitted / received by transmitting / receiving communication light related to optical communication to / from the same type of device mounted on another moving body. When applied to a mobile communication device, the control means drives the encoder in response to a request for sending an identification code detected by the decoder, and sends an identification code that identifies the device as a communication target in the optical communication. In this way, the identification code is notified in advance to the same type of device mounted on another mobile unit existing in the communicable range, and the communication target is specified based on the identification code. Send a message.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the first aspect, the transmission of the identification code by driving the encoder is repeated transmission during a period in which no message is transmitted.

The invention of claim 4 is applied to a mobile communication method that is mounted on a mobile body and transmits / receives a message by optical communication with the same kind of device mounted on another mobile body . By sending an identification code that identifies the device as a communication target in the optical communication in response to a request for sending an identification code from the mobile body, the same kind of device mounted on another mobile body that exists in the communicable range In the meantime, the identification codes are notified in advance, and based on the identification codes, a communication target is specified and a message is transmitted.

According to the configuration of claim 1 or claim 4 , the identification code is notified in advance using optical communication for sending and receiving messages, and the communication target is specified by the notified identification code, Messages can be transmitted and received, and the communication target can be specified easily and reliably.

  According to the configuration of claim 2, in the configuration of claim 1, if the transmission of the identification code by driving the encoder is repeated transmission during a period when the message is not transmitted, the characteristics of optical communication It is possible to notify the identification code by a simple process that effectively utilizes.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it applies to a vehicle-to-vehicle communication apparatus etc., and can specify a communication object simply and reliably.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(1) Configuration of Embodiment FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an inter-vehicle communication system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the inter-vehicle communication system 1, inter-vehicle communication devices 3A and 3B are installed in the respective vehicles 2A and 2B, and various information is transmitted and received between the vehicles 2A and 2B through the inter-vehicle communication devices 3A and 3B. In the inter-vehicle communication system 1, a message selected by a passenger of each vehicle 2A, 2B is assigned to information transmitted / received between the vehicles 2A, 2B, thereby communicating between the traveling vehicles 2A, 2B. It is made to be able to. Since the inter-vehicle communication devices 3A and 3B are configured substantially the same, in the following description, only the inter-vehicle communication device 3A mounted on the vehicle 2A will be described, and redundant description will be omitted. In addition, this Example shows the structure of the premise of this application.

  In this inter-vehicle communication device 3A, the encoder 4 modulates the output data of the central processing unit (CPU) 6 under the control of the built-in central processing unit (CPU) 5, and the vehicle 2A according to the modulation output obtained as a result. The light emitters 7A and 7B provided before and after the LED are blinked, thereby sending a message or the like to the vehicle traveling forward and backward. Here, in this embodiment, the light emitters 7A and 7B are, for example, a headlight of a vehicle 2A, a tail lamp by a high-intensity light-emitting diode, or a lamp by a high-intensity light-emitting diode attached to a bumper of the vehicle 2A. In addition, communication light related to optical communication is transmitted by visible light or infrared light.

  FIG. 3 is a time chart for explaining the format of data transmission by blinking of the light emitters 7A and 7B. In the inter-vehicle communication device 3A, when a desired message (which is actual data in FIG. 3A) is sent to a specific communication target, an identification code for specifying a transmission destination is included in the information of the message. A destination pulse, a transmission source ID that is an identification code for identifying the transmission source, and an error correction code are added and converted into a serial data string, then subjected to modulation suitable for optical communication and used for timing setting Is sent out by flashing the light emitters 7A and 7B. On the other hand, when such specific information is not transmitted, as shown in FIG. 3B, the transmission source ID and the error correction code, which are identification codes for specifying the transmission source, emit light similarly. It is sent by the flashing of the devices 7A and 7B.

  The light receivers 9A and 9B are light receiving means for receiving communication light related to optical communication from the front and rear, respectively, receive communication light caused by blinking of the light emitters 7A and 7B in the other vehicle 2A, and decode the light reception result. 10 is output. In this embodiment, an image pickup device using a two-dimensional MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor with a high frame rate is applied to the light receivers 9A and 9B, thereby causing the light emitters 7A and 7B to flash at a high speed. The message can be received reliably. Also, by applying the object tracking technique to process the imaging results, it is possible to receive messages reliably even if the position of other vehicles changes slightly, and each message sent simultaneously from multiple vehicles It can be received.

  Accordingly, the decoder 10 performs error correction processing after decoding the received data by processing the light reception results output from the light receivers 9A and 9B by the built-in central processing unit 11 under the control of the central processing unit 6. The central processing unit 6 is notified. In this process, the decoder 10 detects the coordinate value of the light source related to the communication light from the other vehicle on the imaging result, identifies each light source related to the plurality of vehicles based on this coordinate value, and decodes it for each light source. The result is acquired, and the decoding result is output together with the coordinate value of each light source.

  The display unit 13 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display device, and displays the imaging results of the light receivers 9A and 9B, various menus related to the operation of inter-vehicle communication, received messages, information related to the transmission source, and the like under the control of the central processing unit 6. To do. In such a display, as shown in FIG. 4, the display unit 13 displays the imaging results obtained by the light receivers 9 </ b> A and 9 </ b> B and transmits the result by the decoder 10 in accordance with an instruction from the central processing unit 6 based on the processing result of the decoder 10. A balloon is displayed with respect to the display of the vehicle from which the original ID has been received, and the transmission source ID of this vehicle (indicated by “XXX” and “XXX” in FIG. 4) is displayed in the balloon. indicate. Thereby, in this inter-vehicle communication device 3A, the user can easily grasp the communicable vehicle.

  When a message is received from such a vehicle, the received message is displayed in a balloon of the corresponding vehicle. Thereby, in the inter-vehicle communication device 3A, the received message is displayed so that it can be easily and reliably grasped from which vehicle the message is transmitted. In the inter-vehicle communication device 3A, notification of such a message to the user can also be executed by voice through a speaker (not shown) according to user settings.

  The operation unit 14 is formed of an operator that receives various operations of the inter-vehicle communication device 3A and a touch panel provided on the display screen of the display unit 13, and notifies the central processing unit 6 of the operation by the user.

  The memory 15 constitutes a work area of the central processing unit 6 and records and holds various data necessary for processing of the central processing unit 6.

  The central processing unit 6 is a computer that executes a predetermined processing program held in a recording means (not shown), and controls the overall operation of the inter-vehicle communication device 3A. That is, when the power is turned on by the user, the central processing unit 6 instructs the encoder 4 to repeatedly transmit the transmission source ID in the format described above with reference to FIG. The vehicle is repeatedly notified of an identification code necessary for identifying the vehicle in optical communication. As a result, in the inter-vehicle communication device 3A, similarly, the transmission source ID repeatedly transmitted from the surrounding vehicles is received, and in this inter-vehicle communication system 1, this identification code is transmitted within the communicable range. It is designed to notify each other between existing vehicles.

  When the reception of such a transmission source ID is detected by the notification from the decoder 10, the central processing unit 6 displays the imaging result and the transmission source ID on the display unit 13 in the format described above with reference to FIG. The message transmission instruction from the user is accepted.

  That is, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the central processing unit 6 related to reception of such a transmission source ID. When receiving the transmission source ID from the decoder 10, the central processing unit 6 moves from step SP1 to step SP2, and acquires the received transmission source ID and the coordinate value of the light source related to the transmission source ID. Subsequently, the central processing unit 6 moves to step SP3 and collates this transmission source ID with the transmission source ID recorded in the memory 15. Further, the imaging result is displayed on the display unit 13, and a balloon is additionally displayed on the display of the corresponding vehicle based on the collation result with the record in the memory 15, and the received transmission source ID is displayed in the balloon. For the transmission source ID already recorded in the memory 15, a balloon is continuously displayed on the corresponding vehicle display, and this recorded transmission source ID is displayed in the balloon. The central processing unit 6 deletes the recorded light source ID from the record in the memory 15 by a notification from the decoder 10 when the corresponding light source is no longer detected from the imaging result. .

  Subsequently, the central processing unit 6 moves to step SP4, and determines whether or not the user has selected the display of the balloon displayed on the display unit 13 in this way by operating the touch panel, and here, a negative result is obtained. Then, the process proceeds from step SP4 to step SP5, and this processing procedure is terminated. As a result, when the transmission of the transmission source ID is detected from another vehicle existing in the communicable range, the central processing unit 6 executes this processing procedure each time and displays the transmission source ID on the imaging result. It is made like that.

  On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP4, the central processing unit 6 proceeds from step SP4 to step SP6. Here, the central processing unit 6 switches the display of the display unit 13 to receive a message input by the user, and sets the transmission destination ID of the message that has received this input to the transmission source ID selected by the user. Subsequently, the central processing unit 6 moves to step SP7, instructs the encoder 4 to transmit a message with this transmission destination ID, and sends the message input by the user to the communication target, and then moves to step SP5 to perform this processing. End the procedure.

  As a result, the central processing unit 6 can easily and reliably specify the communication target by effectively using the transmission source ID repeatedly transmitted from the other vehicle 2BA. Accordingly, in the inter-vehicle communication device 3A, a message is similarly sent from the other vehicle 2B, and this message is detected by the decoder 10.

  FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the central processing unit 6 related to reception of such a message. The central processing unit 6 starts this processing procedure when the power is turned on, and proceeds from step SP11 to step SP12. Here, the central processing unit 6 transmits the transmission source ID in the format described above with reference to FIG. 3B by controlling the operation of the encoder 4, and thereby transmits the light to other vehicles existing in the surrounding communicable range. In communication, an identification code that identifies the device as a communication target is transmitted.

  Subsequently, the process proceeds to step SP13, where it is determined whether or not a message from another vehicle 2BA has been received by a notification from the decoder 10, and if a negative result is obtained here, the process returns to step SP12. As a result, the central processing unit 6 repeats transmission of an identification code for specifying its own device as a communication target in optical communication.

  On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP13, the central processing unit 6 moves from step SP13 to step SP14, acquires the processing result of the decoder 10, and records the transmission source ID relating to the received message in the memory 15. To do. In addition, regarding the display of the corresponding vehicle, the display unit 13 is instructed to display the balloon, the received message, and the transmission source ID. In step SP15, the received message and the transmission source ID are displayed in the format described above with reference to FIG. indicate.

  Further, in the following step SP16, it is determined whether or not the user has instructed a reply by operating the operation unit 14. If a negative result is obtained here, the process returns to step SP12, whereas if the user has instructed a reply, The process moves from step SP16 to step SP17, and the input of a message is accepted by the user. In the subsequent step SP18, a destination ID and a source ID are set in this message and the encoder 4 is instructed to send a message. As a result, a reply message is sent, and then the process proceeds to step SP19 and the processing procedure is terminated. To do.

(2) Operation of the embodiment In the above configuration, the inter-vehicle communication device 3A (FIG. 2) drives the encoder 4 by the flashing of the light emitters 7A and 7B even when no message is transmitted, In communication, a transmission source ID, which is an identification code for identifying the device itself as a communication target, is repeatedly transmitted. Similarly, another vehicle 2B repeatedly transmits a transmission source ID that is an identification code for identifying the inter-vehicle communication device 3B mounted on the vehicle 2B.

  In the inter-vehicle communication device 3A, the transmission source ID is received by the light receivers 9A and 9B and detected by the decoder 10, and as a result, the other optical communication communicable objects existing in the surrounding communicable range are respectively It is possible to specify the communication target. Thereby, in the inter-vehicle communication device 3A, an identification code used for specifying a communication target in optical communication is notified in advance with the same type of device mounted on another mobile unit existing in the communicable range. Thus, by simply setting the transmission source ID received in this way as the transmission destination ID and transmitting the message, the desired message can be transmitted to the communication target. The message can be sent by specifying.

  Thus, in the case where the identification code is sent without permission from each vehicle in this way, although the identification code can be notified by a simple process, the identification code sent from each vehicle is received simultaneously. . However, in optical communication, by imaging and processing this communication light, each communication light can be identified and the identification code can be detected reliably. In this embodiment, the characteristics of optical communication are effectively used. Thus, the identification code is notified in advance by simple processing.

  In the inter-vehicle communication device 3A, when receiving the transmission source ID in this way, communication light related to communication of such transmission source ID is received by the imaging unit provided in the light receivers 9A and 9B. On the imaging result, a light source related to the communication light is specified. In addition, the light source is specified in this way, and the imaging result is displayed on the display unit 13. On the display of the imaging result, the received transmission source ID is displayed by a balloon on the display of the corresponding vehicle. As a result, the user can easily grasp which of the surrounding vehicles can communicate with, thereby improving the usability.

  In addition, the message is displayed in this way, the user's selection in such display is detected by the touch panel, the message transmission destination is accepted, and the transmission source ID related to this transmission destination is set as the transmission destination ID and the message is transmitted. Thus, the user can send a message by specifying a communication target by a simple operation of simply selecting a vehicle displayed as communicable from the display of the imaging result relating to the front and rear scenery. This makes it possible to reliably send a desired message to a desired communication target by a remarkably simple operation.

(3) Advantages of the embodiment According to the above configuration, the same type of device mounted on another mobile unit that exists in the communicable range by sending an identification code that identifies the device as a communication target for optical communication. By communicating the identification code with each other in advance, it is possible to easily and reliably specify a communication target and send a desired message.

  Further, since the transmission of such an identification code is repeated transmission during a period in which no message is transmitted, the identification code can be notified by a simple process that effectively utilizes the characteristics of optical communication. it can.

  Further, the light source of communication light is specified by the coordinate value on the imaging result, and the user's selection in the display of the imaging result detects the transmission source ID related to the corresponding coordinate value and sends a message by the user, From the display of the imaging results related to the landscape behind, it is possible to send a message by specifying a communication target by a simple operation simply by selecting a vehicle displayed as communicable, and this makes it much easier By a simple operation, a desired message can be reliably transmitted to a desired communication target.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 (A), the inter-vehicle communication device repeatedly sends this identification code sending request instead of sending the source ID related to the above-mentioned identification code repeatedly. A source ID shown in FIG. 6B is notified as a response to the request. Here, in the transmission request for the identification code, a transmission source ID and an error correction code are added to the request data which is a control command related to the transmission request, and then converted into a serial data string to be modulated. After that, a guide pulse is added and transmitted. The inter-vehicle communication apparatus according to this embodiment is configured the same as the inter-vehicle communication apparatus according to the first embodiment except that the configuration relating to the transmission request is different.

  In this embodiment, even if the identification code is notified in advance by a response to the transmission request for the identification code, a desired message can be transmitted simply and reliably by specifying the communication target.

  In the above-described second embodiment, the case where the identification code transmission request is repeatedly transmitted has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a new vehicle is detected in the field of view by, for example, image recognition of the imaging result. The identification code transmission request may be repeatedly transmitted only for a certain period of time. In this way, unauthorized processing can be reduced.

  Further, in the above-described embodiments, the case where the present invention is applied to the inter-vehicle communication apparatus has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and can be widely applied to mobile communication apparatuses that transmit and receive messages between various mobile bodies. it can.

  The present invention relates to a mobile communication device and a mobile communication method, and can be applied to, for example, inter-vehicle communication.

It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the central processing unit in the inter-vehicle communication apparatus which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an inter-vehicle communication system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a time chart with which it uses for description of transmission / reception of the message in the inter-vehicle communication system of FIG. It is a top view which shows the display screen of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication apparatus in the vehicle-to-vehicle communication system of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the central processing unit of the inter-vehicle communication apparatus in the inter-vehicle communication system of FIG. It is a time chart with which it uses for description of transmission / reception of the message in the inter-vehicle communication system which concerns on Example 1 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Vehicle communication system, 2A, 2B ... Vehicle, 3A, 3B ... Vehicle communication device, 4 ... Encoder, 5, 6, 11 ... Central processing unit, 7A, 7B ... Light emitter, 9A, 9B ... Receiver, 13 ... Display section

Claims (5)

In a mobile communication device that is mounted on a mobile unit and transmits / receives a communication light related to optical communication with the same type of device mounted on another mobile unit,
An encoder for driving a light emitter for transmitting the communication light;
A decoder that processes a light reception result of a light receiver that receives communication light from the same type of device mounted on the other moving body;
Based on the processing result of the decoder, the control means for notifying the user of the message by the communication light and receiving the operation related to the sending of the message by the user,
The control means includes
In response to a request to send an identification code detected by the decoder, the encoder is driven to send another identification code that identifies the device as a communication target in the optical communication, thereby allowing another mobile unit existing in a communicable range. In advance, notify the identification code with the same type of device mounted on the
Based on the specific code identification, it sends the message to identify the communication target
Moving body communication device. The identification code transmitted by the driving of the encoder, between the period of non-sending the message, Ru sending der of repetition
Mobile communication device according to 請 Motomeko 1. The receiver is
An imaging unit that receives communication light related to the optical communication together with other light and outputs an imaging result;
The decoder
Process the imaging result by the imaging means, specify the position of the light source of the communication light by the coordinate value on the imaging result, detect and output the identification code related to the light source,
The control means includes
Displaying the imaging result;
By the user's selection in the display, based on the coordinate value on the imaging result, the identification code corresponding to the user's selection is detected,
Sending a message by the user by specifying the communication target by identification code
Mobile communication device according to 請 Motomeko 1. In a mobile communication method that is mounted on a mobile body and sends and receives a message by optical communication with the same type of device mounted on another mobile body,
By sending an identification code for identifying the device as a communication target in the optical communication in response to a request for sending an identification code from the other mobile unit, the same type of the same type mounted on the other mobile unit existing in the communicable range In advance, notify the identification code with the device,
Based on the specific code identification, it sends the message to identify the communication target
Moving body communication method. Sending the identification code, during the period of non-sending the message, Ru sending der of repetition
Mobile communication method according to 請 Motomeko 4.

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